Author's Warning: Two Mary Sues are introduced at this point. But Olhado promises not to let
them take over the story. This is Kitty's story . . . Ki-i-i-tty's Story.
"No, trust me, Arcade, I won't hurt you." Arcade's a little weird at the best of times, but he likes
to be in control, you know? He kinda wishes the world was a really big video game where he's
gripping the joystick. I think that's why he liked playing with the mansion . . . and with us . . . so
much. I think, even in everyday life, he wishes he had a few lasers and iron doors to use on
people to make them do what he wants.
Like I said, he's pretty weird. But I like him, most of the time. He was a little freaked out when
he learned, after the broadcast and all, that that game of his was pretty real, but he's been cool
with it. You know, after we learned we didn't use our powers on people. (He's kind of a
hypocrite that way.)
But he saw Jean do her throw thing and so I guess he thought that our "safeties" were off and
we're free to fire at will. (He really does think of everything in video game terms.)
"That's easy to say," He stuttered, as he edged further between the dumpster and the side of the
school. "That's really easy to say. Jean says it all the time!"
"Arcade!" I snorted and phased through the dumpster, ending up right next to blasted Arcade.
He shrieked and started to edge away.
"Arcade, look. This is all I do. I can walk through you, but I can't hurt you, remember? Unless I
use karate, and that has nothing to do with being a mutant, right?"
"You could phase through my computers and wreck them," he howled, skittering away
practically in a crab walk.
"Oh gosh, why would I do that? You're ridiculous. Look, just get back . . ." He finally got out
in the open and started running, quickly out of earshot. What an idiot. Oh well, he'd probably
want to be my buddy again when I got the newest Waste-em cartridge. Arcade was a fickle
fellow when it came to electronics.
It still, like, bugged me though. It was really hard to just be friendly with anyone anymore.
Especially today. I mean, usually, random people just didn't talk to me, but today, they were all,
like, clinging to the other side of the hall just to stay away from me. And I hadn't exactly done
anything, you know? It really wasn't fair and I was getting peevish about the whole thing. I
don't do well in isolation.
"Kitty!" I recognized the voice. And my eyes narrowed a little, I mean, what right did ihe/i
have to be calling me out. But I came out from behind the dumpster anyway. Lance was
loitering a few meters away, his arms slack behind his sides, and he was slouching, as usual.
"So, like, what do you want?" I challenged. Lance and I haven't been on the best of terms after
Mystique blew up the mansion. Besides, the Brotherhood suddenly got a lot of new mutants in
their ranks and one of them Lance took a fancy to. You know what I mean. Someone more his
type, so I mean, I'm like yesterday's news or something. Not that I'm jealous.
Lance swore, "Are you X-geeks crackin' or somethin'? Pullin' stunts like you did at lunchtime?
Look, maybe you have a Professor to cover for you, bribe the school board, but if we get kicked
out of school, we're kicked out of school. That's that. You go tell Summers to keep a tighter
'andle on things, for all our sakes."
"Aw, whatever, Lance," I shot back, angsting for a bit of a fight, "You and your Brotherhood
cause more trouble than . . . I mean, like, why don't you keep an eye on iyour/i kids?
Especially those new ones, huh?"
"Lance." A darkly scratchy voice slipped from behind that Lance, and so did Hargeis, Lance's
new . . . like, love interest. She eyed me predatorily, her twisted mouth opening a little as if she
was thinking of tearing my throat out, "What's this?"
"Nothing," Lance snarled, "Just warning the snip to stay out of our way, is all."
"Good," Hargeis smiled as I flushed . . . and I was mad. Very mad. Like, fist clenching mad.
"You . . ." I was about to tell her and Lance and whoever happened to be in the general area
what I thought about two faced, tough making, evil evil evil delinquents, but Hargeis had already
turned her back to me. An effective dismissal that shut me up.
That ability to, like, make anyone feel worthless like that had to be her mutant power.
"Lance," Hargeis said in an undertone (although I was close enough to hear), "Rafael got beat up
again in the halls. I stepped in, like a good mutant, but you have to teach that wuss how to . . ."
She glanced idly over her shoulder at me, as if I were some sort of cockroach, filthy, but beneath
her interest, "Why don't we discuss this somewhere else?" And she sauntered off with him,
leaving my face redder than ever and half ready to cry.
I decided it was time to go home.
them take over the story. This is Kitty's story . . . Ki-i-i-tty's Story.
"No, trust me, Arcade, I won't hurt you." Arcade's a little weird at the best of times, but he likes
to be in control, you know? He kinda wishes the world was a really big video game where he's
gripping the joystick. I think that's why he liked playing with the mansion . . . and with us . . . so
much. I think, even in everyday life, he wishes he had a few lasers and iron doors to use on
people to make them do what he wants.
Like I said, he's pretty weird. But I like him, most of the time. He was a little freaked out when
he learned, after the broadcast and all, that that game of his was pretty real, but he's been cool
with it. You know, after we learned we didn't use our powers on people. (He's kind of a
hypocrite that way.)
But he saw Jean do her throw thing and so I guess he thought that our "safeties" were off and
we're free to fire at will. (He really does think of everything in video game terms.)
"That's easy to say," He stuttered, as he edged further between the dumpster and the side of the
school. "That's really easy to say. Jean says it all the time!"
"Arcade!" I snorted and phased through the dumpster, ending up right next to blasted Arcade.
He shrieked and started to edge away.
"Arcade, look. This is all I do. I can walk through you, but I can't hurt you, remember? Unless I
use karate, and that has nothing to do with being a mutant, right?"
"You could phase through my computers and wreck them," he howled, skittering away
practically in a crab walk.
"Oh gosh, why would I do that? You're ridiculous. Look, just get back . . ." He finally got out
in the open and started running, quickly out of earshot. What an idiot. Oh well, he'd probably
want to be my buddy again when I got the newest Waste-em cartridge. Arcade was a fickle
fellow when it came to electronics.
It still, like, bugged me though. It was really hard to just be friendly with anyone anymore.
Especially today. I mean, usually, random people just didn't talk to me, but today, they were all,
like, clinging to the other side of the hall just to stay away from me. And I hadn't exactly done
anything, you know? It really wasn't fair and I was getting peevish about the whole thing. I
don't do well in isolation.
"Kitty!" I recognized the voice. And my eyes narrowed a little, I mean, what right did ihe/i
have to be calling me out. But I came out from behind the dumpster anyway. Lance was
loitering a few meters away, his arms slack behind his sides, and he was slouching, as usual.
"So, like, what do you want?" I challenged. Lance and I haven't been on the best of terms after
Mystique blew up the mansion. Besides, the Brotherhood suddenly got a lot of new mutants in
their ranks and one of them Lance took a fancy to. You know what I mean. Someone more his
type, so I mean, I'm like yesterday's news or something. Not that I'm jealous.
Lance swore, "Are you X-geeks crackin' or somethin'? Pullin' stunts like you did at lunchtime?
Look, maybe you have a Professor to cover for you, bribe the school board, but if we get kicked
out of school, we're kicked out of school. That's that. You go tell Summers to keep a tighter
'andle on things, for all our sakes."
"Aw, whatever, Lance," I shot back, angsting for a bit of a fight, "You and your Brotherhood
cause more trouble than . . . I mean, like, why don't you keep an eye on iyour/i kids?
Especially those new ones, huh?"
"Lance." A darkly scratchy voice slipped from behind that Lance, and so did Hargeis, Lance's
new . . . like, love interest. She eyed me predatorily, her twisted mouth opening a little as if she
was thinking of tearing my throat out, "What's this?"
"Nothing," Lance snarled, "Just warning the snip to stay out of our way, is all."
"Good," Hargeis smiled as I flushed . . . and I was mad. Very mad. Like, fist clenching mad.
"You . . ." I was about to tell her and Lance and whoever happened to be in the general area
what I thought about two faced, tough making, evil evil evil delinquents, but Hargeis had already
turned her back to me. An effective dismissal that shut me up.
That ability to, like, make anyone feel worthless like that had to be her mutant power.
"Lance," Hargeis said in an undertone (although I was close enough to hear), "Rafael got beat up
again in the halls. I stepped in, like a good mutant, but you have to teach that wuss how to . . ."
She glanced idly over her shoulder at me, as if I were some sort of cockroach, filthy, but beneath
her interest, "Why don't we discuss this somewhere else?" And she sauntered off with him,
leaving my face redder than ever and half ready to cry.
I decided it was time to go home.