Kitty was elbowed roughly aside as several people ran past her. She saw the
reporter trip and fall. Kitty dashed forward and quickly dragged her out of
the path of the oncoming mob. Turning, she saw that she had lost sight of
the rest of the mutants.
"Thanks!" said Tina.
"Don't mention it," said Kitty, and turned back toward the chaos.
"Hey, where are you going?" asked Tina.
"I've gotta find my friends!" Kitty said, and dashed back through the crowd.
Tina sat in shock, then addressed the camera again. "Chris, as you can see these demonstrations have gotten very ugly. We're going to lay low until things settle down. This is Tina Sanders, Bayville News,"
Just then, a rock came hurtling in and shattered the lens of the camera.
"Let's move!" shouted Tina, and the camera crew retreated to the safety of their news van.
X
Inside the throng, the police were completely overwhelmed. Demonstrators on both sides exchanged blows with each other. In an isolated pocket, Scott and Jean crouched to avoid being trampled. Jean occasionally used her telekinetic powers to deflect incoming pieces of debris. She figured that in the chaos, nobody would notice.
"I can't see Kitty or the others!" Scott shouted above the racket.
"If we don't get out of here soon, we'll be crushed to death!" shouted Jean.
"There, I see an opening!" said Scott. He grabbed Jean by the wrist and they made a beeline for the safety of the sidewalk. They were slammed into several times but they managed to make it out of the crowd.
"What about Kitty?" Jean asked.
"I just hope they made it out of there," Scott said.
X
Kitty found herself caught up in a thick crowd of people. She pushed her way through against the tide of humanity as best she could, but found herself being steadily pushed backward. Looking in between the rows of people, she caught sight of Kurt. "Kurt!" she shouted, but the mutant could not hear him.
"I hope nobody sees this," said Kitty, and phased through the people in front of her. As she tried to get closer to Kurt, she saw something horrible. A man with an anti-war sign was being beaten up by four people. Kitty saw that he could be killed and decided to intervene.
"Leave him alone!" Kitty shouted, running up from behind. She grabbed one of the assailants from behind and tripped him, sending him down to the street. Another one tried to punch her, but she dodged his blow, caught his wrist and used a judo flip to throw him down. The other two men ran off, leaving the man bleeding and bruised.
"C'mon! Let's get out of here!" said Kitty. She grabbed his arm and dragged him safely out of the crowd.
X
On the other side of the mob, Kurt was desperately trying to find Rogue and Kitty, while trying to protect his holo-emitter at the same time. This was one of the situations that scared him the most, potentially having his true form exposed in front of hordes of angry people. He glanced around but could not see any of his friends.
"Kitty? Rogue?" he called frantically, but he saw no sign of his fellow mutants.
"Ach! I've got to get out of here," he said to himself, and tried to get past several people. He was jostled roughly but his holo-emitter held up. Finally, he made it to an opening and saw Rogue. Then he saw a large crowd charging towards her.
"Rogue! Look out!" he cried. Rogue could not hear him above the din.
Instinctively, Kurt teleported next to Rogue. She grabbed hold of him and they disappeared again in a puff of smoke.
Nobody in the mob noticed the disappearing mutants. However, several of the demonstrators mistook the telltale smoke left by Kurt's teleporting for tear gas and quickly began to disperse, afraid of being arrested by the police.
X
Kitty had led the man she had saved over to the steps of city hall, where he sat down slowly. "Are you all right?" she asked him.
"Yeah, I'll be ok," said the man. "What about you, you're bleeding!"
Kitty felt the cut on her forehead. It still stung, and the blood was starting to dry on the side of her face, but she ignored it.
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing," she said. After all, she had suffered far worse in Logan's Danger Room sessions.
"If you say so. Thanks for saving me," the man said.
"Sure thing," said Kitty.
"Hey, you're the girl that the news lady was interviewing, aren't you?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am," said Kitty.
"I'm Paul Rubens," he said, extending his hand.
"Kitty Pryde," she said, shaking his hand. "Why were those guys beating you up?"
"I'm one of the people that helped organize all the anti-war group," Paul said. "I guess those guys must have recognized me,"
"But why would they want to hurt you?" asked Kitty.
Paul sighed. "Honestly, I was expecting something like this would happen. War has a way of making people so angry that they lose control of themselves,"
"Yeah, I can see what you mean," said Kitty. She took a look across the street, where the police were beginning to get things under control.
"Hey, it looks like things are breaking up," she said.
"That's good. Hopefully nobody's gotten too hurt in all this," he said.
X
Kitty heard a voice calling her name. Looking up, she saw Scott, Jean, Rogue and Kurt running towards her.
"Kitty, thank god you're all right!" said Jean.
"Yeah, we thought we'd lost you in there," said Rogue.
"I'm ok, really," she said. "Oh, this is Paul. Paul, these are my friends,"
"Nice to meet you," Paul said. "I saw you being interviewed when all the fighting started. I'm glad you were all able to make it out of there in one piece,"
"It looks like the cops have the situation under control," Scott told him. "We should be able to get going once they open the streets back up,"
"Hey, before you go," said Paul. "We're going to put together another demonstration. Think you'd be interested in coming"
"Don't you think you've had enough 'demonstrating' for one day, Kitty?" asked Kurt.
"Don't worry, it won't be like today," Paul assured them. "We're holding a vigil on Saturday night on the steps of the courthouse, and we're going to address the city council to voice our thoughts on this war,"
"Sounds cool!" said Kitty.
"Great! Here's my number," he said. He took a piece of paper and a pen out of his wallet and scribbled his phone number on it. "Give me a call later tonight and I'll give you more details about it," he said, and stood up.
"I think I see some of the people I came here with. I'd better go make sure they're ok. I'll hear from you later!" he said, and walked off towards a group of people across the street.
X
"Man, I'm glad THAT'S over with!" exclaimed Kurt. "I've been in a couple soccer riots before, but they were nothing compared to this!"
"You're not gonna go to that rally he was talkin' about, are ya?" Rogue asked her.
"Actually, I think I might," said Kitty.
"Kitty, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea," said Jean. "What if another riot breaks out? You could get hurt!"
"I know, Jean, but, like, this is something important to me. My dad fought in Vietnam and he told me all kinds of horror stories about what happens in war. I want to tell people about that, you know?"
Jean sighed. "Ok, Kitty. You'll probably have to talk to the Professor about it, but I imagine he'll say yes as long as some of us are there in case trouble breaks out,"
"That's great!" said Kitty. She made a note to call Paul as soon as she got home.
Soon, the police had the streets cleared, and the mutants made their way back to Scott's car. Fortunately, it was not damaged. They climbed in and made their way back to the Institute, hoping they could get home in time to catch the coverage of the day's events on the evening news.
X
"Thanks!" said Tina.
"Don't mention it," said Kitty, and turned back toward the chaos.
"Hey, where are you going?" asked Tina.
"I've gotta find my friends!" Kitty said, and dashed back through the crowd.
Tina sat in shock, then addressed the camera again. "Chris, as you can see these demonstrations have gotten very ugly. We're going to lay low until things settle down. This is Tina Sanders, Bayville News,"
Just then, a rock came hurtling in and shattered the lens of the camera.
"Let's move!" shouted Tina, and the camera crew retreated to the safety of their news van.
X
Inside the throng, the police were completely overwhelmed. Demonstrators on both sides exchanged blows with each other. In an isolated pocket, Scott and Jean crouched to avoid being trampled. Jean occasionally used her telekinetic powers to deflect incoming pieces of debris. She figured that in the chaos, nobody would notice.
"I can't see Kitty or the others!" Scott shouted above the racket.
"If we don't get out of here soon, we'll be crushed to death!" shouted Jean.
"There, I see an opening!" said Scott. He grabbed Jean by the wrist and they made a beeline for the safety of the sidewalk. They were slammed into several times but they managed to make it out of the crowd.
"What about Kitty?" Jean asked.
"I just hope they made it out of there," Scott said.
X
Kitty found herself caught up in a thick crowd of people. She pushed her way through against the tide of humanity as best she could, but found herself being steadily pushed backward. Looking in between the rows of people, she caught sight of Kurt. "Kurt!" she shouted, but the mutant could not hear him.
"I hope nobody sees this," said Kitty, and phased through the people in front of her. As she tried to get closer to Kurt, she saw something horrible. A man with an anti-war sign was being beaten up by four people. Kitty saw that he could be killed and decided to intervene.
"Leave him alone!" Kitty shouted, running up from behind. She grabbed one of the assailants from behind and tripped him, sending him down to the street. Another one tried to punch her, but she dodged his blow, caught his wrist and used a judo flip to throw him down. The other two men ran off, leaving the man bleeding and bruised.
"C'mon! Let's get out of here!" said Kitty. She grabbed his arm and dragged him safely out of the crowd.
X
On the other side of the mob, Kurt was desperately trying to find Rogue and Kitty, while trying to protect his holo-emitter at the same time. This was one of the situations that scared him the most, potentially having his true form exposed in front of hordes of angry people. He glanced around but could not see any of his friends.
"Kitty? Rogue?" he called frantically, but he saw no sign of his fellow mutants.
"Ach! I've got to get out of here," he said to himself, and tried to get past several people. He was jostled roughly but his holo-emitter held up. Finally, he made it to an opening and saw Rogue. Then he saw a large crowd charging towards her.
"Rogue! Look out!" he cried. Rogue could not hear him above the din.
Instinctively, Kurt teleported next to Rogue. She grabbed hold of him and they disappeared again in a puff of smoke.
Nobody in the mob noticed the disappearing mutants. However, several of the demonstrators mistook the telltale smoke left by Kurt's teleporting for tear gas and quickly began to disperse, afraid of being arrested by the police.
X
Kitty had led the man she had saved over to the steps of city hall, where he sat down slowly. "Are you all right?" she asked him.
"Yeah, I'll be ok," said the man. "What about you, you're bleeding!"
Kitty felt the cut on her forehead. It still stung, and the blood was starting to dry on the side of her face, but she ignored it.
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing," she said. After all, she had suffered far worse in Logan's Danger Room sessions.
"If you say so. Thanks for saving me," the man said.
"Sure thing," said Kitty.
"Hey, you're the girl that the news lady was interviewing, aren't you?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am," said Kitty.
"I'm Paul Rubens," he said, extending his hand.
"Kitty Pryde," she said, shaking his hand. "Why were those guys beating you up?"
"I'm one of the people that helped organize all the anti-war group," Paul said. "I guess those guys must have recognized me,"
"But why would they want to hurt you?" asked Kitty.
Paul sighed. "Honestly, I was expecting something like this would happen. War has a way of making people so angry that they lose control of themselves,"
"Yeah, I can see what you mean," said Kitty. She took a look across the street, where the police were beginning to get things under control.
"Hey, it looks like things are breaking up," she said.
"That's good. Hopefully nobody's gotten too hurt in all this," he said.
X
Kitty heard a voice calling her name. Looking up, she saw Scott, Jean, Rogue and Kurt running towards her.
"Kitty, thank god you're all right!" said Jean.
"Yeah, we thought we'd lost you in there," said Rogue.
"I'm ok, really," she said. "Oh, this is Paul. Paul, these are my friends,"
"Nice to meet you," Paul said. "I saw you being interviewed when all the fighting started. I'm glad you were all able to make it out of there in one piece,"
"It looks like the cops have the situation under control," Scott told him. "We should be able to get going once they open the streets back up,"
"Hey, before you go," said Paul. "We're going to put together another demonstration. Think you'd be interested in coming"
"Don't you think you've had enough 'demonstrating' for one day, Kitty?" asked Kurt.
"Don't worry, it won't be like today," Paul assured them. "We're holding a vigil on Saturday night on the steps of the courthouse, and we're going to address the city council to voice our thoughts on this war,"
"Sounds cool!" said Kitty.
"Great! Here's my number," he said. He took a piece of paper and a pen out of his wallet and scribbled his phone number on it. "Give me a call later tonight and I'll give you more details about it," he said, and stood up.
"I think I see some of the people I came here with. I'd better go make sure they're ok. I'll hear from you later!" he said, and walked off towards a group of people across the street.
X
"Man, I'm glad THAT'S over with!" exclaimed Kurt. "I've been in a couple soccer riots before, but they were nothing compared to this!"
"You're not gonna go to that rally he was talkin' about, are ya?" Rogue asked her.
"Actually, I think I might," said Kitty.
"Kitty, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea," said Jean. "What if another riot breaks out? You could get hurt!"
"I know, Jean, but, like, this is something important to me. My dad fought in Vietnam and he told me all kinds of horror stories about what happens in war. I want to tell people about that, you know?"
Jean sighed. "Ok, Kitty. You'll probably have to talk to the Professor about it, but I imagine he'll say yes as long as some of us are there in case trouble breaks out,"
"That's great!" said Kitty. She made a note to call Paul as soon as she got home.
Soon, the police had the streets cleared, and the mutants made their way back to Scott's car. Fortunately, it was not damaged. They climbed in and made their way back to the Institute, hoping they could get home in time to catch the coverage of the day's events on the evening news.
X