Chapter 6: Connections
Kitty Pryde woke up screaming.
It had been a terrible nightmare, second only to the one she had the night her powers emerged. The girl began to shiver and wrapped her arms around herself, the images from the dream haunting her thoughts. It was a stormy night in Bayville, and lightening struck a tree outside her window. That, along with the crackling thunder, frightened her all the more.
When she was a child, Kitty would curl in bed with her parents after a nightmare. Their warm presence eased her fears, and she felt safe with them. Kitty yearned for that safety, and without really thinking about what she was doing, got out of bed and phased through the wall. She silently passed through the bathroom and hall closet, and didn't stop until she reached her destination.
Lance slept soundly in bed, snoring softly. Kitty crept over to his bedside and gently nudged his arm. She whispered his name.
"Unngh," the boy groaned, his eyes fluttering open. Half awake, he squinted in the darkness, barely making out the feminine shape in front of him. He groped blindly for the lamp on his nightstand, and turned it on.
"K-Kitty?" Lance said groggily as her face was illuminated. "Wha 're you doing?"
Clutching her favorite stuffed animal to her breast, the young mutant sat next to him in the bed, unable to meet his questioning gaze. "I'm sorry I woke you up," she said apologetically. "But can I please spend the night with you?"
That woke him up. He sat upright, his eyes as wide as saucers. "What?!" This had to be a dream. A wonderful, glorious dream. Wait, what was he thinking?
"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that!" she cried, blushing in embarrassment. "I had a nightmare, and I really don't want to be alone right now."
"Oh." He leaned back in bed, letting out a small sigh of relief. "A nightmare, huh? Do you want to talk about it?"
She nodded. Taking a deep breath, she told the story. "It started out in the Danger Room. All of us were training together, and I phased through the last obstacle, winning the session. Everyone was cheering for me when suddenly I began to phase through the ground. I-I couldn't stop…I screamed for help, and the whole team tried to grab onto to me to pull me back up, but their hands just went right through me," she paused, swallowing hard. "I kept screaming and screaming because I couldn't make myself solid again. While the team stared in horror, you kept trying to hold onto me. I couldn't bear to look in your eyes; it was so painful. I phased through the ground, and it felt like I would be phasing forever, until I phased through the whole earth," she stopped as tears stung her eyes.
Lance blinked. "Whoa, that does sound pretty scary."
"It felt so real," she whispered.
"But it was only a dream," he said soothingly. He then reached out and took her hands in his. "You're okay."
She gave him a weak smile.
"Did I ever tell you how my powers manifested?"
"No."
"Well, it happened the night before we first met. It started with a nightmare—I was falling, and woke up in the basement. My parents thought I was sleepwalking, until they noticed the blanket stuck halfway through the ceiling."
Lance chuckled. "Talk about a wakeup call."
Kitty's soft smile vanished. "That nightmare's always stayed with me. I've gotten so much control over my powers here, but I'm still afraid one day I'm just going to disappear."
Lance heard the anguish in her voice, and saw the way her body shivered. Clad in her oversized pink pajamas, she looked small, fragile, and unbelievably beautiful.
"Are you cold?" His voice was barely above a whisper.
She shook her head yes.
Lance moved over a little. "Here, you can lie next to me."
Kitty curled up beside him, resting her head in the crook of his arm. She was now painfully aware that he was only wearing his boxers and a white wife-beater, which did nothing to hide his lean muscles. She tried not to blush as Lance pulled his blanket up to their waists.
"There. Is that better?"
"Yeah. Much better." It was the truth.
As wonderful as it felt to have her so close to him, Lance wondered if they were doing something wrong. While he'd never do anything to hurt her or take advantage of her, he could guess that a girl sharing a bed with a guy, however innocent it may be, was not allowed in the mansion. But wrong or no, he wasn't going to send her away.
The two young mutants smiled at each other. Looking down, Lance poked the stuffed critter in Kitty's arms. "Who's this?" he asked lightheartedly.
Kitty held up a very well loved stuffed dragon. "Lockheed. He's been with me since I was seven."
"Pleased to meet you," Lance bowed his head, shaking Lockheed's stuffed talon. Kitty couldn't help but giggle. He was such a sweetheart.
"You're my best friend, Lance."
A serene smile played upon the boy's lips. "And you're my only friend, Kitty."
"Oh, don't say that."
"It's true. You're all I have here."
"But you must have had friends in Northbrook," she insisted.
"Who, Griff and Pete? Nah, I'm sure they're still celebrating my departure."
"Why?"
Lance shrugged. "It's a long story."
"I'm not going anywhere," Kitty remarked, snuggling a little closer. "And anyway, I've been wondering. We've been friends for a while, and there's so little I know about you."
"What do you want to know?"
"Hmm. Tell me about when you found out you were a mutant."
"Okay," Lance lay back, settling in for the story. "I must have been fourteen or so. I was still at the orphanage then--"
Kitty's eyes widened. "Orphanage?"
"Well, they called it that, even though most of the kids' parents were still alive. Some had been abandoned, and some had been taken from their folks by the state. I fell into the latter category."
"Oh!" Kitty covered her mouth, realizing she had touched upon a sensitive subject. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it; you couldn't have known. But anyway, life there was tough. It was overcrowded, and they stuffed a lot of us kids together in one room. A bunch had mental problems. The social workers there were pretty harsh to us, and thought we were all worthless punks. Living there for years was enough to drive a guy practically insane, Kitty. The anger and the frustration would just build up in me, until I couldn't take it anymore. One day I just ran outside and started screaming…and the earth began to move."
Kitty was silent, transfixed by the intensity in Lance's eyes.
"At first, I was freaked out. Chicago ain't exactly known for its earthquakes, you know? The same thing happened a couple more times, but I didn't figure out that it was me doing it until I got in a fight with a boy who was a lot bigger and nastier than me. He was really out for blood, and I was afraid I was going to die. He threw me against a wall and was charging at me…when the roof fell on his head."
As Kitty gasped, Lance continued. "He survived, but took a lot of damage. Somehow, I knew I was responsible for it. I wanted him to stay away from me, and the ground reacted. It listened to me. As I grew, so did my power, and I gained more control over it."
"So, what happened after that?"
"When I was sixteen I left the orphanage for good, and by then I was in Northbrook. Pete and Griff had been my only friends, and we stayed together even after being shipped off to different foster homes. I revealed my power to them, thinking they'd stick by me. We had gone through so much already, I thought nothing could ruin our friendship. But I was wrong. Suddenly there was a wall between us—I don't know how else to describe it. I was different, and they were afraid of me. At first I was crushed, but then I started to enjoy being feared."
Kitty gave him an inquiring look. Biting his lip, Lance ran his hands through his hair. "Please don't think bad about me. You've got to understand, Kitty—life had kicked me down so many times, it felt great to be on top for once. But now, looking back on it, I'm not proud of what I did."
"Which was what?"
"Stealing, mostly. I'd cause the distraction, while Pete and Griff made off with the loot."
"I thought they weren't your friends anymore."
"They weren't. They just went along with my plans because it was quick cash, and they were too scared of what I might do to them to walk away. It was a real nice operation we had going on," he spat with self-disdain. Thinking about old times reminded him of why he had asked Kitty to meet him at the offices that fateful day. What would have happened if Riley and her gang hadn't attacked her? Would he have really taken advantage of her mutant ability? Lance didn't want to know.
Meanwhile, Kitty digested this new information. Before they ever met, she had seen him around Northbrook High School, and the words "trouble" and "bad news" were always associated with him. It was a very different Lance from the one she had always known. Now he had shed light on his darker days, and had admitted to being a thief, among other things. But, amazingly enough, her opinion of him did not change. He was still her Lance, who was her best friend, and so much more.
* * * * *
The blue elf named Kurt yawned as he exited the bathroom. He had felt the need to relieve himself in the early hours of the morning, and was sleepily returning to his room when he heard a peculiar sound. At first he shrugged it off, only to hear it a few moments later. It was the sound of a girl giggling. The feminine voice didn't take long to register as Kitty's.
Veird, I thought her room vas down ze other hall, Kurt thought absent-mindedly. Hold on a sec, it is down ze other hall! His eyes flew to the door of the room that housed her laughter, upon which a crudely drawn sign read: Lance's Room. All trespassers will be rocked!
* * * * *
The first rays of morning sunlight peeked through the curtains of Lance's room, blessing Kitty's face. Her eyes slowly opened and she glanced around, wondering who had ransacked her room while she slept. Then she felt the warm body sleeping next to her and woke up fully.
"Oh no," she whispered fearfully. She looked at Lance's alarm clock, which read 6: 02. Thankfully, it was a little under a half hour before the Professor's wakeup call, so in all likelihood she hadn't been found missing from her room. Letting out a huge sigh of relief, she gazed down at sleeping Lance.
He was handsome; there was no denying that. But when he slept, the wall he had placed between himself and others was down, making him all the more lovely. He wasn't gruff, or snide, or unfriendly. He was simply Lance. Kitty knew he had shown her a side of himself no one else had ever seen, and it made her feel special.
Brushing a stray lick of hair from his eyes, she stirred him out of his slumber. He grasped her hand before she could take it away. "Goin' so soon?" he asked with a sleepy smile.
"Yeah. I better leave before everyone wakes up. Thanks."
"For what?"
"Being you," she replied, kissing him quickly on the forehead. Then, before the act could register, she phased through the wall, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
* * * * *
Scott was dreaming of a beach in Hawaii, where he partied with the likes of Jean, Paul, a boy from his World History class, Carson Daly, and Luke Skywalker. Carmen Electra had just sat down next to him and was about to share her theory on quantum physics in relation to cherry poptarts when his alarm went off.
With a groan, Scott shut if off, the dream completely forgotten. He pulled himself out of bed, and was startled when Kurt suddenly teleported in front of him.
"God, don't scare me like that!" the boy cried.
"Sorry, mien fruend," he said sheepishly. "I need to talk to you about something."
Sighing, Scott fell back down on the bed. "Okay, shoot."
Kurt twiddled with his fingers, unsure of what to say. "Vell, I, er, last night I vent to ze bathroom."
"Uh-huh," Scott nodded, wondering what this was leading to.
"I passed by Lance's room, and--jeez how can I say zis--I heard Kitty's voice."
"Excuse me?"
"I heard Kitty in Lance's room in ze middle of ze night! And it, ugh, sounded like zey vere having fun together, if you know vhat I mean!" Kurt spit it all out, the words running together.
Scott blinked. "You're telling me Kitty and Lance slept together?"
"Yes!" He nodded furiously.
The cycloptic mutant lowered his head, rubbing his temple. "Kurt, this could be serious. Are you absolutely sure you didn't dream it or imagine it?"
"Scott, look at me," the fuzzy one pleaded, "I know vhat I heard. I don't vant it to be true either, but I know vhat I heard!"
Scott's expression darkened. He rose from the bed, his hands balled into fists. "Well then, let's get to the bottom of this."
* * * * *
After Kitty's departure, Lance couldn't manage to go back to sleep. Rising from the warm comfort of his bed, he decided to get dressed and eat breakfast before the morning rush. He had just zipped up his favorite pair of jeans when there was a knock on his door.
"Who is it?"
"It's Scott," a serious voice replied. "Open the door, please."
Rolling his eyes, Lance marched to the door, opening it up just a crack. "Can I help you, Summers?"
He could feel Scott glaring at him behind his ruby-red shades. "I need to talk to you about last night."
"What of it?"
"Don't play dumb!" Kurt cried vehemently, pushing Scott to the side. "Kitty spent ze night vith you, didn't she?"
"You're full of it. I was alone all night," said Lance firmly. "See for yourself." He opened his door all the way, revealing his empty room.
Scott took a deep breath. "All right, I think we should discuss this with the Professor." Before he could continue, Kurt noticed something at the foot of Lance's bed. He stormed past Lance, picking it up and holding it high.
"Zen vhat's zis?" he demanded, waving poor little Lockheed in front of him. "Zis is Kitty's stuffed animal. Tell us how it ended up in your room!"
"She gave it to me," Lance replied nonchalantly, as if a senior boy owning a stuffed toy was an ordinary thing.
"Liar! You took advantage of Kitty, didn't you?!"
Lance pulled back, shocked by the accusation. "What did you just say to me?"
"I heard you vith her last night! I know she vouldn't have sex vith you unless you played vith her emotions, or forced her to--" Kurt was silenced as Lance's fist connected with his jaw. He fell to the floor, which quaked under Lance's power. Picking himself off the ground, Kurt bamfed in his teammate's face, startling him with a punch of his own. More fists were about to fly when Scott threw himself between them.
"Stop it! Stop it!" he shouted, bringing them back to their senses. "Enough of this!"
**Thank you, Scott, but I shall handle it from here,** Professor Xavier's voice echoed in their minds.
"How did you…?"
**I did not need to use my telepathy to hear the ruckus those two were making. I expect to see Lance and Kurt in my study in ten minutes.** And with that, the disembodied voice was gone.
"Awww, man!" Kurt slapped his forehead. "Ve're in for it."
Ignoring him, Scott snapped back into Leader Mode. "You heard the Professor. Get dressed and be ready to meet him. And I'd prepare a damn good explanation for my behavior, if I were you two." He said nothing more, and slammed Lance's door shut behind him. Kurt teleported away, barely paying Lance so much as a second glance.
Finally alone, Lance kicked his bed in frustration. The floor beneath his feet shook as it always did when he was angry, and he clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white. His gaze fell upon the yellow dragon Kurt had so carelessly dumped on the floor. Picking it up, he stared into its plastic eyes.
"This is all your fault."
* * * * *
A few minutes later, Lance was leaning against the large oak door to Xavier's study, waiting to be called in. The rock-tumbler was used to being in trouble, but he feared Kitty would be dragged into the mess. They had done nothing wrong, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her reputation, or give Jean and Scott any proof that she shouldn't be around him. He glared at Kurt, who was standing nearby with his shoulders slumped. If he had just minded his own stupid business, neither of them would be in such a dilemma. And how the hell did he know about last night, anyway?
**Come in, Lance,** Xavier said telepathically. The boy obeyed, and the doors shut behind him as soon as he entered. For some reason, he felt as if he was about to face an execution squad.
Xavier sat by the fireplace, a book in his lap. Lance found his expression unreadable.
"Good morning, Mr. Alvers," he said in an official tone. "You know why I've called you here?"
Lance nodded guiltily.
"Then please tell me about why you exchanged blows with Kurt, and what you did last night. And I heartily suggest you tell me everything, as it's unwise to keep things from a telepath."
The teen winced. "Okay. Everything. Here goes. Late last night, I was asleep when Kitty phased into my room. She had a bad nightmare and didn't want to be alone, so I let her stay. We spent the night talking. That was all that happened."
Xavier studied his face for a moment. Lance felt uneasy, wondering if he was scanning his mind. Then, the Professor spoke. "All right. I believe you. Why did you fight with Kurt?"
"He and Scott burst into my room, throwing accusations at me. Kurt said I took advantage of Kitty, and I snapped. Fair enough?"
"I suppose. Kurt shouldn't have accused you, but you should not have struck him. I will not tolerate fighting between my students."
"Yeah, I hear you. Sorry for all this," Lance replied honestly.
"That will be all. Send in Kurt when you leave," Xavier said in that inscrutable tone of his. Lance took the hint, and walked towards the door. As he touched the brass knob he stopped, a thought lingering in his head.
"Please don't involve Kitty in this. She didn't mean any harm."
"Very well."
The mutant shut the door, meeting the gaze of the fuzzy elf in front of him. "You're up." He brushed past him without another word. Maybe there was still time to get breakfast.
* * * * *
The storm that had shaken Bayville that night had passed, with blue skies and warm weather coming in its wake. It was lunch hour at Bayville High, and the teenage mutants ate outside on the old picnic tables. Kitty and Lance sat with their fellow Xavier students for a change, as she had insisted on socializing with their teammates for a bit. Lance had no desire to sit with Kurt or Scott after the troubles that morning, but it was becoming clear to him that he couldn't refuse her anything.
Scott paid a passing glance at Jean Grey, who was sitting with Duncan Matthews and his football player buddies. He tried not to scowl as the blonde jock put his arm around her shoulder.
"So, we gonna go to Duncan's party tonight?" Evan Daniels, Ororo's bleach-blonde nephew and newest X-Recruit, asked.
"Totally!" Kurt grinned.
"No way," Scott shook his head. "Duncan's a jerk, and besides, that holo-watch won't stop anyone from feeling your fur, Kurt. What if someone gets too close to you?"
"Vhat if, vhat if, vhat if," the elf waved him off. "Take it easy! Nothing's gonna happen!"
"Yeah, Scott, chill! We could all, like, use the recreation after all those drills Mr. Logan has us do." Kitty chimed in, turning to the boy next to her. "Don't you want to go, Lance?"
"Hardly," he scoffed. "For once I agree with Summers; Duncan's an asshole. I want nothing to do with him or that stupid party."
"I think it'll be fun," Kitty pouted.
"No freshmen allowed," Scott said behind his bottled water.
"Duncan is an asshole," she glowered, making Lance chuckle.
At that moment two familiar figures walked along the school courtyard. One was Fred Dukes, the other Pietro Maximoff, Evan's long-time rival and brand new member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. Following Lance's attack in the warehouse Xavier told him and Kitty all about Mystique, a shape-shifting mutant who was wanted for crimes all around the world. For some reason, the blue-skinned baddie was in Bayville, and she was leading an "elite" group of mutants against the X-Men. The Brotherhood had remained quiet in the weeks following Lance's attack and Pietro's recruitment, but it was almost certain they were up to something. Scott gave Rogue a lingering glance as Pietro waltzed over to the lonely gothic beauty.
"Think of it this way," he continued. "The Brotherhood could try something if we go. We can't risk a confrontation in front of so many people."
"I highly doubt those losers vould ever zink of going to Duncan's party. You really need to lighten up!" Kurt cried.
"Well you need to take things seriously! This isn't a game, Kurt!"
"No, it's a party!" grinned the German mutant, hoping onto the table and dancing a little jig. People began to stare.
Grimacing, Scott grabbed onto Kurt's coat and yanked him back down. "That's exactly what I'm talking about! You act as if life is just one big joke!"
"You are seriously cramping my style!" Kurt snarled. "Zere's a sound I vant you to hear, and it's--!" Kurt's sentence ended in a fiery bamf.
Scott quickly looked around, making sure no one saw his disappearance. Then he sighed, leaning against the table.
"That went well," Lance muttered.
* * * * *
Kurt reappeared in a dusty storage room, where he figured no one would see him. He made an ungraceful landing in a pile of cardboard boxes, damaging his image-inducer.
"Awww, man!" he groaned as he shifted back into his blue form. "This is not my day."
"Who's there?" a voice called. Kurt gasped as Rogue cautiously walked down the steps into the storage room. Looking for an escape, Kurt noticed the "Keep Out" sign on a nearby door, and teleported.
Inside the place were a variety of machines and computers that looked like they hadn't been used for a very long time. Curious, he stepped closer, accidentily walking through the laser security system and tripping off the alarm. The screens on the antique computers turned on, and a handsome boy with Indian features smiled at him.
"January 22, 1978. Hi there. If you're watching this, you've just set off my alarm, and my lab will self-destruct in 10 seconds. Have a nice day! What's left of it, that is."
The boy's image faded, and was replaced with a red countdown.
"Uh oh," Kurt murmured.
* * * * *
Scott strolled down the crowded halls of the high school, telling Jean Grey about the day's troublesome events.
"Lance is always causing problems, so I should have expected something like that from him, but not Kurt. They're lucky they only got off with a warning."
"Sounds difficult. But why was Kurt mad at you at lunch?"
"He just had a fit because I said he couldn't go to Duncan's party. It's too risky, you know? And he never takes anything seriously. Sometimes I can't stand it."
Jean nodded sympathetically. "I understand, but is this something really worth damaging your friendship with him over?"
"I guess not."
Suddenly a group of boys burst out of the restroom in a frenzy. "It's a ghost!" one of the shouted.
"A blue and hairy demon!" another cried.
Scott groaned. "He's really gone too far this time!" He marched into the restroom, calling Kurt's name. A moment later he came out, giving the redhead a perplexed look.
"He wasn't in there, and I didn't smell any of his smoke."
"I'll contact him and tell him to knock it off," Jean said, slipping into a telepathic trance. She searched the school for him, and, finding nothing, searched the mansion as well. Not a trace of him could be found.
"I-I don't know where he is. It's like he's completely vanished."
Scott turned pale. "I'll find the others, and tell them to look out for him." He dashed down the halls, and ran into Lance and Evan by the drinking fountain.
"What's your deal, Summers?" Lance inquired, looking at Scott's worried face.
"It's Kurt. Something's happened to him, and Jean can't find him anywhere."
"Someone jacked the fuzzy dude?" Evan questioned.
"Maybe. Just be on the lookout for him, okay?" He then bolted back towards his redheaded companion, leaving them alone.
Evan and Lance walked back towards class, mulling over Scott's words.
"That's weird stuff, man," the skateboarding mutant remarked. "I wonder what could have happened to Kurt."
"I have no idea," Lance said, glaring at two people ahead of him, "But I think I know who does."
They stopped in the middle of the hall, facing Fred and Pietro.
"Hiya Daniels. Long time no see," Pietro said derisively. "Who's your little friend?" There was something about his smirk that made Lance want to slap it off his face.
"He's nobody. Just another X-Loser like the others," Fred laughed loudly, thinking he was funny. Lance narrowed his eyes. Whatever feelings of friendship he felt for the ex-sideshow freak after his assault died and went to hell.
"Cut the crap. What happened to Kurt?"
"Who? The fuzzball? We don't know nuthin' 'bout him," Fred crossed his fat arms over his chest.
"Yeah, we have better things to do than keep track of you goody-goods," Pietro spun around Lance, and whispered mockingly in his ear, "And even if we did do something to him, do you think you could catch us?"
Lance made a move to hit Pietro, but the silver-haired mutant zipped back to Fred's side. "Nice try, but you're way too slow!"
"Let's see you run when you don't have any ground to stand on!" With an angry growl, Lance sent a tremor through the floor.
Evan got ready to unsheathe some spikes. "Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" he grinned. "Bring it on, Pietro!"
"Stop this right now!" As if on cue, Ms. Darkholme stormed down the hall. "What is the meaning of this?"
Pietro put on his best face. "We have no idea! These Xavier freaks just jumped on us and tried to start a fight!"
"You dirty liar!" Evan yelled.
"Be quiet!" hissed the angry principal. "You two, come with me immediately," she pointed a finger at the pair of X-Men. Fuming, they followed her.
"Toodle ooo!" The young Maximoff waved. "Have fun, now!"
* * * * *
"I don't care what influence Xavier has over the school board, I won't let you get away with starting fights in my hallways," Ms. Darkholme snapped, opening the door to her office. She looked inside and gasped. "What in the world!" she exclaimed.
Her office was completely empty. The desk, chairs, and bookshelves had vanished into thin air. Raven stormed out, ignoring the two students and shouting, "Who took my furniture!?"
Lance and Evan stood in her vacant office, utterly dumbfounded. Hearing a familiar laugh, they looked out the window, only to see Toad giggling as he made Ms. Darkholme's car vanish in a beam of light projected from a strange machine.
"Holy crap!" Evan cried in surprise. "Did you see that?!"
"Yeah. We better call the others. I have an idea what happened to Kurt."
* * * * *
"Ahhhh! Lay off, yo!" Toad yelped, hopping away from the X-Men. The five mutants had assembled in a hurry, and were in hot pursuit of their target. Avalanche stomped his foot, sending tremors through the ground. Toad leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the shockwave.
"Give us that gizmo, slimeball!" Cyclops fired after him.
"No way!" Toad spit a huge glob of slime at his pursuers. Shadowcat became intangible, and the green blob went through her, sliming a tree.
"You can't catch me, you can't catch me!" Toad teased. Suddenly a set of long, bony spikes landed in front of him, cutting off his escape. Spyke smirked, and Toad gulped.
"Hand it over," Cyclops marched towards him, holding out his hand.
"No way!" the green-faced teen pouted. "I found it first, it's mine!"
"Yah didn't find it," someone spoke up, "Ah did."
Everyone's head turned as Rogue stepped forward. "An' you X-Men are never gonna find out how to use it if you don't let him go."
Scott scowled. "Fine."
* * * * *
"It was in here," explained Rogue, leading the X-Men into the old storage room Kurt had stumbled into earlier. "This place was some kind of lab, an' that weird machine was all that was left. It went off, an' the fuzzball disappeared."
"You better be telling the truth," Jean warned.
"Hey, ah got nothin' to hide!" Rogue snapped. "So you better back off!"
"Whoa, it's cool," Cyclops said calmly. "Do you know how it works?" he asked the goth. She shook her head.
"I've been running a diagnostic on this thing," Shadowcat spoke up, holding the gizmo in her hands. "And it looks like it's sending out a pulse wave that disappears into thin air."
"Huh?"
"I think that the pulse is what hit Kurt, and it sent him into some kind of other dimension."
"All right, so all we have to do is blast this thing." The leader of the X-Men took the machine and placed it on top of one of the fried computers. "Stand back everyone!"
"Not to interrupt or anything, but I could just, like, phase through the thing and short it out," Shadowcat commented.
Cyclops stared at her.
She made a face. "Okay, have it your way. God, what is it with guys and explosions?" she whispered in Avalanche's ear.
"Don't ask me," he shrugged.
Cyclops turned on his visor, but before he could blast the machine Kurt appeared before them, surrounded by a bright light.
"No! Reset--!" he cried, before vanishing once again.
Avalanche was startled. "He's alive!"
"He said 'reset'!" Cyclops said, surprised by the apparition. "That means we shouldn't destroy it." He grabbed the machine and examined the control panel. "Here it is!" he pressed a green button and an intense beam of light fired from the machine, illuminating the whole lab. The X-Men could make out the blurry forms of Kurt and another boy. For some reason they didn't jump through the portal.
"What are you doing?! Come on!" Cyclops shouted. The other boy clung to Kurt, and they teleported away. Before any of the X-Men could make sense of it, they had company.
"So this is where you've been, Rogue," Quicksilver said snidely. "Mystique isn't going to be pleased when she sees what kind of company you keep these days." He zipped down the stairs, Blob and Toad right behind him. "So, are you with us or them?"
Rogue left Cyclops's side, and stood by Quicksilver. "You, of course." She glanced back at Cyclops, and saw the anger and hurt in his face. "Oh, don't look at me like that. You got your friends, an' ah got mine. But this isn't mah fight."
"Pff. Forget her," Quicksilver sneered as she left. "Let's toast these losers."
"Right on!" cheered Toad. "I want my gizmo back!"
"It stays with us!" Cyclops shouted. "X-Men, keep that portal open!"
Quicksilver led the charge, circling Spyke. "Come and get me, Daniels!" he laughed, lifting the boy off the ground in a twister caused by his super speed.
"This ride ends now!" Spyke cried, firing bone-spikes out of his body. They hit the ground all around his archrival, who in his cocky carelessness, tripped over one and spiraled into a wall.
"Hey Kitty-Cat," Toad teased Shadowcat, "Time for a de-clawing!" he lunged at the girl, who spun around and kicked him sharply. Toad skittered to the ground in a comical display, his arms and legs flailing wildly. Shadowcat stood over him and giggled, infuriating the mutant. Growling, he lunged towards her again, only to fall through her intangible body. Losing his balance, he thought he would collide with the ray-gun gizmo, but bounced off one of Jean Grey's telekinetic shields. The machine was safe, but the portal was growing smaller and smaller.
Meanwhile, Avalanche faced Blob, someone he once considered a friend. The Blob laughed heartily, thinking the smaller mutant was no threat. "You can't fight the Blob! I'm immovable!"
Avalanche's lips twisted into a smirk. "Immovable? Yeah right!" He stomped his foot, and the earth below Blob began to rumble and quake. Curling his fingers into a fist, Avalanche pulled back sharply, and the ground under his opponent erupted and sent him flying to the floor. As Blob and the rest of the Brotherhood regrouped and prepared for a second attack, the shrill sound of a car horn cut through the air. Everyone's eyes turned to the portal, and the convertible that was about to fly out of it.
"Everyone, move!" Avalanche yelled, and he and his teammates bolted out of harm's way.
"Yeeeeehaaaaaaaa!" Forge cried gleefully as he and Kurt rode out of the portal. His joy was cut short as they slammed head-on into Blob. Toad and Quicksilver, who were hiding behind their humongous teammate, stared at him at shock. Blob, for his part, was unaffected. He blinked at the smashed-up car.
"Whoa. Good thing I'm the Blob," he mused.
"Yeah, for once your powers were useful," Quicksilver remarked. The silver speedster glanced down at the gizmo, which had been crushed to bits under one of the car's tires. "Let's get out of here, guys," he huffed, making a hasty exit. Toad hopped away, and Blob trailed behind them.
The X-Men were still in a state of shock, even after the dust cleared. The team stared at Forge and Kurt, who were completely oblivious to the fight that had gone on around them.
"Whew!" Kurt drew a sharp breath, "Zat vas better zan a roller coaster!"
* * * * *
"You're sure you don't want to stay at the Institute?" Scott inquired, handing his card to Forge. It was later on that evening, and the X-Men had already changed back into their civilian guises and heard Forge and Kurt's amazing story.
"Yeah. Thanks for the offer, but I should really check up on my parents," Forge smiled, running a hand through his black hair. "I'm twenty years late for curfew!"
"Well, there's always a place for you there, should you ever reconsider," Scott replied.
"Thanks a lot, man! Check ya later, Kurt!" Forge waved, heading home.
"Zat Forge is one cool dude," the elf said in awe, 'porting into the back of Scott's car.
"So he's some kind of super-genius, huh? He seemed pretty laid-back for a guy who was, like, trapped in another dimension for a couple decades," Kitty commented, sitting atop the hood of Lance's jeep.
"Yeah, man. You know, I'm pretty psyched. Let's go take over Duncan's party!" Evan exclaimed.
"I don't think so," Scott said firmly. "Kurt's holo-watch is broken, remember?"
"Don't worry, mien fruend!" he chuckled, reaching into his backpack and pulling something out. "I have my spare!"
Scott slapped his forehead. "Okay. Fine. But if someone feels up your fur, I'm not the one to blame."
"Well, have fun you guys," Kitty pouted, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly. "I can't go because I'm a freshman." She felt a strong hand on her shoulder.
"Feel like crashing?" Lance asked mischievously.
She brightened. "Totally! You want to come too?"
"I guess so. Kicking the Brotherhood's butt got my blood running. Right now I'm up for anything."
"Awesome!" Kitty beamed. "This is gonna be a blast!"
* * * * *
Duncan's party was held at his parents' stately summer home, which overlooked the sleepy town. Lance's jeep and Scott's convertible pulled into the crowded lot in front of the house. The house pounded with the bass from a powerful stereo system, and the young mutants could make out the silhouettes of partying teenagers in the windows. Scott, Jean, Evan, and Kurt hurried inside, not wanting to miss out on any fun. Lance lingered outside for a moment, however.
"What's wrong?" Kitty asked.
"I don't know about this," he said, having second thoughts. "I'm just not used to these kind of parties, and for some reason I don't think our gracious host would be thrilled to have me here."
"Forget Duncan. Odds are his house will be so crowded he won't even see you. Let's enjoy ourselves." Kitty was right, of course. Lance felt silly for even worrying about it.
"All right, I will."
* * * * *
Duncan's house was even bigger on the inside. Judging by the throng of people dancing and drinking, the star quarterback had somehow managed to fit in 99% of Bayville High's population. It was hot, it was loud, and it looked like a great party.
Lance was definitely not in his element. "What do you want to do?" he shouted over the music and chatting teenagers. His companion shrugged. Looking around, her face brightened as she got a great idea.
"Let's dance!"
She dragged him by the hand to a space that once might have been a living room. Colorful strobe lights had been rigged to the ceiling, and a DJ was playing a great mix of music. They made their way to the middle of the dance floor, squeezing between the spirited bodies of other dancers.
Kitty fell into the music, her lithe body moving in rhythm with the pounding beats. She was graceful, playful, and (as far as Lance was concerned) very sexy. It came so naturally to her, the boy wondered if she had any idea what kind of effect she had on him.
Kitty smiled at Lance, once again casting her spell on him. Her eyes were so very blue, he felt as if he could get lost in them.
"You're not dancing," she said, shaking him out of his trance.
"Oh! Er, I'm not much of a dancer. I'll wait until something slower plays."
As luck would have it, the next song was a slow dance. As other couples drew closer, Lance and Kitty were at a loss what to do. After an awkward moment they followed their instincts, taking each other's hand and following the music. Heat rising to her cheeks, Kitty leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. His arms slowly wrapped around her waist, and her heart ached. There was nothing like the feeling of being in Lance's arms.
The dark-haired mutant tried not to stumble over his feet, or otherwise ruin the moment. Kitty was so close to him he could feel the pounding of her heart, and the scent of her strawberry shampoo intoxicated him. He wanted the dance to go on forever, but like all good things, it ended much too soon. Kitty slid out of his embrace as a faster song blared out of Duncan's huge stereo system, looking into his dark chocolate eyes. He knew what he had to say.
"Kitty, I…"
"Yes?"
"Never mind," Lance muttered, inwardly cursing his cowardice. What was he doing?
Kitty pulled away, trying to hide her disappointment with a smile. "I'll go get us some punch, okay?" At his nod she left the dance floor, her hand lightly brushing his.
Kurt Wagner had stumbled into the room and witnessed the whole dance. After talking to the Professor about the morning's incident, he was sure he had misunderstood things, and there was nothing going on between Lance and Kitty. But he now ached as if an old wound had been reopened.
It's just one dance, he told himself. It doesn't mean anything. Even so, he was aware that he was dangerously close to losing his chance at Kitty, so he pursued her after she left Lance.
He caught up with her as she made her way through a crowded hallway. The elf tapped her shoulder to get her attention.
"Hey, Kitty," he grinned, hiding his nervousness. "Having fun?"
"Oh yeah," she nodded. "What about you? You've had a pretty interesting day, are you sure you're up for a big party like this?"
"Ze fuzzy dude can handle anything!" He beat his chest with false bravado, earning a laugh from his crush. It's now or never, he thought.
"Say Kitty, I think you're pretty cool," said the elf in what he thought was his smoothest voice.
"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself."
"Vell, you know, zat is to say, The Stone Ciphers are having a concert in Greensburg next veek, and, er, vould you like to go vith me?"
Kitty blinked. She hadn't been expecting that. "You mean on a date?"
"Ja," he nodded, a hopeful glimmer in his eye.
"Oh, Kurt…I-I like you, but…I can't return your feelings," said Kitty regretfully, covering her mouth with her hand.
Kurt was crushed, but he shrugged it off. "Zat's all right. I know how it is," he lied. "But, can I ask you something?"
"Yes."
"Is zhere someone else you like?"
Kitty was silent. There was that one person who was special to her, but his words echoed in her mind.
//Kitty, I…never mind.//
"No," she answered, "There's no one else."
* * * * *
Kitty finally found the punch bowl, after Kurt made an awkward exit. She felt a little guilty, and wondered if she had said the right thing. Sometimes, he was a little too sensitive for his own good.
She poured two cups of red punch, hoping it wasn't spiked. It seemed a little pointless, since there was booze all over the house. Apparently Duncan's parents had an extensive liquor cabinet. The girl was about to go find her companion when a rough hand grabbed her arm, causing her to drop the cups.
"Hey, you. You're a freshman, aren't you?" A tall, bulky senior in a Bayville letter jacket rasped, his breath foul with alcohol. Kitty knew who he was: Trey Anderson, linebacker and close friend to Duncan Matthews.
"N-No," she lied, shaken by the look in his eyes.
"No freshmen allowed," Trey sneered, tightening his strong grip on her arm. He then leered at her, thinking dark thoughts. "If you don' want me ta throw you out, you'll do wha' I say."
"I don't think so." She could just phase out of his grasp, but people surrounded them. What if someone saw her use her powers?
Trey's lips curled into a creepy smile. Roughly grabbing her other arm, he opened a door to a nearby closet and threw her inside. Kitty gasped as he stepped in, slamming the door shut behind him. She was trapped.
"Come here," he leered, taking her by the waist and rubbing her body against him. She struggled, but he was incredibly strong. She cried "Help!" only to have his hand cover her mouth.
"You don't wanna do that." Pinning her against the wall, he used his free hand to fondle her chest. Kitty recoiled as he forced himself on her. With a snarl she bit his hand, and remembering Mr. Logan's self-defense class, gave him a well-placed kick between his legs.
Trey's eyed bulged, and he clutched his aching area. Kitty didn't wait for her attacker to recover and phased through the closet door, not caring if anyone saw her. Fear and adrenaline running through her, she hurried through the crowd back to the dance floor, searching for a familiar face. Through the bevy of people she recognized a battered leather jacket, and she grabbed the arm of its owner.
"Hey Kitty," Lance greeted, "Where's the p--" his voice trailed off as he saw Kitty's scared expression.
"Lance, I want to go home," she whispered, her heart pounding.
He nodded, not asking questions. "Sure."
* * * * *
The ride back to the Institute was heavy with silence. Lance and Kitty had left quickly, not even bothering to tell Scott and the others they were going.
Lance knew something was wrong. The normally vivacious girl beside him was oddly quiet, and she stared out the window, her legs pulled up to her chest. He swallowed a lump in his throat. What should he say? Should he say anything? She certainly didn't look like she wanted to talk. After many more wordless minutes they were at the Institute. Lance pulled into the garage, and turned off the ignition.
"Kitty, is something wrong?" he finally asked.
Sighing, the girl faced him, her cheeks red and puffy. "Yeah."
At the sight of her tears, Lance put his hands on her shoulders, worried. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I just had a bad scare."
"What happened?"
"Some brain-dead friend of Duncan's pulled me into a closet and tried to force himself on me. I-I phased away before he could, though," she rubbed her eyes. "It was so scary."
"Oh Jesus," Lance murmured, taking Kitty into a strong embrace. "Thank God you're all right. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you."
Kitty sniffled, burying her face in his warm chest. "Why?"
"I care about you, Kitty. And I want to protect you. You're the most important person in my life."
"Lance," she whispered, her heat aching. She felt so much for the boy; there was no way to put it to words. They looked into each other's eyes in a moment that seemed to stretch on forever; ultimately it was cut off by the sound of a car horn.
Scott's convertible was winding down the Institute's road, and the headlights illuminated the driver's worried frown. Something told Lance trouble was coming.
"I think you better go inside," he whispered in her ear. "I'll follow you in a bit."
Kitty nodded and collected herself, exiting the jeep. She was gone by the time the convertible pulled up. Scott hopped out, scowling as always. Kurt took Evan and teleported away, as if avoiding the approaching storm.
"Alvers! We've been looking all over for you!"
"Why?"
"You left the party without telling us. We tried calling you, but your cell phone was turned off. We had no idea where you were!"
"Oh," Lance shrugged. "Sorry."
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Jean snapped. "You had no right to take Kitty anywhere!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Jean put her hands on her hips, her green eyes full of anger. "Oh, let's see. You've just been to a party where there was drinking, and took Kitty off somewhere without telling any of us or leaving us any means of contacting you. After the stunt you pulled last night, what were we supposed to think?!"
"You listen to me, Red," Lance said in a dangerously calm tone, prodding her with a finger. "You have no goddamn right to talk to me like that. And if you were half as smart as you pretend you are, you'd know that I'm not the one who tried to hurt her."
Jean was shocked, but fell mercifully silent. Scott was furious, however.
"Alvers!" he shouted after Lance as he stormed off. "Come back here!"
Lance ignored him.
* * * * *
Lance sat alone at the edge of the pool, his legs dangling in the water as an icy night breeze caressed his face. He listened to the gentle footsteps approaching, but did not turn his head. Kitty slipped off her sandals and sat beside him, letting her small feet sway in the cool water.
"You said you would be up in a bit," she said softly. "It's been over twenty minutes."
"I'm sorry. I just had to think for a little while."
"More problems with Scott and Jean?"
"Oh yeah. They think I'm some kind of delinquent rapist."
Kitty's eyes went wide. "How could they?"
"I don't know, but I'm through trying. They've already made up their minds about me anyway. I'm just a hood."
"Lance, you know that isn't true," she said firmly.
"Isn't it? It's just like it was back in the orphanage. Hood. Thug. Delinquent. You hear it so many times you start to believe it. I thought I could prove people like them wrong here. I thought I could better myself. But I can't."
His words hung in the air for a few moments, as Kitty thought about her reply. She reached down and held his hand, their fingers intertwining.
"Lance, you're strong.
Stronger than I'll ever be," she gazed out into the depths of the blue water.
"I know you can do this. As lame as it sounds, I believe in you. You cannot let
Scott, Jean, Duncan, or anyone else make you hate who you are. I won't let
you." With that last word she looked up into his dark eyes. Smiling tenderly,
he brushed one of her long bangs behind her ear, caressing her cheek.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Their bodies drew closer, and they wrapped their arms around each other. Melting into the embrace, Lance stroked Kitty's hair, and lightly tipped her chin up. Their eyes closed, and their lips brushed oh so delicately. The kiss was light and gentle, but it was enough to send shivers through both their bodies. Kitty's arms encircled Lance's neck and pulled him nearer, deepening the kiss. The two young mutants found comfort and love in each other's lips.
Neither of them noticed Kurt Wagner watching them from an upstairs window.
* * * * * * * * * *
To Be Continued.
* * * * * * * * * *
Author's Notes: Whew, that was a long one! This is a pretty major chapter in the story, and so far it's my favorite. I'm sorry for the rock pun on Lance's sign, but hey, I couldn't resist. And we find out more about Lance's past! Yay! I really wish the show would delve into what Lance and Todd's pre-B'Hood lives were like. Heck, even Pietro's backstory has some holes in it. I feel a little bad for all the elf abuse. But it does have a purpose, I swear! ::hugs Kurt:: Anyway, I hope people enjoyed my take on the "just a hood" thing. ^_~
Anyone else excited for the X-Men: Evo Season 2 DVDs? I know I am. I can't wait to finally see the pivotal Lance/Kitty scene that was cut from Growing Pains. Damn censors. ::shakes fist at Kid's WB::
Many thanks go to my readers. Every time I get a Review Alert, I feel all warm and fuzzy. Hope you enjoyed Chapter 6! ~Sandoz