Chapter Fifteen: Recovery

The characters in this fic, by and large, do not belong to me. The X-Men, and related characters, are the property of Marvel Comics. GI Joe, and related characters, belong to Hasbro. The Delgado children (Althea, Brittany, Daria, Quinn, and Claudius), Xi, Sgt Snuffles, and the Eloi belong to Red Witch. Reader, however, does belong to me.

            After the funerals, Xavier and Lifeline went to Xavier's den to discuss Kitty.

            "She's getting worse, Professor," Lifeline told him. "Her body has destabilized to the point where she can't speak, and she's beginning to become transparent. Your chamber is helping, but it's a temporary measure at best. We need to find some way to reverse the process."

            "Yes, I agree. Have you managed to determine what's causing her destabilization?"

            "Not yet. Your files on her powers are a big help, but I only have half the puzzle. I was able to take some readings with some equipment from the Pit, but I'll have to wait for the results to process before I know anything more."

***

            There was a special room set up in the Institute for Kitty. It held her chamber, which was too big to be placed elsewhere. It wasn't so bad- Lockheed was with her, outside the chamber. He kept putting his face to the glass, and Kitty touched the energy field inside the glass. He kept making a noise. Kitty didn't know what it was, but somehow, she knew he was saying goodbye. Kitty knew that she was losing herself. She couldn't speak anymore, and she was becoming transparent. She didn't know what to feel, so she just felt numb.

***

            Lance was sitting alone in the Rec Room when he heard Xavier and Lifeline coming by.

            "… the energy disrupts bonds within molecules," Lifeline was saying excitedly. "The spear's energy ate into Kitty's bio-electricity, which was vulnerable because she was phased at the time! Maybe we can find a way to transfer bio-electrical energy to her. It would cause her to coalesce. Now all we need to do is find a way to do it. If our bodies produce it, then we should be able to find a way to produce it…"

            Bio-electrical energy? People produce it? A desperate plan brought about by love and a lack of sleep formed in Lance's mind. He headed straight for Kitty's room, and missed the rest of the conversation.

            "That won't be necessary, Lifeline," Xavier said, very relieved. "I know a mutant who produces large amounts of bio-electrical energy. If you'll loan us your teleporter, I'll send Logan to get her immediately. She lives in Madripoor."

***

            "Kitty?" Lance asked, entering her room. Kitty looked up, and mouthed 'Lance!'

            "Hey," he said. "Kitty, I… I want to say some things to you, and I'm not sure how to say them."

            Kitty looked at him. Lance was acting weird- sweet, but weird. She'd never seen him this flustered before.

            "First, and most important, I love you. I love you, Katherine Pryde, like I've never loved anyone else."

            Kitty's eyes would have watered if they still could have. Oh, Lance… why did you wait so long to tell me?

            "Second, I want to tell you how much you mean to me. You've gotten me through a lot. You were one of the major things which kept me from losing it when I was with Mystique."

            Kitty remembered seeing the scars on his back from the beating that Mystique gave him when she found out they were seeing each other.

            "Third, you've caused me to feel things I thought I never would. You've made me love myself, and you've made me hate myself. You've made me want to be a better person. The only other people I can honestly say that about are my friends, Spirit, and some of the Joes. Fourth-" he stopped suddenly, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

            "Fourth, I've been lying to you for a while now. See, when Magneto had us, he experimented on us. He did a real job on me. He injected me with chemicals which changed my powers. I'm stronger than I was before, but my headaches can get worse. And…" he lowered his head, and then looked straight into Kitty's eyes. "And they make me have attacks. When I have an attack, I get killer headaches, and I hallucinate, and when I come out of them, I don't know who I am or who anybody else is. There are drugs I can take that help me, but even with the drugs I still have the attacks. The reason I haven't told you is because I don't want you to see me like that, ever."

            Kitty's eyes widened, and her jaw opened. Oh, Lance… why not? I wouldn't have thought any less of you.

            "Fifth, and last, is goodbye. I know how to help you." Lance went up to the chamber, and pulled the plug. Kitty drifted out, confused. Lance took another breath.

            "I love you," he whispered, and stepped through her.

***

            "She's this way," Xavier said, leading Lifeline, Logan, and Jessica Drew to Kitty's chamber.

            "And you're sure I can help her?" Jessica asked Lifeline.

            "She should absorb the bio-electrical energy she needs to regain control of her powers from your energy," Lifeline explained. Jessica stopped.

            "Should? Forgive me, doctor, but I'm not about to risk a child's life over a maybe."

            "Ms. Drew, I-"

            "NO!" Xavier suddenly yelled. "Hurry!" He sped off towards the room. The others followed. Then, they heard screaming.

Entering, they found Lockheed flying about in panic, and Lance was with Kitty. He had apparently stepped through Kitty, and he was screaming. He was also phasing from fully solid to transparent and back again. Kitty was also screaming, but she could produce no sound.

"Lance, what have you done?" Lifeline whispered.

"How the hell did Rocky- never mind!" Logan said, openly worried. "Charles, Lifeline-"

"She seems to be absorbing his bio-electric energy," Xavier said. "And it's killing both of them."

"Can it be stopped?" Jessica asked.

"Maybe," Lifeline said slowly, "but I think the only way is for you to give an immediate transfusion."

Jessica's eyes widened, and then closed in resignation.

"I could kill them, but if I don't, they're both dead anyway," she whispered. "Here goes nothing."

She raised her hands, and pointed. Crackling greenish-yellow energy flew from her hands, and hit the two of them.

After a few seconds, they both stopped screaming.

"I think it's working!" Lifeline said excitedly.

"They aren't in as much pain," Xavier confirmed.

"Keep it up, Jess," Logan encouraged.

Jessica didn't need any encouragement. She remembered the first manifestation of her energy, her 'venom blasts' as they were later called. She accidentally killed the man she loved. She never imagined that she would ever be able to heal with them, but now she was, and she would be damned if she failed!

More time passed. Lance and Kitty started phasing in synch. The time between phasings grew wider.

"They're both solid!" Logan exclaimed. "I can smell them!"

"Okay Ms. Drew, lessen the energy flow, but be ready to raise it again." Jessica nodded, and lessened the blast. Lifeline began to take readings from the machinery in the room.

"They're getting better!" he breathed. "Keep toning down the energy."

"Gotcha."

After more seconds, they were both fully solid.

"Cut it out completely, Ms. Drew, but be ready to do it again."

"Roger." Jessica stopped the energy flow. Lance crumpled to the floor, unconscious, but Kitty only slumped to her knees. Lifeline rushed to both of them, and began to heal them.

"I'm solid," she sighed. "I'm solid!"

"You're gonna be all right, half-pint," Logan smiled.

"Oh, good," she smiled, and them fainted. Logan caught her.

"They're both going to be fine, eventually," Lifeline smiled. "Even Lance should be back on his feet soon. But what possessed him to do this?"

"He must have heard us talking," Xavier surmised, relief washing over him. He had lost a child, but one was saved- no. Two were just saved. "He probably only overheard half of the conversation."

Lifeline picked Lance up, and motioned for Logan to pick Kitty up.

"These two need rest," Lifeline smiled. "Do you think you might be able to help Peter too, Ms. Drew?"

"My name is Jessica, doctor. My friends call me Jess. And yes, I think I have the juice for another sustained blast."

"Great," Lifeline grinned. "Let's just put these two to bed."

***

            "Uhh," Lance moaned. The world was black, but was growing grey. He realised his eyes were opening, so he opened them all the way. "Huh? What?"

            "So you're awake," Lifeline smiled. "It took you long enough! But you did have a long night, so I guess we can forgive you."

            Lance looked around. Everybody was there- Kitty, Spirit, the other Misfits, the Misfit handlers, Lifeline, Bree, even the adult X-Men. There was also a woman that he didn't recognize. She was about Bree's age, with black hair, green eyes, and a large amount of the hotness.

            "Lance!" Kitty exclaimed, and hugged him. "That was the nicest thing anybody's ever done for me!"

            "It was also one of the dumbest things I've ever seen anybody do," Logan grunted, "but we know why you did it."

            "Uh, Kitty," Althea said. "You're not the only one that wants to hug him."

            "Oh. Like, sorry, Althea." Kitty stepped aside, and the Misfits took turns hugging him. And then…

            "You jerk!" Althea punched him on the right arm.

            "Moron!" Wanda punched him on the left arm.

            "You coulda gotten yourself killed, yo!" Todd hit him in the stomach.

            "Idiot!" Pietro slapped him upside the head.

            "Dummy!" Xi gave him a small head-butt.

            "Fool!" Fred punched him in the gut again.

            "Don't pick on the hero!" Lance whined.

            "We cleared it with your physician," Wanda smirked. Lifeline waved. "Oh, yeah." She slapped him upside the head five more times. "That was for the girls and the babies."

            "Does anybody else want to hurt me?" Lance whined.

            "Yes, but we decided to wait until your next training session," Spirit smiled.

            "Lance, don't do that to us!" Althea said, tears in her eyes. "You could've gotten yourself killed! I can't have anything happen to you, too!"

            "Me too?" Lance's blood went cold. "Is Shipwreck-"

            "Dad's fine, but my nerves are royally shot! Oh, yeah." Althea gave him a shot to the leg. "That was for dad."

            "No more hitting! No more hitting!"

            "It's okay, Lance!" Kitty smiled. "They're only hitting you because they care. Besides, I'll kiss everything and make it all better."

            "Really?" Lance's eyes lit up. "Then can somebody punch me right in the-" Logan's claws were immediately an inch from Lance's face. "Lips," Lance squeaked.

            "Good man," Logan nodded. "I'd hate to have ta cut off yer… lips."

            Jessica laughed. Lance looked at her.

            "Lance, this is Jessica Drew," Xavier told him. "She saved both of your lives."

            "Then I guess I have to thank you," Lance smiled. "Thanks."

            "No problem," Jessica grinned. "I always wanted to use my powers to help somebody. I just wish I could help your metallic friend more."

            "Jessica was also able to fix Peter," Lifeline said, "but he was more hurt by Riptide's throwing stars than we all thought. He started bleeding heavily when he turned back. It's gonna be a few days before he's fully healed."

***

            "Oww," Peter moaned. He was laid out in his room, as he did not need to be monitored, and the plan was to clear the room out a.s.a.p. He was heavily bandaged, and was still somewhat stiff.

            "Hey," Fred said as he entered the room. He sat down in a chair that was put in for visitors.

            "Hello," Peter grunted.

            "So, I, uh, heard you finished Riptide off," Blob said, uncomfortably.

            "And you got Blockbuster," Peter nodded.

            They were silent for awhile.

            "You replaying it, too?" Fred finally asked.

            "Yeah," Peter said shortly. He didn't fight with Riptide, he just squeezed his hand, and the man was dead. He killed him. He had killed somebody. Reviewing the moment was one of the main things he did while paralysed- that, and review his life.

            "It… it doesn't make me feel the way I thought it would," Fred went on. "I mean, I'm glad he's dead, and I've killed things on the farm before, but I've never killed a person, you know?"

            "Why are we having this conversation?"

            "Baldy suggested that we talk about it, and the adults agree, so here we are. I heard there's gonna be somebody who's gonna talk to us about it, too."

            "If it's Psyche-Out, I will jump out of the window."

            "I'll join ya."

            "Yeah, well it ain't Psyche-Out," Logan said from the open door. Low Light was with him. "Charles thought you'd been tortured enough, so he nominated us, and Roadblock agreed."

            "Let's get this over with," Low Light told them. "Blob- how do you feel about your first kill in this man's army?"

            "I'm glad, I guess."

            "Colossus- same question."

            "I guess I'm glad," Peter shrugged (or would have, if it didn't hurt too much).

            "Really?" Low Light and Logan both asked.

            "Yeah, really!" Peter told them. They just looked at him.

            "Terrible," Fred finally admitted. "I know it was him or me, and I know he was a murderer, but I can still feel his blood all over me. I can still smell it, too. I remember what his body felt like after I'd been hitting it for so long. Happy?"

            "Maybe," Low Light said.

            "You got anything ta say, bub?" Logan asked Peter.

            "I can still remember the sound Riptide made when his neck broke," Peter said quietly. "I can still feel the way he felt in my hand with his neck so twisted. I can still feel his neck when I stepped on it after he died. I… I wanted to step on his head, not his neck."

            "Didn't know you had it in ya," Logan told him, genuinely surprised. He and Low Light exchanged a look, and then Low Light stepped forward.

            "Look, I know I'm supposed to ask you a whole bunch of psychological questions and other bull, but I'll just skip it. Nobody is happy that the four of you had to kill the bastards, but the fact is you did have to, and you did kill them, and you're going to have to live with it."

            "It should've been one of us that did the killing," Logan took over, "but it wasn't. If either of you guys start to feel bad for what ya did, don't. They got what they deserved, an' that's it. But if you can't get over it, then you can talk to us."

            "I thought you'd want us to talk to Psyche-Out, or the Professor," Peter remarked.

            "We'd prefer it," Logan nodded, "'cause we ain't much good with the touchy-feely crap, but neither of 'em ever killed anybody physically."

            "We've killed before," Low Light told them. Killing a human changes a man, even if they deserved it. We've killed before, so we know what the change is like. You guys have two options- you can let it change you for the worse, or for the better. Just remember this- killing doesn't make you evil, you two get me?"

            "I guess," Fred shrugged.

            "I think so," Peter nodded.

            "Good," Logan grunted, and the two left.

            "You think they're right?" Peter asked.

            "They weren't born having killed," Fred shrugged. "I- I still…"

            "I know," Peter nodded, and the two remained silent, dealing with what they were forced to do. They hated it, but they both knew they'd do it again in a heartbeat if they had to. Part of them, the part that had somehow still been innocent, hated that too.

***

            "Tabby?" Ray asked, as he knocked on her door. He knew he wasn't the best person to approach her, but he had to anyway. He knew how Tabby had to be feeling- she lost Sam, and he'd lost Scaleface. He didn't hear any crying, and he'd been listening for awhile to make sure, hence the knocking.

            "Go away!" he heard Tabby shout. Ray sighed.

            "Look, I gotta talk to you, so open up, or I'll blast your door in."

            Ray heard movement. Tabby opened the door. She looked terrible. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and her eyes were red. It looked like she cried quietly, not loudly. Ray turned to leave.

            "What?" Tabby demanded.

            "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you crying. I'll just go."

            "Well, you bothered me already, didn't you? What do you want?"

            "Well, I wanted to let you know how sorry I am for what happened to Sam."

            "Thanks," she said shortly, and started to close the door. Then she opened it again, as if reconsidering, and beckoned Ray in. Ray entered.

            "I met Scaleface last night," she said.

            "Yeah? So what?" Ray's face looked suspicious.

            "Do you want to know what she said?"

"Only is she said anything about how she was doing. She was my girlfriend."

            "Do you mean that was as in 'before she died,' or was as in 'before you just left her?'" Ray winced. He deserved that.

            "I just want to know how she was doing."

            "Why don't you ask a Morlock?"

            "Because most of my old friends are either dead, hurt, or not speaking to me. Besides, you brought it up."

            It was Tabby's turn to wince. Somehow, she forgot that Ray was a Morlock before he came to the Institute.

            "You wanna know what Scaleface said about how she was doing?"

            "Yeah."

            "She didn't talk about herself much. We talked about you."

            "Yeah?" Oh, lord…

            "Yeah. We talked about how much of a jerk you are, and how you stare at every hot chick that walks by even when you're with your girlfriend. Even more than most guys do, I mean."

            "Oh." Ray was starting to feel very small. He couldn't deny that what Tabby was saying was true, and yet- just supposing that Reader was right- maybe- about him being… gay… just maybe- that would explain why he was always staring at girls, trying to turn himself on- and why it never worked for long, if at all. "I see." It dawned on him just how much he had hurt Scaleface, and he felt even smaller. "Thanks, Tab."

            Something on Ray's face made Tabby sigh. She told the truth, but it wasn't all that Scaleface said.

            "Ray, wait. She also told me that she cared about you very much, even though she was pissed at you. If she lived, I think you two were going to have it out once and for all. You hurt her a lot, y'know."

            "I know." Ray hung his head. He had hurt her a lot. He didn't even take the time to thank her for letting him out when he went back to the Alley looking for Evan. Now, he never would have the chance to make it up to her.

            "What's wrong, Ray?" Tabby asked.

            "You know that feeling you get when you know you can never fix something?" Ray asked. She saw tears in his eyes. "I'm feeling it right now. Aw, what am I doing? You should be the one that's crying."

            "I think I'm done crying for right now," Tabby said very quietly.

            "You don't have to hold it in for me."

            "It isn't for you." Tabby looked up at him, eyes flashing. "It's all about you, isn't it?" God- just when she was starting to like Ray just a little bit.

            "I just wanted to let you know that nobody would think less of you if you cried. I'll go now."

            "Ray, wait." Tabby said, and grabbed his arm. "I know whatcha meant. I'm sorry. It's just that I don't know what to do. I know I'm gonna cry later, but right now I can't anymore. I don't know why, I just can't." Ray sat down on the floor.

            "Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

            "No. Yeah. I don't know." Tabby took a few paces, and then sat back down on her bed. "It's like I know that I'm hurt bad, but I don't feel it, and I don't know why."

            "Maybe it hasn't hit you yet."

            "Maybe. I don't know. Sam… Sam was the first guy I ever knew that saw the Tabitha, not the Boom-Boom. And he liked me, he really liked me."

            "He loved you," Ray said quietly.

            "Huh?"

            "I… kinda overheard him talking on the phone to one of his brothers or sisters. He was talking about you. He said that he thought that he loved you."

            "He said that?" Ray nodded. Tabby's face went still.

            "Sam," she started crying, and almost instinctively, Ray stood up and hugged her. They stayed like that for awhile.

***

            "Are you sure you want to do this?" Xavier asked his students. Except for Kurt, they were all there, and the Misfits were there, too.

            "Yeah," Tabby said quietly. The whole thing was her idea, but the rest of the New Mutants agreed. When the X-Men heard, they went along with it, as did the Misfits.

            "Then follow me." He turned, and led them to a room he'd hoped he'd never have to use. When he opened the door and wheeled in. The children entered after him, almost all gasping as they entered. Laying on a slab, covered by a white sheet, was Sam's body. By all rights, the family should have had the first viewing, but nobody was home when he phoned them, and they didn't have an answering machine. Xavier wheeled over, and turned the sheet down to the waist. What? That was odd. The gunshot wound was almost unnoticeable on Sam's bare chest. Obviously, Lifeline, Healer, or somebody had done a restoration job on him.

            "Who would like to go first?" Xavier asked, quietly.

            "Ooh," a voice moaned from behind him. Several students gasped, and Xavier stiffened in anger. "Whoever that was," he said angrily, "that was most certainly not funny!" The children looked at each other, but nobody said anything. "Now then, who-"

            "Ooh," the voice moaned again. More students gasped. Xavier felt his face go pink with anger. "I said cut that out!" he hissed. "Now then-"

            "Ooh," the voice moaned yet again. Xavier's face went from pink to scarlet.

            "It wasn't any of us," Althea said.

            "It really does sound like it's coming from behind you, Professor," Scott said in shock.

            Xavier turned to look at the body. Nothing unusual-

            Until the eyes blinked open.

            "Oh," Sam muttered, feeling more tired than he ever had in his life. "What a nightmare." It was the worst he'd ever had- there was an attack on a group called the Eloi, then on the Morlocks, and to top it all off, he got shot in the heart! Sam yawned as he got up out of his bed- which for some reason felt awfully hard and cold. Damn Bobby! It had to have been another practical joke. Brr! Even the carpet felt hard and cold.

            Sam opened his eyes fully. He then blinked them several times to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. When he accepted that the Professor, all of the New Mutants, almost all of the X-Men, and all of the Misfits were staring at him in open-mouthed horror, he looked around.

            "This ain't mah room," he muttered, and then the full reality of the situation hit him- he was stark naked. "Oh, mah Gawd!" He covered himself as quickly as he could. "Professor, everybody, Ah am so sorry! Awright! Which one of you yahoos knocked me out, stripped me, and put me here?!? Wherever here is."

            "Sam?" Tabby asked him in a weird, high-pitched voice. She musta had a bad night's sleep too, because she looked terrible!

            "Yeah Tabby?"

            Her eyes rolled up in the back of her head, and she fainted.

            Later, everyone would agree that Tabby was the first to faint. Some would point fingers at each other, saying that they were next, but the blame didn't change the result: in exactly sixty seconds from the moment Tabby hit the floor, every single person in the room except Sam had fainted.

            Sam, wondering what in God's name was going on, uncovered himself and looked himself over.

            "Ah'm not that ugly, am Ah?"

I called the title 'Recovery' for a reason, and now you know why. Comic readers know what's going on, but for the rest of you that are scratching your heads, I say hold on! The answer will come. In the meantime, there is the aftermath of this event, relationships are renewed, and a triangle busts up, so stay tuned for "The Mutant Massacre:"

Chapter Sixteen: A Little Healing