Reaction

Lance looked around at the shocked faces around him. He couldn't speak. His most private, horrifying shame and secrets had been revealed to the world. In desperation he looked at Kitty. She stepped back from him with a horrified look on her face. Immediately Jean put herself between her and him. "Get away from her!" She snapped.

Terror started to flow through Lance as she glared at him. "Kitty…" He reached out to her. "Please…"

She just stood there in shock not saying anything. Lance looked at the faces around him. Faces filled with shock, anger and pity. It was too much. It was all too much. Lance screamed and the entire building shook violently. He couldn't think clearly, he merely reacted and ran. He barely noticed the falling debris around him.

The walls of the hallway started to collapse. Jean was able to hold them in place long enough for everyone to get out of there. Then she got out of the way before they caved in. "Oh great now we lost a hallway!" Ray snapped.

"I don't think Lance meant to do it this time," Scott said. "We gotta find him before he trashes something else though!"

"I'm afraid you're right Scott," Xavier wheeled his way towards them. "He doesn't have a very balanced state of mind."

"When did Lance ever have a balanced state of mind?" Remy scoffed.

"Shut up!" Wanda snapped. "Can't you see Lance is hurt?"

"He nearly hurt us!" Jean told her. "I can't believe he lost control like that!"

"Lance's past has always been…painful," Xavier sighed. "And past events have opened up old wounds."

"You knew about this didn't you?" Pietro stared at Xavier. "What did you do? Read his mind?"

"Not directly," Xavier sighed. "One night Rogue had some disturbing dreams not long after a battle with you boys. She had touched Lance and…."

"How come I never…?" Rogue started to ask.

"Because I erased those memories from you," Xavier said softly. "I thought it was for the best."

"Oh sure you'll use your powers to help Rogue but not me?" Bobby snapped.

"That was a completely different situation!" Xavier told him. "Those memories and experiences weren't hers to begin with! There was no point in allowing her to experience such pain!"

"What about my pain?" Bobby snapped. "I suppose that doesn't count?"

"This isn't about you Bobby!" Althea snapped. "Why the hell did you put that listening device in Lance's room anyway? What, because he hurt your stupid pride!"

"Well we all know Lance could hurt more than that!" Bobby snapped. "All this time we've had a killer in our midst and you didn't think we had a right to know about it?"

"What the hell do you think Mr. Logan once was?" Pietro snapped in his face. "A girl scout?"

"I was trained to be an assassin," Xi snarled showing his claws. "I was forced many times to kill as well."

"Many of us have had to deal with painful issues and mistakes in the past Bobby," Xavier's brows furrowed. "Myself included. You have to remember that Lance has had a very hard life. He may not have had a choice in what he did no matter how shocking it seems."

"Logan and the rest of us X-Men chose to put our pasts behind us and learn to control our powers!" Jean snapped. "Kitty was dating Lance while he was in the Brotherhood. Did it ever occur to you how dangerous it was for her?"

"Lance wouldn't have hurt Kitty," Pietro frowned. "Not the way you think anyway."

"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right," Scott said. "I don't think Lance ever intentionally wanted to kill anyone. Well outside of us maybe. Still he wouldn't have hurt Kitty."

"Gee Scott I thought you of all people would be on my side about this!" Bobby snapped.

"In the orphanage I've heard…stories," Scott confessed. "In a way I was lucky not to have any foster homes. Some of those kids had experiences just like Alvers and…god no wonder he's so messed up!"

"That's putting it mildly!" Bobby shouted. "He nearly killed us not even ten minutes ago and you're defending him?"

"He didn't do it on purpose!" Todd shouted.

"Yeah well Lance does a lot of destroying without any purpose!" Jean remarked.

"Look who's talking!" Kitty snapped. "I seem to recall your powers going haywire for a time too you know!"

"That was different!" Jean shouted.

"Was it?" Tabitha asked.

"Enough!" Ororo shouted. "This is not helping!"

"You guys never seem to help anyway!" Bobby snapped. He stormed off.

"Oh great now he's gone off!" Amara groaned.

"Good riddance," Todd growled.

"What did you say?" Amara snapped.

"You heard me!" Todd snapped back.

"Look we have a lot of damage control to do," Logan grumbled. "We gotta go get them before this thing blows up any more than it already has!"

"I'll talk to Bobby," Xavier sighed.

"No Professor let me do it," Scott said. "I think I can get through to him."

"We've got to get Lance first," Jean said. "Who knows what will happen if he gets loose!"

"Lance isn't an animal," Wanda told her.

"Well he's sure acting like one!" Jean snapped.

"Okay that's enough let's just go find him!" Pietro zipped off.

The others started to scour the mansion. Althea decided to slowly follow Jean outside. She confronted her by the fountain. "We need to talk!"

"There's nothing to talk about," Jean remarked.

"Jean what the hell is your problem?" Althea snapped. "Even Summers isn't being a big a prick about this as you are! Bobby's a jerk so that explains him but why are you acting up like this?"

"I'm only acting for the best interests of my team," Jean told her.

"Bull," Althea glared. "You know I always thought you were shallow and self centered but I always thought you did it in an unconscious way. Now I know better."

"Excuse me?" Jean snapped.

"There's no excuse for you," Althea snapped.

"Avalanche nearly killed us a few moments ago after confessing to killing two people!" Jean shouted.

"Who beat the tar out of him and raped him several times," Althea said. "They drove him to it!"

"That's still no reason to kill!" Jean snapped. "We're supposed to be better than that!"

"What the hell does that mean?" Althea asked. "And what does it have to do with Lance? Wait a minute…This doesn't have anything to do with Lance does it? When he was telling Kitty of how he lost control…Somehow it struck some kind of cord in you didn't it?"

"You're crazy!"

"Am I?" Althea raised an eyebrow. "I heard about what happened when you had your first power surge. Nearly killed a few innocent people along with some of the X-men. You have a bit of a temper in you too. I've noticed that. Somehow, you think you're more like Lance than you want to admit."

"You're being ridiculous," Jean snapped.

"No I think I'm onto something," Althea looked at her. "All this time you've been acting like Miss Responsible and trying to be a perfect role model when all this time…all this time you're afraid of cutting loose. Tell me Jean what would happen if you just decided not to be the perfect role model anymore? Huh? What would happen if you decided to try and act like the way you really wanted?"

"What are you talking about? Mutants should only use their powers…"

"In order to help people yeah, yeah…" Althea said. "But part of you doesn't really believe it deep down does it? It gives you a thrill knowing what kind of awesome power you have. And you like it. That's why you like fighting us Misfits, gives you a chance to let loose. Enjoy some senseless fighting. The media's always blasting on how mutants are wild and love nothing more than to fight, well maybe part of you is scared that it's true."

"NO!" Jean shouted. "I am not like that! I will never be like that!"

"Really? Care to put that theory to the test?" Althea grinned.

Just then Jean noticed the water swirling around her legs, holding her fast. It swirled around her, pinning her arms together. To her horror water covered her mouth like a gag, almost covering her nostrils. "Let's see how good your self control really is," Althea said.

What is Althea up to? What will Jean do? What will happen to Lance and Bobby? Keep reading to find out!