Piotr walked down the path through the park, his hands gripping his sketchpad and pencils as he took in the beauty of his surroundings. Off in the distance, he could barely hear the others as they frolicked near the pool. He shook his head once more bemused by his situation. He had come through so much in the last year. First coming to the notice of his country's government, and then being abducted by Magneto, and forced to work for him for fear of his family's mistreatment. He had fought for Magneto against good people and helped break out known felons from prison. He felt like his soul was tarnished after all that had happenned.
But in the midst of the madness involving the would be world conqueror named Apocalypse, he had found a saving grace, and angel who had changed his world and with whom he had fallen in love with. In the wake of that love he could do nothing but defect from Magneto's camp and throw the fate of his parents into the Professor's hands, for he could not stand to oppose the woman he loved. And more surprising, something that truly astonished him even now, she felt the same way about him. His mind quickly turned to thoughts of his dear Katya, or Kitty as everyone else called her. Though she certainly seemed to like the name he called her. He felt a wide grin stretch over his face and knew it was the same one he had worn for months now.
He had not started courting her truly, yet. He had merely seen her amongst the others and once, only once said the words and heard them said back to him. He had also feared that she was too young, but with her turning 18 this year, that was not so bad, even with his own 25 years of age. They had connected and today he would ask her out for the first time.
He had sought out the Professor's permission and gotten it in an unusual conversation where Cyclops, or Scott, rather, had been seeking permission to ask his long time girlfriend to marry him. The talk had taken an odd turn and they had all formed a kind of bond at the time. Now he hoped that she would say yes and that all he had felt for so long was truly returned as passionately as he felt it.
He walked more purposefully along the path and bumped into someone crashing to the ground. Gathering his sketchpad and pencils up, he looked up and found that who he was searching for had found him.
She bounced back to her feet and opened her mouth to speak, a half blush on her face and her eyes crinkling in the way that Piotr loved so much.
"Kitty! Forgive my clumsiness, please. I was lost in my thoughts of beauty, and..." His voice trailed off as he stood half crouched looking up at her, frozen in the act of getting up as the light caught her profile, turning her shimmering locks into an auburn mass of autumn-colored fire. Her eyes seemed to glow with that humor and light that shivered him to his soul and she turned slightly in the light. His gasp burst out of him as he found himself caught helplessly in those eyes, he could fall in forever.
"Piotr? Are you, like, ok?" Kitty winced at the valley girl twang in her voice and the turn of phrase that made her feel like she was still 14. He looked... words couldn't describe how Piotr looked in her eyes, gallant, powerful, strong, gorgeous even, she allowed herself to add. And half-kneeling like that it was almost like her was a knight asking her for her hand.
She gasped as his hand rose to her outstretched one and instead of rising he seemed to make a decision, and shifted slightly, going down on one knee. Her eyes felt like they were going to bug out. Surely he wasn't really... now.. going to?
"Kitty, sweet Katya, will you do me the honor of going out with me on tomorrow eve?" his cultured voice seemed almost nervous and she made herself giggle at that. Why would he be nervous? she on the other hand felt as if butterflies were streaming through her belly. She forced her voice to an even tone and spoke.
"I would love to go out with you Piotr." She closed her eyes for a second and thus missed him closing his in relief.
He rose before her and swept her into a hug that seemed ready to almost crush her yet somehow was just right, and felt, for a second, sheer content at this. Things were beginning to fall together for her. With the school back online and two new teachers coming in to teach college level courses, she would be able to stay and get her degree, finish becoming a full X-Man, and would be able to pursue her relationship with Piotr, a relationship she hadn't been sure was going anywhere until right now. As he released her, she smiled at him, and opened her mouth to speak.
And closed it just as swiftly, as an arrow of fire seemed to flash out of nowhere and slam into Piotr's shoulder. He screamed with the pain and fell backwards, drawing her with him into the cover of the brush nearby. All of Kitty's senses seemed to go into overdrive as she with one hand tried to feel his shoulder and grabbed her cellphone with the other. She began to dial but noticed there was no dial tone, even as Piotr frustrated her attempts by shifting into armored mode.
"Now, now. Now calling out your pesky friends, young brat! I am afraid you will be our guest for some time to come."
The speaker was a green-haired woman who was scowling in Kitty's direction. She wore a dark outfit the most impressive piece of which was a tacky silver and black choker with a silver medallion at the center that seemed to pulse almost with a life of its own. Kitty tore her eyes away as an earthquake seemed to shake the ground around them and she saw another woman slamming her fist into the ground towards them. The green haired woman raised her hand and Kitty gasped as Piotr, no, Colossus seemed to rise up out of his hiding place into the air. She was a psycho-magnetic like Magneto! He was quickly hurled to the side, where he was attacked by the woman who had caused the earthquake-like shocks. Suddenly, Kitty felt herself grow sick and , lose her equilibrium, falling over as the sly seemed to tilt over her and slide to the side. An odd looking man peered down at her and grinned a maniacal grin.
"Dont worry m'love. Yer just feeling the effects of a dose of Vertigo's patented vertigo cocktail, guaranteed to make ya hurl and swirl."
And indeed, Kitty felt herself grow sick and heaved to the side as her world continued to move and shake. A gaudily garbed man carrying a harpoon like the one that had hit Colossus also peered down at her.
"Dont worry, sweet cheeks. I've got the cure for you right here." And with that he slugged her once.
Colossus saw her fall and roared his fury even as he was engaged with both a seemingly unreachable man who stood there despite Colossus' hardest blows, and a animalistic wolfwoman who snarled and bit at him in a frenzy that was hard to match. His anger gave him speed and he hurled them away as the green-haired woman turned to him. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her hand and spoke sounding almost apologetic.
"Sorry, cuteness, the boss wants both of you. time for night night"
And with that she lifted him straight up twenty feet and brought him down on is head, knocking him unconscious.
* * *
Meanwhile, across the park, things were also chaotic. Another group of oddly garbed people had shown up and attacked the others who had come, who were enjoying the pool. Roberto, Dani, Sam, Rahne, Jamie, Bobby, Rogue, Kurt, and Storm, were having a bad time of it. Sam and Roberto, Rahne and Jamie were already down, either wounded or...Rogue made herself stop thinking that way and focused on fighting against Sabretooth. She had absorbed some of his power and was matching him blow for blow, but her inexperience and her tiredness were beginning to show.
Storm was facing off in some sort of duel with a cyborg who called himself Pierce, who seemed to be leading these goons. Bobby was trying to defend their fallen teammates and facing off against a weird shapeshifting mass that never seemed to take any one shape for very long. Dani was now facing a oriental looking man who had somehow cancelled her powers, leaving her with her martial arts training to fend him off. And Kurt was bamfing for his life, trying to at once lead away and also avoid the touch of a dark haired woman who seemed to drain the life and power from those she touched.
Things were not going well, and Rogue took a slash across her ribs when she heard a voice faintly across the field. She looked away and saw Sam pry himself up from the ground, already bleeding and woozy from Sabretooth and the life-drainer. She almost smiled- Sam had developed a cute crush on her recently and it had been fun to just hang out with someone her own age. She saw his eyes widen then he was blasting directly towards her as she heard him yell something, his voice full of anger.
He slammed into her knocking her down and was standing above her, just as his blast field faded. She looked on in horror as Sabretooth wasted no time and calmly slashed the stomach out of the boy, gore flying everywhere, and started for her.
Just then there was a weird tone through the air and as one the attackers withdrew from the kids and fled into the bush without a look back, except for Sabretooth who glanced back and said,
"Next time, toots it'll be you too.", then vanished.
She sank down next to Sam and began to weep as she closed his staring eyes, her mind seemingly going numb. The others ran up , Roberto's dark face pale as ice, as Storm leaned in and checked for a pulse then whispered,
"He's dead. Sam is dead."
* * *
But in the midst of the madness involving the would be world conqueror named Apocalypse, he had found a saving grace, and angel who had changed his world and with whom he had fallen in love with. In the wake of that love he could do nothing but defect from Magneto's camp and throw the fate of his parents into the Professor's hands, for he could not stand to oppose the woman he loved. And more surprising, something that truly astonished him even now, she felt the same way about him. His mind quickly turned to thoughts of his dear Katya, or Kitty as everyone else called her. Though she certainly seemed to like the name he called her. He felt a wide grin stretch over his face and knew it was the same one he had worn for months now.
He had not started courting her truly, yet. He had merely seen her amongst the others and once, only once said the words and heard them said back to him. He had also feared that she was too young, but with her turning 18 this year, that was not so bad, even with his own 25 years of age. They had connected and today he would ask her out for the first time.
He had sought out the Professor's permission and gotten it in an unusual conversation where Cyclops, or Scott, rather, had been seeking permission to ask his long time girlfriend to marry him. The talk had taken an odd turn and they had all formed a kind of bond at the time. Now he hoped that she would say yes and that all he had felt for so long was truly returned as passionately as he felt it.
He walked more purposefully along the path and bumped into someone crashing to the ground. Gathering his sketchpad and pencils up, he looked up and found that who he was searching for had found him.
She bounced back to her feet and opened her mouth to speak, a half blush on her face and her eyes crinkling in the way that Piotr loved so much.
"Kitty! Forgive my clumsiness, please. I was lost in my thoughts of beauty, and..." His voice trailed off as he stood half crouched looking up at her, frozen in the act of getting up as the light caught her profile, turning her shimmering locks into an auburn mass of autumn-colored fire. Her eyes seemed to glow with that humor and light that shivered him to his soul and she turned slightly in the light. His gasp burst out of him as he found himself caught helplessly in those eyes, he could fall in forever.
"Piotr? Are you, like, ok?" Kitty winced at the valley girl twang in her voice and the turn of phrase that made her feel like she was still 14. He looked... words couldn't describe how Piotr looked in her eyes, gallant, powerful, strong, gorgeous even, she allowed herself to add. And half-kneeling like that it was almost like her was a knight asking her for her hand.
She gasped as his hand rose to her outstretched one and instead of rising he seemed to make a decision, and shifted slightly, going down on one knee. Her eyes felt like they were going to bug out. Surely he wasn't really... now.. going to?
"Kitty, sweet Katya, will you do me the honor of going out with me on tomorrow eve?" his cultured voice seemed almost nervous and she made herself giggle at that. Why would he be nervous? she on the other hand felt as if butterflies were streaming through her belly. She forced her voice to an even tone and spoke.
"I would love to go out with you Piotr." She closed her eyes for a second and thus missed him closing his in relief.
He rose before her and swept her into a hug that seemed ready to almost crush her yet somehow was just right, and felt, for a second, sheer content at this. Things were beginning to fall together for her. With the school back online and two new teachers coming in to teach college level courses, she would be able to stay and get her degree, finish becoming a full X-Man, and would be able to pursue her relationship with Piotr, a relationship she hadn't been sure was going anywhere until right now. As he released her, she smiled at him, and opened her mouth to speak.
And closed it just as swiftly, as an arrow of fire seemed to flash out of nowhere and slam into Piotr's shoulder. He screamed with the pain and fell backwards, drawing her with him into the cover of the brush nearby. All of Kitty's senses seemed to go into overdrive as she with one hand tried to feel his shoulder and grabbed her cellphone with the other. She began to dial but noticed there was no dial tone, even as Piotr frustrated her attempts by shifting into armored mode.
"Now, now. Now calling out your pesky friends, young brat! I am afraid you will be our guest for some time to come."
The speaker was a green-haired woman who was scowling in Kitty's direction. She wore a dark outfit the most impressive piece of which was a tacky silver and black choker with a silver medallion at the center that seemed to pulse almost with a life of its own. Kitty tore her eyes away as an earthquake seemed to shake the ground around them and she saw another woman slamming her fist into the ground towards them. The green haired woman raised her hand and Kitty gasped as Piotr, no, Colossus seemed to rise up out of his hiding place into the air. She was a psycho-magnetic like Magneto! He was quickly hurled to the side, where he was attacked by the woman who had caused the earthquake-like shocks. Suddenly, Kitty felt herself grow sick and , lose her equilibrium, falling over as the sly seemed to tilt over her and slide to the side. An odd looking man peered down at her and grinned a maniacal grin.
"Dont worry m'love. Yer just feeling the effects of a dose of Vertigo's patented vertigo cocktail, guaranteed to make ya hurl and swirl."
And indeed, Kitty felt herself grow sick and heaved to the side as her world continued to move and shake. A gaudily garbed man carrying a harpoon like the one that had hit Colossus also peered down at her.
"Dont worry, sweet cheeks. I've got the cure for you right here." And with that he slugged her once.
Colossus saw her fall and roared his fury even as he was engaged with both a seemingly unreachable man who stood there despite Colossus' hardest blows, and a animalistic wolfwoman who snarled and bit at him in a frenzy that was hard to match. His anger gave him speed and he hurled them away as the green-haired woman turned to him. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her hand and spoke sounding almost apologetic.
"Sorry, cuteness, the boss wants both of you. time for night night"
And with that she lifted him straight up twenty feet and brought him down on is head, knocking him unconscious.
* * *
Meanwhile, across the park, things were also chaotic. Another group of oddly garbed people had shown up and attacked the others who had come, who were enjoying the pool. Roberto, Dani, Sam, Rahne, Jamie, Bobby, Rogue, Kurt, and Storm, were having a bad time of it. Sam and Roberto, Rahne and Jamie were already down, either wounded or...Rogue made herself stop thinking that way and focused on fighting against Sabretooth. She had absorbed some of his power and was matching him blow for blow, but her inexperience and her tiredness were beginning to show.
Storm was facing off in some sort of duel with a cyborg who called himself Pierce, who seemed to be leading these goons. Bobby was trying to defend their fallen teammates and facing off against a weird shapeshifting mass that never seemed to take any one shape for very long. Dani was now facing a oriental looking man who had somehow cancelled her powers, leaving her with her martial arts training to fend him off. And Kurt was bamfing for his life, trying to at once lead away and also avoid the touch of a dark haired woman who seemed to drain the life and power from those she touched.
Things were not going well, and Rogue took a slash across her ribs when she heard a voice faintly across the field. She looked away and saw Sam pry himself up from the ground, already bleeding and woozy from Sabretooth and the life-drainer. She almost smiled- Sam had developed a cute crush on her recently and it had been fun to just hang out with someone her own age. She saw his eyes widen then he was blasting directly towards her as she heard him yell something, his voice full of anger.
He slammed into her knocking her down and was standing above her, just as his blast field faded. She looked on in horror as Sabretooth wasted no time and calmly slashed the stomach out of the boy, gore flying everywhere, and started for her.
Just then there was a weird tone through the air and as one the attackers withdrew from the kids and fled into the bush without a look back, except for Sabretooth who glanced back and said,
"Next time, toots it'll be you too.", then vanished.
She sank down next to Sam and began to weep as she closed his staring eyes, her mind seemingly going numb. The others ran up , Roberto's dark face pale as ice, as Storm leaned in and checked for a pulse then whispered,
"He's dead. Sam is dead."
* * *