Sorry for missing the last few days. I'll try to catch up today.
Red Witch: I love it too. Here you go.
RogueFanKC: You'll see just how bad the X-Men feel, particularly Xavier. He starts his decline in this chapter. As for Zartan, let's just say he's a bit more diabolical than we've seen before. And I've decided to do some bonding between the boys while they're trapped, so...
c-wolf: Well, what can I say? Suspense is fun.
Our story thus far...
Three travelers from the future have arrived in the Bayville of the present, claiming that they have come to stop a civil war brought about by the passage of the Mutant Registration Bill. However, one of their mortal enemies has followed them into the past, and plots against them, sending wave after wave of armed men to hunt down our heroes and kill them all. During one of these battles, in Washington, DC, Todd Tolensky was shot in the heart and lays dying in the medical ward of the GI Joe base known as the Pit. Althea Delgado almost destroyed an entire army in her rage, but was stopped by the X-Man Rogue. While Althea recovers, Lance Alvers and Piotr Rasputin, rivals for the love of Kitty Pryde, have been sent together on a last-ditch effort to stop the Bill from passing when they are trapped deep underground...
Chapter 12: Trapped!
Xavier Institute, The Present...
"I can't believe Toad is dead," sobbed Tabitha. Sam held her as she cried. "He was kind of disgusting sometimes, but he was pretty cool..."
Ororo sat facing the wall. She stared blankly into space, not moving, breath coming shallowly.
A couple of other students were crying softly. Bobby Drake had built himself a small room of ice and sealed himself in. The entire mansion was in mourning.
The Pit...
Things were no better among the X-Men remaining at the Pit. Jean was holding onto Scott. Gambit was rubbing Rogue's back gently. Kurt was staring into the middle distance, in temporary mental shutdown. Logan was trashing the firing range.
Xavier was taking it worst of all. His head was bowed, his eyes closed. He looked almost asleep. A single drop of liquid peeked through the lid of his left eye. He was holding an empty bottle of vodka.
"Great," muttered Lance. "Now what?"
"How should I know?" snapped Piotr. "You're the one who makes the earthquakes!"
"Yeah, but I don't exactly want whatever buildings are up there to come crashing down on our heads!" shouted Lance. "Why don't you try punching your way through!"
"These walls are too thick!" yelled Piotr, his accent thickening. "There is no way to break through for me!"
"Well then, what are you yelling at me for?" screamed Lance.
"What are you yelling at me for?" screamed Piotr.
The two quieted. They looked at each other for a long moment.
Lance was the first to crack. He began to chuckle.
"What is so funny," asked Piotr, working hard to keep from grinning.
"Nothing," Lance gasped trying to stop laughing.
Piotr began to laugh, and the two couldn't hold it in anymore. Their laughter echoed around them, until they were gasping for breath.
"Oh, man," Lance said finally, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "I needed that."
"Da," agreed Piotr. "Me, too."
They looked around at the small compartment where they were trapped.
"Looks like we're going to be here a while," sighed Lance.
"Indeed," agreed Piotr.
"Wonder how much air we have," Lance thought out loud.
"That is a cheerful thought," grumbled Piotr.
"Just saying..." Lance defended. "Oh, boy..."
"Do you think anyone will find us?" asked Piotr.
"Impossible to say," sighed Lance. "I'm wearing my tracker, but they might be too busy right now to notice that we've stopped moving."
"So we wait," grumbled Piotr.
They sat in silence for a while. Piotr was the first to speak.
"You know, I don't really hate you," he said suddenly.
Lance looked at him. "What?"
"I don't really hate you," repeated Piotr. "If it weren't for Kitty, I might actually like you."
Lance thought a moment. "You know," he told Piotr, "I never really thought about it before, but I guess I feel the same way."
"If it weren't for Kitty," said Piotr.
"Yeah," agreed Lance.
They were silent again.
"Which doesn't mean I don't love her," Lance said after a while.
"Yeah," agreed Piotr. "I love her too."
"And she says she loves both of us," continued Lance.
"In different ways," Piotr reminded him.
"Have you ever wondered what that means?" asked Lance.
"Now that you mention it..." Piotr said thoughtfully.
They were quiet once more.
"I'll flip you," Piotr broke the silence.
Lance scooted back quickly. Piotr grinned. "Not literally."
"Oh."
"We need to be able to decide this."
"Since it's obvious she can't."
"Do you have a quarter?"
"It was your idea. You should use your quarter."
"I do not have a quarter."
"Then why did you bring it up?"
"I thought you might have a quarter."
"Fine," grumbled Lance, digging out a quarter. "We need some terms."
"How about this?" suggested Piotr. "The winner has Kitty to himself for two months."
Lance thought about it. "And the loser can't see her," he asked.
"If I lose, I will avoid her when possible," suggested Piotr. "If you lose, you will not visit."
"For two months?" asked Lance.
"Da," agreed Piotr.
"I know you won't trust me, so you can flip the coin," said Lance, handing it to him.
Piotr took the coin and held it ready. "Call it in the air," he told Lance, and flipped it.
"Heads," said Lance.
The two boys watched, as the coin seemed to twirl upward in slow motion. It reached its peak, and began a slow descent to the ground. It landed, bounced, landed again, and was still.
Lance's jaw dropped, and Piotr had a look of utter disbelief on his face.
The coin sat between them, resting on its side.
"We're cursed," moaned Lance, covering his eyes with his hands.
"Da," agreed Piotr, still staring at the coin.
"Where are those two," groaned Hawk. "We should have had word one way or the other by now."
"Let's try the tracker in Avalanche's watch again," suggested Duke.
"But we haven't been able to get a solid location in half an hour," Flint told him.
"We have to keep trying," Duke told him.
"Do it," ordered Hawk.
"Okay, this is absolutely the last time," said Lance. "This will decide."
"Da," agreed Piotr.
The coin flashed in the low lighting as it traveled through the air again.
"Side," groaned Lance.
"Just like the last eighty-seven tries," moaned Piotr.
"We're cursed," groaned Lance.
Then they heard a noise. "What is that?" asked Piotr. "It sounds like someone is cutting through," Lance said.
A single gleaming claw broke through the wall, right next to Piotr's head. He gulped, and scrambled quickly out of the way.
Logan cut through, and grinned when he saw the two boys. "Found 'em," he reported into his communicator. "They were trapped in the tunnel."
"Good work," Hawk said over the link. "Bring them home."
"So," said Zartan. "I'm to become the head military man in the future, am I. I like that. I like that a lot."
"With my help," Zanya reminded him.
"Of course, my dear," Zartan told her. "Let's get this show on the road. Soon, we'll be in control!"
Next time: It's the X-Men's second funeral for Todd, and the Misfit's first. However, it would seem that his body has disappeared! What's going on? Tune in again, for chapter thirteen of Misfits In Time!