The Uncanny R-Man: For Emma you'll have to see, and you'll also see more Logan/Ororo and Sage/Hank too and their relationship also. Yes that was really Toad and yes he's dead.
Jenskott: I'm pretty sure some of them were used after the war, it would be too tempting for certain people. Well Sage and Emma have a way to go yet, and I really wanted to show just how evil Sinister is.
Sean Malloy-1: To answer your questions, a while yet for the rescue, I'll kill off whoever I like if it helps the plot and I'll start off a fic however I want, besides it wouldn't work any other way if I hadn't.
Wolviesfan: Okay I can see that, it was after WWII when he met her, but Logan just remembered that. He did know who he was in WWII, but after Weapon X all the memories got messed up. So he just now remembered that he knew who he was at one point. I think you might have misinterpreted a few things.
Mark C: Yeah Logan only has some of his past remembered and he does have Ororo for help. Yeah Sage doing what she did she would have some issues with what went on there, but she does have Hank and he'll help her out more. Oh and I hope I explained why X23 doesn't have a metal skeleton in the last response.
morring star: I wanted to show just how bad Sinister is as a villain and what better way then that? But no cloning of him sorry.
KSimonT-X: Yeah I like to bring in elements of the comics in my stuff, check out my AGU series then cause I got a LOT of comic related stuff those fics. As for Slicky, I'm sure he read this review so he knows.
coldqueen: Yes you DID mention a few times and for the LAST time NO! Time travel will just complicate the story too much.
GothikStrawberry: Yeah Sinister is a lot worse, and I'm glad you liked the Emma/Sage confrontations and later her and Hank.
Bensbrokenbones: Glad you gave this a chance and normally the Hellfire Club hasn't been portrayed as dark as they should and I wanted to chance that, I wanted them to be like their name implies and made this a darker toned story then usual. Which Kitty line was that? You'll see what Sinister has planned and other things about him too, as for Toad yeah I wanted to show that characters can die in this. Glad you like how we're doing the Romy relationship too.
Thanks to: X00001, Simba317, Wen1, LadyDeathStrike1, Silver Warrior, KSimonT-X, misspresh, Doza, Ruby631
Hellfire and BrimstoneCHAPTER 36: EXPERIMENTATION
Xavier Institute – Kurt's Room
Kurt sauntered into his room after another regular danger room session. Even after having gotten so used to the routine of doing such sessions over the years he had been at the institute, lately they had been taking it out of him more than usual. Now he was sore, out of breath, and a headache was starting to form and getting worse by the second as Kurt shut his bedroom door behind him and let out an exasperated sigh.
His lack of sleep and lingering issues with what happened to him at the Hellfire Club were starting to take their toll. While it had been easier for him lately with Rogue's powers finally stabilizing and things with him and Wanda going so well, there were still things out of sight from the others. Only Wanda knew about that scratching incident and as far as he knew she hadn't told anybody about it…Not even the Professor. He wasn't proud of it, but he didn't want to reflect on it…He just wanted to forget. He just wanted to go one night without waking up covered in sweat because he kept hearing Selene's voice taunting him with her evil laughter.
In a way, he somewhat envied others who seemed to be doing better than him. Jean had Scott to hold her when times got tough and since the visit from Jean's family, she had been doing many times better overall. Vincent and Emma also had each other and were really showing many signs of improvement with their blossoming relationship. Rogue was still having her difficulties, but Kurt had always known her to be very strong in so many ways…And now she was strong both physically and mentally as well. Not to mention…There was that growing connection between her and Gambit which had unsettled him at first…But he was beginning to see that it was beyond his control and there was little he could do to stop it at the rate it was going.
However, through all this…Wanda had been his stability. When Rogue was still in a coma and when he was still going through many of his own issues, she had been there for him. Unlike many of the others, she had experience with the kind of things he went through like rape, torture, and abuse. The nights when she stayed with him were the only nights he ever got much real sleep. However, his lingering fears kept pushing her away in a sense because he didn't know how to handle the kind of things he was going through. They were still so fresh in his mind and he couldn't believe how Wanda put up with him at times because of it.
But the more she was there for him, the more Kurt began to feel that he was really falling for this girl. When he was with her, it actually made him feel safe in a way that he never felt in any other instance. He felt he could talk to her about things he couldn't even talk about with Amanda since they were both mutants and had come from similar paths in life with their parents and their powers. It was that closeness that he was beginning to ascertain, knowing that their relationship was definitely beginning to grow as his feelings for her deepened. He just wished these damn memories of that awful experience weren't making things so difficult for the both of them.
As he stripped off the sweaty, dirty top part of his uniform and tossed it into the laundry hamper in the corner of his room, Kurt took a moment to sit on the edge of his bed and rub away the slight headache that was forming from his current state. He usually never got this run down before from the danger room, but since the Hellfire incident, it had been a different story. He felt like just collapsing back on his bed and falling asleep, when suddenly, he heard a knock at the door.
"Kurt, are you there?" said Wanda from the other side, who was now out of her uniform and in her regular clothes.
Glad to hear her voice, Kurt felt that maybe Wanda was just what he needed right now since she always had a way of making him feel better.
"Ja…Come in," he said, not moving from his seated position from the bed.
Wanda then entered to see her fuzzy boyfriend in the tired stupor he had so often been in these past few weeks. She was quickly surprised to see him there without his shirt on and tried hard to suppress a blush…Knowing Kurt's slim, gymnast physique was well accentuated by his body. However, she quickly scolded herself for thinking such things while Kurt was in his current state. Even though she knew things were getting a little better for him with Rogue's overall improvement, she knew Kurt well enough to see that there were some things he still hid from the others.
"I got you an ice pack for your arm," she said, showing him one of the plastic first aid packs that she had gotten from Hank, "You took quite a blow from that sentinel."
"Ja…But zhat vas my fault," he said as Wanda shut the door behind her and walked over to his bedside, "Besides…It really doesn't hurt all zhat much anyways."
"Then why do you still look like a guy who's just been blindsided by a pickup truck?" said Wanda with a slight grin, trying to lighten the mood.
"I guess I should've looked both vays then," said Kurt, managing to laugh somewhat in response, which helped him to feel a little bit better, "But hey…It's not my fault zhey give licenses to blind people."
"Ah blame it all on drugs and booze and let's call it a day," said Wanda, happy that Kurt still had his old joking self despite what happened to him as she placed the ice pack on his shoulder where he had been hit in the danger room.
There was a brief silence between them, one for which Kurt knew Wanda was waiting for him to break since it was no secret that she was still worried about him. The nights when she had to sneak into his room and sleep beside him were starting to get more frequent and she didn't know if this was because his state was getting worse…Or if that was just what they both really wanted regardless of what happened.
"I don't usually let myself slip up like zhat…" Kurt finally said as he turned his face away from her briefly so that she couldn't see his expression.
"Hey…We all mess up at some point. Believe me, I know…" said Wanda in a comforting tone as she scooted closer to him, still holding the ice pack on his shoulder.
"No…It's just that…I've done programs like zhat a million times before," he mused as the tone in his voice grew somewhat darker, "And I've never let myself slip up vith them like zhis before…It's like I can't even concentrate vithout letting…You know…Get in zhe vay."
"You'll get through it…Don't worry," assured Wanda, "But trust me…It takes time. You can't expect yourself to just wake up one day and be over it. That's not how it works when dealing with shit like this. Hell, sometimes I still wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night…Thinking I'm back in the asylum and that man who used to…Use me…Was there. It just…Takes time, that's all. And it's still fresh for you, so don't beat yourself up about it Kurt. Just know that you're doing a much better then I was when I was in your position…"
Such words helped the troubled young man as he snaked his arm around her waist and hugged her closely to him. Wanda then found herself discarding the ice pack as Kurt made it clear that it wasn't his shoulder that was really bothering him. He didn't need ice…He needed her.
"I'm sorry you have to put up vith zhis Vanda…" said Kurt as he found himself holding onto her even tighter as she began to return his embrace with one of her own, "You of all people shouldn't have to deal vith zhis."
"Hey, come on Kurt…Don't say that," said Wanda as she took his face gently into her hand and turned his gaze towards her so that he could look into her worried expression, "I've been in your position before…I know how you feel. I know you don't want other people out there feeling your pain…You just…Want to shut it all away and make it disappear. But…It just…Doesn't work that way…"
Wanda was starting to get a little choked up in her words as they began bringing back certain memories that she'd rather not recall, yet she kept going for Kurt's sake as she soon found herself gently running her hand over the soft fur of his slim, well toned chest.
"I know that we…Have something now," said Wanda, choosing to be careful of her words, "I know we have a relationship now. And I like you…I really, really like you Kurt. You're the sweetest guy I've ever met and I know you're hurting so much right now. You were there for me when I first got here and nobody trusted me…Now let me be here for you."
There were hints of tears in her eyes that Kurt could clearly see even though Wanda was trying hard not to let them show. Her presence felt so warm and comforting…Her words helped remind him of times that he often negated because of what he let his mind constantly dwelled on. Sometimes he needed a reminder of just how much everybody cared for him here…And sometimes he needed a reminder of his own feelings as well. Even though he knew Wanda he let her emotions get the better of her with what she had said, Kurt still managed to smile…Making it all worth the strain to her.
"I really like you too Vanda…" he said in a deep tone as Kurt found himself gently caressing the side of her face with his hand, "I just…I don't know how I'm ever going to thank you for being there…Even if I do sometimes make it a bit difficult."
"Hey…If I'm going to be your girlfriend, then shouldn't I be able to handle shit like that?" said Wanda, managing a smile as she felt his touch start to trigger more powerful reactions within her body as her heart rate started to race.
"Vell…I can't say it vouldn't help," said Kurt as he returned her smile and felt a new sensation overshadow his headache as their faces drifted closer and closer towards one another.
Then, both Kurt and Wanda met in a soft kiss…Only this time, the kiss quickly evolved into something more passionate as Wanda found herself running her hands over the fur of his exposed upper body with more rigor…Feeling it evoke a deep desire within her as she felt herself draw on ragged breaths in between deep kisses. Kurt felt the heat of her body against his do the same as his heart started pounding in his chest as he held her tighter in his arms and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Wanda quickly reciprocated as she suddenly felt her body manoeuvre into a more comfortable position, wrapping her legs around his torso and holding him closer, heightening their intimate contact.
Breathing turned to panting as Kurt felt her legs and arms encircle him as they continued to exchange wet kisses while she continued to run her hand over the fur of his torso with increasing rigor. Wanda felt a growing hardness in his pants, sending her mind into a deeper state of arousal as she felt her desire grow within her. Then, as Kurt's hands traced their way down her face and felt her still covered breasts, he heard Wanda let out a deep moan as the gestures with her hands became increasingly sensual. The soft tickle of his furry touch was sending Wanda's mind into a state of heightened desire as she quickly removed her hands from his body and slid off her shirt, leaving her upper body only in her sexy black bra.
Suddenly…Kurt felt a powerful surge of anxiety overwhelm him as he suddenly realized what was going on and pulled away in a manner that shocked both him and Wanda. He nearly fell off the bed as he lay back panting and gasping for breath. He began hearing the voices from the vivid memories of Selene's taunting words as she raped him and began struggling and gasping for breath as he closed his eyes and tried to forget.
As the shock wore off for Wanda, it suddenly dawned on her what had just happened. Mentally, she kicked herself for letting it get too heated, thinking 'Damn it! What the hell was I thinking! Stupid, stupid, stupid! What kind of an asshole girlfriend am I? I should have known he wasn't ready for that! I should have known!'
Wanda was careful as she approached him, watching the deeply troubled look on his face as he struggled to collect his thoughts and catch his breath. A deep feeling of regret quickly came over the young woman as she looked with deep concern upon her boyfriend's state, slowly reaching out with her hand, but afraid to touch him out of concern for making it worse.
"Kurt…Kurt I…I'm so sorry," said Wanda, struggling with her words, "I…I should've known that you…I…Oh God…I'm so sorry Kurt."
Upon hearing her voice, Kurt managed to pull himself together and look back at the still shirtless Wanda Maximoff. There were tears streaming down her face, for she was feeling nothing but sorrow for what she had just done. She started it…She let it get heated…And she went too far, allowing her own desires to get the better of her when Kurt was still clearly dealing with the trauma that had affected him so deeply.
"I…I should leave," she said, trying as hard as she could not to completely break down into a heap of tears and sobs.
"No…Vait," said Kurt as he reached forth and grabbed her shoulder as she turned away, and while this gesture did get her to stop, she didn't have the heart to turn and face him again, "Don't go Vanda…Please, don't go. I…I'm sorry I freaked out."
"No…You have no reason to be sorry," she said, still on the verge of completely losing it, "I…Let it get out of hand. It was my fault…It was all my doing and I…"
"Vanda…It vasn't all your doing," assured Kurt, knowing she was still brimming with tears, "Did you feel me pushing you away from the beginning? Did you not feel how much I vanted you? I freaked out…That's all…I freaked out. It has nothing to do vith you…It has everything to do vith me. It's my problem…My mess."
Wanda then placed her hand atop his as it still remained comfortably on her shoulder. Kurt quickly took it and held it tightly as Wanda finally turned back to face him with tears still streaming down her face. Kurt wiped them away, managing a weak smile despite her lingering feelings of guilt over what she had done. But Kurt wasn't going to let her beat herself up about it. He had kissed back just as much as she had. He had touched and embraced her with as much desire as she did to him. And he did want her…There was no question about that. He truly had wanted her right then and there…But his damned memories kept getting in the way.
"I'm sorry Kurt…" she said again, still not able to forgive herself fully.
"Shh…It's okay liebe," he said as he brought her into his arms once again, "It'll be okay. I just freaked out…"
"Do…Do you still want me to stay…Even after what I did?" she asked wearily as she felt his soft hands once again wipe away her tears.
"Yes…Stay," said Kurt in a subtle, yet urging tone, "Please…I vant you to stay. I…I need you."
Not saying another word, Wanda simply wrapped her arms around the distraught fuzzy mutant before her and brought him into another embrace. Her tears gradually subsided as did the tumultuous feeling around them. Now…They simply relished in the warm comfort of each other's presence. It had been a rather heated moment for the both of them…But it just wasn't their time to take it to that level. They both wanted so much to do so…But there were still things that they had to work through…There were still lingering feelings about the trauma they had both endured had done to them. And while they both had to stave off their deep, passionate desires for now…They knew that eventually, their time would come.
-Amara-
Amara was outside enjoying the sun on her tan skin lost in thought. She was just in a tank top shirt and skirt looking over the lake. She came here to think and was once again pondering on how to handle the whole Sam and Tabitha thing. She just wished she either cared for just one of them. It would make things so much easier, but she couldn't make up her mind. She wished she could just pick one, but then what if she picked the wrong one? "Gods, you think this would be easy," she muttered to herself.
She wished she could go to someone, but that was usually to Tabitha and she was part of her problem and she didn't feel like asking Ororo, the older girls, or especially the newer ones. Jubilee wouldn't keep her mouth shut about it and Rahne was didn't have any dating experience.
She sighed to herself. She knew this was petty, given what the others had to deal with. By now everyone ha heard the stories and to tell the truth, she hadn't slept at all that first night…Mainly because it was the first time since she left her homeland she had heard of…Her.
Selene.
That was a name that all her people feared and were scared of. Once, she had been the ruler of her kingdom until they rebelled and kicked her out. They all feared one day that she would return and even though she was supposed to be dead, she was said to have been immortal. Truth was, she had hoped that Selene was just s legend and wasn't around, but hearing the stories about her and the description it was dead on.
She had gone so pale hearing the stories of her being alive and so close to her life it terrified her. She had heard the horrors of Selene and hearing how she had tortured that poor Vincent boy, giving him a few scars like that one on his face and of her raping Kurt and having the same done to Rogue and Emma. She remembered how the others didn't want to believe it, but in seeing just how different they acted since the incident, they knew they had suffered.
But after hearing it had been Selene, the same Selene that all Nova Romans feared, she knew that it was all true. She felt for them, she really did. She knew what kind of monster that woman was and to think that her friends had suffered under her made her feel pain, fury, and also fear. "Hey Mara, what are y'all doin' here?"
She was brought out of her thoughts by one of her problems, or at least part of how it started with Sam. She just wished he wasn't so nice, kind, and cute. She loved that long blond hair and the smile he was showing her and she felt herself blush a bit and tried to hide it. "Just thinking…"
He nodded his head and sat down next to her, "Yeah, this is one of the only places quiet enough for that. Ah've seen a few of the others sittin' here thinkin' too. So…What are ya thinkin' about if you don't mind me askin'?"
She didn't know what to say. She wasn't ready to commit to one of them until she was sure and now she wasn't sure what to say so she just came up with something, "Just about everyone, you know school being practically over and with what's going on with the others." It wasn't a total lie since she had thought of those just not as much.
Sam bought it and nodded, "Yeah…Ah still find it hard to believe what happened…But looking at them now and the looks in their eyes…I can't believe there are people that cruel in the world."
She knew better though. She knew that there were monsters in the world and she knew the name of one of the worst as well, "So…What are you here for?"
Now it was Sam's turn to blush and scratch the back of his head. "Well ya see…Ah got this…Friend…And he wants to ask out this girl he likes, but he's not sure how to approach her."
Amara blushed as her heart was racing a bit. 'Is he talking about me? Oh by the gods I hope so…Remain calm. You're the princess of Nova Roma so just remember what you were taught about hiding your true emotions,' she told herself and looked more impassive. "Does…This girl like your 'friend'?"
"Ah, well…Ah don't know, ah hope so…Ah-he ah mean, doesn't know how to ask her out or tell her that she likes him."
Amara smiled at his nervousness and placed a hand on his. She tried to ignore the heart beat in her ears and smiled at him. "Just…Take your time. I mean, you're a very nice and sweat boy Sam. Any girl would love to be with you. So just take your time and when you're ready just ask her…I sure she'll say yes."
"You really think so?"
She nodded, "Yes, I know so."
Sam thought it over and nodded, "Thanks Mara…Ah think Ah'll figure out what Ah'll say first and then…After Ah gathered my courage tell her." He stood up and touched her shoulder and she had to suppress alight shudder of pleasure at his mere touch. "Thanks."
"Anytime," she blushed once more and watched him walk off her heart pounding in her chest and a smile on her face. 'Maybe I don't have to choose. Maybe he'll ask me out and then I won't have to approach one of them,' Amara thought hopefully.
When Sam was out near the mansion, Amara's words ran through her head and he decided how he was going to approach Tabitha on asking her out on a date. He figured maybe Amara could tell him if she liked him since they were best friends and roommates, but she might let something slip. Besides, she had helped him enough and maybe it was time to confront his fears and ask Tabitha out soon. He had been attracted to her for some time now and she had flirted with him a few times, so it was now time to see if there really was an attraction between them.
At least…That's what he hoped.
Institute Den – Kitty, Jubilee, Tabitha
Kitty, Jubilee, and Tabitha were in the den watching a few movies and pretending that they gave a damn about them. For the most part, they were simply talking, laughing, and gossiping about this and that. After the danger room, everyone was in need of unwinding in some form or another, and this was just their way for them.
"I swear, after what that Betsy woman did to us on their first day, they've effectively taken all the fun out of class," said Tabitha as their conversation drifted towards what the rest of the institute already knew now.
"Uh, Tabby…Since when had class ever been fun to begin with?" quipped Jubilee, desperately wishing she could have been there to see the sights that so many others had vividly described while trying hard not to laugh.
"Well at least with Scooter and Jean, it wasn't a constant fear fest," said Tabitha in response, still unable to get over that bit where Betsy made her act like a baby…Especially in front of Sam, "Man…I can't believe I'm actually preferring those two over someone else…Something must be slipping in the time space continuum thingy."
"Hey, you live and you learn," said Kitty, finding Tabitha's demeanor towards what happened with Betsy to be all too humorous for someone who was so used to dishing out pranks rather than being the blunt end of them, "Scott and Jean have their way…Betsy and Warren have theirs."
"Ah, whatever," scoffed Boom Boom, "Must be a British thing or something. Do they do all that corporal punishment shit over there in their schools or something?"
"Beats me," said Jubilee, "But, as long as you don't want to end up making an ass of yourself in class…I guess that means you'll have to cut down on the pranks and such."
"Yeah…THAT will be easy…As if!" scoffed Tabitha as they all let out a round of laughter.
"Just promise me one thing Tabby…" said Jubilee as they the laughing began to die down, "If EVER Betsy does something else to Bobby that makes him act crazy…Get it on tape for me because that's something I'd sure pay to see!"
"Yeah, like, me too!" chirped Kitty in response, "I wish I could have been there to seen it. Although I probably would have, like, died from laughter!"
"I'll see what I can do ladies…" said Tabby with her ever mischievous grin.
The three girls then turned their attention back to the movie they were watching, but they still couldn't really get into it. At times like this, it was just background noise for them as an overall feeling of boredom overcame the three young women. Everybody seemed to be off doing their own thing now and much of the elders were all worked up about something, so nobody dared to bother them since they all seemed so irritable lately…Even the Professor, who still kept reading the mysterious book Slayer had giving him with increasing intent, but none of the students knew about this just yet…All they had were rumors to on and frankly, they had other things to worry about anyhow.
"Hey Kitty…" said Jubilee, breaking the silence as the movie drifted into one of the more boring parts, "Bobby, Ray, Tabby, Amara, and I are going to go the Gut Bomb later on…Want come with? If you want, you can ask Peter if he wants to come as well."
"Yeah, I'm sure the big Ruskie would enjoy a nice grease-ball sandwich for a change," added Tabby as well, knowing just as well as the rest of the mansion did that Kitty and Piotr were going out.
"Sorry guys…" said Kitty shaking her head in response, "But I can't. Piotr and I already have plans, maybe some other time."
"Ooh, plans…" said Tabitha with a sudden sound of intrigue in her tone, "What kind of…Plans?"
"Oh, like, get your head out of the gutter Boom Boom," said Kitty, rolling her eyes at the ever presumptuous blonde teen, "They're not THAT kind of plans."
"Well then…What are they?" asked Jubilee, also showing a great deal of interest.
Kitty hesitated briefly before answering…Even blushing somewhat, which didn't help calm the giddy curiosity of the two other girls before her. Part of her wanted to keep what she and Piotr were doing private in order to keep it special and just between them. However, in a place like this crawling with curious teens, that was easier said than done. And it was times like this where she wondered how Scott and Jean put up with stuff like this.
"It's…Private," she finally answered, knowing that probably wasn't her best choice of words since it only seemed to heighten Tabby and Jubilee's interest.
"Private huh?" said Tabitha, clearly sounding skeptical, "Private as in…Risquè? Or Private as in…"
However, Kitty didn't wait for the young blonde to finish.
"Private as in it's between just me and Peter!" she spat.
"Hey, calm down Kitty," said Jubilee upon hearing the annoyed tone in her voice, "We're just curious that's all. Besides, if it isn't too bawdy, what's there to be afraid of?"
Kitty took a deep breath as she felt herself calm down from her sudden outburst. She normally didn't get so defensive, but when it came to her relationship with Piotr…She found that it was something she took a lot more seriously, given her strong feelings for him.
"Well if you must know…" she said, wondering if she was going to regret this later on, "Peter wants me to model for one of his paintings. I've seen his stuff and it's really good and I just…It's something I think that could be really special for the both of us. I mean…It's amazing that he thinks I'm beautiful enough to be in a painting, but…"
"Wait a minute…You mean to tell me that Peter…You're oh so sexy boyfriend…Wants you to pose for him?" said Tabitha with huge grin on her face.
"Well…" said Kitty, feeling a bit uncomfortable with Tabitha's use of words, "Yeah…"
"Wow…" said Jubilee, knowing just as well as the rest of the mansion that Piotr had a real talent for art, "You actually get to model for a painting! That is so cool Kitty!"
"I know," said Kitty, feeling a little better with Jubilee's more down to earth look at it, "I'm really excited about it!"
"Oh I'm sure you are…" said Tabitha, not letting up on her mischievous grin.
"What do you mean by that?" said Kitty, knowing from her tone that Tabitha was insinuating something more.
"Come on Kitty…I think you've seen Titanic one time too many," said the blonde troublemaker, feeling as though she knew the young valley girl well enough to know what she may have been thinking about when she agreed to something like this, "I mean…You're going to model for a drawing? With the boy you're currently dating? Does that mean you're going to pose nude for him or something?"
This accusation, which in reality wasn't too far from the truth since it was something Kitty fantasized over a few times before, caused her to blush profusely as she saw both Tabitha and Jubilee snicker at the thought. This wasn't a position that she liked to be in when in retrospect…She did sort of bring it upon herself.
"No! I'm not going to do anything like THAT!" shot Kitty in response, growing a little annoyed with how her two friends were teasing her about this.
"Sheesh Kitty…Chill," said Jubilee as she and Tabby managed to stop snickering, although the grins upon their faces were a bit harder to get rid of, "You know we're just joking around with you."
After a few deep breaths, her blush faded and Kitty simply let out a light sigh.
"Look, I'm sorry…It's just that, I don't want too many people to pester me about my relationship with Peter," she said, sounding much calmer now.
"Well that sure didn't seem to stop you when you were pestering Scott and Jean along with the rest of us," quipped Tabitha with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah…I know, I know…" said Kitty as she rolled her eyes at the seemingly hypocrisy of her words, "I feel bad enough about that now…But now that I'm with a guy like Peter, it's different."
"Oh, and how so?" asked Tabitha, being that she wasn't exactly in that kind of a relationship now…Even if she hoped to change that with Sam sometime down the road.
"Well…I really do like the guy…I mean, he's just so sweet," mused Kitty as a smile spread across her face, "He's a great listener and he's a great guy to just sit and have a real honest conversation with."
"Definitely a step up from Lance…" commented Jubilee, never seeing what she ever saw in that guy to begin with.
"Oh definitely!" said Kitty in full agreement, "Peter is in a whole other league compared to Lance. I can connect with Peter in a way I could never connect with Lance. And honestly…I think I'm falling in love him."
"Wow…Really?" said Tabitha, not knowing it was that serious.
"Yep! The more I'm with him, the more sure I am that it's really, honest to God, love," said Kitty happily.
"Well I'm glad to hear that Kitty," said Jubilee, who didn't seem as surprised as Tabitha, "Peter's definitely a great guy."
"Yeah! And how about that big, muscular Russian body of his?" said Tabitha in an overly enthusiastic tone, "Damn girl…You're lucky to have access to hardware like that. Say…Do you think EVERY part of his body turns to metal when he goes all armory in and stuff?"
"Tabby!" said Kitty, blushing profusely, even of the thought was somewhat entertaining to her, "That's my boyfriend for crying out loud!"
"Sorry…Couldn't resist," said Tabitha as she shrugged innocently in response.
Kitty just let out a sigh, knowing this was Tabitha she was talking to.
"Just…Try to restrain yourself when you're thinking those kind of thoughts about my boyfriend, okay Tabitha?"
"Hey, don't worry…I already have my sights on another guy," said Tabitha.
"Then be sure to keep them there," said Kitty with a grin.
Jubilee was trying really hard not to completely break out into complete laughter, but she wasn't doing a very good job of it. She was happy that Kitty and Piotr had gotten together, for they really seemed to make each other happy. She was happy with her own boyfriend and knew first hand that love really could bring out the best in people. Despite this, that didn't make them immune to light hearted teasing. Then again, that was just how things seemed to work here at the institute and it always had a way of making things interesting.
-Rec Room-
Remy, now in jeans and a black T-shirt, was playing a game of poker with his friend Piotr. They used to do this all the time back with the Acolytes and it was good to be with the only person he ever considered a friend from those days. Piotr also looked fondly on those times, for they were the rare times that he actually had anything remotely close to a good time, although it was better now that Pyro wasn't here. He was a bit too insane for his taste.
Gambit, however, was a bit bored. Piotr was good company and the closest thing to a best friend he had, but poker just wasn't the same with two people. Then again it was also a step up from playing solitaire again. They heard the door open and Vincent stepped in. He was looking for something to do since Emma was with the girls again. He was happy that she was finding friends in both Betsy and Jean. "Oh sorry, didn't know anyone was in here."
"Non, please mon ami sit down. We need de players," Gambit said, gesturing to an empty seat. He had to admit though, he didn't know much about him since he was mainly with either Rogue or Piotr since he knew them the best and he figured since he was new didn't have any kind of resentment for him when he was an Acolyte.
Vincent was a bit bored and to be fair, he could use the distraction, "Alright, deal me in."
"You know how to play comrade?" Piotr asked him as he gave Vince five cards and Gambit gave him an equal pile of poker chips he had found for this table.
"Oh yeah," Vince said and put on his 'poker face' which was mainly a plank face. Gambit smirked and new a card shark when he saw one and was glad, because that would mean the game would be more interesting. "So…What's the game?"
After about fifteen minutes and a break to get some chips and drinks, the game was going fine. "You know we should see if we can round up two more, since you really should play this game with at least five."
Gambit nodded his head, "Oui, but many of the others are a bit busy with finals and catching up."
Vince sighed and nodded, "Yeah, me and Emma already took the GED test at the high school so we don't have to go through another school year after the summer. And to be fair, I wasn't looking forward to it anyways. High school was hard enough and back home when I 'came out' as a mutant…Well, lets just say it got worse."
"Da, Kitty is helping me with that test too. Plus I have never been to an American School before," the Russian said and asked for two cards and they both saw a slight smile touch his lips and both Gambit and Vince looked at their hands. Gambit folded and Vince put in another five into the pot.
"Hey, I'm Canadian here," he said with a grin and Piotr looked apologetic at him, but Vince just waved it off, "Call." Vince said and put down a pair fives and a pair of nines, but Piotr showed he had three of a kind and won that hand.
"I'm telling you Warren, it does get easier after some time…" They all turned to see Scott walked in with Warren as Scott turned to face the others, "Hey you guys don't mind us here? Warren and I were just going to play a game of pool to unwind."
Gambit smiled over at them, "Well why play pool when you can join in with us? We need de players."
Warren shrugged which was a bit strange with his huge wings and they moved with his shoulders, "I don't mind at all, Scott?"
"I don't see why not."
They pulled up a chair and got more drinks as cards and poker chips were handed out, "So what were you telling him, something about easier over time?" Vince asked checking his hand.
"Scott was talking to me about teaching the younger mutants," the winged man said and placed two cards down as Piotr the dealer this round handed him two cards, "Although I think my strength is more into business and economics then battle field mentality. Betsy has more experience with that."
"I sure we can think of something. Besides, the lesson planes are mainly for them since this is stuff you can't learn in a regular school anyway," Scott said and folded since he had nothing.
After a few hands things were getting a bit more relaxed with them all taking this quiet moment. It was Vince's turn to deal and he shuffled the cards at super speed his hands nearly a blur of movements. "Damn…Bet you could get a job at Vega with skills like that," Warren said to him.
Vincent just smiled and shrugged, "What can I say? Ever since I saw that Star Trek: The Next Generation episode with Data doing it, I came to like doing it too."
Gambit looked at his hand and frowned and asked for three cards, but when the time came and he narrowed his eyes. He was a good poker player, but this was one of the worst hands and then he looked at Vincent as he folded. "Why is it dat when you deal Remy always seems to end up with de worst hand and you de best?"
"Oh? Haven't noticed," the man said and scratched the scar on his face, which was becoming a habit of his now although he hadn't noticed it. He had to suppress a grin, for he knew Gambit thought himself a great card player, but with a photographic memory Vincent was easy to learn how to count cards and moving his hands at such a fast rate allowed him to stack the deck in his favor and always in Gambit's worst.
He was wondering when he would pick up on it, but luckily they were only playing for fun and not money. "Maybe I'm just bad luck for you?" Gambit didn't seem too convinced and made a mental note not to underestimate him again in poker. Although he had to admit, he didn't expect this from him and he had to grin.
"I am surprised you are not with Jean," Piotr said trying to change the subject.
"Yeah you and her are practically inseparable." Gambit chuckled.
Scott looked a little annoyed at that comment, "Look, she's been through a lot…All of us have, and I've been there for her, but she's finally started to feel more comfortable and besides, she's kind of forming a close friendship with Betsey and Emma and that's good for all three of them."
Vince nodded his head, "Yeah, Emma really hasn't had any friends in her life and the three of them sharing that…Thing with the Hellfire Club, as well as all being about the same age and telepaths, I can see them getting close."
Warren smiled, remembering how Betsy had been talking about her last time with the other two girls and how nice it was for her to connect to other telepaths, knowing about things that Warren knew he couldn't relate to, "I have to admit Betsy really likes it here. Although Vince…Rumor is that you and Emma are pretty close too."
"Yeah Gambit heard dat too," he smirked at the young Canadian.
Vincent sighed, "Yeah, we're close. I mean we're dating, and we're in love with each other."
Scott was interested in that last part, "Already? I mean you two haven't been here long."
Vince knew what he was getting at, "You forget the two weeks before. During that time she took care of me and given what we went through…How could you not grow close to someone in those conditions?" The others thought about that for a moment and they guessed it did make sense. "Plus we got this 'connection' growing between us now."
"Connection?" Scott asked him.
"Yeah, apparently we got this bond thing like you and Jean growing with us.". Scott had heard Jean tell him that Emma and Vince seemed to be 'close' and she had a bit of humor in her voice that he misunderstood for something else. Vincent then tapped his head, "You know that feeling in the back of your mind? Like there's a warm presence there all the time?"
Scott nodded his head. He could always feel Jean and sometimes he wondered how he got through without that link of theirs. Looking back on it when it wasn't there, life seemed to empty and alone. Now it was different and he liked it.
Warren felt a little left out since his own girlfriend was a telepath, but so far they had nothing like that, yet, since Betsy told him since that the other girls said it would take time. Instead, he decided to go for the two others that were being quiet, "So Piotr, I heard that you're seeing Kitty…How that's going?"
Piotr blushed a bit and the smile grew on his face, "It is going very well. Katya is just…Incredible. She has so much joy and spirit in her."
"Sounds like you really like de petite," Gambit said with a sly smile at his friend and the large man shifted a bit uncomfortably.
"Well what about you and Rogue?" Peter asked him back, "I've known that you have strong feelings for her."
Gambit looked down at his cards without losing his poker face, "Remy admits he has feelings for her, but with what she went through…Remy just wants to take things slow with her…Until she is ready." Everyone there pretty much nodded their heads. They all knew that Rogue had a few demons to get over, but they also had seen some improvements in her.
"Have they figured out her powers yet?" Warren asked him, but Gambit shook his head. It was still kind of a mystery as to way she had those three new powers on all the time.
"Yeah, although with that strength, flight, and invulnerability I know Rogue enjoys those new powers," Scott said placing in ten for his bet and re-organized the cards in his hand. "I mean, she used to complain a few times how she felt like she was the weak link in the team during the Danger Room when she couldn't absorb someone's powers."
Vincent was lost in a bit of thought at the moment, "Fight or flight."
"What was that?" Scott asked him.
Vince came out of his thinking for a moment, "Oh I was just thinking. You know that people have that fight or flight response to danger right?" They all nodded and so he went on, "Well if you think about it, those three powers are perfect. Strength to fight off attacks, her skin is the perfect defense now for damage and contact with her absorbing powers, and with flying she can get away to places where and enemy can't reach her."
"After what she went through, or maybe after waking up, some part of her mind wanted to make sure she never went through it again and with Sage messing with her powers like she did, she could finally do something about it."
"Interesting…" Scott thought about it and it kind of made a weird type of sense, "But why not have more then those three?"
Vince just shrugged, "Maybe keeping those three extra powers up all the time taxes her. It would explain why she can't call on other powers and still loses the ones she takes. But that's just a theory."
"It sounds good to Gambit," Remy said and bet in fifty, which caused Warren and Piotr to fold.
"Damn…I swear you know when I got a bad hand," Warren said to the Cajun.
"You ruffle your feathers when you got a bad hand," Vincent said not looking up from his own cards causing Warren to look at him in a shocked expression and Vince looked up at him, "Seriously man, you do."
Gambit laughed and nodded, "It's true, Remy noticed it after your tenth hand."
"No wonder you two got the bigger pot," Scott muttered decided on to call or not.
"Well your tell Scott is dat you organize your cards from highest to lowest," Gambit smiled seeing Scott look at him and then down at his hand noticing he was right.
"See what happens when you've got a compulsive behavior," Warren joked and that caused a few laughs.
"Yeah, yeah," Scott said shaking his head and placing in his chips, "I call."
-Sinister's Base-
X23 woke up to the sound of the door hissing open and seeing Sinister's dark armored figure stroll in with his hands behind his back and a smug smile on his face. She wasn't sure what was next, but she was ready. She had spent the night testing her bonds and trying to get out of them. She even cut her wrists on them to lubricate her skin and also tried to dislocate her thumb to try and pry her hand through, but they were too tight and didn't have enough space for her to try. She tried to see if they were loose from the rack, but that proved useless as well, so she just had to wait out the night.
Sinister looked her over and saw the dried and caked blood on her bonds and a little on the floor, "I thought you would try that. The good thing about having someone like Viper in my services is that she knows you all too well. So I made sure of a few security precautions." He walked behind her, inspecting the device and pulled a tool he made for it from his waist and made the final adjustments to it. "Very good, oh and in case you did break free you might as well know that the floor was electrified and you would have been knocked out."
She looked at the metal tiled floor wondering if he had been telling the truth, but for some reason he seemed to be that kind of person…Someone who didn't need to lie. He waked back in front of her to a control panel on the wall and pressed a button causing her bonds popped open.
She fell to her feet and immediately charged at him unleashing her claws. He only grinned at her. She slammed her claws into his chest and he grunted, but nothing else happened it was like they didn't have an effect on him. She saw some strange green 'blood' or something around the wound, but that was it. Her momentary distraction was something she would regret and her grabbed her by the throat with inhuman strength and threw her against a metal table.
She rolled with the fall and got up, feeling the pain on her back and side from the hit, but ignored it. She stared at his chest as it just healed over faster then anything she had ever seen and clenched her jaw,
'Does everyone have healing powers now?' she thought bitterly.
He just grinned at her and laughed and that was enough for her. She kicked the small metal table at him and he swatted it aside, but she kicked into the air with a foot claw and cut his arm off at the forearm. He hissed in pain and with his palm pointed and fired an energy blast at her chest, knocking the wind out of her as she hit a hard metal wall and slide down it. She saw white spots in her vision and tried to shake her head to clear it.
She looked up to see him picking up his arm and she grinned knowing she had hurt him, but then her face fell into sock seeing him actually reattach his own arm and the cut healed over nearly instantly. He looked at her grinning, "You see my dear, you have healing powers and they are somewhat limited. I, however, have regenerative powers." He flexed his hand, testing it out and was happy with the results.
"Think of it as a more advanced version than your powers since I doubt you could do this."
X23 heard enough and roared out, deciding to go for the head this time, but Sinister had had enough too and it was time to start breaking her in. She was only a few feet from him when she screamed out loudly and fell to the ground screaming in agony as if every part of her body was being torn apart. Sinister grinned down at the young fifteen year old writhing in agony on the floor who was now in tears as her body looked like it was having spasms.
The device on her neck was linked to his brainwaves and now he had complete control over her nervous system and access to certain parts of her brain functions. But motor control and full access to her nervous system was just the beginning…Now he was going to access the fear part of her brain and make her relive her most terrifying and horrifying events.
One moment she was on that cold metal floor in pain…And the next thing she knew she was back in that White Room. She hated the White Room…She was placed in there whenever she had been 'bad'. She was huddled back into a corner as she had her arms wrapped around her legs. She hated this place. It was so empty and time just stretched out into eternity in this silent room. Then she was re-experiencing her training all over again…Actually, it was only the worst times as they played out she realized.
She experienced the first time through this training gauntlet and how she had been badly burned, then the tank when they gave her the adamantium claws she now wielded. The searing pain of the metal being bonded to her bones was now all so fresh in her mind. She replayed times she was shot, broke bones, and was electrocuted along with all other types of pains and horrors.
When she came back to the real world out of her memories, she wasn't sure she it was over until she heard his laughter. She looked up and realized that she had been crying so hard that her face was wet with tears and her nose was running. She was also shaking with bleary red-rimmed eyes as she looked up at him.
He smiled down and then knelt down next to her and gently wiped her tears away and moved some hair from her face. "Now, now it's all over," he said in a slightly almost caring tone. "You have to understand that you can't hurt me. And not only can I hurt you, but I can control your body and memories. Please don't force me to do that again."
She wasn't sure why he was acting so…Nice to her all of a sudden. Sinister smiled without showing his teeth. He decided to try an old method of the heavy hand and then soft hand routine. First, he would punish her and then used kindness in order to make her behave better. "Now I'm going to give you some food and some decent clothing and if you do as I say, then you'll find life under me as bearable if not much better then Hydra…But if you go against me…well I'll leave you in a nightmare of your own mind for days and when your brain is nothing but gel, I'll just rebuild it from scratch."
"Now that takes a lot of time and effort and I'd rather not start from scratch…So just behave and do what I say and we'll all be fine." He stood up to leave, but then stopped for a bit. "And if you're a good girl and eat all your food and get dressed, I'll move you to a place with private facilities and a bed."
As she watched him leave, she curled up into a ball and waited for his return. She didn't know what to do now…For she didn't want to go through that again. She spent the last year trying to forget all that and she couldn't stay…She didn't know what to do and she was more afraid then anything of the control that this man had her and she was never going to be free again.
New York City – Abandoned Building
It was a moonless, cloudy night over New York City, a lone figure stood atop one of the many abandoned complexes that riddled the city. The lone figure stood still as a statue, merely looking out over the vast city lights that illuminated the night sky and watching countless innocent souls pass by below, not knowing even a fraction of what he knew. It was the mutant warrior known as Slayer…And his all seeing eye had given him quite a few disturbing sights over the years, but none were as truly horrifying as the ones he was seeing now.
For years now, he had been living in the shadows…Hallow and alone, fighting battles against being and entities that most people couldn't even begin to contemplate. Mortal or immortal…Disembodied or otherwise…He used his powerful magic and his unparalleled skill with his sword to fight against these forces. He didn't always succeed…And there were those that had suffered because of that…But he didn't do what he did out of the desire to be a hero…No, he had far deeper reasons than that. If he did what he did to fight for truth, justice, recognition, and heroism…He probably would have quit or died a long time ago. But thankfully…He didn't give a damn about any of that crap. Truth is often bathed in lies, justice is often tainted by truth, recognition breeds only confusion, and heroism was an abstract concept whose meaning was utterly pointless to a guy like him.
He had lived a life of pure loss and sorrow…One where even the most mundane aspects of life were a struggle. Yet he was still born with a gift and a power…One that he didn't ask for and never wanted…Yet here he was using it time and time again to stop the forces that nobody else had the power or drive to stop. It wasn't for gratitude, it wasn't for vengeance, it wasn't even for justice…It was for honor…His honor and the honor of all the great warrior spirits he embodied now.
"I keep on running…From place to place and from fight to fight…Never able to stop," he mused as he felt a brisk wind blow around his armored form, "Why did I have to be chosen for such awesome responsibility? Why me of all people?"
He had been asking himself that question for so many years, yet he was still no closer to an answers than he was when first learned who he really was on that fateful day that now hung so strong in his mind. He was beyond mutant…Beyond mystic…He was in a class all his own. It was an isolated existence, one for which he only had spirits to guide him and no friends or family to help him. In a way…He was his own worst enemy and is own greatest weakness. He had to be reminded of that time and time again whenever he reflected upon his life and the fights he had been a part of.
Now, the mutant warrior known as Slayer could see on the horizon with his all seeing eye the coming of a darkness so grand that it threatened all life as he knew it. He had seen it with the re-emergence of the Hellfire Club…And found its darkest bearer in the black soul of an evil woman known as Selene. She was an immortal the likes of which he had not faced before…An immortal whose power went far beyond what one saw on the surface. Yet because of his all seeing eye…He could see but a small part of it…Yet it was one part too many and now because of the current course of action that was already underway, the great darkness seemed all but inevitable.
Now…The only true hope for defeating such a powerful force seemed to reside in the power of a group of misfit mutants who had barely survived the first wrath of the Hellfire Club. He had watched, observed, and even interacted with a few of them…Letting them know that something was coming. He had spoken to Xavier and a few of his students, yet in their eyes he could still see that they were not ready. There was another challenge coming fast and at this point…He wasn't sure whether or not they could survive this one. He tried to use what power he could muster with his eye, but once again, his human mind hindered and balked his attempts much to his great frustration. He knew he would have to do something…For without the power of his sword or the souls of the young X-men…All would be lost and the balance between good and evil would forever be altered in favor of darkness.
"It's getting closer and closer…" he said to himself in the quiet darkness of the night as his all seeing eye watched well over the horizon and beyond, "I really hope for the sake of life everywhere on this small speck of a planet that these X-men are every bit as strong as they have to be. Because if light is ever going to triumph over darkness in this instance…Then they'll have to take up the challenge ahead of them…And I'm going to have to be the deciding factor whether or not this whole world is consumed by the fires of Hell."
UP NEXT CHAPTER 37: TRAINING DAYS