Chapter 11:
What would you do?
To get to me
What would you say?
To have your way
Would you give up?
Or try again
If I hesitated
To let you in
Now would you be yourself
Or play your role
Tell all the boys
I keep you low
If I say no
Would you turn away?
Or play me off
Or would you stay, oh, oh-
"Dat is not going to work, mon Shadowcat." Remy said from his cell. He was sitting lazily on the cot, watching Kitty try to free herself.
"Well, you could try to help me find an escape instead of sitting there." Kitty snapped, glaring at the door of her cell angrily.
"Sorry Petite, mon hands are tied, literally." He twisted to show his hands gloved and bound, preventing him from being any help whatsoever.
"Ugh, that's so predictable." Kitty sank to the floor. "I hate this, I want to go home."
"Join de club, Petite, Remy is President." Remy smirked at her.
"Jackass." She muttered, shaking her head in annoyance.
"Petite, you wound Remy." He pouted playfully. "Relax, mon Shadowcat. Remy will protect you, like he promised."
"Gambit, you're bound and gloved, sitting on a cot. How in God's name are you going to protect me?" Kitty shot an exasperated look in his direction.
"Remy will find away if yo' in danger." Gambit shrugged and began to hum a cheerful tune.
Kitty rolled her eyes. "You were so helpful when that blonde bitch was down here, acting like she was Queen or something."
"Boom-Boom is a fille. You can handle de filles, non?" He grinned, continuing to hum his song.
"There are times when I really can't…" Kitty was cut off, however by a shrill buzzing that thundered through the entire building and reeked havoc on her ears. "Ah!" She clamped her hands over her sensitive ears.
"INTRUDERS! INTRUDERS! CODE BLUE! ALL AVAILABLE MUTANTS TO THE FORE, REPEAT, ALL MUTANTS TO THE FORE!" A mechanical voice shouted over the loud speakers.
Members of the Brotherhood went running by the cells, suited up and ready to go. The alarm was still going off, but it wasn't as loud anymore. Kitty and Gambit shared an identical look of bewilderment, as the Blob waddled past them.
"Something's happening!" Kitty yelled, removing her hands from her ears.
"Hang on, Petite, dis is going to be a wild ride." Gambit stood, approaching his cell doors.
"What?" But Gambit didn't answer her. He was concentrating on something. Moments later an explosion went off behind him and he turned, so she could see ashes hit the floor, the remains of the gloves that once covered his hands.
"You mean to tell me that you could have done that the entire time and you didn't?" Kitty shrieked, as he grasped the door of his cell and it began to glow neon pink.
"It was risky, mon Shadowcat." Gambit said as he let go and in that instant his door exploded.
There was a blast of heat as kinetic energy was released and Kitty flinched, lifting her arms to shield herself from the debris of the door. A second explosion followed, this time much closer, emitting smoke and tons of smoldering ashes to rain down from where her own cell door once stood.
The smoke cleared and the debris settled. She turned to see Remy pulling on an extra set of gloves from one of his many pockets, only this time there were finger holes. "Ready to go, Petite?"
"You are so lucky that I am, otherwise I'd take this time to kick your ass." She huffed, grasping his outstretched hand and allowing him to pull her over the debris on the ground.
"You love Remy too much to do dat, Petite. Be happy it worked." Gambit smirked and tugged her down the halls.
"I'm still mad." Kitty huffed, but followed him anyway.
There were sounds of explosions and fights coming from every direction. But it was Boom-Boom's voice that caught Kitty's attention as they started looking for an exit. "You X-Wusses are all alike, so goody-goody it's sickening. Pryde's the same way."
"Where's Kitty, you psychotic Bitch!" Kitty recognized Jubilee's angry voice.
Kitty stiffened and headed that way, just as another explosion went off. "Card please." She said to Gambit through clenched teeth.
Remy looked at her quizzically for a moment, before pulling out the Jack of Diamonds. It began to glow neon pink between his fingers. "When I count to three, throw it." Kitty ordered.
She shifted into a fighting stance, her left leg twitched, as it braced her weight from behind. Her brought her hands up and clenched her fists. "One…two…three!" Kitty leapt into the air, just as and explosion went off behind her, giving her more momentum. Her right leg swung up into a spinning heel kick and it connected with the side of Boom-Boom's head.
Not expecting an attack from behind, Boom-Boom went sailing through the air, landing in a heap a few feet away from where she had once stood.
Kitty's friends were sprawled along the floor, slowly rising to their feet, clearly disorientated from the explosion that Boom-Booms little amber bombs set off. Out of the corner of her eye, Kitty saw Gambit bend down to help Rogue to her feet, while Pietro was supporting Jubilee.
Boom-Boom leapt to her feet in fury. "That the best you got, Pryde?" Boom-Boom sneered, three new bombs glowing in her hands.
"For someone who's fighting without her powers, I've got a whole lot more, you babbling twit." Kitty clenched her teeth in determination. "Now get the Hell away from my friends."
"Kitty!" Jubilee shrieked. "You're okay."
"Oh, I'm better than okay. I'll be peachy, once I knock this bitch out and finish giving Lance a royal ass kicking." Kitty narrowed her eyes.
"You tell 'em, mon Shadowcat." Remy cheered from behind her, winking at Rogue. "De school isn't the only one who taught de Petite how to fight."
"Face it, Boom-Boom, not only can I kick your ass, but you're way outnumbered." Kitty grinned.
"Oh, I'm never outnumbered, Kitty-cat." Boom-Boom smirked, holding up her bombs. "Meet my friends, Destruction…" Kitty ducked as the first one came flying her way, missing her by inches. "Combustion…" She dodged the second. "And, my personal favorite, Goodnight!"
Kitty went rigid as the third came flying at her, too fast for comfort, but in a the blink of an eye the bomb was intercepted by a neon pink card, causing the bomb to explode about a foot from where she stood.
"Meet mon Shadowcat's ami, de Ace of Spades." Remy added cheerfully.
Kitty saw her opening and took it, she went into a series of handsprings, landing the final one with her fist flying up to connect a shot in Boom-Boom's face, effectively knocking the blonde out. "Thanks Rem." She grinned at him over her shoulder.
"Mon pleasure, Petite." Remy chuckled. "Let's get out of here, non?"
"We have to find everyone else first." Jubilee but in, breaking away from Pietro to hug her friend. "Storm, Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Iceman, Colossus and Professor X are still here somewhere."
Kitty glanced sharply at her friend. "Let's go. Avalanche and Pyro are still lurking, along with Magneto's other goons."
"Lance?" Rogue asked, rubbing her head, while Gambit stood at her side, ready to support her should she need it.
Kitty was taken aback by the expression on Remy's face. She'd never seen him look at girl that way. "Yeah, he's here. Let's find the others."
And if at first you don't succeed
Then dust yourself off and try again
You can dust it off and try again, try again
Cause if at first you don't succeed
You can dust it off and try again
Dust yourself off and try again, try again (and again)-
Colossus and Iceman weren't searching for long before they were confronted, by none other than Colossus's ex-roommate and Iceman's ex-best friend, Pyro, and some other guy with shaggy brown hair that they didn't know.
"Well look who's here." Pyro greeted them with false cheerfulness. "Come to save your Shadowcat?"
"No, we'd thought we'd come visit our resident Benedict Arnold." Iceman quipped.
"Excuse me?" Pyro frowned.
"He wouldn't understand your humor, Iceman, he's too academically challenged to understand anything that they don't discuss on Beavis and Butthead." Colossus replied.
"Look who's talking, at least my head's not made of metal." Pyro shot back.
"No, just a bunch of spider webs and an insufferable ego." Iceman snarled.
"I'm not the one who's lost the girl. I know exactly where she is." Pyro snapped.
Piotr glared defiantly at his former roommate. "You should have known we'd come after her, Pyro!"
"This is the best that came after her, Popsicle and the Tinman?" Pyro laughed, already flicking his lighter.
"You can't even come up with your own insults, those are Logan's names for us." Bobby snapped.
"Pyro, let's quit talking and get rid of them already!" The other guy was clenching and unclenching his fists, ready for a good fight.
"I'm starting to like that plan more and more, Avalanche." And, with that said, they lunged.
A long stream of fire shot out from John's lighter, taking the form of a charging horse and the floor began to shake uncontrollably as Avalanche stomped his foot on the floor. Iceman didn't hesitate for a moment. His arm shot up and the charging fire horse soon froze in place. Piotr's body began to cover itself in organic steel; he reached a hand out and steadied Iceman, unaffected by the tremors.
"Nice trick." The tremors stopped, but Avalanche's eyes rolled back into his head and when he slammed his foot down, the floor rose like a tidal wave, headed straight for them, just as a dragon of fire flew over it.
"Oh boy." Iceman muttered. He concentrated on the dragon, while Colossus began to sprint at the oncoming wave of steel.
SMASH! The wave gave way for Colossus, as he crashed through it, continuing to head straight at the resident earth shaker. "Too bad it it's not an adimantium floor." He swung hard, narrowly missing the guy's head, as he ducked.
"Heh, I've got more tricks up my sleeve." He glanced around the room nervously, dodging yet another blow from the steel covered mutant.
"I'd like to see them because this fight isn't look so good for you, da?" Colossus continued to come at the boy, who was struggling to find an escape route. But then again, who wouldn't want to run when facing an indestructible guy made of steel? Well, maybe if you're Magneto, but Avalanche controlled seismic waves, not metal. And he was running out of options, fast.
I'm in to you
You into me
But I can't let it go
So easily
Not till I see
Whether this could be
Could be eternally
Or just a week
Ay yo our chemistry
Is off the chain
It's perfect now
But will it change?
This ain't a yes
This ain't a no
Just do your thing
We'll see how it go, oh, oh-
Remy's stealth and quick on his feet reaction enabled him to remain on his feet when one of Avalanche's tremors rippled through the building. His balance made it easier for him to catch; uh Rogue was what Kitty called her, before she hit the ground. "Careful Chere, odawise Remy be tinking you want to keep falling into 'is arms." He teased.
She blushed scarlet, refocusing her attention on her teammates who weren't as lucky to have a steady guy catch them before they toppled off balance. "You guys all right?" She asked, ignoring the smirk on Kitty's friend's, Remy did she call him, face.
"Yup." Jubilee accepted Pietro's hand in helping her back to her feet, Kitty merely rolled back onto her shoulder blades and flipped back onto her feet.
Remy's hands left Rogue's waist and he approached Kitty. "You've gotten much betta at dat tactic non, mon Shadowcat."
"Learned from the best." She replied grimly, her teeth clenched. "It came from down there, right?" She gestured down a long hallway to their left.
"Remy tink so." He nodded, turning back to the group. "We should split up, cover more ground. Pietro and Jubilee will keep on goin straight, while Remy, Shadowcat and de Rogue head dis way." He gestured down the hallway.
"Be careful." Kitty warned.
Pietro nodded and grasped Jubilee's hand, before zipping her off to find the others. Kitty turned back to her two best friends in the entire world. She loved Jubilee and Pietro dearly, but it was with Remy and Rogue she was the closest to. "Whatever happens down there, Avalanche is mine. It's my turn to do some damage to him. Just this time it'll be physical."
"Remy will not stray far, Petite." Gambit nodded.
"You got it." Rogue nodded, almost pitying the guy, emphasis on the almost part.
"Let's do this." With that, Shadowcat spun on her heel and ran down the hallway, Rogue and Gambit hot on her heels. As they got closer to the door at the end, the sounds of a vicious fight could be heard.
Shadowcat pulled the door open in time to see a spurt of fire and Iceman flying across the room. "Bobby!" Before Kitty could stop her, Rogue pushed past her and ran after her fallen boyfriend.
"Down!" Gambit shouted, throwing himself on top of Shadowcat, knocking them both to the ground. His body shielding hers from a dragon made of fire that would have scorched them both had they still been standing.
After a moment, Shadowcat felt Gambit's weight lift away and then two strong hands pulling her back up to her feet. Then Gambit cursed in French, before heading towards where Rogue had fallen beside her boyfriend. Her attire a little charred.
Meanwhile, Shadowcat turned to face a smirking Pyro. She could see Colossus and Avalanche fighting out of the corner of her eye and smiled, seeing Peter again. "All right, Fire boy, do your worst."
Unlike the others, Kitty had a slight advantage against Pyro, her ability allowed her to separate her molecules and the molecules of other objects so they could pass through one another, hence, the phasing. With fire, it's molecules and atoms were already very loose, making it easier for Kitty to phase through it, which totally rocked in their danger room sessions.
Unfortunately, her powers were temporarily on hiatus, thanks to the damn collar around her neck, but if she could dodge John's fire long enough, she could distract him from Gambit and Rogue and maybe find a way to get the collar removed.
The dragon soared through the air, heading straight for Kitty, the flames blazing with John's fury, but Kitty held her ground, watching it come at her. At the last second, she dodged to the side, the fire narrowly missing her.
"Petite!" Gambit shouted, but Kitty ignored him, flipping onto her feet.
"That the best you got? That's almost pathetic." Kitty taunted, looking for something that would remove the damn collar; however, still keeping a watchful eye on Pyro's movements.
The dragon changed directions and came back at her. Then an idea popped into her head. Steeling herself, she prayed this would work. She closed her eyes and concentrated, like she would if she were about to phase.
Kitty felt a blast of agonizing heat lick her skin, before it all disappeared. Her molecules separated and she easily phased through the fire. "Hey Pyro." She grinned evilly. "It's so on!" With that she charged.
Stunned by the turn of events, Pyro just barely managed to dodge her first blow. But, before she could even clench her fist for a second, Remy had snuck up behind the Traitor and easily knocked him out with a blow to the back of the head. "Remy jus returning de favor."
Kitty shot him an annoyed a look, just as Bobby began to rouse from the depths of unconsciousness. "Hello! I totally had him!"
"Und Remy remembers dat yo be wanting de Avalanche, not de pyromaniac." He then reached over and pinched her arm.
"Hey!" She gaped at him in outrage.
"Payback, Petite. You eva do dat to Remy's heart again and next time, he be da one ta scorch yo' alive." He crossed his arms over his chest, a stubborn expression set on his face.
And if at first you don't succeed
Then dust yourself off and try again
You can dust it off and try again, try again
Cause if at first you don't succeed
You can dust it off and try again
Dust yourself off and try again, try again (and again)-
"Argh!" Lance's shout echoed in the large room, as the fist of Colossus finally connected to his stomach, sending the boy flying off his feet and into a wall, slumping to the floor in a dazed manner.
"Peter no!" Kitty cried, as Colossus made to advance towards his fallen opponent.
The giant man of steel paused instantly at her cry and turned his head to look at her. She jogged to his side and shook her head. "You're right Katya. He has already been beaten, it would be wrong to cause more damage." He reverted back to his human form, the metal melting into his skin.
She flashed him a dazzling smile and shook her head. "No, I just wanted to knock him out. He's had this coming. He's more of a vengeance deal for me."
"Well, ah…" He seemed unsure of how to take this information. "Proceed then." He gestured to Lance, who was slowly rising to feet.
She crossed the distance between herself and Lance and looked up into those eyes that used to lure her in all those years ago. "Couldn't let him finish me off, Pretty Kitty?" He leered. "Maybe your feelings for me aren't as gone as you thought."
"That's where you're wrong, Lance." She glared at him defiantly. "See that guy behind me, the one that was just kicking your ass? He's the one. And nothing you do or say is going to change that. The only reason I stopped him, is because I've been dying to do this…" With that said, she raised her hand and slapped him soundly across the face with a loud, echoing crack.
"Yeah! Dat be da way, Petite." Gambit cheered.
Lance looked back to her, holding his jaw where her blow had struck. "You're nothing, Lance. You're just spiraling down further and further and I refuse to let you take me with you any longer. Goodnight." She leapt up into a spinning hurricane kick and knocking him unconscious before he hit the floor.
"Hmph." She turned to face Gambit and Piotr. "All done now."
Remy shook his head and laughed. "You be growing up, Petite. Remy is proud o'you."
"Thanks Remy, I'm glad you're here to see it." Kitty sighed and returned to Peter's side. "Hey Russkie, I missed you."
"And I you, Katya." Going against his better judgment, Piotr pulled Kitty to him into a warm and tight embrace. Seeing her as she was now, alive, well and safe, made him so relieved after being so worried about her.
"So, dis be de homme you tol' Remy 'bout, mon Shadowcat?" Remy teased, breaking the tender moment.
Kitty blushed brightly, sticking her tongue out at her friend. "Yes, this is Peter Rasputin. Peter, this is my oldest friend and the only family I have, Remy "Gambit" Lebeau."
"Hallo." Piotr nodded at the Cajun man, who returned the greeting, but his eyes held a stronger meaning. You hurt Kitty and I'll kill you.
"Nice ta meet yo' mon ami." Gambit smirked. "Let's find de othas and get out of dis place, non?"
"Sounds like a plan, Remy." Kitty nodded, taking Piotr's hand in her own, as Gambit lifted Rogue over his shoulder and Piotr hefted Bobby in his other arm. "I'm a little sick of this place."
See you don't wanna throw it all away
I might be shy on the first date
What about the next date?
Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?
I said you don't wanna throw it all away
I might be buggin?on the first date
What about the next date?
Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?
If at first you don't succeed
You can dust it off and try again
Dust yourself off and try again, try again
Cause if at first you don't succeed
You can dust it off and try again
You can dust it off and try again, try again (and again)-