Kitty slowly woke up again, regaining her senses for the nth time.
"No...! I'm still here...?" Kitty fearfully thought.
She looked around and realized that she was still in the same room as before, this time she was seated at a large black chair, and her arms and legs were tightly secured by the arms and legs of the chair.
"I'll see if I can try phasing again..."
With all the strength she could use, Kitty attempted to phase even one just of her limbs out of the tape, to no avail.
"Urgh! Why can't it work!?" Kitty felt frustrated in her thoughts.
Again, Kitty tried her hardest to break free from her restraints, but it was still no use.
"It's useless to escape, Pryde." The man spoke. He stayed at the unlit side of the room, while sitting near his computer desk. Kitty could see his face being illuminated by the screen.
Kitty scoffed. "Like, try me! What do you even want with me and Lance?"
The man was silent and focused on his computer, as if he refused to respond to her question. She could feel a smirk brushing his face even if the computer hid his face.
"Answer me, jerk!" Kitty demanded an answer from him, but he still ignored her.
Fed up, Kitty silently thought of a plan.
"I need to contact the Institute! Give them some clues on where to find me! I just hope I can reach the professor from here..." Kitty remembered one other thing she could do: telepathically converse with the Professor. Using whatever of her mind is currently working, she calmed her thoughts and tried to reach Professor Xavier.
Just a few minutes ago...
"Okay. Here's what I remember, alright?"
After Lance ran to the Institute and found out Kitty was still missing, that was when Jean and Kurt also came to the Institute. It took time for the two X-Men to believe his pleading that he wasn't involved in Kitty's kidnapping and was a victim like her and brought Lance inside to talk with the Professor. He was brought to the library to talk with Charles there, and inside with them were the rest of the X-Men, and Storm and Logan.
"Kitty and I were supposed to watch a movie last night, so we went to the theater. And then I just saw Kitty black out after she got stung in the neck by... something... and then the same thing happened to me." Lance began explaining.
"And then what happened?" Charles asked.
"I don't know. I couldn't see anything, but I felt like I was being driven around for a long time. Then I woke up in this room- my vision became all fuzzy, I could barely see anything, but I did vaguely see a person standing over me with a camera."
"Could you, by chance, make out any distinctive features?"
"Not quite, except maybe dark glasses? And a beard? Long hair tucked in a ponytail? I don't know! I can't remember everything!"
"What about that room you were in?"
"Again. It's hard to recall. I just remembered that I was lying on this white floor and that's it and I couldn't feel a thing. And then I woke up somewhere dark one time to feel a gun pointed my head, and then a flash... after that, I was back at the Brotherhood house with a headache. That's all." Lance rubbed his throbbing head, which was still hurting since he woke up, after he told his story.
"Just be glad it was a blank, Lance. Otherwise, you wouldn't even be here." Charles told Lance.
"Do you still think I'm lying, professor!?" Lance was doubtful that the X-Men, especially his rival Scott Summers, would fully believe his claims.
Charles scanned his mind. "No. In fact, you were being completely honest. It's just that your memories from that night, or rather early morning, are all in fragments if I just scanned it."
"Maybe you can dig deeper?" Lance suggested.
"That is my only other option." Charles approached Lance, and placed his hands on Lance's head, attempting to gather more information from last night.
A few moments had passed, and Charles finished looking through the boy's mind to find more information. Charles flinched at his discovery.
"Odd. Even looking deeper, there are still chunks of memories I can barely find. You were right about before with your memories did feeling really fuzzy. And I think I know why."
"What is it, then?" Lance asked.
"Somehow, during that time period, something deactivated parts of your brain. That included the ability to produce memories and use your mutant powers." Charles hypothesized.
'So I was right!' Scott thought, recalling the theory he made earlier.
"Hey. That's why I wasn't able to find Kitty earlier!" Jean spoke up, recalling as well why she couldn't track Kitty's mind earlier for some reason.
"My guess? Somebody had used drugs on you and Kitty. That was also why I couldn't locate you through Cerebro. I'll get your blood tested by Hank-"
"Professor? Professor!" Kitty's thoughts interrupted Charles's brain.
"Kitty?" Charles was taken aback by the sudden entry. "Kitty! Where are you!?"
Everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting for Kitty's response, Jean relaying the information to everyone from Charles.
"I... I'm in this room... somewhere... It's bare... and dark... and I think it's a photography studio or something...? I don't know how long I've been here and there are no windows for me to look around for any landmarks!" Kitty answered.
"Kitty. Is anyone with you in that room!?"
"Yes. There's this freak on his computer right now... I saw him a few hours ago. He was taking pictures of me and Lance and... and he shot Lance! Professor. I don't know if I can do this for long...!"
"Do you remember what he looks like?"
"He's... tall? Has a thick beard? Messy, brown hair? Thick black glasses? He's currently wearing a white button-up and black sweatpants... that's all I remember..."
"Stay where you are, Kitty! We'll help you as soon-"
"Oh shit! He's coming for me! Professor! Hurry before he-" Kitty's thoughts were cut off when the man Kitty just described had suddenly injected her again.
"Kitty! KITTY!" Charles tried contacting Kitty for the last time before it was cut off for good. "Kitty's hurt! We have to start the search now! Scott. I need you and the X-Men to search through surveillance records from last night. We need to figure out who our suspect is." He turned to Scott.
"On it, Professor!" Scott responded and went with the rest of the X-Men to the computer room.
"Let me catch up, Scott. I have to pick up some "special guests" first." Logan strayed from the group after he sensed two people fleeing the library.
"Lance. You stay here first. Hank will have to test your blood first for any drugs in your system before you move on." Charles stopped Lance as was about to follow the X-Men.
"But I need to help find-!" Lance groaned in pain again as his head was starting to hurt again, the adrenaline finally gone.
"...and you need to get patched up again. Your current bandages are falling off." Charles also noticed the small burn mark peering through the gaps of the bandages on Lance's forehead. He proceeded to bring the Brotherhood member to the infirmary.
I'm really sorry if this took long to publish this, guys. I was supposed to release this chapter way sooner, but I didn't have time during my Christmas trip, so I guess this is my "belated Christmas gift" and my way to start 2019 for you. Happy New Year!