Chapter 2: the current situation
It's a bustling Friday night at the Institution. The Xmen mansion's expansive living room is a central gathering place, furnished with plush sofas, a massive flat-screen TV, and a stereo system that vibrates with the latest hits. Some are engrossed in a high-stakes video game, others are rushing each other out the door to see the latest blockbuster hit. Muffled giggles sneak out from the corner of girls showing each other texts from the opposite sex.
In the adjacent dining area, a makeshift snack bar has been set up, featuring an array of goodies from pizza and nachos to candy and soda. A couple of students are huddled around this table, debating over which toppings are superior or concocting unique snack combinations. Their animated chatter adds to the overall buzz of the evening.
Kitty Pryde was attempting to live up to her given name, Shadowcat, swiftly and silently gliding through each of the rooms. Seeing so many young mutants joyful and carefree brought a smile to her face. The years after rebuilding the team were difficult and seemed like a never-ending cloud of darkness. Even still some of the gloom lingered. It was a rare occasion to see Jean after fighting with the Phoenix Force. When she did, it was easy to see her eyes lacked life, a piece of her was gone. Not that you could look at her for long. Scott, her devoted partner, acted as a human shield. Nothing was ever going to hurt Jean again. The Professor hid in a similar fashion, staying in his office, only to be visited by Logan, Ororo, and Dr. McCoy.
Creeping through the second floor, Kitty stumbled upon Logan and Ororo watching the teen mutants below. "What a waste of an entire night, each one of those kids should do at least one training session tonight inside of fooling around" Logan grumbled. "They deserve moments to experience their childhood. Work shouldn't be their sole focus. Strong bonds are crucial for forming unbeatable teams, that's why we make such a great team" Ororo replied, wrapping her long arms around his large bicep while placing her head on his shoulder. "Having a sense of family means something to fight for". Logan huffed her off "Chuck is no closer to figuring out our next move or what is going to happen to Jean. Danger lurks around every corner and they all need to be ready". His face is a stormy canvas, with furrowed brows that form deep lines across his forehead. His jaw is clenched tightly, muscles tensed, as if he's trying to restrain a torrent of emotion. Ororo silently placed her hand on his back, knowing it wasn't angry at the students or their work ethic, he couldn't stand the idea of losing any of the young ones.
Kitty was engrossed in the situation when suddenly something grabbed her arm. With a tugging sensation and a blink of the eye she was in her bedroom. Turning to her right she gazed up at her best friend, partner in crime, pain in the butt, and keeper of her heart. Kurt Wagner.
"It's not polite to eavesdrop on conversations Katzchen" scolded the blue skinned adult. Kitty pulled away and turned away from Kurt, crossing her arms. "Especially a conversation with a mutant that could rip you to shreds 'half-pint'" he teased trying to poke at her sides. "Like, whatever, I was just getting a little extra training in," Kitty snapped back. "You can't work yourself too hard, Liebling; extra danger room sessions, training gymnastics and hand-to-hand combat, the constant creeping in the shadows. You need to have balance, why aren't you joining in the fun tonight?" Kurt replied.
Kitty's face flushed with anger as her thoughts raced. Her roommate, Rogue, had just moved out to connect more with her "sister" X-23. The boys are always busy being boys. Jean wasn't herself and the other girls just wanted to gossip and fantasize about boys. Not to mention since returning to the team Kurt was always working with the other adults. Even though he ran through her thoughts all day, she rarely ever saw him much less got to spend time with him. To top it all off, she felt subpar as an X-men since her powers lent more to defense than offense. Kitty began to shake as her emotions bubbled and her eyes began to sting. "Katzchen?" Kurt started running his hand up her arm. Kitty snapped. She whipped around, smacking Kurt's hand away, "Because I don't deserve to have fun!" she yelled. "Why do you even, like, care?" tears dripping down her face "Just leave like everyone else". "Katzchenā¦" Kurt started. "Just GO!" Kitty screamed her eyes shut.
She listened for the "bamf" before opening her eyes, allowing the tears to flow freely. Alone again, useless and alone. Kitty threw herself onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.
Kurt reappeared in his room, shoulders slumped, heart aching. It was well known to everyone how Nightcrawler felt about the young Shadowcat; he loved her. Hearing her raise her voice and cry in front of him felt like a stab to the chest. Prior to the Apocalypse events they had a "flirtationship", constant teasing, tickle fights, pranks on others, they were inseparable. When they were reunited, years later, the chemistry was still undeniable but their relationship wasn't the same. But how could it be? Sure flirting was fun when he was 16 and Kitty was just barely a teenager. But he's 19 now, an adult. A man committed to God and the X-men. Now that he is finished with high school, the Professor, Dr. McCoy, and Logan invited him to start working with them. They conducted experiments in the lab, created battle strategies, looked out for and welcomed new recruits. He didn't have time to see his friends. But his best friend, his liebe, should be the exception. Kurt sank into his bed, hoping to think of a way to make this up to Kitty.
Not the most happy go lucky. Sorry about the lack of german accent, its hard. I'll try more in later chapters?
