A Day in the Life (New Mutants 1.2, Chapter 7)
Title: A Day in the Life
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: X3, Previous Chapters
Rating: R for language, nudity, and sexual suggestion
Summary: Life settles in...
Notes: As with previous postings, this is not a new chapter, but simply a re-write of the original chapter, which can be found here.
I don't own these characters. They belong to Marvel, Disney, and 20th Century Fox.
An Unexpected Mission / Previous Chapters
Emma Frost runs down the street. Despite the terror in her mind, she has the wherewithal to realize that she's the only one in fear for her life. The sidewalk is filled with people, the streets filled with cars, yet no one seems to notice that anything is amiss.
It's coming! she screams out with her mouth and her mind. Can't you hear? Can't you feel? Don't you know the danger you're in? It's coming! Run! Hide!
Too late. The sky darkens. Emma looks up, feeling the dread pervade her very being. She knows what's coming next, as she's been here before.
A shadowy figure flies over the city, encased in flame. She can see its silhouette within its fiery shell: the armor, the sword, and the skeletal wings. Within its shadow, red eyes glowing from behind a helmet.
The world has quieted. She looks around, and sees bodies littering the street. Every person on sidewalk, dropped dead where there stood. She sees a dead dog, its leash loosely clasped in its owner's limp hand. The cars stopped in their tracks, their drivers and passengers just as lifeless. There were no marks, no sign of struggle. They just… ended.
A roar in the distance, from the horizon from which the winged creature had flown. Her head jerks towards the noise.
A wall of fire, consuming all in its path.
Barreling towards her.
Her mind erupts in red pain.
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"No!"
Emma bolted upright in her bed, her hands flying to her head. The pain in her mind is like a dagger.
And then it was gone.
Just a dream. The same dream. Again.
She looked around the bedroom, seeing the morning sun shine in through the window. It didn't look right. She leaned over to her alarm clock. Ten thirty.
Shit, she thought, jumping from the bed and pulling her nightgown over her head. Why didn't anyone wake me? Why didn't my alarm go off?
She stopped, closing her eyes, thinking. If anyone had walked in at that point, they would have gotten quite a scene, with her gown pulled up, covering her head but leaving everything else naked in the chill of the morning.
"Saturday," she breathed to herself. "Today's Saturday. They let me sleep in."
She sighed, pulling her nightgown back down around her body and grabbed her bathrobe, white along with all of her other clothing, from its hanger. Walked into her private bathroom, she stripped off her gown again, and stepped into the shower.
As the hot water cascaded down on her, her mind once again returned to the dream. This was the third night in a row that Emma had dreamt it. Dreamt it? Lived it, more like. Each time it was the same. The street, the creature, the flames.
Was it an omen? A prophecy? Emma shook her head. She was far too much of a pragmatist to believe that it was anything spiritual, sent from some higher power. Psionic, maybe? Possibly some psychic event? Or a telepath playing with her mind? Or possibly something as simple as her subconscious mind reacting to current events?
Her mind immediately leaped to the only major change that had happened in her life three days ago. Three days ago. That was when he showed up. Emma's mind drifted as turned off the shower and stepped out onto the cold tile. Alex Blanding had done a terrible thing when he killed his family, and there was no guarantee that something else wouldn't happen. Just as bad, if not worse.
Was this her subconscious picking up on something that she she should be seeing? Something going on in Alex's mind? Something sinister?
She didn't know. But as she dressed for the day, Emma Frost knew she would have to remain on her guard until she found some answers.
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Lucas Bishop walked slowly down the hallway. He carried a tray, a ham and egg sandwich and a glass of milk placed atop it. He approached the door, and knocked.
"Yeah?" came a voice from inside.
"It's Lucas," he said. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah, sure."
Lucas unlocked the door, the only one outside the sub-basement holding cells with its lock located on the outside, and opened it to find a perfectly dark room. He pressed the button on the wall where the light-switch would be. But instead of lights turning on, the darkness simply disappeared, leaving instead a normal bedroom, its windows shining in the morning light. He entered, closing the door behind him.
Alex Blanding was sitting on the bed, but when the light returned he quickly jumped up and ran to the window. Lucas tensed at the quick movement, ready to run out and warn everyone if Blanding decided this was the moment to make his escape attempt. However, Alex just stood at the window, staring out into the courtyard below.
"I brought you breakfast," Lucas said.
Alex turned around, noticing Lucas's anxiety. "Sorry," he said, a small smile on his lips. "That field doesn't give me a chance to look outside very often. It gets dark in here, you know?"
Lucas nodded, setting the tray down on the table beside Alex's television. "Yeah, I guess it must be tough," he said. "But Mr. Forge is out picking up some stuff right now to build you some kind of, I don't know, containment suit? He says you should be able to leave in the next day or two."
Blanding snorted, turning back to the window. "Leave where? Do you guys hand me off to S.H.I.E.L.D., or one of those other government groups? I seriously doubt you X-Men are letting me out of this room any time soon."
Lucas sighed, sitting on the bed. "I'm not an X-Man," he said. "I'm just a student."
"Yet you're the only one they'll let in here. Everyone else talks to me through the television," Alex said, pointing to the set. Forge and Sean had convinced Emma to allow Blanding to have an XBox with a few games and DVDs. In addition, a small webcam and microphone sat beside the flat-screen HD television set.
Lucas shrugged. "If something happens, I'm the only who can take it. Besides, I'm the only one who can kick your ass in Madden."
Alex turned, his mouth opening to say something. Instead, he turned back to the window. There was silence for a minute or so before he spoke again. "Scott," he muttered.
Lucas stood beside Alex and looked out the window. For the first time, he realized where exactly Alex's room was situated. The window looked down on the garden memorials for Charles Xavier, Jean Grey, and Scott Summers.
Did they give him this room on purpose?
"Did you know him?" Alex asked.
Lucas shook his head. "I heard a few things about him from Pete and Bobby, but he died before I came. He sounded like a decent guy, though. Mostly."
"I barely knew him, either," Blanding said. "Our parents died when we were kids. I was two, he was seven or eight. I don't really remember. We both lived in an orphanage for a few years before we were both adopted by different families. I was adopted by the Blandings, and I don't know who adopted him. But he ended up here. He was a mutant, just like me."
"He was the leader of the X-Men for a long time, I guess," Lucas said. "Before Professor Munroe. She probably has pictures. I can talk to her, if you want to see them, that is."
Alex sighed, and walked away from the window. "I dunno," he said. "Like I said, I barely knew him. I remember my parents even less. I was born Alex Summers, but I was raised as Alex Blanding. Even if…"
Alex's throat cut him off. He sniffed.
"I didn't mean to kill them…"
"We know."
"It was that fucker, Vince," he said. "Haley's asshole ex-boyfriend. Treated her like a punching bag. She had broken up with him, put on a restraining order. But he came back."
"Alex, you don't have to-"
"It was dinnertime," Alex continued. "We were sitting down to pizza. We were gonna watch the Cards game. They were on the road against the Phillies. Vince kicked the front door in. He was insane. Before we had a chance to react, he pulled a gun. Shot Haley. Shot my sister in the face. She was just sitting there, watching..."
Alex swallowed hard and closed his eyes, reliving it. "I jumped on him before he could run. Knocked the gun out of his hand. My mom was screaming. My dad… I don't know what my dad was doing, I was too focused on hurting Vince. On killing him for killing my... I punched him. Punched him again. Beat his head against the floor. My body got hot. I saw smoke coming from my sleeves. But I couldn't stop. I just wanted to kill him. Everything lit up. The house was gone. And I ran.
"Fucking Vince."
Alex stopped talking, his head leaning against the window. Lucas could see tears streaming down his face. All of a sudden Lucas just wanted to leave. He was here to drop off breakfast, not to hear this. What do you even say to someone in a situation like this?
"Alex," he tried, "I…"
Alex nodded his head, his forehead rubbing against the windowpane with a tiny squeak. "Thanks, Luke. You're good people."
"You're not going to…"
Alex looked up, looked at Lucas. "Do something stupid?" He shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I know what I did. I have to pay for it. I wouldn't take the chickenshit way out."
"We're just trying to help you," Lucas said, standing up. "You know that, right?"
"I know," Alex said, taking the plate and glass from the tray. "Here, you can take this back."
Lucas took the tray and walked back to the door. "See ya later," he said hesitantly.
"Yeah," Alex said. He took a bite from the sandwich. "When I get the suit, we should get some Rock Band going downstairs, or something."
Lucas laughed quietly. "Yeah," he said. "Sounds good. Jimmy or Connor can play drums or sing, though. I suck."
"I haven't met them yet," Alex said. "But it's on."
---------
"Wow, he's on today," Sean Cassidy sat in the Danger Room's control room, his eyes wide with awe as Arthur Centino flipped through the obstacle course with amazing ease. "I mean," he said to Moira, who was studying the displays behind him, "There were a few times where I thought it was really close, that he was going to miss some of those bars, overshoot the target, something. Anything. But he keeps going."
Arthur had been given the task of chasing a glowing sphere through what was basically a glorified jungle gym. He flipped, spun, swung through like a monkey in the jungle. The look on his face showed that he was starting to get worn out, but that didn't stop him from performing admirably. And occasionally--
"There, it flashed again!" Sean yelled as Centino hooked an overhead bar by one finger, swinging himself up and on, rebalancing himself by his toes.
"I'm seeing a pattern," Moira said, hunkered over the monitors. "Try to pull yourself away from him for a minute and tell me what you think."
Reluctantly, Cassidy pushed his wheeled chair across the room. "I swear," he said, "that boy could the next Jet Li if he wants to be."
"Watch his brain scan," Moira said, pointing a jagged line scrawled across the screen, "and tell me what happens when I say, okay?"
Sean nodded, focusing on the digital model of Arthur's mind. Meanwhile, Moira turned towards the window overlooking the Danger Room, watching Arthur closely. After thirty seconds...
"Okay, now!" she yelled.
"Nothing," Sean said, peering in, "but right before you yelled…"
"What?"
"Let's flip the idea," he said. "When I call, you tell me what he's doing, yeah?"
"Sure."
"All riiiiight... aaaaaand.... now!"
"Hard u-turn," Moira narrated. "The ball reversed direction, and he tracked right along with it."
"Is that all?"
"And his eye flashed. Yes!"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sean said with a grin.
Moira smiled, planting a kiss on Sean's cheek, then standing up and patting his shoulder. "I'm the one who thought of it first, dear."
"Yeah, but…" he blurted. "But I… I, um, confirmed it?"
Moira ignored him, sitting down at a separate monitor. She pulled the keyboard to her, and began typing into Arthur's medical log. Sean stood up and walked behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders and resting his chin on the top of her head to read her writing.
"Subconscious telepathy and telekinesis," Sean read. "Precognition and mind-control. Jaysus. This kid's quite a piece of work, isn't he?"
"Bobby and Kitty said that the bottle changed direction in the air," Moira said, "almost like it had a mind of its own. But it was Arthur who made it change direction. He pushed it the right way, for just a split second. It helped him. And his test scores, the educational ones we ran to figure out what kind of classes he'd take? They were fantastic."
"But we've seen him miss," Sean said. "We've seen his aim go awry. We've read wrong answers on his tests."
"But when he misses, he really misses. And when he hits really good shots, you can see in his body readings that he reacts like anyone else would. Like he had hit a really lucky shot, one he didn't expect to hit."
"So what does that mean?"
"I don't think he has any control over these powers. I think they're in some back part of his brain, calculating what the best outcome would be. But this other part of his brain, the conscious part, doesn't have enough strength to do have any control over it. His telekinesis can nudge an object into the right place, or lift his body a degree or two. His telepathy can find an answer in someone else's brain, but only if it's sitting right there on the surface. His mind control can only drop a hint to another person to do something, but can't full-out force the person to do anything."
"Huh…"
"That's how they got down to the basement that night," Moira said. "He pushed Lucas into going along with them, but he was already close to making that decision. He pushed Emma into letting them pass, but she might very well have made that decision anyway. He made Kitty sneeze, letting them get past her. He dodged the laser, but he only knew it was coming a split-second before it did. He hit the gun with his bottle, but if he had thrown it any further off, not even a telekinetic push would have helped it.
"And I honestly don't believe he knew any of that would happen."
"So what do we have?" Sean asked. "What do we call this?"
Moira shrugged. "For lack of a better term," she said, "Arthur Centino has a psychic lucky charm."
---------
"So what do you think of the place so far?"
"The school?"
"Yeah," Forge said, pulling into the parking lot of the strip mall. "I mean, you've been there for a while, you have to have some idea by now."
Brian gave Forge a grin, something that he never seemed to be without. "It's nice," he said. "It's exciting."
Forge laughed. He got out of the car and pulled on a pair of gloves. "Yeah, I suppose for someone who's only been out of bed for a few months, it would be pretty exciting, huh?"
"Why are you wearing gloves?" asked Brian. "It's warm out."
Forge lifted his robotic arm, its gears whirring as he flexed his fingers. "As I learned when I first built these things, some of the normals aren't really used to The Terminator walking through a mall with them. The gloves and the long sleeves keep me inconspicuous."
"So where are we going?" Brian asked as the two of them walked across the lot.
"A few different stores, actually," Forge said. "You up for a treasure hunt?"
"Sure, that sounds like fun," Brian said, yet another grin crossing his face. "I haven't done a lot of shopping before."
"Well, I'll keep it simple for ya," Forge said, pulling a crumpled, oil-stained piece of paper from his coat pocket. "Each item is divided up by what store you'll find it in. If you have any questions, just ask a clerk, they're good for that sort of thing."
"Super," Brian chuckled. "Where are you headed off to?"
Forge pointed to the large sign at the end of the mall.
"Okay," Brian said, double-checking the list in confusion. "I'll go to Radio Shack and The Apple Store. You're going to… JoAnn Fabrics? What's there?"
"I'm picking up some special fabric," Forge said. "Fine wire mesh weaved in for energy distribution."
"They sell that there?"
Forge tapped his nose with the tip of his finger. "I know a guy," he chuckled. "See ya in a bit."
The job was much easier than Brian had anticipated. Most of the items that Forge had requested were simple to find, for the most part, and for the others he cheerfully approached a salesman.
One of the kids gave Brian an odd look as he pulled down a small computer fan from the rack.
"Usually don't see people in such a good mood here," the clerk said.
Brian looked out into the street. "It's a nice day," he said.
The two men met up a half hour later, as the sun was beginning to set.
"Got everything?"
Brian nodded, lifting two plastic bags.
"Alright, let's get going."
As the stepped onto the sidewalk, Brian stopped. A newspaper box had caught his eye. He walked over, bent over, examining a picture.
Forge's brow furrowed.
"Westchester Woman Found Dead," he read. "What's up, Brian?"
"I don't know," Brian said quietly. For the first time that day, the smile had left his face.
Forge reached into his pocket and pulled out two quarters. Plugging them into the machine, he pulled out the paper.
"While details are still sketchy, police have said the cause of death is inconclusive, as there were no marks on the body. Autopsy still pending. Hmmm," Forge said, folding the paper up and tucking it under his arm. "Might be worth taking a closer look at. I'll let Ororo know." He patted Brian on the back. "Good eye."
"Thanks," said Brian, taking one last glance back at the newspaper rack before returning to his light conversational tone, "What's going on tonight?"
"First Saturday night," Forge said as they climbed back into the car. "Usually movie night for the kids. At least that's what it was when I was going to school."
---------
"Is anyone in here?" Theresa Cassidy opened the door to the boys' dorm room, knocking as she entered. As she expected (and hoped, and dreaded), it was empty except for one boy sitting on his bed. He had piles of cards spread out on the sheets, and was flipping cards out from the deck in his hand.
Oh, boy, don't screw up, one part of Theresa's mind moaned.
"Hi, um, Remy…"
Remy LeBeau looked up from the cards, his face expressionless. His red and black eyes pierced through her.
God, he's hot.
He sat, silent and still, his face marked with mild anticipation, asking for her to speak. Theresa self-consciously pushed her red hair behind her ear and took a deep breath.
"I was, um, wondering," she stammered, "well, that is, we were wondering, um…"
He continued to stare, his odd eyes never blinking once.
"We're gonna watch a movie," Theresa said. "I was… we was… we were wondering if you… wanted to come down and watch, too?"
Smooooth.
Remy nodded in understanding. Looked back down at the cards. Flipped another three into his hand. "Don't feel much like company tonight, chere."
"Oh." Damn. She quickly turned to leave, her face reddening as she went. She stopped, steeled herself, and turned around again to knock him out with her cool delivery.
"Really?" she squeaked.
That one was even better, the voice in her head said sarcastically. He's totally putty in your hands now.
"I'm sure," his eyes never leaving the cards.
Through sheer force of will, she forced herself to take a step into the bedroom, driving this non-existent conversation until it died a horrible, horrible death.
"What… whatcha playin?"
"Solitaire," Remy replied. Three more cards, then moved an eight of clubs to the top deck.
"Oh," Theresa said. "That's… that's a fun game."
"It relaxes me," he replied, emotionless as always.
"Yeah," she said. Inspiration hit her like a bolt of lightning. "We should play together sometime."
Remy looked up from the cards. "We should play solitaire together?"
"Yeah! Well, no, not… not solitaire," she stumbled. "But I know… cards. I can play… stuff…"
Remy returned to his game. "Stuff?"
"Well, my dad, he… taught me… gin? And… and… five hundred, yeah, that's a good one…"
"You're the professor's kid, right? Cassidy?"
Theresa stopped in mid-stammer. "Yeah?"
"You down there with the others a few nights ago?"
"Yeah," she muttered. "Of course I was only there to make sure that Jubilee didn't get into any trouble and--"
"That was decent of you," he said, flipping out more cards. "Looking out for your friend, and all."
Theresa's mouth hung open. She was trying so hard to impress the guy that the fact that he was impressed actually struck her dumb. "Th…thanks…" she breathed.
"Do you play chess?"
"A little…"
"We'll play sometime."
"Oh… okay…"
"Your friends are waiting."
Too shocked to even respond, Theresa simply turned around and closed the door. She took two steps down the hall. Reviewed the last three minutes in her head. Released a quick high pitched squeal of victory as her fists pumped in the air, then calmed herself before descending the stairs to join the others.
---------
Connor Jones arched an eyebrow at Jimmy as Theresa Cassidy slowly walk down the stairs and sat down beside her friend, Jubilation Lee. Jubilee poked her with her elbow. Theresa slowly turned her head, meeting Jubilee's eyes, and smiled like she was drunk or stoned or something.
Jubilee screamed and clapped her hands.
"Women," said Connor with a shake of his head, causing Jimmy to burst into loud laughter. As he and Jones chuckled, Peter and Lucas walked past Alison and Arthur and into the living room, their arms piled high with snacks and sodas.
"So what are we watching?" Lucas asked as he sat down on the couch next to Jimmy and Jones.
"Aren't we waiting for Bobby and Kitty?" Jones asked.
"Hell if I know," Jubilee said, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the hill that Peter set on the coffee table. "They went out for dinner a few hours ago. If they came back, I didn't hear them come in."
"They know the drill," Peter said, leaning back in his chair and pulling a sketch pad onto his lap, "If they want to be here, good for them. If they don't, well, they must have something better to do."
"So, let me get this straight," Alison said, opening the bag of pretzels. "Those two are allowed to go out and do whatever they want, borrow one of the many, many cars from that airplane hangar of a garage, yet we can't leave without adult supervision? How does that work?"
"Well, they're legal, for one thing," Peter said. "Last year they were both sitting here in your position."
"Then why aren't you going out and partying? If I were eighteen, I'd be out of Hicksville, finding the closest bar that didn't smell like cow shit."
Peter shrugged. "That's not me," he said simply, picking up his pad of paper and pencil.
"Besides," Jones said, leaning over to talk to Alison, "last time I checked, you're a little more popular than the rest of us. Going out and partying with you might draw a crowd we might not necessarily want."
Alison gave him a look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's still not public knowledge that you're a mutant," Peter said as he scratched a pencil across the page. "If you show up at a club, the media will find out. All it takes is a cell phone camera, right?"
"Ask Britney Spears and her Astonishing Upskirts," said Jones with a snorting laugh.
"The media will follow you back," Peter continued. "The media will ask questions about what this place is."
"And the media might find out we're harboring a mass murderer," Arthur mumbled.
"Right, because we're trying to keep him safe," Alison snorted, rolling her eyes. "We shouldn't worry about being killed in our sleep, just so long as he's safe."
"As for Bobby and Kitty," Jubilee artfully interjected, "they've been keeping pretty close since Bobby and Rogue broke up. I say let them have a night. Bobby deserves to go out with someone who he can actually hold hands with, and Kitty deserves to actually have a boyfriend, something she's never had before. I think it's kinda cute, actually," she added with a mischievous grin.
"Whatever," Alison said, shaking her head.
"Okay," Lucas said, digging through the pile of DVD's, "Star Wars, right?"
"Ugh," Alison grunted. "Don't we have any Saw?"
"Ew, no," said Jubilee with a shudder, grabbing another stack. "Ooh! Ooh! Vampires! Breaking Dawn!"
"Those don't count as vampires," said Arthur. "They barely count as movies."
"Prince Caspian?" Lucas asked.
"Fine, no sexy vampires," Jubilee sighed. "That one with Hathaway and Timberlake?"
"Middle-aged romantic sap for the loss," Jones groaned.
"I know!" Lucas cried out. "Dark Tower!"
"Do you know anything but geek films, Bishop?" asked Arthur.
"Dark Tower's not geek," Lucas said defensively. "Umm... Is it?"
"I dunno," Jubilee replied. "Ed Harris was pretty hot in that movie. For an old guy, at least."
"Ohhhhhh!"
Everyone jumped as a woman cried out behind them. They all spun towards the sound of the voice, but there was no one there.
"The hell was that?" Arthur gasped.
"Is someone there?" Jones yelled, standing up.
"Is this place haunted?" asked Alison.
"I thought I saw a blur, or something," Lucas replied.
"No, seriously, is this place haunted? Cuz if it is, I am so not--"
Jimmy felt something cold on the tip of her nose. He looked up. "Why is it snowing in here?"
"Is it haunted snow?" Alison asked, her voice shaking as snow fell from the ceiling. "That's, like, a poltergeist thing, or something, isn't it?"
Jubilee and Theresa, putting the pieces together, only gave each other a look of amusement as the others continued the debate.
---------
Kitty Pryde climbed out from the floor of the Academy's basement, dragging herself to the surface with one hand like she was climbing out of a pool. With the other, she pulled Bobby Drake out of the floor behind her, then collapsed onto its suddenly solid surface.
"Oh, my God," she breathed, her naked breasts rising and falling. "That was incredible."
Bobby sat up, his head whipping around in surprise. "Where are we?"
"That was the best orgasm I've ever had."
"Why are we in the med lab?"
"I mean, I lost my vibrator in there once or twice on some particularly good nights--"
"Jesus," Bobby stood up, just as naked, and looked to the ceiling. "Weren't we just in your room?"
"--and the removable showerhead once--"
"On the second floor?"
"But nothing like that."
Bobby turned to look at Kitty, who was lying on her back, her arms and legs spread wide.
"So," Bobby smiled, admiring the view, "I guess this means you want to be my girlfriend?"
Kitty laughed, sitting up and kissing Bobby's knee. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear you say that, Bobby Drake."
"That specifically?" said Bobby with a smirk, sitting down beside her. "Because, honestly, I probably could have asked that more confidently."
Kitty only smiled and snuggled up to him. "Even when you were dating Rogue," she said, "I always cared about you. I always hoped that… I mean, I didn't necessarily hope that anything bad happened between you two, but…"
Bobby nodded. "I know what you meant," he said. "When Rogue broke up with me, it hurt. But these past few days, especially the time I've spent with you, it made me realize that I had held onto her a lot more than I probably should. She was my first girlfriend, and--"
Kitty kissed him again, this time on the lips, cutting off his words. "You don't have to explain," she said, her fingers lazily trailing along his chest. "You were with her because you were with her."
"Something like that," said Bobby as the two lay back down on the cold metal floor. "These last few days, I realized that I stayed with her just because she was my girlfriend," he continued. "But I was happier, had more fun, felt more comfortable when I was hanging out with you than when I was with her."
"That… that was kinda rambly," Kitty muttered. "But I'll accept it as a compliment."
Bobby chuckled and hugged her tightly, reveling in their bare contact. However, this thought led to another, and he sat up again. "Ah, jeez," he said, looking around. "We have to figure out how we're getting out of here. We're not exactly dressed for public display."
Kitty's lower lip stuck out. "Awww," Kitty pouted mischievously, her lower lip sticking out as her hand sliding down his body, "Are you sure we can't get another round in?"
Bobby gasped as she gripped him. He felt himself growing again at her touch, and he kissed her passionately as his hand slid up and cupped her small breast. Then he pulled back.
"If we do it down here," he said, breathing hard, "we'll end up in China."
"Australia, actually," Kitty sighed, releasing him, "but I understand."
"We'll be fine," Bobby said, smiling. "We're dating now, and we live in the same school. We'll have plenty of opportunities."
"We're dating, I'm your girlfriend," Kitty giggled and kissed him. "Keep saying that as often as you want, Bobby Drake. I'll never get tired of hearing it."
"Wait here," he said, standing up, "I'll go grab our uniforms."
"Do I have to stay here?" she flirted. "That means I have to watch your cute ass, and I don't know if I can take much of that right now."
"You know," said Bobby, "you're a lot more... I don't know... outgoing about this stuff than I thought you'd be."
"It was my first time," Kitty blushed, the red shifting down to her chest. "I'm excited."
"So I noticed," he responded, playfully tweaked her nipple. Kitty squeaked in surprise, but Bobby was able to stand up and dodge away before she could counterattack. He walked out of the lab, poking his head around the door frame to make sure the coast was clear before proceeding. A few minutes later he returned, carrying two sets of leather jumpsuits. He handed Kitty her black and pink uniform.
"It was my first time, too," he said shyly. "Here you go."
"Thanks," said Kitty, blushing at his admission. "Your first?"
"Rogue was my first girlfriend," Bobby shrugged. "So obviously, yeah..."
"Where's yours?" she asked, pointing to the uniform pants that he was pulling on. They were yellow where his would have been white.
"I forgot, mine are being cleaned," Bobby replied. "These are one of the spares."
"Logan's?"
"Yeah," said Bobby. "It was between this one and one of Dr. McCoy's. I figured this one had a little less loose hair."
Kitty chuckled, zipping up her top. "Not much less, I suppose."
---------
Ororo Munroe stood outside the small wooden house. Well, house would be stretching it for many of her friends. It was was only one room, but, having grown up in Africa, this small Tibetan structure reminded her of home more than anything she had seen in America.
She turned around, watching the setting sun. Checked her watch. Eight pm. Midnight back at the Academy.
Hopefully my sources are right, she thought as she entered the shack. The sooner I get him to the school, the better.
Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light from the candles in the room. She looked around and was surprised to see what she found. Ancient-looking tapestries lined the walls. Books, maps, and photographs were scattered everywhere. Some dating as far back as 19th century, they were left open on every inch of floor and table.
"Didn't expect to see you here," came a voice from the shadows. "Thought I earned some peace and quiet."
"I know," Ororo said. "And I'm sorry. But times are changing."
"They always do."
"I don't want to think I'm forcing you to come with me, but you should know that the school is different now. Some of the new students have skills and abilities that we never imagined. They're powerful, and they're uncontrolled. I think they have the power in them to control their powers. But I also don't believe that the faculty I've brought in have the experience and the training to properly help them find that control. But you do."
"Hm," said the shadow shortly.
"Things are going to be different," Ororo continued. "I know this. Most of the people you knew are gone. But I'm still here. And I know you. I know what you've been through, and what you've learned. You can deal with the changes better than anyone else I know. We need you. The children need you.
"Will you come back with me?"
An Unexpected Mission / Previous Chapters
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: X3, Previous Chapters
Rating: R for language, nudity, and sexual suggestion
Summary: Life settles in...
Notes: As with previous postings, this is not a new chapter, but simply a re-write of the original chapter, which can be found here.
I don't own these characters. They belong to Marvel, Disney, and 20th Century Fox.
An Unexpected Mission / Previous Chapters
Emma Frost runs down the street. Despite the terror in her mind, she has the wherewithal to realize that she's the only one in fear for her life. The sidewalk is filled with people, the streets filled with cars, yet no one seems to notice that anything is amiss.
It's coming! she screams out with her mouth and her mind. Can't you hear? Can't you feel? Don't you know the danger you're in? It's coming! Run! Hide!
Too late. The sky darkens. Emma looks up, feeling the dread pervade her very being. She knows what's coming next, as she's been here before.
A shadowy figure flies over the city, encased in flame. She can see its silhouette within its fiery shell: the armor, the sword, and the skeletal wings. Within its shadow, red eyes glowing from behind a helmet.
The world has quieted. She looks around, and sees bodies littering the street. Every person on sidewalk, dropped dead where there stood. She sees a dead dog, its leash loosely clasped in its owner's limp hand. The cars stopped in their tracks, their drivers and passengers just as lifeless. There were no marks, no sign of struggle. They just… ended.
A roar in the distance, from the horizon from which the winged creature had flown. Her head jerks towards the noise.
A wall of fire, consuming all in its path.
Barreling towards her.
Her mind erupts in red pain.
---------
"No!"
Emma bolted upright in her bed, her hands flying to her head. The pain in her mind is like a dagger.
And then it was gone.
Just a dream. The same dream. Again.
She looked around the bedroom, seeing the morning sun shine in through the window. It didn't look right. She leaned over to her alarm clock. Ten thirty.
Shit, she thought, jumping from the bed and pulling her nightgown over her head. Why didn't anyone wake me? Why didn't my alarm go off?
She stopped, closing her eyes, thinking. If anyone had walked in at that point, they would have gotten quite a scene, with her gown pulled up, covering her head but leaving everything else naked in the chill of the morning.
"Saturday," she breathed to herself. "Today's Saturday. They let me sleep in."
She sighed, pulling her nightgown back down around her body and grabbed her bathrobe, white along with all of her other clothing, from its hanger. Walked into her private bathroom, she stripped off her gown again, and stepped into the shower.
As the hot water cascaded down on her, her mind once again returned to the dream. This was the third night in a row that Emma had dreamt it. Dreamt it? Lived it, more like. Each time it was the same. The street, the creature, the flames.
Was it an omen? A prophecy? Emma shook her head. She was far too much of a pragmatist to believe that it was anything spiritual, sent from some higher power. Psionic, maybe? Possibly some psychic event? Or a telepath playing with her mind? Or possibly something as simple as her subconscious mind reacting to current events?
Her mind immediately leaped to the only major change that had happened in her life three days ago. Three days ago. That was when he showed up. Emma's mind drifted as turned off the shower and stepped out onto the cold tile. Alex Blanding had done a terrible thing when he killed his family, and there was no guarantee that something else wouldn't happen. Just as bad, if not worse.
Was this her subconscious picking up on something that she she should be seeing? Something going on in Alex's mind? Something sinister?
She didn't know. But as she dressed for the day, Emma Frost knew she would have to remain on her guard until she found some answers.
---------
Lucas Bishop walked slowly down the hallway. He carried a tray, a ham and egg sandwich and a glass of milk placed atop it. He approached the door, and knocked.
"Yeah?" came a voice from inside.
"It's Lucas," he said. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah, sure."
Lucas unlocked the door, the only one outside the sub-basement holding cells with its lock located on the outside, and opened it to find a perfectly dark room. He pressed the button on the wall where the light-switch would be. But instead of lights turning on, the darkness simply disappeared, leaving instead a normal bedroom, its windows shining in the morning light. He entered, closing the door behind him.
Alex Blanding was sitting on the bed, but when the light returned he quickly jumped up and ran to the window. Lucas tensed at the quick movement, ready to run out and warn everyone if Blanding decided this was the moment to make his escape attempt. However, Alex just stood at the window, staring out into the courtyard below.
"I brought you breakfast," Lucas said.
Alex turned around, noticing Lucas's anxiety. "Sorry," he said, a small smile on his lips. "That field doesn't give me a chance to look outside very often. It gets dark in here, you know?"
Lucas nodded, setting the tray down on the table beside Alex's television. "Yeah, I guess it must be tough," he said. "But Mr. Forge is out picking up some stuff right now to build you some kind of, I don't know, containment suit? He says you should be able to leave in the next day or two."
Blanding snorted, turning back to the window. "Leave where? Do you guys hand me off to S.H.I.E.L.D., or one of those other government groups? I seriously doubt you X-Men are letting me out of this room any time soon."
Lucas sighed, sitting on the bed. "I'm not an X-Man," he said. "I'm just a student."
"Yet you're the only one they'll let in here. Everyone else talks to me through the television," Alex said, pointing to the set. Forge and Sean had convinced Emma to allow Blanding to have an XBox with a few games and DVDs. In addition, a small webcam and microphone sat beside the flat-screen HD television set.
Lucas shrugged. "If something happens, I'm the only who can take it. Besides, I'm the only one who can kick your ass in Madden."
Alex turned, his mouth opening to say something. Instead, he turned back to the window. There was silence for a minute or so before he spoke again. "Scott," he muttered.
Lucas stood beside Alex and looked out the window. For the first time, he realized where exactly Alex's room was situated. The window looked down on the garden memorials for Charles Xavier, Jean Grey, and Scott Summers.
Did they give him this room on purpose?
"Did you know him?" Alex asked.
Lucas shook his head. "I heard a few things about him from Pete and Bobby, but he died before I came. He sounded like a decent guy, though. Mostly."
"I barely knew him, either," Blanding said. "Our parents died when we were kids. I was two, he was seven or eight. I don't really remember. We both lived in an orphanage for a few years before we were both adopted by different families. I was adopted by the Blandings, and I don't know who adopted him. But he ended up here. He was a mutant, just like me."
"He was the leader of the X-Men for a long time, I guess," Lucas said. "Before Professor Munroe. She probably has pictures. I can talk to her, if you want to see them, that is."
Alex sighed, and walked away from the window. "I dunno," he said. "Like I said, I barely knew him. I remember my parents even less. I was born Alex Summers, but I was raised as Alex Blanding. Even if…"
Alex's throat cut him off. He sniffed.
"I didn't mean to kill them…"
"We know."
"It was that fucker, Vince," he said. "Haley's asshole ex-boyfriend. Treated her like a punching bag. She had broken up with him, put on a restraining order. But he came back."
"Alex, you don't have to-"
"It was dinnertime," Alex continued. "We were sitting down to pizza. We were gonna watch the Cards game. They were on the road against the Phillies. Vince kicked the front door in. He was insane. Before we had a chance to react, he pulled a gun. Shot Haley. Shot my sister in the face. She was just sitting there, watching..."
Alex swallowed hard and closed his eyes, reliving it. "I jumped on him before he could run. Knocked the gun out of his hand. My mom was screaming. My dad… I don't know what my dad was doing, I was too focused on hurting Vince. On killing him for killing my... I punched him. Punched him again. Beat his head against the floor. My body got hot. I saw smoke coming from my sleeves. But I couldn't stop. I just wanted to kill him. Everything lit up. The house was gone. And I ran.
"Fucking Vince."
Alex stopped talking, his head leaning against the window. Lucas could see tears streaming down his face. All of a sudden Lucas just wanted to leave. He was here to drop off breakfast, not to hear this. What do you even say to someone in a situation like this?
"Alex," he tried, "I…"
Alex nodded his head, his forehead rubbing against the windowpane with a tiny squeak. "Thanks, Luke. You're good people."
"You're not going to…"
Alex looked up, looked at Lucas. "Do something stupid?" He shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I know what I did. I have to pay for it. I wouldn't take the chickenshit way out."
"We're just trying to help you," Lucas said, standing up. "You know that, right?"
"I know," Alex said, taking the plate and glass from the tray. "Here, you can take this back."
Lucas took the tray and walked back to the door. "See ya later," he said hesitantly.
"Yeah," Alex said. He took a bite from the sandwich. "When I get the suit, we should get some Rock Band going downstairs, or something."
Lucas laughed quietly. "Yeah," he said. "Sounds good. Jimmy or Connor can play drums or sing, though. I suck."
"I haven't met them yet," Alex said. "But it's on."
---------
"Wow, he's on today," Sean Cassidy sat in the Danger Room's control room, his eyes wide with awe as Arthur Centino flipped through the obstacle course with amazing ease. "I mean," he said to Moira, who was studying the displays behind him, "There were a few times where I thought it was really close, that he was going to miss some of those bars, overshoot the target, something. Anything. But he keeps going."
Arthur had been given the task of chasing a glowing sphere through what was basically a glorified jungle gym. He flipped, spun, swung through like a monkey in the jungle. The look on his face showed that he was starting to get worn out, but that didn't stop him from performing admirably. And occasionally--
"There, it flashed again!" Sean yelled as Centino hooked an overhead bar by one finger, swinging himself up and on, rebalancing himself by his toes.
"I'm seeing a pattern," Moira said, hunkered over the monitors. "Try to pull yourself away from him for a minute and tell me what you think."
Reluctantly, Cassidy pushed his wheeled chair across the room. "I swear," he said, "that boy could the next Jet Li if he wants to be."
"Watch his brain scan," Moira said, pointing a jagged line scrawled across the screen, "and tell me what happens when I say, okay?"
Sean nodded, focusing on the digital model of Arthur's mind. Meanwhile, Moira turned towards the window overlooking the Danger Room, watching Arthur closely. After thirty seconds...
"Okay, now!" she yelled.
"Nothing," Sean said, peering in, "but right before you yelled…"
"What?"
"Let's flip the idea," he said. "When I call, you tell me what he's doing, yeah?"
"Sure."
"All riiiiight... aaaaaand.... now!"
"Hard u-turn," Moira narrated. "The ball reversed direction, and he tracked right along with it."
"Is that all?"
"And his eye flashed. Yes!"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sean said with a grin.
Moira smiled, planting a kiss on Sean's cheek, then standing up and patting his shoulder. "I'm the one who thought of it first, dear."
"Yeah, but…" he blurted. "But I… I, um, confirmed it?"
Moira ignored him, sitting down at a separate monitor. She pulled the keyboard to her, and began typing into Arthur's medical log. Sean stood up and walked behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders and resting his chin on the top of her head to read her writing.
"Subconscious telepathy and telekinesis," Sean read. "Precognition and mind-control. Jaysus. This kid's quite a piece of work, isn't he?"
"Bobby and Kitty said that the bottle changed direction in the air," Moira said, "almost like it had a mind of its own. But it was Arthur who made it change direction. He pushed it the right way, for just a split second. It helped him. And his test scores, the educational ones we ran to figure out what kind of classes he'd take? They were fantastic."
"But we've seen him miss," Sean said. "We've seen his aim go awry. We've read wrong answers on his tests."
"But when he misses, he really misses. And when he hits really good shots, you can see in his body readings that he reacts like anyone else would. Like he had hit a really lucky shot, one he didn't expect to hit."
"So what does that mean?"
"I don't think he has any control over these powers. I think they're in some back part of his brain, calculating what the best outcome would be. But this other part of his brain, the conscious part, doesn't have enough strength to do have any control over it. His telekinesis can nudge an object into the right place, or lift his body a degree or two. His telepathy can find an answer in someone else's brain, but only if it's sitting right there on the surface. His mind control can only drop a hint to another person to do something, but can't full-out force the person to do anything."
"Huh…"
"That's how they got down to the basement that night," Moira said. "He pushed Lucas into going along with them, but he was already close to making that decision. He pushed Emma into letting them pass, but she might very well have made that decision anyway. He made Kitty sneeze, letting them get past her. He dodged the laser, but he only knew it was coming a split-second before it did. He hit the gun with his bottle, but if he had thrown it any further off, not even a telekinetic push would have helped it.
"And I honestly don't believe he knew any of that would happen."
"So what do we have?" Sean asked. "What do we call this?"
Moira shrugged. "For lack of a better term," she said, "Arthur Centino has a psychic lucky charm."
---------
"So what do you think of the place so far?"
"The school?"
"Yeah," Forge said, pulling into the parking lot of the strip mall. "I mean, you've been there for a while, you have to have some idea by now."
Brian gave Forge a grin, something that he never seemed to be without. "It's nice," he said. "It's exciting."
Forge laughed. He got out of the car and pulled on a pair of gloves. "Yeah, I suppose for someone who's only been out of bed for a few months, it would be pretty exciting, huh?"
"Why are you wearing gloves?" asked Brian. "It's warm out."
Forge lifted his robotic arm, its gears whirring as he flexed his fingers. "As I learned when I first built these things, some of the normals aren't really used to The Terminator walking through a mall with them. The gloves and the long sleeves keep me inconspicuous."
"So where are we going?" Brian asked as the two of them walked across the lot.
"A few different stores, actually," Forge said. "You up for a treasure hunt?"
"Sure, that sounds like fun," Brian said, yet another grin crossing his face. "I haven't done a lot of shopping before."
"Well, I'll keep it simple for ya," Forge said, pulling a crumpled, oil-stained piece of paper from his coat pocket. "Each item is divided up by what store you'll find it in. If you have any questions, just ask a clerk, they're good for that sort of thing."
"Super," Brian chuckled. "Where are you headed off to?"
Forge pointed to the large sign at the end of the mall.
"Okay," Brian said, double-checking the list in confusion. "I'll go to Radio Shack and The Apple Store. You're going to… JoAnn Fabrics? What's there?"
"I'm picking up some special fabric," Forge said. "Fine wire mesh weaved in for energy distribution."
"They sell that there?"
Forge tapped his nose with the tip of his finger. "I know a guy," he chuckled. "See ya in a bit."
The job was much easier than Brian had anticipated. Most of the items that Forge had requested were simple to find, for the most part, and for the others he cheerfully approached a salesman.
One of the kids gave Brian an odd look as he pulled down a small computer fan from the rack.
"Usually don't see people in such a good mood here," the clerk said.
Brian looked out into the street. "It's a nice day," he said.
The two men met up a half hour later, as the sun was beginning to set.
"Got everything?"
Brian nodded, lifting two plastic bags.
"Alright, let's get going."
As the stepped onto the sidewalk, Brian stopped. A newspaper box had caught his eye. He walked over, bent over, examining a picture.
Forge's brow furrowed.
"Westchester Woman Found Dead," he read. "What's up, Brian?"
"I don't know," Brian said quietly. For the first time that day, the smile had left his face.
Forge reached into his pocket and pulled out two quarters. Plugging them into the machine, he pulled out the paper.
"While details are still sketchy, police have said the cause of death is inconclusive, as there were no marks on the body. Autopsy still pending. Hmmm," Forge said, folding the paper up and tucking it under his arm. "Might be worth taking a closer look at. I'll let Ororo know." He patted Brian on the back. "Good eye."
"Thanks," said Brian, taking one last glance back at the newspaper rack before returning to his light conversational tone, "What's going on tonight?"
"First Saturday night," Forge said as they climbed back into the car. "Usually movie night for the kids. At least that's what it was when I was going to school."
---------
"Is anyone in here?" Theresa Cassidy opened the door to the boys' dorm room, knocking as she entered. As she expected (and hoped, and dreaded), it was empty except for one boy sitting on his bed. He had piles of cards spread out on the sheets, and was flipping cards out from the deck in his hand.
Oh, boy, don't screw up, one part of Theresa's mind moaned.
"Hi, um, Remy…"
Remy LeBeau looked up from the cards, his face expressionless. His red and black eyes pierced through her.
God, he's hot.
He sat, silent and still, his face marked with mild anticipation, asking for her to speak. Theresa self-consciously pushed her red hair behind her ear and took a deep breath.
"I was, um, wondering," she stammered, "well, that is, we were wondering, um…"
He continued to stare, his odd eyes never blinking once.
"We're gonna watch a movie," Theresa said. "I was… we was… we were wondering if you… wanted to come down and watch, too?"
Smooooth.
Remy nodded in understanding. Looked back down at the cards. Flipped another three into his hand. "Don't feel much like company tonight, chere."
"Oh." Damn. She quickly turned to leave, her face reddening as she went. She stopped, steeled herself, and turned around again to knock him out with her cool delivery.
"Really?" she squeaked.
That one was even better, the voice in her head said sarcastically. He's totally putty in your hands now.
"I'm sure," his eyes never leaving the cards.
Through sheer force of will, she forced herself to take a step into the bedroom, driving this non-existent conversation until it died a horrible, horrible death.
"What… whatcha playin?"
"Solitaire," Remy replied. Three more cards, then moved an eight of clubs to the top deck.
"Oh," Theresa said. "That's… that's a fun game."
"It relaxes me," he replied, emotionless as always.
"Yeah," she said. Inspiration hit her like a bolt of lightning. "We should play together sometime."
Remy looked up from the cards. "We should play solitaire together?"
"Yeah! Well, no, not… not solitaire," she stumbled. "But I know… cards. I can play… stuff…"
Remy returned to his game. "Stuff?"
"Well, my dad, he… taught me… gin? And… and… five hundred, yeah, that's a good one…"
"You're the professor's kid, right? Cassidy?"
Theresa stopped in mid-stammer. "Yeah?"
"You down there with the others a few nights ago?"
"Yeah," she muttered. "Of course I was only there to make sure that Jubilee didn't get into any trouble and--"
"That was decent of you," he said, flipping out more cards. "Looking out for your friend, and all."
Theresa's mouth hung open. She was trying so hard to impress the guy that the fact that he was impressed actually struck her dumb. "Th…thanks…" she breathed.
"Do you play chess?"
"A little…"
"We'll play sometime."
"Oh… okay…"
"Your friends are waiting."
Too shocked to even respond, Theresa simply turned around and closed the door. She took two steps down the hall. Reviewed the last three minutes in her head. Released a quick high pitched squeal of victory as her fists pumped in the air, then calmed herself before descending the stairs to join the others.
---------
Connor Jones arched an eyebrow at Jimmy as Theresa Cassidy slowly walk down the stairs and sat down beside her friend, Jubilation Lee. Jubilee poked her with her elbow. Theresa slowly turned her head, meeting Jubilee's eyes, and smiled like she was drunk or stoned or something.
Jubilee screamed and clapped her hands.
"Women," said Connor with a shake of his head, causing Jimmy to burst into loud laughter. As he and Jones chuckled, Peter and Lucas walked past Alison and Arthur and into the living room, their arms piled high with snacks and sodas.
"So what are we watching?" Lucas asked as he sat down on the couch next to Jimmy and Jones.
"Aren't we waiting for Bobby and Kitty?" Jones asked.
"Hell if I know," Jubilee said, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the hill that Peter set on the coffee table. "They went out for dinner a few hours ago. If they came back, I didn't hear them come in."
"They know the drill," Peter said, leaning back in his chair and pulling a sketch pad onto his lap, "If they want to be here, good for them. If they don't, well, they must have something better to do."
"So, let me get this straight," Alison said, opening the bag of pretzels. "Those two are allowed to go out and do whatever they want, borrow one of the many, many cars from that airplane hangar of a garage, yet we can't leave without adult supervision? How does that work?"
"Well, they're legal, for one thing," Peter said. "Last year they were both sitting here in your position."
"Then why aren't you going out and partying? If I were eighteen, I'd be out of Hicksville, finding the closest bar that didn't smell like cow shit."
Peter shrugged. "That's not me," he said simply, picking up his pad of paper and pencil.
"Besides," Jones said, leaning over to talk to Alison, "last time I checked, you're a little more popular than the rest of us. Going out and partying with you might draw a crowd we might not necessarily want."
Alison gave him a look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's still not public knowledge that you're a mutant," Peter said as he scratched a pencil across the page. "If you show up at a club, the media will find out. All it takes is a cell phone camera, right?"
"Ask Britney Spears and her Astonishing Upskirts," said Jones with a snorting laugh.
"The media will follow you back," Peter continued. "The media will ask questions about what this place is."
"And the media might find out we're harboring a mass murderer," Arthur mumbled.
"Right, because we're trying to keep him safe," Alison snorted, rolling her eyes. "We shouldn't worry about being killed in our sleep, just so long as he's safe."
"As for Bobby and Kitty," Jubilee artfully interjected, "they've been keeping pretty close since Bobby and Rogue broke up. I say let them have a night. Bobby deserves to go out with someone who he can actually hold hands with, and Kitty deserves to actually have a boyfriend, something she's never had before. I think it's kinda cute, actually," she added with a mischievous grin.
"Whatever," Alison said, shaking her head.
"Okay," Lucas said, digging through the pile of DVD's, "Star Wars, right?"
"Ugh," Alison grunted. "Don't we have any Saw?"
"Ew, no," said Jubilee with a shudder, grabbing another stack. "Ooh! Ooh! Vampires! Breaking Dawn!"
"Those don't count as vampires," said Arthur. "They barely count as movies."
"Prince Caspian?" Lucas asked.
"Fine, no sexy vampires," Jubilee sighed. "That one with Hathaway and Timberlake?"
"Middle-aged romantic sap for the loss," Jones groaned.
"I know!" Lucas cried out. "Dark Tower!"
"Do you know anything but geek films, Bishop?" asked Arthur.
"Dark Tower's not geek," Lucas said defensively. "Umm... Is it?"
"I dunno," Jubilee replied. "Ed Harris was pretty hot in that movie. For an old guy, at least."
"Ohhhhhh!"
Everyone jumped as a woman cried out behind them. They all spun towards the sound of the voice, but there was no one there.
"The hell was that?" Arthur gasped.
"Is someone there?" Jones yelled, standing up.
"Is this place haunted?" asked Alison.
"I thought I saw a blur, or something," Lucas replied.
"No, seriously, is this place haunted? Cuz if it is, I am so not--"
Jimmy felt something cold on the tip of her nose. He looked up. "Why is it snowing in here?"
"Is it haunted snow?" Alison asked, her voice shaking as snow fell from the ceiling. "That's, like, a poltergeist thing, or something, isn't it?"
Jubilee and Theresa, putting the pieces together, only gave each other a look of amusement as the others continued the debate.
---------
Kitty Pryde climbed out from the floor of the Academy's basement, dragging herself to the surface with one hand like she was climbing out of a pool. With the other, she pulled Bobby Drake out of the floor behind her, then collapsed onto its suddenly solid surface.
"Oh, my God," she breathed, her naked breasts rising and falling. "That was incredible."
Bobby sat up, his head whipping around in surprise. "Where are we?"
"That was the best orgasm I've ever had."
"Why are we in the med lab?"
"I mean, I lost my vibrator in there once or twice on some particularly good nights--"
"Jesus," Bobby stood up, just as naked, and looked to the ceiling. "Weren't we just in your room?"
"--and the removable showerhead once--"
"On the second floor?"
"But nothing like that."
Bobby turned to look at Kitty, who was lying on her back, her arms and legs spread wide.
"So," Bobby smiled, admiring the view, "I guess this means you want to be my girlfriend?"
Kitty laughed, sitting up and kissing Bobby's knee. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear you say that, Bobby Drake."
"That specifically?" said Bobby with a smirk, sitting down beside her. "Because, honestly, I probably could have asked that more confidently."
Kitty only smiled and snuggled up to him. "Even when you were dating Rogue," she said, "I always cared about you. I always hoped that… I mean, I didn't necessarily hope that anything bad happened between you two, but…"
Bobby nodded. "I know what you meant," he said. "When Rogue broke up with me, it hurt. But these past few days, especially the time I've spent with you, it made me realize that I had held onto her a lot more than I probably should. She was my first girlfriend, and--"
Kitty kissed him again, this time on the lips, cutting off his words. "You don't have to explain," she said, her fingers lazily trailing along his chest. "You were with her because you were with her."
"Something like that," said Bobby as the two lay back down on the cold metal floor. "These last few days, I realized that I stayed with her just because she was my girlfriend," he continued. "But I was happier, had more fun, felt more comfortable when I was hanging out with you than when I was with her."
"That… that was kinda rambly," Kitty muttered. "But I'll accept it as a compliment."
Bobby chuckled and hugged her tightly, reveling in their bare contact. However, this thought led to another, and he sat up again. "Ah, jeez," he said, looking around. "We have to figure out how we're getting out of here. We're not exactly dressed for public display."
Kitty's lower lip stuck out. "Awww," Kitty pouted mischievously, her lower lip sticking out as her hand sliding down his body, "Are you sure we can't get another round in?"
Bobby gasped as she gripped him. He felt himself growing again at her touch, and he kissed her passionately as his hand slid up and cupped her small breast. Then he pulled back.
"If we do it down here," he said, breathing hard, "we'll end up in China."
"Australia, actually," Kitty sighed, releasing him, "but I understand."
"We'll be fine," Bobby said, smiling. "We're dating now, and we live in the same school. We'll have plenty of opportunities."
"We're dating, I'm your girlfriend," Kitty giggled and kissed him. "Keep saying that as often as you want, Bobby Drake. I'll never get tired of hearing it."
"Wait here," he said, standing up, "I'll go grab our uniforms."
"Do I have to stay here?" she flirted. "That means I have to watch your cute ass, and I don't know if I can take much of that right now."
"You know," said Bobby, "you're a lot more... I don't know... outgoing about this stuff than I thought you'd be."
"It was my first time," Kitty blushed, the red shifting down to her chest. "I'm excited."
"So I noticed," he responded, playfully tweaked her nipple. Kitty squeaked in surprise, but Bobby was able to stand up and dodge away before she could counterattack. He walked out of the lab, poking his head around the door frame to make sure the coast was clear before proceeding. A few minutes later he returned, carrying two sets of leather jumpsuits. He handed Kitty her black and pink uniform.
"It was my first time, too," he said shyly. "Here you go."
"Thanks," said Kitty, blushing at his admission. "Your first?"
"Rogue was my first girlfriend," Bobby shrugged. "So obviously, yeah..."
"Where's yours?" she asked, pointing to the uniform pants that he was pulling on. They were yellow where his would have been white.
"I forgot, mine are being cleaned," Bobby replied. "These are one of the spares."
"Logan's?"
"Yeah," said Bobby. "It was between this one and one of Dr. McCoy's. I figured this one had a little less loose hair."
Kitty chuckled, zipping up her top. "Not much less, I suppose."
---------
Ororo Munroe stood outside the small wooden house. Well, house would be stretching it for many of her friends. It was was only one room, but, having grown up in Africa, this small Tibetan structure reminded her of home more than anything she had seen in America.
She turned around, watching the setting sun. Checked her watch. Eight pm. Midnight back at the Academy.
Hopefully my sources are right, she thought as she entered the shack. The sooner I get him to the school, the better.
Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light from the candles in the room. She looked around and was surprised to see what she found. Ancient-looking tapestries lined the walls. Books, maps, and photographs were scattered everywhere. Some dating as far back as 19th century, they were left open on every inch of floor and table.
"Didn't expect to see you here," came a voice from the shadows. "Thought I earned some peace and quiet."
"I know," Ororo said. "And I'm sorry. But times are changing."
"They always do."
"I don't want to think I'm forcing you to come with me, but you should know that the school is different now. Some of the new students have skills and abilities that we never imagined. They're powerful, and they're uncontrolled. I think they have the power in them to control their powers. But I also don't believe that the faculty I've brought in have the experience and the training to properly help them find that control. But you do."
"Hm," said the shadow shortly.
"Things are going to be different," Ororo continued. "I know this. Most of the people you knew are gone. But I'm still here. And I know you. I know what you've been through, and what you've learned. You can deal with the changes better than anyone else I know. We need you. The children need you.
"Will you come back with me?"
An Unexpected Mission / Previous Chapters