ABDUCTION

By Yannick Lamarre

“Kitty?”

The voice was disembodied, the person who spoke, absent. Katherine Pryde stood in the middle of nowhere once more, in a dream routine that was becoming all too familiar to her. This time the landscape was more definite, though. She stood before a dark castle, overshadowed by a large mountain behind it. It felt familiar to her, like she had been here before.

Maybe in another dream. She wasn’t sure enough to know. A soft wind was blowing around her. It was hot rather than refreshing though, and it felt to her that if this wasn’t a dream, she’d be sweating. Which kinda reassured her. Knowing this was a dream made it much more easier to bear.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me.”

And there was someone standing before her. But it wasn’t Illyana, or the Darkchilde for that matter. This was someone else entirely. Someone she knew quite well.

“Oh my God! Amanda?!”

The woman known as Amanda Sefton nodded and walked closer to Kitty, smiling. Kitty walked up to her, bewildered, and hugged her. It all felt so unreal…

“Are you the one behind my dreams?” Kitty asked, taking a step back.

Amanda frowned at that, and shook her head.

“I came to wa…” she started to say, but then everything around the two of them started to shake, and the ground gave way beneath Kitty.

She fell, screaming a silent scream, and landed hard on her back. She opened her eyes, and saw three worried faces looking down at her. In her hands she held a broken computer board. It had broken in two when she’d fell. Michael extended his hand and helped her up.

“Are you all right?” he asked, gazing at her curiously.

“I don’t know… what happened?” she asked the others, feeling a bit confused.

“You fell asleep,” Jonathan said from his post.

Melissa brought her a coffee mug. She sipped it thankfully, then shook her head.

“I haven’t been sleeping too well…” she admitted to them, as Sam picked up the fallen chair.

She sat down in it. The owner of Sam’s Electronics picked up the broken computer board and frowned.

“Kitty, I can’t have you breaking pieces of equipment because you can’t sleep,” he told her. “Why don’t you take a few days off? I’ll call Miss Reynolds and tell her we’ll be a few days late.”

“I’m sorry, Sam…” Kitty apologized.

He nodded and headed off for his office. Rachel looked at Kitty worriedly. Kitty smiled at her, trying to reassure the girl that she was all right. She felt a slight headache though. At least she hadn’t phased through the floor this time. It had gotten a lot worse ever since she’d returned from Logan’s wedding. As if being over the pond had made matters worse. And she still hadn’t talked to Moira. As if knowing what she was thinking, Rachel took out a bottle of aspirin from her schoolbag and handed it over to Kitty. Actually, if what she suspected was right, Rachel had heard her thoughts.

“How are your headaches coming?” she asked the younger girl.

She shrugged.

“I’ve had worse,” the girl simply said, and she moved away, avoiding the subject.

Kitty still wasn’t sure whether or not to bring her to Xavier, or Jean. This was really beginning to be a bother. But she had so much on her mind lately, she didn’t know where to begin addressing her different problems.

“You didn’t tell me you weren’t sleeping…” Melissa said. “Maybe if you didn’t bring in weird men at all hours,” she added playfully, throwing a look at Michael, who unsurprisingly immediately took the bait.

She meant Logan, from the other night, of course.

“Men? At all hours? What men?” he asked.

He almost sounded in a panic.

“I have my freedoms,” she simply said, smiling.

Kitty stood up and gulped down her coffee. The thing tasted horrible, but it had almost become a drug around here. She threw a look at Jonathan, but he was back in his work, working on debugging a computer brought in yesterday. It was rare that the entire crew was around at one time, but it was Saturday, and there was a lot of work to do. Rachel was sitting at a small table in the corner of the shop, working on some numbers while Sam was busy talking to Ms. Reynolds on the phone. He hung up and frowned, then looked up as Kitty watched him, and indicated for her to come in. She opened the office’s door and walked in. He looked at her and indicated that she should sit down.

“What’s up?” she asked, sitting on the office’s only chair besides the boss’s.

“Miss Reynolds is not an happy woman,” he told her.

“I’m sorry about the board. I’ll make sure it’s done for tomorrow…” Kitty started saying.

“No. You won’t. You’re taking a few days off, Kitty. And I’ll take the board out of your pay,” Sam cut in.

Kitty’s eyes widened, and for a second she didn’t know what to say.

“Look, Sam, I…” she wanted to explain.

“Kitty, I’ve tolerated a lot from you. Your unexplained absences. Your long breaks. The first day you walked in here you dragged terrorists in with you. This is just the last straw, okay? I don’t want the others thinking I tolerate people sleeping on the job. Take a week off. Get some rest. We’ll have a fresh start next Monday,” Sam explained.

Kitty took a deep breath, then nodded. She knew she could argue her case, maybe even reveal some of what she’s been doing during those absences, but she knew she needed the rest. A week’s vacation would do her good. Maybe she’d use the time to run off to England again, and have Moira figure out what was wrong with her powers.

“Fine, Sam, I get it. I’ll take the rest.”

“Good. You’re welcome to visit anytime. I think Michael will go nuts if he doesn’t see you for a week!” he said, smiling.

Kitty smiled, nodded, and walked out of the office. When the door was closed, Sam’s smile vanished. He hoped this didn’t change things between him and her too much. Not for his sake, but for Rachel’s.

Kitty sat on her bed, gazing at the wall before her. It was bare. She just hadn’t known what to put on it. Lockheed was sleeping on her pillow, snoring peacefully. She had nothing to do. All the others were still working. It was a bright Saturday, she had an headache forming up nicely, and was on forced vacation for a week.

“This is just great…” she whispered.

She stood up and opened her closet. She took out a shoe box and unfolded her costume. She usually didn’t go out during the day, but maybe she could make an exception today. It wasn’t like she had anything better to do. Just as she said this there was a soft knock on her front door. She put the costume back in the box and ran to the front door. She opened it and looked questioningly at Rachel.

“Hey, Kitty, um, there’s something I want to talk to you about…”

“Sure Rache…” She opened the door wider, letting the young teenage girl inside.

She sat down in the living room. Kitty closed the door and asked her if she wanted something to drink, then went off to prepare two glasses of juice. She returned and offered Rachel one, which she took. Kitty sat down beside her.

“What’s going on?” she asked Rachel.

Rachel took a deep breath, and then nodded, strenghtening herself.

“I think there’s something wrong with me…” she told her. “And it’s not just about my headaches, although I think it’s related…”

“What do you mean?”

And then Kitty felt something inside her mind. A familiar touch. One that could only mean one thing.

“I think you already know…” Rachel told her, staring at Kitty’s eyes intently. “I can feel what you’re thinking. What others are feeling… I don’t know why…”

Kitty saw Rachel’s eyes watering. Kitty sat closer to her and hugged her.

“It’s okay, sweetie, there’s nothing wrong with you,” she said, trying to be comforting.

Rachel didn’t say anything for a while, and Kitty just held her. The telepathic touch had been weak, and amateurish. She probably hadn’t been able to get anything precise from her, mostly basic thoughts and emotions on the surface of Kitty’s mind. It was all so amazing to her. Rachel’s name, her red hair, the telepathy…

“I’ll help you. First thing tomorrow, I’ll take you to someone who can help. Someone I trust!” Kitty told her.

Jean would help. She’d be freaked, but she’d help. She wasn’t sure enough about Charles these days.

“My head hurts so much…” Rachel managed to say.

Kitty closed her eyes. She silently prayed that Jean was feeling strong enough to help. Because Rachel didn’t look like she could take much more of this.

“I can’t take this anymore.”

Jonathan stared at Michael while the two sat at the local McDonald’s. They’d started hanging out during their lunches together, ever since they had fought it out after… well, after the Madison Square Garden had blown up.

“What?” Jonathan asked, taking a bite out of his Big Mac.

“The not knowing. The are we or aren’t we. The whole mysterious ‘I’m Kitty, I’m going to vanish for a few days, don’t look for me’ deal. I just don’t know where I stand anymore.”

Michael took a bite too, and then went on. Jonathan tuned him out, thinking instead of Kitty’s fall that morning. She had been moaning before waking up. Something about dreams… he didn’t buy the explanation she’d given. Something was bothering her. Keeping her from sleeping right.

“I think something’s bothering her, and it frustrates me that I can’t help,” Michael said.

Jonathan looked up, surprised to hear his own thoughts come out of Michael’s mouth. They were both thinking along the same lines, apparently.

“She’ll let you in when she’s ready,” Jonathan said, not knowing what else to say.

“I guess,” Jonathan replied. “I just wish she’d hurry.”

Melissa took a breath and sat down on the chair under the counter. She rubbed her leg where the bullet had hit her, not even realizing she was doing it. Sam walked in and watched her a moment, before approaching her at the counter.

“They still hurt, huh?” he asked her gently.

She looked up at her, unsure of what he meant, but then she looked at her hands, and shrugged.

“Not so much… must be like, phantom pains, you know?”

Sam nodded. He walked to the coffee machine and filled two cups. He brought her one, and then sat down at Jonathan’s post. He smiled at her, took a sip from his coffee, then looked at her straight in the eyes.

“So, um, tell me. Kitty, what kind of a roommate is she?”

Melissa was taken aback by the the question. Why would Sam ask a thing like that? Should she defend Kitty, or tell the truth?

“Why are you asking?” she said instead, playing it a bit defensive.

“Just wondering. With your school and all, you can’t have much time for chores and the like. Does she do some of that?”

“Oh yeah, she’s fine. She’s not around much either…” she said, but instantly regretted it.

“No? Why not?” Sam went on.

His stare never left Melissa’s eyes. It was beginning to be a bit unnerving.

“Look, Sam, what’s with questionning? Are you thinking of firing her?” Melissa shot back.

Kitty wasn’t a perfect roommate, and she had her bunch of problems, but Melissa wasn’t about to add to them by having her fired, or evicted or anything.

“No, no,” he quickly said, waving the notion away. “It’s just that she’s been getting close to my daughter, and I want to make sure Kitty’s a, you know, good influence…”

“Kitty’s a good person,” Melissa simply said.

Sam nodded. It was as if he’d been waiting for that answer. He got up and returned to his office.

“Thanks,” he said before closing the door.

Melissa blinked, not sure what to think of that conversation. Kitty was a good person, but she also lived a dangerous life, and Melissa herself had been caught up in it once or twice. Would Rachel be in any danger if Kitty started hanging out with her? She groaned, then looked up as a new client walked in. It was a tall woman, with red hair tied up in a ponytail. Melissa didn’t know her. It was the first time she had set foot in this shop, at least while she’d been at the counter.

“Can I help you?” she called to her.

The woman looked at her. She had a small scratch in her face, like a cut that was healing up.

“Yes, maybe, I’m looking for a girl. Tall, brunette?”

“You mean, Kitty?” Melissa asked, puzzled.

Janine Samson smiled. Finally.

“Yes, Kitty…”

“God, I’m bored,” Shadowcat complained, looking up at the sun.

She was resting on a rooftop, of all places, not far from her home and the shop. Her patrols hadn’t turned up anything. Looked like crime wasn’t committed during the day. Or at least not a crime she could handle. However, if overpriced jeans were a crime, she had more than a few shops to bust. She smiled at the thought. Maybe she should just pack it in for today. Do like Lockheed and get a few hours sleep. This was what her week long break was all about, after all. But the dreams would return if she went to sleep. And those never left her rested. She kept her sleep hours to a minimum nowadays, to try and get the most from each time her head hit the pillow.

She finally stood up and started on her way home, until she made her way to a rooftop a few blocks away from her apartment. She was about to leap over a small gab between buildings when she suddenly phased through it, and it hurt terribly. She screamed as she descended into some empty living room, and then further down into an old lady’s apartment. She screamed in horror, joining Kitty’s scream of pain, but Kitty continued on her way down, and as much as she tried stopping herself nothing worked. She went through two more stories before ending up on the basement’s concrete floor. Shadowcat was dizzy, and hurt badly. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. She gasped, trying to catch her breath. She spent a few minutes there, lying on the cold concrete floor, until she heard steps upstairs. Someone was coming to check down here.

Kitty slowly stood up, then walked up the stairs and out of the basement. The old lady was with a man, probably the janitor or the landlord, and they were both heading her way. Luckily, she still had her mask on. She quickly ran out of the building and hid in the alley beside it. She climbed up the emergency stairway and made her way up to the roof again. She extended her arm, and saw that she was trembling.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” she asked.

Kitty looked up, towards her apartment, and saw it then. A strange movement in the air, like a twister forming itself, except it was sideways. She shook her head, thinking her vision was playing her tricks, but the effect was staying there, and soon enough a hole in the air appeared. The effect looked familiar, but she couldn’t place her finger on it quite yet. But then what followed she definitely replaced.

Ten, no, more like twenty purple creatures came out of the hole. They had tough skin and tails, and had large teeth and claws. Their eyes shone fiery red, and they instantly focused on her. They moved as one, jumping out of the hole in mid-air and hurling themselves at her. There were too many for her to fight. Shadowcat turned around to run, but the first of the creatures was on her. It jumped at her back and its weight brought her down. Still, she used the momentum from her fall to roll along with it and kick the creature away from her. It flew over her and over the edge of the rooftop, falling with a screech to the ground four stories below. It made a satisfying splatter.

But the others were on her now, savagely slashing at her and kicking her around. She felt hits, more than she could count, and she tried fighting back. Shadowcat hit a few of them, breaking the jaw of one and kicking another in the chest, but they had definitely come prepared. One of them lashed out with its tail and sent her to the ground again. It used its massive feet to kick her around like a broken doll, and she felt a few of her ribs snap.

“No!” she screamed out.

She didn’t want to die. Not like this! She lashed out savagely, putting her nails into one of the monster’s eye, and it screamed and backed away. She punched another one and broke its jaw, but another one grabbed her by the hair, lifted her up in the air and sent her crashing down. Kitty saw stars for a second, then a huge purple fist, then saw nothing anymore.

Lockheed’s eyes snapped open, and he felt the trouble before he saw it. He was finely attuned with Kitty, and knew instantly something bad was going on. He jumped off the bed and flew out of the window, not even bothering to open it beforehand. He crashed through and took some altitude, and saw Kitty being taken by purple monsters. He howled out in rage and flew as fast as he could.

Kitty was limp on one of the creature’s shoulder. She looked badly beaten up. He extended his claws and slashed at the first monster he reached. They were all heading towards some floating disc in the air, which seemed to lead nowhere. But Lockheed knew better. This was a portal of some sort. The monster howled in rage and batted at him, but Lockheed spit fire in his face and the creature howled, batting his two arms about blindly, smashing a few of his fellow monsters in the process. Lockheed took some altitude again before the others could retaliate, and targeted the one holding Kitty. He swept down and used his claws to rip of the top of the creature’s head. It fell forward, dropping Kitty to the rooftop. So far, so good.

Lockheed raised out of his dive and planned on taking out the ones nearest to Kitty, but one of the creatures smashed a chimney with its fist and sent a brick at Lockheed. He didn’t have time to dodge, and he connected painfully with the rudimentary weapon. His momentum cut off, barely conscious, Lockheed fell like a rock in the alleys between the buildings. He crashed into a garbage can and rose no more.

The creatures looked warily around for any other sign of trouble. They had not expected so much resistance from a single girl. Satisfied that their business here was concluded, they walked into the portal, carrying along with them their dead and wounded. It closed behind them, leaving no trace of a struggle, save for a broken window, a torn down chimney, and an unmoving dragon in a garbage can down a dark alley…

Amanda Sefton looked at the older woman standing in the shadowy corner of her personal chambers here in Limbo.

“Are you certain?” she asked the woman.

“Yes. She’s here…” the woman said, looking out of her window and into the barren horizons.

Amanda nodded, and her eldritch armor appeared around her, summoned from the nether. She took a sword from the weapons laying on her wall, and stepped out of her rooms. One of her last remaining servants looked at her and bowed its heads.

“Where are you going, mistress?” the servant asked.

For a few seconds, Amanda wasn’t sure how to answer this, but then she finally felt the disturbance in her realm that meant it had been penetrated from the outside.

“To help a friend!” she finally answered, and she vanished before the servant’s eyes.

“Or die trying…” her last words echoed down the halls of the citadel.