CHAPTER 154: THE GIRL AND THE WHITE QUEEN
Chicago evening. The air heavy with city grit, gasoline and fried food from the corner stand. A streetlamp buzzed above a small girl walking home, clutching her schoolbag. Kitty Pryde. Thirteen. Too small for the weight pressing against her skull.
Her head pounded. Not like a normal headache. This was sharper, a drill boring behind her eyes.
'What's wrong with me? Just… just get home.'
She stumbled up the steps of her house, key fumbling in the lock. Inside, warm lights, the murmur of voices. Relief — until she caught sight of the woman sitting prim on the couch.
Tall. Perfect posture. White hair sharp as frost. Eyes that slid over Kitty like she was a piece of property already bought.
"Oh, sweetheart," Mrs. Pryde called warmly. "This is Ms. Frost. She's… she's from a school. A wonderful school."
Ms. Frost smiled with that kind of politeness that cut like a knife. "It's a place for special young people, Katherine. A place where you would be… understood."
The pain behind Kitty's eyes flared. She staggered, clutching her forehead. "I—I just need to lie down," she stammered, darting past them. She didn't see Frost's lips twitch in amusement.
Upstairs, she threw herself on the bed, shoes still on. The pain became unbearable. She curled tight, teeth grit.
And then—
The world lurched.
Her stomach dropped like she'd fallen. The bed disappeared from under her.
She hit the floor. No—under the floor. She blinked, panicked, heart hammering as she stared up at the underside of her own mattress.
'WHAT—what just happened? Oh God, oh God—'
Her breath came sharp and ragged, but her body buzzed with something new. Something terrifying.
---
Meanwhile, the Xavier group pulled up outside. Blackbird hidden, they approached on foot. Charles led, Logan flanking him, shoulders tense.
The door opened just as Ms. Frost stepped out. She wore her smile like armor.
Logan stepped forward, nostrils flaring. He caught it instantly — beneath the expensive perfume, beneath the powder and clean fabric. Something sour. Something coiled. Hidden agenda, like rotting fruit wrapped in sugar.
He bared his teeth. "She stinks of lies."
And then she was gone, heels clicking as her car pulled away. Logan watched until the taillights vanished. His fists tightened.
Inside, Kitty's parents beamed. "Charles! What an unexpected surprise. And these are your… students?"
"Yes," Xavier said kindly. "This is Piotr, Ororo, John, and Logan."
Kitty stood awkwardly in the doorway, eyes darting between them.
Colossus gave a small bow. "It is pleasure to meet you, Katya."
Storm stepped in, calming. Her smile was warm, like sunlight after rain. "Do not fear. We are friends."
Kitty hesitated… then smiled back. Something about Storm's voice was like a hand steadying her.
Her parents beamed. "Why don't you go out with the students? Get to know them. A little fresh air, hmm?"
---
The café smelled of coffee, grease, and sugar. Neon lights hummed in the window. Kitty sat across from Storm, sipping a soda, nerves unwinding.
"You're really… like me?" she asked softly.
Storm's eyes softened. "Yes. We are all like you, child. Different, but together. That is what makes us strong."
Kitty smiled. For the first time in weeks, the headache dulled.
At another table, Colossus tried to fold his giant frame into a too-small chair. "These chairs, they are made for children," he muttered.
"Or tiny circus elves," Thunderbird said with a smirk.
Logan sat by the window, chewing on a toothpick, eyes on the street. The city stank of oil and hot dogs — but beneath it, faint, sour threads of something else.
His muscles coiled. Nose twitched.
'Hostile. Four of 'em. And they're close.'
He growled. "Heads up."
The wall exploded inward. Four men in suits came crashing through like wrecking balls in human skin.
Kitty screamed, soda spilling. Storm pulled her close, eyes already flashing white.
"Showtime," Logan snarled, claws SNIKTing out in a gleam of steel.