Weightless ║ X-Men Continuity

Chapter 24

In which the world is in danger of ending.

Some people thrive in the midst of chaos and unpredictability. They see a day of uncertainty as filled with opportunities, adventure, and excitement. Not knowing what lies ahead energizes them and brings out their full potential.

Marilyn Summers was not one of those people.

Surrounded by a small army of giant robots shooting some sort of lasers from their hand, along with the X-Men (and allies') counterattacks, it was all she could do to resist the urge to just curl up into a ball and cover her ears. That would be a foolish choice, seeing as the sentinels were actively trying to kill her. So, to her dismay, she actually had to exert physical effort to keep herself from being blasted into oblivion.

Sure, she'd practiced in the danger room (only twice), but actually being in the field was like the simulation multiplied to the tenth power. The X-Men, who had worked so seamlessly, remaining calm and collected in the danger room, now actually looked as if they had to try to keep themselves alive. It was an odd sight to Marilyn, and not a reassuring one either.

On the bright side, Hank, Peter, Irene, and Charles had returned. Hank seemed to be even more stressed than usual, especially at the fact that the teens had been allowed to join in the fight—under supervision, of course. Although Raven hadn't wanted to admit it, they needed all the help they could get.

A pink blur whizzed by Marilyn, and it took a moment for her to register the vibrating ball of energy as Kitty. She was certainly one of those people who thrived in chaos. Her mutation of phasing through physical objects had proved to be immensely helpful; she was able to avoid getting hit by any debris or blasts with ease, as the objects just went right through her.

"How'd you get so good at this?" Marilyn asked the younger girl, her voice raised to make herself heard above all the noise. She ducked as a dark figure soared above her—Roberto. When using his powers, his deep brown skin, dark curls, and even his clothes all faded into a black silhouette outlined by a golden, pulsating glow. She wasn't sure how that worked, but found it impressive nonetheless.

"It's just like dodgeball!" Kitty shouted back. Her small hand grasped Marilyn's larger one as she pulled her out of the way of a dismembered sentinel limb flying towards them. Of course. Even the youngest students at the institute have had more practical training than she did—Kurt had told her that long before they entered the danger room, all students were subject to intensive P.E. and beginning combat courses to help them begin to harness their abilities. Apparently he and Peter taught some of the classes, and from what she heard, they were very popular among the students.

Kitty studied Marilyn with a frown, still gripping her hand tightly as the chaos swirled around them. "You don't know what you're doing, do you?" She queried, her nose scrunching up as she watched Marilyn's tense, uncertain body language.

Great. Just got called out by the eleven year-old. "Not really," she admitted.

"Yeah, I can tell." Kitty seemed deep in thought for a moment, casually allowing a small rock to phase through her face instead of colliding with it.

"Shadowcat! Get over here!" Raven shouted.

Shadowcat? Marilyn wondered. Kitty perked up at the name, quickly dashing towards Raven and leaving Marilyn alone once again. She was frozen in place for a few precious seconds, then at the last moment her brain seemed to turn back on and she got back to dodging the flying objects sent her way.

Marilyn had lost count of the amount of sentinels long ago. It felt like no matter how many the group took down, more just came and took their place. The warehouse had emptied out long ago, but they're must've been other storage facilities, because now they were just flying over and dropping out of the sky.