X-Men: Shadow Me, Kitty

By R. Wellington

Disclaimer: X-Men, all characters within (Professor Charles Xavier, Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops, Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix, Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus, Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock, alias Psylocke, and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat, the X-Mansion, and all other locals and characters within are heretofore copyrighted by Marvel comics ©1963, 1989, 2001. Marvel Comics is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. The song "Haul Away Joe" is a traditional English tune and in public domain. No permission was needed to quote it. The song "California Über Alles" is by the Dead Kennedys and is ©1980 Alternative Tentacles records. The song "The Brady Bunch Theme" is ©1967 Paramount Television. "Ash" is ©1999 5. Other copyrights and trademarks are owned by their respective owners. This fan fic is not for profit, and all characters and copyrighted songs heretofore mentioned are used without permission.

Part I: The Meeting

Movement I: Onset

"When I was a little lad

It was a normal day at the mansion of the X-Men, located at 1407 Greymalkin lane, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York state, United States of America. The date was April 30^th 2001, and it was a typical day in late April. The wind was gently blowing at about 3-5 miles per hour (about 4.82803- 8.04672 kilometers per hour.) The trees are starting to show thier fine greenery and beginning to leaf. Below the trees, some of the remnants of last year's greenery still remained amongst the grass which was starting to turn green as well. The grass, of course, was neatly trimmed and well manicured as was the tradition around the mansion. It stood out from the ground at about 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) per blade. Professor Xavier would not have it any other way, as it was what he was accustomed to having. In the sky above several white cumulous clouds had formed; most of them were of an indefinite shape, appearing like cotton growing in the wild. One, however, was different, however. It appeared something like a German shephard's face. Of course, the temperature outside was a pleasant one, typical for the time in upstate New York in late April. It was about 71 degrees Fahrenheit (21.6667 degrees Celsius, 294.817 degrees Kelvin, or 530.67 degrees Rankine.)

A few members of the mutant team known as the X-Men were outside enjoying the day. They were Scott Summers, alias Cyclops; Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix; Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler; Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock, alias Psylocke; Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus; and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops stood about 6'3" (1.905 M) in height and weighed about 175 lbs. (79.3787 Kg). He was born in Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America. He had short straight brown hair which he kept neatly combed. He was dressed in a sweatsuit which was a light blue color, emblazoned with a gold color X in a circle; it was manufactured in China by Holloway sportswear. This sweatsuit was a slightly loose fit on him, allowing him to move freely. The gold X in a circle on his chest measures about 10 inches (25.4 cm) in diameter. The sleeves were short, and came down only about 1/4^th of the way between his shoulders and his elbow. His shoes were made by Reebok, and were a good fit onto his size 10 feet. He also wore his gold-tone visor with the ruby lenses on it. This, of course, prevented his devistating optic blasts from hurting anyone. Optic blasts which can stop a tank dead in its tracks, or knock even the most stouthearted of people down. On his left wrist he wore a gold-tone analog watch on which the time read 10:24.35 a.m., and it displayed the date of April 30^th on the dial where the number three should have normally been.The dial's face measured about 1.3 inches (3.302 cm) in diameter and has the numbers in Arabic form (as opposed to roman numerals.)

Jean Grey-Summers stood about 5'6" (1.6764 M) in height. We didn't ask her for her weight, as it's rude to do that. She had shoulder length wavy red hair which she kept neatly brushed. She was also dressed similarly, except her sweatsuit was a light green color. This, she said, flattered her green eyes. Her shorts were also a light green color as well, and came down about 6.5 inches (16.51 cm) beneath her waist. This, of course, exposed her legs below that mark. She wore running shoes also by Reebok which fit her size 6 feet snugly. She too wore a watch which had a white face and leather strapping. The numbers were in roman numbers, however. She also wore earrings with a blue beads that measured about 1/3^rd of an inch (0.8382 cm) in diameter.

Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler was slightly differently dressed. He stands about 5'9" (1.7526 M) in height and weighed about 195 lbs. (88.4505 Kg.) He is believed to have been born in the Bavarian Alps. Hewore a pair of black spandex pants and a dark red T-shirt, emblazoned with the logo of the X-Men on it. The logo measured 10 inches (25.4 cm) in diameter ( He also wore shoes especially designed for his feet. His indigo fur stood out against the bright sunlight of the day. Unlike the others, he chose not to wear a watch. Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcralwersaid that he prefered not to be a clock watcher. He knew that using his teleportation ability to move ahead of everyone cheated the point of excercising. Unlike the other members of the X-Men, he grew up in a circus, where he was trained to be athletic and gymnastic. Also unlike the rest of the X-Men, Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler was more of a fun-loving type than the others; he saw himself more as Errol Flynn than the warhorse.

Piotr "Peter" Nikolaievitch Rasputin alias Colossus stood about 6'9" (2.0574 M) and weighed about 250 lbs (113.398 Kg.) He was born at the Ust-Ordynski collective, near Lake Baikal, Sibera, in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) which was now the country of Russia. He had close cropped straight black hair which he kept combed neatly. He was also dressed in a red sweatshirt which had short sleeves on it that came down midway between his shoulders and his elbow. The shirt also had a gold X which also measured 10 inches (25.4 cm) in diameter. Of course, since his shirt was larger in size than the others, this made the logo seem smaller. He also wore shorts which were also red in color. He wore running shoes by Nike, which were size 14. His watch was a large affair made by Benrus with a leather strap and a digital watchface with LCD crystal display. It was a metal tone color with that off-gray color for the crystal face. He too had a long history, with the finding of him by Professor Charles Xavier in the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and brought back to the United States of America through his relationship with Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat and then leaving the X-Men to join Magneto and his acolytes to joining Excalibur to rejoining the X-Men.

Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock, alias Psylocke stood about 5' 11" (1.8034 M)in height. We didn't ask for her weight either, since that's not a nice thing to do. She had shoulder length straight blonde hair which was dyed purple, and brown eyes. She had been genetically altered to appear Asian in origin, even though she was born in Braddock Manner, England, of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. She was raised in that manor and had a brief careers as a fashion model, a member of the Stretegic Hazard, International Espinage Law-Enforcement Division alias S.H.I.E.L.D., and then finally landing at the X-Men. While there, she had several adventures; this ranged from her death and resurrection at the hands of the Crimson Dawn to being a pawn for the Mandarin to Kwannon and the Psylocke/Revannche plotline. Currently she was sporting a purple spandex outfit (to go with her dyed purple hair which was in fact natrually blonde) which hugged her figure tightly and flattered it in all the right places. It was cut very high in the leg, coming about 1 inch down from her waist at the side. It had no sleeves on the outfit. She also wore Reebok shoes, size 8 ½. This fit her feet perfectly. She also wore earrings that were an off gray color, that were in the traditional hoop shape and measured 1 inch (2.54 cm) in diameter by 1/3^rd of an inch (.8466 cm.) Like many of the X-Men at this point, she was slightly sweating, enough to cool her down but not enough to start stinking up the place.

Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat was a different matter all together. She stands about 5'5" (1.651 M) in height wore a pleasant looking spandex outfit which clung tightly to her athletic frame; this was a multi-colored affair which was mostly dark blue with some red thrown in as accents on the arms and legs. She was born in Deerfield, Illinois, United States of America, and grew up in a normal life until her mutant powers manifested themselves. Her luscious shoulder-length brown hair fell about her shoulders in the most striking manner. Shadowcat is a pleasant looking young woman, about 21 or so, with long brown hair that hung to her shoulders, rich, voluminous brown eyes, pouty red lips that beg a man to kiss them. From the top of her head to her rich brown eyes to her button nose to her pouty red lips with the smile that turns a man's heart to gelatin to her athletically toned body with ample breasts, a fashionably thin waistline, and small, but full, childbearing hips to her long, silky, sexy athletically toned legs to her pretty little feet, Shadowcat is 100% a woman. She was the kind of woman that a man could instantly fall deeply in love with, and bend him to do her will. Fortunately for all involved she kept these feminine charms under a tight reign, and often believed that she was not that beautiful, sadly. She lead the life of a normal young woman until her 13^th birthday when her mutant power of phasing through someone manifested itself when she phased through the bed she was sleeping on at the time. She later discovered that her phasing power disrupts electrical equipment. Originally code named Ariel, she was as graceful as the fairy she was named for, then changed her name to Sprite (which is also a refreshing beverage, but that's another story altogether.) After a bout with a demonic ninja named Ogun, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde finally adopted her alias of Shadowcat. She joined Excalibur and remained one of the team's strongest members until it was disbandoned awhile back. After that, she returned to the X-Men and started living with them. Looking at her, it was pretty obvious why many men drooled at first sight. It cannot be emphasized enough how beautiful she is.

The X-Men as I have described above were out on thier morning jog on the grounds of the mansion. The mansion's ample grounds which measured some 247 acres (0.999574 square kilometers) in area. Snaking around the grounds was a jogging path that made a complete circle around the place. It was about 3/4^ths of a mile (1207.01 meters) in distance and about 4 feet (1.2192 m) wide. All around the jogging path there were various grasses growing, mostly the St. Augustine variety with some Bermuda and monkey grass thrown in here and there in nodiscernable pattern. They ran down the path with Jean Grey-Summers alias Phoenix and her husband Scott Summers alias Cyclops leading the way, followed by Piotr "Peter" Rasputin alias Colossus and Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock alias Psylocke right behind them. Just behind those two were Kurt Wagner alias Nightcrawler and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. For them it was an average, routine morning. Well, as about as average as one could get being an X-Man. Of course, that often meant waking up to some crisis that they had to solve. Of course, more often they woke to a morning routine of jogging through the mansion grounds and then a nice, pleasant breakfast. At the end of the run the X-Men gathered ran into the dining area and were greeted by the servants. The primary servant was an elderly, balding man who combed his long white hair over his head to cover up the fact that he was balding. He stood about 5'4" (1.6256 M) in height and slightly stooped-shouldered. His brown eyes had seen a lot in his 59 years of existance in the Marvel Universe. He wore a smart-looking formal butler's uniform which was black and white in color. It fit him snuggly. His shoes were black, size 7 1/2 and freshly shined. He held up a silver-plated zinc alloy platter which measured 1'2" by 9 inches (35.56 cm by 22.86 cm.) The pattern etched into the platter was that of a Colonial American home. On this platter were six glasses which measured about8 inches in height (20.32 cm.) These glasses were filled 3/4ths of the way full with water purified with a Bartholomew 200 water filter. The X-Men entered and each took a glass of water and started drinking the water. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat thanked the butler for providing them with this much-needed refreshment. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde put the glass to her pouting red lips and took a much-needed drink of water. Any straight man in the room would have greatly desired to be that glass for that moment. After taking about 5 gulps of water, Shadowcat removed the glass from herlips, setting it upright. The others drank about the same amount of water, allowing for variations in size of thier gulps. At this time Professor Charles Xavier summoned the X-Men telepathically to his office. "X-Men, come to my office as soon as possible." He commanded telepathically.

The team entered the office and stood in a semicircle around Professor Charles Xavier and the other man there. They stood about 1-2 feet (30.48-60.96 cm) apart and all facing towards Professor Charles Xavier. Once they arrived at the office, The X-Men discovered that there was an additional person there about 2 feet (60.96 cm) to Professor Xavie'rs right. He was a Caucasian male, standing 5'10" (1.778 M) in height, weighted about 185 lbs. (83.9146 Kg.) He had a muscular, athletic frame on his body. His eyes were a sapphire blue, shaped in the usual Caucasian style; his nose was small measuring about 2 inches (5.08 cm;) His mouth was strong and firm, the kind a woman would like to kiss; it measured about 3 inches (7.62 cm) from end to end. He had broad shoulders, and his reach was 73 inches (1.8542 M) in length. His biceps measured about 12 inches in circumfrence (30.48 cm.) He had a 40 inch chest (101.6 cm,) and a 34 inch (86.36 cm) waistline. He had closely cropped black hair which measured about 2-3 inches (5.08-7.62 cm) from his skull. It was the kind of hair a woman wanted to run her fingers through. His aura exuded a gentle warmth for everyone whom met him and many of the ladies couldn't help but fall in love when they met him. His smile was infectious to everyone. By nature he was generous and gregarious. In fact, one would have to search very long and very hard to find any fault with this man. But faults he did have. After all, nobody’s perfect. So it was no accident that when Katherine "Kitty" Pryde entered the room, she was instantly smitten with love. Cupi'ds arrow had struck her hard in the heart, setting it ablaze with the fires of passion that no man could measure. Dare she speak to him on thier first meeting? Could she even form the words without tripping over her tongue? Perhaps he was casing over Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix or Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock, alias Psylocke. How could she compete with them? Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock, alias Psylocke was always more comfortable being a woman than herself. That's probably it, she thought. He was falling in love with one of those two. After all, she couldn't compete among them. This made her very sad deep down inside indeed. It was something she wanted for as long as she lived. After all, her affairs haven't turned out for the best. Elisabeth "Betsy" Betsy Braddock, alias Psylocke and Jean Grey-Summers, Alias Phoenix always got what they wanted. Why couldn't she have what she wanted for once? What Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat didn't know was that the two other women in the room did not get everything they wanted either. Nobody does. Then again, live would be very boring if everyone got what they wanted...

Professor X interrupted her train of thought for awhile. "I'd like to introduce you to a provisionary member. His name is Ralph Walls, and his code name is Galoshes. "Galoshes." "That name sounds so wonderful. It suits him just fine..." She began to think back when she first appeared on t he mutant scene, and how the names she used then, Ariel and Sprite, didn't really suit her very well. "Galoshes." She thought again. "The name rolls off the tongue in a graceful, ballerina-like manner." She mused some more. "I want to be his lover...." She was oblivious to Professor X's continued talking in the background. So focused on her thoughts was she that she completely ignored everything else in the room except him. "Well, his mutant ability to focus blasts of liquids at anything could prove useful in a battle situation. Professor Charles Xavier stated that tomorrow Galoshes would join the team in the danger room for a practice which would last about 1 hour in the morning. But for now someone had to take the temporary member on a tour of the place. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde started to speak, but then Professor Charles Xavier stopped her. "I want all of you to take him on the tour. This way, we can get to know him better." This made Katherine "Kitty" Pryde's heart sink like mercury in mineral spirits. She so desparately wanted to talk to him - just for a moment - only a moment would be enough - just one.... but alas and alack, it was not meant to be, just yet... But she swore upon her life, that if she could, she would get him to at least hold hands with her, if just for a foment.... one tiny moment in the eternal cosmos of time and space... it would make her life worth living. It sent a glimer of hope throughout her; the mere thought of being near him for once in her life kept her going on.... She then caught herself for a moment. Is this something she should do? Is she really fated to go throughout life without a lover? Why are all the men she falls in love with so bad for her? She had an infinite number of questions, and no answers to them. Soon, however, all will be revealed...

Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes stood at the front entrance of the X-Mansion, between the second column on the right and the middle column. The other X-Men stood about 3 feet (91.44 cm) around him in a semi-circle. "I really want to fit in around here." "I'm sure given enough time, you will." "This place is so wonderful. I really feel at peace here." "We've all had a lot of good times here, Ralph. I am sure you will as well." "Thank you so much." The team then wandered around the front entrance, describing everything to Ralph. The columns were caped with the Corinthian style, measuring about 48 feet (14.6304) in height. They had traveled aproximately 8 feet (2.4384 M) when the mind of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat started to wander. She started fantasizing of being in the arms of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "Ralph... that's such a wonderful name." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat thought. She dared not air those thoughts in public at this time, however. She had been trained that such an outburst of emotion was unbecoming of a woman. "If only I could reach out for a moment, just one tiny moment, and grasp that moment in my hands... taking it, caressing it, fondling it until everything was alright..." Her thoughts trailed off into a great abyss, that abyss which is measureless to man. She was utterly oblivious to the fact that the rest of the X-Men were starting to leave the area, then she caught herself and realized that the rest of the team was leaving and left with them. She then felt sad for not paying attention to what was going on around her. However, she dare not show her sadness; after all, a new member of the team should be made to feel that things were good there. She simply gave a light smile throughout this excercise. "It's a challenge that I am more than up to." She thought. "Or am I?" She tried to push the doubts away, but like an unwelcome guest, they returned over and over....

Anyway, the aforementioned X-Men walked into the foyer of the X-Mansion, with its very high, 18 foot (5.4864 M) ceiling, the walls which measured 33 feet in length (10.0584 M.) The floor was tiled in marble with a blue pattern and a yellow X logo which measured 12 feet (3.6576 M) in diameter. Xavier was very thurough in this. There the X-Men stopped and stood for awhile. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes, was drinking in the atmosphere like a fine wine, perhaps a claret from Sutter Home or a Château in France, in a good year like 1986. While he was looking around, the rest of the X-Men were talking to Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops spoke first: "You should like being in this place. It is of top-notch caliber." The others agreed with him, adding that they had had had great memories while in the mansion. "This is where I found myself. I really don't think I would have made it without the help of the X-Men." "I agree completely. I would probably be in a psycho ward, dead or a villain if it were not for the professor." They then proceeded up the stairwell and onto the second floor of the X-Mansion. Professor Xavier spoke frankly to Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "This will be your room. You will be roommates with Colossus for awhile, unti lthe room you will be in permently is finished." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes responded to Professor Charles Xavier. "Thank you very much, Professor. I like this place already. I hope I can feel at home in this place in no time whatsoever." "Don't worry. We'll all do what we can to make you feel at home." "You've been very nice tome, one and all. Thank you so much." "You're very welcome." "I can't wait to see the rest of this place." "Well then, let's go then." So they headed out of the room and into the hallway.

Once they were in the hallway which measured 350' by 8' by 12' (106.68 M by 2.348 M by 3.6576 M,) The X-Men proceeded to walk at a pace of 3 miles per hour (4.82803 KM per hour) down the aforementioned hallway. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes commented: "I have never seen such luxury before in my life." "Well, truth be told, this whole mansion is a holographic projection. It's technology that was given to us by our friends in the Shi'Ar empire several years ago." "Really." "Oh yes. It's all one big arraingement of molecules by the holographic projectors." "Fascinating." "I want to learn more about this." "All in good time, mein freund. Right now, we just want to show you the place." So they continued to walk down the hallway to see that several of the bedrooms of the X-Men. They stopped near a four-way split at the end of the hallway; this juncture lead to three separate rooms: The shared room of Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops and Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix (who shared a room because, after all, they were married;) the room of Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock, alias Psyolocke; and the room of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes stared for a little into the neatly cleaned room which measured about 12 feet by 14 feet (3.6576 M by 4.2672 M.) It had the bed neatly made and the sheets freshly pressed, which were made of cotton and an off-white color; her walls were painted a pleasant pink color, and had on them some posters that were somewhat dated. Also in the room was a dresser which measured 5 feet by 3 feet by 3 ½ feet (1.524 M by .9144 M by 1.068 M) and had 6 drawers on it, one for each article of clothing she often wore. The dresser was made of oak and coated with a satin polyurethane finish. Also upon a shelf rested about 4 stuffed animals; one was a cute teddy bear named Kevin that Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus once won for her at Hersheyland a few years ago, back when the two of them were dating. More on this later. Next to that was a small stuffed cat which measured 2 feet in length (60.96 cm;) it was a brown color, covered in artifical fur made from cotton. The third stuffed animal was a cute small lion which measured about 1 ½ feet (45.72 cm) in length and was a dark tan color, almost a light brown. The lion had buttons for eyes and a plastic nose. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes stood and stared for awhile in to the room of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. He had hoped to gain some clues about how to win over her heart, and how to gain favor with Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. Meanwhile, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde was sweating bullets; she had kept her room clean, but was it clean enough? What if Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes wanted a woman who wasn't little Ms. Neat? It was like walking on eggshells while playing a chess match at the same time. It was a riddle wrapped within an enigma folded into a mystery covered by a veil of uncertainty. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat worried deeply about this. What if he didn't like her room? What if he didn't like her? The agony of rejection was to great for her to bear.

Meanwhile, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was letting everything that Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops say slip in one ear and out the other. This was despite the fact that Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops was standing about 1.5 feet (45.72 cm) away from him. He was more focused on the room of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat whom was standing 2.4 feet (73.152 cm) away from him. He worried deeply over what he was seeing; did Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat want a man who was Mr. Neat? What if she was putting up a false front for him? What if he tried to get to know her, and she turned out to be completely wrong for him? He shuddered to think that the worlds's most perfect woman, in his mind, was not his type. He desparately pined for her affections; desire consumed him like a child would candy. It overwhelmed his senses; just the thoughtof a touch, a smile, only one, I filled his mind with overwhelming feelings and wonders that he could not comprehend. However, he dare not act upon these emotions; they were so disjointed, so discerning, they could barely be contained within his mind. "Hey Ralph, are you listing to me?" This crashed his train of thought and made him turn around. "Huh? Sorry." "Please pay attention to me. I'm giving you information that you're going to need here." "Right." Ralph then noticed that the room next Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat's room, was vacant. He recited a small prayer that he may get this room to live in. He needed to get some sign that something was going to push things his way, some indication that he should be the lover of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. Alas, at this time, no indication of yes or no came...

The team walked up the stairs again and came to the attic, where Ororoe Munroe, alias Storm lived. She is a former African Princess, at 6'2" (1.8797 M),  with chalk-white tresses that hung as low as her waist, measuring a little over 3 feet (91.44 cm), and no visible irises unless she was activating her weather manipulation powers. Right now she was watering a plant with a small raincloud that measured approximately 8 inches by 3 inches (20.32 cm by 7.62 cm) and dropped about 5 oz (14.868 centiliters) of water onto the plant. The plant itself is a small squash plant, which measures about 9 inches (22.86 cm) in height. Since it was early spring, the plant showed signs of starting to flower. Once the X-Men entered the room, they looked around the place, and met up with Storm. She was dressed in a pleasant white dress, something which complimented her African heritage, and a brimless hat which was also traditional to Africa. "Ororo, we have a new guest. This is Ralph, and he goes by the name Galoshes." "It is an honor to meet you." "I feel the same way." "You have a nice place here." "Thank you. I take great pride in caring for my plants." The conversation made Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat nervous; could he be falling for Ororo Munroe, alias Storm instead of her? Could he possibly like taller women? What if her inadequacies were turning him off? She sank into dispair like someone sinking into quicksand. Shortly thereafter, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes broke his conversation off. He turned around to the rest of the X-Men as the Professor spoke plainly. "So what do you think of the place so far, Ralph?" "I think it's wonderful. I hope I can be here for a long time." He gave Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat a quick glance out of the corner of his eye; She didn't notice this at the time. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat hoped against hope itself that she would find a way to make him like her. Just one time, just one glance...

Anyway, they exited the attic to see the hallway again. This time they journied down to the other end of the hall where the other rooms were. "This is the place where I sleep." "Interesting." Next they went downstairs and into the basement. The team stood in a semicircle around Professor Charles Xavier, standing about 2 ½ feet (76.5 cm) away from the Professor and about 1 ½ (45.72 cm) away from each other. "This is our danger room. Right now, we are in the final stages of repairing some problems with it. However, it is supposed to be finished tomorrow, and we will practice then." Professor Charles Xavier expectorated. "Right now, things have been very quiet for us, thank goodness. But that doesn't mean we should slack off." "Of course not." "I have scheduled a practice session for tomorrow. Ralph will be tested to see how he fits into the team then." "I'm more than up to the challenge." Professor Charles Xavier smiled sinisterly. "Then let's see how you do... now. Suit up, Ralph." This caught Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes off guard for a moment. "Well, uhm... sure." "You'll have to be ready for any problems that come up. Sometimes, our enemies will attack us without warning." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes exited the room. "I'll be back soon." He said. Whence he returned, he was now dressed in a spandex outfit which was primarily blue in color, with yellow stripes down the sides, and the X-logo on his chest, over his left side. The logo measured 4 inches (10.16 cm) in diameter. The other X-Men gathered in the control room of the danger room while Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes stood in the center of the danger room. He was very nervous as all the X-Men began to wait for the room to begin its training missions. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes never had faced anything quite like this before. His mind began to race: What if he wasn’t good enough? What if he got hurt, or worse? What if he was too good? He couldn’t begin to comprehend the possibilities of this. Unfortunately, he had to put these thoughts aside as he was about to have a serious problem before him. He was about to face the Danger room for the fist time.

"BEGIN!" Professor Charles Xavier's voice boomed out over the telepathic waves at 110 decibels. The room sprang to life with various traps; the one that caught Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes immediately is one where the floor raised spikes up all around him. He deftly jumped over these spikes, which measured about 2.75 feet (83.82 cm) in length and they were composed of a steel that measured 7.9 on the Mohs scale. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat stood in the control room nervously watching as Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes dodged the spikes which seemed to shoot up from the floor at random. Also bombarding Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes were some spiked balls which measured 3.25 feet (99.06 cm) in diameter. The spikes protruding from them measured about 8 inches (20.32 cm) in length. The balls were black in color (as were the spikes) and composed of the same metal as the spikes. Somehow Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes managed to dodge all of these traps with cat-like grace, and shoot a powerful liquid from his hands which dissolved everything it touched on contract. This definitely impressed the rest of the X-Men, especially Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. She wished she could be in there, covering his back and fighting the bad guys alongside them. It started to worry her deeply that he was there by himself, taking the full brunt of the danger room. She wondered what she could do to help out. Next Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes faced an onslaught of sharp spikes; these spikes were shot from various places in the room. They measured about 2.5 feet (72.6 cm) in length and 3 inches (7.62 cm) in width. They were composed of steel and honed sharp emough to cut a person into ribbons. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes managed to dodge most of the spikes and rend the rest of them dull by spraying the aforementioned spikes with a powerful acid. Next came at him a bunch of the aforementioned traps plus other ones such as blocks that fell from the ceiling which measured about 3 feet (91.44 cm) by 3 feet (91.44 cm) by 2 feet (60.96 cm) After about 11 minutes and 23 seconds of dodging the various aforementioned traps, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes collapsed onto the floor as the program ended. This worried Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. She immediately phased through the wall and went down to Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. She came within 1 foot (30.48 cm) of him and kneeled at his right side, next to his shoulder. "Ralph, are you alright?" "Uh... just a little winded... that's all." "You had us worried there." "It's no big thing." "Well, thank goodness your alright." At this time the rest of the X-Men had entered the Danger room. They came in the following order: Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops; Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix; Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock, alias Psylocke; Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus; Professor Charles Xavier; Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler; and Ororo Munroe, alias Storm. They then formed a semi-circle around Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes and stood about 2 3/4^ths feet (83.82 cm) away From Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat.

"Well, I must say I am impressed with your performance." "Thank you." "However, I have to wonder how you will fit into the team. I'm scheduling a practice for everyone tomorrow moaning." "I'll do you proud, Professor." "You'd better. I am worried, though, that you got winded at the end of this exercise. When we are in the field, you may have to fight for hours on end." "I know, Professor. I'll work to increase my stamina." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then stood up and turned to Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. "Thank you for your concern." "I would have done it for anyone." This had the effect of dumping a bucket of cold water over Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. His heart sank like lead in mineral spirits. Does Katherine "Kitty" Pryde only want to be a friend? What am I doing wrong to win her love? Why doesn't she see just how madly I am in love with her? These questions raced through his mind like a bullet train, impacting it with about a force immesurable to man. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes tried not to let his frustration show, but he failed. His demeanor went bad and he briefly closed his eyes in dispair. How could Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat think that way? Why in the world would she reject him so casually without getting to know him? Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes decided to go into his room and think for awhile. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat realized her faux pas a little too late as she stood up. As Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes left, she then decided to follow him out for a little, then stopped. She couldn't explain why she had stopped, but she knew that she had really put her foot in her mouth. This began to worry her deeply; what if she lost her one and only chance to connect with Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes? Could he ever forgive such a faux pas like the one she made? Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes now knows she is flawed; would he still accept her that way? She knew nobody in this world is perfect, but could she really make herself perfect for him? What if it was too late? What then? Why couldn't things be simple? These questions perplexed Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. Professor Charles Xavier rolled his wheelchair so that he was aproximately 2 feet (60.96 cm) away from Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. She closed her voluminous jasper brown eyes and strained to keep from crying. "Kitty" Professor Xavier started telepathically. "Why are you crying?" With this Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat snapped out of her brooding and returned to where she was. "I'm fine, Professor." She told him. "I don't need telepathy to tell you're not." "Alright. I think this new guy is cute. But I have nagging doubts to what I should do about these feelings." "I really cannot advise you on this. A sure-fire method for love is something that has confounded the greatest philosophers of all time. Even my relationships have not turned out for the best, and I had the advantage of telepathy. Each case is unique and different." "That really doesn't help me." "That's the best anyone can do, Kitty." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat wasn't thrilled about this advice; but what else could Professor Charles Xavier tell her? Love was like a minefield waiting to explode, either in passion or anger. Which mine they landed on, however, was up to them.

Later on Katherine "Kitty" Pryde was sitting in the computer room, working on some computer programs. She tried this to unwind and relax from the day. Then Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes entered. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat got as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a roomfull of rocking chairs, as Rogue would put it. For his part, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes also was getting nervous as well. Ralph stood about 2 feet (60.96 cm) away from Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat and 1.5 feet (45.72 cm) away from the computer. "Uh... hi." "Hi. What brings you here?" "Well, I really like working with computers, so I wanted to check out the computers here. But I see you're busy with something, so I'll come back later." "Oh, please stay." "O.k., so what are you working on?" "This program has me stumped. I'm trying to get the application to run a small subroutine, but it will not." "Let me take a look at this." "Alright." "Let's see here..." Both of them scowered the code thuroughly, searching every nook and cranny, every 1 and 0 of every line to see what was the problem. "Ah, here's the problem. This line creates a continous loop into which the computer cannot get out of." "Oh, I would have never found that by myself." "Let's give it a try." "Alright." The computer then ran the program flawlessly. "Oh, just what was this program about?" "Well, it's kind of personal." "I see. Well, if you need my help again, just give me a call." "I sure will." With that, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes nervously moved away from Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat, and exited the room. "Well, that went better than I expected." He thought. Turning back to Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank God he didn't find out what I was doing." She thought to herself. She turned on a holographic projector and then an image of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes appeared. She stared at this image with a touch of sadness and melencholy in her eyes and voice. "Oh Ralph, what have you done to me? I've only known you for one day, and already I can't stop thinking about you. Everything about you I see is so wonderful." She admired his rich brown hair, his full, voluminous eyes, his well-chiseled features, his square jaw, his well-sculpted chest, a chest she wanted to run her hands all over, his long, strong arms which she ached to be in, his firm, washboard stomach, and his long, strong legs. She got a warm feeling, thinking about being in is strong, muscular arms, but that quickly turned to sadness when she thought that she may never get to experience this in her lifetime. She wanted to know what it was like to hold him close, to feel the beating of his heart, sense the warmth of his body, know what it's like to feel his kisses just once. If only...

Shortly thereafter Professor Charles Xavier was in histudy reading a book entitled "The Psychodynamic Ramifications of Mutant Power Manifestation" which was written by Dr. Alicia Morrin and published by Harcourt-Brace Jovanich® books in 2000 A.D. Dr. Morrin had spent 6 years interviewing mutants after thier powers had manifested themselves, asking them to recount how thier powers manifested themselves and what emotions they experienced. It really didn't tell him anything he didn't already know, other than the opinions of an outsider into the mutant community from an objective basis. He knew that the act of mutant manifestation was confusing for the person involved; shock, fear, terror raced through the average mutant's mind when thier powers manifested themselves. He knew that first-hand when his own mutant telepathy manifested itself. It was slow going here; Professor Charles Xavier was never a fast reader. His train of thought was speeding along like a locomotive when suddenly he had his train of thought wreck. Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix had entered the room. She then stood about 2.35 feet (71.268 cm) away from the Professor Charles Xavier. "Professor." She started. "Yes Jean?" "I think we may have another couple here soon." "What are you talking about?" "I have read the minds of both Kitty and this new person. I think they may fall in love with each other." "Oh really." "Yes. Both of them feel deeply for each other, but neither one of them wants to make the first move." "Interesting." "What should we do?" "For now, nothing. I think they will come about to each other in thier own sweet time." "You're right." They then agreed that they should sit back until one of them asks for help. After a little more conversation, Jean Grey-Summers exited the rom to find her husband, Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops standing there. He was attired in a pleasant white collared shirt and black slacks, with sensable shoes. "So what did the Professor say?" "He said that "We should wait for them to make the first movie." I have to agree with him." "Alright, I’ll wait on this. I hope this turns out for the best." "So do I , so do I." The two of them then put an arm around each other and moved westward. "I understand how hard it is for them to get together. I remember it took me forever to tell you about the feelings I had for you." "Maybe so, but I kinda knew all along, thanks to my mutant telepathy." "Scott, I’m just glad I have someone to hold close at night. In this crazy world where everyone seems to be out to hurt everyone else, I feel grate full that I could find someone like to you love." "What we have comes to two people maybe once in their lives. Sure, it’s taken awhile to build up what we have, but the rewards are more than worth it." They then went into their room where they had an intense session of passionate romance for the rest of the evening.

That evening, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was preparing for bed when he stopped for a moment. He saw a picture of Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus, and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat arm and arm and smiling at the camera. He desparately wished it was he that was arm in arm with Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. He stared for a moment at the photo, then went to bed. The bead measured 7.5 feet by 4.5 feet by 2.5 feet (2.286 M by 1.2192 M by 76.2 cm.) The oaken headboard was a simple affair, retangular in shape and no posts on the outside. It was stained to a dark mahogany color. The mattress was a simple cotton stuffed spring affair, and the sheets were white for the most part, with an off-white bedspread on top. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes pulled the bedspread back from the left side and entered the bed, slowly lying down and putting the sheets over himself. Shortly thereafter he drifted into the arms of Morpheus, falling asleep. Of course, his dream that night consisted of the following: He was in a bare, rocky area. He found himself wearing only a white robe. The hard ground was the kind that nothing would grow. The wind blew very briskly at 30 miles per hour (48.203 km per hour.) The air was very dirty, choked with dirt; it made things difficult for Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes to breathe. He immediately tried to make things better by blasting some water from his hands; however, this did not work at all. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes covered his mouth with his hands and staggered around the place. He was as lost as the desert. It seemed like an eternity that Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then spotted an area where the dirt seemed to be absent from the air. He staggered over to that place, his eyes choking with the dirt particles that flew into them; his lungs were filled with 11 cubic inches (1.258 cubic cm) of dirt which he was hacking up. Once he got into the clear area, he found that Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat was standing there. She was wearing a log white robe, like something out of a fairy tale. "HACK! COUGH! Kitty?" "Ralph Walls." "Yes?" "Take my hand, and let me show you the way." "Wha... who... huh...?" Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes seemed confused. "This area is the waste land of your existance. If you want to move to something better, take my hand." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes, hesitated. "How can I? What makes me worthy of doing that?" "If you feel you cannot go on, then you must choke in the waste land of your existance." "Kitty... this is just so confusing. What can I do? What should I do?" "Take my hand, and you will understand." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was in a panic. He hesitated; should he do this? What if he didn't? What if his mere hesitating was costing him this opportunity? Would he have another? Could he get another chance if he blew this one? What could he do if he lost this chance, and never got it back again? These questions and more raced around his head faster than he could comprehend them all. "I'm waiting..." "What do I do? I can't decide. It's just too confusing for me..." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat tried to persuade Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes to accept her offer. "You love me, do you not?" "Well, that's just it. I don't know..." "Then take my hand and find out." "I... I just... I don't know..." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat still persisted in her attempts to win Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes over. She reached out and came within 3 inches (7.62 cm) of his hand. "I have stretched out as far as I can. The rest must be up to you." "I don't know... I feel so lost, confused, I don't know what to do, which way is up or even who I am." "Get ahold of your self. You know who you are. You know which way is up. You know what to do. You know taking my hand is the right thing to do." "Is it? What if I don't take your hand? What if I mess things up? How could I possibly be adequate enough for you or anyone else for that matter?" "You must believe in yourself. You have to trust your instincts."
"But my instincts don't tell me anything - I get a blank." "Then search your feelings." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes' mind was running at 100 miles per hour (160.934 km/hr.) at this point. He didn't know where to go, what to do, or how things were being done. If you would have asked him what two plus two is, he would not have been able to tell you. "It's just so confusing." "Listen to me. Clear your mind of these distractions. I want you to think about this carefully." "Think? I can't think." "If you do not take my hand, you are doomed to live in the ignorance and lower thinking paradigm." "But how can I go on?" "You simply must decide now. Go for me, or forever say no." "I... can't do either one. I don't want to let you go, Kitty..." The heretofore mentioned problems swirled around in his head like a hurricane until they multiplied and became so great he couldn’t take them anymore….

Meanwhile, next door, about 23 feet (7.0104 M) away from him, separated by a sturdy wall which measured 6.5 inches (16.51 cm) in thickness, and was painted white, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat was sleeping on her bed as well. Her bed measured 8 feet by 4 feet by 2.5 feet (2.4384 M by 1.2192 M by 76.2 cm,) the headboard was a simple oak affair, painted pink to go with the room. Her bed was covered in white sheets with a pink bedspread on top. She too pulled the covers on her bed back, this time from the left, and entered her bed to sleep. In her dream, however, she was floating in a barge down a river. On the banks of the river, the vegitation was a lush green punctuated with the bright reds, yellows, and oranges of the springtime flowers of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde's experiences. She looked around the scene with a sense of awe and confusion. "Where... where am I?" She asked. She continued to glide lazily down the river at a speed of 3 miles per hour (4.82803 km/hr.) She then realized she was in a gondola that measured 19 feet by 4 feet (5.9712 M by 1.2192 m.) She then looked behind her, there was a figure in a brown cloak and hood poleing the gondola down the river. "Who... who are you?" Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat asked. "You're not death, are you?" The figure remained silent and impassive as it poled her down the river. "What's going on here? What are you doing?" Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat, started getting anxious and nervous. "Why don't you answer me!?" She asked in her near-panic. The figure still said nothing, and merely continued to pole Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat down the river in the gondola. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat then sank back into her seat. "Find. Don't answer me." She then assumed a sour expression on her face. "But if you're taking me someplace I don't want to go, you're going to have hell to pay." Of course, as we all know thanks to the poem turned cliché, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Fortunately for Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat the boat then stopped. "Wha - why have we stopped?" She asked. The figure stopped poleing the gondola and remained unpassive. Kathierne "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat stood up and looked over the figure. "Just who are you? What are you doing here? Why am I here?" She asked in vain. The figure merely said nothing. Frustrated, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat grabbed the figure's hood and pulled it back. She then saw that there was nothing inside the robe. "Wha... what's going on here?" She asked. "Over here." A voice said from behind her. On the bank of the river was a pleasant spring meadow, with Bermuda and St. Augustine grass which measured about 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) in height per blade. The meadow stretched out as far as the eye could see, being measureless to man. About 60 feet (18.288 m) from the bank of the river, there was a whitewashed gazebo, octaginal in shape. The sides measured about 4.5 feet (1.3716 m) per side, and was about 9 feet (2.7432 m) in higth. Inside the gazebo was two chairs, also whitewashed, constructed of wicker. They were about 4.5 feet (1.3716 M) in height and large enough to accomidate one person sitting inside them. Between these two chairs was a white table, constructed of metal and painted white. The tri-post construction held up a glass top which measured 4.25 feet (1.2954 m) in diameter and the legs measured 3.5 (1.0668 M) in height. On this table was a porcelin teapot which measured 1 foot by 4 inches (30.48 cm by 10.16 cm) which was white in color and decorated with a white Calico cat motif of the cat lying on its back, smiling contentedly. The outline of the cat was in black. The coffee pot was sitting on a white porcelin saucer that measured 6 inches (15.24 cm) in diameter. Next to this coffee pot were two teacups, one was white in color and measured 4 inches in height and 3 inches in diameter (10.16 cm by 7.62 cm.) They were perched about 2 feet (60.96 cm) from the edge. Sitting in one of the cairns was Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "Ralph?" "Come, Kitty. Have a seat with me." Thoughts unnumberable to man raced through her mind. Was this some sort of trick? What would happen if she went with him? What if she didn't go with him? Why should she go with him? Could she ever feel worthy of doing this? Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat stopped dead in her tracks. "Just what's going on here?" "Well, I'm having a nice coffee break. It would be wonderful if you could join me in this endeavor." "I... I don't know about this." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat then chose to sit down in the chair in which nobody was sitting in at the moment. "Just relax, Kitty. Everything will be alright." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat seemed deeply troubled by the actions before her. "Talk to me, Kitty. Don't keep things inside. It's only going to hurt you." "Ralph, when I first laid eyes on you, part of me said "This is the one." While the other part of me said "Run away from him. He's no good for you." I just don't know what to think." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then poured a coup of tea for her, filling the teacup past the brim. She then saw this, and tried to stop him. "You’re filling the teacup too much." "And like your life, you have a good number of bad experiences nested within your teacup. You must first empty your teacup of these experiences, Kitty. Only then can you have a relationship that lasts." "I… I don’t understand." "You will, in time. But come, drink from the teacup, and have your wounds be helled." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat hesitated. "I… I don’t know about this." "The only thing holding you back is yourself, Kitty. If you want to progress as a person, you must take a step in the right direction. You must make that leap of faith and believe that everything will be alright." "I… just don’t know. I mean, how can I? I just don’t understand." "You have a choice before you, dio this or not. It is your choice." "Is it really? I mean, do we really have control over our lives?" "Such questions are irrelevant. What is really important is that you must decide whether or not to reach for higher purposes or not." "It’s… I… well…." "You still have time to decide, Kitty." "I know, but it’s just that… Well, I… erm… I just…

Suddenly Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was back in his room. He was being woken up by the telepathic call of Professor Charles Xavier. "X-Men, wake up. It's time to start the days." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then wiped the sleep from hes eyes and stood up. He then looked around the place, and remembered his dream from last night. After taking a shower, using about 2.5 galleons (9.46353 liters) of water and Zest® soap. He used about .304326 fluid oz. (9 ml) of Pert® shampoo plus conditioner for normal hair. After that, he dressed in his spandex uniform, decorated with the traditional blue and yellow of the X-Men. This hung to his well-sculpted athletic frame close. Upon exiting the room, he met Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. She too was dressed in her blue and yellow spandex outfit, of the traditional X-Men colors. This hugged her athletic, well-honed frame tightly, as tightly as Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes wanted to hold her. "Hi." "Hi." "So are you ready for today’s workout in the danger room?" "Well, as ready as I’ll ever be." The two of them walked side-by-side down to the diining area and started the day. After a breakfast which consisted that stuff they had for the breakfast before. After all, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat was a creature of habit; well, as close as habits permit when one wears the X. When one leads a life of crimefighting and stopping meglomanical mutants from taking over the world, it’s hard to establish a habit. While they had breakfast, they sat opposite each other at the table. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes thought that even the act of eating breakfast was like a fine ballet when done by Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. For her part, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat noticed that the table manners of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes were very nice; she was glad about this, as she remembered how Pete Wisdom would often talk with his mouth full. She let out a slight giggle at this. "Kitty? Is something wrong?" "Uh – erm – uh – no, Ralph." "That’s good to know." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat got very nervous now, as did Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. Tensino grew very thick here; one would have needed a powerful chainsaw to cut it (One of at least 5 horsepower or more.) Just when things could not get more tense, the tension was bnroken when Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops and his wife Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix entered. Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops was wearing a white polo shirt, brown shoes and tan crew pants; the fit him tightly. Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix was wearing a pleasant looking pink blouse and a light blue pair of pants, with some shoes as well. "Good morning." Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops started. "Morning." "Hi." Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops then sat down and Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix sat down next to him. "Well, today’s the day we test you, Ralph. Are you ready?" "Well, as ready as one can be." They continued thier conversation. "I hope I do well in my first time there." "I remember my first time with the team. At first they weren’t sure what to do with me. Then they figured out that I could be a valuable team member." "So I see." "Everyone has the potential to be a valuable team member. Even someone who seems new and unable to coordinate themselves first." "Wow." They continued to eat thier breakfast in peace, while The other members of the X-Men came and went, eating breakfast as well. Afterwards, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes went down to the danger room. He did some streching exercises and prepared for the onslaught which was about to befall him. After he hand finished warming up Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat had entered. Behind her were Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops, Jen Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix, then Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus, Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler, and Ororo Munroe, alias Strom.

In the control book Professor Charles Xavier stood at the controls. Summoning his vast mental powers, he contacted each of the X-Men in the Danger Room by thought. "X-Men, be ready. This test shall determine whether or not Ralph will fit into the team. Do your best, everyone." With that, the danger room sprang to life with various traps. The first one to hit the X-Men was a valley of poisionous darts; so many and so fast that they could not be counted accurately. The darts themselves measured about 5 inches (12.7 cm) in length and about 3/4^ths of an inch (1.905 cm) wide. They were composed of high density polyethlene plastic with an adamantium steel needle which measured 2 ½ inches (6.35 cm) long. The poison inside the darts was a neurotoxin known as 3, 21 polycyclohexoadazine monopolyozonate, USP. These darts came at the X-Men from multiple directions. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat phased immediately, and the darts passed harmlessly through her. Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix put up a telekenetic shield around herslef and her husband Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops. The darts bounced off of the aforementioned telekenetic shiled. Ororo Munroe, alias Storm used her wind manipulation powers to send the darts into the walls of the Danger Room. Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus merely stood still in his armored form; the darts struck and bounced off of him. This left Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes to fend for himsefl; This he did by shooting blasts of acid in various directions with his hands. When the acid came into contact with the darts, they instantaneously melted. After a short while of this, additional traps sprung to life. Next the lasers started shooting while the darts still kept coming. The laser guns were mounted on the walls and measured 3 feet (91.44 cm) in length and the intensity of the blasts could pierce 3 inch (7.62 cm) thick battleship steel. On a person’s body, it would work like the proverbial hot knife through warm butter. Well, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes seemed to be holdnig his own rather well, even helping out Katherine "Kitty" Pryde when she had to turn solid briefly. Other traps that sprang up about this time as well included falling blocks, which measured 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet, composed of solid, dense steel. They landed with a loud crash onto the floor of the danger room. After awhile of the lasers flying, the darts going back and forth, and the blocks falling, another trap emerged: clamps. These devices would catch any part of you and hold you in place while the other traps got you. This was something Everyone tried to avoid; unfortunately, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes wasn’t so lucky. He caught his left foot in a clamp which held him tight and applied 15 psi (1.0456 kg/cm) of pressure onto his foot. At this time a steel block dropped from the celing right over him. The other X-Men could not reach him in time, that is, except for Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. She managed to get to him, and grab his hand milliseconds before the block would have struck the head of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. The block passed harmlessly through Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes, and onto the floor. Ralph then stepped out of his trap, and stared deeply into the eyes of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. A blank expression overcame both of thier faces as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes. At this time the traps ended thier onslaught upon the X-Men in the danger room and ceased. The room turned back to normal and everyone relaxed; that is, except for Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes, and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. The two of them still were staring deeply into each other’s eyes with a blank look upon thier faces. Both of them were feeling very uneasy at this point, staring nervously into each other’s eyes with a blank look upon thier faces. Except for thier hands contacting each other, they stood about 1.45 feet (44.196 cm) apart from each other, which was about 3.75 feet (114.3 cm) away from the southern wall. The two of them were locked in an intense struggle of mind; should they go further, should they pull away, should they say something? Well, at this time Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops came up to the two of them. "You did great here." His words shattered the tension like a sledgehammer on thin ice. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat let go of the hand of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. The two of them then turned, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes to his left and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat to her right so that they were face-to-face with Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops. "Uhm... thanks." "Come on, the Professor wants to discuss how things went."

It was about 7 minutes later, the team had gathered in the war room at the roundtable discussion. They sat down at the table there in this order, separated by about 7 inches between them: Ororo Munroe, alias Storm, Professor Charles Xavier, Elisabeth "Betsy" Braddock, alias Psylocke, Scott "Slim" Summers, alias Cyclops, Jean Grey-Summer, alias Phoenix, Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat, and Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "Ralph, you did a very good job for your first time." Professor Charles Xavier started. "However, you’re going to need more practice before you’re ready for prom time." "Right. Well, Rome wasn’t built in a day." "I would like to schedule more training with you in the danger room, both solo, with the team, and with various members as partners." "Alright, I want to do what it takes to make myslef the best I can be." "I do see a great potential in you, Ralph." "Da, he could become a powerful ally." "I would rather have him on my side than against me." "He’s got potential." "Agreed. The rest of you, I’d like you to continue your individual training. Ralph, Kitty, I want the two of you in a training session in one hour." An hour. One hour before he must face a terrible onslaught of traps again. One hour before he fights side-by-side with the woman he secretly loves in the Danger Room. 60 minutes to a potential triumph or a potential disaster. 3600 seconds to a possible linkup or a possible broken heart. 3.6 times 10⁶ milliseconds was not a whole lot of time to prepare. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes started to worry. how could he manage to find a way to impress her in a mere 3.6 times 10⁹ microseconds? Can he prepare for both the onslaught of working against the danger room and with Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat in 3.6 times 10¹² nanoseconds? What could possibly be enough time? Where could he find it in himself to be ready for this? What if Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat doesn’t want to be around him after that? Will she reject him? Will she accept him? How could anyone get someone as beautiful as her to care for him? Could she possibly ever want him in the way he wants her? He had to put these thoughts aside and prepare for the problems ahead. He needed to concentrate on the matter at hand. He was about to be tested again; he feared the worst if he failed. If he failed, would they kick him out? Would they demote him to second-rate status? Make him a reserve member? What would happen?

It was an hour later that the X-Men were in the Danger Room. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadwocat were in the danger room by themselves. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was very nervous at this; after all, until this morning, he had never stepped into the Danger room before. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat, was also nervous, but for different reasons. She was nerve-raked over how to act around Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. Should she offer words of encouragement? If she did, would it be taken as insincere? Should she even talk at all to him? If so, what should she say? She couldn’t decide on her proper course of action, and this stood silent for about 45 seconds. Then she said "We’re all pulling for you." to Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "Thanks, I really appreciate it." He also flashes a brief smile which sends a warn feeling down the back of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. This feeling, however, was quickly interrupted by the reality of standing in the danger room. A visage of Professor Charles Xavier appeared from the shoulders up as an image projected into the minds of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat, and Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "Ralph, Kitty, are you alright?" "I’m just fine, Professor." "This will be dangerous." "I knew the job was dangerous when I took it." "Well, just relax, and try your best. The exercise will commence.... NOW!" Just as he finished the world now, the room sprang to life with various traps. the first trap to assault the intrepid duo of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat and Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes were a valley of laser fire. The lasers were emitted by guns that were mounted on various places in the Danger Room. The guns measured about 2 feet (60.96 cm) in length, and metallic silver in color. The laser bolts they emitted could penetrate 3 inch (7.62 cm) thick battleship steel. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat immediately phased, and the lasers passed harmlessly through her. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes dodged the lasers as best he could; They came at him randomly, so it was hard to judge what was going to happen. Ralph’s strategy was to take out the lasers and/or the targeting cameras. This he did by firing blasts of acid at the devices. He had ruined about 3 of them when the second trap sprang up from the floor: randomly rising spikes, composed of adamantium steal, which is virtually indestructable. They measured about 1.5 feet (43.18 cm) in length and about 2 inches (5.08 cm) in width and were the metallic silver of Adamantium and honed sharp enough to cut a person like the proverbial hot knife through warm butter. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then fired ballasts of acid at the spikes, and they dissolved. Meanwhile, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat was using her phasing powers to disrupt the electronic equipment and send a bit of respite, if just for a moanment to Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. After about 2 minutes of this, the room’s walls started closing in. Meanwhile, lasers and spikes continued to fire from their various places around the rom. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then turned to Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. "Kitty! I’m unable to generate more acid!" "Ralph!" "What can we do?" "Take my hand!" With that, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then grabbed the hand of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. The two of them held hands as they phased through the closing wall. Then they stared deeply into each other’s eyes, witch a blank look of indecision. It was a look of mutual "Should I love you? Should I not love you?" and "What if I love you?" and "Will you care for me?" and "What if you don’t love me?" Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat stared deeply into each other’s eyes as the lasers shot through them and spikes went through them. Seeing that something was wrong, Professor Charles Xavier then stopped the danger room by pulling on a level.

"Kitty, Ralph, what’s going on?" silence answered him from Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. They stared into eacho ther’s eyes. Shadowcat’s eyes measured 1.5 inches by 3/4ths of an inch (3.81 cm by 1.905 cm) and her pupils measured 7/16ths of an inch (1.11125 cm) in diameter. The eyes of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes measured 1.70 inches by 9/16ths of an inch (4.318 cm by 1.48275 cm.) Both of them mere stared deeply into each others eyes; he stared into Shadowcat’s rich, voluminous brown eyes, engulfed by the deepness of their existance, enthralled by the woman behind them, Ralph Walls, alias Glaoshes couldn’t stop himself from staring. The eyes of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde were like a steel trap in which he was caught, and couldn’t get out. Or want to. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes noticed the brown color of her eyes; and how they sparkled whenever he was close to her. The eyes of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat seemed to radiate a very special glow all their own and only when he was near. He couldn’t help but melt like butter on a warm summer’s daze when he was near her. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes also noticed how soft and smooth the skin of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. To him, it was smooth as silt, and soft like satin. It was the kind of hand he wanted to hold for a long time. It exuded a warm, gentle, caring energy. For her part, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat stored deeply back into the eyes of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. She couldn’t help but get a warm and nervous feeling whenever he was around; staring into his eyes only ampliflied this. The eyes of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes were a dark blue color, alamost a royal blue. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde thought it reminded her of the deep blue sea, a sea of passion and desire and wants and needs and hopes and prayers that she fell headlong into. It made her excited, overjoyed and nervous to stare into his eyes. She noticed the gentle warmth of his eyes, beckoning her to stare deeply into them some more, inviting her into exotic locales of romance and desire she never thought she would go into before and was somewhat hesitant to enter. She couldn’t put her finger on what made her hesitate entering this, but in doing so, it acted like her brain was locked upon staring into the eyes of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. She was by no means perfect, but could he accept that? Would he accept her imperfections? Why would someone this handsome be even remotely interested in her, when there’s other women like Psylocke and Storm around who are much more beautiful? Could he ever possibly want someone as flawed as her? She was by no means prefect, but was she perfect for him? She thought for a moment, and then thought some more. She then felt his hand holding hers; how strong it felt, how secure it was, and how it seemed to invite her for more. It was the kind of hand she wanted to hold forever, that invited her for more, that she felt good holding. After a little, Professor Xavier entered the room. "If you two are going to play lovebirds, could you at least wait until the training exercise is over?" This had the effect of dumping a vat of ice-cold water at 35 degrees Fahrenheit (4.44444 degrees Celsius or 277.594 degrees Kelvin or 499.67 degrees Rankine) upon Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat, and Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. The two separated and turned toward Professor Xavier. "We’re not lovers..." Shadowcat started. She wanted to add a "yet" to it, but felt it was not prudent to do so. "I really wish you would have added a ‘yet’ to it." Thought Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "None the less, when an enemy attacks, you shouldn’t be holdnig hands." "I agree with you, Professor. I promise not to let it happen again." "So doI."  "Yes... well, just don’t let it happen again. Ralph, I want you in a training excercise with Kurt next." "Alright, I’ll do it." "Good. You have one hour to repair." Professor Charles Xavier then left the room. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat and Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes merely stood about 21 inches (53.34 cm) apart and stared at eacho ther. "Kitty..." Ralph began, "I... I don’t know what to say." "It’s... well, I just... don’t know either...." "When we touched, I felt something..." "I felt something too. I don’t know what it was, though... I fear..." The voice trailed off, unsure of what exactly to say next. And what could be said next? Should Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat tell Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes that she licked him? What if she didn’t? What if her mere indecision is costing her a chance of a lifetime? What if she told him, and he did’nt return her feelings? As for Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes, he had the same feelings. Should he go for it? What if Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat secretly loved him, but couldn’t tell him? Could a relationship between the two of them work? What if she doesn’t like everything about him? A lot of questions, and no answers now. She knew of one thing, however. She had some kind of feeling for Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. What it was, however, remained to be seen.

It was about 30 minutes later that Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus and Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler were in the X-Mansion’s living room and discussing things. Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus was sitting calmly on the couch while Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcralwer was sitting on a different chair. "Have you noticed how much that new guy likes Kitty?" "Da. What of it?" "Doesn’t it make you jealous?" "You have had a relationship with her, doesn’t this stir up old feelings?" This made Piotr "Peter" Rasputin hesitate. Sure, he still wanted to hold the athletic frame of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. After all, what heterosexual man would not? She was like a Goddess amongst women, but one digresses. Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus recalled the times in which he did hold her close, keeping her tight, athletic body next to his. He remembered the warm feeling he got holding her; he remembered the prettiness of her smile, the look in her eyes when she came to him. He thought for awhile about trying to reconcoct to her, and try to earn her live once again. Alas, he rationized, this was not meant to be. He felt a sense of loss and lack of joy in his mind for this. "Peter, what are you thinking?" Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler asked. This snapped Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus back to reality like a rubber bland. "Uh... nothing important." "So what do you think of that?" "Shito?" Using, of course, the Russian word for what. "Peter, what do you think of our new member?" "I... really would like to get to know him better first." "So I see." "But is there a little resentment there for him wanting to be Katzchën’s lover?" "NYET!" Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus said his "nyet" with such force as to take Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler by surprise. "Alright." "Sorry, comrade. I guess I am a little... disappointed that things between Katya and I didn’t work oot." That made Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler a little apprenensive. "I see." "I’m sorry." "No apologiees needed. Come on, we should be working out." "Da..." The two of them went away from the living room. Later, about another 20 minutes again, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat was about 4.3 feet (1.31064 M) away from the door to her room, in the hallway, heading away from her room. She had just changed out of her outfit and into a pleasant looking blue one-piece dress which fit her athletic frame neatly. The dress had short sleeves which came down about 2.4 inches (6.096 cm) below the shoulder and a short, loose skirt that came to about 1.9 inches (4.826 cm) above the knee. She also wore flat shoes with this. She had walked about another 2 feet (60.96 cm) when she met up with Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix. Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix was clad on a green blouse with long sleeves that came to about 2 inches (5.08 cm) above the wrist and a pair of figure-hugging blue jeans, with pleasant cross-training shoes as well. The two of them stood about 2.3 feet (68.58 cm) apart from each other. "Oh... Hi Jean." "Kitty, what happened in the danger room?" "Well, Ralph and I had a workout together, and we need to polish his skills a little more..." "That’s not what I mean. What happened in the danger room?" Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat got very nervous at this. "Well, I.... I don’t know." "I heard that when you held hands with Ralph, both of you seemed to have stopped fighting the danger room. If you hadn’t been phasing, both of you would be dead." "Well..." "Kitty, you have to face your feedings. Do you love him or not?" "Well.... I... it’s just that... I want to say yes... and I want to say no..." Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix didn’t need to summon her vast telepathic powers to realize something was afoot here. "Kitty, you must examine these feelings. What’s holding you back?" "Well, it’s all happened so suddenly, I just haven’t had time to wallow it all." "Well, one thing’s for certain. You’d better decide on what’s going to happen pretty quickly, otherwise this could affect the team..." "As if I didn’t have enough troubles in my life." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat mumbled beneath her breath. Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix heard her mumbling. "Kitty, we all have problems in our lived." "The difference is that we strive to overcome them, and do not allow our problems to consume us." "Uh... right." "Just relax, and allow your emotions to flow." "That’s just it. When I get in touch with these feelings, I get nervous, edgy... like it’s someplace I shouldn’t be." "That’s something you have to work out fore yourself." "Why does it have to be so complicated? Why can’t things like this be easy?" "Welcome to life." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat then turned away. "I will think about what you have said." "Please do." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat then left Jean Grey-Summers, alias Phoenix to go to the danger room’s control area and ponder things with Professor Charles Xavier.

Later on, Professor Charles Xavier and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat were in the control area of the Danger Room. Inside the danger room itself was Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes, and Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler. Kurt was smiling slightly as he stood about 2.7 feet (78.74 cm) away from Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "Ready for the workout?" Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcralwer asked. "Well, as ready as I’ll ever be." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes responded. After a little waiting, Professor Charles Xavier’s head appeared in the danger room in a psychic vissage. "Ralph, remember to concentrate on the matter at hands." "Don’t worry, Professor, I wilt." Then the psychic vissage of Professor Charles Xavier appeared. "Begin!" He shouted telepathically. The room then sprang to life with some traps. The first thing to hit them were several projectiles which measured about 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) in length and were sharp enough to cut through practically everything short of adamantium steel, which is what they were composed ugh. They shot at the two combatants from all directions, and the two of them had to think fast to dodge the flying projectiles. Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler used his flexability and his agility to dodge this. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes managed to produce his powerfil acid to destroy the project tiles. They came at Both Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler and Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes from all directions. This continued for exactly 3 minutes and 32.4455678 seconds, whereupon the room introduced a second problem for our heroes: lasers powerful enough to cut through battleship steel appeared and began firing their Mary way. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes manaaged to dodge the lasers while continuing to shoot the powerful acid from his hands onto the projectiles and somewhat on the laser guns. After 2 minutes 45.33302 seconds, It was at this point that Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler began to speak to Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "You’re doing great, mien fraud." "Thanks." "But I have to wonder if you’re doing this because you want to be in this team… or for her." "What do you mean by that?" "I’ve seen how you’ve been looking at Katzchën. You like her, don’t you?" Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was distracted for a moment. "What? Why would you think I like her?" Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was obviously in de Nile. "Come on, mien fraud. It’s alright to admit you’re in love with her. I would be too if I thought shoe would like me." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was confused. "You… like her too?" "Everyone does. Most of them as frauds, however. You’ve got a lot of competition in being her lover." Wonderful, he thought. Everybody wants her. How can I compete against someone else? What do I, a mere mortal named Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes have to offer someone who is like a Goodess such as Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat? How can I even begin to compete against someone who is more handsome as me? Well, these questions distracted him enough to cause him to be struck in the leg, aproximately 3.2 inches (8.128 cm) beneath his knee with a projectile. Then another struck him on his arm, about 2.3 inches (5.842 cm) away from his wrist between the wrist and elbow. Because of this, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes went down like the proverbial stack of lead. "OHMYGAWD!! RALPH!!" Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat shouted. She then phased through the equipment, causing it to emit sparks to race to the side of the man she secretly held a candle for. Fortunately for everyone involved she did not strike the circuitry which controlled the power to the danger room, and Professor Xavier shut the power off, thus ending the program in the danger room. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat used her phasing powers to remove the spikes from the arm and leg of Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "Please tell me you’re alright." "Well, I think I’ll make it." "Thank goodness." "Katzchën, might I talk to you for a moment?" "Well… alright." Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler and Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat went into a more secluded area of the danger room. "I am worried about him. We were doing fine until the subject of you came up." "Me?" "Ein. He’s really taken with you, I think. He might not be able to work within the team if these feelings are not resolved." "I know, Kurt. But it’s just that… well, I just… don’t know about this." "Katzchën, He’s letting this get to him. I am afraid that he may end up worse than what happened if something isn’t done." "I know, Kurt. But what should I do? I think he’s cute, but I don’t want to make any more mistakes when it comes to lvoe. I want the next man to be Mr. Right, not Mr. Right now." "Granted, you’ve had some bad experiences in love before, but only you can decide weather or not it is worth having. Nobody else can do this fork you."

About 30 minutes later, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was lying in a bed in the infirmary. His wounds had been bandaged up and he was resting comfortably. The bed itself was about 6.5 feet by 3.2 feet (1.9812 M by 97.536 cm) and about 2.9 feet (88.392 cm) high. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes himself was attired in his uniform at the time. Standing next to him were Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat, Professor Charles Xavier, Ororo Munroe, alias Storm, Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler, and Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat was wearing a pleasant blue dress with a modest skirt on it, along with some jewelry and shoes. Professor Charles Xavier was dressed in his usual suit and tie, Ororo Munroe was clad in a traditional dress of her ancestors, complete with a brimless cap; this was a bright, multi-colored affair. Kurt Wagner, alias Nightcrawler was in his uniform as well. Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, alias Colossus was dressed in a pleasant white shirt and blue jeans, with shoes as well. "How long before he recovers?" "It shouldn’t be too long. Ralph’s very resilliant." "So I see. Will he wake up soon?" "He should wake up any minute now." "I hope this doesn’t turn him off to us." "It shouldn’t, not at all. Ralph new that there would be risks." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat then left the room unexpectedly. "Kitty…." However, it was about 14.35 seconds too late. She was gone. Professor Charles Xavier rolled his wheelchair out into the hall, where Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat was; she was a tumalt of emotional wreckage. "Kitty, please tell us what’s wrong." "Well, it’s Ralph. See, I was told by Kurt that he was doing fine until he mentioned me." "I see…" "I can’t help but feel guilty and believe that because of me, he;s lying in there injured." "Do you think you could have prevented this?" "Well, it’s just that… I like him, but I can’t decide weather or not I love him." "That’s something I can’t decide for you." "It’s very confusing for me, Professor. I wish this all would never have happened." "None the less, now that it has happened, you have to determine how you feel about him. I know that this has been very confusing for you, but you must search your heart and find the essence within it." "Professor, it’s just not that simple. I have a twisted mess of emotions about him. I think he’s handsome, but something holds me back; I like his smile, but something I can’t put my finger upon turns me off." "Think about things, Kitty. I need you to resolve this. The sooner that you do this, the better; Ralph can’t seem to function properly with this nagging cloud of doubt over his head." "I just need time to think, Professor. It’s too confusing for me. I don’t want things to end up like they did with Peter and Pete." "That’s a problem only you can solve, Kitty. But just remember: We’re all here for your benefit." "I certainly depreciate that." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat then walked away. After she had left the immediate area, Ororo Munroe, alias Storm entered. "Professor, what is going on here?" "Ororo, Ralph is in love with Kitty. He can’t bring himself to admit this to himself or to her. I am attempting to get Kitty to admit her feelings for him, or to deny his feelings to her." "So how does she feel about him now?" "I really cannot say. She is emotionally ambivelent about things." "So what can we do?" "For now, nothing. This is something she must work out herself. However, once it becomes clear she is leaning one way or the other, we as her friends should be there as support for her." "Agreed. However, I have to wonder how Ralph would handle rejection." "That is something that could be a problem, Ororo. I wish I had an answer to give you on this. Unforuntately, even Kitty’s subconscious is uncertain of what to do." "Perhaps we should encourage her one way or the other." "No, no, that would cause an even grater confusion in her subconscious and eventual resentment to us. We have to step black and let this play out." "I trust your wisdom, Professor. May the bright lady guide them." Ororo Munroe, alias Storm then walked off to her loft. She looked the plants there over; many of them were from her native Africa, and they reminded her of her ancestral homme. "I should water some of these plants. They look a little dry." Ororo Munroe, alias Storm thought to herself. She then summoned her vast whether manipulation powers and formed several small rain clouds over the plants which measured about 1 foot (30.48 cm) around. The clouds had no discernable shape to them. Once manifested, the clouds began to rain upon the plants, dropping rain upon the plants. This flowed at a rate of about .001 of an inch per hour (.00254 cm per hour.) This gently watered the plants and provided them with their water requirements for awhile, at least until she could water them again. While she watered the plants, she talked to them. "I wish you could respond to me. Well, no matter. I have enough conversation for us all." She started. "I have been quite busy of late. I’m sure you saw our new friend. His name is Ralph." Storm mused for a little. "He does seem to be very nice, the kind of man a woman could get to love." She mused on the situation. "My lovelife hasn’t been great of late. I have to wonder if I am doomed to live life without finding a real lover." She thought of Forge, and how he had loved her; how he had created a machine that would temporarily block mutant powers, and how this weapon was used on her. She still halberd feelings for resentment for this. She had never really loved a man before or since; of course, in her line of work, it was very difficult to meet a man who wasn’t out to kill her or take over the world. "It would be nice to have a man like Ralph to call my own. But he’s really attracted to Kitty." She then paused for a moment. "I cannot understand why Kitty doesn’t take him into her harms. True, she’s been like me when it comes to love, but I would not let past experiences get me down." "Each relationship is like a new begging. You can’t take any emotional baggage with you from the past, it just weighs a relationship down." She then paused for 14.2332 seconds, and resumed. "I am glad I will always have you to talk to, my friends. Frankly, it seems like you are the only one who listens to me of late…." Ororo Munroe, alias Storm then ended the brief shower by dispersing all the clouds. "There, that should be enough for now. I’ll be back sometime to discuss things further." Ororo Munroe, alias Storm then exited her lift.

Back in the infirmary, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was feeling much better now. He was able to uneasily stand and walk with the help of crutches. Professor Charles Xavier was talking to him. The two of them stood about 2.25 feet (68.58 cm) away from each other, facing each other directly. "Ralph, I really hate to do this…" "What?" "It’s about your feelings for Kitty. If you cannot learn to control them, then I may have to make you a reserve member…." "Please don’t do that to me, Professor. I promise to control my feelings. I really will." "I know you are sincere, but I have to see you practice what you say." "You will, Professor. I promise." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then sat down. "But there’s something I want to ask you: You’ve been inside the mind if Kitty, how can I convince her that my aims are true?" "Love is something that has confounded the greatest philosophers of all time. Nobody knows why anyone falls in love with anyone else. Nobody can tell you why you want to love someone and not someone else. But I can tell you this much: There’s no script for her either. Both of you will have to feel your way around this. I can’t advise you to stay back or go for it; that is something only you can decide. Even in my relationships, I have had a lot of trouble." "You? Having trouble? You were supposed to have the heart of an empress of a major interstellar empire, from what I read." "True, we’ve shared a telepathic connection over the light years; howeverer I often miss seeing her smiling face, holding hands with her… There’s always someone who will be able to love everyone, Ralph. But only you can decide weather or not Kitty is the woman for you." "Thank you, Professor. You’ve answered my questions very completely."

While they were waiting for Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes to heal, Professor Charles Xavier introduced him to the functions of the danger room. "So if I can program, I can create practically anything I want?" "Yes, within limitations." "I see… So if I was to make a program, what kind of limitations are there to it?" "Well, it won’t actually kill anyone." "Hmm…" Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes stared at the controls of the danger room. He noticed how symetrical the controls were. He noticed the positioning of the knobs, the levers, and the like. It seemed rather simple to operate; Ralph then contemplated on how he could use this technology to his advantage. He wondered if it could create realistic life like people. Of course, he dare not ask this, because he didn’t want to be asked why he wanted to know this. After all, if he told them he wanted to make a realistic virtual Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat to love, since the real thing wasn’t that receptive to his advances, how would they react? He reasoned that Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat would not be amused by this. "I think I would like to make some programs of my own." "Hmm… well, Kitty is the one who usually programs the Danger room…" "Oh really?" "You’re going to need to ask her advice on this." This threw Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes for a loop. He was momentarily stunned about this. "I see…" He then responded. "I’ll talk to her then." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then left the room. He traveled allong the hallways and up the stairs and to the right and down another hallway until he came to the room of Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat was sitting on a chair in her room; she was engrossed in a book, but what it was, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes could not tell. He chose to allow Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat to continue to read her book in peace. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde looked up from her book long enough to see Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes enter his room. She thought for a moment; did he want to talk to me? What could he have wanted from me if he did? Could he possibly like me as much as I like him? If I was to throw myself at him, how would he react? She was a tumalt of confusion and trouble. She couldn’t decided what to do; But forturnately (or unfortunately, depending on how one looks upon the situation;) Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes said nothing to her. So Katherine "Kitty" Pyrde, alias Shadowcat returned to reading her book. Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was beside himself with worry and desires. How could he get some woman as beautiful and as caring and as loveing and as jovial and as intelligent as Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat to love him? He wondered if it was possible for even the handsomest and best of men to convince her that a relationship with them was a good idea. There had to be a way, however, he reasoned; and by hook or by crook, he was going to find it, even if it killed him in the process. But Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes merely stood their musing; He had no idea what to do. He then kneeled next to his bed, clasped his hands, and prayed. "Yahweh, help me. I want to be Kitty’s lover, but she doesn’t seem to want to accept me. I need to know what to to do make her my lover." He then prayed silently for a little. "… and in the name of Yahweh I pray, amien." He then stood up and bowed his head in reverence. "I hope that I can find the answer soon. I want her bad." Ralph thought to himself. "I need her tender caresses. I want her in my charms. I need to feel her soft and supple body pressed against mine. I ache to feel the tenderness of her rick, ruby red lips." Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes continued to muse about this. "She’s like Venus and Diana come to Earth." "It would make my life complete to have her live me." One could not really blame Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes for desiring Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. One could not help but want her, as she was the one that many men desired to love…

Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes then shallowed his pride and went to Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat. She had finished reading her book and was standing up in her room. "Ralph…" "Kitty…" "I was wondering something. You’re the one who programs the danger room progams, right?" "Well, yea…" "I was wondering if you should show me how that works." "Well, I don’t see any harm in that…" So they went down into the danger room’s control’s room and looked around the place. "I have things under strickt security." "I have a locked out based on my password. But since you’re an X-Man, I guess I can share it with you." They stood about 2.445 feet (74.676 cm) apart; She then told him the password, and typed it into the computer. "Now we can create a program for anything." Katherine "Kitty" Pryde was not using hyperbolee here; They litterally could create anything from a recreation of the Shi’Ar throne room to the inside of the men’s room at the local Denny’s. "Wow…" "It’s a grate power, and it must be used wisely." "I kinda figured that out." Well, together they worked the controls of the place, and it worked out to things and how they worked. After about 2 hours, 14 minutes and 34.72232 seconds, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes had enough of a working knowlidge of the Danger room to create his own programs. "Thank you, Kitty. I can’t tell you how much this means to me." "Yea, well, I don’t do this for just anyone, you know." She holed that Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes would get the hint that she liked him. Unfortunately, Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes was oblivious to this, but did wonder if Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat would accept him as a mere platonic friend. He bemused that it would be a great waste of his life and hers if they would not fall in love… He decided that he should accept friendship for now, and if they could, later on, he would try to maneuver his way into her heart. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat had a communication come in on the intercom system. "Kitty, you have a call from your mother Carmen…" The voice was that of Ororo Munroe, alias Storm. Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat then turned to Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes. "I have to leave for a moment." "Go ahead. I’ll wait here." With that, Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat left the room. This gave Ralph Walls, alias Galoshes his opportunity. He then worked for a good while, and managed to make a copy of a program that had a virtual Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias shadowcat in it. This took him 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 23.42 seconds. He managed to save everything just as Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, alias Shadowcat entered the room again. "Ralph, what were you doing while I was gong?" "Erm, nothing important, Kitty. I just made a small program to test out my skills." "Well, it’s almost dinnertime. Come on, I’m getting hungry."