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Oh, for Pete's sake, Kitty thought mulishly Do these guys ever give it a rest?
Because, honestly. She had always assumed that that stuff about supervillains- though she knew the Professor would have scolded her for using such a phrase to describe Magneto- monologuing megalomanically during battle was a joke.
She supposed that nobody had thought to warn her because she was a non-combatant. Nobody had ever anticipated that the Brotherhood's latest attack would involve scrambling all of the internet connections of the greater Virginia area, including Washington- because, seriously, wasn't Magneto, like, 80? Who the Hell was giving him advice on cyber-warfare?
Then again, the Professor was around that age himself, and he employed her, but still. Really, Magneto?
Kitty tolled her eyes. Magneto had just reached the 'They will destroy us, unless we do it to them first,' part of his speech. If the bored look on Scott's face was anything to go by, this was par for the course.
Well, screw that.
"...and tell your dear Professor that, despite what he so naively continues to persist in believing, they will not accept us. One would think the Sentinels would have been proof enough for him, but, as ever, he chooses to ignore that which does not-"
"-You're kidding me, right?" Kitty had had enough. "You have met the Professor, right? Naive is not a word I would associate with him."Terrifying, intelligent, arrogant and occasionally boring as dust, yes, but not naive.
He turned towards her, the full depth of his piercing grey eyes scanning her face, lips curled in a sneer.
"And how would you know that, Ms... er-"
"-Shadowcat," Kitty supplied cheerfully. "I think you taught me once. Also, I'm pretty sure you tried to kill me a while back. You remember, brown hair, computer genius, Jewish, can walk through walls?"
"Ms. Pryde?" Magneto looked confused. Maybe age was finally catching up with him.
"That'd be me, yeah. Seriously, dude, what did the Ice Queen ever see in you? Although she did hook up with Scott, so I guess her taste has always been a little... suspect."
Magneto gaped. "Scott? He's young enough to be her son."
"Yeah, I know, it was kind of creepy. We're all pretty thankful Jean is back from the dead again. I think. For now. Anyway, weren't you supposed to be monologuing about killing all the humans?"
"I never said that."
"I was just saving you some time- that's how this completely illogical speech usually ends, right?"
"How dare you call me illogical, child? If you had seen what I have seen- if you knew what I knew-"
"-Right. Because naturally, the thing that will finally stop discrimination against mutants will be showing how dangerous we really are. That makes perfect sense. Oh wait, except it won't- it will make it worse. You've been trying this for decades, Magneto, and what has resulted from it except more children left to mourn their parents, and more parents to mourn their children? If it was your goal to create a thousand more mutant orphans, Magneto, then I congratulate you. Otherwise- don't you ever learn?"
Magneto snorted. "Speak not to me of grief, child. You know not the meaning of the word. In the nation in which I was born, there lives none who bare my name-"
"-Didn't you give me this speech two decades ago?" Scott said curiously.
Kitty, however, fixed Magneto with a solemn stare. "My parents were on Genosha. I know more about grief than I care to, Magneto. Did you-"
She stopped, collected herself. "The Holocaust didn't stop with the Jews, Magneto. Just like this genocide you advocate won't stop with the humans."
"I would never-"
"You're old, Magneto. Eventually, you will die, and someone else will rise to take your place and wave the banner of your cause. It will start with the humans- but when they are gone, who will we choose to blame next? We will all be mutants- will it be race? Religion? Orientation? Mutation? Perhaps in 20 years, your fears will be realised, but they will be of your own making, Magneto.
"And how will you eliminate the humans? Will you use the army? The police? Perhaps you'll round them up first, place them in camps, then kill them. Maybe you'll make them work for their freedom- does that sound about right?" Kitty rolled her eyes. "I would say you sicken me, but in truth, you just make me sad. Your family hate you. Your followers hate you. You routinely try and kill the only person who will mourn your death- and for what?"
She stood. "You're a sad, scared old man, Magneto, fighting monsters only you can see. And I pity you."
With that, she turned towards the door. "Come on, guys."
Scott looked at her. "Don't you have to fix the- whatever they did to the computers?"
Kitty smirked. "I did it twenty minutes ago, Cyclops. It was child's play- my class could have done it. I was just curious to see if he-| she jerked her head at Magneto- "Had anything to say for himself."
She began to pass through the wall. Just before her head disappeared, she again opened her mouth.
"I am so, so sorry, Magneto." And she smiled as she disappeared.