"The Feline"
By Julie Katz
A brief disclaimer will start it off. This is not cannon to either the story or the movie versions of X-men. In fact, the story incorporates a little from each into a pointless plot. A relative asked me if I could have any X-men power and this is what I came up with this character. My knowledge of the comic was limited so I did my best to fill in some gaps.
A young girl aged around 18 years stood in front of Xavier's School for the Gifted. In her left hand was a suitcase and in her right hand was a guitar. She reminded herself of Maria in Sound of Music and she hummed to herself "I've got the confidence in me." The young girls name was Catherine Katz but her friends in a loving way called her Cat Katz. Her name given to her by the government was Feline. She was a modern day Catwoman but more power than that of the Black Cat.
She sighed and walked onto the campus ground and straight to the office. There Storm sat at the desk. Cat knocked on the door. Storm looked up from her desk and smiled. Cat nervously walked further into the room and headed toward the desk. She stuck out her handed and introduced herself.
"Hi, I'm Catherine Katz. My friends call me Cat. The government calls me Feline. I need help."
"Uh, hi? I'm Storm. I now run this school. How can I help you?"
"I need help controlling my powers. Right now I look like your average ordinary teenager. I have 'cat-like' tendencies. All through my life, I noticed that I had great reflexes. I noticed that I liked the smell of tuna. I also noticed that I could climb almost anything. Then like most mutants at the age of puberty I gained more powers but these powers are sometimes harder to control. I can fall and always land on my feet. And there are some other powers that I have."
"When you say you 'can't control' what do you mean?"
"Sometimes when I'm alone in my room I will start to lick myself. I don't do it on purpose it just sort of happens. Tell me, have you ever coughed up a hairball?"
"No. Well, I think we can help. You can stay here as long as you need."
"Purr-fect. Yeah, that happens a lot too."
"You say other powers?"
"Well sometimes when I get frightened or angry this happens." Cat then released her claws. Almost identical to those of Wolverine, they were 3 metal blades in-between the fingers. Startled Storm pushed her chair up and stood up.
"Does that hurt you?"
"Almost every time." Storm remembering that was the same answer that Logan said when asked the same question.
"Tell me something, Cat, when you cut yourself does it heel fast?"
"I'm not sure, I have never really cut myself severely."
"Come with me." Storm lead Cat down through the hallways, into the secret part of the mansion and into the X-men lab. There was Logan or Wolverine, whichever you prefer to call him.
"Logan. This is Cat. She has something that I want you to see. Cat, show Logan what you just showed me." Cat flashed her claws and Logan stared at her for along time. He quickly grabbed a knife and slit her arm. Cat screamed in pain but then stopped when she noticed that her arm was perfectly healed. Cat didn't know whether she should be scared or excited.
"I don't understand. I thought I was the last one. Why would Stryker make another one of me. I mean I have already had a clone, X-23, that didn't last too long. Why make another one."
"She is not a clone of you. She has too many cat-like qualities about her. Either she was made by Stryker as an adversary or she is just nice."
"I hate to interrupt your conversation but I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is this Stryker? I wasn't made by anyone. My parents gave birth to me."
"Do you know this for a fact?"
"No, but why would they lie to me?"
"Cat, do they know about your mutation?"
"No, when it was time for me to go to college, I suggested this place telling them I got a scholarship here for voice. It was hard hiding it from them in high school."
"We have to talk to your parents. We have to find out where you came from. And we have to find out why you have so many "cat-like" qualities. First, let's get some rest. It's getting late. I'll show you to your new room." Cat followed Storm out of the lab and to her new room.
Logan was startled and confused. It wasn't X-23 his female clone. If Stryker didn't build her then how did she get admantium on to her bones? Could she be a child from the future when Logan had a brief affair from when he teamed up with the Black cat?