More of the usual disclaimer. I do not own any character except Kassandra, her side of the family, and a couple of insignificant background characters. I do not own the book Toxic In-laws (though I have found a copy pretty helpful in my case!). I do not own any other historical or cultural figure or Manhattan restaurant that you might come across in this story. I do not make any money off of my writing, and any and all of this is used with profound appreciation for all the source material I have used, and where relevant, its creators.

Any and all critique will be warmly received, and suggestions may very likely be implemented.

Chapter 1

Ein Anderes Mal

To: Was ist los.

I sent Ororo all the information I could dig up those "Weaponeers" you've been dealing with. It isn't very much at this point. However, as the people I report to don't like them any more than you do, they're quite happy to let me help in this respect.

Speaking of trouble on and around my home continent, I've been assigned a long-term mission in Genosha. And personally, I'd like it very much if, after dealing quickly and decisively with these Weaponeers, you could maybe hop over to Hammer Bay and meet me there.

Finally, if you haven't already, be sure to pop open an extra beer with Logan for me in memory of his old Avengers friends.

Ich vermisse dich noch immer.

-Zeitgeist

Kassandra clicked "send," logged off, then scooted her chair back and rose. She would have liked to write more, but she had a plane to board.

Six months later

The guards assigned to supervise Mutant Conscript #50471 were not at all thrilled with this latest mission. They might have been relieved that their charge had been taken off the X-23 assignment for the time being. That target was too much like a leaner, meaner version of Wolverine for their comfort. However, while their new target was not as likely to eviscerate any of them, she didn't seem any safer. Nor did the mutant whom they were supposed to supervise. Her cooperation seemed to have more to do with anything other than the program's best interest, and ever since the deaths of the Avengers, the operative code-named Zeitgeist had been acting more and more erratically. Something or someone, she warned her superiors, was disrupting her ability to use her powers as effectively. But as it tied in to what she was investigating, she would figure it out. And take care of it.

And so this investigation led to an old church, one of the few structures left even remotely standing in this perpetually bombed-out capital city. She would meet her target, confirm a few details, and hopefully lure this person out of the church. In the unlikely event it would come down to a more typical Weapon Plus operation, she did not want to violate that sanctuary… any further, she thought, as she looked over the ruin.

"Stay back and let me try to talk to her first, please," she said. "We'd like this done neatly and quietly, right?"

An easy request. They knew she wouldn't like this assignment and would prefer dealing with this target in her capacity as psychologist rather than assassin. But they could trust that she'd do whatever was needed. And just in case things got out of control the three guards could train their weapons on the target and the conscript alike through the blasted out windows easily enough. Kassandra vanished.

They could now see her blurry, transparent visage sitting in the front pew. Powered up, ready for anything.

"Hallo," she said, to no one they could see. "Wie gehts?…Ganz gestimmt…Ich bin Kassandra, eine Freundin von Logan… Ja, eine Psychologin… Ich will dir helfen. Erzähl mir alles. Was ist los?"

"Mein Gott! Charles darf nicht hierher kommen." Another wraith appeared with the guards, abject terror and confusion lending an edge to her whisper almost as sharp as that adamantium sword she'd been allowed to carry again. "Understand? This place stands at a juncture of opposing realities. It's highly unstable. I can barely stay grounded. Xavier must not come here! In fact, tell him to cease all contact with the Maximoffs, now."

What was she talking about? How information so far-fetched, so disjointed, obtained by apparently sitting there, talking only to herself be of any use? "Mir gefällt meine Existenz auch nicht, aber zumindest spiel ich nicht mit der Realität herum," continued the image sitting in the pew, in a gentle, almost tender voice. "Das ist nur zu wahr. Ich kann das nicht. Aber nur weil du es kannst, heißt das nicht, dass du das auch machen solltest."

"Warum?" shouted another wraith, standing with sword drawn, looking in an altogether different direction. "Nur Gott hat das Recht dazu und wir alle müssen mit den Folgen deiner Einmischung behandeln."

"Ich nie vergeße, und ich kann die Vergangenheit akzeptieren. Warum du nicht auch?" said the quiet image in the pew.

"Xavier's coming, verdammt! He's in danger here," whispered the wraith that stood with her guards. "Stop them!"

The guards exchanged puzzled glances. They each wondered how they were going to get this woman, or rather, her three wraiths, to power down and start talking sense without hurting her and drawing the ire of the mutant rights groups, when she was obviously raving. "I don't see any 'them,'" said one.

Another, who knew enough German to exchange occasional snatches of conversation with this lonely conscript, replied, "It seems her assignment finally got the best of her, in which case… oh, God!"

The realization just hit that a real extra-dimensional struggle could look very much like what they were witnessing. The sword-wielding wraith finally lunged, screaming in a voice that all too likely pierced dimensional boundaries and carried beyond the universe, "WAS BILDEST DU DIR EIN!"
Apparently, any effort to do whatever she thought she needed to be done neatly and quietly wasn't working.

"Trank her! She's losing it!" barked the sergeant.

"Are you kidding? None of our best shots can get her like that!"
"You got any better ideas?"
And a fire a fire of tranquilizer darts, the wraiths vanished, and Zeitgeist hurtled, as if hurled by this sudden burst of white light, into the smoke-blackened wall.
"We didn't do that, did we?" said one of the guards, gazing awestruck into the shadows.

"Get down! Someone else is in there now, though I'm damned if I know how they got there," said the sergeant. "Did you see them come in? Or you?"

Both of the other guards shook their heads, mystified.
"At any rate, we'll have to retrieve her, quietly. What the-?" The white light began to grow. And intensify.
"Oh, SH-!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Translations:

"Wie gehts?…Ganz gestimmt…Ich bin eine Freundin von Logan, Kassandra… Ja, eine Psychologin… Ich will zu dich helfen. Erzähl mir alles. Was ist los?"

How's it going?... Agreed, totally... I am Logan's friend, Kassandra... Yes, a psychologist... I want to help you... Tell me all about it. What's the matter?

Charles darf nicht hierher kommen. -Charles must not come here.

Mir gefällt meine Existenz auch nicht, aber zumindest spiel ich nicht mit der Realität herumDas ist nur zu wahr. Ich kann das nicht. Aber nur weil du es kannst, heißt das nicht, dass du das auch machen solltest.

I also don't like my existence, but I don't mess with reality. That's true enough. I can't. But just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Warum? Nur Gott hat das Recht dazu und wir alle müssen mit den Folgen deiner Einmischung behandeln.

Why? Only God has that right, and we all must deal with the consequences of your meddling.

Ich nie vergeße, und ich kann die Vergangenheit akzeptieren. Warum du nicht auch? - I never forget, and I can accept the past. Why won't you?

WAS BILDEST DU DIR EIN! - Who do you think you are!