Friends of Humanity

by Starsinger

Kitty helped thwart Reverend Stryker's campaign against mutants. He swore revenge. When she falls to an assassin's knife, he swears to capture her body and use it as an example to his followers. This is a sequel to "Darkness before the Dawn," so obviously his plans go awry. No, still don't own them.

"She's dead?!" asked the heavyset man behind the desk. "Are you sure?"

The agent stood before him with a smirk on his face. The sumptuous office of rich carpets, cherry wood furniture, and heady colors told this man's story far better than his bitterness against this one woman. "We've been monitoring reports around the mansion. She 'sacrificed' her life to save those suffering from the Legacy Virus moments ago."

A grim smile crossed the other man's face, "Anyway we can get our hands on her body?"

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Kitty's body lay where she'd died. A computer chip placed on the back of her neck kept her breathing and heart beating until everything was ready. The only downside came from the thermal blanket wrapped around her. Moira could almost believe she was still alive if it weren't for that. The Shi'arian told her that they could keep her "alive" but couldn't keep her body temperature up.

Several of those who'd been critically ill in the infirmary were paying their respects, but most of the inhabitants of the mansion had joined Logan in a forced march around Breakstone Lake. The monitors around Kitty had been turned off and she had been disconnected from all the tubes and everything that had kept her alive.

Moira was bending over the bed when she felt a hand clamp down over her mouth, "Move, and I'll kill you," a voice whispered into her ear. Moira went limp as several men walked into the room. The man holding her handed her over to another and peered down at the woman in front of her. "So, it's true, she's dead." He reached down and picked her up, her unresisting body limp in his arms. It was everything Moira could do to keep from moving. As much as she feared for her life, she didn't want her friend's body defiled by these men. They threw her to the floor and before she could turn around they left, taking Kitty's body with them. Moira hit the alarm.

Peter and Emma ran full tilt into the infirmary having never left the school and discovered the scene. Both turned white when Moira informed them what happened. Emma immediately broadcast the incident to everyone within reach. Peter picked up the blanket that the men had so carelessly left behind. "We have to find her," he whispered striding out of the infirmary.

Emma shook her head, "I can't find Kitty because she's dead."

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Logan received the news with some grim glee. He was itching for a fight, and the Friends of Humanity had just given him an excuse. Kurt had disappeared in a puff of smoke to fetch the blanket so they could wrap her up as soon as they found her. He sniffed the air; Kitty's scent would still be distinctive. Peter soon joined him as he wove his way through the woods near the lake. They soon located them.

"She's growing cold. How can she be dead? She's still breathing!" one said, panicking slightly.

Stryker snorted, "Alien technology." He bent down and examined her. Logan rage built as the man's hands roamed over her body. "Sleeping Beauty, I'll put her on a pedestal and call her Sleeping Beauty. Set her up as an example of the fact that mutants can be killed."

One of the men looked nervously around, "What about this disease she died of? Could we catch it?" The question was punctuated by the sound of Kitty coughing. They all stared horrified of the sound. Logan grinned, seeing an opening.

Before he could move though her captors scrambled back as everyone saw a ghost. Kitty stood before them, "Why are you doing this? I have brought you no harm."

Stryker looked at the ghost with contempt, "You ruined me, bitch. You're going to pay, dead or alive."

"So you would sentence millions to death from this disease. The X-Men will not let you go easily." Wolverine chose that moment to attack. It was short and brutal as none of the men stood a chance. Stryker chose that moment to turn tail and run. Kurt bent down and gently wrapped Kitty's stiffening body in the blanket. Fortunately the chip still worked. Kitty's image knelt down next to Kurt, staring at them.

"Katya?" came the strangled question.

Kitty smiled at the large man before Emma's voice sounded in their heads, "Get her back to the mansion. The technicians don't want to take any more chances." When they looked up Kitty's ghost was gone. Kurt disappeared with her body in a puff of smoke.

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Logan sighed with relief as the technicians finally left with the stasis tube in tow. Logan knew that they hadn't seen the last of Stryker. If the man hated that much, Kitty's life would not be safe if she returned from the dead. He shook his head. Stryker was just another piece of the puzzle to add to a long list. Mystique needed to be foremost on his list.

What's going on with Stryker? He never liked Kitty, the fact that she's a mutant never helped. Will he try to take advantage of her amnesia? Probably, stay tuned to find out.