Disclaimer: I don't own Cap. Or Shadowcat. Or any Marvel character, location, device, etc. I do own an imaginary pet rock. I call him Frankie.

Pryde And Patriotism

She ran; dazed, weak, unable to focus. The alley is dark and she doesn't see the dumpster as she crashes into it. She pulls herself to her feet, feeling blood running down her leg, hoping her pursuers didn't hear her. Stumbling in the darkness, falling but managing to hold onto the wall.

She hears footsteps. Barely recognizable over the sound of her heart pounding. Exhaustion catching her. How far has she ran? How did she get loose? Her thoughts scattered. She can't remember. Fear overtaking her, an unfamiliar sensation.

Headlights down the alley giving her hope of escape. She runs, trying to force whatever she has left out. She stops, just in time. Just missing crashing into the chain link fence blocking her way. Foot steps closer. She glares at the fence, something that shouldn't stop her now impassable.

Weakly she turns. Her pursuers are there, six of them. Also something that shouldn't stop her. They spread out, not giving her a way through. Closing. So weak. Can barely stand. Her heartbeat so loud she can't focus. One comes at her. She throws a punch. Nothing there. He laughs and lands a blow to her stomach. Doubling her over.

Another approaches. She kicks. No strength. No Balance. She falls to the ground. She can hear them laugh over the sound of her heart. Light flickers in front of her. Not light. Reflection. A knife. She knows it's over. Emotion overwhelms her. Fear of the end. Anger at her weakness. Self pity quickly replaced by more anger. Anger at herself for dying like this. Anger at her pursuers. She holds onto the anger. Forcing down the fear. Forcing down the pity. Forcing back the weakness.

She climbs to her feet. The knife approaches. She knows she has nothing yet. But refusing to die without a fight. Assuming a stance. The most basic. The first she learned. From who? Force back the loss of focus. Only here. That is all.

The knife raises, a flash of silver. It's over she knows. Now it lowers; a silver blur. She braces. Refuses to close her eyes. Silver rushing toward her. Silver. Red Blur. Now the man with the knife is gone. What?

She looks for the other. Feels fear again. But it's not coming from her.

He ran. Strong, powerful, feeling the night air. Enjoying the exhilaration. Jumping to the next roof top.

Landing. Not stopping. Reveling in his strength. His secret. Even after so long. This doesn't leave him.

Not arrogance or pride. Just simple joy. That he can do this. After a lifetime of weakness. He hears a crash. A block away. Flesh on metal. But his senses are acute. The decision instant. He turns and kicks off the building. Grabbing a flag pole, using it to swing himself forward. His fingertips just reach the fire escape. But it's enough. It's enough to let him cartwheel to the ladder. He climbs, hearing laughter.

Running. Closer now. He hears a body hit the ground. More laughter. Praying he's not to late. Then he's there. See's the girl climb to her feet. He feels a sense of pride. That this girl won't quit. See's the knife raise. His left arm moves. After so many years. As much instinct as skill. The shield flies true. He never doubted.

See's the shock in the girls eyes. The pain in the man's as the shield strikes true. Pushing the attacker into the wall. He leaps, pushing off the far wall. Hears the ricochet of the shield even as his foot connects with another attacker. His hand reaches. It's there. As always. He elbows another as he swings the shield. It makes contact with the fourth, sending him flying. The last two are no match. They know it.

But still they try. Useless. Wasted. Even as they fall. He feels regret for having to do that. He turns toward the girl. Something familiar. She clings to the fence, forcing herself to stand. He reaches out as she falls. Cradling her. Hoping he was in time.

She pulls herself out of the darkness. Through dreams or memories. A knife falling. A red, white and blue blur stopping it.

The others unable to react as a bigger red, white and blue blur is among them.

She see's it clearer now. The kick out of nowhere. Moving even as he makes contact. Grabbing the shield even as he sends another away with his elbow. The shield on his arm as the elbow connects. Swinging toward another. That one rocketing against a wall. The other two gone so fast. She can barely see the kick or the punch that downs them.

Then she falls. Feels hands grabbing her...

Kitty Pryde opens her eyes. Not sure where she is. Reality returning as she smells the sterile air of a sterile hospital room. A doctor rushes over, calming her before her powers activate and disconnect her from the monitors.

"It's okay," The female doctor says. "Your safe, Ms. Pryde."

"Where am I?"

"A SHIELD hospital. You were drugged and beaten pretty badly. Do you remember anything?"

"A little, it's all fuzzy." Kitty winced as she remembers the knife. "How'd I get here?"

"You got lucky. Captain America happened to be in the area. He and Agent Quartermain are waiting to debrief you. So get some rest and try to remember."

"We have an identification on one of the attackers." Clay Quartermain said as he walked up to Captain America. "David Adams, twenty-eight, suspected member of the Friends OF Humanity, on parole for aggravated assault. We're assuming the others have ties with the FOH."

"Any word on Shadowcat?" The Star Spangled Avenger asked.

"Doctor Memdez says she's awake. They'll release her tomorrow morning."

"Keep an eye on her. Wolverine was her teacher so expect her to try to deal with this on her own."

It was supposed to be easy, she remembered. Morlocks were disappearing from the New York tunnels. Wolverine had scouted the tunnels and caught a scent he recognized as belonging to one of the Friends of Humanity. We isolated his cell and attacked. Handled them pretty easy. Frost scanned them and learned they were taking mutants to a warehouse in Queens.

The next night we headed to the warehouse. Emma scanned and found the captured mutant and twenty-six humans. Since hostages were involved we played it cautious. I phased Beast and myself into the holding cells. We took out the guards as Cyclops, Frost and Wolverine charged in the front. It looked like everything was going our way when Wolverine attacked Cyclops shouting something mindless about Jean. We opened the holding cells and were promptly attacked by enraged mutants. Cyclops blasted Wolverine through a wall and was knocked out by Frost, who was going on about playing second to his dead wife.

In hindsight, I guess it was easy. How they took us down. Cyclops was down already. Wolverine was covered with some kind of foam that kept him from getting any kind of leverage to cut through. Frost changed from diamond form to wake up Scott and was hit with a stun blast. Beast was overwhelmed by the prisoners and then the group was gassed. I thought I was going to escape when my powers shut down. It was then that I noticed the Morlock Leech held on a leash by some guy in a purple robe.

I fought my way through several FOH until I was almost to the hole that Cyclops had made to enter. I felt several impacts as I ran. Adrenalin got me outside before I realized something was wrong. My powers should have been returning, but didn't. I felt weaker and more disoriented the farther I went.

Which brings me here, she thought; sitting up in the bed. SHIELD bases seem to follow the same design everywhere. With my powers it should be simple to get out. If I had time I would stay and play it their way. But I need to find the X-men before more time passes.

She unhooked the monitors and phased through it to quickly silence it. Guards were outside the door so she peaked through the wall to the next room and found it empty. Kitty phased through and climbed on a table. She stuck her head through the floor and found another empty room and air walked to it. That room had a window and looked outside. Luck was on her side as she saw an alley and a roof top directly across from her.

Not seeing any guards or bystanders she phased through the was and floated to the next roof. Touching down, she solidified and took off at a run.

"Going somewhere?" A voice asked.