"So, where are we exactly?" Remy asked.
We were all gathered in the lounge. Well, the team was anyway. We decided that explanations could wait until later that night, and therefore all the students were currently in bed. Due to the level of excitement that we had that day, I doubt that any of them were actually asleep however. We were seated in a circle with the Professor at the head. Remy was next to him, with Rogue on his other side. She hadn't left him once since he had woken up.
"Our school is located in Westchester, New York." I said.
"New York?" he asked in surprise, "But we were in Vegas last I checked!"
"And we found you and brought you here." Scott told him.
The Professor stepped (not literally, mind you.) "Well, now that we have your location established, Remy, Rogue, I would like to introduce you to my team. Kitty, you have both already met." I waved at them slightly. "But I'd also like you to meet Ororo Munro, also called Storm. This is Scott Summers, also called Cyclops. Jean Grey, Piotr Rasputin, and finally Kurt Wagner. They are the X-Men."
"X-Men?" Rouge cut in, "You mean you're those guys on TV sometimes?"
"Yes," Kurt replied, "Just without the uniforms and masks."
"You are in my School for the Gifted — for mutants. You'll be safe here from Magneto."
Hold the phone.
"Prof, what the heck are you talking about?"
"Some of Erik's goonies attacked these two outside of Vegas. We stopped them." Storm said.
"Why?"
"Why did we stop them?" Her questioned was confused, as it should have been.
"No," I quickly clarified, "Why did Magneto attack them?"
"We don't know, Kitty. But we are going to find out."
"What's a Magneto anyhow?" Rogue's question made me chuckle.
"A very powerful mutant who believes that a war is brewing between mutants and the rest of humanity. I've been following his activities for some time."
That was news to both me and my team, if their startled reactions were anything to go by. We had all jumped a little, and from the sounds of their heads whipping around the Professor had a lot of eyes on him. Magneto hadn't really done anything bad, as far as any of us knew. Yes, he was alligned with the Brotherhood and Mystique, but somehow always managed to stay out of trouble with us, and by extension, with the authorities.
"Why?" I asked, again.
"For the exact same reason we are." I grimaced. Nick Fury and the Avengers always arrived at the most inopportune moments.
"Tony," I said exasperatedly, "I gave you and Jarvis the mansions security codes to use in an emergency only. Does this look like an emergency to you?"
"It's an emergency, Ms. Pryde, when I decide that it is."
"Ah yes," I bit back, "God forbid anything happen without the great Nick Fury deciding exactly just what 'it' is."
"Two mutants attacked outside of Vegas, by a group who has been on our watch list for years, and you expect me not to react?"
"I expect you to leave it to us, just like you do with the rest of the mutant affairs!" I shouted. "As for your precious watch list, let's face it," I gestured around at the group of people both seated and standing, "We're all on it, but you don't come after any of us when we're involved in a fight."
"That's different, Pryde." Nick said firmly.
"Is it?" I challenged, "Is it? Let's face it, when it comes down to a comparison between us and the Brotherhood, the only thing different is our morals and the way that we do things. Our endgame is ultimately the same. We want to be accepted. Come on Fury, I may have only been in this game for two years, but just like you, I know how to play it."
I paused and let thought sink in for a moment as the Avengers took their seats.
Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, Spider-Man, Bruce Banner, Iron Man, and Thor.
I had files on all of them, just like they had files on us. The only difference was that I was smart and kept mine on paper in a secure location, while their digital files on us kept getting wiped every time that they were remade. The beauty of technology and computer viruses.
You'd think that they would learn..
"Look, I get it. We're nothing like them." I continued, "But what about this is cause for such concern? He's done it before, this procuring thing, and he'll do it again. Nothing ever comes of it. What makes this time so special that both you and The Prof have been watching him without telling the rest of us?"
They were both silent for a minute, and then Xavier spoke.
"We've been keeping an eye on him for as long as he has kept an eye on Rogue."
"Me?!" the girl said, clearly startled.
"Why her?" Remy wanted to know.
"It's because of her mother, isn't it?" I asked. Dammit. Everyone's heads turned to face me.
It was stupid to mention it, I know, but for some reason I couldn't help myself. And with that simple question, all focus was on me again. I could practically taste the curiosity that was currently radiating from everyone. None of them had any idea of what I was talking about, not even Kurt. I cursed myself slightly for speaking without thinking.
"What about her mother?" Tony wanted to know, "The Darkholme family is clean, I checked. There is no connection to Magneto or the Brotherhood."
Wow. They really have been keeping tabs on her.
I couldn't help myself, I laughed, which did absolutely nothing to draw the attention off of me.
"What is it that you know, Kitty?" The Professor asked.
"Did you seriously not pick up on the clue that Tony just gave you, Xavier? I would have expected you of all people to have caught onto what I'm trying to tell you. The three of you were once so close after all."
"Out with it, kid! We don't have time for your riddles today." Logan commanded.
"Her last name is Darkholme. Darkholme. And if any of you had read the files that I made for you on the Brotherhood, you would know exactly who that name ties her to."
The Professor gasped slightly as I continued, "There is only one other person I know who has that name. Raven Darkholme, code name: Mystique. The Professor knows her because they used to live together, and we all know that she and Magneto are close. Is that why he came after Rogue? Because she is her daughter?"
The room exploded, and once more I wished that I hadn't spoke. Fury was trying to make Xavier give him (Fury) Rogue to take into custody to sort this out, an all of the members of my team were objecting to letting him anywhere near her. Most of the Avengers agreed with us, while Hawkeye and Widow stood alongside the leader of SHIELD, ever loyal agents that they were. Gambit was trying to calm Rogue, who was having another minor breakdown as a result of finding out that her mother was a supervillian. And me? I was just sitting there listening to the chaos I had inadvertently managed to create. I didn't say anything. At least, not until I heard a sound outside of the door.
I stood up quickly. "SHUT UP!" I screamed.
They all fell silent as I made my way to the doors, which Fury had shut when he oh-so-politely let himself and the others in. I listened at it for a minute, pressing my ear to the cool wood. Once I knew that I had definetly heard what I had thought I heard, I glared at the other occupants of the room before pulling the door open to reveal a scared looking Illyana Rasputin.
"I heard shouting," the seven year old said in Russian. "It frightened me."
She knew how to speak English fluently, but preferred to speak in her native language whenever possible, or in times of stress, like now. I sent another glare over my shoulder before gathering the child into my arms. As petite as I was, the girl was already more than half my size, and picking her up was a slight struggle. Piotr moved to take his sister from me, but I shook my head at him.
"Look," I said, "We're all tired, and we aren't going to get anywhere with this tonight. Why don't you guys bunk here and we all can talk about this in the morning, okay?"
I didn't wait for their answer. I just turned my back on them and activated my mutation, reveling in the familiar tingle that spread across my skin. Illyana laughed as I extended the invisible field over her body, and as soon as it was stable I used it to float us up through the floor and into the second level hallway. My grip on her was firm as I took her back to her room. She snuggled her face down deep into my neck and squeezed me tightly. I tried to keep my steps as smooth as possible as I carried her the short distance.
"Kitty?" she said sleepily, "Will you tell me a story?"
I kissed the top of her forehead when we reached her door. "Of course, Snowflake. What do you want to hear?"
She thought for a little bit while I phased us inside and tucked her back into her bed.
"I want to hear about the day you met Petya."
"That story again? But you've heard it a thousand times!" I exclaimed.
"Then it won't hurt me to listen to it again, will it?" she snarked.
I've taught her well.
I giggled, but relented. She settled down deeper into the covers as I told her about the day that I first met her brother, and Logan, and Storm, and Xavier. She knew everything I was going to say by heart. But she always listened intently as I told her how they came to my house, I took them out for ice cream, and then we were attacked. It was our favorite story, and I knew that it always would be. Her focus never shifted from me as I described the events of the day that changed my life forever. She was asleep by the time I was done, and I quietly left the room without bothering to open the door.
