Deathless

By Jeremy Harper

Note – The Astonishing X-Men are the property of Marvel Comics and are used without permission.

For OldPrydeFan, though she knows me not.

Prologue Two – Kitty and Wolverine

Kitty Pryde looked out over the lake, watching the water ripple and shimmer as a breeze passed over it. She was lying on her back, her head resting on her arm, her dark brown hair tied up in a ponytail, her eyes half-closed and her lips curved in a reflective smile. Lockheed was curled up on her stomach, purring in his sleep. Kitty scratched behind his horns with her free hand, and considered following his example, the luxurious warmth of the early autumn afternoon lulling her towards drowsiness. She turned her head and looked up into the sky. A few puffball clouds rolled lazily across the light-blue vastness. She closed her eyes and daydreamed of falling upwards, into the sky, free-flying through that gorgeous expanse. A shadow fell across her face. She opened her eyes then grinned.

"Hey Logan."

"Hey Pun'kin. You mind if I join you for a spell?"

"Not at all. We could use the company." She stopped scratching Lockheed momentarily. The little dragon lifted his head, glanced at Logan, yawned, then promptly curled up again and fell back asleep.

Logan smirked and sat down, stretching his legs out. He produced a cigarillo from the pocket of his brown leather jacket, struck a match on the sole of his boot and started to smoke. He and Kitty sat together in companionable silence, watching the lake. They knew each other so well that they felt no need to fill the quiet with needless words.

Logan glanced over at Kitty and smirked again. "You two look cozy."

"It's such a beautiful day," Kitty drawled happily. She wiggled her bare toes in the long green grass. "I've been longing to get outside since early this morning. I nearly decided to ditch my classes."

"Pun'kin, you're a teacher now."

"I know, but where does it say that a teacher can't play hooky every once in a while?" Kitty asked with a grin. Logan couldn't help but snort in good humor. Kitty giggled. "As it is, I should be inside grading some papers, but they can wait 'til evening. Between teaching and working with the team, I haven't had much time to myself. Days like this shouldn't be squandered on anything as mundane as work, if you can help it."

Logan's smile faded, and he looked at Kitty thoughtfully. "How are you holdin' up?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you happy here?"

Kitty did not answer immediately. She sat up slowly, tucking her legs beneath her Indian style. Lockheed grumbled briefly in complaint before settling down in her lap. She stroked his head and neck as she gazed thoughtfully over the lake. She turned her head to Logan and smiled.

"Yeah, I am," she said. "It surprises me, but for the first time in a long time, I am happy. I never thought I'd enjoy teaching so much. The kids are great – they're eager to learn everything I know and more. I'm even enjoying the field work, and that surprises me most of all." She glanced up at the sky, lips pursed. "I'm not doing anything I haven't done before – fly in, take down the baddies, fly away… Wait, I am doing something different. I've never had to field questions from the media." She looked back at Logan. "But even that isn't too bad. After dealing with the likes of Magneto, the Marauders and the War Wolves, paparazzi and investigative reporters are pussycats." She laughed and Logan chuckled. "It feels good to be a superhero, instead of a soldier skulking about out of sight. And, instead of running and running and never getting ahead, it seems like we're actually doing some good for the world."

"I wonder about that," murmured Logan. "I wonder if we're just giving folks more ammunition ta use against us."

"I don't see how. The only negative comments about us I've seen so far have been in the New York Daily Bugle, and everyone knows its owner has a mad-on about superheroes. Every other major media outlet I've checked is either neutral or positive. Hell, the Boston Herald's acting like we're the second coming of the Avengers."

"Wait 'til something blows up in our face, kid. Wait 'til we're not fast enough to save some child being held hostage, or some gawkin' geek gets fragged in the crossfire. They'll forget all the 'good' we've done right damn quick."

"Gee, pessimistic much?"

"Just a realist." Logan stubbed his cigarillo out against the ground and tossed it away. "I still think Scott's nuts, believin' this will work."

"Maybe he is, Logan, but it isn't like there's a shortage of windmills to tilt at in this world." Logan looked at Kitty sharply, his eyebrows arching. She was leaning back on her arms, smiling softly and staring into the sky. Logan laughed. He laughed long and hard. It was good honest laughter, coming from deep in his belly. "You got a point there, Pun'kin. You got a palpable point indeed." He pulled out another cigarillo and lit it.

"That's a bad habit, you know," Kitty said wryly.

"The advantage of a mutant healing factor – you can enjoy your vices without sufferin' their consequences."

Kitty lay back down. She and Logan fell silent again. After a while Kitty broke it.

"I know bad times will come. They're inevitable. But for now, I'm happy with all this." Her expression became wistful. "I'm happy the way I was when I was thirteen, when I first joined the X-Men."

"Hard days," said Logan, closing his eyes. "For the rest of us, at any rate. But they were ultimately good ones." Silence again.

"It never goes away," Kitty murmured – a statement, not a question.

"No, it doesn't. But it fades some, after a time."

"I know."

"I once heard a quote – I don't remember by who, but I bet Hank would: 'Happiness, too, is inevitable'."

Kitty smiled. "I like that."

Simultaneously beepers hooked to their belts went off. A second later Emma Frost's cool, haughty voice echoed in their heads. Pryde, Wolverine, suit up. There's a situation in New York.

Kitty groaned. "I just knew this would happen. Why can't supervillains commit villainy on rainy days?"

"Fewer people to show off in front of when it's rainin'." Logan flashed her a grin. "Thought you liked playin' superhero, Pryde.

Kitty stood up, Lockheed cradled in her arms. "I do. I just like it better some days than others. Whoever it is, I'm going to kick their ass hard for making me work on a beautiful day like this."

"Now there's a sentiment I can relate to."