SHADOUKYATTO 12

Kitty came to in the empty room. The walls had begun to crumble and she could see the sky above through cracks in the ceiling. Voices boomed over an alarm, warning of system failure. She wasn't sure how long she had been out for but it seemed Sinister no longer had the upper hand. Searching the room she saw Mystique and Daken approaching her, a strange look of satisfaction was on Mystique's face. Kitty became nervous with the look of hate that seemed to beam from the two. They seemed intent on killing her. Kitty's eyes pleaded with Daken as he stood over her with his claws extended. The inhibitor collar tight against her pale throat, pressing on her delicate skin.

"The little bitch betrayed us! She's working with Sinister. She made a deal with him. Why else would she still be alive?"

"He placed an inhibitor collar on me, how is that working with him?!"

"Did you make a deal with him Kitty?" Daken's eyes burned into hers, searching for the truth.

"Yes..."

"You see? He wouldn't have let her into his lab otherwise. She set us up!" Mystique interrupted Kitty.

"No! I did it to save Daken's life!"

"What was the deal you made?"

"My life for yours." Kitty dropped her head to the floor, exhausted from arguing.

"Don't believe her. Why would she give up her own life for yours? She tricked you into coming to his lab. She tricked all of us."

"She did what she said she would. She made me whole again. Sinister was happy taking pieces of me to restore my father. I'm more useful to him as parts."

"Sinister wants us all. She did it to gain your trust, to gain all of our trust so she could lead us peacefully to our doom."

"Mystique just because you are a deceitful cunt doesn't mean I'd betray you. It's not in my nature to be dishonest. If anyone here isn't to be trusted, its you. Every decision you make is to save your own hide. Daken, please trust me. I'd never do anything to hurt you or Laura. Please believe me."

"Look at her. She thinks you care about her. How sad and pathetic." Mystique's laugh was cruel and mocking as she towered over Kitty.

"Go ahead bitch, laugh. You'll never know what love is. It's about acceptance and forgiveness".

"Blah, blah. Shut her up already Daken she's boring me."

His eye twitched as he stared at Kitty lying helplessly on the floor. She was holding her full belly protectively, bruises covering her arms with cuts leaving red stains down her body.

"I forgive you." Kitty whispered as she closed her eyes, awaiting her fate.

"Awe have you gone soft just like your father? I thought you were better then that. Little doe-eyed brat has you wrapped around her finger."

"Not quite Mystique. I just don't have anything to gain from killing her."

"She knows the trigger words."

"And? Do you really fear her that much that you wish her dead?"

"Ha, I'd never fear a pathetic weakling like her. But no one should have that information."

"All except you of course, or were you hoping we'd all die at Paradise?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb Mystique, it's insulting. You don't think we didn't notice your hesitation to call in backup. You were hoping that the crew would kill us all and you'd get to walk away."

"I knew you'd survive, I was hoping to eliminate those Weapon X experiments and be rid of them. Sinister's done that for us."

"You see that's your problem Mystique, you never want to get your hands dirty."

"Why do the dirty work when someone else can do it for you?"

"That's where we differ, if I want someone dead, I kill them myself."

A gargling sound caused Kitty to open her eyes. Daken had punctured Mystique's chest with his claws. He stared intensely at her as she choked on blood.

"Happens that I do care about Kitty. Funny how that works."

He pushed Mystique off his claws, sending her flying across the ground landing at Sabretooth's feet.

"Victor... Help me." Mystique managed to choke out.

"Sorry babe, no can do. You see she's carryin' my pup and this year I've come to the realization that I might not be around forever. Wolverine's death made me think about what exactly I'd be leavin' behind. I don't have any offspring to follow in my footsteps and carry on my name. Really makes a man think. Not to mention you've left me for dead on several occasions."

"Idiot we have a son."

"Yah he's a real chip off the old block. Mutant hatin' lunatic. I don't want that as my legacy. Don't forget you tricked me into havin' that kid. Every one of your kids turned out the opposite of what you wanted. You've outlived your usefulness. Tired of your hidden agendas and your manipulations. It ends here Mystique."

"You'd be nothing without me!"

"HA! You needed me babe not the other way around. I made my own reputation all by myself."

"You were a dumb killing machine when I met you. I turned you into the calculating man you are now. But I guess you can never take the animal out of the man." She coughed as she spoke, blood still oozing from her mouth and wounds.

"That's where you are wrong, I've always been an animal. It's what I do best." Sabretooth grabbed Mystique by the throat and squeezed his claws into her.

Watching as the air left her body Sabretooth tossed her against the wall, crushing her ribs. He walked slowly toward Daken and Kitty, a strange look on his face.

"Raise her well. I expect her to be able to kick my ass when she's old enough. Don't disappointment me Kitten, that's my legacy you're carryin'."

Kitty nodded slowly, still stunned by Sabretooth's apparent turn around. Daken leaned onto his knees and helped Kitty sit upright. He looked calmer, more peaceful then when he had smashed the tube looking for blood.

"What happened with the lava?"

"I could only save one of you."

"Why did you choose me?"

"Logan would have wanted it that way. Above all he did care about you Daken. He would have sacrificed his life for yours."

"Is that your only reason, because Logan would have wanted it?"

"Not entirely. He wasn't the Logan I knew. He was feral, no recollection of me or memories. He didn't know who you or I was. Sinister would have used him for his own purposes. He would have just been a copy of the man I knew. Logan wanted it all to be over, he made good with himself and to bring him back would have been selfish on my part."

"Very tempting though. You probably could have had the relationship you wanted with him. He wouldn't have that vision of you as a child."

"I thought about that but he wouldn't be the man I loved. He would have been an empty shell. I couldn't do that to him. I respect him too much. He deserves his peace, he's more then earned it." A tear fell silently down her cheek as she remembered Logan.

"Thank you." Daken touched her soft cheek with his hand, wiping away the tear with his thumb.

"For what?"

"For loving my father enough to let him go with respect... and for saving my life." It was the first time he had actually thanked someone, it felt foreign to him.

"I might have another reason for choosing you... I couldn't bare the thought of your life being taken away by my hands."

Looking at her face he saw the frightened little girl that his father had tried to protect but he also saw the strong woman he had moulded.

"It was never your decision Koneko. Sinister only gave you the illusion of a choice. Whether you chose my father or myself, Sinister had the control. All our lives were in his hands, his to do with as he pleased."

"I wish I could have saved both of you."

"You couldn't have Koneko, my father was never there."

"What do you mean?"

"He was an illusion created by Sinister."

"But... I... He was real."

"No, only a hologram. An illusion to mess with your senses."

Kitty furrowed her brows in confusion. She could have sworn it was him. The way he smelled, the way he moved. She had touched him, felt his body against hers. Had it all been in her head?

"Where are the others?" Kitty asked in a panic.

"I'm not really sure. Don't think we should hang around here much longer."

"Right... Daken, I don't know if I'll be able to walk out of here. I can't feel my legs."

A numbness had taken over her bottom half, leaving her unable to use her legs. Scooping her up in his arms, Daken carried her through a gap in the wall. Fresh air hit them as the holographic exterior dissolved and they landed onto snow. Sabretooth's footprints lead away from the fortress, a smaller set of prints showed that Yuriko had also exited, leading the opposite direction of Sabretooth's.

"We need to find Laura and Lockheed."

"The flying rat? I saw him hovering over you while you were unconscious. He's around somewhere."

Hearing his name, Lockheed popped up to Kitty's face, cooing at her affectionately.

"'Heed! Oh my god I was so worried about you! Where have you been?!"

Gesturing with his small claws he acted out his adventures.

"Oh you clever dragon! It was you who caused all those explosions. Sinister must have been quite annoyed with you. I'm so happy you weren't hurt."

Lockheed grinned widely as he coughed up a silver key and held it out.

"What would I do without you?! How did you get the key for the collar?"

Lockheed puffed his chest up while he air punched, demonstrating his heroics. Kitty laughed and blew him a kiss. Unlocking the collar for Kitty, Lockheed burned the collar, melting its components. A tingling sensation shot through Kitty's legs, giving them a jolt. Daken stopped walking and looked worriedly at her.

"I'm okay, I-I can feel my legs again. Put me down."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Daken slowly let her feet touch the ground, he made sure to hold her waist as she tested out her legs. She was a bit unsteady but was able to move. Turning to face Daken, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips tenderly.

She pulled away and whispered to him; "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For trusting me."

"Am I interrupting a Kodak moment here?" The click of a gun caused them both to jump.

"Mystique, I was hoping you had learned your lesson and had crawled under a rock." Daken unsheathed his claws.

"Too much to hope for lover. You think you can walk off into the sunset with your little whore unscathed?"

"Back off Mystique." Laura came up behind her, claws extended.

"Ahh the happy little family all back together."

"Walk away Mystique. You have your life, I suggest you leave with it." Daken threatened as he stepped forward.

"Not until I get my freedom."

"All you had to do was ask nicely. Exsculpo." Kitty reveled in the fact that Mystique wriggled in the snow.

Lockheed took it upon himself to fasten Mystique's ankles and wrists in a tight knot using her own clothing.

"Let's get the hell out of here, this place gives me the creeps. The Blackbird isn't far from here." Kitty lead them in the direction she had landed.

Once they boarded the Blackbird, Kitty looked back at Sinister's fortress one last time. Her mind wandered to her moment with Logan in the holding cells. Had she really imagined the whole thing? Had Sinister used her inner most desires to deceive her? She knew that she had to leave Logan behind and move forward. She knew exactly who she would go forward with, and he was sitting next to her.