"Betsey?" Ororo said sleepily as she stretched in the large bed. The Asian woman yawned herself.
"Hey. You won't believe what happened. Scoot over." Ororo moved and Betsey climbed in, almost nodding off to sleep.
"The hacking ran late?"
"I haven't gone to bed yet and it's seven a.m." Both women fell asleep momentarily until Ororo poked her in the ribs.
"What happened?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You came in and said something happened." She sat up, now awake and Betsey yanked the covers from her.
"Forge's house was set on fire." Ororo blinked.
"What?"
"His house was set on fire. The official report is someone threw a lit cigarette into the dry brush, and you know with the water restrictions in Bedford-Stuveysant his lawn went up like a twig…and his house went with it."
"A cigarette."
"Don't worry, no one believes that either." Betsey yawned and burrowed herself deeper under the comforter.
"So where is Forge now?" Ororo asked, slipping out from under the covers.
"With Bishop. Damage control. At least his lab was sealed off. Now can I sleep? They'll be back over soon. We've offered our guest house until he can move."
"I'll let you sleep."
"That would be wise."
"Don't you want to siesta in your room?"
"Why when it's on the third floor?" Ororo shook her head and left.
*
She had been knocking around a thought all while she showered, and came to a decision as she walked to the kitchen, where Warren and Logan were having breakfast. Good morning people."
"Morning." Warren sighed as he rubbed his temples.
"You don't look so good."
"My hacking skills were elevated by the amount of alcohol I drank last night. Unfortunately I have a stockholders meeting in half an hour and I feel like shit." He drank what looked like orange juice carefully. Ororo walked over and took the glass, sniffing it.
"It has vodka in it." She said as she poured it out.
"That's the point. I'm trying to avoid a hangover…or at least the appearance of one."
"Then stop drinking." Ororo poured him some fruit juice and gave him an aspirin. "Try that, it should work."
"Thanks. Now let me go and try to look dignified. Where's my wife? Leaving her poor husband alone to fight the demon known as alcohol?"
"Do you always get poetic when you're drunk?" She smiled.
"Yes, how do you think I landed Betsey?" Logan laughed.
"She's in my bed, knocked out."
"She couldn't even make it to our room…for shame. Well, let me go make the money she'll undoubtedly spend before I come home. Au revoir." Warren kissed Ororo on the cheek as he left. She turned to Logan, who was drinking his coffee and reading the newspapers.
"Good morning Logan." She smiled as she felt his eyes on her, watching her as she reached for a bowl and a glass from a cabinet. Truthfully he hadn't looked anywhere else ever since she came in. Dressed in a gray tee and white shorts, every curve and valley was visible to the imagination.
"Good morning to you too." He watched her pour a small bowl of cornflakes, getting a glass of fruit juice as well. "Did you sleep well?"
"I dreamed of you, so yes, I did." Logan started grinning before he realized it.
"Really?"
"Yep. I've been thinking."
"About what?" The abrupt change in her demeanor alerted him that this was serious.
"About our whole situation."
"You and me?"
"No, I'm talking about us fleeing for our lives." She laughed slightly.
"Men don't "flee". We run, and when I'm around you, I tend to forget there's someone out there who wants to kill me."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Good." He smiled as she came to sit next to him. Logan's arm went around her waist and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I don't want to run anymore." He looked down at her and was confused.
"What do you mean? You want to just give yourself up?"
"No. Every time we run, we end up leaving bodies or ruined homes…I don't want that to happen anymore." Logan nodded.
"So you heard about Forge and his house." She shook her head.
'I know that was because of us." He didn't deny.
"So what do you want to do?"
"I actually don't know."
"It would help to know thine enemy." They both turned at the sound of voice behind them. Bishop and Forge was back, along with Warren.
"The meeting was cancelled, so I decided to go see if I could help. They were done and we came back here. So, you guys have decided to fight back."
"Yeah." The idea appealed more and more to Logan as he sat and thought about it. They've been fighting the game on their rules, now it was time to bring them to his court. Cat and mouse, and he refused to play the mouse any longer.
"Good. How about we pull up everything on this Xavier guy." Bishop started to look happy. "Where's Betsey?"
"Sleep. I'll go get her." Warren ran up the stairs with a lot more enthusiasm than when he left.
"Why do we need Betsey?" Logan asked Ororo as they picked up their drinks and moved into the makeshift computer lab in the rec room.
"Because she does information really well. Most hackers have a specialty. Betsey is great with information. She can find out what kind of underwear you wear."
"If you're curious, just ask." She laughed and shook her head.
"Logan you have a one track mind."
"Well…" He pulled her into his lap as they sat on the couch. They cuddled together as various monitors were turned on, people fighting for good places. "So what does Bishop and Forge specialize in?"
"Bishop is definitely security. Every chip after Pentium 2 allows the government to have an almost free reign to get into your computer and read your hard drive. Your email, your credit report, and your little porno sites you have on your favorites. Take your computer to Bishop and they will always think you're computer is off. He's a genius.
Forge on the other hand makes hardware. Almost anything he can think up he can make. He hacks for aesthetic purposes, to get people information. He's a social hacker if anything."
"And Warren?" Logan ran his nose along a cord in Ororo's neck, enjoying the feel of the pulse there as it jumped, feeling her stiffen in his arms.
"Um…the movement of money. Were you in here when they started last night?"
"Nope. Didn't interest me."
"Well, it can get a bit crazy." She squirmed. "What are you doing?"
"Listening." He stopped and she relaxed, leaning against him contentedly. "Keep going."
"They have code names."
"Code names. Like superheroes?" Logan laughed and Ororo smacked his thigh.
"No. I hope not." She sighed and watched them set up. Betsey came in and yawned, throwing a dazzling smile at them as she sat down in front of her purple laptop.
"So what do you guys want?" She asked as she stretched and booted up.
"A digital peek of sorts. Everything there is to know about Xavier." Betsey nodded, and went to work.
*
Kitty sat up and stared at her screen. "What in the hell…" She tapped a few keys and a menu came up. Someone was poking around where they didn't belong… she didn't know who it was, but the style was oddly familiar. Opening up a dialogue box she invented she address the trespasser.
^This is unauthorized contact. You have no business here.^
^Well hello ShadowCat.^
^How do you know that name?^ Kitty started, looking over her shoulder. That name was wanted for many cyber crimes, and she thought no one knew about it…until now. ^Who are you?^
^I ask the questions here. So Judas, how does it feel to work for the other side?^
^I don't know what you're talking about.^
^Sure you do. What hacker in their right mind would work for the government with the way they treat us and others? But you were always in it for the money.^
^You don't know me or what I do, so you can just shut the hell up.^
^There's that Pryde temper again.^ Kitty was chilled. This person knew she used to hack with the Underground and knew her real name.
^Who are you?^
^I'm sorry. I've found what I'm looking for and I've now had no more time to waste. Watch your back, we never forget.^ She cursed as her computer was shut down. Restarting she realized she didn't look for the hacker's trail, she was too busy being goaded on by some random shit head. Quelling the urge to shut down everyone's computer she quietly tapped a few keys and returned to where she was.
After a couple of minutes of retracing her steps a trail emerged, a dark purple trail. She'd have to ask some old friends who left that type of trail, but that thought flew out of the window as she found out what was taken.
*
"Professor Charles Xavier. Doctorate in psychology and sociology. Born in 1943 in Westchester New York. Earned a fortune by becoming a crime solver for the rich and a self help guru. New money." Betsey smiled. They transferred the picture to their big screen, which was wired to her computer.
"Man, he's old."
"And dangerous. A member of the illuminati. Very cunning, and sure in his ability to manipulate the mind."
"Confidence, skill, finesse and conviction are a dangerous combination." Logan said, sighing and leaning forward.
"I agree. I also snagged his itinerary. Coincidence rules in this world."
"What did you find?" Ororo asked.
"Well we have a benefit tonight, very dressy, stuffy and boring. He has to go to the same one. We can bring guests." She smiled and leaned back. "I'm good."
"You are…" Ororo breathed, thinking, many plans rushing through her head.
"What are you planning?" Forge asked, a worried look on his face.
"I want to meet him." The room erupted.
"Are you crazy?! He'll kill you!" Bishop roared, looking at her like she was retarded.
"Not in a room full of people. Think about it."
"We are thinking about it. I think it's crazy." Warren shook his head. "It's needlessly dangerous. And it's crazy."
"Then I'm in. We haven't had a serious adventure in a while darling. All we have to do is escort them there. Nothing will go wrong because of the security."
"Sounds like a good idea. I want to show him I'm not afraid. That's all he understands, Xavier, fear and respect. Those are the only two things that work in his world." Logan sighed. A week and a half until trial.
"Trust me, with our plan, he won't be able to do anything to us. Now come on…please?"
"Oh goodness…fine." Ororo jumped up and smiled, kissing Warren on the cheek. Betsey grabbed her hand and they left the room, talking excitedly. Bishop laughed.
"That's your woman."
"I know." Logan smiled and said it proudly.