Story notes: Just in case it wasn't clear with the last chapter, this story's setting has now been established. It's taking place after the current storyline running in X-Treme X-Men, "God Loves, Man Kills II". Obviously, since it's still running (at this time, we're only on part 2), there's no telling how it will end. However, I have a theory or three about GLMK2, as well as Rogue and Gambit's return in the next storyline. Those theories form the backdrop for this story. It could very well be that Mr. Claremont will invalidate everything that I'm hypothesizing, but such is the beauty of fanfics that it doesn't really matter, does it? As an aside, I thank everyone for the kind reviews. I've been out of the fanfic loop for many, many years, and it does my shrivelled heart good to feel a warm fuzzy.
(17 June 2003)
Part 5: Virtual Comfort
The bathroom door opened, spilling a cloud of steam and mist into the hotel room. Kitty looked up from the laptop balance precariously on her lap as Rogue emerged, dressed for bed and still toweling off her damp hair. "Finally," Kitty said as her friend flopped down on the room's second twin bed and flipped on the television. "I thought you'd been sucked into another dimension or something."
"Nah, that already happened once this year, ah've used up mah quota."
Kitty chuckled and returned her focus to the computer screen and the message window's calm, persistent blinking. She'd only meant to log on briefly to e-mail her completed paper on quantum theory to Professor Blanchard (she'd copped no small amount of teasing from Rogue about doing her homework on the road, but Kitty couldn't afford to fall any further behind in her classes). As soon as she'd turned on her computer, however, she'd been caught. Ororo wasn't exactly what you'd call an Internet junkie, so Kitty figured that Storm had been waiting for her. Given the situation when they'd last seen each other, Kitty decided that a talk, even virtually, was probably overdue.
------------
wyndrydr: Kitten? Are you still there?
CatShadowX: Yeah, sorry. Talking to Rogue. She finally decided to rejoin the world. I don't think there's any hot water left in this place!
wyndrydr: How is she doing?
CatShadowX: Not too bad. She got kinda down earlier today about the whole flight thing, but we worked through it.
CatShadowX: She nearly got me in trouble with a cop a few hours ago!
wyndrydr: Nothing too serious, I hope.
CatShadowX: Speeding ticket. She didn't bother to tell me that her car's speedometer was broken until AFTER the cop pulled me over. He let us go with a warning, though.
wyndrydr: That's good. Although we could have had either Sage or Bishop intercede if necessary.
CatShadowX: That's true. Bishop's a cop, I hear.
wyndrydr: Indeed.
CatShadowX: Yup. He's a cop.
wyndrydr: Yes…
CatShadowX: Did I mention Bishop's a cop? Because he is, you know. A cop.
wyndrydr: Feel free to stop any time.
CatShadowX: :)
wyndrydr: How about you? How are you feeling?
CatShadowX: Eh. Okay, I guess.
wyndrydr: I have been worried.
CatShadowX: Sorry.
wyndrydr: Sage has nearly completed her work on Mount Haven's files. Even she is amazed at how much information Stryker had collected over the years.
CatShadowX: If there's one thing I've learned about that man, it's that NOTHING about him can surprise me any more.
wyndrydr: Kitten…
CatShadowX: Yes?
wyndrydr: I want you to know that I understand why you did it. And I do not blame you.
wyndrydr: Kitten?
CatShadowX: Yeah. I'm here.
wyndrydr: You should not blame yourself either.
CatShadowX: Easier said than done.
wyndrydr: Everything considered, I am not certain I would not have done the same.
CatShadowX: The point is that there was another way, and I chose not to take it. It wasn't an accident, Ro, I CHOSE to kill Stryker. It was a CONSCIOUS decision. What does that say about me?
CatShadowX: I mean, we're the good guys, right?
CatShadowX: Never mind. I don't want to deal with this right now. Can we talk about something else? Please?
wyndrydr: Very well.
wyndrydr: Remy would like you to say hello to Rogue for him.
wyndrydr: "Hello" is not exactly what he wants you pass along, but I doubt very much that you would feel comfortable delivering his exact request, as there is pinching involved.
------------
Kitty looked over at Rogue, who was lying on her stomach, resting her elbows on a pillow. She'd spent the past half an hour or so cycling endlessly through the hotel room's paltry channel selection and showed no signs of becoming bored.
"Gambit says 'hi'."
Kitty waited patiently and impassively through Rogue's tirade, not even flinching when the remote control bounced off of the wall and violently ejected its batteries to opposite corners of the room.
------------
CatShadowX: Rogue says "hi" back.
wyndrydr: Whatever are we going to do with those two?
CatShadowX: I wouldn't recommend taking any of Rogue's suggestions. They're messy.
------------
The conversation didn't last for much longer. Kitty appreciated Ororo's words, but right now, given her mood, that's all they felt like – just words. Hollow, meaningless words that she'd heard a dozen times before. Nothing was helping. Nothing was making her feel better. Nothing was bringing Stryker back.
The worst part was, Kitty was glad for that. Stryker could never again threaten her, use her, hurt her again. But that was supposed to make her feel better, right? So why didn't it?
The good guys are good guys and the bad guy is toast. See? It's still simple.
Kitty wished she believed that.
With a sigh, Kitty closed her laptop and placed it on the floor next to her bed. Rogue had retrieved the pieces of the remote control and was still cycling methodically through the channels.
*click!* Local news.
*click!* Friends rerun.
*click!* Local weather.
*click!* Seinfeld rerun.
*click!* More local news.
*click!* Nature documentary.
*click!* Unrecognizable old movie.
*click!* Scrambled porn.
*click!* Scrambled porn.
*click!* Scrambled porn.
*click!* Local news.
*click!* Friends rerun.
"ARG!!" Kitty finally exclaimed, hurling her pillow at Rogue and hitting her head with deadly accuracy. For the second time that night, the remote control wound up on the floor in multiple pieces. "You're driving me crazy!"
"S'not mah fault there's nothin' on," Rogue replied, rubbing her head. She picked up Kitty's pillow and narrowed her eyes as an evil grin spread across her face. "Y'know," she said, tossing Kitty her pillow, "ah think ah owe ya one." Rogue picked up her gloves from the nightstand and slowly, methodically, began to put them on.
"An' ah mean t' collect."
Kitty began to laugh nervously, trying unsuccessful to hide behind the fluffy weapon. "I don't suppose an apology would help…?"
"Oh no. The kid gloves are on now."
"You lost your super-strength too, right? Please say yes."
"Ah guess y'all just have t' find out the hard way."
Kitty squealed with laughter as Rogue attacked, and the battle raged long into the night.
