X-Men Evolution is a trademarked product from Marvel, all the characters are owned by Marvel and not me. This is a work of fiction based off of said series. I make no money off this, yadda yadda yah. This is my first X-Men Evolution, or even X-Men related fic I've written. Be gentle.
"Angry Situation" - by Val Shrum (kiyonekatz at yahoo dot com)
Chapter 8
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'Can you hear me? said the voice. I heard it a few times. Like... hey Kitty, are you okay? Can you see my hand? How many fingers am I holding up? And Kitty, don't take this personally, I'm going to mind probe you. Are you okay? Hello?'
Piotr sat in the back of the X-Jeep. Carefully bundled partly otop him and across the back seat was Kitty. She kept herself curled up tightly while Ororo drove the van and Jean sat in the passenger side as she occasionally gave Piotr an annoyed look.
"We were ambushed in the parking lot." Piotr spoke softly, "She handled it on her own." He looked down at the sleeping girl.
Jean wasn't as gentle, "What do you want with her? I know you had something to do with her disappearance before and I'm not going to let you get away with it this time."
"You know nothing." Piotr interjected.
"Jean, calm down." Ororo asked of the red-headed girl. "Kitty is safe now, you have absolutely no reason to yell at him. Enemy or not, he didn't just leave her."
Piotr looked out the window of the jeep. Jean gave him another look before she let out a sigh of frustration.
"Considering everything that has happened, the Professor may want to speak with you." Ororo noted to the boy. "I'd suggest not lying."
***
Charles Xavier was positioned behind his desk. The room was silent and virtually empty, except for the mutant known to the X-Men as Colossus. Piotr sat quietly in a chair, waiting patiently for what the Professor may have to say to him.
"So I see we're in another prediciment." Started the older, bald fellow. "I have a student down in the infirmiry with undetermined injuries and you are the only one who might give us an idea as to what happened." He paused, "I also have been informed that you were in contact with Kitty several days ago, at a time when she was missing. I would just like the truth, Mr. Rasputin. Anything you know may be helpful at least about filling in details from the past week or so."
Piotr sat politely with his hands crossed. He raised his face to lock eyes with Xavier. "Why don't you just see for yourself? My words could not do justice. I am as much at fault as I am a victim."
"I wouldn't read a persons mind without their permission, Piotr. Personally, I'd rather hear it from your own words." Xavier urged.
"... I do not wish to talk about it. It brings me nothing but shame and guilt." He stood up from the chair, "I'm sorry, Mr. Xavier. I have returned her home safely. That is all that matters. Katya will tell you everything you need to know."
"Mr. Rasputin! Do you even realize the situation you are in? Leaving now may only cause more trouble than it's worth. Consider that."
"Your children here at the institute, they believe in your dream, da? You taught them well." He nodded, "I must go. Tell her... tell her I'm sorry." Piotr opened the door out and left the room.
Ororo stepped into the office as Piotr departed, "... do you want us to follow him?"
"No, Storm. It's okay. Just as I concluded, it would be up to Kitty to find out what has happened. She seems so distant lately, though. I wonder if something happened that has bothered her. Perhaps something with him." Xavier sighed in frustration.
"That's really up to Kitty to tell us, isn't it?" Ororo asked.
"At what cost? At what moment do we allow our students to have privacy before their safety is threatened and the untold secrets become problems not just for them, but for everyone?"
"That's a question you should be asking her."
Professor. Said a mental call that echoed into Xavier's mind.
What is it, Henry? He replied mentally.
I went to check up on something inside the lab, when I returned to the infirmiry Kitty was no longer in her bed. She's got to be up there, somewhere. I don't think it's safe for her to be wandering around in her current state.
Xavier made a face, I'll start a search up here. Thank you. He broke the psychic connection then slammed his hand down into his desk, exasperated.
"...Charles?"
"She's gone, again. Gather the team and have them search around the mansion and grounds. She can't have gone that far. This has gone on long enough."
***
Piotr Rasputin left the mansion. He walked out the doors and along the long pathway to the gate, only glancing back once with a sigh. He turned the corner and headed down the street toward the city.
"Hey." Said a voice, "Leavin' so soon?"
Kitty phased completely out of the solid wall next to the Xavier Institute, placing herself before Piotr's path. She leaned back, hair let down and now dressed in the familiar black turtleneck sweater and a pair of loose pants, carrying a small messanger-styled bag. "There's gotta be... like a diner or something open. Wanna grab a mocha-latte? My treat."
"But... Katya... you were hurt not that long ago..." He seemed confused by her quick recovery.
"I'm a Cubs fan. We kinda pride ourselves on being a determined and resiliant folk. C'mon, before the fuzz gets word I've flown the coop." She gestured down the street, "There's a nice little place up here. Serves the greatest pizza."
Piotr looked hesitant, but he did have a bit of a smile on his face. He nods, "Fine. But when we are done, you are going straight back to the Institute. Is that clear?"
"Crystal." She walked down the street, leading the way. "I ripped a stitch. Once that was taken care of and I was rebandaged, I found my second wind. And you know what? You're right, we do need to talk."
Kitty lead the way to a small diner/restaraunt/pub type place. The waitress seemed familiar with her, and seated her and Piotr in a somewhat obscured booth near the back. She ordered a hot chocolate. Piotr looked over the menu and decided on some fries and a drink. She leaned her head on her hand and smiled at Piotr. "So... you're probably wondering why I hijacked you."
"The thought did cross my mind." He half-smiled and tried to relax.
"First." She held up a hand, then reached into her bag and pulled out his overcoat from earlier. "Thank you. This is yours." She set it onto the table. "I was just so totally overwhelmed by that encounter. I didn't expect to be out late, either." She erms, "I'm rambling. Next!"
She then pulled out her laptop, clicking in another battery. "But this, this is really what you need to see." Kitty booted up the computer as the waitress returned with their order. She took a sip of her cocoa, "A kid from school helped decode this disk. It has those files you were interested in, and more. I took a duplicate disk... I'm sorry. I thought I could figure this whole thing out myself... y'know, save the day, the truth is out there Mulder and Scully type thing." She accessed the decoder, then started bringing up the files. She turned the computer toward Piotr and pointed, "That's your last name, isn't it? Rasputin?"
"Da..." He read over the screen, clicking over to the next set of files quietly.
"So, what exactly is this all about? Now I know I wasn't supposed to get this far. As far as I know, the case was closed... or so it seemed. Piotr, is Magneto after something in these files? Or was it you?"
"The inclusion of information that is... personal to me is a shock. Magneto was worried about the research that was being done on mutant subjects. He wanted to find out the locations of those and free them. Some are imprisoned... some are being tested without their knowledge. He wanted to find a better way." Piotr turned the computer back to Kitty, displaying a file, "Some of it is... hard to stomach."
Kitty skimmed over the information, speaking softly, "Much like the Nazi concentration camps of World War Two. They'd have to expose the mutant first, then capture them..." She pauses, "Oh crap... Doug! This is really bad, Peter!"
"It is more than just your friend, little one. It's several hundred mutant children and adults from all over the world. Your Professor... he feels that people should live in harmony with mutants and humans... but what if they do not feel the same? What are we to do? How can he sit there and do nothing when such horrible things happen to innocent people?"
"... you're right... but..." She looked at Piotr, "What gives us the right to police the world? During the second world war, the US only got involved after Japan bombed. There were horrible things going on over in Europe and they weren't even dealt with until way later. Was it racism? Was it politics? It just honestly wasn't important enough in their eyes. It wasn't what the US was fighting for. And there were several million casualties. It's nuts. Jews, mutants, whatever. The difference nowadays is that it's not based on a religion or skin tone. The so-called mutant threat is only such because of the people that give mutants a bad name. If we do something that seems like terrorism or even an act against what the government is trying to do to keep the peace... they will do something about it. Sentinels may be the just first step to a future I never want to be a part of." She paused, thinking about what had already been said. "If I was alive back then, I don't know what I would have done. I might have gone after Hitler, himself, just to stop all that suffering. I would have been willing to fight for my right to exist... willing to give it my all when my life or family is threatened. I would have been just like Magneto, and I'm not sure if that's the kind of person I want to be. Y'know, I think I just found my answer."
"Your answer to what, Katya?"
"When I got back to the Institute, I thought about the mission. About... if it were right or wrong to have done what we did." She stuck a disk into her computer, clicking a few keys. "After reading these files, I realize it's probably not something Professor Xavier would have approved of. It's not even something, at first glance, I may have approved of. With all the facts? I find myself questioning if I'm on the right side or not, and if anything we're doing is actually going to mean anything in the future. It seems fruitless."
Piotr reached over and touched Kitty's hand, "Don't lose faith, Katya. Your heart is in the right place. There is no right or wrong between them, just different methods to achieve the same goal." He smiled, "You're a good person. Just follow your heart and do what you feel is right."
"But... I'm so not even sure I know what right is anymore." She pulled out the disk from the computer, "Here. The decoded files. Follow your own advice and do what you think is right, Piotr." She finished her cocoa. "I wonder how long it took before they noticed me missing, this time?" Kitty shut down her computer. "I've got to head back to the Institute. I've so got like the worst killer headache, ever. I've been so busy worried about the world that I forgot to worry about myself."
Kitty packed her computer away and stood up at the table, leaving a few dollars to take care of the bill. She went to leave when Piotr went to grab her arm to stop her. She paused, looking him over curiously.
"Katya... I..." He looked over the new disk, "Spa`sibo."
She smiled at him then leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, "Dasvidaniya, Piotr."
***
*translations*
Da = Yes
Nyet = No
Spa`sibo = Thank you
Dasvidanaya = Goodbye
** Side notes **
I'll be honest, I started writing this fic on a whim... and now it's blown up into something a lot larger than I had expected. Thanks everyone for the support they've given through reviews, it helps a lot. Makes me think about where I'm going and what I'm doing here. I still have a few good ideas where it's going, but yeah. Sorry about the lack of notes until this point, I just wanted to get what I had written up before I added on to it. ^_^;
"Angry Situation" - by Val Shrum (kiyonekatz at yahoo dot com)
Chapter 8
***************************************************************************
'Can you hear me? said the voice. I heard it a few times. Like... hey Kitty, are you okay? Can you see my hand? How many fingers am I holding up? And Kitty, don't take this personally, I'm going to mind probe you. Are you okay? Hello?'
Piotr sat in the back of the X-Jeep. Carefully bundled partly otop him and across the back seat was Kitty. She kept herself curled up tightly while Ororo drove the van and Jean sat in the passenger side as she occasionally gave Piotr an annoyed look.
"We were ambushed in the parking lot." Piotr spoke softly, "She handled it on her own." He looked down at the sleeping girl.
Jean wasn't as gentle, "What do you want with her? I know you had something to do with her disappearance before and I'm not going to let you get away with it this time."
"You know nothing." Piotr interjected.
"Jean, calm down." Ororo asked of the red-headed girl. "Kitty is safe now, you have absolutely no reason to yell at him. Enemy or not, he didn't just leave her."
Piotr looked out the window of the jeep. Jean gave him another look before she let out a sigh of frustration.
"Considering everything that has happened, the Professor may want to speak with you." Ororo noted to the boy. "I'd suggest not lying."
***
Charles Xavier was positioned behind his desk. The room was silent and virtually empty, except for the mutant known to the X-Men as Colossus. Piotr sat quietly in a chair, waiting patiently for what the Professor may have to say to him.
"So I see we're in another prediciment." Started the older, bald fellow. "I have a student down in the infirmiry with undetermined injuries and you are the only one who might give us an idea as to what happened." He paused, "I also have been informed that you were in contact with Kitty several days ago, at a time when she was missing. I would just like the truth, Mr. Rasputin. Anything you know may be helpful at least about filling in details from the past week or so."
Piotr sat politely with his hands crossed. He raised his face to lock eyes with Xavier. "Why don't you just see for yourself? My words could not do justice. I am as much at fault as I am a victim."
"I wouldn't read a persons mind without their permission, Piotr. Personally, I'd rather hear it from your own words." Xavier urged.
"... I do not wish to talk about it. It brings me nothing but shame and guilt." He stood up from the chair, "I'm sorry, Mr. Xavier. I have returned her home safely. That is all that matters. Katya will tell you everything you need to know."
"Mr. Rasputin! Do you even realize the situation you are in? Leaving now may only cause more trouble than it's worth. Consider that."
"Your children here at the institute, they believe in your dream, da? You taught them well." He nodded, "I must go. Tell her... tell her I'm sorry." Piotr opened the door out and left the room.
Ororo stepped into the office as Piotr departed, "... do you want us to follow him?"
"No, Storm. It's okay. Just as I concluded, it would be up to Kitty to find out what has happened. She seems so distant lately, though. I wonder if something happened that has bothered her. Perhaps something with him." Xavier sighed in frustration.
"That's really up to Kitty to tell us, isn't it?" Ororo asked.
"At what cost? At what moment do we allow our students to have privacy before their safety is threatened and the untold secrets become problems not just for them, but for everyone?"
"That's a question you should be asking her."
Professor. Said a mental call that echoed into Xavier's mind.
What is it, Henry? He replied mentally.
I went to check up on something inside the lab, when I returned to the infirmiry Kitty was no longer in her bed. She's got to be up there, somewhere. I don't think it's safe for her to be wandering around in her current state.
Xavier made a face, I'll start a search up here. Thank you. He broke the psychic connection then slammed his hand down into his desk, exasperated.
"...Charles?"
"She's gone, again. Gather the team and have them search around the mansion and grounds. She can't have gone that far. This has gone on long enough."
***
Piotr Rasputin left the mansion. He walked out the doors and along the long pathway to the gate, only glancing back once with a sigh. He turned the corner and headed down the street toward the city.
"Hey." Said a voice, "Leavin' so soon?"
Kitty phased completely out of the solid wall next to the Xavier Institute, placing herself before Piotr's path. She leaned back, hair let down and now dressed in the familiar black turtleneck sweater and a pair of loose pants, carrying a small messanger-styled bag. "There's gotta be... like a diner or something open. Wanna grab a mocha-latte? My treat."
"But... Katya... you were hurt not that long ago..." He seemed confused by her quick recovery.
"I'm a Cubs fan. We kinda pride ourselves on being a determined and resiliant folk. C'mon, before the fuzz gets word I've flown the coop." She gestured down the street, "There's a nice little place up here. Serves the greatest pizza."
Piotr looked hesitant, but he did have a bit of a smile on his face. He nods, "Fine. But when we are done, you are going straight back to the Institute. Is that clear?"
"Crystal." She walked down the street, leading the way. "I ripped a stitch. Once that was taken care of and I was rebandaged, I found my second wind. And you know what? You're right, we do need to talk."
Kitty lead the way to a small diner/restaraunt/pub type place. The waitress seemed familiar with her, and seated her and Piotr in a somewhat obscured booth near the back. She ordered a hot chocolate. Piotr looked over the menu and decided on some fries and a drink. She leaned her head on her hand and smiled at Piotr. "So... you're probably wondering why I hijacked you."
"The thought did cross my mind." He half-smiled and tried to relax.
"First." She held up a hand, then reached into her bag and pulled out his overcoat from earlier. "Thank you. This is yours." She set it onto the table. "I was just so totally overwhelmed by that encounter. I didn't expect to be out late, either." She erms, "I'm rambling. Next!"
She then pulled out her laptop, clicking in another battery. "But this, this is really what you need to see." Kitty booted up the computer as the waitress returned with their order. She took a sip of her cocoa, "A kid from school helped decode this disk. It has those files you were interested in, and more. I took a duplicate disk... I'm sorry. I thought I could figure this whole thing out myself... y'know, save the day, the truth is out there Mulder and Scully type thing." She accessed the decoder, then started bringing up the files. She turned the computer toward Piotr and pointed, "That's your last name, isn't it? Rasputin?"
"Da..." He read over the screen, clicking over to the next set of files quietly.
"So, what exactly is this all about? Now I know I wasn't supposed to get this far. As far as I know, the case was closed... or so it seemed. Piotr, is Magneto after something in these files? Or was it you?"
"The inclusion of information that is... personal to me is a shock. Magneto was worried about the research that was being done on mutant subjects. He wanted to find out the locations of those and free them. Some are imprisoned... some are being tested without their knowledge. He wanted to find a better way." Piotr turned the computer back to Kitty, displaying a file, "Some of it is... hard to stomach."
Kitty skimmed over the information, speaking softly, "Much like the Nazi concentration camps of World War Two. They'd have to expose the mutant first, then capture them..." She pauses, "Oh crap... Doug! This is really bad, Peter!"
"It is more than just your friend, little one. It's several hundred mutant children and adults from all over the world. Your Professor... he feels that people should live in harmony with mutants and humans... but what if they do not feel the same? What are we to do? How can he sit there and do nothing when such horrible things happen to innocent people?"
"... you're right... but..." She looked at Piotr, "What gives us the right to police the world? During the second world war, the US only got involved after Japan bombed. There were horrible things going on over in Europe and they weren't even dealt with until way later. Was it racism? Was it politics? It just honestly wasn't important enough in their eyes. It wasn't what the US was fighting for. And there were several million casualties. It's nuts. Jews, mutants, whatever. The difference nowadays is that it's not based on a religion or skin tone. The so-called mutant threat is only such because of the people that give mutants a bad name. If we do something that seems like terrorism or even an act against what the government is trying to do to keep the peace... they will do something about it. Sentinels may be the just first step to a future I never want to be a part of." She paused, thinking about what had already been said. "If I was alive back then, I don't know what I would have done. I might have gone after Hitler, himself, just to stop all that suffering. I would have been willing to fight for my right to exist... willing to give it my all when my life or family is threatened. I would have been just like Magneto, and I'm not sure if that's the kind of person I want to be. Y'know, I think I just found my answer."
"Your answer to what, Katya?"
"When I got back to the Institute, I thought about the mission. About... if it were right or wrong to have done what we did." She stuck a disk into her computer, clicking a few keys. "After reading these files, I realize it's probably not something Professor Xavier would have approved of. It's not even something, at first glance, I may have approved of. With all the facts? I find myself questioning if I'm on the right side or not, and if anything we're doing is actually going to mean anything in the future. It seems fruitless."
Piotr reached over and touched Kitty's hand, "Don't lose faith, Katya. Your heart is in the right place. There is no right or wrong between them, just different methods to achieve the same goal." He smiled, "You're a good person. Just follow your heart and do what you feel is right."
"But... I'm so not even sure I know what right is anymore." She pulled out the disk from the computer, "Here. The decoded files. Follow your own advice and do what you think is right, Piotr." She finished her cocoa. "I wonder how long it took before they noticed me missing, this time?" Kitty shut down her computer. "I've got to head back to the Institute. I've so got like the worst killer headache, ever. I've been so busy worried about the world that I forgot to worry about myself."
Kitty packed her computer away and stood up at the table, leaving a few dollars to take care of the bill. She went to leave when Piotr went to grab her arm to stop her. She paused, looking him over curiously.
"Katya... I..." He looked over the new disk, "Spa`sibo."
She smiled at him then leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, "Dasvidaniya, Piotr."
***
*translations*
Da = Yes
Nyet = No
Spa`sibo = Thank you
Dasvidanaya = Goodbye
** Side notes **
I'll be honest, I started writing this fic on a whim... and now it's blown up into something a lot larger than I had expected. Thanks everyone for the support they've given through reviews, it helps a lot. Makes me think about where I'm going and what I'm doing here. I still have a few good ideas where it's going, but yeah. Sorry about the lack of notes until this point, I just wanted to get what I had written up before I added on to it. ^_^;