I don't own the X-Men. They, and any major characters in this story, belong to Marvel, though they don't deserve them. I'm making no money off of this, either - blah, blah, blah, standard disclaimer stuff.
Thanks go out to Luba for the beta read and encouragement and to everyone who's been so great about providing feedback! Those who aren't reviewing, please do! As Harry and Wishful could tell you – the more reviews I receive, the faster the next chapter gets up…
Just a Couple of Kids, after all… Chapter 15Before Bobby or Kitty could do more than open their mouths to reply to Seth's shocking statement, there was a knock at the door, and they heard a child's voice say, "Seth? Are you in there? Why's the door locked?"
Kitty hopped off the counter and ran forward to cover Seth's mouth, and Bobby quietly moved to the door, just in case the "visitor" had a key.
"Seth?" he heard again. "Come on, I know you're in there! What are you doing – mooning over the picture of that flatscan from school again?"
Bobby heard Seth mumble something, and Kitty whisper, "Who is it? And does she have a key?"
"My sister," he whispered back. "And no, but she knows how to pick the lock."
"Damn," Bobby thought. He'd known things had been going far too well since they'd escaped, but had been nearly as interested in Seth's story as Kitty had. He wondered in passing who the "flatscan" was the child mentioned, and shook his head. Just because Kitty knew Seth didn't mean she was the one the child was referring to.
"Ok, Seth, ready or not, I'm coming in," he heard, and then heard the telltale sound of someone trying to jimmy the lock. He looked over at Kitty, who shrugged to show she didn't have any suggestions either, then stepped back from the door, ready to grab the girl as she entered.
A moment later the door swung open, and the girl he'd last seen on the fire escape holding a can of knock-out spray walked in.
"Seth, what're you doing? Why was the door…" The girl stopped suddenly as she saw her old brother tied to the chair, but as she opened her mouth to scream, Bobby grabbed her and clamped his hand over her mouth.
"We're not going to hurt you," he said softly, not wanting to scare her any more than he had to. He saw that her eyes were wide with fright as she stared at her brother, than looked at Kitty and Bobby in turn. "We just need to talk to your brother for a while. If I let you go, can you stay quiet and not try to run?"
Kitty started to protest, but the girl nodded, her eyes still wide. Bobby was relieved; no matter what the child's part in this was, he was not going to deliberately frighten children, not even if it meant they were recaptured. "Ok, then, I'll let you go in a second. First, though, I'm going to pick you up, then we're going to walk over to the door and close it. Good job with the lock, by the way – I couldn't have done it better myself," he added as he scooped her up and went to close and lock the door. He felt the girl relax in his grasp, and he walked with her back toward the center of the room and set her down. "Here you go, then – why don't you go grab a chair?" he asked, letting her go.
"What are you doing to my brother?" she whimpered as she pulled a chair from the corner of the room and sat down.
"Nothing," Kitty reassured her quickly. "Like Bobby said, we just need to ask him some questions."
"Hey, you're the pretty spike lady from outside!" she said, looking at Kitty more closely. "Sorry about that – Domina said it was the only way to get you inside without hurting you. But you were really brave, and I felt bad about it afterwards. I'm glad you're ok."
Bobby saw Kitty rub her head, and winced. He'd pretty much forgotten she'd been injured, and suddenly he felt he'd done the wrong thing, agreeing to stay and question Seth instead of getting her to the mansion where Hank could check her over. He'd just decided he hadn't done such a great job of taking care of Kitty after all, when he realized she was asking the child a question.
"What's your name?" Kitty asked, one hand still over Seth's mouth.
"Cailin. If you're asking Seth questions, why do you have your hand over his mouth so he can't talk?" she asked curiously. "Are you ok, Seth?"
Bobby saw Kitty bend and whisper something in Seth's ear that caused him to stiffen, and she removed her hand from his mouth.
"Cailin," he said roughly, "just do whatever they say, all right? I'm ok – we're just talking."
"Why's he tied up, then?" she asked Bobby indignantly.
"Because we wanted to make sure he wouldn't leave until we were done asking questions. Why were we tied up?" he answered.
"You were tied up?" she asked, surprised. "Oh, Domina didn't tell me that. But Seth won't leave," she added, jerking her chin towards Kitty. "She looks like that flatscan he likes."
Bobby looked at Kitty, and saw she was blushing. Well, no matter how Seth might feel about her, Kitty hadn't given any sign that it was reciprocated. He grinned at her, surprised by his own reaction; maybe he was getting more self-assured after all. Kitty must be having a positive affect on him.
"Well, we didn't know that," he answered Cailin. "Maybe if he answers a few more questions we'll untie him, ok?"
Cailin didn't reply, which Bobby took as assent. He turned back to Seth, and said, "Now, what were you saying when we were interrupted? You're planning to attack the High Evolutionary?"
"We – aren't sure," Seth admitted. "We were still analyzing the data when you arrived. Much though it pains me to admit it, I don't think we have the strength for a direct attack. That's why when we discovered who you people were I persuaded Domina to consider you as allies rather than adversaries."
Kitty looked at Bobby, then shrugged. "I don't speak for the X-Men," she admitted. "Most of us weren't happy about losing our abilities, but some were. Maybe we should get Domina and whoever else would be appropriate together with Jean," she said to Bobby. "I don't think this is a decision we can make."
Bobby fought an urge to disagree considering what Seth had said and of what Kitty had told him about Logan, but then remembered Rogue and the others who had benefited from the loss of their mutant abilities. He pictured Hank in the lab, frantically trying to find a cure for the Legacy Virus before anyone else died of it. And finally, he thought of the problems his own "abilities" had caused him in the past, and the effect regaining them might have on his relationship with Kitty. He decided he really didn't feel capable of making an objective decision after all, and was glad it wasn't his to make. "You're right," he replied. While it might pain both of them to admit it, this wasn't really something they could commit the X-Men to. "How can we get a meeting with Domina?" he asked Seth.
"Shouldn't be a problem," Cailin interjected. "She sent me to look for Seth. When we don't come back, she'll come and look for him herself. She knows this is where he usually hangs out."
"Well, I suppose we should make you presentable, then," Bobby said, bowing to the inevitable. He bent to untie the network cables that they'd used to tie Seth to the chair. "Can you do us a favor, though?" He asked as he struggled with the knots.
"It depends," Seth replied, standing up and stretching once Bobby had finished.
Bobby stood up and grinned at him. "Before she gets here, can you find us something to wear? I'm really not dressed for a meeting."
Kitty was relieved when Cailin came back into the room carrying an armful of clothes. She'd been reluctant to trust her when she'd offered to go and fetch them, and felt that her doubt was justified, considering the role the girl had played in their capture. But Bobby had agreed without hesitation, and he'd been right. Whether Cailin was just naturally curious about them, concerned about her brother, or, as Kitty suspected, developing a crush on Bobby, she'd returned quickly with clothes for both of them, and her assurances that Domina was nowhere to be seen as yet. Kitty had spent the time while they'd waited looking over the computer equipment with Seth, while Bobby sat back and listened to their conversation. She suspected something was bothering him, but she didn't know what – so far, things had gone pretty well, in her opinion, aside from the splitting headache she still had from hitting her head. She probed the spot gently with her fingers, determined that it was swollen but no longer bleeding, and shrugging, turned her attention to what Cailin was saying.
"I don't know how they'll fit," she said to Bobby as she handed him half the pile. "I raided Seth's closet, cuz you two are about the same size; I think he's a little taller, but maybe it'll be ok."
"They'll be fine," he assured her, reaching out to ruffle her hair, and Kitty saw Cailin's eyes brighten. "Just like mine used to whenever Alistaire paid me any attention," she reminisced, smiling at Cailin as she turned and handed Kitty the other half of the pile.
"These were my cousin's," Cailin said. "I hope you don't mind; you remind me of her, a little."
"I don't mind at all," Kitty assured her. "Make sure you tell her thank you from me."
"I will, but I don't think she'll hear me," Cailin answered, a puzzled look on her face.
Kitty must have looked puzzled too, because Seth clarified. "Laurel had the ability to change her form. She was playing hide and seek with her class – she was a teacher – when the attack occurred. She's still in her tree form. The children visit her, but we have no idea if she can hear them or not."
"Oh," Kitty replied, embarrassed. She took the clothes behind a nearby server rack, and quickly put them on. The style was strange to her; a long, form fitting tunic worn over leggings that seemed as thin as nylons but were much more durable; she hooked a broken finger nail in the fabric as she pulled them on, but the leggings were unharmed. They fit perfectly, which was, unfortunately, more than Kitty could say for the shoes; apparently Laurel's feet had been longer and thinner than her own.
"Sorry about that," Cailin said suddenly, and Kitty jumped. She turned to see the child peeking around the corner of the rack, giggling at Kitty's reaction. Kitty smiled in return, and gestured that Cailin should join her.
"Thanks," the girl said, sitting down on the ground. "Bobby told me to come over here – he wants to change his clothes. I don't understand what the big deal is," she shrugged, "but Seth says that flats and spikes are much more…I don't remember the word he used," she admitted.
"Private? Self-conscious?" Kitty prompted.
"Umm, no, I think it was insecure," she replied, embarrassed. "I mean, really, what's the big deal about clothes, anyway?"
"You're wearing them," Kitty pointed out.
"Well, yeah, they're fun, and sometimes it gets cold in here – there's no heat in most of the building. But if I wasn't, I wouldn't care, and neither would anyone else," she protested. Most of us wear face paint, but clothes? A lot of people don't even bother."
"What does the face paint mean?" Kitty asked, shaking her head and wondering if the Neo were really all that secure, or if only the ones with bodies like Rogue or Jean ran around naked. She couldn't quite picture it, herself, though she knew Ororo gave little thought to clothes, and probably wore them only because everyone expected it. And, she knew, because she enjoyed going shopping.
"It shows what family you belong to, and what class you're in." Kitty frowned, puzzled, and saw Cailin shake her head, as if she couldn't believe Kitty didn't understand the reference. "Oh, you know – what type of abilities the person has determines their class. I'm a biological," she said proudly." "I can – no, I could - accelerate or decelerate biological processes. I figured I'd be like Seth and go to a flatscan school – a lot of people in our family do, and I wanted to be a doctor."
"That sounds like a great use of your mutation, Cailin," she answered sincerely, recalling her discussion with Bobby earlier – or was it yesterday?
"It's not a mutation – it's an ability," Cailin said irritably. "A 'mutation' makes it sound as if there's something wrong with me. You spikes act as if you're ashamed of what you can do. Why do you do that?"
Kitty stopped to think about it for a second, realizing Cailin was asking because she really didn't understand. "Well, I guess it's because for your people, it is considered normal; everybody has a special ability, right? I think that's what your brother said." When Cailin nodded, Kitty continued. "For us it isn't 'normal', or at least, most people don't consider it normal. But then, there are still relatively few of us 'spikes', and the 'flats' are afraid of us, because we can do things that they can't."
"What can you do, Kitty?" Cailin asked curiously.
"Well, right now, I can scoop you up," she said, demonstrating while Cailin giggled, "and carry you back to your brother. But I used to be able to walk through walls."
"Cool," Cailin said, and Kitty, true to her word, carried her out from behind the rack.
"Whoa – nice outfit," Bobby said admiringly, as Kitty and Cailin emerged from the back of the room.
"You like?" Kitty replied, pirouetting, as Cailin giggled in her arms.
"Well, I liked the one you were wearing earlier better," Bobby answered, pretending to give it serious though, "but this one looks great too."
"Oh, you," Kitty laughed, and set Cailin down. She came over and kissed him lightly on the cheek, then said, "You're looking pretty good, too – guess you won't have to be embarrassed when we go back after all, huh?"
"Matter of opinion," he grumbled, pulling self-consciously at his shirt. He suspected it was supposed to be looser than it was – Seth was thinner than he was – and he was positive that the pants were supposed to be shorter. He'd rolled them up a bit so he wouldn't step on them, and was fairly convinced that the overall effect was somewhat ludicrous. But it was better than walking around in his underwear…which reminded him of a question he'd meant to ask.
"Hey, why'd they take our clothes anyway?" he asked Seth. "I mean, our outer ones. Standard procedure with prisoners, or what?"
"Umm, no, actually," Seth replied. "They wanted to see if they were composed of those 'unstable molecules' your records keep referring to. I did convince them to leave you your under garments, though – I know you spikes tend to be kind of –"
"Insecure?" Kitty interjected, and Bobby wondered why she and Cailin began laughing. He saw Seth glare at Cailin, and the girls laughed louder. Shaking his head, he decided it must be some kind of private joke.
"Sorry – straight off the rack at K-Mart," Bobby said. Were yours?" he asked, turning to Kitty.
"Nope," she replied, shaking her head. "But I've got some in the car, if someone's really interested."
"That would be much appreciated," Seth answered, walking forward and clasping Kitty's hands. "Domina would be very pleased – we don't really need such things amongst ourselves, but on those rare occasions circumstances cause us to be among flats or spikes clothing made from unstable molecules would be very useful."
"Not a problem," Kitty assured him, but Bobby saw her pull her hands from his, and felt tension he didn't even realize was there drain from his body as Kitty draped her arm around his waist. Seth was obviously interested in Kitty; he'd asked Bobby a few questions while he was changing as to the nature of their relationship. Bobby had, he felt, given suitably vague answers; it really wasn't any of Seth's business, after all. Besides, he hadn't been sure how to answer.
He knew how he felt. Kitty was unlike anyone he'd ever met – smart, beautiful, funny; everything he'd ever looked for in a girl friend. But tempted though he was to profess his undying devotion, (in a suitably romantic location, of course – he'd been really tempted in the cell, but decided it wasn't the best place) a little voice in his mind (which sounded suspiciously like Hank's, now that he thought of it) kept reminding that he had a tendency to jump head first into relationships that didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell (bad pun), and that he shouldn't rush things. Another voice, which sounded more like Warren's, spoke up occasionally to point out that she couldn't possibly be interested in him. He was getting better at telling that one to shut up, which he decided meant he was showing progress in resolving his insecurity complex. Assuming, he admitted to himself, that hearing the voices in the first place didn't prove he'd already gone insane…
Besides, he didn't know how Kitty felt. And how she would feel if, somehow, they did get their X-factor genes restored. The thought was depressing.
Setting that thought aside, he had to admit that things seemed to be going well, both for their relationship and for the mission they'd taken on. Much better than he'd expected, truth be told. They'd found the hackers, discovered their motives, and made some prospective allies. Kitty'd gotten all their data (fair trade, after all) and a look at some cool technology, which he knew she was thrilled about. He'd gotten a great look at Kitty sans most of her clothing, which he was thrilled about, and an eight year old with a crush on him, which he wasn't thrilled about but which was kind of cute. Now all they had to do was get through the meeting with Domina…
As if thinking of her name had summoned her, at that moment the door opened and a woman walked in, followed by several others who looked kind of menacing. From her bearing, he knew immediately she had to be Domina.
"If you're ready now, I think we have some things to talk about," she said, and while Bobby and Kitty were still exchanging looks trying to decide how she'd known, she walked back out the door, clearly expecting them to follow.