Disclaimer: Yay, I love you guys. And I promise I will try to make my
chapters longer. Well, what are you waiting for? Read on!
* * * * *
Kitty pried away from the eyes of her old friends. It was just so awkward, and... silent. It reminded her of the many lonesome nights she spent in her small cell, her home. Those nights she spent with only the sounds of dripping water and horrifying screams softly filling the background, an eerie lullaby.
She tried to shake the melancholy thoughts from her head, but she secretly knew it would take a lot of time and psychological healing before she would even began to recover. No matter what she tried to think of, her mind seemed drawn back to those two horrifying years.
It was a nightmare whose physical and psychological scars she would carry around for the rest of her life. She fingered her hair, now just finally growing to her ears. The guards had shaved her head when she had been admitted to the facility. She inadvertently felt her arm push up the loose sleeve from her upper left arm, and felt the mark she'd become so familiar with. A hexagon with a small cross, burned into her the first day she'd been shipped.
She smirked morbidly at the irony of her imprisonment. She didn't really think that she was abducted for her religion, only her genes. Still, she had spent many terrifying nights in her cell, bitterly reminded of a time not too long ago, when her people were killed and tortured, only for being different.
Now on the plane, she became sick as she realized those were the kinds of thoughts Magneto tried to force on people. But after this horrible ordeal she had to ask herself, was Xavier's dream feasible?
Could Homo Sapien co-exist with Homo Superior? After all, as she had heard so many times before, sharing the world had never been humanity's defining trait.
But now was not a time to think of these things, of death and pain and destruction. Now was a lighter time, to think of freedom and happiness and love. Not to think of lost youth and dignity.
Kitty looked down and realized that Kurt had asked her something, and that the entire plane was looking at her expectantly. Kurt looked at her kindly and asked in a voice so soft, it barely registered above a whisper, "Are you alright? You're shivering." He said, laying his tri-fingered hand on her bare knee.
She involuntarily jerked her knee, and shrank away from his touch. She looked down in shame and whispered hoarsely, "I'm- I'm sorry. It's... been a long time, and- and a lot's happened." Kurt looked angry for a split second, and then his features softened.
"What did they do to you?" he asked. Kitty felt her body stiffen, and her nails digging sharply into the flesh of her now slick palms. "I- I-..." she stammered, incapable of coherent speech.
"Not now, Elf," Wolverine said harshly. "Give her some time." Grateful for his explanation, Kitty tried to shoot her old mentor a smile, but found herself unable.
Kitty felt suddenly overwhelmed, and shrank back into her chair, tightly wrapped up around her bony body, with the slightly flabby abdomen. She tucked her head into her knees as she'd done so many nights before, and let the darkness sink over her.
* * * * *
Kurt looked worriedly to Wolverine. Kitty was different. That was definite. He looked over at her unmoving form to make sure she was still asleep. When he was positive, he got up and sat in the empty seat next to Wolverine.
"I don't like this one bit, Logan." He said to his companion. Logan and Kurt had grown quite close over the past couple of years. Kurt was now 18 years old, an adult, and he and Logan regarded each other as equals.
Many a night, after a long hard mission, had they snuck beers together on the roof of the manor, telling jokes and stories and just bonding with one another. Together, they had been through a lot, and helped each other past rough times.
"Kitty's ... different. She doesn't trust me anymore, I can sense it. I want to know what those bastards did to her, and I want to get revenge." He said fiercely, clenching his fists.
"I know what you're saying, Elf. This ain't our Kit-Kat we all know and love. Ya have ta know, after some of the stuff she's gone through, she's had no choice but ta change." Wolverine said gently.
"She had ta become fierce, independent, wary and suspicious. She prolly had ta drop all sorts of emotional baggage. Believe me, I can guess some of the stuff they did ta her." He said, unsheathing his claws with a loud SNIKT to demonstrate his point.
"I always knew that girl had it in her. To fight past the humanity, and let the 'berserker rage,' take over. Survival of the fittest, Elf, survival of the fittest." Logan finished solemnly.
Kurt gaped at Logan. "You mean Kitty has the rage, too? You never told me this!"
"Ya never asked, Elf. I knew it the moment I met the girl. Not a spark of fear in those eyes when she met me. Kurt, it's sad how many people are afraid of me with one look. You know the deal. But Kitty, she walked straight up ta me, looked me right in the eye. She wasn't scared. A fifteen year old girl! It was then I knew, Elf." Wolverine said, nodding.
Kurt sat back in the chair. He had a lot to think about.
* * * * *
The plane landed lightly in the hanger underneath the basketball court.
There had been some major renovations to the mansion, including an all new, highly advanced danger room. Cerebro had also been modified, to be able to pick up not only active mutant signatures, but also latent ones.
The world of mutants was growing and changing, and not in favor of Evolution's newcomers.
There was talk of a Mutant Registration Act, and Xavier now spent all his time and energies fighting the law. If this Act were passed, then it would just open the doors to similar anti-mutant laws, and soon mutants would be regarded as nothing better than animals. Not that it was much better nowadays, anyway.
The X-Men themselves had undergone a good amount of changes, if not more than the house itself. They hadn't lost any members, only gained some. The original X-Men (sans Spyke) were now different people, adults.
Rogue had permanently absorbed the powers and persona of one Carol Danvers, aka, Ms. Marvel. It had lost the woman her life in the process. She hadn't died, but lay as a vegetable, brain dead for the rest of her life in an insane asylum somewhere.
Rogue had come out of her "Angry at the world Goth" period, and had shown the X-Men that she had spunk, and was willing to have a good time. She no longer relied on her natural mutant abilities, but now possessed super- strength, invulnerability, and the ability to fly.
Scott hadn't changed much, still being up-tight. Even though he could be unnecessarily strict to his team at times, they knew it was only for his worry of their safety, and appreciated his efforts to protect them.
Kurt's mutations had grown as well, as had his sense of humor. He had formed close ties with everyone else currently residing in the mansion. He had of course, bulked up in training sessions in the Danger Room, and was now nothing less than a man.
Jean had recently been concerning the others. A while back, she had been endowed with the powers of the Phoenix, a guardian of a powerful crystal. Its intensity and raw power now seemed limitless to the rest. Jean herself has also been acting strangely. She had begun to do things, little things, but nonetheless actions that she wouldn't have dared to do before. Using her mind powers against innocent people for her own good. The X-Men, and especially Scott, had been keeping close tabs on her.
New additions to the X-Men were Colossus, the Russian farmer-boy. Magneto had been black-mailing him into staying with the Acolytes by threatening his family back in his home country. After Xavier had taken care of that nasty piece of business, Piotr had gladly joined the ranks of the X-Men.
Storm was still the graceful, breath-taking goddess that had love the X-Men as if they were her family, which in a way, they were. The night after Kitty's abduction, the skies had opened up and released a torrential fury of rain, sleet, hail, snow, whatever Storm felt she needed to release her pent- up feelings of the young girl. She was ecstatic to learn of the X- Men's mission to rescue her.
X23, Logan's clone, had also joined the X-Men. She was a valuable asset to their team, with her fierce fighting skills and natural knowledge of the world around her. She shared Wolverine's uncanny ability to sense anything, whether it were feelings to recent behaviors. She and Logan had also grown close to each other, as was expected.
Beast, the loveable doctor/ scientist of the X- manor, was still fighting along the team, natural agility and seemingly never-ending wisdom coming in handy often. He worked alongside Moira MacTaggert, a witty Scots-woman who had proven to be as brilliant in the lab as Mr. McCoy himself. She had known Xavier in their college years, and had had a loving relationship once. Now, they were merely good friends.
Iceman had become part of the main team, climbing the ladder to the top, and showing what he was worth. He had mastered his natural talent with the cold, learning different ways he could make his power useful in battle. Although he still loved his ever-tiring pranks, he was now more mature and knew when to shut up and listen.
Yes, the X-Men had grown in many ways. Were they ready to accept Kitty into open-arms?
* * * * *
Kitty stood up and slowly left the Blackbird along with the others, as she descended the steps carefully, still wary of the space around her, she came upon a site that made her groan.
The entire population of the mansion had come out to meet her, and not so quietly, either. The next thing Kitty knew, she was being thrown from person to person, loud shouting of joy and cheer that they finally had their kitten back.
She found herself brought into many hugs, and did not like it one bit. Thankfully, Logan had come right behind her, and stopped this immediately.
"Hey, knock it off, guys! She's had it rough. REAL rough. She doesn't need this right now, so respect her personally space!" Logan shouted loudly.
Kitty rewarded him with a weak smile of gratitude. She looked at the crowd weakly, wanting nothing more to sleep for along, long, while.
She noticed Beast forcing his way through the horde of people. "Kitty," he said, smiling with understanding. "I'm so relieved to finally have you back with us, though I must insist to a full check-up in the infirmary immediately. For safety precautions."
"Can't she just rest?" Logan asked quietly. "Lord knows she needs it."
"Normally, I would agree with you Logan, but we can't risk contamination to the other students and faculty if she is indeed, ill. Now, come along, Kitty. It won't take long." He said, offering his arm. She didn't take it, but quietly walk alongside him, to the corridor she hadn't been down in an eternity.
* * * * *
Whew! You can't complain about that chapter bring to short! I must admit, this is one of the best chapters I've ever written! I'd better get a lot of reviews for it! *Shakes fist menacingly.* LOL. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Next Chapter: A Starling Discovery!
* * * * *
Kitty pried away from the eyes of her old friends. It was just so awkward, and... silent. It reminded her of the many lonesome nights she spent in her small cell, her home. Those nights she spent with only the sounds of dripping water and horrifying screams softly filling the background, an eerie lullaby.
She tried to shake the melancholy thoughts from her head, but she secretly knew it would take a lot of time and psychological healing before she would even began to recover. No matter what she tried to think of, her mind seemed drawn back to those two horrifying years.
It was a nightmare whose physical and psychological scars she would carry around for the rest of her life. She fingered her hair, now just finally growing to her ears. The guards had shaved her head when she had been admitted to the facility. She inadvertently felt her arm push up the loose sleeve from her upper left arm, and felt the mark she'd become so familiar with. A hexagon with a small cross, burned into her the first day she'd been shipped.
She smirked morbidly at the irony of her imprisonment. She didn't really think that she was abducted for her religion, only her genes. Still, she had spent many terrifying nights in her cell, bitterly reminded of a time not too long ago, when her people were killed and tortured, only for being different.
Now on the plane, she became sick as she realized those were the kinds of thoughts Magneto tried to force on people. But after this horrible ordeal she had to ask herself, was Xavier's dream feasible?
Could Homo Sapien co-exist with Homo Superior? After all, as she had heard so many times before, sharing the world had never been humanity's defining trait.
But now was not a time to think of these things, of death and pain and destruction. Now was a lighter time, to think of freedom and happiness and love. Not to think of lost youth and dignity.
Kitty looked down and realized that Kurt had asked her something, and that the entire plane was looking at her expectantly. Kurt looked at her kindly and asked in a voice so soft, it barely registered above a whisper, "Are you alright? You're shivering." He said, laying his tri-fingered hand on her bare knee.
She involuntarily jerked her knee, and shrank away from his touch. She looked down in shame and whispered hoarsely, "I'm- I'm sorry. It's... been a long time, and- and a lot's happened." Kurt looked angry for a split second, and then his features softened.
"What did they do to you?" he asked. Kitty felt her body stiffen, and her nails digging sharply into the flesh of her now slick palms. "I- I-..." she stammered, incapable of coherent speech.
"Not now, Elf," Wolverine said harshly. "Give her some time." Grateful for his explanation, Kitty tried to shoot her old mentor a smile, but found herself unable.
Kitty felt suddenly overwhelmed, and shrank back into her chair, tightly wrapped up around her bony body, with the slightly flabby abdomen. She tucked her head into her knees as she'd done so many nights before, and let the darkness sink over her.
* * * * *
Kurt looked worriedly to Wolverine. Kitty was different. That was definite. He looked over at her unmoving form to make sure she was still asleep. When he was positive, he got up and sat in the empty seat next to Wolverine.
"I don't like this one bit, Logan." He said to his companion. Logan and Kurt had grown quite close over the past couple of years. Kurt was now 18 years old, an adult, and he and Logan regarded each other as equals.
Many a night, after a long hard mission, had they snuck beers together on the roof of the manor, telling jokes and stories and just bonding with one another. Together, they had been through a lot, and helped each other past rough times.
"Kitty's ... different. She doesn't trust me anymore, I can sense it. I want to know what those bastards did to her, and I want to get revenge." He said fiercely, clenching his fists.
"I know what you're saying, Elf. This ain't our Kit-Kat we all know and love. Ya have ta know, after some of the stuff she's gone through, she's had no choice but ta change." Wolverine said gently.
"She had ta become fierce, independent, wary and suspicious. She prolly had ta drop all sorts of emotional baggage. Believe me, I can guess some of the stuff they did ta her." He said, unsheathing his claws with a loud SNIKT to demonstrate his point.
"I always knew that girl had it in her. To fight past the humanity, and let the 'berserker rage,' take over. Survival of the fittest, Elf, survival of the fittest." Logan finished solemnly.
Kurt gaped at Logan. "You mean Kitty has the rage, too? You never told me this!"
"Ya never asked, Elf. I knew it the moment I met the girl. Not a spark of fear in those eyes when she met me. Kurt, it's sad how many people are afraid of me with one look. You know the deal. But Kitty, she walked straight up ta me, looked me right in the eye. She wasn't scared. A fifteen year old girl! It was then I knew, Elf." Wolverine said, nodding.
Kurt sat back in the chair. He had a lot to think about.
* * * * *
The plane landed lightly in the hanger underneath the basketball court.
There had been some major renovations to the mansion, including an all new, highly advanced danger room. Cerebro had also been modified, to be able to pick up not only active mutant signatures, but also latent ones.
The world of mutants was growing and changing, and not in favor of Evolution's newcomers.
There was talk of a Mutant Registration Act, and Xavier now spent all his time and energies fighting the law. If this Act were passed, then it would just open the doors to similar anti-mutant laws, and soon mutants would be regarded as nothing better than animals. Not that it was much better nowadays, anyway.
The X-Men themselves had undergone a good amount of changes, if not more than the house itself. They hadn't lost any members, only gained some. The original X-Men (sans Spyke) were now different people, adults.
Rogue had permanently absorbed the powers and persona of one Carol Danvers, aka, Ms. Marvel. It had lost the woman her life in the process. She hadn't died, but lay as a vegetable, brain dead for the rest of her life in an insane asylum somewhere.
Rogue had come out of her "Angry at the world Goth" period, and had shown the X-Men that she had spunk, and was willing to have a good time. She no longer relied on her natural mutant abilities, but now possessed super- strength, invulnerability, and the ability to fly.
Scott hadn't changed much, still being up-tight. Even though he could be unnecessarily strict to his team at times, they knew it was only for his worry of their safety, and appreciated his efforts to protect them.
Kurt's mutations had grown as well, as had his sense of humor. He had formed close ties with everyone else currently residing in the mansion. He had of course, bulked up in training sessions in the Danger Room, and was now nothing less than a man.
Jean had recently been concerning the others. A while back, she had been endowed with the powers of the Phoenix, a guardian of a powerful crystal. Its intensity and raw power now seemed limitless to the rest. Jean herself has also been acting strangely. She had begun to do things, little things, but nonetheless actions that she wouldn't have dared to do before. Using her mind powers against innocent people for her own good. The X-Men, and especially Scott, had been keeping close tabs on her.
New additions to the X-Men were Colossus, the Russian farmer-boy. Magneto had been black-mailing him into staying with the Acolytes by threatening his family back in his home country. After Xavier had taken care of that nasty piece of business, Piotr had gladly joined the ranks of the X-Men.
Storm was still the graceful, breath-taking goddess that had love the X-Men as if they were her family, which in a way, they were. The night after Kitty's abduction, the skies had opened up and released a torrential fury of rain, sleet, hail, snow, whatever Storm felt she needed to release her pent- up feelings of the young girl. She was ecstatic to learn of the X- Men's mission to rescue her.
X23, Logan's clone, had also joined the X-Men. She was a valuable asset to their team, with her fierce fighting skills and natural knowledge of the world around her. She shared Wolverine's uncanny ability to sense anything, whether it were feelings to recent behaviors. She and Logan had also grown close to each other, as was expected.
Beast, the loveable doctor/ scientist of the X- manor, was still fighting along the team, natural agility and seemingly never-ending wisdom coming in handy often. He worked alongside Moira MacTaggert, a witty Scots-woman who had proven to be as brilliant in the lab as Mr. McCoy himself. She had known Xavier in their college years, and had had a loving relationship once. Now, they were merely good friends.
Iceman had become part of the main team, climbing the ladder to the top, and showing what he was worth. He had mastered his natural talent with the cold, learning different ways he could make his power useful in battle. Although he still loved his ever-tiring pranks, he was now more mature and knew when to shut up and listen.
Yes, the X-Men had grown in many ways. Were they ready to accept Kitty into open-arms?
* * * * *
Kitty stood up and slowly left the Blackbird along with the others, as she descended the steps carefully, still wary of the space around her, she came upon a site that made her groan.
The entire population of the mansion had come out to meet her, and not so quietly, either. The next thing Kitty knew, she was being thrown from person to person, loud shouting of joy and cheer that they finally had their kitten back.
She found herself brought into many hugs, and did not like it one bit. Thankfully, Logan had come right behind her, and stopped this immediately.
"Hey, knock it off, guys! She's had it rough. REAL rough. She doesn't need this right now, so respect her personally space!" Logan shouted loudly.
Kitty rewarded him with a weak smile of gratitude. She looked at the crowd weakly, wanting nothing more to sleep for along, long, while.
She noticed Beast forcing his way through the horde of people. "Kitty," he said, smiling with understanding. "I'm so relieved to finally have you back with us, though I must insist to a full check-up in the infirmary immediately. For safety precautions."
"Can't she just rest?" Logan asked quietly. "Lord knows she needs it."
"Normally, I would agree with you Logan, but we can't risk contamination to the other students and faculty if she is indeed, ill. Now, come along, Kitty. It won't take long." He said, offering his arm. She didn't take it, but quietly walk alongside him, to the corridor she hadn't been down in an eternity.
* * * * *
Whew! You can't complain about that chapter bring to short! I must admit, this is one of the best chapters I've ever written! I'd better get a lot of reviews for it! *Shakes fist menacingly.* LOL. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Next Chapter: A Starling Discovery!