Disclaimer: Like eh said in the bloody outset, eh don' own any of `em!
A/N: Hi! I'm Twinkles! And hi I'm Roxy! (We both start waving like idoits before we realized that this is on the computer. Then go back to our dispute over who gets Lance, who gets Scott, and who gets Pietro.)
Part 3: Unresolved Issues
Kitty stumbled into the kitchen the next morning, a hand clutching her throbbing head. She was trying desperately to remember what had happened the night before. It was hard to determine what she had been dreaming, and what had really happened. She opened the cabinet and reached for a bottle of pills. That was her next choice, painkillers.
"That won't bring him back Katherine."
Xavier! She turned around to face him, a look of hatred in her eyes. "Ya, and I'm sure if it was up to you, he never would have been there in the first place!" Kitty glared at him, which only made her head hurt more.
"I never objected to your romance with Pete, I merely wanted what was best for you." Xavier held his hands up in a non-threatening manner.
This comment only annoyed Kitty further. "Really Professor, and would staying at the institute have been better for me?"
"Look Kitty, I know you are upset with me, but that was a long time ago, things are different now."
"No! Things are not different now! The only thing that has changed is me! What you did is unforgivable in my book!"
"If you can not forgive me for what happened with Avalanche, then why are you here now?" He looked at her with and innocent, yet satisfied look, as though he had won in the end.
Kitty turned her back to him and swallowed the pills. "News flash Professor, I'm not here for you." She scowled and rolled her eyes. "I'm here because my friends called me back, they needed my help, and they are what is important, not the institute."
The Professor shook his head. "Fine, have it your way. I'm just trying to make things right." He turned and left the kitchen. "You'll come around soon enough." He muttered to himself an evil grin on his face.
*************************
Kitty lay in the gazebo. The warm sun shone down on her face and pinked her cheeks. The wind blew lightly across her face, blowing her hair to the side.
She would have liked to take a nap, but there was too much in her head at the moment. Her anger towards Xavier, the feelings of loss over Pete. And the confusion she felt over seeing Lance once again, did she still have feelings for him......her thoughts trailed off as she heard a familiar, yet annoying voice.
"Hmm hmm, hmm hmm hmm." He hummed as he walked up behind where Kitty lay on the bench. "The hills are alive today aren't they?"
I rolled my eyes. "Only you Pietro would be so bold." I leaned my head back till I was looking at him upside down.
"You know, I just may like you better from this angle." Pietro grinned as his eyes traveled up towards her loosely hanging pajama shirt.
Kitty reached up and playfully slapped his face, then sat up. "Watch it Pietro, I still recall how to kick your butt."
He crossed his arms and leaned back in satisfaction. "I'd like to have you try."
"You would wouldn't you?" I replied sarcastically rolling my eyes.
He studied me for a moment. "So what's wrong Kitten?" I gave him a puzzled expression in reply. He sighed. "How often do you drink, not get up at the crack of dawn, not get dressed for the day, and lay in the garden instead of exercising, or doing some sort of work?"
"Hey hey, I'm not Jean!" I smiled playfully.
"No really Kitty, you've been acting strange ever since you came back from London, and before you even left. So basically, the last few times I've seen you, you've been weird. So, is there anything you want to talk about?" He looked concerned, as he leaned forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.
I smiled up at him. "Pietro, you're a great friend, and I know you'll always be here to talk to, theres just nothing I am able to talk about right now. Things have just be hard for me, and everything is different!" I felt my eyes start to tear up. "There's Xavier, and I hate him! He just makes me so mad! Then Lance, I think I may still have.....and then there was Pete...." I choked on my words as tears began to run down my face. No, not here, not in front of Pietro, not in front of anyone.
Pietro squeezed my shoulder. "Kitty, don't worry, you don't have to talk to me about anything, and I know about Pete."
I looked at him shocked. "You know about Pete?"
He nodded. "Yes, I do. You have my deepest sympathies for how things turned out with him." I nodded, a bit surprised that Pietro had found out, I didn't even want to know how. "Now come on." He said standing up, and pulling me up too. "Lets get you cleaned up, theres a lot of work to be done today." I slowly agreed as I rose to my feet.
"Thanks Pietro, really." I leaned in and hugged him. "And please don't repeat anything to anyone, even....even Lance." He nodded reassuringly. "I'll have to talk with him myself, I just don't know when yet."
We both walked out of the gazebo and towards the house. I still had lingering feelings of uneasiness, but I tried to push them aside. There were bigger things at stake right now, besides my own suffering.
****************************
"Before we begin I just want to thank everyone for coming so quickly at such short notice." Storm said as she walked around the room. It was the conference room. A large rounded chamber with chairs set up so that they formed a circle.
I sat in between Bobby and Rogue. I felt completely uneasy. It had been so long since I had been here, and this room was a new addition, but it too gave me the same eerie feeling. I tried to block that out of my mind though, right now was the time for me to get some answers. Most importantly find out why I was here.
"As you all know," Storm began. It was a wonder that she was addressing us and not Xavier. "As you all know, the Government has been minutely aware of the existence of mutants for quite some time now. However, they have not tried to act in any way. It seems that up until now they showed some discretion. Unfortunately, another group has not been so silent. It is our duty to inform all of you that secretly, the Government has passed an act, and given support to such a group, allowing them to legally detain all mutants, for scientific study. As we speak now, facilities around the world are being constructed to house mutants, more plainly said, enslave us. We are unsure exactly how these facilities plan to contain us all, but we believe that they will work. So far, the mutants that have been abducted by them, have not escaped, and not been heard from. The organization responsible for this all is known as the M.I.S., Mutant Intelligence Sector. It is agents of this group that
attempted to detain Shadowcat back in England. Their plan was to capture her there, before she could return to the states. So they have already began to go after the X-Men." Storm and Xavier watched the reactions of the assembly of mutants, each one wore a solemn expression. My expression was slightly different thoug, it was one of annoyance. I did not like being included in the name X-Men, I wasn't one anymore, and I hadn't been for a long time. More importantly, I had no intention of becoming one again.
It was now Xavier's turn. "We consider Sector M to be one of our biggest threats yet in survival. That is why we have brought you all here."
"I don't mean to challenge you guys or anything," I stood up to talk, as we were supposed to when we had a question. "But all of us being grouped together here, aren't we just making their job easier? If they choose to attack soon, we'll all be at one place, making it simple for, will we not?" I crossed my arms, somehow I didn't think that we were being told everything that we needed to know.
Xavier glared for only a moment before answering, he did not like his authority being challenged. "Shadowcat, something that you may be taking for granted is the truth that there is safety in numbers. By all of us working together and combining or skills, there may not be a chance for them to attack."
I sat back down, the situation was a lot worse than I had anticipated, from both sides. I saw the same expression of doubt on the faces of Rogue, Pietro, and Lance. Perhaps I was not alone after all.
After a few more minutes of briefing, the assembly ended. We would each be given an assignment by the end of that evening, along with a team. As we left the conference room, Lance, Pietro, Rogue and I grouped together.
"Did anyone else get the feeling that there is more to know than what we were told?" Lance asked in a quiet voice. We all nodded.
"Ah'm not so sure that we really know what we're gonna be fighting fo." Rogue whispered. And Pietro agreed.
From the distance I could see Xavier eyeing our group. "Well," I began, glaring at Xavier. "There's only one way to find out."
A/N: Hi! I'm Twinkles! And hi I'm Roxy! (We both start waving like idoits before we realized that this is on the computer. Then go back to our dispute over who gets Lance, who gets Scott, and who gets Pietro.)
Part 3: Unresolved Issues
Kitty stumbled into the kitchen the next morning, a hand clutching her throbbing head. She was trying desperately to remember what had happened the night before. It was hard to determine what she had been dreaming, and what had really happened. She opened the cabinet and reached for a bottle of pills. That was her next choice, painkillers.
"That won't bring him back Katherine."
Xavier! She turned around to face him, a look of hatred in her eyes. "Ya, and I'm sure if it was up to you, he never would have been there in the first place!" Kitty glared at him, which only made her head hurt more.
"I never objected to your romance with Pete, I merely wanted what was best for you." Xavier held his hands up in a non-threatening manner.
This comment only annoyed Kitty further. "Really Professor, and would staying at the institute have been better for me?"
"Look Kitty, I know you are upset with me, but that was a long time ago, things are different now."
"No! Things are not different now! The only thing that has changed is me! What you did is unforgivable in my book!"
"If you can not forgive me for what happened with Avalanche, then why are you here now?" He looked at her with and innocent, yet satisfied look, as though he had won in the end.
Kitty turned her back to him and swallowed the pills. "News flash Professor, I'm not here for you." She scowled and rolled her eyes. "I'm here because my friends called me back, they needed my help, and they are what is important, not the institute."
The Professor shook his head. "Fine, have it your way. I'm just trying to make things right." He turned and left the kitchen. "You'll come around soon enough." He muttered to himself an evil grin on his face.
*************************
Kitty lay in the gazebo. The warm sun shone down on her face and pinked her cheeks. The wind blew lightly across her face, blowing her hair to the side.
She would have liked to take a nap, but there was too much in her head at the moment. Her anger towards Xavier, the feelings of loss over Pete. And the confusion she felt over seeing Lance once again, did she still have feelings for him......her thoughts trailed off as she heard a familiar, yet annoying voice.
"Hmm hmm, hmm hmm hmm." He hummed as he walked up behind where Kitty lay on the bench. "The hills are alive today aren't they?"
I rolled my eyes. "Only you Pietro would be so bold." I leaned my head back till I was looking at him upside down.
"You know, I just may like you better from this angle." Pietro grinned as his eyes traveled up towards her loosely hanging pajama shirt.
Kitty reached up and playfully slapped his face, then sat up. "Watch it Pietro, I still recall how to kick your butt."
He crossed his arms and leaned back in satisfaction. "I'd like to have you try."
"You would wouldn't you?" I replied sarcastically rolling my eyes.
He studied me for a moment. "So what's wrong Kitten?" I gave him a puzzled expression in reply. He sighed. "How often do you drink, not get up at the crack of dawn, not get dressed for the day, and lay in the garden instead of exercising, or doing some sort of work?"
"Hey hey, I'm not Jean!" I smiled playfully.
"No really Kitty, you've been acting strange ever since you came back from London, and before you even left. So basically, the last few times I've seen you, you've been weird. So, is there anything you want to talk about?" He looked concerned, as he leaned forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.
I smiled up at him. "Pietro, you're a great friend, and I know you'll always be here to talk to, theres just nothing I am able to talk about right now. Things have just be hard for me, and everything is different!" I felt my eyes start to tear up. "There's Xavier, and I hate him! He just makes me so mad! Then Lance, I think I may still have.....and then there was Pete...." I choked on my words as tears began to run down my face. No, not here, not in front of Pietro, not in front of anyone.
Pietro squeezed my shoulder. "Kitty, don't worry, you don't have to talk to me about anything, and I know about Pete."
I looked at him shocked. "You know about Pete?"
He nodded. "Yes, I do. You have my deepest sympathies for how things turned out with him." I nodded, a bit surprised that Pietro had found out, I didn't even want to know how. "Now come on." He said standing up, and pulling me up too. "Lets get you cleaned up, theres a lot of work to be done today." I slowly agreed as I rose to my feet.
"Thanks Pietro, really." I leaned in and hugged him. "And please don't repeat anything to anyone, even....even Lance." He nodded reassuringly. "I'll have to talk with him myself, I just don't know when yet."
We both walked out of the gazebo and towards the house. I still had lingering feelings of uneasiness, but I tried to push them aside. There were bigger things at stake right now, besides my own suffering.
****************************
"Before we begin I just want to thank everyone for coming so quickly at such short notice." Storm said as she walked around the room. It was the conference room. A large rounded chamber with chairs set up so that they formed a circle.
I sat in between Bobby and Rogue. I felt completely uneasy. It had been so long since I had been here, and this room was a new addition, but it too gave me the same eerie feeling. I tried to block that out of my mind though, right now was the time for me to get some answers. Most importantly find out why I was here.
"As you all know," Storm began. It was a wonder that she was addressing us and not Xavier. "As you all know, the Government has been minutely aware of the existence of mutants for quite some time now. However, they have not tried to act in any way. It seems that up until now they showed some discretion. Unfortunately, another group has not been so silent. It is our duty to inform all of you that secretly, the Government has passed an act, and given support to such a group, allowing them to legally detain all mutants, for scientific study. As we speak now, facilities around the world are being constructed to house mutants, more plainly said, enslave us. We are unsure exactly how these facilities plan to contain us all, but we believe that they will work. So far, the mutants that have been abducted by them, have not escaped, and not been heard from. The organization responsible for this all is known as the M.I.S., Mutant Intelligence Sector. It is agents of this group that
attempted to detain Shadowcat back in England. Their plan was to capture her there, before she could return to the states. So they have already began to go after the X-Men." Storm and Xavier watched the reactions of the assembly of mutants, each one wore a solemn expression. My expression was slightly different thoug, it was one of annoyance. I did not like being included in the name X-Men, I wasn't one anymore, and I hadn't been for a long time. More importantly, I had no intention of becoming one again.
It was now Xavier's turn. "We consider Sector M to be one of our biggest threats yet in survival. That is why we have brought you all here."
"I don't mean to challenge you guys or anything," I stood up to talk, as we were supposed to when we had a question. "But all of us being grouped together here, aren't we just making their job easier? If they choose to attack soon, we'll all be at one place, making it simple for, will we not?" I crossed my arms, somehow I didn't think that we were being told everything that we needed to know.
Xavier glared for only a moment before answering, he did not like his authority being challenged. "Shadowcat, something that you may be taking for granted is the truth that there is safety in numbers. By all of us working together and combining or skills, there may not be a chance for them to attack."
I sat back down, the situation was a lot worse than I had anticipated, from both sides. I saw the same expression of doubt on the faces of Rogue, Pietro, and Lance. Perhaps I was not alone after all.
After a few more minutes of briefing, the assembly ended. We would each be given an assignment by the end of that evening, along with a team. As we left the conference room, Lance, Pietro, Rogue and I grouped together.
"Did anyone else get the feeling that there is more to know than what we were told?" Lance asked in a quiet voice. We all nodded.
"Ah'm not so sure that we really know what we're gonna be fighting fo." Rogue whispered. And Pietro agreed.
From the distance I could see Xavier eyeing our group. "Well," I began, glaring at Xavier. "There's only one way to find out."