Chapter 4 - Crossing Paths
"Well, well, well… To what do we owe the pleasure, ladies?"
I smirked confidently over at the ladies… well, two ladies and one gentleman over in the doorway. Daniels didn't look too happy at my greeting. I leaned back in my chair and propped my feet up on the table, pausing only to absently shuffle my deck from hand to hand. The X-Men were dressed deceptively in civilian clothing.
Pietro, Pyotr, and Lance were lounging in other places around the room. They were lounging to give an expression of indifference to whatever threat the remaining X-Men might impose, but they were also strategically placed to give us a slight advantage in having them surrounded should it come to down to it. They still had the door to their backs, but Pietro could easily fix that if the time came.
It had come as a surprise, really. We were pouring over the limited mutant detection systems we had, nothing compared to the former Cerebro but still nothing scoff at either, looking for any sign of Magneto, Saberooth or Pyro. Probably pointless, but it was really the only chance we had right now.
"I told you - we just want to talk."
I had just gotten frustrated enough to contemplate charging and detonating the computer banks when it came. Jean Grey, speaking inside my head, asking to come in.
Wanted to parley, she said. Now we'll see if it's true…
I actually wasn't all that interested in working with her and what was left of the X-men. What I was interested in however, was whether or not she had any information we didn't. That was worth something. I narrowed my eyes.
"You seem to be down another teammate Ms. Grey."
She shrugged off hand.
"Kitty's away for the evening. Gathering more information."
I nodded slowly. I didn't know if it was the truth or not. On one hand, the X-men weren't the type to lie, and on the other, it was only prudent to have someone waiting in the wings.
"Well then, why exactly are you here? You know we wouldn't be sitting here if we knew something you didn't…"
Her turn to nod. Rogue and the boy were still tensed for battle.
Which is good for them. Because I still haven't figured out if that fight's still going to happen yet.
"That's true, but the fact of the matter is that as long as we continue with the rescue plans we'll be in danger."
She narrowed her eyes and looked at me before continuing.
"All of us.
"I don't think either one of us can afford to have our teams wandering around alone."
"Why not? You let Kitty go walking off."
I shot a sharp glance over to Avalanche, but the statement was already out there. Jean's eyes narrowed in response, then she gave a short laugh.
"Ironically, she's safer where she is than we are here. There's nothing to worry about."
I arched an eyebrow, but let it pass. Then I straightened in my chair, one hand supporting my chin in a contemplative fashion.
"I still don't see why we should want to help you at all Jean, I can call you Jean can't I? You don't exactly have the best track record against the people we're up against."
"Neither do you."
I glanced back at Rogue. I sighed.
"True Enough. Stand down boys."
Lance looked at me like I was insane.
"You're just going to let them walk in here? I'm not! Magneto's got it in for me as it is! No way I'm letting them in!"
I looked over at him, glaring.
"Listen here boy. I don't like being ordered around. You want to stay alive? Then you listen to me, and I say they get to stay. You don't like it, you can leave and fend for yourself."
Lance just gulped and backed down nervously. I turned my attention back to the X-Men.
"We call a truce. For now. But the moment this is over…"
Jean nodded instantly.
"That's more than fine with us. We don't want to be here anymore than you want us here."
I motioned off towards the stairs up with a wave of my hand.
"Pyotr, show them to their rooms. Quicksilver!"
Pietro paused in mid-dash towards Evan Daniels.
"What?"
"Stop. We have a truce; don't violate it. Or you answer to me, and to Magneto when we get him back."
He sighed and wandered off at a comparatively slow speed. When they were out of sight, I sighed and covered my eyes with one hand.
No matter how this goes, Magneto is not going to like this.
A few moments later, Rogue came back down. I grinned at her.
"So, you want me to send someone down to where ever you were staying and grab your things for you?"
She just looked at me.
"What things? We barely got out with our lives. The only things we have are the clothes on us, which we could barely afford, and our tattered uniforms. Which we have on underneath these by the way…"
She paused to take the yellow gloves out of her pocket and flash them at me. She took off one of the black gloves on her hand.
"Whoa now, I don't bite, Rogue."
"I know."
She put on the yellow ones instead of the black. I arched an eyebrow in question. She rolled her eyes.
"The black ones are inconspicuous, but uncomfortable. But with everything going on…"
"Inconspicuous is the order of the day."
"Exactly."
Jean came down then.
"Rogue? Rogue… Oh, there you are."
She looked back up.
"You need something Jean?"
"No, just making sure where you were."
She left it unsaid that she didn't trust us, and I couldn't blame her. She focused her attention on me.
"Is there something that blocks radio waves from leaving this place?"
"No, why?"
She grimaced.
"Kitty and Peter are late. If the signal on Evan's tracer isn't being blocked…"
Rogue smiled.
"They probably just got caught up in the party Jean, relax."
Party? Peter?
"There something you're not telling me ladies?"
Rogue waved her now yellow-gloved hands dismissively.
"Kitty and Peter are out looking for more information that just happens to be at a party."
"And who's this Peter?"
Jean gave a small smile.
"The guy who beat you up last night."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sat on the edge of the Baxter Building, back in my Spider-Man uniform, looking out at the sky.
"Tonight's been a bust hasn't it?"
I turned back to see Kitty, back in her uniform, civies draped over her arm. I smiled underneath my mask.
"Not really. We got a few leads, and that's better than nothing, right?"
She smiled a little.
"I suppose, but sometimes I think I can actually feel the time slipping through my fingers. It's depressing."
I let out a small sigh.
"Racing a clock never is. But unless you focus, you can't do anything. We did our best, and now it's time to find the others and regroup."
I yawned.
"It's also time to rest. We can't do anything productive if we burn ourselves out."
She smiled wanly.
"I guess you're right. We should go find the others before Jean gets too worried."
I held out an arm to her and blushed red as a tomato when she wrapped her arms around my neck and I closed it, grabbing her. Then I jumped. A quick line of web-fluid later and we began swinging through the city. Getting to the hotel wasn't a problem, but I kept swinging by, heading for the 'bad' side of town. Kitty was a bit confused.
"Um, Peter, hotel's back there…"
"I can't feel the tracer. They aren't there. We'll have to try elsewhere."
"Oh. I hope nothing's happened…"
"Me too."
Getting to the same rooftop I'd watched the X-Men and the Acolytes start fighting from the night before, I set us down and stopped.
"This is as good a place as any to start looking."
She looked at me, the moonlight shining down on her, making it a little hard to think clearly.
"You getting anything?"
I shook my head to the negative.
"No, but who knows what kind of shielding the Acolyte place has if they found it."
She smiled a little.
"True…"
Then, she straightened, as if coming to a decision. She walked over to me. I stood straight as an arrow and stiff as a board. My Spider-Sense wasn't tingling, but other pieces of my head were screaming out warnings like sirens. She got closer, my eyes widening inside the one-way plastics on my mask. She put her hand at the bottom of my mask and lifted it. I placed my hand on hers gently. She just smiled.
"Shhh…"
Then, she lifted it, exposing the lower part of my face. She leaned in and kissed me. I was stunned slightly, then relaxed a little, and let myself enjoy it, my hands moving around her waist.
I should never have let my guard down. That's always when life hits me hardest. A voice came from behind. My eyes completely bugged out at the sound of its familiarity, and I broke the kiss.
"Hello, Spider."
I shut my eyes, hoping that if I did that and didn't turn around, it would turn out to be a figment of my imagination. I swore lowly, and continued in the same tone of voice.
"Not her, anyone but her…"
"Well, well, well… To what do we owe the pleasure, ladies?"
I smirked confidently over at the ladies… well, two ladies and one gentleman over in the doorway. Daniels didn't look too happy at my greeting. I leaned back in my chair and propped my feet up on the table, pausing only to absently shuffle my deck from hand to hand. The X-Men were dressed deceptively in civilian clothing.
Pietro, Pyotr, and Lance were lounging in other places around the room. They were lounging to give an expression of indifference to whatever threat the remaining X-Men might impose, but they were also strategically placed to give us a slight advantage in having them surrounded should it come to down to it. They still had the door to their backs, but Pietro could easily fix that if the time came.
It had come as a surprise, really. We were pouring over the limited mutant detection systems we had, nothing compared to the former Cerebro but still nothing scoff at either, looking for any sign of Magneto, Saberooth or Pyro. Probably pointless, but it was really the only chance we had right now.
"I told you - we just want to talk."
I had just gotten frustrated enough to contemplate charging and detonating the computer banks when it came. Jean Grey, speaking inside my head, asking to come in.
Wanted to parley, she said. Now we'll see if it's true…
I actually wasn't all that interested in working with her and what was left of the X-men. What I was interested in however, was whether or not she had any information we didn't. That was worth something. I narrowed my eyes.
"You seem to be down another teammate Ms. Grey."
She shrugged off hand.
"Kitty's away for the evening. Gathering more information."
I nodded slowly. I didn't know if it was the truth or not. On one hand, the X-men weren't the type to lie, and on the other, it was only prudent to have someone waiting in the wings.
"Well then, why exactly are you here? You know we wouldn't be sitting here if we knew something you didn't…"
Her turn to nod. Rogue and the boy were still tensed for battle.
Which is good for them. Because I still haven't figured out if that fight's still going to happen yet.
"That's true, but the fact of the matter is that as long as we continue with the rescue plans we'll be in danger."
She narrowed her eyes and looked at me before continuing.
"All of us.
"I don't think either one of us can afford to have our teams wandering around alone."
"Why not? You let Kitty go walking off."
I shot a sharp glance over to Avalanche, but the statement was already out there. Jean's eyes narrowed in response, then she gave a short laugh.
"Ironically, she's safer where she is than we are here. There's nothing to worry about."
I arched an eyebrow, but let it pass. Then I straightened in my chair, one hand supporting my chin in a contemplative fashion.
"I still don't see why we should want to help you at all Jean, I can call you Jean can't I? You don't exactly have the best track record against the people we're up against."
"Neither do you."
I glanced back at Rogue. I sighed.
"True Enough. Stand down boys."
Lance looked at me like I was insane.
"You're just going to let them walk in here? I'm not! Magneto's got it in for me as it is! No way I'm letting them in!"
I looked over at him, glaring.
"Listen here boy. I don't like being ordered around. You want to stay alive? Then you listen to me, and I say they get to stay. You don't like it, you can leave and fend for yourself."
Lance just gulped and backed down nervously. I turned my attention back to the X-Men.
"We call a truce. For now. But the moment this is over…"
Jean nodded instantly.
"That's more than fine with us. We don't want to be here anymore than you want us here."
I motioned off towards the stairs up with a wave of my hand.
"Pyotr, show them to their rooms. Quicksilver!"
Pietro paused in mid-dash towards Evan Daniels.
"What?"
"Stop. We have a truce; don't violate it. Or you answer to me, and to Magneto when we get him back."
He sighed and wandered off at a comparatively slow speed. When they were out of sight, I sighed and covered my eyes with one hand.
No matter how this goes, Magneto is not going to like this.
A few moments later, Rogue came back down. I grinned at her.
"So, you want me to send someone down to where ever you were staying and grab your things for you?"
She just looked at me.
"What things? We barely got out with our lives. The only things we have are the clothes on us, which we could barely afford, and our tattered uniforms. Which we have on underneath these by the way…"
She paused to take the yellow gloves out of her pocket and flash them at me. She took off one of the black gloves on her hand.
"Whoa now, I don't bite, Rogue."
"I know."
She put on the yellow ones instead of the black. I arched an eyebrow in question. She rolled her eyes.
"The black ones are inconspicuous, but uncomfortable. But with everything going on…"
"Inconspicuous is the order of the day."
"Exactly."
Jean came down then.
"Rogue? Rogue… Oh, there you are."
She looked back up.
"You need something Jean?"
"No, just making sure where you were."
She left it unsaid that she didn't trust us, and I couldn't blame her. She focused her attention on me.
"Is there something that blocks radio waves from leaving this place?"
"No, why?"
She grimaced.
"Kitty and Peter are late. If the signal on Evan's tracer isn't being blocked…"
Rogue smiled.
"They probably just got caught up in the party Jean, relax."
Party? Peter?
"There something you're not telling me ladies?"
Rogue waved her now yellow-gloved hands dismissively.
"Kitty and Peter are out looking for more information that just happens to be at a party."
"And who's this Peter?"
Jean gave a small smile.
"The guy who beat you up last night."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sat on the edge of the Baxter Building, back in my Spider-Man uniform, looking out at the sky.
"Tonight's been a bust hasn't it?"
I turned back to see Kitty, back in her uniform, civies draped over her arm. I smiled underneath my mask.
"Not really. We got a few leads, and that's better than nothing, right?"
She smiled a little.
"I suppose, but sometimes I think I can actually feel the time slipping through my fingers. It's depressing."
I let out a small sigh.
"Racing a clock never is. But unless you focus, you can't do anything. We did our best, and now it's time to find the others and regroup."
I yawned.
"It's also time to rest. We can't do anything productive if we burn ourselves out."
She smiled wanly.
"I guess you're right. We should go find the others before Jean gets too worried."
I held out an arm to her and blushed red as a tomato when she wrapped her arms around my neck and I closed it, grabbing her. Then I jumped. A quick line of web-fluid later and we began swinging through the city. Getting to the hotel wasn't a problem, but I kept swinging by, heading for the 'bad' side of town. Kitty was a bit confused.
"Um, Peter, hotel's back there…"
"I can't feel the tracer. They aren't there. We'll have to try elsewhere."
"Oh. I hope nothing's happened…"
"Me too."
Getting to the same rooftop I'd watched the X-Men and the Acolytes start fighting from the night before, I set us down and stopped.
"This is as good a place as any to start looking."
She looked at me, the moonlight shining down on her, making it a little hard to think clearly.
"You getting anything?"
I shook my head to the negative.
"No, but who knows what kind of shielding the Acolyte place has if they found it."
She smiled a little.
"True…"
Then, she straightened, as if coming to a decision. She walked over to me. I stood straight as an arrow and stiff as a board. My Spider-Sense wasn't tingling, but other pieces of my head were screaming out warnings like sirens. She got closer, my eyes widening inside the one-way plastics on my mask. She put her hand at the bottom of my mask and lifted it. I placed my hand on hers gently. She just smiled.
"Shhh…"
Then, she lifted it, exposing the lower part of my face. She leaned in and kissed me. I was stunned slightly, then relaxed a little, and let myself enjoy it, my hands moving around her waist.
I should never have let my guard down. That's always when life hits me hardest. A voice came from behind. My eyes completely bugged out at the sound of its familiarity, and I broke the kiss.
"Hello, Spider."
I shut my eyes, hoping that if I did that and didn't turn around, it would turn out to be a figment of my imagination. I swore lowly, and continued in the same tone of voice.
"Not her, anyone but her…"