Kurt and X23 sat at the kitchen table. The room, themselves and everything within their proximity was completely covered in soot.
Neither seemed to care or notice. They were eating steak.
"It was totally worth it this time." Kurt told her. "Blowing up the lighthouse I mean."
"Yeah. That was scary, but then it was over." She agreed, ripping off another piece of meat with her teeth.
We need to get some utensils. Kurt reminded himself.
"How often does that happen?" She asked him.
"That was the third time this week."
She nodded. "I wont be so scared next time." She added.
"Yeah." Kurt sighed. "You do kind of get used to it."
Alistaire laughed as he and Kitty strolled down the long driveway towards the lighthouse.
"I must confess, I am a little worried about Kurt's first appearance tonight." Alistaire commented. "It's just a small appearance, but still…"
Kitty smiled. "Kurt's great at conversation." She smiled. "You saw him at the party the other night. People love him."
"Oh, and I can see why. He's an enthusiastic spirit to say the least." He smiled at her. "I just hope that nothing else has been planned to discredit him. He seems to be doing a fine job on his own. I just wish that everyone could see that as clearly as I can."
She knew what he was talking about. "Yeah. Kurt's kind of special." She smiled, looked away, and changed the subject. "So… what were we stealing this afternoon Alistaire?"
He smiled. "It's the handbook and guidelines established for Kurt, and by default, my position." He smiled. "It'll take a while to sort through the legal-speak, but in the end I'll know exactly what we're supposed to be doing. We've made some good choices on our own, but we cant keep it up. Sooner or later we'll overstep ourselves or make a bad call and then they'll come down on us – probably armed with the very documents we stole today."
Kitty smiled. "I didn't say this yet… But you did a real good job planning the robbery. I know I was a pain and I should have let you drive, but… I was worried and I thought my power would give us the edge."
"Oh, I'm sure it did. We were long gone, my friend reported his bike stolen right about the time that we were abandoning it and he's sure to get it back. Unless I miss my guess they wont even admit that anything's been taken. Not until they know who took it and how they plan to use it."
"How much trouble would I be in if I got caught?" She asked.
"Oh, deportation I imagine."
"And you?" She smiled, enjoying his honesty.
"Well, it's … technically … just a bit of treason." He smiled back.
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You're a good man Alistaire Stuart."
"Why thank you … Kitty." He pushed open the door.
Kitty looked cheerfully around the interior of the lighthouse. "Looks like they've been cooking." She said, with a hint of a pout, eyeing the new layer of soot.
"And it smells…" He sniffed the air. "Wonderful actually." He glanced up the stairs. "Really."
She sniffed once or twice. Damn it. He's right… Why can't I get anything to smell like that?
Across town Emma made her next move.
Tonight Kurt, you'll get a taste of two things… She smiled. Kindness and Injury. And then it will be up to you which side of things you'd like to be on. She smiled seductively. But not before I've had my fun… She grinned.
Illyana watched from her office – in the building across the street from Emma's office.
"Oh, Emma…" She said out loud. "I'll miss you… Soon enough."
She walked over to her desk and pressed the intercom button. "Jules, I'll be going out for a while. Hold all my calls." She smiled and turned to the young child who sat gagged, bound and terrified in the corner.
She knelt down and looked at the girl. "I'm going out for a while honey." She said sweetly. "Now, If you move, I'll have to kill a puppy when I get back. So don't you move, okay?"
The child burst out crying again in to the gag and Illyana laughed.
"Oh, you did it now. I might as well kill the puppy now, before I go."
The girl screamed and wailed. Illyana stepped out of her sight and whimpered like a dog, twice, barked once, and then yelped painfully as she crushed a soda can.
The girl went in to hysterics.
Illyana laughed. I always know how to spot a screamer from a mile away.
And she walked out of her office toward the elevator.
Two buildings away Sebastian Shaw was getting some very bad news.
"What do you mean…" he growled menacingly. "…Stolen?"
"I mean just that Sir. Missing from the safe after lunch today. No sign of forced entry or security problems. A motorbike was seen speeding away but it escaped so quickly that no good descriptions were given, One or two people wearing ski-masks."
The room was elegant and yet brutally spartan. It reflected the harsh and desolate nature of the man who used it. His nose twitched in annoyance.
"Mr. Donovan… If those papers are brought to light now, it could spell our defeat, not just in this matter, but in all things. Do I make myself clear? I want you to recover those documents and remove anyone who has come in contact with them… Permanently."
"Very good sir. It will all be done."
"It had better be Mr. Donovan. It had better be."
Back in the lighthouse something skittered quietly down the hall, chuckling in low tones, about the fancy bit of shark meat it had just stolen.
"Did you hear that?" Kurt asked, listening for the skitter again.
X23 smiled almost bashfully but said nothing.
"Hear what?" Kitty bobbed up the stairs with Alistaire in tow.
Kurt turned, surprised. "Hey, anyone want a shark steak?" He asked.
"Really?" Alistaire's head bobbed without thinking. "I'd love a piece."
Kitty shivered a bit.
"Where did we get shark meat?" Kitty asked slowly.
Kurt smiled. "Our little miss Logan went fishing this afternoon."
Kitty seemed to recognize that the expression meant more than it said.
Alistaire sat right down in a soot covered chain and helped himself to a steak off the pile.
He used one of their forks and his pen knife to cut it. Ohhh… Man… He swallowed. Kurt can cook! And the girl can…
Alistaire's mind jumped to the image of a shark. Most would outweigh this little girl. How did she land the damn thing?
He watched her slowly chewing down a piece of steak off her fork.
They need cutlery. He decided.
X23 turned her eyes towards the pile of steaks and reached out, extended a claw and impaled on off the top of the pile and retracted it to her.
Alistaire blinked twice and eyed her hand.
Kitty covered her mouth to suppress a chuckle at Alistaire's shocked expression.
Kurt watched him carefully to see how he would react.
He looked down at his steak. Shark… He thought. Then he looked to X23.
Then he looked to Kurt and Kitty. They stood together in an almost smug air of calm and understanding.
Alistaire looked questioningly at Kurt.
"She dove right in." Kurt explained.
Alistaire looked in amazement at her.
She noticed and asked: "What, what is it?"
"Did you kill this shark?" He asked her.
"Yes." She looked to Kurt uncomfortably.
"How big was it?" He asked appreciatively.
"Twice her size." Kurt added proudly.
She looked at Alistaire expectantly.
"What were you thinking?" He asked her.
"I thought it would taste good." She shrugged uncomfortably.
"Well, you've got me there." He added. "It's excellent."
She smiled and poked at the meat on her plate.
Kurt and Kitty seemed relieved at his performance and yet disappointed that their fun was over.
Alistaire sat back slowly, his stomach full and a good days work behind him.
"What's that look all about?" Kitty asked him.
"I was just remembering something I read somewhere…" He smiled.
"Something about appreciating what others think of as common." He smiled. "And how it always seems to broaden ones worldview."
