The reporter sat in a small room with the cameraman and an editor.
They spun over clip after clip on the great machine and slowly laced the tapes in to one long interview.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" The reporter called.
"Archives. Got that Mystery Mutant footage for you. Some tourist filmed the whole damn thing."
"Really?" The editor looked back over his shoulder as the door opened and the tape came in.
"Punch it up Red." The reporter told him.
And they watched in terror as the camera panned up and showed the little girl falling towards the ground.
Then like a jungle cat – Kurt leapt from overhead and snagged her out of mid-air.
"Yes!" The reporter screamed, his fist raised in victory.
The editor and cameraman jumped.
"Hurry up and splice it in." The reporter told them. "Put it in between the first two segments and we'll do the voice over from the interview."
The editor sat in awe. "And you're really just going to run this tomorrow?" He asked. "I mean… It's a hell of a story, but … Shouldn't someone be alerted first?"
The reporter laughed. "The Mutant Advisors office gave it to us. It might as well be from the Queen herself."
The editor nodded. "It's a different world, isn't it?" He said out loud. "I mean… I remember when the Nazis attacked." He said. "I was just a boy. But I remember. Now… I've got two girls just a bit older than I was then… And they've got a world full of Mutants and conspiracies…"
The reporter sat down next to the editor and watched him work. "It's all the same stories." He said. "Only the details change. You recall Hitler. And Wagner is here to protect us against the likes of Magneto who is the modern day Hitler – right down to his homosuperiority. It's just the dance of history."
"But… Don't we ever learn from any of it?" The editor asked.
"Sure we do." The reporter said. "It's why we're editing this story. Wagner's a German. And he had every opportunity to seize control of our country." He smiled. "Anyone who remembers the war would have a fit over that alone. But look at what's happened! Instead of the horrible and unthinkable, we handed him our country and he handed it right back. And he did it gently at that!"
The editor smiled at him.
"Oh, we're learning. And we're growing up… But no more than we have to. That's the human condition. And so I say God Bless Wagner and every other mutant out there. They're pushing those envelopes every day. Making sure that we have to keep up and change with the times."
"And that matters to you?" The editor asked. "I didn't think you were that deep."
"I wasn't until tonight. Now… I can't think of another story worth reporting on. Like we were just saying. Other than this… It's all been done. Short of evolution - It's all old news."
And the editor suddenly found himself impressed anew with Kurt Wagner.
Forge shook Alistaire gently. "Hey, Al… It's your watch."
Alistaire looked at his wrist and Forge chuckled. "No, it is your watch. Not look at your…"
"I'm up… " He said. "Wow. Time flies when you're asleep."
Forge laughed. "Yeah. We're all sleeping for our lives tonight." He smiled. "Did you notice that Kurt gets to sleep right through until morning?"
Alistaire nodded. "I told him to take the last watch. I wanted him rested in case there's a follow up interview coming tomorrow."
"Ahh." Forge smiled. "Well, Lucy and I are going to catch some sleep. If anything happens, do what I would have done."
"Which is?" Alistaire asked, picking up his gun.
"Scream in terror." Forge gave him a playful punch in the arm and stood up, walking away.
"That I can do." Alistaire waved after him. "'Nite."
"Good night." Forge waved as he slipped out of the room.
Kitty came in, smiling wide. "Did you…" She looked down the hall. "Aww…"
Alistaire peered down the hall. "Awww?" He asked.
She nodded. "Lucy and Forge." She said.
Alistaire glanced down the hall and there they were, holding hands and talking in front of her room.
"It does seem a good fit." He said at last. I wonder if I'll ever 'click' with someone like that.
Kitty mooned over them for a moment and then stepped away to give them their privacy.
Forge stroked back her hair and she smiled.
"Ummm…" She swallowed. "Sleep in here." She said softly. "Tonight."
He glanced in to her room.
"Just so…" She looked like the words were hard to find. "I … I …"
"Shhh…" Forge said softly. "I think I get it."
She swallowed. No! Just find the words and say them! "I just want… to keep an eye … on you." She looked pleadingly at him. "You know?"
He nodded sincerely and caressed her cheek slowly. "Yeah." He said, gazing in to her eyes. "I get it."
And he let her lead him in to her room.
Alistaire had stumbled to the kitchen and was pouring himself a cup of Forge's coffee.
"Oh. I was going to make coffee." Kitty stamped her foot absently.
Close call. Alistaire chuckled, sipping the coffee. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." She smiled and leaned in.
"I have this… wedding." He shrugged. "The week after next. It's one of my old college friends. And I was hoping that you'd be my date."
She grinned. "I'd… love to." I HAVE to go shopping!
He met her eyes and she could see the relief written across his face.
"I'm… glad." He said at last. "I debated asking…"
She smiled sincerely. "Well, I'm glad you did. And I'd love to be your date."
I'll have the best looking woman in England on my arm… He thought.
I love his eyes. She thought, looking playfully at him. "So…" She twisted in place slightly. "Can you think of anything we could do to pass the time?"
He swallowed and pulled at his collar slightly. "Er…" He smiled and she blushed. "Nothing I feel comfortable suggesting." He chuckled.
"Alistaire, you're horrible!" She laughed and slapped him playfully on the sleeve. "And… I like it." She admitted at last.
And he blushed – Big time! "Er, um… Yes. I suppose we could discuss what would happen if you had to assume Kurt's position."
She nodded slowly. "I … really can't believe what has happened this week. I'm a real diplomat. One position away from being in charge of a team." She met his eyes. "I never thought I'd be anywhere like this."
He smiled. "I had hoped one day to be a supervisor. I thought that if I just applied myself and worked at it – one day I could be sitting at a slightly larger desk, keeping the same hours, with the same people…" He laughed. "And really… if all I have to worry about is mutant hit men…" He shrugged.
She giggled.
"Then I guess I'm just as happy this way as the other."
"I guess what you're saying is that destiny chooses us, not the other way around." She said.
"Sometimes." He said. "I mean, I'm sure that Kurt faced more than his fair share of trials in his life – and even when he accepted this job he had no idea what it would end up entailing. So it was both really."
She nodded. "You know… You lucked out." She said softly. "You could have gotten Scott."
Alistaire cocked his head. "Who?"
"He's the student leader of the X-Men and he was considered a shoe-in for the next available leadership position. But Kurt beat him out for the slot this time around." She took a breath. "He's not a bad guy… But I don't see him cutting his own authority ever. He wouldn't have done what Kurt did with that charter. It never would have occurred to him."
Alistaire swallowed. "I can't imagine anyone doing what Kurt has done since he got here." He breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't know how bad things really were until he started cleaning up some. I really didn't think that England had any Mutant Relations problems before… But now? With the Hellfire Club, the creation of his position… I wonder if we have any other kind. Which might sound biased coming from a human…"
She shook her head. "Maybe from a stranger." She said softly. "But you're one of the team Alistaire and I think I know what's in your heart."
He shot her a glance that asked "Do you really?"
And she blushed.
Authors note to Kemious: Yes, you noticed that I modified Captian Britain's origin. (And I'm not done yet!) I really just borrowed a page from Evo's hadling of the Juggernaught. In Evolution they said that he used magic to induce his mutation instead of just attributing his powers to magic. I did the same with Brian.
