X-Men: Evolution
THE PRICE YOU PAY
a fanfic by JetNoir
Note: I couldn't resist a final cliffhanger!
EPILOGUE
It took three days for Kitty to come out of her coma, and in that time, The Man never left her side. But now…his age seemed younger than what it had been. In fact, he couldn't have looked older than twenty.
She had sustained heavy damage to he lower back, but the claws had thankfully missed her spine. Hank McCoy had performed emergency surgery with a telepathic link (via The Professor) to the nearest surgeon who specialised in this.
After the three days had passed, her eyes fluttered slightly, and she moaned as she stretched. Her gaze fell on The Man, and she asked:
"Who are you?" The man smiled:
"A friend."
"What are you doing here?"
"To make sure you are alright."
"What happened?"
"Do you really want to know?" She nodded gingerly. The Man smiled, and told her the full story.
"But…" she murmured, "The bit I don't understand is this. If Ororo's powers worked like that, how come she hasn't opened portals in the past…and why is it that if I was in Cerebro, and you were on the ground floor, how come your portal found me."
"In the shadow realm," The Man explained, "like calls to like. Physical attraction. The only way Ororo could break through was with an electrical overcharge, and this world called to the only thing of it's own locked in the other realm. You. The portal's can never be opened again."
"But what's to stop…wait a minute. When I was in there, I heard a voice. Apocalypse's voice. Was it him?" The Man nodded, and she continued, "but what's to stop him from using me again." The Man got up briefly and kissed her delicately on the lips. Kitty started in surprise.
"Apocalypse used his stolen telepathic abilities to forcibly phase you. That kiss was my gift to you. A blockage in your mind from him. The First One can never use you again like that."
"Who are you?" asked Kitty.
"I am nobody," The Man said, "a former employee of Apocalypse. I will not know what he plans next though, it's not if I can just swan back! But you are safe Katherine. You're safe."
"What is your name?" The Man laughed:
"I'll give you a clue. It begins with a 'J', and ends with an 'R'." He got up to leave.
"Will we ever see you again?"
"Perhaps, Katherine Kitty Pryde. Perhaps."
-
Nobody saw The Man leave The Institute, but leave he did. Standing outside the gates, he turned back and smiled; moonlight streaming onto his face.
"The price you paid was too high Kitty Pryde," he murmured, "but I know that you are going to be okay."
And then he was gone.
Disappeared, without a trace…
The End
Note: I hoped you enjoyed that. This has been a fantastic story to write, and I've had great fun. I have a vague idea of what I'm going to do next, but I am unsure whether it would involve The Man's return. I personally, am a little unsure about him – it's weird when a character does that to you, but is he the cold person he made out to be with The Professor, or does he really care for other people? I suppose we might find out in the future. Anyway, thankyou ever so much for all your reviews, and hope you all enjoy the next one!
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for the character of Kitty Pryde, or any of the X-Men (put that down to Stan 'The Man' Lee, and everyone who have been involved with the X-Men!). The TV series 'X-Men Evolution is copyright to Warner Brothers and the story to me. This story has been written on the understanding that you may read it and print it out; but you may not pass it off as your own, hire it out, or sell it for money. You also may not put it on your own or any other web page without my express written permission. Thankyou!
JetNoir