Hello there, True Believers! Welcome to a whole new story, featuring some of the hottest and most popular X-Women in the house, alongside one of the best and hottest super agents today (aside from Black Widow and Mockingbird, that is), in a different kind of story, one I hope entertains you. Don't expect superheroics in this one, because it's a story focused on a fun night with these ladies.
Before we jump into action, I want to thank my dearest Laurentina755 for her assistance in this one (since this one is Co-Written and Co-Plotted with her), and I'm sure she would also invite you to enjoy this work we crafted for you fans out there.
On a side note, this story was originally meant to be a One-Shot, but as the development went on, and as I was writing it, it became something very, VERY long, so I decided to split it into a 3-Part Story.
And now, let's move on to the traditional disclaimer: I DO NOW OWN THESE CHARACTERS; THEY ARE THE PROPERTY OF MARVEL COMICS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE CREATORS. WHAT I DO OWN IS THE STORY UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
Enjoy the reading!
LADIES NIGHT
Chapter 1: A Not So Quiet Start
Whenever a superhero gets some free time, they try to make the most out of it, especially to spend with the people close to you, and even trying to bring in new people into your circle, and that is the goal Kitty Pryde aims tonight. After spending months as roommate of her boyfriend's sister, Agent Teresa Parker, they both form a strong bond of friendship and sisterhood, so it is fair that Kitty wants to integrate her into her circle of close friends spending a 'Girls Night Out' alongside Ororo Munroe, Rachel Grey and Illyana Rasputina.
"Thanks for inviting me on this one, K" Teresa comments as she finishes dressing up while Kitty is hitting the shower "After that month in Europe, I really needed some good time out" she laughs while she starts putting on her make-up touches.
"T, you've become more than a good friend to me, you're a sister now, and I promise you, this will be one hell of a night" Kitty replies, staying in the shower to prepare herself for tonight.
Teresa steps out of the bedroom being the first one ready to go, wearing a tight short-sleeved white shirt, tight baby blue denim jeans, brown boots and her brown jacket, letting her hair down after spending minutes pondering whether she should let it loose or have a ponytail. Before she could rest and wait for Kitty to be ready though, the sound of the buzzer rings at the intercom, which Teresa presses to answer the call.
"Hello?" Teresa asks the caller.
"Oh, Miss Parker, is Ororo, I was hoping I got the address right" Storm replies, revealing herself as the caller.
"Oh, don't worry, I'll let you in" Teresa then presses the buzzer to unlock the door, letting Storm step into the building and after a couple of minutes, the door is being knocked.
"Ororo's here?" Kitty asks through the door of her bedroom, having already gotten out of the shower.
"Yeah, I'll be with her while we wait" Teresa replies while she walks to open the door, greeting the Regal mutant "Welcome to our humble abode, Miss Munroe" she welcomes Storm with a smile, inviting her to walk in.
"Thank you, Miss Parker" Storm replies cordially, smiling at her while she steps in. Ororo was always known for making even the simplest of attires into something stylish, and this is not the exception for tonight. She wears a crop top, dress pants and a long dress coat with high heel shoes, all in black and letting her long white mane flow down "I assume Kitten is still dressing up".
"She just left the shower, so I'm on 'Guest Duty' until we're ready to go" Teresa jokes, heading towards the kitchen "Anything to drink?"
"I'm fine, thank you" Storm politely replies, sitting on the couch while she waits for Kitty, who is almost finished. She is setting up her last details while Lockheed watches her as he lies on the bed.
"Arroooo" Lockheed roars in a lower voice, calling her attention, but Kitty replies with a small laugh.
"Sorry buddy, this is a 'Girls Only' kinda thing" Kitty pats his head and gives him a little kiss before she leaves, phasing through the door "Alright girls, I'm ready!" she claps her hands and raise them in a gesture that says 'Is time to party!'. Both Teresa and Storm look at her in awe at her attire, one that Storm immediately recognizes.
"It's been years since I last saw you wearing that" Storm comments, recalling the clothes Kitty is wearing right now: Black boots, black leather pants with large holes on the thighs, a dark grey crop top, fingerless gloves that go all the way up to the elbow and a leather jacket, with her hair tied up in a ponytail.
"I know!" Kitty laughs at Storm's comment "Can't believe it still fits" she adds, remembering that it was her 'uniform' during her college years while she worked at the 'Belles of Hell' bar in Chicago.
"I must say, that's the hottest I've ever seen you, K" Teresa comments, complimenting her roommate's looks "If Peter sees you, he'd be speechless" she jokes, yet Kitty ends up blushing a bit, wondering in her mind how would Peter react if he sees her.
"Well, all we have to do now is wait for…" Kitty's words where suddenly interrupted b a flash of light that appeared on the edges of the door, indicating the arrival of the last guests of the party "I'll get it" Kitty tells the girls as she walks to the door and opens it, screaming in joy as she sees her friends who imitate the same gesture, laughing as they hug each other "Ray! Yana! You look amazing guys!" she tells them, inviting her friends to come inside.
"I just went for simple; you know I'm not the fancy kinda gal" Rachel comments while she looks around. Rachel went for blue denim overalls, a short-sleeved white top, red shoes and a red scarf, since she always adds a touch of red in every piece of clothing she wears "Seems you chose to go 'Vintage' for tonight" she jokes at Kitty's clothes.
"Can't go wrong with a classic" Kitty jokingly replies, then she looks at her best friend and soul sister Magik "You come as you always do, Sexy, Tough and Scary" she points at her friend's attire; a black mini-dress with silver details that go slightly halfway up her thighs, fishnet leggings, knee-high military style boots and short fingerless gloves, with her hair tied up in a big bun and her standard issued Goth-style make-up.
"You really think so? I agree on the tough and scary, but you know that 'sexy' has never been my thing" Magik replies to her comment, but Rachel steps in to reassure her.
"Come on, Illyana, you got your own brand of sexiness" Rachel comments, looking at Magik and then at Kitty "So, we're ready to go?" she asks her.
"Just one sec, guys" Kitty then holds the hands of her friends bringing them in with Storm and Teresa "There's somebody I'd like you to meet" she then steps near Teresa "Ray, Yana, I want to meet my roommate and a very close friend since I came to the city after Krakoa, Teresa Parker; T, meet two of my greatest and closest friends and sisters, Rachel Grey and Illyana Rasputina".
"So pleased to meet you, girls" Teresa extends her hand with a smile on her face, a gesture that Rachel and Magik reply with courtesy, yet they remain calm and serious.
"Nice to meet you" Rachel comments cordially, while Illyana simply nods in silence.
"Well, I assume we're all ready then" Storm steps in, to which all the girls nod in response.
"OK then, let's get down and take a cab so we can grab a bite" Kitty comments but Illyana steps in as she makes her hands glow.
"Why take a cab when we can use the Magik Express?" Magik comments while she summons one of her stepping discs right underneath the girls "Fair warning, we'll be making a quick stop to Limbo as we move to our destination, so don't be scared for the demons, it's a 'blink and you'll miss it' kinda thing" Magik warns Teresa about her powers but before any of the women speak back, Magik uses her powers to teleport the group outside, shifting to Limbo and then reaching their destination, a point away from people but with a wide clear space.
"Yana! Come on!" Kitty exclaims while Teresa feels a bit dizzy after the effects of the teleportation, while Storm and Rachel simply stand by Magik "I know you wanted to make it quick, but the world's not gonna end by using the cab" she adds, looking at her friend.
"Kitten's right, let's save the stepping discs for the real emergency situations" Storm suggests "Besides, Miss Parker is not accustomed to such actions" she points out that detail, but Teresa shakes her head in denial.
"It's alright, I didn't mind, it's something that I have to get used to" Teresa replies, indirectly referencing to how she has to get used to teleport since her new relationship is with a teleporter.
"There it is, she's fine with it" Magik replies shrugging her shoulders with in indifferent tone.
"Besides, the point is to have fun, let's focus on that, shall we?" Rachel interjects, pointing out the purpose of this 'Girls Night Out' and with this minor spat settled down, the girls decide to walk around the city, searching for a good restaurant.
"I know a place around Upper Manhattan, a good Italian restaurant and it's outdoorsy" Kitty comments to the group.
"It's not a fancy place, right?" Magik asks Kitty, to which Kitty shakes her head in denial.
"No, actually, and it's a good thing considering what I'm wearing" Kitty replies pointing her outfit, since no formal place would accept her with the holes in her pants. The girls walk with a steady pace, as there is no rush in reaching their destination, but while Storm, Rachel and Illyana lead the way, Kitty notices Teresa a bit left behind, to which she slows down to walk right by her side "You OK, T?" she asks her a bit concerned.
"It's alright K, just…" Teresa sighs "Feeling a little bit intimidated, I mean, Rachel and Illyana are two of your closest friends, and while I do get along with Storm, it's still intimidating to be in the same room as her, you know?" she comments feeling a bit nervous about it, but Kitty wraps her shoulders with her arm as they walk along.
"Hey, there's nothing to worry about, 'Kay?" Kitty tries to reassure her how smooth things will be "You got that 'Parker Charisma', that'll help you good in here, and still, if anything, you know I got your back" she smiles at her roommate, laughing with her to boost her confidence.
"Thanks for that, K" Teresa smiles back, thanking her for the support, walking along as the march to their first stop for tonight.
LATER AT THE RESTAURANT
After spending minutes chatting during their walk, the girls finally reach the restaurant for the dinner. With the sun almost set, the scenery seems perfectly quiet for their encounter, and at least Kitty and Teresa are glad for it. Once they find an available table with enough chairs, the girls receive their menus and check the list of plates, with all the girls setting for pasta; Kitty and Rachel go for the Neapolitan Spaghetti, Illyana goes for Pesto, Storm for Ravioli and Teresa for the Bolognese with Meatballs. After a few seconds, the girls get a plate with bread and butter, seeing how now is a good time to start getting to know each other.
"So girls, how are things with your teams?" Kitty poses the question, breaking the ice.
"Things with X-Factor are busy, helping the Five reduce their 'Resurrection Queue', but Jean-Paul and Lorna are good bosses and overall the rest of the group is tolerable, the only annoyance is Daken's constant hitting on Aurora" Rachel replies, commenting on her work environment with X-Factor Investigations.
"As for me, the guys are just…everywhere, not too long ago we hit the Wild Hunt, it was crazy" Magik explains about her team, the New Mutants "By the way, your old roommate Xi'an says Hi and that she misses you" she adds, sending the regards from Kitty's old roommate and former teammate Xi'an Coy Manh, also known as Karma.
"You told me about her, you worked with her in Chicago, right?" Teresa asks with curiosity, to which Kitty nods her head.
"Yup, we were roommates back with the X-Men, then we reconnected during college" Kitty replies at Teresa, and then looks at Magik "Tell her I say Hi and we should meet again sometime" she smiles, remembering her old friend.
"Speaking of roommates, Miss Parker, how long has it been you and Kitten are roommates?" Storm asks the question with curiosity.
"So far, it's been already over four months" Teresa replies "After I found the apartment I invited Kitty to join, since I don't know a lot of people around here and ever since then, she has become one of my best friends in here" she comments, recalling the time she invited her in ad how they became friends and roommates ever since then "I mean, she's even dating my brother" she laughs a bit, but that last comment causes Magik to frown her eyes, since it made her remember how Kitty once dated her brother Colossus, and even though she knows they were not meant to be, the memories remain there.
"I thought you were dating Spider-Man" Rachel comments, but Kitty quickly shakes her head in denial.
"No, I'm Spider-Man's partner, but we both made the connection through Peter, Teresa's brother, who's also my boyfriend" Kitty points out that detail, trying hard to contain the details of his identity from her telepathic friend.
"And where do you work?" Magik throws the next question, keeping her eyes on Teresa.
"On occasion I assist my aunt at the F.E.A.S.T. Center" Teresa replies "Helping out in everything I can"
"Feast as in food?" Rachel asks with curiosity but Teresa steps in to reply.
"It's an acronym, it stands for Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter and Training" Teresa comments, leaving Rachel a bit confused.
"I get almost all of it but Training? Exactly what kind of training?" Rachel once again asks, but this time Kitty is the one who steps in to reply.
"Self-Defense training" Kitty responds "New York can be crazy even with all the superheroes around, so the civilians could learn how to fight back against muggers and stuff, I actually teach Kendo" she adds, smiling with a hint of pride in her voice.
"Back to your teaching roots, eh Kitten?" Storm comments, recalling the time she was a teacher back at Westchester.
"You said it's occasional work, does that mean you don't have a full-time job?" Magik asks her, keeping her eyes on her.
"Outside of that, I work with the Agents of Wakanda, it's a crew similar to S.H.I.E.L.D., of which I once was part of" Teresa comments, detailing her work "The group acts as the Avengers' support crew but also work on solo missions, I joined thanks to my previous work, yet it helped that both Storm and Kitty put up a good word for me with them" she smiles at them, thanking them for the word they gave to them, which helped to earn her place in the Agents of Wakanda.
"So…you're a super spy" Rachel replies "Well, is not like we X-Men have a good history with spies, I mean, there was that crazy #$%&+ of Maria Hill, and I never liked Fury" she comments with a hint of disdain.
"And neither Stark nor Osborn made better works" Magik adds to Rachel's commentary.
"But it's not a bad thing" Storm interjects "A bit more than a month ago she was of great assistance to the Marauders in a fight against Arcade in Madripoor" she comments, recalling the situation at Madripoor against Arcade when he kidnapped Kitty and Spider-Man for his 'Neo-Murderworld'.
"Wait a minute!" Rachel exclaims "So it's you! You're the 'Angel Agent' that Kurt keeps talking about!" she even does the quote gesture with her fingers as she says the nickname Nightcrawler gave to his new girlfriend.
"This is the girl he talks about?" Magik asks sounding skeptical, with her face practically saying 'Really?'
"I've seen that relationship being born" Storm interjects once again "Which by the way, how's it going?" she asks Teresa.
"It's doing great, in spite of both our works keeping up busy across the world, we try to make it work" she replies, smiling at the thought of Nightcrawler, and now is Rachel the one she frowns her face, all the while Kitty silently watches the discussion while she spreads butter to her bread, but before anyone could speak, the waiter arrives bringing the plates of food, serving their dinner.
After the first couple of minutes of silence, the women are eating their plates, but Rachel's eyes keep focused on Teresa, like a predator aiming at her prey, and both Kitty and Teresa notice it while they eat, prompting Kitty to be the first one to speak.
"Something wrong, Ray?" Kitty asks her, but Rachel remains silent.
"It's her 'I want to kill you' look" Magik steps in to reply "Don't blame her since she has the new girlfriend of her ex right in front of her" she casually comments, prompting both Kitty and Storm to spit their food in surprise while Teresa simply looks surprised back at her.
"You dated Kurt?" Teresa asks Rachel, who slowly lowers her fork.
"Yes, we did, and it was a good time" Rachel replies smugly "No offense but I find hard to believe that Kurt would fall so quickly with someone who's not even a mutant" she points out, slightly angering the other three ladies for her comment.
"And now that I think about it" Magik interjects "She said that her brother is Katya's boyfriend and his name is Peter" she then starts to connect the dots "Another boyfriend named Peter? And with a sister? Why does that sound familiar?" she poses the rhetorical question with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, knowing that it was a reference to her previous relationship with her brother.
"Peter Parker, I think I heard that name before" Rachel starts to mutter "I remember!" she snaps her fingers as she recalls the name "Wasn't that guy with his own company that he sent down the drain after the HYDRA Takeover?" she adds another comment against Teresa, who sighs in frustration, prompting her to put down the napkin and leave to the bathroom.
"OK girls, that's it!" Storm steps in, scolding Rachel and Illyana "Seems that both of you left your maturity at Krakoa" she adds, leaving the table to follow Teresa.
"What the Hell was that!?" Kitty now is the one who scolds her friends "That was uncalled for and completely despicable" she tells them.
"Sorry, but we were just calling it as it is" Rachel begrudgingly replies, crossing her arms after being scolded.
"We're your friends, and we've been friends longer than her" Magik points it out.
"And so is she, she has become a good friend to me after I arrived here when I left Krakoa, and where were you two during those days, huh?" Kitty angrily asks them, recalling how they were practically 'Missing in Action' when she left Krakoa.
"I was there when Spider-Man showed up in the island, and I was gonna intervene but Piotr stopped me, claiming that we shouldn't disobey Xavier's…" Magik replies, still a bit angry, but Rachel stops her.
"Illyana, enough" Rachel interjects, starting to feel ashamed "We're not going to make excuses, we'll apologize when she returns" she calmly replies.
"Speak for yourself" Magik mutters, sitting back and eating her plate.
"I'll do it for both of us, alright?" Rachel points out, eating her plate as well.
MEANWHILE
After Teresa left, Storm followed her to try and calm her down, knowing that she should be very upset. She managed to find her in the bathroom, washing her face and taking a look in the mirror, taking a deep breath as if she is trying to relax.
"I'm very sorry for what happened back there" Storm starts to apologize but Teresa shakes her head.
"Don't worry, you don't have to apologize" Teresa replies, slowly sighing "I knew this wasn't gonna be easy from the start" she comments, feeling a bit sad as she speaks.
"That was not the right way for them to treat you, everything they said was completely uncalled for" Storm comments with a serious tone, to which Teresa turns to look at her.
"I know, is one thing to go at me, but then going after my brother and my work are different things…" Teresa crosses her arms as she talks.
"Not to mention the jealousy they seem to display at both your friendship with Kitten and your relationship with Kurt" Storm adds, but then she walks towards Teresa "But you shouldn't let their attitude tarnish what you already have with Kitten, for you are not only a great fighter and a great woman, but you're also a good friend for Kitten, for I have seen how happy she has been since what happened to her in Krakoa" she adds, recalling Kitty's state of mind after what transpired with her "and I truly thank you and your brother for that" she concludes with a warm smile, a gesture that Teresa slowly shows.
"I must confess that I was also intimidated by you, I mean, I know that we already got to know each other but…is hard not to feel intimidated by a someone who is such an inspiration for us…" Teresa shyly starts to confess her attitude with Storm, someone she holds in very high regard.
"And 'for us' you mean…?" Storm asks with curiosity.
"Us women" Teresa replies "When people ask little girls who are their inspirations they can quickly say Carol Danvers, Susan Storm, Natasha Romanoff or Janet Van Dyne, just to name a few" she then looks at Storm's eyes "But to me, you rank high when it comes to inspirations…you're a warrior who always fights for a great cause with all your heart; you're a queen yet you never look down at your people, instead you protect them and unite them as one; you rose from a dark past to become one of the most valuable members of a superhero team and most importantly, even in spite of having to deal with hindrances like claustrophobia, you overcome those inner fears to prevail, that takes courage, heart and a strong fire within…who wouldn't feel inspired by someone like you?" her words warm Storm's heart, leaving her a bit teary-eyed at her words.
"That's one of the most beautiful words and compliments someone gave me" Storm speaks, walking towards Teresa to hug her, which she returns in kind "Now I can see why Kitten and Kurt hold you in such a high regard"
"I do have such appreciation for what you do, it inspires me to thrive in my work, that's why I was so grateful that you put good word for me with the Agents of Wakanda" Teresa comments, recalling her recruitment to T'Challa's crew "And I'm very thankful for that and for everything, Storm"
"I think is time to end formalities, you can call me Ororo" Storm comments, showing Teresa that she has gained her respect and appreciation.
"And you can call me Teresa" Teresa replies smiling at her "Or 'T' if you're feeling comfortable" she jokes, laughing with her.
"Come on, let's go back to Kitten and spend the rest of the night in peace" Storm gestures with her head to leave the bathroom and go back with the rest of the girls. After they leave, they walk straight to their table where Kitty waves at them.
"Hey T, everything good?" Kitty asks, showing concern for her friend.
"It's alright, Ororo was worried but we talked and we're back on track" Teresa replied, smiling at Kitty and then starting to retake her plate of pasta.
"Speaking of 'Back on Track', Ray, weren't you gonna say something?" Kitty asks Rachel about what she was supposed to do, to which she takes a deep breath before speaking.
"Teresa, Illyana and I are sorry about what we said before, it was rude and uncalled for" Rachel apologizes for her previous words, acting serious and looking directly at Teresa, who takes a deep breath and nods with her head.
"I accept the apology" Teresa replies "Now how about we can leave this behind and enjoy the rest of the night, shall we?" she asks, retaking her meal so they can wrap up the first part of their night.
Once they are all done, they call for the check, and after a generous tip, the girls leave the restaurant, walking for a while down the streets of the city before planning where to go next.
"Ready for the next stop of the Magik Express?" Magik asks but Storm steps in.
"What did I say about teleporting, Illyana?" Storm asks with a stern tone of voice.
"Alright, alright, let's take the cab" Magik rolls her eyes and the girls gather on the sidewalk, signaling for a cab to take them to their next stop.
A slow start for this night, but at least Teresa has gained the full respect and appreciation of Storm, will she accomplish the same with Rachel and Illyana? Could be a challenge, but the night is just starting, so let's hope they can settle things down with some drinks.
NEXT CHAPTER: DRINKING BUDDIES!