Chapter 2 Angel
"From what I can gather from Nick" Cat said as they both sat in the SHIELD Chopper, "Police were called to the house of Warren Kenneth Worthington jr fairly late in the evening, after neighbours heard screaming. They found the body of Mrs Worthington at the bottom of the stairs. She had being stabbed frequently. A male body, possible her husband, was found on the landing. He had being shot at close quarters, face all but blown off. The Witness was found locked in a small dark room off the landing. They took him to the station where someone realised that he was a mutant and called MPD. Fury was dragged in when it was realised whose house it was. Current official version is that masked intruders broke in, but personally that seems like a load of rubbish. Personally I think that Shaw and his cronies were involved but I'm biased."
Glancing forward at the pilot Wolverine dropped his voice, so that only the two of them with their heighten senses could hear.
"We'll get them for what they did to Langram. I promise!"
Cat nodded and continued.
"Fury notices that there's some bruises on the kid. There's no bruises on either of the two bodies and some are a couple of days old. The kid's also behaving strangely. He thinks there's something for us to investigate."
"He tell you what was wrong with the kid?" Wolverine asked.
Cat shook her head. "Fury wouldn't say. Just said to get our butts out there."
Wolverine nodded and they lapsed into silence for the remainder of the journey.
You didn't need to be a telepath to know that they weren't welcome at the NYPD station. While the 1981 mutant protection act had made the violence and prejudice that had characterised the early years of mutant awareness illegal, there were still a thousand and one ways of hurting and discriminating against mutants. As survivors of the infamous weapon X project Cat and Wolverine knew the worse that humanity were capable of, which made them experts in their field. They also knew the little things that could be used to break a mutant's soul.
Still with Colonel Nick Fury around they would have to be careful. Fury had taken men's badges for failing to show respect to his officers. It was because of this that Cat addressed Fury rather than the inspector standing beside him.
"Where's the kid?"
"Interview room 2" the inspector replied. "My men are still trying to get him to talk!"
Cat and Wolverine exchanged looks as Fury pointed them down the corridor.
The witness was terrorised. That much was oblivious though the 2 way mirror. The two detectives were yelling questions at him, trying to get him to tell them his name. With every question the young man's eyes seemed to grow wider.
The eyes reminded Cat of some one else's, but it wasn't till she looked at Wolverine that she was able to place them. They were the eyes of a man trapped and fighting to get out of a pit that his mind had created. She had seen that in Logan's eyes, in Sabretooth's, in Kyle's, in Feral's and, a long time ago, in her own. She nodded and they entered the interview room.
The scent of terror filled the entire room. At the entrance of two new faces, a pair of huge white wings came out from behind the young man's back and covered his face like a shield.
Acting on instinct Cat lent forward and touched the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. She then touched a light-emitting device on her belt to generate enough light for most people to see in.
The young man appeared more relaxed in the darkness and slowly the wings came away from the face to reveal a young man of sixteen with blonde hair and blue eyes that were wide with fear.
It was a long-standing SHIELD joke that Wolverine could get any one to talk; it was just a question of finding the right way. With that in mind Wolverine sat down in the chair opposite the young man.
"It's OK kid," he said calmly and quietly. "None of us will hurt you. There's no danger. We 're just going to talk."
The scent of terror coming off the young man remained as strong.
"What's your name Angel?" Cat asked in what Wolverine sometimes called her mother voice, crouching down and wishing that they would put more than two chairs in an interview room. She had no idea why she had just called him angel. She would have usually used sweetheart or as he was male perhaps kiddo.
The young man made no movement. Cat glanced at Logan, worried. He jerked his head towards the door and they made their exit. They now both stood in the corridor.
"We ain't going to get anything out him tonight" Wolverine declared.
Cat nodded "he's scared stiff! But Fury was right those bruises need investigating."
She glanced down into her short friend's eyes before saying "the institute?"
Wolverine nodded. Together they walked to where Fury stood with the inspector and another man. Every muscle in Cat body tensed as she recognised him. Warren Kenneth Worthington jr., head of Worthington industries and member of the Hellfire club. And he was now shouting.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON? I GET HOME TO FIND THE PLACE CRAWLING WITH COPS!"
"Mr Worthington. If you will please calm down-" the inspector began but Fury interrupted him.
"Mr Worthington while you were out your house was broken into. I'm very sorry to have to tell you this but your wife was killed."
"Your son is still alive." Cat added. "Although I am recommending that he is taken into SHIELD protective custody."
The three men spun around to face, all three faces showing shock and anger. Fury grabbed her arm and dragged her down the corridor, indicating that Wolverine should follow. He dragged Cat to the room that they had first entered.
"Can't you control her?" he hissed angrily at Wolverine.
"I don't even try!" Wolverine replied evenly.
"With respect sir" Cat interjected. "The young man has, if not witnessed, then at least over heard the death of his mother. He has bruises and other injuries that need treatment and investigation. We're never going to get anything out of him tonight, he's too scared. Let us take him to the institute, give us twenty four hours and we'll find out what happened."
Fury glanced at Wolverine who nodded. He knew better than to argue when he knew he was beaten.
"Take him then. I'll explain it to the father."
The two mutants nodded and carefully made their way into the interview where the young man still sat, in the same position as when they had left.
"Come on Angel" Cat said gently "we're going to take you somewhere where you'll be safe."
The young mutant gazed up and seeing only kindness in those eyes, allowed himself to be led out of the room.