Disclaimer: Marvel Entertainment owns everything, with the exception of Cat who is my own creation. This is a work of fanfic, no copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 5 Interviews

Cat and Wolverine made their way though the security checks and searches to the SHIELD interview room. In there sat Warren Worthington Jr. and a small mouse like man, who Cat presumed was his lawyer.

"Agent Wolverine. Agent Cat." he said leaning across the table to shake their hands. "Now" he continued as they began to sit down, "let me just say that I have advised my client against this. I would prefer that under the circumstances that he reserved his defence for trail-"

"Quit been so cautious Robert!" Mr Worthington interrupted. "As I told you already there's nothing that I can say that lower these agents opinion of me and my friends."

Indeed there wasn't.

Nearly 20 years ago, Wolverine's Canadian Secret Service partner, Neil Langram, had been murdered. Cat had been out of the country at the time, so all she knew about the events was second hand. When Internal Affairs had failed to take the affair seriously, even going as far as accusing Neil Langram of treason, Wolverine and American Air Force Intelligence officer and Wolverine and Cat's friend, Carol Danvers, had begun their own investigation. What they had discovered still sicken any one who heard it.

There had been a global conspiracy to divide mutants, who were at that point starting to emerge in large numbers across the world, up into teams for a future war. When Langram had refused to join the Hellfire Club's team he had been murdered by Sabretooth, who was at that point employed by the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle.

Because of this, Cat's attitude to Sabretooth baffled Mystique and indeed everyone else. Cat's reasoning was that if it hadn't been Sabretooth, it would have just been some other hired gun.

Anyway after Carol and Wolverine had discovered this, Sabretooth had tired to kill them. In this he had failed.

Neil's death, for all the pain it had caused Cat, had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Terrorised by what she had seen and by the disappearance of Wolverine and (a few weeks later) Cat, Carol Danvers had gone to a rising young senator, Robert Kelly. By what means no one was entirely sure, she had persuaded Kelly to take her seriously. It was he who less than a year later, had introduced the Mutant Protection Bill and it was mainly due to his tired less campaigning that it had been passed at all. This had led to another bill been passed by the UN. Despite this, Cat could not forgive the Hellfire Club, or any one connected with them.

Possibly some of this feeling passed into Cat's normally expressionless face for Warren Worthington Jr tensed.

"I didn't hurt my son"

"And the death of your wife?" Cat enquired coolly.

"You don't believe I killed her?" Mr Worthington said, surprise ringing in every syllable.

"From my dealings with the Hellfire club I would expect something… neater" she finished carefully.

Mr Worthington smiled. "I told the police the truth. I left my house at 8 o'clock and met some associates-"

"Who you refuse to name" Cat interjected.

"I was at the Hellfire Club O.K.? We were attempting to resolve a dispute in our Inner Circle."

Cat nodded. "Please continue"

"I came home about 1 and found the house crawling with cops." He shrugged. "The rest you know."

"The motive, the police are currently suggesting, for your wife's death, is that you were angry with her for giving you a mutant for an heir, I understand that her health was always poor and her doctor had advised against another pregnancy and that you had discovered that she had been unfaithful. The motive in your brother's death, was that was the gentleman who your wife was having her liaison." She finished, gazing at Warren Worthington Jr with eyes devoid of pity.

Mr Worthington sighed. "I did not know that my wife was sleeping with any one, least of all Burtram. You could have knocked me down with a feather when Stuart told me."

Cat nodded "Stuart?" she enquired

"You haven't met him? No I suppose he'll not have time to call in yet. Dr Stuart. Family physician. Brought Warren into this world and confirmed our worst fears." He shook his head at the memory.

Cat bit her lip to prevent her from replying for a few minutes. "You do not then agree with Shaw's party who think we should rule." She asked silkily.

"No I threw my luck in with Donald Piece and his party"

"So you believe we, at best, should be controlled and as a general rule killed as Satan's spawn." Cat continued equally silkily.

While Mr Worthington fumbled for a reply, Cat reviewed what she had learnt. Dr Stuart. Why did that name ring a bell?

At about the same time, there was a ring on the bell of the institute. Mystique, glancing at the security monitors, saw a young woman with black hair and pale skin. She was obviously nervous, and seemed to be forcing herself to remain where she stood by pure will power. Out of curiosity more than anything else, she pushed the button to activate the intercom.

"Yes?"

"Um hi. I'm Candy, Candy Southern. I'm here to see Warren. I mean Warren Worthington III. I'm…I'm a friend of his," she finished lamely.

Mystique paused. If she let this girl in she'd be breaking about half a dozen rules on possible mutant abuse victims. On the other hand the child in question was withdrawn and unhappy. Something in her told her that this girl might be able to help. And with Cat and Wolverine absent there was no chance of this ending in a yelling match with Fury. She made her decision quickly.

"Please wait one moment." She said, pressing the button to open the gates and watching the young woman step in, gazing with terrorised eyes at the gates as they closed behind her.

"You should be more careful." Mystique jumped as Professor Xavier voice, telepathically echoed in her head. She shrugged and concentrated on her reply.

"She's the first visitor we've had for him. She might help us to get him to talk." She signed. "We need to know who did this to him, else…" else they're free to do it again, was the unspoken ending. She hurried down stairs, altering her appearance, so that she appeared at least vaguely normal, with red hair, pink skin and green eyes with pupils.

She had hoped that she would reach the door first, but Maria had already done so and was interrogating the girl. It took all of Mystique self-control not to strike the woman as she explained who candy was, but eventually Maria walked off, muttering darkly about amateurs interfering in the work of professionals. Mystiques scowled at Maria retreating back and led Candy into the lounge to wait.

Candy tried to sit still on the sofa, while Mystique went to fetch Warren, but she couldn't. Everything that had happened in the last two months kept echoing around her head, till she felt that she would scream. Eventually she could bear it no longer; she got to her feet and began pacing around the room. Thankfully it was only a few seconds before Mystique entered with Warren. She smiled at Candy, then departed.

"Um…Hi Warren. It's me. Candy. That's stupid. I mean you know who I am." She laughed nervously "I guess I'm here to offer condolences bout your mum."

She gazed at Warren waiting for a response. Warren merely gazed back at her blankly.

"Warren, please speak to me. I know it hurts, but keeping it all inside won't help." She gazed, pleading with her eyes for some response. There was none. "Warren please! You're safe here. He can't hurt you any more!"