A/N: Well people are reading this so I guess we'll keep writing! Don't forget to post us a review at the bottom. Let us know what you like, what you don't or any suggestions you may have. We are building on our OCs and more will be revealed about them as we continue on.

We do not own anything Marvel related…that belongs to the studio and Stan Lee we're just playing in his world!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings…on to…

Darkness Gathers

Part One of the Darkness Trilogy

Chapter Three

A few hours after Renegade headed off for a shower, the small group were piled into her car and headed towards the city. Kat was in the backseat with an overly excited Jubilee while Logan had taken the front passenger seat. Conversation was primarily from Jubilee who didn't give anyone time to answer her before she was off and running again. Thankfully Renegade drove fast and the trip didn't take as long as Kat had been anticipating.

Before they knew it the newest member was maneuvering her car into an underground parkade and the four piled out. Kat stretched as she hip checked her door closed and grunted when Logan playfully elbowed her in the ribs with a slight grin before his usual gruff exterior covered it as Kat adjusted her leather jacket and fell in stride behind Renegade and Jubilee, Logan matching her pace his hands stuffed in the pockets of his own leather jacket.

Renegade paused as they reached the street and the four gathered together as she eyed up her unlikely companions for the day. The most surprising for her had to be Logan based on what she knew about them already. He most definitely was not in this for the clothes and he didn't strike her as a huge fan of crowds either. Ultimately she surmised that he was probably there because her little stunt in healing the Professor hadn't gained her any trust and he was there to make sure the other two weren't going to get drug into anything. The next surprising was Kat; she didn't seem like the kind of girl that would swoon over Jimmy Chu shoes considering she was still wearing knee high black leather riding boots over dark blue jeans and a simple long sleeved shirt under the leather jacket. Renegade wasn't entirely sure what her motivations in coming along had been; the girl was proving difficult even for her to read and figure out. Maybe Spandex isn't the only one with trust issues she thought to herself.

Jubilee however, was the easiest to understand the motivations behind her choice in coming; she was literally vibrating. She also seemed to have a doe eyed innocence to her that Renegade found surprising considering the way she knew people reacted to mutants. Somehow this girl didn't seem burdened by that or any of the usual teenage angst…at least as far as she'd seen so far.

"So," she spoke even as she assessed her company for the day, "anyone hungry or should we just start shopping?"

"I could eat," Kat muttered shifting a little closer to her fellow feral as they moved into the crowds.

"How can you even think about food? There's so much to do and we just ate not that long ago!" Jubilee exclaimed.

"I'm a feral…given a choice I'll take food nearly every time," Kat grinned a slightly teasing tone to her voice.

"Besides it's a marathon, not a sprint. Gotta fuel up and then we'll get to it. I'm thinking Bloomingdales, Macy's, Tiffany's to accessorize…anywhere else anyone wants to hit up?" Renegade questioned.

"Ooo can we go to Forever 21? Please?" Jubilee begged.

"Fine by me; if you want we can even pop into the Toys R Us that has the Ferris wheel in it."

Jubilee stuck her tongue out at the suggestion and responded indignantly, "That's kid stuff."

"Sorry I mentioned it," Renegade muttered wanting to stay on the good side of the one person who seemed willing to take her on faith and give her the benefit of the doubt. "So what does everyone want for eats?"

"Food…preferably the edible kind," Kat shrugged gaining a chuckled from Logan who had so far remained silent.

"Helpful," Renegade sighed and shrugged a shoulder, "I guess we could just wander and stop when we see something that we want."

They walked in silence for a few minutes giving Renegade's mind time to switch to darker thoughts and she shook her head. I'd be better off on my own she thought bitterly to herself. I'm not going to shake this feeling that they know I'm not a mutant like them and if they know that they will never believe I'm dedicated to their cause. No, no, no; I can't think like that. No one can have figured that out. I don't even know what I am yet.

"Hey! What's going on over there?" Jubilee's voice broke into her mental tirade and she tuned back into the world around them as the teen gestured to the large crowd gathering a couple of blocks ahead of them. "We should check it out."

"I don't think so kid," Logan growled not liking what he was hearing even from this distance and Kat shook her head.

"Bad idea, Jubes," she muttered her posture changing from mostly relaxed to being on the defensive and she reinforced her empathic shields as they drew closer to the crowd.

Jubilee turned back to Logan and Kat, batting her wide eyes at Logan, "Please, Wolvie?"

Before he could respond Renegade's laughter cut him off, "Oh God…Wolvie…I love it."

"Don't push your luck," he snarled at her.

The only one who didn't seem to respond to the slight fun they were having at Logan's expense was Kat. She only seemed to get tenser and more defensive the closer they moved. Logan glanced over at her recognizing the feral slipping to the surface in her posture and laid a hand on her shoulder which proved to be enough for her to yank back her control and she nodded slightly to the other feral even as the angry voices of the crowd which Logan and Kat had heard for a while now finally reached the more mundane ears of their companions.

"Mutants are dangerous!"

"I hear some of them can even read your mind and make you do whatever they want!"

"We're not safe! Our children aren't safe!"

"Ugh," Renegade sighed and muttered under her breath. "And here I thought Logan was going to be the angriest person I was going to have to deal with today."

"You haven't seen him angry…and you probably don't want to," Kat muttered in reply to her comment.

Tensions were running high as they made their way closer to the rally and Renegade finally noticed the signs that some members of the crowd were carrying. Some were simply for the Friends of Humanity, others for the Mutant Registration Act and others were even harsher. The four of them walked the last little distance to the back of the crowd in silence. In the center of the mass of people stood a man in a dark suit with the FOH symbol embroidered over his heart. He was decent looking enough; tall, tan skinned, slightly chiseled features topped with short blond hair. In addition to his good looks he had an air of confidence and charisma about him along with a lot of conviction that explained how he had amassed that many followers.

Renegade couldn't help but notice her companion's reactions. Jubilee's eyes were filled with hurt and sorrow but she had a look about her like she was going to take on the world if she had to. Logan was getting mad, his hands were out of his pockets and fisted tight enough to turn the knuckles white while that vein look about ready to leap from his forehead. Kat appeared to be sizing up the crowd as though they were prey that she was stalking but instead of finding the weakest she was looking for the strongest and the biggest threat. She was also trying to decide how many she could disperse with her empathy.

The crowd fell silent as the blond haired man held up a hand and the four of them cringed as he played on every fear he could find and few he created, "Mutants should not be allowed to walk freely among us! Their genes are radioactive causing cancer and radiation sickness just by being around them! And that's just what we know about it! Not to mention the powers they carry are more potent and dangerous than any bomb!" The crowd cheered and cried out their support before he continued. "We have a right to know who the Mutie's are so we can protect ourselves and our families!"

"It sounds to me more like they're the ones who need protection from you," Jubilee muttered but the words carried as a silence swept over the crowd.

Oh joy Renegade thought at least this should be amusing and give me a good gauge as to what my new companions for the day are capable of but this is a little public for my taste.

"Well, well. What do have here? Looks like Mutie Lovers from here," the leader of the group smirked as Renegade shifted in front of Jubilee falling into a fighting stance though she stayed silent surveying the crowd that was moving to close in around them. "You know what we do with your kind?"

"You're traitors to your own kind!" Another piped up drawing Kat's predatory glare to him.

"Maybe they're mutant's themselves!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Jubilee chided even as Logan growled.

"Back off, Bub," he warned.

"You guys are coming with us. They can figure out what to do with you back at headquarters," declared one of the men sporting an FOH t-shirt.

"Like hell," Kat growled hitting as much of the civilian crowd as she could with a combination of emotions that convinced most of them to get out of the way and off the street; those she wasn't strong enough to hit continued to close in.

A handful of the Friends of Humanity remained for them to deal with as quickly as they could manage it. There was no doubt that someone was going to be calling the police very soon and they did not need to be around to deal with that.

"You and what army is going to drag us out of here?" Renegade snorted.

"This one," the man gestured to the small group that remained to back him up.

"Those odds aren't really in your favor. We can do this another time if you need to get more guys."

She hadn't even finished speaking before one of the others snatched Jubilee's wrist eliciting a surprised shout from the teen that hadn't even left her mouth before Kat snapped into action. Even as his hand closed around Jubilee's wrist, Kat caught his in her own grasp and with a single, expert twist snapped the bones sending the man reeling away from them after releasing Jubilee. A second later the man that had been speaking to Renegade threw a punch at the woman who easily sidestepped around it and delivered a hard roundhouse kick to his lower back, sending him sprawling on the pavement. After that chaos ensued.

Logan wasn't far from Renegade and snatched the closest combatant to him by the front of his jacket before tossing him into the group of four men behind him all of them knocked to the ground by the movement and Logan moved in. Within moments the five were unconscious. As soon as she'd snapped the first man's wrist, Kat was moving and was little more than a blur to the rest of those still conscious and upright. From the glimpses anyone caught she moved with a predatory grace as she moved with expert precision that Renegade had to wonder later where she'd learned it. Still it was easier to judge where she'd been rather than trying to track her actual whereabouts as bodies dropped in her wake.

Still, Renegade revelled in the chaos. Perhaps it was because in the heat of battle her mind finally fell still and quiet. Adrenalin coursed through her veins and she let her more primal side and her training take over as she fought through the remainder of the crowd noting that Kat nearly delivered a devastating blow to her as well before seeming to realize who it was and somehow managed to spin away from her, remaining perfectly balanced.

Even Jubilee was holding her own which was probably more impressive to Renegade than what Kat and Logan were accomplishing as they seemed to be working like a well-oiled machine. It was obvious that the teen had spent time training with the two ferals as she didn't use any outward show of her own mutant powers. Then again none of them really needed to though it looked as though Kat was struggling to rein in the feral side as the numbers of their opponents started to dwindle and those that remained decided it would be smarter to live to fight another day.

As the few left standing fled the scene Kat appeared from thin air next to Renegade, her lips drawn back in a snarl and eyes glittering with predatory satisfaction as she fought the urge to chase those running, "Yeah, you better run."

"Everybody okay?" Renegade asked glancing around at her companions.

"Totally fine," Jubilee grinned seeming to be completely impressed with herself.

Kat and Logan merely looked at her as though the question had no merit to them though it was easy to see Kat struggling against the feral still as Renegade shrugged and continued, "So…lunch?"

"Fine by me," Kat growled before biting her tongue and closing her eyes while Logan once again laid a hand on her shoulder; something Renegade was starting to think was some kind of grounding exercise with the two.

"We better move fast though," Logan grumbled as the sounds of sirens reached his ears and no one argued as they swiftly fled the scene.

Lunch, once they finally had their meals before them, passed quickly. Neither Kat nor Logan uttered a single word once their food arrived as they were too preoccupied with inhaling it. Renegade worked through her own meal a little slower but with the same vigour. Jubilee, however, ate like a small bird; taking small bites as she was still buzzing over the fight.

"Oh my gosh! You guys, that was so awesome! We make such an awesome team! Did anyone see my sweet moves? I was all like, 'pow, pow'!" she chattered flailing her hands about to illustrate her point.

"Can't talk…eating," Kat grumbled around a mouthful of food prompting a chuckle from Logan who was sitting next to her.

That comment and the fact that no one else seemed to be at all excited about what they had just accomplished, Jubilee fell quiet; disheartened. The rest of the meal was finished in relative quiet and once Renegade had paid the bill the group headed back onto the street. Over the course of the afternoon, Logan found himself drug from one store and into the next as Renegade bought for herself and the rest of them; even picking up some items for Kat that the feral hadn't been about to buy. Unfortunately he also found himself stuffed into a black Armani suit which Renegade bought for him despite his protests and he finally just gave up, growling under his breath and glaring at her.

Finally they found themselves on the way back to the mansion. This time Jubilee was even mostly quiet as she dug through her own bags until Renegade pulled through a drive thru to grab some burgers for supper since they weren't going to make it back to the mansion before the meal was finished and Logan was refusing to eat in a restaurant, wanting to get out of the crowds. Kat agreed with him and so they picked up something they could eat on the ride. The ride back was just as fast as the trip had been into the city and Renegade pulled into the underground garage where they all piled out and gathered bags from the trunk.

Jubilee was the first one back inside the mansion itself, desperate to find someone who would be willing to listen to her. She was half way up the stairs when she ran into Gambit and latched onto the Cajun, telling him all about the fight and everything that Renegade had bought for the three of them; including the dresses and things that she'd bought for Kat despite protests. Gambit, who in all honesty had just crawled out of his own room, let the teen ramble on to him, grinning to himself as he tried to envision the things that Jubilee was trying to describe.

The other three were just heading into the mansion when they were stopped at the door by the Professor, "Would you three care to explain how you ended up on the early news this evening?"

Kat flinched knowing that tone with the professor was never good, "It was Friends of Humanity…"

The professor shook his head, "I expected better from you, Katherine. Renegade I understand you're not used to having to deal with teenagers in tow but I would appreciate it if you would keep these things in mind before you start going into battle mode with my students under your care."

"Relax, Chuck. It worked out fine," Logan interjected and Kat dropped her gaze.

"Apparently you haven't realized that all of you are all over the internet and made the news then? Honestly Logan, I thought you were more protective of Kat; not to mention Jubilee. You know how easily things can get out of hand."

Logan shrugged though to Kat she knew the look on the other feral's face was one of remorse, "We didn't have a lot of choice."

"Besides all that…they started it," Renegade piped up with a shrug.

"Be that as it may, next time try walking away from fights like that in the public," the professor informed them all before he shuffled away, leaning heavily on a cane as he re-strengthened his legs.

"Crap," Kat muttered and glanced at Logan, "I think I need to work on my feral control tomorrow."

Logan nodded as she slipped past him and Renegade heading for her room. Renegade followed her wondering what the hell the big deal in all this was. Obviously they hadn't been made or the professor would have mentioned it. Or at least she was hoping he would have. She shook the thoughts from her head while Logan headed to the lower levels of the mansion. As Renegade entered her newly appointed room to put her new things away, Kat was sprawled out across her own bed in her room, her door partially open to the hallway. A slight knock caused her to lift her head as Gambit stuck his head into her room with a grin.

"Why you always gotta go play without me, Cher? Wolverine gets all da fun with you," he continued to grin.

Kat shook her head, "It wasn't as much fun as you think it was, Cajun."

"What? I'm Cajun now instead a Remy? I think I like my name from dem lips better," he teased before disappearing from her doorway leaving a speechless and flustered Kat in his wake; what neither realized was that Renegade had heard the comment across the hall and grinned to herself.

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A few hours later Renegade finally managed to finish putting her new things away in her new room. She was rather enjoying having her own spacious room and her own bathroom but still she was more than a little overwhelmed by it all. Who are these X-Men? No one is as good as they appear, there has to be a catch she thought to herself even as she found herself craving a lot of space with no questions. As quietly as she could manage she opened her window and climbed out, dropping to the ground and starting off through the grounds on foot; her door was left wide open to the hall.

Kat was just heading out of her own room for a quick trip to the kitchen when the sound of someone clattering through a window reached her ears and she glanced into renegade's room in time to see the other woman climbing out. Quirking a brow, the curious Kat sprinted down the stairs and stalked through the night after Renegade relaying on her exceptional sense of smell to track the woman while she remained unseen.

Renegade was none the wiser to the fact that she was being stalked. Kat hadn't been entirely untrusting of her but her suspicions were growing as she continued to follow Renegade of a few more miles until Renegade caught sight of a young fox caught in a trap. Unable to leave him like that she slowly approached to frantic creature. As she pulled the fox's leg free she ran her hand over him releasing her healing energy before falling unconscious. Kat watched from the shadows before shifting closer as Renegade collapsed; crouching nearby and watching over Renegade until she regained consciousness.

Renegade jerked away from the feral when she first opened her eyes but relaxed again slightly when she realized who was over her, "How long was I out this time?"

Kat offered a hand to help pull Renegade to her feet even as she answered and pushed to her own, "About half an hour. What are you doing out here?"

"I was looking for some solitude. I'm not used to being surrounded by so many people. Sharing space is not something I'm used to."

Kat chuckled and leaned back against a nearby tree, "Yeah I hear that. I promise you'll get used to it…eventually. They're really a good group once you give them a chance."

"Yeah…sure. Hey, what are you doing out here?"

"I saw you leave out the window in your room so I kind of stalked you and watched you sleep," Kat responded matter of factly.

"Creepy," Renegade muttered and both girls burst into laughter.

"You know, Renegade, I saw what you did and I know what you did for the professor. I may not know who you are but that's not unusual in this place and I'm pretty sure you're okay…whoever you are."

"Thanks. Hey you know the real reason I came out here?" Kat shook her head and Renegade grinned. "To sing."

She proceeded to do just that starting into the opening of Patsy Cline's Walking After Midnight. Kat shook her head and grinned before joining in as they headed back towards the mansion.

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A/N: Well there we have yet another chapter finished! I see we finally got at least one review so YAY! Again please review after you've read this and let us know what you think. If you like, if you don't…you all know the routine! Hopefully either tonight or tomorrow we shall have another chapter ready for you to read and from the way it's shaping up it will be longer!

Oh before I disappear to continue writing…Part one will have around 20 chapters all together! So….get ready for one hell of a ride!