Wanda W- Yes, this is going to be a super idea. I'm not going to go into the details of the dinner… in the beginning, but bare with me, I promise I have something going on here. And it is something BIG and I think that you are going to like it!
Megaman51- I am so bad at writing Pete, but I'm glad that you like it. The only exposure I have ever had to him is a little bit in other stories, and bios of him, I haven't really read the comics or seen much of the original cartoon (is he even in there? Lol). I know I have some spelling issues, and they typically come from my typing speed, which can be pretty impressive when I get going.
A/N- The direction I am taking this fic is loosely based off of a YYH fic, or three, that I reread recently. If you want to read the fic, I can give you the name of the author and the story. I don't read stories of the same category to get my sparks. With my method, I don't have to worry about using the same toons in the same way. This is my insurance. I will give my spark for this next little section, but I don't want to advertise it, since it rated M for a reason, and this won't be rated nearly that high. This could get really screwed up, so watch my penname for my new stories… it's gonna be amazing!
Over 5300 words! How the hell did this happen? Lol.
The Right Cause
Chapter 9
What does this mean for my future?
"Are we all in position?" Kitty asks from the back of the black limo in her dinner outfit with her hair perfectly straightened and ending just below her shoulder blades, and Remy repeats the question into the handheld radio in his hands.
"Yes, I have the visual." Comes Storm's voice from the small radio.
"Okay guys, I'm going to review quickly so that we are all on the same page." Kitty says looking at the three men in matching tuxes, black with red accenting. "Complete serious mode. The second we go in, the hurricane starts. Keep scanning the room, and Rogue will help us see any danger from her position as driver, and she and Logan will get us out as needed. Kurt is with Logan, and prepped to port in and out quickly, should the need arise. This is my grandfather's townhouse, so we have one camera in the room, so it isn't as big of a trap as it could be in another setting. Sweep faces, plates, and even grips on silverware.
"Remember Pietro, you nearly made Rogue lose her lunch when we tested out the video contacts, or whatever they're called, and don't bother to correct me Pete, I know it was your connection, but I just don't care enough to want to know the name of the things." She says glaring at the British mutant, forcing him to close his mouth quickly. "You have to slow your movement, because you are the only one of us who subconsciously uses a power that has a physically visible effect. Okay, I've seen Remy blow open doors, or Pete heat things just to make something easier to cut, or to avoid cooking, but you use yours as a crutch. Brutal honesty here." Kitty says briefly glancing at Remy and then Pete, but keeping her eyes glued on Pietro.
"Trust me Kitty, one minute with the speed of light and you'll never reconsider anything slower." Pietro says flashing a perverted smile causing her to roll her eyes.
"Lova boy, Ah can hear ya, and Ah can see ya on three screens here. Please can it, and keep the trying ta fuck Kit ta a minimum while Ah'm forced ta watch." Comes the loud voice of Rogue from the speaker in the limo.
"Remy agrees ta a point, hearing it once be bad enough, but hearing de echo makes Remy's lunch wanna resurface."
"Whatever, you're just jealous that she didn't stop me. I won't use my powers in there; I'm not trying to give us away as mutants." Pietro concedes under Kitty's glare.
"Good, now let's move to the ear pieces, and no unnecessary chatter." Kitty says slowly as everyone in the limo places a small, clear bead in their ear. "Now we all have the contacts in correct?" She asks and watches as Pietro, Pete and Remy nod. "Rogue, do you have the visual from all of us?" She asks tapping on the glass divide as it lowers.
"Yea, Ah have it, see?" The older girl says smiling showing the screen, cut into six slices, showing five different views of the interior of the limo, and one of a room showing another monitor of a dining room with thirteen men sitting around a large table, with a few strategically placed body guards.
"Well, that doesn't look like a friendly room." Pete says glaring at the one section of the screen.
"Well, look at the screen guys, and tell me what you see, I want as much info as I can get going in. We all agree if anyone is the target of aggression, it will be me." Kitty says as Pete and Remy appear on either side of her, looking intently at screen and Pietro looks intently at her ass. "Pietro, eyes farther North, at least we now know whose view is which." Kitty says laughing as Pietro appears beside Remy.
"Remy thinks it looks like a trap."
"It's a bloody trap that we can't run from. The only thing we can do is hopefully diffuse it going in. Can we get another view of the room?" Pete asks looking at Rogue.
"Nope, this is all I can get you guys, it's the one camera that Kitty's grandfather has in the room, and we're lucky to have that much." Jean's voice says from their earpieces.
"Ah won't have any audio on these until Kit combines them later, so don't let her get hurt." Rogue warns giving the three men in the car a death glare.
"Remy's gonna do everything he can. Yer not much help here Rogue, yer not supposed ta put more pressure on the cavalry." Remy says flashing his most charming smile, which doesn't even soften her glare.
"Ah will show ya true torture if ya let her get hurt. Ya will know tha meaning of pain. Ya hear me? All of ya'll better be listening ta me."
"Rogue," Kitty snaps causing her death glare to soften considerably. "If I get hurt I'm partially to blame. I mean it. I can't react faster than a bullet or something, but in the time it takes for the gun to become visible I can become untouchable. Better yet, I could stay that way the whole time we're in there. If they can hit me then, you can't blame anyone."
"Oh, Ah can blame whoever Ah want, doesn't mean Ah have ta be fair wit it. Ah'm not gonna be happy wit ya either if ya do something stupid and get yerself hurt. They can't be held responsible if ya pull some stupid shit that gets ya hurt." Rogue says glaring at the younger girl.
"She sees reason!" Pete says clapping.
"That's it guys, we need to get in there. This waiting to see what is gonna happen is killing me." Kitty says pushing Pete toward the door of the limo.
"But it's ladies first, Kitty." Pete says laughing as he opens the door.
"I think you picked the only outfit in the entire store that made me unable to get into and out of this car comfortably without help." Kitty says glaring as he jumps out of the car and holds out his hand to help her out. "Did you pick it just to make yourself look like a gentleman?" She asks raising an eyebrow.
"Remy thinks dat dis is unnecessary chatter." Remy says stepping out of the limo behind Kitty, followed by Pietro who closes the door behind himself right as the limo speeds off, taking a turn too fast and taking out a fire hydrant, but continues regardless.
"And that is the best reaction I have seen to your comments all day Remy." Kitty says giggling. "Now no macho man goes first into danger, you put the person who can't get hit first. Pietro should go behind me, because he can react fast enough that I don't have to remember to grab him should something fly my way. Pete should stand on the same side as the table, and we can hope that the distance makes them all less likely to see past Remy's shades. Make sense to everyone?" Kitty asks turning to face the three guys in question.
"You probably shouldn't go first. Like you said, I can react before anyone else." Pietro says quickly forcing Kitty to blink a couple of times as she spaces out his words mentally.
"Like I said, no macho stuff. They can't hit me. If there should be open fire, make sure Jean makes it out okay and by the time that you get to her Logan will be waiting outside in something that he said is very similar to a tank."
"I am already in position Kitty." The gruff voice says over their earpieces. "I can be to your location in under ten seconds. Unlike Rogue, I don't care to take out a fire hydrant or two."
"Bite me, Sugah." The southern voice says with a deadly edge. "Ah swear it wasn't there when I started turning." She continues causing the four potentially soon-to-be targets to laugh.
"Logan, Kurt and Storm are with you correct?" Kitty asks looking past Remy to where she knew his large vehicle of choice would be around the corner.
"Yes, and they are in a position where opening the door in the back won't expose them to shots fired." Logan replies happily.
"Let's get this started." Kitty says walking toward the double doors of the large townhouse, with the guys falling into their positions with Remy to the left and Pete to the right. "Remy, I said the opposite side of the table; I don't want you beside it." Kitty says as Pete and Remy quickly switch places.
"Why are ya blaming Remy, mon chere?" Remy asks innocently as the doors open for them, revealing an unhappy butler.
"Because you don't get blamed enough Remy, and Pete's the new guy, I can't stick to the cliché and blame him." Kitty says smiling at the butler as he leads them down a long hallway and knocks on a set of double doors and they are opened by an elderly man with Kitty's eyes in a designer suit.
"Let me introduce my beautiful granddaughter Katherine." He says to the twelve men present. "She has agreed to join us, despite personal threats." He continues, the door still supporting him as Kitty sees his cane at his seat.
"Those are very nice words, Grandfather. Let me help you back to your seat." She says taking his arm, trying not to wrinkle the expensive suit.
"Keep yourself intangible." Remy barely breaths in warning, but Kitty nods, hearing the faint echo from her ear.
"You didn't have to greet me at the door." Kitty says sweetly guiding the older man across the room to his seat and begins to walk back to her seat, looking cautious, but locking eyes with Pietro, a signal that she was tangible.
"Hit the deck!" He shouts a second later, nearly after he grabs her and pulls her a foot from where she stood, a blue ooze nearly hitting the blurry movements and hitting the wall immediately behind where Kitty once stood.
"That was close, I take back what I said about you using your powers, I think I just fell in love with them as a last defense." Kitty says softly, smiling at him before standing up awkwardly in the skirt. .
~*~
"Ugh…" Kitty moans slowly sitting up from her hospital like bed. "Where am I?" Kitty asks to no one in particular, trying to get her misty blue eyes to focus through the blinding lights of the bright room.
"Good, you're awake." Beast says making his way across the room. "How much do remember of last night? Do you remember anything yet?"
"It hurts too much to think." Kitty says bringing her hand up from under the knitted blanket and resting her face in her palm. "Maybe in a few hours I can tell you."
"That is better than I had expected. I would like to tell you that we didn't know that wasn't her. All the way here something seemed off, but no one ever suspected a thing." Ororo says walking into the room smiling; looking like the elegant maternal figure they all had known her to be at the X-Mansion.
"Thanks Storm." Kitty says smiling. "I don't really know what you're talking about, but I'll know soon enough, won't I?" Kitty laughs softly causing her to wince.
"Lay back down and get some more rest, Katherine, it may be best for you to sleep this one out for a while. Give your body time to relax, and to heal." Beast says placing a hand on Kitty's forearm right as she brings both of her hands to her hair, grabbing fistfuls as the tears begin to pour down her face.
"Hit the deck!" Pietro yells running from the doorway of the large dining hall standing beside Remy and Pete, and crossing the room quickly to grab Kitty and pull her down, barely in time to avoid the blue ooze that was launched and hits the wall, immediately behind where Kitty would have been standing.
"Storm! Kick it up! No one gets out!" Kitty yells from Pietro's arms.
"Remy thinks dis might turn out ta be some fun after all." Remy says taking a defensive stance, his back to Pete Wisdom as they scan the room and the thirteen guests at the table as Pietro brings Kitty to stand behind them. "He didn't know dat he came in fer a real party."
"You haven't seen anything yet, either." One of the thirteen men at the table says. "We want your kind gone, off the map. What price will this take?" He asks as Kitty's grandfather slumps in his chair before hitting the ground.
"Grandfather!" She yells breaking out of Pietro's hold to run to the falling man. "No! What have you-" Kitty begins, but is cut off by Pietro tackling her and the blue ooze hitting both of them before they hit the floor.
"Please, tell me that isn't real?" Kitty asks slumping into a ball and crying in her bed. "Tell me that I'm dreaming, and that everything is going to be all right."
"Remy wishes he could tell ya dat, petite. Yer grandfather didn't make it." He says wrapping his arms around her quaking body. "What can ya remember?"
"Pietro tackled me, but I don't know why. Was he too slow?"
"Oui, Speedy was too slow. Ya both took a big hit of whatever dey were shooting at us. De good news is dat dey were aiming fer yer face, and he made 'em miss dere target." Remy says as Kitty moves closer to him, beginning to return the embrace, her sobs still wracking her body.
~*~
'Now that my damn tux is wasted, I wonder…' Kitty hears a masculine voice whisper in her mind, waking her from her sleep. "Who is there?" She asks in her fog.
"About time." Kurt exclaims wrapping his arms around the small girl. "I was beginning to wonder if you weren't coming back!" He jokes pulling her closer to him, and nearly off the small bed.
"Were you just talking about a wasted tux?" Kitty asks blinking into his blue fuzz.
"No, what are you talking about?" Kurt asks pulling away from her to look at her questioningly. "Were you having a dream about a wasted tux? Pete, Pietro and Remy all have shredded tuxes from the other night, saving you."
"Hey! It wasn't just me being attacked!" Kitty calls out slapping him lightly on his forearm. "We both grew up fighting for Xavier, we know all about ruined suits. Spandex doesn't hold up well in the midst of a rockslide, or robot attack, or severe weather." Kitty giggles.
"Yer awake!" Rogue calls running over to the other side of the bad and wrapping her arms around Kitty, even though she had to wrap her arms around Kurt as well. "This is a one time thing, ya better appreciate it!" Rogue says as her voice breaks slightly. "Ah was so worried. Ah thought that we had lost ya! Ah was gonna kill those three."
"Guys, I'm fine. We just need to figure out what is going on here, and fix it fast." Kitty says with tears shining in her eyes as her two best friends attempt to comfort her. "We need to get to the bottom of this, and I intend to do this the right way."
"Ah agree we have a meeting later today ta figure it out. We wanted ya ta be part of it, so we held it off as long as we could. We've been breaking up inta groups and running the streets, trying ta find anything we can. "We have some good stuff so far."
"Good, I can't wait to find out." Kitty says as the mysterious voice comes back to her once again 'How could he blame me? The thief extraordinaire just can't take that he almost got the 'love of his life … he is just interested in her power anyway, I can see through him.'
~*~
"I am perfectly cool with you not being able to blame yourself for this; all I have to say is that the Kitten you're chasing might not wanna climb your tree." Pietro says heatedly glaring into the demon eyes of Remy LeBeau.
"Yer speed failed our mission. Ya wanna claim yer so fast, and it failed! How else can we explain what happened three nights ago? Yer ok because of yer speed, dat be de only reason. Remy has stood here long enough and let ya act macho. It ends, now."
"So you can't be to blame for anything? We can't say that because you didn't see them that I had to? I got her out of the line of fire the first time! I got her out of headshot range the second time! END OF STORY LEBEAU!" Pietro screams at the taller mutant as a graceful voice enters his head 'I can't believe they both are arguing like three year olds' causing his anger to fizzle for a moment and him to blink rapidly. 'Oooh, he looks flustered, wonder what's up. I think I may ask him if he feels ok later.'
"Look, we need ta get this going." Rouge says clearing her throat loudly. "Give it a rest Remy, Pietro did what he could. Ah don't back him a lot, and even Ah see that. We all went over those tapes Swamp Rat, and no one saw a better alternative. Ya counted on Kit bein able ta phase through it, but she can't, we saw that on the tape. She admitted ta it! What more can ya ask fer? Kit has the ultimate defense! Ya can't touch her if she doesn't want ya ta. We just found an exception ta her power. Doesn't that bother ya more?" Rogue ends screaming at the other mutant with a look that would kill, had Rogue been blessed with a more optic power.
"Pietro," Kitty moans convulsing. "I can't phase out." She says grabbing his hand that rested on her hip.
"It's ok Kitty, I'm here with you." He says as the pain laces his voice. "You're not here alone, I'm going to try to run us back to the house."
"Pietro, I'm scared, I can't feel my legs." She whispers as the ooze that covers her chest, shoulder and right arm along with his right arm and back begins to sizzle.
"I have to try Kitty. This is the only way, I promise that I will make it as painless as possible, are you ready?" He asks, his gentle breath caressing her ear in a way that would have seen a shiver or two down her spine in other circumstances. "Kurt can't port you, it might cause more damage. Unless you want to be put at more risk, we need to avoid additional exposure to the unknown. Do you want me to get us back?" Pietro asks with true concern lacing his features, even through the obvious pain that was more prominently written all over it.
"Yes, please be gentle Pietro." Kitty whispers and the next second the pair was no longer on the floor, or even in the room.
"I personally think that Pietro saved me, in the end." Kitty says slapping her hands onto the table and pushing her chair backwards as she pushes her body upright. "Now I will admit that I am not the best judge of what happened, but neither is Remy in this matter. Would I have survived a direct shot to the head? Would I have suffered more than a few burns?" Kitty screams as she hears, 'Damn, she is so hott angry,' as her eyes meet with Remy's. "Get your pig headed attitude out of the room, one way or another. I am not going to watch my cause fizzle because everyone wants to place blame. Obviously the attackers did some in-depth homework."
"Kitty, Remy never said dat, he was merely saying that speedy needs ta not brag if he can't bring it to the table." Remy attempts to defend himself from her unexpected attack.
"Remy, look, I know that you heard every word that he and I said in that Hell, and I know that the tapes show everything that we saw. You saw the two of us suffer until Dr. McCoy was wise enough to take out the earpieces and the contacts. I know that you heard every cry of pain, every whimper, and I know that you saw my vision shake every time the waves of pain rocked my body into convulsions. Pietro willingly, threw himself into an unknown attack; he possibly saved my life, and very potentially could have ended his own in the process. Give him a break." Kitty says standing fully upright and crossing her arms over her chest before wincing and placing them delicately on her hips. 'Maybe she shouldn't be here yet.' "I am perfectly fine to judge that for myself, thank you!" She screams not realizing she was responding to a mental voice, causing Pietro to wince as he connects the reaction to the original idea.
"Kitty, I think our problems haven't ended yet." Pietro says crossing the small room and grabbing her left elbow and leading her into the hallway, closing the door behind them. "I didn't say that, you heard my thoughts, and I heard yours earlier."
"That was you?" Kitty asks as her gaze softens as he nods. "What do we do now?"
"We have a few options." He begins, guiding her to walk down the hallway with him. "Walking privacy Kitty, we're less likely to be heard while walking, they have to follow to get a whole conversation," He explains answering her unspoken question. "It could get worse, and it could just evaporate. I have had three days to get adjusted to this, to think rationally. I heard things while you were sleeping, and pieced it together. You just confirmed it for me in there."
"Oh, I didn't realize I was out that long." Kitty replies blushing. "I did want to thank you, and I hope that you don't mind being linked to me, at least temporarily."
"Oh, don't be like that. I have had a little while to get adjusted to this, and I think I like it. We lost Jean in the conflict, so we know that they are shifters of some sort, and that they can impersonate other people, apparently even down to their powers. We don't know much else."
"That is scary." Kitty murmurs softly. 'God, I didn't wanna scare her.' "It's ok Pietro, I can handle this, I promise." She replies placing her left hand to his cheek and making him look at her. "We can handle this, have you told anyone about this little situation we have here?"
"No, I didn't want to raise a false alarm with the feelings against me already. I didn't know for sure that it was you until we were in there." Pietro replies slowly placing his hand over hers. "I didn't know what was going on, I didn't want to raise an alarm over something that could have merely been schizophrenia." Pietro says smiling as she lowers her hand, still keeping it in his and begins to walk down the hallway, back toward the room they had left only minutes before. 'I could get used to this side of him, the not so tough guy.' Kitty's voice says over their mental link, causing Pietro to blush and drop her hand. "It's getting stronger. I was only hearing small phrases occasionally, and now we're hearing each other every few minutes, and what seems to be even a subconscious thought." He says causing her to blush. "Unless you think about me often."
"Can it Pietro, I knew you'd be back to normal soon. I don't think I can take that attitude in my head, so keep it down."
"As long as you know that I can't take a valley girl in my head." Pietro replies.
"I think you're more worried about the other guys working their ways into the thoughts of this valley girl." Kitty says giggling and walking more quickly down the hallway only to be brought to an abrupt stop as Pietro pulls her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I don't worry about other guys." He whispers slowly, his breath tickling her ear and causing a small shiver. "Let's get that straight. I'm Pietro Maximoff, and I'm better than the rest of the men here, I'm just waiting on you to realize that." He says before zipping off.
"Yeah, didn't take long for that jerk to show his true colors again." Kitty says sighing as she walks back through the open doorway, and into the room where the other mutants were waiting on her. "We might have a problem everyone." 'And it's that I might kill Pietro before this is over. What does this mean for my future?' "Okay everyone, let's start this by showing the video of three nights ago. The one that we should probably start with is one of the ones from either Pietro of myself. We can switch to video of the medical room after we enter, because that shows a less shaky view."
"Ah would have ta agree wit that. Kit's view moves around less for those of you who have weak stomachs. I don't like watching Pietro's view of it, though it is getting easier to watch after watching them a few times. It's a learning curve." Rogue says watching Kitty move back into the room and raising her eyebrow. "This is the disc." Rogue says pushing it into the player that was under a television at the end of the table to her right.
"We might wanna show a different view than mine, McCoy can show that later, when he tells what he found. I change my mind." 'It's still a little fresh to relive, don't you agree Pietro?' She looks at him hopefully, and he nods.
"I don't think I wanna watch that, it's a little painful over here too." Pietro says causing Storm to look from one teen to the other. 'Watch it.' Kitty tries, but her shoulders sink as she realizes she didn't get lucky twice in a row.
"I want to know what we're missing." Storm says watching Kitty's shoulders drop.
"Noth-" Pietro begins quickly.
"No, Pietro we can't lie. There is some effect from it. Pietro and I can hear each other's thoughts. He has heard some of my most fleeting thoughts, and I have heard some things that I know he didn't want other people hearing." Kitty admits looking from face to face and seeing the concern that was plainly written all over the place.
"Remy don't like dis at all." The thief says resting his shit on is loose fist. "Things dat mess wit our powers. Can you two still use your powers?"
"I can." Kitty says walking into the table, before quickly stepping out of it. "They could have just been really stupid, I know. No lectures."
"We've been watching Pietro use his powers for the past three days." Beast says slowly, pausing before continuing. "I need the two of you to test your reflexes and responses daily. Kitty could become faster, or Pietro lose the ability to use his super speed entirely. The reverse is also true; Kitty could lose the ability to phase altogether, and Pietro could gain it."
"Worse case scenario, they could both lose their powers." Pete says holding Kitty's gaze as fright laces her features.
"You obviously woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Kitty says rearranging her features into a stiff smile. "Look, I don't like the idea of losing my powers, I also don't like the idea of anyone inside my head. I dealt with it in the Institute purely because they were trained. We don't have a way to train this." Kitty says taking a deep, calming breath. "The best case scenarios play out this way; that Pietro and I lose the link AND keep our original powers, or we have a combination of both powers, maybe even two powers each."
"What she doesn't mention," Pietro begins, "is that we could keep the link and have it grow into telekinetic abilities, or even just a constant link. I'm nor sure how I feel about this." He concludes.
"It is very unlikely that the powers could expand beyond telepathic abilities. You used the wrong word Pietro." Storm corrects.
"I meant what I said." Pietro defends.
"In any case," Beast says attempting to diffuse any tension, "he has a point. Both Jean and Charles had both abilities, but they had it through their X-Gene. The two of you have these abilities through another method. I will blood samples, and soon. I have an original from both of you when your powers first developed."
"In any case, we need to use all of our connections possible." Xavier says rolling into the conference room. "It is never dull being a mutant, is it? It's good to see that most of you are well, or at least mostly well."
"Charles, prove your identity." Storm says standing quickly.
~A/N~
So, I had a lot of hits on the last chapter, but only two reviews, what's up with that? I'm hoping that this will bring all of you who didn't review to hit that little link that is right below these words. Trust me, this is going to get hilarious, and awkward, and can only get worse. I do think that the pairing may already have worked its way out though, is anyone upset by it? I can do a spin in another story, to please the fans like I did with CS.
Also, since I don't write many fics where telepathy is a huge issue, I'm not exactly sure how to show the differences in Kitty and Pietro's thoughts. Since I personally, quite obviously, hate Jean so I don't tend to do a lot of Jean and Xavier mental conversations or either of them with anyone else. This is new territory to me, and I'm sorry if I mess it up. If you have any advice about it, or a story that does it well tell me either in a Private Message or in a Review. Thanks!