AN: writing on mobile. Behold! A Kitty POV chapter!
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Kitty's head was pounding, as if her brain was fighting to break out of the cage that was her skull. A small whimper escaped her throat as she tried to sit upwards, only to feel the bite of rope around her arms and wrists, pinnng her arms behind her back. She blinked, dim light, her face against the grind of concrete.
"Where-"
"We've been kidnapped, it would appear." The calm voice sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. Kitty had to strain to see Rachel, sitting upright with her arms also bound behind her back. Her face was blank, green eyes intensely trained ahead of her.
"Do your abilities still work?"
Right. Her head hurt, but when she focused it was as easy to phase through the ropes as ever. She sat up to see Rachel was staring down the door to the small cell they occupied.
"Where are we?"
"Somewhere dangerous." Kitty groaned, more annoyed than afraid.
"It would be nice to go a year without being captured by some shadow organization or government project." The girl's complaints brought a twitch of a smile to one corner of Rachel's lips.
"I have a plan. They clearly don't know of your gifts or would have taken more careful measure. Can you get out there undetected?"
"Yeah, lets go." Rachel shook her head.
"If you can, find Jedediah. He's a brightly colored boy, loud, you can't miss him. You need to be very careful how you phrase things with him. Tell him Revanent is calling in a favor he owes, do not thank him, and do not accept anything he offers you. Make it very clear: Revenant is calling in what is owed. He might help us."
"Might?" A quick shrug of her shoulders.
"He is the least dangerous option."
"And how do you know all this?"
Before Kitty could get an answer the lock on the door was clicking. Someone was coming in. Now or never, did she trust what Rachel had provided? Was Revenant truly one of them now? Kitty jumped up from the floor on wobbling legs, numb from returning circulation. She only stumbled once, and disappeared into the wall between cells right as the door swung open. Curious as her nickname, she changed a peak out of the door to the cell next door, just her head, only long enough to see who was there before yanking it back to listen.
William was outside, two men in bulletproof vests and black beside him, their guns in plain view though not drawn yet. He sounded displeased immediately.
"You told me you grabbed two. Where is the other?" A moment of silence. "Well, go find her. Before she hurts herself." The sigh suggested he might actually want Kitty to avoid harm, but she wasn't buying that.
"Rachel, you didn't think I would give up so easily, did you? Your threat surprised me, the sincerity in it. Counter measures have been taken. You won't feel hostile for much longer, I'm sure we can work this out." The confidence in his voice made Kitty's stomach flop. Did she really dare to leave those two alone? She almost started moving back to the wall between cells, considering what might happen if she sprung out and punched his stupid face. It was tempting. If she were a few years younger it would be exactly what she would do. She chewed her bottom lip, and remembered how many times following her first emotional impulse had almost gotten someone killed. That someone often being herself. Rachel was tough, she had given Kitty what she needed. Jedediah. Loud boy, brightly colored. She didn't know what he could do that would be so useful, but from the sounds of it she wouldn't want to run into anyone else.
Kitty moved through the halls with the speed and prowess her powers granted her, still being careful not to be seen. The halls went on and on, eventually leading her to a flight of stairs that went up. Up she went, coming into what looked like...well almost like another version of the x-mansion. This one had older decorations, no trace of a younger generation anywhere. It wasn't set up like a school. It wasn't as well lived in, or brightly lit. She carefully made her way out, finding a grand staircase leading up from a large entryway decorated in heavy oriental rugs and Ancient Greek vases. The windows outside showed a raging flurry of snow and dark skies. She shivered, checking over her pj pants and t-shirt. No com. She doubted it would reach this far anyways. Bare feet. No way she should go out there in that weather, like this.
Should she explore this floor? Head upwards? She didn't have much to go on. May as well explore this floor. Same method, hopping quickly about from room to room. Most were empty. It increasingly made her think of some alternate-reality, as if they had been zapped into an empty snow-conceived mansion, existing side by ide with the real sun-warmed deal. If not for the completely different decoration scheme.
Loud boy. Brightly colored. Loud boy. Brightly colored. She passed more men in Black fatigues, they didn't notice her in time. Empty. Empty. Empty. Bright colors. Empty-Wait! That must have been Jedediah! The boy walking away with a sandwich in one hand, his hair bright pink and baby blue fluff and trailing a long coat more flamboyant than Gambits pink chest armor. He was turning the corner, when she called out his name it was echoed with a more masculine voice just behind her. Oh no.
She turned to see a tall man with broad shoulders and dark black hair cut neat. A white shirt barely contained the muscles under it, his jaw chiseled and surprised blue eyes above sparkling toothpaste-commercial white teeth. He blinked at her. She jumped back towards the nearest wall, but only knocked her head into it and stumbled backwards. It brought back her fading headache. What the heck?
"Where are you going?" His voice held as much relaxed charm as his smile, a hint of a laugh behind it, "a better question is how did you get here?" His eyes flicked between her and the corner Jedediah had disappeared around. She tried to phase into the wall again, subtle, one hand. It didn't work.
"I keep telling that boy not to take folks home, let alone to let them wander." He shook his head, and offered the cornered cat a hand.
"I'm Tim." She felt herself relax, without thinking taking the offered hand. In her chest she felt the warm tingly sensation of sunlight, when she exhaled it took the weight off her shoulders. She looked up into his saphire eyes and returned the smile.
"I'm Kitty."
"Pleasure to meet you." When he placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles she giggled. His voice was relaxing.
"Not to be rude, but why are you here, Kitty?"
"Oh, Rachel and I were kidnapped!" She said it chipper as can be, laughing. An inside joke between old friends.
"Kidnapped?" He frowned, and the distant memory of Rachel tied up in the cell below came crashing back to reality so fast it made her gasp and yank her hand out of his.
"Get out of my head." The feline hiss was dismissed.
"I've been wondering where our local Spook ran off to." He made no move to apologize for the invasion. She narrowed her eyes at him and remembered Rachel's earlier words. Jedediah was the least dangerous one here. What did that make Tim? He flashed another brilliant smile at her, but this time she mentally put up a block. That only made him laugh in earnest.
"You're in my house, little one. Relax. Let's go see what Willy is up to." The grin Tim tossed in the direction of the basement made Kitty want to brave the blizzard outside. She got the impression it would be more pleasant.
She was aware enough of her feet following along to know he was still influencing her actions, but being aware didn't make her any better at resisting.
"Relax. It's not your fault you were dragged here. Behave and I'll send you straight home." He reassured, but she just glared at him harder.
"Then stop telling me what to do." He stopped, blinking down at her. Her balled up fists at her side.
"Suit yourself." He waved his hand, and her legs felt like her own again. He continued away. What now? Still try to get to Jedadiah? She didn't trust this Tim guy as far as she could throw him. If Rachel hadn't asked for him to be fetched, it didn't sound like Rachel trusted him either. She ran in the opposite direction.
She had no more than turned the corner when she found the one she had been sent for. Jedadiah was against the wall with a casual energy, finishing his sandwich.
"Sup?" He had been eavesdropping. He looked pale Asian with sharp boyish features, wasn't an inch above 5 feet tall, and dressed as loud and colorful as a k-pop video. She was so distracted by the color and poof of hair she had to concentrate to remember what to say.
"Want some sandwich?" He offered her the last bite.
"No, tha...um, that's alright." He shrugged and finished it off.
"Revenant is calling in what you owe her." His turn to blink. Was he...coated in glitter?
"Oh, is she back? Nifty!"
"Are you going to help or not?"
"Do you want me to help?" She didn't like the emphasis on the word you, or the intent stare.
"Revenant is calling in her favor." He looked disappointed. Which somehow told her she had made the right call, said a tiny voice in the back of her head.
"Tim's already heading that way. Complicates things. But what's owed is owed I guess. Lead on, she who tells off our fearless leader!" He gave a childish solute, a bow and after-you motion. She was starting to doubt what help he would be. Rachel better know what she's doing.
"Come on!" They ran.
They could hear Tim by the time they got two corners away.
"-You brought an x-man here, do you have any idea how much trouble this can cause for us?" She skidded to a halt, grabbing Jedediah's arm to pull him back. He took one look at her face and gave an approving grin, flashing delicate fangs. Without being prompted he struck an eavesdropping stance.
"Who do you think Rachel has abandoned us for?" William's voice countered.
"Is this true, Rachel?" Her voice came calculated,
"I have taken up residence there."
"I see. I thought you were at home here, with us?" Tim sounded hurt, Jedadiah next to her had to put a hand over his mouth to stifle a giggle, his shoulders shaking with the effort.
"You have all been like a family to me. But sometimes for that very reason one might desire some space."
Kitty peaked her head around the corner, Jedediah following her lead. William had one hand around Rachel's neck, keeping her pinned to the wall. Tim stood between the pair of siblings and would be rescue team. Rachel remained as calm as she had always been, deadly still, bottom lip bleeding and swollen.
"Willy, for pity sake let go of her."
"Make me."
"We both know I can." A single step forward had William flinching, but he still stayed in place.
"Give me three days. I can make everything right again. Normal." Dear God Tim looked like he was thinking about it.
"And what about the other girl? The one your goons grabbed by mistake?"
"You could easily erase her memory of this place. Re-work her to stay with us, perhaps. She has talent."
"And risk her whole team-" that was all Kitty needed to hear.
She didn't know why he'd been called upon, but pushed Jedediah forward to find out. He stepped out, skidding a bit, swinging his arms to catch his balance. Attention turned back to him.
"Heeeeey. What's up fam? Nice gathering...we have here..." Without more warning than that, he shook himself like a dog, and an explosion of fine grade glitter clouds filled the hallway. She couldn't see past it, the swirl of multi-colored sparkling lights, the other three coughing as it hit them. The figure closest to her in the cloud had a different outline. Horns curling back from the puff of hair, a long tail with matching puff ball at the end swishing behind him around cloven feet. She blinked, the clouds settled down. Jedediah stood grinning, no unusual features outside of style choice, and the other three were fast asleep on the ground.
"Whelp, lets get the two of you home." He whistled a little tune and walked over to pick up Rachel's limp form. Despite the size difference he had no problem settling her into his arms.
"Just like that?" She stepped out cautiously.
"Unless you want to stick around."
"No."
"No...thank you? Gee, Jedediah, you sure have been helpful!" It finally all clicked together.
"...you're a fairy!" She put it together quite suddenly, the single word holding all the delight of childhood.
"Oh my gosh! A real-" She felt rather than saw a thin cord like tail snap around her neck. His smile was still in place,
"You would be wise, to keep such ideas to yourself." She phased quickly out of his grasp, earning a laugh. He didn't reach for her again. She rubbed at her neck with a frown.
"If Lockheed were here, we would see how you like being dragon lunch." It was a bluff given Lockheed's size, but he didn't know that. He started walking, leaving Kitty to follow.
"Call me fair-folk, and kindly get out." Jedadiah opened a door to a room with glowing blue runes in a raised platform, and unceremoniously dropped Rachel onto the platform. Her arms were still bound.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean any offense by it..." Jedediah's smile doubled.
"To 'er is human. My debt to Revenant is repaid. Hop on up and think of where you want to go. Better hurry, my sleep dust only lasts so long." Rachel was already beginning to twitch, which meant Tim would be too. Oh no. Tim.
"Are you going to be okay? After you...?" He blinked up at her.
"Concern? On my behalf? Fair maiden, perhaps I was too hasty in my offense. You understand, we are a passionate people."
"But are you-" He interrupted by ushering her up to the platform.
"I play worse pranks on him than this. Hurry now. Picture home."
Kitty did, closed her eyes to think, and felt a pop.
—
A glowing circle of blue runes appeared mid-air, just above the basketball court, and Kitty and Rachel both came tumbling down out of it. The students playing ball paused their game, running over to check on them.
"Kitty! Are you okay? Oh, is she okay?" Kitty was much more well loved among the students.
"Yeah, we're okay."
"What happened?" The students asked. Rachel opened her eyes, slowly sitting up.
"Well," Kitty started but stoped. She frowned.
"I uh...don't remember." She looked over at Rachel, at the bloody lip and swollen right side of her face, quickly moving to untie her arms. They were both in their pajamas even though it looked like mid-afternoon.
"I don't remember." the words were softer this time, turning to the awakening Rachel for answers as the other woman pulled her arms free.
"What happened?" Rachel was always so calm. Cool. Collected. She still was now as well when she asked instead of answered,
"Are you okay?"
"Am I...I think so..." Kitty brushed her hands over her face and looked at herself. Nothing was out of place.
"I'm okay. Where were we? How long were we gone?" Rachel looked over at Kitty, seemed to think for a hard minute, and then answered,
"I don't know."
