Kitty Pryde-Barton (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
throughaphase) wrote2014-09-24 04:05 pm
throughaphase) wrote2014-09-24 04:05 pm
The Xavier School- later Wednesday night
While the X-Men had been fighting weird violent dudes from outer space, there had been a press conference that yes, announced a mutant cure. They'd watched a replay on the way back to the school, and then once they got there, it was Kitty's job to talk to the students and try to calm them down because you'd better believe they'd seen it too. Then it was off to the headmistress' office to talk about it with the rest of the team.
"The kids are freaking out," Kitty said with a sigh. "They're terrified, confused… Some of them are ecstatic. They don't know how to deal with this."
"And they're giving me a sodding migraine," Emma complained, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The psychic tension is unbearable."
"I guess first we have to find out if this is some kind of hoax," Scott said. "Find out who this woman-"
"Dr. Kavita Rao," Hank said from where he was staring out the window. "She's one of the greatest geneticists alive. And not prone to pranks. I don't know this coroporation, Benetech, but if Dr. Rao says she can reverse mutation there's a very good chance that she can."
"Then I guess I'll have to kill her," Emma said flatly.
"Well there's a thoughtful plan," Kitty said dryly.
"And I say amen to it," said Logan, lifting his hand, where his claws were fully out. "Woman called me a disease. You know how that feels to me? I can't even sheathe. My claws won't go back. She said we were a disease."
"She said the mutant strain was a disease," Kitty countered. It kind of sounded like people might actually be serious about killing this doctor, so she was going to try to keep everyone as calm as possible.
"Think she knows the difference?" he countered.
"You think the government will?" Emma added. "If this mutant cure does exist then they will get a hold of it. And they will line us up… Don't you see where this is heading?"
The Jewish girl totally got what she was getting at, but that didn't make this any better. "Yeah, to murder," Kitty retorted. "The professor would be so proud."
"As usual, your naivete is neither cute, nor useful," Emma shot back. "Suppose it's not the government that gets it. Suppose it's some anti-mutant extremists?"
"Or our buddy from another world," Logan chimed in.
"Ord," Scott said. "We need to know about this guy. He drew us out for a reason."
"Yeah, right before the nice doctor lady went public. We thinkin' that's a coincidence?"
"I don't know. I don't know what to…" Scott sighed and looked down for a moment, silent. "The professor would have been ready for this."
That was troubling, and Kitty didn't like seeing Scott not seeing confident in his leadership skills. For a lot of reasons. "No one could have been ready for-"
Emma cut her off. "You're tired, Scott. And tomorrow's likely to be unpleasant. Why don't you get some rest? All you fine men should try to relax. That means claws in, Logan. Tomorrow we'll have to talk to the press. God help us. Kitty and I will figure out how to keep the students together tonight."
"Thanks, Emma," Scott said appreciatively.
"Maybe Scott and Logan could fight on the lawn again," Hank said, finally turning from the window. "The kids love that."
"I ain't up for anything that don't have the word 'beer' in it," Logan said, already heading out.
"You could fight for beers…"
"Well now that doesn't sound too bad."
Once the guys were gone, Kitty was left alone with Emma. Joy.
"I'll be brief," Emma began. "Things are about to get very ugly for us here. I wanted to-"
"I'm sorry," Kitty said, "is there a part that's not ugly? Scott Summers has been a leader all his life. I see him questioning himself, taking orders from you-"
"I never give-"
"You talk about murder and he doesn't say a word," Kitty continued. "Why doesn't anybody see-"
"Do you know why you're here, Miss Pryde? Because I asked that you come."
Kitty was so surprised by that that she did shut up, but she doubted she could put a lot of stock into anything Emma said.
"I'm in love with Scott Summers. And I'm very grateful for Professor Xavier for his trust. Being an X-Man means a lot to me," she said. "But it doesn't always agree with me. I don't have a family famous for moral fiber. I like to think I've evolved… but I wanted someone on the team that I hadn't really fought alongside. Someone who would be inclined to watch me if I…"
Kitty let her trail off, and considered it for a moment. "The first time I ever met the X-Men, the first day... They were ambushed. And captured. And caged. By you. I learned more about good and evil in that one day than I ever have before or since. I was thirteen. "When I think about evil, whenever I think about the concept of evil, yours is the face that I see. I don't have to watch you, Miss Frost," Kitty said, already phasing through the wall to leave. "I can smell you."
[Oh, Kitty and Emma, my faves. NFB/I, OOC okay, and taken from Astonishing X-Men #2.]
"The kids are freaking out," Kitty said with a sigh. "They're terrified, confused… Some of them are ecstatic. They don't know how to deal with this."
"And they're giving me a sodding migraine," Emma complained, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The psychic tension is unbearable."
"I guess first we have to find out if this is some kind of hoax," Scott said. "Find out who this woman-"
"Dr. Kavita Rao," Hank said from where he was staring out the window. "She's one of the greatest geneticists alive. And not prone to pranks. I don't know this coroporation, Benetech, but if Dr. Rao says she can reverse mutation there's a very good chance that she can."
"Then I guess I'll have to kill her," Emma said flatly.
"Well there's a thoughtful plan," Kitty said dryly.
"And I say amen to it," said Logan, lifting his hand, where his claws were fully out. "Woman called me a disease. You know how that feels to me? I can't even sheathe. My claws won't go back. She said we were a disease."
"She said the mutant strain was a disease," Kitty countered. It kind of sounded like people might actually be serious about killing this doctor, so she was going to try to keep everyone as calm as possible.
"Think she knows the difference?" he countered.
"You think the government will?" Emma added. "If this mutant cure does exist then they will get a hold of it. And they will line us up… Don't you see where this is heading?"
The Jewish girl totally got what she was getting at, but that didn't make this any better. "Yeah, to murder," Kitty retorted. "The professor would be so proud."
"As usual, your naivete is neither cute, nor useful," Emma shot back. "Suppose it's not the government that gets it. Suppose it's some anti-mutant extremists?"
"Or our buddy from another world," Logan chimed in.
"Ord," Scott said. "We need to know about this guy. He drew us out for a reason."
"Yeah, right before the nice doctor lady went public. We thinkin' that's a coincidence?"
"I don't know. I don't know what to…" Scott sighed and looked down for a moment, silent. "The professor would have been ready for this."
That was troubling, and Kitty didn't like seeing Scott not seeing confident in his leadership skills. For a lot of reasons. "No one could have been ready for-"
Emma cut her off. "You're tired, Scott. And tomorrow's likely to be unpleasant. Why don't you get some rest? All you fine men should try to relax. That means claws in, Logan. Tomorrow we'll have to talk to the press. God help us. Kitty and I will figure out how to keep the students together tonight."
"Thanks, Emma," Scott said appreciatively.
"Maybe Scott and Logan could fight on the lawn again," Hank said, finally turning from the window. "The kids love that."
"I ain't up for anything that don't have the word 'beer' in it," Logan said, already heading out.
"You could fight for beers…"
"Well now that doesn't sound too bad."
Once the guys were gone, Kitty was left alone with Emma. Joy.
"I'll be brief," Emma began. "Things are about to get very ugly for us here. I wanted to-"
"I'm sorry," Kitty said, "is there a part that's not ugly? Scott Summers has been a leader all his life. I see him questioning himself, taking orders from you-"
"I never give-"
"You talk about murder and he doesn't say a word," Kitty continued. "Why doesn't anybody see-"
"Do you know why you're here, Miss Pryde? Because I asked that you come."
Kitty was so surprised by that that she did shut up, but she doubted she could put a lot of stock into anything Emma said.
"I'm in love with Scott Summers. And I'm very grateful for Professor Xavier for his trust. Being an X-Man means a lot to me," she said. "But it doesn't always agree with me. I don't have a family famous for moral fiber. I like to think I've evolved… but I wanted someone on the team that I hadn't really fought alongside. Someone who would be inclined to watch me if I…"
Kitty let her trail off, and considered it for a moment. "The first time I ever met the X-Men, the first day... They were ambushed. And captured. And caged. By you. I learned more about good and evil in that one day than I ever have before or since. I was thirteen. "When I think about evil, whenever I think about the concept of evil, yours is the face that I see. I don't have to watch you, Miss Frost," Kitty said, already phasing through the wall to leave. "I can smell you."
[Oh, Kitty and Emma, my faves. NFB/I, OOC okay, and taken from Astonishing X-Men #2.]