DISCLAIMER
Unless indicated on the previous page, none of these characters were
invented by me(big suprise), and I'm not making dime one off this
little saga, it's only done for the enjoyment of myself and others.
Please don't sue.  All character places and names are copyright to
Marvel Comics except John Constantine/Hellblazer who is copyright to
DC/Vertigo, but this story is copyrighted 1999 LuNaTiC Publishing.

NOTES
This is the sequel to my story 'Chaos', which in turn is kinda based
on Luba Kmetyk's DARK REFLECTIONS.  In this story, someone on the
inside of Black Air is helping Logan to free Excalibur, and stop
Black Air and the Hellfire Club from taking over London.

Chaos Squared

Part 3--Redemption

                 * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Pryde?  Pryde!"  Pete Wisdom was jogging along behind the group
composed of members of Excalibur, X-Force, and the X-Men, trying to
catch up to a ShadowCat who was walking very fast towards the
BlackBird Logan had purloined for this mission.  As he got within
spitting distance, Pete suddenly found his way blocked by the current
and former leaders of Excalibur, Nightcrawler and Brian Braddock.  He
swore.  "Bloody hell, would you sods get the fuck outta my way?  I
gotta talk t' Pryde--"

"Look," Brian said, "Logan filled us in on why you did what you did,
and don't think we're not grateful.  On behalf of the entire team, I
want to thank you for saving our lives.  Even if you did so in a
rather roundabout way."

"Ja, I would second Brian's attitude.  But, Wisdom, you seem to think
that things between you and Kitty can just return to where they were
beforehand, and that you can go merrily down the road you were on.
Nein, this is not the case.  Brian and I are going to talk with the
others once we get to Westchester, and we are going to decide what to
do about your membership.  As far as you and our young ShadowCat are
concerned....I do not know what you think you can say to make her
understand."

"Yer stupid bastard, I don't know what I can say, either!"  Pete
wasn't really in the mood for this, and frankly, he didn't care about
his Excalibur membership if it meant he wouldn't be with Kitty.  "I
just....I got t' try an' make her see...."  Pete's face fell as he saw
Kitty get on the BlackBird, shooting him a dirty look as she held
Logan's hand in hers.

As Wagner and Braddock headed up the steps of the supersonic jet,
Wisdom felt Psylocke's prescence in her mind.  ^Mr. Wisdom, I cannot
speak for Kitty, because divining her true feelings for you would
involve reading her mind, which I would never do without permission.
However, I would suggest that you give her some time.  And I would
also suggest that you prepare yourself for the worst, that she may
despise you forever.^

As he felt the telepath leave his mind, Pete nodded, to no one in
particular.  "Yeah.  But at least she'll be alive."

                 * * * * * * * * * * * *

Back at the Xavier Institute For Higher Learning, the X-Men were NOT
happy.  Scott had found Logan's note, and Theresa had filled in the
Blue team leader on where Logan, Cable, Domino, Gambit, and Psylocke
had gone.  Suddenly, Bishop strode into the conference room, his face
impassive as always.  "I believe they have returned."  The big man
then turned and left, the other X-Men following behind.

The entire assemblage, Scott, Jean, Professor X, Iceman, Storm, Beast,
Rogue, Rory, and Moira, headed down to the landing bay nearly a half
mile from the mansion.  Upon entering, they saw an obviously exhausted
Excalibur, the assisting X-er's, and two strange men smoking cigarettes
debarking from the BlackBird.  Rahne broke from the group and ran to
her mother, the two embracing tightly and crying on each other's
shoulder.

Scott started in on the others immediately.  "And just WHERE the hell
have you been, and just WHAT the hell have you been doing!?"  The
leader of the X-Men was furious.

"Calm down, DAD," Cable said.  "Give us a chance to explain."

"Explain what!?"  Scott yelled. "Why you knew about Excalibur's
capture and didn't tell us, OR why you decided, all on your own, to
break them out!?"

Logan had had enough.  Spending the better part of the day around
magicians and a demon had him on edge.  He walked up to Cyclops, the
strained control of his rage evident in his voice.  "Button it,
Summers.  Or I promise ya, ya gonna be leadin' the X-Men from a
hospital bed.  Now call me a liar."

Scott backed down.  He was still angry, but long experience had taught
him not to push Wolverine when he was like this.  The man was
obviously ready to snap.  "Alright.  But would you mind explaining
this to everyone?  As soon as possible?"

"Hell, we'll do it right now, long as you bring me one a' my six'es
out a' the 'fridge."  Logan was beginning to simmer down, but he had 
a ways to go.  The group then headed back up to the conference room,
Moira and Rory taking Excalibur down to the Sickbay for exams.  After
a furtive glance at Kitty, who'd ignored him the entire flight, Wisdom
joined the group of X-Men, waving Constantine and Amanda to join him.

                 * * * * * * * * * * * *

"--an' then Sefton an' me got blasted, I recited the proper
imprisonment spell, got blasted again, threw the little bugger back 
in its cage, and sealed up, pretty as a picture.  And that's all o'
that."

Professor Charles Xavier nodded.  "I see.  Well, Mr. Constantine, it
appears that we, as well as all the people of London, owe you a debt
of gratitude."

Constantine puffed on his nearly-gone Silk Cut.  "Fuck yer gratitude.
I don't do shit like this fer 'gratitude', I do it fer meself an'
all the fuckers in the world that'd be toast if I didn't."

Xavier smiled thinly, then turned to Wisdom.  "Mr. Wisdom, we've all
heard your thoughts and beliefs on Piotr Rasputin. I'm not discounting
your talents as a judge of human character--indeed, in your line of
work, I would assume that your life has depended on them more than
once--but, you did not know him that well."  He shifted his gaze to
Wolverine.  "Logan, was it truly necessary to kill him?"

Logan finished the last beer from his six-pack before answering.  
"I wish it'd been another way, Chuck.  I do."  He looked over to 
where Ororo sat, still a bit in shock over hearing what role Rasputin 
had played in all this.  "That asshole turned his back on all o'
Excalibur, on the dream.  You didn't hear this, but, right 'fore he
jumped at me, he tried ta kill Rahney.  Only thing saved her life was
Brian took the hit, an' she's still pretty bruised up.  He knew he was
changin' back to human, he knew what could happen, he just didn't
think I'd pop my claws, is all.  He found out wrong.  Now, could it've
been handled diff'rent?  Who knows?  That kid was so tore up with
hate, it took all a' Betts' shields t' keep her focus.  Meg'll tell ya
the same thing.  He hid it good, but he wasn't the same kid you
brought over from Russia seven years ago.  He'd changed, an' not for
the better."

                 * * * * * * * * * * * *

Later that day, after Moira and Hank had checked Excalibur out and
pronounced them healthy, the members of the Muir-based group were
taking the opportunity to have an impromptu visit with their stateside
friends.  Ororo had chosen to remain in seclusion, not talking with
anyone except Meggan.  Constantine had headed down to Harry's with
Amanda and Kurt, offering to buy them a round in exchange for a ride
back to London.  The others were engaged in various pursuits around
the mansion, but a certain former pupil of Logan's had vanished.  As
he walked the halls looking for her and/or Wisdom, he saw Nate
standing at the window, gazing out towards the boathouse.

"Hey, Nate, you seen the kid?"  It never failed to amuse Cable how
Logan referred to Wisdom.

Cable nodded towards out the window.  "He's out there, with Kitty.  
I think he said he owed her some pretty big explanations."

                 * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Pryde?  Pryde!"  Pete Wisdom was down the path near Scott and Jean's
house on the shores of Spuyten Dyvil Cove, searching for Kitty.
Looking around, he finally saw her down at the edge of the dock.
Walking up behind her, he was careful not to make physical contact.
"Pryde?  Yer know, I came out here lookin' t' talk with yer, love, 
not t' play 'find the ShadowCat'."  His feeble joke fell flat, and 
his spirits plummeted as she turned to face him.  Kitty's face was
streaked with tears, and her big brown eyes were full of conflicting
emotions.  When she spoke, her voice was little more than a whisper.

"Don't.  Don't make jokes.  Don't even try to explain it to me."
Kitty wiped her eyes as fresh tears began to fall.  "I loved you.
And you made me think that....that you were going to beat me.  
Torture me.  RAPE me."

Pete exhaled heavily.  "Look, love, I told yer, I couldn't let
anybody--"

Kitty shoved him back a step, anger blazing in her eyes.  "Don't do
that."

Pete looked at her, confused.  "Do what, love?"

Kitty shoved him again, harder this time.  "That!  Don't you call me
'love' again!  Don't you get it yet?  I loved you!  And you--"

"I what, LOVE?" he said, stressing the word.  Pete was no fool.  He
was doing this on purpose, to get her emotions out in the open.  "I
had t' trick yer so's you wouldn't get killed, or given t' one o' them
other blokes and had worse done to ya than you've ever even imagined?
Yeah.  Yeah, I done that.  An' I'd do it again in a split second,
LOVE, if it meant you wouldn't get 'urt."

Kitty punched him in the jaw.  "But I DID get hurt!  YOU hurt me!"
Pete's head had been turned by the force of her blow, and Kitty's rage
was dying out.  She looked at him as he turned back around.  The face
he turned to her contained only his love for her, and Kitty's eyes
filled with more tears.

One tear ran down Pete's thin face as well.  "Loved me, love?  Is that
strictly past-tense?"

Kitty hadn't been expecting to hear that, and she broke down in sobs
and fell to her knees as the past few days caught up with her.  Pete
immediately crouched down beside her, pulling her into a tight
embrace, relieved when she held him back, letting her cry on his
shoulder.  As her sobs trailed off, she sniffled a few times, then
looked up into his intense blue eyes.  "No."

Pete was confused.  "No what, love?"

Kitty smiled a little.  "No, it's not strictly past-tense.  I do still
love you."  She chuckled a little at Pete's delighted expression.  "I
can't stop loving you."  She let him kiss her long and hard, before
finally pulling away.  "Come on." She stood, waiting for him to get up
as well, then she walked in the direction of Scott and Jean's house,
which was empty as Scott and Jean were up at the mansion.  "We need to
talk.  A lot."

Pete nodded.  "Alright, love.  But, fer right now, just 'till we're
ready t' leave."

                 * * * * * * * * * * * *

"All right, how did you know that Peter would betray us?"

Pete sighed.  Kitty wasn't going to make this easy for him, but he'd
never expected her to.  "Rasputin walked in an' found me talkin' t'
Scicluna.  Said he wanted in, that all workin' fer yer Grand High
Panjundrum had done was get his family killed, and his life ruined.  
I ran it by the bitch, and she o.k.'ed it.  The rest you know, love."

Kitty nodded.  She'd come to terms with Rasputin's betrayal much
easier than Pete was seeming to.  Shaking her head, she sighed.
"Second, why?  Why have us captured?  Couldn't you just let us in 
on it, like Logan and the others?"

Pete shook his head.  "Took a damn lot o' talkin' on my part 'fore
Scicluna agreed t' imprisonment, 'cause she was just goin' t' kill yer
all.  An'," he stroked her hair gently, "I couldn't let that happen,
love.  'Sides, if Black Air'd used Shrine t' poke in yer minds, it
woulda ruined th' whole game.  He wasn't no Psylocke, but he wasn't 
no fool."

Kitty nodded at Pete, then let him pull her into his arms, her head on
his shoulder.  They stayed like this for a few minutes, just holding
each other tight, before Pete looked at his watch and then down at
her.

"You ready, love?"

Kitty raised her head and looked him in the eye.  "Yes."  She
kissed him deeply for a time before rising and pulling him up
with her.  They embraced for several seconds longer before she
smiled at him.  "Let's go home, Pete."

                 * * * * * * * * * * * *

Later that day, Excalibur was preparing to head back to Muir.  Kurt
and Brian had listened to the opinions from the others, and Kurt had
also talked with Kitty.  He was more than a bit surprised at what
Kitty had told him, but, he reminded himself, she was old enough to
make her own decisions.  Now, Brian and Kurt had taken Pete aside
before getting onboard the BlackBird for the return flight.

"What's goin' on?" Pete asked.

"Be quiet and listen," Kurt said forcefully.  Brian nodded and began
to lay down the law.

"It's like this, Wisdom.  We believe that, basically...."

                 * * * * * * * * * * * *

The End