Two of a Kind
A Shadowcat/Bad Kitty Fan-Fic

Writer's notes: This fic is in answer to Luba's fanfic wish list.
Please note that I have only limited knowledge of Bad Kitty. Also
note that this fic takes place several months after Kitty Pryde
'left' the X-Men and that she has been through a lot of 'changes'
based on some dangling plot threads left behind in the X-books. :-)

Shadowcat belongs to Marvel and Bad Kitty belongs to Chaos. No
money is being made. All in fun.



My name is Catherine Bell. I'm a former New Orleans police officer.
Former because I ran up against corrupt forces in my own department 
as well as the Voodoo cult paying them off.  When I didn't back off
they killed the man I loved and turned him into a zombie ordered to
kill me.

So I returned the favor, sans zombie-ing. To all of them.

Now I'm wanted by the FBI as 'the single most dangerous woman in
America'. So me and my black cat Lucky are on the lam and just
trying to get by.

Unfortunately supernatural trouble seems to always find me. Or
maybe I just always find it.

Problem is I'm still a cop at heart, so when I see the bad guys at
work or the innocent threatened I go right ahead and stick my nose
into it.

Only this time I might just get it chopped off. Along with the rest
of me.

*****

I was in Chicago, mostly just passing through, but also visiting
some people I know there and looking for a direction to my life.

So of course I run straight into a supernatural mess.

The basic rundown of it all is that this bunch of vampires were
setting up their own little mob in the city, wiping out the other
gangs (very messily) and taking over their territories.

One of those territories they'd just taken over happened to include
a business owned by those friends of mine.

That's what got me involved.

I wasn't planning on taking out the whole gang, if that's what
you're thinking.

I was just going to dig up enough evidence on them to put em' away
for a good long haul and hand the info to the local cops. Thereby
keeping my name out of it and the FBI off my back.

My big plan was to sneak into their homebase at night and see what
I could find.

Yeah I know, sneaking into a vampire lair at night is about as
stupid as you can get, but I didn't KNOW vampires were involved 
at the time (although, with my luck, I really should have seen it
coming).

My first clue they were vampires was when one of them caught me
sneaking around. I emptied an entire clip into his chest. His
response was to get up off the floor, dust himself off and comment
about stupid little human cows with their little toy guns who think
they can hide from vampires in the shadows.

My reply was to pull out my other handgun, the one loaded with wad
cutters, and blow his head off.

This time he didn't get back up, much less make any smart ass
comments.

But our little 'chat' had alerted the rest of his friends to my
visit and I hadn't come loaded for bear since I hadn't planned on
starting a fight, much less one with a crowd of hungry vampires.

So I cut and ran. Not very heroic, I know, but getting eaten comes
across to me as pretty stupid, not heroic. Besides, I was running
towards my car which WAS loaded to bear with lots of ammo.

Unfortunately it was over a dozen city blocks away.

*****

My cat Lucky was pacing me as I ran full out down a back alley.
He'd been waiting for me outside the vampire's lair and for
whatever stupid reason decided to stick with me regardless of the
fact that there was several dozen demonic critters chasing me.

He's like that, you know.

These vamps didn't seem to have that old movie trick of turning
themselves into bats, so I figured that with the lead I'd managed
I'd get to my car with enough time to prepare a proper greeting.

My first indication that my plan wasn't going to work out the way
I'd hoped was when half a dozen vampires jumped out from the
alleyway shadows directly in front of me.

I blew one of them away with a well placed shot but the others were
right in my face, and I knew I'd never get them all before one of
them got me.

I wasn't giving up, mind you, I just didn't think the odds were all
that good.

And that's when SHE jumped in.

*****

She was dressed a lot like me with blue jeans, black boots and a
short black jacket. Okay, so I was wearing a long black jacket but
the style was similar. Amazing the things you notice when you're
fighting for your life.

Anyway, she came in from above like a black blur and don't ask me
how but somehow managed to clock all five vamps before she hit the
ground. Landing on her feet no less.

A neat trick.

She hadn't killed any, mind you, but she had scattered them,
getting them off my throat. Which was all the help I really needed
-- enough space to bring my gun to bear -- but she wasn't finished
yet.

A fury of kicks and punches flew out, smashing vampire faces and
shattering vampire bones. Of course, broken bones won't keep a
vampire down for long -- or even short -- and I was about to yell
for her to get her kung fu butt out of my line of fire when she
suddenly reached behind her back and pulled out a long black
katana.

I was standing right behind her and I didn't see a scabbard hanging
there or a sword handle sticking out of her jacket collar, so don't
ask me where she'd been keeping it.

But she sure knew how to use it. By the time I blew one more of 
the vamps away she'd chopped the other four into fish bait and a
beheaded vampire is just as dead as one who's head is blown apart.

She took a quick look at me, then stared down the alley as if she
knew more were coming. I was about to thank her for the help when I
noticed the sword she was holding. Or more correctly the vamp blood
on it. As I watched, the sword seemed to... to suck the blood into
it, as weird... somethings or others seemed to move within the
blade.

"Sorry about that," said the girl with an apologetic smile. "The
damned thing still weirds me out too."

"Uhn... yeah, I'm sure it does." I replied oh so steadily. "Umm...
where'd you find it?"

"From a large Japanese gentleman," she said with a grin. "For
services rendered. That and the fact it became attached to me."

I was about to ask her more when we both noticed movement down
the street.

"Wow, that's a lot of vampires," she observed calmly. "What did you
do to cheese off that many?"

"Sold 'em some bad sun block. Look, I've got a car a little ways off
with enough weapons to even up the odds, so maybe we should...?"

"Lead on. I'd prefer a bit more space to fight in -- not to mention
more help."

With that we turned and began to run.

*****

And quickly ran into another problem.

When I made my way from my car to the vamps' lair, I had taken a
roundabout path to get there so as not to be seen. Add in the fact
that I have no familiarity with the layout of Chicago, my fervent
desire to get to my weapons, and my typical bad luck, and you get
the obstacle.

A brick wall blocking the alley.

"Shit!" I cursed and began to stop.

"Don't slow down!" yelled the girl as she grabbed my arm with a
viselike grip and pulled me back up to speed.

"Are you nuts!?!" I tried to pull free but she was a lot stronger
then she looked, and my efforts left me staggering along like a
drunken clown.  I was about to bring around my gun to make a more
forceful argument when we ran into the wall...

And right through it. Like it wasn't even there.

"Whaa????"

"Sorry about that," said the girl, letting go of my arm. "There
wasn't time to explain things."

"Who... who the hell are you?" I asked. I was starting to wonder if
she wasn't some kind of vampire plant or spy or something.

She looked over at the wall we'd just gone through, then spoke.

"I think we've got a few moments. I'm Shadowcat."

"What's a Shadowcat?"

"Ouch!" she said, with a raised eyebrow. "She's a former member of
the X-Men. I assume you've heard of them?"

"X-Men? So you're a mutant?"

She cocked her head slightly and, in the sputtering street light
for a moment -- just a moment, mind you -- it looked like she had a
weird mess of tattoos on her face.

"Something like that," she replied, then turned her head back the
way we'd come. "Company's catching up -- time to go, I think."

I could just see them in the dark, she must have eyes like a...
yeah, like a cat.

We both began to run again, then I stopped.

"Lucky!! We left him trapped behind the wall!"

"Lucky?"

"My... ah, cat. He was with me when you showed up."

"Oh, that's what caught Lockheed's attention. Don't worry -- I'm 
sure he's taking care of him, and I doubt the vamps are all that 
interested in a cat when there are two juicy young women out here."

We began to run again.

"I guess you're right. Who's Lockheed?" 

"A friend."

*****

Luck, if not Lucky, was with me at last, for I quickly got my
bearings and the car was soon in sight. And not a moment too soon,
cause the vamps were closing the gap between us in a rush.

Shadowcat took a defensive stance, black sword held before her, as 
I ransacked the trunk, pulling out the guns I wanted: a one-handed
submachine gun and a shotgun.

The shotgun was already loaded with heavy slugs I figured had the
hitting power to drop even a vampire, and the sub would fire enough
rounds to slow them up enough for me to use the shotgun.

That was my great plan, anyway, and I didn't have the time to come
up with another one.

Shadowcat started the ball rolling by lopping off the head of the
first vampire to reach us, then reversed her swing and sliced the
second in half.

I didn't know if she could do that ghosting trick all the time or
if she was doing it now, so I opted to keep my shots well clear of
her. Not that that was much of a problem given that the vamps were
spreading out, trying to encircle us.

That gave me lots of targets.

There was more space to our left so I moved that way, laying down a
line of fire at about knee height. Even vampires have trouble with
getting their kneecaps shot off.

I followed that up with shotgun blasts to the head as they crawled
on the ground.

And it was working -- I was racking up one hell of a vamp body count.

I was also eating up my ammo real fast.

So, of course, that's when one of the vampires shows up with an AK
47. I sighted on him and pulled the tigger.

"CLICK"

Cursing, I rushed to the car, knowing I'd never get another weapon
out before we were hosed by Russian made ammo.

But I'd forgotten about Shadowcat.

In all honesty I can hardly be blamed for not thinking she could do
anything about it except use her ghosting trick to protect herself,
and I was too far away for her to protect me.

But she didn't see it that way.

She spun on her foot and threw her sword at him. It whirled through
the air and nailed his head to the wall behind him.

The AK 47 fell from his limp hands.

That unfortunatly left her weaponless, and the remaining vamps
rushed her in a mob.

She kicked the first one so hard he flew straight over his fellows
and then she held out her hand, like she was expecting someone to
drop a weapon in it.

I was about to throw her the pistol I'd just pulled out even though
it wouldn't reach her in time, when a bright light flared in her
hand.

*****

That light formed into a sword.

At first it looked -- to me, anyway -- like a lightsaber. But even
as she began to swing it it changed into some big-ass broadsword. 
A broadsword covered in white fire.

And it chewed up vampires real good.

It cut through them like her other sword, but with the added effect
that the white fire clung to the vamps and they burned like they
were gasoline soaked newspaper.

But even as I added my own brand of carnage to the rapidly
dwindling crowd of vampires, I noted that Shadowcat was using a
completely different style of sword fighting.

I admit I don't know anything about swords or fighting with them,
but even to me it looked like someone else entirely was doing the
fighting.

And then the last vamp went down, burning with white fire and
several rounds of ammo lodged in his head. We stood there for
several moments, catching our breath. I was about to thank her 
for her help (even if I wasn't all that sure about her) when she
suddenly held up her hand and tilted her head.

She stood that way for several seconds before I heard what she
listening to.

"I don't suppose," she asked with wry humor, "that your cat uses 
a cane?"

"Not that I've ever noticed," I replied dryly. "But, if I recall
correctly, I think this mob's leader was said to use one."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "If he is, he has got to know his troops
got creamed. All vampire masters know when their created vampires
get killed."

"Maybe he's not a vampire," I said. "He could be a sorcerer
controlling them. I ran into something like that in the past."

Even as I said it the old pains came back.

Shadowcat looked over at me, and in those eyes I saw pain and
anguish to match my own.

Maybe even more. Which shook me because I knew I was older than 
she was.

The moment stretched out for what seemed forever, then Shadowcat
broke the spell by looking back down the alley.

"You might be right," she said at last. "Either way, whoever it is
has got to have a major case of overconfidence. What say we trim
it down for him?"

She waved her flaming sword to emphasis her intentions.

I returned her smile and rammed a fresh clip into my pistol. I
didn't want to waste too much time here. At some point the local
police, no matter how well paid off or scared of the vampire gang,
was bound to show up and I was high on the 'capture and get a free
promotion' list of every police department in the country.

But I also didn't want to leave the job half finished and I wanted
to take this creep off the map for good.

So we both walked over to the corner of the alley, just outside 
of where our cane-tapping target was coming down. Shadowcat had
somehow dimmed the light coming off her sword so we weren't giving
off any telltale shadows.

And so we waited while the tapping cane came closer. It was a
little nerve wracking. And strange too, because even through the
tapping was steady, it also sounded somehow... musical?

But before I could puzzle it out, our target came around the corner.

*****

He was quite a looker, I will say that.

Dressed in the most expensive suit I'd ever seen, he was an older
gentleman with a neatly trimmed beard and piercing blue eyes.

Very piercing blue eyes.

"So," he began, "you are the two young ladies causing my
organzation so much trouble."

"Actually," I quipped, "I'm the cause. The brunette just happened
along."

"Blonde's correct but don't leave me out of this."

But even as Shadowcat made her flippant comment to my flippant
comment I realized that the guy was still tapping his cane.

Alarm bells started to ring in my head -- and apparently in
Shadowcat's too, because her sword started to come up at the same
time as my gun.

"Stop."

The guy said it calmly, almost nonchalantly, but my whole body
seized up. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Shadowcat was 
in the same situation.

I raged with all my strength and will against the paralysis, but to
no effect; I was caged like a bird in my own body.

"We will have none of that," he said. "You two have cost me a great
deal and must make reparations. And since I suspect neither of you
possess any wealth worth mentioning, you have only yourselves to
offer.

"So it is in my best interest not to damage either of you."

He leaned over and looked into my face. I couldn't speak, but I
hoped my eyes were getting my message across.

"Such fire," he said with a smile, then looked over at Shadowcat.
"In both of you. But too much pride to think you could defeat one
such as myself. I am an elder vampire with powers far beyond any
you can imagine."

Oh Lord I thought, this guy wasn't going to tell us his life's
story, was he?

He turned back to me with a smirk and ran a finger under my chin.

"Your friend's mind is closed to me for the moment, but yours is
not."

I felt my checks redden, then sent him a mental description of what
I was going to do to him when I broke free of his spell.

"How very droll. Alas for you, neither of you will ever be free... 
you are both mine now and forever more, body and soul.

"But what to do with you two?" he continued, almost to himself.
Then he looked us over with the air of a man examining a pair of
horses he'd just acquired.

"I suppose I could simply make vampires of you. You both would be
very tasty meals and, given your abilities, very useful in expanding
my growing organization. And you have rather... depleted my forces,
so it would only be fair for you both to assist in rebuilding
them."

I felt my stomach turn to ice. Death I could accept but undeath? No
way. I redoubted my struggle. Not that it seemed to be having any
effect.

"Still," he mused, "there are other... possiblities."

He reached over to me and ran his hand lightly over my face and
down across my breasts, then repeated the 'examination' on
Shadowcat.

"You are both quite lovely in both face and form. And no doubt," 
he continued with a leer, "quite experienced in the uses of those
forms in the pleasing of men.

"I have been considering creating a specialty prostitution ring
catering to those with rather... outre tastes and the money to
support such appetites. You two, I believe, would do very well for
me in such a position. Very well indeed."

I was impressed. Not only had this creep come up with something
worse then being undead but he'd also managed to cheese me off even
worse then I'd thought possible. I silently swore I'd shoot him
with every bullet I had but only the last one would finish him.

Of course the ammo was behind me in the trunk of my rental and 
I still couldn't move but I held to that happy thought, cause if 
I let my mind consider just how bad my situation was I might just
fall apart.

"Yes yes," he said, "I think that would be the most... proper way
for the two of you to reimburse me for all the trouble you've
caused me...

"And, of course, I will see to your 'training' personally."

I could feel myself losing it, sliding into abject panic as the
creep made a motion with his hand and I started to walk toward him.
I could see Shadowcat moving besides me, magic sword limp in her
hand. I was about to concede that the situation was becoming
serious.

"Now come along, my dears, for we have..." he began.

He never finished what he was saying.

*****

Because a screeching, clawing, black furball suddenly hit him in
the face.

He screamed, more in surprise than pain I'm sorry to say. I was
also even more sorry to say that despite all the crisscrossing
scratches being added to his no longer handsome face the paralysis
holding me didn't weaken in the least.

He reached up to grab Lucky but the little guy dodged and jumped
down in front of the vamp, hissing and growling.

"You little flea trap!" The vamp screamed, his voice losing its
suave edge. "I'll eat you alive!"

">Ahem<"

If I could have moved, my face would have been as slackjawed as the
'master' vampire's was as he stared up at the little purple dragon
hovering in front of him. Hovering with tiny little flapping wings
on its back.

Did I mention it was purple?

Well, it was.

And it did something dragons are famous for.

Because before the vamp could react it breathed fire. Lots of fire.

I was off to the side, out of the line of 'fire,' and it still felt
like I was standing in front of a blast furnace. Then it was over.

And the master vampire, with 'powers far beyond any I could
imagine,' was a smoking pile of ashes.

I could move again, of course, and, as I was looking down at the ash
pile debating whether or not to put a couple of rounds into it just
out of spite I heard Shadowcat let out a dramatic sigh.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Saved by Lockheed (ah, so he's the friend she mentioned earlier, 
why wasn't I surprised?) again," she replied with a smile.  "Oh the
humiliation."

"Well," I began, "if these two hadn't saved us we'd be on our way
to being sex slaves in a screwball vampire's harem. That sounds a
bit more humiliating."

"You've never had to put up with him when he does -- or worse, when
he's right. But you're about to."

I looked over where she was pointing and saw a sight more
surprising then any I'd yet seen today. There was the dragon
Lockheed alongside Lucky and the two were... were dancing.

And not just any dance but a victory dance, and weird as it sounds
I could follow not only the dance but the collection of yips, yaps
and yowls they were making.

It basically came across as 'We did it not you, we won not you, we
saved you, heh heh heh'.

So it was with a stunned look on my face that I turned back to
Shadowcat, who was sliding the sword she'd thrown during the fight
back into its mystery hiding spot on her back. The flaming magic
sword was already gone.

"I guess your Lucky has never needed to save you before?" she said
with a wry grin.

"Well, truth be told he has helped me out in the past. He's just
never been cocky about it."

"That's Lockheed for you. He's a bad influence. Sorry, Ms...?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." I replied, then held out my hand to her. "I'm
Catherine Bell. Thanks for your help."

She took my hand, giving me a good firm handshake.

"No problem. Glad to be of assitance. My real name is Katherine
Pryde by the way. But my friends call me Kitty."

"Mine too." I returned, then grinned. "But the press calls me Bad
Kitty."

She raised an eyebrow at that, then grinned in returned.

"I've been called a silly kitty but that's about it."

I was about to reply to that sally when the sounds of approaching
police sirens began.

"I think we'd better move on. I'm having some... problems with law
enforcement right now so I'd rather not stick around to claim
credit for all this."

I really didn't want to say goodbye just yet, but I could hardly
drag this young lady into my problems. But she appearently didn't
see a problem because she replied instantly. "Good idea. You start
the car and I'll gather up the sidekicks."

Sixty seconds later we were well clear of the battlezone.

*****

We hung out together for the next couple of days. Kitty thought it
best that we make sure all the vamps from that gang were taken care
of or chased off. Said things left undone have a tendency to come
back and bite you on the ass if you don't.

So we hunted down the leftovers, which was fairly easy work and
gave us plenty of time to talk.

I explained to her the trouble I was in and how it might spill over
on to her. She just shrugged, said she thought I'd been in the
right and doubted the FBI on her tail for whatever reason would
cause her much more trouble then she already had.

She told me she'd left the X-Men due to certain troubles (not with
them) and had decided to keep them out of it. And gotten into even
more trouble.

I offered her my help. She offered me her help.

We had a good laugh, then spent a throughly enjoyable day of
shopping and sightseeing.

When we parted she gave me a list of e-mail addresses I could leave
any messages in case I needed to reach her. I, lacking an e-mail
address, couldn't return the favor, but she said not to worry.

I was sorry to see her go but we both had business to take care of.
We both had so much in common with one another: so much pain in our
pasts and uncertain futures.

I hoped we'd meet again.

*****

Oh, and -- if you're wondering -- Lucky kept up that 'I saved the
day' routine for almost a month before he stopped.

A good thing too. 

I was beginning to feel I'd have been better off with the sex
crazed vampire.


The End