Notes and Disclaimers
This story takes place before the events shown in Excalibur #24 and replaces all following continuity. Excalibur remains trapped in its Cross Time Caper for the forseeable future. Kitty Pryde, Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D., and most of the other characters appearing in this fan-fiction belong to Marvel Comics and are used without permission. This is my first attempt at fan-fiction. Comments welcomed.
Katherine 'Kitty' Pryde a.k.a. Shadowcat, member of the British superheroe group Excalibur, walked out into the living room of the London townhouse belonging to fellow Excalibur member Brian Braddock a.k.a. Captain Britain. It had been four days since she had been separated from the rest of her teammates, four days of misery, of worry, of soul crushing despair. Her teammates, her friends, Brian, Meggan, Kurt, Rachel and LOCKHEED, all gone, lost in the infinite dimensions, lost.... or worse. It was even worse than when the X-Men died in Dallas, they were at peace but Excalibur's fate was uncertain. Had she made things worse for them when she stopped Jamie Braddock's 'game' or better? Were they even now heading home? Or becoming even more lost out in the void? Or were they dead? Their fate was uncertain and Kitty was as uncertain of her own future.
Kitty looked out the window at the passing people and again considered Courtney Ross's suggestion of yesterday, that she enter Oxbridge University and continue her formal education. The idea had merit. With all of her experiences with the X-Men and her knowledge of alien techonogies she didn't doubt she could easily get through a few years of any college and when she finished Tony Stark himself would likely be there to offer her a job and, when he saw what she could do, a partnership even.
"Ok girl" she thought to herself "back to Earth."
After all, what other options did she have -- join up with Magneto and the New Mutants, join her parents in the witness protection program or become a solo super hero. Kitty ran those ideas through her head for the hundredth time. Join the New Mutants? She wasn't sure she wanted to bring her kind of luck to the team. Living with her parents (or one of them as they were still divorced) would mean changing her name, doing nothing to attract attention, which also meant giving up being Shadowcat. Go the solo route? Of the three that idea had the most appeal.
Still, she mused, she was a teamplayer with little experience in working by herself. Her encounter with Ogun was a glaring example of that.
Besides, she reminded herself, how would she support herself? At some point relatives of Brian would come to claim the townhouse (and the lighthouse, too). She could hardly pay for the upkeep of the two places, much less the taxes.
And then what, see if Courtney has a spare room? Or head back to Muir Island? Muir Island. What was there for her to do, much as she cared for Moira, the island was too far from anywhere for her to find anything or anyplace to do or go.
And she barely knew Courtney. How could she impose on her? That she was offering to help pay college expensives (although Courtney was sure Kitty would easily gain a scholarship) made her generous beyond words.
And having her around would be a constant reminder to Courtney of her own loss. Maybe that was the reason for the college idea. Courtney would be helping a friend of Brian's but not have her around as a constant reminder of Brian's unknown fate.
Kitty shook her head angrily.
"Silly girl" she thought "Courtney Ross is your friend, an incredibly decent person who has put forth her best idea for your future and is willing to pay the bills for that idea."
"College."
A year and half ago that was where she was about to go. Then the X-Men entered her life and turned her world topsyturvey.
Kitty sat there, lost in her memories, reliving past events when another thought entered her mind.
"A year and half !?"
"Heck !" "My birthday is in two days!!" That thought sent her sliding back even deeper into depression. Should she mention it to Courtney, she wondered?"
"No ! She has already done so much for me, why should I go and whine to her about my birthday? Buck up Pryde, you're a big girl."
Kitty sat there for several minutes staring at the wall, hardly moving and than stood up suddenly.
"Nuts" she thought "Time to fall back on what you've been doing since you got back girl, crawl back into bed and hope things are better tomorrow."
But before Kitty had walked halfway across the room there was a knock at the door.
"If that's another salesman, I'm turning violent."
But all the words she prepared for the hapless 'salesman' fell away when she opened the door and saw who was standing there. "Fury? Nick Fury?!?" she stammered out.
"Hiya Pryde" replied the commander of SHIELD, " I think you and me should do a little talking."