Ungava Bay — Canada — Five Years Ago
Pete Wisdom, operative for Black Air, an ultra secret agency of British Intelligence, was not a happy man. He was crammed into the passenger seat of a Royal Navy helicopter flying low over the Canadian tundra. Spy sensors had reported massive seismic and energy anomalies coming from here and his boss, Scicluna, had sent him to go and see what was there. The pilot of the helicopter had to fly low and fast in order to avoid being picked up on radar. This meant that Wisdom had to contend with airsickness caused by the rapidly moving landscape and by the scotch that he had consumed earlier. It didn't help matters any that the pilot was a comedian. "What's wrong mate, feelin' a little peaked?" the pilot laughed.
"Sod off," Wisdom growled, and pulled out a cigarette.
"'ey, no smoking 'ere mate!" the pilot snapped back at him.
"Bleeding body fascist," Wisdom grumbled as he put his lighter and cigarette back in his coat pocket. Thankfully they had finally arrived, as the pilot moved in for a touch and go landing. As soon as the skids touched the snowy surface, Wisdom jumped out and the 'copter took off to return to the aircraft carrier awaiting it, leaving Wisdom all alone to look at the stark, white landscape and the large, snow covered mound awaiting him. Lighting a cigarette, he walked towards his destination and whatever mystery lay inside it.
As he walked towards the mound, Wisdom remembered his meeting with Scicluna the day before.
"I've got a special job for you, Wisdom." Michele Scicluna, the head of covert operations for Black Air, looked every inch the ambitious predator she was as she eyed her prize agent standing across from her in his trademark black suit, white shirt, and tie with a vicious gleam in her eye.
'Bleeding praying mantis' Wisdom thought to himself.
"Our Ares 3 spy-sat detected some unusual seismic and energy readings emanating from Ungava Bay in Canada," Scicluna continued. "MI-6 and the W.H.O. suspect parahuman or mutant activity. There were reports of the American mutant group called the X-Men in the vicinity, as well as Canada's parahuman team Alpha-Flight. You've familiarized yourself with the dossiers on the members of each group — I believe you have acquaintances in both." Pete knew and trusted both Eugene Judd and Logan, and had heard of Heather Mackenzie through stories told over card games and multiple glasses of whisky by both of those men. What he couldn't figure out was why those three continued to hang out with the spandex commandoes as long as they had. Wisdom didn't go in either for the flashy costumes of super groups nor for the destruction they caused. He had always preferred the surgical strike to the sledgehammer. "I want you to go there and find out what the hell happened," Scicluna concluded. "Your flight leaves in two hours."
Finally reaching his destination, Wisdom looked at the mound that was the reason he was now standing in the middle of nowhere shivering in the cold instead of lying in bed either alone or with some stray tart he had managed to pick up. 'Well, I'm not going to get it done freezing my arse out here,' Wisdom thought grimly as he drew off his fag, 'so I might as well get at it.' Drawing power to his fingers, Wisdom used his plasma charged hot knives to carefully burrow a tunnel into the mound.
After a day and a half of almost non-stop tunneling and shoring up, Wisdom reached the center of the mound and found what he was looking for. He used his mutant power to clear a space and found charred wood and stone scattered all around him.
Looking around, the first thing that caught his eye, in the very center of the clearing, was a red rose. He bent over to pick it up and, with a wry smile, put it in his lapel. "Well, if I'm supposed to be a bleedin' James Bond, I might as well look the part," he said to himself.
He continued his slow search and was rewarded with his second find, a stone with odd markings. He recognized it as being a rune stone, but had no idea as to what was inscribed on it — that's Romany's area of expertise, Wisdom thought. "Just in case," Pete muttered to himself as he took a piece of paper and made an etching of the rune stone. Finishing his work, Pete carefully folded the paper and put it into a hollow in the sole of his shoe. He then made another etching and put that into another hollow in the heel.
Shoving the rune stone into his pocket, he went on and found a book lying amidst the charred rubble. Opening the book, he couldn't help but let out a whistle as he saw a beautiful futuristic — almost magical — city. Turning the pages, Wisdom's eyes widened as he noticed the continuing decline in quality of the work until he came to the last page, which looked like it was done by a five year old. He took the book and shoved it into the same wide front pocket of his trench coat where he had shoved the rune stone.
Taking a last look around before turning back towards the tunnel he had made, Wisdom's sharp eyes detected a metallic glint on the snow-covered floor that he had missed earlier. Bending down to investigate, he found a silver Star of David necklace with its rear clasp broken. He debated awhile as to whether to pick it up and take it with him or just leave it there — it was obviously left by one of the X-Men or a member of Alpha Flight — then decided to go on ahead and take it. Shoving it into his wallet, he turned to the tunnel and retraced his path back out of the mound.
******
Kitty Pryde paced furiously up and down the lobby of the Toronto Clarion Hotel where she and several of her friends in the X-Men were enjoying an extended rest and recovery vacation following their encounter with Loki. She was not in a good mood. First, she had to send Lockheed back with the Professor and the others who had already departed for Westchester. She had to admit, though, that the Professor was right. Keeping Lockheed in a hotel was not a good idea, she couldn't risk taking him out shopping or sightseeing with her, and she'd have a devil of a hard time getting her dragon through the airport. Second, she had somehow lost her necklace while she was with her fellow X-Men in that city Loki had created and then destroyed when they refused his 'gift' that had carried too high a price attached to it — the end of magic and creativity. "What could've happened to it? I'll never forgive myself if I've lost it. It's the only thing I have to remind me of my Aunt Chava and my grandparents. My grandfather gave it to me for my Bas-Mitzvah, you know," Kitty sobbed to the slender redhead seated on one of the lobby couches.
Her friend looked up at the furiously pacing Kitty, who was now on the verge of hysterics. "It'll turn up somewhere Kitty. You've probably just packed it in with your costume," her companion said soothingly as she reached to Kitty's mind with a mental tendril. <I know it seems bad, Kitty, but I have a feeling it'll work out,> Rachel telepathically soothed her distressed friend.
Kitty's companion, Rachel Summers, the daughter of Scott Summers and Jean Grey from an alternate future, was speaking of more than just the lost necklace. 'Oh, that distresses Kitty, and seriously,' Rachel thought, 'but there's more to Kitty's state of mind than just the necklace.' As a telepath, Rachel could not help but pick up the strong thoughts and emotions Kitty was transmitting. 'I wish the Professor was here,' Rachel couldn't help but think. He would be able to soothe Kitty and reinforce Rachel's still fragile mental shields. 'It isn't just the necklace; Kitty's still torn up over Peter Rasputin's sudden break off of their romance.' Rachel grimaced. 'More like puppy love. Peter had no regard for Kitty's feelings. The creep just dumped her in an almost matter of fact, cold-blooded manner.'
Rachel couldn't be sure whether it was because he was afraid of commitment or because he was just a child. In her reality, Colossus had never broken up with Kate; they had married and were in the same mutant concentration camp with her and the other surviving X-Men. Events seemed to be unfolding differently in this reality, though. Rachel had never heard Kate speak of going to Japan, and back where she came from, Kate went by the code name 'Sprite', not 'Shadowcat', which was the code name that Kitty had chosen for herself after she had come back from her recent trip to Japan. "What other differences are waiting to show themselves?" Rachel mused softly to herself.
"What did you say, Ray?" Kitty asked, breaking Rachel's reverie.
"Oh, nothing, Kitty, I was just thinking about how important those things that many would consider trivial are to those who have lost them."
Thinking that Rachel was referring to her lost necklace, Kitty unconsciously moved her hand to her neck, and finding that what was supposed to be there was gone, let her hand drop forlornly to her side.
"Red's right, punkin'." Kitty turned around and smiled at the deep, gruff voice that came from behind her with a smile.
Kitty went to hug her friend and mentor, clutching him tightly even though he smelled of cigars. "Oh, Logan, I'd never forgive myself if I lost that necklace, it's all I have of my grandmother and of my aunt Chava."
"No it's not, punkin'," Logan told her. "You've got your memories of the stories your grandfather told ya, don't ya?"
"Uh, yeah," Kitty stammered.
"Then that's all ya need — everything else is just trimmin'." Choking back her tears, Kitty hugged him closer and thanked him for being there. "No problem kid, anytime ya need me, you just call out for Logan. Now where's Cyke and Madelyne? I thought those two were supposed to meet us down here--you kids have places to go and I've got people to see." As soon as he had said that, the objects of his inquiry exited the elevator and, hand in hand, walked to the little group.
"Hi, missed us?" Scott Summers smiled. He was in an exceptionally good mood, and the reason for that mood stood right beside him. Madelyne Prior, his new wife, a beauty that bore a striking resemblance to his former flame, Jean Grey, smiled at Logan and the girls in turn.
'They both seem so happy together, and now they're going to have a baby,' Kitty thought, continuing her reverie. Turning to her friend, she noticed Rachel's growing unease. Rachel hadn't told Scott about their connection, something that Kitty thought was sad and unnecessary. 'It didn't help matters much when the Professor spilled the beans about Maddie expecting.' Still Kitty thought that Rachel should tell Cyclops about their connection. 'What I wouldn't give to have my father here now, instead of in the witness protection program,' Kitty thought. 'She should be spending every second she can with Scott,' was what Kitty wanted to say, but, instead, she said in an effort to get her friend's mind off her troubles, "Hey, Ray, lets go shopping! I saw some new PC games and books that I want to pick up."
"Why don't you and Maddie go with the kids?" Logan growled to Scott. "I got plans o' my own."
"OK, Logan, have fun and we'll see you later," Maddie smiled, and, dragging a reluctant Scott by his arm, motioned for the girls to get a move on.
Kitty found a computer store next to a bookstore at the mall and quickly lost herself amidst the software and computer books, while Madelyne and Scott watched, bedazzled by the flurry of activity as she went from one aisle to the next, test-driving systems and software. "She's only fourteen now and she knows more about this stuff than I'll learn in a lifetime," Scott smiled at his wife. "I'm afraid that kid's going to be dangerous in a couple of more years." He laughed.
Madelyne pointed towards Rachel, hanging back from the group, and gently nudged Scott towards her. "Hi, Rachel, what are you doing back here all by yourself? Come join us." Rachel shyly joined Scott and Madelyne. "Rachel," Scott continued, "I want you to know one thing, you're never alone here. You'll always have a home with the X-Men and we'll always be your family." Rachel tried, and failed, to hold back a tear. Scott put his hand to her face and gently brushed her tears aside and hugged her while Madelyne placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now why don't you join Kitty and have some fun?" With that, Rachel joined her fellow teen who was at that moment engrossed in test-driving a new PC game.
"And you wait right here and keep and eye on the kids," Madelyne admonished her husband. "I'm going to get a special treat for us." She smiled as Scott blushed and let out a low, inaudible whistle.
"Is this our future?" Scott grinned at his wife as they returned with Kitty and Rachel from their shopping trip. "How can two teenage girls expend so much energy and still not be worn out?" The intrepid shoppers returned from their expedition laden with loot. Rachel, had, thanks to Kitty, gotten into the spirit of the day and had bought some new clothes, and Kitty had bought what seemed to be a ton of electronics and computer books and software. "The Professor's gonna faint when he gets the bill," Scott grinned.
"Just you wait," Madelyne leered. "I've got something special in this bag just for you," she purred as she kissed him.
They heard Logan laughing loudly over the phone. "He did what to Lankowski? Oh that's rich! He'll be drying his fur off for a month. Then you laid him out and threw his scrawny ass in the slammer! I'll bet the kid loved that." Logan laughed heartily. "I wish I were there to see it, sounds like you guys had yourselves a right good time." Scott, Madelyne, and the girls stood listening to the one-way conversation. It was rare that they saw Logan laugh this loud or this often. 'Whatever happened,' Kitty thought to herself, 'she had find out later — one way or another.'
"That's still a lousy excuse for missing our game, Judd," Logan continued. "You could've brought the kid with ya. Well, Fury and Ben told me to tell ya that whenever you're ready to lose your money to give 'em a call." That explained what Logan had been doing all day, Scott thought, somewhat wistfully. The Professor had put so much work into training Scott into being the ideal leader and Scott, for his part, worked so hard on maintaining that trust that he had quickly gained the reputation for being an 'old sourpuss,' was the term that he believed Bobby Drake once used to describe him. But just once, Scott thought, it would be nice to let some of those responsibilities go and just be one of the guys. What he wouldn't give to just take a day and lounge around on the couch in his underwear with a beer and watch the football game and play poker, maybe even smoke one of Logan's stogies. Scott had to stifle a snicker as he imagined the look on the Professor's face at being greeted by that sight.
Logan's laugh broke Scott's reverie. "So, what you gonna do about the kid? You wouldn't?! That bitch-queen he works for ain't gonna like that one bit! She will, to use one of his favorite expressions, 'have his guts for garters'. Why were you so rough on him, anyway? Sounded to me like he wasn't that much outta line, seems he was just snoopin' around to find out what happened." Logan spoke into the receiver, his voice becoming a little more serious, "I know, Judd. I know it's Canadian territory and I can understand Department H not wanting Black Air pokin' around in its business, but why didn't you just take the stuff he picked up and let him go? Why did ya have to roust him like that? You're not still smartin' over what he did to ya in Madripoor are ya — especially the part where he took Lindsey McCabe out from under your nose?" Scott and Madelyne both snickered at that. They had heard Logan talk about Lindsey a time or two back at the mansion. Logan leered as he said that, then turning serious, he continued, "I think I know what's really botherin' ya. I got company here now, but we'll talk about it later when you're ready. Tell ya what, I know it's not SOP for you to talk about this, but just between old friends, when are ya gonna run him outta the country? Tomorrow? Good, that's when we're headin' back to Westchester. Why don't you and the runt 'accidentally' run into us at the airport? I figure I owe the kid at least one drink for the laughs, and maybe we'll have time to talk about what's botherin' you. Thanks, Judd, I'll see both of your ugly mugs tomorrow."
Turning from the phone, Logan spotted his friends. His enhanced senses had already marked their presence, but he wasn't discussing anything serious, and besides, it was funny — Lankowski with all that orange fur covered in snow — so he didn't mind them overhearing his conversation. Logan began to laugh out loud again, to the amusement of the foursome.
"What's so funny, Logan?" Kitty asked with a smile on her face
"Nothin' punkin — I'm just picturing Sasquatch with a ton of snow dumped on him." Logan laughed, joined by the others as they pictured the spectacle in their minds.
******
Pete woke up with the sort of headache that usually accompanied an all-night bender. Clutching his head, he sat up on the hard mattress and took note of his surroundings. He was in a reinforced steel jail cell and wearing an inhibitor collar. 'Shit, how the hell did I get here', he thought as his memories slowly returned to him. After at least two solid days of digging, tunneling, and poking around in that mound, he had finally broken out into the sunshine. And what did he see but Eugene Judd and an overgrown orange furball. All he wanted to do was get out of that God-forsaken country, get back home, go to a pub and down several good stiff drinks, maybe find a tart and get laid. 'But no, had to run into the bleedin' abominable snowman and Puck,' he thought.
Taking note of the situation, he had seen Lankowski standing under a snow filled bank that looked like it wouldn't take much to cause it to come down. Quickly calculating the stress points, Wisdom charged his mutant power and let loose a stream of hot knives into the embankment, bringing the whole structure crashing onto the head of the hapless Sasquatch, who let out a yell. "WISDOM — when I get out from under this, I'm going to rip your scrawny head from your puny neck and shove it and your cigarettes inside your gut--then I'm really going to get mad!"
That left him only Puck to contend with. He and Eugene Judd were as close to friends as you could be in the business they were in. Judd had trained him in the martial arts while Wisdom was a punk kid recruit, and they'd worked both together and against each other. Judd, along with Carol Danvers, Cole Cash, Domino, Nate, and of course, Logan, were among the few people he considered trustworthy and therefore friends, and formed sort of a mercenary and spy sewing circle. "Come on, Eugene, I'm just doin' my friggin' job mate, why don't you just let me go? It's bad enough I'm going to 'ave to trudge through all this snow, I don't need any more shit from you." Usually Judd would have some smartass comment, and maybe make him give up what he'd taken, then turn him loose with another smartass comment, or buy him a drink and then turn him loose — at least that's what Wisdom was hoping would happen. Instead, all Pete saw was Judd coming after him with a grim expression on his face. Pete aimed his hot knives at Judd's feet, hoping to knock his opponent off balance long enough so that he could escape into the wilderness, but Judd was already airborne. The next thing Pete saw was the soles of Judd's shoes just before they came into contact with his nose. Then the lights went out and here he was in this sodding jail cell
"JUDD, where the soddin' hell are you?!" Pete shouted out of his cell.
"Hold your water, you scrawny Limey bastard." Wisdom was rewarded with the sight of the man who had so easily taken him down. Eugene Judd, reduced to the height of a dwarf and wracked with pain because of a magical curse, was apparently still in a sour mood, although he greeted his prisoner with a wry grin. "Finally decided to wake up, eh." Judd looked up at Wisdom. "Here, mate, I got ya a shirt and sweater to replace yours. Sorry, but yours is all bloody and torn."
"Yeah, from that kick in the snout you gave me, you soddin' wanker," Wisdom groused back at his jailor.
"I know they're not up to your usual sartorial standards, but we gotta make do with what we have — you're lucky we didn't take your trousers and underwear — Lankowski wanted to — he's still steamed over his snow bath." Normally Pete wore solid black pants, and black coat, with a dress shirt, usually stained, and a black tie. He'd given up on wearing matching clothes because they always got blown up, ripped up, or otherwise ruined during his missions. Judd handed him a long sleeved flannel shirt and turtleneck sweater and, to add insult to injury, began humming the "Lumberjack Song" while Wisdom put on the unfamiliar clothes.
"Yuck it up mate, someday it'll be my turn," Wisdom groused to his tormenter, and continued, "Wot the 'ell got yer so pissed off anyway, mate? I didn't do anythin' that outta line, and you know it."
A cloud momentarily covered Judd's face and, with a frown and sneer, Judd snapped back. "None of your damn business, Limey."
"All right, all right, you don't haveta bite me head off, I can take a hint." Wisdom couldn't help but look at his friend and rival, trying to keep the concern out of his face. Pete worked hard to cultivate the image of being an obnoxious loner, but he felt a strong sense of loyalty towards those he considered friends — mainly because he had so damned few of them.
Seeing the brief expression of concern crossing Wisdom's face, Judd just murmured, "Not your fault runt, just some bad shit happened recently, lets forget about it, eh."
"Right mate." Wisdom picked up on the hint and let the subject drop.
Smiling, Judd announced to his guest, "We gotta get ya looking pretty, you're goin' home tomorrow, courtesy of the Canadian government."
"Shit, you pinged me, Judd. Scicluna 'll have me guts for garters for this. Thanks for nothing." Wisdom groused, and then pleaded, "Can you at least send over some booze and some fags?"
"Yeah, sure, Wisdom, least I can do to make up for bustin' your nose. By the way, we're gonna meet Logan at the airport tomorrow, and he told me to tell ya that he's buying the first round." Judd laughed at how Wisdom perked up upon hearing that.
"Well, at least something good came outta this," Wisdom sneered at his host, who began laughing uncontrollably at the sight of Pete Wisdom in a long-sleeved flannel lumberjack's shirt.
"I'll bring ya your smokes and some booze, and a deck of cards. Figure we can play us a game or two," Judd laughed as he turned to leave, tossing Wisdom his wallet. "Oh, thought you'd like to have this back. We didn't find anything worth confiscating. You seein' someone Jewish now?" Puck asked with a mischievous gleam in his eye.
Thinking quickly, Wisdom remembered that he had put the Star of David he'd found into his wallet. "Yeah, told her that I'd get it fixed for her," Wisdom lied, as he checked the contents of the wallet and satisfied himself that everything that should be there was there, shoved it back into his pants pocket. "Lookin' forward to that card game, Judd, and thanks," Wisdom replied, knowing that this was Eugene's way of making peace.
"Yeah, well, I hope this one's better than that contract killer from Peckham," Judd laughed as he went out the door.
Wisdom again groused, thinking to himself after Judd had left, 'I knew the X-Men were behind what happened underneath that snow bank. Mass destruction, everything in ruins, had to be the spandex commandoes.' When he was sure no one was watching and that there were no monitoring devices, he took off his shoe and checking the heel, found that the paper he'd put there was gone as he had expected. Feeling inside the shoe, he checked the other hidden location and felt the paper still there. Smiling, Wisdom then put his shoe back on and waited. He couldn't do much about the book, so he tried to remember as many details of the drawings as he could, enough to at least give a sketch artist something to go from. He thought that, while Scicluna would be pissed about him not bringing back the actual physical artifacts, she'd at least have enough so this caper wasn't a total loss.
Continuing his reverie as he leaned back on to the bed, 'The necklace must belong to that Jewish kid, Pryde.' He recalled the bio he had read from the dossier before going on the mission. 'Fourteen years old, she should be in school chasin' boys, not playin' hero with the spandex set.' Wisdom grimaced, and then finished his thought, 'But if Logan hasn't run her off by now, then he must see something in her.' He knew Logan as well as anyone else who had the acquaintance of the mysterious and deadly Canadian, and he knew that it wasn't because he was a dirty old man that he was keeping her around and probably working with her. If anything, the Canuck probably saw her as his daughter. 'Logan's always liked to play father, and if that kid learns her lessons well from him, she'll be a right holy terror in a few years,' Wisdom thought as he drifted back into sleep.
*****
"OK, luggage loaded, everyone here?" Scott, still playing leader, did a quick mental headcount and noted Kitty and Rachel coming from the hotel restaurant and Logan getting off the phone. "Let's get going, we've only got a couple of hours before our flight," Scott finished as Madelyne and the girls walked briskly out to the waiting cab. Logan followed a little later, telling Scott that he'd take another cab, as the one they were in was already crowded. Hearing this, Kitty asked if she could join her friend and mentor. Scott shrugged his shoulders in agreement, and Kitty and Logan entered the next cab.
"Logan? I was just thinking about everything that happened in that city. You know the fight, having to go up against our friends, Scott and Madelyne on opposite sides. How do you put all that aside and go on?"
Logan thought for a long while before answering. "Ain't easy, kid." 'Damn, I wish I could light up a cigar right now,' Logan thought to himself as he struggled to answer her question. "Problem was, everyone thought they were right and acted out of good motives This wasn't like when we tangle with, say, the Brotherhood or with Juggernaut. Issue's a little more black and white with them. They're more or less the bad guys and we're more or less on the side of the angels, so it's easier. Here, the issue wasn't greed or power — it was happiness and what would benefit the human race. What we fought over was whether the ends justifies the means. Was the happiness of the human race worth the deaths of people like Amanda, Shaman, and possibly Illyana, not to mention the end of creativity? I didn't think so — and you know something, punkin'? — when you stood with us, I couldn't have been more proud. You did real good."
"Thanks, Wolvie," Kitty blushed with pride, and then continued, "...but still how do we go on? I mean I had to fight Peter — he was willing to sacrifice his sister to end hunger and want." While Kitty and Peter had officially called it quits, she still retained some glimmer of hope for an eventual reunion
Seeing the wistful look in her eyes, Logan thought carefully before responding. 'I hope to God one of these days she meets someone to take her mind off that big lug,' Logan didn't say, instead he replied, "Kit, Peter made a hard choice. He thought it was the right one. Now he has to live with that choice, and try to forgive himself for making it. Ya also gotta remember where he comes from. He was raised in a communist state that taught him that the good of the many comes before the good of the few. When you figure that in, it's understandable that he would think that sacrificing Illyana and Amanda would be an acceptable trade for world peace and prosperity, even though it still doesn't make it right. Maddie, Heather, Judd, and the rest o' them also made a hard choice; all for different reasons that they thought were good. We have to try to forgive them for choosing the way they did and to forgive ourselves for fighting them, Punkin, it's a whole lot easier to forgive someone else than to forgive yourself, but if you're gonna make it in this world, you have to, otherwise you'll lose it completely. Look at Magneto — that's what happens when you don't come to grips with the past and with what you've done. He's so eaten up with anger at the world and at himself that he's become the monster he wants to get rid of."
"I think I understand, at least a little, Logan, but it's not easy is it?"
"Nope, darlin', it's the hardest thing in the world to do. I know, cause I'm still tryin'."
Wisdom rode to the airport in the back seat of an official Canadian government car with Puck. He didn't know which was worse, not being allowed to smoke, scratching at that damned turtleneck sweater, or having to listen to that sodding "Lumberjack Song" all the way to the airport. Getting out of the car at the airport parking lot, he sighed with relief as he stretched his legs, lit up a cigarette, and inhaled deeply. Pulling at the itching turtleneck sweater, Wisdom's knuckles grazed against the inhibitor collar. "Judd, would you please have that bloke take this damn thing off o' me? I promise ya I won't scarper. You'd just kick my arse all the way back to London, anyway."
"All right Wisdom, don't get your panties in a bunch," Judd groused back, still somewhat surly. He motioned to the driver, who then took out a keypad and, punching in a code, releasing the collar. Wisdom wrested the thing from around his neck and, initially wanting to fling it at Puck, thought better of it and instead settled for handing it to the driver and spitting on the ground near his shoes. "Come on, runt, only a couple of hours and you're on your way to the warm embrace of Scicluna." Both Wisdom and Puck shuddered at that picture. Taking some of the bite out of that remark, Puck continued, "And don't forget, you've got a drink comin' to ya courtesy of old man Logan." That brightened Wisdom's spirits somewhat as they entered the terminal.
Scott took care of the baggage and ticket check in, while Madelyne took the girls to an ice cream shop located within the terminal complex of shops, bars, and restaurants. Logan found the bar that Judd told him they would meet at and ordered a Scotch while he waited.
Madelyne looked in wonderment as Kitty proceeded to tear into a double scoop banana split. 'How does she burn off all those calories?' Madelyne couldn't help but think as she saw the carnage being wrought in front of her. Then she'd remembered the Danger Room sessions she'd watched. She'd seen Kitty in action, and she was good. 'Fast, agile, and a hard hitter too,' Madelyne continued her thoughts. That time spent in Japan with Wolverine had made her into an even more deadly opponent. 'Still...' Madelyne couldn't help but think, '...she should be in school, not putting her life on the line.' Rachel settled for a much more sensible chocolate ice cream cone and also marveled at her friend's capacity to tear into a dessert. For Kitty, the banana split was a welcome release from her thoughts about the fight and about losing her precious reminder of her grandfather and aunt.
After the girls had finished and the bill had been paid, Madelyne herded them out to where she saw Scott waving towards her at the other end of the terminal. The girls were almost running as they giggled at some joke Kitty had told, while Madelyne brought up the rear.
Coming from the other direction, Wisdom and Puck walked without talking until they heard a gruff, but unmistakable voice coming from the bar. "Took you long enough. What happen Judd? The kid give ya a hotfoot?" Both Wisdom and Puck turned towards the bar and the burly man sitting at one of the tables near the entrance nursing a Scotch. Wisdom was licking his lips in anticipation of liquid refreshment and so didn't notice as two teenage girls came towards him and Judd at almost full speed — their swift walk almost a run; they were both so engrossed in their conversation that they weren't paying attention to where they were going.
Madelyne saw the oncoming accident and tried to yelp out a warning. Kitty quickly turned away from Rachel, but it was too late, she was going too fast and could not stop before hitting her victim. Before Kitty impacted with her unintended target, she saw a thin, wiry man with black hair about Logan's height, wearing black trousers and a brown turtleneck sweater with what appeared to be a flannel shirt peeking out from under the sweater. The next thing she knew, she had collided with him, knocking both of them to the floor. Rachel was luckier, and dodged Puck, who started laughing at Wisdom, sprawled across the terminal floor on his rear end, his cigarette knocked from his mouth because of the impact. Kitty found herself in a similar state of embarrassment and began blushing a deep red as she looked across at her victim, her face turning an even deeper crimson as she heard the laughter from Rachel, Puck, and Logan.
She wasn't overly impressed at first sight of her target. 'Bad fashion sense,' she thought. 'That's a god-awful sweater, and it doesn't go at all with those black pants or with that lumberjack's shirt.' She could also smell the odor left by tobacco and cigarettes and almost retched in disgust. One thing did catch her attention though — he had the most piercing blue eyes. It was almost as though they could reach into her soul. She felt unfamiliar thoughts stirring, but those thoughts soon disappeared when he opened his mouth.
Wisdom exploded, "You stupid twit! Why don't you watch where you're going! Knocked me on me bum, you did; and made me lose my cigarette too! Useless toerag..." Glaring at the target of his righteous indignation, Wisdom saw a teenage girl, about fourteen or fifteen, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, and clutching a winter coat. She had chestnut hair that reached to her shoulders, and, he couldn't help but notice, big, soulful brown eyes.
Everyone laughed even harder as Wisdom continued his tirade, with Madelyne and Scott both joining in as soon as they caught up to the spectacle. Not one to sit quietly and take verbal abuse, Kitty fired back to her tormenter, "Hey, I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going, but that doesn't give you the right to curse me out, you sewer-mouthed, foul-smelling, obnoxious bum." Her retorts brought about even more laughter as she answered Wisdom insult for insult, causing Logan to almost fall out of his seat.
Madelyne reached down to help Kitty up, while Logan went over to help up Wisdom. Both Kitty and Wisdom continued to glare at each other, each one ready to continue their verbal war when everyone's attention was suddenly diverted. Rachel had followed with amusement Kitty and Pete's verbal exchange until all of a sudden she felt an intensive time flash--a vision from the future. She saw Kitty, obviously a few years older and this same man. They were in bed, their bodies intertwined, giving and receiving pleasure from each other with such intensity that Rachel's synapses quickly overloaded. She moaned audibly and fainted. Recovering consciousness quickly, she saw Scott and Madelyne on their knees beside her. Scott, after multiple assurances that she was ok, helped her to her feet and stood close to her, as did Madelyne. Both Kitty and Wisdom had also gotten to their feet and were still glaring at each other. Upon looking at Kitty and Pete, Rachel couldn't help but blush a deep crimson as she tried to keep from giggling.
"What's so funny, Rachel?" Kitty inquired of her friend, still upset at that foul English bum she was glaring at and who in turn was shooting daggers at her from his eyes. 'Those eyes...' she thought to herself, feeling those strange yearnings once again, '...why do they have to be attached to such a loser? He's definitely no Peter.' Kitty then sunk back into a fantasy she had been enjoying a lot recently where Peter came back crawling to her seeking forgiveness and she, after he had made the appropriate apologies and acknowledgements of her mercy and generosity and had owned up to being a complete and utter heel, magnanimously took him back.
"Wot? Wot?!" Wisdom blurted out, interrupting Kitty's fantasy and provoking still more laughter. "One balmy Yank runs into me and knocks me on me bum, then another one faints and gets a case of the giggles, now the first one's lost somewhere in the Twilight Zone, probably plotting her next atrocity. I'd rather face Scicluna than deal with this. Are all Yanks this barmy?" Wisdom got out, mystified at the entire scene.
Logan put a hand on his shoulder and laughed as Pete turned to face his old pal. "Come on, runt, after that little scene, I figure I owe you and Puck at least two rounds." With Wisdom in the middle, and Puck and Logan on either side, the threesome made their way into the bar.
While they were leaving, Rachel kept glancing from him to Kitty and back again. No one was close enough to hear her muttering to herself, "No--No way--Impossible, not in a million years. Never happen." Kitty picked up on the very last part of Rachel's mutterings.
"What will never happen?" Kitty asked her friend, mystified and still more than a little irritated by that rude Englishman.
"Nothing Kitty, nothing," Rachel blushed and smiled, thinking to herself, 'I'd better keep this my little secret. No one'll believe it anyway — I don't even believe it myself.' Joining Scott and Madelyne, the foursome walked towards some lounge chairs by their gate, talking and laughing the entire way, with Rachel stealing occasional glances at Kitty and at the figure now sitting at the table in the bar with Logan and Puck, shaking her head in disbelief and wonderment as she replayed the vision in her mind.
*****
Logan had ordered a Scotch for Wisdom and Judd and a refill for himself as they sat down and laughed at Pete's latest encounter. Wisdom, although he would never admit it to his two old friends, was actually quite impressed with how the teenager had handled herself. Most people, when they encountered his boorishness and lower class demeanor turned away in disgust, disregarded him, or underestimated him — all reactions that suited him just fine. That teenager, whom he recognized had to have been Kitty Pryde, had given as good as she got in their verbal exchange. 'Sprite — no, Shadowcat now, she'd changed her codename since her dossier had last been updated — have to tweak Williams in Admin. about not being current,' Wisdom suppressed a smirk at that thought as he lit a cigarette for himself and handed the pack to Logan who took one with a gruff thanks. Continuing his reverie, Wisdom couldn't help but smile as he noted how the kid had matched him insult for insult and looked like she could have gone on until Red's fainting spell. Pete had no idea what that was all about, and wasn't sure he wanted to.
Turning to Logan, Wisdom smirked, "Is that your new protégé?"
"Yup. And she's coming along just fine, and I'll bet a box of Havanas that she could kick your scrawny ass," Logan laughed back at Pete.
"I'll take your word on it, mate. 'Sides, I still owe you a box for running interference for me in Geneva a couple of years ago. Is Carol still sore at me standin' 'er up? Couldn't help it, I had to get outta town fast — and you know why."
Judd looked on with renewed interest. He knew that Carol Danvers and Wisdom had a one-night stand a while back, but didn't think that there was anything more to it than that. And he definitely didn't know anything about a Black Air ops in Geneva.
"Nah. She got over ya soon enough. Started taking up with Mike Rossi shortly after. Then got her Ms. Marvel powers. Lost 'em last year to Rogue." Logan then recounted that story to a suddenly concerned Pete.
"So now she's half way across the bleedin' galaxy callin' 'erself Binary, eh? And her memories were all absorbed by this Rogue bird?" It took all of Wisdom's self control to keep from blushing at that. He and Carol had a brief, but rather torrid affair, and he didn't like the idea of some strange woman possessing Carol's memories of that time. He also felt more than a little angry at what had happened to his former lover. He wanted to say, 'Just as well that Rogue wanker isn't here, I'd shove a hot knife up her arse and see how invulnerable she really was.' Instead, he controlled his temper and replied, "I'm glad I don't mix with your lot. Give me a plain old-fashioned intel op any day No space trippin' for me!" Wisdom grimaced and downed his drink, gesturing to the waiter for a refill.
"Not as bad as all that," Logan assured him. "You decide you're ready to join the angels, give me a call and I'll set ya up," Logan grinned at his long time friend.
"Might just take ya up on that someday," Wisdom murmured underneath his breath in a voice that he was sure Logan couldn't hear. Pete was growing more and more disenchanted with the direction of his career and with the nature of the assignments Scicluna was giving him. He found especially distasteful having to act as a liaison between her and the Hellfire Club, although it did have its compensations, as he thought back to some remarkable all-night sessions with Emma.
Wolverine, thanks to his enhanced senses, did catch Pete's remark. Not saying anything, Logan nodded his head knowingly. 'The kid'll be all right,' he thought. 'He just needs someone or something to steer him the right way and keep him going there.' In many ways, he reminded Logan of himself before Heather and Mac, then Pete, Carol, Judd, Dom, and Nate, later the Professor and the X-Men, and now Mariko. Logan shuddered when he imagined what his life would have been like without the support and friendship of those people.
Pete had just finished his second round when the PA system announced the departure of British Airways flight 1200 to London via New York. Judd slapped him on his back, "That's your flight, chum. Time to send you back to mommy."
Pete shook Logan's hand. "I'll ship those cigars to you when I get back mate."
"Lookin' forward to smokin' 'em kid," Logan laughed and gave him a sturdy handshake. "You take care of yourself."
Logan saw his friends off and then went to join his fellow X-Men at the gate lounge. Kitty couldn't help but think about her recent encounter. 'Of all the rude and ill-mannered people I have ever met, he was probably the worst of the lot,' she thought to herself. 'Chain smoker too,' she continued her reverie as her face took on a disgusted look. 'He's nothing like my Peter,' she thought, 'nothing at all like him. Peter would never put himself ahead of anyone else.' Then Kitty remembered when Peter told her they were through. That he had fallen in love with someone else. She kept back the tears, remembering her promise that he would never see her cry, and turned her thoughts back on that disgusting creep she had decided was her new best enemy. 'Serves him right I knocked him on his keester,' Kitty smiled darkly as she invented new epithets to describe her new best enemy. 'It's a shame he has to have such dreamy blue eyes,' Kitty thought wistfully, as Logan interrupted her fantasy at a point where she had imagined him tied into one of Nanny's chairs being cared for by that malfunctioning robot of Magneto's that Storm had told her about once.
"Hey punkin'. Gotten over your mishap?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Tell me Wolvie, how can one man be so rude, yet have eyes that are so gorgeous? And who is he anyway? You obviously know each other." Kitty grilled her mentor, her natural curiosity fully aroused.
Rachel and Madelyne both looked at Logan, awaiting his response. Those piercing blue eyes had also stirred Rachel, and Madelyne as well, much to Scott's consternation, had taken more than one appraising look at the thin Englishman when she thought her husband wasn't looking. Somewhat taken by surprise at Kitty's comment about Wisdom's eyes, Logan answered back with a smile, "He's not all that bad. A lot of it's an act, a suit of armor he wears to protect himself because of the line of work he's in. Deep down he's a good kid; all he needs to do is just get it together. Let's just say that we've known each other for a while — worked together some." Logan concluded, making it clear that he wasn't going to part with any more information.
Scott caught Logan's answer and frowned. He, along with the other X-Men, knew that Logan had had, and still had, a life outside their little group. That life made Scott, Ororo, and the Professor, along with several other X-Men, more than a little nervous. It was a world of grays and tans, not the black and white, good and evil, worldview preferred by Scott and the Professor. He also knew that Kitty had a wild streak in her and, while he would never admit it, approved of Logan's efforts to work with her at controlling it. As a leader, Scott could see that Logan was doing a far more effective job than anyone else could have in helping her master her violent tendencies. Still, Scott feared that Kitty would find the twilight world to her liking and, while not smothering her as Ororo had a tendency to do; he wanted to do everything he could to delay her entry into that world until she was ready.
Before Kitty could continue her interrogation, the flight to Westchester was announced and everyone got up to board the plane.
*****
The Professor and the rest of the X-Men were enjoying a rare evening of downtime in the Mansion, laughing and joking with each other. The New Mutants were also there. Illyana stayed close to Kitty who was still depressed about the loss of her necklace. "Tell us about that creep you ran into in the airport," Illyana encouraged Kitty. Kitty had filled her roommate in on her encounter with Wisdom, to Illyana's great amusement, although Illyana couldn't help but notice how often Kitty dwelled on the subject. 'Me thinks she doth protest too much,' Illyana smiled knowingly to herself. For the umpteenth time since they had returned, Kitty recounted her encounter with the obnoxious creep at the airport to riotous laughter when the doorbell rang.
Cyclops rose to answer the door and saw a UPS man carrying two packages. Signing for the packages, Scott bid the deliveryman good evening and returned to the gathering. Both packages, one for Logan and the other for Kitty, bore a London postal box for a return address, Scott noticed with bemusement.
"Logan, Kitty, these are for you," Scott exclaimed, handing out the packages.
Recognizing the PO Box, and the dimensions of the package, Logan smiled in anticipation. Opening the package, he saw a cigar box full of cigars, the original bands replaced by counterfeit Dominican bands in order to get through American customs. 'Kid probably also greased some palms,' Logan smiled with anticipation as he took one of the cigars, bit off the end and lit it, sinking deep into his chair as he enjoyed the taste and aroma of the fine Havana caressing his tongue and mouth and wafting gently into the air to the disgust of most of the others in the room. He also read the note from his old pal: 'Here's your bleeding Havanas and thanks for the drinks.'
Kitty looked in puzzlement at hers. She didn't know anyone in London, but Logan's seemed to be ok. Nothing ticking, she noted, as she held the box against her ear. Opening the box, she found a flat jewelry box inside. As she opened the jewelry box, she let out a gasp, then a scream of pleasure. On crushed black velvet lay her necklace, polished, looking just as it did when Grandfather Prydeman gave it to her. Logan came around behind her and secured the clasp as she fingered the Star of David now hanging at her neck where it belonged. "Whoever did this has got to be the most wonderful person in the world! I wish he or she was here so I could thank whoever it was in person," Kitty laughed in her joy. "You had a package from the same address, who could've sent us these packages?" Kitty asked, her curiosity again fully engaged.
Logan smiled as he imagined her reaction if he were to tell her that the same creep she ran into in the airport was the one who had her necklace repaired and sent back to her. He debated for a while as to whether he should tell her, then decided against it. Pete wouldn't have wanted her to know and Logan respected his friend's feelings, so he settled for sitting back and enjoying both his cigar and his surrogate daughter's happiness. "Remember what they say punkin', 'curiosity killed the cat', and 'never look a gift horse in the mouth.'"
That answer didn't satisfy Kitty's curiosity one whit, but the look on her mentor's face told her that she wouldn't get anything more from him and that she should just enjoy the moment.
Rachel looked, and blushing a deep crimson, knew that one day she would have that chance to thank her benefactor — and in a very special way. Illyana gave a quizzical glance at Rachel blushing, then passed it off for now, figuring that she had her own ways of finding out what was going on here, and went back to enjoying her friend's happiness.
*****
A hidden location in Genosha — The Present
Pete Wisdom took his eye off of the laptop screen momentarily and pulled out an old, battered card from his shirt pocket and read the inscription with his one good eye. "To my anonymous friend, How can I thank you for the great kindness you did for me? I know that the necklace doesn't look like much, but you restored a piece of my family to me. I hope one of these days to be able to thank you in person as I now thank you with this card. I'll never forget your kindness or your generosity. Love, Kitty."
During their too brief time together he never had the opportunity to tell her about their real first meeting, and now he regretted it as he regretted many other things. Reaching back into his shirt pocket, he pulled out a picture of the two of them in London, taken by an American tourist from Kitty's hometown and winced in pain. Placing both the card and the picture back into his pocket, he returned his attention to the screen and read the email message that had just come in from his source. <Target located — coordinates grid reference Genosha Meet at location Beta 48 hours Come loaded for bear Pete, this one's gonna get rough.> Pete smiled and poured himself a drink as he made preparations that would, if all went well, give Kitty another piece of her family once again.
Xavier's Mansion — The Present
It had been a grueling time since Kitty's return to the X-Men First that dust-up with those phony X-Men, then Magneto, then outer space and the Skrulls, the breakup of the team manipulated by the Professor, and finally Apocalypse and the great loss caused by that storm from which the X-Men still hadn't fully recovered. The Professor had suffered greatly and was weaker than he had ever been, as was everyone else.
On the few occasions she had thought of Pete and their relationship, a strong sense of embarrassment and revulsion would cascade over Kitty. But a funny thing happened last night. Before going to bed, she started rummaging through some of the stuff that she still hadn't unpacked. She blushed a deep crimson as she rummaged through the sexy lingerie she had bought while they were dating, feeling like a cheap slut as she went through the assorted corselets, garter belts, and teddies. But then she found an old shirt of his that she had mistakenly packed, and inside the shirt, a matchbook from the hotel they were staying at while helping out Judd that time in Canada. Her mind went back to a conversation they had in which he said that he'd been thrown out of the country because of the X-Men.
Suddenly it hit her. It was Pete that she ran into in that airport in Toronto so long ago. She didn't place him because of the four-year lag between that run in and meeting him again at Muir. Also, she noted wryly, probably because he wasn't wearing his trademark black suit and she was so pissed at him that she never bothered to get his name, and Logan, no matter how much she pestered him, would never cough up it up.
And it had to have been Pete who had sent her the Star of David she was now fingering as she sat on her bed with the old shirt on her lap. 'It's so like him to do something nice like that and not want to be thanked,' Kitty thought wistfully.
She took off the sleep shirt she had gone back to wearing when she had returned to the mansion — while they were practically living together at Muir, she generally slept either in the nude or in one of his shirts — and, for the first time in months, really looked at herself in the mirror. Instead of the insecure girl or the cheap slut she had been seeing since her return to the mansion, she saw a beautiful, lithe, desirable woman staring back at her. This was the first time she had seen that woman since she had broken up with Pete. Almost without thinking, she put on the old shirt she held in her hands, and sliding back into bed, pulled the covers over her. As she lay in bed, smelling him mixed in with the tobacco and whisky, Kitty cried.
THE END
Coming soon, the first part of the "Knights of Ghosts and Shadows" arc — "The Colors in the Shadows of your Mind" — An unexpected visitor pays Kitty a call delivering surprising news, and later with the help of Jean Grey and Emma Frost, Kitty discovers the truth behind her breakup with Pete Wisdom.