"It's My Life" - by Val Shrum (kiyonekatz@yahoo.com)

Chapter 19

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"What the bloody hell is this?" Asked the gruff voice of Pete Wisdom as he sat down on the couch in the living room to the Muir Island estate Excalibur had taken up residence in.

"Apparently it's called 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'. It's a movie." Kitty nudged Wisdom so she could sit in the corner of the couch. "I dunno, something about vampires and cheerleading. It has Luke Perry."

"That's such the determining factor of why I'd want to watch it."

"Okay, Pee Wee Herman?"

"Not helping." Pete grumped.

"Kristy Swanson in a cheerleading outfit? And hey, we get 'couple alone time' as they put it. Especially since Piotr tried to kill you and all." Kitty picked up a bowl of popcorn that was sitting on the table. "How is that working out for you?"

"Just peachy." Pete grabbed a handful of popcorn, taking a bite. "You sure he ain't gonna come down here and try to bash me brains in again?"

"I told you, that was a mistake. Will you just relax? Don't tell me you're too stodgy to enjoy campy vampire fun?" Kitty snuggled up next to Pete.

"You got strange taste in movies, Pryde."

"Does my taste in movies really matter right now?" She closed her eyes. The warmth of his body against hers in their close position.

"Not at all."

---

Kitty sat up, rubbing her face. "Where the--" She remembered. The transitionary check-up area of the hospital she took Pete to. She felt the bandages on her back itch a little as she reached over to grab her shirt and pull it back on. Her eyes focused on the dimmly lit empty beds around the area. 'I guess I'm alone. And wiped. I'll check up on Wisdom.' She uncomfortably pulled on her jacket and was about to turn the corner, until she heard her name being spoken. She stopped and leaned against the wall, listening.

"Yeah, Katherine Pryde. She's down the hall resting up."

"What do you want us to do, take her down to the station?"

"I'm not even sure if this is in our juristiction anymore. What's the damage?"

"A few broken ribs and he hasn't woken up. The old man seems to have a soft spot for her, even got some records cleared for her."

"Like what?"

"Apparently in Chicago she's got a rep for being on the terrorist watch list. She was part of a class project that backfired, Feds didn't take any chances and were following her up until about a week ago."

"That's a shame. Young girl like that finding herself in that kind of trouble at her age."

"Don't let that fool you, she's given them a run for their money."

"That's just... something else."

She wasn't sure what she should do. Turn herself in? Then she'd be stuck until Wisdom decided to join the land of the living. Kitty knew what kind of damage she could do and what she may have done. She went back to where her makeshift resting spot was, quickly writing down a note on a small spiral pad and pulling the paper off to leave on the bed. She turned the corner and headed out the nearest exit without drawing attention to herself.

---

The Metro lightrail system coasted along the gold line. Kitty sat in her chair, watching people come on and off the train as it traveled along it's given path. She sighed. 'Why'd I run? I should have just stayed with Wisdom. What exactly am I going to accomplish now? Maybe I could get Shan to wire me a plane ticket back to Chicago, or maybe... I don't know.' Kitty ran a hand through her hair. Her phone beeped at her. She reached into her jacket, looking at the number. It's Wisdom's.

"What." Kitty answered.

"Miss Pryde, that's really not a nice way to greet anyone."

"I'm still on the case, a few scratches really can't keep me down. You know, using his phone isn't going to make me listen any harder, Detective."

"I'm on your side, remember? I don't know where you're at."

"And you're not going to. Unless you have some clues that might get this case solved any quicker. I'm like the mythological ninja, without the fancy-schmansy assassin origin, okay? Actually, I sort of do but that's besides the point. Anywhos, I heard what you and your little friend were talking about. You'd think I was some sort of murderer. He was possessed, in case you've never seen anything like that, and I need to get after the little bastards who made it that way. If I hadn't stopped him you would have had bodies. And I mean, multiples of the word BODY, including my own to deal with. So if you want to get smart with me, fine, but now you're playing by my rules. I call the shots and I'm going to do this my way, capisca?" Kitty was livid.

"Fine." The agent on the other line sounded frustrated. "You need to call me when you have anything."

"Like I know where the hell I'm going. At least in Las Vegas we had a chance, the Los Angeles Mega-city is a gazillion times larger in span to deal with. It's not like I have any idea where these kids would be or--" Kitty stopped speaking.

"Hello?"

"I'm here. Nevermind. I'll call later. Let me know when he wakes up, 'kay. I've got a case to solve." She hung up the phone quickly.

She had an idea. But she knew nothing about the area. California was more of Jubilee's stomping grounds. Kitty got off the train at the next stop, Memorial Park Station.

---

"Ungh." Pete voiced from his hospital bed. He murmured a few choice curse words before sitting up, a shot of pain moved through his body. He took in his surroundings. "Doctor? Nurse? Where the bloody hell am I?" He reached over and pressed a button.

"Mr. Wisdom, you're up!" A man in a suit approached him.

"Or something like that. Can I help you?" Pete touched his bandaged ribs, trying to make sense of his prediciment. "Why am I here?"

"Your 'partner' put you in the hospital. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Last thing I remember was.." Pete thought about it, then it hit him. "Oh cripes. I hurt her, didn't I?"

"That's not the issue--"

"What do you mean, that's not the bleedin' issue!?" Pete growled. "Where is she?"

"She attacked you, Mr. Wisdom."

"She saved her own ass is what she done." Pete shook his head, "Are you tryin' to pin some blame on her or something? She piss off the lot of you government types?"

"We were just concerned about her involvement with this investigation."

"Concerned? Pryde is one of the reasons you people got even an ounce of your clues. Where's my liason? I don't like you much. Get the hell out o'my room, soddin' git, and fetch me my damn phone."

"You goddamn muties always protect your own." The man turned away.

"What did you just say? Come say that to me face, mate."

"I don't take kindly to threats, Mr. Wisdom."

"And I don't take kindly to hate. You want us to work with you, fine. You want us off the case? Absolutely fine. But don't you mouth off to me or try to get me or my bird in trouble. S'not like we're getting paid for this heartache."

The man glared at Pete, then turned to leave the room. Pete's liason, Detective Allen, entered the room. "Oh thank God. Are you okay?"

"Just a little banged up. I still got my sharp wit and will to smoke. Where's me phone?"

"I have it. Your girl split when Hate-y McHaterson tried to talk me into sending her to jail until you woke up to clear her. I had to call her to find out what's going on, but she hung up before I could get a bead on hery." He handed the phone to Pete. "We'll have you out of here shortly. I'll find a doctor, then we can find the Pryde girl and just get this over with. It's gone too far."

"Too far or not far enough? We ain't gonna crap out on this investigation now, are we? You've got to be joking. We're damned close."

"It's been risky though. Higher ups are having there doubts after this."

"The powers that be can bite me. You don't put Pete Wisdom on a case and give up half arsed. That ain't my style. And it ain't hers."

"So I noticed."

"Just get me out of this stinking hospital."

"Right."

---

Kitty looked around the coffee shop. She spotted a boy of about seventeen, maybe eighteen years old sitting in the corner with a laptop. 'Bingo.' she thought and walked over with a smile. "Hi, uhm, you don't know me I could really use some help right now."

"Huh?" The boy looked up. "Are you talking to me?" He seemed a bit shocked.

"I see your laptop has a wireless card. Mind if I bug you for a few minutes to check my email and find a map to somewhere? I'm horribly lost... not from around here." Kitty played innocent.

"I can tell by the way you speak."

"Hey. I don't speak funny."

"There's an accent."

"There's NOT an accent. You have an accent. Like all those people on tv with the movies and..." She shook her head, "I'll give you ten bucks."

"Generous offer but I don't think I can help you." The boy sighed. "My computer's so messed up right now. I couldn't get online even if you offered me sex."

"Which I'm not." Kitty gave him a strange look. "Can I have a look at it? I'm kinda intuitive when it comes to this stuff. I promise not to run off with your laptop or anything. I'm Kitty." She offered her hand to shake.

"I'm Alex." He shook her hand.

Kitty took a seat next to him. "So what exactly happened?"

"My stupid little brother decided to install some Korean online multiplayer game. Some update patch came down and totally crashed the hard drive. Blue screen of death. I'm so fed up with the damn thing."

"Calm down, sport. I've got this covered." She handed him a five. "Fetch me a hot chocolate? I got work to do."

"I'm a little hesitant."

"You shouldn't be. I was setting up servers and building mega-computers by the age of fourteen." Kitty started working on the problem.

"I thought you people only lived in the Bay Area."

"Excuse me? What 'people'?"

"You know, computer freaks."

"...I'm on vacation."

---

Pete pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket, putting one to his lips and stepping toward the compact car Detective Allen stepped up to. "Bloody Californian's and their damned no-smoking laws ought to just bite me.."

"Come on, Wisdom. Stalling isn't a very good way of hurrying up and getting things done." Detective Allen called out of the window.

"One minute and I'll be done."

"Now, Wisdom."

He grumbled, dropping the cigarette onto the pavement floor and stepping on it to put the light out. Pete climbed into the car. "Fine, where we going?"

"First back to your hotel. You need to call the Pryde girl." He handed Pete his phone and started up the car to pull out of the parking lot.

"Do we have a lead?" Pete wondered.

"Not too much. Just something... but we have to act fast."

---

"Ah-hah!" Kitty announced triumphantly.

"Ah-hah-what?" Alex asked. "What's going on?"

"I think I fixed your little problem. Silly registry errors. You'll be good as new... minus the Korean online game." Kitty leaned back, taking a sip of her hot chocolate as the computer continued with it's task.

"Wow. I really don't know how to thank you."

"I was serious, I'm like... completely lost here. I need to find a map and maybe a good arcade." Kitty frowned, "Where am I?"

"You don't know where you are?"

"I know I'm somewhere in Southern California. Los Angeles? Close to that."

"You're in downtown Pasadena." Alex laughed. "How'd you end up here?"

"I just road the light-rail-subway-thing until I decided to get off at the station near here." She shook her head. "It'd be too hard to explain. Are there any good arcades around here?"

"What kind of arcades are you looking for?"

"Something with a lot of Japanese import games. I think I'm supposed to meet up with some friends at a really good one, but I forgot the name and lost the map."

"I'll just google it." He brought up a search engine. "First hit... Arcade Infinity. Hey, that's not too far from here."

"Where's it at?"

"Rowland Heights."

"And that's...?"

"Here, I'll draw up a map and write down the address."

"Cool, thanks." Kitty glanced at the screen, finishing off her drink. "Really popular?"

"I dunno. I'm more of a console guy." Alex handed her the piece of paper. "It's not in the greatest neighborhood. Watch your back."

"I don't think I have much to worry about in that department. Thank you." She did a quick salute. "Don't let your brother touch that thing again if you know what's smart for you. I'm going to go find myself a cab. Have a good one."

Alex blinked, "Hey, wait. Where are you from anyway?"

"Oh. Chicago. I'm on spring break from college." Kitty shook her head, "Worst vacation ever."

"Good luck with that. I could have sworn you were a Sunnyvale or even maybe San Francisco."

"Not quite. Thanks again though." Kitty smiled and waved once more. "I'm off." She headed out of the coffee house down to a corner where she hailed the next taxi cab that came her way.

---

To be continued...