Subject: [Excalibur\XMen]The Sword is Tempered Ch.1
Date: 4 Jun 1999 18:05:34 GMT
From: seryndptie@aol.com (Seryndptie)

"The Sword is Tempered"
Excalibur\X-Men Xover

Continuity Note:: This takes place recently. Excalibur has disbanded. Captain
Britain and Meggan have had their honeymoon and are living at Muir Island
Research Center, where they continue to help Moira.  Wolfsbane and Douglock
continue to reside in Muir. Daytripper has returned to her life as an airplane
stewardess. Phoenix is still in Cable's timeline with the Askani Clan.
Colossus, Shadowcat, and Nightcrawler are with the X-Men. Cerise serves the
Shi'ar Empress Lilandra; Kylun lives with his parents; Feron is in Ireland with
the monks who raised him; Micromax is unemployed. Alistaire Stuart and Rory
Campbell work together.

Author's Note: Excalibur was my favorite Marvel comic and I was very much
sadden to see it's downfall and demise after Warren Ellis left. I didn't like
the way the end was handled... so I'm fixing it! FEEDBACK PLEASE

Chapter One

"I blew it," Kitty Pryde sighed as she raised her glass of ice tea.  She sat
in a small outside cafT with her young friend, Jubilation Lee.
Jubliation nodded, "Yup Pryde, I would say you blew it!"
Kitty's head shot up, "Hey!" she exclaimed.
Jubilation shrugged, "Just agreein' witcha, Pryde."
Kitty sighed, "Yeah, you're right."
"So how exactly did you 'blow it'?" Jubilation asked.
Kitty looked off in the distance, "I had just come back from working for
S.H.I.E.L.D.  I hadn't exactly left Excalibur at a good time.  Tempers were
short.  When I got back... well, we just broke up!  It was... stupid!  Pete 
was jealous I guess.  I don't know, the whole thing was just ridiculous!"
Jubilation frowned, "If it was so stupid, why'd you let him leave!?"
"Guilty," Kitty confessed, "I don't know!  I wish I'dve run after him!
Stopped him!  Told him... told him I loved him!  I did... I do love him."
"Does he love you?"
"Yeah, I think so.  Yeah, he does, he told me."
Jubilation threw up her arms, exasperated, "So go get him!"
Kitty raised an eyebrow, "Go get him?"
"Duh!" Jubilation exclaimed, "You say he loves you and you love him, go get
him then!  Geez Pryde, I thought you were supposed to be the brain and I was
supposed to be the chowderhead!  Look, you've got his mutant energy signature
on Cerebro right? Well use Cerebro to track him down and then go get him!"
Kitty smiled, "You know what Lee, I think this time I'm the chowderhead.
Thank you for rubbing it in my face until I opened my eyes."
"S'what I'm here for," Jubilation smiled.

As soon as they returned to the Mansion, Shadowcat began furiously packing.
She sent Jubilee to fetch a remote Cerebro and load Pete Wisdom's mutant
signature onto it, but Jubilee soon returned, having not a clue how to do it.
So Kitty had Jubilee finish packing for her, while she went to set the remote
Cerebro.
Shadowcat found Nightcrawler in the techlab when she entered.  "I hear you are
going somewhere Katzchen?" Nightcrawler asked, "I just saw Jubilee in here."
Shadowcat nodded and smiled a little, "I'm going to find Pete, fuzzy elf."
"Are you sure about this?" Nightcrawler asked.
She turned to face him and nodded, "I am, Kurt.  I've lost too many people dear 
to me.  Doug, Illyana, Rachel; even Kylun, Cerise, Widget, Micromax, and Feron.
Grant I didn't get along well with Micromax or Feron."  She signed, "Even
my parents, you could say.  Well I'm tired of losing people.  I'm going after
Pete, I don't want to lose him for good too."
Nightcrawler nodded, "Good luck then, Kitty."
She hugged him, "Thanks fuzzy elf."
"Have you made arrangements for a place to stay?"
"Well," Shadowcat said as she looked at the signal on her remote Cerebro, "It 
says here that Pete's in London.  I think I'm going to swing by Muir and ask
Brian if he'll let me stay in his townhouse in London.  Nobody's really been
there since I stayed there while you guys were still dimension-hopping."
Nightcrawler nodded again, "Sounds like a plan.  Say 'hi' to Brian and Meggan
for me."

As Kitty warmed up her mini-jet, her thoughts drifted back to her time in
Excalibur.  "I'm coming Pete," she whispered.

To be continued...