McCoy entered Stryfe's chambers cautiously, then waited for a
few moments for him to be noticed. He looked up at the monitors
scattered about the room's walls, showing images from Xavier's school,
members of the X- Men, and especially of Cable, Scott Summers, and
Jean Grey.
"What is it?" Stryfe said coldly.
"The mapping of your and Nate Grey's DNA has been completed,"
McCoy reported, keeping his voice carefully level. It wouldn't do to
anger someone with Stryfe's telekinetic powers.
"And your conclusions?" Stryfe asked quietly.
"I believe I have isolated the differences in your genetic
structures," McCoy said calmly, "and that it may be possible to alter
your genetic structure to match his."
Stryfe rose from his throne to descend to McCoy's side. "If
you begin the treatments now," he smiled coldly, "how long until they
are completed?"
"A week," McCoy answered confidently, "with a few days added
for you to fully adapt to the changes that will come."
"Then let us begin," Stryfe said regally. They walked down the
hallway together and he added, "McCoy?"
"Yes?" the gray furred beast answered.
"If you attempt to double cross me, you won't live to regret
it."
In a deserted park in the city of Sydney, Australia, Kitty was
looking more than mildly peeved. "I don't really have time for this
right now," she addressed the group of four costumed men who were
spread out in front of her.
"Make time," one exclaimed dramatically, "for we are... the
Killer Elite!"
"No, you're Razorfist in a different costume," she scowled,
"and that's Toad over there." She waved at the other two, "And I don't
even know who they are."
In a French accent one man exclaimed, "I am Bartoc, the
leaper!"
"Leper?" Kitty raised an eyebrow.
"Leaper!" Bartoc corrected her irritably.
"Whatever," Kitty shrugged. She looked over at the other man
in black and red, "And whom might you be?"
"Speed Demon," he said proudly.
"A super speedster, huh?" Kitty looked impressed. She turned
back to Rogue, "This may take a minute, honey."
"Have fun," Rogue grinned.
In a bit less than a full minute later a unruffled Kitty was
walking away from her four pitifully groaning opponents, dusting off
her casual clothes off as she went. "I didn't even have to break a
sweat," she sighed mock sadly.
"I was impressed with the way you tripped that super
speedster," Rogue offered. It had been pretty damn funny, watching the
poor guy plow face first into the dirt.
Kitty smirked, "That was good, wasn't it?" She sighed softly,
"And at least it took my mind off trying to figure out where I know
Sakura from."
"You tried meditating on it, and it didn't work, right?" Rogue
asked. Kitty shook her head so she suggested, "Have you thought of
asking Jean for help?"
"Won't work," Kitty said simply.
"Why?" Rogue looked surprised.
"Jean went into my head once, because she was worried 'Ogun
might have left some kind of psionic land mine or something," Kitty
explained. "She didn't find anything wrong."
"Then I guess we move on to the Professor himself," Rogue
speculated.
"Not.. exactly," Kitty hesitated for a moment, then she came
out with, "I was actually going to ask Emma Frost for help, first."
"What?!" Rogue blurted.
"I knew you were going to say that," Kitty sighed. They passed
by a park bench, and Kitty waved Rogue to a seat before sitting down
beside her. "I'd trust the Professor and Jean with my life," she said
quietly, "but both of them are too nice for this job."
"I hope you're going to explain that," Rogue said, "and what
it has to do with you going to Emma Frost for help."
"Both the Prof. and Jean are going to be very cautious going
into my head, being careful not to injure me while they look for the
cause of the mental block," Kitty said softly. Her gaze hardened,
"That's something that I can't afford now, especially since I think it
may be my own subconscious mind that's blocking the memories."
"And you think Emma's ruthless streak might be enough to help
you beat your own subconscious," Rogue said thoughtfully.
"That's the plan," Kitty agreed.
"I don't like it," Rogue frowned, "I don't like it at all."
"Neither do I," Kitty agreed, "but I don't see any other way."
"I could try to stop you," Rogue threw a sidelong glance at
Kitty.
"You won't, though," Kitty said softly. She smiled slightly,
"The same way I wouldn't stop you from doing something that you
thought you had to do."
"You fight dirty, Pryde," Rogue grumbled, but she was smiling
slightly. "All right, but when you do this I'm going to be right there
keeping an eye on you," she said firmly.
"Wouldn't have it any other way," Kitty agreed.
Two young women passed them on the path, and Kitty frowned
slightly. 'They looked awfully familiar...' she thought, then shook
her head.
"That was just a bit too close," Polaris said softly as they
kept walking away from where Kitty and Rogue were talking. The
casually dressed women were both careful not to rush, so as to not to
draw any undue attention to themselves.
"The image inducer's working fine," Plasma reassured her
softly, "I bet your own mother wouldn't recognize you."
Polaris reached up, brushing brown hair back with a little
smile, "It's just a bit odd when I'm used to it being green."
"You look good either way Lorna," Plasma offered softly.
"Thanks," Polaris blushed slightly. "I'm glad you suggested we
come into town, we could use a break. And things are getting a little
tense back at base," she finished softly.
"Oh, yes," Plasma agreed.
"You know," Polaris said softly, "you've never really told me
your name."
Plasma blushed slightly, "Sorry, I don't really use my family
name anymore." Her mouth thinned into a hard line, "I don't like being
connected to my father in any way."
"What would you like me to call you?" Polaris asked softly.
Plasma pushed her own long brown hair back, the muscles of her
arms rippling, "Linda, then. Is that all right?"
"That's fine," she smiled and offered her hand, "Hi Linda, I'm
Lorna."
Linda laughed and shook it, "Nice to meet you, Lorna."
"So what do you want to do now?" Lorna asked cheerfully.
"Lets go get some lunch?" Linda asked.
"Why not," Lorna slipped her arm into Linda's and they walked
off together.
Back at the beach house Kitty and Rogue went up to their
bedroom quietly, feeling a bit grateful that most of the team were
still out. Rogue sat down on the bed as Kitty picked up the phone and
dialed a personal number she had been given many years ago.
"This is Emma," the cool voice answered.
"Ms. Frost," Kitty said softly, "it's Kitty."
"Katherine," Kitty could almost hear Emma smile on the other
end as she continued, "it's been a long time." Quietly, "I rather
doubt this is a social call."
"And why is that?" Kitty asked with a smile.
"Because I'm well aware how much Ororo disapproves of me,"
Emma answered her wryly.
"Could you mind link with me?" Kitty asked, "It might be
easier to explain that way."
"Of course," Emma answered, then the phone clicked to
disconnect. There was a shimmer, and the blonde X-Man appeared before
them, the telepathic image garbed in her white leather uniform.
"She here?" Rogue asked softly.
"You can't.." then Kitty shook herself. "I forgot the problems
you and telepaths have. Emma, can you link with Rogue too?"
"Done," Emma smiled. She looked at Kitty intently, "Does this
relate to the Stryfe matter that Storm brought to the Professor's
attention?"
"Indirectly. He has an assassin named Sakura working for him,
and I'm almost certain I've met her before. But there seems to be a
block in my memories," Kitty shrugged.
"And since Jean and the Professor haven't spotted it before,"
Emma mused, "you want someone unfamiliar with your mental landscape to
try." She looked thoughtful, "And my reputation for ruthlessness
couldn't hurt, either."
"Pretty much what I was thinking," Kitty nodded.
"Just don't go too far," Rogue said softly to Emma. "You hurt
her, and I will fly to the States to make you regret it," she vowed.
Emma didn't seem too bothered by her threat, "Understood." She
looked over at Kitty and simply said, "Let's go." The telepath's
projected image seemed to vanish, and Kitty stiffened, standing almost
like a statue.
The mindscape formed around Emma as she gazed about
thoughtfully, quickly getting her bearings. A Japanese village mixed
with western imagery, science fiction novels, complex mathematics, it
was an unique place to say the least.
"What took you?" Kitty smiled, garbed in her blue and black
X-Men uniform. They moved on into the mindscape together as Kitty
asked, "Where do you want to start?"
"Sakura is a Japanese name," Emma shrugged, "so we'll focus
there first."
They walked through Kitty's memories in reverse, from the
dragon attack on Tokyo, to Mariko and Logan's attempted marriage, and
finally to Kitty's first visit to Japan. Her training under Logan,
running through thick snow, preparation of mind and body. The battle
with Logan, sai's flashing in her hands. A flash of gray, and her
captivity by 'Ogun...
"Wait," Emma cried.
"What?" Kitty looked at her in surprise.
"You didn't see it," Emma murmured, calling up that gray area.
Instead of a image, a door appeared before them both, large, oak and
barred.
"Something from my training under 'Ogun," Kitty murmured,
reaching for the door. She sensed something, and threw herself and
Emma back roughly to avoid throwing stars.
"You will not pass!" a voice cried out in unaccented Japanese.
Standing above the barrier was a ninja, dressed in flowing black and
wearing a traditional demon's mask.
"I must know what lies behind there," Kitty replied in the
same tongue.
"To do so you must pass me," the ninja said simply.
"So be it," Kitty seemed to vanish.
The ninja leapt and they met in midair, each holding a set of
sai and striking swiftly. Unable to breech the other's guard they
switched to katana, the long swords flashing. Again and again they
attacked, each unable to defeat the other.
"Kitty!" Emma cried.
"Yes?" Kitty parried even as she spoke.
"That's another aspect of you," Emma yelled, "The part of you
that wants to keep what ever is behind that door sealed away."
The ninja stepped back, reaching up to take her mask off. "The
sensei is wise," the other Kitty said softly. Her hair was pulled back
into a ponytail, and her eyes were dark and intense. "You're not ready
to face this," she said to Kitty softly.
"I have to be," Kitty said to her other firmly, "she's
threatening my friends." She looked back at Emma, "How do I beat
myself?"
"You don't," Emma answered softly, "you accept."
Kitty met her eyes a moment, then nodded. She ran at her other
self, her twin raised her blade, and Kitty impaled herself on it. "No
more," she grabbed her twin's shoulders, feeling them flow together,
"we don't have the time."
In moments there was only one figure standing there. Emma held
her breath, watching Kitty holding the demon mask in her hands. She
brought them together, crushing the mask to dust as Kitty looked up at
her with a weary smile.
"Shall we?" Emma gestured to the door.
Kitty stepped forward, placing a hand on it. There was a flare
of while light, and Emma found herself forcibly flung out of Kitty's
mind, back in Kitty and Rogue's room. Rogue jumped up off the bed,
catching her swaying lover before she fell.
"What happened?" Rogue barked at Emma.
"It's all right," Kitty smiled up at Rogue weakly, "I'm fine."
"Kitty broke through the memory block," Emma explained to
Rogue, "but it may have been a bit of a shock to her system." She
smiled at Kitty, "You'll likely need some time to fully digest what
you've just regained."
"Thank you," Kitty said quietly.
Emma smiled back, "You're welcome." With that she simply
disappeared.
"You don't look good," Rogue said to her softly.
"A bit of a surprise," Kitty said softly. "We'd better talk to
Ororo, she's going to want to know this," she added.
"Know what?" Rogue asked.
A grim little smile, "Sakura was 'Ogun's other apprentice, for
one."
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