House of M: Regrets
The SHIELD Hellicarrier soared through the crowds as
the members of the X-Men and the Avengers talked in
the commissary, discussing their plans. They had a
incredible situation to deal with, and inside all of
them were reeling a little in shock. Somehow, Magneto
had used the powers of his daughter Wanda the Scarlet
Witch to rewrite all reality, creating a new world
where mutants ruled over humanity and humans were the
despised minority. The mysterious child Layla Miller
had somehow awakened them to their true memories and
original lives, and it was all a bit much to deal
with.
Katherine Pryde leaned against the wall, the brown
haired young woman listening as Scott Summers grimly
explained how they could not hold back in attacking
Magneto's home and getting much needed answers. Nearby
Emma Frost sat on the couch, Layla Miller asleep with
her head in her lap while Rogue perched nearby. Around
various tables the X-Men grimly listened, each coping
with the situation their own way.
"Are we supposed to do this?" Kitty burst out,
surprising her seat mates Logan, Kurt Wagner and
Jennifer Walters.
"Supposed to do what, Kitty?" Felicia Hardy asked, the
blonde looking a bit confused from where she was
standing by Cloak.
"Doesn't trying to put the world back after what's
happened seem just as bad as what's been done to it?"
Kitty explained, leaning forward on the table. "This
isn't like stopping a bomb from going off. It's
already gone off! We might even make it worse,"
"But," Cloak said, his face obscured by the black and
blue cloak he always wore, "we have to try, right?"
Kitty smiled bitterly, "I'm asking, who says?"
As Jessica Drew stepped into the debate arguing that
they were all happier here, Kitty was nodding her
agreement even as Logan, Scott and Emma Frost took the
side that they had to do something. As Spider-Man got
up and left Kitty also rose, and faking concern she
slipped from the room as well.
Kitty walked to a nearby window and looked out at the
sky around her, her thoughts in turmoil. She smelled
him first, the faint scent of cigars lingering around
him as she said, "Leave me alone, Logan."
"Not right now," Logan answered, the shorter man
moving up beside her. Described by some as a hairy
fireplug Logan was a stocky, muscular man, one who
carried with him decades of harsh experience.
Evasively Kitty said, "So you got to run SHIELD. What
was it like being Nick Fury?"
"I've had worse times," Logan conceded. He looked at
her with sympathy as he asked, "What's really riling
you up?"
Kitty looked out the window, her expression anguished,
"I got my heart's desire too, Logan."
"Yer a teacher," Logan agreed.
"Not just a teacher," Kitty hissed. "I live in a house
near by my parents in Cincinnati, with my wife of five
years..."
Logan blinked, "Damn."
"Exactly," Kitty nodded jerkily. "And now I have to
help my friends possibly erase her from history."
Logan squeezed her shoulder, "She might still exist
afterwards."
Kitty sighed, "But she won't know who I am, and who
knows if I'll even remember any of this afterwards?"
Logan nodded as he joined her looking out at the
darkening sky. "It's a hard choice," he admitted,
"make the best one you can."
And that was what Kitty did. She threw herself in the
battle at Genosha, fighting beside her friends against
familiar faces, until the battle was stopped by Wanda
herself. Healing her brother Pietro from a fatal wound
she cried out her pain and grief, then uttered those
fateful words "...no more mutants."
And reality changed once again. In a flash of white
light hundreds of thousands of mutants were suddenly
human, even as some of the X-Men and Avengers coped
with disuieting memories of a world that no longer
existed. In the chaos following the X-Men struggled to
cope, tracking down a depowered Magneto and facing the
return of Vulcan, but eventually things settled down a
bit.
The jeep paused as Kitty got her bearings, then
continued on through eerily familiar surroundings. She
hadn't been in Cincinnati in years, yet she remembered
another life where she had never moved away. It was
strangely confusing as she drove on, navigating by
landmarks until she found the spot on the edge of
town.
The little bar was right where Kitty remembered, and
even better it still had the same all women
clientelle. Women were getting out of their cars,
lingering, talking and generally engaging in that
subtle mating dance women do so well. As ladies went
in she could hear music playing, almost calling out to
her to go in and join the fun.
With a nervous gulp Kitty left the jeep and walked
towards the door, feeling eyes rest on her jean clad
legs and butt along with the looser shirt she had
chosen. She got into line, keeping her stance casual
while remaining aware of her surroundings.
"Identification?" the woman at the door asked, looking
at Kitty a little warily. As Kitty produced her wallet
the older woman looked it over, then handed it back as
she asked, "This your first time here?"
"Yeah," Kitty said, deciding it was too complicated to
say she had once visited there in a alternate
timeline.
"Watch yourself," she advised, "a girl like you would
be in pretty high demand."
"Thanks," Kitty grinned and headed in.
AS she went inside there were so many faces Kitty
knew, but she had to fight back the urge to cry hello.
They didn't know her, and the only reason Kitty
recognized them was because of memories she retained
from a alternate life. Still, she walked up to the bar
with the confidence of familiarity and ordered a
simple beer.
Turning with drink in hand Kitty savored her drink
even as she matched memories with faces. There was
Evelyn and Cory playing pool, Beth, Jack and Hazel by
the jukebox, and the usual poker game in the corner
included Simone, Rio, Dani and Jesse. They all looked
so familiar, yet none of them had ever met her before.
'This is a bad idea,' Kitty admitted to herself,
turning back to her beer. Even if she found her here
once again, they were both different people, having
led very different lives. The chances of them striking
sparks like the first time they met were tiny at best.
"Why so glum, chum?" a soft voice asked, so close as
to make a shiver run up Kitty's spine.
Ruby looked just as Kitty remembered her, her
signature red hair falling into amused looking green
eyes. She wore a tight red dress showing off generous
curves, and her face was done up with just enough make
up to bring out her eyes. All in all she was stunning,
and Kitty found herself nearly speechless.
"Uhh," Kitty managed weakly.
Ruby chuckled softly as she said, "You look like
someone stole your best friend. Want to talk about
it?"
"It's a long story," Kitty managed to get her mind in
gear well enough to get out.
"I'm not going anywhere," Ruby gave her a charming
wink.
"Well," Kitty smiled back, "why not?"
Sitting at a table the next half hour was remarkably
pleasant as Kitty talked about a deliberately vague
lost love, and subtly sounded out Ruby. Like in the
House of M world she was a teacher, dealing in the
elementary grades, and possessed of a sharp mind that
easily followed Kitty's. They talked and laughed, yet
Kitty felt a slight distance between them too.
"It's been good to meet you, Kitty," Ruby finally put
down her drink and stretched, "but I'd best be getting
home." Her smile was slightly apologetic as she said,
"The wife tolerates my going out like this, but not
too late."
Kitty felt light the wind had been punched out of her.
'Of course someone so nice must be taken,' she
realized even as she reassured Ruby that it was fine,
standing up as the other lady prepared to go.
"I hope I'll see you around," Ruby smiled, "it's so
nice to talk to a new face."
"Maybe," Kitty agreed as she watched Ruby walk off
into the night. With a somewhat heavy heart she got up
and went back to the bar, ordering a coffee since she
was going to be driving soon.
"You all right?" the bartender asked.
"Hmm?" Kitty looked at her questioningly.
Pushing over a cup of coffee she quietly said, "I
don't think Ruby realizes the effect she can have on
people."
"Maybe so," Kitty admitted as she gently stirred in
sugar and cream, "but that's part of her charm."
Reluctantly she let go of even the possibility of
dating Ruby, taking that dream and firmly putting it
away.
"Yeah, true enough," the older woman admitted. "Don't
let her scare you off," she dropped her voice as she
continued, "you could make some good friends here,
miss."
Kitty drank some coffee, smiling to herself slightly.
Maybe she couldn't have the dream life of House of
M... but maybe it was possible to find something more
real. "You know," she mused as she sipped, "maybe I
will be back."
End
Notes: I thought it was a bit off that of all the
"happily ever afters" in House of M the only happily
married characters were Spidey and Gwen and Cyclops
and Emma. If you were given your heart's desire, I'd
think more than a few would include wedded bliss.
So why Kitty? She was the only character on the X-Men
side to actually argue they should NOT change the
world back, which implied she might have a personal
reason. As to Kitty being gay, it's partially my
imagination and part subtext between her and various
candidates. I was going to have her be married to
either Rachel/Marvel girl or X'ian/Karma, but both
were caught up in stories that prevented that.
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