Black Air

When I’m Gone

~*~

"There's another world inside of me
That you may never see
There's secrets in this life
That I can't hide
Somewhere in this darkness
There's a light that I can't find
Maybe it's too far away...
Maybe I'm just blind..."
-3 Doors Down

~*~

“Hello?” Logan said as he picked up the phone.

“Can’t talk long, mate,” the other voice said.

Logan’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t heard this voice in several years but he had heard things over the past few years that had made him deeply mistrust the man he had called a friend only eight years ago. “Wisdom, what the hell-”

“Wot part of ‘can’t talk long’ don’t ya understand? Listen, one of yer kids, a girl named Kitty, she’s in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“Black Air.”

Logan sat up straight. He had known when he had met her that Kitty’s powers would make her very attractive to any agency. “What are you guys planning?”

There was a pause and he could hear Pete sigh. “They need her to get int’ a base.”

“After?”

Pete winced at the dark tone the other man was using. “They’re giving her to me.”

“What?!”

“It was either me or Scratch. You should know me well enough to know that I won’t hurt her, mate. But I’m warnin’ you so you can keep them from getting her. You need to keep her safe.”

Knowing that Pete wouldn't harm Kitty or let her get hurt if he could help it Logan calmed down a bit. His interest was also piqued. Pete was nothing if not loyal. “Why are you warning me? Isn’t this betrayal against your agency?”

“I’m not a monster,” Pete said a growl in his own voice. “She’s just a kid. I don’t want her hurt.”

“Right,” Logan said. “Just a kid. I want you to remember that if we can’t keep her here. We will get her back. And if I smell you on her, I’ll tear you apart. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Thank you for the warnin’, runt.”

“Just keep her safe.” He hung up.

The next day

“Mr. Logan, I appreciate you wanting to protect me and everything but I’m fine really,” Kitty said as he pulled up on his bike in front of the school.

“I know, kid,” Logan said putting the helmet she handed him away. “And I’d like to keep it that way. Meet me right here after school. Okay?”

“Yes.”

“Be careful.”

“I will.” Kitty rolled her eyes but still smiled. “Don’t worry so much, okay? After all, you taught me.” He smiled and ruffled her hair. “Hey! I spent twenty minutes on that!”

“Oops,” he smirked. “See ya after school.” He started the bike and waited until he saw her go inside to take off.

After school

Kitty yawned still sitting on the curb. She had been waiting for Logan for ten minutes. “For a man who made such a big deal out of me not being alone he’s awful late,” Kitty whispered. She saw two men approaching and jumped up. The sound of Logan’s motorcycle startled her making her look away. Kitty felt a sting in the back of her neck, then she hit the ground.

When Kitty came to she felt the ground lightly shaking under her for a second she felt a wild hope that it was Lance but then the realization came, it was the floor of a jet. She sat up and started to grab her head when the second realization came, she was tied up. The third and most terrifying was next. She couldn’t use her powers.

“You’re awake good,” a cool British voice said. “I was beginning to be afraid that the drug was too strong. How do you feel? Any dizziness? Nausea? Can you see straight?” Kitty looked up.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Name’s Shrine,” the man said kneeling down. “And yes, you have been kidnapped, and no, we don’t plan to hurt you as of now.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I’ll let him explain.”

“Who’s him?”

“Your new owner, Kitty-Cat.”

All Kitty’s defiance and spirit came back with that one word. “Owner?! Who in the hell do you think you are?!”

“I believe we already went over that.”

“Shrine, back off.” This came from a huge man. He towered above her, almost as big as Piotr. “I’m landing now.” They landed and Shrine and the other man pulled her up. Two men and a woman walked out to greet them.

“Even better in person,” the first smirked. The second’s face was guarded but Kitty could see sadness in his eyes as he regarded her.

“Wisdom, you may take her to your room, or the training room, whichever you prefer,” the woman smirked. Kitty tensed terrified that the first was Wisdom. To her relief the other came forward and took her from the other two.

“Please,” she said fighting him as he drug her down the hall. “I don’t know what you want but I, like-”

Pete merely stopped and glared down at her. “Listen, Pryde, I’m gonna have t’ explain a couple things t’ you. First, though, I need you to come with me.”

“But- I don’t know what’s going on. Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?” Pete rolled his eyes and tried to pull her down the hall again but she wouldn’t move. “I’m not going anywhere until you- hey!” she snapped indignantly when he grabbed her and hoisted her over his shoulder. He carried her into his room and dropped her unceremoniously onto the floor. She got up glaring at him.

“Sit,” he gestured to his bed, the only piece of furniture in the room. Kitty sat down obediently. He could see her eyes search the room though, looking for an escape route. “I’m guessin’ `at Logan has been keepin’ you close the last few days.”

Understanding came over her. “You’re why.”

“Bingo. I tol’ him that Black Air wanted you.”

“Why?”

“Why did I tell him or why do they want you?”

“Both.”

“They want you to get them into a base.”

“As if! Why would I do that?”

“Because they’ll kill you if you don’t.”

“I have to be set loose to get them in. What’s to stop me from phasing out of there?”

“I’m supposed to break you.”

She paled. “What?”

Pete looked at her impassively. No emotion showed on his face at all and that terrified her. “Break you. Torture, rape, whatever it takes.” Now he saw a slight tremble go through her and decided to try to be a bit nicer. “To answer your first question: I don’t want you to get hurt. I definitely don’t want to torture you.” She calmed slightly and he could see hope in her eyes. “But, I can’t get you out.”

“Why?”

He sighed. “Not alone. When they think you’ve been properly “broken” then I’ll be able to take you with me if I leave. Problem is: Shrine is a telepath. I can shield him and in time I can teach you.”

“I already can shield a little, Logan taught me. Do we have enough time for you to teach me more?”

“I don’t know. Logan will know where you are. Our best hope is that he gets here soon.”

“Okay, like, let me get this straight. I’m stuck here with a guy who’s supposed to ‘break me’ on an island. The others don’t know where I am. And my only hope of getting out is a man who may not even be alive!” her voice had been getting higher at each word showing that she was nearing hysteria.

“Wot?” Pete asked his eyes suddenly sharp.

“Logan, he was late picking me up. Logan’s never late when it’s important. They must have gotten to him. They may have killed him and it’d be all my fault! Oh, God, he may be dead and now-” *SLAP* Kitty touched her cheek shocked.

“Sorry, you were gettin’ hysterical,” Pete said. She kicked him knocking him backwards.

“That hurt,” she said.

“Yer really lucky that I’m not one of the others,” he growled getting to his feet. He stopped seeing that Kitty was sobbing. Pete frowned. Dealing with hysterical woman was definitely not his forte. He awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Pryde, get a hold of yourself.”

“Screw you.”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “I could comment on that but you’re upset so I won’t.” She looked up confused then a small reluctant smile lifted her lips.

“I’m sorry. You’re trying to help and I’m being-”

“A bitch?” he offered.

“Those totally weren’t going to be my words but okay.”

“By the way, my name’s Pete Wisdom.”

“What do I call you?”

“Privately I don’t care.”

“I won’t call you master. I refuse to call you that.”

“Sir would be fine,” he smiled. He thought for a few moments. “I `ave an idea.”

“What?”

“You’re going to have to trust me and listen to me. Can you do that?”

“I can try.”

“Good, stay here.” He walked out leaving a bemused Kitty behind.

In the conference room

“She said she’d work with us when I tol’ her that we threatened her mates back home,” Pete said. “She thinks that if she goes back to them we’ll take `em out. Trust me, we have her full cooperation.”

“Wisdom, messing with the poor terrified girl’s head,” Scicluna smirked, “we’ll make an agent out of you yet.” Pete silently fumed over that.

“How do we know she won’t run?” Threadgold asked.

“You want Shrine t’ read her?” Pete asked.

“No,” Scicluna said. “I trust your judgment on this.” Pete smirked inwardly. She would never expect betrayal from her top agent and that was her biggest mistake.

“If she’s willing to do anything we say-” Scratch started.

Pete turned on him narrowing his eyes. “One of the things that helped her decide was my promise that none of you would touch her. No one touches her but me. Understood?”

“Fine, Wisdom,” Scratch said slowly.

“Good,” Pete stood. “I’m goin’ back t’ me room.”

“Have fun,” Shrine smirked.

“We’re going tomorrow,” Scicluna said. “Tell her that.”

“I will,” Pete said. He breathed a sigh of relief as he left. He was amazed that this had worked. He went back into his room.

Kitty stood. “Where’d you go?”

“You said you’d try t’ trust me an’ that you’d listen to me.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, I tol’ them `at you were gonna cooperate.” He told her briefly about the conversation he had with the others.

Kitty tensed but nodded. “Okay. Would they actually hurt my friends?” Pete laid a hand gently on her knee simply out of comfort causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

“Calm down.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“They might try but they wouldn’t want to fight the X-Men.”

Kitty took a deep breath looking down. “The others aren’t going to… do anything, are they?” She had seen the way Scratch had looked at her and to be honest, it had terrified her.

“Scicluna said that you were mine. Threadgold will listen to her. Shrine won’t do anything, he’s too scared of me. And if Scratch touches you I’ll tear him apart and he knows it.”

“Thank you.”

He smiled. “No thanks are necessary. Part o’ the reason is that Logan’ll have me balls on a silver platter.”

She wrinkled up her nose. “Thanks for that image. That’s gonna stick with me.” He smiled relieved that she wasn’t crying anymore. “Listen, I’m, like, really tired. Is there anywhere I can sleep?”

“Sorry, Pryde, but yer gonna `ave t’ stay with me.”