InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "woot woot"

Kitty liked living in the Tower, mostly because Friday made things very convenient, though she was disappointed that things with the school didn’t work out since it would have been a lot easier for her to use the excuse of working on a project with Charles as her reason for staying in New York.

Now that she’d been there a few months, she was pretty well settled in and considered Raven a good friend. Tony had managed to pull strings to get her re-enrolled at Columbia and she had opted to take a few online classes this semester, partly because she didn’t want to overwhelm herself and partly because she was still a little afraid to venture too far away from the tower for fear she’d get nabbed again and wouldn’t have Pete to help her escape this time. He traveled a lot for his job with MI-6 and she worried that he might get grabbed again. Having him around made Kitty feel safer, even though she was learning to defend herself.

In fact, she was on her way to meet him at the airport on his return to the states. He told her that he had finally managed to procure new identification for her and she knew that Pete wanted to be able to talk to her without risking any eavesdropping, so it seemed smarter to meet him away from the tower and send away the driver before Pete’s arrival.

It occurred to her that they probably should have made more solid plans than ‘meet at the car rental place’ though because she was standing around outside, keeping an eye out for him and realizing that she had no idea which direction she should be watching. At least the weather wasn’t too chilly tonight.

---

Pete found it ironic that Alamo car rental had a Aston Martin Vantage, and he didn't give a rat's arse about the expense incurred. He wasted no time hopping an airport shuttle picking it up, flipping off a few airport security cameras along the way with a two fingered salute. It was an open rebellion against anyone trying to take him again without MI-6 intervening this time, which he had secured assurances after a debriefing and rather convincing threats of excess force at his superiors.

All of whom decided that it was now more useful to have an agent heading a new department anyway...which may have been their idea all along.

The sleek black car zipped to an abrupt stop by Kitty, he leaned over and opened the passenger door.

"...'ello luv," he said. "Care to join the Dangerous Sports Club?"

---

When the sports car stopped in front of her, Kitty startled until she realized it was Pete. Because of course it was. She should have expected him to have a flashy car like this. It went against the instincts she’d have to keep a low profile, but she wasn’t the spy, so she figured he knew what he was doing.

She slid into the passenger seat, ignoring the looks from the people around them who wondered why a young woman in jeans, a hoodie, and a baseball cap was getting into an Aston Martin. “Nice car,” she said. “Flying under the radar, I see.”

---

"Too right. And it's black. That's the color of stealth bombers."

It wasn't a rock and roll lifestyle, as much as it was a bit of a James Bond aesthetic choice. He gave her a wolfish smile and waited until she'd buckled up, before turning onto the street and weaving through traffic....only to be stopped at a red light at the next intersection.

He quickly reached into the inside of his suit and drew out a card with her photo on it. Underneath was emblazoned a name: Kate Wisdom.

"Your new fake I.D. missus Wisdom," he joked, a smile smeared over the lower half of his face. "I know a bloke in cyber crime, that I nicknamed Fat Bastard. He weighs eight stone after he went paleo. I refuse to call him Devon, because he's an obnoxiously droning prat and a glassy-eyed hermit. Despite his other many character defects, he's also a wiz at faking credentials."

---

Kitty took the card he was holding out and stared at it in confusion. That was definitely her picture, but Kate Wisdom? “Uh… thanks,” she said, her cheeks turning pink at the implication that they were married. Maybe that’s why everyone kept thinking they were a couple. Surely Pete didn’t mean to give people that impression. He was an international spy who probably had women throwing themselves at him constantly. There was no way he’d ever be interested in a nerdy college student.

Not that she’d want him to be. He was her friend. Her protector. That was all.

“So did you find out anything new and interesting,” she asked, tucking the ID in her pocket and deciding to change the subject.

---

He didn't have the heart to tell her that Fat Bastard was making an age difference joke, saying she could pass as his illegitimate American daughter. The other story was preferable in comparison, and why bother rocking that boat by pointing that out? It wasn't like she would be interested in him, with his sarcastic and sour attitude, sordid past, and deadly tendencies.

He accelerated only to stop at the next light. So much for reaching the motorway quickly.

"Bloody hell, I should have rented a family saloon," he complained, draping one hand over the steering wheel. While they waited and a couple of uber drivers were having a screaming fight out their car windows, he looked over at her and said flat out, "I've gathered from interrogating one bastard that I was sent there to be modified. So I took that information up top. Lobbed threats. Got a new assignment. You're looking at the head of MI-13. An overseas assignment monitoring Weird Happenings and Mutant Affairs."

Nevermind that the office was a former supply room on the fifth floor of the SIS Building in Vauxhall. On the side that didn't face the Thames.

At least it wasn't the basement like the X-Files or Mindhunters.

---

“Wait, you mean they deliberately turned you into a mutant?” Kitty asked. She was still getting used to referring to herself and the others that way and the idea that someone had sent Pete there specifically to be given powers was beyond anything she could have imagined. Up until now, she’d been under the impression that they all had some gene inside them that had been activated somehow.

She couldn’t understand why they would do that. Surely he didn’t have to have mutant abilities to head up a division that monitored their whereabouts. “Congratulations?” she said hesitantly. “That’s a good thing, right?”

---

“Yes, they did. And too right it’s a good thing,” Pete replied, finally on the right expressway to head back toward the new Avengers Tower. While the knowledge that it was done on purpose stung, a lot, it also was one of those cases of having a very British stiff upper lip about the entire experience. He knew to use everything to his advantage to keep England - and everyone else - as safe as possible. "It means that they're going to try to make right with this mess they've got me into. It might have some perks as far as protection and funding goes, as well. Like your shiny new identification."

---

The idea that it was possible to purposely genetically modify someone was frightening to consider, for a lot of reasons, and Kitty was impressed that he was taking it so well. “Well, that’s something at least,” she said. “I’m starting classes again in a couple of weeks. Remote for now, but I’m looking forward to it.”

It hadn’t been easy getting through Thanksgiving and Hanukkah without visiting her parents and Kitty was hoping that maybe her new ID would make it safer for her to do so now.

“So your new division, are you going to be spending more time here? Or back in England? Or somewhere else?” she asked.

---

In private, Pete was not taking things well. He was, as ever, rough around the edges and tended to drink more than he should, without getting fall-down drunk and leaving a trail of pavement pizza behind in his wake. He still had instances where he melted handles when frustrated, which was a lot, since Pete was often annoyed on several fronts with society in general. But no matter how annoyed he got, he would still fight to the death to protect it and all the stupid people that did things he hated. Because that was their right to live how they wanted to, without some evil dumb arse butting in and upending their safety and security.

It was, perhaps, the only rosey thing about Pete: his work ethic. No matter how much he drank, no matter how bitter he might seem, he would still see to his duty. And part of that duty, even if she didn't know it, was making sure that Kitty stayed safe and could live her life in peace too.

"I can get your school credentials wiped and changed when you're ready to attend in person," he offered, glancing over at her before his eyes were back on the road again. "They'd be none the wiser."

Some music would probably make things easier, the louder and more obnoxious the better. But he wasn't about to go mucking about with the stereo unless they were caught in a traffic jam.

"Here," he told her, and hoped that sounded reassuring enough. "I'm still your next-door neighbor. I'll be working with that Fury bloke...who has one of the best names in the business, honestly."





Kitty breathed a little sigh of relief when he said he’d be primarily based here and working with Fury. She hadn’t met him yet, but she had heard of him and was under the impression that he was a very scary guy. “Oh good,” she said. “I’ve gotten much better at not randomly phasing through walls and floors.”

So she hopefully wouldn’t end up accidentally barging into his space. That would be embarrassing.

“Do you think you can help Raven with new identification too?” she asked. “I’m not sure if you got a chance to really talk to her before you left, but we’ve become pretty good friends.”

---

Pete tried not to look disappointed that Kitty wouldn't randomly pop over into his apartment now and then. It was hard to forget the incident when they escaped from Genosha, and Kitty left some clothes behind.

Of course, he knew she wanted to hang out with him because she was comfortable after going through a hardship. That's all. It couldn't possibly be anything more than that.

"I was going to speak to Stark and Fury about it, actually. About new credentials for everyone who escapes." It wouldn't stop them from using people's real names when talking, but they could at least make sure that identification systems didn't register them under their real names. He knew it probably wasn't easy to make friends after going through what they had on Genosha. But if she managed it, then good for her. Pete kept things to work colleagues and that was about it.

"The blue bird, eh? I haven't gotten a moment to, not yet. But it's good you've got a friend, Kitty. I'll make sure she's got her arse covered as well."

---

“Thanks,” Kitty said, glancing over and giving him a smile. Their friendship was unusual, for sure, but she was grateful for it. Pete was a good guy, no matter what kind of front he might put on to people. “She’s cool. She can shapeshift and look like anyone.” Like Kitty, she was still learning control.

Since the first wave of arrivals, there hadn’t been anyone else who escaped, though Kitty kept hoping more people would. She hated knowing that so many others were undergoing the type of experimentation and torture she had suffered.

“You want to order pizza when we get back to the tower?” she asked.

---

"Shapeshifting would be a dead useful skill. The department heads want to see how mutant heroes act on this side o' the pond, before considering asking some of them to be agents. Or even to be called in, in defense."

He didn't think twice about telling Kitty that information. She was a good sounding board, and they did seem to have a good friendship. She seemed to balance out his bitter cynicism.

"You know wot?" he said after a brief think about it while driving. Airline food wasn't great, and the couple of drinks he had burned off a little faster than he wanted them to. "Pizza would be aces. Let's. We'd better get two, and you’d better choose the toppings. Right now, I'd eat my own arm off."

---

While she certainly wouldn’t consider herself a hero, Kitty did hope to find ways to use her newfound abilities to help others. She’d be more useful behind the scenes, doing computer things though most likely.

“I’m fine with anything that doesn’t have meat,” she said. “But if you want meat, we can order that separate.”

---

"I'm a bloody carnivore, so meat is a must," Pete said, as the skyscrapers of Manhattan came into view. Pete thought to himself that he was going to have to get used to this landscape. He was adaptable to an extent. The extent being that he didn't have to like it, but some things made it a little more bearable. He wasn't ready to say that Kitty was one of them, but he did consider it. That was quickly followed by asking himself how long it would be until he ruined it.

He also knew how useful walking through walls could be in protecting everyone, but Kitty was really only just getting used to the changes, the same as any other mutant. He didn't want to throw her, or someone like Raven, into the thick of a spy mission.

"You know, Pryde," he said suddenly, after thinking it over for a minute or two. "You and Raven, if you get yourselves sorted, you could always get some training to become as-needed operatives. Bring it up to her, and have a think before saying no."

---

“Jewish,” Kitty reminded him. “Can’t have dairy and meat together.” And pizza wasn’t pizza without cheese. So she’d get herself veggies and him meat.

His suggestion surprised her, but she nodded. “Yeah, okay, I will. And I’ll talk to her.” She wasn’t sure if she’d have what it took to be a spy, but she certainly wouldn’t rule it out. Especially if Pete thought she was capable.

---

He nodded to acknowledge that she'd be thinking about it. That was best left in their court to decide, and he wasn't about to push. Weird circumstances made for strange bedfellows already, especially now that they were all living under one roof. Which could only lead to problems, in the long run. They would probably need to defend themselves, sooner or later. From what...he wasn't sure.

"Fuck, I keep forgetting," He scrunched his face up a little, like he should have remembered that. On Genosha, they didn't have much of a dietary choice. It was protein paste with a side of vegetables. Sometimes. It was probably the healthiest he'd eaten in his entire life. "Suggesting we find a proper full breakfast one day, is entirely out of the question. Two pizzas are fine though, really."

He didn't realize that it sounded like a 'spend the night together' thing, as much as he was already missing a good fry up.

It might hit him later, but not right now.

---

Kitty had no idea what a proper full breakfast consisted of or why she couldn’t have one, but it didn’t really matter and she shrugged it off, not even picking up on the potential implication of why they would possibly be getting breakfast together.

“Good,” she said. “And you can tell me more about your trip.”