34NOTE IMPORTANT: I re-did chapter 11 big time, please go back and re-read it. I changed her back story a bunch. It makes a lot more sense now.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Ha, pay attention nerds, I don't own anything.
Chapter 12-
Kate walked down hallway of the mansion, having just gotten some hot chocolate from the kitchen. It was late, possibly past midnight, but Kate was having trouble sleeping. She 'exploded' a couple of days ago on her teammates, and they didn't deserve that at all.
Kate sighed, and continued her trek down the hallway to her room. She passed the living room, where she could hear voices. Kate paused, and then quietly crouched by the doorway. She leaned close to the door, straining to hear what they were talking about. Kate opened her mouth to get a better sense of smell.
"You've known all along why I was here…What started as a covert mission, tomorrow mankind will know that mutants exist. Shaw, us, they won't …fear us … turn to hatred." Kate froze, that was Erik talking. She tried to listen harder.
"Not if we… Shaw. Not if we risk our lives."
"Will they do the same for us?"
"We have it in us to be the better men."
"We already are! We're the next stage of human evolution. You said it yourself!"
"No! No!" Kate's eyes grew wide as Charles protested.
"Are you really so naive, as to think that they won't battle their own extinction? Or is it arrogance?" Kate winced, extinction?
"I'm sorry?"
"After tomorrow, they're gonna turn us. But you're blind to it, because you believe they're all like Moira." Kate rolled her eyes, she had known that there was something going on between the agent and the professor, and Erik just conformed it.
"You believe they're all like Shaw." Charles replied back. That's when Kate slowly stood, and left before they could ever figure out that she was there.
Kate looked out the window, it was the day of the battle, the day when they will all go and fight Shaw. She turned around, and gazed around her room. It might be the last time she ever saw it again. On a whim, Kate grabbed her knit hat, or as she calls it, her beanie. (Sean argues that it's not a beanie, but a knit hat. She stared at it, and put it on, covering up her ears.
Kate looked at herself in the mirror on the vanity she had. She was dressed comfortably, wearing a t shirt from Raven that she borrowed, and the jeans she had when she first came in. Her tail was free, flickering slightly from side to side.
Her hat was on her head, looking raggedy and proud of it. She could say that she almost looked cute.
But looks were not important today.
Today. Today was the day that the battle would begin. Kate took a deep breath and left the room, giving it one last long look before shutting the door gently. Sean stood outside her door; hand raised and prepared to knock. They were silent for a moment, before Kate spoke out loud. "When we..." She trailed off. "When we come back," She said, regaining her voice. "You want to play some chess?" She looked up at him, and Sean grinned.
"Sure."
They walked to Hank's lab in silence, where in front of the door they met the rest of the crew. Alex was messing with his clothes, while Charles and Erik were having a stare down. Raven leaned up against the wall, in her natural state while Moira was fiddling with her gun. Kate's eyebrow rose. "Where's Hank?" She asked.
"Haven't you ever head? Curiosity killed the cat." Raven murmured and opened the door to Hank's lab.
"What's with her?" Kate asked, and Alex shrugged. Kate bit her lip and looked at the mentors. Erik crossed his arms while Charles just let out a huff.
"Maybe she's just coming to terms with who she is." Erik said carefully, looking meaningfully at Charles.
"You mean blue?" Alex said, finally saying something about how Raven was no longer blonde, and was walking around in her natural state.
Kate hadn't ever really seen Raven in her blue state, but was fascinated by it. She thought that Raven looked like an exotic bird of some type. Kate had no problem with it, at least Raven could hide it, and Kate knew her ears would mean that going out in public would be very hard.
Before anyone could say anything, Charles cleared his throat and gestured to the lab. They entered.
Moira gasped. The room was a mess; it was like an animal ran through here on a rampage. Tables were flipped and chemicals spilled. They slowly walked down the aisle in the middle, carefully avoiding the debris.
"It looks like a wild animal ran through here." Kate said, kneeling down and picking up a glass shard. "I didn't do it, if any of you were wondering." She added, realizing how her previous words could be taken.
Alex snorted quietly, and Raven shot him a look. Everyone continued on the way to the end of the room, to where a big metal chest with an X on it was.
Charles opened it up slowly, and everyone stared into it.
"Hank has been busy." Erik commented.
Sean asked, "Do we have to wear these?" Kate cocked her head to the side. The uniforms didn't really seem that bad. Besides-
"As none of mutated to endure extreme G-force or being riddled by bullets, I suggest we suit up." Charles answered. Mumbling, everyone grabbed their set of clothes.
Kate went first, and grabbed hers eagerly. She did like the color yellow.
Everyone stood in a line, dressed for action and ready to go. Kate was fiddling with her suit, and decided to just zip the zipper all the way up.
"Where's Hank?" Raven asked, looking around. They had been waiting for ten minutes outside the jet. Kate cast a glance at it, looking concerned, it seemed pretty impressive.
"I'm here." Hank's voice wavered out to them. Kate's eyes widened and she breathed deep, smelling what was in the air. It had a Hank's scent, but more…
"Hank?" Charles asked, his voice confused.
Hank stepped closer, and Kate felt her world drop. Hank's features were blue, and furry, almost like a gorilla. He looked like a blue beast, it almost reminded Kate of Raven.
Hank's head hung down a little. "It didn't attack the cells. It enhanced them. It didn't work."
Kate had heard about the serum he had been working on, to get rid of the physical mutation he and Raven had. She had been interested in it at first, but never mentioned her curiosity.
Kate didn't want to admit it, but she was fond of her mutation, and even though it's scary at times, and she can't really go out, if she didn't have her tail, she wouldn't have met her friends.
"Yes it did, Hank." Raven said, smiling a little. "Don't you see? This is who you were meant to be. This is you. No more hiding."
Kate's ears perked up at that, no more hiding was something she could get behind. If Raven could wear her natural state proudly, why should Kate let her ears bother her?
Kate felt her tail flicker back and forth behind her. Hank had somehow made a hole in the back of her suit that allowed her tail to be free and mobile.
Erik coughed, bring attention to him. "Never looked better man."
Hank's hand suddenly latched onto Erik's throat, and he lifted the man off his feet. He starts to strangle him, and Kate panicked, worried for her teacher.
"Hank?" Charles said.
"Don't mock me!" Hank growled out, still clutching Erik's neck.
"Hank, what are you doing!" Kate asked, her eyes widening.
Charles took charge almost instantaneously when Hank didn't put Erik down. "Hank, put him down immediately please, Hank? Hank!"
Hank dropped Erik, who was gasping for breath.
Erik took in a deep breath and added, a bit hoarsely. "I wasn't!" He managed to get out.
Alex cleared his throat and said in the mist of the tension. "Even I got to admit you look pretty bad-a**. I think I've got a new name for you." Hank's head whipped around with his face in a growl. Kate paused, and looked up, hoping that Alex didn't say anything stupid like he usually does.
Alex finished, not breaking eye contact with Hank. "Beast." Hank showed his teeth in approval.
Sean asked Hank, "You sure you can fly this thing?"
Hank nodded. "'Course I can, I designed it."
Everyone boarded the jet, Kate a little bit more slowly than others. She paused, right outside the door.
"Kate?" Charles asked her, "What's wrong?"
Kate turned around, and then jumped off the ramp. She walked quickly to the other side of the warehouse, where a bunch of bins were.
"Kate!" Sean called after her, "What are you doing?"
Kate looked at him, and then back at the boxes. She took off her beanie, and tucked it under one of the straps. She took a couple steps back, and then ran back to the jet. She jumped up the ramp, and into the doorway. "Ready." She said firmly, determination in her eyes.
"What was that for?" Raven asked Kate.
Kate smiled at her. "A promise. I've had that hat for almost ten years." She touched her head, rubbing the dusty gold strands. "It's been with me for a long time. And it's seen some mileage, but it's always come through. It reminds me of a boomerang, at times, always coming back to me. So now it's my turn."
Kate walked deeper into the jet, and took her seat next to Sean. "It's a promise that we will come back." Kate stared into each of her friend's eyes. "All of us."
A moment of silence passed between everyone before Alex sniggered. Kate rolled her eyes. "Shut up." She muttered, crossing her arms. A slight blush covered her cheeks, and others broke into chuckles.
"Very motivational, Kate." Charles commented, shooting her a smile.
"Yes, yes, I get it, I'm a sap, let's go okay, time to go kick some a**." Kate replied. Her eyes flickered up and they met with Erik's. He had no light of humor in his, and Kate swallowed nervously.
Hank started up the jet, and Kate let out a small growl. She was very nervous at the thought of flying, especially since they were going to be over water. As Hank began to take off, Kate said. "The possibilities of crashing in an airplane are much slimmer than crashing into a car. Right?"
"Of course." Hank answered gruffly.
The jet dipped suddenly, and Kate's claws sprung out a little, scratching the straps of the seat. The lion-human hybrid took a deep breath, and the claws disappeared.
"I don't think evasive maneuvers and fighting were thought into that calculation." Alex added, smirking.
Kate swallowed visibly. Sean grabbed her hand, and held it, giving it a squeeze.
"It'll be alright." He told her, smiling. He let go when Kate nodded and smiled back at him.
"Yeah, we're gonna be alright. All of us." Kate said firmly. Despite the confidence in her voice, she knew that wasn't going to be the case. Things were going to change dramatically, somehow in some way, and nothing would ever be the same.
I'm so sorry, guys.
I've been absent for such a long time, but there's no good explanation for that. I had a hard time with this chapter, and I know I keep saying that the next chapter will be the battle. I apologize. Thank you to the followers, and favoriters, it means the world to me that you like this.
I did change the back story for Kate, big time, so I think you better go back and re-read it, because it's changed.
We're coming up to the end of Kate, Lion? And I'm going to miss you guys. Next chapter, will have a scene that inspired this entire story. Yup, I created a character just because I wanted to do that one scene. You'll know which, (I'll tell if too). Anyway, I'm thinking of possibly creating a sequel, which will be composed of mostly just little short stories about what happens after the battle.
What do you think? No sequel, and just end it here, or create sequel, and find out the happily ever after for Kate and the X-Men.
Honestly, maybe two more chapters, and then this will be finished.
Please review!
With that out of the way, it's time to say-
-GP2 OUT!