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[center][sub][indent][COLOR=FFD700][B]Manhattan, New York City[/B][/color] [color=4682B4]|[/color] [COLOR=FFD700][b]Present Day[/b][/color][/indent][indent][hr][sup][b][color=FFD700]Chapter One[/color][/b] [color=4682B4]|[/color] [b][color=FFD700]Part Three[/color][/b][/sup][/indent][/sub][/center]
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Katherine Pryde, Kitty to her friends - not that she had many nowadays - stepped through the exterior wall of the currently closed antique shop. Her lithe frame breaking from the surface of the brick and mortar as if rising out of the sea. Cautiously peering into the alleyway for observers, Kitty consciously willed her body to rematerialize. The familiar, slight and pleasantly numb tingle that danced throughout her body as her molecules returned to normal density gave her skin tiny goosebumps. Even after four years and countless moments of using her mutant ability, that sensation never lessened. 

She continued forward, head on a pivot as she walked through the alley. [i]Something has to be here.[/i] Kitty told herself. [i]This is where it's all been happening.[/i]

For weeks, there had been rumors floating around various message boards and chatrooms regarding the disappearance of children. Unsubstantiated reports from anonymous users about their cousins' friends or vague acquaintances vanishing with little trace around several neighborhoods of Manhattan. Each story that spread around the forums Kitty frequented shared one common theme; the children that went missing were either known or suspected to be mutants. Each passing week contributed another dozen or so of these rumors. At first, Kitty gave them little credit, instead choosing to dismiss them as the typical conspiracy theories that often accompanied any metahuman forum. Over time, however, they grew more difficult to ignore. Especially after the events of two weeks ago. 

Mere days after her sixteenth birthday, Kitty, who had long feared her status as a metahuman would be discovered, had looked death in the eyes. A militant, anti-mutant group known as the Purifiers had been making very public attacks on suspected individuals for days. Although she never discovered how they had learned of her, Kitty had found herself in their crosshairs nonetheless. It was only for the intervention of another group, the X-Men, five young mutants themselves, that she was alive to this day. 

Seeing the heroic actions of these five individuals and knowing the danger they faced just by going out into the world publicly declared as mutants had struck Kitty. She had spent practically four years in complete isolation and hiding, her desktop acting as the sole window into the outside world. Always concerned over the ridicule, rejection, and threats that Kitty knew would come if her secret were to ever be discovered. Yet those X-Men, most of whom only looked a few years older than herself, ventured forward anyway. For her. For metahumans everywhere. It had both brought her shame and a renewed vigor. And Katherine Pryde had sworn on that day that she, too, would dedicate her life to the cause.

Which brought her here, today, to this alley. After the run-in with the Purifiers and X-Men, Kitty had decided to pay more attention to those circling rumors. After all, if they were true, she knew the authorities weren't likely to put much effort in, if any, to help track down [i]mutant[/i] kids. So, channeling her inner sleuth, Kitty had spent hours over several days scouring through anecdotal evidence and narrowing down the most credible information and leads. Then, she had slowly gone through a list of neighborhoods, exploring every back alley, and investigating each closed and abandoned building by using her mutant ability.

It was tedious work, but Kitty was determined. She had no proof but after her encounter with the group, she suspected the Purifiers may be involved. The X-Men had stopped those responsible for the attacks two weeks ago, but who was to say there weren't more. And, if her theory was correct, that meant these children were in danger of a more permanent fate than just abduction. 

Which is why Kitty had sought out help. In her years of self-imposed isolation on the internet, she had met and befriended many people. Among them all, though, one always had stood out. Kitty had never learned their real name, nor ever revealed her own, but the individual known as Overwatch was famous among certain circles as an accomplished hacktivist. Overwatch was also an enthusiastic techie who appreciated all things nerd culture, and the two had bonded over these shared interests.

Kitty had never once asked Overwatch anything about their hacking life, aside from a few tips on coding. She knew of and respected every public action Overwatch had ever taken credit for but had made the choice early on to keep that aspect out of their friendship. Until yesterday. 

Having grown concerned she wouldn't find any clues in time, Kitty gave Overwatch all the information she had collected during her research. With their resources and abilities, Kitty was sure the children could be found. Or, at the very least, a more specific location where she could search. And, this morning, that location had been delivered via an instant message. A specific section of back corridors in the Meatpacking District, among some of the still-remaining derelict buildings, had been pinpointed by Overwatch. They had mentioned 'accessing' the Sentinel App, which Kitty couldn't help finding sweet victory in. The tool that was being used to report metahuman activity,  violating the civil rights of a minority population, would be used to help track down and, hopefully, rescue mutants. 

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Kitty had been wandering around for an hour now. She had checked every back alleyway twice by this point, as well as having taken a stroll through every unoccupied building in her path. Aside from a homeless gentleman huddled up against a stoop, whom she had given most of the contents from her wallet, she hadn't come across a soul. It was still early in the afternoon, though, and Kitty had nowhere else to be. She had set her mind to this task, and she wouldn't leave until long after the sun had set. 

As she looped around for the third time, Kitty's thoughts once more drifted to her most recent dilemma. 

[i]Maybe Sprite?[/i] She considered, twirling an index finger around the natural curls escaping from underneath her raised hoodie. [i]Pretty sure those are the ones who are all ethereal and spirit-like. Though, maybe I should brush up on my folklore some more, first. Don't want to accidentally name myself after something hideous.[/i]

For the dozenth time that day, Kitty found herself reciting the five codenames of the mutant heroes who had saved her. [i]Cyclops. Eh, too on the nose. Beast. He was nice. Marvel. Or Marvel Girl? Still not entirely sure about that one, I think she was struggling with her hero identity, too. Iceman,[/i] she paused to grimace slightly. Having only met him for a few moments, that one had already seemed like a tool to her. 

[i]Nightcrawler, though,[/i] she continued, recalling the blue-furred young man with the thick German accent. [i]Now that's a cool name. I need something like that. Like...[/i] Shroudwalker[i]... or something.[/i] She shook her head immediately after it crossed her mind. [i]Not that. Keep trying, Kitty.[/i]

She stopped suddenly, turning around and tilting her head to listen. Something was coming this way, faint sounds drifted towards her, reverberating off the narrow corridor walls. As they drew nearer, Kitty could make out bits and pieces of a conversation.

"... Safe here. I took this ... no one's ever really here until ... I felt bad that you had to hide ... be comfortable." Said one voice. 

Then, a second joined in. "... You have no idea how much I appreciate this. You're kind of saving my life here."

The words became clearer the closer they came, and now Kitty could hear their footsteps just a corner or so away. She stepped back, quietly, pressing herself against the nearest wall. Taking a deep breath, she slid back another step. This time there was no physical contact, however, as she willed herself to pass through. 

[i]This may be it,[/i] Kitty thought. [i]Somehow doubt there are that many people going for casual strolls through these parts of the city. Maybe fifty-fifty it's just some assholes screwing around, though. Or looking to get high.[/i]

Now standing in a darkened store, sleazy DVDs lining the dust-strewn shelves, Kitty could no longer hear the two talk. She waited, counting to ten, before slowly easing her head forward, back through the wall. Careful to only go so far, she made sure just enough of her head was protruding from the surface to see and hear. 

She could now spot the two figures. One much taller, and looking like a college student if not older. His smooth face and styled hair matching his suave demeanor as he flashed a brilliant, charming grin at his younger friend. It was this younger of the duo that nearly caused Kitty to stumble forward completely through the wall. The boy was maybe fifty feet away, covered mostly in well-worn, shabby clothes and partially hidden by the relatively low lighting here. But even still it would have been impossible for Kitty to miss the kid's unique features. 

[i]Okay. Alright. We've got green skin. Either that's an out-of-season Halloween costume, or I just found my lead.[/i]

Kitty watched as the two continued along, approaching a sharp bend. 

[i]Shoot, gonna need to reposition or I'll lose them.[/i] 

With the pair's backs turned to her now, having passed her hiding spot without incident, she began to continue moving through the wall and back into the alley proper. An abrupt movement to her left, though, caused her to freeze an instant short of revealing herself as a third figure stepped out from their own hidden corner. This one moved with silent haste, rapidly approaching the other two as the boy with green skin began to joke. 

If Kitty hadn't been holding her breath, she would have gasped. Raising their right hand, the mysterious newcomer quickly plunged a syringe into the apparent mutant's neck. The kid had no time to react as he collapsed, whatever fast-acting drug injected into his system rendering him unconscious in short order. 

[i]What the fuck,[/i] Kitty cursed to herself. [i]What the[/i] fuck!

The two older gentlemen, as she could now see the third figure had been a man, traded words, clearly familiar with one another. 

"Drop it. You did your job, you'll get paid. No more complaining."

[i]Job,[/i] Kitty repeated, forcing herself to refocus. [i]These are definitely the assholes taking the kids.[/i]

Her eyes flicked towards the boy, crumpled on the ground. He looked young, definitely younger than herself. And he was now defenseless, the two predators looming over his unconscious form. 

Kitty could feel her heart beating furiously in her chest, threatening to punch its way out. She was still halfway phased through the wall, less than a hundred feet from the two men. 

Closing her eyes, she took a moment to clear her panicked thoughts. [i]This is it. This is what it's all about, Kitty. It's now or never.[/i]

Clenching both fists tightly, Kitty Pryde stepped forward, emerging from the building and into her new life. 

"Hey! Hey, you! Get away from him!"

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