A Thief in the Night

Author's note: Here's to all those who feel like a little girl power from time to time.


Rogue sat with Kitty in the room they used to share. It felt strange to be back in the place where she'd spent years and to now have it feel so foreign. She'd become accustomed to living in her own apartment.


"It's like we're regressing or something." Kitty said, gloomily, sprawling across one of the plain, white bedspreads that adorned the twin beds now occupying the room. It was now a guestroom until it was filled with new students. "We can't grow up, each time we try to spread our wings some asshole clips them and sends us right back to the damned nest."


"Ah know. But Ah'll be damned if Ah'm gonna stay in the nest, peeping and chirping and waiting for the elders to return to the nest. And Ah won't just wait for them to tell me its safe to try and fly again."


"Peeping and chirping?" Kitty gave her an amused grin. "Brings up an interesting mental picture."


"Okay then, how bout this one." Rogue saton ton the other bed dramatically. "Ah don't feel like waiting in fear and trepidation like a mideval princess while the men go out and seek vengance on my behalf. Then when they return Ah'm supposed to run into my man's arms and bury my head in his chest and cluck over his injuries while being secretly thrilled that he went out and fought all my battles for me."


"Wow, you're really into the odd paralells today."


"Ah'm not saying Ah don't like having team members to depend on, but doesn't it get a little tedious to have the men all up in arms and expecting you to just sit here and wait for them to solve your problems?"


"I was unconscious at the time of my major problem solving." Kitty mused. "But I'd have liked to have gone along when they captured Lance."


"But they left you at home with the babies."


"Rogue, There are no babies, but I get your point."


"Don't you remember how great it was when we were the sirens? Ah mean, it was a fun ride to be a team relying on each other without the chauvanistic undertone."


"You're right. I do appreciate the way Kurt fusses sometimes, but I don't want him to think I can't handle myself, or that I can't protect my friends."


"Yeah, and who was the only one left standing in the garage? It wasn't Kurt or Remy, it was you."


"Are you trying to boost my ego?"


"Maybe a little."


"What did you have in mind?" Kitty raised an eyebrow. "Nothing that's going to get us killed, right?"


"Nope, Ah just think the guys may be going at this whole capture and contain thing with a little too much enthusiasm. By the way, do you still ahve your sirens outfit?" They talked for most of the evening and went back down to the livingroom and joined Logan and Kurt. The Professor was in Cerebro, hoping that Pietro would remove his inhibitor long enough to get a location. Gambit showed up at the gates, and to Rogue's surprise, was admitted to the livingroom with littroterotest. He and Logan eyed each other warily. She'd decided that the kiss she'd shared with Logan would remain her little secret, now the barely concealed hostility she noticed between them reinforced her decision.


Rogue’s cell phone rang at approximately eight-thirty. She was surprised, the only peple who would have called her were at the mansion.


“Hello?”


“Hello, Rogue.” It was Pietro. “Miss me?”


“Like the measles.” Her gaze flickered to Gambit’s and she raised an eyebrow. “What do you want?”


“I want to see you alone.” Kurt, Logan and Remy all got to their feet and gathered around her. “I’m sure your friends are nearby, probably listening to this conversation right now, so I’ll make this brief.”


“Why would I go to see you?”


“Because I have the research on the inhibitors that I’m certain you’d like to posess. I’ll give them to you if you meet me.”


“When and where?” She picked up a pen and a piece of paper and began writing.


“Come alone. I’ll know if you don’t and I’ll burn it all.”


“Got it.” She hung up the phone and tore off the piece of paper. Logan nicked it out of her hand before she could turn around.


“He’s there now?” Logan asked, looking at the scrap. “Downtown near the old bank they’re tearing down.” He read to Kurt who teleported out of the room. Gambit put on his coat and kissed her quickly on the cheek.


“Don’ worry, Chere, we gonna be back soon.” He walked out to the garage. Logan followed, stopping briefly to give her a curious glance before shutting the door behind him. Kitty poked her head in the livingroom and eyed her.


“Was that Pietro on the phone?”


“Yeah.”


“Sooner than I expected. Are they gone?”


“Yeah.”


“Did they suspect anything?”


“Ah don’t think so.”


“Okay, I’ll drive.” Kitty was dressed, not in her uniform, but like Rogue, she’d dressed in black pants and top in honor of their siren days. She took one of the mansion’s sedans and the two girls
were on the road within minutes. “So where are we going?”


“He’s going to call and give me directions once we’re headed south out of town.” Just as she said that, her cell phone rang again. “Hello?”


“Are you alone?”


“No, I don’t trust you not to knock me out again, Pietro, so I brought Kitty with me.”


“That wasn’t part of the deal.” He said coldly. “I told you to come alone.” Rogue just chuckled into the phone.


“As if Ah’m gonna trust you to keep your word. This way Ah don’t feel like Ah’m walking into a trap, and you don’t get surprised.”


“Fine.” He said. “Turn onto the highway and go west two exits, I’ll call you back in twenty minutes.” He broke the connection. Rogue gave Kitty the directions and she turned onto the highway.


“How long do you think we have before the guys figure out what we did?” Kitty bit her lip and grinned recklessly.


“Not long, and the Professor will be able to tell them where we are anyway, so we’ll have very little time once we get there.” They drove in silence until they got to the exit. Kitty turned off and pulled in to the nearest gas station to wait for Pietro’s call. It came a few minutes later and he directed them down the road and to a warehouse in the business district. The girls parked and before getting out of the car, Kitty reached out and clasped hands with Rogue.


"You sure you wanna go through with this?" She asked. Rogue nodded. Kitty leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Just in case we don't get the research." They phased out of the car and walked into the warehouse and to the middle of the room. They stood, keeping phased until Pietro appeared, walking at normal speed, toward them.


"Just the two of you?"


"You know you can just run around and check." Kitty said, tartly. "But we had to sneak away and I don't know how long we have before the Professor tracks us down."
Pietro lifted the leg of his pants and revealed the inhibitor he wore.


"I can't use my powers, so why don't you leave us alone, Kitty." He looked impatient. "She'll be perfectly safe from me."


"Right." Kitty snapped. "You and your friendly little hypodermic are really good company." Pietro frowned at her.


"Ah must agree, Pietro." Rogue said, keeping a firm grip on Kitty's hand. "You haven't given me any reason to trust you. So why don't you tell me what it is you want from me."

**

Logan sniffed the air around the construction site where Rogue's directions had taken them. He eyed Gambit and Kurt.


"Somethin' ain't right, Elf." Kurt looked down at him from his perch on a street light. "And not just cause I can't pick up any scent from Magneto's demon spawn. Somethin's been buggin' me since we left the mansion."


"Like what?" Gambit asked, keeping his back to Logan's and his eyes on the shadows around them.


"Somethin' about the way Rogue gave us the address. She didn't ask to come along, and seemed eager to get us out of the house." Gambit eyed him suspiciously.


"You might be right, Roguey didn' seem much concerned when we leave. She don' say be careful or notin'." Kurt punched the button on his communicator.


"Professor, is Rogue with you?" He asked. After a pause came the reply.


"No, Kurt, I can't get a reading because of her inhibitor."


"What about Kitty?" Kurt's blood seemed to chill in his veins. "Can you locate her?" He asked, hopping down from the streetlight and heading for the car.


"Very strange." Said the Professor. "She is several miles south west of here. I'll try and contact her."


"They sent us on a wild goose chase." He growled, as his two companions each broke into a run and they leapt into the car. "I should have known. But why would they want to meet him alone?" Kurt wondered aloud as Logan gunned the engine and the SUV leapt onto the street.


"Women, who knows why dey do de tings dey do." Gambit's words were light, but his voice was empty.

**


Kitty felt the tickle in her skull a moment before she heard the Professor's mind voice.


~Kitty, what are you doing? Is Rogue with you?~


~We're fine, Professor, but don't distract me, I need to focus right now.~


"So where is this research you promised?" Rogue asked, releasing Kitty's hand and walking forward. "Ah held up my end and came here."


"The research is in that briefcase." Pietro said, pointing to a table where a case was, indeed, lying. "But here is my price. In exchange for the knowledge that will allow you to touch people at will, you spend three days with me at the place of my choosing, and you do whatever I want." He licked his lips, greedily. "Sounds like a pretty fair trade to me." He approached her and lay a palm against her cheek.


"That's cause you're crazy." Rogue said. "Ah don't understand why you're so determined to have a woman who doesn't want you, but Ah'm not a bargaining chip." She knocked his hand away. "You killed someone in order to steal that technology, and Ah'm not willing to reward that kind of twisted morality by giving you what you want." Pietro's face turned red with anger and he struck her with the back of his hand.


"Get the case." Rogue shouted to Kitty, before swinging her own fist that connected to Petro's gut. He knocked her legs out from under her and she hit the concrete floor with a thud. Kitty didn’t stop, she just ran for the case and opened it up. She phased as she did it, and was glad she did because it had been booby-trapped with a spring-loaded needle that passed harmlessly through her hand and imbeded itself in the rough surface of the table. The case, itself was empty.
Rogue struggled underneath Pietro who held a stun gun in his hand and was trying to touch its metal prongs to her skin.


"It wasn't a lot to ask." He snarled. "And I'd have given you the research afterwards." She kicked out at him savy any and he dropped the gun, but not before it came into contact with her arm. He rolled away from her and lifted his own foot in time to catch Kitty, unphased, in the stomach. She doubled over, gagging.


"I told you I'd meet up with you again, you little minx." He hissed. Then he turned to Rogue's limp form. He siezed her arms and hoisted her over his shoulder. Then he leaned down and flicked out a pocketknife, aiming for the band around his own ankle. Kitty lunged at him and he swung, scoring a slice across her ribs that tore an angry scream from her throat. She rolled back to the balls of her feet and crouched, holding her side. He hooked the knife under the strap that held his inhibitor on.


Wary of the knife, Kitty lunged, fully phased and dove through Rogue's legs, landing on the other side. She kicked out with an unphased foot and made him cut himself. She attacked, knowing that if he got the inhibitor off, he might be miles away before the final part of their plan took shape.


"Come on, Pietro, your father could've taken us both without his powers, what are you some kind of pansy?" She struck another blow with her fist and earned a second slash along her forearm, but she needed to hurt and distract him for a little longer.


"She's mine, Pryde!" Pietro's eyes were made with hate and desperation. They both heard the sound of a vehicle approaching quickly. He slashed savagely at his own ankle, grunting when he cut his own flesh in his haste to rid himself of the inhibitor. It fell to the concrete floor with a clatter and Kitty phased, waiting for his next move. "You'll never find her. He hissed, dropping the knife and sliding his hand up her buttocks and under the back of her shirt. His smile of triumph was replaced by a look of bewilderment as he stumbled and went down on one knee. " " He whispered, placing one hand on the floor to try and steady himself. He fell sideways and Rogue moaned as her body sprawled on top of him. She was beginning to wake, but her bare arm lay against his neck and she continued to drain him.


Rogue woke with a start and automatically rolled away from Pietro's unconscious body. She was shaking from the absorption of his power and thoughts. She placed a hand to her own forehead and tried to gain her feet. Kitty helped her to stand.


"Do you think he'll be out for a while?" Kitty asked. "Did you get enough?"


"More than Ah ever wanted, and yeah, he'll be out at least till the cavalry arrives." She noticed Kitty's pale face and the blood that dripped from her arm and ran down her side. The left hip of her pants was shiny with it. "Shit, girl, what happened?" She didn’t wait for an answer but used Quicksilver's speed to run to search for a first aid kit. She found one in the management office and returned with it. Outside they hearduts uts and the doors burst open with a bright flash and Logan, Kurt and Gambit came running in.


"What's with the dramatics?" Kitty sounded irritated. Her adrenaline was starting to wear off, but she was relieved that Rogue had managed to bandage up her arm in seconds and pile a few gauze pads onto her side before wrapping her ribcage with an elastic bandage. The three men rushed over and began shouting questions at them. Gambit ran to Rogue's side and reached for her. She held up a hand and backed away. She's deliberately worn a sleeveless top, despite the chilly weather and now had too much skin showing for comfort.


"Ah'm not safe to touch." She said, feeling her eyes well up with tears at her admission. "Ah hoped Ah could avoid it, but Ah needed to trick Pietro and absorb him." She looked down at the still form of the young man who'd wreaked so much havok on her life. Gambit nodded with a tight-lipped expression and removed his trenchcoat, wrapping it around her shoulders. Logan glared at both of the girls as he approached, Kurt right behind him.


"Wanna tell me what in hell you thought you were doing facing this psychopath alone?" He snarled at them. "Rogue I expected this from you, but Kitty, You're…" His words trailed off at her dark expression and the sight of blood on her hands and side. "Shit, Elf!" Kurt was moving forward and reaching for Kitty when her words stopped him.


"I'm fine, Logan, I'm fine, Kurt. Rogue patched me up and I'll be fine till we get to the med lab." She turned to Kurt. "Find something to tie him up." Her orders were a little sharp, but her boyfriend didn't argue. She was feeling a little lightheaded but would be damned if she wasn't going to walk out of the warehouse on her own. Kurt returned with a puff of brimstone and used a thin, steel cord to secure Pietro'ssts sts and ankles. When Logan reached for her, she brushed away his hands. "Go ahead and get pissed about us lying to you, but we're fully trained team members and we don't need any other grownups along with us when we go on a mission."


"She's right." Rogue agreed. "Y'all were so busy tryin' to deal out a little revenge that you didn't even think about the fact that you wouldn't be able to get anywhere near Pietro. He just moves too fast. We thought up a plan, but there was no way you'd go along with it so we had to keep you out of harm's way."


"Just what was your plan?" Logan asked, bristling, "Masquerading as blood donors?" He was visibly upset at the sight of Kitty's blood.


"No, but Pietro was already itching for a fight with Kitty, he looks for any opportunity to beat women into submission." Rogue said. "He doesn't consider us equals." She put stress on the last word, pinning them with a hard stare. "He wanted me alone, and if I brought Kitty he wouldn't feel threatened and she could keep us phased." Logan slung Pietro over one broad shoulder. Rogue took Kitty's good arm and started walking toward the exit with her. The men had no choice but to follow. "He freaked out, predictably, but he had a stun gun."


"You should have been ready for that." Logan mumbled. "Little prick doesn't fight fair."


"Since he'd used drugs in the past, we were ready for something like that." Kitty continued as if she hadn't heard Logan's comment. Her injuries weren't life threateningd thd the pain was manageable, but she was seriously irritated. "I checked the bait, he'd promised Rogue the research that he'd taken from the scientist her killed, it was false, and the decoy was rigged, but that's why I opened it. He hit her with the stun gun, but we were ready for that too. I phased through her inhibitor. It was fine when I was phasing her with it, but I shorted it when she was corporeal." Kurt made a noise of understanding. They walked out to the parking lot where the cars waited. Rogue ran around the building till she located Pietro's vehicle. It was parked a half-mile away. They decided to return for it during the day in case he'd booby-trapped it as well.


"He was tryin to carry me off and with the inhibitor not workin' Kitty just had to keep him from getting his own ankle bracelet off. It would be only a matter of time before he touched my skin."


"I didn't figure him for the knife." Kitty said, looking at her bandaged arm. "That was my fault. He tried to cut it off and I knew I couldn’t let him get far. He could have run for miles if he had his grip right. I couldn't take the chance of him driving when he touched her."


"Well you'll sure have the scars to remember this one." Logan growled. Kitty turned to him sharply.


"Back off, Logan, I got a broken arm on a mission with you." She snapped. And when Kurt opened his mouth, she turned on him. "And you gave me a concusscion in the Danger Room once." They reached the cars and Rogue took the keys from Kitty, getting into the driver's seat. Softening her words, Kitty leaned over and kissed Kurt on the mouth. "We get hurt all the time, but this really was the best plan." She slid gingerly into the passenger seat. "We'll see you back at the mansion." Gambit leaned in Rogue's window.


"Glad you okay, Chere." He said.


"You're not comin' back to Xavier's?"


"You stayin' dere tonight?" He grinned.


"Hell no." Rogue replied, catching his drift. "Ah'll be back at my apartment."


"See you dere, later."

Hank was beside himself with fury and concern. He stitched up Kitty's side and arm before reapplying bandages and giving her some antibiotics as well as some painkillers. Kurt pussyfooted around his girlfriend until she hugged him as tightly as her injuries would allow.


"I hope you understand why we had to do this without you." She whispered to him, kissing him again. "And in the future, you might do well to remember that when someone hurts a person I love, nothing on earth, not a pitiful piece of metal or super speed, is going to protect them from me." Her smile was sweet, but her eyes were hard.


"Glad you're on my side, Katzchen." Kurt said, knowing his lady love would never cease surprising him. Gambit had left as soon as they'd arrived at the mansion, so Logan had offered to drive Rogue back to her apartment. They rode in silence for a while.


"You get a lot of memories from the kid?"


"More'n Ah'll ever want." She replied. "Ah had no idea he was so ill inside." She shuddered. "The feelings he had for me were really awful. His emotions were so intense when Ah touched him, that Ah got some really old memories." She closed her eyes, pained at the thoughts that came up, unbidden. "He used to run throught the women's showers at school and he spied on me once. Ah had no idea he was even there. Ah felt all of his feelings. He wanted me but Magneto had told him to stay away from me. He hates his father as much as he loves him. It's all tied up together. He wanted me before he knew about my mutation and when he found out about it it made things worse. He hated his father for being right to tell him to stay away, but because he wanted to disobey him, he went looking for a way to get around it."


"Magneto wouldn't have been to supportive of a relationship between you two anyway."


"Nope, he never told anyone but Wanda. He didn't want Magneto to have anything to criticize. The man would find his obsession weak, if you can imagine that." She laughed bitterly. "Those two have so much in common. They hate the traits in others that they can't control in themselves."


"Magento's the most obsessive person I've ever met." Lgoan said. "I can't imagine growing up with him as a father."


"Ah can't hate Pietro for having his emotions all twisted up like he does. In that family you can't feel anything good without something bad attached to it. But in regards to me, his feelings were just an excuse or a cover for getting back at his father. Ah think he might have hoped on some level to get hurt by me to get even." She shook her head again. "It's so much to follow, but Ah know he didn't want me as much as he wanted the idea of beating his father's advice. It was all about posession of power. If he could find a way… Oh forget it, it's too much to go over tonight. But at least I know where the real research is. He left it with Wanda at another safe house."