Read Or Die Fan Fiction / X-Men Fan Fiction ❯ Read or Die: Shadowcat! ❯ Chapter 5

Shadowcat: Read or Die!

Part Five

Kitty had to admit she was feeling just a bit relieved when Nenene had to leave them to go back to work on her writing. Not that she disliked the younger girl, but her almost instinctive jealousy of Kitty did get a bit tiring. She dropped off the bags of clothes at Yomiko's place, changed into fresh underwear, a shirt, and jeans and then the two of them headed over to the library.

"Nenene really likes you, doesn't she?" Kitty remarked as they walked together.

Yomiko beamed, her long brown hair flowing around her as the light caught on her glasses, "I hope so, I admire sensei a great deal." Behind her she dragged her usual suitcase on a cart, the long trenchcoat she wore ruffled by the breeze.

"Sensei?" Kitty raised an eyebrow, pushing her shorter brown hair back, "I would have thought she'd be calling you that, teacher."

"Oh, no," Yomiko shook her head, eyes wide, "I've learned so much from her books!"

'Maybe,' Kitty thought to herself as they neared the library building itself, 'but you don't seem to see how Nenene feels about you.' She had watched the woman and the younger girl together, and Nenene's feelings were crystal clear to Kitty. She cared for Yomiko, watched out for her, and maybe even was in love with her.

"Kitty-san?" Yomiko looked over at her curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing," Kitty smiled wryly.

The two of them went into the library itself, moving through the stacks towards a raised central set of tables. Yomiko looked around all starry-eyed at all the books for a moment, but shook herself to focus on the task at hand. She took hold of a pen on a stand, shifting the stick over in a set of motions to activate a concealed elevator.

As they dropped down into the Tokyo base of the Great British Library Special Missions Agency, Kitty took a moment to gaze around her in awe. The massive library hidden beneath the public one was as large or larger than X-Men's underground headquarters, extending out beneath buildings on either side of the surface library. Bookcases stretched off into the distance, some of them being moved on lifts and pulleys into different positions. And all around them people worked, filing, sorting, and studying the rare books.

"Ah," Yomiko sighed to herself happily, unconsciously moving to follow a bookcase rolling by them. Kitty reached out to grab her by the collar, and Yomiko blushed as she came to her senses, "Thanks, Kitty-san."

"No problem," Kitty smiled back wryly. She looked over at Yomiko curiously and asked, "So why are we here today?"

"Oh, Wendy called," Yomiko beamed, "we're going to get you fitted with a new uniform." She looked around her, then called out, "Wendy-san? Wendy?"

"Sorry I'm late," the blonde haired young woman came around a set of bookcases, nearly running into them. She skidded to a stop, Kitty reaching out reflexedly to help steady her. "Thank you," Wendy smiled, pushing her hair out of her face.

"You all right?' Kitty asked.

"I'm fine," Wendy looked a bit frazzled, "Yomiko, Joker asked to see you, too."

"I'll go see him right now," Yomiko trotted off towards a stairway, "Wendy, can you help Kitty out with her uniform?"

"Hai," Wendy waved as Yomiko left. She turned back to Kitty with a slight smile, "I'll take you over to the technical division, Miss Pryde."

"Lead the way," Kitty nodded to the young lady in a woman's suit, "and you can just call me Kitty if you like."

"Thank you," the little blonde looked a bit nervous as they walked along the hallway. Wendy cleared her throat, "Yomiko's told you about Nancy, right?" Kitty nodded, and Wendy continued on, "I know that it's not your fault, but you do bear a startling resemblance to her. Please be careful not to take advantage of that."

Kitty sighed softly, "I'll try."

"That's all we can ask," Wendy's voice was gentle as they entered another room. A pile of clothes lay on a table there, all of them pure black. She picked up the pile and handed it over to Kitty, "The clothes were made with unstable molecules so that they will phase like you do, without you having to use your powers intentionally on them."

"Thanks," Kitty took the cloth in her hands, then looked around. "Is there somewhere private I can change clothes?"

Wendy walked over and opened up a door in the far wall, revealing a small change room. "Here you go," she smiled.

"Thanks," Kitty stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. She stripped off her clothes then pulled on the new ones, smoothing the dark material down with a hand. She opened the door, giving Wendy a wry smile, "Well, it fits but it's a bit too fetish for me."

"Wow," Wendy gulped.

Kitty's new costume could be best described as a black leather sheath. The synthetic leather clung to every curve, the pants tucked into leather boots. The top was zippered down just to the base of her throat, the tightness making clear that she wasn't wearing a bra. The pants, on the other hand, made it clear she was wearing panties.

"Well, at least I can move around," Kitty stretched out a bit. She threw a few high kicks, feeling a bit of relief that the pants didn't just split wide open. "Not bad," she conceded, "but I think I'll only wear this when out on a mission."

"I'm going to have a little talk with whoever designed it," Wendy promised, a blush to her cheeks as Kitty went back inside to change back.

"Well, it isn't all that different from some of my old X-Men costumes," Kitty called out from the change-room, "its just a bit... tighter."

"You've being kind," Wendy remarked. Kitty came out of the changeroom back in shirt and pants, carrying the uniform under her arm. A slightly impish smile, "I do wonder what the reactions would be if you walked through the base in that."

Kitty made a face at that, but otherwise didn't answer. They made their way back into the central part of the library, then they headed up the stairway Kitty had seen Yomiko take earlier. "We're going to see Joker?" Kitty asked.

"Something like that," Wendy agreed. She knocked on the door, there was a muffled reply, and they went on in.

Joker was standing beside Yomiko in front of a desk, behind it an old man sitting. Joker smiled slightly, "Mr. Gentleman, I'd like you to meet Katherine Pryde."

"So this is Miss Pryde," the man stroked at a long gray beard. Mr. Gentleman's one eye sparkled with intelligence, the other hidden behind an eye-patch.

"Sir," Kitty nodded slightly, unsure what else to say.

"The resemblance really is uncanny," Mr. Gentleman murmured softly. He smiled, "I wanted to personally thank you for offering your aide to Yomiko."

"It was nothing," Kitty said quietly.

"Not so," he corrected her, "I'm aware of the difficulties this has caused with your schooling." Mr. Gentleman took a drink of his tea, "I have some influence, even with MIT. You will be allowed to return to your classes when we're done here."

Kitty blinked in surprise, even as Yomiko gushed, "Thank you, sir!"

"I've discussed your plan to visit the surviving Nancy clone," Joker said smoothly into the momentary silence, "and Mr. Gentleman agrees."

"It does seem to be the place to begin," the old man agreed. A slight smile appeared on Mr. Gentleman's face, "You think like a detective, Miss Pryde."

"Thanks," Kitty said, just a bit unnerved by the old man. She smiled slightly, "And it's Kitty."

"Kitty," Mr. Gentleman nodded. He looked over at Joker, "I believe this should be a full operation of the Great British Library Special Missions Agency, with all agents they require."

"It will be done," Joker agreed.

To be continued

Author's Note: Unstable molecules are a Marvel Comics universe invention. Clothes that are made from them are able to adapt to the superpowers of the wearer, so that if Kitty phases, they also phase along with her.