Read Or Die Fan Fiction / X-Men Fan Fiction ❯ Read or Die: Shadowcat! ❯ Chapter 16

Shadowcat: Read or Die!

Part Sixteen

 

Much later that day Amelia crouched low on a rooftop, her brown hair blowing around her face as she watched through her binoculars as Kitty left another of the district's many bookstores, holding a book in her had. She entered the press of traffic, moving through the crowds... but didn't emerge from the other side.

 

'What?' Amelia felt a moment of panic that she quickly quelled. Sweeping the crowd and the area beyond she tried to reacquire her target, but after a few moments realized that she had been given the slip. 'I'm going to have to report this,' Amelia thought glumly.

 

"Yes?" Yukio-cat answered after a second.

 

"I've lost Pryde," Amelia confessed reluctantly, "she gave me the slip."

 

There was a harsh curse and then Yukio continued on, "Do you know how badly you've just screwed up? Pryde and Readman are our best shot at finding the secret headquarters of the Great British Library!"

 

Amelia felt a flash of anger, "Don't you think I know that!" She forced herself to calm down, "What do I do know?"

 

Yukio considered a moment, "Come back to base, we'll have to try picking up Pryde at the apartment or Readman at her job and hope one of them slips."

 

"Understood," Amelia sighed, signing off. She moved out of line of sight of the street and let her wings unfurl from her back, flowing out from under her aviator's gear to stretch out to the sun. A single beat of her wings sent her up, then another sent her off....

 

... unaware that something had been gently tossed onto her back.

 

Kitty Pryde grinned, crouching down as she watched the other woman rise off, hopefully towards the Ijin headquarters. The tracking device the dark brown haired girl had tossed onto Amelia's back was powerful but hopefully hard to detect.

 

'It looks like Drake's plan might just work,' Kitty admitted, thinking back to her visit to the library earlier that day.

 

The Library facility was concealed, obviously, beneath another library, but it was because of that obvious element that people didn't seem to catch on. Not to mention the fact that few people really knew about the Library's existence or believed the few rumors floating around.

 

"Hey Kitty," one of the researchers called out a greeting as she exited the hidden lift then David continued, "I got the information you asked for about Nancy's European movements."

 

"Thanks," Kitty smiled back, "add it to Nancy's file so I can review it later." She ran a hand through her hair, "Is Joker or Drake Anderson in?"

 

"Both, I think," he agreed. David tapped a few brass knobbed controls on the oddly archaic computer that he used, "Drake is down at the targeting range and Joker is in his office."

 

"I'd best see Joker first," Kitty noted, "thanks."

 

Wendy was typing away as Kitty reached the outer office, the blonde looking up to smile at Kitty. "Welcome Miss Pryde," she beamed, "I wasn't expecting you today."

 

'Could someone like this really be involved with the creation of the Ijin?' Kitty wondered, reflecting on something the Silver Samurai had claimed.

 

"Did you want to see Mr. Joker?" Wendy continued cheerfully.

 

"Yes, please," Kitty nodded, "and Drake, too." She added, "There may be a new development with the Ijin situation."

 

Wendy spoke softly into the intercom on her desk then looked up at Kitty, "Go right in."

 

Joker smiled as he looked up from a desk covered by paperwork and books of various types, "Good afternoon, Miss Pryde."

 

Kitty smiled back at the handsome blonde, dressed in a fine suit that was just a bit dusty with the leavings of books. "Joker, it's good of you to see me so soon," she continued without pausing, "is the Library having me tailed?"

 

If Joker was surprised by the question he didn't show it, "No, we aren't." He raised an eyebrow, "Are you being followed?"

 

"I got lucky and spotted my tail this morning," Kitty nodded seriously. She leaned forward, "Is the Library being monitored by anyone else?"

 

"Our rivals the Literary Mystic Society tend to sniff around," Joker acknowledged, "but we keep a good track of their agents."

 

"Which leaves one very interesting possibility," Kitty smiled grimly.

 

"You wanted to see me, Joker?" Drake Anderson barged inside a moment later, the burly blonde man nodding to Kitty respectfully.

 

"Miss Pryde called, actually," Joker sounded amused.

 

"It looks like the Ijin may be tailing me, Yomiko and possibly Drake," Kitty explained, "now we need to decide what to do about it."

 

"I'm being tailed?" Drake blinked.

 

"You and Yomiko helped thwart the Ijin last time," Kitty shrugged, "it seems reasonable to assume that the current organization knows who you are, at least."

 

"Hmph," Drake frowned, but seemed unable to argue.

 

"You're assuming that Mr. Sinister had the ability to monitor our first battle with the Ijin," Joker frowned.

 

"Sinister has access to very advanced technology," Kitty said with a shrug, "I wouldn't put it past him."

 

"So why hasn't Sinister-san been able to find the Library?" Wendy asked, carrying a tray with tea and biscuits inside.

 

Even as Kitty casually prevented Wendy from falling and spilling everything Joker spoke up, "It may be that Mr. Gentleman has a means to prevent that."

 

"Anyway," Kitty firmly got them all back on track, "I spotted my tail this morning, but whoever it is, it's a professional. The only reason I've caught a few glimpses since then has been because I've been looking hard."

 

"We could use this to our advantage," Drake said thoughtfully.

 

"How so?" Wendy looked at him curiously.

 

"First thing we could do would be to capture the tail and pump him," Drake began.

 

"Or her," Kitty reminded him.

 

"Or her for information," Drake finished.

 

"It's a possibility," Joker conceded, "but I suspect that Sinister would have prevented too much information reaching his troops."

 

"The other option would be to follow him or her back to their hideout," Drake offered.

 

"Use their own agent against them," Wendy blurted excitedly.

 

"It has possibilities," Joker conceded thoughtfully.

 

Kitty nodded, "Let's see if we can figure out how to do this...."

 

'Which brings me back to now,' Kitty mused from her place on the rooftop. She touched a microphone at her throat, "Drake, you getting the signal from the tracer?"

 

"Loud and clear," Drake answered gruffly, "looks like the tech boys got it right."

 

"Let's hope that it'll cut through any interference around Sinister's headquarters," Kitty said, sounding mildly pessimistic.

 

"It'll work," Drake said firmly. His voice took on an amused quality, "Wendy's off to get Yomiko out of her substitute job, in case this does pay off."

 

Kitty chuckled, "Hope Yomiko isn't too annoyed by that!"

 

To be continued....