Running Up That Hill

Midtown High's Mutant

Kate and Peter traverse down the hallway, surrounded by lockers, posters, banners, and doorways. Kate looking around her new environment in wonder with part of herself wishing her russian friend Illyana could've joined her.

"Well look at you, you're a photographer?" She asks stopping to see a picture of Peter in the photography club, turning to him with a curious tone in her voice.

"I am, I even get photographs of Spider-Man for The Daily Bugle."

"What do you even seen in those guys?" Kate asks with distain, having red several of their papers in the past. She wasn't a fan of Spider-Man's constant slander against his name.

"Well I don't blame any staff members who work there, they're great people but Mister Jameson is a real loudmouth when it comes to Spider-Man. I tried talking to him about it but he wouldn't budge, wish he had a change of heart by now."

"I don't see The Fantastic Four getting any slander and they also have powers, it's a hypocrisy." Kate scoffs, always bullshit media propaganda against other heroes who didn't fit their agendas or Ideologies.

"Yeah it definitely sucks, people like Spider-Man and those X-Men are just trying to help out people." Peter replies in agreement though rather meta in his case considering he's responsible for offering the pictures for said slander.

Kate looks at him taken aback at the mention of the X-Men before smiling at him, wasn't often she heard people talk about them in positive light especially with being mutants.

"Exactly, just trying to help out people."

"You got something in common with them."

"Oh yeah what's that?"

"Like having unique gifts." He tells her quietly, Kate's eyes widening and turns to Peter who smiles and gestures his lips are sealed about it.

"You-"

"I know I would've collided with you Kate but I'm just more relieved you're not injured. Don't worry your secret is safe with me I promise."

"I appreciate it Peter, I really do."

Australia, Logan's head

"Hello Logan, you wished to talk to me?" Professor Charles Xavier asks his old friend Logan who enters into his mental office of his discontinued mansion rocking his usual plaid jean fit with the boots, Xavier appearing without his wheelchair reading a book.

"Hey Chuck, I was just wondering if you could check up on Kitty through Cerebro just to see if she's doing alright?"

"You're worried, aren't you Logan?" Xavier asks turning towards him, Logan couldn't conceal it any longer and sighs through his nose nodding his head.

"It's alright to worry Logan, I miss Kitty's company as well but she's made her decision not to return to us and we must respect her wishes even if it hurts."

"Feels like it was yesterday we met her, bright young kid from Illinois that helped us out against The Hellfire Club."

"Indeed it has dear friend, but we've done our job to push her into becoming the very woman she is today."

"Yeah I know it's just-"

"You worry you didn't spend enough time with her?"

"Look I know I ain't her father but I felt I practically was when she around." Logan sighs, taking a seat on a nearby chair.

"You were the role model she needed Logan, you've done so well with her and you should be proud she learned from the best there was to offer."

"I'm 154 years old Charles, no doubt gonna live 154 years more and by then I could probably see 7 generations of her potential family. What do I do then?"

"Kitty might live to be 100 if she's lucky but you can always be part of her life in the long haul Logan, don't let the fear of outliving others stop you from being there for them."

"Alright then Chuck, where is she then?"

Xavier lightly chuckles, knowing he couldn't get everything pass Logan so easily even if you're the most powerful telepath around.

"I just so happen to know she's returned from England and is currently in New York City, Queens I believe."

"Guess she needed a break from Elf and the gang, thanks Chuck." Logan exits the room before Charles could say anything else but Charles can always get the last thing out telepathically.

*Please refrain from trying to scare anyone she might be in a relationship with.*

"Aw Chuck come on where's the fun in that?" Wolverine smirks sinisterly, heading down to the garage section of the mansion where Shatterstar was tinkering with his own motorcycle Dazzler gifted him.

"Hey Logan, where you heading off to this time?" He asks wrenching a bolt tightly into place.

"New York City, decided to clear my head with assholes and noise for today." Logan replies, hoping into his Harley Davidson and drives off from the base through the red Australian desert before a random portal appears and Logan drives into it.

"With that attitude he fits right in."

Midtown High School

"You know we should've been in class by now?" Kate smirks as the two sit together in the rows of empty bleachers, looking at each other.

"It's only day one, I think we can cut some slack." Peter smirks back, feeling pretty confident around Kate as they spend more time together.

"Peter Parker, the smartest kid in Midtown High School are you suggesting me and you actually skip school today?" She asks surprised, not thinking the handsome nerd would be so rebellious.

"I mean yeah why not it's only the first day back and things don't start getting serious till like halfway through the year."

"We're seniors now after all."

"Which means..."

"Hit the arcade!" Both exclaims at each other excited outta their minds.

"But wait how do we not get spotted trying to escape school grounds?" Peter asks Kate, usually he could make the excuse for the bathroom but that only involved himself.

"Leave it to me, but I gotta warn you this is gonna feel weird Peter." She tells him, holding his hands into her hers as the two phase down into the ground and are out of sight from anyone.

Peter's bike phases into the ground and appears behind a tree, the two levitating outta the ground with Peter having a awestruck look over his face.

He had a billion questions he wanted to ask Kate about her powers but she gestures him to stay silent as she takes the helm of the bike and Peter holds himself around her waist slightly blushing.

"Let's have ourselves an adventurous day Peter Parker." She smiles and rides off with Peter away from school grounds to the rest of Queens.

End of Chapter 2!