driftfleet | [snuggle up real close everyone]

[the blankest look]

. . . people talk like that?

She did.

I'm actually pretty sure she's the Kitty from the same world that Rogue, Remy, Raven, and other Kurt are from.

Huh. Were you two anything alike? Aside from - ah, the way she spoke.

Same name. Same powers. Both X-Men. [She shrugs a little.] I didn't spend a lot of time getting to know her. It was awkward. [And sometimes she felt like the evil twin.]

[a small smile] It sounds awkward. I can't say I wouldn't go out out of my way to avoid a version of myself.

If it's my world's version get the hell out of there as fast as you can. He'd probably want to experiment on you...a lot.

I'd strangle him and shove him out an airlock before he could entertain the thought.

Oh, is that all it takes? We should have thought of that. [Eyes are rolling. But in fairness to both of them he had protection in addition to his own considerable skills back home. Something he wouldn't have in the fleet.]

A missed opportunity. [exactly, and Hank doesn't often think about actually killing anyone, but the Dark Beast is certainly on that short list] Though I guess that's the opposite of avoiding him. Oops.

It would be a little opposite, but I'd support permanent solutions with that one. And I'm trying to...avoid those.

As much as I threaten, I don't think it's something I'd follow through on. And I'm sure there'll be other people in line in front of me.

...Have you? I mean, have you ever had to kill someone? [She would follow through. On him, she would. The list is small, but it's there. Others? She'd try her best to find another solution.]

Not directly. [has his team's decisions lead to someone dying? Sure, but that was how Kyriakos was] And never - with my own hands. Some of the competitions were . . . [he makes a gesture] Not every team would come out alive.

Competitions? You mean in Kyriakos, right? Did they come back to life? [Seems like such a strange question to ask, but she knows just how very real that can be.]

Usually when the game was over, yeah. [he's glad she seems to understand, since it's always hard to explain how that even works] Either - completely, or they'd have to heal from . . . whatever happened.

[She nods.] Death was death for awhile in Marina. At least it seemed that way. Then we found out it was a virtual reality environment and they dropped the act and started bringing people back if they died.

[a huff] There was one game, where . . . they didn't bring everyone back immediately. Something like that had never happened - at least, not in the time I was there.

Otherwise . . . usually it was instant. [he rubs the side of his neck] I, uh - I only died once, I think. But I came close a few other times.

I'm sorry. Even once seems like it would be a lot. It never happened to me in the prison. [Just in real life.]

[his lips twist a little, and - he drops his hand to gesture to a scar on his neck, under his ear - a puncture wound, about the size of a pencil] My teammate had to kill me. That . . . was probably the worst part. After - I was so focused on everything else going on that I forgot to be upset about dying myself.

[a pause] Maybe it's for the best it didn't happen in the prison. You . . . in your world, didn't you?

[She looks, wondering what the weapon had been, but not asking.] It wasn't betrayal though? [She does wonder what would make someone have to kill him.]

[Softer.] Yeah. I mean, I didn't technically. The prison pulled me out before it could happen, but it's what Kurt remembers. And it was just seconds away. I still thought... [That he'd stop.] It was a teammate of mine too. [She can't remember if she told him it was her husband or not. How much shock had she thrown in?]

[he makes a brief, stabbing gesture at her curious look] It was a quill. But no, it was nothing like that. We had to offer things up, and if they weren't accepted one of us would be the sacrifice - that was me. She . . . actually spared me from a death that would have been much worse.

[a huff] It was one of the last games I played there, too.

[he didn't tell her, no, but just it being a teammate means it must have hurt and he can't help but look surprised. But - not technically, she was pulled out right before. He immediately wonders if she has a chance to fix that, if she ever goes home] Another X-Man? I'm sorry.

I guess they are mightier than the sword. [Hilarious in our little conversation about deaths, right?] It must have been hard for both of you. [She would hate killing a teammate even if she knew it was temporary and the best thing for them.]

[She nods.] Peter. I mean...Piotr. Not the one you're thinking of. ...My husband. Ex-husband now.

Heh. [it does earn a brief smile] They're not supposed to be so sharp, though. [he purses his lips, then shakes his head] At first, but - like I said, our focuses turned elsewhere.

[that's a little more than teammate, Kitty. And that's a lot more upsetting than it just being someone she worked with] Your - I'm so sorry. Why would he - ? [he isn't sure if he's allowed to ask]

It's easy to get distracted in these places. [More so in the prison than here. So much time to sit and think here if you let yourself.]

[Teammate is code for family with her anyway.] He wasn't trying to kill me. He just...wasn't trying to not kill me either. [She wasn't his priority.]

Not so much distracted, but - during those games, a lot of people would - pitch in after, to help out. Everyone tried to work together, for the most part. [when it came to other teams, of course, not his, and certainly not Charles'.

"Teammate" is a complicated word for him, though] So . . . it was an accident?

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