shadowkat

Limbo was her responsibility, Belasco was her responsibility and she knew she couldn’t stay long, that she had to go back to deal with whatever plans her father was working on. She didn’t want to, she wanted to forget Limbo ever existed and that she was so closely connected to it. What she wanted had never mattered when it came to Limbo.

“Three years” she whispered, letting Katya’s word wash over her as they stood in the graveyard, in front of her own grave. Illyana didn’t say anything else for a few minutes. Then when Katya’s words had truly registered she sat down on the damp grass, holding her head in her hands as she tried to process everything.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to break something. Above all else she wanted Katya to ask her to stay, to not go to Limbo. By the Elder Gods she wanted Katya to ask her to stay here. What she wanted didn’t matter. She had responsibilities that overshadowed everything else she wanted in life and that was how it would always be.

Illyana could never be just Illyana, she had to be the queen of Limbo, the sorceress supreme of Limbo, the only thing standing in the way of the Elder Gods being released. She was the queen of Limbo, she was Magik, she was the Darkchylde, she was so many things but she would never be just Illyana no matter how much she wanted it.

“Three years” she repeated, this time louder, angrier than before. “Three years and he can still just-” she wanted to scream again, she wanted to break something, she wanted to throw something... instead she just shook her head and crossed her arms over her knees. “I thought after I drove him from Limbo all those years ago I would be free of him, turns out not even death can truly free me from him” she was tired, she was just so tired and she wanted nothing to do with any of this. What she wanted didn’t matter, it never had.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, unsure if she was apologizing for the world or for herself. She was unsure if Illyana even heard her. Kitty lowered herself next to her.

She listened. Kitty may have changed in the past three years -- drastic changes, even -- but she knew Illyana. That would never change. She knew when to sit back and listen. She stared at the tombstone in front of them, knowing that if she turned to look at Illyana now, she might do something stupid like cry with her. And that wasn't what Illyana needed.

After a moment, once she was sure Illyana had gotten it out and once her own thoughts settled down, Kitty declared, "He's a pathetic, scared, stupid man. He brought back the one person who's usurped him once before. Whatever he thinks he's doing, whatever he thinks he's planning, it won't be enough. It'll never be enough." She nudged the other mutant with her elbow, giving her a small smile. "You're not alone."

A wave of deja vu hit her. They've done this dance before, three years ago. She swallowed it down, her resolve strengthening. This time would be different. It had to be.

Kitty reached over, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind Illyana's ear. "Even if you don't want our help, we'll always be here. I'll always be here."

Illyana wasn't sure how this could have happened, how she could have missed something like this. That was a lie, she knew exactly how and why she'd missed this, she'd been ignoring Limbo, ignoring her responsibility to the dimension and someone had taken advantage of it.

If she'd just been paying attention she could have sensed whoever this was earlier, could have intercepted them in Limbo before they ever got to earth. In Limbo she had more power, it would be easier to deal with this if it turned out to be a threat. Instead now she'd have to handle it on earth with the added concern of making sure there were no people around in case this turned into a fight.

All of that was easy though, the hard part was convincing Katya to stay back at the mansion. All of her arguments were contradictory, if she told her it was just a simple situation to deal with then there wasn't really an issue with Katya going with. If she said it was too dangerous then Illyana going alone was probably not something she'd agree to.

"Are you sure you want to come? I'm fine going alone" last ditch effort to get Katya to stay home.

They'd been going back and forth like this ever since she learned about the crisis in Limbo. And Kitty could understand why -- Limbo didn't exactly attract the easiest of threats -- but the more Illyana pushed her away, the more she found herself standing her ground. That was the case for their current situation, at least.

Maybe she was going about this the wrong way. Kitty glanced down both ends of the hallway. They were alone, for now. A rarity in the X-Mansion.

She laid her hand on Illyana's shoulder. "I'm not saying you can't handle it. I know you can. I know you," she emphasized gently. Kitty held her former roommate's gaze, urging her to understand. "That is why I'm coming with you."

Kitty let go of the other mutant's shoulder. Confidently (and a tad teasingly), she asked, "So, are you teleporting us in or not?"

Everything bagel in hand and a choice of three different cream cheeses, Donna walked through the halls at Xavier's, waving at a few of the students that she now recognized from her frequent visits. Donna turned the corner and smiled at the sight of the open office door, where she could see a curly-haired brunette hunched over a stack of papers. She stood in the doorframe and knocked on it to get her friend's attention. "Drop what you're doing and get this bagel while it's hot and fresh. Flew it over from that street cart you love so much."

She jumped at the sudden interruption, accidentally flinging her pen across the room. It clacked harmlessly against the wall, falling to the floor. Kitty huffed out a laugh, pushing Gabby's math test off to the side.

Rubbing her dry eyes, Kitty greeted her friend, "It's been a while, Miss Troy. I almost thought you forgot about me." She waved over to the chairs in front of her desk. "Come on in, take a seat, make yourself at home."

She eyed the food offering in Donna's hands, her stomach growling. Oh, the woman Donna Troy was. "You know me so well. Did you get the blueberry cream cheese?"

“I’m not-” she paused for a second, unsure if she should tell Katya she wasn’t staying long. Maybe she shouldn’t have come back only to tell her she’d have to leave again soon, though she supposed there was a difference to being dead and simply being away. “I can’t stay long” she managed to get out eventually.

“I have to go back to Limbo” Illyana sighed, she’d rather stay here with Katya but she had other responsibilties, ones she’d ignored for way too long. “I don’t know how long I’ve been gone, you said I came back on the day I died, so at least a year.” She ran a hand through her hair, thinking for a moment before she looked at Katya again. “A year wouldn’t explain the current state of Limbo, it’s too fast, even for him.

“Katya” Illyana said, her voice lower now, less sure than normal, someone who didn’t know her might say it almost sounded scared. “How long? How long have I been dead?”

Until Illyana said she wasn't staying.

"Oh." Kitty felt stupid. They weren't roommates anymore, their lives didn't start and end with each other, and this hadn't been news to her for years, even before Illyana died. The other girl had always been so independent. Kitty wasn't sure why she thought Illyana's return meant a return to that. "Right," she said halfheartedly, "of course."

She stayed quiet after that, trying to accept her friend's decision. Illyana had proved time and time again that she could protect herself and face her own problems alone. Kitty just -- she wanted to --

"Oh," Kitty repeated, eyes widening. Of course she didn't know how long it'd been since she died. Her heart ached at the reminder. Someone needed to tell her. "Yana," her breath hitched, "it's been three years."

Illyana very reluctantly let go of Katya once she pulled back, she didn’t want to but she also knew it wasn’t resonable to just stay like that forever either. She gave Katya a small smile, regardless of everything else, she was back and she was with one of the most important people in her life.

Sighing she closed her eyes for a moment when Katya asked about if she knew anything about how she was back or who was involved. Part of her wanted to tell her she didn’t know, to keep her out of whatever the reason was for her return but she knew Katya deserved to know the truth. “I don’t know with absolute certainty but I have my suspicions on the who” Illyana replied, taking a step back from Katya as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“There’s only a few people I know of who are powerful enough to bring me back” she hoped she was wrong, that someone else was responsible for her resurrection but deep down she knew there was only one option for who had brought her back. “Considering I woke up in Limbo it leaves me with one option... my father” or rather her adoptive father, the former demon lord of Limbo, Belasco, and whatever reasons he had for bringing her back couldn’t be good.

She let the words, and their implications, set in. Belasco, the (former) demon lord of Limbo who had been the source of so much hurt and suffering, brought Illyana back. There were a million follow-up questions she wanted to ask, like Is Limbo stable? How long have you been back? Are you okay? Are we okay?

But this was bigger than the two of them. Belasco being back meant that this was about the safety of her kids back at the Xavier's Academy. It could easily become the whole world's problem if they weren't careful. Kitty looked Illyana over, frowning at her guarded stance.

"Okay," she decided. Kitty crossed her arms, pushing back her own feelings for the moment. They needed a plan. "Does anyone else know you're back?"

Marvel Voices: X-Men #1 - "Through the Years" (2023)

“Timing was never my strong suit” Illyana commented as she tightened her arms around Katya, not wanting to let her go just yet. “I’m sorry” she whispered after a moment, still holding on tightly to Katya, almost like she was afraid to let go. She didn’t remember much from when she was dead but she remembered that she’d experienced a very similar moment to this several times, only it had always turned out not to be real in the end.

A beat passed. Her tears slowed and dried. She reluctantly let go of Illyana, taking a step back, but still loosely held onto her arms. Maybe it was childish, but part of her was afraid that the teleporter would disappear the moment she turned away. She glanced off to the side, a little embarrassed.

Hesitantly, Kitty gently asked, "Do you know how it is that you're back?" Her brows furrowed in thought. "Or if there's a who involved?"

The X-Men had a lot of enemies who wouldn't hesitate to do questionable things, like resurrect a powerful dead mutant, but she also wouldn't put it past any of their allies either. Dark thoughts clouded her mind from all the wild scenarios she imagined.

Illyana looked at Katya, she didn't say anything, unable to form any words as she looked at her best friend. After what felt like an eternity but was only just a brief moment, Illyana looked away as she summoned her soulsword. She couldn't find the words to tell Katya it was really her, that she was back, and in her mind this was better than words. Anyone could lie and pretend to be someone else but only two people in the world was able to summon and hold the soulsword. The soulsword also couldn't be faked due to the nature of the weapon. It brought with it a certain presence that couldn't be imitated. "No joke or plan, no tricks" she finally said, her eyes once more meeting Katya's.

She's dreamed about this day before. In their line of work, people coming back from the dead isn't super uncommon, so of course she'd always held out hope. She'd thought about what she'd say, how she'd apologize, what she'd do, everything. All of that couldn't have been farther from her mind in this moment.

Kitty broke out into a sprint, tackling the blonde into a tight hug. She didn't care about the fact that they were in a cemetery or if anyone was watching. The world could've been ending and she'd have put it on the back burner. Her best friend was alive again and she needed to feel her, if even for a moment.

"You fucking asshole," she cried into Illyana's shoulder. It came out muffled and semi-incoherent. "Right in front of your grave? On the day you died? Are you kidding me?"

Three weeks had passed in Limbo since she woke up there... since she came back from the dead. She kept postponing going to earth, going to see her friends and family, because she didn’t know how or why she was back and something just felt wrong. Eventually she convinced herself to go see Katya, she was her best friend, the person who’d been with her when she died, she deserved to know she was back.

Timing had never been Illyana’s strong suit, in her defense it was easy to get messed up on that when you could travel to time. She supposed there was some kind of irony in finding Katya by her grave. She considered returning to Limbo and talk to Katya later but she knew if she did that it would take at least another two weeks before she’d be able to talk herself into going back.

She quietly approched the other mutant, not wanting to startle her. She stopped a few feet behind her, trying to come up with something, anything to say, but all she could manage was one word. “Katya.”

It never got easier. Hearing her voice when it wasn't there; seeing her in the random blondes she'd see in crowds; the Soulsword finding a new owner in her. She knew she heard what she heard and saw what she saw because it was what she wanted to hear and see, but she thought that part of her grieving process was over.

She steeled herself. She turned around.

Kitty stared at the blonde. Her walls came crumbling down in seconds. "Yana?" she whispered in disbelief. Her vision blurred with tears and she stubbornly held them back, paranoia tickling the back of her mind.

"If this is some kind of fucking joke or part of some sick, twisted plan..." she choked up, her throat refusing to work with her. This was too much. She met Illyana's gaze, glaring. "I swear I'll kill you."

Not many approached him asking for his brother. There's a significance, there. He knows this. Which side of the spectrum (of people who sought after Dick Grayson) is Ms. Pryde coming from? That's the important question. The saying 'never meet your heroes' does, unfortunately, have some semblance of truth to it after all.

She wasn't new to getting recognized, but not many people said it so openly to her face. First came the recognition, then came the fear, quickly followed by either avoidance or disgust. Sometimes, hatred. But usually? Usually, people would look straight at her and see an unassuming human woman. Not Kitty Pryde, the professor.

For some reason, Kitty got the curious feeling he was more focused on the hero aspect of her being an X-Man than the mutant part of it all.

Oh. Her eyes widened. Nightwing's secret identity.

"He isn't in any trouble," she clarified, also stealing a few glances around the cafe. Satisfied that no one was paying them any mind, Kitty sat in the chair across from Tim. "Sorry, that was a bad introduction. I'm Kitty -- you already knew that -- I'm a... friend. Of Dick's." She smiled awkwardly. "Honestly, it's more like I'm the one in trouble. I'm not interrupting, am I?"

She hugged him back, allowing herself one squeeze before pushing him away. "I'm sorry," Kitty blurted out. "I, uh, I just wanted to say that. Before anything else. You're a good friend." And you deserve better.

Click. Clack. Click. The faint sounds of small hands lightly tapping away on a laptop. The background noise of the cafe. Chatter. Others on laptops. Calls on Bluetooth. Baristas shouting orders.

He was Timothy Drake today. Young university student. Hobbyist photographer. Adopted son of a famous philanthropist, heir to his parents' legacy of Drake Industries. Eccentric, just like the rest of the Wayne's. He's used to it — the looks, the whispers, the not-so subtle flashes of cameras.

He doesn't pause in his typing. Barely spares the woman openly staring at him from several tables over a glance. Normally, he'd just try to ignore it, or down his coffee in a rush before packing up and disappearing out the door to find someplace else to study.

She didn't mean to stare. She really didn't. She just wanted to get her coffee and leave; she never felt any desire to stay in Gotham longer than she needed to. Even when she was here for Dick. Sorry, but murderous clowns weren't really her thing.

So, she didn't mean to stare at the kid clearly studying, but it was like catching a glimpse of the past and she couldn't stop herself. Kitty saw the pictures of Tim Drake, knew he was a mirror to a younger Dick Grayson, but it paled in comparison to seeing the resemblance in-person. Kitty could count her costumed run-ins with the first Robin on one hand, and that mask had never been close to coming off when they were kids.

And now, with a hot coffee cup in hand, Kitty was having trouble processing all of that with his brother.

But then he spoke up, snapping her out of her weird nostalgia trip.

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