Four o'clock in the morning, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for persistent bleeps from the bedside phone. There was a mumbled "Huh?" then a hand reached out from under the covers, and grabbed the phone off it's cradle, "What?"
"Kaitlen, you awake?"
The young woman blinked, and spent a minute considering the problem before summing up her views on calls at this time of the morning, "Blurg" The annoying happy voice on the phone took this as a valid sign of life,
"Ah good, we need you, Mike went and got himself arrested again ... "
The reply as she started to wake up was a short and very to the point Gaelic curse, followed by, "What the hell has the lad down now?", the command of english was perfect, though tiredness had made a normally faint Irish accent far thicker then normal.
"For a change I don't think it was his fault, looks like he got into a scrap with a bunch of Humans First people ... they're holding him for public brawling."
"Susan lass, do ye know what the time is?"
"Hey, you had to be up at 6 for work anyway ... whats 2 hours?"
There was a pause, then a sudden flare of light as a blue-white ball of energy shimmered into existence, hovering just over Kaitlen's hand, she gave the phone an annoyed look, then, letting out a long suffering sigh, said, "Ok, I'm on my way, where is he?"
***
Ten minutes later, a slim 6ft tall figure stepped out the door of her apartment, and headed for her car, the street-light glinted off copper coloured hair, tied up in a quick braid, and shone annoyingly in green tiredness dulled eyes. Blue jeans and a white shirt covered the elegant lines of a body who's owner took good care of it, though right at the moment she didn't much care how she looked.
:: This is getting beyond a joke ::, she thought, :: whatever possessed you to help this mob me girl? :: She climbed into the car, started it up, pulled out onto the road ... this early there wasn't much traffic to worry about, :: because they are the most together mutant rights people in London, and right at the moment I need them showing their best image. We're having enough trouble already, and if Mike has started another fight ... ::
The police station was much as she expected, she stopped at the doorway and checked herself in the mirror, then ruffled her hair a bit more. Not her normal look for legal problems, but in this case she might have to be playing on sympathy, and ice-queen didn't help for that. This was probably going to be bad enough as it was.
"In here miss, " the officer held the door to the interview room open, enjoying the view as she went past, Kaitlen smiled at him, then gentally pulled the door out of his hands, and shut him out, before turning to face the other occupant of the room,
"Mike lad, what have ye gotten yourself into this time?"
"It wasn't my fault," the man standing next to the table sighed, "really, for a chance I was just minding my own business ... I think they recognised me from one of the marches."
She gave him a distrustful look, but as far as she could tell, he really was telling the truth, she sighed, then dropped into a chair, "Ok, tell me what happened?"
He blinked, not expecting her to be convinced this easily, and sat down himself, "I was just wandering out of the office for a fag, and they attacked me," he grinned, "I was holding my own when the coppers turned up."
She took a deep breath, then quietly said a few words that would have probably shocked Mike if he'd actually understood the language, then actually started thinking about the problem, her accent faded and a professional edge crept into her voice, "Right ... well I shouldn't have too much trouble, I don't think this lot know you, and there were 4 of them ... it helps you don't look like much of a threat ... "
***
The thoughts running through Kaitlen's head weren't printable, after getting Mike off the hook, she'd only just had enough time to get home, have a shower, and change into work clothes, still, at least she was here on time.
"Yo, Catlin! You're looking good, trying for a raise?" a male co-worker yelled across the office when she got in, she gave him an annoyed look, and thought long and hard about her rule of never starting a fight at work.
The woman at the desk next hers looked up, and commented in a cynical tone, "You know, one of these days it might occur to him that he'd have more success in getting into your pants if he actually bothered to learn how to say your name."
Kaitlen sat down, and put her head in her hands, "He just don't get it does he ... you would think after I punched him out at the christmas party he might start to think I don't like him."
Her friend blinked at her normally much more self controlled friend, "You looked bushed, late night?"
"No, early morning, I had to ... help a friend out of a problem." As a general rule, she tried to avoid bringing her other hobby up at her real job, Sam was one of the few people here that would understand just why she helped a bunch of loosely organised political activists, but the less she talked about then, the less trouble she would have with the firm.
"Sometimes I worry about you, you're not immortal you know ... oh great, don't look now, but loverboy is on his way over."
She winced faintly at the sound of his voice, "Hello ladies, and how are we on this fine morning?"
Her friend covered for her, "If it's so lovely Frank why don't you go out and look at it."
"Ah, but why would I do that when I've got such a lovely view inside, so Catlin, why so quite, busy night." he added a suggestive motion, which fortunately for his jaw she missed.
"Look Frank, you're already up on one sexual harassment charge, do you really want to add another one one?" Her friend however did catch it, and wasn't going to take it lieing down.
Under the conversational cover, Kaitlen opened her eyes, and focused across the room at Frank's PC, which looked about halfway through a disk defrag ... this wasn't something she would normally stoop to, but at the moment it was that or hit him, and while this would get her in a lot more trouble with management if they ever found out she could do it, it was also a lot more subtle. She was still getting the hang of this trick, though her alarm clock had found itself used as a practice target quite often of late. Fortunately the office was open plan, so she had an easy target line, just a quick bit of concentration and ... _there_, got it. There was a short pause, then the startup sound of Frank's computer range across the office, followed by a sound of pain from Frank as he realised what had just happened. As he ran back to try and contain the damage, her friend gave her a penetrating look, then said in a quiet voice, "You really should be carful with that, what if somebody noticed?"
Kaitlen sat up, "I know ... but ... "
"Well, nobody did notice, and ... " she started to giggle, "Oh you bitch, he was defragging."
Kaitlen grinned, "It's not my fault if he leaves his computer unwatched at a fragile moment."
"So, how bad do you think it is?"
There was a sudden burst of swearing from across the room, "Worse then expected ... ah well, couldn't happen to a nicer person."
"You aren't wrong there."
***
"Hey, Kath, you read this?" a paper was shoved into her hand, she blinked, then read the story in the bottom corner they were pointing to.
"Wraith? What's this supposed to be?"
The blond women that had handed her the paper dropped into the seat next to her, "Apparently a bunch of muggers were jumped by some kind of wraith, beat them up then vanished ... what do you think?"
"I think it's going to get the humanists people up in arms again ... " she sighed, "this isn't what we needed, after that mess over in the states it would be a lot better if we just stayed nice a quiet ... oh well, at least the press are covering it well ... "
Susan blinked, then looked at her, "You're really worried about this aren't you? Look, it can't strike back on you, nobody knows ... "
"That I'm a mutant?" Kaitlen finished the statement, "yes, nobody knows, but that only protects me, what about the rest of them?"
Susan's voice was quiet, "That's why we're here ... a bunch of demonstrably non-mutants that can walk around and yell at the humanists, and not get grabbed under the emergency acts."
"It's dangerous that I'm involved with you ... if they ever want to check me ... "
"You're not a front-line member, you're just our legal aid, and who ever notices them?"
"I just hope you're right ... I don't want to think what it would do to my job."
"I don't see why you would worry them, your most impressive trick is making a glowing light ... that's really a threat to nation."
Kaitlen looked out across the bar to hide her expression, :: If only you knew. ::
Susan waited as the red-head waitress wandered up, gave them their drinks, and then vanished again, before putting her hand on Kaitlen's shoulder, "Come on, the night is young, let's see what this place has to offer. I've heard good things about, even if the name is a bit over the top ... I mean really, 'Hotlegs'? ... Kath?"
She blinks, then looked at Susan, "Sorry, I'm just not in the mood tonight ... this morning must have taken it out of me."
Susan was sure this wasn't the whole truth, but didn't push it, "Ok, see you tomorrow then? Planning meeting for the march on Tuesday."
"Ah, yes, I'll be there."
***
Kaitlen normally wouldn't have minded the music, but 1:00 in the morning was getting a bit late ... and after her other attempts to ask nicely, she knew a personal visit wouldn't work ... it was time to try plan B. Escorted by her hovering ball of light, with what she was about to do, she was worried about having her lights on, she walked over to the shared wall, and leaned against it ... almost, a bit further along ... yes, right there. The magnetic field off the speaker was strongest here, she could feel the field pulsing in her bones ... the next stage would be more interesting.
This wasn't a trick she often practiced, but it was only pushing what she did to Frank's computer, though this was a bit more permanent if it worked ... :: Ok lads, if you want to play it loud, you should learn to deal with the risks ::. It was just a matter of pushing it ... there was the pulse ... and PUSH!
There was a loud bang, and a sudden series of cries, "SHIT, it's on fire, somebody put the damn speaker out!" was the clearest ... Kaitlen blinked, :: Well now, it doesn't usually go _that_ well ... hmm, the things you learn. ::
The shouting seemed to have died down at last, they must have put it out, they also seemed to given up on the idea of playing music ... she stagger back to bed with the feeling off a job well done ... and had finallyly gotten off to sleep when the phone rang, grogly Kaitlen picked up the phone.
"Miss Mornn?" a foreign voice asked.
She blinked, "Yes?"
"this Oliver Dubois's sectary. Mr Dubois will be in London this afternoon, and wishes a meeting with you. What time would be convenient for you?"
There was another pause, while she searched her mind for the name, and didn't find a match, "Ah, what would this meeting be about?"
"Mr Dubois has a proposition for you, which he would prefer to tell you himself in person, would 1 o'clock be suitable for you?"
Kaitlen sighed to herself, ::Ah well, maybe it's a better job offer ... at least it will get me out of the office for a bit::, "I belive I can manage that ... I assume you have an address?"
"Penthouse 2, in the Park Royal, I inform him that you will be there, good day."
Kaitlen put the phone down, and sighed, with her current workload, she really didn't need this extra crap ... {And why in the hell are they calling this early anyway ... ah well, maybe I can get some sleep.}