Disclaimer: The X-Men and friends belong to Marvel. Highlander and all associated characters belong to Rysher. Kavik is mine, as is David Mitchell. I'm not making any money out of this so please don't try to sue me you wouldn't get much.

Quote of the day: "The Horsemen rule or the world dies. Has a nice ring to it!" - Kronos ('Revelation 6:8': Season 5, Highlander)

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** ** Denotes telepathic conversation.

< > Denotes thought

* * Denotes emphasis

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This is set straight after the first story in this arc: "Welcome To The X-Men, Kavik. Hope You Survive The Experience."

Of Mutants And Immortals

Story 2: End To Ignorance

By Claire Fenwick - MethosWatcher/Voyager/XPhile

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PART 1

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Monday, 7:52 AM

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Kavik MacLeod stepped out of the shower and used her powers to pull the remaining water off her. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt and got dressed. Opening the wardrobe, she pulled out her black trenchcoat. If she was going to have to wear a uniform while she was here, then the coat would have to be a part of it. It was the only was she could carry her katana and still keep it concealed. She smiled to herself as she thought to herself that one of the disadvantages of being an Immortal was having to take the ability of clothing to hide a three foot sword into consideration when she shopped. All of her coats had hidden pockets inside the lining; flexible scabbards that she could slide her sword into when it wasn't needed. The smile turned into a grimace as her mind flicked back to the events of two nights previously. She had been stupid going out unarmed, it was something she hadn't done in centuries. An Immortal could never afford to be found without their weapon. It had been shear luck that Michael Roberts hadn't been a better opponent, otherwise she would have been dead. Shaking thoughts of death out of her head, Kavik headed out of the door, to the kitchen, where a strong cup of black coffee was calling her.

Kavik walked into the kitchen, and had to force herself not to laugh. As soon as she entered the room, the people in there looked at her, then looked at Rogue and all of them had held their breaths.

Rogue turned to Kavik and smiled. "Ya want a coffee, sugah?" She asked.

"Yeah Rogue, that'd be great," Kavik replied.

The collective sighs of relief in the room were so audible that, for the second time in as many minutes, Kavik had to stop herself from laughing.

"There ya go," Rogue walked over and handed Kavik a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," said Kavik as she sat down at the table.

Jean walked over and sat down next to her. "Sam's due back today, so by tonight you should know everyone in the mansion."

"Yeah, then you've just got Excalibur, X-Factor, the kids at Massachusetts..." Bobby laughed. "I mean, it's not like there's *that* many names to remember!"

"That's okay, I'm blessed with a good memory." Kavik smiled.

"So, what's happenin' today?" Asked Rogue aloud, to no one in particular.

"Nothing," replied Jean. "Charles decided it would be for the best if everyone took some time off after..." She had been about to say 'after yesterday', but bit the words back. However, everyone knew what she meant.

Rogue glanced at Kavik and was relieved to see that Kavik didn't seem bothered about the events which had occurred the day before. Rogue hoped that was due to their conversation last night and not that she was good at hiding her emotions.

Kavik could feel Rogue looking at her and turned in the direction of the other woman. She saw the nervous look on Rogue's face and smiled at her.

Rogue saw Kavik's kind smile and relaxed. She truly regretted her actions in the Danger Room the day before. It was good to know that Kavik didn't hold any resentment for what happened. Or if she did, that she was being gracious enough not to let Rogue see it.

Logan walked into the room just as Kavik was finishing her coffee.

"Mornin', darlin'," he grinned at Kavik.

Bobby raised an eyebrow at the endearment. "So, how do you two know each other, anyway?"

Kavik and Logan glanced at each other and smiled.

"Logan helped me out of a bad situation once, and we've been friends since."

"What kind of situation?" Bobby's curiosity was piqued.

"A resolved situation." Kavik's tone dissuaded Bobby from further interrogation.

"Kavik," said Jean, "since we have the day free what are you planning to do?" Jean could see Bobby's mind working overtime trying to figure out Logan and Kavik's relationship and she thought that a change of subject might be for the best.

"I don't know," answered Kavik, smiling at Jean for her tactful intervention. "There's a friend that I need to ring to ask him to send some of my stuff over."

"Why didn't you bring it with you?" Scott asked.

"I tend to travel light and get anything that I need sent after me."

"What do you want him to send?" Scott asked politely.

"There's nothing of major importance or urgency that I need," replied Kavik. "But I do want him to send my bike out."

"You still ridin' the Heritage?" Logan asked between mouthfuls of the breakfast that had been deposited in front of him.

"Yep," nodded Kavik.

"The Heritage?" Bishop inquired.

"My bike," explained Kavik. "It's a Harley Davidson Heritage."

"Is that all ya doin'?" Logan asked.

Kavik nodded.

"Good," grinned Logan. "Meet me in the Danger Room at one."

Kavik's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"'Cause it's been a while since I had anyone who knew what they were doin' ta spar with." Logan ignored Scott's indignant splutter. "What have you got with you?"

Kavik glanced around the room, noticing that everyone was listening to the conversation. "Just the katana," she answered. She knew that it would be best if the X-Men knew that she was going to carry a sword. They didn't need to know the real reason she carried it, just that she had it.

"You have a sword?" Scott said incredulously.

"It's an old heirloom," she replied, never once taking her eyes off Logan.

"And you know how to use it?"

Kavik looked at Scott with a smile on her face. "I've taken a few lessons here and there."

"Fine. I'll bring a couple of bo-ken and the Yashida blade. We can decide what ta use when the time comes." Logan stood up and walked to the door.

"Don't be late."

"Hei, Sensei" Kavik said sarcastically.

Logan just grinned and walked out.

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Monday, 1:00 PM

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Kavik walked into the Danger Room with a bag over her shoulder.

"Congrats, darlin' you're on time." Logan was sitting in the middle of the floor with his eyes closed. All he was wearing was a pair of sweat pants and the sheen of perspiration on his bare chest indicated that he had been working out before Kavik arrived.

Kavik smirked. "Didn't anyone tell you to respect your elders, old man?"

Logan laughed and opened his eyes to look at Kavik. She was wearing a pair of black lycra shorts and a big baggy T-shirt. Her dark hair was tied in a ponytail.

Kavik placed her bag on a bench next to one of the walls and glanced over to where Logan sat. He made no attempt to stand and so she began to warm up.

Logan watched her as she performed a kata, effortlessly gliding through the moves. Logan recognised the particular kata she was performing and smiled as she came to a halt in front of him. Kavik looked down at him inquiringly and he nodded. The kata she had been performing had a partner; a second kata to be performed by a second person. The joint kata was only meant to be carried out by those with a total knowledge and grasp of the movements. When performed correctly, the effect was one of a flowing, interlocking puzzle; two bodies, moving together but never touching. Practised at full speed, an error meant injury, or worse. By the time Logan had stood, Kavik had removed her T-shirt and thrown it on top of her bag, revealing a black lycra top.

The two friends looked at each other for a few moments and then, slowly, they began to move. Their movements were fluid and began to speed up. By the time the kata reached full speed, neither Logan nor Kavik was consciously thinking about the next move. Instead, their minds were clear, allowing their bodies to automatically flow to through each sequence of their dangerous dance.

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"Do you think they'll mind us watching them?" Bobby asked, as he stood outside the Danger Room.

"I don't see why not," answered Scott, keying in the code to open the door and walking in.

Scott stopped in his tracks when he saw Kavik and Logan.

"Scott, what the - " Bobby exclaimed when he walked into the back of Cyclops.

"Ssh," Scott interrupted Bobby's rant, never taking his eyes off the two people in front of him.

Bobby followed Scott's gaze to Kavik and Logan. "Whoa," he said, moving to let Jean and Remy into the room.

The four X-Men watched in silence as the moves performed by Logan and Kavik became more complex and integrated. Kavik's foot kicked into the space where Logan's head had been a second before. Logan's hand came back sharply, narrowly missing Kavik as she moved to the next sequence of her part of the kata.

"What are they doing?" Whispered Bobby, unwilling to break the quiet spell in the room.

**It's a kata, I think,** replied Jean telepathically. Like Bobby, she was also unwilling to break the silence in the room. **I've seen both Logan and Betsy do them, but I've never seen one performed by two people before.**

Remy stood watching Kavik as she flowed from move to move. The muscles under her skin rippled and the perspiration on her body reflected the light from above. As he watched, he was aware of the movements becoming slower, until, eventually, Logan and Kavik were moving at a fraction of the pace they had been when the four other X-Men had entered. When Logan and Kavik were finally still, Remy let out a breath that he hadn't realised he was holding.

The final moves of the kata left Logan and Kavik in the positions they had had when they started. Without saying a word, they walked over to the bench that their bags were on. Pulling out a towel, Kavik began rubbing herself down.

"That was *amazing*," said Jean as she walked over to the bench and sat down.

"Thanks," smiled Kavik. "I must admit though, it's been a while since Ilast did that."

"Same here," admitted Logan. "I wasn't sure if we'd pull it off."

"Where did you learn that?" Scott asked, sitting next to his wife.

"I trained in Japan with a master for a while. I learnt a few things off him," Kavik replied.

"Really? Wow, it must be great to be able to do something like that," enthused Bobby.

"Oui, Chere. Dat was really somet'in'," Remy added with a grin.

"I'm glad you liked it," replied Kavik. "If we'd known we were going to

have spectators we could have done something more difficult." She said wryly.

"I hope you don't mind," said Jean quickly. "It's just that we were, well, curious."

"Of course not," assured Kavik. "What is there to mind?" She turned her attention to Logan. "Bo-ken?"

He shook his head. "Blades."

Kavik nodded and pulled a silk wrapped object out of her bag. She carefully removed the silk to reveal the katana Remy had seen two nights earlier.

"Wow," breathed Bobby, "it's beautiful." He gently reached out a hand.

"May I?"

Kavik picked up the sword and, after placing the silk wrappings back in her bag, handed it to Bobby.

Bobby held the sword tentatively causing Kavik to laugh softly. "It's been around for quite a while, Bobby, it's not going to break just because you hold it too hard."

"What's the carving on the handle?" Jean asked, leaning in for a closer look.

"A wolf," replied Kavik.

"Is this ivory?" Bobby delicately traced the wolf with his fingers.

"Yes, it is."

"I thought that ivory wasn't used on things like that any more." Jean looked up at Kavik.

"It's not," she confirmed. "Not now and not in the States. However, when the katana was made, to consider using anything but the finest ivory would have been unthinkable."

"Why, when was it made?"

Kavik threw her towel on top of her discarded T-shirt as she answered.

"It was made late 15th century, by the Masamune Dynasty."

"Who?" Remy asked.

"Masamune," repeated Logan. "They're one of, if not the most, respected sword makers in Japan. They have been makin' weapons for centuries. Only the most perfect virgin steel is used, and the blade is folded over 200 times.

What ya holdin', Popsicle, is a very deadly, very expensive, work of art."

"How expensive?" Bobby asked quietly.

"Think of how much you'd earn as an accountant in the city in a year,"

Logan grinned as Bobby turned slightly green and looked at the sword as if it was about to shatter into a million pieces. "Double it," Bobby went greener. "Double it again," a gasp escaped his throat. "Now add a nought on the end and you're there." All that could be heard from Bobby was a distressed whimper.

Scott reached out to touch the blade when Kavik's hand grabbed his wrist.

"Don't," she warned.

"Why?"

Kavik didn't answer. Instead she reached into her bag and removed one of the pieces of silk. Taking the sword off Bobby, she held it so that the sharp edge of the blade was facing the ceiling, and threw the silk into the air. Scott watched as the silk fluttered down onto the sword and was cut in two where it landed on the blade.

"Because it's sharp." Kavik turned away and walked to where Logan was standing in the centre of the floor.

The four observers watched as Kavik and Logan dropped into fighting stances and began circling each other.

"I really don't think they should be doing this," Scott declared. "Those swords are sharp, someone could get seriously hurt."

"Scott," Jean replied, "we have to trust their skill. You know Logan wouldn't spar with the Honor Sword, if he didn't think that Kavik was capable of defending herself. And anyway, if anything serious looks like it's about to happen, I can grab the swords telekinetically."

To start with Logan and Kavik parried and thrust relatively slowly, as they re-accustomed themselves with each others fighting styles. Soon, the attacks became more energetic and daring.

"I'm not happy with this," stated Scott as Kavik barely dodged one of Logan's thrusts. "At the very least Kavik should be wearing body armour. And it's hardly fair, Logan's experience and healing factor gives him a massive advantage."

Remy managed to stifle the snort of amusement that threatened to come out. "Dey know what dey doin', Cyke, and dey grown adults. Leave dem be."

Scott turned back to the combatants, ready to stop the fight, when the style of Kavik's attacks suddenly changed. He wasn't sure how it happened, but within a matter of seconds Kavik had Logan disarmed and on his back with her blade at his throat.

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Logan could feel the cold steel of the blade at his neck as he looked at the woman standing over him. "You'll have ta show me that move one of these days," he said with a grin. "I didn't even see that comin'."

"Don't worry," smiled Kavik, as she reached out a hand to help Logan to his feet. She leant closer and whispered in his ear. "I have been doing this slightly longer than you, after all."

Logan laughed as he allowed Kavik to pull him up.

Bobby would have given anything to know what Kavik had said to make Logan laugh like that. Wolverine wasn't used to being beaten when he fought, and tended to take it rather personally when it happened.

Logan picked up his sword from where it had fallen when Kavik disarmed him and followed her over to the bench.

Remy was applauding softly. "I'm impressed. Dat was somet'in'."

"Thank you." Kavik smiled at the compliment.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Bobby inquired.

"I am going to go and stand in a hot shower long enough to use up the water supply of a small country," replied Kavik. "Why, do you want to join me?" she teased.

"No! Not that I wouldn't, I mean, it's nothing to do with you. It's just that, I just meant, that, well - "

"Bobby, calm down, I was teasing." Kavik laughed.

"Oh," came the quiet reply as Bobby wished that he didn't blush quite so easily.

Kavik placed the katana in her bag and picked it up. She was still laughing when she walked out of the door.

Monday, 7:47 PM

A taxi cab pulled up to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and two people got out. Sam Guthrie and Tabitha Smith had been to visit Sam's parents in Kentucky for the weekend, revelling in just being Sam and Tabitha, instead of Cannonball of the X-Men and Meltdown of X-Force.

"Ah can't wait ta meet the new X-Man." Said Sam. Bobby had told him about her when Sam had rung the mansion on Saturday afternoon to tell them that they would be home on Monday.

Tabitha was about to reply when Sam dropped to his knees, clutching at his head.