Great story. Great ending. I'm at Peace :)

love it

This is probably the third time I read this story and I still love it until now!
In the mainstream comics that Kitty and Bobby are actually dating, many fans don't like them together which really pissed me off. I really like Kitty and Bobby pairing. I keep reading this to cheer me up. Good job! 5 stars!

Several plot complications get introduced here, though none of them are truly direct. I'm not sure how these will work into the main plot quite yet, or what it will take to resolve them. The timing couldn't be worse, though, and the bit at the end where Bobby and Kitty get into an argument was unexpected. I did like the way the tension was resolved, however. Nice use of absurdity, there.

My favorite part of this chapter was Jubilee rising to the defense of Bobby and Warren's silent, but indignant reaction. It was good to see everyone weigh in with their perceptions of Kitty and Bobby and how they've performed over the past few days. It's also appropriate, given the theme of this story, that a large part of the discussion involves how mature they feel the couple are. I'm glad they don't necessarily reach a consensus here, as the outcome of the meeting with the Neo will play a large part in what they've proven by their actions. Also, there's not much they can really Do to them either way right now, is there?

I liked Rogue's section. Her feelings about the loss of her powers and the potential impact of the Neo's plan are well thought out and not the obvious direction. She's also proving to be one of the more level headed and verbal supporters of Bobby and Kitty, which will be helpful all around. Lot's of unresolved issues have been brought up that I'm curious to see followed up on, and it was nice to see Bobby and Kitty get a moment to enjoy each other before the next chapter kicks in.

This chapter opens with one shocking moment and closes with another - for the characters, at least. You've primed the readers to one degree or another on both, so it's more about seeing the characters react. With Jean, you do not disappoint, especially when news of her pregnacy is added to the mix. Jubilee is especially fun here and much of the levity is channeled through her.

To me, it looks like the main purpose of this chapter is establishing the argument with Warren so that he gets punched. The challenge, is setting things up so that Bobby is the one who punches him, before anyone else gets a chance to, including Kitty herself. That's no small task considering the many people who would gladly do so after the things he says.

This is an important scene, not only because of the effect it has on Bobby and Kitty's relationship, but also Bobby and Warren. The scene has some great tension, but feels a little forced. It's not apparent why Warren is being such a jerk to Bobby or Kitty, except that the plot needs him to be. Perhaps if you developed this a bit more earlier in the story? Perhaps a few scenes where tension builds naturally between Bobby and Warren, or we see some of the reasons he's so concerned about e-mail security or has issues with protocal and competence in a world where the X-Men have no powers and are largely just living out their own lives. Give us some perspective for him, and the explosion here will have a greater and more meaningful impact.

Jubilee and Kurt take the prize for best showings in this chapter. Jubilee's wake-up call, and Bobby's spontaneous response, is bound to spark hilarious rumors. Kurt's scorekeeping during the meeting was great fun and very revealing of the general tone it carried. Plus, it helped lighten what was otherwise a highly uncomfortable group meeting. Kitty and Bobby can't catch a break, can they? Especially from Peter and Warren, who are being extremely unfair and closed-minded, almost for its own sake, it seems. Ororo was another welcome addition to the whole and will hopefully have a larger presence as well. Jean's timing of her announcement couldn't be worse, really, though I doubt she thinks of it that way. A very engaging chapter.

I truly enjoy the way you write Hank, as well as the way he and Bobby play off of each other. Moments like this is when your dialog shines. The scene artfully resolves several concerns at once by giving Kitty a clean bill of health, passing along the message from the Neo and avoiding an encounter with Jean that, given Kitty and Bobby's state of exhaustion, would have been nothing short of disastrous. Nicely done, there. I also like the way Hank evenly splits his comments between this significance of the Neo and what they have done and stand for as well as the wisdom of Bobby and Kitty's decision. We'll have to see if the rest of the X-Men will be so generous.

Some of the POV shifts were a bit jarring in this chapter. I know this is nominally third-person omniscient, but I'm used to things mostly coming from Bobby or Kitty's perspective, at least while they're in the scene, so it threw me a bit to suddenly jump into Hank's head.

I really think the discussion with Domina should have been a scene, perhaps even an entire chapter, of its own, rather than summarized in the middle of this chapter. Given her significance and the importance of what she's asking (demanding?) of Kitty and Bobby, it would have been incredibly useful for the purpose of establishing both plot and character, and the perfect time for it as well.

I'm just guessing, but I have a feeling you were eager to get to the part where Bobby declares his feelings to Kitty while he thinks she's sleeping. This, by the way, was a fantastic scene and handled with skill, humor and feeling. It will be fun to see how they handle both this and their new responsibilities.

Cailin's (un)timely interruption certainly adds some new dimensions to the discussion Kitty and Bobby were having with Seth. They handled it pretty well, but then, Seth and Cailin were fortunately cooperative for the most part. I like how this chapter fleshes out the Neo a little more and gives Kitty someone to bond with a little. Bobby is famously good with children, and that's illustrated well here, too. It should be fun to see how he and Kitty deal with the crush Cailin is developing on him.

One thing that did confuse me a little was Cailen's reference to the flatscan at school Seth is attracted to. If it's Kitty (and it almost certainly is) than wouldn't they be talking about a spike, not a flatscan? Or is Seth lying to his sister?

Now that Domina has made her appearance, it looks like we're getting to the meat of things. Can't wait to see where things go from here.

The story is moving in some interesting directions now, and what you've chosen to reveal is developing things nicely. I like your spin on both the Neo and Seth here, and what he's told Kitty and Bobby establishes a credible motivation for what they've done.

Even if their methods leave a bit to be desired.

Kitty and Bobby are working very well together, even if they are still letting themselves be a little too distracted by flirtations and rantings. Kitty, especially is choosing exactly the wrong time to act the way she is and I was glad to see her back in business (in her own vicious style) once they got to the computer room. I also loved Bobby's conversation with Kurt. At least he will accept their explanation about the clothes. He knows better than anyone how often Kitty has wardrobe mishaps during missions.

Looking forward to seeing what Kitty and Bobby do with the information now that they have it.

This was fun. I enjoyed seeing Kitty and Bobby's resourcefulness in action. It's good to see they're still calm under pressure, even without powers. Perhaps even moreso, in face. The opening is full of good atmosphere and description.

You're playing your cards close to the chest here. After the POV change, I was expecting a little more information about the mysterious people holding them captive, but not yet, it seems. The scene itself plays out nicely for the most part, but Kitty and Bobby's conversation before they escape loses focus a couple of times. Seeing them gossip is such a situation seems a little odd, and takes away from the tension of the scene, for example.

Bobby seems to be getting bolder with Kitty, which is nice. I'm looking forward to what they discover next.

Kitty and Bobby raise a lot of good points and interesting questions during their philosophical discussion of mutants and what it's like to live in a world where they no longer have powers. The dialogue is smooth and natural sounding, and I notice there's an emphasis on Kitty's playful side. Bobby's influence, perhaps?

I would have liked more description of the neighborhood and the building they arrive at, just to get a better sense of setting and mood. It may be worth your time to fix a tiny typo that appears right after Bobby's phone conversation with Hank.

I enjoyed some of the references to Kitty and Bobby's history with the X-Men (and Excalibur). That's a nice treat for fans of both characters. Looks like they've found themselves in trouble despite their promises to be careful. It also proves that despite what Kitty said earlier, she can't resist the urge to play hero, even without her powers.

You my friend have done the impossible. You have written a story in which I have, however vague it is, some interest in the Neo. That's impressive. Admittedly, the Neo would have been much more, maybe not interesting but flushed out if Claremont had stayed on the books, and overall I did like them at the time (probably the last thing of Claremont's I genuinely liked was that run) but either way in this story they work well.

It's a good bit of work, I enjoyed it. The three or four issue arch that was the High Evolutionary story was something that frankly should have been a bigger deal in but wasn't. (At least House of M/Decimation realized that some mutants would die if their powers were shut off at the wrong time). But it's a great backdrop for a story like the one you've written. I liked the Bobby and Kitty interaction in this, it flowed very naturally and you did a great job illustrating the feelings they have based off their positions as the kids of the team as something that would really draw them together. Also that they never would have really met before this was something I'd never thought of, since I've been on and off X-Men for years, but it's neat to realize that (you know, to this day I don't think they've ever been on the same team in 616).

A great thing about this story is that it's consistent in its theme of maturity. Yes, there is the romance of two characters with a few others floating around in the peripheral, and it's a story about not having powers and what that means, but the ideas of growing up and doing the mature thing in various situations persists. By taking Sinister out of the High Evolutionary story, and even bringing the Neo in early rather than having them first appear after the problem is solved, it becomes less about fighting to get the problem solved but more about doing the mature thing and talking things over, gathering information and presenting it properly. Between Bobby and Kitty's struggle to be taken serious as adults to solving the no powers issue the X-Men way rather than the Neo, no actually better than the X-Men way since they don't go in guns blazing for once, the story remains constant in its ideas and makes for a stronger story.

Well done overall, looking forward to diving into some of the one shots when I get the chance.

This was a good, steady bridge between the tension of last chapter and what looks to be trouble looming on the horizon very soon. At least, to me it seems like what Kitty and Bobby are planning qualifies as a very bad idea, but we'll see. I loved Bobby's reaction to Lockheed, and vice-versa. I chuckled the entire time, just picturing it. Bobby's talk with Kurt was handled nicely, too. It's nice to see everyone taking the development between Bobby and Kitty so well and with general approval.