A/N: Don't own it. I just borrow the characters and make them play a game for my own sadistic amusement. If I happen to entertain you along the way, more's the better. R and R!
"Hey! Hey K-man!" Evan flagged down his friend in the upstairs hallway of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters.
Kurt, sometimes known as K-man, glanced over his shoulder. "Guten tag Evan!" he waved. "What can I do for you?"
"Yeah, I have this, uh, major report for physics class," Evan closed the distance between them, "and it's, um, due tomorrow."
"Nothing like the last minute," Kurt grinned. "What are you reporting on?"
"'Theories on Instantaneous Travel,'" Evan read from the assignment sheet. "'Is it possible and how can it be done.' Your specialty, man."
Kurt's mood changed in an instant. "Ah," he said, eyes flashing. "So you thought you'd skip the research and just copy down the whole history of my powers?"
"I'm citing you as a primary source!" Evan defended himself. "You're the world's leading authority on the subject!"
"Oh, that will go well," Kurt imitated the Physics teacher. "Mr. Daniels, are we talking about the same Kurt Wagner whom I teach in third period? How does he know so much about this subject?"
"Fine, then just 'port me around a few times and I'll write it myself!" Evan cried desperately. "I need this grade, man!"
"Look," Kurt sighed, "I really don't have time-"
"No, see, that's the point!" Evan interrupted. "It's *instantaneous* travel! It doesn't take any time!"
"Here's something for your report, Evan. Teleporting uses a *lot* of energy. Just taking you downstairs and back would have to be followed up with a massive eating spree. Unless you'd prefer to take the force of the trip?"
Evan turned slightly green. "Uh, no. Come on, just help me out!"
"Now *there's* the point," Kurt said forcefully. "I'll *help* you. I'm not going to do it *for* you."
"Fine, okay," Evan schemed. "But if you give your powers to Rogue..."
"Pay attention," Kurt said, trying to restrain himself from strangling Evan. "I. Am. Not. An. Experiment." He stalked through the nearest doorway and locked himself in.
The room he now occupied happened to belong to Amara. She was absently igniting and extinguishing her left hand while watching Sam do her homework. Hearing the door slam, she turned around, nearly setting her bed on fire in the process.
"Ah! I was looking for you! Or would have been, if I hadn't been *so* busy with schoolwork," Amara lamented. "I wish to share with you my great genius, for I have learned something new in order to make matters easier on your simple brain. I say unto you, du bist eine schlampig Zigeuner! Oh! Behold my brilliance!"
Barely controlling an almost uncontrollable urge to introduce Amara to a swift and ugly death, Kurt crossed the room, vaulted the window-sill, landed easily on the grass below, and stalked off for some remote corner of the grounds.
This particular remote corner of the grounds happened to contain a small fish pond. Kurt sat on a simple stone bench and thought nasty thoughts at the world in general. The dark clouds gathering on the western horizon mirrored his mood, and the mud made some rather interesting noises as it squelched up between his toes.
**********
Rogue sat on the window-seat and watched the clouds roll in. This was going to be nasty. Lightning flickered at the edge of the visible world, creating a lighting effect rather like watching a TV from the side.
"The sky is still clear," Ororo noted, "but the pressure is dropping. The storm's moving fast."
Scott, ever the practical one, wandered off to start closing windows. Rogue rather liked rough weather. It made a house very cozy, and had a way of getting people to sit and do something quietly entertaining together.
"Anybody seen Kurt?" Kitty asked as she entered the den through one of the side walls.
"Probably in some dark corner being mad at me," Evan said from his unique position across all parts of the couch.
That got him a Look from his aunt.
"I just asked him for help with my homework!" Evan explained, shifting into a position that was at least a shade more scholarly. "He got all righteous at me and walked off!"
On the surface, it was a good story. Too bad he was thinking loudly about the details.
"You're a jerk, Evan," Jean opined.
Any reaction to that was masked by a particularly loud clap of thunder.
"Gee-yaah!" Jamie interjected on his speedy way to the underside of a table.
"I didn't do it," Ray said quickly, his hands still staticky from whatever he had not done.
Ororo, bothered by the intensity of the storm and also developing a headache, took her leave.
**********
Fat rain drops splattered against the kitchen window. Inside, Logan and Rahne commiserated about the downsides of extra-sensitive hearing. Ororo entered and stared thoughtfully at the increasingly soggy out-of-doors.
"Somethin' up, 'Ro?" If Logan was good for anything, it was getting to the point.
"The storm is going to pass right over us," Ororo worried. "If lightning strikes anywhere on the property, it could short out our entire security system."
"Like anyone's coming to attack us in this weather," Logan snorted.
"Like anyone would be keen on fighting in the rain," Rahne countered.
"Either way, it could take days to get everything back on-line," Ororo pointed out.
"I hate logic," Logan growled.
Jubilee, with the amazing power to Catch On Quickly, entered the room and the conversation at that point. "Can't you make it go away?" she asked the weather-witch.
"Yes," Ororo glanced at the sky again, "but we need the rain."
"Oh," Jubilee belatedly remembered the drought that had plagued large parts of the country for the past several months.
"I could absorb the electricity," Ororo mused.
"Like a human lightning rod?" Rahne asked.
"Yes. I think it's our best chance. Would you girls run and get Ray? He's in the den."
Rahne and Jubilee trotted off on their errand. Meanwhile, Logan had picked up the nearest non-girly magazine and begun reading it.
"Any words of encouragement?" Ororo prompted him.
He studied her for a moment before responding, "Don't kill yerself. Mortal woundin's okay."
"Well, thank you *ever* so much. I shall try not to be dead next time I see you."
"Hey! Hey K-man!" Evan flagged down his friend in the upstairs hallway of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters.
Kurt, sometimes known as K-man, glanced over his shoulder. "Guten tag Evan!" he waved. "What can I do for you?"
"Yeah, I have this, uh, major report for physics class," Evan closed the distance between them, "and it's, um, due tomorrow."
"Nothing like the last minute," Kurt grinned. "What are you reporting on?"
"'Theories on Instantaneous Travel,'" Evan read from the assignment sheet. "'Is it possible and how can it be done.' Your specialty, man."
Kurt's mood changed in an instant. "Ah," he said, eyes flashing. "So you thought you'd skip the research and just copy down the whole history of my powers?"
"I'm citing you as a primary source!" Evan defended himself. "You're the world's leading authority on the subject!"
"Oh, that will go well," Kurt imitated the Physics teacher. "Mr. Daniels, are we talking about the same Kurt Wagner whom I teach in third period? How does he know so much about this subject?"
"Fine, then just 'port me around a few times and I'll write it myself!" Evan cried desperately. "I need this grade, man!"
"Look," Kurt sighed, "I really don't have time-"
"No, see, that's the point!" Evan interrupted. "It's *instantaneous* travel! It doesn't take any time!"
"Here's something for your report, Evan. Teleporting uses a *lot* of energy. Just taking you downstairs and back would have to be followed up with a massive eating spree. Unless you'd prefer to take the force of the trip?"
Evan turned slightly green. "Uh, no. Come on, just help me out!"
"Now *there's* the point," Kurt said forcefully. "I'll *help* you. I'm not going to do it *for* you."
"Fine, okay," Evan schemed. "But if you give your powers to Rogue..."
"Pay attention," Kurt said, trying to restrain himself from strangling Evan. "I. Am. Not. An. Experiment." He stalked through the nearest doorway and locked himself in.
The room he now occupied happened to belong to Amara. She was absently igniting and extinguishing her left hand while watching Sam do her homework. Hearing the door slam, she turned around, nearly setting her bed on fire in the process.
"Ah! I was looking for you! Or would have been, if I hadn't been *so* busy with schoolwork," Amara lamented. "I wish to share with you my great genius, for I have learned something new in order to make matters easier on your simple brain. I say unto you, du bist eine schlampig Zigeuner! Oh! Behold my brilliance!"
Barely controlling an almost uncontrollable urge to introduce Amara to a swift and ugly death, Kurt crossed the room, vaulted the window-sill, landed easily on the grass below, and stalked off for some remote corner of the grounds.
This particular remote corner of the grounds happened to contain a small fish pond. Kurt sat on a simple stone bench and thought nasty thoughts at the world in general. The dark clouds gathering on the western horizon mirrored his mood, and the mud made some rather interesting noises as it squelched up between his toes.
**********
Rogue sat on the window-seat and watched the clouds roll in. This was going to be nasty. Lightning flickered at the edge of the visible world, creating a lighting effect rather like watching a TV from the side.
"The sky is still clear," Ororo noted, "but the pressure is dropping. The storm's moving fast."
Scott, ever the practical one, wandered off to start closing windows. Rogue rather liked rough weather. It made a house very cozy, and had a way of getting people to sit and do something quietly entertaining together.
"Anybody seen Kurt?" Kitty asked as she entered the den through one of the side walls.
"Probably in some dark corner being mad at me," Evan said from his unique position across all parts of the couch.
That got him a Look from his aunt.
"I just asked him for help with my homework!" Evan explained, shifting into a position that was at least a shade more scholarly. "He got all righteous at me and walked off!"
On the surface, it was a good story. Too bad he was thinking loudly about the details.
"You're a jerk, Evan," Jean opined.
Any reaction to that was masked by a particularly loud clap of thunder.
"Gee-yaah!" Jamie interjected on his speedy way to the underside of a table.
"I didn't do it," Ray said quickly, his hands still staticky from whatever he had not done.
Ororo, bothered by the intensity of the storm and also developing a headache, took her leave.
**********
Fat rain drops splattered against the kitchen window. Inside, Logan and Rahne commiserated about the downsides of extra-sensitive hearing. Ororo entered and stared thoughtfully at the increasingly soggy out-of-doors.
"Somethin' up, 'Ro?" If Logan was good for anything, it was getting to the point.
"The storm is going to pass right over us," Ororo worried. "If lightning strikes anywhere on the property, it could short out our entire security system."
"Like anyone's coming to attack us in this weather," Logan snorted.
"Like anyone would be keen on fighting in the rain," Rahne countered.
"Either way, it could take days to get everything back on-line," Ororo pointed out.
"I hate logic," Logan growled.
Jubilee, with the amazing power to Catch On Quickly, entered the room and the conversation at that point. "Can't you make it go away?" she asked the weather-witch.
"Yes," Ororo glanced at the sky again, "but we need the rain."
"Oh," Jubilee belatedly remembered the drought that had plagued large parts of the country for the past several months.
"I could absorb the electricity," Ororo mused.
"Like a human lightning rod?" Rahne asked.
"Yes. I think it's our best chance. Would you girls run and get Ray? He's in the den."
Rahne and Jubilee trotted off on their errand. Meanwhile, Logan had picked up the nearest non-girly magazine and begun reading it.
"Any words of encouragement?" Ororo prompted him.
He studied her for a moment before responding, "Don't kill yerself. Mortal woundin's okay."
"Well, thank you *ever* so much. I shall try not to be dead next time I see you."