This is my first English fanfiction. Actually, I wrote it in German and translated it later. Many thanks to my beta Adelphe 24. Adelphe, you're the best!
The oneshot deals with Wolverine's and Nightcrawler's friendship. There are so many reasons why this friendship is important for both of them. This fic goes back to the roots of their friendship and tries to show its value for Kurt. It was written in honor to Kurt's appearance in Uncanny X-Force. It is mostly based on Classic X-Men #4 and Uncanny X-Men #165 and takes place a short while after this issue. I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I own neither Nightcrawler nor Wolverine. Marvel and Fox do. I just take them in the attempt to entertain you.
Logan finally found Kurt on the rooftop of a skyscraper. Where he was crouching on the balustrade, his elbows rested on his thighs with his face turned downward. Logan wasn't able to see his eyes but he was sure that the two yellow orbs were watching the crowds of people below him thoughtfully.
He was motionless like a statue, like a blue demon-like gargoyle. But he looked misplaced on this shiny skyscraper, as if someone had removed him from a church only to forget him here. The only thing that was moving was his tail, which restlessly drew invisible figure eights in the air. The symbol for infinity. Was Kurt aware of his actions? He would definitely like the thought. But probably not at the moment. He smelled depressed.
"Elf!" Logan called out as he slowly went toward the edge where the blue-furred mutant was sitting. He didn't turn around to acknowledge the feral's presence, but his pointy ears turned toward the sound out of reflex. Wolverine finally reached the balustrade and stood at the side of his friend. He scanned Kurt quickly with a glare "Come on Kurt, what's the matter?" he asked his friend. The addressed mutant didn't answer for so long a while that Logan started to think he wouldn't answer at all, but finally he did: "Do you believe that Xavier's dream will ever come true? Or will all our work be for nothing?"
His best friend was honestly surprised. Normally, the Elf didn't have any doubts on their goal to achieve peaceful co-existence of Mutants and Humans. Kurt was deeply rooted in the Christian faith; a fact Logan silently admired him for, although he would never admit it. Logan had tried faith once, but the cruelness of people and life in general had taken him from his belief in God. Kurt had also witnessed this cruelness of humanity directed toward himself more than once. Despite, or maybe because of it, he still believed in a God who was watching and guiding him.
Anyway, his doubts were unusual. Something must have happened, which had hit Kurt to the core. "Why? What happened, Kurt?" Logan asked. Nightcrawler lifted his eyes of the street at look at his feral teammate. The yellow orbs met icy-blue ones. Logan didn't break eye-contact until Kurt's eyes dropped down to the people below him.
"Today, I rescued a group of children out of a burning building, as Peter and I went to the city to buy some more colors and brushes for him. However, my image inducer broke in the fire. I teleported the kids in front of the house, where their anxious parents were waiting. As they saw me, they told me to release their children at once and to never dare to even get near them ever again. There was just fear and hatred in there eyes, no gratitude, not even in that situation."
Kurt's voice trailed of. He stopped to run a hand through his dark hair. Now Logan noticed that it was a little bit darker at some spots. Burned. So that was the scent of burned hair and skin he had smelled as Kurt and Peter returned.
At last, the German continued. "You were wrong, Logan. I cannot cross a street without hiding. The people might not be afraid of me when they think it's all a mask and fun. But on the second glance, when they realize that the fur and the tail are real, fear is all what's left. We already saved the world, but we don't seem to reach the people. They are still afraid. Is all the bloodshed and the fighting even worth it?" he asked and turned fully toward his friend. While Kurt was speaking, Logan had leaned with his back against the balustrade. Even though Kurt was only crouching on it, he still a few inches taller than the Canadian.
"What else do you want to do, Elf?" he asked straightforward. "Wie? What do you mean by that?" Kurt was puzzled; he didn't know what his friend's question meant. "Well, what else would you do if you weren't an X-Man fighting for Human-Mutant peace? You could either join Magneto to work on achieving mutant superiority and crush everyone standing in your way or you could stand by and do nothing. None of these options seem to be better to me. You would actively or passively support a war. And believe me, war is a dirty thing."
Kurt looked at the man in front of him as if he could see the future and the answers to all his questions on his face. "My faith would never allow me to support a war; I want to achieve peace in the world." "So, then what's eating you?" Logan wanted to know. "It's not the action itself I doubt, just if we will ever succeed. Or will all our efforts be for nothing? Is Xavier's dream not destined to fail?"
Logan cocked his head to one side: "The kids you teleported out of the house, were they also afraid of you?" The former circus artist looked at his friend, not knowing what he was driving at. "No", he answered, shaking his head. "Then there is still hope for Xavier's dream", Logan stated, as he searched in his jacked for a cigar. Kurt waited patiently until Logan found a cigar and lighted it. "What do you mean?" he finally asked, commenting the smoke ring the Canadian made with a lifted eyebrow.
"Elf, if I learned one thing in my life, than it is to live for the future. Digging in the past only brings you pain. Live in the present and for the future! These kids are the future. Maybe the effects of your actions aren't evident yet, but these kids will remember that a blue-furred mutant saved their life. If we want a peaceful future, than we do not only have to teach mutant kids how to control their powers, but also the human ones that we aren't a threat. And I think to be a symbol for a better future, it's worth fighting for. By the way, we haven't had one of our duels in the forest for a long time, I kind of miss that. So, what do you say? Up for a round or two?" Logan suggested.
Kurt suddenly had to laugh. "You just don't want to pay for the beer tonight!" He accused. Wolverine tried to look innocent, but failed miserably. Kurt doubted that this man was even capable of looking innocent, even when the accusation didn't hit the nail on the head.
"But I won't make it that easy for you, mein Freund. I thought about a new strategy to beat you. I will simply teleport around your head until the sulphur smoke overtaxes your hyper senses." Kurt grinned triumphantly, he was sure that his plan would work. Logan already always complained when Kurt teleported right next to him.
"Rule number one, bub, never explain your strategy to your enemy. That's why these super villains like Dr. Doom always loose against us, because they want to boast about their 'genius'." Logan advised, grinning despite himself.
Still laughing, Kurt put a hand on Logan's shoulder and in the next second the two friends were gone. Just a small cloud of brimstone smoke was left on the spot were the two X-Men were only a moment ago.
So what do you think? Feedback is very appreciated.