Chapter 14
It was a weird predicament. When Azazel had angrily forced open a portal and landed on earth he expected one of his usual spots. He did not expect to land in a room with a large mahogany desk and towers of books neatly stacked into shelves. Nor did he expect to see Logan in the corner of the room and the bald man in the wheelchair looking at him in shock. The surprise made his rage disappear until an enemy appeared.
Angel.
Azazel growled at the man, immediately changing his stance. "How did you know?"
"Know what? Who are you anyway?" Warren said stunned. At the same time Xavier and Logan had recovered from their shock and were desperately trying to make sure Azazel didn't teleport off.
"Funny." Azazel mused, cursing his luck at not getting his swords before he left.
"Warren, best ya leave." Wolverine jutted his head to the door. The man looked a bit offended but left quietly.
"Can we help you with anything?" Xavier asked tentatively. Azazel took in his surroundings. Xavier frowned at the regal man, in his black jacket with red trim Azazel looked very professional but to Xavier that professionalism was mixed with the skill of fast moves and clean kills. The man was slim, but beneath that blood red skin, Xavier noticed his well-defined muscles. He was not a brute, but an effective fighter. He didn't know whether it was entirely safe for Kurt to be with such a man.
Azazel turned to Wolverine. "This is America, yes?"
"What's it to you bub?"
"I'm in a hurry."
Azazel took in a deep breath to teleport when he saw Raven, in all her blue and red glory. Her beautiful golden orbs widened in shock and Azazel couldn't help but admire the way the sun made her skin sheen. He opened his mouth to say something when his teleportation zapped him over to Germany.
Luck was on his side when he saw it was not only night time, but also near the circus. Azazel walked up to the trailers reviewing what he knew. He had kept Kurt for two years, giving him to the Wagners after. Age five, the two had been murdered and Kurt had been hurt and running form Raven. After that it was Margali that took the boy in till the stake incident, which afterwards led the boy to that mansion.
He reached Margali's green caravan, laden with detailed artwork. He knocked and a blonde girl answered, around Kurt's age. Her hair was long and flowing, but she was wearing jeans with a fitted pink vest and leather jacket, unusual for a circus girl.
"Margali." He said, covering the girl's mouth as she went to scream.
"Azazel." She greeted dryly.
"Girl, can you make yourself scares?" The girl nodded ran into the bedroom.
"It has been a while." Azazel greeted.
Margali sat at the end of the caravan fashioned into a sofa, leaning over the table and nursing a tumbler. Slowly she lifted her head and eyed Azazel coldly.
"I want nothing to do with you." She took a swig.
"I am here about Kurt."
The woman slammed her drink, her flowing skirt bouncing with the movement. "That murderer can rot in hell."
"Murderer?"
"Of my eldest, Stefan."
"Kurt would Nyet do that." Azazel felt his Russian language kick back in now he was on earth again.
"Stefan is dead, as are six children."
Then the girl walked out of the room, defiantly looking at Azazel. "Kurt is no murderer."
"Ji-"
"Amanda, mother. It's legal now. And its time you realised Kurt is innocent and Stefan was crazy." With that she stomped out.
"My daughter leaves for America in two weeks." Margali took a drink again. "What is it you want?"
"Did Kurt ever mention a Meister?"
Maragli looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "Kurt has never had a Meister, unless you count the Ring master."
Azazel knew she was telling the truth.
"I want to know who took my son after I gave him to you."
Margli sighed deeply. "He was seven or so. Adjusting to our life well, although he had been caught up in a mob and some bullies he was happy enough in the confines of the circus. Then the ring leader took him from the acrobats and placed him as a freak in a cage. I couldn't do much, and the child was being tortured. Then a woman approached me, her skin turned blue and she claimed to be the boy's mother. So I said yes, I detected no lie. He comes back to me at thirteen, Stefan dies a year later and I leave him to a mob."
"You let my child get burned at the steak."
"I thought he had murdered mine." Margali glared back. "And it wasn't the first time he'd been tied to a stake. At seven a bald man brought him back to me burned and frightened."
Azazel nods, before teleporting back to the mansion. He was angry at Margali but he needed to find answers.
He needed Raven.
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"What the hell do you mean he just appeared?" Raven screeched.
Azazel conveniently demonstrates as he teleports back into the office. Immediately he clamps around Raven's neck with his strong red arms.
"Azazel please." Xavier begins, but Azazel's tail flicks in annoyance. Raven struggled to breathe.
"One chance to tell me everything." Azazel warned.
"Let me go." Raven fought.
"Who is the man my syn calls Meister?" Raven paled and Azazel released her.
While she coughed Xavier tried to talk some sense into Azazel. "What do you mean Meister? Kurt never mentioned anyone like that to us."
"Kurt did not remember such things." Azazel spat. "But he was dying from the spells that made him forget. I taught you them only, and I mean ONLY if you could release them!" Azazel yelled at his former lover. Yes, it was defiantly former.
"Zae, please." Raven's throat was raspy. "I didn't hurt-"
"Name. What is his name?!"
"Let me see my son first!" She screeched.
"My syn. MY SYN! You have not cared for him once since he was born. You threw him into a -waterfall!"
"It was water or the mob!" Raven yelled back. "And you caught him!"
"And then what? Hmm, two years I raised him alone. Two years! Then Angels get on my tail, I have to abandon my syn." Azazel struggled to keep English over Russian.
Raven obviously hadn't known. "You know where I found him? Locked in a cage where the WHORE you gave him to was happy to give him away!"
"I have talked to her." Azazel's voice lowered dangerously. "And she does not know of a Meister. Who is he Raven?"
"Wait, wait wait!" Xavier began.
"Stay out of it Charles!" Raven warned. Suddenly Azazel turned, looking carefully at the man. His rage visibly lessened.
"Xavier. I'm glad you took in my syn." He cleared his throat. "I told Kurt you are his Uncle, and you have my thanks. Have you watched him since the stake incident?"
"Yes, well the second one. It took a few years for him but we got him to school and he made friends here."
Azazel nodded in respect to the man. "And he never mentioned a Meister?"
"Not once." Xavier nodded.
"Once." Logan corrected. The three turned. "We'd been fighting the brotherhood and Kurt had tried teleporting Quicksilver around till the kid felt sick, but the kid was a machine and beat Kurt the whole time. Eventually Kurt managed to drop 'im in the water but he fell in too. By the time we fished 'im out he was half out of it, but he said Meister repeatedly like he was terrified of something."
"Quicksiler?" Azazel was more demanding an answer.
"Pietro-" Xavier began.
"Magneto's brat." Raven interrupted.
Azazel frowned. That was not the Meister; Magneto's son would have been a child himself at the time.
"Raven." All rage had been subdued in his voice. "Was there ever a man you left to care for Kurt. Friend. Babysitter."
She actually seemed to think this over.
"No. He was trained by me and cared for by the brotherhood. But he went straight back to Margali."
Suddenly a portal opened and Sephareith crawled out, panting. Azazel gave him a look.
"It's harder for me." He said as way of explanation.
"Azazel's brother." Raven introduced dryly.
"Why are you here and not with Kurt?" Azazel asked.
"Kurt needs you back. Uphir fears the worst and I've got Balan and half the court asking questions."
"I'm trying to find-"
"Kurt has woken up." Sephareith almost growled. You'll understand when you see him that seal breaking by itself did some damage."
"I'll be back." Azazel growled towards Raven. "You find this Meister."
With that the two demons went back through the soul stream and into Kurt's room.
Azazel knew exactly what Sephareith had meant. Uphir was trying to coax Kurt back into bed, but the boy remained curled up in the corner shaking and whimpering. Upon Azazel's entrance Uphir sighed and turned.
"Kurt is not speaking. He's deteriorating. I think he was using your magik to heal. Do not leave this realm again. The potion is on the side, adding a leaf will knock him out." With that the Physician left.
Sephareith ran off to try and bring order back to the castle, and Azazel was left with Kurt. The boy showed no sign of anything besides fear. Azazel brought his hand to Kurt's face and the boy let out broken sobs.
"Kurti." Azazel sighed.
"Kurti."
"Kurti."
A good hour passed before the boy's sobs grew fainter. He was pale and weakened but he would start up whenever Azazel tried to shift or move in the slightest. Once then sun had set and the lights automatically flew up, Kurt allowed Azazel to hold him in the corner. After that Azazel stood up, and Kurt didn't instantly burst into tears. Azazel thought they were progressing.
"There's a good boy." He soothed. "Let's get you comfortable."
But as Azazel strode towards the bed Kurt began to hyperventilate. Putting him down on the bed didn't help either.
"N….N….Not-the-the-bed…nein….nicht…das…Bett" Kurt struggled to breathe. "Bett…tut…!" He said at an alarming speed as his breathing became more rapid than laboured.
Azazel scooped him up with the duvet and took him to the edge of the bed, wrapping his son in the sheets but trying to give him space to breathe.
"The bed doesn't hurt Kurti."
The boy answered by sobbing. "mein Schwanz tut weh!"
"Your tail hurts? Where?" Azazel went to move it but Kurt whimpered and cried out more broken sobs.
Then Azazel remembered Kurt's flashback, of the silhouette man tying his tail to the bed and he cursed himself. Right now a bed meant a broken painful tail and starvation.
"What if we go to a room I have?" Azazel suggested. "The bed has no bars, just a headboard. We could sleep in that one, just sleep, and then we will wake up and you'll be safe. No harm will come to you."
Kurt nodded and clung to his father. He was lucky Kurt was still slightly underweight from the seals before he came. The two went to a guest room and Azazel let Kurt take his duvet. He wrapped the boy in his duvet before pulling the spare bed's duvet over the both of them.
He finally slept after the sobbing quietened.
Azazel woke at dawn, rolling over in the unfamiliar sheets. Kurt was in the corner, wearing just his school uniform trousers and a green blanket. He was sleeping quietly sat in the corner. As Azazel got up, he noticed that Kurt's duvet was missing and could only wonder at what had happened. Then, Kurt's eyes flickered open, his golden orbs eventually resting on Azazel.
"Morning Kurt." The boy just stared. He didn't cry or flinch or anything. The boy was numb. Azazel was partially happy Kurt wasn't protesting, and partly worried at his complete lack of response. He carried the boy into the bathroom but no response was made. He left Kurt on a chair whilst he showered, before helping Kurt into the shower himself. He dressed the boy and took him down to the throne room for breakfast. Luckily everyone mistook Kurt's lethargy for being tired still.
Still, Azazel saw the servants chatter worriedly when they took away Kurt's untouched courses and the Dark Lord knew that gossip would spread. Kurt didn't care much, not even when Balan greeted him and Azazel knew how much the two had bonded.
Then as half of the court began to leave the room Kurt stood up. This was odd by normal standards but when Kurt let out a shriek the remainder of the room looked on in shock. Lightning expelled from his body and the boy's face took on a blush. Azazel extended a hand and the lightning output swirled into his hand. Kurt took a step forward and fainted flat on the floor.
Balan rushed over to him. "He has a fever."
"Brilliant." Azazel grumbled. He'd been caring for Kurt like this long enough for the shock to wear off. He spent the rest of the day watching over Kurt, who laid in a fever, worrying if this would ever end.
He bathed a cool flannel over Kurt's head as he went between states of blank stares and clutching the royal blue sheets of his bed. He rambled incessantly and made no sign that he ever understood what was going on.
Balan often watched over him as well, fetching bot Azazel and Kurt food and water, and allowing Azazel to feel comfortable enough to leave for the bathroom occasionally.
Towards the end of the day, Kurt seemed to have one moment he was completely lucid.
"Father." He roused Azazel from his doze. His golden orbs were looking directly at him. Balan was dozing in the corner too. Azazel sensed a greater power starting up.
"Kurti?"
"Something is coming."
"What do you mean?" Azazel stood, only to see the life drain from Kurt's eyes and his body plop back down onto the bed. The boy's fever was worse, so Azazel tucked him back into bed and woke Balan.
"Watch him."
"Of course, Sire." Balan sleepiliy rubbed his eyes.
Azazel went to the Keeper headquarters to see Sephareith quietly ordering one of his underlings- Levi.
"Azazel, I have word from Brima. Jillian fell pregnant and cannot return. However, Brima will be bringing all the information back with her. She should return shortly."
"Good." Azazel nodded.
"You weren't here for that? Is it Kurt?"
"Yes. He just became lucid before collapsing. He said something's coming."
"That's not good then?"
"Prophesising is something more reserved for angels." Azazel frowned.
"You forget just how close angels and demons are." Sephareith reassured him.
"The point is I can't tell if he's getting better or worse."
"Well, he took a seal off himself; maybe Kurt is building power to release himself from the rest of the seals. You said yourself he'd heal most likely from just being around our people."
"Yes." Azazel sighed. "I wish I knew who the bastard Meister was."
"That will come with time."
"Yeah, that fucking disease will need time to prepare for his judgement." Azazel frowned.
"You know Raven will come here soon as well now she has seen you."
"Chances are she was already planning to if she reunited with her brother."
"Point made." Sephareith nodded.
"By the way, have you worried for Ayame at all?"
"Of course I have." Sephareith snapped. "Not a day passes where I don't think of her and with how we found Kurt I am all the more eager to find my daughter and keep her safe. But Kurt comes first, he's in too much danger."
"We will find her, brother." Azazel put his hand on Sephareith's shoulder lovingly and the two brothers sent their silent prayers out to their children.
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Balan looked sadly at Kurt. His friend had been shouldering and hiding all this pain.
"Come on Buddy, you can pull through." He whispered to his feverish friend, hoping for a response.
Kurt's eyeballs moved rapidly in his strange dreams, but that was the only sign Balan had till morning.