Chapter 20
"Are you really sure this is such a good idea, Kurt?" Kitty asked from the seat beside him on the bench.
Kurt sighed. "Probably not Keety. But I haven't been out of the Institute in a month. Since I can't go back to Bayville High I don't even get out then, and ... Keety it's already May and it's such a beautiful day. Besides I have half the team here vith me."
Kitty nodded in acknowledgement. It was true. When Kurt had asked the Professor for permission to get out of the Institute for awhile, it hadn't surprised anyone when he'd told Kurt to go with several people. So, here they were with half the Institute lounging around the park. Luckily since it was noon on a Sunday, no one else was around and they didn't have to deal with all the mutant haters.
Bobby, Sam, Ray, Amara, and Tabitha were all fooling around like little kids on the playground since they didn't get a chance to get out much anymore.
Scott and Jean were standing with the Wagners by a small cluster of trees and from the looks on Kurt's parent's faces, they were enjoying the conversation. As the only non-mutants in the Institute, Johannes and Elisabeth were far from being scared, but were actually intrigued by all of the mutants in the Institute. And all the X-men had been more than willing to give them some demonstrations of their powers.
Rogue, in the meantime, was lounging a little ways away from Scott and Jean with her jeans rolled up to the knees and her shirt rolled up to the elbows. It wasn't often she was allowed to expose so much skin, and she was quite enjoying it.
Which left Kitty to sit on the bench quietly with Kurt.
Kitty turned to Kurt and had to repress the surprise she still felt that Kurt wasn't wearing his image inducer out in public. He'd figured there was no point since everyone in Bayville had pretty much found out by now that Kurt was the 'Bayville Demon.'
"You came all the way out to the park to get away from the Institute and now all you're doing is sitting on the bench?" Kitty asked with a teasing grin.
Kurt grinned back at her. "I just felt cooped up in the Institute, but I don't feel up to any heavy activity."
"More morning sickness," Kitty asked as she put a hand on Kurt's shoulder, "I thought at 3 months pregnant those symptoms would be easing off by now."
Kurt nodded in affirmation. "Actually it is ... although eggs still make me want to gag," Kurt said as Kitty giggled, "nein, it's actually another stomach cramp."
Kitty looked up at him in surprise. "You're still getting stomach cramps! Do Hank or the Professor know about this?"
"Ja, they both do," Kurt answered, "according to Hank zhey're caused by protesting muscles. Unfortunately being male puts me at a disadvantage there."
Kitty made a face. "Well, ... that sucks!"
Kurt laughed at her statement. "That's quite an understatement there Katzchen."
Kitty shrugged at Kurt's amusement. For once Kurt was relaxed and somewhat happy ... even if he was laughing at her expense.
"Hey Kurt," Kitty said suddenly turning to friend, "have you thought about any possible names yet?"
Kurt instantly sobered up and glanced shyly down at his stomach. "Nein. I've been so stressed lately I haven't had a chance to think about those things. I honestly have no idea ... to be honest I've never thought about what to name a kid?"
Kitty smiled as she put an arm around Kurt. "Just as long as you don't go psycho on me and decide to call the kid Katzchen as well. Because I've already claimed that name."
"Don't worry ... I'd never do that to you," Kurt said as he kissed her forehead. "Do you think we could stop and get some burgers from Gutbomb after this?"
Kitty burst into laughter as she embraced Kurt. "Now that sounds more like the fuzzy elf I now?"
"Geez you two. Get a room!" Jean called out to Kurt and Kitty as Scott started laughing from beside Jean. Meanwhile, Johannes and Elisabeth looked confused by Jean's comment.
"Are zhose two ... dating?" Elisabeth asked Jean.
Jean and Scott looked at each other both of them unsure how to answer Elisabeth's question. Kurt and Kitty's relationship at this point was very hard to explain.
"Not yet," Jean said with a shrug, "they're kind of holding off from having a full out relationship until the pregnancy is over, but ... they're the best of friends."
Johannes looked over at the giggling couple on the bench who had completely ignored Jean's comment. "Zhen, vhy the teasing comment Jean?"
Jean and Scott both got evil grins on their faces.
"Kurt and Kitty enjoyed teasing me and Jean to no end when we first got together," Scott said, "so now we're just returning the favor."
Jean chuckled as she added, "No offense you two, but your son is way too easily amused."
Both Johannes and Elisabeth grinned at Jean's comment. "Oh, ve already knew zhat," Elisabeth said.
"You should have seen him vhen he vas smaller and got into the cupboards," Johannes said with tears of laughter in his eyes.
"Why? What did he do?" Scott asked.
Johannes grinned. "Vell vhen Kurt was about three he vas actually very small for his age, so he vas able to fit completely into the cupboards ... vell almost at least."
"What do you mean?" Jean asked.
Elisabeth grinned and took over the story. "His tail had a mind of it's own even back then ... and let me tell you, it's quite a sight to see a little blue tail swinging from the bottom of your cupboards."
Scott, Jean, Johannes, and Elisabeth all roared with laughter at the end of the story.
"Oh man. I would pay money to see that!" Scott said.
Elisabeth nodded. "And let me tell you, he vasn't an easy child to keep up vith. I don't think anyone should have that much energy. He vas already bouncing off the valls vhen he vas five!"
"So, the problem goes that far back?" Jean asked with a smile.
Rogue leaned back against the grass as she listened to the four people not far from her laughing their heads off. She knew the Wagners were telling funny stories of Kurt as a child and Rogue herself was fairly amused by what she was hearing.
'Yep. That sounds like Kurt,' Rogue thought to herself as Elisabeth was telling a story about Kurt hanging upside down from their dining room chandelier.
With the thought of her brother in her head, Rogue lazily turned her head towards the bench where Kitty and Kurt were sitting. The two of them were engaged in a tickle constant that Kitty was obviously winning due to the fact that she was half on top of Kurt and Kurt was practically in tears from laughing so hard.
Despite her initial reservations about the relationship, Rogue found herself smiling at the pair. Whatever else the valley girl might be, lately she was one of the few people who could get Kurt to smile and she seemed to generally care about him. Rogue had to at least respect her for that.
Turning her head away from the laughing couple, Rogue found herself looking at the sidewalk and she groaned when she saw who was coming up the sidewalk.
Scott, hearing Rogue's low groan, also turned to look and cursed. "Man and this day was going so well. Why did these guys have to come and ruin it?!"
Jean was alarmed to see that Duncan was heading towards the group with a group of his jock friends in tow.
"Who are zhey?" Elisabeth asked.
Jean nodded her head towards Duncan. "I'm ashamed to admit I actually once dated that brainless baboon over there."
Duncan was accompanied by about four other jocks, they obviously wouldn't help him since he was outnumbered by mutants, but he still managed to look smug.
"Well, well. If it isn't the freaks of Bayville," Duncan smirked at them. The four jocks behind him must have had the collected IQ of a turnip because they actually snickered at Duncan's stupid comment.
Scott sighed. "Look, we're not bothering you Duncan, so why don't you just move along?"
Duncan sneered at Scott. "This is a public place Summers. And by public that mean the 'normal' public. We shouldn't have to leave, you should!"
"And who's going to make us?" Tabitha said, coming up behind Duncan with Amara, Bobby, Ray, and Sam right behind her, "You?"
"Take it easy Tabby," Jean said as Rogue walked up behind Scott. Kurt and Kitty had also stood up, but they remained back by the bench since Kurt still wasn't nearly in the best shape to get into a fight if one started. "We don't want any trouble," Jean finished saying to Tabitha, but it might as well have fallen on death ears.
Duncan had apparently found himself a new target when he directed his gaze on Kurt.
"So, the Xavier Institute really has been housing a demon," Duncan said as he directed his gaze on Kurt's true appearance.
Kurt, far from being ashamed, actually felt free for own of the first times in his life. The incident had school had forced him from hiding, but it had also given him some time to rethink the whole idea about his image inducer. With or without it, he was still a good person. And the man sneering at him, was next to nothing.
Kurt tossed his head in defiance as he stared at Duncan. "Demons are monsters. Creatures that attack without feeling and prey on the innocent. If you even bothered to try and know me, you wouldn't call me a demon."
Duncan stared in surprise at Kurt. "Wagner? So the rumors are true," Duncan said, as he studied Kurt up and down, "yellow eyes. A tail. Any other surprises?"
Kurt grinned and bared his teeth. "You forgot the fangs."
Duncan and all the jocks stepped back in surprise while Scott tried to suppress a laugh. Maybe it was a seriously freaky mood swing or maybe the whole pregnancy thing had forced Kurt to grow a serious back bone, but the kid was really holding his own against Duncan. Scott had never been more impressed.
However, Scott was broken from his train of thought when Jean suddenly clutched her forehead in agony.
*Scott ... Rogue ...*
"Jean what's wrong?!" Scott asked, as he and Rogue both came forward.
*Mesmero. He's here!*
While this was going on, Kurt was growing very concerned at the look on Duncan's face. After the initial fear from seeing Kurt's fangs, Kurt had expected to see anger on Duncan's face, but nothing like that happened. Instead, Duncan's eyes seemed to dull and go empty. It was like he was ... just emptying of emotions.
Kurt's concerns were raised even more when one of the jock's hit Scott's face causing the man's glasses to go flying. Since Scott had been looking at Jean at the time, only his quick actions and Jean falling to the ground clutching her head in agony, saved Jean from being hit from Scott's optic blasts.
Rogue screamed at the sudden action as the other jocks also suddenly started attacking the mutants, but Duncan's actions were the most disturbing of all.
Suddenly striding forward, Duncan pushed Kitty out of the way, jumped Kurt and started strangling him.
Vaguely Kurt was aware of Kitty screaming as she tried to pull Duncan off of Kurt, but the rest Kurt's attention was focused on trying to keep from getting choked to death.
The dead empty look in Duncan's eyes was even more chilling up close, because at least blind prejudice and hatred Kurt could understood. The lack of motive was what made the situation so terrifying.
In normal circumstances, Kurt would easily have been able to fight Duncan off. But his lack of energy didn't help. His vision was starting to go blurry when Duncan suddenly became dead weight and slumped onto of Kurt.
Kurt started coughing at the sudden lessening of pressure around his neck, and before he could recover, Duncan was lifted off of him and tossed aside. Colossus was standing directly in front of Kurt.
Kurt stared up at him in amazement as his parents crowded around him and hugged him to make sure he was really still among the living.
Colossus quickly morphed from his metal form to his normal form and gave Kurt a hand up. "Mesmero was trying to use him to kill you," he said to Kurt as Kitty came up to Kurt. Kitty must have hit her head when she was tossed aside by Duncan, because her forehead had a long gash on it that was bleeding freely.
Concerned, Kurt reached a hand up to her forehead. Kitty's hand met his there.
"It's alright Fuzzy. I think it looks worse than it actually is."
Kurt would have argued the point further, but some obnoxious laughter caused him, Kitty, his parents, and Colossus to look over to wear the others were.
Pyro and Quicksilver were helping the new mutants with the other jocks, ... or rather they had helped them since the jocks were all lying unconscious.
"Now that wasn't a real fight mates," Pyro said in his Australian accent, "I honestly think we could have taken more of them."
Pietro shrugged. "Of course we could of."
Jean had managed to recover from her stint with Mesmero and had helped Scott get his glasses back on, but she was still pressing one hand to her left temple.
Rogue had somehow been pushed back against a tree in the scuffle, and Gambit was helping her to her feet at the moment.
"Easy chere," Gambit said, "only creeps would attack a filly like you."
"Easy yourself Cajun," Rogue said as she thrust her arm away from him, but her face was slightly flushed when she did so.
Gambit laughed lightly at her reaction. But so did Pyro and Quicksilver, who had both seen the whole incident.
"What are all of you doing here?" Kitty asked the assembled acolytes before her.
"We trying to prevent Mesmero from using someone to murder Nightcrawler."
Every X-man at the scene froze at the deep voice. Sure enough, Magneto came into view with the mutant called Mastermind not far behind.
Scott found himself getting anger at the mutant before him. "What is going on here Magneto?!"
Magneto barely spared him a glance. "First things first, Cyclops," Magneto said and then turned to Mastermind, "alter the memories of the humans. They must have no memory of even meeting the X-men in the park."
Mastermind nodded and kneeled before the first jock in his path. In the meantime, Magneto had directed his gaze towards Scott. "I'm afraid the explanations are going to have to wait till we get back to the Institute."
"What do you mean we?!" Rogue said, her voice completely filled with ice.
Jean crossed her arms at the mutant. "Why should we listen to you."
Magneto didn't look at either of the girls when he answered. His gaze was directed at Kurt. Kitty stepped up behind Kurt and put a hand on his shoulder, feeling that he might need some comfort. However, Kurt didn't feel any fear towards Magneto. He wasn't the one who had tried to kill him.
"It's not safe for Nightcrawler here," Magneto said. "And I now he wants some answers."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THEY'RE BACK!!!!
Hee hee. Sorry, up front for leaving this chapter on a cliff hanger, but I need a little time to think about how to write Magneto's explanation.
Nobody be surprised if the next update isn't posted until next week. I might surprise myself, but I might need the weekend to think about the next chapter and I have a midterm on Friday. So, my priority is going to be studying for that. Anyway, I hope this chapter is something for everyone to munch on until then.
Oh, in regards to the German in the last chapter: what I was trying to do was not right straight German or English, but combine some words in a few sentences to give the impression that Johannes and Elisabeth weren't completely fluent in English. If I failed miserably I apologize. I tried.
Anyway, I also have to think on how to get the in with the X-men, but that might not be in the next chapter anyway. I also mentioned at the beginning of this story that I was planning on doing several pairings, but since I decided to turn this into an eventual series I also decided not to put all the couples together in this story. The main couples I'm going to have in Nightcrawler's Burden are going to be Jean/Scott and Kurt/Kitty. And then I'll add couples as the stories go along. So if anyone had another couple they want to vote for, you have time.
Sugahlei: Thanks for the review. As I said I'm still thinking about how to get the brotherhood working with the X-men. I don't have everything in this story planned out in exact detail, but I know the general direction.
~C~ : If you want I could put 'ach' in there just so you can complain. hee hee.
Raskolian Phoenix: is wrong pronounced like it is in English?! Oh well. I'm glad you liked the chapter.
blumen: I should refer you to my mom since she's also from Bavaria. I however, am not an expert at German. I'm not even an expert at English. hee hee.
Hope everyone enjoys the update.
Thanks for the reviews!
~Ice~
"Are you really sure this is such a good idea, Kurt?" Kitty asked from the seat beside him on the bench.
Kurt sighed. "Probably not Keety. But I haven't been out of the Institute in a month. Since I can't go back to Bayville High I don't even get out then, and ... Keety it's already May and it's such a beautiful day. Besides I have half the team here vith me."
Kitty nodded in acknowledgement. It was true. When Kurt had asked the Professor for permission to get out of the Institute for awhile, it hadn't surprised anyone when he'd told Kurt to go with several people. So, here they were with half the Institute lounging around the park. Luckily since it was noon on a Sunday, no one else was around and they didn't have to deal with all the mutant haters.
Bobby, Sam, Ray, Amara, and Tabitha were all fooling around like little kids on the playground since they didn't get a chance to get out much anymore.
Scott and Jean were standing with the Wagners by a small cluster of trees and from the looks on Kurt's parent's faces, they were enjoying the conversation. As the only non-mutants in the Institute, Johannes and Elisabeth were far from being scared, but were actually intrigued by all of the mutants in the Institute. And all the X-men had been more than willing to give them some demonstrations of their powers.
Rogue, in the meantime, was lounging a little ways away from Scott and Jean with her jeans rolled up to the knees and her shirt rolled up to the elbows. It wasn't often she was allowed to expose so much skin, and she was quite enjoying it.
Which left Kitty to sit on the bench quietly with Kurt.
Kitty turned to Kurt and had to repress the surprise she still felt that Kurt wasn't wearing his image inducer out in public. He'd figured there was no point since everyone in Bayville had pretty much found out by now that Kurt was the 'Bayville Demon.'
"You came all the way out to the park to get away from the Institute and now all you're doing is sitting on the bench?" Kitty asked with a teasing grin.
Kurt grinned back at her. "I just felt cooped up in the Institute, but I don't feel up to any heavy activity."
"More morning sickness," Kitty asked as she put a hand on Kurt's shoulder, "I thought at 3 months pregnant those symptoms would be easing off by now."
Kurt nodded in affirmation. "Actually it is ... although eggs still make me want to gag," Kurt said as Kitty giggled, "nein, it's actually another stomach cramp."
Kitty looked up at him in surprise. "You're still getting stomach cramps! Do Hank or the Professor know about this?"
"Ja, they both do," Kurt answered, "according to Hank zhey're caused by protesting muscles. Unfortunately being male puts me at a disadvantage there."
Kitty made a face. "Well, ... that sucks!"
Kurt laughed at her statement. "That's quite an understatement there Katzchen."
Kitty shrugged at Kurt's amusement. For once Kurt was relaxed and somewhat happy ... even if he was laughing at her expense.
"Hey Kurt," Kitty said suddenly turning to friend, "have you thought about any possible names yet?"
Kurt instantly sobered up and glanced shyly down at his stomach. "Nein. I've been so stressed lately I haven't had a chance to think about those things. I honestly have no idea ... to be honest I've never thought about what to name a kid?"
Kitty smiled as she put an arm around Kurt. "Just as long as you don't go psycho on me and decide to call the kid Katzchen as well. Because I've already claimed that name."
"Don't worry ... I'd never do that to you," Kurt said as he kissed her forehead. "Do you think we could stop and get some burgers from Gutbomb after this?"
Kitty burst into laughter as she embraced Kurt. "Now that sounds more like the fuzzy elf I now?"
"Geez you two. Get a room!" Jean called out to Kurt and Kitty as Scott started laughing from beside Jean. Meanwhile, Johannes and Elisabeth looked confused by Jean's comment.
"Are zhose two ... dating?" Elisabeth asked Jean.
Jean and Scott looked at each other both of them unsure how to answer Elisabeth's question. Kurt and Kitty's relationship at this point was very hard to explain.
"Not yet," Jean said with a shrug, "they're kind of holding off from having a full out relationship until the pregnancy is over, but ... they're the best of friends."
Johannes looked over at the giggling couple on the bench who had completely ignored Jean's comment. "Zhen, vhy the teasing comment Jean?"
Jean and Scott both got evil grins on their faces.
"Kurt and Kitty enjoyed teasing me and Jean to no end when we first got together," Scott said, "so now we're just returning the favor."
Jean chuckled as she added, "No offense you two, but your son is way too easily amused."
Both Johannes and Elisabeth grinned at Jean's comment. "Oh, ve already knew zhat," Elisabeth said.
"You should have seen him vhen he vas smaller and got into the cupboards," Johannes said with tears of laughter in his eyes.
"Why? What did he do?" Scott asked.
Johannes grinned. "Vell vhen Kurt was about three he vas actually very small for his age, so he vas able to fit completely into the cupboards ... vell almost at least."
"What do you mean?" Jean asked.
Elisabeth grinned and took over the story. "His tail had a mind of it's own even back then ... and let me tell you, it's quite a sight to see a little blue tail swinging from the bottom of your cupboards."
Scott, Jean, Johannes, and Elisabeth all roared with laughter at the end of the story.
"Oh man. I would pay money to see that!" Scott said.
Elisabeth nodded. "And let me tell you, he vasn't an easy child to keep up vith. I don't think anyone should have that much energy. He vas already bouncing off the valls vhen he vas five!"
"So, the problem goes that far back?" Jean asked with a smile.
Rogue leaned back against the grass as she listened to the four people not far from her laughing their heads off. She knew the Wagners were telling funny stories of Kurt as a child and Rogue herself was fairly amused by what she was hearing.
'Yep. That sounds like Kurt,' Rogue thought to herself as Elisabeth was telling a story about Kurt hanging upside down from their dining room chandelier.
With the thought of her brother in her head, Rogue lazily turned her head towards the bench where Kitty and Kurt were sitting. The two of them were engaged in a tickle constant that Kitty was obviously winning due to the fact that she was half on top of Kurt and Kurt was practically in tears from laughing so hard.
Despite her initial reservations about the relationship, Rogue found herself smiling at the pair. Whatever else the valley girl might be, lately she was one of the few people who could get Kurt to smile and she seemed to generally care about him. Rogue had to at least respect her for that.
Turning her head away from the laughing couple, Rogue found herself looking at the sidewalk and she groaned when she saw who was coming up the sidewalk.
Scott, hearing Rogue's low groan, also turned to look and cursed. "Man and this day was going so well. Why did these guys have to come and ruin it?!"
Jean was alarmed to see that Duncan was heading towards the group with a group of his jock friends in tow.
"Who are zhey?" Elisabeth asked.
Jean nodded her head towards Duncan. "I'm ashamed to admit I actually once dated that brainless baboon over there."
Duncan was accompanied by about four other jocks, they obviously wouldn't help him since he was outnumbered by mutants, but he still managed to look smug.
"Well, well. If it isn't the freaks of Bayville," Duncan smirked at them. The four jocks behind him must have had the collected IQ of a turnip because they actually snickered at Duncan's stupid comment.
Scott sighed. "Look, we're not bothering you Duncan, so why don't you just move along?"
Duncan sneered at Scott. "This is a public place Summers. And by public that mean the 'normal' public. We shouldn't have to leave, you should!"
"And who's going to make us?" Tabitha said, coming up behind Duncan with Amara, Bobby, Ray, and Sam right behind her, "You?"
"Take it easy Tabby," Jean said as Rogue walked up behind Scott. Kurt and Kitty had also stood up, but they remained back by the bench since Kurt still wasn't nearly in the best shape to get into a fight if one started. "We don't want any trouble," Jean finished saying to Tabitha, but it might as well have fallen on death ears.
Duncan had apparently found himself a new target when he directed his gaze on Kurt.
"So, the Xavier Institute really has been housing a demon," Duncan said as he directed his gaze on Kurt's true appearance.
Kurt, far from being ashamed, actually felt free for own of the first times in his life. The incident had school had forced him from hiding, but it had also given him some time to rethink the whole idea about his image inducer. With or without it, he was still a good person. And the man sneering at him, was next to nothing.
Kurt tossed his head in defiance as he stared at Duncan. "Demons are monsters. Creatures that attack without feeling and prey on the innocent. If you even bothered to try and know me, you wouldn't call me a demon."
Duncan stared in surprise at Kurt. "Wagner? So the rumors are true," Duncan said, as he studied Kurt up and down, "yellow eyes. A tail. Any other surprises?"
Kurt grinned and bared his teeth. "You forgot the fangs."
Duncan and all the jocks stepped back in surprise while Scott tried to suppress a laugh. Maybe it was a seriously freaky mood swing or maybe the whole pregnancy thing had forced Kurt to grow a serious back bone, but the kid was really holding his own against Duncan. Scott had never been more impressed.
However, Scott was broken from his train of thought when Jean suddenly clutched her forehead in agony.
*Scott ... Rogue ...*
"Jean what's wrong?!" Scott asked, as he and Rogue both came forward.
*Mesmero. He's here!*
While this was going on, Kurt was growing very concerned at the look on Duncan's face. After the initial fear from seeing Kurt's fangs, Kurt had expected to see anger on Duncan's face, but nothing like that happened. Instead, Duncan's eyes seemed to dull and go empty. It was like he was ... just emptying of emotions.
Kurt's concerns were raised even more when one of the jock's hit Scott's face causing the man's glasses to go flying. Since Scott had been looking at Jean at the time, only his quick actions and Jean falling to the ground clutching her head in agony, saved Jean from being hit from Scott's optic blasts.
Rogue screamed at the sudden action as the other jocks also suddenly started attacking the mutants, but Duncan's actions were the most disturbing of all.
Suddenly striding forward, Duncan pushed Kitty out of the way, jumped Kurt and started strangling him.
Vaguely Kurt was aware of Kitty screaming as she tried to pull Duncan off of Kurt, but the rest Kurt's attention was focused on trying to keep from getting choked to death.
The dead empty look in Duncan's eyes was even more chilling up close, because at least blind prejudice and hatred Kurt could understood. The lack of motive was what made the situation so terrifying.
In normal circumstances, Kurt would easily have been able to fight Duncan off. But his lack of energy didn't help. His vision was starting to go blurry when Duncan suddenly became dead weight and slumped onto of Kurt.
Kurt started coughing at the sudden lessening of pressure around his neck, and before he could recover, Duncan was lifted off of him and tossed aside. Colossus was standing directly in front of Kurt.
Kurt stared up at him in amazement as his parents crowded around him and hugged him to make sure he was really still among the living.
Colossus quickly morphed from his metal form to his normal form and gave Kurt a hand up. "Mesmero was trying to use him to kill you," he said to Kurt as Kitty came up to Kurt. Kitty must have hit her head when she was tossed aside by Duncan, because her forehead had a long gash on it that was bleeding freely.
Concerned, Kurt reached a hand up to her forehead. Kitty's hand met his there.
"It's alright Fuzzy. I think it looks worse than it actually is."
Kurt would have argued the point further, but some obnoxious laughter caused him, Kitty, his parents, and Colossus to look over to wear the others were.
Pyro and Quicksilver were helping the new mutants with the other jocks, ... or rather they had helped them since the jocks were all lying unconscious.
"Now that wasn't a real fight mates," Pyro said in his Australian accent, "I honestly think we could have taken more of them."
Pietro shrugged. "Of course we could of."
Jean had managed to recover from her stint with Mesmero and had helped Scott get his glasses back on, but she was still pressing one hand to her left temple.
Rogue had somehow been pushed back against a tree in the scuffle, and Gambit was helping her to her feet at the moment.
"Easy chere," Gambit said, "only creeps would attack a filly like you."
"Easy yourself Cajun," Rogue said as she thrust her arm away from him, but her face was slightly flushed when she did so.
Gambit laughed lightly at her reaction. But so did Pyro and Quicksilver, who had both seen the whole incident.
"What are all of you doing here?" Kitty asked the assembled acolytes before her.
"We trying to prevent Mesmero from using someone to murder Nightcrawler."
Every X-man at the scene froze at the deep voice. Sure enough, Magneto came into view with the mutant called Mastermind not far behind.
Scott found himself getting anger at the mutant before him. "What is going on here Magneto?!"
Magneto barely spared him a glance. "First things first, Cyclops," Magneto said and then turned to Mastermind, "alter the memories of the humans. They must have no memory of even meeting the X-men in the park."
Mastermind nodded and kneeled before the first jock in his path. In the meantime, Magneto had directed his gaze towards Scott. "I'm afraid the explanations are going to have to wait till we get back to the Institute."
"What do you mean we?!" Rogue said, her voice completely filled with ice.
Jean crossed her arms at the mutant. "Why should we listen to you."
Magneto didn't look at either of the girls when he answered. His gaze was directed at Kurt. Kitty stepped up behind Kurt and put a hand on his shoulder, feeling that he might need some comfort. However, Kurt didn't feel any fear towards Magneto. He wasn't the one who had tried to kill him.
"It's not safe for Nightcrawler here," Magneto said. "And I now he wants some answers."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THEY'RE BACK!!!!
Hee hee. Sorry, up front for leaving this chapter on a cliff hanger, but I need a little time to think about how to write Magneto's explanation.
Nobody be surprised if the next update isn't posted until next week. I might surprise myself, but I might need the weekend to think about the next chapter and I have a midterm on Friday. So, my priority is going to be studying for that. Anyway, I hope this chapter is something for everyone to munch on until then.
Oh, in regards to the German in the last chapter: what I was trying to do was not right straight German or English, but combine some words in a few sentences to give the impression that Johannes and Elisabeth weren't completely fluent in English. If I failed miserably I apologize. I tried.
Anyway, I also have to think on how to get the in with the X-men, but that might not be in the next chapter anyway. I also mentioned at the beginning of this story that I was planning on doing several pairings, but since I decided to turn this into an eventual series I also decided not to put all the couples together in this story. The main couples I'm going to have in Nightcrawler's Burden are going to be Jean/Scott and Kurt/Kitty. And then I'll add couples as the stories go along. So if anyone had another couple they want to vote for, you have time.
Sugahlei: Thanks for the review. As I said I'm still thinking about how to get the brotherhood working with the X-men. I don't have everything in this story planned out in exact detail, but I know the general direction.
~C~ : If you want I could put 'ach' in there just so you can complain. hee hee.
Raskolian Phoenix: is wrong pronounced like it is in English?! Oh well. I'm glad you liked the chapter.
blumen: I should refer you to my mom since she's also from Bavaria. I however, am not an expert at German. I'm not even an expert at English. hee hee.
Hope everyone enjoys the update.
Thanks for the reviews!
~Ice~