Chapter 38

Kurt did not like his Kevlar flight suit at all.

Of course the girls make these things look fantastic, he moped as he watched Jean and Wanda chatting quietly nearby. Truthfully, Kurt thought Jean was pretty enough and Wanda so stunning that they could both make garbage bags look fantastic. Even the guys managed to look cool, whereas Kurt just felt awkward. He was tall and lanky with an acrobat's build; he was strong, but he didn't have the muscles to show for it like Scott or even a more filled-out frame like Peter. And, having a tail doesn't exactly help. His tail lashed of its own accord, as if irritated by its owner's disparaging thought. Thankfully Azazel was able to quickly cut and stitch impromptu tail slits into both their suits. Kurt was never very good at sewing due to his unique physiology and dexterity. Besides, whenever he needed his hand-me-downs or show costumes altered, he could always go to Mama Margali or another circus woman for help. Azazel was actually the first man Kurt had ever met who knew how to sew. He was impressed with how delft and sure Azazel was with a needle and thread, not to mention that the man always seemed to carry a small sewing kit with him. As Azazel fastened the last stitches into Kurt's suit, he reminded the teen that he was only good at sewing because he had to alter his own clothes for as long as he could remember, and besides, sewing cloth wasn't that much different from sewing up wounds. Kurt really didn't like the sound of that last part (and, he added it to his ever-growing list of questions for his parents when this little adventure was over).

As Kurt discreetly pulled down his flight suit from bunching up, a silver blur zipped by every few seconds, creating a steady breeze that ruffled his hair. Peter was using his last twenty minutes in a high-speed hunt for supplies. Within moments of Raven's decree, the speedster ran around the entire base and confirmed it was indeed devoid of military personnel. As Peter ran, Dr. McCoy rigged-up a simple radar system to alert the group if anything moved beyond the now sealed hanger doors, thus allowing a little safety while preparing for the flight to Cairo. Somewhere Peter had found water canteens, MREs, and miraculously, some soldier's discarded Walkman, and he was presently singing along to The Beatles' greatest hits as he loaded supplies on the plane. Ms. Agent MacTaggert had found a weapons locker which Raven quickly lock-picked (another frown and question Kurt added to his list). The agent was presently loading a weapons' bag with various guns and ammunition.

Kurt gazed up at the large silver plane in front of him and felt his stomach do several flip-flops. Flying in the helicopter was one thing, but he remembered how miserable the flight from Amsterdam to Washington had been. He'd also overheard Dr. McCoy tell Jean and Wanda that the flight to Cairo would take several hours. The indigo teen really wasn't looking forward to flying again. He hated to burden her further, but part of Kurt desperately wanted to ask Jean if her telepathy could do anything for his terrible motion sickness. The thought of throwing-up in front of Wanda was more embarrassing than wearing his ill-fitting flight suit.

"This is intense!" Scott suddenly appeared next to him and slapped Kurt on the back in comradery. Kurt was thrown off balance and took a wobbly step forward. Luckily, he recovered quickly and Scott didn't seem to notice as he stared up at the plane. Kurt thought his friend looked almost excited, a far cry from the fear gnawing at his own stomach. "Man, did you ever think in your wildest dreams that attending high school would end-up with us saving the world?"

Kurt shook his head but remained silent. Saving the world was the last thing he thought he'd do when he arrived in America, even if he did technically arrive with Mystique the Hero. He thought he'd improve his English, try both thin-crust and deep-dish pizza, maybe meet a movie star (they all lived in Hollywood, right?), and of course, get his high school diploma. But fly into battle on a stolen military jet to save the school's headmaster from the clutches of an evil super-villain? That certainly wasn't in the brochure, Kurt sighed. That sounded like the plot of some poorly drawn comic book, not real life.

How long has it been since I was in Germany, anyways? Kurt made a face as he counted. Was it really only 5 months? It seemed like a lifetime ago when all he had to worry about was choreographing his next trapeze act and picking out show costumes. And, even though he adored the Xavier School and all his new friends, in the last few weeks, Kurt had really started to feel homesick for his circus family. He had received a few sporadic phone calls and he wrote them a several letters, but it was really hard to post mail or make calls to gypsies who traveled via caravan. A few days ago Uncle Professor was kind enough to locate the Munich Circus using Cerebro, and through him, Kurt was able to talk to Mama Margali, Jamaine, and Stefan and tell them about his life in America. It felt so good to speak German to people who understood his accent and colloquialisms without question. He was careful to make sure not to accidentally divulge any secret information like the school's location, nor did he tell his circus family about Raven and Azazel, at least not yet. I wonder how my adoptive family will react to me having found my real parents?

Speaking of... Kurt looked around the hanger. Oddly, Raven and Azazel were missing. Just a few moment ago he'd briefly considered approaching them so he could get it off his chest that he knew who they were before they all boarded the plane to God-only-knows-what fate. At least in the hanger they could maybe have a private moment outside of earshot of the rest of the crew. With all the crazy events of the day so far, Kurt was really starting to doubt that his own shocking revelation would make it any crazier.

Huh, Kurt raised a curious eyebrow as he adjusted his suit again. I wonder where they could be?

Raven bit back a moan and dug her fingers harder into Azazel's back as her body pounded rhythmically against the sink. She loved how it felt when he was inside her; almost a pulsing ache, unable to discern where one of them ended and the other began. She hadn't planned on screwing him in the bathroom, but of course, half of their entire relationship was based on not planning, and this past week specifically had been a wild ride of not really thinking beyond the next five minutes. Besides, he'd just started doing that thing with his fingers she really liked; how he remembered after seventeen years of how exactly to get her off was impressive. Given how dilated with lust his eyes were, Raven could tell the minute they embraced that he needed the stress relief as much as she did.

Ten minutes prior, Raven secretly slipped away to a bathroom Peter found during his flight. It was far enough away she wouldn't be disturbed, and close enough she could return quickly if Hank's alarm tripped anything. The blue woman really just needed a few minutes alone to process everything happening. When she bent over the sink to splash cold water on her face, her hands were trembling. It had been a long time since she felt guttural fear like this. She hated that Kurt was there, or any his schoolmates. Those kids are too green, too young, and in too much danger; they could have been killed. The thought made her feel sick, and she thanked a God she no longer believed in that at least Azazel was there, guiding the teens so they weren't stumbling around blind in the dark. But still...

How could he let them come here? Raven leaned on the sink, questioning her reflection in the mirror. The glass was shattered and a hundred reflections stared back, each one seeming to question any of the hundreds of decisions she'd made in her own fractured life. The last time she truly felt this afraid was the morning she flew to Cuba; she and Hank were the only kids left from the original team, along with the adults Charles and Moira who led the charge. Now Hank and I are the adults leading the kids. Raven suddenly saw so much Kurt reflected back in the broken mirror that she wanted to pound her fists and cry and the injustice of it all.

Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open. Raven's amber eyes met Azazel's ice blue ones in the mirror as he quietly shut and then locked the door. Neither uttered a word. Raven spun around and in two quick strides threw herself in his arms, and he dropped his flight suit on the ground.

"I thought I'd never see you again," she admitted quietly in Russian, pressing her face into his shirt. She had so desperately wanted this touch, this connection, when cage walls fell.

"I said I would follow you," he pressed his cheek against her forehead, holding her tightly.

"How could you let Kurt come with?" She pulled back slightly to look up at him. There was no accusation in her voice, but there was worry, which she knew Azazel could hear.

"It was more like he let me come with. That boy is brash and headstrong, but in his heart, he just wants to help, even when the odds are against him." The red man brushed Raven's hair back and tucked it behind her ear before tugging her earlobe affectionately. "I think he just has a good heart, like his mother."

"Or maybe he's just stubborn, like his father," she added with a quiet smirk.

"What happened?" Azazel nodded towards the bandage tied to her arm.

"It's... nothing. I'll tell you later," Raven replied hesitantly. Now did not seem like the right time to deconstruct the '67 raid or the truth about those tracking chips; at least, not without Moira to express her side of the story. That little talk would have to wait for another day. Raven removed the bandage. Underneath, her skin had already healed almost perfectly.

She laid her head back on Azazel's chest, closing her eyes as a stray tear escaped. His fingers brushed it away before trailing down to her chin. He titled her face up and seconds later, she felt his lips brush against hers. Raven eagerly reciprocated, deepening their kiss. His hands dropped from her shoulders to her waist, pulling her flush against him. She felt herself being gently guided backwards until she stopped abruptly when she bumped into the sink's ledge. It was only when Azazel picked her up and placed her on the counter that his intentions became clear. Warning bells started sounding in Raven's head and she pulled back quickly, pushing him back with both hands on his chest.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Raven frowned but Azazel's wolfish grin remained and his tail wagged playfully behind him. "Do you really think we're going to fuck in the bathroom of some secret military compound while our comrades hot wire a plane?" She shook her head incredulously. He threw back his head and laughed out loud.

"Now there's the girl I married," he retorted, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

It took Raven exactly three seconds to cave in.

She grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him passionately. He has to get into his flight suit anyways, she reasoned as she started to remove his clothing.

"How much time do you think we have?" Azazel asked breathlessly as she pulled off his jacket and he started to unbutton his shirt.

"I'd say five minutes before someone realize we're both gone," Raven swiftly unlatched his belt, "ten tops before they start looking for us."

"I can work with that," he purred as his mouth trailed down to her collarbone.

"Yeah, I remember from Moscow," she snickered before she could help it. Azazel stopped and looked at her, frowning slightly.

"That happened once," he narrowed his eyes and jabbed a finger at her.

"Shut up and fuck me," Raven laughed, wrapping her legs around his hips as she pulled him to her.

So, at present they were making the best of their stolen time before anyone realized they were missing.

Stolen Military Plane in Route to Cairo - 2 Hours Later

Azazel leaned against the cockpit door, holding two cups of coffee as he quietly watched Moira at the plane's controls. At present, Dr. McCoy was taking a short break to eat an MRE and sitting in the plane's rear next to Raven. In the plane's middle, Peter was keeping the teens entertained by preforming various tricks with a deck of cards he'd found (or attempting to preform tricks, from how many Azazel heard the girls laugh as Peter repeated 'Is this your card? No? What about this one? No? Ok, this gotta be it!'). Azazel had to admit he was a touch impressed with how well the speedster was keeping the teens calm and taking their minds off the upcoming mission. The silver-haired boy had made himself useful in ways Azazel hadn't anticipated, not that this gave Peter an automatic pass in his book. The speedster still had to prove he was worthy of Clarice's attention before Azazel would drop his guard.

The red mutant shifted his weight, frowning as he adjusted his flight suit. He didn't really want to wear it - he didn't like it at all - but he felt it was important to the teens that he also matched the team. The only thing he liked about the flight suit was that Raven helped him get into it after their little tryst earlier. He hadn't planned for that to happen (honestly), but it also wasn't totally unexpected given their history. He'd seen Raven slip away as he finished stitching Kurt's suit and he secretly followed her. It would be the last time they'd have the opportunity for a few private moments together, and he truthfully, he'd just wanted to see her. He'd thought about Raven a lot over the last week. After he decided to track her from Moscow, he'd also decided that - if she agreed to give them another chance - that after they'd settled things with Kurt, he wanted to take her back to Tahiti for a little while. He'd be a fool to think they could just magically forget the last seventeen years hadn't happened and pick-up where they'd left off. There were logistics to discuss and other important issues to address. It would do them both good to spend time talking about these things (among other activities, of course). He'd also need to talk to Clarice and Charles, and discuss the possibly of them staying in the West, at least on a more permanent basis.

But right now, there was something else Azazel had to do; something he'd been thinking about since he'd vanished from the school grounds that day.

"I did nyet know you could fly plane, Agent MacTaggert." Moira didn't turn around, but Azazel saw her small smile reflected in the plane's window.

"I can't give up all my secrets, Ivarr," she retorted. "All CIA trainees learn mandatory basic aviation and auto maintenance along with first aid and self-defense. Besides," Moira glanced over at him, "Hank put us on cruise control so this thing is practically flying itself. I really just have to keep the altitude steady and keep my eyes open."

"Here, perhaps this will help?" Azazel held out the second cup to her. The agent took it, looking suspiciously at the thick curl of steam spewing from the top. She sniffed it and looked up again, this time her hazel eyes were wide with surprise.

"Is this coffee?" She asked as Azazel nodded. "Where the hell did you get hot coffee from?"

"Thank the Maximoff Twins," Azazel thumbed over his shoulder behind him. "Peter found coffee and Wanda heated it up with her hands."

"Huh, multi-useful mutation," she looked into the cup and swirled the liquid. She then smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. "So, did you poison this?"

"Ah, damn!" He snapped his fingers and gave her a lopsided smiled. "I knew I forget something. Here, give it back, I fix." Moira rolled her eyes and chuckled before taking a sip.

"Actually, it's not too bad, for instant coffee." She motioned for Azazel to take a seat in the vacated pilot's chair. He settled himself, careful not to accidentally touch the controls. He crossed his legs and took a sip of his own drink as he faced her. "You know, this is a real change of pace after all these years."

"How long have you been on my case?" Azazel counted. "Ten years has it been, already?"

"Sounds about right. You know, it's funny," Moira shifted slightly to face him. "When the director first handed me your file and I saw your photo, I had this moment of deja vu, almost like I knew you somehow. There were other odd moments too, like I wasn't surprised the first time I saw you teleport or even that you had bright red skin. It was like I had met you before, in a dream or something. And there are other little things that I can't quite place since I've been at Charles's school."

"Such as?"

"Such as the blue of Raven's scales, or that smile Charles gets when he makes a silly joke, and even Hank's fur when we woke-up in that cage... it's like I almost remember all of it, but I can't remember from where. It's been vexing me this past week."

The red mutant nodded and made a noncommittal noise. From the little Charles told him, Azazel knew Moira's memories of their time in Cuba had been locked away. He'd asked Charles a few days after Moira arrived why she didn't seem to remember the telepath or his sister. He vaguely remembered seeing Moira on the beach that fateful day, and Raven of course knew exactly who the woman was. He looked evenly into Moira's eyes as he contemplated this. He'd never actually been this close to her, not counting the one time he teleported her out of the burning warehouse. He already knew she was smart, but he'd never realized just how beautiful she was. He could easily see why Charles had fallen for her.

"You know what is funny?" He smiled and motioned between Moira and himself. "Us. Sitting here, talking like normal people. Almost like friends."

"Friends," the agent laughed. "That's rich."

"I am almost starting to feel badly that I have to kill you when this is over," Azazel smirked playfully.

"Oh please," she snickered. "We both know it's me who's going to kill you."

"Care to make a wager on that?"

"No, because I'd feel bad taking your money," Moira snorted. "Plus, I can just take your wallet after I kill you anyways, so where's the sport?"

"This knife," Azazel laughed as he dug out his pocket knife, holding it up for her. "This is the knife I will kill you with."

"This bullet," Moira pulled her side arm and emptied one bullet into her palm, holding it up between two fingers. "This is the lucky bullet I will shoot you with."

At this point they were both laughing out loud and on the verge of hysterics.

"You are nyet so bad, MacTaggert," Azazel put down his knife to wipe a tear off his face from laughing. Then, he extended his free hand towards her.

"Truce? At least, until we finish saving world, as Peter says?"

Moira looked at him evenly for a few seconds before smiling and taking his hand.

"I think I can arrange for that."

"Those two are seriously cracked in the head," Peter remarked, shaking his head as he watching Azazel and Moira laughing in the cockpit. Raven moved through the center of the plane, stopping in front of the teens and crouching down to be on eye level.

"How is everyone doing?" Her tone was even, but Kurt could hear the concern in her voice.

"Scared," Jean admitted. The closer they got to Cairo (and whatever was there waiting for them), Kurt felt his own fear escalating - he knew the others did too - but at least he no longer felt sick to his stomach. Thank God that right before they got on the plane, Dr. McCoy pulled Kurt aside and handed him something called dramamine. As it turns out, the scientist got motion sickness too and recognized it immediately in Kurt's cyan colored face. Those wonder pills made the indigo teen feel almost normal.

"You can use your fear," Raven nodded. "Use it, but don't let it control you."

"Were you scared?" Wanda's silver eyes shined as she looked at Raven. "That day in D.C.? Were you scared?"

"No," Raven shook her head. She then looked around at each of them. Kurt might have imagined it, but he felt like her gaze lingered on him, even if only a second longer. "I wasn't scared in D.C., but I was scared on my first mission. I was on a plane like this with my friends, and I wasn't much older than you are now. We called ourselves the 'X-Men'," Raven laughed bitter-sweetly at the omission. "If you ever wondered where that name came from."

"X-Men?" Scott asked quietly. The blue woman looked at Scott silently, seeming to carefully consider her next words.

"Your brother Alex was there with me that day. We used to call him Havoc. He was a real handful, but..." Raven got a faraway look in her eyes. "He was very brave. He was always so brave."

"What happened to the rest of the kids that went with you?" Peter frowned. "What happened to the X-Men?"

"Hank... er, Dr. McCoy and I... we're the only ones left," Raven glanced back at the leonine mutant. He gave Raven a sad smile from where he sat in the rear of the plane. "I couldn't save the rest of them. I told you, I'm not a hero."

"Well, you're a hero to me," Jean said quickly. "Seeing you that day on TV... knowing I wasn't alone... that changed my life."

"Mine too," Wanda echoed.

"Me three!" Added Peter. "I mean, I still lived in my mom's basement until a few months ago, but... everything else is... well, it's pretty much the same. I'm a total loser. Oh, except I have a super hot girlfriend now. She's pretty badass."

Kurt nodded but remained quiet. After a few more reassurances, Raven stood and returned to the rear of the plane, taking a seat next to Dr. McCoy. Kurt watched her walk away. Next to Wanda, Peter snapped on his headphones and started humming "Blackbird." Ever since they freed Raven from the cage, she'd been wearing her natural skin along with her faux flight suit. Kurt only been six years old the day Mystique appeared on TV, but he remembered seeing her blue skin for the first time as if it was yesterday. He remembered Mama Margali gently shaking him awake and wrapping him in a blanket, leaving Stefan and Jamaine in bed as she carried a sleepy Kurt to a neighboring caravan. Kurt rubbed his eyes and realized they were at the Ringmaster's wagon, the only one to have a satellite TV, and there was a was a small audience keenly surrounding it. At first he was confused - he and the other children only got to watch Saturday morning cartoons on the TV, and it clearly was the middle of the night - but when Mama Margali whispered for him to look and pointed at the screen, Kurt's little heart skipped a beat.

"Mama, she's blue!" Kurt wriggled out of Mama Margali's arms and ran to the TV. He remembered touching the screen where Raven's face was, as if it would somehow make her more real. He'd never before seen anyone who looked like him, and certainly not on TV. "Who is she?"

"She's a hero, Liebchen," Mama Margali knelt next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. He remembered how her eyes sparkled as she spoke. "She just risked her life to save the American president." Kurt was too little to realize it then, but there had been a sadness in his surrogate mother's voice. She told him once long ago that he'd been her gift from God, but she'd always cleverly dogged questions about his real parents. He suddenly wondered if Mama Margali had known all along who Raven really was, and if that had been her true motivation that night to rouse him and show him The Hero on TV.

Kurt glanced up as Azazel moved towards where Raven and Dr. McCoy sat. After a moment, the scientist excused himself to return to the cockpit, and Azazel took the seat next to Raven.

"'Blackbird singing in the dead of night.'" Peter's nearby humming had escalated into quiet lyrics.

Kurt secretly watched the colorful mutants interact. There was something almost sweet about their behavior, the way Azazel leaned slightly towards Raven as he spoke, and the small smile on Raven's face as she touched his arm while listening.

"'Take these broken wings and learn to fly.'"

He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it looked like they were having a perfect moment amidst all the chaos; almost the family moment he'd hoped for earlier that day.

"'All your life you've been waiting for this moment to arise.'"

Suddenly, the indigo teen had an epiphany.

"Dude, shut it," Wanda rolled her eyes and elbowed Peter hard. "No one wants to hear you destroy the classics."

Kurt took a deep breath and unlatched his seat-belt. He squeezed Wanda's hand once before letting go. She raised an eyebrow at him, but he just shook his head as he stood and started walking towards the rear of the plane. Kurt didn't know what was in store for them over the next few hours, but he wasn't going to miss this opportunity again. The Beatles were right: he had been waiting his whole life for this moment to arise.

Audience or not, it was time to tell Raven and Azazel the truth.

A/N: Fun fact: I actually have no idea how to sew :( Editing two more chapters at present. Sorry these posts are taking about 1-2 weeks; I strive for quality in my writing, and quality takes time. As always, R&R and let me know what you think!

PS. Why was little Kurt watching Mystique the Hero at night? Because time-differences between America & Germany (and creative licensing since I am pretending the D.C. event happened in the evening).