Kurt and Kitty walked down the block rather quickly. "Vhy so fast?" He asked. "Blocks without street lights freak me out a little," she said, keeping her eyes on the ground. "You mean you're afraid of the dark?" She turned her head slightly and kept walking. "I sure wish Scott's car was fixed," she said a few steps later. The two had just come from a party at a friends' house.
As they walked down the seemingly neverending block, a voice startled them both. "Hey, over here," a guy called. He was about Scott's age, a little bigger, Kurt estimated, being able to see easily in the darkness. But behind him were several other guys, one of which was holding a baseball bat.
"Let's go," he whispered quickly to Kitty. "What's the rush, pal?" The guy said, now blocking their path. "You look like you need a ride," he said to Kitty. Kitty pondered her situation. She knew not to get in a stranger's car, but she was tired, and she did have Kurt with her. She decided to go see what kind of car the guy had. Just in case, she held Kurt's hand the whole time.
But as soon as the car was in sight, the guy pushed Kurt away. "Sorry pal," he said, "Invitation's just for her." Kurt stepped forward and was pushed to the ground. "Kurt!" Kitty screamed as the guy clamped his hand on her wrist. "Get in the car!" He shouted. Kurt got back up and charged at the guy, but three more grabbed him.
They mobbed him, got him on the floor and cracked him with the bat. Kurt was helpless, everything was spinning. The guys kicked him repeatedly, stepped on him in the street. Kitty was screaming like crazy. She was about to phase through that guy's hand when he hit her. "GET IN THE CAR!" He roared, bashing her head into the car door. She burst out crying, too filled with panic to think about using her power.
Kurt was dropped flat on his face, barely moving from the beating. The rest of the guys began piling into the car as one of them continued to smack Kitty. Suddenly, there was a loud thump on top of the car. Finally getting Kitty in the back seat, the guy raised his eyes to find a three-fingered hand inches away from his head.
His eyes glowing yellow, Nightcrawler bared his fangs and screamed in his attacker's face. In the blink of an eye Nightcrawler was on him, and the guy's legs gave out. His head smashed against the curb, knocking him out. He turned and slammed the car door into another guy, then put his head through the passenger side window.
The one with the baseball bat charged him, but before he could swing Nightcrawler grabbed him and used his own momentum to BAMF him head-first into a nearby tree. Seeing one more guy standing, he BAMFed right in front of him. Taking his enemy by surprise, Nightcrawler jumped and lifted his knees right into the guy's face, knocking him onto the hood of the car.
Breathing hard, Nightcrawler pulled Kitty out of the car and held her tight. She was still crying and shaking, and they BAMFed as far away as he could take them. Realizing that he was shaking a little himself, Kurt sunk down to his knees. He sat with his back against a No Parking sign, still holding Kitty until she calmed down.
One thought was going through Kurt Wagner's mind as he sat in the dim orange light, rocking back and forth slightly. He had just become the one thing he hated - and deep down, he feared - a monster. An animal. But he did it for Kitty, and that made it alright, he told himself as he rested his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes.
"Elf?" Kurt's eyes popped open. It was Logan. "You OK?" Kurt nodded, and presently Kitty woke up. Kurt realized that they must have both fallen asleep for a while. "Hold on...what happened to you?" Logan saw that Kitty's face was bruised and Kurt was just plain beat up.
Kurt shook his head slowly. "I don't vant to talk about it," he said. But Logan had already "asked directions" from the group of guys Kurt and Kitty had encountered earlier. "Didn't know you had it in ya," he grinned. "Now let's get you two cleaned up back at the institute."
They hopped on Logan's bike, with Kitty holding on to Logan and Kurt's arms around her waist, and gladly went home.
As they walked down the seemingly neverending block, a voice startled them both. "Hey, over here," a guy called. He was about Scott's age, a little bigger, Kurt estimated, being able to see easily in the darkness. But behind him were several other guys, one of which was holding a baseball bat.
"Let's go," he whispered quickly to Kitty. "What's the rush, pal?" The guy said, now blocking their path. "You look like you need a ride," he said to Kitty. Kitty pondered her situation. She knew not to get in a stranger's car, but she was tired, and she did have Kurt with her. She decided to go see what kind of car the guy had. Just in case, she held Kurt's hand the whole time.
But as soon as the car was in sight, the guy pushed Kurt away. "Sorry pal," he said, "Invitation's just for her." Kurt stepped forward and was pushed to the ground. "Kurt!" Kitty screamed as the guy clamped his hand on her wrist. "Get in the car!" He shouted. Kurt got back up and charged at the guy, but three more grabbed him.
They mobbed him, got him on the floor and cracked him with the bat. Kurt was helpless, everything was spinning. The guys kicked him repeatedly, stepped on him in the street. Kitty was screaming like crazy. She was about to phase through that guy's hand when he hit her. "GET IN THE CAR!" He roared, bashing her head into the car door. She burst out crying, too filled with panic to think about using her power.
Kurt was dropped flat on his face, barely moving from the beating. The rest of the guys began piling into the car as one of them continued to smack Kitty. Suddenly, there was a loud thump on top of the car. Finally getting Kitty in the back seat, the guy raised his eyes to find a three-fingered hand inches away from his head.
His eyes glowing yellow, Nightcrawler bared his fangs and screamed in his attacker's face. In the blink of an eye Nightcrawler was on him, and the guy's legs gave out. His head smashed against the curb, knocking him out. He turned and slammed the car door into another guy, then put his head through the passenger side window.
The one with the baseball bat charged him, but before he could swing Nightcrawler grabbed him and used his own momentum to BAMF him head-first into a nearby tree. Seeing one more guy standing, he BAMFed right in front of him. Taking his enemy by surprise, Nightcrawler jumped and lifted his knees right into the guy's face, knocking him onto the hood of the car.
Breathing hard, Nightcrawler pulled Kitty out of the car and held her tight. She was still crying and shaking, and they BAMFed as far away as he could take them. Realizing that he was shaking a little himself, Kurt sunk down to his knees. He sat with his back against a No Parking sign, still holding Kitty until she calmed down.
One thought was going through Kurt Wagner's mind as he sat in the dim orange light, rocking back and forth slightly. He had just become the one thing he hated - and deep down, he feared - a monster. An animal. But he did it for Kitty, and that made it alright, he told himself as he rested his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes.
"Elf?" Kurt's eyes popped open. It was Logan. "You OK?" Kurt nodded, and presently Kitty woke up. Kurt realized that they must have both fallen asleep for a while. "Hold on...what happened to you?" Logan saw that Kitty's face was bruised and Kurt was just plain beat up.
Kurt shook his head slowly. "I don't vant to talk about it," he said. But Logan had already "asked directions" from the group of guys Kurt and Kitty had encountered earlier. "Didn't know you had it in ya," he grinned. "Now let's get you two cleaned up back at the institute."
They hopped on Logan's bike, with Kitty holding on to Logan and Kurt's arms around her waist, and gladly went home.