Chains of Separation
Part Three: Bonding Time
Kat Warrior
Mystique reveals her softer side around her son, and Kurt finally meets
someone in his "prison" that he can trust. Meanwhile, the X-Men hold services for their lost friend and realize how important he was to their
team.
Mystique watched silently from the doorway as her son lay on his bed, in a fetal position with the blanket wrapped peculiarly around his body and appendages. He hadn't been sleeping well at all since she had brought him to her knew hide-out.
As she neared him, she heard soft whimpers coming from his throat, and noted beads of sweat looking very much like dew on his fair face. The blue- skinned woman sighed and leaned over. She started to carefully disentangle her son from the blankets, noting how warm his furry skin felt under her fingers. She was sure that he had a higher body temperature than most people, but not that high. he had a fever.
Mystique rose to her full height and sighed, looking over her son as he slept, now laying on his back and well-covered by the blanket. Even with her limited medical knowledge, she could tell it would be quite a while before he recovered.
***
Amanda sighed heavily as she exited the Xavier Institute. Kurt's service had been held there in the lobby, and had been attended by a sparse few. In fact, she had been the only one there who didn't live at the institute. Of course, no other non-mutants would have shown up to bid the furry blue boy a final farewell. But something really bothered Amanda. How could Kurt be dead? They had seen him get shot, but hadn't been able to tell if he was dead yet or not. And who knew? That unusual shape shifting woman might have helped him. But the X-Men were certain. Professor Xavier and Jean hadn't been able to pick up his mental waves anywhere.
Drying her eyes on her handkerchief, Amanda started her lonely walk home. She would have given anything for Kurt to be there with her, to ease the lump in her throat and what felt like a crack in her heart. She wanted to put her arm through his again and fell the velvety fur under her dark skin. She just wanted him.
"Why did you do that?" she whispered to the wind, "You're teammates miss you so much. it should have been me."
***
Kurt forced his eyes open when he heard someone entering his room. His amber orbs darted around, trying to find out who had come in. Was it Mystique or a member of the Brotherhood? No, it was neither, unless Mystique had changed form or there was a new member in the Brotherhood.
"Don't be afraid of me, Lad," the strange man said, "I'm only a humble doctor, hired by Mystique to care for her boys so I can pay the rent. It's not the best job, but it puts bread on the table and keeps a roof over my head."
"I see," Kurt sighed, allowing the built-up uneasiness to seep out of his body. He sank his raised, heavy head back into the pillow, but kept his eyes on the stranger. "What's your name?" he finally asked, trying to be friendly.
"Louis," the man replied with a smile as he seated himself on a stool by the bed. "I came in to change the bandages on your wound and give you some pain-killers. Judging by Mystique's description, you're pretty miserable."
"Yeah," Kurt admitted with a sigh of defeat, "I won't be too pig-headed to admit I'm in pain."
"I'm glad," Louis chuckled, "You have no idea what it's like trying to care for those other boys and that girl Tabitha. They have too much pride to think they need help." Louis had pulled the blankets down to about Kurt's waist, and was expertly and carefully cutting them away. Before long, the wound was exposed.
Until then, Kurt hadn't seen the source of his pain. It was stitched with a surprising amount of perfection, almost knit together like a priceless clothing article. Some blood had seeped through onto the bandage, but the patch of furless, bare skin didn't appear to be swollen at all.
"You're very good," Kurt grunted as he struggled to sit up, allowing Louis to wrap the new bandage around his torso, "I expected it to be swollen with puss and blood pouring out."
"You've got quite an imagination," Louis said with a laugh, "I was able to extract the bullet and properly clean the wound before infection set in. It seems that Mystique had found something to cover it with as she was bringing you to me. And, if not for her speed, it could be much worse. There we go, bandages as clean as new-fallen snow." Louis had finished his task, neatly tying the ends of the bandage in a knot.
Louis leaned over and retrieved something from his black bag. Kurt was a bit startled at first to see that it was a needle, but remembered the doctor mentioning a pain-killer.
"Hold still, now," Louis instructed, "This will only take but a moment."
And only a moment it was. Louis' hands must have experienced and calm, as Kurt hardly felt a thing while the needle punctured the skin on his left arm.
"Thank you," Kurt murmured sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his right hand.
"You're welcome, Lad," Louis replied, pulling the blanket back up past Kurt's shoulders and giving him a fatherly pat on the head before leaving the room.
Kurt watched the door close with a smile. Maybe he could trust somebody here, after all.
***
Professor Xavier sighed as he looked at what remained of the X-Men. They had just returned from stopping a gang of about nine large men from robbing a bank. They all (except Wolverine) had a few scrapes and bruises, but Rogue had finished the battle with a hairline fracture in her left arm. She had been the most likely candidate for this in the first place, being the only who didn't have a means to destroy anything coming at her.
"Does anyone know why this happened?" the professor asked, glancing at each of them in turn.
"We weren't prepared?" Evan guessed.
"Not really," the professor replied, "No matter how hard we try, we can't always be prepared, especially if the trouble is caused by someone besides the Brotherhood. Anyone else care to guess?"
"We were to distracted," Jean sighed, "We're missing a teammate, so naturally we couldn't help but think of him and how much we missed and needed him."
"You have most of it, Jean," the professor admitted, "And to continue what you said, you have all come to rely a great deal on him. I'm sure that if he had been there he could have teleported Rogue to safety. It's not bad that you rely on each other some, but counting on one another too much could be your downfall."
"Sometimes you're safer bein' a loner," Logan murmured from the corner.
Xavier sighed and massaged his temples. "You all might as well shower and get ready for bed. You've got a big day, going back to school tomorrow."
Murmurs, whispers, and grumbling rose from the team as they made their way out. Facing the crowds the next day would be difficult, partly because they wouldn't be seeing their friend Kurt among the other students, and partly because they had to spread the lie that his parents had called him home, afraid for his safety due to the attack on the school. Only Amanda and Karl knew their secret. Amanda could keep it, but what about the gunman who was now in prison?
***
Mystique looked around the room quietly as she held her sleeping son. So many nights she had longed to hold her own child again, regretting that she had ever abandoned him. But perhaps now that would be made up for. Kurt might have been sleeping not knowing that he was resting on his birth mother's shoulder, but perhaps it was better that way. He might not have been so relaxed had he known.
The blue-skinned female looked into her son's peaceful, angelic face and brushed a few loose hairs from his closed eyes. Was this the kind of moment that most mothers lived for? To have their child in their arms, watching them sleep? If it was, then it was certainly worth any mother's efforts.
"Why did you have to be one of them," she heard herself whispering, "One of those who are soft, and strive to help mankind? Why must a mother be pitted against her son?"
"Why are you one of Magneto's?" she heard Kurt's drowsy voice murmur in response. "Why are you misusing your powers to try and destroy all of humanity. why do you think we were put on this earth with them? To destroy them? No. if God had meant us to be alone on this planet, He could have annihilated the humans Himself."
Mystique was quite shocked when she heard her son speaking, but listened to what he said. He truly had been raised a fool, thinking that God cared about mutants. She was certain that this God her son trusted in only cared about humans.
"My poor son," she sighed, stroking his head, "You are so deceived. You believe that fantasy garbage that Xavier and you adoptive parents pour into your head. God only cares about the humans. We mean nothing to Him."
"I can't believe that, Mother," Kurt responded, putting an unpleasant emphasis on the last word, "It's hard for me to believe anything you say." He started pulling away from her, cringing at the pain in his wound. Louis' injection must have been wearing off.
Mystique sighed, allowing Kurt to sit up on his own, though he wavered a bit, feeling dizzy. Despite the fact that her patience was wearing thin with her stubborn son, Mystique helped him lay back down, and placed a cool cloth on his forehead. She leaned over as if about to kiss him on the cheek, but stopped herself and headed out the door.
Now that Kurt was awake and alone, he had a chance to take a good look at his room, his prison. He noted an open door on the wall to his left, and strained to see inside it. It appeared to be a bathroom of sorts. He stopped a moment, reflecting. As far as he knew, he hadn't gotten out of bed since he'd been put in it. He'd been a sleep a good deal of the time, and now that he thought about it.
Kurt stepped dizzily out of the small bathroom, clinging to the doorframe for support and trying to not pass-out. He had felt pretty strong sitting in bed, but he had never thought that walking could be so much trouble. He braced himself, took a deep breath, and made a mad dash for the bed. He could have teleported, but he had no idea what effect that might have on his battered body. Once he reached the bed, he wondered if leaping for it had been just as bad.
Slowly but more carefully, he settled himself back into the bed and almost immediately fell asleep. As he drifted off, he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't seen any sign of the Brotherhood yet. He also wondered why Xavier was unable to mentally locate him.
***
Hey all! Kat Warrior here! I just want you all to know that there is plenty more to come, and that your comments are greatly appreciated. Not only that, but they greatly encourage me to write more! Thanks!
~~Kat Warrior
Part Three: Bonding Time
Kat Warrior
Mystique reveals her softer side around her son, and Kurt finally meets
someone in his "prison" that he can trust. Meanwhile, the X-Men hold services for their lost friend and realize how important he was to their
team.
Mystique watched silently from the doorway as her son lay on his bed, in a fetal position with the blanket wrapped peculiarly around his body and appendages. He hadn't been sleeping well at all since she had brought him to her knew hide-out.
As she neared him, she heard soft whimpers coming from his throat, and noted beads of sweat looking very much like dew on his fair face. The blue- skinned woman sighed and leaned over. She started to carefully disentangle her son from the blankets, noting how warm his furry skin felt under her fingers. She was sure that he had a higher body temperature than most people, but not that high. he had a fever.
Mystique rose to her full height and sighed, looking over her son as he slept, now laying on his back and well-covered by the blanket. Even with her limited medical knowledge, she could tell it would be quite a while before he recovered.
***
Amanda sighed heavily as she exited the Xavier Institute. Kurt's service had been held there in the lobby, and had been attended by a sparse few. In fact, she had been the only one there who didn't live at the institute. Of course, no other non-mutants would have shown up to bid the furry blue boy a final farewell. But something really bothered Amanda. How could Kurt be dead? They had seen him get shot, but hadn't been able to tell if he was dead yet or not. And who knew? That unusual shape shifting woman might have helped him. But the X-Men were certain. Professor Xavier and Jean hadn't been able to pick up his mental waves anywhere.
Drying her eyes on her handkerchief, Amanda started her lonely walk home. She would have given anything for Kurt to be there with her, to ease the lump in her throat and what felt like a crack in her heart. She wanted to put her arm through his again and fell the velvety fur under her dark skin. She just wanted him.
"Why did you do that?" she whispered to the wind, "You're teammates miss you so much. it should have been me."
***
Kurt forced his eyes open when he heard someone entering his room. His amber orbs darted around, trying to find out who had come in. Was it Mystique or a member of the Brotherhood? No, it was neither, unless Mystique had changed form or there was a new member in the Brotherhood.
"Don't be afraid of me, Lad," the strange man said, "I'm only a humble doctor, hired by Mystique to care for her boys so I can pay the rent. It's not the best job, but it puts bread on the table and keeps a roof over my head."
"I see," Kurt sighed, allowing the built-up uneasiness to seep out of his body. He sank his raised, heavy head back into the pillow, but kept his eyes on the stranger. "What's your name?" he finally asked, trying to be friendly.
"Louis," the man replied with a smile as he seated himself on a stool by the bed. "I came in to change the bandages on your wound and give you some pain-killers. Judging by Mystique's description, you're pretty miserable."
"Yeah," Kurt admitted with a sigh of defeat, "I won't be too pig-headed to admit I'm in pain."
"I'm glad," Louis chuckled, "You have no idea what it's like trying to care for those other boys and that girl Tabitha. They have too much pride to think they need help." Louis had pulled the blankets down to about Kurt's waist, and was expertly and carefully cutting them away. Before long, the wound was exposed.
Until then, Kurt hadn't seen the source of his pain. It was stitched with a surprising amount of perfection, almost knit together like a priceless clothing article. Some blood had seeped through onto the bandage, but the patch of furless, bare skin didn't appear to be swollen at all.
"You're very good," Kurt grunted as he struggled to sit up, allowing Louis to wrap the new bandage around his torso, "I expected it to be swollen with puss and blood pouring out."
"You've got quite an imagination," Louis said with a laugh, "I was able to extract the bullet and properly clean the wound before infection set in. It seems that Mystique had found something to cover it with as she was bringing you to me. And, if not for her speed, it could be much worse. There we go, bandages as clean as new-fallen snow." Louis had finished his task, neatly tying the ends of the bandage in a knot.
Louis leaned over and retrieved something from his black bag. Kurt was a bit startled at first to see that it was a needle, but remembered the doctor mentioning a pain-killer.
"Hold still, now," Louis instructed, "This will only take but a moment."
And only a moment it was. Louis' hands must have experienced and calm, as Kurt hardly felt a thing while the needle punctured the skin on his left arm.
"Thank you," Kurt murmured sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his right hand.
"You're welcome, Lad," Louis replied, pulling the blanket back up past Kurt's shoulders and giving him a fatherly pat on the head before leaving the room.
Kurt watched the door close with a smile. Maybe he could trust somebody here, after all.
***
Professor Xavier sighed as he looked at what remained of the X-Men. They had just returned from stopping a gang of about nine large men from robbing a bank. They all (except Wolverine) had a few scrapes and bruises, but Rogue had finished the battle with a hairline fracture in her left arm. She had been the most likely candidate for this in the first place, being the only who didn't have a means to destroy anything coming at her.
"Does anyone know why this happened?" the professor asked, glancing at each of them in turn.
"We weren't prepared?" Evan guessed.
"Not really," the professor replied, "No matter how hard we try, we can't always be prepared, especially if the trouble is caused by someone besides the Brotherhood. Anyone else care to guess?"
"We were to distracted," Jean sighed, "We're missing a teammate, so naturally we couldn't help but think of him and how much we missed and needed him."
"You have most of it, Jean," the professor admitted, "And to continue what you said, you have all come to rely a great deal on him. I'm sure that if he had been there he could have teleported Rogue to safety. It's not bad that you rely on each other some, but counting on one another too much could be your downfall."
"Sometimes you're safer bein' a loner," Logan murmured from the corner.
Xavier sighed and massaged his temples. "You all might as well shower and get ready for bed. You've got a big day, going back to school tomorrow."
Murmurs, whispers, and grumbling rose from the team as they made their way out. Facing the crowds the next day would be difficult, partly because they wouldn't be seeing their friend Kurt among the other students, and partly because they had to spread the lie that his parents had called him home, afraid for his safety due to the attack on the school. Only Amanda and Karl knew their secret. Amanda could keep it, but what about the gunman who was now in prison?
***
Mystique looked around the room quietly as she held her sleeping son. So many nights she had longed to hold her own child again, regretting that she had ever abandoned him. But perhaps now that would be made up for. Kurt might have been sleeping not knowing that he was resting on his birth mother's shoulder, but perhaps it was better that way. He might not have been so relaxed had he known.
The blue-skinned female looked into her son's peaceful, angelic face and brushed a few loose hairs from his closed eyes. Was this the kind of moment that most mothers lived for? To have their child in their arms, watching them sleep? If it was, then it was certainly worth any mother's efforts.
"Why did you have to be one of them," she heard herself whispering, "One of those who are soft, and strive to help mankind? Why must a mother be pitted against her son?"
"Why are you one of Magneto's?" she heard Kurt's drowsy voice murmur in response. "Why are you misusing your powers to try and destroy all of humanity. why do you think we were put on this earth with them? To destroy them? No. if God had meant us to be alone on this planet, He could have annihilated the humans Himself."
Mystique was quite shocked when she heard her son speaking, but listened to what he said. He truly had been raised a fool, thinking that God cared about mutants. She was certain that this God her son trusted in only cared about humans.
"My poor son," she sighed, stroking his head, "You are so deceived. You believe that fantasy garbage that Xavier and you adoptive parents pour into your head. God only cares about the humans. We mean nothing to Him."
"I can't believe that, Mother," Kurt responded, putting an unpleasant emphasis on the last word, "It's hard for me to believe anything you say." He started pulling away from her, cringing at the pain in his wound. Louis' injection must have been wearing off.
Mystique sighed, allowing Kurt to sit up on his own, though he wavered a bit, feeling dizzy. Despite the fact that her patience was wearing thin with her stubborn son, Mystique helped him lay back down, and placed a cool cloth on his forehead. She leaned over as if about to kiss him on the cheek, but stopped herself and headed out the door.
Now that Kurt was awake and alone, he had a chance to take a good look at his room, his prison. He noted an open door on the wall to his left, and strained to see inside it. It appeared to be a bathroom of sorts. He stopped a moment, reflecting. As far as he knew, he hadn't gotten out of bed since he'd been put in it. He'd been a sleep a good deal of the time, and now that he thought about it.
Kurt stepped dizzily out of the small bathroom, clinging to the doorframe for support and trying to not pass-out. He had felt pretty strong sitting in bed, but he had never thought that walking could be so much trouble. He braced himself, took a deep breath, and made a mad dash for the bed. He could have teleported, but he had no idea what effect that might have on his battered body. Once he reached the bed, he wondered if leaping for it had been just as bad.
Slowly but more carefully, he settled himself back into the bed and almost immediately fell asleep. As he drifted off, he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't seen any sign of the Brotherhood yet. He also wondered why Xavier was unable to mentally locate him.
***
Hey all! Kat Warrior here! I just want you all to know that there is plenty more to come, and that your comments are greatly appreciated. Not only that, but they greatly encourage me to write more! Thanks!
~~Kat Warrior
