Chapter 6: Discontent
'If I teleport away, Siobhan will die. If I do nothing, I will die and Siobhan might live. Might live? They could kill her anyway. Is death preferable to the fate they have in store for her?' Kurt pondered this futile train of thought and braced himself for the impact.
Barry fired, but the bullet went straight past Kurt and into Gonzo. "Son of a bitch." Barry spat, as a shocked Gonzo collapsed.
Kurt and Siobhan were too stunned by this turn of events as Barry emptied the round into Gonzo's body. They just looked at each other, then at Barry, unsure how to react.
Barry dropped the gun on the corpse and kicked it for good measure. "Sorry 'bout that folks. I'd better explain, eh?"
--
Kurt sat slumped on a stool, his hands around a cup of hot coffee. He had a headache, his muscles ached and he was now trying to concentrate on staying awake. Siobhan sat by his side, fretting about his superficial wound, as Barry nervously leant against the wall. He had just come back from dumping Gonzo in the boot of his car.
"You needn't worry 'bout the other guys, they've all fled." Barry volunteered to be the first person to break the silence.
"Good." Siobhan firmly replied. She was taking this turn of events remarkably well.
Kurt ignored Barry and asked Siobhan "Did he hurt you? Did he... touch you?"
Siobhan lowered her eyes and Kurt imagined himself being stabbed repeatedly in the heart. "Mein Gott..." Siobhan, noting his anguished expression, grimly added "He didn't get that far." Kurt released the breath he had been holding.
"I wouldn't, couldn't let Gonzo take that girl." Barry said, reminding them of his presence. Siobhan glared at him, "But you let him kill daddy!"
"Look kiddo, believe me, that wasn't the plan. I thought once he handed over the money, he'd get to walk away. I was just there to look tough; it would have been my kids without a dad if I'd tried anything."
Kurt took a sip of coffee and pointed out "No child deserves to watch a parent die."
"I know, I know." Barry wiped his forehead with his hand. "I have a daughter. She's the same age as the kid. I don't even want to imagine what my Tammy would be going through if I was the one in a coffin. Gonzo's my wife's brother, but that doesn't mean he never threatened to kill her, or my two boys, or my Tammy."
"How many people have you killed?" Siobhan's voice was laced with contempt.
"Apart from Gonzo? None. Nada. Zip. Hard to believe, I know. My wife and I, we tried to get away from this. Then we ran out of money and I was foolish enough to borrow off Gonzo. I've been in his debt ever since. But I've never killed for him."
"Fine, fine, so you are the, ah, clichéd thief with a conscience?" Kurt asked.
Barry managed a weak grin. "That's one way of putting it."
Based on what he had witnessed and been told so far, Kurt was inclined to believe this man, but there was still something about Barry that didn't make sense. Barry was nervous, yes, but he hadn't avoided Kurt's gaze, which had not only surprised Kurt, but Siobhan too. They both noticed Barry wasn't bothered about being in the same room as a demonic looking mutant. Siobhan spoke up. "You know Mr Wagner's a mutant, right?
Barry scoffed. "I ain't blind, kiddo. So?"
"So, why didn't you kill him, then kill Gonzo?"
Kurt gulped down his coffee, the mug hiding his face so they wouldn't see his expression and listened intently. He wanted to know this too, though wouldn't have asked. Trust the innocence of a child to ask personal questions.
Barry took a moment to answer. "My Tammy. She's daddy's little girl. I'm so proud of her, the things she can do... She's amazing. Tammy can make things glow in all the colours of the rainbow. Anything, even herself... Kiddo, if I'd let you die, or killed your friend, I'd be a hypocrite, I'd have betrayed my little princess."
"Your daughter is a mutant. How do you hide her power?" Kurt asked, interested.
"Hah, she only likes to put on a light show for her baby brothers, or use it to help her see in the dark. She's harmless. Speaking of which, I'd better head on home."
"I will show you the way out." In other words, Kurt was going to make sure this man didn't linger around. "Siobhan, want to come?"
Siobhan shivered and the fear in her eyes re-appeared. She nodded. Kurt had his answer. The shock of what had happened, or almost happened to the child had not registered at first. Now her mind was catching up, remembering in vivid detail. Kurt felt like a failure
--
Y'know this place has a reputation for being haunted." Barry said conversationally, as both human and mutant walked outside. "You might want to encourage that, if you don't want any more visitors."
"There have been enough scares tonight." Kurt replied, thinking of Siobhan. That girl had gone through enough and he wondered if he should do what he had been putting off - take her to the police and let them find someone more suitable to care for the child.
"The kid, Siobhan isn't it? If she's too much to handle, I could take her home with me."
Kurt looked at Barry suspiciously. "Are you a mutant?"
"Heck no." Barry almost said 'hell no', but remembered where he was. "Why d'ya ask?"
"Because... I know that sooner or later I will have to let her go. Now you offer to take her off my hands. It is as if you read my mind."
"You sound like you don't want her to go."
"..Nein." Kurt admitted. Siobhan needed to go to school, be with people her own age, yet he had been starved of company for so long, he didn't want to be left alone again. Once again he clasped his rosary beads, to help drive away the selfish thoughts. He had failed in protecting her, if it wasn't for Barry, they both might have died. He didn't deserve her trust. "I will let her know of your offer."
They were at Barry's car now, the large man got inside and scribbled down a number on a notepad. "No problem. If you ever need any help, anything at all, give me a shout, ok?" He handed the piece of paper to Kurt. "See ya around."
Kurt stuffed the paper in his pocket. "Gute Nacht"
After Barry left, Kurt made a decision. He would get locks, bolts and even chains for each and every door, gate and grating to this place. Sooner, rather than later.
He walked back into the church, his posture more stooped than usual. His decision on Siobhan could wait till tomorrow.
--
Notes: I would never kill off Kurt!
My German sucks, I know this. I was called a verdammte auslander by a girl in Germany, that's why I used it. Then again, I was also called a pommie bitch too, even though I ain't Australian, so hey, I ain't the only one who can't get insults right. Let it stand as a testament to ignorance!
I have been using the novel of the movie as a guide to Kurt's church. If you've read it, well whenever Jean and Storm invaded it, they had to blow down the doors and such to get in. Gonzo and the gang didn't have to, so this story is set before Kurt bolted everything down.
For those of you who don't know, Siobhan is a name of Irish origin. I decided to go for a less common name (though popular in Ireland), while not using a name too outrageous. Actually I'm spelling the name wrong, but my keyboard refuses to produce a hyphened letter 'A'.
Tell me what you like, don't like and so on about the story. Feed my creativity with your reviews!!!
Chapter 7 coming soon.
'If I teleport away, Siobhan will die. If I do nothing, I will die and Siobhan might live. Might live? They could kill her anyway. Is death preferable to the fate they have in store for her?' Kurt pondered this futile train of thought and braced himself for the impact.
Barry fired, but the bullet went straight past Kurt and into Gonzo. "Son of a bitch." Barry spat, as a shocked Gonzo collapsed.
Kurt and Siobhan were too stunned by this turn of events as Barry emptied the round into Gonzo's body. They just looked at each other, then at Barry, unsure how to react.
Barry dropped the gun on the corpse and kicked it for good measure. "Sorry 'bout that folks. I'd better explain, eh?"
--
Kurt sat slumped on a stool, his hands around a cup of hot coffee. He had a headache, his muscles ached and he was now trying to concentrate on staying awake. Siobhan sat by his side, fretting about his superficial wound, as Barry nervously leant against the wall. He had just come back from dumping Gonzo in the boot of his car.
"You needn't worry 'bout the other guys, they've all fled." Barry volunteered to be the first person to break the silence.
"Good." Siobhan firmly replied. She was taking this turn of events remarkably well.
Kurt ignored Barry and asked Siobhan "Did he hurt you? Did he... touch you?"
Siobhan lowered her eyes and Kurt imagined himself being stabbed repeatedly in the heart. "Mein Gott..." Siobhan, noting his anguished expression, grimly added "He didn't get that far." Kurt released the breath he had been holding.
"I wouldn't, couldn't let Gonzo take that girl." Barry said, reminding them of his presence. Siobhan glared at him, "But you let him kill daddy!"
"Look kiddo, believe me, that wasn't the plan. I thought once he handed over the money, he'd get to walk away. I was just there to look tough; it would have been my kids without a dad if I'd tried anything."
Kurt took a sip of coffee and pointed out "No child deserves to watch a parent die."
"I know, I know." Barry wiped his forehead with his hand. "I have a daughter. She's the same age as the kid. I don't even want to imagine what my Tammy would be going through if I was the one in a coffin. Gonzo's my wife's brother, but that doesn't mean he never threatened to kill her, or my two boys, or my Tammy."
"How many people have you killed?" Siobhan's voice was laced with contempt.
"Apart from Gonzo? None. Nada. Zip. Hard to believe, I know. My wife and I, we tried to get away from this. Then we ran out of money and I was foolish enough to borrow off Gonzo. I've been in his debt ever since. But I've never killed for him."
"Fine, fine, so you are the, ah, clichéd thief with a conscience?" Kurt asked.
Barry managed a weak grin. "That's one way of putting it."
Based on what he had witnessed and been told so far, Kurt was inclined to believe this man, but there was still something about Barry that didn't make sense. Barry was nervous, yes, but he hadn't avoided Kurt's gaze, which had not only surprised Kurt, but Siobhan too. They both noticed Barry wasn't bothered about being in the same room as a demonic looking mutant. Siobhan spoke up. "You know Mr Wagner's a mutant, right?
Barry scoffed. "I ain't blind, kiddo. So?"
"So, why didn't you kill him, then kill Gonzo?"
Kurt gulped down his coffee, the mug hiding his face so they wouldn't see his expression and listened intently. He wanted to know this too, though wouldn't have asked. Trust the innocence of a child to ask personal questions.
Barry took a moment to answer. "My Tammy. She's daddy's little girl. I'm so proud of her, the things she can do... She's amazing. Tammy can make things glow in all the colours of the rainbow. Anything, even herself... Kiddo, if I'd let you die, or killed your friend, I'd be a hypocrite, I'd have betrayed my little princess."
"Your daughter is a mutant. How do you hide her power?" Kurt asked, interested.
"Hah, she only likes to put on a light show for her baby brothers, or use it to help her see in the dark. She's harmless. Speaking of which, I'd better head on home."
"I will show you the way out." In other words, Kurt was going to make sure this man didn't linger around. "Siobhan, want to come?"
Siobhan shivered and the fear in her eyes re-appeared. She nodded. Kurt had his answer. The shock of what had happened, or almost happened to the child had not registered at first. Now her mind was catching up, remembering in vivid detail. Kurt felt like a failure
--
Y'know this place has a reputation for being haunted." Barry said conversationally, as both human and mutant walked outside. "You might want to encourage that, if you don't want any more visitors."
"There have been enough scares tonight." Kurt replied, thinking of Siobhan. That girl had gone through enough and he wondered if he should do what he had been putting off - take her to the police and let them find someone more suitable to care for the child.
"The kid, Siobhan isn't it? If she's too much to handle, I could take her home with me."
Kurt looked at Barry suspiciously. "Are you a mutant?"
"Heck no." Barry almost said 'hell no', but remembered where he was. "Why d'ya ask?"
"Because... I know that sooner or later I will have to let her go. Now you offer to take her off my hands. It is as if you read my mind."
"You sound like you don't want her to go."
"..Nein." Kurt admitted. Siobhan needed to go to school, be with people her own age, yet he had been starved of company for so long, he didn't want to be left alone again. Once again he clasped his rosary beads, to help drive away the selfish thoughts. He had failed in protecting her, if it wasn't for Barry, they both might have died. He didn't deserve her trust. "I will let her know of your offer."
They were at Barry's car now, the large man got inside and scribbled down a number on a notepad. "No problem. If you ever need any help, anything at all, give me a shout, ok?" He handed the piece of paper to Kurt. "See ya around."
Kurt stuffed the paper in his pocket. "Gute Nacht"
After Barry left, Kurt made a decision. He would get locks, bolts and even chains for each and every door, gate and grating to this place. Sooner, rather than later.
He walked back into the church, his posture more stooped than usual. His decision on Siobhan could wait till tomorrow.
--
Notes: I would never kill off Kurt!
My German sucks, I know this. I was called a verdammte auslander by a girl in Germany, that's why I used it. Then again, I was also called a pommie bitch too, even though I ain't Australian, so hey, I ain't the only one who can't get insults right. Let it stand as a testament to ignorance!
I have been using the novel of the movie as a guide to Kurt's church. If you've read it, well whenever Jean and Storm invaded it, they had to blow down the doors and such to get in. Gonzo and the gang didn't have to, so this story is set before Kurt bolted everything down.
For those of you who don't know, Siobhan is a name of Irish origin. I decided to go for a less common name (though popular in Ireland), while not using a name too outrageous. Actually I'm spelling the name wrong, but my keyboard refuses to produce a hyphened letter 'A'.
Tell me what you like, don't like and so on about the story. Feed my creativity with your reviews!!!
Chapter 7 coming soon.
