~* *sigh* Copyrighted to Marvel Comics excpet the plot, Kia, Aurora and Willow, who are copyrighted to me. Ok, now comes one of my personal favorite chapters so far, the introduction of Kia. I find it sad, probably because I wrote it and I seem to be the only one that understands my thought process...but thats besides the point. Enjoy! ~*

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Chapter 5--Night Terrors

The night air was cool and crisp, chiller than most of the spring nights had been lately. Kurt drew his cloak closer to him as a stronger gust of winds tore through the tree, whistling. The stars were covered by a spindly cloud mask, quite disappointing for one who stargazed nightly. A worried look rested upon Kurt's face, the feeling of impending wrong was worse now...much worse. He turned to watch Logan prowling towards the front gates, making his last few rounds of the night. The night was beginning to get quiet...too quiet. The wrong feeling was charging forward, full force, and only time would tell what terrors it might bring with it.

It was just after eleven at night when Kurt was roused from light sleep by the screaming of tires in the narrow alley just on the other side of the stone wall barrier. The glow of red brake lights sprung over the top of the ten foot or more wall, and harsh voices stated something among themselves. Then there was a squeak of rusty door springs and much stomping, followed by the sound of chains. The sounds of a quick struggle took place, then the car doors slammed. Just before the car peeled away, a voice shouted over the wall.

"ROT IN HELL MUTANTS!"

The car tires screamed again, and the red lights disappeared. Kurt teleported to the top of a tree to see the car speeding away. It had the now famous anti-mutant gangs symbol on the hood and trunk of the car. The symbol was a graphic scene of a mutant being beaten to death. Kurt grimaced at the sight, then looked below to insure that they hadn't left any of their members to attack the children inside. All he discovered was a bundle of white, wrapped in thick tire chains and tethered down to the middle of the alley by a series of ropes. Kurt climbed down through the branches with amazing grace for a man of his height and weight. The bundle was trembling, muffled sobs emitted from an unseen face. Kurt jumped down to the top of the wall, looked around to insure that the gang had taken all its members, then climbed down the wall and slowly approached the shivering for. As he got closer, the tear stained face of a small girl was seen buried into the dirt of the alley, the heavy chains too much for her to lift. The white bundle was a t-shirt, three or four sizes too big for her tiny frame. The sleeves had been cut off so that it was more tank top like, but the arm holes came down to the little ones rib cage. The moon cast a shadow on her ribs, which stuck out horribly. The shirt almost completely covered the pair of blue jean shorts she wore. The clothing and apparent lack of food told Kurt immediately that she must have been an orphan before, the gang wouldn't have left her alive long enough to starve her. He took a step closer, but her feral looking blue/green eyes shot up at him, wide and fearful. He kneeled down, and she sobbed, sharp little fangs gleaming in the moonlight as claw tipped fingers racked at the rope in front of her. Her face was swollen and bruised, her arms cut and bleeding. Beside her was a crude note, one that stated "Your Next" scrawled in the child's own blood. They had meant for her to die before being found. She cried uncontrollably, trying to get away from Kurt but too weak to move the chains. Kurt raised his hands slowly, talking to her in a calm voice.

"It's going to be alright... I'm 'ere to 'elp you."

She whimpered softly through black and blue lips. Kurt realized that the only way to reach her was to talk to her. He made sure to let his own fangs show as he spoke, hoping that maybe the similarity would create a bond.

"It's all going to be alright little one. My name is Kurt. Can you tell me yours?"

She watched him, still fearful, but nodded. Forcing her lips to part, a muffled "Kia" escaped her. Kurt nodded.

"I'm going to get you free, alright? Zen I'll let you come to me, I promise."

She reluctantly nodded. Kurt inched slowly closer, cutting through the ropes like butter with the blade sides of his tail. Then he reached down and picked the mass of chains up off of her, tossing them aside. Kia scrambled backwards, watching him as he crouched on the ground.

"It's alright."

He kept reassuring her.

"I promise I'm going to 'elp you. Can you tell me vhat 'dey did?"

She nodded slowly, and tried to form words.

"They hit me. I was looking for someone with food and they caught me."

She began to sob again.

"They hit me with chairs and cut my arms. Then they brought me here, called me a mutant freak and told me to die..."

She shivered with cold and terrible fear. She had been slowly inching closer to Kurt, suddenly feeling vulnerable in the alley so far away from him. Kurt's eyes melted with sorrow to hear that such innocents had suffered so much.

"Did 'dey do anything else?"

He asked nervously, glad to see her gingerly shake her head. Good, he thought to himself, only a punching bag... By this time she was only a few feet away from him. Kia began glancing repeatedly back and forth, up and down the only entrance and exit to the alley.

"Your safe vith me, little Kia. I promise no one vill 'urt you as long as I'm 'ere."

Kia inched closer, through her fear and pain filled eye exhaustion began to show. She wobbled lightly on her feet, her little legs about to give way in her weakness. She took her last remaining energy and climbed up on Kurt's knee, wrapping her bloodstained arms around his neck and hugging him.

"I'm scared."

She whimpered, sobbing lightly. Kurt gently placed on arm around her and hugged her back.

"Your safe."

He looked up over the wall, feeling her place her head wearily on his chest, the top of her head just under his chin.

"Can I take you back to 'de school so some of my friends can 'elp you feel better?"

Kia nodded slowly.

"Yes daddy."

Kurt was stunned by the word that escaped her last.

"Vhy did you call me 'daddy'?"

"'Cause you care about me more than anyone else, daddy Kurt."

Her voice was fading as she was slipping into mandatory sleep, finally feeling safe with Kurt. He hugged her shivering body close to him, letting her go for only a moment to pull a loose end of his cloak over her trembling form. He slowly scaled up and back over the wall, not wanting to scare her by teleporting. He walked steadily yet with urgency through the grass, not wanting to wake her up but knowing he had too.

"Kia."

He said softly.

"Kia, I need you to keep talking to me, ok?"

She shifted a little, then he felt the side of her head move in a nod.

"Ok."

She said sleepily. Kurt began to jog, being careful not to jar her too much.

He burst through the door to the kitchen, Bobby and Rogue both jumped out of their chairs. Two spoons were buried in a carton of ice cream where they had been sitting. Kurt looked at them as they rushed over to inspect the small form clinging for her very life around his neck. Rogue tried to brush Kia's hair from her face, but the child gave a muffled scream and recoiled, burying her face under Kurt's neck.

"Daddy..."

She whined in a pathetic voice.

"Don't let them hit me..."

Kurt placed a hand on the back of her head, stroking her soft copper brown hair gently.

"It's ok Kia. 'Des are my friends, 'dey vill 'elp you."

She shook her head.

"Don't let them take me away..."

Her voice was tear riddled. Kurt nodded.

"I von't let anyone take you Kia, I promise."

Rogue shot a glance over to the still frozen in shock Bobby. She was extremely confused about why the little girl was calling Kurt her father, but now was obviously not the right time to ask. Bobby finally forced himself to break his gaze with the crying child and looked at Rogue, baffled. Rogue threw her hands at him to make him move.

"Hurry and go get everyone up! I'll go find Logan."

They both tore down the halls, leaving Kurt cradling the sobbing Kia in his arms.

"'Deir going to go get you 'elp, ok?"

"Ok."

Rogue was the first back with Logan. The big man ran faster than Rogue, rushing through the door. He came to a dead stop upon seeing the bloody child in Kurt's arms.

"What the hell..."

He muttered under his breath. Kurt felt Kia cringe at Wolverines voice, but she refused to look at anyone. Logan reached out to take her, but Kurt turned to the side to avoid him.

"Kurt hand..."

Kurt interrupted.

"No Logan. I promised her that I vouldn't let anyone else take her."

Logan gave a low snarl, then looked at Kia. She had raised her feral eyes to look at him, and when his eyes drifted down to her she cringed and pulled Kurt's cloak over her face. Storm, Scott, and Bobby ran into the kitchen. Kurt looked at them.

"Lead 'de vay."

Storm wanted to take a better look at the child first, but Kia had a death grip on Kurt's cloak. She settled for running down the winding hallways with the rest of the group at her heals and into the hospital like room. Xavier was already there.

"Bring her over here."

He instructed calmly. Kurt brought her over, setting her on the cot, but never letting his arm leave from under her chin and wrapping around her shoulder. He couldn't have let her go even if he wanted to, for she had even more of a death grip on his arm than she had had on the now released cloak. Her eyes were held shut, not wanting to look at anyone.

"Don't let them hurt me."

Kurt drew her closer to him for a minute.

"'Dese are friends. You are safe 'ere."

He pushed her back to where she had been. Xavier watched the child before speaking to her.

"I'm Professor Xavier Kia. I'm going to help you, but it may sting a little. Is that ok."

"Don't take me away from my daddy!"

She wailed. Logan raised an eyebrow and looked at Kurt. Pointing a finger from the girl to Nightcrawler he gave a questioning look.

"...Daddy?"

He asked Kurt. Kurt began to explain but the professor beat him there.

"Young Kia is mentally unstable right now. The extension of kindness and protection from Kurt combined with her need to feel secure and her past as an orphan triggered a mechanism in her brain to associate Kurt with a parental role. Thus she is calling him her father. She will more than likely keep doing that most of her life, such trauma at a young age is never forgotten easily."

Logan looked at the girl, then back at Kurt. But Kurt was busy helping Storm apply antibiotic ointment to her cuts and bruises, then placing bandages over the cuts. she flinched every once and a while, but no pain was as bad as what she had just lived through, and she remained mostly unfazed. While Storm and Kurt were busy, Rogue had pulled Kia's hair out of her face to allow easier access to the bruised and swollen area.

Kia lashed out at Rogue, but feeling that she wasn't there to tear her off Kurt's arm, she relaxed. Bobby and Logan hung back, not wanting to interfere, giving confused looked from Kia to Kurt and back again. Bobby leaned closer to Logan so only he could hear the whisper.

"That kid must be more than a little mentally unstable if she thinks he's her dad."

Logan nodded in strong agreement. Scott looked at them in disbelief from a shadowy corner, and suddenly walked out. Unfortunately, Rogue had overheard them. She shot Bobby an almost hateful look.

"This poor child has just had all hell beaten out of her and your being supportive by calling her insane?"

She snapped at him. While in the confusion of the battle of wills Kia pulled her hair away from Rogue's gloved hands and, keeping her crying eyes closed, used Kurt's arm like a guide rope until she had crawled back over to him blindly and was nestled up against him. Kurt gave a weak smile.

"Kia,"

he began kindly,

"You can stay right 'ere vith me, but I need you to turn so 'dat Storm can clean your face."

For a moment the child shook her head no, then began to notice that her face and neck really did hurt more than before, and reluctantly turned around to Storm. She kept her back pressed against Kurt's stomach and chest, a way of reassuring herself that he was still there. Slowly she opened her eyes, looking at the kindly faces of Storm, Rogue, and Xavier. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the glaring face of Logan and the now worried face of Bobby as he watched Rogue. She tilted her head back and looked up at Kurt in the well lit room, but showed no surprise or fear at all to his blue exterior. She felt Storm gently touch a long, shallow cut at the base of her jaw and tried to jump back only to find that Kurt was in her way. Storm recoiled her hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

She held something out in her other hand so that Kia could see it.

"Can I see your neck? I need to put this on your cut to make it feel better."

She indicated the small plastic tube in her hand. Kia eyed her warily, and only tilted her head back again when Kurt placed his hands on her shoulder's. She placed her own little blood encrusted hands over his, biting her bottom lip as Storm smeared the cold stinging ointment on her neck. Storm leaned closer to get a better look at the wound. When she looked back at the new foster parent her eyes were lightly misted with tears.

"Vhat is it?"

Kurt asked her nervously

"They tried to make her die slowly by just barely cutting into her jugular veins."

Kurt looked down into young and confused feral eyes as Storm continued to talk.

"She's lost a lot more blood than we first though Kurt..."

She leaned closer to him.

"....She might not live...."

Kurt gently squeezed Kia's shoulders, but shook his head at Storm.

"No...no, she is a fighter. She vouldn't 'ave survived 'is long if she vasn't."

The child looked at Storm, then back at Kurt. She looked more awake in the light, but even more pale. Kurt gave a weak smile at the only creature on earth that might willingly have adopted him as a father figure. He shook his head again, his smile brightening. Kia glanced over at Storm with a certain level of hate.

"Daddy will protect me, he won't let me die."

She protested strongly. Storm stepped back.

"Well, I never meant that...."

Xavier was the one to interfere this time.

"She should be fine in Kurt's care. It will be five days until Willow gets here, so he will have all day to tend to young Kia. And by the time Willow gets here, the new semester begins, so if Kia is well enough we can enroll her into the school since she now has chosen herself a guardian."

Storm wanted to protest, opening her mouth to speak. In her eyes was a reflecting of what seemed sorrow, as if she had wished the child had clung to her instead. Kia stuck her tongue out at the white haired woman, her mischievousness showing even in her illness. Storm closed her mouth and gave a stunned look at the young girl. Rogue laughed out loud, not meaning to initially. When Storm sent a glare her way, Rogue didn't attempt to muffle her laughter.

"She sure told you Storm!"

She finally burst out, laughing even harder. Logan turned to leave.

"To much bonding going on in here."

He muttered aloud as he looked over to Kia, who was now in Kurt's arms again with her fragile arms wrapped around his neck and her head laying on his shoulder.

"I'm outta here."

Rogue looked over in time to see him walk out the door and waved.

"Bye Logan!"

Storm was still busy giving Kia hurt looks to even notice the wanderer taking his leave. Xavier glanced up at Storm and smiled.

"It just wasn't meant to be you to find her...I'm sure that's what Kurt would tell you should you have said anything anyway. Kia is in good hands, don't worry."

Storm gave him a disbelieving glance. The professor only looked to Kurt and the others.

"I suggest you all get back to bed soon. Kia needs her rest and she can't sleep with all of you around I'm sure."

Bobby looked over at him, but walked over to Kia. He leaned down to be on eye level with her. Storm, Rogue and Xavier all left just moments later. "Hey there. I'm Bobby. Sorry about what I said, ok?"

Kia eyed him for a minute, then swiped at him with a clawed hand and smiled.

"I forgive you."

She snickered.

Kurt smiled, nodding a little to thank Bobby and walked out the door himself to get back out into the garden. Bobby ran after him though.

"Don't you think you'd better go to a dorm room or something? If that gang dropped her off they'll probably come back soon to check and see if she's still there. And if they see you holding her in a close tree, they'll shoot you and her both, no doubt."

Kurt slowly realized that Bobby was more than just slightly correct. Knowing that Kurt didn't have his own room yet, Bobby began to lead them to his room. Pyro had left, so there was no one else in his room anyway.

"My room has a window sill seat if you want to stay there tonight."

Kurt shook his head, he already had another place in mind. Bobby shrugged.

"If you change your mind, you know where I am."

Kurt nodded and watched Bobby jog down the wall. Kia had already fallen asleep, murmuring softly in her sleep. Kurt felt bad, the way she murmured, she was reliving being attacked in the one place he could not protect her, in her dreams. As he walked down the halls to a set of spiral stairs he softly sang a church hymn in German, hoping just hearing his voice would bring him into her dream. Slowly she stopped murmuring, and smiled lightly, coiling her arms just a little more tightly around his neck as she slept on.

Outside the institute, Logan prowled around the large barrier walls, every sense as keen as possible. He had put himself on high alert, for he too knew the danger of the gang returning to insure the job was finished. He smirked to himself, pausing for a minute and looking between the knuckles on one fisted hand. He smirked and pressed on...the gang would have more than a wall to overcome if they came back, and the latter of the two was his indestructible steel claws. Every so often he let his thoughts wander to Kia. 'Poor kid.' He thought to himself. But he knew already that Kurt was the best choice out of the bunch for her to cling too. The new mutant needed a better reason than guilt to stay, Kia was like an angel in Logan's eyes. She had spunk even when she was near death, not to mention a sense of humor. He had to agree with Kurt in that she'd pull through this just fine.

Sitting on the steps, still cradling Kia tenderly in his arms and humming to her, Kurt flashed his gaze over to a window outside every once and a while. He sighed at his own paranoia, he knew that he could easily avoid attack by teleporting and bringing Kia with him. But he was still nervous now that she had more or less placed her thus far short life in his hands and entrusted him with her care and looking to him for comfort and protection from the evil and unknown. He watched the bandage less cut on her throat, making sure to keep her head tilted so that the ruptured skin touched. Only tiny threads of blood had trickled from the jugular wound, a good sign in Kurt's eyes.

"Lord vatch after 'is child...."

He muttered aloud as he gazed at her black and blue face.

"I'm sure he will."

A voice answered behind him. Kurt glanced back, refraining from jumping so he didn't wake Kia. Scott sat on the step beside Kurt, and looked at Kia.

"She's one lucky kid to make it this long with those kind of cuts you know."

Kurt smiled at Scott, having almost forgotten that he had followed them down to the hospital room earlier. Scott sighed.

"I'm real sorry about the way I was acting last night. Your right though, I have to let go."

Kia rosed up from her sleep as she heard the hushed voices of Kurt and Scott drone on. Slowly she opened her eyes, the way she was facing she saw Scott's red glasses, like the eyes of a demon glowing softly in the night. She jumped, ending up completely curled around Kurt's neck. He grabbed her before she toppled backwards down the stairs, and sat her on his knee. She looked at Scott with wild eyes. He gave her a sheepish grin.

"Hi there."

He said softly.

"Sorry if I woke you up."

Kia sat statue still for a moment, studying his red glasses with interest. She reached out to pull them off, but Scott grabbed the lens frame, closed his eyes tightly shut and pulled the glasses off himself.

"There, see. I have real eyes."

"Then why are they closed?"

"Because if I open them without my shades I would fry you to a crisp."

"Why would you want to do that."

Scott took a moment to chuckle at her inquisitiveness.

"I wouldn't want to, its just the power I have. I can shoot beams from my eyes."

"EW!"

She squealed. Kurt laughed at her before she turned and looked at him.

"Then what can you do daddy?"

"I can teleport."

"What's that? Is it gross like his?"

She pointed at Scott, who had replaced his glasses in front of his eyes. Kurt shook his head.

"No. Here, I'll show you vhat it is. Stay vith Scott, ok?"

She nodded, crawling across the step and up onto Scott's knee, watching Kurt. The usual midnight blue mist consumed him, a small bamf sounded him off, and he reappeared in front of the window and back to where he had been. Kia cheered, though was quickly shushed by Scott.

"'Dat is vhat teleporting is."

Kurt announced proudly.

"And vhat is your power?"

"Kitty!"

Kurt gave her a confused look, but she was already beginning to grow light gray with darker gray striped fur and whiskers. Soon it was no longer Kia, but a small gray tabby cat on Scott's knee. The kitten beamed, and morphed back into Kia.

"See? Kitty powers!"

She seemed proud of herself, receiving a hushed applause from Scott. Kurt smirked and nodded, but was not so sure that a cat was the only creature she could mimic if she was anything like Mystique.

Far away from the Institute, in what seemed just another abandoned storage building, there was a buzz of excitement. Inside the building was a trap door, which upon being entered lead down into an underground mansion. The huge place belonged to the Shadow Stalkers, the newest gang in town, the gang that had nearly killed Kia. Down below the surface the boss was in a meeting with his most trusted members. The boss, simply called Doc by his thugs, had yet to be aware that they had only added a new member to the mutant society that might later seek vengeance. Doc sat in an overly cushioned chair, his privelege...since he was not only the brains, but the financial support. He had inherited a family fortune, making him one of the richest people on Earth. On either side of him was a massive Doberman pincher. Three shadowy human figures loomed in chairs opposite Doc's, only the whites of their eyes gleaming.

"The operation went as planned?"

One of the three nodded.

"The girl's as good as dead now. No one was outside."

"Your positive of that?"

The three looked at each other and talked in hushed voices. Doc ground his teeth together, any pause in conversation always indicated bad news.

"You did have your men check over the wall....right?"

He snarled. Another of the three gulped.

"Well, sir, you see..."

"FOOLS!"

Doc roared. The doberman's at his sides laid their ears back, pearly white fangs bared in unison with their masters anger.

"So what did you do with the mutant girl once you got her there?"

"Well, we tied her to the road, put about a hundred pounds of chains on her and left the note you had us write, Doc sir."

Doc nodded.

"And then?"

The three looked at each other again.

"Then...we left."

Doc slammed his fist on the arm of his chair, the dogs slunk back away from him in his rage.

"You just left! You idiots, you were supposed to kill her! Didn't you cut her throat like I told you?"

"Yeah, sir."

"How deep?"

He snapped at the three, who cowered in their chairs like frightened children themselves.

"We don't know, the rest of the boys did that part."

Doc looked down at his fist, the veins in his neck popping out in anger that he withheld.

"Get out!"

He roared, standing suddenly and whipping his hand to point at the door. The three stumbled over the backs of their chairs as the dogs suddenly sprang at them, chasing them out of their masters office. Doc slid back into his chair, rubbing his forehead .

"What kind of imbeciles did I hire? They can't even kill a child properly..."

The dogs padded back to his sides, each laying their heads on his knee and looking up at him with deadly red eyes. He reached down at stroked the larger of the two hounds, a pitch black doberman. The red doberman looked at the black enviously.

"Well, no matter. We'll get the girl soon boys, then maybe you can actually have a taste of mutant flesh again."