Eric sat at his desk thinking quietly to himself as he made four medium
sized ball bearings; his signature weapon ever since his childhood in
Auschwitz, circle slowly around his white haired head his piercing blue
eyes looking off into the distance as if he was looking at something
through the maple door in front of him his chin resting on one hand.
Mystique had been gone for three days now and he was wondering where she
had gone off to without even saying where she was going and when she would
be coming back to their base of operations. He sighed closing his eyes and
shaking his head a bit. He didn't know her exact reasons for leaving so
suddenly but he had a pretty good idea on why and more exactly i whoi
she had left for. It was most likely that mutant with the tail and skin and
eye color similar to her own with the ability to teleport. He seemed to
strike a chord with the assassin when they and the X-men were together in
that camp for the night. Eric thought it was a pity that the mutant hadn't
been able to kill the president even though he was under Stryker's control.
If he had succeeded in the plan then it would have saved him and Mystique
the time and energy to go to the White House and kill the man himself!
A knock on the door awoke him from his thoughts almost rudely causing him to sit up straight and almost lose his cool composure he always carried with him like a shirt. " Come in," Eric said turning the ball bearings into one large ball and making it float over to a shelf. He smiled faintly as Mystique entered with the teleporting mutant right behind her his tail swishing slowly back and forth like a cat's. " Mystique, I see you've returned with a guest; Kurt I believe?" he asked slowly getting to his feet and offering Kurt one gloved hand.
" Ja, Kurt Vagner," Kurt nodded taking his hand in his own and shaking it slowly catching himself before he went into his known spiel of being in the Munich circus. He looked over at his mother for a moment for a bit of a confidence boost before looking back at Eric his tail stopping in mid- swish, " I vish to join you und the Brotherhood," he said.
Eric looked over at Mystique with a smile. " So this is why you left! You could have told me it was a recruiting mission and then I wouldn't have been so worried over you," he joked softly. He turned back to Kurt his face becoming serious for a moment, " What's your name?" he asked.
Kurt looked at Eric confused tilting his head to one side slightly, " I thought you just." he stopped when he figured it out on his own and what exactly Eric was talking about. He smiled a bit as only one name came to him, " Nightcrawler!"
Back at the mansion the X-men were in Xavier's study listening to Logan as he told them what he had happened last night with Kurt and Mystique. When he was finished they all shared a look of sadness and betrayal except for Ororo who kept her gaze at the ground saying nothing. " Has anyone seen Kurt since then?" Xavier asked making a steeple with his fingers under his sin in a pensive manner his mind all ready working on all the reasons possible for Kurt's actions.
Logan snorted softly shaking his head his arms across his chest, " The blue furred Elvin bastard never even came back inside afterwards!" he said shaking his head a bit, " He's probably with Magneto and Mystique right now laughing about this whole thing and swigging down a bottle of Merlot with a chaser of Kraut beer while we stand here talking about it!"
" I don't believe it."
Everyone turned their head and looked over at Ororo who was still looking at the floor with so much intensity that it seemed that it had a special interest for her. Scott cleared his throat a bit shifting uncomfortable beside Jean, " Ororo, if he wasn't doing anything wrong with Mystique or Magneto then why did he leave after Logan caught him?" he asked.
Ororo lifted her head slowly her eyes burning with a deep fire. " I don't know but what I do know is that Kurt held no anger towards the human race so there is no way he could have joined the Brotherhood since their goal is to kill off the humans!" she said simply looking around at the others in the room her eyes almost pleading with them to at least consider that possibility with her.
" Then explain why he was hugging Mystique and crying like a little baby while he was going it," Logan challenged her calmly.
" I can't explain that," Ororo admitted looking at the ground for a moment. She looked back up at Logan narrowing her eyes slightly at him, " but neither can any of you guys either! None of us knows what really happened out there except for Kurt."
" When I asked him why he said he couldn't tell me. Sounds like a cover up for Mystique to me, 'Ro," Logan said.
" When you mean ask; do you mean you said you would kill him first?" Ororo snapped back at him. " I wouldn't tell you anything either if I had a blade to my throat and you were furious!"
" Are you trying to say it's my fault that he left?" Logan demanded his claws coming out swiftly in his anger.
" That's exactly what I'm saying!" Ororo said lightning streaks coming to her eyes. Outside a storm started to blow harshly.
" Gambit t'inks both of you need ta' be quiet an' let the professa' talk!" Remy said calmly flipping a card between his fingers easily lounging on the couch the other hand holding up his head.
" Sorry," Ororo said calming down making the storm vanish.
Logan merely grunted and retracted his claws crossing his arms over his chest once more looking at Xavier.
Xavier smiled slightly over at Remy and he turned to Ororo his blue eyes seeming to glitter slightly like jewels, " What should we do then regarding Kurt?" he asked.
" I think we should go look for him as soon as possible!" Ororo said as Logan rolled his eyes and shook his head a bit but still keeping quiet about it, " I'm sure he will want to come back to us if we talk to him about it!" she explained looking around at the others who all looked away from her slightly in disbelief.
" I never vant to go back there!" Nightcrawler said crouched down on the stump of a tree outside of the base beside Pyro.
Pyro flipped the lid to his lighter over and over again in a smooth rhythm listening to Nightcrawler with a faint smile, " How come? I thought someone like you would be happy in a place like that," he said with a hint of a sneer there.
" Because now they vill never trust me und vill alvays keep an eye on me vhen I have not even done anything vrong to them! It is not fair that because Logan caught me vith Mystique that right avay I am a bad person!" Nightcrawler said shaking his head a bit in disgust his tail swishing back and forth almost hitting Pyro a few times.
Pyro nodded understandingly having had those exact thoughts himself a few times ever since he had made the choice to leave them at Alkali Lake to join the Brotherhood with Magneto and Mystique. He looked up and with a faint gasp he lightly prodded Nightcrawler in the ribs with his elbow as he stood up straight a bit stopping his lid flipping motions simply putting the lighter into his pocket.
Nightcrawler looked at him confused for a moment before he saw Magneto and Mystique walking over and he also stood up saluting Magneto with his tail making Pyro stifle a laugh.
Magneto chuckled softly shaking his head a bit, " Nightcrawler, to be a full member of the Brotherhood you must go through an obstacle course just like Pyro here to show us your worth to the team," he explained.
Nightcrawler looked over at Mystique his eyebrows raised slightly in confusion, " Vhat kind of obstacle course?" he asked.
" If we told you anything about it then it wouldn't do any good as a test now would it?" Mystique asked a motherly smile coming to her lips slowly.
Nightcrawler laughed softly, " I suppose not," he admitted with a shrug.
" Come with me when you're ready to go and take the test," Magneto said. He led Nightcrawler to a large building and he opened the door stepping aside to let him walk into the room. " Just walk inside and wait for the lights to come on to start," he instructed.
Nodding Nightcrawler stepped inside and the door was closed behind him with a bang and a click from the turning of the lock. He used his tail to test the door and he found that he couldn't open it with a soft sigh wondering why they would lock the door on him if it was only something as simple as a test of his abilities. He looked around in the pitch black room the only thing seen being his glowing yellow eyes. " This room is empty!" he said softly to himself having perfect eyesight in the dark. He shrugged a bit and he started to stretch a bit bending his back all the way down to make a perfect C before standing up straight again to wait for the lights to come on.
Mystique sat at the controls to a large computer and TV monitors similar to those used in the school at Xavier's for the Danger Room the X-men and some of the students used to practice battles with. She looked at a visual over her head where Nightcrawler's eyes were the only things seen easily in the darkness and she smiled in pride for her son. Her smile vanished at once as Magneto entered and sat down beside her being replaced by a look of nothingness.
" Start him at level five," Magneto instructed calmly looking at the visual.
Mystique looked at Magneto in surprise her eyebrows raised a bit, " Are you sure you should start him so high? We only used level two with Pyro when we tested him out," she pointed out trying to hide the concern that was slowly creeping into her throat.
" I'm sure Nightcrawler can handle it. He's older than Pyro so he may be better adapted to his powers," Magneto said, " Now start the program."
Nodding Mystique turned the dial and pressed the activation switch looking up at the visual once more.
When the lights came on Nightcrawler blinked for a few moments before he was able to see clearly. Even though he could have sworn that the room was empty before; he now found himself in an empty courtyard with a few street lamps and a few brick walls scattered about the room. Confused he walked forward looking around when he felt the ground trembling violently. " Vas?!" he cried as he swiftly leapt into the air and teleported to a corner of the room just missing a missile that had been heading right for him from behind. " Ach, mein Gott!" he cried seeing who had fired the missile at him.
A large robot was looking down at him holding out its palm at him the center opening up and showing another missile inside ready to be launched. :MUTANT TARGET FOUND. SURRENDER OR BE DESTROYED! YOU HAVE ONE SECOND TO RESPOND!: it said and it swiftly launched another missile at the surprised Nightcrawler.
Nightcrawler teleported and appeared on a top of one of the walls looking at the Sentinel unsure of how he should even try to bring the giant down. Two laser beams fired from its eyes and he quickly brushed away the thought for a moment as he performed five back flips and ended in a somersault with a teleportion as soon as his feet hit the ground.
Magneto watched with an amused smile from the control room his hands together in a posture of mere concentration and enjoyment as the program became more active and violent towards the teleporter. He looked over at Mystique and he smiled a bit as he suddenly put two and two together to get four as she made soft gasps every time it looked like something bad was about to happen to Kurt. The Sentinel almost crushed him under its feet and she had moved one hand to end the program when he teleported out of danger; which was the biggest clue Magneto was given with her actions. He was amused seeing his hardened assassin so caring towards her son. He looked back at the visual and he cocked his head slightly in confusion seeing Nightcrawler was no longer in view anywhere.
The Sentinel was just as confused as Magneto was as it looked all around for Nightcrawler its sensors unable to locate him or traces of the sulfur and brimstone from his teleports. Suddenly Nightcrawler teleported onto its head crouched down and holding on tightly his tail keeping his steady on the smooth surface as it began to rock back and forth almost making him fall off despite his ability to climb walls. Suddenly both hands were raised up high and they both fired missiles at Nightcrawler and with a laugh he simply leapt down and performed some somersaults and twists before he landed in a crouch as the Sentinel's head exploded in a shower of shrapnel and fire. Quickly he ran away as the body collapsed with a thundering boom the shockwave knocking Nightcrawler over.
The program ended and Nightcrawler found himself in the empty room once more this time the light staying on. He turned around to the door to face Mystique and Magneto as they came in Magneto clapping slowly a smile on his face. " Well done, Nightcrawler! I think you'll be a very important member to the Brotherhood!" he said smiling at him as Nightcrawler walked up to them.
Nightcrawler looked over at his mother and he smiled slowly in pride his tail swishing back and forth rapidly feeling he had made the right choice by joining this group of mutants.
" I hope we're making the right choice," Jean said as she and Ororo suited up for their new mission to go and find Kurt.
Ororo slipped on her cloak and she looked at Jean, " I know we are," she said. She looked at the Blackbird as Logan and Remy boarded it with some supplies that they would need for the trip. i At least, I hope we are!i
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i Tune in next time folks! Same BAMF! time, same BAMF! channel!i
A knock on the door awoke him from his thoughts almost rudely causing him to sit up straight and almost lose his cool composure he always carried with him like a shirt. " Come in," Eric said turning the ball bearings into one large ball and making it float over to a shelf. He smiled faintly as Mystique entered with the teleporting mutant right behind her his tail swishing slowly back and forth like a cat's. " Mystique, I see you've returned with a guest; Kurt I believe?" he asked slowly getting to his feet and offering Kurt one gloved hand.
" Ja, Kurt Vagner," Kurt nodded taking his hand in his own and shaking it slowly catching himself before he went into his known spiel of being in the Munich circus. He looked over at his mother for a moment for a bit of a confidence boost before looking back at Eric his tail stopping in mid- swish, " I vish to join you und the Brotherhood," he said.
Eric looked over at Mystique with a smile. " So this is why you left! You could have told me it was a recruiting mission and then I wouldn't have been so worried over you," he joked softly. He turned back to Kurt his face becoming serious for a moment, " What's your name?" he asked.
Kurt looked at Eric confused tilting his head to one side slightly, " I thought you just." he stopped when he figured it out on his own and what exactly Eric was talking about. He smiled a bit as only one name came to him, " Nightcrawler!"
Back at the mansion the X-men were in Xavier's study listening to Logan as he told them what he had happened last night with Kurt and Mystique. When he was finished they all shared a look of sadness and betrayal except for Ororo who kept her gaze at the ground saying nothing. " Has anyone seen Kurt since then?" Xavier asked making a steeple with his fingers under his sin in a pensive manner his mind all ready working on all the reasons possible for Kurt's actions.
Logan snorted softly shaking his head his arms across his chest, " The blue furred Elvin bastard never even came back inside afterwards!" he said shaking his head a bit, " He's probably with Magneto and Mystique right now laughing about this whole thing and swigging down a bottle of Merlot with a chaser of Kraut beer while we stand here talking about it!"
" I don't believe it."
Everyone turned their head and looked over at Ororo who was still looking at the floor with so much intensity that it seemed that it had a special interest for her. Scott cleared his throat a bit shifting uncomfortable beside Jean, " Ororo, if he wasn't doing anything wrong with Mystique or Magneto then why did he leave after Logan caught him?" he asked.
Ororo lifted her head slowly her eyes burning with a deep fire. " I don't know but what I do know is that Kurt held no anger towards the human race so there is no way he could have joined the Brotherhood since their goal is to kill off the humans!" she said simply looking around at the others in the room her eyes almost pleading with them to at least consider that possibility with her.
" Then explain why he was hugging Mystique and crying like a little baby while he was going it," Logan challenged her calmly.
" I can't explain that," Ororo admitted looking at the ground for a moment. She looked back up at Logan narrowing her eyes slightly at him, " but neither can any of you guys either! None of us knows what really happened out there except for Kurt."
" When I asked him why he said he couldn't tell me. Sounds like a cover up for Mystique to me, 'Ro," Logan said.
" When you mean ask; do you mean you said you would kill him first?" Ororo snapped back at him. " I wouldn't tell you anything either if I had a blade to my throat and you were furious!"
" Are you trying to say it's my fault that he left?" Logan demanded his claws coming out swiftly in his anger.
" That's exactly what I'm saying!" Ororo said lightning streaks coming to her eyes. Outside a storm started to blow harshly.
" Gambit t'inks both of you need ta' be quiet an' let the professa' talk!" Remy said calmly flipping a card between his fingers easily lounging on the couch the other hand holding up his head.
" Sorry," Ororo said calming down making the storm vanish.
Logan merely grunted and retracted his claws crossing his arms over his chest once more looking at Xavier.
Xavier smiled slightly over at Remy and he turned to Ororo his blue eyes seeming to glitter slightly like jewels, " What should we do then regarding Kurt?" he asked.
" I think we should go look for him as soon as possible!" Ororo said as Logan rolled his eyes and shook his head a bit but still keeping quiet about it, " I'm sure he will want to come back to us if we talk to him about it!" she explained looking around at the others who all looked away from her slightly in disbelief.
" I never vant to go back there!" Nightcrawler said crouched down on the stump of a tree outside of the base beside Pyro.
Pyro flipped the lid to his lighter over and over again in a smooth rhythm listening to Nightcrawler with a faint smile, " How come? I thought someone like you would be happy in a place like that," he said with a hint of a sneer there.
" Because now they vill never trust me und vill alvays keep an eye on me vhen I have not even done anything vrong to them! It is not fair that because Logan caught me vith Mystique that right avay I am a bad person!" Nightcrawler said shaking his head a bit in disgust his tail swishing back and forth almost hitting Pyro a few times.
Pyro nodded understandingly having had those exact thoughts himself a few times ever since he had made the choice to leave them at Alkali Lake to join the Brotherhood with Magneto and Mystique. He looked up and with a faint gasp he lightly prodded Nightcrawler in the ribs with his elbow as he stood up straight a bit stopping his lid flipping motions simply putting the lighter into his pocket.
Nightcrawler looked at him confused for a moment before he saw Magneto and Mystique walking over and he also stood up saluting Magneto with his tail making Pyro stifle a laugh.
Magneto chuckled softly shaking his head a bit, " Nightcrawler, to be a full member of the Brotherhood you must go through an obstacle course just like Pyro here to show us your worth to the team," he explained.
Nightcrawler looked over at Mystique his eyebrows raised slightly in confusion, " Vhat kind of obstacle course?" he asked.
" If we told you anything about it then it wouldn't do any good as a test now would it?" Mystique asked a motherly smile coming to her lips slowly.
Nightcrawler laughed softly, " I suppose not," he admitted with a shrug.
" Come with me when you're ready to go and take the test," Magneto said. He led Nightcrawler to a large building and he opened the door stepping aside to let him walk into the room. " Just walk inside and wait for the lights to come on to start," he instructed.
Nodding Nightcrawler stepped inside and the door was closed behind him with a bang and a click from the turning of the lock. He used his tail to test the door and he found that he couldn't open it with a soft sigh wondering why they would lock the door on him if it was only something as simple as a test of his abilities. He looked around in the pitch black room the only thing seen being his glowing yellow eyes. " This room is empty!" he said softly to himself having perfect eyesight in the dark. He shrugged a bit and he started to stretch a bit bending his back all the way down to make a perfect C before standing up straight again to wait for the lights to come on.
Mystique sat at the controls to a large computer and TV monitors similar to those used in the school at Xavier's for the Danger Room the X-men and some of the students used to practice battles with. She looked at a visual over her head where Nightcrawler's eyes were the only things seen easily in the darkness and she smiled in pride for her son. Her smile vanished at once as Magneto entered and sat down beside her being replaced by a look of nothingness.
" Start him at level five," Magneto instructed calmly looking at the visual.
Mystique looked at Magneto in surprise her eyebrows raised a bit, " Are you sure you should start him so high? We only used level two with Pyro when we tested him out," she pointed out trying to hide the concern that was slowly creeping into her throat.
" I'm sure Nightcrawler can handle it. He's older than Pyro so he may be better adapted to his powers," Magneto said, " Now start the program."
Nodding Mystique turned the dial and pressed the activation switch looking up at the visual once more.
When the lights came on Nightcrawler blinked for a few moments before he was able to see clearly. Even though he could have sworn that the room was empty before; he now found himself in an empty courtyard with a few street lamps and a few brick walls scattered about the room. Confused he walked forward looking around when he felt the ground trembling violently. " Vas?!" he cried as he swiftly leapt into the air and teleported to a corner of the room just missing a missile that had been heading right for him from behind. " Ach, mein Gott!" he cried seeing who had fired the missile at him.
A large robot was looking down at him holding out its palm at him the center opening up and showing another missile inside ready to be launched. :MUTANT TARGET FOUND. SURRENDER OR BE DESTROYED! YOU HAVE ONE SECOND TO RESPOND!: it said and it swiftly launched another missile at the surprised Nightcrawler.
Nightcrawler teleported and appeared on a top of one of the walls looking at the Sentinel unsure of how he should even try to bring the giant down. Two laser beams fired from its eyes and he quickly brushed away the thought for a moment as he performed five back flips and ended in a somersault with a teleportion as soon as his feet hit the ground.
Magneto watched with an amused smile from the control room his hands together in a posture of mere concentration and enjoyment as the program became more active and violent towards the teleporter. He looked over at Mystique and he smiled a bit as he suddenly put two and two together to get four as she made soft gasps every time it looked like something bad was about to happen to Kurt. The Sentinel almost crushed him under its feet and she had moved one hand to end the program when he teleported out of danger; which was the biggest clue Magneto was given with her actions. He was amused seeing his hardened assassin so caring towards her son. He looked back at the visual and he cocked his head slightly in confusion seeing Nightcrawler was no longer in view anywhere.
The Sentinel was just as confused as Magneto was as it looked all around for Nightcrawler its sensors unable to locate him or traces of the sulfur and brimstone from his teleports. Suddenly Nightcrawler teleported onto its head crouched down and holding on tightly his tail keeping his steady on the smooth surface as it began to rock back and forth almost making him fall off despite his ability to climb walls. Suddenly both hands were raised up high and they both fired missiles at Nightcrawler and with a laugh he simply leapt down and performed some somersaults and twists before he landed in a crouch as the Sentinel's head exploded in a shower of shrapnel and fire. Quickly he ran away as the body collapsed with a thundering boom the shockwave knocking Nightcrawler over.
The program ended and Nightcrawler found himself in the empty room once more this time the light staying on. He turned around to the door to face Mystique and Magneto as they came in Magneto clapping slowly a smile on his face. " Well done, Nightcrawler! I think you'll be a very important member to the Brotherhood!" he said smiling at him as Nightcrawler walked up to them.
Nightcrawler looked over at his mother and he smiled slowly in pride his tail swishing back and forth rapidly feeling he had made the right choice by joining this group of mutants.
" I hope we're making the right choice," Jean said as she and Ororo suited up for their new mission to go and find Kurt.
Ororo slipped on her cloak and she looked at Jean, " I know we are," she said. She looked at the Blackbird as Logan and Remy boarded it with some supplies that they would need for the trip. i At least, I hope we are!i
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i Tune in next time folks! Same BAMF! time, same BAMF! channel!i