A/N Well, I guess it doesn't matter then, (what happened to Kurt's adopted parents I mean). Don't own 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls. This is probably going to be the last chapter. Yes, I know, I guess you could say this is a short(er) story, but hey, up to this point it's been 37 pages! The ending might not be so good, but I've had so much stuff to do, (see, we have summer homework! Yay...) Well, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and stuck with this thing, so...THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!! ^___________^
Chapter VII: To Know
And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
'Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
There was no sound on the ship except the creaking of wood in the approaching rough waters and the sound of a pair of footsteps, quietly stumbling as the walls thrashed back and forth. Kurt, even if he usually was able to keep his balance, had trouble staying on his feet, holding an arm up now and then to stay upright. It was far too dark to see, and even if she was three feet in front of him he probably wouldn't know it. A few times did crew members pass by, carrying flashlights and letting him see slightly over the corner he stood behind, seeing if she was anywhere near. Every time, though, he only saw that one crew member, carrying on as if no one else was there. Kurt was sure to follow this one, (unlike the last few he hadn't thought of following), to see if he would find anything with the light he had.
Seconds became minute. Minutes became hours. The night dragged on and the weather got worse, all with no sign of Victoria. But as the crew member turned into another hall his face twisted in horror to what he saw, Kurt unable to tell what it was until the man ran forward, Kurt taking his spot at the corner. As the light flashed the floor, he could only guess what it was.
The crew member examined what was there, finding another man lying there. His eyes were wide open along with his mouth, his face mauled with parts of his skin torn off. The man with the flashlight checked the other's pulse, seeing he was still alive, and stood up, saying he'd go get help. The light was gone in a few seconds, Kurt being left in the dark. He wasn't too sure if he should go off into that hall, but knew it probably held some clue as to where she was.
Stumbling off into the cold metal darkness, he could hear the sound of wet blood slicking beneath his feet, just until he turned another corner. At this, he began to notice a wind coming through the corridor, being lit ever so often when a lightning bolt struck the sea. He was about to head into the next area, but stopped when he saw something in the blinking light. It was a dark figure, swaying with the ship's movement, and with a voice the groaned in agony. It headed in his direction, or what seemed like his direction, making a scuffing sound with it's feet. Kurt looked around the side, seeing it had only gotten farther away from him as it collapsed onto the steps to the upper decks. Rain poured through the open doors, lightning cracking the black skies. And yet he remained, standing in the middle of the hall and gawking with some crazy, questioning expression.
He knew who it was; there was no doubting it with her wrapped fingers that were exposed in the light from outside. What he couldn't quite understand, and what might have deterred him from his conclusion, was that she did not cover her head anymore, but was tearing the sheet into pieces. It appeared as though she was trying to keep her anger under control, staring at the wet wooden floor with her piercing eyes.
As he prepared to take a step, she sudden winced, ripping a big part of the sheet apart.
"Kurt..." she wheezed, going back to the smaller sections again. "I...I can't resist it...Something is d-digging at my head...I got away in time so I can get it slowly through my system..." Victoria looked up at him, Kurt seeing the tears in her almost hateful-looking eyes. "But if you take another step it's all going to be in vain..."
Kurt didn't take that step, but only crouched down, gazing back at her. "Did you do vhat I saw back zere?"
She shrugged. "He was going to shoot me...But hey, I didn't kill him, r-right?" She laughed half-heartedly, shaking her head. "You k-know what it's going to make me do..."
He nodded. "Yes...I understand..."
"I'll give you as much time before my mind is lost..." she stated, and continued in a rasp, "run."
Kurt stood up suddenly, jolting down the hall. Victoria could only hold out for a few more seconds before her eyes rolled back, tearing those pieces she had been collecting at once and taking off after him. Even if he transported here and there, staying in the shadows that no normal person would have seen. Then again, she wasn't a normal person, now was she?
His dodging was efficient for the first couple of tries, but as one wrong flip cost him in the same area where he had met her, Victoria tightening her still bloody fingers around his neck. She lifted him up off the ground, Kurt choking and feeling his blood on the back of his tongue. He forced his eye from rolling back, staring directly at her and preparing to speak in his weakness.
"Wictoria," he coughed, digging his nails into her skin to try and help her wake up from this nightmare. "Vake up! Y-you're dreaming! Wictoria, please, don't let it get to you! After all you've done to prevent zis from happening again! Or maybe..." He stopped, thinking for a moment, even if his head felt like a jackhammer in the building pressure. Kurt, in his sudden struck of an idea, suddenly let go, dropping his hands to the side. Even if he was probably going to die, it didn't matter when he knew the one person he had tried to help would commit the one crime she didn't want to...and without even knowing it. "If zis...is it...I just vant to say...zat..." He reached out a shaking hand, putting it on the side of her face. It seemed to touch her deep, but her grip didn't loosen until he said the last he could. "I...believe...in...you..."
Her eyes widened in a sudden twinge of pain, that hate in her melting away to reveal something that had been disguised to her. As she saw the whole picture, her hand loosening to drop him to the ground. Her breathing became heavy, her throat tightening as if she was going to die...and this was not an after affect of the poison she had in her either. She backed away until her back reached the wall, Victoria curling up as she slumped to the floor, tears streaming down her face. In his coughing spell, they both just stared at each other, one trying to keep his eyes open and gasping for breath and the other just wanting their eyes to close, trying not to breathe.
But even if this was so, Kurt reached out a hand, taking her shoulder and gathering her to lean forward, holding her in his arms as he patted her back for comfort. She kept saying over and over that she was sorry, that she never intended it to happen, and he just kept on smiling, saying it was okay and that it would all be alright. They would be in Germany soon enough, and from there they would never have to worry about it again.
But what they had soon to learn is that they would never make it to Germany, or even off the dock for that matter...
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
And you bleed just to know you're alive
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
They returned to the lower decks awhile later and for the remainder of the trip she did not speak, she did not eat when they broke into one of the crates, and she did not dare stare up and look him in the eyes. He gave her his hat to cover her head with, but did not ask or reply for it to begin with. Even if he asked her to say something, she just gazed at the cold metal floor, her eyes distant. She was abashed for who she was, he could see that, but he didn't understand why. Surely it wasn't he fault for doing what she did, and yet she could not live with that fact that she had done it. Even with the comfort he tried to give, there was nothing that would keep her from being silent.
As the boat rocked less and movement on the upper floors began to increase, and as the door opened to the cargo hold they planned to storm the sailors and get out before they could get arrested. Yet, even if Kurt told her about this, she did not move from her spot. And even as the shouts and screams of the passengers sounded when they broke loose from the small chamber, she remained still, her eyes wide open as if she were a statue. Only when the place had cleared, the area silent except for the echoes outside, did she stand up, Kurt right there next to her. She strode out in front of him, going to the steps to find that there were no crew members in sight, no other mutants to tag along with. Kurt thought he'd just let her go first, knowing to keep an eye on her, but surprisingly she wasn't going anywhere, standing there with her eyes narrow.
"Vhat is it?" he asked.
"Do you hear that?" she said, and he listened, his eyes widening a moment later.
"No...I don't..." he answered, realizing that there wasn't any sounds to be heard.
And then came an earsplitting scream from the silence. Blood sprayed from around the corner, the now ravaged man slipping as he tried to get away. But for a mutant his pathetic life was over as something dragged him back, his screams of terror falling quiet. With a heavy foot a figure emerged, Victoria beginning to shake in horror because of it. The blade the man had for an arm dripped with fresh blood, his black coat wet with the stains. His one robotic eye rotated into focus, his other blue, almost white eye piercing them down. He treaded for them slowly, seeing the fear in both their eyes.
Kurt managed to snap out of it, but Victoria, recognizing him from before, cramped up, her knees locking and collapsing to the floor. Even if Kurt tried to help her up, her terror weighted her down like a ton of bricks. The man kept on coming, and even if she struggled to get up it was no use. But with some quick thinking, Kurt looked off the side and found a spot on the dock that was deserted and where they could hide easily, kneeling and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. With this they both disappeared in a puff of smoke, gone in the blink of an eye.
As Victoria managed to calm down, Kurt helping her to her feet, she finally looked at him, her eyes soft yet frightened, and not for her safety.
"Good, now! Before they find you!" she proclaimed in a whisper, trying to push him away.
"Vhat? I'm not-" he started, but she put a hand over his mouth, shaking her head.
"Please, go, run away to Germany and never look back..." she said, but he took her hands, making her continue with a subconscious guilt. "Kurt, you have done me so much, and for it I am more grateful than I can describe. If you stay here with me then they'll capture you, and if that happens to you...I-It just won't." She put her hands on the side of his face, smiling. "I care about you too much for that to happen."
"I von't leave you, Wictoria," he said, shaking his head.
She nodded her head, "I'd thought you'd say something like that. That's...That's why I want you to go ahead of me! If we split up, there's less of a chance they'll find us both! Don't worry, I'll meet up with you later."
He gazed into her eyes, finding no confidence in those words she had spoken. But he could not refuse, for her eyes were already welling in tears and her trembling lips gave the expression of disappointment if he did not leave. So he just smiled, making her brighten with hope, as he nodded, reaching up a hand and putting it behind her head. He tipped her head forward, kissing the top of her head lightly.
"I vill vait for you in Berlin."
"And I'll meet you there," she replied, slipping away as Nightcrawler fell back, disappearing into the darkness.
She turned, thinking she would find a way out and finally be rid of this place, but she was only greeted with an iron grin, grabbing her frightened body by the collar of her shirt and tossing her across. Where she landed only filled her find in praying they would be merciful. Kurt ended up behind a crate not to far away, the first thing he did being that he searched the area for her. However, what he witnessed only dug down deep into his heart, making him gaze on to what happened next.
The iron man held her arms back to keep her still, a woman with silver nails standing to the side as an old man approached. He had a bread with his hair being gray, wearing glasses that reflected the light of the lampposts down a ways. He approached her with a frown, putting his hands behind his back.
"You've disappointed me for the last time, girl. We gave you a warning and disobedience will be punished. Deathstrike," he said, holding his hand out to the woman. She reached into her belt, handing him a gun. Before Kurt could realize what was to be done, the man held it arms length, arming it and pulling the trigger that would be through her heart.
Time slowed then, a sort of grip being squeezed onto his reality before his heart froze and shattered into a million pieces. He shouted out in pain and anger, running forward in aiming to choke him until he got the answers of why he had done that, but the hurt was too great, and instead he was pulled to her, sliding to his knees and turning her over from where she had fallen face first in the mud. Her eyes were closed, but she still had warmth to her face. It began to sprinkle as a tear came down his cheek, the other mutants realizing what he was doing there out of their confusing and picked him up, dragging him away.
"No, Wictoria!" he shouted, struggling to get away, figuring to warp away but was hit on the back of the head, falling unconscious before any of that could happen.
The old man aimed the gun at him as well, but the woman with claws protested, saying that he was a transporter.
He grinned, taking the gun away. "A transporter, huh? Well, I recon he could be mighty useful now can he? Label him as mutant number 108, we'll get the rest of his info later." He turned away as a helicopter rotated its propellers in the distance, the iron mutant picking Kurt up and taking him along with them. Never again would Kurt remember this night, for it was certain they would erase all memory of it, the voyage, and of her. But there was one person who would never forget.
As the dust settled and the air grew still around the docks, a cry of anguish could be heard only briefly if one knew where to look. For there lay Victoria, awoken from where she had hit her head on a rock under the soft earth, and reached into her pocket to find a bullet in the pages of the Bible Kurt had given her. She knew what had happened and understood what was going to happen to him. But somehow she knew he would make it through, just as she had, and with the confidence she had that one day everything would be right, she stood up. Looking to the morning sky she raised her hands up, recalling all that had occurred to her. As he had once helped her, she promised she'd make someone else's better as well. He had saved her from the nothing she was, and saved her from the faded shadow she would've become. Even in the thought that they would wipe out his memories, he was bound to remember something some day, and when he did...
She'd be waiting for him in Berlin...
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
