Kurt turned over in his bed, thinking. All right, so he was not the best student, or the best in battle simulations, but there had to be something he was good at. Scaring Kitty did not count, because he did not do that on purpose. Frowning at himself, Kurt sat up and looked out the window.
Teleporting did not count either, because he had not met anyone else with that particular talent. Well, then Kurt had to admit he was not particularly good at anything. Feeling pretty grumpy, Kurt threw himself back against his pillow and tried to sleep. Tomorrow he could work on figuring out what he was good at.
When Kurt closed his eyes, he was convinced he would get to sleep pretty soon. He was exhausted after a long day at school, and then training. It would be so much better if he could just pretend that none of it existed for the next eight hours.
*Please, stop! Please, it was not her fault!* screamed a girl's voice. One that was vaguely familiar to him.
Kurt sat up, and looked around. There was no girl in his room. Then, where had that voice come from? Listening intently, Kurt waited to hear more. The seconds ticked by on his clock, and Kurt slowly relaxed.
"Maybe I was just imagining it." Kurt laid back down in his bed, and in a few more minutes he was asleep.
***
*Let her go!* the voice begged. Jean looked around, trying to see what was going on. Her eyes fell on a little girl, tied to her bedpost. She had short black hair and large brown eyes.
*No! Please!* Jean tried to see who was speaking, but her eyes did not leave the figure of the little girl. Shadows seemed to advance on the child, who was crying.
*Stop!* The shadows became people, who were armed with knives, and swords. One of them grabbed the girl's hands and hauled them over her head. Another, so well disguised Jean would never be able to identify them, took a knife and slowly began cutting the child's wrists.
*Please! Let her go! Please!* The voice was screaming now, and Jean could understand her panic. The little girl was gagged when she began to scream. Jean watched in horror as the girl was tormented, but kept alive. They covered her with blood, and seemed to take grim satisfaction in the fact that the child could not resist. Jean's vision became blurry, as if she was crying.
*Leave her alone! Punish me! Please!* A figure turned to regard Jean. She wanted to shrink away.
*This is your punishment. The beginning of it.* Looking over at the girl, Jean saw her turn pleading eyes upwards at her, or the person who Jean could not see. The figure turned back and slit the child's throat. Jean screamed along with the voice.
*No!*
"Jean!" Startled out of her dream, Jean almost threw her clock across the room. Professor Xavier placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't mean to-"
"I know Jean. I heard it too. Perhaps we should discuss this." Jean nodded.
"It was so horrible. Who were those people? And who was-"
"Jean, according to the clock you almost threw at the door, it is three o'clock in the morning. You have school in five hours. Sleep for now, and after school, perhaps I will have located the mutant in question."
"Mutant, professor?" Jean questioned.
"I will tell you after school, Jean," Xavier promised. "Now, try to get some sleep. If I remember correctly, you have a History test."
Jean fell back against her pillows with a groan.
Teleporting did not count either, because he had not met anyone else with that particular talent. Well, then Kurt had to admit he was not particularly good at anything. Feeling pretty grumpy, Kurt threw himself back against his pillow and tried to sleep. Tomorrow he could work on figuring out what he was good at.
When Kurt closed his eyes, he was convinced he would get to sleep pretty soon. He was exhausted after a long day at school, and then training. It would be so much better if he could just pretend that none of it existed for the next eight hours.
*Please, stop! Please, it was not her fault!* screamed a girl's voice. One that was vaguely familiar to him.
Kurt sat up, and looked around. There was no girl in his room. Then, where had that voice come from? Listening intently, Kurt waited to hear more. The seconds ticked by on his clock, and Kurt slowly relaxed.
"Maybe I was just imagining it." Kurt laid back down in his bed, and in a few more minutes he was asleep.
***
*Let her go!* the voice begged. Jean looked around, trying to see what was going on. Her eyes fell on a little girl, tied to her bedpost. She had short black hair and large brown eyes.
*No! Please!* Jean tried to see who was speaking, but her eyes did not leave the figure of the little girl. Shadows seemed to advance on the child, who was crying.
*Stop!* The shadows became people, who were armed with knives, and swords. One of them grabbed the girl's hands and hauled them over her head. Another, so well disguised Jean would never be able to identify them, took a knife and slowly began cutting the child's wrists.
*Please! Let her go! Please!* The voice was screaming now, and Jean could understand her panic. The little girl was gagged when she began to scream. Jean watched in horror as the girl was tormented, but kept alive. They covered her with blood, and seemed to take grim satisfaction in the fact that the child could not resist. Jean's vision became blurry, as if she was crying.
*Leave her alone! Punish me! Please!* A figure turned to regard Jean. She wanted to shrink away.
*This is your punishment. The beginning of it.* Looking over at the girl, Jean saw her turn pleading eyes upwards at her, or the person who Jean could not see. The figure turned back and slit the child's throat. Jean screamed along with the voice.
*No!*
"Jean!" Startled out of her dream, Jean almost threw her clock across the room. Professor Xavier placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't mean to-"
"I know Jean. I heard it too. Perhaps we should discuss this." Jean nodded.
"It was so horrible. Who were those people? And who was-"
"Jean, according to the clock you almost threw at the door, it is three o'clock in the morning. You have school in five hours. Sleep for now, and after school, perhaps I will have located the mutant in question."
"Mutant, professor?" Jean questioned.
"I will tell you after school, Jean," Xavier promised. "Now, try to get some sleep. If I remember correctly, you have a History test."
Jean fell back against her pillows with a groan.
