AN: And now we meet Kurt's dream girl! This chapter switches viewpoints, marked by the ***
Li lay against the heated wall, trying to find a cool spot somewhere. Despite the knowledge that they just might kill her this time, she remained calm. Would death not be the welcome release she had hoped for all these years? And after that little girl. . .
Li intentionally cracked her head against the wall. How could she have been so stupid? To think that they would forgive her for not completing an assignment was ludicrous. There was no forgiveness amoungst those of the Night Rain. Dr. Hayashi might not even look for her. Or would she?
After all, Hayashi had not asked for Night Rain to terminate Silas Morton. Why would she do that, when Hayashi had all the freedom without any of the responsibility? That was how she had been able to create Li, and her sister, Taimi, without the government getting in the way. Taimi had come first, and so was considered the inferior model. Unlike Li, however, Taimi did not even think about killing.
"It was always so easy for you," Li murmured softly, even though Taimi was most likely not listening. Her breathing was becoming labored, and she could not see very well. To keep herself conscious, Li forced herself to do a run through of her injuries.
Two broken ribs, and a broken arm. Her legs had been cut up as badly as possible, to prevent Li from running. Running to where, she wondered? She was fairly certain beyond the complex there was nothing but forest. It would easy enough to catch her. Besides those other injuries, she was bruised all over, and she had cracked her head against the wall enough times to make it leak.
Plus it was hot in here, and she could feel herself slowly melting. Sinking down to sit in a miserable huddle, Li wondered what made her believe she could die quickly. These people knew all of her weaknesses, and they would make it last as long as they could.
Even though Li was very much awake, she imagined Kurt's face. He had been a very nice dream; one that had not left her. But he was not real, and she could expect no rescue from her death. In this real world, there were no miracles.
Still, with her eyes closed, and opening only when she forced them, Li could picture his face clearly. He was not exactly human, but neither was she. He even had a history that sounded so confusing, it could only be true. Li wondered how she had conjured this boy up from the depths of her mind. And with such regularity. It made her wonder, even as she lay dying.
"Li?" Now she truly was almost dead. She could hear his voice. Perhaps she had slipped into unconsciousness. All she had to do was relax a bit father, and she would die. No more pain, no more suffering, and no more loss of innocent life she should have protected.
"Li, can you hear me?" Startled by the repeated call, Li opened her eyes and found herself staring into Kurt's yellow eyes.
"Oh, I must be very close to death." To her irritation, Kurt grinned.
"You're not dead. But it's a little hot in here. Let's go somewhere colder." He reached out and wrapped her in his embrace. A little startled by the familiarity of the touch, Li almost pushed away. Suddenly, they were in the hall outside of her personal hell. Li looked at Kurt, very much confused. Was that a miracle?
The cool of the air compared to her cell made her feel weak. She needed help to walk. Kurt gently slipped an arm around her ribs. It was unfortunate that the action hurt, because it felt nice to be held and supported. Even if this was a dream, it would be one Li would savor for as long as she might.
***
If Kurt remembered, he was going to kill Professor Xavier. He must have known that this Li, and the one in his dreams were one and the same. But how had she reached him in his dreams? That was not her talent, according to his dreams. Were they both so desperate?
Shoving aside this chain of thought, Kurt supported Li as he forced her to walk to where they were supposed to meet the rest of the team. Even though he could have teleported them to the meeting place, he did not want to chance leaving something important behind. This place was not as familiar to him as the Institute.
"Are you all right?" he heard himself ask for the fifth time. If anyone was desperate, it was him. Li glanced up at him, and gave him a searching look. Kurt hoped he looked sincere.
"I will be," she promised him. He watched her face as she placed on foot in front of the other stubbornly. Judging from the look of her legs, face, and arms, Li was not all right now. Still, he could do nothing until they managed to get her out of this place.
"There you are! We have been waiting for five minutes!" Scott complained. Li looked up at Scott, and for a moment, Kurt thought he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. Even Jean frowned, as though she sensed something from Li.
"He saved me, which I am beginning to believe may have been the purpose of your visit. I think you could wait for minutes, if it meant the completion of your objective," Li told Scott firmly, her voice mimicking her talent.
Scott's jaw dropped and he gaped like a fish. Rogue, who was safely behind Scott, grinned. Logan seemed to be midly amused, and Kitty smothered her smile. Smiling, Jean motioned for Kurt to bring Li closer. When he did, she made a quick inspection of Li's injuries.
"Well, you aren't dead yet. But we had better get going." Kurt nodded in agreement with Jean, and moved to lift Li a little higher up. She was slowly sagging, despite the arm around his shoulders.
Abruptly, Li closed her eyes, and started to fall straight down. Logan helped Kurt support her. Kurt gave Logan a panicked look. The older man sniffed her, and nodded at Kurt.
"She just fainted. Come on." Logan headed towards the exit. Kitty looked amused, and whispered to Kurt as she passed,
"Your girlfriend is pretty cute." He glared at Kitty's back, but continued carrying Li out the exit. Later, he could get back at Kitty.
Kitty stopped suddenly in front of him, making Kurt stop. The other X-Men were fanned out in front of the exit. Peering around Kitty, Kurt saw a young woman standing in their way. She gave a cold smile, and dropped into a fighting stance.
"Bring it on," Logan challenged. The girl flipped elegantly three times. On her third landing, however, she tilted dangerously forward and slammed face-first into the pavement. The group looked at each other, unsure of whether to laugh, or run. They decided to run.
Li lay against the heated wall, trying to find a cool spot somewhere. Despite the knowledge that they just might kill her this time, she remained calm. Would death not be the welcome release she had hoped for all these years? And after that little girl. . .
Li intentionally cracked her head against the wall. How could she have been so stupid? To think that they would forgive her for not completing an assignment was ludicrous. There was no forgiveness amoungst those of the Night Rain. Dr. Hayashi might not even look for her. Or would she?
After all, Hayashi had not asked for Night Rain to terminate Silas Morton. Why would she do that, when Hayashi had all the freedom without any of the responsibility? That was how she had been able to create Li, and her sister, Taimi, without the government getting in the way. Taimi had come first, and so was considered the inferior model. Unlike Li, however, Taimi did not even think about killing.
"It was always so easy for you," Li murmured softly, even though Taimi was most likely not listening. Her breathing was becoming labored, and she could not see very well. To keep herself conscious, Li forced herself to do a run through of her injuries.
Two broken ribs, and a broken arm. Her legs had been cut up as badly as possible, to prevent Li from running. Running to where, she wondered? She was fairly certain beyond the complex there was nothing but forest. It would easy enough to catch her. Besides those other injuries, she was bruised all over, and she had cracked her head against the wall enough times to make it leak.
Plus it was hot in here, and she could feel herself slowly melting. Sinking down to sit in a miserable huddle, Li wondered what made her believe she could die quickly. These people knew all of her weaknesses, and they would make it last as long as they could.
Even though Li was very much awake, she imagined Kurt's face. He had been a very nice dream; one that had not left her. But he was not real, and she could expect no rescue from her death. In this real world, there were no miracles.
Still, with her eyes closed, and opening only when she forced them, Li could picture his face clearly. He was not exactly human, but neither was she. He even had a history that sounded so confusing, it could only be true. Li wondered how she had conjured this boy up from the depths of her mind. And with such regularity. It made her wonder, even as she lay dying.
"Li?" Now she truly was almost dead. She could hear his voice. Perhaps she had slipped into unconsciousness. All she had to do was relax a bit father, and she would die. No more pain, no more suffering, and no more loss of innocent life she should have protected.
"Li, can you hear me?" Startled by the repeated call, Li opened her eyes and found herself staring into Kurt's yellow eyes.
"Oh, I must be very close to death." To her irritation, Kurt grinned.
"You're not dead. But it's a little hot in here. Let's go somewhere colder." He reached out and wrapped her in his embrace. A little startled by the familiarity of the touch, Li almost pushed away. Suddenly, they were in the hall outside of her personal hell. Li looked at Kurt, very much confused. Was that a miracle?
The cool of the air compared to her cell made her feel weak. She needed help to walk. Kurt gently slipped an arm around her ribs. It was unfortunate that the action hurt, because it felt nice to be held and supported. Even if this was a dream, it would be one Li would savor for as long as she might.
***
If Kurt remembered, he was going to kill Professor Xavier. He must have known that this Li, and the one in his dreams were one and the same. But how had she reached him in his dreams? That was not her talent, according to his dreams. Were they both so desperate?
Shoving aside this chain of thought, Kurt supported Li as he forced her to walk to where they were supposed to meet the rest of the team. Even though he could have teleported them to the meeting place, he did not want to chance leaving something important behind. This place was not as familiar to him as the Institute.
"Are you all right?" he heard himself ask for the fifth time. If anyone was desperate, it was him. Li glanced up at him, and gave him a searching look. Kurt hoped he looked sincere.
"I will be," she promised him. He watched her face as she placed on foot in front of the other stubbornly. Judging from the look of her legs, face, and arms, Li was not all right now. Still, he could do nothing until they managed to get her out of this place.
"There you are! We have been waiting for five minutes!" Scott complained. Li looked up at Scott, and for a moment, Kurt thought he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. Even Jean frowned, as though she sensed something from Li.
"He saved me, which I am beginning to believe may have been the purpose of your visit. I think you could wait for minutes, if it meant the completion of your objective," Li told Scott firmly, her voice mimicking her talent.
Scott's jaw dropped and he gaped like a fish. Rogue, who was safely behind Scott, grinned. Logan seemed to be midly amused, and Kitty smothered her smile. Smiling, Jean motioned for Kurt to bring Li closer. When he did, she made a quick inspection of Li's injuries.
"Well, you aren't dead yet. But we had better get going." Kurt nodded in agreement with Jean, and moved to lift Li a little higher up. She was slowly sagging, despite the arm around his shoulders.
Abruptly, Li closed her eyes, and started to fall straight down. Logan helped Kurt support her. Kurt gave Logan a panicked look. The older man sniffed her, and nodded at Kurt.
"She just fainted. Come on." Logan headed towards the exit. Kitty looked amused, and whispered to Kurt as she passed,
"Your girlfriend is pretty cute." He glared at Kitty's back, but continued carrying Li out the exit. Later, he could get back at Kitty.
Kitty stopped suddenly in front of him, making Kurt stop. The other X-Men were fanned out in front of the exit. Peering around Kitty, Kurt saw a young woman standing in their way. She gave a cold smile, and dropped into a fighting stance.
"Bring it on," Logan challenged. The girl flipped elegantly three times. On her third landing, however, she tilted dangerously forward and slammed face-first into the pavement. The group looked at each other, unsure of whether to laugh, or run. They decided to run.
