People paid good money to see the Incredible Nightcrawler. Sometimes,
the show was completely sold out in a single hour. Margali soon started to
raise the prices to see him, and the people saved up as much as they could
to at least see him once a year.
After wall, he was a real life demon.
That was what Nightcrawler was, ever since he was found washed up beside a river wrapped up in a blanket. He was a young man now, and he prowled his cage like one of the tigers, baring his fangs at those who got too close to the iron bars.
He was raised as an animal, so an animal he was when the audience was around. He howled like a wolf when the mood took him, and sometimes he leapt at the people and banged against his bars, slashing wildly at the air around him.
Once, when he banged against the bars at a small child who got too close, a man holding a bottle of beer hurled it at him and stopped him from getting at her. It smashed against his face and left him the scars on the side of his face.
Most of the time he was an animal, but sometimes he was a man. Before she moved away, Jimaine would keep him company at night when the others were asleep. She taught him how to speak, and she tried to teach him how to read, but he couldn't. She was able to teach him to write one word and remember it slightly, baxtalo. Sometimes she even gave him hot food instead of the cold fish heads he was given every third day.
When Jimaine left with her brother Stefan, he let out pained howls for a week until Margali beat it out of him.
***
It was in the middle of a wintry night, and Kurt was curled up in a ball, shivering as his breath came out in large white clouds. As a rule, demons were not supposed to wear clothes, so he was given only a loincloth with enough cloth to make him decent in front of the little children.
Whimpering softly, he tried to curl himself into a tighter ball, his body going into shivering fits now.
He heard someone walking towards his cage. Raising his head, he sniffed the air and hissed softly to try and tried to warn someone away. When that did not work, he got ready to pounce at the bars when he suddenly saw the bars start to wave back and forth like they were made of some kind of fabric.
Whimpering in confusion, he scuttled into the farthest corner of his cage and he pressed his back against it, watching as the bars separated, letting in a tall man in a long cloak and a helmet that covered everything except for his eyes.
"Hello." The man said softly, looking down at Kurt. Kurt tried a weak hiss, but it only made the man chuckle as he walked up and sat down beside him.
"There's no need to hiss at me my friend." He assured him gently. "I am here to help you." He looked Kurt over and he sighed softly, shaking his head.
"You are not an animal, nor are you a demon. You are a mutant, the next step in evolution regarding these pitiful humans. You should be somewhere safe and warm, not in this tiny cage with nothing but a scrap of cloth to cover yourself with!"
The man shrugged off his long maroon cloak and he placed it over Kurt's trembling shoulders.
"That should help until we reach my base." He said. He slipped out of the cage and held out a hand to Kurt.
"This is where you must make a choice my friend. Stay in here to be ridiculed and mistreated, or come with me and become a soldier for my war for equal rights."
Kurt looked at the hand, unsure whether or not he should go. He shifted a little and hugged the cloak tighter around his body. It was indeed warm against the cold, and the fabric was nice against his fur.
Very slowly, he reach out and took Magneto's hand. Magneto helped him walk on two feet instead of all four, letting him lean on him for some support.
***
When the memory faded away, Kurt wept softly, placing a hand over his face. Blinking rapidly, Xavier gently hugged Kurt, rubbing his back gently.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "It'll be all right, Kurt." He assured him gently. "I promise you this."
After wall, he was a real life demon.
That was what Nightcrawler was, ever since he was found washed up beside a river wrapped up in a blanket. He was a young man now, and he prowled his cage like one of the tigers, baring his fangs at those who got too close to the iron bars.
He was raised as an animal, so an animal he was when the audience was around. He howled like a wolf when the mood took him, and sometimes he leapt at the people and banged against his bars, slashing wildly at the air around him.
Once, when he banged against the bars at a small child who got too close, a man holding a bottle of beer hurled it at him and stopped him from getting at her. It smashed against his face and left him the scars on the side of his face.
Most of the time he was an animal, but sometimes he was a man. Before she moved away, Jimaine would keep him company at night when the others were asleep. She taught him how to speak, and she tried to teach him how to read, but he couldn't. She was able to teach him to write one word and remember it slightly, baxtalo. Sometimes she even gave him hot food instead of the cold fish heads he was given every third day.
When Jimaine left with her brother Stefan, he let out pained howls for a week until Margali beat it out of him.
***
It was in the middle of a wintry night, and Kurt was curled up in a ball, shivering as his breath came out in large white clouds. As a rule, demons were not supposed to wear clothes, so he was given only a loincloth with enough cloth to make him decent in front of the little children.
Whimpering softly, he tried to curl himself into a tighter ball, his body going into shivering fits now.
He heard someone walking towards his cage. Raising his head, he sniffed the air and hissed softly to try and tried to warn someone away. When that did not work, he got ready to pounce at the bars when he suddenly saw the bars start to wave back and forth like they were made of some kind of fabric.
Whimpering in confusion, he scuttled into the farthest corner of his cage and he pressed his back against it, watching as the bars separated, letting in a tall man in a long cloak and a helmet that covered everything except for his eyes.
"Hello." The man said softly, looking down at Kurt. Kurt tried a weak hiss, but it only made the man chuckle as he walked up and sat down beside him.
"There's no need to hiss at me my friend." He assured him gently. "I am here to help you." He looked Kurt over and he sighed softly, shaking his head.
"You are not an animal, nor are you a demon. You are a mutant, the next step in evolution regarding these pitiful humans. You should be somewhere safe and warm, not in this tiny cage with nothing but a scrap of cloth to cover yourself with!"
The man shrugged off his long maroon cloak and he placed it over Kurt's trembling shoulders.
"That should help until we reach my base." He said. He slipped out of the cage and held out a hand to Kurt.
"This is where you must make a choice my friend. Stay in here to be ridiculed and mistreated, or come with me and become a soldier for my war for equal rights."
Kurt looked at the hand, unsure whether or not he should go. He shifted a little and hugged the cloak tighter around his body. It was indeed warm against the cold, and the fabric was nice against his fur.
Very slowly, he reach out and took Magneto's hand. Magneto helped him walk on two feet instead of all four, letting him lean on him for some support.
***
When the memory faded away, Kurt wept softly, placing a hand over his face. Blinking rapidly, Xavier gently hugged Kurt, rubbing his back gently.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "It'll be all right, Kurt." He assured him gently. "I promise you this."
