Kurt had to use all of his willpower not to throw up. The streets
were nothing more than mud and filth from animals and humans alike. All he
could see was poor people walking about; some of them escaped slaves who
kept their brands hidden from the general public. There were also a few
public drunks out all ready, stumbling down the streets and bellowing at
people only they could see. There were also the insane who sat in the
middle of the road or wandered around, making strange jerking motions or
something in some nonsensical language only they knew.
But it was the children that upset him the most. He saw young girls selling themselves to slobbery old men with only a few blackened teeth left, young boys in opium dens, and on one occasion he was forced to try and stop two boys from killing each other over a single quid. As a reward, he received a slash on his upper arm and he was nearly beaten by one of the boy's fathers for trying to stop his boy from getting some money.
Continuing on, Kurt went down one of the worst streets and sure enough, he found the Filthy Swine. The only reason why he did so however was because a man was thrown out of the window badly beaten.
"Oh lucky me." He mumbled, entering the place. He was instantly hit by the smell of puke, excrement, sweat, disgusting congealing food, and sour beer. His eyes burned and he nearly ran out of there, but he thought about Betsy and he stopped himself. Sighing, Kurt closed his eyes and he concentrated on sending his thoughts to Jean. When she finally responded he told her where he was before a large sweaty hand slapped him on the back. A tankard of ale was shoved under his nose, splashing him a bit.
"Come on, lad!" the man said in a bellowing voice. "All you're doing is standing there! You might as well have a drink!"
"No, I'm looking for someone." Kurt said. "I'll just be going..." The man blocked his path with one beefy arm.
"You can go after you have a drink with me." He said. Seeing that there was no other way around it, Kurt reluctantly took the tankard and he took a big swig.
An instant later he spit it out, amid the laughter of the whole bar.
"You're all right, lad." The man said, placing an arm around his shoulders. "Now who are you looking for?"
"A woman by the name of Betsy Braddock." Kurt said. "Where is her room?"
"Up the stairs." The man said. "Room number twenty."
"Thank you." Kurt said, moving as fast as possible to get away from the bar and its patrons.
"No problem! You can always count on Pete Wisdom!"
Kurt sighed, shaking his head as he reached the top of the stairs. The sooner he got out of here the better, and he started down the hall, checking the door numbers; discovering with some despair that a few of the numbers on some of the doors were missing completely, and there was no sign of any order in them at all.
Growling softly, Kurt thumped his forehead against the wall. What was he going to do now? Open all of the doors without numbers to see if she was in one of them? And what was he going to do about the ones that were closed anyway? Teleport inside and scare the crap out of anyone who was inside.
They really should have thought this out more before splitting up to find her.
Well, at least he could rule out some of the rooms right away. He could clearly hear screams of sex coming from behind some of the doors, and it was obvious that Betsy wouldn't be in one of those.
Maybe he should listen to each door to see if he could find her that way.
Behind one of the doors he heard someone crying and he figured it was Betsy, but instead of just barging in, he lightly knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" someone asked from inside. "Is that you Brian?" Kurt blushed faintly, thinking of what he should say.
"Actually, no." he said. "I'm not your brother but..."
"Leave me alone you stupid drunk!" she shouted angrily. Kurt winced as he felt something press against his temples, and he guessed that it was her doing somehow. "Why can't you bloody people leave me alone!?" she cried angrily.
"Please, I'm not drunk, I'm here as a friend, Betsy." The pressure was removed and there was a moment of silence.
"How do you know my name?" she asked. "Do you know my brother?"
"Yes, but I don't think you want to hear about that." Kurt said. "I know your name because I have two friends who are like you. I'm like you too, well not really, but I was born with a gift too, Betsy. That's what you have, a gift."
"What are you talking about?" Betsy asked.
"You're like my friends Charles Xavier and Jean Grey. They can read people's minds too, Betsy. That's why I'm here. I'm here with two others who should be here shortly in fact. If you would open the door, we could talk about this better without me saying this so that others can overhear me." The door slowly opened, and Kurt found himself looking at a young man whose face was wreathed with pink and purple light in the shape of a butterfly.
"You're name is Kurt Wagner." She said softly. "Come on." She stepped aside and Kurt walked in before she shut and locked the door once again. "What can you do?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.
"I have two things actually." Kurt said. Taking out a handkerchief, he removed his hat and started to wipe off the make-up on his face, revealing his blue fur underneath. His tail uncoiled from around his waist and it swung freely, cracking a bit to get the kinks out of it.
"I can also teleport." He said. "Please don't start screaming." He added hastily. Betsy sat down on her bed, looking at him quietly.
"A lot of people have hunted you down for how you look." She said. "And because you're Rom." She added. "You know my brother because he came to your school to find your brother and sister."
"I can't keep secrets around you now can I?" Kurt laughed, sitting down in front of her. "Do you trust me now?" Betsy nodded slightly, looking at him quietly.
"Good, because that makes things a lot simpler for us." He said. "We plan on taking you back to our school. To learn how to use your powers better."
"I don't think my brother would like that." Betsy pointed out.
"Your brother hunts people down just because of nationality." Kurt pointed out gently. "Do you really think he's doing you any favors by locking you up in here?" Betsy looked away, slowly shaking her head.
"Not really." She admitted slowly.
"Then why not come with us?" Kurt asked. "I assure you that you'll make lots of friends there, and you won't be so lonely there! But there are rules, and the most important is to enter with an open mind. If you can do that, then you're welcome there with open arms, Betsy." Betsy thought about it, looking down at her feet. For a moment, Kurt thought that she was going to say no, but when she looked up at him with a smile, he knew that it wasn't so.
"All right then, Kurt Wagner." She said. "I will come with you and your friends to this school of yours."
Jean and Rogue came a while later, surprised and glad that Betsy had all ready agreed to come with them back to the school. They helped her pack her small belongings and as Kurt put on make-up to hide his face once more, Jean went to get their horses.
While they were doing this, Betsy wrote an innocent note to her brother, slipping it under the oil lamp so that he would find it when he came back.
When Jean came back with the horses, they were waiting for her outside, Betsy wearing a cloak with the hood up to hide her face. Koro Grast approached Kurt and Betsy immediately, nuzzling Kurt's head before he slowly peered under Betsy's hood to get a better look at her face. Laughing, she stroked the irresistible Holstein's nose, which made him neigh in delight.
Hoping onto Koro Grast, Kurt held out a hand to help Betsy up, but she climbed up by herself, laughing softly as he looked over his shoulder at her.
"I'm not an innocent little girl you know." She said. "I've ridden a horse before!" Laughing the four rode off to the school.
***
Brian came back to the Filthy Swine three weeks later, his going side- tracked due to a small group of Rom captured near the border who needed to be dealt with. When he entered the room, he became furious and he went downstairs, beating every man he caught, shouting where was his sister.
Pete Wisdom told him that some young man had come weeks ago and taken her with him, but he didn't know where he took her.
Brian went back into the room to find clues, and he found the note under the oil lamp. When he read it once, he almost didn't believe it, when he read it twice he started to.
The third time, he screamed in fury and ripped it up.
He knew that there had been something strange about that school! Now those bastards had done something to his sister and brought her back with them.
Oh, he wasn't going to take this kind of thing lying down. He was going to make them suffer for this!
Angrily he stormed out of the Filthy Swine and he rode off to get his soldiers to go on a raiding mission.
But it was the children that upset him the most. He saw young girls selling themselves to slobbery old men with only a few blackened teeth left, young boys in opium dens, and on one occasion he was forced to try and stop two boys from killing each other over a single quid. As a reward, he received a slash on his upper arm and he was nearly beaten by one of the boy's fathers for trying to stop his boy from getting some money.
Continuing on, Kurt went down one of the worst streets and sure enough, he found the Filthy Swine. The only reason why he did so however was because a man was thrown out of the window badly beaten.
"Oh lucky me." He mumbled, entering the place. He was instantly hit by the smell of puke, excrement, sweat, disgusting congealing food, and sour beer. His eyes burned and he nearly ran out of there, but he thought about Betsy and he stopped himself. Sighing, Kurt closed his eyes and he concentrated on sending his thoughts to Jean. When she finally responded he told her where he was before a large sweaty hand slapped him on the back. A tankard of ale was shoved under his nose, splashing him a bit.
"Come on, lad!" the man said in a bellowing voice. "All you're doing is standing there! You might as well have a drink!"
"No, I'm looking for someone." Kurt said. "I'll just be going..." The man blocked his path with one beefy arm.
"You can go after you have a drink with me." He said. Seeing that there was no other way around it, Kurt reluctantly took the tankard and he took a big swig.
An instant later he spit it out, amid the laughter of the whole bar.
"You're all right, lad." The man said, placing an arm around his shoulders. "Now who are you looking for?"
"A woman by the name of Betsy Braddock." Kurt said. "Where is her room?"
"Up the stairs." The man said. "Room number twenty."
"Thank you." Kurt said, moving as fast as possible to get away from the bar and its patrons.
"No problem! You can always count on Pete Wisdom!"
Kurt sighed, shaking his head as he reached the top of the stairs. The sooner he got out of here the better, and he started down the hall, checking the door numbers; discovering with some despair that a few of the numbers on some of the doors were missing completely, and there was no sign of any order in them at all.
Growling softly, Kurt thumped his forehead against the wall. What was he going to do now? Open all of the doors without numbers to see if she was in one of them? And what was he going to do about the ones that were closed anyway? Teleport inside and scare the crap out of anyone who was inside.
They really should have thought this out more before splitting up to find her.
Well, at least he could rule out some of the rooms right away. He could clearly hear screams of sex coming from behind some of the doors, and it was obvious that Betsy wouldn't be in one of those.
Maybe he should listen to each door to see if he could find her that way.
Behind one of the doors he heard someone crying and he figured it was Betsy, but instead of just barging in, he lightly knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" someone asked from inside. "Is that you Brian?" Kurt blushed faintly, thinking of what he should say.
"Actually, no." he said. "I'm not your brother but..."
"Leave me alone you stupid drunk!" she shouted angrily. Kurt winced as he felt something press against his temples, and he guessed that it was her doing somehow. "Why can't you bloody people leave me alone!?" she cried angrily.
"Please, I'm not drunk, I'm here as a friend, Betsy." The pressure was removed and there was a moment of silence.
"How do you know my name?" she asked. "Do you know my brother?"
"Yes, but I don't think you want to hear about that." Kurt said. "I know your name because I have two friends who are like you. I'm like you too, well not really, but I was born with a gift too, Betsy. That's what you have, a gift."
"What are you talking about?" Betsy asked.
"You're like my friends Charles Xavier and Jean Grey. They can read people's minds too, Betsy. That's why I'm here. I'm here with two others who should be here shortly in fact. If you would open the door, we could talk about this better without me saying this so that others can overhear me." The door slowly opened, and Kurt found himself looking at a young man whose face was wreathed with pink and purple light in the shape of a butterfly.
"You're name is Kurt Wagner." She said softly. "Come on." She stepped aside and Kurt walked in before she shut and locked the door once again. "What can you do?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.
"I have two things actually." Kurt said. Taking out a handkerchief, he removed his hat and started to wipe off the make-up on his face, revealing his blue fur underneath. His tail uncoiled from around his waist and it swung freely, cracking a bit to get the kinks out of it.
"I can also teleport." He said. "Please don't start screaming." He added hastily. Betsy sat down on her bed, looking at him quietly.
"A lot of people have hunted you down for how you look." She said. "And because you're Rom." She added. "You know my brother because he came to your school to find your brother and sister."
"I can't keep secrets around you now can I?" Kurt laughed, sitting down in front of her. "Do you trust me now?" Betsy nodded slightly, looking at him quietly.
"Good, because that makes things a lot simpler for us." He said. "We plan on taking you back to our school. To learn how to use your powers better."
"I don't think my brother would like that." Betsy pointed out.
"Your brother hunts people down just because of nationality." Kurt pointed out gently. "Do you really think he's doing you any favors by locking you up in here?" Betsy looked away, slowly shaking her head.
"Not really." She admitted slowly.
"Then why not come with us?" Kurt asked. "I assure you that you'll make lots of friends there, and you won't be so lonely there! But there are rules, and the most important is to enter with an open mind. If you can do that, then you're welcome there with open arms, Betsy." Betsy thought about it, looking down at her feet. For a moment, Kurt thought that she was going to say no, but when she looked up at him with a smile, he knew that it wasn't so.
"All right then, Kurt Wagner." She said. "I will come with you and your friends to this school of yours."
Jean and Rogue came a while later, surprised and glad that Betsy had all ready agreed to come with them back to the school. They helped her pack her small belongings and as Kurt put on make-up to hide his face once more, Jean went to get their horses.
While they were doing this, Betsy wrote an innocent note to her brother, slipping it under the oil lamp so that he would find it when he came back.
When Jean came back with the horses, they were waiting for her outside, Betsy wearing a cloak with the hood up to hide her face. Koro Grast approached Kurt and Betsy immediately, nuzzling Kurt's head before he slowly peered under Betsy's hood to get a better look at her face. Laughing, she stroked the irresistible Holstein's nose, which made him neigh in delight.
Hoping onto Koro Grast, Kurt held out a hand to help Betsy up, but she climbed up by herself, laughing softly as he looked over his shoulder at her.
"I'm not an innocent little girl you know." She said. "I've ridden a horse before!" Laughing the four rode off to the school.
***
Brian came back to the Filthy Swine three weeks later, his going side- tracked due to a small group of Rom captured near the border who needed to be dealt with. When he entered the room, he became furious and he went downstairs, beating every man he caught, shouting where was his sister.
Pete Wisdom told him that some young man had come weeks ago and taken her with him, but he didn't know where he took her.
Brian went back into the room to find clues, and he found the note under the oil lamp. When he read it once, he almost didn't believe it, when he read it twice he started to.
The third time, he screamed in fury and ripped it up.
He knew that there had been something strange about that school! Now those bastards had done something to his sister and brought her back with them.
Oh, he wasn't going to take this kind of thing lying down. He was going to make them suffer for this!
Angrily he stormed out of the Filthy Swine and he rode off to get his soldiers to go on a raiding mission.