Kurt looked down at Jamie. The boy had fallen into the snow after walking nearly half a mile from the place where he'd regained consciousness, and had at last collapsed face-first into a pile of soft snow that had, luckily, prevented him from duping. His lips were blue with cold, and he was barely breathing. Kurt had come across him only moments before, just in time to watch him pass out from fear and cold.
He wanted to help this boy.
He didn't want to be discovered.
Yet there was no choice.
He stood still in the icy wind, remembering his last sight of Genetex. Dr Francis Baine, head scientist of the laboratories, had stood at the gates calling after him.

There is nowhere for you to run, boy. Eventually someone will find you, and they will tell the world. And when I know where you are, I'll come after you. I will have you back here, I promise you that.

But then... he'd sworn never to take life. Stefan had died because Kurt had been too weak. Jimaine had died because Kurt hadn't been able to save her from the mob. Wasn't letting someone die when you could have saved them just as bad as killing them yourself? Could he leave this boy to a certain death in the storm – when saving him would almost certainly be signing his own death warrant?
Could he kill... to save his own life?
As he stood there, Jamie's breathing began to rasp in his throat. Mein gott... he sounds so lost. That decided him. Bending over, he slung Jamie's limp form over one shoulder. He'd seen the boy with the band of people earlier, but their tracks had long since disappeared into the snow. No matter. He knew where to take the boy. Kurt focused his thoughts on the mansion at the foot of the mountains.

Even if I am signing my own death warrant... it's not like this existence is a lot to lose...

He vanished in an explosion of smoke.

----

"Professor?"

Charles didn't look up. "Yes, Scott?"
Scott looked down. "Ororo is doing what she can. She says that the storm is pretty powerful, and she doesn't know if she can stop it entirely, but it's easing up now."
"Good."
"Yeah. And Jean said we... we couldn't find him. He's not in the building."
Charles nodded. "I suspected as much. I'm searching for him outside the mansion now. If he's conscious, or if he multiplies himself, I should be able to find him with ease."
"And... if he's not, or he doesn't?"
Charles swallowed. "Then I won't be able to find him. I've told Logan to get ready to go outside and begin a search in case he…"

Abruptly Cerebro's alarm system began to light up, indicating a mutant power being activated within detectable range. "Good Lord..." he snapped out of his sudden shock. "Scott! Upstairs, now!"

----

Blood dripped from Kurt's nose as he reappeared in the Rec room upstairs.
"Ach, scheisse! Verdammt blut..." still, cursing wouldn't get rid of the nosebleed. What he needed was food and rest – and to get either of these, he had to take care of the knabe. Looking around, his gaze settled on a large, soft-looking sofa that was not only covered with a blanket, but directly in front of the open fire.
Perfect.
Bending down, he carefully placed Jamie's limp form onto the soft cushions and pulled the blanket over him. "Guten nacht, knabe," he murmured. Rising, he turned to leave. Not enough energy for another 'port, he mused. Have to go by foot. He walked quickly toward the window.
"HEY!"
Kurt glanced around at once, seeing the brown haired leader of the people he'd watched before. This guy didn't look pleased at all with the world in general. In fact, he looked angry enough to kill someone. Preferably Kurt. Kurt, for his part, reacted exactly as he had been trained.

Scott was shocked enough already; the Professor had sent him up here like it was an emergency, and now there was some weirdo in the Rec room, someone he couldn't see clearly in the light of the fire. Someone with glowing yellow eyes.
Oh, shit…
Then the weirdo moved, faster than anyone he'd ever seen, except for Quicksilver. He was pulling something from a sheath at his ankle, and –
The knife slammed into Scott's shoulder before he knew what it was. Before he could even cry out, the weirdo was cartwheeling across the room toward him.
The very first punch knocked Scott into a very large display cabinet, and he began to black out.
Professor...

Everything faded away.

----

Kurt retrieved his knife and slipped it back into its sheath. Time to go now, he decided. He ran back toward the window and was about to open it when he heard approaching voices.
"In here, I heard a noise!"

"Was this where the Professor said to go?"
"Open the door!"

Kurt decided not to bother with opening the window. Instead, crossing his arms over his face, he simply jumped through it, rolled over his shoulder when he hit the snow, and came up running.

Great, he thought. Now they're hunting me.
This is just wonderful.
When Jean opened the door, she took in several things at once. The first was the very recently smashed window with the dark figure running away. The second was Scott lying unconscious in a pool of blood and smashed china. The third, which was no less astonishing than either of the others, was the small figure lying on the couch.

What the...

"Jamie?"

----

Hank washed his large, furry hands in the sink as he spoke to the Professor. "Scott will be alright in a few days. The wound in his shoulder is nothing serious – no tendons or nerves were hit, the bones aren't nicked, and no organs came even close to being damaged. It's purely a flesh wound." He shook his head. "Either Scott is the luckiest young man alive, or whoever threw that knife is a better shot than the average knife thrower in the circus – and didn't want to hurt Scott in the first place."
Charles smiled in spite of his concern. "And of the less lucky young man? What about Jamie?"
Hank turned to look at the professor. "He's fine. Absolutely fine. He may get a cold from being out in that snowstorm, but he was brought back here before pneumonia or frostbite had time to set in. Other than that, there's not a single scratch, bump or bruise on him."
Ororo raised an eyebrow. "Brought back here? You think someone brought him back?"
Hank nodded. "Kitty told me that she'd checked the Rec room only a few minutes before this happened. Jamie wasn't there. Besides, he's been unconscious for some time now."
Ororo looked confused. "Then who found him? Everyone was accounted for..."
Charles cut in. "Yes. Everyone – except for the individual that attacked Scott." Logan looked skeptical.
"Chuck, the guy that beat up Scooter ain't the kind to risk his ass by pulling the Squirt out of a blizzard. It just don't make sense." Ororo nodded in agreement.
"I would suggest," announced Hank, "that Mr. Summers' reaction to this mysterious stranger was not a good one. It is highly likely that the hermit was defending himself – or at least believed that he was doing so."
Logan grinned. "Hermit? Don't tell me you're a believer now, Poindexter?" Hank made a rude gesture with one hand, earning a patented glare-of-death from Ororo. Charles wearily cut in.
"Regardless of who this hermit is, he is definitely a mutant. He also seems to be benevolent, at least toward those in need. And he is evidently able to defend himself, as well as being almost paranoid in his belief that 'hunters' are after him." Ororo looked surprised.
"How do you know that?" she asked.
Charles smiled. "I am not the world's most powerful telepath for nothing, Ororo. I was able to pick that up when this hermit panicked at Scott's intrusion." He wheeled his chair back, and turned toward the door. "I also know, from my own deduction, that there is a mutant nearby that needs our help. Logan, come with me. We'd best see what can be done about this."

He left.

Logan took a step toward the door, then turned toward Hank. "He does exist, Poindexter. Pay up."

Hank glared daggers at the burly Canadian, dug a twenty-dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it over. Logan grinned and hurried after Charles whilst Ororo gave Hank a what-were-you-thinking glare. The large blue mutant withered under the weather witch's gaze.
"What? You didn't believe him either..."
Ororo shook her head and left as well.