Chapter Three:
Nightcrawler disappeared as a wall of ice cut across the Danger Room floor. The attack had been quick, aimed directly and deliberately at him. A moment later, the blue mutant reappeared a few feet away and glanced around at his opponents.
There were three of them, coming at him from all sides. Nightcrawler crouched low and readied himself as a tall figure smashed through the frozen wall. He waited until Colossus was almost close enough to reach him and then disappeared again, just as a heavy fist swung down and smashed into the floor.
This time, Nightcrawler reappeared on the top of the ice and glanced down at his opponents warily. He could see Gambit holding several glowing cards in his hand. With a flick of the red-eyed mutant's wrist, the cards became flaming missiles that never seemed to miss their target. Nightcrawler leapt away, springing down from the ice just before the cards destroyed another section of the wall.
He landed gracefully on his feet and then spotted Cyclops lying on the ground, 'unconscious' but still guarded by Iceman. This training session was focused on rescuing a fallen teammate or bystander, and it was Nightcrawler's turn to 'save' Cyclops from his three 'enemies.' Nightcrawler sighed heavily, hating the idea of having enemies but he knew that it was necessary to learn how to defend oneself and others in the combat situations that the X-Men unfortunately found themselves in sometimes.
As Nightcrawler made his way toward Cyclops, Iceman raised his hands to either side, creating several barricades in front of him. With a few quick flips, Nightcrawler cleared each icy defense, before suddenly finding himself surrounded again by Gambit and Colossus. From behind his back, Gambit drew a long bow; a weapon Storm had been encouraging him to train with as well, since his kinetic attacks could be so destructive. He swung the bow toward Nightcrawler, who dodged the blow and managed to wrap his tail around it and yank the bow out of Gambit's grasp. Colossus caught the weapon deftly as it flew through the air and swung it at Nightcrawler like a baseball bat.
The motion was fast, and caught the blue mutant off guard. As Nightcrawler tried to disappear again, the bow clipped him in the leg. When he reappeared, he stumbled and slipped upon the icy floor. He hit the ground hard and the others heard him gasp in surprised pain.
Colossus dropped the bow immediately and the expression on his face changed from the determined glare of a fighter to the anxious worry of a friend.
"Kurt!" he said, the solid shell over his skin fading away, "Are you alright?"
"SIMULATION ENDED," a computerize voice announced.
Kurt lay on his back, his eyes closed against the bright lights of the ceiling as he tried to catch his breath. The ache in his leg was fading, but the vertigo he felt lasted another minute or so before he could sit up. Scott was on his feet and at Kurt's side quickly, telling Bobby to go get Henry from the medical bay when the dizzy blue mutant raised one hand in protest.
"No...No, you don't need to do that," Kurt said, pushing himself up with his elbows.
Peter looked at Kurt with almost frightened concern. He had not meant to actually hit Kurt with the bow. He had expected Kurt to teleport away faster than he had. This training session had been meant more for Colossus and Gambit than Kurt, as the amazing Nightcrawler had always been able to evade their attacks quite easily.
"Sorry, Kurt" Peter said, "I shouldn't have hit you so hard..."
Kurt started to shake his head, but felt the whole room spin when he did it.
"No," he replied, "You only grazed me as I was teleporting away. When solid objects interfere with my jump...it makes me feel a little...what is it called? Motion sick?"
Kurt shrugged and grinned, slightly embarrassed.
"It's an important observation to remember from today's training," Scott said calmly, "We can't predict what kind of debris may be in motion during a battle situation..."
"Battle situation..." Kurt repeated softly.
Scott smiled, "Hopefully, we'll never be in that kind of situation again."
Again... Kurt repeated again, but this time only to himself. As Scott praised Peter on the improvements in his form since the last training session, Kurt sighed unhappily and got to his feet. He hated the idea of using his power against others as much as the idea of having enemies to use them against. Men like Stryker, other mutants like the Brotherhood...Kurt simply could not understand how people held such animosity in their hearts day after day.
He supposed it was all about perception. If you perceive someone as your enemy, then it is very easy to hate them, and allow that hate to be the filter through which you see the world. Hate one mutant...hate them all. Hate one human being...hate them all. Kurt did not want to hate anybody, no matter how much they wronged him.
Like the new student in the hall that morning. She had formed a perception of what mutants were over her childhood. When she learned she was a mutant, that perception would have changed. Suddenly, she saw all mutants as people just like her. Kurt knew that when she saw him, her perception would have changed again. But, change is never easy, and it would take time for new light to break through her current understanding of the world.
She was a mutant...and he was a mutant, just like her. Wasn't he?
Kurt sighed again as they walked toward the Danger Room's exit.
Bobby glanced at him with a curious frown. He had noticed during the entire training session that Kurt seemed a little distracted, and Bobby wondered what was bothering him.
"Sure you don't want to stop by the infirmary?" he asked. Kurt shook his head but was appreciative of Bobby's concern.
"No, I'm fine, just...a little tired, I guess," Kurt replied, a strangely distant look in his eyes.
"You work too hard, ami," Remy said, sadly shaking his head. His bow was stretched over his shoulders behind his neck, his arms lazily draped over each end.
Suddenly, he grinned and waved a warning finger at Kurt, "Not healthy for the soul. Haven't you ever seen that movie with that hotel and the ghosts and Jack Nicholson is chasing everybody around with an axe saying 'All work made me crazy!' Blaaah."
Bobby laughed, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?"
Remy shrugged, "Whatever he said...still scared the merde out of this Cajun."
"Maybe that is true," Kurt said, and then tilted his head thoughtfully, "I might go meditate a while and try to calm myself..."
Without warning, Remy suddenly spun the bow from his shoulders and tapped it loudly on the ground. His eyes were wide and he grinned broadly, as if divine inspiration just graced him with an idea.
"No, ami," he said enthusiastically, "Forget the meditation! Remy has a better idea!"
Bobby and Kurt exchanged comically worried glances at the Cajun's enthusiasm.
"We...meaning myself and all of you," Remy said dramatically, "We...all of us hard-working X-Men...should have a little party."
Remy continued walking around the other two, using his staff like a gentleman's cane, and dance stepping around it with flair.
"Nothing grande," he said in response to their doubtful expression, "Simply a petit gathering of a few friends. A little food...a little music...a lot of wine..."
"Just what the Professor wants," Bobby said sarcastically, "A night of under-aged drinking..."
Remy frowned, "Under-aged? What? Who?"
"I'm nineteen..." Bobby replied.
"We can always make you a fake I.D.," Kurt replied with a laugh.
"Do you think the Professor would fall for it?" Bobby asked and grinned.
Reaching into his pocket for his cards, Remy sighed and looked at them with annoyance. If someone had asked him, he would have never guessed that Bobby was so young, considering his skill in training and his serious attitude about it. Remy wondered vaguely if Rogue was as young as her beau.
"Fine," he said, "Just a little food and a little music then. And a little five-card to keep things interesting..."
"Sounds good to me," Bobby said, "Let's go find out what everybody wants to eat..."
Remy clapped the younger man on the shoulder with delight, "That's my boy! Remy is going to raise you to be just like him when you grow up."
Bobby rolled his eyes, but grinned.
Kurt chuckled. He had a feeling Remy would be teasing the young Iceman about his age until he turned twenty-one.
A dinner with friends, Kurt thought, reflecting back on his months alone in the empty church after fleeing to America from the Munich Circus. It made him sad to think of those lonely times, but it also made him all the more thankful to God for what he had now.
There may be spite and prejudice in the world...but not everywhere.
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Author's note: Dedicating this chapter and any future Giles references to Sis-Aeris who graduated today from college!! Now she has her BS just like I have my BS! lol Congratulations!
Reviews! Responses! Yay!
To carmilla: So...I've invented my own German word huh? LOL. Pretty good for someone who doesn't know anything about the language (THAT's painfully obvious!) But luckily I can't take credit for it. I used one of those internet translating sites. Typed in 'angry girl' and that's what it gave me. The next time Kurt decides to break into his native tongue, I'll check with a more reliable source (like you! :-)
To capitalistmadhatter: Yeah, like I said above...internet translator. LOL. I tried a bunch of names and 'herrennerven' just seemed to look the most interesting. Oh well...
To XanyKaos: You talk about ME updating quick!? So many Toad-fics...so few chances to sneak on my e-mail at work! :-) PS- I don't know what it is about that Quiznos commercial, but no one can order from there without singing that song! I am the only one who's fascinated by that!?! lol
To DemonRogue13: Glad you liked last two chapters and here are two more for you! (I've been REALLY bored at work.) lol