I was only half listening to the discussion that was going on below us, as
I already knew what they were saying and were going to say anyways. Kurt
however was listening intently. The conversation was pretty serious, and
full of plot points in the bigger story. Magneto and Mystique were on one
side of the campfire; Storm, Logan and Jean were on the other. Magneto
looked for all the world like he was sitting on a throne. There was a bit
of tension in the air, as the two enemy groups shared an uneasy and
temporary truce.
Magneto was explaining to Storm, Jean and Logan all about Stryker and why he needed the professor to operate his own version of Crebro. Erik also explained how Stryker had learned how to build Crebro. Magneto had told him while under the influence of Stryker's "powerful methods of persuasion." I bit my lip. Kurt would be able to put two and two together from this and figure out why he had attacked the president.
"In a way, this is good," I thought. "I should let Kurt figure it out on his own instead of having me explain everything to him."
Then Magneto brought Wolverine's past into the conversation and how Stryker was the one who made him into what he is today. He also explained that Mystique had found plans for Stryker's secret base, but they needed the X- Men to help them figure out where the base is.
"The professor already tried," Logan growled. I think he was still upset over finding out that Stryker was his 'creator.'
"Once again, you think it's all about you," Magneto said, and he looked up directly above his head. The X-Men followed suit, and discovered Nightcrawler hanging there upside-down above them.
"Oh. Hello," Kurt said and he offered them a little wave. No one returned it. He looked up at me and I gave him a small smile.
"Down we go," I said. Kurt teleported to the ground and I just simply dropped out of the tree, landing safely and silently beside him.
It was difficult to read the other mutant's faces. Jean walked up to Kurt and kneeled down in front of him as Kurt settled into a comfortable squatting position. I kneeled down beside him.
"I didn't mean to snoop," Kurt said apologetically.
"Just try and relax," Jean told him. Kurt nodded and Jean raised her hands to either side of Kurt's head. I placed a reassuring hand on Kurt's shoulder.
Jean's eyes fluttered and closed. She gasped, either in shock or pain or something else entirely, I don't know. A good seven seconds passed as Jean received flashes from Kurt's experiences in Stryker's base. Suddenly Nightcrawler gasped, bearing his teeth and pulling his head away. Both him and Jean were breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry," Jean said. I squeezed Kurt's shoulder.
"It's okay," I whispered.
"Stryker's at Alkali Lake," Jean told the others without looking at them.
"That's where the professor sent me," Logan said. "There's nothing left."
"There's nothing left on the surface, Logan," Jean explained. "The base is underground."
She went on to explain all that she could biased on the information that she had gathered from Nightcrawler's mind. Magneto then interrogated Logan on the base's exact location. Then the time came when everyone had had enough and went their separate ways. Some went to set up their tents or to supervise those who were. Jean went to work on the X-Jet. Logan followed and watched her. Mystique stood alone, watching Wolverine at some distance. She seemed to be planning something nasty that had to do with him. Kurt and I hung back a bit.
"Kurt, here's your chance to talk to Mystique," I said, nodding my head towards her.
Kurt sighed. "All right," he said. We approached Mystique from behind and to her left. She didn't seem to notice our approach, or if she did, she didn't show it.
"Excuse me," Kurt said politely. Mystique looked at him, registered that he was there, then turned her face back to Logan. "They say you can imitate anybody, even their voice," Kurt said to her.
"Even their voice," Mystique responded in Nightcrawler's own voice. It was a dead-on match to it. I had to suppress a smile.
"Then why not stay in disguise all the time, you know?" Kurt asked, stepping closer to the blue skinned woman. "Look like everyone else?" He nodded towards Logan.
"Because we shouldn't have to," Mystique simply replied in her own unique voice. She brushed slightly past him as she walked away. Kurt gazed after her and swung his tail. This time, I couldn't hide my smile.
"Come on, Kurt," I said. "Let's go set up our tent."
"Ja," he responded, and we went to go do that task.
While everyone was settling in, I noticed 'Jean' enter Logan's tent. A few minutes later, she emerged as Mystique. I just sighed and shook my head in disgust.
Kurt lay down inside our tent. I entered it and sat down beside him. Suddenly I felt very tired.
"Whew. What a day!" I said. Nightcrawler nodded in agreement.
"Ja, it has been a busy day," he whispered, fingering his rosary.
"And tomorrow is going to be just as busy, if not more so," I told him. "So you'd better get some sleep."
"Aren't you going to sleep?" Kurt asked me.
"No, I don't sleep," I said, and I smiled. "Good night, Kurt."
"Good night, Karen." And with that, I used my powers to help send Kurt into a deep and comfortable sleep while I stayed awake, thinking and meditating about the upcoming day's events all night long.
Magneto was explaining to Storm, Jean and Logan all about Stryker and why he needed the professor to operate his own version of Crebro. Erik also explained how Stryker had learned how to build Crebro. Magneto had told him while under the influence of Stryker's "powerful methods of persuasion." I bit my lip. Kurt would be able to put two and two together from this and figure out why he had attacked the president.
"In a way, this is good," I thought. "I should let Kurt figure it out on his own instead of having me explain everything to him."
Then Magneto brought Wolverine's past into the conversation and how Stryker was the one who made him into what he is today. He also explained that Mystique had found plans for Stryker's secret base, but they needed the X- Men to help them figure out where the base is.
"The professor already tried," Logan growled. I think he was still upset over finding out that Stryker was his 'creator.'
"Once again, you think it's all about you," Magneto said, and he looked up directly above his head. The X-Men followed suit, and discovered Nightcrawler hanging there upside-down above them.
"Oh. Hello," Kurt said and he offered them a little wave. No one returned it. He looked up at me and I gave him a small smile.
"Down we go," I said. Kurt teleported to the ground and I just simply dropped out of the tree, landing safely and silently beside him.
It was difficult to read the other mutant's faces. Jean walked up to Kurt and kneeled down in front of him as Kurt settled into a comfortable squatting position. I kneeled down beside him.
"I didn't mean to snoop," Kurt said apologetically.
"Just try and relax," Jean told him. Kurt nodded and Jean raised her hands to either side of Kurt's head. I placed a reassuring hand on Kurt's shoulder.
Jean's eyes fluttered and closed. She gasped, either in shock or pain or something else entirely, I don't know. A good seven seconds passed as Jean received flashes from Kurt's experiences in Stryker's base. Suddenly Nightcrawler gasped, bearing his teeth and pulling his head away. Both him and Jean were breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry," Jean said. I squeezed Kurt's shoulder.
"It's okay," I whispered.
"Stryker's at Alkali Lake," Jean told the others without looking at them.
"That's where the professor sent me," Logan said. "There's nothing left."
"There's nothing left on the surface, Logan," Jean explained. "The base is underground."
She went on to explain all that she could biased on the information that she had gathered from Nightcrawler's mind. Magneto then interrogated Logan on the base's exact location. Then the time came when everyone had had enough and went their separate ways. Some went to set up their tents or to supervise those who were. Jean went to work on the X-Jet. Logan followed and watched her. Mystique stood alone, watching Wolverine at some distance. She seemed to be planning something nasty that had to do with him. Kurt and I hung back a bit.
"Kurt, here's your chance to talk to Mystique," I said, nodding my head towards her.
Kurt sighed. "All right," he said. We approached Mystique from behind and to her left. She didn't seem to notice our approach, or if she did, she didn't show it.
"Excuse me," Kurt said politely. Mystique looked at him, registered that he was there, then turned her face back to Logan. "They say you can imitate anybody, even their voice," Kurt said to her.
"Even their voice," Mystique responded in Nightcrawler's own voice. It was a dead-on match to it. I had to suppress a smile.
"Then why not stay in disguise all the time, you know?" Kurt asked, stepping closer to the blue skinned woman. "Look like everyone else?" He nodded towards Logan.
"Because we shouldn't have to," Mystique simply replied in her own unique voice. She brushed slightly past him as she walked away. Kurt gazed after her and swung his tail. This time, I couldn't hide my smile.
"Come on, Kurt," I said. "Let's go set up our tent."
"Ja," he responded, and we went to go do that task.
While everyone was settling in, I noticed 'Jean' enter Logan's tent. A few minutes later, she emerged as Mystique. I just sighed and shook my head in disgust.
Kurt lay down inside our tent. I entered it and sat down beside him. Suddenly I felt very tired.
"Whew. What a day!" I said. Nightcrawler nodded in agreement.
"Ja, it has been a busy day," he whispered, fingering his rosary.
"And tomorrow is going to be just as busy, if not more so," I told him. "So you'd better get some sleep."
"Aren't you going to sleep?" Kurt asked me.
"No, I don't sleep," I said, and I smiled. "Good night, Kurt."
"Good night, Karen." And with that, I used my powers to help send Kurt into a deep and comfortable sleep while I stayed awake, thinking and meditating about the upcoming day's events all night long.