Chapter 16: Power and Responsibility

"Why don't you concentrate on being an acrobat before you add 'hero' to your résumé."

Wolfgang was surprised when the next day Kurt insisted that they continue their teleportation experiments.

"No way." Wolfgang said. "That was way too scary. You didn't see yourself. And I didn't like it very much either."

They were sitting at a picnic table as far away from the camp as they could get so not to be over heard. Wolfgang sat with his back against the table, leaning his elbows on it. Kurt was above him, crouched at the table's edge. They often talked like this, watching the various goings on around the circus as they discussed anything from art to literature to philosophy.

"I know, but when I first started I used to knock myself out all the time. And that was just me." Kurt said. "Teleporting with you was just a lot to keep track of all at once, but know if I practice I could do it."

"But why, Kurt? It's totally unnecessary. Why put yourself through that just for a neat party trick?"

Kurt's tail drew a few circles in the dirt below him. "Because it's not just a trick." He said. "It could be useful."

"Useful? For what?" Wolfgang asked.

"Promise not to laugh?"

Wolfgang shrugged.

"I was thinking that if someone was in trouble, I could help them. You know, take them to safety." Kurt said.

Wolfgang started laughing. "What? Like save damsels in distress from burning buildings and stuff? I'm going to have to stop showing you all those old movies. That kind of stuff doesn't really happen Kurt."

"It has to happen sometimes. Where do the ideas for the movies come from? It seems like an important thing to be able to do."

"I don't get it." Wolfgang said, "I mean, where did you even get this idea in the first place?"

Kurt sighed. "I just want to do something good for someone some day." He said. "Is that so bad?"

"No, it's not. But why is it so important to you that you'd want to put yourself though what is obviously really hard on you. Not to mention on me." Wolfgang said.

"It's because of who I am."

"Who you are?" Wolfgang asked.

"You know." Kurt gestured at himself and Wolfgang shook his head.

He stood up and clapped Kurt on the back. "Elf," he said using the nickname Kurt still hadn't been able to shake since the Back in Black rehearsals, "I can't say it's not admirable, but it's not realistic either. Why don't you concentrate on being an acrobat before you add 'hero' to your résumé."

But Kurt was undeterred and Wolfgang found himself the unwilling victim of Kurt's "drive-by teleportings" more than once. Usually anytime Wolfgang found himself alone he knew it wouldn't be long until Kurt popped out of thin air and grabbed him to whisk him off to some new location.

The first few times the results where pretty much the same as the first experiment, and were usually followed by a lecture as Wolfgang hauled Kurt to his feet and carried him back to his trailer. However as time went on Kurt's technique improved. Kurt stayed on his feet and Wolfgang noticed that he didn't get quite as dizzy so either he was getting used to it, or Kurt was somehow getting better at controlling their transit.

But the end of the summer Kurt could teleport them both and then quickly teleport away a second time to avoid hearing Wolfgang's admonishments. Wolfgang figured that if Kurt had enough energy to do that, then it probably wasn't hurting either of them. And just maybe some day Kurt would actually rescue a woman from a burning building.