Logan smelled something in the mailroom. He couldn't quite figure out why, but he didn't like it. Where was it? Somewhere in the W's? Here it was. Of course, he knew the return address was not real, but there was no mistaking. The Little Elf had written this letter. But who else had handled it before it got here? He sniffed. Oh, shit!
"Logan!" The commanding voice sent him spinning, almost involuntarily.
"Oh, uh, hey, 'Ro," said Logan. "I was just-"
"Sniffing through Kurt's mail?" Ororo deftly plucked the letter from Logan's hands. "I see," she said, looking over the return address, before returning it to Kurt's slot. "All the more reason for you to remember that you and I have plans for the evening."
It wouldn't do for Logan to figure out exactly where Kassandra was and what she was up to. But an evening on the town catching The Boy from Oz would be just the thing to keep his mind off that. For the time being.
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Kassandra finally had a moment to put pen to paper, and had a hard time deciding what to write. There were some things she felt Kurt should know, including information she didn't want the security personnel reading. And some matters she did not feel comfortable relating. In her first week there, she had subjected a mutant to the indignity of being committed to the block for criminally insane mutants. Well, indignity was putting it mildly. She knew he'd prove to be of no use to the program- and would be eliminated. Sure, he was a delusional, genocidal maniac. But, on the other hand, regardless of what Kurt thought of him, regardless of what Kassandra thought of him, how could she break it to Kurt that his biological father faced an unsanctioned euthanasia because of her, and how even if she could, she doubted she would do a thing to stop it? Even though she had so narrowly avoided the death penalty herself, and the slightest mistake could put her on death row regardless of the court's sentence.
She also helped other "volunteers" make sense of memories she knew and could not say were false implants. She assisted in interrogations, forbidden to intervene when drugs and torture were involved, even when she could anticipate that they'd do no good. Good cop, bad cop- with the good cop being a convicted spy and mass murderer. In the event she'd finally be allowed to set foot in a confessional, she felt for the first time that she might opt for remaining behind the screen. What could she say about all the things Weapon Plus had her doing?
"Mach fest, Kassandra," she thought to herself. "So you're feeling some well-deserved guilt. Neglecting to write Kurt will only compound that."
She sighed, head in hand, trying to recall the consequences she anticipated before being led back to her own cell, then began to write.
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Kurt had just gotten out of a danger room session with Rachel Grey. Upon discovering that she had never seen any of his favorite movies, he figured the only thing to do was to give her a crash course in the appeal of the swashbuckling adventure genre with his own combat simulation. He was quite pleased to see how she actually got into it and had some fun, so much so, he almost didn't notice just how much he was letting go and enjoying himself, taking on ranks of undead pirates. Oh, wunderbar! Rachel had just made quick work of one, and now took on… Oh mei! No time to think! She needed help now. Parry, kick, port her out of there, slash the rigging and bury the enemy under their sails. And what's a dramatic rescue without… einem Moment, what just happened here?
He and his damsel formerly in distress retreated from that shockingly impulsive lip lock to find Ororo and Logan standing below, Logan biting his tongue against what Kurt knew he was thinking. The woman who'd been an unmitigated source of comfort and consternation of late, and his best friend, dressed up for a date.
At any rate, Kurt didn't feel so great any more. He needed some time to think, about Rachel. The various and numerous reasons why he could not bring himself to kiss her again tore through his mind, making their presence known, yet not allowing him a chance to determine exactly what they were before crowding each other out. He then thought about Ororo and what she appeared to have going on with Logan. He should have been happy for them. He didn't know how to feel. Finally, maybe he would read his mail. Oh, wunderbar. A letter from yet another woman complicating his life.
Mein Lieber Kurt,
Well now that I'm finally settled in, I actually have time to write. First the good news. I am allowed occasional reprieves from the headaches the inhibition system gives me. As it is important to this program to keep certain inmates in reasonably good health, I've been allowed outside every day to run. And this time I have escorts that are in better condition to keep up with me, so I can work on shedding those extra pounds I put on at Red Onion. Ja, Kurt, it really doesn't take long for it to show when someone my size hasn't been eating or exercising as well as usual. I also get to interact fairly regularly with other inmates, sometimes in a professional capacity as a counselor. More importantly, I am allowed on occasion to use my powers.
And because of that, I have been able to continue the work you had me start, piecing together your past. In that, I have also discovered some anomalies within your timeline. The first one disappeared. Suffice to say, I'm positive der alt Teufel will never again try to mess around with you or your brothers. However, this other one concerns me very much. I think it has something to do with your improving teleportation, and how I could take you out of time without hurting you. Liebster, whatever's causing this will not be easy to deal with. I still can't quite figure out why, but I think Margali and Jimaine may have some explaining to do.
As for what else has been going on at the Institute- so Jean's not a minute in the grave, I get around to checking in, and I find out Scott's been carrying on with Emma Frost! As if it's not bad enough she's at the Institute to begin with, this all smacks of a Hellfire plot. You know she hated Jean all along, nicht wahr? And so she claims no loyalty to the Hellfire Club. I actually believe her there. Most of the Inner Circle is loyal to nobody but themselves, anyway. Okay, ja, I am grieving. And furious. Maybe Scott can't help being putty in that manipulative mind-bender's hands, but, well, I'll say no more about that.
And I am concerned about Sage. She may serve well with the rest of you on the XSE, but that seems to be a limited time offer.
Finally, ja, I know you are not looking forward to your birthday. All the more reason for me to plot something to make it more pleasant. Even though you may not see me and are hopefully beginning to move on with your life, and while I cannot venture to suggest how, I will still continue to serve as some kind of guardian angel for you.
Dein' immer,
Zeitgeist
Well, that was reassuring. Kind of. Kurt could see Kassandra settling back into the role she was accustomed to having in his life- constant and, with the exception of those last couple weeks he'd had with her, constantly backstage. Life, he felt, would be so much easier if circumstances hadn't removed Kassandra from his embrace. Or if he had just remained celibate, even if it would be for the wrong reasons. But an easy life was not the life for an X-Man. And while he knew he had no reason to feel guilty, that did not make him feel much better.
His communicator beeped, interrupting his thoughts. "Ja?"
"Better get moving, Elf," said Logan. "We got trouble in District X."
