Thoughts

Telepathy

Chapter 2: Up or down?

Kurt leaned out over the steep slope. Zis really is deep. Could I 'port down? he thought. He looked up. It seemed to be a longer way to the ground than to the top.Or up? I can at least SEE ze ground, but maybe it's easier to 'port to ze top... Oh my. Zis is harder zan I zought.


"Anything, Charles?", said Ororo, coming into the Cerebro room. The professor sat in his wheelchair with his helmet on.

"Not yet, Ororo. I've searched half of the USA, but no sign of him."

"That light when he disappeared... Maybe he isn't in this... world...?"

"Could you please explain that a little further?"

"Well, you don't think it's a little bit – unnatural – to just disappear in some kind of lilac sparks? I was thinking, and maybe Kurt got... sucked into another dimension or something. I mean, it's not like it hasn't happened before, right?"

The professor's face lightened up. "You know what, Storm? Perhaps you're up to something. I will contact Forge – maybe he could help us."

Kitty phased her ear back through the wall after two minutes of eavesdropping. So, they may have an idea! Great! Now I shall- She stopped thinking when she heard the professor's voice in her head.

Kitty, you know eavesdropping isn't polite.

Yeah, professor, I know. I'm just so, like, I mean... it's hard. I really miss him. Did I just tell him that?

I know, Kitty. We all do. And I promise you, I will do anything to get Nightcrawler back to us.

Mm. Thank you professor.

And, Kitty? Please don't tell anyone about this 'other-dimension-theory'. We don't know anything for sure yet, and I don't want to wake any false hopes. Okay?

I understand, professor. I promise.

The professor was right – everyone at the mansion missed their blue-furred, long-tailed, pointy-eared mutant. They all did their best to keep each other happy and laughing, especially Evan, but for no use. The fuzzy dude was the one that lightened up a rainy day, the one that made you laugh when you were in a bad mood, not to mention the one that teleported you out when you were breaking every bone in your body during a Danger Room session.

"My God!" exclaimed Evan a couple of days later, when they all, quite exhausted, were leaving the training simulator. "We've done this training program about ten times before and never failed. Why now?"

"Use you brain, Spyke", snarled Scott. "Try to remember. Who used to fix that laser beam thing, the one that steers half of the others? Who used to 'port up there and use both his hands and his tail to set it out of order? Do you remember that guy?"

Evan's face fell. "Nightcrawler", he said quietly.

"Bingo. And where is he?"

"I have no idea."

"He's in another dimension", Kitty said. "At least, that's, like, what the professor and Storm thinks." She could have bitten her own tongue off. She had promised professor Xavier not to tell anyone 'til they knew for sure! "Eh..."

"Another dimension?" Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Well like I, um, am not supposed to tell anybody..."

"We're not 'anybody'. We're the X-Men, and this is all about Kurt, our friend", Scott said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "This doesn't count."

"I think we should confront the professor", said Evan resolute. "How much more has he been hiding from us?"

"Yeah", added Rogue, "if he knows something that has to do with Kurt's disappearance, we have the right to know."

"But", said Jean, "if there's something that professor Xavier's not telling us, I'm sure he has a good reason..."

"Oh, shut up, Jean!" everyone shouted.


After about half an hour of deliberating with himself, Nightcrawler was now on his way up to the top. He was lucky that he had his tail, not to mention that it was quite practical to have the ability to climb everywhere and anywhere. He didn't have the courage to look down, though. This was something completely different than the cliffs outside the Institute or his many Danger Room sessions.

La la la, I am not at all nervous or afraid, and I vill sing a song just to prove it... Row, row, row your boat, gently down ze stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is just a dream... Climb, climb, climb ze cliff, gently to ze top, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, zink my heart vill stop...beating... My God, vhat did I ever do to deserve zis!

At least, he reached the top. What he saw made him blink, rub his eyes, and look again. Instead of cold, deep snow, as he had expected, there was a kind of city. The buildings were big and looked like they were made of some sort of rubber. (AN: The material rubber, you pervs!) In fact, everything in this place seemed to be made of rubber. The roads, the lampposts, even the few trees. When Kurt was on the cliff, there hadn't been any clouds on the sky, but here he could see some. They were purple, as the light that surrounded him at the gate at the Institute, and they seemed to be much more compact and nearer the ground than the clouds in "his" world. Okay... zis is weird.

Suddenly he heard a voice behind him.

"Welcome to Dimension 17, honoured Guest."


The younger X-Men banged on the door to the Cerebro room, still in their x-uniforms. "Professor! Professor! We want a little chat with you!" The door opened and they all went in.

Scott started talking. "Professor, we've heard something about Kurt and another dimension. Would you please explain that to us?"

Xavier saw Kitty blushing and talked in her head: It's okay, Kitty. We've got the results. But, try to keep your promises next time.

I will. I just, like, let it slip. Sorry.

Professor Xavier gave her a smile and talked. "Well, students, after many hours of searching we do at last know where Kurt is at present. He has been moved to a dimension that we like to call 'Dimension 17'."

Kitty had forgotten to be ashamed and was now excited. "So, what are we, like, waiting for? Let's go and, like, get him!"

"I wish it was that easy, but unfortunately it isn't. I have no idea how making a portal to that place and I'm sure we can not find that out without some help from over there."

The students stood dumbfounded. "You mean you don't know how to bring him back?" Jean said after a moment of silence. Xavier sadly shook his head. "Unless Kurt, or someone else, in some way contacts us, I am afraid there's nothing we can do at the moment."

Scott looked like he had a strong wish to blast the professor. Spyke had a hard time controlling his spikes from flying all around the place. Rogue was almost taking off her gloves and Kitty wanted to phase through Cerebro. Jean almost got things flying uncontrollably in the room – including the professor. Fortunately, none of them fulfilled their wishes.

"I really am sorry."

"Yes", Jean sighed. "We know, professor."

One after another, they left the room, everyone in their own thoughts.


Kurt turned around. There stood a bunch of strange creatures – they looked a bit like Chewbacca from Star Wars. Their fur was purple, though. Before any of them could open his or her mouth, Kurt talked.

"Dimension 17? Vhat's zat? Vho are you? Vhy am I here?"

"We are Vrogor. We live in Dimension 17, where you are now. And you're here because you are Chosen."


Yes, I know, I promised more of Kurt. Sorry, but it'll be better. Please review and flame me for my horrible English. (I would also appreciate if you told me your opinions of the story!)