A/N: Thank-you everyone for REVIEWing! I much appreciate it! Now, here's how many chapters we got left. We got this one, the next one, one after that, and then a closure chapter. Kk?
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Chapter 17: The Final Struggle
The communicator dropped to the ground, making a clanking noise as it bounced a coupled of times. All his muscles tensed up as his mind tried to get over the surprise. Taking in a deep breath, Logan scrunched his nose in disgust as the smell of gunpowder and blood entered it. Which was made even more repulsive by his heightened sense of smell.
Slowly looking up to the man embedded into the truck, Logan was not surprised to see his eyes had grown to have a glossy look, mirroring his last thoughts of surprise, fear, and torment. Wiping away what little blood had landed on his face, Logan looked down at the pool of crimson liquid that was now forming on the ground below Urs's corpse. Looking up from that and towards the fourth truck, the man saw just whom had pulled the trigger.
Jack stood there, his face expressionless. He held a black pistol with one hand, which was still extended towards Urs. His empty eyes had seemed to grow even darker, as a cruel sheen took to them. Allowing no emotion to show for the fallen performer, Jack calmly put the gun away then leaned his head towards the collar of the shirt and spoke some words into it. Once he seemed down, he looked down upon Logan.
"Why did you do kill him?" Logan asked, still a bit surprised that Jack had done such a thing to one of his own. However, the man did not answer, but instead waited until Logan could see Storm, Kitty, Scott and Jean rushing towards them. Rogue had moved to stand beside Logan, as the professor finally made his way out from behind the truck, his wheel chair scraped and scratched.
Storm and the three teens stopped just a few feet short of where Jack stood above them. They watched him carefully, not wanting to provoke the man since he did have a gun in his hand. Jack looked over his shoulder at them, giving a small smile of content. "Vell it seems zat ve are all here, no?" Jack said, while turning to face everyone. "Hov should Kurt die?"
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Kurt and Robin both had been sitting in silence when they jumped from the sudden gunshot. Immediately, the blue teen pressed against his cage, straining to hear what he could. Robin just sat next to him, her senses heightened from the adrenaline racing through her. Turning the knob on the lamp even more, Robin just about lit up the whole truck bed. "Vhat do you zink happened?" she asked. "I don't knov," Kurt replied, as if his whole situation in the cage had been forgotten.
However, that moment of amnesia passed and Kurt lowered himself from the cage bars. Sitting with his legs crossed, the blue demon allowed his hands to fall into his laps. Robin also let herself calm down, when she saw her long lost friend. Dimming the lamp a bit, she moved closer to the cage. Two golden eyes looked up at her, they no longer held that natural smile that she had grown to love. Placing one of her hands on the bars, Robin opened her mouth to say something when there was the sudden sound of static.
Both teen mutants looked over to where the noise was coming from. Moving over to a brown backpack, which lay in the shadows, Robin stretched out her hand gripped one of the straps. Pulling it over to her, the blonde put one of her long strands behind her ear and opened the pack. Reaching in, Robin rummaged around while Kurt watch. After only a couple of second, the German beauty produced a hand held walkie talkie.
Then a calm, all too familiar voice broke through the static. "Robin, zere has been a change of plans. Urs is dead, Von missing, and Catrina has been defeated." Robin looked up to Kurt in worry, "Vhen I give you ze signal, I need Kurt's cage opened and you in ze driver seat of ze truck. Do you understand?" She didn't understand the reason behind Jack's requests, but she did understand what needed to be done. "Gut, zen ze key is in ze smallest pocket on ze pack. Remember, do not open his cage until I tell you to." There was static again, then silence as the connection was cut.
At first, Robin just sat there, then she began looking through all the pockets of the pack. While Kurt began to try and convince her to let him go. "Robin, please, you must release me." She shook her head no and kept opening the small pockets and trying to look into them. "Listen to me, my friends are here, zey already neutralized zree ozers. I knov zey vould never kill anyone. Even if it vere Urs." Robin stopped for a split moment and gave him a look that asked, "How do you know." At this Kurt just pulled away from the cage a little, allowing the blonde to continue.
Kurt sighed and flopped back a little. He watched as Robin finally found the key. She produced the small item, then quickly backed away from the cage, holding the key close. She wasn't about to let Kurt's tail to take hold of her and steal the key. Even though it would be very unlike the teen to just grab her like that. Instead the blue demon was docile. Just sitting there as he began to realize he wasn't getting out of there.
Still waiting for Jack's signal, Robin decided to at least explain why she had decided not to help her friend. "You knov I can't help you. Do you realize vhat Jack vill do to me if I disobey him?" When Kurt was silent. Taking that as a 'no', Robin continued. "Besides, hov could I help you escape nov, vhen you didn't help me back zen." As the girl said this, Kurt looked up at her again, a questioning expression upon his face.
"Vhat do you mean Robin?"
Remembering was painful, but she had to do it. She had to know why, why he had left her. "Ze night you ran avay, you left me behind. You left me to Jack, to that stupid life. I had zought ve vere going to get avay togezer, Kurt. Togezer." Robin said, holding the key a bit closer to her chest. She watched as Kurt's eyes lit up as if he had just thought of something or remembered some detail.
"Robin, I didn't mean to leave vithout you! Jack took me in ze night because I had refused to pickpocket people from under ze bleachers. Zen he zreatened to kill me. I vas lucky to get avay, but he folloved. Back zen I couldn't teleport like I can today. So I didn't mean to disappear like that," Kurt said, giving Robin a look of pity, as if saying he was sorry for not finding her.
The girl had tears threatening to come, but she did he best to hold them down. They were no longer tears of sorrow but of happiness, knowing that Kurt hadn't abandoned her seven years ago. "Nov, ve both knov Jack is going to kill me if I stay here. Please," Kurt's spade squeezed between the bars and gently touched Robin's cheek. "Ve can escape togezer zis time." The blue teen said, staring into Robin's eyes.
Nodding, Robin fumbled for the key in her hand for a moment, then tried with shaky hands to place the key into the lock. Kurt slipped one of his hands through the bars as far as it could go and took hold of Robin's hand. It steadied almost immediately, and the boy pulled her closer to the lock. Letting go, Kurt watched as Robin put the key in and turned it. There was a satisfying click as the door swung open from the cage.
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Jack leapt from the hood of the fourth truck, barely landing on the back of the third. The advantage Storm had over the man because of her flying was now gone as he used some of her power to move with a great speed and acrobatic ability. Along with Ororo, Wolverine, Kitty and Scott pursued the man. Jean and Rogue stayed behind, so they could protect the professor if they needed to. Plus, Jean's leg was still hurting her and she wasn't able to run on it too well.
As they raced over the trucks, Jack couldn't help but smile. Things were going just the way he wanted them to. Soon, very soon, he would be driving, or flying, away from there with his little prize. Glancing over his shoulder just as he leapt from the third truck to the second, Jack increased his speed just a bit so that Storm's hand fell short as she tried to grab him. Giving an amused laugh, Jack raced across the second truck and towards the second.
As the man jumped from the top of the second truck and was heading for the flap of the first, Jack called into the radio on his collar, "Robin Nov!" Just as he used Kitty's power to faze into the truck bed. The X-men all made in time to see the man enter the truck, and they stopped in their tracks when he came flying out. A blue mutant holding onto the man and driving him through the second trucks windshield.
As Kurt and Jack busted through the glass and landed in the cab, the blue demon didn't allow Jack to gather himself. Instead, the teen pinned him against the back seat as his hands gripped the front of the man's shirt and twisted into fists. Slamming Jack into the back window that lead into the truck bed, Kurt allowed all his rage to show in his face.
At first Jack wasn't affected, just a bit stunned. The man pulled up his arm to push Kurt off him, but this only caused the blue demon to give a frightening snarl. Jack couldn't help but scream as Kurt bit down into his arm, his fangs drawing blood. In the pain and confusion of it all, Jack used the teleportation and brought them out of the tunnel.
Stumbling, Jack came out of the teleportation and fell onto the ground. Kurt was not ready to loosen his grip just yet, however Jack pulled out the white dart gun. The teen pulled back, leaving two cut marks in Jack's arm as his fangs dug into the flesh. Skidding on the ground from the sudden move, Kurt looked to where he had just been and saw a dart embedded in the ground. However this did not shake the mutant.
Jack stood to his feet, not expecting Kurt to be this violent. Still stumbling, the man tried moved back a little so he stood on the edge of the road, while Kurt began to rise from his crouching position. Standing as tall his fawn-like legs would allow, Kurt's golden eyes locked onto the frightened ringleader before him. They glowed in the shadow, caused by Kurt's head tilting ever so slightly forward. Hatred and contempt in his eyes, Kurt gave a small smirk at what he was about to do. Jack was way over due for an ass kicking, and Kurt was more than happy to deliver it to him.
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The other X-men raced ahead, figuring they had teleported out of the tunnel. Storm, Scott, and Wolverine moved quickly towards the copter, where the professor, Jean, and Rogue were waiting. Kitty lagged behind, not wanting the others to see her cry if she couldn't hold back the tears. The brunette was worried for Kurt. Before the two mutants in the cab had disappeared, she had seen Kurt bite Jack. Never before had she seen such ferocity be produced by him.
Suddenly, there was a movement out of the corner of her eye. Snapping her head around, Kitty found herself looking upon a beautiful young teen, not much older than herself. Her blonde hair was short in the back, with two long, curly strands in the front. She wore a striped bikini top with white shorts. Her blue eyes looked around, as if she had lost something. Not really in the mood to take pity on anyone, Kitty figured she was in the circus.
Rather harshly, the girl asked, "Did you loose something?!" Startled, Robin looked up at the new voice. She gave a soft smile than floated up from her spot to where the brunette stood on the top of the truck. "Vhere is Kurt?" Kitty allowed her face to tense in slight anger as she learned that the girl was from the circus. "He teleported out of here, with your stupid boss." Kitty said, almost regretting the harsh tone of her voice.
"Zat's not possible. It must've been Jack vho teleported."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean Kurt cannot use his povers at ze moment. Zere is a device around his tail zat makes sure of zat." Kitty's eyes went wide as she realized that Kurt was at an even greater disadvantage. Grabbing Robin by the wrist, Kitty began to run back over the top of the truck, fazing the two of them through to the ground as she did so. "Vhat are you doing?!" Robin cried, not entirely sure what the strange girl wanted with her.
"Your going to tell my friends like what you just told me! And more!"
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Kurt got down as low as he could and used all fours to charge at Jack, quickly giving short leaps from side to side. Jack straightened his hand as much as he could, but without much Kurt was moving, he couldn't aim right. By the time the man got a dead lock on the blue mutant, the teen was already upon him, kicking the him in the chest.
Giving a slight "Oof" Jack fell backwards and off to the side of the road. Tumbling down a ditch, Jack lost his grip on the white gun and it flew out of his hand. Coming to a stop, Jack pushed on the ground quickly with his hands, but was too late once again as an enraged Nightcrawler landed on his back. Gripping the man's jaw with his hands and wrapping his tail around Jack's neck, Kurt bent his head over to look into the man's eyes, which were filled with pain as the mutant's feet dug into his back.
Furrowing his brow, Jack teleported again landing them in the middle of the road with Kurt underneath him. The blue mutant let go of the ringleader as pain surged through his body. Jack took this opportunity to get to his feet. However, Kurt did just the same as his tail came up to whip Jack's feet from underneath him. Landing a hard kick to the man's side before he could land, Kurt watched as Jack rolled a bit and came to stop over the doubled yellow line.
Baring his teeth, Kurt charged at Jack once again. However, the man countered this, by teleporting himself away to the side of the road. Kurt flipped his feet before his body right before he landed on his face. Looking around while crouching, Kurt saw Jack over by the side of the road and moving quickly towards the ditch. Knowing that Jack was going after the dart gun, Kurt quickly got on all fours and ran after him.
Jack turned around quickly just as Kurt got to the top of the ditch and stopped in mid tracks. Jack allowed himself to smile, as he recalled his incident with Wolverine. Only this time, the mutant's powers were completely gone and not only half affected. "Live I've said to your friend, I don't knov vhat zis vill do to you." Jack shot the dart that was already loaded, but Kurt was better than that.
Leaping just in time, Kurt jumped over Jack, but wrapped his tail around the man's neck just as he was directly over him. Making a choked sound, Jack found himself falling backwards and onto the grass. Not bothering with the mutant. Jack quickly loaded another dart just as Kurt jumped over the man's body and landed at his feet. Trying to aim with one hand, Jack allowed his other hand to reach up to his neck, causing his gloved fingers to touch the red dot on the bracelet as his body was thrown forward.
Jack's body turned as it was thrown, causing him to land roughly on his stomach. Out of it for only a moment, the man still held the dark gun in his hand. Looking up from his position on the road, Jack saw a victorious Kurt begin to rise from the ditch. Then the blue mutant's tail twitched as something flew from the barb's grasp.
Watching as a thin bracelet clinked against the ground and landed right in front of his nose, Jack scrunched up his face in anger and gave a frustrated cry. Gripping even tighter on the gun, Jack lifted the weapon and aimed straight for Kurt's chest. Lining up his sight with the barrel, Jack pulled the trigger. Kurt didn't react in time as the dart hit him in the center of his chest. Immediately the effects were obvious as pain shot through his body.
As Jack watched Kurt fell to his knees, he couldn't help but laugh. He had won. He was defeated, but now he was back. Still laughing and celebrating in his head, Jack didn't bother to pay attention to the fact that he was still on the road.
Falling to his knees, Kurt leaned forward and supported himself with his arms. The dart had been different than the ones at the manor. They held more dosage of the poison in them. To make matters worse, Kurt's body had just regained its powers, it not yet ready to loose them again. Clutching his stomach, Kurt tried to calm himself down as his body's temperature rose. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his breathing quickened.
Wincing as the pain tormented his nerves, Kurt began to feel dizzy. Fearing to fall unconscious, the boy looked up, hoping to see someone, anyone, coming to help him. Instead, he only saw a limp form, laying in the middle of the road. Then he heard something. It wasn't a car or truck, he would know; but it was a vehicle.
Trying to pin the sound, Kurt looked to the sky. A bit of hope entered his heart when he saw two large, black aircraft heading his way. One of them began to lower itself to the ground. Deciding that would take too long, Kurt used what energy he had left to teleport. The last thing he saw was a stunned, concerned, and overwhelmed Kitty Pryde staring at him as his body rested on cold metal. Then it was dark.
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A/N: Yes, Jack did get hit by car. Now, if you don't mind REVIEWing, thank-you!