Nikolai and Kurt
Many months eariler, Nikolai had scrounged enough money to pay for paper, a pen, an envelope and then enough to pay for the airmail stamps to America. It had taken over half a year, but it would be worth it, he knew.
The address? Kurt Wagner C/O Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Westchester, New York, America.
"Descoperire mie, confrate. Poate eu nu se mort." (Find me, brother. Maybe I won't be dead.)
Before he could stop himself, he turned, letting the frail envelope flutter down into the depths of the post box before going to find another john. He needed to eat, and Kurt may not get the letter. Or just not come. After all, what was one more pretty boy whore?
~*~*~*~
Kurt bamfed in to collect the mail from the gate, before bamfing back and starting to slide it into everyone's pigeon holes. A magazine for Jubilee...letter for Bek...letter for Faith, which he put in Logan's...a few letters for the professor...and then he stopped dead and stared at the travelmarked envelope in his clumsy threefingered hands. Romania. Addressed to him. Mein Gott. He opened it slowly, sinking to the ground.
He could scent the faint salt of tears, and ah...a brown smudge of a thumbprint near the bottom. He sniffed it carefully. Blood. He started to read, his anger and sorrow beginning to rise.
Nikolai! So easy to believe no one would care for him and he must hurry away before something happened to the ones he loved. So willing to take care of himself in whatever manner he saw fit, and so very surprised when anyone expressed a desire to take care of him. He had to find him, bring him here...and if what he had alluded to was true, then the professor would desperately need to help his brother Nikolai. They may not be brothers of blood, but they were brothers of choice.
Glancing over the dated postmarks, he only hoped they would not be too late.
He left his work undone as he went to find the professor, normally open face grim.
Storm
Storm was just headed to the Professor's office when she ran into Kurt.
"Kurt, what's wrong?"
Kurt
"I haf recieved most diturbings news, miss Storm," Kurt said in a thicker then usual accent.
"I *must* talk to the professor."
Storm
"I was just on my way, come on."
Storm led Kurt through the hallway to the Professor's office and knocked on the door.
"Professor?"
Kurt & Xavier
"Come in, Kurt, Ororo," Xavier said.
Kurt entered, his tail lashing with agitation.
"Professor, I must leave. Now. Mein Bruder, Nikolai, I think he is in a great deal of trouble. Also..."
His yellow eyes gleamed.
"I think he is one of us. His letter...I worry. I must go to find him."
Storm
"Should we take the Jet?" Storm asked.
"I can get Logan..."
Kurt & Xavier
"The first postmark is in Romania," Kurt said, holding the letter.
"Then to Romania, you will go," Xavier said.
"Yes, take the Jet. Take Logan with you as well."
"Danke, danke soviel. Gott segnen Sie," Kurt said.
Xavier smiled slightly.
"I will go down to Cerebro, see if I can narrow the location further. If I find anything, I will contact you on the Jet."
Storm
Storm nodded.
"Kurt, if you go to the Jet, I'll go get Logan."
She headed off to Logan's room and knocked on the door.
"Logan?"
Kurt, Xavier & Logan
Kurt nodded and went down into the lower levels with the professor. He went to the Jet, and the professor to Cerebro to try and find this...Nikolai.
Logan paused in his pushups, then got up and opened the door.
"Yeah, Stormy?"
Faith and Storm
Faith looked at Storm, finally moving her glance from where Logan had been getting nicely sweaty on the ground.
"The Professor wants us to go with Kurt to Romania," Storm said.
"Sorry to interrupt you..."
Logan
"Mmmph."
Logan nodded slightly and headed to his shower.
"Let me grab a quick shower and I'll be down. Official X business? Do I have to wear the bloody black jumpsuit?"
Storm and Faith
"Would you rather yellow spandex?" Storm asked, looking amused.
"But no, I don't believe it will be necessary. I'll see you at the Jet."
She left with a whirl of her white hair.
"Hmmm, I'm gonna train a bit in the Danger Room."
Faith kissed Logan's cheek, then left.
Logan & Kurt
Logan showered and then dressed in jeans and flannel, sliding his feet into his boots. He headed down to the hanger, where he could hear Kurt from the door, a quiet click of beads and a soft murmur enlightening him to what the kid was doing.
"Hey, Misfit."
"Herr Logan," Kurt said, looking up from his rosary.
"Well, let's get going. What are we doing, anyway?"
"Going to find my...adopted brother, Nikolai."
"Got anything I can scent?"
"He sent a letter, I don't know if you will be able to tell from that..."
"Hand it over."
Kurt handed over the rough paper and Logan sniffed it carefully. He kept his surprise from showing on his face. Wonder if the kid knew exactly *how* his brother had been surviving? He didn't think so, or Fuzzy Elf would be more agitated. He knew this type of scent though, he'd smelt it before. The boy was whoring himself to survive.
Storm
Storm walked up into the Jet, then slid into the driver's seat, pulling the lever and closing the ramp.
"Ready?"
Her hands flew over the controls as she started to fly them out of the school grounds.
Logan & Kurt
Logan threw himself into one of the seats with a grunt, and Kurt sat down more circumspectly.
"So, why are we going to get this kid?"
"Because," Kurt said softly.
"He is in need of help."
He started to slide the Rosary beads through his fingers again.
Storm
Storm steered the Jet up above the clouds, then pressed a button, adjusting her headset.
"Professor? Can you give us an exact location?"
Xavier
Xavier gave her general coordinates, then said thoughtfully.
"His mind...it keeps fading."
Storm
"We'll get there in time, don't worry Professor," Storm said.
She glanced down at the radar.
Xavier, Logan & Kurt
"I hope so. God speed," Xavier said, before signing off.
They flew steadily to Romania, and landed as the last vestiges of sun slipped away. Logan stood and stretched before padding to the end of the Jet.
"Misfit, put your image manipulator on," Logan growled slightly.
Kurt shook his head.
"He vill not know it is me who ist seeking him. I will wear my hat and my coat."
He flipped the collar of the coat up and followed Logan down the ramp.
Storm
Storm followed quietly, watching their surroundings.
Logan, Kurt and Nikolai
It soon became obvious that they were heading into the red light district of the city. Women catcalled from the corners and a few younger men lurked around the edges as well. As they got deeper in, the age of the men decreased, and the women's ages increased. Logan turned his eyes away, cursing his sensitive nose.
Kurt clutched his coat tighter and the brim of his hat down over his eyes. Nikolai, what have you done?
Nikolai stood on a street corner, black pants low down on his hips and despite the cold, wearing a black mesh top. He drew back on his cigarette and chatted with some of the other prostitutes as they waited for some johns to turn up.
"Wie Sie heute abend tuend, Nico?" (How you doing tonight?)
"Genug für die Miete und auszahlen Grigo," Nikolai said dismissively. (Enough for the rent and to pay off Grigo.)
"Groß. Genug erhalten, zum einer Schale Kaffees mit mir nachher zu erhalten?" One of what he would call his friends asked. (Great. Got enough to get a cup of coffee with me after?)
"Sie wünschen gerade ein Stück von diesem, ohne zu müssen, für es zu zahlen," Nikolai said teasingly, putting his hand on his ass and thrusting his hips forward. (You just want a piece of this without having to pay for it)
"Ja, Nico! Whoo, Niko!" the others laughed as Nikolai entertained them, looking like an embodiment of lust, body moving fluidly and hips thrusting upwards as he pouted winsomely.
Storm
Storm stayed close to Logan, wary of theiir surroundings and the people within it.
"Can you see him, Kurt?" she asked softly.
Logan, Kurt & Nikolai
"I can smell him," Logan growled, then took off.
Kurt followed quickly, tail lashing under his coat.
Nikolai threw his cigarette butt into the gutter, yawning. A few more tricks, and he could go catch that coffee with Dimitri, and sleep. Sleep was good.
"What's his name?" Logan asked Kurt.
"Nikolai. Nikolai Draculae."
"What?"
"His family...his father's family, were from Wallachia. You call it Transylvania."
"What, he's a vampire now?"
"Nein, nein. The Draculae family is a very old and widespread line in Wallachia."
Storm
Storm walked along behind.
Logan, Kurt & Nikolai
Logan ignored the calls in different languages, as the street walkers offered their services. He followed the scent through the overlapping trails and the interuppted portions.
"You can find him?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah, yeah..."
Logan looked up at a small group.
"He's there."
Nikolai turned, and caught a glimpse of Kurt's yellow eyes.
"Oh, schizen. Kurt, nein."
Storm
Storm shivered slightly.
"Is he ok?" she asked softly.
Kurt, Nikolai & Logan
"Nikolai...was tun Sie?" Kurt asked worried. (What are you doing?)
The other prostitutes with Nikolai quickly slipped away. He looked away, fumbling with a new cigarette.
"Was ich muß. Kurt... bitte, gehen gerade. Gerechter Urlaub. Vergaß, Sie mich sahen, vergessen, daß ich Ihnen diesen Brief schickte." (What I have to. Kurt...please, just go. Just leave. Forgot you saw me, forget I sent you that letter.)
He slid a new cigarette between his lips and lit up.
"Gerade, gehen Kurt. Sie erschrecken weg die Kunden." (Just go, Kurt. You're scaring away the customers.)
"Sie kommen mit uns, Zicklein," Logan growled. (You're coming with us, kid.)
Nikolai responded with a curse and turned to run. Logan grabbed him and the teen yelped, struggled for a moment, then screamed, hands going to his head.
"Nicu!" Kurt said in distress.
"Va vã rog, iarãºi," Nikolai gasped out. (Please, not again.)
He screamed again, then his face shifted and changed. Jason Stryker raised his head and stared at Storm, mismatched eyes glinting.
Storm
Storm gasped slightly and backed away, behind Logan. She looked around and decided if she had to, she'd just you know, do the weather thing.
Jason/Nikolai, Kurt & Logan
"You, back again? I was so close...so close to having my father be proud of me, but no, no, no, no, you had to ruin that for me!" Jason/Nikolai spat at Storm and Kurt, wasted body struggling in Logan's grip.
"You just HAD to ruin it! Took the professor out and left me to die! You any idea how much that f*cking hurt? When my ribs caved in and my skull got crushed? You bitch whore mutie freak slut!"
Kurt gaped, eyes trained on Jason's raging face, the mismatched eyes burning with hate.
Logan listened, glancing from Kurt to Storm as Jason/Nikolai raved on, mouth spewing forth curses and recriminations.
Storm
"We did what we had to," Storm said quietly.
She remained behind Logan.
Jason/Nikolai, Logan & Kurt
"Did you? Does it help you sleep at night?" Jason/Nikolai sneered.
Logan applied a careful punch to Jason/Nikolai's head and the man sagged forward, features remelting back into Nikolai's face as he went limp.
"Let's get out of here, we're drawing too much attention," Logan growled.
"Oh, Nicu..." Kurt sighed, eyes on his adopted brother.
Storm
Storm turned, heading back to the Jet in long strides, and making it back quickly, opening the ramp and running up it.
"Let's go," she muttered to herself.
Hopefully the Professor would know what to do.
Logan & Kurt
Logan carried Nikolai back to the Jet and put him in one of the seats, strapping him in so he couldn't get out, arms under the straps and buckles out of reach. Nikolai's head sagged forward slightly, dark hair tumbling over his face.
"What was he doing, Logan?" Kurt asked quietly, alreadly knowing the answer.
"Whoring," Logan said succintly, then went and sat down in his seat.
"Let's get out of here, Stormy."
Storm
Storm nodded and her hands flew over the controls, lifting them into the air, then heading back to New York.
Logan & Kurt
They landed and Logan picked up the still unconsious Nikolai out of the seat.
"I'll take him to Blue."
He left, padding down the ramp.
Kurt put his head in his hands.
"Ach, de leiber Gott..."
Storm
Storm shut down the Jet, then got up and went over to Kurt.
"Kurt."
She put an arm on his shoulder.
"Are you... are you ok?"
Kurt
Kurt looked up, his strange yellow eyes wet with tears.
"I wish we had gotten there sooner. Oh, Nicu..."
Storm
"Come on, let's go inside, ok?"
Storm wiped the tears from his cheek with her thumb gently.
Kurt
"Ja, thank you, miss Monroe," Kurt said shakily as he stood.
"That man Nicu turned into...he's dead."
Storm
Storm nodded.
She put an arm around his shoulders and led him from the Jet.
Kurt
Kurt leaned into her gratefully, tear tracks making their way down his face.
"I wonder what his power is...he must be like us."
Storm
Storm wiped his tears away again.
"The Professor will work this out. Would you like to see him now, or should I take you to your room?"
Kurt
"I think I will go to my room...and pray," Kurt said softly.
"Danke, miss Munroe."
He bamfed away, leaving a cloud of sulfer scented smoke in his wake.
Storm
Storm sighed slightly, then went to her room.