Wirklich ein Engel(truly an Angel)

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Sorry about the hiatus everyone, but things have been absolutely crazy-go-nuts around here! Anyway, I got the no loafing sign back up and some new notes from my muse. I’m revamping this chapter cos upon re-reading it, it seemed rather…well…weak. I shall probably have the whole story complete before the end of the month, woot! All you guys have to do is keep reading and telling me what you think. =) ~~Athlea Kelly
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Kurt shook himself and forced his eyes to open, blinking several times in the gloom. His limbs felt heavy as lead, his head ached and he couldn’t move. He could barely raise his head, which pounded and throbbed, much less form a protest when he saw the way Ivy was being abused. Much good that would have done. It galled him, being so helpless. He knew what it was like, to be in Ivy’s place, to be a victim, and he had sworn that he would leave no one without a protector. And now, he had failed. Again. He had fallen into this hole just like the other night. And, worse, she was being treated this way because of him. It was his fault. If he had just left her she wouldn’t be in this position. She would be safe at home with her friends and the X-men would have found him eventually. Things would have been fine. Right? But no. He had to be selfish and give in to the need for her company, take advantage of her.

Heavy footfalls halted the four young men before they could go any further with their mistreatment of the little redhead. They scrambled back from the squat man who was approaching, Jake leaving Ivy in the dirt as he rose to his feet.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jardine barked as he advanced on them, a small box held under one arm. Kurt tried reflexively to make himself appear small as possible, his mind harking back to those horrible days under the fat man‘s thumb. “Why did you bring her? I asked for the mutie!”

“She was helping him!” Jake protested, waving to the prone form of Nightcrawler in the wagon shaped prison. “And she saw us, we couldn’t have left her to call the cops.”

“So now you want kidnapping and rape tagged on too? Or do you plan to go all the way to murder so she can’t talk?” There was no reply as Jardine glanced down at her. Dirt was smeared across her delicate cheek, mingled with tears and mascara and the blood dribbling from her lower lip. “I’ll deal with you in a moment, sweetie.” He promised her grimly. “Now..” He turned his attention back to Nightcrawler. “I know that stuff isn’t going to last much longer, being some ten odd years old, so I called in a favor and got a new toy.” He explained as he produced a slim ring of metal from the box.

He moved casually towards the cage where Nightcrawler lay and moved inside, bending over the prone mutant. The fat man smiled a sick smile to himself as the mutant’s yellow eyes flicked to the girl in the dirt. She was staring right back, biting back her tears, her face streaked with dirt and her shirt torn, revealing her bra and cleavage.

“She’s a pretty little thing.” He admitted so only Kurt could hear. As he spoke his fingers slid over the metal ring in his hand, flicking it open like an oversized bracelet. “Would be a shame if something happened to her.” He added as he snapped the silvery ring around Kurt’s neck. It was a snug fit, the collar, but Jardine had never cared a whit for Nightcrawler’s comfort. “Neural inhibitor.” He explained, taking perverse joy in tormenting the mutant. “Keeps you from teleporting, see, damps your freak power and hurts like a sunuvabitch if you try to use it, or if I decide to press the button on this here control.” He added, waving the device teasingly before Kurt’s incandescent eyes.

Kurt’s eyes narrowed and it looked like he was trying to form some kind of threat the way his jaw was working. This only seemed to amuse Jardaine further.

“I wouldn’t try anything if I were you.” He purred. “Come Showtime you’re going to behave like a good little monster or else I’ll make sure she gets hurt. Very badly. Understand? You perform like you’re told and everything’s fine. I might even feed you. Every time you don’t I break another one of her bones.”
He watched as the rage and defiance slipped from the mutant’s blue face, chased away by concern and finally resignation. He watched as Nightcrawler closed his eyes and breathed a small sigh, seeming to deflate. He took that as enough acceptance and rose to his feet, glancing back at the young woman sprawled on the ground.

A cruel idea formed in his mind and he motioned for the jocks to toss her in with Nightcrawler ‘so she could say goodbye’, he explained in a voice of mock tenderness, though in reality he just wanted to toy with the two some more. He really only wanted to test the waters, see how much she really did care, or if pragmatism and self preservation were more important to the little whore.

He crossed his fat arms, fiddling with the control for the inhibitor as Ivy’s bonds were cut and she was shoved roughly into the cage. He wondered briefly if she could be paid to abandon Nightcrawler and forget the whole ordeal once the mutant was convinced she was locked up, though he soon dismissed the thought as she moved over to him, cradling his upper body with comedic gentleness.
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Ivy sniffed slightly as she looked down at Kurt’s face, smoothing his hair back from his eyes. He closed his eyes and turned his head to nuzzle feebly into her arm, looking on the verge of tears himself.

“Its alright.” She whispered, pulling him closer despite the searing pain in her wrist. “Everything’ll be okay. My friends will call the cops and they’ll come find us.” She added, closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his cheek before resting her head atop his.

She tried her best to ignore the audience they had or Jardine’s scornful laughter. After a few moments like this she chanced a look around her, outside at the cold glow of the moon across the still circus grounds. There was no one there that would be helping them, or, chances were, would go and find someone who would.

She felt Kurt shift in her lap, trying to sit up, and supported him by keeping an arm around his midsection. He seemed to be concentrating fiercely, deliberately forcing his muscles to obey. Inwardly she marveled at his strength of will as he continued to try and shake off the sedative effect of whatever those dicks injected him with. Through it all she remained silent, not wanting to draw any more attention to them, less Jardaine get suspicious and make true his word and use that doohickey. She was shaken from her thoughts by Kurt wrapping his lean muscular arms around her, holding her close, as if he could protect her from all that had been happening.

“I am sorry, Liebchen.” He sighed after a long while. “I have caused you nothing but grief.” He murmured against the soft skin of her neck.

He sighed, running one finger lightly over her hand, a frown pulling down on the corners of his mouth. His expression softened however when he raised his eyes to her face and he carefully wiped some of the dirt away.
She didn’t reply, couldn‘t find her voice as she regarded him, holding his hand against her cheek she closed her eyes.

“We’ll get out if this.” He assured her, pressing his lips gently to her cheek, even as the soft jingle of keys sounded. Jardine had deemed their time up, apparently bored with the scene before him. “I’ll protect you. I promise.” He said quickly, emphatically, stroking her short rust colored hair as the door opened with a creak. He closed his eyes, holding fiercely to her as Jardine’s fat hand clamped onto her shoulder. Somehow it felt that, if he held on tight enough, they couldn’t take her. This wasn’t right. She shouldn’t have to endure this because of him.

“I know.” She murmured at last, her voice slightly muffled. His grip loosened gradually, and she was pulled away, dragged from the wagon by her good arm. He tried to watch the progress of Jardine and his drones, but even his keen eyes couldn’t make them out after they disappeared amid a cluster of other,more hospitable looking wagons. Things looked dark indeed, but he knew Jardaine. The man would keep his word and not harm Ivy if he cooperated. All he had to do was buy time until the X-Men could find him. He would do whatever he had to if it would keep her safe, no matter the humiliation.

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Logan growled low in his throat, thoroughly irritated by San Francisco as a whole by the time he arrived at the house on 21st Ave. Two squad cars had pulled up in front of the house. Instantly He scented trouble for his blue friend.


“What’s the trouble, Officer.” He asked gruffly, reminding himself to refrain from calling them ‘Bub’. The police looked him over, recognition kindling in their eyes.

“you’re one of the X-Men, right?”

“Yeah. Wolverine. I’m with the X.S.E” He confirmed, flashing his newly minted badge before crossing his corded arms over his chest.

“Well a young woman and her mutant friend were kidnapped from here, according to the phone-call..” He trailed off as Logan nodded.

“I’ll take it from here.” He said simply, leaving no room for argument. Not that he would have received one, neither cop wanting to get entangled in mutant affairs in such a volatile time. Pleasant difference from the gumshoes in New York, he admitted to himself.

Wolverine scowled to himself as they departed, however. How much more trouble could Kurt get himself in? Chomping down on his quickly shrinking cigar he stumped up the front steps towards the door and rapped sharply on it with adamantium reinforced knuckles.

The door swung open instantly, revealing several anxious faces, two women and three young men. The plot thickens, he thought wryly. At least The Elf had made some friends along the way. That should help.

“Who are you?” The tallest of the young women asked bluntly. “Are you one of the Cops that said they’d help find Ivy and Kurt?”

“I’m with the X.S.E. Name’s Wolverine.” He said brusquely, again flashing his badge, and not without a hint of pride. It was nice, being able to command respect instead of fear.. “And, yeah. I’m here to find both of them.”

“Wolverine?” The tall, asked angular young man in front quizically, his brow furrowed as if he was trying to remember something. The Dark skinned man beside him let out a bewildered exclamation.

“OH! You’re one of the X-Men! You guys are on the news all the time!” The others eyed him curiously, but his confidence seemed to be enough a credential for them.

Wolverine allowed himself a slight grin as they moved aside and allowed him entry, apparently at least they were smart enough to know when to accept help. They still seemed wary. They didn’t know him. They of course knew only of his reputation for combat and his hair trigger temper. He wasn’t in the mood to make nice and win them over however. He was there to find Kurt, and apparently this girl who had gotten tangled up in this too. He could smell Kurt all over the house, on the couch, in the kitchen and, as he wandered, in the girl’s bedroom as well. There were faint traces of brimstone, so he had done some jaunting, knowing Nightcrawler it was most likely to show off or endear himself to the girl. She must be pretty.

His assumptions were only confirmed when her roommates showed him photos to help him in his search.

“What were you all doin’ when this happened?” He asked as he sat down in the living room with them. Ivy and Nightcrawler’s scents were mingled here and still fresh. It didn’t take much guessing for him to figure out what they had been doing.

“We were getting ready to watch a movie and they went out into the garden.” Anakalia replied, nodding to the sliding glass door that stood open near the kitchen.

“We didn’t think anything of it cos they’d been making kissyface all day.” Aislyn added, her fingers entwined with those of her fiancé. “Dimitri found them lip locked in the garden before, so we figured they were at it again.”

“And ya didn’t hear anything?” He pressed. They shook their heads negatively.

“We had the TV up really loud.” Rachel admitted somewhat guiltily, as if she thought she was to blame for her friend’s disappearance.

Logan nodded thoughtfully, extinguishing his cigar as he rose to his feet, striding towards the garden. The fence was shattered in one spot and there were small spots of blood congealed in the grass. And there, lying near one of the little red puddles, was a long, thin dart. He picked it up and took a sniff, scowling. He had run across this drug before and didn’t like the idea of Nightcrawler being unable to jaunt while this girl was being held hostage, probably used as leverage against the overly compassionate swashbuckler. Without a second thought, he flicked on his X-Link to relate this turn of event to Emma and Cyclops.

“Wait where you are and we’ll send Bishop and Storm as backup.” Was Cyclops’s immediate reply.

“Nuthin’ doin, Bub. I got a fresh trail now. I’m takin’ it.” Wolverine growled back, much to the relief of the missing girl’s friends. He didn’t wait for Cyclops to protest further, switching off the com-link and stowing it in the pocket of his jeans before turning back to the gathered crowd.

“I’ll be back with her later.” He said simply.

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