Playing with Fire

A WILD RIDE

Kurt almost sprang out of bed. Stretching like an overgrown cat and listening to the satisfying pop of vertebrae realigning themselves, he gazed out his open balcony doors to the horizon. The deep purple where sea and sky met satisfied him that there was still plenty of time before sunrise to grab the day's first of cof coffee. A brief rummage through his dresser turned up a tee-shirt which, along with his boxers, was sufficiently modest for appearing in the public rooms - especially considering the odds against anyone besides him and Logan being up at this hour.

Five minutes and two 'bamfs' later, he crouched contentedly on the rail of his balcony, cradling a cup of the strong, bitter brew that Logan put on first thing every morning and waiting in the cool, gray pre-dawn for the sun to make its appearance over the sea. He felt...lighter...somehow this morning, and more refreshed than he had in weeks - despite the fact that it was well before dawn and he hadn't sought his bed until well after midnight he was more than ready to face the day.

He and Kitty had stayed up long after the movie was over and the rest of the household had staggered off to bed - all but Logan and the Professor anyway, whose intermittent forays past the open rec room door had ensured the relative 'innocence' of their tryst. Curled together in a corner of the couch, they'd talked for hours about everything and nothing - really no differentm hom how they'd spent any number of Friday nights in the past. But everything had been different about this one - from the lingering awkwardness of Evan's tactless comments and the way most of the New Mutants had been so obviously trying not to stare at them during the movie, to the way Kitty stroked her hands idly through his fur or stretched up to brush his lips with hers as they spoke. He let his eyes slip shut at the memory of her slender fingers and the warmth that had spread through him at their touch.

She hadn't pressed him about his earlier confession and he hadn't volunteered - although for the first time in his life he thought that he actually might, in time. It was strangely... freeing...to know that he'd shown her his worst, told her things he'd never trusted to another, and it hadn't driven her away. But he'd bared more than enough of his soul for one night, and there would be plenty of other opportunities for confession. Instead, they had spoken of her family, their friends, her excitement about their trip into New York. It had been well past two when he'd reluctantly left her at her door and retreated to his own room and the cold solitude of his bed.

The horizon had brightened steadily as he crouched there, lost in thought. Muted pinks and purples gradually suffused the striated clouds hovering offshore. And now, as he watched, the sun nudged slowly above the horizon, appearing in the narrow strip of clear sky above the sea as the clouds themselves seemed almost to catch fire, glowing with all the vibrant colors of dawn. Finishing the last of his rapidly cooling coffee he gave himself over to the brief but mesmerizing daily miracle of the sunrise. No matter how long he lived here, Kurt felt certain that he would never tire of watching the sun rise over the sea.




Kitty clenched her eyes shut against the light streaming through her window and made a last, futile effort to hold onto the drifting tatters of the dream she'd been enjoying before her alarm clock so rudely shattered it. Velvet fur, warm lips, rough hands skimming tenderly across her bare skin.

_Damn! No use._

Giving up, she blinked sleepily in the subdued light filtering in through the gap in her curtains and instead stretched luxuriously, enjoying the warm, contented feeling that washed over her as she thought back on the night before. Walking slowly back through the dark woods in comfortable silence. Their path lit only by the thin, silver shafts of moonlight that lanced through the branches above. Leaning into Kurt's warm velvet side and allowing him to guide her easily past obstacles that were never more than dimly seen shadows to her. arm arm draped loosely across her shoulders and his tail wrapped snugly around her waist had felt...right...in a way she'd never anticipated and she'd relaxed contentedly into the gentle embrace.

It had been almost surreal, to walk beside him in the dream-like peace of the moonlit woods, completely at ease with each other, after his agonized revelations of such a short time before. She'd known that she was going to have to think about what had happened eventually. Have to reconcile what she'd seen and what he'd said with everything she'd _thought_ she'd known of him before. Have to wonder what else he'd left unsaid. But not then, and not now. Eventually could come later.

For now she wanted to concentrate on the memory of the warm press of him against her side as they'd walked and the reassuring knowledge that, whatever had happened in the past and whatever uncertainties the future might hold, here and now he was hers, body and soul. Rolling over with a contented sigh, she flipped the covers back and prepared to face what promised to be a _very_ good day.

Amara jumped back from the door to the dining room, nose wrinkled with disgust as she glared at the fuzzy blue mutant clinging to the wall just below the ceiling. "I wish you wouldn't *do* that!"

"Do what?" he asked, grinning innocently. He knew the answer, but he was in a particularly good mood this morning and for some reason that was manifesting in a perverse desire to irritate the younger mutant.

When her continued glare did not have the desired effect she finally condescended to answer him. "Well, teleport inside for one thing. But if you've *got* to do it, you could at least land on the floor like a normal person."

"But fraulein, I am most decidedly _not_ normal," and he waved his tail playfully at her. Even her exaggerated flinch couldn't ruin his mood this morning. For once, he simply didn't care. "Besides," he added, "if I'd landed on the floor, we would have been occupying approximately the same space. Now, I've never actually _tried_ that, but I'm thinking it would probably _not_ be a good idea."

He winked and she paled visibly, obviously considering the rather unappealing possibilities. "Oh," she finally said in a small voice as he pushed effortlessly off from the wall and flipped gracefully to the floor behind her - and she was so distracted by her concern over her 'close call' that she actually forgot to flinch or shudder at that. Looking a tad green around the gills now, and without so much as looking back at him, she pushed open the heavy oak door to the dining room.

"Allow me," he told her, still smiling as he slipped easily past her to hold the door with a brief, but elegant, bow. She eyed him suspiciously for a moment, as though trying to decide if he was serious, before inclining her head slightly and stepping through with a grudging, "Thank you."

"Aaah, _smell_ that bacon," he sighed happily as he followed her through the door. "I'm not sure which I appreciate more; my own room back, windows, or Frau Ramirez's excellent cooking."

Amara paid him no more mind as she made a bee-line for the groaning sideboard and quickly filled her plate before sitting alone, down at one end of the long, mahogany table. Only a few others were already there - the 'early' crowd as Kurt tended to think of them - Scott, Herr McCoy and, of course, Logan. Both adults looked up from their plates and eyed him appraisingly for a long moment after he entered. He returned their regard with a cheerful salute and an open grin before heading over to fill his own plate with the bounty of Frau Ramirez's kitchen.

As he opened the lid on the steaming platter of bacon he decided, for possibly the dozenth time this week, that this was _definitely_ the best part of being back 'home'. No more lumpy porridge, undercooked bacon or over-salted soups and stews. Not to mention the significant increase in their always limited free time now that they were back to being rotating kitchen 'help' rather than being responsible for all the cooking and cleaning.

After happily loading up on bacon, eggs, waffles with syrup, nice _smooth_ oatmeal and another steaming mug of good, dark coffee, he slid into his usual spot beside Logan.

"Elf," the older man grunted by way of a greeting. "Yer sure chipper this mornin', ain't ya?"

Kurt glanced up at him, surprised at the unaccustomed attempt at conversation. Logan usually ate his breakfast rapidly and in silence, then made his escape before too many of the kids came in and cranked up the volume. In fact, since the teenage population of the mansion had more than doubled with the addition of the New Recruits, it hadn't been that uncommon for him to take his meals alone in the small staff kitchen - especially dinner on nights after he'd had the newbies in the Danger Room. Kurt assumed that there was only so much chatter his nerves could stand with his hyper-sensitive hearing.

Since his moth- *Mystique* - had destroyed the mansion, though, Logan had returned to taking most of his meals with them. Kurt wondered idly how long that would last now that life was returning to some kind of normalcy. After all, even with the loss of Rahne and Jubilee, there were still considerably more teenagers around the place than he suspected Logan had originally signed on for.

His reverie was interrupted by a light jab in the ribs. "Hey. Elf. Ya in there?" Logan inquired in an only mildly irritated growl.

"Hmm? Ja. Sorry my Freund. Just lost in thought for a moment."

"Hmph. Yeah, I suppose it's pretty easy to get lost when ya spend so little time there."

Kurt looked at him blankly for a moment before his face broke out in a slow smile. "A joke, Logan? Did you actually make a joke?" he asked teasingly as Herr McCoy's low, rich chuckle rumbled across the table.

"Who says I'm jokin' Fuzzball?" Logan replied, his face set in its habitual scowl. "I'm dead serious." But there was something in his eyes, something that reminded Kurt of too many beers and an ill-fated effort to induce a certain surly Canadian to sing.

"_Whatever you say, mein Freund," he answered with a smirk, before turning his attention to where Scott sat across the table, looking somewhat surprised by the Wolverine's unexpected foray into breakfast table banter.

"And how are you this morning, oh Fearless Leader?"

It was the first time he'd actually spoken directly to Scott since Thursday night's fiasco, and Kurt was, truth to tell, somewhat nervous about where he and Scott stood at this point. Any lingering awkwardness could make this day more than a little uncomfortable. He needn't have worried; though the older boy seemed a little subdued there was no hesitation in his response.

"Fine Kurt," the he replied easily around a mouthful of bacon. "You ready to take New York by storm today?"

"It won't know what hit it!"

"It sure as hell _better_ not!" Logan interjected with a dark look at both boys. "Scooter, you better keep the squirrel here outa trouble or you two won't see daylight again for a month."

"I know, I know Logan," Scott interrupted in an exasperated sing-song, his mouth turning down in irritation. "No powers - of any kind," and he looked meaningfully at Kurt, who plastered on his stock "who, me?" look automatically. "Make _sure_ he has spare batteries for the watch and a spare watch just in case," Scott continued, switching his attention back to Logan. "No large crowds, no jostling, stay out of the bad parts of town...." As Scott continued through the litany that Logan had been pounding into the four of them all week, Kurt was fairly sure that he was rolling his eyes behind the barrier of his ubiquitous sunglasses.

"Fine, Slim. Just make sure you remember it all when it counts," Logan announced when Scott finally finished. He pointedly ignored the patronizing grin Herr McCoy was directing his way as he fixed each boy with a penetrating glare.

At that moment the door swung open and they all looked up as Kitty walked in, hair still damp from the shower and dressed for a day on the town. Watching her pause at the door and look his way, Kurt wondered dimly if he really had the idiotic grin plastered on his face that it felt like he did.

"Ew," she announced, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she surveyed the four men at the end of the table. "What is it with guys and pig products?"

All four of them looked simultaneously down at their plates and Kurt snickered as he realized that they each had a huge mound of bacon piled in front of them.

"Is grease a food group around here or something?" she asked as she moved over to the sideboard and filled her plate with a vegetarian selection before sliding into the empty seat on Kurt's other side. He thought perhaps he could die happy when she leaned over and brushed a soft kiss across his cheek. He didn't even care about the disgusted glare Amara was shooting them from the other end of the table.

"Morning, Fuzzy. Up to anything this morning besides clogging your arteries?"

He felt his tail twine itself comfortably around her ankle and grinned at her before answering. "Juaitiaiting to see how long it will take Herr Logan to have an apoplectic fit as he contemplates all the trouble we could get into in New York, Liebe." He ignored the irritated growl from the party in question as he continued. "Did you know that Bobby actually has a pool going on how long it will take before he calls to check up on us?"

"Elf! You know you can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, don't you?" the older mutant snarled as he stood up from the table, his now empty plate in hand.

"I should hope so," Kurt responded, his mouth tipping into a grin despite his best efforts to the contrary. "I would hate to think I'm wasting all this effort."

Logan's only response was to roll his eyes in exasperation as he stalked from the room, the sound of hastily stifled laughter following him all the way to the hall.

"You know, Kurt. One of these days you're going to actually tick him off and he's going to pound you good," Scott informed him, trying, and failing spectacularly, to sound serious.

"He could try, but he'd have to catch me first," Kurt responded with a self-satisfied smirk. "And even the Wolverine would find that difficult."

"You do realize," Herr McCoy interrupted as he rose from his seat at the end of the table, "that you have invalidated the pool by making Logan aware of it?" The large blue man sounded rather aggrieved and Kurt chuckled at the realization that the older man had actually joined in the betting.

"Sorry to blow your shot at riches, Herr McCoy," he answered, without any noticeable feeling of remorse. "But I figured if he knows he's being bet on, he's much less likely to actually give in to the temptation to harass the shit out of us all day. After all, he's not going to want to give anyone the pleasure of collecting."

The good doctor rolled his eyes in good-natured amusement at the younger man's plotting. "If I might hazard a conjecture on the subject, I imagine your apriorism is quite accurate, my hirsute blue compatriot. You will doubtless enjoy your peregrinations entirely free from Logan's hectoring."

"Um, he does that on purpose, doesn't he?" Kitty asked rather plaintively as Herr McCoy turned and made his way from the room.

"Oh yeah," Scott answered with a snort of amusement, though there'd been no real need. The low chuckle that cut off abruptly as the door closed behind the older mutant was more than answer enough.

By the time they assembled on the mansion's front steps at 9:00 the light cloud cover which had made the sunrise so spectacular had completely disappeared, leaving a beautiful, sunny morning in its wake. Kurt wrapped his arms lightly around Kitty's waist and settled his chin atop her head as they waited for Scott to bring his little red convertible around from the garage. Logan was, yet again, running through his list of do's and don'ts (mostly don'ts), after having checked both the watch Kurt was wearing and his spare, as well as the batteries for both. Kurt let the older man's monologue wash over him as he enjoyed the feel of Kitty in his arms, the sparkle of sunlight on the sea, and the prospect of an entire day away from mutant central.

Jean and Kitty had already taken 'orders' from Amara and Tabby as to what they absolutely *had* to bring back from the City, and Kurt had promised Jamie a souvenir of some kind, though he really had no idea what to get the younger boy. Hopefully something would jump out and grab him while they were there. He let his attention drift to the head of the stairs, where the Professor and Jean were going over the list of establishments they were to visit in the morning and early afternoon and the times that they were expected, as well as their dinner and theater reservations for the evening.

"Elf! Are you listenin' to me?" He jumped as Logan's penetrating growl reclaimed his wandering attention, his arms tightening reflexively around Kitty's waist. He was saved from having to answer the question by Scott's timely arrival as he pulled into the circular drive and stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"Sorry Logan, gotta go!" he announced cheerfully, before placing his lips next to Kitty's ear and warning her quietly, "Hold on, Liebe." With twin bursts of smoke they disappeared from the top of the steps, only to appear a fraction of a second later on the far side of Scott's convertible - a distance at which Kurt felt it was fairly safe to pretend not to hear Logan's irritated growl.

"You know, Fuzzy. I wish you'd give me just a _little_ bit more warning in future," Kitty told him as she vigorously fanned away the rapidly dissipating cloud of purple smoke that had heralded their arrival. "I don't really mind it so much anymore, but I prefer to have a moment to prepare myself for the shock."

"Sorry, Liebe," he murmured apologetically, taking the opportunity to run his lips along the edge of her ear. "I was just afraid that if we didn't get away from him quickly, we'd be stuck there all morning. You *know* he would have insisted on repeating the whole speech if he thought I wasn't listening."

"And *were* you?"

"Listening? Of course not," he answered with a grin. "Just because Logan's developed a mother hen complex late in life doesn't mean I have to humor him. Besides, you weren't listening either - and don't even _try_ and claim that you were."

"Hey, are you two coming or what?"

The unaccustomed curtness in Scott's tone distracted him from further attentions to Kitty's oh-so-fascinating ear, and he looked up to meet the older boy's irritated gaze. "Jawohl, oh Fearless Leader," he replied, unwrapping arms and tail from Kitty's person and looking up to where Jean was now jogging down the steps ton thn them.

"Sorry Scott," Kitty chimed in, laughing as she pushed away from Kurt's arms. "The Fuzzy Wonder's pretty easily distracted this morning."

"I resent that, Liebe," he shot back, still grinning. "I am not easily distracted - *you* are just supremely distracting!" He dropped a kiss on the back of her neck and goosed her lightly, ignoring her squeal of outrage as he ducked past her and vaulted into the back seat of the little convertible just as Jean opened the passenger door and slipped into place beside Scott.

He looked up at Kitty where she still stood next to the car, directing a not very convincing glare his way. "Are you coming, Katzchen?" he asked, fixing her with a look of wide-eyed innocence as she shook her head in mock-exasperation and hopped lightly into the seat next to him.

"You know Fuzzball, I'd tell you to keep your furry hands to yourself, but I'm afraid you might actually listen." Whatever witty response he might have managed was promptly forgotten as she leaned over and pressed warm lips to his in a *very* distractiny. y. He was more than happy to respond in kind, pointedly disregarding assorted catcalls from their team-mates where they had assembled on the stairs to see them off.

It was Scott's decidedly irritated voice that finally cut through their mutual absorption and brought them, blushing and short of breath, back to the present. "If you two could forget the lip-lock for the moment and put your seat belts on we might actually be able to get the hell out of here."

No sooner had they begun to fumble with their seatbelts than Scott had his foot on the gas and they were heading down the long drive to the gates. Kurt hoped that, for once, there wouldn't be a crowd of protestors waiting for them. Noting the tense set of Scott's shoulders, he took a moment to examine his friend's face where it was reflected in the rear-view mirror. He'd been a bit taciturn this morning at breakfast and now he _definitely_ seemed a bit...off.

"Okay mein Freund, what's got your shorts in a knot?" Jean turned in her seat to glower at him, but he ignored her and raised one eye-brow at Scott's reflection in the mirror.

"It's no big deal, Kurt," the older boy responded after a moment. "I just talked to Alex last night before bed, and he's decided not to join us when school gets out."

"Wait, let me guess - he doesn't want to miss the good surfing weather?" Kurt rather liked the younger Summers, all things considered, but he did seem to have a rather odd set of priorities and that was just the kind of reasoning Kurt would expect from him.

"Not quite, but not far off," Scott replied, a distinct note of disappointment in his voice. "He's decided that he'd rather pursue a professional surfing career than do the 'mutant super-hero thing'." Scott grimaced in distaste at the description of their life-style and Kitty snorted in disdain. "He'll come out for a week or two this summer, but, as he pointed out, the surf around here really wouldn't further his career goals."

Somehow, Kurt doubted that the laid back surfer boy had phrased things quite like that. After all, the kid could make Kitty's worst days look positively articulate, speaking of which....

"Doesn't he, like, realize how dangerous it is for mutants out there right now?" she piped up. "He'd be, like, so much safer here."

Jean placed a hand on Scott's shoulder, which had visibly tensed. "He'll be fine Kitty." Her words may have been directed at the younger girl, but they were obviously meant for Scott. "Hawaii hasn't had the anti-mutant backlash that the rest of the country has experienced."

Kurt put a quelling hand on Kitty's knee and squeezed gently as she opened her mouth to respond, then sighed in relief as she closed her mouth with an almost audible snap and turned to look quizzically at him. He just gave her a meaningful look and jerked his head toward the front seat, where Scott sat, chewing his lip in irritation as he waited for the heavy wrought-iron gates to slide open.

"I know that Jean. It's just...dammit! He doesn't have control over his powers yet. He should be _here_, where we can help him. What if he loses control? What if someone gets hurt?" His voice had risen as he spoke, and when the gates finally opened far enough to let them pass the little red car shot through them with an uncharacteristic squeal of tires. At almost any other time, Kurt would have enjoyed the sight of protesters running to get out of the way, but this morning he was more intent on his friend's bad mood - and the reason for it.

"I don't think Hawaii'll be so laid back about mutants if they find out they actually have one," Scott ground out as they hit the road and fish-tailed briefly. "Especially one that could level all of Honolulu in an hour without breaking a sweat."

Jean was kneading his shoulder rhythmically and Kurt could tell from the cadence of Scott's argument that this was just a repeat of an earlier conversation. In his agitation, Scott was actually driving with none of his usual caution. He was taking the corners on the winding, tree-lined road tight and fast, with much squealing of tires - a fact which Kurt would have enjoyed immensely under different circumstances. As it was, he simply felt bad for having brought up a tender subject. What a way to start oheirheir big day out.

He was about to chip in with a reassuring inanity when Scott took a particularly tight turn a little too fast. The tires protested with another squeal as the little convertible slipped sideways across the center line. Kurt watched with almost detached curiosity as Scott tried, with limited success, to bring the little car back under control and then it all became academic.

There was a disconcerting "FOOMP" and the car shuddered erratically. worlworld slowed as the rear of the car spun wildly while they simultaneously skidded completely into the wrong lane. Kurt had an all too brief moment of clarity to realize they must have blown a tire and to be thankful that there was no oncoming traffic before time restarted itself as they hit the opposite shoulder going sideways and backwards.

For a second or two he feared that the change of surface combined with the blowout and their speed would cause the tiny car to roll, and he strained against his seatbelt to reach forward, placing a hand on Scott's shoulder and preparing to teleport, trusting Kitty to take care of herself and Jean if necessary. He'd gotten no farther than that when the car shuddered to an abrupt and wrenching halt. A glance up front confirmed his suspicion. Jean sat hunched over in the passenger seat, Kitty's hand on her shoulder mirroring Kurt's grip on Scott, her hands just drifting away from her temples as she released whatever telekinetic force she'd used to stop their skid.

In the sudden quiet, the sound of four sets of lungs working like bellows was unnaturally loud. Kurt was making a concerted effort to calm his own adrenaline fueled foray into hyper-ventilation before inquiring after the state of everyone's health when Scott abruptly slammed both fists down hard on the steering wheel with a muffled oath before letting his head drop to join them with a hollow thunk. There followed a long moment of tense silence before Kurt broke it for the simple reason that he couldn't stand it any more.

"Dankeschoene Jean," he murmured with heartfelt gratitude, meeting the redhead's eyes in the rearview mirror as she looked up for the first time since they'd slid to a halt.

"Yeah, like, thanks Jean," Kitty echoed as she phased out of her seatbelt and slid into Kurt's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she did so.

"Is everyone okay?" Scott's voice was muffled from his continued position face down on the steering wheel, but Kurt had no trouble catching the bitter self-recrimination in his tone.

"Fein."

"Yes."

"Yeah."

Finally, the older boy raised his head and turned to face them all. "I'm really sorry about that guys," he started, his voice heavy and Kurt was sure his eyes behind the ever-present shades were burning with shame.

"Come on, mein Freund," Kurt exclaimed with all the cheer his jarred nerves could muster. "You can be just as sorry while we change the tire." He unfastened his seatbelt and gave Kitty a reassuring smile as he slipped out from under her and vaulted out of the back seat. "Everyone out! We have a long day ahead of us and I, for one, don't want to spend any more of it here than necessary."

Kitty followed his lead and phased out to stand next to him.

"Yeah, come on you two. I want to get the Prof's shopping done A.S.A.P. so I can do some of my own. Get the lead out already."

Jean opened her door and slid out, casting him a grateful smile as Scott undid his seatbelt and jumped out as well.

"Okay Kurt," he announced, still sounding subdued, but with the ring of authority coming back into his voice. "The jack and the wrench are in the trunk. You get them while I check out the tire and get the spare."

"Jawohl, mein Herr," Kurt replied with a grin as he moved to follow orders. _Mission accomplished!_ Scott focused on something he could fix was infinitely preferable to Scott focused on self-flagellation.

_Thanks Kurt._ Jean's mental touch was light and unintrusive and he only flinched slightly before responding.

_No problem._

He had just extracted the requested items when a large SUV cruised around the corner and pulled to an abrupt stop not fifteen feet away. "Good Samaritans," he commented to Scott, jerking his head their way as a small crowd of twenty-somethings piled haphazardly out of the vehicle. Jean and Kitty were already moving to reassure the newcomers that they were all right and needed no help, so he shifted his attention back to where Scott knelt, still examining the remains of the shredded tire.

"Kurt, there's something not right about this," the older boy began before cutting off abruptly as a small metal canister landed on the ground between the two of them. For a fraction of a second Kurt found himself staring in mixed curiosity and confusion at the dull gray cylinder before it literally exploded, sending a thick cloud of yellowish smoke billowing from it to fill the air around them. Kurt's surprised gasp at this totally unexpected turn of events was more than sufficient to fill his lungs with the gas hanging in the air. He clamped his mouth shut, determined not to inhale any more of the noxious substance, and looked up, lungs burning and eyes smarting from the smoke to meet Scott's panicked gaze as the older boy tried to lurch awkwardly to his feet. He had obviously gotten a lungful of whatever was in the canister as well. As one they turned to where the girls had gone to meet the 'Good Samaritans' and Kurt felt his heart bottom out at the sight of their limp bodies being unceremoniously loaded into the back of the SUV.

It had only been a second, two at the outside, since the he'd sucked in the strange gas, but the world was already starting to turn gray around the edges and spin disturbingly. He heard a muffled thump to his left and realized that Scott must have just fallen in his attempt to rise. He'd been kneeling by the canister when it exploded and must have gotten a more concentrated dose of whatever it was - sedative or poison, Kurt didn't even want to guess.

With what little was left of his rapidly fading consciousness he triggered a teleport, not even sure what destination, if any, he had in mind; he only knew that he had to do _something_, had to at least try to get away. There was a painful, sickening lurch and the smell of brimstone briefly overpowered the acrid scent of the smoke that had surrounded him, before the world went completely black and he hit the ground hard.