Unchained Instinct ( Complete)

Chapter 28

“Kurt, don’t!” The Professor shouted, but Kurt disappeared, leaving nothing but acrid smoke behind.

“Where’s he going?” Jean asked. “Professor, Kurt’s rage is blinding his thoughts. I can’t even get a fix on him, his thoughts are so chaotic.”

Rogue glanced out the window, her mind reeling out, trying to think where Kurt would start looking for Mystique. But to her, the task seemed impossible, Mystique’s deceits and evil plans unfathomable.

She heard the voices of her friends, but understood nothing of what they said, her thoughts focused solely on Kurt.

“Chere,” Gambit said beside her, his voice low.

Rogue glanced up, ready with a sharp remark, but the look in Gambit’s eyes was serious and she held her tongue. “If ya got somethin’ to say, spit it out.”

A smirk pulled at Gambit’s mouth. “Ah got an idea, but....” Gambit glanced behind him at the others.

“But?”

Turning his scarlet gaze back to her, Gambit said. “Ah don’t know how receptive you’re brothers and sisters would be ta ma ideas.”

“Ah’m interested. If ya got ideas about where ta find Mystique...and particularly Logan, Ah’m very interested.”

“Don’t know about Mystique and Logan, but Gambit bets Nightcrawler’s headin’ for The Brotherhood house.”

Rogue let the suggestion sink in then turned a grin on Gambit. “You’re not nearly as thick as Ah thought.”

Gambit put a hand to his heart and offered her a hurt expression. “There ya go again, chere, insultin’ Gambit when all he’s tryin’ ta do is help.”

“Aw, get over yerself, Gumbo.” Rogue gripped his arm and headed for the door. “We’re headin’ for The Brotherhood house, if anybody’s game,” Rogue flung over her shoulder.

Scott stared at her then followed, Jean right behind him. “You think that’s where Kurt’s heading,” Scott stated.

“Yeah,” Rogue shot back. “Kurt would expect them to know where Mystique is.”

“Makes sense,” Jean offered. “You think of that yourself, Rogue?”

Rogue heard a hint of humor in Jean’s question. “With a little help.”

Scott reached out and grabbed Gambit by the arm, jerking him to a standstill. “Is there something you know you’re not telling us? Maybe you helped Mystique set this all up. Maybe you’re just leading us by the nose.”

Gambit jerked from Scott’s grasp, hands balling into fists. “Would ya believe me if Ah denied it? Ya just lookin’ for a reason ta blame Gambit for what Mystique’s doin’.”

“Leave ‘im alone, Scott!” Rogue pushed between the two men. “He’s got nothin’ to do with Mystique.” At least, Rogue hoped he didn’t. Scott’s accusations gave her an uncomfortable feeling.

“You don’t know him, Rogue,” Scott said in that annoying, reasonable tone. “He could still be working for Magneto for all we know.”

“Stop it, Scott,” Jean said, putting a restraining hand on his arm. “I told you, I’ve scanned Gambit’s mind. He has had nothing to do with Mystique or Logan’s disappearance. You trust me, don’t you?”

Scott turned to Jean and gave her a slow nod. “Yeah. I trust you. I just have trouble trusting him.”

“Like Ah care if ya do,” Gambit drawled back. “If ya want the help, Ah’ll help. If ya don’t...won’t make no never mind ta me. But if Ah was you, Ah’d be thinkin’ about that boy, Nightcrawler. He in no right mind ta be facin’ all those Brotherhood boys by hisself. Ya think?”

“He’s right, Scott” Rogue injected. “Kurt needs us now. We can hash out your distrust issues later.”

Scott stared a moment longer than turned back to punch the elevator button. “Come on. Let’s go help Kurt before he throws Alvers off a cliff and Kitty gets mad at us for not stopping him.”

********************

Kurt appeared just outside The Brotherhood house, his rage still boiling. He’d find out where Mystique had taken Logan if he had to tear these guys to pieces to find out, consequences be damned. Logan had done no less for him and Kurt intended to match Logan’s devotion to him with the same determination.

Midnight had come and gone, but lights still flickered and the muffled sound of canned laughter filtered through the walls.

Kurt “ported” into the living room, blocking the view of the television. Lance and Todd gave a start, Lance pushing up to stand, hands ready for a fight.

“Hey! What the hell do you think your doing, Wagner?” Lance said. “Nobody sent an invitation.”

“Where is she?!” Kurt all but growled. “Where is Mystique?!”

“Do we look like the lady’s social secretaries?” Todd shot back. “Who knows with her? She could be anywhere...or anybody.” Todd turned to Lance and gave him a suspicious look. “You’re not her, are ya?”

“Shut up, Toad,” Lance replied. “What’s up, Wagner? What’s the problem with your mommy?”

Kurt “ported” and grabbed Lance by the shirt then “ported” again, shoving Lance up against the wall. “Where is she?!”

“Let go. Are you...crazy?!” Lance said, struggling to get loose from Kurt’s grip.

“Yes. I am crazy! I’m insane! Now tell me where she is. Where has she taken Logan?”

Lance’s eyes went wide with shock, but Kurt had no intentions of falling for Lance’s tricks. He shoved again and from somewhere adrenalin rushed through Kurt’s body, giving him strength he didn’t know he had. Lance was barely touching the ground now and panic had set into his dark eyes.

He sensed Todd behind him and his tail lashed out, sweeping Todd off his feet and flinging him a good ten feet to slam into a chair.

“You will tell me,” Kurt snarled into Lance’s face, hardly feeling Lance’s grip on his wrists, trying to wrest free.

“I don’t know! Kurt! I don’t know. Listen to me for a minute. We had nothing to do with whatever Mystique did to you or Logan! Now let go!”

A whoosh of a breeze stirred the stale air and Pietro stood beside Kurt with hands on hips, a smile on his lips. “What’s up, fuzzball? Looks like you and Lance are having a little disagreement. Woke me up out of a sound sleep. Good thing Fred’s a deep sleeper or you’d have a world of trouble on your hands coming into The Brotherhood house all alone without your X-buddies to back you up.”

Kurt shoved Lance into the wall and grabbed for Pietro. But all he caught was empty air. Lance pushed him from behind, but Kurt reached out with his tail and wrapped it around Lance, trapping his arms.

“Where is Mystique? Somebody answer me now before I really get angry!”

Pietro stood a few feet away and held up his hands. “Haven’t a clue. Don’t care. You ought to know better than us anyway. She’s your mommy.”

“She’s nothing to me,” Kurt sneered back. “She’s less than nothing. She’d come here. She’d come to you to help her trap Logan.”

“And...we told her...we weren’t...interested,” Lance gasped. Kurt flung Lance away and backed up to see all three at once.

“Don’t lie to me, Alvers. I’m in no mood for lies.”

Lance got to his feet and brushed off his jeans. “Look. I promised Kitty I wouldn’t have anything to do with Mystique or Magneto and I haven’t. She’s the only one I need to convince. But I’m telling you now, I don’t know where Mystique is. And if you want somebody to be mad at, be mad at Pietro. He’s the one that got Mystique all riled up about you and Logan being an item.”

Kurt turned his rage on Pietro who grinned and gave a shrug. “She was gonna find out anyway. I just happened to be the messenger.”

“Right,” Lance offered with sarcasm. “With all the right adjectives to make it all sound real nasty and sordid. She hit the ceiling.”

Kurt took a deep breath, trying to control his rage. “I don’t care about any of that anymore. All I want is to find Logan before she does something terrible to him. One of you must know something.”

Lance took a menacing step forward. “And we’re telling you we don’t.”

“And I’m telling you I don’t believe you,” Kurt shot back.

“Too bad! Now get out of here before I take your blue fuzzy head off.”

“I’m not leaving until one of you tells me where Mystique has Logan.”

“Mystique grabbed Logan?” Todd said with incredulity. “Yo, Mystique. I knew the lady had balls, but this takes the cake.”

“Shut up, Toad!” all three of them chorused.

“Hey, don’t a guy have a right to an opinion in his own crib?”

“No,” Lance said. “Now shut up while I throw geek boy out the door.”

“Just try, Alvers and I’ll pitch you off a cliff head first. But then you’d probably just bounce.”

“You’re askin’ for it you little blue freak,” Lance growled.

Kurt “ported” over to him and slammed Lance back against the wall once more, holding him there with sheer force of his manic will.

Todd let out a shriek when the door banged open with a thud, but Kurt paid no attention
Alvers had to be lying...someone had to be lying for if they weren’t how was he to find Logan?

“Tell me where she is!” Kurt wrapped his tail around Lance’s neck and began to squeeze, watching the blood rise in the other’s face, Lance struggling in his grip.

Hands grabbed Kurt’s arms, trying to drag him away. “Kurt! Let go of Lance. Come on, buddy, don’t do this. He’s not worth it.”

Scott’s words worked their way into Kurt’s brain, but his head felt like it was about to explode, the rage inside of him pounding in his temples as if he was about to have a stroke. Scott and...Gambit again?...dragged him away from Lance. Scott’s arm wrapped around his waist, holding him back.

“Come on, Kurt, calm down,” Scott said in a soothing voice. “Relax, buddy. We can talk without losing our cool.”

“I’ve already lost my cool,” Kurt replied, shaking free from the grips holding him. He turned to see Jean and Rogue there as well and Kurt put his hands to his face, but the rage would not leave him, mixing with his despair, creating a lethal concoction. “I’ve lost my mind! And I’ve lost Logan!”

“We didn’t start this, Summers,” Lance said, voice full of his own anger. “Blue boy just barged in here uninvited and started accusing us of helping Mystique kidnap Logan.”

“So, did you?” Scott asked, his tone reasonable but firm. “Help Mystique kidnap Logan?”

Lance opened his mouth then shut it, teeth gritted together. “I’m sick of this melodrama and I’m sick of people coming into my house uninvited.”

“Let’s do some straight talkin’ now, boys,” Gambit said, sauntering towards them. “We all been on different sides at one time or ‘nother. But we’re tryin’ to get along now. You boys caused enough trouble...and so did Ah for these X-Men not to trust any of us. Just answer Summer’s question.”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” Lance stated, but he grinned and dropped into a chair. Pietro leaned against the wall close to the kitchen, obviously keeping track of escape routes if needed. Todd hunkered down in a corner and watched with an unreadable gaze. “But I like that. Wagner’s got more balls than I thought too. I guess being a fag doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a wimp.”

Kurt let out a growl that sounded more like Logan than himself and made a leap at Lance, but Jean caught him in mid air and pulled him back down beside her.

“Why did you do that?!” Kurt whirled on her with his fists clenched.

“Because you are not acting rational. You are blinded by your rage. Please calm down.”

“Stop telling me to calm down!” Kurt snarled and turned on Lance again, ready to pounce.

“I’m sorry, Kurt,” Jean said, sounding truly sorry. But for what?

Kurt felt Jean’s hands touch his hair then darkness began to envelope his mind. “No!” But the word held no power and just before he lost consciousness, Kurt thought he heard Mystique’s ice cold laugh.