Fractals

Fractals Chapter Sixty Six (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply

A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE ™, Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta… no snow but it’s colder than a witch’s…er…*ahem* It’s really cold, lol. InterNutter, TC, Maxwell Pink and Dracena are loverly and wondermous for archiving/hosting! ProPhile: Two more then your smut. Morgan: *glomp * Readers/Reviewers: Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. :) Happy Festivus to those who don’t. ;)


Kurt shivered, sending a flurry of fine blue fur cascading towards the ground. He felt sick but he was trying not to show it. He wished Wanda would quit staring at him and go back to muttering and snarling at Tabby. “I’ll be fine,” he said out of the blue1, breaking the silence. “I feel better now that I’ve eaten…” He itched, if the truth be known, and he felt as if he bones were jelly.
Wanda narrowed her eyes and raked her fingers through her hair, venting a harsh, disbelieving breath. “Look, fuzzbutt, you’re a terrible liar. We’re fucked either way you look at it.” She shook her head, ignoring his glare. “We’re not gonna play hero, got it? We’re getting out of here. We’ll send someone back for anyone else.”
Kurt shook his head. “Nein, we’re going to do this. I’m fine.” He forced himself to stand upright, or as close to it as his natural posture would allow His tail lashed in agitation as he stared Wanda down, or tried to. “Who put you in charge anyway? I don’t recall voting for you.”
Tabby growled. “Both of you shut up. Fighting like fucking little girls isn’t going to help any. We don’t know how much time we got so let’s move.” She tugged at the edge of her shapeless top, frowning. “Damn it. I can’t fight big bads looking like that chick from _Girl, Interrupted. _. “
Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose in momentary annoyance. “Wanda, you do whatever you want. We are not joined at the hip. I’m going to stay.”
Wanda snorted. “Fine. What the fuck ever. I’m getting out of this Hell-hole.”
“No, you’re not.” The door to the small, dark study swung open. “You all talk far too loudly to be secretive.” Tarot raised a red brow and surveyed the scene. “I was wondering why Pietro was so twitchy. This is…amusing.” She folded her arms, her hands disappearing into the kimono-sleeves of her dress. “Three little mutants, so sweet and pure, trying to run out Magneto’s back door,” she sing-songed.2
“Christ,” Tabby muttered. “I really hate getting blood under my nails before breakfast.” She leapt at Tarot, tackling her to the ground before the other young woman had a chance to draw her card. Tabby grabbed her around the throat and slammed her head once, then twice against the floor. Tarot’s eyes rolled back and she went limp, her mouth gaping in slack surprise.
“Is she breathing?” Kurt demanded. “Check her pulse…”
Wanda pushed him aside and knelt next to Tarot. “She’s fine. Just out.” She glanced at Tabby appraisingly and smiled slightly. “Angry much?”
The blonde pushed an errant curl off her forehead and stood, smoothing her hands over her ill fitting garb. “I hate prisses.” She sniffed once, raised a brow and turned to Kurt. “I’m staying with you. You can go if you want to,” she added to Wanda. Tarot groaned at her feet and she delivered a sharp kick to her side. “Or you can baby sit her. I’m not leaving here until I know…” she trailed off. “Until I know,” she said more firmly.
“I’m not going,” Wanda sighed. “Things are looking interesting.” Someone’s voice called for Tarot down the hall, sounding mildly irritated. “Shhhh…” the Scarlet Witch breathed unnecessarily. “Wait…”
They called again, sounding closer. It was a woman’s voice, low and smooth. “Mystique,” Kurt mouthed to the others. He knew the voice anywhere, as if it were ingrained in the deepest recesses of his mind. She was not in a form, her voice was her own, and she was moving closer.
“Tarot! Downstairs! Now!” Mystique moved by the door, not once stopping. She seemed to be using a scattershot approach, calling out randomly and hoping the young woman heard her before returning to her own duties.
“Well,” Wanda grinned in a most feral manner. “You heard her. Downstairs.” She bent and took Tarot’s arms as Tabby lifted her legs. “Kurt, you’re holo-less and there’s media…”
He nodded grimly. “I know. Just trust me. I have an idea…”
Wanda groaned. “Isn’t that how World War One started?”

Magneto was smiling tensely, the Professor outwardly placid at his side. To the random observer, it seemed as if, at the last moment, Charles Xavier had deigned to join with the other man in his endeavor, maybe to prove that the rumors were not only unfounded but extremely actionable. To Mystique, however, it looked more dangerous. She descended the stairs slowly, appearing as Magneto’s companion and, in her mind, looking like an overpriced call girl. She sailed through the crowd, milling in anticipation, already growing bored with the wait, and lighted by Magneto’s side. “She’s on her way down.” _I think, _ she added inwardly. “Hello, Charles,” she purred, offering her hand.
“Please,” he murmured, taking it and bowing cordially, “call me Professor Xavier.” He smiled wryly at her mixture of amusement and irritation. “Tell me, Eric,” he asked, turning away from the woman, “when does this little party of yours finally take on meaning?”
“Right about now,” he smiled, looking past him to his son and Fred, looming in the doorway to the old salon. He waved them over and said under his breath, “Last chance, Charles.”
“Same to you, Eric…” Professor Xavier caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye and froze. He knew that tail…
“INCOMING!”
There was a shriek, a collective gasp, then a thud as Tarot was shoved bodily down the stairs. She skipped three steps, then rolled the rest of the way, landing with a sick thump at the bottom. She groaned and struggled to sit up, falling back and groaning again as the effort proved too much. Wanda stood, hands on her hips and face thunderous, at the top of the stairs. “Hello…Father.”


1 No pun intended… ;)
2 hmm. No more Buffy episodes with Drusilla while I write fanfic…