Frostbitten

Summoned me?

Kurt straightened, standing with his arms crossed tight across his chest, warding off the cold he was too shocked to feel, Bobby – or some version of him – looked up at him, eyebrow raised with a mirthless smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. He appeared to be the same age he was when he went missing, twenty-five...twenty-six? But there was nothing young about those eyes that locked to his own. They were much paler than the photos he'd seen of Bobby, as was his hair, not lightened from age...but the white-blond usually only seen on small children. Tow-headed.

There was no trace of the smart mouthed class-clown, the youngest of the original X-Men. The one who'd been described as immature, and never wanting to grow up.

The face was the same, but the mind inside? What was looking out of those eerie eyes was nothing like the Iceman that had been described to him, that he knew on periphery, mostly from Jean or Rogue's “family stories”.

How long had he been here?

Since he hadn't demanded an explanation, Robert Drake went on as if he'd never mentioned being the one to summon the elfin mutant from another world, “You look cold. Here.” He dug into a leather pack, pulling out a black bundle and tossing it to Kurt. “It's enspelled, and will keep you warm. Even here.”

Kurt unfold the the woolen cloak and draped it around his shoulders, and just as Bobby promised, warmth seemed to wrap around him, and he couldn't feel the wind any longer.

“Thank you.” He managed to say, his lips feeling oddly numb.

“You don't remember at all.” Bobby said slowly, settling back against his back and sheathing the sword. He looked both pleased and ...rueful? “For the best. How's Jean? Hank?”

“Worried. Everyone is...what did you mean by 'I don't remember'?” Kurt drew the hood of the cloak up and was startled when this hardened version of Iceman reached out suddenly and yanked the cowl back down.

Was?

“Don't. I want to see your face.” Then just as quickly, the small smile was back, “You were here once before, you came in through the Gate. But I sent you back. You didn't have the keys...and I need you to hold onto something for me.”

Kurt nodded, “I was missing for twenty-two minutes. There were people, hood and in a circle. They... turned to ash.”

“Dust.” Bobby corrected, “They turned to dust. Freeze-dried.” he gave a harsh laugh, “They were the elite here, a coven of magic users of a great nation – a human nation – who sought to summon a creature of great power to harness and use in their little wars. What they got,” He tilted his head and smiled unpleasantly, “Was me...and then they died. Oops.”

“What happened?” Kurt's eyes narrowed, his gut clenching, “What did you do?”

“Oh, it wasn't me. It was some sort of magical backlash. I'm not exactly sure what happened. It hurt, felt like my powers were out of control and ripping me apart at the same time...and then it just released. This terrible power, and they died, and as they did, their souls started to unravel..like cheap sweater.” Bobby's eyes were distant, as if he was looking into the past, watching the scene over again. “Their knowledge, their powers had no place to go. So they went through me, and some things stayed.”

Kurt recoiled in horror, and reached out without thinking to grip the man's arm. Bobby caught his wrist, moving viper fast, and jerked Kurt toward him, looking down at his tri-digit hand, studying his palm.

“They were trying to summon a dragon.” He looked up, eyes glowing with an intense blue light, “Jean's not the only one. The Professor never told me that I was one, too.”

“One, too?”

“An Omega. Here, the call me The Dragon.” Bobby let go of Kurt's hand, who tucked it against his chest. “He should have told me.”

“How long have you been here?” Kurt whispered, shocked.

“Oh, eighty-five years or so...give or take a year. I'm not exactly sure.” He reached out and cupped Kurt's cheek, “You still have it, I can feel it...see it in your eyes. I could feel you Over There, Beyond the Gate. You took care of it well, until I needed it back.”

“What...did I have?”

Bobby leaned in, his face only inches from Kurt's, “My soul, Kurt. I hid it in you, a piece of my soul.”