The Demon's Angel

Chapter 45

Jean
   "Stryker's at Alkali Lake," I said quietly, still staring at the place where Kurt had been. Logan's eyes narrowed. "That's where the Professor sent me... Nothing's left." I sighed. "There's nothing left on the surface, Logan. The base is underground."

   I got away as fast as possible without looking too suspicious as soon as I had relayed all the information I could. I had expected some messed up things when I dove into Kurt's mind. Mutants were already hated, and his obvious mutation had to have made him a target. There was also the implication he made that someone else had carved those marks into his skin. I had thought I had hardened myself to the abuses of mutants. I thought they didn't affect me as much. After all, I could help them better if I didn't get too emotionally involved in the reasons they were messed up, but rather, see the person themselves. But I hadn't expected that. I hadn't expected to see that deeply into someone's mind, their fear, pain, or loss. In the few months I had seen, Kurt had felt all of those things to an alarming degree. He'd forgotten, but suddenly having all of those emotions thrust back at you had to be difficult.

     'I should find him,' I thought nervously. It wasn't too difficult to track him, at least in theory. He hid in a tree near the camp, but it was so dark that the only way I found him was through the sounds of his almost silent crying, almost drowned out by the faint whisper of leaves. "Kurt?" I whispered gently. Only silence answered. "Please don't leave!" I begged. "I want to talk to you." He swung downward by his tail, looking at me upside down. "Vhat do ju vant?" he asked dully. "Who was she?" I asked quietly. He closed his eyes for a moment, tears dripping to the ground. "My best friend," he whispered. "Please come down. All the way," I sighed. I hadn't looked in depth into his memories. I tried to keep them as private as possible, except when the location came up. I saw the images, like looking through a photo album, but I didn't know the memories that went with them.

    Kurt dropped to the ground before crumpling to his knees. I knelt down and hugged him. "How....?" "A mind trick," he interrupted. "Zey showed me my own desires, and Lizzie must've gotten pulled into the trick as vell. Zey vere after me, but since she vas nearby, zey took her too." He let out a quiet sob. "She's still zere because of me. I'm the vone who ran avay to be alone, and she vent to find me. So how is it zat I'm free, and she is still trapped in zat nightmare?!" I hugged him tighter. "We'll find her, Kurt. I promise. We'll save her."