X-Men: Silk & Velvet

Still, he was hard, and in between self-berating thoughts came rather unclean images of Dara. Briefly hating himself, Kurt tore his pants off, hissing at the pain and pleasure as the cloth brushed his organ.

"Verdamntt!"Kurt stared down at himself, suddenly amazed. His mind wandered. He wondered.

Would Dara ...?

"NEIN!!" Fairly panicking, Kurt rushed into the shower, cursing himself for letting the water get

warm ...

No, no,nein, he wouldnot make this worse by relieving himself, he wouldnot encourage his desire for the girl to intensify, he wouldNOT satisfy himself.

Something, deep within his skull, hissed at him,'You'll never be satisfied without her, Wagner.'

Baring his fangs, and knowing that he was fully capable of waiting out his member, Kurt still reached for the hard, burning organ.

Putting one hand solidly against the linoleum wall, Kurt drew the other slowly over the shaft, savoring the spark, the electricity that raced up and down his spine. He heard himself groan, felt his eyes start to water. Kurt squeezed them shut, but was suddenly unable to stop the fantasies.

His breathing started to become faster and more labored. Heat arose in him as he imaged taking Dara to bed, making love furiously, almost violently, making her writhe underneath him, hearing her whisper his name, ask for him to go harder, go faster ...

"DarrrrRRRRRAAAARRRRGGGHH!!"

Kurt's roars reverberated across the tiles as he came, dispelling his pleasure against the walls and bathtub faucet. The strength in his bracing arm disintegrated, and he thudded against the shower wall, gasping and trembling violently.

Slowly, his body calmed, the trembling ceased. Relieved and ashamed, Kurt leaned his forehead against the cold shower tiles, sighing heavily.

He should not have done that.

This was just too much; Kurt shouldn't be having these feelings for his friend, especially so soon after Amanda ...

Hell, that wasn't the point! Dara was only eighteen, almosthalf his age! She was a child no more, but she was still too young to be the object of his lust.

Besides, as Dara had said once, long ago, Kurt had a demonic appearance. He was not frightening, but he was sure she didn't find him handsome.

The thought hurt, and Kurt shook his head slowly, telling himself to give it up, get cleaned, eat, get some rest, get ready to face the world again.

And Dara said he didn't have to face it alone.

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

SEVERAL MONTHS LATER:

The X-Wing glided high above the thick forests that crossed the U.S./Canadian border, all but silent, and hardly noticed by the birds that roosted in the many pine trees.

Nyx strained to see out her side window, leaning as far as her body belt would allow. She squinted her eyes, then growled softly. "I don't care how big these things are supposed to be, I can't seecrap through the trees."

In the pilot seat beside her, Nightcrawler chuckled, glancing at her over the rims of his flashy sunglasses. "Well, according to Cyclops, they aren't hard to miss."

"Oh, really? Has he seen the things himself?"

Nightcrawler grinned, turning back to the windshield before him."Nein ... but you haven't heard that fromme."

Nyx smiled, pausing to check her monitor one more time before gazing down to the forest below; if anything was down there, it was pretty well hidden by the tree canopy. From where she sat, Nyx honestly couldn't see any abnormal mutations in the woodland. Professor X had sensed a dramatic rise in mutations somewhere towards Oregon and Washington, but the auras of these creatures seemed horribly twisted. A bit of hacking and some testing done by Beast had uncovered that a large meteorite had smashed its way through the forest, kindly bringing a bit of alien radiation with it.

Nyx hadn't understood all of the scientific crap, but she was well aware that this could spell big trouble for any humans in that area. While humans didn't seem to have been affected, the wildlife in the immediate vicinity of the crater certainly was; reports of eight legged deer and giant grizzly bears with insectoid eyes had started popping up, and none of the new fauna seemed to take kindly to the human inhabitants.

So, now, while Cyclops and Jean Grey searched the southern half of the forest by air, and Wolverine, Tigress, Gambit and Rogue searched on the ground, Nyx was with Nightcrawler, searching the western half in one of the new X-Wings.

Nyx sighed, then laced her fingers together and stretched, glancing curiously to Nightcrawler. Wow, had he changed; a few months ago, not even Professor X could have dragged poor Nightcrawler out of his misery. All of the X-Men had been worried that he might do something dangerous, might hurt himself, but 'Crawler had surprised them all by quietly resolving his inner conflict by himself.

Well, he insisted that Nyx had helped, but she didn't really believe it.

Though deeply grieved for the loss of Magik and the gypsies, Nightcrawler said he no longer blamed God for what had happened. He went back to the church, and, when he returned to the manor, shocked Nyx by telling her he was giving up his priesthood.

"I had too many inner conflicts," he had said, smiling at her bewildered stare. "It's okay; priest or not, X-Man or not, I can still help the victims."

Thinking of that now, Nyx stifled a grim laugh and looked back to the forest: almost as soon as Nightcrawler had renounced his vows, he had been attacked and flung into the Hudson River by Omega Red and Lady Deathstrike. A desperate call from Father Whitney, Nightcrawler's friend and mentor, brought the X-Men rushing to fish Nightcrawler out.

Poor Kurt had to be placed in the ICU of the Institute's infirmary. Nyx had watched over him intently ... so intently, in fact, that Beast had to grab her by the scruff of the neck and toss her out for not eating or sleeping.

He seemed all right now; Nyx couldn't help but wonder if Nightcrawler was lying to her about his feelings. Sometimes, he would say he was "quite content", though Nyx could clearly feel his rage, or sorrow.

Nyx shook her head; she hated her tele-empathy.

A trilling beep jolted Nyx back to the present. Startled, she spun around in her seat, her eyes scanning her monitor as the computer radar picked out an object gliding a half a mile away from them, behind them ... and enclosing that gap fast.

Surprised, Nightcrawler glanced at her, his eyebrows inching above his glasses."Was ist das?"

"I don't know," Nyx replied, frowning as the computer started mapping out the object's shape, estimating the weight, size, and speed. The computer tried to run the thing through its databank, trying to pair it up with a known plane or jet.

An error siren rang, and a message flashed across the screen to her: "OBJECT NOT RECOGNIZABLE."

Worry began to crawl up Nyx's spine. "Nightcrawler, I don't know what it is ... it's coming up behind us fast!"

"Hang on!" Nightcrawler ordered, his fangs flashing in the sunlight. He twisted the X-Wing's steering hard to the side, causing the jet to bank sharply, whipping over the treetops.

Gasping, Nyx lashed a hand out and caught the edge of the monitor, struggling to focus though the X-Wing's veering had left her dizzy. "Nightcrawler, it's still coming at us ..." Realization began to dawn on her, and she felt her eyes fly open. "Kurt, it's--!"

A thunderclap roared through the jet as the creature slammed into it, punching scythe-like talons through the plane's roof. Both Nyx and Nightcrawler yelped in terror, ducking their heads as three more claws ripped into the ceiling above them.

"Unglablich!" Nightcrawler gasped, "What the--?!"

"I've got it!" Slamming her palm against the body harness buckle, Nyx sprang to her feet, skidding across the chilly chrome as she groped for handholds, pulling herself up to the X-Wing's side hatch.

Nightcrawler's eyes looked as though they'd pop out of his head. "Dammit, Nyx, what're youdoing?!"

"Hold on!" Catching the hatch's handle, Nyx snarled through gritted teeth, slowly muscling the door open. She gasped and grimaced at the blinding light, then at the huge, bird-like wings that beat furiously against the jet.

Surprised, the titanic monster glared down at the gap that suddenly appeared in the jet's side, hissing through its massive beak at Nyx who, for a moment, could only stare in disbelief.

The mutant eagle's grip tightened on the jet, crushing the metal like a wad of paper. Nightcrawler spun around in his seat, his face twisted in panic. It was something that Nyx didn't see very often from him. For a second, it made her hesitate.

"Dara!!" he roared, his voice snapping her awake. Seeing him trapped, Nyx bared her fangs, then turned, allowing herself to morph completely just before diving out of the hatch.

Unfurling her dragon-like wings, Nyx gave a roar and swept upward, drawing the deformed eagle's attention away from the plane it clutched in its talons.

Shooting over its head, Nyx snapped her long tail at the monster's eyes. "C'mon, bitch! Chase the mutie!"

If Nyx hadn't known any better, she could have sworn the thing understood her. Growling, the creature wheeled around and rushed towards her, its wings sounding like distant thunder as it pounded after her.

Nyx snarled before closing her wings against her back and pitching downwards, towards the forest below. "Dammit, I wanted you to drop the plane!"

The eagle monster roared at her as Nyx shot into the tree canopy, disappearing into the branches. She winced as the massive creature rushed by overhead, creating such a gale that the treetops snapped against her body.

Growing frustrated, Nyx lashed a hand out, catching a hold of a sappy pine branch and swinging herself up onto the trunk. Needles and pine cones rained down on her as Nyx clawed her way to the tip, praying fervently that Nightcrawler had bamfed out of the X-Wing or something.

Pulling herself upward, Nyx shook herself off, grumbling at the sap that coated the front of her black jumpsuit. Squinting in the blinding sunlight, Nyx growled softly as she spotted the eagle-thing coming back over the forests, searching for her.

Wrapping her tail around the pine tree, Nyx placed two talons in her mouth and whistled, so high and shrilly it hurt her own ears.

Grunting, the eagle's head whipped around on its snaky neck, glaring at her as she waved gleefully at it. "Hiiiiiiiiii-iiiiiiiiii!"

Growing visibly disgusted at this chase, the eagle gave a low, piercing scream as it wheeled around, the jet glimmering like a black gem between its claws.

Nyx felt herself jump out of her suit as the X-Wing gave a snarl, then a blast, shooting bright red flames from its side and onto the eagle-creature's feathery body. The eagle shrieked in agonized fright, making Nyx's brain rattle inside her skull.

Screaming, the eagle flung the X-Wing aside, flapping awkwardly towards a low mountaintop, a smudge of black smoke trailing behind it.

The X-Wing dropped like a stone, and Nyx panicked, launching herself out of the tree and swooping towards the flaming jet.

As she pounded her wings, closing the gap between her and the X-Wing, Nyx heard small, popping explosions blasting out of the ripped hull.

That thing must've busted a fuel cell or something, and Nyx swallowed hard, her mind racing with a hundred scenarios about Nightcrawler, trapped in the plane's cockpit.

Clawing at her suit with sticky talons, Nyx found her two-way com unit clipped to her shoulder, almost ripping it away as she fumbled with it, trying to switch it on. "Nightcrawler! 'Crawler, are you okay?!"

Clashes of static mixed with blurbles thatcould have been Nightcrawler trying to respond. Nyx couldn't understand him. Her heart shot to the bottom of her stomach.

"Nightcrawler!" she roared, swooping out of the path of the hot, acrid smoke. "Nightcrawler, do something! Bamf outta there!"

Screeching static howled out of the com before being drowned out completely by the roar of another fuel cell blasting open.

"Oh!" Flinging her arms up to shield her face, Nyx allowed the fierce winds to buffeted her back, away from the worst of the blistering hot shrapnel."Kurt!"

Air screamed around the X-Wing as it lurched into a dive, tumbling to the woods below like a wounded bird. Chunks of metal and treetops and branches were sheared off and sent flying skywards. Yelping, Nyx dodged them the best she could while still keeping on the jet's burning tail. "NIGHTCRAWLER!!!"

The X-Wing smashed to the ground, skidding over the loose dirt and rotting leaves, tearing trees up by their roots and flattening bushes before finally coming to a stomach-churning, crashing halt at the base of a massive, rocky hill.

Nyx's hands flew to the sides of her head, and hoping, frightened, and not believing, she screamed torturously, scaring away what few jackdaws had lingered in the distant trees.

Her eyes flooded with tears as she shot to the ground, drawing dirty, hoarse breaths through her clenched fangs.'C'mon, Kurt, where are you?!'

Slamming to the springy ground, Nyx tore towards the fallen jet, her toe claws ripping up little divots in the damp dirt below her. She leapt clear the last few feet, flinging her hands out to grab one of the hatch doors, but her bluish skin sizzled against the hot metal and she flinched away, gasping.

"No, no!" Shaking her hands wildly, Nyx sprang for the crumpled nose of the jet, hoping that she could smash the windshield open--

"BAMF!!!!"

Squawking at the noise and the new reek of sulfur and brimstone, Nyx spun around, her eyes flying open as she saw Nightcrawler stagger out of the purplish cloud of smoke, breathing raggedly and falling hard to his knees, dropping a small survival pack beside him.

"Kurt!!" Nyx cried, her voice unabashedly joyous. She lunged for him, sliding across the fresh forest floor and landing hard beside him. She grabbed his arm, suddenly grateful to feel the hard, ropey muscles beneath his sleeve. "Kurt, are you--"

"N-Nyx ..." he stammered, trying to raise his face to hers, but blinded by the smear of blood on his forehead. "... Move ... get out ..."

Nyx started, amazed at his words. She almost demanded to know what the hell he was talking about, but was knocked into a horrified silence as Nightcrawler's terror reached out, grabbing a hold of her mind and swamping her with it. Realizing what was going to happen, Nyx ducked her head, wrapping Nightcrawler's arm around her shoulders and snatching the survival pack he had rescued. "Come on--let's beat feet, fuzzy!"

Hauling him upright, Nyx broke into a run, half-carrying, half-dragging the barely conscious Nightcrawler beside her. She was dying to turn around and look, to see what the jet was waiting for, but, at the same time, was frightened that it might slow them down, resulting in something that sounded quite painful.

Judging by the flaring and dying of Nightcrawler's fear, he was starting to slip into unconsciousness. Nyx bared her fangs at him once, smacking his shapely butt with the tip of her tail. "Nightcrawler, c'mon, stay awake!!"

She had hardly finished speaking when the X-Wing's last two fuel cells exploded with a searing heat, a shrieking roar.

The hot wind hit them like a brick wall at their backs, and Nyx, though she knew she had, didn't hear herself cry out in terror as she was flung forward by the blast, picked up off of her feet and thrown to the base of several wounded pines she had been only a few yards away from a second earlier.

Hitting the ground with a snarling grunt, Nyx instantly whipped open her wings, rolling on top of Nightcrawler's still body and shielding him from the rain of ash and small, fiery comets of shrapnel. She squeezed her eyes shut, holding her breath as she waited for the back of her jumpsuit to stop smoldering, for the fire to settle and for the ringing in her pointy ears to stop.

When she finally regained her courage, Nyx slowly opened her eyes. Warily, she raised herself off of Nightcrawler and craned her neck around, squinting at the sputtering, dancing flames on the crater thatwas Professor Xavier's oh-so-expensive mini jet.

Still somewhat dazed, Nyx slowly shook her head and whistled in semi-admiration; she and Nightcrawler had justnarrowly avoided being flash-fried.

"Damn."

Hearing her voice, Nightcrawler shifted beneath her, groaning. Nyx gasped with a start, scrambling off of her teammate and fully humiliated by how red her cheeks had grown. "Kurt?"

"Ehhh." He winced, white fangs flashing in the mix of sunlight and flame. "Dara ... am I alive?"

Nyx realized that he was trying to be funny, but she was so shaken and frightened for him that she couldn't even force a smile. "Y-yeah."

With another groan, Nightcrawler closed his eyes again. "Okay ...wunderbar. You won't ... mind ... if I take a nap?"

A short, nervous laugh hiccupped out of her. "N-no."

His eyes still closed, Nightcrawler slowly nodded. "Okay ... okay."

His hand weakly stretched out, searching for her. Nyx bent forward, taking his hand and holding it against her chest.

"I'm right here," she whispered.

A smile danced on Nightcrawler's lips. "You always were," he murmured, and fell quiet.

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

"Ow ... ow... ow... ow ..."

Her fangs bared in irritation, Nyx shot her companion a dirty look. "You canstop saying that now, Nightcrawler!"

Amused by her annoyance, Nightcrawler only smiled sweetly, tilting his head towards her. "I'm afraid I can't,mein Freudin. My body hurts like hell, and I'm afraid I'll pass out if I don't keep chattering."

Frustrated, Nyx rolled her eyes heavenward."You hurt bad? Haveyou ever been shot through the chest?"

Startled by her tone--and a touch miffed that she had forgotten--Nightcrawler narrowed his eyes at her. "Yes."

Nyx blinked, then grimaced as she remembered. She glanced sheepishly to his frowning face. "Oh yeah. Sorry."

"Heh." Wincing once as his bruised ribs flared along his side, Nightcrawler readjusted his arm around Nyx's shoulders, limping painfully beside her. Silently, he gave himself a fierce berating; hell, if he had only teleported out of the cockpit sooner, Nyx wouldn't have to drag him all through this wretched forest.

Wincing again, Nightcrawler glanced sidelong at Nyx, watching her as she gazed up a cliff face, searching for a cave or some sort of overhang they could rest under. Ever since the run in with the eagle from hell, Nyx had been a little antsy; she was afraid the feathery pterodactyl would see them scurrying through the forests.

A sharp rock jabbed out of the ground, catching Nightcrawler's bare foot and making him trip. Nyx gasped and dove forward, dropping their only survival pack to catch him. "You all right?"

"Ja! Ja, I'm okay." Nightcrawler could feel his face warming and, foolishly thinking Nyx could see, he quickly righted himself again. He clenched his fangs, trying his hardest not to snarl as his bruises, burns and strains came roaring back to life.

Not understanding the look on his face, Nyx stepped forward, her deadly, delicate hands reaching for the cut on his forehead. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you want to take a break?"

"I'm--I'm okay," Nightcrawler stammered, dully wondering why the trees around them were doing the rumba. Dizzy, and determined not to let Nyx find out, he quickly reached up and caught her hands, pulling them away from his face. "Nyx, come on; let's stop dallying around and find a place to rest."