2013.04.12 - Nullam Requiem Fessis

It's the wee dark hours of the morning, that 'darkest before dawn'.

In other words? Perfect for the Amazing Nightcrawler.

With a soft, but distinct *bamf*, Kurt appears in master bedroom of the condo of one Amanda Sefton. For a long moment, in reality only a couple of brief heartbeats, he stands there before he moves to the side of the bed where he'll, presumably, find the object of his searching. "Leibling," he whispers. "I must go for a little while.. but I will be back."

Of course, Amanda's apartment is warded, just in case unwanted visitors decide to pop in from places like, oh, say, Hell... which, technically, is exactly where Kurt comes from whenever he reappears out of a *bamf*. He's just lucky that she's made an exception for him. Even so, that doesn't stop the wards from flashing at least momentarily, and waking her up.

Not, mind, that the stink of sulphur and brimstone wouldn't do it all on its own.

It is, however, a familiar smell to Amanda. In some ways, she's almost inured to it, after so long -- if anyone can really become inured to the stink of rotten eggs and demonic realms.

Thus, even as the *bamf* is fading, the blonde is rolling over, making room on one side of the bed without even thinking twice about it. It's only when he speaks that she actually consciously registers something might not be really right here.

"Huh?" You're expecting something more intelligent at 3:30am when she's still recovering from the Curse of the Canadian Wilderness?

Rising up on her elbows, Amanda regards her oldest friend with hooded eyes from which sleep is quickly clearing. "Wait. What? What are you talking about? You just got here..."

The silent invitation is met with Kurt lying down and rolling over even as she begins to blink sleep from her eyes. The coat is a bit scratchy, but he's not removing it. He won't be here long.

As she lifts herself to elbows, Kurt reaches out to give her a hug, or at least a cuddle.. and an explanation. This one person, of everyone he knows or has known, deserves the explanation, if only for understanding.

"I was told earlier tonight that there is a contract out on me.. dead or alive, fur zwei und eine halbe Millionen Dollars.." Two and a half million dollars. "By a good friend.. who won't take the contract."

"Zwei und eine halbe Millionen Dollars?!?" Amanda's awake now, just in case you weren't sure. "Heilige Scheiße, Kurt! What the hell?!?"

Yes, she gives him a hug, but then she pushes him back and holds him by both shoulders, searching his face. "Who the hell is this friend?" Because she might need to thank them... and find out from them who sent the hit. "What did you do to merit a price like that? Do you know?"

"Ja.." he mumbles. "Ich verstehe.." Kurt takes the hug, and then the more than deserved pushed back to look at him in the dimly lit room. Those glowing yellow eyes look back, and there are only a few that can truly discern the emotions that moves behind those pupil-less eyes. Amanda.. is one of them.

"My friend.. is Domino. She was one that I brought here. She.. is a good friend of mine." He chuckles softly, though there is little amusement behind the gesture, "I think to ask her, however, I am a pest."

But!

"She isn't nearby at the moment, but she did say she would come if I needed." And he may very well need. "She was the one who gave me suggestions, too, as to what to do.. und we agreed as to where to go." Beat. "The sewers.. below the sewers, really.. where she und I have gone before."

As to what he did? Well, that one is a little harder, or perhaps a little easier to explain. "Mother was involved..." and Kurt lets that hang in the air between them.

"Mystique." It's not a question. Amanda knows whom Kurt means when he says Mother. Otherwise, he says 'Margali'. (Who's only slightly less of a psycho.)

Sighing, she lets her hands fall onto her lap. A pale brow arches. "I'm surprised. I mean, I'm not. But I am. I wouldn't think she'd set a hit on you. So... are you just collateral damage or did you do something to attract this attention?"

She rolls away, now, and rises, her nightshirt modest enough to cover what shouldn't be seen. Not that it would really matter with him, anyway. She kneels beside the bed and starts fishing about beneath it.

"How far under the sewers?"

Here.. here comes the explanation, as evidenced by the deep, bracing breath taken.

"I didn't know Mother was there at first. You see.. I was walking the harbor, looking for places to go.. at night." Because Kurt truly prefers walking.. bamfing at night. "I came across an exchange," he turns to watch Amanda as she rises from her spot, shifting on the bed, rising himself to at least sitting. Pushing himself back, he more.. perches than sits. "Und it sounded as if they had mutant .. speciments in jars. Money was being passed, und I couldn't help myself. I took the specimens, und then the money, und set it on a crate." He's not completely blameless, then. But it is something he'd do.

"They started to fight amongst themselves, the thugs und.. foreigners.. until they realized that I was actually there." Kurt smiles, but it's not a pretty one. "When what appeared to be a government agent discovered me, well.. Mother showed herself und killed him." Which still in his book wasn't necessary. "I had to dodge, und when I got back to my spot, Mother had taken both suitcases." And left him..

In a show of .. usual dexterity, Kurt leans over while keeping most of his body on the bed, looking under .. upside down to her 'rightside up' searching. "Far.. a couple hundert feet? Something I can bamf to, easily." Now that he knows where he's going, that is. "Lots of old, abandoned street cars.. und oversized.. bugs."

Oh, now that sounds delightful. Over-sized bugs. Joy.

Amanda doesn't even remark on Kurt's dexterity, listening to this tale. She's known him far, far too long for that. But she eventually lays hands on a satchel covered in what appear to be decorative Teutonic runes and knotted symbols -- but which anyone with a modicum of arcane understanding will recognize as wards and spell knots. She pulls the thing out and sets it on the bed between them, settling down on the mattress again. One leg tucks beneath her, the other hangs over the side.

"Oh, that's brilliant," she says dryly when he's finished his tale. There's a beat. She gives him a wry smile. "Who needs enemies when you've got mothers like ours, eh?"

Fact is, though, Amanda's always been the practical one. "Ok. So, the place is fairly inaccessible, I'm guessing?" Hoping, really. "That means you're going to need supplies, and some way of getting them in and out without being seen. You're also going to need some way to communicate with the outside world that's not easily detectable." Telepathy would be nice, but the sorceress isn't good at that. "Not to mention a perimeter warning system."

Gee, you'd think she'd done this before. (Maybe once or twice.)

From out of the bag she starts pulling various arcane objects she's created over time, most of them one-shot itmes etched with arcane symbols or filled with arcane potions. Basically, it's her bag of tricks for those days when the Winding Way isn't cooperating. And it's got solutions to a lot of the problems she outlines.

"It makes life.. that much more interesting," Kurt quips as he helps haul the thing onto the bed. He's familiar with most of Amanda's bags of tricks, as it were, and seeing this trunk is like revisiting an old friend. "I haven't spoken to Mother since, but I think she may be angry if she hears about the contract. After all, ich bin ihr sohn." I am her son. And no one else is allowed to take him out of this world but her! Happy thought, but true.

Kurt nods at the questions. "Dark. Damp. I can see, but anyone else would be blind." Which means it's perfect for him. "I know it.. partially, but I will be mapping it today." He'll be a busy little elf! "It is mostly inaccessible, but any way in would be announced.. und again, it is dark und has tunnels." Here, he grins, his sharp canines showing, gleaming in the dark room, and his tones take a teasing note. "Leibling.. I teleport. I can move anything in or out." Duh!

Kurt watches as the pulling begins, reaching out for some of those more.. familiar items of their shared past. "Is this still your smoke potion?" He likes that one! Little bit of smoke, and he disappears and the bamf stench is blocked! And, of course, any who look for him get momentarily blinded by, yes.. the smoke.

"Of course, it's my smoke potion," Amanda retorts, giving an almost playful roll of her eyes. What magic user doesn't like the disappear-in-a-puff-of-smoke trick? And, it's obvious she's already sorting through things. Out of one flap in the bag she pulls out a rolled up canvas tote -- much smaller than her usual satchel, but perfect for the collection she puts together, now. It has similar runes and such dyed into the threads. She shoves the smoke vials into it, along with a few other things she identifies as she goes:

"Yes, you can teleport and see in the dark," she tells him dryly, "but if the contract's going out to mutant hitmen, then you need to assume that at least some of them will have advantages that may offset yours. Take the smoke vials and the flash dust. These chips--" she refers to a handful of concrete pebbles-- "have ward runes on them. Normally, I'd tell you to drop some blood on them to attune them to you, but I don't suggest you scatter your DNA around like that. Spit might work -- it's harder to smell, at least, but be careful. Even without attuning, three or four around your main campsite and another three or four around your secondary camps should work. They'll scream like fighting cats if someone other than you or me cross them. So, if you can get a message to her, warn your friend."

Pulling out a velvet satchel, she fishes two small crystals out of it. She picks up some copper wire from another pocket and starts weaving it with deft fingers, creating intricate knots in the pattern as she does. There's a whisper of magic as she murmurs spellwork over the weaving, the feel of it a shiver in the night air. By the time she's done, she's fashioned a simple bracelet with one the crystals in the center. She repeats the process with the second.

Then, she reaches out to take his hand and wraps the metal about his wrist, rolling the wire closed as she does. "Don't you dare take this off," she tells him, the sternness in her voice betraying just how concerned she really is. "If you do, I'll assume you're dead and I swear I'll bring down the wrath of Heaven, Hell, and all Existence on top of you -- and anyone that hurts you -- if I find out otherwise."

She wraps the second about her own wrist and seals it in the same fashion, and locks her blue gaze with his yellow. "I'm serious, Kurt. This will tell me if your heart stops. And it will tell me exactly where you are if that happens." IF. She doesn't want to see that happen. "And, before you protest, know this: If you don't wear it, I'm coming with you now. And don't think I can't find you, if you bamf on me. Because I can, and you know it."

Everyone loves smoke potions! They're so.. theatric. And Kurt loves them all the more for so many different reasons, theatricality (is that even a word) aside. He grins at the response and makes to pocket it. "Love this stuff."

Shaking his head, however, Kurt leeeeans over to put himself further into Amanda's personal space. "They don't know who I am, leibling, other than 'blue, yellow eyes, und teleporter'. They said nothing about my being handsome or even witty. So, if they do hire mutants, und I know they are as they asked Domino, they will only know about my teleporting."

He settles again, and gathers the chips, "Ja.. I would rather my blood not be around. It was bad enough that some was taken when I'd first lost my bamf." That's another story for another time. Nodding at the instructions, Kurt pockets the items before his hand is taken for the bracelet. "I will be wearing my image inducer too, so that is another level of security for me." While he's not used to having a bounty on his head, he is used to being on his own.

"Of course, I am unsure what to do about this contract if I am run to ground." Let others handle it? "I will have Domino contact you, und perhaps the two of you can work together und figure out a way to handle this.." While he does his thing, part of which is to locate his mother.

He grins at the warning as the bracelet is snapped on, and he shakes his hand to settle it properly. "I won't die, leibling. It takes more than this, ja?" He leans in to give his cherished friend a light kiss. "I know you can find me, just to hurt me."

"That's right" Amanda says, cupping Kurt's face and kissing him firmly in return. (That betrays her worry more than anything else.) "All the way to Hell and back for you, Fuzzy." And, of course, in their case, it's literal.

She knows he can take care of himself. She knows he can handle being on the run -- it's hardly the first time, and it won't be the last. But the price ups the stakes. A lot. And she's not stupid enough to discount it.

"Just be careful. When you need help, call. I'll find Domino. We'll get this sorted." And, remarkably enough, the 'we' in that statement, includes him.

Stepping back, she straightens. "Ok. Go. Before I change my mind and get dressed."

Not, mind, that she's going back to sleep any time soon. It's going to be a very long day.