Sorry it took so long. My computer crashed (this is the second time that it’s happened since February, gack!). Plus I had half finished “chapter eight” before deciding that I needed this connecting chapter or I would have never had a chance to fit it in before I finished this series. Oh well. My deepest apologies. At least chapter nine is partially done ^_^

OUTFOXED

Chapter 8: Terrors in the Night

His breath was labored, he didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up. Heavy fog closed around him and he could no longer see light. Just darkness. The grayness choked him, lungs tightening. The mist became denser with every passing second.

They had been in the jungle behind the school, practicing battle tactics when he had gotten separated from the group. He hadn’t been too worried, the thick metal collar around his neck would allow them to track him. But the jungle wasn’t part of the school, and though most of the citizens stayed away from this area, Kurt couldn’t help but feel there were eyes watching him.

A shot. A bullet lodged itself into a tree trunk less than an inch away from his exposed chest. Kurt broke into a run, vine thorns tearing at his skin, a mixture of blood and sweat sliding down the glistening fur, but still he plunged further on into the shelter of the jungle. The sweltering heat was causing the water from the ground to evaporate in thick clouds of steam, blanketing his surroundings.

His foot became caught on a tree root that was sticking out of the ground. He hit the ground hard, gasping. On the way down he had bitten his lip and blood dribbled thickly down his chin. A voice behind him, cold and venomous, spoke, “You’re one of the schools little freaks, aren’t you?” The man’s English was accented heavily with Brazilian. He smiled cruelly, “If you ask me all mutants should be taken care of, if you get my drift. Nip the problem in the bud, catch it while it’s still young.” The man waived his gun menacingly, he was at least four times as large as Kurt and 100 times more violent.

“I LOST MY WIFE TO YOUR KIND.” He brandished the weapon - a mad glint in his black eyes, “They raped her, two of them. Beat her and raped her. What do you think of that kid?”

“I . . .”

“Don’t speak! I want them to suffer for what they did. I want all of your kind to suffer. I’m not going to give you a quick death, that’s too much mercy. You’re going to die slowly and painfully, like she did.” The shot through his shoulder felt as though he had been ripped in two. The hot rush of pain surged through his veins, he had to get away but he was paralyzed with fear - paralyzed by this man’s cold stare. “I’m going to watch you bleed, mutant.”

“Leave him alone,” came a cry. Blue flames licked at the man, burning him. He screamed out in pain and surprise, and dropped the gun. That was it. That was all she had to do. But to Kurt’s horror Elementia didn’t stop. She let out a cry - primal, animalistic - and the flames leapt higher. The sickening smell of burning flesh filled the air, the sizzle was audible. Kurt felt his stomach churn but Fire Fox continued, transfixed by the suffering she was inflicting on the man. The pain in his arm was immense, blocking out rational thoughts, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her - she bared her fangs in a savage smile as the body turned to ash and yet she still did not stop. She turned her back to Kurt.

The sound of people crashing through the bushes nearby caught his attention. Sargent DeMarelle and two other men appeared in the clearing, surveying the scene with a look of repulsion and disbelief. One of the men was at Kurt’s side, looking at his shoulder while DeMarelle and the other walked slowly to where Fire Fox stood, growling deep in her throat in a fashion Kurt had never heard another human being attempt before. The Sargent touched her shoulder, barking loudly, “Stop that at once.”

Her head turned suddenly, so Kurt could see her face once again. All the beauty and warmth it once possessed had been replaced by a type of mad hunger. She gnashed her teeth into DeMarelle’s hand and he swore loudly, pulling it back. She turned and fully faced them, the hairs on her tail almost stood out straight, ready to fight. Kurt was seeing a side of her that he had never seen before. It was like she was two different people, both beauty and the beast living in one body. She was the lamb and the lion, the human and the hunter, both sides vying for possession.

DeMarelle pulled out a controller from his pocket and pressed a button, sending bright sparks shooting out from the collar around her neck. She dropped to her knees, screaming in a high-pitched shriek, pulling at the collar, trying to melt it with the fire.

“Nightcrawler, Nightcrawler, Nightcrawler, Nightcrawler, Nightcrawler.” It was a sort of sick chant that pierced the humid air. Kurt wanted to help her but the man held him firmly in place, he was too weak to fight. She collapsed in a heap on the ground, twitching and moaning.

“What did you do to her?” Kurt heard his own voice raise.

“She’ll be okay,” said the man, “Let’s just make sure you are.”

*~*~*~*

“How’s your shoulder?” she asked quietly, from behind the inch of plexiglass that separated them. Kurt’s shoulder was still causing him a fair amount of pain, but the doctors had told him it would heal in time. Fire Fox’s neck was a mass of blisters and red skin from where she had tried to burn off the collar. Her eyes were red rimmed and she was considerably thinner than when she had gone into the hole a week ago.

The hole was the worst punishment the school offered, complete sensory deprivation - no sound, no light - Kurt had never been put in it but he had heard stories . . . kids going crazy . . . people never being the same when they came out. She certainly didn’t look the same.

“It’ll heal. What about you? I mean, how are you doing?” he asked.

She stared at him thoughtfully for a second, chewing nervously and unconsciously on her bottom lip, “Nightcrawler . . . I killed a person. I took a human life into my own hands and snuffed it out. Do you understand the gravity of that? I killed somebody.” She started to sob, shoulders shaking, “I hate myself, I hate this place. I don’t know what came over me. They said it had something to do with the animal DNA I was spliced with but I think they’re just making excuses. I’m a terrible person, I don’t deserve to live anymore.” She buried her face in her hands, weeping uncontrollably.

The guard came in and roughly escorted her out, “Time’s up.”

*~*~*~*

“Get up.”

Kurt rolled over on his side. It was only around two o’clock in the morning.

“I said get up, kid, come on. It’s your friend, Fire Fox. Now let’s go.” At the mention of her name Kurt sat bolt upright in bed, and found himself face to face with the doctor that had helped him in the jungle.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain when we get there. Follow me.” He and Kurt padded silently down the hall, the latter almost having to jog to keep up. They made their way swiftly to the hospital wing, and down the cold, stark hallway which lead to the rooms. Kurt felt his breath tighten in his chest, what was wrong with her?

As they approached a room near the end of the hall, Kurt heard voices, undistinguishable murmurs, inside. The doctor pushed the door open and Kurt entered meekly. There, in the middle of the room, lay Fire Fox. Ugly red blisters covered both of her forearms, and the hair on her tail had been almost completely singed to black. Her eyes were despondent as she watched him approach the bed. “Nightcrawler,” came the faint whisper, barely audible above the humming of the machines.

“What happened? Who did this to you?” He stroked her hand gently.

She closed her eyes, “I did.”

*~*~*~*

Kurt hit the floor with a dull thud, covered in cold perspiration. Well, more accurately, only part of him hit the floor, his torso and legs were still in the bed, tangled up in the sheets. He grunted as he freed himself and sat up, looking around.

This wasn’t his room at the institute, where was he? He looked around again, squinting through the darkness with tired eyes. He was in the hotel, in Vermont, exactly where he should have been. He wasn’t in Brazil anymore, he wasn’t seven, he wasn’t at that Godforsaken school with his friend that was dead now. Who had been dead for six years. He was here. Somehow that thought brought him no comfort.

Was she really dead? He had believed that up until a week ago, when Angeline had came. The cafeteria, the warehouse, the blue fire - was Angeline Fire Fox? But she couldn’t be, Kurt had heard her die. It was crazy to let himself believe, no not believe - dream, that she was still alive. Yet he couldn’t squelch that tiny irrational flame of hope that burned deep inside him.

And somehow that thought brought him comfort.

To be continued . . .

Wow, that lacked the general overtone of happiness most of my chapters contain. Review it, tell me just how terrible it is . . . I know. I shouldn’t write pure drama, it always comes out poorly. Hopefully I’ll see you all at the next chapter, it’s a lot less depressing. ^_^ Chp 9