Fanfic Time: Don't Pity Me part 8
Very much NSFW fic continued from yesterday:
Fracture Eight: Interview
They’d set up in the downstairs study, with Kurt huddled in a wing chair with yet another mug of hot chocolate.
Judi Bloom was intensely patient, jotting down questions while the crew set up cameras.
“I’d appreciate it if you went gently with Kurt,” Xavier said. “He's already been through too much.”
“Professor, Xavier, I may be a member of the media, but I *am* capable of being understanding.”
“We’re live,” said a techie. Counting down. “Five. Four. Three.” His fingers indicated Two and One.
“We’re here inside the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters with an exclusive interview with Professor Xavier, and later, we’ll try to get a few words from the expressway teenager himself, Kurt. Now, Professor, what do we *know* about this event?”
“I believe Kurt may have been abducted from school by someone from his past. Someone he identifies as a threat. I’ve been in contact with some of my students at Bayville High School, and as a result, I also believe that the abductor was a person in a position of trust. I cannot, unfortunately, reveal this person at this time.”
“There are rumours of a mutant attack. How accurate are these reports?”
“Once again, the National Enquirer has its facts wrong. No mutants have attacked anything. What we’re looking at is simple *human* depravity. Nothing more.”
“What about reports that this is a Bayville *schoolteacher*?”
“Once again, I can neither confirm nor deny the identity of Kurt's attacker. He refuses to identify them.”
“You don’t even know the *gender* of his attacker?”
“No. I’m afraid not. We’re faced with a genuine mystery, and very few pieces in the puzzle. We’re doing what we can, but most of it is up to Kurt.”
“Has he spoken of his ordeal?”
Xavier shook his head. “One of the reasons why we’re so stymied is that Kurt is more inclined to be silent when troubled. It takes a great deal to prise him out of his shell, so to speak. It seems that every time we make some headway, events occur that drive him back to where we started.”
“This must be exhausting for you.”
“Yes. Exhausting, and vexing.”
“Thank you, Professor Xavier. Back to you at the studio. We’ll be taping Kurt’s interview for our news bulletin, tonight.”
Xavier watched over them as they set up for Kurt. He’d already made sure that no-one would attempt to touch him, and had double-checked his holowatch before he let anyone in.
Even though Kurt was in charge, he looked almost like ‘RagDoll’ was at the helm, so to speak. If it wasn’t for him occasionally sipping at his chocolate, Xavier would have thought RagDoll was 'out’.
“Rolling.”
“Okay. I’m attempting to talk to the central figure in the Expressway Incident, Kurt. His last name has been withheld by request. A request that we honour. Now Kurt, can you tell me what it was like, leaping from car to car like that?”
“I didn’t - notice,” Kurt said at length. His voice was a low murmur. "I just had to get away. I only used what was there.“
"What did you have to get away from?”
Kurt started shivering. “Predator.”
“Is this 'predator’ a person?”
Nod.
“Do you know them?”
Nod. Harder shaking.
“Can you tell us who they are?”
He was shaking violently, now. “No. No. No. Please? No.”
“Okay. It’s okay. I won’t make you. It’s all right.” Judi cleared her throat. “How did they get you away from the school?”
“Car.”
“Nobody tried to stop them?”
“Just me. It was time for class.”
“Do you think there’s a danger to any other students from this person? This predator?”
A long silence. “I - don’t know.” His voice was almost a whisper. "Said… just wanted me.“
"What does this predator want?”
Now he did whisper. “Good times.”
“This is *chilling*,” said Judi. “You were taken away in *broad* *daylight*, nobody stopped this Predator, asked them where they were going with you. Nothing. Why didn’t anyone *do* anything?”
“Ich bin ihre Liebling Laune…” Kurt murmured. “Please? No more?" Judi backed off, positioned herself for a tag shot, and recited, "Chilling words about a chilling event, but questions remain unanswered. Just *who* is this 'Predator’ Kurt spoke of? Are they stalking other children? How can our children be protected when the only witness so far is too scared to identify his attacker? The only answer to the Predator and their actions is constant vigilance, as well as awareness that the Pretator and others like them *are* out there, and they are looking at our children. Judi Bloom. Bayville News.”
Logan escorted them off the grounds, then got the X-van out to collect the other kids. Preserve them from the media feeding-frenzy.
Xavier shuddered at Kurt’s last words aloud. He’d said he was the Predator’s 'favourite freak’.
Were there others she 'collected’? Were there others who were hurt, possibly worse than Kurt?
*
He had no appetite. A dangerous thing for someone with his metabolism, where one day without food was enough to put him into starvation territory. He would force himself to eat, he decided, make him take his usual three platefuls at dinner.
What he couldn’t bring himself to do was go through his usual snacking habits. Not yet. His stomach was like a lead lump inside him. Iron, maybe, galvanised by adrenaline and fear.
Wait… wasn’t iron deadly to elves?
_They only *call* you 'Elf’, dummkopf. Don’t you *dare* start psyching yourself sick. We can’t afford it._ He could feel Fight roaming around inside his head. Hunting for Monsters.
Kurt sucked on the remains of a pink marshmallow that had been in his hot chocolate and thought calming thoughts. It was only a matter of time before everyone came home and he wouldn’t be allowed to be alone.
Everyone was so afraid that he’d hurt himself. They didn’t know that *his* horror was one of the Monsters getting out and hurting *them*, they couldn’t know. If they knew…
If they knew, he’d certainly be left alone.
Kurt wanted his lonliness to be voluntary. With optional company when he was sure he wanted it. When he was sure he was safe.
“I’m telling you, it’s like, totally *weird*. Like, why has like, camp OJ moved to like, in front of the Institute?”
“Search *me*. I just go here.”
“Where did Kurt go, anyway?”
“Hey! Kurt!” Kitty raced up to him. “You should have seen it, I was like, totally brave, I like – Kurt? OmyGod… What happened?”
“Predator,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, Katzchen. Spoiled your day. Sorry.”
“And all I had to like, do was like, punch Lance’s lights out.”
Kurt grinned. “You punched Lance out? Man, I would have payed to see that. I think I was bouncing off cars at the time…”
“You were doing *what*?”
Kurt pointed at the TV. “It’s on the news.”
They gathered around to watch. Most were in a stunned silence.
“*COOL*!” said Jamie.
Kurt watched the ameteur video footage dispassionately. His left elbow was still behind. His timing was good enough to survive, but perfection required those three forty-eighths of a second to be eliminated.
_Pipe *down*…_ Kurt told the Perfectionist. _It wasn’t a show, it was survival. I’m sick of you. Clappe._
_Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. You’re always wrong. How can you expect people to like you if you don’t get things right? Naughty boy._
Kurt seriously considered getting one of the Monsters to attack him. The Perfectionist had his useful moments, sure; but he was ninety-nine percent annoyance.
Jean was looking at him funny.
“What?”
_You should get help, Kurt,_ she thought at him. _Lots of help._
_I’ll be fine. All I have to do is steer clear of predators._
*
Jean’s secret vice was head-hopping. The Professor said it was dangerous, so she made sure not to dip into anyone’s mind for longer than a few seconds at a time. She usually made a point to stay clear of friend’s minds, but Kurt was just so *quiet*. It was eerie.
Kurt, apart from his first day at Bayville, when he was still learning the rules, was not a quiet kid.
Jean had assumed he was, judging him on first impressions, and thought him the quiet, wallflower type. But then, the day after, his jet-lag and inhibitions had worn off and he was literally bouncing off the walls. Thus had begun the now-tradition of the five AM wake-up call. Also known in the vernacular as, “I’m going to F-ing *kill* him.”
Seeing Kurt this quiet and motionless was just - wrong.
So she’d dipped into his head, telling herself that she was just skimming for a few clues.
What she got was a roar of babble. She had to strain not to react, or risk the suspicion of others. So many voices in his *head*… She pulled back instinctively.
He was in serious trouble and he didn’t even know it. Fractured personalities, capable of merging when they wanted to, that were also becoming increasingly hostile towards their 'host’ and vice versa. The ranks - no - *masks*. He called them masks. The masks were beginning to suspect him of disinformation. If he wasn’t careful they were going to rebel.
_I should have suspected it, the way he changes how he acts, depending on who he’s with. He’s Scott’s Loyal Lieutenant. Evan’s Partner in Crime. Kitty’s Wannabe Sweetheart…_ It just went on and on. Which one was real?
He was watching her watch him. “What?” he said aloud.
Best not to answer aloud. _You should get help, Kurt,_ she thought at him. _Lots of help._
_I’ll be fine. All I have to do is steer clear of predators._
That word, again. Predator. It had another layer of meaning for him, something beyond the traditional dictionary definitions.
Her friend was broken, and he wasn’t going to get better.
Because someone out there was repeatedly hitting his soul with a metaphorical hammer.