Tails of Change [Revamping!]

14) Sure of Something Serious

[Author's Note:

X-Men Characters in this Chapter: Nightcrawler (Kurt), Rogue (), ____ (Jean), Beast (Dr. McCoy), Professor X (Charles Xavier), Wolverine (Logan)

OC Characters in this Chapter: _____(Sorin)

*Italicized words are either German words or English words with a more Germanic spelling. Any words that are dissimilar to the English version (or a bit out of context) will have a translation appearing here:

Wirst du [wyerst doo]== Will you

{12.12.2019} Revamped! New material!]

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Nightcrawler teleports past the security lasers.  For him, they're as easily bypassed as the entrance to the place, which was guarded by only a set of locked doors and a couple patrol men. Kind of lacking on security compared to other facilities he'd been in on other X-Men missions, but who was he to complain. An easy mission was always better than a difficult one. Especially when no one was trying to shoot at him, or otherwise hurt and or kill him.

The Professor had outlined for him where everything was located, including the power cell that kept the security cameras online. That hadn't been guarded at all. Scott had shorted the power and caused a small power outage, but there were some security measures still functioning. They were probably on a different circuit or a backup generator.

Like the vault he's standing in, and these lasers glowing behind him.

He opens one of the cases on the rack in front of him. Inside were what looked like expensive microscope parts. That wasn't what he was looking for. Not that he knows what the tech of interest is or what it does specifically, but the Professor had shown him a picture of the device, and a microscope was definitely not it. He closes the lid and snaps the fastens back into place. He moves on to the next case.

Five minutes and thirteen cases later, Nightcrawler has the tech in his backpack. He reverses his steps out of the facility and after several teleports, back to the car where Rogue is waiting to drive him the rest if the way back to the Institute. It was carefully parked far away to prevent any connection being made between the car and the theft. An impossible heist and unimaginable getaway combination for anyone without abilities like his.

"Got it?" Rogue asks, shifting the car into drive.

"Ja."

Rogue nods in acknowledgement of Nightcrawler's success and steers the car onto the road towards the Institute.

---

Upon return to the Institute, Kurt makes his way down to the Professor's lab through the hallways and the lower floor entrance. He finds the Professor in his lab, still awake. Kurt cannot recall a time the Professor was not awake and available for his students, though Kurt was sure the Professor had to sleep at some point.

Kurt hands the bag containing the tech to the Professor.

"Wirst du tell me about this?"

"There will be time for that later. Why don't you get some rest? I'm going to begin testing to see if our acquisition is indeed what it purports to be."

Kurt yawned.

"Okay, Professor. Rest too." Kurt's eyelids were starting to feel heavy.

"I will rest in a bit. Goodnight, Kurt."

"Gute Nacht."

---

Teleporting as much as he had, and so late at night, had left Kurt starving and tired. Too tired to attempt another teleport. So, he sleepily made the trek from the Professor's lab to the kitchen, where he scarfed down leftovers he found unclaimed in the refrigerator, and then continued on to his bedroom.

He paused at his door and looked back at Sorin's. The door was shut. The door had been shut and locked for four nights now. He hadn't seen Sorin in that time. On Sunday, there had been a meeting in the Professor's office with Jean, Logan, and Dr. McCoy – he hadn't been asked to join. Kurt had just happened to walk by at the time. He'd kept walking because the Professor had spotted him and waved him along before the door was closed and Kurt was shut out of the conversation, but not before he'd heard Sorin's name.

There was something serious going on with Sorin. Serious enough that Sorin was isolating himself in his room. Serious enough for Jean to go to the Professor about what she'd heard or seen in Sorin's mind. Serious enough for a meeting. Serious: but for some reason Kurt was being excluded. Wasn't he the closest person to Sorin? Why was he being left out? He wanted to help too. If it was a serious matter, shouldn't Kurt's help be welcome?

The Professor always included Logan on security issues, issues with abilities and the sort; Dr. McCoy was always involved with medical concerns and anything that required a deeper delve into the science behind a particular mutant ability. Knowing that information, Kurt could assume there was something wrong with Sorin physically, that may or not be because of his mutant ability. He wasn't sure how invisibility could adversely affect anyone but he supposed that's why Dr. McCoy had been included and not him.

Out of curiosity, Kurt turned around and tried Sorin's door. To his disappointment, the door still remained locked. He lifted his hand to knock and paused before his knuckles made contact with the wood of the door.

Jean had said to leave him alone, to let Sorin tell him what was going on when he was ready.

Kurt gritted his teeth, but returned to his own door. He pushed his way through and closed the door behind him. He was just going to have to trust Jean. He was just going to have to trust Sorin. The only way for him to show Sorin that Sorin could trust him, was to trust Sorin first. The message may have come through Jean, but it was Sorin that didn't want Kurt involved. So, Kurt would stay out of it.

No matter how uncomfortable the worry in his gut was.

No matter how frustrated he was at being left out, at being told not to help a friend.

He collapsed on his bed without bothering to shower or change out of his X-Men uniform. Those were things to be concerned with tomorrow.

He was asleep almost immediately.​