Strong Winds

“Ja, but it vas self defense. He is very nice, and he is sorry for vhat he has done. I have prayed viz him before.” He smiled pleasantly, putting some of their spare food into a little basket. He handed it to his friend, still smiling. “You are so pretty, Varren. I am sorry zat it is only appreciated by people who are looking at you like zat.”

She glared back at him a moment, then let the spell that caused her claws fade away. “Why’d you do that?” she finally asked, looking up at him suspiciously. “Nobody does anythin’ for me.”

He shook his head. “Vhy vould you be a freak?” he pressed. “Viz Magneto here, and – and me? No vone vould look at you like zat.”

“If you vould just try…!”

He finally looked at him, really looked. And the expression on Warren’s face made him look about ten years younger. He had such a longing in his heart and Kurt was pulling it out of him. He wanted to belong. To be forgiven. He was just a kid, even if he pretended otherwise. He was lost and didn’t know what to do when he’d fucked up so badly. His life was over. There was no redemption to be found after what he’d done. And yet... Nightcrawler was here, offering him a chance.

“Yeah. Guess it’s like that with most people.” Of course, her situation was more that she was wanted, and she didn’t want to be anymore. Not like that, anyway. She finished up her food and licked any grease left off her fingers. “Should go back. Wanna sleep before I go.”

He blinked, a bit startled. “…Nein, I… I thought…” He swallowed and licked his lips. He quickly straightened out his clothes and turned. “Come, I vill give you ze food.” He turned and lead the way towards the back of the church, smiling pleasantly at the people he passed. “Oh, zey are not dangerous murderers,” he said once they were in a quieter room and he was looking through cabinets. “Vone of zem is named Dave!”

She just stared at him for a few moments, chewing in silence. “Why’re you out here?” she finally asked. “Don’t see many other kids wanderin’ around in the middle of nowhere.”

She kept him pinned there, right up until the last word came out of his mouth. Then she frowned a little and let him go, stepping back. “Why were you banished,” she said, in a monotone of confusion.

She growled and grabbed him, shoving him up against a tree. “Don’t walk away from me!” she snapped. “Why the hell would you come out here like this if you weren’t following me?! Deal’s void cause I’m a witch, ain’t it? Means I’m not a person, right?”

Kurt just let him rant a moment, steadily maintaining eye contact. Not backing down. This was important, and Warren needed to hear it. He needed to listen.

“No vone vould choose to be in zat place,” he said quietly. “No vone vould choose to have to fight for zeir lives vhile humans just laughed. I know you have been hurt because I have seen – I have caused. You vill say vhat you vant, but I vill not be fooled. Not vhen I have seen it.”

He made a disdainful sound and looked away. “Believe whatever you want. I’m not a victim. And I can’t stay here.” He hated himself for it, but he wanted to. He wanted to stay here and be given forgiveness for what he’d done. But he knew he didn’t deserve it. Not by a long shot.

He shook his head. “Nein, zat is not true,” he said. “Zey give us ze food to feed people who are hungry. Zat is it. If zey think it is going only to Christians, zen zat is zeir problem. I am often giving food to people like you. I have given zem to murderers before. You can accept help from us. Ve are not just for ze believers. Ve are for everyvone. And I vant to help you.” He smiled warmly at him. “If you vant food, I vill give you food. Zat is all zere is to it.”

She didn’t respond for a few moments, just eating. When she spoke her voice was soft. “S’people after me,” she said. “Think I belong to them. M’goin’ so I can be my own. Not what they make me into.” She watched the fire. “Don’t want to be what someone else wants me to anymore.”

She ran for a while before climbing into a tree. She was in a lot of pain, from her hurt bones and the cuts on her hands. So she cut into the tree enough to feel sap, and drew power from that. She spent several minutes doing healing spells to speed up the processes the magic in her blood was already starting.

Her bones mended and her hand wounds closed. She leaned heavily against the tree and just tried to breathe for a few moments. Then she picked up a familiar scent and frowned. She did a quick spell to give herself claws, and went after it.

A couple minutes of tree stalking later, and she dropped down in front of Warren and pointed her claws at his throat. “What’re you doing here?” she asked sharply. “Why are you following me?”

He jumped, wings poofing out when the woman dropped in front of him. “Excuse me?” He glared, even with the claws at his throat. “You think I followed you? Like this?” He gestured at himself. “In my nightclothes with no shoes? Why the hell would I do something like that? We had a deal. You’re free to do whatever you want.”