xp_logs | Kurt and Scott, Saturday evening

During the concert, Scott checks on Kurt, who admits he's still hurting from the last Purifiers encounter.

Kurt didn't seem to be enjoying the concert particularly much. He was paying fleeting attention to the bands every now and then, but mostly he was patrolling the crowds, looking for any unwelcomely familiar faces, or just anyone acting suspiciously.

"You ok?" Scott asked as he leaned against a wall and passed a water bottle to Kurt. Since they had arrived at the concert Scott had been walking the rounds to check on the members of the team who had flown out to help with security. Mostly they seemed happy and were enjoying their assignments; Kurt on the other hand literally had thunderclouds brewing over his head.

Kurt glanced over at him, accepting the bottle and taking a swig. "Fine. But I am not sure whether I hope this was an empty threat or... not."

"You want the Purifiers to attack the concert?" Scott asked, his surprise at Kurt's remark clearly showing on his face.

"I want to stop the Purifiers from attacking the concert", he clarified. "And perhaps teach them a lesson, which is a chance I will not get if they do not come at all."

"That's not like you, Kurt" Scott said, "Do you really want revenge on them that badly?"

"They took my son from me and I never really got him back", Kurt said flatly. "Individuals, I would forgive if they saw how they were misguided and left the Purifiers behind. The organization... never."

"And what about the innocent people who would be hurt if the Purifiers attack this concert?" Scott asked gesturing to the concert goers. "Are you willing to put their lives on the line for your revenge? Cause they're the ones who're going to end up paying for it."

"I did not tell the Purifiers to attack here and now", he pointed out. "If they do not come, so be it and better for the people here tonight. If they do come, I will do everything I can to keep them away from those young innocents, as we were called in to do... but I may, perhaps, enjoy it more than I might other enemies."

Scott shook his head sadly, "Nick?" he asked quietly.

"Nick is not Nick", he said just as quietly. "Nick is John Doe, and looks like remaining that way, so the boy I adopted is as lost to me as if he was really dead. John is a fine young man, I do not mean anything against him, but even he I had to send away for his healing... and it is all their fault."

"And you want to make someone pay, you want someone else to feel the pain you're feeling?" Scott guessed. He couldn't even imagine what Kurt was going through here, but he knew it wasn't healthy.

"Someone", Kurt said firmly, "who deserves it. If I could take a child from one of them without hurting that child, I would, but given that would be difficult to manage, I will settle for beating them up on occasions like this."

Scott looked at Kurt, shock once again written on his face, "You'd take a child away from their parents? Even knowing the pain it would cause everyone involved?"

"I said if I could do it without hurting the child, and I meant in any way. The parents' pain would be the point, to match mine, but if it would cause the child pain to take them away... no. I would not."

"It will always hurt a child to be separated from their parents and the world they know," Scott pointed out, "Even if you could, do you really want to sink to their level, Kurt? Make someone else suffer the same way you were just to assuage your need for vengeance?"

"I do know it would be difficult to manage with no pain to the child, unless perhaps the parents would not care in which case it would be pointless, and I said that." He sounded very tired, and glanced around at the crowd once again. "Sometimes it is very tempting, but only a fantasy."

Scott glanced over at his friend, sad that he had been forced to suffer as he had, had been left with these fantasies of revenge. "Those fantasies can be the most alluring, help us cope. But sometimes they make it hard to let go of the pain, or start to heal. If you ever want to talk about it..."

"I know, you will all be here." He smiled slightly in acknowledgment. "I will accept it sooner or later, I suppose. There is no forcing it to change."

Scott nodded, there was nothing more he could say he realized, all he could do is be here for his friend and keep an eye on him. He smiled wryly as he broke the companionable silence, "Is it just me, or does modern music just sound like a lot of noise," he asked with a smile.

"Some of it", Kurt agreed, shooting a wry look at the stage. "I do prefer my music a little more melodic, but the audience seem to be enjoying it. Perhaps we are getting old."

Scott shot a look of mock-betrayal at his friend, "Don't even joke about that," he deadpanned. "The last thing we need is Kyle hearing us admitting that, he'd never let us forget it."

"I think Kyle is having a struggle of his own with having become responsible", he noted, amused. "A teacher, even."

Scott shared a grin with Kurt, "Did you ever think you'd ever see the day when Kyle would end up being the responsible one? he asked?"

"Not quite like this, certainly. But it is very good to see."