King Tide: Kurt and Billy (backdated)

[x-asgardian.livejournal.com]

Kurt and Billy attempt to evacuate a resistant Avalonian


"Fine, stay here and DIE," Billy said, exasperated. He'd expected difficulties teleporting, maybe landing, but not with resistant people. He glanced over at Kurt, helplessly.

"Billy", Kurt said patiently - although his patience was starting to become strained in the face of the sheer intransigence they were seeing - "persuasion, not bluntness. My young friend is right, though, we can help you remove your possessions but you are in great danger."

The woman - an obvious mutant with scales like a lizard's on her face and long fangs and claws - glared at them. She had planted herself in the doorway of a small hut, arms crossed over her chest. "I don't care what you gene-traitors say," she spat. "Everything I own in the world is here and I'm not moving for anything."

Billy bit back his immediate retort as the to the value of "everything she owned," looking past her at the ocean. Not a chance she or her things would survive. "Look, you don't have to believe me or like me, but I'm trying to help. There's probably a fifty foot wave coming really soon, and you're right in its path. It's going to move you AND everything you own, and even if you manage to survive it, most your stuff won't. If you let us help, we'll save everything we can."

"If, on the other hand", Kurt said quietly, "you do not let us help - and we cannot make you - you will die, and your house will be washed away as if it had never been there."

"You're just trying to scare me." The woman's slotted eyes narrowed. "Trying to make me leave and go back under the flatscans' thumbs. I didn't leave when the volcano erupted and I'm not leaving now."

"I'm actually more worried about a freaking huge wall of water that's coming this way than about trying to scare you," Billy said, his exasperation starting to escape again. "What do I have to do to convince you I'm on your side?!"

A low reptilian hiss escaped the woman's throat and on her head, a crest of spikes started to rise. "Careful, sonny boy," she growled. "We're not your helpless guttertrash here. Go do your good somewhere else."

"Billy", Kurt said, more warning than patient this time. "I wonder, ma'am", he continued politely to the woman, "does your mutation help you to swim?"

"Do I look like a fish to you, fur-face?" The woman bristled, which in her case was almost literal, as her crest rose higher. "No, it doesn't, and unless one of you was strong enough to carry my house, I still won't be going anywhere. This is my home and you'll have to kill me to make me leave it."

"And the wave will kill you if we don't. There's other people to save. We don't have time for this." He stared at her, a brief moment of conflict showing on his face, before his hand darted out and latched on to her arm. "I want to take her to the Safe Zone, I want to take her to the Safe Zone." The chant tumbled off his lips as quick as he could get the words out, and he fixed the evacuation place in his mind, trying to push out the thoughts of what she was bound to do when they....flashed there as a bright blue shone around the two of them, leaving them in the growing crowd of refugees.

Kurt stared in disbelief at where Billy and the woman had just been - then, muttering to himself, dashed into her hut to gather up her meagre possessions. At least he could make sure she got to keep those, and as soon as he had them all, he teleported to the Safe Zone in turn.

AS the blue light faded from around them, the woman looked around her in disbelief. Then she focussed on Billy. "You... you..." she spluttered, then launched herself at him, sharp claws extended. "YOU!"

"Woah, woah," Billy brought up his staff, holding it defensively in front of him. Tiny flickers of lightening began to crackle around his hands, but he tried to will them away with limited success. "You'll thank me in like 20 minutes."

"Gragh!" The woman was obviously past listening to logic - especially from Billy - and she lunged at him, one hand swiping across his chest and shredding his clothes.

Billy's staff clattered to the ground, and one hand clutched at the wound, shocked at the sudden pain. It had been a long time since he'd felt anything like that, not since, since the beating that had started everything. His control quickly began to waver, short bursts of electricity beginning to arc off him as he stumbled backward, trying to put distance between them.

"Enough." It was almost snapped with no room for argument, as Kurt placed himself between them. "Here are your things. Billy, go to the medical tent."

For a long moment, it seemed like she would either fling herself at Billy again, or attack Kurt himself. She stared into his yellow eyes, head crest erect, body shaking with rage. Then she snatched her belongings from Kurt's arms and turned away, storming off into the crowd, ignoring the various protests and complaints from those she bumped into.

"Thanks," Billy said as he watched her leave. He gathered the shreds of his shirt, trying to stop the bleeding. "I doubt the med team is expecting one of US to be the first one they need to patch up," he growled, stooping to grab his staff.

"When they have", Kurt told him calmly, "you and I need to have a talk. Come back and find me when you have seen them."

Something about Kurt's tone made Billy think that was not going to be a pleasant conversation, though he didn't quite understand why. So he just nodded and set off for the med tent, steering clear of the way the she-dragon had went.