Kurt and Nathan in the Danger Room

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They meet for a scheduled training session, and work with their powers some.



Having checked the training schedule the previous day, Kurt made his way down to the Danger Room at the assigned time, where Nathan would probably be waiting for him.

"Afternoon, Kurt," Nathan said, standing outside the Danger Room. He smiled briefly at the other man. "So this'll be a first. You and me training together, I mean... I wonder what Ororo programmed for us."

Kurt nodded. "It should be an interesting session. A first for me in more ways than one - I have never trained with a telekinetic before. And I know you need to be careful with your telekinesis, but you can still use it to an extent, yes?"

Nathan sighed, rolling his eyes, but smiled again to indicate that he wasn't actually irritated. "Anything that a microscope can see, I can manipulate. Large-scale stuff is no problem at all. Although Charles did suggest that catching planes be on the no-no list for now."

Kurt nodded, smiling back. "Well, I do not think there is anything as large as a plane in the Danger Room, so we should be fine."

"Then, after you," Nathan said with a gesture, hitting the controls to open the door and activate the scenario Ororo had set up for them. The door slid open to reveal what looked like a slice of northern Canada, boreal forest and snow and all. "Uh-huh," Nathan said thoughtfully.

A glowing map appeared in midair beside them, and the computer's voice informed them sweetly that their objective was to penetrate an underground bunker and retrieve a computer chip.

Kurt listened to the instructions carefully and studied the map, vaguely-but-not-really reminded of another base he'd been to once. "It seems straightforward. Of course, these programs very rarely are."

"Straightforward never is," Nathan said, then frowned as the map disappeared. "Want to try that emergency access? Looked like it was up ahead a ways."

Kurt nodded, starting in the right direction - on foot, he didn't want to overtax his teleportation as long as there was a simpler way to get there.

The emergency access was a hatch, half-buried in the snow. Nathan pushed the rest of the snow away, then leaned back a little, peering at the locking mechanism. "I could open it, but I'm not sure what kind of alarm I might trigger."

"And I could take us straight in, but it is not safe", Kurt answered thoughtfully. "I have never seen the inside of this place, that I know of. There must be a way around it that we can work with our powers, though."

Nathan grimaced, straightening from his crouch. "Underground bunker... it's got to have a ventilation system. Better bet, maybe?" He gave Kurt a wry look. "I probably wouldn't fit, but you might. Then if you get a glimpse at the inside, you could come back for me."

Kurt blinked, then looked a little rueful at not having thought of that himself. "You are right. We have only to find it."

Nathan looked around, mentally overlaying the map on their surroundings. "You go to the right, I'll go to the left? Yell telepathically if we find anything?"

Kurt nodded. "Agreed." And he immediately started walking to the right, looking out for anything that could be a ventilation duct.

Nathan headed off to the left, scanning the terrain for any shapes that didn't look quite natural. The snow was deep enough that he could walk right over it and not know it, he reflected, frowning. Had to be a better way than this...

Kurt was doing the same thing, digging briefly in the snow every time he passed anything that looked suspicious. He was rapidly coming to the same conclusion, though. Nathan? I am not sure this is working...

Nathan stopped, then nodded to himself, getting an idea. #Bamf over here to me,# he sent back.

I will need an image of the place, to avoid trees and so on, Kurt returned. Send me one?

Nathan closed his eyes, projecting the image of his immediate surroundings with crystal-clarity. #That do?#

The answer came, not verbally, but in the form of Kurt teleporting to a clear spot. "Yes."

"Ah," Nathan said, then looked around again. "Have I mentioned my sonar trick to you?"

Kurt looked curious. "No, I do not think you have. This is a use of your telekinesis?"

Nathan nodded. "It's not really sonar, but it works in much the same way. It's a very weak TK... wave, if you like. Lets me get a mental image of our surroundings. I might be able to find the ventilation shaft with it."

"That would be most useful", Kurt answered simply, before falling silent in case it interfered with the "sonar".

Nathan closed his eyes, extending his TK carefully. Their surroundings didn't feel quite right, which didn't surprise him, but he was able to sense the differences in the terrain, the trees...

"There," he said, sounding surprised. Snow shifted aside, perhaps a hundred feet in front of them, to reveal a small hood - snowguard? - on a ventilation shaft.

Kurt smiled, starting to walk towards the shaft. "I had not realised that was possible. I should really learn more about what can be done with others' powers."

"Moira's idea. She's incredibly creative when it comes to things like this."

"Perhaps I should see if she has any new ideas regarding teleportation. It is limited, as powers go, but it cannot hurt to ask", Kurt replied over his shoulder, as he pushed the hood back and started to wriggle into the shaft.

"I'll give you the same advice I'm always giving the kids. Give her a chance and she'll surprise you."

Kurt nodded as he disappeared all the way into the pipe, which fortunately wasn't vertical for very long. About twenty minutes went by before he bamfed back to the surface. "We can go in now."

Nathan nodded and let Kurt take his arms. The sensation of teleporting was--odd, and Nathan felt a little disoriented when they reappeared in a low-ceiling, damp-smelling corridor. "Well," he murmured, careful to keep his voice low. "That was new."

"It was not too uncomfortable, I hope", Kurt answered equally quietly. "It can sometimes be hard on passengers. Young Artie was sick the first time I 'ported with him."

Nathan shook his head. "I'm fine," he murmured, then tried to figure out roughly where they were. "Do we split up?"

Kurt tried to remember the map. "I am not sure. It might be best - if one of us runs into trouble, at least I can teleport myself or you out of it, if you send me an image of where you are."

"All right. I'll keep an ear out for you." Nathan inclined his head in the direction he was planning to go, and let Kurt take the other.

Kurt headed that way without a word, ever alert for signs of trouble, both around him and telepathically, from Nathan. It wasn't long in coming, for sharp ears - the slight sound of something moving in the wall. He looked round sharply, and teleported out of the way just as a spike shot out at where he'd been.

Nathan sense a flicker of alarmed thoughts from Kurt and turned back, only to have the floor vanish from beneath him. He swore and levitated himself back up through the gap before it closed. #Kurt?# he sent sharply.

Kurt sent back a reassuring, I am all right. There was a trap, but I heard it in time. You?

#Same. I'm thinking splitting up isn't such a good idea. You stay put, I'll meet you.#

Kurt nodded, sending an impression of agreement and a picture of his surroundings, just in case.

Nathan headed back in that direction, only to stop dead as a network of visible lasers cut off the way forward - and the way back, he realized as he glanced back over his shoulder. #Crap... problem.#

Kurt sent back an apprehensive, What is it?

#I'm trapped.# Nathan sent back a flash of his current situation. #And I'm not sure what I can do telekinetically. Energy's a little dicey for me lately.#

Another wave of agreement. Moira would not be pleased with either of us if you overstretched your telekinesis. Do you think I could get you out?

#Actually, give me a second here...# Nathan looked at the spots along the wall where the lasers were coming from, and concentrated, crushing the tiny guns recessed into the walls one by one. #There we go... #

Kurt sent relief and approval. If you still want to regroup, I will be waiting where I showed you.

#On my way.# It took Nathan perhaps five minutes to get there, five minutes in which another section of the floor vanished and he had to break his way out of another of the laser-traps. "The pacing of this is odd," he murmured with a frown as he reached Kurt. "Almost leisurely."

"The traps, you mean? Yes. It is almost as if we were meant to detect them. And that, in my experience, means there is something worse to come."

"Oh, don't say that," Nathan said dryly, his eyes flickering warily around their surroundings.

Kurt grinned wryly. "I thought it was "what could go wrong?" that was supposed to be the line to tempt fate?"