The X-Project

After the inadvertent attack on Marie-Ange and generally a rough couple of days, Marius is possibly feeling slightly paranoid about his dietary needs. Luckily for him Kurt was available, and has experience taking people's minds off troubling situations.





"So," Marius said to Kurt as they entered the gymnasium, "I said thanks for this, right? Because thanks."

And he meant it. Marius didn't know whether it was the sleep-deprivation or the irritability that accompanied the preliminary stages of hunger, but after Sunday's incident with Marie-Ange he'd been feeling off. Thanks to his experience with Masque's powers he knew he was off-schedule; repeated use of borrowed powers ran the marrow through his system faster than normal, and 72 hours of continuous precognition definitely qualified. Still, that hadn't been any reason to blow up when he'd gone to the infirmary to see about another feeding and Amelia had informed him he'd have to check back that afternoon as this week's scheduled donor had the flu and the next was currently visiting family. The need hadn't been immediate, and it wasn't as if he had no other options; Rahne had even offered to fill in as such last night. Marius had been perfectly aware of that, and he'd still gone off on Dr. Voght when she'd told him he couldn't be immediately accommodated. The outburst had been very unlike him, and was more than a bit embarrassing in retrospect. Thank goodness for concerned teachers.

"There is no need to thank me", Kurt said firmly. "Part of my job is to see that the students are well."

Marius shrugged. "Even so. I know it wears a body out. An' on a school day, yet. You have anythin' I can do, sorting papers an' that, just let me know. You helped me out. Slave-labour's the least I can offer, eh?"

"Consider it asked. I may need some help in dance class, if you are free at the time..."

"Ah, no worries there," the boy said, brightening. "Always up for teachin'. I've actually got a fair background. Mum started me on it at a tender age. Does wonders for coordination. Jazz, swing, tango, ballroom . . . didn't have the moral fibre to keep up with the ballet, though. It is truly a sport of Men." He snapped his fingers suddenly. "Come to that, hear you're teachin' Forge how to put one foot in front of the other without trodding on it for prom, too. Practically a public service, that. I've seen him at DDR. I'm sure Jennie thanks you, too."

"It is a deal, then. And I am doing my best with Forge. He is a quick learner, when it comes to the technicalities of it", he offered.

"Yeah, too bad about the implementation bit. Caught him practicin' in the common room once or twice. The coffee table nearly didn't survive. Still, no one can say it's for want of trying." Marius rubbed his gloved hands together. "Anyway, how should we do this? Can't say as I've tried teleportation before. There a theory or the like to keep in mind?"

"It is more instinctual, for me. I admit, I am not sure how to teach my exact power. Perhaps if I give you something to dodge?"

Marius scratched his head dubiously. "Don't know, my instinct is to make a run for objects bein' flung at me, not away, but we can give it a go. Nothing ventured nothing gained, eh?"

Kurt nodded his agreement, looking around for something to throw and spotting a pile of basketballs. "Will those do?"

"Might," Marius conceded, though he remained doubtful. Given Marius' experience with rugby as exercise of choice, having sporting equipment thrown at him hardly constituted as exigent circumstances. However, Marius was willing to defer to his judgement. It was his power, and anyway, any man who taught dance for a living definitely had things worked out.

Sports equipment being all that was available, however, they would have to make do. And anyway, Marius didn't generally have the ability to teleport when he was playing rugby. Kurt threw one of the balls at him, as hard as he could.

Marius' arm snapped up, large hand easily palming the basketball before it caught him in the chest. Nonetheless, the impact sent his knuckles back against his breastbone. "Nice throw," he grinned at Kurt as he lowered the ball.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. That hadn't worked. But... here came two more basketballs in rapid succession.

The first was automatically met with his free hand, but the other man had timed the throws much faster than Marius had anticipated and the same training that had made catching the balls so natural now made him loathe to drop them. In the instant it took Marius to calculate the second basketball was coming directly at his face something in his head clicked, and suddenly he was -- somewhere else.

Somewhere else being the other side of the room, the ball bouncing harmlessly on the floor. Kurt nodded at him approvingly. "That seems to have worked. Do you remember how it was?"

Marius, now finding himself against the far wall, regarded Kurt a little dazedly.

"Just it was . . . dark an' . . . 'scuse us--" The other two balls tmped against the gym floor as Marius doubled over, both hands pressed over his mouth. Sod, he thought dimly as he tried to fight back heaves, I think I left my stomach on the other side of the bleeding room . . .

Kurt stepped to his side, worried. "It often takes those who are not used to it this way. My passengers have often had the problem... I should have warned you."

"No worries. Used to new powers bein' a bit . . . uneven at first." At least it seemed to be wearing off fairly quickly. Part of it was the shock of finding himself suddenly here after being there. His digestive tract hadn't seemed to make the transition at quite the same speed as the rest of him. "But it doesn't take you like this?" Marius asked belatedly, straightening himself once his stomach seemed less likely to crawl up his throat.

"It did, when I first manifested the power itself. But that was a very long time ago. I got used to it. Are you feeling better?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, think she's right now. And believe it or not, the feeling my gut's wedged in sideways isn't half the bad trip of Marie-Ange's precog." Marius cracked his knuckles and grinned. This was definitely more fun than throwing a fit over his feeding schedule. "So you get used to it, eh? Up for another few rounds of chuckin' blunt objects at my head then? You'll be the envy of the entire school."