Magic shows are meant to have surprises, right?

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Los Angeles was everything Kurt Wagner could have hoped for and then some. True, most of the touristy stuff he had seen and celebrity sightings so far were spotted in the course of work (which in this case involved checking out a potential new student for the institute) so he couldn't exactly spend a lot of time drinking them in. But that didn't make it any less awesome. And now that the work was done, it was going to get even cooler!]

[The others didn't know what they were missing. How could anyone choose to spend the night at some famous restaurant or a traveling production of a play that was better on Broadway (practically in their own backyard!) when they could be here with him instead, watching a teenage magician who was already being billed as one of the best in the business?]

[That was fine. Kurt was having plenty of fun on his own. The magician more than lived up to the hype. And after a show that incredible, you can bet Kurt was going to jump at the chance to volunteer for her final trick of the evening. He probably didn't have much of a chance, given how...height challenged he was compared to the rest of the people clambering for attention around him. But what he lacked in height he made up for with enthusiasm! (And the judicious use of his seat as a step stool.)] Hier! Hier!

Comments

[sleightadvantage]

[She didn't need Athena's super sensitive ears to hear that. Curious, she looked up at him again, waiting to see if he'd elaborate.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

[He could feel her eyes on him. They burrowed through his focus, pernicious. Or maybe that was his own brain projecting. Either way, the guilt of lying by omission was too heavy to ignore.]

[He targeted one of the heavier rigs hanging not far above the catwalks and grabbed hold of it with his tail. This time he didn't let the momentum carry him forward. Instead, he grabbed both of Trucy's wrists tight and let the momentum swing her down the few feet to the catwalk, leaving him hanging upside down in front of her, face to face. His tone was sheepish when he finally spoke again.]

It's a bit...complicated.

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy couldn't help the sound of disappointment that slipped out as she was lowered to the catwalk; once she'd gotten over the fear, the sensation was exhilarating and entirely easy to get lost in. Maybe she could convince him to do it again, after he caught his breath.]

[Oh, and after they dealt with whatever this was.]

[She cocked her head, frowning at him sideways.]

What is it? Are you actually an acrobat? [Though, she couldn't see how that was complicated or why it would cause him to look so uncomfortable.] ...Or is it something to do with your exchange program? [He did say some things about it were 'top secret'. (Maybe it was actually a circus.)]

[fuzzybluegecko]

The latter. [He shrugged and scratched the back of his neck, seemingly unbothered by the fact that he was still hanging upside down from his tail.] I'm not just here in the states to go to school, and I don't just do stuff like this [He gestured at their surroundings] for fun. You know that chaperone I mentioned?

[sleightadvantage]

Yeah...? [With how cagey he was being, she started to wonder if he was about to confess to something shady.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

He's not from my actual school. I mean, he's not from the public school I go to. I'm also enrolled in a sort of...private boarding school situation, too. One specifically for mutants! Logan's one of the teachers there. [He paused, cocking his head to the side and resting a finger against his chin in thought.] I mean, he's basically our teacher. I don't think he's an actual teacher though.

[sleightadvantage]

Okay... [Well, so far nothing sounded super out of the ordinary. A private boarding school for mutants made a lot of sense!] So what does that have to do with training? [Before he had a chance to respond, though, a thought suddenly came to her.] --Oh! Are they teaching you to use your powers better!? I bet Logan's a mutant, too, right!?

[fuzzybluegecko]

Hey, you guessed it! [He grinned, somewhat relieved that she got there without him having to spill all the beans himself. Not that he intended to let all of those beans out of the can...] Ja, all of our teachers at the boarding school are mutants, too. Learning to use our powers in a safe environment is the big reason we're there.

[His tail let go of the rig and he fell into a flip that landed him perfectly on his hands and feet, like a large cat. From there he slid up into a standing position in one fluid movement.] I already had a lot of practice with my powers when I first got there, but I'm able to 'port even farther and more accurately now. And a lot of the other kids don't have all the experience I did. For some of them the whole mutant thing is brand new.

[sleightadvantage]

[She took a step back to give him room, still awed by how cat-like he was in some ways.]

Geez, from the way you were talking, I thought you were gonna say you were in a secret mutant mafia or something! But this is cool, too.

[fuzzybluegecko]

Mutant mafia? [Peals of laughter reverberate around the empty theater.] Oh man, no. We're the good guys, which automatically makes us way cooler.

[She wasn't entirely off about the whole 'mutant mafia' thing, though. The thought of the Brotherhood and their shadowy leaders dampened his amusement a bit.]

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy tilted her head, giving him a playful smirk.] I don't know. There are some really cool bad guys. But speaking of... If you're the good guys, does that mean there are bad guys? [Her grin became utterly impish.] Are you secretly a superhero, Kurt!?

[fuzzybluegecko]

['Scheisse'. The smile remained plastered on his face, though it took on a tight, strained quality as every muscle in his body tensed up. What he had already revealed would probably get him in a ton of trouble if anyone ever found out, but the territory they were treading around now was absolutely tip top secret.]

[He struggled to keep his tone light as he answered, though the tip of his tail was twitching back and forth sharply with his nerves.] Ha ha, that would be really cool, wouldn't it? Unfortunately I'm just little old Kurt, perfectly normal teen mutant. The most epic battles I have to worry about are my finals. [Never mind the fact that the last time he told her he was a perfectly normal teen he had been lying through his teeth.]

[sleightadvantage]

[Although Kurt's fur made it a little harder to see the nuances in his expressions at first glance, his tail was a different story. From the first moment she saw it, she knew it was good indicator of his emotional state, and a quick glance at the sharp, back and forth movement behind him now told her there was something amiss with what he was saying.]

[Fortunately for him, Trucy's phone went off with a text notification at that moment. (Unfortunately for him, she would not be forgetting this little detail and had already filed it away for later consideration.) Without any indication she'd noticed anything, she pulled her phone from seemingly nowhere and glanced down at it.]

Oh! Looks like Athena's about 5 minutes away...

[fuzzybluegecko]

Great! [His voice was too high and cracked a bit around the edges. He tried again. This time it came out sounding a little more normal.] Great. You'll need this then.

[He handed over the inducer, saying a silent prayer as he did so. This was his last shot at avoiding the wrath of Logan, but it could also be his only shot at keeping his most important secrets. He could only hope Trucy would forget this part of the conversation.]

[sleightadvantage]

Great! [His hope was in vain, not that she'd let him know that just yet. She smiled sweetly as she accepted the inducer and then cocked her head toward the stage below.] Mind giving me a lift?

[fuzzybluegecko]

Ah. Right. Ready? [This time he held out his three-fingered hands and smiled warmly as he waited for her to take them.]

[sleightadvantage]

[Her smile brightened, and she took his hands without hesitation.] Ready!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[His stomach fluttered, just a little, upon receiving the gift of contact given so freely. He dared to squeeze her hands for just a moment.]

All right. Let's go! [Then they were gone. Then they were back again, far below the place they had been when they left. Kurt released her hands and waited for her to pull away.]

[sleightadvantage]

[By now, she was getting used to the sensation, so it didn't take her long to recover from the brief wave of vertigo. A small stagger forward when he released her hands was the only side effect she displayed before standing perfectly upright. Then, knowing the exact location of everything on stage, including every trapdoor, she grinned and took a step back.]

Back in a flash!

[And with a burst of smoke and confetti, she performed her own disappearing act.]

[fuzzybluegecko]

[She left him coughing on her own smoke trail, but when he got himself under control he beamed at the space she had just occupied.]

...That's so cool.

[sleightadvantage]

[Trucy quickly and quietly made her exit to the lobby using the hallways only accessible by staff. She was gone for about ten minutes before her voice loudly preceded her reentry into the auditorium.]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT HERE, ATHENA!

Pas de problème, Trucy, BUT WHY ARE WE YELLING?

[Relieved to find the stage empty when she entered, she whirled on her toes to face the young lady following her.] Sorry. I'm just excited to use this new prop!

[The young woman, not much older the Trucy, took a seat in the back, inducer already in hand. She turned it over, examining it curiously.] Not that I mind, but... Tell me again why this couldn't wait until next week?

[Trucy stood beside her.] Because! If I'm gonna use it in a show, I have to have a chance to practice. What if the murder of the century happens next week, and you suddenly have a huge case on your hands!?

[Athena looked up, brow raised curiously. Trucy wasn't sure what--if anything--she might have heard in her voice, but she played innocent to the best of her ability, which was a skill she was highly adept at. Finally, Athena shrugged.]

...Fair.

[Trucy smiled, feeling a slight tension leave her shoulders. It's something Polly or her dad might have picked up on, but she didn't think Athena would notice. When Athena withdrew a small toolkit from her bag and turned her attention back to the watch, Trucy was pretty sure she hadn't.]

Well, to work then, I guess! Let's see...

[While she worked, Trucy glanced at the stage. She couldn't see the catwalk from here, but she wondered if that was where Kurt had disappeared to...]

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Kurt had indeed retreated to the safety of the catwalks as soon as the magician left him. Despite Trucy's assurances, the possibility of the security guard stumbling across him while he was separated from the one person who could try to help him explain his presence (and appearance) made it seem like the most prudent move. Besides, Trucy had never specified where she was going to take Athena to work on the inducer. So he took to the rafters and resumed his enthusiastic acrobatic exercise high above the stage. This time he swung swiftly and silently, so he had no trouble hearing the voices that preceded the girls' appearance in the theater.]

[He perched effortlessly on the catwalk railing like a gargoyle, his tail swaying lazily back and forth as he watched the pair settle in the back of the auditorium.]

[Athena's long, striking red hair immediately invited comparison to Jean Grey, but the similarity seemed to end there. She wasn't much taller than the extremely petite magician, and as far as he could see from that distance, her face was more round where Jean's was long and quite angular.]

[The most striking thing about Athena was her apparent youth. Didn't Trucy say she was one of her father's co-workers? And her father's a lawyer? Athena sounded way younger than he was expecting! He settled in to listen to their conversation.]

[sleightadvantage]

Hmm... This is a lot different than Widget...

[Trucy looked back to see Athena already had the inducer open and was poring over it intently, hand to her mouth in thought.]

Do you think you can fix it?

[Without immediately responding, Athena withdrew a small, pointy stick from her toolkit and began poking around, carefully moving wires aside and examining the inner workings beneath, while Trucy looked on in fascination.]

[Truth be told, she had the utmost faith in Athena, but a small part of her couldn't help worrying that the inducer might end up more broken than before. She concentrated hard on relaying positive vibes!]

...Ah-ha!

[...Which seemed to work!? She waited impatiently for Athena to regale her with knowledge.]

This might be the problem. [She showed Trucy a wire that looked a little frayed, the green insulation black on either side where the wire was visible.] It looks like it got fried, somehow.

[The conversation went on for a few minutes longer, Trucy giving a shorthand version of what the inducer was supposed to do, Athena expressing surprise that Trucy was able to get her hands on something like this, Trucy agreeing without volunteering any further detail...]

[In the end, Athena had pulled out the tiniest roll of electrical tape Trucy had ever seen (prompting some cooing over how cute it was), mended the wire, and announced that that might fix the problem, at least in the short term. All that was left to do was test it.]

[Taking a deep breath, she pressed the button on the side, delighted as it seemed to hum to life, and waited; pressed it and waited again; and then pressed it one more time before utterly deflating.] Aw, man... I thought that'd do it.

[From Trucy's perspective, however, Athena had morphed into human-looking Kurt, back to her own body, and then back to Kurt again. After a few seconds of bug-eyed staring, she snatched the watch away, making sure to turn it off in the process.]

A-actually, that's fine!

[fuzzybluegecko]

[Kurt's attention was glued on the pair as he waited for the final verdict on the inducer's salvageability. It was a bit difficult to make out their conversation--though the acoustics in the theater were fantastic and the sound of their voices easily reached him, there was some echoing distorting it all. Without them intentionally projecting the words were somewhat muddled and he could only make out some of the things they said. It was nerve-wracking to be relegated to the role of a silent observer receiving only partial details when so much was on the line.]

[He recognized the tone, though, when Athena announced that this might solve the problem. He waited with bated breath, leaning forward as far as he safely could, his fingers and toes wrapped tightly around the top rail. This was the moment of truth...]

[Athena's hair and clothes and skin tone suddenly flickered and changed, leaving behind a very familiar figure. He kept holding his breath, afraid that it would short out again like the last time, barely daring to hope it was truly fixed. Then Athena was back, then "Kurt" again, and finally Athena, after Trucy snatched the inducer away from her.]

[Kurt released the breath he was holding and whispered] Yes!

[sleightadvantage]

Hey...! [Athena reached forward, as if to take the watch back, but froze midway. She frowned and looked towards the stage.] Did you hear that?

[With the inducer safely pocketed, Trucy followed Athena's gaze--once again relieved to find the stage empty--and then turned back with an innocent shrug. (After all, she hadn't heard anything.)] What?

I thought I heard a voice...