Sadly, I don't own any of the characters in X-men--this goes for all of my chapters! This is my slightly revised version of the story. I would like to thank Mahalove for giving me some advice on how to improve my story. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1

It was a cold rainy night in a small town located in Germany. It was the perfect time for a certain mutant to crawl on the roofs of the small buildings. This particular mutant had the power of teleportation and his name was Kurt Wagner, but in the circus he was known as "The Incredible Nightcrawler" and those who feared him called him "The Demon". With a few puffs of smoke, he was able to make his way from his home, the circus, to the local church. Nightcrawler was, unlike most mutants, a religious man and found comfort in prayer and in the belief of a loving God. Once he reached the church, he teleported around the building to make sure that he was alone.

It was hard being a mutant. Especially if you could be recognized as one from a mile away. That was Kurt's main problem, for he had dark blue skin, blue hair, a long devil-like tail, and only three fingers and two toes on each hand and foot. Kurt, being religious, had also carved the markings of the archangel Gabriel into his skin. It wasn't as if he had his appearance to worry about.

Once he had checked that he was alone, he knelt in one of the pews and prayed. He did this every night. When the circus moved to a different town, Kurt was quick to find a church to worship in. But it was this rainy night that was different. That night, he wasn't alone for long.

The young mutant was almost done with his prayer when he heard a door creek open and slam shut against the stormy night. Quick as a flash, he teleported behind the wall that faced the pews. From this spot, he cautiously peered through the doorway to see his intruder.

It was a girl. She seemed to be in her late teens and was drenched from the rain. In her arms she carried a small child who was also drenched. Shebrought the sleeping child to the front of the unlit church and laid the child on the first pew. Kurt studied the newcomers. The child was also a girl who looked small enough to be around three years old. She had blonde, curly hair and fair skin. The older girl had long, wavy, black hair plastered to her face from the rain and skin that was slightly tanned from the sun.

The girl turned from the sleeping child and walked up a few stairs to the crucifix that stood against the wall Kurt was hiding behind. He poked his head out a little more to get a better view of her. She looked at the depiction of Jesus' death. He watched her look back at the child and then turn back to the dead Savior. Suddenly, she turned away and walked down the steps that led away from the cross. Sitting on the last step, she pulled her knees up to her chin, laid her forehead on it, and wept. Kurt pulled his head back in. He found it a little surprising that she was crying. He knew that he should probably teleport out and leave her in peace, but the sound of her crying hurt his heart.

"Please don't cry," he said with his German accent.

The girl looked up with a gasp. "Who's there?" she asked timidly.

"A friend," answered Kurt from behind the wall.

"Show yourself," she demanded unbelievingly, her voice resounded off the church walls.

Kurt looked at his blue hands and his face fell. "I vould scare you."

The girl followed the sound of the mysterious voice. Kurt heard her footsteps come closer to the open door next to him. "Don't come any closer!" he warned.

She stopped. "Why not?" she demanded.

"I don't vant you to see me. Please," he begged, "believe me vhen I tell you that I von't hurt you."

"Fine," she said as she sat down next to the doorway. If the wall had been removed, Liana and Kurt would be sitting back to back. Kurt quietly thanked the Lord for her cooperation.

There was a small pause. "Vhat's your name?" Kurt asked politely.

The girl hesitated. "Liana."

"Liana," he repeated, "That's a pretty name."

"Thanks," she said with a small smile. "What's yours?"

Kurt thought about her question. It was lonely being a demonic-looking mutant, with no one but his adopted family and God as his friends and family. He wanted Liana to be his friend, but if he gave her his name, then she would be able to find out who he really was and find a poster of what he looked like. "Um…vhat do you vant to call me?"

"Well, that's not fair," she said. "I gave you my name." She gave an exasperated sigh when he didn't give an answer. "I don't know," she began. "I'll just call you 'Voice', like the girl off of the Phantom of the Opera."

"Who is your friend?"

"That's my sister, Katy."

"I don't mean to be rude, but vhat are you doing out here on a stormy night?"

"I should be asking you the same question, along with 'Why don't you show yourself?'" She paused with a sigh. "Katy and I don't have a home." A flash of lightning lit up the church. The temporary light revealed that Liana had a black-eye and a few bruises on her arms.

"You are hurt," he pointed out with concern.

She wrapped her arms around herself. "I've had worse," she said quietly. A lapse of silence followed. Only the storm outside disturbed the silence.

"You must be cold," he pointed out.

"Only alittle."

Kurt squinted into the darkness, trying to find a blanket of some sort. All he found in the small, hidden room was a priest's robe and a tablecloth. He took these and tossed them out the doorway. He saw her bruised arm reach out and accept the items.

"Thanks," she said.

"Your velcome….goodnight," he said quietly. He watched her wrap the tablecloth around her sister as he waited for a loud boom of thunder before he teleported back home with a puff of smoke.

And so began their friendship. Each night, when Kurt went to the church, he found Liana and Katy asleep on the pew. Kurt, or "Voice", learned that Liana had lost her mother to an illness and that she and her sister were left to an abusive father. Liana's father was part of an illegal drug business and had moved to France to escape the American government. After experiencing a rough beating, Liana took her sister and ran away. After escaping their house, they secretly hopped into the baggage car of a train heading to Germany.

Liana eventually gave her full trust to her new friend called Voice. Though, she didn't tell Katy for fear of her little sister staying up to listen to their conversations. She found her new life hard, for she had to provide food for Katy and herself, as well as to stay hidden when church services were being held. Apart from the hardships, she found it nice that she had a friend who would talk to her and show kindness that she had never known with her father.

Life, she decided one night, isn't so bad after all.

Review, my friends, review! spaz I love reviews!