Jon and Nightcrawler -- Men About Town

"Well, I wasn't too worried about not racing," I said. "I figure the Professor'd straighten everything out no problem."

"Ja," Nightcrawler agreed. "He ist very good at zose kinds of things."

"Hey, since the race starts tomorow, why don't we head to the Hero Lounge and have a few before everything goes crazy?"

"Hero Lounge? vhere ist zat?"

"You've never been to the Hero Lounge? Jeez, does Xavier keep you guys locked away until there's an enemy attacking or something?"

Nightcrawler paused for a moment.

"No."

We headed to the Hero Lounge. the place looked pretty busy, but when the bouncer saw me, he flashed us the thumbs up and let us in.

"Hey look Nightcrawler, there's Green Lantern. Why don't you stand next to him and I can take your picture."

"Vait, ist he alive or dead now?"

"I do not know. It's so confusing over there now."

"Hey, there's Captain America and Spidey. Lookin' good guys."

"Kapitän America doesn't look so happy. Vhat's up with zat?"

"I don't know. Is he the Nice, anachronistic Captain America who helps others or is he the mean, jingoistic Captain America who kicks naked prisoners in the face?"

"I don't know, mein Freund."

"Hey look, it's Green Hornet and Kato. Wow, I haven't seen you guys in a long time. Where've you been?"

"Oh, you know," Green Hornet answered. "We've been around. Care to share a shot?"

Nightcrawler and I looked at the clear liquid in his shot glass.

"Ah, no thanks, Herr Hornet," Nightcrawler declined. "Are you going to have one, Kato?"

"No," he replied grumpily. "I'm driving."

"Oh well," the Green Hornet said as he held up his glass. "Hi ho Silver, away!"

"Hey Spidey, Hey Black Cat. Say weren't you just over there with Captain America?"

"What can I say?" Spider-Man repllied. "Everyone wants a piece of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

"Hey Ralph! How are you doing?"

"Doing pretty well, you know," he replied. "The usual."

"Have you gotten ze flying down yet?"

"Naw, I still crash into walls sometimes. Hey, how do you keep from teleporting into walls?"

"I just haff a sence for it, you know."

"Wow. can you teach me that?"

"I don't think so."

"What evil lurks in the herts of men? The Shadow knows!"

"Wha--! Oh, yeah thanks for sneaking up behind us like that. Great power you have there."

"I have the power to cloud men's minds so they cannot see me!" he replied mysteriously.

"Zat's your power? Vhatch zis."

With a flash of smoke, Nightcrawler teleported behind the Shadow.

"Hey, that was pretty neat!" the Shadow whistled. "Can you show me how to do that?"

"Nein!"

"Hey look, Kurt, there's Wolverine."

"Aw jeez, zat guy is everywhere!"