A/N: I do not own any of the characters/places to the X-Men films. The character of Jessica Gion/Blaze is my own creation as is this story. I own nothing else. The other places/characters belong to the creators of the X-Men films and comics.
Also, I won't write another chapter unless I get some reviews wanting one. So if you read it and like it or not comment. Thanks in advance.
John Allerdyce awoke groggily somewhere he didn't seem to recognize. He was in a grayish room lying on a cold metal table. Something was wrong. He could hear beeps and buzzes off to the side like some infuriating techno beat that wasn't getting anywhere. His vision was a little out of focus but snapped into place fixated on a pair of silvery-gray eyes. They were hypnotizing, and certainly had to belong to an angel or a girl in his dreams. Bam! He was out cold again. John had been going in and out of consciousness for a little under a month now. Lying on the examination table at the mansion, hooked up to monitor after monitor trying to bring him back around. The eyes he had beheld belonged to an individual that was so extremely like him, someone who knew how to take care of him. Someone who knew exactly what he needed. Someone he had yet to meet. John had been carried away from Alcatraz Island by a long lost friend, a friend who had head-butted him moments before things when ape-shit.
Bobby had brought him back, but not because he wanted to but because the "Good Samaritan" in him would not leave John there to die. That was it, that was as far as it went. Ever since Pyro had been back at the mansion Bobby hadn't cared whether the young man made a recovery or not. Pyro had insulted him, he had insulted Rouge and that was unacceptable to Bobby even if they use to be friends. He had watched that once best friend of his barbecue cars like marshmallows at his own house making his family hate his mutation even more. And, he had seen him filet a building filled with people watching with no guilt. That wasn't the John he knew. It wasn't the guy who showed his skills at the food court or who held that utterly sarcastic flavor. This John, no... Pyro was a different person entirely. A person made up of no regrets and molten magma beneath his veins.
Bobby walked upstairs to talk to Rouge. She was so scared now that they had found the cure wasn't permanent. She hated knowing possibly one day soon she would turn back into that girl with the white streaks in her hair and the power to kill within her skin. The girl who could no longer know her boyfriend. Bobby passed Kitty on the way up and only waved. He didn't seem interested in her now that Rogue was "perfect." She only mildly waved back.
John's eyes fluttered open, this time looking around almost frightened, and fearful. Almost as if he were a scared little boy cowering in a corner somewhere. But the light hurt his eyes so he closed them again.
"Where am I," he choked out.
A gentle soft hand caressed his forehead. "Shhh, it's all right you're safe. You're going to be okay," A girl's voice soothed.
Her hand still caressed his hair, like a mother does a young sick son. Her hand was warm even to his fire ridden skin.
"I'll be right back," she told him. "Stay here, don't try to move I'm coming right back."
The girl went out of the lab to get Storm and Wolverine.
He was in the X Mansion. This was real nice. Back in the place he had betrayed, people he had betrayed. John lay there bitter and moody as Storm and Wolverine assessed him.
"How do you feel," Storm asked him.
"All right considering that Ice Prick gave me a freaking concussion."
"Hey watch your mouth Fire Fly," Wolverine warned.
"Can you walk?"
"Oh I think I can make it," John said sitting up and jumping off the gurney.
He stood up and stretched. Come on, almost a month on a cold metal bed, you'd stretch too. He was in his boxers and it was kind of cold.
"Can I please have my clothes so I can get out of here," he asked sharply.
"Uh you're not going anywhere," Wolverine told him.
"Oh yeah what are you going to do about it Wolvie," John spat his eyes starting to fill with liquid lava. Turning from John to Pyro in a matter of seconds. He realized his igniter was missing and turned away.
"I don't know how to tell you this but, Magneto's gone," Storm spoke.
"What do you mean 'gone'?"
"He's human."
"What," John backed away sitting on the edge of the gurney as if he was dizzy.
"The Brotherhood has disbanded. You have no where else to go."
"The cure isn't permanent," he said.
"How did you know that,' Wolverine asked his eyes narrowing.
"I had my sources," John said an evil bit of a smile curling in his lips.
John looked down at the floor for several minutes, taking in the news the news that Erik was gone for now at least. The only father figure he knew aside from the professor and he was gone too. Everyone in his life was gone. His mother, his real father, Magneto, the professor, everyone he had. She was right, he had no place to go. Usually he would have braved the streets than to be left here, but right now he didn't feel like trying to survive out there. He knew that it would be filled with anger ridden mutants. A whirl of chaos from knowing the cure wasn't full proof. So cursing himself he finally gave in.
"Fine."
"Great I'll show you to your room after you get dressed." Storm told him. She handed him back his clothes and even to his surprise she handed him back the igniter. He slipped it on like some sacred amulet.
Click flames danced above his palm entrancing him like some exotic dancer.
"Hey, cut that out," Wolverine snapped.
Storm and Pyro walked up the stairs getting looks of anger, fear, and even amusement from some of the younger girls. The students in the halls stared at him. They knew him, if not in actuality then from just the mention of his name associated with the "bad guy." They passed Pitor Rasputin also known as Colossus. Who like usual was showing his impressive strength by carrying a dining room table down the hall with one hand.
They took a left at the top of the stairs. The girl's dorms were this way. Girl's dorm? What was going on? They stopped in front of an open door where he could hear the ticking of someone tapping on computer keys.
"John I'd like you to...," Storm started.
"Pyro, the name's Pyro," he said in his bitter tone.
"Okay then Pyro I'd like you to meet Jessica Gion."
The girl was petite, like he liked. Her hair was a reddish color with bronzy highlights. Like flames he thought. And, those eyes; gray, steely silver. Eyes he knew from somewhere, but couldn't place.
"Well well come on baby light my fire," he mused.
"Anytime," Jessica replied giving him a wink as a small stream of fire left her hand and floated across the room to his palm.
Pyro's expression changed from arrogant to surprise. He looked at the flames that licked his skin in disbelief. She had to be absorbing his powers or something.
"I see they didn't tell you. We're two sides of the same coin big boy ," she said making the flames disappear. Big boy? He liked it. She was bold feisty, just like him. Just like the molten magma that ran beneath their veins.
Pyro looked up and finally found the words to speak, "Guess not."
Then another set of words escaped his lips, words he'd heard uttered before, "What's your real name Jessica?"
"Blaze," she said. Just that one word made his body heat rise.
"Well I'll leave you guys too it. Joh . . . I mean Pyro I know it's unconventional and usually not what would happen here, but you'll have to room with Jessica. All the beds in the mansion are full. Ever since the fall of Magneto kids have been coming here in flocks. With the streets a mess the kids are scared. At least this way you can't hurt each other. We'll talk about the rules later after you get settled," Storm told him as she was about to leave
"Oh and one more thing, just don't burn anything," she said looking at both of them. Reminding Pyro of that fool Bobby Drake.
Pyro looked down at the igniter on his right hand.
"You can create it," he said feeling insignificant.
"I haven't always been able too," Jessica told him. "It took me a long time to harness the fire, to know that I could control it. To not let it consume me." She was staring at her hand as he stared at his. Knowing his fascination with what she could do and he could not. She had felt that same way once. Only being able to manipulated the fire and having to have something else to create it for you. You felt like something was missing like a part of you wasn't whole because your powers weren't great enough.
"A god among insects," Pyro exclaimed.
"What?"
"Oh um, nothing," he said looking up at her.