Chapter Two
Deprive of food and water for a day, Kitty began to break down. She saw the interrogators, following like gang members behind Mystique, and almost instantly broke down into tears.
Perhaps she'd heard stories and was imagining what else they would do to her. She was on her knees, handcuffed to her neutralizer. Pyro just watched her as she begged to be let go. The junior X-Men member just repeated that she knew nothing, over and over again.
John could vouch that Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde wasn't close enough to Xavier to be privy to the information they wanted.
John walked to Rogue's room. She seemed unaffected by her lack of food. He was interested in how they'd get her to talk. He already had an idea of what they'd do to Bobby. Pyro, himself, had often mentioned why he was better than Bobby. Fire vs Ice. Pyro was confident that he'd win against water.
Speaking of which, John looked down on Iceman's room. The Iceman seemed to be sleeping, sitting against the wall. As Johnny watched him, wishing he weren't in there and chained up, his gaze got through to Bobby's mind. His eyes opened and he looked up at the window, right at John.
They watched each other for a moment, as though trying to talk to each other across the distance and glass, before Pyro heard the door opening. It scratched across the metal ground. Pyro turned away from the window but he felt Bobby's gaze following his movements as he walked out of view.
"How are the subjects doing?" Magneto asked in his normal happy tone.
"Shadowcat is breaking, but I think she's useless anyway," Pyro replied.
"Really, now?" Magneto gazed into her room thoughtfully. He saw her cowering away as far as she could from the other mutants. "Young people..." he sighed.
"I doubt she'll be of any use to you, sir. We should just throw her in the cells with the other children." Pyro leaned on the wall, speaking and seeming uninterested. He really didn't like Kitty but if she was useless, he didn't see the need to hurt her pointlessly.
"Quite right, Pyro." Magneto turned on the speakers for Kitty's room and they squeaked. "Take her to a cell," he ordered.
Mystique looked up at the two of them. She saw Pyro and cast a glare at him. He was becoming Magneto's favorite mutant and she hated it. She nodded to Magneto, ready to obey his orders, before knocking Kitty unconscious and releasing her from her restraints. She left the room with Kitty's body being carried by her fellow mutants. To the cells with her.
Women were so strange to Pyro. He disliked them and didn't understand them. Their entire lives were based on love. They find that one person, or entire group, they care about and love. From there, they grow around it. Mystique, for instance, would do anything for Magneto. She'd gladly die for him. If you insulted Magneto, you insulted Mystique, and she really didn't like to be insulted.
Rogue was similar, but her love was different. Rogue cared for the children at the school, all her friends, and - most of all- Bobby Drake. If something hurt or endangered her loved ones, she became a fighting force... or at least a daring force. Otherwise, she was easily scared and naive, believing anyone who seemed trustworthy or familiar.
What did Bobby see in her? Did he feel stronger than her because he could fight more than she could? Was it a strength issue? Or maybe Pyro was looking into it too deeply.
Pyro passed by Bobby's window to get to the door and instantly felt the familiar chill of being watched. Bobby was following him. Was he trying to tell him something with that icy chill?
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Day three. Iceman and Rogue live on in stubbornness. They were probably wondering why they hadn't been rescued and Magneto gave Pyro the honor of explaining things so they didn't get their hopes up.
"Listen up, X-Dorks. This is Pyro speaking. I'm sure you recognize me. I've been given the honor of being able to explain your situation to you." Pyro paced the control center, talking happily.
Rogue jumped at his voice and Bobby's gaze snapped to his window. John found them both fascinating like this... but he was also venting some anger out on them right now.
"You are currently being held in Magneto's new Brotherhood headquarters. To escape being found again, this facility is equipped with the same ability as Magneto's very own helmet. A-K-A-...," Pyro's voice became frightening to hear. "Your... precious 'professor' cant track you. So if you've been waiting to be rescued by your 'X-Men buddies'... Don't." His voice was deadly.
He saw Bobby visibly deflate. Rogue seemed upset but otherwise Pyro could see no change in her. Then again John wasn't really watching her. He was watching Iceman. He'd just crushed Bobby's hope and he knew it.
"The rooms you're contained in were developed to withstand the strength of Colossus. Unbreakable for the likes of you. The only way out is if you're name is Magneto or if you unlock it via computers. You're restraints also put a damper on your powers, as I'm sure you've realized. Try as you might, Iceman... You're not freezing anyone." Pyro looked down into Bobby's cell. He was half glaring back.
"Bobby?!" Rogue asked. "Bobby's here?" she was looking up at the glass now too, as though she'd see Bobby there.
"Yes. Now, please enjoy your solitary confinement until the next stage of interrogation begins. I'll be seein you. Bye bye." Pyro waved and gave them both curt nods, not caring if they saw or not. Then he retreated from the room.
"Bobby!" Rogue's room echoed so loudly no one could hear Bobby yelling for his friend to come back.
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