Three weeks had passed since the incident between Haley and John. It was hard for both of them, but more so for Haley. Yes, in truth she was the one who said that she was walking away, breaking it off, but he wanted it. Oh he wanted it so bad. And Haley just wanted to give him what he wanted.
She had her mind open 24/7 now. If he were coming near her she would sense it, and take a detour. She hadn't seen him for three whole days before she was forced to look upon him; Logan's danger room classes. Dr. McCoy had discerned that she was fit enough to fight once again.
She stood in the room, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes sweeping over everyone in the room, except of course for John. She made sure to avoid his gaze all together. She didn't want to know what he was thinking right then so she kept her mind on everyone else.
Her eyes looked to Logan but his mind was blocked. He must have taken some lessons from the professor before he died. Smirking to herself she looked over to Kitty, surprised by what she heard.
Does Rogue even know that Bobby is cheating on her? Does she know that it's with me?
Again Haley smirked. So there was a little bit of drama going on in the little circle over there. It shouldn't have, but it made Haley happy to know that Rogue was getting hers. The telepath wasn't fond of the life-sucker, even if the two had hardly spoken.
"Alright you kids, this is an offence workshop. But instead of working with Danger Simulation men you'll be working with each other. I'll break you off into teams of two. You must fight, first hand to hand combat, and then you may use your powers. Haley, keep your mind off other's until you can use your powers."
She nodded, not looking away from Bobby, Kitty, and Rogue. Briefly she wondered if Logan would be cliché, and pair her with John. It always happened in the movies and lately Haley felt like her life was one big movie- drama and all.
"Okay first team, Angel and Rogue."
Haley raised an eyebrow as Warren stepped forward, turning sideways and stretching his wings.
"Team two, John and Remy."
Again Haley raised an eyebrow. She fully expected Logan to chose her and John for a team. It was just that cliché. But nonetheless John finished strapping on his wrist-lighters and clicked one to life, holding a fireball just to show how menacing he could be. Unknowing Haley gave a small shiver. She always loved how careless he was with the fire. It was sort of a turn on for her she supposed.
"Team three, Haley and Bobby."
Rogue began to protest, telling Logan that she didn't know Haley and didn't want Bobby fighting with John's friend. Logan held up a hand at her, silencing all protest.
"Haley and Bobby. It's final. Team Three, Kitty and Colossus. Team Four, Jubes and Siryn. We'll go in random order."
He pulled out a hat with papers in it. Haley assumed that there were numbers one through four written on the papers. Logan reached into the hat and pulled out one paper.
"Three. Team Three goes first."
She could hear all sorts of thoughts from everyone- John, Rogue, Bobby, and even Angel.
Ice Dick better not hurt her. If he does it'll be his head, She could hear John think. It made her smile knowing that he still cared. She thought that because she left so abruptly, that he would be angry at her, upset at her or something.
Everyone else disappeared and the simulation began. To Haley it looked like an expensive gym, with padded floors and few windows.
Bobby smirked at her, icing over his hands. "Think you can beat me, Friend of Pyro?"
He was trying to intimidate her and Haley found it rather amusing. "Think you can stop me, Ice Dick?" She asked, putting on a smirk to rival his own. Bobby's eyes flared to life as he took his battle stance. Of course Haley merely stood there.
"No powers Bobby," she said, shifting her weight to one food and placing her hands on her hips. "At least in the first round,"
Bobby let out a low growl and returned his hands to normal. "Fine Haley. You still think you can beat me?"
There was a loud ding, and immediately Bobby leaped forward, tackling her to the ground. He straddled her, one leg on each side of her hips. His hands went to choke her but she smacked him away, lifting her hips and rolling so that he was on the bottom instead.
Quickly she leaped to her feet, brown hair swirling behind her head as she turned to face him. She balled her fists and placed them in front of herself defensively. Bobby got to his feet, mumbling every step of the way.
"Where did you learn a trick like that?" he asked in amusement. They weren't far apart, maybe a pace or two. He stepped forward, and Haley mimicked it, only backwards. This went on for a few more steps until Haley felt her back hit the wall.
Oh shit.
He threw a punch at her, and try as she might to dodge it she didn't move fast enough, his fist connecting with the side of her head with a sickening crunch on her end. Pain erupted in her head and she cried out, crumpling to the floor.
Out of her peripheral vision she saw him pull his foot back like he was going to kick her. Out of reflex she thrust out her hand, grabbing his foot before it could come into contact. She pushed back on his foot, causing him to loose his balance and fall to the ground. She leapt to her feet.
She made to get away from him, put some distance between them. Her plan was, make her come to him, and she could fight him back with few put precise blows. As she stepped from him his hand reached out, making her fall to the ground.
Quickly he covered her body with his own, a knowing sneer on his face as he grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head. As his palm closed over her left wrist she felt the material of her hoodie pull on the cuts and she let out a small cry. This startled Bobby, but not enough to investigate why.
Again Haley shifted her weight, lifting her hips and rolling, causing him to be on the bottom, and his hands pinned above his head. He sneered at her, kicking with his knee and sending her rolling above his head and sprawled onto the floor.
He leaped to his feet, just as she got to hers. He grabbed her wrists, making her hiss again as he pressed her up against the wall.
"Why does that hurt you?" he asked, adding more pressure to her left wrist. "When I do that?"
She sneered at him, lifting a knee and getting him in a rather tender area. He groaned and doubled over, and she took that opportunity to slither away, lifting her foot. She kicked him in the back, making him fall onto his knees. Once again she kicked him in the stomach, making him fall on his stomach.
Suddenly Haley couldn't move. Bobby couldn't either by the look of his wide eyes full of confusion.
"Now you can use your powers," Logan's voice came over the intercom and then they could move. Bobby got to his feet and Haley smiled at him with a sinister smile.
"What are you smiling at doll?" he asked, brushing off the front of his jeans with his hands.
"We can use Powers now, Drake," she said, holding out her hands and making him stand rigid. "You still think you can beat me? You can't even move!"
Bobby struggled against her, squirming the slightest bit before she stilled all his actions. He let out a low growl and she let him go, causing him to go limp onto the floor for a moment.
"What's the matter Bobby? Embarrassed that a little girl like me can kick your ass?" she asked, dancing from foot to foot to mock him.
He let out another growl, this time more feral and angered. He held his hands out to her, sending a sheet of ice her way.
She didn't see that coming and was caught off guard. A blast of cold hit her and she screamed, holding her arms out and making a shield with her mental energy to keep the rest of the ice from getting to her. Small cuts were on her face and arms from the previous blast of ice shards cutting through her.
"I think you're embarrassed Haley, that your boyfriend's enemy can over power you so easily."
This angered Haley, and her eyes darkened so much they were almost black. "He's not my boyfriend," she said in a low and quiet voice.
Of course Bobby heard her but he decided to mock her, holding a hand to his ear like he couldn't hear her.
"I'm sorry, come again?"
His ice shards were still shooting around her, some escaping her hold and cutting against her skin. He was making her say it again. Why was he tormenting her? She hadn't done anything to him really, except for a few snide remarks and of course the previous fight.
"He's not my boyfriend," she said again, only slightly louder. She didn't want to admit it, that John wasn't hers as much as she wanted him to be. He wasn't hers because he didn't want her enough to keep her.
Bobby let out a laugh, adding more power to his ice and forcing her down on one knee. "You really need to learn how to speak up. What did you say?"
"He's not my boyfriend!!" she screamed, releasing her mental energy and blasting his ice back at him, and blasting him to the next wall. He let out a groan and fell limp on the floor. She stood a moment, breathing heavily, waiting for him to get up. He didn't. Instead he limply raised his arm.
"She wins."
The simulation was terminated, turning the room back into a silver sphere. Logan came out, helping Bobby to his feet. "Haley wins this round. After everyone goes today we'll take winners and pair them up, like a tournament. Think you can handle it?"
There were random murmurs of agreement and Haley was ushered out to the control room. John was there, playing with his lighter in the oh- so- classical fashion.
She leaned up against the wall and John stepped over to her, placing one hand on the wall above her head, turning his body towards her and almost cocooning her in his chest.
"You beat Bobby," he said in a low voice. "Well done."
"Thank you," she said, looking up at him with a smile. Even if he thought himself too dangerous to be around, the three weeks without him she learned that he just needed time to see that she could handle herself. Today was a perfect example of that.
Rogue and Angel were about to go next when the lights went out and were replaced by a red glow. Unknowingly Haley reached out and grabbed John's shirt. What was going on?
Logan stood stark still, sniffing the air. He couldn't smell anything, not from this distance, but something was happening upstairs.
"Stay here," he ordered them, motioning to the danger room. They all walked inside, nervous and worried for what was happening.
Turning to John Haley could see his face turn pale, the color draining from his face dangerously.
She walked over to him, placing a reassuring hand on his chest. "John it'll be okay. We're in the danger room they can't get us in here."
John shook his head. "The danger room is constructed of metal," he whispered in panic. "Magneto will tear through this place."
"You're forgetting one thing," said Bobby's voice from the other side of the danger room. "This place is full of weapons. This room is full of weapons. None of us have an adamantium skeleton like Logan does, so he can't control us. We'll fight."
"You'll fight for me Drake?" John spat. "You'll place your precious Rogue in danger to protect me? Hell no. You'll protect her. Magneto's here, and he tried to kill her once already. If protecting her means also saving me you'll risk it. But that's the only reason you'll fight. You're still bitter. You all are still bitter that I left you guys all those years ago."
Haley bit her lip as John and Bobby shared the exchange. Before Bobby could retaliate she gently squeezed his mental energy, silencing him.
"What matters John is that people are fighting. If he can't get you and they fight that means he can't get anyone else. And that's what you're worried about isn't it? If he's going to fight let him. Bobby can handle himself I just witnessed that. I can handle myself too you just witnessed that. Everything will be okay," she said in a quiet voice.
Everyone fell silent in the room while the fighting commenced upstairs. Every once in a while they could hear a laser going off, someone screaming, or a rather painful thump that would make everyone wince. All evidence that a battle was going on upstairs.
After what seemed to be an eternity the building went silence, like an air of death sweeping over the place. Nervous glances were exchanged between everyone as the silence swept into the danger room.
"What's happening?" Haley whispered to John, resting her head on his chest.
After another moment there was a huge thud that echoed through the danger room. The girls squealed in fright and the boys leapt to their feet. The noise came from the door.
Another thud, followed by a third and everyone was standing. Suddenly the doors were pulled open and a bright light was allowed inside.
"You see my dear? I told you they were keeping the most important tucked away somewhere," spoke an older man's voice with a slight British accent. Haley could feel John stiffen up behind her.
"Go Mystique, get the one we want."