When Claire woke up they had already left and for the next week it was all she could do to not be sick with worry. Spyke hadn't left, to her dismay, but Callisto and the few other people she talked to had. He hadn't figured out where she slept yet, which showed just how intelligent he was. Everyone in the camp had taken notice that she was now sleeping in Pyro's tent. She spent most of her time ignoring the rumors and avoiding Spyke, which kept her mind off of John for the most part.
Then one day a large group of them wandered into camp. They looked tired and most of them dragged their feet to their tents and collapsed for long naps. Spyke had found Claire running around quizzing people for information on John.
"Have you seen Joh-Pyro?" she asked one guy, almost forgetting to use John's Mutant name. She knew these people got mad when someone used their homo sapien name.
The man grunted a no and continued on.
"Why're you so int'rested in Flameboy?" Spyke asked, irritated that she was ignoring him.
"Where's Pyro?" she asked a girl her age who was climbing into her bed.
"I don't know." she answered, falling asleep almost immediately.
"Come on babe, let me help or somethin'" he offered, finally catching her attention.
"Okay." she said, surprised at his offer.
"I'll go ask Toad, he'll probably know." He said, indicating the green hunched man. "Now normally, babe, I'd be offended that you're so int'rested in Fireman. But I know you'd be a mess if it was me." he laughed and made his way towards Toad, Claire's eyes following him closely.
She was too far away to hear anything they were saying. Spyke pointed towards her and Toad shook his head and said something, then jumped away towards his tent. Spyke came back looking sobered. Gone was the cocky jilt in his walk, the crooked smile he thought was attractive and the haughty glint in his eye. He walked over to Claire, but wouldn't meet her gaze.
Claire's heart was pounding. "Spyke?" she said, wondering if she wanted to hear what he had to say.
"Claire...I'm sorry." he finally met her eyes. "Pyro's gone."
Panic began to slip into her voice. "What are you talking about? Where did he go?"
"He's dead Claire."
With a wretch Claire emptied the contents of her stomach onto Spyke's shoes. He jumped back and tried shaking the vomit from his boots. When he regained his composure he tried to help Claire sit down on a nearby rock. She didn't hear his explanation, she didn't want to. She just remembered the hug, the stupid hug she had given him a week before.
Why not? She had thought. What if I never get the chance to do this again? Why hadn't she stopped him from going? Why hadn't she told him how she felt? Why hadn't she done something, anything, more than give him a hug.
When her head stopped spinning she tried drinking the water Spyke had given her. He was sitting uncomfortably close to her and slowly placed his hand on her knee as if trying to comfort her. She realized that without John this is how it would be. John could get Spyke to go away, he could get people to leave her alone. Without him in the camp she would be alone. Sure there was Callisto, but how long until she was killed too?
Claire brushed Spyke's huge hand from her jeans and slowly stood. She walked towards her tent with as much determination as she could muster. Spyke was following close at her heels as she grabbed the few meager belongings she had and marched towards the edge of camp.
"Hey babe, where're you going?" he called.
Claire didn't respond, her mind was void of thought, of any emotions. The only idea she could grasp was getting away from this place and these people.
"Come on!" he grabbed her arm and swung her around. He held both of her arms and looked into her face, shaking her. "Where do ya think you're goin'? Have you lost you're mind?"
The color of Claire's eyes darkened but before Spyke could do anything she had head butted him, knocking him out cold. She stared down at him, knowing he probably had a concussion. She then turned in the direction of Xavier's mansion and disappeared into the forest.