Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men. I do own Firefly.
Firefly sat up stiffly, being careful not to move any of her bandaged and ointment-covered joints. Dr. McCoy is checking her medical charts with a frown on his lips and an interested spark in his eyes. He pulls a stethoscope from a cabinet by the wall and moves back towards Firefly, who looks ready to leave.
"Something wrong, Dr. McCoy?" she asks.
"No, no. I just want to ask you a few questions." He listens to her breathing and looks into her eyes.
"Have you experienced any allergy symptoms? Any colds, minor fevers, and the like?"
"Of course." She answers, a perplexed expression plastered to her face.
"Recently, though. Say, since you developed your mutant powers?"
Firefly thinks for a moment, still looking confused. "No, now that you mention it. I haven't taken my allergy medicine in a while and I can't feel any sinus pressure, I haven't gotten sick… Why?"
Dr. McCoy looks at her with a grin and one of his, "I'm about to spew off a theory," faces on.
"You're pyro-kenetic, correct? Perhaps, since your body temperature is much higher than others, foreign objects like pollen or—or viruses, they just burn up when they hit your blood stream!" He looks excited. "Do you know what this means?" He's practically hopping up and down now, "You are incapable of getting sick!"
Firefly doesn't seem as excited as the doctor.
"Does this mean I can't get out of class for a stomach ache now?"
"Oh, heavens, yes."
Firefly limped back to her room, where Kitty lay awake on her bed, reading some teen-magazine.
"Evening." Firefly says with a nod in Kitty's direction.
"Hey. How'd it go?" Kitty folded the magazine over and rolled to face Firefly.
"Up in flames." Firefly looked up at the ceiling questioningly. "Was that a pun? I have to stop going to the infirmary so often. Dr. McCoy is rubbing off on me."
Kitty rolled her eyes and picked up the magazine once more.
Firefly changed into a t-shirt and shorts and crawled gingerly into bed, hissing as her aching limbs met the cool bed sheets.
The helicopter's engine had been cut about a mile back. Magneto supported the huge metal machine silently through air to Xavier's school. It landed softly, without noise, on the lawn.
The three-man crew comprised of Magneto, Mystique, and Pyro stepped out of the helicopter and began their mission to the mansion.
"Can you feel her yet?" asked Magneto to the young man.
"Should I be able to?" Pyro asked back. Magneto didn't answer, but kept moving up the landscape.
It was still dark, and at five o' clock in the morning; Pyro knew that the only one awake would be the girl in question.
The group came to the front entrance. Magneto pulled a silvery key from his pocket and slid it into the lock.
"Xavier gave you a key?" Pyro asked incredulously.
"No." Answered Magneto simply. He placed his hand on the key and turned. The door opened. "I make my own keys."
Pyro grinned and strode into the mansion. It had been a few months since he had been here. Nearly a year.
"The girls' corridor, Pyro. If you get there soon enough, you can catch her unawares on her way to the showers."
Pyro nodded and walked off, Mystique following close behind.
"Make sure she doesn't burn anything." Magneto called out in his bored drawl.
Erik Lensherr sighed then. He had always exuded a seemingly youthful strength to his brother mutants, but at that moment he looked like a frail old man. Erik rested a gloved hand on the mahogany doorframe and closed his eyes.
Pyro and Mystique had successfully made it to the girls' corridor without waking a single student. They heard it then. A door closes slowly and quietly.
Pyro walked forward, seeming confident in his stride. Someone called out in the darkness, presumably his target, "Hello? I didn't think anyone else woke up this early. Whose there?"
Firefly looked out into the darkened hallway. She was tempted to create a flame with which she could see who was trying so horribly to sneak up on her. The cons outweighed the pros. It was probably just another student trying to play a practical joke on her anyway.
Firefly turned around and began to make her way once more to the showers.
The loud thumping of boots on the carpeted floors met her ears then, and she whipped around to see a young man charging her. Firefly didn't scream. She didn't do anything.
She had frozen out of surprise and her body wouldn't move, even with her mind screaming at her to do something.
Just as her muscles began to loosen, the man slipped around behind her, pressing his hand to her mouth and his other arm around her, just above her elbows.
Pyro felt bandages under his grip. She was hurt; it was obvious. Then he felt something else. A rising heat. He looked down, and through the darkness he could see smoke and tiny embers along his sleeve, beginning to make themselves into full-fledged flames. He gritted his teeth and began to control her fire with his manipulation power. She was strong. Strong enough to flambé him at such a close proximity.
Mystique appeared from the shadows, and brought her hand down upon the girl's exposed neck. She squeezes quickly, and Firefly suddenly falls limp in Pyro's arms.
The embers on his sleeves go out just as soon as she faints.
Pyro readjusts his grip on the younger fire-starter. She now is situated on his back, so her arms hang loosely over his shoulders. He leans forward to keep her better balanced, and begins his journey back downstairs to Magneto.
Professor Xavier eyes opened suddenly in his room.
There was usually a myriad of thoughts at night, as many of the students dreamed so graphically. That morning, however, only a few thoughts stood out prominently in his subconscious. Each one was his own worst nightmare.
A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers! Over twenty reviews!