When the sunlight found its way through the tent, John woke up, his arm draped over Celci, and the sight made him feel more energized. He could swear that he could hear the jet was running and fully repaired and felt a little torn now. Yesterday he had been bored out of his mind, but now he felt like he would miss the forest. Or more specifically, its lack of people who were trying to get into his business.
He had thought a little too soon though, because right as he emerged from the tent, he was met with Mystique's gaze as she was perched near the fire pit. For once, her eyes had an ounce of emotion, and they were telling him that she had her own theories about what his business might be. He was saved by Logan, barking orders at him to help him clean up the campsite. Before he left though, Mystique actually spoke to him. "A word of advice boy: know what it is you want, and be ready for the things you have to do to get there."
When the jet was in the air, Mystique's words still swirled around his head, but John was still half listening as Storm briefed the team on the mission, and noticed something missing. "What about us?" he asked, standing up at the end of her brief. There had been no mention of the 4 youngest in their plans. Logan answered his question for him by shoving him back into his seat.
"You 4 are staying here." John began to protest, believing they qualified for this, and looked to Celci for support. Surely she would mention something, about how she had plenty of expertise and, hello?, had been tortured by the guy and deserved to settle her beef. But she just looked down to avoid his gaze, which shocked him as much as the jet landing on the ground below.
John was too upset to try and understand her silence, so he moved to a seat furthest from the remaining 3 and got lost in clinking his lighter. It felt like forever had passed before Celci finally stormed up to him.
"If you have something to say to me, then say it John! Don't just sulk in the corner, occasionally shooting lasers at me!"
But John didn't react with anger. He calmly snapped his lighter shut and looked up at her. "Why didn't you argue with them when they wouldn't let us go? If anything, Stryker made your life more torturous than all of ours combined."
Celci furrowed her brows. "So the amount of pain I've been through is what makes me worth something?"
"I didn't mean it as something insulting!" This was one of the many times John felt he had to swallow his words, but then he realized: why should he? "Why do you have to be so sensitive about everything I say, anyways?"
She was taken aback. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Is it the reason you don't want to confront Stryker?" He stood up to stare her down. "You're too sensitive to even face the man that gave you hell?"
"What would I even do when I face him? Violence isn't the only way to get revenge, John, and it's ridiculous that you think it's the only way."
"Well I think of pretending 'like he never took anything from you' just as ridiculous."
Fire consumed her gaze, and she emphasized each word to make sure they were singed with anger. "How dare you say that. He was my friend and-"
"And that makes him right about everything?" She hadn't known when John's gaze became covered in steel. "Why can't you think for yourself? Are you sure that instead of being your friend, that telepath didn't just warp your mind into following him?"
A flash of fire pushed him back against the wall. "Are you really that miserable, John?" He heard when the fire cleared. "Are you really so miserable that you only let in the few people who are more miserable than you?"
Those weren't words of anger. John could hear it clearly in her voice and see it clearly in his eyes. They were of pity.
And that was the last thing he wanted from anyone.
He grabbed a jacket and put it on roughly as he pushed past Celci to lower the jet ramp. "I don't need to put up with this." were the last cold words he gave before stomping off into the chilly snow.
When Celci gave a scoff and turned, she was met with a stunned Bobby and Rogue, who witnessed the whole thing. Rogue was the one who spoke up. "You should really go after him. He needs you." And with that, Celci gave one last huff before grabbing a jacket herself and slipping out into the snow.
