That was it. My decision made I shouted off one more warning, my shout not even halfway through I used the energy cover I had been providing as leverage, pushing on it I shoved the remaining people away. And away. As far as I could.

Dropping it finally, feeling my body physically more than I had been in the last long minutes, especially when intensity starting building up behind my eyes, one that had been forced and on purpose. I let of a wide optic blast, breaking up the ground in front of me, making a large ditch, one that would be hard to cross in a good lengthy direction around it.

But boy did it hurt. Taking longer than I wanted as the ground crumbled before me.

Sharp and intense aching, my vision gone and replaced by scarlet heat that left my eyes. Thinking about Scott as I continued, hoping that maybe what I was doing would be enough deterrent to ward off anyone else who felt like being a misplaced hero.

But not like they couldn't just go around, although it would take some time. They would have to tear down fences and who knows what else to angle themselves back around.

As soon as I was through I picked up some rocks, charging them. I threw them in several areas, blowing up trees, a couple utility sheds and other large objects. Anything that would create a further barrier to keep the people away, anything to give us more time to deal with.. everything. The funny thing was I felt a little miffed at that point, suddenly having a deep obsession for the feel of slick cards between my fingers. An Ace of Clubs, a Queen of Hearts. Watching it alight with kinetic energy that I myself provided...

I saw everyone scurrying away and past me, the X-men swallowed by the new arrivals. Straining my head a little to the left I tried to see though a bunch of trees that was blocking my line of vision about thirty feet away, probably the position Jean was in, if the noise was anything to go by. Or perhaps some of the humans got through. Probably both.

"Can anyone join this party or is this just for X-geeks?"

I didn't want to acknowledge him, but there was no way around it. I had seen and felt him coming toward me, halting for a second as if debating whether or not to approach me... or worse.

I looked at Pyro carefully, taking in the way he was standing, the way he seemed almost relaxed, yet alert. His hands in the heavy jacket he was wearing, as if he was trying to tell me he wasn't there to hurt me.

Of course it could have just been a ploy.

"Tryin' t'kill me or is that how y'say hi.. Johnny?" I threw in the name I knew would bug him the most. A name that I, once upon a time had been the only one allowed to even say to him. Anybody else uttered it and they would have left the room smoking.

He raised an eyebrow. Trying his hardest to appear aloof and disinterested, Logan's hearing denying that fact as I heard his heart rate quicken, even more as he proceeded to brazenly roam his eyes over me.

"Feeling a lot of people up are we Rogue?" His reference to my base mutation would have normally unsettled me, but for once it didn't affect me at all. "Cyclops.. Gambit too I see.. " Pyro laughed at my reaction to Gambit's name, me believing the two had never met.

"Don't suppose you have any more of me in you.. or do you just have an adversity to fire?" He took a couple steps closer to me, trying to upset me with his nearness. John was always one to test me, to try to goad me, always trying to see how much I would take from him as he pushed relentlessly against the barriers I put around me, both physically and emotionally.

"Sometimes it just doesn't do it for me." I started looking around and behind him, trying to take in what was going on around me, ready to get away from Pyro if the need called for it.. at the same time more than willing to play with the flame boy.. somehow the whole interaction providing a cathartic release of sorts.

"That's because you need the man behind the original energy to make it.. stimulating enough." Closer still he came toward me, blocking me from the others. I didn't trust the man and yet, he hadn't done anything to provoke me.. yet. But I remained vigilante to his actions, what he did to me last time, or tried to do, still clear in my head.

"Fire only burns for so long." I contended rather playfully, something sparking in his eyes when I did.

"And ice melts away to nothing.. but fire.. fire can consume." He whispered to me, his voice strangely provocative. Pyro took another step toward me. Slowly, cautiously he reached out to touch my face with his bare hand.

I didn't stop him, but watched what he was doing with an obsessive calm. Ready to do something if need be while at the same time not showing how much what he was doing was unnerving me.

His hand veered to the right of my face as his gently clasped a lock of my loose hair, before he let it drop slowly.

"I just helped you, you know.. You owe me." His playful stare back on me, misplaced confidence coming off him in waves as his lips curved upwards in rather a gloating manner.

"Y'would expect repayment for your one kind deed of the year." I pushed him away from me, walking past him. His hand shooting out to grab my arm, tightly he clung to it. Not letting me move any further.

"Let go of me." My words were firm. More than a little threat lying dormant underneath my words.

"And what will you do to me if I don't?" There was actually a hopefulness behind what he said, but it didn't outdo the jeering manner in which his words came out of his mouth.

I didn't like the way one of his fingers was sliding slowly up and down my arm.

Nor the way he was looking at me.

Cocky and arrogant, yet something else. Warmer emotions rising to the surface, pooling in his eyes before he blinked them away, replacing them once more with a mask of self assurance, maybe even a little spite.

"Just let go of me!" I swiveled my body slightly, then as if I was giving up I went still.

"Y'know John, you're right y'do deserve somethin'." My voice was warm, my accent thick and sensual. His grip loosened on my somewhat as he allowed me to maneuver to face him better.

That was when my left hand shot out at him, ready to hit him in the face. But he grabbed it readily enough as if he had been expecting it, bringing his other hand lower on my right arm he brought me toward him.

Close. Real Close.

He soon would know how much so when my knee shot up, making contact with the most vulnerable part of his body.

Down he went, with a groan.

Breathing suddenly hard he looked up at me a little shocked.

"That. Wasn't. Very. Nice." He punctuated each word. Speech sounding rather difficult for him at that moment.

"Y'should have listened t'me." I told him derisively, enjoying looking down at him on the ground, having him look up at me.

That was when he struck me like a snake, his hand shooting out, pulling on my leg, forcing me to fall backwards as he brought it upwards, him on me before my brain had registered that my breath had been knocked out of me.

Leaning over me partway, his upper body hovering over mine as he pinned me down on the cold ground.

"You've been with the X-men too long.. You could use a good thawing out." He told me, chuckling slightly at his use of words. His grip on me tightened. Leaning toward me he brought his mouth next to my right ear. "What do you say we ditch this little battle for dominancy and I allow you to warm me up.. There must be a hotel around here somewhere that hasn't been destroyed." His voice dropped in volume as his overly warm breath cascading down on my exposed skin.

The absurdity of his pickup line in the middle of everything, and his conceit that went with it, was just beyond believable. I managed a short laugh to let him (and maybe me as well) know that what he had said hadn't upset me at all, that nothing he said mattered. But that caught in my throat when I realized he might have actually been serious. And then suddenly I was pissed off.

"I've been with the X-men too long!? You've been with the Brotherhood too long, they have completely warped your sense of reality."

John straighten up a little at those words. A scowl darkening his face, before it gave way to a lopsided grin.

The whole time he had been over me my proximity alarm in my head had been blaring inside of me. It peaked at that moment.

Especially since he was enjoying me squirm. The bastard.

I was just about to shake loose of Pyro, using probably more force than necessary, (due to his unending supply of audacity and presumption), when a large snowball hit him on the side, sending him back and away from me.

"Get off of her!" Bobby shouted from behind me, coming beside me quickly out of nowhere, offering me a hand up, while keeping his eyes on Pyro. He made a motion with his head. "Go.. I can take care of him."

There was some sort of accusation in his words, a hidden meaning that I picked up quickly. He wanted to know why I hadn't handled the flamethrower myself... Why I hadn't acted.

John was already up off the ground, wiping himself off he stood firmly in front of Bobby, a steel resolve shadowing his face and settling in his eyes. He glanced at me and winked, before his attention went back towards Bobby. Standing a little straighter he shot out his words.

"This coming from the guy who's so brave he couldn't even tell his own family that he was a mutant." A sharp intake of breath left Bobby as his body became stiff, his head coming up with a snap.

Using his words as a form of distraction John lashed out his fist, letting it land on Bobby's chin, sending the Iceman back a couple steps.

I grabbed onto Bobby's arm, assisting him with regaining his balance. He barely acknowledged me, his concentration was on fire boy. I might as well been have been part of the dying shrubbery that was a couple feet a way.

"At least I have a family." Shooting of ice, Pyro met it right on. Fire and ice meeting each other mid air as both collided. Melting, freezing. Evaporating.

"I believe you mean had a family. As I recall your brother informed on you and your parents won't talk to you, let alone acknowledge you as something they spawned."

"Rogue, get out of here.." Bobby yelled once more at me, ignoring what was just said, "Rogue. I can handle him. Go join the others.. I will be right behind you." He repeated again, his tone sounded more than a little displeased.

Pyro snickered at those words loudly while he intensified his actions. Enjoying the whole thing. Flames shooting away from him, highlighting his body and face, shadows passing and breaking, before caressing him once more.

The fire was getting closer and closer to Iceman. I didn't want to leave him and yet I couldn't get past the determination that had been very present in his voice. He wanted to handle the flamethrower alone.

I glanced at Bobby, then John. The latter who actually had the nerve to smile at me blithely.

"We can finish our conversation when I am through with your X." John spoke in an assured manner, his pride bleeding out of his ego.

Bobby visibly tensed by me. His taut muscles becoming more and more pronounced under his leather uniform, defined by the pressure he was applying against the fiery force.

Turning his head he looked at me for a quick second, I saw then that he was actually sweating. Something I can't recall ever seeing.

I nodded my head toward him, backing away slowly. A little worried.. but..

"Yeah... Ok.. Well I'll be over there." I told Pyro as I brought my hand up, curled my fingers toward my palm and pointed with my thumb in the direction I believed Jean to be in. My mordant attitude spreading through what I was speaking. "Don't keep me waitin' too long... Johnny." I laughed shortly. Blew both men an unexpected kiss that even I was astounded at, and took off.

A smile on my lips that shouldn't have been there.