Pyro leaned back on his bed and sighed. It had been four months since
he had left Alkali Lake with Magneto. He missed his friends back at the
mansion. He flipped his lighter lid open, the snapped it shut several
times. He wanted to see his friends so badly. But he couldn't go back. He
had ditched them back at the lake. He pocketed his lighter and closed his
eyes and let the sound of the ocean lull him to a fitful sleep.
* * *
Logan answered the door. A teenage girl stood there, looking nervous. She has powder blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair. She dropped one of the two bags she held in her hands and put it out to shake his hand. As Logan shook it she said, "Hi, I'm Kimberly, but everyone calls me Spark." "I'm guessing you're called that for a reason," came his gruff reply. "Yeah," she said, not elaborating. "C'mon. I'll take you to see the professor." He picked up her bag and turned away. "Professor Xavier?" she asked quietly. "Yeah good ol' Chuck" He started walking up a set of stairs and she followed nimbly. He stopped in front a door, knocked, and barged right in. "Good morning Logan. And to you too, Kimberly." She poked her head in. "Good morning." Spark dropped her bag on the floor. Logan dropped her bag and nodded. "See ya around, kid." He left the way he came.
"Professor?" "Yes?" "Thank you for letting me stay here." "Kimberly, this whole school is for people like us. I want all the kids here to know that they always have a place to come to. Come on, then. I'll show you to your room." He wheeled his chair around and drove it past her out the door, leading her to her dorm.
* * *
Later that night Spark sat up straight in her bed. She'd had another nightmare. She looked around her new room. Two other girls were asleep in their beds. The third was empty. Jubilee was there, and so was Kitty. Rouge was gone. Spark really couldn't care less where she was. She had enjoyed her first day here. The other kids had been really nice. They weren't scared of her. They weren't scared that she'd burn them to a crisp. She stood up and walked over to the door. Her white spaghetti-strap nightshirt stood out in the darkness of the night. She walked downstairs to what she thought was the kitchen. She opened the door a crack. It was the gym. She closed the door and tried the next one she came to. There was a light on inside. She opened the door a crack, and peered in. Rouge and her boyfriend were inside, sitting at the table, sharing a container of ice cream. Rouge noticed her as she tried to slip away. "Hey, Kim, come here." Spark slid in, nervous.
"Kim, this is my boyfriend, Bobby." Rouge announced. "Hello, Bobby, I'm Spark." She grinned at them both. "Late night meetings?" Bobby smiled back. "I - we - couldn't sleep. We met up in the kitchen. Complete coincidence." Rouge smiled mischievously. "Yeah, coincidence." Spark smiled at the couple. "Well, I just came down to get a drink." She opened the refrigerator and looked around. "Have any soda?" "Yep" Bobby stood up to get her some. He opened a small cupboard and listed her choices. "Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Coke, or Sprite. Which one?"
"Dr. Pepper." "Sure." He popped off the top of the bottle and blew in it. Its contents were semi-frozen. Spark took the drink with amazement. "Wow," she said. "That's really cool. Literally." He laughed. "That's why people call me Iceman." She took a swig and said, "Night Rouge. Night Iceman." She exited and closed the door behind her.
"She seemed nice," said Bobby to Rouge. "She's cute, too." Rouge frowned. "She's nice alright. I think we'll be good friends. Just don't hit on her anymore." "Not to worry. I still love you." He grinned and took a big bite of ice cream.
Back in her room, Spark took another drink of her soda. They were nice she thought to herself. I like it here. She smiled in the darkness and finished her soda. She put the still cold bottle on her night table. Spark laid her head down on the soft pillow and fell into a sleep without nightmares.
* * *
In Magneto's lair, Pyro once again sat on his bed. He had woken up several times, but this time he knew he wouldn't fall asleep again. He got up, shirtless and went to go find Magneto.
He found him, talking with Mystique. Old magnetizers and blue scaly people don't go together he thought to himself. The shape shifter and Magneto were an odd couple.
"Hey, when are we gonna go see Xavier's people again? Ya know, fight them?" "All in good time my dear boy. All in good time." "When's that?" "Go back to your room. We'll go visit our friends soon enough." John glared at him, but went back to him room. They were in Magneto's lair, an island in the middle of the ocean. He wanted so bad to go back to his friends. He didn't know why he had gone with Magneto. If only he could go back in time. He wouldn't have left the jet.
* * *
Logan answered the door. A teenage girl stood there, looking nervous. She has powder blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair. She dropped one of the two bags she held in her hands and put it out to shake his hand. As Logan shook it she said, "Hi, I'm Kimberly, but everyone calls me Spark." "I'm guessing you're called that for a reason," came his gruff reply. "Yeah," she said, not elaborating. "C'mon. I'll take you to see the professor." He picked up her bag and turned away. "Professor Xavier?" she asked quietly. "Yeah good ol' Chuck" He started walking up a set of stairs and she followed nimbly. He stopped in front a door, knocked, and barged right in. "Good morning Logan. And to you too, Kimberly." She poked her head in. "Good morning." Spark dropped her bag on the floor. Logan dropped her bag and nodded. "See ya around, kid." He left the way he came.
"Professor?" "Yes?" "Thank you for letting me stay here." "Kimberly, this whole school is for people like us. I want all the kids here to know that they always have a place to come to. Come on, then. I'll show you to your room." He wheeled his chair around and drove it past her out the door, leading her to her dorm.
* * *
Later that night Spark sat up straight in her bed. She'd had another nightmare. She looked around her new room. Two other girls were asleep in their beds. The third was empty. Jubilee was there, and so was Kitty. Rouge was gone. Spark really couldn't care less where she was. She had enjoyed her first day here. The other kids had been really nice. They weren't scared of her. They weren't scared that she'd burn them to a crisp. She stood up and walked over to the door. Her white spaghetti-strap nightshirt stood out in the darkness of the night. She walked downstairs to what she thought was the kitchen. She opened the door a crack. It was the gym. She closed the door and tried the next one she came to. There was a light on inside. She opened the door a crack, and peered in. Rouge and her boyfriend were inside, sitting at the table, sharing a container of ice cream. Rouge noticed her as she tried to slip away. "Hey, Kim, come here." Spark slid in, nervous.
"Kim, this is my boyfriend, Bobby." Rouge announced. "Hello, Bobby, I'm Spark." She grinned at them both. "Late night meetings?" Bobby smiled back. "I - we - couldn't sleep. We met up in the kitchen. Complete coincidence." Rouge smiled mischievously. "Yeah, coincidence." Spark smiled at the couple. "Well, I just came down to get a drink." She opened the refrigerator and looked around. "Have any soda?" "Yep" Bobby stood up to get her some. He opened a small cupboard and listed her choices. "Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Coke, or Sprite. Which one?"
"Dr. Pepper." "Sure." He popped off the top of the bottle and blew in it. Its contents were semi-frozen. Spark took the drink with amazement. "Wow," she said. "That's really cool. Literally." He laughed. "That's why people call me Iceman." She took a swig and said, "Night Rouge. Night Iceman." She exited and closed the door behind her.
"She seemed nice," said Bobby to Rouge. "She's cute, too." Rouge frowned. "She's nice alright. I think we'll be good friends. Just don't hit on her anymore." "Not to worry. I still love you." He grinned and took a big bite of ice cream.
Back in her room, Spark took another drink of her soda. They were nice she thought to herself. I like it here. She smiled in the darkness and finished her soda. She put the still cold bottle on her night table. Spark laid her head down on the soft pillow and fell into a sleep without nightmares.
* * *
In Magneto's lair, Pyro once again sat on his bed. He had woken up several times, but this time he knew he wouldn't fall asleep again. He got up, shirtless and went to go find Magneto.
He found him, talking with Mystique. Old magnetizers and blue scaly people don't go together he thought to himself. The shape shifter and Magneto were an odd couple.
"Hey, when are we gonna go see Xavier's people again? Ya know, fight them?" "All in good time my dear boy. All in good time." "When's that?" "Go back to your room. We'll go visit our friends soon enough." John glared at him, but went back to him room. They were in Magneto's lair, an island in the middle of the ocean. He wanted so bad to go back to his friends. He didn't know why he had gone with Magneto. If only he could go back in time. He wouldn't have left the jet.
