*A/N: It feels SO good to be back up and running! Thank you, everyone, for your reviews for the last chapter! I'm really sorry that I was banned... it was my fault. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, and I'll get started on the next one right now!

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"Tut, tut, tut," the silky voice purred.

John didn't turn around, he couldn't. He just kept his feet planted firmly to the ground. But something nagged him to turn toward the sound of the voice. It did seem like a beautiful proposition. Why not turn around? But he caught himself. If you turn around, you'll never get out. And that was when he was grabbed and flung backwards.

Pyro went flying through the air toward the unseen holder of the voice. Invisible hands seemed to grasp him and thrust him back. Flailing his arms, he tried to steady himself, but he was helpless and vulnerable to this invisible assailant. Only when he collided with a solid wall did his motion cease. He now sat, rubbing his throbbing head and staring through watery eyes at the ground.

He did not look up.

The voice was up, and he did not want to see the possessor.

But he had to. He must. It was not his decision to make.

And why must this decision be of someone else's to decide? Why couldn't he just make his own choice and not look up? He wanted to flee; he wanted to escape these treacherous clutches that he had stumbled upon. But if they pursued, who was to save him? Against his will, his head was moved upward and he held in his eyes the very person he had tried to kill three long months ago.

She looked down upon him with golden eyes. Those very eyes which he had found private comfort in now sparkled in his presence once again and he found himself utterly entranced. An urgent thought flashed in his mind: Escape! Leave this place forever! But he couldn't. Oh, how he wanted to, but he found himself immobile.

The woman knelt down to his level and placed one blue hand on his cheek. "Mystique," he whispered unconsciously. But the other mutant only stroked his face for a moment, not answering him. And then she struck him.

A stinging sensation burned the flesh of his face as he felt the place where she had hit him. More tears came to his eyes, but they were only the product of a sudden touch. His skin burned only a trifle less than his blood and now he willingly looked up into her yellow eyes.

"What do you want with me?" His voice was no more than a whisper. Mystique, still kneeling in front of him laughed softly. She spoke with her soothingly low voice and Pyro felt himself cling to her every syllable.

"What makes you think I want you?" She asked. But not waiting for an answer, she continued, "Do you honestly think that the Brotherhood risked their lives to convert you, and since we were defeated once, we would give up?" The shape shifter shook her head with evident condescension. "I offered you everything you had ever wanted, Pyro." Again she stroked his face, smiling when he tried to recoil.

Uncaring about his personal thoughts, Mystique spoke, "We wanted you, Pyro. I wanted you. And you threw it all away." A somber expression adorned her face. And then, an ironic smile. "Tell me, how did it feel killing all of those innocent people? Hmm? I bet you enjoyed it."

John willed his body to pounce on hers, to make his hands grasp her neck and twist, but again he was denied. What had a hold of him?

Unaware of his thoughts, nor caring in the least bit, Mystique stared into his eyes. "We could have been a team, Pyro," she purred. "You could have been where you wanted to truly be- with the Brotherhood. With me."

Shock overcame John as Mystique's last words bored through his skull. He didn't want to be with this foul creature! Or... did he? The male mutant was so confused! He didn't know where to turn to or what to do. All he wanted was to take everything back that he had ever done. He wished he had never been born. He wished... he wished he would die.

"No, you don't want that, Pyro. You want to live; you want to be with me and my kind."

Horror claimed John as he mentally shook his head, for his physical one would not respond. How did she know what he was thinking? What trickery was this? What madness? But all he could do was sit and listen to every word that she said. Every acidic word that fell from her blue lips, he had to lap up, and inevitably he would be burned.

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Finally, the five mutants reached, what they thought was, their destination. Jean, Logan, Ororo, Bobby, and Marie slid out of the car and stared at the massive building in front of them.

Bobby whistled, "That's not somethin' you see everyday. Do you think John's in there?" He looked from face to face as each one of his comrades nodded. Storm was the second to speak, "If Jean says he is in here, then he very well might be. If he is in there, we will find him and bring him back home."

And so they made their way closer to the towering building that loomed above all. They hoped that John was in there; they hoped that he was safe from harm. But who knew what hope really was in such a world?

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John felt another smack and the next stinging sensation was more fierce than before. His cheeks stung. From her soft caresses or the strikes of her hand, he could not tell. They both felt the same to him.

"Answer me!" She screamed. John's eyes were locked with hers, but he ignored her just the same. He knew he couldn't keep this up for long. Mystique caught on and tried a tactic of her own. Lowering down a bit more, she kissed him hard on the mouth.

John felt a sudden wave of emotions claim him. Anger and hate, passion and longing, suffering entwined with prosperity. He could not decipher this kiss that she was giving to him. He did not give into her tactic so the shape shifter's cause was lost. Again, her sultry voice invaded his ears, "I don't care if you have no interest in me." Her words were coated with venom as she spoke, "But you seemed to that one night..."

"Why do you keep bringing that up!" John demanded, unconsciously speaking. He had just been tricked and he could feel her excitement rise. She now sat with her feet underneath her, still staring intently into his eyes. A smile spread on her full lips. "Pyro, I bring it up because I deceived you. I know that you hold a grudge against me for that but..." she paused as if unable to find the words to say, "I know secretly you enjoyed it. And you want more." Mystique held his hands in hers. If he had control, he would have fought her, but alas, he did not.

"You don't have to fight me you know," she whispered. "We could join together and eradicate the X-Men and the Brotherhood."

At her last sentence, John knew that something was wrong. This was a trick; he wasn't stupid enough for her games any longer. But he so longed for what she spoke of...

Suddenly a cool gust of sharp wind invaded the corridor. He felt Mystique drop his hands and she rose to her feet in a split second. John couldn't move his head to see who was coming, but in his heart he knew that his friends had come at last.

Storm and Wolverine came first; Logan's blades were unsheathed and glittered in the fluorescent lighting. Storm's eyes were covered with a sheet of white; the wind blew in from behind her. Jean, Bobby and Rogue followed them. Separating from the teenagers, Jean joined Wolverine and Storm and raised her hand into the air.

Immediately, Mystique was suspended and sent flying through the hallway. John suddenly could move as if a great trance had fallen from him at last. Rogue and Bobby helped him up as Jean preoccupied the shape shifter. Wolverine and Storm stood by for threat and force if need be.

Jean, seeing the teenagers had risen and were walking away, dropped Mystique and started to turn away herself. Storm died down the wind and her soft brown eyes appeared once again. Logan, however, kept his eyes focused on the scaled mutant as the others walked away.

Then, without warning, Jean was lifted into the air and bashed into the ceiling. Storm whipped around as she heard the smack of flesh against barrier and ran to join Wolverine. Mystique, far enough out of harm's way called out, "Pyro! I'm giving you an opportunity to join us again. I made you a promise before. I will tell you what happened to Raven."

John stopped dead in his tracks. Bobby and Rogue tried to pull him along, but he pushed their arms away and turned around. The three adults stared back at him, telling him to get to the car, but it wouldn't register. Then Jean was raised into the air and dropped again. Wolverine hastily ran to her side and threw her over his shoulder. "Let's get the hell out of here!" He yelled over the wind that Ororo had created once more.

And without further burden, they reached the car.

Bobby pushed Pyro into the car after Rogue and got in himself, "'Dyce, you all right, man?" John only stared out the window at the building that they had just left. A sudden thought seared his mind: That was either someone else, or Mystique was telekinetic.

The latter was impossible but John wouldn't find out until she visited him again.