Chasing the Flame
Chapter 12: Quest Questioning
AN: The next two chaps need work, so give me a bit to go back and add some "Romantic tension." I'm not that good with it to begin with.
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Remy frowned, watching Rogue make her way to school, a slight pout on her full lips, her hand clenched tightly on her bag strap, as though she wasn't looking forward to the day ahead of her. The blue boy, although he looked different, more human for some reason, was chattering happily to her, every once in a while getting a slight smile.
Remy frowned for a second, then nodded, moving away from his hiding spot and casually following them. He could almost see the hair on the back of his petite's neck standing in some primitive reaction, almost laughing as she hesitated slightly.
"Hey… Kurt? Ya evah get the feelin yer bein watched?" She asked, chewing on her bottom lip.
"Oh, all ze time. Chicks dig ze fuzzy dude." He replied, grinning at her.
"Oh get off yohself, ya ham!" She replied, laughing slightly. "Ah'm j'st paranoid." She frowned as she caught sight of Remy's reflection in one of the windows they were passing. "Or not. Why don'tcha go on 'head o'me, Kurt? Ah'll catch up soon."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Ah think so." She gave him a slight grin, waving him off before turning to the patiently waiting cajun. "Ya shouldn't follah a lady, swamp rat."
"Oh, Remy know dat, chere. Remy j'st thinkin what a lovely day fer a walk i'was." He grinned at her, pulling a flower from seemingly nowhere and handing it to her. She raised one eyebrow, pausing before reaching out.
"Ya tryin ta blow mah arm off again, cajun?"
"Non! Remy j'st bein… gentlemanly, chere!" He replied, looking horrified at her suggestion, but ruining it as his lips twitched. "But de look on yer face, chere… t'was priceless!"
"Ha. Ha. Real funnah." She said coldly, shoving his hand and the flower aside and heading towards school.
"Wait! Remy j'st wantin ta say he sorry, chere! No harm meant! J'st you look so prettah in de moonlight, Remy-" She turned, glaring at him and looking close to tears.
"Don't! Jus' don't! Ah don't wanna hear bout it, Remy. Ya almost TOUCHED me, an' ah alreadah have enough thoughts in mah head ta begin with." She sighed, looking down, only to smile reluctantly at the flower thrust under her nose. "It… smells real nice… but this don't mean Ah forgive ya."
"O'course no', chere. Remy don' expect tha. No a'tall." He said, hiding a victorious grin as she took the flower, smelling deeply before turning and walking away. This time he let her go. He had plans for the day.
******************
Pyro blinked, cursing under his breath as a large steel buzz saw came flying out of the wall, headed towards his head. He shot a flame at it, melting it mid-air, only to turn and shoot another. A large metal machine started towards him, shooting paintballs. He rolled, shooting another flame towards it, then jumping again as another machine took its place.
"Bloody-CAN I GET A BREAK?! It's been a hour a'ready, mate!" He shouted, blinking as a paintball struck him where he was standing. The session ended. "Tha' was easy…" He frowned down at the spot on his black X-men suit. Such a boring color… At least the orange paint made it a little more interesting!
"You're not trying, lighter boy. If you keep fighting like that you'll be killed for sure."
"Oh thanks fer the encouragement, wolvie. It touches a mate." He replied, scowling slightly. "Wha's tha point o' these stupid drills, anyways? I already fought stuff twice as tough!"
"The POINT, you punk, is to train you to save people. No go take a shower. The brats need your help with homework." Logan's voice said over the intercom.
"An' why the bloody 'ell would I wanna save a human?" He muttered to himself under his breath, making his way out of the danger room. He didn't realize that Wolverine heard him… but the older man said nothing, still torn between his feeling for the group he worked with and the same cynical question. Why would you want to save humans? They had never thanked him before. And he had been doing it for over ninety years…
"And in today's news yet another protest against Mutant kind has launched after a startling encounter with-" The channel changed.
"NO MORE MUTANTS!! NO MORE MUTANTS!!" Click!
"They're freaks! That's all they are!"
"But didn't one just save-"
"I don't care! He's still a freak!"
Pyro gritted his teeth as the television was turned off, a silent air of depression taking over the room. Jamie looked up then, the changer still in his hand. "Pyro? Are you… gonna help me with my story today? I tried really hard to make it good! It's about people with super powers!"
"Wh- I mean… sure, mate! No'a problem. J'st le'me get cleaned up, aight?" He gave a slightly fake grin to the thirteen year old boy then made his way up the stairs. He was starting to realize exactly what his grand idea of joining the X-men would mean. Danger room session after session.
*************************
Amara came home early that day, sneaking in the back way to avoid John and the others until she could change. There were shallow scrapes on her arms, and the beginning of a black eye making it hard to see out of her right eye. This wasn't the first time she had gotten caught by the soccer girls. Thankfully Tabitha had gotten there in time this time. She sighed, dropping her bag on the floor and making her way to the mirror.
The other girls looked worse. But she hadn't used her powers, just fought as she had been taught. The teacher that had seen the others afterwards had promised to send a letter to the professor, glaring at her as though it were her fault that three girls weren't tough enough to torture her correctly. So what if Shana had a broken arm now? She would have done the same to Amara!
She sighed, dropping down in the chair and pulling out her makeup. She had to cover up the damage. She jerked as the door cracked open, almost screaming as John entered, a small package in his hand.
"Wh-er, 'ello love! Didn't expect you back till-" He frowned slightly, moving forward to look at her more closely. "Ya pissed off Rem's sheila, love?"
"N-No…. I just… fell." She stuttered, not really looking him in the eye.
"Well we'd bettah get some ice on it, then!" He said, grinning slightly and pulling her to her feet. She followed, grateful that he had accepted it at that. When they got to the kitchen he picked her up, gently depositing her on the counter top before going to the collection of ice packs in the freezer and grabbing one.
He wrapped it in a cloth before standing in front of her, gently placing it over her eye. "Poor Love. Ya look like I do aftah a training session with wolvie." She snickered a little, making him grin. "Course, yer a lot prettier than me."
She smiled a little, trying to ignore the tremble of her bottom lip. He was crazy, goofy, and had a complete lack of right and wrong, but he treated her like… like a princess. It had been so long since someone had treated her that way. Silently, almost unnoticed by her, a single tear fell down her cheek.
"L-Love?" He sounded worried. It made her smile for some reason, but the tears started to flow for the same. "Awww, love! Why did ya no' say so?" He asked, roughly pulling her into a hug as she cried, whispering silly things into her hair. Slowly she wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face into the curve of his shoulder and silently acknowledging something that she had been trying to avoid.
She could love him. And that realization made her cry even harder.
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Chapter 12: Quest Questioning
AN: The next two chaps need work, so give me a bit to go back and add some "Romantic tension." I'm not that good with it to begin with.
************************
Remy frowned, watching Rogue make her way to school, a slight pout on her full lips, her hand clenched tightly on her bag strap, as though she wasn't looking forward to the day ahead of her. The blue boy, although he looked different, more human for some reason, was chattering happily to her, every once in a while getting a slight smile.
Remy frowned for a second, then nodded, moving away from his hiding spot and casually following them. He could almost see the hair on the back of his petite's neck standing in some primitive reaction, almost laughing as she hesitated slightly.
"Hey… Kurt? Ya evah get the feelin yer bein watched?" She asked, chewing on her bottom lip.
"Oh, all ze time. Chicks dig ze fuzzy dude." He replied, grinning at her.
"Oh get off yohself, ya ham!" She replied, laughing slightly. "Ah'm j'st paranoid." She frowned as she caught sight of Remy's reflection in one of the windows they were passing. "Or not. Why don'tcha go on 'head o'me, Kurt? Ah'll catch up soon."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Ah think so." She gave him a slight grin, waving him off before turning to the patiently waiting cajun. "Ya shouldn't follah a lady, swamp rat."
"Oh, Remy know dat, chere. Remy j'st thinkin what a lovely day fer a walk i'was." He grinned at her, pulling a flower from seemingly nowhere and handing it to her. She raised one eyebrow, pausing before reaching out.
"Ya tryin ta blow mah arm off again, cajun?"
"Non! Remy j'st bein… gentlemanly, chere!" He replied, looking horrified at her suggestion, but ruining it as his lips twitched. "But de look on yer face, chere… t'was priceless!"
"Ha. Ha. Real funnah." She said coldly, shoving his hand and the flower aside and heading towards school.
"Wait! Remy j'st wantin ta say he sorry, chere! No harm meant! J'st you look so prettah in de moonlight, Remy-" She turned, glaring at him and looking close to tears.
"Don't! Jus' don't! Ah don't wanna hear bout it, Remy. Ya almost TOUCHED me, an' ah alreadah have enough thoughts in mah head ta begin with." She sighed, looking down, only to smile reluctantly at the flower thrust under her nose. "It… smells real nice… but this don't mean Ah forgive ya."
"O'course no', chere. Remy don' expect tha. No a'tall." He said, hiding a victorious grin as she took the flower, smelling deeply before turning and walking away. This time he let her go. He had plans for the day.
******************
Pyro blinked, cursing under his breath as a large steel buzz saw came flying out of the wall, headed towards his head. He shot a flame at it, melting it mid-air, only to turn and shoot another. A large metal machine started towards him, shooting paintballs. He rolled, shooting another flame towards it, then jumping again as another machine took its place.
"Bloody-CAN I GET A BREAK?! It's been a hour a'ready, mate!" He shouted, blinking as a paintball struck him where he was standing. The session ended. "Tha' was easy…" He frowned down at the spot on his black X-men suit. Such a boring color… At least the orange paint made it a little more interesting!
"You're not trying, lighter boy. If you keep fighting like that you'll be killed for sure."
"Oh thanks fer the encouragement, wolvie. It touches a mate." He replied, scowling slightly. "Wha's tha point o' these stupid drills, anyways? I already fought stuff twice as tough!"
"The POINT, you punk, is to train you to save people. No go take a shower. The brats need your help with homework." Logan's voice said over the intercom.
"An' why the bloody 'ell would I wanna save a human?" He muttered to himself under his breath, making his way out of the danger room. He didn't realize that Wolverine heard him… but the older man said nothing, still torn between his feeling for the group he worked with and the same cynical question. Why would you want to save humans? They had never thanked him before. And he had been doing it for over ninety years…
"And in today's news yet another protest against Mutant kind has launched after a startling encounter with-" The channel changed.
"NO MORE MUTANTS!! NO MORE MUTANTS!!" Click!
"They're freaks! That's all they are!"
"But didn't one just save-"
"I don't care! He's still a freak!"
Pyro gritted his teeth as the television was turned off, a silent air of depression taking over the room. Jamie looked up then, the changer still in his hand. "Pyro? Are you… gonna help me with my story today? I tried really hard to make it good! It's about people with super powers!"
"Wh- I mean… sure, mate! No'a problem. J'st le'me get cleaned up, aight?" He gave a slightly fake grin to the thirteen year old boy then made his way up the stairs. He was starting to realize exactly what his grand idea of joining the X-men would mean. Danger room session after session.
*************************
Amara came home early that day, sneaking in the back way to avoid John and the others until she could change. There were shallow scrapes on her arms, and the beginning of a black eye making it hard to see out of her right eye. This wasn't the first time she had gotten caught by the soccer girls. Thankfully Tabitha had gotten there in time this time. She sighed, dropping her bag on the floor and making her way to the mirror.
The other girls looked worse. But she hadn't used her powers, just fought as she had been taught. The teacher that had seen the others afterwards had promised to send a letter to the professor, glaring at her as though it were her fault that three girls weren't tough enough to torture her correctly. So what if Shana had a broken arm now? She would have done the same to Amara!
She sighed, dropping down in the chair and pulling out her makeup. She had to cover up the damage. She jerked as the door cracked open, almost screaming as John entered, a small package in his hand.
"Wh-er, 'ello love! Didn't expect you back till-" He frowned slightly, moving forward to look at her more closely. "Ya pissed off Rem's sheila, love?"
"N-No…. I just… fell." She stuttered, not really looking him in the eye.
"Well we'd bettah get some ice on it, then!" He said, grinning slightly and pulling her to her feet. She followed, grateful that he had accepted it at that. When they got to the kitchen he picked her up, gently depositing her on the counter top before going to the collection of ice packs in the freezer and grabbing one.
He wrapped it in a cloth before standing in front of her, gently placing it over her eye. "Poor Love. Ya look like I do aftah a training session with wolvie." She snickered a little, making him grin. "Course, yer a lot prettier than me."
She smiled a little, trying to ignore the tremble of her bottom lip. He was crazy, goofy, and had a complete lack of right and wrong, but he treated her like… like a princess. It had been so long since someone had treated her that way. Silently, almost unnoticed by her, a single tear fell down her cheek.
"L-Love?" He sounded worried. It made her smile for some reason, but the tears started to flow for the same. "Awww, love! Why did ya no' say so?" He asked, roughly pulling her into a hug as she cried, whispering silly things into her hair. Slowly she wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face into the curve of his shoulder and silently acknowledging something that she had been trying to avoid.
She could love him. And that realization made her cry even harder.
*********************