Chasing the Flame
Chapter 13: Gentle Goodbye
AN: You're going to hate me for this one... I know. But-But- Oh well, just read please! And leave a review! ************************
Remy sighed, staring up at the large mansion for a few minutes before turning. Soon. Soon he would have the guts to do it. But the idea of fighting for the same people that cursed him when he walked down the streets didn't quite set well with him yet. He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets and turning, blinking as the cars pulled into the drive, the school kids tumbling over each other to get out.
"Has anybody seen Amara?" Came the red-head's voice.
"I think she wasn't feeling good or something. She never showed up after lunch."
"Maybe she sneaked out to see Pyro!!"
"Oh, please. He's more likely to sneak in then she is to sneak out." The group bickered, only to blink as they saw the slightly grinning cajun in front of their home. "Er… think he's here to get Pyro back?" The kid said, in a stage whisper.
Rogue said nothing, merely crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, not trusting him in the least. Remy sighed, waving slightly. "Hello, Chere. Remy was j'st…"
"Casin tha joint?"
"Non!" Summers stepped forward, scowling before shoving the others behind him in a protective motion. "'Ello glasses boy. Did ya miss ol' Remy?" Remy asked, smirking as the other male reached up, touching the side of his glases. "Too bad Remy don' 'ave de time ta school you some." He casually walked past the group, brushing the back of his gloved hand against Rogue's as he went, winking at her.
"Wait-" She said, glaring at Scott as he took a step forward, then following Remy as he got onto his bike. "What are ya doin here, swamp rat? In tha middle of the day, at that!"
"Dis Swamp rat… he j'st lookin, chere. Who know? He might like what he see!" He told her, grinning as she blushed slightly. He revved the biked, giving her a wave as he drove away, inwardly cursing himself for a fool. Or a coward. One didn't go from being a thief to a hero in a day.
Not even if he was crazy to begin with.
*********************
*X-Men. You have a mission.* The voice echoed in Pyro's mind, making him yelp and jump from where he was sitting next to Jamie, helping him with a story. Amara was beside him, chewing on her bottom lip as though she wasn't sure what she should do. *I want you and Pyro to go along on this mission, Amara. I believe it's in your area of expertise.*
She stood, tugging Pyro to his feet. "We need to go, Pyro." She said.
"Rioght'o, love! Ya keep workin on tha story, mate!" He said to Jamie before following her out of the room. When they got to the Blackbird he wasn't surprised in the least to see Summers glaring at them, his arms crossed over his chest, his foot tapping.
"Perhaps you might warn us the next time you're going to take forever to get ready, Pyro." Scott said coldly before climbing into the ship. Pyro grinned, not caring in the least. The blackbird rose into the air, controlled by Storm, who said nothing.
They flew over a large, flaming building, landing in the area in front of the building, surrounded by angry people waving signs. "This was some mutant prank, wasn't it?!" One of the protesters shouted. "You did it for the attention, didn't you!"
"Hey! It's the fire guy from before! How do we know he didn't start it?!" The Xmen ignored them, quickly making their way to the building, Kurt Bamf'ing out and returning with two children in his arms, then leaving again. Scott started shouting out orders as Ororo flew up, her eyes glowing eerily as the sky got cloudy. Pyro just stood there, staring with something that looked like lust on his face at the flames.
"J-Pyro! You have to make it stop!" Amara hissed, scowling as she noticed the look on his face. "Pyro!"
"Wh-What?" He asked, shaking out of it slightly. It had been so long since he had seen something that beautiful.
"Kill the fire, Pyro. Kill it now." She told him. He gritted his teeth, nodding slightly, reaching out and grasping his hands into fists, slowly bringing the fire to a more comfortable size (Er… if there is such a thing, that is) size, which was quickly finished off by a crack of thunder and a downpour of rain.
"Stupid mutants! They waited on purpose! Did you see that flame haired guy?!"
"I told you! He started it!" Pyro whirled, glaring at the shouting protesters, raising one eyebrow as he realized the lightning had caught the tree they were huddled under on fire. CRACK!! The tree branch broke, the flaming limb falling on the people, only to be shot off by a bolt of fire from Amara. Pyro said nothing, merely turning away and heading for the jet.
"You were going to let them die, weren't you?!" Amara hissed, almost running to keep up with him. "You were going to let innocent-"
"Innocent?!" He turned, pointing at them. "We j'st saved their worthless lives, Love. And they're still cursin us! How is tha' innocent?!"
"They just don't understand, Pyro."
"Oh, they understand j'st fione, love. I'm startin ta figger it out, meself for that mattah." He scowled down at the black outfit, his lips pulling back in an almost feral grimace at the sight of the X on his chest. Without a word he ripped it off, tossing it to the ground and blasting it with fire. "I can't do this, love. I j'st… can't."
"B-But-"
"Come with me." He held out his hand, a look on his face that ripped at her heart. "J'st you an' me, love."
"I… I can't. I'm an X-man, John." She gave him a little smile, realizing that for some reason she wanted to cry. "I… I'm sorry." He nodded, sighing slightly.
"Rioght, love... Kinda figgered you'd say tha'. One o'tha reason I'm so crazy fer ya..." He gave her a crooked grin. "Can I a'least get a kiss before I go?"
She nodded slowly, shyly stepping forward and kissing him. He pulled back, nudging her chin gently with his forefinger. "Did ya... ever a'least learn ta like me?"
"Yeah... I do believe I did." She told herself she wasn't going to cry. "You... it... It would have never worked out, would it?"
"Sorry love. Anyth'ng fer you, but-"
"No. Just go. Be happy, John." She gave him a sad smile, gently letting his hand go.
His shoulders slumped as he turned, walking away. The small X on the ground flickered, then died silently, softly, just as the small flicker of a relationship in her heart.
***********************
One more chapter...
Chapter 13: Gentle Goodbye
AN: You're going to hate me for this one... I know. But-But- Oh well, just read please! And leave a review! ************************
Remy sighed, staring up at the large mansion for a few minutes before turning. Soon. Soon he would have the guts to do it. But the idea of fighting for the same people that cursed him when he walked down the streets didn't quite set well with him yet. He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets and turning, blinking as the cars pulled into the drive, the school kids tumbling over each other to get out.
"Has anybody seen Amara?" Came the red-head's voice.
"I think she wasn't feeling good or something. She never showed up after lunch."
"Maybe she sneaked out to see Pyro!!"
"Oh, please. He's more likely to sneak in then she is to sneak out." The group bickered, only to blink as they saw the slightly grinning cajun in front of their home. "Er… think he's here to get Pyro back?" The kid said, in a stage whisper.
Rogue said nothing, merely crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, not trusting him in the least. Remy sighed, waving slightly. "Hello, Chere. Remy was j'st…"
"Casin tha joint?"
"Non!" Summers stepped forward, scowling before shoving the others behind him in a protective motion. "'Ello glasses boy. Did ya miss ol' Remy?" Remy asked, smirking as the other male reached up, touching the side of his glases. "Too bad Remy don' 'ave de time ta school you some." He casually walked past the group, brushing the back of his gloved hand against Rogue's as he went, winking at her.
"Wait-" She said, glaring at Scott as he took a step forward, then following Remy as he got onto his bike. "What are ya doin here, swamp rat? In tha middle of the day, at that!"
"Dis Swamp rat… he j'st lookin, chere. Who know? He might like what he see!" He told her, grinning as she blushed slightly. He revved the biked, giving her a wave as he drove away, inwardly cursing himself for a fool. Or a coward. One didn't go from being a thief to a hero in a day.
Not even if he was crazy to begin with.
*********************
*X-Men. You have a mission.* The voice echoed in Pyro's mind, making him yelp and jump from where he was sitting next to Jamie, helping him with a story. Amara was beside him, chewing on her bottom lip as though she wasn't sure what she should do. *I want you and Pyro to go along on this mission, Amara. I believe it's in your area of expertise.*
She stood, tugging Pyro to his feet. "We need to go, Pyro." She said.
"Rioght'o, love! Ya keep workin on tha story, mate!" He said to Jamie before following her out of the room. When they got to the Blackbird he wasn't surprised in the least to see Summers glaring at them, his arms crossed over his chest, his foot tapping.
"Perhaps you might warn us the next time you're going to take forever to get ready, Pyro." Scott said coldly before climbing into the ship. Pyro grinned, not caring in the least. The blackbird rose into the air, controlled by Storm, who said nothing.
They flew over a large, flaming building, landing in the area in front of the building, surrounded by angry people waving signs. "This was some mutant prank, wasn't it?!" One of the protesters shouted. "You did it for the attention, didn't you!"
"Hey! It's the fire guy from before! How do we know he didn't start it?!" The Xmen ignored them, quickly making their way to the building, Kurt Bamf'ing out and returning with two children in his arms, then leaving again. Scott started shouting out orders as Ororo flew up, her eyes glowing eerily as the sky got cloudy. Pyro just stood there, staring with something that looked like lust on his face at the flames.
"J-Pyro! You have to make it stop!" Amara hissed, scowling as she noticed the look on his face. "Pyro!"
"Wh-What?" He asked, shaking out of it slightly. It had been so long since he had seen something that beautiful.
"Kill the fire, Pyro. Kill it now." She told him. He gritted his teeth, nodding slightly, reaching out and grasping his hands into fists, slowly bringing the fire to a more comfortable size (Er… if there is such a thing, that is) size, which was quickly finished off by a crack of thunder and a downpour of rain.
"Stupid mutants! They waited on purpose! Did you see that flame haired guy?!"
"I told you! He started it!" Pyro whirled, glaring at the shouting protesters, raising one eyebrow as he realized the lightning had caught the tree they were huddled under on fire. CRACK!! The tree branch broke, the flaming limb falling on the people, only to be shot off by a bolt of fire from Amara. Pyro said nothing, merely turning away and heading for the jet.
"You were going to let them die, weren't you?!" Amara hissed, almost running to keep up with him. "You were going to let innocent-"
"Innocent?!" He turned, pointing at them. "We j'st saved their worthless lives, Love. And they're still cursin us! How is tha' innocent?!"
"They just don't understand, Pyro."
"Oh, they understand j'st fione, love. I'm startin ta figger it out, meself for that mattah." He scowled down at the black outfit, his lips pulling back in an almost feral grimace at the sight of the X on his chest. Without a word he ripped it off, tossing it to the ground and blasting it with fire. "I can't do this, love. I j'st… can't."
"B-But-"
"Come with me." He held out his hand, a look on his face that ripped at her heart. "J'st you an' me, love."
"I… I can't. I'm an X-man, John." She gave him a little smile, realizing that for some reason she wanted to cry. "I… I'm sorry." He nodded, sighing slightly.
"Rioght, love... Kinda figgered you'd say tha'. One o'tha reason I'm so crazy fer ya..." He gave her a crooked grin. "Can I a'least get a kiss before I go?"
She nodded slowly, shyly stepping forward and kissing him. He pulled back, nudging her chin gently with his forefinger. "Did ya... ever a'least learn ta like me?"
"Yeah... I do believe I did." She told herself she wasn't going to cry. "You... it... It would have never worked out, would it?"
"Sorry love. Anyth'ng fer you, but-"
"No. Just go. Be happy, John." She gave him a sad smile, gently letting his hand go.
His shoulders slumped as he turned, walking away. The small X on the ground flickered, then died silently, softly, just as the small flicker of a relationship in her heart.
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One more chapter...