I do not own any of the x men, sniff sniff** plus I just noticed that one
of the writers mentioned that perhaps she would have Amara kidnapped in her
story in a Pyro and Amara fic, I just wanted to comment on the fact that I
am not plagiarizing her since I had already begun to write this fan fic
before the other had been published, if she decides to do it that way, it's
just a coincidence. Thanks. Oh and sorry about her wording, I may have
gotten it wrong, I haven't heard her much, they never let the new mutants
talk long enough to know! Oh and some parts will sound weird, just deal
with it.
**************************************************************************** *
Amara and Pyro stood face to face in front of the Institute. Amara wearing a long white silk dressed with ivory flowers weaved into her thick hair, and Pyro had on a dark brown suit, his brazen hair slicked back. He gathered Amara in his arms and leaned in for a kiss.
"Oh Amara, since I first saw you my life has changed, I decided to join the X men. And I want to go with you to your home land and reign with you forever." Amara smiled as he kissed her sweetly.
***
"Amara, Amara what's wrong?" Amara blinked a few times, taking herself out of her reverie.
"I apologize Ms. Munroe; I had not meant to go off like that." She coughed politely and adjusted herself. The rest the new mutants staring at her in confusion since she was rarely out of place.
Amara had sadly grown a crush on Pyro when during a training session they had to battle him. She watched as he used her flames back at her and immediately fell into a crush. The princess sadly regretted her hearts move. She tried to pay attention to the rest of the class though she was quite ahead and found it boring. She sighed and excused herself to the bathroom.
She walked out and entered one of the stalls, pressing her forehead against the cool door. Though she thrived off fire she still found the heat of the day oppressive, Roberto on the other hand was having a joyful time, and she was almost tempted to join Bobby in his icebox of a room. She did her business, washed her hands and entered the classroom, thankful that they had only fifteen minutes left till recess.
Her mind drifted off again until she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Ororo; she looked up apologetically than changed her face to one of superiority.
"Are you all right dear?" Ororo's voice was full of concern.
"Perhaps I am coming down with something, will you excuse me from my other classes?" Ororo nodded and Amara grabbed her books and began to walk towards her room. She sighed happy to have the room to herself for a couple of hours since the rest of the students still had class. "I need to move on with my life." Amara stuck her face in her pillow and than turned it to the side. Her long dark brown hair falling sweetly on her face. She didn't even notice when she fell asleep.
***
Amara almost screamed when she felt herself being shaken awake. She turned around to find the fearful eyes of Jubilee staring into her own.
"They're here, we have to get downstairs." With that Jubilee waited as Amara stubbornly tried to put her sneakers back on. They ran out and had almost reached the bottom of the stair well when she was grabbed from behind. Her body began to radiate heat until she heard the one voice she had been longing to hear.
"Relax Sheila; I ain't goin' ta hurt ya if ya behave." She tensed up in the arms of Pyro and breathed in deeply. He felt her relax and allowed her to walk in front of him and enter one of those magnetic balls that Magneto held his Acolytes in.
"Amara!" Before the ball closed up she heard Jubilee scream out to her and get dragged into another metal ball.
***
"May I ask you a question?" Pyro turned to the girl next to him. He was glad she was finally talking. She had acted all prim and proper pulling her skirt over her knees and brushing non existent crumbs constantly from her shirt.
"Sure, love." Pyro gave her a smirk. Amara's heart missed a beat.
"It's Amara. Now why have you taken me?" Pyro let out a laugh.
"Cause ya were there Sheila." It hadn't been the answer she was hoping for, but she accepted it none the less.
"And Jubilee?"
"Oh the firecracker? Remy wanted her."
"Oh." She than asked no more questions until they landed in Magneto's unknown head quarters. When they landed, Pyro exited the ball and began walking. He turned around and found no one following him. He turned to his right to see Jubilee giggling and talking to a rather bemused Remy. Pyro than looked behind him and saw that the little princess was still sitting in the ball.
"What are ya still doin' here?" He said irritably.
"I'm waiting for you to help me out." Amara's eyebrows furrowed slightly but she quickly smoothed them out. Pyro noticed it and wondered why she was behaving so prissy. He reached out his hand and she smoothly inserted her own into his. Delicately, she stepped out and began to walk with her back rim rod straight and looking straight ahead of her. Pyro whose hand was still in her own stared at her in surprise as he walked along with her, too shocked to put her in her place. They finally reached Magnetos study.
"I guess you're both wondering why it is that I bought you here." At their nods he continued. "I told Pyro and Remy to select two young mutants to full fill our mission. Our goal is to get Xavier down here. Not to hurt him but to speak with him about an alliance of some sort. Logan has not allowed me to see him and unfortunately I have to go to drastic measures."
"What alliance?" Jubilee asked. Magneto chuckled.
"Nothing you need to know yet. Just tell him to get here." He passed her a phone and Jubilee's fingers ran over the buttons with quick expertise but when Ororo answered the phone she began to cry as the situation hit her. Amara was getting nervous, since Magnetos face seemed to be getting more annoyed by the second. She grabbed the phone and began to speak calmly to a frantic Ororo.
"Hello?" Amara said.
"Yes, Amara? Are you girls okay?"
"Yes we are perfectly fine thank you, how are you?" When no one responded she chalked it up to shock. "Well anyway we just called to tell you that the professor has to come to meet Magneto, I am assuming he will give the professor the details himself and please do not worry about us." She more said that for the benefit of added time with the man that she loved but knew nothing about.
"All right, we will be getting there soon." They hung up and Amara looked at Jubilee who was wiping her red eyes pathetically. Amara sighed. She turned towards Magneto and began to let him know her demands; he straightened his back and gulped, intending to do whatever she said for some unknown reason, Remy chuckled and Pyro snickered. "Jubilee and I need our own bedrooms, with guards. I intend to have a nice warm meal; I truly don't care what the rest of you eat. And I would like to have something new to wear for tomorrow; you can't expect me to wear this thing again."
"Um, all right." Magneto whipped out his credit card and handed it over to Remy. "Buy what they will need and nothing more."
"Thank you," Amara walked away as regal as usual and Jubilee followed behind still sniffling, popping her gum.
***
"I refuse to ride in that!" Amara was arguing with Pyro and Remy though Jubilee was happily sitting in the one she had ridden before. "I have a reputation to maintain, what would people think of me?" Pyro growled and went to speak to one of Magnetos drivers and a limousine drove up to them immediately. "Thank you." Amara entered the limo and sat down nobly.
"Hey Chere, you wanna ride wit dem?" Jubilee shook her head no and Remy winked at Pyro who looked ready to explode. He entered the metal ball and they flew away. Pyro stared after them longily.
"Come we do not have time." Pyro entered the limo with the intention of setting the girl straight, but he felt bad when he saw her fidgeting nervously. "How did you enter the Institute?"
"Easy Sheila, we noticed that the kids were on their lunch break and we overheard them talkin' 'bout how the professor was at a meeting with the other teachers. So we went to get them but most of them got away. We only caught ya and the other girl cause she went to find ya."
Amara nodded and sat straight, her spine looking as if it might crack at any minute.
"Will you just relax?" Amara stared at him, she had been told that many times before. No one truly understood why she was the way she was. They just chose to speak to her incorrectly and demand her cooperation.
"Do not speak to me that way." Her anger had begun to escalate; she was reaching her boiling point. Too many times had she been criticized about her royal bearing. Her hands began to burn and take on a flame like appearance. Pyro reached out and manipulated his fingers. The fire went into mid air and began to take shape. Amara stared at the flame in curiosity and wonder, her hands beginning to lose the fire but she maintained it, afraid that she wouldn't know what the flames would become. She blushed when she saw her own face.
Pyro looked at her and grinned, Amara knew it was because of the blush on her cheeks and immediately breathed deeply trying to go back to her old self. Pyro's grin faded.
"Don't do that."
"Do not do what?" Her voice was distant.
"Don't go and change on me. I like to have fun and I don't want to be stuck with someone who doesn't know what that means." Amara just stared calmly out the window, giving no sign on how much his words had hurt her.
***
"Jubilee! That is not meant for girls our ages! You look like you are a-a stripper!" Jubilee had spent most of the shopping trip trying on indecent things that would get her grounded if she would have even thought about it at the institute. She ended up not getting them at all much to Remy's consternation but he thoroughly enjoyed the fashion show. Amara rolled her eyes and picked out a four pairs of jeans, six pairs of shirts, and a pack of white socks. Pyro and Remy raised their eyebrows. "I do not know how long we will be here." With that she walked towards one of the benches in the store waiting until Jubilee was done.
"Hey." She jumped slightly to see Pyro near her. "I think your friend likes Remy." Amara let out an unlady like snort, she immediately blushed and got slightly annoyed with herself at her lack of self control around him.
"Jubilee is attracted to anyone of the male gender." Pyro laughed and looked at Amara. He waited apprehensively for the mask to come on again. He decided to tread slowly. If he had to deal with her than he would give her the gift of 'loosening up'.
"What about ya?"
"Oh, I'm betrothed already." Pyro raised an eyebrow.
"Betrothed?"
"Yes, as in engaged as a child."
"I know what betrothed means Sheila, I'm just surprised; I mean we're past the millennium already."
"Yes well, as a princess I have certain duties and therefore must protect my family line by marrying a man equal to my stature." Pyro looked at her weird.
"Don't ya date?"
"No, that is below me." Pyro blew out air from his mouth. The girl needed his help, seriously.
"Why don't ya pretend you're not a princess for a few days, at least until the old man takes ya back." Amara turned towards him.
"And how do I do that?" Amara was curious. She had always behaved as was expected of her.
"First and foremost, stop sittin' like that." He shaped into a more relaxed position and than ruffled her hair.
"What are you doing," she asked immediately trying to reform herself.
"Let's make a deal. Let me show ya how to be cool like me and ya can do what ya want to me." He smirked at her and Amara blushed deeply.
"Fine, I will do as you ask, but do not expect me to lower myself to Jubilee's standards." They turned towards the Raven haired girl who was popping pink gum in the Cajun's face and wearing nothing but vinyl shorts and a halter top.
"Don't worry Sheila I'd never subject ya to that."
***
It was a blur of an afternoon, she had spent it trying to learn how to walk, talk and look normal, or as normal as Pyro considered normal. She was more willing to do it because he had asked. He had gotten her to a point where she smiled more easily but he was determined to outdo it until it reached hysterical laughter. She's a great kid, he thought.
Jubilee, Remy, Magneto, Piotr and Mastermind, were seated at the table. Jubilee's mouth dropped open when she saw Amara with her long hair in a ponytail, a pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt with flip flops. Amara was smiling and talking to Pyro with a little more enthusiasm than she had shown to the rest of the mutants.
"Um hey Amara." Jubilee smiled timidly and shifted in her seat.
"Hey Jubes, what's up?" She sat down in her chair, pulling out the seat herself. Jubilee's mouth fell open. First and foremost Amara wasn't keen on nicknames and next she never pulled open her own chair or served her own drink.
Pyro sat down beside her and smiled at his project. "Hello Mates." Most of them had continued to eat except for Remy and Jubilee who were wary of the transformation in the girl. The dinner turned out to be normally quiet for the Acolytes but weirdly so for Jubilee, who usually spoke a mile a minute.
Before going to bed Jubilee walked into Amara's room and was relieved to find the girl acting normal again. She was brushing her hair and trying to get ready for bed.
"Hey chic, how ya doing?" Jubilee blew a bubble and sat on Amara's bed.
"I'm doing well. Quite tired really." Jubilee nodded her head.
"So, what's up with you and Pyro?" At his name Amara's eyes brightened and Jubilee began to blush, she had no reason to turn pink but the way Amara looked had her sensing what she inevitably said next.
"I like him, a lot." Jubilee didn't expect her to be so open with her feelings, since Amara never was so she didn't say anything. "He is trying to help me be normal. He seems to have a problem with my previous demeanor."
Didn't we all, Jubilee thought. She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"You don't even know him." Jubilee expected Amara to flip on her like all girls in love did, Amara surprised her once again by being honest with her.
"No, I do not. I liked what he can do and I made him up into something in my head. I have found out that he is rough and at times quite vulgar, but he makes me laugh. I don't know what else to say. He has called me a kid at times, and I have no idea how to make him see beyond my age."
"He's only a couple of years older." Jubilee thought hard and suddenly her gum chewing became rapid with excitement.
"Do you have a plan?" Amara asked.
"Most definitely. You just have to act more older!"
"Older?"
"Yes, here's what we do." Jubilee and Amara sat by each other and began to plan their new mission. The few days would prove to be quite thought provoking.
***
Amara spent the next few days acting like Pyro had taught her to while using some of the tidbits Jubilee had added to it. She wore relaxed clothing instead of the perfectly altered shirts and trousers she normally wore.
She flirted with some of the guys at the stores as well. At one point getting Pyro jealous enough to use a flame and set the guys shirt on fire. He had grabbed Amara's wrist and dragged her to a movie were they watched a scary flick with Jubilee and Remy.
"Well they seem ta be havin' fun eh?" Amara nodded in agreement as she watched Remy and Jubilee going at it, she quickly averted her eyes. Pyro snickered as he continued watching.
"I overheard them speaking about just having fun without expecting anything more from each other."
"Ah! No strings attached. Stuff never works. They'll end up fallin' for the other. Now that'll be amusin'." He looked at Amara who stared at him with her honey eyes. His heart skipped a beat. "Ya know you're a real beauty."
Amara smiled. Pyro kissed her. It wasn't like her daydream, since it was on her cheek, but it caused the same effects.
That evening he walked her to her door and he smiled at her. He was about to give her a proper (as in better) kiss but Magneto walked in on them. He coughed and informed Amara that the next day she would be going home, since Xavier would be coming. Pyro looked at her face and saw a battle within her. He didn't know why but didn't bother to ask.
They said their good nights and went to their bedrooms, wondering what would change now that they were back to their routines.
***
Remy and Pyro's mouths fell open when they saw Amara walk down the stairs of the Acolytes headquarters. He had expected more from her, he hadn't thought she was stupid enough to go back to being royal and unhappy. Her hair was combed straight and she walked with her regal bearing. Her eyes betrayed no emotion and she barely looked at anyone, receiving Xavier's return.
Suddenly Amara looked into Pyro's eyes and saw loathing burning in them. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt a pain in her chest. When he walked away she lost all sense of self-control and ran after him, ignoring the others in the room.
"Pyro? Pyro! John wait!" Pyro stopped walking when he heard her say his real name. She stopped running when he stopped and tried to catch her breath as she spoke. "Why did you run?" Pyro swiftly turned around and stared at her.
"You're not who I was with these past few days. I finally could be myself as well as ya and now cause you're goin' back ya wanna act like the pretty pretty princess again. Well I can't be with a liar."
"I am not a liar!"
"Oh you're not Amara? And what do ya call someone who pretends ta not care all the time? Or someone who put's up a front when people are in the room. Ya were fine until Magneto told ya that you'd be leaving in an hour. Now if this is who ya want ta be, stay that way. But don't expect me to be friends with ya." He turned back around and walked away. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she had been trained to not cry and it was easy to hold them back. She walked away feeling tired and sad. She didn't know how she would go on with her life, after getting to know the truth behind the man of her dreams.
***
Pyro was flipping his lighter on and off when Remy sat beside him.
"Remy thinks ya love da girl."
"Remy is full o' crap." Gambit frowned.
"Relax homme, just tryin' to help." Pyro sighed deeply.
"Ya saw her mate. Ya saw how relaxed she had become, not worryin' 'bout her friends watchin' her at all times. And now she's, ya know, back to that again. It was disgustin'." Remy patted him on the back in understanding.
"Well den, you just gonna let her go?"
"I guess so."
"Dat's too bad." With that, Remy got up and left Pyro alone to think. He used the flame in the lighter to shape her face and breathed in deeply at the etched beauty of it. In his minds eye he saw her smile and wondered if he would ever be able to reach her again.
***
Amara sat in the limo not hearing the professor's explanation of what the alliance was about. Logan sat on her side looking guilty, feeling it was partly his fault it had all happened. Jubilee just sat staring at the bags on the floor full of the new clothes she and Amara had gotten. The kidnapping was worth it in her eyes.
Amara hadn't spoken to anyone since she had entered the limo and the professor was concerned. He tried to read the images she projected and managed to straighten out and understand what her silence was about. His heart ached for her. The alliance was a temporary submission by both sides of the team to attempt to stop a mutant massacre that would be held in the European side of the world.
Though Magneto's and Xavier's methods were often different, they agreed that the particular group attacking them had to be stopped by whatever means necessary or every mutant would soon come to an end. Xavier sighed and leaned back in his chair closing his eyes. He hoped that his children would be prepared to take this on. They knew the hatred from the humans but understood that it was more fear than hatred. But now they would see the truly gruesome detestation that came from nothing but discrimination.
He had spoken to Logan and Ororo (who was in the front of the limo) and they agreed to allow all of the mutants to join them, since it wouldn't be safe to leave them alone. T Brotherhood had already offered their services to 'cream the suckers'.
***
The Acolytes, the X Men, and the Brotherhood, had all gathered in the danger room, since it was the largest room of the house, the tension was thick enough to be cut with a blunt knife. Xavier spoke to and for his group.
"I first would like to announce that none of the members of my team will cause any trouble. They fully understand that we are here to work together, and that the most important thing is the mission." Scott nodded in agreement beside the professor and Jean rolled her eyes.
*Brown noser* she said to him, she didn't realize that she had projected it to everyone and blushed when they snickered. Scott gave her a dirty look.
"I agree. None of my team, the Acolytes or the brotherhood will do anything to upset this alliance. We need to focus on our goals. Pietro that's enough." Pietro pouted having been caught pulling down Evans pants. He had attempted to go fast but Jean noticed that this had happened twice and had frozen him in place. Pietro walked over next to his sister and stood as bored as before.
Amara searched for Pyro and found him a little behind Magneto. She smiled slightly and he looked away, his eyes still angry. Remy elbowed him when she turned towards Jubilee who had asked her a question.
"Don't be hard on da femme." Pyro ignored it and continued to stare ahead.
"Now we shall split all of you into a team. The eldest will be in charge. You all will be mixed in pairing and have an adult to supervise you." Xavier said. Magneto nodded in agreement.
"Do the honors Xavier."
"All right. Logan you will supervise Pyro, Roberto, Bobby, Ray and Pietro. Ororo you have Amara, Sam, Evan, Lance and Blob. Beast you are in charge of Remy, Rogue, Jubilee, Kitty, Toad and Wanda. And Mystique, you have Scott, Jean, Kurt, Jamie and Rhane."
"Hell no! I'm not being on a team with him." Ray pointed at Roberto who glared at him.
Fine, you and Amara switch places." And all was set. When Amara and Ray switched places where they stood, Pyro's lips turned into a thin line. Amara just stared ahead of her, her hands betraying her anxiety as they twisted around each other.
***
Pyro wondered in his seat on the commercial airplane if some higher being was punishing him for all his pasts' sins because all this was too much of a coincidence. Amara was on his team and now she was sitting next to him on the plane as well. He was trying his best to ignore her but couldn't help but be fascinated with the way her hair kept getting in the way of her face. His fingers itched to push them back against her ear.
He felt bad for ignoring her, but felt she had the bigger sin. She was hiding herself behind a mask and it irritated him. He had taught her a million things while she was at the Acolytes base and now she was continuing with her 'I don't care' attitude and he didn't appreciate it. He spent most of the trip either sleeping or better yet pretending to sleep, and watching the movie being given.
Amara was happy when they had finally gotten off the plane. Being so close to Pyro had gotten to her and she was losing her temper. He was ignoring her with no kind of concern over her feelings. Each group had been assigned to a specific side of the town were the mutant raid would begin and she finally realized she was the only girl stuck in an all boy group and with an instructor as insensitive as Logan it would be a rough few days.
In the rented car she had to submit herself to the cruel puns of Pietro who thought it would be funny to sing anything that had to do with fire for her benefit, he was currently in his remake of Eternal Flames by the Bangles. As the only girl he had placed it upon him self to win her over, it wasn't working.
Amara hid her face behind her hands and leaned into Roberto when he patted her back in pity. Pyro saw this through the rearview mirror and began to get angry. She had done that to him multiple amounts of times when Jubilee had decided to describe the worst episodes that she and the other mutant girls had gotten into. He considered that little move his own property.
He had gotten angry when she ended up sitting on Roberto's lap because only three people could fit in the back and he had chosen to sit in the front with Logan because he hadn't wanted to be near her, but now he regretted the move.
Amara caught his eye through the rear view mirror and as if sensing his jealousy she leaned back into Roberto and began to whisper in his ear. Pyro's lighter began to flick dangerously quick. Roberto's laugh had set him on edge.
Amara smiled inwardly, glad that the small joke at Logan's expense was not acknowledged by Logan. If Pyro was going to treat her like garbage she would hit him where it hurt. She remembered when he had put the grocery guy on fire because he had told her hi and would play him where it hurt most. Her feelings where at stake and she wanted to go off and die with as much pride as possible.
"Amara, do you mind sitting on Bobby, you're bones are killing me." Amara thwacked him on the head with her purse and didn't complain when she was transferred from one lap to another. Bobby smiled at her flirtatiously and she almost punched him in the mouth with her fist, but through the corner of her eye she saw Pyro watching her intently and quickly returned the smile, trying to think the way Jubilee had taught her.
***
Pyro slammed the door in the bathroom and pulled his shirt off gruffly. He turned the water on as hot as he could comfortably make it and stared into the mirror as it filled up. His eyes were dark and angry looking, he couldn't blame himself. She had practically thrown herself on every guy except him, Logan didn't count.
Amara was in the joint bedroom on the other side of the rented hotel room, taking her own bath. Her plan was working deliciously. Pyro had practically thrown Pietro off of her when he had put his arm around her shoulder and she had let him. She wasn't good at this jealousy stuff but found it quite refreshing. She preferred him angry at her than ignoring her.
She washed her hair with the hotels supply of shampoo and pulled it into a bun, using several rubber bands that she had found in Bobby's supply of paper shooting material, luckily she had just pulled up her pants when Bobby barged in and threw himself on her bed flipping the channels on her cable box.
"Bobby what are you doing here?" Bobby barely glanced up at her.
"Pyro won't let me watch what I want so I'm going to stay in here." Amara was going to throw him out when she noticed a lock of carrot colored hair peeking through the crack of the door separating the boy's room from her own.
"Sure, you can even stay in here for the rest of the night if they bother you so much." She heard the sharp gasp and almost laughed when Pyro banged the door open and ordered Bobby to get out of her room.
"But I wanna watch that Kung Fu movie!"
"Fine, watch what ya want, but not in here." Bobby practically skipped out the bedroom and Pyro walked out the door looking back momentarily. Amara wiped the smirk off her face and looked serene and bored; unfortunately Pyro had caught the smile.
Ah, so that's how it is Sheila, he thought. Well two can play that game.
***
Pyro snickered when he saw Amara's hands glowing, he had flirted with every single European girl he had met and she was fuming. It had turned into a vengeful cycle. She had begun to flirt with any and every guy and he would do the same.
"Look kid, go to that one over there and ask about tonight." Pyro had been the one designated to ask about the anti mutant rally since he was nicer than Logan tended to be. It turned out to be a cute girl who looked a little like Amara.
"Hey love, the names Pyro, what's yours?" The girl giggled and twirled her black hair.
"It's Clara; I like your name Pyro." She began to giggle more, the sound irritating Pyro to no end. He noticed Amara looking at him from the car window and smiled at the girl, touching her arm in familiarity.
"Well Clara, your name is quite allurin'." He winked at her which sent her into another fit of giggles. "What do ya know 'bout the mutant raid tonight?" The girls face quickly became ugly when the frown appeared, he knew what to expect.
"It'll be at 6 pm tonight. It's about time we solved the mutie problem, them dirty beast need to be wiped off this planet."
"And where is it bein' held?" Pyro growled.
"At the square in Hawkwood town." Pyro walked away without saying another word to her. The nasty remarks he had gotten when he asked about the raid made him angry and reminded him why he sided with Magneto.
He gave the information to Logan who contacted Xavier mentally. They all planned on coming in from the side they were guarding. No mutants would be hurt and they would do all they could to stop it.
***
Amara's heart was beating quickly in fear. She saw a few feet before her, all the humans that had planned to hurt the mutants of their area. About twenty five mutants were gathered in a circle in the middle of a large crowd of people.
She saw Logan's nod and knew that the professor wanted the group of mutants to intervene as early as possible to avoid any problems.
Suddenly the sky turned from sunny to dark and gray and a lightning bolt came down before the man rumored to be the head of the raid, it was Storms doing. He stood up abruptly and fearfully. The knives and machetes hidden underneath the clothing of the humans as well as the few guns were manipulated in the air by Magneto and dropped in a pile near the younger mutants who had been placed to guard the ammunition. Xavier mentally forced the humans to all sit down and Logan walked towards the head and stared him down. That was not planned but it seemed to make the Human wary of trying anything.
Xavier wheeled up to the head of the raid and searched his mind, he saw only hatred. He saw how the man's son had used his mutant ability and hurt him as well as his wife and put her in a coma. Xavier's heart ached for the man, but he couldn't allow him to hurt others who played no roll in it. He noticed a few of the mutants were similar to Kurt and Beast with physical attributes that showed their mutant gene. One five year old girl had feathers all over her face and body; she snuggled close to another girl with orange colored skin.
*Magneto, Logan and Ororo stay with me, Beast and the rest of you please lead the mutants somewhere safe and leave the younger mutants as well as the older ones with them.* They all did what he asked.
"Mr. Cauldron, I know about what happened to you, but you cannot take it out on these innocent people."
"Innocent?" He spat out. "They're mutants just like you, a menace to society. How dare you tell me that they're innocent! You can kill me right now if you wanted to."
"Point taken," Magneto said. "But you do realize that we could have killed you and all of your followers right this instant without a thought and we hadn't done it. But let's forget that and get straight to the point. If you or anyone else touches another mutant in anger I personally will kill you."
Mr. Cauldron's eyes narrowed. "You see you're nothing but violent freaks!" Xavier sighed. How he hated violence.
*Logan* Logan smiled; he knew exactly what was wanted. His claws shot out and he stepped up to the man.
"If I find out a drop of mutant blood was spilled tonight and on, I swear I'll come after you. And you wouldn't like these prickin' your skin, bub." He poked at him with one of his claws but backed off at Xavier's command.
"Enough Logan, I think we're done here." The last of the mutants had already been taken away; all inside a few buses that Xavier had rented in order to take them to a place were mutants were welcomed. Xavier, Magneto, Logan and Ororo began to walk away. Pyro ran up to Magneto.
"There is one mutant left. She's hidin' behind the street car, I'll get her now." Magneto nodded and Pyro walked towards the car, that hid the sister of one of the older mutants before she had been kidnapped a couple of hours before. He grabbed her little hand and walked with her towards the woods.
Xavier suddenly stopped. "Pyro!" He shouted.
A shot rang out and Pyro saw the bullet heading straight for the little girl, who would be no more than six. He did the most unselfish thing he had ever done in his life. He covered her body with his own and took the bullet in his back. Magneto had had no time to stop the bullet, but in his rage used his power to turn the gun on the man who had shot intending to kill him.
"No Magneto! Pyro is all right. I'm holding the man still with my mind; we can take him to the authorities."
Logan walked towards the man and cuffed him in the face while Beast and Storm ran over to the hurt mutant. Beast passed the little girl into Ororo's arms and Beast carried Pyro. Logan tossed Cauldron over his shoulder and they walked towards the buses. None of the raiders had tried to move since the mutants had come in and they stayed in their place for a long time after.
Beast walked into the emptiest bus which held Rogue, Remy, Jubilee, Amara, Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty, Ororo and the little girl. When Amara heard the gasps from her team mates she got up and walked towards the seat. When she saw Pyro's hair her stomach churned at the smell of blood that emanated from him. She shoved the people out of her way and kneeled down next to him in the chair. Beast had already sat down in the driver's seat and began to drive to a hospital in the area.
Amara gingerly pulled Pyro forward. When she saw the blood that had covered his back, she began to cry quietly. Every one stared at her wondering why her face was pressed into his shoulder, except for Remy and Jubilee. Suddenly all her composure left her. Never in her life had she disgraced herself, she always shed some tears and quickly dried them off. But now she sobbed into his shoulder and began to shake.
Ororo tried to calm her down with soothing words but she began to cry harder. The screams that echoed through the car disturbed everyone but they couldn't seem to make a move to stop them. By the time they reached to the hospital, she had exhausted herself.
She followed Beast out of the bus with Pyro in his arms and entered the hospital. Beast thanked God when they greeted him warmly and took the young man out of his arms and onto a stretcher. The blood had spread even more.
Amara waited outside of the door as they did the emergency surgery on Pyro, removing the bullet that had penetrated deeply into his back. When the doctor walked out of the operating room and to the waiting room he looked at the girl before him and saw the tears in her eyes, behind her were the X men, the Acolytes and the Brotherhood. His eyes widened in shock at all the mutants in his presence.
"Um, we aren't a hundred percent sure, but there is a big chance that he won't make it." Amara looked into the eyes of the doctor and fainted. Scott ran over to her and picked her up in his arms while Kitty waved a pamphlet at her face. A few minutes later se opened her eyes and drank the cold glass of water handed to her.
"I need to see him," she said to no one in particular. Hurriedly she got up from her seat and ran through the swinging doors that led to the post operative room. She looked around the curtains until she found him almost at the back of the large room. The tears formed again when she saw him with a breathing tube up his nose and an oxygen tank by his bedside. She sat in the chair provided for visitors and took his hand.
"I love you Pyro. You can not just die on me! You can not leave me here alone. You can't die Pyro!" Her words began to come together, almost losing the accent completely as she grew more hysterical. Suddenly the machine stopped beeping. It went dead. "No!" She screamed.
A nurse ran in and saw the boy had gone, she tried to grab the girl but burned her hand as the girls body began to glow with fire.
"I refuse to let you die!" Her body was consumed with flames and she grabbed his shoulders and shook them. "You won't die John! I won't allow it!"
Her flames began to dance around. The nurse's eyes grew wide as she saw the flames on the girls body stir with life. The monitor began a steady almost silent beep. Amara didn't hear it and continued to shout Pyros name, demanding him to wake up. The nurse's eyes filled with joy when the heart beat began to pick up pace.
Pyro sat up suddenly and breathed in deeply as if he had been holding his breath under water and had just found the surface. His eyes opened and he looked into the eyes of the one person who would be callous enough to demand him to live. A funny thing is that it worked.
Epilogue:
Amara held on to Pyro's hand on his way home from the hospital, they were on a private jet ordered by Xavier through one of his connections. Pyro looked at her and smiled.
"Ya know 'Mara, I owe ya my life. I wouldn't be here if ya hadn't made me come back."
Amara smiled and snuggled closer to him, avoiding his injury. She had built her life around living for what was expected of her as the Princess and heir of her country, refusing to allow anything to get in the way of her duties. But she found that this Australian had stolen everything from her, especially her heart. The only question is what does she tell her father?
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Hope you guys liked it. Please tell me what you think. Review! Oh and I don't own Eternal Flame by the Bangles
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Amara and Pyro stood face to face in front of the Institute. Amara wearing a long white silk dressed with ivory flowers weaved into her thick hair, and Pyro had on a dark brown suit, his brazen hair slicked back. He gathered Amara in his arms and leaned in for a kiss.
"Oh Amara, since I first saw you my life has changed, I decided to join the X men. And I want to go with you to your home land and reign with you forever." Amara smiled as he kissed her sweetly.
***
"Amara, Amara what's wrong?" Amara blinked a few times, taking herself out of her reverie.
"I apologize Ms. Munroe; I had not meant to go off like that." She coughed politely and adjusted herself. The rest the new mutants staring at her in confusion since she was rarely out of place.
Amara had sadly grown a crush on Pyro when during a training session they had to battle him. She watched as he used her flames back at her and immediately fell into a crush. The princess sadly regretted her hearts move. She tried to pay attention to the rest of the class though she was quite ahead and found it boring. She sighed and excused herself to the bathroom.
She walked out and entered one of the stalls, pressing her forehead against the cool door. Though she thrived off fire she still found the heat of the day oppressive, Roberto on the other hand was having a joyful time, and she was almost tempted to join Bobby in his icebox of a room. She did her business, washed her hands and entered the classroom, thankful that they had only fifteen minutes left till recess.
Her mind drifted off again until she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Ororo; she looked up apologetically than changed her face to one of superiority.
"Are you all right dear?" Ororo's voice was full of concern.
"Perhaps I am coming down with something, will you excuse me from my other classes?" Ororo nodded and Amara grabbed her books and began to walk towards her room. She sighed happy to have the room to herself for a couple of hours since the rest of the students still had class. "I need to move on with my life." Amara stuck her face in her pillow and than turned it to the side. Her long dark brown hair falling sweetly on her face. She didn't even notice when she fell asleep.
***
Amara almost screamed when she felt herself being shaken awake. She turned around to find the fearful eyes of Jubilee staring into her own.
"They're here, we have to get downstairs." With that Jubilee waited as Amara stubbornly tried to put her sneakers back on. They ran out and had almost reached the bottom of the stair well when she was grabbed from behind. Her body began to radiate heat until she heard the one voice she had been longing to hear.
"Relax Sheila; I ain't goin' ta hurt ya if ya behave." She tensed up in the arms of Pyro and breathed in deeply. He felt her relax and allowed her to walk in front of him and enter one of those magnetic balls that Magneto held his Acolytes in.
"Amara!" Before the ball closed up she heard Jubilee scream out to her and get dragged into another metal ball.
***
"May I ask you a question?" Pyro turned to the girl next to him. He was glad she was finally talking. She had acted all prim and proper pulling her skirt over her knees and brushing non existent crumbs constantly from her shirt.
"Sure, love." Pyro gave her a smirk. Amara's heart missed a beat.
"It's Amara. Now why have you taken me?" Pyro let out a laugh.
"Cause ya were there Sheila." It hadn't been the answer she was hoping for, but she accepted it none the less.
"And Jubilee?"
"Oh the firecracker? Remy wanted her."
"Oh." She than asked no more questions until they landed in Magneto's unknown head quarters. When they landed, Pyro exited the ball and began walking. He turned around and found no one following him. He turned to his right to see Jubilee giggling and talking to a rather bemused Remy. Pyro than looked behind him and saw that the little princess was still sitting in the ball.
"What are ya still doin' here?" He said irritably.
"I'm waiting for you to help me out." Amara's eyebrows furrowed slightly but she quickly smoothed them out. Pyro noticed it and wondered why she was behaving so prissy. He reached out his hand and she smoothly inserted her own into his. Delicately, she stepped out and began to walk with her back rim rod straight and looking straight ahead of her. Pyro whose hand was still in her own stared at her in surprise as he walked along with her, too shocked to put her in her place. They finally reached Magnetos study.
"I guess you're both wondering why it is that I bought you here." At their nods he continued. "I told Pyro and Remy to select two young mutants to full fill our mission. Our goal is to get Xavier down here. Not to hurt him but to speak with him about an alliance of some sort. Logan has not allowed me to see him and unfortunately I have to go to drastic measures."
"What alliance?" Jubilee asked. Magneto chuckled.
"Nothing you need to know yet. Just tell him to get here." He passed her a phone and Jubilee's fingers ran over the buttons with quick expertise but when Ororo answered the phone she began to cry as the situation hit her. Amara was getting nervous, since Magnetos face seemed to be getting more annoyed by the second. She grabbed the phone and began to speak calmly to a frantic Ororo.
"Hello?" Amara said.
"Yes, Amara? Are you girls okay?"
"Yes we are perfectly fine thank you, how are you?" When no one responded she chalked it up to shock. "Well anyway we just called to tell you that the professor has to come to meet Magneto, I am assuming he will give the professor the details himself and please do not worry about us." She more said that for the benefit of added time with the man that she loved but knew nothing about.
"All right, we will be getting there soon." They hung up and Amara looked at Jubilee who was wiping her red eyes pathetically. Amara sighed. She turned towards Magneto and began to let him know her demands; he straightened his back and gulped, intending to do whatever she said for some unknown reason, Remy chuckled and Pyro snickered. "Jubilee and I need our own bedrooms, with guards. I intend to have a nice warm meal; I truly don't care what the rest of you eat. And I would like to have something new to wear for tomorrow; you can't expect me to wear this thing again."
"Um, all right." Magneto whipped out his credit card and handed it over to Remy. "Buy what they will need and nothing more."
"Thank you," Amara walked away as regal as usual and Jubilee followed behind still sniffling, popping her gum.
***
"I refuse to ride in that!" Amara was arguing with Pyro and Remy though Jubilee was happily sitting in the one she had ridden before. "I have a reputation to maintain, what would people think of me?" Pyro growled and went to speak to one of Magnetos drivers and a limousine drove up to them immediately. "Thank you." Amara entered the limo and sat down nobly.
"Hey Chere, you wanna ride wit dem?" Jubilee shook her head no and Remy winked at Pyro who looked ready to explode. He entered the metal ball and they flew away. Pyro stared after them longily.
"Come we do not have time." Pyro entered the limo with the intention of setting the girl straight, but he felt bad when he saw her fidgeting nervously. "How did you enter the Institute?"
"Easy Sheila, we noticed that the kids were on their lunch break and we overheard them talkin' 'bout how the professor was at a meeting with the other teachers. So we went to get them but most of them got away. We only caught ya and the other girl cause she went to find ya."
Amara nodded and sat straight, her spine looking as if it might crack at any minute.
"Will you just relax?" Amara stared at him, she had been told that many times before. No one truly understood why she was the way she was. They just chose to speak to her incorrectly and demand her cooperation.
"Do not speak to me that way." Her anger had begun to escalate; she was reaching her boiling point. Too many times had she been criticized about her royal bearing. Her hands began to burn and take on a flame like appearance. Pyro reached out and manipulated his fingers. The fire went into mid air and began to take shape. Amara stared at the flame in curiosity and wonder, her hands beginning to lose the fire but she maintained it, afraid that she wouldn't know what the flames would become. She blushed when she saw her own face.
Pyro looked at her and grinned, Amara knew it was because of the blush on her cheeks and immediately breathed deeply trying to go back to her old self. Pyro's grin faded.
"Don't do that."
"Do not do what?" Her voice was distant.
"Don't go and change on me. I like to have fun and I don't want to be stuck with someone who doesn't know what that means." Amara just stared calmly out the window, giving no sign on how much his words had hurt her.
***
"Jubilee! That is not meant for girls our ages! You look like you are a-a stripper!" Jubilee had spent most of the shopping trip trying on indecent things that would get her grounded if she would have even thought about it at the institute. She ended up not getting them at all much to Remy's consternation but he thoroughly enjoyed the fashion show. Amara rolled her eyes and picked out a four pairs of jeans, six pairs of shirts, and a pack of white socks. Pyro and Remy raised their eyebrows. "I do not know how long we will be here." With that she walked towards one of the benches in the store waiting until Jubilee was done.
"Hey." She jumped slightly to see Pyro near her. "I think your friend likes Remy." Amara let out an unlady like snort, she immediately blushed and got slightly annoyed with herself at her lack of self control around him.
"Jubilee is attracted to anyone of the male gender." Pyro laughed and looked at Amara. He waited apprehensively for the mask to come on again. He decided to tread slowly. If he had to deal with her than he would give her the gift of 'loosening up'.
"What about ya?"
"Oh, I'm betrothed already." Pyro raised an eyebrow.
"Betrothed?"
"Yes, as in engaged as a child."
"I know what betrothed means Sheila, I'm just surprised; I mean we're past the millennium already."
"Yes well, as a princess I have certain duties and therefore must protect my family line by marrying a man equal to my stature." Pyro looked at her weird.
"Don't ya date?"
"No, that is below me." Pyro blew out air from his mouth. The girl needed his help, seriously.
"Why don't ya pretend you're not a princess for a few days, at least until the old man takes ya back." Amara turned towards him.
"And how do I do that?" Amara was curious. She had always behaved as was expected of her.
"First and foremost, stop sittin' like that." He shaped into a more relaxed position and than ruffled her hair.
"What are you doing," she asked immediately trying to reform herself.
"Let's make a deal. Let me show ya how to be cool like me and ya can do what ya want to me." He smirked at her and Amara blushed deeply.
"Fine, I will do as you ask, but do not expect me to lower myself to Jubilee's standards." They turned towards the Raven haired girl who was popping pink gum in the Cajun's face and wearing nothing but vinyl shorts and a halter top.
"Don't worry Sheila I'd never subject ya to that."
***
It was a blur of an afternoon, she had spent it trying to learn how to walk, talk and look normal, or as normal as Pyro considered normal. She was more willing to do it because he had asked. He had gotten her to a point where she smiled more easily but he was determined to outdo it until it reached hysterical laughter. She's a great kid, he thought.
Jubilee, Remy, Magneto, Piotr and Mastermind, were seated at the table. Jubilee's mouth dropped open when she saw Amara with her long hair in a ponytail, a pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt with flip flops. Amara was smiling and talking to Pyro with a little more enthusiasm than she had shown to the rest of the mutants.
"Um hey Amara." Jubilee smiled timidly and shifted in her seat.
"Hey Jubes, what's up?" She sat down in her chair, pulling out the seat herself. Jubilee's mouth fell open. First and foremost Amara wasn't keen on nicknames and next she never pulled open her own chair or served her own drink.
Pyro sat down beside her and smiled at his project. "Hello Mates." Most of them had continued to eat except for Remy and Jubilee who were wary of the transformation in the girl. The dinner turned out to be normally quiet for the Acolytes but weirdly so for Jubilee, who usually spoke a mile a minute.
Before going to bed Jubilee walked into Amara's room and was relieved to find the girl acting normal again. She was brushing her hair and trying to get ready for bed.
"Hey chic, how ya doing?" Jubilee blew a bubble and sat on Amara's bed.
"I'm doing well. Quite tired really." Jubilee nodded her head.
"So, what's up with you and Pyro?" At his name Amara's eyes brightened and Jubilee began to blush, she had no reason to turn pink but the way Amara looked had her sensing what she inevitably said next.
"I like him, a lot." Jubilee didn't expect her to be so open with her feelings, since Amara never was so she didn't say anything. "He is trying to help me be normal. He seems to have a problem with my previous demeanor."
Didn't we all, Jubilee thought. She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"You don't even know him." Jubilee expected Amara to flip on her like all girls in love did, Amara surprised her once again by being honest with her.
"No, I do not. I liked what he can do and I made him up into something in my head. I have found out that he is rough and at times quite vulgar, but he makes me laugh. I don't know what else to say. He has called me a kid at times, and I have no idea how to make him see beyond my age."
"He's only a couple of years older." Jubilee thought hard and suddenly her gum chewing became rapid with excitement.
"Do you have a plan?" Amara asked.
"Most definitely. You just have to act more older!"
"Older?"
"Yes, here's what we do." Jubilee and Amara sat by each other and began to plan their new mission. The few days would prove to be quite thought provoking.
***
Amara spent the next few days acting like Pyro had taught her to while using some of the tidbits Jubilee had added to it. She wore relaxed clothing instead of the perfectly altered shirts and trousers she normally wore.
She flirted with some of the guys at the stores as well. At one point getting Pyro jealous enough to use a flame and set the guys shirt on fire. He had grabbed Amara's wrist and dragged her to a movie were they watched a scary flick with Jubilee and Remy.
"Well they seem ta be havin' fun eh?" Amara nodded in agreement as she watched Remy and Jubilee going at it, she quickly averted her eyes. Pyro snickered as he continued watching.
"I overheard them speaking about just having fun without expecting anything more from each other."
"Ah! No strings attached. Stuff never works. They'll end up fallin' for the other. Now that'll be amusin'." He looked at Amara who stared at him with her honey eyes. His heart skipped a beat. "Ya know you're a real beauty."
Amara smiled. Pyro kissed her. It wasn't like her daydream, since it was on her cheek, but it caused the same effects.
That evening he walked her to her door and he smiled at her. He was about to give her a proper (as in better) kiss but Magneto walked in on them. He coughed and informed Amara that the next day she would be going home, since Xavier would be coming. Pyro looked at her face and saw a battle within her. He didn't know why but didn't bother to ask.
They said their good nights and went to their bedrooms, wondering what would change now that they were back to their routines.
***
Remy and Pyro's mouths fell open when they saw Amara walk down the stairs of the Acolytes headquarters. He had expected more from her, he hadn't thought she was stupid enough to go back to being royal and unhappy. Her hair was combed straight and she walked with her regal bearing. Her eyes betrayed no emotion and she barely looked at anyone, receiving Xavier's return.
Suddenly Amara looked into Pyro's eyes and saw loathing burning in them. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt a pain in her chest. When he walked away she lost all sense of self-control and ran after him, ignoring the others in the room.
"Pyro? Pyro! John wait!" Pyro stopped walking when he heard her say his real name. She stopped running when he stopped and tried to catch her breath as she spoke. "Why did you run?" Pyro swiftly turned around and stared at her.
"You're not who I was with these past few days. I finally could be myself as well as ya and now cause you're goin' back ya wanna act like the pretty pretty princess again. Well I can't be with a liar."
"I am not a liar!"
"Oh you're not Amara? And what do ya call someone who pretends ta not care all the time? Or someone who put's up a front when people are in the room. Ya were fine until Magneto told ya that you'd be leaving in an hour. Now if this is who ya want ta be, stay that way. But don't expect me to be friends with ya." He turned back around and walked away. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she had been trained to not cry and it was easy to hold them back. She walked away feeling tired and sad. She didn't know how she would go on with her life, after getting to know the truth behind the man of her dreams.
***
Pyro was flipping his lighter on and off when Remy sat beside him.
"Remy thinks ya love da girl."
"Remy is full o' crap." Gambit frowned.
"Relax homme, just tryin' to help." Pyro sighed deeply.
"Ya saw her mate. Ya saw how relaxed she had become, not worryin' 'bout her friends watchin' her at all times. And now she's, ya know, back to that again. It was disgustin'." Remy patted him on the back in understanding.
"Well den, you just gonna let her go?"
"I guess so."
"Dat's too bad." With that, Remy got up and left Pyro alone to think. He used the flame in the lighter to shape her face and breathed in deeply at the etched beauty of it. In his minds eye he saw her smile and wondered if he would ever be able to reach her again.
***
Amara sat in the limo not hearing the professor's explanation of what the alliance was about. Logan sat on her side looking guilty, feeling it was partly his fault it had all happened. Jubilee just sat staring at the bags on the floor full of the new clothes she and Amara had gotten. The kidnapping was worth it in her eyes.
Amara hadn't spoken to anyone since she had entered the limo and the professor was concerned. He tried to read the images she projected and managed to straighten out and understand what her silence was about. His heart ached for her. The alliance was a temporary submission by both sides of the team to attempt to stop a mutant massacre that would be held in the European side of the world.
Though Magneto's and Xavier's methods were often different, they agreed that the particular group attacking them had to be stopped by whatever means necessary or every mutant would soon come to an end. Xavier sighed and leaned back in his chair closing his eyes. He hoped that his children would be prepared to take this on. They knew the hatred from the humans but understood that it was more fear than hatred. But now they would see the truly gruesome detestation that came from nothing but discrimination.
He had spoken to Logan and Ororo (who was in the front of the limo) and they agreed to allow all of the mutants to join them, since it wouldn't be safe to leave them alone. T Brotherhood had already offered their services to 'cream the suckers'.
***
The Acolytes, the X Men, and the Brotherhood, had all gathered in the danger room, since it was the largest room of the house, the tension was thick enough to be cut with a blunt knife. Xavier spoke to and for his group.
"I first would like to announce that none of the members of my team will cause any trouble. They fully understand that we are here to work together, and that the most important thing is the mission." Scott nodded in agreement beside the professor and Jean rolled her eyes.
*Brown noser* she said to him, she didn't realize that she had projected it to everyone and blushed when they snickered. Scott gave her a dirty look.
"I agree. None of my team, the Acolytes or the brotherhood will do anything to upset this alliance. We need to focus on our goals. Pietro that's enough." Pietro pouted having been caught pulling down Evans pants. He had attempted to go fast but Jean noticed that this had happened twice and had frozen him in place. Pietro walked over next to his sister and stood as bored as before.
Amara searched for Pyro and found him a little behind Magneto. She smiled slightly and he looked away, his eyes still angry. Remy elbowed him when she turned towards Jubilee who had asked her a question.
"Don't be hard on da femme." Pyro ignored it and continued to stare ahead.
"Now we shall split all of you into a team. The eldest will be in charge. You all will be mixed in pairing and have an adult to supervise you." Xavier said. Magneto nodded in agreement.
"Do the honors Xavier."
"All right. Logan you will supervise Pyro, Roberto, Bobby, Ray and Pietro. Ororo you have Amara, Sam, Evan, Lance and Blob. Beast you are in charge of Remy, Rogue, Jubilee, Kitty, Toad and Wanda. And Mystique, you have Scott, Jean, Kurt, Jamie and Rhane."
"Hell no! I'm not being on a team with him." Ray pointed at Roberto who glared at him.
Fine, you and Amara switch places." And all was set. When Amara and Ray switched places where they stood, Pyro's lips turned into a thin line. Amara just stared ahead of her, her hands betraying her anxiety as they twisted around each other.
***
Pyro wondered in his seat on the commercial airplane if some higher being was punishing him for all his pasts' sins because all this was too much of a coincidence. Amara was on his team and now she was sitting next to him on the plane as well. He was trying his best to ignore her but couldn't help but be fascinated with the way her hair kept getting in the way of her face. His fingers itched to push them back against her ear.
He felt bad for ignoring her, but felt she had the bigger sin. She was hiding herself behind a mask and it irritated him. He had taught her a million things while she was at the Acolytes base and now she was continuing with her 'I don't care' attitude and he didn't appreciate it. He spent most of the trip either sleeping or better yet pretending to sleep, and watching the movie being given.
Amara was happy when they had finally gotten off the plane. Being so close to Pyro had gotten to her and she was losing her temper. He was ignoring her with no kind of concern over her feelings. Each group had been assigned to a specific side of the town were the mutant raid would begin and she finally realized she was the only girl stuck in an all boy group and with an instructor as insensitive as Logan it would be a rough few days.
In the rented car she had to submit herself to the cruel puns of Pietro who thought it would be funny to sing anything that had to do with fire for her benefit, he was currently in his remake of Eternal Flames by the Bangles. As the only girl he had placed it upon him self to win her over, it wasn't working.
Amara hid her face behind her hands and leaned into Roberto when he patted her back in pity. Pyro saw this through the rearview mirror and began to get angry. She had done that to him multiple amounts of times when Jubilee had decided to describe the worst episodes that she and the other mutant girls had gotten into. He considered that little move his own property.
He had gotten angry when she ended up sitting on Roberto's lap because only three people could fit in the back and he had chosen to sit in the front with Logan because he hadn't wanted to be near her, but now he regretted the move.
Amara caught his eye through the rear view mirror and as if sensing his jealousy she leaned back into Roberto and began to whisper in his ear. Pyro's lighter began to flick dangerously quick. Roberto's laugh had set him on edge.
Amara smiled inwardly, glad that the small joke at Logan's expense was not acknowledged by Logan. If Pyro was going to treat her like garbage she would hit him where it hurt. She remembered when he had put the grocery guy on fire because he had told her hi and would play him where it hurt most. Her feelings where at stake and she wanted to go off and die with as much pride as possible.
"Amara, do you mind sitting on Bobby, you're bones are killing me." Amara thwacked him on the head with her purse and didn't complain when she was transferred from one lap to another. Bobby smiled at her flirtatiously and she almost punched him in the mouth with her fist, but through the corner of her eye she saw Pyro watching her intently and quickly returned the smile, trying to think the way Jubilee had taught her.
***
Pyro slammed the door in the bathroom and pulled his shirt off gruffly. He turned the water on as hot as he could comfortably make it and stared into the mirror as it filled up. His eyes were dark and angry looking, he couldn't blame himself. She had practically thrown herself on every guy except him, Logan didn't count.
Amara was in the joint bedroom on the other side of the rented hotel room, taking her own bath. Her plan was working deliciously. Pyro had practically thrown Pietro off of her when he had put his arm around her shoulder and she had let him. She wasn't good at this jealousy stuff but found it quite refreshing. She preferred him angry at her than ignoring her.
She washed her hair with the hotels supply of shampoo and pulled it into a bun, using several rubber bands that she had found in Bobby's supply of paper shooting material, luckily she had just pulled up her pants when Bobby barged in and threw himself on her bed flipping the channels on her cable box.
"Bobby what are you doing here?" Bobby barely glanced up at her.
"Pyro won't let me watch what I want so I'm going to stay in here." Amara was going to throw him out when she noticed a lock of carrot colored hair peeking through the crack of the door separating the boy's room from her own.
"Sure, you can even stay in here for the rest of the night if they bother you so much." She heard the sharp gasp and almost laughed when Pyro banged the door open and ordered Bobby to get out of her room.
"But I wanna watch that Kung Fu movie!"
"Fine, watch what ya want, but not in here." Bobby practically skipped out the bedroom and Pyro walked out the door looking back momentarily. Amara wiped the smirk off her face and looked serene and bored; unfortunately Pyro had caught the smile.
Ah, so that's how it is Sheila, he thought. Well two can play that game.
***
Pyro snickered when he saw Amara's hands glowing, he had flirted with every single European girl he had met and she was fuming. It had turned into a vengeful cycle. She had begun to flirt with any and every guy and he would do the same.
"Look kid, go to that one over there and ask about tonight." Pyro had been the one designated to ask about the anti mutant rally since he was nicer than Logan tended to be. It turned out to be a cute girl who looked a little like Amara.
"Hey love, the names Pyro, what's yours?" The girl giggled and twirled her black hair.
"It's Clara; I like your name Pyro." She began to giggle more, the sound irritating Pyro to no end. He noticed Amara looking at him from the car window and smiled at the girl, touching her arm in familiarity.
"Well Clara, your name is quite allurin'." He winked at her which sent her into another fit of giggles. "What do ya know 'bout the mutant raid tonight?" The girls face quickly became ugly when the frown appeared, he knew what to expect.
"It'll be at 6 pm tonight. It's about time we solved the mutie problem, them dirty beast need to be wiped off this planet."
"And where is it bein' held?" Pyro growled.
"At the square in Hawkwood town." Pyro walked away without saying another word to her. The nasty remarks he had gotten when he asked about the raid made him angry and reminded him why he sided with Magneto.
He gave the information to Logan who contacted Xavier mentally. They all planned on coming in from the side they were guarding. No mutants would be hurt and they would do all they could to stop it.
***
Amara's heart was beating quickly in fear. She saw a few feet before her, all the humans that had planned to hurt the mutants of their area. About twenty five mutants were gathered in a circle in the middle of a large crowd of people.
She saw Logan's nod and knew that the professor wanted the group of mutants to intervene as early as possible to avoid any problems.
Suddenly the sky turned from sunny to dark and gray and a lightning bolt came down before the man rumored to be the head of the raid, it was Storms doing. He stood up abruptly and fearfully. The knives and machetes hidden underneath the clothing of the humans as well as the few guns were manipulated in the air by Magneto and dropped in a pile near the younger mutants who had been placed to guard the ammunition. Xavier mentally forced the humans to all sit down and Logan walked towards the head and stared him down. That was not planned but it seemed to make the Human wary of trying anything.
Xavier wheeled up to the head of the raid and searched his mind, he saw only hatred. He saw how the man's son had used his mutant ability and hurt him as well as his wife and put her in a coma. Xavier's heart ached for the man, but he couldn't allow him to hurt others who played no roll in it. He noticed a few of the mutants were similar to Kurt and Beast with physical attributes that showed their mutant gene. One five year old girl had feathers all over her face and body; she snuggled close to another girl with orange colored skin.
*Magneto, Logan and Ororo stay with me, Beast and the rest of you please lead the mutants somewhere safe and leave the younger mutants as well as the older ones with them.* They all did what he asked.
"Mr. Cauldron, I know about what happened to you, but you cannot take it out on these innocent people."
"Innocent?" He spat out. "They're mutants just like you, a menace to society. How dare you tell me that they're innocent! You can kill me right now if you wanted to."
"Point taken," Magneto said. "But you do realize that we could have killed you and all of your followers right this instant without a thought and we hadn't done it. But let's forget that and get straight to the point. If you or anyone else touches another mutant in anger I personally will kill you."
Mr. Cauldron's eyes narrowed. "You see you're nothing but violent freaks!" Xavier sighed. How he hated violence.
*Logan* Logan smiled; he knew exactly what was wanted. His claws shot out and he stepped up to the man.
"If I find out a drop of mutant blood was spilled tonight and on, I swear I'll come after you. And you wouldn't like these prickin' your skin, bub." He poked at him with one of his claws but backed off at Xavier's command.
"Enough Logan, I think we're done here." The last of the mutants had already been taken away; all inside a few buses that Xavier had rented in order to take them to a place were mutants were welcomed. Xavier, Magneto, Logan and Ororo began to walk away. Pyro ran up to Magneto.
"There is one mutant left. She's hidin' behind the street car, I'll get her now." Magneto nodded and Pyro walked towards the car, that hid the sister of one of the older mutants before she had been kidnapped a couple of hours before. He grabbed her little hand and walked with her towards the woods.
Xavier suddenly stopped. "Pyro!" He shouted.
A shot rang out and Pyro saw the bullet heading straight for the little girl, who would be no more than six. He did the most unselfish thing he had ever done in his life. He covered her body with his own and took the bullet in his back. Magneto had had no time to stop the bullet, but in his rage used his power to turn the gun on the man who had shot intending to kill him.
"No Magneto! Pyro is all right. I'm holding the man still with my mind; we can take him to the authorities."
Logan walked towards the man and cuffed him in the face while Beast and Storm ran over to the hurt mutant. Beast passed the little girl into Ororo's arms and Beast carried Pyro. Logan tossed Cauldron over his shoulder and they walked towards the buses. None of the raiders had tried to move since the mutants had come in and they stayed in their place for a long time after.
Beast walked into the emptiest bus which held Rogue, Remy, Jubilee, Amara, Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty, Ororo and the little girl. When Amara heard the gasps from her team mates she got up and walked towards the seat. When she saw Pyro's hair her stomach churned at the smell of blood that emanated from him. She shoved the people out of her way and kneeled down next to him in the chair. Beast had already sat down in the driver's seat and began to drive to a hospital in the area.
Amara gingerly pulled Pyro forward. When she saw the blood that had covered his back, she began to cry quietly. Every one stared at her wondering why her face was pressed into his shoulder, except for Remy and Jubilee. Suddenly all her composure left her. Never in her life had she disgraced herself, she always shed some tears and quickly dried them off. But now she sobbed into his shoulder and began to shake.
Ororo tried to calm her down with soothing words but she began to cry harder. The screams that echoed through the car disturbed everyone but they couldn't seem to make a move to stop them. By the time they reached to the hospital, she had exhausted herself.
She followed Beast out of the bus with Pyro in his arms and entered the hospital. Beast thanked God when they greeted him warmly and took the young man out of his arms and onto a stretcher. The blood had spread even more.
Amara waited outside of the door as they did the emergency surgery on Pyro, removing the bullet that had penetrated deeply into his back. When the doctor walked out of the operating room and to the waiting room he looked at the girl before him and saw the tears in her eyes, behind her were the X men, the Acolytes and the Brotherhood. His eyes widened in shock at all the mutants in his presence.
"Um, we aren't a hundred percent sure, but there is a big chance that he won't make it." Amara looked into the eyes of the doctor and fainted. Scott ran over to her and picked her up in his arms while Kitty waved a pamphlet at her face. A few minutes later se opened her eyes and drank the cold glass of water handed to her.
"I need to see him," she said to no one in particular. Hurriedly she got up from her seat and ran through the swinging doors that led to the post operative room. She looked around the curtains until she found him almost at the back of the large room. The tears formed again when she saw him with a breathing tube up his nose and an oxygen tank by his bedside. She sat in the chair provided for visitors and took his hand.
"I love you Pyro. You can not just die on me! You can not leave me here alone. You can't die Pyro!" Her words began to come together, almost losing the accent completely as she grew more hysterical. Suddenly the machine stopped beeping. It went dead. "No!" She screamed.
A nurse ran in and saw the boy had gone, she tried to grab the girl but burned her hand as the girls body began to glow with fire.
"I refuse to let you die!" Her body was consumed with flames and she grabbed his shoulders and shook them. "You won't die John! I won't allow it!"
Her flames began to dance around. The nurse's eyes grew wide as she saw the flames on the girls body stir with life. The monitor began a steady almost silent beep. Amara didn't hear it and continued to shout Pyros name, demanding him to wake up. The nurse's eyes filled with joy when the heart beat began to pick up pace.
Pyro sat up suddenly and breathed in deeply as if he had been holding his breath under water and had just found the surface. His eyes opened and he looked into the eyes of the one person who would be callous enough to demand him to live. A funny thing is that it worked.
Epilogue:
Amara held on to Pyro's hand on his way home from the hospital, they were on a private jet ordered by Xavier through one of his connections. Pyro looked at her and smiled.
"Ya know 'Mara, I owe ya my life. I wouldn't be here if ya hadn't made me come back."
Amara smiled and snuggled closer to him, avoiding his injury. She had built her life around living for what was expected of her as the Princess and heir of her country, refusing to allow anything to get in the way of her duties. But she found that this Australian had stolen everything from her, especially her heart. The only question is what does she tell her father?
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