"The Stuff of Villains: Snap and Click"
(Pyro's Prologue)
Author's Note
This fic is rated PG-13.
This Fic is part of my Zip and Zap verse.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with X-Men and probably never will. I do however claim all rights to my character Vashoba Wagner. Also, God bless Bryan Singer for directing two of the greatest movies of all time.
Snap.
Click.
Snap.
Click.
"What's taking 'im so fuckin' long?" He thought nervously.
He ran thin fingers through carrot colored hair. It was only a matter of time before someone found him sulking around out here and he could only hope and pray that it wasn't that psycho Wolverine. He shuttered involuntarily at the thought of those claws pressed aggressively against his all too vulnerable flesh.
Snap.
Click.
Snap.
Click.
Dark green eyes narrowed as he tried in vain to see in the near dark. He mentally cursed the fact that Magneto had insisted that he accompany his one and only son on this stupid visit.
"Why would 'e even think of lettin' us come ta Xavier's mansion on our own?" He thought. "What if we got into a 'uge fight or somethin'? What if we got caught?"
St. John Allerdyce's mind lingered on the thought of fighting. Did ol' Mags really expect him to fight his once friends if the occasion arose?
Snap.
Click.
Snap.
Click.
St. John continued to flick his handy dandy lighter open and closed. It was his way of meditating; although if you'd asked him he'd never admit to it. It was his thing. He did it constantly. And now it was the only thing that kept him rooted to this spot.
He'd felt this way many times before. Like back at Alkali Lake, when he was faced with one of the biggest decisions of his young life. His could feel his stomach clinch as he exhaled. That horrible anxious feeling you get when the adrenaline is flowing and the sweat is beading. You're scared because you know that the next step you take could change things forever. No matter how small the decision, everyone has felt this way before. He remembered looking up at Magneto's departing helicopter and thinking 'Now or Never'. This wasn't the life for him; St. John Allerdyce, no Pyro was meant for better things.
He was no fool. He had learned many valuable lessons about the nature of human beings during his life before the mansion, mutants were no different. He knew that all those kind words that Magneto had spoken were just a ploy to get him thinking about leaving. John knew that he must have seemed like such an easy target. He had always stuck out like a sore thumb at Xavier's and Magneto was an extremely observant man. Deep down St. John knew that to Eric Lehnsherr, he must have looked ripe for the picking.
Snap.
Click.
Snap.
Click.
The Aussie had never been like them, probably never would be. He had so much hate in his heart. He could never be one of Xavier's men. At Drake's house when those police attacked them, John had every intention of making them all pay. For all those times when he'd had to run and hide. For all those times that times that he had felt so ashamed of what he was. He would make them all pay. Treating him like he was nothing. He was something. He was special. But not even Xavier could understand that. No one ever understood him. But he would've stayed. How he had really wanted to. But deep down he knew that they he would have never fit in. Didn't they understand? He was a pyrokinetic. He was like the flames that he wielded. He wasn't like the others. It was his nature to be rebellious and he had no intention of using his powers for the good of mankind. Fuck them. What had they ever done for him? His parents were humans and what had they done.
His stomach clinched again and he let out a pained sigh. His dad and his step mom. How he hated them. His dad had dumped him in America as soon as they made it to the airport. He left him there with few bucks and a map. Had he really expected him to survive long enough to make it to New York? Not that he had really cared anyway.
Snap.
Click.
Snap.
Click.
They left him because they'd found out the he was one of those freaks. That was their excuse; their way out. After St. John's mother had MYSTERIOUSLY died, Mr. Allerdyce had not really given a rat's ass about his 'mutant' son. Besides, skanky chicks don't take kind to little kids. St. John was cramping his dad's style and when his step mom came into the picture he knew he was a good as gone. No matter, he didn't need them. They didn't deserve him.
St. John stared longingly at the mansion. He remembered his friends. Bobby and Marie. Then the other pivotal incident of his life came to mind. The Manhattan fire and ice fight. He and Bobby had actually fought. In reality, John never actually intended to hurt his friend. The only reason he had accepted the challenge was because Bobby had been so insistent. Luckily, neither of them had been hurt, only Jaime left with a few cuts and bruises. (1)
He could see the 'backyard' from where he was standing. It was idiotic to call it something like that. It wasn't someone's normal backyard. It was massive. He could remember springtime here. He could practically feel the grass between his toes. Mutant freeze tag; which sometimes Bobby took a little too literally. Mutant Ball! He smiled to himself. Marie was great at that game. Marie. She used to say how much she loved his hair. She was the first one to say it looked like fire. He never cared when she ran her fingers through it. He loved when she ran her fingers through it. But he never told her. She was Bobby's girlfriend. Besides he could never put himself out there like that. Love is a weakness that Pyro can not afford. Who was he kidding? He had loved her. And Bobby. No matter what he did, they had always accepted him for who he was. They had never tried to change him. So why exactly had he left? They had been the friends he had always wanted, even since he was a small child in Australia. They were much cooler than that imaginary friend he'd had back then. (2) They were real.
He missed his friends. At school the three had been inseparable. The others had dubbed them the Three Musketeers. He really did miss them. If only he could have convinced them to come with him. But there was no way Marie would join forces with someone who had tried to kill her. For that matter why had he? John sighed deeply. Maybe he could come back. Maybe they would forgive him for leaving.
Snap.
Click.
Snap.
Click.
"What was this?!" He thought as he wiped away a stray tear with the sleeve of his jacket.
The reason why he'd left in the first place. He didn't need this. He wasn't a weak, trembling, cry-baby anymore. He was Pyro. He was a god among insects and he would not cry about what the peasants had done to him. Didn't they understand? He had command over fire, one of the most destructive forces ever known. He was to be respected. He won't bow down to anyone. He would make them all pay. And he didn't need to go back to those idiots at Xavier's, he didn't need them.
Snap.
He felt the familiar pang in his chest. He'd felt that feeling before when he boarded Eric's helicopter at Alkali Lake. It was like the feeling you get when you're about to leave the house but you just know you left something important behind but you just can't figure out what it was. He didn't feel so big anymore. He just wanted to be inside with his friends. He even missed Mr. Summer's boring lectures on dangling modifiers or whatever. He sighed and reached into his jacket for a crumpled pack of Marlboro reds.
Click.
"I'm going crazy." He groaned aloud through gritted teeth. He lit the end of one with his Zippo and inhaled deeply. That was better. He had taken up the filthy habit of smoking not long ago. The life of a super villain could be pretty stressful.
"You know there's no smoking on the premises, right?" a voice asked.
St. John shrieked in terror as he fell back onto the snow covered ground. He looked around nervously as he searched for the source of the aforementioned voice.
"Some great fuckin' super villain I am." Pyro thought. "Hullo?" he asked as his cigarette dangled precariously from his quivering lip.
He couldn't make anyone out in the darkness. The suddenly a pair of golden orbs appeared before him. "Mystique?" he thought to himself. "Had she followed them here?"
"Hullo." The voice answered back.
"I didn't come 'ere fa trouble." He said quickly.
But even as the words left his mouth, John was fumbling around on the ground for his trusty Zippo. Then the shadowy figure leaped forward suddenly, pinned him to the ground, and snapping up the lighter before John could. This was most definitely not Mystique. Or was it? The Australian boy's breath caught in his throat. He was a goner without his lighter. Maybe he should have taken Misty up on her offer to teach him some hand to hand combat skills, but fighting a naked chick that could quite easily break every bone in his body just hadn't appealed to the boy.
His attacker had him trapped between her legs but at least now St. John could see who was about to send him to his end. He had been around Mystique long enough that he could now tell when she was trying to trick him with her transformations. He was right it wasn't Mystique. Besides, Raven Darkholme would have never been so sloppy as to not hide her chrome colored eyes. The girl's long silky bangs obstructed John's view, but he was quite sure that he had no idea who this lovely creature was.
"She's new." John thought.
The girl looked as if she was studying him and John squirmed uneasily beneath her. John thought about flipping her off of him put with even his slightest movement the girl tightened her hold on him. So John took to studying her as well. She flicked the hair away from her face and grasped the cigarette from his mouth and took a long drag.
"She is gorgeous." He thought, he didn't have it in him to amplify the flame at the tip of his once cigarette.
She let out a tired sigh. She had to be new. Fire so close to her mouth; she couldn't possible know who he was.
"Nice lighter." She said with a slight quirk of her full lips. St. John could have sworn he saw pointed teeth.
Snap.
Click.
"Thanks." John replied. "May I ask exactly who is about to kill me?"
"Who said I was going to kill you?" she asked.
The girl regarded him briefly before springing to her feet. The boy had a hint of a strange accent. Her brow netted as she attempted to place it mentally. I sounded a bit like Jono's but then again it was still quite different.
"Who are you?" she asked as she watched him get up, dusting himself off.
"Oh," John said as rose to his feet. "Jus' yer friendly neighbor'ood peepin' Tom." He added with a wicked smile.
"Ha. Ha." The girl replied dryly.
She studied the lighter and then the boy. She could tell he was nervous, she could practically smell the waves rolling off of him. She also detected the smell of sweat and smoke, not so much cigarette smoke, but something else, like burning wood. She catalogued the smell along with his image in her memory banks as she did with all people she met. But, she was still visibly stumped. She continued to flip the lighter open and closed in silent meditation.
"You come here with Pietro?" she asked as she dropped the spent cigarette to the ground and put it out.
John cocked an eyebrow in response.
" 'Ow did-" He uttered.
"Wanda's my roommate." She interrupted.
It was true that St. John had accompanied Pietro while he visited his twin sister Wanda. Wanda had left her father's care soon after discovering the reason why her father had been imprisoned by the U.S. government. She didn't agree with his methods. She believed that mutant equality could be achieved through peaceful methods. On the other hand, the boy also known as Quicksilver, was still somewhat loyal to his father even if it was only by blood alone. But he also felt that sometimes more proactive methods were needed when dealing with humans. But, it was with a twin's fierceness that Pietro had missed his sister, the Scarlet Witch, and he made a point of visiting her often. Eric had admitting to having no say in the matter. John found it funny that Magneto was one of those new age dads; he refused to stand in the way of his children's choices. Even if the meant joining the side of the enemy or risking your safety by trespassing on the enemy's property. John only wished at this moment that the happy family had left him out of the equation.
"Never did understand why Pietro visited so often." The dark girl groaned. "He and Wanda always just get to arguing about Magneto."
Snap.
Click.
John smiled to himself. Sounded just like the Maximoffs he remembered. He'd missed their constant arguing. Their dysfunctional little family hadn't been the same since Wanda had left.
"Does Xavier know 'e visits?" John asked.
"Of course he does, but he never says anything about it." She replied. "You always come with him?" she asked.
"Most of the time." John answered.
"Don't you get cold waiting out here?" she asked.
"I neva get cold." John replied. "So-"
"Yeah?"
"What's yer name?" He asked.
"Why should I tell you?" she scoffed. "You never told me yours."
Snap.
Click.
"I guess it couldn't 'urt." John mumbled to himself. "John."
"Well, hullo, John" she smiled. "Vash."
"Well I guess that rules out ya bein' a telepath." John offered.
"More like teleporter." She smiled.
"Is that what ya juss did?" John said with his grin ever increasing.
"Nope, just too fast for ya." She said with a cocky smile.
St. John remembered that the X-Men had brought a teleporter with them when he and the others had been picked up from Bobby's house in Boston. What was his name again, Kurt? The guy had blue skin and a tail, and his eyes were yellow just like Vash's. The guy had saved Marie when those jets had blown a hole in the Blackbird. And in the woods, he had remembered asking Mystique if she and Kurt were related and he'd gotten an evil glare in response. He later learned that they were, the guy was her son, only he had no idea. John wondered if Vash was related to the two blue mutants some how, but he thought better of asking. Instead-
"Yer gonna give me my lighter back?" He asked.
Vashoba Wagner smiled at the boy as she took him in fully. He was only a few inches taller than her and he had hair the color of flames if that was even possible. She knew that he had to be a mutant and she found herself wondering if his hair grew out of his head those many shades of orange. It was spiked atop his head, and with even the slightest movement it swayed about. It was just like fire. How strange. But his face was where most of her attention had lain. He was cute, but not that angular, moviestar-handsome like Remy. His face was still fresh, almost child like in a way. He was still young, no matter how much he tried to use his attitude to hide it. He had a way of grinning at her, manic almost, but not frightening, just different.
She lifted her hand in between them both and placed the lighter lightly into his palm.
"I know you're a mutant." She began. "So, what is it that you do?"
St. John smiled. This was an excuse to use his power; and how he loved to use his power.
"Ahh," John began. "Let me show ya then, love." He offered her a self assured grin.
Snap.
Click.
"Love?" Vash thought to herself. "Jono calls me love. Maybe he is from England or something."
St. John gestured for Vash to join him on the bench near where they were standing.
"I'm pyrokinetic." John began as he flicked his lighter open. "They call me Pyro."
"You can control fire?" Vash asked.
John nodded in response. Then he attempted to show Vash the extent of his control. He created a small ball of fire from the flame he'd acquired from his Zippo. Vash noticed his brow knit in concentration and returned her attention to the small inferno in her companion's hand. It had changed into the figure of a cat. It leapt and rolled in the boy's hand. Amazingly the fire didn't seem to have an effect on him. Fire never burned St. John. The cat then changed into a dragon that grew larger at the will of the flame haired Pyro. Vash's mouth fell open in awe. Pyro could see the smile creep across the raven haired girl's face. He couldn't help but smile in return. Then he pulled out one of his favorite tricks. The flame left Pyro's hand and floated into the air. It changed into the figure of what seemed like a girl, a life sized dancing girl. Vash erupted into applause then suddenly the dancing fire girl disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Very impressive, John." Vash smiled. "I bet you are a riot at Magneto's parties."
John simply smiled in reply.
"I'd bet you're pretty dangerous in battle too." She added.
"Let's just 'ope ya neva 'ave ta find out, love." John smiled.
"Cocky bastard." She thought.
"So where are you from?" Vash asked. "That accent of yours has definitely got me stumped."
"I'm Australian." John offered with a smile. "Lived there 'til I was thirteen."
Vash's smile got bigger. "Yes, exactly!" She chirped.
John smiled goofily. He couldn't help but stare at the girl. She had most definitely not been here when he was still at the school. He was positive that he would have remembered her. Maybe he would have stayed if she had been around. He could picture himself following her around like a puppy. Disgusting. But, she would have definitely been his girl. He wouldn't have made the same mistake he'd made with Rogue. His golden eyed companion tucked some stray hair behind a POINTED ear. That didn't really bother John much; those ears just seemed to make her even more appealing. Like those elf women in those Lord of the Rings movies. Arwen was totally hot. His mind was wondering again.
Snap.
Click.
Snap.
Click.
"So 'ow long ya been 'ere." John asked.
"Just about five months now." She answered.
"Ya like it?"
"Are you trying to convince me to join the Brotherhood, Pyro?" She asked.
"No." He answered quietly. "Ol' Mags doesn't pay me enough ta go 'round recruiting."
She smiled in return. She couldn't help it; she reached up and ran her fingers through his wild orange hair. It was surprisingly soft; it didn't feel like it had been dyed that color. She felt silly. She had really expected to get burned. She locked eyes with him; he was smiling that smile at her again.
"Are ya always this friendly?" He asked.
"Sorry." She replied.
Snap.
Click.
Snap.
Click.
She watched him fiddle with his lighter. Something was tugging at her conscience. She'd hate herself if she never said anything.
"You were Bobby Drake's old roommate, weren't you?" She asked.
John smiled wistfully.
"So how is Bob-O?" He asked quietly.
"He's good." She answered. "My brother is his roommate now. He's an elecrokinetic. He can't do all the cool stuff you can do with fire though. He just sneezes and the lights go out."
John let loose a cackling laugh. "Cold season must be 'ell on ya guys, huh?"
Vash smiled in response. Silence fell between the two of them. Vash found herself wondering what it must be like to work for Magneto. What ever could have possessed John to leave Xavier's? It was weird. What was it like to be a teenaged super villain? John didn't seem much different from her at all. He didn't seem crazy. He was actually pretty normal. Was there such a big difference between Magneto and Xavier?
"I wonder what it was that made him decided to leave." She thought to herself.
Vash knew of Pyro from back in her own time. He had become some power hungry super villain and had hurt a lot of people. Even after learning of what had happened at Bobby's house in Boston not so long ago, she still couldn't see a killer in those strangely alluring green eyes.
"What had made him what he became?" she asked herself.
Snap.
Click.
"Yer don't 'ave ta be afraid of me." Pyro offered quietly.
Vash was surprised by the comment. But she found Pyro looking at her with a somber look on his face. It was a huge contrast from the happy grins that she had seen earlier.
"I'm not afraid of you, John." She said with a smile. "Besides I could kick your ass from here to New Jersey."
"Oh really?" John smiled.
"Really." She responded.
Glowing yellow eyes stared into piercing green, and Vash felt warm all over. But reality snapped her back abruptly. The cold air of the December night caused her to shiver slightly. She burrowed deeper into her coat. John responded by placing hand on the side of her face.
"Yer cold?" He asked innocently.
John's hands were surprisingly warm. It was of course due to his mutation. The boy's body temperature had always been abnormally high. It was for this reason that Magneto had implied that maybe one day Pyro would be able to generate his own fire as well as control it. He had secretly believed the same thing after what had occurred in Boston; when Marie had imprinted his powers on Bobby's porch. He vaguely remembered Rogue shrouded from head to toe in flames. (3) Only to emerged unscathed. Maybe Marie had unlocked a part of his own powers that he himself had no clue of. She hadn't taken his lighter and the flames had long since been extinguished; had she created her flaming cover? If she had discovered the power to do so in only minutes than maybe one day he could too? It was common knowledge to everyone who knew the boy; Pyro had always desperately wished that he was capable of creating fire. He burned so intensely on the inside, one day he would learn to let it all out.
St. John took Vash's hand in his own and rubbed them gently. Vash felt a tingling sensation snake up her spine. She enjoyed the feeling of John's slightly callused fingertips.
"You always this friendly, Johnny?" She asked.
John chuckled in return. "That betta?" He asked.
Vash smiled and nodded in response. Touching had never been one of St. John's strong suits but for some reason he felt comfortable in this situation.
"You ever think what it would have been like if you had stayed here?" She asked so quietly that John barely heard her.
"Yeah." He replied with a deep sigh. "I don't know. I just-"
Snap.
Click.
Snap.
Click.
Before St. John could respond to the question, Pietro Maximoff seemly appeared out of no where.
"Fraternizing with the enemy Allerdyce?" the silver haired boy asked.
This caused the Aussie to spring to his feet. Vash reluctantly released his hand.
Snap.
"My room still in one piece, Maximoff?" Vash asked quietly.
"Isn't it always, Wagner?" Pietro snapped back.
"Wagner?" Pyro asked. He was surprised; 'Wasn't Kurt's last name Wagner?'
"Allerdyce?" Vash shot back with a raised brow.
"C'mon Pyro, lets go!" Pietro whined.
Because of the nature of Pietro's mutant abilities, it was practically painful for him to stand still for too long.
"Alright! Alright!" John replied.
Vash watched the boys depart.
Click.
"Later Maximoff." She called after them. "Later SAINT John."
John froze momentarily as his realized Vash had just used his given name.
Snap.
"Yeah, later Vash."
Vash waved good-bye to the teenaged super villains.
Author's Note
I HAD to do this people. My Pyro muse was threatening to beat me into submission if I didn't. I haven't decided what will happen between Pyro and Vash yet. I would love to read some suggestions though. Hint. Hint.
Oh, yeah, and my Pyro is most definitely Evolution Pyro with a hint of Movieverse Pyro added in to create a more fulfilling texture and flavor. I couldn't resist giving him orange hair and green eyes. And the accent, I was so disappointed that he didn't have one in the movies. I tired not to make the accent too pronounced and corny. I hope it just came out as a hint of an accent.
(1)- These events took place in a story I read called "Journey" by twistedmind. It's a great story and you should read it so you know what St. John went through after he left Alkali Lake with Magneto and Mystique. And how the Maximoff twins came into the picture.
(2)- St. John also had an imaginary friend called Clobies in another story I read about his childhood called "Fire Born" by Scrawler. Another supercalifragalisticexpealidocious story. Read it.
(3)- This happened in the X2 book not the movie. It would have been cool if it had though.
Go ahead click on the little button, I dare ya.