Chapter Three
John walked into the front of a building and found Toad waiting for him at the back. "What's the news?" he asked as he stopped in front of Toad.
"Magneto thinks that it wasn't very smart that you told all of New York about Daegan and Chris," Toad started. "You have forty-eight hours to find out where they're hiding."
"Or else what?" John pushed.
"Magneto doesn't have time for you to screw up again," he replied as he jumped away.
"Great," John muttered under his breath. "For all I know they're with the X-men -" He stopped short, his eyes widening as he thought of something. "Perfect."
- - -
Daegan flinched as she pulled her sweatshirt off so Chris could see the damage he had done on her shoulder. "It's not that bad," he said reassuringly as he touched her burnt shoulder gently. "It's only a second degree burn."
"Only?!" Daegan repeated, pulling away from Chris.
"Yes, only," he concurred. "People I have hurt have come out with third degree burns or death. Now hold still, this is going to hurt a bit."
Daegan leaned against the back of the couch so her body couldn't pull away from the pain. Chris lightly placed the ice cold cloth on her shoulder. "Why did you burn me anyway?" she asked.
"I was nervous," Chris admitted. "Our powers seem to act up when we're nervous."
"The injections," Daegan muttered, thinking out loud. "Xavier was searching my mind and one thing he found was that we were given injections so that our abilities would react out of control with certain feelings."
"That explains a lot," Chris said, thinking about the situation. "But how come you're still searching for answers?"
Daegan moved some strands of her hair out of her face with her bandaged hand. "I want to find out what and why Magneto wants us," she said.
"Who's going to be able to answer that?"
"I don't know," she replied, feeling frustrated. "The X-men could -"
"No," Chris stated firmly, making Daegan jump. "We can't get the X-men's help. It's as if we're saying 'Come get us Magneto, we're safe'."
"But -"
"Daegan, Magneto did something to us so that we become defensive when around the X-men. Did you hear yourself when you were talking to Xavier?"
Daegan fell silent. "Well?" Chris asked, his voice showing his impatience.
"He told us all that the X-men killed our parents," she muttered.
"Exactly!"
"Chris!"
"What!"
Daegan flinched at the annoyance in Chris's voice. "Nothing," she said quietly.
"Chris's hazel eyes softened and he sat beside Daegan. "Sorry Daegan," he apologized sincerely. "I'm getting ahead of myself." Daegan didn't say anything. "What were you going to say?" he asked.
"I was going to say that if our lives have been a lie with the Brotherhood, why do you expect me to believe that the X-men killed our parents?"
"Good point. But we shouldn't take their offer on staying with them. IT would put them in danger as well."
"We could stay here but we're still 'with them'," she suggested.
"If they understand what you mean. It's a good idea though," Chris said.
Daegan looked around the small room, feeling tired all of a sudden. "I'm gonna go to bed," she muttered after yawning.
"We'll sleep on it, then figure everything out when they come back tomorrow." Chris helped Daegan bandage up her shoulder. "Good night," he said as he turned out the light.
- - -
Daegan twisted and turned in her sleep, vivid nightmares popping in her mind. "No... Daddy..." she said in her sleep as the nightmare continued.
Chris woke up from his sleep and walked over to the couch Daegan was sleeping on. "Daegan, wake up," he said as he gently nudged her.
Daegan opened her eyes and she sat up suddenly, breathing hard. Chris looked into her dark blue eyes and saw fear. "It's okay," he said softly. "It was only a nightmare."
"It felt so real," Daegan whispered.
Chris sat next to her on the couch and hugged her. "Nightmares do feel real, but it didn't happen," he said reassuringly. "I'll protect you."
Daegan looked up at Chris and smiled thankfully. "Thanks for waking me up," she said quietly.
"Why don't you go outside and get some fresh air," he suggested.
She nodded and stood up. She slowly made her way to the door and when she opened it, the cool midnight air relaxed her almost instantly. "Feeling better?" someone asked coldly.
Daegan recognized the voice and gasped. "CHRIS!" she yelled as John grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the door.
"Quiet," John hissed as he quickly cupped his hand over her mouth. "We don't need Chris in the way."
"What's going on," they heard Chris demand as he ran out the door. "Daegan?"
John pushed Daegan down the alley into some garbage bags. He took out his lighter and as soon as he had it lit, the alley ignited into flames. There was a line of fire separating Chris from John and Daegan. "Leave Daegan alone Pyro!" Chris yelled angrily.
"Come and get her, Eruption," John said as he walked away.
"CHRIS! HELP!" he heard Daegan yell.
Chris stared at the flames, trying to figure out how to get to Daegan. He heard Daegan start to cough violently. "Daegan! Stay down from the smoke!"
"I'm trapped!"
Chris looked over some low flames to see that Daegan was trapped by the flames. "Hang on!"
Out of no where it began to rain. Chris looked around to see someone with white hair and white glowing eyes. He felt a sudden surge of defence and his hands began to glow an orange colour. "Eruption, we aren't going to hurt you," a guy said as he approached Chris. "We're the X-men."
Chris ignored the guy and watched as the flames slowly disappeared. "Daegan?!" he yelled.
A man walked through the smoke, his arms carrying a limp body. "She's pretty beaten up," he muttered as he came into the light.
"Oh my God," Chris muttered as he ran up to the man. "Daegan..."
"Will you come with us to the institute so she can get the needed help?" the man who Chris ignored before asked.
"Shouldn't we take her to a hospital?" he asked worriedly, looking at the man.
"Mutants aren't really accepted by the world yet, kid," the man holding Daegan explained.
"Chris..."
Chris looked down at Daegan to see her eyes slightly open. "We have to trust them..." she uttered weakly.
"But Daegan..."
"Trust me..." she said quietly. "They'll help..."
Chris looked at the X-men as Daegan blacked out again and he sighed heavily. "Fine," he muttered. "We'll come with you."
- - -
Daegan woke up again to find herself in a bed. She looked around to see doctor tools and some chairs. "Ow..." she muttered as she tried sitting up.
"Your shoulder is still in critical condition so you shouldn't try to sit up," someone said as they came into the room.
Daegan looked to the door to see Charles Xavier come in. "Where's Chris?" Was the first thing she asked.
Charles smiled slightly. "Chris has been by your side since the fire in the alley," he began. "We finally got him to take our offer for him to sleep in his own room."
Daegan sat up again, holding her shoulder. "Would you like to look around the grounds?" he asked.
She nodded slightly and stood up from the bed, her muscles aching as they stretched. Charles showed her around the institute and Daegan saw Chris in the kitchen with a couple of the students. "Daegan!" he said, his shoulders relaxing in relief as he walked over to her and Charles.
"Hey Chris!" Daegan replied as he hugged her. "Ow... watch the shoulder..." she muttered to him.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who came," someone stated from the front lobby.
Daegan looked over her shoulder and her face turned pale. There, standing at the door, was John.
John walked into the front of a building and found Toad waiting for him at the back. "What's the news?" he asked as he stopped in front of Toad.
"Magneto thinks that it wasn't very smart that you told all of New York about Daegan and Chris," Toad started. "You have forty-eight hours to find out where they're hiding."
"Or else what?" John pushed.
"Magneto doesn't have time for you to screw up again," he replied as he jumped away.
"Great," John muttered under his breath. "For all I know they're with the X-men -" He stopped short, his eyes widening as he thought of something. "Perfect."
- - -
Daegan flinched as she pulled her sweatshirt off so Chris could see the damage he had done on her shoulder. "It's not that bad," he said reassuringly as he touched her burnt shoulder gently. "It's only a second degree burn."
"Only?!" Daegan repeated, pulling away from Chris.
"Yes, only," he concurred. "People I have hurt have come out with third degree burns or death. Now hold still, this is going to hurt a bit."
Daegan leaned against the back of the couch so her body couldn't pull away from the pain. Chris lightly placed the ice cold cloth on her shoulder. "Why did you burn me anyway?" she asked.
"I was nervous," Chris admitted. "Our powers seem to act up when we're nervous."
"The injections," Daegan muttered, thinking out loud. "Xavier was searching my mind and one thing he found was that we were given injections so that our abilities would react out of control with certain feelings."
"That explains a lot," Chris said, thinking about the situation. "But how come you're still searching for answers?"
Daegan moved some strands of her hair out of her face with her bandaged hand. "I want to find out what and why Magneto wants us," she said.
"Who's going to be able to answer that?"
"I don't know," she replied, feeling frustrated. "The X-men could -"
"No," Chris stated firmly, making Daegan jump. "We can't get the X-men's help. It's as if we're saying 'Come get us Magneto, we're safe'."
"But -"
"Daegan, Magneto did something to us so that we become defensive when around the X-men. Did you hear yourself when you were talking to Xavier?"
Daegan fell silent. "Well?" Chris asked, his voice showing his impatience.
"He told us all that the X-men killed our parents," she muttered.
"Exactly!"
"Chris!"
"What!"
Daegan flinched at the annoyance in Chris's voice. "Nothing," she said quietly.
"Chris's hazel eyes softened and he sat beside Daegan. "Sorry Daegan," he apologized sincerely. "I'm getting ahead of myself." Daegan didn't say anything. "What were you going to say?" he asked.
"I was going to say that if our lives have been a lie with the Brotherhood, why do you expect me to believe that the X-men killed our parents?"
"Good point. But we shouldn't take their offer on staying with them. IT would put them in danger as well."
"We could stay here but we're still 'with them'," she suggested.
"If they understand what you mean. It's a good idea though," Chris said.
Daegan looked around the small room, feeling tired all of a sudden. "I'm gonna go to bed," she muttered after yawning.
"We'll sleep on it, then figure everything out when they come back tomorrow." Chris helped Daegan bandage up her shoulder. "Good night," he said as he turned out the light.
- - -
Daegan twisted and turned in her sleep, vivid nightmares popping in her mind. "No... Daddy..." she said in her sleep as the nightmare continued.
Chris woke up from his sleep and walked over to the couch Daegan was sleeping on. "Daegan, wake up," he said as he gently nudged her.
Daegan opened her eyes and she sat up suddenly, breathing hard. Chris looked into her dark blue eyes and saw fear. "It's okay," he said softly. "It was only a nightmare."
"It felt so real," Daegan whispered.
Chris sat next to her on the couch and hugged her. "Nightmares do feel real, but it didn't happen," he said reassuringly. "I'll protect you."
Daegan looked up at Chris and smiled thankfully. "Thanks for waking me up," she said quietly.
"Why don't you go outside and get some fresh air," he suggested.
She nodded and stood up. She slowly made her way to the door and when she opened it, the cool midnight air relaxed her almost instantly. "Feeling better?" someone asked coldly.
Daegan recognized the voice and gasped. "CHRIS!" she yelled as John grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the door.
"Quiet," John hissed as he quickly cupped his hand over her mouth. "We don't need Chris in the way."
"What's going on," they heard Chris demand as he ran out the door. "Daegan?"
John pushed Daegan down the alley into some garbage bags. He took out his lighter and as soon as he had it lit, the alley ignited into flames. There was a line of fire separating Chris from John and Daegan. "Leave Daegan alone Pyro!" Chris yelled angrily.
"Come and get her, Eruption," John said as he walked away.
"CHRIS! HELP!" he heard Daegan yell.
Chris stared at the flames, trying to figure out how to get to Daegan. He heard Daegan start to cough violently. "Daegan! Stay down from the smoke!"
"I'm trapped!"
Chris looked over some low flames to see that Daegan was trapped by the flames. "Hang on!"
Out of no where it began to rain. Chris looked around to see someone with white hair and white glowing eyes. He felt a sudden surge of defence and his hands began to glow an orange colour. "Eruption, we aren't going to hurt you," a guy said as he approached Chris. "We're the X-men."
Chris ignored the guy and watched as the flames slowly disappeared. "Daegan?!" he yelled.
A man walked through the smoke, his arms carrying a limp body. "She's pretty beaten up," he muttered as he came into the light.
"Oh my God," Chris muttered as he ran up to the man. "Daegan..."
"Will you come with us to the institute so she can get the needed help?" the man who Chris ignored before asked.
"Shouldn't we take her to a hospital?" he asked worriedly, looking at the man.
"Mutants aren't really accepted by the world yet, kid," the man holding Daegan explained.
"Chris..."
Chris looked down at Daegan to see her eyes slightly open. "We have to trust them..." she uttered weakly.
"But Daegan..."
"Trust me..." she said quietly. "They'll help..."
Chris looked at the X-men as Daegan blacked out again and he sighed heavily. "Fine," he muttered. "We'll come with you."
- - -
Daegan woke up again to find herself in a bed. She looked around to see doctor tools and some chairs. "Ow..." she muttered as she tried sitting up.
"Your shoulder is still in critical condition so you shouldn't try to sit up," someone said as they came into the room.
Daegan looked to the door to see Charles Xavier come in. "Where's Chris?" Was the first thing she asked.
Charles smiled slightly. "Chris has been by your side since the fire in the alley," he began. "We finally got him to take our offer for him to sleep in his own room."
Daegan sat up again, holding her shoulder. "Would you like to look around the grounds?" he asked.
She nodded slightly and stood up from the bed, her muscles aching as they stretched. Charles showed her around the institute and Daegan saw Chris in the kitchen with a couple of the students. "Daegan!" he said, his shoulders relaxing in relief as he walked over to her and Charles.
"Hey Chris!" Daegan replied as he hugged her. "Ow... watch the shoulder..." she muttered to him.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who came," someone stated from the front lobby.
Daegan looked over her shoulder and her face turned pale. There, standing at the door, was John.