Chapter 11
Pyro's At It Once Again

(A/N: I shoulda mentioned this before, but the Acolyte base is actually a house. Not a mansion, but a rather large house. After the whole Apocalypse mess, St. John decided to have some fun-God bless him-and burnt the original base to the ground. Well, the flammable bits anyway. The house actually belongs to Remy and Jennie. When St. John no longer had a home, he looked up his old Acolyte bud Remy. Jennie, not knowing Pyro well enough to say 'no', let him move in. Colossus is there just because I'm the author and he's one of my favorite characters. Now, on with the story...)

Lucky for Aidan, while Pyro was towing her around, they passed the wharf. Also lucky for Aidan, her bike was still there. Due to the fact that she had absolutely no idea where she was going, she let Pyro drive.

After about thirty minutes, they arrived at the house. Pyro flung the front door open. "G'day, mates! Guess who I brought home!"

Jennie, still in the Lay-Z-Boy, broccoli still thawing under her butt, didn't even open her eyes. "If it's an X-Man, a reporter, or a Zippo salesman, you will drown in your sleep."

"Well," Pyro thought for a moment, "no. But you're close!" He shoved Aidan through the door. She was greeted by two vacant stares and a chorus of crickets.

"Uh... hi?"

When Aidan spoke, Jennie opened her eyes. "Aidan?"

"Jennie?"

Gambit leaned toward Colossus. "Aidan? Who's Aidan?"

"You're Tsunami?" Aidan asked, confused.

"Yeah... You're Firestorm?" Jennie was also confused.

"Yeah..."

Aidan and Jennie fell into a discussion about how they didn't know who the other was and how sorry they were for trying to kill each other. After a good ten minutes, Gambit decided to interrupt.

"Um... Ladies?"

"What, Remy?" Saying Jennie was slightly annoyed would not have done her justice.

Gambit put his hands up in defense. "Who's Aidan?"

"Are you blind, Remy? This is Aidan."

Aidan turned toward Remy. "You tried to kill me with an Ace of Spades." Aidan's eyes glowed and her palms began to smoke.

"Now, chère, Gambit did'n know who you were 'n-" Remy ducked behind Colossus just as Aidan shot a stream of fire at him.

"She's bloody wonderful, ain't she?" Pyro said to Jennie.

"Oh, THAT Aidan," Remy said, still cowering behind Colossus.

"Could you please not make a habit out of this?" Colossus asked. "I enjoy my personal space."

"Yeah, Remy," Jennie said, "get outta Piotr's ass. You'll be comin' out his nose in a minute."

"Yeah, mate, 'n none of us wanna see that!"

Remy quickly exited Colossus' rear end and sat on the couch.

"Well, then," Pyro said, walking over to Aidan, "why don't you 'ave a seat? Make y'self at home 'n I'll go fix us up some drinks, eh?"

He sat her down on the couch between Gambit and Colossus and bounded merrily into the kitchen.

"So," Colossus said, trying to be polite, "you're pyrokinetic?"

"Yeah," Aidan replied. " 'Fire is my friend.'"

Colossus nodded in understanding.

"Wait a second," Jennie said, "where did John say he was going?"

"To make drinks," Aidan answered.

"Oh, no..." Colossus muttered.

" 'Oh, no'?" Gambit asked. "Why 'oh, no'?"

Jennie's eyes got wider. "The only things we have to drink are orange juice and-"

A loud BOOM rattled the entire house and smoke poured out of the kitchen.

"-vodka," she finished.

"Sorry!" Pyro yelled from the kitchen. "I couldn't 'elp meself!"

* * *

The next day, Aidan decided to get her stuff from her apartment. Moving in with the Acolytes sounded good enough. She did fit in there... plus she was closer to Pyro. Who wouldn't want that? When she got to the apartment building, she found her stuff out back by the Dumpster with a sign that read: 'Mutant Scum!'

She salvaged the things she really needed and headed back to the base. Colossus was supposed to be cooking dinner and Jennie had told her how great a cook he was.

It was Pyro's brilliant idea to move her into Sabe's old room: "Really, blokes! I mean, we 'aven't seen ol' CatMan since... well, since a long time ago. Why can't she jus' 'ave his room?"

While he was helping her move in, he noticed her WVU and DCI CDs.

"What're these?" he asked.

"Marching band CDs," Aidan replied from under the nightstand.

Pyro raised an eyebrow. "An' the folks 'round 'ere say I'M crazy?"

"Hey!" Aidan teased, throwing a battery at him. "Everybody's gotta have at least one weird hobby."

Pyro stuffed a few into his pocket and whistled as he slinked out of the room.

About twenty minutes later, Jennie popped her head into Aidan's room. "Dinner's about done. You all moved in?"

"Yeah," Aidan replied, wiping off her dresser and frowning at the claw marks on the feet. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Stroganoff," Jennie answered, slightly disgusted.

Aidan cocked her head. "I thought you said Piotr was a good cook."

"The greatest," Jennie replied, "but I'm gettin' sick of all this ethnicity. Piotr always cooks stroganoff; John always barbeques shrimp; Remy always tosses on red beans and rice... I just want a pizza, dammit!"

Aidan laughed and they headed for the living room. Halfway down the hall, they heard the West Virginia University fight song.

"What the hell...?" Jennie looked at Aidan and they ran for the living room. When they got there, they found Pyro standing on the coffee table waving a fire baton, while a mini fire marching band paraded around the sofa.

Jennie smacked her forehead in exasperation as Gambit came out of Piotr's room shuffling his cards.

Jennie turned to Aidan. "So exactly what do you see in this human matchstick?"

Aidan smiled and turned her hand palm up. A small fireball appeared.

"I see your point." A small spritz of water squirted out of Jennie's finger and extinguished the tiny blaze in Aidan's hand.

Aidan shook the water from her hand in disgust.

Gambit abandoned his cards and joined in on the conversation. "So, fille," he said to Aidan, "you sizzle when you shower?"

A blast of fire barely missed his head.

"Watch where you're pointin' dat t'ing, girl! Gambit jus' bought dese cards!"

Jennie rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger. "Just ignore him; he's an idiot..."

"Well, you're the one dating him," Aidan stated.

"On the surface, yes." Jennie's eyes twinkled mischeiviously. "But I'm secretly dating Colossus."

Piotr, clad in a chef's hat, flowered apron, and matching oven mitts, stepped into the kitchen archway. "What? Don't you dare bring me into this!"

Jennie smiled sweetly. "Sorry, sweetie!"

Colossus rolled his eyes and continued with the cooking.

Aidan turned her head and watched Colossus leave. "Well, you're right on one point: tall, dark, and Russian isn't that bad to look at."

"I heard that," Piotr's voice floated out of the kitchen.

The girls giggled.

Pyro continued conducting his mini-band.

Gambit rolled his eyes and walked to his room. "Jus' yell when dinner's done..."

* * *

A week after Aidan moved in with the Acolytes, she and Gambit were on the couch watching Johnny Bravo.

"Where did Jennie and Piotr go?" Aidan asked.

"Store," Gambit replied, not taking his attention from the TV.

"Wow, you're being talkative today. What can I do to shut you up?" she muttered sarcastically as she propped her elbow on the arm of the couch.

Suddenly a loud crash emanated from the kitchen, causing Gambit and Aidan to jump. Gambit was annoyed; Aidan was amused.

"St. John!" he yelled. "What're you doin'?!"

"I LOVE THE FISHES CUZ THEY'RE SO DELICIOUS!!!"

Aidan giggled and yelled, "Smile! You've got French's!"

Gambit looked at Aidan and raised an eyebrow. "Don' encourage 'im, chère."

Aidan's giggling erupted into laughter as St. John bounced out of the kitchen in his underwear holding a box of Goldfish. Aidan's laughter brought tears to her eyes when she read what was written on his boxers: "Why are you reading my underwear?"

Gambit also read the underwear and began muttering to himself in French.

"Why are you eating Goldfish?" Aidan asked, trying to hold back the laughter.

Pyro shrugged and leaped over the back of the sofa, almost landing in Gambit's lap. Gambit scooted away as St. John made himself comfortable. "Dunno. It was the only thing in the kitchen besides bakin' soda 'n month old gumbo."

"But Jennie and Piotr went shopping for food," Aidan replied, sneaking a few of the cheesy critters from the box.

"But what're we gonna eat? Stroganoff? Borscht? I've 'ad enough o' that Russian stuff. Goldfish seemed reasonable," Pyro rationalized.

"Well, at least'e did'n' try ta light 'em up," Gambit muttered.

"Naw," Pyro said, "y'can't light fish on fire! They're all wet!"

Gambit closed his eyes and shook his head.

St. John tossed a Goldfish in the air and caught it in his mouth.

Aidan, being an instigator, smirked evilly. "Sure you can."

When St. John tossed the next cracker in the air, Aidan set it on fire. John, not having control of the flaming fish, jumped out of the way shrieking. The fish landed on the couch and the cushion erupted in flame.

Gambit leaped out of the way with a very obscene French word or seven on his lips.

After St. John recovered from his slight shock, he joined Aidan in her uproarious laughter.

"Ha, ha," Gambit said, "y'firebugs are real funny."

Jennie and Piotr came through the door. Jennie dropped her bags and held her hand, palm up, in front of Piotr. "Something's on fire. Pay up."

Piotr rolled his eyes, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a bill.

Jennie opened it. "I don't think so, comrade. American currency, not rubles."

"Damn." Piotr dug into his wallet and pulled out a twenty.

Jennie examined it and stuffed it in her coat. "That's better."

John and Aidan were still laughing at the burning couch and Gambit decided to get up from behind the Lay-Z-Boy and search for a fire extinguisher.

Piotr noticed the Goldfish crackers strewn across the floor. "I'm not cleaning it up," he mumbled as he helped Jennie carry the groceries into the kitchen.

"What's for dinner, Jennie?" Aidan asked, through the laughter.

"You'll find out."

Pyro pulled on Aidan's sleeve and pointed to Gambit, who was armed with a fire extinguisher. Aidan quickly pulled the fire away from the couch and divvied it up between herself and Pyro.

Gambit dropped the fire extinguisher, watched Aidan and Pyro play with the fire like 4-year-old girls played with Barbie dolls, and then stared at the charred sofa. "Gambit give up..."

* * *

About an hour later, Gambit, Jennie, Piotr, Pyro, and Aidan were sitting at the table. Jennie, finally getting her chance to cook, decided on the all- American meal: hotdogs, hamburgers, and fries.

She placed the plate of burgers and hotdogs in the center of the table. "Ta da! Hotdogs and hamburgers ala Jennie! The ALL-AMERICAN MEAL! Do you hear me, Remy, Piotr, St. John? AAALLLLLL AMERICAN!!" Jennie said very dramatically, pointing to each Acolyte as she said his name.

Aidan cleared her throat. "Well, um, the burgers and frankfurters are kinda, um... German..."

"SHUT UP!! Nobody needs to know that! All...American," Jennie said, sitting down. "Now, dig in, everybody."

Piotr turned to Aidan, "Sometimes, she scares me."

Aidan nodded in understanding and took a bite out of her burger.

After a few minutes of quiet chewing, Piotr held up his half eaten frank. "Hotdog? Why is it called that?"

Aidan mysteriously wiggled her fingers. "No one really knows..."

Piotr turned a slight shade of green. "Oh, goodness..."

"Nah," Gambit said, "it's not really made from dog."

"Then why call it hotdog?" Piotr asked, slightly disturbed.

"Because it's served warm and shaped like a Dachshund!" St. John cheerfully explained.

Upon hearing that, Piotr grabbed his throat and began to choke.

St. John jumped out of his seat and put his arms around Piotr's waist. "Here, mate! Lemme Heimlich ya!"

Piotr abruptly stopped choking and pushed St. John away. "Don't even think about it."

St. John returned to his seat muttering something about 'cruddy American food'.