* * *
"Your DAD is the evil president I've been hearing about?" Pyro asked, incredulous.
"Yeah, I'm the 'cursed and unwanted child of his flesh' I guess. Can't hurt his public image or he might not get re-elected. The mutant haters love him. The mutants and allies hate him." Blaze said with a trace of bitterness.
"What about you?" John asked.
"Me? Part of me loves him because he's my dad, I guess, but the rest of me hates him, hates my entire family for throwing me out because I can do this." Blaze emphasized by creating another fireball and brought it close to her face. The flames licked her hands and reflected in her eyes. John thought it made her eyes beautiful.
Blaze admired the flame. She said, "A lot of people fear fire. But once you go around that fear and look at it. I mean, REALLY look at it, you see . . . art. Fire can be beautiful if you know where to look." Then she closed her hand into a fist and the flame was gone.
"But people like my father, they don't see that. They see only a threat, and they don't see that even though we have special talents, maybe sometimes dangerous ones, we're still kids, still human beings. And we deserve better than what we have now. Eternal fear, scouring the streets, sometimes not being able to sleep at night, and always wondering if your family ever loved you at all." Blaze continued.
John thought that she seemed too old for her age. Maybe it's the life style she's lived. John didn't think that this girl had ever had time for herself, to have fun.
Then, Jean, Scott, Bobby, Rogue, and Kurt came out of another doorway.
"So, Pyro, how's it feel to get your ass kicked by a girl?" Bobby asked, trying but failing to look innocent.
"Hey, it's not my fault she's knows Kung-Fu and I don't, okay, Iceman? I'd like to see YOU face her and win!" John challenged.
Bobby laughed and shook his head. "No, that's okay, I think I'll pass!"
"That's really too bad about your dad, though. I wish the Professor's dream came true in this reality. But now it looks like there's no hope." Rouge said sadly.
"Exactly, Rogue." Jean said.
"Exactly what?" Rogue asked, confused.
"Now it looks like there's no hope. When you described the blast, it doesn't seem like you three were the closest. Why you three? Why not anyone else? I've looked on Cerebro, and I haven't found any of the others you said were with you. I'm thinking that you three were sent here specifically for a reason. You were sent here on a mission, to try and find out what went wrong in the past and try to save our future. Which means," Jean pointed her finger at each one in turn, "you three must be the key to changing this reality."
"What?" Rogue, Bobby, and John looked at each other with surprised faces.
"It makes sense." Blaze reasoned.
"If you agree, I want you guys to go find the key to changing this future. Will you do it?" Jean asked.
"Ok, anything to keep stuff like this from happening." Rogue agreed with a shudder.
"Ditto." Bobby said.
They all looked at John.
John opened his mouth to speak-
"How about this?" Blaze said suddenly, "If you don't agree I'll beat you up again, okay?" she put on a fake little girl smile. John felt very annoyed at this.
"I was going to agree before SHE threatened me." John jerked his thumb in Blaze's direction.
Blaze shrugged. "I couldn't resist watching you squirm."
"Hmm." John hit Bobby on the back. "I guess it's the three musketeers again, huh, Bob?"
Bobby caught John's hand and his ice-blue eyes stared into John's.
"We'll work with you for now, but try it, try to betray us again, and you'll be feeling a couple ice spikes in your back." Bobby warned.
"But don't worry; if you do betray us, you get to have my bare hand touch your face." Rogue warned with a sarcastic happiness.
"Lucky me." John retorted sarcastically.
"But Jean, we don't even know where to start!" Bobby exclaimed. "This is a new New York! We don't know what's safe and what's not. And none of us have those ID things that you guy stole, either!"
Marie nodded. "That's why Blaze is coming with you."
John looked at her in mock horror. "No! Not her!" he yelled, playing his part. But really he thought it was good that she was coming, it would give them more firepower-ignore the pun.
Blaze rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up Pyro."
"We have been looking at this in a while," Scott said, "And we figure this whole chain of trouble started with the passing of the Mutant Registration Act. So we want you guys to infiltrate the News Archives, a new building that has tons of information. But the whole thing about the Mutant Registration Act disappeared. We found a secret entrance, but we're all too big to fit. And the mutants here who fit the size are too inexperienced and is still getting used to this. Blaze was the only eligible one. But we did not send her because we want her to have back up. So your job is to get in there and find that information. Are you up to that?"
They all nodded.
Bobby's stomach growled.
He blushed, but said, "First can we get some food?"
* * *
Sorry, that was kind of a boring and short chapter. Next chapter will be of their mission! Review please!
"Your DAD is the evil president I've been hearing about?" Pyro asked, incredulous.
"Yeah, I'm the 'cursed and unwanted child of his flesh' I guess. Can't hurt his public image or he might not get re-elected. The mutant haters love him. The mutants and allies hate him." Blaze said with a trace of bitterness.
"What about you?" John asked.
"Me? Part of me loves him because he's my dad, I guess, but the rest of me hates him, hates my entire family for throwing me out because I can do this." Blaze emphasized by creating another fireball and brought it close to her face. The flames licked her hands and reflected in her eyes. John thought it made her eyes beautiful.
Blaze admired the flame. She said, "A lot of people fear fire. But once you go around that fear and look at it. I mean, REALLY look at it, you see . . . art. Fire can be beautiful if you know where to look." Then she closed her hand into a fist and the flame was gone.
"But people like my father, they don't see that. They see only a threat, and they don't see that even though we have special talents, maybe sometimes dangerous ones, we're still kids, still human beings. And we deserve better than what we have now. Eternal fear, scouring the streets, sometimes not being able to sleep at night, and always wondering if your family ever loved you at all." Blaze continued.
John thought that she seemed too old for her age. Maybe it's the life style she's lived. John didn't think that this girl had ever had time for herself, to have fun.
Then, Jean, Scott, Bobby, Rogue, and Kurt came out of another doorway.
"So, Pyro, how's it feel to get your ass kicked by a girl?" Bobby asked, trying but failing to look innocent.
"Hey, it's not my fault she's knows Kung-Fu and I don't, okay, Iceman? I'd like to see YOU face her and win!" John challenged.
Bobby laughed and shook his head. "No, that's okay, I think I'll pass!"
"That's really too bad about your dad, though. I wish the Professor's dream came true in this reality. But now it looks like there's no hope." Rouge said sadly.
"Exactly, Rogue." Jean said.
"Exactly what?" Rogue asked, confused.
"Now it looks like there's no hope. When you described the blast, it doesn't seem like you three were the closest. Why you three? Why not anyone else? I've looked on Cerebro, and I haven't found any of the others you said were with you. I'm thinking that you three were sent here specifically for a reason. You were sent here on a mission, to try and find out what went wrong in the past and try to save our future. Which means," Jean pointed her finger at each one in turn, "you three must be the key to changing this reality."
"What?" Rogue, Bobby, and John looked at each other with surprised faces.
"It makes sense." Blaze reasoned.
"If you agree, I want you guys to go find the key to changing this future. Will you do it?" Jean asked.
"Ok, anything to keep stuff like this from happening." Rogue agreed with a shudder.
"Ditto." Bobby said.
They all looked at John.
John opened his mouth to speak-
"How about this?" Blaze said suddenly, "If you don't agree I'll beat you up again, okay?" she put on a fake little girl smile. John felt very annoyed at this.
"I was going to agree before SHE threatened me." John jerked his thumb in Blaze's direction.
Blaze shrugged. "I couldn't resist watching you squirm."
"Hmm." John hit Bobby on the back. "I guess it's the three musketeers again, huh, Bob?"
Bobby caught John's hand and his ice-blue eyes stared into John's.
"We'll work with you for now, but try it, try to betray us again, and you'll be feeling a couple ice spikes in your back." Bobby warned.
"But don't worry; if you do betray us, you get to have my bare hand touch your face." Rogue warned with a sarcastic happiness.
"Lucky me." John retorted sarcastically.
"But Jean, we don't even know where to start!" Bobby exclaimed. "This is a new New York! We don't know what's safe and what's not. And none of us have those ID things that you guy stole, either!"
Marie nodded. "That's why Blaze is coming with you."
John looked at her in mock horror. "No! Not her!" he yelled, playing his part. But really he thought it was good that she was coming, it would give them more firepower-ignore the pun.
Blaze rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up Pyro."
"We have been looking at this in a while," Scott said, "And we figure this whole chain of trouble started with the passing of the Mutant Registration Act. So we want you guys to infiltrate the News Archives, a new building that has tons of information. But the whole thing about the Mutant Registration Act disappeared. We found a secret entrance, but we're all too big to fit. And the mutants here who fit the size are too inexperienced and is still getting used to this. Blaze was the only eligible one. But we did not send her because we want her to have back up. So your job is to get in there and find that information. Are you up to that?"
They all nodded.
Bobby's stomach growled.
He blushed, but said, "First can we get some food?"
* * *
Sorry, that was kind of a boring and short chapter. Next chapter will be of their mission! Review please!
