***
Disclaimer – I don't own X-Men: Evolution
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The nineteen-year-old Australian, St. John Allerdyce, alias Pyro, dragged his feet down the hall, mumbling obscenities. He wore his usual orange and red body suit, but lost his visor somewhere in the base. He walked past the Russian's room, glancing inside but kept walking. About five steps later he stopped, walked back five steps and arched a brow.
"Mate, what in the name of bloody hell are you doing?" He folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe.
Piotr just stood there, packing all his belongings, which wasn't much, into a large green duffel bag. "I am packing my stuff, St. John."
"I can see that, but why?"
"I am departing back to Russia."
"Russia?" He asked skeptically, "What the heck is in Russia?" He seemed to have forgotten Piotr was born and raised in Russia.
"My family." The Russian answered, zippering up the duffel bag. "I want to get out of here before Magneto returns."
"So you're leavin' me and Gammie?"
"Wouldn't you like to return to Australia? Back home?"
"I ain't got a home back there." Pyro answered, making a face. "You and Charge-me-up-boy are my only family."
Piotr was touched. Not by an angel, but by a pyromaniac. "You consider me family?"
"Pi-Pi-Colossus, mate, we've spent two years together. I think by now I can consider ya—ya—" He frowned; he couldn't think of anything funny so he just shrugged. "Yeah. You're like a brother I've never wanted."
"Those are kind words, my friend."
"So you're not leavin'?"
"I must see my little sister and mother." Piotr stared down at Pyro, long and hard, as if he were trying to figure the pyromaniac out. "This is my only chance."
"Fine!" St. John threw his hands up in the air. "Leave me with the guy who can blow me up. I see how it is!"
***
"Hmmm.." Remy was laying on his bed, shuffling his cards as he stared up at the ceiling. "I wonder if Ro' is still ticklish." He pondered out loud while he lazily scratched the stubble on his chin. Pyro suddenly barged into his room, which he knew wasn't a safe thing to do. "Why the long face, homme?"
Pyro touched the side of his own face, trying to settle on whether he had a long face or not. He just shrugged it off, after deciding that he couldn't decide. "Did ye know Colossus is goin' back to Russia?"
Remy just blinked. "Really? Maybe I should phone back home in the Big Easy. It ain't possible for people to assassinate you over the phone, right?"
Pyro just shrugged. "Who knows with all the new bloody inventions these days?"
"If I called, someone would most likely end up hanging up on me anyway."
"Oh well! You can just stay here with me!" John declared, giving him a lopsided grin. "What's better than that?"
"Just about everythin'." Remy muttered, not choosing his words better. The Australian gave him a hurt look. "Don't look at me like that. I'll blow the look right off your face."
"Well!" St. John huffed in annoyance. "Someone is cantankerous." He chuckled softly. "I used a big word."
"What do you want? A cookie?" Remy asked as he stopped shuffling his cards and sat up. St. John watched him carefully as the Cajun pulled on his trench coat and inserted cards into his pockets.
"And where are you goin'?" In response, he received a pat on the head as Remy walked past him.
***
Rogue unwrapped the piece of gum and then plopped it into her mouth. She sat in the library of the institute, sitting at a round, thick wooden table reading a hard covered novel.
"Uh oh." She suddenly realized, knowing what was about to happen.
"Rogue!" Kitty phased through the door and ran happily into the library. "I'm back!"
"I know." Rogue started, rubbing her temples. She had sensed Kitty's excited thoughts when she had reached the mansion. "Welcome back, Kit." She forced a small smile at her teammate.
"I heard Scott complaining about what happened." Kitty sat herself down next to the Southerner. "So, what happened and don't leave anything out." She waited patiently for Rogue to talk, but she never did. "Fine, I'll just go ask Scott." She waited for Rogue to stop her from doing so and tell her full details about what had happened but, once again, she didn't do so. "C'mon!" Rogue just rolled her eyes. "Hey, where'd you get this?" Kitty pointed to the necklace Rogue was wearing.
"Nowhere." Rogue mumbled, placing her hand over the silver cross that hung from her neck. "Mind your own business."
Kitty watched with a frown as Rogue hurried out of the library.
***
"I don't trust her, Jean. In the two times we fought them, Gambit and Rogue would disappear." Rogue walked past Scott's room but stopped dead in her tracks when she heard what he was talking about.
"You know they have a personal past together. They used to be really good friends."
"You're only helping me on why I believe we shouldn't trust her. When Wolverine spotted them, they were both just standing there."
"You don't know what happened, Scott. You can start distrusting her when she actually does something to deserve not to be trusted."
It was supposedly hard to hate someone who was sticking up for you, but Rogue still didn't like neither of them. Trying to brush off the conversation she had overheard, Rogue went back on her way down the hall.
***
"How the hell are you gettin' back to Russia?" A non-happy looking Pyro asked. "Are you goin' to walk there o' somethin'?"
"Charles Xavier said he would provide transportation for me."
"You're going to trust our enemy? He's gonna drop you in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!"
"He is a kind man."
"He's a bald, crippled old guy! Of course he's gonna be kind to ya, mate!" St. John sighed. "When are you comin' back?"
"I do not know."
"Liar." He accused, crossing his arms. "Admit it, you just want to get away from the crazed.. well, me."
"That is wrong."
"It's okay. I'll tell our children that the gypsies ran off with you."
The tall Russian just stared down at him, his face expressionless. He looked like he was in a deep thought, but the thing is; he always looks like he is in deep thought.
"I was kidding." St. John said slowly and arched up his brows. "You're supposed to laugh, mate." He paused. "Oy. I forgot, you bloody Russians don't laugh."
"That is a stereotype remark."
"Then laugh and prove me wrong." He waited impatiently while he tapped his foot. "Thought so."
***
"I'm back!" Kurt appeared before Rogue in a puff of grey-blue smoke. "Did you miss me, Rogue?"
"Terribly." Rogue coughed, waving her hand around. "Can't you walk into the institute, like a normal person?"
"But we're not normal." Kurt stated, and then out of nowhere he pulled her into a hug. "It's good to be here and to see you and your pessimistic-ness again."
"Don't do that." She pulled out of the hug. "Y'all know I don't like to be touched."
"That wasn't touch—" She cut him off by bamf'ing out of the room. He coughed as he inhaled the smoke. "How rude."
***
Kitty picked up the small white piece of paper off from Rogue's floor. "What's this?" She pondered out loud as she read it. "'Rogue, try not to miss me too much. I'll be thinking of you. Love..'." She squinted at the crossed out name.
"What are you doin'?" Came a low Southern drawl from the doorway. Kitty looked up, surprised, to see Rogue standing in the doorway.
"Nothing!" She murmured, immediately dropping the paper. "What are you doing?"
"Get out before I make you get out." It was a threat. "Now." A hard covered book that was placed on the desk in the corner, fell from the flat surface. A loud thud echoed out through the room.
"Right away ma'am!" Kitty quickly dashed out of the room, knowing she didn't have nine lives. Someone is a wee bit cranky..
"An' I heard that!"
***
"Hi." The woman behind the cash register in the small convenience store beamed at Gambit as he entered the miniature store.
"Bonjour." He winked at her, causing her to blush heavily. "There a payphone anywhere around here, fille?"
The girl made a face, thinking he had just called her a fillet. "Yeah, outside, on the side. There's, like, a big sign that has a phone on it.. you can't miss it."
"Merci Renée." He winked at her again, after reading the nametag pinned to her pushed out chest.
"Why are you wearing those sunglasses at night?" She asked, pointing to her own eyes.
"Because I have demon eyes, petit'."
She laughed. "Oh really?"
He decided she wasn't worth talking to any longer. "Au revoir."
"It was nice meeting you.." She trailed off, hoping he would tell her his name but he just left right as she got to 'you.'
***
"St. John."
"No! I ain't talkin' to ya non-mate sir."
"St. John."
"Don't even try to get me to talk to you!"
"St. John."
"Because I won't!"
"St. John."
"There's absolutely nothin' you can do to get me to talk to you."
"St. John."
"No! I will not talk to you. It's only goin' to make the good bye harder."
"St. John."
"What?"
"You're sitting upon my jacket."
"Oh."
***
"Can't y'all give me any privacy?" Rogue snapped after Kitty walked into the linen closest.
"I was just, like, getting a clean sheet." The Valley Girl said, biting down on her lower lip. "What's your problem anyway?"
"Rogue!" Ray called from down the hall, making both girls shudder.
"I'm goin' out."
"But it's after curfew!" Kitty grabbed Rogue's arm in attempt to change her mind and to stop her.
"I'm nineteen. I don't need a curfew." She pulled away from Kitty and made her way down the hall.
***
Better to use a payphone. That way if they tried, they'll just track me from the payphone I used. Remy said to himself as he picked up the receiver, and plopped in the correct amount of change. After hesitating, he dialed the number. His heart seemed to stop when he heard ringing on the other end. He was tempted to hang up, and almost did until someone picked up.
"What?" The familiar female voice asked, snapping rudely into the phone.
"Tante Mattie?" Remy asked in disbelief. She never was that rude when answering the phone.
"Boy? Is that you?"
"Oui. 'Tis moi." He heard her sigh heavily. Suddenly, he knew something was wrong. When he asked her what was wrong, he heard her sigh again.
"It's Jean-Luc." She answered; her voice seemed shaky. "He's been 'napped."
"Que? By who?"
"The Rippers." [1]
Remy clutched the receiver as anger flowed through his veins. "I'm comin back, Tante." And before she could respond, he hung up the phone.
***
"Y'know, I've been complainin' 'bout you headin' back to Russia all day and you still have yet to get out of here."
"I leave tomorrow morning."
"Well, you could've let me known that earlier! I could've started our candle light dinner by now!"
There were some things that Piotr was going to miss. Pyro, being one and his crazy antics being half of one.
***
"I wish it was Christmas everyday." Rogue mumbled to herself as she wandered out on Xavier's property. "That way everyone is away. I can deal with Scott. He keeps away from me anyway." She sighed lightly and shuddered in her thin jacket. She walked into the woodsy parts of the land property, leaving her footprints in the snow. After ten minutes of walking, she decided she was numb enough and turned back.
"Cherie.." A voice whispered, making her stop dead in her tracks.
"Remy?" She asked, uncertain as she looked around. "Where are ya?" A red glowing card swayed down from behind her, resting an inch away from her heels. She turned around and tried to dodge the card as it exploded. With the sudden force, she only ended up landing hard on her ass. "What the hell—" Arms from behind scooped her up so she was standing. When she felt an arm go around her neck and pull her close, she struggled.
"Sweet dreams Ro'." Was the last thing she heard before everything went dark.
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Part one completed – December 29, 2003
[1] – Even though this is an A/U, I am taking some events from Cajun Spice. Why? Because I love that episode. :P I took the name Rippers, which was said in the cartoon, so I'm going to go by the cartoon.
Thank y'all who said happy birthday to me. =] It made me type up this chapter faster. Eh, yes, on my birthday I wrote this chapter.
Ishandahalf Ooh! Can I have a blue SHINEY star? :) Thank YOU for reviewing my fic. I appreciate it. ^^ I can't wait 'till you update your fic. So tomorrow, eh? I'll be waiting my dear.
Yumiko Remy did something to the note. ;)
Rogue77 By now everyone knows what the gift is.. unless they somehow missed it.
Roguechere I'm sorry! Did I ruin Pyro for you? :( I was actually thinking of writing a small Pyro series. If I actually do (and if I do, it won't be until after I finish this fic) I'll dedicate it to you. :)
Gothic Cajun Thanks for the reviews! I was stunned to check my mail and see so many review thingers.
Rogue4787 I received your review right as I was about to post it. I'm glad you like it. =] And yes, Pyro is a mite (being the understatement of the year..) insane.. but he's still loveable. :)
Ithil, cookies-n-cream08, Lid'l Rogue, Ellavira, Jukebox, cool-chick-rae (by the way, this is your birthday present :P) [and anyone else I accidentally forgot..] thanks for reviewing. :)
Until next time,
---- Aro