Ling felt the familiar urge again, and it was terrifying. She tried to give
him a blast of water, hoping, hoping so bad that he'd die. A blast came out
and knocked Magneto off his feet. Ling's screams and the sudden roar of
water caused Mystique and Pyro to come running down.
"Eric!" Mystique gasped. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, but deal with her." Magneto said angrily.
Pyro saw the deep, red cuts on Ling and was shocked. "Well no wonder she hit you! What did you do to her?" He asked, outraged.
Mystique shook her head. "Eric, when trying to convince someone to trust you, you don't go banging their heads on ceilings!"
Ling only heard a few of those words. Her blood was emptying out, second by second. She felt really faint, and her eyes saw the lights fading in and out until all she could see was a blur.
But her sense of hearing was strangely increased. The sound of sneakers screeching on the floor was deafening. She felt an unnaturally warm hand touch her face, and a warm cloth wipe her head wound. That strange, warm, pleasant feeling was the last thing she felt before she blacked out.
* * *
Ling awoke groggily, her entire body aching with bruises and cuts. She felt a white linen cloth wrapped around her head like a bandana. It covered the head cut.
"Great. Just great. I thought things could not get worse, and look at my luck! It did." Ling moaned to herself. She had tried to escape. But she guessed that she was never meant to leave this stupid way of life.
The metal bars opened, and a boy walked in. It was Pyro.
"What do YOU want?" Ling demanded harshly. True, Pyro had been nice to her, but right now she wasn't feeling all that charitable to anyone in the company of Magneto.
"Nothing," Pyro said quickly. When Ling gave him that exasperated look, he winced.
"Okay, okay. I don't know what's up with you girls and that LOOK. I HATE that look." Pyro said.
"Then answer the question."
"I came to check on you."
"Why?"
"Well duh, you got conked in the head and you were bleeding like crazy! Not to mention that you were really out of it! It was only the president's speech about the mutant registration act that distracted Magneto from killing you!" Pyro said angrily, his face turning really red.
"Wait, the president gave his speech?"
"That's what I just said."
"What was his decision?" Ling asked quietly.
"He said. He said, um-"
"That's all he said, 'um'? I would have thought that he'd have a decent speech prepared or something!"
"No! He said that, 'Despite the reasonable arguments from both sides, and the unfairness to mutants, as they are humans as well, I am forced to make this hard decision. I know that there are good mutants, and bad mutants. But I think it will be safer for our children-whether they are mutant or not-that I pass the Mutant Registration Act. This Act will only be taken back when we discover that someone is taking advantage of this and forcing evil things on mutants.'" Pyro recited from heart.
"What?! And he thinks STRYKER is not reason enough?! Stryker was right under his nose, and he won't count that?" Ling screamed. She was totally outraged. After all she had been through, after all she had suffered, and it didn't count for ANYTHING when it came to preserving peace? This is so stupid! Ling just wanted to hit herself on the head on the wall a couple of times to get rid of this nightmare. But then she caught herself. It was probably not a good idea to be banging her head on walls at this time.
"I know it sucks. This is why I left Xavier. He doesn't get it. They will NEVER treat us right, no matter what we do." Pyro admitted. He had such sadness in his eyes that Ling's own angry thoughts were pushed away for a moment.
"But you still have to hope. Killing everyone won't solve anything. I should know." Ling whispered. She didn't think Pyro heard. But he did.
"Maybe." He allowed, "But that's dealing with a crazy psychopath, and these people are normal. Sane, at least. Or so I hope."
"You know, Bobby never gave up on you." Ling said suddenly.
For the first time since their short meeting, Ling saw Pyro really let his guard down.
He sighed and said, "I know. I really didn't want to leave them, but-it's way too confusing. It was a quick, spur-of-the-moment decision, you know? But, well, I'm here, and here's where I'm staying."
"You can change your mind, you know." Ling suggested quietly, "You can help me out of here, and both of us can go back. Not only because it's the right thing to do, but because your friends need you, and I'm sure you need and miss them too. Go back to them. You won't regret it."
Pyro looked at his new found friend with an odd look on his face.
"Maybe I will. Someday."
"Eric!" Mystique gasped. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, but deal with her." Magneto said angrily.
Pyro saw the deep, red cuts on Ling and was shocked. "Well no wonder she hit you! What did you do to her?" He asked, outraged.
Mystique shook her head. "Eric, when trying to convince someone to trust you, you don't go banging their heads on ceilings!"
Ling only heard a few of those words. Her blood was emptying out, second by second. She felt really faint, and her eyes saw the lights fading in and out until all she could see was a blur.
But her sense of hearing was strangely increased. The sound of sneakers screeching on the floor was deafening. She felt an unnaturally warm hand touch her face, and a warm cloth wipe her head wound. That strange, warm, pleasant feeling was the last thing she felt before she blacked out.
* * *
Ling awoke groggily, her entire body aching with bruises and cuts. She felt a white linen cloth wrapped around her head like a bandana. It covered the head cut.
"Great. Just great. I thought things could not get worse, and look at my luck! It did." Ling moaned to herself. She had tried to escape. But she guessed that she was never meant to leave this stupid way of life.
The metal bars opened, and a boy walked in. It was Pyro.
"What do YOU want?" Ling demanded harshly. True, Pyro had been nice to her, but right now she wasn't feeling all that charitable to anyone in the company of Magneto.
"Nothing," Pyro said quickly. When Ling gave him that exasperated look, he winced.
"Okay, okay. I don't know what's up with you girls and that LOOK. I HATE that look." Pyro said.
"Then answer the question."
"I came to check on you."
"Why?"
"Well duh, you got conked in the head and you were bleeding like crazy! Not to mention that you were really out of it! It was only the president's speech about the mutant registration act that distracted Magneto from killing you!" Pyro said angrily, his face turning really red.
"Wait, the president gave his speech?"
"That's what I just said."
"What was his decision?" Ling asked quietly.
"He said. He said, um-"
"That's all he said, 'um'? I would have thought that he'd have a decent speech prepared or something!"
"No! He said that, 'Despite the reasonable arguments from both sides, and the unfairness to mutants, as they are humans as well, I am forced to make this hard decision. I know that there are good mutants, and bad mutants. But I think it will be safer for our children-whether they are mutant or not-that I pass the Mutant Registration Act. This Act will only be taken back when we discover that someone is taking advantage of this and forcing evil things on mutants.'" Pyro recited from heart.
"What?! And he thinks STRYKER is not reason enough?! Stryker was right under his nose, and he won't count that?" Ling screamed. She was totally outraged. After all she had been through, after all she had suffered, and it didn't count for ANYTHING when it came to preserving peace? This is so stupid! Ling just wanted to hit herself on the head on the wall a couple of times to get rid of this nightmare. But then she caught herself. It was probably not a good idea to be banging her head on walls at this time.
"I know it sucks. This is why I left Xavier. He doesn't get it. They will NEVER treat us right, no matter what we do." Pyro admitted. He had such sadness in his eyes that Ling's own angry thoughts were pushed away for a moment.
"But you still have to hope. Killing everyone won't solve anything. I should know." Ling whispered. She didn't think Pyro heard. But he did.
"Maybe." He allowed, "But that's dealing with a crazy psychopath, and these people are normal. Sane, at least. Or so I hope."
"You know, Bobby never gave up on you." Ling said suddenly.
For the first time since their short meeting, Ling saw Pyro really let his guard down.
He sighed and said, "I know. I really didn't want to leave them, but-it's way too confusing. It was a quick, spur-of-the-moment decision, you know? But, well, I'm here, and here's where I'm staying."
"You can change your mind, you know." Ling suggested quietly, "You can help me out of here, and both of us can go back. Not only because it's the right thing to do, but because your friends need you, and I'm sure you need and miss them too. Go back to them. You won't regret it."
Pyro looked at his new found friend with an odd look on his face.
"Maybe I will. Someday."