Thanks to everyone for the reviews!
TheDreamerLady: Don't worry, I fully intend on finishing this story. I have the ending brewing in my mind. It's just the middle part I have to worry about. I am juggling about 6 stories, so it may take me a month and even longer to update during the school year, especially since I'm going into high school next year. But hopefully since it's the summer, I will update more often. But there are still my other stories to update, so I hope you keep reading!
Pyrotic: Scott's fault...hmm...we shall see...(wink)
Reviews, please!
...
Blaze moaned and stretched out her arms.
"Ah!" With that, she tumbled off her bed, grabbing the bed sheets as she fell. For a moment she lay there in a heap, wondering how she could still be so exhausted.
Then Blaze glanced at the clock and gasped.
The illuminated green numbers read 11:00.
"CRAP!" Blaze scrambled up. Why didn't Jubilee wake her up? But the moment she tried to stand, she fell back down on her bed.
Blaze tried hard to remember what class she had. English with Scott. Shit. Cyclops is going to be pissed off. He hates it when students are late.
...
Bobby was playing with his food absently. Rogue mulled over her Science notes and John played with his lighter, occasionally glancing around at the rest of the student body eating their lunch. Jubilee and Colossus were joking and laughing about something Colossus was drawing.
Iceman sighed. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to be normal, the way he used to be. When all you had to worry about was homework, tests, and who you were going to take to the prom.
Now, they have to worry about people who are constantly trying to kill them, the disastrous future, this new threat, and the faulty Danger Room in addition to homework, tests, and who you were going to take to the prom.
Bobby winced and was snapped out of his daydreaming by the screech of a chair next to him. The ice weilder looked up from his food to see Blaze sit down heavily in a chair.
"Why didn't you wake me up, Jubilee?" Blaze complained.
Jubilee looked up from watching Piotr draw, and grinned sheepishly. "I tried, but you ignored me. Why didn't you just stay in the dorm? Then you could have missed a whole day of school."
Blaze stared at her blankly for a moment, and then slapped her forehead. "I'm stupid. I should have done that. I don't know why I bothered waking up, I'm still tired . . ."
After memorizing one more fact, Rogue looked up. "How are you tired? You slept for a long time, right?"
Blaze nodded, and then glanced over at Piotr's drawing. "Wow! That's really good!"
Piotr appreciated the compliment, but remained modest. "Thank you, but it's not that good . . ."
Jubilee interrupted him. "Stop being so modest, Tin-Man, you're really good, and you know it! So admit it!"
"I admit it?" Piotr was slightly intimidated by Jubilee's boldness, and he smiled nervously. Jubilee accepted that.
"Tonight's practice again, by the way," Rogue announced.
They all turned to look at Rogue in surprise.
"After what happened yesterday?" Jubilee and Blaze asked in unision.
"Illyana is still unconscious," Piotr added.
John commented, "So is half the class."
"It's not going to be the Danger Room this time," Bobby confirmed, "We're going to have fighting lessons from Logan."
Everyone groaned.
...
When they arrived, Logan and several other students waiting for them. Judging by the looks on the other kid's faces, they were the last to arrive.
Logan merely gave them a glare that would assure they weren't late next time. And then addressed the considerably smaller class.
"Okay. The Prof and the 'faculty' have talked about this, and they've decided that, due to recent events, we need some X-Men on backup. You already know this from yesterday. You also know that we are going to start several of you early and learn to use your power in tight spots, as well as hand-to-hand combat." Logan droned on, as if his speech had been scripted.
"But we're already X-Men," Bobby commented to Rogue.
But Logan heard. "True Bobby, but personally, you two can't fight. That's what you're here to do."
There were several sniggers in the audience, causing Bobby to flush red.
"Now. I think we should start you on the basics . . . what you'll be learning is a mix of street fighting and martial arts." Logan's sharp eyes scanned the crowd. They rested on Blaze. "I need a sparring partner to show what it can do. You. New girl."
Blaze looked around, wondering who he was talking to, but then she realized that everyone was staring at her.
"Oh. Me." The firestarter wondered if he had picked on her because he thought she was weak. Or maybe he wanted to see what she could do, since he had witnessed yesterday. Actually, despite the amount of sleep she had, she was still exhausted from her trials in the Danger Room. She would have preferred if he hadn't picked her, but she won't back down from a challenge.
John leaned over and whispered to Bobby, "whose butt going to get whopped?"
"Blaze's." Bobby replied quietly, making sure his friend wouldn't hear.
John shook his head. "I don't know. She nearly killed me when we were fighting."
Rogue overheard the conversation and stared at John with her eyebrow raised. "How can you talk about her nearly killing you so . . . so casually?!"
John merely shrugged, turning to watch the sparring.
As Blaze walked towards Wolverine, the meek part of her couldn't help thinking how tall he was compared to her. But then, the firestarter reassured herself that she'd sparred with the Logan from the future, and knew all his tricks. True, he had tossed her around like a limp doll the first time, but in time she learned how to counter his predictable attacks.
"No powers." Logan warned her sternly, obviously thinking that was what she intended to use.
"No powers." Blaze agreed.
With a grunt, the sparring started. He grabbed her, startling her. But then, her left hand, in a karate chop position, connected with his kneecap, catching him unexpectedly. While he was reeling from her surprise attack, Blaze used her right hand to punch his stomach with a surprising amount of force.
Logan seemed surprised, and slightly amused.
Looks like he'll have to work at this. Good. Logan's lips curled into a grin, seemingly pleased with some competition. He neatly and gracefully launched himself at her.
Blaze was scared out of her mind when Logan had lunged at her. He was going to crush her! But her body wouldn't move. It was in shock. And Logan somehow stopped himself in mid-air and kicked her legs from under her.
The firestarter crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain as her legs throbbed from the force of Logan's attack. As he prepared to bring his fist down on her, her body unfroze, and her adrenaline kicked in, helping her slide underneath his legs with ease. Logan's fist connected with the floor hard, causing several tiles to crack.
Blaze's heart skipped a few beats. The Wolverine meant business. This was no longer a mere spar.
John winced as Logan's fist crushed the ground. He was suddenly filled with a sense of worry for his friend. "Bobby . . . we have to stop this. I don't want a repeat of what happened in the future! He could have killed her with that blow!"
Bobby was also staring at the pair, his blue eyes also filled with concern. "I know, but what can we do?"
Back at the battle, Blaze was beginning to panic. She had been in a life-or-death fight like this once before, with John. She was under the control of a steroid her father had injected inside her, but she still remembered everything. Both she and John had almost died, and she had no intention of reliving that moment.
Blaze noticed a sharp piece of broken tile near her. She tucked it inside her fist.
"Logan! That's enough, let's stop-" But Logan seemed deaf to her plea.
This left her with no choice. At the first opportunity she had, she buried the tile into Logan's leg, knowing it wouldn't really hurt him because of his healing power. But maybe it would give her time to get out of there!
Logan roared with pain. He fell to the ground hard, but not before he swung a muscular arm and swung at Blaze. He got her unprotected in the face.
Blaze, on her butt, quickly slid away from the crazy Wolverine. Logan's eyes glared at her. Murder was evident in them. He growled one more time, and then rushed out the door past several scared students.
Rogue, Bobby, and John rushed over to help their friend up. Blaze stayed standing for a couple of seconds, but then her knees buckled and she fell down. Blood was pouring down from her nose. She wiped it and grimaced at the sticky blood on her fingers.
"Damn it," She cursed, wincing painfully.
"What's up with Logan?" Jubilee wondered, sounding worried. She had become quite close to Logan. (A/N: In the animated series, it was Jubilee who was like a daughter to Logan, not Rogue. I'm not sure about the comics, but I'm assuming it's the same as well.)
Piotr shrugged. But he, too, sounded worried. "I do not know. Stress?" Colossus knew that he was definitely stressed with Illyana still stunned. Not to mention Kitty . . . Piotr blushed for a moment when he thought of the phaser.
"Class over!" Rogue announced, waving them out.
"How do you know?" An anonymous voice asked from within the crowd.
Rogue scowled. "Because I'm an X-Man, that's why!" At her glare, the students nervously filed out. Some were grumbling since they couldn't learn any fighting moves. Most was excitedly discussing the out of control sparring.
Blaze cursed again. "Why does everything happen to me?!" She demanded, irritated. First the steroid in the future and yesterday . . . now her teachers are trying to kill her! Now she secretly wondered if this was the world's way of telling her she shouldn't be here; that she should be in her own time, hunted.
"We'd better get you cleaned up," Rogue sighed.
But then Jubilee walked up to them. "I can do it." She offered.
Rogue looked up at her with a relieved expression, but then reconsidered. "No, it's fine, I got it . . ."
"Go to bed, Rogue. Besides, she's my roommate and I barely know her. This could be . . . bonding time?" Jubilee reasoned.
"Okay . . ." Rogue agreed uncertainty.
And they all went their separate ways: Bobby, Rogue, and John all headed in the same direction for their dorms, but then broke off. Jubilee and Blaze managed to limp the other way towards the nearest bathroom. Bobby could distantly hear Blaze complaining. He shook his head sadly as he made his way upstairs. There was never a dull moment at Mutant High.
...
John continued straight on the ground floor. He had to walk a little ways before getting around to the dorm that he and Bobby shared again. John could have taken the short walk like Bobby had, but he needed to think.
But his musings were interrupted when a figure stepped in front of him. He reached into his pocket for his lighter, but the familiar female voice made him hesitate.
"Why so jumpy?" Blaze said as she came out of the shadows. Her step had a bit of a limp in it, which was understandable. Even with the help of the moon, her face was too dark to see clearly.
"I thought you were with Jubes," John commented.
"I was . . . but I guess I decided to take a walk." Blaze replied vaguely. "Want to walk with me?"
John shrugged. "Sure."
They stepped outside into the gardens. The vast countryside stretched out for miles. The moonlight reflected onto the ground, giving the grass a slightly silver shade. Blaze was very quiet.
Suddenly, she sat down on a stone bench. John sat down too, now playing with his lighter. He turned around. Blaze was looking at him with a creepy smile on her face. It sent shivers down his spine. Funny . . . she hadn't done that kind of a smile since in the future. But this one was different. More familiar.
Her hand crept over to his lap seductively.
John was feeling very uncomfortable. Blaze wasn't usually like this. What the hell does she think she's doing? But then . . . a cold realization hit him as to why she was so out of character, why she was walking when moments before she could barely stand, and why there was not a trace of blood around her nose . . .
The firestarter stared down at her knee. And sure enough, there was red blood around those jeans. But only splatters that seeped through the fabric when whatever had bound it proved not to be enough. John scowled. He knew now who that seductive smile reminded him of.
"Mystique."
Blaze's face smiled. She licked her lips as blue scales erupted over her complexion and covered up the image that was Blaze's.
John scowled. He didn't like the lengths Mystique went through. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked coldly.
"But Johnny . . ." Mystique purred (John winced. He hated that childish nickname, and she knew it), "I thought you hated it here. Wasn't it. . .lack of freedom?"
Pyro muttered something along the lines of "I don't hate it."
Mystique merely smiled knowingly.
John was slightly confused. "I figured Mags would be pissed off. Didn't know you liked me so much."
Mystique smirked.
"Pyro. You don't belong here. You belong with us."
"I go by John," He replied.
"Perhaps among your 'friends'. But you know John is just a mask. A poseur. Pyro's real." Mystique said, a slightly hypnotic tone in her voice.
John turned on her, anger rising from inside him. "You call me a poseur? What about you? You steal other people's images. What do you want, Mystique?" John had to strain to keep his voice even.
"Erik and I want you back on the team," Mystique said simply.
"What, be by myself again while you two do who-knows-what on missions?" John scowled.
Mystique clicked her tongue. "Pyro, we do take you on missions. You know that. You would not be the only one of your age. We have recruited several others."
"And they actually managed to stay without running out the door? I'm impressed."
"I didn't see you running in the five months with us." Mystique retorted.
John was fed up now. "Forget it. Just get out of here, Mystique . . . and don't come back."
"I see Xavier has had a far worse influence on you than we thought . . . now you're using clichés."
"Shut up." John got up and began to walk across the lawn. "Get out before I get the real Wolverine."
But Mystique, in her subtle slippery way, had caught up with him. She whispered some parting words to him, "Don't forget . . . you know where we are . . . if you ever decide you're sick and tired of this place." John closed his eyes and shuddered slightly at the feeling of her breathing in his ear.
She was gone.
Try as he might, John could not get her parting words out of his head. He couldn't stop thinking about what she had said about his two identities. John figured she had heard way too many of Magneto's ranting and started using his "thoughts of wisdom" on other people.
But he still couldn't stop thinking about it.
". . . You know where we are . . . if you ever decide you're sick and tired of this place."
Was he?