Thanks for the reviews everybody! Sorry for the wait. I just started high school this year so I've been swamped with stuff and trying to catch up with stories I haven't updated in a about half a year. Heh.

Icegirl-Kat: Thanks for the review. 10 stories . . . jeez . . . never mind about what I said about having to juggle 6 stories! Thank you so much for bringing to my attention Blaze kind of toeing the line and John not being quite logical in thinking. Even though I read over my stories it's hard to catch those, so thanks for showing me that. I failed to mention John's conflicting feelings last chapter, so I'm adding them here. And I guess Blaze doesn't really have anybody who doesn't like her because I haven't really introduced other characters. It's mostly been her friends who wouldn't be her friends if they didn't like her and Jubilee. Now I'll briefly show some minor characters to give it the whole rounded look. She is going to be essential to the plot, but I will try to keep the focus from getting too much on her. So if you ever feel that Blaze is becoming too Mary Sueish please tell me! Thanks!

The next morning, John, Bobby, and Rogue sat around a table in the mess hall. It was breakfast.Bobby and Rogue were chatting, but John remained silent, his face stony. He knew he should tell someone that Mystique had gotten into the school. He knew that someone should know about the offer she had made.

But not yet. No one needed to know yet. Besides, he'd feel more comfortable just telling the Professor once and he wasn't back yet from whatever he was doing. It bothered him deeply how unwilling he was to confess. After all, even after he had betrayed them, they still took him back. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel this intense mistrust of him from, well, everybody. He could feel their unforgiving stares. It made him feel suffocated and boxed in . . . a feeling that John not only hated, but usually didn't tolerate.

The only reason he was still here was because of them. Bobby. Rogue. No matter how sick their loveliness sometimes makes him, he couldn't help but feel as if he'd give anything to make it up to them. They were the closest he's ever had to true friends.

That's why his own selfish desire to experience a freedom without walls or restraints or Logan's watchful eye disturbed him so much. That and the fact that he knows exactly what will happen in the future if he does go.

"Is something wrong, John?"

John looked up, breaking out of his deep thoughts.

"What?"

"Is something wrong?" Rogue repeated slowly and deliberately. John seems a little bit slow today.

"No." John answered. He looked down at his food and poked at it with his fork.

Rogue brushed a streak of white hair out of her face. "Are you sure?"

"Did you really think he'd admit it?" Bobby asked Rogue.

"Nothing's wrong," John repeated with a flare of irritability.

John was relieved of the distraction of someone loudly thunking their way towards them. It was Blaze, and she seemed very aggravated. She was wearing crutches, and there was a little bulge underneath her jeans at the kneecaps. Something was wrapped around her knees, which had taken the hardest blow yesterday. There was a thin strip of a brown material on her nose.

With great effort, she managed to sit down next do John and lean her crutches on the table. Then, she crossed her arms and glared at the table.

"What's wrong with you?" Rogue asked, wondering if the two firestarters mirroring each other was on purpose.

"Sometimes I wish I was back home," Blaze muttered. When she noticed Rogue's quizzical look, she clarified, "In the future."

Bobby was surprised. "Why?"

"Because the medicine was faster! If I was back in the future, I wouldn't have to wear these stupid annoying crutches . . ."

"No, but you'd be dead!" John snapped. Why was she complaining about having to wear crutches? Deal with it, there are worst things, John thought angrily.

The other three looked up at him. Rogue exchanged a look with Bobby that said, I told you something was wrong. Blaze looked slightly surprised, but then her expression turned uncertain and slightly hurt.

"I guess . . ." Blaze muttered. Then she lit her pointer finger and began playing with the fire, making it dance around her fingertips.

John felt a pang of guilt at the hurt expression on his friend's face, and was about to apologize when they were interrupted.

"What happened to you, kid?" Logan's gruff voice was heard.

Blaze spun her chair around to see Logan staring at her nose and the crutches beside her. She was angry that John was being snappish today, angry that she had to endure crutches, and angry that Logan appeared to have no idea that he had went crazy yesterday and nearly killed her . . .

It alarmed John, Bobby, and Rogue when the candle on the table's flame suddenly rose to almost ceiling height. Blaze didn't have the power to manipulate other fire sources besides her own. Therefore the three were shocked to see that she was able to manipulate the candle flame. Logan was surprised to see fire in the girl's eyes, fire that was directed towards him.

"What happened to me?" Blaze asked slowly and deadly.

John, sensing another episode like in the Danger Room, seized Blaze's shoulder, causing her head to turn towards him, the fire burning within. "Don't do it," Pyro warned her. Reality seemed to hit her, because the fire flickered out, and she sank back into her seat with a sulky expression on her face.

Logan looked very confused. "What's going on here? Is there something I should know?"

Rogue and Bobby looked at each other. They silently decided that, to Rogue's dismay, that she would tell Logan about what happened.

Rogue explained what happened yesterday. Logan'seyes were blank with confusion.

Logan glanced at the firestarter, who was determinately not looking Logan's way. Then he turned back to Rogue and arched an eyebrow.

"That may be true Rogue . . . but I wasn't here yesterday or the day before. I was gone with the Professor. We just came back this morning."

Everyone except John was looking at each other with confused expressions.

"Then who . . ." Bobby's question spoke for itself.

"It was Mystique," John said quietly.

Blaze turned to John. "What?"

"It was Mystique," Pyro repeated louder.

"Mystique? But how can that be?" Rogue said, confused.

But Logan's question was said in rising anger, "How long have you known this?"

John looked up at Logan hesitantly, trying not to be afraid of his furious gaze. "Since last night. I was going to wait until the Professor came back . . ."

"Well, you can tell him everything now." Logan growled and he seized John's arm roughly and pulled him out of his seat.

Bobby and Rogue got up too. Logan glared at them. "And where do you think you two are going?"

"You're not leaving us behind!" Rogue informed Logan.

Logan scowled, but he gave in. "Fine, then," He said, leading John by his arm, all the while silently cursing the soft spot he had for Rouge. Bobby and Rogue began to go after him, but then paused to wait for Blaze to get up and pick up her crutches.

When they arrived at Xavier's office, John's arm was beginning to throb painfully. Logan had an extremely strong grip on his arm.

Professor Xavier looked up from a bunch of written papers on his desk.

"New student application," Xavier explained, gesturing to the documents. "What is it John would like to tell us?"

John looked behind him at his friends, but Logan roughly pushed him forward. Then he led the firestarter to a chair and forced him to sit down.

Xavier folded his arms across his desk, his eyes boring into John's, causing him to feel uncomfortable and fidgety.

"Well, John?" Xavier pressed gently.

"Um . . ." You have to do this, John; he thought to himself, you promised to yourself that you'd tell him.

It wasn't really Xavier John was uneasy about. It was Logan's looming, angry presence that unnerved him. Xavier, fortunately, sensed this.

"Logan, could you please leave us?" Xavier asked, not taking his eyes off John.

Logan looked like he'd rather not leave Xavier alone with the ex-traitor, but reluctantly stalked away.

"You three too," Xavier added, and Blaze, Bobby, and Rogue, left, each giving John worried looks.

"I wanted to make you comfortable enough, so I removed Logan, but not that comfortable with your friends around. This is serious. Now, would you tell me what happened yesterday?" There was no twinkle of kindness in Xavier's eyes, only seriousness.

John took a deep breath before speaking. "Two days ago, in the Danger Room, we were training, and it went crazy on us. It moved it to Level 10, I think . . . at least, that's what Blaze said it was. A lot of us got hurt, and the steroid flared up again. Scott said he'd left to go to the bathroom, and that Logan had been left alone in the Control Room. When he came back, the switches were all screwed up and Logan couldn't stop it.

"Then, yesterday, we had hand-to-hand combat. Logan wanted to have . . . you know . . . a demo fight. So he picked Blaze. And it was okay at first, but then he went crazy and started to aim to kill." John paused and looked up at the Professor hesitantly. His expression was blank, so John went on, "So Blaze stabbed his knee with a piece of the floor tile, and he ran away. She was pretty beaten up. So it was weird that when I saw her walking towards me when I was trying to go to my room.

"We walked and talked for a little, but then," John hesitated, shivering as the memory replayed in his mind, "Mystique showed herself. I guess she was the one who tampered with the Danger Room as Logan while you two were gone, since you couldn't be there to sense her presence. And then . . . she made me an offer. She told me that if I ever got sick and tired of the X-Men . . . I could go back with the Brotherhood."

John meekly looked up to meet Xavier's eyes. There was no anger or fire in the older man's eyes. Xavier usually gave off a youthful energy mixed in with wisdom, but now he just looked tired.

"Did she say anything else?" Xavier asked.

The firestarter thought for a moment. "She mentioned that I wouldn't be by myself, since they have more kids there. I mean, other than the survivors." Right before John, Bobby, and Rogue had been blasted to the future; there had been a huge explosion of the two conflicting groups, the very explosion that may have catapulted them from their own time. Strangely, the only deaths had been on the Brotherhood side. Xavier's X-Men had only minor injuries-nothing they couldn't fix. It seems someone up high favors the X-Men.

"They have new recruits?"

"Yeah."

"It seems Erik is trying to reassemble his army of young rebellious mutants, much like yourself," Xavier added as an after thought.

John shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I guess,"

Xavier was silent. He seemed to be thinking hard about something. Finally, he spoke.

"John, I want you to go back to the Brotherhood."

The teen blinked. This was the last thing he'd expected.

"W-What?"

Xavier repeated it with patience.

"Um . . ."

"It would do me a great favor. Erik's actions are getting even more . . . well, you know what I mean. Recruiting young mutants to his cause . . . it's obvious he has something in mind." Xavier reasoned.

John hesitated. This is what he wanted wasn't it? Wasn't this what the shameful thoughts in his head been wanting? But what about what happens after? Would he be single handedly condemning everyone in the future to where they are at now? Suffering and no hope?

Xavier leaned forward on his desk, his green eyes boring into John's. "John I believe it would also help you as well. It's obvious you don't want to be here. I know that when someone is contained, the drive to get out grows stronger. For your sake, and everyone else's, you have to go." The Professor was speaking from personal experience. Despite the fact he had become used to being confined in a wheelchair, there was still those moments when he longed to just get up and run, with nothing restraining him.

Slowly, John nodded.

"But," The Professor added, "Someone will have to go with you."

"Who?"

Xavier thought for a moment. "Perhaps Blaze. She knows the dangers and can possibly keep you in line,"

John fidgeted uncomfortably when he had an image of her babysitting him. Crap. Blaze has been in such a bad mood lately, he wasn't sure that was a good idea.

The Professor seemed to sense his anxiety. "I believe it's for the best."

Well I guess that's it then, John thought.

Bobby stared at his pyromaniac friend with a blank face. "What?"

John shrugged. "Xavier said I had to go, one way or the other."

"No offense, but I don't think letting you out by yourself is a good idea, dude."

John huffed defensively. "Don't worry. Blaze is coming too."

"I am?"

Rogue sighed. "Well, the Professor has everything all planned out.It's got to befor a damn good reason." She turned to John. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow," John replied.

Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "That soon?"

"Yup."

Blaze spoke up, confusion in her face. "So I'm supposed to protect you on crutches?"

John's eyes flared with indignation. "Protect me? No one's going to protect me. I don't need any protecting!"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Macho!"

Sulkily, John crossed his arms and leaned his weight on the wall, wondering how the hell the Professor expected him to extract information when he had no idea what kind of a hornet's nest he was walking into.

That night, Rogue was walking along the corridors to get to her dorm room. On the way, she could hear loud excited voices in one of the living rooms, which drowned out the echoes made by her boots.

"Hey! Hey Rogue!"

She turned and saw Jubilee waving her over.

Rogue strode into the living room. A group of teens were bunched around a round table next to a crisp fire. Jubilee scooted over and made room for Rogue.

"Hey." Rogue smiled in greeting. She remembered the days before she came to Xavier's school. Scared and alone, she would rather hide in the shadows than be surrounded by other people. Other people she could touch. Other people she could hurt. Now completely covered, her phobia had been somewhat subdued. But there were still the nightmares. Nightmares that weren't even hers.

Ray leaned over the wooden round table. "Hey Rogue, is it true that Allerdyce is leaving again?"

Rogue frowned. How did they hear about John leaving? Well, no point in lying now that John's leaving for sure. "Yeah, he's leaving. So?"

Kitty, who had recently been released from the Hospital Ward, said, "So the Professor's just going to, like, let him go? I mean, isn't he like a traitor or something?"

Rogue wasn't sure how to answer that. She hesitated before answering. "I'm . . . uh . . . I'm not sure."

The phaser kept on going, apparently not hearing Rogue's uncertainty. "And what about that other girl? Blaze? I heard she's leaving too."

"Good," Another boy smirked. "She's just like Pyro. Weird."

Jubilee frowned. "I dunno. She's okay."

"Well, you don't really have a choice, do you Jubes? Being roommates and all?"

"C'mon Rogue!" Kitty pressed. Rogue felt herself sinking in her seat. Doesn't she get a hint? "You have to know something! You are like a full X-Man right?"

Piotr Rasputin had been watching this conversation in silence. But the he spoke. "The Professor wouldn't just letPyro loose without a good reason. We have to have faith."

Rogue could have kissed him. Piotr had just touched on a subject that had made everyone silent. The Professor. They respected him and were thankful he had this school for them. There was no way they were going to insult him by hinting that they don't trust him! They especially didn't want him to read their minds and give them detention for their rude thoughts.

"I'm going to bed," Rogue announced, getting out of her seat. But she made sure to send Piotr a grateful smile before walking out of sight into the hallway.

John took one brief glance back at the sleepy mansion. It was early in the morning, and everyone was back in their warm beds. John, however, was out in the frosty cold. He shivered and pulled his jacket closer to himself. He wondered if he should have said goodbye. . . but then realized that he couldn't. John was going to have to wear the mask of Pyro now. He couldn't afford to get all sentimental.

There was silence the whole way. Blaze sat there, staring out the window. The only sound inside the cab was the soft oldies that played on the radio. The cabby had tried to make conversation, asking the polite questions like "Going for a visit back home?" and such. John merely shook his head. After a few more unfruitful attempts, the cabby relapsed into silence.

John wondered why Mystique had asked him back. She must have assumed that the Professor wouldn't let him go. Well, maybe now it'll look like he just left by himself, considering the early hour.

The ride went on until they finally reached their destination, a boarding house. As John stepped out of the taxi, he could hear the difference between the mansion and the boarding house. The mansion had been quiet and serene. But this place was loud, despite this being early in the morning.

"So this is where we're staying?" Blaze asked.

"Yep. This is home." John answered. Then, together, they arrived onto the steps of the Brotherhood.

Destiny reached for the sunglasses she had worn her whole life. The shades were her protection against the stares she sometimes got. The stares that she could feel. The whiteness of her eyes sometimes bothered some people.

She whistled. She had always loved this tune. It was happy and cheerful like the sun, a nice change to the darkness that had always shrouded her life. She could hear the strong and reassuring footsteps of Sam, her guide dog.

After the accident, Destiny was in despair. Having lost both her parents, she was alone and unwanted. Who would want to take in a blind girl? But when she was assigned her guide dog, she knew Sam loved her. He reminded her of her father's strong presence, a presence she would like to think still watched over her. In a way, Sam was an earthly representation of her dad, bearing both his namesake and his essence.

Sam licked her hand enthusiastically. Smiling, Destiny stroked his silky mane, thinking about what she was about to do. She had seen two options in two different visions: she could either sit here aimlessly in her safe blindness, therefore condemning future generations to worse persecution than in the present, or she could make a sacrifice and rekindle some form of hope.

Destiny knew one thing: a sacrifice will be made for sure. And hopefully, with it, mutants will arise and make a place for themselves in this narrow-minded world.