Chapter Twenty-Two:

"Are you guys ready down there?" Sid Malloy asked impatiently into a wall-mounted speaker.

His voice echoed through a modestly sized silver room, which was bare except for a large cement wall positioned in the middle of the floor and the two mutants entering through a large metal door.

Rebecca glared upward at a row of glass windows and waved dismissingly at her brother. She could see him, as well as Mystique and Toad, staring down at Pyro and herself, all waiting for the session to begin. The twins had promised the Brotherhood duo a look in on Pyro's training and the Underground's 'gymnasiums' were usually unoccupied during the day.

That morning the Malloys had decided it might be better to keep their guests occupied while Mary and Gambit were still around. The previous night had passed without incident (at least between mutants) and the twins wanted to keep it that way. If either of Xavier's students had accompanied them, they would have seen more than a few similarities between the Underground's training hall and the Danger Room back at the mansion.

"Be nice in front of the Brotherhood, Sid," Rebecca called back and walked with Pyro to the center of the room.

The younger pyretic looked a little nervous as he ran one hand experimentally along the blocks in the wall.

"Thought we were gonna use one of Sid's cars..." Pyro said, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice, "You know I hate trying to burn this shit..."

Rebecca grinned sympathetically, "You said you wanted to impress them, right? I'm sure Magneto knows how hot cinder blocks need to be to burn. That kind of heat takes focus and control. Besides, it's not like you weren't able to do it before."

"Yeah," Pyro said doubtfully, "Different with an audience though..."

Rebecca put a reassuring hand on his shoulder for a moment and then walked to the other side of the wall. She placed several gauges along the bricks, which would send temperature information to a computer station in the observation room. She glanced once at Pyro to make sure he was in the correction position before moving away from the wall. She glanced up at Sid, who threw her a thumbs up to say the readouts were working.

"Okay, kid," Rebecca said with a grin, "It's your game now."

Pyro nodded and took one long breath. He did his best to ignore the watchful stares of his Brothers and took his lighter out of his pocket. Holding his hand out in front of him, Pyro spun the igniting wheel and felt the flame come to life. He savored it for a moment, letting all of his uncertainty melt away, and his mouth drew into a broad grin.

The fire leapt from his hand in an orange wave, rolling in on itself as it shot toward the wall until it was shaped into a steady line of flames. The heat was immediate, and seeped through the protective glass of the upper room. There was a muted roar as the fire impacted the cement and splashed against the surface in a plume of light. The observers had to shield their eyes for a moment until element fell into Pyro's control.


Toad's eyes widened in honest surprise as the fire began to even out and focus on the cinder blocks. The last time he had seen Pyro in training, the boy had nearly burned down half of their Island liar. He glanced toward the temperature read outs and noted that their observation deck was nearing ninety degrees and the training room was cresting at nearly one hundred and ten. Toad took a step back away from the glass windows, examining the structure uncertainly.

As if sharing Toad's doubts about their safety, Mystique shifted her eyes from the fire to Sid.

"How much heat can these windows hold?" she asked with a frown.

Sid nodded, his brow furrowed as he watched the training session. His face was no longer marked with the easy-going smirk of a rising playboy. His expression was dark, almost calculating, as he monitored the equipment around them, and he suddenly seemed much older than his counted years of life.

"Don't worry," Sid replied calmly, "Rebecca and I helped design this room. The glass has been tempered to withstand heats beyond what it will take to bring down that wall..."

Mystique tilted her head curiously and turned her attention back toward the training room. Pyro seemed to be near ecstasy as the flames danced at his command. The control he had gain was more extensive than she would have thought possible in such a short time. Magneto would not be disappointed in the boy's progress.

The shape shifter's attention moved again, this time setting on Rebecca, who was standing with her arms folded as she watched the wall begin to burn. The younger woman shared her brother's disciplined regard for the session. The intense heat did not seem to disturb her in the least.


A strange whine began to fill the air as the molecules of cement protested the ever increasing heat forced on them. The wall seemed to expand, bulging in the center as if the bricks were ready to pop. Pyro did not react as the wall began to bubble, simply continued to focus the flames on the weakening area.

After a few more moments, the cement seemed to fall back in on itself and the wall crumbled to the ground in a fiery mass. A cloud of dust and smoke rose into the air and trailed across the ceiling.

Pyro still held one hand outstretched, reaching for the remaining fire. The heat began to fade immediately as he used his gift to extinguish the destroyed wall. The orange light that had filled the room faded and the observers had to blink away the afterimages in order to see into the darkening training room.

Once most of the fires were out, Rebecca signaled up to Sid to open the ventilation ducts in the ceiling. Fresh air flowed in from outside, dissipating the smoke and dust.

Pyro walked over to the ruined wall and glared down at the rubble gleefully. He stepped on a piece of brick, crushing it to ash with satisfaction, picturing more than a few faces under his boot. He ignored Rebecca's reproachful stare as he looked up toward the glass windows and spun his lighter in his fingers.

"So...you think they're impressed?" Pyro asked with a dark grin.

Rebecca just watched at him firmly and then began to recite the lessons she and Sid had been taught years before.

"First rule..." she said to the younger mutant, who glanced at her with annoyance.

"Oh, come on, Bec... not now..." he pleaded but knew it was a loosing argument.

"First... rule..." she repeated, waiting for the proper response.

Pyro sighed and faced her, before answering, "Control is power..."

Rebecca nodded, and continued, "Second rule..."

"Own it, don't let it own you..." Pyro said, sounding bored at the preachy routine.

"Third rule?" Rebecca asked, watching him carefully as he responded.

Pyro's eyes shifted briefly to the glass windows again before he spoke.

"Never use it against anyone else," he finished, glaring at her unhappily.

Rebecca nodded in return and, suddenly, the strange disciplined stance and expression disappeared, a response so conditioned she barely seemed to register the change.

"They better be impressed," Rebecca said, grinning broadly, "If we have to blow up Sid's car, we'll be walking back to the house."

Pyro did not return her grin as she headed toward the exit. The 'rules' always followed each training, but he had hoped she would not force him to recite it today. He loved what he was learning to do, but he hated the Malloy's rhetoric sometimes. Reminded him too much of life at Xavier's.

He snapped his lighter shut against his palm and followed Rebecca out of the room.