Hope no one died from the cliffhanger! I made this chapter extra long to make up for the wait and because I might not update for awhile. Don't panic! I hoping to be updating within a week, but I have a lot of stuff to catch up on. I got the flu and missed two days of school, so I have all that work, plus a ton a big assignments that are being given.F-g school! I'll be back as soon as possible. I just wanted to get this chapter out so you weren't sitting with a cliffhanger and so you were prepared for the (possible) upcoming absence of updates. Thankx!

Reviews:

Chuckles123: Sorry, hope this chapter cheers you up!

GothikStrawberry: You guessed correct! Please stay sane long enough to read what happens next!

Silent Doom, xmengirlzrule, Chica de los ojos Cafe, and PyroManiac: DON'T WORRY! I could NEVER hurt Remy, John, or Angie! Maybe Scott or Jean . . . (no offense to Scott and/or Jean fans, but I don't like them)


-Chapter Four-
A (not so) Towering Inferno

Previously in "I Ain't de Devil, I Just Look Like 'im":

She shoved in some change and dialed. Ring, ring, ring, ring. "Come on, pick up the damn phone!"

"Hello?"

"Derek, honey, you will never believe what I found on my run tonight!"

/ FOH headquarters / unknown location / New York / present day

Derek Jones watched the last few members wander in. He glance at his watch. 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . "This meeting will now come to order!" Called the leader from the front of the room.

The group consisted of twenty or so men of varying ages. The younger men, or junior members, were considered "active members" and were sporting their "uniforms": camouflage pants that were blue instead of green, and a white T-shirt. These were only for public protests and meetings, they had less noticeable outfits when they went on missions. The older men, senior members, totaled seven and they were the council that helped the leader.

"We'll start with old business. I'm sure everyone noticed how the paper tried to link us to the fire Thursday night. Has everyone done their job to cover up the evidence?"

Derek tapped his foot impatiently. He had a good lead on another batch of mutants and they were talking about old business! After last month's blunder of getting caught by the police while completing a mission, the council was extremely displeased with him. My wife just might've saved my ass by finding this kid's picture!

Finally his moment came. "Any new business?" Derek's hand shot up. The leader gave him a doubtful look. "Jones?"

"Sir, just a few hours ago I got a tip from a very reliable source about the whereabouts of several mutants. They are living in apartment near our last mission and there is estimated to be at least four." He stated, exaggerating his findings to make himself look better.

The council look intrigued and Derek gave a satisfied smirk. Score! Kid, if we weren't gonna get rid of you and your mutie family, I'd buy you any and every toy you wanted.

/ LeBeau and Allerdyce residence/ Bayville, New York / present day

It was another lazy Sunday in Bayville. John and Wanda had gone out for brunch then had come back to the apartment.

The afternoon was spent playing board games and watching movies. After eating supper, the foursome decided to take advantage of the unusually warm weather and walk downtown for ice cream.

As soon as they turned the corner, a man dressed a repairman's uniform got out of a truck that had been sitting across the street for quite some time. Casually, he walked up to the door. Finding it lock, he glanced both ways before easily picking the lock. The door swung open. With a satisfied smirk, he grabbed his toolbox and went inside.

/Hours later/

The group was making their way back to the apartment. Wanda had linked her arm through John's, and Angie, who was riding piggyback style on Remy, had fallen asleep. The three adults were joking and laughing as traveled down the sidewalk.

" . . .and so Kitty is furious at Rogue for embarrassing her in front of Piotr!" Finished Wanda, sending all of them into hysterics once again. She had been telling the guys all about her housemates at the "boarding school." Remy got the feeling they might actually get to meet some of the interesting characters he had been hearing about for weeks. He began to ask a question, when Wanda's cell phone rang.

"Hello? . . . Dammit. I'm sorry, Logan! I totally forgot that it had been move to 8:00 instead of tomorrow. . . Well, if that's not why you called-" Wanda paled. " Oh my god. I wasn't watching the clock- . . . Logan, I was gonna call if I was running late, I just- . . . Well, where are you right now? . . . Turn right on Washington Street, and keep going 'til you see the Elroy's Pub and turn left. If we're not there yet, John's apartment is number 231. . . Yeah, see ya soon."

She shoved the phone into her pocket angrily and exclaimed, "What an asshole!"

"Problem, love?" Asked John.

She jumped slightly, remembering she had company. "That was Logan, one of the teachers from the institute. Because of that article that was in the paper, we have a new rule where we have to call if we are going to be out after it gets dark." Her lips twisted into a scowl. "Apparently, since I forgot to call, I have to be picked up like a little kid." She let out a frustrated sigh. "What's he gonna do when we get home, ground me?"

Not knowing what to say, John wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and they continued their walk in silence.

When they turned the corner to their apartment, the first thing they noticed wastheir company. There was a man who looked to bejust under 6 foot tall, with dark hair and a muscular build. Next to him was a shorter, green-eyed girl. She had auburn hair with two whites stripes framing her face. What a belle fille! Thought Remy.

Rogue was having similar thoughts when she noticed the Cajun. Definitely hot. I'm gonna hafta ask Wanda 'bout him . . .

Wanda greeted them as they neared the building. "Hey Logan, Rogue. Guys, this is one of my teachers, Mr. Logan, and this is one of the other students, Rogue. This is my boyfriend St. John, his friend Remy and Angelique." Silently, Remy thanked Wanda for not bring up his fatherhood; he wasn't in the mood to discuss it at the moment.

Logan just nodded, not shaking the hand John offered. Instead he addressed Remy, giving an odd glance. "Why ya wearing sunglasses at night, kid?"

"Sensitive eyes, sir." He adjusted the glasses self-consciously.

"Well, it's nice ta meet ya, John. Wanda's told me a lot about ya." Said Rogue, shaking his hand and sending a wink in Wanda's direction, receiving a glare in return.

"Enough chitchat." Logan proclaimed. "I gotta git back and have a 'class' with the younger kids."

Wanda rolled her eyes. She hugged Remy and John, who gave several nervous glances at Logan when she kissed him.

The trio was halfway down the block to car when Wanda exclaimed. "Oh, no! I left my sweater at the apartment. Can I please go back and get it Logan?" she pleaded.

He gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine. You two get the sweater. I'm gonna get the car."

Neither party had taken two steps when there was an explosion and the apartment building went up in flames.

"NO! JOHN!" Wanda started running, Rogue and Logan close behind.

To Be Continued.

NOT. That would be too mean!

/ LeBeau and Allerdyce residence/ Bayville, New York / present day

Remy suppressed a yawn as he laid Angie down on the couch. Intertestin' , albeit nosy, friends dat Wanda's got. Gonna hafta remember t' ask her 'bout dat girl . . .

He sat down next to his daughter, feeling exhausted. John plopped beside him. "So, do we got a job tomorrow, mate?"

"Dunno. Don't know why ya won't apply anywhere. Unlike me, ya can hid your mutation . . . unless ya see fire." Said Remy with a grin. "Can't control yourself close to temptation, can ya Pyro?"

John gave him a small shove, but grinned anyway, knowing it was the truth. "It's more fun odd job huntin' with you, mate."

Remy removed his glasses and pretended to wipe a tear away. "I'm touched, John. I'm truly touched."

BOOM! Before the pyro could reply, there was a deafening explosion. Fire filled the house.

/On the roof/ across the street/

A lone figure in black watched in satisfaction as the apartment building turned into an inferno. He was supposed to stay until the police arrived, but he figured no one would have survived that. He would pay dearly for his early departure. If he had stayed a few minutes longer, he would have seen the wall of the apartment explode into the street.

/ LeBeau and Allerdyce residence/ Bayville, New York / present day

Instinctively, Remy pulled Angie close to himself. Her eyes were wide with fright and she was squeezing her teddy bear.

St. John was in his element, literally. He used his powers to keep the flames away from them. "I can only do so much mate!" He shouted. "What do we do now?"

"Just get us to the wall by the street. I'll do the rest."

John went first, keeping their path free. It took a matter of seconds, but it felt like it took them hours to reach the wall. Once there, Remy held Angie tightly in one arm, and with the other, charged the wall. It began to glow reddish-pink. "DUCK!" He yelled before breaking contact.

The wall exploded into the street and the burning apartment. The two men stumbled over the rubble into the street.

"JOHN!" He turned around to see Wanda running towards him, her friends in tow. When she reached him, she engulfed him in a hug. "My god, John. I thought you were dead!" She said, tears brimming her eyes.

He grinned, trying to lighten to mood. "Naw, they don't call me Pyro for nothin'!" He stopped, realizing what he had just hinted.

Remy shook his head. "I don't call ya stupid for nothin', either!"

Logan was looking at the hole blasted in the wall. "You guys mutants?"

Remy held Angie closer. "What if we are?"

"'Cuz we gotta get ya outta here if ya are. This was anti-mutant protest." He pointed to a message spray painted on a nearby building: save the HUMAN race.

"Merde."

"C'mon Remy. Ya might not trust Logan, but ya trust Wanda right?" Rogue spoke up.

Remy glanced at his incinerated home, the near-stranger who wanted to take them who-knows-where, Wanda, the beautiful girl, John, and finally, his daughter. He wiped a tear off her cheek. "Fine. We'll go wit ya."

"Good. Let's go."

/Xavier's School for the Gifted/ Bayville, New York/ present time

Charles Xavier was watching the news in his office.

"We have a breaking news story. An apartment downtown went up into flames just 15 minutes ago. The house was occupied by two men and a young girl. None of them have been found. Police say that this looks to be another attack on mutants. . ."

He sighed. Ororo, please prepare two guest rooms and search for some extra clothes for us to lend. I believe we are going to be getting visitors very shortly.

/In Logan's jeep/

The ride had mostly been silently, save a few whimpers from Angie, who sat on her father's lap, frightened to let go of him.

"Where we goin' homme?" Asked Remy.

"Ever hear of the X-men, kid?"

"Dose mutants who run around Bayville in spandex, saving the obviously ungrateful city?" He snorted. "Yeah, I heard of 'em." A thought ran across his mind. "Wait, don' tell me. You're gonna tell me de three of ya are part of dat team." Said Remy with a smirk.

The jeep approached a huge mansion and went through the gates. Logan parked the jeep and turned around. "Welcome to our headquarters, kid."


Well, safe and sound . . . for now. How was that chapter? I wanted to tell the fire from several perspectives. I hope it came across okay. Kudos to you if you can tell me where I got the chapter title from!