Disclaimer:...I forgot, now I'm putting it in, I don't own the X-Men. An thanks to both of my reviewers.

"Logon," questioned Jack, "How did you know where I was living and why did you come to pick me up?"

"Don't take this personally, this has absolutely nothing to do with you, only your powers. Remember that soccer game? Well, your parents thought that calling Magneto would be the best thing to do. The Professor thinks that Magneto wants your powers for some new scene."

"Well, thanks for getting me out of my pink prison."

"Don't mention it."

Logon led him up one flight of stairs to a small, grey room with a single bed in the corner.

"You will stay here until the Professor decides what to do with you. You got that? Good, any questions? No? Good. Good night!"

With that, Logon closed the door leaving Jack alone in a room that reminded him strongly of a prison cell. Every time a new X-Man had ever been introduced to the team, weren't they usually...allowed to move more than three feet in any direction before hitting a wall?

He was kept in that room throughout the entire Striker crisis, and was only let out for meals which he ate while everyone else was at their classes. The only other mutant he ever had contact with was Logon, and he really wasn't much comfort. It had been already three months since he was originally brought to the institute, and if he had to suffer one more week he would go insane. Finally, it happened. Jack was sitting on the corner of his bed quietly reading when his door opened and an unfamiliar mutant came in. He was about Jack's age and only a few inches shorter. While Jack was examining his visitor he failed to notice a freezing sensation around his wrists. When he looked down, both his hands were attached by ice. Looking up again, the visitor motioned for Jack to follow him. The visitor led him up through several passageways and then down one flight, through the dining area, and back into the main hall. When they stopped, Jack looked at the visitor and asked him

"What exactly is going on..." but before he could finish his scentance, the ice bonds melted and about six or seven people surrounded him, in a circle. The only one he reacognized was Logon.

"Who are you all?"

"We are the X-Men," commented one

"I know that. Why in all of heaven and hell was I kept in a cell for god knows how long?"

It was then that Professor Xavier stepped forward.

"You were in the room for a total of three months. For now, Magneto has been calmed, and you are now free to walk the halls of this school. As you have already finished your secondary schooling I would like ask you to stay with us as an assistant teacher to Cyclops in the auto shop department."

"Sir, what happened to your wheelchair?"

"I never have or probably ever will use a wheel chair. Now, I assume that this room is probably not somewhere you'd like to stay, so I will have Logon give you the room next to his. In the morning, Scott will be outside your door tomorrow morning to show you around and answer any questions," said the Professor pointing to a tall man with red glasses.

"What if I don't want to stay here? After all you did keep me locked up after basically abducting me from my, albeit disgusting, home."

"With most cases, I would tell you that you could leave this building at any time and move on in your own life, but in your case, I will have to keep you here perminently. Logon, could you please take Jack to his room? Welcome to Xavier's Institute Jack"
"I can't wait."

Jack spent the next night in solitude, and in the morning after having his breakfast with the other students, and going through the school with Scott, he followed Scott down to the garage and waited with him for the first class to arrive. The day was passed slowly, and so was the next until every day seemed to blur into one. He spent most days with Scott in the garage but sometimes convinced Ororo to allow him into the danger room to practice and was quickly becoming quite good. He could now create and control entire thunder storms without draining himself complete. Jack had never attempted an escape knowing that the Professor would never allow it. So he spent the better part of a year at the Institute and was slowly beginning to enjoy it.

It was July sixth when life at the Institute began to change. A boy of about seventeen or eighteen slowly walked down the gravel path to the front gates. He walked with an air of importance, as if he knew something which was still to come. Jack was the only person outside at the time so the boy made his way over.

"Who are you and what do you want with the institute?" questioned Jack

"You're new. I don't remember seeing you around when I left here. I am John Alderdyce and I would like to rejoin the school as an X-Man."

"Come with me." Jack led him down several halls until they were both standing outside the Professor's office. Even before Jack's hand had finished it's first knock a voice could be heard from inside, asking them to come in. The Professor was pacing around in front of his desk and smiled when John walked into the room.
"So, John, you have decided to come back to us."

"Yes sir, After spending time with Magneto I've realized that I was better off here."
Just as John turned to leave the Professor called back to him,

"John, I would like to read your mind before you get back into the swing of things."

Xavier slowly raised his hands around John's temples and when he was finished he dropped his hands with a smile and said quite calmly, "Welcome home Pyro."

As John rejoined Jack outside the door Jack commented,

"Pyro...does that mean you can create fire?"
"No, only control it. Now you know all about me, who are you and what, praytell, are your powers?"

"My name is Jack Farley, but call me Blaze, and I can create lightening. What a second, you can't create fire, but you can control it right?"

"Yes... Oh, I see where you're going with this."
"This could be the beginning of a great friendship."

John soon became an assistant teacher as well as Jack and was mostly helping out with the danger room.

Both would now practice together. Ororo, who was interested in watching these two agreed to operate the danger room. She would produce huge ferocious creature with varing intelligence. Jack would hold his hands to the sky and thunder would boom throughout the entire room. Two bolts of lightening would streak down to his outstreatched finger tips and into his hands. Jack would quickly create a ball and send the energy streaming towards a piece of wood in John's hand. The wood would immediately catch and John would create a blaze that would engulf both of them in a cloud of fire.

Together, the two could accomplish anything. They became known to both the faculty and the students as FireBlaze.