Hey, I feel like the last chapter had a sort of rushed ending. I apologize. I hope this turned out a little better but I have always been my worst critic.

Aalene turned around to face the speaker and was surprised to find Pyro standing there, his hands in his pockets. She wasn't sure whether to greet him or attack him. His hands were in his pockets, making him seem rather harmless. But maybe he was trying to deceive her.

"Well, if you aren't going to be courteous enough to say hello, I'll just get on with it and tell you why I'm here." Pyro walked casually over to a rosebush and plucked a rose off with arrogance and held it out to Aalene with a smirk.

Giving him a look, which clearly told him to watch his step, Aalene accepted the flower. "If you are going to get on with it, then just do it. Stop wasting my time with your silly tokens of reconciliation." The girl narrowed her eyes at the boy before her. She didn't trust him and she was beginning to grow impatient and irritable.

Pyro could feel that feeling again. The growing attraction to that wit, that attitude. That dangerous attraction. "Who said it was a token of reconciliation? Really, what we did in the bank was just some friendly sparring. Had it been anything else, you'd be dead."

"Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Time being wasted." Aalene rolled her eyes and pointed to an imaginary watch on her wrist. "Make this quick, hot shot. I really need to get out of here."

Yes, he had noticed her nervous behavior-her frequent paranoid glances over her shoulder. Something must've gone wrong at the school. Perfect. "Here's the deal, Aalene. A friend of mine needs your help."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, you see, he got that damn cure and it managed to dampen his abilities." Pyro tried to explain the best he could in the time that he had.

"Dampen?" Suddenly, Aalene remembered Marie's-or rather, Rogue's-incident in the hallway and the puzzle pieces in her mine were falling into place. "Oh my god, the cure isn't working, long-term."

Nodding, Pyro continued. "However, he got four doses from those bastards so his power is really weakened." He looked at Aalene, wondering if she could figure out the rest of the plan without him having to tell her.

"And where do I come in?"

To be perfectly honest, Pyro was disappointed but he replied anyway. "I think if you harness enough energy and then transfer it into Magneto, he'll get his power back. Possibly more than he had, originally." Just talking about his plan, made Pyro excited.

Still not convinced, Aalene was suddenly a little uncomfortable. "Magneto? I-I don't know. He does some pretty wild stuff and I'm not sure if-,"

"If what? Those stupid people would agree?" Pyro pointed to the school with disgust and disdain. "Look, Aalene. Those people don't trust your or respect you. They're probably already trying to control what you are. Do you want that?"

Aalene hesitated.

"You have to know where your loyalties lay, Aalene. With them?" He once again directed her attention back to the school. "Or with me. Us. The Brotherhood." He held out his hand. "We all want the same thing. To live without fear."

It was a big decision to make. That morning, Aalene had almost controlled her dark side. That growing tumor that plagued her. And now, someone was giving her a chance to unleash that side and become what she really was. Tap into her potential she'd most likely never reach if Storm held her back like John said she would. And it was tempting, the bit about living without fear.

"Alright." Aalene went into her pocket and pulled out the lighter. She placed it in Pyro's outstretched palm and then placed her hand on top of it. "Come on, we may need to hurry." Looking around desperately for an electric device of some kind, Aalene found an abandoned cell phone. She gripped it tightly and drained all the energy she could from it. "I think that should be enough for flight. Where to, John?"

Pyro smiled. There it was again. This girl was intoxicating to him. "Well, Magneto wants to make use of our old base. I'll show you the way."

Despite herself, Aalene smiled as well. "I don't know…Can I trust you, John?"

"Absolutely, Aalene."

It took a moment for Warren to recover from the blast. He could see people running towards him-Marie and Kitty. Their faces were the definition of concern as they knelt down beside him.

"Are you okay?" Kitty was staring at the wound in his right shoulder, nose wrinkling at the sight of all the blood. "What happened?"

Warren still felt a little disoriented from Aalene's violent outburst. "I don't know. Aalene just suddenly got angry and shot me with all the energy she stole from the lights. I just wanted to talk to her." He finally took a good look at the wound on his shoulder and groaned. "I hate blood."

Under any other circumstances, Marie might have laughed but she figured it probably wasn't an appropriate time. "I'm going to go get Logan." She got up and ran back down the hallway, in search of her old friend.

Kitty stayed with Warren, anger building up inside of her. "I knew it. I knew she was no good. Look at what she's done!" Her pretty face scrunched up as she mulled over Aalene's actions.

Reaching out to take Kitty's hand, Warren tried his best to give it an encouraging squeeze. "Don't think that way. She'll come around." He gave a small smile.

That was Warren. He always believed that there was true goodness in everyone. That was why he had saved his father's life. Despite everything the man had put him through; Warren's belief in human goodness had won out overall. And now, this girl had blasted him with enough power to kill him, and he thought time would bring her around. Though the circumstances were solemn, Kitty let a small giggle escape.

"Hold on, Warren. Logan's coming."

Smiling, Warren stared at Kitty for a moment, before his eyes started to close.

"Warren! Warren, come on!" Kitty shook her friend, frantically. "Stay awake. You're losing a lot of blood but just try to stay conscious, okay?" She held onto his hand with desperation and turned around to where Marie had disappeared. "God, just hurry! Someone hurry!"

Pyro wanted to give a cry of excitement-or puke. And he really wasn't sure which. On one hand, he was amazed at hovering so high above all the buildings and people, and on the other hand, he was starting to wish he hadn't had a chicken fajita for lunch.

Seeming to sense his mixed feelings, Aalene lowered her altitude a little and looked at him. "Are we close?" Her eyes were trained on the scenery below. What was she looking for? A menacing fortress? Or was that way too obvious?

"It's underground. You'll have to land in a few minutes." Pyro was relieved to say it because Aalene was starting to look tired.

And alas, Aalene was starting to tire and was relieved as well. She stole a glance at her companion and let a small smile slip. She felt a little foolish. After he had kicked her ass at the bank, she had trusted him enough to follow him to some strange "base", where Magneto awaited her arrival. Maybe it was crazy…but everyone had always called Aalene crazy, anyway.

Within a few minutes, Pyro pointed at the ground. "There. Try to land in that clearing."

Aalene nodded, locking her sights on the small clearing about two hundred feet below her. Glancing at Pyro, she gave an evil little smile. "Hold on, tight, Pyro." Without anymore warning, Aalene dove towards the ground below, pulling up only a few feet off the ground and gently descending onto the dirt. "And here we are."

Trying to pretend like he hadn't just been scared to death, Pyro pompously walked around the clearing. "There was a rock here somewhere. If you push it down, there's an opening in a tree."

Skeptically, Aalene helped Pyro look. "How Scooby-Doo," She observed. As she continued to walk, she felt a rock press down beneath her foot, and a tree beside her revealed a door. "Oops, I found it."

"How Daphne." Pyro remarked sarcastically, and led Aalene into the tree.

It was small inside. To Aalene's surprise, there was no grand room that it opened up to. Nothing that resembled in air craft hangar like she would've guessed. It was a small space, the size of a closet. "Alrighty then. Impressive 'base'."

Laughing at her, Pyro pushed a button on the side of the wall. The compartment started to descend. "It's an elevator, Aalene."

Aalene pursed her lips as the elevator made its way lower and lower beneath the surface. Suddenly she was starting to wonder if she'd done the right thing. Well, obviously it wasn't the right thing. But she thought maybe it wasn't the smartest thing. Nervousness was trying to get to her and she moved a little closer to Pyro. He wasn't great moral support but at least he was something.

Noticing Aalene's nervousness, and that she had moved a little closer, put a smile on Pyro's face. He remembered when he had been like that. Just a little bit self-conscious around a master of mutants like Magneto.

As the ride grew longer and longer, Pyro took the opportunity to study Aalene just a little closer. The light in the elevator was dim but he could get a pretty good idea. Her hair was a little unconventional but being a mutant, her whole existence was unconventional. He loved how she wore an open weave sweater over a risqué-looking tank top, giving a vibe of aloof sexuality. He noticed, really noticed, that her pants were a little tight.

Finally, the doors slid open and opened up to an impressively high tech facility. "So this is the base." Aalene said, her voice a little hushed with awe.

"Welcome home, Pyro. And it seems you've brought back a friend!" Eric Lenssher, who was hoping he could once again call himself 'Magneto', stepped forward.

Pyro smiled with pride and stepped forward to stand beside his mentor. Aalene remained where she stood, trying her best to be strong and unafraid. "Magneto, sir." She managed.

Waving his hand in the air, as if to dismiss her words, Magneto laughed. "Dear, don't bother with formalities, here. There's way to much to be done." He smiled warmly as he looked into her eyes. "Now, what can you do, exactly?"

Anxiety dissipating just a little bit, Aalene walked over to a particular control panel and concentrated on its energy. Within seconds, she had sucked it dry. Closing her eyes, she found her center and sent the energy across the room in a magnificent blast. When she opened her eyes again, Magneto's warm smile had become an overjoyed grin.

Proud of herself, Aalene glanced at Pyro for a moment, feeling, for some reason, a need to impress him.

Magneto quickly noticed this and began to speak again. "Now, I need to know that you will follow me, no matter what. I need faithful followers and I need you to do whatever I say without questioning my reasons, understood?"

Hesitantly, Aalene nodded.

"Alright, then." Magneto said with mischief in his eyes. "Kill Pyro."

Taken aback, Aalene just stared at the man and then down at her hands, and then at Pyro. She was at a complete loss, but one thing was for sure. She just couldn't do it.

Expecting this response, Magneto gave a laugh that had a solemn ring to it. "Child, it is not wise to show one's weakness so early in the game."

Not knowing what to say, Aalene just looked at Pyro who was looking back with a similar expression.

What kind of dangerous game was Aalene playing?