"Torched"
Chapter 6: Burned
Later that evening, after Reed had collected the half in shock Luna for their dinner date in New York City, Johnny was wandering the Xavier Institute grounds.
He wasn't too surprised when he came upon Wolf, lying in one of the flowerbeds, looking up into the night sky. He'd been told by many of the other students that Wolf had more unusual habits than they could count, especially at night.
"I imagine that Professor Xavier doesn't like it when he finds out you've been lying in his flowerbeds." Johnny said, softly, figuring that she could hear him.
She did.
"I always clean up once I'm done." She said, sitting up. "What brings you out here?"
"I wanted to see if you're okay." Johnny lied. The truth was that he was DYING to spend some time alone with her.
"John won't hurt me, Johnny." Wolf reassured him. "He can't. My body automatically repairs itself if I'm injured or sick. I inherited it from my father, who has the same ability."
"He seems a little, unstable to me." Johnny confessed.
Wolf looked sad. "I think he's always been that way." She replied, turning from him. "I thought I could change him…help him…instead, I lost him." She looked ready to cry. "I keep wondering what could I have done to keep him? Could I have changed him if I worked harder at it?" She sank back down into the flowerbed, sobbing. "Where did I go wrong?"
Johnny looked around for signs of Logan and then carefully approached Wolf and then, on impulse and because he really felt a little sorry for her, he put his arm around her shoulders and let her cry on his shoulder.
Wolf cried for a good 10 minutes before she sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said. "I shouldn't still be feeling this way about him. It's obvious to me that John never cared for anybody but himself. If he did give a damn, he would never have hurt Luna, because he knows that she means everything to me. She and Dad ARE my family. He knew that. And he didn't care, so he burned Luna and left me." Wolf sounded bitter now and angry.
"What a jerk." Johnny said, softly. "I'd like to have a few words with him."
Suddenly a fireball came out of nowhere and nearly hit Wolf. Johnny sprang into action and pushed Wolf down into the dirt, covering her with his body.
"What the hell?" he snarled, looking around. "Who threw that?"
He really shouldn't have asked, because there was a familiar clicking noise coming from behind him.
Johnny sat up and spotted John, who was smiling smugly. Then, he threw another fireball at Johnny.
Johnny wasted no time. "FLAME ON!" he shouted, deflecting the fireball before it could hurt Wolf or do major damage.
"Freak." John snapped, igniting a flame stream. "How dare you make a move on MY girl."
"You son of a bitch!" Wolf snapped, jumping to her feet. "You never cared about me or my feelings! If you had, you'd have left Luna alone and at least had the decency to say good-bye when you left me!"
"Wolf, please, stay out of this. You might get hurt!" Johnny warned.
Wolf ignored him and then stood between them, still yelling at John. "I will never be your girl again! How could you do this to me, John? I thought you cared for me! Was it all a joke to you? Was it, John?" WAS IT?"
John smirked.
Wolf was furious and her bone claws came out, but before she dove on John, Johnny 'flamed off' and put his hands on her shoulders. "Wolf, let it go."
She nodded and retracted her claws, shrugging off Johnny's hands and turning to go back inside.
Suddenly, there was a "click" of John's lighter, a whoosh of flame and then, Wolf was screaming and Johnny was shrieking.
"WOLF! NO!"