A/N: Yo. Still no internet, so thank you work for free wifi. Let you know when something changes.

OOOOOOOOO

Logan climbed out of his truck and looked around the bus depot. He'd been able to track Scarlet to this place with the help of the Professor and a headset. He tossed the headset into the truck and moved among the small crowd of people there. His nose twitched and he smelled Scarlet.

She was ditching her motorcycle and grabbing her bag. Her eyes lifted to meet his as he approached her and she put her hand up.

"Don't think about stopping me," she warned. "Just shut up and go back to the school. Let me go."

"No," Logan said, blocking her path. "I'm not letting you go off into the world because you had an accident."

"Right, accident." Scarlet rolled her eyes and tried to move past him. "All that I am is an accident. And every time my powers fluctuate, there's another accident. And another and another…"

"Maria, you're allowed to be human," Logan stated. "Humans make mistakes all the time."

Scarlet's red eyes blazed. "But I'm not fucking human, Logan! I'm a monster designed by my father and a mother that never wanted me. I take the gifts of others and make them mine, but do I do it in a safe way? No! I have fucking accidents that hurt others and – and I'm better off alone!"

Logan put his hands on her shoulders, gripping tightly. "You're not a monster, Maria."

"Stop calling me that," Scarlet ordered, her voice breaking. "My name is…my name is…"

The teenager tried pushing him away, but Logan remained unmovable. He saw the angry tears in her eyes.

Her powers still aren't working properly, he realized. She can only fight so much…

"You need to let me go," Scarlet said, pushing at him. "I'm not about to go back to that school and hurt another kid."

"And where do you think you're going to go?" Logan asked, looking down at her. "Because if you think about it, you're still a kid yourself."

Scarlet gave him a dark look. "No."

"Yes. You're sixteen. You need to finish school and go to prom and do whatever other shit that normal kids do." Logan squeezed her arms. "Do you really think I'm going to sit by and let you miss you out on that shit?"

"Yes," Scarlet said, trying to pull away now.

"Wrong." Logan held her in place. "Even if you manage to get on that bus, I'm going to bring you back to the mansion. I'll do it again and again. I'll keep bringing you back to the mansion until you get it through that thick head of yours, that that's where you belong."

Scarlet stared up into his eyes and growled. "Why the fuck won't you make this easy for me? I hurt those kids. You should be kicking me out and forgetting about me. That's what everyone else does."

Logan shook his head. "I'm not going to."

"Why the fuck not?"

"You know the fuck why," Logan said, looking at her hard.

Scarlet glared at him and tried to move out of his grip. "Too bad."

Logan pulled her flush against him and kissed her with all the passion that he could muster. Scarlet tensed up for a moment, but then melted against him. He felt her throw her arms around his neck and she kissed him back. Logan pulled back when breathing became necessary and rested his forehead against hers.

"I am not letting you go," Logan murmured to her, looking her in the eye. "The kid's not hurt as bad as you think…and even if they were, you'd still have a place at the mansion…Just have some more practice with your powers…"

"Forever the babysitter," Scarlet whispered, a little playful lilt to her voice. She took a deep breath. "There's nothing I can say that will make you let me go?"

"Not a chance, darling," Logan said, holding her close.

Scarlet's eyes shifted. "It would be so much easier if you let me go."

"It would be so much easier if you would just accept that you're not going anywhere. Think of your schooling. Think of your friends and sister. Think of…"

"You?" Scarlet asked, looking at him again. "You want me to think of you?"

Logan said nothing, but maybe he didn't have to. Scarlet laughed a little bit and stroked the back of his neck. Logan's phone decided to go off in his pocket and he groaned.

"Answer it," Scarlet ordered, pulling her arms back. "It's probably important."

Logan sighed when he saw Jean's number on the screen. "Yeah?"

"Logan, wherever you are, you need to get your ass back here," Jean said, sounding upset. "John escaped. He's set the school on fire and students are trapped."

"I'll be right there," Logan told her before hanging up.

He didn't have to ask if Scarlet had heard. The look on her face told her that she had. "So, are you coming or am I dragging you home?"

Scarlet gripped his hand and pulled him after her. "You won't make it back in time to keep the mansion from collapsing into an ashen heap. So come with me."

She waved her hand and the world spun, taking them to the mansion before he could say another word.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Scarlet stared at the mansion that she'd been to at two points of her life. She couldn't believe that the giant, beautiful building was totally engulfed in flames and that ash covered people were coming from within it. The adults were trying to control the scene and count the heads of the students that were there. Scarlet heard nothing as she stared at the flames, the world had gone silent.

I can save the mansion…I can save the kids…but at what cost?

Scarlet broke away from Logan and ran towards the burning building, her right hand outstretched. Fire streamed into her hand and was consumed by her body. Her eyes turned black and she felt the fire course through her entire body, her brow coated in sweat almost immediately. She renewed the things that had been damaged by flames and went from room to room, looking for students who hadn't made it out.

I wonder if scarlet forget-me-nots will appear if something bad happens to me because of this? Will the students remember me as a friend or foe?

Scarlet knew she had told the students she found to follow the glowing orb that she'd created to safety. She just couldn't hear her words. All she heard was her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Everything was moving in slow motion and she saw a pulsing ring of black around her vision.

Stay conscious…keep moving forward…save the mansion…save the kiddies…

"Scarlet!" Leticia's voice broke the world of silence. "Scarlet, help!"

"Leticia, hold on!" Scarlet called out, rushing from one floor to the next. "Leticia, keep calling for me! I'll find you by the sound of your voice!"

"Scarlet!"

Scarlet found the girl, curled under a table in the hall, looking petrified. Scarlet knelt next to her and offered a wan smile. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm going to get you out of here."

Leticia's eyes widened as she glanced beyond Scarlet. "Scarlet, look out!"

The teenager spun around on her toes and caught the wave of fire that was sent her way. This felt hotter than normal and she let out a small cry. She blinked past the brightness and saw the person that had caused all this damage.

"Pyro!" she growled, grinding her teeth together.

Pyro stood several feet away from her with a fireball in one of his hands and a stream of fire blasting towards her in the other. He smirked at her as he played with his fire and his eyes reflected the fire inside.

"Hey bitch," Pyro said, keeping the stream going at her. "Did you miss me?"

Scarlet growled. "No chance in hell."

"Good because I didn't miss you either," Pyro stated bluntly. "I've been forgotten in that little box that they put me in, but I found the weak spot. The way out. And here I am, taking down the one problem that has been a thorn in my side ever since she came to the school. Because I've finally found her weakness."

"Don't." Scarlet blocked Leticia from the blast of fire that he sent in her direction. "At least let Leticia get out of here, Pyro. This fight is between me and you."

Pyro laughed coldly. "I don't think so. If there's casualties, who gives a damn?"

Scarlet rose to her feet after encasing Leticia in a bubble. "I do." She threw her hand out behind her and Leticia vanished with a pop. "And I'm not going to go down easy."

"Oh yeah?" Pyro's threw the fireball at her and Scarlet had no choice but to use her left hand to catch it before it could damage the place she'd called home. "How much fire can you absorb before you overheat and die? Because, sweetheart, I can keep going all day and you, you can't handle me at my best."

Scarlet ground her teeth together and saw that her right arm was trembling. The living flames in her skin were moving as she absorbed more and more flame and she was beginning to feel hot, sluggish. The sound cut out again as she fell to one knee, holding her hand out and up becoming harder.

Hold on a little longer…hold on…don't pass out…you pass out, you're dead…and you'll never know what it's like to be with Logan for real…

The girl's eyes shifted to gold as she continued to absorb more fire and she screamed. Scarlet's other knee gave out and she tried sending ice back towards the bastard. Pyro moved closer to her and Scarlet threw him to the side with her telekinesis. The break in the fire from him was not enough to help her, she realized, but there was nothing she could do.

I'm going to die…but he's coming with me…no, I have a better plan…

Scarlet waved her hand and a thick metal ring appeared around Pyro's throat. The fire in his hands was immediately cut off. He tried to ignite it again, but there wasn't even a spark. He looked at Scarlet in horror.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" he demanded.

Scarlet took a shaky breath as she leaned back against the wall. "P-power dampener…you're not going to be able to take it off or use your powers ever again." She let out a little laugh. "Now you don't need a cage, but I'm sure you're going to a really nice one after what you've done."

"Take it off of me!" Pyro ordered, moving towards her.

Scarlet shook her head with a smile on her face. "I don't have the key."

"You are the fucking key," Pyro spat at her. "Take it off of me! Give me my powers back!"

"Or you'll what? Kill me?" Scarlet rolled her golden eyes. "Sorry cupcake. You don't get to see that day."

Pyro flipped out a pocket knife and moved towards her. Scarlet saw a shadow move behind him as he brought the knife closer and closed her eyes. Warm blood speckled her face as something heavy hit the floor at her feet.

"Maria," Logan's voice said under the screams of Pyro.

Scarlet opened her eyes partially and saw the hazy form of Logan. She lifted her hand again and took in the last of the fire, feeling it fill her from foot to the crown of her head. Her hand trembled and fell to her lap as she was embraced by darkness and heat.

So this is what hell feels like…

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: And we're going to stop it there, but know this…I'm evil and have the next chapter already typed up. Bye!