Legacy
It was deathly cold outside, but it didn't matter. Not to someone who could control fire. He felt warm enough. He walked through the rusted steel gates, the gravel underneath his feet making music with his foot steps. He knew which way to go. He had gone on the same trail for months, always remembering where to go. The place. Her place. It took him about five minutes to get there.
It didn't seem too crowded today. It wouldn't be, since it was Thursday. He came here whenever he had free time. Which was a lot lately. The world had changed so much from the way it was just a mere six months ago. Six months ago, he had been a key member of the Brotherhood. Magneto's right hand man. Six months ago he believed all the speeches, all the words that came out of his mouth. Six months ago, he thought he was superior to everyone else. Now everything was different, everything felt empty. Because it had only been six months since she was alive.
"Today, the President will address the nation. He will answer all questions regarding this rising crisis. What scientists seem to be calling the Legacy Virus. A result of the cure that was developed months back, it feeds off of the Mutant X gene and spreads into the rest of the bloodstream. Few cases have started to come up and everyone's wondering if it will become a widespread epidemic…"
Pyro couldn't listen to it anymore. He shut the radio off as he drove through the empty streets of Manchester. He didn't know what he was doing there; he should be in New York, doing what Magneto had asked him to. Instead, he found himself driving past the one place he thought he would never return to. The Mansion. Xavier's school for Gifted Youngsters. A place he used to call home.
The memories still pained him. Driving past that house all those nights. He had heard through the mutant underground that one of the X-Men had contracted the virus. At first, he found it funny. That they were finally getting what was coming to them.Then, he had heard who it was, from picking up part of Blob's conversation one day while he was talking to Wanda.
"You hear one of the X-Men has the virus!" Blob said as he stuffed a slice of pizza into his mouth, whole. The room echoed with Wanda's laughter. It was high pitched and shrill and gave Pyro goose bumps. Pyro pretended to be looking through a pile of papers for something, so that he could hear the conversation.
"That's hilarious. Do you know which one it is?" Wanda asked, as she was trying to catch her breath. Blob stuffed more food into his mouth before he continued.
"Oh...what's her name…that one that can walk through walls?" Blob asked and once again Wanda began to laugh. However, Pyro stood frozen. Kitty. She had gotten the virus. The virus that kills within weeks, sometimes even days. He couldn't believe it. He had known her from when he lived at the Mansion. When he had dreams of someday becoming an X-Man. He stood suddenly and left through the door. He had to get to the Mansion.
Pyro kept on walking on the path, awaiting when his destination would appear. It felt like it was getting colder and colder the closer he got to it. He made this trip often, but he was still hoping that maybe once he got there, it would be gone. That it had all been a terrible dream.
The sun was shinning outside. He parked his car on the street, so he wouldn't attract attention to himself. He wasn't exactly wanted here. He walked up to one of the walls surrounding the school and climbed over it. He looked around himself and in the distance was a small figure of a girl. There she was. Over by the fountain, sitting on a bench. All alone. She looked sick, even from here. She looked frail, and pale and small. Before he could think of something to change his mind, he started walking towards her. He was mere feet away from her in seconds, wishing he could reach out and touch her. Instead, he took a deep breath and said her name.
"Kitty?"
It was in sight. His least and most favorite place to be. Surrounded by willow trees and blowing wind. He took a deep breath and sat down. Sometimes he talked for hours; sometimes he just sat and stared. Sometimes, though not admittedly, he cried. He didn't know which it would be today.
She turned to look at him, surprise and a hint of fear in her eyes. Then, she did something he didn't expect. She turned away from him. Wasn't she scared? This was Pyro. Right hand man of Magneto. He was evil. Why was she so passive of him? Was it because of the virus? Then, he didn't something he did not expect himself to do. He sat down next to her. There was silence for a long moment, surely long enough to make Pyro question why he was there.
"I uh…I heard about the virus…" He said, quietly. He wasn't sure she would talk to him about it. Why would she? She turned to him and gave him a weak smile.
"Do you remember that one day when I stole your lighter from you?" She said, her eyes sparkling. Talking like she completely didn't hear what he had said. He was shocked; he hadn't expected her to sound so…happy. He was caught off guard. He thought back, long and hard.
"Yeah. Yeah I do. I chased you through the entire school until you phased through the wall and went outside. Then, I tackled you." Pyro said, leaving out one key part of the story. However, Kitty laughed and unconsciously Pyro laughed too. He was in awe. She hadn't once given him a dirty look or questioned him on his motives. She just sat with him and laughed. He wished he could be like her. Carefree in a careful world.
"You forgot the part where you kissed me." Kitty said with a smile on her face. Pyro's cheeks began to redden and his breath shallow.
"I didn't forget it…I just…didn't say it." He said, with a nervous smile. He looked at her. At the circles under her eyes and the fading color in her skin and his heart broke.
"John?" She said. He looked up and met her eyes. He hadn't heard his real name in so long. She looked hollow. As if she was hiding all her thoughts and feelings behind her smile. He gave a comforting look. He knew she wasn't coming back from this, he didn't want to believe it but it was true. Everyone who had gotten the virus had died from it. No survivors. They just stared into each others eyes forever. He could see all the pain in them if he looked hard enough. Surprisingly, he was the one who broke first.
"God Kitty, I'm so sorry." He said as he buried his head in the crux of her neck. His strong arms went around her small body too easily. She hugged him back, and he could practically feel all the bones in her body. He had tried to be strong, but he couldn't stand her looking so weak.
In just a few short moments, he regretted everything. He regretted leaving the Mansion and going with Magneto. He wished he could go back and relive everything so that he could change everything. He wished he had never left her. A voice in the distance broke them apart.
"Kitty?" It was Bobby. With that, John knew it was time to leave. If Bobby caught him here, there would be a mess. John didn't want that to happen in front of Kitty, not when she was like this. He looked at her with wide eyes, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. She knew he had to leave. He leaned quickly and captured her lips with his. She felt warm; but slightly cold at the same time. It wasn't a long passionate kiss, it was small and savory. Like they were telling each other a beloved story or a dark secret. When John pulled away, he took one last look at her and stood up. She gave him a small half-smile.
"Bye John." She said quietly. He looked at her for a few more seconds and then turned his back. A silent tear fell down his cheek as he walked away from her, knowing it would be the last time they would see each other.
John sat down in front of a large gravestone. He stared at it momentarily then lifted his right hand to trace the carved letters.
X
Katherine Pryde
1989-2006
He sat for hours looking at the letters or out into the sky. When the sun started to set, he finally decided to leave. When he stood, he reached his hand into the sleeve of his jacket and tore something off of his wrist. He placed it carefully next to the gravestone. It was a plastic wrist band from the local hospital. Among all the health information that was scribbled on it, were two things that were the easiest to read. One was his name. St. John Allerdyce. The second; Legacy Virus. John took one last look at the gravestone and gave a sad smile.
"See you soon."
The End