A litany of curses, using all the variety of swearing in several languages was going through his mind as Pyro gripped his boyfriend's hand, clinging to each other in terror in the back of the X-Plane during the unannounced ariel stunt display, dog fight and hurricane bonanza. The Australian wished he had not just thought this day could not get any worse. This was most definitely worse. He listened to the homing in of the missiles, dead on their tail. He knew Alex was concentrating on Jean, communicating telepathically to help her focus her telekinetic powers. He could feel rather than hear the conversation. The link between the two teenagers was strong, always present; rather surprising considering he had no telepathic abilities himself. Touch meant Alex shared everything, he felt no need for secrets with Pyro. It was a first for the mutant, he had always been alone even when he had family; now he was a team, partners, lovers. He then thought maybe Alex's bad mood last night could even be considered prophetic. The pissed off Ghost had almost demanded sex, after weeks of just touch, making out, escalating in the last few days to shared masturbation and blow jobs. Pyro had been happy to take things steady with his first proper relationship. He was not sure how everything just clicked, it was just good, perfect, real. Ghost was so guarded with his emotions, but he shared everything with Pyro. He did not doubt this openness. It was right, good, healing and cleansing for both broken boys.
...
The car of five escapees had arrived in Boston just after 9am, to find none of Bobby's family home. Probably a good thing, it gave the group time to calm down, relax and have a short respite until Logan had talked to Jean. Everyone had split up to do their own thing. In the family bathroom, the two boys had showered together and then crept to the basement to put their clothes into speed wash. Pyro had watched over as Ghost slept, wrapped in a towel in the laundry room until the drier cycle finished. Pyro had been happy to cuddle his exhausted boyfriend, musing on the fact that both boys could sleep anywhere, as they both had plenty of times in their pasts when there had been few comforts. They emerged when the Drake's arrived home and everything went to shit. Bobby's parent's did the expected and failed to support or embrace their son's gift. Ghost missed most of the action as he was half-asleep as the family scene played out and then the fact Ronny Drake squealed to the cops.
They had barely made it out of the door, all of them on guard to find themselves surrounded by gun-happy local cops. Cops who had shot Logan before he could explain anything. Pyro knew that giving up would see them locked up as terrorists, probably tortured as well. Alex's memories of being waterboarded played across his subconscious. He would not hand Ghost back to the bastards in power. Plus, it felt so good to let his power free. Each of them was dangerous in their own way, but Pyro's ability had been honed over the years to be a weapon to be wielded when all else failed. He knocked the cops down, the flash flame was enough to singe not incinerate. The cars exploded as flame touched inflammables.
Pyro was loosing himself, his control slipping as Ghost touched his ankle. Thoughts not his own filled his mind, bringing calm, control and the fact Jean and Storm were close. 'Naughty boy, playing without me.' Pyro looked down to see a smile on Ghost's face. He for one was happy to leave. All moved to the X-plane, Bobby stopping briefly to look at his family, one he now would have no contact with. His mother had made it plain, be a mutant or be family. Bobby could not quite believe the betrayal of his brother.
The fact, no one passed comment when Logan resurrected himself, the older mutant healed from what should have been a fatal gun-shot would to the head.
Bobby, Rogue and Logan paid no heed to the mutant sat in the plane behind Jean. Ghost saw the new guy in the plane and began a short conversation in German, knowledge from Jean meaning he instinctively knew the guy was a teleporter, a star of the Circuses and Fringe shows across Europe. "Hi Kurt or Nightcrawler, whatever. I'm Ghost. You're so cool! Tattoos, blue, a tail and you can teleport. I'm just a crummy empath. I want to be blue."
Pyro laughed at, adding "Maybe we should all go to Germany to join the circus. We ain't exactly welcome here in the good ol' US, anymore."
"Can it, Fireboy!" stated Logan as he settled into his seat. "Lets get out of here."
...
A small trail of blood trickled from Ghost's left nostril as he felt Jean lose herself to her power, like a raging inferno. Her telekinesis spiking as she ejected the other telepath from her mind. Pyro was also grabbing his head. He had to shield better. He pulled himself into his meditation routine, the plane would crash or not crash. The explosion had damaged the fuselage after Jean had managed to divert the second missile not to make a direct hit, Jean and Storm were now fighting to save the plane. Rogue had been saved by the new guy, who proved to brave and resourceful, but they were still falling in a flat spin, out of control.
The whole structure shuddered under another's power. Ghost spoke outloud, "Cool, are they the bad guy's?" Ghost recognised Magneto possibly the most famous mutant terrorist on the planet. Pyro was more caught up on the fact they had been missed being hamburger by the skin of their teeth. Their luck had changed. It was mutants united. No more good and bad. The government were now the enemy.
...
Jean talked over plans with the others as the kids made camp, lit a fire and settled down to eat and sleep. She really needed to talk to Ghost. Alex was moving at a tangent to the careful and safe path they had discussed. She had been a teenager. Any adult telling you to do something meant you did the exact opposite, except Alex was mature beyond his years. Alex, as soon as the adults left the mansion, had lost his virginity in a fit of anger. Anger fueled by the mountain of abuse and betrayal Alex had suffered in the past two years, well longer considering how his uncle had treated him. The boy needed counseling over his actions, but getting Charles, Scott and the kidnapped children back was top priority. That and stoping just what that General had planned with Cerebro. She also knew Pyro had acted extremely to protect Alex today. Bobby had lost his family and they were all now fugitives. Jean also squashed he unease over the spike in her powers. It was unnerving, almost alien. She went to the tent she was sharing with Ororo, she was bone tired. In the morning they would check the plane and make their way to Alkali Lake. She would have to make time to talk to each of the kids. All of them were in shock after the traumatic events of the past 24 hours.