Billy

"Oh, man!" Rake exclaimed in annoyance. "This is the fourth town and still no action! Don't bigots believe in organizing themselves anymore?"

"They're getting smart," Pyro said. "They know we're targeting them so they've gone underground."

"Well, that's just great. What are we gonna do now? I'm sick of driving."

"What about a detour?" Summon suggested. "Hey, Rumble." He nudged the mutant sitting beside him. "Got any ideas?"

Rumble simply stared out the window of the van. "No."

Pyro looked back at him with a frown, but he didn't say anything. "Over there," he spoke to Rake instead. He pointed to a bar they were driving past. "Let's have a few drinks."

They stopped and got out. As soon as they walked into the place, an uneasy silence came over the customers. The barkeeper grabbed a shotgun and aimed it at Spine who hadn't bothered to retract his quills. "We don't serve your kind here," he said.

"Shard," Pyro glanced at the girl standing on his left, "teach the man a few lessons in customer service."

Crystal blades appeared in her hands. She twirled them and grinned at the human.

A few minutes later and they were the only people left in the bar. While Battle and Rake tried to get the jukebox to work, the two girls and Summon experimented on creating a new cocktail. Spine played darts. Pyro grabbed Rumble by the collar of his jacket and dragged him outside through the back into the alley.

"All right. What the hell's up with you?" he wanted to know. "You've been acting like a fucking pussy for the past few days."

He wouldn't meet Pyro's eyes. "Nothing. I'm fine."

Pyro smacked him on the head. "Bullshit!"

"I said I'm fine!" The ground shifted underneath Pyro's feet.

The fire manipulator smiled coldly. "Really?"

Rumble sighed. "Okay," he admitted. "I've been off lately. It's because I've been thinking about stuff." Pyro didn't react so he went on talking. "I've been thinking - that I don't wanna do this anymore. I want out."

"Why?" Pyro's voice was dangerously quiet.

"I don't like what we're doing anymore," Rumble explained. "I don't mean about the FOH. It's about the other things we've done. For fuck's sake, Battle ripped off his father's head! Spine killed his parents, Summon killed his mom and sister, Rake carved up that girl! Shard and Necro, - I don't even wanna think about what those two bitches did to their families! It's not what we're about!"

"And what are we supposed to be about?" Pyro asked.

"Soldiers! That's what you said we were supposed to be!" Rumble's expression was stormy. "You said we were gonna be soldiers. But you lied to us! You didn't train us to be soldiers! You just turned us into killers!"

Pyro moved very quickly and slammed him against the wall. "I would be very careful about what I'm gonna say next if I were you," he told Rumble through gritted teeth. He yelled in surprise when the ground suddenly gave way beneath him and he lost his balance.

Rumble kicked him. "Fuck you! I'm not taking orders from you anymore." He started to walk away.

"You little shit!" Pyro stood up again. "Come back here! Rumble!" He switched his igniters on and threw a fireball at Rumble's retreating back. Rumble dodged it and he used his power to chuck a slab of concrete at the other mutant. Pyro grunted in pain when the slab hit him on the stomach.

"My name is Billy," Rumble said. "And you can go to hell."

Pyro got back on his feet with a roar of fury. "You're dead!" Rumble flipped him off and made the ground open and trap his leg. He then broke into a run while Pyro cursed and tried to free himself.

The others came out into the alley then. "What's happening?" Necro asked. "We heard fighting."

"We have a traitor," Pyro said. "Hunt him down."

Battle punched the concrete to free Pyro's leg and they all went after their old comrade.

"Oh, Billy boy!" Pyro shouted as he ran. "Where are you?"

He hadn't gone far. They were able to track him down quite easily. He fought back as well as he could, but he couldn't defeat the seven of them. They finally cornered him and he glared at each of them defiantly. "Go ahead. Kill me, you fuckers!"

"If you insist," Pyro said.

When they were through with him, there was nothing left that was recognizable as having once been a person. "So long, Billy," Pyro spat. "We're really gonna miss you." He turned and walked away. The rest followed his lead.

No one looked back.

the end