Is the devil so bad if he cries in his sleep, while the earth turns?
And his kids learned to say, "Fuck you," they don't love you
Does the devil get scared if she dies in her dreams, while the earth burns?
She cries 'cause she's nothing like you; is she like you?

- Devil Like Me, Rainbow Kitten Surprise

John and I stood in the shadows. Waiting. Watching.

The birthday party had long since ended, but we were still wide awake. After slowing my tears, John and I sat in silence for what must have been nearly an hour. I could hear my friends in the party, wondering where we disappeared to (followed by some very crude jokes about John and I missing at the same time). I didn't really care that I had ditched my own party; it felt tainted now anyway.

Finally, John had turned to me and aksed, "What can I do to make you feel less shitty?"

I shrugged, still wallowing in my own self-pity. "You can't, John. I just feel like a monster. I think tomorrow will be better."

"You're not a monster, Vi," John said. "You're a hero."

Of course, I didn't believe that for a second. Until John reminded me of all my 'heroics.' After listing a few stories off, he reminded me of how I used to spend my nights sneaking out and attacking people on the streets. Sure, it might not sound very heroic, but at least I had done something to try and save people. It was far better than using Apex to kill innocent people.

And with that memory, John finally realized what we could do to cheer me up. So without a word to anyone else, we snuck away from the party and towards the streets of New York. It was John's first time doing something like this, and I could sense the anticipation from him. I was also strangely nervous about doing this with him, as if this moment would only confirm to him that I truly was a monster. I had told him the basics, that I would search the streets until I found a mutant in danger, and allowed Apex to take care of the threat. I'm sure John knew that meant pain for the human, but I wasn't sure how he'd actually react when he saw it happen in front of him.

So here we stood, waiting for someone to come by who deserved to be punished. We were standing in the alley, on one of the sketchiest parts of the city. I knew that many mutants attended a support group in the area, and would often have to walk past us to get home. From our perspective, we'd be able to see mutants leave the building, and be prepared to stop anyone from hurting them.

"Why would they have a support group this late anyway?" John asked, his voice low. Just as he said it, the door opened, and the first mutant stepped out. He had green scales covering his body, with webbed fingers and bright yellow eyes. "Oh."

I did not need to explain it to him. It was too dangerous for some of these mutants to leave the house during the day.

We waited as people trickled out of the building, saying their goodbyes as they made their way home. At first, I started to think that the mutants had gotten lucky and no one would hassle them. But just as the thought popped into my head, I saw the figures lurking in the shadows, waiting for their opportunity to strike. Most of the mutants had left by this point, but there was one girl left. She was searching through her bag, unaware of her surroundings.

As they stepped out from the shadows, I realized that I recognized the men. Or, I recognized their scars. Thick puncture wounds in the shape of teeth and claw marks running across their skin. These were the first men I had ever attacked. Their wounds still hadn't fully healed. As they moved silently towards the woman, I wondered how stupid they could be to try to attack a helpless young woman again?

I realized that they must have noticed my absence. In the past month, I hadn't come to protect the streets, in the fear that Logan would find out. And here these thugs were, back to their old antics as if they've learned nothing.

From our spot, I could hear the men taunting the woman. I glanced at John. "Go."

"You're not coming with me?" John questioned. I cracked a smile.

"I will. I want you to have your fun first."

John nodded once, before stepping out of the alley. "Hey!" he yelled at the men. "Leave her alone!"

I watched from the shadows as John approached the men, holding his lighter in a clenched fist. There was another man in the group tonight; a man without any scars to prove that we'd met. I could also tell by the way the new guy laughed, while the others looked apprehensive, that he hadn't been taught the same lesson. "What're you going to do about it?" he taunted.

One of the other guys - the one with a bite wound on his shoulder - stepped forward. I had to tap into Apex's senses to hear that he was mumbling, "Watch yourself. You don't know what these people are capable of." The other dude shook him off.

John flicked open his lighter, a ball of fire appearing in his hands. "Do I really need to show you?" John asked, his voice coy and confident. The men paled, all stepping back, except for the one. He looked nervous, of course, but he still had that ignorant cockiness in his eyes that showed he didn't truly understand yet. He thought he was still somehow in power.

"Listen, we don't want any trouble," one of the guys pleaded, holding up his hands. "We're leaving, alright?"

The confident man looked torn; his defenses were falling back, but he clearly didn't want to give in to some teenager with a lighter. But unlike my powers, where you don't understand the danger until you have teeth sunk into your flesh, it was very easy to feel threatened by the guy that plays with fire. Everyone can imagine what it's like to be burned.

John looked like he wanted to follow, but was unsure. The guys didn't technically do anything, and there was no way they would circle back to hassle the girl again. It felt anticlimactic, but John wouldn't just hurt someone because he could... even if they were human.

I, on the other hand, wasn't about to let the men go so easily.

As the men neared my hiding spot, I stepped onto the street. Three of the men halted, instantly recognizing me, while the fourth barely even registered I was there until he was standing directly in front of me. He only stopped when he realized that his friends were no longer following him. He glanced back at them, confusion crossing his face. "What, we're scared of little girls now?"

"That's no a little girl," one of them whispered.

When he saw the pale appearance of his friends, realization dawned on the man. He stared at me, his eyes widening in a newfound fear. He took in my appearance; a petite brunette with a soft smile on her face... it wasn't exactly scary unless you were aware of what I could do. "This is her." It came out as more of a statement than a question.

"I thought I made myself clear," I said in a light voice. I took a step forward and the man took an equal step back. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

"W-we thought you were gone," one of the men stuttered out, as if it were a valid excuse for his actions. I flashed golden irises at them, allowing my hair to fade to black. John took a stance behind the group, a ball of fire appearing in his hands. He looked nervous, but eager; this was the type of change he always wanted to make.

"I'm never gone," I answered easily before allowing Apex to take control. At the same moment that my large paws hit the ground, a ring of fire encircled us, trapping us in. The men screamed, jumping back. They twisted around, searching for a way out. They knew that no matter what they did, they wouldn't be leaving from here unscathed.

Apex lunged forward at the only man without scars, latching hs teeth around his arm. He ripped back, tearing at his flesh and relishing in the sound of the man's screams. The other men tried to escape but the fire surrounding us roared even higher. They would have to choose between burns or bloodshed.

"Stop!"

The new voice made me pull back on Apex's control. Even John faltered, as we turned to look at its origin. It was the mutant girl. Her blue eyes were wide and terrified. We both stared at her in confusion. Didn't she knew we were helping her?

"I want you to stop!" There was a waver in her voice, as if she was scared to speak up to us. "This bloodshed... I don't want the violence."

We stood there for a moment longer, staring at the girl. Finally, John let his flames diminish and I let the fur shrink back into my skin. The men wasted no time in fleeing; they knew that they wouldn't have another opportunity like this.

I turned on the woman, shaking my head slowly. "We're trying to help you. Don't you know how many mutants are attacked by people like that? It's not safe for mutants. It never will be unless we finally stand up to them. You might not like violence until you're on the wrong side of it."

She raised her chin defiantly. "Torturing humans in the name of mutantkind is going to lead to nothing but pain on both sides. I know that you think you're doing the right thing, but you're not. You're just making them think we're all monsters."

"Trust me, they'll think that no matter how much good we do," John argued. He slipped his lighter in his pocket, coming to stand next to me. He looked somewhat disappointed that our fight had ended so early, but I could also sense his relief too. As much as John acted like the tough guy, I think he was shocked by how violent Apex could be.

The woman ignored him, instead meeting my eyes. "I know who you are. The wolf who stalks the streets at night and attacks any threat to mutants. People call you the Hellhound. Is that something that makes you proud?"

I stared at her for a moment longer, taking in her appearance. Out of all of the times I had done this, she was the only person to oppose. She was the only one to care, despite how gruesome the attacks had been in the past. She was different from the others though... she looked normal. If the girl hadn't left the support group, I'd have no idea she was a mutant. Had she blended in with the humans for so long that she wasn't able to see the lines drawn in the sand?

I wasn't going to argue with her and I sure as hell wasn't going to tell her how proud I was of my nickname. She reminded me of Charles Xavier; no matter how much the humans hated us, he would never blame them. It was the ignorance of never facing the wrath of a bully. "Okay," I said simply. I stepped back, letting her path.

The girl continued to stare at me, as if calculating my next move. Finally, she gave up and passed me by, never letting our eye contact break until she was far enough away that she knew I wouldn't attack her. And then, she turned the corner and disappeared. Even from where I was standing I could hear the sound of her feet hitting the pavement as she sprinted away.

"Why did you just let her say those things?" John asked, turning to look at me.

I shrugged easily as I looked up at him. "One day, she's going to be on the wrong side of a human. And when I'm not there to help her, she'll realize how wrong she was."

John nodded, letting the silence overcome us. We didn't need to say anything for us to realize that it was time we went back to the school. Usually I would just fly back, but since John's flying skills were lacking, I walked beside him. Eventually we would find a cab to hail, but in the moment we were just enjoying each other's presence. I could feel a headache start to blossom just behind my eye, but I did my best to ignore it.

As we walked, I stole silent glances at John. The night hadn't turned out anything how I had expected, but I was still okay with it. It must have been at least 3:00 am by this point, and the feeling of my birthday being over filled me with relief. I was just happy to be in this moment, walking next to John. For some reason, seeing his face filled me with hope. The previous day may have been horrible, but I knew that it would all work out in the end.

I never realized how wrong I was.

[X]

The one class I actually paid attention in was mutant studies.

It was the final class of the day, and I was surprised I had managed to stay awake. We hadn't made it back to our rooms until 5:00am, and I hardly caught any sleep before classes began. The headache I had developed the night before had only grown in intensity throughout the day. I had taken multiple Advil, but they didn't seem to be doing anything. Even so, the mutant studies class was so interesting that I figured I would be able to suffer through the headache so I could listen to the Professor speak.

We usually talked about the ethics of using our powers around humans, the history of mutants who have gone to 'the dark side,' and sometimes just the genetics of how mutants were created. Today, we were discussing the categorization of mutants. Humans have an annoying need to slap a label on everything, including us. Everyone seemed interested in the category they were put in, but I couldn't help the subtle rage burning in my gut. I knew the real reason humans wanted to separate us into neat little boxes. They want to separate the dangerous from the safe. The Professor spoke about it like it was harmless but I knew they wanted this information just so they could separate the strong from the weak and kill off any threats. For mutants, science breeds genocide, and it was ridiculous we acted like that wasn't the case.

"One form of categorization is the controversial Fight or Flight. Some people believe that we mutated to protect us from threats, whether that be to run from them, or to fight them. As you know, it's hard to fit us all perfectly into simple boxes." There was a soft smile on the Professor's face as he said it, and a few students shared knowing looks. "Even a mutant who can be categorized as a 'Flight' mutant can still deliver devastation if they use their powers to cause destruction."

My eyes immediately flitted to John's when I heard the word 'destruction.' To prove the Professor's point, he flipped open his lighter and sent a small ball of fire shooting onto my desk. The fire caught onto my notebook, and I immediately scrambled to put it out. I slapped my hand on the burning pages, scattering sparks and ashes across my desk. The corner of the book was burned, but then again, so were half of my posessions since I decided it would be fun to befriend a pyrotechnic.

"Ah, Violet, I'm happy to see you volunteer."

I lifted my head to see the Professor - and everyone else - staring at me with amusement glittering in his eyes. I had missed what he had said, but when Rogue gave me a gentle push from behind, I stood and walked awkwardly to the front of the room to stand next to the Professor. John was covering his mouth with a closed fist to stop his laughter. My face burned from the stares on me. Damn you, John.

"Violet's a perfect example of a mutant that doesn't fall perfectly into a singular category. Her ability to shapeshift allows her to change into both predator and prey. Whatever she chooses to transform into will either allow her to run from battle, or fight off her attacker," the Professor explained. He nodded to me, and I easily shifted into an eagle, flapping my wings to carry me over the Professor's head. After a few moments, I shifted into a wolf and bared my teeth at the class. "Good, Violet."

A few students looked impressed, and Calvin even gave me a loud cheer. Jay turned to his friend behind him, whispering "Oooh the Big Bad Wolf."

I fought back a snarl. I thought nearly killing him would be enough to get him to leave me alone, but apparently he had a hard time remembering his screams for help as I chased him down the hallway. I shook my head to rid myself of the memory. I wasn't sure what was wrong with me today; I shouldn't be having this much of a reaction to Jay's irritating personality. Maybe the lack of sleep was getting to me.

"Another volunteer!" the Professor exclaimed. "Jay, come join Violet at the front."

Jay seemed less embarrassed than I was as he strode confidently at the front of the classroom. He glanced down at me, a smug grin painted on his lips.

"Now, Jay would be a little easier to classify. The wings on his back allow him to quickly escape any dangerous situation. His healing abilities also protect him from any damage he takes during battle. For Jay, we'd classify him as a Flight mutant," the Professor explained. While I would be mortified to fall solely into the 'Flight' category, Jay stretched his wings proudly, flapping them to lift himself off the ground. He hovered in the air for a few seconds, before letting himself drop down to the ground. He shot me another smirk as the Professor droned on.

As the Professor spoke, I became acutely aware of the eyes on me. Watching me. Judging me. I could tell from their looks that they clearly hadn't forgotten what I had done the last time I had been so close to Jay. The exhaustion from the night before was taking a toll on me and the headache pounding against my skull was only amplified from transforming from an eagle directly into a wolf. I could feel Apex's presence grow stronger; whether it was from the anxiousness of being in front of the class, or the smell of Jay so close to me, he could sense that I needed protection.

He had been on edge all of yesterday, and clearly he still thought I was in danger. I hadn't yet forgotten the short losses of control where Apex seemed to take over for no reason. Whether it was the stress from my birthday or the lack of sleep, Apex clearly sensed a threat. And if I wouldn't remove myself from the situation, then he would do it for me.

I wasn't paying attention to the class anymore, all I could focus on was Apex fighting to get out. To truly show them what it meant to fight. To show them real power. It was like he was gnawing at the leash I had restrained him on, and if I didn't lock him away, he would break free.

I was too aware of his presence to transform back into my human form; one more transfromation could be the breaking point before Apex was unleashed. I wasn't sure if the person I'd transform into would be myself, or a killer. Professor was too caught up in his lecture to notice my tension, and all eyes were focused on him. I backed away slightly, hoping that the Professor would notice my internal battle and help me.

Jay leaned over, grinning down at me in an effort to show that he wasn't scared of me anymore. I could hear the spike in his heart rate and smell the fear seeping from his pores. It only intensfied Apex's growing hold on me. I was too focused on convincing myself that I could control Apex to notice what was happening before it was too late. Jay leaned over, his hand touching the top of my head as he ruffled my fur. "That's a good dog. Wanna play fetch?"

It was the last straw.

In the seconds before Apex took over, I realized three things. The first being that everything that I thought of Apex was wrong. I thought he had been a second personality - where all my anger and trauma went to simmer. I thought that with enough therapy and practice, I would be able to get rid of the anger. But I had been utterly and completely wrong. Apex wasn't my dark side. He was his own being; he was the personification of my power. He was a pack of animals, sick of being caged through all these years. He wanted out.

The second thing I realized was how stupid I had been to let Apex take control during fights. I thought I had him on a leash this entire time; I thought I was controlling him. But really, all I had done was teach him to fight - to cause the most amount of pain possible before going for the kill. He had gotten a taste of freedom - and blood - from our late night escapades, and he was no longer content to wait until dark to be released. Apex had watched me being beaten down again and again, and all this time he had been sharpening his claws and preparing for the moment he could avenge me. He remembered what Jay did to me. He remembered the Professor isolating me from John. He remembered the callous looks that everyone gave me. Apex remembered it all, and he did not practice restraint. And all this time I had tricked myself into believing that I had been teaching him control, when really I had been training him to be the perfect weapon. He would do exactly what I had taught him.

Finally, just as Apex broke free from his cage, and took control of my mind, I remembered what the Professor had told me weeks ago when he warned me about the dangers of letting Apex loose.

I'm worried that one day you'll think you have control, and he takes advantage of that.

He was right.

[X]

There was something wrong with Violet.

From the back of the room, John could see the change in her. He could see her eyes flickering to the people staring at her, shifting uncomfortably on her feet. He could see her zoning out, as if she were too focused on something going in side of her head to pay attention to her surroundings. He saw the way she tensed when Jay leaned over, a smug grin on his face as he pet her head, saying "That's a good dog. Wanna play fetch?"

And then, John wasn't able to recognize Violet at all. It was no longer Violet in control, but the wolf itself standing at the front of the room. It was Apex.

The Professor's face paled, as if he suddenly sensed the new presence in the room, but had been too preoccupied with the lecture to notice the internal battle of Violet trying to keep control. His mouth formed the word 'No,' just as Apex prepared to lunge. John stood, his lighter flicking open as fire shot from it faster than he could comprehend what he was doing. The fire landed between Apex and Jay in an explosive blaze, knocking the wolf back, and sending Jay falling forward. He let out a yell as he fell, spreading his wings as his instincts kicked in.

Jay shot forward, flapping his red wings to keep himself from hitting the ground. The wind from his wings caused the fire to roar, sweeping across the floor as it engulfed everything around him. One of his wings slammed into the Professor, knocking his wheelchair over. It all happened so fast that John could barely register the sight of the Professor falling, his head cracking on the desk next to him. His body went limp.

The people around him were screaming as the scene unfolded. No one knew what was happening; one second they were listening to the Professor's lecture, and now they were surrounded by flames.

Apex scrambled to his feet, backing away from the flames with a snarl on his face. John forced the fire to flare up, towering over the wolf to block him from getting to the Professor and Jay. John could hear Rogue screaming at him to stop, not realizing that the wolf at the front of the room was no longer her friend. Rogue grabbed his arm, ripping him backwards and breaking his concentration. The flames dimmed, just enough for Apex to launch himself into the air, shifting into an eagle mid-leap to carry himself over the wall of fire.

Apex landed on the floor, shifting into a grizzly bear as soon as his feet touched the ground. He let out a roar that made the screams of the students sound like whispers in comparison. His eyes landed on the motionless Professor laying on the ground. Something changed in his eyes as he stared at the man. Apex recognized him, and in the moment before he tore his long claws across the Professor's back, John realized that Apex didn't share the same level of respect that Violet had for Charles Xavier. To Apex, he was just another man trying to lock him in a cage.

The scene was carnage. Fire was quickly spreading across the room as Apex tore mercilessly into the Professor's limp body. John cared too much about stopping the attack to control the flames from spreading. Students screamed as they tried to race out of the room, trampling one another to be the first one out. The few students who were brave enough stayed behind to fight off Apex, but their powers seemed like more of a nuisance to him than a threat. Despite the wreckage that Apex was causing, they were still struggling with the idea of hurting their friend.

"Professor!" Kitty screamed, racing forward as Apex tore into the Professor's back with his massive teeth. Kitty leapt forward, phasing through the bear to the Professor's body. In an instant, they had disappeared through the floor, leaving only a pool of blood where he once lay. Apex let out another roar, angrily slashing at the ground where the Professor had been moments before. John ran forward, sliding to a stop in front of Apex.

"Violet, stop!" John begged, hoping whatever was left of Violet would recognize him. "Apex... you need to stop."

The bear roared, spraying blood and saliva across John's face and chest. He lifted his paw as John raised his arms to protect his face from the incoming blow. Apex hesitated, slowly lowering his paw as he sniffed at John. John was paralyzed, his eyes wide as he stared at the black face of the bear. He could tell that it wasn't Violet who recognized him, but Apex himself.

'You're his pack. He wouldn't ever hurt you.'

With a huff, Apex's gaze shifted to something behind John. In an instant, the bear shrank into a snow leopard. He darted past John, racing into the hallway. John cursed under his breath, chasing after Apex. It only took him a few seconds to make it into the hallway, but Apex was standing over Jay, slashing ferociously into his chest. Blood was pouring from his body, splattering against the walls and forming a pool around his. Jay was screaming, trying to slam his wings into Apex to knock him off. But the leopard was unrelenting. He was enjoying the screams from Jay as he struggled to get away. Apex raised his paw to deliver the final, fatal blow to Jay's exposed neck.

"Violet!" John yelled. His lighter flicked open and a ball of fire shot out, slamming into Apex's body and knocking him off Jay. The leopard hissed as he scrambled to his feet, searching around for the source of the fire. His fur was singed from the blow, and a patch of pink, burned skin peaked through the thick fur. John readied another flame in his hand, just as his eyes locked with Apex.

The flame died in John's hand as he stared into the leopard's wild gold eyes. He knew it was Apex and not Violet. He knew that the two were separate and that burning Apex was the only way of stopping him. And yet, he couldn't do it. Because all he saw when he looked in the eyes of the leopard was his best friend. He only saw her.

The others did not seem to share the same compassion.

A slurry of ice and snow shot out from behind John, piercing Apex's stomach. He shifted immediately into a massive polar bear, shaking off the snow and lumbering over to Bobby. Raising a massive paw, he roared again, spraying a mixture of blood and saliva from his mouth. Just as he was about to crash his paw into Bobby's head, Piotr came from behind, slamming Apex into the wall. The metal man had him pinned by his arms.

"Get Jay out!" Piotr ordered. Apex was wriggling against Piotr's grip, twisting around to bite at his metal coated arm. "I can't hold her for long."

A few students rushed forward to grab Jay to pull him to safety. He was unconscious now, and still bleeding heavily from his injuries. At the same moment, Rogue came up from behind, ripping her gloves from her hands. John could see how the scene would play out before anyone else. Apex's arms sunk into his body, his black fur shifting to scales. Piotr stumbled forward as his grip on Apex suddenly disappeared. Too slow to realize what was going on, he was unable to stop Apex from striking. Rogue let out a shriek as the cobra's teeth sunk into her calf.

Apex shifted, his eyes scanning the room. At once, he realized that his prey, Jay, was gone. And that made him unnaturally angry. He shifted again, into a cheetah. John knew he was preparing for a chase, and none of them were fast enough to catch him before he found Jay. John flicked open his lighter, sending a stream of fire to the ground in front of Apex. It erupted in front of him, crawling along the floor until it created a wall of flames between Apex and the path of blood leading to Jay.

Apex snarled, whirling around to face the group of teenagers who now had him backed into a corner. John felt his stomach drop as he stared into Apex's eyes. The animal was filled with nothing but a pure, unsatisfied rage. Any semblance of Violet had long since disappeared, and in her place remained a monster... the Hellhound. Now that Jay and the Professor had been taken from him, his only goal was to cause as much physical pain as possible.

Rogue was leaning heavily against Bobby, cradling her leg. Piotr was the one to step up to battle, blocking Apex from attacking the girl again. The cheetah leaned back onto his hind legs, as his fur grew longer and his body thickened. In a second, a silverback gorilla had appeared in the hallway. He looked almost amused as he waited for Piotr to throw the first hit; he was enjoying the pure destruction. Apex found it funny that he was the one to cause it.

Piotr reared his arm back, throwing the first punch. The gorilla met the punch with open hands, slowing the force of the blow. He moved steadily to the side as Piotr's momentum kept him from slowing. With one fluid motion, Apex slammed Piotr in the back, sending him tripping into the flames. With him down, the gorilla turned to face the group. There was a look on his face that almost asked, "Who's next?"

Before anyone could step forward, there was a blinding flash. John's hands flew to cover his face as he ducked away from the bright light. The putrid smell of singed carpet and fur filled the hallway. Only when the flashing stopped did John pulled his hand away to reveal the carnage before him.

Logan, Scott, and Storm were now standing in the hallway, fists poised for battle. Scorch marks littered the hallway where Storm's lightning had hit. In the centre of it, lay Violet. Not Apex, but Violet in her human form. Her eyes were closed as she lay limply on the floor. A black and red wound blossomed from her back, spreading across her body. One hit from Storm had been enough to take her out. John's gut wrenched as he stared at his friend. 'Is she dead?'

"On the floor, kid," Logan barked out. It took a moment for John to notice that Logan's claws were pointed at him. It took him even longer to comprehend that everyone was staring at him like he was the monster who had attacked everyone.

Did they think he had some sort of role in this?

John's eyes jumped from Logan's to Storm's, Scott's, Rogue's, and finally Bobby's. Each of them wore a variation of the same expression: cold, shocked, and betrayed. Bobby's fists were covered in a thin layer of ice, and Storm's eyes were still a dangerous shade of white. Scott's hand hovered over his eyepiece, prepared to blast him if needed. "You've got to be kidding me," John muttered out.

"I'm not going to say it again, Allerdyce," Logan spat.

John's gaze darkened. "You think I had something to do with this? I was helping you stop her," he hissed.

"The room was on fire before Violet even attacked," Rogue said in a quiet voice. She looked hurt and in disbelief. As cold as John and Violet could be at times, it was hard for her to wrap her mind around what had happened.

"It wasn't Violet, it was Apex!" John snapped. He could see Rogue's eyes widen, almost as if she understood. She had touched Violet once and felt Apex's presence; she knew the anger and destruction buried within Violet's powers. But that was a long time ago and Violet hadn't had an incident since she first arrived at the school. In a moment, Rogue's gaze hardened again.

"We saw you. You're the only person Apex didn't attack. I know what he's like, John. He wouldn't have held back, even for you," Rogue snapped. It seemed to be the final nail in the coffin that convinced everyone that John was lying. He could see it in their eyes; they had completely turned their backs on the man they once called a friend. From behind him, Piotr blocked his exit. He had no choice but to give in.

He should have screamed for his innocence, or yelled out curses at them. He should have even attacked them. But instead, John simply started laughing. In incredulous, dark laugh. His chest shook as he raised his hands, placing them behind his head. He didn't stop laughing until he dropped to both knees and Logan rushed forward to bind his wrists with zip ties.

"Think this is funny, bub?" Logan snarled. John let out another dark, humorless laugh.

Even John wasn't sure why he was laughing - it seemed that it was the only reaction his body could muster in his state of disbelief. But as the laughter died in his throat, a new resolve settled over his body. He had stayed at the school long enough. John Allerdyce was done. He was done with the school and the people in it. He was done trying to prove everyone wrong. And he was sure as hell done trying to be the good guy.

If they wanted him to be the villain, then so be it.

A/N: ahh that was so much fun to write! Apex has been too calm for too long, it was about time he made a grand re-appearance. Also I love writing for John so it was a great time overall. I hope you all liked it and please let me know what you thought. In the next few chapters we're going to be making major moves with Apex and some of Violet's relationships.