20: confession is god for the soul


Pyro knows that he is about to die.

He had come close many times in his short life, but he realizes nothing had put the fear of God in him like being pinned against the wall with Wolverine's claws at his throat, his other hand wrapped around his arm and holding there.

Storm doesn't look apologetic.

'I haven't talked to him in over a month and a half, but. I can call him now if you need me to.'

'What the fuck were you tellin' him about us?' Wolverine growls and Pyro resists the urge to swallow melodramatically.

'I didn't have anything to tell him! It's not like you guys are stocking up on anti-Brotherhood bombs or anything.' Pyro was a pretty good liar but Storm just stares at him, the whole room crackling with lightning.

'But what does he know?' she asks darkly.

Pyro doesn't know why he doesn't lie; neither of the people who are about to kill him are telepaths, they can't tell.

'He knows. He knows the Professor's alive.'

Wolverine's whole body is so close and the hand gripping his shoulder lets go and in the same second, his shoulder is filled with metal. Wolverine knows exactly how to puncture someone without making them bleed to death, without ruining their nerves, without hitting something vital, and St. John doesn't scream, he barely flinches; he sucks in air through his teeth.

'Logan!' Storm shouts and she sounds really angry, legitimately pissed off and Pyro thanks every small god that she didn't just smite him on the spot. He bites down on his cheek and tries not to squirm. Adamantium feels different than just a knife, it was a burning metal, and he feels the blood pooling on his shoulder.

'Sorry. Slipped.' Wolverine bares his teeth.

'These things…he's not going to be selling information to anyone involved with Sentinels.' Pyro hisses every 'ess' sound out and he squeezes his eyes tight. 'He probably…would have called me about it anyway. I don't think…he knows too much about them.'

'Logan.' Pyro hears the claws recede away from both his vulnerable neck and his aching, bleeding shoulder. He sinks to the floor immediately.

'I'm impressed you don't squeal when stuck.'

Pyro breathes in and out heavily. It had taken everything he had to not scream, to not set Wolverine on fire. The last thing he needs is Storm to think he was hostile.

'Look, I just. I. He'd be a good ally, in this fight. Machines. He's real good with those.'

'Angel had mentioned this earlier, Logan. Whoever is funding this is no friend of Magneto's.'

'Can I just give you the damn phone and go to the medical wing?'

Storm looks at him and he realizes this of course, would not even be close to penance enough. He bares his teeth in a hostile grimace anyway.

'You will call him and find out what he knows. Tell him that the X-Men and Magneto have a common enemy in the Sentinels. For the moment, we shall not interfere.'

It is a surprising statement to Pyro, to say the least, but Storm wasn't Xavier, wasn't Scott, wasn't Jean. Ororo Munroe had her own sense of ethics and her decision made sense, so Pyro slumps out and goes to the Medical Bay and fixes up his wounds the best he could with just his right hand. Wolverine had managed to not rip all the way through his shoulder, thank goodness, so he just had three deep puncture wounds. No biggie. He'd picked up a lot of first aid knowledge, but Hank was padding around the professor's room, so Pyro called out.

He comes in the room and looks wryly at Pyro as he pulled out the stuff needed to clean out the wounds.

'So I take it you and Wolverine had an altercation.'

'You shouldn't be hiding the Professor like that,' is the only thing Pyro could think to blurt out.

Hank just wraps his arm up in gauze. 'Well, he'll be making his debut soon. Magneto should be pleased to hear that, I'm sure.'

'Goddammit. Were you guys just waiting for me to crack about this or what?'

'I wasn't expecting it, but considering your previous behaviour, it was not…surprising.'

'I guess I'm just going to be John Allerdyce, the fuckup, forever now. Thanks for the help.' Pyro walked to his room, where Bobby was napping lightly on his bed.

Bobby blinked at Pyro, waking up when the door clicked closed. Pyro wasn't wearing a shirt and had an already bloody bandage on his left shoulder, the rest of his body unharmed and taut.

'Guessing that Logan flipped out.'

'Ding ding ding.'

'But you don't look electrocuted, so that's a plus.'

'Yeah well, apparently I'm the messenger now.'


Author's Note: Hello? Is anyone still out there?