playing with fire! ( pyro. )

[beckii]

"We've been having sessions a lot trying to figure out how ah can control my power. The last session we realised ah have never known what ah feel when ah use it. Normally ahm so consumed by fear and panic of hurting someone ah never actually feel it, so Xavier offered himself for meh to test how ah feel, so ah touched him after he reassured he would be okay. We realised that day meh power seems to have both a mental and physical trigger. Its a huge breakthrough."

Rogue confessed. Little did she know she'd use her power in a few days time to absorb Sunrider from Nick to help him after he begged for her help so that would make another to add to her list of psyches and abilities. She listened to John's questions and couldn't help but smile. It honestly felt really good to be able to talk to someone about it and know she wasn't going to be judged or they wouldn't freak out or try to restrain it all. As scary as it was having her power advancing, she also wanted it. She wanted to be able to really help people with her power, and having a collection of other peoples abilities in herself to be able to use at will made her feel so good and powerful - in a good way. She could finally help people. Her power wasn't a nuscience anymore or a danger. She could actually do something good with it. She could actually help. She finally felt like a proper xmen.

"Ah think eventually ah will be able to use the powers at will, and to the strength the people who had it originally have. For now though it seems to only come when ah have emotional outbursts. Honestly though, ah think that makes sense since... well, meh ability, when it happens ahm terrified. The first time it happened, ah was feeling so many emotional things 'cos it was meh first kiss, and ah think that triggered meh ability that time. Now after that ahm terrified each time ah'll hurt someone, so ah think meh ability and now the others are triggered by heightened emotions. Ah started to suspect it when ah was with Xavier and touched him that one time. Ah was so scared and nervous, a lot. Meh ability isn't even on when ahm not touching anyone, but the second someone does it switches on, so ah know ah can turn it off, ah just need to figure out how. Ah think when someone touches meh, my emotions flare up, which becomes my mental trigger, and then that floods within seconds to meh body, and meh ability kicks in, all within a split second. When it happens... it feels like all this prickly energy is suddenly there, just under meh skin, and then it bolts under it as fast as a cheetah to the exact spot someone is touching meh skin. Its... a wierd feeling."

Rogue confessed, really glad she could actually talk to someone about all this. Rogue couldn't even begin to describe how good it felt to have John not only as a friend in her life again, but having him also helping her with his ability. He was so smart that maybe he could help her with her ability and everyone elses in her head. It would be so good to finally have control. She found herself blushing when John flashed her a charming smile. He could definately have any woman fawning all over him with just that smile. She bit her bottom lip as she looked at him. She really wanted to tell him. She hated keeping everything secret.

"He knows a lot about what goes on in this world when it comes to mutants and humans doing bad things to them. Ah... ah have this problem, and ah can't find any information of meh problem at the mansion so ah thought maybe Magneto had some of the information ahm seeking since he seems to be so intune with everything. Ah mean its so... wierd. Theres this group... and they're supposed to be gone, their leader dead, and the whole thing ditched, but lately... there is these two people who give off this whole bad vibe... and one... one of them is exactly like the mutants being abused by this group, but he likes it, and ah... its so confusing. Its not supposed to exsist anymore, hence why ah hoped Magneto would have some intel."

[pyro2]

John got much, much more information than he had expected. And he wasn't even sure if he understood everything. But the thought that she might be able to use his power as well and as effectively as he himself... it was pretty disturbing. For a moment he regretted that he had offered her to help. But when she continued to talk and talk, he realized that she was just waiting to be able to trust and tell someone. And if he played his cards right, she would tell him. Everything. Of course he couldn't be sure that there was anything useful but it definitely was worth a try. She had Xavier's ear.

"Mhh, sounds all really complicated. But you definitely should not be afraid of your powers, you should embrace them. Only when you embrace them, trust them, become one with them, you can really use their full potential." He had learned that from Magneto after he had changed sides. He had learned so much more. At the school they had always tried to restrict him, to hold him back. Sure, he was supposed to learn what he could do but then he shouldn't ever really use it.

Silently he listened when she explained him why she wanted Magneto's information. Pyro still didn't get why she didn't go to Xavier with this. But for some reason she didn't want to do that, and who was he to deny her Magneto. "Well, I'm sure... if you'd ask him... he would tell you what he knows." The fire mutant was of course aware of their history and that Rogue probably still held a grudge. On the other hand, if Magneto was in her, through her powers... shouldn't she have made peace with this long ago already? "Or... I could ask him for you. But to do that you'd have to tell me a bit more than this. Names would be good..." And again he offered her that smile.

[beckii]

"Thats what ah want to do John. ah finally have an ability, meh ability, and it can help people. Ah can save people. This is the best thing in the world to meh. Before ah felt like the liability... that ah didn't belong, now ah can truly be an Xmen, a fighter, a warrior... ahm actually someone now. Its the best feeling in the world."

Rogue gushed, a genuinely happy look upon her face as she spoke. It felt so good to have a purpose, to feel self worth, and to be able to actually make a difference. She didn't feel like a plague anymore, like a nuscience or a problem that had to be dealt with. She could actually be somebody. She no longer felt like a danger to people. she felt like one of those students at Sky High who was on the cuspe of being the best superhero she could be. It felt so exciting and exhiliarating, and now she had John to help her with it. She really felt so much better right now. Sure, the start of their run in had been bad. He had seemed like such a jerk but right now he was being so sweet, just like she remembered him. She had thought it would be impossible to have her friend back but fortunately she had been wrong. Rogue had never been so happy to be wrong. With things strained between her and Bobby, as well as having so few friends, it felt so good to have John in her life again.

Rogue found herself hesitating briefly when John mentioned Magneto and asked for names.

"Ah suppose ah could just ask Magneto... Do ya think he'd keep it to himself?"

She asked, pondering it. She would have to get him alone as well. That would be scary but right now she needed to find out all the information she could. She bit her bottom lip as she looked at John, noticing that charming and seemingly flirtacious smile on his face. She really wanted to tell him everything.

"Ah don't know both of their names. One, ah know a first name for, and ahm not sure who he is with but ah have a guess. Two, the other guy... ah... ah know he is with this group even though he gave me a letter as a name."

[pyro2]

Pyro had to fight to keep his annoyance and contempt hidden. Jesus fucking Christ, she wanted to help and save people? Be a real X-Men? How lame was that? Why didn't these people bring it into their thick heads that people were the problem? Were it not for the humans, mutants could live in peace... well, that was probably a fantasy as well, John realized. Chances were high that mutants would start to fight each other, if the humans were no longer the issue.

He briefly looked at Rogue and nodded. "Yeah, and being a warrior is a good and useful thing, in any case." That was his approach to life. At the end of the day, he needed to be able to survive, no matter against whom he was fighting and who his allies were. So the more skilled and stronger he was with his powers, the better. It was a good thing he was no telepath, though. Would he have known that Rogue thought him sweet, he might have balked immediately. St. John Allerdyce was many things but he wasn't sweet!

"Why shouldn't he help you?" He threw her a sideways glance, keeping his eyes on the road mostly. They were approaching the main road to the mansion now. "We are working together now, and he might find your informations as valuable as you find his." What she told him about these people remained pretty cryptic to him. But he was sure that Magneto would know what to make of it. And she didn't seem to be ruling out to talk to him personally, despite their difficult past.

[beckii]

Rogue was confused briefly when John mentioned Magneto could find her information as valuable as she could find his. After a few minutes she thought she realised what he meant. Maybe Magneto would want to help her? After all, he didn't seem to like mutants being hurt and abused anymore then the Xmen did. He wanted mutants to have a life - all be it along with putting humans as below them on the food chain - but in a way they both wanted the same thing. That had never occured to Rogue. Magneto may go the wrong way about a lot of things but in a way he did have the right intentions - excluding either killing or forcing the human race into submissive obediance, like it was back in the old days when white skinned humans forced dark skinned humans into slaves so they were no better then animals. That Rogue did not agree with, but she knew when it came to that about mutants with humans she could not change John or any of the Brotherhood members' opinions.

"Ya know, ah never thought about Magneto actually wanting to help. Thank ya John."

She responded softly, and sincerely, before reaching over to place a kiss on his covered shoulder. She would have preferred the cheek but she knew she couldn't have any skin to skin contact. Pulling away she leaned against the window as she stared out the windscreen infront of them. She wanted to tell John everything. He had a lot of insight, and could be rather wise when it came to anything but the conflicting issue between both sides. Biting her bottom lip she thought about it some more before she decided she should just tell him. She believed he wouldn't tell anyone else - besides Magneto - and it did seem like if what she suspected was true then Magneto would want to help solve it. It would be for the best for everyone. She sighed deeply, bowing her head before she looked over at John with fear and vunerability in her eyes.

"Ah think the Weapon X project is still active. Ah think someone has taken over it. Ah think there is a new base, and ah think ah have met two guys that could be one of the new 'weapons' they have created. One is exactly like Logan - besides appearance and being twice the size muscle and height wise then Logan. The other... He's odd. He has meh power John, and he wasn't born with it. Ah know he wasn't. He says its secondary but meh power... it can't ever be secondary, not naturally. Someone must have gotten meh dna or something somehow, and put meh ability into him through some sort of procedure. Ah don't know what either one are up to. One, is a resident in the mansion. Ah tried to follow him but he caught meh. The other... he... he stalked meh, tried to kidnap meh and... well, he's after Logan for revenge for killing that female version of himself at Stryker's base. Ah haven't told Logan 'cos ah wanna protect him but... Ah have to find out whats going on! Ah have to protect him and everyone else, but ah dunno how to find out if ahm right, or if ahm right where the base is. Ah need help. Ya can't tell anyone!"

[pyro2]

They were pretty close to the mansion now and Rogue behaved rather odd. It took him a few seconds to realize what the gesture with his shoulder was supposed to be, and when it dawned on him that it had been a kiss, it took a lot of restraint not to react in a bad way... well, in a way that she would find bad. Could it be that all it took were a few nice smiles and he had her in his pocket? Was she that gullible? Or was she playing him by pretending to let him play her?

Ultimately he gave her a rather genuine confused smile. "I'm not sure if he wants to help but he for sure is interested if anything fishy is happening that concerns him. And considering the current situation that seems to be everything that happens in the mutant world..."

And then she finally started to talk. John kept his eyes on the road, it was a particular dark and lonely stretch that led to the park entrance. But he listened very attentively. When she had finished, he threw her a glance and a frown. "This is definitely something Magneto will want to know about. One of these guys actually lives at the mansion? Who?" Why she thought she was protecting anyone by not telling these things to Xavier and Logan was completely beyond him. Though, Xavier was a telepath and it was highly unlikely that he didn't know all of this anyway, was it?

"And what was that about the other guy trying to kidnap you? When did that happen?" The car now turned into the last stretch that led from the main road through the park to the castlelike structure that the X-Men called home.

[beckii]

"His first name is Adam. He gave me a fake last name though, ahm sure of it. Ah just dunno what his real last name is."

Rogue responded softly, listening to every word Pyro spoke. He was right though. Magneto should know about her suspicions. If anyone could help her and stop this problem as quick as possible it was him. Being a villian, per say, meant he'd have better connections around the world to those on the same side. He would find out everything she needed to know before the Xmen merely because they didn't have contacts with the bad guys around the world. Bad guys can hide from good guys if they put their mind to it. Bad guys however can't really hide from other bad guys it seems.

"He tried to kidnap meh a few days ago. Ah was just out in town, got into a taxi, and he was the driver. Ah managed to put meh hand on him, knocked him out for a few minutes and used that to jump outta the taxi whilst it was movin'. Then ah ran down the road the opposite way, and ended up dartin' into the forest. He followed meh, and after a lot of backing away from him and talkin', ah managed to get him to agree for meh to go back, get some answers from logan, and he wouldn't kidnap meh or hurt meh again."

[pyro2]

Adam. Mh. Pyro frowned, trying to remember an Adam from the mansion. His frown deepend. Wasn't one of the new Brotherhood guys called Adam? He wasn't completely sure but he thought he heard someone mention that name in this context. "Does he pretend to be with us? The Brotherhood?" he wanted to know, looking curiously at Rogue. That would be a reason more for Magneto to hear about this.

While she was telling her kidnapping story, they reached the parking in front of the mansion and Pyro stopped the car. "Magneto definitely should know about all of this. You want me to set something up? A meeting between the two of you?" That was probably a big step for her. She had avoided the Brotherhood leader ever since the incident at the statue of Liberty. And on the plane on the way to Alkali Lake, she nearly attacked him if Bobby hadn't hold her back. "Up to you. But you have to know that I will tell him that something is going on..."

He switched off the engine but stayed seated in the car while she was pondering an answer to that.