One Of Those Nights
WHO: Pyro and Rogue
WHEN: Late one night
WHAT: Two kids get bored, hang out at a biker bar, can we spell trouble with a capital T?
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As everyone knew John bored easily and when he was bored Pyro went looking for trouble.
Trouble came in the form of a biker bar with a bunch of muscle bound testerone freaks with tattoos covering every inch of skin and leather clinging to every limb. Yeah trouble was easy to find in a backstreet bar that had been on the news once or twice and not because of its sparkling customer service.
At the moment he was eyeing the biggest toughest and meanest biker in the whole gooddamn place and playing with his lighter. Flipping it open, flipping it shut, flipping it open and flipping it shut. It was a pattern and sometimes it dictated his thinking, when he actually thought through his actions.
John had no illusions, he knew he was a good looking guy and the girl attached to the biker obviously thought so. They had been playing that game, the one where you look - make eye contact - smile, and then look away. How long until her boyfriend noticed? Pyro hoped it wouldn't be long.
He could do with a little excitement.
Rogue was leaned up against the bar near the wall, while Pyro was in plain sight he wasn't necessarily within speaking distance especially from the noise being generated from crack of pool balls, gruff conversation, and blaring juke box.
A look was given in John's direction. Green hughes rolled around in there sockets. Her bottle of beer was lifted to her lips and she took a swig glancing away to take in the rest of the bar. She liked this place, it was just a dark hole in the wall, nobody noticed nobody.
Finishing the beer in another swig she set the bottle on the slimy bar. "One more." She shouted at into the bar tenders ears, leaning into the bar, once she finally gained his attention. He brought it back and she tossed a couple dollars on the bar and resumed her position leaning against the wall.
John’s head lolled towards Rogue and caught the look, the only reaction, a twitch of his lips and a swift return to the biker he was eyeing like a snake would with its next dinner.
Pyro thrived on danger, he actively sought it out, it seemed to fuel the fire and he had always lived on the edge. Blame his upbringing if you want.
He stepped away from the wall and began towards biker and girlfriend, lighter flipping open and flame glistening.
She jerked her head in the direction of the biker when she caught John's eye. Sometimes she thought the same blood boiled in both their veins. She finished her beer and watched under lowered lashes as Pyro made the first move. There was only a brief tensing up of the muscles in her legs and then everything seemed to go into auto pilot. She set the bottle down and a grin tugged at her lips.
There was a nudge, a gentle movement to try and elicit a violent response. Aggression, it was a beautiful thing when used correctly. John knew how to use it and knew how to bring it out in people.
Eyes slid to the woman and one fell into a wink before John waited and there it was, the grab of the leather jacket and the gnarled mash of teeth as the biker spat out, “You got a problem?”
The challenge had been given and accepted so John simply inclined his chin and held the biker’s eyes, “What do you think?”
The biker watched him, confusion evident in his face before he snorted as he released John and muttered, “Get the fuck outta here.”
John didn’t move an inch and merely snapped his lighter shut and snapped it open again, “I don’t think your girlfriend wants me to do that.” A cocky grin was directed and a less than honourable gaze passed across the blonde in leather.
That was it, more than enough, the first punch was thrown and John’s head snapped to the side. The weird thing was as much as it hurt John laughed as he placed his fingers to the blood slipping from the cut in his bottom lip.
“Big mistake,” He assured the biker as he straightened his back and looked at him with a blaze in both brown eyes. A look not dissimilar from the one he had worn on Bobby’s porch that one fateful day.
The seconds seemed to creep by as John engaged the biker. She wanted to roll her eyes again, he loved all that theatrical crap. Her hands slid into the sides of her leather jacket, as she waited.
The biker laughed, right in John’s face, saliva spraying outwards. He now leaned in close and sneered, “Whatcha gonna do about it?”
John’s lips twitched and it was in this moment that the biker screamed as a sudden flame engulfed his chest simply from where John had placed his hand, fire drawn from the lighter and redirected and manipulated to become a weapon that he could wield.
The music, the steady flow of conversation, all of it was enough to mask the pained cry and the heavy thud of a body dropping to the ground. Unfortunately the biker happened to have friend close by.
A large biker quickly sprang up, a pool cue fiercely gripped. He came around to catch Pyro off his guard and strike from behind. "Look out!" was the warning shouted from across the bar. By the thumb and first two fingers a thin smooth throwing knife was pulled out of its hiding place. With a flick of her wrist, the knife sliced through the air, thwapping into the pool cue near the biker’s hands.
Even though her touch was like acid sometimes, it benefited to touch Mystique once in a while.
The knife stopped the biker dead in his tracks and the focus of the room shifted to Rogue. Her lips slid into a wicked smile as her eyes shifted to Pyro to catch his stare. They seemed to have an unspoken communication as what to do next and it said "Balls to the wall, baby."
She had maybe five throwing knives left, but when she dove back into the jacket it wasn't to retrieve them. Instead she unmasked two switch blades. With another flick of her wrists the blades shot up and she held her ground.
Pyro grinned, bit his bottom lip and then rolled his neck and drew the flame back in towards his palm before he stretched out his arm and released an impressive stream. The flames twisted, turned and curled around themselves as they caught one more biker trying to advance towards John. The fire was without mercy, much like its wielder.
The biker previously shocked into place now began towards Rogue, aggression present in every movement. His male pride demanded retribution.
The rest of the bar had either run or duck and covered, no doubt this would be reported on the news and boy wouldn’t people be pissed.
She didn't wait until he came to her; she quickly closed the gap, her arms swooping towards him as she spun out of the way again. The biker jumped back, while her back was turned to him he produced a chain which he was whipping around. They circled each other and occasionally he would try and strike her. She came into strike him and he let Rogue slice his arm, but he grabbed her with the chain, holding it against her neck choking her. A Rogue choked and squirmed, kicking. Gloved hands moved up to the chain trying to hold it from her neck; in the struggle she dropped her knives. He simply dominated her physically.
John’s eyes cut to Rogue and the biker choking her with the chain. He stepped over the one he had left on the ground and began towards the pair when a hand around his ankle caught him and pulled him to the ground.
A loud smack broke open a blood vessel and had it pouring from his nose and a short punch to the side of his face caused his vision to blaze. That however wasn’t enough to stop John, he bit and then he kicked and curled the flames in to act like another pair of legs and forced the other man off him and into a nearby wall.
Coughing slightly he reached out for a pool cue and then brought it across the other biker’s legs hoping it was enough to disturb his choke hold on Rogue.
The biker dropped to a knee bringing Rogue with him, but it was enough for her to dip out of his grip. She gave a choke and a gasp for air as she scrambled away. She dove over the bar clearing its contents, bottles and glasses shattering on the floor. She pressed her back against the bar and with her mouth tugged a glove off one of her hands. Spitting it out she immediately tugged the other one off casting them aside. She reached over the bar and grabbed a bottle. She turned on the balls of her feet, a moment later she sprung up flinging the bottle at the biker. Two more bottles her charged the bar, flinging himself over the countertop grabbing her hands. "Hup" was the noise that breathed over her lips, as the pull was immediate. Green pools stared into his own green ones. The man couldn't even gasp, his knees just buckled, fists still clenched around rogues hands.
Pyro rolled to his feet and lifted away from the ground, blood spat out to the side before he quickly ducked beneath a swinging fist.
He rolled the fire around his hand and forced it into the side and then gripped the man’s shirt and held him in place as the flames looked set to burn him alive. He only released when the man screamed and another had him lifted over his one shoulder, body dropping through the air to meet with the ground again.
John tried to clear the fuzz from his head but he was soon yanked into his feet and slammed into a nearby wall. “You’re a fucking mutie!”
“Well duh,” was the sarcastic reply shortly followed by a sudden explosion of fire.
That man was now officially out of commission. She balled her hands into fists and released them several times before looking back at Pyro. She felt a wave of nausea sometimes when that happened, but she swallowed it down. "Genius of the year," she hopped over the bar, swiping the pool cue off the ground and stalked over to the biker who was ganging up on Pyro. The attention had faded off of her and it was a complete surprise when she cracked him across the skull with the stick. It broke in half, but she continued to beat on him until she finally broke his head.
“And Xavier wonders why we’re in no rush to make nice with these people,” John muttered with a contemptuous twist of his lips.
The sirens caught his attention first and eyes darted to Rogue and fingers, seemingly unafraid, reached out and caught Rogue’s sleeve and he muttered. “Gotta go now.” He pulled her towards the back and literally blew the door off its hinges before pausing long enough to catch his eyes in the police car’s lights.
“Fuck!” He exclaimed before he spread his fingers and directed a path of fire to give the police something bigger to worry about.
"No no.. not this way. Back to the front." She grabbed the back of Pyro's jacked and literally dragged him towards the front of the bar. "Wait.." She back tracked and went over to the one biker’s body padding it down she reached into his pocket and produced a key on a single ring. "Why didn't I think of this before? I almost forgot my bike." She met up with Pyro again at the front where he was gearing up to make a run in with the cops there. "You think ya can cause a distraction, sugah?"
John made the smallest of sounds as he was literally dragged back into the bar. "Careful Rogue I might get to like that a little too much."
He now smirked and stepped over the various bikers that lay groaning on the floor, "Distraction?" John cocked an eyebrow, flipped the lighter open and dragged the flame into his hand. "I think I can do that."
Focusing and concentrating now the flame in his hand grew until it was twice his size and he simply opened his fingers out wide and the flames shot outwards to take the door off its hinges. A transference of energy from hand to hand gave him two weapons and he used this to the very best of his ability, the police didn't know what hit them.
Pyro's comment elicited a roll of her eyes. She didn't particularly want to go to jail, she thought that was immature; what would Mystique say?
She pushed those thoughts away from her head, they weren't going to jail, not today. She stepped aside to let Pyro do his thing. "Ya go on first, an' I'll be right back." She watched as he blew the doors of the building and began attacking with world-wind speeds. After he exited she slipped out and hung close to the building circling it until she came upon a few bikes that were parked to the side. She didn't waste any time figuring out which one was hers. It was green obviously and it said "Pussy cat" on the side of the gas tank. She hastily mounted the bike, thrusting the key into the ignition, the bike roared into life. She swung out of the line of bikes, gravel spraying into the air as she circled the building. The cops seemed sufficiently distracted, as she came long side of Pyro. "C'mon! We gotta go!" Rogue reached inside her jacket and as she pulled it out again she released two more blades that buried themselves into their targets. Not quite where she was aiming, but it would slow them down enough: one deep into a shoulder, the other into a man's gut.
If Pyro actually cared about what people thought of him then he might be worried about how he came across but as it was he didn't so everything and anything was fair game. The sound of a bike's engine being gunned towards him turned his head briefly and the flames died down but only for a moment as Pyro's attention returned to them and soon a car was exploding behind another line.
As Rogue shouted, Pyro dropped the wall of fire he had been using to guard himself and keep Rogue's actions secret and swung a long leg over the bike and he muttered, "Let's go." One arm encircled her waist, the other stayed loose and his fingers turned towards flicking his lighter open and letting the fire engulf his hand again. If he knew cops which he did, they were going to chase them.
Better safe than sorry.
Rogue didn't hesitate, as soon as she felt the bike bob with Pyro's weight, her hand twisted the acceleration forward. "Ya don't gotta tell me twice, sugah" was muttered under her breath. The girl leaned forward as the bike sped forward. She didn't have to be telepathic to know what Pyro was thinking, as she saw out of the corner of her eye ball of flame building around his hand. And soon after there was a wail of sirens and flashing lights as three cop cars closely followed. "You wanna take care of that?" She screamed, over the engine.
She gave her head turn over her shoulder. "Ah can't take 'em all out." Rogue continued to gain distance. "Hang on!" The girl quickly fishtailed the bike again, this time heading straight forward onto in coming traffic.
"Consider it done," He yelled back, there was no way this wasn't going to get on the news, he wondered how many forms of punishment they had to look forward to but pretty much said fuck it as he released a stream of fire from his hand and through the air. It twisted and turned, gradually building in strength until finally it hit the car with the force equal to if not greater than that of a speeding truck.
It was literally forced up and then around until its gas tank exploded and it was like hell on Earth. Pyro was so fixed and so intent on the destruction of that one car alone that her shout came two seconds too late and he barely had time to adjust. The arm around Rogue's waist tightened whilst the other killed the flames and grappled the back of the bike, John was looking to gain balance before he returned to giving the cops something to worry about.
She felt Pyro's arm tighten around her waist and a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.
The other two police cars fell back as the other rolled over and exploded in flames, but they were soon gaining speed again, barreling towards them down the flat stretch of road. "Ah got the right," she instructed. Her aim was to drive through the middle of the car allowing them both equal opportunity to fuck shit up. The cops however weren't as dumb as they looked as the bike sped in between the vehicles they sandwiched them in one jerky movement, clipped the tail end of the bike which caused Rogue to loose control. They spun out and crashed into the woods near the side of the road. Her head bonked off a tree, creating a huge gash on her forehead. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she peeled her face off of the bark and gave her head a shake, "Fuck," she muttered that did not feel good. She stumbled off the bike and swaggered a few paces, before coming back to the bike "Pyro! Pyro!" She gave his body a jostle and he groaned. "We got trouble." Slowly Rogue put her hands up as a spot light came to rest on them from the police cars and three men stepped out and leveled their guns at them.
John's eyes widened as the bike spun wildly out of control and before he even knew what was happening his body was tumbling and limbs were being caught and then there was this sound, sort of like a crunch followed shortly by a squelch. Something had even broken or bled, he couldn't tell which, he just knew that his right shoulder felt like it had been ripped in two and his head was spinning.
As Rogue pulled at him the world did this strange slip and slide thing and it elicited a groan from him, the word 'trouble' snapped his eyes open and through a bloody stream he saw the officers with guns held up and triggers cocked for action. "Well fuck," He muttered as he struggled to pull himself away from the earthy undergrowth and adopt some sort of posture.
One arm was limp, beyond useless but he still had the other and that hand was now gripping onto his lighter. "How hurt are you?" He was apparently speaking through his teeth.
With her arms still raised in the air she watched Pyro dismount the bike, her eyes drifted to his arm that lay there useless. "Ah dunno, "she muttered softly. "Mah head hurts." She had no idea she had a giant gash running right across her forehead that was oozing down the side of her face.
"Put your hands behind your head and slowly come out of the woods," was the booming voice from the cops.
Slowly Rogue lifted her hands, clasping them behind her head, turning slightly to watch Pyro do the same. "Let’s just take this one nice and slow." She slightly flicked her fingers from behind her head so that Pyro could see the flash of her naked hands.
Step after step finally lead them to where the pavement began. The cop holding the rifle closed the distance with quick stride, "Get on the ground, mutie!" he spoke so harshly spit flew out of his mouth into Rogue's face. And before she knew it, the he wrapped her across the face with his gun and she hit the ground.
"Hey!" John objected loudly, putting himself in the line of fire which was between Rogue and the cop that had assaulted her. "Leave her the fuck alone."
The cop snorted, "Whatcha gonna do it about?" Without giving John a chance to answer he knocked the younger man to the ground and delivered a boot into his side. "Dirty fucking mutie."
John grimaced faintly and then closed his eyes as one more boot jarred his ribs but as his eyes opened he caught sight of a dripping fuel line. "Gotcha," He muttered to himself as he reached out with his hand and flipped the lighter open.
The flame was drawn from the lighter, curled within the palm of his hand and kept alive even as the cop kicked him again before shortly giving the order to cuff them. All just a matter of timing.
Rogue just lay still on the pavement, her head was really reeling now. She saw Pyro approach, she tilted her head slightly, and cast her gaze up at him from where she was on the ground at his feet. With one eye now forming a bruise, she looked at him with blurred vision, but a slight smile was still on her face.
Soon she was no longer looking up at Pyro, but level with him now as he too hit the pavement. She watched him curl around the side that was struck with a boot, not hearing that the command was given for them to be cuffed until someone jumped on her back. She oooffed as the air was squeezed out of her body. She coughed up at the man that was sitting on top of her, "Next time...y'should take a running leap." The man roughly grabbed her arm and wrenched it around her back. She felt steal bang and tighten around her wrist. Nothing yet...but as he cleared her wrist of the jacket that's when she felt the pull. She twisted from beneath him, and gripped his hands white knuckled them, digging her nails into his flesh. She was not letting go this time.
Stretching out his fingers Pyro encouraged the fire forward and it was almost inching along the ground, it looked as if it had grown legs and it was crawling its way towards that dripping fuel line.
His concentration wasn't the best especially when a brute of a police officer was restraining his other arm and that was causing pain to flare across his shoulder, asshole didn't care that his detainee's arm happened to be dislocated.
"Fuck you," John snarled as the fire finally met its target and the next sound to shake the surroundings was a loud BOOM.
Rogue finally let go of the man's hand, he wasn't moving. With hand cuffs hanging from her wrist she pulled his gun from his holster.
The man who was cuffing Pyro had rolled off of him and for cover. She used the opportunity he gave her to hold the gun to the man's head. She pulled back the hammer with a single click. The third cop was too slow at the switch. "Drop your gun," she shouted at him. "Drop your gun or I'm going to blow his fucking brains out." The third cop slowly lowered his gun to the ground. "Pyro. Cuff 'em."
Pyro snapped his lighter shut and grimaced as he pushed himself to his feet, blood was dripping from the cut to his temple and his arm still hung limp at his side.
He walked to where the second cop had taken cover and kicked him in the side before shortly searching his body with his hand. Fingers located cuffs and snapped them around a wrist before a hand pulled a leg up and the second cuff was placed around an ankle.
The next cop was cuffed in the same exact way and Pyro shared huskily. "They're not going anywhere."
Rogue slowly uncocked the gun. Wiping her face, clear of blood and sweat with the back of her hand. "Ah think you better drive this time." She watched as he finished cuffing the cops, sliding the gun into the back of her pants. "Can ya, or does your arm hurt too much? Cause Ah'll tell ya right now, Ah think my head is gonna cave in."
"I can drive, I still have one good arm." John mumbled as he stepped over the cops and stuck his head in the last car, "And it's still got keys in the ignition, how convenient." He groaned faintly as he leaned across and pushed the door open for Rogue, "Get in." He yanked his own door shut and started the engine.
Rogue fell into the seat with huff and let her body just lay there, sitting with a sloppy posture. She reached over and yanked the door shut. Finally after a moment she sat up straight and stuck her blood stained hand into her pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Pulling two from the pack, she slipped one into her lips and handed the other to Pyro. "Got a light?" She knew he would get a kick out of that one.
John pulled the car out and then snorted as Rogue asked that question. With a faint smirk he drew flame from out of his lighter and snapped thumb and index finger together and soon the flame was lingering on the tip of his thumb.
His thumb lit Rogue's cigarette first before he slid his own cigarette behind his ear, he couldn't drive and smoke a cigarette. Stupid dislocated shoulder.
"Some night huh?" He glanced in the rear view mirror to check that they weren't being followed.
Rogue took a long drag on her cigarette. She chuckled at his comment, but she couldn't stop laughing. She laughed so hard her sides started to hurt. "You!" She finally blurted out.. "That woman at the bar! God damn." She took a breath to calm herself. "Its like ya gotta find the most unattractive woman in the bar. That fucking ratted hair." Rogue ran a hand through her bangs to push them back, glancing over at her companion.
Rogue took a long drag on her cigarette. She chuckled at his comment, but she couldn't stop laughing. She laughed so hard her sides started to hurt. "You!" She finally blurted out.. “That woman at the bar! God damn." She took a breath to calm herself. "Its like ya gotta find the most unattractive woman in the bar. That fucking ratted hair." Rogue ran a hand through her bangs to push them back, glancing over at her companion.
"If you wanna rattle a boyfriend hit on their girlfriend and do it so obviously that the idiot can see it," John retorted as he spared Rogue a slanted smile. "It worked didn't it?" He lifted his eyebrows, caught his bottom lip in his teeth before chuckling as he turned his attention back to the road. It would suck to have survived all of that only to die in a car crash.
Rogue rolled her eyes playfully. "We need help y'know that?" She slid lower into the seat, trying to relax. "Do you have any ideas as to what we're gonna do with this cop car? Ah don't think we should drive this home. What d'ya think?" She glanced side to side, looking at the inter workings of the cop car. "First time in a cop car?" She said jokingly. "First time in the front prolly." She twisted to look behind her at the cage that seperated the front and backseat.
"Ding ding we have a winner," John murmured as he spared a look over his shoulder, "Never seen the inside of a car from in the front before." He shrugged off that piece of information and glanced at Rogue, "We can't go to a hospital or we can just as long as the good doctors keep their gloves on at all times."
He brought the car to an abrupt halt and seemed to be considering something, "I know a guy." The car suddenly reversed and was turned abruptly as Pyro set off down a narrow alleyway. "Patches people up all the time, he won't blink an eye to our odd requests." John had always had a habit of disappearing at night when he had lived back in the mansion and he had made some rather unique friends during his stints away.
"He blushes!" She remarked at his comment about the cop car. "Nah, Ah ain't goin' to no hospital. Besides the fact, that I probably killed two people, we're in a stolen cop car and Ah have a fucking gun in my pants."
She reached up to rub her forehead so she could think, and quickly withdrew her hand from her face. "Ow, fuck." She looked around the car for some type of mirror that she could hold up to her face and she looked at him. "How do ah look?"
"Y'know a guy? What the hell? How do you have a guy? Ah want a guy. Who is this guy?"
"Fuck off," John groused good naturedly, "And I do not blush." Okay so maybe he did but he was doing all that he could to hide it.
He turned his head to look at her and grimaced, "You've looked better." The wheel rolled to the right and the car disappeared down another side alley, delving deeper into the shadows. He grinned slowly quite suggestively as Rogue muttered about wanting a guy, "I bet you do."
Pyro couldn't even lift his arm to protect from possible assault because this was Rogue and that was pretty much an expected thing. "Also to answer your earlier question, where the fuck do you think I went at night?"
"Psh. Whatcha mean Ah've looked better?"
"Hey, Ah take offense to that." The girl lifted her fist to him, "Ah'd give ya a dead arm, but Ah think someone's already gotten to ya first." She laughed at her own joke.
"Ah have no idea where ya went, Ah just assumed you went to nerd club or somethin'. So who is this guy?"
"Oh ha-ha, you're so funny...." The tone that was used was drier than the Nevada desert during a heat wave.
Nerd club? Right, whatever.
"Guy named Damien, used to work in one of the hospitals until he got caught jacking the supplies." John tipped his head, "Prescription drugs are a pretty lucrative business."
He pulled the car to stop in front of what was a small apartment building, "We're here." He pushed the car door open and wandered around to pull open Rogue's.
"Hm." Rogue said nothing else. She decided she would have to ask him at a later date, just exactly how he knew this person. Or just take the information from him.
As John opened the door for her, she swung her legs out, booted feet clomping down, very unlady like on the ground. "Why thank ya, kind sir," she snorted. "Do ya need or hand or anythin, can you walk alright?" Rogue tucked her hands into her back pocket and was reminded that the gun was there, as she looked around the apartment building.
"C'mon," John muttered as he slammed the door shut and he began into the apartment building. There was a slow staggered movement to the way he walked, he was hurting.
He paused by the lift, tried to make it work and then finally the doors opened and he wandered inside, "He's on the sixteenth floor." His lithe build slumped back against the wall and his head tipped back as his eyes closed and he took a few calming breaths.
She kept her mouth shut as her thoughts wandered to the police car they just stole. And what they were going to do with it. With a stained index finger she pushed the button, leaving a dirty print behind. "God damnit." She looked at her hands then looked around for something to wipe it off. She leaned against the wall and with her shirt buffed away the spot. "Ah got mad skills." She rolled her eyes. She was starting to feel really loopy right now, kind of light headed. "Woosh." She let her hand fall from her head loosely.
John instinctively reached out for Rogue to try and steady her, his hand found material and held there to stop her from falling over. "You might want to grab some wall there or sit down because you look like you're about to keel over." He glanced upwards as the lift literally creaked and he said a few choice words in regards to it getting to where it needed to go.
Rogue let John steady her, "Ah just feel...." she trailed off for a moment and came and leaned against the wall next to John, "crappy." Her head fell back to lean against the wall, she glanced over at him. "Why do Ah let you get me in trouble like this?" She was mainly referring to the fact that that cop was probably dead. She was starting to feel the crowding in her head that happened after she touched someone. It seemed the crowding feeling came sooner and sooner each time after she touched someone.
"Y'know what? You're pretty fancy." She said and poked him "With the thing" She snapped her fingers lightly mimicking his lighter opening and closing.
"I'm hardly a poster boy for good behaviour, that was Bobby remember?" John pointed out as he watched the way in which she just sort of leaned there.
The poke lifted an eyebrow and he smirked, "Fancy huh?" He furrowed his brow and turned towards her, "Is that good or bad?"
His fingers took to turning the lighter over and over, familiarising themselves with its shape, size and weight.
"Oh God," she said he mentioned Bobby. "That kid is such a douche bag," was her blunt remark.
"It’s good." She rolled her head to look at him. "Ah mean, you do something. Does that make sense?"
"Uh yeah, it sorta does." John replied with a lift of his uninjured shoulder. "Magneto's been encouraging me to train, get better, more focused with the fire." He then glanced up at the lift pinged and the doors opened, "I think it's working." He had made more progress with Magneto than he had ever done back at the mansion.
"Ah'll say. Just wish Ah could say the same, Ah guess." Her shoulders lifted into a shrug. She looked up at the ping. "Do you know where we have to go?" She pushed herself of the wall and swayed forward, then chuckled.
"Magneto says there's potential in all of us just waiting to be explored, maybe you need to find yourself someone willing to experiment to help your powers along."
He shrugged his shoulder and then nodded, "I've been here a couple times before, just follow my lead." John started down the corridor, pace slow as Rogue wasn't in any state to be running around and he didn't feel like trying out for any world records.
He brought them to a stop in front of a door, knocked twice and got, "Who is it?" The voice sounded vaguely paranoid.
John rolled his eyes, "It's me, John. Open up, I need your help."
There was silence and then the sound of locks being released and the door pulled open to reveal the occupant. A young man, dark hair, dark skin and brown eyes. Eyes that skittered back and forth between John and his friend." What the fuck happened to you?"
"Long story, let us in and I'll tell you all about it?"
The other man stepped out of the way and John began inside.
WHEN: Late one night
WHAT: Two kids get bored, hang out at a biker bar, can we spell trouble with a capital T?
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As everyone knew John bored easily and when he was bored Pyro went looking for trouble.
Trouble came in the form of a biker bar with a bunch of muscle bound testerone freaks with tattoos covering every inch of skin and leather clinging to every limb. Yeah trouble was easy to find in a backstreet bar that had been on the news once or twice and not because of its sparkling customer service.
At the moment he was eyeing the biggest toughest and meanest biker in the whole gooddamn place and playing with his lighter. Flipping it open, flipping it shut, flipping it open and flipping it shut. It was a pattern and sometimes it dictated his thinking, when he actually thought through his actions.
John had no illusions, he knew he was a good looking guy and the girl attached to the biker obviously thought so. They had been playing that game, the one where you look - make eye contact - smile, and then look away. How long until her boyfriend noticed? Pyro hoped it wouldn't be long.
He could do with a little excitement.
Rogue was leaned up against the bar near the wall, while Pyro was in plain sight he wasn't necessarily within speaking distance especially from the noise being generated from crack of pool balls, gruff conversation, and blaring juke box.
A look was given in John's direction. Green hughes rolled around in there sockets. Her bottle of beer was lifted to her lips and she took a swig glancing away to take in the rest of the bar. She liked this place, it was just a dark hole in the wall, nobody noticed nobody.
Finishing the beer in another swig she set the bottle on the slimy bar. "One more." She shouted at into the bar tenders ears, leaning into the bar, once she finally gained his attention. He brought it back and she tossed a couple dollars on the bar and resumed her position leaning against the wall.
John’s head lolled towards Rogue and caught the look, the only reaction, a twitch of his lips and a swift return to the biker he was eyeing like a snake would with its next dinner.
Pyro thrived on danger, he actively sought it out, it seemed to fuel the fire and he had always lived on the edge. Blame his upbringing if you want.
He stepped away from the wall and began towards biker and girlfriend, lighter flipping open and flame glistening.
She jerked her head in the direction of the biker when she caught John's eye. Sometimes she thought the same blood boiled in both their veins. She finished her beer and watched under lowered lashes as Pyro made the first move. There was only a brief tensing up of the muscles in her legs and then everything seemed to go into auto pilot. She set the bottle down and a grin tugged at her lips.
There was a nudge, a gentle movement to try and elicit a violent response. Aggression, it was a beautiful thing when used correctly. John knew how to use it and knew how to bring it out in people.
Eyes slid to the woman and one fell into a wink before John waited and there it was, the grab of the leather jacket and the gnarled mash of teeth as the biker spat out, “You got a problem?”
The challenge had been given and accepted so John simply inclined his chin and held the biker’s eyes, “What do you think?”
The biker watched him, confusion evident in his face before he snorted as he released John and muttered, “Get the fuck outta here.”
John didn’t move an inch and merely snapped his lighter shut and snapped it open again, “I don’t think your girlfriend wants me to do that.” A cocky grin was directed and a less than honourable gaze passed across the blonde in leather.
That was it, more than enough, the first punch was thrown and John’s head snapped to the side. The weird thing was as much as it hurt John laughed as he placed his fingers to the blood slipping from the cut in his bottom lip.
“Big mistake,” He assured the biker as he straightened his back and looked at him with a blaze in both brown eyes. A look not dissimilar from the one he had worn on Bobby’s porch that one fateful day.
The seconds seemed to creep by as John engaged the biker. She wanted to roll her eyes again, he loved all that theatrical crap. Her hands slid into the sides of her leather jacket, as she waited.
The biker laughed, right in John’s face, saliva spraying outwards. He now leaned in close and sneered, “Whatcha gonna do about it?”
John’s lips twitched and it was in this moment that the biker screamed as a sudden flame engulfed his chest simply from where John had placed his hand, fire drawn from the lighter and redirected and manipulated to become a weapon that he could wield.
The music, the steady flow of conversation, all of it was enough to mask the pained cry and the heavy thud of a body dropping to the ground. Unfortunately the biker happened to have friend close by.
A large biker quickly sprang up, a pool cue fiercely gripped. He came around to catch Pyro off his guard and strike from behind. "Look out!" was the warning shouted from across the bar. By the thumb and first two fingers a thin smooth throwing knife was pulled out of its hiding place. With a flick of her wrist, the knife sliced through the air, thwapping into the pool cue near the biker’s hands.
Even though her touch was like acid sometimes, it benefited to touch Mystique once in a while.
The knife stopped the biker dead in his tracks and the focus of the room shifted to Rogue. Her lips slid into a wicked smile as her eyes shifted to Pyro to catch his stare. They seemed to have an unspoken communication as what to do next and it said "Balls to the wall, baby."
She had maybe five throwing knives left, but when she dove back into the jacket it wasn't to retrieve them. Instead she unmasked two switch blades. With another flick of her wrists the blades shot up and she held her ground.
Pyro grinned, bit his bottom lip and then rolled his neck and drew the flame back in towards his palm before he stretched out his arm and released an impressive stream. The flames twisted, turned and curled around themselves as they caught one more biker trying to advance towards John. The fire was without mercy, much like its wielder.
The biker previously shocked into place now began towards Rogue, aggression present in every movement. His male pride demanded retribution.
The rest of the bar had either run or duck and covered, no doubt this would be reported on the news and boy wouldn’t people be pissed.
She didn't wait until he came to her; she quickly closed the gap, her arms swooping towards him as she spun out of the way again. The biker jumped back, while her back was turned to him he produced a chain which he was whipping around. They circled each other and occasionally he would try and strike her. She came into strike him and he let Rogue slice his arm, but he grabbed her with the chain, holding it against her neck choking her. A Rogue choked and squirmed, kicking. Gloved hands moved up to the chain trying to hold it from her neck; in the struggle she dropped her knives. He simply dominated her physically.
John’s eyes cut to Rogue and the biker choking her with the chain. He stepped over the one he had left on the ground and began towards the pair when a hand around his ankle caught him and pulled him to the ground.
A loud smack broke open a blood vessel and had it pouring from his nose and a short punch to the side of his face caused his vision to blaze. That however wasn’t enough to stop John, he bit and then he kicked and curled the flames in to act like another pair of legs and forced the other man off him and into a nearby wall.
Coughing slightly he reached out for a pool cue and then brought it across the other biker’s legs hoping it was enough to disturb his choke hold on Rogue.
The biker dropped to a knee bringing Rogue with him, but it was enough for her to dip out of his grip. She gave a choke and a gasp for air as she scrambled away. She dove over the bar clearing its contents, bottles and glasses shattering on the floor. She pressed her back against the bar and with her mouth tugged a glove off one of her hands. Spitting it out she immediately tugged the other one off casting them aside. She reached over the bar and grabbed a bottle. She turned on the balls of her feet, a moment later she sprung up flinging the bottle at the biker. Two more bottles her charged the bar, flinging himself over the countertop grabbing her hands. "Hup" was the noise that breathed over her lips, as the pull was immediate. Green pools stared into his own green ones. The man couldn't even gasp, his knees just buckled, fists still clenched around rogues hands.
Pyro rolled to his feet and lifted away from the ground, blood spat out to the side before he quickly ducked beneath a swinging fist.
He rolled the fire around his hand and forced it into the side and then gripped the man’s shirt and held him in place as the flames looked set to burn him alive. He only released when the man screamed and another had him lifted over his one shoulder, body dropping through the air to meet with the ground again.
John tried to clear the fuzz from his head but he was soon yanked into his feet and slammed into a nearby wall. “You’re a fucking mutie!”
“Well duh,” was the sarcastic reply shortly followed by a sudden explosion of fire.
That man was now officially out of commission. She balled her hands into fists and released them several times before looking back at Pyro. She felt a wave of nausea sometimes when that happened, but she swallowed it down. "Genius of the year," she hopped over the bar, swiping the pool cue off the ground and stalked over to the biker who was ganging up on Pyro. The attention had faded off of her and it was a complete surprise when she cracked him across the skull with the stick. It broke in half, but she continued to beat on him until she finally broke his head.
“And Xavier wonders why we’re in no rush to make nice with these people,” John muttered with a contemptuous twist of his lips.
The sirens caught his attention first and eyes darted to Rogue and fingers, seemingly unafraid, reached out and caught Rogue’s sleeve and he muttered. “Gotta go now.” He pulled her towards the back and literally blew the door off its hinges before pausing long enough to catch his eyes in the police car’s lights.
“Fuck!” He exclaimed before he spread his fingers and directed a path of fire to give the police something bigger to worry about.
"No no.. not this way. Back to the front." She grabbed the back of Pyro's jacked and literally dragged him towards the front of the bar. "Wait.." She back tracked and went over to the one biker’s body padding it down she reached into his pocket and produced a key on a single ring. "Why didn't I think of this before? I almost forgot my bike." She met up with Pyro again at the front where he was gearing up to make a run in with the cops there. "You think ya can cause a distraction, sugah?"
John made the smallest of sounds as he was literally dragged back into the bar. "Careful Rogue I might get to like that a little too much."
He now smirked and stepped over the various bikers that lay groaning on the floor, "Distraction?" John cocked an eyebrow, flipped the lighter open and dragged the flame into his hand. "I think I can do that."
Focusing and concentrating now the flame in his hand grew until it was twice his size and he simply opened his fingers out wide and the flames shot outwards to take the door off its hinges. A transference of energy from hand to hand gave him two weapons and he used this to the very best of his ability, the police didn't know what hit them.
Pyro's comment elicited a roll of her eyes. She didn't particularly want to go to jail, she thought that was immature; what would Mystique say?
She pushed those thoughts away from her head, they weren't going to jail, not today. She stepped aside to let Pyro do his thing. "Ya go on first, an' I'll be right back." She watched as he blew the doors of the building and began attacking with world-wind speeds. After he exited she slipped out and hung close to the building circling it until she came upon a few bikes that were parked to the side. She didn't waste any time figuring out which one was hers. It was green obviously and it said "Pussy cat" on the side of the gas tank. She hastily mounted the bike, thrusting the key into the ignition, the bike roared into life. She swung out of the line of bikes, gravel spraying into the air as she circled the building. The cops seemed sufficiently distracted, as she came long side of Pyro. "C'mon! We gotta go!" Rogue reached inside her jacket and as she pulled it out again she released two more blades that buried themselves into their targets. Not quite where she was aiming, but it would slow them down enough: one deep into a shoulder, the other into a man's gut.
If Pyro actually cared about what people thought of him then he might be worried about how he came across but as it was he didn't so everything and anything was fair game. The sound of a bike's engine being gunned towards him turned his head briefly and the flames died down but only for a moment as Pyro's attention returned to them and soon a car was exploding behind another line.
As Rogue shouted, Pyro dropped the wall of fire he had been using to guard himself and keep Rogue's actions secret and swung a long leg over the bike and he muttered, "Let's go." One arm encircled her waist, the other stayed loose and his fingers turned towards flicking his lighter open and letting the fire engulf his hand again. If he knew cops which he did, they were going to chase them.
Better safe than sorry.
Rogue didn't hesitate, as soon as she felt the bike bob with Pyro's weight, her hand twisted the acceleration forward. "Ya don't gotta tell me twice, sugah" was muttered under her breath. The girl leaned forward as the bike sped forward. She didn't have to be telepathic to know what Pyro was thinking, as she saw out of the corner of her eye ball of flame building around his hand. And soon after there was a wail of sirens and flashing lights as three cop cars closely followed. "You wanna take care of that?" She screamed, over the engine.
She gave her head turn over her shoulder. "Ah can't take 'em all out." Rogue continued to gain distance. "Hang on!" The girl quickly fishtailed the bike again, this time heading straight forward onto in coming traffic.
"Consider it done," He yelled back, there was no way this wasn't going to get on the news, he wondered how many forms of punishment they had to look forward to but pretty much said fuck it as he released a stream of fire from his hand and through the air. It twisted and turned, gradually building in strength until finally it hit the car with the force equal to if not greater than that of a speeding truck.
It was literally forced up and then around until its gas tank exploded and it was like hell on Earth. Pyro was so fixed and so intent on the destruction of that one car alone that her shout came two seconds too late and he barely had time to adjust. The arm around Rogue's waist tightened whilst the other killed the flames and grappled the back of the bike, John was looking to gain balance before he returned to giving the cops something to worry about.
She felt Pyro's arm tighten around her waist and a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.
The other two police cars fell back as the other rolled over and exploded in flames, but they were soon gaining speed again, barreling towards them down the flat stretch of road. "Ah got the right," she instructed. Her aim was to drive through the middle of the car allowing them both equal opportunity to fuck shit up. The cops however weren't as dumb as they looked as the bike sped in between the vehicles they sandwiched them in one jerky movement, clipped the tail end of the bike which caused Rogue to loose control. They spun out and crashed into the woods near the side of the road. Her head bonked off a tree, creating a huge gash on her forehead. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she peeled her face off of the bark and gave her head a shake, "Fuck," she muttered that did not feel good. She stumbled off the bike and swaggered a few paces, before coming back to the bike "Pyro! Pyro!" She gave his body a jostle and he groaned. "We got trouble." Slowly Rogue put her hands up as a spot light came to rest on them from the police cars and three men stepped out and leveled their guns at them.
John's eyes widened as the bike spun wildly out of control and before he even knew what was happening his body was tumbling and limbs were being caught and then there was this sound, sort of like a crunch followed shortly by a squelch. Something had even broken or bled, he couldn't tell which, he just knew that his right shoulder felt like it had been ripped in two and his head was spinning.
As Rogue pulled at him the world did this strange slip and slide thing and it elicited a groan from him, the word 'trouble' snapped his eyes open and through a bloody stream he saw the officers with guns held up and triggers cocked for action. "Well fuck," He muttered as he struggled to pull himself away from the earthy undergrowth and adopt some sort of posture.
One arm was limp, beyond useless but he still had the other and that hand was now gripping onto his lighter. "How hurt are you?" He was apparently speaking through his teeth.
With her arms still raised in the air she watched Pyro dismount the bike, her eyes drifted to his arm that lay there useless. "Ah dunno, "she muttered softly. "Mah head hurts." She had no idea she had a giant gash running right across her forehead that was oozing down the side of her face.
"Put your hands behind your head and slowly come out of the woods," was the booming voice from the cops.
Slowly Rogue lifted her hands, clasping them behind her head, turning slightly to watch Pyro do the same. "Let’s just take this one nice and slow." She slightly flicked her fingers from behind her head so that Pyro could see the flash of her naked hands.
Step after step finally lead them to where the pavement began. The cop holding the rifle closed the distance with quick stride, "Get on the ground, mutie!" he spoke so harshly spit flew out of his mouth into Rogue's face. And before she knew it, the he wrapped her across the face with his gun and she hit the ground.
"Hey!" John objected loudly, putting himself in the line of fire which was between Rogue and the cop that had assaulted her. "Leave her the fuck alone."
The cop snorted, "Whatcha gonna do it about?" Without giving John a chance to answer he knocked the younger man to the ground and delivered a boot into his side. "Dirty fucking mutie."
John grimaced faintly and then closed his eyes as one more boot jarred his ribs but as his eyes opened he caught sight of a dripping fuel line. "Gotcha," He muttered to himself as he reached out with his hand and flipped the lighter open.
The flame was drawn from the lighter, curled within the palm of his hand and kept alive even as the cop kicked him again before shortly giving the order to cuff them. All just a matter of timing.
Rogue just lay still on the pavement, her head was really reeling now. She saw Pyro approach, she tilted her head slightly, and cast her gaze up at him from where she was on the ground at his feet. With one eye now forming a bruise, she looked at him with blurred vision, but a slight smile was still on her face.
Soon she was no longer looking up at Pyro, but level with him now as he too hit the pavement. She watched him curl around the side that was struck with a boot, not hearing that the command was given for them to be cuffed until someone jumped on her back. She oooffed as the air was squeezed out of her body. She coughed up at the man that was sitting on top of her, "Next time...y'should take a running leap." The man roughly grabbed her arm and wrenched it around her back. She felt steal bang and tighten around her wrist. Nothing yet...but as he cleared her wrist of the jacket that's when she felt the pull. She twisted from beneath him, and gripped his hands white knuckled them, digging her nails into his flesh. She was not letting go this time.
Stretching out his fingers Pyro encouraged the fire forward and it was almost inching along the ground, it looked as if it had grown legs and it was crawling its way towards that dripping fuel line.
His concentration wasn't the best especially when a brute of a police officer was restraining his other arm and that was causing pain to flare across his shoulder, asshole didn't care that his detainee's arm happened to be dislocated.
"Fuck you," John snarled as the fire finally met its target and the next sound to shake the surroundings was a loud BOOM.
Rogue finally let go of the man's hand, he wasn't moving. With hand cuffs hanging from her wrist she pulled his gun from his holster.
The man who was cuffing Pyro had rolled off of him and for cover. She used the opportunity he gave her to hold the gun to the man's head. She pulled back the hammer with a single click. The third cop was too slow at the switch. "Drop your gun," she shouted at him. "Drop your gun or I'm going to blow his fucking brains out." The third cop slowly lowered his gun to the ground. "Pyro. Cuff 'em."
Pyro snapped his lighter shut and grimaced as he pushed himself to his feet, blood was dripping from the cut to his temple and his arm still hung limp at his side.
He walked to where the second cop had taken cover and kicked him in the side before shortly searching his body with his hand. Fingers located cuffs and snapped them around a wrist before a hand pulled a leg up and the second cuff was placed around an ankle.
The next cop was cuffed in the same exact way and Pyro shared huskily. "They're not going anywhere."
Rogue slowly uncocked the gun. Wiping her face, clear of blood and sweat with the back of her hand. "Ah think you better drive this time." She watched as he finished cuffing the cops, sliding the gun into the back of her pants. "Can ya, or does your arm hurt too much? Cause Ah'll tell ya right now, Ah think my head is gonna cave in."
"I can drive, I still have one good arm." John mumbled as he stepped over the cops and stuck his head in the last car, "And it's still got keys in the ignition, how convenient." He groaned faintly as he leaned across and pushed the door open for Rogue, "Get in." He yanked his own door shut and started the engine.
Rogue fell into the seat with huff and let her body just lay there, sitting with a sloppy posture. She reached over and yanked the door shut. Finally after a moment she sat up straight and stuck her blood stained hand into her pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Pulling two from the pack, she slipped one into her lips and handed the other to Pyro. "Got a light?" She knew he would get a kick out of that one.
John pulled the car out and then snorted as Rogue asked that question. With a faint smirk he drew flame from out of his lighter and snapped thumb and index finger together and soon the flame was lingering on the tip of his thumb.
His thumb lit Rogue's cigarette first before he slid his own cigarette behind his ear, he couldn't drive and smoke a cigarette. Stupid dislocated shoulder.
"Some night huh?" He glanced in the rear view mirror to check that they weren't being followed.
Rogue took a long drag on her cigarette. She chuckled at his comment, but she couldn't stop laughing. She laughed so hard her sides started to hurt. "You!" She finally blurted out.. "That woman at the bar! God damn." She took a breath to calm herself. "Its like ya gotta find the most unattractive woman in the bar. That fucking ratted hair." Rogue ran a hand through her bangs to push them back, glancing over at her companion.
Rogue took a long drag on her cigarette. She chuckled at his comment, but she couldn't stop laughing. She laughed so hard her sides started to hurt. "You!" She finally blurted out.. “That woman at the bar! God damn." She took a breath to calm herself. "Its like ya gotta find the most unattractive woman in the bar. That fucking ratted hair." Rogue ran a hand through her bangs to push them back, glancing over at her companion.
"If you wanna rattle a boyfriend hit on their girlfriend and do it so obviously that the idiot can see it," John retorted as he spared Rogue a slanted smile. "It worked didn't it?" He lifted his eyebrows, caught his bottom lip in his teeth before chuckling as he turned his attention back to the road. It would suck to have survived all of that only to die in a car crash.
Rogue rolled her eyes playfully. "We need help y'know that?" She slid lower into the seat, trying to relax. "Do you have any ideas as to what we're gonna do with this cop car? Ah don't think we should drive this home. What d'ya think?" She glanced side to side, looking at the inter workings of the cop car. "First time in a cop car?" She said jokingly. "First time in the front prolly." She twisted to look behind her at the cage that seperated the front and backseat.
"Ding ding we have a winner," John murmured as he spared a look over his shoulder, "Never seen the inside of a car from in the front before." He shrugged off that piece of information and glanced at Rogue, "We can't go to a hospital or we can just as long as the good doctors keep their gloves on at all times."
He brought the car to an abrupt halt and seemed to be considering something, "I know a guy." The car suddenly reversed and was turned abruptly as Pyro set off down a narrow alleyway. "Patches people up all the time, he won't blink an eye to our odd requests." John had always had a habit of disappearing at night when he had lived back in the mansion and he had made some rather unique friends during his stints away.
"He blushes!" She remarked at his comment about the cop car. "Nah, Ah ain't goin' to no hospital. Besides the fact, that I probably killed two people, we're in a stolen cop car and Ah have a fucking gun in my pants."
She reached up to rub her forehead so she could think, and quickly withdrew her hand from her face. "Ow, fuck." She looked around the car for some type of mirror that she could hold up to her face and she looked at him. "How do ah look?"
"Y'know a guy? What the hell? How do you have a guy? Ah want a guy. Who is this guy?"
"Fuck off," John groused good naturedly, "And I do not blush." Okay so maybe he did but he was doing all that he could to hide it.
He turned his head to look at her and grimaced, "You've looked better." The wheel rolled to the right and the car disappeared down another side alley, delving deeper into the shadows. He grinned slowly quite suggestively as Rogue muttered about wanting a guy, "I bet you do."
Pyro couldn't even lift his arm to protect from possible assault because this was Rogue and that was pretty much an expected thing. "Also to answer your earlier question, where the fuck do you think I went at night?"
"Psh. Whatcha mean Ah've looked better?"
"Hey, Ah take offense to that." The girl lifted her fist to him, "Ah'd give ya a dead arm, but Ah think someone's already gotten to ya first." She laughed at her own joke.
"Ah have no idea where ya went, Ah just assumed you went to nerd club or somethin'. So who is this guy?"
"Oh ha-ha, you're so funny...." The tone that was used was drier than the Nevada desert during a heat wave.
Nerd club? Right, whatever.
"Guy named Damien, used to work in one of the hospitals until he got caught jacking the supplies." John tipped his head, "Prescription drugs are a pretty lucrative business."
He pulled the car to stop in front of what was a small apartment building, "We're here." He pushed the car door open and wandered around to pull open Rogue's.
"Hm." Rogue said nothing else. She decided she would have to ask him at a later date, just exactly how he knew this person. Or just take the information from him.
As John opened the door for her, she swung her legs out, booted feet clomping down, very unlady like on the ground. "Why thank ya, kind sir," she snorted. "Do ya need or hand or anythin, can you walk alright?" Rogue tucked her hands into her back pocket and was reminded that the gun was there, as she looked around the apartment building.
"C'mon," John muttered as he slammed the door shut and he began into the apartment building. There was a slow staggered movement to the way he walked, he was hurting.
He paused by the lift, tried to make it work and then finally the doors opened and he wandered inside, "He's on the sixteenth floor." His lithe build slumped back against the wall and his head tipped back as his eyes closed and he took a few calming breaths.
She kept her mouth shut as her thoughts wandered to the police car they just stole. And what they were going to do with it. With a stained index finger she pushed the button, leaving a dirty print behind. "God damnit." She looked at her hands then looked around for something to wipe it off. She leaned against the wall and with her shirt buffed away the spot. "Ah got mad skills." She rolled her eyes. She was starting to feel really loopy right now, kind of light headed. "Woosh." She let her hand fall from her head loosely.
John instinctively reached out for Rogue to try and steady her, his hand found material and held there to stop her from falling over. "You might want to grab some wall there or sit down because you look like you're about to keel over." He glanced upwards as the lift literally creaked and he said a few choice words in regards to it getting to where it needed to go.
Rogue let John steady her, "Ah just feel...." she trailed off for a moment and came and leaned against the wall next to John, "crappy." Her head fell back to lean against the wall, she glanced over at him. "Why do Ah let you get me in trouble like this?" She was mainly referring to the fact that that cop was probably dead. She was starting to feel the crowding in her head that happened after she touched someone. It seemed the crowding feeling came sooner and sooner each time after she touched someone.
"Y'know what? You're pretty fancy." She said and poked him "With the thing" She snapped her fingers lightly mimicking his lighter opening and closing.
"I'm hardly a poster boy for good behaviour, that was Bobby remember?" John pointed out as he watched the way in which she just sort of leaned there.
The poke lifted an eyebrow and he smirked, "Fancy huh?" He furrowed his brow and turned towards her, "Is that good or bad?"
His fingers took to turning the lighter over and over, familiarising themselves with its shape, size and weight.
"Oh God," she said he mentioned Bobby. "That kid is such a douche bag," was her blunt remark.
"It’s good." She rolled her head to look at him. "Ah mean, you do something. Does that make sense?"
"Uh yeah, it sorta does." John replied with a lift of his uninjured shoulder. "Magneto's been encouraging me to train, get better, more focused with the fire." He then glanced up at the lift pinged and the doors opened, "I think it's working." He had made more progress with Magneto than he had ever done back at the mansion.
"Ah'll say. Just wish Ah could say the same, Ah guess." Her shoulders lifted into a shrug. She looked up at the ping. "Do you know where we have to go?" She pushed herself of the wall and swayed forward, then chuckled.
"Magneto says there's potential in all of us just waiting to be explored, maybe you need to find yourself someone willing to experiment to help your powers along."
He shrugged his shoulder and then nodded, "I've been here a couple times before, just follow my lead." John started down the corridor, pace slow as Rogue wasn't in any state to be running around and he didn't feel like trying out for any world records.
He brought them to a stop in front of a door, knocked twice and got, "Who is it?" The voice sounded vaguely paranoid.
John rolled his eyes, "It's me, John. Open up, I need your help."
There was silence and then the sound of locks being released and the door pulled open to reveal the occupant. A young man, dark hair, dark skin and brown eyes. Eyes that skittered back and forth between John and his friend." What the fuck happened to you?"
"Long story, let us in and I'll tell you all about it?"
The other man stepped out of the way and John began inside.