Disclaimer : The X-men are property of Marvel and this is a work of fiction.
Pyro walked lazily down the long passages of Magneto's lair, utterly bored and frustrated. This place was a network of underground caves, and very little else. He'd learned to navigate this maze of silvery-metallic walls, and find the rooms he needed, but he longed to sit under a tree on a summer's day, or breathe fresh, unfiltered air for once. Apparently hiding underground was a matter of necessity and Magneto wasn't flexible on the subject despite his aggressive protests. He'd managed to find a tennis ball, but how the thing had managed to infiltrate Magneto's lair was anyone's guess. He walked along the long passages throwing the ball up and down, bouncing it off walls and the floor, and generally trying to introduce some sort of fun into his life.
He'd been doing this for over two hours, and considering the novelty of a tennis ball had worn off, he was on his way back to his room to lie on his bed and think. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. As he entered his room, he threw the ball into the corner and shut the door. His room was his only refuge, away from the controlling irritant that was Magneto. He took off his shoes and shirt, and collapsed onto his bed. He felt uncomfortable lying down wearing jeans - they were rough and chafed, but he was too lazy to get up again and take them off or change his pants. Lying on his back with his left hand behind his head, he summoned a small flame from his right hand and stared into it. Sometimes he thought that his mutant-wrought fire was the only source of warmth in his life, and he would often stare into a flame for long periods of time, and feel the warmth of the flame on his face. With a sigh he let the flame vanish and stared at the roof. The exciting silvery-metallic roof. Well, beggars couldn't be choosers, and he needed to reflect.
All his life he'd felt alone. When he was twelve he'd casually walked past a candle in church and it had climbed into an inferno. He remembered his confusion as he wondered what had cause the flame to rise like that. Yet above all he remembered the priest denouncing him as possessed, and the look on his parents' face as they weighed and judged him in that short moment. They sent him away to his abusive aunt, where he ran away and eventually found Xavier's school. True, he had burnt his aunt's house down, but she'd been verbally abusing him for over two years and he'd finally lost it. At Xavier's school he couldn't relate to the way in which people embraced humans and their total hatred for his kind. He'd tried and tried, but every time he thought he'd found a compromise, he would think back on his parents, or some bastard human would come up with something like a 'cure'. Now he was stuck with a bunch of murderous low-lives who were consumed with revenge and hatred. He'd been like that once, but when Bobby had spared his life he'd realised what he'd become. The fact that he'd once tried to kill his former friend made him sick to his stomach, and he was filled with regret. Naturally he had no one to talk to - Magneto was Magneto, Mystique was a close-mouthed bitch, and Callisto was a woman who could do very little without being aggressive.
He'd looked forward to a new mutant joining them - even the variety would be a welcome reprieve. He'd expected another Jean Grey, a psycho who didn't say much. What he hadn't expected was a walking hurricane entering his life. Kevin. He could barely think the name without sighing. It had been over a week since they'd rescued him from Xavier's clutches. He'd had to hide his awe on the chopper, and it hadn't been easy. Kevin was an extremely powerful mutant, but he was so much more. He had a warm and humble personality, and he rarely said anything malignant about anything or anyone, and of course he was HOT! Sure, he'd always known that guys were more suited to his appetites, and he'd bedded several women just to get off, but with very little true pleasure involved. The best looking guy he'd known at school had been Bobby, and he made a point of distancing himself and seeming aloof and arrogant around him. He didn't trust himself around such a good-looking guy, and it was better to be his enemy than his friend. At least then he wouldn't be tempted by proximity, and Bobby would stay away from him. His heart had sunk when he saw how his behaviour had hurt Bobby's feelings, but self-preservation was second nature to him.
Magneto had told him to seduce the new mutant because he already knew that the new guy was gay. He'd tried to get out of it, because he needed to bury those feelings of his, not play around with them. Magneto was a persistent asshole though, and he'd forced his hand. Imagine his shock when the new mutant was the hottest mutant he'd ever known. The scenario was repeating its self, but it was far worse than ever. Unlike Bobby who he could, and wanted to resist, he didn't even want to try with Kevin. Kevin was so magnetic it was overwhelming. Magneto had forced Kevin to sleep in his room, despite the fact that there were about a thousand empty rooms in this fucking cave. It was apparently more likely that something would happen between 'you two' if you shared a room. Damn right! He hated Magneto for this torture.
He wanted to shout out at how frustrating it was. Every day Kevin had to attend training with Magneto and Callisto for at least four hours. He spent all day speaking to Kevin, and enjoyed every moment of it, but those four hours which barged into every day were terrible for him. He couldn't wait for Kevin to return, to be in the same room with him, but at the same time he dreaded it for he became irrational and unstable around the guy.
"This is fucked up," he said angrily to the roof. It didn't respond.
At that moment, the door started to open and his heart starting beating rapidly as it raged against his chest. The air in his lungs burned. What the hell was wrong with him? Kevin stepped into the room, and closed the door. He saw John and smiled at him.
"Hey John," he said.
"Hey Kevin," he said with a serious face. He didn't want to seem enthusiastic, even though his insides were bursting. He felt like tackling him, slamming him against the wall and kissing him roughly. It wasn't fair.
Kevin walked to his bed on the opposite side of the room, and took off his own shoes. His hand was still bandaged and he fumbled while trying to untie his shoe laces on his sneakers. He took off his shirt, and he struggled even more as his fingers got tied up in his shirt and trapped him for a few moments. A few blessed moments where he could examine that awesome body again. He wanted to put his face against Kevin's abs and bite at his treasure trail. He felt his pants twitch involuntarily, and he quickly looked at the roof and cleared his mind. He heard Kevin cursing and he started to chuckle as the guy struggled to pull his shirt over his head. Eventually he freed himself, and he looked at the shirt which he banished across the room angrily.
"Don't laugh dumbass," he said, and threw himself onto his bed.
"Why? It's funny," he replied. Kevin shook his head and settled himself onto his bed, causing him to exhale at the suggestive posture.
"Why are you sweating? It's not that hot in here," Kevin asked. He seemed no more than curious. He didn't think that Kevin ever looked at his body. He saw him as a brother, not a potential lover. That was the ultimate punishment, in his opinion. The friend who has to stand by and watch his lusty interest make out with other guys, all the while constantly wishing he could be in that position. Gah!
"Uh... I generate a lot of internal heat. It's difficult to control this fire thing," he replied. It wasn't a bad reply, and he'd finally found a good use for his powers. He quickly rubbed away the bead of sweat rolling down his sideburn and jaw, and felt even more humiliated when he felt sweat running down his chest between his pecs. This was like a damn fever, and Kevin was the virus.
"That's hot," Kevin said, and laughed. He laughed at his weak joke, but Pyro wished he'd meant it in another way. He chuckled too, though. He would do close to anything to see a smile form on that awesome face.
"How's your hand?" he asked, and deftly shifted the topic away from himself.
"Perforated," Kevin said wryly. "Nah, it's getting better thanks John. It stopped hurting two days ago, and it will be right in a few weeks I think. I know I could heal it with my powers, but sometimes I destroy things when I intend to alter them, and I'd rather not disintegrate my hand."
"Yeah, I'll not have all my bandaging skills go to waste just because you can't hold yourself together." Putting new dressings on Kevin's hand each night was an intense experience for him. He could find a valid excuse to touch his hand, and could experience that electricity which arced over when he made contact. He knew exactly how Kevin's hand looked, but he felt like a better man when he cared for Kevin, and he wanted to care for him badly. Of course, it made him useless for hours afterwards, and he would stare at Kevin's sleeping form for hours later at night, and then jerk off to him. Normally he could push himself to shoot twice, but with Kevin around it was like lightning was racing through him. He felt like a teenager when he thought of Kevin. Even after jerking off to him for the second time he would feel unsettled and so lustful he thought he would die. So he'd carry on and jerk off a third, fourth and even a fifth time, each time shooting further and further at the thought and sight of the guy lying across from him. The orgasms were so intense they were almost painful, and he had to bury his face in his pillow while he came. Even after his fifth shot, he still felt horny and wanted to jump Kevin, but his dick became sensitive and his pelvis told him it had had enough - so he had to give it a rest until morning, when he indulged himself with the same thought in the shower while he heard shirtless Kevin singing whilst shaving a few feet away.
Kevin merely laughed at his retort, and looked at the roof while lying on his bed. His body was toned and flawless, but was covered with large bruises and some abrasions - evidence of his encounter with the X-men. The scars were kind of sexy, and made him look like some sort of warrior. "How was training?" he asked Kevin.
Kevin sighed. "Magneto's hard on me. Half the time he throws me around the room with some sort of metallic object, or he gets Callisto to beat me up until I manage to catch her. I guess I shouldn't be such a wuss. He's really helped me with my powers, and yesterday I passed the point where I was twice as strong as when I arrived. He says I can become stronger, but I don't know if I want to be."
"Oh? Why is that?" he asked.
"I don't need so much power. What must I do with it? If can get by with my daily life then I'll be happy. I'm really not a big proponent for lifting whole continents, even if I eventually will be able to do it. I'd rather just conjure up an icecream."
John laughed loudly. The guy was just too cute. Icecream? He was genuinely humble and had very little savage ambition. He was very unlike Magneto, or Xavier. He didn't want to be in the forefront - he just wanted to be happy and safe. It was a huge turn on to see a guy with so much potential wield it in a gentle way. He was a giant who could squash humanity as if they were ants, but he was much happier to sit with the ants and play with them. It was all very amusing, and admirable.
"You think that's funny, mister?" Kevin asked with a mischievous face. He was about to reply when he saw ice start to swirl above Kevin's fingers, and suddenly he felt wary. He had never seen Kevin use his powers and didn't know what to expect. He wouldn't hurt him, would he? The ice stirred and brightened to a white light until the whole room glowed. He closed his eyes and the light faded after a few moments. He slowly opened them again, and was afraid of what he would find. Instead he saw Kevin lying in the same position on the bed with two vanilla soft serve cones in his hands. That was it... he was officially in love.
"A huge display, for something to eat," Kevin said sarcastically. One of the ice creams started to float across the room and he grabbed it out of mid-air and started to eat it.
"Dude, you made an ice cream out of nothing. That was fucking amazing!" It really was. He started to eat it, and it tasted pretty real, though he didn't know what he expected to taste. In a few seconds the ice cream started to melt and run down his hands. This was an old problem.
Kevin smiled. "Heh... Mr Fire can't keep his icecream together," he said with a cheeky grin. "You see, Bobby wouldn't have this problem. Though he can't enjoy a hot cup of coffee so I guess it balances out."
His face became stone at the mention of Bobby. It was an unwelcome intrusion. He was sick of hearing about Bobby this, Bobby that. The problem was that he was so sick of it that Kevin had finally noticed. He looked at the bed, and Pyro could see him preparing to deliver some sort of prepared speech.
"John, I know you hate Bobby..." he started.
"I don't hate him, Kevin," he said heatedly, though Kevin carried on as if he'd said nothing.
"... but you have to realise that I love him. A lot. You're my friend and I care for you a lot, but I don't want you to put me in the position where I must choose between the two of you. I need Bobby in my life - he's my soulmate, but I need a special friend like you too. Okay?"
He'd been tempted to lash out angrily about Bobby, but the speech was sincere and it made him feel warm inside - a little. At least he knew he meant something to Kevin, and that he wasn't a temporary fill-in until he could be reunited with his lover boy back at the X-mansion. "Sure Kevin. I'll support you and I'll be good to Bobby too, if it comes to it." He felt like crying, and looked at the roof and blinked away the tears. He actually wanted to eliminate his competition, but at the same time he wanted to make Kevin happy, and he'd made it clear what would do that.
"Thanks buddy," he said warmly. "Now, it's been a week and I need to rescue him from that damned school. I just hope he hasn't forgotten me."
"He hasn't, trust me," he replied before he could stop himself. He blushed, but he thought the guy was insane to think someone could forget him. He was unique and once you got to know him, he was like a drug.
"Will you help me rescue him?" Kevin asked, and suddenly it seemed like he was asking too much of him. Being civil to Bobby wasn't going to be easy, but actively helping him would be really tough. "Please..." Kevin added when he didn't reply.
"Sure man," he said with a smile. What was he thinking? He'd attached to himself to Kevin without even knowing it, and he was a total prick if he didn't show loyalty when he needed help. He decided to never again hesitate, and always choose Kevin over the Brotherhood. It would end badly for him, but he loved Kevin as a brother and more, and that meant he was willing to die for that ideal.
"Let's go," Kevin said.
"Now?" he asked, surprised by the abruptness.
"Yeah, no reason to wait. Trust me, I've been thinking this plan through in detail ever since I arrived here." Figures.
"What should I bring?" he asked.
"Something to make fire, and a shirt. On second thought, leave the shirt. You can streak across the grounds and distract everyone with your hot body while I rescue Bobby," he said with a sly smile, but he felt his ego surge. He had noticed. No... it was an innocent comment, but still.
"In that case, you should do that while I rescue Bobby. Your body is far more qualified for distraction than mine," he said. Okay, now that line sprang from his mouth before he could stop it. Hopefully he hadn't said too much... and if he had, tough shit - he was beyond caring.
Kevin blushed and looked at his feet while putting his shoes back on. He was so bashful it was frightening, and he found himself biting his lower lip with lust. When they were ready, Kevin explained what he wanted him to do. It would be difficult, but he thought he could manage it. For Kevin, he would push himself. As they left the room, Kevin started walking down the passages with an unusual sense of direction. He wondered exactly what his powers were and what they encompassed. He was worried about walking into Magneto, and the thought suddenly became flesh as they stumbled upon him as they turned the next corner.
"And where are you two going?" he said to them.
"I'm going to rescue Iceman from the mansion. I've waited long enough," Kevin said confidently, and his eyes dared Magneto to challenge him. Unfortunately Magneto was not a man to be intimidated and it appeared he didn't notice.
"Kronos, by now the Professor is using Cerebro to track you and rescue you. It would be unsafe of you to reveal yourself. If you..."
"The Professor started searching for me the moment we left the grounds. I disguised myself from his powers, and he'll never be able to locate me, no matter how hard he tries. Now, I cannot stay here for much longer without Bobby. I need him in my life, and I've sensed that he feels anguish and pain."
"You cannot go," Magneto said suddenly, and Pyro suddenly felt nervous. He'd remained silent during this conversation because he knew it would come to this. "I'll take you back to your rooms if I must," he said dangerously. Sheets of metal which coated the walls peeled off their surfaces and pointed to him and Kevin threateningly. He wasn't joking. He would bundle him up with that metal like a pork roast and take him back to his rooms, and he wouldn't be gentle either. Kevin didn't seem phased at all.
Suddenly the metal fell to the ground and Magneto gasped, and looked at his hands - his eyes as wide as they could be, with open shock painted on his almost hysterical face. "Impossible...," he said.
"I'm sorry Magneto, I don't want to hurt you but I must leave for a few hours. I am very appreciative that you helped me, and I won't forget it, but there are larger issues in my life. I'll let the effect dissipate as soon as we are safely outside. Don't try to follow us - I can sense any mutant in a ten mile radius - and I'll be less subtle and maybe more permanent next time I cut off your powers."
Holy shit! That really was impossible! No wonder Magneto nearly fainted. He was tempted to see if he could still make a flame, but his insecurity would be obvious and would shout distrust to Kevin. They walked past the powerless Magneto, his mouth still gaping with shock, and towards the main entrance which he knew Magneto wouldn't open for them. Kevin obviously felt the same because as they approached the doors exploded outwards with an incredible force, the immensely thick steel barrier tossed up like straw.
Kevin walked up to John and stood behind him and hugged him tightly. Leave the transport to me, he'd told John earlier - so he had. He didn't really know why he was being hugged but he liked it a lot, and was on the verge of leaning back into the embrace when the world turned red and he felt as if he'd been hit by a wall of water, his face contorting as the immensity of ... whatever it was... hit his face. It lasted only a moment or two but it felt like he'd been sandblasted. He fell to his knees and coughed roughly. He was actually fine. He saw Kevin walk ahead of him and scan the area. Looking up he gasped - they were in the forest of Xavier's grounds. He'd somehow leaped several hundred miles in an instant.
"Sorry John, that must have felt uncomfortable for you," he said.
"It wasn't bad," he lied, whatever the fuck IT was!
John stepped up beside Kevin and he took an involuntary step back. His eyes had become dark pools, and deep furrows had formed in his face. He was a terrible sight to behold - a total transformation. "And now," Kevin or rather Kronos said, "I will free Iceman. I am stronger than that whole school combined, and if they try to keep me from him... I will break them." John wanted to piss in his pants at hearing those words. They were like iron, so unlike the Kevin he knew. He suddenly respected Xavier a little more for actually daring to fight this guy. They started to walk towards the mansion. It looked silent, but both of them knew better. He suddenly thought that he would possibly die here, and swallowed hard. He hoped not, but at least he could die near to Kevin, and not be alone for once.
Bobby lay on his bed on the lower levels of the X-mansion. He'd been brought to these lower levels at some stage and imprisoned in a large room with a bed, TV and bathroom. He heard Storm whisper to Wolverine that they were worried Kevin would come for him, and that he would be safer underground. Safer? He didn't need protection from Kevin! He had screamed, screamed so loud his voice had broken as he bashed at the doors, but they didn't release him. He'd tried freezing things, tried anything to get out, but what good was ice against metal?
Kitty used to deliver his meals. He assumed it was Kitty, because a plate of food would appear to float from under the ground and settle on the floor. "Cowards!" he would shout. He was in such a rage.. he had anger to burn the world. Twice a day Wolverine would enter the room and try to talk to him, and be his friend. He'd immediately rush for the door, but Wolverine caught him as if he was newborn rabbit, and with the same ease. He was no match for Wolverine, and he wasn't so far gone that he would freeze Wolverine to escape. He was many things, but not a murderer. He still hated him for what he'd done to Kevin's hand, even though he denied it. He couldn't believe he denied it! Wolverine caught him every time, and he had tried at least twenty times. Once, he had come within ten feet of the door, but usually he was immediately caught and gently thrown across the floor with Wolverine shaking his head wryly. He wanted to talk but Bobby would remain utterly still until he left. He felt bad that he was spitting in the face of a true friend, but there were too many issues, and Wolverine was an X-man and he saw all X-men as a unit, as an enemy to be faced. There was Kevin or the X-men - no in between. It had been a week since Kevin had nearly been killed by Xavier and his thugs, but he knew he would return for him. He had a small voice in the back of his head which spoke of him leaving him forever, but he thought snidely that it was Xavier implanting thoughts into his head. He wouldn't put it past the man. No. He knew in his soul that Kevin wouldn't betray him, and would come back for him. He'd seen the look in his eyes when he'd cried for his help. Those beautiful green eyes of his, full of ferocity and rage became desperate and anguished in an instant, and he knew then that he was more important to Kevin than anything else in the world.
He heard shuffling behind him, and saw his lunch rising through the floor. "You fucking cowards! Let me out of here! You're holding me hostage!" He might as well seem as angry as ever. They would enjoy it too much if he fell silent and submitted to their terror tactics. He heard a rumble, and for a moment he thought that Xavier had finally cracked and sent Colossus to beat him up. The rumbling was getting closer, and he started to genuinely worry about what was going on. After taking a step back from the door, he decided he wasn't being cautious enough and ran to the medical table to hide behind it.
"Shit," he said, his eyes peaking above the side of the table, and the only part of him visible to an attacker.
The rumble approached with an insane speed. The door started shaking and clattering despite its size. A small piece of the door split off, no larger than a coin, but suddenly it appeared to melt from the inside and part as if a giant hot poker had been stuffed into its buttery core. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them he saw Kevin standing there in the hole that was once the door. His face was altered by his powers again, and Bobby felt fear despite the elation of seeing the guy he loved. Kevin was scanning the room looking for him, and a frown appeared on his face. It was despair, but one couldn't truly say that with his face in its twisted form. Bobby slowly stood up from behind the bed causing Kevin to lock onto him with furious eyes, and for a moment Bobby was on the point of death. Those dark eyes softened, but Kevin held onto his powers and ran towards him. Kevin grabbed him and hugged him tightly until his ribs started to pain. For a long time Kevin rested his face in angle of Bobby's neck, all the while breathing heavily with relief.
"I've missed you," Kevin said in a muffled tone, and when he raised his head, his face was normal. He looked like he'd been in pain, but the relief on his face seemed so strong it was breathtaking. His eyes scanned Bobby's face as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"I've missed you too," he replied. It was so great to see his face, to be so close to his smile and to feel his heart beating in his chest. He leaned his head forward and rested it on Kevin's chest, and felt Kevin reflexively put his hand on the back of his head and stroke it. If Xavier burst in now, at least he would have had his brief reunion with the love of his life, though only a madman would want to fight Kronos.
"I don't like what my powers do to my face," Kevin said suddenly. So, he was aware. He hoped he'd come to the conclusion by himself, and not by some revelation on his own face. He didn't look fearful or revolted, did he? Did he?
"I love you like you are," he said, proudly managing not to lie and divert the subject. The ground shook lightly, and he wondered what Kevin had been doing upstairs. He wanted to escape, but he hoped dearly that he wouldn't go up there and find dozens of dead mutants or a ruined mansion. He looked into Kevin's eyes and his heart surged. It dawned upon him that they were standing around in the middle of a potential war zone, and all the X-men knew that this would be Kevin's destination. He leaned forward and kissed Kevin, his soft lips touching Kevin's gently and later roughly. He slipped his tongue into Kevin's mouth, and heard him groan. It was difficult not to smile. The ground started shaking roughly, and he heard his plate of food bouncing across the floor. The walls groaned as the tremors irritated their foundations. Pulling back, he saw that Kevin's eyes were closed and his breathing heavy and laboured. The furrows on his face had returned, deeper than ever and when he opened his eyes, they were as dark as midnight and as cold as death. The lines on his face grew in size until they curled around his lean jaw line.
"Thanks," Kevin said softly. "You made me remember something."
"What?" he replied.
"If you stand beside me, no one can stand against me," he said. Perhaps it was the simplicity of the statement, but Bobby knew it was true. There was something about their relationship which was unusual, something which made them both greater than their individual selves. "Stand still," he told Bobby suddenly and placed his hands on his head. After a moment he removed his hands, but Bobby didn't feel any different.
"Let's see Xavier get past that," Kevin said with a challenging smile. "Listen to everything I say, lover boy. I'll make it worth your while. Let's go," he said, and winked at Bobby. And with that, he turned on his heel and ran out the door. He rushed to keep up with Kevin as they ran through the underground passages. As they passed a door, Kevin stopped on the spot, causing Bobby to run into him and both of them to stumble. Kevin darted inside quickly.
He followed Kevin inside slowly. He knew what room this was, though he had never been here. The heart rate monitor bleeped slowly, and was the only sound to cover the deathly silence of this dark room. Marie lay on a medical bed in the centre of the room, old and frail. She was dying, he'd heard Wolverine mutter as much. Kevin stood next to her, his face unreadable in its dark form, but his hand stroked her wrist.
"Kevin, you don't need to do this to yourself," he said to him, and placed his hand on his shoulder. Nothing good could come of it, and time was short besides.
"She tried to kill me, but the fact that I did the same makes me as bad as her," he said. "She wasn't her normal self. I can only imagine what I'd do to someone who tried to harm you or take you from me." Kevin clinched his fist and bared his teeth, and for a short moment the tremors under the ground amplified.
"Kev..." he started, but he didn't give him the chance to go on. Kevin reached forward quickly and put his hands on her head and closed his eyes. The room started to brighten, and he could see that Marie's body had started to glow. It brightened and brightened until Bobby had to close his eyes. It was as if the sun was sharing the room with them, yet the light was pure and hot. He took a step back and fell to one knee. As quickly as it had begun it was over, and he opened his eyes. The room was dark again and he needed a moment to adapt to the light. Kevin was in the same place, and seemed unperturbed. He gasped when he saw Marie, her face young and beautiful and revitalized. Her breathing was calm and a small smile graced her lips. He put his arms around Kevin's chest and rested his chin on his shoulder.
"I love you," he said to Kevin.
"I know," he replied simply, but he could sense Kevin smile. He turned around and a small ember appeared in mid air which flew to the opposite wall and started to burn words into the metal. I'm sorry Marie, love Kevin.
The ember disappeared and without a word, Kevin grabbed his hand rushed with him out of the room. Back in the passage they ran as fast as they could. As they reached the elevator, Bobby thought it would be shitty to get caught in a deactivated elevator system. Kevin didn't even press the button. He stopped short of the elevator system and looked upwards. A large piece of the roof disintegrated in a circular shape.
"Hold me tight," Kevin said while facing him. He didn't need to ask him twice. He put his arms around Kevin's waist and clung to him. The floor rose in a pillar and they rose up through the hole in the roof, and continued rising. As they reached the next level the same hole formed as Kevin stared blankly at it, and continued to do so for the next five levels until they rose to the ground level. The rocky pillar which had brought them here started to sink slowly and the floor repaired its self leaving no evidence of damage.
"This is a hospitable rescue," Kevin told him, and Bobby couldn't help but laugh despite the risky situation. They started running again. Bobby tried to look through the windows, but the sky looked reddish and they were running at top speed, and he couldn't see anything.
Kevin ran without hesitation, and Bobby sometimes saw sparks or waves in the air as if Kevin was triggering and squashing invisible traps which had been set for them. Still they ran, with Kevin looking so determined and focussed that he didn't for one instant think they wouldn't succeed. He ran past the opening to a large hall and stopped after he heard an enormous crash inside. He gasped at the scene.
A serpent a hundred feet long was coiling around the large square banquet hall hissing angrily at its attacker. Wolverine was growling wildly and attacking the cobra rabidly, his claws spinning so quickly they blurred. The cobra was furious and it tried to bite him, crush him under its weight. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and followed it to see Kevin standing there with a weak smirk on his face.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt him. It's an illusion, though he doesn't know it. It might knock him down a little, but nothing serious. I have similar distractions occupying the others. Xavier's was particularly cruel, but even his won't hurt him. We should go Bobby."
They ran again, and he could see the door in sight.
"This way," Kevin said. "Only an idiot would go through the front door."
He blushed at the comment but luckily Kevin had taken his arm again and pulled him down the main passage to the left. They kept on running when suddenly Colossus jumped right through the side wall in the distant passage.
"Impressive," Kevin said coolly.
Colossus walked towards them, his metallic form was huge and formidable. The ground was still shaking from Kevin's powers, but they made Colossus sound like a giant filled with wrath. Kevin ran as quickly as ever, as if Colossus didn't exist. As they neared him Kevin flicked his wrist and Colossus was catapulted through the same wall which he'd arrived. It was if a giant hammer had hit him from the side. Bobby's eyes widened with shock, but Kevin didn't react at all. They approached the large side window and Bobby felt nervous that Kevin wasn't slowing down. They were almost upon the window when Bobby opened his mouth to nervously ask something, when it felt as if an invisible hand had grabbed him around the waist and pulled him towards Kevin. He cried out in that moment, and Kevin spun around towards him, with sharp and confident eyes. He collided with Kevin and his arms wrapped around him, and at that moment the window exploded as they fell through, and right through an enormous wall of fire which didn't seem to burn them. He cried out in terror as he felt them fall, and felt them hit soft barriers which he couldn't identify. He couldn't bear to open his eyes, and when he felt Kevin separate from him, he really did scream in fear. He felt himself falling wildly through the air, and suddenly he stopped softly. He opened his one eye slowly, and then the other and stared in shock at the mansion in the near distance. Looking around, he saw Kevin smiling at him, and looked down to see that Kevin had caught him in his arms. Kevin gave him a quick peck on the cheek and put him down. The entire mansion was covered on all four sides with huge walls of fire, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how quick Kevin's reflexes had been, or how great his powers were to allow just that last feat, never mind the entire rescue.
"Damn you're amazing," he said while watching the mansion, and Kevin blushed.
"Flatter him later, if you don't mind, Bobby," he heard some guy mention roughly on the other side of Kevin. He jerked around and saw John standing there staring at the mansion, sweat running down his face which was white with exertion. He had to blink in surprise because he couldn't believe that John would aid anybody! It must be for revenge against Xavier - yes, that was it. Kevin suddenly became aware of John and ran over to him.
"It's okay, John... it's okay, man. Let go of it," he said to John while putting his arm around him. Bobby's fist clenched, but he couldn't help it. The fires around the mansion disappeared immediately, but the building seemed unscathed. Bobby quickly looked back to Kevin and saw him supporting Pyro, who had his arm around Kevin and seemed to be faltering. He was exhausted, but Bobby was tempted to let him fall to the ground and crawl after them.
"We're not all as gifted as you," Pyro said to Kevin with a smile, and Bobby growled in this throat. Kevin smiled back at him. He wasn't jealous. He wasn't!
"You coming, love of my life?" Kevin said while turning around. He could see Pyro looking at him with an unreadable look, and he returned a flat stare which Pyro smirked at. Bobby quickly looked at Kevin who still had a questioning smile on his lips, and he winked at him and followed.
They walked for a short distance until the mansion was out of sight. Kevin stopped.
"You okay to stand?" he asked John, who nodded warmly. He stood but seemed to sway on his feet. He suddenly felt bad about being so cold to John, who had after all gone out of his way to rescue him, but with John everything had an ulterior motive and he had to be wary.
Kevin walked behind him and hugged him, and he leaned back into his embrace. It had felt like so long since he'd been wrapped in those arms. "Bobby, take John's hand." Bobby frowned, but gripped John's forearm uneasily. "Now hold on," Kevin said sexily into his neck. "This apparently feels uncomfortable."
"Oh fuck!" John said suddenly.
He turned to look at John but suddenly it felt as if an enormous wind had hit him the face. Straining to look into the wind, the world went red and he felt himself accelerate. He would have cried out, but he felt Kevin's arms around him and knew better, and he gripped John's arm so tightly he was sure he was hurting him. The red colour faded and he fell to his knees, and heard John fall next to him. He looked up and smiled. This was going to be great.
End of chapter 6
Thanks for all the comments I receive. I appreciate anyone who takes time to email me. I'll get my act together and post every Sunday as I usually promise to do. rahvin7@yahoo.com