Burning Brightly

Authors Note:

I wanted to get to know Pyro a little better. So I’m “taking a walk in his skin.” This story is written first person point of view. It is based on the XMen movies and is what I would call a “wrap around” story. In other words, it wraps around the scenes presented in the movies. I have made every effort to be consistent with the XMen movies – Gods, I love my DVD ROM! If you find I’ve made any errors, please do tell me by email or review.

I would estimate Pyro to be about age 16 or 17 at the time Magneto recruits him into the Brotherhood.

Where I touch on scenes that actually appeared in the movies, I am taking the dialogue and action directly from the movie in question. Subtitles can be useful, I’ve found. It is not my intention to claim credit for work that is not mine.

Warnings: (For the story as a whole.) Profanity. M/F sex between characters that might be considered under age where you live. Oral sex. Violence. Movie spoilers—I suggest you watch them before reading this story.

Please rate and review, I love feedback. And I am always open to constructive criticism and suggestions.

Chapter One: A God Among Insects.

You know, I never really hated Bobby. God did he piss me off though. Maybe it was their fault for always sticking us together. Fire and ice…I guess there was a certain logic to it.

They were always afraid I’d burn something. Or someone. So, everywhere I went, he went. Just in case. Bobby Drake…Mr. Fucking Perfect. They never admitted it, but I knew. We shared a room, we shared our classes, and we shared a spot on the chore rotation.

Hell, we even shared punishments. Never mind that it was usually my fault and he was just covering for me. He would always be right there along with me. Running laps or sitting in detention.

Or…God forbid…Sitting through one of the Professor’s lectures on the “responsible use of power.” Bobby was responsible…I wasn’t. But, he sat through those with me, too.

I could have hated him for it. He was better at everything that I was. Math, science, video games. He even had the cooler power…literally. He could actually MAKE the ice. I could only manipulate the fire.

He came from a happy loving family that sent him letters and gifts. They even sent me shit sometimes, just because I was his friend. I guess they felt sorry for me. As for me, I haven’t seen my dad since I was five. My mom dumped me off on my grand parents’ doorstep when I was twelve. Then came the fires. They started the day I stole my grandfather’s lighter. And they’ve never stopped since.

After that, I got passed around like a Christmas fruitcake nobody wants to eat. I stayed with this aunt or that cousin until there was another fire. Then I’d wind up somewhere else. At first I didn’t know it was me. In the beginning, the fires terrified me, chasing me out of one home after the other. I always ran from the flames.

And then one day I didn’t run. One day I let the fire come for me. I was tired of all of it. Tired of not being wanted. Tired of being blamed for everything that went wrong, not just the fires. Tired of never being good enough. So I waited, watching tongues of flame eat through the walls of my aunt’s guest room. I reached out for them and they came to me. They surrounded me, touched me, warmed me…

But, they didn’t burn me. They obeyed me and I made them leap and dance. I let them burn higher and higher. I burned my aunt’s house to the ground. I watched all her silly knickknacks go up in smoke. Watched her ugly wallpaper crackle and burn. I listened to her precious glass figurines crack and shatter from the heat. And I heard her screaming for her stupid little dogs.

Not for me, of course. For the ugly little flat-faced things. I didn’t really mean to kill them. Really. I forgot all about them being in the house. Not that I’m sorry about it. They were a waste of space. But, you know, if you kill something you hate so much, it ought to be on purpose, right?

When I heard the fire truck’s siren I ran. I ran as hard as I could. I ran until I was completely turned around and my sides hurt. I ran until I thought I was going to puke. Finally, I couldn’t run anymore, so I hid.

The abandoned house was old and run down, filled with trash. It stank of shit and piss and the windows were boarded over. I curled up on a filthy sofa with springs sticking out of it and pulled out my lighter.

Fire…My fire…Flick…Watch the flame dance…Snap…Extinguish the flame.

Flick…Snap…Flick…Snap… The rhythm was hypnotizing, soothing. The flames were so warm, so pure and perfect. Beautiful.

How long I sat mesmerized, I have no idea. It was after sunset when I heard a voice in the shadows, calling my name. It called over and over, but I didn’t answer.

Flick…Snap…Flick…Snap…

Suddenly there were faces in the darkness, illuminated by my flames. The one I remember most clearly was Miss Munroe, her white hair shining, making her look like a ghost or an angel. Dr. Grey was there and Mr. Summers too, but they were just strangers to me then.

They said they wanted me. They said I was special. They said they would take me someplace safe. They said they would teach me how to control my power.

They said a lot of things. Some of them were true. But, I only figured that out later. Right then, I believed it. All of it. So I went with them. What else was I going to do?

Bobby was already there, star student of “Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.” And no matter how much of a dick I was, he insisted on being my friend. Believe me, I can be a dick when I feel like it. I don’t know if it was some sort of weird blind spot he had, or he really thought he could help me. Maybe he did. Without him I’d have probably run from there before I learned anything useful.

They did teach me how to control my power. That was never a problem. The thing that couldn’t be controlled was me. I also learned that even heroes aren’t perfect.

Miss Munroe has a nasty temper…The first time I set one of her precious plants on fire it rained so hard they had to replant half of the flowerbeds out front.

Dr. Gray liked to preach about responsibility and “doing the right thing.” But, I saw the way she used to stare at Logan when she thought nobody was looking.

Mr. Summers was just a dick. He never had an original thought in his head, if you ask me. All he did was repeat the same crap the Professor said, only with that superior smile of his.

Oh, and the Professor was the worst hypocrite of all. He promised to teach us all how to control our powers. And to keep us safe.

He lied. He couldn’t teach Rogue control. Poor thing, nobody except Bobby had the nerve to try to touch her. Not even me. Hell knows, I wanted to. And what he did to Dr. Grey was even worse. He didn’t teach her control…He tried to control her. We all know how that turned out, don’t we?

And we were never safe. We just thought we were. Stryker proved that.

I’ll never forget the running and the screaming. I’ll never forget the look on Logan’s face when he started carving up Stryker’s men. I wonder if that’s how I look when I let the fires burn…

At least Logan was never a hypocrite. Thinking and doing were pretty much the same thing for him. How a guy like that could buy Xavier’s line of bullshit, I’ll never know. And he did try to save us. Tried real hard.

When that cop shot him down on the Drakes’ front porch, it was already too late. At least for me.

It was too late as soon as I heard Bobby’s perfect parents ask him if he had “tried not being a mutant.” Are you fucking kidding me?

And then that little brother of his…Christ! What kind of little shit calls the cops on his own brother like that?

You know…I actually believed in Bobby’s little fairy tale world back then. It was the only thing that made sense. Bobby was just too perfect to have a fucked up family like the rest of us.

I tried to be good. I tried really hard to be good. I tried to be like Bobby…Sometimes I even pretended that that was me in those family photos on his desk. Instead of that snot-nosed little traitor, Ronnie.

I so fucking wanted to torch them for it. For what they did to Bobby. I was used to that kind of shit. But not him. It just wasn’t right.

But, it wasn’t the Drakes I unleashed the flames on, it was the cops. If Rogue hadn’t stopped me, there’s no telling what I would have done that day.

I would have burned them all. The cops, Bobby’s little shit of a brother, and his parents. Maybe even Bobby and Rogue.

That would have sucked. They were the only real friends I ever had. Bobby could forgive a lot of things…But not that.

Bobby’s parents did teach me something.

I wasn’t good. I wasn’t like Bobby. And I never would be.

The first time I met Magneto he saved my life. All of our lives, actually. He saved our lives when he stopped the Blackbird from smashing us into the ground like a bug on a windshield. Stopped the plane in mid-air.

Now that’s power. Godlike power.

He never treated me like a child, not like the X Men did. He never bitched at me for playing with my lighter or told me how disappointed he was in me when I lost my temper. And he never let me make excuses for myself.

He told me “You are a God among insects. Never let anyone tell you different.” Gods don’t need excuses do they?

I was just a problem for the X Men. A loose cannon they were responsible for. I don’t know what they would have done with me after Alkali Lake. I don’t think they did either. So I solved the problem for both of us when I left with Magneto and Mystique.

I think they were just relieved. It’s not like they came looking for me, now is it? If they really cared, they would have come after me. They would have “rescued” me from Magneto and his Brotherhood.

Life was so different with the Brotherhood. I was someone important. Magneto asked for my opinions and listened to them. Even Mystique listened to me. Whatever was going on, I was right there beside Magneto. If Mystique was his eyes and ears, I was his right hand.

That was me, the fiery hand of vengeance. He was everything Xavier and the X Men weren’t. I would have killed for him. Actually, I did kill for him. Should I feel guilty about that?

Gods don’t feel guilt, do they? Regret maybe. Disappointment, definitely. I was disappointed in all of them. Not the humans. Of course they wanted to get rid of us. We were different. Dangerous. Powerful. It was those miserable mutants who were born gods and were ready to throw it all away for the sake of being “normal.”

Bobby deserves better than one of those…I knew that was why he was there at the “Cure Clinic.” To stop Rogue from throwing away her birthright. I was there to blow the goddamned place to kingdom come. And I did. Too bad it didn’t stop her.

Bobby would never understand why I did it. Even though I was there on Magneto’s orders, it as much for Bobby as for anyone. The Cure is a lie. It always was. Taking away your powers won’t fix what’s really wrong. You’d think Rogue would have understood that. I know Bobby did. That’s why he was there.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. All that came later, months after I joined Magneto and his Brotherhood.

Like I said before, life in the Brotherhood was different. There was a pecking order there, a hierarchy of sorts. Big gods and little gods. Saints and angels.

Magneto was our Zeus. Mystique and I answered only to him. There were other, lesser beings who answered to Magneto or Mystique. I wasn’t interested in giving orders. I liked doing my own dirty work. As long as they didn’t give me any shit, I really didn’t care what the peons did.

After a while, I started learning how Magneto’s organization worked. Started seeing the same faces over and over again. Mystique had her own little network of underlings. One of which kept popping up again and again.

Magneto identified her as one of Mystique’s recruits. Mystique had picked her up while he was stuck in that plastic prison cell. The choice struck me as kind of weird, since Mystique was always so…captivating. Hard to ignore. This chick was actually hard to remember. Maybe that was the point. She tended to fade into the background. Five minutes after you spoke to her, you wouldn’t be able to tell anyone what she looked like.

What did she look like? Average. Average height. Average build. Her hair was that color that’s not quite blond and not quite red. It wasn’t long and it wasn’t short. It was months before I knew what color eyes she had, because she wore shades, day and night. It wasn’t because she never took them off -- because she did each and every time Magneto gave one of his speeches — but because it was so easy to forget that she was there.

She was always there for the important stuff. Eventually, it occurred to me to ask why. She had just delivered a file containing the report on Mystique’s latest mission. I waited until Magneto dismissed her before asking the question.

“Why do you keep little miss mousy around, anyway? What’s her deal?”

“The young lady is one of our more valuable assets. Mesmer possesses the power of persuasion.”

“Persuasion? Are you sure it’s not invisibility?” I couldn’t imagine the frumpy little thing persuading anybody to do anything.

“That would be some of Mystique’s training, I believe. Hiding in plain sight, so to speak. She is quite good at crowd control and adding a certain…appeal…to my speeches.”

“You mean she’s been screwing with people’s heads during your speeches?” That was news to me. What was she? Some sort of telepath?

“I think that would be beyond the scope of her abilities. She merely makes the audience more receptive to my message.” He looked up at me from the photographs he was studying. “If you will excuse me, I have work to do.”

In those days the Brotherhood was much smaller. We operated out of a revamped warehouse outfitted with a whole truckload of electronics. Worthington hadn’t yet announced his “cure” and we were laying low. Mystique was often gone, impersonating people and gathering information. Magneto spent most of his time sifting through that information or trying to find new recruits for the Brotherhood.

There wasn’t much for me to do and I was bored stupid. The only other mutant who actually stayed at the base full time with us was Mesmer. She ran all the communications crap when Mystique wasn’t there. She received reports from Mystique and her agents and…Shit, I really didn’t care enough to find out the rest. After about three weeks, it dawned on me she’d never even spoken to me.

Since I didn’t think Magneto would appreciate me setting fires in the house to entertain myself, I came up with some thing else. I did say I can be a dick when I want to right?

I started hanging around her. Wherever she was. I’d plop down in a chair and start playing with my lighter. That always annoyed people. Always.

Flick...Snap…Flick…Snap…

She ignored me. Just went on doing what she was doing. Listening to somebody reporting in or monitoring the news. Maybe pulling up some files on the computer or typing. It was like I was invisible.

Was it childish? Oh yeah. It was. I like attention, what can I say?

Flick…Snap…Flick…Snap…

After twenty minutes or so I’d get bored and leave. I’d go watch some T.V. or go see if Magneto had anything for me to do. Then I’d come back and do it again. Still no reaction.

So I upped the ante. I started making little fireballs, holding them in the palm of my hand for a moment or two or tossing them in the air before snuffing them out.

Flick…Hiss…Snap…Snuff…Flick…

She stopped typing and swiveled around in her chair. I couldn’t see her eyes behind those shades but she seemed to be watching my little pyrotechnic show. I expected her to say something. Tell me to stop maybe. Or ask me if the fire burned me. Or say “Oh what a cool power you’ve got there, Pyro!”

But she didn’t say anything. She just watched silently. I was starting to feel a little weird. Uncomfortable. Which wasn’t right. I was supposed to be making her feel uncomfortable, not the other way around.

Flick…Hiss…Snap…Snuff…Flick…Hiss…

“Aren’t you going to tell me to cut it out?”

“No.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“No.”

“Do you say anything other than ‘no’?”

“Yes.”

I waited for her to say something else, but she didn’t. Well, damn. This was awkward. I snuffed the flame. Then I clicked my lighter shut and put it in my pocket. Ask her something that’s not a yes or no question. Get her to actually talk.

“Why do you wear those shades? The only person I ever knew that wore shades all the time was Cyclops.”

She didn’t answer me. Instead she pulled off those glasses and tucked them in her pocket. Then she looked me right in the eyes…

Silver…They were silver and…Damn. It was hard to look away. She wasn’t mousy at all…She was fascinating.

“Show me the fire again.”

I fumbled for my lighter and flipped it open without even thinking. This time instead of a fireball I made a pillar of flame in the palm of my hand and shaped it to look like a rose. Then I changed it again, making it into a tiny man made of flame, then again to the flower. I watched the firelight reflected in her eyes, they seemed to flicker with warmth. I made the flames dance for her. I wanted to make her smile…

“That’s an interesting lighter you have, there Pyro. Where did you get it?”

I made the flames burn brighter, staining her cheeks with their orange glow.

“It used to be my grandfather’s.”

The flames were in her eyes…The flickering light picked out the highlights in her hair. Little golden sparks…

“Do you think I could have it?”

She held out her hand and I snapped the lighter shut. I handed it to her with a smile, pleased that I had something I could give her. I loved that lighter and she’d love it too.

“Sure. I want you to have it.”

She turned it over looking at it curiously before sitting it down beside her keyboard.

“It’s really special. Unique. Thank you.”

One of the monitors began to beep at her. She glanced at it. Her eyes seemed to dim a little as she looked away.

“Sure. You’re welcome. It’s not like I need it anymore. The equipment Magneto gave me is much better.”

She sighed and reached for her glasses and slipped them on.

“Looks like we have a few more recruits. Someone should go greet them.”

“Yeah. Sure.” I rose from my seat and started to head out of the room to escort them to Magneto’s office. That was one of my jobs. Wowing the newbies with my awesome power. And keeping them from wandering off and getting into trouble.

“Hey! Pyro!” I was almost at the door when she stopped me.

“What?”

“You don’t really want me to keep this do you?” Mesmer stood next to her chair, holding my lighter in the palm of her hand.

Shit. Kind of hard to show off my ability to control fire without the fire. But, I did give it to her fair and square…Now why did I give it to her, again?

I looked at her, then at the lighter and back again. No, I sure as fuck didn’t want her to keep the thing.

“Give me that!” I crossed the room quickly and snatched it from her hand. It was still warm from her touch and that made me even madder. “Bitch!”

“You did ask why I wear these.” She reached up to touch her shades. It sounded almost like an apology. I didn’t miss the way she flinched when I yelled at her.

“Don’t you fucking do that again!” The monitor was still beeping, but I was pissed. I flicked open the lighter and made a fireball in my hand. “Or I’ll show you mine.”

“I wear the shades because I can’t always control it…And I wasn’t going to keep your lighter.” Her eyes were locked on the flame in my hand and I tossed it once before snuffing it out.

“You’re right. You weren’t.” I turned around and left. I figured I made my point. And those new recruits weren’t going to let themselves in, now were they?