Eternal Flame {John Allerdyce}

8

"This needs to stop Cynthia. I don't care if it seems like he's changed, it's only a matter of time before he shows his true nature again and you know that. It doesn't matter how badly you want to fix him, it's not going to happen."

John's hand lingered over the doorknob as he heard Bobby's voice on the other side of wall.

"He's not broken, Bobby." Cynthia shot back, her voice rising. "He's just lost, he's always been lost and the way he was treated back then...everyone at that school belittled him, and demonized his ability. How else did you expect him to react?"

"He had an obligation to remain loyal to our school, our home. He should've stayed and fought with us, not against."

"Oh, don't you dare talk to me about loyalty." Cynthia countered with a venom in her voice that John had never heard before.

"After all Rogue did for you, she gave up her ability, a part of her own identity, but you turned her away. You told her there was no place for an ex-mutant at the school."

A bitter laugh escaped Cynthia's lips, "She would've been better off joining the brotherhood too, at least they would have accepted her and appreciated her gift."

John inhaled sharply, stunned by this new information. He knew Bobby was a hard-ass, but turning away his own girlfriend? His hand closed into a fist, and he brought it stiffly back to his side. He shouldn't be here, this wasn't how things were supposed to go. Maybe if he just took another lap around the block--

"You don't know what you're talking about." Bobby replied through gritted teeth. John could almost see his former friend's jaw clenching in irritation.

"Of course I do, Bobby! Where do you think she went? Who's shoulder do you think she cried on?" Cynthia's voice cracked, and John's stomach twisted uncomfortably.

"I did my best to help her move on, just like I'm trying to do with John. I love him Bobby, nothing you say will change that. Like it or not, this isn't school. This is the real world, and you have no control over what we do."

Hot tears pricked at John's eyes, surprising him and clouding his vision. Cynthia's confession, her adamant defense of his character, it dismissed the doubt he had been harboring for weeks. This was real, what they had was real, and in that instant there was nothing he wouldn't do to stay by her side.

He grasped the door handle once more, intent on entering the apartment and proving to her, to Bobby, to himself that he was in this for the long haul.

"Pyro? Hey man, is that you?"

John's breath caught in is throat, the voice was unmistakable. A slight turn of the head and his gaze fell upon the figure of Dominic Petros, code name, Avalanche. A fellow mutant and member of the brotherhood.

"It is you!" Dom rushed forward, "What the hell happened? You missed the meet up point two weeks ago. I thought you might've gotten yourself locked up or killed so I went looking, and I just saw you walking down the street a few minutes ago. What are you doing here?"

John was frozen, his brain couldn't make sense of the words coming from his friend's mouth. Dom couldn't be here, not with Cynthia and Bobby only a few yards away.

"The plan's changed." John said slowly, and took a couple steps back. "We had a deal, remember? If one of us missed the deadline the other would give it a week, and then move on. Why did you come looking for me?"

Dom's smile faltered, and John swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Screw the deal. We're brothers, man, I wasn't just going to leave you behind."

His eyes flicked towards the door, the only thing standing between them and exposure, and back to John.

"Whose place is this, Pyro? Have you been staying here?"

John ran a shaky hand through his hair. "That doesn't matter. You need to leave, now. Catch a bus to the next town, and forget about me."

He forced a laugh, "You're kidding me, right?"

John gave no response.

"Wow, so it's like that then. You're just gonna walk away from it all like nothing happened. What about all the times I saved your ass, huh? We had each other's back out there, it was us against them, remember? Or was that just a bunch of sentimental crap?"

"It's not like that, Dom. This is for the best, trust me. You need to go or things are gonna get ugly."

"So, who is she hmm?" He jerked his chin in the direction of the door, "must be a pretty good lay if she's got you acting all reformed, but tell me something, John. Does she know the real you?"

"Shut the hell up." John growled, his hands flexed instinctively.

"Or what?" He raised his arms, asking for a challenge, "You'll burn me? We both know you haven't got it in you anymore."

John took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain building behind his forehead. "Look, you're the last person I want to fight with right now. Just get the hell away from here."

"No!" Dom slammed a fist against the wall that sent a tremor through the corridor. "You owe me an explanation, and I'm staying right here until--"

The door swung open and there was a moment of stunned silence.

Cynthia's voice broke it, "John? Who is this?"

Before he could respond, recognition dawned on Bobby's face and his lean figure lunged forward sending a stream of ice towards the wanted mutant.

A flash of metal and John had his lighter out. He directed a large flame at Bobby's attack that succeeded in minimizing it's effect.

"Go now!" He yelled, clutching the side of his head with his free hand.

Dom hesitated for only an instant, but the look of betrayal on his features pierced John like a bullet. There was a thunderous explosion of plaster and concrete that sent a cloud of dust raining down over everyone. By the time it cleared, Dom had fled through the hole in the wall he had created.

Bobby swore loudly and shouted at Cynthia to stop him from getting away, but she was crouching over John who had slumped to floor in the chaos.

As his vision faded to black, the pressure behind his eyes swelling rapidly, he was faintly aware of her speaking to him. Her hands reaching out to him.

"John, stay with me! Please!"

"Tia--" he groaned, and his world slipped away.