FicWad

"If you all want me to settle down,
Slow up and stop all my running 'round,
Do everything like you want me to,
There's one thing that I will say to you,
I'm not like everybody else ... "

- "I'm Not Like Everybody Else", The Kinks.

"Have you seen Jubilee yet?" Rogue stood on her tip-toes, searching the busy Salem Mall for a glimpse of their mutant friend. She shook her head then sighed heavily. They were expected back by the fountain in five minutes by Ms. Munroe, but Jubilee was missing.

Bobby shrugged then looked to her. "No. She's always getting us into trouble," he replied. In the months since Alkali Lake, Jubilation Lee had become a closer friend to them, filling in the void left behind by John when he'd joined Magneto. Bobby didn't mind. Jubilee made them laugh, took their minds off of the events of that day and of every miserable day since then.

Today, though, was different. She'd insisted on going to a store that neither Bobby nor Rogue had an interest in visiting. Jubilee did what she wanted and went without them. Now, she was AWOL. The two teens had spent the last fifteen minutes scouring the mall for her.

"Maybe we should meet up with Ms. Munroe and the others?" Rogue suggested as she turned to Bobby. "We can't find her - I'm sure Storm can."

He nodded. "I guess." He frowned a little. "Next time she even thinks about ditching us, I'm freezing her feet to the ground."

"Good idea." She turned away.

And that's when she saw him. He wasn't very far from them. Her expression changed, becoming one of surprise mixed with a bit of anger.

"Bobby," she breathed, a gloved hand gripping her boyfriend's shoulder.

"What?" He glanced from her hand to her. "Did you find her?"

She didn't reply. Her hand lifted from his shoulder, touched his cheek then gently turned his head until he could see what she did.

"Holy ... shit," he whispered.

Standing in front of a store window, gazing at the clothes displayed on the male mannequins, was John. His hands were clasped together behind his back, the thumb of his right hand absently flicked the cap of that damned lighter open and shut. He looked good but very different. His hair was considerably lighter, one reason why Rogue almost missed him, and he was dressed better than usual. As always, he was oblivious to the people passing by behind him. He concentrated only on what had caught his interest in the window.

"Should we talk to him?" Rogue asked, almost in a whisper. She looked to Bobby, her eyebrows arching questioningly. They hadn't heard from John in months. Not since that postcard addressed to them both, postmarked from somewhere in Massachusetts, with "Wish you were here." scrawled on it in John's handwriting had arrived at the school.

Bobby's eyes narrowed on the nearly blond John. "Yes. We should."

In front of the store window, John admired the leather jacket adorning the mannequin with a certain amount of annoyance. He hadn't the money to buy it, and he was more perturbed he couldn't just take it. No. Certain stipulations were applied in order for Magneto to allow John a Saturday afternoon by himself. He had to promise not to cause trouble and, above all else, not to start any fires.

"Hey, hey," said Bobby Drake's voice, cutting into John's thoughts.

He blinked then turned towards the sound of the voice. Standing about two feet away to his right, along with Rogue, was Bobby. John half-smiled as his hands dropped from behind his back to his sides. This was an unexpected surprise. Funny. He'd been thinking about them the day before, wondering what they'd been up to since Alkali Lake. Still together, more than likely still with Xavier, and, judging from the look on Bobby's face, still pissed off about his leaving.

"If it isn't our old pal John," finished Bobby. He didn't care for that smirk John wore as he regarded the boy he'd once considered his best friend.

"Small world," John replied. He shifted his gaze to Rogue for a moment. She watched him differently than Bobby, with much less suspicion. "And it's Pyro now," he corrected, his eyes flicking back to Drake. "I gave up that other name months ago."

"Really?" Bobby scoffed. He made a pointed glance at John's hair then asked, "Take up highlights instead? I mean, Rogue has an excuse for her hair. What's yours ... Pyro?" He said the name with a great deal of sarcasm slathered all over it.

Rogue tightened her grip on Bobby's arm. She didn't want to start trouble. She'd rather hoped to do something far more constructive with this opportunity.

"It's been a long time, John," she said, breaking the growing tension between the two boys. "Why are you still with him?" Her brow furrowed with a degree of disgust. "I don't know why you chose Magneto, of all people. You know what he is ... what he's ... he's done."

John looked at the two white streaks of hair which framed Rogue's beautiful face then into her eyes. For a moment, he felt guilt tug at him. He knew the story of Liberty Island as well as everyone else. Truth be told, whenever he thought about it while around Magneto, he would almost use it as a chance to get a little revenge. Then he'd regain his senses and put his lighter away.

He'd cared a lot about Rogue. But that was "John", not Pyro. Pyro, on the other hand, didn't give a great goddamn about her or Bobby Drake. Pyro was who he was now. John was gone.

"You know why, Rogue," he simply replied after an uneasy silence. "You were both there when Stryker's guys invaded the mansion. If it hadn't been for Logan, we'd have been dead. Or worse."

"Yeah, you're right. We were there, but we didn't jump sides and make nice with a known murderer," Bobby hotly replied. Even though he had the name "Iceman", his temper could boil to the same levels as John's. "Your reasons are bullshit."

"My reasons are mine, not yours, Drake," he answered, his tone cool and collected. He glanced at Rogue. She was nervous, he could tell. She'd not wanted a confrontation and it was obvious Bobby did. "You wanted to stay with Xavier, fine. I don't hold it against you. Stupidity isn't a crime."

Bobby laughed humorlessly. "Right. You'd know all about both, wouldn't you? Stupidity and crime?" He poked a finger into John's chest. "I know you're responsible for that anti-mutant group's headquarters in the City burning to the ground last month. You're lucky no one was killed."

"No." His lighter clicked as he flicked it open. In a tone of almost inhuman coldness, he finished his sentence. "They were lucky."

"John, don't you see what Magneto is doing to you?" asked Rogue as she stepped in between him and Bobby. She looked him up and down then went on. "He's changed you. Not only on the outside, either." Her face softened. "You're not who you used to be. You're not the same guy I met when I first came to school."

He leaned in closer to Rogue until his face was mere inches from hers. "You didn't have a fucking clue about who I was back then," he evenly replied. His eyes searched hers for a moment as she tried to organize a proper response to that. "You still don't, Rogue. You don't have any idea what I'm capable of."

"That's just it. We do," Bobby cut in, catching John's attention. "He's using you. Why can't you realize that? Do you think Magneto gives a shit about you as a person? All he sees when he looks at you is your mutation, your power, and what you can do for him."

Rolling back on his heels, John smiled. "Did you ever stop and think that maybe I just don't care?" He glanced from him to Rogue. "I never fit in with the rest of Xavier's students. Never. You knew that, Bobby. Always did. You also knew I didn't buy into the Professor's bullshit that we can live in peace with these ... " He paused to watch those in the mall go about their business "... these people."

"You never tried!" Bobby shot back. "You were too goddamn busy pissing people off to get along! Did you forget about the museum?" He felt Rogue's hand press into his stomach as she held him at bay. Right then, he wanted nothing more than to beat some sense into John's head, make him realize how wrong he was about everything.

"You don't know what I've seen in my time," John said, working to keep his own temper in check. If he didn't, he would end up breaking that promise to Magneto and he'd never have time to himself again. "You never asked, Bobby. Come on, man, you never even cared. You were too busy worrying about your mommy and daddy finding out who you really were." He looked to Rogue. "And you were too busy trying to forget who you really are."

"John, listen - " she began.

"I'm not like you," he sharply cut her off. "I'm not like the kids at that school. I'm not like everybody else."

"That's for fucking sure," Bobby grumbled from behind Rogue.

"I'm better off where I am." John looked at Rogue again. She was disappointed with the outcome of this discussion. "And you two are better off where you are. It works out for everyone this way." With that, he turned to leave.

"John," Bobby said. He waited until John looked over his shoulder at them. "You know how it's going to be between us the next time we meet, don't you?" He wanted to make sure John was clear on that. This was his one shot to make it right, to come back to school and have a second chance with them.

His thumb pressed to the side of the lighter cap as he gazed at the two people he'd been the most intimate with in his entire life. Memories of better times were alive in the minds of each of them. After a few moments, that smile reappeared.

"We all have our parts to play," he replied. Once more, he turned and headed away from them. Soon, he vanished completely into the massive crowd.

Bobby rested his hands on Rogue's shoulders. "Well ... " he said after a minute then let out a long breath. "Guess we've really lost him."

Rogue shook her head then craned her neck to look up at him. "We never really had him, Bobby," she solemnly replied.

"Hey, guys!" Jubilee bounded up to them, a couple of shopping bags in each of her hands. "Where have you been? I was looking all over the other side of the friggin' mall for you two!" She sighed. "I'm gonna get into trouble because of you."

Bobby and Rogue only stared at her, the same blank expression on their faces.

Her smile disappeared. "I was just kidding about that." She punched Bobby in the arm. "Dude ... you okay?"

After glancing at Rogue, he settled his gaze on Jubilee. "Don't ever change, Jubes," he softly told her with a small smile on his face. He patted her on the shoulder as they headed for the rendezvous point together. "Don't ever change."