Title: [none, as yet]
Author: kbk
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Notes: This was more a working-out-the-characters than anything else, but I think it works as a fic, so here it is.
Summary: Bobby and Johnny email each other after X2.

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Hey
John,
How you doing? I'm all right.
It's weird around the mansion at the moment, what with Jean being gone. And you. Scott's really quiet, mostly, but Wolverine's stomping around like... well, the only one that dares talk to him these days is Rogue. She's pretty busy with that and with training.
She and I are on the team, now. Not full-time, but we've got uniforms. Done a few things. It's pretty cool.
It'd be better with you too. They'd let you back, I'm sure of it.
I've been thinking about what happened at my parents' house and I think I should apologize. There's a hundred other ways it could have played out and most of them would have worked out better. And I'm sorry I didn't talk to you after.
But you could have told me you were going to join up with Magneto. I mean, for crying out loud, John, you just went off and didn't even say goodbye. We wouldn't have known what had happened to you, except, well.
It's not a good idea, what he's doing. I know there are people out there that hate us - Jesus, do I - but hating them back isn't the answer. Hurting them... Hell, I'm only cribbing from the Professor's speeches, I'm sure you could do it better than I can.
Let me know how you are, all right? Please?
Bobby

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: Re: Hey
So what do you suggest, Drake? Turning the other cheek?
I'm sure you remember what happened to the guy that suggested that.
Pyro
P.S. What happened to Jean?

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Jean
Oh crap. John, you didn't know? They didn't tell you?
Alkali Lake. After you left, we were all in the jet, but it wouldn't take off, and the dam was breaking, so Jean went out and... pushed. She didn't come back.
Which is why the quietness and stuff.
I keep expecting to hear that damn lighter of yours, though.
There's a line between turning the other cheek and fighting back the way... well, the way you're doing, I guess. That's the line the X-men try to walk. It's not easy, but it's the right thing to do.
And stop using your callsign. It sounds stupid.
Bobby

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: Re: Jean
I'm sorry about Jean. Wasn't too fond of her, but still.
And it's not a callsign any more. It's me.

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Pyro
Pyro is not you, you stupid bastard. You're John Allerdyce and you control fire but you're not a pyromaniac. Look it up. Not you.
You're my friend.
Bobby

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: Re: Pyro
If I'm your friend, you stupid little fuck, then you'll call me what I damn well want to be called, and that's Pyro.
Fuck you and the dyke you rode in on.

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: Re: Pyro
Jesus Christ, John. What the hell is wrong with you?

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: Re: Pyro
John?
You all right?

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: Re: Pyro
Pyro. I refuse to believe you've been without internet access for a whole three weeks. Now answer.

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Pyro
Iceman.
I'm just fucking fabulous.
Pyro.

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: stuff
Sounds like a nice girl you've got.
Rogue and I split up, I guess. I mean, she hasn't said anything, but I hardly see her and when I do it's all "Logan this" and "training that" and "Logan the other"
Maybe I should say something, but, I mean, what the hell do I say? And what if I'm wrong? Then she'd get all upset because she'd think I wanted something she couldn't give me, and I do, but not that much, and.
This is the point where you tell me to shut up because I'm acting like a girl, isn't it?
Sorry.
B

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: Re: stuff
I don't have a girl.
Not like I need one with you around.
Pyro

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: Re: stuff
But I'm not around, am I? Because you're off god-knows-where, though I saw an article about a fire in Chicago last week that I thought might be you, one of those bloody parents' rights groups that think of themselves as the arbiters of right and wrong and God forbid you not be one of their narrow-minded middle-class whitebread straight white Christian Protestant... whatever the fuck else.
Um. Sorry. Would delete but fuck it. I am not the son my parents wanted and I would thank God if I believed in him right now.
They left me in school because they didn't want to deal with me. They just wrote to tell me not to come home for the holidays.
They informed me that Ronny received a Community Bravery Award for calling the police that day.
I should have frozen his balls when I had the chance.
Bobby

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: Re: Re: Re: stuff
You realise that if your brother ever spawns, there's a fair chance they'll be mutants?
You want them growing up with that bigoted crap?
Pyro - not in Chicago any more

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: stuff
I don't want anybody growing up with that bigoted crap. But that's what the school's for - a safe place, away from all that.

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: school
A prison is no less a prison when the jailer lives inside.

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: school
Oh, don't you go all grand pronouncement on me as well.
Sorry, but I get even more of that crap from the Prof etc now that I'm on the team, albeit as a junior member that doesn't actually get to do anything but stand around looking threatening. Um. I shouldn't be complaining to you about stuff.
You haven't told me much about what you're up to. But at least you get to do stuff.
Um.
I want to talk to you. I want to just... random crap, you know? The movie we watched last night. Storm's new dress. Storm's new boyfriend - you know Kurt? the blue guy? Sam says he saw them kissing in the rose garden. Which is weird, cuz, I mean, Storm's hot and Kurt's a freak. Nothing against the guy, he's cool - kinda weird with the faith and the accent and all, but cool - but he's blue, and he has a tail, and jagged teeth, and. I dunno.
Ummm. Seriously, how's life? Not any, y'know, "sensitive information", just... like, do you train a lot? do you have anyone to hang out with? I guess you move around a lot, so is it motels or camper vans or what?
Are you looking after yourself?
Bobby

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: pronouncements
Trust me, dude, Magneto's even worse with the grand pronouncement shit. I mean, it pulls you in, but when you sit back and think about it... jesus. You know what he said to me on the plane, after you hustled Rogue off? "You are a god among insects. Never let anyone tell you different." Which is grand, but. Gods.
That was running through my head that night, lying awake in a strange room, and you know what I got to thinking about? well, first, that a normal human would be a god to an insect, but that's not the point. Be'elzebub. Lord of the Flies. That book, the essays we had to do on it, but also the context, the Biblical stuff.
I think Magneto was in the Nazi death camps. Not sure. I saw a number tattooed on his arm.
I don't see him that often. He spends a lot of time off doing the big planning, looking for support, whatever. Mystique trains me, some, though she seems to think I'm about as trained as I'll get. There's a few others, now, but mostly we keep ourselves to ourselves. I've been doing a lot of thinking. A fair bit of reading, but not much else - like you said, we're on the move a lot. I've managed to find an Internet cafe every place we've stopped so far, though. Sometimes we end up sleeping in the vans, taking turns driving - hey, I've done more driving in the past couple of months than ever before - sometimes it's motels, not that our lord and master likes stooping that low. He goes for hotels, but the rest of us are scum and used to it, and there's better things the money can go for. He asks us about it, sometimes - tells us it's a choice between eating somewhere half-decent and sleeping somewhere half-decent, lets us pick. One time, someone told him we'd eat somewhere crappy and sleep somewhere crappy and use what was left over for half-decent booze. He let us. Only took one drink, but it was kinda symbolic.
You're sounding a little bigoted yourself, there, I have to say. Obviously Storm doesn't care about the physicalities, so why should you?
Mystique only uses her shifting on missions, so I'm used to her all blue and feathery. She's hot. And flexible. I'd so do her, but she only has eyes for his greatness. Also she's kinda scary.
Um. What was the movie?
Pyro

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: pronouncements
Sounds like you're enjoying yourself.
I don't mean to be bigoted, I just can't picture it, but you're right, none of my business.
The movie was shit and kinda old, I can't remember what it was called or even half of what happened, but it had that actress that was Catwoman.
Is that why you went with him? Because he said you were a god? You realise that means he thinks the same of himself, probably more so?
Did you know when you left the plane that you were going to go with him? If so, why didn't you tell me?
Rogue just made the breakup official. Which is a relief, in a way, but also leaves me getting pitying looks from half the mansion, and one of the girls offered to comfort me. Yeah, I don't think.
Scott's been making noises about me and Pete sharing, but they haven't got a real reason to move either of us, so. Dunno. It's weird enough you not here, would be worse with him in your bed.
Storm was wearing a new top today. Showed off the cleavage very nicely. Couple of the boys were having trouble paying attention in class because of it.
Gotta go.
Bobby

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: Why.
I went with him because he didn't seem to think of me as just another fuckup.
I went with him because he actually seems to be doing something about the Ronnys of this world.
I went with him because he asked me to.
I didn't know that I was going to go with him, but I saw them in the helicopter and I was watching them and he asked. So. I went. It's not like anyone misses me, really.
I don't mind if you want to share with Pete. He's a decent guy. Too tall for comfort, but at least he's got a sense of humor.
Which girl offered comfort? Obviously one I should have been getting to know.
Sorry to hear about Rogue, but, really, you can do better.
Pyro

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: Why.
You're not just another fuckup, John, and I miss you.
And the Professor is doing something, he's just not killing them.
It's not about whether I want to share with Pete, it's them thinking I shouldn't be by myself because... I don't even know what they're thinking.
And I'll keep the girl's identity secret, thank you, because I might want to take her up on it some day soon.
Bobby

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: prof
He's not killing them? Then what was that "phenomenon that swept the world"?
P

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: prof
Jesus Christ, Allerdyce! That wasn't his fault! He was being... controlled.
Your precious Magneto's the one that rearranged the machine to kill humans.
B

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: Re: Re: prof
We're humans.
It was a non-mutant that created the scheme, wasn't it? A non-mutant that wanted to kill all mutants? Why shouldn't a mutant turn that around on him? Kill all non-mutants? Hell, it's poetic justice.
P

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: Re: Re: prof
Poetic justice for the billions of innocents out there? And what about the non-mutants sympathetic to our cause? The ones who don't want to kill us all? The ones who practically worship us?
B

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: prof
Are there no innocent mutants? Is Artie a dangerous combatant?
P

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: prof
That's not what I meant, John, you know that.
B

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: hey
John? You still there?
I suppose I ought to regale you with tales of life at the Mansion and all that you have left behind, but I'm busy training and we've got exams coming up soon.
They moved Pete in. He is a great guy, but he snores wrong. And he makes me feel small. Hell, he makes everyone feel small, but waking up in the morning with that towering over you? The way he wanders round the room in just his boxers doesn't help, either.
Jubilee asked if I thought you were all right, the other day. I didn't know it you'd want people to know I was in touch with you, so I just said I did. If you want, I'll give her your addy.
Damn, I'm tired.
Bobby

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: oi
John, what's going on? I'm worried about you now, I haven't heard from you in weeks. If you're just ignoring me, would you at least tell me so? Then I'll know you're just pissed at me and not dead, or something. Though I don't know why you'd be pissed at me, because I know we were arguing but that was ideology, not personal, so. Something. I don't know. Just... reply, please?
Bobby

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: c'mon, man
It's not cause I'm calling you John again, is it? It's just that that's how I think of you. But if you want, I'll stick to Pyro. Even though it suggests your power is all that you are, which is a pile of shit.
Bobby

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: hey
Sorry. Been busy, and then out in the sticks.
Am fine, am not pissed, am just not in mood for this.
Pyro

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: Re: hey
OK.
Do you want me to give Jubilee your addy?
And if you want me to stop writing, just tell me and I will.
Um. OK.
Bobby

From: rd@xavier.edu
To: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
Subject: hi
Is something wrong? I mean, with what you're doing, or... Are you really fine or are you just saying that?
Bobby

From: zippo_john@mutantpride.org
To: rd@xavier.edu
Subject: sorry
I'm fine. Don't worry about me.
Stop writing.
Pyro