Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:08:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Mark <rahvin747@yahoo.com>
Subject: Fire and Ice - chapter 10

Disclaimer : The X-men are property of Marvel and this is a work of
fiction.

*********************************************************************

Kevin moved with apprehension through the underground doors of Xavier's
mansion.  He'd been so violently disturbed by John's funeral that he
realised only hours later that he'd agreed to come back to this place. He
could have changed his mind and no one would have done anything, no one
would have dared, but he decided to go with the flow. He didn't need to
fear anyone here, he was more than strong enough to battle this whole
mansion by himself. Besides, if he'd gone back to their underground home in
the desert, he would have been tormented by memories of John, and a
distraction was welcome.

Bobby walked next to him and glanced at him from time to time. Bobby really
cared for him, but he didn't have time get into some sort of in-depth
debate about his feelings, or Bobby's. Right now he was among the X-men,
and they had tried to kill him before. John was dead. He needed to forget
him and get on with his life. He needed to control his powers and focus on
Xavier. Bobby would have to wait.

"You okay, buddy?" Bobby asked him quietly. He just carried on walking. He
didn't want to be mean but that was an inane question. It had been hours
after the death of his best friend, and the massacre of three other people,
and now he was in Xavier his tormentor's house again. How the fuck did
Bobby think he felt? Bobby looked hurt, and he mentally rolled his eyes. He
didn't need this in his life, it was difficult enough as it was. They
continued walking silent towards Xavier's study. It was the logical
destination, and he could sense the tension in Wolverine and Storm who
walked silently behind him. They entered the Professor's study and
unsurprisingly he was waiting patiently behind his desk for them. Xavier
smiled weakly to Storm and nodded, and she and Wolverine started to leave
the office. They tried to take Bobby with them but he resisted and stood
his ground.

"You can go, Bobby," Kevin said simply without looking at him, and he heard
Bobby sigh and leave a moment later.

The doors closed and the Professor stared at him for a moment longer. He
was ready for any attack by the Professor, he almost wished for it, but
nothing came. This was a very odd feeling - to not be persecuted.

"Hello Kevin," Xavier said simply.

"Professor," he replied with a small nod of his head. "I'm not here out of
desperation," he added quickly.

"Oh I know," Xavier said with a small laugh. "I honestly want to help you
while you deal with these problems, like the death of your friend Pyro and
the death of Magneto and his followers." A small twitch crossed his face as
he mentioned Magneto's name.  Could it be pain and regret?

"Pyro meant more to me than anything you or the others could understand. As
for Magneto, I was glad to kill him. Glad!"

"Oh?" the Professor said, and he his face told him he didn't believe
him. "Magneto had flaws, but..."

"But nothing. He was a murderer, and I ..."

"Wanted to be one too?" he said. The words grated but he kept his calm.

"Magneto never offered a diplomatic solution. He killed John as soon as I
arrived. He then attacked me with his criminal thugs before trying to kill
me himself. What did I do wrong?"

"Oh nothing, you defended yourself as you should have. Except for one small
thing.  You relished it - you enjoyed the act of killing." The Professor's
face was grave. "Did you enjoy prolonging Erik's pain until he actually
wanted to die? Tell me how you felt when you killed a defenceless and
unarmed Callisto and Mystique."

Kevin turned away from the Professor and looked at the door. "I didn't come
here to be judged by you. You're always judging me."

"You will always be judged because you have almost complete power over who
lives and who dies. It is not I who am judging you, Kevin - it is the
world. Those people at the harbour, Bobby... they saw what you did. Do you
want to retain a legacy as a murderer?"

Kevin didn't answer him. He couldn't counter the truthful retort with a
scornful one of his own. The Professor continued. "Jean Grey was a
respected academic, and an illustrious woman in her own right. Yet people
will only remember her destruction of Alcatraz and the murder of dozens of
civilians. Is that how you want to be remembered?"

"Jean Grey was provoked by mutants and civilians! She had the right to
revenge!" He spun on his heel and shouted to the Professor.

"No," the Professor replied adamantly. "You never have that right. You
should rather die than use your powers for revenge. It takes the smallest
act of your will, Kevin, and whole areas of land and life are ruined
forever, and yet you still don't grasp the gravity of this statement."

Kevin couldn't reply. He looked at the floor. He couldn't stand the
Professor's wisdom. He hated him for it. "You would have killed those who
oppressed you."

"You may be the most powerful mutant alive, but I still know about great
power. I was abused by my own brother to the point where I couldn't take it
anymore. Did I destroy his mind, or make him throw himself off a cliff?
Magneto did. He killed everyone who ever raised a word against him, and
look at how he is remembered.  With fear, with loathing. Would you like to
turn into the man you killed, Kevin? Do you want people to remember you
like they remembered Erik... a man who was so powerful that he could and
did get anything he wanted without asking?"

"No," Kevin said, but his reply was so soft he thought the Professor
wouldn't hear it.

"I thought not," the Professor said. "When a mutant becomes as powerful as
a level four or more, then they can perform mass acts which can affect
hundreds and maybe thousands of lives. A man like you could change society
on a global scale. But what will you do with that power? Like a wealthy
man, you could put your assets to immense good, or use them ruin lives with
the click of your finger. And this is the challenge for you, and to a
lesser extent for a man like me - to acknowledge how fine that line is, to
respect the fact that revenge is only a thought away, as well as power and
tyranny. I told you about this when I met you, but now that you've
experienced what it means to be a high class mutant, you can see the depth
of my initial warning, yes?"

"Yeah," Kevin said. He felt ashamed and low, not for his previous actions,
but because he'd never gained wisdom with his power. He looked at the
Professor, really looked at him, and saw the greatness behind the man. He
realised that Xavier wouldn't ever use his powers on him for harm, but to
protect him from himself.

"Xavier, I need a new beginning here. I..."

"You have it," Xavier said instantly. "Your past shall be forgotten, and I
promise to never invade your mind in any capacity unless I need to protect
my students from you.  That won't be necessary though, I know it." It
wasn't a question. Xavier had faith in him. "Most of the students don't
even know who you are, because our seniors graduated two weeks ago. I know
you're a physics major. Could you...?"

"Teach?" Kevin said, shocked at the new direction the conversation had
taken.

"Yes. Students need to know about Physics and Mutation as relative
concepts. Could you do that for me?"

"Sure... I could...uh... try."

"Good then. First class tomorrow. 9am. All seniors of course. I wouldn't
waste your time with younger students."

Kevin started to walk out, confused by the avalanche which had hit him. The
man was a mystery to him - a real challenge to read. "Thank you Professor,"
he said distractedly as he exited the room, and he felt the Professor smile
warmly. He suddenly felt a surge of guilt in him that he'd disappointed the
Professor and Wolverine, Storm and Marie. It had been so difficult for him
though! Couldn't they understand what it was like to realise your
potential, and then be battled over by evil and good mutants? And
John... oh John... No! He wouldn't think about John again.  Not ever. He
couldn't deal with feelings of that magnitude so he decided they could be
safely tucked away inside his mind.

He turned a corner and gasped. He saw someone walking towards him. Only
Magneto could have been a worse person to encounter in a barren
passageway. The girl slowed and her face was white with fear. She walked
slowly up to him and they stood staring at one another for perhaps ten
seconds, their lips trying to form words.

"Marie," he said finally, and it come out like some sort of held breath
rather than a greeting.

"Hi Kevin," she said softly, and she looked at the ground. He couldn't tell
if she was angry or scared or embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry!" they both burst out at the same time, and then stared at
one another like fools for a few more seconds, then smiled lightly.

"Kevin, I know I can never ask for forgiveness for what I did to you, but
I'd like us to be friends again." She flinched while saying it. She'd
dreaded this moment.

"Marie, it was inexcusable for me to hurt you like that." He remembered
Xavier's words. He should have defended himself, but not hurt her after
that. He remembered wanting to harm her, and he felt guilty. "Are you
alright?"

"Yeah," she said sheepishly. "It was a long sleep, and I dreamt about
you. You spoke to me surrounded by a white light and I remember smiling in
my dreams, and then suddenly I could open my eyes. It was the best dream I
ever had."

Kevin smiled. He remembered healing her injuries, but he hadn't predicted
how she would experience it. She continued. "You should have seen Xavier
and Wolverine's faces when they saw the message you'd left on the wall for
me. They smiled.  Wolverine actually smiled!"

She gave him a hug, and he responded tentatively, unconsciously aware of
her covered body, and his relief at sensing that her naked skin wasn't
touching his. The strength of her embrace dispelled any paranoia he had
about her faking it. He leaned back after a while.

"Rogue, about Bobby..." he started, but she shook her head heavily and
interrupted him.

"Kevin, I'm glad I found out sooner than later. I realised afterwards that
he was afraid to tell me, and I hated myself for that. I'm impressed that
he landed such a hottie," she said, and he felt his face flush.

"What you doing tomorrow?" she said.

"Mrr... I've discovered I have to teach physics from tomorrow. I need to
prepare something or it will be a travesty on the history of all physics
classes."

She laughed. "Tomorrow is my birthday, you need to come spend some time
with me and some others at the lake tomorrow. We'll be there for the whole
afternoon. Join us okay?"

"It's your birthday?!" he said, and felt embarrassed. "I didn't know, and I
didn't even get you anything!"

"No problem! See you then," she said and started walking off. She seemed
genuinely relieved to be his friend again, and he felt the same.

An idea dawned on him, perhaps his most altruistic idea ever. "Rogue, I
have a present for you," he said.

She stopped in her tracks and came back with a smile. "If it's a paperclip
or a shoelace I might have to touch your face again."

He grasped his powers and she gasped and trembled. "What?" he said.

"Sorry," she said. "Jean used to look like that when she... acted out. And
you did too on that day. You know."

He realised she was afraid of his face. This fucking physical change of
his. He hated it so much! It scared everyone, even Bobby. No time for that
now, though. He wrapped his powers around Marie's and felt her powers
resist. He pushed and pushed until a small breeze started to form in the
passageway and some papers flew off the desk and circled around them. Marie
looked at him with a puzzled expression, but she held her fear well. Her
powers were stronger than he'd expected, but if he thought about it, the
ability to pull life from others did require significant energy. He reached
to hold her hand and she smiled with amusement. He removed the glove and
her face went deadly serious as she tried to stop him. He persisted and she
flinched. He rubbed her hand and her eyes widened in shock, and maybe even
terror. He hugged her and his cheek rubbed against hers, and he stroked the
back of her head and her neck. In moments she was weeping.

"Thank you, Kevin," she cried. "To feel touch after so long. It's the best
present I've ever had. Even for these short moments, I can't tell you how
much it means to me. I'll never forget it."

He smiled at her. "I've shielded you for 24 hours. I'm strong enough to do
that. You can hug all your friends, and experience it for a whole day." Her
tears increased in volume and she hugged him again, and rubbed her finger
along his face like a child experiencing the touch of a face for the first
time. He could have cut her powers out forever, but Marie was defined by
her powers and he didn't want to remove that from her. He also didn't want
her to think of it as a possibility and create disparity in her life.

"You have soft skin," she said. "Except for this rough patch," she said
while stroking his chin.

"I've had a busy day," he said, and couldn't believe how unjust that
summary was.

"You're the best ever," she said, and he smiled at her as she walked
away. She was already taking her other glove and long-sleeved coat off. Now
THAT felt great.  Perhaps he was living in an idealistic illusion, but
while it lasted, he would prolong it until he could. He started walking to
his room with his hands in his pockets and whistling some funky tune. He
needed to prepare for the class tomorrow, and then he could relax with
Bobby and his friends.

*********************************************************************

The next day, Kevin walked towards the board to write something down for
his class.  In truth he felt like slamming his head against it
repeatedly. Who ever thought that a bunch of eighteen year olds could be so
inquisitive about everything? The class had gone on for an hour and a half
already, and to his detriment, he still had another thirty minutes to go
before he could free himself of these vermin. In truth he liked the
buggers, but they weren't ignorant or accepting as he assumed they would
be.

"Okay, so we've discussed how a gene can allow for supernatural powers. I
showed you one example of how a unique protein allows a certain mutant the
ability to shapeshift, but there are so many types of mutant powers, that
each mutant is almost unique."

His voice was patient and moderated, and he felt impressed with his
self-control. The class of twenty all sat at their tables paying close
attention to his lecture. This was apparently one of the more favoured
classes in Mutant High. Physics helped explain mutation, and gave them a
scientific answer to their gifts. It wasn't an idea or a myth, it could be
proven on a biochemical level, and mutants found that comforting. They saw
a reason for their abilities, or their curse, and that would make them more
acceptable to humans who argued that they didn't want to change, or even
that they had chosen to be like this. He understood these young student's
plight. At that age acceptance was everything, and many of their parents
probably didn't even know about their abilities and assumed they were
intelligent enough for private schooling.  Yet Kevin knew in himself that
acceptance by human kind was not what he craved.  He found himself
disdaining ordinary humans, and even low-level mutants. He was more than
any mutant, and so much more than any human being. There was nothing in the
world to limit what he could do, and yet humans had the nerve to treat him
like some sort of plague. Most of them secretly yearned for a hundredth of
his abilities, but they scorned him out of spite. If they couldn't lift a
heavy object with their minds, then they would scorn anyone else who could,
and it would make the physical exertion more bearable for them. He hated
them for their spite.

He looked around the class. There were eleven girls and nine boys. He'd
asked them what their powers were and they ranged from unimpressive
physical mutations to a girl who could scream hard enough to make an
earthquake and a boy who could walk through walls like Kitty.

"Our next topic is mutant classification. The government, and mutants I
suppose, have a system to classify mutants. I think it's crap, but does
anyone know how it works?"

The class looked at him vacantly, except for two girls in the front row who
leered at him as they had been doing for most of the class. A young guy in
the middle row put up his hand.

"Yes, Corbin?" he asked.

"Well, I know it works from levels one to five. Ones are weak and fives are
superstrong."

The class giggled a little, but no one else could offer a better
explanation. "Well...  no," Kevin replied, and the boy blushed. "You have
some strings of truth there but you're not quite on track. Write this down,
you need to know this."

There was a bustling of notes and pens as the scrambled to write down his
explanation. "A level one mutant has a physical alteration which grants no
exceptional gifts. This would include a green skin for example. A level two
mutant has the same physical alteration as above but can use the gift to
some added purpose.  For instance, if that green skin had the ability to
absorb the sun's rays and provide energy to the mutant, or a mutant with
wings who can fly. A level three mutant can perform minor levels of energy
manipulation. This includes self-healing, or a single organ with great
strength, like energy bolts from the eyes or your powerful scream,
Priscilla. Over ninety-five percent of mutants are levels one to three. A
level four mutant can manipulate energy on a massive scale - their limits
are huge, but they are there. These include most mutants who can manipulate
base forces of nature, like fire, water, psychic energy, weather and
magnetism."

"But..," a boy at the back of the class shouted. "You could argue that a
guy who can manipulate metals with magnetism is a level three because he's
merely got hands which can project magnetism. He's not much more special
than a guy with eyes which can project bolts of energy."

"Not really," Kevin said. "What you guys see is not what the mutant
experiences.  Mutants like Magneto who could, I mean can, manipulate
magnetic fields also command passive powers. You could bind his hands and
he could still control magnetic fields. He is also aware of different
metals for miles around, as well as changes in the earth's magnetic
fields. Same with ice and fire and telepathic mutants - they are aware of
their energy all around them. Their energy is part of them. It's not just
their hands at all."

The boy stared at him and looked captivated by the answer, as if this had
made him think of things on a whole new level. "And level 5's?" the quiet
teen at the back of the class muttered.

"A level 5 mutant has no limits and can manipulate energy on a total
level. They are only limited by the strength of their mind, which can be
trained to accommodate a huge magnitude. They are technically as centrally
gifted as a level 4 mutant in that they can alter a certain form of energy,
like fire. However, due to their limitless powers they can traverse energy
planes and affect all other energies too. Therefore most level fives are
masters at controlling and repelling almost all forms of mutant
powers. Professor Xavier himself considers them to be close to omnipotent."

He felt the silence that followed. Clearly the class was trying to grasp
the true magnitude of a level five mutant. "So who here is a level one?" he
asked.

Two boys and a girl put up their hands, but they looked ashamed. The one
boy had a tail which didn't do much, the girl's skin was white in the
morning but black as night when the sun went down, and the other boy had
another physical alteration which Kevin couldn't see, but which the boy was
clearly aware of. He felt a little sorry for these mutants. They had gone
through the pain of a physical change, but had nothing to show for
it. "Don't be shy," he told them hypocritically. "You should be proud to be
a mutant. By all accounts, even a level one mutant has a far more advanced
physical genome than a human being. All mutants are physically stronger
than human beings and on average, twenty percent more intelligent. Now,
think about that."

The class smiled at him, and the shy mutants seemed to gain some
self-esteem, which warmed his heart. "Any two's?" he said.

Sixteen mutants put up their hands. "Am I a two or a three?" a boy said who
could jump a hundred feet high.

"You're a three, technically," Kevin said. "You have an amplified
musculo-skeletal system. Any threes besides Henry?"

The girl with the earth-shattering voice put up her hand, as well as the
boy who could run through walls. "Good. Any fours?" The class giggled.

"Everyone knows that fours are rare," a cocky guy in black leather clothes
at the back of the class said. He seemed to be the rebellious one, and his
dark hair hung in his face as he sneered while talking to him. He was one
of those sexy broody types, and probably a huge act to cover for a painful
past. He reminded him of John.

"I heard that there's a four in eighth grade," a fat girl in the front row
said. "He can control air in all its forms, but they say he's useless
though."

"Well mastering that level of mutation is nothing to laugh at, Jacinda,"
Kevin said seriously. "Do you think you could do better controlling the
wild currents of air out there with your mind?" She lowered her eyes and
her cheeks flushed. "One day that young guy's going to be really good at
what he does, and you'll want to be friends with him," he said, and an
uncomfortable silence settled on the class. He smiled to himself that he'd
made them think about issues like this. Young people could be so
short-sighted. They would mock that level four for his failings but never
appreciated that one day he'd be the ultimate ally or friend. Time usually
taught a hard lesson in that regard.

"What level are you?" one of the flirty girls in the front row said to
him. She leaned forward and her cleavage hinted at more than a glimpse. She
was actually quite hot, but she was a student and of course, a woman. He
chuckled to himself internally.

"A three," he lied, and the class fell back in their chairs
disappointedly. They had expected more from their physics lecturer. "I can
move things, but only small things," he added, and the girl's pencil rose a
short distance into the air before settling down.

"Cool," a boy from the back row said. "Telekinesis a cool gift, even if its
small. What must I do with hands that heat things up?" he added with a
grimace to his hands.

Kevin looked at him for a short while. "I had a friend like that... well
almost. He could also heat things. Drinking soda was tough, but you'll be a
great asset in winter when everyone wants warm coffee and popcorn." The
class laughed, and the boy joined in. There was such low self-esteem
floating around in the mutant world, that all it took was one kind word to
lift them up and give them hope. That is what Xavier did to people, and it
was another reason to admire him. Always be proud of your gifts, respect
others and use your powers with respect.

"You guys shouldn't wish for great powers, even if they seem alluring. I
hear they're difficult to control. Xavier, Magneto, Storm... they are all
fours and they would all tell you that mastering their gifts was painful at
times." The class focussed on him thoughtfully, and they suddenly seemed
too knowing.

"Iceman is a four," one of the girls in the front row said suddenly, and he
exhaled with relief that her vacant mind had saved the situation.

"He's hot, and a four," her friend said to her with a small giggle.

"He's all the man I'd ever need. You're hotter," the girl said to him
suddenly and he stood there in shock. "But you're only a three. So that
makes Iceman hotter overall."

The girls laughed childishly and whispered something obscene which made
them laugh louder. The guys in the class did what guys do, sit in silence
and cope with the girlish situation until it had passed. "I'll keep that in
mind," he told the girls and their giggles settled slightly.

"Are you sure you're a three?" that troublesome guy at the back asked, with
a menacing grin on his face.

"Yes," Kevin said, but the class was still paying attention to the boy with
hot hands, who seemed to have made some new friends in the last few
moments. The disturbing kid merely laughed at Kevin and started to toy with
his pen. Kevin felt wary of this guy. "Okay, the class is dismissed. Your
next physics class is in two days, and we'll discuss how the first mutant X
gene came into being, and how its changing with each generation."

The class exited hurriedly and soon had formed into groups of friends and
loners. The guy in the black leather stood apathetically and gathered his
things and swung them over his shoulder in a dark bag. He took out his
cigarettes, and put one in his mouth before lighting it and brushing some
hair out of his face. Kevin watched him silently, and waited for his class
to empty. The guy walked passed him and seemed to be on his way out when he
stopped suddenly and leaned back.

"I know what you are," he said to Kevin darkly.

"Guessing that I'm a mutant won't get you a prize today, buddy," Kevin said
dismissively while walking to the board to wipe it clean.

"Don't fucking play games with me," the guy roared and threw his bag down
to the floor and walked up to Kevin.

"Watch that tone, whatever your name is," Kevin said while wiping off the
board. He didn't really have time for teenage angst.

"It's David, if you care. You're a lying piece of shit, you know that?"

"Is that so?" Kevin said, and he made as if he was giving him no time at
all.

"Yeah it is," the guy said. Kevin looked at him and he seemed genuinely
pissed. He had a mature face for an eighteen year old and feral blue eyes
with dark hair falling over his forehead. He had sharp features and was
very good looking.

"So what did I lie about, or are these empty insults supposed to gain
something else?"  Kevin decided to act calmly. There was no point in giving
into this childish behaviour.

"You're not a level three. You're not even a four. I know you're a
five. You have massive power. I can feel it."

"You can sense mutant abilities?" Kevin said. He was shocked, but he hid it
well.

"Yeah, and I hate assholes who lie to me. I felt your power from miles away
when you arrived earlier today, and yet you fucking stand up here and tell
these poor sods that you're a three. You should be ashamed."

"I have reasons, David," he said simply. "I don't need that sort of
knowledge trailing behind me, so just let it go alright?"

"No fucking way," he said aggressively. "How about you swear to be truthful
to me from now on, and buy me free pizza for a week, and maybe I won't tell
everyone in this school that there's a lethal level 5 walking the grounds."
He sneered at him, and his eyes were filled with aggression.

"That's a good deal," Kevin said comfortably, putting down the board duster
and walking towards him. David seemed to relax slightly. "I have a better
on though." He pulled in his powers and his face changed, and the class
floor rumbled slightly. David gasped and took a step back, and the
cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth.

"How about you stop being a jackass, and do your studies? And most of all,
stop smoking, it's bad for you," Kevin said seriously, and the cigarette in
David's mouth burst into nothing. The guy felt at his face and couldn't
believe he hadn't been harmed, and picked up his bag and raced out of the
class panting. Kevin released his powers and breathed in slowly. There was
more to that guy, something about David tickled his mind. There was
something deep to be explored there, but he would let it come with time. He
walked out and decided to make a turn at his room to change into something
comfortable to go to the lake in. Rogue and her friends should be there by
now. He hadn't seen Bobby all morning, but he was looking forward to it.

*********************************************************************

He stepped into his room and saw Bobby on the balcony. He was about to walk
up to him and give him a hug when he saw a guy step up to Bobby and hug him
warmly.  The guy with the wings. Angel. Bobby smiled at the guy who smiled
back at him.  Angel was good looking, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and a
killer smile. He was shirtless and obviously enjoying his present
situation. Kevin walked up to them and he felt like death was riding on
him. He felt furious. Bobby saw him and turned to Angel.

"Warren, you know Kevin," Bobby said with a smile.

"Sure do," Angel said sticking his hand out to shake Kevin's. Kevin just
stood there lividly, and the situation suddenly froze. In that instant the
scenario changed and suddenly no one was smiling.

"Uh.." Bobby said.

"I saw what you were doing, Warren," Kevin said contemptuously.

"Which was?" Angel said simply.

"Moving in on Bobby in my absence."

"Kevin that's crazy!" Bobby said angrily. "Warren was merely..."

"Yeah save it. Warren, just fly away. That's what you do best isn't it?"
Kevin said coldly.

"Kevin!" Bobby said, and his face was red with anger.

"And next time, don't swoop in to use my balcony to make out with
Bobby. You can use the door like a normal person. If you're going to move
in on my territory, do it openly. I can't abide cowards. In fact, I fucking
hate them."

Bobby was literally trembling he was so angry. Warren merely stood there
looking at him sadly and shaking his head. He said something inaudible to
Bobby who nodded softly, before his huge wings spread out and he flew off
from the balcony in the direction of the lake. Bobby watched him ascend,
before he rubbed his temples. Even at a distance, it was obvious to see
that Bobby was breathing heavily and shaking.  Kevin closed the door to
their room and took off his shirt. He didn't have long to get changed, and
he intended to enjoy himself at the lake today, not be plagued with shit
between jealous Warren and his flirty boyfriend.

Bobby walked back inside and he slammed the doors to the balcony causing
the glass panes to crack. "Temper, temper," Kevin said coldly, but he
continued looking through his stuff for a decent shirt.

"You fucking asshole! You're way out of line," Bobby shouted.

"Maybe, but I'm not blind," Kevin replied without looking at Bobby. He
didn't have time for this crap.

"You are blind, Kevin! He flew me back from the lake to fetch you so we
could go back together. You were late, so I told him about what happened at
the harbour earlier. He hugged me and said he was glad I'm okay!"

Kevin hesitated going through his shirts, and looked at Bobby. He seemed
furious.  "Really?" he asked, and he swallowed nervously.

"Really. But you just came in here and made accusations."

"Bobby... I..." Kevin started. He could sense the truth of Bobby's words
and he felt foolish to the point of wanting to be swallowed up by the
earth.

"Save it," Bobby said and started walking out the room.

"Bobby, please," he said.

"I've had it with you, Kevin! I've had it!" Bobby screamed and stopped
where he stood.

"What do you mean?" Kevin said blankly.

"You don't care about what others think. You do as you please, and you feel
no regret about anything!"

"That's a fucking lie!" Kevin shouted.

"Yeah? Never mind Warren whom you just treated like you wanted. You talk to
Xavier, Wolverine and Storm without respect. And me!"

"I have NEVER treated you with disrespect, Bobby!" Kevin replied.

"Is that so? How about how you sent me out of Xavier's office earlier like
some sort of errand boy? You didn't even care about what I wanted. Doesn't
that sound familiar to how you tossed me a mile away at the harbour too?"

"Oh," Kevin said nodding disgustedly. "So that is what this is
about. Iceman's pride is wounded because he couldn't challenge Magneto, or
Xavier by himself. Wow, and here I thought you were above jealousy."

"It's not about jealousy, you self-centred prick," Bobby said walking up to
him.  "You're supposed to care about me, and what I think."

"I do care. That's why I put myself in front of you and men like Xavier and
Magneto.  You're not strong enough to face them Bobby!"

"Really?" Bobby said, and he seemed to be getting angrier by the
word. "Maybe I could prove myself to you if you'd let me stand around for
more than a moment at these encounters before sending me off without any
warning! How would you have felt if I made you disappear and you knew that
I was facing Magneto and his thugs alone? Would you have felt good with
that knowledge while you were running back as quickly as you could?"

Kevin merely looked at Bobby.

"I thought so," Bobby said. "It's all about what makes you feel
better. It's all about Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. You're not protecting me,
you're protecting yourself. You're scared you'll have to deal with another
John situation, but you're more than happy to have me wonder about your
safety too."

"That was one instance," Kevin said angrily.

"It's the bigger picture. You think you're a god, you think you're above
decent behaviour. You didn't speak to me for hours earlier. You didn't give
us the option about whether we wanted to go to Ireland. Kronos wants to go,
therefore everyone must follow, or else."

"What do you mean, or else?" Kevin said.

"Or else... suffer Kevin's wrath. It's the unwritten threat. No one
respects you, but everyone who knows you fears you. You just can't get the
difference into your stubborn head." Bobby really was furious. "You are not
the guy I fell in love with.  The Kevin I knew wasn't selfish and
cold-hearted, but you are. I don't want to be around you anymore."

Kevin's mouth fell at the last words. Did Bobby mean what he'd just said?
Bobby turned and walked towards the door and opened it. The door slammed
closed and Bobby looked at it in surprise. "You're not leaving," Kevin
said. "We need to talk about this."

Bobby turned and walked up to him. His glare was so dark that Kevin nearly
took a step backwards. "I'm not leaving?! I'm not leaving!!" Bobby
said. "You fucking bastard, after I just explained why everyone hates your
guts, you still don't get it."

Kevin gasped and fell to his knees. It took him a moment to realize he'd
been punched in the stomach, and he groaned as he tried to pull in his
breath. It was so painful he wanted to curl into a ball, but he needed to
hold it together. He pulled in his powers to give him some strength. Bobby
crouched and looked into Kevin's eyes with a questioning look. Perhaps he
was looking for hope, perhaps for an answer.

"I won't hurt you, Bobby," he stuttered.

Bobby gave a small laugh and shook his head wryly. He leaned forward and
gripped Kevin's hair and wrenched his head backwards until his neck
hurt. He spoke to him with the deepest disdain. "You're such a sad fuck,"
Bobby said. "You're actually contemplating that as an option against
me. Someone who loves and trusts you, and you're already drawing your sick
powers in case you need to harm me. I would rather kill myself than use my
powers against you, yet here you are - ready and waiting to unleash them on
me. You want to tear me to pieces? Go ahead, your majesty. Or maybe you
should tear the mansion down when you're finished with me? Better yet, show
the whole world how powerful you are. When everyone is dead and the world
is smouldering, you can stand on a peak and shout your greatness. You can
do so many amazing things yet you can't even weep over your dead
friend. And that makes you powerless, and it disgusts me."

Bobby released his hair and he fell forward gasping and groaning. Bobby
stood and loomed above him, but he didn't have the strength to look at
him. He could merely focus on his sneakers, and the bottom of his blue
jeans. "Relationships are based on trust and respect, and you have neither
Kevin. I .. don't want to see you again," he said callously. Bobby turned
and walked towards the door, which opened this time.

"Bobby..." Kevin tried to shout but he was breathless and exhausted, and it
came out as a weak croak. He saw Bobby walk into the distance, and he
appeared to wipe his eyes. Anguished, Kevin felt like he'd been stabbed in
the heart, and curled up into a ball on the floor and wept
silently. Everything which Bobby had said was truth.  Bobby had always been
there for him, and he'd abused that unconditional support.  Now it was lost
to him. Perhaps forever.

********************************************************************

End of Chapter 10

Thanks for any feedback. I've had some really detailed e-mails lately and I
appreciate them a lot. Thanks again. All comments can be sent to
rahvin747@yahoo.com