But Love Is Overrated Anyways

Chapter 6: But Maybe They Were Better Off Not Knowing

Dan met Phil for the first time in the middle of a forest fire.

Which apparently wasn't 'completely' Phil's fault, but that's not important. What was important was that Dan and the other six or so mutants at that time were stuck in the middle of what was practically a bonfire, and they were not fond on dying. What was also important was that even with all seven of the powers, none of them had any ability that could save them.

Even Dan was powerless against the walls of flames, and though his entire body radiated cold, he couldn't stop or even subdue the fire. If it was a small flame, he could've. But small as in campfire size- not literal-human-bonfire size. He could create snow, but it melted too quickly to do anything but rattle him more. Not to mention even Dan's powers had limits- with a frazzled mind and flames practically biting at his heels, he couldn't have produced much more than a few ice cubes (though with the utter lack of water in the air, even the ice cubes would have been hard to make, and even then they'd be gray with smoke and completely unexceptable for any decent ribena).

The point is, they were running through the woods, trying to avoid being cooked to death, when a boy with jet black hair stumbled out of the woods, coughing up blood.

Immediately all the alarms in Dan's head went off at once, and while the others raises their hands, ready to fight, Dan rushed to the other mutant's aid.

With the new, injured mutant in tow- one of the others had to support him, as Dan might just give him frostbite- they made it to the edge of the forrest. Only a few more meters to safety.

Then the new mutant tripped and ended up stumbling and falling straight into a growing wall of fire. The destruction around them was so loud that it muffled their voices crying out in warning, and then in horror. But the flames were closing in, and they had no choice but to keep going.

Finally out of the forrest, Dan took one glance back, and immediately caused it to start snowing. Because walking out of the flames, alive, was the new mutant.

They'd grabbed the mutant and rushed him a safe enough distance away from the flames, where they could perform emergency medical work on him. At this point, the mutant was sweating like crazy, and despite being out of the fire, he kept on coughing up blood.

"Do you know what this is?"

"I think it's a reaction to the burns!"

One of the other mutants put their hand on Phil's forehead, and immediately yelped, pulling it back. His skin had burned her.

"His fever is too high, I don't know how he's even still alive-"

"Wait," Dan interuptted, pushing one of them aside. "What's that?"

He wasn't looking at the dying mutants face, or the blood, or his feaverish skin. He was looking at his shirt. Red. But one part was a different shade-

Dan yanked the fabric up to reveal what could only be a stab wound. As he assessed it, the others made some other important realizations.

Like the fact that the mutants skin wasn't burnt.

And that the girl who felt his forehead had what must have been at least a third degree burn on her hand.

Or that the mutant was unconscious.

----
Dan was the only one able to treat the boy's wound. No one else could touch him without being severely burnt, and most of them were already anyways. The fire raged on in the forest, but the area in between it and them was already burnt to a crisp, so it wasn't a threat.

Dan, not exactly an expert at medicine, had to do his best to patch the mutant up. The boy was still sweating an unnatural amount, and whenever their skin touched, it steamed, the two opposing temperatures too strong.

Phil woke up about a day later, in Dan's tent. It was there that they talked for the first time, and it was there that Dan confirmed his theory: that Phil had fire powers.

After that day, they never brought up the incident. Phil's stab wound healed, leaving only a small scar on his side that Dan seldom saw, and never dared ask about. None of the mutants traveling with them at that time asked the question that all of them were wondering.

Was Phil responsible for the fire that day?

But maybe they were better off not knowing.