Thunder and Lightning

Prologue

Alexander went outside for a smoke, and he never came back in.

He was at a bar with some friends, celebrating the end of an exam or something of the such-- the reason tended to be forgotten in the wake of drugs and alcohol. Having grown up in a small town himself with a meagre population of only a few hundred, Alex had never been to a real party-- not like the ones you see on TV--and so far he had found New York City to hardly disappoint.

Perhaps it was the alcohol talking, but this was the best night of his life.

Music and lights pulsed in time to a heavy beat that shook his heavy being. It was everything he imagined and more, packed in a sea of people all just like him and yet so very different. It was horrible, sweaty, and the most amazing thing he'd ever experienced. With his friends around him, and the masses of people beyond him, he felt truly and utterly at home. Maybe it was the alcohol.

Above raucous singing that passed mostly for chorused screaming, Alex heard one of his friends speak, voice carrying over the pounding music and catching his attention. Jordan weaved through the crowd-- heading out for a smoke-- with Alex watching him go, his black skin practically glowing in the strobe lighting. He decided to follow.

The instant Alex stepped foot outside, the cold hair hit him in a wave, freeing him of the suffocating heat of the bar. It was sobering, refreshing, and he smiled to himself as he joined his friend around the corner in an alleyway.

"Jordan, care for company?"

Jordan glanced upwards, his brown eyes meeting Alex's. He wordlessly took a box of cigarettes from the pocket of his bomber jacket, taking one for himself before passing Alex the box. Alex grinned, taking the box and then the light, and sparking the cigarette to life. Putting it to his lips, he drew a long breath before he heard his friend speak.

"Having fun?" Jordan asked, leaning back against the brick wall nonchalantly, his own cigarette glowing softly between his thumb and forefinger.

"Yeah, it's awesome," Alex replied, exhaling a breath of smoke into the chilly night air.

"Not bad for your first real bar, anyway," Jordan grinned. He was college aged, as Alex was, and though Jordan had grown up in New York, they had met first day of classes and had practically become inseparable since. "I'm glad you're here."

Alex looked over at him. Jordan's soft features were accented by the pale glow of the cigarette and the distant street lights that illuminated the world beyond their alleyway. A small smile grew on his lips. Gods, this boy was beautiful. Jordan ran his free hand over his waves, eyes flickering up to meet Alex's.

"Thanks for inviting me," Alex said.

"Wouldn't be the same without you." The words were soft, merely a whisper. A small smile on Jordan's face, a warm look in his eye, and the cigarette was gone from Alex's lips, instead replaced by Jordan's own. Alex leant into the kiss, resting a hand behind his friend's neck. Breaking away, his hand trailed down to cup, Jordan's cheek, both boys smiling into the darkness.

"That was a long time coming, I reckon," Jordan said, his signature lop-sided grin plastered across his face.

"I love you, Jordan," Alex said. Jordan met his eye.

"I love you too." At that, Jordan pulled him into a hug, and Alex couldn't help but smile as he wrapped his arms around Jordan's torso and breathed in his scent, a calming mix of cigarette smoke and his friend's cologne. They broke away, a goofy smile still on Jordan's face. He dropped his cigarette and stomped it out with his heel. "Imma head back inside, I'll see you in there, yeah?"

"See you in there," Alex smiled as Jordan shot him a sly wink. Alex rolled his eyes, watching the retreating silhouette of his friend as he rounded the corner. He sighed, leaning back against the wall himself. The taste of the cigarette was hardly distraction enough from Jordan. He had loved that man for too long, and how lucky he was to have it reciprocated. The warm feeling in Alex's chest expanded, leaving him smiling helplessly, a warm fuzzy feeling consuming every cell of his body.

He looked upwards. Above him, the buildings rose three or four stories, before giving way to the endless expanse of the night sky. You couldn't see the stars here in New York, but sometimes he didn't even mind. One day, if things with Jordan went well, he might like to take him back to his hometown, Alex decided. He wanted to share that with him, the view of the stars from the roof of his parents place, where he had-- many years ago-- sat and longed for something more. For love. For the city. For life. And now he had found it all.

He smiled fondly at those distant memories, but his nostalgia was broken by the sound of footsteps approaching from the other end of the alleyway.

Emerging from the darkness was a tall figure, face obscured by a black hoodie and hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.

Alex furrowed his brow, and as he noticed that the figure was walking towards him, he called out. "Hello?"

"You got a light?" The figure asked, gesturing vaguely at the cigarette still hanging loosely between Alex's fingers.

"No, sorry, I don't," Alex replied, glancing awkwardly between his lit cigarette and the stranger. "Got it from a friend."

The stranger huffed, muttering, "Shame," but otherwise remained silent. In the absence of conversation, with the stranger seemingly having no intention of moving on, Alex bit his lip awkwardly, glancing over his shoulder to the street beyond the alley, illuminated by a single street light that gave the occasional flicker. Turning back, he found the person staring.

"You not from around here?"

"I'm from Idaho," Alex informed him, maybe it was just some stoner looking for something to do. "You?"

"Eh, nowhere interesting," The stranger muttered, pulling a cigarette from the back pocket of his jeans. Alex watched him cautiously. The stranger lifted the cigarette to his lips before a tiny flame ignited at the end of his finger. Alex felt his eyes widen as the figure lit his cigarette before waving off the flame, extinguishing it.

"You're a mutant?"

"Yeah." The stranger offered no further explanation.

"Can I help you with something?" Alex furrowed his brow, a sudden chill encouraging him to return to the warmth of the bar.

"No, no, you're fine."

The last thing Alex saw was the sparks, spilling from the stranger's fingertips in a shower of white light. It met his skin with a crackling ferocity, screams erupting from his throat as his body burned from the inside. It would be over in half a second.

The figure looked over the body for a moment, considering it with a soft huff, and tucking his hands back into his jumper pocket. He cast a glance up at the CCTV camera blinking softly-- casting it's watchful eye over the alleyway-- and departed back into the darkness.