Disclaimer: I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze has and always will own me.

Scene 07

The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows over Bayville in early evening. Bella Donna was driving her silver convertible sports car across town. It had black leather seats and a soft top. She had always wanted one like it and was therefore immensely proud of it. It had been a down payment for a loan she had illegally funded. The recipient of the loan had needed money to pay her boyfriend's bail after he was arrested. After the case was thrown out of court, Bella had got her money back but she had kept the car. What did she care if Blaze had to walk everywhere?

She was on her way to meet up with one of her TV crews when out of the corner of her eye she spotted two figures in black. Bella pulled hard on the steering wheel, veering across the oncoming traffic. Cars beeped their horns and swerved out of her way. The sports car mounted the kerb and bottomed out, clunking loudly. The two black clad figures had already disappeared around a corner. Bella pulled on the brake and leapt out of the car, snatching the keys from the ignition.

Rounding the corner, Bella expected to see the backs of the two figures disappearing down the far end of the alley. She pulled up short when they were waiting for her, hoods up, arms folded. The shadow from the hoods fell over their faces so she couldn't see who they were. By height and build Bella guessed they were female, but she wasn't sure until one of them spoke.

"Are ya following us?"

Bella Donna stuttered for words as the two girls pushed back their hoods. Blaze and Rogue both glared at her.

"You… I should have known…" Bella started. Blaze rolled her eyes and tutted loudly. That made Bella Donna angry, "You're attackin' the TV crews! Dey done not'ing to you!"

"No, they're only following orders," Blaze admitted.

"Your orders," Rogue elaborated.

"And it has to stop," finished Blaze.

"It won't stop, in never stops," growled Jacobi's minion. "We're gonna run you into de ground an' then we'll move on."

"Mmm," Blaze pondered Bella's words with a thin smile. "Not this time."

"We're stronger than ever," Bella boasted. "We own your rat-infested li'l town. We got your pathetic mayor, your police, Magneto…"

"Gambit," interrupted Rogue. Blaze raised an eyebrow. Bella baulked slightly. The two X-Men were clearly sharing a joke to which she wasn't privy. It was uncomfortable. Rogue meanwhile was enjoying herself.

"How's it goin' with Remy anyway? Ya want him back, right? Ah mean, coz you used to date in New Orleans…"

"How do you…" Bella started to ask.

"She does," Blaze chuckled. "She actually still likes him." Bella blushed crimson.

"Aww," Rogue said with mock-pity. "That's sad. Ah mean, Ah used to get it, but now I'm totally over it."

"Absolutely," Blaze lied. "Dumping him was the best thing both of us has ever done."

"You both dumped him?" Bella looked from one girl to the other. Blaze linked arms with Rogue and kinked her head to one side. Innocently she asked, "You didn't?"

Bella stuttered, spluttered and tried to think what to say. In truth, as both X-Men had worked out, Gambit had left Bella Donna when he had left New Orleans. She hadn't got over it. Whilst Bella struggled to think of a reply, a tall shadow fell across the sidewalk behind her. She turned, feeling threatened, only to see Gambit standing between her and the street beyond. He flashed a smile, not at her, but at Blaze and Rogue behind her. Bella was knocked speechless.

"You don't have Gambit," Blaze had come close and whispered in Bella's ear. "And you don't have Bayville." As Bella Donna watched, Gambit melted away and was replaced by a woman with blue skin. Mystique barely gave Bella Donna chance to squeak. The changeling launched a roundhouse kick at the Cajun and sent her flying. Bella's head connected with the floor and she was knocked out. Mystique didn't seem to notice.

"It's started," Raven Darkholme announced. "A riot at the prison. All the police are headed there now along with most of the media."

"Zack moves fast," Blaze said with appreciation. She twirled her car keys around a finger, having pick-pocketed them from Bella moment's earlier. "Nice one. Well, I guess there's no time like the present."

"What about her?" Rogue nodded to the prone form of Belle on the pavement.

"I suppose we'd better call her an ambulance," Blaze sighed. "You can do it in the car. C'mon Rogue, we gotta go."

"Good luck," Mystique announced, shape-shifting into an anonymous passer-by. "From here on, you're on your own…"

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Meanwhile, Bayville's other resident Cajun raged. He seethed. And then he fumed. He sawed his wrists against the ropes that bound him and he called Blaze all sorts of names. Gambit was tired, his arms ached and he had not been given anything to eat since the X-Men had captured him. Consequently his stomach was complaining nearly as much as he was, but there was no one there to hear them.

Gambit had realised he had been left unattended hours ago. It made things worse, not better. He was thwarted by these damn ropes, and knowing that was the only thing holding him just made him feel ridiculous. Some thief he was, frustrated by a bit of twine!

Just as he was cursing his own incompetence, something brushed the tip of his little finger. Gambit froze. Then, very carefully, he lifted his head. A tiny, thin thread of the rope had worked loose and was touching his skin. Gambit's mouth twitched in a grin of quickly-suppressed triumph. He wasn't out of here yet, but he soon would be. The trick was going to be NOT blowing his hands off during the escape.

Gambit used a very, very fine application of mutant power, just like he had done when he unwittingly broke into Warren's home to steal half a glass spider stone. Carefully he dissolved the chemical bonds that held the material together, until the rope itself disintegrated. His full weight suddenly supported by the floor, Gambit grunted as he let his arms fall. Rubbing his wrists and cricking his shoulders, he turned his powers onto the door that was the only barrier between him and revenge…