Disclaimer: I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me
09
Elsewhere in the mansion, Blaze tentatively opened a door and peered around it questioningly. "Hello," she called, "Anyone here?"
"Look like it jus' you an' me, Cherie," Remy pointed out the obvious.
"Lucky me," drawled Blaze sarcastically.
"Huh," Gambit laughed dryly. "So how was your date?"
"Great," Blaze lied, opening another lower level door and peering round it. "I had a really good night."
"Right," Gambit was also being sarcastic. Blaze disappeared into the Danger Room control centre, shaking her head. "Wait up Cherie," Remy called, jogging down the corridor to catch up. "Some people jus' don't know what dey…" He caught Blaze's eye as he entered the room behind her. She was smiling a very relieved smile. Gambit looked past her to where Logan and Beast presided over a training session in the Danger Room below. Of course, they should have guessed! Just because there hadn't been a Danger Room session scheduled when they went out didn't mean there wouldn't be one, so long as Logan was involved. That explained why the mansion was deserted. Anyone not in the Danger Room was taking cover in order to avoid Wolverine's training session.
"Alright people, that's enough for one night," Logan announced over the radio as Beast consecutively shut down the simulation. "I expect you all in bed inside an hour, so get movin'."
"That a li'l harsh, mon Ami," Gambit commented, echoing the groans of displeasure from the Danger Room itself.
"You are a little harsh on them sometimes, Logan," Beast told Wolverine as they turned away from the controls, towards the door.
"That's what Rem just…" Blaze pointed out, but she was cut off.
"Yeah well, they need a bit of discipline," Logan grouched as he and Beast walked out the door, straight #through# Gambit and Blaze. The two miscreant X-Men gasped as their teammates passed through them, without even seeing them. Blaze felt suddenly sick. What had just happened? She must have looked queasy too, as Gambit's first reaction was to take her by the arm and rub her spine to make her feel better. Either that or he just wanted to make sure he wasn't liable to slide through everyone. He and Blaze locked eyes frantically, and one name passed both their lips, "The Professor."
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"Rogue, I…" Angel started to say as she pulled her lips away from his. He didn't get any further, as a pair of jovial voices approached them.
"I'm tellin' you Golan, Logan's dead set on turning us all into mince meat," Bobby Drake rounded the corner, chatting to his fellow Guardian, the frog-eyed, four-armed, earth-moving Golan. Hastily abashed, Angel and Rogue cleared their throats nervously and moved away from each other.
"Golan, he t'inks dat de one dey call Wolverine, bad temper he has worse than anyone Golan knows," waffled Golan in his strange speech. He emphasised the word 'anyone' by extending all four of his stocky arms out to his sides as far as he could reach. In the process he almost clouted Rogue, who danced back just in time.
"Watch it will ya!" Rogue exclaimed. "What's goin' on guys, where ya been?"
"Totally grouchy," Iceman agreed with Golan, ignoring Rogue. "I mean, an hour to do all my homework before tomorrow, as if!"
"Never before done homework have you," Golan laughed. "Den Golan say not de time now to start."
"Too right," said Iceman, walking straight through Angel and disappearing with Golan upstairs. Angel wobbled, gasped and was grabbed by Rogue. Both mutants went icily white, stuttering, "The Professor…"
#Come to my office, both of you,# commanded Xavier's voice inside their heads. #Blaze and Gambit are already here. At least,# here he paused, caught between worried and amused, #I presume they are. For all that I can sense you, I cannot see you any more than the rest of the X-Men you have encountered.#
In Xavier's office, Charles sat pondering the situation from his wheelchair. He touched his fingertips together and pouted pensively. A fire crackled happily in the hearth, a sign that Blaze sat near it. Xavier could sense Gambit stood by the window. Angel and Rogue took the chair by the bookcase and the rug in the middle of the room respectively. Xavier knew this, yet for all intents and purposes, he was looking at an empty room.
"We are agreed then," Xavier spoke aloud, knowing they could all hear him, even if he could only hear them by telepathy. "The black mist that sapped your powers and left you languishing out of phase with the rest of us, was some kind of mutant attack."
"No doubt about it Professor," Gambit replied, drumming his fingers on the windowsill as he leaned against it. "I'm t'inking Magneto gotta be behind it."
"I don't think so," disagreed Angel. "If Magneto had power like this up his sleeve, I don't think he would waste the element of surprise by taking out the four of us."
"I am inclined to agree with Angel," voted the Professor. "In fact, I do not believe you were deliberately attacked at all. Rather, you have been caught up in this by accident."
"Reassurin' as that is Professor," Rogue pointed out. "It don't help us get visible again."
"No, it doesn't," agreed Charles. "Yet I think I may have the answer to that as well…"
