Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I making any money from the X-Men
characters. Thank you to Corrinth for the use of her character Dr. Ilehana
Xavier. I do own Blaze, and appreciate authors not using her without
asking.
A/N: Reviews always welcome! Special thanks to Knight of Avlee for late night conversations concerning an adequate bad guy, legends and myths. I hope this story lives up to your (not so high?) expectations!
Scene 18
It was not until the main course was finished and the table cleared that Garthen turned the conversation adeptly to something of interest to Storm.
"I see you are both wearing the rings you were gifted? I have never seen them up close before. May I see them?"
Hesitantly both young women removed the gold rings they wore on their thumbs and placed them side by side on the table. They seemed to glow in each other's presence, enchanted by the dancing light of the room.
"Ah," Garthen exclaimed. "Remarkable craftsmanship, don't you think?" Again he smiled, a smile that made both Blaze and Storm glow as if he praised both them and their rings. Something inside Storm made her think perhaps he was praising them both. "I must apologise for the over zealous letters that accompanied them. I don't believe there was any need to be that dramatic, but here we are."
Both young women shifted impatiently in their seats as their desserts were served, ebony chocolate on ivory ice cream, spun sugar and imported tropical summer fruits. More champagne was offered and though both women thought to decline, Garthen had already purchased the whole bottle and was refilling their glasses himself.
"No doubt you are wondering who I am. I confess I am not much of a public figure, but you may have heard of my company, GD Pharmaceuticals?"
"Yes," Blaze replied, a little too quickly. "You have a laboratory in Geneva..."
"Indeed," Answered Garthen, raising an eyebrow "One that suffered a mild break-in a few years ago, but we are here as friends so such topics will be discarded."
Storm smiled as Blaze blushed and relaxed. Garthen encouraged them both to tuck into their deserts as he sipped his champagne before continuing.
"Actually we have branch laboratories all over the civilised world, often in association with leading universities. I am the founder, owner and managing director of the international corporation."
"Which explains how you came by the cure for Blaze's illness." Storm said, "But not why you were so willing to give it to us."
"I suppose my saying I hate to see a beautiful young woman suffer would not quite suffice, no matter how true?" Blaze blushed again as Storm smiled and shook her head. "Well then, I should also tell you that I have interests outside of the world of pharmaceuticals. In my spare time, I enjoy the study of ancient history, amongst other activities.
"In my studies I recently came across a particularly interesting legend. Further to that, I found that there is a group of well-educated and intelligent people who work in a small society trying to find the truth behind this same legend. These people, the Amentha, have some very interesting ideas about the occurrence of this next step in human evolution. It is they who sent you these rings, rings taken from a secret cave that even I do not know the location of. Despite the nature of the letters, these Amentha wish you two no harm, they seek only the truth about a legend that has captivated all of us, myself included. They would very much like to meet the two of you."
"You are not a member of this group?" Storm asked, placing her spoon down and eying Garthen's clear blue eyes carefully.
"No," He replied, "I am simply another interested party, acting as an impartial go-between. Before you decline the offer, let me explain further what it entails. Come with me, tonight. I have a car waiting. I will take you to a neutral location, my own house, where you may stay as long as you wish. There I can introduce you to a few high members of the Amentha, and to their legend and ideas. There I can give you both the answers you need about your new empathic abilities, about the rings, about why you have been chosen out of all the mutants over all the world."
Refusal was an automatic response set in both young women's minds. They needed to talk to the Professor. They needed to know better what they were getting into. But surely, they both thought as if on the same frequency, the Professor would have contacted us if he had any doubts? Their empathic feelings showed Garthen not as a man to be feared, he really did seem to mean only to be friendly. And weren't they strong enough to take care of themselves? As both looked into Garthen's bright blue eyes, all thoughts of refusal slowly began to evaporate from their consciousness.
"Also, ladies, I should tell you; there are two other young ladies, also carrying Amentha rings, who are at my home waiting to meet you both..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"It's a virus." Ilehana spoke croakily; feeling more alone than she ever had done before. "Easily transmitted through water, air or any one of a million other ways. I've checked Rogue, Bobby and Kurt and you all have it too, but in you all it's dormant, inactive. There didn't seem any point to take blood from you, Logan."
"Fine by me," The short, muscular man acknowledged. "I don't like needles anyway."
"So, why is it dormant in us, but active in you and the Professor, Ilehana?" Kurt asked with his head tilted to one side in a look of confusion.
"It's genetically engineered, just like the cure I gave to Blaze and Gambit. But this time, its very different. The virus has a membrane structure like a key, only locking on to Xavier DNA. It has been engineered to only affect Dad and I." Ilehana sighed, meeting her Father's anxious eyes. "In us, it attacks our DNA, using our own cells as a means of replication. It's working fast, secreting chemicals that are inhibiting our telepathic abilities in the same way that August King's attack made Blaze and Gambit's cells secrete a damaging neurotoxin that their own body couldn't fight off. This shouldn't put us in a coma though, I'm glad to say. Somebody just wants us, or maybe just you Dad, out of the way for a while."
"Only for a while?" Xavier asked his daughter, his voice sounding hollow and loud after all the other voices that he heard in his mind were suddenly silenced.
"Eventually," She cautioned, "Though I don't know how long, our own immune systems should start to kick in. Until then, there is nothing I can do."
"Well, at least we know one thing." Kurt chimed in, trying to alleviate some of the doom and gloom in the medical room. "None of us three can be your long lost relatives, eh Professor? Surely that's good news?"
Xavier smiled softly, wondering why he felt it was ironic that Kurt talked of long lost relatives. Then as though awakened from a dream he asked,
"Has anyone heard from Scott, Storm or Blaze yet?"
A/N: Reviews always welcome! Special thanks to Knight of Avlee for late night conversations concerning an adequate bad guy, legends and myths. I hope this story lives up to your (not so high?) expectations!
Scene 18
It was not until the main course was finished and the table cleared that Garthen turned the conversation adeptly to something of interest to Storm.
"I see you are both wearing the rings you were gifted? I have never seen them up close before. May I see them?"
Hesitantly both young women removed the gold rings they wore on their thumbs and placed them side by side on the table. They seemed to glow in each other's presence, enchanted by the dancing light of the room.
"Ah," Garthen exclaimed. "Remarkable craftsmanship, don't you think?" Again he smiled, a smile that made both Blaze and Storm glow as if he praised both them and their rings. Something inside Storm made her think perhaps he was praising them both. "I must apologise for the over zealous letters that accompanied them. I don't believe there was any need to be that dramatic, but here we are."
Both young women shifted impatiently in their seats as their desserts were served, ebony chocolate on ivory ice cream, spun sugar and imported tropical summer fruits. More champagne was offered and though both women thought to decline, Garthen had already purchased the whole bottle and was refilling their glasses himself.
"No doubt you are wondering who I am. I confess I am not much of a public figure, but you may have heard of my company, GD Pharmaceuticals?"
"Yes," Blaze replied, a little too quickly. "You have a laboratory in Geneva..."
"Indeed," Answered Garthen, raising an eyebrow "One that suffered a mild break-in a few years ago, but we are here as friends so such topics will be discarded."
Storm smiled as Blaze blushed and relaxed. Garthen encouraged them both to tuck into their deserts as he sipped his champagne before continuing.
"Actually we have branch laboratories all over the civilised world, often in association with leading universities. I am the founder, owner and managing director of the international corporation."
"Which explains how you came by the cure for Blaze's illness." Storm said, "But not why you were so willing to give it to us."
"I suppose my saying I hate to see a beautiful young woman suffer would not quite suffice, no matter how true?" Blaze blushed again as Storm smiled and shook her head. "Well then, I should also tell you that I have interests outside of the world of pharmaceuticals. In my spare time, I enjoy the study of ancient history, amongst other activities.
"In my studies I recently came across a particularly interesting legend. Further to that, I found that there is a group of well-educated and intelligent people who work in a small society trying to find the truth behind this same legend. These people, the Amentha, have some very interesting ideas about the occurrence of this next step in human evolution. It is they who sent you these rings, rings taken from a secret cave that even I do not know the location of. Despite the nature of the letters, these Amentha wish you two no harm, they seek only the truth about a legend that has captivated all of us, myself included. They would very much like to meet the two of you."
"You are not a member of this group?" Storm asked, placing her spoon down and eying Garthen's clear blue eyes carefully.
"No," He replied, "I am simply another interested party, acting as an impartial go-between. Before you decline the offer, let me explain further what it entails. Come with me, tonight. I have a car waiting. I will take you to a neutral location, my own house, where you may stay as long as you wish. There I can introduce you to a few high members of the Amentha, and to their legend and ideas. There I can give you both the answers you need about your new empathic abilities, about the rings, about why you have been chosen out of all the mutants over all the world."
Refusal was an automatic response set in both young women's minds. They needed to talk to the Professor. They needed to know better what they were getting into. But surely, they both thought as if on the same frequency, the Professor would have contacted us if he had any doubts? Their empathic feelings showed Garthen not as a man to be feared, he really did seem to mean only to be friendly. And weren't they strong enough to take care of themselves? As both looked into Garthen's bright blue eyes, all thoughts of refusal slowly began to evaporate from their consciousness.
"Also, ladies, I should tell you; there are two other young ladies, also carrying Amentha rings, who are at my home waiting to meet you both..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"It's a virus." Ilehana spoke croakily; feeling more alone than she ever had done before. "Easily transmitted through water, air or any one of a million other ways. I've checked Rogue, Bobby and Kurt and you all have it too, but in you all it's dormant, inactive. There didn't seem any point to take blood from you, Logan."
"Fine by me," The short, muscular man acknowledged. "I don't like needles anyway."
"So, why is it dormant in us, but active in you and the Professor, Ilehana?" Kurt asked with his head tilted to one side in a look of confusion.
"It's genetically engineered, just like the cure I gave to Blaze and Gambit. But this time, its very different. The virus has a membrane structure like a key, only locking on to Xavier DNA. It has been engineered to only affect Dad and I." Ilehana sighed, meeting her Father's anxious eyes. "In us, it attacks our DNA, using our own cells as a means of replication. It's working fast, secreting chemicals that are inhibiting our telepathic abilities in the same way that August King's attack made Blaze and Gambit's cells secrete a damaging neurotoxin that their own body couldn't fight off. This shouldn't put us in a coma though, I'm glad to say. Somebody just wants us, or maybe just you Dad, out of the way for a while."
"Only for a while?" Xavier asked his daughter, his voice sounding hollow and loud after all the other voices that he heard in his mind were suddenly silenced.
"Eventually," She cautioned, "Though I don't know how long, our own immune systems should start to kick in. Until then, there is nothing I can do."
"Well, at least we know one thing." Kurt chimed in, trying to alleviate some of the doom and gloom in the medical room. "None of us three can be your long lost relatives, eh Professor? Surely that's good news?"
Xavier smiled softly, wondering why he felt it was ironic that Kurt talked of long lost relatives. Then as though awakened from a dream he asked,
"Has anyone heard from Scott, Storm or Blaze yet?"