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!
Scene 19
Always professional, Cyclops didn't even have the car radio on as he whiled away the time until Blaze and Storm came back. He did, however keep a mournful eye on the bar across the street. It'd been too long since he'd had a drink... An image of Jean, frowning ever so slightly in disapproval crossed his mind's eye. Did he need a drink to remember her, or a drink to forget? Whichever way, he admitted, now wasn't the time for it. Storm and Blaze wouldn't be long now, surely?
A sleek black limo crept slowly past the end of the street on which he was parked, heading towards the restaurant. The roads were icy, all the cars drove slowly, but something about this limo intrigued Scott. It'd be interesting to see whom Storm and Blaze had been rubbing elbows with. Citing a sudden crick in his neck as a good enough reason for a walk, he climbed out of his car and headed towards the restaurant, hands in his pocket and visor glinting in the streetlights.
The limo pulled up outside the restaurant, annoying even more the sulky people who queued in the icy cold just for the chance to eat at this new celebrity hotspot. The driver emerged, full outfitted in a smart black suit and chauffeur's hat, to open the back door. Only when the door was opened did the three figures in the doorway of the restaurant start towards the car. The first was a well-dressed man, tall and skinny. Cyclops didn't recognise him. The second was a woman, as was the third. There was something familiar about their shapes as they walked towards the car, living silhouettes against the lights of the restaurant. Scott frowned, then realised how stupid he was! That's Storm and Blaze!
As soon as he thought it, they had started climbing into the limo. He ran towards them, feet skidding on the icy sidewalk. The limo's engine rumbled into life. He had just a second to get there before it pulled away. What was going on? Why hadn't they...
Thwack! Scott's feet slid from under him seemingly in slow motion. He could feel himself falling, slipping on the ice before he was actually down. Then he was on his back, staring up at the streetlight and beyond that the stars. He felt more than heard the car pull away, already hearing Wolverine's incredulous voice ringing in his ears...
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"You did what?" Logan knew the situation was serious, but the thought of Cyclops falling flat on his back in front of a whole bunch of folks and him not being there to laugh was just not fair! Ilehana too, thought she was ashen faced from the loss of her power, was grinning openly at her childhood buddy.
"But, Storm, and Blaze too, they seem okay when you saw them?" Kurt couldn't keep the fear out of his so innocent voice. Storm, who'd offered him friendship, trust and belief, was gone? Just like that? And Blaze, so much peace and warmth did that young woman have for someone whose life had been so hard. Nightcrawler found her a pleasure to be around, especially when meditating together as they often did. Why would they just leave like this?
"Yeah, Kurt they seemed fine. They got in the car on their own, nobody forced 'em that I could see." Couldn't the others see that this hurt him too? thought Scott snidely.
Professor Charles Xavier looked from the face of one X-Man to another, hating that he had to wonder what they were feeling. He despised the fact that he could not just reach out and touch Blaze and Storm; make sure that they were all right. It had been a long time since such a dramatic night had not included him using Cerebro. He missed that rush the machine gave him like Scott missed drinking himself senseless and Logan missed the freedom of the wild. But now wasn't the time for feeling sorry for himself.
"There is nothing we can do." Xavier conceded gently. "We have no way of knowing where Storm and Blaze have gone, but I know we can trust them to contact us if they need us." He looked round, taking in the anxious faces of Scott, Bobby, Rogue, Kurt, Ilehana and even Logan. He put as much confidence in his voice as he could muster. "Storm and Blaze can protect themselves."
A hoarse voice, male and accented, spoke from the doorway behind the X-Men that sat in Xavier's office.
"What can Blaze protect herself from?"
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Gambit opened his eyes slowly, waiting for the world to stop spinning. If he took the worse hangover he had ever had, and multiplied it by a hundred he wasn't even close to how rough and sore he felt right now. His mouth felt furry and off, his joints ached, and his head pounded like there was a Mardi Gras going on in there.
Eventually he was able to sit up and check out the room around him. It looked like a medical room, stainless steel, beds, cloth screens and random machinery. With a loathing of doctors he viciously plucked the sensors and needles out of his flesh, wincing as he did. Gambit rolled back his shoulders, assessing the damage to his body. Nothing that wouldn't heal was his conclusion as he planted bare feet on the cold floor.
There didn't seem to be anyone about as he peered around the screens. Another bed, but vacant this time with the machines switched off. The ones that had been attached to Gambit now beeped frantically, thinking he had flat-lined. He switched them off too. Behind another screen was another bed, holding a patient he recognised instantly. Electra didn't look so good, even pastier than usual. Nothing he could do though...
Making his way through the maze of corridors that made up the underground lair of the X-Men, somehow he found the lift up to the school. Though the hallway was pitch black, raised voices directed him to a door in a panelled wall; he'd been here before at least.
He let himself in just as Xavier was speaking to the X-Men, assuring them that Storm and Blaze could protect themselves. Gambit didn't like the uncertainty in the Professor's usually calm voice. What was going on without Gambit now? Where was Blaze?
"What can Blaze protect herself from?"
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"Gambit!" The tall, blonde haired, blue-grey eyed woman who cried out was Xavier's daughter, the doctor-shape-shifter. Ilehana, he remembered. "You're not supposed to be up and about, you've been really sick..."
"You can nurse Gambit better anytime, belle, jus' not right now okay?" Gambit interrupted, he didn't want to know just how sick he'd been. "What's goin' on, Professor?"
"Have a seat, Gambit." The Professor indicated to a free chair, which Remy gratefully accepted. "We need to fill you in..."
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It took a while, but Xavier didn't leave out any details, even those about the block he had put on Blaze to keep her from worrying about Gambit when she should be getting herself better, and that now his powers were affected he couldn't remove the barrier. Instinctively Remy shuddered, when would telepaths learn to keep their minds to themselves. He knew Xavier only meant to help, but now look what had happened. Blaze might never even recognise him again... The idea made Gambit feel physically sick. But he kept his opinions to himself, for now at least.
"So what we gonna do 'bout this then, Professor? We jus' gonna leave it or we gonna try an' find them?"
"The only thing that we know is the name of the man Storm and Blaze were meeting. And that it was about these mysterious rings they have been given. Scott, could you run an extensive background check again on Garthen Doking? I know you struggled to find anything the first time, but he must exist somewhere." Xavier turned to Nightcrawler. "Kurt, gather Storm and Blaze's research on the rings from Blaze's room. Take Gambit with you, and bring whatever you can find back to my office. There may be clues in those notes as to what is going on."
"Yes, Professor." The blue mutant poofed! into a standing position on the floor from his perch on the top of a cabinet. Gambit shook his head, amused despite himself. Leaving the room with Nightcrawler, he risked a brief wink at Ilehana, grinning as Wolverine almost snarled at him. This was much better than being unconscious...
A/N: Reviews always welcome!
Scene 19
Always professional, Cyclops didn't even have the car radio on as he whiled away the time until Blaze and Storm came back. He did, however keep a mournful eye on the bar across the street. It'd been too long since he'd had a drink... An image of Jean, frowning ever so slightly in disapproval crossed his mind's eye. Did he need a drink to remember her, or a drink to forget? Whichever way, he admitted, now wasn't the time for it. Storm and Blaze wouldn't be long now, surely?
A sleek black limo crept slowly past the end of the street on which he was parked, heading towards the restaurant. The roads were icy, all the cars drove slowly, but something about this limo intrigued Scott. It'd be interesting to see whom Storm and Blaze had been rubbing elbows with. Citing a sudden crick in his neck as a good enough reason for a walk, he climbed out of his car and headed towards the restaurant, hands in his pocket and visor glinting in the streetlights.
The limo pulled up outside the restaurant, annoying even more the sulky people who queued in the icy cold just for the chance to eat at this new celebrity hotspot. The driver emerged, full outfitted in a smart black suit and chauffeur's hat, to open the back door. Only when the door was opened did the three figures in the doorway of the restaurant start towards the car. The first was a well-dressed man, tall and skinny. Cyclops didn't recognise him. The second was a woman, as was the third. There was something familiar about their shapes as they walked towards the car, living silhouettes against the lights of the restaurant. Scott frowned, then realised how stupid he was! That's Storm and Blaze!
As soon as he thought it, they had started climbing into the limo. He ran towards them, feet skidding on the icy sidewalk. The limo's engine rumbled into life. He had just a second to get there before it pulled away. What was going on? Why hadn't they...
Thwack! Scott's feet slid from under him seemingly in slow motion. He could feel himself falling, slipping on the ice before he was actually down. Then he was on his back, staring up at the streetlight and beyond that the stars. He felt more than heard the car pull away, already hearing Wolverine's incredulous voice ringing in his ears...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You did what?" Logan knew the situation was serious, but the thought of Cyclops falling flat on his back in front of a whole bunch of folks and him not being there to laugh was just not fair! Ilehana too, thought she was ashen faced from the loss of her power, was grinning openly at her childhood buddy.
"But, Storm, and Blaze too, they seem okay when you saw them?" Kurt couldn't keep the fear out of his so innocent voice. Storm, who'd offered him friendship, trust and belief, was gone? Just like that? And Blaze, so much peace and warmth did that young woman have for someone whose life had been so hard. Nightcrawler found her a pleasure to be around, especially when meditating together as they often did. Why would they just leave like this?
"Yeah, Kurt they seemed fine. They got in the car on their own, nobody forced 'em that I could see." Couldn't the others see that this hurt him too? thought Scott snidely.
Professor Charles Xavier looked from the face of one X-Man to another, hating that he had to wonder what they were feeling. He despised the fact that he could not just reach out and touch Blaze and Storm; make sure that they were all right. It had been a long time since such a dramatic night had not included him using Cerebro. He missed that rush the machine gave him like Scott missed drinking himself senseless and Logan missed the freedom of the wild. But now wasn't the time for feeling sorry for himself.
"There is nothing we can do." Xavier conceded gently. "We have no way of knowing where Storm and Blaze have gone, but I know we can trust them to contact us if they need us." He looked round, taking in the anxious faces of Scott, Bobby, Rogue, Kurt, Ilehana and even Logan. He put as much confidence in his voice as he could muster. "Storm and Blaze can protect themselves."
A hoarse voice, male and accented, spoke from the doorway behind the X-Men that sat in Xavier's office.
"What can Blaze protect herself from?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Gambit opened his eyes slowly, waiting for the world to stop spinning. If he took the worse hangover he had ever had, and multiplied it by a hundred he wasn't even close to how rough and sore he felt right now. His mouth felt furry and off, his joints ached, and his head pounded like there was a Mardi Gras going on in there.
Eventually he was able to sit up and check out the room around him. It looked like a medical room, stainless steel, beds, cloth screens and random machinery. With a loathing of doctors he viciously plucked the sensors and needles out of his flesh, wincing as he did. Gambit rolled back his shoulders, assessing the damage to his body. Nothing that wouldn't heal was his conclusion as he planted bare feet on the cold floor.
There didn't seem to be anyone about as he peered around the screens. Another bed, but vacant this time with the machines switched off. The ones that had been attached to Gambit now beeped frantically, thinking he had flat-lined. He switched them off too. Behind another screen was another bed, holding a patient he recognised instantly. Electra didn't look so good, even pastier than usual. Nothing he could do though...
Making his way through the maze of corridors that made up the underground lair of the X-Men, somehow he found the lift up to the school. Though the hallway was pitch black, raised voices directed him to a door in a panelled wall; he'd been here before at least.
He let himself in just as Xavier was speaking to the X-Men, assuring them that Storm and Blaze could protect themselves. Gambit didn't like the uncertainty in the Professor's usually calm voice. What was going on without Gambit now? Where was Blaze?
"What can Blaze protect herself from?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Gambit!" The tall, blonde haired, blue-grey eyed woman who cried out was Xavier's daughter, the doctor-shape-shifter. Ilehana, he remembered. "You're not supposed to be up and about, you've been really sick..."
"You can nurse Gambit better anytime, belle, jus' not right now okay?" Gambit interrupted, he didn't want to know just how sick he'd been. "What's goin' on, Professor?"
"Have a seat, Gambit." The Professor indicated to a free chair, which Remy gratefully accepted. "We need to fill you in..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It took a while, but Xavier didn't leave out any details, even those about the block he had put on Blaze to keep her from worrying about Gambit when she should be getting herself better, and that now his powers were affected he couldn't remove the barrier. Instinctively Remy shuddered, when would telepaths learn to keep their minds to themselves. He knew Xavier only meant to help, but now look what had happened. Blaze might never even recognise him again... The idea made Gambit feel physically sick. But he kept his opinions to himself, for now at least.
"So what we gonna do 'bout this then, Professor? We jus' gonna leave it or we gonna try an' find them?"
"The only thing that we know is the name of the man Storm and Blaze were meeting. And that it was about these mysterious rings they have been given. Scott, could you run an extensive background check again on Garthen Doking? I know you struggled to find anything the first time, but he must exist somewhere." Xavier turned to Nightcrawler. "Kurt, gather Storm and Blaze's research on the rings from Blaze's room. Take Gambit with you, and bring whatever you can find back to my office. There may be clues in those notes as to what is going on."
"Yes, Professor." The blue mutant poofed! into a standing position on the floor from his perch on the top of a cabinet. Gambit shook his head, amused despite himself. Leaving the room with Nightcrawler, he risked a brief wink at Ilehana, grinning as Wolverine almost snarled at him. This was much better than being unconscious...