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! Nearly finished, hope you have all enjoyed it, and thanks for all your support...
Scene 30
Brown eyes vacant and unseeing, skin and fine flyaway hair coated in a film of bright orange fire, Blaze did not walk so much as float over the White House lawn. Under her, the grass crisped and burned. Fireballs danced around her hands like children eager to please. Without so much as a flick of her wrist she commanded the fireballs to race up the steps to blow apart the front doors of the building. Security personnel poured out, guns blazing, but the bullets seemed to melt before they could do as much as graze Blaze's skin.
In the sky above, silhouetted white against the blackness of the rain clouds, Storm seemed to ripple as lightning washed over her. Her hair stood on end with static, flowing like a white halo in the high winds that kept her in the sky. Her eyes where white, lightning flew from her hand and fried three guards before they knew what had hit them. Blaze kept walking.
"X-men! We've found them!" Kurt yelled down the radio, but the only reply was static.
"We're on our own, elf." The Cajun commented; eyes fixed on Blaze and Storm. Neither young woman seemed to have noticed them; they were so intent on their target. Gambit reached a hand into the pocket of his trench coat and pulled out a card. It may not look like the cutting end of style over this X-men uniform, but he'd not found a better way of carrying ammo all these years. The card began to throb a pale orange; he needed to make a decision. Try and stop Storm and Blaze, or protect them from the guns of the men who defended the White House. "I'm sorry Blaze."
The first card got Blaze's attention. She stopped in her ember tracks. In the air above there was a scream as Nightcrawler appeared next to Storm and tackled her in the air, distracting her. The scream was his as Storm ran unleashed lightning power through her old friend. He fell like a stone to the ground, only the fact that he had been so high up in the first place gave him time to regain his senses and teleport out of danger.
Gambit didn't have time to help. His charged cards were hurting Blaze where no bullet could get through her fire-shield. And she was not impressed. She turned and bore down on him, anger the only emotion she showed. Gambit stopped throwing cards, instead reaching into an inside pocket and pulling out his extendable pole. He didn't want to hurt her, just keep her occupied til someone came up with a way to get her to remember who she was.
**This will be difficult Gambit. I have already tried to make contact with Storm and Blaze, but their minds are sealed to me. **
**Professor? Am I glad to hear you! **
**Listen Gambit, there may yet be a way to get through to Blaze. Something that Garthen Doking has been feeding them has given the four girls a telepathic bond in the same way he cured Blaze of August King's attack and has put Ilehana and I out of action for so long. It is this that blocks my telepathy now, but something tells me the link you have with Blaze is still functioning, sealed off and so protected by my own work. I will help you, but it must be you that punches through past these barriers and convinces Blaze to stop this madness. If she stops, the others should too. **
**No problem Professor, just show me how. ** There was stubborn determination in Gambit's mind-voice. Suddenly like being borne off a high cliff in a strong gale, the Professor was in Gambit's mind, grasping the faint thread that connected Blaze and Gambit together, forcing Gambit along it with increasing force. Just before the inevitable breakthrough into Blaze's mind, the Professor pulled out leaving Gambit alone.
"Arrgh!" Blaze and Gambit and Storm all screamed out at the same time. Elsewhere in the city, the tumult stopped briefly as both Gaia and Tsunami reached to grasp pounding heads with their hands. Wolverine sliced through the confining tree branches with a satisfied grunt. Cyclops grabbed hold of the car roof, fired a stunning blast at Tsunami and then dived below the surface to rescue Rogue. Ilehana body checked Gaia with a tiger's full weight, knocking her head against a tree trunk. Nightcrawler teleported up to catch Storm as she began to fall, winds dropping and rain easing, then teleported back to safety.
"What are you doing to me?" All four young women asked as one, but it was Blaze's words they spoke as she glowed like an inferno, ready to consume Gambit where he stood.
**I know it you in there, Blaze, Laura. It still you no matter what they done to you. ** Gambit forced his way into her mind, not worrying about her forgiveness later. **You have to remember who you are! **
"Who are you to tell me this, peasant, pauper, insect?" Again all four mouths moved, Ilehana and Logan gave each other confused looks, tiger and Wolverine. Scott tugged Rogue out of the flood, throwing her full length across the car roof as she coughed and spluttered. Nightcrawler stood agape as Storm looked right through him, her expression identical to Blaze's only a few feet away. Gambit lost his patience. He bore down on her with years of memories, good and bad, drunk and sober, passionate and angry. He watched as Blaze alone staggered back, visibly thrown by the weight of his mind on hers, conscious that Storm was not moving. It was working.
"I am a goddess of the Dark Elements. The Dragon King has called me. In comparison to him you are nothing but dust and ash." As Gaia spoke to someone unseen Ilehana risked a brief mind contact with Logan to let him know here powers were back. Scott took Tsunami's distraction to dive back into the flood and drag out a policeman and try to resuscitate him.
**That's not the first time you've said that kinda thing about some new boyfriend I didn't like an' you know it! ** He pushed more memories onto her, the first time she saved his neck on a job, arriving just in time with a getaway car as the French police surrounded him, even though he hadn't asked her to get involved. The first big heist they had planned and executed together. The hours he'd spent teaching her tricks to contain her dangerous firepower. The first time he'd ever tried to kiss her and been turned down...
**But... You were blind drunk that night. I didn't even think you remembered trying it... ** Blaze's mind-voice was weak, but it was her and only her Remy heard in his head.
**I'd had one beer all night. You shot me down good, Chere. It was less embarrassing to pretend I didn't remember a t'ing. ** He walked towards her, mind-voice gentle. **Please, Laura, stop all this. Get the others to stop fighting, you're killin' people here... **
She didn't reply, but Gambit could feel the tension as she fought to get through to the other young women. He caught her as she collapsed, fire vanishing as her energy reserves dissipated. Her clothes were nothing but rags and ashes, her face ivory white and eyes closed. She reminded him so much of the sixteen year old stray he'd collected on his way home one night and never thought about getting rid of since. Just as he had that night in Paris he took off his coat and wrapped her up in it gently.
Nightcrawler caught Storm as she too groaned and collapsed. Cyclops had to brave the flood one more time as Tsunami lost control of her powers and sank, now solid, below the surface. Gaia was more graceful, not fainting but sitting slowly down and shaking from head to foot. Vixen rumbled her pleasure deep in her tiger's throat that it was all over.
"No!" A man shouted as again the White House lawn was filled with the echo of guns being readied. "I am too close!"
"Its over Garthen," Storm said in a croaky voice, helped to stand up by Kurt. "We won't fight for you anymore."
"Look around you Storm! The Amentha is not merely another psycho cult, they are a ready trained army, here to put me, The Dragon King, into power!" Sure enough, the guns that were ready were in the arms of Garthen's followers, and all the muzzles were trained on Storm and her friends.
"Listen to me!" Storm called out to the Amentha. "This man is no reincarnated hero! We are not goddesses, we are just mutants, look at us! An ex-thief, a student, a secretary and a schoolteacher! Don't start something now you will regret for the rest of time!"
"It's already begun, foolish girl!" Garthen screamed back as his troops' certainty began to waver. "It's way out of... Arggh!"
**Gareth Daniel King, ** Xavier via Cerebro cut through all of Garthen's, Gareth's mental barriers and the man who would rule the world slumped to his knees in despair and fear. **Gareth Daniel King you have a chance to stop this now. You have had great tragedy in your life I know. You have always been able to control your mild telepathic powers of persuasion. But you could not teach your more powerful son to do the same; he was too young, too naturally strong. You suffered greatly when he killed your wife, his mother, Solumné... **
"Stop..." Gareth rolled around on the grass, tears falling down his face. "Stop it..."
**But that is not excuse for what you did to him, experimenting on him, producing chemicals that alter the telepathic abilities of mutants, selling them and him to the highest bidder. And now you have finally succumbed to madness, killing innocent people in a manic attempt to rule the world. Did you think you would ever succeed? Or has August's long range grasping for his father distracted you from the fact that it could never be. **
"August is dead, he has to be... I haven't felt him for so long now..." Kurt and Storm exchanged looks, August King, the little black telepathic boy?
**Gareth's wife was black too; he was sane before August killed her by mistake. ** Ilehana filled in for the X-men, having grasped the gist of her father's telepathic conversation with Gareth.
**No, he's not dead. How else can I know all this, he is here with me now, but his powers have been burnt out of him. I will have him returned to your home if and only if you call a halt to this madness, disband the Amentha and never bother the four young women you chose again. ** Xavier, ever patient, placed a hand on the shoulder of the little boy who sat so very still next to him in Cerebro. By the door Magneto smiled slightly, then left.
"All right, all right..." Gareth sobbed. "Just make this all stop."
A/N: Reviews always welcome! Nearly finished, hope you have all enjoyed it, and thanks for all your support...
Scene 30
Brown eyes vacant and unseeing, skin and fine flyaway hair coated in a film of bright orange fire, Blaze did not walk so much as float over the White House lawn. Under her, the grass crisped and burned. Fireballs danced around her hands like children eager to please. Without so much as a flick of her wrist she commanded the fireballs to race up the steps to blow apart the front doors of the building. Security personnel poured out, guns blazing, but the bullets seemed to melt before they could do as much as graze Blaze's skin.
In the sky above, silhouetted white against the blackness of the rain clouds, Storm seemed to ripple as lightning washed over her. Her hair stood on end with static, flowing like a white halo in the high winds that kept her in the sky. Her eyes where white, lightning flew from her hand and fried three guards before they knew what had hit them. Blaze kept walking.
"X-men! We've found them!" Kurt yelled down the radio, but the only reply was static.
"We're on our own, elf." The Cajun commented; eyes fixed on Blaze and Storm. Neither young woman seemed to have noticed them; they were so intent on their target. Gambit reached a hand into the pocket of his trench coat and pulled out a card. It may not look like the cutting end of style over this X-men uniform, but he'd not found a better way of carrying ammo all these years. The card began to throb a pale orange; he needed to make a decision. Try and stop Storm and Blaze, or protect them from the guns of the men who defended the White House. "I'm sorry Blaze."
The first card got Blaze's attention. She stopped in her ember tracks. In the air above there was a scream as Nightcrawler appeared next to Storm and tackled her in the air, distracting her. The scream was his as Storm ran unleashed lightning power through her old friend. He fell like a stone to the ground, only the fact that he had been so high up in the first place gave him time to regain his senses and teleport out of danger.
Gambit didn't have time to help. His charged cards were hurting Blaze where no bullet could get through her fire-shield. And she was not impressed. She turned and bore down on him, anger the only emotion she showed. Gambit stopped throwing cards, instead reaching into an inside pocket and pulling out his extendable pole. He didn't want to hurt her, just keep her occupied til someone came up with a way to get her to remember who she was.
**This will be difficult Gambit. I have already tried to make contact with Storm and Blaze, but their minds are sealed to me. **
**Professor? Am I glad to hear you! **
**Listen Gambit, there may yet be a way to get through to Blaze. Something that Garthen Doking has been feeding them has given the four girls a telepathic bond in the same way he cured Blaze of August King's attack and has put Ilehana and I out of action for so long. It is this that blocks my telepathy now, but something tells me the link you have with Blaze is still functioning, sealed off and so protected by my own work. I will help you, but it must be you that punches through past these barriers and convinces Blaze to stop this madness. If she stops, the others should too. **
**No problem Professor, just show me how. ** There was stubborn determination in Gambit's mind-voice. Suddenly like being borne off a high cliff in a strong gale, the Professor was in Gambit's mind, grasping the faint thread that connected Blaze and Gambit together, forcing Gambit along it with increasing force. Just before the inevitable breakthrough into Blaze's mind, the Professor pulled out leaving Gambit alone.
"Arrgh!" Blaze and Gambit and Storm all screamed out at the same time. Elsewhere in the city, the tumult stopped briefly as both Gaia and Tsunami reached to grasp pounding heads with their hands. Wolverine sliced through the confining tree branches with a satisfied grunt. Cyclops grabbed hold of the car roof, fired a stunning blast at Tsunami and then dived below the surface to rescue Rogue. Ilehana body checked Gaia with a tiger's full weight, knocking her head against a tree trunk. Nightcrawler teleported up to catch Storm as she began to fall, winds dropping and rain easing, then teleported back to safety.
"What are you doing to me?" All four young women asked as one, but it was Blaze's words they spoke as she glowed like an inferno, ready to consume Gambit where he stood.
**I know it you in there, Blaze, Laura. It still you no matter what they done to you. ** Gambit forced his way into her mind, not worrying about her forgiveness later. **You have to remember who you are! **
"Who are you to tell me this, peasant, pauper, insect?" Again all four mouths moved, Ilehana and Logan gave each other confused looks, tiger and Wolverine. Scott tugged Rogue out of the flood, throwing her full length across the car roof as she coughed and spluttered. Nightcrawler stood agape as Storm looked right through him, her expression identical to Blaze's only a few feet away. Gambit lost his patience. He bore down on her with years of memories, good and bad, drunk and sober, passionate and angry. He watched as Blaze alone staggered back, visibly thrown by the weight of his mind on hers, conscious that Storm was not moving. It was working.
"I am a goddess of the Dark Elements. The Dragon King has called me. In comparison to him you are nothing but dust and ash." As Gaia spoke to someone unseen Ilehana risked a brief mind contact with Logan to let him know here powers were back. Scott took Tsunami's distraction to dive back into the flood and drag out a policeman and try to resuscitate him.
**That's not the first time you've said that kinda thing about some new boyfriend I didn't like an' you know it! ** He pushed more memories onto her, the first time she saved his neck on a job, arriving just in time with a getaway car as the French police surrounded him, even though he hadn't asked her to get involved. The first big heist they had planned and executed together. The hours he'd spent teaching her tricks to contain her dangerous firepower. The first time he'd ever tried to kiss her and been turned down...
**But... You were blind drunk that night. I didn't even think you remembered trying it... ** Blaze's mind-voice was weak, but it was her and only her Remy heard in his head.
**I'd had one beer all night. You shot me down good, Chere. It was less embarrassing to pretend I didn't remember a t'ing. ** He walked towards her, mind-voice gentle. **Please, Laura, stop all this. Get the others to stop fighting, you're killin' people here... **
She didn't reply, but Gambit could feel the tension as she fought to get through to the other young women. He caught her as she collapsed, fire vanishing as her energy reserves dissipated. Her clothes were nothing but rags and ashes, her face ivory white and eyes closed. She reminded him so much of the sixteen year old stray he'd collected on his way home one night and never thought about getting rid of since. Just as he had that night in Paris he took off his coat and wrapped her up in it gently.
Nightcrawler caught Storm as she too groaned and collapsed. Cyclops had to brave the flood one more time as Tsunami lost control of her powers and sank, now solid, below the surface. Gaia was more graceful, not fainting but sitting slowly down and shaking from head to foot. Vixen rumbled her pleasure deep in her tiger's throat that it was all over.
"No!" A man shouted as again the White House lawn was filled with the echo of guns being readied. "I am too close!"
"Its over Garthen," Storm said in a croaky voice, helped to stand up by Kurt. "We won't fight for you anymore."
"Look around you Storm! The Amentha is not merely another psycho cult, they are a ready trained army, here to put me, The Dragon King, into power!" Sure enough, the guns that were ready were in the arms of Garthen's followers, and all the muzzles were trained on Storm and her friends.
"Listen to me!" Storm called out to the Amentha. "This man is no reincarnated hero! We are not goddesses, we are just mutants, look at us! An ex-thief, a student, a secretary and a schoolteacher! Don't start something now you will regret for the rest of time!"
"It's already begun, foolish girl!" Garthen screamed back as his troops' certainty began to waver. "It's way out of... Arggh!"
**Gareth Daniel King, ** Xavier via Cerebro cut through all of Garthen's, Gareth's mental barriers and the man who would rule the world slumped to his knees in despair and fear. **Gareth Daniel King you have a chance to stop this now. You have had great tragedy in your life I know. You have always been able to control your mild telepathic powers of persuasion. But you could not teach your more powerful son to do the same; he was too young, too naturally strong. You suffered greatly when he killed your wife, his mother, Solumné... **
"Stop..." Gareth rolled around on the grass, tears falling down his face. "Stop it..."
**But that is not excuse for what you did to him, experimenting on him, producing chemicals that alter the telepathic abilities of mutants, selling them and him to the highest bidder. And now you have finally succumbed to madness, killing innocent people in a manic attempt to rule the world. Did you think you would ever succeed? Or has August's long range grasping for his father distracted you from the fact that it could never be. **
"August is dead, he has to be... I haven't felt him for so long now..." Kurt and Storm exchanged looks, August King, the little black telepathic boy?
**Gareth's wife was black too; he was sane before August killed her by mistake. ** Ilehana filled in for the X-men, having grasped the gist of her father's telepathic conversation with Gareth.
**No, he's not dead. How else can I know all this, he is here with me now, but his powers have been burnt out of him. I will have him returned to your home if and only if you call a halt to this madness, disband the Amentha and never bother the four young women you chose again. ** Xavier, ever patient, placed a hand on the shoulder of the little boy who sat so very still next to him in Cerebro. By the door Magneto smiled slightly, then left.
"All right, all right..." Gareth sobbed. "Just make this all stop."