TO Flamer, who doesn't like my work, doesn't like OCs and thinks I should
stop writing. Get lost!!!!
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I making any money from, the X-Men characters. Thank you to Corrinth for the loan of Ilehana Xavier. Blaze is, always has been, and forever will be mine, so there!
A/N: Don't forget to review!
Scene 5
"Shrew, in case you didn't realise, you are an idiot. If it wasn't for your abilities to 'sniff out' potential sales, I would have had you shot long ago."
"Yes sir, I know sir, sorry Mister Jacobi sir..." The nervous rodent-like mutant shifted uneasily under his boss' stare.
"You must push the sales harder, I have a deadline to keep. Now, if you don't mind, my next appointment is here." Flicking a button he closed the link to the protesting mutant and pulled down the top on his laptop. The door to his office slid open, and two strangers entered.
"Nice boat, Ami. Very nice. An assassin could get used to a tub like dis."
"Why thank you Jacques, make yourselves at home." Alessandro Jacobi smiled amicably at his distinguished guests, pointing out leather sofas and soft cushions by the cabin's panoramic window. Out to the edges of the horizon, the Gulf of Mexico oozed and glistened, caressing Jacobi's large yacht. Knowing that enjoying the view would have to wait for now, Jacobi pressed a button on a remote and went to join his guests as a six-foot screen dropped down from the ceiling to cover one wall.
"I am, as you undoubtedly already know, seeking to re-issue a contract on a certain young lady's life. The fee to be paid when she is dead will be substantial, she has been an irritation to me for a long time." Pictures appeared on the screen of a lithe redhead, video footage of the girl in question playing soccer on the lawn in front of a large mansion house. With agility she shot the ball at the back of the net, throwing her arms up to hide her disappointment as the ball hit the post and came back out again. Jacobi watched his guest's expressions as they watched the video; both wore bland, emotionless faces. He did like to watch assassins at work, such interesting psychology.
"Unfortunately," Jacobi continued, "She has some powerful friends, a pride of vigilante mutants backed by a powerful telepath named Charles Xavier. I can aid you, but we will need to draw Blaze away from the X-Men in order to get a clean shot."
"Maybe dis is a project worth our effort, Jacobi." Jacques smiled his disarming smile again, like a shark grinning at its unsuspecting lunch.
"Oh I'm sure it is, you see it isn't just Blaze I want to get rid of." The video footage continued with the redhead collecting the ball and beginning an assortment of tricks and skills with it. "There is a young man, Blaze's partner in crime for some years. I had hoped to convince him to join with me, but as things begin to whirl into motion he has lost his chance to be a legend." The assassins leaned forward in their seats as a motorbike came into the picture. The rider stopped the bike, engine idling, and removed his helmet to talk to Blaze.
"Well I be a twelve-foot 'gator..." Jacques exclaimed, standing suddenly. "D'thieves' guild's prodigal son... Dis changes everyt'ing Jacobi, don't it Belle?"
The female assassin's blue eyes narrowed cruelly and she flicked her many blonde plaits back away from her face in defence of her feminity. On the screen, Gambit placed a quick kiss on Blaze's hand, and received a playful clip round the head from the young woman. Belladonna, assassin and ex- fiancée of Remy le Beau, stood slowly and walked to the screen. Gambit was back on the bike and leaving the mansion's grounds. Blaze watched him go, and then went back to playing football alone. To Jacobi's pleasure, Belladonna simply whispered "They're mine..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"C'mon, Bobby, don't be such a wimp." Tabitha, known as Boom-Boom, leant over Iceman to reach her soda bottle, her perfume intoxicating, her sly look as she went back to sitting next to him infuriating. The spiky-haired blonde grinned. "It's supposed to be the biggest rush ever!" and as if to accentuate her point she threw her arms up to the ceiling, throwing tiny golden firecrackers all over the room. "Oops, sorry."
"Its okay, really, I never expected to get my deposit back on this room anyway..." Tabitha didn't seem to hear the hint of irony in Bobby's voice.
"I don't care what you two do," Bobby's roommate Havoc announced, hands on hips. "I wanna know what this ace will do to my powers." In front of him on a small table, the three ace-delivery devices glistened metallic and tantalizing. Havoc picked one up, reaching to slap it on the back of his neck.
"Count me in!" The impetuous Tabitha grabbed a tag as well, flicking the flat metallic plate over in her hand and holding it as Havoc did, needle pointing to the back of her neck. "C'mon Iceman..."
"The effects are only temporary, right?" Bobby asked, Tabitha rolled her eyes; they'd been over this. Havoc nodded. "And it's not dangerous?" Havoc shook his blond-haired head. Bobby sighed, "Then I guess its all for one..." He picked up the final ace device, and gritted his teeth as he slammed the point of the needle into his flesh. The glycerine capsule was punctured by the action, the ace chemical flooded into his bloodstream and suddenly everything got very, very cold...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Damn it! Ain't Cyclops got no decent tools?" Gambit threw down the spanner he held in disgust.
"Well if you didn't ride that bike like a man possessed, it wouldn't need rebuilding every time you got it back here. And I don't think Xavier'll buy you a new one either, seeing as you've only had that one five minutes." Blaze teased her friend from her perch on the long bonnet of her pet Aston Martin db7 GT. "Where have you been anyway, it looks like you've been surfing earthquakes on that thing?"
"Close enough." Gambit muttered, fiddling with something on his bike. It did look rather battered in comparison with Scott's own machine, even though it was so much newer. "Rogue 'n' I bin teachin' an Avalanche to mind his manners."
"You and Rogue?" Blaze raised an eyebrow. "Should I be jealous?"
"Maybe, Chere." Gambit replied, "Gambit didn't know you felt like that 'bout Rogue though..." He grinned as he ducked a small fireball Blaze flicked at him. "You wanna beer, Petite? Gambit know Ilehana have a secret stash down here."
"And you don't mind being eaten for breakfast when it's empty and covered in your scent?" Blaze asked coyly.
"Vixen won't mind, she t'ink Gambit est seduisant..." He winked at Blaze and held out a beer bottle to her.
"Oh oui, et Gambit manqué d'assurance!" Blaze replied sarcastically, meaning 'Oh yeah, and Gambit lacks confidence!' Dropping her smile and suddenly serious she shook her head at the offered beer. "No thanks Rem, I don't, I can't drink anymore."
"Pourquoi?" He asked, frowning.
"You get the idea Cyclops has been bad since Jean died? Least his liver hasn't near-failed yet..." Blaze sighed heavily; sometimes it really wasn't a good thing to have a photographic memory. Gambit put his arm round her in sympathy as she said, "It's been months since I've dared be around the stuff, I've not been to a club to dance or anything."
"Then what we waitin' for?" He gave her a squeeze and stood up. "You got ten minutes, Chere, Gambit takin' you out. You drive, Gambit won't drink, be like ole times."
"What part of that plan is like old times Rem?" Blaze laughed, "But I'm not going to argue with you, it's the best offer I've had in ages, see you back here in ten minutes."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The twenty-three-year-old woman danced. Arms stretched high, red curls bouncing about her shoulders, brown eyes half shut. She lived the music as it pounded relentlessly through the nightclub. And for once she didn't dance on her own. Gambit knew not even making a complete fool of himself dancing like a dying chicken would repair the damage done to Blaze after he'd gone to prison trying to protect her. But maybe, if things stayed quiet and Jacobi really was gone, it could be a start.
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I making any money from, the X-Men characters. Thank you to Corrinth for the loan of Ilehana Xavier. Blaze is, always has been, and forever will be mine, so there!
A/N: Don't forget to review!
Scene 5
"Shrew, in case you didn't realise, you are an idiot. If it wasn't for your abilities to 'sniff out' potential sales, I would have had you shot long ago."
"Yes sir, I know sir, sorry Mister Jacobi sir..." The nervous rodent-like mutant shifted uneasily under his boss' stare.
"You must push the sales harder, I have a deadline to keep. Now, if you don't mind, my next appointment is here." Flicking a button he closed the link to the protesting mutant and pulled down the top on his laptop. The door to his office slid open, and two strangers entered.
"Nice boat, Ami. Very nice. An assassin could get used to a tub like dis."
"Why thank you Jacques, make yourselves at home." Alessandro Jacobi smiled amicably at his distinguished guests, pointing out leather sofas and soft cushions by the cabin's panoramic window. Out to the edges of the horizon, the Gulf of Mexico oozed and glistened, caressing Jacobi's large yacht. Knowing that enjoying the view would have to wait for now, Jacobi pressed a button on a remote and went to join his guests as a six-foot screen dropped down from the ceiling to cover one wall.
"I am, as you undoubtedly already know, seeking to re-issue a contract on a certain young lady's life. The fee to be paid when she is dead will be substantial, she has been an irritation to me for a long time." Pictures appeared on the screen of a lithe redhead, video footage of the girl in question playing soccer on the lawn in front of a large mansion house. With agility she shot the ball at the back of the net, throwing her arms up to hide her disappointment as the ball hit the post and came back out again. Jacobi watched his guest's expressions as they watched the video; both wore bland, emotionless faces. He did like to watch assassins at work, such interesting psychology.
"Unfortunately," Jacobi continued, "She has some powerful friends, a pride of vigilante mutants backed by a powerful telepath named Charles Xavier. I can aid you, but we will need to draw Blaze away from the X-Men in order to get a clean shot."
"Maybe dis is a project worth our effort, Jacobi." Jacques smiled his disarming smile again, like a shark grinning at its unsuspecting lunch.
"Oh I'm sure it is, you see it isn't just Blaze I want to get rid of." The video footage continued with the redhead collecting the ball and beginning an assortment of tricks and skills with it. "There is a young man, Blaze's partner in crime for some years. I had hoped to convince him to join with me, but as things begin to whirl into motion he has lost his chance to be a legend." The assassins leaned forward in their seats as a motorbike came into the picture. The rider stopped the bike, engine idling, and removed his helmet to talk to Blaze.
"Well I be a twelve-foot 'gator..." Jacques exclaimed, standing suddenly. "D'thieves' guild's prodigal son... Dis changes everyt'ing Jacobi, don't it Belle?"
The female assassin's blue eyes narrowed cruelly and she flicked her many blonde plaits back away from her face in defence of her feminity. On the screen, Gambit placed a quick kiss on Blaze's hand, and received a playful clip round the head from the young woman. Belladonna, assassin and ex- fiancée of Remy le Beau, stood slowly and walked to the screen. Gambit was back on the bike and leaving the mansion's grounds. Blaze watched him go, and then went back to playing football alone. To Jacobi's pleasure, Belladonna simply whispered "They're mine..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"C'mon, Bobby, don't be such a wimp." Tabitha, known as Boom-Boom, leant over Iceman to reach her soda bottle, her perfume intoxicating, her sly look as she went back to sitting next to him infuriating. The spiky-haired blonde grinned. "It's supposed to be the biggest rush ever!" and as if to accentuate her point she threw her arms up to the ceiling, throwing tiny golden firecrackers all over the room. "Oops, sorry."
"Its okay, really, I never expected to get my deposit back on this room anyway..." Tabitha didn't seem to hear the hint of irony in Bobby's voice.
"I don't care what you two do," Bobby's roommate Havoc announced, hands on hips. "I wanna know what this ace will do to my powers." In front of him on a small table, the three ace-delivery devices glistened metallic and tantalizing. Havoc picked one up, reaching to slap it on the back of his neck.
"Count me in!" The impetuous Tabitha grabbed a tag as well, flicking the flat metallic plate over in her hand and holding it as Havoc did, needle pointing to the back of her neck. "C'mon Iceman..."
"The effects are only temporary, right?" Bobby asked, Tabitha rolled her eyes; they'd been over this. Havoc nodded. "And it's not dangerous?" Havoc shook his blond-haired head. Bobby sighed, "Then I guess its all for one..." He picked up the final ace device, and gritted his teeth as he slammed the point of the needle into his flesh. The glycerine capsule was punctured by the action, the ace chemical flooded into his bloodstream and suddenly everything got very, very cold...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Damn it! Ain't Cyclops got no decent tools?" Gambit threw down the spanner he held in disgust.
"Well if you didn't ride that bike like a man possessed, it wouldn't need rebuilding every time you got it back here. And I don't think Xavier'll buy you a new one either, seeing as you've only had that one five minutes." Blaze teased her friend from her perch on the long bonnet of her pet Aston Martin db7 GT. "Where have you been anyway, it looks like you've been surfing earthquakes on that thing?"
"Close enough." Gambit muttered, fiddling with something on his bike. It did look rather battered in comparison with Scott's own machine, even though it was so much newer. "Rogue 'n' I bin teachin' an Avalanche to mind his manners."
"You and Rogue?" Blaze raised an eyebrow. "Should I be jealous?"
"Maybe, Chere." Gambit replied, "Gambit didn't know you felt like that 'bout Rogue though..." He grinned as he ducked a small fireball Blaze flicked at him. "You wanna beer, Petite? Gambit know Ilehana have a secret stash down here."
"And you don't mind being eaten for breakfast when it's empty and covered in your scent?" Blaze asked coyly.
"Vixen won't mind, she t'ink Gambit est seduisant..." He winked at Blaze and held out a beer bottle to her.
"Oh oui, et Gambit manqué d'assurance!" Blaze replied sarcastically, meaning 'Oh yeah, and Gambit lacks confidence!' Dropping her smile and suddenly serious she shook her head at the offered beer. "No thanks Rem, I don't, I can't drink anymore."
"Pourquoi?" He asked, frowning.
"You get the idea Cyclops has been bad since Jean died? Least his liver hasn't near-failed yet..." Blaze sighed heavily; sometimes it really wasn't a good thing to have a photographic memory. Gambit put his arm round her in sympathy as she said, "It's been months since I've dared be around the stuff, I've not been to a club to dance or anything."
"Then what we waitin' for?" He gave her a squeeze and stood up. "You got ten minutes, Chere, Gambit takin' you out. You drive, Gambit won't drink, be like ole times."
"What part of that plan is like old times Rem?" Blaze laughed, "But I'm not going to argue with you, it's the best offer I've had in ages, see you back here in ten minutes."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The twenty-three-year-old woman danced. Arms stretched high, red curls bouncing about her shoulders, brown eyes half shut. She lived the music as it pounded relentlessly through the nightclub. And for once she didn't dance on her own. Gambit knew not even making a complete fool of himself dancing like a dying chicken would repair the damage done to Blaze after he'd gone to prison trying to protect her. But maybe, if things stayed quiet and Jacobi really was gone, it could be a start.