Barricade's barrier protected Blaze from the force of Gambit's attack but the French twins were not so lucky. They were thrown across the concourse, skidding on the smooth tiles. Jolt recovered quickly and getting to her knees she threw a lightning bolt at Remy. Gambit dodged it, but only just, drawing another card as he did so. The energy bolt struck the glass-and-steel barrier that protected the edge of the upper mall from the long fall to ground level. The glass shattered, falling away like terrible icicles to smash on the floor so far below.
Gambit threw another card, the seven of hearts, and took three steps sideways as Barricade blocked his attack with an invisible shield. Jolt dropped and rolled, getting further away from her sister but letting rip with another ranged attack. Gambit ducked into the doorway of a comic book shop and the bolt passed him by. Darting out from the doorway he ran behind Blaze, who was still trapped, and drew out his staff weapon. The steel glinted in the mall's electric lights as Remy charged the pole with just enough of his power. Jabbing the end of the staff down made his power transfer into the tiles that shattered in a ripple effect. Jolt and Barricade cried out as they staggered, the floor bucking like a bronco. Barricade slipped, landing hard on her back as the air was knocked out of her. Then Jolt was up and blasting Gambit again.
Lithe as a cat, Gambit jumped and the bolt passed underneath him. It struck Barricade as she got to her feet and floored her, making her cry out. Jolt cried out too, devastated that she had hurt her sister. She readied her powers, stepping sideways to get a better shot at Gambit. But Jolt hadn't noticed that she was now dangerously close to the open edge of the upper concourse. Gambit was ready, card in hand and eyes cold. One more attack and Jolt would fall over the edge.
"Remy no!" Blaze cried out, seeing what Gambit had seen. Jolt startled and then checked behind her, seeing the long fall that awaited her. Quickly, the French girl stepped away. Gambit didn't notice. He glanced at Blaze and was staggered by how vulnerable she looked. Even when Magneto had the redhead strung up like a sacrificial victim, utterly doomed, Blaze had a spark of fight about her. Now she just looked lost and small, and very young. Gambit didn't know what to do but Jolt took the decision away from him. She zapped him with her powers, making him stagger and gasp. Then she zapped him again, and again, driving him towards that very long drop where the balcony rail had exploded. Remy didn't know what was happening, he knew nothing except the pain of Jolt's attack as he staggered, crying out wordlessly.
Blaze knew she was begging but she didn't know what else to do. "Please Jolt, no, don't do this. It's not his fault. He doesn't know why you're here. He doesn't know who I am. He's just like your brother; in the wrong place at the wrong time and with bad taste in friends. Don't make the same mistake I did. Don't lose control and burden yourself with that guilt for the rest of your life."
Barricade had by now rolled onto her stomach and pulled herself into a crawling position whilst she got her breath back. Lifting her head she saw what Blaze was talking about. Jolt could kill Gambit right now. He was winded, tiring and Jolt was furious. Barricade could see her sister fighting to stay in control of her powers. The gap in the barrier was a yawning chasm behind the Cajun. Barricade cried out to her twin, "She is right, sister, you don't want to do this. This is nothing to do with him."
"He won't let us hurt her," Jolt protested.
"Damn right," spluttered Remy, shooting Blaze an evil look for knocking him off guard.
"We don't need to hurt her," Barricade pointed out, "she's hurting anyway. She knows what she did. Killing her won't bring our brother back."
"I can't," Jolt cried; her power visible as it crackled around her hands. "I can't forgive her for what she did!"
"We don't need to forgive her, either," Barricade realised. She exchanged a solemn look with Blaze, who bit her lip and nodded. "She won't forgive herself." To the trapped X-Man she said, "You are not what I expected."
"You expected a hardened killer," Blaze realised.
"Yes, but you are not. You are just like us."
"I used to be," said Blaze. "Now I wish I still was. Je suis vraiment desole," she told them sincerely. "Je n'avias pas l'intention d'assassine ton frere." In English she meant, "I am very sorry, I never meant to kill your brother." That was good enough for Barricade, who lifted the forcefield that was keeping Blaze captive. Jolt dropped her hands and backed away from Gambit. Blaze closed her eyes briefly as relief flooded her. Then she told Barricade, "You should go, before the cavalry arrives to save me."
"There are more like him on the way?" Jolt said.
"Heck no," Blaze managed a wan smile. "One of him is more than enough." The girls seemed satisfied with that and they left quickly. Blaze didn't watch them go. Instead she turned to Remy who had come over to stand in front of her. Looking up at the tall Cajun in the trench coat, Blaze pursed her lips. "It seems like every time I see you, I end up having a really bad day."
Gambit smiled, "Seems to me you have a lot of bad days, and I'm jus' here when you need me, eh Petite?"
"I don't need you," Blaze pouted with her hand on her hip, flirtatiously emphasising the word need. Gambit was suddenly aware how close she was stood to him. He took one of her curls between his fingers and tucked it behind her ear. She smiled. A shout downstairs was Logan arriving with Vixen and Storm. They would be meeting Kitty and then heading to the upper mall. The shattered glass on the level below was a clear indicator of where the fight had happened, even if Vixen wasn't already telepathically knocking on Blaze's consciousness. The pyrokinetic girl sighed, "That'll be the cavalry."
"Until next time then, Cherie," Remy stepped away from her and gave a cheeky bow. By the time Logan and the others had run up the escalator, Gambit was long gone.
