Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I making any money from, the X-Men movie-
verse. Duncan and Hana belong to Corrinth, as does Ilehana Xavier should
she be mentioned. Star owns Golan, should he be mentioned too. All other
OCs belong to me, especially Blaze and Jessie.
A/N: Post X2 spoilers, and spoilers for Corrinth's Guardians of Destiny, which incidentally is excellent so go read it! Reviews always appreciated.
Scene 16
"Smile Rogue." Blaze ordered as they made their way past the club doorman and into the steamy interior of the Fishtank. It was a dump, she surmised quickly, but then again these places always were. Maybe she'd been a schoolteacher too long to be feeling this disapproving of a night on the town. Oh well, at least they didn't look like teachers......... Blaze took a shifty glance sideways at Rogue.
The kid looked good, short green skirt over knee high black boots, black and green lace bodice hid nothing, black silk gloves almost to her shoulders offered some protection and diamonds sparkled at her earlobes and on her throat. Bobby's eyes had shot out on stalks when he'd seen her made up like this. Blaze wondered if Rogue would let her shop for her again.
Blaze's own outfit was twice as scandalous. The black halter neck top revealed a trim midriff; you never would have guessed she'd had a child. Blue denim hot pants also covered very little, and unlike Rogue Blaze made no effort to cover her long legs, wearing black shoes that clicked as she walked. Unlike Bobby, Gambit had not approved of his partner's get-up, but it couldn't be helped.
"Where's Logan and Gambit?" Rogue asked, unnerved. Bad enough Gambit had Bobby driving the getaway car parked outside, but she'd at least expected to be able to see their other teammates once inside the club.
"They're about." Blaze filled in vaguely. "Now look like you're having fun will you? See that balcony upstairs? That's most likely where Shark will be, watching the club. We have to get up into his private lounge, which means he has to have us invited up. "
"So how do we.........?" Rogue started, but Blaze had already started off through the crowds. Unnerved Rogue hastily followed, always aware of how close the crowds pressed around her, until a friendly hand reached down and plucked her up onto a small podium by the dance floor.
"Better?" Blaze asked, forcing herself to grin. Rogue nodded, following Blaze's lead as both girls began to move with the pounding music.........
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"May as well get a beer while we wait." Logan grunted; leaving Gambit stood leaning on the railing of the upper floor of the club. Over the barrier he could see Blaze and Rogue on the podium, and make out the men in the balcony lounge opposite behind the DJ laughing and talking. One of them already had Remy's partner in his sights, making Gambit grip the rail so hard the pitted surface cut into his gloves. He didn't even acknowledge Wolverine when he returned bearing gifts.........
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Blaze moved with her eyes half closed, watching the room from under long eyelashes. It didn't take long for the creeps to start circling like vultures over a lion's kill. The trick was to picking out the right vulture at the right time. For the first time Blaze felt an ounce of worry. What if she couldn't do this? But then she had him, her target. He walked down the stairs from the balcony lounge with a purposeful air, hand brushing what would be a gun underneath his jacket. Show time.
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Remy saw Blaze acknowledge the gun-toting scumbag with a wiry smile and seductive manoeuvres. Rogue glanced over her shoulder to offer the man a pout and Blaze a brief frown of concern. Had Gambit made the right choice? Would Blaze be better doing this by herself? Was there anything he'd missed, anything at all that would make all this unnecessary? Was this what Cyclops went through every time he set X-Men on a mission? If so, Gambit could understand why the team-leader was slowly turning the X-Men into a one-man-band. Less heartache if you work on your own.........
But the girls were being beckoned upstairs already. That must be a new record for Blaze. Gambit scowled as Logan came to lean on the railing next to him. He'd paid high prices for Blaze to learn how to do this, but nothing as high as the humiliation and cheapening that Blaze was putting herself through right now. If only he'd known how it would all work out, known that even then he was falling in love with her......... Damn it! How could he have been such a fool!
"Hey Gambit." Logan offered from by the Cajun's right shoulder. "I like this even less than you buddy. Just say the word an' I'll be slicin' those guys up before you can put down your beer."
"Non Wolverine." Gambit shook his head and took a swig of the beer he hadn't even realised he was holding. "Not yet."
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"Ladies." The scumbag acknowledged them when the glass door swished shut behind them and for the first time he could be heard over the heavy dance music. "Welcome to the Fishtank. Please accept these drinks on the house."
"Thank you." Blaze replied with a flick of her hair and a twitch of her lips. Rogue tried to smile too as she took her glass, knowing this was what Gambit had been training her for. The drink was drugged, she had to ditch it. Panic seemed to well up like froth from a bottle of champagne even as Rogue thought about it, but Blaze was talking to her. "C'mon, over there." She flicked her head to a red leather sofa by a large potted plant and fountain of dry ice.
"Don't we, you know, talk to someone?" Rogue whispered to her friend as other girls in the room either scowled at the competition or smiled their drugged hellos.
"Just follow my lead, Rogue. It's all a game........." Was all Blaze would reply, seating herself cheaply and pretending to slurp heavily on the drink.
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Outside in the driver's seat of the car, secluded from the mean-looking club bouncers round a corner, Bobby tapped his fingers impatiently on the steering column. The game on his mobile office palmtop bleeped frantically as the character on the RPG died yet again. The suddenly the tone morphed into his phone ring tone, who could be calling him at this hour?
"Hello?" The number wasn't one in his phone book, making him worry.
"Iceman, its Storm. I can't get in touch with anybody else and I don't know what to do........." There was real panic in Storm's voice, even over the digital connection.
"Hey, calm down Ororo." Bobby counselled. "You got news?"
"Uh huh." Storm replied, obviously trying to regain her composure. In Jessie's hometown heavy drops of rain began to fall. "It's the Prices. I think they might have spotted me here. They've panicked, just got in their car and drove away."
"Just stay where you are." Bobby demanded. "Gambit's onto something here. Keep trying the mansion and see if Jean can't track Jessica through Cerebro. We'll come pick you up as soon as we can."
There was a click on the line as Storm hung up. Not for the first time Bobby wished he were a psychic, it could really come in handy about now.........
A/N: Post X2 spoilers, and spoilers for Corrinth's Guardians of Destiny, which incidentally is excellent so go read it! Reviews always appreciated.
Scene 16
"Smile Rogue." Blaze ordered as they made their way past the club doorman and into the steamy interior of the Fishtank. It was a dump, she surmised quickly, but then again these places always were. Maybe she'd been a schoolteacher too long to be feeling this disapproving of a night on the town. Oh well, at least they didn't look like teachers......... Blaze took a shifty glance sideways at Rogue.
The kid looked good, short green skirt over knee high black boots, black and green lace bodice hid nothing, black silk gloves almost to her shoulders offered some protection and diamonds sparkled at her earlobes and on her throat. Bobby's eyes had shot out on stalks when he'd seen her made up like this. Blaze wondered if Rogue would let her shop for her again.
Blaze's own outfit was twice as scandalous. The black halter neck top revealed a trim midriff; you never would have guessed she'd had a child. Blue denim hot pants also covered very little, and unlike Rogue Blaze made no effort to cover her long legs, wearing black shoes that clicked as she walked. Unlike Bobby, Gambit had not approved of his partner's get-up, but it couldn't be helped.
"Where's Logan and Gambit?" Rogue asked, unnerved. Bad enough Gambit had Bobby driving the getaway car parked outside, but she'd at least expected to be able to see their other teammates once inside the club.
"They're about." Blaze filled in vaguely. "Now look like you're having fun will you? See that balcony upstairs? That's most likely where Shark will be, watching the club. We have to get up into his private lounge, which means he has to have us invited up. "
"So how do we.........?" Rogue started, but Blaze had already started off through the crowds. Unnerved Rogue hastily followed, always aware of how close the crowds pressed around her, until a friendly hand reached down and plucked her up onto a small podium by the dance floor.
"Better?" Blaze asked, forcing herself to grin. Rogue nodded, following Blaze's lead as both girls began to move with the pounding music.........
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"May as well get a beer while we wait." Logan grunted; leaving Gambit stood leaning on the railing of the upper floor of the club. Over the barrier he could see Blaze and Rogue on the podium, and make out the men in the balcony lounge opposite behind the DJ laughing and talking. One of them already had Remy's partner in his sights, making Gambit grip the rail so hard the pitted surface cut into his gloves. He didn't even acknowledge Wolverine when he returned bearing gifts.........
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Blaze moved with her eyes half closed, watching the room from under long eyelashes. It didn't take long for the creeps to start circling like vultures over a lion's kill. The trick was to picking out the right vulture at the right time. For the first time Blaze felt an ounce of worry. What if she couldn't do this? But then she had him, her target. He walked down the stairs from the balcony lounge with a purposeful air, hand brushing what would be a gun underneath his jacket. Show time.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Remy saw Blaze acknowledge the gun-toting scumbag with a wiry smile and seductive manoeuvres. Rogue glanced over her shoulder to offer the man a pout and Blaze a brief frown of concern. Had Gambit made the right choice? Would Blaze be better doing this by herself? Was there anything he'd missed, anything at all that would make all this unnecessary? Was this what Cyclops went through every time he set X-Men on a mission? If so, Gambit could understand why the team-leader was slowly turning the X-Men into a one-man-band. Less heartache if you work on your own.........
But the girls were being beckoned upstairs already. That must be a new record for Blaze. Gambit scowled as Logan came to lean on the railing next to him. He'd paid high prices for Blaze to learn how to do this, but nothing as high as the humiliation and cheapening that Blaze was putting herself through right now. If only he'd known how it would all work out, known that even then he was falling in love with her......... Damn it! How could he have been such a fool!
"Hey Gambit." Logan offered from by the Cajun's right shoulder. "I like this even less than you buddy. Just say the word an' I'll be slicin' those guys up before you can put down your beer."
"Non Wolverine." Gambit shook his head and took a swig of the beer he hadn't even realised he was holding. "Not yet."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Ladies." The scumbag acknowledged them when the glass door swished shut behind them and for the first time he could be heard over the heavy dance music. "Welcome to the Fishtank. Please accept these drinks on the house."
"Thank you." Blaze replied with a flick of her hair and a twitch of her lips. Rogue tried to smile too as she took her glass, knowing this was what Gambit had been training her for. The drink was drugged, she had to ditch it. Panic seemed to well up like froth from a bottle of champagne even as Rogue thought about it, but Blaze was talking to her. "C'mon, over there." She flicked her head to a red leather sofa by a large potted plant and fountain of dry ice.
"Don't we, you know, talk to someone?" Rogue whispered to her friend as other girls in the room either scowled at the competition or smiled their drugged hellos.
"Just follow my lead, Rogue. It's all a game........." Was all Blaze would reply, seating herself cheaply and pretending to slurp heavily on the drink.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Outside in the driver's seat of the car, secluded from the mean-looking club bouncers round a corner, Bobby tapped his fingers impatiently on the steering column. The game on his mobile office palmtop bleeped frantically as the character on the RPG died yet again. The suddenly the tone morphed into his phone ring tone, who could be calling him at this hour?
"Hello?" The number wasn't one in his phone book, making him worry.
"Iceman, its Storm. I can't get in touch with anybody else and I don't know what to do........." There was real panic in Storm's voice, even over the digital connection.
"Hey, calm down Ororo." Bobby counselled. "You got news?"
"Uh huh." Storm replied, obviously trying to regain her composure. In Jessie's hometown heavy drops of rain began to fall. "It's the Prices. I think they might have spotted me here. They've panicked, just got in their car and drove away."
"Just stay where you are." Bobby demanded. "Gambit's onto something here. Keep trying the mansion and see if Jean can't track Jessica through Cerebro. We'll come pick you up as soon as we can."
There was a click on the line as Storm hung up. Not for the first time Bobby wished he were a psychic, it could really come in handy about now.........