Disclaimer: Don't own anything except Blaze and other random original
characters. Ilehana Xavier and Danielle appear courtesy of Corrinth, the X-
Men and their world appear courtesy of Marvel. Description of Danielle is
lifted straight from 'Almost Human' by Corrinth with many thanks.
A/N: Reviews and comments are always welcome.
Scene 03
"And?" Magneto asked Gambit with a raised eyebrow and a cold malice to his voice. The Cajun grimaced as he forced himself to reply.
"The X-Men beat me to it. Your acquaintance Shrew blew it." Far be it for Gambit to imply Magneto was wrong, but let Shrew take the blame as much as possible. Yet Magneto didn't react as Gambit had thought he would, instead of ranting and raving the older man became positively thoughtful.
"Are you sure the X-Men have the package? You have confirmed it?"
"Yeah, I spoke to Blaze. They have it alright." Remy frowned, what was Magneto implying?
"Excellent." Now that was the last response the thief had been expecting from his boss. Gambit stood there shocked as Magneto began to walk away from his man and head further into the lair. "This has worked out quicker than I could have hoped for. It is a great irony that the X-Men through their interference have brought their own destruction on themselves........."
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Scott Summers was uncomfortable, eyes worried behind his ever-present shades. He didn't mean to be afraid, but the frown that crossed his brow was one he couldn't hide. Sweat dripped down his forehead even as he tried to conceal his emotions, and his palms were clammy with tension. Yet this was the one thing he longed for, the one thing he wanted above anything else. Wasn't it? Did he trust enough for this to happen? Was he sure that no one would get hurt if they went through with this?
The girl in front of him reached out her hands to him, her dainty fingers taking hold of his shades with great care. He couldn't help the sharp intake of breath, nor prevent himself from screwing his eyes tight shut. Only the Professor's voice and the great strength the older man gave out telepathically could reach Scott right then, he was so terrified of hurting the girl.
"Its alright Scott, you can't hurt her, or any of us right now." Charles Xavier was confident. Around the room the other X-Men waited with bated breath, from Jean Grey through Rogue, Iceman, Storm and Beast. Kitty bit her nails anxiously whilst the Professor's daughter Ilehana smiled slightly, knowing how confident her father felt in the little girl's abilities. Such a small little girl, younger even than most of the children at the Institute. She was the first person that Scott Summers had seen without his shades since his mutant powers had first appeared.
Her name was Danielle, the package that Ilehana and Blaze had intercepted the night before. She was all of ten years old, but there was an air of maturity about her that Scott found hard to understand. Her left ear was framed with maybe ten silver hoop earrings, while the right was adorned with a simple silver star-shaped stud. Her eyes were grey and cold, somehow calculating as she looked back at him. Deep chestnut hair was braided into what looked like millions of tiny plaits, all pulled together into a ponytail. The beads at their ends clicked together whenever she moved her head, like now when she glanced from Cyclops to the Professor for his approval.
"Very good, Stifle." Charles mused appreciatively as around the room gasps of shock and awe came from every gathered member of the team. Even Ilehana was a little shaken by how completely Stifle could afflict a fellow mutant, blocking out their very powers. What a weapon she would have been for Magneto.
"Thank you." The girl replied, English accent much more defined and refined than the well-travelled Blaze's. "You may want to put these back on again now." She said to Scott, holding out his shades in a small hand.
"Thanks." Cyclops stuttered; taking the shades and putting them back on with a sigh of relief. He might have longed to see the world properly with his own eyes for so long, but to have that chance suddenly thrust upon him with no time to prepare was a little unnerving.
"Well," Hank McCoy tried to break to tense atmosphere with a joviality he did not feel. A child that could in essence reverse mutations? What possibilities could this raise for him? "Lovely as this has been its time for school for you all. Scat."
"Not you." Storm put a gentle hand on Stifle's shoulder as the child looked bemused at the backs of her fellow youngsters. "Relax child, it's been a long night for you." Stifle nodded, but Storm could feel Danielle's tension as an infrequent tug on Ororo's powers. Even hours locked away with Professor Xavier the night before had not completely put the girl at ease. But no one could blame her for that, after all it seemed Magneto had had her abducted and transported to America. Now it was up to the X-Men to find out why.
"What did it feel like?" Kurt asked Scott earnestly as they left the room to head out to school. "Did it hurt?"
"It was strange." Scott commented as Jean took her position walking on his right side. He noticed that every single one of the X-Men from Jean and Kurt through to Magma and Iceman was hanging on his every word. All of them were fascinated by the Institute's newest arrival. "It didn't feel like anything."
"Like anything you've ever felt before?" Kurt wanted clarification.
"No, like nothing at all. It didn't hurt or......... Or anything. I just didn't have my powers anymore." Suddenly every one of them had questions for Scott. Had he tried to use his powers? Had Stifle given him control or where they gone all together? Were they working now? Had she deliberately released him or did it only last a short while? Rogue was the only one who kept her mouth shut, pausing and dropping back from the X-Men as she dared to hope that perhaps this little girl was the answer to her own terrible curse......... Could she touch Stifle?
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"Its clear why Magneto wants the child." Storm began to address the older team members after a worn out Danielle had been put to bed. "She'd make a very powerful weapon against any mutants, especially us."
"You can't put an untrained ten year old in a battle situation." Logan countered. "Even Magneto isn't stupid enough to try that, Stifle wouldn't know what to do in that kinda deal. She's as likely to turn on his own men as she is to get the right target."
"And it doesn't fit that Magneto would want to train her up himself." Ilehana added. "He's shown so little interest in training his own children Wanda and Pietro. So why has he had her brought to Bayville?"
"That appears to be the question." Charles Xavier agreed with his daughter. "But until we can learn more our first priority must be to keep Danielle safe. Be vigilant, Magneto may go to great lengths to take Stifle back from us."
"Even an attack on the Institute?" Beast wanted to know, eyes wide with shock.
"Possibly." Xavier answered, touching fingertips in front of his face. "We will have to wait and see."
A/N: Reviews and comments are always welcome.
Scene 03
"And?" Magneto asked Gambit with a raised eyebrow and a cold malice to his voice. The Cajun grimaced as he forced himself to reply.
"The X-Men beat me to it. Your acquaintance Shrew blew it." Far be it for Gambit to imply Magneto was wrong, but let Shrew take the blame as much as possible. Yet Magneto didn't react as Gambit had thought he would, instead of ranting and raving the older man became positively thoughtful.
"Are you sure the X-Men have the package? You have confirmed it?"
"Yeah, I spoke to Blaze. They have it alright." Remy frowned, what was Magneto implying?
"Excellent." Now that was the last response the thief had been expecting from his boss. Gambit stood there shocked as Magneto began to walk away from his man and head further into the lair. "This has worked out quicker than I could have hoped for. It is a great irony that the X-Men through their interference have brought their own destruction on themselves........."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Scott Summers was uncomfortable, eyes worried behind his ever-present shades. He didn't mean to be afraid, but the frown that crossed his brow was one he couldn't hide. Sweat dripped down his forehead even as he tried to conceal his emotions, and his palms were clammy with tension. Yet this was the one thing he longed for, the one thing he wanted above anything else. Wasn't it? Did he trust enough for this to happen? Was he sure that no one would get hurt if they went through with this?
The girl in front of him reached out her hands to him, her dainty fingers taking hold of his shades with great care. He couldn't help the sharp intake of breath, nor prevent himself from screwing his eyes tight shut. Only the Professor's voice and the great strength the older man gave out telepathically could reach Scott right then, he was so terrified of hurting the girl.
"Its alright Scott, you can't hurt her, or any of us right now." Charles Xavier was confident. Around the room the other X-Men waited with bated breath, from Jean Grey through Rogue, Iceman, Storm and Beast. Kitty bit her nails anxiously whilst the Professor's daughter Ilehana smiled slightly, knowing how confident her father felt in the little girl's abilities. Such a small little girl, younger even than most of the children at the Institute. She was the first person that Scott Summers had seen without his shades since his mutant powers had first appeared.
Her name was Danielle, the package that Ilehana and Blaze had intercepted the night before. She was all of ten years old, but there was an air of maturity about her that Scott found hard to understand. Her left ear was framed with maybe ten silver hoop earrings, while the right was adorned with a simple silver star-shaped stud. Her eyes were grey and cold, somehow calculating as she looked back at him. Deep chestnut hair was braided into what looked like millions of tiny plaits, all pulled together into a ponytail. The beads at their ends clicked together whenever she moved her head, like now when she glanced from Cyclops to the Professor for his approval.
"Very good, Stifle." Charles mused appreciatively as around the room gasps of shock and awe came from every gathered member of the team. Even Ilehana was a little shaken by how completely Stifle could afflict a fellow mutant, blocking out their very powers. What a weapon she would have been for Magneto.
"Thank you." The girl replied, English accent much more defined and refined than the well-travelled Blaze's. "You may want to put these back on again now." She said to Scott, holding out his shades in a small hand.
"Thanks." Cyclops stuttered; taking the shades and putting them back on with a sigh of relief. He might have longed to see the world properly with his own eyes for so long, but to have that chance suddenly thrust upon him with no time to prepare was a little unnerving.
"Well," Hank McCoy tried to break to tense atmosphere with a joviality he did not feel. A child that could in essence reverse mutations? What possibilities could this raise for him? "Lovely as this has been its time for school for you all. Scat."
"Not you." Storm put a gentle hand on Stifle's shoulder as the child looked bemused at the backs of her fellow youngsters. "Relax child, it's been a long night for you." Stifle nodded, but Storm could feel Danielle's tension as an infrequent tug on Ororo's powers. Even hours locked away with Professor Xavier the night before had not completely put the girl at ease. But no one could blame her for that, after all it seemed Magneto had had her abducted and transported to America. Now it was up to the X-Men to find out why.
"What did it feel like?" Kurt asked Scott earnestly as they left the room to head out to school. "Did it hurt?"
"It was strange." Scott commented as Jean took her position walking on his right side. He noticed that every single one of the X-Men from Jean and Kurt through to Magma and Iceman was hanging on his every word. All of them were fascinated by the Institute's newest arrival. "It didn't feel like anything."
"Like anything you've ever felt before?" Kurt wanted clarification.
"No, like nothing at all. It didn't hurt or......... Or anything. I just didn't have my powers anymore." Suddenly every one of them had questions for Scott. Had he tried to use his powers? Had Stifle given him control or where they gone all together? Were they working now? Had she deliberately released him or did it only last a short while? Rogue was the only one who kept her mouth shut, pausing and dropping back from the X-Men as she dared to hope that perhaps this little girl was the answer to her own terrible curse......... Could she touch Stifle?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Its clear why Magneto wants the child." Storm began to address the older team members after a worn out Danielle had been put to bed. "She'd make a very powerful weapon against any mutants, especially us."
"You can't put an untrained ten year old in a battle situation." Logan countered. "Even Magneto isn't stupid enough to try that, Stifle wouldn't know what to do in that kinda deal. She's as likely to turn on his own men as she is to get the right target."
"And it doesn't fit that Magneto would want to train her up himself." Ilehana added. "He's shown so little interest in training his own children Wanda and Pietro. So why has he had her brought to Bayville?"
"That appears to be the question." Charles Xavier agreed with his daughter. "But until we can learn more our first priority must be to keep Danielle safe. Be vigilant, Magneto may go to great lengths to take Stifle back from us."
"Even an attack on the Institute?" Beast wanted to know, eyes wide with shock.
"Possibly." Xavier answered, touching fingertips in front of his face. "We will have to wait and see."