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.
A/N: Reviews and comments are always welcome.
Scene 06
The ice rink was relatively busy. Rogue eyed the other punters wearily as she wrapped a black woollen scarf more closely around her neck and double- checked her traditional gloves. Today was not the day for unfortunate accidents. Kitty, Tabitha, Jean and Omara could hardly contain their excitement, chattering constantly as skates were strapped on and hair tossed back from faces.
For half an hour the five girls stole the show at the rink. Omara confessed to never having skated before, a fact that Tabitha exclaimed over and duly took over the girl's tutoring. Jean took Omara's other free hand and between the two mutants Omara found herself on the treacherous ice and skating around and around in no time. Kitty automatically became an ice- dancer. The slippery surface seemed to allow Shadowcat to do tricks and moves that Rogue wouldn't have thought possible even on good old solid ground. But then again Rogue was hardly a stick in the mud herself.
The southern belle adored the feel of the wind in her face as she took a speed skater's stance and accelerated around the rink with ease. The other skaters became little more than weaving posts; the only sound that of her skates cutting into the cold ice. Until suddenly the peace of that moment was broken with the somewhat familiar but out of place sound of a snowmobile engine. Rogue pulled up fast, twisting on the ice to stop as her hair was teased by the wind. She frowned as the silhouette on the vehicle proved all too familiar.
"What's wrong?" Jean was quickly at Rogue's side, following her teammate's gaze across the pure snow to the fast-approaching snowmobile. "You think Gambit's spotted us?"
"You're the telepath." Rogue remarked snidely. "You tell me what he's up to." Gambit's snowmobile hit a rise way too fast and took off, flying through the air with his trench coat billowing. Somehow in midair he dragged the bike around, landing sideways and on his feet facing the X-Men. "Show off." Rogue muttered as he saluted them cheekily military style.
"I've read his mind." Jean announced proudly. "I don't think he's up to anything just now. But he does say that a belle Mademoiselle like you shouldn't scowl so much Rogue, it doesn't suit you. And that he'd quite happily try and cheer you up........."
Rogue scowled deeper, not sure who to aim that expression at, Jean or the departing Cajun. The smug big-sisterly tone to Jean's voice really annoyed the independent Rogue, did the redhead know how irritating she could be or did she really think Rogue wanted to know what Gambit was thinking about her? Belle, didn't that mean beautiful? He thought she was beautiful? Jean smiled knowingly as Rogue suddenly flushed a little as Gambit's compliment hit home. He may be their enemy, but that was a nice thing he'd said about Rogue. Maybe there was hope for them both yet.
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It was amazing, Stifle decided, the changes in attitude people had towards each other when they found out a little about them. When Blaze and Ilehana had 'rescued' her from Magneto's clutches, the redhead and the blonde had been pleasant, even friendly with her. Blaze had been supportive as Stifle was whisked away, trying to explain to the confused girl what was going on. But now Blaze was uneasy around the younger mutant, eyeing her warily as if Stifle would reach out with her powers on a whim and take everything Blaze was. Not that Stifle cared, using her mutation to agitate and infuriate the fire elemental who could do little to stop her.
**Stop that. ** Ilehana griped inside of Stifle's head. **If you don't want to be roasted alive. **
**She can't hurt me. ** Stifle boasted with a child's arrogance. **I can control her powers. **
**Oh really? Blaze can't even control her powers all the time. Do you think that you're strong enough to contain her if she loses her cool? ** Ilehana didn't wait for the annoying child's response, closing the telepathic link like a slammed door. They were in the control room above the danger room. Technically Blaze and Ilehana were running a training session for Kurt, Scott, Iceman, Berserker and Cannonball. Not that it was going very well, and having to baby-sit Stifle was only making things worse. At least the ten-year-old was toying with Blaze and not with the boys below as they ran the gauntlet. Tampering with their powers now might cost them their lives. Sick to death of the girl's attitude, Ilehana called for re-enforcements. **Hank, can you come take Danielle please? **
Stifle watched Ilehana and Blaze very carefully. She knew from her brief from her father which of the X-Men to play and how, knew more about them than they would consider possible for a stranger to know. She'd worked hard at it too, not for her father's sake as much to avoid the beatings she'd get from her minders if she didn't pick things up quickly. She blamed the pain she'd suffered on the X-Men. Blaze and Vixen were exactly like she expected, fiercely protective of their powers. Xavier Senior was the same, as was the Wolverine. But the rest......... Her eyes drifted over the boys below, before resting calculatingly on Hank McCoy as he entered the room.
A short while later as the boys left the danger room exhausted and thoroughly chewed out for slackness by Ilehana and Blaze they were greeted by an innocent looking Danielle holding tightly to Hank McCoy's hand as he gave her a guided tour of the mansion's lower levels. Difference was that Hank McCoy was not his usual self, the self the X-Men knew and liked. He was human, and vain with it, stopping by every reflective surface to admire Stifle's handiwork.
"Beast?" Scott asked stepping forward as behind him quizzical looks crossed the other boys' faces. "What's happened to you?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing." Hank was eager to appease his friends. "I mean........."
"Could you do that to me?" Kurt asked taking a bobbing step forward, prehensile tail whipping the air behind him. "Could you make me look normal too Stifle?"
"Danielle is a little busy right now Kurt." Beast stated, hanging possessively onto Danielle's hand. The child shot Kurt a whimsical look, and he bought the idea that she'd rather be spending time with someone more her own age hook line and sinker.
"Yeah sure, its fine for her to use her powers to make you normal, but not anyone else!" The German mutant moaned, making a snatch for Stifle's hand.
"Kurt what are you doing?" Scott was disbelieving. Serious frowns crossed the faces of the other boys too, what was going on here? Stifle batted her eyelashes and feigned vague disinterest as Scott grabbed Kurt and dragged him away from Beast. Hank looked vaguely upset, but his upset turned to dismay as Stifle wriggle out of his grasp and skipped off down the corridor after the boys shouting for them to wait up.
A/N: Reviews and comments are always welcome.
Scene 06
The ice rink was relatively busy. Rogue eyed the other punters wearily as she wrapped a black woollen scarf more closely around her neck and double- checked her traditional gloves. Today was not the day for unfortunate accidents. Kitty, Tabitha, Jean and Omara could hardly contain their excitement, chattering constantly as skates were strapped on and hair tossed back from faces.
For half an hour the five girls stole the show at the rink. Omara confessed to never having skated before, a fact that Tabitha exclaimed over and duly took over the girl's tutoring. Jean took Omara's other free hand and between the two mutants Omara found herself on the treacherous ice and skating around and around in no time. Kitty automatically became an ice- dancer. The slippery surface seemed to allow Shadowcat to do tricks and moves that Rogue wouldn't have thought possible even on good old solid ground. But then again Rogue was hardly a stick in the mud herself.
The southern belle adored the feel of the wind in her face as she took a speed skater's stance and accelerated around the rink with ease. The other skaters became little more than weaving posts; the only sound that of her skates cutting into the cold ice. Until suddenly the peace of that moment was broken with the somewhat familiar but out of place sound of a snowmobile engine. Rogue pulled up fast, twisting on the ice to stop as her hair was teased by the wind. She frowned as the silhouette on the vehicle proved all too familiar.
"What's wrong?" Jean was quickly at Rogue's side, following her teammate's gaze across the pure snow to the fast-approaching snowmobile. "You think Gambit's spotted us?"
"You're the telepath." Rogue remarked snidely. "You tell me what he's up to." Gambit's snowmobile hit a rise way too fast and took off, flying through the air with his trench coat billowing. Somehow in midair he dragged the bike around, landing sideways and on his feet facing the X-Men. "Show off." Rogue muttered as he saluted them cheekily military style.
"I've read his mind." Jean announced proudly. "I don't think he's up to anything just now. But he does say that a belle Mademoiselle like you shouldn't scowl so much Rogue, it doesn't suit you. And that he'd quite happily try and cheer you up........."
Rogue scowled deeper, not sure who to aim that expression at, Jean or the departing Cajun. The smug big-sisterly tone to Jean's voice really annoyed the independent Rogue, did the redhead know how irritating she could be or did she really think Rogue wanted to know what Gambit was thinking about her? Belle, didn't that mean beautiful? He thought she was beautiful? Jean smiled knowingly as Rogue suddenly flushed a little as Gambit's compliment hit home. He may be their enemy, but that was a nice thing he'd said about Rogue. Maybe there was hope for them both yet.
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It was amazing, Stifle decided, the changes in attitude people had towards each other when they found out a little about them. When Blaze and Ilehana had 'rescued' her from Magneto's clutches, the redhead and the blonde had been pleasant, even friendly with her. Blaze had been supportive as Stifle was whisked away, trying to explain to the confused girl what was going on. But now Blaze was uneasy around the younger mutant, eyeing her warily as if Stifle would reach out with her powers on a whim and take everything Blaze was. Not that Stifle cared, using her mutation to agitate and infuriate the fire elemental who could do little to stop her.
**Stop that. ** Ilehana griped inside of Stifle's head. **If you don't want to be roasted alive. **
**She can't hurt me. ** Stifle boasted with a child's arrogance. **I can control her powers. **
**Oh really? Blaze can't even control her powers all the time. Do you think that you're strong enough to contain her if she loses her cool? ** Ilehana didn't wait for the annoying child's response, closing the telepathic link like a slammed door. They were in the control room above the danger room. Technically Blaze and Ilehana were running a training session for Kurt, Scott, Iceman, Berserker and Cannonball. Not that it was going very well, and having to baby-sit Stifle was only making things worse. At least the ten-year-old was toying with Blaze and not with the boys below as they ran the gauntlet. Tampering with their powers now might cost them their lives. Sick to death of the girl's attitude, Ilehana called for re-enforcements. **Hank, can you come take Danielle please? **
Stifle watched Ilehana and Blaze very carefully. She knew from her brief from her father which of the X-Men to play and how, knew more about them than they would consider possible for a stranger to know. She'd worked hard at it too, not for her father's sake as much to avoid the beatings she'd get from her minders if she didn't pick things up quickly. She blamed the pain she'd suffered on the X-Men. Blaze and Vixen were exactly like she expected, fiercely protective of their powers. Xavier Senior was the same, as was the Wolverine. But the rest......... Her eyes drifted over the boys below, before resting calculatingly on Hank McCoy as he entered the room.
A short while later as the boys left the danger room exhausted and thoroughly chewed out for slackness by Ilehana and Blaze they were greeted by an innocent looking Danielle holding tightly to Hank McCoy's hand as he gave her a guided tour of the mansion's lower levels. Difference was that Hank McCoy was not his usual self, the self the X-Men knew and liked. He was human, and vain with it, stopping by every reflective surface to admire Stifle's handiwork.
"Beast?" Scott asked stepping forward as behind him quizzical looks crossed the other boys' faces. "What's happened to you?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing." Hank was eager to appease his friends. "I mean........."
"Could you do that to me?" Kurt asked taking a bobbing step forward, prehensile tail whipping the air behind him. "Could you make me look normal too Stifle?"
"Danielle is a little busy right now Kurt." Beast stated, hanging possessively onto Danielle's hand. The child shot Kurt a whimsical look, and he bought the idea that she'd rather be spending time with someone more her own age hook line and sinker.
"Yeah sure, its fine for her to use her powers to make you normal, but not anyone else!" The German mutant moaned, making a snatch for Stifle's hand.
"Kurt what are you doing?" Scott was disbelieving. Serious frowns crossed the faces of the other boys too, what was going on here? Stifle batted her eyelashes and feigned vague disinterest as Scott grabbed Kurt and dragged him away from Beast. Hank looked vaguely upset, but his upset turned to dismay as Stifle wriggle out of his grasp and skipped off down the corridor after the boys shouting for them to wait up.