Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men or their world, and am making no money
from this story. Corrinth owns Dr Ilehana Xavier. I own Blaze.
A/N: Reviews are gold dust, and duly appreciated.
02
Twelve hours earlier:
"I don't know," Blaze laughed genuinely at her friend's predicament, English accent rich with her good humour. "You're trying to organise a birthday outing, not a mission into space, Storm!"
They were walking through the mansion, past the door and into the rec. room. Lessons had finished for the day and Blaze was looking forward to a lazy night in, in front of the TV, maybe with Gambit if he didn't have plans. On the other hand, Storm was in charge of the Professor's birthday celebrations this year. She wanted, understandably, to make it special. Some sort of party at the mansion went as standard, but Ororo wanted to organise a 'X-Men only' night. A meal at a fancy restaurant seemed the best idea, especially as Ilehana was footing the bill. Question was, which one?
"Do you think that this one would be any good at all?" Storm was exasperated, holding out a menu filled with glossy pictures of the restaurant's interior to Blaze. "Or are they just flaunting their furniture when the food is rubbish?"
"Not been to this particular one." The mansion's resident food expert noted. Blaze had to eat excessive amounts in order to feed her hyper- metabolism that fuelled her rampant firepower. Consequently she knew many of the local restaurant owners by first name. "But last time I went to one as 'modern chic' as that, it was horrid."
"Where was that?" Storm asked, genuinely interested. The weather witch was well travelled herself, but Blaze, Gambit's one-time apprentice, had seemingly traipsed all over the world. More impressive even than that, she remembered. A photographic memory had been with Blaze since pretty much birth, and it had never let her down.
"Madrid, actually. A spot called Julio's." The rec. room was busy as they entered, but only one occupant looked up. "Went there just before Gambit and I came to America."
"Lisbon." Gambit corrected.
"What?" Blaze frowned.
"Lisbon." Her best friend repeated. "Where we was just before we came here. Where Julio's is, where Jacobi tried to poison us." Remy spat the hated name of the crime lord as though it left a bad taste on his mouth.
For a moment, Blaze wanted to disagree with him. Scanning her fantastic memory she could picture the restaurant. The seats looked nice, all purple and red contrasting upholstery, but uncomfortable. The floor was marble, the toilets smelt of vomit, not a good sign. She'd wanted to find somewhere else, but Gambit had arranged to meet someone, to arrange their disappearance to America. The waiter had flirted with her, his name was Juan. Then he'd put something, some chemical in their food to try and kill them. Kill her especially. Lisbon.
Her stomach plummeted. She'd got something wrong, remembered it wrong......... How was that possible?
"Of course it was Lisbon." Blaze tried to just accept it, but worry was plain on her face. Gambit and Storm exchanged apprehensive glances.
"It don't matter, little one." Remy stood from his seat and went to her side, but the fire elemental pulled away from both her friends.
"Everyone forgets things sometimes.........." Storm added, unaware that it was exactly the wrong thing to say.
"Not me." Blaze shook her head, not meeting either of her friends' eyes. "I don't forget. Not anything, no matter how much I want to."
With that she turned and walked from the room, shoulders slumped, pushing past Bobby without so much as an apology and heading upstairs. Cold ran like spiders' webs over Remy's spine. Something was very wrong.
A/N: Reviews are gold dust, and duly appreciated.
02
Twelve hours earlier:
"I don't know," Blaze laughed genuinely at her friend's predicament, English accent rich with her good humour. "You're trying to organise a birthday outing, not a mission into space, Storm!"
They were walking through the mansion, past the door and into the rec. room. Lessons had finished for the day and Blaze was looking forward to a lazy night in, in front of the TV, maybe with Gambit if he didn't have plans. On the other hand, Storm was in charge of the Professor's birthday celebrations this year. She wanted, understandably, to make it special. Some sort of party at the mansion went as standard, but Ororo wanted to organise a 'X-Men only' night. A meal at a fancy restaurant seemed the best idea, especially as Ilehana was footing the bill. Question was, which one?
"Do you think that this one would be any good at all?" Storm was exasperated, holding out a menu filled with glossy pictures of the restaurant's interior to Blaze. "Or are they just flaunting their furniture when the food is rubbish?"
"Not been to this particular one." The mansion's resident food expert noted. Blaze had to eat excessive amounts in order to feed her hyper- metabolism that fuelled her rampant firepower. Consequently she knew many of the local restaurant owners by first name. "But last time I went to one as 'modern chic' as that, it was horrid."
"Where was that?" Storm asked, genuinely interested. The weather witch was well travelled herself, but Blaze, Gambit's one-time apprentice, had seemingly traipsed all over the world. More impressive even than that, she remembered. A photographic memory had been with Blaze since pretty much birth, and it had never let her down.
"Madrid, actually. A spot called Julio's." The rec. room was busy as they entered, but only one occupant looked up. "Went there just before Gambit and I came to America."
"Lisbon." Gambit corrected.
"What?" Blaze frowned.
"Lisbon." Her best friend repeated. "Where we was just before we came here. Where Julio's is, where Jacobi tried to poison us." Remy spat the hated name of the crime lord as though it left a bad taste on his mouth.
For a moment, Blaze wanted to disagree with him. Scanning her fantastic memory she could picture the restaurant. The seats looked nice, all purple and red contrasting upholstery, but uncomfortable. The floor was marble, the toilets smelt of vomit, not a good sign. She'd wanted to find somewhere else, but Gambit had arranged to meet someone, to arrange their disappearance to America. The waiter had flirted with her, his name was Juan. Then he'd put something, some chemical in their food to try and kill them. Kill her especially. Lisbon.
Her stomach plummeted. She'd got something wrong, remembered it wrong......... How was that possible?
"Of course it was Lisbon." Blaze tried to just accept it, but worry was plain on her face. Gambit and Storm exchanged apprehensive glances.
"It don't matter, little one." Remy stood from his seat and went to her side, but the fire elemental pulled away from both her friends.
"Everyone forgets things sometimes.........." Storm added, unaware that it was exactly the wrong thing to say.
"Not me." Blaze shook her head, not meeting either of her friends' eyes. "I don't forget. Not anything, no matter how much I want to."
With that she turned and walked from the room, shoulders slumped, pushing past Bobby without so much as an apology and heading upstairs. Cold ran like spiders' webs over Remy's spine. Something was very wrong.