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.
10
In a feral rage Wolverine would have been most proud of, Gambit trashed the danger room. It wasn't doing a bad job of fighting back though either. Blood dripped from his jaw, and he was going to have a nice black eye by the morning. He didn't care. Half of him hoped he wouldn't live that long.
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Ilehana was in Cerebro, begging her father to come home straight away. Strong telepath she was, but the human mind was a wild current of distress and complications he was much more used to navigating than she. The distraction of Cerebro tugged loose the tight rein she had on her friend upstairs. Blaze was sat on the edge of Ilehana's bed, washed and dressed in fresh clothes. Slowly, behind Ilehana's back, she was waking up again.
She had to stay here.
Why? There was nobody about? And she didn't know where she was. Jacobi could be here. If she didn't run, didn't at least try, she'd be killed. Self-preservation was an instinct. Thieves trusted their instincts. She should run.
Gambit was here. That memory stirred a whirlwind of emotions. She couldn't even begin to sort through them. She couldn't trust him. That much was clear, after what he'd done.
She needed a drink. That would help her think clearer. She should get out of this place and find somewhere more homely, more bar-like.
She had to stay here, that was what the blonde with the predatory blue eyes had told her. But what did she owe to anyone? Time to go, Blaze. She stood. The door opened easily despite her two injured hands. Children looked at her oddly, asked her if she was okay as she made her way to the front door. She ignored them, having no time for kids. Who the hell wanted kids anyway?
The bar, when she found it, was a nice one. Wooden floors, soft green décor, nice varnished panels and tables. At the pool table a hot bloke in a black t-shirt and tight jeans bent over a little too far. Blaze grinned, tilting her head to one side to get a better look. Looked like she'd found her way home.
Logan sniffed heavily, recognising the scent. What the hell was Blaze doing here? He turned, and felt the full effect of those big brown Bambi eyes turned on him.
"What the?" He muttered, noting her lacerated arm was now bandaged Ilehana- style. Blaze seemed to take the critical way he was looking her over as a compliment.
"Its surprising how often I get that response." She smiled, "Buy a girl a drink? I've come all this way without any cash........."
"Sure." Logan agreed, glancing past her to see if Blaze had a chaperone. No one was there. "What d'you want, lemonade?"
"Do I look like a child?" Blaze scoffed, flicking her long hair back from her face and pouting. "Whisky and coke, and a beer."
Logan just looked at her. Blaze didn't drink, never had as long as he'd known her apart from the odd glass of wine with a meal. She wasn't anal about other people drinking, not like Scott could be when he was feeling self-righteous. She just never did. Blaze rolled her eyes, making Wolverine hastily dive in his pocket for a handful of notes.
"Here, can you get me a beer while you're at it? I just remembered I gotta make a call."
His fingers shook as he threw coins in the payphone and punched in the number. The adimantium claws just beneath the flesh of his hands itched. He rubbed the back of his hands, pinning the receiver between his head and shoulder.
"Hey Ilehana." He acknowledged his partner as she answered at the other end. "Um, I think you've lost yourself a Blaze........."
"You've got her? We'd only just found out she'd gone, I was just going to Cerebro to look........." Ilehana sounded seriously worried. Logan glanced to the bar, where Blaze turned a little too slowly, proving she was keeping an eye on him.
"Yeah, she's at Diego's. And she's acting totally weird." Logan changed ear, cricking his neck. "She's drinking for one, and if she flirts with me one more time then........."
"She flirtin' wit' you Wolverine, she need her eyes testin'." Gambit's voice, Ilehana must have been in the Professor's office, had the phone on loudspeaker. The Cajun sounded stressed. Ilehana was more diplomatic.
"Keep her busy Logan, we're on our way."
Blaze knew this was no ordinary phone call, just as she knew that somehow this guy was no ordinary man wandered in off the street. She downed the one short she'd ordered and pocketed the rest of Logan's cash. Time to run again.
By the time Logan hung up the phone and turned round, Blaze had hotwired a car from the parking lot, and was gone.
A/N: Reviews are gold dust, and duly appreciated.
10
In a feral rage Wolverine would have been most proud of, Gambit trashed the danger room. It wasn't doing a bad job of fighting back though either. Blood dripped from his jaw, and he was going to have a nice black eye by the morning. He didn't care. Half of him hoped he wouldn't live that long.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ilehana was in Cerebro, begging her father to come home straight away. Strong telepath she was, but the human mind was a wild current of distress and complications he was much more used to navigating than she. The distraction of Cerebro tugged loose the tight rein she had on her friend upstairs. Blaze was sat on the edge of Ilehana's bed, washed and dressed in fresh clothes. Slowly, behind Ilehana's back, she was waking up again.
She had to stay here.
Why? There was nobody about? And she didn't know where she was. Jacobi could be here. If she didn't run, didn't at least try, she'd be killed. Self-preservation was an instinct. Thieves trusted their instincts. She should run.
Gambit was here. That memory stirred a whirlwind of emotions. She couldn't even begin to sort through them. She couldn't trust him. That much was clear, after what he'd done.
She needed a drink. That would help her think clearer. She should get out of this place and find somewhere more homely, more bar-like.
She had to stay here, that was what the blonde with the predatory blue eyes had told her. But what did she owe to anyone? Time to go, Blaze. She stood. The door opened easily despite her two injured hands. Children looked at her oddly, asked her if she was okay as she made her way to the front door. She ignored them, having no time for kids. Who the hell wanted kids anyway?
The bar, when she found it, was a nice one. Wooden floors, soft green décor, nice varnished panels and tables. At the pool table a hot bloke in a black t-shirt and tight jeans bent over a little too far. Blaze grinned, tilting her head to one side to get a better look. Looked like she'd found her way home.
Logan sniffed heavily, recognising the scent. What the hell was Blaze doing here? He turned, and felt the full effect of those big brown Bambi eyes turned on him.
"What the?" He muttered, noting her lacerated arm was now bandaged Ilehana- style. Blaze seemed to take the critical way he was looking her over as a compliment.
"Its surprising how often I get that response." She smiled, "Buy a girl a drink? I've come all this way without any cash........."
"Sure." Logan agreed, glancing past her to see if Blaze had a chaperone. No one was there. "What d'you want, lemonade?"
"Do I look like a child?" Blaze scoffed, flicking her long hair back from her face and pouting. "Whisky and coke, and a beer."
Logan just looked at her. Blaze didn't drink, never had as long as he'd known her apart from the odd glass of wine with a meal. She wasn't anal about other people drinking, not like Scott could be when he was feeling self-righteous. She just never did. Blaze rolled her eyes, making Wolverine hastily dive in his pocket for a handful of notes.
"Here, can you get me a beer while you're at it? I just remembered I gotta make a call."
His fingers shook as he threw coins in the payphone and punched in the number. The adimantium claws just beneath the flesh of his hands itched. He rubbed the back of his hands, pinning the receiver between his head and shoulder.
"Hey Ilehana." He acknowledged his partner as she answered at the other end. "Um, I think you've lost yourself a Blaze........."
"You've got her? We'd only just found out she'd gone, I was just going to Cerebro to look........." Ilehana sounded seriously worried. Logan glanced to the bar, where Blaze turned a little too slowly, proving she was keeping an eye on him.
"Yeah, she's at Diego's. And she's acting totally weird." Logan changed ear, cricking his neck. "She's drinking for one, and if she flirts with me one more time then........."
"She flirtin' wit' you Wolverine, she need her eyes testin'." Gambit's voice, Ilehana must have been in the Professor's office, had the phone on loudspeaker. The Cajun sounded stressed. Ilehana was more diplomatic.
"Keep her busy Logan, we're on our way."
Blaze knew this was no ordinary phone call, just as she knew that somehow this guy was no ordinary man wandered in off the street. She downed the one short she'd ordered and pocketed the rest of Logan's cash. Time to run again.
By the time Logan hung up the phone and turned round, Blaze had hotwired a car from the parking lot, and was gone.