Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel, Ilehana Xavier to Corrinth, Blaze
and all other OCs to me.
A/N: All reviews greatly appreciated.
02
A great silver orb hovered with a glowing hum some fifteen feet above the ground, before turning and making its way slowly to the horizon with leisure. Behind it, the large metallic dome that had been Magneto's lair for some time sank like a liquid alloy back into the earth from whence it came. The only clue of it ever being there was a bare patch of ground on the otherwise snow-covered terrain.
Four men watched Magneto leave, his lackeys better known as Sabretooth, Pyro, Colossus and Gambit. Once the orb had truly disappeared, Sabretooth was the first to leave, solitary predator stalking off on foot. Pyro, with a "Ho-hum." plucked up his ski poles and set off without a glance back. Gambit and Colossus exchanged brief shrugs before each revved their snowmobile engines and rode off in opposite directions. Gambit didn't care in the slightest what happened to the other three. They were under collective orders not to leave Bayville, to keep an eye on the X-Men. And Remy knew exactly which X-Man he'd like to keep both his red-on-black eyes firmly on.........
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"Hey Rogue, it's your stalker!" One of the other schoolgirls chirped, making her classmates giggle. The teacher rolled her eyes and ignored the class as Rogue's eyes followed her fellow pupil's accusing finger out the window to the paved sidewalk. Gambit was leaning against a tree looking bored. Before Rogue could decide if she wanted to defend or condemn him, the school bell rang to signify the end of the day. Rogue didn't hurry outside, but neither did she hang about longer than usual. Why couldn't she make her mind up about him? Was it because he was Magneto's man, or because he should have been someone else's? But Blaze was long gone.........
"Magneto not keepin' you busy swamp rat?" Rogue greeted Remy with a traditional sceptical expression. He smiled and pocketed the pack of cards he had been playing with, but didn't lean up off of the tree.
"Not exactly." He replied, not wanting to be the one who told the X-Men that his boss was temporarily absent. They might get ideas above themselves. "You got plans tonight Cherie?"
"Why, you gonna make me an offer I can't refuse?" Rogue asked, striding past him and tossing her short bobbed hair back from her face. Scott would be leaving in five minutes; she had to meet her ride.
Gambit leaned up off the misused tree and sighed, shaking his head as he strode forwards to pace besides Rogue. His hand went in his back pocket and pulled out two slips of paper.
"I don't t'ink you wanna refuse these Cherie. Two tickets for the gig tonight........."
"I don't do well in crowds an' you know it Cajun!" Rogue snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"You didn't let me finish." Gambit replied patiently. "These VIP tickets, for the VIP boxes......... No crowds, no queues, jus' you an' me Cherie."
For a minute Rogue was shocked, then excited, then adamant. Chances were Remy hadn't got those tickets legally. Professor Xavier would most certainly not approve.
"I don't think so Gambit." Rogue jutted her chin out stubbornly. "I ain't gonna hang out with some lackey of Magneto's for anythin'." And with that she stormed off, barely making it to Scott in time for her ride.
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Again Ilehana had tracked down her friend with Cerebro. She saw the whole incident through Blaze's eyes, felt the same dread, the same pain.........
"Word on the street is you've been dealing with the Rasps." The blue haired, white skinned woman accosted Blaze in an alley.
"I deal with who I want to, Electra, and not you nor any of your precious Trepids can do anything about it." Blaze snapped, making to walk right past the blue-plastic clad woman. As she did, Electra shot out a hand to grab Blaze's trailing wrist. The force of the electricity pumping from Electra and into Blaze sent the redhead slumping to her knees, unable even to cry out. Electra's other hand reached for the base of Blaze's neck, tapping into her spine and flooding it with sheer agony.
"This may not be your war, little thief!" Electra snarled into Blaze's ear. "But don't think you're the first to try and play both sides to get the best deal. I needn't tell you what happened to the last thief who double crossed the Trepids." With that the blue-haired woman let go, throwing Blaze forward to lie gasping on the cold, grubby floor, and disappeared.
Ilehana left Cerebro still in a kind of daze. She'd walked straight into Logan before she knew where she was. He grabbed her gently by the arms, eyes worried as she shied away from him briefly.
"You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I hope not." Vixen replied, bristling defensively. "If I have, then it's our fault, for driving one of our pack away........."
"Look, babe, its not our fault. Blaze left through her own choice remember?"
"Don't you 'look babe' me." Ilehana snapped, unaware how like her rival Jean Grey she sounded as Logan stepped back in shock. What on earth had happened to freak Vixen out like this? "She needs our help, but she's too proud to ask for it. And ashamed. And afraid, and a thousand and one other feelings........." She saw the incomprehension on his face and almost snarled at him. Restraining herself, she put her hand to his chest and stalked past him, pushing him away once again. And he'd thought they were getting somewhere with this relationship thing.........
A/N: All reviews greatly appreciated.
02
A great silver orb hovered with a glowing hum some fifteen feet above the ground, before turning and making its way slowly to the horizon with leisure. Behind it, the large metallic dome that had been Magneto's lair for some time sank like a liquid alloy back into the earth from whence it came. The only clue of it ever being there was a bare patch of ground on the otherwise snow-covered terrain.
Four men watched Magneto leave, his lackeys better known as Sabretooth, Pyro, Colossus and Gambit. Once the orb had truly disappeared, Sabretooth was the first to leave, solitary predator stalking off on foot. Pyro, with a "Ho-hum." plucked up his ski poles and set off without a glance back. Gambit and Colossus exchanged brief shrugs before each revved their snowmobile engines and rode off in opposite directions. Gambit didn't care in the slightest what happened to the other three. They were under collective orders not to leave Bayville, to keep an eye on the X-Men. And Remy knew exactly which X-Man he'd like to keep both his red-on-black eyes firmly on.........
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hey Rogue, it's your stalker!" One of the other schoolgirls chirped, making her classmates giggle. The teacher rolled her eyes and ignored the class as Rogue's eyes followed her fellow pupil's accusing finger out the window to the paved sidewalk. Gambit was leaning against a tree looking bored. Before Rogue could decide if she wanted to defend or condemn him, the school bell rang to signify the end of the day. Rogue didn't hurry outside, but neither did she hang about longer than usual. Why couldn't she make her mind up about him? Was it because he was Magneto's man, or because he should have been someone else's? But Blaze was long gone.........
"Magneto not keepin' you busy swamp rat?" Rogue greeted Remy with a traditional sceptical expression. He smiled and pocketed the pack of cards he had been playing with, but didn't lean up off of the tree.
"Not exactly." He replied, not wanting to be the one who told the X-Men that his boss was temporarily absent. They might get ideas above themselves. "You got plans tonight Cherie?"
"Why, you gonna make me an offer I can't refuse?" Rogue asked, striding past him and tossing her short bobbed hair back from her face. Scott would be leaving in five minutes; she had to meet her ride.
Gambit leaned up off the misused tree and sighed, shaking his head as he strode forwards to pace besides Rogue. His hand went in his back pocket and pulled out two slips of paper.
"I don't t'ink you wanna refuse these Cherie. Two tickets for the gig tonight........."
"I don't do well in crowds an' you know it Cajun!" Rogue snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him.
"You didn't let me finish." Gambit replied patiently. "These VIP tickets, for the VIP boxes......... No crowds, no queues, jus' you an' me Cherie."
For a minute Rogue was shocked, then excited, then adamant. Chances were Remy hadn't got those tickets legally. Professor Xavier would most certainly not approve.
"I don't think so Gambit." Rogue jutted her chin out stubbornly. "I ain't gonna hang out with some lackey of Magneto's for anythin'." And with that she stormed off, barely making it to Scott in time for her ride.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Again Ilehana had tracked down her friend with Cerebro. She saw the whole incident through Blaze's eyes, felt the same dread, the same pain.........
"Word on the street is you've been dealing with the Rasps." The blue haired, white skinned woman accosted Blaze in an alley.
"I deal with who I want to, Electra, and not you nor any of your precious Trepids can do anything about it." Blaze snapped, making to walk right past the blue-plastic clad woman. As she did, Electra shot out a hand to grab Blaze's trailing wrist. The force of the electricity pumping from Electra and into Blaze sent the redhead slumping to her knees, unable even to cry out. Electra's other hand reached for the base of Blaze's neck, tapping into her spine and flooding it with sheer agony.
"This may not be your war, little thief!" Electra snarled into Blaze's ear. "But don't think you're the first to try and play both sides to get the best deal. I needn't tell you what happened to the last thief who double crossed the Trepids." With that the blue-haired woman let go, throwing Blaze forward to lie gasping on the cold, grubby floor, and disappeared.
Ilehana left Cerebro still in a kind of daze. She'd walked straight into Logan before she knew where she was. He grabbed her gently by the arms, eyes worried as she shied away from him briefly.
"You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I hope not." Vixen replied, bristling defensively. "If I have, then it's our fault, for driving one of our pack away........."
"Look, babe, its not our fault. Blaze left through her own choice remember?"
"Don't you 'look babe' me." Ilehana snapped, unaware how like her rival Jean Grey she sounded as Logan stepped back in shock. What on earth had happened to freak Vixen out like this? "She needs our help, but she's too proud to ask for it. And ashamed. And afraid, and a thousand and one other feelings........." She saw the incomprehension on his face and almost snarled at him. Restraining herself, she put her hand to his chest and stalked past him, pushing him away once again. And he'd thought they were getting somewhere with this relationship thing.........