Disclaimer: The X-Men are the property of Marvel. Golan and Cirrus belong exclusively to Star and are used with permission. Corrinth retains all rights to Ilehana Xavier and Ori. Lamby retains all rights to Blaze.

A/N: This story is a joint work between Lamby and Corrinth, based on Corrinth's X-Men the Movie fanfiction of the same name. Reviews always welcome.

12

Nothing happened. Blaze, Ilehana and every other mutant in the room found themselves unable to breathe, unable to explain it. Somehow, Gambit had managed to retain enough control of his power to pull it all back, leaving the Professor completely unharmed.

"With me." Cirrus gestured to Pyro and Quicksilver, having seen Jean, Scott, Golan, Bobby and Storm rush from the walkway to make their way down to the lower floor via the tunnels. Recovering himself, Magneto flicked his fingers at the Wolverine, spread-eagling the adimantium skeleton and pinning him to the floor. Logan roared his defiance, but it did him no good.

At the same time Wanda pelted Ilehana with a fist full of her mutation-quashing energy, but Vixen-tiger was too lithe, using Avalanche as a sideways springboard to avoid the blast. Lance skidded backwards, floored by the weight of a large Bengal tiger kicking his chest. Wanda barely managed a scream as the tiger pounced thought the air like furry muscle embodied to knock her down, head smacking the floor and sending her unconscious.

"I t'ought…" Gambit began, before Blaze interrupted him. "Think later! Duck!"

He did as he was told, avoiding Mystique's high aimed roundhouse kick and leaving her exposed to one of Blaze's trademark fireballs. It smacked burning hot into her left shoulder, sending the shape shifter off balance as she yelped. Blaze pressed her advantage, aiming a snap-kick of her own to Mystique's jaw and making the blue-skinned woman skid backwards across the floor on her back.

Elsewhere, in the downward tunnel from the walkway, Scott's eyes opened wide as a blur whizzed towards him making him ask, "What the…" Too late, he realized that it was Quicksilver, just as he leapt in to throw Scott sideways. There was a sickening crunch as Cyclops' head hit the wall, and blackness enveloped him as his body hit the floor.

"Scott!" Jean knelt beside her boyfriend as Iceman shot forth a stream of ice, trying to capture Quicksilver. He failed; he was too quick for him, athletically avoiding the frozen attack. Golan didn't bother trying to keep up with Pietro, stretching his four stubby arms out, his wide set eyes rolled back in his head as his wide mouth smiled, nostrils opening and closing as he breathed deeply. The earth bucked and reared, sending Pietro skidding face first across the ground to land in a heap.

"My turn!" Pyro grinned manically as he called on the fire and fuel he carried on his back, creating a fireball that grew to the size of a football. He launched it toward the X-Men, where Scott still lay unconscious.

"Wind!" Storm commanded, her eyes flashing white, and a small hurricane swept the fireball back towards Pyro. The corridor shook around them as the mutant's fuel tanks exploded in a blinding flash of heat and light. Thrown backwards, Pyro lay dazed.

The strangest figure stepped over his fallen form. A fanged woman, small yet powerful looking, webbed hands spread as her eyes flashed like the sun on the surface of water. As she breathed out, a clammy mist, wet and clinging and rich with her poison filled the air. Cirrus laughed heartlessly as the X-Men began to cough and splutter, wetness filling their lungs, drowning them. Hastily Jean threw up her telekinetic barrier to protect her and Scott. Storm slumped to the floor, unable to call the winds again to clear the air. Jean knew it was down to her, but she would have to leave Scott unprotected if she was to try anything.

"I'm sorry Scott." She whispered to him, kissing his cheek as he moaned briefly. Standing, the telekinetic barrier moved with Jean, keeping her protected and allowing her some sort of vision through the low cloud. Something moved quickly on the edge of her vision, making her spin on the spot. Was that the strange mutant? Questing with her telepathy, Jean made her choice and slammed the telekinetic bubble over where she thought Cirrus was. She was rewarded when an inhuman scream filled the air. She'd trapped her! But already the noxious cloud was making Jean's eyes water… One hand holding the prison-bubble secure and aloft, Jean used her other hand and a fraction more of her power to waft the poisonous water vapour away back up the way they had come, dissipating it throughout the catacombs of the Temple.

"Good work." Storm praised her friend, coughing but otherwise unharmed. Bobby, Golan and Cyclops were a little dazed, beating their chests to clear the water, but Jean was glad to see they were fine too. She turned her attention back to the trapped Cirrus.

"For poisoning the Professor." Jean told the trapped mutant, before slowly she began to squeeze the telekinetic trap even tighter. Cirrus wailed, webbing around her face flashing out briefly like gill as she gulped the air. Her eyes glazed over, and she visibly gave up, becoming subdued, knowing she was beaten. "Golan?" Jean asked the boy, who nodded, understanding. The X-Men backed out of the tunnel, leaving Cirrus with Pyro and Quicksilver, as Golan blocked them in on both sides with two separate shutters of earth. Jean didn't expect it would hold them forever, but at least for now.

"Little help here!" Wolverine's voice caught Vixen's attention and she noticed that he was still pinned by Magneto, who was surveying the whole scene with a regal indifference. Enraged, the tiger launched herself at her Godfather, crushing him beneath her muscular mass, his helmet flying off and rolling across the floor. Like his daughter, the hard flags of the Temple floor claimed his consciousness.

"Nobody, and I mean nobody, messes with my man!" Ilehana growled as she turned human again and behind her the Wolverine leapt to his feet, severely disgruntled that he'd missed the fight.

A dazed Mystique put her hand to her brow and groaned, form flicking through different mirages. She couldn't believe it; she had been so close! As Gambit watched, a few familiar faces made themselves know to him, and suddenly things started to make some form of sense. As Jonnie, Rogue's latest crush, gave way to Blaze, Blaze was incensed and heaved herself to her feet.

"Drop that form now shape-stealer!" The real Blaze shook her double until Mystique looked back with her own eyes. "Is there nothing so low you wont attempt it to get what you want? How far would you have been prepared to go to get Gambit on your side?" Mystique didn't answer, to Gambit it didn't look like she could as blood dripped from her jaw where Blaze had kicked her. But that wasn't a good enough excuse for Blaze as she shook the other woman again by the shoulders. "Was it fun for you, turning Rogue against Remy, then him against me? Was it all just a game to you?" Despairing and disgusted, Blaze flung Mystique away again like a piece of manure. Suddenly all Blaze's anger was gone, and she was too tired to care as Jean and Golan sealed Mystique and the others in the tunnel with Cirrus and company.

"I t'ought I killed you, Chere…" Remy sounded like he was still having difficulty understanding how she could possibly be stood there, his dark eyes searching for any explanation. He held out his arms and she went willingly, losing herself in his embrace, before meeting those eyes with a slight smile in her own.

"Just call me persistent." She half-joked, making him shake his head as if bemused.

"I call you anythin' you want, if you forgive me?" He asked sheepishly, instantly regretting he'd asked her to do something so impossible as she dropped her eyes.

"Laura." She whispered, looking up again at his confusion. "My name, its Laura." Remy still didn't quite understand, nothing was sinking in properly, and he didn't get chance to react anyway as another voice chipped in.

"I think that means you're forgiven, Gambit." The Professor was remarkably cheerful to say he was tied to a sacrificial Altar. "Logan, I think I could use your assistance here…"