Disclaimer: I am making no money from this, just enjoying a sense of escapism from an ordinary life

Scene Four

Peace and quiet, Blaze thought to herself as she wandered back into the mansion from the hangar. Not for long though! The thought was a vow of action, as she hit the remote for the TV and turned the volume up on her favourite rock music channel. Guitar riff and drum rhythm echoing deafeningly off the Institute's walls, Blaze went to the kitchen. She rooted in the freezer for a few moments, pulling out a tub of rum and raisin ice cream. Blaze kicked the door of the freezer closed, and opened a nearby drawer to liberate a silver spoon.

"Back already Rem?" She called out as she thought she heard someone in the building with her. There was no answer apart from the blaring music and the tormented vocals of the lead singer on the TV. She must have been mistaken. Nudging the drawer closed again with her hip, she peeled off the tub's lid and flung it down on the worktop.

As she turned, Blaze came face to face with an intruder in her home. The slippery ice cream tub splattered to the floor, followed by the tinkling spoon. Blaze didn't notice. The metal-masked man took up all her attention.

"Slade." She breathed, recognising the supervillian easily. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"I'm a driven man, Blaze." Slade spoke coldly, even mechanically. Dressed in black and silver armour, he was a tall and muscular figure. His face was masked completely, half black and half bronze. His mouth was a series of vertical slits. His left eye was the only human feature he displayed, set in the bronze half of his face. It was black, cold and empty of all emotion except greed. "You can get me information I want."

"Wrong." Blaze shook her head and took half a step backwards away from him. "I'm not in that game anymore Slade."

At that moment Gambit arrived back. Almost instantly he sensed that something was wrong. Silent as a ghost he crept up to stand behind the door of the kitchen where he could see and hear everything without being spotted.

"You sold your soul to me a long time ago Blaze, you're not going back on your word. And just to make sure, I have taken steps to ensure your cooperation."

"What do you mean?" Blaze gasped.

"There is a bomb in your friends' school. Cross me and it will go off. Refuse me and it will go off. Attempt to disable it, or to warn anyone about it, and it will go off."

Blaze went ashen, muttering, "You fiend, what do you want?"

"My own technologies are no longer sufficient. I require more, and I have heard of a project that will more than suffice. I want you to bring me the plans for the Sentinel robot you X-Men fought not too long ago." Slade turned and strode purposefully towards the door, making Gambit duck back down the corridor and hide in an adjacent room. At the door Slade turned back to issue his final instructions. "Meet me on the bridge five minutes before the school day ends. Do not be late, or your friends will die."

He left, and not a moment too soon. Blaze caught hold of the worktop as her knees buckled and nausea swamped her. She'd thought she'd left all this behind when she became an X-Man. Yet here she was again with no Xavier watching over her, getting into a really bad situation.

"Old friend?" Gambit asked suspiciously, leaning on the doorframe. Blaze jumped as he spoke, she hadn't realised he was about.

"Not exactly." Blaze replied, her tone slipping onto panic. "I don't know what to do! Slade's serious. He will kill everyone at the school if I don't do what he wants. But I can't do it. I wasn't here when the X-Men fought the Sentinel! I've barely even read the files the Professor keeps on it! What am I supposed to do? I skipped hero class remember, I'm just in this for the cheap rent!"

Gambit came across to Blaze's side and took her wrist in his gloved hand. She looked up at him helplessly, her liquid brown eyes full of worry, Without thinking about it, both of them moved closer to the other.

"You have read the files though Petite?" Gambit asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Yes, but I don't see how…" Blaze started. Gambit put a finger to her rosebud lips to silence her and she obligingly stopped talking.

"Who set the X-Men up to take on the Sentinel?" he asked, moving his finger to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Magneto and the Acolytes." Blaze replied. "I know you were there, what are you getting at Remy?"

"Who you t'ink told Magneto 'bout the Sentinel program? An' found out what the robot could do to a mutant?"

"You?" Blaze twigged, grinning at her tall friend, "Seriously, you know where I can get the plans for Slade?"

"Depends." Gambit shrugged, "What do I get in return?" He made as if to kiss her, leaning forward and half-closing his eyes. Blaze stopped his flirting by changing into her other form, the one where she was made entirely of almost transparent fire.

"How about not getting your scrawny Cajun behind flame-grilled?" Blaze threatened, catching his infectious energy as adrenaline started flowing in both their veins. Remy raised his hands, admitting defeat, and Blaze shifted back to be solid again.

"C'mon," he grabbed her hand and headed for the door. "We gotta stop that bomb. We can worry 'bout what Slade gonna do wit' his new toy when the school is safe…"