Disclaimer: I am making no money from this, just enjoying a sense of escapism from an ordinary life
Scene Ten"I took it from that look you gave me that you knew the Teen Titans Cherie," Gambit said as he reached Blaze's side and slowed to a walk. "Now I'm hopin' I was right."
"I know them by reputation," reassured Blaze. "They are goody-goody crime fighters, as if there weren't enough of those already. They are also sworn enemies of our friend Slade. I'd bet that he wants the Sentinels to take out the Titans."
"Tres bon," Gambit waved Blaze into the gazebo on the cliff top with a gentlemanly bow. Following after her he concocted their plan. "So we keep the Titans here, an' hope to draw Slade out. Give it a while, then we let slip that our source say Slade is after the Sentinel plans. When he does appear, we'll be ready."
"No one will ever know we had anything to do with Slade," Blaze decided with a smile. "But even if they did work it out, what's the worst that can happen? They ban us from babysitting? Its official, we rock!" She took his hand and raised it above her head, turning a dainty pirouette underneath and making Gambit grin.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
No longer grinning, Gambit gritted his teeth in steely determination. There was no way he was going to get beaten by a kid. In front of him the Danger Room was running a program jointly created by the X-Men and Teen Titans, called Gauntlet. To Gambit's left, Robin twirled a staff weapon in his hand. This would be a race to the finish over a whole variety of obstacles. The Cajun reached in-between his X-uniform and ever-present trench coat and drew out his own staff weapon, clicking the catch to lengthen it.
"Ooh," enthused Starfire. "Gambit also has a big shiny stick like Robin."
"Its one of the tricks up his sleeve," agreed Blaze. "Pass the popcorn BB?" They were sat on a grandstand behind the start line of the training sequence. Most of the X-Men were there in their various uniforms, as were all the Teen Titans. The thought briefly crossed Blaze's mind that she and Gambit still hadn't mentioned Sentinels to everyone yet. Surely though they still had time? No one, not even Slade, could build a giant robot that quickly. Besides the race was about to start. Time for some friendly Titan bating, "Hey Gambit, are you gonna give Robin a head start? He's so much shorter than you!"
"Don't you worry about me," Robin cautioned Remy. "You just keep you mind on the job and try not to screw up. You look a bit out of practice with serious training sessions…"
"Who died an' made you Cyclops?" Gambit retorted, just as the buzzer sounded and both males sprinted towards the first obstacle. It was a deep canyon too wide to leap easily unaided. Both of them jammed one end of their staffs into the ground and vaulted over the chasm. Yellow cape and trench coat billowed out behind the airborne heroes. They landed at exactly the same time, synchronised in briefly touching the ground with a hand. Looking upwards, they gathered themselves and sprinted towards the next obstacle.
"Perimeter security compromised," the mansion's computer announced. Gambit and Robin skidded to a halt as everyone in the grandstand lurched to their feet. "Initialising Defcon Four."
"Oh no!" Rogue cried out, as Blaze and Gambit looked in horror at each other. Dread washed over them; they had left it too late! As the group made it up to ground level, the pair's worst fears were realised. The shutters had closed over the doors and windows in the foyer. Something outside that was large and powerful was wrenching the metal sheeting of off the building. A big black-fingered robotic hand slid inside through the crack it had made and successfully pulled the plating off, flinging it away. As the X-Men and Titans watched aghast, the fist smashed through the front doors and lifted upwards, destroying the frontage of the mansion.
"Sentinel!" Kurt cried out, horrified.
"Make that Sentinels!" corrected Kitty, pointing past the first giant robot to the other two machines stood behind it. There was no doubt they were Slade's work as they were painted black and silver with bronze masks where their 'faces' should have been.
"How can Slade have built them already?" gasped Blaze.
"Wait a minute, you knew about these?" Rogue demanded to know. Robin and Cyborg backed her up with scowls of their own.
"We'd heard somet'ing," Gambit tried to placate things. "We didn't know if…"
"Slade was gonna turn the plans you sold him into giant robot killin' machines?" Rogue interrupted. "I'm right ain't I? Traitors, both of ya!"
"There was a bomb in the school, what else could we do?" Blaze argued.
"You could've like, told us so we had time to prepare! Get a grip Blaze, are you even on this team or what?" Kitty snapped, from which Blaze and Gambit had no come back.
"Worry about that later," advised Robin, "Everybody move!" They moved, just in time too as the Sentinel gave up trying to reach through the door for a victim. It stood back and unleashed a barrage of missiles at the doorway. The foyer of the mansion exploded in a frenzy of lights, rubble and noise. Driven outside, grubby and coughing but unharmed, it took the heroes a few seconds to blink the tears from their eyes…