Author's notes: Hey people! Yes! I finally have uploaded my X-Men comic fic! I've been meaning to do so for a while, but I've never gotten round to it. I have to admit, I've only just recently become a fan of the actual comics, but I did know about X-Men before the films came out, so I've been an initial junkie for a while. As many of you who've read some of my other X-Men fics will know, that special place in my heart belongs to Nightcrawler, and so, inevitably, a large part of this fic is going to be Kurt o/c romance. It's gonna feature everyone else of course, as well as a few guest appearances, so hang on to your bootlaces for those - the Hellfire Club and its members play a vital leading role. In the meantime however, constructive critism and, of course, reviews, will be greatly appreciated and much valued, so once you get to the foot of the text, you guys know what to do - start pressing those blue buttons like the little reviewing otters you are! Hope you are all well, and that you enjoy the fic, Arian xxx *^-^*

Disclaimer: Stan Lee is da man! Many kudos to Marvel comics. Yay!

The Black Queen sat on her throne in the dim, flickering candlelight. The air was pungent with the smell of brimstone carried up from the deeper chambers by warm drafts that seeped through the flagstones and the walls, the corners were draped with the fluttering veils of shadows and echoing with eldritch sounds.

Protruding from their black leather gloves, her pale, slender fingers formed a spire before her nose and mouth, their long, perfectly manicured nails glistening the colour of blood.

Her long lashes touched her marble cheeks, her vivid eyes closed in deepest thought, her mind soaring, intangible, elsewhere.

In her mind's eye, she hovered above the ruined abbey, the beams of moonlight failing to illuminate her as she rested there, glancing instead off the malevolent, weathered faces of the gargoyles, and she felt frustration brush her heart strings as she scoured the crumbling walls of stone beneath her; It had to be there somewhere!

"...My Queen?"

The woman's eyes opened, bringing into focus the red-and-blue clad guard standing tentatively in the doorway, his face hidden by an expressionless skin-coloured mask. He flinched as her gaze struck him with an almost physical force.

"Speak." She said wearily.

"He is here, my Queen."

Her eyes turned from the sentry, attempting to penetrate the shadows that wreathed the entrance opposite her throne.

"Leave us." She said finally.

As the guard left the chamber, the Black Queen felt a lazy sense of pleasure pass through her as she toyed with the idea of having him whipped for disturbing her trance. Or having a guard whipped. It didn't really matter - the fate of one would serve to caution the actions of many.

"It is a pleasure to see you looking so well, my Queen." Came a deep voice from the shadows, catching the woman's attention.

"I have little patience for forced formalities here and now." She replied shortly. "What do you have?"

"A location."

"A location?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"That's not good enough!" She snapped. "I need the exact place!"

"The information we have gathered thus far gives us enough confidence to say that it might well be worth your while to investigate."

The Black Queen arched a dark eyebrow.

"How can you be sure this information is reliable?" She asked.

"Because we have it direct from the mouth of one of the Knights."

Slowly, her ruby lips curved into a smile, revealing her white teeth.

"Very well." She purred. "See to it that the location is searched."

There was a short pause.

"You realise of course, my Queen, that we will meet opposition to your plan?" Came the hesitant question.

"I am no fool." Came the mildly irritated reply. "So do not take me for one. If some idiot is naive enough to think they can successfully undermine my plans, then undermine theirs'." She shifted in her seat, readjusting the folds of her heavy mantle.

"Go." She said in a low voice, her eyes flashing in the candlelight as their gaze rose to pierce the shadows again. "With this warning: failure of those in my service does not appease me."

"Yes, my Queen."

Whispering footfalls and the soft swish of a cloak faded to silence as the Black Queen reclined in the literal seat of her power with a cruel smile touching her lips.

"Though I wait for White to make the first move," She told herself softly. "I wait with the precious gift of patience, for then, the game begins..."

-~*~-

Logan paused, his heightened senses searching the grounds as his lungs worked like bellows from the exertion of training.

He grinned despite himself for the sheer adrenaline that pumped through his veins.

"Where are you, Elf?" He growled, standing lower and more feral as he readied himself for the familiar BAMF.

And it came, sure as ever, with the stench of brimstone smoke, nearly knocking Logan off his feet with its potency.

"I'm right behind you, mein freund." Came the chuckling response.

Logan spun round to see Kurt Wagner, the X-Men's resident teleporter, hanging upsidedown from the branch of a nearby tree by his tail, arms folded, knees tucked into his stomach and his headlamp eyes beaming in a fanged grin.

At first glance, the German-born mutant appeared much like the Devil himself, or at best, a maleficent goblin, and for this reason, he was no stranger to the hatred, fear or rejection of others. But then, they were generally those who hadn't experienced his kindness, his wit and his unflagging chivalry.

Kurt's skin was covered in a fine, silky indigo fur, which allowed him to blend into shadows and darkness to the extent of becoming effectively invisible. His eyes were a contrasting saffron yellow, and his ears, teeth and tail all tapered to points. His hands and feet had only three digits each, the third toes on his feet protruding from the backs of his heels.

Despite his demonic attributes, Kurt was a devout Christian, and a swashbuckling, romantic hero at that. He was also renowned for his wicked sense of fun-seeking humour, and for being a practising ladies' man.

Logan gave a fierce growl, and charged at his friend, claws outstretched.

"You'll have to be faster than that, Herr Logan." Kurt chuckled, before disappearing again in a burst of imploding air and purple smoke.

Wolverine skidded to a halt under the branch, momentarily disorientated by the stench of brimstone, and cast about for any indication of where his team-mate had teleported to.

Suddenly, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, and a little later, he was nowhere to be seen.

A few moments passed before another billow of smoke drifted out from the tree, and Kurt reappeared on his branch, crouching still.

'I didn't even teleport away from the tree.' He though to himself. 'I only moved a few branches up. Where has he gone?!'

Porting for a fourth time, Kurt reappeared a split second later on the ground, wishing there was someway to hide his comings and goings.

Suddenly, the fur rose on the back of his neck, and in a heartbeat, Wolverine launched himself out of nowhere at Nightcrawler.

"Surprise, sucker!" The powerful Canadian snarled gruffly, knocking into his team-mate and pinning him to the ground, winded.

Kurt was too groggy from the impact to 'port to safety, watching in horror as Wolverine drew back his right arm, claws glinting in the sunlight.

"Game's over, Elf." He growled. "An' you lose!"

With a sudden deafening roar that was met by Nightcrawler's cry of dismay, Logan plunged his clenched fist forward, his claws passing so close by Kurt's head that they cut the tips off a few dark locks before sliding like hot knives through butter into the earth.

There was a momentary pause of silence, broken by Wolverine drawing his claws out of the soil, and sheathing them after a meticulous inspection.

"Shucks. Missed." He grinned at Kurt, who was now sitting upright, hand on his heaving chest.

"Please don't do that again." He gasped faintly.

"Scared y'didn't I?" Logan's grin widened. "Serves you right for making such a dumb-butt move!"

"I should have stayed in the tree!"

"No kiddin'."

"I let my guard down." The German mutant admitted. "How did you disappear like that, Logan? I never took my eyes off you!"

"It's an ol' Ninja trick." Wolverine grunted, helping Kurt to his feet. "Stadin' in plain sight without bein' seen; I learnt it in Japan."

"It certainly got me." Nightcrawler murmured.

"Y'know, Elf." Logan sighed, giving his comrade a hefty clap on the shoulder that nearly brought Nightcrawler to his knees. "I really enjoy these improvised training sessions."

"Ja - it's nice to know you get enjoyment out of scaring the fur off me."

"I knew you'd understand. Whadda y'say to a cold beer?"

Kurt looked at his team-mate and grinned.

"Show me the taproom, mein freund."

-~*~-

Sweat beaded on her brow, matting her auburn hair to her forehead, and her body was slick with it. The sheets clung to her like a second skin, and she tossed and turned to free herself, her mind spinning with images vivid, and yet intangible...

At first, She flew only through darkness. But gradually, the darkness began to take form, rough and jutting walls of rock crested with dim infernal light.

She flew on, deeper and deeper, feeling the heat rise about her as She descended. A warm breeze combed its fingers through her red locks, and skimmed past the bare skin of her face, and despite herself, She smiled.

Looking down, She found herself gliding over a rough, stony floor, but curiously, just a floor - no roof overhead, and no walls. Just a rocky plain reaching far out into the further darkness, beyond the halo cast by a beam of fiery light that burst up through a mouth-like opening a few metres ahead of her.

Flying into the illumination, She paused for a moment before diving down into the chasm below, her body casting dark, stretching shafts of shadow up into the blackness above.

As soon as She was through, the temperature seemed to fall with her descent, moving smoothly from warm, to cool, to cold.

The light became dimmer, and more blue, the rock of the walls taking on a greenish tinge as She soared on through the underground caves, rolling through dark arches and slipping through small holes, in onward flight.

The gentle breeze that blew in her face and tugged at her hair now turned into an icy wind that froze the moisture in her eyes and bit at her cheeks with burning nips.

There also came with it a rushing sound that grew louder and more deafening with each passing moment. The noise seemed to be inside her very heart, entering through her ears and gushing into every crevice of her soul.

The wind rose stronger, until She was having to throw her own physical strength into her advance to have any hope of making headway.

Finally, She reached the largest cave She had yet come to, and opposite her on a raised, central dais was a huge circular frame of stone laid flat on the floor, and what seemed to be a pool of rippling water within its circumference.

No doubt, She thought, the ripples in the water were being caused by the hurricane winds that howled round the cavern and threatened to push her out if She didn't concentrate her strength.

Then, barely visible, She noticed something glinting just below the surface of the pool.

It grew larger, taking on a golden hue, and eventually it shone so bright that She could barely bring herself to look at it, any more than someone could bring themselves to look directly at the Sun.

But as She began to take fleeting glances at it, she saw that the light had a form - the form of a shining grail.

It rose slowly towards the surface, the twine-like engravings on its cup becoming clearer through the blinding light as darker threads of shadow.

She stared at the grail, unable to look away though its brilliance pierced her eyes.

Then suddenly, the wind, that had all this while been circling the walls with feral cries, swooped into the centre of the room from all directions, stilling to collect above the shining cup for a moment, and then shoot straight at her, blasting her backwards out of the chamber, away from the dais and back through the tunnels and openings through which She had come.

Faster and faster She was blown, until the distinct shapes of the rocks about her were nothing more than a blur of dull colour, occasionally shot with pinpricks and streaks of pyrotechnics.

And yet, even as the distance between her and that final cave grew wider, the golden light never faded...

Jean Grey awoke with a gasp, springing bolt upright in the bed, the sheets peeling from her wet skin.

"Oh god..." She whispered, passing an uncontrollably shaking hand over her brow.

-~*~-