Chapter 34:
Duke had many doubts about this mission, and the current change in plan, created by his friend, made him worry all the more. He was about to go against Hawk's orders and command both his and Flint's battalions. Meanwhile, Flint would shadow the contingent of X-Men as they battled the demon. He had confessed to Duke that he thought Allie was among them. While Duke thought it was noble he wanted to protect her, he wondered how prudent it was. There was a reason that the Joes were not in direct combat with the monster. He had tried to dissuade his friend, but Flint was adamant. He had screwed up too many times, he had said firmly, and would not wait to hear that she was dead or missing. He wanted to be there to help her in any way possible, even if it put his own life on the line.
"She's worth it," he had said simply, and how could Duke argue against that? He just wished this revelation had come months ago, and not before a major battle.
Lady Jaye and the X-Men had made their way to a clearing by a lake. She knew she was the bait, and that the demon would search her out.
He came silently through the trees to face her across the clearing. He smiled, as if they were friends who were meeting again after a long period of time.
"Alison," he crooned.
She tried not to shudder with revulsion at his voice.
"It's been a long time, Alison. What were you last time we met, flesh to flesh?" He tilted his head, as if thinking about it. "Ah, yes, a simple 12 year old who thought she had the power to banish me forever." He chuckled. "It's amazing how foolish we can be when we are so young."
Lady Jaye stood there silently, watching him.
His smile faded into something more sinister. "Ah, Alison, your sisters, they were so disappointing! Not hardly even worth the effort to kill. Absorbing their powers were a bit dull, I must say," he said, feigning a yawn. "However, you, little Alison," he continued, his voice becoming more seductive, "you I have been waiting for. And to be with child," he grinned evilly, gesturing towards her, "makes it all worth so much more."
He inhaled sharply, as if just catching her scent. "Ah, yes," he continued, "definitely all the more sweet."
"I have no intentions of leaving you to the same fate as the others, little faerie. No, I have decided to give you the honor of becoming my wife," he grinned, showing sharp teeth. "Yes, the little woman to slave over me and bear the next generation of hybrids... Yes, I think what an excellent idea that will be! I am sure you will give me much….amusement….over the next century or two!"
"Why would I want to be with a loser like you?" Allie finally spoke, her voice cold. She could sense Gàidhlig starting to shift beside her.
"Ah, you wound me, Alison!" the demon mocked. "However, you don't have much of a choice now, do you? Those fools, Cobra, they're part of the human race you have sworn to protect, as well as their counterparts, GI Joe. I have been watching for your human years, Alison," he crooned again. "I know how hard you have worked, fighting the human evil, helping the good. Why do you think I planted the idea in that fool Cobra Commander's head? I knew it would bring you to me all the easier."
He held out a hand, and she saw the image of the battle between the Joes and Cobra taking place.
He smiled again, closing his hand and making a fist. "Yes, I'm sure you wouldn't want to be the reason why so many humans were annihilated just like that," he said, snapping his fingers. "And trust me, it will be most enjoyable to hear the screams as they writhe in agony!"
"I don't think so," Allie softly replied.
"Enough of this talk, then!" the demon suddenly roared. "You are alone, little one! Who is here to protect you as they did when you were 12? I am back, more powerful than ever! I have killed your sister fairies and will take you by force if you do not come willingly! You have no choice! Surely you don't choose to fight, lose, and be responsible for the slaughter of millions of your precious humans?"
"There's always a choice!" a voice boomed from the trees as fog came rolling into the clearing, surrounding the demon and Allie so that the outside world was obscured.
"Ah, Orono," cooed the demon, "I was wondering when you'd show up." He waved his arms and fire flew from his fingers in the direction of the voice.
"Foolish demon! You surely don't think we are here for your amusement!" came Orono's powerful voice, which seemed to be everywhere, thanks to the denseness of the fog.
Allie held out her hand and a sword appeared, the silver reflecting from an unseen source. "I am a demon hunter!" she announced, her voice powerful and strong, the sound bouncing off each tree. "I come from the realm of faeries and am a proud daughter of Queen Titania. Demon, prepare to be vanquished!"
Distracted by his search for Storm, the demon barely sidestepped Allie's first attack. Guided by a force she didn't know she possessed, Allie fought with the knowledge of the ancient ones, attacking with a superhuman force and speed. The demon was surprised at first by her strength and prowess, but quickly recovered, only suffering a few blows.
When Allie started to falter, Storm, Gambit, and Woverine would jump into the fight to distract the demon and give her time to recover. The Professor was doing his part, monitoring the human fight as well as the inhuman, giving help when he could. He quickly realized that this demon had learned things during his exile, and was using them to his advantage. He was quicker and more powerful than what they had faced before, but then again, so were the X-Men and Allie.
When once again Allie began to lose strength, she felt a presence next to her. It was Gàidhlig, padding up slowly beside her. He had also done his part to distract the demon, so that Allie could land a few choice blows, but was looking exhausted. She felt ready to drop herself and had steadily been protecting her midsection, feeling at times that her daughter was trying to give her the strength and the magic to defeat the monster. She was doing her best to protect her daughter from harm, but she feared she was fighting a losing battle. She hadn't felt her daughter's presence for some time and was afraid harm had come to her.
Seeing the demon distracted with Wolverine on his back, Allie hefted her sword as a javelin, took aim, and let it fly. It buried itself in the demon's neck, nearly decapitating him with its force. He let out a roar so loud that it startled Wolverine off his back. Then, the demon began to laugh and pulled the sword from his throat.
"Not quite, little one," he rasped, his eyes gleaming at Allie, and sent a fireball in her direction, which she managed to duck and not get too singed.
Damn! she thought. Is there nothing that can kill this monster? Were we doomed before we began? Look at him regain strength and throw Wolverine as if he were a pile of sticks!
She looked over at Gàidhlig and said disparingly, "If you're going to do something, now might be a good time!"
There was a glow that seemed to surround the dog, as if in answer to her words, and she found herself holding a two bladed sword in her hand, the dog having disappeared.
A transformation overcame Allie as she touched the sword. A light pulsed around her and she felt stronger, wiser, and somehow taller, the exhaustion and hopeless feelings vanishing.
"Demon!" cried a voice from Allie's body, powerful and reverberating around the forest.
The demon looked in Lady Jaye's direction and smiled nervously.
"Queen Titania," he crooned, "so you make your appearance through your underling!"
It was so quick, Allie couldn't explain how it happened. Another force had taken over her body and she felt herself moving quicker than humanly possible, the double-edged blade swirling in the air. With a loud cry, the blade whirled and before Allie knew it, the monster was lying in pieces at her feet.
"Ororo! Daughter! Call forth your lightning!" commanded the voice from Allie's body.
Storm nodded, calling forth the lightning, striking the demonic pieces on the ground, which burst into flame and quickly burned so that only ashes remained. Allie raised her hands and the wind swirled around those ashes, sending them into a jar that appeared in her hands. She turned and, finding Puck standing next to her, handed him the jar, telling him, "You know what to do with this."
Puck nodded, looking worried, then vanished. Just as quickly, he reappeared, his hands now empty.
Titania's voice came through Allie's body again. "I had no choice," she said apologetically. "We could not let the demon live. I am sorry, my dear. I know she was one of your favorites."
A bright light surrounded the clearings, blinding the inhabitants, and then just as quickly disappeared.
Flint, seeing the last of the battle through the trees, watched in horror as Allie's body crumpled to the ground.
He ran to her, but before he could reach her, he was stopped by an unknown force.
The Professor's voice rang in his head. "If you touch her now, she is doomed forever!"
Flint looked helplessly at Allie's lifeless body as it lay there in the clearing. Gambit, Wolverine, and Storm approached from their positions, looking silently on as the Professor hovered in his chair over Allie's body.
There was another flash and Puck suddenly appeared again. He looked sadly down at Allie, ignoring those assembled around her. Sighing, he reached down and picked up the lifeless form.
Flint started to protest, but was silenced by a look from Puck. "I need to take her home," he said simply to the assembled. "The child still lives. She will be well cared for." He gave a nod and vanished, Allie still in his arms.
The group stared in dumb shock, not wanting to believe what they just witnessed. Finally, Logan sighed and looked at the Professor.
"What now?" he asked.
"We did what we came to do. We go home," answered Storm sadly.
Flint fell to his knees, staring at the spot Allie had laid in only moments before. He felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see Remy staring down at him.
"He said the child still lives, so there is hope, mon ami."
Flint wondered how he could consider that as hope. His wife was most likely dead. He had done nothing, could do nothing, to save her. He had wasted all those months in anger and hurt and betrayal, not knowing this is what laid ahead. He stayed, head bowed, on his knees, in the clearing long after the X-Men departed. He stayed in that same position, the same mindset, until Duke found him and forced him to leave. Cobra Commander and Mindbender had been captured, the terrorist organization suffering a major blow from this invasion. Destro had escaped, but with two of the top leaders captured, it was more than likely Cobra would be disbanded and defeated for good. It had been a major coup on the part of GI Joe. Flint listened to all this with a heavy heart, his mind still in the clearing with the sight of his wife lying, lifeless, on the ground.