MAL86 - Thanks again, and glad that action sequence came off, I really wanted it to be a team effort, not just Logan and Rose, with everyone getting their spot to shine. So I'm happy that seemed to come off :) . And also happy you liked the swearing censor thing :) .

(This chapter is a little bit a lore dump, hopefully it's works fine and the character interactions make it work. I'm not entirely sure I've got young Cable's character down, but he was kind of this way in the bits I read of him in Hickman's X-Men so I tried to keep that tone. Also, just a bit info, Terra Verde was a fictional country in current X-Force run that developed their own telefloronic tech they got out of control, which Beast re-programmed to basically mind control their government. Like I said in the opening, Hank's very OOC here to me, and I'm just waiting for him to reveal he's Dark Beast and he's replaced the true Hank. Also the little dig Domino makes about being just a 'field agent' is a reference to X-Force # 20 (current run) in which to Neena's questioning the appearance of ambassadors from Terra Verde and their odd behaviour to which Hank replied, 'Please don't be insulted if I remind you area a field agent. I'll take care of the intelligence.' Like I said, he's not acting very much like Beast right now, but that's what Neena is referring to.

And one final thing, I'm ignoring that Mariko Yashida was raised here, it just creates too many difficulties for this story, and I always hated that bit of the Wolverine goes to Hell storyline where Logan just left her in Hell. I just don't believe he would ever do that, so here she gets delivered from what a pretty unfair condmenation to hell just because her father dragged the Yashida clan into criminality and she was left to deal with the mess. And with that, on with the story, hope you all enjoy :) ).

Chapter 9

Stood by the remains of the creature, Rose and Jean were now looking at each other, everyone else taken aback with just alike they were, it was as if they were mirror images of each other. If it weren't the different length of hair and their clothing there would be no way for most to tell them apart, with only Logan and the psionics like Rachel and Nathan able the detect the differences, and even those who'd been part of the team that had retrieved Rose, or Kurt and Kitty who'd just been talking to Rose found themselves struck speechless for a moment at seeing a fully awake Rose standing close to Jean. Even though Rose had given them a sense of the reason why they were alike, seeing them both together their likeness was truly uncanny. The two redheads continued to look at each other intently for a moment, and it dawned on everyone watching that there were communicating telepathically, and then both broke into warm smiles and embraced each other, and turning towards everyone else, still holding hands.

'Ah, Jean,' Scott asked a little uncertain, 'is everything okay?'

'Yes, Scott,' Jean replied happily, 'we're both great.'

'And everything else is… ' Scott began, unsure quite who to address his concern with Logan and Rose present.

Rose and Jean looked at each other and smiled warmly at everyone gathered and Jean answered again, 'it's alright Scott. No, Phoenix isn't here, Rose isn't a new vessel, it left when after my last interaction with it, when I rejected it.'

'Then how was Rose raised from the dead,' Hank asked, curious.

'I think it's easier if we show you,' Rose replied, winking consiprationally at Jean, who nodded, while everyone else still looked at the twins oddly.

'If you'll open your minds for a moment, we can show you,' Jean said.

'If you don't mind, Black Tom will pass,' Tom replied. 'I've everything safe, I need to be getting back,' and without another word flew off, not particularly keen to stay.

'Okay,' Jean said, 'the rest of you ready?' the group nodded, trusting Jean.

Jean formed a psi-link between between them, centred on herself and Rose, and in a rush they saw all Rose had shown her, how she'd had become tied to the Phoenix and to Jean, and Jean to her, her link to Logan, and how she'd she'd been drawn back when the Phoenix Entity had raised and attempted to unify with Jean, due to the link between the two of them. The power that called her had cocooned her, trapped their awaiting the coming of Logan, eventually calling him when she was able. And finally, and to relief of everyone in the link, though it had left her with new mutant abilities, the Entity wasn't in her. It had left when Jean had broken from it, and wasn't actively present on the Earth.

Scott could be seen relaxing visibly, all the tension that had been in him till now draining out, and small smile appeared on his face.

Rachel, along with Kitty and Kurt looked sympathetically at Logan, as though they'd heard some of the details from Ororo, and this revealing hadn't gone as in-depth into the early events of Logan and Rose's life and it's tragedy they'd seen enough. Kitty rushed to throw her arms around her old mentor and father figure, hugging him tightly whilst Kurt put his hand on his shoulder. Rachel also reached across to hold his hand briefly, Logan and her had been close as well, when she'd first arrived from her own terrible time, a future that sometimes seemed always possible to reoccur. He'd been one of those alongside Kitty that'd had welcomed her, even when due to his grief over losing Jean her father (or at least, father in this time-line) had been less able to. So much so, that when her father and Logan had fought over issues of the direction the X-Men would take, she had sided with Logan, both because she believed he was correct on that issue, but also because of her connection to him and Kitty. Her relationship with her father had improved immensely since then, specially recently, but she still felt close to Logan as well.

Looking at Rose curiously Rachel asked, 'so if you and Mom are like twins, does that make you our aunt?' pointing to herself and Nathan.

Rose looked at her a little unsure but smiled warmly and said, 'if want it to be so, dear, then it's okay with me. I never had much family after my parents died and my own aunt didn't want anything to do with me. I only had James, and he me, so I'd love to be apart of your family if you want me? Though you might think twins through the power of Phoenix is a bit strange.'

Rachel looked at her a moment then laughed and moved to embrace her with a smile, 'I'm a time-displaced daughter of alternate versions of the Scott and Jean here, come via the power of the Phoenix of which I've been also been a host. Nate is a child of Dad and Mom's clone, taken into the far future, care for by another version of myself and them, come back as future warrior. And he's currently the younger, second version of him, so looking at our family, I think you fit right in Aunt Rose, don't you think so Nate?'

'Uh, I guess so, you now anything about guns?' Nate smiled holding out his hand.

Rose laughed slightly and said, 'not to much I'm sorry Nathan, at least not the ones you like. But perhaps you can tell me all about them sometimes.'

'Sure,' the young Cable said awkwardly, but was about as warm as you'd get from him.

Logan looked with mock suspiciously at Scott, 'this doesn't mean we're related does it, Slim?'

Scott snorted, 'if it is, I got all the looks in the family.'

At this everyone laughed, and Jean turned back to Rose, 'I always known there was something else, some connection out there. I had feelings I knew weren't entirely mine, a familiarity with things I shouldn't have. I used to think it was just the Phoenix, but it was you, I feel like I've known you my whole life.'

'And I've known you Jean dear,' Rose replied, 'before you born, and as soon as I saw you with James, I knew who you were. I knew you hadn't died the first time the Phoenix fell on the Moon, but I wasn't able to tell James or anyone else. I could always feel your presence, I'm so happy for you that you're finally free to be yourself again, and that your happy with your family.'

Jean looked back and said, 'now with my sister. I didn't do so well with Madyline but I've always felt you, my connection with you. Meeting you now has made that clear, and I'd like for us to get to know each better, I've already already lost one sister, I don't want to loss you now that you've arrived. It might be the Phoenix that made us sisters, but we're sisters just the same, like my daughter said, our family is an odd one,' smiling at Rose.

Rose tightly embraced Jean again, with tears in her eyes, 'of course. I'd love to be part of family again, thank you Jean,' and turned to Rachel, Nathan and Scott, 'thank you all,' before moving back to warp her arm around Logan's waist.

'No problem,' Scott said, but turned back the remains of the creature, 'but if Phoenix isn't a problem, this certainly is. Do you have any ideas what it is Hank?'

Hank moved to examine the bloody remains, 'if it weren't for the blood, my initial view might be that this might another rogue creature like the one that attacked me a few months ago, that you saved me from Logan. However whatever this was, it's much bigger and both the blood, along with the flesh and hide look wrong.'

Taking a sample of the blood, absorbed into a Krakoan floral device the blue furred mutant dipped into it, he continued, 'the fur and flesh looked decayed, and,' taking out a long instrument to poke at it, whilst he put on a pair of glasses that began scanning the remains before him, 'everything looks strained and twisted. Almost as if it was pulled and stretched somehow, and some initial readings seem to suggest the fur should be to a bear, a grizzly to be precise, but the remains don't look like it at all.'

'No it didn't,' Ororo added, 'it didn't like any animal I know, something quite unnatural, it felt that way from the sense it cast into the natural world around it. Plus, whatever it was was able deflect my lightning, it's certainly wasn't natural creature.'

''Ro's right on that,' Logan agreed, 'my senses say the somethin' wrong with it, as if the black blood weren't a dead give away. My instincts feel off about it, more than just one of oddities Krokoa can cast up, and it seemed to be not attackin' us in blind rage, but deliberately seekin' us out to attack us. Not to mention, whatever power Rose an' it seems I have, effected it specifically.'

'Another mystery,' Hank said, 'well get to that later, but I think you and Storm are right. This thing isn't of Krokoa, however I think it became as large and powerful as it did because of it.'

'What do you mean?' asked Neena.

'Sage just contacted me before the island suddenly experienced the strange stormy weather that announced your battle,' Hank winked at Ororo, 'that something was draining life or energy unexpectedly from the island. Not enough to really effect something like Krokoa but still something noticeable. And after all the attempted attacks by anti-mutant human groups and countries like Russia, trying to steal our tech, using rival telefloronic technology, or,' looking a little sheepish and guilty, 'the rogue telefloronic tech and life of Terra Verde. Well anyway,' Hank moved on, 'we've kept a close check from unknown and unusual disruptions on Krakoa, so Sage had Cerebro and other systems set to flag any such unusual activity. At around the same time there was also unusual activity through our portal gates. We haven't be able to narrow it down, either to which gate or where it came from, whatever was cloaking it was effective. But that leads me to conclude wherever this thing came from, it almost certainly wasn't Krakoan.'

'So something sent to attack us, or perhaps just a random creature trying to prey on us,' Scott mused, troubled.

'It's certainly not just a normal beast,' Kitty remarked. 'Whatever it is, when I phased through it, it felt cold, and it seemed to be trying to reach into me, to take hold and consume me. I was only in there a short while, but it was like there was a mind full of hatred and cruelty, that sensed me, and tired to take possession of me. Similar in a way to… '

'To what Kitty,' Kurt asked.

'To when something was trying to possess me, like Ogun,' Kitty said looking at Logan, worried.

Looking at her sharply, Logan asked, 'did it feel like him?'

Kitty thought for a moment, before responding, 'no, it was wilder, more animal and chaotic then the feel of Ogun, far less disciplined. It wasn't him, but still had similar feeling.'

'Hmm.' Hank mused, 'something psionic or supernatural, or extra-dimensional. Maybe something from Arakko or the Otherworld, or even other realms that might have access since our contest.'

'Sounds like lots of questions and no answers,' Neena said. 'Looks like you intelligence types need to get to work so we 'field agents' can go smack whatever it is when you're done,' throwing Hank a dirty look.

Logan chuckled, while Hank had the grace to look a little apologetic.

'Well, it looks like we'll just have look into it,' Scott said, 'Hank, work with Sage and Logan on this to see if anything can be found, and try a beef up security on the portals. To many things have been getting through recently, if this be a safe haven lets make sure it is.'

At that Neena said, 'well, that's my cue to go, we're all safe and until there's something to attack I'm going get a drink at the Green Lagoon. Why don't you swing by with your lady-friend Logan, we can swap notes,' and winked at him as she left.

Rose looked at Logan sharply, as he just rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly looking a little up in the sky, one of you floozies of the week, Rose replied wryly, and Logan suddenly remembered her saying that to him before, in one of that one near-death meeting, when she'd confronted him with the fact he hadn't had a real romantic relationship since Mariko. And when he protested to her he'd had plenty of women, she said not 'your floozies of the week, but a real substantial relationship'.

Uh, I guess, Logan replied a little nervously.

I see, Rose said, in a combination of annoyance and amusement, but tightened her hold on his waist possessively. Well that's all in the past now, isn't it James, smiling at him, but with a look in her emerald eyes that made Logan quickly respond, of course Rose. You've what I've always really wanted.

Good, she smiled patting his hand, before Kitty said with amusement, clearly guessing the nature of the mental communication, 'looks like she got you trained well, Logan,' and when he glared at her, she just laughed and poked her tongue out at him, with everyone else starting to chuckle as well.

'Well anyway,' Kurt said, 'as good as it is hear Logan won't be bed-hopping so much anymore, what the reason for Rose's new abilities, and the those you were wielding Logan?'

'I might have some idea,' Jean said, 'can you show us them Rose?'

In a blaze of golden-yellow light Rose's wings flared out, and her glowing armour of light emerged covering her, her eyes seeming to glow with an inner light, the angelic warrior appearing from within the lady, the transformation as astonishing as it had been the first time.

'Thank you,' Jean said as the wings and armour faded back into Rose, the lady re-merging. Looking at her daughter they nodded, and then Jean said, 'it's definitely psionic, a form of psionic wings and armour she forms, though it has some unique features. The style of the energy presumably comes from the Phoenix transformation that altered her.'

'You said you had some idea why all this way,' Logan added, looking to Rose.

'Oh, yes,' Rose replied. 'While I don't remember much of the time where were together when you were dead James, I do have a vague recollection of hell trying to claim you, but it wasn't able to. Dying the way you did, for others, you let go of your hate, and it wasn't able to claim you, but you remembered the people you knew trapped there, like Mariko, Silver Fox and others. You wanted to free them, and something responded favourably, I can't remember exactly what. We joined a group, I certainly wasn't going let you go without me, and on that side I was quite powerful. Our powers just like our spirits became linked. We seemed to be part of a force from the heavens if you like, raiding the Pit to free souls unfairly claimed or those who repented. I have vague visions of us, you with claws of blinding light, meeting demonic hosts with burning ferocity and I was right alongside you, like here by with wings and armour of light. I seem to remember rescuing who we could, including Mariko and Silver Fox, I think we incurred considerable wrath from the beings of the Pit, deprived them of souls to torture.'

'So,' Logan said, 'I was still kickin' butt when I was dead, sounds like me,' at which everyone laughed a little.

'Anyway,' Rose continued, 'if those half-memories of our afterlife adventures have any truth to them, perhaps that's what Phoenix duplicated in more psionic form in me now, and perhaps in you as well.'

'Perhaps that's also why your claws were burning sometimes when we first meet you after you had just returned from the dead,' Jean added, 'Perhaps that was what you trying instinctively to use Logan, but without Rose here, it didn't work right.'

'Hmm,' Logan added, 'maybe so.'

'Now you two just have a practice giving used to you new abilities,' Jean replied, to which Logan shrugged, before looking suspiciously at his hands.

'Well, I think we've bothered the new couple enough,' Kurt said smiling, 'perhaps we should let them get on with their tour of the island together.'

'Sure,' Jean replied, winking at Rose, 'but why don't you come by our house on the Moon, it would be nice to get together, the whole family, including you, my sister,' and smiled.

'The Moon,' Rose asked, her eyes wide with astonishment, 'we can just go there?'

Chuckling Logan replied, 'sure darlin', whenever you want.'

Looking at him with wonder, Rose replied, 'I think I'd enjoy that, we'd love to come, thank you' she finished looking to Jean.

'Good,' Jean answered, 'it's settled then. And why don't you all come to if your free,' she said to Ororo, Kurt and Kitty, 'we don't see you guys nearly enough either.'

Looking at each other, Ororo replied smiling, 'I think we can make the time. I'll be the like old days at the mansion.'

And with that, everyone took off in different directions, and Logan turned to Rose, taking her hand and putting in his arm again, and with a wink said, 'well my lady, she we continue our walk?'

Rose's musical laughter rolled over him as she replied, 'why yes, kind sir, lead the way.'

In the shadows of a Japanese graveyard, Ogun in his blond vampire form emerged, as he felt a sharp cry in his mind, and lifting his hand, hell-fire sprung from his fingers, forming an orb. In it the image of the face of the Logans appeared. They looked weakened and somewhat ill, and he replied, 'you don't look so well, my friends. You little attempt at harrying our prey no going as planned?'

For moment they just growled back at him, before replying, 'no, James and his little friends destroyed our creature, we didn't expect them to defeat it so easily.'

'And it looks like it left you weakened as well,' Ogun hissed at them. 'Just as in life, your overconfidence defeated you, at least this time, Thomas it didn't cost you your new life. Luckily the Lords of the Pit are quite anxious to see Logan-san and his companion hurt for all the trouble they've caused them, so they are lenient with us, and willing to lend us their power. Now wait, rest and recover, I need you to help capture Logan-san.'

The Logan growled in reply, 'hey, you'll glad we did send our creature. Like I told you, it wasn't just about harrying, it's about probing and finding out about the nature of quarry. The Irish whore isn't just a girl anymore, she has power, power to hurt us, and so does the runt.'

In a moment Ogun received a vision of the battle, and saw the woman Rose and Logan-san, saw her angelic warrior form, and he with his glowing claws, so similar what he'd been shown when they'd part of the force sent to harrow hell, and free the souls it kept trapped.

'Hmm.' Ogun responded, 'perhaps you are right, despite what this incident might do to warn them, this is vital information. Still, rest now, and regain your strength, while I keep building our power.'

With that, Ogun unceremoniously closed of communication, the fiery orb vanishing, as he can came to stand before a grave.

'Hello Shingen,' Ogun replied, a sinister smile on his face, 'it's time for you raise again my fellow-countryman, and have join us in our vengeance against Logan-san.'