MAL86 - Indeed it was, and sadly things are still looking pretty tight for the little fireplug, but he's not down and out yet :) . Both another and Rose join the battle, will it be enough? Or will things become more desperate, well I hope you enjoy how it unfolds in this chapter MAL86 :) . Again thank you for reading and reviewing :)
(And we get to see more of the mysterious Kitsunebi in action, providing more clues to his identity (for those who haven't guessed already ;) ). Anyway I hope you all enjoy :) )
Chapter 15
Ogun looked down upon Logan-san as he was lowered onto a bed trolley by the remaining demonic vampires joined now by re-enforcements that arrived via a summoned portal. Logan-san's body, more shredded flesh and glistening adamantium-laced bone then the man Ogun had known, was slowly healing, tendons, muscles, tissue and skin knitting together, closing and fixing arteries and veins, repairing and rebuilding his organs and internal structures, re-producing lost haemoglobin and plasma. The healing was slowed now not only from the injuries of the Black Sword wielded by Shingen, but also because in the face of such extensive damage that had dropped him to borderline death, his recuperative abilities worked to keep him alive at a cellular level, keeping him alive while it also worked to renew him.
It was impressive and as Ogun had expected, that once filled by the powers of the Pit it would be near-unstoppable. His healing factor had also ensured that despite the extensive damage required to bring Logan-san down, he had survived just as needed him too. But though his old pupil perhaps deserved more, he could not be allowed to recover before he'd been bound in the chains above the cauldron of sacrificed blood that would initiate the ritual spell that would begin to break him, tear into his soul and enable his complete possession and union with the new demonic 'race' being formed here. And for that purpose his bloodied body swarmed with decayed and rotting snakes whose putrefying bodies glowed with red hell-fire, as they continuously bit into Logan, the fiery infernal venom spiritual and psychic in nature, attacking his weakened and dormant mind, keeping him in a state of coma until he was in place, helpless, ready to finally embrace his fate as Ogun's final host.
Ogun turned sharply and looked towards the sky and the Logans came towards them, their one arm hanging at their side, as the demonic sorcerer perceived the hidden jet flying towards them. 'Interlopers are not appreciated,' he said, and lifted his taloned hand, as it filled with a sphere of red hell-fire, perceiving the craft and it's white hot jet engines and with an arcane curse crushed the sphere between his taloned hands, the crushed and extinguishing sphere answered by a loud explosion in the sky. Blurring out of seemingly nowhere, a burning futuristic looking jet crashed towards the ground with an intense whine, billowing smoke and fire behind it, before it smashed into the ground with an almighty explosion that shock the ground around them, a brilliant yellow-orange fireball reaching into sky, the shock-wave shattering windows in Logan's cabin, knocking some of the demonic vampire over, as shrapnel flew past them, Ogun holding out his hand in command causing the lethal rain of twisted metal to miss them.
Turning to leave, a pale, white, translucent ghost-like figure of a stocky muscled man with glowing red eyes, long white hair flying wildly around him, fell rapidly from the sky, plunging amongst the demonic vampires surrounding Logan-san's body with a battle cry, as they spun around hissing, fangs bared and talons springing forth, tipped with burning hell-fire, and sprang forward slashing into the new foe, only to see their their blows pass through him just like the ghost he appeared to be. With a terrible roar, the white ghost raised his hands and three long ghostly white bone claws ripping free from each hand, he began slashing, hacking and cutting into the vampires with blinding and ferocious fury, black blood splattered as the claws became solid for an instant, heads and limbs flying, strikes moving through their bodies, emerging with their blackened hearts impaled on his claws before they fell through his claws and hands a split second later, followed by the vampiric body.
As the white ghost tore his way howling through the demonic vampires, Ogun eyes narrowed, considering his new opponent and then with blinding speed sprang forward, casting forth flaming shurikens springing from the flames of his claws, and they hit sinking into the luminous transparent form, though as they dispersed into infernal venom, much passed through without effect, some of the psychic poison infused into the man's form. The white cried in angry pain, stumbling for a second as he whirled on Ogun, the sorcerer casting forth a new rain of shurikens, the white ghost move quickly, dogging and deflecting a number, but four more struck home, and as their paralysingly poisons took affect the white ghost dropped to his knee for a second, growling as the intense pain gripped him.
Then with angry and terrifying howl of rage, the white ghost clambered back to his feet, and Ogun's eyes narrowed once more as he saw the wounds in the ghostly form closing and vanishing as it's form knitted and renewed itself, the white ghost's red eyes locking with his own flaming orbs as he growled in a low timbre, 'you'll have to do better than that sorcerer,' and as leapt sinking into the ground as Ogun cast as another hail at shurikens, towards him.
With a dark laugh, Ogun leapt into the air, reaching out and sensing out the subtle hints of the shielded and stealthy mind, as the white ghost sprang from the from the ground where Ogun had just been, ready to tear into him. Ogun held his hand out before him, the hell-fire flaring as he intoned, 'I think I will interloper, now I sense your mind and spirit,' and suddenly the white ghost was halted in place, and lifted into the air as though by a giant invisible hand, constricting him in place.
'You are interesting, ghostly one,' Ogun remarked, 'so like Logan-san, yet so different. But,' he cast his eyes sharply towards the Krakoan gate, 'I have no time to solve such mysteries, and must simply end your interference. Whist you seem impervious to many attacks, clearly not all magical attacks at least are so ineffective, even if your incorporeal nature blunts their fury, like so,' and with a call towards the floor, hell-fire sprang from the floor, the intense flames burning through his form, as the white ghost began to growl in pain, his from beginning to burn. And motioning towards the Logans, with a wounded howl, the blood tentacles sprang forth once again, themselves blazing with hell-fire as they passed through Ogun's blaze and bit into the transparent form, the flaming biting wolf-heads moving through his body causing the white ghost to cry out in furious growl of agony.
'And now to suitably weakened, let's see if you are as impervious to your own claws as you are to everything else,' and with a flick of his hands, the white ghost's claws moved towards his chest as he struggled and strained mighty to stop them. But weakened by the fire burning him, with a last firm push of Ogun, they slammed home with a weak thud, transfixing the white ghost's own heart, a wet gasp wrenched from him. Then like an orchestra conductor, Ogun caused the arms to rip out sideways, tearing through heart, ribs and lungs, followed upward vicious stab into his throat, to rip free tearing his throat out as Ogun wrenched them out, the white ghost sagging in the invisible grip. Finally with an upwards gesture, Ogun caused one set of claws to punch into the soft flesh beneath his chin, punching into his brain, and the figure dropped still. Ogun dropped the bloodied and still form of the white ghost to the ground, the hell-fire vanished as his bloody and burnt body collapsed to the ground, his form solidifying, and claws withdrawing back into his arms.
Looking down Ogun continued, 'I guess not. I would stay to learn more about you, ghostly one, as you almost seem a combination of both my recently chosen vessels, but whether you survive this or not, I must be going.' Motioning with his taloned hands, flaring as a dark portal appearing, and the few remaining demonic vampires grasped bed trolley containing Logan's healing body, and began moving towards the portal as with a crack of power, a furious blindingly golden warrior angel burst forth from the Krokoan portal, soaring into the sky, blazing brilliantly like the Sun. Ogun hissing as the brilliance seemed to sear into him, the warrior angel's red hair flaring around her, golden armour and wings glowing radiantly, twin golden blades crackling in her hands, her emerald eyes glowing in rage towards him.
You will let James go now demon, the warrior angel spoke psychically to them in a quiet, low but menacing tone, and I will make your ends relatively painless.
'I'm afraid I cannot oblige you, nor suffer any more interlopers in our plans,' Ogun replied, streaching for his hand, hell-fire streaming forth in a torrent to engulf the golden angelic figure, her iridescent shining wings coming together, shielding her. His flame surged around the covering wings for a moment, in a blinding crackle of energy that flashed as psionic and infernal forces clashed together, the strength and heat of his unholy fire dissipating around the angelic woman, and then with a deafening crack of power, a blinding burst of golden psionic power flashed across the sky above him like lightning, the wings flinging the flames away from them with a thrust of countering power, the hell-fire blown out and vanishing like weak candle flame before a hurricane wind, Ogun stumbling as the power blasting his flame apart pushed him back.
Quickly Ogun turned and said, 'take him now!' to the demonic vampires and the Logans, as he turned holding both taloned hands before him, the hell-fire flaring as the warrior angel dived towards him, crackling blades outstretched, plunging towards Ogun's heart, as she cried let him go!
Ogun summoned an invisible wall of power before him as the angelic woman's blades slammed into it with a thunder-crack of power, sinking to the invisible wall of Ogun's demonic will with furious glowing energy, crackling and flaring intensely. The blades, wings and armour of the woman glowed more and more brightly, becoming blinding as her wings unfurled, the woman yelling for Logan-san, her emerald eyes flashing brilliantly with fury at him. The clash of opposing forces grew more and more loud, the air rippling and crackling from the titanic collision between Ogun's infernal powers and the psionic ones wielded by the angelic figure. She began to cry out desperately pushing against Ogun's power, the sorcerer straining as she pierced deeper and deeper through his barrier, the ground being to split under the pressure of their conflict. He was aware Logan-san was being taken through the portal, the Logans about to follow when with an incoherent cry of rage the woman thrust her wings forward, glowing with blinding brilliance, to join her blades clashing against his wall, with a thunderous impact of incredible psionic power, and with an explosion of radiant golden power shattered his wall sending Ogun flaying back with a cry of pain.
He barely had time to move as she flashed towards him, dodging just before her blades clove through his horned head, and Ogun bellowed in pain as one blade burned through his shoulder. Ogun rolled free and came back up, just as the angelic woman swooped around, still crying in rage, and weakened now after numerous uses of his power Ogun fell back onto his old ways to survive.
As she rushed towards him, he cast an orb of flame at her, and as she angrily brought a blade up to cut through it it erupted in a blinding flash, and the warrior angel cried out, momentarily blinded as Ogun leapt free, and with a call of power smoke billowed from his hands as the angelic warrior soared on into the sky shaking her head for a moment to clear her vision, as Ogun hid himself within the smoke, and rushed towards the portal.
The angelic woman dived into the clashing her wings together in a burst of power to blast the smoke apart, saw him, rushing with a desperate cry of 'James!' as Ogun, feeling fear now in his weakened state, leapt through the shadow portal, closing it behind him with a frantic wave of his hand, as felt the raging heat of her blades at his back. For a moment Ogun knew only the weightless nothing of the space between the portals, before he crashed out in a heap in the Soteria base the demonic forces had claimed, his form dwindling into the blond vampire, the wound on his shoulder burning in agony, and his current form beginning to wither and crack, leaking black blood from the overuse of his power.
Struggling painfully to his feet, the Logans, back in the more human merged form of Thomas and Dog Logan said chuckling, 'looks like the Irish whore nearly ended you there, who knew she'd become such a spitfire. But if you're not able to handle her, maybe we need someone else to finish this thing.'
Ogun started hard at the Logans, his eyes flaring dangerously, 'do not test me, gaijin, or I'll send you both back into a hellish pit so terrible you will think everything you have experienced till now was paradise itself by comparison. After all, you're hardly in any condition to face me, even weakened with the overuse of my power, when Logan-san once again left such debilitating marks upon you.' gesturing towards the wounds gouged into the Logans face and shoulder, and burning from the deep triple puncture wounds in their arm.
As they began to growl lowly in reply, Ogun waved his hand, 'enough. We must complete the ritual and claim his nature and power, otherwise we have no vengeance, and our hold on these forms will be short indeed, sending us all flying back to the Pit, to masters who will be less than pleased with us. The woman was powerful, but she cannot follow us now, and here in our base, with the infernal realm presence so much stronger, our powers and numbers will be greater. If another battle befalls us before we have claimed Logan-san, it will be a much different story. Now come, we must go,' and motioned for the demonic vampires carrying Logan to follow him as he strode deep into the demonic stronghold.
Jean, Ororo, Rachel and Kitty jumped through the Krakoan portal into a scene of apocalyptic disaster, across the bridge a raging inferno burned high into the air from the wreckage of a jet, that had torn a flaming path through the Howlett ground, trees flattened and the plane wreak half-resting in the large hole ripped into ground by the impact of the crash, shattered pieces of flaming wreckage lying strewn everywhere. The women instinctively held their hands to their noses against the stench of burnt and putrefying flesh that hit them, as as littering the ground in front of the cabin and across the river bank were piles of ash and blackened bones, and torn and shredded pieces of twisted and putrefying wolf remains, with black blood, just like the creature at Krakoa pouring forth from them. Ororo immediately took to the air, her eyes growing white, dark clouds forming instantly, as a second latter a heavy driving rain hammered the burning inferno in a torrential downpour, a rain beginning to swirl violently as hurricane winds tore through the inferno at incredible speed, drowning and suffocating the fire.
But Jean's attention immediately shifted to the keening figure of her sister, her pain almost unbearable as it radiated off her in psychic waves, as Rose lay slumped, collapsed to her knees, uncaring of her nakedness as she just looked sightlessly forward. Jean, Rachel and Kitty rushed towards her, throwing a robe around her and Jean embraced her and asked Rose, what happened here, what happened to Logan?
At first Rose said nothing, just staring ahead, a look of utter defeat and ruin engraved on her face, Jean heart constricted as she pulled Rose in a tight embrace, stroking her hair comfortingly as Jean kept trying to gently reach her, Kitty and Rachel looking on distraught, Kitty looked desperately for Logan.
Finally after a long while, Rose finally began to mutter physically, they took him, they took James.
Who took Logan, Rose, who did all this? Jean asked her carefully.
Something demonic, evil, the force behind the creature that attacked us. Thomas and Dog where there, I felt them, they were part of this, suddenly Rose sprang up, her emerald eyes glittering dangerously, 'I'll find him, I'll find James. And if they have, if they… ' Rose choked back a sob, 'I'll make them pay, all of them, they'll beg for me to kill them before I'm through with them if they… ' and collapsed back into Jean, embracing her tightly as she weep, clutching Jean desperately, hot tears pouring down her face. 'Please Jean, we have to find him, I can't live without him, now after all this time, I need him, please,' Rose keep begging her.
Jean, tears springing in her own eyes, clutched her sister to her, and swore with determination, 'we will find him Rose, we will. Logan's not going to die today, not from these things. We'll find them and raise their strongholds to the ground and get him back,' as the fear of Logan's possible loss began to grip her, and she could see it mirrored on Kitty, Rachel and Ororo's face as the weather witch rejoined them, the fire having been put out.
At that moment their heard a pained groan, and turning quickly to look towards the noise's origin, saw a badly burnt and wounded man slowly struggling to his feet, and realised with surprise that the burns were sealing and vanishing from their sight, the large and terrible gashes closing as tissues, muscles, and skin knitted themselves back together, the cuts sealing and vanishing. The short, stocky man with long silver white hair and long mutton chop sideburns like Logan's stood up to look at them, and something about his face reminded Jean of her dear friend.
The cuts to his throat finished knitting together and the burns faded and vanished, he spoke, his voice still a bit rough from being newly healed, 'the X-Men and now Krokoa, I'd hoped to ever avoid involving myself with you. But needs must when the devil drives as they say, and if we're to save James we must act quickly, I know where they have taken him, but we must prepare quickly before they complete whatever plans they have for him.'