Sinister unleashed a low level intensity energy bolt at Hank. It wasn't enough to seriously injure him but it singed his fur and dropped him to his knees. Snarling Nathaniel Essex prepared to blast Hank again and again gradually increasing the force of his blasts until he had reduced Hank to a charred corpse. Then he was planning on crushing Hank into so much ash and then let it pour from his hands while cackling malevolently. This pleasant image distracted him for a few moments.

"If I may be so bold as to point it out, my experiment that you just demolished was a way to reverse the effects of the cologne so that was a rather foolish error on your part," said Hank.

That earned him a vicious kick in the ribs from Sinister. Jubilee noticed that Creed was growling at this and Cecilia was looking angry. If he wasn't careful Essex was going to be in for a world of pain.

Hank suddenly dropped to his knees again, head bowed in submission, groveling and pleading for mercy, heaping praise on Sinister. Like most villains Essex loved the sight of people begging for mercy and he paused to lap it up. He was especially enjoying the remarks about his massive intellect and scientific genius.

"I am gratified by the appreciation Hank. Now you're a brilliant biochemist yourself so I might give you one last chance to reverse your experiment and let you live."

Then with a roar Victor shoved Sinister sending him staggering back to the window. Jubilee then unleashed a massive burst of fireworks which nearly tore Sinister apart and sent him toppling out of the window to the ground far below.

Sinister lay in a singed and astonished heap in a flowerbed far below. He was already regenerating from his latest injuries and fortunately he seemed to be regaining his usual appearance. Looking up he saw Logan was staring accusingly at him. Following his gaze Sinister saw that he had crushed a large number of flowers.

"Ya killed all the pretty flowers. Yer a bad, bad man," howled Logan. Then the feral turned and hollered for Cyclops.

"Oh Nathaniel you poor dear, let me kiss you better," said Jean planting a kiss on Essex's pallid cheek.

"Jean Summers you are a married woman and this is most inappropriate," protested Sinister. Then to his utter horror he saw a very angry Cyclops glaring at him from behind his visor.

As far as Scott Summers was concerned this was the final straw. For once he didn't feel like trying to reason with his enemy or restrain himself from using maximum force. He was beginning to see the appeal of Logan's claw first and ask questions later policy. He spoke no words to Sinister but simply fired optic blast after optic blast until Sinister exploded in a spray of fragments. It would be a very long time before the villain managed to pull himself back together.

Scott stood panting with exhaustion, weary but triumphant and on a deep primitive level feeling extraordinarily relieved. Sometimes it felt good to let loose and he thought that maybe he ought to do it more often. Turning he saw Logan standing next to him with concern shining in his hazel eyes.

"Are ya alright Scott, ya not usually like this ya know. Yer usually responsible and under control and I'm worried about ya Cyke. Do ya want ta talk about it?"

Suddenly it all seemed too much to Scott and he slumped to his knees. He flung his arms around a bewildered Logan and started laughing hysterically before subsiding into quiet sobs. Logan patted Scott on the shoulder and hugged him close doing his best to comfort his leader.

Jean Grey sighed heavily. It seemed nobody was going to be paying attention to her for a while at least. Glancing at the green slime which was all that remained of Sinister she wondered what on earth had possessed her to kiss him. Also while she loved her husband and was attracted to Logan why was she throwing herself all over them? Then she remembered it had all started when Scott began wearing that new cologne.

"Henry McCoy I need to have a word with you," shrieked Jean.

Up in the laboratory Hank was still on his knees practicing begging for mercy. It might be the only thing that would keep him alive when he faced the others wrath. While Scott, Remy, Bobby and probably even Logan would spare him he wasn't worried about them. It was the X-Women he was worried about, especially Emma Frost, Jean, Ororo and Rogue. Visions of the four women relaxing on a blue furry rug filled his mind and droplets of sweat trickled down his brow.

"It's alright Hank, Sinister's gone now so we can redo the experiment. Don't worry because I've got all the X-Men wrapped around my little finger."

"Actually Jubilee I'm more worried about the fact that Jean wants a word with me. Can you say Dark Phoenix?"

"Yeah I see your point. Maybe you could take a trip to Muir Island and assist Moira McTaggert. I bet it would be safe for you to come back here after a decade or three."

Creed gave Hank a comforting hug this time managing to avoid cracking his ribs. As far as he was concerned anyone wanting a piece of Hank would have to go through a piece of him first and he wasn't going to let anyone harm his furry blue friend.

"I think Hank that this has been a case of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. I'll give you all the help I can," said Cecilia who had taken the precaution of donning a surgical mask. Hank gave her a grateful nod thankful that there were at least two X-Women who didn't want to kill him at the moment.

"I'll just go and make sure that the coast is clear then. We don't want any more unwelcome visitors," said Hank as he poked his head cautiously around the door before stepping into the corridor.

He heard a distinctive hum before a kinetically charged tin of paint exploding before him and the bouncing blue beast promptly became the blushing pink beast. Hank suppressed a shiver of fear at the maddened Gambit before him. Hair ruffled, shirt ripped, trench coat reduced to tatters and covered with lipstick marks the Cajun presented a bedraggled but still formidable figure. His reds on black eyes were glinting murderously and he his Bo staff pointed towards Hank like an accusing finger.

"Dis Cajun want a little word with you mon ami."

"I take it that judging from your appearance the cologne was successful then?"

"Sacre Bleu! De effects were too powerful. Now dis Cajun think it best dat you sort out dis little problem oui?"

Hank gulped nervously as Remy placed a charged card at his throat, an electric crackle and the smell of singed fur filled the air. Then with a loud roar Creed burst through the door and grabbed Remy by the collar, lifting him into the air and shaking him like a rag doll.

"Ya don't hurt my friend Cajun," growled Creed punctuating each word with another shake.

"Mercy please, Remy sorry," wailed the Cajun.

Remy breathed a sigh of relief as Creed accepted his apology and put him down. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully Hank tried to smooth things over.

"Now let's discuss this like reasonable mutants and try to work something out."

Before anyone could reply a terrified Bobby appeared fully iced up and riding his slide as quickly as he could. Frantic with fear he leapt into Hank's arms and clutched him tightly.

"Help me Hank, they're after me," wailed Bobby.

Sure enough Mystique, Rogue and Emma Frost were bearing down upon them with only one thought on their mind.

"Flaming hell!"

"Merde!"

"Stars and garters!"