Something Sinister This Way Comes

Hellfire Club

Hank was at the moment crouched behind the sofa fur standing up all over his body, mane bristling with fright, lips curled back to reveal his sharp fangs and claws retracting and extending spasmodically and his yellow eyes wide with panic and terror. Martinique Jason was using all her concentration to create the illusion of not being there hoping she would go unnoticed. As for Bobby, the Iceman was feeling a chill of terror in his heart and he was shivering uncontrollably. Suffice to say that they were all quite literally scared senseless by the ghastly apparition before them.

"Please come out from behind the sofa, I can assure you that my intentions are entirely benign. Look I know you're mutants of reason so at least try and act as though you have a spine," pleaded a harsh gravelly voice trying its utmost to sound cajoling.

Hank peered cautiously from around the sofa and sighed realizing that it wasn't just a nightmare as he had hoped. Sinister, yet another of the X-Men's most powerful and deadly enemies really was standing there. Incongruously he wasn't wearing his usual purple costume having decided to arrive in Hellfire Club attire looking like the Victorian gentleman that he had been long ago when he was Nathaniel Essex. It seemed as well that like some of the X-men he had decided to change his appearance somewhat. Whoever told him that dyeing his hair bleach blonde, wearing mirror shades, an earring in his left ear and a particularly unsuccessful attempt at a goatee should have been shot? Most unusual of all was his facial expression, a broad friendly grin was the last thing you'd expect to see on his face.

"What do you think he wants Hank? Oh man I hope he's not in love with you as well," whispered Bobby.

"Stars and garters, I really wish you hadn't said that Bobby, the resulting mental image, I think I'm going to vomit,"

Martinique Jason swayed slightly utterly horrified by the prospect and performed a quick scan of Essex's mind. Fortunately she found no hint of romantic interest in Hank whatsoever. The relief was immense but the surprise at his true intentions was such that she fell into a dead faint.

"What do you want with me Sinister?" asked Hank.

"Why Hank my boy, I'd just like to say I'm most impressed with you. Black King of the Hellfire Club eh, good to see you've finally shaken off your sentimental affiliation to Xavier's insipid dreams of peace. Now at last I can tell you how much I've admired you, my peer in every respect. Now Hank I'm offering you the place at my side you were destined to have helping me to improve the mutant race. Hank you will be the son I've always yearned for! Now what do you say?" asked Sinister almost trembling in his eagerness.

Hank found himself quite overwhelmed by this. He'd had a lot of shocks recently and it had given him the fright of his life when Sinister had teleported in right in front of him. Perhaps it had all proven too much and his mind was not functioning at its standard parameters. Otherwise he would have realized that the next words he spoke were perhaps not very wise.

"Well it's a generous offer but I'm afraid it's one I shall have to refuse," said Hank.

"Oh man you've really gone and done it now," groaned Bobby.

The smile faded from Sinister's face and he shook his head slowly and almost sorrowfully.

"Well I'm very sorry to hear that Hank," he said quietly.

Mansion

"Scott I really must advise against this, you've been under a lot of stress and you still need a lot of rest. If you go on like this you're liable to end up with a complete nervous breakdown," pleaded Xorn frantically.

Scott ignored him, he was too furious to listen to Xorn's advice or that of anyone else. One thing and one thing only were paramount in his mind, finding the Dark Beast and strangling him. Despite the troubles with Selene his life had been relatively bearable until the furry freak had shown up. Now Emma had told him that things were over between them and that she had chosen McCoy over him. Jean had said that she was also sick and tired of his affair and as far as she was concerned things were over between them. Apparently she was now seeking comfort from Logan despite the latter's reluctance to get involved. He'd also found that the serum which she'd spiked his drink with had been one of McCoy's little concoctions. A good thing Xorn had neutralized it since he didn't want to acquire a secondary mutation of uncontrollable nasal hair growth.

"So it seems that a male mutant's appeal to women is proportional to how hirsute he is well Logan at least is enough of a gentleman to keep his hands of my girl. Dark Beast though, he wouldn't know morals if you beat him unconscious with a Bible. I mean can't the others see that he's a sick bloodthirsty monster, an evil geneticist who looks at a pretty woman and thinks of all the wonderful experiments he can perform on her?" ranted Scott.

Emma had told him about how McCoy had come to her rescue and saved her from a gang of men before she joined the Hellfire Club. She'd owed him her life and in return for him protecting her she'd helped him regain his lost memories. They'd been allies for years, enemies later but there certainly seemed no bad blood between them now.

"Scott I know that McCoy has been evil, perhaps one of the worst enemies we've faced but he genuinely seems to want to make a fresh start. Marrow, Wolverine, Rogue, Magneto, Emma Frost, even your brother Alex, many of us have had dark pasts, some of us have even killed but we all agreed that we gave redemption, a second chance. Allow him a chance to prove himself at least," said Xorn soothingly trying to calm Scott down.

Behind his protective visor Scott's eyes were blazing with anger. He'd already made his mind up as to what to do, he knew Logan and McCoy had gone for a drink together at one of the less reputable taverns, well Scott would go there and sort McCoy out once and for all. At the very least McCoy deserved a bloody nose in Scott's opinion. He still felt nauseous every time he thought of mistakenly kissing the Dark Beast thinking it was his wife.

"Crikey, get a load of this gorgeous naughty Sheila, just look at her go! She's a beautiful girl," yelled Steve Irwin as he dashed past in hot pursuit of a screaming Trish Tilby. Her interview of the Crocodile Hunter really hadn't gone according to plan.

With this distraction Xorn never noticed that Scott had slipped away in the confusion and was now headed for the Auger Inn.

Harry's Hideaway

"Yes I generally find that the use of an image inducer prevents any controversy caused by my somewhat bestial appearance. You still have to be careful about touching people though since feeling fur instead of skin can be rather disconcerting to a human,"

Fortunately at Harry's Hideaway there was no need for disguises since the bartender was well used to mutant customers and had served Kurt and Logan many times. After serving someone with blue velvety fur, yellow eyes, pointed ears, sharp fangs, a long tail, two toed feet and three fingered hands, in short a veritable demon everything else seemed mundane after that. The only reaction to McCoy's appearance had been a woman coming over and asking if she could stroke his fur which he had gladly agreed to.

"Yeah well ya have ta admit that ya look even more like a werewolf than I do. Anyway I told ya that this was the best place ta come fer a drink. Well if yer is getting bored then don't ya worry, I'm going ta take ya ta the Auger Inn next where we'll get a good bar brawl in," said Logan with one of his wolfish grins.

McCoy nodded, he unlike his blue furred counterpart enjoyed a good fight just as much as Logan did. He felt in some ways a kindred spirit with the feral, like Logan he had his animal side. Logan was also glad that he had found a drinking partner with almost as much capacity for alcohol as he had. Logan sniffed the air catching a familiar scent then frowned; this certainly was unusual, Scott coming to a bar?

"Do ya smell that bub?" asked Logan tapping McCoy on the shoulder.

McCoy frowned as beer slopped onto his shirt, then he sniffed the air as well. His nose might not have been as keen as Logan's but it was still pretty powerful and he'd recognize that scent anywhere.

"Stars and garters, this is a surprise Scott. Won't you come and join us for a drink?" boomed McCoy jovially. He might as well at least try to be friendly; he wasn't going to let anyone accuse him of not trying to fit in.

Scott's foul mood had not improved at all since he'd been forced to beat a hasty retreat from the Auger Inn after spotting Victor Creed and Jack Russell. Now on seeing McCoy inviting him for a drink something snapped inside him. Snarling he leapt right at the astonished Dark Beast and made a determined attempt to throttle him. Not the wisest thing to do considering that McCoy was twice his size, far stronger and more agile and possessed sharp fangs and even sharper claws.

Graymalkin Lane

"Oh help, somebody save me!" shrieked Trish just before she ran headlong into Trevor Fitzroy sending them both flying.

"Oh no, not him again," groaned Fitzroy as he saw the advancing Steve Irwin. Thinking quickly he helped Trish up, taking a minute portion of her life energy as he did so, just enough to open a time portal right in front of Steve.

"Crikey, would you get a load of thiiiiiiiiiiii………….." were Steve's last words as he charged straight into the portal which vanished instantly.

"I've sent him two hours into the future time enough for us to make a quick escape ma'am," explained Fitzroy in his cultured English accent.

Trish was checking him out, admittedly he did look rather odd with the green hair but then she had dated a blue furry gorilla in the past. Yes she had to admit he wasn't bad looking and that accent was to die for. Plus he'd just saved her from a fate worse than death. Before the astonished Fitzroy could react she kissed him on the cheek and gave him her most dazzling smile.

"You handsome have just got yourself a girlfriend," purred Trish.

"How very nice," murmured Fitzroy uncertain what to make of this.

Hellfire Club

"Oh well perhaps I did spring this on you rather suddenly. Well the offer is open Hank, have a think about it and I'll come and see you again soon and see if you've changed your mind," said Sinister smiling once again.

There was a loud thud as Bobby collapsed to the floor and began quietly sobbing with relief.

"Sinister how dare you try and lure away my Black King!" shrieked a familiar voice as Selene arrived.

"Selene listen, this really isn't what you think," protested Sinister but too late as a fireball hit him dead center.

There was an almighty explosion as Sinister was shattered into hundreds of tiny fragments, greenish slime spattering the entire room. It was going to take him quite some time to pull himself back together from this one.

"Stars and freaking garters," roared Hank.

Selene looked instantly contrite as she looked at her Black King. Hank had borne the brunt of the explosion, fur matted with the slime, mane a sodden dripping mess, shirt and jeans soaked and ruined. Hank growled to himself and stalked out of the room heading for the nearest shower.

"Selene, Hank had refused outright even though he knew Sinister might have killed him. Now I think he's a bit upset with you," said Mastermind.

"You know I think you're right. Don't worry though because I know just how to make it up to him," said Selene brightly. She smiled; Hank was going to be thrilled when he saw what she had in store for him.

Harry's Hideaway

Scott was beginning to regret his foolhardiness, the punch from McCoy had been pulled at the last instant but there was still blood pouring from his nose and his jaw felt as though it had been struck by a sledgehammer. Now he was presently dangling two feet above the ground held aloft by a handful of shirt grabbed in one of McCoy's clawed hands. The fierce yellow eyes were burning into his own hidden behind the visor and the fangs were showing in a snarl.

"You're lucky Scott, many have died at my hands for less temerity than yours. Still I don't think the X-Men would approve if I killed you so I'm sparing your life this time. Just don't pull anything like this again. Now look I'll only say this once but I'm sorry about anything I've done which may have upset you."

"Yeah well that's just not good enough!" snapped Scott bitterly.

Light glinted off adamantium claws as Logan looked at the pair of them meaningfully. McCoy and Scott nodded tightly knowing that if they weren't careful they would both get a taste of the claws. Scott was set gently down on his feet and he shook the proffered hand. Perhaps if they hadn't been so rudely interrupted they would have settled their differences over a round of drinks.

"Well would ya look at that, the Boy Scout led us right ta the runt and the Dark Beast! Time fer ya ta die, ain't that right Jack!" growled Victor Creed.

"I reckon I'm in the mood fer a little righteous mayhem mate," chuckled Jack shifting to werewolf form.

"Well looks like we're going to get some action sooner than we anticipated Logan," growled McCoy.

Instead their differences were about to be settled in yet another vicious little brawl of the sort which at least three of the participants were so fond of. Dark Beast and Wolverine leapt straight at Sabretooth while Jack sighed and exchanged a glance with Scott.

"If ya like mate we could do this the civilized way like gentlemen."

"Yeah how about a game of chess," suggested Scott.

Hellfire Club

Yuriko was waiting for Hank as he emerged from the shower. He'd managed to get himself looking immaculate once again and he was now back in full Hellfire Club regalia. He gave Yuriko a curt nod and then sighed heavily.

"Let me guess, Selene is going to try and make it up to me."

"Yes she told me to come and get you, she's taking you to New Orleans apparently to meet an old friend of hers for a quiet dinner," explained Yuriko somewhat apologetically.

"Stars and garters, maybe I should have accepted Sinister's offer."