The Challenge

"I'm afraid you've lost this time Xavier," Magneto said. "I have the components as well as the hostages. As much as I applaud your efforts to help GI Joe…"

"Who says they were helping us?" Hawk snapped. "We're helping them!"

"You humans really are pathetic," Pyro snorted. "We are the superior species!"

"Oh really?" Hawk shouted. "Then I guess you won't mind a little contest between our groups will you?"

"Contest?" Magneto looked at him.

"It's very simple really," Hawk told him. "We have a little tournament to see which side has the superior fighters. You and I will choose six of our men to fight in matches. Whoever has the most men standing at the end of all the fights wins. If we win we walk out of here with our men and the components. If you win the components are yours and all of us as well."

"What makes you so sure that I would take up this interesting challenge?" Magneto told him. "I could simply take you right now. Why risk it?"

"Here's the catch," Hawk smiled. "My team will be all humans. No mutants at all will fight. That means none of the Misfits or X-Men can participate."

A gasp went up from all the mutants. "You don't mean that?" Jean asked.

"Are you crazy?" Logan snapped.

"Yes," Hawk told him. "Trust me Logan. This is one lesson those jerks are never going to forget!"

"But you can't beat them!" Scott protested.

"Says who?" Roadblock said. "They won't know what hit them when we're through!"

"Hawk while I feel your intentions are good," Xavier said. "This will…"

"This will teach Magneto a lesson about humans," Hawk interrupted him. "And I think it might teach a few of you a lesson as well. What do you say Magneto? Up to the challenge? Or are your men incapable of taking down a few flatscans?"

"Lord Magneto!" A voice piped up from the back. Cortez made his way forward. "I say we take this challenge and show these flatscans who is the superior species once and for all! I am willing to be the one who single handedly beats them to a bloody pulp!"

"Yeah!" Pyro shouted. "Let's pulverize them!"

"You can't do this!" Kitty cried. "Lance tell them they can't do this!"

"You're gonna risk our safety as well as the world's on this stupid contest?" Ray shouted.

"You're nuts!" Bobby shouted.

"Hawk…" Fred gulped nervously.

"Pipe down!" Althea shouted. "He knows what he's doing! If he says he can take down those pathetic losers! He can!"

"Who are you calling a pathetic losers you lap dog?" Pyro snapped.

"Well I don't see any other losers here so…" Althea said.

"Don't listen to them!" Destro told Magneto. "They're up to something! We have them at our mercy! Do not take any unnecessary risks!"

"Really Destro?" Cobra Commander looked at him. "You imply that there is a risk for our men to fight these unworthy creatures?"

"You know as well as I that it is unwise to underestimate GI Joe!" Destro hissed.

"Sounds like you should listen to Destro," Hawk taunted. "I mean if you're afraid of a fair fight…"

A huge protest rang up from Magneto's mutants. "Althea can't you do something?" Jean asked. "We have to stop this!"

"Why?" Althea asked her.

"But you can't…" Bobby started.

"Yes we can," Spirit said.

"No you can't!" Kurt protested. "It's impossible!"

"Possibility and impossibility are states of mind," Spirit told him. "In my mind, there is only the possible."

Lance looked at Spirit. "I believe you," He said simply. "Go kick their butts!"

"It's official," Scott looked at him with his jaw open. "You've all lost your minds!"

"So what do you say Magneto?" Hawk called out. "Just let our men fight it out with no help from us?"

"Why not?" Cobra Commandeer said. "We have the advantage anyway. Besides, I'd love to see what your men are capable of."

"Very well," Magneto said. "We agree to your terms." A cheer went up from Magneto's henchmen.

"This is a bad idea," Destro told them.

"Oh relax and watch the show," Cobra Commander said. "I'm going to enjoy myself!"

"I can't believe this!" Kurt whined.

"Don't worry," Todd told him. "You just gotta have faith and hope in the Joes."

"We're doomed," Bobby groaned.

Next: The battle begins! Who will fight whom and win? Tune in to see! You won't believe what you read.