The Tournament Begins

"Okay here are the rules," Hawk said. "Humans only for our team, six fighters for each team. Neither Magneto nor I will fight or give assistance. We will be allowed to pick who will fight. First team to have all it's fighters knocked out or give up loses. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Magneto nodded. "They sound like very fair rules. I assume you will allow mutants to use their powers?"

"As long as they don't kill their opponent I have no problem with it," Hawk said.

"Are you out of your mind?" Scott yelped. "But that's not fair!"

"Don't worry about it," Roadblock shrugged. "We can handle it."

"Yeah, right," Ray scoffed.

"We are so doomed," Kurt moaned.

"We are not!" Todd said. "Just relax! Hawk knows what he's doing!"

"That's good to know because I don't have a clue!" Kurt muttered.

"Hawk you don't have to prove anything!" Xavier pleaded. "Call this off!"

"Apparently I do," Hawk told him. "Okay who's up first?"

"Let me fight my lord!" Cortez asked, bending on his knee. "Please give me the honor of serving you and proving how truly superior we mutants are!"

"Oh for crying out loud," Pyro groaned. "What a suck up!"

"Fifty says he blows it by being too cocky," Sabertooth said.

"You're on!" Ramfist said. "If he fights half as well as he kisses butt…"

"All right Cortez you're up first," Magneto sighed.

"And which one of you lowly humans will be my opponent?" Cortez strutted forward. "Perhaps you?" He eyed Roadblock. "You look like a challenge."

"Actually I had someone else in mind," Hawk grinned. "Blind Master!"

Cortez's jaw dropped when he saw the Blind Master walk in with his cane. "Is this a joke?" He snapped. "An old blind man?"

"Yeah I think he can take you," Roadblock snickered.

"Prepare to lose your money Sabertooth," Ramfist snickered.

"Yeah I want in!" Ramrod chimed. "Even Cortez isn't that pathetic!"

"Hey!" Cortez snapped.

"Are we going to fight or are we going to just stand here and debate how much of a loser my opponent is?" The Blind Master asked.

"You will pay for your insults you old fool! This won't be a challenge," Cortez sniffed.

That was when the Blind Master immediately punched him in the stomach. Then he gave him a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Cortez crumpled to the ground. "You got that right," The Blind Master chuckled.

"Oh…" Magneto put his head in his hand.

"I told you the kid was too cocky," Sabertooth said as he collected his winnings.

"I should have known," Magneto glared at Cortez as he was dragged away. "All talk, no talent. All right Pyro I want you to go in. I need someone competent to fight now!"

"Yeah that was a lucky break winning over that loser!" Pyro sniffed as he stepped forward.

"I pick Barbecue," Hawk pointed. "That Joe over there! And since Pyro is using his flame-thrower for his powers I want Barbecue's equipment as well given back to him. Unless you don't think your man can handle it."

"I don't…" Destro started to say.

"Go ahead!" Pyro waved. "I don't care what he has! Nothing can stop my flames!"

"Don't be so sure Sparky," Barbecue growled as he was freed and given his equipment back.

"You shouldn't have done that," Destro told Magneto.

"Why not? What's so special about that Joe? What does he do?" Magneto asked.

"He's the Joe fireman," Destro sighed as Barbecue used his equipment to douse Pyro's flame.

"Oh…" Magneto frowned as he saw that Barbecue had gunked up Pyro's flame-thrower. "No wonder they picked him." He glared as Barbecue simply punched the pyrokinetic out.

"Forget the losers Magneto!" Ramrod shouted. "Send one of us in!"

"Yeah they can't beat pure muscle!" Ramfist snapped.

"Send me in!" Sabertooth snapped.

"Eventually," Magneto told him. "Have patience. You are our trump card. But for now I will send in one of my most powerful mutants! Mastermind!"

"But…but…Magneto," Mastermind protested. "I have no fighting skills!"

"You don't need fighting skills idiot!" Magneto hissed. "Use your powers."

"Oh man this is not good," Pietro gulped.

"Anybody want to take this one?" Hawk asked casually asked.

"I will rise to the challenge," Spirit said calmly.

"Be careful Spirit," Wanda said. "You know what he can do to people's minds!"

"I do," He told her. "But I also know my mind. Remember, in my mind…"

"There is only the possible," Logan sighed. "Yeah. Problem is the same goes for Mastermind! Literally!"

"Go Spirit!" Lance cheered. "You can do this!"

"Can he?" Mastermind created an illusion of fire all around Spirit. "Come and get me if you can Joe!"

"Are you sure Pyro isn't helping on this?" Kurt yelped. "I can feel the heat!"

"Burn GI Joe…" Mastermind cackled. "Burn…WHAT?"

Spirit calmly walked through the fire. "You are good at deceiving and tricking children and those with weak minds," Spirit told him. "But I have honed my skills with vision quests over the years, turning my mind into a wall which you cannot impregnate."

"Oh really?" Mastermind removed the fire and delved deep into Spirit's mind. Spirit yelled and sank to his knees, clutching his head. "Yes…yes…I see them…all your fears…weaknesses….and insecurities…You thought you buried them deeply where they cannot hurt you? But I found them. See how easy I can turn them against you!"

"He's using his powers to warp Spirit's mind!" Xavier said.

"Come on Spirit…" Lance said. "Fight him! You can do it!"

"He can do nothing!" Magneto said. "Soon he will be nothing but a drooling idiot!"

"T…Takes….one…to know…one!" Spirit grunted, sweating visibly, fighting Mastermind.

"That's impossible!" Mastermind shouted. "He's resisting!"

"Your illusions…are impressive…" Spirit gasped. "But my will is stronger…. My mind is sharper…and my vision is clear! YOU SHALL FALL DECIEVER!"

With a mighty roar Spirit rose from his knees and charged at Mastermind and clobbered him. Mastermind fell down instantly. Spirit stood over him panting. "I…thank you for pointing out my weaknesses…" Spirit gasped. "It allowed me to face them and make me stronger…" He nearly collapsed.

"Spirit!" Lance ran out and helped Spirit to the sidelines. "Give me some water!" He ordered, swiping it from Bobby. He held it up to his lips. "Here you go. It's all right Spirit. You won. Just rest now."

"Look at the wimp!" Pyro growled. "The mighty Avalanche fawning over his human master!"

"You always were pathetic," Magneto growled.

"Bite me Bucket Head!" Lance made an obscene gesture. "Spirit's more of a leader than you ever could hope to be!"

Magneto growled. "Do not incur my wrath Avalanche. Lest you tempt me to teach you a lesson in respect!"

"You haven't earned it!" Lance snapped.

"Avalanche!" Spirit ordered. "Be still…it doesn't matter."

"He's right yo," Todd said. "What matters is the final count!"

"Well let's check the score now shall we?" Hawk said. "GI Joe three, Mutants…Zip!"

"They're winning," Scott said dumbfounded. "I can't believe it…they're winning!"

"They haven't won yet," Logan told him. "You know Sabertooth is gonna get into the action."

"So who's up next?" Hawk asked. "How about it?"

"We want to fight!" Ramrod and Ramfist shouted.

"Two at a time is no problem for us," Hawk said.

"Ram Brothers. Ramrod, Ramfist! Dispose of those pesky Joes!" Magneto ordered.

"Roadblock," Hawk nodded. "Gung Ho."

"Finally some real action," Ramfist growled as he slammed his fist into his open palm.

"You're going down you overgrown Billy goats," Gung Ho said.

Roadblock paired off with Ramfist. "Saw your mama a while back," He said. "Didn't have the heart to tell Ewe what you boys were doing. I'd would have put her in a world of hurt."

"I'd be more worried about your mama if I were you!" Ramfist snarled as he attacked. Soon all four of them were wrestling.

"You humans are weak!" Ramrod howled as he got Gung Ho in a headlock.

"Ah stop your bleating!!" Gung Ho stomped on his foot and broke away.

"Prepare to be in pain!" Ramfist grunted as he and Roadblock had a death grip on each other.

"I…don't…think…so!" Roadblock butted his head against his. This stunned Ramfist long enough for Roadblock to grab him by the horns. He threw him down and broke one of them off.

"My horn!" Ramfist howled.

"My fist!" Roadblock knocked him out.

"BAAAHHHHH!" The Misfits cheered from the sidelines.

"Number four has hit the floor!" Roadblock shouted.

"And here goes number five!" Gung Ho snarled as he knocked Ramrod out with a swift kick.

"Way to go!" Fred whooped.

"Just one more and we'll win this thing!" Bobby shouted.

"I don't believe it!" Kurt cried out. "They're winning! They're actually winning!"

"They're not just winning!" Ray laughed. "They're clobbering 'em!"

"And you guys thought we were pathetic?" Lance laughed.

"Uh…you don't have any one of those energy wielding mutants around do you?" Cobra Commander asked nervously.

"No I don't," Magneto growled. "Sabertooth I think its time you took the field."

"Past time if you ask me," Sabertooth strode before them. "But this time I gotta request! This time I get to pick who I fight!"

"I don't have a problem with that," Hawk said. "Go ahead. Pick one of my men!"

"Very well," Magneto said. "Sabertooth will fight whomever he chooses."

"And I choose…" Sabertooth grinned. "Him!" He pointed to his opponent.

"Who me?" Lifeline yelped.

"Oh yeah," Sabertooth smiled. "This is gonna be fun."

What will happen next? Stay tuned as this fight takes a strange and wild course to an amazing ending!