New Friends, New Enemies

McCoy's Apartment

Martinique did a double take when she saw McCoy come in through the door, not that his entrance was unexpected of course. She'd called him after successfully extracting the requested information from the Strucker twins; it was just that he looked different. With that thick coat of fur he normally didn't bother with shirts particularly not black T-shirts as tight as the one he was wearing and well jeans again were unusual. She would perhaps have admired the way that they showed off his muscles but the fur was too big a distraction, blue was now among the gray and spreading even as she watched. McCoy noticed her interest and grinned.

"Before you ask, I'm dressed this way as part of a plan Remy has suggested requiring my posing as my goodly alter ego. As for the fur, well this is courtesy of a little gene therapy, put simply it alters the pigmentation of hair follicles and over the course of the next couple of hours I'll be completely blue. The effect should slowly reverse itself over the next day or two, much simpler than a dye job and I don't need to worry about sudden downpours."

He held out his hand close to her face and for a few seconds she watched the individual hairs changing color.

"Fascinating, well you'll be pleased to know that your earlier conclusions were correct. The Hellfire Club is behind it, apparently they were hired by Selene to assassinate you and that she's planning something major, as in apocalyptic end of the world type stuff. Aside from that they know little of value,"

"I thought as much. You wouldn't happen to have an electric razor or something handy would you, I reckon I'll need a trim,"

A few minutes later a much neater McCoy was admiring his now neatly trimmed sideburns and shorter haircut and nodding gently as Martinique finished relating her findings. Not as much information as he'd have liked but as much as he'd have expected low level players like Fenris to have been told, it would have to do for now. Now the question was whatever he was going to do with Fenris, killing them wouldn't really be worth the bother. Perhaps he could send them back slightly damaged to send a message of his own.

"You say that Andrea and Andreas suffered some unfortunate side effects, you wouldn't mind giving me a little look would you dear?"

"Certainly not McCoy, I'll just psi-link us both to the hapless pair who are now locked in a couple of my more horrific illusions, trust me you'll enjoy the show."

Andrea was screaming as she fell of the cliff, down, down towards the rocks far below knowing that she'd be torn to pieces on impact. Yet they seemed to be getting no closer even though she must have been falling for hours now. Was she going to be falling for all eternity or would her fall come a sudden and lethal stop any second now? All she could do was scream and scream all the way down.

He was alone, all alone in the pitch black darkness of the tiny cell, yet not alone. He was bound so tightly that he could hardly breathe yet alone move, the gag pulled tightly across his mouth and the blindfold drawn across his eyes. He could hear the skittering of the tiny claws though, the eager little squeaks and he knew they were coming. In the darkness the rats scurried forwards eager for their meal.

"Oh how utterly delicious," purred McCoy licking his lips. He winced slightly as one of his wounds twanged.

"Would you mind just giving my arm a rub Marti? Ah thanks that's much better," he sighed as gentle fingers began to stroke the fur.

Now he made the final touches to his disguise, clawed fingers delicately placed the blue contact lenses in his eyes and his transformation into the bouncing blue beast was almost complete.

"Well stars and garters, I think you're the real McCoy," chuckled Marti.

"Oh very droll my dear, I've heard that joke before far too many times."

Hellfire Club

Apocalypse was thankful for the relative opulence of the Great Hall of the Inner Circle. Given Selene's hedonistic nature the place was bedecked by all manner of tapestries, portraits, drapes and cushions. As acting Black King of the Inner Circle he got to sit on the comfortable throne at Selene's right hand. Though it might have seemed he was lolling at ease the truth was that this was the only way to get any relief at all from his constant pain. To try and take his mind off the pain he focused his attention on the various tapestries and paintings nearby. They were magnificent works of art and would have been truly beautiful save for their content. They displayed scenes of such brutal and gratuitous torture and violence or erotic and pornographic scenes of such explicit nature that even he felt faintly repulsed by them. Most of them featured various forms of demons usually torturing or copulating with humans, an indication that nowadays the Hellfire Club more literally lived up to it's name.

"Ya know Poccy, that one yer lookin' at right now, that's my favorite too. The one where ya got that demon ripping out the frail's heart, I done that myself a time or two," growled Creed making an attempt at friendly conversation.

"You have the temerity to attempt small talk with me; you think that I would deign to talk to a lowly animal like you Creed? I suggest you cease lest I lose my patience and crush you like a gnat where you stand," rumbled Apocalypse feeling somewhat sick at heart. Creed had been making various bloodthirsty comments the last half hour and it had all gotten a little much.

"Oh well if ya want ta be like that. Hey Fitzroy which one do ya like the best?"

Apocalypse was thankful that Sabretooth hadn't tried to call his bluff because in truth he just wouldn't have the strength to do it, not without Selene realizing just how weak he really was. Forgetting the feral for now he turned to the more pleasant company of Madelyn Pryor. Taking another sip of champagne he complimented her on her fine dress receiving a pleasant smile in return. This was one thing he found he did enjoy; strange that the simple pleasures of conversation had seemed so irrelevant before. It had been so long, so many centuries, millennia since he had considered other mutants and humans anything more that wheat from which he would separate the chaff. If he was to die perhaps he would rediscover what it meant to be truly human now that he was as weak as they were. Maybe he'd even discover that there were things he'd missed.

"So En Sabah Nur how are you enjoying this party? I know I'd prefer it without the boorish company of Creed but still he's little more than a mindless animal. So interesting thought to learn that like me McCoy is a refugee from another time line and one in which you ruled, an Age of Apocalypse eh, what a fascinating notion," quipped Fitzroy.

"So shall an Age of Apocalypse come to pass on this earth," Apocalypse spoke the words with feigned confidence and arrogance knowing too well that Fitzroy was utterly loyal to Selene; any slip would be reported back to his mistress.

Selene suddenly clapped her hands and all heads turned to face her. Smiling she stood and pointed to the doorway, evidently her expected guest had arrived; the help that she'd promised Creed. A tall man, his burly frame filling his tuxedo to capacity strode confidently into the room evidently unfazed by the presence of one of Selene's attendant demons beside him. Madelyn Pryor smiled at him and went over, politely the Native American kissed her hand and allowed her to take his arm as she led him towards Selene.

"May I present Thomas Fireheart or as he prefers to be known, the Puma. He should provide the solution to our little Dark Beast problem,"

"Hah, he ain't nothing like a puma, more like prey," sneered Creed contemptuously.

Puma snarled and then transformed, bursting out of his tuxedo revealing a simpler red costume underneath and a necklace of teeth around his neck. Canines lengthened, sandy fur grew all over his body, claws protruded from fingers and he grew in height and musculature. Growling he sprang halfway across the room landing beside the astonished Creed, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him straight off the ground. Creed stared into the glinting feline eyes and for once truly empathized with the way his victims felt.

"Is this better?" growled Puma.

"As you can see he's perfect for the job, faster, stronger and even more agile than McCoy. Plus he's a dedicated assassin and also honorable, he'll be only too happy to get rid of a person as truly malicious and evil as Dark Beast. Plus he's yours to command," Madelyn winked at Selene and gave her a knowing grin.

"Oh yes he's magnificent," purred Selene and Puma flattered, did a little purring of his own.

Somewhere in New York City

"Ah'm glad yah decided tah tag along with me sugah, ah guess ah'd feel a lot lonelier without yah Nate. Ah just wish ah could tell Remy how sorry I am fer leaving him like that. I just don't know if he would find in himself tah forgive me," sighed Rogue.

Nate Grey nodded; he remembered when he'd still been new to this world, believed himself to still be in the hellish alternate universe he'd been born in. Rogue had been the first X-Man to reach out to him, the first he could trust. She'd helped him and become a friend when he needed one the most, now it was only fair that he helped her when she needed him. He could read her mind easily, find the answer she needed to hear, the one that would give her reassurance and comfort.

"Rogue, Remy loves you and he would forgive you. You've got to forgive yourself first though, you know you made a mistake and you regret it. You've got to let go of the guilt or how can you expect anyone to forgive you when you haven't forgiven yourself?"

"That's the problem sugah; ah don't know if I can forgive myself for leaving him tah die."

Xavier Institute of Higher Learning, the grounds

Scott went over the current roster of X-Men in his head, himself, Jean, Beast, Storm, Cannonball, and Iceman. Now that Wolverine and Marrow gone, doubtlessly to join up with Dark Beast and his Brotherhood that left him with six X-Men, not nearly enough to stand against that group, half of whom were former allies including his own brother. Hank had contacted Cecilia Reyes though and had managed to persuade her to return while he'd put in a call to Muir Island and Nightcrawler, Colossus and Shadowcat had happily agreed to return home. Still a war against Dark Beast was going to be a long and bloody affair especially if Gambit and Wolverine, two of the deadliest X-Men were fighting with him.

Scott was surprised how much he found himself hating the man. It wasn't as though he was the most powerful mutant enemy; Magneto, Sinister and Apocalypse were far more powerful. No it was because he'd done something no other enemy had been audacious enough to try, kidnapping and replacing a member of the team. He'd been among them for so long with nobody suspecting anything amiss, hell Scott even shared a drink with the man. To think as well that Jean had confided in him, hugged him when she needed comfort thinking it was the old Hank she knew and loved made Scott's blood boil. He could also never forgive what McCoy had done to Hank or his brother Alex. His part in the Onslaught crisis, his part in Gene Nation's atrocities, his cruel and heartless experiments on countless innocents, all were reason enough to destroy him.

"I'm going to hunt you down McCoy and I swear you're going to pay for your crimes. If it comes to I'm going to put you down like the rabid dog you are. Nobody takes my X-Men away from me without suffering the consequences," snarled Scott surprised at his own anger.

A whoop, the sound of mocking applause caused him to turn just as a wave of plasma hit him square in the chest without leaving a mark.

"What the heck, Alex brother?"

"Got it in one Scotty boy, do you really think you're going to succeed in taking down Dark Beast, a 'quixotic and foolhardy venture' is what he'd call it, me I'd just say you're full of hot air just like you've always been. I bet it really bugs you that like me Remy have ultimately chosen his way instead of your foolish dreams."

Alex was grinning wildly and Scott sighed, he had to try and get through to his brother.

"Listen Alex you've got to fight it, he must be controlling your mind still. The brother I know is a good man; he'd never willingly side with evil, not like this."

"Scott all my life my destiny's been controlled by others, the Living Monolith, Sinister, Cameron Hodge, Dark Beast, Xavier and yourself to name a few. Scott for the first time in my life, I'm truly myself and I've chosen my path. I'm just sorry you find it so difficult to accept that this is the way I am," he shook his head almost regretfully.

"Still it's because I'm your brother that I'm warning you to stay out of our way. McCoy's not interested in fighting you but while he won't start a fight he'll finish it and he won't be nearly as nice as I would be. I'm telling you this and it's your first and last warning so think carefully before starting something you can't finish. Goodbye brother, we'll have to do this again sometime,"

With a mocking wave Alex turned his back and walked away, never looking back.

"You're wrong brother, dead wrong because I'm starting the fight and I'm finishing it."

McCoy's apartment

"Ya know Remy, I reckon yer new buddy's are a little frightened of me, sensible of them," growled Logan taking a sip of his beer.

"Oui mon ami, you made quite de impression on dem, McCoy thinks dat you'll fit in fine. He'll be back later by de way, don't worry he's not going to harm anyone s'il vous plait. Remy suppose dat Scott and de others aren't too happy about me?"

"Yer right Remy, Hank and Ororo are really upset and Scott's practically given himself a cardiac arrest. I do have someone who wanted ta meet ya, 'cause ya see McCoy told me about yer saving Marrow when ya tried ta make up fer yer mistakes. I think she'd like ta thank ya personally," Logan gave Remy an easy grin.

Fatale chose that moment to teleport into the room with Marrow beside her. Sarah for once seemed rather shy and hesitant, wanting to go over to Remy but at the same time reluctant. Finally she went over to him and kissed him, just once on the cheek.

"That's to thank you Remy,"

"You're welcome chere, Remy see dat you don't hate him. Dat is good oui?"

Sarah smiled at him again. Logan sighed and shook his head, Jubilee and Kitty had used to look at him that way and it was obvious that Remy's handsome looks weren't lost on Sarah. The very fact that he could look at her and not be repulsed by all those bones sticking through the skin counted for a lot with her. Those red on black eyes didn't usually reveal much but there was a tenderness in them, maybe they could be good for each other, help each other to forgive themselves for the crimes of the past, help each other to look in their hearts and find the light there hidden in the shadow. Logan hoped that would be the case.

"You can see it can't you Logan, I think she's got a crush on him. Do you think I ought to be jealous?" asked Fatale half-teasingly.

"Ya can do whatever ya like Fatale, me I'm going ta finish my beer," growled Logan. He certainly wasn't going to be all sentimental in front of the likes of her.

"You know Logan, those muttonchops are kinda sexy," purred Fatale.

Logan growled again determined to ignore her flirting.

Trish Tilby's office

"I trust that you can forgive me my unwarranted intrusion and I am feeling extreme contrition for my lamentable omission of contacting you prior to my arrival. This was a spur of the moment decision,"

Trish smiled at McCoy, she had been somewhat surprised to find Hank waiting for her behind the desk, surprised but not displeased. Instead she just admired the way the T-shirt showed off his muscles and if there was just the slightest hint of gray amid the blue fur or a feral glint in those eyes she didn't notice it. Instead she went over and sat on the desk, just ruffling his fur with her fingers, just as soft as usual. She did raise an eyebrow when he shut his eyes and purred blissfully, usually he wouldn't react as strongly as this, it was almost as if he was unused to this type of attention.

"Are you alright Hank?"

"Forgive me but I've been feeling rather tense recently, I guess I'm just feeling a little wild maybe in need of relaxing. Stars and garters, I just found myself thinking of you and how much I love you, I just had to come and see you Trish. Please say that you don't mind?" he was pleading now.

"Of course I don't mind fuzz-ball. Now you say you're feeling rather wild and guess what so am I. Now why don't we……….." she leant and whispered in his ear.

McCoy grinned broadly, yes he was going to enjoy Remy's plan very much indeed.