You May Win the Battle yet Lose the War

Outside McCoy's apartment

The battle had been a bloody affair for both sides but now it was down to the last few players. On the X-Men's side, Warren and Sam were both seriously hurt, Hank and Bobby were unconscious, Jean was locked in a psychic duel and Scott was fighting for his life. On the side of the Brotherhood, Random and Havok were down, Logan, Fatale and Remy were nowhere to be seen and McCoy, Sarah and Martinique were locked in combat. McCoy was clearly winning his fight, however experienced a fighter Scott was; he was at a severe disadvantage in close combat with Dark Beast. Martinique seemed to be holding her own; as long as she could keep Jean distracted and prevent her from focusing she stood a chance. Sarah though was on her last legs.

It took a lot to get Ororo angry but if roused her wrath could be terrible to behold. She was angry now both with herself and with Marrow. She was angry for having ripped out a young woman's heart so long ago, angry that she'd been forced to seemingly kill Marrow to stop her. She also blamed herself for Sarah's return to the dark side. Perhaps she should have found it in her heart to feel more compassion for Marrow. Maybe she could have found it in herself to forgive her despite her heinous crimes. Still she was angry with Sarah too for having thrown back in her face the second chance she'd been forgiven. So angry she could no longer see the young vulnerable woman Sarah and instead only the mutant terrorist Marrow.

To her credit Sarah had fought well but against the raging power of the elements she stood little chance. Gale force winds battered her, hail pounded against her flesh and bones, freezing her to the core. She threw bone dagger after bone dagger, spray after spray of bone shards. Most were batted aside by the winds; those that struck were glancing blows serving only to further enrage Storm. Finally lightning crackled the smell of scorched flesh and a sickening tingle as Marrow felt herself electrocuted. Weak and nauseous she stumbled and fell, she felt herself falling as blackness gathered around the edge of her vision. She wondered absently if she was about to die.

"By the bright lady, what have I done?"

"Oui chere, dat is a good question. Now back away Stormie or I'm afraid dat Remy will have to hurt you. He cannot allow you to harm Sarah any more,"

Remy was standing in front of the fallen Marrow with a determined expression on his face. Ororo could hear the familiar hum as the biokinetic charge built up in the card he was holding. The Bo staff in his right hand was pointing directly at her and Ororo found herself retreating back a step or two. There was no trace of warmth or humor in Remy's eyes only anger and regret. He wasn't bluffing; Gambit was prepared to fight her.

"Remy you would raise your hand against me? I never wanted a part in this; I wish I'd been there at the trial to speak up in your defense. I'd never have condoned abandoning you to die. Believe me I can't forget what you did but I could have forgiven it. I wish I'd searched harder, found you before McCoy. I wish I could have brought you back home as I did once before but it's too late for that now isn't it?"

"Oui chere, Remy not hate you, never could and never will. Remy sorry dat de X-Men aren't his family any more, Marrow, McCoy, Logan, dey are all de family he needs. If you try to hurt Sarah again Remy will hurt you, dis is your only warning chere."

"I lost control Remy, may the bright lady forgive me for letting anger blind me. I'll never forget that I ripped out a little girl's heart. I'll never forgive myself for that, no matter how justified it was at the time. No I don't want to hurt Sarah Remy, I wanted to hurt Marrow, the terrorist, the killer. I looked at her and I didn't see Sarah, the young woman who needed our help and sympathy and who was working to redeem herself. I saw only an enemy and not the troubled young woman she really was. I hope one day she and you will be able to forgive me because I don't think I ever will."

A single tear formed at the corner of Ororo's eye and trickled down her cheek.

"No matter what happens Remy I'll never see you as an enemy. Warren is wrong about you, you're not evil, not a monster. You've made mistakes, committed heinous deeds but I truly believe you regret them. For what it's worth you have my forgiveness and I hope you can do the same for me. We were hypocrites at best Remy and I'm not at all proud of what we did. We were wrong. Goodbye Remy, I shall remember the friendship we once shared. Tell Sarah that I'm sorry too and that she was right. Farewell."

"Chere, wait," cried Remy dropping his staff to the floor.

Ororo simply rode the winds up into the sky and away. Remy watched her fly, shaking his head in regret. Perhaps one day he would get the chance to speak to her again, maybe they could become friends again. He could forgive her now; she'd been sincere as she always was. He could never hate her and she could never be an enemy to him.

"Remy," whispered Sarah as she began to stir.

Remy knelt beside her and cradled her head in his arms. He removed his trench coat wrapping it round her tenderly.

"I'm here for you chere and I will not leave you s'il vous plait. I will see dat no harm comes to you, I will protect you whatever the odds."

Her small smile was all the thanks he could need.

Shortly afterwards

Scott was desperately trying to retreat so he could get an opening for an optic blast. All he needed was one good hit and he could end the fight. The trouble was McCoy knew this and he wasn't letting up for an instance. Dark Beast was simply too fast and too strong for Scott to do anything except desperately try to defend himself. He sensed he was only prolonging the inevitable. He'd managed to get some good blows in, blood was streaming from McCoy's nose, one eye was swollen shut and he might even have cracked a rib. For every blow he struck McCoy got two or three of his own in. The blows rained down like sledgehammers, cracking bone, but he sensed McCoy was holding back. The furry gray mutant could easily have torn him apart but he seemed to be pulling his blows. It couldn't be out of mercy but because he was toying with his victim. Probably McCoy wanting him lying bloodied and broken at his feet, weeping, wailing and begging for mercy. Scott wasn't going to give him the satisfaction and was determined to go down fighting. He knew only too well that there was little hope of mercy from McCoy, best to die fighting than end up a plaything for his amusement or something interesting to experiment on.

"You fight well dear boy but I sense you're running out of steam. Let's see, dislocated shoulder and I believe a fractured ulna, numerous bruises and lacerations, cracked ribs, broken nose, I've beaten you black and blue and yet you stand. I congratulate you on your resilience Scott but admit it, you won't last much longer. Why not surrender and spare yourself further pain? I'll be merciful," McCoy was inches away and the voice was little more than a harsh growl.

"I'm not surrendering to you fur-ball. There's still a lot of fight left in me," Scott broke down retching and gagging, helplessly coughing blood.

He was limping, staggering, and waves of nausea running through him. He felt so dizzy and weak and his vision was blurring. He was about to lose consciousness. In desperation he fired off an optic blast, McCoy twisted aside and lost a little fur but that was all. The effort took most of his remaining strength and he slumped to his knees. McCoy simply gave him a ruthless grin and stepped behind him. The powerful shaggy forearm wrapped round his throat pulling him up against McCoy's furry chest. Scott knew then that he was going to die, he was utterly helpless. All McCoy had to do was squeeze and he'd snap Scott's neck like a twig. There was no chance of him escaping now; even if he wasn't so weak and wounded he wasn't strong enough to break that grip.

"I could kill you very easily now," McCoy's voice was nonchalant, almost indolent.

"Well go right ahead McCoy. Just quit playing around with me and end it. I'm not going to plead for mercy or surrender so just do it. I'm not afraid of dying," his defiant snarl was little more than a whisper.

He shut his eyes behind his visor and calmly waited for the end. He was determined to die with dignity and accept his fight. Slowly, inexorably the grip around his throat grew tighter, squeezing him and cutting off his breath. Then just as he was about to black out the grip was released. Scott fell forward rolling onto his back. He lay there gasping for breath, too weak to move let alone fight. He just gazed up at McCoy and wondered why his life had been spared.

"I've decided Scotty boy that you get to live. I see from your bewildered expression that mercy is the last thing you expected from me. Well let me tell you why I decided not to kill you."

McCoy hunkered down beside Scott, clawed fingers ruffling his defeated enemy's hair.

"Mercy's something I've never really considered before; I've always just gone for killing my enemies. Thanks to Remy I've found mercy can be a good thing if practiced in due moderation. I've defeated you Cyclops and I find that is enough in itself. If I kill you another will rise in your place and the X-Men will come after me for revenge. By not killing you, I let you live with the knowledge that I defeated you and believe me it's a sweet feeling. Perhaps one day I may be lying helpless at your feet and maybe you'll remember my mercy and in turn spare me."

McCoy grinned sardonically.

"The truth is Scott; you're little more than an annoyance to me. The true enemy threatens both our forces and is far more terrible than I. I suggest Scott you forget your little vendetta with me and focus on the real threat, the Hellfire Club. Gather your friends and go back home to lick your wounds. Just keep out of my way in future because next time I might not be so merciful."

Restaurant somewhere near New York

"I trust the meal was to sirs and madams satisfaction?"

"Yes indeed it was my compliments to the chef," Thomas frowned, something about the waiter's smile wasn't right. Not a polite smile but the cold grin a predator might possess just as they were about to strike.

"So glad you could enjoy it. After all it was your last meal and it would be a great shame if it proved unsatisfactory," the voice was very different now. Soft spoken but with an undercurrent of menace, a sharp knife in a silken sheath.

The man's form seemed to shimmer for a second before collapsing to the floor as someone stepped out of the body. At first glance he seemed almost harmless, tall but slender, delicately handsome with sharp features. The look in his eyes was one of unholy glee. The smile he was giving them was enough to send chills down even Puma's spine.

"Hello, allow me to introduce myself. I'm known as Mountjoy and I'm here to kill you both. There that's all you need to know."

Thomas snarled fur beginning to sprout over his body as his fangs lengthened. Within seconds Puma was leaping towards Mountjoy who simply stood with the mad grin still on his face. He spread his arms wide as if to embrace Puma making no move to defend himself. Rogue came to a sudden realization and called out to Puma.

"Wait sugah, ah think ah recognize him. Don't let him touch yah or he'll absorb yah into him!"

Rogue's warning came just seconds too late as Mountjoy's hand reached out brushing against sandy fur. Almost immediately Puma's form seemed to shimmer and he slowly melted into Mountjoy. Before Rogue's eyes Mountjoy seemed to shift until he was a composite of his own and Puma's features. The grin on the now furry face grew even broader as he gave her a curt nod.

"Quite correct my dear. My power works both ways, I can travel within the bodies of other mutants and humans or I can absorb them into me. Like you I gain their powers and memories and if they stay inside me too long they are absorbed permanently. This fate will not be yours though; I'm simply going to kill you."

Rogue knew what she had to do, reaching forward she grabbed Mountjoy and planted a firm kiss on his lips before the startled mutant could react. The merger found himself absorbed against his will. Rogue dropped to the ground thrashing as her features shifted back and forth between herself, Mountjoy and Puma. In her head a battle for domination went on between herself and the parasite.

Mountjoy was afraid, he was alone and outnumbered dozens to one. A vast army was assembled against him, all the people that Rogue had ever touched all the fragments of memory and personality.

"Ah hope yah feeling lucky Mountjoy, all mah friends don't look real pleased tah see yah sugah!"

At Rogue's words the crowd fell on Mountjoy and he disappeared under a heap of flailing fists and feet, his cries echoing through Rogue's mind, gradually growing faint until ceasing altogether.

Rogue awoke as she heard an echoing scream. Looking up she saw ethereal form rushing out of her. He solidified, toppling to the floor to lie prone. His breathing was faint and shallow and it looked as though he wouldn't be causing any more problems for a very long time. Rogue looked down at him and gave a bright cheery smile.

"Ah think this Southern belle proved too much fer yah possum!"

A groan came from close by and she saw Puma was beginning to come to as was the waiter. She rushed over to Thomas's side hoping he was going to be alright.

Hellfire Club

"Well that was disappointing, entertaining while it lasted but over far too soon. What's more there wasn't even one death and I was expecting McCoy at least to have killed Cyclops. Still at least it served it's purpose, they were distracted from the true threat and instead fought those with whom they should be allying. Both sides are weakened now and that can only be to our advantage."

Selene cast a last glare towards the crystal ball frozen on the images of Logan, Kurt and Kitty. All three were seated on Logan's bed talking amongst themselves. That had been a complete let down. She'd been hoping they'd fight and that Logan would end up killing one of his best friends. Instead they'd simply talked and seemed to have come to an agreement. It came to something when even the Wolverine would rather talk than fight.

"Yes ma'am now would be the best time to strike. Fortunately I've got the perfect plan of action," Fitzroy smiled obsequiously and absently stroked his beard.

"Yeah I'm ready ta go fer a rematch, got myself a score ta settle with fur-ball, the runt and their friends,"

"Sorry Sabretooth but we'll need someone who's competent at something other than getting their butt handed to them. Naturally I Holocaust shall be the one to destroy our foes."

"Actually you're both wrong chaps. For what I have in mind I need those with subtlety, guile and cunning. Simple brute force will not be enough. No I've got far more devious people in mind for this task," Fitzroy studiously ignored the glowers cast at him by Sabretooth and Holocaust.

"Go ahead Trevor, I'm listening," purred Selene.

Her smile grew wider as Fitzroy slowly laid out his plan.

Back outside McCoy's apartment

"It is fortunate for you that you did not kill my husband McCoy. If you had pieces of you would be scattered half way across New York. As for now feel just a hint of my power."

McCoy gave an agonized groan as an iron grip squeezed his heart for a fraction of a second before releasing it.

"Jean, I'm hurt. I thought we were friends," growled Dark Beast.

"I really wouldn't try anything else my dear or we might just forget about this truce,"

Feeling cold steel at her throat Jean realized Fatale must have teleported behind her. With an unapologetic shrug she lowered her gaze and backed down. The tension was rising in the air as the few survivors of the fight faced off against each other. Remy, Fatale, Logan, Martinique and McCoy on the Brotherhood's side and Jean, Ororo, Piotr, Kurt and Kitty on the X-Men's side.

"Well it looks like I got here just in time. Now if you've finally finished growling at each other maybe I could draw your attention to the more important matters. What I'm about to suggest may come as a shock but you have an enemy in common. Now are you going to listen or do I have to knock a few heads together."

Nate Grey floated down from the sky and positioned himself between Jean and McCoy. He folded his arms across his chest and fixed them with a stern glare. Seconds later Blink and Sabretooth teleported in and stood with Nate.

Jean and McCoy exchanged a glance and then nodded.

"Indubitably, it would behoove us to heed your words X-Man," muttered McCoy.

"Loathe as I am to admit it, the gray hair-ball has a point." Jean allowed herself a small smile as McCoy glared at her.