How is this? Sorry if it isn't good enough, but this is really as good as battles get for me..I'll try harder I promise.don't hate.

::Mind-speech:: - just thought I'd inform you.

Domino, hiding in the foliage surrounding the Palace, felt her heart stop in terror at the sound of Jean's voice screaming for the attack. She could see, from her hiding space, the army approaching. She and the rest of the Gods who had chosen to help her, the rest of the "lesser Gods," were waiting until their parents and grandparents decided to engage the army before they decided to attack.

Above her, in Jean's old rooms, Colossus said, "It's time," before jumping out the window and running towards the army.

Polaris shook her head before jumping out the window and flying into the air, following her husband. Psylocke was next, leaping out the window to join in battle. Following her, Iceman made himself a bridge of ice and slide down after his love. Storm flew out the window after them throwing lightning bolts as she went.

Gambit and Rogue turned to the Fates, "You comin'?" they asked
together.

Meggan shook her head, "Sorry, Fates don't fight."

Rogue grinned, "Ah thought ya didn' fight Fate."

Destiny smiled back, "Get going."

Gambit grabbed Rogue's hand and kissed her palm. Together they leapt out of the window and into the waiting battle.

When Domino saw the last of the Pantheon leave Jean's rooms she herself leapt out. Nightcrawler followed swiftly behind her yelling out a fierce battle cry.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the skies above the battle Phoenix hovered, laughing. They thought to fight her, how quaint. She'd teach them.

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Mystique felt it the moment her children entered battle. She gave a soul-wrenching cry that tore through the skies. Cyclops stared at her, tears welling up in his eyes at her pain. "What's going on?" he sobbed in question.

Mystique turned to him, her own eyes filled with tears, "They've gone to fight her, and her armies."

Cyclops's head snapped up, he was fully alert now, more so than ever. "They've gone to fight Jean?"

Mystique's eyes went hard as ice, "That. Thing. Is. Not. Jean." She ground out ever word between clenched teeth.

Cyclops looked into her eyes, "I know. I'm going to stop her."

Mystique's eyes cleared and she nodded. "Let's go." She began calling her divine powers to her, using her gifts as a Goddess to transport them instantly to the battlefield. Nothing happened. She could not move to the Palace of the Gods. She tried and tried. Finally she turned to Cyclops, "Can you get us home?"

Cyclops raised an eyebrow but said only, "Sure." Mystique saw his forehead wrinkle in effort. After a few moments he raised his head, "I can't."

Mystique sighed, "This must be Jean's doing. She doesn't want us to show up and ruin all of her plans."

Cyclops glared at the sky, as if it was responsible for his inability to save his wife's soul. "So than how do we get home?"

Mystique's frown turned into a brilliant smile. "Slipstream and Lifeguard," she said simply.

Cyclops raised an incredulous eyebrow, "The Messenger of the Gods and the Goddess of Protection?"

Mystique's smile, if possible, grew even wider, "You got it."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lifeguard was sweeping through the ranks of demons, destroying everything in her path. Her brother Slipstream was beside her, doing as much damage as she could. Above them both, they felt Jean's presence, radiating hatred.

Lifeguard was sure the hatred was directed at all of humanity, all of the Gods, and not just her in particular. Still, it made her extremely nervous that at any moment Jean would decide to hurl fire bolts down on them like she had been doing before.

Knowing that she could not worry about Jean and the battle at the same time, Lifeguard but the Queen of the Gods out of her mind.

As she was concentrating on fighting a relatively nasty demon she heard a familiar voice ringing in her head. ::Sis?::

::Slipstream?:: she thought back at her brother, who since being made into the Messenger of the Gods had developed the ability to hear projected thoughts.

::The Lady Night had requested our presence,:: there was a slight pause in his mind-voice, ::She says now.::

::Why would Mystique need us?:: Lifeguard replied puzzled. She ducked a wild punch from another demon.

She could feel Slipstream's shrug even though she couldn't see it through the crowd of demon and evil spirit bodies surrounding her. ::We just have to hurry!::

Sighing Lifeguard spun in a vicious whirlwind, flinging all the demons around her away. She leapt from the ground and flew on golden wings to where her brother and his lover Wolfsbane, the Goddess of Intuition, were fighting. Seeing her, Slipstream flung his arms into the air and leapt to grab onto his sister.

With a smile on his face Slipstream looked up at his sister. "They're in the Saphron Mountain Ranges," he yelled up at her.

Lifeguard stuck her tongue out at her younger brother. "So why don't you do something useful and take us there?" she asked indicating the short surfboard that he had strapped to his back for the battle.

"Aw, and I was just having fun!" he whined with a good-natured smile. Quickly he unstrapped his metal surfboard, "Can we wait until we're out of the battle-zone?"

Lifeguard looked below her to the masses of demons and dark souls. She hadn't realized that there were so many of them. She sighed, knowing that they'd be in battle for a while, "Sure thing bro."

After a little fancy flying to avoid the power-bolts that some upper-level demons threw and the fire-bolts that Jean kept raining down on the battlefield, the two made their way out of battle. Setting her brother down, Lifeguard started tapping her foot in impatience.

Slipstream groaned and pulled himself off of the ground where she had dropped him, "Funny." He quickly opened a portal, and grabbed Lifeguards hand. He smiled to himself; he planned on making this one hell of a ride for his dear sister.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mystique had hoped that her message had gotten through to Slipstream, but she wasn't expecting the Messenger to find his way to her so quickly. A portal opened directly in front of her and Slipstream and Lifeguard came hurtling out like their tails were on fire. Mystique took a moment to examine the duo; Lifeguard was picking herself off of the ground, feathers were flying everywhere. Slipstream was strapping his metal surfboard back onto his back. Both were laughing.

"That was quick," Mystique pointed out dryly.

Slipstream blushed, "Sorry Night Lady, I didn't see you there."

Mystique gave him a wry grin, "I noticed."

"We need to get back to the battle as soon as possible. The other Gods need us," Lifeguard said, trying to take the stress of Mystique's regard off of her brother. Slipstream gave her a grateful smile.

Cyclops nodded empathically, eager to get back to his wife. Mystique got a thoughtful look in her golden eyes. "I was wondering."

Lifeguard turned to look at her, "Wondering what?"

Mystique raised her head and looked Lifeguard in the eyes. "Archangel has an army."

Slipstream shook his head in exasperation, "We know that."

Mystique gave him a look, and he shut up instantly. "So, why don't we have an army?" Mystique asked after a moment. She had a wild twinkling in her eyes.

Lifeguard smiled, "We'd need an army just to get through all the demons to get Cyclops to Jean."

The corners of Mystique's mouth twitched, "Yes we would."

Slipstream looked at his sister and the Goddess of the Night in turn. "And where do you propose to find this so called 'army'?" he asked suspiciously.

Mystique and Lifeguard looked at each other, both forming ideas already. "I know a few places," they said together.

Mystique threw her head back and laughed, "I'm beginning to like you girl!"

Lifeguard smiled, "Ditto."