Part 7:
Willow's dark locks were standing on end. She spun the hell sword over her head it coming down to clash with Glory's wrist. The hell goddess she was fighting was cut deep nearly to the bone by the blow. It took Glory by surprise knocking her off balance for a moment. Willow needed nothing more she put her palm to Glory's chest and spoke a single word a very basic spell. It was just a spell to move objects, one her and Tara had used when they first met, but with the force of Willow's surging power Glory was sent tumbling backwards a black burn mark appearing on the front of the Phoenix costume.
Anya grabbed Xander's wrist leading him away from Willow and Glory. The amount of power in this building was enough to kill them both easily and for once this was something Anyanka knew more about then Xander. The two human lovers struggled to the edge of the mansion at the door side. They reached Willow's barrier. It had been torn apart by Willow sucking all the magicks in the area into herself. Two dark queens were going to kill each other and Anya didn't want to stay around for the results.
Glory cursed as her outfit was singed by the force of Willow's blast. Finally a worthy adversary. With the Phoenix's power in her blood Glorifius was feeling almost at her old power. She would crush Willow just as she should have crushed the fools who had thrown her from her dimension. Flying back the Phoenix spread out behind Glory its dark orange menacingly present as she soared back into the room. Do you really believe you can defeat me witch.
"I will tear your flesh from your body!" Willow hissed in a deep voice not completely her own.
Not before I kill her. Glory said and her fist clenched and Tara shot into the driven by the Phoenix Force. Tara was splayed out in the air all her joints popping. Power down or I will sever her head from her body.
"Release her now." Willow said in the same voice as before her veins popping with black magic. Willow wasn't backing down and if Tara was harmed at all Glory would suffer. Channeling all her magics into the sword Willow hissed under her breath pulling Chaos magic into herself from the ether of the Earth. She was causing huge disturbances on the magic fields of Earth. Enough to attract all kinds of attention. Snapping the sword out straight at Glory she screamed a single word in Latin causing a neon green energy to surge from the end of the sword. Glory brought the Phoenix up to defend herself dropping her hold on Tara.
Willow worked a quick spell a tube of invisible energy surrounding the now unconscious Tara on the floor. Glory wouldn't be able to touch Tara until Willow was no longer breathing. She would make sure of that.
. . . .
Buffy parried to the side and kicked Raven hard in the chest. He fell backwards knocking the snow up around her head making visibility difficult for only a moment. She reached for a stake that was tied at her ankle. She flipped it out and prepared to drive it into Raven's chest sending his dust into the wind freeing Logan from his flight trap. Suddenly Xavier was in Buffy's head again.
Buffy we have problems at the mansion. I can't reach anyone mentally. Xavier called to her. She wasn't used to having people in her head and it made her jump a little giving Raven a chance to get up again. Buffy cursed and tackled Raven again catching him still off balance. She drove the stake hard into his chest standing tall. Drusilla and the two remaining vampires in her crew were both fleeing the scene. One of them was tackled by a silver blur the second taken down by Nightcrawler. The demon appearing mutant killed the vampire in moments. Buffy never even saw what happened to Jean-Paul's vampire it happened all to fast. Drusilla stood alone now facing Jean and Kurt.
Drusilla was afraid for one of the first times since Prague. Backing away from her enemies she bumped into someone. Turning around she saw Alex's standing behind her. His fist came up blasting out its sun energy into her skull. That was the last thing Drusilla ever saw.
Buffy we need to move now. All of you on the jet immediately. Buffy turned to give the others the message but she never got the chance they were already on the move. Apparently Xavier was speaking with them as well. On her way to the jet she came to jog next to a very disgruntled and annoyed Logan. Wolverine said nothing to Buffy he was just cursing under his breath about wishing he had killed Raven himself.
. . . .
Dr. Strange's eyes snapped open the two orbs looking frantically around the room. He darted through the candles and spell books to a large metal stand draped in a black cloth. His heart was pounding he was feeling far to much power on the magic fields. It was beyond any levels he had ever felt. Ripping the cloth from the stand he revealed the Eye of Odin. "Eye of Odin give me sight to see my whim." Strange hissed through clenched teeth and a dark witch appeared upon the eyes gleaming surface. Behind her was the Phoenix. That meant, Xavier's mansion, that man had an affinity for finding evil. But Strange was convinced that not even Jean-Grey could take down this witch.
Grabbing his cloak he slid it over his shoulders with an anal precision. It clicked into place as if moving on its own. He called up mystical energies from around his body and those also in New York City. He was going to move through earth's atmosphere at extreme speeds. Almost like he was teleporting but in all reality he would just be moving to quickly to be seen by the naked eye. His cape billowed as a green and white tendril moved over his body sticking to his skin like glue. He seemed to melt into this tendril and then the entire blob shot into the air not even leaving an exit mark on the ceiling of Strange's abode.
. . . .
Scarlet Witch's eyes blackened and she screamed in pain. Her entire room began to vibrate a pulse with Chaos energy. Someone had seriously upset the balance of Chaos magics in the world. Energy crackled on Wanda's finger tips as the lamp next to her exploded and the lights in the Avenger's Mansion began to flicker like mad. It took mere moments for Pietro to be at his shrieking sister's side.
"WANDAWHATISIT!" Pietro hissed so quickly it was as if the sentence was blurred into a single word. The silver haired twin couldn't calm his sister's rage and was soon enveloped in Chaos energy. His body began to pulse at higher and higher speeds until he couldn't control himself any longer. Quicksilver shot down the hall and through the wall. He was moving so quickly that he vibrated through the walls of the mansion. His entire body was pumped with Chaos energy. Whatever was happening needed to stop before it destroyed everything.
. . . .
Willow sensed movement in the mansion. It wasn't Anya or Xander either. Someone else was in the mansion or at least one of the people who hadn't been killed yet was up again. Shaking the thought Willow put herself back into the fight with Glory. The hell goddess was pounding away at the shield Willow had erected around Tara. Holding her hands to her sides the sword dangling by the hilt from her left fist lightning crackled on her finger tips. The dark witch held her hand out and grabbed the sword in both palms. Lightning worked through the sword and shot into Glory's body.
"Remember this spell! I gave you pain with it. Feel it again." Willow said and her veins deepened with dark energies as Glory doubled over on what was left of the mansion floor. The Phoenix flickered behind her as Glory glared at Willow over the blood seeping from both of the Goddess' eyes. With the amount of power flowing through Glory she had no fear of losing control to Ben but she did feel her grip on the Phoenix slipping. Something was going wrong.
Glory's back bent into an s-shape as she tried to bring her knees under her. She could barely see as lightning burned her costume that she had stolen from her skin. The mystical lightning was surging into Glory causing her pain she had felt very few times in her life. She closed her eyes and pushed herself to all fours. "I will not be defeated by a witch...I will....not..." She mumbled on a mantra that seemed to move Glory in the direction she willed.
Glory tried to pull the Phoenix up again but she drew nothing. That power was being cut off from her. By, the bald man, Xavier. How was he doing it? What did he have over her in this battle. Willow was weakening that much was obvious. Glory knew about magic and she knew when a witch was on burn out. Which Willow was rapidly approaching. The moment she burned out Glory would sever her head from her body.
. . . .
Xavier sat at the back of the jet the portable Cerebro locked onto his temple. Dawn sat a foot away at Buffy's side. Dawn was shedding tears onto her sister's blouse. This was far to much for a child or whatever Dawn was to deal with. His eyes closed Xavier felt around more inside Jean's head. She was unconscious but still alive. Glory had attempted to "eat" Jean's brain. She had failed, mostly, in that matter. Xavier had grabbed the last bit of psychic defenses in Jean's brain and strengthened them himself. He hoped it would cut Glory off from the power of the Phoenix. He didn't have the strength to fight off Dark Phoenix once more.
Xavier felt a hand brush his own and his eyes opened meeting Kurt's yellow orbs. "Xavier are de alive? Is everyone alright?" Kurt asked a lump in the German man's throat at the thought of more of his friends having to die.
"I don't know Kurt. Lets just deal with Glory. I believe we have some help on the way." Xavier said rather cryptically. That didn't stand long with Logan's no bull shit attitude.
"No. What does that mean Chuck." Logan said through clenched teeth. Even Jean-Paul and Alex agreed with Logan on this one from their locations flying the jet up front. Normally Kurt would have flown he was the better pilot but they needed Jean-Paul's quick reaction time in case of an emergency.
"I don't know. I just feel a force moving towards the mansion. A neutral but very powerful force." Xavier said and reactivated Cerebro once more shutting his eyes. They were still eleven minutes from the mansion and they had the jet pushing its maximum capacity.
Searching through the psychic sludge around the mansion Xavier found a weak point in the black aura again and pushed his way through. He felt a mind fully alert in the med-lab. Apparently despite his broken wings Angel was fully awake once more.
Warren? Xavier called out softly.
Xavier! Is anyone alive. I attempted to move to look around but everything seems destroyed. It hurts like hell...my wings are broken. Warren Worthington 3rd spoke back to Xavier.
Stay where you are. I will be on grounds soon. Do not attack Glory she may still have the Phoenix power at her disposal. Xavier warned and clicked off the Cerebro unit. Jean-Paul get this piece moving faster.
. . . .
Willow dropped the lightning attack because she couldn't sustain it any longer. Dropping to the ground she wielded the demon sword in front of her eyes locked with the now nude Glory who was rising to her feet seemingly unscathed. Willow knew better though she could see the pain in Glory's eyes. The hell goddess was not fairing any better then Willow. Both women were worn down to their last straws.
Glory lurched forward towards Willow. The black haired witch twitched moving the sword just slightly, "You're weak Willow. Drop the sword and I won't eat your girlfriend."
Willow spit at Glory charging forward. Glory easily sidestepped the enraged Wicca back handing her and removing the sword from Willow's grip. Glory spun it over her head preparing to bring it down into Willow's skull. Willow had a mystical wall up between herself and Glory just as the sword came down colliding with the liquid like field surrounding Willow.
Glory kept pounding trying hard to force the shield and Willow into submission. The hell goddess' plan was working too. The shield began to lose its color and Willow began to look afraid. The witch was burning out and it was Glory's time to strike. Putting all her strength into the sword she raised it above her head spinning it to have it come tearing into Willow's flesh. She never got that chance.
"Drop the sword." A cloaked man said from Glory's right side. Glory was compelled to agree with him and started to set the sword down. She righted herself tightening her grip on the sword as she turned to stare at the man in the red and yellow. Willow her hair fading back to red ran to Tara's side. She kissed the other woman's cheeks begging for her girlfriend to be okay.
Dr. Strange stood tall his cloak draped across himself. He held his hand out sending out a massive amount of his will into Glory, "Give me the sword."
The hell goddess wanted to give into the Sorcerer Supreme more then anything in her entire unnatural life. She kept resisting though knowing it to be a spell. Dr. Strange was only alone for a moment though. Glory was snapped from her trance as Northstar shot in grabbing the sword in a silver blur, "Got it!" He called.
Havok blasted Glory hard in the back sending the dazed Goddess flying. Completely lucid again Glory rose to her feet. She spun on Havok and ran at him to tear his skull open. She was hit from the side as an enraged ball of fur in the form of Logan tackled her to the ground. She got stabbed through the throat by two adamantium claws, "For Beast." Logan hissed as her blood splurged up his claws.
Kicking him off, Glory dropped on her knees choking on her own blood. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see Buffy wielding the Angel's sword, "You're dead." Glory said through the blood and Buffy shook her head.
"Tried that once." Buffy said smiling as she decapitated Glory the head rolling away from the body. Havok walked up powering all his power into one blast. He placed it two feet above the body of Glory.
"Don't mess with the Summers family." Alex said his eyes narrowed at the thought of this bitch touching his niece and his sun energy burned her body into a charred pile of nothingness. Buffy dropped to her knees in Havok's arms sobbing. It was finally over.
. . . .
The funeral for Beast was lovely. And all the X-Men current and old as well as Trish Tilby and a series of doctors and colleagues all attended. Buffy's crew came as well with Dawn saying the man died fighting for her life and that she wouldn't let his sacrifice go in vain. It was really touching and the still healing Angel kissed her on the forehead saying his friend would appreciate that.
Xavier gave the eulogy and everyone had something to say about the departed Beast. All except for Logan who stood by a tree a few hundred yards away. Shadowcat went to him and rumor has it he cried over the blue man's death but no one actually saw it. When Buffy's crew prepared to leave after a belated Christmas celebration Jean-Paul said he wanted to go back to Sunnydale with them. Much to Xander and Anya's dismay Giles and Buffy both agreed the added power would be helpful.
Dawn privately collected all the ash she could find from the place Nightcrawler told her he had seen Spike die. She bottled it into a makeshift urn that Kurt gave her. She asked Nightcrawler to teleport it somewhere. Just to make it go away that was the way Spike would have wanted it. So Buffy's group went home and Cyclops made Buffy swear to check in every month and report to him how things were going. Jean, after her recovery from her encounter with Glory, began the work of patching up the mansion with Juggernaut. Between Jean's telekinetics, Juggernaut's strength and Storm's promise of clear skies the mansion would be back up and running in no time.
END....for now