Shout outs:

Mark C: Yeah I figured after everything Emma wouldn't exactly trust her. As for the other X-Men being rude to Gambit they are all under some stress with two of their own missing. Yeah Fury is kind of walking a fine line and he'll give them everything they'll need to help them out.

Aaron: Yeah he is going to have a major mental battle, glad you liked the Kitty and Scott/Remy parts.

IvyZoe: Yeah lot of action up next and you'll see how they react alright. Not exactly he might edit it out a bit.

Prophet-Song: Yeah really pushing my writing with this one.

Coldqueen: Like I said we don't plan on Bishop in this, we got a lot planned out already and the whole time travel thing will be just complicate things too much at the moment.

The Uncanny R-Man: No SHIELD agents to help them out, they're on their own. Yeah Vince is in trouble alright.

Thanks to: Wen1, X0001, Lil Jean, Proponent of EVO, Chica De Los Ojos Café, Xc00lcomic

AN: PLEASE if you read then review and Bishop will NOT show up.
 CHAPTER 17: RESCUE ATTEMPT

Everyone looked at Xavier as he looked at the image. "Chuck, you know that girl?"

Xavier sighed and nodded. "Yes I did, I found her as a teenager and helped her with her telepathy and mental powers. It actually helped to inspire me to make the mansion a place of learning and to help other mutants."

"I remember her," Ororo spoke up, "It was before you found Logan and around the time you helped me to control my own powers." She remembered how Xavier had come to her village and managed to convince Ororo to come with him, also offering to bring her sister along and put them both through school as well as help her out with her powers. Sage had been the only other person there and she had to admit that she wondered what had happened to her when she left.

"She left to find her purpose in life when she felt she was ready," Xavier said remembering that day.

Fury nodded. "Yes and SHIELD found out about her. I kept her powers secret and trained her to be an agent. For the past three years she's been under deep cover in the Hellfire Club." He went in about the origins of the club and a few of the things they had done like start the Cold War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, founded Trask and his Sentinels, the JFK assassination, slave trading and not just back in the colonial days either…But currently as well with entire families working in sweatshops or men and women sent to brothels as sex slaves. They were even behind the stock market crash and while everyone got poor, they actually profited off of it. He stopped as he let all of this sink in. He looked around and saw how grave their faces were, which was good, for they needed to know just how powerful this group was. They had been formed during the Industrial Revolution and their power had only grown since then.

"These guys have people so high up in their pocket that the law can't touch them. I've been trying for years to bring them down and I swear that before I die, I will see them burned to the ground."

"Do you know what's been happening to them?" Scott asked him trying to keep the desperation out of his voice and saw Fury consider what to say. "Please, if you know, tell us…What's happening to them?"

Fury sighed. "All I know is that they are being physiological and physically abused in ways that will break their will and then they will mess with their heads." Everyone's heart sank at that news and Kurt was more worried now then ever.

Fury went into more details and background on the Club and then he gave them the blueprints to the place and as much information he could give them and also showed them the one way to get into the complex. After that, he couldn't say anymore and as he was leaving Logan, stopped him. "Nick…Why are you doing this?"

Fury stared at Logan with his one good eye. "Because I want to hurt them Logan and if I can't do anything then you guys can…This is personal for me Logan." He left it at that, leaving Logan to wonder what they had done to Fury to get him so railed up at them. They were going over the plans and learned that the sewer system was the only way in. It was decided they would have the entire main group would go. Warren was very adamant about going with them and when Gambit said the same, Logan still didn't entirely trust him. Sure he was certain that the Cajun had nothing to do with Rogue's kidnapping, but his cocky attitude and his former occupations in life didn't help. Scott, however, was very vocal about giving him a chance and he also said they could use all the help they could get.

Xavier had agreed to it and everyone was getting ready. Logan notice how quiet Xavier had gotten during the meeting and went over to his friend and one of the few people he respected. He walked over to him as he looked lost in thought. "What's wrong Charles?"

Xavier noticed how he used his full name and knew how serious Logan was. "I should have known…I met Shaw face to face and I knew there was something I didn't like about him…But…" he trailed off looking disappointed in himself.

"Charles," Logan started to say as he rested a hand on his shoulder. "No one could have known. You did your best and we can't just attack anybody that we suspect as doing wrong."

"I know old friend…But I can't feel help but feel responsible for whatever happened to Rogue and Jean…What do I tell Jean's parents about all of this?" He had tried to contact them as soon as this started, but they had gone on a vacation and didn't know how to get in touch with them. Even Jean's sister was staying with a friend and only Jean knew where she was.

"Well get them back," Logan told him, "You can count on it."

New York City

As the X-jet descended in view of the famous New York City skyline, tensions ran high among the eager occupants. Nick Fury's information was their first and only lead to their missing comrades and from what he described about the Hellfire Club, this rescue would be by no means easy. They had already proven their worth somewhat by managing to out psyche the Professor and Cerebro for weeks on end. And given what Fury had told them about the Club and their cruelty, their hopes about the condition of Jean and Rogue were not very good.

This was by far most troubling to Scott, for he had actually had nightmares about her state ever since the battle that had resulted in Jean's kidnapping. But these were no ordinary nightmares by any stretch of the imagination. They were vivid, horrifying scenes of Jean being taunted and weakened by somebody that looked like him, only far more sinister. The closer they got, the more clearly he remembered the tears in her eyes and the insane laughter of his darker self. Wherever Jean was, he was determined to get her back. He had nearly died trying to save her and he was willing to go that far again if it meant breaking her free of whatever was tormenting the woman he loved. And even though he knew she probably couldn't hear him for whatever reason, Scott sent out a single message through their inactive psychic link.

'It's okay Jean…I'm coming. I don't know what they've done to you, but I swear…I won't let them hurt you anymore. And I know you may not be able to hear this…But I love you…And I'm coming to save you.'

For Gambit, it was a strange feeling riding in the X-jet with people he once considered enemies. And even after everything he did to help, he was still getting some dirty looks, namely from Kurt. But thankfully, Wanda kept him in line and helped him focus on the task at hand of finding his sister. Gambit was also on this mission against the urgings of Beast to stay behind for the sake of his injuries. His body still wasn't fully recovered and the scars left by Deathstrike still hurt like hell, but he could still fight and that was enough. He had failed to save Rogue last time and he wouldn't forgive himself until he got her back…For if he was going to make up for everything he had done to her, he would have to fight the Hellfire Club and rescue her no mater how tough or dangerous it may be. While he still didn't quite know how or why he had fallen so fast for this girl, he wouldn't see it through unless he got her back first.

As Kurt continued to look suspiciously at Gambit, the man who once kidnapped Rogue, he felt his heart rate go up as they drew ever closer to his sister. He remembered how his stomach had churned at the information about the Club that Fury had given them. The thought of an organization as twisted and power hungry as them having his sister was almost too awful to bear. He couldn't imagine what she had gone through, but he hoped that she could still be saved. But one thing that stood out above the rest of Nick Fury's words was that "Anybody who goes into the Hellfire Club…Comes out very different, if at all."

As Kurt continued to worry and fear the state of his sister…Wanda, who was sitting next to him, gently squeezed his hand and whispered into his ear almost as if she knew what he was thinking right at that moment.

"We'll get her back Kurt…I know we will. Just do what you always tell me…Have faith."

Wanda's words did help a little, but it was still hard contemplating what could be going on with Rogue back at this strange and shady club.

As Kitty felt the tension run high among her friends, she couldn't help but get a sinking feeling that going up against the Hellfire Club would be no easy task. Many of the others were driven by the urge to rescue loved ones and family, yet it all seemed too easy in a sense that they would be able to simply sneak in and take them back just as Fury had said. These were people with resources unlike anything they had ever faced. Magneto and Apocalypse had been tough, but at least with them they knew a little about who they were fighting. But this time, they were more or less in the dark and truly had no idea what to expect.

For Colossus, he had been supporting Gambit and had tried in vain to get him to follow Hank's medical advice and sit this mission out. But he knew the stubborn Cajun better than most people and it was clear that he had no intension of sitting this one out, no matter how dangerous it may be to his life. Even though this was just the beginning, many things were at stake here and the Russian knew it. He could see the looks on the faces of his friends and could tell that this would be a fight unlike no other. The Hellfire Club, according to Nick Fury, was a force like no other. It existed in the shadows, yet wielded a type of power that paled in comparison to whole nations. Such power, greed, and corruption could only lead to more suffering…And in this instance; it was the suffering of his friends.

Warren Worthington III was also on the plane and once again found himself fighting alongside the X-men. Even though he had never joined, somehow he always found himself allied with them in a fight against a force he knew all too well. From day one, he knew that the Hellfire Club was bad news…But he never imagined it being as bad as Fury described. And to make things worse, they had Betsy…They had the best thing that had ever happened to him and he feared for her life. Growing up, he had always been reserved, isolated, and lonely because of his strict upbringing…Yet in meeting Betsy, he felt so complete with her. She was loving, caring, and understanding to him in a way no other person on the face of the planet was. He had to get her back…It was that simple. In his heart…He knew she was the one for him. Many times, she described him as an angel…Yet through his eyes, it was the other way around.

For Logan, he had a more personal stake in this with Deathstrike being a possible encounter. While Fury hadn't gone into too much detail about her, he knew she was the woman that had been plaguing his mind and dreams. He didn't know how he knew…But he could feel it. The fuzzy memories that he had were still incomplete and were pestering him like a splinter in his mind. But the closer they got to the battle, the closer he felt he would get to finding some answers. The memory of the smell of cherry blossoms still hung strong in his mind. He wanted to get his students back…But he would have to go through more than just physical barriers in order to do so.

Logan's thousand-mile stare did not go unnoticed by Ororo, who was sitting behind and too the left of him. Dark circles under his gave away the true level of his disturbed mind. He hadn't slept much since this whole thing began…And in the end, neither did she. Normally, she would have been less nervous on a mission, but after she lost control of herself in the danger room, she couldn't help but worry. She and Logan still hadn't talked much about what had happened and the longer it went on the more it hurt. The former weather goddess hoped that maybe the mission would distract her from her concerns, but she just couldn't forget. She had a horrible sense of foreboding that something horrible would happen on this mission…And not just for Logan, but for everybody. And if they all came out of this on top…She wanted to make things right with her friend no matter what the cost.

"Okay everybody," said Beast as he landed the plane, "We're at the entrance."

"Good," grunted Logan, "Let's just hope Fury wasn't fucking with us when he said that this was the only way in."

"Like, I wish there was a better way than through a sewer," said Kitty, not looking forward to going through sewage to get into the Hellfire Club's headquarters.

"Nobody said this would be easy half pint," said Logan, sounding grumpier than usual as he unstrapped his harness along with the others, "Now the sooner we get through this, the sooner we can get Jeannie, Rogue, and whoever else these pricks have trapped. So let's get going!"

"Damn…" said Kitty as she followed the others out of the plane and into the large sewer pipe heading into the heart of New York City, "Jean and Rogue owe me big time after all this is over." She didn't really mean it, but she needed to say something to get her nervousness out and her fear of what happened to her friends.

They walked through the sewers as quietly as possible, moving to make sure that nothing surprised them. It was eerily quiet and a bit too easy. No one said much since that might jinx the whole thing. Besides, the smell of the place was pretty awful and even while they held their breath, they still seemed to be able to smell it somehow. Logan was having the worst trouble of all with it, of course, but pushed it all aside, for there were more important things to do then worry about smells.

They soon found themselves at a sealed metal door. This was their way in. Logan easily sliced through the door and a cold dark passage was before them. They could only go in two at a time down the dark hall and Kurt led the way with Logan since he had the best night sight out of all of them. They found another door with a simple lock on the place. Kurt teleported to the other side and unlocked it. They were in a basement area now that looked like some kind of old store room filled with boxes.

"Alright, so far so good," Scott said walking forward scanning the area, "Looks like we got the easier part of this done. Now the information said that they keep their prisoners on the other side of this building, but we need to get to the first floor beforehand and get to the other side of the place before we find the stairs to the prison level."

"Kurt, do you think you could like, take a look on the other side?" Kitty asked hopefully.

Kurt shook his head. "Nein, I need to know exactly vhere it is. I tried to study the plans, but ze place vas too large to remember it all."

"Guess we do this the hard way then," Logan said walking forward. He didn't smell anyone or hear anyone near as they went up some stairs and found themselves in a kitchen. Luckily it was late and the staff was off for the night, which was why they wanted this as a night mission because it meant less of a chance to get discovered.

They soon traveled the halls, which were built like a maze, and it wasn't long before they couldn't determine where they were. "Is it me…Or are we lost?" Gambit asked them. The look he got from Scott and Logan told him he was right, but to shut up about it.

"I think we might have to split up. The longer we're here, the harder it will be to get out," Logan said as he sniffed the area…Then suddenly he found it…That same scent that he had smelt before Rogue's kidnapping, the smell of cherry blossoms. "I got something to take care of…Alone!" The said harshly when he saw a few going with him.

"Logan you can't-" Ororo started to interrupt, for now was not the time to go off alone.

"Ro…Please…I have to do this," he said softly to her and she could see in his eyes that it was important to him. After everything he had been through, she didn't have the heart to say no to him so she nodded.

"Thank you," He said and walked off following the sent. The others made their way to a large open area with railings on the second floor. It was larger then any room in the mansion with the exception of the Danger Room, but it was close.

The walked on when suddenly, many of the black clothed Hellfire Club guards appeared on the second floor with stun weapons pointed at them and then closed doors opened up showing the Cyborg mercenaries known as the Reavers. Scott saw them and grew angry inside at the sight, for these had been the ones that attacked him and Jean and taken her to this awful place.

"Scatter!" Scott shouted and then all hell broke loose. Everyone dodged as best they could, using their powers and skill to their advantage. Kurt teleported to the top floor, disarming some of the guards, while Storm flew up and used wind on them as well. Kitty phased through a few attacks and then through one of the Reavers, shorting out his cybernetics. Piotr was battling the Reavers, making sure Kitty was covered and Wanda, who was trapped to for the moment behind one of the large statutes, had come out now and sent a barrage of hex bolts flying towards her aggressors.

Warren took the air with Ororo and attacked as many as guards on the second level that they could, dodging as best as he could. "We can't stay in one area, they got us all pinned down!" Scott shouted out to them all. "Everyone break up into small groups and scatter! Try to get to the others or link up with the rest of the team!"

Hellfire Club – Scott

The chaos and confusion caused by the struggle between the Hellfire guards, the Reavers, and the X-men had caused many to become separated. The fight had taken its toll on everybody and Scott was no exception. In an attempt to spread the guards, Scott found himself alone after trying to draw a group of guards away with Remy. Now he didn't know where he was in the elaborate building, but as long as he could keep a minor element of surprise he felt he was at an advantage.

The shadows of the guards could be seen at the other ends of the hallways and Scott quickly turned another corner to avoid their detection. If he could set up an ambush, he could get one good shot off with his optic blasts and take them out. But as he prepared to make his move…He suddenly felt a powerful pain in his head through his dormant link with Jean.

"Jean!"

He wasn't sure what it was that had caused the sudden surge, but he was sure it was Jean. He knew her presence better than any other feeling…But this time, it felt different. Somehow, it felt darker and full of hate…Very unlike the Jean he knew and loved. Then, he felt it again and he traced it to an area down the hall. Not wasting any time, he made a mad dash down the elaborately decorated hall. The closer he got, the clearer the link become. Now that Jean's powers weren't being suppressed, the psychic rapport that linked the two young people could be felt. However, as he stormed into a large room at the end of the hall…He was met with a most disturbing and unexpected sight.

"What the…Jean?" said Scott as he saw her standing before him wearing an elaborate, revealing lingerie outfit and a new hairstyle that had her hair tied in a bun.

"You shouldn't have come here!" she said coldly as she used her telekinetic force to fling Scott against the wall on the other side of the room.

Her voice was very dark, but Scott knew it was her. The look in her eye was one of pure anger and hate as her gaze met his. Scott wanted to fight back…But he couldn't hurt her. He didn't have the will to hurt the woman he loved even as she threatened to blast him another wave of hard force.

"Jean! Please…It's me!" urged Scott, hoping to reach the woman he knew was still in there.

But as he forced his body to stand up, he noticed that Jean wasn't the only other one in the room.

"She can't hear you Cyclops," said a confident, cold voice from the shadows behind Jean.

A feeling of anger came over the young man as he saw the source of that voice. It was Shaw…And he knew he held the upper hand. Jean thought that HE was Scott and the young man before him could not fight her without hurting her.

"Shaw…" said Scott angrily as he placed his hands on his visor, prepared to blow the man away without a second thought.

"Oh no you don't! You will not hurt my king!" yelled Jean as she used her telekinesis to fling Scott's already aching body against the wall again.

Scott let out a pained groan as he remained adamant about fighting on, but this did little more than amuse the ever confident Sebastian Shaw.

"I must say, I'm impressed with you young man…You survived that blast earlier," said Shaw as he recalled Scott's encounter with the Reavers during Jean's abduction, "But you should have stayed dead. Either way, it never would have prevented what has already transpired."

"Go…To hell!" said Scott as he stammered up.

"You know you can't win…" said Shaw, "All it takes is one simple command and my Queen will dutifully end your meaningless life. Isn't that right my dear?"

"Yes Scott…My love," she answered, still under the influence of the illusion in her mind.

Upon hearing her call Shaw by his name, he quickly surmised that something had been done to her mind. If she didn't recognize him and wasn't seeing Shaw for who he was, he knew that his only hope lay through the mind and the link that he knew was still there.

"Jean…I know you're still in there…I can feel it. It's me…Scott…The real Scott."

Suddenly, Jean's face began to contort in as she felt a strange sensation in the depths of her mind. She was now struggling to get her focus back, thinking that this must have been some kind of trick. Shaw didn't look too pleased by her hesitation, but he didn't look too concerned either.

"You're wasting your time boy," taunted Shaw as he stepped forward towards and gently ran his hand down the side of Jean's face, "She is mine…She is the Red Queen. And you cannot do anything to change it."

The determined look on Scott's face didn't change as he closed his eyes and dug deeper into the link. With Shaw standing right next to her, he couldn't risk an optic blast. The only way to do this was through the mind. But Shaw had no intentions of giving him the opportunity to do what he wanted.

"Now my Queen…Finish him!" he ordered.

"Yes…My darling," she said mechanically as she used her powers to raise him into the air and prepared to deliver the final blow.

However, as Scott hung helplessly in suspension…He began probing deeper, going down the inner paths he knew so well. Jean once again began to falter in her control. Her expression once again changed as she felt a sudden surge in her mind. Soon, she felt herself lose her balance and nearly keeled over, but she managed to keep Scott suspended in the air with her powers. Shaw was losing his patience as he looked at what was going on before him.

"Whatever he's doing my dear…Don't give in! It's a trick!" he urged.

However, his voice did not register in Jean's mind. A sudden tense feeling caused her drop Scott rather harshly onto the ground as she grabbed her head in pain while Scott continued to probe his way through their link.

"That's it Jean…Fight it! I know you're in there! It's all an illusion! Please…Fight it! I know you can!"

Suddenly, Scott no longer found himself standing before Jean and Shaw. Now…He suddenly found himself in a strange, dream like reality that resembled a rather wavy view of the Xavier Institute…Just like in the dreams he had been having ever since Jean's abduction.

"This…This is my dream," said Scott, "Or at least it looks like it."

Then suddenly, a weakened…Distraught vision of Jean Grey appeared in the center of the wavy yard. She seemed dazed and very confused…Almost as if she had nothing to let her know who she was or where she had come from. The look of pain on her expression quickly drew Scott towards her.

"Jean!"

But before he could take another step…Someone else appeared before him.

"Not so fast boy!" said the dark version of himself as he appeared in an outfit that looked similar to his, only in darker colors, "This is as far as you go! I thought I wiped you out, but it looks as though you haven't had your fill of punishment yet!"

The dark Scott let out a powerful optic blast, but the real Scott managed to dodge it as he rage was soon focused on the darker version of himself as being the one responsible for Jean's delusion.

"You! You're the one behind all this!" he yelled, "You're the one controlling her!"

"She is mine you pathetic weakling…" as he let out another optic blast.

"NO! I won't let you hurt her anymore! I swear!" said the real Scott as he prepared to fire a blast of his own.

But as he hit the button on his visor, he was shocked to find out that he couldn't use his powers here. He tried again…But nothing happened. This action seemed to amuse the dark Scott as he let out another blast, this time hitting the real Scott square in the chest and sending him flying back in a fit of pain.

"This is my realm," grinned the dark Scott as he stepped forward towards his wounded counterpart, "All is governed by MY rules…You have no hope of winning here."

"You're realm…" gasped Scott as he staggered up to his feet, "No…Not yours…Jean's!"

Then, with a new burst of energy, Scott lunged forth at his darker self before he could get off another blast and began fighting him hand to hand with every bit of skill he had learned through years of practice in the danger room. He managed to surprise his darker self as he fought back closer to where the dazed, trapped Jean Grey was laying…Helplessly watching the fight from afar.

"JEAN! Listen to me!" yelled Scott as he kept fighting, "This is your mind! Don't let this imposture rule it! Please! I know you can hear me! I know you're strong enough! Remember…I know you better than anybody ever has, or ever will!"

Those words seemed to strike a chord with Jean as she watched the two men fight on. Her deeply confused state was suddenly sparked by the strange familiarity of those words. Whatever they were…She had heard them before.

"Better than anybody ever has…Or ever will," she repeated weakly.

Then suddenly, the dark Scott lost all patience and let out an angry grunt of rage as he landed a heavy blow upon his light counterpart's head and managed to get free from the grabble to blow him back with an optic blast.

"You little shit!" said the dark Scott as he saw his light self struggling to get up, "When are you going to learn…You've already lost."

As he prepared one last optic blast, the light Scott turned to face Jean once more with a weakened, desperate look on his face. And while he was very weak from the blow…He managed to get out one word.

"Remember…"

Then…A final optic blast shattered the scene.

"AHHHHHH!" yelled Scott in agony he collapsed to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"NOOOO!" yelled Jean as she suddenly snapped out of her daze.

"My Queen! Are you okay?" said Shaw as he caught her in his arms and kept her from falling.

Jean Grey looked back at Shaw, but she still saw Scott. She was very dazed by what had just happened in her head and many strange thoughts were coursing through her mind as a result of what had just happened. The certainty that she had felt so strongly was now suddenly dented, but it remained intact.

"Yes…I'm okay my king," said Jean, although she was still struggling somewhat.

"Well whatever you did…You succeeded in breaking that man's trickery," said Shaw as he walked over to the unconscious young man and gave him a harsh kick, "It sounded as though he put up quite a fight. But I knew you would prove stronger my dear."

His gentle praise helped ease her mind as she remembered the task at hand.

"So what are we going to do with him?"

Shaw just smiled with a sinister grin as he looked down at the still form of Scott Summers.

"Take him to the others…I'm sure he'll want to be there when both he and his friends finally succumb to their ultimate fate.

Hellfire Club - Logan

Logan wasn't aware of what was going on at the moment. All he knew was that the scent was driving him and he needed to finish this…He needed answers and he was going to get them. He followed the scent to a training room of some kind and there was a woman in black kneeling down, resting on her heels. "I knew you would come." The voice was that of the woman in his flashes, only now they were cold and angry towards him.

"Yuriko?" He asked. In all the years, this was the first person he had met from his past that could fill in who knew how many blanks there were of his life. He moved closer to her, having flashes of meeting a young woman in a market, then seeing her again, meeting her father, then moving in and living with her.

"Ah…So you DO remember me then?"

"I don't know what I know…Only that…I knew you once…And that we were-" he didn't finished that sentence as she suddenly attacked him. She lashed out with, to his surprise, huge clawed hands that nearly gutted him right then and there. She leapt up off easily enough and he just stared at her in pure and utter shock at what had happened to her.

"What? Don't like my new look?" She said with a cruel smile on her face, her large hands moving gracefully in the air. "I had them done just for you…In order to get my revenge on what you did!"

She attacked him again. He unleashed his claws, tying to figure out why she would be angry with him. From the few bits he did remember, they were happy and in love once. How did that lead to this? He deflected her claws with his and couldn't understand why they didn't cut through.

"Adamantium," she said as if she was reading his mind, "All thanks to my father." She attacked again, kicking him in the chest sending him into a weight machine and dodged her just as she cut it to ribbons. Logan growled, having had enough of this. He was on a mission and no matter how much he wanted to know about his past, it wasn't worth losing more kids. He blocked one blow and countered with his other hand, slashing her face.

She staggered back and as she looked at him, he saw that the claw marks had stopped bleeding and were now healing at a rate like his own. "My hands weren't the only thing modified," she glared at him, "In order to have the adamantium and to face you, I needed to be able to go toe to toe with you I needed to be able to heal like you do as well."

"Why? Just, tell me why?" He couldn't understand why someone would go through all of that.

"Because…You killed my father! You said you had to leave and would return to me, but you never did!" Her wounds had healed by now and he saw the rage in her eyes.

Logan thought back to the man he knew form Japan and then his eyes widened. He was back in Weapon X, freeing himself of that tank. He was in pain, he didn't know who he was, and he knew he was begin threatened and so he went on instinct and attacked. He killed many of the people that were there. That ghoul of a doctor he met a few years back had gotten away, but there had been this Japanese man there and he remembered plunging his claws into the man and now he saw it was the same one from Japan…Her father.

"He was there…He…He was part of THIS!" He said angrily and showed her his claws now anger flared in him.

"I was told what truly went on…That my father and you decided to try an experiment, but you betrayed them all." She lunged at him, thinking of seeing him murder her father over and over again in her mind. They both went at each other with kicks, punches, and claws. Both were shredding each other. Logan grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm and flung her face first into a glass case of weapons, cutting open many wounds on her face, but she didn't care.

She used one claw, impaling his stomach and kicking him off of it. Logan grunted from slamming into something hard, but then he had to turn his head in order to avoid having his eyes now ripped off part of his face on the right side. He countered with clawing out her throat and for a minute, they both staggered to their feet as they both waited to see who would heal first.

They didn't know how long they had been fighting, for their clothing was in bloodied tatters. Her throat had stopped bleeding and she lunged at Logan and they went right through a wall into the hallway. She landed on top of him and just started to attack, clawing him and ripping him to shreds. He fought back, but soon his blows weakened and it wasn't long before he stopped moving. They were both covered in each others blood and looking down at the unmoving form that had once been Logan, she smiled.

He wasn't dead yet, for she could see him still healing, but he was hurting. She had even cut him right down to his adamantium in certain places and soon she was going to make his death slow and agonizing.

Hellfire Club – Kurt and Remy

The chaos and confusion of the fight with the Reavers had led Gambit down an uninhabited stretch of hall in hopes of luring his aggressors into a trap and keep himself from being overwhelmed. In the midst of all the confusion, the young Cajun managed to use his years of skill as a thief to slip away from the main battle and search deeper into the vast building. Scott had initially come with him, but the confusion of the battle had led him down another hallway and he now found himself alone in a very dangerous place. However, as he prepared to turn another corner, he was suddenly startled by a sound behind him.

Quickly, Gambit drew a card and charged it.

"Gambit vait! It's me!" yelled Kurt in a hurried tone, knowing he had just caught the young man by surprise.

"Damn it homme! Don't do dat! You gonna get yourself killed by sneakin' up on people like dat, friend or foe!" yelled Remy as he put his cards away.

"Sorry…But I saw you slip past the chaos vith Scott so I decided to follow," said Kurt as they both managed to calm themselves, "Vhere is Scott anyways?"

"We got separated," said Gambit, "But alone or not, we got to keep searchin' dis here place for any sign of Rogue or Jean."

"Agreed…That's vhy I'm sticking vith you," said Kurt, "There's strength in numbers vith guys like this."

Gambit normally preferred working alone, but given that this was a big place and Kurt had a personal stake in this he figured he would have to take things as they come. And if the going got tough, Kurt's teleportation would come in handy.

"Keep your eyes open Nightcrawler," said Gambit as he carefully trekked down the elaborately decorated halls for any sign of Rogue or Jean, "These here folks ain't pushovers."

"Yeah…I kind of figured that out back there," replied Kurt as he followed Gambit along the hall.

As they kept their eyes open for anything suspicious, something soon caught the Cajun's keen eye. Along all the rows of doors, he noticed that only one in particular had light coming from the crack in the bottom. The rest were all quiet and dark. And where there's light…There's usually a presence.

"Over there…" whispered Gambit as he led Kurt to the side of the door.

Kurt didn't say a word as he stood ready for anything that came his way as he stood near the door and prepared to follow Gambit into it.

"On de count of three…We go in," said Gambit.

Not having much of a choice at this point, Kurt simply nodded, choosing to keep quiet overall.

"Okay…One, two…"

Then suddenly, before the final count could be given…A sudden burst of telekinesis shattered the door and wall around the two men and sent them flying back in a crumpled heap. Gambit, who already had injuries to deal with, had felt the harshness of that blow rather strongly, but he stayed conscious along with Kurt. But once they opened their eyes and saw the source of the blast, a feeling of shock soon came over them.

"Mien Gott…" gasped Kurt.

"Rogue!" said Gambit, equally shocked.

"Hello boys…I don't remember invitin' you for a visit," said Rogue in a cold, sinister tone as she stood poised to attack.

As Gambit and Kurt rose, they took in her appearance. She looked darker and far more imposing than before. She wore a revealing green version of the outfit that all Hellfire women wore and a different hairstyle. But the most disturbing of these her new features was her insidious glare that looked nothing like the Rogue that Kurt and Remy both knew.

"Vhat did they do to you Rogue?" said Kurt as he got up and approached her.

"Not so fast demon boy!" yelled Rogue as she used the power of Jean's telekinesis to fling him back once again, "You both made a big mistake in coming here…And I can assure ya that it will be your last!"

Kurt groaned in pain as he looked back up at the cold gaze in his sister's face. There was nothing but raw venom in her eyes, for she looked willing to kill.

"Rogue…Cherè!" said Gambit as he drew her attention away from Kurt, "It's me…Remy! Don't you remember me? Don't you remember your brother?"

These words did nothing to ease the look on Rogue's face as her murderous anger only grew.

"I don't know you…And by the time I'm through with you…You won't want to know me!" she shot back.

Knowing she was ready to strike, Gambit instinctively charged several cards…But hesitated in using them, knowing that this was Rogue.

"Please Rogue…Don't make Remy do dis!" urged the Cajun, not wanting to fight her.

Rogue flashed him a sinister grin as she slowly began to make her way towards him. "Go ahead…You can't hurt me! You can't even scratch me," taunted the warped young woman.

Gambit didn't want to do it, but she kept getting closer and closer. Looking back into her cold gaze, he knew he didn't have a choice if he was going to survive.

"Forgive me cherè…"

Gambit then proceeded to throw an array of charged cards at Rogue much to Kurt's horror, but this did nothing as Rogue called upon Colossus's power and formed a metal shield over her skin.

"No way…" said Gambit as he took a step back, wondering what he was going to do now.

"You better believe it!" grinned Rogue as she undid Colossus's mutation and activated Cyclops's optic blasts. But before she could do anything more, Kurt sprang into action…Teleporting from his downed position directly behind her and pouncing upon her back.

"NO! Rogue, listen to me! You've been tricked! The Hellfire Club has done something to you!" he yelled as Rogue quickly became irked by the sudden actions of the blue mutant.

"ERR! GET OFF ME YA FUZZY PIECE OF SHIT!" yelled Rogue as she became temporarily disoriented by Kurt's tough grip.

However, this did not last long, for Rogue was too powerful and as soon as she managed to regain her composure, she activated Jean's telekinesis again and forcefully pried Kurt off of her back and suspended him in mid air. Then, in one swift motion, Rogue turned around and grabbed his neck and held it in an iron grip, choking the young mutant of oxygen and quickly causing his mind to freeze up in panic.

"Yer gonna pay for comin' here demon boy! Now I'm gonna squeeze the life out of yer pathetic body with my bare hands!" bellowed Rogue as she prepared to summon the strength of Juggernaut to snap the young man's neck like a twig.

"NO!" exclaimed Remy as he quickly took action and grabbed her from behind, once again throwing off her concentration, "He's your brother cherè! He's your family! You've been lied to! You are not a tool o' dis here club! You are an X-man! You are Rogue! You are not a slave to these bastards!"

Rogue didn't listen to Gambit's desperate words as he held a strong grip on her from behind while Kurt was struggling to free himself.

"LIES! ALL LIES!" Urged Gambit, "DON'T GIVE INTO DEM!"

His words were becoming annoying, but as he held onto her from behind and she held onto Kurt…An idea suddenly popped in her mind that would end this fight right here and now.

"Y'all just made a big mistake!"

Then, using the skin on skin contact of both enemies, Rogue activated her absorption powers and drained the both of them into unconsciousness as they let out one last pained yell. But as they fell to the floor, Rogue fell back as strange flashes flooded her mind and caused a great deal of internal discomfort. Somehow…Memories from both young mutants had her in it…And it was nothing like the memories he had and thought were completely real. As she stumbled back, she took several deep breaths as she tried to collect her thoughts once again. Finally, she managed to shake off what she saw…But it didn't make what she had just experienced any less strange.

"What in the hell was that all about?" groaned Rogue as she rubbed the pain out of her head and looked back over at the two unconscious bodies, "Oh well…I better get them to the rest of the Inner Circle. I'm sure they'll want to think of a proper punishment for them."

-Audience Chamber-

The downed X-men were all brought to an audience chamber with restraint collars on their necks and gags in their mouths with their wrists were bound behind their backs. Each had been over powered through sheer numbers. Warren had gotten clipped in one of his wings which sent him crashing hard into the ground allowing one of the cyborgs had used an energy net on him that was specially designed to make a person weak by feeding off their bio energy, perfect for containing unruly visitors.

Kitty had been taken out with a flash bang, making her temporarily blind and deaf and while on her knees in a fit of pain, one of the guards had taken the butt of a rifle to the back of her head. Piotr had punched the guard out and while looking over her, he was attacked on multiple fronts and after several energy nets shot him, he finally fell.

Ororo had been shot in the back with a stun weapon, falling to the ground while Hank and Wanda had been ambushed by guards prompting Hank to take several darts to the chest in order to protect Wanda. She had used her hex powers on the hall and on the weapons, but then someone had threw a gas grenade from behind and it was too late to run from the knock out gas.

The audience chamber itself was a huge, lavish area that looked like a place right out of a palace. There, sitting on his high throne, was Shaw looking down on the captives and to the shock of the others who hadn't seen them, their friends were there too. Jean was seated at his side in a smaller throne to his right as if she were a queen and Rogue to his left by the steps. The other members of the Inner Circle were also present.

"Well, well, well…The mighty X-Men, the bane in the side of Magneto and the ones that defeated Apocalypse," Shaw said gloating over them.

"Personally, I think they were overrated," said Pierce, straightening his white suit. Just then, the doors opened and in came Deathstrike dragging in Logan, or what was left of him. "Good Lord woman! Is that still alive?"

"Just barely, how long he stays alive is up to debate," Yuriko said coldy.

Selene smirked in amusement at the sight of her and Logan. "I like this woman's style," she said upon seeing the bloody mess of Logan's form.

The other mutants there look on in horror at the sight of Logan. A few like Kitty turned their sight from it while Ororo was unable to tear her gaze away from his body. He looked dead to her and tears started to fall from her face. Seeing him like that, it was hard to believe he was still alive. He looked so dead to her. All that was left unsaid between them all that was left undone…They had never made up after what had happened between them and now it seemed she would never get the chance.

She felt someone lifting her chin from its frozen state…It was Harry Leland, the large red haired man studying her. "Remarkable, she truly is a divine creature. The blue eyes and white hair, along with flawless skin." He turned to Shaw. "You think you can make her my personal assistant? I'd love to have a beauty like her working under me."

"As well as a few other positions I bet," Pierce joked and Harry only got a grin on his face that made Ororo's stomach turn. Shaw agreed to it and Leland was pleased by that took her chin again, but Ororo snapped her head away, earning her a slap across the face causing several of the students to rise to their feet, but Shaw pressed down on a remote device on the throne and they all screamed as they all were electrocuted and fell to the ground now.

Their screams had woken up Logan. He wasn't fully healed, but he felt he had stopped bleeding. And even though his body was working overtime, he saw what was happening and upon witnessing this one large prick leering down at Ororo with a look in his face that Logan didn't like at all, it triggered a deep feeling of rage that grew within him. Soon they stopped screaming and everyone just laid there completely still. Logan didn't think…He just acted. Quickly, he pushed himself off the ground and lunged at the large red headed man in black. Harry Leland heard him and turned. Logan was slower then normal so it gave the Black Bishop of the Hellfire Club time to use his mutant abilities of increasing his mass to the point that when his two fist came down on Logan it was with such force that Logan was sent through the floor, but he didn't stop there. He was sent through all the floors until he hit the sewer level again, only not the same one the team had taken.

Shaw looked at the hole in his floor and scowled at his Bishop. "Was that really necessary Harry? It's going to take a couple of days to fix all of those holes."

"Sorry, I got carried away."

"Well we might as well get a team down there for the body. I'm sure Yuriko will still want him," Shaw sighed.

"I do," The Japanese woman said walking off to find him herself, "I'm going to carve that adamantium skeleton right out off his body…Slowly and painfully."

In the sewer system below, Logan's shaky hand came out of the putrid and waste filled water and began pulling himself out. He was cut and had gashes all over his body. His skeleton had taken the most of the damage, protecting the vital organs in his chest and he managed pulled himself out of the water.

He was beyond angry, beyond pissed. He had never been this angry before and with a savage growl said only a few words to himself in the dark. "Okay…Now…It's my turn."

NEXT UP CHAPTER 18: SHOWDOWN