Jenskott: Yeah, everyone else seems to feel for Logan in that chapter and yes Sinister is a sick person. I find it a bit funny how you said that about Shaw but it's true.
Mark C: Yeah, they do have to face X23 and I hope that it's a great scene. Yeah I thought it was time to talk about why she never had kids and added to the danger she's in which you'll see in this chapter. Yeah it was for Kurt and Wanda but I also needed to work their relationship out at some point and this seemed the best time. All other questions you'll see in this chapter.
GothikStrawberry: Yeah, Shaw is just evil and you'll see in this a bit more of Emma and of Sinister too.
ViciousAssassin: Glad you liked his plan but you'll just have to see how it works out. Yep more Logan/X23 stuff later in this fic of course. I think Slickboy will be happy that you liked that last line he made.
one-village-idiot: Slayer is an OC by Slickboy you can find him in a few of his stories. Also I thought of that as well but I'm just not sure.
Doza: Yeah well I try to make my villains interesting and made them complex in ways to keep you guessing what's going on in their heads. Yeah Shaw's plan will backfire on him but not in the way you might think.
Silver Warrior: Glad you liked that with Kurt and Wanda and it wasn't the Hellfire Club if you read it again you'll see it wasn't them that did that to her, it was when she was at the asylum.
Thanks to: X00001, Simba317, Quillian, Wen1, japanesegirl101, Kaliann, The Uncanny R-Man
Hellfire and BrimstoneCHATPER 44: TAKING THE FIGHT TO SINISTER
- Sinister's Base -
Emma was being led down the metal halls by one of Sinister's lackeys, Gauntlet. He was a repugnant man and he wouldn't stop leering at her, making her feel glad in a way that she had the collar on so she couldn't read his thoughts. When she was led to a large sliding door that opened he left her thankfully, for he was starting to make her skin crawl.
It had been a few days since he had taken Kurt and Wanda and when they returned, they didn't really speak on what he wanted and no one wanted to pressure them. After what they went through the last time, no one wanted to know if they weren't willing to say.
The lab she was in was large, sterilized, and filled with more scientific equipment then she had ever seen. She didn't have a clue what many of them even were and everything was neat and orderly. If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn this man was an bit obsessive compulsive for cleanliness and order. She walked down and saw the things in large jars or tanks filled with body parts and even bodies. There was one skinny boy with a Y incision that was stitched back up with just a number on the tank.
She had thought Selene gave her the creeps, but now she was reaching new depths with this guy. But despite this, she tried not to show it. She was a strong woman and wouldn't let this monster intimidate her. She found him working at a computer station and already there was an assortment of medical equipment on a tray there…Not a good sign.
"Ah Miss Frost…Please take a seat and I will be just with you," he gestured to a chair without looking at her. She just sat down glaring at him. She wondered if she could surprise him and take the remote to her collar and maybe get it off. "You can't so don't bother trying. Really, you should know better then to think thoughts like that in the presence of a telepath."
She nearly ground her teeth together. If she had her powers she could have shielded her mind better and stopped him from 'hearing' that. He took a syringe and drew some of her blood. "What the hell was that for!"
"I need a fresh sample. I need to give you a full medical checkup so all my data on you all is up to date," he informed her as he placed her blood in a small freezer. He spent the next hour going over her from head to toe, checking everything from reflexes, her eyes, blood pressure…All of it. She felt sick just letting this crazy scientist touch her. Strangely enough, she was actually somewhat used to having men ogle her, but he did this entire thing with a professional detachment. She wasn't sure if she should be thankful for that or slightly afraid that he was so focused and in control of himself that he just didn't care about that.
"Alright my dear, now comes a more thorough exam so please remove your clothing and lay down on the examining table," he said in a cool neutral tone.
"WHAT!"
He rolled his eyes picking up on her thoughts, "Please…I do not intend to rape you my dear. I am above such things. I need to examine you and you can do it willingly or I can knock you out and do this without you knowing. But then again, you would always wonder what I did, so it's your choice."
Emma was understandably hesitant and gave him a cold stare. "If it makes you feel any better I am a doctor and this is purely professional." It didn't help much, but then again she wanted to know what this sicko was going to do to her. She reluctantly took off her clothing and placed them on a table gently. She was now completely nude and felt too exposed to this monster, but she refused to show it keeping a neutral expression and walked with her head held high. She still had her pride and would not lose that to anyone.
She laid down on the cold table as he placed on a few monitoring devices onto her skin. Sinister was examining her insides with a few of them checking to see if she had any organ damage or any internal physical defects. So far, besides the fake breasts implants and the nose and cheeks job she had, she was fit. "Well you seem in great health Emma, but there is one important factor that I need to check…And that is how fertile you are."
Emma caught her breath in her throat and felt worried for the first time going into this room. She wanted to get off the bed now, but metal restraints suddenly came out of the bed and quickly restrained her. She looked at Sinister with an icy cold glare, but he just looked at her with a curious expression on his face and she knew he had to have picked up on her worry.
He manipulated the controls as the table seemed to be sectional and a split opened up as her legs were spread and then it bent at her knees. She knew she looked like she was in some kind of position that would normally be required for a gynecology examination. She tried to struggle, but knew it was futile. She worked on controlling her breathing as she felt him being to examine her vagina. She was thankful he seemed to be to the point and wasn't fondling her.
"Hmmmm," Sinister said to himself seeing some slight scaring. It was old and had faded for the most part, but it was still noticable. He took a few probes to go deeper and find out how extensive the damaged was. Emma gasped at the cold metal being inserted, but tried to keep a neutral face as she felt it going into her. It didn't hurt, but it was damn uncomfortable and she wanted to kick is his ass for doing this to her or watching Vince take this man apart.
After some time it was finally over the table went back to normal, but her restraints were still on. She saw the look of disappointment in Sinister's face. "Well it seems you are unable to carry children Miss Frost…Quite a shame."
"So what? You'll kill me because of the damage I received from when I was a teenager?" she said bitterly at him yet on the inside she felt like crying since she had just found love for the first time in her life and now it was all over. She thought they would have their entire lives and now it was most likely over.
"Maybe…Maybe not," he was in a thoughtful expression, "I could do that, but it would be a waste of your talents. Besides, your womb may not hold a child, but your eggs are still perfect." He traced two lines on her bare stomach. "All I have to do is a little surgery to cut out your ovals and then use the sperm I collect from any suitable males and use the females as a surrogate mothers."
Emma felt her insides knot up and felt sick to her stomach. He was going to take her eggs and use them…She would have children after all, just not through her. It was strange knowing that and she just wondered if she would ever see her children from all of this or if she would die never knowing them.
Sinister's Base - X23
After the successful mission that X23 had so unwillingly accomplished, she once again found herself trapped in a confined room, sitting in a corner hugging her knees as she so often did when she was back with Hydra. Even though the conditions Sinister gave her were a lot better than those back at Hydra, it was still a prison for her both mentally and physically.
Since her return, she had not said a word to anybody and had pretty much shut herself off from the others. She didn't want to know what was going on with those that had been captured, for she felt bad enough about it as it was. She knew they would probably suffer in some ways and it would be her fault. But even though she had been trained since birth to kill anything without hesitation or remorse, the thought of others suffering because of how she let some evil scientist use her did wear somewhat at her long dormant conscious.
She wasn't supposed to feel…She wasn't supposed to have any sense of self whatsoever. But ever since that fateful day when she stormed the Xavier Institute and tried to kill Logan, the man whose blood created her, she had been in a state of turmoil. She fought him with every ounce of anger and rage that had built up over the course of her short life…Yet in the end, she couldn't do it…She couldn't strike him down. It would have been so easy…All that would have been required of her was a simple choice. But instead…She ended up crying in his arms…Crying for all the pain and suffering she had to endure.
That had been the first time she really cried…And ever since then, nothing had been the same. Not a day went by when she didn't think of that moment. Not a day went by when she didn't remember those feelings she felt when all the anguish and rage turned to confusion and sorrow. It was from those feelings that began on that fateful day that drove her to take down Hydra with the help of the man who she once yearned to kill. Yet after that, she had been left at a crossroad…For she had been freed of Hydra's grasp and the rest of the world had assumed her to be dead. Part of her wanted to go back to Logan…The man who was responsible for the feelings that had since consumed her that day she cried in his arms. But instead, she ran…And now she was once again a pawn in some evil scientist's game.
With her sensitive hearing, she could make out several voices outside the door to her room. One of which was Viper, a voice she knew all too well and had come to loath with a great passion. Ever since she had been captured, Viper had been especially harsh towards her and for good reason. After what she did to Hydra, payback seemed to be the only thing she cared about every time she looked at her. And every time Sinister activated that chip he had implanted in her that caused her so much pain, she seemed to relish her anguish.
One of the other voices she could hear was that of the rather loud and obnoxious one known as Deadpool. Of all the people she had encountered since her capture, none seemed quite as over the top or as annoying as this man. Even though she had made many threatening actions to dissuade him, he wouldn't stop hounding her with comments like "Wakey, wakey mini-wolvie!" or "Aw, poor little clone…Want Uncle Wade to read you a bedtime story?"
As much as she hated his annoying banter, at least she wasn't alone in facing it. Deathstrike had to endure it quite often as well and at one point, she even stabbed him for saying something along the lines of "Baby…Both you and I heal…Just think of the records we could break for goin' at it in the sack!" Yet even stuff like that couldn't dissuade him from being his free, obnoxious self. While he made no qualms about being a guns shy of an arsenal, that didn't make it any easier for her to deal with him.
She continued listening to the voices and heard Deadpool make another comment that had something to do with putting his sword in her sheath, which earned him a rather loud reprimand from the temperamental Japanese woman known as Deathstrike. Like Viper, Deathstrike looked at her with a great deal of disgust and hatred. X23 wasn't sure why this was since she had never even seen that woman until she was captured, but she had since given up trying to figure it out. To Deathstrike, she reeked of Logan's blood and it only fueled her determination to make him suffer. And if she could do that by making X23 suffer as well…So be it.
Eventually, she heard the shouting and bickering between Deadpool and Deathstrike end when the voice of Gauntlet stepped in and ended it before it got any further. Of all Sinister's minions, Gauntlet was the quietest for the most part and had seemed more or less indifferent to her, although he didn't seem to mind watching her keel over in pain from Sinister's chip…Especially after all the pain she caused him with the Hydra incident.
Either way, X23 knew she wasn't running with a very friendly crowd. Sinister was a madman who was evil enough to make even her skin crawl and the people she was forced to be around were far from comforting. He was a truly twisted man who spoke to her as if he was speaking to a small animal. He gave her a food to eat and a clean place to sleep…Only after the expense of her freedom and will. Hydra had attempted to breed such things out of her and failed…But Sinister was able to pick up where they left off, willing to go to any length to get her to do exactly what he wanted her to.
She hugged her knees even tighter as she thought about forever being controlled by this madman. Because of that lousy device in the back of her neck, she would forever be stuck doing whatever he wanted. That alone was hard enough for the former living weapon that had been deprived of just about everything in her life, but what stuck out in her mind more than anything else were Sinister's menacing words.
"You are not a person…You are a thing."
Those words echoed in her mind like a mantra and she struggled to shut them out as she had tried with a multitude of other memories she didn't want. It felt as though there was nothing left for her in the world other than suffering. It was almost as if she had been created just so she could suffer. Time and time again, she tried to break free from it only to find herself drawn back into a world of pain where she was treated more as a thing rather than a human being. So many times she sought vengeance on those who had made her suffer…And with each time, it brought her nothing more than a greater sense of pain and uncertainty.
X23 felt as though there was no hope for her. She was doomed to live this life of suffering. She could never get back the things that were taken away from her and all she had to go on was her next breath. Her thoughts drifted back to that fateful night when everything changed for her…That one moment where she collapsed in the arms of Logan, the man whose blood flowed through her veins. Remembering the feeling of his embrace, X23 tried to hold onto whatever hope she could that someway, somehow…She'll be able to beat this and overcome her suffering.
She had nothing to go on other than that one memory and as she sat huddled in the corner of her room, she began saying to herself one phrase that helped her with each breath she took…Knowing she had to hold onto whatever hope she could if she was ever going to overcome the painful story that was her life.
"I am not a thing…I am a human being…I am not a thing…I am a human being."
-Xavier Institute-
Sage had been working steadily for a few days now, but she refused to give up. So far she had found a few interesting tidbits of data that she had flagged, but so far they all had ended up as dead ends. Hank and Ororo had been keeping an eye on her making sure she ate and rested every now and then. She had worked so hard at one point she actually cramped up with her neck. Thankfully, Henry was very good a massages, but as a small smile came to her lips at the memory she pushed it aside.
Now wasn't the time for her love life, which at the moment did have a very interesting man in it. She planned to see if he would go out to dinner with her one day after all this was over. So far she had found some interesting data that alone wouldn't mean much, but when put together it was something else all together. She now had something to focus her search on and as she probed deeper, the information continued to add up and she soon found a few things that worried her.
She sat back in her chair looking at all the data she had so far. "I think the others need to see this," She said to herself getting up and heading to Xavier's office.
Some time later, everyone was in the War Room. Sage was going over some last minute things with Xavier and all the students were wondering what was going on. "Dude, you think they found the others already?" Roberto asked the other New Mutants in a hushed tone.
"Wouldn't that be kind of fast?" Jamie asked them, remembering how long it took last time. But then again that was better for them at least.
"True, but now we got someone on the inside who knows how those creeps work," Tabitha said nodding her head to Sage.
Ray just crossed his arms, "Unless she's been playing us the entire time."
This caused him to get a light smack upside his head from Jubilee, "Ray knock it off! You really think with all the telepaths we had around she would have fooled any of them? Besides, Xavier and Storm trust her a lot so just deal with it."
"Yeah well I hope this is good news we could use some," Bobby looked over to Rogue who seemed really worried, "Especially Rogue over there she looks like she's about to jump out of her seat and rip to shreds something or someone soon."
"Well given what she experienced and now that Kurt and the others are taken, it's no wonder," Rahne spoke up, seeing how worried she looked over there sitting alone.
"Everyone, can I have your attention?" Xavier called to them. Everyone got themselves a seat or position around the table looking at Xavier with a hopeful expression. "Sage believes she has uncovered enough information on where they others are most likely being kept."
Sage took the center stage at that moment, "I've looked through many of the shipping companies and all the business fronts and everything else I could find that they use, including many of the dummy corporations." A list came up on a screen as she went over all the things she found.
After awhile Logan started to get a headache, for he never did have a head for this stuff, "Look cut to tha chase will ya?"
"Sorry, force of habit," She apologized and took a breath before starting again, "Okay I found strange orders in the last few months even before Shaw decided to kidnap several of your members. I also found records of a large amount of special contract work for a factory out in the middle of nowhere. Now here is what's strange. I checked the blue prints and it matches the old ones, but as far as I know, with all that construction, nothing was changed."
"At least not above ground," Logan said thoughtfully remembering the huge underground complex Trask had when he made that Sentinel of his.
Sage nodded her head, "Yes, that's what I believe as well. There are also a lot of security devices and highly advanced equipment in every order, including materials to make mutant inhibition collar. Although it took me time to piece that together. Many other things like loads of jet fuel were also stored there. But the odd thing is that even though this place is technically in business, they haven't shipped out anything as near as I can tell and I can't find a list of employees."
"So it's a front?" Xavier asked her.
"Unquestionably…Plus here's the really interesting part. I traced the ownership of this to a man named Nathanial Essex. I ran a check and he's a member of the Inner Circle of the London house." There were mixed reactions to that, but it soon became clear that this couldn't have been a coincidence.
"So you think this is where they are being held?" Ororo asked.
"It appears to be the most likely place to start looking," Xavier said to her. "That is why we are sending a team there to infiltrate and if possible to rescue them. I'm also going to ask most of you to go along on this mission."
"Most of us?" Rogue asked him with a little edge to her voice, "Ah hope ya don't mean meh."
"I wasn't sure if you were up to it," Xavier told her calmly. Even though she had made significant improvement since the aftermath of her kidnapping this new event seemed to completely set her back. She was withdrawn again and he was afraid she may not be in the best mindset for this mission. He knew that she had been thinking about all the terrors the others could face or even worse fates then last time.
Rogue signed and closed her eyes to calm down, "Professor…Ah know that Ah've been…Difficult lately. But Ah know first hand what they could be goin' through. Ah can't stand the thought of them going through god knows what and not doin' a thing about it. Please let meh go on this…Ah need ta. Ah need to help save mah friends and family. If it wasn't for Kurt and Remy, Ah might still have been the Green Knight of the Hellfire Club. Ah can't stay the victim forever…Ah need to face my fears and fight back."
Charles studied her face and looked into her eyes. In their counselling sessions with the others and even in the individual ones, he had seen how hurt she had been by those events. He knew that she and the others would never truly forget it all and it would leave a scar on them for life, but he also knew that they would one day find the strength to put it behind them and move on and to let any fear of what had happened not have a hold on them anymore. And from what he saw in her eyes, she had a true desire to face her demons head on.
"Professor, we could use her," Warren interjected, "I mean, both me and Betsy are the oldest here now, but we don't have the experience like she does. Given what we were up against last time, I think we could use all the advantage we could get."
"I agree with him," the purple haired telepath said, "You need all the experienced people you can get for this and since the others were taken by surprise, we have no idea what we'll face."
Xavier looked at Rogue, "I just want you to be sure, Rogue…Are you really ready for this?"
Rogue nodded her head to him. She really did need to do this and there was no way she was going to be left out, "Ah am…And Ah won't disappoint you."
Xavier smiled at her and nodded, "Now we will need to take both the X-Jet and the XM-Velocity for this. I'll be using Cerebro to monitor as best as I can."
"Can we expect help from Fury?" Logan asked Sage, who just shook her head. She had gotten word that he was still cleaning up whatever had happened last time. So they just had themselves for this one.
"So who is staying behind?" One of the New Mutants asked.
"Jamie and Rahne will stay behind."
"What? But why?" Both teens said in unison. They didn't like the idea of being left out, for they both wanted to help out and this felt like Xavier didn't trust them.
"Look you two…You are the youngest here and someone needs to stay behind to help out," Logan told them sternly.
"Yes," Xavier agreed, "Someone needs to stay here and help set up the medical ward and to help in case of injury and you both have taken first aid courses like everyone else has." That was one of the new programs that they had just starting teaching. They felt that if everyone had at least basic first aid skills, then that would help out in case of emergency.
They were about to argue the point, but a stern look from Logan silenced them. They went over final detail of the plan. Xavier had earlier tried to use Cerebro on this area, but it had been heavily shielded like the Hellfire Club in New York. It was another sign that might show that they were on the right track. They had decided to go in two teams and search the area. Once an entry was found, the first group would go in and search for their missing members while the second one would keep the exit open for them.
Logan and Sage were to lead the rescue team since Logan could track them down and Sage's telepathy could be used to help out. They would also have Betsy, Warren, and Rogue who everyone knew couldn't be talked into being on the other team. Amara was also going with them for extra fire power. Ororo and Hank were in charge of the second team along with the other New Mutants.
Fifteen minutes, later both groups were suiting up and heading to their respected vehicles. Amara was secretly glad she was going with the other team she could concentrate better without Tabitha and Sam around. She had pretty much hidden her feelings about it all well enough for the most part, although seeing the two together she found it hard to be in the same room. At night, with Tabby next to her bed sleeping was also hard, when people asked if she was having trouble sleeping with the way she looked she just said she was worried about the others. It was technically true, but this was just something she would have to deal with. And strangely enough, she was happy to see them together even though it hurt like hell now.
She hadn't spoken to either of them for a full day, not being able to look at either of them without feeling like bursting into tears. She had it under control, but she pushed it all aside. Now, she had something more important on her mind. But she couldn't help, but look over her shoulder sadly at the two of them holding each other's hand, for it still felt like a knife had just hit her heart.
Hank was doing last minute checks when he heard someone walk up next to him and was pleasantly surprised to see Sage in what he guessed was an X-Men uniform. It was all black skin tight uniform with a red X-Men symbol over her heart. She wore a black equipment belt and had a holster on her right thigh with a weapon there. It looked like a SHIELD sidearm. She also had on long black gloves that went up to just past her elbow. Her hair was in a bun and she smiled at him. "Well…Good luck Henry."
He smiled back to her, "You too Sage. Take care and please…be careful."
Sage smiled a little more at his concern, "Hank, I was a SHIELD agent for over ten years I know how to handle myself." She cupped his cheeks and kissed him slightly on the mouth. "But thanks for the concern…You really are a wonderful man."
Hank watched her walk off, stunned at first since this was the first real kiss he had with a woman in a very long time…Over three years actually. He was amazed she had done so, although he did admit he found her fascinating and beautiful, he had been debating if there could ever be anything between him. But now he was sure he had his answer. Little did they know, Ororo had seen this and smiled, for she felt it was good that two of her friends seemed to be starting a new relationship and she hoped they all came back from this.
Slayer
The mutant warrior known as Slayer was nearly fully healed after his epic bout with the Black Queen, Selene. While he wouldn't say it was a victory by any stretch of the imagination, it wasn't a defeat either. He had gotten what he needed from her, for she had let her guard down in her determination to destroy him. Now that he was almost fully healed thanks to his ever ready array of elixirs and healing potions, he felt as though he was ready for his next course of action…Although he wasn't exactly sure of what it may be.
"Okay…Think damn it…Think," he pushed himself as he stitched back together pieces of his armor that Selene had shattered in his fight, "Selene and Sinister…Ugh, I'll never get that image out of my head…Are planning to use the X-men they captured for experiments. They want to breed a generation of super mutants while exacting their revenge in one solid stroke. The Hellfire Club is the front…Sinister is the Dr. Frankenstein factor…And the darkness is somewhere in between. So what do I do? What the hell do I do?"
He knew their plans, but he didn't know how he was going to stop them once and for all before they unleashed the darkness that he could still so clearly see with his all seeing eye. He wished he could just storm their facility siege style and take them all out in one quick attack, but as his fight with Selene could attest to, that was probably not the best course of action. As a rule of war, it was necessary to know thy enemy and his most recent bout with the Black Queen had given him plenty of knowledge to carry into the next battle.
Whatever actions he took next had to be decisive…This had to end before the darkness could fall upon them and consume the world as he so vividly saw in his many visions. He knew Selene had to be the source and this time around, he would prepare a new round of spells to use against her to tip the balance in his favor…Although he had a feeling she would probably do the same against him when they eventually met up again.
But the key concern for him now was the current plot involving the X-men. They were now in a situation just as bad, if not worse, than the one they were in before. Sinister had no humanity whatsoever and there was no limit to what he was willing to do to those he captured. And if what he saw with his all seeing eye was any indication, there would be no way that the X-men could succeed against him without his help. Sinister was too prepared…Too ruthless…And too cunning for even Xavier's team to stop without grave costs. And at this point, they couldn't afford to pay such a price when the darkness was growing so powerful with each passing day.
"I have to do something…" he said to himself, grunting as he finished patching up his armor and stashing away a couple extra elixirs, "I just hope I don't mess this up or else it'll be…"
Suddenly, as he got up and was getting ready to make his leave, a new vision came across his all seeing eye, making the mark glow a bright yellow color. It took a moment for him to discern what he was seeing…But once it dawned upon him, it was as clear to him as night and day as the plan he had so intensely debated with himself over finally seemed to fall into place.
"Well I'll be…" he said as the mark on his eye continued to glow, "Shaw, you stupid son of a bitch…"
He couldn't believe it…At last, he had an opportunity to be the decisive factor he needed to be in order to take down Sinister and the Hellfire Club. He knew where they were…And so did the X-men. This meant he could trail them in the shadows without either them or the Hellfire Club knowing about it. It would give him a jump on the traps Sinister and Selene were sure to pull on them and it would give the sight of light a fighting chance against the overwhelming darkness that was becoming so strong.
Fighting alongside the X-men directly would be unwise at best since he was used to fighting alone and if his enemies were distracted, that would give him an opportunity to tip the balance in their favor. As a rule of war, deception is necessary for both enemies and allies and if he could stay in the shadows, he could give the X-men the secret weapon they needed to beat the odds and take down the Hellfire Club once and for all.
"Finally, irony breaks for the side of light for once…And evil provides me a window," said Slayer to himself as the symbols on his hands began to glow and a purple mist began to consume him, "The X-men will be the force to fight them…And I'll be their wildcard. They may not have a chance against this darkness on their own…But with the help of my sword, light shall prevail…And the sinister evil that awaits them shall be vanquished."
The enchanted purple mist then completely consumed him and with a silent gust of wind, the mutant warrior was gone…Taking to the shadows in preparation for the epic fight that was sure to come.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 45: SINISTER FACEOFF PART 1