ViciousAssassin: Got no plans to write the dinner at Vi's in this story. Yeah, everyone loved that ending. As for the Rahne/X23 similarities, while researching I found out both girls were the same age and I tend to see/notice things others don't. Yep, Selene is up next all right.
Silver Warrior: Glad you liked Jack's scene so much. Yep you know Mystique will give them hell.
Kaliann: Yep Slayer is a major mystery with many levels to him. It's Vivian not Violet, but glad you liked it, actually Storm really was kind of like that when she first showed up in the comics. Once Jean asked her if she wanted to change out of her uniform she just stripped right there. Boy was Jean embarrassed. It was about time Laura got some friends and Mystique finally gets her long promised revenge.
Mark C: Yep, Jack and Logan can really understand one another that most people can't. Well I did say a bit that Sage did know Vi in earlier chapters, but just in passing mention. I'm not sure I can fit in the dinner date with them all in this fic maybe in the spin off. Yep, now Laura has some friends. Everyone feels that last past was the best so far lol.
Aaron: Technically Jack doesn't date, since he's kind of has no room in it for his life. Yep, it was time for X23 to start making friends. Nope no training just references to what she put the New Mutants through, sorry we couldn't come up with anything for that.
Quillian: Yep, and boy did they get it. No, I don't think there's any Samurai Jack reference.
KSimonT-X: Oh trust me, Slickboy reads the reviews he knows lol. Well, Slayer is human after all and even he needs to unwind. Nope, Spyke won't show up in this and it said earlier that Sage was at the mansion when Xavier brought over Vi and Storm from Africa. He will show up a bit in the next big AGU story though where he gets to meet his new 'cousin' Blink. Trust us you don't want to know what Mystique does to them.
Doza: Yeah it's about time that you learn more about Slayer, and you'll read more about him later on too. I'm not sure if I'll actually write the dinner in this we'll have to see. True but then again if Mystique wasn't there for her kids I get the feeling most wouldn't mind them doing that lol.
Jenskott: They didn't show her reaction in the show and that was wrong in my opinion. I don't think any one liked Evan that's why they wrote him out of the show. Oh they didn't the glued tampons that was just and idea but yeah they got theirs.
The Uncanny R-Man: Well Slayer is human after all. After all the fighting he's got to unwind somehow. Yep, he's got a LOT of energy in the bedroom to spare like on the battlefield. Well I think that's what happened to Rahne in the show when they took her away, plus Evo Rahne was a bit more free spirited. Yep after Mystique's 'training' I think they'll stop the pranks.
GothikStrawberry: Well, it's easy with his way to relieve sexual stress then just use his magic. You make some nice points there about Emma, but trust me Sinister didn't have the time to try and fix her up so unfortunately he didn't heal her sadly enough.
Seam Mallory: No we're not sorry, and interesting idea but that won't fit with what we're doing.
Thanks to: X00001, Coldqueen
Hellfire and Brimstone
CHAPTER 63: A TOUCH OF DARKNESS
Rogue looked around her. She was in a room filled with scientific equipment as well as the smells normally found in hospitals. She heard moans and cries around her and she noticed that she was strapped down with metal braces to a metallic table. She moved her head to the left and noticed giant green tanks fill with a strange liquid, but her heart froze seeing some of the people she knew in them. Scott, Wanda, and Logan…All of them, floating. They were in their uniform, but they were all torn up and there were also wires sticking on them or into them.
She turned her head to the side and she wished she hadn't. There on two other tables were the forms of Kurt and Remy, both looking like the science frog she had dissected in science class. She felt like throwing up, but then on two other tables she saw Kitty and Jean. Both were strapped but Kitty looked like she was 6 months pregnant and Jean looked as though she had been raped by Shaw again.
"Well looks who is back for more," Rogue's heart nearly stopped at the sound and looked in front of her to see both Selene and Sinister there.
"No," she whispered out seeing them both grinning at her, "You're not here! We defeated you!"
Sinister laughed in her face, "Please did you really think you lot could defeat me? It was so easy to capture you all again. Not really a challenge this time was it my dear?"
"Oh no it wasn't," Selene walked over to Rogue's side and ran a finger down her cheek, "If you think that last time was rough for you, well let me tell you right now…That was just foreplay my dear."
Rogue started to struggle in her bonds. She wouldn't let this witch touch her again or hurt her again. She glared daggers at the dark haired woman and was tempted to spit in her face just to get that smirk off her face. She was hurt once by this woman and it still haunted her, but she refused to give into the fear she was feeling. She drew on her pain, her anger to try and break the bonds and then rip her to shreds. But she couldn't move. She tried and she tried, but nothing happened. She could still see her friends and family dead, dying or in pain around her and she couldn't do anything. Rogue wanted to scream to cry out against all of this, but she didn't want to give them the satisfaction.
"Come now my dear, you should feel proud," Sinister said with a grin, "You're going to be one of my test subjects." He then drew a needle and there was some liquid in it that glowed red. "Now…This will hurt, but after it you'll be altered, improved, and then…" he grinned and moved aside to see a large monstrous form in the shadows behind her, "We'll see if one of my other experiments can mate with you, the offspring should prove to be…Interesting to say the least."
Rogue's eyes widened in horror and tried even more to break free as she watched in terror as he stuck the needle into her arm she screamed out.
"Nooo!" Rogue bolted up in bed with a sweat all over her, panting for breath. She quickly looked around shaking a bit from the nightmare and quickly reached over to turn on her lamp. With the light on she saw that she was in her room. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she pulled her legs up to her chest and started to breathe a bit slowly, trying to focus. While in her flight training, Vincent had taguth her a few ways to remain calm and focused and she used those in moments like this to gain control after a nightmare.
She steadied herself as she let the fear pass her. The nightmare was already fading thankfully, "Great…Ah bet that will beh interestin' for tha next therapy session," she muttered to herself. Sure the therapy session she had with the others had helped her in the months since this thing with the Hellfire Club started, but at times it was still hard to talk.
It had been over a week since she last had a nightmare, although the last one hadn't nearly been as bad as this. She looked at her clock and saw that it was three in the morning. She moaned as her head rested on her knees, she wished it was earlier, then she could at least get up for an early breakfast and flight. She laid back down on her bed with the light still on as she looked up at her ceiling. 'Maybe ah should put somethin' up there to look at, at time like this?' she thought to herself. 'Maybe something like that vampire poster Ah saw awhile back?'
Then, she reached under her pillow and felt something she had kept under there and pulled out a playing car in a plastic protector. It was the Queen of Hearts card Remy had given to her. At first she didn't know why she kept the damn thing. But ever since she and Gambit had gotten closer, she got a protector for it. She always kept it close to her now, keeping it under her pillow at night. It was times like this that she pulled it out and just looked at it, for it had a way of calming her down and making her feel better.
She sighed and put the card on her dresser. She really didn't want to be alone at the moment. Sure she had been the 'loner' of the group for years, but deep inside she hated that. She hated being so alone especially at times like this. For the next thirty minutes she tried to get back to sleep, but she just couldn't no matter what she tried. So she sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She didn't want to be alone…She needed someone to talk to, but who?
Mystique? Sure, lately they had been talking and opening up and it wasn't easy to do building a bridge between them but it was slowly being done. But the fact was that she wasn't comfortable going to her in the middle of the night like this caused her to decide against it. In the morning when everyone else was up and around she was more comfortable with her, but she wasn't at the point where she could go to her anytime she was having a hard time.
So she turned off her lamp and slowly made her way to the door, deciding that she'd go and see Kurt. He always was able to make her feel better. It took a bit to adjust to the darkness, but she used her flight abilities to float herself off the ground. It was another little trick Vince had taught her when she first started out. She floated to Kurt's door and was about to knock when a thought struck her. What if he wasn't alone? She knew that he and Wanda had taken to sharing a bed at night.
Rogue bit her lower lip thinking about this. She silently opened the door and looked inside, in the low light she managed to see Wanda there alright, but Kurt was harder to see. Kurt could blend into shadows and darkness and so it was only his shirt and the form in the covers that gave him away. She smiled seeing them like this and decided not to interrupt them. She closed the door quietly and sighed to herself.
'Now what ah'm ah ta do?' she thought to herself.
Gambit had been sleeping very well at the moment until a soft knocking woke him up. He groaned and looked at the time.
'Damn…Dis better be important…' he thought with a groggy mind.
He turned on his lamp and got up and heard the knock again. He muttered a few French curses under his breath and when he opened the door he was surprised to see Rogue there. She looked a little worse for wear and he wondered what was going on and if something had happened.
"Chere? What's da matter?"
"Remy…Can…Can Ah come in?"
He pulled open the door as she walked in and sat on his bed. He looked at her puzzled and closed the door behind him as he sat down with her, "Chere ,not dat I don't mind you visitin' dis Cajun in the middle of de night, hell Remy has had a few fantasies dat started out dis way, but what's goin' on? Is somethin' wrong?"
She was silent for a moment. He was expecting one of her usual comebacks that he always liked to hear. The verbal sparing they did was one of the things he liked about their relationship. And the fact that she didn't respond worried him.
"Chere?"
"Hold meh…Just…Hold meh…" she said softly and he wrapped her up in his arms and she laid her head against him.
He just held her against him, for just ten minutes he held her in the night and she let him. It felt nice there in his strong arms she felt safe and secure. Finally, she managed to speak to him, "Ah'm sorry ah woke ya."
"It's okay. Gambit didn't need his beauty sleep. He's good looking enough no matter what time of de day or night," he said softly to her and she smiled a little at that.
"Remy…Can ah stay here for tha night?" she weakly asked him.
"Of course you can," he told her gently. He knew now was not the time for anymore joking around…Her tone told him that. They got into his bed as she laid down on top of him as he gently stoked her short brown and white hair. "You want to talk about it?"
"No…It was just a nightmare…And Ah didn't want to beh alone…"
She had to admit this did feel nice, just resting next to him. After hearing people like Jean, Emma and Betsy talk about this, she finally understood how good it felt to just lay here with the one you care for…Someone you love. She closed her eyes hearing his heart beat in his chest and the gentle stroking of her hair was calming to her.
"You know…If anyone saw dis dy might get the wrong idea, especially dat mother of yours."
"Ya don't have to worry about her. She wouldn't do anythin' to ya…Unless ya got it comin'," she said with a small smirk but it faded away as she thought about something. "Remy…What if…What if Ah can never…Never make love to ya?"
He shifted a bit and held her closer to him, "You've come a long way chere."
"Ah know, but…Ah still get sick to my stomach about what ah went through…tha memories have faded and they're not as sharp, but still…Even when Ah think of lettin' ya go all tha way with me like the others…Ah…Ah don't think ah can do it…" She felt like she wanted to cry at that moment, her voice cracking at the end. Remy had been very supportive of her and had been there for her through so much. The fact she could touch him and yet still not be close to him was like a living hell at times.
"Sometimes Ah think…That you should go and find a girl that can love you back…That isn't some messed up goth."
"Shhh…Don't talk like that cherè," he said in a soothing tone gently rubbing her back. He remembered when even touching her caused her to flinch away from everyone. Back then she had been so frail he was afraid she would break under the slightest touch. Those first few months were the hardest seeing her try to live with what happened. No one knew it, but during that time he took out a lot of his anger out in the gym and Danger Room. He nearly broke his hand against the punching bag thinking of Selene and what she did to her to all of them.
He wanted to tare something, anything to shreds seeing Rogue in so much pain and suffering. Now he was holding her, comforting her when there was a time she couldn't stand to be held or touched without panicking. He knew she was strong and she had come a long way from those days.
"Chere…You are de only woman for Remy. It's a miracle dat you can touch other people including myself. Der was a time when even somethin' like this could have killed Remy, but now you can touch me and not have to worry about drainin' anyone," he whispered into her ear softly.
"Why? Why do ya care so much?" Rogue asked closing her eyes not wanting to show any tears.
Gambit took a breath, it was now or never. She needed to know, she needed to know just how deep his feelings were. He had only said these simple words once in his life and had meant it. But that old relationship of his was never meant to be. He swore that he would never fell back into the 'trap' that was love. But he had, and not only did she need to know…He needed to tell her. "Because chere…Remy…He loves you."
"Do…Do you mean that?" she asked him looking into his face and into those red on black eyes of his.
"Oui, Gambit loves you. He always will. If we do or don't make love den, dat's de hand we were dealt and Gambit can live wit' it."
She felt a few tears on her face never feeling so touched and then she kissed him. She kissed him for a long time just tasting his mouth cupping his face in her hands. After a moment she looked into his eyes as he brushed away her tears.
"Ah don't know why Ah do…Ah must be crazy…But…Ah love ya too. Why Ah fell in love with a silver tongued devil of a swamp rat…Ah'll never know, but ah do," she told him her voice full of emotion and nearly breaking several times.
Remy gave her that grin of his that drove her nuts and melted her legs, "You say de nicest things."
She gave a smile and laid back down on him resting her head on his chest, "Shut up Cajun and let's get some sleep."
Gambit reached over and turned off the light, "Dat's a good idea." He then stoked her hair a few times and kissed her head, "Good night mon amour."
"Good night Remy…Mah love…" she whispered out as she felt her eyes lids slowly falling and feeling a sense of peace overcome her and she knew that she would sleep soundly for the rest of the night.
Front Driveway - Scott/Mystique
The weather was bright and sunny out in the driveway of the Xavier Institute…Perfect for outdoor activities of all kinds. And for Scott, it was a perfect opportunity to give his treasured car a good thorough wash as he so often did in an almost compulsive manner. With many of the New Mutants preoccupied with their 'special' session with Mystique, God have mercy on their souls, it left activity at the institute to a minimum.
After having undergone yet another training session with Jack, everybody seemed to take it easy. Warren, Vince, and Remy decided to start another game of cards, Kurt and Wanda began watching a movie, and Kitty and Piotr used the beautiful weather to do a few outside sketches and poses. Scott had found it somewhat remarkable how much time Kitty and Piotr spent together with these little art projects of theirs. Like the rest of the institute, he had seen that Piotr had genuine talent when it came to art and he was genuinely glad that he and Kitty were putting such talent to good use…In a tasteful manner, that is.
Then again, Piotr was no Lance…Not by a long shot. Scott could safely say that Piotr was a much better man for Kitty than Lance ever was. He was a good, honorable man and he had no doubts as to his intentions towards Kitty. Even though he had once been on Magneto's Acolytes, he had proven himself to be a good soul and as Scott caught a brief glimpse of them having a little fun in the distance near the woods, he couldn't help but smile at how far they had come.
Standing shirtless in the driveway under the hot sun, Scott began to hose his car down with some water. In his mind through the link he shared with his girlfriend and lover, he heard Jean laughing at something and he couldn't help but smile. He suspected that she, Betsy, and Emma must be having another one of their little 'telepath club' meetings as they had come to be known. And while he wasn't exactly sure at what she was laughing at, it was always a welcome feeling to hear her happy…Especially after how far they had come.
As Scott began to casually wash his car, meticulously scrubbing each and every point until it was at a mirror shine, his mind gradually fell into a greater sense of ease. Washing his car had always been something that had helped him relax. Even though some saw it as a bit compulsive, it was just something he enjoyed doing that helped balance him out, no different than how Hank took a great deal of pleasure fooling around with the danger room mechanisms or how Logan set his mind at ease by working on his motorcycle. And after Jack's rigorous session, a little relaxation was definitely in order.
Then, while he was beginning to work on polishing his mirrors and windshield, the door from the garage suddenly opened and out stepped Mystique. Naturally, Scott tensed a bit in her presence, but upon seeing her demeanor, he quickly saw that she was in a noticeably different mood than she had been earlier. And if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him…She almost looked happy.
"Oh no…You killed them, didn't you?" dreaded Scott, shuttering to think how the rest of the New Mutants were faring right now.
"Yeah, you wish…" quipped Mystique snidely, still grinning as she stepped out into the sunlight, feeling a lot better now that she had been given a chance to repay the New Mutants for all the bullshit pranks they pulled on her, "But let's just say…We're even now."
"Great…Does that mean I should call the nearest hospital and give them our insurance info?"
"No…But don't expect them to be too active for the next couple of days," she said, feeling all too proud of herself at the moment.
Scott simply returned to washing his car, once again trying to focus on something other than the current condition of the New Mutants. Although, as much as he hated to admit it, they sure did have it coming to them after all the crap they pulled on Mystique. And after having bore the blunt end of many of their pranks before, he couldn't necessarily say that he was sorry that they finally ended up paying for the consequences of their actions.
"You don't seem to mad at me for getting back at those little punks all the pranks they pulled on me," the shape shifter commented, since she had expected Scott to criticize her actions more than anybody given his animosity towards her.
"Well…Let's just say, I don't blame you," he said, much to her surprise, "And just to let you know, I've been on the receiving end of their pranks as well…So don't think I don't know where you're coming from. And between you and me…I can't say I'm all that disappointed to hear that they finally paid the price for their behavior."
"You're fucking with me, right?" she scoffed, still waiting for Scott to tear into her.
"Nope…I mean it. And you're lucky. I never even got a chance to pay them back for any the shit they pulled on me."
"Well I bet they didn't put hair dye in your shampoo, pour Tabasco sauce on your food, or freeze your room until it was an ice skating rink," she argued.
"You'd be surprised…" said Scott, actually managing to grin somewhat upon hearing some of the stuff she had gone through, "Try crazy glue to my glasses, stink bait under my bed, and half a gallon of bleach on my uniform."
Mystique cast Scott a skeptical glance, but after having been the victim of so many pranks, she could definitely see that them doing shit like that. It may have been odd getting a reaction like this from Cyclops of all people, but after having been at the institute for a few days, she was beginning to get an understanding of just what made the people here tick.
"As much as I hate to say it…I can really see that happening…" she commented.
"Trust me, it was awful," added Scott, "Sure, they lightened up after they got bored. But it really picked up again after Jean and I got together. They kept spying on us, teasing us, and ruining all the moments we kept trying to have to ourselves. And to this day, they still like to mess with us here and there."
"Well part of that I can understand. The way you and the redhead act around one another is just downright sickening at times."
"Do you honestly I give a rat's ass what they think?" he quipped as he began washing the hood of his car with the suds, "I love Jean and she loves me back. Is it a crime to want to enjoy something like that?"
"I'm not saying it us, but from an outsider's perspective…It can get kind of annoying."
"Why would you bother?" he asked in response, "And furthermore, why would you even want to watch in the first place."
"Oh please…" she said with a slight groan, "Even when I was principal of the school, I could see it. In fact, I thought you two were an item from day one. I only found the truth after Rogue came along since she kept pining over you the whole time…"
Upon hearing that, Scott actually stopped hosing down his hood and turned back towards the shape shifter with a surprised look on his face. In his mind, that didn't seem possible. Rogue had a crush on him? And he didn't see it? That was definitely a shocker to him.
"You're kidding, right?" he said, the look on his face causing the shape shifter to grin once again.
"You honestly didn't see it?"
"Well…No," he answered honestly.
"Well it was painfully clear, at least to everybody else who wasn't completely smitten with a redhead. Before she joined the X-men and even while I was posing as her friend, Risty, she did a pretty lousy job of hiding her crush towards you. But I guess it was enough to keep you oblivious."
That got Scott to feel a little awkward because when he looked back on it, he could definitely see that there were signs. But he had just been so hung up on Jean that he never took the time to really think about them. And after having heard this, it really did seem pretty obvious. He just thought that Rogue was reaching out for somebody…He had no idea that there were romantic feelings there as well.
"Wow…I guess I really was too focused on Jean to really notice," he said, now feeling kind of bad over how Rogue must have felt every time he blew her off for Jean.
"You were…But don't worry it now. Rogue's been over you for some time. Now she's all head over heels for that Cajun. And even though the thought of them together still doesn't sit too well with me…He does make her really happy, so I guess I don't really have a right to say."
"Give it time…Believe me, relationships take some major getting used to," said Scott, speaking from experience, "It seems really complicated at first, but over time it starts to develop."
"Well you would know…It only took you and the redhead, what, like five years to hook up?" she quipped snidely in response.
"Actually…It was even longer than that," admitted Scott with a sigh, "But we came around eventually and it's been the best thing that's ever happened to us. Real honest love is a hard thing to truly grasp and it just takes some people longer than others to see it. And come to think of it…Jean and I probably would have gone even longer if it hadn't been for that Mexico shit you put me through."
This time, it was Mystique's turn to look surprised. She definitely hadn't expected that since they both had always been so bitter over that whole ordeal and this was the first time he was actually talking about it in a somewhat positive light, if she could even call it that. While she knew Jean did eventually come to the rescue to help him, she had no idea it was anything more than that.
"You must be joking…" she scoffed.
"Nope…" said Scott with a grin, "Believe it or not, it's partially because of you Jean and I finally came together. We were both trying to get things out in the open, but it ended up with me having to endure getting the shit kicked out of me, rotting in the desert, and boatload of injuries to get us both to come to our senses. Hell, the only way they knew I was in trouble was from the psychic link Jean and I share. If it hadn't been for that, you probably would have been able to keep torturing me for God knows how long."
"And chances are, I probably would have…" she admitted, making no qualms about it given what she had to go through at Area 51 because of him, "And I always did wonder how they managed to find you. The whole reason behind using Mexico was because it was out of psychic range for Xavier."
"It was…But it wasn't out of range from my link with Jean," said Scott, who couldn't help but smile somewhat at the through, for it showed just how strong their bond was, "And it was after she came in and saved me that we finally stopped kidding ourselves and admit how we felt about each other. So I guess in a ways, it was because of you Jean and I finally hooked up. I really don't know if we would have otherwise."
Mystique didn't really know how to feel about that. On one hand, she had gotten a chance to pay Cyclops back for leaving her to rot at that base, but on the other hand, he found so much happiness in the aftermath since he finally got together with Jean. It was nowhere near what she intended, but in a ways, it was kind of a relief because if she had really gone all out on him, she probably would have never gotten the chance to join the institute and be with her kids.
"Guess I accomplished more than I intended with that ploy…" she muttered in response.
"Yep…And like it or not Mystique, for all the injuries I endured because of you and all the crap I had to go through, it was still worth it in the end."
Mystique simply rolled her eyes at that, once again finding all the mentions of love sickening…Especially one she had inadvertently aided. While it did explain a few things for her, it was still a bit strange knowing that something that came solely from her anger had ended up helping somebody instead of hurting them. It was bad in some respects, but a major positive in others…Especially now that she was living here. It was weird on so many levels. But given that she was now living in a mansion that she once blew up with a bunch of hyperactive mutant youths, she had almost grown accustomed to the feeling of living in a world wrought with unusual complications.
Feeling as though she had learned enough about past misdeeds for the day, Mystique felt as though a relaxing flight was in order. But as much as she hated to admit it…Talking to Cyclops about this whole deal did make her feel a bit better.
"Well in that case, I hope you remember that next time one of us brings up the Mexico incident," she said as she began to walk off towards the woods, "Now if you'll excuse me…I'm in need of a good long flight."
And before he could even respond, she had shifted into a Raven and flew off. Yet even after she had departed, Scott still had a grin on his face, glad that they had both gotten that out of the way…And hopefully, things would continue to improve as they both got used to the idea of being around one another all the time under the same roof.
"Believe me, Mystique…" he said with a smile, his thoughts driving back to that moment in Mexico when he and Jean finally came together, "There's no way I'm ever forgetting something like that…"
The Den - Jean/Betsy/Emma
With the New Mutants still recovering from their little session with Mystique, the den of the Xavier Institute was finally quiet enough for three female telepaths of the institute to have one of their little gatherings that they had all come to enjoy so much. With the sunlight pouring in through the windows and a calm atmosphere to enjoy, it was definitely a good time to unwind. And since many of the New Mutants were too tired to project their thoughts, it helped the three young telepaths enjoy a relatively uncluttered head for once.
Jean, Betsy, and Emma had been having these little get-togethers for some time now. For them, it was nice to sit around and simply talk about this and that, ranging from topics regarding telepathy all the way towards the oh so wondrous topic of their sex lives. And now that things had settled a bit since Mystique's arrival, it was a welcome feeling of calm for once.
At the moment, both Jean and Betsy were lounging on the couch with a couple of books in hand and Emma was fooling around in the kitchen with something. Jean was reading a biology textbook from the library that she often used in her studies at college and Betsy was enjoying a few old British classics from people like William Blake and Jane Austin. They were all still a bit tired and sore from Jack's session, but what they were feeling now was probably nothing compared to what the New Mutants had gone through with Mystique, so for that, they were grateful.
"So how do you think the others are holding up?" said Betsy as she lay back on the couch with her legs crossed and her book resting up against her legs.
"Don't know…" said Jean with a shrug, sitting on the opposite side of the couch with her book on the arm rest so it was directly under the lamp light, "Something tells me we don't want to know. If they're too tired to project their thoughts, then I think that says it all…"
"Good point, luv," said Betsy with a slight chuckle, "But then again, those little buggers really were asking for it."
"Oh believe me, Betsy…They were WAY overdue for something like this."
"I don't doubt that. After all the crap Warren and I had to put up with teaching them, I can't say I'm surprised."
"Yeah…But that's not taking into account all the stuff I had to put up with when I was still their target," muttered Jean, remembering back to some of those oh so pleasant memories.
"You have my sympathies, Jean…" said Betsy, knowing she had been at the institute a lot longer than her and had endured way more shit than her and Warren combined, "But now that they've finally been shown the consequences of their actions, hopefully they'll give it a rest."
"Maybe…But somehow, I doubt that."
Just then, Emma arrived back in the den with a sandwich and a glass of chocolate milk. At first it didn't seem too out of the ordinary for the other two girls, but as soon as they saw what she had put on it, they quickly cast her a surprised look.
"Emma, what the hell is that?" asked Betsy as Emma sat down on the chair adjacent to the couch and set her lunch down on the table before her.
"A peanut butter, jelly, and banana with a little lettuce, Swiss cheese, and tomato all on a six inch sub roll…" she answered bluntly as she eagerly picked up her little dish and took a big bite out of it, "I thought I'd try something new for a change."
"New, indeed…" said Jean, trying hard to keep herself from laughing and gagging at the same time, "I think you've been hanging around Kurt too much."
"Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it darling," she said as she took another bite, "Just because it sounds weird doesn't mean it can't taste good. Wanna a bite?"
"I think I'll pass, luv…" said Betsy, shifting her attention back onto her book so she didn't have to watch her friend eat that mesh of assorted food products she called a sandwich.
"Yeah, me too," said Jena in agreement, "Besides, I already ate and I'd like to keep my lunch safely in my stomach."
"Suit yourself ladies…" shrugged Emma as she took another bite, "But seriously, you don't know what you're missing. You can't be afraid to try new things."
"Hey, I'm just as adventurous as the next ninja telepath who's had her body switched, but I draw the line at certain foods," said Betsy.
Emma didn't seem too affected by their comments as she once again focused on her sandwich and opened one of the books she had picked up from the library that she had been meaning to read. Usually, she went for books that were either about business or fashion, but this time, she had chosen to pick up one of the books Vincent had been reading a lot lately. It was entitled "Tale of Genji" and it was an old piece of classic Japanese literature. While at first she hadn't really ventured into such genres, hearing Vince talk about things like honor, compassion, and spirit really did resonate with her because it helped her understand him better. Vincent had always shown her that he had a powerful sense of honor derived from what he learned through martial arts with Mr. Kansuke and what he learned about the human spirit through Father Michaels. And if stuff like that helped him become the wonderful man she had fallen so deeply in love with today, it couldn't hurt to take a look at it.
"I see Vincent has been rubbing off on you're tastes, luv," commented Betsy as she took a look at what she was reading.
"What can I say? I was curious," she shrugged, "Ever since Vincent and I got involved, I've been curious as to how he came to be such a wonderful man after all the horrors he faced. And since ancient Bushido stuff is so important to him, I figured it couldn't hurt to take a look. So I guess his tastes have kind of rubbed off on me."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Jean as she turned another page in her book, "After Scott and I started dating, I developed the inexplicable urge to read all these car magazines."
"Car magazines?" said Betsy with a curious look, "Well…I guess I can see that for somebody like Scott. The guy washes that car of his at least three times a week."
"Yeah, I know," said Jean, rolling her eyes a bit at that, "But I found that after learning a bit about the subject, I began to understand why he does it. Hell, because of all those magazines I read, I now know what a carburetor is, a gasket, and the difference between a turbo and clutch."
"Really? That's kind of freaky, Jean," said Emma, who couldn't help but laugh a bit.
"Yeah, yeah…But hey, it helps to know your boyfriend's interests. It makes communication so much easier," said Jean with a grin, "And besides, I've found it's been really helpful to develop an appreciation for cars. It helped me pick out my SUV."
"But I bet you don't wash it nearly as much as Scott," quipped Emma.
"True…But I think Scott's car needs more washing in the end. After some of the things we've done in it…I can understand the need to keep it clean."
That got both of the girls to laugh. And as strange as it seemed, it did make a lot of sense…Combining the interests with intimacy, which was definitely something they would both try and remember for future references.
"Oh I bet you and Scott have made plenty of messy memories in that car of his," said Betsy, knowing all too well the appeal of sex and cars, given the kind of things she and Warren had done in them.
"You have no idea…" said Jean with a grin, "In fact, sometimes when we're trying to wash his car…We end up getting a little carried away and mess it up again in our own 'special' way."
"Damn…Now I'm beginning to think he doesn't clean his car out enough," said Emma as she took another bite of her sandwich, "Guess that means Vincent and I have a lot of catching up to do in my car."
"Good luck with that," said Jean with a grin, "But you may have a ways to go."
"Oh I think we'll work our way up…" said Emma with a sultry grin.
The three girls let out another round of laughter as they once again started to focus on their books. It was relatively silent for a while as Emma finished her lunch. Jean and Betsy tried not to look, but sometimes it was hard to say the least. Neither of them had a clue as to how Emma could develop a taste for something like that…Then again, after having seen the kind of things Kurt, Bobby, and a few of the others had eaten, she was still a lightweight.
Once Emma was done, the three girls simply kept up with their reading. Then suddenly, Kitty entered the den and broke the silence.
"Hey Emma…You got a minute?" she asked as she leaned on the entryway.
"For you? Of course darling," said Emma with a smile as she closed her book, "Come on in, Kitty. What's on your mind?"
"Um…" she began, blushing a bit, which clearly hinted to Emma what was on her mind, "I was wondering if you could help me with something…"
"Oh boy…This doesn't have to do with a three letter word that ends in x does it?" commented Betsy, not even needing telepathy to figure that out.
"What! No, of course not…Well, not entirely anyways," said the younger girl, still feeling kind of awkward about this.
"Well then what is it?" asked Jean curiously, having remembered back to when Kitty had asked them all about sex and first times.
"It's…Just a little something I thought I could use some help on," she said, choosing her words carefully, "You see…I was talking to Peter earlier and I thought it might be nice to make a little something 'special' for our next project."
"Ooh…Special how?" said Emma with a suggestive grin.
"Well…" she said, blushing a bit under the older blonde's gaze, "We were thinking of maybe me dressing up in something a bit more interesting instead of regular dresses and clothes, so I suggested maybe making something else. And I had in mind something a bit more…Provocative."
"Oh, say no more darling!" said Emma, the fashion junky within her quickly taking hold, "I know exactly what you mean…"
"I had a feeling…But when I say provocative, I don't mean, like, totally slutty or something. I'm talking about something…Tasteful."
"Oh I'm sure we can work that out as well…" said Emma, already going over some plans in her mind as her eyes ran up and down Kitty's petite body.
"So…You'll help me?" she said, feeling a bit more optimistic about it.
"Of course…" said Emma, "Fashion is my passion. Just follow my lead Kitty and when I get through with you, I'm sure Peter will barely be able to contain himself!"
"Oh boy…Something tells me I better help with this one," said Betsy as she put her book away and got up to follow them out of the room, knowing Emma definitely had the tendency to go a bit overboard when it came to clothing.
"Sounds great! The more the merrier!" said Emma as she ushered Kitty out of the room and up the stairs where they could begin planning, "Now come on, Kitty…Let's get you into something that will make Peter's eyes fall right out of his head!"
"Lead the way, Emma!" said Kitty, knowing it was sure to be a hell of a ride from here.
Once Emma, Bets, and Kitty were gone, that left Jean alone in the den with her book simply shaking her head in amusement at what had just happened. She was glad Kitty and Piotr's relationship was progressing so nicely, but she hoped that whatever Betsy and Emma did to help her…They wouldn't go too crazy.
And with that thought in mind, Jean simply sighed to herself as she went back to reading her book, simply enjoying the peaceful silence that had become so rare at the Xavier Institute.
-Secret Temple, Underground-
Under a mountain with no name in the middle of basically nowhere in the snowy mountainous regions of Asia, there was a hidden temple. It had been made centuries ago, carved out of the very mountain itself and its walls covered in pictograms of past histories and prophecies. Many of the marking have been maintained over time and were safe from the erosion of the winds and snow. They were also wards against evil, incantations, spells, and other mystical protective signs. All of them were used to hide the temple form the outside world against the curious or even those trying tin find it.
Deep within the heart of the temple was a sealed room with only one massive door that was forever guarded. It had many names, Gate of Darkness, Portal of the Abyss, The Black Gate, Death's Door, Hall of Ragnarok, Door of Hades, and of course…The Gateway to Hell. It was a massive door created when civilization was young by The Old Ones. It was made as a doorway to the Underworld, or what many now call Hell. It was there that many of the demons and creatures of darkness were banished from the Earth through the door.
But a door can swing both ways, and what was once open can be opened again. It had a very complex lock that can only be opened by certain means, but it could still be opened. Over time, a few have tried to open the door in search of power or some other foolish goal. So protectors were made and so the Order of the Gate Keepers was created, holy monks that have spent their lives training and guarding the gate from the outside. They came from all over now the world, people who had felt a calling to be filled. There was even a small town at the bottom of the mountain that hade many families that for generations had picked those most worthy of this sacred honor, for only they stood between the candle light and the darkness that craved to be let loose from the dark doorway.
It had been a usual quiet day. The monks were training in either the mystical arts or in the arts of combat or doing the usual daily chores that needed to be done. There was a large strong and reinforced door at the entrance of the temple and only the monks were allowed in and out. At this moment, one of them was guarding if from a small window cut out from the mountain side. One of them had gone into the village for a few extra supplies. There seemed to be an extra chill in the wind today, like death was walking among the winds looking or perhaps waiting for something to happen.
He shook his head of such thoughts. After some time he noticed on of them returning, the robes he wore was a dead give away and by the looks of the basket he had gotten what he had gone for. He walked down into the lower level and pulled a lever. It would open the great doors and allow someone in. The doors had never been breached since they had been made. Carved out of the mountain and enforced with metal, wood and mystical powers it had repelled all that tried to gain entry.
He closed the door as the monk walked to the center of the room and put down the basket his hood still covering the face, "Well what have you brought-ACK!" he cried out as a hand quickly clamped down on his throat and he saw to his horror the monks face. The eyes were yellow and there were dark vanes all over the now pale face. He knew it was the monk, but not all of it. The monk had somehow been possessed. But how had one of their order been taken by surprised was the last thought as his neck suddenly snapped.
The possessed monk walked to the lever and pulled opening the doors. The doors were nearly perfect, but the single flaw in them was that they has to be closed in order to work. The demon monk then snapped the lever off so that no one could close them. It walked to the door and gave a massive inhuman cry into the winds. Soon it was answered and creatures that had been hidden rose up…It was an army of darkness, made up of all sorts of creatures that would give most nightmares to see them. With the doors open they swarmed into the temple.
The monks to their credit acted quickly when they realized they were under attack and fought back with magic and weapons. They fought on, never surrendering or giving up. They took down many of the dark creatures, but it seemed as though for every one they cut down two or three took its place. The monks fought on knowing that their duty was more important then their lives. The monks to their credit had done better then most men and women would have done against such foes and being so outnumbered. But they were only human and humans tire, they get hurt, and they die.
The creatures swarmed them and the fighting was so brutal and bloody that there were bodies everywhere. Human and others littered the temple, the fighting lasted for over an hour, but soon the monks had been routed and were defeated. None of them begged or cried out for mercy, they all fought until their bodies couldn't fight or that they were no longer living. They gave it their all and by the end of it only a few of the monks were still alive, most of the dark horde had been slain but it still had not been enough.
Selene, the Black Queen strolled through the carnage laid out before her and smiled at the work of her minions. She had spent the last few months preparing and searching for what she needed. Now she had the location of the gate and had grown a large army of dark creatures. Some of them were creatures of darkness that had their roots in darkness, others were lesser demons called forth. Even though the Gate of Hell kept back the majority of Hell's minions, they could still break through to this side. The only down side was that only a very small number could do it and the more powerful ones were nearly impossible to bring into this realm without a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice.
But that was all to change. Selene walked through the temple stepping in puddles of blood and gore feeling pleased at the scene of death before her. She reached out and with one of her leather gloved hands wipe a little of the blood smeared onto a near by pillar. She looked at it with a grin as she walked on and licked it clean. She always did enjoy a blood bath here and there. She looked around her remembering some of there past works, some of her best work had been back in places like Nova Roma, the Dark Ages, and the occasional war. Of course it was some of her deeds that the term 'war crimes' came about.
She remembered her time with the Nazis and their little death camps…Now there was an idea. A place to line up people and kill them off like an assembly line. She laughed at those times. She had killed many and taken the life forces of so many innocent…Yet this did not phase her in the slightest. "Ah…Good times," she sighed happily to herself.
It was also the first time she met her dear Mr. Sinister. Her face grew a little more solemn at the thought of his passing. He was the only man that truly was her equal and the only that she came to respect and in her own twisted way love. Well, at least as close as she could come to that emotion.
"Soon my dear Sinister…Soon I shall unlock the Gate and I shall burn this world to ashes and remake it. With it's power you will rise again and together we shall remake the world in our own image and our enemies will suffer for eternity," Selene said softly to herself.
She walked the halls and found a door locked with so much protection magic as soon as she touched it, the thing burned her hand. She screamed in pain and took a step back and glared at it, "Well now…This will take a little time to open."
She called forth a few of her minions and told them to bring forth any survivors. The few that had survived were not in good shape. Many were hurt, dying or looked like they were about to die. She stood in front of them and glared, "Now, I want to know how you open this door."
Nobody said a word. She was using a glamour that allows her words to be understood by anyone no matter what language…A little trick she picked up that helped with interrogations, "Fine then…We do it the hard way. And just so you all know…I love the hard way."
Back at the mansion, Slayer was watching the lake from the cliff side. It was very calming and with all the New Mutants in their rooms sleeping off or trying to sleep off whatever the hell Mystique put them through. All anyone could tell was that they all barely made it to their rooms, but he had to admit even though seeing kids just being kids playing was nice. It was also nice for all the peace and quit.
He took in a deep breath letting his lungs fill in with the fresh air, then his eye activated and his mind as assaulted with images. They slammed into his brain with the force of a truck. All around him, he saw people dying, being torn apart by things that looked like living nightmares and the screams of those dying. He saw Selene there among the dead…He saw a door with what he knew were a hell of a lot of protection spells on it. But then, his vision went through it and behind it was a dark room that chilled him to his soul.
He never felt anything like it…It was like a massive presence slamming into him, something so huge near by that he actually wanted to just run away from it. But then in the dark a shape started to stand out. It was a door, but it was massive. It was three stories high, as thick as the mansion and it was dark…It was actually darker then the darkness around it, as if it was somehow sucking in all the dark into it. And he felt the presence coming from it, from behind it. It was something bigger then the planet, something so huge that it wanted to break into their world and he felt a hunger a need. He had faced so much evil in the world that he thought he knew it but until this moment he knew he hadn't. This he knew was the source of all evil, this was it's black heart and worse yet…It saw him. It was looking at him and he could feel it and it was calling to him…Trying to get him to open it, but he didn't want to open it, he wanted to get away from it. It was so dark, so evil that just sensing it was making his skin crawl in ways that hadn't in years.
He used all his ability and pulled out of the vision. His vision was blurred and as it came back to him he found himself on one knee on the grass panting with effort and sweating. He never had a vision like that before or one that affected him so powerfully. He knew that the darkness he had sensed was just made known to him and the truth was…Deep down what he felt…Scared him a little. It had been a long time since that happened and there was only one thing he could say to what he just felt and saw, "Oh…Shit…"
NEXT UP CHAPTER 64: ENTER AUGUST