Hellfire and Brimstone

CHAPTER 75: LAST MINUTE CONVERSATIONS

-Rec Room-

The New Mutants were just lounging around. Ray and Roberto were playing against each other at a game of pool. Bobby and Jubilee were talking about a new film and how bad it was that they saw, spending most of their time just trashing it and saying how they could have done better then that. Jamie and Rahne were cuddled up with each other just talking mainly. She had her head on his shoulder with his arm around her. She felt nice like this just like this, with one of his hands stroking her hair. She didn't wear her hair in pigtails anymore since he liked it loose and truth was, it did make her look much older and more mature.

Jamie was just enjoying the day. He and the other had just finished an outdoor exercise with Logan so now it was just time to relax. And having his girlfriend laying so close to him was the best he could think of. He never knew just how good it felt to be like this and now he understood why all the older people here seemed to like it. It was strange a few years back he thought of girls as gross, but then he started crushing on a few and now he was dating. Although when talking to his parents, he let it slip.

His mother wanted to know who so he sent them a picture. Now all he heard from his mother was how fast he was growing up and how adorable they looked together. At least his dad wasn't too bad. He looked over as Sam working out a kink in Tabitha's neck although she seemed to like it.

"Damn, where did you learn to do this Sammy?" she asked him, his hands were nice and strong and yet gentle at just the right time. She guessed growing up on a farm really helped with his hands and his build.

Sam grinned, "My pa, he used to do this for my ma when she was expecting and stuff…Said that a man should know how to treat his lady."

"Lucky lady," she smiled, "Boy you Guthrie men got talent. I bet once you do this, any woman will be all yours." Sam just blushed at her comment. She looked around and then thought of something, "Hey, has anyone seen Mara?"

Rahne looked around as did a few of the other, "Nae, I haven't seen her since after training."

"Yeah, she's been kind of disappearing for the past few days hasn't she?" Roberto said sinking in the three ball as Ray cursed under his breath. It was at that moment that Amara and August walked into the room laughing and then very close together. They had been enjoying their time together lately immensely. Amara felt like she had a connection with this girl and the fact that she was genuinely interested in her. August was happy to not only have some friends for once but this was the first time she had been around long enough to try and make any type of relationship.

'Well maybe it's time to start,' August thought to herself looking at Amara.

Maybe it was time to at least try. After all, with her mother out of the way she would need to have something else to fill her life with. She never gave that much thought before since there had not been really anything that she wanted to believe in or work for other then stopping her mother forever.

But now maybe she had found a place where she not only fit in, but maybe could start building a life for herself. All of theses people were mutants like her and none of them really judged her, there was also the fact she was tired. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. All these years on the run and searching for something to destroy Selene with had left her feeling a lot older then she was and she just wanted to rest now. But she could never rest as long as Selene walked the Earth, so she planned to either end it or die trying.

But at least now she had a new source of strength rather then just her anger and hatred. Amara and the others made her feel like there was hope for her future now. That maybe she had found a place to settle down and use her skills and traits for a new purpose.

"Hey, where have you two been?" Tabitha smiled at them.

It had been strange. Her best friend suddenly was spending so much time with the new girl. Sure, with her thing with Sam she hadn't been spending so much time with her that she usually did but she kind of wondered if maybe she was losing her as a friend. She hopped not because Amara was the only girl here that just accepted her for who she was and never once made her feel bad about how she was.

"Yeah, what's up?" Jubilee asked from her chair, "You two have been spending a lot of time together, not that we're not happy, but what gives?"

She was just wondering if maybe August didn't like the rest of them, although she thought the older girl was kind of cool. She had her own bike like Logan and had done some pretty cool things from the stories she told them. Sure, by now they knew that Selene was her mother, but hearing Amara tell it to them they felt more sorry for her then anything.

August and Amara shared a look they had talked about this. If they were going to date they should tell the others just so they knew what was going on. At first Amara wasn't sure, August just didn't care, but she pointed out she didn't want to just show affection when they were alone. Amara had asked for a couple of days to get up the nerve and seeing the look in her eyes, Amara knew what she was thinking.

She sighed internally hoping that this wouldn't be as hard as she had thought although everyone would see her different at least maybe a bit differently from now on she hoped that they would accept it. "Well there is a reason…See August and I are…Kind of…Seeing each other…" She blushed a bit looking at the various reactions.

"Seeing as in…" Ray asked her, not sure if she was telling them what they thought they were. Sure he always thought Amara was kind of cute, but he never pictured her dating women.

"As in dating, well we just kind of started that," August shrugged and put an arm around Amara's waist. There were many surprised and shocked expressions as no one saw this coming. Tabitha got up from her spot on the floor.

"Wait a minute…You mean all this time you were gay and never told me?" Tabby asked, her hands on her hips she was more hurt that Amara never trusted her then anything else for the moment. She had thought that they were best friends and they this was something she never knew about.

"Actually, I'm bisexual. I like both boys and girls, but I'm seeing August at the moment."

Amara really didn't like being in the spotlight this time. Sure, she was raised in it being royalty and all, but it was different in a room full of strangers instead of a room full of her closest friends.

"Wow, how come you never told us this?" Jubilee wanted to know.

Amara just shrugged, "I wasn't sure how you would take it. Back home it's completely normal, but here it's not. Besides, I never really saw any reason to."

"Damn, well I guess I can understand that," Tabitha said, thinking it over, "But you don't have to worry about me. I mean we're best friends right? So what if you like chicks and guys at the same time, it's all good to me."

Amara smiled at that and was glad Tabitha was supporting her.

"Yeah I don't care," Ray shrugged, "I mean, we got enough problems being mutants with people hating us for just that. No real point in doing the same for each other." The others had to admit he made a real point.

"So you're all okay with this?" Amara asked.

"Hey, what kind of friends would we be?" Bobby asked, "Sure this will get a little getting used to. I mean dropping a bomb like this you can't expect us not to be shocked by it. But I got a question, if you two really are together then is August gay or bi as well?" Jubilee elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow! What? It's a valid question."

"Yeah ,does this mean that we'll see you two making out at times?" Roberto asked with a grin on his face. Jamie and Rahne blushed at that as did Sam while the other boys kind of got an interesting look on their faces as they never considered that.

August just rolled her eyes. She wondered why men liked the idea of two women together. Well, actually she did get the appeal but, maybe for different reasons.

"Fine if it will get this out of the way," she then turned to Amara and quickly grabbed her and kissed her on the lips in romantic embrace. Amara was taken by surprise and it took her a few moments to kiss her back. After they pulled away, Amara was totally embarrassed and tried to hide her face behind her long hair.

"Okay…That was hot," Ray admitted to seeing them kiss right there.

Bobby made the mistake of nodding as Jubilee slapped him on the back of the head for that. He knew that was a mistake and would have to make it up to her later as she looked a bit pissed.

"So…Amara I got to ask," Tabitha grinned, "Were you ever checking me out?" Amara couldn't even look at her in the face and Tabby to the surprise of everyone just burst out laughing. "Well I guess that makes me the blond bombshell for both men and women."

"You're not freaked out?" Magma was a bit confused, for this certainly wasn't a reaction that she was expecting from her.

"Naw, it's kind of flattering in a way. Besides, I got my man and you got your girl so as long as she doesn't try to kick my ass for being jealous we're good."

August had to smiled at that, "Oh don't worry. The only reason I would do that would be if you tried something with her and I'm not worried about that." After the tension left the room they started to get back to things. Bobby was trying to get Jubilee not so pissed at him and the others were getting used to how close and affectionate Amara and August were.

In fact, they teamed up to play pool with the boys and of course thanks to a plan from August who used this a few times to scam money off of a few pool players. Sometimes they would start to kiss the other gently or caress or August would help Amara with her shots. Both boys of course found it harder to concentrate on the game with all of this going on. They also lost all three games to the girls.

Living Room – Kurt/Rogue/Mystique

"Vow…I…You and Remy finally did it?" said Kurt as he sat wide eyed in the living room with his sister, Rogue, as she told him about the amazing experience she and Remy shared together last night.

Rogue's face was blushing bright red as she took in the look he was giving her. But despite this, a smile never left her face. The memories of what had happened last night were just too fantastic for her to ignore. Even though it had been difficult at times to get over what had been done to her in the past, namely from Selene, it was nice to finally get beyond it and experience the kind of pleasure, closeness, and intimacy she had been denied because of so much fear and anxiety.

It was still quite remarkable to think that they both were finally learning to move on after what was done to them. Kurt had Wanda…Rogue had Remy…It was a nice feeling for the both of them, not to mention a much welcome change from all the issues they had been dealing with for so long now. And in Rogue's case, it was even more so since she never thought she could be close to anybody because of her inability to touch.

"Yeah, Ah…Ah guess Ah was tired of holdin' back," she said, smiling to herself at the memory that she knew she would now treasure forever, "Ah mean…Even though it still hurts to think about…Well, ya know…Ah just don't wanna be tied to the past anymore. Ah wanted to move on. Ah wanted to enjoy the fact that Ah could actually touch…That Ah could be close to somebody without hurtin' them."

"And Remy just happened to be zhe lucky guy…" said Kurt with a humored grin, happy to know that his sister had finally managed to move on and overcome the same thing he had with Wanda.

"Yeah…Ah guess so," she shrugged, the smile still dominating her face, "An' Ah gotta admit…Ah didn't think Ah would have been able to go through with it at one point, but when Ah felt Remy's body against mine and let him wrap his arms around meh, Ah just…It was…Amazing. Ah…"

However, that's as far as Kurt wanted it to go. He had enough problems with images of his mother and Jack and he didn't need them of his sister and Remy as well.

"Okay, Rogue…I think you've made your point," he said, holding his hands up with a weary grin, "And really, I'm happy for you. I know how much you like Remy and all…"

"But that's just it Kurt…" said Rogue, shaking her head somewhat at his words, "Ah don't just like him…Ah love him. Ah really honest to God love the guy. And it's just…Ah nevah even thought Ah could love an' here Ah am head over heals for someone who managed to look past meh even before I could touch…"

"Oh…" said Kurt, now rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, for he knew things between her and Remy had been deep, but not THIS deep, "So I take it you're getting really serious about zhis guy."

"Oh Ah'm more than serious, Kurt…" she said with a definitive smile, "Ah think Remy's the one…Ah really think that he's the man for meh."

"Vow, I…" stammered Kurt, feeling both happy and shocked for his sister, having hoped for a long time that she would find love after her life of isolation, "I'm really happy for you, Rogue. It's good to know that you've found someone. Besides, if anybody deserves that kind of happiness…It's you."

"Aw…Thanks little brother," she said, giving him a playful swat, causing them both to laugh.

This was significant for the both of them. So much had changed for them over the past few months. They had powerful loves in their lives, they were beginning to make amends with their mother, and they were finally starting to move forward despite the past. It was a good feeling…A happy feeling. And even with threats of even greater darkness looming just over the horizon for them, that didn't stop them from enjoying a moment together.

Then, while their laughter was still filling the room, a new figure entered to join in the fun. And as soon as Kurt and Rogue saw who it was, their mood shifted a bit.

"Having fun without me?" said Mystique, happy to see her kids smile in any instance.

"Oh, uh…Hi mama," said Rogue, hoping she hadn't been standing there for too long to hear about her and Remy.

"Hey yourself," she said as she made her way over towards where they were sitting and plopped herself comfortably onto the couch, "You two have been avoiding me lately as if I had the flu. Any reasons?"

Neither Kurt nor Rogue wanted to say anything. Truth be told, they were still reeling from the whole thing between her and Jack. That image of him coming out of her room and telling them how good she was definitely stuck out in their minds and was sure to linger in their collection of unpleasant memories for many years to come. Mystique was quick to pick up on this, noticing how they were now blushing profusely as they attempted to divert their gaze from her. She could tell they were probably remembering that moment…Much to their dismay.

But despite this, Raven wasn't about to let this just linger. As Jack had told her, she owed it to her estranged children to mend the rift between them in whatever way she could…While also preserving their blossoming relationship in the process. After all, she wanted their blessing to be with this man too, even if it did bring back some unwanted memories.

"Um…Vell," stammered Kurt, wanting to get it out, but just not able to say it the way he wanted.

"Ya see…The thing is," began Rogue, taking a shot at it as well.

Mystique was never one to enjoy awkwardness, so she quickly stepped in. If they weren't able to get it out, then she would just cut to the chase.

"It's okay you two…You don't have to say it…It's about me and Jack," she said with a sigh, sounding serious, but also slightly humored.

"Yeah…What gave that away?" said Rogue, rolling her eyes somewhat at the awkward situation that they now found themselves in.

"Well he told me for one…" she stated simply as if it were the most normal thing in the world, "But you also weren't that subtle about hiding it."

Neither Kurt nor Rogue could deny that. Granted, they liked seeing their mother so much happier and upbeat for a change. It was as if she was a whole new person since hooking up with Jack. Sure, she still had that same Mystique cynicism and temperamental mentality that so often defined her, but she just seemed so much more balanced lately. She was smiling more, she sounded better, and she didn't seem nearly as stressed. They should have been glad for her, but still…This was their mother and it was just too awkward for them in many ways.

"So when are we going to talk about it?" said the shape shifter, once again garnering some awkward glances from her kids.

"Oh come on, mama!" groaned Rogue, now rubbing the temples of her head, "Do we really have to go through this?"

"Ja, it's not like it's a pleasant subject…" said Kurt in agreement.

"I know…I know," conceded Raven, finding this just as discerning on some levels, "But like it or not, we're going to address it."

"Well can't it wait till another time?" said Rogue, trying to force a pleading look in her eyes that so often worked on Logan.

"I wish it could, but I've wasted enough time with you two for one lifetime and I'm trying to make up for that," replied the shape shifter, her tone growing more solemn, "And with the way things are now, there might not be 'another time' so to speak, so we might as well rough it, okay?"

Kurt and Rogue shifted uncomfortably in their seat. They so did not want to talk about this. Their mother's sex life wasn't exactly a peachy topic by any stretch of the imagination, but she seemed adamant about getting this out in the open and if there was one defining quality about Mystique that everybody knew, it was that when there was something she wanted to take care of…She was downright relentless.

"Now look…I know it's not exactly the most pleasant thing to think about…You're mother having a 'relationship' of any kind."

"Oh is that what she calls those noises she was makin'?" muttered Rogue, once again shuttering at the thought of the memory of those echoing moans of hers that Jack seemed so good at inducing.

However, despite this comments, Mystique persisted.

"Now look…I've been running a long time. I've been alone, bitter, and angry at this world for so long and it's affected my sanity, my soul, and worst of all…My family."

Mystique's voice grew a little strained as she went over the words she had been carefully rehearsing in her head since she had her little bedtime chat with Jack. Kurt and Rogue quickly grew more attentive as a result, taking this a bit more seriously rather than just some embarrassing moment that they desperately wanted to escape.

"It's been a while since I've had somebody…Hell, it's been a while since I had anybody. You know as well as anybody else that I've had plenty of reasons to be tense and bitter. And it's just that…Jack is unlike any other man I've met. He's the first person who really understands me in a way that no one else does. He looks past all the deception, the lies, and bitterness and actually sees someone that's worth saving. He just…Nobody's ever done that for me before. Nobody's ever gone out of their way like he has to help me see things so clearly now that I can honestly say I've never been happier before in my life. I have a home, I have friends, and most important of all…I have my kids."

Kurt and Rogue remained silent, clearly hearing the emotion that their mother was putting into these words. It helped put things into perspective somewhat…For it showed that their mother just wasn't out for some fuck buddy, Jack honestly had a real connection with her and she had one with him. But she still wasn't done yet.

"I know I've negated a lot of things throughout my life…You two being the biggest. But Jack has shown me that I do have the strength to make up for it…I do have the heart to move beyond the past…Not just with you, but in general as well. And with this strength, I don't want things between us to ever fall apart again. I know there are some rifts that we just can't mend, but I just…I love you two so much that I'm will to do anything and everything…To be the mother I should have been."

Letting out a deep sigh, Raven needed a moment to recover from that. It had been hard to get out…Much harder than she had anticipated. But still, she had managed to go through with it. And for Kurt and Rogue, it was a nice feeling…Hearing such heartfelt words from their mother. It showed just how much Jack had indeed impacted her and now, they were actually beginning to feel thankful for that.

"Mama…" said Rogue as she brought her estranged mother into an embrace, "Ya already are the mother ya ought to be…Don't evah think ya aren't."

That got the shape shifter to smile warmly, a sight that both Kurt and Rogue were still getting used to…But a sight that they had come to enjoy none the less. They both offered her a passionate hug…One that she was quick to accept. These were her children…Her babies…And despite all the hardship she put them through, here they were…Hugging her. Jack had once told her that strength alone could win a battle…But faith and spirit were the only things that could bring true triumph.

"Ve love you, mother…" said Kurt, feeling the warm, maternal embrace of the woman who once dropped him in a river, "Ve're a family…Now and forever. And I have faith that ve can overcome vhatever life throws at us from here on out…"

"So do I…" said Raven, trying hard to hold back her tears, feeling so much lighter and stronger after having finally gone through with this, "But…What about Jack?"

"Well…What about him?" said Rogue, shifting again in her seat at the mention of her mother's lover.

"He told me that if we're going to have anything together…He wants the blessing and approval of you two since you're my kids. He says it's only honorable if we're to be…Involved."

That word 'involved' which they knew implied things like them being lovers, made their stomach turn somewhat…But nevertheless, it didn't feel nearly as hard to accept as before. Now that they had seen the affects that this man was having on their mother, they could honestly see an advantage to having Jack as a big part of their lives. After all, it was probably better that she was involved with somebody like him rather than some other questionable character that they didn't know. And besides, Jack was a warrior…And as such, they felt safe in entrusting their mother's heart to him.

"So it's up to us, huh?" said Kurt, letting out a sigh as he thought about this situation.

"In his eyes…Yes."

"Well…" began Rogue, wanting to just get this over with, "Ah guess we don't really have a right to say who ya get involved with and who ya see. And if ya really like Jack…And if he really likes ya back…Then Ah can't see no reason why we shouldn't be happy for ya."

"Ja, if zhat's vhat you both vant…Zhen you've got it."

Raven once again smiled at that, glad that she could continue with her relationship with Jack through the blessings of her kids.

"But just do us this one favor with him…" added Rogue, "PLEASE tell him not to talk about how good ya are in bed. We DON'T need to hear about our mama's sex life, okay?"

"Okay…I'll tell him," said Raven, trying very hard not to laugh, but failing quite miserably at it, "He really said that?"

"Oh yes…He said it," muttered Kurt, "And I still haven't gotten it out of my head."

"Hey, just because I'm your mother, it doesn't mean I don't have regular human needs and desires."

"Ah know, Ah know…But could ya just…Be a bit more subtle about it?" said Rogue, not needing to hear that.

Mystique just let out another sigh and shook her head in amusement. She didn't know Jack had slipped that little tidbit to them and even though it probably wasn't the smartest thing for him to do, she had to admit…She took a great deal of happiness in the knowledge that he thought she was so good in bed.

"Fine…I'll try. But just so you know…Sometimes it's hard to hide how good you feel after making love to somebody who really knows how to do it so well."

"Ja, ve get it…" said Kurt, quickly trying to shut THAT image out of his head again, "Just…Try, that's all ve ask."

"You've got it…" she affirmed, "And I was thinking that maybe you two should have a little chat with him later on as well in case you still have some concerns."

"Well as long as he keeps certain 'details' to himself…Ah promise ya we'll do that, mama," said Rogue.

"Good…And now that this little matter is out of the way, I was hoping we could address something else that I've been meaning to talk to you two about."

"Vhat's that?" asked Kurt curiously.

"You and Wanda…And you and Remy," she said, addressing both her kids respectively, causing them both to blush once again, "Because now that I'm here…I'd like to stay informed on how far you've gotten with them. And just so you know, I've already heard a few rumors and seen a few signs, so don't try and weasel out of this. We're going to have a nice long talk about the 's' word I know you've all become so familiar with whether you like it or not…Because the sooner we get it out of the way, the better."

Both Kurt and Rogue exchanged dreaded looks. They had hoped that they could just address this whole issue with her and Jack so they could leave it to rest. Their mother's sex life was touchy enough, but talking about what they had been doing with their respective lover's wasn't something they wanted to address this soon. But given the ever persistent nature of Raven Darkholme…A persistence that pretty much everyone in the X-men had become very familiar with…They knew there was no escaping this little talk.

"Hoo boy…" said Kurt as he ran his hands through his hair, "Zhis is going to be fun…"

"Yeah, speak for yerself…" muttered Rogue.

"Hey, come on…I don't like it anymore than you," said Raven, just wanting to get this out of the way, "But the sooner we get through this, the sooner we can never speak of it again. Deal?"

Looking back at their mother, Kurt and Rogue managed one last smile. Sure, this was an odd time for all of them and talking about their sex lives with their mother was by no means appealing, but after everything they had faced…It could definitely be worse.

"Fine…Deal," said Rogue as she prepared to tell her mother about the night she had with Remy.

"Good…Now come on, let's get this over with."

- Lab-

Logan was taking a look around the place and was on his way to see Beast. Right now, he just needed to get away from all the kids. Plus, despite with all the events that were going on, it seemed as though everyone was living as if it were the last days of existence, although at the moment that could be the case. Also, all the damn hormones going around were hell on him. He was glad that Ororo took Laura out to get some new gardening supplies.

He had already seen Warren and Betsy outside with a few of the others getting together and he caught her and her boyfriend slipping away from what he could smell as a little time alone with each other. He just shook his head. Sure things between him and Ororo got intense at times, but at least they waited until the sun set. That reminded him, he did promise to take her to her sister's soon, and he wasn't looking forward to that. Although he had been thinking of seeing if that bar he first took her to hadn't been fixed up yet.

He entered the lab to see Beast hard at work on a computer typing in a lot of information of some kind. Of what he didn't know, for he was more the kind of guy to just call and track something or bust through things. The most technical he got was with building or his bike.

"Hard at work as usual huh? I'm surprised that Sage ain't here helpin' ya."

Hank looked over his shoulder at him, "Yes, well Sage is working on a translation in her room at the moment."

"So why are you down here then?" Logan saw the book that Slayer gave Xavier on a desk.

"I needed the computer and well…Sage is uh…resting a bit." Hank may have had one of the biggest vocabularies in the mansion, but at the moment none of that helped him to express himself correctly. That always seemed to be the case with Sage too, for she only managed to make him at a loss for the first time in his life.

"Her too?" Logan asked a little surprised at that, "Jeez Ro' has been a little like that as well. I mean, don't get me wrong I love her and all, but if it weren't for my healing powers I wouldn't be walkin'."

Hank sighed, "Trust me I know. I had to use an icepack earlier just so I could walk."

Logan laughed and slapped him on the back, "You think there is something in the water?"

"It would explain a few things," Beast nodded as he continued to work.

"So what is all of this?"

Hank gave a small smile, "Yes we have made a breakthrough in the book. There were many pictures, images, and other such things, but we found a pattern and some of them were celestial bodies. We believe that the location of the gate is found where you can see a distinctive pattern of stars in the sky." He had already imputed what they felt where the correct star patterns in the sky and was already calculating their exact coordinates that would be where the Gate of Hell was supposedly buried. If they could get the location then they would no doubt find Selene there.

Slayer had tried to see the location of the Gate, but every time he tried he said something was trying to pull him into darkness. He couldn't get an exactly location, just images. So far they were looking for a temple in a high mountainous area of the world that was very isolated.

There was also another program running that would say when everything would be aligned just right for the Gate to open. There were also reports of other things that he and Sage had been looking at that a computer program had flagged for them. Strange weather reports, magnetic field disruptions, and many other strange things. In the beaches of Spain, large amounts of sea life actually beached themselves, fishes, whales, and sharks among them.

There were strange things with animals all over the world, animals that were usually docile becoming very violent for short times. Plagues and illnesses were also on the rise as well, with no known cause. The aura borealis was actually seen in California once. Most of the world was ignoring things and just brushing them off, but there was a rise on not only violence, but with Doom's Day cults started to be rising up out of nowhere. It seemed that lately the world was slowly being gripped into darkness.

"So we'll finally know where that bitch is hiding and take the fight to her huh?" said Logan, always eager for that fight.

He had had it with the Hellfire Club and this Selene woman. He just hoped this was the final time they would face her. They had enough to worry about in this world other then all of this crap that had happened.

Hank nodded his head as he finished the program and let it run. He hoped that they had used the correct images for the data. There were many of them and they thought they had picked the correct ones. It was still baffling how anyone could have designed such a complex puzzle that was this book. It had taken them months to try and find what they needed from it, but at long last it's secrets were finally beginning to unravel.

"So Hank after all of this, do ya plan on doing anything to celebrate?"

Hank thought about it, "Actually Sage and myself have talked about that. She feels I need to get out more and wanted to take a trip. Apparently, after all that time with SHIELD, she's earned a lot of danger pay and she feels she wants to enjoy life a bit more."

Logan had to admit, Hank had a problem with being able to go out and not get hassled. Unlike most of the mutants in the mansion, he couldn't pass for human. Sure, Sage managed to get him not only out of the lab, but out of the mansion a bit more now which was a very good thing. But he wondered how she would convince him to go for that.

"Well I'd say go for it. Personally, I'm just going to enjoy the moments I can with Laura and Ororo."

"You know, I never expected you as the typical family man Logan," said Hank as he smiled at his friend.

Logan just snorted and crossed his arms, "Yeah well we're hardly 'typica.l' I'm dating a woman who for all we know could be half my age and with an adopted daughter that was mostly cloned from me. We're not exactly 'normal,' but then again since when have our lives been normal?"

"I will have to concede that point to you. Although, you have been almost like either a father figure or uncle I believe to the kids."

"Yeah well…Maybe I didn't have a typical family upbringing and some part of me wants to give them a chance at one." The thing was he didn't know all he got were images of who he was. Sure, he guessed that the life of a man once named James born in British Columbia could have been him. It was possible, but he couldn't find much about that family. All he learned was that there was a grandfather that had outlived both parents and two grandchildren.

While reading he found something of a double murder and suicide. Now there were a lot of questions, but given the violence of that day that he found in an old newspaper article that made the area famous for that legend, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. It looked like his entire life had been of one of violence and for once, he found a life outside of that. He had seen what had become of Yuriko and that too was another thing he wondered about.

Right now he had his own 'family' to take care of and he just wanted to finally rest up and enjoy it.

Hank heard the program end and looked at the data, "Eureka."

"Got it?"

"I believe so," Hank worked on the keyboard and an image of the stars pulled up. Then lines went from the points and all converged on an area somewhere in what looked like Tibet.

"Looks kind of close to where Apocalypse was held," Logan said looking at the area.

"That tomb is about 10 miles away from the area," Hank told him checking on that, "I wouldn't be surprised if the same people who sealed the Gate also had a hand in sealing up Apocalypse."

"Yeah, I mean how else do you explain that spider thing Magneto destroyed?"

Hank had been thinking about that for over a year since that day. He never wanted to admit that magic had been involved, but given recent events he couldn't deny it.

Then the other program finished the one about when the alignment would take place. He looked at the results and stiffened, which was quickly noticed by Logan.

"What's up Hank?"

"Good Lord…Logan the convergence. The time that Selene could open the gate…It's tomorrow night."

Forest – Slayer

Just outside the boundaries of the Xavier Institute, Jack Robinson, the mutant warrior also known as Slayer, was meditating in the forest as he so frequently did on almost a daily basis. With the powerful techniques that Yoshinto had taught him, meditation was one of the main things that allowed him to keep his sanity at times…Especially when dealing with something like the all seeing eye, which was so easy to become overwhelmed by.

For the most part, it was a beautiful day out. The sun was shining, the wind was light, and the air was warm. It was truly pristine weather…The kind that really did help the tortured young man managed some of the hardships he had to deal with and this coming darkness wasn't helping things much. While he was glad to have the support and determination of the X-men, it still wasn't clear whether or not they would be powerful enough to stop this.

He had tried bringing in some help…Sending out an astral message to his fellow mystic Dr. Strange for whatever assistance he could manage. Even though they weren't exactly the best of friends, he did respect the guy and he had helped him on a few occasions to suppress Dormamu. But near as he could tell, Dr. Strange was busy with old hot head again, trying to seal a few disturbing rifts that could possibly be exploited. Dromamu was already growing in power, most likely because of the increasing strength of the darkness. And there was no doubt in Jack's mind that if the darkness was unleashed, Dormamu and many other destructive entities would soon follow.

In wake of these unimaginable stakes, he had been training the X-men extra vigorously lately. Already he had participated in a few sessions that he helped organize, including another private one with Laura, who was making more progress than he had suspected. Hell, at this rate she may be able to take him down any day now. It made him smile somewhat, for it really did feel good that he was helping somebody like her find peace between the human and the warrior within her.

In addition, he also noticed that during the session, August and Amara were kind of close. His all seeing eye picked up some of the details and he couldn't help but feel happy for the both of them. As a fellow practitioner of the mystic arts, Jack had a great deal of respect for August and he still kind of owed her for helping to stop him from making a horrible mistake during Jean's exorcism. And in addition, he was happy to see that Amara had found someone to help mend that hole that had been left in her heart by the whole Sam/Tabitha affair. It was nice to see her smile again and whenever she talked to him now, she sounded so much happier.

Vince and Emma also really seemed really happy now as they continued to prepare for their new baby. They still took the time to thank him every now and then since this kid was partially his doing because of his little oversight in using his magic. But he was glad to hear that they were engaged now because if anybody deserved a family together, it was those two. And in addition, he had been getting a few interesting visions of Scott and Jean as well…Indicating to him that they might have two weddings to plan very soon.

And of course, there was still the matter with him and Raven. They still spent their nights together, venting all their pent up sexual energy with one another. They didn't necessarily make love all the time. Sometimes they just laid together and chatted, something that kind of embodied the way they valued a good conversation. And at the moment, he could see how she was addressing the matter of their relationship to her kids back in the living room. It was clear that there were plenty of challenges to all three of them, but when he caught a glimpse of those three hugging one another and smiling, he couldn't help but feel happy for them.

He still wasn't sure where things were going with Raven. Sure, he liked her…But could there really be anything beyond what they had now? He was a warrior and a wanderer and there was only so far that could go with them. After what happened to Layla, Jack had vowed never to get too deeply involved with any other woman because he risked only further heartbreak. But loneliness just sucked…He still had the need for some kind of company.

Even though he was the ultimate warrior, he was still human. But just how much did Raven want out of this? And could he really give her everything she desired beyond her mere sexual needs? Or was what they had now simple enough? From what he could see in her, she really was in the same boat as him in many ways because she too wasn't too fond of going too far and risking such great heartache. But she really liked him…And he liked her. How far could that take them? Could they possibly find a balance somewhere…One that suited them both? It didn't have to get too deep or complicated, it just had to satisfy their needs for balance, companionship, and happiness. And if Raven was willing to work with him on that, he had all the faith in the world that they would work things out.

However, before they could get to that point, he would probably have to have a little chat with Kurt and Rogue. He could tell already that they weren't really looking forward to that and to be honest…Neither was he. But as long as he could keep himself from blurting out the same shit that had gotten him into so much trouble with them in the first place, then things should be fine…It's just a matter of contending with his lousy habit of not thinking things through before he spoke.

As he sat in a still, statue-like form in the middle of the forest with the sun beating down through the trees, Jack Robinson sought a state of balance in his mind that he so often struggled to maintain. With a new woman in his life, a new place here at the institute, and a great and powerful darkness coming on strong, things were definitely coming at him from all directions and his skills at managing it were antiquated at best. But as he took deep, relaxing breaths, cleaned out his mind, and attained a kind of oneness with the energy surrounding him…He felt a sense of contentment which helped to put all these things in their place.

Then suddenly…He saw something…Something major. The mark on his eye turned bright red as his eyes shot open and he felt as though he was hit by a sudden gust of wind. A cold shiver ran up and down his spine and his fists clenched with nearly unspeakable fury as his fragile mind began to process what he was seeing.

It was of Selene and that sealed door. He saw the last seals being broken as she laughed as the door cracked and shattered. She had gained access to the Gate of Hell and it's evil started to flow out of the large cavernous room like a cold breeze and the minions she held in her service seemed to be excited. The Gate was close to being free and it knew it as did all that it held back all the horrors that wanted to be unleashed.

"It's here…" he said to himself, knowing all too well what this was, "Selene…You sick, twisted bitch. It's here…It's finally here. The greatest darkness this realm has ever known is finally at hand…And the single greatest battle between the forces of darkness and light are finally upon us."

NEXT UP CHAPTER 76: JUDGEMENT DAY