Inferno

Chapter 6: The Match Is Struck

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar characters belong to Marvel.

Shout Outs-

Ellen- Yeah, I thought the pancreas thing was a little random. What exactly is a pancreas anyway? You think Selene is pesky? You ain't seen nothing yet!

Ruby631- I'm glad you liked all the cuteness in the last chapter. I tried not to make it too nauseating.

Slickboy444- I'm glad you liked the last chapter. You'll see Scott and Jean's reaction to Kurt and Rachel soon. Assuming that Selene doesn't kill everybody first.

Wen1- Nope, Jean won't become Phoenix anytime soon. The Phoenix Force is all Rachel's right now.

Lil Jean- Aww, now that you chose breast I can't make a rude joke. Unlike what would have happened if you chose breast. Hee-hee.

Needles- Jean isn't pregnant. Where did you get that idea?

Agent-G- I'm really glad you like this story so much. If Kurt and Scott are to have 'the talk', they have to deal with the Selene thing first.

GothikStrawberry- More Rachel and Kurt fluff coming right up. As for Selene ruining the date, immortal sorceresses have no sense of decorum. So I wouldn't put it past her.

Thanks to- Rogue14, goddess123452003.

Quote of the day- 'A man's got to know his limitations.'- Dirty Harry (I forget which film he said this in. Anybody wanna help? There could be a cookie in it for you.)
Bayville-

It was early in the evening in the New York suburb of Bayville and Kurt Wagner was on his date with Rachel Summers. Their chosen dating destination was the Gut Bomb. Not exactly the most romantic dating place, but it felt right for their first date.

'I'm sorry I couldn't take you any place nicer, Rachel.' Kurt apologized as he bit into a particularly greasy burger. 'I'm having a leetle bit of a cash flow problem.'

'Honestly, I'm fine.' Rachel smiled as she placed her hand on top of Kurt's. 'I wasn't really in the mood for a fruity French restaurant anyway. Seeing you getting burger grease all over your face is plenty enough for me.'

Kurt smiled embarrassedly and wiped the grease off his chin with a napkin.

'Sorry.' He winced. 'I get kind of carried avay vhen I eat here. The burgers are too messy.'

'You say that like it's a bad thing.' Rachel chuckled as she bit into her burger, spurting grease all down her top. 'Aww crap!'

'Here.' Kurt offered. 'Let me get zhat for you…'

Rachel momentarily resisted, but let Kurt wipe the grease from her top.

'Any excuse to cop a feel, huh Fuzzy?' Rachel snickered.

Kurt just blushed and deposited the napkin on the tray.

'Zhat top vas new, vasn't it?' Kurt asked.

'No, actually.' Rachel replied. 'I borrowed it from Jean.'

'Oh, I guess that's all right then.' Kurt chuckled.

Rachel chuckled with him.

Unfortunately, the good mood was spoiled as something exploded on the other side of the road.

'Mein Gott!' Kurt gasped. 'Vhat vas zhat?'

'It looks like something's going down at the Ramhart and Wolfe (1) law offices.' Rachel replied as she got up from her seat. 'What do you say we go investigate?'

'Shouldn't ve tell ze uzzer X-Men?' Kurt asked.

'Already have, Fuzzy.' Rachel replied as she tapped her temples. 'Gave 'em a telepathic shout out.'

'Let's go find out vhat's ze vhat zhen.' Kurt nodded as he followed Rachel out the back of the diner.

Ramhart and Wolfe-

After a quick change of clothes courtesy of Rachel's manipulation of their clothes' molecules, Kurt and Rachel headed for Ramhart and Wolfe. They gasped in shock at the sight that met them. Broken bodies lay strewn all over the reception area. Limbs were scattered to and fro and there were huge arcs of blood spattered up the walls.

'Mein Gott…' Kurt whispered as he put his hand to his mouth. 'Who could be responsible for such carnage?'

'Let's go find out.' Rachel replied fearlessly.

'Rachel, shouldn't ve vait for ze uzzers?' Kurt asked.

'The more we wait, the more risk we run of more deaths.' Rachel replied. 'Sure, these guys are lawyers but even they don't deserve this…'

Kurt gulped nervously as he followed Rachel onwards.

It didn't take them very long to find the perpetrator of the massacre: A colossal horned demon that seemed to be carved straight out of stone. The demon picked up a quivering lawyer in one of its huge talon-like hands.

'God no…' The lawyer begged. 'Please don't kill me. Please…'

The demon bared its teeth in an evil smile as it prepared to rip the lawyer's head off.

'Get your stinking hooves off him, you damn dirty demon!' Rachel demanded as she let rip with a telekinetic blast.

Unfortunately, the blast barely made the demon stumble. The demon looked at Rachel and laughed out loud. Its laughs sounded like two giant stones grating together.

'You think I'm funny, huh?' Rachel asked as her Phoenix aura manifested around her. 'Get ya laughing muscles around this, bub!'

The demon let out a scream of rage as the Phoenix leapt away fro m Rachel and incinerated it in a fiery inferno.

Kurt quickly helped the lawyer to his feet.

'Quick, get out of here vhile you still can.'

The lawyer simply nodded and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

'There are more of these things here.' Rachel announced. 'I can sense them. Their minds are basic. Nothing more than killing machines.'

'Ve have to stop zhem.' Kurt nodded. 'Lead ze vay…'

The roof-

After dispatching enough demons to fill a small Hell dimension, Rachel and Kurt made their way to the roof.

Rachel burst through the door with a telekinetic force field.

'Ah, nice of you to make it, Ms Summers.' An evil voice purred. 'I see you dispatched my pets without too much difficulty. You have my congratulations.'

Rachel's eyes narrowed in anger as she recognised the voice.

'Selene…' She hissed.

'I'm glad you remember me, dear.' The raven-haired immortal sorceress chuckled as she stepped out of the shadows. 'And you even brought your elf friend, very good.'

Before Kurt or Rachel could even make one move against Selene, the immortal sorceress encased them in an impenetrable cage made out of magical energy.

'Don't even try to use your powers. They won't work' Selene explained. 'What wondrous things magical cages are, no?'

'You'll pay for zis, you vitch!' Kurt snarled. 'Ze uzzer X-Men vill be here soon.'

'I think not.' Selene chuckled. 'Your dear, beloved X-Men are experiencing a little… engine trouble. Now, for my real plan to begin. You're lucky that you burst in at this very moment actually. You are about to witness the end of the world.

Kurt and Rachel were powerless to act as they watched Selene wave her hands in the air. A fiery pentagram burst into life before them.

'With the blood I have spilt, I conjure thee Almighty Blackheart!' Selene chanted. 'Come to me Almighty Blackheart! Your mistress commands you!'

An ear-splitting rumble split the air as balls of fire began to fall from the sky.

'Yessss…' Selene hissed as she held her hand sin the air. 'I can feel it. The end is now…'

Greenwich Village-

In a swanky house in Greenwich Village, Dr Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme, snapped awake from his meditation.

'In the Ancient One's name, no!' Dr Strange gasped. 'It has begun. The end of the world is upon us…'

Manhattan-

In the Baxter Building, the home of the infamous Fantastic Four, the heroic quartet's attention was caught by alarms blaring throughout the building.

'Geez, what's the hubbub, Reed?' Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, asked as he put his hands on his ears.

'What's up with the wake-up call, Stretcho?' Ben Grimm, the ever-loving blue-eyed thing, wondered. 'The world endin' or somethin'?'

'I am afraid so, Ben.' Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, replied solemnly. 'It appears that somebody has tore a hole in the fabric of all reality!'

'Oy…' Ben groaned. 'I hadda ask…'

Queens-

Above the streets of Queens, everybody's Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man almost fell from the sky as his Spider-Sense went mental.

'Man, what the heck was that?' Spidey winced. 'It felt like Galactus farted in my face…'

Spider-Man looked towards the rain of fire falling from the sky.

'This is gonna suck…' He winced.

Hell's Kitchen-

In the law offices of Murdock and Nelson, attorneys of law, Matt Murdock, Daredevil, gripped his desk as his heightened senses went crazy.

'Matt! What's the matter?' Karen Page, Matt's girlfriend asked concernedly as she helped him up.

'I-I don't know, Karen.' Matt replied weakly. 'Something doesn't feel right…'

'Do you think your bad feeling might have something to do with the rain of fire?' Karen asked.

'Oh God…' Matt said as he made the shape of a cross over his chest. 'It's the end of the world…'

Avengers Mansion-

Several of the World's Mightiest Heroes gazed out of the main window of their headquarters in fear as they watched the rain of fire.

'Od's Blood…' Thor gasped. 'Tis Ragnarok already…'

'That's no excuse to go out without a fight, big guy.' Hawkeye told the Thunder God. 'I'm not gonna die like a bitch.'

'I'm with Hawkeye.' Iron Man replied. 'Let's go out fighting.'

The other Avengers, Yellowjacket, the Wasp, Black Panther and She-Hulk all cheered in reply as they ventured outside to meet the end of the world face on and perhaps kick it in the nuts while they were at it…

TBC…

Next: The Inferno Burns

It's the end of the world as the X-Men join forces with the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and many other heroes to fight Selene and her army of demons.

Notes-

(1)- Angel fans should be able to get this reference.