Inferno

Chapter 9: End Game

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar characters belong to Marvel.

Shout Outs-

GothikStrawberry- Oh yeah, Selene had better be scared. She's got a whuppin' coming, Phoenix style!

Slickboy444- I'm glad you like this story but I am afraid that it has almost finished. Don't panic though, I have a sequel planned.

Doza- Heh-heh. Your ideas sure are random. I like random. I think the word you were looking for was broth. Broth is kind of like a thing soup… thing.

Agent-G- This is the penultimate chapter. Just one more after this then it's on to the sequel.

Todd fan- Oh yeah, Selene is going down!

Quote of the day- 'I used to be conceited, now I'm perfect.'

Bayville-

Selene stared up at the giant fiery bird high above her head and felt fear for the very first time in several thousand years. The Phoenix was free and it wasn't happy!

'Gods…' Selene breathed. 'It's beautiful…'

'Yer gonna get it now, witch.' Logan growled. 'Rachel's got one hell of a temper. Takes after Jean like that, I guess.'

'I will not die like this…' Selene muttered to herself. 'Nothing can withstand my might, cosmic entity or not!'

'Yer goin' down…' Logan tutted. 'I wish I could say that it wuz a pleasure knowin' ya, but… it wasn't.'

Selene just ignored Logan's comments and went to do battle.

Dr Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum-

Scott, Wanda and the Human Torch were still standing around in Dr Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum.

Wanda crossed her arms with an impatient sigh.

'What is taking him so long?' She groused. 'If we're so vital to saving the world, why is Strange keeping us waiting? Our friends could be dying out there.'

'I'd rather be out there too, Wanda.' Scott nodded sympathetically as he wrung his hands nervously. 'My girlfriend's out there. If something's happened to her…'

'Ms Grey is quite fine, Mr Summers.' Dr Strange reassured everybody as he appeared out of a back room. 'A little anxious as to your whereabouts, but fine either way.'

'Then why are we waiting here?' Johnny Storm groused. 'We should be out there saving the world!'

'My plan needs careful preparation, Mr Storm…' Strange replied simply. 'Spells such as the one that I have planned should not be entered into lightly, even by a mage as powerful as myself.'

'Then it's time to attack, right?' Wanda asked. 'Are you going to let us in on this plan of yours or not?'

'Come with me…' Strange said as he beckoned the trio in to the back room. 'And all will be revealed…'

'Why do I get the sudden feeling that this plan is gonna suck, big time…?' Johnny muttered.

Back in Bayville-

Back with the main fight, the X-Men and the rest of New York's heroes were taking on Selene's army of demons while the woman herself took on Rachel.

'I hope she's alright…' Jean said as she splattered a demon all over a nearby wall with her telekinesis. 'We've only just met her, and I'd hate to lose her already.'

'Ah'm sure that it won't come to that.' Rogue responded as she punched another demon in the face. 'Rachel knows how to look after herself.'

'Jean, Rogue! Look out!' Kitty yelled towards her friends.

Jean and Rogue both looked up to see some masonry that had been knocked free from a building by a battling Selene and Rachel. It was too late for Jean to put up a telekinetic shield.

The pair braced for impact, but it never came. All that they felt was a gust of wind pull them away.

'You're gonna get yourselves hurt just standing around like that.' Pietro tutted. 'Good job I'm here, huh?'

'I guess we'd better thank you then, Pietro.' Jean rolled her eyes.

'You'd better watch yahself though, Pie.' Rogue quipped. 'Or people would start to think that yah like bein' a hero.'

'Ha-ha, really funny.' Pietro groaned before zipping off again.

Elsewhere, Colossus and the Fantastic Four's Thing were holding up a fire truck that had crashed during the initial demonic invasion, trapping the firelighters within.

'Have you got a grip on it, kid?' The Thing asked. 'Cuz I'm gonna try and shift around, give the guys a little more space to escape.'

'I am fine thank you, Tovarisch.' Colossus nodded.

The Thing did as he said and shifted around so the trapped fire-fighters could escape.

'Thanks a lot, man.' One firefighter grinned in thanks. 'God knows what woulda happened if we stayed under there any longer.'

'That Kelly guy doesn't know what he's talking about…' Another firefighter said as he looked at Colossus. 'You mutants are alright.'

'It's a good thing all these demons decided to attack, huh?' The Thing chuckled. 'It's about time that mutants got some good press.'

'I only hope that it is enough.' Colossus shook his head solemnly.

Up on the roof-

Back up on the roof where, up until recently, Kurt and Rachel had been kept prisoner, Dr Strange, Wanda, Cyclops and the Human Torch appeared in a flash of light.

'Mein Gott!' Kurt hissed. 'Vhat took you so long? Everyzhing's gone to hell. Literally!'

'Don't worry, Kurt.' Scott reassured his friend. 'Dr Strange has a plan.'

'Everybody take your places.' Strange instructed. 'Time is drawing short.'

'And I wonder why that is?' Wanda tutted.

Strange ignored the Scarlet Witch's comments and began to prepare for the spell that would close the dimensional rift and rob Selene of her powers.

'Not zhat I don't appreciate your help in releasing me or anyzhing…' Kurt said. 'But… What exactly are you going to do?'

'I have chosen these three for a very specific reason…' Strange explained. 'Wanda Maximoff is a conduit for an extremely powerful force. If that force were combined with Scott Summers' optic blasts and Jonathan Storm's cosmically radiated Nova Blasts, it would be able to seal up the rift within dimensions.

'Oh, I see…' Kurt blinked. 'Umm… Carry on.'

'I feel so dumb…' Johnny muttered. 'But this spell had better work…'

'Have a little faith, Johnny.' Scott sighed. 'Dr Strange knows what he's doing.'

'I wish I was as optimistic as you, Summers.' Wanda rolled her eyes.

'Uh-oh…' Johnny winced. 'The Doc's about to operate…'

The trio of young heroes kept quiet as Dr Strange began to chant a spell.

Wanda's eyes snapped open as she was surrounded by a red light. Eventually, the red light surrounded both Johnny and Scott before shooting up into the air and hitting the gradually expanding rift that was allowing the demons into out world.

Down on the ground, the various combatants stopped to watch the sight.

'What's happening…?' Kitty blinked. 'The rift's like, closing…'

'Your guess is as good as mine.' Spider-Man shrugged. 'Magic isn't really my thing.'

'But skin-tight Lycra is?' Kitty teased.

'Now really isn't the time, Kit.' Rogue shook her head.

Back with Selene and Rachel, the redheaded telepath grinned as she saw the rift begin to close.

'Well, it looks like you're about to get a taste of defeat, witch.' Rachel tutted.

'I never lose!' Selene snarled, lobbing a fireball at Rachel. 'I will show you the meaning of true power!'

'Face it, Selene, you're losing…' Rachel responded as she easily dodged the fireball. 'The puny little mortals came together and ruined your plan for world domination!'

'NO!' Selene screamed. 'I WILL NOT BE BEATEN!'

The immortal sorceress turned away from Rachel and made a beeline for the closing rift.

'This world will be mine!' Selene yelled. 'I will rule this insignificant planet and make you all my slaves!'

'That's what you think!' Rachel growled as the flaming Phoenix around her reached out and grabbed Selene before tossing her into the rift, just as it was about to close. 'Say hello to Satan for me, bitch.'

The rift closed, cutting off Selene's screams of defeat.

'Is that it?' Kitty blinked in disbelief. 'I-is everything over?'

'Apart from a few demons to mop up and the injured to take care of, I'd think so.' The Invisible Woman looked around.

'But where's Wanda?' Toad added. 'What the Hell's happened to my Snookums?'

'I'm right behind you, Toad.' Wanda replied with a sigh as she appeared with Scott and Johnny.

'Cuddlebumps!' Toad grinned as he bounded towards the Scarlet Witch.

'Scott!' Jean gasped as she ran up and grabbed her boyfriend in a huge hug. 'Where have you been, you big goof?'

'Saving the world, Jean.' Scott smiled as he held her close. 'Dr Strange had this plan…'

'It closed the rift.' Jean finished for him. 'We saw.'

'Is that really it, Dr Strange?' Kurt asked. 'Is Selene really gone?'

'Even a sorceress with Selene's power would not be able to break free from the Dark Realms.' Strange replied. 'She is stuck there for all eternity.'

'Well, I for one am glad to hear it.' A very tired Rachel added. 'I don't know about you guys, but I could use a shower.'

'I could use a beer or five.' Logan suggested.

'That's the best idea I heard today, Logan.' The Thing grinned. 'Just as long as it isn't any of that Canadian crap.'

'Cute, Grimm.' Logan rolled his eyes. 'Real cute.'

TBC…

Next: Epilogue- It's a Kind of Magik

The X-Men try to relax after their ordeal. Unfortunately, the mystic forces have something to say about that and it involves Colossus' younger sister. Stay tuned for the last chapter. (Until the sequel that is.)