Inferno

Chapter 12: When You Go Down To The Woods Today

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar characters belong to Marvel.

The woods outside Xavier's-

Illyana Rasputin stepped back in surprise as the young clone only known as X-23 attacked the demon that had emerged from the cave near the X-Mansion.

'Wow. The girl certainly knows how to kick some.' An impressed Illyana commented as she held her Soul Sword in her hand. 'At the rate that she's going, there won't be anything for me to fight.'

'Then why don't you fight?' X-23 growled as she ducked a swipe from the demon's claws and followed up with a swipe with her own claws.

'Well, seeing that you asked so nicely...' Illyana shrugged. 'Have at ye!'

X-23 ducked out of the way as Illyana leapt forward and plunged her Soul Sword into the demon's chest. The demon howled in pain as neon green blood spurted from its wound.

'Curse you, Darkchylde!' The demon howled. 'You cannot defeat the N'Garai like this! We are invincible!'

'News flash, numb-nuts, my name isn't Darkchylde.' Illyana frowned. 'My name is Illyana Rasputin and my codename is Magik. If you're gonna try and kill me, at least do the right research.'

Unfortunately for the pair, one little stab wound to the chest was not enough to kill the demon. The demon stood up to its full height and lashed out with a clawed hand, swatting Illyana to one side. Illyana let out a grunt as she collided with a tree, knocking her out.

'Illyana!' X-23 yelled. 'If you've killed her...'

The N'Garai demon just snorted at the young clone's threat.

'Your puny little claws cannot harm me. Have you not learned that?'

X-23 just smiled evilly.

The N'Garai demon blinked in confusion.

'Why are you smiling?' It enquired.

'There are other people on their way.' X-23 explained. 'Illyana's brother is coming with more of the X-Men. They won't be pleased when they find you here.'

'Bah! Let them come!' The demon snorted orrogantly. 'No mortal force could possibly harm the N'Garai!'

X-23 darted out of the way as Piotr ran up with several more of the X-Men.

'Illyana! No!' Piotr gasped as he ran to his unconscious sister.

'Oh, you're going down now, bub.' Logan smirked as he saw Piotr change to his steel-skinned form.

'I fear nothing, mortal.' The demon sneered. 'For I am N'Garai. Nothing can harm us!'

Piotr let out a terrible yell as he charged at the demon.

'We shall see about that, demon!'

Piotr let loose with a massive punch to the demon's chin. Unfortunately, the move barely made the demon flinch. That didn't keep Piotr from carrying on with his attack. The steel-skinned mutant kept on battering away at the horrific demon.

'Piotr, stop!' Ororo warned him. 'It is no use. Perhaps a lightning bolt will take care of this horrific beast...'

Piotr moved out of the way as Ororo levitated into the air and the clouds coalesced above her.

'Thunder and lightning, heed my will!' Ororo commanded as a lightning bolt shot down from the sky and blasted the demon straight in the chest.

Kitty cautiously stepped forward.

'Is it...?'

Unfortunately, the N'Garai was still breathing. It stood up once more and sneered at the mortals who were foolish enough to attack it.

'You mortals will never learn!' The N'Garai sneered. 'Nothing can harm me!'

Piotr picked up a flaming branch that had fallen off a tree after being struck by a stray bolt of lightning.

'I will keep on trying until I find something that will destroy you, demon!' Piotr bellowed as he charged forward, holding the broken branch like a makeshift spear.

The N'Garai howled in pain once more as Piotr plunged the branch into its chest. For all the demon's boasts of invincibility, it had one weakness: Fire!

The X-Men stepped back as the N'Garai thrashed about, howling in pain.

'Ooh. What happened?' Illyana groaned as she regained consciousness.

Illyana looked up at the concerned X-Men gathered around her.

'I'm in trouble, aren't I?' She sighed.

'You know what the punishment is for sneaking out after curfew, Illyana.' Ororo pointed out. 'And you almost did get yourself killed.'

'But the things dead, right?' Illyana asked hopefully. 'Please tell me you took care of it.'

Logan prodded the N'Garai's smouldering corpse with his foot.

'Well, he ain't gonna be attendin' no bake sales any time soon.'

Piotr knelt down to help his sister up.

'That was very foolish of you, Illyana.' He scolded. 'Did you even think about the consequences of your actions when you left the mansion without permission?'

Illyana bowed her head sheepishly.

'Okay. I get it. I screwed up. It won't happen again.'

'You had better make sure that it will not happen again.' Piotr sighed. 'Or I will have to send you back home.'

Illyana opened her mouth to complain, but she thought better of it. She was in the wrong here. It had been foolish of her to sneak out after dark.

'I'll make sure I think about my actions from now on.' Illyana promised. 'But first I think we'd better see Mr McCoy. I think that thing broke a couple of ribs. Ow.'

Piotr carefully led Illyana inside.

'Do not worry, Little Snowflake.' Piotr reassured his sister. 'I will make sure that you get to the med bay safely.'

Illyana just smiled silently and laid her head on her brother's shoulder. She felt safe when her brother was around. Nothing bad would ever happen when Piotr was there.

While Piotr was helping Illyana to the med bay, the senior X-Men were examining the dead N'Garai.

'I for one am stumped.' Ororo tapped her chin in thought. 'This creature looks like nothing that I am familiar with.'

Logan frowned concernedly.

'I don't know why, but I get the feelin' that I've seen something like this before.' Logan commented. 'I just can't think where.'

Ororo snapped her fingers as she remembered where she said seen such a creature.

'I know where we have seen one of these things before!' Ororo explained. 'Remember when Selene tried to open a gateway to Hell in Manhattan? I think one of these creatures was amongst Selene's army of demons.'

'You don't think that Selene's back already, do ya?' Logan frowned.

'I sincerely hope not.' Ororo shook her head. 'But it looks like we may have to give Stephen Strange a call...'

TBC...

Next: Rise of the Juggernaut

The forces of darkness haven't finished with the X-Men just yet. The X-Men will find out just what the forces of darkness have planned for them when a group of demons release the Juggernaut from prison. 'Nuff said.