Chapter 27
Bayville...
It had been a few weeks since that baseball game against the X-Men and the Hellions had been given the weekend off.
Thank God.
You ever tried working for the Hellfire Club. You don't get many holidays.
As well as school and having to try and ingratiate themselves to the X-Men they still have to do certain 'tasks' for their bosses at the club but since it was finals time Ms Frost had decided they could do with a rest.
Emma genuinely wanted them to get good grades. Criticise her how you like but never doubt she cares for her students and wishes the best for them. Course what Emma considers best and you consider best are probably wildly different things.
Anyway the Hellions had decided to use their weekend off, go into downtown Bayville and just blow off some steam...or to put it another way spend a whole load of money doing whatever the hell they want.
Someone had suggested they use the new subway that Bayville was in the process of building. The first few lines of it were now open and they ended up agreeing why the hell not so apart from Penance and Murmur they were all here. King Bedlam, Hellion, Bevatron, Ali, Roulette, Beef, Firestar, Catseye(though she was having to wear a pair of rather baggy pants to hide her tail since the Hellions were still trying not to be overly noticed). Even Dust had been persuaded to come along.
Roulette is sitting perusing something on her phone. It would be its last outing. She had decided to trade it in for a newer model. She means it is a whole 6 months old. She's in danger of being behind the times. Jen then feels like someone is staring at her...which is a common feeling because have you seen her?
When she's in a room all eyes fall on her.
On this occasion though it's unwelcome because it is coming from one of her ex-boyfriends. "Julian, since you don't usually show any restraint in expressing your opinion why don't you move your mouth into gear and just tell me what it is you want to say," she says, rather condescendingly.
Julian's eyes narrow in annoyance and exasperation. Jen always did know how to get a rise out of him...in more ways than one. "I thought this was an 'us' day but you've arranged to meet up with your..." Julian makes a face, "boyfriend."
Jen grins deliberately to annoy him. "And? What's the problem with that? Aren't we all suppose to be getting along with the X-Men?"
"Yeah...but he's a Summers," Julian says like that explains everything. And honestly he never expected it to last this long. Her dating Alex Summers. He means 3 months...for Jen that's practically an eternity.
"And he's surfer...and believe me you shouldn't underestimate the sensation of his wipeout," Jen says with a salaciously dirty edge.
"I'm goin to hurl," Julian says, placing his hand over his mouth.
Catseye rolls her eyes. "Boys," Sharon says in a complaint to Firestar.
"Tell me about it," Angelica says.
"Sharon thought you dating a senior?" she queries.
"I am." Randall Chase is his name. He's scrumptious and Angelica really likes him. "That doesn't mean I can't agree that boys are moronic."
"And smelly," Catseye complains, wrinkling her nose.
Angelica chuckles. "What about you? No boys on the horizon?"
"No...but Sharon has friend Rahne. Meeting up with her in town."
Angelica nods. She's aware Sharon and Wolfsbane have struck up a connection based on their animal powers. Frankly it's all fine with her. After all Ms Frost told them to play nice with the X-Men and even Angelica has reached the point she can tolerate Claire and Marie though she doubts they'll ever recover their previous friendship.
"That's so sad Shars," Ali comments. "I mean even Sooraya has a boyfriend."
Dust's eyes, the only part of her face visible, go wide. "W-w-what? I have no such thing," Sooraya denies.
"Oh sure, so I don't see you every lunchtime hanging out off to the side with that human kid from Xavier's, hmm?" Ali queries, knowingly with a sly wink.
"T-that's not it at all," Sooraya argues because it's not. Look she is shy by nature and she likes going unnoticed and not answering endless questions about why she dresses the way she does so she sits off to the side away from the mainstream. Clark, as it turns out, likes doing the same. Being off to the side and unnoticed so they end up doing it together and talking...and he's nice and easy to talk to. He's respectful. "He is my friend," she voices what it is she truly feels.
"Right," Ali says, not quite believing that. "'Friend'," she uses air-quotes.
"He's 3 years older than I am," Sooraya points out.
Ali snorts. "People get way too hung up on the age thing."
Sooraya whispers a prayer to Allah for strength. "Alison," she says, her voice far clearer and stronger than normal. "Since I have come to America I notice many people talk much but say little. I say little but when I speak my words are chosen carefully to express precisely what I mean. When I say someone is my friend, that is what they are."
Ali blinks. She has never seen Sooraya stand up for herself like that. Ali's lips curl upward in admiration. Good for Dust.
"Hmm, did you notice how it's us girls who are making all the inroads into the X-Men," Jen mentions because so far the male members of the Hellions haven't made a single friend amongst the X-Men.
"And this is a surprise, how?" Ali asks rhetorically. "We both know about boys and their egos. It's probably some ridiculous alpha male thing."
"Oh, hey, so not true," Julian argues, feeling that is a slight against him and the male species in general.
"Yes. It is," Angelica states. "The only who got anywhere was when you dated the English chick and how long did that last?"
Julian opens his mouth to argue...but finds it hard. "It's not our fault they're all so unbearable," he mutters. Yeah. That makes sense. Not his fault. The X-Men are just unlikeable so they can't be friends. "And it's not like you're doing any better, Jones. You're still being all tetchy and sensitive about Tarot and Volcana," he retorts at Angelica.
Angelica's jaw locks and she glares a death-hole into Julian. He's just lucky she has control over her power because she could do that literally.
"They're not wrong," King Bedlam has to accept. "We could do better," Christopher tells his team.
"I have no idea what you mean," Bevatron says. "I'm never anything but my charming self...and so is dear Buford here," Fabian says.
Beef nods in agreement. He's a very charming person. It's the X-Men who are at fault.
As leader Christopher must accept the very idea of ingratiating themselves to the X-Men, worming their way in to the X-Men's trust means forming friendships. As long as his team keep in mind who their loyalty ultimately belongs to it's all acceptable.
What many people might find amazing is how little attention they get on a train especially after they were there at Smallville battling Lionel Luthor.
But you have to remember Lionel engineered a complete communications blackout. By the time it was restored everyone had moved on to focus in on Superman's heroic actions and the Hellions got lost in the crowd, painted as part of the mutant forces who were there that day. There aren't even any decent pictures of them as amazing as that sounds these days.
Their anonymity remained.
Only not for very much longer. Today was the day the world would see the Hellions for what they are.
It's an incredible fact how many major disasters can be traced to the smallest thing from where they began. A massive oil-rig has a leg ripped off during a storm and the cause can be traced back to a microscopic flaw in the metal. A plane crashes because a bird flies into an engine. A catastrophe caused by a single person not doing their job right. Not tightening a bolt properly...like say perhaps a bolt that holds a track on a new subway.
A track that is being vibrated loose by a certain train with a certain group of mutants on-board.
It can only lead to one inevitable outcome as the train derails.
The Hellions and everyone else on board get thrown around as the train smashes into the next station.
When it's all over they find themselves on the floor groaning, bumped and bruised ad the wrecked train is concertinaed inside the tunnel.
Looks like a job for Superman huh?
That could be a problem...
New York...
So here's the deal. Clark's a really, really super friend to Peter and Kitty and therefore to allow them to spend a day together he agreed to take up Spider-Man's job for the day.
In a city at war between the crimes bosses like Kingpin, Tombstone, Silvermaine, not to mention the Green Goblin that can keep ya kinda busy as Clark is finding out.
Superman smashes a blow into Tombstone's granite face as he tries and breaks-up a daylight shoot-out between rivals. "Didn't I throw your ass in jail already," he remarks to Tombstone who is rubbing his chin as he gets back to his feet.
"And I swore we would meet again," Tombstone says gravely.
"And here we are...and I can plainly see you did not take my advice on getting some sun to restore your colour," Superman quips as he uses heat vision to melt some of the weapons before unleashing a superbreath and blowing the henchmen off their feet.
"I have a coffin with your name on it, boy," Tombstone threatens menacingly.
Superman rolls his eyes. "Oh puh-lease not some undertaker themed jokes. I would rather listen to Spidey's for an hour."
Tombstone charges, throwing a punch...which Superman catches rather easily. "Fun fact for ya Tomby. Every day that has passed since we last met has seen me get stronger and faster. Allow me a demonstration," he says cheerfully and grips the hand so hard to almost cracks it. He then starts spinning Tombstone around and around and above his head until he has sufficient speed and momentum to get the man where he wants him. "And away we go!" he cheers as he releases Tombstone.
He dusts his hands momentarily. "Right I'll be back," he says to the remaining henchmen who continue to waste their bullets on him. "Be good or else...Volcana!" he yells.
The fiery redhead dives down from above sending streams of fire at both groups of armed henchmen, sending them flying off into a panic but she has this whole area surrounded with walls of flame. They're not getting away and it creates a barrier between them and innocent people. "Burn baby burn!" she laughs manically, enjoying this way too much.
Clark shakes his head at her. They are so not related. He bends his knees and soars off into the air after Tombstone. It only takes seconds to catch up with the helplessly flying human shaped slab of granite. "So you come this way often?" Superman smirks as he flies alongside the man.
"You little...!"
Superman wags his finger in a disapproving manner. "Language," he reproaches. "There are women and children present...well not right now obviously but there will be when you hit the ground which will be in 15.7 seconds. Gravity...it's one of nature's wonders isn't it. Excuse me," he says and zips forward and lands directly where Tombstone will...right in the middle of Central Park. It's a hell of an arm he has ya know...plus it's all just mathematics to work out the speed and trajectory he had to throw the man.
In the few seconds he has Superman puts one hand in the other and cracks his knuckles...pulls his fist back and smashes Tombstone with a great deal of his strength...combined with the force generated by a falling man you can hear the impact across the park.
Though Tombstone won't be hearing anything for awhile as he is out like a light.
Superman grabs him by the leg, takes back off into the air and is soon back to aid his sister. He drops Tombstone on top of a car which crumples under the impact.
The sight of their badly beaten boss knocks the fight out of his henchmen and it's rather simple for Superman and Volcana to subdue the others...though they're not sure who they work for...yet.
But give Claire a couple of minutes and they'll find out. She's disturbingly good at that sort of thing. Claims it comes from growing up in Suicide Slums.
Clark covers his eyes as she gets to work interrogating them. It's never pretty when she reduces grown men to tears.
Bayville...
"Alright Keller what did you do," Jen says accusatory as she rubs her head.
"Me?" Julian asks, surprised he is getting blamed as he pulls himself back to his feet.
"Yes. You."
"You really think I crashed the train I happened to be on at the time?"
"If you thought there was humour in it, yes," Jen says, sounding almost exasperated at his antics.
Julian just looks at her like she's nuts...which she is. And now he's really thankful they broke up. What a bitch Jen can be. He means, yeah, it well could have been funny if he had done it but not when he's on the freakin train at the time. Does she really think he would risk messing up his looks?
Meanwhile Fabian glances out the window and notices the sparking broken mains power-lines. "Mes amis, I do believe we better follow that old French saying of discretion being the better part of valour."
"Huh?" Buford says.
Christopher looks where Fabian is looking. "It's going to blow. We need to leave...now!" he orders. He points at the door that leads into the next carriage because the station and the way out is that direction. "Beef. Exit if you please."
"On it," Beef says with a nod and charges full tilt smashing through the door with ease.
The rest of the Hellions follow him into the next carriage.
Dust stops when she sees all the other people, all the other innocent trapped civilians. It does teach in the Koran she must strive to do good. "I think it wise you come with us," she addresses them. "We must leave while we can."
"Dust?!" King Bedlam cries at her actions.
"We cannot leave them here," she argues.
King Bedlam blinks in surprise. Dust never argues.
"She's right bald-zilla," Ali says to him. Look her main priority in life may be her rock career but she's not a total uncaring gimbo.
Kind Bedlam flashes her a disgruntled look for the nickname. "Fine," he agrees if only to hasten their exit. "Hellions we're doing civilian rescue today," he says, his tone showing how much that makes his stomach queasy. This is the sort of thing X-Men do. Not Hellions.
The Hellions give him a queer look but obey.
"Beef. Keep going," King Bedlam orders. "Give us a clear path out."
Beef nods and resumes his charge through the carriages.
"Right, chill out and come on, norms," Ali says as she picks up a little blond haired girl and hands her over to her mother.
The Hellions shepherd the people into the next carriage where Julian notices a dropped wallet. Hello! Easy money! Not that he needs it but Julian likes being naughty. He bends down to pick it up...only for a hand to suddenly grip his wrist. A hand belonging to an elderly gentleman. "Help me," the man pleads.
"Of course," Dust intervenes before Julian can brush the guy off because who knows what he's carrying. "Hellion would be glad to assist."
"Yes. You'll be glad to assist won't you Jules," Firestar says, evil smirk on her face, taking joy in Julian's misery.
Julian shoots her a dirty look.
Catseye sniggers.
Julian rolls his eyes and helps the man to his feet and the Hellions move on to the next carriage, help the people there and so on until they reach the end.
In the last one they find a woman who has fallen out her wheelchair. "Beef!" King Bedlam whistles at him to come back and help.
The large teen returns and picks the woman up as Firestar cuts a hole in the side of the carriage with a narrow beam of her microwave energy to lead out to the station. Smoke is starting to choke the air. They need to hurry.
Hellion uses his telekinesis to rip the section Firestar has cut away...only to reveal a fire blocking the stairwell up to the surface.
"Dust. Smother it," King Bedlam orders.
Dust walks forward before turning into her sandstorm form and smothers the fire in choking...well dust. The fire dies and Dust reforms herself.
The Hellions lead the survivors up the stairs to the surface where the emergency services are starting to arrive.
They're not the only ones.
Scott, Alex, Rahne and Jean pull up in Scott's red convertible. Scott was just giving his brother a lift so he could met up with Roulette which Scott still frowns upon but at Jean's nagging he was trying really, really hard to mend the fence with Alex. Rahne was here because she was going to meet up with her friend Catseye and since Scott was heading that way anyway it only made sense he give her a lift too.
Anyway Scott was doing that when he saw the smoke in the distance and heard about the accident on the radio so naturally they have driven over as fast as they could to see if they could help...and what do they find but the Hellions.
"Ok. We're here," Julian says sulkily to the old man he has helped. "This is your stop...bub."
The old man hugs Julian in a death grip. "You saved me!" he cheers tearfully and in pure relief. "I owe you my life."
A shudder goes through Julian. He's never going to feel clean again.
"How many more are down there?" a fire-fighter asks.
"None," King Bedlam informs him...just mere moments before a huge explosion below rocks the area making the ground shake.
When it passes there stand the Hellions, surrounded by the people they've rescued with cameras and tv crews filming the whole thing.
A cheer from the crowd spontaneously erupts followed by clapping.
"Have you guys always been heroes?" one male news reporter asks.
For a moment the Hellions look like deer caught in the headlights. Ms Frost is going to kill them. So much for maintaining low pro.
That being the case Julian decides 'what the hell!'. Here's 5 minutes of fame. He preens himself and steps forward. "We are heroes to the core," he announces and them yanks in the old man he rescued, reluctantly, to his side. "Just ask this fine gentleman."
"It's true!" the man enthuses.
"So what do you guys call yourselves?" a female news reports asks.
Roulette jumps on the same bandwagon as Julian, brushes her hair back, strides forward with a sway to her curvy hips and announces, "We're the Hellions...and that is because when we're not saving the innocent Hell is what we give the criminal scum. You've been warned," she points into a camera lens.
Scott, Jean, Rahne and Alex watch on, their jaws dropped.
Elsewhere in Bayville...
With most of her students having a day off Emma had chosen this morning to catch up with the one unofficial student resident in Bayville. Empath.
Manuel's role had been twofold. One, from a distance and unseen he had been projecting feelings into the X-Men. Feelings of fealty and trust toward the Hellions. It was deliberately subtle and slow. Too fast and Xavier would realise something was wrong...and it had been slowly working. The X-Men were starting to let the barriers down, be a bit more friendly towards the Hellions. Soon they would be so entangled it would impossible to separate them. Emma would have them where she wants them.
True Scott has been a bit more stubborn than anticipated in her wooing him to her side. His feelings for Jean kept getting in the way...but Emma is going to be infinitely patient here.
Her actions in Smallville had garnered her some extra leeway from the Lord Imperial. True her sister was still around as much as that made Emma sick but as a reward for the success in Smallville the Lord Imperial had decreed that she was no longer on parole under her sister's orders. They had been made equals. It was a start. Emma would soon get herself back to the position where she could tell her sister to get lost. It was only a matter of time.
Anyway back to Empath. Two, he was wooing the Nova Roman princess into not just loving him but leaving the X-Men and joining the Hellions.
Manuel was just giving Emma the update on his progress in regards to Amara. "She is losing the certainty that we're the bad guys to use a term. There is definite doubt in her mind about the Hellions now."
Emma nods. That's good. That's a start.
"The trouble is these feelings of strong loyalty she has for Superman."
Emma arches an eyebrow. "What feelings?"
Manuel frowns. Not feelings he likes certainly. "Deep reverence. Almost like feelings of faith one has for God. I don't understand it. I mean I know she has a strong faith but why is it focussed around Superman?"
Why indeed. Emma bets Selene would know. Too bad they're mortal enemies or she could ask. "And speaking of Superman?" Emma inquires.
Empath waves her off. "Don't ask. His mind is the strangest thing I have ever sensed. I mean I can sense he has emotions but I can't tell what emotion is which nor how to affect them."
Yes, Emma recalls the oddity of Superman's mind...and she's been in it. "For now Superman isn't a priority," she tells Manuel. "Just the X-Men."
"Whatever," Manuel says glumly.
"Problem?"
"Yes. This is boring. You know I can do so much more," Manuel argues. He could reduce the X-Men to quivering wrecks if he wanted.
"And the instant you do Xavier will detect you, rip apart your mind and find out everything," Emma lays down the consequences of Empath acting in such a manner. "Of course he won't have to because if you disobey my orders I'll rewire your brain until you would have a struggle to defeat a rock in a battle of wits," she warns. "Clear?"
Empath swallows. "Clear, Ms Frost," he accepts without question.
"Good."
"Um...Ms Frost were the Hellions suppose to be keeping a low profile?"
"Yes. Why?"
"They're on tv," Empath points at the muted vision box.
Emma's head snaps round and glares at the screen. She grabs the remote and restores the sound. Subway crash, heroes, Julian and Jennifer stepping forward. Those little...
Empath smirks. He can feel Emma's ire. Boy are those guys going to get it. Then suddenly Emma's feelings calm markedly. "Ms F?" he queries.
"Empath...I've just had an idea how we can use this to our advantage and it means you're going to get your wish about not being bored. You're going to be very busy for the next few days."
Empath looks at her carefully and spots the gleam in her eye. He doesn't yet know her plan but he can bet that whoever it is aimed at is in deep trouble.
Author's Note: So, yes, the Hellions replace the Brotherhood for this take on the episode and with Emma around you can bet they'll make a much better job of it. Also a chance to show the Hellions a bit more and catch up with Empath. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; No Good Deed part 2 as we see how the X-Men react to all this while Emma's a plotting.