Grey Frost

Grey Frost
Chapter 19: Rescue Woes

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Bodies flew and walls crumbled as Logan and Scott fought their way through waves of guards into the secure areas. The onslaught was relentless. Hellfire had no shortage of guards and with alarms going off nearly everybody converged on the lower levels. But their numbers were no match for Scott’s determination and Logan’s berserker rage.

Another optic blast blew open another reinforced doorway. Shortly afterwards bodies went flying into the new hole. The guards were running out of room. They had to be getting close. Logan could smell it. Scott could feel it.

“Ugh! How much further?” yelled Scott as he unleashed another optic blast.

“Rrrahhhh! They’re close…I can smell it!” roared Logan as he fought through a pile of guards.

A guard tried to grab him from behind, but that was a big mistake on his part. Logan grabbed his arm and flung him across the hall. He tried to get up, but three more guards went flying from an optic blast.

The guards were getting tougher. They were changing their tactics, ganging up on Scott and avoiding his eyes while trying to dog-pile Logan. They may have been mindless Hellfire minions, but they weren’t stupid. Then Scott and Logan heard it.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

It was the unmistakable scream of Emma Frost echoed from beyond the heavily reinforced door and into the halls. Scott’s attention was immediately drawn, but two guards grabbed him from behind and held him back.

“Emma! Logan, we have to get Emma!” he exclaimed.

“Ugh!” grunted Logan from under a pile of guards, “Leave it to me, bub!”

With a feral roar, Logan summoned his strength and clawed his way out of the pile. Several guards were cut badly and taken out of action. That was the price they paid for messing with the Wolverine. Two more tried to tackle him, but Logan was nimble enough to leap over them and send them crashing into the wall.

He then followed his acute hearing. Logan knew those yells all too well. They were screams of torment, agony, and torture. Only the sickest people in the world would resort to submitting human beings to treatment like that. Weapon X was one of them. Now Hellfire was with them too. And they were doing this to one of his students. It made his blood boil.

“Hold on, Frost! I’m coming!” he growled.

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Inside the room, Mastermind was tearing away at Emma’s psychic shielding. He ignored her cries, focusing all his power on this young woman’s psyche. Her psychic skills were formidable. She fought back with a tenacity that was almost admirable. It was by far a greater challenge than most minds, but she was no master. He was getting close to her memories, thoughts, and perceptions. Once these were changed she would cease to be Emma Frost and would be free to be molded as he desired.

Shaw smiled the whole time. The pain and struggle for her was great, but such was the price of betraying the Hellfire Club. He looked forward to a new Emma Frost who was ruthless and cunning, yet docile and submissive. She would make a fitting queen, free of the annoying personality that still had a touch of good in it. And most important of all, she would be loyal to him.

“You’re only making it harder on yourself, my dear,” said Shaw.

“Errrrrrrrrrrrr fuck…you!” she grunted.

“Mastermind, can you do anything about that mouth of hers?”

“I’m almost there,” he said with sweat forming on his brow, “Just a little bit…”

Suddenly, Mastermind’s concentration was thrown off by the sound of three adamantium claws slicing through the door. Shaw stepped back as it fell to the ground with a thud, revealing a very angry Wolverine.

“Get away from her!” he growled, “Or you’ll be the one screaming!”

Shaw snarled in annoyance. Of all the times for interference, this had to be the worst. Emma just had to make friends with the most pestilent of people.

“Logan…” gasped Emma, her head pounding with pain.

“Don’t let up,” ordered Shaw, “I’ll take care of this pest.”

Mastermind wasn’t a fighter, so he nodded and went back to working on Emma’s mind. He had to refocus himself, but he had already worn her down so much he was near his goal. Emma still managed to resist. She didn’t get much shielding back up, but that would only delay the inevitable. He just had to work fast enough to get away from this fight.

Logan eyed Shaw. He had an imposing build and a cocky grin. Emma mentioned his name a few times, but she never said how tough he was. But that didn’t matter. Either way he was going down.

“You made a big mistake messin’ with the X-men, bub!” declared Logan.

“You made a bigger mistake coming here,” said Shaw, “Emma belongs to us. She always has. And whether you like it or not, she will be the White Queen.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she ran away just because she got cold feet,” said Logan snidely, “Here’s some free advice, bub. Messing with minds only makes things worse.”

“I’ll take my chances,” grinned Shaw.

The Black King allowed his coat to drop to the floor and took a combat-ready stance. While he may have been a businessman, he was also a skilled fighter. In this day and age, one had to be and with his mutant power it came naturally.

“Hrraaahhhh!” yelled Logan as he lunged towards Shaw.

He easily dodged his attack and countered with a two punch combo of his own. Logan blocked the blows and continued with a relentless barrage of slashes and kicks. Shaw maintained a passive stance, taking each shot and countering with increasing force. He hit a lot harder than he expected. Emma said he was a mutant, but didn’t mention his powers. They must have extended to fighting.

Wolverine was tough, but Shaw played it smart by avoiding his claws and absorbing the force of his blows. When he had the necessary energy, he then turned it back on Logan with a solid kick. It sent him flying across the room and into the wall. Had it not been for his adamantium laced bones, he’d be on a one-way trip to the hospital.

“Get up, whelp,” said Shaw snidely, “I can take anything you throw at me and return it twice over. In other words, the longer we fight the stronger I get.”

“Wish Frost mentioned that,” groaned Logan.

Rubbing his head from the soreness, Logan looked over at Mastermind and Emma. She was still resisting. Sweat poured down her face as she grunted and howled in agony. With each passing second, Mastermind grew more frustrated and stepped up his attack. She was good, but not good enough.

Logan had to free her. He couldn’t keep fighting Shaw if it only made him stronger. He needed to take away his advantage, not to mention do something about that annoying grin on his face.

“I’m waiting,” said Shaw, beckoning Logan for more.

With an angry grunt, Logan shot up and leapt towards Shaw. The Black King prepared to absorb the attack. But what happen next caught him off guard. Logan leapt over him instead of at him. Once he was behind, he grabbed him by the arm and used his strength to throw Shaw right at Mastermind. But because of his size, the poorly framed psychic didn’t stand a chance.

“Absorb that, bub,” taunted Logan.

Once Mastermind was taken out, Logan sliced through Emma’s restraints and removed her collar. She was still mentally spent from the relentless probes, but her anger outweighed the pain. Shaw just had her mind raped in an attempt to turn her into his docile little minion. For that, she was pissed.

“You okay, Emma?” said Logan, helping her up.

“Are you kidding?” snarled the young blonde, “I was just mind raped by an ugly little troll! I’m pretty fucking far from okay!”

Logan took a step back. He knew all too well how it felt to be violated and used in the most inhumane ways. It was far from pleasant and had a way of stirring great rage. At least now he had an ally to fight Shaw with.

When the Black King got up he was facing a very angry woman. And unlike Wolverine, he couldn’t fight back with his mind. While his shields were formidable, that probably wouldn’t matter in Emma’s current state. She was so full of hate and rage that even his defenses couldn’t hold up.

“Emma…” said Shaw, getting up and maintaining his strong poise.

“You son-of-a-bitch!” she yelled, “I’ll show you to mind rape me!”

Her eyes wrought with fury, she unleashed every ounce of psychic energy she could muster and attacked Shaw’s mind. Immediately, Shaw felt a stabbing pain in his head. His shields were gravely dented. He wouldn’t last long if he tried to resist. This was one battle he knew he couldn’t win. And for once, Emma had the upper hand and she was enjoying every minute of it.

“Ugh!” grunted Shaw as he fell to the floor, “Mastermind! Do something!”

“Yes, your highness. I…”

But the cloaked man didn’t get a chance. Logan grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall, effectively knocking him out before he could cast any more illusions. Mastermind may have been an excellent manipulator, but he had a frail body and stood no chance at defending himself.

“Let’s see you mind fuck your way out of that,” grinned Wolverine.

Now Shaw was helpless. He had no psychic to defend him and his shields were quickly weakening. The usually calm and collected Black King started sweating with dread. The woman he wanted by his side was subduing him. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. He was the king and she was his queen. And now it was over.

For Emma, this moment was overdue. Sweat poured down her face from the intense mental effort. Now Shaw would know how it felt to have his mind violated and broken. She may not have been the most powerful telepath in the world, but at this very moment she was the most determined. No amount of shielding could save Shaw now.

Her head throbbed. She focused so hard blood began to trickle out of her nose. Shaw’s body started going ridged. His mind was slipping fast. Emma showed no mercy. He would suffer for his sins one way or another.

“Emma…my queen,” gasped Shaw in desperation.

“You’re a wicked man, Sebastian,” said Emma coldly, “You’re going to burn one day for all your sins, but not today. I’m not you. I’m not ruthless enough to send you to Hell. Instead you’re going to pass out and when you awake, the world you worked so hard to gain will be in shambles.”

“Hnnnnn…” he groaned, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

“Oh, and one more thing…” she said, gritting her teeth in determination, “I’m nobody’s queen.”

With one final burst, Sebastian Shaw fell unconscious. His eyes were still half open as his mind was forcibly shut down by the psychic onslaught. His body lay deathly still, but he was still alive. As much as Emma wanted to strangle him until his last breath, that just wasn’t her. She was an X-man, not a Hellfire minion.

When it was all over, she let out an exhausted groan and fell back. Logan caught her, helping to keep her up. Blood still trickled down her nose and her head throbbed with searing pain. But she was free now.

“Hold it together, Frosty. We’re not out of this yet,” said Logan.

“I know,” she said, clutching her temples, “We…we have to find Jean.”

“You know where she is?”

“No, but trust me! She’s with bad company!”

That was all the convincing Logan needed. He let Emma lean on him for support as he fought his way back out into the hall where guards were still swarming. In her weakened state, she couldn’t fight much. But she was determined to do her part. Jean was depending on her.

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Back in Selene’s chamber, Jean still hadn’t done anything. Selene impatiently paced around her, watching as she continually stared at the dagger and back at the young woman. There was only so long she could play off this act of being too dazed to decide. Selene was beginning to sense her hesitation. She had to make a decision.

Jean knew she wanted her to make that fateful choice. To put pleasure over her personal sense of right and wrong. Once she was intoxicated by the feeling there would be no going back. She would be on the path to becoming every bit as sadistic and greedy as Selene. That way she would have her protégé and Jean would be on her way towards the Inner Circle.

“What are you waiting for?” said Selene, sliding her finger down Jean’s face, “I know you want it.”

“I…I don’t know,” said Jean, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

“Of course you do!” said Selene impatiently, “Just think of it…raw, unabated pleasure surging through your every being. Don’t you want that? Isn’t it worth taking the life of a traitor?”

Jean swallowed hard as she looked back at the girl. She saw so much fear in her eyes. She really thought Jean was going to do it. She thought she was going to give in. The promise of such pleasure was very enticing. After what she felt from sex, she could only dream of what it would be like to feel such sensations.

But it was at this point Jean realized she couldn’t keep up with this charade any longer. Selene wanted her to become something she swore she would never be. Looking at this woman in her cold, sadistic gaze was a window into what she was going to become. And that was all she needed to seal her decision.

“Come on! Do it!” yelled Selene.

Jean turned towards the girl and gripped the dagger. She had to be careful about this. She would only get one shot.

“No…I won’t,” said Jean, dropping the dagger.

Selene’s eyes widened, but she didn’t have time to be shocked as a sudden telekinetic burst shot out and threw her across the room. The Black Queen was not prone to surprises, but this one definitely caught her off guard. Jean hit her so hard she made a dent in the wall. It was the kind of force that would knock anybody out and probably leave some internal damage. But the Black Queen got right back up and she was pissed.

“Augh! You little bitch!” howled Selene.

“Shut up!” yelled Jean, hitting her with another telekinetic burst, “I’ll never be like you! Never!”

Jean took no chances with this woman. She ripped off her collar and unleashed the full force of her telekinesis. An invisible wall shot across the room, pinning the Black Queen in the same dent she made with the first blow. Her face contorted in determination as she tried to crush her to the point of passing out. But with every ounce of effort, Selene just kept resisting.

Emma told her she was tough, but she never mentioned she was this tough. Absorbing all that life energy from others must have made her very resilient. She never showed a single sign of passing out. If anything, Jean’s little turn around only made her madder. Just because she caught her off guard didn’t mean she could change her fate.

“You disappoint me,” grunted Selene.

Suddenly, her eyes flashed bright red and a paralyzing feeling shot through Jean’s body. While draining life force was powerful enough, a little black magic also came in handy. Selene wasn’t so naïve to come into a situation like this without a fail safe. It was just one of the many hard lessons Jean was going to have to learn.

With her body paralyzed, Jean’s telekinetic hold weakened. Once Selene was free she stormed over to the bewildered teen, grabbed her by the neck, and lifted her with ease. The Black Queen was a lot stronger than she looked. She didn’t even break a sweat. Jean grabbed her hand, but her grip was like a vice. It wasn’t long before she was gasping for air.

“Ack!” she choked.

“You’re going to use that dagger, Jean,” said Selene firmly, “One way or another, you will give in.”

Reaching behind her cape, she pulled out a syringe full of a familiar solution. Jean’s eyes widened with horror when she saw it. There was only one thing it could be.

“Just in case, I made sure this dose was the maximum amount possible. It won’t kill you, but the urge will be unbearable. It’ll make the first two shots look like child’s play!”

Jean struggled harder, gagging on Selene’s tough grip. She tried her telekinesis, but that paralyzing spell was still in effect. Having experienced that shot before, she knew all too well how hard it was to resist. It clouded her mind so much she struggled to get a hold of herself. And if this was as high a dose as she said it was, there was no way she could hold back this time.

She was trapped. Selene was going to break her just as Emma said she would. She was out of time. Once that needle went in, it was over. In a last ditch effort, she called out for help. And ironically, the only one she could reach was the only one she could connect to in her time of need.

‘Scott…help me.’

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Out in the hall, Scott was still fighting off Hellfire guards. Even after blasting through waves of bodies, they kept on coming. It was as if the fear of injury was magically removed and with the Hellfire Club that was a real possibility. Three guards surrounded him, steering clear of his gaze to avoid his optic blasts. Thankfully, his eyes weren’t Scott’s only weapon.

Despite being bigger and more muscled, Scott dodged a double pronged attack from the first two guards. Then the one behind him struck him in the back, knocking him to the floor in a heap of pain.

“Watch out for his eyes!” yelled one of the guards.

Before Scott could recover, several guards grabbed his limbs and piled on top of him. Unlike Wolverine, Scott didn’t have Logan’s strength. He couldn’t fight his way off and since the guards weren’t in his line of sight he couldn’t blast his way out. All he could do was struggle now.

“Gotta…get…free!” he grunted.

Then he heard it again. For the third time, that powerful connection in the depths of his mind opened and Jean’s voice echoed through his head.

‘Scott…help me.’

She sounded more desperate than ever. She was on the brink. Jean needed him now more than ever. Just as she did when her powers went crazy or when Blob captured her, she needed him. And he refused to let her down.

“Jean…”

With newfound determination, Scott shook free of one of the guards and activated his visor to unleash a wide-arced blast. It was very intense. It was probably the most intense he fired during this entire fight. Bodies went flying and the path before Scott was open. His whole body was sore, but there was no time for pain. Jean needed him.

“I’m coming, Jean!”

Scott pushed himself beyond his limits and dashed down the hall. A few remaining guards stood in his way. These ones had high tech weapons. But they didn’t even get a chance to aim as Scott hit each one of them with a perfectly delivered optic blast. The hall was like a maze, full of doors and dead ends. But the echo in his mind acted like a beacon and he followed it to the strongest possible source.

It eventually led him to the room adjacent to Selene’s chamber. Inside, Selene was about to inject Jean with the chemical that would break her will and turn her into one of them.

“I admire your resolve, Jean Grey,” she said with a taunting grin, “But I’ll admire you more once you’re my own personal minion.”

“Go…to…Hell!” gasped Jean through her strangle.

“Ha! When I’m through with you, you’ll have a new appreciation for the concept of Hell.”

She was prepared to shove the needle into Jean’s thigh. Suddenly, the chamber door burst open in a concentrated blast of optic energy. The deafening bang was enough to make Selene hesitate, but not enough to drop Jean.

Scott stepped in through the hole, ignoring the dust and rubble. The first thing he saw was Jean being choked by an imposing woman dressed in what he could only describe as a cross between a dominatrix and a queen. Emma mentioned this woman a few times. He knew her reputation and he wasted no time in making her pay for what she had done.

“Let her go!” yelled Scott angrily.

Switching his visor to full power, Scott unleashed a concentrated optic blast that hit Selene head on. This time she dropped Jean, causing her to fall to the floor gasping for air while she impacted the wall again. Scott quickly ran to her side, panicking that something happened beforehand and he was too late.

“Jean! Jean…it’s me. I’m here now,” said Scott, cradling her head, “Are you okay?”

“I am now,” she said with a smile.

Scott smiled back, relieved that she still had that gleam in her eyes that he knew so well. She reached out to him when all seemed lost and he came through for her. It was yet another example of the bond they shared and how powerful it was.

But before they had time to savor the reunion, Selene got up from the punishing blast and eyed the meddlesome boy who interrupted her moment of triumph. She had been so close. Now this boy would know the true power of the Black Queen.

“You little shit! I’ll rip you to shreds!”

Selene lunged towards Scott with rage in her eyes. Scott stood back, preparing to fire another shot. Then Jean had an idea and took a chance. Using her telekinesis, she undid the chains still restraining the girl and sent them flying towards Selene’s legs. The Black Queen tripped and fell face first to the hard floor. Then before she could recover, Jean grabbed the syringe she dropped, lunged forth, and plunged it into her thigh.

“Ack! Nooooooooo!” she howled.

“Now it’s your turn, Selene,” said Jean with a triumphant grin, “A little taste of your own medicine.”

“You little bitch! I’ll…”

But that was all Selene got out. The effects of the chemical were immediately felt. Her face flushed bright red and her legs gave way. Falling to the floor, she grasped her breasts as every part of her body became hot with arousal. It was more intense than anything even she had felt before. And this was the maximum dosage. Even her black magic couldn’t free her from the overwhelming urges of her body.

“Ugh! Uh-uh-so hot! Can’t…AUGH!” cried the Black Queen.

It was quite a sight. The once proud and feared Selene was now lying on the floor like an animal in heat, a slave to her body. Her gaze grew distant and her mind hazy as every higher function was abruptly shut down and her libido was sent into overdrive. Her pussy was now dripping wet, soaking into her inner thighs as her clit swelled and throbbed for stimulation. She reached into her thong and started frantically teasing herself. But unlike lighter doses it wasn’t just intoxicating. It was practically mind-altering.

“What’s happening to her?” asked Scott curiously.

“You don’t want to know,” answered Jean.

Taking her word for it, Scott turned his attention back to Jean. He took her in his arms and let out a sigh of relief. She returned the gesture and hugged back, clinging to him for the comfort she needed. He almost lost her and she almost lost everything. But when she called out for his help, he was there for her. Just like he had been there for her since the beginning, he heard her cries and came to her.

“You came for me,” she said, her emotions getting the better of her, “I can’t believe you even found me.”

“I just followed your calls for help,” said Scott tenderly, “I don’t know how, but I felt it.”

“It must be a bond we have.”

“It must be pretty strong,” said Scott with a warm smile, “That’s the second time it’s helped me save you.”

“You keep track?”

“How could I not? You mean so much to me Jean. I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”

“Me neither.”

Scott and Jean shared another tender hug, ignoring Selene as she lay helplessly on the floor fingering herself in a lustful daze. But they were so caught up in the moment they didn’t realize that Logan and Emma had been standing in the doorway since before Jean injected Selene with the needle. Logan just shook his head. He had seen this from these two a million times before. But for Emma, it struck a different chord.

She never saw it first hand. Jean had told her about the bond she and Scott shared, but she never described it like this. It was truly profound. The way she looked at him and he looked at her was uncanny. It was written in the way they held each other. It wasn’t just attraction, affection, or even casual love. Scott never looked at her that way. There was so much power to that feeling. It revealed to her the undeniable truth she so feared.

‘He loves her. And she loves him.’

While Emma was reeling from such thoughts, Logan cleared his throat. As much as he hated to interrupt two people in such a moment, they still had to escape from this hell hole.

“You two done?” he said.

“Uh…sorry, Logan,” said Scott, now blushing profusely.

“Be embarrassed later,” he grunted, “Let’s just get the hell out of here!”

“Couldn’t agree more!” said Jean intently.

Together, they started making their way back down the hall. But before they left the room, Scott passed Emma and noticed the distressed look on her face. She looked pretty hurt. He hadn’t forgotten that she was his girlfriend and was quick to check on her.

“Emma…” he began.

“I’m fine, Scott,” she said flatly, “We’ll talk about it later. Let’s just go home.”

She started running before he could say another word. Scott had come to know this woman well enough to see when she was lying and she made no effort to conceal the fact this time. He vowed to work this out when they got back, but for the time being they had other things to worry about.

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The halls had been cleared for the most part. Much of the Hellfire guard had been taken out by Scott and Logan. A few remained, but were easily subdued. With Scott’s firepower, Jean’s psychic abilities, and Logan and Emma’s close range combat skills they were well on their way to escaping this horrible place.

“This way! We’re almost there!” barked Logan.

They passed through the winding corridors, making their way through the prison areas and into central core. They came across another series of heavily secure doors. Scott and Logan made quick work of them, revealing the staircase that would lead them up to the ground level and hopefully to their freedom. Resistance from the guards had mysteriously ceased, but they weren’t waiting around so they could recover.

Once they passed through the final seal, the four X-men ascended the stairs. Freedom was right within their grasp. Emma ignored her still throbbing head, the promise of another escape overriding all pain. Jean was just as desperate. She experienced first hand how terrible the Hellfire Club truly was. It was no wonder why Emma ran that first night they found her. And having done it once, they were poised to do it again.

Upon reaching the end of the stairs, Logan sliced through the last door. But apparently, the Hellfire Club still had a few more tricks up its sleeve and they stopped cold in their tracks.

“That’s far enough,” said Harry Leland.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” groaned Emma.

Surrounding them from all sides was an entire legion of Hellfire guards. And leading them from the center of the pack was Harry Leland and Donald Pierce. Each had that snide look on their face that was so indicative of Hellfire. Emma always despised it, but it was hardly a surprise.

“Come now, did you really think we’d let you get this far?” taunted Pierce, “You four aren’t going anywhere.”

“You’re crazy if you think we’re going back!” yelled Jean in defiance.

“Don’t be so sure about that,” grinned Leland, “When will you people learn that nobody defies Hellfire? You can either come along quietly or make things more difficult for yourself.”

They were in a jam. Hellfire had them cornered with no way out. They moved a muscle and every Hellfire guard would open fire. Not even Jean’s best telekinetic shield could protect them from so many shots and that wasn’t factoring in how powerful those guns were. Knowing Hellfire, they probably had special arms designed to neutralize any form of mutant resistance. There was truly no way out.

But Hellfire wasn’t the only one with a few tricks. Logan and Scott looked at one another and nodded. They had been waiting for this. Hellfire was powerful and had every reason to be overconfident. That didn’t make it any less a weakness and it was about time they start exploiting it.

“What do you think, team? We gonna go quietly?” said Logan, his claws still drawn.

“Tough choice,” said Scott with an angry scowl, “But I think they already know how this is going to end.”

“Smart boy,” laughed Pierce, “We’ll try not to be too harsh.”

“That’s what you think.”

Scott then hit a button on his belt, sending the signal to the X-jet that Storm and the others had been waiting for. At first Jean and Emma didn’t know what was going on. They thought they were going to try and fight their way through, which by any stretch was going to be a challenge. But within a few seconds of hitting that button, a deafening thunder echoed from outside and the lights throughout the Hellfire Mansion flickered.

“What the hell was that?!” exclaimed Leland.

“Guys…” began Emma, getting concerned as well.

“Wait for it…” assured Logan.

Suddenly, every window on the first floor was blown out and hurricane force winds shot through every hall and corridor of the Hellfire Mansion. It was so strong it knocked the guards off their formation. Some even went flying, forgetting about the four targets they were supposed to be aiming at and worrying instead about staying upright.

Then through one of the windows, Storm flew in guided by a miniature tornado of gusty force. The guards took cover while Jean and Emma smiled. The rest of the team had arrived and for once the fight was fair. Leland and Pierce looked pissed. They were not ones to take kindly to surprises and these teenagers were not about to get the better of the Hellfire Club.

“That woman!” yelled Leland over the winds, “Shoot her!”

“Not on our watch!” said Rogue.

Emerging from the gaping hole made by the former weather goddess was the rest of the team. Kurt, Kitty, Rogue, and Evan had been waiting on the sidelines long enough. They wanted a crack at these Hellfire guys as well and there was no shortage of manpower for them to face.

“Hey guys!” greeted Kurt, “Vow, nice outfit Jean.”

“Yeah, black looks good on you,” laughed Evan.

“Shut up, you two,” muttered Jean, “Let’s just get through this mess.”

“You heard her, X-men! Form up and take them down!” ordered Scott.

“Gladly,” scowled Emma.

With burning determination, the X-men tore into the mass of masked minions. Scott and Jean played their usual roles of attacking at a distance, firing optic blasts and telekinesis at guards trying to reinforce their comrades. Emma turned diamond while Logan drew his claws as they fought their way through the crowd of masked men. They met up with Kurt, Kitty, Evan, and Rogue who stayed close as they drew attention away from the others. Evan fired barrages of spikes, disabling guns and pinning guards to the walls while Rogue, Kurt, and Kitty used their close range combat skills to fight their way through.

For the first time, Hellfire didn’t have the upper hand. Ororo kept up the storm up, dispersing the hoards of guards and disorienting them to the point where their weapons were useless. Her mini-cyclone also had the added bonus of knocking out the lights, taking away any other Hellfire traps that may have been active.

Leland and Pierce remained confident none-the-less. Just because the X-men caught them off guard didn’t mean they would get away. They had subdued countless opposition in the past. There was no reason to believe this would be any different.

“What are you waiting for?! Shoot them!” yelled Pierce.

A few guards managed to regain their composure enough to take some shots. They aimed at Storm, Jean, and Cyclops for the most part to take away the distance advantage. But they didn’t get off more than a few rounds as Kurt teleported in on them.

“Gutan tag,” he said casually, “Zhese are very dangerous, you know?”

“Ack! Shoot the freak!” yelled one of the guards.

“Now zhat’s just mean.”

Kurt showed off his acrobatics, doing a few flips in the air as he kicked away their guns and knocked each one out with a few quick combos. Another couple of guards saw this and took aim at him from across the room. But Rogue saw this and came to his aid.

“Ah don’t think so!” she said.

“I second that,” said Evan, firing spikes to impale their weapons before they could be used.

Rogue absorbed several guards, filling her with strength as she and Evan finished off the rest of the shooters.

They met up with Scott, Jean, Emma, and Logan in the central room just below an elaborate crystal chandelier. The winds were still howling and most of the guards were in full retreat. Jean and Scott took care of most of them while Emma lingered to lay some extra hits on the men who had made her life a living hell for too long. She was so angry she almost forgot she was escaping for a moment.

“Come on, Emma! Let’s go!” urged Scott.

Still flushed with anger, Emma delivered one last diamond-fisted punch to a guard before meeting up with the others so they could make their escape.

Leland and Pierce were fuming. They watched as their prized guards fled from the winds and retreated from the incessant punishment. So much for Hellfire’s elite fighting force. If they were to uphold the glory of their illustrious organization they would have to take matters into their own hands.

“Cowards!” yelled Pierce, slamming his hand against the wall.

“Want a job done right, you’ve got to do it yourself,” said Leland.

With what few guards remained, Leland and Pierce charged into the action. Leland had the power to alter his mass and weight, which had guided him well through many fights. Pierce had much of his body replaced by cybernetics, giving him super-human agility. They were up against plenty of mutant muscle, but they were still determined to show them the futility of their resistance.

Pierce struck first, taking aim with his arm and firing it right at the still hovering Storm. It hit her square in the head, sending her falling the ground and stopping the raging storm.

“Storm!” exclaimed Kitty as she and Scott caught her.

“You children are out of your league,” proclaimed Pierce, “Nobody can stop Hellfire!”

“We’ll see about that!” said Kitty angrily.

While Pierce’s arm returned to him, several guards went on to attack Kitty, Evan, Rogue and Kurt. Now that the winds had ceased, the fight was more even. The guards showed far more focus this time, but the X-men held their ground. Evan used his spikes to trip them up while Rogue and Kurt took care of the rest with regular fist-on-fist combos.

While Pierce led his assault, Leland poised himself for battle against Scott, Jean, Logan, and Emma with several armed guards at his side. With his mass extra dense he couldn’t be hurt and if he could get close enough he could make it so each adversary would collapse under his own weight. His guards just had to do their jobs.

“You’ve made quite a mess of things, Emma!” said Leland angrily, “I don’t care how smitten Shaw is with you I’ll see to it that you suffer for defying Hellfire!”

“I’m really going to miss you, Leland,” taunted Emma.

Reverting to her diamond shell, Emma blocked off the incoming shots while Jean deflected the rest with her telekinetic shields. Before they could get another round off, Scott took aim and fired a concentrated shot at Leland. But when it impacted him, he didn’t budge an inch.

“Ha! Is that all you got?” scoffed Leland, “I can make my mass as dense as I want! I’ll crush every one of you!”

“Bet you ain’t dense enough for these!” grunted Logan.

“Logan wait!” exclaimed Emma.

But it was too late. Logan leapt across the room and tackled Leland. Emma, Scott, and Jean tried to go after him, but the guards kept them busy. The well-dressed man didn’t flinch as Logan struck him, barely moving him an inch before bouncing off as if he had hit a brick wall.

Logan grunted, needing a moment to reposition himself. But Leland didn’t give him another chance. He slammed his fists against Logan’s shoulders and pounded him into the floor. It hit him force equivalent to a wrecking ball and had it not been for his adamandium bones, his entire skeletal structure would have been crushed.

“Ugh…” groaned Logan.

“You’ve got resilient bones,” taunted Leland, “Let’s see if we can test those limits.”

Leland rose his foot over Logan’s head and prepared to stomp him through the floor. But behind him, Ororo was just coming to after being hit by Pierce’s arm. Her head was still ringing, but she heard enough from Leland to know what he was about to do. Then she had an idea.

“More mass means a greater conductor,” she said.

Her eyes turned white and she summoned a new round of storm clouds outside. Once she built it up to the right level she concentrated on Leland. If he was as massive as he said he was he was in for quite a shock.

“Time to-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” howled Leland.

In a blinding flash, a bolt of lightning struck Harry Leland head on. The resulting electric shock sent a paralyzing surge through his body. It was so intense some of his expensive clothes caught started smoking. He fell to the floor, his body turning ridged and stiff. His eyes were still open, but he was clearly out of it.

“Ooh, that is gonna hurt tomorrow,” said Jean.

“Nice shot, Storm,” said Logan as he pulled himself up, “Now ya mind helping out so we can get out of here?”

Ororo helped him out and they rejoined Jean, Emma, and Scott in taking out the rest of the guards. Without Leland, the Hellfire army was falling apart.

Pierce tried to hold his own. His guards were faltering and now that the weather witch was up, she could start a new storm and take them out easily. The tide was turning against them and he knew it. He had to take them out.

“Oh no you don’t, witch!” said Pierce, aiming his arm at Ororo again.

“I don’t think so,” said Kitty with a sneaky grin.

Before Pierce could fire a shot, Kitty activated her phasing powers and ran through his cybernetic body. Almost immediately, sparks began to fly and his very expensive limbs started to short circuit.

“What the?! What did you do you little…”

“I hope you kept the receipt to those things,” she grinned.

Pierce’s limbs started smoking and his movements became increasingly erratic. He kept yelling out curses and swears at the pestilent teenage girl who just ruined millions of dollars in cybernetic upgrades. It all culminated when each limb fired off on it’s own, some of which hit Hellfire guards. It left him a harmless torso lying helplessly on the floor. It was so pathetic for a member of the Inner Circle it was almost comical.

“You little punks! I swear on all that is holy I’ll find you all and rip you to shreds!” yelled Pierce.

“What are you gonna do? Talk us to death?” laughed Evan, “Could somebody shut that guy up?”

“Gladly,” said Rogue.

With her ungloved hand, Rogue drained Pierce and finished off the last of the Inner Circle. With him and Leland down, the rest of the Hellfire guards retreated. The foolish that stayed were blown away with one last gust from Ororo.

Emma was the only one who kept fighting. She was so caught up in fighting the men who caused her so much grief she didn’t stop even when they were clearly victorious. She kept relentlessly punching guards, letting out all her pent up anger.

“You dirty, lying, cheating sons-of-bitches! How does it feel to be the victim, huh?! How does it feel?!”

“Emma!” exclaimed Scott, running over to his girlfriend, “Emma, that’s enough!”

“No!” she yelled, shoving him off, “It’s not enough! You don’t know what they did to me! They…”

Then Jean stepped in.

“I know, Emma,” she said, “But it’s okay now. It’s over.”

Jean’s gentle grip on Emma’s shoulder finally got her to stop. She let the guard she was punching go and looked around to see that she was right. All the guards had retreated. Shaw and the rest of the Inner Circle had been subdued. It was finally over. Hellfire had been defeated.

The rest of the team was looking at her strangely. Only Scott and Jean were close enough to lend their condolences. Looking up at her friend and boyfriend, Emma let out a deep sigh. She had done again. She escaped from the Hellfire Club. It didn’t feel like a victory in some ways. But it was enough.

“Let’s go home,” said Emma, “I never want to see this place again.”

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Up next: the aftermath of Hellfire and Emma has a revelation