New Blood II: Growing Ranks

New Blood
Chapter 4: Capture and Rescue

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XR-77 – Above Canadian Airspace

The specially crafted Hellfire version of the X-77 super-jet descended from the storm clouds above onto the chaotic scene below. The flight towards the area was short thanks to the hypersonic capabilities of the aircraft, but even that wasn’t fast enough to get there in time to prevent Wolverine from moving in. Emma, Sage, and Jean each started monitoring the situation via telepathy as soon as they were in range and they arrived just in time for the alarms to go off. Now Logan was on the run and it looked like he was in a lot of trouble. Now dawned in their specially made Hellfire cold gear uniforms it was up to James, Warren, Wanda, Jean, Kurt, Rogue, Piotr, Sage, and Emma to get him out of it.

“We’re almost over the target area,” said James, who was flying the plane, “You girls still got a lock on him?”

“Yeah, but just barely,” said Jean, “I think he just took a pretty nasty blow. He’s barely conscious.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” said Emma, “His mind is a mess. And I think I know why. There’s an Avenger down there.”

“An avenger? Which one?” asked Piotr, knowing that made it a much more serious matter.

“Whoever that blonde with the unfashionable black body suit is.”

“Yeah, that’s narrowing it down,” said Warren dryly, “Half the women in the Avengers dress like that anyways…not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

“Be that as it may, I know who it is,” said Sage, her computer-like brain already working at full throttle, “Her name is Carol Danvers, better known as Miss Marvel. I have files on her. She’s a tough one. She’s got invulnerability, strength, and a danger sense.”

“Great, so for all we know she already realize we’re coming?” said Rogue.

“Probably, but since when has that ever stopped us?” grinned Wanda.

It was nice to hear she was confident, but it was sort of an unwritten rule that they were to steer clear of the Avengers. They didn’t need to start a conflict with one of the world’s most power superhero teams. The Hellfire Club may have extensive control over global institutions, but the Avengers were a wildcard. They did know a few people like Tony Stark, who once did business with Xavier. But for the most part they didn’t know about them and those that did hated Hellfire with a passion. They weren’t sure which camp Miss Marvel was in, but that didn’t make a difference.

“Vhat about Mystique? Do you know if she is down zhere?” asked Kurt.

“I can’t tell,” said Jean, who tried concentrating harder, “But she did say she try and back us up. Knowing her she’s probably undercover.”

“Then let’s not keep her waiting!” said Rogue as she unbuckled her restraint.

“Hold on, I’m taking it into hover,” said James.

By now their presence was probably turning a few heads. If they were to extract Wolverine out of there they had to act fast and with their usual ruthless efficiency. Once in hover James got up out of the pilot’s seat and Sage took over. He joined Warren, Jean, Wanda, Kurt, and Rogue near the hatch while Emma stayed put.

“You ladies know the drill. Sage, manage any incoming data. Emma, put those psychic talents of yours to good use and back us up,” said James.

“I know the drill,” said Emma casually, “You don’t have to mimic Scott, you know? Although he does give orders in a much more leader-like way.”

“Whatever,” groaned James, “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Yeah, my wings don’t do well in the cold,” said Warren as he zipped up his jacket.

“Oh stop you’re whining,” said Wanda, “Just fly out there and start busting heads.”

Wanda had a way with words. She kept things simple and brutal, a trait she seemed to develop more and more over the years. Usually, Pietro would keep her in check, but with him on another mission they would have to deal with Wanda’s charming attitude.

“Man, she’s a lot harsher when Pietro ain’t around,” commented Rogue.

“I agree. How you’re brother puts up with her I’ll never know,” said Piotr.

The door to the plane opened and James, Warren, Wanda, Jean, Kurt, Rogue, and Piotr were poised to enter the conflict blow. And from the looks of it they were descending onto one hell of a fight.

Ground Below

The sudden appearance of an unknown jet over the area halted what should have been a simple case of detaining an intruder. Miss Marvel in the base security forces had Wolverine down and out, but now some new faces were entering the conflict. At first the guards didn’t react. They assumed that the aircraft was part of their support or something. A few of the officers like Captain Kirkman were a little more concerned because they didn’t know about it. Miss Marvel, however, sensed something much more dubious.

“What the hell is that?” said one of the soldiers, “Captain?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember calling for air support,” said Kirkman.

“It’s not air support,” said Miss Marvel grimly.

“Then what is it?”

The young Avenger gazed at the craft as it hovered in lower. Then she saw the hatch on the side open, revealing several figures she didn’t recognize. They weren’t dressed in military uniforms and they didn’t look friendly. That led her to only one conclusion.

“Everybody get down! Somebody shoot that craft down!” she barked.

The guards were momentarily stunned by such an order, but none-the-less complied. Half kept their rifles on the downed Wolverine and the other half aimed towards the aircraft. But before they could fire one of the guards who happened to be standing next to Miss Marvel and Captain Kirkman interrupted.

“Oh no you don’t!” he said in a strangely feminine tone.

Then to the surprise of every nearby officer, the guards turned his rifle on Miss Marvel and fired it right at her head. Even though she was super strong and durable, the rifle was on one of its highest power settings and sent the woman avenger flying back, her head ringing in pain.

“Augh!” she exclaimed.

“What the fuck?!” exclaimed Captain Kirkman, who immediately turned his gun on the guard next to him.

Then to his surprise the guard shifted in appearance right before his eyes. He turned from a normal looking young man in a military uniform to a blue skinned woman with yellow eyes wearing tight black pants and matching shirt.

“Sorry Captain. You’re in over your head on this one,” said the shape shifter.

Kirkman tried to shoot her, but she nimbly kicked the rifle out of his hand, kneed him in the chest, and shot him with her rifle point blank. It sent him flying back, shredding his uniform and charring his skin. Unlike Wolverine or Miss Marvel, he didn’t have any powers to protect him. So he was dead on contact. As soon as the other guards saw this all hell broke loose.

“Son-of-a-bitch! Shoot them! Shoot them all!” exclaimed one of the guards.

“I wouldn’t do that!” came a voice from above.

From the snowy skies the seven Hellfire pawns descended, courtesy of some telekinetic and hexing assistance from Wanda and Jean. Before they even hit the ground, they began their attack. Warren flew in at high speeds and knocked out the guards surrounding Wolverine and Mystique.

“Took you guys long enough!” said Mystique.

“Nice to see you too, mother,” grinned Kurt, who teleported in next to her.

“Save the family reunion for later!” barked Warpath, “Piotr, help me take out those jeeps! Warren, provide top support and disarm as many guards as you can! Jean, shield us from any incoming fire! Wanda, disable any ordinance they use! Rogue, help your mother guards the target! Kurt, port him out of here!”

“Oh sure, make me miss all zhe fun,” grinned Kurt.

“That’s an order, kid!”

“Oh lighten up, James,” coaxed Rogue, “Even Scott was never this uptight.”

Warpath groaned as the pawns scrambled to carry out their roles. It was clear he didn’t have the same leadership skills as Scott. Everybody seemed to follow him a lot easier. Maybe it was his tone, but he didn’t have time to be nice in the course of battle.

The bewildered guards began shooting at them frantically, but they only got a few shots off. As soon as Jean and Wanda landed everybody safely on the ground, they attacked the weapons of all surrounding guard. Wanda used her hex bolts to cause them to malfunction, causing a few to explode violently. A few guards were undoubtedly killed as a result. Jean was a little less lethal, using her telekinesis to disarm them a forceful psychic seizure to knock them out. It was painful, but they were better off than enduring Wanda’s wrath.

Over with the jeeps Warren drew their fire by flying overhead and dropping a few grenades on the area. This caused several squads to get out and scramble. Those that stayed kept trying to fire, but they were met with the imposing strength of Piotr and James. Piotr, now in his full bodied metal form, grabbed one of the jeeps by the hood and literally flung it halfway across the base with men still inside it. James was more direct, smashing the hood with his fists and causing mini-explosions that barely scratched him, but severely burned those stupid enough to stay behind. They proceeded quickly, attacking each jeep beating back those who tried to stop them. More reinforcements were on their way, but they were quickly turned away by some psychic manipulation from Emma.

‘Why bother with such a messy battle, boys? Go get yourself some hot chocolate and take a nap.’

Like zombies, the guards followed. Those that stubbornly resisted were given a nice painful seizure to take them out of the battle. The large security force the facility assembled to protect itself was falling apart quickly and even those who remained were starting to feel outnumbered. Even the base alarm stopped blaring, no doubt a result of Sage’s creative security hacking. That only left a small collection of guards, most of which came in on snow mobiles. Kurt, Rogue, and Mystique made quick work of them. Mystique used the weapon she swiped to shoot out a couple of men who tried to take cover behind a tree. Warren flew Rogue up over a few of them just close enough for her to touch them and drain their energy. It was a bad sign for those still lingering and one a few took seriously.

“That’s it! I’m out of here!” said one of the guards.

“I hear you! This is a nightmare!” exclaimed another.

The two guards attempted to leave on their snow mobiles, but before they got far Kurt appeared in front of one of them. The man was startled and horrified, allowing Kurt to deliver a deadly stab with a knife and kick him off the mobile. Upon seeing this the other guards tried to speed up and escape.

“Oh you’re not getting off zhat easily,” grinned Kurt.

“Get away from me demon freak!”

He grinned at the fear in his tone. It was funny because he used to hate being called a demon. Now he relished it. He loved being able to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies and he followed through. He teleported a short distance onto his snow mobile, which caught the man off guard again. He tried to shoot him with his rifle, but Kurt kicked it away and then forcibly hooked his steering bars to the right. This caused the snow mobile to swerve out of control and into a nearby tree at deadly speeds. Just before it hit Kurt teleported away, but the guard wasn’t so lucky. He flew head first into a tree and was killed instantly. His snow mobile exploded in a burst of flame and Kurt casually appeared right next to his mother, his grin never waning.

“That’s my boy,” she said proudly, “A little messy, though, don’t you think?”

“If it vorks, vhy not?” he shrugged.

Mystique rolled her eyes. Kurt had a healthy appetite for destruction. The Hellfire Club really conditioned him well. Sometimes she thought it was a little too well, most likely a result of learning from Selene early on. She would have to talk to him about that, but now was not the time. They were almost home free.

With most of the guards now out of the fight, it looked like the Hellfire pawns were ready to extract Wolverine. But not everybody had given up. Miss Marvel was finally coming to after enduring that punishing shot from the shape shifter. She was a bit woozy, but coherent enough to see the mayhem these mysterious figures were causing. She didn’t recognize any of them off the top of her head, but they had enhanced abilities so she assumed they were mutants of some kind. Were these the real terrorists? What was their game anyways? They seemed to be focusing on the first intruder. Maybe he was an accomplice of sorts who got too ahead of himself and they came to his aid. Whatever the reason something didn’t add up here and she was going to find out the truth.

“We better get a move on,” said Warren as he landed with Rogue near the downed Wolverine.

“Right! Kurt, get him up into the jet!” ordered James.

“Hold it!” barked Miss Marvel, having finally gotten up, “Nobody’s going anywhere!”

Not taking any chances, the proud Avenger went right on the attack. She took the air and flew at high speeds right at the Warpath, who she assumed was the leader. When he saw her coming he tried to block her, but she countered at the last second and hit him with an uppercut that sent him falling back. She hit a lot harder than he expected, something he clearly wasn’t used to. That sent an immediate message to the others as they scrambled to retaliate.

“Ugh…stop her!” Warpath commanded through the pain.

“I’ve got her, comrade!” said Piotr in his thick Russian accent.

“Wanna bet?” grinned Miss Marvel.

Piotr tried to deliver a punishing blow with both fists, but Miss Marvel took to the air to avoid him. Since he couldn’t fly he was unable to attack and she used that to her full advantage, swooping down in a controlled arc and knocking him back into Warpath, who since tried to get up.

“Hnn…nice landing,” groaned James.

“Sorry,” said Piotr sheepishly.

This was getting out of hand. Miss Marvel just took down two of their strongest fighters. She not only had super strength, she had some combat training in her as well. That posed an unexpected challenge for the Hellfire pawns, but they still had numbers on their side.

“I don’t know who you people are, but you’re little stunt stops now!” said Miss Marvel in a determined tone.

“Lady, you have no idea who you’re dealing with,” said Wanda in a menacing tone.

“Is that supposed to scare me?”

“No, it’s supposed to warn you of the pain you’re about to feel!”

Wanda’s eyes flashed bright purple as she fired a round of hex bolts at the veteran avenger. She put some extra punch into these bolts, mixing in a touch of magic she learned from Selene as well. But Miss Marvel was wise enough to avoid them and flew up high, quickly getting out of her range. But she still kept firing. At one point she muttered a mystic phrase that altered the power of her blasts, making them brighter in color and better illuminating the sky.

“Wow, she’s quite the powerhouse,” commented Miss Marvel, “I better find a way to take her down.”

Just as she began formulating her strategy she was suddenly blind sided by another flying figure. It was Warren and he used Wanda’s blasts as cover to sneak up on her. Even though he wasn’t as strong as her, he caught her off guard and was able to force her closer to the ground and back into Wanda’s range. She tried to shake him off, but he kept a firm grip on her.

“You’re not the only one who can fly, you know?” said Warren with a determined look.

Miss Marvel grinned. This kid had a pair on him, but he was out of his league.

“Bet you can’t do this?”

While in mid-air she flipped them around so that they were upside down. This threw Warren’s grip off and she managed to grab him by one of his wings. Then with minimal effort she spun him around like she was throwing a Frisbee and sent him flying into Wanda, who didn’t have time to react. He rammed into her and they both were sent tumbling into the snow. Warren was sore, but Wanda was just pissed.

“You fool! I almost had her!” grunted Wanda.

“I’m fine, thank you,” he groaned bitterly.

While Wanda, Warren, James, and Piotr were keeping Miss Marvel busy, Mystique, Jean, Kurt, and Rogue gathered around Wolverine. Jean, having had experience in on-the-field medicine, checked to make sure he was okay. He looked really out of it. He like someone who just walked out of a car after it exploded. But he was still conscious.

“Dang, he looks pretty bad,” commented Rogue, “Is he alright?”

“He’s fine,” assured Jean, “Just a little out of it.”

Then through his pained state, Logan was able to speak.

“You’re pretty fine yourself, lady,” he said.

“Oh yeah, he’s definitely fine,” grinned Mystique, having read up on this man’s history with women.

“Who are you people?” he asked, still too woozy to get up, “What the fuck is going on here?”

“That’s a long, complicated story,” said Jean as she checked his pulse and vitals, “We’ll fill you in later, but for now just relax. We’re getting you out of here.”

That was music to Logan’s ears. He couldn’t move so he sure as hell wasn’t getting out of here on his own. He didn’t usually trust anybody, but in a situation like this he would take whatever help he could get. He needed it. With no more strength left and the cold finally getting to him, Logan let himself slip into unconsciousness. The fight was over for him, but not for the Hellfire pawns. Miss Marvel was still going strong.

“Nobody’s going anywhere!” she bellowed, “I’m taking you all in even if I have to call every Avenger in this hemisphere!”

But the Hellfire pawns were undaunted.

“Jean, you might vant to handle zhis,” said Kurt, “Ve are a bit overmatched in terms of strength.”

Jean nodded and tried using her telepathy to give the powerful avenger a psychic seizure. But she immediately hit a wall with her mind. She had some serious mental shielding. It must have come with her powers or something because this felt way more than human. And Miss Marvel seemed to sense it.

“What’s wrong? Trying to probe my mind?” she taunted, “Don’t bother. I’ve got enough shielding to keep any psychic out.”

“She’s right,” lamented Jean, “I’m not getting anything. I’ll need Emma’s help.”

However, that plan was quickly rejected.

‘Sorry darling, you’re on your own. I’m busy keeping the rest of the guards under my psychic control so they forget this is happening and Sage is busy keeping the security systems offline.’

“Great, scratch that idea,” she groaned.

“I hope you have a backup!” said Mystique in a pit of frustration.

“Too late for that! You guys are going down!” said Miss Marvel as she took to the air for another attack.

But as it turned out, Jean did have a backup plan. Grinning to herself, she waiting until Miss Marvel was halfway towards them. Then she quickly recited a series of elaborate phrases, which conjured up a special spell for just such an occasion. Her eyes glowed fiery red and her hands flashed bright orange. Then just as Miss Marvel was about to hit them she fired a concentrated bolt from her hands and as soon as it hit her, she froze in mid flight.

“Augh! What the hell?!” exclaimed Miss Marvel.

“Mind games aren’t my only specialty,” taunted Jean, “That little binding spell should keep even you restrained for a while.”

Wanda, having recovered from Warren plowing into her earlier, arose with help from her winged ally and saw what Jean did. She immediately recognized it as magic. It wasn’t a very elaborate spell or very powerful, but it was well-done and put a stop to this pestilent woman’s interference.

“Jamon binding spell,” said Wanda flatly, “Not bad for an amateur level spell.”

“Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment,” said Jean.

They watched as Miss Marvel continued to struggle to no avail. She tried flying up, but somehow this strange bind was holding her down as well. She grunted and cursed as she tried to break free, but even her Kree strength was of no use.

It looked as though she had lost. She wasn’t stopping them this time. James and Piotr saw this and rejoined their comrades. It took them a moment to get their composure and their pride back from earlier, but they were okay. The last remaining obstacle had been overcome. But there was still one more matter to take care of.

“Nice job, Jean. Way to be resourceful,” said James.

“Thanks,” said Jean, “But we better get out of here. That spell isn’t going to last long.”

“And once she gets out she’ll remember this incident and report it to the Avengers,” reminded Piotr.

“Guess that means we’ll have to silence her…permanently,” said Mystique, who still had the high powered rifle from earlier.

When Miss Marvel heard that she immediately went into emergency mode. Whoever these people were they weren’t the kind to leave loose ends. They showed they weren’t afraid to kill or deceive with the psychics in their midst. If anybody was to know of their treachery she had to break out and warn the rest of the Avengers.

“NOOO!” yelled Miss Marvel.

Then in a sudden burst of strength, the mystical binding spell broke and she lunged towards the shape shifter with the gun. Upon seeing this, Rogue jumped into action.

“Mama!” she exclaimed as she lunged towards the woman.

She tackled her just as she was about to lay a punishing blow on Mystique. In the process she activated her absorption powers and grabbed a firm hold of Miss Marvel’s face. She immediately began draining her life energy. The powerful avenger let out a pained groan and attempted to shove her off, but Rogue wouldn’t let go. Anybody who dared to attack her mother was going to pay and she didn’t hold back this time. But draining someone of Miss Marvel’s strength was not like draining a normal human or mutant for that matter. Soon they were each yelling out in pain.

“Let…go of…me…uuuugggggghhhhhh!” exclaimed Miss Marvel.

“No Rogue! Don’t let go!” urged Mystique, “Drain her completely! She can’t leave here with her memory intact!”

“But mother…” Kurt began to complain.

“She can take it!” said the shape shifter confidently.

Despite the discomfort, Rogue held on. The energy she was getting from Miss Marvel was unlike anything she ever felt before. It wasn’t like draining mutant powers or getting someone else’s skills. This was a woman with alien DNA in her. Draining her of such strength was taxing, but she didn’t let up. Even as Miss Marvel’s body went limp, she kept draining her. They couldn’t afford to leave anything left unless they wanted the Avengers breathing down their neck. She never drained anybody so completely before, but for someone this powerful she had to.

When the last vestige of life energy was gone, Rogue let out a tired groan and fell back. Luckily, Kurt and Piotr were there to catch her. She clutched her head. This strange new energy that filled her was overwhelming and so were the extensive memories of Carol Danvers’s life. She never attempted anything like this before and it would probably be a while before she attempted it again.

“Augh damn, mah head!” she groaned.

“Whoa zhere, easy Rogue,” said Kurt, “Come on, stay vith us.”

“Ah…Ah never drained anybody like that before,” she said.

“First time for everything, I guess,” commented James, “You going to be alright?”

“Ah…Ah don’t know.”

Rogue tried to collect herself, but she was still out of it. Her head was spinning and so was her body. She wasn’t in pain or anything. It was just different. Plus she felt as though she ran two marathons back-to-back. She seriously needed to rest. She leaned on Kurt and Piotr to stay upright. Then Mystique came by and took over.

“You’ll be fine, Rogue,” assured Mystique, “We’ll have Sinister look you over when we get back. Until then, just rest.”

“Sure thing, mama,” she said in a tired tone.

“Oh and Rogue…nice job.”

As tired as she was, Rogue still managed a smile. Mystique wasn’t the kind of mother who offered praise easily. But after saving her from an angry super powered woman, she deserved it.

While Mystique helped her daughter recover, Jean checked on the now unconscious Miss Marvel with James and Wanda. She was deathly still, her face pale and devoid of life. Jean checked her vitals and used her telepathy to scan her mind. Now that she was out cold her shields weren’t so formidable. She half expected her to be dead, but to her surprise there were still signs of life.

“Is she dead?” asked James.

“Not exactly,” said Jean, “She’s about as close to dead as you can get. She’s in a coma so deep I don’t know if even she could get out of it.”

“At least that’ll keep her silent. Should we dispose of her anyways?” said Wanda, never one to shy away from dirty work.

“Nah, she won’t be telling anybody anything about us. I’ve already wiped her memories of this night. Even if she does wake up she’ll never tell a soul,” said Jean.

“It still might be a good idea to finish her off,” said Wanda, “You never know what she might remember.”

“No, Wanda. Killing an Avenger is only going to make things worse,” said James sternly, “For now we just leave her. If she ever becomes a problem again we know how to stop her.”

“Whatever,” sighed Wanda, making it clear she didn’t like the idea.

Jean and James rolled their eyes. Wanda never shied away from brutal tactics. She and her brother never had a problem with it, but at least Pietro hesitated a bit more. Selene’s influence on her was still clear, even though she claimed not to be getting special treatment from her. But over the years as they saw her develop, it was hard to ignore how she was coming of age. She embracing the darkness more than any of them had. She also had a talent for walking that fine line between doing it in a healthy and obsessive way.

It was times like this Jean valued her training with Enchantress. Like Wanda, Jean increased her mystical proficiency, but she was still fairly behind in terms of power levels. That binding spell she used on Miss Marvel was something Enchantress just taught her recently. It wasn’t that advanced, but she was coming along. But if a day ever came where she had to confront Wanda in a mystical battle, there was no doubt Wanda currently had the upper hand.

“Let’s get out of here,” said James, “Jean, signal Sage to lower the jet. Kurt, teleport Logan up to the ship. I’ll inform Lord Xavier of our success.”

“Call Sinister while you’re at it,” said Mystique, who was still supporting a half-conscious Rogue, “She’s going to need some attention when we get back.”

“Will do,” said the Apache Warrior, “And keep an eye on Wolverine. If he wakes up don’t tell him too much. Leave Lord Xavier and Mistress Selene to deal with him.”

The XR-77 descended from the clouds above and the Hellfire pawns boarded via telekinetic lift from Jean. Kurt stayed behind to teleport Wolverine into the aircraft. They put him in back with Rogue where there were some small beds for them to rest on. Once secure everybody strapped themselves in for the ride home. Mystique was tasked with looking over them. Her main concern was her daughter, but she couldn’t help but be a little curious about Wolverine. During the course of her mission she learned a bit about him. He was so mysterious and dangerous, which she always liked in a guy. But there was something else about him she couldn’t put his finger on. Maybe it was because he was the arch enemy of her former lover, but she still looked forward to having him at the Hellfire Club. A guy with his history should fit right in.

Two Miles from Facility

Victor Creed couldn’t believe his eyes. He growled angrily into the cold Canadian air as he watched through binoculars what happened with Logan. It was completely unexpected. Everything was going as planned and then out of nowhere these strange punks show up and ruin everything. They took out an entire platoon of heavily armed guards, downed an Avenger, and took Logan with them on some strange aircraft. Just when it seemed as though he would finally stick it to his old nemesis, this had to happen. And he was beyond pissed.

“Son of a bitch!” he roared into the cold air, “Who the fuck were those people?! They ruined everything!”

In a fit of rage he threw the binoculars back into the woods. For a moment after that he just stood silently in anger. He worked hard to set this trap for Logan. It was supposed to be his moment of triumph, watching his old enemy get hauled off in a body bag or at least contained and probed like the lab rat he was. But somebody just had to come in and rescue him. Who they were he had no idea. But he was going to find out.

He and Logan had been at odds for many years. And Victor was willing to let it drag on for as long as it had to, so long as he was the one standing over his rotting corpse in the end. He would chase that little rodent to the ends of the Earth if he had to. His hatred for this man was too strong. But for now he was back at square one. He had to start asking around. Whoever these people were they had to be pretty well-organized to pull a stunt like this. That meant someone was pulling the strings and when he found out who he would make sure they were second on his hit list only to Logan.

“You can run, but you can’t hide, Wolverine! I don’t care where you go or who you hide behind, I will find you! You hear me?! I’ll find you and tear your apart!”

Sinister’s Lab

With the elder pawns on their mission, the new class of Hellfire pawns took a tour of Sinister’s lab in the heart of X-Industrial tower. It was by far the strangest part of their Hellfire experience so far and that was saying something. When they first saw Mr. Sinister they understood why he went by that name. Anybody who looked like that had to be a little sinister to begin with. But what was really creepy about him was how friendly he was to them. They couldn’t shake the feeling he was sizing them up or something. It wasn’t in a sexual or perverse way, but he definitely took an interest in them and something told them they would rather not know why.

After meeting Sinister, Hank showed them around the lab. Over the past four years it had grown a great deal. Since the deal with Norman Osborn and the purchase of materials from Stark Enterprise, Sinister’s work accelerated. He had to knock down the walls of several nearby areas to make room for his vast array of equipment. There were walls upon walls of high tech computer servers and a large storage area of assorted chemicals he used in his experiments. There were also numerous collections of test tubes and bio tanks, all of which were active. There were also half a dozen tables littered with chemicals, charts, and computer disks. It was like being in the lab of a mad scientist and with Sinister that wasn’t too far a stretch.

On occasion Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Sam, Roberto, and Tabitha asked questions about what all this was for. But Hank always answered with the same response: “they’re just for doing some minor experiments.” There was nothing minor about them, but he didn’t seem intent on details. He did go into some detail about their medical equipment. He told them all about Hellfire’s advanced technology for curing disease, performing plastic surgery, and helping with mutant powers. It was especially important to the women who would be working as sex workers. Kitty, Tabitha, and Jubilee were already contemplating how they were going to fill their bodies out to get the beauty they always wanted.

As the tour went on they all got the sense that Hank McCoy was a distant, lonely guy whose only focus was his work. Some felt sorry for him, but others just remembered the kind of company he kept. Hank didn’t seem like a bad person. He just seemed to take a lot after Sinister. They weren’t sure what to make of him.

“This is some place,” commented Bobby, “It’s like Frankenstein meets Dr. Strangelove, only with a big fuzzy lab assistant to lighten the mood.”

“I don’t know. I don’t think this Hank guy lightens the mood all that much,” said Tabitha, “He seems a little…off.”

“Hey, you would be too if you spent your time hanging around that Sinister guy,” said Sam, “That guy is five star weird in my book.”

“No argument here,” said Jubilee, “But if he’s as much a genius as he boasts he is I’m willing to look past it, especially if he can help me fill out a bigger bra.”

“That’s a nice way of looking at things, Jubes,” laughed Roberto, “But I’m not sure he’s as sinister as he looks. My dad always told me great minds often hide behind a rough exterior.”

“Bet your dad never met Sinister,” quipped Jubilee.

“He didn’t. But hey, it’s not like we’ll be working for him. Lord Xavier is his boss too, you know?” reasoned Roberto.

“Somehow that’s not too comforting,” said Kitty, who still shuttered every time she looked that guy in the face, “I just hope we don’t have to see too much of him. I have a bad feeling about that guy.”

“Ah you’re just being judgmental,” scoffed Tabitha, “Sure he looks like something that crawled out of a ghost story, but I’m sure he’s got his reasons.”

“I don’t know,” said Kitty distantly, “I still have a bad feeling.”

Hank, having heard their conversation in its entirety, didn’t comment or judge. He was used to people saying such things about his mentor. He long since gave up trying to justify them. He had to accept they just didn’t understand Sinister. Over the past four years he got to immerse himself in Sinister’s world. It was a world full of endless possibility and potential. The kinds of work they did with mutants were more than he ever dreamed. He had come to adopt Sinister’s appetite for knowledge. It led him to spend much of his time cooped up in this lab, cut off from normal interaction. But he was used to it.

“Now that you’ve seen the biomechanical DNA/RNA synthesis regulator I suppose that concludes our tour,” said Hank as he led them back to the central test area, “If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“No worries there, Mr. McCoy,” said Roberto, “You spoke WAY over our head on half this stuff anyways.”

“Yeah, some of us slept through science class, you know?” said Tabitha.

“I’m sure,” said Hank dryly, “And Xavier has informed me that the women are already scheduled for surgery, so don’t leave without getting some of the details.”

“No problems,” said Jubilee, who was excited about enhancing her body, “So um…how does this surgery work?”

Hank was about to answer, but then Sinister emerged from one of the storage rooms with supplies to answer.

“Oh I assure you it’s painless and safe, my dear,” he told her, “Just trust me and I’ll give your bodies the enhancements they desire.”

“Um…thanks,” said Kitty, still not comfortable in his presences.

Sinister was amused by this girl’s demeanor. She really didn’t like it when he was near her. That was never a bad thing. It was better to be feared than loved anyways. But he would have to keep an eye on her if she started getting too suspicious.

“Now before you all go we must take care of one last detail,” said Sinister as he set an unmarked box on the table, “I’ll need to take a blood sample.”

“A blood sample? What do you need that for?” asked Bobby suspiciously.

“Records, mostly. But part of my job with the Hellfire Club is to catalogue all mutant powers. Plus, it’s also my main topic of interest. If you want you can stick around and learn all the amazing and often bizarre ways your powers work.”

“Thanks, but I think we’ll all pass,” said Sam.

“Suit yourself,” shrugged Sinister, “Now line up and this will all be done before you know it. You can go back to enjoying the comforts of the Hellfire Club in no time.”

The six young mutants complied and lined up in front of Sinister. He opened the box to reveal some needles, syringes, and vials for drawing blood. The thought of giving this man their blood was a little disconcerting though. A guy like this could do any number of weird things with it. But they were willing to go through with it as long as it got them out of here. They didn’t want to be here any longer than they had to.

As Sinister drew their blood, Hank watched on in silence. Seeing a new class of pawns reminded him of just how long he had been down here, working with Sinister and trying to unlock the mysteries of life and power of mutants. As much as he loved science, he was not like Sinister. He could not just shut himself off from human contact and be okay with it. He needed to talk to people. He needed to interact. Talking to Sinister was nice and all, but he was always so serious and focused. He never had a casual conversation. Sometimes he wished he had someone he could relate to on a more personal level. None of these new recruits showed any interest. But if Xavier and Selene were bringing in new recruits, maybe one of them would be enough like him to get close to.

Once the final blood sample was taken Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Sam, Roberto, and Tabitha were free to go. They couldn’t get out of this place fast enough and made a quick exit while Sinister carefully organized their blood samples. Hank watched on obediently like he always did. Sinister had that look in his eye again. It was the look he had whenever he came across something new and important to his goals. He didn’t show it often, but when he did it always had major implications.

“We’re getting closer, Hank. I can feel it,” he mused intently.

“But how close are we? I didn’t see any truly unique power amongst them. As far as I could tell they were normal alpha and beta level mutants,” said Hank.

“It’s not the quality that matters at this point, my boy. It’s the quantity! These past few years I’ve catalogued and synthesized every mutant manifestation imaginable. Looking at what we have now it makes that disk Xavier gave me all those years ago seem pitiful. With so much mutant code we’re almost ready to begin the next and most critical phase of my grand plan.”

“And what might that be?” asked Hank.

As he held up the vials of blood, Sinister was seething with enthusiasm.

“What else? Cultivating the perfect species to inherit this world! To do so we’ll need to make plans. Cultivating a species is not going to be easy, but with so much information we can finally begin piecing together the necessary code for a whole new being!”

“Sounds most promising,” said Hank, enthused by such a prospect, “But what about creating an actual product? There’s only so much we can do in a test tube and even the equipment form Xavier has its limits.”

Hank made a valid point. As brilliant as Sinister was, there were some facets of nature he just couldn’t gloss over. But he never let that stop him before. If he couldn’t overcome certain barriers then he would just have to work around them.

“Oh don’t you worry about that, Hank. I have plans,” he said with an eager grin, “I’ve already set a few of them in motion. For now you just need to help me splice the right code. We still have a long road ahead of us, but the end is in sight! My ultimate vision is nearly upon us! And nobody is going to stop us! Not the Hellfire Club! Not Xavier! No one!”

It sounded like Hank had his work cut out for him. It was exciting, but daunting at the same time. There was still a lot Sinister wasn’t telling him. He couldn’t tell him because with the world’s most powerful telepaths just across the street it put all his plans at a great risk. But he had since stopped caring about what he did or didn’t know. He was too engrossed in this amazing work to turn back now. He vowed to see it through to the end and believed whole heartedly that it would be for the benefit of the world. But unlike Sinister, he was concerned about how Xavier and Selene might interfere. This was a critical point in their work. If something went wrong it might all come crashing down. But he had faith that Sinister made the right arrangements. He always did.

Ororo’s Condominium

Most people like to believe that crime doesn’t pay. It’s comforting to civilized people. They don’t want to believe that deviance of any kind is rewarded. But what’s comforting isn’t always true. The cold hard truth is that crime does pay. It pays pretty damn well and Ororo Munroe was living proof of that.

The past few years had been good to her. The Hellfire Club’s aggressive expansion plans created plenty of jobs for her. Barely a week went by without Xavier or Selene calling about a shady task they needed done and she was always more than happy to oblige. For her consistent and reliable performance she was very well compensated. Her paychecks got bigger and so did her net worth. At the rate she was going she could probably retire in five years and never have to work for the rest of her life. Few jobs had benefits like that. And unlike other thieves, she had the Hellfire Club’s full protection and backing. So even on the rare occasions her involvement was known, it was easily covered up by the Hellfire Club’s vast resources. It had gotten to a point where she didn’t worry about that stuff anymore and just focused on doing her job.

At the moment she was relaxing in her opulent condominium nestled in the heart of New York City. It was late in the afternoon and was treating herself to a nice hot bubble bath in her Jacuzzi tub. She had an array of expensive candles lit and some soft music playing on her stereo. She purred contently as she slipped under the water and let her long flowing white hair soak. This was just what she needed after having pulled two jobs in the past ten days. She had nothing planned for the next three days except relaxing in her apartment, catching up on some shopping, and of course hanging out with her partner and confidante, Remy Lebeau.

As she emerged from the water her thoughts drifted towards the Cajun. Ever since Xavier recruited him as a top thief, they worked together on many occasions. The growth of the Hellfire Club led to a growth in the complexity of the jobs they got. It wasn’t like the early days when it was all sabotage and stealing. It was much more elaborate now and often required two expert thieves. Remy, being the only other thief she ever worked with, proved time and again he could get the job done. He watched her back and she watched his. It was a beautiful thing that brought a smile to Ororo’s face every time she thought about it. All her life she never found anybody she could trust enough in the line of work. But Remy proved time and again that he could do what had to be done and that earned him her implicit trust.

But trust wasn’t the only thing that they had. Even though they agreed long ago that they would keep their relationship ‘professional’ that didn’t stop Remy from flirting with her constantly and there were times she flirted back. The chemistry they had was undeniable. Remy was the first man Ororo got close to in a long time. She confided in him more than anybody else in her life and he confided in her. They also sex on numerous occasions. Even though they still paid visits to Hellfire Manor where Remy indulged in beautiful women and she indulged in attractive men, they still shared something special whenever they got intimate.

Despite their chemistry, there was still a line they had yet to cross. The whole professional barrier kept them from getting close on a more emotional level. They still never talked about love or past relationships. And whenever they got too intimate, one of them would push away. More often than not Ororo was the one that did the pushing. She got the sense Remy was more willing to explore things a little more, but she wasn’t. She just wasn’t sure she was ready to get that close again. But there were times she was left to wonder.

‘Life is good. Things are going well. I’m rich, I’m young, and I’m healthy. I have a job I’m good at that pays me ridiculous amounts of money and amazing benefits. I have all the wealth, comfort, and sex anybody could ever want. So why do I still feel like something is missing? Why can’t I just be happy with the way things are?’

Ororo sank lower into the tub, letting the hot suds relax her. But her musings were meaningless. She already knew the answer.

‘Damn my human nature. Why must everybody have this built in need to reach out and find love? It’s annoying and it gets in the way. It would be so much easier if I could just do my job and still be close to my friends and partners without having to feel the insatiable need to make something more of them. Xavier’s like a father to me. Mystique is like a mentor. Remy is a trust friend. Why can’t it just stay that way?’

She continued to ponder her situation. There seemed to be no clear solutions. Times were changing. She wasn’t the same teenage thief she was when Xavier found her. She was a mature adult now. Her goals and ambitions were changing. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with herself. There seemed to be no end to it.

Suddenly, she was brought out of her deep state of mind by the sound of her doorbell. At first she was tempted to ignore it but when she heard it ring several more times she let out a heavy sigh and got up to answer it.

“This better be important. I was just getting comfortable,” she said as she grabbed a nearby towel.

The doorbell kept ringing as she quickly dried off her body and slipped on her favorite robe. As she rushed to the door she continued drying off her wet hair with her towel. Once there she checked through the peep hole to see who it was. Not surprisingly, it was Remy. Smiling and shaking her head, she unlocked the door and opened it. When Remy saw her standing there in just a robe with wet hair he was a bit surprised, but in a good way.

“Bonjour cherè, is Remy interrupting something?” he asked, looking into her condo for any signs of company she may have.

“No, I was just in the middle of a nice relaxing bath. Thanks for getting me out of it,” replied Ororo with a touch of sarcastic annoyance.

“Aww, now you’re gonna make Remy feel bad, aren’t ya?”

“Only as much as I have to,” she said with a coy grin.

Remy cast her a half smile. Ororo was a forgiving girl in an unforgiving business. He liked that about her. Plus, she was probably used to him dropping in unexpectedly like this. He did it all the time.

“So you gonna invite me in or are you gonna leave your partner hanging?” he asked her.

“I never do,” she replied.

She motioned him to come in, which he did. Once inside she closed the door and returned to drying her hair. While she did Remy took in the unique ambience of Ororo’s condo. He was always amazed by her unique tastes. While most rich thieves decorated their living areas with art, wine, and Persian rugs Ororo decorated her place with plants. On every table and counter there were pots of plants and flowers. Even out on her deck there was a miniature garden she tended to regularly and it always seemed to be in full bloom. It gave her condo a garden-like feel and it always had a pleasant scent to it. Every time he came here she always had something new. Of all the hobbies a thief could have, gardening seemed a bit out of place. But it worked for her.

He noticed a new row of flowers in a pot on the kitchen counter. They looked rare with violet petals and a distinct but pleasant scent. He was no expert on horticulture, but he did have a strong appreciation for nice smells.

“I see you got some more new flowers, Stormy,” he said as he admired the flowers, “At the rate you’re goin’ you’re place is gonna be a wildlife sanctuary for plants.”

“And you’re surprised by that?” Ororo teased.

“Does Remy look surprised? You got strange tastes for a master thief, but at least you got tastes. There’s always something new whenever Remy comes here.”

“There are worse habits a girl could have,” she said, “But did you just come here to admire my rare African tulips or is there another reason?”

“What? Does I need a reason to want to see my friend and partner in crime?” he said as he moved in closer to her, “It’s been quiet lately. Remy just wanted some company.”

“Is that all?” laughed Ororo.

“Yeah, what’s so weird about that? Remy likes bein’ with you. Ain’t these past four years proved that?”

“Yes, I’d definitely say so.”

“Since there ain’t nothin’ goin’ on tonight I thought I’d drop by. If you want we could grab a bite. Remy found this new French restaurant downtown that serves the best damn soufflé in Manhattan.”

“Hmm…sounds tempting,” said Ororo, who hadn’t made any dinner plans yet, “But I’m not hungry at the moment.”

“That’s okay. There’s plenty more we could do to pass the time.”

His tone shifted as he was now right next to her. It wasn’t his usual playful flirty tone. It was deeper and more intimate. She felt his hands snake around her waist. She did nothing to resist this. She always enjoyed his intimate touch. She leaned into his embrace, almost dropping her towel in the process. But she didn’t let it get too far…at least not yet anyways.

“You never slow down, do you?” she said with a smile.

“Nope! Ain’t Remy’s style. So what do you say? Wanna fool around a bit, work up an appetite, and go out later? Remy can make reservations.”

“Reservations? Remy, if I didn’t know any better I would say you’re trying to get me to go on a date with you,” she replied.

Remy shrugged innocently. She knew the D-word was kind of taboo with them, but that didn’t stop him from trying.

“What? Partners who get busy on their down time can go out to fancy restaurants. Doesn’t mean it’s a date.”

“Remy…” said Ororo, rolling her eyes at his word play.

“Aw don’t give me that look, cherè.”

“Seriously, you know how I feel about this issue. What you just described sounds too much like a date and we agreed to no the no dating rule, remember? It’s still in place last I checked.”

The Cajun’s expression shifted to one of disappointment. He then pulled away from her and sighed. Four years of working together and she still insisted on that annoying no-dating rule. He thought if he took small steps he could get her to reconsider or just plain forget about it. But after four years she still wouldn’t budge. It was disheartening because he really liked this woman. He liked her more than he let on.

Upon seeing this Ororo shifted as well. She could tell he was frustrated if not a little annoyed. But this was how it had to be. That didn’t stop her from feeling a little guilty about shooting down his offer.

“I’m sorry, Remy. I didn’t mean to sound rude,” Ororo told him.

“It ain’t that, cherè. It’s just that dang rule gets to me after a while. Seriously, why do we still have it? Why are you so afraid dating?”

“I’m not afraid!” she retorted, “It’s just better this way.”

“How do you know that when you won’t even try something different?” quipped Remy.

“Because it’s worked the past four years without fail and I don’t see why we should risk that. I mean what’s wrong with what we have? We work together, we spend time together, we have sex with each other. Do we need anything more?”

“It ain’t about what we need, Stormy. It’s about what we want. I think we want the same thing. But one of us always holds back.”

Ororo fell silent. Remy may have been a sex crazed Cajun thief, but he wasn’t stupid. He sensed the chemistry between them just as much as she did. Only she wanted to maintain the status quo. He wanted to risk changing it. Looking into those alluring red-on-black eyes of his, she saw something genuine in him. As thieves it was hard to be that sincere and she valued having someone like him to confide in.

In the tension she moved in closer and slipped her arms around his neck. He didn’t respond as much as she would have liked, but she still had his attention.

“I know you don’t like it, Remy. I don’t like it all that much either,” she told him honestly, “But there are just some things I’m not ready for.”

“You’re ready to take on dangerous jobs for the Hellfire Club at the drop of a hat, but you ain’t ready for this?” Remy responded.

“This is different. This isn’t a job or a task or some challenge we can work through. It’s more complicated than that. And I’m just not ready to face it. I don’t think either of us is.”

“That don’t mean we can’t at least try.”

“But that doesn’t mean we should.”

Remy tried looking away, but Ororo grabbed his chin and turned him back towards her so he was looking her in the eye.

“Things change, Remy. Eventually a time will come when we both reevaluate our lives,” she told him, “I can’t tell you when it will happen, but I can assure you it will happen. Until then I want to keep what we have. Can we do that?”

She gave him that pleading look he hated so much. It was like a little girl begging for a treat and it always seemed to work Remy over. No other woman could do that to him. It was part of why he was so drawn to her. He tried to resist it, but he eventually found himself smiling. As much as he didn’t like her decision, he still had to respect it.

“You just had to give Remy the look, didn’t you?” he said.

“I stick with what works,” she shrugged playfully.

“Tell me about it. But if this is how you wanna do it, Remy will respect it. I can be patient if I got to.”

“Good to know,” said Ororo with a smile, “You’re not bitter about this, are you?”

“Can’t say Remy’s not a little disappointed,” he said in wryly.

“Oh, is there any way I can cheer you up?” said Ororo, matching his playfulness.

“There is one way. But it involves getting back in that tub.”

“Hmm…I think I may be able to accommodate you there.”

She leaned in and kissed him, helping to alleviate some of the bitterness. He slipped his hands around her waist, partially undoing the sash to her robe and getting a brief glimpse of her naked body. She let it fall off a bit while reaching up his shirt and rubbing his manly chest. It helped get them both aroused.

As their hands roamed they started making their way back towards the bathroom. Halfway there Ororo pulled Remy’s shirt off over his head and attacked his chest with her lips. As they entered the bathroom she jumped him, hooking her legs around his waist and forcing him to catch her by the butt, which he was more than happy to do. In the process Ororo let her robe fall off her body, leaving her completely naked. Remy immediately went for her breasts, kissing over the cleavage and giving her nipple a tease. This got a nice purr from Ororo as she thoroughly traced over the sinewy contours of his chest with her hands. The feeling of her naked skin against his made his pants tight with arousal.

Their lips never parted as Remy set her down on the edge of the tub. Once seated, she helped undo his pants and pulled them to the floor. With his erection now free she grabbed it by the base and began stroking it, helping to get it nice and hard. Soon his member was fully erect and Ororo began teasing it with her tongue.

“Ah damn! That’s good, cherè!” moaned Remy.

Smiling at his reaction, Ororo took his entire length in her mouth. She then began bobbing her head up and down his length, licking up along the underside and teasing the tip. She kept a firm hold of the base of his shaft, stroking it hard each time slurped along his length. She knew Remy well enough to know he liked it a little rougher than most guys. She had become an expert at really getting him going and she loved how she could get him in the mood. As she sucked him off, he ran his hands through her wet hair. He ran his hands down her back and onto her butt where he felt traces of her wet arousal. The tub, which Ororo kept full, was looking very inviting right about now.

“Mmm…” she moaned as she gave his dick one last lick, “Care to help me finish my bath?”

“Remy would love to,” he said with a husky grin.

Ororo rose up from the edge of the tub and stepped into the still hot water. Remy stepped out of his pants and joined her, pulling her down so that the water was at chest level and drawing her into another kiss. Ororo had a pretty big tub so there was plenty of space for them to move around and find a position. Under the water she parted her legs and rose her hips up slightly so that they were at Remy’s waist. While still kissing her, he grabbed her by the butt and positioned herself at her entrance. He then thrust into her, filling her tight depths with his hard cock.

“Uh-uh-uh-ohhhhhhh Remy!” she gasped.

“Mmm…yeah!” moaned the Cajun as he felt her hot depths around his cock, “Ooohhhh that’s good!”

Ororo held onto the sides of the tub as Remy began working his body against hers. He moved his hips back and forth, thrusting in and out of her tight folds. Since they were partially underwater he did it at a slower pace than usual. He was more thorough, making each thrust nice and slowly to really hit her sensitive areas. He had come to know her body inside and out very well and knew just how she liked to be pleasured. It set him apart from the other men she slept with. And doing it in a setting like this made for an extra erotic feel. The water surrounding their flesh was a nice touch and they used it to full effect.

Ororo held onto his shoulders while Remy held onto her hips as they worked their bodies together in a heated rhythm. Every time Remy thrust his hips forward, Ororo jerked her hips a little. She also tensed her inner muscles, making for an extra tight feel around his member. It added to the feeling as their moans echoed throughout the bathroom and intensified as they stepped up the pace. Soon the water from the tub was thrashing and spilling over onto her floor. But Ororo didn’t care. She could always clean it up later.

They moved around the tub, playfully teasing and touching each others’ naked skin. Ororo pinned Remy back against the other end of the tub while she bounced up and down his dick while he fondled her breasts. Then he turned her over and bent her over the edge of the tub while thrusting into her from behind. The slower pace helped them really drag it out longer. The water covering their naked bodies added to it as well.

They kept at it until they were ready to climax. Ororo had Remy sitting in the center of the tub, her legs arched over his waist while she gyrated her hips against his. Remy squeezed her hips and guided her every movement, working his ridged cock around her tight depths. Their movements were becoming more heated. They could feel their peak coming strong.

“Uh-uh-uh-soon cherè! Uh-Remy’s cummin’ soon!” grunted Remy.

“Uh-uh-uh-me too Remy-uh-oh right there-uh-oh I feel it-uh-uh-ohhhhhhhhhh!”

Ororo’s body tensed as the blissful sensations of orgasm consumed her. She gripped Remy’s shoulders and held on tight as her pussy clamped down over his cock. She gasped each time her insides contracted. It felt mind-numbingly good and with a few extra movements she sent Remy over the edge as well. When he climaxed, he squeezed her butt firmly and grunted as he shot his load up into her pussy. Intense feelings of pleasure followed as he gazed into the beautiful blue eyes of his African lover.

They were both short of breath and engrossed in the feeling. They always got into it with a little more fervor when they did this together. They never got this feeling with the strippers and studs back at the Hellfire Club. Even though the pawns were a little better, there was still nothing that compared to this. With the water still warm and the feeling still strong, Remy captured Ororo’s lips in another kiss. They had every intention of enjoying this for as many rounds as they could. Then suddenly, the mood was interrupted by the sound of Remy’s cell phone going off.

“Damn!” he cursed, “Of all the rotten times.”

“Tell me about it,” said Ororo as she parted from him, “You better answer it.”

“Nah, it can wait,” he grinned, moving back in to kiss her.

“That’s the ring tone from X-Industrial. Maybe it can’t.”

While Remy was still kissing her neck she reached out of the tub into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. She couldn’t help but purr a little as he kissed her, but she still managed to answer it. Their cell phones had specific ring tones for certain calls and she recognized this one as being from Hellfire. That gave it priority over sex.

“Hello?” she said with Remy still all over her.

“Storm? Hey girl! What’s shaking? I was expecting the Cajun, but I’ll take you’re sweet, sexy tone over his bad Cajun English any day!”

Ororo recognized that obnoxious tone anywhere. It was Deadpool. Remy heard it too, but he didn’t stop his teasing.

“What is it, Wade? We were kind of in the middle of something,” she said in an annoyed tone.

“Sorry to interrupt, but this can’t wait. Tell that Cajun to get his head out of your pussy and get over to X-Industrial. We got us a big job!”

“How big? Is something wrong?” said Ororo, now showing some concern.

“Shit if I know. They just said it was important. They don’t tell me anything. They think I’ll just let things slip like that time I told that Rogue chick I boned her mother. She slugged me for it, but damn it was worth it!”

Ororo sighed. If it was important than there was no putting it off. As the Hellfire Club’s top thieves, they were obligated to take on jobs of high importance. So they would have to cut this nice little moment together short.

“Fine, Remy and I will be right over,” she said.

“Aww, come on, cherè,” said Remy, who was still tempting her with his affectionate gestures.

“Duty calls, Remy.”

“Damn straight! So get your clothes on and get over here! Well, at least Remy. I don’t mind if you show up naked Storm!”

“Goodbye Wade,” said Ororo in a bemused tone, “We’ll see you soon.”

Before he could make another quip she hung up. As much as she enjoyed her relaxation time, her duties to the Hellfire Club came first. If this task was as important as Deadpool implied then she had to check it out. Much to Remy’s disappointment she pulled away and rose up out of the tub.

“Aww, Remy was just gettin’ to the good part!” he complained.

“It’ll have to wait,” said Ororo as she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body, “Duty before pleasure as you well know.”

“Yet another rule Remy don’t like.”

With a disgruntled sigh Remy grabbed a towel a swell. He still took a moment to admire Storm’s sexy form before getting his things together. As nice as working for the Hellfire Club was, they called in their services at the most inopportune times. This job better be important as Deadpool said it was. He hated when it intruded on his private time, especially when it was with Ororo. But she was right. The needs of the Hellfire Club came first.

************************************************************************

Up next: Logan comes to while Scott and Pietro confront their wayward siblings.