New Blood III: Triumph of Darkness

New Blood
Chapter 12: Chaos Control

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Outside Selene’s Chamber

Emma Frost couldn’t take it anymore. She thought she could brush off this guilt like she had many times before. But it was no use. She couldn’t escape it this time. She was responsible for what was happening. She was responsible for the pained groans echoing from inside the chambers. They didn’t just belong to Scott and Jean. They belonged to everybody. They weren’t her friends, but they were still her Hellfire brethren. She may not have liked or treated them well, but she did respect them. And now they were being tortured because of her.

What bothered her most was the reminder that she was helping Selene. She was aiding her in whatever sick plan she had and she was doing nothing to stop it. Then again how could she? Xavier was gone and so were Sage and Moria. There was nobody left. She knew she couldn’t oppose that woman. She was too powerful. But she had to do something. Just sitting her doing nothing was driving her crazy.

‘Errrrrr stop it already! I can’t take this anymore! I hate guilt! I hate Selene! I hate this! I fucking hate it! What am I supposed to do now? Serve Selene? To hell with that! I’d rather die! But how do I fight her? How can I ever hope to…’

Suddenly she paused. Her train of thought halted as she picked up something with her telepathy. At first she figured it was just some stray thought, but when she processed it further she felt something else. It was a presence and a familiar one at that. It was a bit scrambled and weak, probably because of the shielding Selene put in place, but because of her advanced skills she was able pick it up. It was close. It was really close actually. It was as if it was coming from inside the building. But that was impossible since Selene locked everything down.

“Can it be? Or am I just going crazy?” she said to herself.

Emma closed her eyes and concentrated harder. Then she sensed the presence clearer. It was exactly who she thought it was. It was the man she thought she had lost. It was none other than the Black King himself, Charles Xavier.

‘Charles…he’s alive!’

Suddenly, everything changed. The rules were different now. She was no longer helpless or powerless against Selene. If Charles was here then they all stood a chance against Selene. But it still left her with a difficult choice.

If she turned on Selene now, there was little doubt they would shoot to the top of her list for people she reserves the worst torture for. And if she went back to Xavier, he would no doubt be upset with her once he found out what she did. Either way she was going to face consequences. But when it came to helping Selene or helping Xavier, the choice was clear. She betrayed Charles once. She wasn’t going to pass on her chance to make amends.

‘I’m through listening to these screams! Selene, you sadistic bitch, you don’t deserve to have it this easy! You deserve to be thrown into the darkest pits of Hell! I don’t care what I have to sacrifice or what price I have to pay, I won’t let you succeed!’

With renewed determination and anger, Emma stormed off down the narrow halls of the lower levels. As she got to the end she ran into two of her masked guards, who were heavily armed and very menacing. And when they saw her coming they tried to stop her.

“Sorry lady, nobody leaves this area until Mistress Selene says so,” said one of the guards in a deep, mechanical tone.

Not in the mood for small talk, Emma shifted into her diamond form and promptly slugged both men in the face with a powerful punch. Her diamond hard fists knocked them out cold and broke most of their facial muscles. They didn’t even have a chance to fight back.

“Out of my way!” she said as she stormed past them, “I’m through being Selene’s tool! If and when you thugs up, tell her she’s next!”

Hellfire Manor – Second Sub-Levels

Getting to the main network hub was just as difficult as they all expected. It was ironic in a ways because Sage actually helped design some of these security measures that were meant to keep any and all intruders out. Now she had to break into it to stop Selene. And to make it even more difficult, she deployed roving guards everywhere. Selene was twisted woman, but she was nothing if not prepared.

Near the staircase leading into the second level, two guards stood watch. They scanned the area thoroughly to make sure all was quiet for their mistress. The night started off quiet enough, but they had since received word of minor alarm somewhere in the basement. Numerous masked guards were already moving fast to investigate. They couldn’t allow anything to interrupt their Mistress no matter how small a matter it may be. Several guards passed by, entering the staircase and swiftly making their way down to the third level. Others remained on patrol, guarding the halls more carefully. If there were any intruders, they had to be ready to take them down.

Then the two guards heard an unexpected knock on the door. Assuming it was one of their comrades checking in, they opened it. But they were in for a rude surprising.

“Ding! This my floor!” proclaimed Deadpool as he swiftly plunged both Katanas into the hearts of the guards.

The two imposing figures didn’t have time to react. They let out a muffle cough as their bodies fell to the floor where Sage and Danielle dragged them off.

“Damn it, Wade, could you at least try to be a little quieter?!” exclaimed Sage, trying hard not to shout too loud.

“Sorry babe, but you know that ain’t my style. Wherever I go to work I gotta leave my mark!”

“Well leave it when we’re NOT trying to be stealthy!” said Sage.

“Yes, I’m having a hard enough time making illusions for all these guards,” said Danielle, who was still concentrating to keep them concealed, “I won’t be able to keep this up forever.”

“Ah relax, kid! You’re doing great!” said Deadpool, “Couple more stunts like that and you and me are going to be REAL pals!”

Danielle groaned at the notion, but remained focused as she followed Sage and Deadpool into the hall.

She kept the illusion going as they carefully made their way down the next two wings. There weren’t as many guards as they anticipated. They were probably off investigating the sensors they set off when they first entered. There were still plenty pacing about, ready to take anyone down at a moments notice. Their best defense against them and the nearly omnipresent sensors were Danielle’s illusions. They allowed them to sneak past the each guard and have them think they were flies. Deadpool was tempted to take them down with a quick stab or shot, but Sage held him back.

“No Wade! Not now!” she whispered strongly as she watched him point a gun to an oblivious guards’ head.

“Oh pretty please? Just let me shoot one! They all look so innocent and vulnerable standing here thinking we’re flies or something!” said Deadpool as if here were a ten-year-old begging for a toy.

“NO! You can kill all the guards you want once I shut down security and give us some space to work with?”

“Fine,” he pouted, “Promise?”

“Yes,” she said begrudgingly.

“Pinkie swear?”

“Deadpool!”

“Okay! Okay! I’ll be a good boy! Just trying to lighten the mood, that’s all.”

As hard as it was to focus with Deadpool making comments like that, Danielle found it hard not to laugh. She couldn’t turn her emotions off like Sage. She managed to keep it together though, casting more illusions as she and Deadpool followed Sage to the main hub.

They passed through two more wings before they reached the first barrier. The entrance was down a narrow one-way hall with cameras lining the ceilings, laser sensors lining the walls, and two armed guards watching the door. It was just the first of many measures, but it was still a challenge to get past. After waiting for a few passing guards to rush by, Sage led Danielle and Deadpool towards the corner just outside the straight-away. She peered around, hoping Danielle’s illusions would hold up.

“We need to do something about those guards,” she said.

“Can I shoot them?” asked Deadpool.

“No, we need them to head this way because they’ll turn off the laser sensors in the process. They’re fitted with an automatic encrypted sensor that shuts the lasers off only for them.”

“How do you know they’re wearing it?” asked Danielle.

“Because I designed them,” she said, “We need to make them walk towards us. And I don’t think I can reach them with my telepathy. They must have psionic shielding in their masks.”

The trio was silent for a moment as they considered their options. They didn’t have a lot of time. Guards were probably bearing down on Xavier and the others already. They had to get that security system down to help them. It was then Danielle got an idea.

“Stand back, I think I know how to get them to come here,” she said with a mischievous grin.

With no ideas themselves, Sage and Deadpool took her word for it and let her work. They watched as she peered behind the corner and stared the guards down. She then refocused her powers and created a new illusion for them.

To the guards, they didn’t see anything at first. The hallway was as clear as ever. Only the foolish would dare try to enter. Then suddenly, they saw a strange figure walk by. But it wasn’t just any figure. It was the distinct, imposing figure of Selene. But what made it truly bizarre was the fact that she was completely naked. She never wore much to begin with, but the guards still got an eyeful. And when they saw her their stern poise faltered.

“M-M-Mistress Selene?” said one of the guards.

“You studs have been working so hard. You deserve a little reward. Come here and I’ll show you the kind of pleasure an immortal sorceress is capable of giving.”

Her voice was thick with dominating lust and burning sensuality. It seemed a little off, but it still captivated the guards. Without thinking they dropped their weapons and made their way down the hall towards the naked woman. In the process they deactivated the laser grid because of the special security units they had strapped to their belts. As they got closer they walked faster, watching as she beckoned them with an alluring gesture. When they finally reached her they just stood there and eyed her naked body in a daze. Then what happened next was equally unexpected.

“Surprise!” they heard her say.

Only it wasn’t Selene’s voice. It was Deadpool’s. As soon as they were close enough, he lunged forth and stabbed them both with his katanas. He made sure they didn’t make a noise by stabbing them through the throats. They fell dead before they could even react, but he made sure they fell back so the laser grid stayed inactive. It was a novel way to get through security, but it worked.

“Damn kid, you got a dirty mind! I like it!” proclaimed Deadpool.

“What? You think I haven’t picked up a thing or two in my time here?” said Danielle.

“You’ve learned well. Charles would be proud,” said Sage in approval as she and Deadpool picked up the bodies and dragged them down the hall.

Danielle smiled back. Just because she was the youngest and least experienced didn’t mean she couldn’t be tough. James Poundstar taught her a lot about being strong. This was her biggest test thus far and she was already making an impact.

Once the guards were out of the way, Sage went to work on the locks. She couldn’t access them with her normal key codes and retinal scanners. Once Selene put the manor on high alert, she by default locked down the network hubs. That means nobody could get in, even with the proper codes and identification. But as always, she programmed a fail-safe that only she could access.

“Deadpool, I need you to pry this panel off with your katana,” she said.

“Aye aye captain! Just slap a grease stain on my shirt and call me a mechanic!”

Ignoring his comment, she watched as Deadpool jammed his katana into the narrow side of the panel. Then by using it as a wedge, he pried it open to reveal the intricate wires and circuit boards that made up the brain of the system. Once it was open, Sage took out a small black chip and started sifting through the boards. She undid a series of wires and changed their outlets. Then she found an open slot and inserted the chip. Once the adjustments were made she put the panel back and punched in a specific seven digit key-code. Then she saw a message appear on the small screen.

“Master Override Accepted.”

The heavy duty locks to the door opened and they had access. Sage then led them inside where there were no guards, only cameras and laser sensors. There were also a number of booby traps such as electrified floors and laser guns that were meant to take out anybody who even tried to get in closer. But she was prepared for that too.

“Don’t take another step,” she warned them, “The floors are electrified and there are enough high powered turrets and pulse weapons to stop the Hulk.”

“Damn, wish I had something like that to guard my porno stash,” commented Deadpool.

“So how do we get through?” asked Danielle, “Can my illusions work here?”

“Not with these sensors,” said Sage, “But don’t worry. I can get us in.”

Sage then felt around the wall just next to the electrified floor. She leaned in close and put her ear to the wall and while listening carefully, she tapped her finger on it in a specific sequence. And while Danielle and Deadpool probably didn’t know, she was tapping a sequence of binary digits that activated another one of her fail safes that she installed when Xavier began preparing this backup plan. Once the code was entered an area of the wall opened up to reveal a small panel. On that panel was a slot for a key and a fingerprint scanner. Sage reached into her shoe and pulled out a small two-pronged key device. She inserted this device into the lock and put her index finger over the scanner. Once it was scanned a small light turned green. They then heard the distinct sound of all the sensors and deadly defense mechanisms shutting down.

“Wow, I gotta hand it to you Sage. You leave no loose ends,” said Danielle.

“Don’t congratulate me yet,” she said, “I still have to hack into this thing and hit the security. Just hope I can do it before the guards overwhelm Xavier and the others.”

Danielle and Deadpool followed Sage past several more security doors, each of which she was able to open with a simple override code. Once they were past the final barrier they entered a large but cramped room full of advanced computer servers and terminals. They all had red lights blaring on them, indicating they were locked down just as Selene wanted them. But they knew Sage wasn’t going to let that stop her. They watched as she sat down at the main terminal and took out a small flash drive. She then took a deep breath and inserted it and prepared to go to work.

Hellfire Manor – Third Sub-Level

Xavier’s sudden entrance into the boiler room didn’t go unnoticed for long. As soon as he, Ororo, Remy, and Rahne split up from Sage’s group they immediately found themselves targets of the guards. They swarmed down from the other sub-levels, cutting off all elevators and stairwells and barricading any major halls to keep them from advancing. They were also wearing telepathic safeguards so Xavier couldn’t use his telepathy to stop them. This was going to take a more direct approach.

After slipping out of the boiler room, Xavier and his allies hid inside one of the closets where more utility pipes ran through. It was hot and steamy, but their options were limited. Outside Rahne could smell the guards doing room-by-room searches, their weapons poised and ready to fire. Getting through was going to be a challenge to say the very least.

“How far to the torture chambers?” asked Ororo, who wiped some of the sweat off her face.

“Not far,” answered Xavier, “She’s probably keeping them all in one area so she’ll be using the biggest one she has.”

“Great, that means she’s using the one that can only be accessed by two points. No doubt she’ll have those heavily guarded.”

“First rule of thieving, cherè, never attack someone head on when you can always go around them,” said Remy, who kept his ear to the door to listen to the guards walk by.

“And how are we supposed to do that?”

“Same way we got in,” he answered, “We gotta find a wall we can break down to get in. Any ideas?”

Xavier thought for a moment. He knew this area better than the rest of them since he had been down here with Selene on many occasions. Selene never thought too much about putting a lot of security sensors around here because she figured nobody was crazy enough to want to break in here. But there was a first time for everything. He then got an idea.

“There is a room adjacent to the chamber,” he said, “It’s the room where she keeps many of her torture devices. We can get to it from behind where they won’t be expecting us.”

“Great! Then let’s get out of here! This steam can’t be good for my fur,” groaned Rahne.

“Hold on, Rahne. We’re going to need some cover,” said Storm, “We’re also going to need to hit the lights for a little stealth.”

“You take care of the cover and Remy will take care of the lights,” said Remy with a confident grin.

“And we’ll take care of the rest,” said Xavier as he readied his gun.

Remy and Ororo nodded. They weren’t used to seeing Xavier as a fighter like this, but it was kind of refreshing to see that he wasn’t afraid to get involved in the action.

Once a few more guards passed by, Ororo went to work. They opened the door to the utility closet where there when there were still a dozen guards in the hall. But before they could turn around and see them, Ororo formed a dense cloud of fog and sent it pouring through the area. The guards immediately scrambled to take cover. Some fired wildly into the fog, but missed completely. Xavier and Rahne were more accurate. Once the fog was in place Rahne let out a feral roar and pounced on the guards unlucky enough to stay put in the fog. Thanks to her enhanced senses, she could navigate easier. In the other direction, Xavier began firing his energy rifle at nearby guards. He was able to pick a few of the close ones off, but the fog became an obstruction for him as well. That’s where Remy came in.

“Time to hit the lights!” said the Cajun.

Under the cover of the fog, Remy charged several cards and threw them at the ceiling to take out the lights. He made quick work of all of them, quickly plunging the area into nearly full darkness and further obstructing the sights of the guards. Lucky for Xavier he paid extra to have a night-vision scope installed on his rifle, something he was sure Selene didn’t bother with on her guards. It made it much easier for him to aim his rifle and pick off unwitting guards one-by-one and clear a way for them down the first hall.

“This way!” he directed them, “Storm, keep the fog moving with us! Remy, keep them in the dark!”

“Right behind ya, homme!” said Remy as he kept hitting the lights with charged cards, “Just keep on shootin! Where’d you learn how to be such a crack shot anyways?”

“Here and there,” he grinned as he blew the head off another one of Selene’s guards, “You don’t think being Black King is just all business and pleasure now do you?”

Xavier kept making his point as he turned around and shot a guard right between the eyes who tried to sneak up on Remy. The Cajun was officially convinced. This man was tougher than he let on.

Using Storm’s fog to cover them, Xavier led them down two long straight-aways of halls that lead towards Selene’s torture chambers. But the guards didn’t make it easy for them. At one point they pulled out some boxes and spare crates from another room and used it as a barricade. It forced Xavier, Remy, and Rahne to take cover around a corner. There they had to content with more guards, but Rahne made quick work of them with her animal reflexes and predatory fighting skills. Remy also pitched in with his bow staff. But to get through the improvised barricade, they had to get a little creative. Storm took charge from there, using the fog like a cloud to form lightning and thunder. Then from behind the corner she delivered a sharp gust down the hall that knocked them off balance. Then a bolt of lighting shot out from the cloud and delivered a lethal shock to them and their barricade, shorting out more lights in the process.

“Dang! That had to sting!” commented Remy.

“That’s what they get for using boxes of metal pipes as a barricade,” said Ororo.

“Good work, Storm,” said Xavier as he fired some extra shots into the guards that came in behind them, “Let’s keep moving! The storage room is this way!”

With fog and darkness as their cover, Xavier led Rahne, Ororo, and Remy down to the end of the hall and to the left. Selene’s main chambers were actually in the other direction so they were heading away from where the guards were gathering. It gave them a bit more of an opening and allowed them to move faster. They still encountered some guards, but Rahne was able to sniff them out and get the jump on them before they could sneak up on them. Any that tried to take cover were dropped by Remy and Xavier’s firepower.

The halls got narrower as they navigated through the twists and turns of the corridors. That slowed them down because it allowed more guards to attack them in a more concentrated manner. Rahne showed her worth here by staying a step ahead, smelling them out and disrupting them before they could organize. Her feral growls were more intent with each one she tore into. Her animal side was really focused now, which was something she learned from Hank and had employed with great efficiency for a while now.

“Rrahhhhhhhh!” she growled as she clawed the jugulars of two guards who tried to sneak up behind them.

“She’s a wild one, non?” commented Remy.

“She gets the job done,” grinned Ororo, “How much further, Charles?”

“It’s just down this hall,” said Xavier as they neared the corner.

He took out two more guards with his rifle, dodging a couple of shots himself in the process. He was about to round the corner with Ororo close by when Rahne’s keen senses picked up on something.

“Lord Xavier, wait!” she exclaimed.

She managed to get Xavier to pull back, but Ororo was already too far. As soon as she entered the corridor she was met with an unexpected sight. The guards had set up a couple of mechanized sentries, products of the late Donald Pierce. They were automated machine guns mounted on turrets set up on tripods to guard the hallway. And as soon as she stepped into the line of fire, they went off. She instinctively pulled back, but not soon enough for two bullets to graze her. One hit her in shoulder and the other took a nasty chunk off her lower thigh.

“Augh!” she cried out in pain.

“Storm!” exclaimed Remy.

The Cajun sprung into action, grabbing Ororo and pulling her out of harms way. The guns kept firing, cutting off their route. And unlike normal guards, they couldn’t blind them or put them in darkness. And if Ororo couldn’t concentrate, she couldn’t form lightning to shut them out. So they were forced to hunker down and take cover.

“Storm! Storm, stay with me!” said Remy as he helped her down.

“Ack! I’m okay!” she grunted, “Just a flesh wound! I’ve had worse!”

“Well keep pressure on it!” said Xavier as he tossed them some handkerchiefs he had stashed in his jacket, “We need to get through!”

“Hold on. I’ll take care of it,” grunted Ororo, “Just give a minute to…”

“We don’t have a minute!” said Rahne as she sniffed the air and picked up more scents, “There’s more guards coming this way! We’ll be boxed in!”

The first wave already showed up. Remy and Xavier went into action, shooting them down with rifle fire and charged cards. Remy protectively guarded Ororo, making sure no other shots got to her. If she wasn’t in so much pain she would have smiled at such a gesture. But they wouldn’t be able to hold them off for long. If they boxed them in they were finished.

“Any ideas on how to get out of this one?” asked Rahne.

“I’m working on it!” said Xavier as he shot down two more guards.

“Well work faster! We can’t stay here forever!”

Xavier thought hard and fast. The sentry guns from the hall were still firing strong. If they got backed into them they were done for. They were going to need a strategy fast. They couldn’t afford to be stopped now. Just then, he heard an unexpected voice in his mind.

‘Perhaps I can help, Charles.’

Xavier stopped shooting and his eyes widened.

“Emma?!”

“Emma?” said Rahne, “What about her?”

Just as she finished that question, a group of guards who were coming for them were unexpectedly knocked out from behind. And as soon as they fell they saw a familiar figure emerge. It was Emma Frost and she was in her full diamond form. And if the bloody stains on her outfit and hands were any indication, she had been busy fighting as well.

“Emma, what’s going on?!” demanded Charles, “Why aren’t you with the others?!”

“It’s a long story, Charles. You can yell at me and punish me all you want later. But for now, consider this a down payment of my penance.”

Still in her full diamond form, she stormed past them and right into the line of fire of the sentry guns. Once in sight they focused all their firepower on her. But each round bounced right off her diamond shell, barley leaving a scratch. Then with seething grit and determination, she placed her hand over the muzzle of both guns and gripped them firmly, causing the pressure of the round to buildup and explode inside the barrel. The result was a sharp bang and a bright flash as the advanced sentry weapons were reduced to scrap metal.

When Xavier and the others heard it stop, they backed into the hallway while holding off the onslaught of guards. Remy and Rahne helped Ororo to her feet and she was able to limp into the hall. And to slow the guards down even more, Remy charged a dozen cards at once and threw them right back into the narrow hall where they had been trapped. This not only knocked out the lights, but sent a pile of debris tumbling from the ceiling. It wouldn’t stop the guards from coming for them, but it would slow them down.

“You gonna be okay, cherè?” asked Remy as he looked at Ororo’s wounds.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him, “Thanks for covering for me.”

“No need to thank, Remy. If you don’t know by now how far I’m willin’ to go for you then you never will.”

That earned him a warm smile. Now may not have been the best time to work out issues with their feelings for one another, but it still showed.

“Save it for later, ye two,” commented Rahne with a bemused look.

As they stood by Ororo while she collected herself, Xavier walked up to Emma who was still standing over the smoldering mess of the sentry guns. The stern look on his face remained as he studied her expression. He made it clear he was suspicious. There were only so many reasons why she wouldn’t be trapped in the chamber with the others. Either she was helping them or she betrayed them. It was the only logical conclusion. But Emma seemed to know this and she wasn’t hiding from it. It only hinted at a much more complicated story.

“I know what you’re thinking, Charles,” she told him in a hallow tone, “But I don’t have time to explain myself.”

“Then make time,” he said sternly, “You are not going on with us until you give me at least a partial explanation. And remember I am the one who taught you to use your powers. I can tell if you’re hiding the truth from me.”

Emma sighed in acceptance. Xavier was a tough but fair man who wasn’t afraid to make threats. She knew she couldn’t hide from the truth. And she owed this man too much to start lying now. Plus, she had a lot to make up for.

“Fine, I’ll put it in the simplest terms I can,” she said, “I made a deal with Monet that ended up betraying you. I didn’t know it would lead to this, but I didn’t do anything to stop it once it happened.”

“You made a deal and didn’t know it would lead to this?” said Xavier skeptically, “What kind of deal was it?”

“A complicated deal that involved revenge and a broken heart,” she answered flatly, “I promise I’ll tell you everything, but the others don’t have much time. Selene is about to step up her torture. If you want to save the other pawns, we need to act fast.”

Xavier studied her for a moment. Emma was a deceptive woman by her own nature, but he knew how to read her. And when he looked her in the eye and scanned her thoughts, he saw no reason to believe that she was deceiving him. She really meant what she said. He also noticed a touch of bitterness and self-loathing in her tone. It indicated there really was a more complicated story behind it all.

“Very well,” he told her, “But this isn’t over.”

“Believe me, Charles, I wouldn’t want it to be,” said Emma.

Remy, Ororo, and Rahne then caught up to them. They were just as surprised at Emma’s arrival and had reason to be suspicious as well.

“So what? Is she with us or should we toss her back to the guards?” asked Rahne.

“She’s with us,” said Xavier, “I’m sure of it. And we may need her help.”

“If you say so, homme,” said Remy, not giving it too much thought, “How much further?”

With Emma now fighting with them, Xavier readied his weapon and took lead once more. They were getting close. Selene was about to get a rude awakening. She had already done enough to torment his pawns. The torture she inflicted would do nothing more than enrage them and make more allies for him and more enemies for her. She was about to get a lesson in Hellfire justice.

“It’s the first door on the left,” said Xavier as he started leading them back down the hall, “But we’ll have to be careful. Sage is still probably working on the security systems. And if we’re to truly catch Selene off guard, we’ll need a distraction.”

Hellfire Manor – Network Hub

Sage had been hard at work on the main network hub for nearly ten minutes. Her hands and fingers moved with lightning speed across the keyboards and terminals, her every hacking skill coming into play as she sifted through layer after layer of computer security. Her computer-like mind had never been so focused before. Every last ounce of skill was needed if they were to get the better of Selene.

She noticed how some of the security systems were not entirely hers. Someone else has been tinkering within the network. Since Selene wasn’t computer savvy she assumed it was either Hank McCoy, Sinister’s lackey, or Monet. And given what she saw she was leaning towards Monet. Many of the walls she put up were too perfect, as was her personality. Her only option was to go around them, which took more time. Getting control of security in a network like this was supposed to be a challenge, but even she was finding this one to be tough.

“How much longer are you going to be? Should I take a nap or something?” said Deadpool, who was lofting about in a nearby chair.

“There’s more here than I expected. I should have known Selene would put in more safeguards,” said Sage, who kept on typing, “This is going to take a while.”

“But if security stays up how will Xavier and the others rescue the pawns?” asked Danielle.

“They won’t,” she answered plainly, “But if I can’t shut it down the least I can do it slow it down. I should be able to scramble some of their relays and cap the bandwidth. That should limit the sensors. But that won’t do anything to someone like Selene.”

“Then look for a way to distract her something,” said Danielle, sounding a bit more anxious, “I was able to do it. We have to something to lend him a hand.”

Sage turned towards the girl for a moment. Then she turned back towards the computer screen. Danielle may be young and inexperienced, but she had a point. She proved Selene could be deceived and tricked. And when she got so focused on her anger and rage, she got sloppy. That little flaw in her twisted personality might give them the advantage they needed. She just had to find a way to exploit it. Then she saw it.

“Hold on, I think I have something,” she said as she shifted her attack, “With a little creative patching, I should be able to tap into Manor’s intercom system and link the input to this terminal.”

“What good will that too?” asked Danielle.

“It’ll give us a way to distract her,” answered Sage, “We just need someone to speak into the system who will be able to say something annoying enough to get her worked up.”

Sage and Danielle immediately turned to Deadpool. When he saw the look on their faces he knew what they were thinking.

“What? You think just because I’m crazy I have to do this? That’s discrimination! I could sue you for that you know?”

The girls didn’t say a word. They just kept giving him the same look that left little room for debate. They needed to give Xavier and the others some time and the best way to do that was to distract Selene. And there was nobody more distracting than him.

“Fine,” he sighed in exasperation, “I’m still suing you though. Where do I do this?”

“Hold on, I’m patching it into a microphone,” said Sage.

“Oh this is going to be good,” grinned Danielle.

Inside Selene’s Chamber

By now much of the pawns had been tired and warn down from near constant rape over the past two hours. They were all tired, battered, and sore. Many of the women were dripping with fluids and the men were battered and bruised from the women. Selene and her minions were quite thorough in having their way with them. They had been tormented and humiliated in too many ways to imagine. Needless to say their spirits were quite low. Scott, Jean, Piotr, Rogue, Warpath, Pietro, Logan, Mystique, Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Sam, and Julian were all on the brink. And it just seemed to keep getting worse.

When Selene came out of the room with Lorna and Laura, the other pawns were shocked to see them following her like mindless drones. They had the same blank looks on their faces as the guards, indicating Selene had done something to rob them of their free will. It was yet another blow to an already demoralized group and Selene just wouldn’t let up.

“What…what did you do?!” groaned Pietro in between more whippings.

“Isn’t it obvious, Pietro? Lorna’s one of us now. Isn’t that right?” said Alex as he affectionately slipped his arms around her waist.

“Yes…my love,” she said in a daze.

“You…you son of a-ahhhhhh!” the speedster groaned as he was whipped again.

Julian also noticed the same thing with Laura. She had a different look in her eye now, one that was flat and cold like she had when she was focused on a mission. But there was no personality behind it. It was like she had been reverted to a weapon again.

“Laura…” he grunted as a couple of guards beat him.

“Yes, she’ll make a fine little slave,” grinned Selene as she sadistically trailed her fingers over Laura’s face.

When Logan saw this, he erupted in a rage. Even though he was bloodied and battered from Sabretooth’s beating, he was still in such a rage that the pain didn’t matter anymore. This woman wasn’t just using his enemies against him, he was using the people that mattered most to him.

“YOU FUCKING BITCH!” he howled, “I SWEAR I’LL CARVE YOU UP AND…”

“Shut up!” growled Sabretooth as he silenced him with another punch to the jaw, “Your little pet is ours now! And after I’m done killing you, I think I’ll have some fun with your little mini-me afterwards! Just so I can keep sticking it to you after your death! Ha!”

Logan let out more pained groans as Sabretooth beat him. Every one of the pawns seemed to be giving in after seeing how Selene could easily turn others against them. They continued to endure the pain as they all remained chained by their arms and at the mercy of Selene and her minions. Wanda, Alex, Tabitha, Kurt, Warren, Betsy, Monet, Magneto, and Roberto led the assault while Sabretooth focused on Logan. They worked with the guards to whip, beat, and rape the pawns into a state of submission. But by now they seemed to have had enough rape. The women were sore and worn out and the men were too battered and beaten. So they focused on just whipping and beating. But that only went so far.

These pawns were tougher than many of her victims. Training in the Hellfire Club had made them that way. They wouldn’t give into despair through rape and humiliation alone. They had to be scarred in ways that leave them truly helpless. And since it appeared she and her minions had enough fun with them it was time to move on to the next phase.

“Enough!” she said sternly.

Each of her minions obeyed, sneaking in one last punch or whip before rejoining their Mistress in the center. The guards backed off as well, retreating to the back like the good mindless drones they were. Sabretooth backed off as well and got dressed, but it took some coaxing from Monet and Wanda.

Once everybody had gathered they put their clothes back on. Lorna and Laura were only given a uniform of revealing lingerie to display their new slave status. It was a bit more revealing than the others, but they were in no condition to resist. Selene got dressed too, putting on her best lingerie for this moment. Once dressed she started walking up and down the bound pawns, taking in the sight of their battered and bruised bodies. Many were distant and dazed from all the pain and humiliation. Most wouldn’t even look up at her. As she walked along she grabbed the faces of Bobby, Scott, and Kitty and forced them to look her in the eye briefly. Then she stopped at Jean, who was still showing signs of irrational movements.

“Hnnn…” groaned Jean.

“Oh give it a rest, bitch,” said Selene, “Face it. It’s over. I’ve won.”

“Fuck you…” growled Logan through the pain.

Annoyed with his defiance, Selene walked over towards him and slapped him in the face just to reinforce her point.

“My minions have had their fun with you and you’ve amused us with your bodies and your pathetic cries long enough!” she said in a dark, sadistic tone, “But that only means you’re all useless to me now. There’s no reason why I should keep you alive. And you know what that means.”

With a sadistic grin, Selene walked over to the table and pulled out an elaborately decorated knife with a small skull on the handle. She then started walking around the pawns, trailing the knife along their necks and faces. Some cringed at the feeling while others grit their teeth in defiance. But it made no difference to her.

“Now the next part will make you wish you had died with the first round,” grinned the Black Queen, “See, over the centuries I’ve mastered nearly every art of torture. And I’ve found in my experience that it isn’t just the fear of death that pushes people over the edge. It’s still being alive and conscious as their bodies and mangled and broken, carved up like livestock!”

That notion would make even the most defiant victims cringe in fear. Selene’s cruelty truly knew no bounds and she was going to take it out on all of them.

“So with a little magic and some special ‘techniques’ I’ve picked up, I’m going to ensure you’re all alive and fully conscious as I cut those perfect little bodies up and fill you with an agony and dread the likes of which you’ve can’t imagine! It’s going to be long, painful, and messy! And only after I feel you’ve suffered enough or after I get bored listening to your pain (which isn’t likely), I will suck away your life energy and end your pathetic lives!”

It was a terrible way to go. Scott, Jean, Piotr, Rogue, Warpath, Pietro, Logan, Mystique, Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Sam, and Julian had always feared that Selene’s cruelty would catch up to them. But they never imagined it happening like this. She really had won. Xavier was gone and she had them at their mercy. There really was no escape.

“Now then…any last words of mercy before I begin?” she grinned.

“Yeah…” said Logan as he coughed up more blood, “You’re still a bitch.”

Selene’s expression contorted in anger. Even after describing the agony she would put them in, some still dared to defy her. She stormed over to Logan and grabbed his neck.

“Just for that, I’ll start with you first!”

“Go ahead…” growled Wolverine.

Selene was about to dig her knife into this man’s flesh to make an example out of him and everyone else who crossed her. Then she looked to Mystique, who was hanging next to her, and had another idea.

“Fine, I’ll have my time with you soon enough,” she told him, “But I think I’ll start with someone else first!”

Logan then watched in horror as Selene drove the knife right into Mystique’s shoulder. She let out an agonizing cry of pain, one that rang strongly for Logan and Rogue for that matter. It was an even greater show of cruelty, torturing someone he cared about to torture him.

“No!” he exclaimed.

“Mama!” Rogue cried out.

“Oh yes!” Selene seethed, twisting the knife to cause Mystique more pain.

“AAUUUGGHHH!” she cried out.

“That’s right! Feel the pain! Feel the suffering! Soon every one of you will know it! And I plan on enjoying every minute of it until…”

Suddenly, just as Selene seemed poised to proclaim her dominance, a deafening high pitched tone echoed throughout the room from the speakers that were built into nearly every room. It was loud and annoying, causing Selene and her minions to cover their ears.

“Augh! What the…” groaned Monet, whose advanced senses were really affected.

“What the hell is that?!” exclaimed Wanda.

But Selene already had a bad feeling about this. She didn’t want to believe it, but her instincts knew the truth.

“No…it can’t be!” she grunted angrily.

Then through the tone they all heard a loud, obnoxious voice that they all knew well.

“Attention all valued Wal-Mart shoppers, this is public service announcement. You’re security systems are currently being compromised by a hot looking girl who has a thing for men in black and red masks and having her hair pulled during sex. Please expect outages, malfunctions, and the slight possibility of a few explosions. In the meantime, our crack team of official Deadpool employees is on their way to help solve your problem and maybe even give you a nice kick in the ass! Thank you for your attention, valued customers. Please drive safely! A reminder, this announcement was brought to you in part to Deadpool Inc. Our motto is that when the world goes to hell, the safest place is insanity! Now for your entertainment…”

Selene and her minions dreaded and seethed with anger while the other pawns felt the first glimmer of hope in what seemed like forever.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” exclaimed Selene.

Then the noise from the speakers returned and from it they heard what was quite possibly the worst singing in the history of sound.

“I GAVE MY LOVE A CHERRY! IT HAD NO STONE! I GAVE MY LOVE A CHICKEN IT HAD NO BONE! I GAVE MY LOVE A RING THAT HAD NO END! I GAVE MY LOVE A BABY WITH NO CRYIN’!”

The booming, obnoxious voice echoed through the stone walls and forced many of Selene’s minions to cover their ears. Even the pawns struggled to ignore it. As nice as it was to hear that one of Xavier’s allies was alive, Deadpool was not known for his singing talents or his sanity. But his presence and his singing only enraged Selene as she turned towards Sabretooth.

“You fool! I thought you said you killed this clown with the others!” exclaimed the Black Queen.

“I did, damn it!” Victor Creed roared back, “I told you the whole damn building blew up! There was nothin’ left!”

“Obviously you didn’t look hard enough!” scorned Monet.

“But if Deadpool’s alive then that could mean…” began Warren, but he didn’t get a chance to finish.

In the midst of the blaring speakers, a deafening bang rocked the chamber. A huge chunk of the back half of the room was completely blown in and a gaping hole was opened. The force of the blast was so strong it took out a number of guards who had been sitting back there. Selene and her minions were nearly knocked back a little while the bound pawns could only brace themselves and await whatever it was caused the explosion. And when the dust cleared they saw a figure emerge that lifted all their spirits.

“Hello Selene,” said Charles Xavier with his rifle firmly in hand.

“Xavier?! It’s not possible!” exclaimed the Black Queen.

But the Black King didn’t give her time to process it. While she was still in shock, he aimed his high energy rifle and fired a well placed shot directly at her face. When it hit she let out an angry howl and fell back. Few things were as satisfying as the feeling Charles Xavier got as a result. Not only did he keep his promise to Moria, he delivered just a small bit of punishment to the woman who betrayed him. And that was just a taste.

“My Mistress!” exclaimed Wanda.

“Get them!” commanded Monet.

But before Selene’s minions could organize, Xavier stepped in.

“Storm! Blow them back!” he commanded.

“With pleasure, Charles,” said Ororo.

Storm stepped forth, her eyes glowing in the intense glowing white color that indicated the use of her powers. She summoned all the wind from this small room and the room and hall they just came from and directed a powerful, sharp gust that she directed over the bound pawns and right at Selene’s minions. Before they knew it Wanda, Alex, Tabitha, Kurt, Warren, Betsy, Monet, Laura, Lorna, Magneto, and Roberto were blown back against a wall along with many of Selene’s masked guards, who were still naked from earlier.

“Hurry, free the others!” Xavier commanded.

Remy, Rahne, and Emma stormed in and immediately began undoing the restraints that were keeping the pawns bound. As soon as they let them go, their bruised and naked bodies fell limply to the floor. They were all still conscious and all very much angered and in pain. After what Selene just put them through they wanted more than anything to make her suffer just as she had done with them.

“Come on, you guys! Get up already! You don’t have time to be out of it!” said Rahne as she freed Warpath and Piotr.

“I’m…trying!” grunted Warpath.

“Selene…put a spell on us,” said Piotr, who was equally immobilized.

“Great,” groaned Rahne.

“This could be a problem,” said Remy as he freed Rogue and Mystique.

But while they were contemplating this Emma was freeing Scott and Jean. She had mixed feelings about it given how bitter she was with these two. But after what they went through and how she betrayed everybody, she knew she had no right to feel resentment. And when Scott saw her she noticed the suspicious look he gave her. It was a clear sign he suspected her involvement.

“Emma…how could you?” he told her in a raspy tone, “You actually helped Selene? Only to turn on her? You’re a coward.”

“Scott, my darling…I deserve so much worse,” she said in a low tone.

After letting Scott fall free, Emma went to undo Jean’s restraints. But before she could Jean started thrashing violently. Even though the torture had stopped, she was still acting as though something was affecting her. Her body started twisting and contorting she kept on groaning. It was as if she was struggling with something and it wasn’t just the lingering effects of the torture.

“Jean…” said Scott as he looked up at his love.

“What the hell is wrong with her?!” exclaimed Emma, unable to get close enough to free her.

“I don’t know,” he said, “But something’s happening.”

All the pawns were free except Jean now. Remy and Rahne kept trying to get them up while Xavier kept watch with his rifle and Storm kept the winds blowing against Selene’s minions. A few guards tried to sneak through to stop them, but Xavier shot them down easily. Since they were naked they weren’t armed and they were easy prey. But Selene’s minions wouldn’t be so easy.

“I’ve…had…ENOUGH!” yelled Wanda.

Using her hex powers, Wanda shot at Ororo and managed to hit her head on. This knocked the African thief back. And when the winds stopped Selene’s minions were allowed to regroup. Wanda, Kurt, Alex, Monet, Warren, Betsy, Roberto, and Tabitha each stood up ready to fight. Magneto, Lorna, and Laura remained back in a daze, not moving until they were ordered to. But they didn’t need them in order to take Xavier down.

“You should have stayed dead, Xavier!” Wanda proclaimed.

“Yeah, you’re just making it harder for yourself!” said Roberto as he powered up.

“You’ll all regret the day you betrayed the Inner Circle,” said Xavier, “Every one of you will be punished. But your Mistress Selene, will go first.”

Then from the wall, Selene rose up. She was still clutching her face, which was still bloodied but her immortal powers helped her recover. She was beyond furious now. Her sights were set completely on Xavier.

“I don’t think so!” she proclaimed, her eyes now glowing with mystical energy.

Xavier turned his rifle towards her, but then she cast a spell that caused it to literally melt in his hands. The Black King was forced to take a step back. He had a feeling Selene wouldn’t go down without a fight. He watched her minions prepare to attack, but she waved them off. She wanted to take care of this personally.

“I don’t know how you survived, Charles! I watched them chop up your body!” she exclaimed.

“Sorry, Selene, but you can’t get rid of me that easily,” said Xavier strongly, “You can try to kill me all you want, but you’ll never escape the wrath of the Inner Circle!”

“Ha! I AM the Inner Circle! You want wrath? I’ll show you wrath!”

Selene prepared to strike down her rival yet again. But as she and Xavier were staring each other down, Jean was becoming increasingly erratic. Remy and Rahne joined Emma to help free her, but she wouldn’t stop groaning and thrashing about. None of the others were reacting like this. They were beginning to suspect it had nothing to do with the effects of the spell or even the torture. This was something else entirely.

“What in the hell is wrong with this cherè?” exclaimed Remy.

“I don’t know. But I think we better take a step back,” said Rahne.

“What makes you say that? What’s going on with her?!” demanded Emma.

“I think we’re about to find out.”

The three mutants stepped back as Jean’s thrashing became more violent. She was starting to bend and break the chains with strength they had never seen in her before. Then through her pained groans they heard a voice, only it didn’t sound very much like Jean.

“Errrrrrrrrr the power! The fire! The passion! I…I feel it! I must…I must embrace it! THE POWER!”

Then in a brilliant burst of light, Jean Grey was completely consumed with an aura of golden flames. This powerful burst was so intense it even forced Selene and Xavier to back off a bit. It was a sudden and unexpected turn of events. None of the other pawns knew what it was. Not even Selene’s minions could make sense of it. But Xavier and Selene had an idea of what it might be. And for Selene, it was not good.

“No…not this! Not now!” she exclaimed.

“Looks like you’re finally about to get some competition, Selene,” grinned Xavier.

The Black King helped Storm up and moved back while the golden flames continued to consume Jean. As it did, the chains binding her wrists were shattered by an unseen force and the paralyzing spell that had kept Jean immobile was broken. Once free, she hovered in mid air with the fires surrounding her still naked body. She was panting hard and her eyes were glowing bright orange as if they were consumed with flame. It was a beautiful display that was clearly mystical in nature. Then in a show of power, she formed a new set of clothes around her body. Soon she was wearing skin tight black leather pants and a black top with a bird shape cover over her amble breasts. Her expression seethed with a mix of hatred, determination, and raw passion.

“Selene! You will pay for your crimes!”

“Jean Grey…wielding the mystical power of the Phoenix?!” seethed Selene.

“The Phoenix?” said Tabitha in confusion, “What the hell is that?!”

“You mean THE Phoenix?” said Wanda, “That ancient power you once told me about?”

“The very same,” said Selene as she stepped forth to face Jean, “But I assure you, I can handle even this great power!”

“We’ll see about that!”

With a determined grunt, Jean raised her hands and formed aura of fire around herself. Then with a forceful gesture, she directed a burst of golden flames right towards the Black Queen. Selene responded by firing a blast of mystic energy of her own. But she was unprepared for the force of the power she was up against. She was used to dealing with sorcerers who were below her, who weren’t wielding the power of an immortal. But this was different. The power of the Phoenix was no pushover. And her lack of preparation was her undoing.

“Errrrrr…you’re still no match!” taunted Selene through her struggle.

“Match THIS!”

With another forceful gesture, Jean unleashed a powerful blast wave that overwhelmed Selene. It knocked her and her minions back with such force that the wall behind them was blown out and even the wall behind that. It left Selene’s infamous torture chamber with a gaping scar, which was a welcome sight for Xavier’s pawns.

“Wow…that’s hot,” said Bobby.

“I…I still can’t move!” groaned Kitty.

“It’s the spell,” said Xavier as he knelt down to his weakened pawns.

Xavier then turned towards Jean, who was still focused and intent on Selene. But as much as he wanted to see her inflict more pain on the former Black Queen, the other pawns needed her help.

“Jean! Jean, can you hear me?”

“I’m here, Lord Xavier. I am still Jean. Only now, I wield the vast mystical power of the Phoenix! It’s so strong! I…I’m not sure how long I can channel it!”

Scott, fighting through soreness and pain, looked up at her in awe. She looked so beautiful, if not divine in her current state. He always felt as though she had a special aura to her. He felt it that first night they made love when her mystical powers became active. This was just further proof. That special aura was something more powerful than any of them ever could have expected.

“Jean…” he said in a raspy voice.

Jean looked down at him and her intent focus shifted briefly to one of love.

“Yes, my love…I hear you. It’s me. Do not worry. I am in control. This power goes through me.”

“I always…knew you were special,” he said, managing a smile.

“Thanks for helping me realize it.”

They shared an affectionate gesture, one that Emma clearly saw. She couldn’t help but be a little taken by it, but the bitterness that she used to feel wasn’t as strong anymore. She felt many different emotions when she saw this, but now was not the time to dwell on them.

“Jean…” said Scott through his pain, “See if you can use it to break the paralysis spell. We have to get the others out of here.”

“And get em some of those hot clothes while you at it,” said Remy, who was now helping Ororo stay upright.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Refocusing her energy, Jean turned to her fellow pawns. With a simple wave of her hand, she cast a spell that lifted Selene’s hold on them. Suddenly, they could all move their limbs again. And to conceal their modesty after what happened, she cast another spell that magically formed their Hellfire uniforms over their bodies.

When the pawns felt this it came as a great relief. They were still sore, tired, and humiliated. But they weren’t helpless anymore. They could fight. And they were so angry right now they would love nothing more than to put Selene through what they just went through. But their bodies reminded them of their limits.

“Finally! I can move again!” said Julian, “Oh fuck and it hurts!”

“Augh! Me too!” groaned Pietro, “I don’t even think I can run!”

“And Ah don’t think Ah can blast!” said Sam.

“Guess we’ll just have to beat Selene to death with snowballs!” groaned Bobby, who could barely lift his shoulder.

While many were pretty sore and very much out of it, some were able to get up more easily. As soon as Piotr could move again, he activated his powers and helped Kitty get up. With so much rape and beatings inflicted on her she could barely stand.

“Augh! My legs!” she groaned.

“It’s okay, Katya. I’m here now,” he said softly, trying to comfort her.

Others with invulnerability and healing powers also recovered quickly. Warpath’s scratches and bruises quickly healed over and he was able to return to his feet. Logan and Rogue were able to as well. Logan was so bloodied and battered it took him a little longer though. But he wasn’t concerned about healing or even fighting. As soon as he could move again, he came to Mystique’s aid. She was still in a lot of pain, clutching her shoulder that Selene had stabled. She was a good healer as well, but she had her limits.

“Raven…Raven, stay with me, darlin’!” he urged as he took her in his arms.

Rogue quickly knelt down and checked her out as well. It looked pretty bad and as mad and violated as she was, her concern for her mother took precedent.

“Mama! Mama, are you okay?”

“Ugh…I think I’m going to be sick,” she groaned as she coughed up some blood.

“It’ll be okay, mama! We’re free now! We can fight back!”

“Hnn…Selene,” she groaned, “That bitch stabs hard!”

“Easy Misty, we’ll get her back,” said Logan as he held her protectively in his arms.

Looking around, Charles Xavier assessed the situation. Many of his pawns were in no condition to fight. Only those that could heal would be able to strike back, but even with their strength and anger on their side Selene still had the upper hand. She had all the guards on her side as well as a group of her own minions that included a brainwashed Lorna, X-23, and Magneto. They were outmatched. Fighting her like this was a battle he and the other pawns couldn’t win. With that in mind, he made a decision and turned to Jean, who was still burning with the power of the Phoenix.

“Jean, I need you to get us out of here!” he ordered.

“What?! No, we cannot leave now! I must make Selene suffer for what she did to me!”

“We have to make her suffer for what she did to all of us!” exclaimed Pietro, who could barely stand.

“I know, but you’re all in no condition to fight effectively! And if we can’t win this fight then we have to pull back!”

“No way!” exclaimed Julian, “What about Laura and Lorna?”

“This is not up for discussion! We must get out of here!” said Xavier strongly, “I am still Black King and I need you all to heed my words! We will get back at Selene! But we can’t do so in our current state!”

Nobody wanted to leave without inflicting some sort of punishment on Selene. But looking around, they could see Xavier’s point. Scott, Pietro, and Bobby were so bruised with scratch marks and sore body parts they could barely stand. Jubilee and Kitty were also really sore from repeated rape and violation and with no healing, they wouldn’t last long in any fight. Sam and Julian had some broken bones to contend with, some of which were already swelling into nasty welts and wouldn’t last long in a fight either. Even in his metal form, Piotr showed signs of wariness in how he grunted every time he moved his limbs. Rogue and Warpath, despite their invulnerability, were still in a lot of pain from earlier and while surface wounds would be healed the internal wounds would take a bit longer. Even Logan, who usually never backed down from a fight, could see good reason to pull out. Mystique was still bleeding hard from a stab wound and she needed treatment. And Jean, despite her new power, was still ill-prepared for this. She could sense the lingering feelings of violation, pain, and humiliation. It hurt them all and would hinder them in any fight of this magnitude.

Despite plenty of reservation and a burning anger towards the former Black Queen, the young pawns pulled back behind Xavier and Jean. Remy, Ororo, Rahne, and Emma gathered with them, sensing only a little of how bad their torment had been. While Emma wouldn’t talk about it, Ororo and the others were supportive.

“We’ll get her back,” she assured them.

“We better,” said Scott bitterly, “What do we do now, Lord Xavier?”

“Leave it to me, Scott,” said the Black King.

The Black King then sent a psychic call out to Sage, who was still hard at work on the security system. Even though they were in full force now, they needed that security down if they were to escape.

‘Sage? What’s your status? Is the system down?’

‘Sorry, Charles, but it’s taking longer than I expected. Selene must have had that bitch, Monet, do some upgrades to my security programs.’

‘Can you get around them?’

‘Yes, but I need time.’

‘That is something I’m afraid I cannot afford you at the moment. We have the other pawns, but we need to get them out of here! Can you at least disable the ground floor system?’

There was a silence over the link. Xavier assumed Sage was assessing the situation as she always did with her computer-like mind. She had pulled through many other situations like this before. He needed her to do it once again.

‘Hold on, I think I may have found a way. Get up there as soon as possible. I’ll take care of it.’

‘Thank you, Sage. We’ll meet up soon.’

‘Yes…soon.’

Hellfire Manor – Network Hub

Sage’s busy fingers never stopped moving as she continued her relentless hacking on the main terminal. It was proving more difficult than she anticipated. She designed her programs to be hack proof and with Monet’s interference, she was having even more trouble. Sweat was starting to form on her face and she could sense she was running out of time. If she couldn’t get this security system down then Xavier and the others would be in big trouble. But she refused to let that happen.

She made one last major push to short out the security. She tried opening every secret file she had and crunching the firewalls with an array of passwords and identification cracks. She just needed one to work in order to get in, but if they all failed then she would be locked out and out of options. She kept typing and typing, waiting patiently for a hit. She couldn’t go any further unless she beat this firewall. For a moment it looked as though one of the cracks worked. She immediately went to enter, but then she was once again locked out.

“Damn,” she said in a flat tone.

“Damn? Damn is never good,” said Deadpool, “Well…almost anyways. I remember this time…”

“Deadpool!” exclaimed Danielle, shutting him up before he could go off, “Miss Sage, what is it? Are you done?”

“I’m afraid our situation has just gotten more complicated,” said Sage, not showing any emotion like always, “It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to shut down the system as I planned.”

“So the others will be trapped?!” she lamented.

“I said I won’t be able to shut it down as I planned. That doesn’t mean I still can’t shut it down. It’s just going to require something a bit more…extreme.”

Danielle didn’t like the sound of that and neither did Deadpool. Sage was never one for exaggeration. When she said she was going to extremes, she meant it.

“Sage, babe, you’re scaring the kid. What are you talking about?” asked Deadpool.

Sage kept her eyes on the screen and kept typing.

“I don’t have time to explain it. All you need to know is I will knock security out and you two shouldn’t be here when it happens. You need to go meet up with Xavier on the ground floor and you need to leave now!”

“But what about you?” asked Danielle.

“Don’t worry about me,” she said, still not looking their way, “I’ll catch up. I just need to do what I have to do and you need to back up Xavier. I’ve opened up one of the emergency elevators just outside this room. Take it and you’ll be good to go.”

It was always hard to read Sage. She was always good at hiding her emotions and concealing a certain subtext to her words. But even she couldn’t hide just how dire a situation this was. Danielle knew it and so did Deadpool. But they knew Sage well enough to understand that she wasn’t moving from where she was. She was determined to finish the job no matter what the cost.

“But Miss Sage…”

“Go!” she commanded, “Go now or it’ll be too late!”

Danielle hesitated, but Deadpool rushed her along.

“You heard the pretty lady, Dani girl. We better get going! So get those illusions up and follow me! Stay close and I’ll get you some ice cream afterwards!”

There was no room for argument. Deadpool shoved Danielle along, leading her out of the highly secure room. But before he left he looked back at Sage, who was still locked onto the computer.

“Later beautiful,” he told her, “We’ll always have Paris.”

Sage didn’t reply, but her usually stoic expression shifted a little as she continued her work. She opened the path for Danielle and Deadpool, hoping they could get to Xavier soon. She only hoped that Xavier would make good on his word to make Selene pay. The man had given her a lot in the time she had been with the Hellfire Club. He gave her more than she could ever thank him for. And what she was about to do for him would be a small but fitting payment for him. She owed him as such.

Selene’s Torture Chamber

With all the pawns having gathered themselves enough to stand, Xavier had them move in close with Jean, who was still surrounded in the golden flames of the Phoenix. They all gathered slowly due to soreness and injuries. That and the humiliation Selene had them endured still lingered, but they were all eager to get out of this hell hole.

“Ack! My arm!” grunted Mystique, still clutching the area where Selene stabbed her.

“Hold on, darlin’. We’re almost outta here,” said Logan.

It was a comforting feeling. But from the gaping hole in the wall left earlier by Jean, Selene emerged from under a pile of rocks looking dirtied and royally pissed. Her minions were behind her, but still recovering. But she didn’t need them for this.

“You’re not going anywhere!” bellowed Selene, her eyes glowing with intent, “I am still Black Queen you will suffer by my hand! I’ll see to it that you all suffer and die in these walls!”

“Not today, Selene,” said Xavier sternly, “You are no longer Black Queen. You gave up that title when you turned on us. Now you will suffer the consequences. They may not come today, but mark my word you will pay for your betrayal.”

Then the Black King turned towards Jean.

“We’re ready, Jean,” he told her, “Do what you can and get us out of here!”

“Yes sir…I’ll do my best.”

Jean, in her fiery form, closed her eyes and concentrated her power around her fellow pawns. This power was still new to her, but she could feel it flowing through her strongly. With it she cast a spell that surrounded her and everyone else in a golden aura of mystical energy. When Selene saw this she tried to stop them by firing a round of mystic bolts at her. Wanda emerged and did the same, but they had no effect.

“Damn it! Why aren’t my hex bolts working?!” exclaimed Wanda.

“Damn Phoenix!” cursed Selene.

“So long, Selene,” said Xavier, “We’ll meet again.”

“So will we, Wanda,” Pietro added, “We’re not done…not yet.”

Then while surrounded by golden flames and guided by the power of Jean’s spell, Xavier and his pawns were levitated into the air briefly. Then like a rocket they shot up through the ceiling, shattering the rock, wood, and stone like it was as frail as tin foil. Debris and shrapnel exploded all around them, but not one speck of it touched the pawns. They were protected by the powerful golden flames every step of the way. It was a bit of a bumpy ride, but it got them out of the chambers where they suffered so much.

“ERRRRRR GET BACK HERE YOU COWARDS!” yelled Selene, “I’M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU! GET BACK AND FACE YOUR FATE!”

But Selene’s angry cries fell on deaf ears as the pawns braced themselves. When they reached the barrier between the sub-basement levels and the ground floor, they hit a particularly thick layer. Since a lot of Hellfire Manor was underground, the previous Inner Circle installed a thick layer of defenses so scanners and spies such as those from SHIELD or the Avengers couldn’t pick up on them. The layer was made out of steel, lead, and titanium alloys. When they first hit it, they were slowed. But then Jean pushed harder and was able to break through. But in doing so, she pushed herself too far.

When they broke through into the main foyer, Jean let out a pained groan as the golden flames around her subsided.

“Augh!”

“Jean!” exclaimed Scott as he caught her before she collapse.

“Dang, what a ride,” said Rogue as she caught her breath, “Is she alright?”

“She’s fine,” said Scott, holding her close, “Just pushed herself a little hard.”

“Well we may need her to do it again,” said Sam as he looked around, “Because Ah think we ain’t getting out of here through the front door.”

Sam was right. As they all looked around they noticed that every door and window had been sealed shut behind a thick layer of metal shielding. It was part of their security system that kept everything out and any prisoners in.

“What’s taking Sage so long?” said Ororo anxiously, “She was supposed to have had the security system down by now!”

“Maybe they made upgrades,” said Julian.

“Well we can’t let it stop us!” said Warpath, “Is there another way out?”

“I’m working on it,” said Xavier.

“Well you better work faster, Lord Xavier. Because we’ve got company,” said Jubilee.

The other pawns looked around and saw what Jubilee was referring to. All around them they saw swarms of armed guards converging on the area. They poured out from every hall and every door, the masked men of Selene’s elite guard, armed and focused on one mission and that was taking them down. They covered every opening from every side, barricading themselves so that they wouldn’t be able to get through. That along with the metal plates surrounding every wall made escape look all the more difficult.

“Ooh boy, Jean we sure could use another round of that magic you got,” said Bobby.

“I…I don’t think I can,” said Jean, her eyes still burning but unable to push herself like she had earlier.

“Well we can’t stop now!” exclaimed Logan, “Not after coming this far!”

It wasn’t looking good. Scott, Jean, Piotr, Rogue, Warpath, Pietro, Logan, Mystique, Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Sam, Julian, Rahne, Remy, Emma, Ororo, and Xavier were trapped, staring down the barrel of countless guns. They were all ready to fire, set to take them down at the slightest possible move. They all seemed to know Selene valued her victims alive so she could torture them. And if they all got captured again she would truly show no mercy.

“Any ideas yet?” asked Rahne.

“I’m still working on it,” said Xavier, “Nobody make a move until we have a chance!”

But the guards wouldn’t have it.

“Your chances have run out, Charles Xavier,” said one of the masked guards, “You and your pawns will face the wrath of our queen or perish. That is your only chance.”

The guards were about to take aim and shoot them. It looked like it was going to end once more.

“Here we go again,” groaned Remy.

But just as they were about to fire, another deafening explosion rocked the manor. It was so intense it caused the foundation to shake, causing many of the guards to lose their composure and many of the pawns to fall back as well.

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

“I don’t know, but I think it came from outside!” said Piotr.

“It did,” said Emma, “And I think I know who it is.”

Xavier sensed it to and before they could reveal anything further, there was another explosion. This time it was even more powerful than the one before. In a blinding flash, a huge hole was blown into the front entrance of the manor. It knocked out the walls, the windows, and the thick metal panels that had been keeping them trapped. The blast wave hit many of the guards, knocking many off their feet and some out cold. For the pawns, Julian instinctively put up a telekinetic shield to protect them. Now there was a gaping hole the size of a small house in the wall and standing just outside was an imposing figure carrying some familiar looking devices.

“Who the hell is that?!” exclaimed Warpath.

“I don’t know, but it looks like…” Kitty began.

But then Rahne finished and her eyes widened at the sight.

“Hank?!” she exclaimed.

When the dust settled the imposing figure of the new Hank McCoy agilely leapt into the manor, a bag full of Norman Osborn’s infamous pumpkin bombs at his side. He looked nothing like the Hank anybody remembered. He was bigger, more muscular, and had a much darker shade to his fur. His face was also more beast-like, carrying with it a very dark presence that had in it a touch of madness.

“Hello Rahne,” he growled in a cold tone, “Hello everybody. I hope you saved some action for me.”

“Hank, what the hell did you do to yourself? And why are you here?” Rahne asked, carefully stepping in closer to his imposing form.

“There is no more Hank, my dear. Only the beast…a very dark beast,” he growled, “And I’m just here to help you…and help myself to the blood of these insects!”

Then with a menacing roar, Hank leapt into the air and tackled the nearest group of guards before they could get up. She watched in a mix of shock and horror as he tore into them with feral brutality, ripping their limbs off and even biting chunks of their flesh off. As he did these brutal acts she could swear there was a grin on his feral face, as if doing this was fueling a deep madness. When the other guards saw this they quickly rushed to take him down, but Hank just tore into them as well, using the pumpkin bombs to blow up more large areas of the area and taking a number of guards with it.

“Well surprise aside, I hate to squander a good opportunity,” said Remy.

“Agreed,” said Xavier, “Let’s get out of here!”

But the guards weren’t going to make it easy for them.

“No! Stop them!” exclaimed one of the guards, “Mistress Selene’s orders must be obeyed!”

“Not today, bub,” growled Logan.

While Hank took care of more guards, the pawns mobilized against a team of guards that were now standing between them and the gaping hole leading to freedom. With Jean still recovering, Scott stayed close to her and used his optic blasts to take down a team of guards that tried to attack them from the side. Jean, while weakened, was still able to use her telekinesis to deflect incoming shots. But she still had to lean on Scott for support. Next to them, Emma Frost, reverted to her diamond form and drew the fire of another team of guards. The rounds bounced harmlessly off her and she was able to take them down with a few hard punches and kicks. And while she had been silent for the most part, she did not escape Scott and Jean’s scrutiny.

“Trying to make us forget what you did?” said Jean, still breathing hard from earlier.

“Of course not,” answered Emma as she slugged a guard across the face, “When have you ever known me to care anyways?”

It was a snide remark, but Emma was an issue they would have to deal with later. Next to them, Piotr was also protecting Kitty. In his metal form he grabbed any nearby guards that tried to attack and literally crushed their skulls. When they did shoot at them, Kitty managed to phase the rounds through them. And despite her injuries she managed to help others, using her phasing powers to protect Jubilee and Remy as they fired rounds of fireworks and charged cards into any guards that tried to take them down from a distance. Julian also protected them by using his telekinesis to draw their fire and then deflect it with a shield. He was a bit too weak to get air-born, but he was able to take his anger out on the guards.

“This one’s for Laura!” he grunted as he crushed the ribs of two guards.

“Save that for later, kid. You’ll need it!” growled Logan.

Logan, having healed up, drew his claws and leapt right into the nearest cluster of guards. There he started slicing and hacking away at any guard and ignoring any shot he took. While he took out the guards, Rogue stayed with her mother and helped protect her from any that tried to get in close. Xavier stayed with her as well, using her mind to help numb out the pain and keep her conscious. And despite this condition she still wanted to participate.

“Let me…take them!” grunted Mystique.

“You’re in no condition to fight, mama!” said Rogue as she kicked a guard clear across the foyer, “Just hand tight while we clear em out!”

“Ungh!” she groaned as she tried to move.

“Easy Mystique,” said Xavier, “It’s almost over.”

Xavier looked out into the sky and saw a distinct light coming down from the clouds. It was one of the Hellfire jets and he could sense Moria inside taking them down. They just had to hold out for a bit longer.

Sam and Pietro teamed up to hoard the guards back into rooms and other areas of the manner using speed and Sam’s blast ramming. Once behind a door, Bobby used his ice powers to freeze it shut. Those they missed were taken out by Warpath, who was on a tear. He hit some guards so hard half their bodies nearly snapped off. Those that tried to escape were easy prey for Rahne and Ororo, who was trying to use storm clouds and winds to blow away any guards remaining from the blast and keep reinforcements from arriving. But as they fought, Rahne kept trying to fight her way to Hank. From the looks of it, he wasn’t fighting to survive. He was drawing them all into a corner near the stairs, luring them away from her and the others. He was just ripping into any guard near him and ignoring any that attacked him. He already took two shots and was bleeding, but he didn’t care.

“Hank! Hank, get out of there!” she exclaimed.

“No…I must finish this!” he roared, “For you, Rahne!”

Rahne watched with mixed emotions as he ripped the head off one of the guards. Then two came up from behind and jammed two long knives into him. Hank howled in pain, but didn’t slow down for an instant. He just turned around, grabbed the guards, and ripped them to shreds.

“Hank…” said Rahne as she started moving towards him.

Then a guards tried to sneak up on her. But luckily, Ororo was there to hit him with some lightning.

“Rahne, come on! We have to get outside!” she urged her.

“But Hank…”

“He knows what he’s doing,” she told him, “Let him do what he must!”

Rahne still didn’t like it. But the battle was too intense to scrutinize it. She went back to pouncing on any remaining guards, but she continued to keep an eye on Hank.

Now outside with Mystique still leaning on him, Xavier looked up into the rainy skies to see the Hellfire jet from Moria descending towards them. He waved into the air, signaling her down. With many of the guards dead or immobilized, they were just about ready to make their final escape.

‘I’m here, Charles! Are the other pawns alright?’

‘They’re fine, Moria. Just bring the jet down lower and open the hatch! We’re almost finished here!’

Moria did as instructed, lowering the jet so that it now hovered right next to the front entrance of the Manor. Xavier helped Mystique limped towards it and then turned back to the others.

“Everybody, get in the jet!” he ordered, “We’re leaving!”

“Sweeter words were never spoken,” said Jubilee.

“Wait! What about Sage and the others?” asked Ororo.

Before Xavier could answer, there was another smaller explosion from a narrow hall off to the east from the stairs. Several guards were blown out, mangled and bloodied from what looked like bullet wounds and bombs. And shortly after they came out, two figures emerged. It was Deadpool and Danielle.

“Aww come on! You guys couldn’t save me at least a few guards?” Deadpool complained.

“I never thought I’d love hear that obnoxious voice so much,” grinned Pietro.

“Danielle! You’re alive!” exclaimed Kitty.

“What happened to you?” asked Sam, “How did all this…”

“It’s a long story,” she said as she caught up to them, stepping over some dead bodies in the process, “Let’s just get out of this place.”

“Gladly,” said Bobby.

“What about Sage?” asked Xavier.

Danielle’s demeanor shifted.

“She says…she’ll catch up,” she said distantly.

Xavier picked up on the subtext of her words. He knew what they meant and immediately tried to contact her with his telepathy.

‘Sage? Can you hear me? Where are you?!’

‘Still in the network hub. I’m sorry, Charles, but I won’t be able to finish this as I intended. I’ll have to go to plan B.’

‘And what does that entail?’

‘You know full well what it entails, Charles. Don’t make me explain it while time is short.’

Xavier was silent. He knew what Sage was implying. He could sense it in her thoughts. She understood what she was doing and wasn’t thinking twice about it. And it struck Xavier hard because this was a woman he did care for. She had been with him since the beginning. For her to do something like this was a high price to pay, but he knew her well enough to understand when she would not be stopped.

‘I’m sorry, Sage.’

‘Don’t be sorry, Charles. You’ve given me a lot. Now it’s my turn.’

Swallowing his emotion, Xavier signaled for all the pawns to gather around the jet.

“Everybody in the jet! Hurry!” he ordered.

“Don’t need to tell us twice,” said Pietro.

Scott, Jean, Piotr, Rogue, Warpath, Pietro, Logan, Mystique, Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Sam, Julian, Remy, Emma, and Ororo left what was left of the guards behind and entered the jet. Ororo and Julian used their powers to levitate them inside so they could all enter quickly. Once inside they all ran for their seats and strapped themselves in, ready to leave this place that had been their home and the site of their torment. But even after everyone was inside, Rahne stayed behind and went after Hank.

“Rahne! Come on!” ordered Charles.

“Not without Hank!” she yelled.

Ignoring the orders of the Black King, Rahne ran up to Hank who was by now covered in the blood and gore of his enemies and littered in stab wounds and gunshot wounds. He was bloodied and beaten and yet he was still tearing into the remains of the guards. Even the ones that were already dead, he showed no mercy towards. The dark beast inside him had taken over, but it would not reign for long.

“Hank! Hank, you have to get up!” exclaimed Rahne as she turned her friend over so he was lying back on the stairs.

“No…I can’t,” he said in a raspy tone.

“Yes you can! We have to get out of here!” she exclaimed.

“No…I can’t leave. I don’t want to.”

“Damn it, Hank! Now is not the time to be stubborn!” roared Rahne as she tried to move him.

But Hank just shook her off and then grabbed her hand with his, pulling her in closer so he could look her in the eye.

“Rahne…please,” he told her, “It has to end here for me. I only came here…to save you. I don’t care about the others. I don’t care about anybody else. I…I only wanted you to be safe.”

It didn’t make sense to Rahne. Why would he do this just for her? There was a feral darkness in his eyes, but there was also a touch of longing and affection. It was the kind of affection he always showed her only now it was totally unrestrained.

“You…you were the only one who really understood me,” he said with blood dripping out of his mouth, “I once thought I was doomed to loneliness and desolation with only my work to confide in. But you showed me otherwise. You gave me a reason to do more. Consider this my gratitude…my last gesture of affection to you, my dear.”

“Hank…” said Rahne, tears welling up in her eyes, “Please don’t do this. I…I still need you so I can learn…”

“I’ve already taught you everything you need,” he said to her, “The rest…is up to you.”

He let out another round of pained growls. The bleeding was getting worse. He was not going to last much longer. Rahne now understood why he threw himself so blatently at the guards. He wanted them to kill him. He wanted this to be the end. It was noble and selfish at the same time and there wasn’t anything Rahne could do about it.

Then before she could say anything else, a blaring alarm went off all throughout the manor. She looked up and gazed around, watching all the lights go out as an ominous voice blared over the intercoms.

“Warning. Self destruct sequence has been activated. Emergency override has been shut down. Hellfire Manor is compromised. Please vacate the area in sixty seconds.”

It was most likely Sage’s handiwork. Only she could manage to trip every alarm and force the manor into an emergency self-destruct. Rahne knew there was no time left. She had to go and Hank wasn’t coming with her. But before she could leave, he clutched her hands firmly and delivered her one last message.

“Rahne…my dear,” he said, “You have to leave.”

“I…I know,” she said with tears in her eyes, “Thank you, Hank. Thanks for everything.”

“No…thank you, my dear,” he said, starting to get short of breath, “Please…you’ll need to know one last thing if you and Xavier are to succeed. You must know…that which all great men leave behind. That which all great men…leave…”

But Hank McCoy could not get out any more words. His body failed him as he slipped into unconsciousness one more time. Rahne felt his grip weaken and let out a hard sob, still holding onto him even as time ticked away.

“Rahne hurry! We have to get moving!” exclaimed Xavier.

Taking one last look at her feral friend, Rahne swallowed her pain and ran off towards the plane. It was already starting to pull away as she and Xavier were telekinetically lifted inside by Julian. Once in the hatch was sealed and they were ready to go.

“We’re in! Go, Moria! Get us out of here!” said Xavier.

“Hold on,” she said from the cockpit.

Taking one last look at the manor, Xavier and his pawns held on as the jet lifted with a roar and shot out into the rainy sky. And with one last burst, Scott, Jean, Piotr, Rogue, Warpath, Pietro, Logan, Mystique, Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Sam, Julian, Rahne, Remy, Emma, Ororo, and Xavier said goodbye to the manor. There was no telling what would happen next. The Hellfire Club was in disarray and Selene had not been punished yet. But this fight was over for now. They were off to prepare for their next move. But before they left, Xavier sent one last telepathic message.

‘Thank you Sage…thank you Hank. We’ll get Selene back for this. I promise you.’

Hellfire Manor Sub-Levels – Outside Selene’s Chamber

Looking up through the hole left by Jean, Selene was seething. She couldn’t believe that fool of a man had tricked her. Not only that, he intruded just as she was about to inflict the most damage on her enemies. Now the other pawns were not only gone, but Xavier was with them. They would no doubt start plotting against her. They were certain to obstruct the next phase of her plan. All that hard work and planning was in jeopardy now, but she refused to let them stop her when she was so close. But at the moment she had more pressing concerns.

Behind her the rest of her minions emerged. Wanda was next to her along with Kurt, Alex, Tabitha, Warren, Betsy, Monet, and Roberto. The dazed and mindless Mangeto was also with them along with Lorna and Laura. Alex, Warren, and Roberto worked to keep them up. Sabretooth was also up and not happy about this sudden turn of events.

“You stupid bitch! You let them get away!” growled Sabretooth.

For that remark, Wanda shot him with a hex bolt.

“Augh!”

“Quiet animal! Do not talk to Mistress Selene like that!” she spat.

“What do we do now, Mistress?” asked Monet anxious, “We have to go after them!”

As much as Selene wanted to, the issue of the bomb made that all too difficult. Xavier knew how to make an escape and he knew how to make sure she wouldn’t follow him. At some point she had to concede to his tenacity.

“No…we have no time for them,” she said bitterly, “We’ll have to handle them later. For now, we must get out of here before the bomb goes off!”

“But how?” asked Warren.

“Follow me! I know a way,” said the Black Queen.

Selene’s minions followed her closely as they ran full speed down a stretch of halls, disappearing into a special room not far from her torture chambers. They left behind what would have been their ultimate triumph. Xavier and his pawns had escaped. They were unable to finish the job. But they had to move forward with Mistress Selene’s plan. It was just going to be more difficult with Xavier and the pawns involved.

Once they were gone the whole manor fell silent as the final seconds came and went. Then with a deafening bang, the manor that once housed the power and might of the Hellfire Club exploded in a massive fireball. The stakes had officially changed. Now nothing would be the same for either side. But the battle lines had been drawn. The Black King and the Black Queen were now locked in a new struggle and it was unclear as to who would come out victorious.

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Up next: With both Xavier and Selene reeling, each side moves forward with their plans.