New Blood II: Growing Ranks

New Blood
Chapter 14: Pet Projects

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Hellfire Jet

Rahne Sinclair had flown into New York City countless times before. She used to enjoy sitting near the window, watching as the famous skyline appeared over the horizon. But today was different. Today she was in no mood to enjoy the scenery. She was too bitter and upset at the sudden turn her life had taken.

After the incident in Prague, Moria flew her up to Muir Island where Forge and a few Hellfire doctors gave her an examination. The news they gave her wasn’t what she hoped. Forge built this weird mutant analysis machine that scanned her mutation and revealed what happened. Somehow, her X-gene went into overdrive and started manifesting at a much higher rate than normal. It manifested so strongly that it made permanent changes to her physiology, hence the permanent half-wolf, half-human form she was now stuck in. He tried using a power suppressor so she could be human again, but that only worked on her wolf-traits. It didn’t change her appearance. Forge said he would keep trying, but his specialty was machines and not biology. For real expertise, they would have to turn to someone else and that’s why they were in New York.

“It won’t be much longer, Rahne,” said Moria, who was sitting next to her on the fancy private jet, “I already talked to Xavier. He’s set everything up for us in Sinister’s lab.”

“What makes ye so sure Sinister can do any better than Forge?” said Rahne, not sounding too optimistic.

“He’ll find away. If anybody can do it, it’s him. He’s done it with others in the Inner Circle. Just ask Rogue.”

“Rogue never had this to deal with,” said Rahne, pointing at her wolf-like face, “I know you’re trying to be optimistic, mom, but this feels different. I cannot explain it, but when I look at me self in the mirror, I get the feeling that this is what I’m supposed to be…even if it’s not what I want to be.”

Her expression sank. Moria reached over and placed her hand atop hers. It was hard to hold it because her hand was slightly misshapen between a human hand and the paw of a canine. But she still held it strongly. Moria rarely showed compassion. Her late husband beat most of it out of her years ago. But Rahne was her adopted daughter. She showed her the kind of love that she never showed anybody else, except for Charles. While she may not be a mutant, she could still do her best for her.

She and Rahne stayed silent for the most part until the jet landed at JFK airport. Once the plane came to a stop the Hellfire servants that came along with them gathered their luggage and opened the cockpit door for them. Upon stepping out, they were greeted by Charles Xavier himself, who was standing near a blacked out limousine. Moria smiled upon seeing him and met him in a warm embrace, as was often their custom. But Rahne remained indifferent to it all, not showing a lot of enthusiasm for being here.

“Hello, Charles,” Moria greeted, “Thank ye for doing this on such short notice.”

“Anytime, my dear,” said the Black King, “It’s always a pleasure to see you, but I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Aye, you’re not the only one.”

Xavier parted from his love and turned towards Rahne, who he hadn’t seen in a while. As Moria’s partner and longtime lover, he always had a role in her life. He didn’t directly raise her the way Moria had, but she still looked up to him as a father figure of sorts. Even though she always had a thorough distain of most father figures after what her own father did to her, Xavier was one of the few she really respected. She usually was excited to see him, but not today.

“Rahne, my dear, how have you been holding up?” he asked with concern.

“About as well as ye would expect for someone whose powers just went haywire,” she replied bitterly.

“I’ll take that as a positive sign. But fear not. I have already informed Hank McCoy of your issue. He’s already set something up that should help you.”

“Hank McCoy? I thought I was going to see Mr. Sinister?” said Rahne.

“Sinister has been a bit…occupied lately. I feel Hank would be better to handle this anyways since he has quite a bit of experience in this matter.”

“But is he just as good?” she questioned.

“He’s as good as he has to be,” Xavier assured her, “Now come, I’m sure you’re eager to get some help.”

Rahne trusted the Black King on this one. He rarely led her wrong in the past and had no reason to believe this was any different. She came in assuming Sinister would be the one to give her a checkup. That never sat well with her to begin with, but she knew as well as anybody in the Inner Circle that the man was a genius who knew mutation. She didn’t know nearly as much about Hank McCoy. She barely ever saw him since he spent most of his time in the lab with Sinister. But if he could help her, she could care less.

As she got into the limo, Moria lingered for a bit. She too thought that Sinister would be the one treating her daughter. Like Rahne, she didn’t like the man personally, but his expertise in the matter was unparalleled. Giving her to Hank seemed a little strange, but Xavier picked up on this and explained himself.

‘I know what you’re thinking my dear. And I understand your concerns. But with the activity surrounding Sinister lately I figured it wasn’t the best time to leave Rahne in his hands.’

‘What makes ye think he would try something, Charles? He knows what I’ll do to him if he does something to her.’

‘Something tells me that doesn’t concern him anymore, Moria. Just trust me on this one. Rahne would be much safer with Hank than Sinister at this point. At least with Hank, I can keep a closer eye on him.’

It made sense. Hank didn’t have the same suspicions around him that Sinister was garnering at the moment. Chances were he didn’t even know the details of what Sinister was up to. So it was probably better if Rahne stayed away from him, even when she was desperate for his expertise. As much as she wanted to help her daughter, she didn’t want Sinister pulling one of his tricks. At least with Hank they could put a leash on him. Hopefully Sinister taught him well enough to help her daughter. He better not screw up either otherwise he would answer to her.

Sinister’s Lab

The limousine carrying Moria, Rahne, and Charles arrived at the basement entrance of X-Industrial tower after a 45-minute drive from the airport. A legion of guards and servants were there to greet them. And despite Rahne’s appearance, they still treated her with the same respect as they always did. That was refreshing, but she would feel a lot better about it if she could get her powers under control. The ride in had been silent for the most part. She sensed Moria and Charles having a psychic conversation most of the way. She wasn’t sure what they were discussing, but something told her it was something she shouldn’t get into. Lately there had been a lot of intense conversations between them. She suspected something might be up and while it did concern her as a member of the Inner Circle, she had other concerns at the moment.

She followed Charles and her mother down the usual collection of elevators and security levels that lead to Sinister’s lab. She had been here before, but only a handful of times. She never liked coming here when she didn’t have to. There was so much about this place and Sinister in general that just turned her off. That man had always been a wildcard. Her mother told her all about it early on and on the few times she did meet him, she never liked sticking around. Even though he wouldn’t be the one treating him this time, just being in his lab felt a little off. And if Hank had been spending so much time with him since he arrived, there was a good chance he probably picked up some of Sinister’s traits. Hopefully it wasn’t too much though. This was the man she was trusting to help her.

After the final barrier they arrived in the lab where Hank was waiting for them. He had on his usual lab coat and set up an examination table in a corner of the lab just for her. Upon seeing her he smiled. It was the first time in a while he came across someone with an appearance similar to his. Rahne didn’t smile back. That look on his face was a bit too much like Sinister’s for comfort. But she maintained her strong demeanor.

“Hello Hank,” greeted Xavier, “Are you ready?”

“I’m ready, Lord Xavier. You’re just in time. Is this the young Rahne Sinclair?” said Hank, gesturing towards Rahne.

“It is,” he answered solemnly, “As you can see, her appearance has changed quite dramatically since you last saw her.”

“So it would seem,” he said as he approached her with a curious glimmer in his eyes, “But change isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes it can be quite majestic.”

“Spare me the poetry and let’s get this over with,” said Rahne, “I don’t care if ye like the change, but I don’t want to be like this. I need to be in control again!”

Hank sighed at her remarks. They reminded her very much of how he was when he first arrived at the Hellfire Club. He remembered urging Sinister to fix him so he could be human again, but he didn’t. Instead, he gave him a new appreciation for what he was. He no longer lost sleep over his appearance. He even came to embrace it somewhat. But Rahne was still young. It would be a bit harder for her. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t.

“Very well,” he said, “Let’s begin with the examination.”

Hank then turned to Moria and Xavier.

“This may take a while so if you want you can wait outside the lab or you can come back later.”

“I’ll be staying,” said Moria, casting her daughter a caring look, “I can wait outside if I have to, but rest assured I’ll be looking in.”

“I would expect nothing less,” said Hank, “And you, Lord Xavier?”

“I have a few other matters to attend to, but I will be back to check in,” he said, “I expect a full report when your finished. I also expect you to give Sinister the details so he can look them over as well.”

“I know the drill, good sir,” said Hank respectfully, “Rest assured, young Rahne is in good hands.”

“She better be,” said Moria in a threatening tone.

Hank ignored Moria’s comment. He understood she didn’t trust him any more than she trusted Mr. Sinister. He couldn’t blame her, but that was her problem. He didn’t need her trust to do what he had to do with Rahne. He was glad Mr. Sinister wasn’t here to begin with because seeing another half-animal, half-human mutant struggling with her powers was comforting to him. It also helped that she was an attractive young woman, but he kept that to himself.

As he led Rahne to the corner of the lab, Charles gave Moria a kiss on the forehead and made his leave. At first Moria lingered a bit, but then she stepped out of the lab to wait outside the security entrance. There was a window where she could look in, but for the most part she would be pacing restlessly, worrying about her daughter. Hank knew he would be working under her ever-present scrutiny, but he didn’t let it bother him. He was excited to see what this young girl had to offer.

“Just lie down and relax,” said Hank, “I’m going to draw some blood and do a few tests. Once I get the results we’ll go over the options.”

“What kind of options are we talking about?” asked Rahne curiously.

“We won’t know until we find out now well we?” he said wryly, “Oh, and I’ll need you to remove most of your clothes.”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you, Dr. Beast?” said Rahne with a half grin.

“Keep your underwear on if you want. But don’t worry. I’m a doctor and this is a medical examination. I won’t step over my bounds.”

“Sure you won’t,” said Rahne skeptically.

Rahne removed her shirt and pants. Even after her transformation, her clothes still fit okay and she wasn’t about to let it dampen her Hellfire style. She usually wore skin tight black pants with a revealing halter top. But the transformation left much of her body pretty furry so it was a little harder to make out her womanly features. Her surgically enhanced breasts were even obscured as was her legs and thighs. She usually prided herself on being a sexy little animal, but it was hard to be sexy with an appearance like this.

But Hank didn’t seem to mind. Now in just her bra and panties, he couldn’t help but smile at her appearance. Her part-wolf, part-human form was quite a sight. A part of him was genuinely attracted to it. He admired normal looking woman as much as the next man with a beast-like sex drive, but something about a girl who shared his feral appearance struck a chord. A dark voice in his head told her to take her, but he held back for a moment. With Moria watching, now was not the time to listen to that dark voice that so often tempted him.

Once settled, Rahne laid down on the bed and let Hank begin the examination. It started off normally enough. First, Hank drew some blood from her arm and put it through and advanced mutation scanner. After that, he pulled up an ominous looking machine that looked like an X-ray device and scanned it over her body. She noticed how closely he hovered over her. She could sense some attraction and lust in his demeanor, but to his credit he held it back. Given how hard it was to hold back her own animal instincts sometimes, she admired him for that. It didn’t make her feel any less comfortable, but the way she saw it, better Hank than Mr. Sinister.

Once he was done with the scan more tests followed. He checked her reflexes, senses, blood pressure, and cognitive awareness. He also looked inside her mouth to check the wolf-like teeth that hadn’t gone away. He even checked her tail, which had been protruding from her lower back since the incident in Prague. There didn’t seem to be a medical reason for this. Rahne got the feeling Hank was just admiring it a little. But she didn’t say anything and let him finish his tests. She was a bit worried at one point that he would ask to check her reproductive system, which would have been even more uncomfortable. But it never came up and he didn’t comment on it. Given how clearly attracted he was to her, she was surprised he didn’t at least try it. Most men, especially those under the influence of Mr. Sinister and the Hellfire Club, wouldn’t have hesitated. But Hank didn’t. He seemed to be interested in something else and it sparked her curiosity.

“Is this what Sinister has you do all the time? Giving checkups to girls with uncontrollable powers?” asked Rahne as her hands/paws and legs.

“Not all the time,” answered Hank, “But when the need arises I do what I must to aid Sinister in his work.”

“In other words you do whatever Sinister tells you,” she surmised, “Guess that makes you his lap dog…no pun intended.”

“Oh I’m hardly a lap dog, my dear,” said Hank as he looked into her ears, “I’m more of a star pupil. Sinister doesn’t force me to do what I do. He’s never forced me to do anything. I help him of my own accord.”

“I find that hard to believe. I always figured Sinister was just an ugly, creepy, control freak.”

“Say what you will about Sinister, but the man is good at what he does. He knows mutation and evolution. It doesn’t matter that you dislike him, but don’t think for a second that you understand him. He is a man of science just like me. That, more than anything else, is what dictates who he is. The same applies to me, only Sinister has given me a new appreciation for it.”

Hank finished his observations and then went back to the scanning device that he had been using to analyze her blood and hair samples. But even as the results printed out, he went on.

“But it wasn’t just science he gave me a new appreciation for. You see, I was once like you. I didn’t want to become an animal. I did everything I could to hold it back, spending my life savings and dedicating every spare moment I had to fixing what I thought was a curse. But then I met Sinister. He taught me that my current appearance is my true form. To fight it would be to fight part of myself. So I stopped fighting it and started embracing it. And I’m better for it.”

“How does accepting that you look like a freak make you better?” scoffed Rahne.

“Accepting is not the same as embracing, my dear,” said Hank with an ominous grin as he looked over her test results, “Accepting something is easy. You just stop fighting it. But embracing it…well, that’s another matter altogether. When you embrace something you don’t just accept it. You take control of it and let it guide you in your everyday life. Eventually you won’t miss looking human. You’ll find that being an animal is much more exciting.”

Rahne looked at him strangely. For a man who spent most of his time cooped up in a lab, he had quite a skewed sense of things. She wasn’t sure if that was just how he was or if that was something he picked up from Sinister. But looking into his yellowish, cat-like eyes she saw intent. He really had embraced being part animal. It didn’t seem to bother him one bit. Maybe that was why he was leering over her so much. She wasn’t sure if she was capable of it, but it did intrigue her. As much as she enjoyed her powers, she never fully embraced her animal side. She just let it mesh with her human side. Perhaps she was holding back, but that still didn’t mean she wanted to go on like this. However, as she watched Hank go over her test results it didn’t look too promising.

“Well now isn’t this interesting?” he said as he read over the charts.

“What? What’s interesting? What did you find out?” said Rahne anxiously.

“I better bring your mother in here.”

Hank waved over towards the window where Moria had been pacing through most of the tests. She rushed back inside to get the full story. She looked just as anxious as Rahne, only a bit more apprehensive about it.

“What’s going on? What did the tests show?” asked Moria.

“You’re an esteemed biologists, Lady Moria, see for yourself,” said Hank, handing her the charts, “Tell me, how long as young Rahne been doing her bounty hunting?”

“Officially, about six years,” said Moria as she went over the data, “Why do ye ask?”

“Because the tests indicate that both the X-gene and brain activity show an increased feedback loop within her canine attributes. The synthesis and coding of proteins and enzymes are quite precarious. Her every system was flooded with hormones and signals that sent her body into overdrive, causing immense genetic instability.”

“You mind putting it into words I can at least partially understand?!” exclaimed Rahne, not liking the sound of this one bit.

“Very well, imagine your mutation is a small fire in a campsite in the middle of a forest. The burning fire is your mutation. When you stress them, it’s like stoking it. And over the years it has been stoked quite extensively. And as you got older and used your powers with increasing fortitude, you added more logs onto that fire, causing it to grow and intensify. Eventually, you reach a point where the fire is beyond your control. You end up setting the whole forest ablaze…hence your current state.”

It wasn’t the best analogy he could have used, but it got the point across. Rahne’s bitterness deepened. Somehow she got the feeling some of this was permanent.

“So you’re saying that by using her powers so extensively during her bounty hunting operations she was fueling the fire,” said Moria, “She did tell me she would spend days on end following targets in her wolf form. She also told me there were times she forgot she was even human.”

“And now her physiology has reacted to the increased mutagenic rates by altering her appearance. All genes must settle down at some point. But when they do they aren’t always in the same state as they began.”

“But just using her powers extensively shouldn’t cause this kind of change!” said Moria, frustrated by some of these readings.

“Maybe not, but tell me, Rahne…how intently do you use your powers while ‘hunting’ so to speak?”

Rahne paused for a moment. Memories of her many hunts came rushing back. Images of her in her half-wolf and full wolf rushed through her mind. In each image she saw herself tearing into her victim with little if any restrain. She would bark, howl, and fight like a real wolf and she would do it with the kind of focused intensity that was easy to lose herself in. Now that she looked back on it, she was surprised something like this hadn’t happened to her sooner.

“I’d say I’m always pretty intense,” she admitted, “I would just lose myself in the hunt. I can’t explain it, but while in my wolf form everything just…explodes.”

“Then I guess that’s the factor Forge couldn’t figure out,” said Moria, sighing as she set the papers aside, “I suppose this is partially my fault. I was the one that encouraged you to follow your animal instincts.”

“Don’t blame yourself, mom,” said Rahne with a warm gesture, “I should have tried harder to control myself. I probably wouldn’t have been so messy with my victims otherwise.”

That was a minor detail to consider, but Rahne and Moria shared a smile. It didn’t make their predicament any easier, but at least they knew what caused it. Rahne fed her animal side too much and it got too strong for her to handle. Now she was stuck in this half-human, half-animal state. But this wasn’t how either of them wanted it to remain. Moria turned to Hank for the next step.

“So what are our options?” she asked, “How do we undo this?”

“Like I said, certain aspects of biology can never return to normal even after such a dramatic ordeal. Just turning the clock back isn’t an option here. We must take a different approach.”

“So you’re saying I’m stuck like this?!” exclaimed Rahne.

“Calm down, Rahne,” coaxed Hank, “By different approach, I do not mean you’ll remain in this state. We just have to get you back in control of yourself. With all logs you’ve added onto the fire, we need to clear the surroundings so to speak so it didn’t start another firestorm.”

“And just how do ye plan on doing that?” asked Moria.

“Through the same procedure Sinister used to give Rogue and Scott control of their powers,” answered Hank, “But unlike them, their mutation did not cause the same physiological manifestations as Rahne’s. She may have control, but it won’t completely undo her appearance.”

“In other words, I am stuck this way,” muttered Rahne.

“Not entirely,” said Hank in a humored tone.

He walked up to her and cupped her chin, turning her head so she was looking him in the eye. He may have had that ominous look that lingered as a result of Sinister’s influence, but there was understanding in his expression. And it was the kind of understanding that Rahne latched onto.

“You may not look like you always did. Some aspects of your current form will remain. But I assure you the form you’ll have after this operation will be different from the one you’re currently stuck in. I can’t tell you exactly what that form will be like, but it will be more…refined, for lack of a better word. It’s either this or find a way to remove your powers completely, but we both know you don’t want that and neither does your mother. But let me tell you if you go this route your powers may grow in other ways. And if you’re to maintain control, you must embrace them and not just accept them.”

It all came back to what Hank told her about embracement and acceptance. She still didn’t’ understand it, but given her current dilemma it was starting to make a little sense. For so long she just gave into her powers, using them as a tool and not some other part of herself that was ingrained in her persona. When she looked in the mirror, she saw her human side and not the animal side as her true identity. But now she was going to have to be able to accept both. And beyond accepting it, she had to learn to embrace it. Looking up at Hank and then back at her mother, she knew she had a decision to make. It was follow Hank’s advice or try removing her powers, something that would surely reduce her roll in the Hellfire Club. For a moment, she contemplated.

“What do you think, mom? What should I do?” asked Rahne.

Moria looked away for a moment, not sure what to tell her. As a figure in the Hellfire Club, she wanted her to keep her powers so she could continue serving the Inner Circle. But as a mother, she wanted what was best for her daughter. With that in mind she turned back to her daughter and gave her a comforting look.

“I can’t tell ye, lass. It’s up to you,” she said, “Whatever ye decide, I’ll support.”

Rahne sighed and looked back towards Hank. This really was her decision and knowing that, she had to make sure it was the right one. Thinking back to what she had done and everything she wanted to do, only one option made sense. If she was continue doing what she did, she had to keep her powers. It wouldn’t be easy learning to embrace them the way Hank said, but nothing worth having was ever easy. With that in mind, her choice became clear.

“Fine, let’s go with this procedure you mentioned,” she said, “If it worked for Scott and Rogue that’s good enough for me.”

Hank smiled, happy to hear she came to this decision. It wouldn’t just help her with her powers, it would also provide an interesting opportunity for them to get to know each other. If she was going to learn to embrace her animal side, she was going to need help. That was help he was more than happy to give her and it may lead to certain other ‘opportunities’ down the line.

“Very well,” said Hank, “I’ll get everything set up. By tonight I promise you’ll feel like a new woman with a much greater appreciation for the animal within.”

Worthington Industries Pent House

Warren Worthington III didn’t always enjoy the business world. His parents instilled a strong appreciation for it from an early age. They sent him off to fancy private schools to learn everything anybody could ever want about doing business. But he still had his own way of doing things. It wasn’t until he joined the Hellfire Club that he developed a much stronger appreciation for it. He no longer saw business as just another bland way to make money and build things. He saw it as a mission with targets, obstacles, and enemies that had to be overcome and sometimes eliminated. Lord Xavier and Mistress Selene showed him many ways to accomplish these missions, many of which were harsh and ruthless at times. But that didn’t bother him. If anything, it made it more exciting.

At the moment, he was giving the younger pawns a business lesson. With Lord Xavier and Lady Moria busy with other matters and with Selene busy with her usual ‘covert’ activities, the older pawns were beginning to take a more active role in training the younger pawns. Among the group was Tabitha, Kitty, Jubilee, Sam, and Bobby. Alex and Lorna were off with their respective siblings, although he suspected Alex would rather tag along than spend more time with his brother. Roberto had already learned enough business skills from his father so he was working on his powers with Warpath and Piotr. But it was their loss because it meant they wouldn’t get to see the nice setup he had for his family company.

Like everything else associated with the Hellfire Club, the company headquarters was a very opulent building. Ever since his father began doing business with Charles years ago, the company became flushed with cash and was able to spend extra money to spruce up their surroundings. And since Warren took a more active role in Worthington Industries, he added his own touch to certain areas. His father didn’t mind. In fact, his father didn’t even know about many of the changes he made. He maintained his ignorance-is-bliss position. So long as he didn’t see what Warren did with the Hellfire Club or how he ran things, he didn’t care. His mother, bless her heart, followed his father and as far as he was concerned they were merely figureheads for the company now. His father was already talking about retiring from his duties and leaving the company exclusively in Warren’s hands. It was an exciting time for Warren, but his loyalty to his family company was still only secondary. The Hellfire Club always came first. And within the club, Mistress Selene held the most influence over him, but he kept that to himself.

At the very top of Worthington Industries headquarters, located in Manhattan less than six blocks from X-Industrial, the pent house suite was Warren’s favorite part of the building. It was here where his father used to run the company. Since then he made himself quite at home here and he loved inviting rivals to conduct deals here. At the moment he was finishing up one that would yield yet more wealth for his company. Behind him, the young pawns watched and learned as Warren did what he did best.

“As you can see, Mr. Jeph, the terms are more than favorable for you given the current state your company is in. Signing this contract will give Worthington Industries full control and while some of your workers may feel the pinch, you’ll be able to retire comfortably.”

“You make it sound so pleasant for something that flat out gives you everything I ever worked for,” said the well-dressed man bitterly.

“It is considering your numerous transgressions in attaining everything you worked for,” quipped Warren, “You know you broke a lot of laws to work your way up and now they’re catching up to you. Walk out of this room without this contract and you’ll be facing the biggest criminal indictment of any CEO in the history of business. I mean seriously, some of the things you’ve done are enough to make even me ill. What kind of person flies a private jet to Bangkok to…”

But Mr. Jeph didn’t let him finish.

“Okay! Okay! I get the message! No need to remind me,” he said in defeat, “I’ll sign your contract. Just make this all go away and I promise you I’ll disappear.”

“Oh I’m sure you will,” grinned Warren.

The man trembled at his ominous words. He knew this man’s reputation. People had a way of ‘disappearing’ after making deals with this man. He already had plans to get as far away from this place as possible and hopefully slip under the radar. He just had to sign these papers and he would be free.

Upon signing on all the necessary lines, the Mr. Jeph promptly gathered up his things and prepared to leave. Warren went over the forms to make sure everything was in order. From the looks of it, the deal was solid. Worthington Industries, and the Hellfire Club for that matter, had yet more assets to call their own. It was a great time to be in the Inner Circle.

“There now, are we done?” asked Mr. Jeph.

“We’re done,” Warren assured him, “You may go now.”

“Good, because I don’t plan on ever seeing you people again,” he said strongly.

The man couldn’t get out of the office fast enough. He rushed out, passing one of Warren’s attractive female secretaries in the process. She flashed him a sultry grin, but Mr. Jeph ignored it and made a beeline for the elevator. But shortly after he was gone she turned to Warren.

“Should I see to it that his ride to the airport goes smoothly?” she asked.

“Of course, Allison. And while you’re at it make sure he gets a nice view of the East River before he arrives.”

“Oh I will,” said the attractive young blonde with a sinister grin.

Warren nodded, knowing full well she understood the subtext to his words. Mr. Jeph would never make it to the airport. He wouldn’t even make it out of this city. By this time tomorrow his corpse will have washed out to sea and the media will think he just left on a retirement retreat. It was the epitome of Hellfire style business, calm on the surface but ruthless behind the scenes. It was a style that the young pawns had been getting to know extensively since their arrival and this was just another real-life example.

Upon filing away the forms, Warren rose up from his comfortable CEO chair and addressed the five young pawns.

“So what have we learned today?” he asked them.

“Never trust a man in an Armani suit with wings coming out his back?” commented Tabitha.

“Please spare me the jokes, Tabitha. I may not be Lord Xavier, but I’m every bit as serious as him,” groaned Warren, “Now tell me what you saw.”

“Well first you had the home field advantage,” Bobby pointed out, “You made it so he was meeting you on your turf, making him vulnerable from the get go.”

“You also locked the doors and dimmed the windows,” added Kitty, “You made him feel like he was trapped and had no way out.”

“Good observations,” said Warren, smiling in approval, “What else?”

“You wouldn’t stop talking,” said Tabitha.

“What did I say about the jokes, Tabitha?”

“It wasn’t a joke. You really didn’t stop talking. That kept him on the defensive and made him feel like you really were his superior.”

“You also talked down to him,” added Sam, “You made him feel like a little girl getting yelled at by her parents.”

“Ah, good point,” said Warren, “But what about the offer itself. He knew what he was losing. So why did he sign it?”

“Because he didn’t have a choice,” said Jubilee, “It was either trust you or walk out of here in handcuffs. You made him believe that if he didn’t take this deal, he would get thrown in jail and publicly crucified!”

“That’s half-true, Jubilee,” said Warren, “You see, it’s not always enough to believe that your opponent will deliver on his threats. They have to see some concrete proof of it. If they do then such threats are much more effective.”

“But how did you do that?” asked Kitty, “Did you give him some sort of look?”

“Oh don’t be so melodramatic,” scoffed Warren, “I made sure my security staff was visible when I led him up here. I also had the police and a few media friends on standby. So if he didn’t sign those papers, the authorities would have been all over him before he even got out of this building.”

“But if that happened then wouldn’t you have lost the deal?” questioned Sam.

“Ah, but that’s where the fine print comes in. See, he didn’t know that I already had an order for his company stock on standby so that even if he did get dragged out of here in handcuffs, I’d still end up with his company because I would be able to buy it out when the stocks tanked and before others could move in. So either way, I was going to win. It was just a matter of positioning yourself in a way that ensures you always have the advantage.”

It was pretty impressive. Even if it was a little deceitful, it got the job done. Now they were that much richer with more wealth in their hands. And this time they didn’t have to beat anybody up or show any kind of real force. They just had to project it so that their enemy knew it was there. It was a different way to use their powers and one that was new to each of them. It may not have been as exciting or intense as other forms of training, but it provided one more skill for them to use.

For those such as Kitty and Sam, both of whom had their lives deeply affected by business, it resonated much more strongly. Kitty’s parents were fired from their jobs because their employers didn’t like that they had a mutant daughter and Sam’s family was nearly ruined because the coal company that employed most of his home town packed up and left. Now here they were playing on the opposite end of the spectrum, acting as employer rather than powerless employee. They should have felt sorry for the people they were ruining, but Hellfire conditioned them to feel no sympathy towards the weak. They rose above the mess that other businesses left them in and they weren’t going to let anything drag them back down.

“You know, at the rate we’re going I may end up liking the business world,” grinned Bobby.

“Me too, and this is from someone who can barely do math,” laughed Jubilee.

“It’s different, Ah’ll give you that. But it’s a lot less cumbersome than beating it out of people,” said Sam.

“I don’t know. It may be easier, but I still think the other way is more fun,” grinned Tabitha.

“Of course you would think that, Tabby,” said Kitty rolling her eyes, “But not everything can be a brawl or an orgy.”

“Funny you should say that, Kitty,” said Warren as he got up from his desk, “Because I was just about to address that in the last part of the lesson.”

“Oh? How so?” she asked.

Warren grinned ominously. Walking out from behind his desk, he made his way over towards the far end of his office where he had some couches, chairs, and a coffee table set up. He approached the wall and opened a hidden keypad that was concealed by a framed picture. He typed in a brief five digit code, which opened the panel to reveal a couple of buttons. The five young pawns gathered around the area, not sure what he was up to. But he definitely had something planned.

“One rule most business professionals will tell you is that you should never mix business and pleasure. But anybody who says that just isn’t using their imagination,” he told them.

Warren then pushed the button, which activated a special mechanism that caused the walls of his office to open up to reveal a hidden path. He then gestured for the other pawns to follow him. Curious and excited, they joined him in the new entryway. Upon stepping through they were in a new part of the pent house. When they saw where they were they were all surprised and intrigued. It turned out some of the renovations Warren made included his own private S&M and bondage room.

“Wow…” said Bobby as he took in the sight.

“I like where this is going!” grinned Tabitha.

“I thought you would,” said Warren.

The room wasn’t as opulent as is office, but it was distinct in plenty of other ways. All around the room, there were masked men and women, most likely Hellfire sex workers, all dressed up in elaborate S&M attire. It wasn’t like the usual erotic attire that was just meant to arouse. This was hardcore dominatrix style outfits. The men wore tight leather pants with holes in the rear and cod pieces over their crotch. They also had their nipples pierced and special leather masks with zippers over the mouth. The women were wearing thigh high boots, tight black corsets that were cut in a way to let their breasts hang out, arm length leather gloves, and very revealing thongs. They also had piercings in their nipples and a few had chains linking them. Their masks were different from the men’s in that theirs only covered their eyes, but it was every bit as erotic. Some were already tied up with a couple of women strapped to wooden raping tables and some men handcuffed to walls. They were all equipped for some serious S&M and the room was set up perfectly for it.

The walls were fashioned like that of a medieval dungeon with macabre artwork littering the walls along with authentic medieval weapons and tools, none of which looked friendly. The lights were gothic style lamps that had dimmed lighting to make for a very erotic ambience. There were also some red candles, but these weren’t for lighting. They were for collecting wax that could be used for more ‘creative’ acts. There were also tables full of S&M attire like whips, ball gags, paddles, handcuffs, dildoes, and vibrators. The room had everything anybody into S&M could ever want and Warren spared no expense in setting it up.

“I set this up a couple years ago when my father stepped back,” explained Warren, “This used to be an old conference room, but I felt it needed the Hellfire touch.”

“Well mission accomplished, Warren,” said Jubilee.

The five young took in their new surroundings with excitement and intrigue. They knew the Hellfire Club did its share of S&M. They had even participated in some of it during magic sex rituals. But this was far more elaborate. Bobby and Sam grinned intently at the women, who flashed them seductive looks while gripping some whips. Tabitha, Jubilee, and Kitty looked over some of the toys on the tables. Tabitha was especially excited, taking a couple of whips and getting a feel for them. Kitty and Jubilee took a couple of vibrators and looked around at the men. Already, they were thinking of ways on how to put this stuff to good use. The Hellfire Club gave them all an appreciation and appetite for raunchy sex and it didn’t get much raunchier than this.

For Warren, it was still part of the lesson. He walked up onto a small stage he had at the center of the room where a busty brunette woman wielding a whip joined him. She smiled at him, knowing full well what he was going to do to her. He already laid it out for her when he invited everybody up here. He had done it before, but this time he was going to share it with the pawns.

“I hope you all appreciate these accommodations I’ve made,” he said, “It costs quite a bit to set up this kind of ambience.”

“I’ll bet!” said Tabitha, “If I knew we were getting S&M lessons as well I would have worn something more appropriate!”

“Oh this isn’t a lesson in S&M,” said Warren, “This relates to the business world as well. You see, when I first arrived I learned many things. But what resonated most with me was a little lesson Mistress Selene once gave me.”

Warren paused for a moment as the memory played over in his head. His first S&M session with Selene was quite a moment. She was the master and he was the slave. He remembered vividly how she worked him over, tying him up and performing various sexual acts that mixed pleasure with pain. He came out of that lesson with a smile on his face and whip marks on his back and burns from candle wax on his chest. It further sent him into the darkness Selene had imparted on him, but it also taught him something very valuable.

“You see, business is like S&M in the sense that there are dominants and submissives. As part of the Inner Circle, we are all by default dominant. But sometimes dominating someone doesn’t just mean overpowering them. You need to use both force and cunning, mixing pleasure and pain to get things done.”

“Sounds like a kinky way to do business,” commented Bobby.

“There’s nothing kinky about putting your power to good use,” Warren went on, “The way this works is you are all dominants. You all have complete power over these generous volunteers. You can do whatever you want to them. You can beat them, fuck them, and play with them. But do it properly and you’ll both feel pleasure in the highest degree. Do it wrongly and the submissive suffers. In business when the submissive suffers you both lose in the long run. Because when they are gone, you don’t have power over them anymore.”

“So we have to be careful,” said Sam, as he admiringly traced his hand over a bound woman strapped to a table.

“Yes, but you must still be dominant. Never let them forget that you are the one in control. That’s how business works and that’s how S&M works as well.”

It made sense in a twisted way. None of them ever would have associated business with kinky sex acts. But in this context it did make some sense of sorts. Business deals in the Hellfire world were like dominant/submissive roles. They were the dominant and they used the submissive to get with they want. They didn’t use brute force. They used cunning and at times a few tricks. But in the end they always remained the ones in control.

Warren saw the excitement growing among the young pawns. Some were more excited than others. They had yet to receive a formal lesson in S&M and so long as they were going to experience it sooner or later they might as well get a taste.

“Okay, here’s how it’s going to work…” he said, “First of all, I want all of you to strip and pick out some attire. Then, I want you all to select a submissive. Then using what you’ve learned from this lesson, project your dominance. Use your submissive in any way you want, but the goal is twofold: attain as much pleasure for yourself as possible and make your submissive accept your power. And be sure they enjoy themselves a bit as well.”

“In other words, we play the part of dominatrix,” grinned Jubilee.

“Sounds simple enough,” shrugged Bobby, “I always wondered what the appeal of this sort of thing was anyhow.”

“Well now’s your chance to find out,” grinned Warren, “Now let the lesson begin!”

The five pawns did as instructed. Bobby, Sam, Kitty, Jubilee, and Tabitha stripped out of their Hellfire uniforms and so did Warren. Then they selected some of the attire Warren had laid out on a table next to the toys. Tabitha selected a special micro-thong with invisible sides and a slit in the bottom so she could have sex without taking it off. Jubilee opted for leather heeled boots and matching gloves with nothing else to cover her body. Kitty chose a corset that held her breasts in a way that really showed off her cleavage and some matching boots with no thong. Bobby chose a spiked collar for his neck and special underwear with a hole in front so his member could remain exposed. Sam chose something similar, only he didn’t go for the collar. Warren also made a selection, choosing his favorite outfit for these sorts of occasions. It consisted of special leather pants with parts of the back cut out and an area of the front cut out so his member could hang free. He also wrapped some leather belts around his chest and body and put on a special mask that covered the top half of his head. Having done this many times before, he knew his style and it always served him well.

Once they were all dressed, they each picked out some ‘toys’ to aid in their lesson. Tabitha used a leather studded whip, which she had been eying since she first saw it. Jubilee grabbed some feather tipped whips. Kitty opted for some smaller whips made out of thin leather strips. Bobby took a couple of paddles, some large and a few smaller ones to test out. Sam opted to try one of the special cock rings, which nobody seemed willing to try just yet and a special glass dildo with ripped features. For Warren, he went with the usual, which included a specially tailored whip with a weight at the end and a cup of hot wax. He always loved to mix it up, but these were his favorites and hopefully the pawns would find a few favorites as well.

“Alright everybody, now pick a submissive,” ordered Warren, “Don’t worry about being too rough. I made sure there were plenty to go around.”

“So I noticed,” said Kitty, looking around to see that there were at least two different sex workers for each of them, “Where did you get these people form anyways? Are they Hellfire sex workers?”

“Some of them are, but a few are just fans of S&M,” answered Warren, “It’s amazing what you can find certain clubs these days.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” purred Jubilee as she looked over her choice of sexy male stud.

Warren and the five pawns quickly selected their first subjects. The three girls each selected men who were restrained to the wall with shackles. All were masked so they couldn’t see their faces, but they were all shirtless too so they could make out their buff, well-developed bodies. Bobby and Sam went for the girls strapped on the raping tables. Each had their wrists and legs bound so their limbs made an X-shape on the table. They weren’t gagged, but they didn’t seem worried or concerned about it. If anything, they looked excited. They assumed they must get off on being dominated, which was good because there would be plenty of that to go around.

For Warren, he stayed on the small stage with the shapely brunette. Using chains from above, he shackled the woman’s wrists so they were bound firmly. Then he rose the chains up so they were shackled over her head. He fitted her with a ball-gag so she couldn’t say anything. He then removed her corset so that she was only in her boots and gloves, the rest of her voluptuous body completely exposed to him. She cast him a wanting look that just screamed ‘whip me…use me…take me.’ He smiled affectionately at her submissive demeanor, hungrily tracing his hand down her face and over her breasts. He gave her nipple a firm pinch, causing her to gasp slightly. Just seeing her all bound and gagged, there for him to take, was getting him aroused. And he could tell the others were feeling it too.

The three girls were already hard at work getting a feel for their new sex slaves. Kitty and Jubilee started off innocently enough, lustfully tracing their hands over their chisled features. Tabitha was more assertive, trailing her tongue over her slave’s chest and biting slightly on the nipple. This caused the man to moan slightly, but it was out of excitement and not pain. The men were enjoying their new female slaves as well. Bobby was already hungrily groping the woman’s breasts, squeezing them hard and licking the nipples. Sam was doing the same while using one hand to reach down and fondle her clit, squeezing and pinching it in a way that made the woman urge him for more. It was an interesting rush, having complete control over these slaves like this. But it was just the beginning.

“Time for the next step,” said Warren assertively, “You are now the masters and your partners are the slaves. Your first duty is to teach them a little discipline. And for this exercise, actions definitely speak louder than words.”

“I’m sure they will,” said Sam, “But what’s the best way to do it so we don’t go overboard?”

“When you’re the master and they’re the slave, there is no such thing as going overboard,” said Warren, “Just do what you have to do. Remember, you have power over these slaves. Use it! Assert yourself and make them recognize it!”

“Oh I most certainly will!” said Tabitha eagerly.

Warren got things going by giving a little demonstration. Gripping the whip intently, he gazed hungrily at the bound woman. Selene taught him many ways to dominate and this was his favorite. With the whip in hand, he stepped back and delivered firm lashing to his female slave. It was firm and forceful, leaving a red mark right on her butt. She let out a pained gasp, which was muffled by the gag. But she didn’t struggle. She remained there bound and gagged, ready for more. So Warren gave her more, whipping her again with more force and intent. Each time he did he let out a dominating grunt, the excitement and rush seething through each motion. The darkness instilled in him by Selene was stirred and it fueled his dominating hunger. It was a feeling that the five pawns followed in their own way.

Tabitha especially got into it. Using her whip, she went to town on her slave, swatting him along the chest in stomach. It got her even more excited and had to stop herself from going overboard. But the slave didn’t seem to mind. He couldn’t talk anyways so she just kept going. Kitty and Jubilee were a bit less severe. Jubilee didn’t just start whipping her slave. She teased him at first, using the feather tipped whip to tickle and entice him. Watching him squirm a bit was fun and she couldn’t stop laughing for a while. When she finally worked up the nerve she began swatting him a bit, but not too hard. She was more playful than rough. Kitty was the same, just kissing down the slaves body at first and raking her fingernails over his manly features. Then she started using the whip, twirling a bit to get the strips working in a circular motion and letting them impact the man’s upper body. It wasn’t too harsh, but the repeated impacts left their mark. It was exciting and exhilarating. Kitty and Jubilee didn’t go too far with it, but Tabitha was going all out.

“Yeah! Take it like a man you fucking stud!” she grinned as she whipped him again.

“Easy Tabby, don’t overdo it,” said Kitty.

“You do things your way, I’ll do things my way.”

While Tabitha got into the spirit, the two boys were enjoying their subjects as well. After hungrily feasting on the woman’s breasts, Bobby took his paddle and began tracing it down the woman’s body. She looked so vulnerable yet so excited. She was already breathing hard from his teasing and ready for more. So he undid the restraints on her legs so she could move them freely again. He then lifted them up so that they were at a perfect right angle, giving him a nice view of her butt. And with the paddle in hand he gave her a firm slap.

“Ohhhhhhh hit me again! I’ve been such a bad girl!” she squealed in excitement.

Bobby grinned, loving how she was so into it and did it some more. Sam’s slave was getting into it as well. Instead of using a paddle, he had an oversized glass dildo to work with and he found a few creative ways to use it. After tasting her breasts and rubbing her pussy so thoroughly, she was nice and wet. He then trailed the oversized object down her core, playfully slapping it around her inner thighs in the process. Like Bobby, he undid the shackles to her feet so she could shift her legs. Once released she spread them in a wide V-shape, allowing Sam the perfect angle to plunge it inside her. Only he didn’t put it in her pussy. He shoved it up her ass instead.

“Ohhhhhhhh my ass! Uh-uh-oh it’s so big!” gasped the woman.

“Dang, you really want it don’t you?” said Sam in amazement.

“Oh yes! Please! Keep doing it!” she begged him.

Sam did as she asked and roughly worked the sex toy in out of her bowls. He thought this would be an easier way to ease into S&M instead of whipping, but it seemed to be having the same affect. He was amazed this woman could take it. Chances were she probably did this before and that’s why she was able to take it. He eased into it, but the more she begged for it the harder he worked it. Soon he lost himself in the act, overwhelmed with the feeling that he had such control over this woman and she was letting him do this to her. He may not have shared Tabitha’s enthusiasm, but he got into it in his own respect.

Soon the room was echoing with sharp ‘thwack’ sounds. Moans and grunts mixed in and soon they were all into it. Warren set the tone, whipping the woman with increasing force and causing her to gasp louder. He was much rougher with her as well. The welts on her back and butt were much bigger than the ones the others were leaving. He also threw in some extra twists. At one point he stopped whipping her and attached small weighted clamps to the woman’s nipples. Upon feeling this she groaned a little, but once he resumed the whipping she quickly forgot about it and continued playing her part.

The dominating control they had over their new slaves was a rush. Watching as they squirmed and moaned with each round of punishment was intoxicating. It was different than traditional arousal, but profound in its own right. It really got them all aroused. The girls felt the wetness growing between their legs and the men had full blown erections. After thoroughly asserting their dominance over their slaves for a while, Warren felt it was time for the next step.

“Alright, I think we’ve proven our point,” said Warren, throwing in one last whip for good measure, “Now for the next step. Take your slaves and fuck them! You’ve asserted your control. Now enjoy it!”

“Oh I will,” grinned Bobby as he looked down at his female slave.

“We all will,” said Tabitha, now hungry for sex.

Like before, Warren set the tone. With the woman still restrained he set the whip aside, walked up behind her, grabbed her hips, and roughly thrust up into her. Her body tensed and she let out a muffled moan. She was pretty wet from all the whipping and Warren didn’t hold back, thrusting in as hard as he could. He quickly built up a rapid pace, pounding his cock into the wet folds of her pussy. While he did this he reached around and squeezed her breast with one hand while pinching her clit with another. It drove the woman wild and despite her chained state, she was able to bounce along to the rhythm. It was very rough if not aggressive in some ways. With that in mind the five young pawns got it going as well.

The men went straight to work. Bobby climbed on top of the woman, pushed her legs up so they were hitched around his shoulders, and slammed into her with his ridged cock. The woman, her arms still restrained, moaned at his forceful motions. Even as he pounded into her at a heated pace, he kept smacking her butt as he had with the paddle. This really added some extra energy to it and Bobby went with it.

Sam was equally assertive. Before he got on top of her he slipped on the cock ring he took earlier, which felt awkward at first but he quickly pushed it aside. He kept the dildo lodged firmly in her butt and grabbed hold of her hips, keeping them nice and wide as he thrust his erect cock into her. He was so lost in the moment he didn’t take it easy like he normally did. He just went right to a nice, fervent pace of humping. The woman really liked it. The cock ring helped tease her clit and really added to the feeling. She moaned and gasped blissfully as he hammered into her, the extra dildo in her butt adding to the feeling. She kept urging Sam to fuck her harder. Such longing and urging pushed him to new heights that he never thought he could reach before.

“Uh-uh-uh-master-uh-oh my master-ah-ah-harder-ah-fuck me harder!” she cried out.

While Bobby and Sam were working over their women, the three girls were getting ready to enjoy their men. They undid the shackles binding them to the wall, but they didn’t let them stay free for too long. Once they were released, the three girls roughly pushed them onto the hard floor and handcuffed their hands behind their back. This way they could more easily fuck them and have free reign. Tabitha took it step further and shackled her slave’s feet as well. It was an awkward position for him, but she was the master and he was the slave. Kitty and Jubilee kept with that as well, only in a different way. They both took blindfolds and wrapped them around their eyes so they wouldn’t be able to see what they were going to do to them. It added an extra layer of excitement that got them primed for more.

Once in position, the three girls straddled their slaves and plunged down onto their erect cocks. They each let out blissful moans as the feeling washed over them. Having such power and dominance over them really added to it and they found themselves working their hips harder and with more force than they would during normal sex. Kitty, Tabitha, and Jubilee went all out, slamming their hips down against their slaves and working their ridged shafts in the depths of their tight pussies. It was really hot and they all loved it. They raked their nails over the already tender flesh of their slaves, leaned over and licked their nipples, and fondled themselves as well to add to the feeling. The slaves obediently did what they were obligated to do, laying there submissively while they ravaged them with their bodies. At times they ordered them to work it harder, but overall they just went all out.

The room was soon a symphony of sharp gasps, deep moans, and blissful cries. Warren and the younger pawns relished in the feeling, having total control over their slaves and doing to them whatever they wanted. This kind of dominance added an extra level of pleasure and fulfillment to the act. Warren was used to it, but the five young pawns were struck by it. They had no idea it could be like this and the more they did it, the more they savored it.

“Yes-yes-uh-uh-that’s it-uh-do it! Fuck them hard! Fuck them good!” grunted Warren as he fucked his female slave, “Use them-uh-uh-take what’s rightfully yours!”

Bobby, Kitty, Jubilee, Sam, and Tabitha all followed his firm words, throwing out all notions of restraint. They allowed themselves to be rougher. The men fucked their female slaves hard while savagely groping and licking their exposed flesh. The women held the men down and relentlessly rode them, working their hips so hard at times the men winced in pain. But they were in no position to complain. They let their women do as they pleased.

Tabitha was especially relentless. She raked her nails down the chest of her slave so hard she left scratch marks. She was seething with lust and sexual energy. At one point she even grabbed a nearby candle and poured the wax onto her slave’s chest. This got him to groan in pain, but that only excited her more.

“Uh-uh-uh-yeah-uh-oh yeah take it-uh-you’re my bitch now!” she exclaimed in ecstasy.

She wasn’t the only one who got creative. Bobby used his ice powers to make ice cubes that he trailed over the woman’s breast. He also made her lick his fingers when they were iced up, making for a unique feeling that really got the woman going. It wasn’t as rough as Tabitha, but it added an extra level of kinkiness to it.

After a good round of hard fucking, the young pawns of the Hellfire Club neared their climax. Warren neared his first. When he felt it he stepped up his fucking, slamming into her hot pussy as hard as he could. Her whole body jerked to the force of his thrusts and as he felt her tight insides around his cock, he reached around and tightly pinched her nipples. This caused her to squeal loudly just as he got his climax. He felt his cock explode inside the woman’s tight cunt, filling her with his warm fluids. It gave him a rush of pleasure and exhilaration. He just used this woman as his own sex object and he liked it. And the other paws were going to like it too.

“Ohhhhhhhhhh yeah!” he moaned as the feeling surged through him, “Come on, everybody! Let yourselves cum!”

The pants and moans intensified as the five pawns pushed harder to reach their peak. Tabitha got hers first. She was literally screaming as she dug her nails into the man’s neck and slammed her hips down onto his harder, pushing towards her final peak. The man almost started choking, but when he felt her tight pussy throb around his dick it sent him over the edge and he let out a muffled moan as he climaxed as well, his fluid spilling into her tight cunt. Tabitha maintain a firm grip on him, grinning down at him in a dominating fashion. She was so overwhelmed by this feeling, but she loved it.

The men climaxed soon after. Sam got his first, losing himself in the feeling and thrusting into his slave as hard as he could, probing her depths just as he released his load inside her. The cock ring really added to the feeling. The extra stiffness he felt as a results was unique, but enjoyable. The ring also got the woman to climax as well. He felt her folds tighten around his shortly after he released his load. Bobby got his slave woman to climax as well. It turned out she really liked how he used ice and when he rubbed a little on her clit it sent her over the edge. And as soon as he felt her pussy throb around his dick he climaxed as well, closing his eyes and letting out a blissful moan as he released his load inside her.

Kitty and Jubilee got their soon after. Jubilee used the whip with the feathers at the tip to tease her clit as she rode her slave, helping to send her over the edge. Her body shuttered as the waves of pleasure washed over her. She just let her slaves dick fill her insides completely, allowing her inner muscles to throb around it. This eventually got the man to climax as well and made for a nice mesh of sex, dominance, and playfulness. Kitty got her release around the same time. She rose up slightly, standing on her heels as she bounced her hips up and down her slaves length until she was sent over the edge. When it hit she grasped her breasts firmly and arched back, letting out a cry of delight that reverberated throughout the room. Kitty did have a reputation as a bit of a screamer, but the whole S&M feeling added some extra push to it.

When all was said and done, the five young pawns rose up off their slaves for a breather. They had all participated in a number of extreme sex acts since they joined, but this one definitely ranked right up there in terms of intensity. For every one of them it was quite a rush, having complete control over their partner and playing the role of a master. Being so dominating put them in a unique state of mind that allowed them to experience a different side to sex. It was really something. To some it was still a little weird. But to others, namely Tabitha, it was incredible and opened up doors to new desires.

Warren took note of this. While his pawns were catching their breath, he noticed how much more focused Tabitha had been. She really seemed to get off on it. She had in her eyes the same touch of darkness that he saw in himself. This was definitely something he should tell Mistress Selene about. If being the dominant was such a trip for her, she could be a candidate to participate in Selene’s plans. But this was just the first lesson. Only time would tell whether or not she was ready for that. Until then, he smiled and praised the young pawns.

“Not bad, guys. Not bad at all,” he said, applauding them for their efforts.

“Thanks, Warren,” said Jubilee.

“Yeah, this was a blast!” said Tabitha, still on a sexual high.

“I never knew what the appeal of S&M was until now,” said Bobby, “Guess it’s nice to know.”

Warren laughed and stepped down from the small stage so he could directly address the young pawns.

“I hope this has all taught you a valuable lesson about both business and power,” he said, “In terms of business your success depends on how well you assert yourself. In terms of power it depends on how well you use it to attain your desires. You’re all on your way to bigger and better things at the Hellfire Club. But this is just one of many steps you’re going to take. The skills you learn here will take you much farther down the line.”

It was a lesson to remember, that was for sure. Bobby, Kitty, Jubilee, Sam, and Tabitha didn’t just learn about doing business. They learned about asserting themselves. It wasn’t enough to just have power. They had to be able to use it and use it well to get the job done. It didn’t matter whether it involved sex or business, the goal was the same. It all lead to something they desired and there was little doubt this was a lesson to remember.

But just because the lesson was over, it didn’t mean the fun had to stop. With this in mind Warren grabbed another whip from his table and smiled at his fellow pawns.

“Now then, enough teaching. Let’s keep things going and have some real fun!”

Hellfire Manor Foyer

Throughout his long, complicated life, Logan was used to the past coming back to haunt him. Sometimes it came in the form of old enemies, old lovers, or just old grudges. There were few occasions where he had the chance to actually dig into his past and uncover something directly. That was hard when much of his memory was in pieces. But this was one instance where digging into the past had a new twist. He wouldn’t get many answers out of it, but he would get something just as important.

At the moment, Logan was suited up in his custom Hellfire uniform, which was a mix of his old Alpha Flight uniform and Hellfire emblems. He was set for what was sure to be a grueling, not to mention stressful mission. He had with him a file containing all the information Sage could get on Weapon X-23. It wasn’t much, but it should be enough to point him in the right direction. He wouldn’t be alone either. Raven promised she would come with him to help in his search and right now he was waiting on her. She said she had to make some calls to arrange their travel with X-Industrial. He figured he would leave the logistical stuff up to her anyways because he was still conflicted on the task before him.

It continued to play over in his head. What exactly he was going to do once he found this X-23? This wasn’t as simple as a scouting mission or assassination. He was going to have to confront a full-blooded clone of his. There was no telling what state of mind it would be in. There was no telling what it would do once it saw him. And even if he could talk to it (he still wasn’t sure if it was a boy or girl) what would he do? It was a lot to think about, but for now he focused on finding this clone.

On the bright side of things, this mission finally gave him something else to think about besides Jean Grey. He was still struggling with what to do with about his feelings for her, but he was trying not to dwell on it at the moment. This X-23 deal really had him worked up. It was a good thing Raven was helping him out because he doubted he could do this on his own. He still smiled at the memory of what she told him when they were drinking in the wine cellar. She wasn’t the most direct woman in the world, but she found him interesting and that spoke volumes. He wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but that was an issue for another day. For now he was just glad to have someone willing to stick by him.

He paced restlessly as he went over the files, trying to come up with some kind of strategy for dealing with this X-23. Then a familiar interrupted his thoughts.

“Going out tonight, Logan?” said Jean as she descended the stairs.

Logan looked up to see the woman he had obsessed over since his arrival. She always seem to draw her in, especially when she was wearing her revealing Hellfire uniform. But this time, he shook it off.

“Heya Jeannie. Thought you and Summers were going out humpin’ tonight,” he said turning his attention back to the files one X-23.

Jean stopped halfway down the stairs.

“Where did that come from?” she said in a confused tone.

“What? I was just saying,” said Logan, trying to sound bemused.

“Well usually you don’t go straight to comments about me and Scott,” she said more seriously as she descended the rest of the stairs, “That usually means one of two things: either you’re drunk or something else is bothering you. And since I don’t smell liquor on your breath that narrows it down.”

“Won’t argue with that reasoning,” he said with a dirty laugh.

Jean tried to see what he was looking at, but he turned away from her again. She was trying to just be casual, but for some reason Logan was more cut off than usual.

“So what is it?” she asked, “So what is it? I’m guessing it has something to do with that file. Is this about your past?”

“This ain’t something you need to worry about, darlin’,” he told her.

“Are you sure?” she said in a more compassionate tone, “You look stressed.”

She reached out to touch his burly face. Usually Logan found her touch so warm and comforting. He would go out of his way just to feel one gesture from this woman. But tonight he was in no mood for it. As much as he loved being near her, he needed to keep his distance from her tonight.

“Knock it off, Jeannie,” he said in a flat tone, “I don’t bother you when you make plans with Summers. Don’t bother me when I make plans of my own.”

“Please, Logan, that’s not fair,” she said, rolling her eyes, “I thought we were over the novelty of my weekly ritual with Scott.”

“We just talked about it. Doesn’t mean I’m over it.”

Logan was going out of his way to avoid eye contact with her. That wasn’t a good sign. Jean walked up to him and gave him a concerned look. She sensed something wrong, but it was different this time. And for the first time since his arrival he was shutting her out.

“What’s wrong, Logan?” she said with growing concern, “Seriously, you can tell me.”

“Sorry, Jeannie, but this is something you can’t understand. I need to deal with it on my own,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t help.”

“Maybe so, but I’ve already got enough help.”

“From who?” she asked curiously.

Before Logan could answer, Mystique emerged from behind Logan wearing a similar, yet more custom made uniform meant specifically for field operations.

“That would be me,” said the shape shifter, “Sorry Miss Grey, but don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Don’t you start too, Misty,” said Logan with a bemused look.

Jean looked at Mystique and then back at Logan. She was surprised he was letting Mystique help and pushing her aside. She had seen her hanging out with Logan a few times, but she assumed it was just a casual thing. Raven was never one to make friends with anybody outside Xavier and her kids and Logan hadn’t really connected with anybody else besides her. Perhaps she missed something because of all the new training she was doing. But something was definitely going on.

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?” asked Jean.

Logan gave the file to Raven and turned towards Jean. He placed both hands on her shoulders and gazed into those alluring green eyes of hers.

“Trust me, darlin’, it’s better if you stay out of this. I’ll fill you in later, but right now I’ve gotta go. This is something I have to do.”

There was a distinct shift in his tone. It was like just looking at her was a challenge. Jean didn’t know what to make of it. But it was serious. He really did want her out of this. All she could do was accept it.

“Okay,” she sighed, “Just remember that I’m still here for you.”

“I know,” he said in a somewhat distant tone.

Without another word he turned away from her and led Mystique out the front door. But before they left, Mystique shot her a look. It wasn’t one of spite or scorn. It was always hard to tell with her. But Jean got the feeling she was saying something along the lines of “stop torturing him you conniving bitch.” She watched as she followed Logan out the door. But even after they were gone Jean lingered.

She couldn’t help but worry. Things between her and Logan had been a little strained recently with her doing more magic training more and getting more help from Scott. He still had that longing look in his eye whenever he saw her that she struggled to get around. She didn’t want him to push her away just because she was in love with someone else, but it felt like an insurmountable obstacle. He still had strong feelings for her and no matter what, she just couldn’t return those feelings. There were times she had to push him away, but she never tried to hurt him. Now it seemed he was the one pushing her away and she didn’t like it. Sighing to herself, she went back upstairs to do more reading on the materials Enchantress gave her. She hoped she could work things out with Logan soon. She had enough to worry about with this new power brewing inside her.

For Logan, he remained distant even as he and Mystique got in the limo that would take them to X-Industrial. Talking to Jeannie was not usually this hard. She was usually the first one he would go to for issues like this. But this time, he wanted to put some distance between the two of them. It might be good in the long run because he still wasn’t quite sure how deeply he felt for her. He knew those feelings were there, but what he would do with them was still in question.

Even as they rode off, he was distant. Mystique saw it in his eyes and cast him a bemused look. Why he let this girl torment him so was beyond her.

“Are you going to let it go or are you going to be this messed up during the whole mission?” she asked him.

“Sorry Misty, just gotta get my head straight,” said Logan, “But don’t worry. I ain’t gonna lose focus. Let’s just get to X-23 as soon as possible. This is something I want to get over with sooner rather than later.”

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Up next: More new prospects come onto the scene while Selene begins to tempt certain members with her sinister plan.