New Blood III: Triumph of Darkness

New Blood
Chapter 9: Cold Vengeance

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Paris Hellfire Chateau – One Day Earlier

Emma Frost never the trusting type. After being ignored by her parents and betrayed by Shanobi Shaw, she had been closed off to nearly everybody she came across. She gave some people the benefit of the doubt. She had to being the smart businesswoman she was. But some people just rubbed her the wrong way on every level. Selene was the most obvious example. But this woman, Monet, was right up there as well.

She agreed to accompany Monet on a business trip to Europe. A group of Hellfire investors had shown concern over the security of their holdings in wake of the Hand’s recent attacks. Monet had ties to them so she was sent over to reassure them, by force if necessary. But she wasn’t just going with her to help out with business. They were taking another trip on the side that was off the books. Normally, she would have reported something like that to Xavier. But today she was keeping quiet. It was all part of the deal she made with Monet to help her get back at Scott and Jean.

“We’re here,” said Monet as she and Emma arrived just outside the Chateau, “Are you ready, Emma?”

“Why do you bother asking?” said Emma in her usual coarse tone.

“Just making sure,” Monet grinned, “We’re officially off of Hellfire’s books now, so let’s make this quick.”

Emma nodded and followed Monet out of the limousine that had been driving them around Paris. The chateau the Hellfire Club operated out of was every bit as opulent and luxurious as the manor back in New York. Like many other Hellfire structures, it had a distinctive Victorian style that fit in nicely with some of the older buildings throughout Paris. It had always been a favorite destination of Emma’s. She often came here to unwind in between being a ruthless businesswoman and a rising member of the Inner Circle. But today it had a different feel.

“Greetings, Miss Frost. Greetings Miss St. Croix,” the head guard greeted them, “I was not aware that you were visiting.”

“We aren’t,” said Monet, “We’re just here to run an errand. And you will not record it as such. Understand?”

Monet gave the man a stern look, making it clear she was serious. The guard, who knew the consequences of defying the Hellfire Club as well as any body, got the message.

“I…I understand,” he said.

“Good, then please lead us to Forge,” she commanded.

“Yes Ma’am,” he said in a mechanical tone.

Monet grinned intently and followed the man into the opulent Chateau. Emma didn’t say a word, but she had to admit she was impressed with how Monet was carrying herself. She could tell she hadn’t used her power like this in the past when she was a top executive at X-Industrial. She had more of a moral center then. But now she not only abandoned that mindset, she took a strange sense of satisfaction in doing so. That disturbed Emma even more, but like everything else about this affair she pushed it aside.

The blonde telepath knew what she was doing was a travesty. She was going behind the back of Charles Xavier, the man who helped make her what she was, just to get back at Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Even for someone like her who cared little about morality and limits, there were some lines she swore she wouldn’t cross. Charles Xavier was one of them. But every time she felt a twinge of remorse she remembered the pain she from her heartbreak. The memory of Scott rejecting her and going back to Jean Grey hung strongly. Every time the whole affair played over it filled her with rage. And the only way for her to get past it was to fight it. She had to make those two pay just as she had made Shanobi pay. If crossing this line was necessary for that then so be it.

As Monet followed the guard, she occasionally looked back at Emma. So far she was impressed with how she had gone along with this. Mistress Selene said Emma would never do something that went against Charles Xavier, but she proved she could under the right circumstances. At first she thought Emma was just throwing a tantrum for not getting what she wanted. But the more she went along with this, the more she realized just how deeply this had affected her. The pain of rejection was probably unbearable. It was bad for Emma, but good for her. Mistress Selene had already expressed approval over her little stunt. If she could get Emma of all people to help her with her plan, she would prove just how dedicated to darkness she truly was.

The guard eventually led them to the sub-level areas where many of the labs and machine shops were located. This was where Forge did most of his work. As a highly trusted associate, he had all the privileges and benefits of a pawn even though he wasn’t one officially. He did most of his work either here or at Muir Island. And because of his expertise with machines, he was entrusted with some of the most sensitive systems in the Hellfire Club’s vast network. It was those systems that Monet had such an interest in.

“Master Forge has been in his shop all morning,” said the guard as they reached the door to the main lab, “He should still be inside.”

“Excellent,” grinned Monet, “We’ll take it from here. And just to make sure you don’t remember any of this…”

Monet then placed her hands on his head and attacked him with a telepathic probe that wiped his memory clean of this event. She was very forceful about it as well, leaving nothing to chance.

“Ungh!” the man groaned in pain.

“That’s better,” grinned Monet sadistically, “Now run along.”

The man did as he was told, looking disoriented and dazed. Chances were he would still be in pain for a good while after this. But Monet didn’t care. If anything, she enjoyed it. And that bothered Emma.

“Was that really necessary?” she asked her.

“Can’t let you have all the fun now can I?” grinned Monet, “Now remember what I told you. All I need is a few minutes of access to the networks. Get the codes from Forge and keep him off my back until I’m done. Understand?”

“Don’t patronize me, Monet. I know what to do,” muttered Emma, “Explain to me again how this is going to help me get back at Scott and Jean?”

“No more questions, Emma. You know the deal. You help me and I’ll help you. This is just your end of the bargain. You don’t need to know what it’s for. All you need to know is that by doing this, I’ll make it so you have a chance to exact all the vengeance you want.”

Emma was still suspicious. There was something in this woman’s eyes that didn’t sit right. But cast it aside for the moment and focused on the task at hand. She was going to need all her strength to get through this because once it was done there was no turning back.

She fell silent, indicating to Monet that she understood. Monet smiled and then went on with it. She opened the door to the lab and entered to see Forge hunched over his work bench working on what looked like some computer hardware. When the door opened he looked up to see the two of them walking in. Curious, the turned to address them.

“Emma…Monet…what are you two doing here? I knew you were in town, but Lord Xavier didn’t tell me you were…”

“There was a change in plan,” said Emma, abruptly cutting him off, “And we’re just stopping by. As far as you know, we weren’t even here.”

“Huh? What are you…”

But before Forge could go any further, Emma walked up to him and placed both hands on his temples. Then her gaze narrowed as she focused her telepathic powers into a powerful psychic probe that she used to enter the Native American’s mind.

“Ungh! Emma…stop!” he groaned as he tried to resist.

“Easy Forge, this will just take a minute,” she said in a flat tone, “As soon as it’s over you won’t remember a thing.”

She forced Forge back into his chair as she aggressively probed his mind, sifting through his memories and seeking out the information she wanted. Forge wasn’t like the guards in that he had much better psychic defenses. Xavier made sure all his trusted associates had them. But he trained her well enough to break through them and soon she had Forge firmly in her telepathic grasp.

“Hurry up, Emma. I need those codes,” said Monet impatiently.

“Shut up! I’ve almost got them. You’ll get your codes,” said the blonde bitterly.

As she waited, Monet went over to a primary terminal next to Forge’s work bench. It was where Forge made adjustments within the Hellfire Club’s network and as such he could get into many sensitive areas. It was that access she needed if she was to do what Selene needed her to do.

“Okay, I have them!” said Emma.

“Good, give me the first two,” said Monet as she typed in a few commands and brought up some secure prompts.

“The first one is 028428458. The second one is 6669366.”

Monet entered them and she got through the first layer of security. She grinned to herself as she entered the secure area. It was about to begin.

“I’m in. Give me the last three,” she said.

“Hold on,” grunted Emma as she was forced to probe harder, “The last two are 981838 and 4343021.”

“What about the password?” said Monet as she entered the codes, “I need that to get into the area I want.”

“The password is…eelnats.”

“Eelnats? What kind of a password is that?” said Monet, “You better not be messing with me, Emma!”

“I’m not! Just enter it!”

Monet rolled her eyes and entered it. And to her relief, it worked.

“Good, I’m in,” said Monet as she began typing feverishly, “Let him go and make sure he doesn’t remember any of this.”

Emma’s expression remained stoic as she finished the job. She ignored Forge’s pained expression as she went into his memory and erased everything from the second she and Monet entered. As far as he was concerned, he just fell asleep at his work bench again. She had done this and much worse to many people over the years. But it never felt this difficult before. This was a trusted associate of the Hellfire Club and a good friend of Charles’s. Doing this would be a grave travesty in his eyes and that didn’t take into account whatever travesties Monet was up to. But Emma ignored it for now in the name of vengeance.

Once she wiped Forge’s mind clean of this event, she carefully sat him back down on his bench so it looked as though he was sleeping. That way in case anybody came in, they wouldn’t get suspicious. Her job was done now and there was no turning back. Whatever consequences came of this, she would have to take. But she tried not to think about that as she waited for Monet to finish.

“How much longer?” asked Emma in a flat tone.

“Give me five minutes,” said Monet, “I just need to take care of something.”

Emma didn’t care to know what it was. She kept her back to her, staring at the sleeping Forge the whole time. She was already imagining how she was going to make Scott and Jean pay. All this pain from the heartbreak they caused her kept festering like an infected wound. It felt as though the only way to heal from it was to make them feel it too. She wasn’t sure how she was going to do it, but once she was through with them they would know her pain.

While Emma stood stoically, Monet went about making the necessary adjustments to the heart of the Hellfire network. Her genius level IQ helped her work fast and efficiently. Mistress Selene had many loyal followers of darkness, but none were all that smart to say the least. This was her way of proving she could use all her assets to serve darkness. And once she saw how she handled this, she would show just how ready she was to achieve true perfection.

“Done!” said Monet with an accomplished grin.

“Savor your accomplishment later,” said Emma impatiently, “So is it official? Is my end of the deal officially fulfilled?”

“Rest easy, Emma. You’ve done your part,” said Monet as she closed down the terminal.

“So when can I expect you to do yours? I didn’t just go out of my way to risk my like this for nothing.”

“Oh you’ll get what you want. That I promise you,” assured Monet, “Just be patient. It’ll all come together very soon.”

Emma had no choice but to take Monet at her word. She fell silent as she followed her out of the lab, leaving behind whatever ‘adjustments’ she made to the system. But she tried not to think about that. She put on her usual Emma Frost demeanor and prepared to go about her business as she always did. She didn’t know how this would all lead her getting what she wanted, but so long as Monet delivered she didn’t care.

Above New York Harbor – Present

The skies over Manhattan were cloudy and dreary as the pawns of the Hellfire Club descended towards the harbor. For a task such as this, the Black King was pulling out all stops. Every pawn, young and experienced alike, were to take part in this. Only he and Selene would stay behind in the manor where they would monitor the situation remotely. Xavier stayed plugged into Cerebrum and Selene had all the Hellfire Club’s elite guards on standby ready to move in at a moments notice. Rahne was also supposed to be with them, but they got word that she was doing her searching on the surface where she could track better. It wasn’t part of the initial plan, but they didn’t have time to think too much about it. Magneto was a dangerous foe and he was intent on making sure they killed him quickly and efficiently.

The pawns were divided up into three helicopter transports. Scott was flying one with Jean, Warren, Pietro, Wanda, Kurt, Rogue, and Warpath. Logan was flying the other with Sage, Alex, Lorna, Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Sam, and Danielle. And Raven was flying one with Emma, Betsy, Piotr, Roberto, Tabitha, Julian and Laura. They were all in their combat uniforms, armed and ready to take Magneto down. There was a sense of urgency and anxiety among them. With all the trouble they had been having with the Hand lately, it seemed as though this was just piling on the chaos that seemed to be attacking them.

“So what’s the deal with this Magneto guy?” commented Julian, “Why is Lord Xavier pulling out all the stops like this?”

“I do not know the full story, comrade, but if these are the kinds of measures he is taking it must be quite serious,” said Piotr.

“Believe me, it is serious,” said Raven strongly, “I know Magneto. I spied on him for a while. Trust me, he’s bad news. He should have been killed long ago.”

“So why wasn’t he?” said Tabitha, who was the only one who didn’t seem all that concerned.

“He had to suffer first,” answered the shape shifter, “That’s what he’s been doing these past five years. But there’s no room for subtlety this time. We’re here to kill him, end of story.”

“Fair enough,” shrugged Roberto, “Will we get a bonus if we’re the one to do it?”

“Worry about rewards later,” muttered Raven, “Just be ready.”

The young pawns shrugged as they waited for the word. Most of them didn’t know Magneto, but they had heard of him. If the stories they got were any indication, this was going to get messy.

Over in the other helicopter, the mood was similar. But for some, this wasn’t just a simple assassination mission. For Lorna, it was very personal. She never met her biological father in person. Her mother never talked about him and Pietro and Wanda said many bad things about him. It shattered the idealistic image she always hoped to have for a father and now here she was on a mission to kill him. And she wasn’t sure how to handle it.

“Still with us, Lorna?” asked Alex, who was sitting next to her.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” she said, trying to sound hardened, “It’s just…this is going to be the first time I’ve ever seen my real father in person. And I’m supposed to kill him on sight. I know everybody says he’s a bad person and deserves to die, but still…he’s my father.”

“Look at it this way, you’ll be paying him back for skipping out on you and never being there for you,” said Alex, “Just remember that and it’ll be much easier. You can’t afford to hesitate when you’re dealing with guys like this.”

“Yeah…good advice,” she muttered, “I’ll do my best.”

It wasn’t the most compassionate advice. She would have liked it more of Alex just held her hand and told her to hang in there. But he was still distant and focused on something else. She knew this was serious business and all, but it couldn’t hurt him to be a little friendlier after everything they had been through.

“Why the hell does she keep trying with that guy?” asked Jubilee, who was sitting behind them.

“Beats me,” shrugged Sam, “Ah thought they had a thing going for a while. Guess it isn’t going on anymore.”

“It’s Alex Summers. What do you expect?” said Bobby, “Lately he’s been more of a jerk than usual. Face it, he’s beyond understanding.”

“I heard that, Drake!” said Alex in an annoyed tone as he turned to shoot Bobby a look.

“Quiet back there! I want to fly this thing, not crash it!” shouted Logan from the cockpit.

The pawns went silent as they held on for the shaky descent. The dreary weather outside gave an ominous feel to this mission. Even if it was personal for some, it was of grave importance to the organization they served. There would be plenty of time for personal matters later. This was just business.

In the other helicopter, which was leading the others, Scott was bringing the aircraft into a hover over the harbor. They were below the clouds so visibility was pretty limited. They were relying on the observations of the Black King in Cerebrum and the advanced instruments, which were being managed by Jean and Warpath.

“How are we looking?” asked Scott as he looked out to sea.

“So far, nothing on the scope,” said Jean.

“Nothing on radar either,” said Warpath, “Although I doubt it would do us much good if Magneto’s disrupting magnetic fields.”

“You’re wasting your time trying to track him,” said Wanda, who looked more intent than usual, “My father isn’t one for subtlety. You’ll know when he’s close.”

“We still need to track him, Wanda,” said Jean dryly, “Just because you think you know him doesn’t mean you can predict what moves he’ll make.”

“Please don’t give me an attitude, Grey,” said Wanda in a disgruntled tone, “I hopped a high speed jet from Europe to get back here for this. I’m tired, jet lagged, and pissed off that I have to face my bastard father again. So spare me the snide remarks!”

“Easy Wanda, we don’t need to start another fight at a time like this,” said Pietro, trying to keep his sister calm, “I’m just as upset as you are over Magneto escaping, but save your anger for him!”

“Don’t tell me how to spend my anger!” she retorted, “I’ll express it as I please!”

“Then express it when your father gets here!” exclaimed Rogue, “Geez, you guys! Could ya maybe try to keep it together? Now ain’t the time for sibling spats!”

“Like you would know,” scoffed Wanda.

Rogue was about to respond when Scott stepped in.

“Enough!” he said in a commanding tone, “We’re all on edge, okay? But we need to stay focused! We’re not here to fight each other! We’re here to fight Magneto! If you want to continue this, do it after we’ve killed him! But for now just keep it together and let’s just get this over with!”

Wanda was still visibly annoyed, but she didn’t add to the tension. She made her point to everyone how much she hated this situation and they bought it. It was a good thing too because if they knew the truth everything would get a lot more complicated. She was getting impatient though. She and Kurt just flew back from Europe ahead of Magneto to meet up with the others as they were leaving. They got the message while they were in the air and while they were hardly surprised, they had to act the part.

She maintained her stern demeanor while Pietro was a little more anxious. To him, this wasn’t just about stopping his father. It was about finishing what should have been done years ago. All his years at the Hellfire Club hardened him to a point where he saw just how wrong his father’s views were. And after meeting Lorna’s mother, he was completely convinced that Magneto was a failure of a parent and deserved to suffer. But no cage could hold him. This breakout proved it. The only way to end it now was to kill him and he had to be ready to do it.

“We’ll get him, Wanda. He won’t escape this time,” Pietro told his sister.

“I know he won’t,” she said ominously, “I’ll see to it.”

Scott took the helicopter higher to get a better view over the harbor. But it was hard to see much with it being so cloudy. If Magneto was coming like he said he was, he would have good cover. Growing increasingly anxious, Scott grabbed the communication link that was patched into Cerebrum.

“Lord Xavier, can you sense anything yet?” Scott asked.

“Not yet, Scott. But I managed to issue some orders to local authorities and media outlets to clear a few parts of the harbor. So if Magneto strikes, we’ll be better able to keep it under wraps.”

“That’s good. But that all depends on how quickly we can contain him. Have you been able to track him?”

“Unfortunately, I haven’t. I have increased the power, but Magneto’s helmet is blocking even my strongest probes.”

“Our scanners aren’t picking up anything either,” said Scott, “But if he said he was coming and he can fly at supersonic speeds, why isn’t he here already? If he’s so determined he would have been here an hour ago at least.”

“I’m not sure, but as enraged as he is I’m certain my old friend hasn’t lost a touch of common sense. He knows that by calling me out that I would respond with force. He must have some sort of strategy planned.”

“That would make sense, but he’s taking his sweet time pulling it off,” said Scott, “It’s like his waiting for something and I don’t like it. It’s not the kind of strategy I would expect from someone like him.”

“Nor would I, which is why you and the others must be on your guard. I’m sure Magneto has some surprises in store for us.”

That wasn’t a comforting feeling. Scott had faced this man before as part of his first mission. It always stood out as the first time he got a chance to lead, strategize, and fight. But it also stood out in how well they were able to take him down because of strategy and surprise. Now it seemed as though Magneto was the one with that advantage and Scott didn’t like that one bit.

He made another pass near the harbor, looking for any signs of activity. The sun was setting so it would be getting dark soon. That would make it even harder to track Magneto since he would have the cover of night on his side. So Scott and the others kept their eyes open. Then as he flew in lower Scott picked up on some interference with the communication link.

“Sir? Lord Xavier, are you still with us?” said Scott as he tapped on the communicator.

“Ugh…I’m still here, Scott. But I just sensed something.”

“Is it Magneto?” asked Scott anxiously.

“No, it’s…it’s something else. I felt like Moria. She sounded distressed and then she went silent.”

“Distressed how? Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know. I’ll check into it. I have to go offline for a moment. I’ll check back in soon. Be careful! As soon as you see Magneto, be ready to strike hard!”

“We will, sir,” assured Scott, “You can count on it.”

“I know I can.”

The link then went dead and there was nothing but static. Scott tried to adjust it to keep the line open, but there was still only static. It was very distressing. They needed their King’s guidance for a mission like this. And for something to just come up like that was not only unusual it was unheard of. The Hellfire Club never left loose ends. If something was cutting their communication links off then that could hint at something else going on. And if that was the case then Magneto wouldn’t be their only problem.

“What was that about?” wondered Jean, who was also concerned but what she heard.

“I don’t know,” said Scott as he gripped the controls, “But whatever it is, I’m sure Lord Xavier will handle it. Let’s just focus on the mission at hand and stop Magneto.”

X-Industrial – Cerebrum Chamber

In the core of Cerebrum, one of Charles Xavier’s most powerful creations, something was very wrong. The Black King had been using this device without incident for years and now all of the sudden something was wrong with it. This couldn’t have been a worse time. Magneto was coming for him and suspicions over Selene and Sinister were growing. It all started with what sounded like a cry from Moria. After that everything started getting scrambled and the Black King was struggling to make sense of it.

“Damn this machine!” he cursed, “What’s going on out there?!”

The Black King started making emergency adjustments, switching to auxiliary programs and running special diagnostic software. He kept trying to link his mind specifically to his pawns and to Moria. But every time he tried to get a psychic signal out he hit a proverbial wall. It was a major strain on his mind. Projecting his telepathy was a strenuous task and when the machine was acting up like this it was even worse. Sweat was already pouring down his face as the exertion started to show.

‘Moria? Moria, can you hear me? Where are you?! What’s going on?! Please respond!’

There was only silence. It was as if Moria’s mind wasn’t even on this planet. That couldn’t be. Xavier kept trying to make adjustments. He was still hitting the wall every time he tried to project his power further. He had to fix this. That left only one option.

“Enough of this,” he said to the machine, “Time to engage the emergency amplifiers.”

Xavier typed in the commands. As the Black King it was always vital to have a backup plan and for an occasion like this he needed something significant. Most of Cerebrum’s functions operated within a tightly controlled operating system that carefully monitored his thoughts and psychic commands. When that system wasn’t working properly, he could bypass it with an emergency amplifier. This bypassed the system, but it also bypassed many of the safeguards in place that protected him. It was a significant risk, but when Moria was involved it was one he had to take.

“Amplifiers engaged,” he said as he entered the final command, “Now where are you Moria?”

Closing his eyes, Xavier focused his powers on finding his companion and love. But just as he began to reach out with his mind he was hit with an unexpected feeling. Suddenly, the whole chamber started blaring with alarms and screens flashed red images of a deadly warning sign everywhere. What followed next was a sensation that defied description.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

His pained cries echoed through the chamber. His face contorted in waves of agony. It was as if something was clawing inside his brain, tearing it apart bit by bit. It was all wrong. Everything about this was wrong. The Black King tried to remove the helmet, but his brain was on fire. He could no longer move his limbs properly and could no longer focus. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t move, he could barely breathe. More alarms blared, warning of an immanent system crash. The Black King tried to regain control. But it was no use. He keeled over on the console, groaning in agony with a distant look in his eye.

Then through the pain and confusion, he heard a familiar dark voice. It was then he knew that this was no accident.

“Having equipment problems, Charles?” said Selene in a snide yet accomplished tone.

Xavier, barely able to move, shifted his head to see the Black Queen casually approaching the console. She had that sadistic look in her eye, the one she always had when she did something truly devious.

“Selene…it was you?” he said with a raspy tone.

“Oh don’t look so shocked,” she scoffed, “You’re a very smart man, Charles. You knew this day would come eventually. Did you honestly believe I was willing to share my power forever?”

Xavier’s face contorted in anger, but his mind was still too dazed to move. Selene knew this and casually sat down on the console next to him with a taunting leer.

“Don’t bother moving. Your mind has just been ‘hacked’ so to speak. You see, a certain pale-faced associate of mind gave me a special malicious program what when used would crash someone’s mind the same way a virus crashes a computer.”

There was only one person who fit that description and even in his dazed state, Charles Xavier knew who was behind this.

“Sinister…”

“Don’t tell me you’re surprised by that too,” she laughed, “The man has always despised you. I just gave him an opportunity to get back. It pretty simple actually. This little program of his just overloaded our brain, making you as docile as docile as a wounded dog. All it took was for you to lower your defenses, which I knew you would do in order to find your precious Moria. But I wouldn’t worry about her anymore. She’s not going to be answering any calls, telepathic or otherwise, anytime soon.”

Xavier’s anger now turned to burning rage. This sadistic woman had crossed many lines, but this was too much. Not only had the audacity to attack him, but she murdered the woman he loved. Through the burning pain in his head, he reached up to grab the sadistic woman. Even in his weakened state, he was going to kill her with his bear hands if he had to. She had to pay for her crimes.

“You…sadistic…monster!” he grunted in anger as he reached for her.

“What? No witty quip? No fancy rhetoric?” scoffed the Black Queen, “I’m surprised at you Charles. You’ve sunk down the level of the very people you’ve spent a lifetime rising above. It’s pathetic. I almost feel sorry for you.”

Before he could lay a hand on her she grabbed his arms and pinned him down harshly onto the console, holding one hand on his neck so he couldn’t move. Then she leaned in and spoke in a soft, sadistic tone.

“You are a remarkable man, Charles. Of all the men I’ve known in my immortal life, you are in a class all your own. You’ve impressed me with you’re willingness to good and evil. You’ve shown you can go to great lengths to obtain power and control. But more than that, you’ve shown you can do it in a reasonable, cunning, if not poetic way. The old Hellfire order never had that. That’s why I was so eager to help you take them down. But even though we’ve been tenuous allies over the years, there is one thing we’ve never agreed on…one thing that makes what I’m about to do to you a necessary task.”

Then holding him by his neck, Selene turned Xavier’s weakened body around so she could look him in the eye. He was still in a world of pain, but she made sure he listened to what she had to say.

“You see, I don’t believe that instilling order in this pathetic will solve anything. You can have all the order you want, foster all the progress you desire, and keep everybody in line. And yet, the outcome will still be the same. As frail mortals, all will perish eventually. Order can delay it, but never stop it. It is useless to even try. That is why I am going to take the world down a different path…a path that will speed up the process.”

Her grip on him tightened. She heard him choke and cough up some blood. His body started going limp, but she held onto his head so he would not turn away from her. She wanted him to see the look in her eyes as she ended this.

“I have lived a long time, Charles. I’ve seen civilizations rise and fall. I’ve seen even the most powerful leaders succumb to the inevitable cycle of death. I’ve seen how the mindless masses go about their lives, merely delaying the inevitable. And I’m sick of it! This pathetic façade will end! This order you champion so much will soon give way to something much greater…something much darker. And when all is said and done and I will create a new world…a world governed not by man, but the fires of hell!”

Selene then began choking him with her grip, making sure he stayed awake so he would know what the world was in for.

“Just imagine a world of chaos where every sinister force is allowed to run free, corrupting all morals and forcing them into submission! There will be no meaning to life. There will be no grandeur. The whole concept of life and death itself will be irrelevant because the torment felt in live will continue on into death. It’ll be one endless stream of torment…one that I, an immortal queen, will oversee. It won’t be an orderly world or a perfect world. But it will be MY world!”

There was a touch of madness in her tone. Countless years of immortal life had twisted this woman beyond description. Charles Xavier knew she was dark, but this insane vision of hers wasn’t just dark it was downright evil. She had crossed the final line. She wasn’t out to just rule the world. She was just out to make it burn.

“No…” choked Charles, sounding like he was on his last breath.

“You’re too late, Charles,” grinned Selene intently, “I’ve already won. And don’t worry about your little pawns. I’ll make sure they come to join you in Hell very soon. But you’ll understand if I want to have a little fun with them first.”

“Ack!” he choked, still trying to resist.

“When you get to Hell, you’ll understand why I’m doing this. But just to give you a taste, I won’t drain your life energy. For you, Charles Xavier, I will send you off in way most deserving of you…courtesy of your good friend, Sinister.”

Selene then let him go, allowing his weakened body to fall limply onto the console. He groaned in agony, still trying to move. Selene then took a step back and pulled out a small hand-held device that Sinsiter gave her. Then as she watched the once powerful man stagger weakly to his feet, she pressed a red button and delivered the final blow. What happened next was too much for any man, even Charles Xavier, to take.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Every screen, console, and system sparked and flashed as every last bit of corrupt data and psychic energy surged into the weakened mind of Charles Xavier. It set his brain ablaze, overwhelming every nerve with blinding pain and utterly wiping it out in a prolonged display of agony. Selene watched with sadistic joy as the Black King’s eyes widened and rolled in the back of his head while he cried out the loudest cries of pain she had heard in a long time. His limbs could no longer support his body so he collapsed onto the floor. The pain and agony was so bad the veins in his head and neck bulged and some even ruptured. Blood poured out of his ears, nose, mouth, and eyes. His every limb tensed and contorted wildly like a machine out of control. Soon his screams were muffled by blood and there were only choked gasps. It was truly a horrific sight, but to Selene it was nothing short of beautiful.

Even after the screaming stopped, Selene stood over Charles until death overtook him. Even when he wasn’t moving or breathing, she kept watching because she knew from the look in his face that he was still in pain. And she made sure that pain lingered until finally, the Black King slipped away for good, his mind friend and his body broken beyond repair.

“So long, Charles. Thank you for helping me realize my true destiny,” she grinned, “Enjoy the pits of Hell. You’re about to have a lot of company!”

The Black Queen casually tossed the remote device aside and made her way towards the exit. When she opened the chamber a team of her black masked elite guards were waiting, ready to take orders. Now that the Black King was dead she was in control of the Hellfire Club from top to bottom. All resources, contacts, and personnel were under her control. And with all the power Xavier built up she technically now wielded more power than anyone in the history of the Hellfire Club, if not the world. But this power would be nothing compared to what she had planned.

“Dispose of that body,” she told the guards, “But chop it up first. I don’t want to take any chances.”

“Yes ma’am,” said the masked men in a flat, mechanical tone.

“Oh, and prepare my torture chambers when you’re done,” she added with an ominous grin, “We’re going to be having some occupants soon and I want to make them feel welcome in my new order.”

New York Harbor – Pier 616

With communication with the Black King temporarily down, the young pawns of the Hellfire Club were cut off from their usual source of support. It was not a pleasant feeling since they were used to having the upper hand in every affair. But they didn’t have time to lament over lost luxuries. They still had a mission to do in the name of the Hellfire Club and they were bent on completing it.

“Lord Xavier? Lord Xavier, come in! Can you hear us?” said Scott into the communication link, “Damn, it’s still down!”

“It’s been almost ten minutes. Should we start worrying?” said Rogue.

“A little late for that,” said Pietro, “What could be the hold up? Cerebrum’s never malfunctioned before.”

“First time for everything I guess,” shrugged Wanda, still not looking as concerned as the others, “Maybe Magneto already got to him.”

“If that’s the case we’re in even worse shape than we thought,” said Warpath, “Maybe one of us should fly back to check on things.”

“We don’t have time! Lord Xavier told us specifically to find and kill Magneto and that’s what we’re going to do until he says otherwise,” said Scott sternly.

“Well we have to do something! Because I’m not seeing him on any…”

But the Apache warrior was abruptly cut off by the sound of a blip on the radar. Jean picked it up as well and when she saw it the overall mood changed.

“Hold on! We’ve got something on radar,” said Jean as she brought up the scope, “Some nasty interference is coming in over pier 616.”

“It’s him,” said Wanda strongly, “It has to be him.”

“Then let’s get down there already!” said Warpath as he turned away from the monitors.

“I’m on it,” said Scott as he activated the communicator to the other aircraft, “Attention all pawns, we just picked up a trail on Magneto! He’s coming in hot over pier 616! All aircraft descend and converge outside the area! We need to be ready to intercept as soon as he flies in!”

“Roger that,” said Raven from one of the helicopters.

“I hear you, Summers. Save the barkin’ for the main event!” replied Logan from the other helicopter.

The three aircraft descended to a clearing not far from a nearby loading dock. And as they expected, Lord Xavier managed to clear the area of workers and civilians with some well-placed calls into the city. It left the area eerily quiet, even for a cloudy day that was getting darker as the sun set. But they could all feel it in the air that Magneto was coming for them.

The three groups of pawns met up as instructed. Now fully assembled, they were ready to confront Magneto with all the force the Inner Circle could offer. Older pawns like Scott, Jean, Pietro, Sage, Wanda, Warren, Kurt, Rogue, Warpath, and Piotr took the lead. Younger pawns like Bobby, Kitty, Jubilee, Sam, Roberto, Tabitha, Alex, and Lorna followed close behind. Others like Danielle, Julian, Laura stuck close to Logan, who was also leading near the front of the group. Monet, Betsy, and Emma kept their distance though. Neither one of them was much of a team player, but they were instructed to be part of this attack. But for some, it carried different connotations than others.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” said Danielle.

“We all do, Danielle,” said Lorna.

“No, I mean there’s something else going on here,” she said, “Something about it just doesn’t feel right.”

“What do you mean?” asked Sam curiously.

“I don’t know. I just have that feeling, you know?”

“You sure it’s not just fear setting in?” teased Tabitha.

“No, I’m not afraid!” she said strongly, “It’s something else.”

“Like what?” scoffed Alex.

Before Danielle could answer they all got an unexpected jolt. Parts of the pier and dock started warping on their own, the metal nails and supports twisting and levitating on their own by an unseen hand. All around them other metal objects started moving. Fork lifts, fish scales, tools, knives, and anything else made of metal started rising up and swirling around the area in an ominous display. It wasn’t much of a mystery about what was causing this. It only confirmed what they suspected.

“He’s here!” said Pietro, his tone laced with venomous intent.

“Way to state the obvious, speedy!” said Warpath, “Where is he?”

“He’s coming,” said Laura as she sniffed the air, “He’s just making a statement.”

Laura followed the scent upwards into the sky. And when she and the others looked up, they all saw a familiar ominous figure descend towards them. It was Magneto and he looked every bit as menacing as the first time they faced him. He had his anti-telepathy helmet back and his old dark red uniform. How he got that back was beyond them, but one way or another he looked pretty angry.

When Pietro saw him his face contorted with rage. Lorna, who was standing behind him, was a little more reserved. She wasn’t sure what to think. This man was her father and yet here he was coming down with a murderous look in his eye. It wasn’t the kind of look she hoped to see when she met her father, but it was useless to dwell on it.

“Greetings,” he said in a dark, cold tone, “I had a feeling Charles would send his pawns after me. Typical of a man too coward to face me on his own.”

“You got a lot of nerve, Magneto!” yelled Scott, “You’re going to wish you stayed in your cell!”

“You’re going to wish you never locked me up to begin with,” countered the master of magnetism, “I don’t just plan on making Charles pay. I plan on making all those responsible suffer!”

“Oh yeah? In case you haven’t noticed you’re a little outnumbered here, bub!” growled Logan, drawing his claws.

“Am I?” said Magneto with a mischievous grin.

Suddenly the area was swarmed with a new presence. From every door, cover, and nearby facility dozens of masked men came rushing out into the open and quickly surrounded the pawns. They moved like locus, quietly and efficiently. It was the kind of efficiency that could evade even a powerful psychic or enhanced senses. It was the kind of detection the Hellfire pawns knew only the Hand could master, leaving little doubt as to who these figures were.

“Hand assassins?!” exclaimed Sam.

“Since when do you work with the Hand?!” exclaimed Pietro.

“That, my son, is an interesting story. I’ll tell you and your sister later, but first…”

With a simple hand gesture, the master of magnetism ordered the Hand assassins to attack. And they did so with their usual swift and cutthroat efficiency. Armed with the usual katanas, guns, and rifles they boxed in the pawns and attempted to crush them with one powerful attack. But the pawns wouldn’t make it that easy for them.

“All pawns attack!” ordered Scott, “Warren and Rogue, take the ones with the rifles! Julian and Sam, back them up! Everybody else, pick a target and take them down!”

“What the hell kind of strategy is that?!” growled Logan as he clawed through two nearby assassins who tried to attack him.

“A simple one!” grunted Raven as she disarmed an assassin and took his gun, “Just shut up and start killing!”

“Oh this will be fun,” grinned Alex as he followed his brother for once and started blowing away assassins.

Destruction and death quickly followed. The bulk of the Hand’s attack force charged the young Hellfire pawns while some stayed at a distance, firing high powered energy weapons right at them. These were immediate dangers and Rogue, Warren, Julian, and Sam followed Scott’s orders to take them out first.

“Whoa! What the hell are those things?!” exclaimed Julian as he barely dodged a bolt of bluish-red energy.

“High powered plasma rifles,” Warren answered as he flew in over him, “Great for long distance shots, but expensive as hell.”

“How the hell would you know?!” exclaimed Julian as he narrowly avoided another shot.

“My company makes them. Now shut up and take them out!” said Warren.

“Figures,” muttered Julian.

“Give it a rest, Julian! Just cover me while I leave my mark!” said Sam as he shot up higher into the air.

Sam was now going at the speed of a rocket, flying high and not giving a chance for the assassins to hit him. Then when he got high enough, he arced over and flew back down towards them at high speeds. To the assassins he looked like a meteor coming in out of the sky. They tried to shoot him, but he was too fast. And just as it looked as though he was going to impact the ground, he made a daring arc and swooped over the perches where they were station and created a shock wave that knocked some off of rooftops and left others stunned.

“Way to leave their ears ringin’, sugah!” grinned Rogue as she flew in and nailed two assassins with a lethal left hook, “You know how to leave their ears ringing!”

“Speak for yourself,” muttered Warren with a dirty grin as he flew down and grabbed a discarded rifle, “Don’t you leave every man’s ears ringing in some form or another?”

“Dang it, Warren! Now is NOT the time to be makin’ those kinds of jokes!” exclaimed Rogue as she snapped the necks of two more shooters.

“Maybe for you it isn’t,” he grinned ominously as he shot down several more assassins, “But you never know.”

Armed with his own high energy rifle, Warren fired a number of shots at other sentries across the pier. Since his company made these weapons, he was a pretty good shot with them. Those that he didn’t pick off were disarmed by Julian and maimed by Rogue and Sam. Soon all the sentries were down, leaving only the assassins on the ground to take out the pawns. And they were ready for them.

The pawns scrambled to divide the attacking force up. Scott, Jean, Alex, Bobby, Betsy, and Danielle converged around what was left of the pier that Magneto partially destroyed on his entrance. Various armed Hand assassins swarmed around them, swiping at them with katanas and shooting them with side-arms. Jean took action first, deflecting the rounds and disarming them while the others tore into them. Scott literally blasted a perfect round hole through three assassins. Not to be outdone Alex took down another three, but he aimed for their heads so they had no chance of getting up. Bobby took on his full ice form and started freezing any assassin that was nearby, which Betsy then shattered with psionic blades. And while she didn’t show it, she did take a great satisfaction in killing those who were part of the organization that did her so much harm. For the assassins Jean wasn’t able to disarm, Danielle formed illusions that caused the assassins to attack targets that weren’t there. This allowed her to sneak up on them and slit their throats with a vibrainium knife that Warpath gave her. She also helped Bobby by fooling them into walking right into his ice blasts.

“Not bad, Danielle! Those illusions of yours are pretty effective!” Bobby complimented.

“You have no idea,” grinned Native American mutant.

Not far from the pier around a collection of fishing gear, Emma and Monet were keeping their battles isolated and away from the main attack force. Emma had never been one to fight a battle in a team. She preferred fighting on her own. Since the Hand assassins had telepathic safeguards, she couldn’t use her telepathy. But her diamond hard shell would suffice, allowing her to resist most of their attacks and allowing her to deliver punishing blows that broke bones and maimed would be attackers. And while she was trying to do this her own way Monet stuck close to her, showing off her advanced reflexes and strength to snap necks, break bones, and at times even stab to death using nearby fishing gear.

“Ugh! Why are trying to help me?” said Emma as she blocked an attack from two incoming assassins.

“Because you need my help,” grinned Monet as she came in, grabbed the attacking assassins by the necks, and snapped them with a sickening crunch.

“I can handle myself!” grunted the blonde telepath, “I don’t need your help!”

“Maybe not now,” said Monet as she turned her attention to another wave of attacks, “But you will soon.”

Emma didn’t have time for her cryptic mind games so she tried to ignore her and continue fighting. These Hand assassins provided a much needed outlet for her anger and rage and she didn’t squander a any one of them, letting the others do the heavier fighting.

Over near a series of large crates Logan, Raven, Kitty, Laura, Sage, and Tabitha lured another group of Hand assassins into more confined areas where they could attack them at close range. Logan and Laura stayed on top of the crates, sniffing out and taking down any assassins that tried to gain the high ground. Raven and Sage handled the ones down below, using mercenary and SHIELD training to take down anyone who tried to attack. For the assassins that had guns, Kitty attacked and drew their fire. The bullets passed right through her and then she phased her hand right into their chests and stopped their hearts. For those trying to sneak up on them, Tabitha stayed a step ahead of them. She laid several traps with her energy bombs, blowing the legs off of several assassins unlucky enough to step on them. And for those who dared to get close, she made the bombs bigger so that they couldn’t escape the blast.

“Think fast!” said Tabitha to an assassin as she literally shoved the bombs into his mask.

Before the masked assassin could react they exploded, blowing much of his head off in the process. It was a sight Tabitha never got tired of.

“They never learn,” she grinned.

“She’s enjoying this a little too much,” commented Kitty as she backed in close to Sage, helping her phase through a few incoming bullets.

“I agree. And it is disturbing,” said Sage as she shot down two assassins with a gun she picked up, “I’m beginning to see what Danielle was so uncertain about.”

“What do you mean?” asked Kitty.

“I cannot say,” she said in her usual mechanical tone, “But now is not the time to dwell on such matters.”

“Hey, you guys wanna stop gossiping down there?!” growled Logan from atop one of the creates, “These punks ain’t gonna kill themselves!”

Logan and Laura continued clawing their way through more assassins, working their way back towards the clearing where Magneto was still hovering. In that area Piotr, Warpath, Roberto, Jubilee, Pietro, Wanda, Kurt, and Lorna were holding their own, driving back the remaining attack force from the Hand. Piotr and Warpath were handling much of the heavy duty tasks, taking down clusters of assassins that tried to gang up on them. They used their superior strength and agility to literally plow through them, sending their mangled bodies flying. Kurt used his agility and to teleport around the area, using a couple of katanas he stole to slice through and kill his enemies one by one before they could react. Roberto and Jubilee cleaned up the ones that managed to get through, shooting them with fireworks and solar blasts. They went full power as well, making sure they would not get up after the first hit. The attack was relentless and as always, the masked Hand assassins didn’t say a word. They just fought on despite their losses, doing exactly what they were trained to do.

“These guys never learn!” grunted Jubilee as she blinded a couple of assassins with fireworks for Piotr to come in and finish.

“They are from the Hand. They never will,” said the Russian as several bullets bounced off his metal skin, “But why would the Hand be helping this madman?”

“Does it matter?” said Roberto as he burned through two incoming assassins with solar blasts, “Just sit back, watch them burn, and get yourself warmed up for Magneto!”

“You’re taking this a bit too lightly, Roberto!” grunted Warpath as she snapped the necks of two more assassins.

“Maybe I just react better to these situations,” grinned the Brazilian mutant.

The heavy fighting in the central clearing raged on. But for Pietro, Wanda, and Lorna the attack by the Hand was secondary to their primary target, Magneto. The three siblings looked up at their estranged father in a rage, yearning to strike him down. But Magneto wasn’t just letting the Hand do all his work for him. He was actively attacking himself, using his magnetic powers to send shards of metallic projectiles raining down on them at high speeds. It forced Wanda and Lorna to deflect them and whenever they tried to attack, a couple of Hand assassins ganged up on them. It was frustrating, but only enraged them further.

“Magneto! Stop letting these thugs do your dirty work and come down to fight!” Pietro yelled out as he kicked away another Hand assassin.

“So much anger,” commented Magneto, “I see these years have done little to calm you, my son.”

“You think you can just break out and attack us like this? I’ve seen the error of your ways! I’ve since learned how wrong they are! And I know you’ll never stop so I’ll make sure it ends here!”

“Really, Pietro? You would kill your own father just to stop me from doing what I feel is just?”

“Yes!” said Pietro strongly, “Like I said, I’ve learned.”

For a moment Magneto halted his attack, watching as Pietro was forced to fight off another Hand assassin. This one tried to stab him in the leg like last time. But this time Pietro was ready for him. He moved out of the way, grabbed his katana from him, and literally impaled him with it through the back. It was a brutally efficient kill and Pietro did it without hesitation, just as Hellfire had trained him. And when Magneto saw this he did something unexpected. He smiled.

“Oh son…you’ve finally made me proud.”

When Pietro heard this, he was shocked. And his momentary lapse was all the time Magneto needed to take a nearby metal drum and throw it at the speedster on a magnetic wave of power. And before Pietro could collect himself, it blindsided him and send him falling to the ground where a several Hand assassins were waiting to strike. Lorna, who had been close enough to hear the exchange, saw this and sprang into action.

“Pietro!” she exclaimed, “You monster! You really are nobody’s father!”

Lorna then used her magnetic powers to levitate the barrel that hit Pietro and fling it around at high speeds, knocking over several Hand assassins that tried to move in for the kill. Once they were taken out, she flung the barrel up at Magneto, who easily deflected it.

When the master of magnetism saw how this young woman reacted, he was surprised and intrigued. He had been told about this girl. He didn’t believe it at first, but after a display like that it was hard to deny. That girl was his daughter. And like Pietro, she was utterly misguided.

“Not bad, young lady. Not that I would expect anything less,” he said as he lowered himself down to the surface, “You must be the one I was told about.”

“The name is Lorna Dane,” she said angrily, “And I’ve been told a lot about you too. Now that I’ve seen you in person I see why you have such a bad parenting record. And it’s ends today!”

Lorna took to the air, using her magnetic powers to levitate herself and fly towards Magneto in a rage.

“Lorna no!” Pietro yelled out.

But it was too late. She was heading for the master of magnetism and she wasn’t going to stop. This man had caused her mother a lot of emotional pain. He caused her a lot of pain by never being there. And she only knew one way to deal with it and that was the way the Hellfire Club taught her…through vengeance.

She prepared to attack her father with a magnetic pulse of her own. The plan was to break his hold on the surrounding energy, force him to the ground, and finish him there with all the support she had from the others. But when she fired off her pulse, she hit an absolute wall. Magneto, despite his old age, casually held up a hand and repelled Lorna’s attack. He repelled it so well she froze in mid air.

“This…must…end!” grunted Lorna.

“Is that anyway to introduce yourself to your estranged father?” said Magneto with a touch of parental scorn, “Perhaps you need a lesson in manners.”

The master of magnetism then pulled in some metal pips from around him and twisted them like rope. He then used it to tie Lorna up, encasing her in a hard metal vice. Then he tightened his magnetic hold around her and hovered in closer where he firmly grabbed her by the chin.

“So you’re my long lost daughter,” said Magneto in a dark tone, “I must say, I’m surprised I didn’t realize it sooner. But then again your mother if I recall, wasn’t the most forthcoming person in the world.”

“Augh!” she grunted as his grip tightened.

“I remember her well. I was a broken man at the time, having lost my wife and my children. She was part of a humanitarian organization that surveyed war torn areas like the Balkans. She had a weakness for people in pain. She thought she could make mine go away. She tried desperately, going to great lengths to help me erase the scars of the past. And some of those lengths led to your conception.”

Lorna’s face twisted in a mix of pain and anger. The way he was talking about her mother was hardly affectionate. It sounded as though he was mocking her and her mother for what happened and that only made her angrier.

“But try as she might, she failed. She could never erase the pain and anger I felt towards the world. And when I revealed to her what I could do and what I had done to my enemies, she was horrified. She no longer pitied me. She was horrified by me. I can only imagine what she must have felt when she realized she was carrying my child. It must have left her emotionally devastated for the rest of her life.”

“Errrrrrrrrrrrr! Shut up!” yelled the young mutant teen.

“Face it, child. Your mother is weak. People like her who think they can understand the pain and anger people like me feel are always weak! And soon their weakness will be their undoing.”

The master of magnetism tightened his grip on her. But Lorna remained defiant and strong.

“No…We’ll kill you first!” she said.

“Oh don’t be so sure about that,” said Magneto with an ominous grin.

Down blow, Pietro’s body was still sore from the blow. But he had since been helped up by Wanda, who had been busy using her hex bolts to mangle any Hand assassin that dared to get close to her. She didn’t seem as concerned about Lorna’s well-being as Pietro, not that it came as any surprise. But one thing that did bother Pietro was how calm she was after being so worked up earlier about this. He half expected her to be tearing this whole area apart with her hex bolts, but she it looked as though she was just biding her time by killing Hand assassins.

“Wanda, what are you waiting for?! Hex him or something! Save Lorna!” he exclaimed as he shook off the pain.

“Don’t worry, dear brother. It’s almost over,” she said with a devious grin as she killed another assassin.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You’ll see.”

Kurt then appeared next to Wanda in a puff of brimstone. He still had two katanas in hand, each of which were dripping with blood. He was short of breath and a little bruised from the attacks, but he had the same strange look in his eye as Wanda had. He then nodded mysteriously, signaling that this battle was nearing its end. He then teleported away to spread the word.

Far from the mayhem that had consumed the pier, a dark mist swirled around the roof of a warehouse overlooking the area. It was the same rooftop where Warren, Rogue, Julian, and Sam had taken down sentries armed with high powered rifles. Bodies still littered the area, but the mist grew and intensified until a figure emerged from it. That figure was the Black Queen herself, Selene. And she had in her hand the means by which she would end this meaningless battle.

“So young and naïve,” she mused, “They all had their chance to walk with me on the path of darkness. Now they’ll all suffer the consequences.”

The Black Queen then opened her hand to reveal a glowing red stone. It was one of the blood stones, a relic she obtained when she seized control of the Hand. She then held it up high into the air and chanted a series of Japanese and old Asian phrases that activated the magic within.

“Power of the blood stone! Heed my words!” she proclaimed as her body became engulfed in a blood red aura.

Back on the pier, many of the Hand assassins had been taken down or immobilized and many of the pawns were gathering near the pier just below Magneto. Piotr, Warpath, and Jubilee met up with Scott, Jean, and Bobby. Rogue, Julian, and Sam flew down to join them. Logan, Raven, Laura, and Kitty joined as well while Sage and Danielle stayed behind the clean up the rest of the assassins near the crates. Emma went to join in as well, but another round of assassins held her up. Warren, Betsy, Kurt, Roberto, Tabitha, and Alex had broken off and started chasing Hand assassins to the other side of the pier, giving them a nice clearing to take a shot at magneto. They now stood with Wanda and Pietro looking up at Magneto as he had Lorna in his grasp. They had a clear shot at him, but some were hesitant to take it.

“He’s got Lorna!” exclaimed Jubilee.

“The man’s using his own daughter as a shield. How low is that?” scoffed Julian.

“Nothing’s too low for Magneto,” grunted Pietro, “We have to get her out of there!”

“We’ll get her out by taking him down!” said Scott with a grunt of determination, “Hold on, I’m taking a shot!”

“Oh no you won’t,” said Magneto ominously.

Just as Scott was about to fire an optic blast, a strange red aura consumed every one of the pawns. At first it was just a strange tingle, but then when Scott attempted to fire a blast nothing happened. It was as if his powers weren’t even there anymore.

“Augh! What the…my power!” he exclaimed, “They’re gone!”

“Hey, mine too!” said Jubilee as she tried to fire a round of fireworks.

“Oh no, so are mine!” said Bobby as he watched his ice cover rapidly melt away, “Ugh, and I feel like shit!”

“What the heck is goin’ on here? What’s causing this?!” exclaimed Rogue, who couldn’t fly anymore.

“I don’t know, but it feels almost like…like some sort of magic,” said Jean, as she tried to make sense of this feeling.

“Magic?! Who the hell would be casting magic on us like this?” grunted Logan, already in pain now that some of his wounds weren’t healing.

It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. Everybody tested their powers as well and soon found they were gone too. Piotr could no longer armor his body up, Sam could no longer blast, Kitty could no longer phase, and Jean could no longer use her telekinesis. Even those with physical mutations like Mystique were affected. It was a strange, ominous feeling that left every one of them feeling sick to their stomaches.

One person who wasn’t affected, however, was Magneto. And with Lorna still in a metal vice he descended lower, no longer concerned with their ability to attack.

“What’s the matter? Feeling vulnerable?” taunted the master of magnetism.

“How the hell are you doing this?!” demanded Pietro.

“I’m not doing anything,” he answered, “Someone else has taken the liberty of holding back your mutant abilities.”

“Someone else? Who?!” demanded Mystique.

Then a cold yet familiar voice from behind answered.

“That would be me.”

Then the young pawns turned around to a shocking and disturbing sight. Selene, the Black Queen who they all swore to serve, had emerged from behind holding an ominous looking red stone that was glowing in the same ominous aura that had consumed them. Her eyes were glowing as well, indicating that she was the one behind this. It was a confusing, yet disturbing scene. And for the loyal pawns of the Hellfire Club, it was beyond comprehension.

“Mistress Selene?!” exclaimed Kitty.

“Hello my dear pawns,” she greeted in a sinister tone, “Sorry to drop in like this, but there’s been a sudden change of plan. It seems as though the Black King is…incapacitated.”

“Incapacitated?!” exclaimed Julian, picking up on the subtext of her words.

“No…you didn’t!” yelled Scott.

“Oh don’t look so shocked,” scoffed the Black Queen, “Deep down, you all knew this was coming.”

Scott, Jean, Piotr, Rogue, Logan, Mystique, Pietro, Bobby, Jubilee, Kitty, Sam, Laura, and Julian had all been part of a group more loyal to Xavier than Selene. They all knew the Black Queen was an evil, twisted person. But they had to respect her for her status and trusted that Charles Xavier would keep her in check. Now it seemed as though that trust had been misplaced. The Black Queen proved more devious than they ever could have imagined.

“Mistress…no, traitor Selene!” said Scott, “You know this won’t stand! Nobody betrays the Hellfire Club!”

“Little man…I AM the Hellfire Club now! And as far as I’m concerned, you’re all the traitors. And you know what we do to traitors,” she said with a mischievous grin.

“You crazy bitch!” yelled Logan as he lunged at her.

“Oh no you don’t…”

From above, Magneto took over. Using the metal shards and debris he levitated from earlier he formed large metallic rods similar to the ones he used to bind Lorna. Then by the whim of his powers, he guided them towards the powerless pawns below. They all tried to get away, but they could not escape. One by one, they were each bound by unbreakable metal bonds. Their arms and legs were tied up, causing them to fall to the ground. Now with no powers, no support, and no hope the young pawns were left struggling.

“No! This can’t be happening!” said Jubilee, who was really starting to panic.

“Jean, can you break this spell?” exclaimed Scott.

“I…I don’t think so,” said Jean, unable to concentrate or focus, “This spell is too advanced! But maybe I can…”

Then another surprising voice stepped in and silenced her.

“Oh no you don’t!” said Wanda, using her hex bolts to shock Jean and nearly knock her out.

When Pietro and the others saw this he was shocked. They then watched as Magneto descended to the ground with Lorna still hovering next to him and causally stood beside his estranged daughter. There was no malice or anger like there had been earlier. In fact there seemed to be a certain level of respect now, as if this is what they both had been hoping for.

“Wanda?! What are you doing?!” exclaimed Pietro.

“What does it look like, brother? I’m serving my Mistress,” said Wanda, “And I decided that father and I could finally see eye to eye on a few things.”

“Indeed,” grinned Magneto with an approving gesture.

“Even after all he’s done?! What about all those things you said about him?!”

“I said exactly what I wanted you to hear,” said Wanda in an almost casual tone, “I do what I have to. You of all people should understand that.”

Wanda then hit everybody bound in their metal binds with a round of painful hex bolts. They all let out cries of pain, not just from her but from this situation as a whole. Their Mistress had finally betrayed them and she had plenty of help in doing so.

“You…you’re a traitor too, Wanda,” Lorna choked out.

“At least I didn’t do it alone.”

She then looked behind them and saw the others joining in on the moment. Warren, Alex, Tabitha, and Roberto each approached their downed comrades, looking every bit as smug and accomplished as their Mistress. It was a truly momentous sight. For months now they had been isolating themselves, having been cast aside by the other more experienced pawns who Xavier always favored. Now they were the ones with the upper hand and it felt good.

Still standing from afar, Emma watched this whole mess unfold before her eyes. Just as she finished up with the final assassin, she saw Selene descend upon this conflict and carry out the ultimate act of betrayal. She was hardly surprised, but she was still enraged. She was tempted to go over and beat her to a pulp, but Monet held her back. She stood in her way, giving her a knowing look.

“Monet, what the hell is going on?!” exclaimed Emma, “Are you part of this too?!”

“I am and so are you,” she grinned, “You helped with this, remember?”

“What?! I helped you, not Selene! I would never help that bitch!”

“Well you did. By helping me you helped her. And because of that you’ll have a chance at getting what you want. But like everything, there is a price to pay for such rewards. And unless you want to risk suffering the same fate as the others, you’ll keep your mouth shut for the time being.”

Emma was seething. This bitch tricked her into helping the person she despised most. She should have known something was up. And now it was too late. If she went back on it she would end up just like the others and she would lose her chance at vengeance. But if she stayed silent she would just be aiding Selene. It was a true dilemma. For a moment she fought with herself, debating on whether or not to push Monet aside or stay still. But in the end she went with the only path that made sense. She listened to Monet and stood still. But the anger in her eyes didn’t wane.

As Wanda hexed each of her former fellow pawns, they drifted further into defeat. Some still struggled, but without their powers they were unable to escape. And without Charles Xavier, they were without support. It was truly a low moment for them.

“Pathetic,” said Wanda, “Can we finish this already?”

“Not quite,” said Selene, “I still don’t see Sage or Danielle.”

“Yeah, where are those two? I saw them near the crates earlier,” said Warren.

“Oh they’re still close,” said Selene, “They’re just being cowardly.”

Then from the crates behind two figures emerged. Danielle and Sage, who had taken cover when they saw what was going on in front of them, came charging out armed with high powered rifles they had stolen from the Hand assassins. And they were bent on not letting this stand.

“Selene!” Sage yelled out, “You’re going to pay for this!”

“Prepare to die!” Danielle proclaimed boldly.

They were just about to fire, but Selene didn’t bother to move. She already knew what was going to happen to them.

Suddenly, Kurt teleported behind them with Betsy by his side. And before Sage and Danielle could get too far, Betsy formed two long psi blades and impaled them right through the back. This stopped them cold in their tracks, their faces contorting in a world of pain. And when the other pawns saw this they looked on in horror, watching as their final hope fell dead.

“Sage…no!” said Rogue as she watched on with shock.

“Danielle!” exclaimed Warpath in a rage of agony.

“I’m…sorry,” Danielle choked out.

She then dropped the weapon and fell limply to the ground in a pool of her own blood. Sage fell slower, lingering for a bit and trying to stop the blooding. But even for her, a woman who could shut off her emotions like a computer, she could not hide the pain. She remained defiant, trying to literally crawl her way towards Selene. But the Black Queen just walked over to her with a snide grin and stepped on her neck, slowly applying more pressure until she choked on her own breath.

“A valiant but foolish attempt,” said the Black Queen, “Xavier would be proud. Please send him my regards.”

Selene then finished her off, crushing her neck and ending her life in a gruesome, unceremonious gesture. She was a big disappointed. Now she wouldn’t be able to torment these two like she planned to do for the others. But they were acceptable losses. There would still be plenty of torture to go around.

Some of the other pawns had to look away from the sight of Sage and Danielle being killed before their eyes. Warpath was especially affected, given the connection he had to both of them. It more or less ended whatever hope they still had. But some still remained defiant.

“You…you won’t get away with this!” yelled Laura.

“We’ll find a way to make you pay for this you sick bitch!” yelled Logan.

“Ha! Your threats are empty at this late hour!” scoffed the Black Queen, “Can’t you see? I’ve already won! All that’s left now is to prepare yourselves for your punishment! Wanda, if you please…”

“Yes, my Mistress,” said Wanda.

Wanda then hit everybody with a punishing hex bolt that knocked them all out cold. They each let out pained groans as they passed out. There was no other choice for them. Lord Xavier was gone. The Hellfire Club was now under Selene’s control. That meant she could do whatever she wanted with them. And given her sadistic tastes they knew what they were in for. It was a fate worse then death in many ways, being defeated by Selene. She wasn’t going to just send them to Hell. She was going to make them feel like they were already in Hell.

Once the pawns were unconscious, Selene and her minions gathered around to admire their victory. They were all excited about what this could bring. For Warren, it was a chance to indulge in every dark excess he ever wanted. For Betsy, it was a chance at being in control for once, being the one to inflict the pain rather than suffer from it. For Alex, it was a chance to rise above his brother in every way. For Roberto, it was a chance to wield power as his father always pushed him to. For Tabitha, it was a chance to dominate after being marginalized by everybody. And for Monet, it was a chance to wield power of a different kind.

But for Kurt and Wanda, it was just another step in serving Mistress Selene’s plan. And now Magneto was a part of that plan, only he didn’t know what he was getting into.

“Are we done here?” asked the master of magnetism.

“We’re done, Erik,” grinned Selene, “You did well playing your part.”

“As did you and your followers. But what now? Wanda told me you had more plans beyond this and I am to be a part of them. And I still expect the compensation you offered me.”

The Black Queen casually walked over to the master of magnetism and affectionately slithered her arms around his neck. Even for a man like Magneto, it was a lurid gesture from a very dark woman.

“Oh trust me, I do have plans and you will have plenty of chances to be compensated,” she said in a sadistic tone, “But first, we’re going to take these lowly creatures back to base with us and have a little fun!”

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Up next: With Xavier now gone, the pawns wake up to a grizzly reality and Selene gives them a taste of the wrath to come.