THE PAST:

 

"Would you care to dance," a deep melancholy voice from behind her asked.

 

She spun toward the sound as he caught her hands in his, and without another word he swept her onto the dance floor. The classical chamber band that was seated on the balcony played music that wafted over the opulent ballroom inside. The Carlysle Hotel in Boston's financial district had always played host to the upper echelon's of society's super rich, but tonight was a stellar event even for them. The Grand Ballroom was full of old money blue-bloods from across the globe, as well as the new mega-cash movers and shakers that spent even more extravagantly in order to impress upon the others their new found wealth.

 

The young lady looked up into his eyes as they waltzed to the elegant sounds of the evening's entertainment. The man's dark eyes bored into hers. She felt as if his gaze saw into her very soul....revealing to him all her secret desires. She felt herself blush and was amazed by her reaction. This coolly beautiful young woman thought herself long past any childish ideas about romance. She looked down at her gown to hide her now crimson cheeks. The white satin gown fit her like a second skin, and the sequins covering it caught the light in tiny shimmering rainbows. Briefly she remembered the rags of her childhood...remembered her tiny face pressed against the front glass of the shops with the windows full of lovely things. She grimaced suddenly at the thought, but then was swept away again into the music.........after all, she hadn't been that frightened little girl for well over 100 years.

 

"My name is Gregor, by the way, Gregor McMendl," said the dashing dark stranger.

 

"Ummm..hello," she stammered. "I'm Jon Ellen Tolliver."

 

"Tolliver....as in Tolliver Enterprises?" Gregor asked.

 

"The same," returned Jon with a winning smile.

 

THE PRESENT:

 

Jon sat bolt upright in her bed. She hit the control console on her bedside table bringing the lighting up. The antique grandfather clock ticked quietly in the corner. The strategically placed lighting shone off its white lacquer case. It struck 9:00 am just as her vision cleared enough to see it. Jon's cavernous bedroom was decorated completely in white. The bed was a gigantic four poster with yards of white gossamer draped haphazardly (yet expertly and expensively I might add) over the top and frame posts. As Nytshade the White Queen of the International Hellfire Club, Jon had power, both mystical and financial, beyond reckoning......but in moments like this, when she awoke alone in a darkened room, she felt like she was far from "in control". Why were memories of Gregor and her childhood resurfacing now? What could all these dreams mean? Were they just left over psychic debris from their encounter with Farouk on the astral plane in that other dimension, or were these images a portent of things to come? There was only one way to find out, but she knew that she would take that option only as a last resort. It simply would cause too many problems to contact Gregor openly.

 

Jon rose from the bed, letting the silk sheets slide from her naked body. She went toward the closet, stretching languidly in front of the mirrored wall of her room.

 

"Not too shabby, girl....especially seeing as your 130th birthday is only a few months away," Jon thought to herself.

 

She often wondered whether her beauty would fade. Since her return from Robyyn's dimension, she no longer needed to sup on the mystic forces of others. Her time spent in the magic filled realm of that insane sorceress had charged her to unbelievable levels and catalyzed her own inborn mystical abilities beyond the need for replenishment. Her question now was whether it was the mystic vampirism that had kept her young for so long, or was it some inborn gift.

 

She retrieved her robe, and as she fastened it around her, she rang for her servants. Perhaps a bath would help in centering her thoughts. The servants entered from the main hall on padded footsteps to prepare the bath for their mistress. The newest among them watched in amazement as their beautiful mistress picked up a coiled three foot rattlesnake from a silken pillow and brought its head to her lips for a morning kiss.

 

"Come along, Birtha," Jon cooed to her pet. "A morning swim will do you good as well."

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Gregor arranged his thoughts in his private study at the Upstart Academy. Gomurr had just briefed him on the progress each student was making in regards to their regular curriculum as well as the development of their special abilities. The Black King let his hands move across his computer console. The console was brilliantly laid out to Gregor's specifications. Avalon, who was only 16, was the Black Scribe and an advocate to the inner circle. His technical skills had attained him his rank in the inner circle, but he still trained with the upstarts in order to better understand and utilize his growing electromagnetic abilities. Avalon had created the computer system after only one consultation with Gregor, and it was all The Black King could ask for and more. Even Gregor acknowledged the lad's skill in computer technology. Maybe there was something to be said for teaching other disciplines alongside mutant abilities training.

 

After checking the financial statements of the school, as well as the stock exchanges for London, Tokyo, and New York, Gregor brought up his personal e-mail. He knew there would only be a few waiting messages. Few people had his personal account, and his insistence on updating security codes every week, kept those that did from using it frivolously. He opened the first message. It was from Jack Silver, his Black Bishop. It detailed in, exacting fashion, each aspect of mergers and acquisitions that the BHC was involved in. The next was a short note from Nemesis thanking him for the flowers he had sent her, as well as another invitation to her secluded island house for another "get-away". His mind rolled back over the time they had spent there in the last week. At first, his agreement to accompany her was only a way to placate Nem's hurt feelings over his dealings with Nytshade, the White Queen, but as the week went on, Gregor found himself actually enjoying his time with Nemesis. Even as he thought of the Black Queen's exotic beauty, his thoughts constantly drawn back to Jon. Ever since, they had returned from Robyyn's realm, his thoughts were constantly returning to her. If this was some mystic trick of hers, then she would regret it, but then again she had always known exactly the right buttons to push with him. He contemplated calling Jon and demanding an audience with her, but decided to bide his time. Any game worth playing, after all, was a game worth taking your time with. He again let his thoughts drift back to the past when he and Jon were newly met lovers, and the secrets that they shared.

 

THE PAST:

 

Gregor slid his hand slowly down Jon's back, feeling her muscles tense as they danced. Her skin was like silk and the perfumed scent of her hair was intoxicating, but he couldn't let himself be distracted. He had his mission and he was going to accomplish it. He must gain access to the funds of Tolliver Enterprises in order to get his revitalization of the inner circle accomplished. He looked down into the fathomless blue of Jon's eyes and begin to speak.

 

"Ms. Tolliver, I've read a great deal about your company, and I must say I am impressed by what you've managed to accomplish in so short a time," said Gregor.

 

"What do you mean?" queried the future White Queen. "Tolliver Enterprises has been in business for almost 50 years. That's a long time in today's business market."

 

"I agree," said Gregor. "I was referring to the great strides Tolliver Enterprises has made since you personally took over the reigns of command from your mother. I would like to extend my condolences on that issue as well."

 

"Thank you," said Jon as she begin to tense up. "Could he possibly know?" she thought.

 

"I must also say," Gregor continued, "the resemblance between yourself and your mother is remarkable. In a few years I'd wager you'd be almost identical."

 

"My family has always had a distinct genetic stamp. I've been told I look almost identical to my grandmother as well." Jon said.

 

"Of course," said Gregor. "She along with your grandfather are the ones that started Tolliver Enterprises in 1938.......if I'm not mistaken. It's been rumored that she was the real power behind the throne of that particular empire. In the circle's I travel in, she was known as the one who turned your grandfather's modest shipping business into the international conglomerate it is today, but that was before your grandfather's tragic death and your grandmother's early retirement that led to your mother taking over the company."

 

Gregor rolled off these facts as a means of keeping the conversation going. Her statement about the genetic stamp intrigued him. Could she be a mutant like himself? The term genetic stamp kept running over and over in his mind. Is that what caused the striking similarities between the three women.......some sort of genetic mutation? Why else would she phrase it like that?....genetic stamp indeed.

 

Jon's mind also reeled. He couldn't know her secret! How could he possibly have found out that she had been three women in her lifetime. She first come to the United States as Elaida Thompson. She had been 55 when she first stepped off the boat from her homeland of Germany. She, however, by some strange twist of fate looked much younger, like a girl barely over 16. She had left her home country due to this fact. The people she grew up with branded her as a witch, for this oddity of her appearance, as well as certain mystical abilities that allowed her to remain unscathed while plague and famine often rained around her. With no skills to speak of and only a small amount of magical ability, she was forced into the role of a "fortune teller" (and bar maid) at a portside tavern in early 1938. This is where she met Philip Tolliver, a drunken young rich boy with too much money to throw around the warehouse docks that his departed father had left him. They soon began an affair, and though no great love was shared between them, there was sufficient heat to keep Phillip interested and sufficient money to keep Jon amiable. As spoiled young men often do, however, he grew tired of her quickly. She had prepared for this eventuality though. Claiming pregnancy and using her magics to make evidence for her case, she tricked the lad into marriage, and thus stepped into the role of a gentleman's wife. The ruse was not difficult to keep up, but she knew when the time came, she would be found out because there was no way she could produce a child with magic. This problem was handled, however, in a distinctly supernatural manner.

 

Although she now held the title of wife of Philip Tolliver and mistress of the manor, his wandering eye and alcoholism, along with her pretended condition led young Tolliver back to the docks to another young bar maid. It was this unfortunate lass that young Elaida caught her husband with one evening in the fall of that year. Upon entering the outer chamber of their sleeping quarters one evening, Elaida heard her husband's whiny prattlings of love to another young girl who was with him inside.

 

"Help me dispose of her, my sweet, and all this can be yours," he said.

 

"I have poisons and potions that will destroy her while she sleeps and are completely undetectable," said the young gypsy girl. "She fancies herself an enchantress, but I will show her real magic."

 

"So, we do it tonight, my darling, and then we will be together forever," said young Tolliver.

 

Elaida stormed into the room and made her presence known. The young woman cowered into the corner of the bed, and Phillip, in a drunken rage, charged at his wife. Her anger was intense, and in self-defense she struck out at her husband with the first mystic bolt she had ever produced. The drunken lout didn't stand a chance and was knocked unconscious. As she turned to face her would be assassin, she saw the young woman coming at her with a knife at the ready. Elaida was shocked at this, not because of the woman's murderous intent, but because she was surrounded by a beautiful aura of reds, greens, blues and yellows. This, Elaida discovered, was the very essence of magic. Doing something she had never done before, Elaida reached out to this woman with her own magic aura and begin to absorb the woman's essence into her own. The woman cried out in pain, and then went limp as Elaida drained her completely. For the first time in her life, Elaida now held power that was not her own and she reveled in the sensation. This led her to further realize that there were others like herself with special abilities, and that these people could be used for her benefit. She quickly blasted the withered corpse of the woman into nothingness, and went about tidying the room. When Philip awoke, she went to him and told him the tale of how the young woman, after being discovered, had run into the night and vowed never to return. She stroked young Tolliver's hair and promised her undying love and forgiveness. Two weeks later, Philip Tolliver met with a fatal "accident" in one of his warehouses and Elaida now became sole heir to his fortune.

 

Elaida Tolliver quickly sold off the entire company, picked up stakes, and moved to Boston. There she set up a new power base, and through business savvy and her own magics, the company grew quickly and became even more profitable than its New York counterpart. Time went by and Elaida began making preparations for "the birth". During these months she had also discovered her ability to sup on the mystical aspects of others didn't have to be a death sentence to those she siphoned from. In some cases she could simply take their abilities and leave them unharmed....In others, she could actually enhance their abilities as she did her own. In this manner she gained enough power to pull off the ruse of child birth.

 

In a very private chamber of her house, Elaida called in a doctor of somewhat questionable character and bade him to wait outside her room while she and her "hand maiden" gave birth to the child. The handmaiden was just a "glamour" or trick of light that she had created, but the doctor agreed. At the time of the birth, she also held enough power to create another "glamour" of a beautiful baby girl, and so the doctor, who had done no work at all, recorded the event of the birth into his log.......thus on a cold winter's day in 1939 Elaina Tolliver was born.

 

Elaina, who never truly existed at all, was guarded closely by Elaida never letting any prying eyes near her precious "child", and when she reached the age of six, she was promptly "sent off to school in Europe". After making this known, Elaida dropped the ruse of Elaina and continued amassing her fortune. By the time anyone began wondering how Elaida stayed so young and beautiful, she was ready to make her next move. In the summer of 1948, the now 65 year old Elaida still looked 20. It was only through the help of her magic that she maintained the illusion of aging at all. Elaida staged her grand retirement in the fall of 1960, and the brilliant young daughter in the form of Elaina returned home to take over the reins of the now million dollar company. The Elaina ruse went about the same way with her faking pregnancy once again in 1972 and then sending the child away for education. Although the shock of such a well bred young women becoming pregnant out of wedlock caused quite a stir, it was the 70's and the idea of who had fathered the child was soon forgotten. Again, this time after the faked death of the mother, the daughter after her "education abroad" returned home to take over the family business. It was in this manner, that Elaida, now using the name Jon Ellen, controlled one of the largest family fortunes in North America....and it was for that reason that young Gregor McMendl was interested in the "16" year old grieving daughter and heiress....and so they danced away that summer of 1988, two lovers enjoying each other's company for very different reasons.

 

Gregor's musings was disturbed by the beep of his computer console.

 

"You've got mail," the machine droned.

 

Gregor checked the sender box of this latest message. It was strangely blank. How could an e-mail be from no one? He opened the message and read it in a matter of seconds. The three neatly spaced words in the document sent a chill down the normally reserved Gregor's spine. It read simply "IT BEGINS NOW!"

 

The lettering of the message began to run and blur. In seconds it was totally unreadable but the black and white swirling mass continued to change. The blacks and whites took on more subtle hints until the screen appeared to be a fuzzy photograph. Then the image began to slowly clear. The black and white uniforms of the Upstarts were the first thing Gregor could recognize. The faces of each of the students of the academy one by one came into focus. Who outside of the inner circle had these pictures? What was going on? As the picture finally solidified, Gregor realized with a sickening lurch of his stomach, that each Upstart was horribly injured in some way. The smiling faces of each was replaced by a battered death's mask. The final morph of the e-mail clicked into place and then faded to black. The entire process took less than 30 seconds, and as the last trace of the picture faded from view, Gregor jumped to his feet swung into action.

 

"AVALON!!!!!!", Gregor roared into the intercom. "GET IN HERE...NOW!"

 

CHAPTER 1: THE YOUNG HUNT

 

Janista, Shockwave, and Glittergirl sat outside the girl's dormitory waiting on Puma to arrive. They knew she had gone on her morning run, but they waited impatiently because of the excitement that the day held for them. They sat on the ornately carved benches and discussed the matters of the world in a way that only teenage girls can do.

 

Glittergirl giggled as she spoke, "I can't wait to get there, I saw this dress in the window of Bandera's that will make the guys go wild."

 

Shockwave showed mock surprise. "You mean you are interested getting the attention of the guys here. Who would have guessed?", she joked.

 

Janista just smiled her quiet smile and Shockwave burst into raucous laughter and patted Glittergirl, who was pretending to be shocked as well.

 

Clarice Ferguson, A.K.A. Blink, had just become the new reigning Princess of the Hellfire Club., and to celebrate this fact, she had offered to take the student's shopping at the local galleria. Janista, who was visiting from the White Hellfire Academy, was also invited along for the trip. She had accepted gladly, but her real reasons for being at the school remained her own. A certain young student by the name of Psi-Shot had caught her eye on her last visit and she was hoping to see him again. Although Gomurr had authorized the trip, the girls knew it was only the influence of Tangerine, Gomurr's new partner in running the school that had gotten them out of today's studies.

 

"Where the heck is she?" Glittergirl spoke again. "If that dress is gone, then I'll be forced to glitter spark Sasha's furry little butt."

 

"Good plan," Shockwave continued, "Get into a cat fight with the girl that can really turn into a cat."

 

The three girls laughed again, little knowing the fate of their friend and teammate.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Meanwhile in the men's dormitory, a game of deadly seriousness was being played. Psi-Shot looked at his cards and placed his bet. Johnny Blaze looked nervously around the table. He was new to the game, but that wasn't what made him nervous. He was just nervous all the time. Johnny was perhaps the least comfortable with his powers of all the students in the school. His mutation allowed him to move at velocities nearing the speed of sound, but he seldom used his abilities and when he did, it was usually to avoid confrontation. Belasco, one of the newest students, looked around the table also, but his eyes held a predatory gaze. As a demon, Belasco also held certain abilities. His particular power lay in mass shifting. He could increase his mass and strength to staggering proportions. The only problem was, the larger he became, the angrier and more dark his thoughts were, so he was infinitely careful not to allow himself to slide into that dark state of mind that most demons reveled in. Coming from Limbo where time was constantly shifting, this Belasco was very young for a demon and his peers in that nether-realm had cast him out for his noble sentiments. Although other manifestations of him were some of the most evil creatures in existence, this young demon prince had a noble heart that he tried to keep hidden behind his mischievous grin and devilish good looks. The other members of the game followed the play around the table. The massively strong Kid Sampson arrogantly cast his money on the table, and the human rocket Cannonball also placed his bet. All eyes turned once again to Psi-Shot.

 

"Call or raise, flesh sack," said Belasco. "I don't live in Limbo anymore and I'm not getting any younger here."

 

Psi-Shot jumped and then blushed. The others looked at him strangely and then allowed their eyes to follow what he had been so intently staring at. They looked out the window and saw five young women discussing their upcoming shopping trip. By this time, Glittergirl, Shockwave and Janista had been joined by Blink, the new black Princess and Tangerine their new head-mistress.

 

The young men began to cackle and hoot at their friend Psi-Shot.

 

"What's wrong Psi-Shot," Sampson joked. "I'd ask if cat had your tongue if Puma was down there, but I've got a feeling it's a certain blue haired psion that's got your attention."

 

Psi-Shot blushed at the mention of Janista. Although he was a fierce warrior when the time came to fight, he had the soul of a poet and was thus a bit shy when it came to matters of the heart. He had met Janista on his first days at the academy when the Black house had regular dealings with the others, but now her visits were few and far between. If only he had the courage to approach her. Her quiet beauty always seemed to enter his mind, whenever he allowed it to wander even for a moment, and now it had happened again.....HOW EMBARRASSING.

 

"I wasn't looking at anything," Psi-Shot said hurriedly, "I was just deciding on what to bet."

 

The others laughed and grinned and continued on with their game.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Sasha ran through the woods on her way back to the Upstarts Academy with an almost lyrical grace. Her transitional form allowing her to move with catlike agility, while still enjoying her almost human appearance. As Puma, a member of the Black Upstarts, Sasha Davidson used her abilities in support of the Black Hellfire Club, but this was one of those moments that a person just lives for the sake of living. This was the time, when she could let the beast inside of her run free. She stopped suddenly and sniffed the air. The chill breeze that blew through the trees tickled the hair on her pointed ears as she listened carefully to the forest sounds. There was a silence in the forest that shouldn't be there. Her cat-like tail whipped back and forth behind her. There was a scent on the breeze that was unfamiliar to her. She removed her backpack silently and laid it aside She then concentrated on becoming one with the forest again. Her features that had once been human although with catlike attributes, now shifted until any trace of her human form was unrecognizable. Her body also morphed as she completed her transition into full puma mode. She sniffed the air once again. In her completely animal form, her senses were keener than any other creature of the forest, but she still couldn't identify the smell that had interrupted her morning run. Sasha took one more cautious step forward as her body tensed in readiness. Whatever was out there, was coming closer. Then, with a move faster than even her animal reflexes could follow, Sasha was swept up into a net, and promptly anesthetized with a knock out dart. The cloaked figure pushed a button on his gauntlet and the cloaking field that covered him dropped.

 

"It begins," came the muffled voice from beneath the dusky cowl.

 

CHAPTER TWO: QUESTIONS AND CONUNDRUMS

 

Avalon's hands flew deftly over the keys of Gregor's computer console. Text and computer code flashed across the screen at so rapid a rate that Gregor couldn't follow. Then with a final blink, the screen went completely black and Avalon pounded his fist on the desk.

 

"Damnit," the youth screamed.

 

Gregor was totally unprepared for this outburst from the normally placid Avalon.

 

"What is it boy? What is the meaning of this? Who sent this message?" Gregor sputtered.

 

"I don't know," Avalon sighed. "The message had an attached .exe file that rewrote your entire hard drive, erased all data logs of the sender's IP address, and put your system in a terminal loop until it crashed. In essence, all my work on this computer terminal has been turned into so much junk. I can't even get a reboot, and all the information you had on this system is lost. I did manage to keep the virus from spreading to the network though, so that's one good thing. I've never seen a virus eat away a system this fast. I thought my anti-virus code could stop anything. Whoever did this had intimate knowledge of your access codes and net pathways, as well as a supreme amount of computer engineering skills. I do have a plan, though. I've been working on my electromagnetics lately though, and I might just be able to............"

 

"Unacceptable!", roared Gregor. "Mights.....can'ts......I need answers, boy. I have taken the name Clarion to herald the rise to power of the BHC and myself. I will not have some two bit computer hacker bring down all I've worked for. I want solutions Avalon...and I want them now!"

 

"Look Clarion..or Afterburner..or Gregor or whatever you are calling yourselves these days, like I said, there's nothing I can do," Avalon spat. "You can call in a team of MIT scientists, and they won't be able to do any better, but if you would have let me finish, I might be able to help you. Like I was saying, I've been experimenting with my electromagnetics and since all computer code is on magnetic media, I may be able to retrieve some of the digital trail by analyzing the magnetic imprints."

 

When Avalon finished, Clarion appraised the boy carefully. This youth held a position in the Black Court and thus was not exactly like the rest of the students, but he was still a student and should respect his elders. This would have to handled delicately.

 

"I'm sorry, Avalon," Gregor said as he patted him on the shoulder, "It's just so important to me to protect my charges from threats, and this message was definitely a threat. Please....do what you can."

 

The youth ducked his blonde head a little shyly and apologized as well. "I'm sorry too, sir. I just hate to see my work wasted. I will get to the bottom of this."

 

Gregor smiled. He still had the ability to talk his way out of a situation when his normal bravado and commanding tone didn't work. This boy had spirit....and this spirit, properly channeled ofcourse, would be a great asset to the Black Hellfire Club.

 

Avalon closed his eyes and the hair on Gregor's arms stood up as the lad embraced his powers. The blue magnetic glow surrounded Avalon and he begin to float inches above the floor. The glow surrounding the boy began to spread until it covered the computer console as well. The look of concentration on the youth's face impressed even Gregor and when, minutes later, Avalon returned a little weakly to the floor, Gregor was there with a supporting arm.

 

"What did you learn, son?" asked Gregor.

 

"Not much, sir," Avalon said. "Whoever did this had access to technology that not even the BHC has, but I did manage to retrieve a snippet of the site location of the sender of that last message. The message was sent through one of our internal modems. Not only did they have your personal e-mail account information, they also had dial in access to BHC files. This gives them free access to almost all of our systems and data."

 

Clarion, The Black King, pounded his fist on the desk. NO......This wasn't possible, who could have gained this kind of access? No one could get that far into the BHC without inside help. Somewhere among his colleagues there was a leak.....and he had to find out where.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Somewhere in a cavern filled with technological wonders like the world has never seen a figure sat. His face was hidden by his hooded cloak, but his gloved hands moved silently across a keyboard looking at the information he had gained. He read slowly through the files that Gregor had composed called the Extermination Agenda. Listed within these files was the biographical data of all known students and members of the Black Hellfire club as well as their associates. Along with this data was a plan on how to eliminate said individual, should they become a danger to the inner circle. So Gregor was as cautious and as deadly as he was in the days of old when they had first met. A smile passed over the figures lips as they clicked off their computer console and a beam of light caught the shimmer of a ring on their gloved hand. The light flashed briefly illuminating the stamp of the White Hellfire Club and the further symbol of royalty beneath it.

 

"Oh yes," the figure laughed. "This is the end game, my dear Gregor, and it will be a very fun game indeed."

CHAPTER THREE: WHEN THE FUR FLIES

 

Janista looked at her watch once again and began to speak.

 

"Maybe she changed her mind and decided not to come," she said.

 

"No way, no how would Sasha miss a trip like this to the galleria. She likes to shop almost as much as I do." said Glittergirl.

 

"I know," said Shockwave. "and that's what worries me. Where could she be? I was expecting her back almost an hour ago."

 

Just then Blink's cell phone began to ring. She reached into her simple leather handbag and answered it.

 

"Hello......Yes....I understand.....Yes.....I'll be there.....I won't......Yes sir," Blink said as her face became a little troubled. "I'm sorry girls, it looks like Gregor's called an emergency meeting of the Black Council and I have to be there, and Tangerine, as the new headmistress, has to be there as well. We'll have to take a rain check on the shopping."

 

Shae Marquette, A.K.A. Glittergirl was the first to speak up.

 

"Awwww man, this bites!" she said. "If Sasha would have gotten her furry butt in gear we would have already had time for me to get that new dress, and I would have already been hip deep in compliments and dinner invites. She'll be sorry when I get my hands on her."

 

Blink spoke up suddenly and forcefully.

 

"Don't speak like that of your friends, Shae. You never know when you will see them again to take it back."

 

And with that cryptic message Tangerine and Blink left a stunned Glittergirl, Janista and Shockwave.

 

As the headmistress and princess turned the corner Shockwave whispered to the other girls.

 

"Something's going on with Puma, and we're gonna get to the bottom of it."

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Meanwhile, at the White Hellfire Academy. Alex Dierling, A.K.A. Wildchild was in no kind of good mood. Who did that uppity witch think she was to deny him the right to leave the school along with Janista? Nytshade, his White Queen, had placed him under what boiled down to house arrest ever since he had jokingly turned off his image inducer to scare some kids who were lurking around the school. Wildchild, although not completely animal, held many animalistic features and thus was required by Nytshade to wear his image inducer when out in public. His mind tumbled over the events of the previous day. As he had sat on the bench in front of the White Hellfire Academy a group of young men his age walked by and started speaking loudly enough where he could hear about the "rich kids school" and the "sissy boys" that attended there. "Nice ponytail" one of them had said as they walked by and looked at his jet black hair sliding down his back. As part joke, and part revenge, Wild Child had deactivated his image inducer and leaped to the fence towards the boys. His feral howl, claws and fangs were enough to send them screaming, but apparently his little display had lacked "tact and decorum", and he was thus punished for it.

 

Alex scrubbed his hair as he showered in the shower room of the work out facility, and then began to wash his face. As he rinsed his hair he watched the water slide down over his features in the mirror on the back of the shower. Why was he cursed with this face? I mean, a lot of mutants could control their metamorphosis and pass for normal all the time. He on the other hand was cursed to look like this permanently. He had been handsome once, but it had only been a cruel twist of fate, because he now once more suffered the jibes of others for the way he looked. Although he hid his depression under a steady stream of jokes, this young man constantly felt the stares of others as a reminder of his hideousness. Alex was well liked by all his classmates, and none of them even noticed his slightly altered appearance, but he couldn't' seem to let it go.

 

Suddenly his animal acute senses registered a presence in the room with him. He stared across the steamy room and saw nothing. His blue piercing eyes scanned the mist enshrouded shadows and registered no movement. His nose twitched and he sniffed for anyone near.

 

"Hello," he called out. "Is anyone there? Archangel....Maddog..is that you?......C'mon guys, stop fooling around. Can't a guy shower in peace?"

 

A silent dart flew from the steam and hit Alex in the shoulder. He immediately felt it's numbing effect. His healing factor began to work overtime to counteract the poison as he stumbled out of the shower and reached for his comm badge. Another dart hit him in the thigh. As he faded into unconsciousness, the last thing he saw was a cloaked figure step from the darkness, and on its finger a White Hellfire Club ring.

 

"Why," he thought. "Why would my own people attack me?"

 

And as these thoughts rolled through the drugged mind of Wildchild, the figure touched a button on its gauntleted arm and they both faded into a teleportation field.

 

Suddenly the door to the shower facility in the gym flew open and a classmate of Wildchild's came bursting in.

 

"YO DUDE, Alex! We are ordering pizza....you in dude?....Dude?......WOAH..that's weird, I was almost sure I heard his howling and screachin voice singin that new Creed song."

 

CHAPTER FOUR: STRANGERS IN THE FAMILY

 

Jon stepped out of her bath, and the rose scented water slid slowly down the curves of her alabaster skin. As her foot touched the tile floor, Birtha came bubbling up from the tub and slithered along beside her mistress. Steam rose off the heated tiles as the water from the tub evaporated from her skin, and by the time she stepped onto the deep plush carpeting of her dressing room, she was almost dry. As Nytshade: the White Queen of the International Hellfire Club, Jon was accustomed to every luxury, and before she could even ring for her servants, they were in the room with the softest, fluffiest towels that money could buy. As the handsome young man and woman dabbed the remaining water from her skin, she basked in the glow of her own power. She watched the young man's knotted muscles move under the tight white shirt of his uniform. The man felt her gaze on him and she could see the redness appear in his cheeks.

 

"See something you like?" Jon questioned coyly as she arched her back and stretched languidly in her nakedness.

 

The silence remained and the youth's blush deepened as the two servants continued to use their ever so gentle hands to pamper the flesh of the White Queen. Jon had grown accustomed to being served in this manner and found nothing strange in the attention the two beautiful young servants gave her body. The young man began to rub scented oils onto Jon's shoulders as the woman went to her wardrobe to retrieve her robe. Jon reached out gently and traced a line along the jaw of the broad shouldered youth that was applying the oil to her legs.

 

"Do you enjoy your duties, here?......Eric, isn't it?" she said huskily.

 

"Yes, ma'am," the male servant said as he moved to her legs to continue his massage. "I enjoy them a great deal."

 

Jon's gaze leisurely swept over the lad. He was 22 at the oldest, with broad shoulders and powerful arms. His tight house servant trousers accentuated his V-shaped waist and muscled legs.

 

"Yes," Jon thought, "this one deserved some personal attention."

 

Her thoughts were broken by the return of the female servant. The dark haired young beauty wore the short white dress of all of Jon's female servants. Her slippers carried her with the grace that only youth can afford. Jon noticed the slight scowl on the face of the young girl as she spoke.

 

"Eric, I'll finish here....you go and get the mistress's tea," the young girl said coldly.

 

"So these two were lovers," the voice in Jon's mind said sarcastically. "How sweet!"

 

The male servant rushed embarassedly out as the girl continued to rub the rose scented oil into Jon's ankles and feet. Jon allowed the young girl to slip the robe on her and sat back down. She reached out her arm and her pet rattlesnake slid it's way down her extended hand to her lap where it sat coiled and silent. After finishing her tasks on the legs, the young servant girl continued on to Jon's hair. She ran the ancient jade comb through Jon's shoulder length platinum blonde tresses. As she did, Jon nudged Birtha slightly with her finger causing the snake to let out a soft low rattle from its tail. The young servant jerked reflexively, and thus pulled the comb a little roughly through Nytshade's hair. Jon let out a small cry as her hair was tugged and the snake shot out like lightning....jaws open...hissing fiercely. They young woman jerked away just in time as Birtha's fangs sank into the soft flesh of Jon's neck. In response, Jon let out a startled cry of her own that soon turned into almost a soft moan of ecstatic pleasure. The young servant looked on in frightened silence as Jon's hand slowly stroked the coiled scales of her pet and it dislodged its jaws from her neck. The young woman turned to flee, but Nytshades' hand shot out and grabbed the young girl's arm in a steely grip.

 

"Careful, child, the snake is a beautiful but deadly creature," Jon cooed as her nails dug into the soft flesh of the girl's arm. "Beware the charms that hide the serpent's teeth and never stray into it's territory or try to take what is hers."

 

The young woman managed to pull away and Jon looked at her through slitted eyes as she ran her fingers through her now almost-dry hair. The White Queen lifted her hair up and exposed the area of her neck where the snake had attacked. Where once there was an angry redness surrounding two distinct puncture marks, now there was only smooth white creamy skin.

 

"I'm sorry mistress," the servant almost cried.

 

"See that you are more careful in the future, pretty one," Jon said, "or I'll see to it that you are put on feeding detail for Birtha. She does so love young people for guests at her dinner."

 

Just then another servant came rushing in without knocking. Jon, who was already in a foul mood, caught the unwary lad in the chest with a mystic bolt and dropped him to his knees.

 

"What gives you the audacity to enter my quarters without being summoned? Answer now, boy. What I gave you was just a taste of what I can do," she said.

 

"Mistress," the servant wheezed. "One of your students...the one called WildChild.....has gone missing and this was found in the last place he was seen."

 

The White Queen reached down disdainfully and snatched the small bundle away from the frightened servant. She opened the small piece of silk up and realized it was a man's pocket handkerchief. As she unfolded it, she recognized the house crest of the Black Hellfire Club and in the corner...a tiny monogram.....GM..........GREGOR!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So these images of her past with Gregor had been a warning of things to come.

 

"Very Well." the White Queen thought. "We'll see who has the last laugh this time."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Gregor stared around the table at the black court. Among them was a traitor, but who could it be? They all sat awaiting Gregor's next comment. Blink had already mentioned Sasha's absence from the school and Gregor's lack of surprise showed that he had been expecting such a situation. The handsome face of Gregor now wore the mantle of leadership of Clarion, the Black King, and all in the room were rightfully silent as he made his next statement.

 

"You know about Puma's "absence", as well as the little gift I received in my e-mail today. There is no way someone could get onto the grounds or into my computer networks without inside help. One among us is a traitor, and perhaps worse, and I mean to find out who!" Gregor Boomed.

 

Now was the time for the Black King to make his move. His eyes spun in a predatory gaze around the dark ancient mahogany table. The splendor of the room and it's gold inlaid furniture did little to relieve the tension in the air. Directly to the right of Gregor, sat Nemesis the Black Queen. As usual, she arrived dressed in a jet black evening gown that was undoubtedly an original from a Paris collection. Her dark serene beauty hid fires in the depths of her heart that Gregor only half guessed at. Could she be the one giving out information to depose him as a means to seize power for herself? As a psionic she could more easily influence others, but WHY?

 

Seated next to her was Rachel Clarice Ferguson known as Blink. Rae, as she was known to her friends was the new Black Princess. Although the position was new, this young woman had been part of the inner circle for several years as a Page. Why would she betray them now? She and Nemesis shared a bond that none among them questioned. Could they be working together to bring down the Black House and set up a new rule? Whispered rumors about this young woman's former alliances to the White House of the Hellfire Club made this option seem more probable, but again, without proof, Gregor was powerless. As his gaze shifted again, his paranoia grew.

 

In the next seat, sat a very disheveled Black Knight. Michael Breslin sat with his head cocked to one side as he poured himself another snifter of brandy. His rakish blonde hair and arrogant manner gave him an air of defiance even without saying a word, but Gregor thought he could trust this one. His knight had never failed an assignment no matter how questionable the reasons behind it. Havok, as the Black Knight was called, used his taloned hands and bio-electric blasts without hesitation, wherever Gregor pointed. Could the hunting dog have learned to betray his master?

 

 

Jack Silver, the Black Bishop was the next to fall under Clarion's gaze. Silver's neatly combed grey hair surrounded his handsome youthful face as he stared directly back into Gregor's eyes. If Gregor was the fire and the power behind the engine of the inner circle, then Silver was the oil and lubricants that kept it running smoothly. He was calm and rational and cared little for the power plays made by the others of the group. His main concern was the business matters of the BHC and the politics of keeping the school free of suspicion and above board. In past times, his control over the molecular structure of metals was looked on as a rather useless mutation, but in their recent adventure in another dimension, Silver had proven his worth. Little insight could be shed on what drove a man such as this. Money was just part of being the head of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. Jack Silver neither flaunted his wealth nor denied it. He was an honest, hardworking man, and his membership in the sometimes seedy workings of the inner circle was due in large part to familial lineage, rather than the quest for personal power. Silver's father had once been Black King of the inner circle, but Jack showed little interest in titles or power at all. He was content to handle the business activities of the BHC, and to sit in his seat of Black Bishop. Could jealousy turn a man like this toward trying to dethrone the King? Gregor doubted this, but one had to look for dangers on all sides at times like this.

 

Next came Rahsas, the Black Pawn. Since his return from Robyyn's realm he seemed a bit distant. Learning that you were from another plane of existence tends to change a person, but could what he learned about his royal heritage be enough to make him try and wrest control away from current leadership? Would this lad use his powers of teleportation, body morphing, and dark magic against the very institution that raised him? The Black King doubted this tall dark youth would try such a dangerous gambit, but one could never tell.

 

Finally, the last member of the inner circle fell under Gregor's gaze. SuperGrover sat with his blue velvety hands in front of him. His fingers formed a triangle on the table and he appeared to be meditating, as he always was. This soft spoken mutant was the strangest in appearance of all assembled at the table, but there was a nobility about him that made him appear more human than perhaps any of the others as well. Gregor trusted this one implicitly. Grover was always the voice of reason in the raging tempest....the voice of fairness in a world of bigotry. This mutant was considered to be the very paragon of human morals and values. He would never betray his friends. So who was it? Who had kidnapped the Cullen girl and why would one of his own people be helping them?

 

Gregor scowled openly and stared from face to face. Finally deciding on a course of action, he began to speak.

 

"Ms. Ferguson, I have heard disquieting rumors that you still hold allegiance to the Whites. Should this be proven true, it would cast a huge shadow of guilt on you as to the whereabouts of our missing student. Do you have anything you'd like to say."

 

As he had spoken Gregor's fist had begun to glow, and all present felt the hair on the backs of their neck stand up. Gregor had been forming a weapon in his hand and with each passing word, the projectile was charged more and more. At it's current level it was probably enough to vaporize Blink should she not be able to avoid it. Blink's eyes looked wildly around the room for help, and she began to stammer.

 

"Gr...gr....gr..egggor.......What makes you think that I would betray you or do anything to harm Puma? I c..c...couldn't have had anything to do with that." she finished

 

Just as Gregor was about to speak again, SuperGrover stood up and pushed the hood of his cloak back revealing his velvety blue face. His eyes glowed an eerie yellow color as he surveyed the room.

 

"If it's a traitor you seek, Gregor..........a clandestine link to the other houses of the Hellfire Club.......then you have found what you seek in me."

 

Gregor's face fell instantly, and the shock on everyone else's face was just as evident. It was in one slightly blood shot pair of eyes, though, that the most pain was registered. Havok had learned to trust Grover after his initial hatred had burned low, and now to have this trust destroyed was the ultimate in betrayals. Before anyone could say a word, a crackling bio-electric blast flew forth from Havok's hand and struck the strangely calm Grover in the chest.

 

"TRAITOR!!!!!!" Havok screamed. "I knew not to trust you. You were using us all along."

 

 

CHAPTER FIVE: FACES OF DEATH

 

The crackling blast of power struck Grover in the chest and sent him flying against the wall. His protective aura glowed white hot as it tried to disperse the energy. Grover groaned as he tried to sit up, but it was too late. Havok leaped across the table and was sitting astride Grover before he could rise from the floor. The Black Knight morphed his hand as he brought it up and was about to bring the now clawed appendage down across Grover's throat, when a single word blasted into his brain......."STOP!!!!!!"

 

Nemesis approached the two men cautiously, her grip on Havok's mind was secure, but she could tell he was fighting her. His rage at Grover was delicious as thoughts of revenge and violence rolled through his mind. She was almost overcome by the intensity of his emotion, but she consumed it all greedily.

 

"Such a bad boy he is," she thought.

 

"Why did you stop me!" screamed Havok. "He's admitted his treason. He's plotting the downfall of us all."

 

"That's not true," groaned Grover, "and if you'll remove your person from mine, I'll explain."

 

"Let him speak," Gregor barked. "I would like to hear him try to explain his reasoning for conspiring against us."

 

"It was not my intention to conspire against anyone," Grover explained as he stood up and returned to the table. "I know nothing of Puma's disappearance, and I have done nothing to endanger any of you."

 

"Then what of your allegiance to the IHFC you boasted of earlier?" growled Gregor.

 

"I owe allegiance to none, save myself," continued Grover as he began to regain his composure. "I simply said that I was a link between the Houses. At the time of the disagreement that sundered this house from the International Hellfire Club, I was placed as a monitoring presence in your midst. At first I believed as I was told, that you all were a great menace to the IHFC and to the world at large, so I took my position as guardian of you all very seriously. In time I grew unhappy with this role, however. I saw through the propaganda I had been fed about you, and saw the core similarities between the groups. I came to realize that your goals are not that different than the other houses. Your more aggressive posturing is what caused the rift, not ideological differences. Since that time, I have strived to build bridges between the two houses and work toward re-unification, not bring about the downfall of either group."

 

Gregor looked at Grover through slitted eyes. Havok's murderous gaze trained in on his former teammate as they all waited for Gregor to speak.

 

"I choose to believe your story, Grover, for now," said Gregor finally. "but from this moment on, any further alliances with any of the other Great Houses will not be tolerated. If you are a Black, then show us that. Reunification is an impossibility. I reclaim you as our brother and pardon you this offense. Do not let there be another lapse in your judgement..........or the punishment will be quite severe."

 

"I thank you Black King," said Grover solemnly as he bowed before Gregor, "but do not discount the BHC being part of the larger whole once again. Reunification is perhaps just around the corner."

 

"IT WILL NOT HAPPEN!!" spat Gregor. "Speak no more of this."

 

Havok sullenly slumped back to his chair. In his heart, he knew Grover to be honorable and felt badly for his outburst......but he also wondered if Gregor would have been as forgiving if it had been he that had held dual allegiance. Grover's mind also whirled. Why was the Black King so dead set against reunification? What did he have to hide?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the door, Shockwave listened intently. She, Glittergirl and the visiting Janista had been eavesdropping for the better part of an hour. The sleeping guard at the door was courtesy of Janista's mental push on the sleep center in his brain.

 

"Someone has Sasha," whispered Shockwave, "and they sit in there discussing houses and games like its nothing! We've got to do something."

 

"I'm in," said Glittergirl, "if it involves getting off campus for awhile. This whole place has been such a downer lately."

 

"Do not pretend to be so callous," said Janista quietly. "I don't even need to be a telepath to see that you are as worried about Sasha as we are."

 

Glittergirl and Shockwave looked at Janista appraisingly. The young girl was a telepath and telekenetic of extraordinary potential, but she spoke so quietly and so seldom that when she did, it was definitely worth listening to.

 

"So who can we trust to help us and not spill the beans?" plotted Shockwave. "Do you think the guys could handle this?"

 

"Puuuhhlease!" said Shae still pretending to be unconcerned, "When three fly betties like us ask them, they would follow us anywhere."

 

"We don't need love sick followers, GlitterGirl," said Shockwave with deadly seriousnes, "we need teammates willing to do what is necessary to get one of our own back."

 

At this, even the unflappable Shae Marquette, A.K.A. Glittergirl, didn't have a response.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sasha opened her eyes and saw only more darkness. Where was she? She tried to move and realized she was bound by some sort of metal sheaths that surrounded her hands and feet. Sasha

concentrated on changing into her transitional form to increase the scope of her vision, but was jolted back into her natural state by a brutal shot of electricity.

 

"Careful kitty kitty," a voice hissed from the darkness. "Curiosity's not the only thing that can kill a cat. Even a gorgeous she-cat like yourself."

 

"Who are you?" Puma demanded. "What do you want?"

 

"Why, my fuzzy little dear," the voice teased, "I'd be sooooooo disappointed if I thought you didn't enjoy my company."

 

The figure in the cloak hit a button on his gauntlet and a bright spotlight showed down on Sasha from above. She only realized at this point that she had been stripped and was bound naked on some sort of metal table. Her face blushed and she felt a wave of revulsion and shame wash over her. Sasha was naturally uninhibited and had no shame about her body, but having it displayed like this without her permission was unthinkable. The figure came closer in its hooded cloak and ran a finger along her soft jaw line.

 

"Leave her alone!!!" another voice snarled from the corner.

 

"Aaaaaaaaaah, so my other beast awakens," said the figure this time in a strange lilting feminine voice. "Would you rather I play with you for a bit."

 

The figure hit another few buttons and the control panel beneath the other captive lit up. WildChild struggled furiously against his bonds, but like Sasha he was as naked and as helpless as a newborn. When the electrical current shot through him, he refused to cry out, however, and only stared menacingly at the figure. The figure approached him and traced its metallic fingered gloves down Alex's chest. The figure leaned close enough to the struggling WildChild for him to smell the breath beneath the hooded cape.

 

"My brave little wolfboy is trying to protect his furry little companion.....HOW SWEET!!" said the figure in a sickeningly sweet sing song.

 

With one quick motion WildChild strained forward and grasped the hem of the hood with his razor sharp teeth, tearing it away from their startled captor. When the figure pulled away quickly, her long blonde hair fell free and the face of Nytshade, the White Queen, was revealed.

 

"Why do you fight Alex," she purred. "I'm sure there have been nights that you laid awake imagining me tying you down, and having my way with you."

 

"No, it can't be.....It's impossible," Alex sputtered.

 

"All things are possible to me, furry," the White Queen spat.

 

"You aren't Jon," screamed WildChild. "I know her scent, buddy, and you definitely don't smell like any woman I know. Who are you really?"

 

"Aaaaah my ever perceptive beast," the figure said. "you wouldn't understand if I told you, but since you will never be able to tell anyone, I'll give you a hint."

 

"I am the one that is all, and the many in one

I am he who once ruled you all

I am the survivor of death and the bringer of vengeance

I am Paramount, and I am your Doom"

 

"Now let me introduce you to my final guest, before you must go," Paramount laughed maniacally. "She's been with me much longer than the two of you, so please excuse her appearance."

 

Touching a few more buttons on his control gauntlets, a final table was lit and on it, laying filthy and beaten, was the Black Princess, Blink.

 

CHAPTER SIX: OF SIN AND SUBTERFUGE

 

The three girls continued to listen until they heard someone approaching the door. It was Avalon, the Black Scribe. The lad was about their age, but due to his position on the ruling council they didn't know how far they could trust him. In his hand was a long rectangular box. He knocked briefly and then entered the chamber hall. Gregor looked up and Avalon almost cringed at the look on his face.

 

"Avalon, I didn't call for the scribe. What is the meaning of this interruption?" roared Gregor.

 

"A package for you, my king...It was marked urgent, but had no return address, and the delivery person knew nothing of it's point of origin. After today's message I thought it might be related." explained the scribe.

 

"Very well," said Gregor regaining a hold on his temper. "Bring it to me."

 

Gregor opened the box and saw it was full of long stemmed white roses. He rummaged through them until he found the card. He picked it up and smelled a familiar perfume as he brought it out of the box. The card simply read "An Eye for an Eye" in evenly spaced type, but when he flipped the card over he saw that a small medallion had been taped to the back of it. He looked closely at it and recognized the BHC comm badge embedded in its finely crafted gold. Gregor pressed the activation button and the hidden comm badge and watched the computer console at his desk.

 

INCOMING COMMUNIQUÉ FROM SASHA CULLEN, the screen read.

 

Gregor tore the flowers from the box and as he did a thorn embedded itself in his forefinger. He howled with rage and pain and tossed the flowers to the floor. When he looked down, it wasn't a thorn at all, but a pendant of some sort. He pulled it from his finger and examined it. It was finely crafted silver and was in the form of a coiled rattle snake with ruby red eyes.......the emblem of Nytshade the White Queen.

 

"JOOOOOONNNN!!!!!!" Gregor roared. "You'll pay for this...I swear it!!!!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Nytshade paced in her elegantly appointed office as she listened to the speaker phone ring. On the fifth ring, she was ready to give up when the other end was picked up, and a pleasant voice answered.

 

"Thank you for calling Psy-Chance Industries. How can I direct your call?"

 

"I need to speak with Mr. Gil de Rubio. It's urgent."

 

"Mr. Gil de Rubio is in a meeting right now, could I place you in his voice mail, or is there someone else that could help you?" the receptionist countered.

 

"Listen closely to me, girl. My name is Jon Ellen Tolliver and I will speak to Mr. Gil De Rubio now, or tomorrow after I do finally speak with him, you will no longer have a job," spat Jon.

 

"Yes, Ms. Tolliver," the young girl said quickly as she put the call through.

 

"Hello, Jon," Victor Gil de Rubio, A.K.A. Mischance answered. "What is so urgent that you need to disturb my meeting?"

 

"Victor, please............I know what your 'meetings' consist of. I remember the intern from Tolliver Enterprises I let you borrow....and I thought Clinton was bad," said Jon.

 

"If you called to judge my taste in women, Jon, I really don't have time. I really have a company to run here," said Mischance.

 

"I'm sorry, Victor. You're right. It's necessary to call a meeting of our Hellfire associates. One of the students at the White Hellfire Academy was taken or convinced to leave by a member of the BHC. I want to know who took him, how they did it, and why. Can you meet me here in an hour?" asked Jon uncharacteristically humbly.

 

"Of course," said Mischance. "We'll be there as soon as possible, but how do you know it was the BHC?"

 

"They left a calling card," said Jon fingering the silken cloth with Gregor's monogram. "And who do you mean we?"

 

"Nevermind that....what kind of calling card?" said Mischance.

 

"They left one of Gregor's handkerchiefs, but that's unimportant....Get here as soon as you can," said Nytshade.

 

"Touch it as little as possible. I've got a plan!" said Mischance.

 

"Just get here as soon as possible, Victor," pleaded Jon. "We don't have time for games."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Margaret Miller, A.K.A. Shockwave, looked from Janista to Glittergirl as they hurried to the boys dormitory.

 

"Janista, you heard what they said in the council meeting," whispered Shockwave. "Somehow the White Queen is involved in Sasha's disappearance. Open warfare between the houses could put you in danger here. I don't know what the council will do when they realize they have a white hellion on campus."

 

"I can't believe Nytshade would kidnap anyone, but there's no time to worry about that, now" stated Janista more forcefully than she usually spoke. "We've got to concentrate on figuring this mess out."

 

"Hey look," said Shae, "There's the guys now!!! Hey Johnny, Hey Las.....c'mere guys."

 

Belasco, Johnny Blaze and Psi-Shot approached from the steps of the dorm where they had been playing a round of hackey-sack. Cannonball and Kid Sampson had left together to hit some clubs in town earlier in the day.

 

"Hello ladies," Belasco purred as his eyes wandered up and down the bodies of the three young girls. "What can we gentlemen do to make your stay on this mudball more....shall we say...pleasant?"

 

"Cut the crap, hornhead," said Shockwave. "This is serious."

 

Belasco ran his hands through his thick dark hair and felt the small nubs on his scalp. Nobody could really distinguish him from human until he utilized his power and "massed up". Then, however, his horns grew and his demonic appearance became evident. He was rather sensitive about this issue and Shockwave's comment shut him down quickly.

 

"What's wrong," said Johnny Blaze in rapid fire fashion. "We're not looking for any trouble, so if you guys are, then we aren't interested."

 

"Speak for yourself," said Belasco sullenly.

 

"Quiet down you guys," said Psi-Shot who finally found his voice after being stunned in to silence by Janista's nearness. "They seem to be really serious."

 

"We are," said Shockwave. "Puma never came back from her run this morning, and we know why."

 

"She can get into the clubs.........looking as ummm developed as she does," mumbled Johnny Blaze. "Maybe she ummm..went with Cannonball and Sampson."

 

"No, Psi-Shot," said Janista placing her hand on his arm. "Something's happened to her and your inner circle think the IFHC has something to do with it. We gotta find her and fast to stop the fighting before it begins."

 

Psi-Shot would have done anything Janista asked at this moment, as he felt his whole face flush from the touch on his arm.

 

"I knewit ......trouble.......Weshouldjustrelaxand......and....and....and.....lettheadultshandlethis. Wedon't wanttomakeitanyworse bydoingsomethingfoolish," blurted out Johnny Blaze.

 

"Slow down before you overheat, Johnny," said Glittergirl. "We aren't being foolish. We are just doing what's right. Now let's get going before they think to shut down the campus."

 

And with that the three young heroes went to investigate the disappearance of their friend.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Paramount had removed the hooded cloak and the stealth suit he had worn in the kidnappings and padded naked through his lab. He had long since finished gaining any useful information from his "guests" and had allowed them to fall into the darkness of a drugged troubled sleep. His interrogation served a two fold purpose. By gaining what data he could about the current runnings of the branches of the IFHC, he could more easily turn them against one another, and every time he made skin to skin contact with one of his captives, he more solidly latched onto thier bio-signature making it possible for him to morph into them. He looked over the softly breathing features on the tables in his lab. They had all collapsed into unconsciousness hours ago. Blink, in her weakened condition due to her longer stay in the lab, went out relatively easily. Puma was the next to succumb to the welcome embrace of the dark, but Alex........he was another story. WildChild had fought Paramount with every last breath in his body. Each time the madman turned up the juice on the electric shocks or tried a different variety of tortue, WildChild seemed only to become more hardened. It was only when Paramount began threatening the comfort and safety of the ladies in the room that the young man began to crumble.....and finally along with the other prisoners he passed out from the pain of the process.

 

"Foolish young man, letting his own weakness for female flesh guide his whims," Paramount hissed. "When will they learn the only companion anyone needs is themselves."

 

Paramount laughed to himself.

 

"Things have gone quite well, up to this point. The fire's been lit, now it's up to me to fan the flames, but I'll need to change into something......more comfortable before I go."

 

Paramount concentrated and where once the pale, blue eyed man with shockingly white hair stood, now stood the naked form of Blink. Paramount surveyed himself in the mirror and smiled as he slid his hand down his smooth hip.

 

"Come along darling, let's see how hot under the collar, we can get those fools in the BHC," Paramount said to himself and then he began to laugh.

 

 

CHAPTER SEVEN: STEALTH

 

Janista looked around cautiously. She was leading this group of anxious youths into the heart of the White Hellfire Compound. The compound itself was one of the oldest structures in the city, and had thus achieved national monument status. Tours regularly went through to admire the victorian beauty of the old mansion grounds, but none suspected the state of the art surveillance technology that lay tastefully hidden in the sculptures and fountains. Shockwave had come up with the infiltration plan, but it had seemed much easier on paper. They had successfully breached the perimeter wall by having Belasco mass up and set them all on the other side. Janista had simply psi-blinded the outer guards to the process. Then their plan hit a snag. Janista had been unaware that the guards within the compound wore standard psi-armor and thus were immune to her telepathic probes, and any direct confrontation with the guards using a more physical power would only alert more guards. So the six teens crouched under a flowering shrub in the garden and discussed their next move.

 

"As much as I enjoy being down in the dirt with you ladies, I think my room at the BHC mansion would be a more appropriate setting for this," said Belasco as he not so accidentally put his hand on Glittergirl's thigh.

 

"Hands off demon-boy or I'll glitterspark your butt back to Limbo," hissed Shae under her breath.

 

"Will you two cut it out," Shockwave whispered urgently. "If we get caught, there's no telling what those guards will do to us."

 

"She started it," chuckled Belasco. "wearing those shorts....I mean it's practically a neon sign inviting people to look at her legs."

 

"Look....Not touch, Horn-Head," Psi-Shot said. "Now leave her alone and let's get on with this."

 

"Let's justturnback. We'venotdone anythingwrongyet. Wecanstillgobackto the academyandactlikenone of this happened," said Johnny Blaze in a blur of words.

 

Shockwave put a hand over Johnny's mouth to quiet him down.

 

"It'ok Johnny, calm down," she said. "But you guys just gave me a great idea. Shae, you think you can put on show and turn a few heads for a minute or two."

 

"Puuuuh...lease and a half, Margaret. The day I can't turn heads is the day I turn in my glitter," countered Shae.

 

"OK OK...so here's the plan........."

 

Shae Marquette crawled from under the bushes, dusted herself off and began to walk towards the guard closest to the entrance of the academy's main building, swaying her hips as she went.

 

"Now that's what I call a super power," whistled Belasco under his breath.

 

"DUDE!!!!! Will you shut up, before we get nailed," Psi-Shot hissed.

 

Glittergirl approached the guard smiling innocently at him. His eyes travelled up her lithe young frame and he watched her approach.

 

"This is a restricted area, miss. You are going to have to come with me," said the guard.

 

"OOOHHH Thank goodness I found you, sir," cooed Shae breathily. "I've been wondering around for what seems like hours. I got separated from my tour and I can't find the exit. I'm such a silly with directions and your grounds are soooooo big. Is there anyway you can find it in your heart to show me the way out."

 

The guard gave a small start as Shae pretended to slip and fall forwards. Her arms flailed and he caught her as she fell against him. Shae looped her arms around the guard and leaned further into him.

 

"My goodness, sir...Thank you...all this looking for the exit must have made me feel faint. It's a good thing, you were around to catch me," continued Glittergirl.

 

"Now, Johnny........ GO!" whispered Shockwave urgently.

 

At first young Johnny Blaze lay motionless on the dirt. He wasn't cut out for this. He never asked to have these powers, why was he even here? But one look into Margaret's determined eyes, and he knew he knew he couldn't say no. This hesitation which might have taken other people seconds took Johnny only a fraction of the time. With his excellerated rate of doing everything, the entire decision making process was done in about one second and he was off and running before anyone knew he had hesitated in the first place.

 

Moving in an almost invisible blur, Johnny Blaze ran past the guard who was stooped to help Shae, removed his wallet, took the keycard that Janista had said would be there, replaced the wallet and was back under the bushes with the rest of the group almost before anyone knew he was gone.

 

"It's terribly windy here tonight," said Glittergirl as Johnny whizzed by, "and I still feel a bit faint. Could we go sit on that bench over there and let me rest a minute before you show me the exit?"

 

"Sure," the guard said as he patted her lower back slyly. "I think we can spare a little time."

 

As soon as they had seated themselves on the bench. Shockwave sent a bolt of kinetic energy to the back of the unsuspecting guard's head knocking him unconscious. Belasco dragged him under the shrubbery, and they once again began to ease towards the main house.

 

"You stay here Glittergirl, and stall him if he wakes up," said Shockwave.

 

"O.K.....O.K....but you guys hurry up, I don't want Ronnie Rent-A-Cop to get too touchy feely if he decides to wake up befor you guys get back. Polyster pants and hips...ewwwwwww," said Glittergirl

 

The other five students hurried to the main building and Janista slipped the card into the card slot. It immediately prompted her to put in a four digit security code.

 

"Remember we only have 10 seconds from the time you push the first button to get the code in correctly or the alarm is sounded," whispered Janista.

 

"Like we discussed, Johnny...you can do this," said Shockwave.

 

Johnny looked around quickly and then his hand began to fly over the console in a blur of motion. Momentarily they heard a click and the door slid open silently. Johnny had tried every four digit code possible until he had hit on the right one, and it had taken him all of 7 seconds to do it. From here it was easy.....sneak into the building.......get everyone into a white hellions uniform........find out what was going on.......and then get back out again before the guard woke up.

 

Shortly, five students dressed in the red and white uniforms of the Hellions strolled down the halls toward the White Queen's office.

 

"Now what?" whispered Psi-Shot. "You said the White Queen's door isn't open to any of the staff, so this card won't work."

 

They all looked around at each other as their plan hit another snag.

 

"O.K. you guys," said Belasco suddenly " I'll do this, but if you tell anyone, I swear i'll mass up and stomp your bones into jelly."

 

The rest of the assembly looked strangely at Belasco. What was he going to do?....mass up and kick the door in. That wouldn't be very discreet and would surely bring more guards down on them, but before any of them had a chance to argue, Belasco began to SHRINK. They noticed that he had begun shrinking from the floor up as well, somehow he was holding himself in the air, while he shrank his mass. When Shockwave looked closer, she noticed bat like wings had begun to grow from Belasco's back, and they had begun to move in a blur, much like those of a humming bird. By the time he had reached the size of a wasp, the buzzing noise was evident and one by one they all began to giggle.

 

"Remember you dweebs, I can still get huge again and take you all out....you don't wanna laugh at me!" buzzed the angry Belasco in a voice that sounded like Alvin and the Chipmunks.

 

The others stifled their giggles, but had Glittergirl still been among them, none of them would have been able to contain themselves. Belasco did a quick buzz around their heads and flew down to the floor. He looked up at his friends as he touched down. He groaned to himself. How could he ever look them in the eye again after letting them see him as the incredible shrinking bumblebat?....ACK!!! He peeked under the door and saw the room beyond. He especially noted the white leather riding crop sitting on the antique white laquer desk. This White Queen might be nice to know more about. He slipped under door and was about to change back into his normal size and reopen it from the other side when a deafening hiss was heard from behind him. He took flight just as Birtha's jaws snapped closed inches from where he had been standing.

 

Birtha was fast, however, and batted the intruder from the air with her tail. Belasco fell to the ground and tried to run, but he realized with a searing jolt of pain that his wing had been broken. As a demon, Belaso's wounds healed at a preternatural rate, but he didn't have time to waste with Birtha hot on his trail, so he began to run. He could have easily transformed back to his regular size or larger had he had the time, but the process took concentration and with the pain in his wing and the pursuit of a three foot rattlesnake, Belasco wasn't in the concentrating frame of mind. Birtha's jaw snapped once more behind him as he hurdled a computer cord that lay on the thick white plush carpeting. Just when he thought he would never escape being lunch for Jon's pet snake, he felt his wing snap back into position as the magic that flowed through his veins knitted his body back together. With one movement, his body seemed to explode outward as he regained his normal size. Birtha stopped in her tracks and coiled to strike. Like lightning, however, Belasco's hand shot out and grabbed the rattler behind the head, preventing her from biting. He thought about popping the squirming serpent into his mouth and swallowing it, just to show her what it felt like. After all he had seen the other demons in Limbo eat much worse, but he thought better of it and simply held her as he opened the door to let his companions in.

 

"What took you so long," blurted Johhny Blaze.

 

"Don't ask," said Belasco holding out Birtha.

 

"No time for that," said Janista, "Put her in her cage and let's get the information we came for. I work with the White Queen as her cataloguer. It's sort of like your scribe, so I record the minutes of their meetings and things like that. Sometimes, though, when meetings are important and of a secretive nature, I am kept out of the loop and Jon records them for herself to look at later. I have seen her view the files though and I think I can get the information we need."

 

Janista sat down in front of the White Queen's computer and punched in a few lines of text bringing up a standard media selection menu. She selected laser disc and the gathered group listened as a smooth hum began in the cabinet next to the desk. Another menu appeared and Janista selected today's date. The hum continued and a list of files came up. The final file had a time stamp on it of an hour and a half previous to the time the computer clock showed. Janista selected the file and it began to play.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ON THE MONITOR

 

"It's about time you got here," Nytshade said nervously.

 

"We came as soon as we could," said Mischance.

 

"We?" Jon questioned.

 

"Yes," Mischance continued. "Remember I spoke of a plan. Allow me to introduce you to a friend of mine....Ms. Vanessa Lopez."

 

"You can call me Psyche," Vanessa said extending her hand.

 

"Charmed, I'm sure," Jon sneered as the woman approached.

 

Psyche was dressed in all black, and not in the evening attire that Jon was accustomed to. Instead, she wore tight fitting jeans along with a leather motorcycle jacket and boots. When the woman grew closer, Jon realized what a beauty she was. At first glance, Jon had seen only the biker gear and didn't notice what the loveliness of the woman underneath. When the woman removed her sunglasses, Jon was again surprised. Her eyes glowed a brilliant cobalt blue and Jon caught her breath involuntarily. So she was a mutant. This could be interesting.

 

"What of this plan, Victor?" Nytshade said. "We must act quickly."

 

"Among Vanessa's many talents, she has the power of psychometry," said Mischance. "This gives her the ability to actually read the history of an object simply by touch. Where is the handkerchief?"

 

The White Queen looked doubtfully at the woman, but handed over the handkerchief. Psyche took it in her hand and closed her eyes. Suddenly she gasped for breath and her head was filled with tortured conflicting images. Psyche exhaled and dropped the handkerchief and Mischance caught her in his arms.

 

"Vanessa, are you ok?...Vanessa...Wake up." he said as he scooped her up.

 

"I...I'm fine, Vic, Just give me a sec here," Psyche replied jerking her arm away from him.

 

"We don't have a moment," Nytshade hissed. "What's wrong with you? What did you see?"

 

"I don't understand what I saw," returned Psyche. "I will admit, sometimes my visions are not clear, but this one was painfully so. I see a man in a dark cloak capturing a struggling wildcat of a youth and leaving with him. His thoughts are some of the most evil I have ever seen, and there is no coherent pattern to them. Only one word rolls through the red haze that compromise his thoughts......Elaida!!!!"

 

"Only Gregor knows me by that name. I knew it!!" Jon hissed. "What did this hooded man look like, Psyche? Tell me!!"

 

"That's what's so wrong with this vision. He had no face!!!!" she said almost hysterically. "My veiwings are of a person's astral self not their physical so there should only be the astral avatar. There are always slight variations between the physical and the astral, but this was a total lack of recognition between the two. Almost as if the man doesn't even know who he is, himself!!!"

 

"No matter," Jon said. "It was Gregor." Of this she was sure. This woman was unreliable at best, but she did pick up the name and that clearly indicated Gregor. He would pay for this interference, and she would have her student back.

 

"Gather the council, Mischance." Jon Commanded. "We are about to show the BHC we can give as good as we get."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Janista looked from one to the next of the five assembled youths, and slowly began to speak.

 

"Nytshade thinks that Gregor is responsible for the initial kidnapping, and Gregor thinks that Nytshade is......but from hearing what they say, neither side is responsible.....but then who is?" Janista breathed frantically.

 

"That doesn't matter right now!!" said Shockwave. "This file was made over an hour ago.....Jon and the rest of the IFHC have probably already made their move. THE WAR'S ALREADY BEGUN!!!!!!"

 

CHAPTER EIGHT: PLAYERS AND PAWNS

 

The assembled youths found their friend, Shae, still looking over the unconscious body of the guard. As they approached her, they marveled at her calm. She could be any young girl enjoying a beautiful spring day in the garden sunlight. Her innoncent beauty stole the heart of almost all who saw her, but her friends knew that beneath the calm and beautiful facade lay the brash, mischeivious young girl that they all loved.

 

"Shae, has he moved?" Shockwave asked with concern.

 

"Not even a twitch, Mags," said Glittergirl using the nickname she knew Shockwave hated.

 

"It's Margaret, pleasssssseeeeeee, or Shockwave when we're on a mission. Mags sounds like a dog's name," moaned Shockwave.

 

"Whatdifferencedoesitmake.....if it's Shockwave, Blockwave, Mags,Billy,orBOB....WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE. Do youallnot realize we just commitedseveral felonies....breakingandentering..assault....theft of property...I could go on!!!!!" blurted out Johnny Blaze.

 

"What are you gripin' about speed freak, I almost became snake chow," said Belasco.

 

"Woah, A GIANT SNAKE BIG ENOUGH TO MUNCH BELASCO!!!" Glittergirl interjected. "These Whites take their security seriously."

 

The rest of the youths began to giggle as Belasco stared at them menacingly.

 

"What?...What!?...What's so funny?" Glittergirl continued.

 

"Nothing, Shae," said Shockwave coming back down to reality. "We've got to work on getting our friends back and stopping this conflict."

 

Everyone nodded silently and waited for Shockwave's next move.

 

"Janista, do you think you can use the cerebro unit back at BHC headquarters?" Shockwave asked.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

A tiny sliver of blood trailed from the corner of Wildchild's mouth as he tried to move past the pain that rocketed through his arm. His healing factor was was taxed to its limit, yet he couldn't stop, because stopping would mean that Paramount had beaten him, and he had never given up on anything in his whole miserable existence. In Paramounts "enthusiastic" interrogation, the insane shapeshifter had unwittingly shorted out the restraining collar that kept Alex's mutant powers in check. When Alex discovered this, he began to test his healing factor against the bonds that held him prisoner. He continued to pull against his restraint, feeling the slick and sticky inner side of the shackle. The drying blood from his previous attempts lubricated the passage of his hand from the shackle, and he was glad of it, although the thought sickened him. By pushing his thumb as far beneath his hand as possible, he could almost slip free of the cuff. The only obstacle was the first bone of the thumb digit and the fleshy mass that covered it. Finally with one last effort the skin gave way to bone and gristle, and the scrape of mineral against metal could be heard. The bone in his hand snapped more easily than he suspected and with a blinding flash of pain his clawed hand slipped free. He stifled a howl of pain and bit his lip once again as the blood flowed freely from his mouth. Raising his broken paw to his face, he could see the vague outline of the thumb that hung limply by the tendons that were left whole, but he could also feel the bittersweet agony of his body repairing the damage. Now his thoughts were filled with only one thing...ESCAPE....escape for him, and the two women beside him. He could barely hear them out there somewhere.....softly crying in the darkness.

 

Alex waited for what seemed like an eternity, until his thumb was once again functional. It still gave a sickening grinding noise when he flexed it, but even that would pass in time. He reached across the table to the pinion that held his other shackle closed and freed himself. He then released his legs, and then he was off the table in a dash towards Puma.

 

"Alex.....you mustn't," she cried. "If he catches you, he'll kill us all. He said he was watching....WE CAN'T ESCAPE."

 

Sasha's spirit had been broken by the madman's tortures, and she was in a state of utter panic and an almost holy fear of Paramount. This once proud girl was reduced to arguing against her own worthiness to be free. For this, Paramount would pay double, Wildchild vowed. He gently released her bonds and lifted her to the floor. With an snap, he released he dampener collar as well.

 

"Ssssssssssh, it's ok. We'll be fine. I'll get you home....I promise." Wildchild soothed.

 

WildChild then approached the table that held Blink. The teenager that had become the Black Princess lay with her eyes closed. If not for his heightened senses, he would have believed her dead. Her chest rose and fell only slightly under her torn and tattered clothing. He freed her left hand, then her right, then snapped the release on her collar.

 

Before he could release her leg shackles, however, he felt Rae's hands against his throat and saw the electric pink glow of one of her spatial distortion spikes as it pressed against his head.

 

"No, Rae!!!" Puma screamed. "He's here to help us."

 

Blink's grip loosened slightly.

 

"How do you, know? This could just be another of Paramount's tortures." Blink cried hysterically.

 

"It's not, Rae...I promise," said Puma laying a calming hand on the bruise covered shoulder of the Black Princess. "Now release the pulse bolt....don't hurt him."

 

The electric glitter of the pulse bolt faded into blackness, and the two youths released the leg shackles that held Blink to the table.

 

"She can't walk, Sasha," explained Alex as Blink tried to put her wieght on her feet and let out a sharp cry of pain. "Her leg is broken, and possible even worse....I'll carry her. It's up to you to find us an exit."

 

"I'll try," Sasha said weakly.

 

"NO, you won't race traitor.........You'll DIE!" a gutteral smoke filled voice growled from the darkness.

 

The three captives froze as they heard a sound.........SHLUCKT!!!!!!!!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Paramount walked into the BHC headquarters looking from side to side. A young servant walked by and bowed briefly as he made his way to his duties.

 

"Good evening, Princess," he said.

 

It always amazed Paramount how people bowed and scraped to please these court members when it was always an effort for him to maintain control of his subjects, when he had been White King. Ofcourse having the body and beauty of Rachel Clarice Ferguson always helped to keep male subjects in line.

 

"Yes," he thought. "This body is perhaps one of my best disguises yet."

 

He rubbed his hands down his form fitting white pants again and felt the youthful curves of Blink's body. Being the Black Princess was not only allowing him to destroy the Hellfire Clubs, but also held several more physical pleasures as well. He continued down the hall, swaying back and forth, enjoying the covert stares of the servants in the halls. He slowed slightly when he saw the approach of SuperGrover.

 

"Speaking of fun....." thought Paramount wickedly.

 

Grover walked silently toward "Blink". His features were a mask of serenity until he saw "her" approaching, and then his yellow glowing eyes seemed to take on an even higher shine. He caught "her" around the waist and led "her" to a secluded alcove in the hall. The track lighting adorning the priceless artwork in the halls was the only illumination, and Grover's eyes glowed eerily in the shadowed corridor.

 

"Thank you Grover, for protecting my secrets in the meeting. Without your intervention, Gregor would most assuredly have cast me out.....or worse," said Paramount giving a little cry of feigned fear.

 

"Worry not, my sweet," soothed Grover as he patted "her" porcelain cheek. "When all of this is done and reunification is completed, all our efforts to realign the houses will be rewarded."

 

"You are right, as always," said Paramount as he reached up his hand and pulled Grover's face closer. "You are my hope in the darkness of this deciet we must live."

 

"Blink's" lips parted slightly as "she" pulled Grover in for a passionate kiss, but Grover pulled away suddenly.

 

"No, my darling.........I love you truly, but it is not right that we act on this. You are still but a child, and although within in you, there burns the passions of an adult, those passions are yet to be tempered by the wisdom of age. Someday I promise. We will be together," said the noble Grover.

 

"You are once again right, my darling," said Paramount as he hid his anger and resentment. Who was this fuzzy blue oaf to turn down his advances? He would pay........ as would they all.

 

"Now, I must go and see Gregor about the plans to retake Puma from her captors," said Grover as he got up to leave.

 

Paramount also rose and continued his way down the hall. The insane former White King had almost made it to Blink's suite of rooms when he was awakened from his dark thoughts by the entrance of two highly intoxicated young mutants behind him.

 

"Evenin, black princessssss <hic>," said Cannonball in a drunken drawl as he bowed and almost fell onto the marbled floors.

 

"Yeah....top of the night to ya," laughed the equally drunken Kid Sampson.

 

"Quiet, you idiots," Paramount spat, "Do either of you have any idea what's been going on since you left here this afternoon."

 

"A lot of drinkin," cackled Cannonball, "and some really bad Karioke by Sampson."

 

"No, you two wretches," continued Paramount and then stopped suddenly.

 

"Maybe this evening won't be a total loss after all," he thought as he noticed for the first time the trim athletic build of Cannonball and the stocky arrogance of Sampson.

 

"You two come with me to my quarters, and I'll.............fill you in on what happened in the meeting today," said paramount making Blink's voice husky and inviting.

 

Sampson and Cannonball looked at each other strangely, and then back at the "Black Princess" They then began to smile. Paramount returned the smile with a suggestive wink and opened the door to Blink's quarters.

 

"A pity that the Puma girl hadn't been more cooperative to his advances," thought Paramount to himself. "Even when he had morphed into the form of the other lycanthrope, WildChild, she had known, or smelled, as she put it, the difference. Oh well........any port in a storm," thought Paramount lustily.

 

Just as Cannonball and Sampson were about to enter, the wall at the end of the hall exploded inward and Nytshade and her attack squad came rushing through.

 

CHAPTER NINE: BATTLE ROYALE

 

One by one, Jon's squad of soldiers dropped from the teleportal and poured through the opening in the wall. They were being led by the White Queen herself, but she had gathered many of her IFHC companions. The Red King Flyin' Ryan stood arrogantly beside her in the duped body of Collossus. Ryan's abilities lay in possession. Unlike other mutants of this type, however, Ryan's astral body jumped physically from one host to the next and upon leaving of a host body, it instantly turned to dust. This was why Madrox, the Multiple Man was always at his side. Without his countless dupes, Ryan would have no alternative other than to use the host bodies of those around him. By this point, constant manipulation at the hands of Ryan had turned Jamie into an almost feral animal, and he struggled on the end of the leash on which he was kept, anxiously awaiting the chance to pay the world back for the pain it heaped on him. Along with them, Psyche and Mischance stood back to back in black leather, looking like bikers bent on revenge. ShadowcatRules also fell from the portal and landed in a standard ninja attack pose. Supanova followed her in as he sped toward the front of the fray. The final two members of Nytshade's little army were perhaps the most fearsome of all. Darque Feonix dropped arrogantly from the the glowing transportal and surveyed the damage they had wrought, and finally the young mage known only as Scott came out closing the portal behind him with his mystical sword, Ch'vallin.

 

"It's an attack!" screamed the drunken Sampson, but before he could utter another word Ryan pelted him with an organic steel haymaker that sent him flying back through another wall. If not for Sampson's own strength and invulnerability he would have been dead. As he was, in his drunken state, however, it served to merely knock him unconcious.

 

"Blink" ran down the corridor with Cannonball close on her heels. Alarm claxons rang everywhere. "She" knew that the other BHC members would be there soon. As if by magic, Silver the Black Bishop rounded the corner in his battlesuit. Upon seeing Collossus hammering after Blink and Cannonball, he focused his aspect and begin to melt the steel plates that composed the armored hide of Collossus. Silver seldom used this ability to control the properties in metals as a direct attack on anyone, but there was no time to think. As the Collossus dupe screamed in agony, Ryan left the body and triggered Madrox to produce another dupe. He next found himself in the body of the Toad. He, thus, leaped onto Silver and secreted a sticky resin binding his eyes, mouth and arms taking him out of the battle.

 

Havok, the Black Knight leaped onto the form of the Toad dragging a clawed talon across the back of his enemy. The Red King cried out in the pitiful voice of the Toad and his hand came free of the leash in which he held Madrox. Young Madrox bolted and ran for cover as Havok prepared to finish off the Toad.

 

"Don't worry sir, I'll get him for you," said Havoc1 who had taken the Black Knights name out of respect. The upstart let loose a blast of TK that sent the Toad creature hurtling back from them and as he flew he screamed for Scott. The White Mage responsible for bringing them here, noticed the cries of the Red King and opened a teleportal on the wall behind the flying toad and it swallowed him returning the King in his new body to the IFHC headquarters.

 

"What are you doing here kid?" cried the Black Knight. "You were supposed to leave with Avalon and Skippy and the rest of the children to the safe house locations."

 

"You always told me a soldier who runs from his responsobilities is a man without honor, sir. I just wanted to make you proud." returned the upstart.

 

It was also at this point that the rest of the BHC along with the upstarts that were still on campus came rushing in. Nemesis stared angrily at the White Queen and released a bolt of white hot psionic fire from her fingertips. Her compatriots in the BHC were shocked by this, because they had never seen their Queen's abilities stray farther than mind control, but Nytshade being prepared as she always was, deflected the blow with a mystical shield, and fired a hex bolt of her own. The hex bolt went wide and struck behind Nemesis and the Black Queen laughed out loud over the din of the battle.

 

"You are getting old, Jon, my dear. That shot was way off," Nemesis spat.

 

"Only if I had been aiming at the cow in the foreground," returned Jon as her blast hit the wall behind Nemesis causing a large sculpture to fall on the raving Black Queen and her world went black.

 

"Retrieve her!" said Jon as Scott the incredibly handsome young mage knelt before the Black Queen and opened a portal with his sword through which she disappeared.

 

"You won't get away with this!" screamed Rahsas as he brought his staff down on the sword called Ch'vallin. "You invade our home and expect to find us easy prey. Think again, bright one! We know of hunting ourselves."

 

Mystical energies sparked and screamed through the air as the staff of the tall, dark and brooding Black Pawn met with the shiny sword of the fair haired mage of the Whites. Gomurr and Jon both cried out as if struck. Gomurr made a warding spell in the air and the two weapons came apart with a blast of eldritch energy. Rahsas and Scott appeared unharmed, and the battle continued.

 

Clarion, whose ability to channel pollutants in the air to weapons and power blasts, might have turned the tide into the BHC's favor, but he took took to the air mere seconds too late as Shadowcat ran a phased hand through his back disrupting the nerves in his spinal column and knocking him unconscious.

 

"Gregor!" Rahsas screamed as he rushed toward him, but it was too late. Scott sensing weakness in his opponent fired a mystic bolt from his sword at the fallen Black King and he too faded into a teleportal.

 

It was at this moment that SuperGrover flew into the fray. His only thoughts were of Blink. Where was she in all this carnage? He must find her. Suddenly his eyes swept over the body of a lanky blonde youth and he realized it was Cannonball. He had been with Blink!!! What could have happened. As he landed he looked down upon the face of Cannonball and only the stare of death looked back. Now noticing, the blood stained front of Cannonball's shirt, Grover spun around to see a blood covered Black Princess crouched with her belt knife at the ready. What was going on?

 

"C'mon Grovies," said Paramount in Blink's innocent sweet voice. "Dontcha wanna play with me any more. I"ll see both houses blood mixed on my hands before this day is through."

 

Paramount laughed maniacally and plunged at Grover with Blink's dagger. Grover twisted to the side and Paramount passed by, the knife skittering off of Grover's protective psi-aura.

 

"What's wrong, Rae? Please don't do this. We can sort this out," pleaded Grover as a powerful blast nailed him from behind.

 

Darque Feonix chuckled. He had seen the blue haired buffoon go after the lovely young creature that he thought was his compatriot and had acted on instinct. This fragile young girl had the look of one that was delicously innocent and he would have her for himself to break her spirit at his leisure. Besides one as duplicitious and aggressive as she did not belong with the BHC, but rather at his side. She was not to be killed by the likes of the pitiful creature that lay unconcious in the rubble. Paramount took this opportunity to morph into the form of one of Blink's serving gilrs and ran for cover. As Darque Feonix returned his attention to matters at hand, he scanned the battle for "Blink" but saw no sign of her. "No matter," he thought, "She'll turn up."

 

Meanwhile, Deadpool and Siryn were engaging Mischance and Psyche. The women let loose with flame bursts and telekenesis, battering each other with increasing ferocity. The men, however, seemed to be dancing a delicate ballet. Deadpool's acrobatic fighting style was well known, but every move he tried to make was quickly countered by Mischance, whose ability lay in defying the odds and creating null probability fields. In this manner every blow either struck, was countered quickly by the other. Suddenly a mystical blast from the battle Gomurr was waging with Nytshade and Darque Feonix struck to the left of Deadpool knocking him off balance and allowing Mischance to drive his knife home into the ribs of Wade.

 

"Waaaaade!!!!!" Siryn screamed as she turned to catch her fallen love, but as she turned Psyche nailed her with a psi-blast that flattened her and she joined Deadpool in the ranks of the defeated. As she fell, SupaNova swooped down with blinding speed and swept her up in his arms.

 

"I'll take this fly betty as a prize," said the SupaNova in his best Pimp Daddy voice.

 

"ENOUGH!!!!" Darque Feonix cried as he seemed suddenly to explode into the fire bird shape that was his name sake. "We take our prizes and we go, in hopes that you do not force us to harm them.....Give us what is ours and return the feral child and we will consider returning these fools to you intact."

 

It was at this moment that the six missing students stumbled into the fight.

 

"Don't give up guys," screamed Shockwave above the roar of the battle. "The cavalry's here."

 

"Cavalry, indeed!!" Darque Feonix scoffed. "You have just provided us with more spoils of war."

 

With that, he reached out his hand and Johnny Blaze, Psi-Shot, and Glittergirl rose toward him as he hovered from above.

 

"Now Scott," commanded Nytshade and the White Mage teleported them all away taking Silver, Havok, Siryn, Johnny Blaze, Psi-Shot, and Glittergirl along with his IFHC companions. With the already missing Nemesis and Clarion, that was eight key members of the Black Hellfire Club that had been lost in the battle. As Gomurr picked his way out of the rubble that Darque Feonix's last blast had sent him into, he wondered what they would do next.

 

CHAPTER 10: AFTERSHOCKS

 

"WAKE UP!!!", Jon spat. "How does it feel to be powerless?......completely at someone else's mercy?"

 

Gregor opened his eyes and tried to rise. The straps across his chest held him to the bed and something buzzed in his ear. He guessed it was a power dampener because he couldn't acess his blasting power. Jon slid the riding crop across his chest and let it fall with a slight slapping noise.

 

"Please, Jon," Gregor said in a bored voice. "Some people pay good money for this kind of torture. What next?.......candle wax?.....maybe even handcuffs?"

 

"Don't you dare mock me," raged Jon as she raised the crop and slapped Gregor across the face. The buzzing increased in Gregor's ears and he winced in pain. "We'll see what your loyal subjects think of you when they know the real Gregor. They'll see how you kidnapped and probably sold out WildChild the same way you did me!!! The device strapped to your head is a psionic relay device. It not only dampens your powers, but it allows us access to your innermost thoughts and memories. Once the proper frequency is found, we can read you like the proverbial book."

 

"Stop this!" screamed Gregor. "I will not be violated I n this manner. I had nothing to do with any kidnappings and whatever passed between us was as much your doing as it was mine, ELAIDA!!"

 

The captured members of the BHC as well as the assemble IFHC looked puzzled by this statement as Gregor roared with pain. Jon adjusted dials on a control console and the electricity in the air was almost palpable. The other members of the BHC were strapped to tables much like the one Gregor was on, minus the added relay device. They all wore restraining collars to keep thier powers in check, and were arranged where they all faced a monitor that covered an entire wall of this room in the IFHC headquarters. Nem screamed obsceneties and was quickly gagged as she struggled against her bonds. The others seemed to be in some sort of drugged stupor.

 

"Silent, my dear Black Queen. You'll want to see this more than you realize." said Jon.

 

Darque Feonix ,whose awesome telepathic abilities and futuristic technical knowledge had created the machine, stood silently watching the White Queen work. The other members of the raiding party shifted nervously in their seats. They were all aware that WildChild must be found before any harm befell him, but this skirted the edge of torture and not all of them were comfortable with the idea of that. Shadowcat rose to speak, but was quickly pulled back down by Mischance.

 

"Quiet chica," Mischance said quietly. "You definitely do not want to get in the way of Nytshade or Feonix. Right now, they are pretty close to loco."

 

Slowly the screen took on a steady humming glow. Gregor's screams had ceased and now his head hung limply forward. He stared pure hate through the dark hair that hung limp with sweat in his eyes. A tiny flow of blood trickled down his lip as he bit into it against the pain, then his mind gave way to the probes of the device and his eyes went glassy as the glow of the screen changed to vague fuzzy patches of shadow and light. Jon's voice rose, and she spoke almost soothingly to the bound Black King.

 

"Remember Gregor........remember when we met." she said. "We had it all planned out. You and I would rebuild the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle. We would build an empire of super powered individuals powerful enough to control the fate of the planet. We went over recruiting plans for new students for the school. We looked among our mutant and otherwise gifted peers for positions of powers.....and we looked to each other for love....What happened Gregor?...Why did you leave me like that?.......helpless to the whims of a madman!!"

 

She spat the final words and Darque Feonix raised an eyebrow. She understood instantly. The memory reversion device only worked if the examiner was calm and soothing...helping the.....participant.........dig through their mind for key events.

 

The swirling images finally took shape, and the room was now privy to the whirlwind youth and loves of the infamous black king.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The hair on the back of Puma's neck stood on end as she heard the voice from the dark. The sound the mechanical door made opening to release this threat reminded her of an animal being let out of its cage. She shivered. She remembered the ferocity in his whispered threats, and she became even more frightened. Race Traitor?...what could he mean? Pushing past the fear, and concentrating on the battle at hand, she moved into her transitional form and prepared for the worst.

 

Darkwolf had been warned by the master that others would try to sabatoge his good work. Why would anyone not want to help in the process of curing the ills of the world by creating the perfect mutant. He knew his master protected him from the outside world by keeping him within the confines of the compound, and he was glad of this. His thoughts went back to the time he saw his friends gunned down in a gang incident. The sheltered life he led now was a relief from the pain of the outside world. He had been told of the horrific ways in which mutants were destroyed back on the outside. He had seen the horrible scars that Paramount hid with his shape changing. Paramount had explained how an evil group of mutants known as the International Hellfire Club constantly stirred up trouble with the humans causing them to hate mutants and further damaging any chance for peace between them. He knew that this IFHC were the ones that had made the scars that disfigured the former White King. He felt good by his master's side and believed in their goal of striving to create the perfect mutant to lead his people and the human race as well into a golden age of peace. His master was a wise and good man, but he had been warned that there were evil factions that hated him for his goodness and were jealous of his knowledge. He leaped into the light at the girl. The lad was weighted down by the added burden of what looked like a captive, so he could be dealt with later. Darkwolf's acute senses noted a slight change in the scent of the girl as she seemed to morph in front of his eyes, but before he could dodge, a razor sharp claw from the girl's now taloned finger slashed across his face. He felt its sting, but he knew his nigh invulnerable skin would not be damaged much, so he was almost immediately upon her.

 

"Nice claws you got there, darlin!", said Darkwolf as he tried to surround the struggling Puma in a death grip.

 

Puma slipped free as the incredible strong arms surrounded her. She leaped from the youth's shoulder and backflipped her way in front of him. She quickly brought her knees up into the the charging attacker's stomach, doubling him over, but almost smashing her legs as well. What was this guy made of? Darkwolf straightened again and was about to charge again, but was hit broadside by WildChild.

 

"I don't know who you are, dude," growled WildChild, "but you've got the facts reaaaaly confused calling us race traitors, when you are the one working with a dude who's torturing mutants."

 

"The master said that there would be mutants who would fight against his quest to create the perfect being to lead us all.........You should feel pleased he has selected you for the process. It does you no harm. Why do you fight against him?" said Darkwolf as he prepared to throw the the rampaging Wildchild from him.

 

"No harm," screamed Sasha as she too pounced on Darkwolf trying to hold him down with the help of WildChild. "Does Blink look like she's been on vacation? She's got a broken leg for cryin out loud!"

 

"She must have been injured previously and the master was trying to help her," raged Darkwolf as he surrounded both of them with his super stong arms and prepared to squeeze the life from them.

 

Suddenly a bright pink light seemed to explode from inside of Darkwolf and he went limp. Sasha and Alex rolled away and saw Blink struggling to pick herself up from the ground. She had crawled her way into position....and had pulsed the attacking Darkwolf for fear of losing her only means of escape.

 

"Easy Rae. You're hurt real bad," said Puma.

 

"There's no time for arguing with crazies," said Blink in a very weak voice. "We've got to get out of this deathtrap and warn the others."

 

Puma and WildChild hurried to her and picked her up between them. They listened intently to her breathing and when she finally passed out again with the pain of her wounds, they heard a final word pass from her lips..........NEM?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

BHC headquarters were chaos. Gomurr paced nervously in the infirmary. Most of the injuries had been treated, but not all were within the scope of his power. Cannonball lay dead on a slab in the morgue, gutted at the hands of "Blink". Deadpool was close to joining him as the wounds he recieved at the hands of Mischance refused to heal.

 

"I don't understand it," said Gomurr. "His healing factor should have stitched up this wound long ago."

 

"Could it be that Mischance's probability altering power could have somehow affected Wade's system?" offered Rahsas who towered over the diminutive mage from behind.

 

"That's the only solution," returned Gomurr. "We've tried both medical science and magic and the wound seems to not only refuse to heal, but may be getting worse."

 

Deadpool groaned in his sleep...."Siryn?" .......Gomurr administered another sedative.

 

Just then SuperGrover walked in. The look of sadness on his face was intense. He kept running the events of Cannonball's death through his mind. Why would Blink kill him?...and in so bloody a manner? He knew that Blink was a master of blades, but he also knew that she used this skill as more of a warning than as a killing stroke. What was going on? Then it hit him!

 

"Computer," he said. "Replay battle footage section 7 Alpha Delta."

 

The computer they had just managed to get back on line displayed the battle footage. The ferocity of it was not lessened by the fact that it was viewed through the eyes of the computer. Every brutal attack was painstakingly displayed for Gomurr, Rahsas and Grover.

 

"What are you doing?" said Gommur. "Our responsobility is to Deadpool....not Blink...she is lost to us."

 

"No, you don't understand," said Grover. "WATCH THIS!"

 

The three watched as Blink pulled a dagger from her sash as her and Cannonball ran for safety. As the youth turned to look at her, she effortlessly plunged the knife into his midsection and then smiled.

 

"There....THERE!!!...Did you see that!!!!" cried Grover.

 

"What?," said Rahsas with bile on his tongue. "That she gutted on of our own or that she enjoyed it?"

 

"NO!!" said Grover. "Look again.....Computer Replay.......THERE...you see..that was her left hand...she drew the dagger and stabbed Cannonball with her LEFT HAND. Blink is right handed. She wouldn't use a knife with her left hand."

 

Gomuur and Rahsas looked doubtfully at Grover, and then away.

 

"Like Gomurr says, buddy," said Rahsas as he patted Grover on the shoulder. "We gotta worry about Deadpool now."

 

As if on cue, the monitors hooked up to Wade began to signal loss of blood pressure.

 

"We're loosing him!!" cried Gomurr.

 

The old mage closed his eyes and a glow surrounded him and then grew to encompass Deadpool. His convulsing slowly stopped and the monitor alarms ceased their ringing.

 

"That's all I can do, but I believe we are just delaying the inevitable," said the Mage in a grave voice. "If we only knew more about his healing factor...or even a way to kickstart it into action."

 

Belasco listened intently from above them. He had shrank down to his bumble-bat form and had been watching the proceedings.

 

"Healing factor," the young demon thought. "I'll show them healing factor."

 

"We must leave him to fight this battle," said Grover. "Others need our help as well, several of our number have been taken....and we will get them back."

 

"You are right," said Gomurr. "Do you have a plan?"

 

"Yes," said Grover. "God help us all, I do."

 

With that the three left and Belasco slowly drifted down to the table.

 

"Hey man, don't know if this is gonna work, but it looks like you are out of options," said Belasco as he rolled up his sleeve. "Ya see...bein a demon actually has some advantages. Not only am I breathtakingly sexy, but I get well reeeealy fast when someone knocks me down."

 

The young demon reached across to a nearby table and grabbed a scalpel. Grimacing, he drug it quickly across the palm of his hand. A hissing sound filled the air like steam rushing from a pipe, as the super heated brimstone blood of Belasco was exposed to air. He placed his hand over the wound in Deadpool's side and pressed down. He could feel the sticky blackness dripping from his hand, but he could also feel the cut he had made beginning to close.

 

"This better work dude, cuz it hurts like...welll....Hell.......and i'm not doin it again," said Belasco.

 

Suddenly the monitor alarms went off again and the mercenary named Wade began to convulse even worse than before.

 

"F*@&," said Belasco.

 

Gomurr, Rahsas and Grover came rushing in.

 

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE BOY?" spat Gomurr as he stared at Belasco who stood by Deadpool's side, his hand still wet with the blood of Deadpool and himself.

 

"I was trying to help," said Belasco miserably. "It's true what they say about good deeds not going unpunished."

 

"Get over here Rahsas, help me hold him down. Grover, get me that syringe over there," cried Gomurr barking out commands, but before he could make his attempt to save the man's life, Deadpool suddenly grew still as the grave and the monitor's all stopped thier automatic functions.

 

"Is he dead?" asked Belasco, who was as close to panic as a demon can be.

 

"Yes," said Gomurr quietly. "Now tell me what you did."

 

"I was just trying to help sir," spilled out Belasco sounding almost like Johnny Blaze. "I heard you saying you needed to jumpstart his healing factor. Well demons heal really fast and I thought if I...... you know........ gave him some of my blood, that it would help his system. I didn't think it would hurt him. I'm sorry sir. I'll understand if you want me to leave."

 

All eyes were trained on Belasco as he poured his confession out until they heard a sound from behind them.

 

"AAAAh lay off the kid, you old fart," said Deadpool as he slowly put his feet to the floor. "Apparently he was right. All I needed was a swift kick in the seat and I'm ready for action again. Now let's go get Siryn."

 

Everyone present were stunned into silence as Wade stood up. The deep angry wound on his side was almost healed, and they all noticed that his upper torso which was normally a mass of angry scar tissue was now pink healthy new skin. What was happening?

 

"What are ya'll lookin at?" said Pool. "Aintcha ever seen a man come back from the dead before. What?...What? Is my mask crooked or something?"

 

Deadpool pulled off the mask that he constantly wore to hide his hideous countenance. The Weapon X project that had given him his healing factor couldn't stop the constant degeneration of his skin, so although he was swift, fast and deadly, he was always forced to hide behind a mask to keep the world from seeing his horribly scarred face. As the mask slid away, Rahsas actually gasped. Where once there was a bitter pink mask of scars, now there was the handsome youthful face that Deadpool Wade had once showed the world.

 

"Well, whatdyaknow!" said Wade. "I guess the kid did a better job than even I thought."

 

There was a thump behind them as they all turned to see Belasco hit the floor. He had actually passed out.

 

"What'd I say?" said Deadpool as he went to pick up the lad that had changed his life.

 

CHAPTER ELEVEN: PAST TENSE

 

Puma and Wildchild struggled with the semi-conscious Blink between them. The labrynthian corridors seemed to stretch on forever and even the keen senses of the two animalistic teens were taxed to the limit trying to find a way out. Both had the same fear in their mind. What if they met another of Paramount's guardians. Darkwolf would have killed them both, if it had not been for Blink, and she was no longer in any condition to help them.

 

"Which way, Sasha?" Alex asked.

 

"I'm not sure," returned Puma. "Hold Blink and let me morph so I can get a better scent on the situation."

 

Young Sasha Cullen once more morphed into her full puma mode and sniffed the air. Suddenly she let loose an unholy animal wail. The sound brought Blink out of her stupor with a jolt and she gripped Alex's shoulder.

 

"What is it, Sasha?" Wildchild hissed. "You gotta be quiet or you'll bring more sentries down on us."

 

Sasha morphed back into her transitional mode still holding onto the fur and acute senses of the animal while allowing her to once more help Alex with Blink.

 

"Alex, Paramount's got dozens of captives in the rooms ahead," she whispered. "I'm no psi, but I can sense their pain and confusion. They are in an almost feral state like they aren't even human anymore....and there's one more thing. We've got to go through them to get out!!!"

 

"If that's the only way out, girl," Wildchild growled, "then we've gotta take it."

 

"I know," said Sasha. "I was just warning you."

 

The pair moved a bit easier now with Blink limping between them on her good leg. As they approached the room a low growl came from the back of Wildchild's throat. I feel it now, Sasha. Rage.....rage and fear, but underneath that...something else....peace....and it was that feeling that was growing stronger. At first they entered the chamber and saw only a bright light. Then the realized the light shone from a cylinder suspended from the ceiling, and inside the cylinder was the vague shape of a human. They watched it stir and suddenly all present felt its gaze upon them. Blink, sucked in her breath and cried out in exstacy......She seemed to take on the same radiance as the creature and then it slowly faded. When it did, they saw the beautiful young Rachel Clarice Ferguson, standing before them healed and at peace.

 

"What happened?" whispered Puma. "Are you ok?"

 

"I don't know," said Blink, "but that thing up there touched me.....healed me.....set me free. We've got to help it, and get it out of this pit."

 

Just then security alarms went off everywhere. Paramount had set sensors to register the first manifestation of "THE ALPHA", and his healing of Blink had almost overloaded them, but Paramount had been prepared for this contingency and power dampeners clamped down on the fledgeling life in the cylinder and it cried out in agony. The cries of rage from the next room also grew to a fever pitch. Whatever Puma had sensed before had returned with increased force.

 

"We gotta get him down from there!" cried Blink.

 

"There's no time," screamed WildChild.....there could be hundreds of guards coming our way now, and it could be another of Paramount's tricks."

 

Puma and WildChild continued to run, almost dragging the reluctant Blink with them. They ran until they came to yet another door door. The wail of voices and almost animal cries from behind the door froze their blood, but they knew they had to get out or risk being locked up forever at the hands of Paramount. Wildchild reached for the handle and turned. The sight that greeted them left them all speechless and sickened. In cage upon cage, stacked haphazardly throughout the room sat people, but not people. It was as if each person was a macabre twisted jigsaw of several different people and even animals from the look of some of the creatures. They howled and hissed and rattled against the bars that held them. Just as the three had grown accustomed to the shock and revulsion of the sight that greeted them, Puma let out a high pitched scream, and there, as Blink and Wildchild followed her trembling gaze, sat what could be an exact replica of Sasha if not for the wild deformities. Where Sasha's hair hung thick and lush from her head in her human form, this creature sported a mangy mane with bare sores where scalp should be. It's hands ended in.... not fingers...... but claws without sheathes giving it the appearance of having scissors of scythes for appendages.....and the strangest part of all was a pink glow surrounded it constantly. In that instant they found out why.........a flying bolt shot from one of the creature's grotesque appendages and struck Blink in the chest. Rae didn't even cry out...she just tensed and then relaxed..and soft words fell from her lips.

 

"That's me too," Blink almost whispered. "That was my power. I know what it feels like......that ba$^@rd gene spliced us into that monster."

 

"Let's get out of here," said WildChild finally, and they all stepped quickly through the chamber of horrors before any of the other monstrosities could attack again, and before they could see any more of the grotesqueries that lurked there. The reached a final metal door and found it locked from their side..they slid the bolt and hurried out. They hurried up the steps that followed and through another door into a long white corridor that smelled of antiseptic. They continued to run and hit a door marked exit, and then they tumbled into the ruins of what looked to be a years abandoned play ground. The happy sun shone down on them from a beautiful blue sky.

 

"This is impossible," said Sasha as she looked around. "This is the orphanage where I was raised........before, I found out I was a frea......a mutant...........before I came to the school....What's going on?"

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jon's voice continued to question Gregor as his memories came alive for all to see. Even the captured BHC members watched closely. Gregor had constantly been secretive about his past and his meteoric rise to power in the Hellfire club, and they all watched with interest. Gregor moaned softly as the images of the ballroom in his past once again took shape.

 

ON THE MONITOR:

 

His strong grip held Jon against him as they danced. She looked into his eyes and her cheeks burned a bright crimson. He swayed against her and her hips seemed to melt into his. His hands roamed down her soft back and pulled her even closer. The Jon of so many years ago let out a soft gasp, as she felt her breath quicken.

 

"We make excellent....partners," whispered Gregor into her ear.

 

Jon's hands went up to Gregor's neck and she ran her fingers through his hair. The first kiss was fiery and set the pace for the tempestuous relationship that would follow.

 

"Join me," Gregor cooed, "and the world can be ours."

 

IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM:

 

"Enough of this drivel," spat the White Queen and then calmed herself. "Show them....show everyone how you tricked me into believing in your dream...and then left me in that nightmare."

 

"I didn't leave you, Jon," Gregor growled. "It was your pride that drove us apart...It was you who left me."

 

"Don't lie," Jon cooed. "You'll show us soon enough how you tried to destroy me in your quest for power. Now, let's see the beginnings of your rise to Black King."

 

ON THE MONITOR:

 

Jon and Gregor sat on the balcony of Jon's penthouse suite in Manhattan. Her hair blew in the breeze, but its tusseled appearance was due more to the wild night they had spent together than the minimal breeze. She reached across the table and Gregor took her hand in his.

 

"I've got to ask you something, Jon," Gregor said. "We've discussed your resemblance to your family line.......and I've got to know if there's more to it than just coincidence. I'm about to reveal something to you that few others know. You see, Jon, I'm different......special you might say....and I sense that same specialness in you."

 

Jon shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Her mind reeled and finally she decided that she would tell this intense young man that she felt herself falling for...her dark secret. She reached out her hand toward the chilled fruit juice that sat on the table and it rose and came toward her. Gregor's jaw dropped.

 

"I knew it," Gregor said under his breath. "Telekenesis?"

 

"Better," said Jon as the relief of finally sharing her secret washed over her. "MAGIC!"

 

"Magic," said Gregor. "Then you aren't a mutant? What do you mean magic?"

 

"Mutant.......You're a mutant?," Jon returned. "You don't look like a mutant."

 

"Not all mutants are hideous, Jon," Gregor said as he rose from his seat and pulled her from hers.

 

Gregor pulled Jon into his arms and his hands slid down her legs. Jon's body melted to his as it always did, and he lifted her into his arms....and then suddenly there was a rumbling noise and they were in the air and over the edge of the balcony. Jon cried out and her hands gripped Gregor's shoulders as the world rocketed and they took flight. Somehow though within his embrace, the ravages of the wind couldn't touch her.

 

"It's called a kinetic blast field....and you're completely safe," said Gregor into her ear....and for the first time in a long time she felt like she was.

 

IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM:

 

"STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS," Jon cried. "Show them what happened...end this foolish lover's fantasy you have."

 

"It's no fantasy, Jon," Gregor said weakly, "and you know it."

 

"Very well," said Jon, "Foenix.....take his mind........force him to show us what we need to know.....show them the rise of Gregor's little empire...SHOW THEM HOW IT WAS BUILT ON MY PAIN!!!!"

 

Gregor cried out as Darque Feonix's gaze locked with his. The images on the screen blurred out and then seemed to run in fast forward. Images of clandestine meetings with men and women of power........images of Jon and Gregor locked in lover's embraces.....images of the two of them looking through case files of young children gifted with awesome abilities........then the images began to slow and finally once more the room grew silent and they watched the life of Gregor unfold.

 

ON THE MONITOR:

 

Gregor sat behind a large desk and waited nervously. A petitioner to join his newly reforming inner circle was to arrive any minute, and he had not consulted Jon about her membership. Gregor loved Jon deeply, but knew her jealous streak would automatically preclude any other beautiful females from the cabal they were forming, but Gregor knew better than to waste power when it was available. Finally the speaker on his desk buzzed, and he answered it.

 

"Ms. Steed is here to see you," the ancient receptionist droned.

 

"Call me Damask," another voice on the intercom said.

 

"Send Ms. ......Damask in, please," said Gregor.

 

The door to his office opened and a stunningly beautiful brunette swayed in. Her large eyes locked with Gregor's and the attraction was immediate. Gregor's gaze swept over her body and he smiled. Perhaps, not telling Jon of this one was a good idea. Just as dark haired seductress crossed the threshold of the office and was about to speak, she screamed and dropped to her knees. Gregor rose from his seat and rushed toward the woman until he noticed an alarming change coming over her. He watched as her dark eyes shrank and became slits of the most piercing blue. Her lush dark hair seemed to shrink and fade until it was a close cropped white crew cut, and where her gorgeous body had been, now there was the body of a pale and relatively skinny man wearing the black leather evening dress of the woman that had entered his office only moments before.

 

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Gregor roared.

 

The "woman" scurried to her feet, and carefully brushed his hand through his hair.

 

"I am Paramount.....That's quite a power dampening field you've got there," he wheezed.

 

"Where's Ms. Steed?....Who are you?" Gregor continued to rage.

 

"Ms. Steed is probably still in England where I met her, and I.....I am the newest member of your newly reforming Inner Circle," said Paramount.

 

"Is this some kind of joke," said Gregor. "How did you know about my efforts to reform the inner circle....and what makes you think female impersonation is of any interest to me and my efforts?"

 

"I assure you," Paramount said haughtily as he stood there ridiculously in an evening gown, "that my powers go well beyond this little display."

 

Paramount approached the desk tracing his manicured nails along it's surface. His sharp eyes spotted the console controlling the power dampener and switched it off, while Gregor was still too dumbfounded to notice.

 

"Allow me to demonstrate," said Paramount once more assuming the form of Damask. "Not only do I mimic the form of someone, but I also mimic thier power," said Paramount and he reached up to trace his finger along Gregor's jaw.

 

Gregor's hand shot out and he slapped Paramount roughly across the face. Paramount leaped back to his feet with a grace almost lyrical and released one of Damask's psionic skinning blades at Gregor. Gregor reacted on instinct and activated his blast field, sending the blade skittering of its nigh invulnerable surface. He reactivated the dampening field and used his own mutant power to turn pollutants into solid energy weapons, almost simultaneously. Paramount morphed back just as the dagger tore across his right cheek. He screamed in pain and rage.

 

"Get out of here, before I finish the job, you freak," spat Gregor. "Your power has potential, but I will not be trifled with."

 

Paramount scrambled to his feet, hissing almost cat like. He put his hand to his face and felt the ragged meat where the kinetic dagger had torn his flesh. He was amazed that his skin had not instantly reformed around the wound....then he remembered the dampener field and stumbled back kicking the door to the office open and stepping backwards through it, the damage was done however and the scar would be there for life in Paramount's default state.

 

"You'll pay for this," Paramount screamed in a high feminine voice as he ran out. "I swear you'll pay."

 

BACK IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM:

 

"IMPOSSIBLE!!!" Jon spat. "They were working together......Paramount and Gregor.....and probably this Steed woman as well....Gregor could never control himself....... and when I got in their way, Gregor gave me to Paramount and his twisted ways. There's no way Gregor threw him out like that."

 

"The memories are genuine," Darque Feonix said coldly as his sharp mind cut through the folds of Gregor's memory. "The truth will soon be known....WATCH!!"

 

...and the screen came to life again.

 

ON THE MONITOR:

 

Gregor sat slumped in his chair at the desk. Security had had no luck apprehending that strange shapeshifter Paramount, and Gregor was still a bit unsettled from their encounter.. When the phone rang, he gave a start.

 

"Hello?" said Gregor sounding weaker than he wanted to.

 

"Gregor, It's me, Jon......I've must speak with you," said Nytshade on the other end.

 

"What about, Jon?" said Gregor.

 

"It's about a strange man I met today. He was petitioning for membership."

 

"I met him too," Gregor said grimly, ,but don't concern yourself with him....I sent him away."

 

"It doesn't matter. I don't know what kind of power he has, but I'm scared. I think he's trying to get me, I've had the strangest feeling someone's been following me all day.......Can you come over?"

 

"Yes,....of course. I'm on my way." Gregor hung up the phone.

 

IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM:

 

"I never made that call..........I never met the shape-shifter until after he kidnapped me and held me as his prisoner for months...somehow he's lying. Your machine is garbage Feonix if Gregor's puny mind can defeat it!!" raged the White Queen.

 

"No, my dear Jon, I'm afraid it's all the delicious truth. I can tell. Now be silent, and let this wonderfully twisted story play out." intoned Darque Feonix.

 

Jon went to speak again, but with a motion of his hand, Feonix cut her off from the speech centers in her brain. The rest of the assemblage looked around, but none said a word. The monitor sprang to life once again.

 

ON THE MONITOR:

 

Gregor rang the doorbell and was greeted by Jon. She looked radiant as ever, but he noticed that there was a long tear along the bodice of her sequinned gown. He wondered at this, but said nothing because he could see by Jon's eyes that she was not in the mood to discuss fashion. There was an air of anger about her, and Gregor was so well acquainted with her wrath that he began lightly.

 

"I'm here, Jon," he said. "What's wrong?"

 

"Everything's wrong, you fool." said Nytshade quickly. "Do you think I'm not aware of what goes on in your offices. I knew of your latest harlot before she left. Do you think I don't have ways of knowing when beautiful women in leather gowns go in and out of your building"

 

Gregor looked puzzled for a moment and then began. "Jon I don't know what you are talking about, but I have no other lover but you. If you are talking about what I think you are, then that woman, as you call it, is the same man that has been trailing you.......I thought you wanted to discuss Paramount."

 

"What's paramount," Jon spat, "is why you can't be faithful to me."

 

With that, the insanely angry future White Queen grabbed Gregor's hair roughly and drug her to him kissing him deeply. She bit his lip fiercely bringing blood and then pushed him away. She looked at him with anger in her eyes and licked his blood from her lip.

 

"Have I not given you everything," she screamed. "All for this foolish dream you have.....Hellfire Club....HAH.....I'll have my own club and you'll have no part of it. Now leave me and never return."

 

With that, the one day White Queen pushed Gregor out the door and slammed it in his face. Security forces were there instantly to take Gregor from the building....and he left with a heart breaking with betrayal. What had happened to them?

 

Gregor McLendl died that day......and Gregor the Black King was born. His cold exterior replacing the warm heart of youth. Although both branches of the Hellfire Club grew and prospered, never again was he able to speak with Jon without the sting of her loss biting into him.

 

IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM:

 

The silence in the room was suddenly split Nytshade's scream. Darque Feonix looked at her and seemed almost amused, as he released her speech centers.

 

"They are both lying.......I never sent Gregor away......and I wore that gown the very day, I was taken by Paramount."

 

"Don't you see, my dear," Feonix almost laughed. "It appears that Paramount played you both for fools...and a very masterful gambit indeed. From what I've seen here. He posed as you and himself, the White King, and led the silly Whites around by the nose. Then when you escaped him and found your way back to us, he simply disappeared and plotted again from the safety of his lair. The only trouble now is...Where are the children?....they are sooooo hard to replace you know."

 

Gregor looked up through his sweat soaked hair into the eyes of the White Queen, but could not find the words to speak.

 

Shadowcat did find the words though, and not a moment too soon.

 

"Don't any of you see what's happened. Paramount is the one that has taken the missing students...he played us against each other...and there's no telling what horror's they are going through right now. We've got to do something. Release the Blacks"

 

Suddenly a black swirling shadowgate opened and the remaining members of the BHC poured out.

 

"Surprise!!" Rahsas shouted as he closed the gate behind them and prepared his staff for battle. "Let's see how you like the uninvited guests."

 

CHAPTER TWELVE: DIVISIONS AND DECISIONS

 

Before the gate had even completely closed, the remaining members of the Black Hellfire Club struck in unison. Deadpool, using his keen eyes and enhanced reflexes, let off a volley of rounds from his laser pistol releasing Siryn from her bonds, but as she was released, she could do nothing but stare at the handsome young man that stood in Deadpool's battle gear.

 

"Pool, is it really you.....Oh Wade...what happened?"

 

"Long story sweetcakes, i'll tell you all about it when we get out of here," said Deadpool as he carried her to a position of cover.

 

Belasco's approach, as always, was direct. Immediately after dropping from the portal, he began to grow...and grow...and grow. Snapping restraints away from the fellow BHC members and causing a general panic as he thundered across the room like a rampaging behemoth.

 

Rahsas let loose a bolt from his staff nailing Scott the White Mage and sending him reeling back mumbling incoherently and shivering. Rahsas dark spawned energy when focused thus, forced his target to see just a hint of the dark dimension, which was Rahsas birthplace and power source, and it appeared that dark place that Rahsas lived with daily was not to Scott's liking at all.

 

Gomurr's first mystic blast flew from his staff directly into the psionic enhancer that Feonix was operating. Electricity surged out as the machine exploded, and the resultant psionic feedback caused Darque Feonix to cry out in pain as all of the mental energy that the machine regulated rushed into his brain at once.

 

Havoc1, seeing his mentor, the Black Knight, chained to a table, released a spray of telekenetic spikes taking out Psyche, Mischance and even the intangible Shadowcat. He then rushed to release his mentor for whom he took his code-name from.

 

SuperGrover quickly surveyed the situation and took action of his own. Taking Janista, the young blue haired psionic, in his arms and under his protective aura, he flew to the spot beside the now destroyed psionic device stood, and landed beside Jon.

 

The White Queen was the first to speak.

 

"What is the meaning of this young lady, joining a raiding party of another house. There will be punishment for this....and you....Grover, whose questionable alliances probably caused this in the first place."

 

"Silence," Grover roared, his normal reserved demeanor disappearing. "This situation must be stopped."

 

"You are correct, Grover," said a desperately sad voice from behind them.

 

Gregor after being freed by Belasco's onslaught had crawled to a position of safety to recuperate from his wounds. Although he was physically only bruised. Emotionally and psychologically, the evening's events had scarred him deeply. His mind rolled back over the past. He thought of his love for Jon and how her rejection had almost destroyed him, even though he know realized it was Paramount on that night so many years ago that had so savagely betrayed him. His mindset quickly changed from sorrow to anger, as he realized that not only had Paramount decieved him, but held Jon prisoner for months until his masquerade was in danger. The feelings of hate and revulsion bubbled up inside him and came bursting out in one anguished cry that seemed to shake the very room as much as it did the Black King's soul.

 

"STOP THIS MADNESS!!!!!!" he roared, and amazingly even over the din of battle his voice was heard....and everyone stopped in thier tracks.

 

The room was in almost total silence. Only the sound of falling debris, and the sizzle of the still exploding psionic device filled the air, as Gregor strode slowly up to the top of the rubble that he had once been chained to. A stray thought about Julius Ceasar addressing the senate before being slain by his supposed friends rolled through Gomurr's brain, but that was lifetimes ago...this was the here and now.

 

And so Gregor began in a choked voice that shook but steadily became stronger.

 

"Black Hellfire Members........Whites, Greys, Reds. The time has come for us to put childish grievances aside. You have seen the sins of my past, and we all seem to be reliving them in the future. We all fight for the wrong reasons.....not for the future, but for the present. This conflict began with the kidnapping of children that look to us for guidance, and we fight amongst ourselves...not over their fates, but over power and pride. My decisions seem to have always been driven by ambition and greed, and the results only brought more heartache and pain, thus I renounce my position as Black King, and beg the the White Queen to accept me back into her councils. I also as my last official act, beg the assembled members for reunification of the houses."

 

When Gregor finished his speech he approached Jon on bended knee and looked up into her eyes. At first they seemed to brim with tears, then a line crossed her brow and she turned her back on the prostrate former Black King.

 

"You idiot, you think this revelation of yours changes anything," she said sarcastically. "It doesn't bring back the months of my life that I was chained at the hands of that maniac, while you just left him to masquerade as me. Couldn't you tell the difference.....or maybe you liked him better."

 

"Jon....please." Gregor said.

 

"No...you please.....now that we know about the children, i'll work with you on getting them back, but don't ever think I will forgive you," she spat.

 

It was at this moment that a very bedraggled looking Blink, WildChild and Puma stumbled into the ruined meeting hall.

 

"RAE!!!!" Nem shouted from the back as she ran toward Blink. "What happened to you? Why are your clothes all torn?"

 

"It was Paramount," said Blink. "I've been his captive for months. He was pretending to be me to destroy the Hellfire Clubs."

 

Grover's stomach threatened to lurch. So this was the girl that he had been trying hard not to love because of her tender age, and Paramount was the flirtatious nutcase that had tried to tempt him by wearing her form. How could he have been so stupid?

 

"It gets worse," continued Blink as she stood before them all. "Paramount's used the genetic make up of dozens of mutants and he's created horribly scarred versions of them, as well as a perfect vision of goodness. We've got to stop him from destroying any more lives....and save the one that saved me."

 

"Waitaminute, we saved you." said Wildchild half jokingly looking at Puma, but nobody seemed to notice.

 

"Very Well, then," said Silver finding his voice after the shocking discoveries that had been made that day. "We will find this Paramount and free whomever he holds prisoner...and we will do it...TOGETHER."

 

"TOGETHER!!!!!" they all cried at once....all that is but one...and his silence was as deafening as their cry had been earlier.

 

"Together?....Ha," Darque Feonix scoffed. "You threatened to become interesting once. That is why I graced you with my presence. Now you once again follow someone to do what is supposedly good and right, like mindless sheep. I take my leave of you and this boring mudball."

 

And with that Darque Feonix embraced the power cosmic and headed for parts unknown...and the rest of the assemblage prepared to face Paramount one last time.

 

 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: ROOTS OF EVIL

 

The assembled members of all branches of the Hellfire Clubs landed like a soft summer breeze on the lawns of the seemingly deserted orphanage. The stealth arrays Avalon had designed and implemented in the Jet-Copter worked like a dream and Jack Silver watched both Jon and Mischance covertly study it as it sat down in hopes of copying the technology.

 

"Impressive, isn't it?.....What young people can do when they are trained in more than just the arts of war." said Gomurr a bit distantly.

 

His mind was on the battle to come, and of the stories that Blink and Puma had told him of this place. He would never have been selected for this mission if Blink's description of what she simply called "The Alpha" hadn't sounded mystical in nature. He was not the best field operative, although great magical might rested in his diminutive frame. He collected himself and centered his energy as they reached the coordinates Puma had provided. As the almost completely silent engines shut down and the propellor ceased to spin. SuperGrover slid the door open and the group began to disembark.

 

The velvet skinned Grover surveyed the grounds carefully as he watched the others disembark. The members of the strikeforce were selected painstakingly as to best combine stealth and strength. SuperGrover, Gregor, Havok, Gomurr and Nemesis represented the Black's inner circle along with Puma and Blink to aid in their search of the place. The IFHC was also well represented by its membership. Nytshade, Mischance, Psyche and Shadowcat also disembarked eying their allies carefully.

 

"My hands are still chaffed from being restrained," said Nem venomously staring at Jon. "I hope I'm able to properly channel my powers should a fight break out."

 

"Quiet Nemesis!" Gregor snapped. "We agreed to help each other and you will stick to that agreement or I will destroy you myself."

 

"I don't need your protection, Gregor!" Jon hissed. "You certainly provided me with none the last time I was here."

 

Gomurr's eyes went wide and he raised his staff.

 

"SILENCE CHILDREN," he said as he bound the mouths of the three with currents of air. "If you want to spend the eye-blink of time we have to get in without being detected bickering, then go ahead, but I won't allow Puma to come to any more harm. Do not force me to depart with her, leaving you guideless."

 

"You are right old man," said Gregor quietly. "We came to defeat Paramount not relive old rivalries. Let us go."

 

Puma surveyed the grounds carefully. A cold mournful wind was blowing through the diseased trees that flanked the playground's perimeter. The swings and merry-go-rounds squeaked as the breeze twisted them to and fro. Puma remembered playing in that yard. It had been four years since she had left this place at the age of 13, but she still remembered the sensation that greeted her now. Someone was watching them.

 

Jon's mind also reeled backwards in time to the period that she was held captive here by the insane Paramount. She had not even been aware of the orphanage above ground until she had broken free and reached the surface that 18 years ago, but the sight of the delapitated building still brought a chill to her as she remembered his tortures.

 

"Let's go," whispered Gomurr as he moved toward the ramshackle building.

 

They had reached the outer perimeter when the Gregor tackled Gomurr and leaped in front of the group. Before Gomurr could pick himself up, he was rocked back to the ground by a deafening explosion. Gomurr looked up and saw a wall of energy in front of Gregor suddenly spring to life in hues of red and gold. Then he saw what had caused the explosion. The seemingly derelict playground equipment had come to terrifying life. The push power merry go round spun on an unseen motor assembly spraying bullets and mortars at the approaching group. The bars supporting the swings aimed lasers with pin-point accuracy. The wall of energy in front of them held however, and Gomurr, as he picked himself up, finally realized why. Gregor stood before the rest of the group, his hands placed palm out towards the onslaught of weapons. He had somehow noticed the oncoming danger before the rest of the group and had used his ability to turn pollutants into energy weapons in a new and effecitve way. He had actually formed a force field like the one that covered him while he was blasting, but had managed to shape it into a wall of energy that would deflect the attack. The effort was evident from the strained look on his face, and the beads of sweat that rolled down his forehead.

 

"I can't hold this for much longer," grunted Gregor.

 

"Nor shall you have to, Gregor," said Grover as he swooped into the air grabbing havok underneath the arms as he went.

 

Gomurr also took to the air and Shadowcat phased until she sunk beneath the ground. Gregor continued to hold the wall as blue streaks of electric beams, mortars, and bullets continued to pound against it. When Grover, Havok and Gomurr reached the top of the wall, Havok released a plasma burst and Gomurr a mystic blast at the laser equipped swing. The machinery exploded into brilliant blue sparks. Just as quickly Shadowcat phased up into the motor housing of the merry go round, thus shorting all the electrical power to it. The silence was deafening as Gregor dropped the shield and then fell to his knees exhausted. Jon's eyes turned to Gregor, but Nem was the first to speak.

 

"Are you all right, Gregor?" she asked with concern.

 

"I am fine, Black Queen," said Gregor stiffly. "My welfare is no longer your concern, but I thank you for the sentiment just the same. Let's keep moving."

 

Puma, at point, scouted around to the entrance. Shifting into her transitional form, she sniffed the air cautiously. She smelled where she had been here before, but also the more recent scent of Paramount.

 

"He's in there!" she said with a growl in her throat.

 

Grover swung the door open. It banged against side board and they all jumped a little.

 

"I've walked into a lot of traps in my life," said Havok, "but this may be the grandaddy of them all."

 

"I agree," said Grover, "but if we are to find this fiend, and end his schemes once and for all, then we must continue."

 

Puma once again led the way, down the halls that smelled of antiseptic and death. The flourescent lighting on the ceiling hummed and flickered, casting eerie shadows of the group. They paused at a wall and Puma reached forward to touch it.

 

"Stop!!!!" Psyche shouted. "There's great danger here. Don't move...anyone!!"

 

The group froze in place. Mischance reached out to touch Psyche's shoulder.

 

"Vanessa, what's wrong?" he asked.

 

"I'm sensing something. Behind this wall is a passage. My psychometry allows me to see the history behind objects, but if we move one more step, we are doomed." she continued.

 

"Shadowcat," Jon said. "Do a perimeter sweep quickly...full phased mode. We need to know what's setting her off that we can't see."

 

Shadowcat concentrated and allowed her molecular density to decrease. She moved slowly towards the wall. She passed through first Gregor, then Grover and Gomurr in her attempt to move as little as possible but stil reach her goal. The all supressed a shiver. Her power, even at this non-agressive level, was enough to make your skin crawl. Gomurr, said silent wards agains possession out of force of habit, even though he knew Shadowcat's powers were strictly mutant in nature. Finally she went through Mischance, and then through the wall...or at least began to go through the wall. Suddenly her body was bombarded with what felt like a million tiny hooks all tearing her flesh in different directions. She tried to pull away, but somehow the barbs held her in place and pulled her deeper into the wall. She cried out and began to give into the insanity that this ultimate pain caused, but before she gave into the cold embrace of shock, she was suddenly free . She looked down and Mischance's arm was sticking through her phased shoulder. Somehow Mischance's probability altering field had allowed him to grip her shoulder as she was being pulled into the wall, and rescue her from the prison she had stumbled into.

 

"What happened," screamed Shadowcat, as she resolidified on the floor with the others.

 

"Apparently he was expecting us," said Grover. "If my guess is right, then he had that wall equipped with a spooling field."

 

Most present grew silent, in remembrance of the horrible device that the time traveller Trevor Fitzroy had introduced to them in an attempt to gain control of the Hellfire Club. Only Nemesis and Grover among them could give first hand knowledge of the excruciating pain involved in the process, but the rest could attest to the horrible screams and looks of anguish as they were tortured by Fitzroy. In the end, Fitzroy's own slave, Bantam, had betrayed him and freed them all, but to this day, all that were there still were panicked by the mere mention of the device. The spooling field was capable of literally tearing someone apart cell by cell and then reforming them over and over again, without the release of death. It's technology was even capable of cellular restructuring of phased matter, so even Shadowcat was helpless against it, but what was a madman like Paramount doing with such technology?

 

"Now what?" said Shadowcat, trying to recover from the physical assault.

 

"NOW YOU DIE!!!" screamed Paramount as he came down the hall, riding ridiculously on the hunched back and shoulder of a horribly disfigured behemoth with the head of a beautiful green haired woman and the body of what appeared to be a four armed Juggernaut. Dozens of his mutant hybrids flanked him, running or skidding along clumsily on disproportinate appendages. Thier scarred bodies seemed to sprout arms and legs and even fins at random.....and the smell of them rushed before them like a sickening wave of antiseptic and dying flesh. The ferocity in their eyes and their grotesquely distorted bodies was enough to strike fear in the hearts of the IFHC members, but the hate and insanity etched on Paramount's own face was what really froze the blood of the now cornered group.

 

"Oh god," whispered Jon under her breath. "Please not again."

 

And then the battle began.

 

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: ALPHA DESCENDANT

 

Havok, as usual, was the first one into the fray. He hurled himself heedlessly toward one of the leading monstrosities. Its body seemed to be a huge mass of hair, but in the form of a man. The creature let out a howl of rage as it opened its mouth, if a mouth could be said to cover half of its body....and from the gaping teeth covered cavity came a wall of sonic force. Had Havok not dived to the right, the sonic wail would have liquified him. Havok's clawed hand caught the beast along one massive jaw and thick dark blood sprayed into the air, but to Havok's surprise the gaping wound began to quickly seal itself back up.

 

"This f***er's got a healing factor and a sonic scream.....How many powers do these freaks have," Havok raged.

 

He then concentrated his plasma burst on the creature knocking it back into the skittering mass of its fellow mutates, that were also fast approaching. The rest of the Hellfire Club members prepared themselves and also dived into the fearful battle. Gomurr and Jon stood back to back. The diminutive old mage, and the deceptively young and beautiful sorceress fired mystic bolts that made the mutates cry out in pain. Shadowcat attacked with both her phasing ability and her ninja skills. Nemesis and Psyche both unleashed daggers of telekenetic force, and Mischance leaped with cat like agility from wall to beast to floor, sinking his daggers in where they would do the most damage. Grover and Gregor attacked from above using skills learned in countless battles. The attack of the Hellfire Club was ferocious in its intensity, but it still wasn't enough to stem the awesome power of Paramount's mutates. For every foe that fell, another took its place. There seemed to be an infinite number of the abominations, and then Grover saw the reason why.

 

Paramount, was at the back of the rampaging army of mutates now, and he had morphed into the form of the former morlock, Skids. He sat on the back of the mutate he had been riding and continually shouted orders into a wrist communicator. He was using the forcefield power of Skids to protect both himself, the she-beast he had ridden in on, and another mass of what could only vaguely be recognized as human. The pitiful creature beside Paramount and his steed was squatting naked beside the gigantic form of the Polaris/Juggernaut/Forearm cross-breed. It continually pounded its fists on the ground and with each impact a rupture would open on its back spilling out a putrid eruption of yellow bile along with yet another mutate. So...Paramount had some Madrox DNA to play with too. How could they stop this madman? Grover flew back to Nem's side and told her of this new found discovery. Nem's brow furrowed, as she continued to fight. Up until this point the Hellfire Club had been fighting to subdue or stun.....not to kill. These pitiful creatures were not to blame for their master's wishes, but now there was little other choice. She looked to her side and saw that Psyche's fragile mind was already threatening to give way under the stress of the battle.

 

"We have no choice," she said. "It's kill or be killed."

 

Nemesis closed her eyes and concentrated. She reached out with her mind and linked with Rahsas who was waiting anxiously at the IFHC headquarters with the remaining members of the Hellfire Club.

 

"We need you....now......bring the others...before it's too late," she said into his mind.

 

Suddenly two portals opened up in the air above the battle. One was filled with golden light and seemed to hum with heavenly music. The other was black as the night and gave those who gazed upon it a chill down the spine. Both of these were jump gates provided by Scott, the White Mage...and Rahsas of the Blacks...bringing reinforcements for the battle. Silver, Shockwave, Glittergirl, Belasco, Havoc1, Puma and Johnny Blaze fell from Rahsas portal. Their powers primed and ignited instantly and they joined the battle. Psi-Shot, Janista, Deadpool, Siryn, WildChild and Ryan in the body of the Toad fell from the other. They too joined the fray. Paramount, seeing this, slapped the duplicating mutate vicously and cursed...then continued to scream into his wrist communicator.

 

DarkWolf sat in the chamber below the battle. The voice of his master blasted into his head via the wrist communicator.

 

"Make them charge faster, you idiot. Do you want these infidels to destroy our hard work...to destroy the alpha," Paramount spat.

 

DarkWolf concentrated harder. His control over animal minds was not perfect under the best of circumstances, but controlling the minds of these rampaging mutates was taking everything he had. With each new creation it became more difficult, and the pain and fear he was registering through them was almost more than he could bare, but he believed in the master's plan to create the perfect mutant to free this world from its own struggles and he fought harder to maintain control and to repel or destroy the Hellfire Club, who he believed to be traitors to their own kind.

 

With the reinforcements that the Hellfire Club had held in reserve safely teleported in, the pace of the battle changed. As soon as Belasco was safely through the portal, he increased his size and mass and almost busted through even the cathedral like ceiling of the chamber. He picked up each struggling mutate and hurled them back into their fellows. The young demon's strength was astounding and only by holding back his rage, could he maintain control and not lose himself in the demonic ecstasy of destruction. Deadpool and Siryn stood back to back spraying bullets and flame bursts. Glittergirl's glitter spikes flashed in the air in an almost strobe-like fashion. Havoc1 stood side by side with his mentor, Havok, and fired telekenetics and plasma charges against the wall of beasts.

 

Shockwave, in an effort to protect the Red King, in his Toad body had been separated from the circle of her friends and they were being chased down a side corridor by a reptilian mutate with flaming red hair streaming down it's neck. It's scaly face and fangs looked ridiculous in comparison to its flowing tresses, but when it activated yet another mutant power, Shockwave realized where she had seen hair like that before. The flame blast came without warning, and Shockwave cursed under her breath. They were using Siryn's powers against her own friends!!!!!!! Ryan in his Toad body back-flipped out of the way, just to land almost directly in front of the beast. The red haired crocodilian raised it's clawed hand and brought it screaming down towards Ryan's head. Shockwave leaped into action without thinking, her blast caught the creature in the chest and it spun back, but it's claw still caught Ryan broadside in his midsection. The Toad's pitiful shreak, delivered in the arrogant manner of Ryan was horrible to hear. The mutate fell to the ground....dead. As the blood drained from Ryan, he looked into the young mutants eyes and saw only fear and despair there.

 

"This one had never killed before, what a delightful young body to inhabit....so many new experiences to enjoy," he thought, "but she killed in my defense, how can I do this?"

 

The Red King grimaced and prepared to leap from his dying body into a new one.

 

Back at the main battle, Paramount's mutates were slowly being turned back. Silver stood behind the wall of his fellow mutants and utilized his powers like never before. Wherever a mutate took a step in advance, the very beams that composed the floor would shape around their feet...trapping them. Some of the more berzerker ones had actually ripped their own limbs off in order to continue the battle, but they were picked off by one of the others. The duplicator mutate that cowered next to Paramount kept pumping out new mutates, however, and the number of screaming, and crying mutates kept climbing. Soon, even with the help of the new members, the Hellfire Club would be overrun again.

 

Suddenly a brilliant flash of light filled the room, only it wasn't painful to the eyes, and the air was filled with humming sounds. All the participants in the battle paused and a feeling of euphoria washed over them. The battle was over, and everyone stood transfixed bathing in the radiance of the light.

 

Blink looked around blissfully and said, "It's him, the one who saved me....It's him."

 

Paramount saw what had happened and reacted with his usual cold response.

 

"The Alpha has fully awakened, and you are all doomed," he ranted.

 

"Doomed?" questioned Blink in an almost drug like euphoria. "Don't you see, there is no hate in this one.....there is only love......the time for fighting has past."

 

"Foolish child," Paramount spat. "I'll show you hate."

 

The insane former White King pressed a lever on his control gauntlet and the panel with the spooling field slid open and the field shut down. Behind it standing glorious in his nakedness stood the Alpha. He looked at the assemblage.

 

"I feel the pain in all of you," he said in a soft deep caress of a voice. "Let me take it....let me take it all."

 

Tears of joy filled everyone's eyes. Every mind reeled with images of a life filled with only peace and love. Each heart ached for the golden age that was coming.

 

Paramount had been moving closer to the Alpha with each word he spoke. Paramount's powers allowed him to exactly duplicate the physical genetic structure of anyone or anything. His long association with this mutate he had created had helped him develop a tolerance for what he called its hypnotic photoradiance. His genetic structure had already begun to shift by the time he reached the side of the Alpha.

 

"Father?" the creature of light said.

 

"Yes, my child," said Paramount as he reached up to touch the cheek of his greatest creation.

 

Moving with blinding speed, Paramount pulled a dagger from his belt and drove it into the gut of the Alpha. Where blood would have poured out of any other man...brilliant light blasted from the gaping wound in the dying mutate. The assemblage burst into pandemonium. The other mutates cried out in rage, and began destroying everything including each other in berserker fury. The Hellfire Club members held their heads in agony.....and struggled to protect themselves from the fury of the creatures. Only Blink stood unaffected. She released pulse bolts to protect her friends from the destruction around them and gave them time to regain their composure.

 

The rage of the mutates again became focused, and their attack became once again a coordinated effort against the Hellfire Club. The assembled mutants were once again fighting a losing battle.

 

"ENOUGH OF THIS," came a voice directly into the brain of every person in the room.

 

Everyone turned to see the Alpha begin to rise into the air in its halo of light.

 

"It's him...he's alright," screamed Blink.

 

"Think again dear-heart," said the Alpha coldly, there's a new master of this body."

 

Paramount had made the transformation. He now had the awesome power of the Alpha, and the Hellfire Club was at his mercy.

 

 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: TRUTHS AND CONSEQUENCES

 

DarkWolf cried out in pain as the Alpha was skewered by Paramount's blade. Through his mental connection to Alpha and the other mutates he experienced what they experienced, and the psionic backlash of the Alpha dying threatened to drive them all insane. Tears of rage filled his eyes as he crawled back to his feet. How could the master have done this? What of their plan of creating a Golden Age of Peace?

 

"Someone would pay for this," thought DarkWolf. "Someone will pay dearly."

 

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Paramount hovered above the heads of the group of mutates and Hellfire Club mutants. The only thing that could be heard was the static crackle of Paramount's newly found energy as it cascaded around the assemblage. Nobody stirred from their position. The very gaze of Paramount in his Alpha transformation was enough to freeze them in place.

 

"INCREDIBLE!!" laughed Paramount wildly. "The power of my creation was greater than even I anticipated. His power wents so far beyond the mere psionic that it's unquantifiable. The Alpha could actually touch and control the energy field that comprises the spirit aura of a person......and now that power is mine, and I have you to thank for that, my dear Nytshade. Without the magical attributes I gleaned from your DNA, this synthesis of mutant and magician would never have been possible....this perfection in the ability to tap into man's soul rather than just his mind would never even be feasible.....but then again, you always were excellent breeder stock."

 

SuperGrover jerked forward crying out in pain.

 

"So your much vaunted immunity to psionic power is allowing you to fight me, if only just a bit," scoffed Paramount. "But, as I've said, this power only begins as psionic. IT GOES MUCH FURTHER!!!"

 

With that, Paramount raised his arm and a bolt of pure white light streaked from his fingertips and into Grover. Grover's back arched as the bolt lifted him into the air and held him there.

 

"I can control your every move, mutant. I can snap you in two!!," raved Paramount. "I can make you dance like a puppet on the end of a string. MY POWER IS ABSOLUTE!!!!.....but let's get an opinion from the court....HAH!!!"

 

Paramount gestured again and Nytshade stumbled forward and then dropped to her knees in front of him. He cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her head toward him. She looked adoringly into his face. Grover grimaced as he saw the look of utter love that Jon displayed for Paramount. What sort of powers did this Alpha have to completely erase the hate that Jon had held for the insane former White King.

 

"Although its quite nice to bathe in your adorance of me, Jon," said Paramount. "What say I loosen my control just a bit and give you your own mind again. I always did love your spirit."

 

Jon's face instantly turned into a snarl of disgust, and she tried to draw her head away from Paramount's hand, but she couldn't move.

 

"You bastard, release me!!" she screamed. "I'll die before you touch me again!!!"

 

"Oh you'll die alright," said Paramount in a sickly sweet voice. "But only after providing me with days, weeks, maybe even years of amusement, if I don't tire of you by then."

 

"Never again," Jon spat.

 

"Never say never, my dear," said Paramount as he lifted Jon to her feet and floated her towards him. "You only hasten your own demise."

 

Paramount brought Jon's face inches from his own and flicked his tongue out toward her. He traced it along the line of her jaw, and down to her lips. She tried to pull away, but was held fast in the power that Paramount had assumed from the Alpha.

 

"What's wrong, Jon?" Paramount cooed. "Don't you like this body......maybe I should change to something else........perhaps...... more familiar."

 

Paramount's voice dropped to a low guttural growl and Jon's eyes went wide with terror. Her mind flashed back to the time she had been held prisoner here all those years ago. Once again, she relived Paramount's abuse as he subjected her to one horrific experiment after another...and then came the final indignity. On the last night of her capture....the night before her escape from his hellish world, he had decided to take more than just samples.

 

THE PAST: PARAMOUNT'S LAIR

 

Jon lay strapped to the table. How long had she been here? How many more of Paramount's insane experiments could she go through? When would she simply be allowed to die? She heard a noise from the foot of the table. A steady tapping......then a scrape of metal against another hard surface. She looked down the table to her feet, and there she saw her worst nightmare come to life. There stood the sociopathic serial killer Sabretooth. He looked at her, his guttaral breathing ringing in her ears. He tapped his clawed nails one by one along the metal table and then dug them in cutting deep scratches into the leather of her restrainig straps.

 

"Think what I could do to your soft skin, Frail," said Sabretooth as he traced his clawed index finger up Jon's bare leg.

 

She cried out, but it was too late. Sabretooth's razor sharp claws tore away the thin gown that was covering her and she was at his mercy. Later, when the beast had left her, she remembered Paramount's return. He held yet another one of his tortuous devices.

 

"Do you like Easter, Jon?" he rattled on insanely. "Well it's time for a little egg hunt."

 

Thankfully, she passed out after hearing that, and remembered nothing else of Paramount's examination and harvesting of her genetic materials and now fertilized eggs. Until this moment, she had successfully blocked out almost all of the entire experience, but now......hearing that voice again, she was sickened to the core of her being....That voice....it had been Paramount the whole time.....that voice Paramount was using again right now.........tap tap tap...scraaaaaape.....THINK WHAT I COULD DO......

 

THE PRESENT: PARAMOUNT'S LAIR

 

Paramount still held Jon's face in his hand, looking down into her horrified eyes.

 

"Like I said, Jon," Paramount said. "I always enjoyed your spirit.....a pity you weren't quite as fond of me in one of my more furry forms, but what a lovely daughter you produced."

 

Jon's mouth fell open and she began to scream.

 

"Daughter?..........YOU MONSTER! What are you talking about?" she raved.

 

"Why I would have guessed you would have figured it out by now," teased Paramount. "Her mother's good looks......her father's penchant for fur and fury....and my, I guess you could call me her other father, shape shifting ability? A pity she was just as ungrateful as her mother, and chose to leave me when I left the orphanage in the care of another."

 

Paramount gestured once again, and Sasha Cullen, A.K.A. Puma11, was lifted forward to join them.

 

"Say hello, to mummy dearest, Sasha," wheezed Paramount gleefully.

 

"NOOOOO!!!", came a voice from the darkness. "This is wrong, and I WON'T LET YOU DO IT!!!!"

 

DarkWolf came bounding into the room. The handsome youth swung his thickly muscled arm at Paramount knocking him backwards and busting the lip on the youthful face that he had taken on.

 

"Boy," Paramount spat. "What is the meaning of this? Have I not given you everything?....made you a part of my dream? Don't you see? These people before you are our enemies. It is these people that refused me and scoffed at my potential when forming this ridiculous Hellfire Club.......these people that squander their genetic strength in petty squabbles....but I see as always, I am betrayed by those closest to me."

 

"Betrayed?" DarkWolf cried. "You killed the Alpha only to assume his form and power. Who are you to speak of betrayal?"

 

"Don't you see how limited the Alpha was?" Paramount questioned. "His power was held back by his own goodness of heart. He needed a mind such as mine to seize his true destiny as ruler over this pathetic mudball...He would never have been able to make the difficult choices it takes to destroy in order to create."

 

"I see nothing but a madman!" raged DarkWolf.

 

"THEN YOU WILL DIE LIKE THE OTHERS!!!" screamed Paramount. "only for your betrayal, you will not go easily into the night on a wave of tranquility like the rest of these sheep. I WILL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!!!!!"

 

Paramount gestured once again and Jon and Puma dropped to the floor in a heap, but placid smiles soon returned to their faces. DarkWolf, on the other hand, was hurled across the room into a steel support girder. If not for his invulnerability and strength, he would have been mortally wounded. As it was, he almost couldn't rise. As soon as he reached his feet, however, he was hit by another attack as he felt his feet and arms fly apart and continue to be pulled. Paramount was literally going to try and rip him apart. A sharp pain shot through the youth's shoulder as his arm threatened to give way. DarkWolf cried out in agony, but in his last few moment's of consciousness, he reached out with his mind and made contact with the mutates he had abandoned earlier when Paramount had assumed the Alpha form. The confused mutates immediately began to come around and started moving in on Paramount. Paramount saw DarkWolf's attempt at defense and reached out with his own mind, but found nothing to latch onto within the mutates. His cry of rage, seemed to excite the wretched creatures and before he could move to stop it a bat-formed mutate slashed a claw across his face, opening his jaw like a ripe melon.

 

Paramount slapped the hand away, and immediately hit DarkWolf with his tranquility blast. The youth slumped to the floor with a peaceful grin on his face, but it was too late. DarkWolf's mental commands and the blood the bat-creature had drawn had driven the creatures into a frenzy and they attacked Paramount with full force. He didn't understand why he couldn't control them, so he took them out sometimes five at a time with his telekenetic energy, but as before the fallen ones were simply replaced by others. Paramount's concentration broke and the Hellfire Club members began to wake up from their utopian daze. The mutates began to notice the stirring of the others and attacked them as well. The HFC members fought back valiantly, but they too were becoming overpowered by the gene-spliced and multi-powered mutates.

 

DarkWolf struggled back to lucidity, and saw what was going on. He retook the minds of the mutates and they swung their attention back to Paramount. The Bat-Creature streaked down again and caught Paramount on the other cheek with his clawed wing. Paramount cried out in pain, but his scream was cut off my another mutate catching him around the throat with it's three fingered hand. Yet another mutate charged Paramount gnashing razor sharp teeth and clamping down on his leg with a sickening crunch. This drove the closest mutates insane with blood lust and they all attacked Paramount at once. A feral berserker lunged for Paramount's throat, biting the hand of the three fingered creature and the neck of Paramount simultaneously, mingling the blood of the two. Two more mutates pulled at the arms of Paramount and ripped them from their sockets, as his screams bubbled blood out of his gaping throat. The gnashing sound of teeth against bone and flesh and the screams and hoots of the mutates was sickening in thier fury, and when Paramount was no more, they once again turned on the other intruders in thier home. The lead creatures lunged for the HFC members with blood on their horribly mutilated bodies, but then suddenly and without warning all of the mutates fell lifeless to the ground.

 

"Whu...whu..what happened?" said Glittergirl letting the radiance fade from her hands. "They all just sort of stopped."

 

"I happened," said DarkWolf quietly. "I shut them off......they were never truly meant to be alive in the first place. That's why Paramount couldn't control them. What little semblance of human life they had, was just remnants of their component genetic matrices. They were just animals in the form of humans. They had no soul."

 

Glittergirl walked towards the dark haired youth. She placed an arm around him and hugged him close.

 

"Come with us," she said softly. "You have a home now... a real home....no more bein a lab rat for you."

 

"O.K." was all DarkWolf could manage to get out through the lump in his throat.

 

Suddenly the reptilian mutate with the flaming red hair burst onto the scene. Havok raised his arm to blast it, but Shockwave burst out from the corridor too screaming.

 

"Don't shoot, Havok!!!!!!", Shockwave wailed. "It's the Red King. He body jumped into that form when it destroyed his Toad body. He could have taken me, but he chose to leap into the body of the dead mutate."

 

"Well Ryan," quipped Nemesis coldly. "I never pictured you as a red head."

 

The mutate let out a ear shattering cry and drew back to breathe it's fiery breath on Nemesis, when Gomurr moved in between them.

 

"NO!" he said. "We have lost too much this day already, I will not have anymore senseless squabbling. Rahsas....Scott....take us home."

 

The mutate relaxed, Nemesis mumbled an apology, and the two mages prepared to make the transportals when Jon spoke up.

 

"Wait," Jon said. "This evil ends here.....now......FOREVER."

 

The White Queen concentrated and her entire body began to glow. She reached into the air and seemed to be clawing against it, as her magical aspect made contact with mother earth. The ground shook and the group was rocked to and fro.

 

"Now Rahsas...Scott...make the portals," she commanded.

 

The mages did as they were told and the assemblage stepped through one by one as the ground split in two and hot molten lava from the earth's core rushed up. Jon stepped through just as the angry earth swallowed the orphanage and the evil of Paramount forever?

 

EPILOGUE: NEW WORLD ORDER

 

The portals closed behind the assemblage at the International Hellfire Club HQ. There was a silence in the air that was only broken by the shuffling of the feet of the weary teams. Shae Marquette, A.K.A. Glittergirl, was as usual the first to speak out.

 

"Well.....that's another one we can mark up in the win column," she said trying to lighten the mood.

 

Gomurr raised his finger in a silencing gesture, but Jon's voice rang out clear and dripping with supressed rage.

 

"Win?...........WIN?.........WHAT IN THE WORLD COULD WE HAVE ONE THIS DAY, CHILD?" she said painfully. "Everyone in this room is now privy to my deepest shame. How could that be considered anything other than disaster?"

 

"Is that what I am to you?" asked Sasha Cullen in an outburst of tears. "Am I a dirty little secret, that needs to be swept under the rug? Do you know what it was like growing up in the company of children, that never had the benefit of knowing their parents.....of living by the whims of the "Doctor" that Paramount left in charge of us.......a doctor who was really nothing more than a prison guard with a penchant for "rewarding" girls who "caught his fancy. Don't ever assume that you are the only one affected by this."

 

Jon's head swung toward Puma, and in the instant that their eyes locked the familial link was immediately recognizeable. They both had the same proud chin, and beautiful wide set eyes. They both shared the qualities of beauty and unspoken power that was intoxicating to men. Even under Puma's tomboyish exterior, one could now see the seductress that was the White Queen's legacy.

 

"Sasha," Jon began softly approaching her new found daughter slowly. "I didn't know....I couldn't have known that you were even alive. I didn't even remember the experience clearly until today. You must understand....If I had only known...that you even existed....that you were my daughter...."

 

"If only what, Mother?" Puma spat. "Would you have taken me in....made me one of your hellions.....taught me to dress in white leather and break men's hearts....Well no thanks...as you can tell I did pretty well on my own."

 

"Sasha, please?" said Alex Dierling, A.K.A. WildChild. "I can understand you are upset, but give her a chance to explain. Jon has given me so much. She took me away from all the hate and prejudice. She showed me that my powers didn't make me a freak...they made me special. At least give her a chance."

 

"I'm sorry, Alex," said Sasha looking into the dark eyes of WildChild. "You mean a lot to me and what happened to us and how you protected me will always be in my memory, but I've made a home with the Black Hellfire Club. The Upstarts and Marauders are my friends....and I won't leave them to be dictated to by a mother that I never knew."

 

The two young people looked at each other and then kissed each other tenderly. The experience they shared had bonded the two in ways that years of friendship could not. The unspoken understanding between them was evident in their eyes. These two were now linked. Their bestial natures made the delicateness of their embrace seem odd in comparison.

 

"Enough of this," Jon interjected. "You will stay here with us, Sasha....and that is final."

 

"Nothing is final, Jon," said Gomurr stepping toward the trio. "The child stays where she pleases. You have no claim on her.....We are all tired and any further discussion can wait until tomorrow."

 

"But what about me?" the she-beast that now held the astral form of Ryan croaked out. "I can't simply stay like this...something about the genetic make-up of this body keeps me from skin-shifting it to my needs. I'm trapped like this."

 

"Also a matter to be discussed after we have rested," said Gommur simply, and surprisingly everyone listened.

 

The exhausted and bone weary assemblage then went to the rooms prepared for them to gain the strength to face the time of changes they all knew were ahead.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning sun brought little hope to Gomurr. His ancient bones creaked as he dropped to the floor from the gigantic mahogony canopy bed that the IFHC had provided for him. He had been given a room reserved for inner circle members, so it was a sign of respect, but he was sure that

whoever was monitoring this room ....and the room was no doubt being monitored....was getting a big kick out of seeing him leap like a child to the floor of his room.

 

Gomurr grinned slyly and picked up his staff. The ancient mage had come up with a rather wicked idea. Dressed in a night shirt that the IFHC had provided and holding his mystical staff, he looked like a child playing at being a wizard.

 

"SHAKA ZON MARKZ", the diminutive mage cried as he rapped his staff sharply on the floor.

 

The room was filled with a blinding flash of light and Gomurr stood dressed in his best custom tailored suit. He checked his Italian loafers in the mirror and stepped towards the door.

 

"A little flashy, just to get dressed, but I don't have time to dawdle," he said to the microphones he knew were listening.

 

The man in the observation booth watching Gomurr writhed on the floor, spots still dancing in front of his face from Gomurr's strobe effect. He could barely make out the little wizard walking toward the door decked out in his tailored business attire.

 

"The little troll!" the guard cursed under his breath, as he watched Gomurr turn directly toward the camera and give a sly wink.

 

The main council hall of the International Hellfire Club was filled to capacity. The table composed of four enormous half circles predominated the front of the room. The Inner Circle members of each house were seated on the arcs of the circle each in their own section and the flat line of the table faced out towards the massive hall, creating a wall between royalty and commoners. Each semi-circle had a name-plate engraved into the marble of the table, and Gomurr knew that each member of royalty would be announced and then seated. Not only were the seats of the Red, White and Grey Inner Circle prepared, but the semi-circle comprosing the Black Hellfire Club had been reattached to the massive council seating arrangement. For the first time in many years the Hellfire Club had four houses again.

 

Gomurr scanned the crowd an caught the eye of each of the ones he knew. These were some of the most powerful and influential people in existence, but they all had that same anxiouis look in their eye. Gomurr also noticed several new faces in the general mill of people. Oh yes indeed, this would prove to be an interesting day.

 

The subtle classical music that deftly tickled the ears of the attendees stopped, and the trumpeteers at the entrance to the hall blared out a clarion call. The first to be announced was, of course, the Red King. Ryan strode down the hall holding his head proudly. His handsome face looked regal and almost hawk-like with it's glowing red irises and swept back sandy blonde hair. This was the form everyone assumed was Ryan's true appearance, since he adapted any body to take on this look once he took over. Gomurr wondered to himself what had allowed him to skin-shift that mutate body, when he had so little success doing it before. This wasn't the only surprise of the day, however. Gomurr's eyes went wide as the Red Queen was announced, and young Rachel Clarice Ferguson, a.k.a. Blink, breezed down the aisle in her gown of the deepest crimson. Her face was a set line and a far away look was in her eyes. Her torture at the hands of Paramount had scarred this woman-child deeply, but her strength radiated through. She dropped a handkerchief of the darkest midnight black as she went. The Black Hellfire Club members in the room gasped. An especially pained look crossed the face of Nemesis, the Black Queen as she stood waiting for her turn to enter. With this simple gesture, Blink was dissolving her membership as Black Princess and returning to the Reds. Gomurr couldn't help but wonder how long the Blink he knew had been Paramount and how long he had been privileged to be associated with the real Blink. The Red Bishop was called next. Jamie Madrox proudly marched down the aisle. His eyes were clear and focused. Gomurr thought back to the almost animal state he was in when Ryan and the others had attacked the BHC headquarters just days before. Madrox had been working with the Morlock Healer that lived in the catacombs beneath the BHC Academy since his escape from Ryan, and with his help, had been able to bring himself out of the fugue state that his multiple persona's had driven him into. His own insanity had made him a virtual slave to Ryan. What could make this young mutant return to the Reds after such harsh treatment. This did explain Ryan's new body though. Gomurr wondered what powers the Red King now hid. It could be any super powered being known to Madrox, and Ryan's ability had simply changed their appearance to suit his own needs. What was going on? Unfortunately for Gomurr, the surprises were far from over.

 

The rest of the Red Court strolled in without incident. Some of them Gomurr knew, some of them he didn't. The same process occurred with the Grey Court. Again Gomurr watched them stride in, mentally filing the unfamiliar faces away for further investigation. Then the Whites began to enter. Shaman and Nytshade, the White King and Queen, entered together arm in arm. Very little was known about the mysterious White King, but Gomurr sensed huge mystical power within him. Nytshade beamed radiantly and even Gomurr's jaded old heart skipped a beat. The woman was intoxicatingly beautiful. The procession continued......Bishop....Rook.....Then they came to Knight and it was time once again for Gomurr to be shocked. SuperGrover, his old student and friend, strode down the aisle majestically in his new uniform of black and white. Grover had held somewhat secret dual loyalty for several years, and it had just been discovered by most in the Black Court, but now he was returning to the Whites? What could this mean for the Black Court?

 

Finally, the Blacks were called to their seats. Gregor, then Nem, followed by Silver, Havok and Rahsas. With the loss of Grover and Blink, the ranks of the Black Court appeared very thin. Gomurr heard his name called as special advocate, and strode slowly to his seat. Due to his position as Headmaster, he held some power within the court, though he tried to avoid their politics and concentrate on the school. When they were all seated Ryan began to speak.

 

"The first order of business, I believe, is to welcome back The Black House of the Hellfire Club. It has been too long, since the Inner Circle was complete," spoke Ryan proudly.

 

Ryan raised his glass, and everyone else followed in the toast. Gregor looked glumly over at Nytshade, and the proud White Queen carefully avoided his gaze.

 

"I now yield the floor to Gregor," said Ryan with a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

 

All eyes turned to Gregor. Gomurr knew what was about to be said would change the fate of the BHC forever. It was as if everyone was holding their breath awaiting Gregor's words.

 

"My fellow Hellfire members. I renounce my position as Black King, and once again throw myself on the mercy of the White Queen to take me into her council," he said quickly yet very strongly.

 

The White Queen looked at Gregor with venom in her eyes.

 

"I've told you once, Gregor. I don't want you in my life.....and I don't want you in my organization.....I DON'T WANT YOU AT ALL!!" she spat.

 

 

Gregor looked utterly defeated, and when his gaze returned to the Blacks, he saw only contempt or betrayal in their eyes. The room erupted in a jumble of voices. Gregor had already once threatened to leave, and everyone had simply swept it aside, as his just being upset over the revelations about the past he and Jon shared...but saying this at a full convening of the IFHC was a catalyst for pandamonium. The general assembly actually took to their feet and surged toward the ruling council's tables, some of them petitioning for membership to fill in the vacant positions, some of them demanding explanation. Then a voice rang out from the Black's head table. Silver, the Black Bishop stood and faced the riotous mob of petitioners like a noble Knight standing before a dragon.

 

"This move has been anticipated, and measures have been taken. Please, everyone take your seats, and allow me to speak," said the normally reserved Black Bishop. "Nemesis and I have discussed this matter at length, while the rest of you slept, and we have come to the following conclusions. I will take over as Black King, due to my familial link to the position. Nem remains the Black Queen. Rahsas has already been approached and has agreed to fill my position as Black Bishop, and we would now like to ask Gomurr to officially join the council as Black Rook."

 

Now the eyes of the council turned to Gomurr. Gomurr felt his stomach tremble just a bit as he stood.

 

"My Black King," said Gomurr addressing Jack Silver. "As long as I have known you, I have recognized you as a noble and honest man. Your decisions are well thought out and well executed, but in this case......I must decline."

 

Gasps filled the rooms again, along with a few shouts. None had ever turned down a seat on the council. What could the crazy old mage be thinking?

 

"Once again, this was anticipated," said Jack Silver with a nod at Nemesis. "We realized your dedication to the school would not allow you to be drawn away from it, so we have also prepared for this eventuality. We call Deadpool and Siryn to approach the council."

 

The two lovers approached the ruling table hand in hand. Siryn still beaming at the handsome face Deadpool now wore.

 

"Deadpool, we ask you to take the position of Black Rook, due to your years of service to us as an advocate and Squire....and you Siryn we name our Black Princess...should you choose to accept?"

 

As one, the pair kneeled in unison, and recieved their appointments and went to stand with the newly forming Black Council. Havoc1 was called next to be the Black Prince. He looked proudly into the eyes of Havok the Black Knight who he idolized, as he swore his oath of loyalty....and the Black Knight looked down into his, knowing his decision to name the lad into the council was the right one.

 

"And now for the question, we know you all are wanting answer to......How did we know these things?" said Nemesis as she stood to address the dumbfounded audience. "I'd like to introduce you to our new Black Mage. His knowledge of future events had prepared us for this eventuality, and as always the Black House adapts."

 

Robert Maxwell approached the council from the rear of the room. His blonde hair was not cut in a crew cut and the clothing he wore seemed more futuristic than battle ready, but something about this man, struck a chord with Gomurr as being military. How could this man have foretold these events when he himself was blind to them........and without the aid of mystic powers that he claimed to have. Gomurr looked deeply at the man's aura, but found no trace of mystic energy. Cybernetic parts were evident in Gomurr's quick scan, and possibly mutant powers as well, but no sign of mystic clairvoyance that Nemesis claimed he had. What kind of game was the Black Queen playing?

 

Maxwell approached the podium to address the full court.

 

"I am the Harbinger," he said. "and I gladly swear loyalty to the Black Court."

 

The room which had once been filled with numerous voices was now silent. Everyone was as stunned as Gomurr. A veritable unknown had gained an advocates position without aid of any years of service. Something was definitely amiss. Gomurr looked at the man once again, and a chill passed over his body. How could someone he had never seen seem so familiar....and so dangerous. This didn't bode well for the Black Hellfire Club or any of the branches for that matter, but the changes continuted giving Gomurr little time to contemplate this new addition. The mysterious alien Watcher took over as Squire and the flamboyant Shae Marquette, a.k.a. GlitterGirl, took over as Page. Several new students were introduced into all the schools and new treaties were signed, and then just as the meeting was about to be adjourned, Gregor spoke out again angrily.

 

"What of my petition?" said Gregor with bile in his voice. "I helped to create these inner circles. I will not be DENIED!!"

 

Everyone gasped as Gregor's fist began to glow with the concussive energy he could generate.

 

"You have given up your membership, Gregor, but I offer you a bargain," said Ryan finally breaking the awful silence. "Join me.....as my Red Rook. It appears Jon doesn't want you and from the looks on the faces of your former comrades...you can't go home again, so I offer you this one time boon. You have been called many things...Gregor, Black King, Afterburner, Clarion......You shall now be Hazard because of your dangerous abilities as well as your penchant for rash decisions. I like to keep things interesting as you know."

 

Gregor looked once more at Jon, and she once more looked away. He then left the table seating the Blacks and knelt before the Red King, making his oath as the new Red Rook. The old order had once again fallen. Houses had been reunified. A spectre from the past that was long thought dead had been defeated.....and a new International Hellfire Club now stood poised to claim their destiny.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Harbinger prepared his new quarters at the Black Hellfire Mansion. Nemesis had been easily convinced that his knowledge of the future would benefit the Black Inner Circle, and he knew, like he knew a lot of things, that she was interested in his time travel technology for her own personal gain, but he would bide his time. After all, he had all the time in the world. Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and he bade the visitor to come in.

 

Nemesis entered in a form fitting gown of the darkest black. He looked at her as he felt her telepathic probes brush seductively against the mental barriers that protected his mind.

 

"My new black mage, we have much to discuss," said Nemesis in a husky voice. "Come join me for a bite of lunch, and let us......get to know each other a bit better."

 

"Yes," said Harbinger patting a space on the bed beside him with his hand. "Let us discuss....our future."

 

 

THE END FOR NOW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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