Chapter 55: Raining Hell On The Hellfire Club IV

[Hellfire Club Mansion, New York City]

(3rd Person: POV)

Working to keep himself calm Sebastian Shaw inhaled and exhaled.

As he did all the other Inner Circle members seated in the conference room they were using, except for Selene, were arguing with each other.

Trying to come to a decision on which course of action they should take against the mysterious attackers who have been raiding and destroying Hellfire Club bases across the entire world during the past week.

So far 50 bases had been attacked and destroyed.

Not even mentioning the fact that one of the bases that had been hit was being used as a waypoint for a group of four young Mutants, who the club was going to induct into their ranks as soldiers and bodyguards.

Who now too have gone missing.

All of the Inner Circle members having realized by now those children were likely now in the hands of their elusive enemy.

Which only infuriated all of them even further.

It's a wonder none of their faces were red or blue, given the amount of rage each of them was feeling.

Again, except for Selene.

She was finding the entire ordeal very amusing.

Out of the corner of his right eye Shaw noticed her smirking face.

How he wanted to wipe it away.

But he didn't. For he knew that he stood no chance against Selene.

She was a monster in human form.

Shaw was simply glad she she was a member of the club and not working against them. Since he knew if she was, then it would be wiped from existence.

"This is outrageous!" Pierce shouted. "To be embarrassed as we have so far not only brings disgrace to us, but to the Hellfire Clubs' entire existence! It cannot go on. We must act!"

"And just how must we act Donald? By going around and slaughtering anyone who looks at us funny?" Reeva sarcastically asked. "If all you want to do is go out and slaughter then be my guest. But you will be doing so alone."

"Well, it's not like you could keep up with me anyway Reeva." Donald spat back in retort.

"What?" Reeva questioned. "Need I remind you Pierce. I am a queen and you are a bishop. So you will show me the respect I deserve. Do I make myself clear?"

"Enough, both of you!" Benedict shouted. "This is exactly what the enemy wants. For us to turn on each other. But we must not. If we do, then we are finished."

"It looks as if we'll be finished anyway Benedict, if these attacks on our bases by our mysterious enemies keep up in intensity as they have this past week." Reeva spoke.

Being the one to voice the thought the other members of the Inner Circle were too afraid to.

"Honestly, I'm still confounded as to how they are moving about so quickly and with such precision. Even if they did extract information on our operations from Wyngarde and the others. The pace as which they are moving seems almost like magic." Reeva spoke.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Then right after she did so several explosions went off.

Hearing this the Inner Circle members turned their attention towards the doors to the conference room.

"We're under attack!" Shaw cried. Jumping up from his seat.

As did the other Inner Circle members.

Well expect for Selene, once again.

Deciding to ignore her the other Inner Circle members rushed towards the room doors and slammed them open. They then rushed to see what all the commotion was about.

As they did Selene turned her head in the direction of the opposite side of the room. "You can come in now. Everyone is gone. It's just the two of us." She spoke to nothing but air.

But that only lasted for a moment.

Since as soon as Selene stopped speaking a magical portal opened up in the empty space of the room she was talking to, and through it walked Roman.

Once he was fully through the portal he slammed it shut.

He then cast a magical barrier around the entire room.

Afterwards he went to take a seat at the table, right across from Selene.

"Selene Gallio, a pleasure to finally meet you in person. My name is Roman Maxwell, and I would like to have a little chat with you." Roman spoke.

"Oh my, how interesting." Selene replied. "Alright then. Let's chat." She spoke.

Licking her lips the second after she did.

Seems her instincts were right once again.

Her boredom was going to be alleviated by this Roman.

The only question she had now was how he was going to do it.

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

Using the talon on her right foot Laura ripped open the throat of an enemy in front of her.

Then as soon as she was finished with him she moved onto another. This time using the claws on her left hand to get the job done.

Closing the distance she stabbed him straight through the gut, then pulled her claws out of him. As his intestines spilled onto the ground, and Laura heard the enemies heartbeat stop entirely, she couldn't help but put a smile on her face.

Since she enjoyed killing the man before her just now.

A feeling she never thought she have.

Given everything she went through at the 'The Facility'.

That place.

How she hated that place. It took everything from her. Including her mother, Sarah. The woman who named her Laura in the first place. The woman who gave her hope. The woman who she was force to brutally kill, all for the sick pleasure of Kimura.

Just remembering that incident filled Laura with rage and despair.

Along with guilt.

For killing her own mother, and for several other things she'd done, Laura didn't think she deserved to exist in the world.

Even afer finding her "father" Logan and not being rejected by him, even after she told him about her past.

That felt good.

It felt wonderful.

But Laura felt like she didn't deserve it.

That's one of the reasons she left the Xavier Institute.

Another being is that she truly couldn't stand the naivete of the students there, nor it's leader and founder Charles Xavier.

Laura honestly wondered if there was something wrong in the head with the people at that school. Thinking that regular humans would just accept individuals like him, and out stretching hands without fighting back and destroying enemies who would cause them harm.

Ridiculous.

The young girl just couldn't get into such a mindset.

So she went back out of her own. 

Then after she did she decided to track down the people who hurt her, who made her hurt her mother, and make them pay.

And in doing she was reunited with a boy she had met during at stay at the institute.

Roman Maxwell.

A boy that Laura found herself intrigued by.

For unlike the others who attended Xavier's school she found there was something different about him.

He had a different energy about him.

Though at the time Laura didn't pay it much attention.

But after seeing his actions and words. From helping her take down the 'Facility' to inviting her to join his team, to all the other things he had done, Laura found herself studying Roman with great interest.

An interest that continued to grow.

To which Laura herself didn't even know why.

'Wait. Could it be I have that thing my mother told me about once on Roman? A crush?' Laura thought.

But she didn't really know what a crush was.

Her mother Sarah had mentioned it to her, and during her short time at the Xavier Institute, she had heard the other girls mention it. Still, that still didn't explain to Laura what a crush was.

So with that in mind she decided to do some research on it after her teams current mission was completed.

'My team.' Laura thought.

Honestly surprising herself by thinking of the Guardians as her team.

Yet it just felt right.

So yeah, they are her team.

And that's why she is going to protect them.

Seeing more enemies rush towards her Laura got ready to charge straight at them.

But before she could another did so.

Her teammate James Proudstar.

Carrying two large knives, which were crafted out of Adamantium, James dove into the enemies and used his combat knives to easily slice them apart.

He then looked at Laura and gave her a curt nod.

Which she instantly returned.

She then went to stand by James' side and the two of them charged into another round of enemies.

Which they began easily dispatching.

But James and Laura weren't the only ones doing this.

Oh no.

Around them Roberto, Neena, Piotr, Clarice, were doing the exact same thing.

Each and every one of them being directed by the teams field leader, Emma.

Otherwise known by her codename.

Khione.

A codename which Roman picked out for Emma. Since he sees her as a goddess.

A sentiment which she loved.

Moving on.

In her organic diamond form, bullets bounced off Emma as she went around dispatching the Hellfire Club security.

While also using her earpiece to direct her teams actions.

All with assistance from ADAM and Sage, who were back at the Command Center.

Along with Kurt and Madrox.

The former having stayed behind to help watch the children, the latter stayed behind on Roman's orders.

Speaking of Roman, Emma couldn't help but worry. Seeing as he was currently meeting with Selene alone, and given everything he had told her and the others about the women none of them were too happy with his decision to meet with her one-on-one.

Though no one objected too vigorously.

Since they all trusted Roman, and believed he would make it out of the situation and return to them.

Emma the most.

'You better return, or else I'll find a way to revive you from the dead just so I can kill you myself.' Emma thought.

Which she came out of the moment she saw her true targets in sight.

Sebastian Shaw, Reeva Payge, Benedict Kine, and finally Donald Pierce.

The remaining members of the Hellfire Clubs Inner Circle. The clubs leaders.

Which Emma and her team had been assigned to handle by Roman while he dealt with Selene.

A job which Emma intended on getting done and over with quickly, so she and the others could go and assist Roman.

"Well finally, the stars of the show have arrived. I was wondering what was taking you so long to get here." Emma spoke to Shaw and the others.

Who were glaring at her like she was an annoying fly that needed to be swatted.

Though Emma payed their glares no attention.

Instead she raised her arms in the air.

When she did the rest of her teammates assembled around.

Having taken care of all the armed personnel of the Hellfire Club in the area.

Which was currently the foyer of the Hellfire Club New York mansion.

Part of Phase II of Romans' plan to take down the club.

First they would disrupt their infastructure by attacking club facilities all across the globe. Forcing them to spread their resources in an attempt to stop the attacks.

Now they can strike at the leadership of the club much easier.

"Do you know who we are? Do you know what you have done?" Shaw asked Emma.

"We know, and we don't care." Emma casually replied. Shifting out of her diamond form.

Wearing the new costume, which was laced with Adamantium, that Roman had designed and created for her.

[Image Here]

Emma also noticed he did the same for the girl Laura, and she also noticed Roman's attempts to flirt with her.

A thing she decided they would have a discussion about once this entire ordeal with the Hellfire Club is all over.

Tabling those thoughts for now Emma focused on the task at hand.

"You all know what we must do. So go. Take them down." Emma spoke.

"Attack! Show them hell for daring to go against us!" Shaw screamed.

Both sides them sprang into action.

Beginning the battle between the Guardians and the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club.