****************** 
Title: Mystic Beginnings
Author: Nikia Johnson aka ArtemisN (Latrell1@prodigy.net)
URL's: http://liesl.sharecom/poet/
       http://ebonbird.tripod.com/stormarchive.html 
       http://members.xoom.com/windwords/stormarchives.html 


****************** 
Chapter 1

Storm stood silently listening to the wind as it whirled 
around her causing her white hair to wrap around her face.  
Lightening flashed in the sky as thunder rumbled loudly 
against an otherwise quiet night. Anyone else would have 
long left to seek shelter from the fury of the storm.  
However, she was the mistress of the elements even if she 
wasn't causing this particular storm.
     
"Don't ya think you're over doing it, Ro" Wolverine asked 
as he approached her in the woods.
    
"I am afraid that this is not my doing, Logan," she 
answered, "But I do know that this is not a natural storm."
     
"That figures.  Nothing natural ever happens around here."
     
Storm laughed softly.  "I thought you liked trouble."
     
"Only when I'm causing it."
     
"Well, if this storm continues to persists, you may get your
chance."
     
"Good, I was starting to get bore..." he suddenly stopped 
and sniffed the air.
     
"What is it, Logan?"
     
"We've got company!"  He sheathed his claws moments 
before a shadow-like creature jumped from the trees and 
tackled him.
     
"Logan!"  Storm raised her hands to the sky as the winds 
began to bend to her will.  Raising to the sky, the fury of 
the storm was now hers to control.
     
"Finally, my Egyptian princess, you are mine."
     
The weather suddenly began to turn against her.  The 
winds beat against her attempting to push her into the 
gapping black hole that now filled the sky.
     
"No!"  She screamed as she attempted to fight her way 
out.  But the winds would not give. Vines wrapped around 
her legs dragging her into the hole.  She summoned 
lightening to strike the vines, but the lightening refused to 
answer.  
     
"Storm!"  Logan threw the creature off of him and began 
running for the quickly shrinking hole.  "Here, go fetch."  
Picking up a fallen tree limb, he threw it at the creature 
knocking it to the ground.  Wolverine barely cleared the 
hole just as it closed.

     
"Come to me, my X-men."  Professor Xavier's telepathic 
message swept through the halls of Xavier Institute.
     
"Professor, is something wrong."  Cyclops asked even 
before he had completely entered the room.
     
"I have lost contact with Wolverine and Storm.  And 
Cerebro cannot locate them either."
     
Jean closed her eyes and attempted to contact her two 
closest friends.  "Jean?"  Scott questioned.
     
She opened her eyes and slowly shook her head.




***** 
Chapter 2 


"I guess we're not in Kansas any longer."  Wolverine 
growled as he looked around.  The landscape was 
completely barren with no vegetation in sight.  In fact, 
Wolverine and Storm appeared to be the only things
alive.
     
"I do not think we're even on earth any longer," Storm said 
as she struggled to stand.
     
Wolverine rushed to her side, and helped her to her feet.  
"You o.k."
     
"Other than a few bruises."  She raised her hands and 
attempted to summon a breeze.  However, nothing 
happened.  "Logan, my powers have abandoned me."
    
Wolverine sniffed the air.  "That's funny. I still got mine."
    
Then I suppose you had better lead the way."

*****
 
"You mean they jus' disappeared."  Gambit asked as he 
paced the floor.
     
"Calm down, sugar.  We're gonna find 'em," Rogue said.
     
"How we gonna find 'em when we don't even know where 
they are?"
     
"Well, yelling isn't the answer," Scott answered even 
though his eyes never left his wife.
    
For the past hour, Professor X and Jean had been 
searching telepathically for Storm and Wolverine.  So far, 
there were no signs of their whereabouts.
     
"We searched the area of their last position, but we didn't 
find any physical clues to indicate their present location," 
Bishop said as he and Psylocke entered the room.
     
"But I did sense a vague psychic image," Psylocke said 
quietly.
     
The Professor and Jean both opened their eyes.
     
"A psychic image of what?"  The Professor questioned 
even though he could easily have read Psylocke's mind.
     
"Death."  She answered.

*****     

The two X-men walked at a steady pace across the barren 
waste land. Beads of sweat ran down their faces from the 
fury of the two suns that filled the sky.  The air was stilled 
and the only sounds that could be heard was that of their 
boots crunching softly on the punished soil. Storm 
suddenly stop and dropped to the ground.  Wolverine was 
instantly besides her  attempting to raise her to her feet.
    
"Come on, Storm.  Don't quit on me now."
     
"I can't...the heat is too much.  You have to leave me."
     
Instead, Wolverine picked her up and placed her over his 
shoulder.
     
"No, Logan.  I will only slow you down."
     
"Don't worry.  I can smell water ah couple of miles away."
     
"Water?  Here?  But how?"
     
"I don't know, but we're about to find out."

Wolverine gently sat Storm besides the small pool of 
water.  And after checking to make sure that that water 
was safe, he allowed her to take small sips.  
     
"I picked up a trail about 2 miles back.  I think we oughta 
follow it once you're feeling better," he said sitting besides 
her."
      
Instead of replying, Storm gazed across the lake.  She 
began to speak as if she was in a trance.  "When I was 
being attacked earlier, I heard a voice calling to to me.  I 
can not explain it, but it sounded familiar."
     
"From where?"  He questioned.
     
"When I was child in Cairo, a voice came to me and called 
me an Egyptian princess.  At the time, I just assumed that I 
was remembering my father, but now I am not so sure..." 
her voice trailed off.

"Death?  Sugar, that ain't gonna be much help," Rogue 
said.
     
"You can say dat again," Gambit added as he 
unconsciously flipped a card between his fingers.
     
"I hate just sitting around here doing nothing," Warren 
grumbled.
     
"Patience is a virtue, my good man," Beast said as he 
continued to stare at the figures on the monitor.
     
"In other words, patience sucks!"  Bobby remarked.
     
"Professor, there has to be something we can do," Cyclops 
said.
     
"Professor Xavier looked around at his assembled X-men.  
"It appears that Wolverine and Storm are on their own, and 
I am afraid that there is nothing we can do."



***** 
Chapter 3 


A gentle breeze swept across the lake cooling the two X-
men.
     
"Storm is that yer doing?"
     
She smiled shyly.  "It has taken me sometime to adjust to 
this new world, but I believe I can somewhat now control 
the weather here."  She stood and raised her hands to the 
sky.  The sky became dark and foreboding.  Lightening 
flashed across the sky followed by a booming thunder.  
Once again, she was mistress of the elements.  A light 
rain began to fall and Wolverine pulled his mask over his 
face.  Grabbing his wrists, Storm summoned a wind to lift 
them both to the sky.

"Which way, Logan?"  


*****


"Perhaps, there is something we can do.  I took the 
liberty to perform a thermal scan and found abnormal 
patterns in the area where Wolverine and Storm 
disappeared.  The horrid storm apparently was used 
to generate sufficient energy to create a portal to 
our dimenstion," Beast said.
     
"So by injecting the exact amount of energy back into 
the area, we may be able to reopen the portal," the 
Professor finished.
     
"Den let's do it," Gambit said.

"How are you holding up, Ro,"  Wolverine asked as 
they flew across the darkening sky.
    
"Fine, however, I am beginning to sense a resistance 
in the winds," she answered.
     
"Don't worry, we're here."
    
Storm strained to see what Wolverine had spotted.  
After a few minutes, she almost lost control of the 
wind that kept them afloat because of the awesome 
sight that she beheld.  In the distance, a mighty 
palace stood rising to the sky.  Even in the darken 
weather, the palace glistened and gleamed.
     
"I have never seen anything more beautiful," Storm 
said.
     
"Don't get distracted, 'Ro.   We don't know who or 
what's staying there."

"O.k., when I give the word, everyone with projective 
powers will focus on the area indicated by Hank."  
Cyclops ordered as he took his place besides Jean.  
"Professor?"
     
Telepathically, the Professor answered from the mansion. 
"I am here, Scott.  Cerebro and I are ready."
     
Cyclops released his mighty optic blast.  It struck 
the desired area with deadly precision and the area 
began to glow.  

"Now!"  Cyclops yelled attempting to keep his blast at 
full force.  Jean struck next followed Gambit and Bishop 
(who had been charged earlier by his fellow X-men).  
Iceman was last while Rogue, Psylocke, Beast and 
Archangel stood to the side watching.  After a few tense 
moments, the portal began to slowly open.
     
Jean telekinectally lifted Cyclops and herself into the 
portal. Rogue grabbed Gambit and followed them in.  Beast 
jumped onto the ice slide with Iceman and they both slid 
into the now closing hole.
     
"Professor, they're in," Psylocke said as she made 
telepathic contact.
     
"Good, tell the others to take their positions."
     
Bishop, Warren and Betsy each headed into different 
positions preparing to be back-up if necessary.


***** 
Chapter 4 


"Dis is worst den the Bayou," Gambit complained as he 
wiped sweat from his face.
    
"Rogue, do an areal search and see what you can find.  
Jean, try to contact the Professor and then try to locate 
Wolverine and Storm."

Cyclops walked over to Beast who stood hunched over the 
miniature Cerebro.  "Beast, are you picking up anything."
     
"Sorry, fearless leader, but at the moment, I find 
myself at a loss.  This dimension defies every law of 
existence."
     
"Jean?" Cyclops questioned.
     
"I was able to contact the Professor."  She closed her 
eyes and tried to locate her best friends.  When she 
opened her eyes, fear was etched over her face.  "We 
have to hurry, Scott.  Storm is in danger."
     
Rogue landed besides Cyclops.  "I spotted some 
footprints in the sand ah couple of miles away, but 
they disappeared near ah pool of water.  But they were 
headed north fer sure."

Storm and Wolverine landed in a small patch of woods that
surrounded the palace.
     
"Something ain't right about this place,"  Wolverine 
growled.  He sheathed his claws and sliced into a nearby 
tree.  "Just as I figured, nothing here is real."  The 
shadows surrounding the two X-men began to swirl and move.  

"Storm, get out of here!" Wolverine yelled as he leapt 
into the two nearest shadow creatures.  

He slashed into them with an untamed ferocity.  And with 
a blood chilling scream, they vanished into a thin mist.  
Not far away, Storm summoned a blizzard to freeze the 
shadow creatures in their spots.  However, as fast as 
they defeated the creatures, the faster the creatures 
appeared from the shadows. Wolverine fought on, ignoring 
the pain and the blood that now flowed from the numerous 
wounds that had been inflicted by the shadow creatures' 
claws and fangs.  He knew that his healing factor would 
deal with them.  Logan glanced over at Storm.  Each time 
she used her powers, she seemed to get weaker.  Logan 
knew he had to get to her before the shadow creatures 
overwhelmed her.  He had just begun to fight his way 
over to her when she suddenly dropped to the ground.  
"Storm!" Wolverine yelled as some of the shadow 
creatures quickly surrounded her and vanished with 
their prize.

"No!"  Jean yelled.
     
"Jean, what is it?"  Cyclops questioned his wife.
     
"We're too late.  They have Storm."
     
"Who got Stormy, Jean?"  Gambit asked.
     
"I...I don't know, but Wolverine is nearby."



***** 
Chapter 5 


Storm slowly sat up in the bed and looked around.  The 
room that she was in was beautifully decorated.  Everything 
in the room appeared to be made out of gold and various 
precious stones.  Roses of all colors filled the room, and 
the scent of them seemed almost hypnotic.
     
"Good, my Princess.  You have awaken."
     
The door of the room opened and a young, dark-skinned man 
walked into the room.
     
Storm quickly rose from the bed.  "Who are you?"
     
"Now is not the time for questions."  He looked over her 
rumpled uniform.  "We must do something about your attire."  

He snapped his fingers and Storm's uniform was instanteously 
replaced with a beautiful, gold gown.  Her thick, white hair 
was piled in curls beneath a gold crown.  "Ah, that is better.  
And now my princess..."  Storm was lifted from her feet and she 
floated over to him.
     
"Where is Wolverine?"  Storm demanded.
     
Ah, do not concern yourself with him.  I have sent the 
shadow warriors to deal with him.  And no one will ever 
take you from me again.

Wolverine looked around him.  The shadow creatures 
now had him completely surrounded, but he didn't have 
time to waste on them.  He had a sinken feeling that 
Storm was somewhere in that palace and that her time 
was running out.  With a gowl, he prepared to leap 
into the bulk of them.  However, before he could land 
among them, a block of ice encased the creatures and 
a gentle telekinetic wave carried him back to the ground.
     
"Where's Storm?"  Cyclops asked.
     
"Some of those shadow creatures took her.  And I'd bet 
the family ranch that they took her back to that palace."
     
"Not to sound unoriginal or anything, but what in the 
heck is going on here?"  Bobby asked as flesh and blood 
replaced his ice form.
     
"I don't know.  But when I find out who's responsible, 
I'm going to make him wish he was never born," Wolverine 
said as he sheathed his claws.

Storm sat at the end of the table attempting to regain 
control her powers.  By some telepathic force, her captor 
had not only suppressed her powers, but he also seem to 
be taking over her mind.  The longer she was in his 
presence, the less she was able to resist and attempt 
escape. The only thing that kept her from crying out 
was that she knew that Wolverine would come for her no 
matter what.  And even though her unnamed captor continue 
to tell her that Wolverine was dead, she knew better.  
In her heart, she knew that if something had happened to
Wolverine, she would feel it.  They shared a bond, and in 
her heart sheknew that he was coming for her.
     
"Why are you so quiet, my princess?"
     
"There is little reason for me to speak considering you 
refuse to answer my questions."
     
"All will be answered in due time.  Now why don't you 
return to your room for a rest.  We will talk later."
     
As if in a trance, Storm rose and returned to her room.



***** 
Chapter 6 


Wolverine impatiently walked around the palace's outer wall.  "I
say we just blast our way in."
     
"First, we need to come up with a plan," Cyclops said as he studied
the palace.
     
"We don't have time.  Storm's in there," Wolverine growled.
     
"Logan's right."  Gambit said as he charged a card.
     
The other X-men nodded in agreement.
     
"O.k.  We hit hard and fast.  Grab Storm and beat it back to 
the portal."  Cyclops conceded as he released an optic blast 
at he brick wall surrounding the palace.  Immediately, shadow 
creatures began to appear from the shadows.
     
Iceman created an icy slide that sent the creatures sliding 
into their own.  Rogue grabbed two of them and swung them 
into the walls of the palace.  "Sorry, sugar.  But we ain't 
got time ta play."
     
Beast bounced around, hitting and dodging the ever increasing
numbers of the shadow creatures while Gambit threw his charged 
cards into them.  Wolverine, seeing that the X-men were holding 
there on, headed into the palace after Storm with Cyclops and 
Jean hot on his trail.

Storm sat up in bed and rushed to the windows.  In the courtyard
below, she could see the X-men engaging the shadow warriors in 
battle. She attempted to summon lightening to help them, but as 
before her powers refused to respond.
     
"Storm!"  She could hear Jean telepathically searching for her.
     
"Jean!"  She called back.  "I am here."
     
"They can not save you from me."  Her captor walked into 
the room. Gone was the dark-skinned prince.  While he still 
had the body of a human, he now had the head of an eagle.  
His brown eyes were now red as blood.  And he was dressed 
in robes befitting a Pharaoh.
     
"My name is Ra.  Many centuries ago, I ruled the entire 
continent of what today is called Africa, and I possessed 
the power of a god.  I was power supreme and the people 
were powerless to stop me.  Until one of you ancestors 
banished me to this hellish dimension.  Damned forever, 
unless a descendent of your bloodline freed me.  For 
centuries, I have watched you family waiting for a 
descendent to be born with the power to free me.  However, 
you were but a child when I found you so I waited and
watched until the time was right.  Soon, I will have 
you under my complete control and then you will release 
me back onto the earth where I once again will rule.  
But first, I must deal with these intruders."

He faded away into a green mist.
     
Storm turned back to the window.  The X-men were quickly 
being overwhelmed with Bobby pretty much out of the fight 
unless she could generate moisture for him to convert into 
ice.  "I have to concentrate.

I have to help my friends."  She closed her eyes and began 
to concentrate.  Slowly, clouds began to form in the sky.  
Lightening clashed and a heavy rain began to fall.
     
Bobby quickly began to convert the falling rain to a solid 
block of ice around all the shadow creatures.  "Finally, I 
was beginning to think that we would never get rid of them."
     
Beast bounced ahead.  "We had better check to see how our
compatriots are faring."
     
Thunder bloomed loudly outside the castle as Wolverine, Jean, 
and Cyclops raced up the steps toward Storm.  Wolverine 
suddenly stopped. 

"She's behind this door.  I can smell her."  He slashed at 
the door, but his claws seemed to have no effect.  "What in 
the world?"
     
Jean walked to the door and touched it gently.  "There's a
telepathic force holding the door."
     
"Can you get us in?" Cyclops questioned.
     
"I don't know, maybe....with the Professor's help.  She 
closed her eyes and began to reach out mentally for the 
Professor.  "Professor, can you hear me?"
     
"Yes, Jean.  I have been monitoring you with cerebro.  
Together, we should be able to open the door.  Let our 
minds combine and focus all of your energy on the door."
     
At first, the door just continued to glow bright red, but 
slowly the glow began to fade.  Cyclops blasted throught 
the door as Wolverine leapt inside the large chamber.  
Inside, Storm sat on the bed.
     
"You should not have come.  Ra will destroy you all."  She 
said in a trance like voice.
     
The three X-men slowly approached her with Jean speaking 
to her attempting to break Ra's hold on her.  "Storm, 
concentrate on my voice. We are your friends.  We've come 
to help."
     
"But he will destroy you.  I can't fight him much longer."  
She raised her hands and wind began to blow.  "Leave now 
before it is too late."
     
"We ain't leaving without you."  With a leap, Wolverine 
tackled Storm.
     
"Wolverine, hold her down," Jean said as she reached into 
the mind of her friend.
     
Minutes passed, however, to the two X-men watching, it felt 
like an eternity.  Jean suddenly sagged, but Cyclops caught 
her before she reached the floor.
     
"Jean!"  She opened her eyes and saw the anxiety that filled 
her husband's eyes.  She reached up and stroked his face.  
"I'm fine, Scott. But I'm not so sure about Storm."
     
Wolverine walked up to the couple carrying Storm.  "What's 
wrong with her, Jeannie?"
     
Jean slowly stood up testing her legs. "Ra is slowly taking 
over Storm's mind.  However, to slow him down, I induced 
Storm to a deep sleep."
     
"Then we'd better find the others and get back to the 
portal," Cyclops said as he led the way.



***** 
Chapter 7 


Gambit walked slowly behind the other X-men.  "Dis place 
jus' don't feel right."  
     
Rogue turned to him and grabbed his arm pulling him 
up besides her.

"Come on, Sugar.  The faster we find the others, the 
faster we can get our butts out of here."
     
However, instead of answering, Gambit just narrowed 
his eyes.  For most of his life, Remy had survived by 
trusting his instincts, and right now they were screaming 
trap.  He looked around.  Everything seemed normal, but 
then he noticed that something weird about the floor in
front of Bobby.
     
"Bobby, stop!"  But Gambit already knew that he was 
too late. Before Bobby could figure out what was happening, 
he stepped on one of the glowing bricks.  Walls began to 
slide and fall from all directions.

Beast flipped and smashed into Bobby preventing him from 
being crushed by a falling wall.  Rogue grabbed Gambit 
and attempted to follow behind Beast and Iceman, but a 
wall fell cutting the four X-men off from each other.  
Rogue sat Gambit on the ground, and flew full force 
into the wall.  But she bounced off the wall and slammed 
into the wall on the opposite side.  Gambit placed his 
hands on the walls; however, instead of kinetically 
charging the wall, the wall absorbed his energy.
    
"What are we gonna ta do?" Rogue asked as she stood 
up dusting her jacket.
     
"I guess we go dis way," Gambit said as he pointed to 
the only way that hadn't been blocked by the impenetrable 
walls.
     
"This is just great.  I can't even freeze this stinking wall,"
Bobby grumbled from the other side of the wall.
     
"Then perhaps we had better take the passage that our 
hostile host has left available."
     
"But Rogue and Gambit are on the other side."
     
"No doubt facing the same dilemma.  Hence, we take 
this route.  If we're lucky, we'll locate our missing 
companions and vacate this oxymoron of a dimension."
     
"And if we're not lucky?"  Bobby asked walking besides 
Beast.
     
"Then we sit down and yell for help."

"I can't reach the other X-men." Jean said as opened 
her eyes.
     
Cyclops hit his comm. link on his uniform.  "Beast, can 
you hear me?"  However, the only reply was static.  
"Something in this place must be distorting the signal."
     
Suddenly, the floor that they were standing on gave 
way.  With Storm still over his shoulder, Wolverine 
sheathed his claws and stuck them into the side of wall.  
Jean, on the other hand, caught Cyclops and herself in 
a telepathic grip.  However, before she could raise them 
back up, the floor closed trapping them beneath.  Wolverine 
gently laid Storm on the now closed floor and attempted to 
dig his two lost friends out. But every time he tore the 
floor apart, it would simply seal itself back.  Finally, 
realizing that his attempts were useless, he let out an
angry growl in frustration.

"Scott, are you o.k.?" Jean asked as she lowered them 
to the ground.
    
"I'm fine, but we'd better find Wolverine and Storm 
before Ra does." He said as they started down the dimly 
lit passage.



***** 
Chapter 8 


"Sugar, don't tell me we've walked all this way ta hit ah 
dead end!"  Rogue exclaimed when they reached the end of the 
passage.
     
"Cher, did you have ta use d'word 'dead'?"  Gambit 
asked from behind her.
     
"What do ya mean?"  Rogue asked as she turned 
around.
     
Shadow creatures had completely sealed off the tunnel 
and were slowly coming towards the two X-men.  Gambit 
quickly pulled out three cards and charged them.  "Rogue, 
see what you can do about getting us out of here," Gambit 
said as he threw the cards at the creatures.
     
"Sure thing, Sugar."  She turned around and swung at 
the wall. However, instead of hitting the wall, she 
simply fell through.
     
"Rogue!" Gambit yelled.  Throwing his final card, he 
turned and jumped behind her.

Professor Xavier sat at his desk frowning. He had lost 
complete contact with Jean and he had not been abe to 
reestablish the link.  A throbbing ache was beginning 
to develop in the back of his head.  If only he could 
rest for a moment, but he knew that his X-men needed 
him. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and began to 
mentally weed his way back to the dimension.         

Bishop sat hunched on the ground with his gun armed 
and ready.
    
"Bishop, why don't you try cooling down?"  Warren 
asked as he flexed his metallic wings.
     
"We're in a high risk situation.  'Cooling down' is not 
an option."
    
Psylocke smiled, but did not enter the conversation.  
She needed to psychically monitor the area for any 
danger.  At the same time, she was keeping a mild 
telepathic contact with the Professor.  She knew that 
he was pushing himself, but with most of the team 
missing, there was little else that could be done.

Rogue slowly opened her eyes.  She sat up and looked 
around her.

Gambit laid a couple of feet away unconscious.  She flew 
over to him and gently picked him up.
    
"Come on, Swamp rat.  Don't scare me like this."
     
Gambit eyes fluttered open and he smiled.  "Chere, 
next time look before you leap, huh."
       
Rogue pushed him off of her.  "You're a fine one ta 
talk since you fell right behin' me."
     
Any reply that Gambit made was silenced by a loud 
howling that seem to come from all around.  Gambit 
reached for his cards, but realized that he had used 
his last card before he fell behind Rogue.

      
Bishop walked around the area with his gun armed and 
ready.
     
"Bishop, why don't you try cooling down?"  Warren said 
as he flexed his metallic wings.
     
"We're in a high risk situation. 'Cooling down' is not an 
option."
     
Psylocke smiled but did not enter the conversation.  
She needed to psychically monitor the area for any 
danger.  At the same time, she was keeping a mild 
contact with the Professor. She knew that he was 
pushing himself too hard, but with over half of the 
team missing, there was little else that could be done.

     
Rogue slowly opened her eyes.  She sat up and looked 
around her. Gambit laid a couple of feet away unconscious.  
She made her way to him and gently picked him up.
     
"Come on, Swamp rat.  Don't scare ah girl like this."
     
Gambit eyes fluttered open and he smiled.  "Chere, 
next time look before you leap."
     
Rogue pushed him off of her.  "You're ah fine one to 
talk since ya fell right behin' me."
     
Any reply that Gambit would have made was silenced 
by a loud howling that seem to come from all around.  Gambt 
reached for his cards, but realized that he had used his 
last card right before his fell behind Rogue.
     
"Dis don't look good, chere."
     
From the shadows stepped a wolf-like creature that 
walked on his hind legs.  Blood oozed from his mouth, 
and his red glowing eyes seem fixed upon the two X-men.  
He raised his head and gave a blood chilling howl before 
dropping to all fours and charging at the two X-men.
     
"Get behin' me, sugar."  Rogue took to the sky and flew 
at the creature.  She attempted to grab him and throw him 
into the wall, but at the last minute, the creature jumped 
and initiated the contact.  Rogue tried to throw him off, 
but before she could grab him, they both crashed into the wall.
     
"Rogue!" Gambit ran towards he two fallen fighters. Rogue 
lay on the ground unconscious, but the creature was no were 
to be found. Suddenly, Gambit heard a growling behind him. 
Before he could move, the creature jumped him.

     
"This reminds me of some freaky horror movie," Bobby 
said as he and Beast made their way through a giant spider's 
web.
     
"I concur, but I would like the opportunity to study this
dimension."  Beast stopped and picked at a piece of the 
spider's web.

"The creator of this web must be a monstrosity." He pulled 
at the web, but the web did not break.  "Interesting.  
Bobby..."  Beast turned around.  "Oh, dear."  Bobby had 
been completely wrapped in the impregnable web.
     
"Bobby!" Beast ran over and tried to pull his friend 
loose.
     
More web came from no where and began to wrap around 
Beast. He pulled and struggled, but the web continued 
to wrap around him.  A gigantic spider with red glowing 
eyes lowered itself to the ground and began to draw the 
two X-men to it.

     
Phoenix and Cyclops walked down the dimly lit passage 
attempting to ignore the loud screeching noise that now 
filled the palace.
     
"I don't know how much longer I can take this," Cyclops 
said.
     
"If I could pinpoint the source, maybe I could stop it," 
Jean answered loudly.
     
"Don't bother wasting your energy.  I have a feeling 
you're going to need all of your strength."
     
"You're right, but it's just so darn frustrating."
     
The loud noise stopped only to be replaced by a slow 
hissing sound.
    
"Scott," Phoenix whispered telepathically to him, "I'm 
sensing something evil around us."
     
"Where, Jean?"  Cyclops questioned as he looked around 
him.
     
"I can't pinpoint it, but I know that it is getting 
closer."
     
The hissing began to get louder and it was now 
accompanied by a rattling sound.  As they rounded a 
corner, the husband and wife saw the maker of the noise.  
Ahead of them lay a giant snake coiled and ready to strike.  
Cyclops fired an optic blast causing the snake to hiss 
angrily. He spat a stickly substance at them, however, 
Jean formed a telekinetic bubble around herself and Scott.  
The giant snake began to strike the bubble.
      
"He's .....attacking my .....mind as well."  With a heart
wrenching scream, Jean's telekinetic bubble gave in and 
the snake reached in at the two X-men.

     
"Logan, he has them.  He has them all," Storm cried in her
sleep-like state.  She opened her clear blue eyes and 
stared at him.
     
"You have to leave me.  Or he will come for you as well."
     
Logan sat Storm up against a wall.  "Don't worry about me, 
darling. That's just what I want him to do."
     
Storm rose and a gentle wind began to blow.  "I can not 
allow you to do that.  I must face him alone."  The wind 
suddenly turned into a full force hurricane.  Wolverine 
attempted to hold his position.  But soon the wind forced 
him against the opposite wall.  Rain began to fall, but soon 
it turned to ice sealing Wolverine into an icy cage.
     
"I am sorry, Logan.  But I can not allow Ra to hurt you."
Summoning a wind, Storm flew down the passage.
      
"Storm, stop!   You're flying right into his hands."



***** 
Chapter 9 


"Can't ya pick the lock, Swamp rat?"   Roge asked 
exasperated.
     
"Dis not a normal lock, Rogue," Gambit answered.
     
"Gambit's right.  I think we're being telepathically 
contained," Jean said.
     
"How is he able to control our powers?"  Cyclops asked.
     
"The possibilities are endless.  However, from what I have
observed, I believe that Ra powers are mystic," Beast said.
     
"So how are we going to get out of here?" Bobby 
questioned.
     
"There is no escape, mutant."  A misty version of Ra 
appeared in the chamber where the X-men were chained to 
the walls.  "Soon I will be freed from this dimension, 
and earth will be mine."
     
"Never!"  Lightening struck the door shattering wood 
everywhere.
     
"So my Princess, you have returned to me."  Ra began to 
take on a solid form.  
     
"I will not allow you to enslave earth."  Storm landed before 
Ra.
     
"My Princess, you are powerless to stop me."  He transformed 
into the wolf creature.  With a horrifying howl, he leaped 
towards Storm.
     
"Winds, Ice!   Protect your mistress!"  Strong winds filled 
with ice began to whirl around Ra.
     
Raising one hand, Storm summoned lighten to strike the 
ceiling creating an exit.  With considerable effort, she 
created winds to lift Ra and herself out the hole to 
continue the battle without further endangering her friends.

     
"Why didn't Storm free us?"  Cyclops asked as he pulled 
against his chains.
     
"She thinks she's protecting up," Wolverine answered from 
the door. He looked up at the hole above him.  "So either 
Storm's decided to take the fight outside or Ra's putting in 
a skylight."

"Enough of this!"  Ra suddenly changed into the gigantic 
spider, and before Storm could react, Ra began to wrap 
the impenetrable web around her.  Without Storm's control, 
the winds began to die down.  Ra changed back into his 
half human form.  He causally floated in the sky before 
Storm.  For her part, she struggled and strained against 
the web.
     
"You can not hope to win.  Submit to your new master, 
weather witch."  
     
Instead of answering, Storm began to mentally wrap the 
weather patterns around her.  The sky that was once blue 
and clear was now dark and foreboding.  A deep thunder 
rumbled in the sky.  A streak of lightening struck Storm 
causing her to illuminate the sky.  The web dissolve from 
around her.  Storm raised her hand pointing an accusing 
finger at Ra.  Her voice was the thunder and her fury was 
the storm. Large hail began to rain on him.  Winds of 
unmeasurable force beat into him.  At the same time, 
lightening continued to feed into Storm.
     
"You will never be free of this dimension because you 
will forever be trapped by your own evilness."  While 
the lightening that surrounded her was awesome to behold, 
the mystic glow that she now had made her the goddess 
that she once had been.  "By the power of my birth right, 
I condemn you to this dimension forever."  She projected 
a mystic force at him that seemed to surround him.  Ra 
attempted to break free, but even with all of his powers, 
he could not overcome the power of Storm.
     
"Nnnnnnnnoooooooooo!"  He yelled when he realized that 
his efforts were useless.

     
The X-men all stood in the court of palace watching.  No 
one uttered a word.  For no words could express the 
emotions that they were feeling.  Feelings that ranged 
from pride to fear, from concern to surprise.  They all 
had known that Storm possessed great power, but none had 
ever witness such a supreme display of power.
     
Storm turned and stared down at her friends.  Her eyes 
were completely white and concealed whatever emotions 
she was feeling.
     
"Come, my friends.  It is time we returned home."
     
A portal opened behind them and they all entered.  With 
one final glance at the imprisoned Ra, Storm flew in behind 
them.



*****
Chapter 10

Storm and Wolverine walked silently in the woods beyond 
the mansion.  A light rain had just begun to fall, but 
neither of the X-men seemed aware of it.
     
"Logan, I am afraid," Storm finally admitted.  "What if I 
can't control this new power?"
     
"We just gotta take it one day at a time, and whatever 
happens, we face it together," he said as he reached for 
her hand.
     
Storm looked down at their clasped hands.  "You do 
realize that you could be letting yourself in for trouble."
     
"Darling, you know I love trouble," he answered smiling.



The End?
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