After looking at Bob to make sure he was ready (Helga was always ready,and he didn't really give a shit about Scott one way or the other),he positioned himself so he was hopefully blocking Rogue's view as he violently shoved open the door and stormed in before he could give anyone a chance to recover.

Several demony looking things jumped to their feet from where they were sitting,which was apparently around a large green felt covered poker table,and while the cards looked real,it wasn't money on the table.It looked like a small pile of offal:mostly hearts,but a couple of livers,and maybe a kidney or two.

Rogue made a slight gagging sound behind him,and asked,"Are those..?"

"Animal parts,"Logan lied.They smelled human-and fresh-but he wasn't going to tell her that.

The five demons who had stood up from the table all looked vaguely alike-like lizards with legs,most were covered with brown scales,but some were covered with greenish grey one,and all had bald heads,red eyes as big as tangerines,and the general musculature of steroided up linebackers for the Oakland Raiders,which their expensive suits only seemed to accentuate.
There was a sixth man at the table-the pseudo-human.Remaining seated,he slowly put down his cards face down on the table,and looked at them all with a tired,insincere smile.With his thinning brown hair,slight build,and pale complexion,he didn't remind Logan of anything so much as a German businessman on holiday."I take it you're not here to play seven card stud."

"Ah shit,"Bob cursed quietly."Ressik demons."From his tone of voice,Logan guessed these were some of those rare immune guys he was talking about.

"I think they're the mutants Krek told us about,"one of the Ressiks (?) hissed.If a snake could talk,it would probably sound exactly like that.He reached into his jacket,possibly for a weapon,but before Logan could move he felt energy sizzle past him in the air,and a red bolt hit the Ressik square in the chest.He went flying backward into the far wall before collapsing onto the floor like a sack full of shit.Scott was certainly quick on the draw-he bet Jean didn't like that.

"Hold up,"Logan said,venturing deeper into the room.The other Ressiks looked like they were thinking about going for their weapons,but were so torn about whether to do so,and whether to aim them at him,Scott,or both,that they were paralyzed by mass indecision."Who the hell is Krek,and why did he mention us?"He stalked towards the pseudo-human,fists still clenched, the corner of his eyes on the big lizard demons.

The businessman guy was still sitting,still looking unconcerned,but it was a lie-Logan was starting to smell something from him now,a sharp,sour scent that had to be fear.If he was the demon Bob said he was,he had almost no power at all.

"You don't think I'm really going to tell you-"he began,but stopped,staring like a deer caught in the high beams of a tractor trailer.But the look was not aimed at him.

Glancing over his shoulder,he saw Bob was in the doorway,full on the pseudo-human with those unreal blue eyes of his. "No,you're going to tell me,"Bob said forcefully.

"Ah fuck,Belial demon,"one of the Ressiks snapped,adding a word that may not have been a word at all:"Drai'shajan."And all at once hell broke loose.

The Ressiks attempted to draw their weapons as one-all targeting Bob (what the hell was a 'dray-whatever the fuck?)-and the room lit up in flashes of crimson as Scott shot the ones in his line of sight with his optic beams,and Logan attacked the one nearest him,grabbing his thick arm and breaking it with a single violent twist,and before he could mutter a scream or the equivalent noise (whatever the hell noise they made),he threw a sharp elbow into its flat,reptilian face,feeling something snap on impact.

More Ressiks started pouring in from another room-apparently through a door at the back,hidden in shadows-and while Scott took out quite a few of them (his beams didn't work against Legion,but they worked against Ressiks),there was this massive dull thud out in the hall,a noise of flesh hitting flesh with bullet train force,and he was pretty sure he heard a painful grunt that could only have come from Scott,and suddenly there were no more flashes of red light:Logan's guess was he got massively clobbered from behind.A good guess,as more Ressiks were now pouring in from the doorway too.

Bob was fighting his away across the room to the Kyrin,who was still sitting frozen at the poker table,and at least he could fight-but was that ever in doubt?He was Australian,for Christ's sake.He'd better know how to fight.

From the sounds of cracking necks out in the hall,and the occasional thud against the wall and body flying past the opening, Helga was holding her own in the corridor,slowing the incoming tide of demons.

Logan had yet to pop his claws-so far there was no need.A thick,meaty arm grabbed him from behind by throat,but Logan simply grasped his arm and tossed him over his shoulder,throwing the demon back first onto the poker table,which instantly collapsed under his sudden weight.In spite of the crushed organs that suddenly splattered his face,the Kyrin remained sitting in his chair,paralyzed by Bob.

Another Ressik snuck around on his left,and as Logan turned,the demon pulled his gun and shot him in the face.The bullet hit his cheek and zinged off the adamantium beneath the flesh-he saw the flash of a spark on contact as the bullet ricocheted off-the force of the shot making him stagger back a couple of steps,but he glared at the Ressik,who gaped in shock and looked a lot like a frog.He must have seen the metal underneath before his skin healed over,because he asked,"What the fuck are you?A robot?"

Logan didn't answer-he simply spun into a kick that caught him flush in his ugly face and sent him crashing down on top of his friend on the ruined table,sending his gun flying across the room.He caught a blur out of the corner of his eye,another Ressik charging him,and spun around,hitting him in the face with his hands clenched together into one big fist.It got him at just the right angle,and the bastard went flying into the wall.

It was then he heard Rogue scream.

A Ressik had her by the hair and was dragging her towards the back of the room.Logan bellowed in rage as he launched himself at the demon in a wide open tackle,popping the claws of his left hand at the last second.Rather than grab him,his claws punched through the side of the Ressik's skull,and nailed him to the wall.

He made a strange gasping noise,briefly sounding like a balloon losing air from a slow leak,and his body was seized by a paroxysm of tremors as Rogue pulled out of his grasp,still wide eyed and reeking of fear.Only when she was free did Logan retract his claws,and even though the demon was still apparently conscious and gasping like a fish out of water,he sagged to the floor,glassy eyed and useless.

He saw the fear in Rogue's eyes a millisecond before a hand like a steel claw grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the floor.The hand attempted to crush the small bones of his neck,and he heard them creak under the strain,but the Ressik wasn't strong enough to break adamantium,so only muscles stretched and tendons tore before the Ressik tossed him across the room like he weighed nothing more than a bag of garbage.

He thought he heard Rogue scream his name as he met the top of the wall face first,nose shattering on impact and pain flaring bright white in his vision as he fell hard to the wooden floor.His vision wavered like a mirage,but even as he choked down the gout of his own blood that spurted down his throat,he could feel the cartilage in his nose knitting itself back together,the feeling of it monstrously itchy and almost more painful than shattering of his nose previously.The Ressik-the biggest one he had seen so far,nearly scraping the ceiling at seven feet high,his scales as bronze as a new penny-loomed over him,pointing a gun down at his face."Tell me,will your eye grow back?" The Ressik snarled,shifting his aim to over his left eye.

Before he could pop his claws and move,the Ressik started trembling like someone had jammed a live wire up his ass,and tried to scream,but just made a sort of croaking noise.

Rogue had ripped off one of her gloves,and grabbed the Ressik by the  arm, over a tear in his sleeve.

Logan jumped to his feet,turning his head briefly from side to side as his tendons knitted back together-again,almost as painful as the initial tearing-and Rogue had let go of the Ressik,who hit the floor instantaneously,nearly drained of everything he had. Logan would be shocked if he were still alive.

He did a double take when he saw Rogue.

Her eyes were completely crimson,just like the Ressik's had been,and she had faint bronze scales on her neck and jawline like ghostly tattoos,and before he could tell her another demon was coming up behind her,she turned and slammed him across the face with her fist,a blow that sent the much larger Ressik flying all the way across the room.She had the strength of a Ressik now.He felt like laughing-that evened the odds a bit.

Bob grabbed a Ressik from behind and snapped its neck with a single twist,then finally grabbed the Kyrin,who obediently got up and retreated to a  far corner with him,to talk in relative safety as the fight raged on,but the tide of battle had turned.Helga was now in the doorway,easily beating back the few Ressiks in the hall,and he and the newly strengthened Rogue were easily kicking the asses of the few standing Ressiks still inside.There didn't seem to be any more coming through the door at that back of the room.Soon,a burst of red light out in the corridor showed that Scott was back,alive,kicking,and shooting.

Outnumbered or not,they could really kick some serious ass.Logan knew he shouldn't tell anyone,but he thought it had actually been kind of fun.From the fierce grin Helga gave him,in spite of the green blood staining her teeth,she felt the same way.She was his kind of woman.

Bad guys vanquished-well,for the moment-they regrouped.Scott leaned against the door jamb,a thin line of blood streaming down the side of his face,and he said what had to be the understatement of the year:'Those guys are strong."

Logan stared at him in disbelief."Thanks for the newsflash,Cyke."

He scowled at him,and looked like he was trying to formulate a comeback,when he noticed Rogue."Marie?"He said, shocked,straightening up.

"She absorbed one of 'em."

It seemed to take Rogue a moment to remember to speak."Things look really weird."She then started to feel her face,and luckily,she missed the scales."I don't look like one,do I?"

"No,darlin',you look like you,"Logan reassured her."Just with a different eye color.And also,uh...thanks."

"What for?You saved my ass,"she said,and Scott scowled at her,probably for her use of language (oh,like ass was really that bad a word.He must have been raised by Baptists or something).After a moment,she added,"I have an almost overwhelming urge to just start breaking shit."

Logan couldn't help but smirk."Welcome to my world."

She smiled back,but it was a little more malevolent than he would normally expect from her;the blood red eyes didn't help matters much either."It's kinda fun."

Ah shit,did that mean he had personality traits similar to Ressik demons?He really was going to have to kill himself now.

In the corner,German businessman demon hit the floor as Bob turned away,looking grim."So,what's the news?"Logan wondered.

Bob grimaced."This Krek is a professional hit man who works with some kind of organization called The League.All Cyril could tell me is no one fucks with The League and lives to talk about it-bad news with a capital B."

"Cyril?"Logan repeated in disbelief."His name is Cyril?"

Bob shrugged."Again,cool names some people don't have."

"This League are after us?"Scott asked.

"If Krek is,it's a safe bet he's working for their interests."

"Why are they after us?"Rogue asked."What did we ever do to them?"

"Wrong question,"Logan told her."What did Xavier ever do to them?"

"Huh?"She replied,then turned her gaze on Bob."The Professor's involved?"

Bob scowled at him,not appreciating him letting the cat out of the bag as far as that was concerned."The Professor,as far as I know,knows nothing of this League.It's a personal vendetta,and they've simply been recruited for the dirty work."

"A personal vendetta?"Logan asked."Why?What for?What did he do?"

Bob frowned."He did nothing except piss them off by association.I think it's a guy named Magneto they actually want,but they're afraid of him,and probably for good reason.If they can get Xavier,they'll be more confident they can get Magneto."

"Magneto is in this too?"Scott exclaimed,looking like he had officially reached the end of his particular tether."Doesn't he know when he's beaten?"

"He wasn't a bad guy,not then,"Bob said cryptically."I'd say Xavier owes his life to him,and he knows it.The real bad guy in this scenario wants them both dead."

"Well,he can have Magneto,"Logan interrupted."But who exactly is the real bad guy in this scenario?I know you know,so don't dick us around anymore."

"I'm not completely sure,"Bob replied.

Logan slammed his elbow back against the wall in frustration,so hard it went right through it."Cut the fucking bullshit,Bob!" He snapped,pulling his elbow free of the wall.He felt where the jagged wood had torn into his skin,and even as the blood flowed down his arm,he felt the skin healing over.

"It's not bullshit,Logan,"Bob snapped back,as close to angry as he ever got."I have several pieces of a puzzle that don't quite fit,but no one's lied to me,so I don't know what I've got here.I can tell you this-almost fifty years ago,someone tried to kill your Professor,but Magneto unequivocably killed him first.What Magneto didn't know,but Xavier did,is that what he killed was not a man at all but a demon,type unknown.Since I don't know the type,it's very possible it eventually came back,in spite of what Magneto did to it."

"What did Magneto do to it?"Scott asked first.

Bob carefully considered his words,and then glanced at Rogue before saying,"Let's just say he helped liberate its brain from the confines of its skull."

"Eew,"Rogue said,almost sounding like her old self.But she still didn't look it yet.

"Then it can't be alive to be behind all this,can it?"Scott argued,not only standing up straight but looking really impatient now.He could join the fucking club.

Bob gave them all a look that seemed strangely full of something like pity."Never say never.But when it comes down to it,it's possible somebody-not the demon in question-wants revenge for that death.Either scenario could work here."

"But why now?Why fifty years after the fact?"Logan asked insistently,not willing to give up so easily.

Bob threw his hands wide in a helpless shrug."I don't know."

Both he and Scott made similar noise of disbelief,which was equally disconcerting to both of them.

"Truth be told,this may not even be the incident driving all of this,"Bob went on."It was Xavier's best guess,since that was the last time he encountered a non-human in a negative circumstance."

"He's encountered them since?"Scott asked,sounding confused.

A Ressik on the floor stirred,and tried to push himself up,but Logan kicked him in the face,so hard he flipped over and slammed down hard on his back,out cold again,but only for the moment.There were a couple of Ressiks stirring,groaning in pain,and there would probably be a part two fight soon,although the Ressiks would definitely be at a disadvantage this time.

"We should continue  this argument elsewhere,"Bob suggested.

"Great,but what are we going to do about this place?"Logan said.

"What about this place?"Scott replied testily.

"According to Cyril,this is one of the League's tax dodges,"Bob said,apropos of nothing.Or was it?

"We can't leave this place standing,"Logan argued,but only to Scott.He figured Helga,Bob,and Rogue-now that she was all Ressiky-would go along with it,but Scott-as always-was the wet blanket.It had to be a pain in the over tight sphincter being him."Especially if it is League."

"What would you have us do,Logan?"He snapped bitterly."Tear it down?"

"Absolutely."

He scoffed in disbelief."Oh,what a brilliant idea,Logan.Let's go one up from car theft and commit a major felony-"

"You wanna talk major felonies?"Logan spat,getting right up in his face.He hoped Rogue didn't hear,but if she did,oh well. "You don't actually think those were cow organs,do you?And do you want to know what I'm smelling back here? Humans, Scott,dozens of them-but unless they don't need their heart,ten to one says they're dead."He then added,in a savage whisper he knew no one else could hear,"These are fresh kills too.I think they keep the older ones in the freezer.Shall we go see? Wanna come with me and have a look at what's behind doors number one,two,and three?"

Logan didn't really realize until he met Scott how much human expression was read in the eyes:with that visor over his face, Scott seemed to have exactly three expressions-smiling,not smiling,scowling.And the differences were far more subtle than you'd think.

Right now,he was scowling at him,a muscle in his jaw jumping like it was trying to break through his skin,and Logan only knew he was angry:at him,at himself,or at the demons it was impossible to say.

"If something happens here,the League will have a real reason to kill us all then,"Scott finally said,but it sounded as if he was trying to talk himself out of something.

"Yes,"Bob said,then added,"It is a brilliant idea,Logan."

Everybody turned to look at Bob.He wasn't being sarcastic in the least.

"Are you out of your mind?"Scott exclaimed.

"Think about it-we take out a piece of their property.We say "We're here,we're X Men,don't fuck with us".That will fuck off the League so much they will get angry-and probably sloppy-but,best of all,now that the battle's been taken to them,no more skulking."

"We flush 'em out into the open,"Logan agreed,seeing his logic.

"And best of all,this League will only think they're dealin' with mutants,"Bob added,giving Helga a conspiratorial wink.

Scott swallowed hard,the veins cording on his neck."I don't kill people.I don't care what they are."

Logan wondered if he should mention that since he put Sabertooth through the side of the Statue of Liberty's head,no one had heard from him,but decided now was not the time.Besides,he hoped that reeking,ugly psychopath was dead-he deserved no less then to be the meal of several different fishes and bottom dwellers.

"We'll give them a warning to evacuate,"Bob offered reasonably."But I don't expect them to take us seriously until the walls start caving in."

"They won't take us seriously,huh?"Scott said,and his neck veins were standing out like cables,his skin starting to flush red, and Logan realized he'd never seen him this close to losing it ever.Scott stepped out of the doorway,and pivoted on his heels towards the end of the hall,almost instantly letting out a huge red blast of energy that made the club shake,followed by a small,hollow boom.Considering the sudden burst of relatively fresh air into this charnel house,Logan guessed Scott just blew out the entire back wall."Think they'll take us seriously now?"Scott asked,that muscle in his jaw continuing to spasm like a snake beneath his skin.

Bob smiled broadly,chuckling slightly."I certainly think you've got their attention,mate."

Logan was almost impressed-the Boy Scout actually did have a pair of cajones hiding in his pants.Who'd have guessed?

They walked back out to the front of the club to find a good chunk of the crowd had left,but many were still there,trying to act blase about the fact that there had been a big fight in the back,and a subsequent explosion.Maybe it happened here all the time.

But today was the last time.

Now something by Korn was thudding through the sound system,and as Bob climbed up on a table,he said,"Scott,a little attention getter?"He then pointed up at the ceiling near the front of the club.Scott nodded,and let loose with a red beam that blew a Cadillac sized hole in the metal roof of the club.

There were several screams and lots of scrambling as twisted pieces of metal rained down from the ceiling,and Korn was reduced to a plodding drone in the background.Bob announced,"Sorry,old chaps,but this building's been targeted for demolition,effective immediately.If you'd rather not be turned into demon pate,I suggest getting out while the getting's good."

Logan vaulted one handed over the chrome plated bar,and as soon as he landed,he glared at the blue skinned bartender."It's my bar now."

"Oh,you betcha,"the demon agreed,quickly scrambling over the bar and hightailing it,the captain of this particular ship bailing without a fight.

He found a bottle of high proof vodka,which he knocked the cap off of and had a swig before turning back to the bar,to find Helga standing on the other side,smiling at him.She held out a hand,and said,"Give me a drink,Hairy."

"That's not my name,"he commented,handing her the vodka bottle.

"I don't care what your name is,as long as you look good naked."She retorted,before having a swig.

He smirked at her,then jerked his head towards Bob,still standing on the table."What about your boyfriend?"

"He can get his own dates,"she said brightly,giving his a seductive smile as she lobbed the vodka bottle over her shoulder.

He started handing her bottles and she started tossing them all over the club,the glass shattering and spraying alcohol over the place,which was the point.Occasionally she lobbed a bottle at Bob with her tail,and he caught it and had a sample before tossing them towards the scrim and the back rooms.Rogue,meanwhile,was randomly breaking tables and flinging chairs against the remaining walls hard enough to shatter them into kindling.There was no reason for her to do that-Scott had,in fact,told her to stay with Bob for safety-but he figured she was working out some of that Ressik "breaking shit" urge,and he thought that was a good thing.After all,when they got back to the mansion,Jean was bound to be mighty pissed that Rogue got in on this,nonetheless absorbed a demon.That was one potential girl fight that could get extremely ugly if Rogue had any Ressik left in her.

Scott continued to take out parts of the ceiling and the right side wall,and by now the place was remarkably empty,which was hardly a surprise.Logan was surprised any lingered for this long.

Figuring there was enough combustibles spread around,he simply raked the remaining bottles behind him with his claws, shattering them all,and then dug a cigar butt out of his coat pocket and lit it up as he hopped back over the bar.It no longer smelled like demons and death in this Swiss cheese shell of a building:it just reeked of booze,like a wino convention, only with less of a urine undertone.

"We done here?"He asked,moving the cigar butt around to the corner of his mouth.

Bob nodded,hopping off the lone intact table."I'd say so."

Scott nodded,done shooting beams out of his visor,and more in control of himself by the looks of it.Helga's tail snaked around Logan's waist,but this time she didn't grab his ass,and he didn't rip it off.Rogue,meanwhile,found another table to put her fist through.

"Rogue?"He asked.

She looked up somewhat startled,as if he had shouted her name rather than simply say it conversationally."Huh?Oh yeah,done."

"Okay,let's saddle up and blow this shit hole,"He said,earning another evil frown from Scott.But he rather liked that-it was kind of funny to see the Boy Scout get his panties in a bunch.

For sheer novelty's sake they headed out  what remained of the door,with Logan (and Helga) hanging back,so they were the last ones out.Stopping on the sidewalk in front of the place,Helga asked,"May I?"She then held up her fingers,indicating his cigar.

He took a final puff,and handed it to her."Knock yourself out."

She took a couple of quick puffs off the cigar butt herself before tossing it inside the remains of the Seventh Circle,and they heard a soft whump of ignition as they got in the car.

"Holy fucking Christ!"Kelso exclaimed in shock."What the fuck was that?!Does somebody have a goddamn death ray in there?!"

Although shocked himself,it finally reminded him what that Scott guy did."Nah,it's that fucking mutant."