Pray this is not just another X-Men wedding!

[Captain Jasper Hook]

                OOC - I'll be RPing as Jasper and ''James Hook's betrothed''. 

                   IC - Jasper's eyes became wide as his smile stretched again. *My younger brother will think twice before defeating me another time!* 
Jasper laughed for a few moments. ''I'm going to enjoy this!'' he said.

    Jasper remembered a certain woman from his past. A woman James Hook once cherished. A mere illusion of Cecilia materialized in front of James. She looked exactly the same as she did years ago.

    Cecilia was clad in a white and violet dress. There were two ribbons on her dress. Cecilia's dark hair was hidden under her hat. A few tears ran down her face.

   ''You lied about your pirate life, James. You cared more about gold than me. You never prevented your brother from capturing me. I could never marry a pirate.''



           

             

    

[Captain James Hook]

Captain James Hook's eyes became wide the minute he saw Cecilia. Her tears caused him to glance at the floor. He couldn't bear the memory of harming her. Did he regret hurting his betrothed? Perhaps a little. He focused on Cecilia. He began to frown.

''I had to lie. You are correct about not wanting to marry a pirate. I wished to provide for you before we were married. Cecilia, I...'' Tears filled his eyes. ''Accept my apology.''

Captain Hook saw a sudden scowl on Cecilia's face. He turned to the illusion of his mother. He never forgot about the other woman he cherished. Captain Hook sobbed again.


 

[Jubilee]

"And the you-know-what has hit the fan!"Jubilee shouted as she exited a portal that had been opened by Pixie to get the X-Men to the wedding faster. "Is this a Harry Potter convention or something?" she asked as she saw some wizard-types running away from the party. "I'm kidding!" she shouted at them as she let off a PAF that fried some of the plants. "This place is insane!" she yelled to Beast and Storm as they exited the portal.

A zombie came running at her, but she blasted it back toward Omega Red and his pal Harley Davidson. Jubilee still could not help but chuckle when she thought of Harley's name. "Hey! Omega Red! Harley! What's with the zombie guys?"

"Do we look like we know?" Harley asked as she twirled her bat and smacked at the zombie, but the possessed protester stumbled and fell toward the ground before she got a good whack at it. "We were eating, and then we heard about protesters, and then these guys and the plants came to town. Arkady, let's try out that theory on Zomboy here!" Harley added as she grabbed the zombie by the back of the shirt and held him in place.

"What theory?" Beast asked as he leapt over a fallen zombie and landed near Omega Red.

"That Omega Red can drain enough of the magical whatever-it-is out of these guys and make them normal again!" Harley said with a huge grin. "Then we can stop whoever is making this happen!"

"Oh, that sounds promising!" Jubilee said as she looked back at Beast and shrugged her shoulders.

[Blackwell]

Alastair was beside himself as he watched both James Hook and Craig Dragotti being tormented. He took a deep breath and prayed he could reason with someone to stop this nonsense. "Madame," he said to Isabella as she kept talking to Craig, "I am sure that, whatever happened before your death..."

Then he finally heard what had actually been said.

"Your mistress? Who in the world is your mistress, and why would she say such terrible things?" Alastair asked as he then saw Captain Hook acting odd again. "James! No one is there! How could you do this to your own brother, sir?" he asked Jasper as Blackwell kept trying to snap James out of this spell.

Alastair then looked at Haggrid. "Get a MacFeorais or MacLeod sister. Get as many as you can! I saw Piper MacLeod here somewhere, and Roslea MacFeorais is back by the fountain near the entrance! Find Siofra or Eavan! I can't break this illusion by myself!"

The giant ran off to find the people Blackwell requested, dodging flying bodies as he went.

[Omega Red]

Omega Red's eyes became wide after he heard a familiar voice. ''Jubilee?'' he muttered. He saw Jubilee prior to another frown. Omega Red remembered her from past battles with Wolverine. His eyes settled on a zombie being held by Harley. He nodded at Harley's words about draining a zombie's energy.

Coils emerged from Omega Red's wrists. They wrapped around the zombie's body. Frowning, Omega Red drained the magic out of the zombie. He viewed the zombie turning normal. Omega Red saw Harley. ''Am I going to drain every zombie here?''

[Craig Dragotti]

''I never wanted out of our marriage, Isabella. I never harmed you at all,'' Craig said. He was sheepish for a moment. ''I sincerely apologize for my past kiss. I had no idea about my abilities at that time.'' Confusion filled his eyes. *Your mistress?* 

Craig turned to the Hook siblings. His eyes widened at the sight of the Cecilia illusion. He guessed Jasper Hook was able to create one illusion anyone else could view. ''James, your betrothed...'' Craig began to blush. ''Your betrothed is beautiful!''

Craig frowned. ''James is still unable to hear anyone,'' he said to Blackwell. He glanced from Jasper to Isabella. His eyes became wide. ''Isabella, you mentioned a mistress earlier. Is Jasper with that mistress as well?''

Craig's lower lip trembled. ''You married Jasper Hook? You married him while you were revived?''


 

[Captain Jasper Hook]

''I'm enjoying every minute of viewing my younger brother's tears,'' Jasper said. He heard every word James uttered to the Cecilia illusion. He never forgot about the illusion of their mother. Jasper turned to Alastair. ''My younger brother defeated me years ago. I returned for revenge.''

Jasper smiled at Alastair. ''I'll always be the one true Captain Hook. Not the sobbing baby near you.'' Jasper heard Craig's words about Isabella and their mistress. He turned to Craig. He nodded.

''Isabella and I do serve Mistress Selene. The thought of marrying Isabella never crossed my mind. I don't know where Mistress Selene is now. Isabella is my companion. Nothing more. Not my wife. Not my wife to be.''

Jasper focused on Alastair another time. ''James always cried near our mother when we were boys. That's why he is weak now. James shouldn't be a pirate captain. Captain Hook sobbing for his mum. Sobbing near the woman he loved years ago.''

Jasper saw Cecilia. A sheepish look formed on his face. He turned to Alastair. ''In case you're wondering, this woman is Cecilia. She was my little brother's betrothed. I captured her ship years ago.''

Jasper shrugged. ''It was my sibling's decision to lie to Cecilia about being a merchant instead of a pirate. I remember Cecilia's tears as she refused to marry James.'' He smiled again. ''Perhaps I'll kiss the illusion in front of my little brother. James will never cease sobbing!'' he said.

After touching Cecilia's shoulder, Jasper kissed her on the lips. He smiled as she returned his kiss. He glanced at his younger brother's face. Jasper saw the other Captain Hook's wide eyes. He wasn't sure if James recognized him. Jasper heard James while the latter shrieked and sobbed uncontrollably at the same time.

[Emma Frost]

Emma and Claire joined Jean and Maddie on the astral plane as they fought to help Jessie win this battle. {{This place reminds me of a very bad Romero film. I thought the mystics were a bit more discerning about these things}} Emma said as she and Claire looked at the blocks Jean had been attacking to get to Jessie. {{Maddie suspects an old hand is involved in this. Or should I say moldy and ancient with bad nail color?}} Emma added as she tried to disassemble the structure before them. {{Why isn't Kari in the thick of this?}}

{{My thoughts exactly}} Jean agreed with Emma. {{My only guess is that the possessed horde is making things difficult elsewhere on the grounds}}

{{Then we will have to press on until she can join us}} Emma replied as she kept hitting the structure with a psionic diamond battering ram. {{If that indeed is Selene, then all bets are off}}

[Harley]

"Let's see if this guy stays normal before you run off draining anyone else," Harley said to Omega Red as she tried to avoid interacting too much with the other X-Men. She wanted to go bash a few heads, and they would never allow that. "And, if you want to be honest, I want to make sure that whatever you sucked out of this bozo does not zombie up you!"

"Now you think of that?" Jubilee said as she backed up a few feet. "Zombie Omega Red.  Not a good thing!"

"Will you can it! Omega Red is fine! He'd be all weird and going argh, gurgle and stuff by now if he had been zombified," Harley shouted as she saw another zombie coming and ran head-first at it, knocking it out with her bat. "This is getting..."

Harley stopped as she saw the zombie that Omega Red drained looking all sorts of weird. It popped metal wings, flew high into the air, and started to attack anyone close by with razor-like feathers. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me! One of the freak jobs from The Choir! He was one of the protesters! Arkady, watch out for the razors!" Harley screamed as she looked at Beast and Jubilee. "See why killing them is not such a bad idea!"

 

[Omega Red]

Omega Red smiled at the thought of being a zombie version. That was when he wondered if he would lack free will as a zombie. Omega Red had his free will removed at least once when he fought the Skinner of Souls years ago. He turned to Jubilee. ''I'm not a zombie.'' Omega Red faced Harley. He watched as she used her bat to knock another zombie unconscious.

That was when Omega Red noticed the zombie he drained. He gasped after it popped metal wings. He saw razor-like feathers. Omega Red stepped to the side. He was barely able to dodge them. ''You be careful as well, Harley.''

[Black Queen]

Selene sensed the most powerful psychic mutants in the world outside the skyscraper in the Astral World.  She knew that her psionic prowess was no match for Emma Frost's.  The seeds had been planted again, and Selene felt the pull the same as Jessie.  Jessie's language let her know that she felt compelled to darkness.  She had felt used in the past, but Selene knew it was the X-Men's work.  "No, child." Selene stood her ground as Jessie floated in front of her, dangerously close.  "You have it backwards.  I am the tools you need to utilize your full potential.  I was there for you as your guide, not your slave master.  Instead, you have chosen a crutch."

At that moment, the class cracked from floor to ceiling as Emma Frost's psyche slammed against her shields. "This is your mind, Jessie... Why not unlock the doors for your friends."  The way Selene said the word friends left a chill in the air.  The sly grin across her face.  Selene knew she was right.  Jessie didn't trust the X-Men enough to let them in.  Selene has used that as a loophole to strengthen their solitude, but Emma has the power AND the experience.  She had forced her way through the minds of the worlds strongest men, even Sebastian Shaw.

The lights flickered, and suddenly, Selene was gone as if she was a ghost that Jessie had imagined the whole time.  

Using a combination of her super speed and super strength, Selene launched a punch directly at Jessie's sternum.  For any ordinary person, this would surely shatter a rib cage.  {Now is the time!  Exact your revenge with no delay! No more toying with them!  The X-Men have arrived} she telesent to her small coven.  Luckily, the horde of zombies had kept most of them busy.

[Captain Jasper Hook]

Jasper heard Selene's telepathic words and smiled again. He glanced from Cecilia to his younger brother. He viewed the illusion of his decaying mother stroking Captain James Hook's wet face. Jasper's eyes were on Cecilia as she slapped ''her betrothed'' as hard as she could. His smile stretched from ear to ear. Jasper didn't have to physically torment James. He watched as the latter continued to sob uncontrollably.

''A sobbing baby shouldn't be a pirate captain,'' Jasper said.

[Isabella Dragotti]

Isabella heard everything Selene telepathically said. One corner of her mouth almost reached her ear. She remained near Craig and lifted him by the front of his long coat. ''You still ended my life, Craig. Now I will end yours,'' Isabella said. She turned her palm up before a burst of fire formed on it at a snail's pace.

Isabella watched as Craig's eyes widened. She smiled while tears streamed down his face. She heard Craig as he sobbed. His cries weren't as loud as the ones from James Hook. Isabella enjoyed viewing him shaking his head. ''Any final words, my ex-spouse?''

 

[BENNU]

"I chose my family Selene.....Once again something you know nothing about!" She roared in response. It was quite obvious Jessie's anger was starting to get to her and as a result the darkness around her became more aggressive starting to pound against the barriers.

When the Black Queen kept taunting her about letting her family in she thought about it. It was more about keeping her family safe but that option was fading fast. She could feel her sister and her mothers both on a mental and a physical level trying to get in to help her. When Selene struck her in the sternum that was the final act. Jessie responded turning back around laying a long kick to Selene's face followed up by a psi blast. The darkness that wanted out fed off of Jessie's ever increasing aggressiveness and it had reached its maximum level. The glass barrier shattered and the darkness of her psyche flew towards her changing from shadow like to black colored flames. They embraced her like a long lost lover as the flames around her took on a red, orange & now black hue. Her eyes clouded to a black and the full fury of the Phoenix was released in and around her shattering the barriers keeping out her family.

{"Now is your chance!"}Jessie said with an ominous tone in her voice. Jessie's history was unique. Next to Jean herself Jessie felt the closest connection to the Phoenix as she was not just the child of Frost & Grey but of the Phoenix herself. Something that was a double edged sword. In a sense the Black Queen had gotten what she wanted Dark Phoenix has been reincarnated but not in the way she hoped. Instead of a being who wanted chaos and destruction Jessie's nature had twisted the dark side of her personality to one who would stop at nothing to make sure her family & friends were safe and would destroy those who would hurt them.

"Was this what you wanted witch?!" Jessie screamed slamming another psionic blast into the Black Queen.

[Black Queen]

In the corporal world, Selene could see a change in Jessie.  She had planned for it to be just the beginning.  Although Jessie was not originally part of the plans, it was a sweet surprise.  Jessie and Selene were now sparring.  Selene easily blocked the powerful kick from Jessie, but the psiblast caught the Black Queen by surprise.  She took two steps back, reeling from the psychic shockwave.  Just as she was recovering, the young Phoenix hit her with another powerful psychic attack.  The Black Queen yelped as she hit the ground.  Veins were popping out of Selene's forehead from the strain, diffusing so much power.

In seconds, Selene was up again.  She twisted, levitating above the ground.  The zombies reduced to ash after Selene struck them with a beam of power, absorbing their miserable lives into her own.  She looked even younger and more gorgeous as ever.  Her eyes were glowing from the might inside.  Energy rippled through the air just before she put her hands together, forcing a powerful mystic blast directly at Jessie Gray.  It was becoming more and more apparent that the Black Queen was getting desperate.  Phoenix's power was off the charts, and despite her thousands of years of experience, she was struggling to keep up.