by

Denise Keppel

       

CHAPTER FIVE

There were a few loose ends to tie up still, Manuel thought as he strolled possessively through the HellFire Club. Celeste wasn't supposed to have survived the attack, but she was effectively removed from the picture. Bobby had insisted that Emma take a vacation in Wyoming, which was a good holding place for the White Queen. But now, he thought as Silver joined him outside Selena's door, this was the moment to be savored.

 

He opened the door proudly, anticipating what he'd find. Sure enough, the young, blonde teleporter, his once rival, Illyana, was sitting, unclothed, in the middle of the pentagram. "Before we continue, I want to make sure your end of the bargain has been upheld," he hissed.

 

Savoring the moment, he slapped Magik across the face. She did not duck the blow. Then he took a razor, undid his shirt, and cut himself. Illyana started to bleed from the cut that appeared on her skin. "Excellent," he said. "And now, Selena, your cure."

 

At that moment, Silver walked forward and roughly grabbed Selena by the arm. A silver orb surrounded them. Selena moaned at the pain as the intensity of the glow increased. When it was white-hot, Manuel stepped forward. "There is only one way to cure Legacy, Selena... give up your mutantation." He paused as comprehension started to dawn across the woman's face. "This is how Silver is curing you."

 

Selena looked desperately at the other woman and started to pull away, to fight for her life. But as she did, her body started to age rapidly, catching up for two hundred years of lost time. And then, she stopped fighting.

 

Silver stepped back, watching the woman wheeze, and grasp blindly at the air. "You were a rotten tipper," she hissed as she kicked the nearly dead woman on the chin. Turning to Manuel, she purred. "What do you think?"

 

<>Reaching down to double check their handiwork, Manuel smiled. "The black queen is dead. Long live the Black Queen."