The mansion was unusually quiet. Almost like the quiet before a storm. Wolverine could not figure out why it irked him. The mansion had just been repaired once again by their usual, patient contractor. Beast had been experimenting with some unknown substance and ended up blowing a mammoth hole in the wall so the damage was not as extensive as it sometimes was. It only took the repair crew a couple of days to complete the work. They were done on Wednesday. It was now Saturday and nothing had happened since.
Logan reviewed in his head where everyone had gone. Jean and Scott were in town grocery shopping and Dana had decided to tag along to run some errands. Bobby and Sam were outside playing basketball by the garage. Henry was in his personal lab and Logan assumed that everything was going well because there had been no recent explosions causing the house to shudder. The Professor had gone to Muir Island to confer with Moira for the weekend. Betsy and Warren were in parts unknown and did things that were equally unknown. (No one had seen or heard from them for months and whenever their names were mentioned people would end up raising their eyebrows.) Storm was working with Marrow somewhere. Rogue was talking to Joseph in the kitchen.
That left Gambit and Bishop. Logan went looking for the pair and found them in front of the newly acquired large screen television. He couldn't figure out why "ole' Chuck" had bought it to replace the last one that had gotten smashed. Someone was bound to get angry and throw something right through the screen. Nothing remained in one piece for very long in this house. Bobby had even suggested that they make a pool over how long this one would last.
The channel waws on the Shopping Network and it was obvious that neither Bishop nor Gambit was watching it. Gambit was staring despondently off into space, probably thinking about Rogue. (Or, more accurately, Rogue and Joseph.) Bishop looked contemplative.
Things were at odds between Storm and him as of late. Since the situation with Cable had been resolved Storm was slightly distant from everyone, including Bishop. Even though it had been a while since, was a certain amount of pain still involved. The distance between the two had created a type of limbo for Bishop.
Logan preferred the company of these two to almost anyone on the team but nowadays their constant love lorn state grated on his nerves. Logan marched across the room, switched the television off and then turned toward Bishop and Gambit growling, "If the two of you don't snap out of it I am sending you both through the nearest window."
Both Gambit and Bishop were startled by Wolverine's sudden presence. They looked over at him grimly standing in front of the television glowering at them. Remy felt drowsy, as though he had been awakened from a deep sleep. He heard Bishop grumble something about Wolverine's temper. Logan stalked over to an arm chair and heavily collapsed into it, but just as he did so the television flickered back on. Thinking he had sat on the remote, he jumped up but he couldn't see it anywhere. He then realized that the remote was sitting on top of the television set.
When the picture came into focus, Mojo's smiling face grinned at the trio. Both Gambit and Bishop were on their feet and ready to arm themselves. Logan groaned inwardly.
*I knew it was too quiet.*
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Mojo cackled on the television screen, "how good it is to see you again."
"Can't say the same." Logan growled.
Mojo pretended to look hurt, "Oh, that's too bad. Where's your gratitude? I could have made you guys stars. But that doesn't matter, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Forget it!" Gambit answered.
"I didn't give you a choice." was Mojo's only reply as tiney black holes appeared above each man's head. They were all sucked into them. The portals, just as suddenly as they had appeared, vanished into thin air. Mojo's smug face lingered on the screen triumphantly before the television clicked off once again. The room was vacant and all was still.
Wolverine, Gambit and Bishop found themselves in a large, empty arena. They were each in a separate metal cage suspended some eighty feet off the floor. The cages dangled in the air from ceiling beams. Mojo scurried around in his spider-legged contraption that enabled him to move. He was pacing the floor beneath them and mutterine excitedly as he did so, "This is fabulous...I was worried I wouldn't find replacements...this is ten times better...think of ratings..."
"What do you want with us Mojo?" Bishop asked angrily rattling the bars of his cage.
"WELL," Mojo grinned up at his three captives, "I have a show called `the Ultimate Combat'. Three of the fighters in the last show met an early demise and I couldn't find apt replacements in time for tonight's show. So I wracked my brain and thought `Who had the greatest fighting instincts in the universe...the X-Men.' The three of you looked bored so I decided to rescue you."
Wolverine glared sullenly down and grumbled beneath his breath, "Still the same disgusting slimy slug as always."
"If you guys cooperate and put up a good fight then you will receive certain benefits. I'm offering you fame, fortune and all the women you could want."
The three captives just continued to watch Mojo without answering, "If the three of you don't do well...on second thought, we won't dwell on that. You probably get the picture anyway. I'll just explain what will happen in the program so you know your cue."
*If I could get out of this cage and get my hands on a gun,* Bishop thought, *...afew holes in his dying carcass may help his appearance.*
"First the dancers come out on the floor and do their number to open the program. You see, whoever isn't attracted to the show's sensless violence is attracted by the sexual appeal of the dancers. I really can't lose. They are all quite lovely. I would suggest that you take a good look at them seeing as how you'll have the best view. Anyway, then the fighters will come out when the number is over and the dancers leave the platform. You will be lowered from your perch by a wall control and weapons will be provided. You will each be paired with a fighter. When it's over the winners will be presented and the losers will be carted away. Any questions?"
The silence in the enormous arena was deafening.
"People should start arriving in half an hour, the program begins in an hour and a half. You will be ready by then, I should think." Mojo called over his shoulder as he left through one of the gaping tunnel entrances that opened into the arena.
When they were sure he was gone Wolverine called over to Gambit, "Hey Gumbo, ya' think you can pick a lock and get us outta' here?"
"Sorry Mon amis, it doesn' look like dere's any lock to pick. I can' see any release on dese t'ings."
"Mojo said there was a control on the wall for the cages. Can either of you see it?" Bishop asked.
Wolverine squinted through the bars, "Nope. Must be blended in with the wall."
"What now?"
"Don't know." Wolverine answered, "Just don't know."
None of them knew it but they were being watched from the shadows of one of the arena entrances. Two figures had heard of Mojo's entire conversation with the X-Men and looked at their predicament as a once in a lifetime opportunity. The darker one of the two turned to her companion, "These guys may be our ticket out of here."
"Can we trust them?"
She smiled, "Of course! They seem to hate Mojo as much as we do."
With that the pair departed into the shadowy tunnels and formulated a plan of escape for all of them.
"Are you sure you can run the portal system in the control room?" the dark one asked.
"I'll manage."
End of Chapter 1