Here is the latest chapter and sorry it took so long (I've been busy with other things) hope you all enjoy it (and review it).

Strayphoenix- I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you don't hate me for adding a second love interest to the Jott story (it's in this chapter) and yes I boosted the rating but only after you reminded me I should lol, incidentally Thanks for all the support I would have given up on this story if it wasn't for your reviews so keep them coming.

War In The Skies

"What's wrong 'Crawler you seem nervous?" asked Scott as he walked hand in hand with Jean while Kurt darted across their path with leaps listening intently to the noises as they reverberated around the high canyon walls around them. Spyke remained as a rear guard.

"Something is very wrong, I feel as if ve are being vatched" said Kurt in his curious accent, his ears were more sensitive then the others. Jean opened her mind slightly and was hit by a surge of thoughts.

"The walls around us are packed with people" said Jean as she looked up into the air at the high walls looking for signs of the people, she squinted into the sun until a large dark shadow like that of a giant bird hovered over them.

"Phoenix" thought Scott as he tightened his hand on Jeans, he had seen the giant arc of flame surge around Jean, he had heard her voice change and he remembered his dream the night before they found her, the giant bird above sent shivers down his spine. He still had his fear of the giant bird that carried him and his father away when he was nothing but a child.

The dark shape descended quickly as if it was going to attack, Spyke got there first. Spyke launched his spikes into the air as the creature span and twirled to avoid them but still kept coming, his boot cracked hard into the face of Spyke which sent him reeling backwards.

Kurt teleported onto the creatures back and began to wrestle as it flew into the sky with Kurt screaming on his back. "Give me one good shot Jean" said Scott as he removed his bandages, Jean guided his sight as he locked onto the shape and opened his eyes. A giant crimson beam shot from his eyes and burned through the sky connecting with the creature which began to spiral towards the ground from way above the high walls of the canyon.

As the two figures of Kurt and the creature hurtled towards the ground a giant net of vines shot from one side of the canyon to the other as both landed softly and silently in it's embrace. Jean looked up with a sigh of relief when suddenly rocks and stones began to rain down on them from above.

The three dodged expertly but a large rock (about the size of a baseball) connected with Scott's head, thrown with such force from such a height Scott crumbled to the floor. Jean's eyes went wide as fire erupted around her at the sight of her fallen love, the rocks stopped in mid air before they shot to the ground in the shape of two platforms. Jean levitated Scott into the arms of Spyke and then the two of them onto one of the pillars while she climbed the other.

The pillars shot into the air as the rock from the ground beneath them shot into the air causing the very walls of the canyon to shake "I am Phoenix and we shall not be harmed…we will destroy" screamed Jean as the form of her and Spyke broke through the net.

The fire suddenly died down as Jean saw the faces looking at her, hundreds of them men women and children all holding rocks all terrified.

"Who are you?" asked Jean as she looked at the faces and at what she could now see was a beautiful city built into the side of the walls.

"We are the Alterians" came a voice to her left, she turned and saw a man with long blonde hair to his waist hovering in mid air with giant fifteen foot wings splayed out by his side "I am Angel leader of my people…who are you?"

"I am Jean and we are on a mission from the high god Xavier when you attacked us" said Jean, she could feel the flames of power licking at her from inside her mind and body, so close to the surface they were that it took all her might to fight them back.

"I think you shall find that it was your friend who attacked me as I came to offer the hand of friendship" said Angel as he pointed to Spyke, Kurt was seeing to Scott's injuries.

"We thought you were going to attack us" said Jean as she cast her eyes down, they were the aggressors in this situation.

"You thought wrong" smiled Angel "But we are all entitled to make mistakes…all shall be forgiven if you give us the pleasure of your company this evening" smiled Angel with a bow, he was strongly attracted to the red head and his heart fluttered when she accepted.

…

The entire population of Alterians sat around eight magnificent tables with a ninth stretching along the width of all the others, at this table sat Angel and his guests.

"Is it always like this?" asked Jean as she bit into some bread and motioned to the gigantic meal.

"Yes we have a huge banquet each evening" smiled Angel with a nod "How are the rest of you enjoying our hospitality?"

Spyke and Kurt gave a thumbs up and an ok sign as they gulped down mouthful after mouthful of food "It would be better if I didn't have this headache" groaned Scott with a smile.

"You need a shell" said Spyke with his mouthful as he pounded a heavy hand onto his head "twelve rocks much bigger then the one that hit you bounced right off my head and I didn't even notice."

"Your friend speaks the truth my foot still aches from the kick I gave him" said Angel with a smile, he turned his face to his people before a frown spread across his heavenly face.

"What's wrong Angel?" asked Jean as her hand touched his shoulder.

"Our way of life is under threat" sighed Angel "and so are my skies but this is not the time for that now is a time for joy, we shall talk later…if you wish too of course."

"I wouldn't miss the chance for the stars themselves" smiled Jean back as Scott grimaced.

…

Later that night…

Jean stood on the balcony of Angel's quarters looking out into the starry night, the moon shone bright above them as Jean and Angel stared, Angels cat brushed against Jean's legs.

"I think Mystique has taken a shine to you" smiled Angel as Jean stroked the cat, it pushed through her hands and then sloped off into the dark "probably off to see another master somewhere" smiled Angel.

"You know sometimes I just wish I could leave all this behind and head for the stars" said Jean with a far away stare.

"Let us then" smiled Angel as he grabbed Jean by the waist and flew into the sky. The two glided along the canyon and high into the air smiling widely and laughing as they ducked and dived, Scott stood on his balcony not having as much fun.

Angel let Jean go for a third time as she began to freefall and he began to dive after her for the save when a dark shape streaked past him knocking him, Jean looked up and began to scream as she fell.

Angel dived at full speed with his wings pressed hard into his back to streamline himself and pulled up at the last second as his hands grabbed Jean. "I am so sorry" said Angel as he lowered her a few feet to the floor "They are who I wished to talk to you about, they and their king are forever encroaching upon our land and endangering our people…I need your help to destroy them"

…

"I do not think fighting is the answer" said Kurt as he thought over Angel proposition "We should try talking to them."

"It won't work I have tried and still they persist" growled Angel as he slammed his fist onto the table in front of him.

"I know their sort" said Spyke with a nod "understand nothing but violence. So lets give them some"

"What do you think Scott?" asked Jean as she stood with Kurt on one side and Angel on the other "we'll do what ever you say, so do we side with Angel's or demon's?"

…

"Thank you mein freund for listening to reason" said Kurt as he walked by Scott's side towards the giant citadel which sat surrounded by open planes near the canyon of the Alterians.

"This is jus a formality Kurt if this does not work we will help Angel in battle" said Scott with a nod as a giant black shape soared from the sky and landed near them, it's propeller stopped whirring as the man climbed down from the device.

"You must be the strangers who were seen leaving Angel's canyon?" said the man, Kurt and Scott nodded "Good the king wants to see you" nodded the man as he began to lead them towards the citadel leaving his machine.

The three walked through the citadels and Kurt and Scott could not believe what they saw, people were smiling and in good health, small boxes played music (something the man told them was called radio), chariots not drawn by any horses zoomed along the roads and there came light from glass balls without any candles. It wasn't long before they met the king.

He stood before them looking more like a mason then a king, his hair was a mess and his face was covered in black smudges. "Hi dudes" he smiled with a wave "I'm king Forge…by the looks on your faces I take it you like my city."

"What are all these things?" asked Kurt as he looked again at the candleless lights.

"Those are iridescent light bulbs…I invented them just like the cars and radios and the aeroplanes I believe your hear to talk to me about" smiled Forge.

"Yes that's why were here but how did you make such things, surely it is magic" said Scott as he stood staring at the area Forge's voice came from.

"No it's this knew thing I'm working on called science…these things just come to me and I just know how to build them…simple really" smiled Forge as he patted his latest invention, it was a long tube of metal "I call it a bomb".

"We came to talk to you about Angel and these aeroplanes" said Scott as he stroked the ginger tabby cat that brushed past him.

"Mystique come here" ordered Forge as the cat wandered away not listening "I tried to talk to him but he's totally unreasonable, he wants the entire sky to himself" sighed Forge.

"It is mine by rights" said Angel as he soared in through an open window with Jean and Spyke (Scott had sent a telepathic message once they knew they were welcome).

"It is not yours" said Forge rather calmly.

"It is and before I it belonged to the birds…if the gods had intended man to fly he would have given them wings, he gave them to me and therefore the sky is mine" said Angel.

"And the gods gave me ability to give men wings does that not mean that with enough hard work we can gain our place in the skies?" asked Forge, he had always believed with work anything was possible and that clashed with Angels ideals that being that he was born with wings gave him the right.

"Perhaps in time but man has not yet earned that right Forge…you have gave him machines and technology he is not ready for, it is like giving religion to a cow, they cannot respect it" said Angel.

"I have these ideas though my winged friend that I must do something about before they are wasted" sighed Forge, he knew that Angel was right, he realised it once he had built his latest weapon.

"Then use them for the good of man but do not give them to man, he would just abuse them" said Angel.

"I tried, I tried to bring your people help, vaccinations, dialysis but you cast me out!" yelled Forge as his anger rose.

"It was my peoples wish, they did not see you as helping they saw you as taking them further away from their god" said Angel.

"For that I am sorry" sighed Forge "I would like to help you if you would have me and if not I shall keep my people from the skies."

"You and your people are welcome in my land whenever you want, we shall rule them together as equals" said Angel as he shook the hand of Forge.

The two kings shook hands as Spyke stepped forward "You know I was looking forward to a fight but even without one I'm glad the way this turned out but we must talk…"

"He is right, you two have set yourselves and your people on a golden path but there can be no future for either of your people if we cannot defeat Magneto, his power grows day by day and we are in great need of warriors to help" said Kurt as he looked at the two kings.

"I have always known stories of Magneto and I know it is foolish to oppose him even if you do have Xavier, Storm and Sol by your side but you have my eternal debt and because of that you have my sword in battle with you" said Angel as he nodded solemnly.

"If my new partner is in then so am I, you have any of my technology you like and my life if you need it" nodded Forge.

…

The group left the kingdoms the next day and began North "Where are we going?" asked Forge as he walked.

"I say we head to the Volcano in the distance" said Angel as he squinted at the horizon, dark smoke rose from its centre but still the entire mountain was covered in snow "it is the home of Frost and Magma, surely they will help in the quest" yelled Angel as he flew above their heads, his eyes watching Jean carefully.

…

Meanwhile…

A small ginger tabby cat slinked into the great inner chamber of Magneto where he sat making his final plans for the upcoming battle, it mewed quietly before it stood and it's form twisted into the shape of a blue woman.

"they have accepted him and he is travelling with them and the fools don't suspect for a second that he is against them" smiled the woman.

"Excellent Mystique, surely he will be their undoing" laughed Magneto manically as his plan began to fall into position.

To Be Continued…

Next Time- The gods of Magma, Ice and Land in a free for all and what will happen when Scott and Alex's teams meet up again plus will the traitor be revealed.

Who is the traitor answers on a postcard…or in a review is it Forge? Angel? Or someone else?