ISSUE #5

' Undo these chains my friend I'll show you the rage I've hidden. Perish the sacrament. Swallow, but nothing's forgiven. You and I... Can't decide... Which of us was taken for granted~ Make Amends... Some of us are destined to be outlived~'

Nathan sung to himself as he thought back to his time at the institute.

" Come on, Sparky. We're moving out."

Logan said as he and the rest of X-Force walked into the room

" Right, let's do this."

Stryfe said as he placed his mask back on.

X-Force boarded their ship and went on the hunt for Risman and Rahne.

" We don't have any leads on Risman yet. But we do know where there are Purifier bases. We're going to hit every single one of those bases until we find where Risman took Rahne. And we're going to kill every single one of those bastards."

Logan explained to the group.

" Understood."

Laura responded.

" Let's do it."

Warpath stated.

" They have stained our planet with their evil deeds. They have taken the lives of children. Innocent. My hands will dye this red army crimson. And my blade will Dye anyone who tries to stop us, Scarlet."

Stryfe declared.

" Well, said."

Logan said as the jet took off

X-Force spent hours searching for any clue they could to find Risman. Killing, Maiming, Torture! Nothing was left off the table for these three killers.

" A blow torch Wolverine? No, let me show you how to get Information."

Stryfe said to the man as he pushed him away from the captured Purifier they had.

" You should let, Wolverine do it Stryfe. You don't have experience with torture."

Laura said to Stryfe.

" My dear X-23. You have no idea what I can do now. Sit back and watch. PFFFFFFFEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!"

Stryfe whistled into the man's ear.

" ARRRRRRGH!'

The man screamed in agony as the noise rippled through his eardrums.

" Do you feel that? That's the feeling of sound traveling through your ears at such a sharp intensity that if feels like someone is dragging a razor through your ears. I can do other things to you know. For instance. With a well-placed strike I can increase your sense of touch. Like this."

Stryfe said as he dug his finger into the arm.

" ARRRRHGHHH!"

The man's body convulsed violently.

' STEP INSIDE! SEE THE DEVIL IN I!'

Stryfe sung to himself as he tortured the man.

" Feels like you're being pulled apart piece by piece. Atom by atom. Doesn't it. Are you crying?"

Stryfe asked the man who had finally broken down into tears from the pain.

" Why are you crying? I haven't even gotten started yet. Did you cry when your brothers and sisters killed innocent children?"

Stryfe asked the man in fear.

" Is he really doing this?"

Warpath asked.

" Yes... Yes, he is."

Laura replied as she watched the man torture the purifier.

" I can do many things to your body with sound. Now, all of this can end if only you just give us what we want. You do that and I will let you go. Don't give us what we want, and this will continue for hours. Oh, and don't lie to me. I can tell when you're lying."

Stryfe said to the man.

" Oh dear. Not talking? Well, I gave you the chance."

Stryfe said as he placed his hand on the man's head.

" Wait!"

The purifier yelled out.

" I'm listening."

Stryfe said to the man.

After taking a few minutes to listen to what the man. The group finally had a location. A lead to where their friend was.

" You'll let me go now, right? You promised."

The man cried.

" Yes, I promised. And I'm a man of my word I'll let you go."

Stryfe said as he cut the man loose.

" You're letting me go?"

The man asked.

" Yes, I said I would let you go... But she's a different story."

Stryfe said as he turned the man's attention to the approaching X-23.

" NO!!! You promised UGKH!"

The man screamed in terror before Laura drove her claws into the man's neck.

" Come on! We got a location

" How did you learn to do that?"

Warpath asked.

" I experimented. Had to learn how to catch food somehow. Rats don't like the noise so, I figured it would be just as bad for human. It really helped when it came to taking down gangsters. Almost all of them cry before the real torture begins."

Stryfe explained.

" Wait? You ate rats? Your family didn't have any food at all?"

Warpath asked.

" Don't have any family Warpath. The only thing I had was myself."

Stryfe replied.

" Not no more. I got your back kid."

Warpath stated.

Stryfe stopped and looked at the man before continuing his walk back to the jet.

" You and I, Wrong or Right... Traded a lie for leverage. In between... The lens in light... You're not what you seem."

Stryfe sung out loud this time.

" Hm, what is that?"

Logan asked.

" Something I used to keep me on the up and up. Well, as much as I could be anyway. ~Undo these chains my friend... I'll show you the rage I've hidden. Perish the sacrament... Swallow, but nothing's forgiven. You and I... Can't decide... Which of us was taken for granted~ Make Amends... Some of us are destined to be outlived~

Stryfe sung to the group

" What does it mean?"

Warpath asked.

" That is just one Verse."

Stryfe replied.

" Is it a song?"

Warpath asked.

" Let's go."

Stryfe said to the group.

The group boarded the Jet and went straight to the location the purifier gave them.

EAST OF MISSOULA, MOUNTAIN.

" These are Blackfoot lands."

Warpath stated.

" Then it's good thing we have an Apache with us, or else I'd feel bad for all of the blood that's about to stain this beautiful town."

Stryfe declared.

Stryfe stood atop the cathedral and let out a small whistle. Using his soundwaves to look for their target.

" There's only one heartbeat I can hear. This is strange."

Stryfe declared.

" Lead us to it. We have to search everywhere we can."

Logan said.

Stryfe nodded and the group took off towards the heartbeat.

" This smell. I know it. She's here."

Logan stated.

" She is? Then we have to hurry!"

Warpath declared.

The group ran all the way to the warehouse where Rahne was being held.

" Move aside."

Stryfe said as he ran ahead of the group. He pulled his mask to the side and let out a whisper.

" break away."

Stryfe whispered. His whisper tore the door to the warehouse with ease.

" RAHNE!"

Warpath yelled when he saw the girl.

" No please god. Not again."

Rahne begged as Warpath cut her free.

" Rahne?"

Warpath called out as the girl looked up to him. Her eyes were glazed over. She was conscious but unaware.

" She's still alive! We have to get her help! Move!"

Warpath yelled as he carried the woman out of the warehouse.

Stryfe, Wolverine, and X-23 followed close behind him.

But as they were retreating Stryfe turned around and with one word.

" Destroy!"

Blew the entire warehouse into Smithereens.

After destroying the warehouse, X-force quickly returned to the jet and flew straight to Warrens home.

Along the way Rahne's condition changed for the worse.

Warpath jumped from the jet and ran into Warrens home.

" Warpath? James! What happened? Is she okay?"

Warren yelled after the man as Warpath ran into the house.

" Does she look okay Worthington?! She's seizing!"

Warpath yelled as he held the woman.

" HG! Hkk!"

Rahne choked out as her body convulsed violently.

"Come on Rahney, you can do this... Just hold on."

Warpath said as he hugged the woman.

" What happened?"

Warren asked.

" Purifiers injected her with an overdose of heroin... But they should have known it wasn't a lethal amount."

Laura explained.

" Let me help, Logan."

Warren said to the others as they came in.

" You wanna help? Go find Elixir right freaking now!"

Logan explained to the man.

" Pffffffffrrrrrr."

Nathan whistled into the woman's ears a gentle and soothing tune, to help her mind relax itself.

" What are you doing?"

Warpath asked.

" I'm using my soundwaves to help her mind. My sound can put her into a state of relaxation. Now let me focus."

Stryfe explained before returning to his whistling.

A few hours later Warren arrived with Elixir to help Rahne's condition.

" Go take a rest. I can handle it from here. And Nathan. I'm glad to see you're alive."

Josh said as he arrived in the room.

" You too Josh. You too."

Nathan replied.

" I'm going to leave you guys alone. I need some air."

Nathan said to Warpath before leaving the building. He walked outside towards the only two heartbeats he could. He was hoping to talk to someone who could understand what he was feeling after the long week they had.

" Laura! Get your hands off her!"

Nathan yelled as he saw logan choking the girl against the tree.

" Shut up and listen! Rahne Sinclair has two things we'll never get back... Hope and Innocence. She's who we save... She's why we risk our lives. She's who we die for!"

Logan yelled at the girl.

" LOGAN!"

Stryfe yelled as he grabbed the man off the woman.

" Knock it off now! Before I flatten ya!"

Stryfe warned.

" Rahne's going to be fine. Take a walk Logan. Cool off Now!"

Stryfe yelled at the man.

" Fine! I need a beer!"

Logan grumbled as he walked away from the two.

The two stood there in the snow for a few moments in silence before Nathan finally spoke again.

" Laura? What happened to us? What happened to you? I tried to find you; you know. I looked for you ya know. What happened?"

Nathan asked the woman.

Laura looked at the man and started to walk off.

" No! Not this time! You're not running away from this again."

Nathan said as he stopped the woman from leaving.

" You said we wouldn't do this before. But we're resting now. We aren't in the field. As crazy and as fucked up as I knew you were Laura, I still found a way to love you. As crazy as you were, you were never this cold hearted. What happened Laura?"

Nathan asked the woman again.

" Nathan... What do you want from me?"

Laura asked the man.

" I just want to know what happened to the woman I love."

Nathan stated.

" Nathan... You're a good man. Honest and Kind. Me and Logan... We're not. We're weapons. We were made for this life. And if you stay with me... You'll only suffer for it."

Laura stated.

" Laura. Do you think any of that matters too me? After everything I've been through, do you think a life of pain is something I'm afraid of? I've spent the last six months doing exactly what we've been doing this past week. The only difference is I did it alone. I don't want to be alone again Laura."

Nathan explained to the woman.

" Nathan, you don't know me like you think you do. The things I've done. The things I will do. I've hurt people. Everyone who's ever been good to me I've killed with my own hands. I don't want your blood on my hands too Nathan."

Laura said to the man.

" Then tell me Laura. I'll listen to whatever you have to say. Laura, I care about you too much to just walk away. Okay, you've done some horrible things. I've done some horrible things myself. If you're already on a one-way trip to hell, then I'll be right there with you. If you'll let me."

Nathan said to the woman as he held her hands

" Nathan, you'll regret this for the rest of your life. This is a mistake

Laura said to the man as she looked into his scarred eyes.

" Then it will be my mistake to make."

Nathan said to the woman as he leaned down to kiss her.

Laura swallowed hard and leaned up to reciprocate the kiss, but suddenly stopped.

Sniff Sniff.

" Nate."

Laura stated.

" I hear the screams. Let's go!"

Nathan said to Laura as he raced back towards the house.

He arrived to see Rahne attacking Elixir and Warren.

" PFFFFFFRRRRR!"

Stryfe whistled loudly causing the woman to grab her ears in pain.

" Sleep! Pfffffrrrrrr!"

Stryfe changed his whistling into a gentle one. Rahne soon collapsed onto the ground and fell asleep.

" Josh! Are you okay?"

Nathan asked as he held the boy in his arms.

" Argh!"

Stryfe yelled in pain as Rahne attacked him in the back. Stryfe turned around and slammed his fist into her gut knocking her from the house.

" Damn it! The heroin must still be in her system, she shouldn't have woken up that fast."

Stryfe said as he held Elixir in his arms.

' Damn, her claws are sharper than any blade I've been stabbed with.'

Stryfe thought.

" Nathan!"

Laura yelled as she ran into the room.

" Where's Logan and Warpath? We need to get them together. Rahne's gone rogue!"

Stryfe declared to the girl as he held Josh in his arms.