“May I inquire how did you happen upon two dead mutants?” Sinister asked Darkstar. He knew well of enough of the Exiles battle in Greece and that the Exiles team was decimated as where his Nasty Boys. All of them were killed and Essex had held such hopes for the future potential of Ozymandias. The rest of the Nasty Boys were cannon fodder in Sinister’s mind, but nonetheless losing his “children” didn’t come easy to him. He wasn’t like the Dark Beast who treated everything he did with little regard. Perhaps one day Sinister would have the pleasure of showing Dark Beast the same amount of regard in a laboratory.

“They are far from dead I assure you and they’re fully intact. They seemed to be a little roughed up, but interdimensional travel can do that to you,” Darkstar said teasing Sinister with hints of how she came upon Yashida and Rasputin.

“I can see you want to tell me how you came upon them. It’s pouring out of your little eyes. So instead of playing your games explain yourself,” Sinister said getting straight to the point. He didn’t have time for games because in a short time he was launching a crucial and final assault against the very woman he was speaking to.

Darkstar huffed a little at Sinister’s impatient, but continued on, “Slimestar and some of my other agents found the two a couple of weeks ago only a few miles away from my complex. We immediately took them in hoping they were some of your people. After numerous tests we found they weren’t even in this reality until only a few hours before we found them. Then we conducted a few more tests and found that whoever had them did something very unique to them.”

“Unique? In what way?” Sinister inquired.

“It appears that their powers have been pushed to their next level by some mysterious type of graft. And when I say pushed to the next level I mean pushed to the next level!” Darkstar exclaimed.

“So what are you trying to propose Darkstar?” Sinister asked bluntly.

“You come to my base ALONE if you wish to retrieve them. I’ll give you two hours and then I’ll personally deliver the sons of bitches to Apocalypse himself,” Darkstar said in her thick Russian accent.

Against his better judgment and under the control of overwhelming curiosity Sinister replied, “ You can expect me there.”

With Sinister’s expected answer Darkstar began to laugh a deep and dark laugh within the bowels of her twisted and perverted soul. She should have thought of this sooner. Sinister’s own hubris was his curiosity and need to find perfection.

Essex turned off the image of Darkstar. The woman truly sickened him. She was such a devout servant of Apocalypse that even her own judgment was blinded. Perhaps Apocalypse didn’t tell his people how deadly a force Sinister could be solo. Maybe Darkstar would have to be the one to deliver the message that he was coming for Apocalypse’s head with all speed.

Flipping on the base’s intercom Sinister announced, “Plans have been slightly changed people. Information has just come in that an attack on Darkstar’s base would be utterly useless for our goals at the present time. All forces will be concentrated on the human camp itself. Let’s free these people and maybe gain a couple hundred more people in this little resistance. Sinister out.”

Across the base there were exchanged looks of confusion and surprise from all of Sinister’s charges. In the little time they knew Essex he rarely changed a plan. He added on parts to it sure, but it was still basically always the original plan. He was egotistical that he was sure his plans were always right from the get go. So to see him change them sent a wave of emotions over his people.