Mystique stepped into the room and flipped on the light switch. Seat around the large brown table was some of her Brotherhood team. There was Robert DaCosta and the steel man Colossus. Sitting next to Colossus was his lover Avalanche. Bobby Drake and toad were playing cards with one another. Marrow wasn't present though because was on a separate mission assigned to her by Exodus. Perhaps if she finished her mission quickly she could participate in this battle with the X-Men. It would most definitely be one to remember. Today her lover's students would fall.

"Wait and you will find success hidden amongst the sand of the largest desert. This lesson we have learned well. Xavier's students fall this day," Mystique exclaimed.

Avalanche was the first one to stand up, "No offense Mystique, but we're a few members short here. Even at full capacity we couldn't stand up to the X-men. I really don't feel like going to S.H.I.E.L.D. again. It wasn't the best experience."

"Just in case you weren't informed Dominic the X-Men are three members shorter. They're emotionally unstable at the moment and they're vulnerable. Wolverine and his lot will come with great speed because of their stupid hope that Charles is still alive," Mystique explained. Her expression was an intense one filled with hate. Defeat was still bitter in her mind and he was determined to atone for her defeat by the hands of those mutant whelps. She had to remain cool and collected in front of her soldiers. Anger was not a trait Exodus liked to see in his servants.

"Okay Mystique are we forgetting something here? What are we going to do about your turncoat daughter and son?" Sunspot asked saying what every one wanted to know. Rogue and Nightcrawler were only talked about in hushed discussions.

"Kill them! End of discussion, " Mystique bellowed. Her hurt over her son and daughter's betrayal still resided deep in her heart. There was no way to atone for that kind of betrayal in her mind. Perhaps that's why Xavier shot her. Betrayal was something he never took well to. When Magnus separated from Xavier he took it quite hard. Raven remembered that day well. Xavier had lost his best friend that day.

"Hey Mystique snap out of it! You were off in dreamland there for sec," Iceman said waving his hand wildly. The big M had been on edge for a while. Exodus was putting the pressure on all his commanders to step it up and put his plans into motion faster. Raven was one of those commanders along with Fabian Cortez, Mr. Sinister, and New Sun. Mystique despite her coolness was beginning to crack under the pressure. A person could only take so much at one time.

"Just prepare for the battle ahead Bobby and don't worry about me. I want you all to run battle drills 8 and 21! We can't afford to be slacking in the battle with the X-Men despite their apparent flaws," Mystique commanded. Slowly her form changed into Charles Xavier wearing a tattered suit. Colossus, Mystique's third recruit after Rogue and Nightcrawler, remembered the days when raven could barely use her abilities. Accord to her back in her early days with Xavier her powers ran rampant. With the arrival of Exodus, Mystique's life and powers changed forever. Once she joined him there was no going back. She was trapped in his game of global domination with no way out.

Istanbul

'So you finally showed? I didn't' think losing your hands affected a person's peed," Caliban mocked as the cloaked pink skinned woman entered his humble abode. This day was one Caliban had been waiting for a while. Ever since Exodus imbued him with prophetic sight unwillingly Caliban had been on the run. And to run from Exodus was to run from inevitable death. But even as his assassin approached him Caliban couldn't help, but to feel pride in the fact he had given the X-Men some form of a fighting chance. And a chance was all they needed.

"You manage to make jokes when death stares you in the face deserter. How utterly disgusting," Marrow exclaimed as bone dagger launched from the stump that was her hand into Caliban's neck. Red blood splattered all over Marrow's black cloak. She would have to take the back roads to avoid the Turkish public. Last thin g she needed was to be chased down by a mob of poor people. She only wished she could be in Argentina to see the X-Men get wiped out by her fellow Brotherhood. Stabbing that Wolverine straight through was something she had been dreaming of doing ever since he took her hands. Perhaps Exodus would allow her to have some fun and kill some humans. That would keep Marrow's mind off of Wolverine and what she wanted to do to him.

Madrid

Vargas stepped out of the alley and was in front of the Conquistador nightclub. This was where the man had wanted him to be. The Conquistador wasn't exactly in the part of town Vargas preferred to venture into though he had performed quite a few jobs for various people in his area. Some more important than others, but money was money.

"Hello Vargas. I'm glad to see you showed. My name is Nathaniel Essex though my friends call me Mr. Sinister," a white-faced, ebony haired man said as he stepped out of what seemed a shadow. The red diamond on the middle of his forehead and his glistening white teeth all showed Vargas this wasn't going to be his normal employer. He was a Spaniard after all, so he surely didn't' mind having a little fun. Though Sinister's type usually bought a little too much fun.

"What is it you want of me… Mr. Sinister?" Vargas asked. The man who was either a make-up fanatic or a mutant, smiled and that was all Vargas needed to see. Sinister had far more in mind for him than simple assassination. This was definitely not going to be the usual job for him.

"I want you to join my team the Marauders. The most elite fighting force in the planet."

Attilan

New Son stepped to where the King of the Inhumans, Black Bolt, sat. Beside him was his wife, medusa, and brother, Maximus. If what Exodus said was true the Inhumans were a force to beckoned with. He could tell from Black Bolt's expression that he wasn't pleased and that was going to make New Son's job all the harder. As if the mission wasn't already hard enough.

"The King wishes to know why an intruder is in his court," Maximus said. New Son tensed as he felt Maximus try to pierce his thoughts. Exodus had given him adequate protection and he could see the look of defeat on Maximus's face. That pleased New Son a great deal.

"I'm a servant of Exodus! I've come bearing a message from him," New Son said as the entire Inhuman Royal Court gasped simultaneously. New son could only hope that gasp was one of respect or fear. Because if it wasn't anything otherwise he was in a great deal of trouble. Fighting Black Bolt would be tough enough let alone the whole Inhuman Court. Black Bolt quickly held up his hand to silence all the connection. The look on the King's face surprised New Son.

"What does the dreaded Exodus want from the Inhuman Kingdom?" Medusa asked. Just the mention of that creature's name made her heart skip a beat let alone saying it. What could that beat possibly want with her kingdom again? They had already paid their debt to him in full.

Argentina

Dazzler and the rest of the X-Men came through a large tube shaped portal. Slipstream was the last to come out of the portal since he had to maintain the integrity of the portal. The X-men all landed on the ground mangled and twisted. Wolverine and Alastaire were the first mutants to arise from the ground. Slowly everybody else followed though most just wished they could have stayed on the ground.

"What a raggedy bunch of mutants! I wonder who they've come to find?" Mystique asked to herself knowing good and well that the X-Men sought their beloved Professor.

"Don't try to BS us Mystique! Tell us where he is and now!" Cyclops demanded harshly. His disgust with the vents of late was shining through brighter than ever. He wanted the Brotherhood badly. And he wanted the Professor back worse than words could say. Without Xavier the lives of the X-Men had been in freefall. They wanted and more than that, needed Xavier in their lives.

"BSing is the best part of these type of things," Avalanche laughed coming out of the building with his teammates at his back.

"And you would think they would learn from the first whupping," Psyche mocked.

"Oh we did learn plenty Ms. Grey. We learned how to fool you into thinking Xavier was here! We dug into your hearts! Group hug Brotherhood!" Mystique commanded as the two teams charged towards each other preparing to fight to the finish. One group sought revenge and the other group had thought they were seeking a dead leader. It was love and hate. Which could conquer?

Sunspot went flying right into Slipstream knocking him to and fro with a couple of well-placed punches. You could hear bones snap and crack after each of DaCoasta's blows. Davis yelped in pain, but quickly gained his composure. He created a portal under Sunspot causing the mutant to lose his advantage. As Roberto fell through the portal Slipstream closed it halfway cutting the mutant in half.

Davis saw from across the battlefield that Cyclops couldn't get a good aim at Avalanche who was tearing apart the Earth's crust below him. Scott tried vainly to get in a good shot. Slipstream opened a portal right above Avalanche and down from it rained the other half of Sunspot's body. Dominic was distracted long enough for Cyclops to blast the mutant directly in the face. His helmet melted and all flesh flew from Avalanche's face as Cyclops's blast made impact. In the end only a skull was left. Another Brotherhood member bit the dust.

"Thanks Davis. Now see about…URKK!" Cyclops yelled as three large ice spikes in a row stabbed him through his abdomen. Turning around for the briefest of moments Scott saw Iceman and then he fell to the ground dead. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth.

"That was for Avalanche you prick!" Iceman yelled. Then he smiled devilishly as he saw a horrified Slipstream watch from afar. Completely in a state of shock Slipstream didn't see the ice spikes flying right at him until it was too late. Luckily, for Davis a blinding light passed in front of him and all the ice fell to the ground harmlessly as water.

"You've got to be more careful Davis! We can't afford any more causalities," Dazzler commanded sounding like a battle-hardened warrior.

Slipstream wanting to get back to the fight saw that Alastaire and Wolverine were locked in combat with Colossus. He opened a portal in front of himself to get to Logan and his friend, but before he even had a chance Alastaire ignited Colossus with his powers. The battle was quickly over and Piotr was another fallen warrior in the battle.

"We've got to get to Mystique! If we kill her we save everything," Wolverine said reminding the team of Caliban's words. Slipstream immediately turned his attention to a large platform where Mystique was locked in combat with Nightcrawler and Rogue.

Slipstream enveloped himself in a portal as well as Wolverine and Alastaire. In a matter of seconds all three mutants where on the platform. They were ready to end the threat of the Brotherhood once and for all.

They had already arrived to late though. Rogue had wrapped her mother in an embrace and you could see the pain on both their faces. She was absorbing all of her mother's being.

"Let her go! Rogue! You'll kill her and you," Nightcrawler pleaded.

"It's got to end Kurt! It's got to end," Rogue yelled in reply.

After only a few more seconds both women fell to the ground unconscious. Wolverine checked Mystique's pulse to only find it was gone. And from what Psyche could tell through her telepathy Rogue was brain dead.

"What happens now?" Slipstream asked.

"Handling Exodus we be a top priority," M suggested. Everyone was in agreement with that.

"First we give Cyclops a proper burial and then do everything in our power to find Exodus and what his plans are," Wolverine commanded directing his team somberly back down to the bloody battlefield below.

"Iceman got away! Figures that some remnant of the Brotherhood would escape," Dazzler mumbled to herself.

"Iceman, Toad, and Marrow all weren't in the battle. At least two Brotherhood members are still out there."

"Alastaire's right and they might have information we need about Exodus," Slipstream said.

"Then we find those three…by any means necessary," Wolverine said unsheathing his claws to emphasize his meaning.