A salty substance of some sort is placed on my lip. My eyes slowly begin to open, and my tongue unconsciously reaches out to sample the substance. It's unmistakable. Salty and a bit thick.

It's blood.

My blood.

I begin to assess my situation. My arms are suspended above my head. I'm bound to the ceiling by several belts expertly tied together. I strain against the bonds and discover that they were woven in quite nicely.

Not surprised. He's an expert in torture. Not only is he extremely adept at it, but he also enjoys it.

He, or should I say she, looks up at me from the chair he/she is sitting in. The body belongs to Pamela Greenwood, the one source I have in Chicago - who also happens to be a woman I don't completely trust. But the person in control of the body is Mountjoy - a criminal from the future where I come from.

Like myself, Mountjoy is a mutant. One who has the ability to inhabit different bodies or to "absorb" those bodies, permanently granting them their powers and abilities. I came to this era in order to apprehend ninety-five escaped convicts who traveled into the past. Ninety-three of them were eliminated.* Two remain - Mountjoy is one of those two.

[*Uncanny X-Men #287-288 - Dino]

When last we met, I made the mistake of letting him survive.* I won't make that same mistake twice. Mountjoy is free, and he's the mysterious serial killer currently stalking Chicago.**

[*In the very first Bishop limited series **Check out the past three issues - Dino]

This never should have happened. I should have been more alert. I should have been prepared.

Earlier

"Hello Bishop," Pam stated as she opened the door to the office. "I was hoping we could..."

"That we could what?" Bishop asked, turning away from her for a moment. Her eyes began to glow as her hand slipped into her coat and her fingers wrapped around the handle of a knife.

"That we could... talk..." she replied.

"About what?" Bishop asked, still keeping his back turned.

"I dunno... old times, maybe?" Pam replied, coming closer.

"We never knew each other save from our brief meetings when you worked at Harry's Hideaway in Westchester," Bishop stated, standing.

"Really?" Pam asked, her eyes returning to normal once he turned to face her. "You don't realize the significance of this date?"

Bishop looked down at the calander on his desk. August 15.

"August 15..." he muttered.

"August 15, 2101."

His eyes suddenly grew wide with horror. He looked up to see Pam grinning.

"The Summer Sizzle."

Bishop's lips curled into a snarl, his fists became tightly clenched.

"Mountjoy..."

"Do you remember why it was called the Summer Sizzle?" Pam asked. "Do you remember how many people I killed with that acid?"

"One hundred and fifty-two..." Bishop muttered.

"Yes, that was the highlight of my career... Ashame I could never live up to that same potential again. But that was before I came to this era. Now, I have the chance to establish myself as the greatest serial killer known to man. If you thought Jack the Ripper was ruthless and cunning, just wait until you see me in action. Think of it, Bishop. When you're born - if you're born, there will be legends of a serial killer who had bested Jack the Ripper. And he shall be me."

"Let the woman go, Mountjoy," Bishop ordered. "This is between you and I."

"I'd rather not," 'Pam' replied. "You see, I've grown quite fond of this body. This Greenwood woman is quite striking, wouldn't you agree? Of course you would, you'd be lying if you said you don't feel even the slightest bit of arousal around her."

'She' began to pull up Pam's shirt.

"Would you like to take a peek at what she has to offer..."

Bishop leapt at 'Pam,' and shoved 'her' down. He was careful not to cause too much injury, since he didn't want to hurt Pam's body. It was the man inside that he was after. His goal was to force Mountjoy to leave her body.

Before he could form a plan, he felt something sharp enter his side. And he only had one thought before the world faded to black.

Stupid, sloppy man. You played right into his hands.

Shorty's

"Thanks," Reiger stated as the waitress placed a beer on his table. This case was driving him insane. Luthor Bishop's private investigation had thrown everything into question. And now, Detective Jack Reiger was trying to figure out how to proceed from here.

"...the hell did Pam go?!"

"Not sure... she was here earlier, but then she just said she wasn't feeling too good and left."

"Sonnuva..."

Reiger listened to the conversation between the bar owner and one of the waitresses for a few minutes before noticing a man sitting at one of the tables. He was dressed in very unkept clothes and looked as if he hadn't bathed in weeks. In fact, on closer inspection, Reiger noticed that he was the same bum who usually sat outside the police station.

Reiger stood from the table and walked over to the man. He placed a twenty dollar bill on the table, and the man looked up at him.

"Here."

"Th-thank you!" the bum exclaimed, taking the bill and shoving it into his pocket.

"Don't mention it, Reiger stated. "Just try not to hang around the police department too much."

"Huh?" the bum asked. "I've never hung around the police department."

"It's all right, I'm not gonna report you or anything, but you'd be better off at a shelter."

"But, I never went to the police department."

Reiger noticed something. The man was confused about his obvious whereabouts. Just as Davis had been confused.

He quickly ran out the door, heading for his car.

Now

"You know what my one regret is, Bishop?" Mountjoy asked. "Not killing your sister,* or that weather witch.**"

[*In XSE #3 **Again, in the first Bishop limited series - Dino]

"But, Storm is still alive, so therefore, I can still kill her," he continued. "Shard, on the other hand... that really disappoints me that the Emplates got to her before I did."

"Shut up..."

"You're in no position to be making demands, my friend. In case you forgot, you're the one strung up and I'm the one with the knife."

Mountjoy grabbed Bishop's shirt and ripped it open. He then took the knife and made a quick, light slash along Bishop's chest.

"It has been so long since I actually tortured another living being," Mountjoy muttered. "I'd forgotten how much fun it was. Just to see them writhing there in agony... it's really quite marvelous how much punishment the human body can take before eventually expiring. There are about fifty different ways that I could severely injure you without killing you."

He drove the knife into Bishop's leg, then quickly pulled it out.

"That's one."

Bishop bit his lip to prevent him from crying out in pain - even a little bit. To do that was to show weakness, and he had to show Mountjoy that regardless of their positions, he didn't fear the madman. He was still in charge, and he still has the skill to eliminate Mountjoy.

So in that case... why is Bishop frightened?

I have worked out ten different possible escape plans. Unfortunately, nine of them require the use of my mutant powers. And the tenth requires a weapon of some sort - wheather it be a gun, a knife, or a keychain.

With my powers currently in remission, that means that I am even more vulnerable to Mountjoy than I would be otherwise. The question is, how do I convince him that I still have my powers? That may be my only ticket out of here.

"You're pathetic, Mountjoy."

"Coming from a man who's bleeding to death all over his own hardwood floors, that really hurts," Mountjoy stated.

"You've always been weak... Hiding inside of other bodies, afraid to fight your own battles like a man. And what is your goal? To follow in someone else's footsteps."

"Who better to follow in the footsteps of than the greatest serial killer of all time?" Mountjoy asked.

"Simply put, you have no ambition. You're nothing more than a copycat killer. You do what you do because it's a trend for you. I can at least have a modicum of respect for Fitzroy, due to the fact that he has goals and ambitions. But you, you're just... an addict. You kill to get a quick fix. This is just another attempt to downplay your massive inferiority complex."

"Shut up..." Mountjoy muttered.

"You're a weak, pathetic excuse for a mutant... Bantam received more respect than you did..."

"I said..."

"You do know that the prisoners snickered about you behind your back, don't you? To them, you were nothing more thank a joke - particularly with the way you dressed."

"...SHUT UP!!!" Mountjoy exclaimed, hurling the dagger. My teeth clenched as I felt the dagger strike my stomach.

It worked. He's taking the bait.

"I am really going to enjoy this..."

"You think you can run...? You think I haven't been prepared for this?"

I can feel the slack.

"You've lost it, Mountjoy... you have nothing left."

Slight tugs, use control. Remember your training.

"I was XSE."

I feel it come loose.

"We are prepared for everything."

I pull hard, undoing the bonds.

"You should know that by now."

I step forward, and almost collapse. I underestimated the effect the dagger had. I hadn't counted on it.

And I see the smile grow.

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

No answer.

Reiger moved closer to the door, to try and hear what was going on. He could make out voices. One was definitely Bishop's. The other, however, seemed garbled and mixed.

His hand reached for the doorknob, and he tried turning it. Locked.

Something was up. He could feel it. And he wish he knew what was happening.

"UGH!!!"

"You almost had me there for a moment, Bishop. However, here's a useful tip - when you're intimidating someone, be sure you can back yourself up."

Mountjoy purposely struck the wound. The pain is intense, blinding.

Have to fight it... have to get him...

Damn him, he's still inhabiting Pamela's body. As long as he is, I have to be careful about my course of action. He won't absorb her into him, though. He needs to leave her behind as a suspect to cover his trail.

Just as he did with the others.

He looks towards the door. I can hear it, too. Someone trying to turn the doorknob. I can see the silhouette in the window.

"Hmm... I wonder who that could be..." Mountjoy states. He picks up the bloody dagger from the ground and walks towards the door.

This is the chance I need. My weapons are in the closet. If I can reach at least one of them in time, the situation will be turned around.

Reiger could hear the footsteps of someone walking towards the door. He stepped back, his gun already drawn. He moved to the side, out of sight.

The door opened, and he took aim, pointing the gun at Pamela's head.

"You?" he asked. "The waitress?"

"Not quite," 'Pam' replied, eyes glowing bright red. She leapt at him, and the two tumbled on the ground.

Energy side-arms. At a lower setting, it can stun the victim. That's all I need to get Mountjoy out of Pamela's body.

I take aim, and find myself in a predicament.

Reiger has the gun to Pamela's head.

"I've got her," he said. "She's the serial killer, isn't she?"

"No," I tell him. "The man inside her is."

"What are you talking about?" Reiger asked.

"What's going on here...?" Pamela asked.

Her composure... she's confused... bewildered....

"Let her go, Mountjoy," I order, pointing the gun at Reiger.

"What are you talking about?" Reiger asked. "She attacked me and I overpowered her."

"You wouldn't be able to overpower Mountjoy," I warn. "Let her and the detective go."

"Don't be an idiot, Bi--"

*ZAKT*

I don't let him finish his sentence. The blast from the gun sends him flying back. I move forward, pushing Pamela behind me, and I take careful aim at Reiger's head, switching the setting on the weapon to lethal.

"What are you doing?" she asks. "What's going on here?!"

"Stay back, woman. This is none of your concern."

"You can't do it, Bishop..." the voice taunts. It's Mountjoy, slowly beginning to rise out of Reiger's body. "You know you can't. You couldn't do it last time we met, and you can't do it now."

The smile on his face is evident. He's confident that I've changed. He's positive that I will play by Xavier's rules.

*ZAKT*

He's wrong.

Professor Xavier is dead. I can't afford to play by his rules anymore.

Epilogue

"Subject is a white male, approx. 27 years old," the coroner stated into the tape recorder. "Cause of death is apparently from some sort of flame, as his chest is charred. I won't know for sure until I begin the autopsy, however."

He placed the tape recorder down on a table and picked up a scalpel. As he placed it on the corpse's chest, the hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

"What is--NO!!!"

The coroner collapsed on the body. Then, he stood up and smiled.

"I always wondered if that would work."

He slid the body which once belonged to Mountjoy back into the freezer and walked out of the morgue.

"Round one to you, Bishop."

NEXT ISSUE: Storm! Storm! Storm!