"Trust me Bishop. After you get the information I have you'll be begging me to stay away from that rock I crawled out from under," Mystique smiled as she pulled out a CD from her bra.

Bishop gave Raven an intense stare as he said, "Quite the place to hide it."

"You know me dear. I'm always what you never expect. Now onto the information," Mystique said waving the disk in front of her face.

"That's what we're here for isn't it?" Bishop asked rhetorically.

Mystique slid herself into a seat in front of Bishop's desk and placed the disk in front of Bishop. She slowly took her hands off of it as she said, "This disk contains all the financial information of Shinobi Shaw, Cordelia Frost, and Emplate. It also has extensive information on all of Vanisher's drug routes and all the people who work under him. It also gives info on all the contacts that all the members of the Hellfire Club have made over the years of their careers. Pretty much it comes down to the fact that with this disk you can attack the Hellfire Club in any way you can think of."

"Really now. How about you?" Bishop asked already knowing the answer. He really just wanted to test Mystique's resolve. Bishop wanted to see just how much Mystique could take.

"You know I can't tell you too much about me, but if you really want to know you can always just ask. So do we have a deal?" Mystique asked leaning back in her seat.

"Doesn't mean I trust you by a long shot, but I'll keep big bad Shinobi away from you for now," Bishop grunted snatching the disk off the desk.

"Guess I'll be going now. We'll be in touch," Mystique said getting up from her chair and changing into an old man as she walked out of the door.

As Mystique closed the door the telephone ringed. Bishop was cautious to pick it up because he knew that it was Pamela on the other line. Bishop bent over and picked up the phone. He answered, "Hello."

"Hey Luther. We need to talk and I want to know everything. No holding back," Pamela said sounding more determined than he had ever heard her before.

"Fine let's talk and I won't hold back. I'm warning you though. It's not going to be pretty," Bishop said secretly hoping Pamela would give up her quest for information. He knew it wasn't going to happen though.

Michigan

"Care to explain to me why we're here at Lake Michigan?" Vanisher asked Trevor Fitzroy. Shinobi had sent them here for some unknown reason. Well, unknown at least to Vanisher.

"We're waiting for a specific boat to show. It's suppose to have some cargo that Shinobi has been waiting for quite some time," Fitzroy explained.

"You're still holding something back Trevor. Don't play games with me or I'll teleport your damn head off!" Vanisher yelled.

Trevor knew Telford meant every word of it so he quickly told the drug lord why they were here, "A mutant who owes Shinobi a favor. That's why were here. He wants to make sure the mutant doesn't try to make any sudden movements and if he does we'll kill him. You'll probably be better suited to do that."

"Probably, but I don't like being Shinobi's little call boy. Maybe you do since he's family to you and all," Vanisher mocked.

Trevor laughed a laugh that showed he knew more than he let on, "Maybe, but think of it this way Vanisher. The more he uses us the more he begins to depend on us."

Vanisher remained silent because the point that Trevor had made was a valid one and that made Fitzroy all the more dangerous to Telford. He was the lion lying in wait to take down the sheep.

Bishop Investigations (The Next Day)

"Can you tell me when these objects were stolen from you?" Bishop asked wanting to gather all the information he could about this case he was about to undertake. The old black man, about in his 70s had asked him to find some missing jewels called the Century Tools. Obviously the old man was very affluent and eccentric because he honestly believed the jewels to hold mystical power.

"They were taken from me about two weeks ago. I need to have them back, sir. They are precious to me and I need them more than you can understand. The jewels are all I have left of my dead wife and they protect me from my foes," the man mumbled pitifully.

"I'll find them, but I have two more questions. One more important than the other. Who do you believe stole your jewels and what kind of payment can I be expecting here," Bishop said bluntly. He wasn't running a free business and though he hated to ask he did need payment for whatever he undertook. This was going to be his first "official" case and money was already running low.

The old man smiled as he took the briefcase next to him and laid it on the table. He popped open the suitcase and Bishop could hardly believe his eyes. Seeing his shock the old man said, "100,000 up front. If the jewels are found you'll get another 15,000. As for who I think stole my jewels. Well, I'm not sure if you know of him, but I do believe Shinobi Shaw stole my jewels."

That name almost knocked Bishop back. He knew he was going to have a reckoning with Shinobi, but never did he think this soon. Maybe the Century Tools did have power in them if Shinobi took the time to steal them. Bishop laid back in his chair and said, "Consider me on this. I'll have your jewels back to you soon enough and don't worry about the 15,000. The 100,000 is more than sufficient enough."

"You're a good man Mr. Bishop. A very good man indeed," the geriatric said getting up from his chair slowly and heading out the door. Bishop sighed as the man left.

"Shinobi. This is it. I'm going to take you down and I have Mystique to thank for it," Bishop said holding up the disk that he had only gotten yesterday.

New York

"Did Bishop take the bait?"

"Of course and he's going to go straight for Shinobi. No doubt about that. Instead of letting Shinobi come to Bishop we'll just bring Bishop to him."

"Yes that makes sense. So is there any way for Shinobi to unlock the Century Tools?"

"There's always a way and there is a mutant in the custody of Vanisher and Fitzroy that could very well unlock the power of the Tools."

"What if Shinobi unlocks the Century Tools before Bishop can get to them? Then what happens?"

"He won't. In fact that mutant won't even get to Shinobi. Even as we speak one of our agents is headed straight for Trevor and Vanisher. Bishop will get to those jewels. No doubt about that."

"Then the invasion can commence once the jewels are in our possession?"

"No! Even then we must wait for the appropriate time. All the pieces are not yet in place."

Moscow 2138 A.D.

"Are we in the right place?" Immanuel Dane said as he approached the tore-down building. Coming into the ruin of the old Soviet Communities was not something you normally did.

"Yes this is the right place Immanuel. This is where the time machine is. It's been years since I've been to this place. I can hardly believe I'm back here. Are you ready Dane? This isn't something easy we're bout to do," Timothy LeBeau said looking Immanuel straight in the eye.

Dane nodded his head as he said, "This is what we gotta do though. We can't allow Bishop to kill Shinobi Shaw. If he does we get this wasteland of a future…"

"And Bishop as our dictator," Tim said grimly as he pushed open the rusted door of the facility.

New Orleans 2198 A.D.

"Immanuel Dane and Timothy LeBeau must be stopped. If my great-grandfather is stopped from killing Shinobi Shaw this peace we have achieved will mean nothing in the end. I want you to stop them at all costs. Even if it means killing them," Nora Bishop said seated on her throne cloaked in her ceremonial black robe. She was the leader of the pacifist kingdom, Greenwood, named after Bishop's love.

"Yes, we understand Queen Nora," Steven Maximoff said bowing down to his ruler. He was Greenwood's top warrior and though he detested fighting he would do it if it meant protecting his kingdom.

"Good Steven. You're a great warrior and pleasure to have amongst our kingdom. I'm greatly pleased with you. Now see the Sorcerers Wanton and he will bring you back to the proper time. Stop Immanuel and Timothy. Our lives and very existence rest upon your shoulders," Nora said gently.

Author's notes

A little time-travel, a little mystery, the unknown manipulator, and the Hellfire Club! I'm know I'm throwing a lot at you guys and that I didn't exactly impress with my first issue, but I'm hoping to maybe at least incite some interest in what I'm doing. I'm going to continue on though. I know the time-travel stuff is something people probably want to move away from with Bishop, but it's not going to be a constant thing. Trust me. It's more going to set-up new feelings and what not in Bishop about who he is and what he does.

-Troy