Shaitan and Bishop walked into the hotel room. The walls were painted red and the carpet oozed crimson. White sheets were littered with spots of dried blood. An overwhelming stench overtook the noses of the two investigators. It was the smell of dry blood.

As a member of XSE, Bishop had many samplings of this foul smell. He couldn't remember the first time when he really smelt dry blood, but every time it was just as foul. Rebirth had obviously accomplished his goal.

Shaitan had also met with this reeking smell when he was back in his home dimension. Killian had murdered the Frost sisters and left them in a bloody mess. Shaitan and the rest of the Avengers eventually found the Frost sisters, but by that time they had been dead for a week.

"Looks like we didn't make it in time to help Big Frank, Bishop said as he walked past one of the bloody beds and saw a lone finger on the floor. From the choppy cuts bishop knew that it had taken a few strikes before the finger disembarked from the rest of Frank's body. Obviously Rebirth was going to for torturing this victim, but why hadn't anyone hard Frank's screams or pleas for help? That's what bugged Bishop the most.

"Bishop! C'mon over here! I think I found Frank," Shaitan yelled catching Bishop's attention. Walking over to the little closet Shaitan was peering into the private investigator saw what remained of Big Frank. Shaitan had to hold back the urge to vomit. This Rebirth was truly an inhuman monster.

"We need to find Rebirth and now! I don't want him to snatch up another man. No one deserves to die that brutally! No one!" Bishop exclaimed.

Shaitan, still in the form of Gambit, looked to Bishop and nodded in agreement. Rebirth was going to pay for the chaos he had caused here today. He would personally make sure of that.

Cairo

So when did you first meet Destiny? How did you two connect?

"I met her in Chicago. I think it was in the 30s when I first met her. Irene and her mother had been hiding out in a women's shelter from her homicidal father. She was so tender back then and she could barely understand her powers," Mystique said nostalgia overcoming her. She loved Irene more than she admitted and her death still stung her deeply. Raven had heard rumor of Legion being alive for a period of time. If only she could have been there. There would have been a bullet right through his head.

Why did you reach out to her? Why were you even at that women's shelter in the first place?

"I don't know. I can't remember exactly," Mystique said softly. She didn't like not knowing stuff and Crow was bringing stuff to her attention she had never realized was there before. She had just never thought about it. Raven had always been a woman of the present and future. She rarely dwelled on the past.

Do not become angry Mystique. I will help you remember.

Mystique sighed, "All you've been doing so far is let me know the things I don't remember. You haven't told me anything solid yet. Give me something solid and I'll continue these little talks with you Crow."

Fine. I will give you some solid facts. I was the doctor that helped give birth to you, but I had another doctor with me who wanted to witness the birth. He was the second person to ever you hold you after me. The man and I were good friends with your father, Baron Darkholme. I'm sure you know this man. His name is Nathaniel Essex. Unfortunately your mother never got to hold since she died giving birth to you, but your father, Essex, and myself watched over you carefully. I'm thinking we probably put a little too much of ourselves into you considering the aggressive streak you've had for quite some time.

"Essex? You mean to tell me that snake was there for my birth!" Mystique exclaimed highly angered at what was being thrown at her, but in a way she had asked for it. She wanted solid details and Crow had given them to her.

Yes Essex was very much there. He held such an interest in you. He was the man to activate your latent mutant powers. Back then Sinister was just beginning his experiments and you were one of his greatest successes at the time. He gave you power and trained you in it though he made you promise never to let your father know. Then when you were 18 he began to suspect you might tell your father of his experiments dealing with you. So he blocked out most of your memories and had someone kill your father. Have you ever wondered why your powers just came so naturally to you? Have you ever wondered why something about Essex always made your skin crawl? Now you know.

"Go away Crow. Leave me alone right now. I've got some stuff to think about," Mystique said in a voice that could barely be heard, but Crow obeyed her wishes nonetheless. Now he had Raven where he wanted her. Though he had to make sure she never found out one crucial detail. That he was the man Sinister had kill her father.

Chicago

Pamela struggled to find the key to open her apartment door. The hallway was dark and she could barely see her hands let alone the key to open the door. She was going to have to talk to the landlady about getting some better lighting down the halls though that old bag of wind was probably the cheapest Pamela knew besides for her great-aunt Ester.

"Got it!" Pamela exclaimed as she finally found the key and opened up the door. She flicked on the light before walking in and was surprised to see two people in her small living room.

A little yelp came from Pamela, but she swiftly became angry. "Who the hell are you two? If you're looking for a place to stay there's a shelter a couple of blocks over."

"We're not looking for place to stay. We're looking for you Greenwood. You are the Sickle," the little Filipino boy said in a tone that made Pamela cold. Something about him and the black woman he was with didn't sit right with her.

"Gotta catch my ass fist," Pamela exclaimed as she made a run for her door. Before she even had a chance it slammed in her face.

"Do not run away Pamela. I can take away all the hurt. The pain and sorrow can leave this world if only you help me," Yani said outstretching her arms to Pamela.

"And why the fuck would I want to do that?" Pamela asked as she picked up her unplugged lamp and threw at Yani. The porcelain lamp shattered on Yani's face, but the woman was even phased. Pamela knew that she was now in some deep shit.

"Why do you resist Pamela? I'm only here to help," Yani smiled.

"You only help yourself witch," a voice came from above as a black boot hit Yani in the forehead and sent her flying back into Pamela's brown coffee table.

Pamela looked to see a whirling black portal where her fan had once been. The man who had attacked the black woman was a man of black. His boots, clothes, hair, Edwardian hat, and cape were all of that color. Strangely enough the mystery man looked very much like the little boy that was with the black woman except the man's skin was much paler.

"King of Sorrow! How dare you interfere?" the little boy said outraged as he leapt up into the air to attack the King of Sorrow.

"Maurice fight Yani! She cannot control you," the King of Sorrow said as he grabbed his little brother's tiny leg and slammed him into a nearby wall. It pained Bimona to do this to his brother, but he knew that Yani's magic had made Maurice much more powerful than he should have been.

"Who are you?" Pamela asked meekly to her would be savior.

"I'm the King of Sorrow. We must leave now before Yani and my brother arise," he said offering his hand to Pamela.

"Not so fast! Don't move!" Detective Reiger said as he bust through the door with his gun pointed directly at the King of Sorrow's head.

London

Shinobi sat at his study. He was reading up on the some books his people had excavated for him. Of course he wasn't reading the original books, but instead he had copies that had been translated into English as best as possible. Supposedly they contained the true purpose and true destiny of the Hellfire Club. According to his archaeologists the Hellfire Club had been around since the days of early Mesopotamia.

Cracking open the book Shinobi began to read the first page.

The Hellfire is a defense against the Heavenrain. The Heavenrain is an army of unstoppable might that comes from the heaves wanting to claim the Earth for themselves. They would have conquered nearly 200 years ago if not for the intervention of the god, Madruk, and his mighty forces of good. He drove them back from whence they came. Though nothing can be driven away forever and the Heavenrain will return when it is least expected. Hellfire will be the only defense against the Heavenrain.

A few pages later Shaw came across another interesting tidbit of information.

The Hellfire must be three fold. White is the good, Black is the dark, and Gray is the equalizer. All three must be present to defeat the Heavenrain. The leader of the Black must be the one to keep the Hellfire stable and together. For without the Hellfire all is lost...this is only inevitable.

Shinobi closed the book and leaned back in his black plush leather chair. He closed his eyes and consumed himself in thought. Something important was soon about to happen. He just had to figure out exactly what.