"As you can see this base is centered in the heart of the Amazon Jungle. The defenses guarding the base are small to nonexistent. We should have no problem getting into the base. The hard part is fighting our way through it and taking it down," Sledge explained as he floated in front of the large computer screen that gave a detailed map of the Brazilian Dawn Base. Behind him were Scribe, Gryphon, Post, Karma, and Gamemaster.

Suddenly the image of the outside of the base switched to the inside. On the screen was the blue outlining of the three floors and five basement levels of the base. In the center of the base was a large red circle and Sledge pointed to it. "This is the computer mainframe of the base. It connects into Shadow King's entire network. Scribe is going to get into that mainframe and with her powers save as much information as she can into her brain. The rest of you will create chaos and provide her with a distraction."

Karma could barely contain her rage at Sledge's plan. "Do you have any idea how many mutants are in that base? We'll be slaughtered!"

"I hate to agree with the whelp, but she does tell the truth. All of us possess sufficient power in the field of battle, but not that much power," Post said.

"That's why we're going to have help," Sledge said as he turned around and smiled.

"What kind of help are we talking about here?" Karma asked suspiciously. Gamemaster couldn't help, but to smirk at the question. He had seen in Sledge's mind all of his plans and he knew who Sledge's ally was.

A sound of metallic clanking was heard coming up to the door of Sledge's large network of computers and other communication devices. All eyes turned to that door and the man who walked through it had been notorious for sticking his nose in whatever place he felt it belonged. His name was Nathaniel Essex. Sinister was his name and he refused to let Shadow King's ambitions trample over him.

"Oh hell to the fuckin naw! No damn way I'm working with him!" Karma exclaimed. She was taken aback by the appearance of Sinister. She had been expecting anyone but him. Sinister was just as atrocious as Shadow King was if not worse. He had destroyed the Morlocks and ruined the lives of so many other mutants. Shadow King could take control of the man, but Sinister could control the soul.

"Karma I presume," Essex replied with a smile. He liked the spunk in the woman. Her fire reminded him of Domino. He would have his revenge for her betrayal of him one day.

"Don't give me that coy ass smile of yours. I'll knock your ass all the way back to London! Sledge what made you go to this clown for help?" Karma asked as looked back at the floating fat man accusingly. If she had known she was signing up with Sinister she would have told Sledge wear to shove his offer.

"Sinister has resources Xi'an. And in this battle against Shadow King we need all the help we can get," Sledge replied coolly. He knew that Karma wouldn't be for working with Sinister, but Sledge had no other choice. Shadow King had to be hurt. The X-Men and other mutants were doing their part against the immensely powerful telepath. Sledge knew the only person who could help him do his was Sinister.

"Magneto? Dr. Doom? Anyone would have been better than Sinister. I don't feel like becoming a lab rat anytime soon."

"And neither do I!" Gryphon growled glaring at Sinister. She had escaped the labs of the Aguilar Institute and she had no intention of being held captive by anyone else again. Sinister may believe himself to be powerful, but Gryphon would rip him to pieces before she left Essex take her as one of his possessions.

"Calm yourself Gryphon and Karma. I'm only here to help. Believe me if I had wanted any of you for my experiments I would have you already," Sinister said in an emotionless tone as he crossed his arms behind his back. He looked out into the collection of mutants Sledge had gathered. His eyes made contact with Gamemaster and he couldn't hold back his laugh. Many emotions crossed the faces of mutants at Sinister's approach. Gamemaster was the first in a long while to have an expression of amusement.

"Now that all that unpleasantness is out of the way can we get to business," Gamemaster said as he used his telepathy to soothe the rage of Karma and Gryphon. While he was doing this he picked up on Post's feelings about Sinister. Tremain felt apprehension at the approach of Sinister. Post hadn't seen Sinister since the time of Apocalypse's rule.

"That's probably the most reasonable statement I've heard all day," Sinister said as he looked into the eyes of the omnipath. Something about Gamemaster intrigued Essex because in that man he saw an equal. Someone who could one day rival him, but for now they were allies. And they were both working to achieve the same goal.

"So what are you bringing to the table in this affair? Post and Gryphon provide raw strength. Scribe and Karma's powers are both useful in intelligence and espionage. I myself provide both of those in a much greater scale. So what do you bring Essex?"

"I bring numbers Gamemaster," Sinister replied as a terrasect portal opened up behind him. Out of the portal stepped an Afghani woman cloaked in her black traditional clothing. From what could be seen of her she didn't look to be any older than 25.

"So what poor soul have you enlisted into your service now?" Post remarked sarcastically. The cloaked woman glared at Tremain with her dazzling green eyes. Looking into those eyes he saw only a killer's instinct.

"Her name is Dust. She's quite the beauty. Don't mistake her for anything less than what she is. A dangerous killer who'll do anything to get the job done. Now she's the only one I'm bringing in with your main team Sledge. I do have a group of back ups in the event that we fail or are being overwhelmed. Though I won't send them in first and have them be slaughtered like the Tans were," Sinister said to Sledge. He wanted to make it very clear that he wasn't sending anymore of his experiments recklessly into combat. He only now had three Tans because of it.

"Trust me Sinister. I doubt you'll lose quite so much this time," Sledge said not wanting to anger Essex. He had rarely seen Sinister angered before, but that didn't mean he wanted to anytime soon. And considering the ego Sinister had the slightest criticism could probably set him off.

"So who will lead this attack on the base?" Gryphon asked eager to set about on their mission. She could just see the glorious battle lay out in her mind's eye. There would be blood, carnage, and screams. The woman wanted to wrap herself in every last bit of it.

"I'll be leading," Sinister said firmly. All eyes turned to him and Sinister smiled, "Do you all think me not capable of fighting?"

"Hardly, but your type rarely ever does," Karma remarked.

"I handled your friends solo some time ago. Ask them about it sometime in the near future," Sinister smiled. The pure insolence of Karma was amazing to Essex, but this was a trait not uncommon amongst the students of Xavier. All of them had a fiery spirit, which came from being thrust into battle after battle. That kind of fire was something not even Sinister could produce easily.

"Do you always need to stroke your ego so much?" Karma asked rolling her eyes at Sinister.

"Enough talk. Time for battle," Dust said with a cold voice that sent an icy chill throughout the room of operations. The banter going on between her master and Karma was growing annoying. She desired to go into the field of battle. Dust had been an assassin for years and now she was in the employ of a man of power. Sinister was a lion amongst wolves and he was going to now let her go into battle. She would truly show her prowess and skills.

"I would have to agree with Dust. We can't afford to hold off any longer. The attack must get under way," Sledge said as he floated away from the congregation of mutants back to his main computer console.

A terrasect portal opened up a couple of feet away from Sledge. Sinister bowed down slightly, looked up at Karma, and said, "After you madam."

"Now he's a gentlemen," Karma scoffed as she stepped through the terrasect portal. Dust and Post followed behind her. Gamemaster took Scribe's hand and lead her through the portal. Gryphon followed closely behind them.

Sinister waited before entering the portal. He glanced back at Sledge, turned away quickly, and said coolly, "Don't forget what you owe me Sledge. Do as I tell you then your debt will be erased."

Sledge only nodded in response as Sinister entered into the portal.

The portal closed behind Sinister without making the slightest sound. He didn't need to alert the Dawn by having ruckus come from the basement level of their base. Looking to each of his makeshift mutant squad he said, "We're going to have to split up to tackle this mission. I will be watching over Scribe as she downloads the information from this base's computer mainframe. Karma and Gamemaster will be on the first floor taking control of Dawn members to make the fight a little more even for our side. Gryphon, Post, and Dust will be our shock troops on the second floor of this facility. Whatever troops Karma and Gamemaster take over will filter to the second floor. Understood?"

"Not exactly. How am I exactly suppose to control more than one person? I've never been able to do that," Karma said with a tone that gave the impression that Sinister was one of the stupidest men alive.

"With this my dear," Sinister said as a gray button appeared in his hand. It slowly emerged from Essex's palm like it had been immersed in water.

"And do you care to tell me what that is?" Karma asked as Sinister outstretched his hand to her. She knew better than to take gifts from snakes.

"A power enhancer. Put it on your hand and your powers will experience a major power spike. If Cortez was around I would have him give us all a boost, but unfortunately I have him busy with other affairs," Sinister said dropping the device in Karma's open hand.

Slowly and with great caution Karma stuck the device on her the top of her hand. It began to glow green and a tingling feeling washed itself over all of the former New Mutant's body. She stared at the device for nearly a minute before she looked up at Sinister and said, "Okay so it works. I better not start growing any extra limbs."

"I assure you that my device is completely safe," Sinister smiled mischievously.

"If I didn't know any better Essex I would say you were trying to flirt with young Karma. The bed starting to get lonely at night?" Scribe teased.

"I don't need to sleep Scribe. Now lets move!"

"About time," Dust said as she pulled out her glittering scimitar. Many had fallen at the strike of this weapon.

"Time to kill," Gryphon laughed.

Gryphon slashed the throat of a green skinned mutant and he fell back clutching his throat. Turning around Ekatrina punched another lizard like mutant in the face. Blood squirted out and hit the bio-metallic armor of Gryphon. Kicking her leg into the air she struck the mutant in his throat while he was gripping his bloody nose.

While this was going on another mutant, a large Asian man, came up behind Gryphon and grabbed her by the shoulders. Holes opened up in his palms that began to rapidly pour out a green goop all over Gryphon. The former OZT operative quickly flipped herself into the air and landed behind the mutant. Before she could attack the man the goop that was covering her shoulders, torso, and abdomen began to burn.

"Bastard!" Grazynova yelled as she tried to remove the green goop from her body, but the more she touched it the more it seemed to expand over her body. The burning sensation was agonizing torture for Gryphon and she wanted nothing more than to rip that mutant's head off. She would never have the chance.

A gray energy pod from Post impacted with Gryphon's foe's head and exploded it quite cleanly. There wasn't any splattering of blood or entrails. It was as if the pod had just simply made the man's head evaporate. The green gunk that was covering Gryphon's body fell off now in big chunks.

"Watch your back gene traitor!!" a woman yelled as she came up behind Gryphon and nailed her where her kidneys would have been. Unfortunate for the woman that Ekatrina no longer had kidneys due to the Aguilar Institute. Gryphon turned and slashed the woman across the throat with her claws. Blood spewed from the woman's neck and she fell to the ground.

Across the battlefield none could touch the woman known as Dust. Whenever someone would come with a close proximity of her she simply turned her body into a billion particles of dust and attacked her assailants using her particles to drain away their bodily fluids and leave them dried up husks. She loved every minute of this battle. It was what she lived for.

Reassembling herself back into her true form Dust laughed. "All you mutants are fools if you think you can stop the force that is Dust!"

A large pinkish brute of a mutant leaped into the air over Dust. He was going to crash down on her until she changed into her dust form and flew up into the air straight in the mutant's nostrils. The once large mutant quickly began to shrink and shrivel as if he had been locked away and not fed anything for years. His body was so dried up that by the time he hit the ground he crumbled away like a rotten piece of log.

Dust quickly crept out of the man's body and reformed herself. She could see the fear in the Dawn mutants' eyes. Never had she been more amused.

"How fares the battle Sinister?" Scribe asked as she stood in front of the computer with her palms on the console. Touching it allowed her to take in all of its information. She was seeing the locations of many Dawn bases and targets that the Shadow King was after. He even had a top ten list of people he wanted to see dead. Sinister was number 3.

With his back turned to Scribe, so he could protect her, he said, "Karma and Gamemaster have made chaos of the second floor. There won't be any Dawn mutants coming to bother us from there. Gryphon, Post, and Dust are devastating the mutants on the third floor, as I knew they would. Just continuing downloading the information and we'll soon be out of here."

"I'm done," Scribe said stepping away from the computer console. She dusted her hands off in a show of pride. She now had extensive knowledge of Shadow King's operations in her head. Though she was now probably one of the greatest threats to Farouk out there now she could at least know she was also a great ally for those who sought to oppose him.

"Excellent. Now its time to depart from this horrid place," Sinister exclaimed as he send a telepathic signal to Gamemaster to left him know that it was time to depart.

"You know you're pretty high on Farouk's list of people he wants dead."

"I know Scribe. That's why the information you hold in your mind is so crucial to me."

A Few Days Later

"So did you get all you wanted?" Sledge asked.

"I got everything I wanted and more. You played your part beautifully. Your debt is repaid."

"What are you going to do with that information?"

"Whatever I please! It no longer concerns you Sledge. What are the current locations of our 'participants'?"

"Karma is currently vacationing in Mexico. Gamemaster is visiting Greece and Scribe has returned to London. Extracting the information she obtained was quite a painful process for her. As for Gryphon and Post…well, I can't pick them up anywhere," Sledge said confused.

Sinister smiled, "Perfect. Our little hit and run mission was more fruitful than I had thought."

Morocco

"Dark Rider come to me," Sinister commanded.

Dust.

Gryphon.

Post.

Downtime.

Amun.

"A new age approaches my Dark Riders. And the last member of your deadly team will be coming to us soon enough. Thanks to a little debt that is owed to me by a former Horsemen," Sinister laughed.

Sinister has eluded me. Though he will be a matter I will handle another day. For now the X-Men await. And then the world shall fall. I shall not be stopped.