Los Angeles, California. 3:45 PM.

One can say many things about LA. The smog. The crowded streets. The fake women. The one complaint you never hear though, is one concerning superhumans. Surprisingly enough, there are very few present in LA.

This is something that is evident as the large, gray creature charges through the city. His appearance is similar to that of the Hulk, except he has a type of moustache.

*click*

*whir*

"Hmmm?"

The creature turned to face the source of the sound.

*ZAAAAAAAAK*

An energy blast slammed into him, sending him back a few feet.

A tall bald, black man in a blue and yellow uniform stood there, his gauntlets glowing. Other costumed people stood behind him.

"There ARE easier ways t' get on a casting call, sugah," Rogue stated.

"But that'd deprive us of all th' fun!" Sabretooth commented, with a grin on his face.

"Any particular strategy for taking him down?" Archangel asked.

"Yes," Bishop replied. "Hit him hard, and hit him fast."

"Sounds like a plan..." Sabretooth muttered. "No wonder yer partners are fr--"

"Shut it, Creed," Quicksilver snapped. "Just do what you're here for."

"Ya mean make yer life a livin' hell?"

"Honestly, if this were left up to you boys, we'd be here all day," Psylocke stated as she slipped into a shadow portal, and reappeared above the creature, a psychic knife already formed. She drove it inside his brain, and a backlash of images overcame her.

"No... psychotic... death... kill... serve... AHHHH!!!"

"Like that, huh?" he asked. "I'm not called Craze for nothin', babe!!"

He reached behind his back, grabbed her and threw her into the air.

Rogue moved quickly, hovering in Psylocke's path.

"Go limp, Betsy," she said. "Ah gotcha."

"No problem there..." Psylocke weakly muttered as she fell into Rogue's arms.

"Please don't tell me that's the best ya got!!" Craze exclaimed.

"Not at all, ugly," Sabretooth stated. "TIME T'GO ONE ON ONE WITH A REAL PSYCHOPATH!!"

Adamantium claws slid out of the small openings in Victor Creed's restraints. The same claws sliced into Craze once Sabretooth charged him.

It was pure savagery in motion as the two mutants exchanged blows. Each swipe of Sabretooth's claws was countered with a massive blow from Craze. Sabretooth's healing factor allowed him to take a lot of punishment, and it countered the blows that Craze delivered. One swipe however, was narrowly avoided by Craze, who grabbed Creed's arm and hurled him.

"Creed--UMPH!!" Bishop shouted before Sabretooth slammed into him.

"This sucker's mine!" Rogue exclaimed, diving towards Craze. Her fists connected, hard. She picked him up by the neck, tossed him lightly in the air, and then slammed into him with her other fist.

Craze went flying into a parked car. As was common practice in LA, every single car alarm within a five-mile radius began blaring.

"Quicksilver, Archangel, get on damage control!" Bishop ordered. "Blink, what about Psylocke?"

"She'll be fine, she's just a bit disoriented," Blink replied.

"Stay with her," Bishop continued. "Sabretooth and Crystal, we three are going to assist Rogue."

Antarctica.

"It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?"

The young man known only as Joseph looked up at his captor. He was a man that couldn't have been much older than he was, dressed in a fine, Armani suit. His short, blond hair was slicked back, and he stood with an air of confidence.

"Oh, my apologies. How are you doing?"

"...so weak..."

"Yes, I suppose that's a side-effect of being reassembled from the magnetosphere. I really should apologize for being so rough, but it's just that this technology is still so alien to me. And I'm running out of time."

"...Time?"

"Of course. Everything depends on time, you should know that."

"Why am I here?' Joseph asked.

"Your strength is beginning to return. Good. Because you play a crucial role in all of this, Joseph."

He looked out of the large window once more, which overlooked the snow-covered land of the Antarctic.

"Now all that's left is for Craze to complete his assignment."

"Rogue, get back!" Crystal ordered, directing an updraft at Craze, followed up by a burst of flames.

Bishop followed up by firing an energy blast from his gauntlets, with Sabretooth delivering a swift, upwards kick.

The beast fell, lying motionless on the ground.

"Is he down?" Rogue asked, landing.

"We need to make sure," Bishop replied, taking aim with his gauntlet. Craze's eyes opened in a split-second, with his massive arm shooting out and grabbing Bishop's wrists. Sparks flew as Craze crushed Bishop's gauntlets.

Bishop's teeth became gritted in pain as Craze slowly crushed the gauntlets and then, his wrists. He looked up to see Witness hovering above Craze.

"...You..."

The sparks made contact with his skin, instantly absorbed.

"You... don't..."

The shocks were causing his mutant power to activate. The time was coming for release.

"EXIST!!!"

Gaining a massive gain in strength, Bishop twisted, countering Craze's grip by performing a reversal, sending the larger mutant flying. Bishop ran, following.

"Since when could he do that?" Rogue asked, flying after him.

"Psylocke?" Blink asked. "C'mon, Betsy... Are you all right?'

"C-Clarice...?" Psylocke slowly replied, her eyes opening.

"Hey, you're alive!"

"Obviously..." Betsy replied, sitting up. "Clarice... L--LOOK OUT!!"

"Huh?" Blink asked, spinning around. She saw Craze zooming towards her, yet before she could teleport, a sheet of darkness went around her. Her eyes turned to see the Crimson Dawn mark over Psylocke's eye glowing brightly, her eyes shut and brow furrowed in concentration.

"How are you--"

"Don't ask," Betsy replied, dropping the shadow shield.

Craze recovered just as Bishop arrived, and attempted to punch him. Bishop grabbed his fist, absorbing the kinetic energy, then flipped Craze on his back. The X-Man then proceeded to beat down on him with his fists, the remains of his gauntlets shattering as he did.

"You're down, Craze," Bishop stated, standing as the absorbed energy began to fade from his body.

"Newsflash, buddy..." Craze muttered. "I'm NEVER down!!"

A sucker-punch sent Bishop realing.

"You wanna know what my mutant power is?" Craze asked. "Once I start fighting, I can't be stopped!! I could probably take on Thor if I felt like it!! And you think your powers can stop me?"

A flash of light blinded Craze. When it diminished, Archangel hovered there, talons extended, wings glowing brightly.

"He can't," Archangel stated. "But I can."

His wings radiated light, passing through Craze as they did so. Craze's expression changed from one of rage, to that of happiness.

He lay on the ground, motionless. Archangel lowered to the ground, and stood over Craze.

"Who sent you?"

"D-D..."

"Who?"

"Deus..."

NEXT ISSUE: In the center of a magnetic storm as "Wrath of God" continues!