The face of Pietro Maximoff contorted with rage as his eyes fell upon his wife's captor.

He had long, red hair pulled back in a ponytail, and was dressed in a purple uniform complete with a red cape and a giant red V on his chest. It was the uniform of the Acolytes, the fanatical followers of Pietro's father, Erik Magnus Lensherr, known to the world as Magneto. Cortez had once been counted among their numbers-he had even been their leader for a time. However, the Acolytes didn't accept Cortez's leadership once they discovered his attempt to murder their lord and savior. Now, ever since he had abandoned the remaining Acolytes he led at Xavier's Mansion,* he had been on the run.

(* Back in Marvel's X-Men: The Magneto War #1-Dino)

The X-Man known as Quicksilver locked eyes with a man he counted amongst his worst enemies.

"Hello Magnusson," Cortez said, with a grin on his face.

"Cortez..." Quicksilver muttered. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't do the world a favor and tear your head off your shoulders."

"You would do well to keep silent, you fool!!" Cortez exclaimed, energy building in his hands. "You've said before that the fact that an aspect of your power is that you're short-tempered and want to get things overwith. With a mere thought, I can increase your powers to the point where you wouldn't be able to control them. To the point where you would be moving so fast, no one would be able to see you, nor you them."

"Spare me your threats, Cortez," Quicksilver stated. "What do you want with me and Crystal?"

"What do I want?" Cortez repeated. "It's quite simply, really. Revenge. Revenge on your father. And, what better way to get it than to hold his own son captive?"

"You're fooling yourself if you think my father will come for me," Quicksilver said with a laugh.

"Oh yes, that's right," Cortez said. "Now you're one of Xavier's dogs."

"If you want Magneto, go to Genosha and get him yourself."

"GENOSHA IS RIGHTFULLY MINE!!!" Cortez shouted. "IT WAS ALWAYS MINE!!! I WOULD HAVE BROUGHT ORDER TO IT, IF IT WASN'T FOR EXODUS' INTERFERENCE!!!"

Pietro stood his ground, his gaze fixated on the madman. He had never agreed with his father's judgement, but allowing this... psychopath to be one of his servants was simply lunacy. Then, he remembered who he was thinking of. Magneto never needed a reason to have servants.

"Now then..." Cortez stated. "Soon, a satellite transmission will send a signal to Magneto. That signal will be you and your pretty, little wife, all tied up. As well as myself. Make no mistake, Pietro, Magnus will come to your aid. if only to finish me off. What the old coot doesn't realize is that he doesn't stand a chance against my abilities!!"

An idiot, that's what he is, Pietro thought. I must think of a plan, before he goes over the edge...

Betsy Braddock, code-named Psylocke, sat in the shadows the entire time, watching these events unfold.

Cortez is back? She thought. Quicksilver's blinded by rage, and Crytal is little help unconscious.

The mark of the Crimson Dawn over her left eye began to glow as she melted into the shadows.

"'Dere ya go, chere," Remy LeBeau said, placing his cards down on the table. "Pair o' Kings."

"Damn!" Shard cursed. "All I have is four ones."

"There aren't any ones in cards..." Clarice said, looking at Shard's hand. "You got two pairs of Aces."

Gambit threw his cards down on the table and muttered a low curse.

"I won?" Shard asked.

He took a drag on his cigarette and slowly nodded.

"Lucky me, " she said.

"Ah warned ya, sugah," Rogue said with a smug look. "Y' ain't the cardshark ya might think you are."

"She jes' got lucky," Gambit replied, rubbing the stubble on his chin.

"All right, people," Bishop said, entering the room. "I want you assembled downstairs and in uniform in ten minutes. We're going to begin a training session."

"Ya don' waste any time, do ya, mon ami?" Gambit asked.

"Just do it," Bishop ordered. "Ten minutes."

He turned to walk out the door.

"Somet'in I don' like 'bout dis whole arrangement..." Gambit said. "Bishop leadin' may not 'ave been de best idea."

"Remy, this ain't exactly the best time ta be talkin' about Bishop," Rogue said, motioning to Shard.

"Oh, don't worry about me," Shard said. "I've called him much worse, believe me."

"From what I know of Bishop, he's an enigma," Clarice Ferguson, otherwise called Blink, said.

"And what do you know of Bishop?" Shard asked. "I mean, didn't you only recently return from the dead?"

"It's... a long story..." Blink replied.

"We got time," Remy said, taking a drag on his cigarette. "Indulge us, petite."

"All right..." Blink began, sitting down in her chair. "Well, it goes like this. I was kidnapped along with Angelo, Monet, and Paige by the Phalanx. When we escaped, with the help of Banshee, Sabretooth, Jubilee, and the White Queen, Harvest, I guess who was the leader of the Phalanx, still pursued us. So, I did what I thought was best. I used my teleportation powers to try and 'blink' him out of existence. Unfortunately, I knew I didn't have much control over my powers, and it probably meant I was going to 'blink' myself away, too.* But somehow, I teleported into this other dimension where I was still battling Harvest. I was saved by the timely intervention of the In-Betweener. He was some sort of cosmic being who traveled between the different universes. And, with my powers, he began training me to be his replacement. While with him, I discovered an alternate universe, where Apocalypse ruled North America, Xavier was dead, and Magneto led the X-Men.** I had also found out that I was still alive in this universe, so I requested that I share the experiences and memories that my counterpart had. He warned me that it was a bad idea, but I insisted. So, I experienced my counterpart's entire life. When the bombs began to drop and she died, I returned to the In-Betweener's realm. It had only been a matter of seconds for him, but it had been about 16 years for me. Then, with this new knowledge of how to control my powers, I was able to escape from the In-Betweener's realm. That's when I was found by Gateway, and brought to the Massachusetts Academy. That's when I helped Generation X and Bishop defeat Black Tom, or Sinister, or whoever it was who attacked us.*** And now, I'm here. I still have some trouble getting things in order. The memories I have of the 'Age of Apocalypse' are forming the image I see of this world. I know they're two different worlds, but I can't seem to associate them differently."

(* Marvel's The Phalanx Covenant: Generation Next storyline - Dino)
(** Marvel's Age of Apocalypse storyline - Dino again)
(*** M2K's Generation X #1-4 - finally-got-an-M2K-plug-in Dino)

"It'll take some getting used to," Shard said. "Resurrection usually does. Well, we better get down to the training room before my brother blows a gasket."

A top-secret government facility, which even those with the highest security clearance don't know of its existence.

It is here where one man-one mutant-sits. He is considered one of the most dangerous men alive. He's hunted, he's killed, and he's enjoyed every minute of it. He loves the feel of tearing into flesh. It gives him an incredible high.

He was born Victor Creed. But, to the rest of the world, he's known only by one other name-Sabretooth.

A few weeks back, while he was planning a job with the Constrictor, he was pursued by the X-Man known as Wolverine, and the former member of X-Force known as Rictor. While he was able to disable Wolverine, his arrogance caused his defeat. A simple man with a shotgun unloaded all of his ammunition into Creed. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it was enough to diable him down until the authorities arrived.* Then, he was taken here, to a government facility. Now, he's anxiously awaiting his chance for escape. And then, he'll have revenge.

(* M2K's Wolverine #1 - Dino)

"It took you long enough to get down here," Bishop said.

"Look mon ami," Gambit began. "Let's save de lecture f'r later, an' get on wit' de training."

"Hold on," Bishop ordered. "We're missing two people. Where are Quicksilver and Psylocke?"

"Good question," Rogue said. "Ah haven't seen them since we got in."

"Shard, I want you to try and find them if they're on the estate," Bishop ordered.

"Yes sir!" Shard replied with a mock salute.

"Just go!" he declared in annoyance. Shard took the hint and phased through the wall. "As for the rest of you... Let's begin."

Bishop walked over to a small booth and activated the controls. In response, about a dozen robots attacked the three X-Men.

Commander Jeffrey Forrester hated a lot of things about his job. The long hours, the thankless acts, the risk factor. But the one thing he hated most, was patrolling this detention level. Whenever he walked by Victor Creed's cell, he felt a chill go down his spine. Coming by there, day after day, was something he was always weary of. Whenever he passed by the cell, he felt as if his life was in danger, as if that Victor Creed's monstrous arm would reach out, and grab him. And those claws, those horrible, adamantium claws, would slice his head off.

But, he pushed those thoughts from his head. After all, Victor Creed was being held down by the best technology. Magnetic restraints kept him up against the far side of the wall, magnetically holding him down by his adamantium-laced skeleton and claws. If Victor Creed's finger could move, the alarms would go off, and there would be an entire cadre of soldiers ready and willing to fill him with bullets.

Commander Forrester thanked God that Victor Creed was only here temporarily, until a cell could be made for him at the Vault.* Just a few more weeks, and then he would never have to think about the name Victor Creed.

(* A prison for superpowered criminals - Dino)

As Commander Forrester walked by Victor Creed's cell once more, he felt a sense of pride, and lifted his head up.

Then, the unexpected happened. A monstrous arm slammed through the bulletproof window of Creed's cell, and grabbed Commander Forrester by the neck. Forrester struggled, trying to pry the hand off, but it was like a vise.

Commander Forrester heard a sound, and felt something sharp press against his neck. Then another sharp prick, and another, and another. Then, they went deeper.

The claws slid through the former Commander's neck like a hot knife through butter. The head fell to the ground, and Commander Forrester's body joined it.

The next sound that was heard was that of the metal door being kicked. Another kick, and another. Then, with the final kick, the door flung off its hinges, and struck the far wall.

Victor Creed stepped out of his cell, blood on his claws. He knelt down by the fallen soldier and dipped his finger in the blood. He then licked it off his crimson-stained claw.

"Must you always have a flair for the dramatic?"

Sabretooth spun around and saw a figure standing in the shadows.

"I went to a lot of trouble to break you out, and you almost screwed it up right now."

"Would ya rather have th' soldier hit an alarm once he heard me kickin' the door?" Creed asked.

"I have a job for you," the figure began, changing the subject.

"I don't work f'r free," Creed noted.

"I broke you out of this place, didn't I? Saved you from the Vault?"

"Ya woulda done that anyway," Sabretooth said, folding his arms. "Ya need me, or else ya wouldn't of gone ta all this trouble."

"Contrary to the obvious, you're a very clever man, Mr. Creed. You will be well compensated for your troubles-if you can accomplish the task at hand, that is."

"What's th' job?" Creed asked.

"There's a team of X-Men now in residence in Colorado. I want you to eliminate them."

"The runt with 'em?"

"No, Wolverine isn't among their numbers. But, one of your other enemies is."

"Th' Cajun?" Creed asked.

"Precisely."

Sabretooth grinned.

NEXT ISSUE: The X-Men mount a rescue mission to save Quicksilver and Crystal from Cortez. But, what's the deal with Sabretooth? And who's responsible for releasing him? Find out in 30.