Wolfsbane

Warlock

"I dun know what t' say..." Theresa Rourke stated in her Irish bourge. "I'm flattered that ye'd consider me t' be the leader o' X-Force. But Dani, wouldn't ye be a better choice? Or Sam?"

"Sam's decided to join up with X-Men Alpha,"* Danielle Moonstar replied. "And leading is not something I'm too keen on right now. Besides, you have experience with leading X-Force, you're the best choice. Far better than I am at this point."

(* In M2K's Uncanny X-Men #5 - Dino)

"What about Bobby?" Theresa asked.

"Well...." Rahne Sinclaire began. "Nae too long ago, Magneto interrupted a trainin' session me, Sam, Bobby, Dani, Shan, an' 'Lock were engaged in. He gave us an offer ta join him, an' we refused. Later that night, Bobby left th' Mansion, an' we discovered that he joined Magneto."*

(* Last issue - Dino)

"Right now, the only remnants of X-Force are the four of us," Dani said. "I was able to contact Jim, who said that he was done with fighting for now. I tried to get in touch with Tabitha and Ric, but couldn't find them anywhere."

"So now it's just you, me, Rahne, an' 'Lock..." Theresa muttered. "I think we first need'ta talk with Bobby, see if we kin get him t' change his mind 'bout joining Magneto."

"'Lock's already workin' on that," Rahne said. "He's tapped inta Cerebro right now."

So much information.... so many mutants.... They all must be eliminated for the threat they pose to the Collecti-- No! What am I saying? The Phalanx are gone, kaput!! I'm not like them, I broke free!! I'm my own man... err, being. I'm not part of the Phalanx Collective anymore! Wait!! That signature!! It's gotta be him!!

"I FOUND 'IM!!!" Warlock exclaimed.

Roberto DaCosta looked down at the prominent X on his costume. Was it still right for him to wear it? He wasn't a member of X-Force anymore, or of any team related with Xavier. Now, he was one of Magneto's Fallen Angels.

He had to give it one last shot... He had to try and convince the others that the Professor's dream failed... that Magneto had been right all these years.

"You're thinking about your former friends, aren't you, Roberto?"

"Can't be helped, sir..." Bobby replied, turning to the man who stood behind him. His demeanor was prominant, and demanded respect. Standing there, dressed in red armor with a purple cape and crimson helmet, he was one of the most feared men in the world. But, when the helmet was gone, Roberto DaCosta had noticed a compassion and kindness in the eyes of Erik Lehnsher.

"You mustn't let your past connection to them get in your way," Magneto stated. "If they do not wish to join us, conflict will arise from it. And you must be prepared."

"I--I know..." Bobby replied, hanging his head low. "That's why you didn't mask me from Cerebro, isn't it? So that they would come here?"

Magneto slowly nodded. He was a man of ideals, and he believed in his dream as strongly as Charles Xavier believed in his own. Magneto wished to create a haven for mutantkind, to save them from the oppression of man. After all the Apocalypses, all the Stryfes, all the Sinisters, all the MLFs, all the Gene Nations, all the Brotherhoods, Roberto realized that the chance of any peace between man and mutant was gone. It wouldn't do any good to try and continue fighting for a dream that died with the dreamer...

Theresa Rourke, known as Siryn in battle, propelled herself through the air by using the sonic scream which she inherited from her father, Sean Cassidy (Banshee). At her side was the techno-organic being called Warlock, who had transformed himself into a miniature plane.

She looked down to see Dani Moonstar, formerly called Mirage, now simply Moonstar, keeping up on foot. Rahne Sinclair, already in her wolf form (which gave her the name Wolfsbane), was way ahead of the team.Warlock had discovered that Bobby was currently on a pier in New York Harbor. The team then quickly assembled to head down there and locate their missing teammate. Somehow, they needed to convince him that Magneto's way was the wrong way. How could he want to ally himself with a man like Magneto, who's the anti-thesis to everything they've been taught?

"Where is he?" Moonstar asked, looking around the pier.

"Cerebro said this is where he was..." Warlock replied, landing to the ground and shifting back into his normal state.

"But where is the boyo now?" Siryn asked.

"I'm right here, Terry..." Sunspot said, stepping into the light. "And we need to talk."

"BOBBY!!" Wolfsbane exclaimed. "What on Earth were ye thinkin'?! Joinin' Magneto?! Have ye forgotten everything the Professor's taught us?!"

"You guys need to realize something about Magneto," Sunspot replied. "Ever since we were kids, we've been taught that there's a chance for a better world, a world where man and mutant can live together in harmony. It was easy to believe that back then... we were young and full of promise. The entire world was filled with promise. But, times changed. The Professor's dream was a nice thought, but it can't be helped. Magneto wants to establish a place where mutants don't need to live in fear. Genosha is now a country where mutants can live in peace. The Professor's gone, we can't keep living in his shadow, or the shadow of his dream. There are other people who agree with me as well."

"Who?" Moonstar asked. "Magneto's insane followers, the Acolytes? The madmen who think that he's some sort of Messiah?"

"No..." Sunspot stated. "Them."

There was a sudden burst of light and smoke, signaling the arrival of Amelia Voght, the most-trusted of Magneto's Acolytes. Four mutants were with her. The members of X-Force recognized them.Tabitha Smith, Meltdown. Benjamin Russell, Shatterstar. Julio-Estaben Richter, Rictor. Maria Callasantos, Feral.

"We're the Fallen Angels," Sunspot stated. "I'm not the only one who agrees with Magneto, other former X-Force members do as well."

"Ye're all mad!!" Siryn exclaimed.

"Terry's right," Moonstar stated, pulling back her psionic bow. "No question about it, we have to save you from yourselves!!"

The psionic arrow flew through the air, before being obliterated in an explosion.

"Sorry 'bout that, Dani," Meltdown stated, another plasma time bomb forming in her hand. "But I've seen what those arrows of your can do, an' I'm not interested in frying my mind today!!"

Shatterstar leapt in the air, bringing his sword down on Warlock.

"Oops, silly me..." Warlock said as the blade sliced through air. "I forgot to reform myself."

"Coward!!" Shatterstar exclaimed. "I'll kill you where you stand!!"

Warlock's arms morphed into two swords as well.

"Them's fightin' words!!" he stated, swinging his blade at Shatterstar's. It completely sliced in half as it went through Shatterstar's sword. "Oh, that's not good..."

Shatterstar sliced through Warlock once again.

"STAY TOGETHER, YOU COWARD!!!"

"Why?" Warlock asked. "It's so much fun to watch you make a fool of yourself!!"

Feral pounced on Wolfsbane, her claws and fangs bared. Rahne quickly countered by flipping her over, and slashing at her chest. The ground suddenly began to shake.

"Wha--?!" Wolfsbane exclaimed as she was thrown off her feet.

"Sorry about this, Rahne," Rictor stated, building up a seismic wave in his fingers. "But you have to realize that Magneto's way is the only way!!"

"Ric, I dunno what's gotten inta the lot o' ye!!" she exclaimed.

"Face it, kiddo!!" Feral shouted, slashing her across the face. "WE'RE THE FUTURE!!!"

"I don't wanna do this, Bobby!!" Siryn exclaimed, as she unleashed her sonic scream on her opponent.

"Neither do I!!" Sunspot replied, unleasing a plasma blast, which knocked Siryn out of the sky.

"Terry!!" Moonstar cried. "Bobby, d--ARGH!!!"

"Sorry about that, girl," Meltdown said, blowing smoke off of her fingers.

"Oh crud..." Warlock stated, looking around to see his teammates felled.

"This isn't good..."

"YOU'RE THE NEXT TO BE CANCELLED, ALIEN!!!" Shatterstar warned, lifting his sword up.

"No."

'Star found that his arm was stuck in that position, and he couldn't move it.

"Magneto!! Let me finish him off!!"

"That's not our intent, Shatterstar," Magneto replied, hovering above them, as the members of X-Force began to come to. "You children must realize I'm not the monster Xavier made me and my dream out to be. It's time you came to realize the truth of the situation."

"No dice, Magneto," Moonstar stated, slowly getting to her feet. "We're not interested in joining you or your team, no matter if our former allies stand with you."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Danielle," Magneto stated. "Amelia, you can now take us away from this place."

"Gladly, Magneto," Amelia replied. With a gesture of her hand, the Fallen Angels and Magneto vanished, whisked away by Voght's teleportational powers. She turned towards X-Force. "You do realize that you've lost this day, don't you?"

"Ye may think that if ye wish, Amelia," Siryn stated. "But ye, among everyone else, should know that what Magneto attempts is lunacy. Ye cannae hope to fit every single mutant in Genosha."

"That was never our intent, Ms. Rourke," Amelia retorted.

"Why do ye serve him?" Rahne asked. "Ye used ta believe in the Professor..."

"What happened between Charles and I ended a long time ago," Amelia replied. "There is much you don't know about Magneto if you think he's only about destruction."

A flash of light and smoke was what next appeared, signaling Voght's exit.

NEXT ISSUE: X-Force goes off in search of a young girl who alledgedly killed her father and is now on the run. Also, check out X-Force: Fallen Angels hitting the site next month for more on the Fallen Angels.