Maverick and his team came to the end of a hall to find themselves faced with four separate choices. Before them were four halls that all looked identical and none even gave the slightest hint of where they could find the captured XSE agents. X-Force so far had managed to get through a floor and two basement levels of practically barely any kind of security. David had a major suspicion they were being allowed to get this far. He didn't voice it though since everyone had turned to him as the de facto leader of this mission and he needed to keep everyone focused.

“I don't like this one bit. They're letting us get this far,” Shard said voicing what Maverick had just been thinking to himself.

“I know. We barely encountered any type of resistance. I was expecting more from the organization Genesis described,” Shadowcat commented.

“It doesn't matter now. We got four choices ahead of us here and to be quite honest splitting up is the last thing I want to do,” Maverick said.

Marcus clicked his teeth together and gave a slight huff before he said, “Guess that means we gotta play Duck Duck Goose.”

Maverick nodded, “But first tell me if you can pick any mental signatures anywhere. It might give us some hint on what to do.”

Marcus placed his hand to his forehead and began to concentrate. Seconds later he came out of his trance and reported, “ I'm picking up faint signals down every hall y'all. I'm guessin' they have some damn good shieldin'. We're shit out of luck.”

“I'm use to being out of that. So lets just pick already,” Shard exclaimed. The XSE officer was use to making decisions as a high-ranking officer in her time, but it seemed all of the X-Groups took forever to make a decision. Sometimes going off your gut was better than psychoanalyzing a situation to death.

“The third hall. I don't why, but I'm going with my intuition here. If I'm wrong we'll find another way. It's what X-Force does,” Maverick said as he reloaded one of his gun with the titanium tipped bullets Genesis had issued to him recently.

“I'll go in first. My powers should keep me out of harm's way. The rest of you follow behind me,” Shadowcat ordered as she took off in a sprint down the dark hallway.

“I'll go next. My powers can provide some illumination,” Shard said her wrists lighting up with photonic energy and becoming a beacon for everyone to follow.

“Ya gotta like the lady's style,” Marcus smiled as he and Maverick followed behind Bishop's younger sister.

“Lets hope her style matches her fighting skills,” Maverick remarked as he continued his sprint down the hallway. He could make out computer chips that were engraved into the wall. He couldn't be sure as to why those chips were there, but in his mind they spoke of advanced technology. Did Genesis really know what he was dealing with here ?

“You're kiddin' right? Tha gal is from the XSE. And I mean the real deal here. Your ol' buddy Creed ain't even a big timer where she came from. I don't know about you, but that damn sho says a lot to me,” Marcus replied.

“Show me some proof and then I might believe it,” Maverick said suddenly throwing himself up against a wall as they neared the end of the hallway. Shard had already taken the position and Marcus quickly followed suit. Kitty obviously had decided she was going to jump into the situation.

Damn it Kitty! You're going to get yourself hurt, Maverick thought to himself.

“Don't worry she's fine. And yes I did pick up on your thought before you ask,” Marcus forewarned as they continued to slide down their respective sides of the wall to the end of the hall.

“C'mon guys! The coast is clear!” Kitty shouted.

“Alright lets move!” Maverick exclaimed as he got off the wall and ran out of the hallway. Shard and Marcus had made it out before he had and he saw just how clear the coast wasn't.

“You made a mistake coming here X-Force,” a slim Puerto Rican woman said as she threw Kitty on the floor before Maverick's feet. With a slick smile she added, “Don't even think about moving there buddy. I'll have all these hundred something robots gun you down.”

All David could do was keep his eyes on the woman. Her long black hair and curvy body made her quite attractive, but something about her green eyes and tight red dress made one suspect something was sinister in her. It was as if she was wearing a skin and something terrible was just waiting to come out underneath.

“So you guys use stolen Manbots it seems,” Marcus commented as he stared up at the golden robots that had taken all of them hostage. They had X-Force surrounded in almost every direction except from the hall they had come through. If only Kitty was conscious they could try and make a run for it, but they couldn't just leave her here. No member of X-Force got left behind.

“Not stolen. Just borrowed,” the woman smiled as moved closer to Marcus her heels clicking loudly every step along the way. Her body moved with such fluidity and grace that one would swear she was meant for the runaways of Milan .

It's a damn shame she works for Damocles, Marcus thought to himself.

“So I see that Genesis just hasn't gotten the hint yet. None of his bastards are getting into my base!” the woman yelled spit spewing all over Marcus' face.

{{Do you want us to detain these infiltrators Eve?}} one of the Manbots asked.

“Yes. Detain them and lock them up with the others. I'm sure Dr. Kyker will like some new test subjects,” Eve smiled as she leaned over and kissed Marcus on the cheek.

“Before you go. How did you get her to lie like that?” Maverick asked both angered at what Eve might have done to Kitty and out of genuine curiosity.

“Boy please. She was out the moment she stepped into this room. I can simply imitate voices just by looking at the person among other things. It makes for some nice role play in the sack,” Eve laughed as she blew a kiss to Maverick before leaving the large circular roofed room.

As she left the room a large light green android that was blowing off yellow smoke entered into the room and he stood nearly about nine feet tall. A fog covered the glass that hid his face and he had three massive fingers on each hand. The monstrosity looked around at all of the Manbots and finally set his sights on Maverick.

“I think I remember you. Your name is Maverick. Do you remember me?” the android asked.

“Oh I remember you. You're the Acidroid. You were a reject Soviet project. I thought Cable had gotten rid of you,” Maverick replied. He recalled that mission quite well. He had been sent in to dismantle a genetics experiment of some sort that the Soviets had been working on. It was after Omega Red had been put on ice. Acidroid had been one result they put to the side and Maverick had been forced to face him. He barely survived the encounter and he thought Acidroid had been destroyed only to show up fighting Cable and then the Fantastic Four.

“Cable failed, but that doesn't matter. I'm going to have fun with you,” Acidroid said with a voice that would make Darth Vader proud.

Adjusting his eye patch and laying his brown coat to the side Fury entered the office of Genesis half expecting to be mowed down by lasers. That wasn't the case though. The living computer program had already been waiting there for him to show or at least it looked like that to Nick. You could never be sure with Genesis. The thing was a computer program after all and he probably was doing a hundred things at once.

{{Hello Fury. I was beginning to wonder if you would show. I'm glad to see you're well and out of the hospital. Shadow King's influence hurt far too many people. I'm sorry you had to be one of them.}}

“Life can be a bitch. I think you and me know that Genesis. The part of you that's Forge had to pay too high a price,” Fury said.

{{Sacrifices have to be made in the name of safeguarding this world. So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?}}

Nick pulled out a cigar and lit it before getting to the point; “I know I can never have the same position in this organization I once had. Too many politicians won't let it happen and circumstances are against me. I would like to still nonetheless be a part of this organization.”

{{So what are you proposing?}}

“I would like to work as an independent agent under you. Not anything special. I just want to get out into the field and work again. Being cooped up in a hospital just ain't my idea of fun. I need to get my knuckles dirty again,” Fury explained.

{{Fine. Your request is granted Nick. I'll get the paperwork through quickly. Consider yourself a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. again.}}

“Thank you Genesis,” Fury said walking out of the room. He puffed out a bit of smoke and smiled to himself. Forge's plan was going smoothly so far.

Bishop dodged the punch of Venom and slammed his elbow into the back of the black symbiote's head. The energy construct flew into a nearby wall and made a dent in it. Turning around quickly Bishop fired two shots into the back of Venom's neck. Black muck and entrails flew all over the former X-Men Omega leader's uniform.

“Damn. These constructs are extremely realistic,” Bishop said as he turned his attention to Wisdom who was in combat with Carnage.

“This bugger doesn't seem to like my heat blades,” Pete laughed as he ducked the hand of Carnage that was now in the shape of an axe. Wisdom moved in close and shot off five heat blades into the construct's abdomen.

Carnage didn't even have time to roar out in pain before Bishop literally blew the back of his head off with a plasma blast. Smoking still pluming from his gun Bishop said, “Figured you needed a hand Wisdom.”

“I had the bloke fine, but Lydia might need some help with Spider-Man. The guy is putting the moves on her. She's a strong gal, but she ain't got the kind of agility to handle him,” Pete said as he moved quickly to where Lydia was being entrapped in webbing by the construct Spider-Man.

“I think you two should worry about yourselves,” Devious said as four Thing constructs headed towards Peter and Bishop.

“I've had just about all I can bloody stand of you!” Pete yelled holding out his palm as bright orange energy poured out of it and enveloped the Thing constructs entirely obliterating them and knocking Devious down the length of the hallway until he collided with the door at the end of it.

Devious' body slumped to the ground, but while sliding down his shoulder pressed an emergency red button. Alarms and sirens began to go off at a rapid rate. The whole hallway became illuminated with red lights and you could hear the armada of footsteps above and below.

“Would someone mind getting me out of this webbing?” Lydia asked. The Spider-Man construct disappeared once Devious was taken out, but the webbing he had trapped her in was still there. She had been entirely covered from the shoulders down.

“Sorry babe. Got a little caught up there,” Pete replied.

“And since when could you do that?” Lydia asked. She knew that Peter had experienced a power increase since his fight against Alastaire and the testing that the Shadow King had done on him. The Genoshan woman just hadn't seen him execute those powers yet. At least until now.

“I've been practicing luv,” Peter smiled his body language visibly showing fatigue.

A swarm of white lab coats and middle-aged men ran down the hall towards the nearest exit. The alarms going meant there was a major intruder in the building and it wasn't something the various scientists didn't want to stick around for. They moved at such a frantic pace that some of them left the doors to their offices wide open.

One of the fatter scientists knelt down next to one door taking deep breaths trying to regain his strength. When most of the crowd had passed him he stood upright and walked into the wide-open lab. Smiling his chubby white face changed into a dark blue and his eyes went yellow. As he continued to walk the lab coat disappeared and was replaced by slim blue arms and a tight black skirt and ankle high boots.

“Bingo,” Mystique said as she moved towards one of the computers and slipped in the disc that Genesis had given them to extract the information with. Sitting down in the rolling leather chair Raven began to type frantically.

“Come on baby. Give me what I need,” Mystique said moving past dozens of encryptions and codes. Her years as a terrorist had made her evolve her skills in hacking. In today's world information was power beyond measure and most of it was locked behind the doors of computers.

Hearing a sudden rustle of equipment behind her Mystique quickly shifted back into her shape of the fat, bald scientist.

“What are you still doing in the building?” a guard asked nearly pointing his gun at Mystique before realizing that she (or he in this case) was one of the “staff”.

“I have important information on this computer that cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. No matter what the threat is this information must be extracted. It's highly classified,” Mystique, replied with a voice geeky enough to make Richard Simmons look like the class bully.

“Understood. We don't need the Senior Executives getting pissed. I'll stay with you until you get out the information that you need,” the guard said.

Holding back the urge to cuss Mystique grinned and adjusted her glasses, “That would be wonderful. No telling what's in the building.”

BEEP! BEEP!

“Ahh the extraction is complete. Excellent device this computer is. I don't know what I would do without it,” Mystique laughed in the sick Porky Pig kind of way as she pulled the disk from the hard drive. Getting up out of her seat she smiled towards the guard, tucked the disk in her shirt and charged shoulder first into the Zeneo Tech. employee.

“Wha the fuck!” the guard yelled as he fell flat on his back from the blow. He saw the scientist flipping through the air and quickly changing into a woman they had been briefed on. It was Mystique. The guard reached out for his gun, but the blow of the woman had knocked his weapon too far away from him. By the time he got to his feet the woman had already took off.

Grabbing his radio the guard said with extreme urgency, “We have a shape shifter in the building. It's Mystique! She's armed and dangerous! Use extreme force in taking her down! We got a Code 12 here people!”

Meanwhile Raven was making her to an open window, but before she leapt out of it she tapped her ear to activate the communication device and said, “I got the information. I'm leaving the building as we speak. The rest of you get the hell out of here!”

Leaping out of the window Mystique began to fall towards the ground and she was enjoying it. Having the wind blow against her body and being in freefall was something she knew she could do and get away with it because just before she reached the end of her fall her body changed into the form of a raven. Moving through the sky she made her way to the rendezvous point where she was suppose to meet up with Bishop and the rest.

Genesis moved with the aid of his android body to the screen where his face would normally be, but instead the lovely face of a recently gained associate of his greeted him.

{{ I assume that you contacting me means you have fulfilled your part of the deal? }} Genesis presumed nonchalantly.

“Your assumption would be right, Genesis,” the woman known as Eve said with what seemed to be a sadistic curtsy. “Maverick and his group are being held in my custody,” she continued. “Acidroid is even having a bit of fun with Maverick. Seems they have some… unfinished business… to resolve,” Eve said, and she smiled at the thought of what Acidroid was probably doing to Maverick.

{{ I said for you to capture my team, not kill them, Eve, }} Genesis said, though more in reiteration of his point then in anger. {{ Remember the deal. You capture the two teams I send in and you allow my third one to rescue the others. In return I'll-- }} he began to say before being cut off.

“You'll keep the authorities off the Damocles Foundation's back for a year,” Eve completed his sentence in what seemed to be a half-hearted, sing song of a voice. “You don't have to remind me of the deal here,” Eve said crossing her legs together in the white leather chair she was sitting in. “You sure are going through a lot to make your XSE look like the superior force, though. One has to wonder why…”

{{ My reasons are my reasons, }} Genesis said, trailing off for a moment. Eve thought she detected a bit of contemplation and reflection in his tone. Genesis continued, {{ Just make sure my people just stay alive before I send in the third team. Understood? }}

“Of course, Genesis,” Eve confirmed before cracking a faint smile. “Nice doing business with you,” she said before her image faded away with a fizzle of gray.

{{ Mastodon, }} Genesis finally said. {{ You can make yourself known now. }}

The large brute of a man walked through the sliding door and asked, “Do you want me to get the team together?”

Genesis turned around and nodded to Mastodon. He still was getting use to this android body of his. Being inside the computer gave him an omniscience of sorts that was lacking in his robotic form, but he would be able to fix that in time.

{{ Remember whom I want you get to for the team, }} Genesis said confidently. {{ Kamal, Marvel Guy, Enigma, Velocity, and Whisper. }}

“Yes, sir,” Mastodan said with a confirming nod. “I'll get the five of them together immediately.”

{{Good. Now everything is in motion. The pieces are set and the game has begun.}}

Next Issue: Siryn meets someone she never saw coming while Genesis analyzes the information on Mystique's disc!!!

Forcing the Issue

Hopefully this issue delivered another plot twist to thicken the plots of Genesis and Forge. I'm definitely having fun developing that conflict. I also had fun working with Devious. He's an old original character at M2K. He appeared in like issue 7 or 8 of Fantastic Four I believe. This is his first appearance since. So he's definitely been on the shelves a while. Anyway look for some more character interaction, more on Pete's powers, and of course more on the XSE. Once again if you have any comments, questions, or just stuff in general hit me up at jangofett2004@yahoo.com

-Troy Bengal