A/N: As you can gather from the summary, this is going to be an intense story. Although you know the major point of the story it raises a few questions. How? When? Why? By who's hand? Anyways, hope you enjoy the story.

It had been a month since last we saw our heroes. One month since St. John stole an Angel's sword. One month since Pietro interrupted Remy's seduction of Anna Marie. And finally, One month since Lady Deathstrike employed the Brotherhood for a mysterious job.

-Early one morning in the Brotherhood Kitchen-

Lance sat across from Wanda, who was eating cereal.

"I'm just saying who pays that much in cash, and doesn't even tell us what kind of job it is?" Lance questioned while stirring his morning coffee.

Wanda shrugged, "If she's willing to pay up front we shouldn't care."

Lance nodded, "But what if it's a hit or a boost?"

Wanda spooned some cereal into her mouth, "Calm down Lance, we may steal but we'd never kill someone."

At that moment Raven walked into the room wearing her silk teddy, "Have either of you talked to Pietro?"

Lance sighed, then sipped his coffee, "He hasn't been to talkative lately. I told him to stick around cyber-girl in the basement, and he didn't even insult me."

Wanda looked down at her breakfast, "He's blocking his mind from me. He won't share anything."

Lance looked to Raven, "Mystique what do you know about this Deathstrike chick?"

Raven sat down at the table with the newspaper in hand, "About fifteen years ago she was in a horrible accident. Her arms and legs were amputated, and her spine was mangled in ways that make me sick to this day."

Wanda stared at the blue woman, "Well obviously she got better, but how?"

Raven chuckled, "Her father was a scientific genius. He crafted new limbs for her, by crafting them from raw adamantium. He even went so far as to coat her remaining bones with that blasted metal."

Wanda looked at her in shock, "Like Wolverine?"

Raven nodded, but before she could continue Yuriko walked into the room, wearing a thigh length robe with nothing beneath. Her porcelain skin peeked from under the robe. "You forgot the most important part Raven," her arms began to stretch while they shifted into a silvery metal. Her hands also took a metal sheen while her fingers grew to two feet in length. "The bastard gave me these," she smiled as she placed her right palm on Wanda's chin, the tips of her claws gently cradling her face, "Do they scare you girl?"

Lance got out of his chair and shot Yuriko a dirty look, "I wouldn't do that if I was you."

Yuriko chuckled, "Are you going to rescue her Romeo?" she placed her other palm on Wanda's shoulder, the tips of her claws stretching down to Wanda's stomach, "I think Juliet likes it."

Lance laughed sinisterly, "If, If! I wasn't sure Wanda could take you, and if by some miracle you could take me too…" he smirked, "Johnny would take your head."

Just then St. John's blade rested on Yuriko's shoulder, "Oih honestly don't think she could get passed Wanda mate."

Yuriko chuckled, "Is that so?" With one fluid movement she elbowed St. John in the ribs. His blade flew into the air, and she caught it effortlessly. The blade was quickly thrust to within a hair's width of Lance's throat, while her own claws encircled St. John's head, "I like the three of you. You have potential."

Yuriko turned her head, and was now eye to barrel with Raven's colt 45, "They may be kids, but I know your tricks."

Yuriko chuckled, "And now so does the girl," she shoved the blade into St. John hands and released his head just as she began walking out of the room.

Wanda looked at her retreating frame in shock. "Wanda, you're bleeding," she looked to Raven, then down at her chest. There was a small heart shaped cut above her right breast, "She's better than I remember."

-Several hours later after school-

Pietro walked down the steps of the basement. He carried a laundry basket full of clothes. When his feet reached solid ground he sped the clothes into the washer and did all of the necessary accommodations to do the wash properly.

He then walked across the room and sat backwards on a chair and stared at the young woman lying on N'Kantu's old bed. For an ancient mummy, he was exceptionally clean.

The young tan woman stirred from her sleep and looked at our hero, "Pietro you've been watching me for a month, don't you think it's time you've told me why?" she sat up and leaned against the wall, her blanket covering her chest.

Pietro shrugged, "Lance doesn't trust that cannon," he glanced at her blue tinted arm, "He doesn't know if Freddy could survive a blast from that thing. So he sent me, by the time you've turned that arm into a blaster, I'd have told the entire Brotherhood," he paused for a moment, examining her reaction. She was cold, almost lifeless, "So what's your story, Sentinel?"

"Omega Sentinel," she said with a smirk, "But I prefer Karima, Karima Shapandar."

Pietro peeked an eyebrow, "Hi Karima."

Karima chuckled, "What's wrong?"

Pietro stood up, "Not used to Sentinels having names. What with the basic design of trying to kill my friends and family."

Karima nodded in understanding, "My parents and I were in an accident," she chuckled, "They had come to America from India, before I was born. They said they wanted me to be something great, so I could help our people," tears started forming in her eyes, "An eighteen wheeler saw fit to crush that dream."

Pietro sat back down and crossed his arms on the back of the chair, "I'm sorry."

"Me too," she said wiping her eyes, "I woke up in a hospital room, missing my entire right arm," she lifted her metallic blue arm and examined it, "I was kidnapped, the next day by a man named Bastion."

Pietro shook his head, "How long ago?"

"A year?" she asked genuinely not knowing the answer, "I was sixteen, so I assume that I must be seventeen by now." She looked down at her arm again, "Lady Yuriko found me before they could outfit me with the sentinel programming."

Pietro leaned forward and rested his head on his crossed arms, "What else did they do to you?"

"Inquisitive aren't you?" Karima smirked, "My right arm, lung, and everything beneath my right breast has been replaced. I have a network of nanotech woven into my body amplifying my strength, speed, agility, and endurance," She stated with a sly grin, "I also have nanite sentinels running through my bloodstream," she dropped the blanket revealing the sports bra she was wearing, she quickly closed the gap between herself and Pietro. She grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart, "And last but almost definitely not least…" she trailed off.

Pietro noticed the scarring along her right arm, "Your heart?"

"He didn't take it," She smiled as she said those words. She rested her hand on his forearm, and he could feel a small surge course through his body, "Generator embedded at the base of my neck."

He pulled his hand back and examined her expression, "Your eyes…" he squinted, "They have a red sheen to them," gears began turning in his head, "You can track mutants, can't you?" she nodded, "That's how Deathstrike knew we were here."

Karima floated out of bed, and placed her feet on the ground, "Do you know why Lady Yuriko hired you?"

Pietro sighed, "I was hoping you knew."

-Meanwhile upstairs-

Clint and Wanda sat on the couch watching some trivial television show.

"She did what?" Clint asked with a flight fury apparent in his voice.

Wanda sighed, "I didn't even notice until Raven pointed it out," she cupped her wound, "I was so sure I could beat her I didn't anticipate the little things."

"You've got to be more careful, the little things will always bring you down," he picked up a ball and threw it at the wall, it ricochet back and came hurtling towards Wanda. She flinched and closed her eyes.

She heard a smack, but didn't feel the ball impact her head. She opened her eyes to see Clint's hand just in front of her face clutching the ball, "You son of a bastard, you could've hit me with that."

Clint dropped the ball in her lap and moved his hand back to his side, "That was the idea. You're the most powerful person in this house, but not even your bad luck powers can save you from a ball."

Wanda furrowed her brow as she stared at the ball in her lap, "How do I get better?"

"Well, I'm kind of a projectile master," he picked up a nail file and balanced it on his finger tip, "I could help you train." As he got to his feet he tossed the nail file into the air. Wanda watched as it flipped in the air and was surprised as it fell into an empty beer bottle.

-Several hours later in Lance's bedroom-

Regan stood at the mirror brushing her shoulder length hair, in the reflection she could see Lance doing pull ups on a bar wedged in the closet door's frame.

Regan stopped brushing and looked at her sweating hulk of a husband, "Lance honey, why do you trust this Deathstrike woman?"

Lance kept pulling himself up and down, "I don't," up, "Trust that woman," down, "As far," up, "As I can burry her," down.

Regan peeked an eyebrow at her husband. He wore only a pair of boxer-briefs, a towel around his neck, and his trademarked fingerless gloves, "Then why?"

Lance placed his feet on the ground and began toweling himself off, "She doesn't have the numbers to take us down. I'm pretty sure Todd could take her. The only thing I'm worried about is the Sentinel in the basement."

Regan nodded in understanding as she watched her husband gather clothes and exit the room to grab a quick shower before bed, "Me too."