Disclaimer: The following characters belong to Mirage Comics and are the creations of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.

Note: Usually I like to begin each chapter on a somewhat not serious note. Why? Just because that's the type of person I am, but due to the following chapter, it really doesn't seem appropriate, which you may agree after you finish it. Anyway, I'll begin by warning you that there are probably several reasons that many of you may not like me for, for that I apologize. Also be forwarned there may be a bit of less-than-kid friendly content. So I hope you enjoy, and give me whatever thoughts you deem towards me. Later.

Unleashed

There are things in my life that I had hoped to never see, there are things that no person should ever be forced to see. And a twisted young man firing a gun at a 13 year old boy is one of those things.

Even worse is seeing the bullet render his flesh, causing his once lively body to fall, writhing in pain, however short the pain may be. Then seeing his body stop, falling limp and lifeless to the ground. Yet today, I've seen those things, and I know that if he had never met me both he and Dee would be safe...would be alive... It's my fault and there's nothing I can do about it now, nothing at all.

"Renet! Renet! What happened to Des? Why isn't he..." this little girl, only 6, who had risked her safety to come here to rescue us, had just seen the closest thing to a family member she'd ever known taken from her. Of course she'll be in shock and denial, but deep down she knows, she knows he's not going to be sitting up ever again, her, "brother," was dead.

And while this all happens. time itself seems to just slow down. One hears the sounds, the screams, the tears echoing through there room. Yeah, I was free, but Des wasn't.

Rushing to Dee's side I wrap my arms tightly around her, as she buries her face into my shoulder, uncontrollable tears flowing from her eyes. The woman who had just freed us looked at me, sorrow filled her face, "Renet, I'm sorry...I am so, so sorry. But right now you have to be strong, you have to get Dee out of here before things get any worse."

Dee looks up from my shoulder, sniffling, trying to hold back tears, "No Ms. Tara, we can't leave without Leatherhead." For that one brief moment it dawned on me that this little girl here with me, was stronger than I could ever be, she knew she had lost someone she could never replace, and yet she refused to let someone else meet a similar fate.

Then from the nearby room a thunderous noise echoes, like the roar of a great beast. The walls themselves seem to tremble, then crumble. Leaving only a monstrous being, chest heaving great breaths. One word was all he said, and he bellowed with such force that even the ground seemed to shake, "BISHOP!"

Even in the face of the great creature in front of him, Bishop didn't even flinch. He merely brushed of his suit, and waved for his own monster, the one he called Rat King, the yellow-eyed monster.

The two titanic...things...collided with each other with a force that would cripple or kill a mortal man. Yet as if it was merely an inconvenience, Leatherhead took hold of the Rat King's arms, pulling them opposite one another with such force all that he had left in his claws were two halves of a once monstrous body. And for the first time in his existence, Bishop flinched.

Leatherhead could taste the blood from what had once been the Rat King's body, licking his chops like a starving predator. And when predators hunger, they become desperate, and a desperate predator will stop at nothing short of losing it's life.

Yet Bishop stood his ground as a Leatherhead, who had given in completely to his beastial instincts, ripped into him. His powerful jaws tearing at Bishop's right arm, severing it from his body, the crack of the bone so loud my teeth flinched. Bishop stood strong. Leatherhead's claws dug into his stomach, covering them in blood. Bishop laughed. "You truly think that even now you've defeated me. Do you not realize I am Bishop, I cannot be defeate..." his words cut short as Leatherhead's teeth synched through his skull. The body of what had once been the man called Bishop fell to the floor.

Leatherhead then turned towards the three females who stood, huddled together watching. His nostrils flared as he smelled their fear, their weakness. He began to approach them, the hunger for blood still strong within him. Yet, as if something pulled in tight on him, he quickly turned around and began moving swiftly in the opposite direction.

So there I stood, Dee still tight against me, and this other person, an agent called Tara nearby. We simply stood there, a mixture of sorrow, grief, fear, and awe all combined into one. The monster who had once been more man than creature dissappeared, replaced by a bloodthirsty thing. After composing ourselves, the best we could, Tara and I took Des' body and left the caverns for good. Never looking back.

And inside, the man called Bishop layed in pieces...

TBC

I promise no one else will die in the next chapter.