Rhisdon adjusted his suit jacket as he stepped into his main control room. The doors had been prised open to show a scene of utter chaos. Bodies littered the floor, mostly injured but some were dead. The only prisoners were a bald man who lay senseless on the floor and a woman with two-toned hair refusing to co-operate with her guards. When he saw the faces of the infiltrators on the screen he thought he had gone mad but no here they were, flesh and blood. The woman, Rogue his files said, looked as though she had taken quite a beating. Blood was running down her face from a cut on her scalp, her cheek was badly bruised and she couldn't kneel straight suggesting some broken ribs.
"My, my, my quite the battle," he sneered. "And by the X-men no less."
Rogue ceased her struggles to glare at him. "Old habits die hard," she muttered.
"Evidently." He answered an evil glint in his eye. "Well it seems whatever you have tried to achieve has failed."
Rogue laughed dryly.
"We may still be here but there are others who got out. And believe me when they get that information to S.H.I.E.L.D your going to be in big trouble."
Rhisdon shook his head as he crouched down in front of her.
"What makes you think they got away," he whispered. On cue SMU soldiers clattered in to the room with the X-men and the rest of her team in tow. Most were unconscious, heads lolling as they were dragged but a few were conscious. One such person was Remy LeBeau his eyes brimming with concern as they locked onto hers. Anger took over Rogue's body. Her feet shot out, sweeping one guard off his feet as her head shot up, slamming into the man attempting to tie her hands. As the first SMU hit the floor she seized his handgun from the holster. She delivered an elbow to another before smoothly taking aim at Rhisdon. Immediately every gun in the room was trained onto her but she didn't even blink. Then Rhisdon did something completely unexpected. He laughed.
"Well done," he managed in his mirth. "Very impressive but what good do you think that will do. The second you pull that trigger a thousand bullets will fill your body and what good will that do to your friends." He stepped closer. Rogue's eyes didn't move from him. "Who has more to lose?" He watched her eyes flick to her friend and back. Slowly he reached out and grasped the gun, feeling her relinquish her grip. With lightning speed her fist shot out and jabbed him on the nose. The SMU pounced beating her into submission with the butts of their guns. The prisoners still conscious shouted and pulled against the chains that connected them to the wall. The Rogue was dragged to stand beside them as Rhisdon skipped merrily up the stairs to the balcony where he stood over them. At a flick of his hand the SMUs left the room sealing the doors behind them. Rhisdon set the gun down on the cabinet beside him before addressing them.
"Welcome X-men. I must admit I didn't think I would ever see you again. Obviously those missiles were far too expensive."
Logan gave a roar as he strained against his chains.
"It was you!" he howled.
Rhisdon spread his hands wide and gave a bow.
"My greatest achievement to date," Remy had heard enough and began to charge his restraints. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Rhisdon advised. "Sets off a reaction that explodes each manacle if one is broken. Wouldn't want your friends hands to go boom would you?"
Remy glared at him but he did withdraw his power
"Yes I did destroy that mutant den just didn't have the effect I planned," Rhisdon continued as he riffled through the filing cabernet. "It was meant to kick start this war between humans and mutant. But no. Mutants decided to keep quiet. A few protests here, a few there but nothing major. And to cap it off no files on the infamous 'Cerebro'. Now that would have made my fortune. I suppose this is your entire fault." A few people down, Pietro was beginning to stir. "Ahh here we are," cooed Rhisdon triumphantly holding a pack of files aloft. "You will pay for your meddlesome ways."
"Why do you hate your own kind?" A voice called. Rogue's.
"What?" Rhisdon questioned.
"Mutants. You are a mutant after all. And soon all the world will know that little fact."
"Pray tell."
Rogue waved the hand she hit him with. On her middle finger sat a large shiny ring, which tapered into a point.
"This ring has just obtained your blood sample and sent a signal to S.H.I.E.L.D with your DNA in tow. Should raise a few questions why you are so pro-mutant wipe out."
Rhisdon glared down at her.
"It makes no difference," he stated plodding down the stairs, the spring in his step gone. "So are you ready?"
"For what?" Logan growled.
"For your worst nightmares."