Nathan stood in the white room, shirtless and barefoot, dressed in the new clothes that the MCA had given him since he'd arrived at Sheol only a day and a half before. He wanted to rip them off simply because they were an accommodation from his enemy but the thought of running around naked was even less appealing than accepting their limited hospitality.

There was no longer radiation shining down on him, as there was wherever he'd gone thus far in Tartaros, the deepest part of Sheol. He was, as Deadpool had warned him, put into a medical experimentation program. Right now, he was put in a room with another mutant, one with powers similar to his. They took the radiation off and had instructed them to fight to the death—like animals.

He looked the man over. He was about thirty year old. The top of his head was bald but dark hair emerged from the sides and back of his head. He was quite possibly the hairiest man that Nathan had ever seen, his arms, chest, neck and back engulfed in dark, long, thick hair. He was ruddy and good-looking. The guy was ripped, his chest, shoulders and arms more massive than even Nathan's. He had no stretch marks, however. Under different circumstances, Nathan would've asked him for his secret. The man was supposed to have enhanced strength and speed too.

They were perfect strangers, not even knowing each other's name. It was appalling. Nathan would not kill an innocent man, a total stranger, and a fellow mutant.

The man looked him in the eyes, as if he were as scared and reluctant to fight as Nathan was.

"I'm not going to fight him!" Nathan screamed, knowing they could hear him from the intercoms in the room.

"You have no choice," a voice returned.

"I'm not fighting either! You can't make me!" the man protested, giving Nathan a reassuring nod.

"David McKnight, I would hate to have to hurt your sister Natalie and your little nephew all because you won't comply," Nathan watched tears of fear and anger instantly form in the man's eyes.

"And Nathan Henson, how would you like to have to write out your parents' obituaries and epitaphs right now? Or how about your mutant girlfriend, Lindsey Basden?" Nathan winced at his parents and had to choke back bile at the thought of them doing anything to hurt his beloved.

"You do that, and you'll get nothing out of me!" Nathan assured.

"What loss is it to us? We have dozens of mutants in line to take your place in this project. The same goes for you, Mr. McKnight. Now gentlemen, I'm sure that you can see that unless you comply, you're at much more to lose than we are. We'll say it one more time, fight each other!" the voice echoed through the room. Nathan looked over at the man, seeing a mirror image as tears fell from his eyes. Nathan wiped his away.

"I'm sorry," was all that man could manage. "We have to," he added.

"I know," Nathan replied. And so, it began. Nathan tackled the man to the ground in a flash and began flailing his fists into his chest and face. The man retaliated with a punch dealt squarely to Nathan's face, sending him flying up against the wall behind him. He bounced like a wrecking ball off of the cement, feeling it give way under his mass.

The fight was still on, David, pinning him in a corner began an onslaught of punches, some of which Nathan was able to block and some of which he was not. The blows were powerful enough to bruise his already aching ribs. David was as strong or stronger than Nathan was, that much was for sure. He seemed to be just as fast as well. They were evenly matched, not a wonder that they'd been pitted against each other. It was likely that the survivor would endure more torture through earning the right to be experimented on than the one who fell.

Still, survival instincts kicked in and Nathan fought back, with the fury of an animal. He lashed out, dealing blow after wicked blow to his opponent, without reserve or retreat. For every blow that Nathan dealt, he took an equal or greater blow in return. Soon blood flowed freely from his nose and mouth. David didn't look too much better than Nathan felt.

It was clear that neither of them had any kind of formal combat training, as they were merely brawling, undisciplined and reckless. Though they were men fighting to protect that which was most dear to them, they were animals, fighting for dominion.

David pinned Nathan down and squeezed his throat, attempting to choke the life out of him. Nathan tried to pry the hands from his neck, gasping for air he could not get. He knew that he'd have to act against instinct in order to free himself. He rolled his legs backward and wrapped them around David's head, flinging him to the ground. Now Nathan was on top, pummeling with all the strength he had in his body. David took blow after blow to the chest and face, unable to defend himself any longer.

Nathan stop! You're gonna kill him!

They're gonna kill Lindsey!

That doesn't give you the right!

He held David up ready to bring his fist down in one finishing blow. David looked at him, tears in his bloodshot eyes.

"Do it," he pleaded through a bloody mouth. "At least my family will be safe."

Just because one would be so arrogant to think they get to decide when someone's life should be over, doesn't mean that you have to be.

What about those MCA? I killed them without thinking twice!

That was self-defense…this is different. Look at him; he's a man: flesh, bones, heart and soul…just like you.

What about Lindsey? What if they kill her?

You are in no place to decide whose life is worth more or less than another. Do what is right, no matter how painful the consequences.

Nathan screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to fight the conflict in his mind. Finally he let David go, his decision made.

"Mr. Henson, finish him off!" the voice sternly commanded.

"NO!" Nathan screamed through tears. What had he done? He had actually considered taking this man's life. Had he fallen so far? Was one life better than another? Was David worth killing for the thought that Lindsey might be spared death?

"We will kill her, Nathan, make no mistake. Last chance," the voice reasoned.

"I could no more kill my brother than I could kill myself," Nathan snapped, firm in his decision.

"Very well, you've sealed her fate. I'm sending the order to have her executed," the voice replied coldly.

"Then you can't hurt me anymore," Nathan muttered. He picked David up and held him in his arms, holding him close and looking him over.

"Thank you," his eyes were swelling shut from being punched so hard.

"Don't thank me; I did the right thing."

"I can't say that I'd have done the same for you," David admitted.

"That's okay. There's a reason why I beat you then," Nathan assured, tears free falling again.

"I wish we could've met under better circumstances," David whispered, gripping Nathan's arms affectionately.

"Me too, David…me too…" soon a green gas filled the room. Nathan tried to hold his breath as long as he could. He couldn't be certain as to whether it was sleeping gas or deadly nerve gas. It didn't matter too much to him anymore. Death would've been a welcomed relief.

He breathed in a lungful of the gas and felt his body go limp as his vision blurred. He hoped that he'd wake up in Heaven and all of his suffering would be over.

Nathan opened his eyes to his Hell of existence and felt the stinging pain from the fight he'd had. He couldn't be sure how long he'd been out, and he didn't care to know. He was on the urge of giving up, breaking down and throwing in the towel. He had to hold out hope that he'd one day be free from Hell, free to roam the Earth freely again. He was upright, strapped to a table. Once again he could feel that that strength in his body had returned. He tried to break free from the restraints but discovered them too powerful.

"That's adamantium, an indestructible metal. Even someone as strong as you cannot break it," came a voice from nowhere. He wasted no more energy trying to break free. He had no reason to believe the man was lying.

"Let's see his proficiencies," ordered another voice from nowhere. He couldn't see because of the bright and blinding light shining down on him, shielding whoever was in the room with him.

"The protein that his body produces accelerates his muscle growth at an evolutionary rate. It makes his skin, bones and muscles resistant to bullets," the first voice explained as a gun went off. Nathan screamed in pain as the bullets bounced off of his chest, which was now exploding in pain.

"It still injures him," the second voice observed.

"Yes. He can even resist the more powerful rounds of the fifty caliber," the first voice said. Another shot rang out in the room and more pain followed. "As you can see, it only bruises him. However severe, it still does not kill him. I believe this one was tremendous potential."

"Do you think his body will be able to endure the fusion?" the man asked.

"At the very least, the healing factor can be put into his genetic makeup on an uncultivated level."

"Will it affect his primary mutation?"

"My hypothesis is that it will. Most of the subjects have shown a decrease in proficiency in their primary mutation at the sacrifice of the integrated secondary. Over time, his body will learn to develop both. It's a small sacrifice, sir. He has only tapped the vastness of his primary mutation. A healing factor and perhaps some adamantium implants will improve him greatly," the first voice assured.

"Okay, you don't have to convince me any further. Before you start the gene splicing, I want a report of his resistance and immunity to poisons and other elements," the second voice demanded.

"As you wish, sir," the first voice assured submissively.

Days quickly passed into weeks for Nathan as he endured torture after torture. He was exposed to electricity, fire, ice, radiation, poison and hypnosis. Every angle of his body was checked, measured, probed and sometimes violated. They took samples of his blood and semen against his will. They tried to force him to fight more mutants like him and some that were not like him at all. He always refused to fight them. They'd run out of threats to threaten with. According to the MCA they'd killed Lindsey, his parents, his brother, sister, her husband, their child, and every friend they could dig up in his file. It appeared as if they were simply going down a list.

When other mutants would try to fight him, he would defend himself and knock them unconscious. He would never kill them, however. They put him in a room with David again. His wounds since their last fight had healed up nicely. Instead of fighting, they shook hands and had a nice, cordial chat before they gassed them both again.

"Mr. Henson, you are quite a rare specimen indeed. You have been able to endure every kind of malicious attack we've thrown at you. You've developed a resistance to all of the elements through your mutation. I know that you don't enjoy being here," a man said to him from the other side of his cell. There was radiation that suppressed his powers, keeping him from bursting through the bulletproof glass.

"That's the understatement of the century," Nathan never gave them the satisfaction of looking them in the eye. It wasn't because he was intimidated but because they meant nothing to him. They were not people, but monstrous oppressors with needles and guns.

"There is a way that you can leave, you know—a way that you can earn your freedom," the man began to propose. "Are you interested?"
"Anything is better than this," Nathan spat.

"You have been chosen as our next candidate for Weapon X because of your strength, speed, and aptitude for survival. We're going to be integrating another mutation into you genetic makeup, making you a super soldier. From there you will undergo intense training from one of our successful projects," the man sneered.

"Deadpool," Nathan said out loud.

"Ah, I see that he introduced himself to you—very good. Indeed, Deadpool will be training you for combat. You'll learn to pilot helicopters, jets and planes, to use firearms and other weapons in combat. I believe that if you cooperate, you will become our best specimen yet," the man said.

"More time to be your lab rat eh? What's this other mutation you're gonna give me?"

"Advanced healing powers. Your body is very invulnerable as it is, but in the case that you are injured, you'll be able to heal yourself rapidly," the man replied.

"Like Deadpool?"

"I have reason to believe that you will not be that proficient in it, but then again you won't have to be. The healing powers will make you a god, an epiphany from the shadows of what you once were," the man's smile grew across his face.

"Do you actually talk like that? 'An epiphany from the shadows of what you once were?'"

"Apparently, I do," the man snapped defensively.

"What happens after I'm all evolved and trained? Then what?"

"We'll jump that hurdle when we come to it. In the meantime, get some rest. You're going to be having a visitor in a few days," the man walked away without saying goodbye. The only person that would ever be able to come and visit Nathan, who even knew that he was in Sheol, was Deadpool.

I'll be seeing you soon, friend.

Nathan spent the next three days bored out of his mind. They didn't give him a TV or books like with prisons for humans. He didn't even get books or paper and pen to write with. All he had were meals and his thoughts on days when they weren't treating him like a lab rat. He had never attempted escape from Sheol. He knew that even if he were able to kill the guards that transported him from one place to the other, he'd never make it out alive. Abaddon, the Destroyer was always watching him, monitoring his behavior and ready to execute him if he did the slightest thing out of order.

He had lost count at two months that he'd been locked away in Sheol. He guessed around two and half but it was only a guess. How long would he wait in the depths of the earth for his redemption? For salvation? Had God abandoned him? Was he left alone to suffer the tortures of Hell? He wondered what state the world was in at that moment. The MCA told him constantly that the 'mutant vermin' where being eradicated more and more every day. He couldn't trust their word though; they would tell him anything to cause him more pain.

"Mr. Henson, your visitor is here," a female agent said through the intercom. To his expectation, Deadpool walked up to the glass, his face hooded in his dark crimson outfit. Though he couldn't see his face, he could tell that he was sad by the way his mask rested on his brow.

"At last, we meet again, Nathan," Deadpool hissed through the intercom. No doubt he wouldn't come inside to talk to Nathan.

"Too long, friend," Nathan relented. The thought of seeing Deadpool again had, at first, fueled his anger, but now he was glad to see a familiar face again.

"Indeed. I am glad to see that they are treating you well," he sneered. Nathan didn't appreciate the humor, but it was his way.

"I'm still alive, if that's what you mean."

"Yes. As I'd hoped, you're going to be used as the next Weapon X project. Once your trained you can begin work to earn your freedom."

"Work doing what?"

"As a Retriever, perhaps," Deadpool suggested.

"You mean working as the MCA's lapdog? No thanks," Nathan said, suddenly filling in the blanks of the MCA's new proposal. They were going to turn him into a killer to further their cause—not something Nathan was going to accept.

"It's the only way to get out of this place," Deadpool's gaze was fixed on Nathan. He stressed the words just enough for Nathan to get the hint. Obviously, they couldn't talk freely about things because they were being so closely monitored, but the implication was clear. Once Nathan was out of Sheol, he was free to run—at his own risk of course. The point was that he would once again have prerogative in his own life again.

"What's going to happen to me?"

"They are going to fuse some of Wolverine's DNA with yours so that you'll develop his healing abilities. From there, I will train you in combat tactics."

"Who's Wolverine?"

"A mutant project involved in the Weapon X program. He's dead now but they still use their limited supply of his tissue samples to attempt more cases like his. They say that you've shown determination, resolve and a natural tendency to survive, everything that they're looking for."

"If I would've known, I might not have tried so hard," Nathan replied bitterly.

"Don't say that, my friend. You're going to get a second chance to be free."

"A second chance under their authority…that's no freedom at all."

"It's a start…" Deadpool trailed off, clearly trying to be careful what he said concerning certain matters. "Get some sleep, you have a big couple of days ahead of you starting tomorrow."

The next few days were some of the worst pain that Nathan had ever endured. They took endless samples of his blood, draining him of his strength. They gave him all kinds of injections and radiation treatments. He shook and had seizures every so often. He couldn't hold down any food; he couldn't even keep down water. They had to keep him connected to an IV to keep alive.

Soon the seizures stopped. He was able to choke down soft foods without vomiting them up. He was able to get up and move around again. The radiation treatments and injections stopped. They were treating him like a king now. They let him rest and relax almost uninterrupted. He felt as if he were permanently affected however. After a week he still was not back to his full strength. He didn't know if he'd ever be the same after what they'd done to him.

"Okay, Mr. Henson. If we were successful, this should prove to be quite interesting. Please do not struggle," before Nathan could object a man lashed out with a sharp knife leaving a long, straight gash. He winced and looked down. Before, such a gash might not have even broken the skin. Now, it was bleeding profusely. He looked down when he felt the wound tingle strangely. The cut began to close up and heal immediately. Their experiments had worked. Soon there was only a bloodstain on his arm where the gash had once been. The wound had not even left a scar.

"Astounding. As we predicted, you have taken quite well to the newly integrated mutation. Soon, you will redevelop the strength and speed that you've lost in result to this. Your healing factor will evolve over time as well," the man in the lab coat turned and looked at his team. Nathan wanted to lash out and make a break for it, but he knew that Abaddon would destroy him before he made it to the surface.

"Congratulations on your success, Doctor," a woman scientist beamed. Nathan looked them over, wanted to destroy them for treating him as little more than a science project. Giving him grades of success as if he had no mind, emotions or soul of his own. Someday, some way, he was going to show the world the truth about what mutants were—people, oppressed by the bigotry and hatred holed up in the hearts of those with power. How he longed for the day when he'd be more than an experiment.

The days ahead of him, his training with Deadpool he looked forward to more than ever. Soon, he'd be trained to be as deadly as he was. When that day came, when Nathan would be able to do something about those who would dare oppress those less powerful than they simply because they had the means to, they wouldn't want to cross him. If they did, he would likely be the last thing that they got to see on this earth.

God, I see the path before me as clear as day. I will use what you've given me to help others, to save people from the tortures that I have endured. Thank you for your testing, for it makes me to persevere.

One day, Caleb, I will do something to change the world, as you once dreamed to do. I will not let deaths like yours be in vain.

Lindsey, if you're alive, I will find you. If they have indeed taken you from me forever, I will avenge your death with all the power that I possess.

The Day of Atonement is coming, and they will pay for their sins.