A few seconds passed before the door opened. John Wraith stood in the doorway. The only greeting I managed to make was a smile before John embraced me in a tight hug. I was caught off guard. It took me a minute to return the hug. John's clothes didn't really fit with the local style. I was pretty sure leather boots, a pale tan western-style shirt with a cowboy hat wasn't normal dress for people living around Las Vegas. After a few seconds the embraced ended and the happy moment diminished when John asked in a stern voice, "What are you doing here, Lorna?"

I was about to explain when another voice interrupted. "Probably the same reason I am." I turned my head around to look behind me. Logan was standing in the still open doorway. He hadn't changed at all since I last saw him. He still had the same serious face that never seemed to disappear.

John looked from me to Logan and then back to me with a questioning look on his face. "Follow me." He said as he turned and walked away. As I walked behind him I looked around the building. It reminded me of my apartment, it was basically one large room but much larger than mine. It looked as through John used it was a gym. In the center of the room was a makeshift boxing ring. There was also some old retro paintings placed around the room. John lead us up to the office which was built so it overlooked the room below.

"So, what's up?" John said, leaning on the side of his small desk. I looked to Logan, singling for him to explain instead of me. Plus, I wasn't quite sure what was happening. Logan got the point and started talking. His story was almost the same as mine. Stryker and Zero's visit, refusing to help them the first time but in the end agreeing. But Logan's story had a something in it that I was grateful wasn't in mine. A visit from Victor. Victor had apparently killed Logan's girlfriend. I felt sorry for the man but at the same time I was happy that Victor had decided to visit him not me. The thought made me fell some what guilty.

Logan went on to say that Stryker had promised to give him the ability to kill Victor. But afterwords they betrayed him. I discovered that it was him that caused the sirens to go off at Alkali Lake. "Man, what'd they do to you?" John asked as him handed Logan a beer. Logan responded by making his hand into a fist. Three long silver blades sprouted from the area between his knuckles. John exhaled, "Shit."

"What happened to him after I left?" Logan asked, taking a drink from his beer.

"I don't know. I guess he felt as through you abandoned him. Hell, we all did. Wade was depressed for like a week after you left, Lorna. I left a few months later. Couldn't take roundin' them up." John stood up and set his beer down. My stomach made its usual twist at the mention of Wade.

"Rounding who up?" Logan asked. His voice was different, confused.

John clearly avoided the question. "Drop it, Logan." He looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Rounding who up, John?" Logan was getting angry.

"Mutants." I blurted out while I was staring at the floor.

"We were hunting our own kind, Logan." John practically yelled.

"Why?"

"Stryker never told us. He said 'we were doing good for the world'."

"Where did he take them after you caught them?" Logan asked, standing up.

"I don't know. But maybe Dukes does. He and Zero were real close." John said, exhaling.

"Fred. You know where Fred is?" I asked.

"Yea. But he developed a small eating problem. We all got our coping mechanisms, like Lorna's is grand theft auto and spending other peoples' money. So don't say anything about his weight."

*Author's Note*

I own nothing. Marvel owns everything, as they should.

So this story is starting to come toa close. I'm not sure if I want to write a sequel to it or it that would just ruin it. What do you guys think?

That's for reading/reviewing.

-----Madison Dyann------