| Synopsis
| - This story is continued from last issue...
Following their clash with X-Factor in Central Park, the Freedom Force have cornered wanted mutant Rusty Collins and his new friend the Morlock known as Skids. However, the refuse arrest and Rusty and Skids flee as Rusty explains to her that X-Factor is trying to help him. X-Factor meanwhile leaves Central Park and finds them cornered by adoring fans of their "mutant hunting" exploits and Trish Tibly's news crew asking questions. When a police officer thanks them for helping out, they ask why the Avengers weren't called in when they were down the street, and the officer tells them that he considers them as much a menace as mutants. As Scott and the others work their way in the direction that Rusty had fled and they realize that what they are doing as X-Factor appears to make people more fearful of mutants than ever before. As they go, they recognize Magneto as he is entering the Hellfire Club building. With Rusty a more important concern they are forced to leave, wondering why Magneto would be going to visit some of their most brutal foes.
Meanwhile, Rusty and Skids are once more cornered by Freedom Force who attempt once more to try and capture them. However, another angry anti-mutant mob arrives and begins attacking Freedom Force, seeing them as another mutant menace. While Mystique attempts to calm the mob and keep her teammates from attacking them, Rusty is led by Skids down into the sewers, they are held up even more by the arrival of X-Factor who use Jean's telekensis to make it appear that they used technological means to entrap Freedom Force. Mystique explains to them that they are federal officers working on government business. X-Factor is forced to let Freedom Force go, and Destiny's powers pick up Rusty's location, and the feeling of death. Before X-Factor can leave, Hank is confronted by Trish Tilby who asks him what X-Factor's stance on mutants when one moment they are acting as bounty hunters and the next championing mutants. When it's clear that Hank isn't going to be able to defend X-Factor in a positive light for the media-spinning Tilby, Scott orders the group to regroup at their headquarters.
Before they arrive, Artie picks up images of Rusty and Skids and of a massacre that is going on in the Morlock Tunnels and decides to go for help, but leaves a crude drawing as a note to X-Factor. When they arrive and see it, Warren realizes that Artie had gone after Rusty in the Morlock Tunnels. X-Factor then changes into their X-Terminators uniforms and goes after them. As they rush to their charges aid, Artie runs into the young Morlock named Leech and they become instant friends. Leech takes Artie to meet Caliban who introduces himself to Artie as well. Caliban's greetings are cut short when he hears a blood curdling scream coming from elsewhere in the sewers. It's Rusty and Skids who have come across the charred remains of a murdered Morlock. Before they can go further they are attacked by Freedom Force who resume their task of trying to take Rusty in.
Freedom Force is countered by the X-Terminators, who gain the upper hand in battle due to the fact that they no longer have to conceal their powers. Mystique notes that Warren Worthington III is among them. As the battle rages on, Destiny cannot eliminate the premonitions of death the longer they stay down there and convinces Mystique to call Freedom Force into a full retreat. With Rusty injured in the battle, Cyclops orders Marvel Girl and Angle to bring him and Skids back to the X-Factor compound while he, Iceman and Beast continue their search for Artie. As they begin their search, their thoughts about Freedom Force are cut short when they hear blood curdling screams from the tunnels -- screams that also reach Caliban, Artie and Leech.
Meanwhile, a short time later, Freedom Force returns to the Pentagon in Washington to report back to their liaison, Valerie Cooper. When Mystique tries to explain what happened, Cooper wants to hear none of it and orders them to go back out there and capture Collins. As they are leaving, Mystique tells her comrades that she found it interesting that Worthington would side with a bunch of mutant terrorists and decides that she should leak the information to Trish Tilby, feeling confident that the ambitious reporter could dredge up what a millionaire playboy is doing operating as a so-called evil mutant.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)