An air skimmer of unknown origin took off into the sky, heading for England. Onboard stood three mutants: Piotr Rasputin, the human Colossus, Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler, and Rahne Sinclair, the young Wolfsbane. Their mission was to search for clues regarding Kurt's missing lover, Amanda Sefton, who disappeared after the group's plane went down.

But just as the one skimmer left, another small jet had just arrived, using vertical landing jets to find a safe, quick landing on an aircraft pad outside one of the main buildings of Muir. Doctor Rory Campbell and newcomer Douglas Ramsey stood waiting, with the purple dragon Lockheed flying about nervously.

The jet's exiting staircase lowered slowly, with one woman with long black hair coming out behind a younger woman with brown hair with a white streak running through it.

"Welcome back, Tinya," Campbell said with a smile.

"Good to be back," the woman with long black hair replied. She was wearing a white and green costume of some sort. "Who's the kid?"

"Doug Ramsey," the young blond answered.

"This here's Rogue," Tinya Wazzo said. "Xavier's bunch took her captive after a fight at the US Congress between his guys and Magneto's. She's got flight, invulnerability, super strength . . . but her real power is to steal your own powers, memories and abilities through skin-to-skin contact. But I think this collar Brian got from the Genoshan government is working fine."

"It's . . . so cruel," Doug frowned, his eyes not moving from Rogue's face. She's . . . beautiful . . .

"It was a necessary precaution," Campbell answered. "As soon as she's in her . . . room . . . the collar will be removed. Hopefully she'll be receptive to the treatment."

"You make it sound . . . like brain washin' or sumthin'," the rogue finally spoke.

Campbell smiled. "Nothing like that. I'm a psychologist. Name's Rory Campbell. You're here to get at the root of your problems, so that we can find a solution. So that you'll learn not to hate the world, but to learn to strive to make it better, and to accept your powers and control them."

"Pretty much the opposite o' everythin' Magneto ever told me."

"Magneto?" Doug asked. "What's a Magneto?"

"He's the opposite of everything Charles Xavier, and as an extension, Muir Island, stands for," Tinya answered. "He's the reason why we're putting together this so-called 'team' of mutants . . . because we need to fight off evil mutants that would use their powers to do harm."

"It wasn't like that," Rogue frowned. "Not at first . . . Magneto gave me a home . . . protection from people who wanted to hurt me . . . he only asked that, in return, Ah help him."

This might be an easier assignment that I thought, Campbell began to smile. "Well, you had been mislead. Now, come along . . . to your new 'room'. We'll have plenty of time to talk later."

Brian Braddock, the enigmatic Meggan, and Doctor Moira MacTaggert stood cautiously around one end of a table. Sitting in a chair at the other end was a man who, just minutes ago, had triggered the intruder alarm. He identified himself as Pete Wisdom.

"Now," Moira frowned, "run this by me again one more time."

Wisdom sighed, pulling out a cigarette.

Moira grabbed it from his hand. "I dinnae like smokers. Now get on wit' it."

"Alright, woman," Wisdom frowned angrily. "I already told you, though, so you're wasting precious time."

"Excuse us for being suspicious," Brian answered. "You somehow made it to our island, you know of the existence of Excalibur, and you claim that there's a major threat to England--"

"--The world."

"--The world," Brian continued, "and that we've got to help you because some top secret black ops--"

"--Black Air."

"--Whatever, because they're out to kill you for abandoning them, and they've got some precious information that can save us."

"Are you about bloody finished?" Wisdom asked. "Good. Black Air is so secretive only the people who work for it know of it's existence, and even then some people don't. It's corrupt, it's power hungry, and it wouldn't mind taking over the world. They've got more information on more things than you could imagine. You wouldn't believe how many alien races have come here trying to take over earth. One of 'em's still on the loose. But that's not our main problem right now. Neither is Black Air or anything else . . . except the Neo."

"This is the part I dinnae get," MacTaggert frowned.

"The Neo are like another branch of mutant," Wisdom explained. "As different from us as we are from humans. They're powerful. They're relatively under populated, but their ruthlessness more than makes up for it. They've decided the world isn't big enough for three dominant species. They seek to wipe out mutants, which they refer to as 'Spikes', and then wipe out the human population."

"Sounds like something the American's Avengers League should be dealing with," Brian frowned.

"Well, you're supposed to be Europe's premiere super heroes, aren't you?" Wisdom asked. "Sure, you're not officially a team yet, but you will be. I appreciate how noble your goal's supposed to be an' what not, but we've got to start moving faster."

"We?" Moira asked.

"We've got to have your team sneak inside Black Air and get some information on the Neo," Wisdom continued. "I know some, but not all about them. If we're to launch an appropriate defense and offense against them, we'll need to get started immediately."

"This is assuming we believe you," Brian replied.

Wisdom sighed again. "Do I need to go find help elsewhere?"

"We'll do it," Meggan answered.

Brian and Moira looked at the young girl with confusion on their faces.

"He obviously needs our help," Meggan shrugged. "So let's be nice and help him."

"Ah, the voice of reason," Wisdom grinned. "And much sweeter than expected."

Brian glared at Wisdom. "Alright. We will go with you. Me, Meggan, and whoever else we can spare. And if you pull anything funny, I'll kill you."

The air skimmer landed quietly with Kurt, Peter and Rahne dismounting. The wreckage of the downed Moonlight Flit was still there.

"Go to it, Rahne," Piotr said.

The young girl nodded and began a half transformation, turning into a half girl-half wolf. She began to sniff the crash site for any clues.

"Glad to see I'm not the only one with a freakish appearance," Kurt said, half-joking.

"There is no need to be ashamed of your looks, Kurt," Peter stated. "You are who you are. Embrace yourself."

"I have," Kurt frowned. "I was kidding. But then again, living with a traveling gypsy circus group most of my life, I can say I'm used to being around other people who like strange . . . and I'm not used to going anywhere that could be considered public, like this."

"We'll just have to get you used to it," Colossus answered. "One of these days I'll get you to walk down the middle of some busy street in London. That would take care of things."

"No, finding Amanda alive would take care of things," Kurt sighed.

"We'll find her," Peter replied. "We will."

"I hope so," Kurt answered as Rahne approached. "Anything?"

She shook her head. "I cannae smell anythin'. Not any o' yuir scents."

"How is that possible?" Kurt asked.

"Perhaps these Neo returned to the site of their crime to make their overt actions seem more covert," Peter reasoned.

"Is there anything we can use as a clue?" Kurt asked. "I need to find Amanda . . . "

"There is some new technology we have at Muir," Peter remembered. "Professor Charles Xavier designed it, along with Henry McCoy and Moira. It's called Cerebro, and is supposed to be of use in locating mutants."

"Why didn't you mention this sooner?" Kurt asked.

"It is not quite perfected yet, so Moira asked it be kept a secret," Peter shrugged.

"Well, there's nothing here. So let's go try this Cerebro . . . "

The mysterious building is home to the top secret black ops organization called Black Air. Its origins are unknown, and even less is known about the head of the organization, a man called Nefaria.

Very few people knew what he looked or sounded like. Most of those employed in Air only knew of him through reputation . . . reputation of his ruthlessness.

But there was definitely at least one man who knew of him. Black Air's second in command, a mysterious aging man known only as Archer.

Archer's hair was white and he always wore a black suit and black tie. His presence was a commanding one, and everyone obeyed his order. Well, everyone except the twins . . .

"That prisoner still hasn't been moved?" Archer asked out loud after receiving a report. "She was apprehended over a day ago, and I gave the order over a day ago. Those damn Nazis better have a damn good reason for disobeying my orders. Steiner! Get the 'Master Race' twins in my office immediately."

A secretary quickly scrambled to carry out the order. But the prisoner to which he referred was none other than the missing Amanda Sefton who, seeking help from the Neo attack, accidentally wound up right in the middle of a Black Air base.

Four people and one dragon moved quickly and quietly towards the Black Wall building.

"This is suicide," Wisdom spoke under his breath.

"You said you could get us in," Captain Britain frowned. "This is all your mission. We're only along because Meggan's a nice person."

Meggan grinned, oblivious to Brian being upset and even angry.

"Well, if he can't get us in, I can," Tinya replied.

"How d'you figure that, gel?" Wisdom asked.

"First of all, you can call me Apparition, not gel," she replied. "And second of all, you can call me Apparition because I can become intangible at will. I can get us inside easily."

"Assuming you using your mutant powers doesn't set off every alarm in the place," Wisdom grunted.

"So what's your plan?" Brian asked with Lockheed the dragon floating behind him, glaring angrily at Wisdom. "After all, you brought us here."

"We'll need a distraction," Wisdom said. "Mister Britain and Apparition here can make some noise, along with the little Barney here, and draw out Air's security. Then this lovely blond and I can sneak in and--"

"No," Brian answered angrily through gritted teeth. "If you need a distraction, Meggan and I shall do it. Tinya will go with you, as she can bypass locked doors with ease. And Lockheed will go with you as well to watch Tinya's back incase you pull anything stupid."

"Fine, stick me with the dumb Brit," Tinya grinned.

"Says the uneducated American," Wisdom replied.

"Uneducated? You don't even know me!"

"You're from the States, though," he answered. "That tells me enough."

"Oo, I can already see how well the other's'll enjoy his company."

Captain Britain flew through the air, using his super strength and invulnerable force field to deal physical damage to the Black Wall's structure. Meggan relied on her elemental abilities, calling upon fire and lighting to attack the building.

It didn't take long for a group of armed soldiers to run forward. At their head were two people dressed differently from the others. They held hands and began to float.

"We are Fenris," the boy said.

"And either you will surrender," the girl said, "or you will die."

The three slid from room to room, passing through walls with great ease.

"Here," Wisdom said. "This is the info storage room . . . we can download all available info on the Neo as soon as I crack the encryption code. Which . . . could take awhile . . . "

"Here," Tinya said, pushing Wisdom away from a computer. Her hands grazed over the keys quickly. "Got it. Man, that was easy . . . second try."

"You're right," Wisdom frowned.

"Hmm?"

"It has been too bloody easy."

"What're you saying?" Tinya asked.

"Simple," a voice said behind them, aided by the click of a gun's safety going off. "You've been set up."