The ragged group of mutants ventured into the cave, their white-haired leader Wildside out front. A small, cool breeze wafted up from the gloomy darkness.

"Well, what do you think?" Wildside growled as they walked out into the vast open space.

"This place sucks already." Feral said, her orange fur standing on end.

She wandered around, peering into every shadowy corner. "Where's the plug for the television?" Sniffing the thick air, the young feral mutant said: "And what's that horrible smell?"

"I don't smell anything." Wildside shot back. "Hey Mike, why don't you put that chair down right... there!" he said, pointing to a place in the middle of the cave's floor. The four-armed mutant, appropriately named Forearm, set the recliner he had been carrying on his back down on the dirty ground.

Tempo looked around, closely following the gaze of Feral. One of the shadows seemed to flicker for a moment; Tempo squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. The darkness was still.

"Are you sure this place is all right, Wildside?"

Wildside looked over at the golden-clad mutant, then walked up and got right in her face. He snarled: "Are you questioning my leadership abilities, Tempo?" His eyes grew as wide as his devilish grin.

"Nuh-no!" Tempo stuttered, stepping back a pace. "Of course not, Wildside. I was just thinking that..."

"Don't think. That's my job." Wildside said, his eyes glowing.

Tempo nodded and quietly walked away. Wildside stood there for a moment before he noticed Ursa Major, in full bear form, staring at him. "You got a problem, Russkie?"

Ursa shook his head. "Of course not, comrade Wildside."

"I didn't think so." Wildside crossed to the chair and plopped down in it, totally disregarding his teammates.

They looked at him for a moment longer, then began to one by one drift around the cave.

Ursa watched Phantazia, the resident M.L.F. teleporter, float into the shadows around the perimeter of the room. "I would not go too far, comrade Phantazia, lest you be lost."

"Save it, oaf." Phantazia replied shortly, drifting deeper into the darkness until the shadows completely enveloped her.

The white-haired woman gave her eyes a moment to adjust before she continued further; when they did adjust to the gloom, she saw three pairs of dull red eyes staring at her. A hiss accompanied the sudden appearance of the eyes.

Phantazia whispered a "What the...?" before the owners of the eyes rushed at her and stabbed at her with their talons.

Back in the main cave, Wildside looked over at the newest and youngest M.L.F. recruit, Bora, and saw her turn her head and return his gaze. He smiled wryly, and she smiled back. Phantazia belonged to the Brood now.

"Hey boss, I think I'm gonna go into town." Feral said, standing next to Wildside as he sat. She sniffed the air again, her nose wrinkling at the rotten smell. "I gotta get out of here."

The M.L.F. leader looked up at Feral and smiled; it made him look even more insane than he really was. "Sure, baby. You do what you have to do."

Feral gave him a curious look, then turned around and walked out of the cave entrance they had walked in minutes earlier. Dragoness watched her leave with hollow eyes, then quickly and quietly followed the orange-furred mutant out.

Phantazia drifted out of the shadows again, her mask slightly askew on her face. Bora motioned to the energy-wielder, and Phantazia straightened the mask.

"Is everything okay, Phantazia?" Ursa asked her as she glided over and stood next to Wildside. Ursa shifted back to human form, watching Phantazia.

"Fine, Ursa." Phantazia said, smiling thinly beneath her mask. A smile which, if Ursa had seen it, would make the woman seem possessed by demons of some nether-realm. The big Russian mutant looked at her curiously; it was the first time she had ever called him by his actual name. Usually it was 'oaf', or 'dolt.'

Forearm watched all of this with idle curiosity. "I think I'm going to go beat up on some trees... training, if you will," he said. Ruffling his dark hair, he walked out of the cave without waiting for a reply from Wildside.

Jumping up from his position in the chair, Wildside gave Ursa a great big grin. He clapped the Russian on the back and said: "Hey Ursa, why don't you go with Phantazia and check something out for me."

Ursa nodded. "What might that be?"

"I saw another cave connecting to this one when we scouted earlier." Wildside replied, still grinning madly; he pointed off to a small opening in the shadows. "Right there's the entrance. Get to it!"

Nodding again, Ursa trudged off toward the opening in the rock. He turned around and saw Phantazia gliding after him; soon, they both melted into the darkness.

Bora smiled again, watching the pair disappear into the hole. The mentally unbalanced leader of the M.L.F. also watched as they left the cavern; Tempo merely peered off into a dark corner, thinking to herself. The dark-skinned mutant didn't see Wildside point at her and mouth the words: "She's next," to Bora.

A chill ran through Feral's body as she walked down the street of the small upstate New York town, close to their new headquarters. She pulled the long coat she was wearing tighter around her body; her fur didn't seem to help with the chill at all. Shivering, she walked slowly down the grey sidewalk.

Dozens of people walked by her, carrying on normal conversations about normal things while planning normal events. A picnic in the park... dinner at a nice restaurant... seeing a movie... normal things.

Feral didn't think of herself as normal. Orange fur, a long furry tail, sharp teeth and talons, and the power to do... what? She's a Morlock... not even a normal mutant!

"Feh," Feral spit out. She tugged her hat down lower at the slightest hint of a breeze; she didn't want any of Xavier's brood hearing about her being anywhere near their beloved mansion. Feral walked past an alleyway between two of the small shops, not listening to anything but her thoughts. A hand shot out and pulled her roughly into the alley; instinctively, the young woman sunk her teeth and claws into the offending appendage. The owner of the arm let her fall to the dirty ground.

"Hm, that actually hurt," said a voice from behind her. "You're just as I remember you, Feral."

Feral's eyes grew wide as she recognized who the voice belonged to. He stood there in the gloom, wearing a dirty pair of jeans and a sweatshirt; his fiery orange hair was tied back in a ragged ponytail.

"Shatty-buns! Long time no talk to!" Feral said, hurredly getting to her feet.

Shatterstar looked at his former X-Force teammate and smiled thinly. The two swords he always carried with him were grasped in his hands, ready for a battle. "I didn't know they let you out of the Vault, Maria."

"Don't call me that!" Feral cried out, baring her fangs. "Maria Callasantos is dead, you hear me? Dead!" She jumped at Shatterstar, who nimbly stepped out of the way; the young woman recovered quickly, whirling around and sending a foot into the man's gut.

The breath went out of Shatterstar in a ragged whoosh, doubling him over where he stood. Feral took advantage of the momentary weakness and raked her claws down his exposed back; Shatterstar gritted his teeth, stood up tall, and slapped Feral away with a vicious backhand. She landed against the wall of the closest building, a small trickle of blood running from her mouth.

"Ooh, foreplay," Feral said, licking the blood off of her lower lip. "I know you missed me, Shatty-buns, but..."

"I'm taking you back, Feral," Shatterstar stated, putting his swords away. Folding his muscular arms across his broad chest, he said: "Back where you belong."

Memories of the Vault flooded into Feral's mind. Memories of being half-starved and thirsty simply because she spat at another inmate... memories of the cramped, dark cell she was forced into every night... memories she didn't want back in her mind. Memories she certainly didn't want to relive.

"Like Hell you are," Feral whispered angrily. She jumped up from the ground and threw a handful of dust and dirt into Shatterstar's eyes; making sure he was sufficiently blinded, Feral rushed out of the alleway, her long coat fluttering around her orange-furred body. Shatterstar wiped the mix from his eyes and raced onto the adjoining sidewalk; he could barely make out Feral running far ahead. Letting out an angry breath, Shatterstar took off in hot pursuit.

Unbeknowst to the two mutants Dragoness sat, perched, on one of the taller buildings across from the alley. She watched as Feral came running out of the alley, watched as Shatterstar rushed out soon after. The dark-haired woman smiled grimly, then burst into tears. Fear clawed at her mind, ate at her very soul. She had never known such fear as this... never.

"Three..." Dragoness whispered quietly to herself. "Three against how many?" The sun began to slide beyond the horizon as Dragoness took to the sky, her mind filled with fear, apprehension, and... excitement? She might be injured, killed, or... worse. It was almost thrilling when she actually thought about it; Dragoness smiled for the first time in days as her mind raced with possibilities concerning the battle to come. If it was a battle to the death, she was ready.

She was finally ready.

Michael McCain, a.k.a. Forearm, wound up and thrust his massive fists into a solid oak tree; the tree groaned, cracked, and fell to the ground with a resounding crash. Small animals and birds alike scurried off into the forest to flee from the percieved threat. Forearm wiped his brow of sweat and flexed his arms, readying himself for another swing.

Feral came rushing into view, her coat and hat discarded. Catching sight of Forearm, the young woman immediately changed directions and sped over to him.

"Feral, what's wrong?" Forarm asked, concern showing itself on his face. Shatterstar came crashing through the underbrush, answering his question without a word from Feral.

Shatterstar skidded to a halt, his ponytail swinging in his face. Drawing his swords, he said: "Step out of my way, Forearm. I'm here for Feral only." One of Shatterstar's swords began to hum and vibrate as he powered up with his mutant power.

Smiling, Forearm replied: "I don't think so, Shatterstar." He crossed his arms over his broad chest while Feral crouched down next to him; the odds were certainly now in their favor. "If you want Feral, you'll have to go through me first."

"Fair enough, Forearm," said Shatterstar. Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, Shatterstar looked up to see Dragoness perched in one of the trees. She looked at the small group, not saying anything.

Feral grinned, showing her sharp canines. "Looks like you've got one hell of a fight, Shatty-buns!"

"No." Dragoness said simply, shocking all of them.

"What?" Feral cried out, turning her attention to her teammate.

"Are you kiddin' me, girl? It's three against one!"

Dragoness glided down from the branch and joined the assemblage on the ground. Shaking her head, she said: "I said no fighting. We need him."

"For what?!?" Feral exclaimed. The fur on her back had begun to rise.

Dragoness told them about their first trip into the cave. She told them about the creatures, about how Wildside was seemingly killed, about how Bora stayed behind to fight them off. Now, both of them were seemingly alive and well.

As she finished, a piercing scream came from the direction of the cave; it was abruptly cut short.

"That sounded like Tempo!" Forearm said, his head turning toward the cave.

He looked around the small group and saw them all looking in the direction of the cave. "Let's go."

The four mutants ran at top speed toward the cave entrance, with Shatterstar running behind the others. He had his swords out still, ready for anything that may come; a thought surfaced in his brain. He was helping his enemies... against a greater enemy? Or was it a trick? A trap?

Silence greeted the four as they reached the cave entrance; it was too quiet, Forearm thought to himself. Darkness enveloped them as they entered the new M.L.F. headquarters. Feral's eyes adjusted almost immediately to the gloom that was gathering because of the rapidly setting sun.

"Welcome back," came a voice from the blackness. It sounded like Wildside, but it also... didn't. Hisses and skittering sounds accompanied the mad leader's greeting. Torches suddenly burst into flame in Wildside's, Ursa's, Tempo's, and Bora's hands; light reached into every corner of the cave, illuminating at least four dozen Brood creatures who were grinning maliciously.

The small group of mutants slid to a stop, finding themselves surrounded by creatures. Feral crossed herself, something she hadn't done since she murdered her parents; Shatterstar scanned the room, gauging the numbers of the enemy.

Wildside chuckled and shouted into the lit cavern: "Let's get ready to ruuuuummmble!!!"

And with that, the Brood fell upon the four most recent arrivals, their sharp talons flying through the air and their teeth gnashing; their red eyes demonically reflecting the torchlight that lit the cave.

In M.L.F. #3: It's all-out war when the Brood attacks Forearm, Feral, Dragoness, and Shatterstar! When it's all over, who will stay in the MLF and who will go?