The Jean Grey School:
Before they eyes of the shocked X-Men, Wolverine lies dead, slain by Kaine aka the Scarlet Spider.
Outside, the observer from the Assassins Guild informs a skeptical Belladonna about what happened. From the looks of things, Kaine is about to join Wolverine, he adds. Belladonna is happy about that and tells the man to report back to the Assassins Guild for his payment.
Murderer! Storm shouts and uses her winds to slam Kaine against the wall. He can’t speak as Iceman lowers his brain temperature.
Kaine’s mysterious sidekick, Aracely, shouts at them. Marvel Girl tells them to stop. The assassin is gone. Storm doesn’t understand.
Beast tells everyone to wait and puts his ear to Wolverine’s chest. He can hear his heart muscles knotting back together. What he’s not hearing is his heart starting to beat again. He hits his chest hard.
Wolverine awakes, stumbling towards Kaine and vowing to kill him. He hits Kaine, pulling his claws at the last moment. Kaine lands on the ground.
Later, Wolverine dresses in his grey X-Force costume and tells a skeptical Storm he’ll be back in 24 hours. He doesn’t tell her any more or even why he trusts a man who stabbed him in the heart.
Flashback:
Marvel Girl informs Wolverine that Aracely told her there is an assassin outside watching and that they need to play along, as Kaine announced he would kill him.
Present:
It’s good to see some things never change, Storm sighs. What about Hummingbird, she asks, referring to Aracely. Wolverine announces she stays until they return. Storm remarks she does not like her. None of the telepaths will go near the girl. She is unnerving. And extremely annoying. Then she will fit right in, Logan decides and asks her to trust him.
Elsewhere: On a rooftop a man on his knees, addressed as Mr. Murray, is told he is going to die now. He begs God for his life and is told by Belladonna he prays to the wrong god. The Red Death holds power here. Why are they doing this? he asks. Belladonna clarifies he is doing this. The Assassins Guild is simply serving the needs of the client. Their client needs him to die.
One of her men shoots him. Afterwards, he asks how much longer these sacrifices must go on. Belladonna reminds him they are killers. The sacrifices are penance… a reminder of their sins. Everyone knows blood begets blood.
In the X-jet, Kaine explains that the Assassins Guild is going to kill people he cares about unless he kills Wolverine. He figured if Belladonna hated Wolverine so much he might hate her too. And this was the best way he could think of to ask him for help? Logan asks. Kaine points out everything worked out. He lives. And if he didn’t? Wolverine asks. Kaine’s problem is solved either way.
How did he get mixed up with the Guild anyway? Wolverine asks. He was a competitor, Kaine replies. What is he, Spider-Man’s evil clone? Yeah, Kaine admits. Unimpressed, Logan remarks he has a clone, too. Here’s the deal. They do this and then he never sees Kaine or his sidekick again. He sees him, he dies. Kaine agrees.
Back at the Jean Grey School, Beast examines a happily chatting Aracely. Is she a mutant? She asks. Are they all mutants? Is he made of rock? she asks about Rockslide. She asks Cecilia Reyes how long it takes her to comb her hair. Why is Anole green? Do they have any mutants from Mexico? Do people hate and fear them for real? Holy crap, she talks a lot, Rockslide announces. She fought werewolves Aracely replies, and Rockslide is impressed.
Looking at the results, Cecilia Reyes announces Aracely is human. Aracely replies she can scare people and hear their thoughts. Cecilia admits she has no idea why she can do that. Probably because of the voice she hears in her head, Aracely muses, before asking Rockslide if he is a doctor too. Anole bursts out laughing. Rockslide replies he can’t be scared or killed. If she goes crazy evil, he’s the one that takes her out.
She asks Beast if she is evil. He doesn’t think so but he doesn’t think she’s the only person inhabiting her body…
Nighttime in New Orleans, the fortress of the Assassins Guild:
Wolverine and Kaine take out several guards brutally. One of them has time to scream before Kaine skewers him. Grimly they get ready for more guards coming.
With a jump, Kaine dodges the bullets of a machine gun, musing if this goes on long enough he’s going to die. He doesn’t have a spider sense. Wolverine probably can’t die. But it doesn’t matter. He hasn’t even been touched yet. For a short guy weighing about a thousand pounds, he moves like a ninja. An angry, midget ninja.
Kaine is concerned what the violence is doing to him, how all his old ways are coming back. He is hit from behind by Guild member Harvest, a masked man with two large scythes who threatens to cut off his legs. He is one of the super-powered assassins that came after Kaine in Houston. Kaine cuts his leg off with a katana.
Wolverine is shot by Smithy, who doesn’t much like Kaine either. He can teleport guns into his hands, so Kaine broke his hands and stabbed him in one.
Kaine recalls another one, a girl. Hands touch his face from behind and he realizes she is there. Run! the deceptively cute little girl orders as she tosses him away with super strength. He lands hard, sensing a broken rib.
Stay still, Harvest orders and slashes Kaine across the chest. Wolverine slashes him. Who’s next? he asks. The little girl announces her name is Flower. She‘s going to kill him but he has to promise not to die too fast. Does he promise?
He kicks her in the stomach. Kids, he sighs. He is shot from behind. Belladonna and some more guards have arrived. He shouldn’t have betrayed her, she tells Kaine. He doesn’t realize what’s happening here. Belladonna orders her assassins to kill them.
Wolverine asks Kaine what his plan is. Wolverine can distract them by getting killed, he leaves, Kaine suggests. And here he thought he hated Spider-Man, Wolverine replies.
They have to die! Belladonna shouts. Wolverine offers to kill Kaine if she leaves the X-Men alone. Is this funny to him? Belladonna rants. The Red Death is coming!
Sneaking up on her, Kaine threatens her and asks if she thinks he is joking. They can’t win, she predicts. Wolverine is threatened by two guards and Smithy aims guns at both heroes.
She’s here, Belladonna announces. Smithy shouts to let her go. Suddenly, he is impaled from behind. Wolverine and Kaine find themselves dragged up by scarves that wind around their throats, courtesy of Candra. The Red Death has come for them all, Belladonna announces.
