X-Force lands in Missoula, Montana in the dead of night. The town was quiet, it barely seemed that anyone lived there at all. And for X-Force that was good. It meant less civilians. It meant they could sneak in without problems. It meant they had no need to hold back.
Wolverine, X-23, Warpath, and Onslaught snuck their way through the town, passing through the homes, and by the church, all the way to an old warehouse building at the very end of the town.
Logan sniffs the air and nods to the group.
" This is it. I can smell her." Logan stated.
That was enough information for Ian, he stepped forward and placed his hand on the door it blew it completely off its hinges, sending the doors launching into the room.
The entire building was empty, save for the one woman sitting in the middle of the room.
" Rahne!!" Ian and Warpath bout shouted at once.
Ian lunged forward, speeding his way to Rahne's side and lifted her head up. Her eyes were glossed over, and she was sweating profusely.
" No, please god, not again." She muttered.
Ian snapped the restraints on her chair and picked her up into his arms.
" She's alive! We have to get her help! Move!" Ian ran past Logan and the others and exploded into the sky with the woman in his arms.
Logan and the others followed Ian, as best they could. But it took them some time to return to the X-Jet and Ian had already had quite a long head start on his way back to Warren's home.
.......
It was a quick flight, Ian flew as fast as he could, faster than he ever had before.
The sound of thunder booming alerted Warren. He ran outside and looked into the sky to see not a single storm cloud in sight, instead Ian landed right behind him with a thud that nearly caused the deck they were standing on to break apart.
" What the? Sinclair?" Warren was bewildered. He looked at the frantic look on the man's face and called out to him. " Ian what happened? Is she okay?" He asked.
" Does she look okay?!" Ian responded angrily. Ian ran into the living room and dropped onto the couch with Rahne in his arms, shaking violently. " She's seizing!" He exclaimed.
" Hk! Hkkk! Khuhhh!" Rahne groaned and gurgled. Her eyes rolled to the top of her head and tour flowed freely.
" Come on Rahney, you can do this. Just hold on!" Ian told the girl.
" How can I help?" Warren asked.
" You want to help? Go find Elixir, hurry!" Ian yelled.
" He's with Dani, three states over." Warren replied.
" I don't care! GO!" Ian yelled at the man.
Warren nodded and ran outside, taking flight into the night sky, leaving Ian to look after Rahne as she continued to convulse.
Ian held Rahne close to him, placing one hand on her back and the other on her hip. He gave her room to breathe and slowly consoled her, until a few minutes later, she finally calmed down.
By the time she had stopped seizing, Rahne's entire body was soaked in sweat. But Ian still held onto her as gently as he could.
After some time had passed, Ian believed things had finally calmed down, but out of nowhere she started to shake again. And this time it was much more violent.
Rahne let out a loud and vicious shriek of pain, she started scratching and clawing at Ian's arms, and kicked her feet wildly.
Ian didn't know what to do. Thankfully, Warren returned and along with him were Logan and the others. But more importantly. Elixir.
Josh ran towards Ian.
" Here, let me take her." He said to the man.
Ian nodded and quickly laid Rahne down on the couch and moved aside for Josh to reach her.
Josh crouched down beside the woman and placed his hands on her stomach and began using his powers to separate the heroin in her body from the cells in her blood stream.
Ian watched, his whole expression was frantic and quite literally out of control. His breathing was hitched, and it looked like he would pass out any moment.
That's when Logan placed his hand on the man's back.
" Listen kid, let Foley handle it from here. Step outside and get some air." Logan told the man.
Ian looked down at Rahne and Josh, he wanted to stay but...
" Yeah... Yeah okay, Logan." Ian followed Logan's advice and stepped out.
The moment the cold air hit Ian's face, he felt like the world had suddenly been dropped on his shoulders. He felt heavy, bloated, like he could pop. The wind was like sharp blades on his skin, his eyes burned. He was tired.
Ian stood out in the snow and just held his head in shame.
Then he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. He turned and saw that it was Laura who had come out to see him.
" What do you want?" Ian asked the woman.
" Why are you still upset?" Laura asked.
Ian looked back at her like she was crazy. He couldn't understand where this attitude was coming from. Ian had seen Laura fight tooth and nail to defend her friends before.
" What kind of question is that? Laura what the hell is wrong with you?" Ian asked the woman.
" I just don't see why your so distraught. I can't understand it." Laura replied bluntly.
" Rahne.... Damnit, Laura. Did you know she was one of the first students to be brought to the school? She was one of the New Mutants Like Dani, and Xi'an. She was doing this long before us. She... Damnit." Ian muttered. He couldn't speak. Couldn't find the words to say. He just couldn't explain it.
" Then she should have known better." Laura replied. The moment those words left laura's mouth, she flinched. She could smell it in the air, she could see it from the way his body moved. 'His entire scent changed. I have angered him.' Laura thought to herself.
And she had.
Ian slammed his forearm into Laura's throat and pinned her against a tree.
" You listen to me, and you listen good. Rahne Sinclair has two things we will never get back! Hope and Innocence! She's who we're supposed to save! She's who we risk our lives for!' Ian told the girl.
" Why?" Laura asked.
" Because I love her! Just like I loved you!" Ian exclaimed.
" Ian!" Ian suddenly found one of Warpath's massive arms around his neck.
James grabbed the man and pulled him away from Laura, freeing the girl from Ian's grip.
" Rahne is more important than you or me. Our lives are worth nothing compared to hers! Do you understand me?" Ian asked the girl. He ignored James and his pulling and continued shouting at Laura.
" Have you gone nuts, kid?" Warpath asked the man. " Rahne's going to be fine." James told the man.
" Do you hear me? Laura? No. Do you hear me X-23?!" Ian shouted at Laura. In the heat of his anger, he refused to look at her as a person. Instead, he called her by the call sign her creators gave her. Calling her nothing more than a weapon.
" Come on!" Warpath yelled. " Let's take a walk." He told Ian.
" Get off me." Ian smacked Warpaths arm to the side and stormed off into the snow. He wanted to be alone.