X-Factor # 25 - Messiah Complex Chapter Three

Overview

X-Factor Investigations joins the search for the missing mutant baby! Rictor infiltrates the Purifiers’ church in hopes of learning what they know about the kidnapping, but the secrets he uncovers surpass his wildest nightmares.

Meanwhile, Madrox and Layla visit Forge and learn the terrible truth about the future of mutantkind.

In Chelsea,New York, the Purifiers gather in their church to discuss the events in Alaska. They have decided that they have to step things up now that the X-Men have become aware of the mutant infant and are conducting their own search.

From above comes a low growl. Wolfsbane is sitting in the rafters looking down at them. She lunges and attacks one. The rest of the men in the room draw their guns but the man attack pleads for them not to shoot out of fear of getting shot. Wolfsbane throws the man at them and tries to escape. They chase her on the streets with their guns out. Walking down the street is man minding his own business. The Purifiers try to warn him to get out of the way. He responds by pulling out a gun of his own and shooting Wolfsbane, point blank, a few times. A pick-up truck pulls up and yells for Wolfsbane to get in. The man that shot her asks the Purifiers if that was what he thinks it was. They tell him that, yeah, it was a mutant. They tell him that the streets a crawling with them and they've been looking for men like him. They ask his name and he says it's Joaqauin Murrieta, but his friends call him Jake.

The truck is being driven by Siryn. She tells Cyclops that Rictor has managed to convince the Purifiers and that he's "in." Rahne is okay. She wasn't shot with real bullets. As Scott receives word on this, X-23 and Rockslide decide they need to speak with him.

In Dallas, Texas, Madrox and Layla pay a visit to Forge's place. When he introduces her to Forge, he tells him that "she knows stuff." Layla comments how it's funny that she doesn't have to say that anymore. People say it for her. As Madrox asks Forge if he's going to let them in out of the rain, she walks right through what is a hologram of him. Forge asks if this is part of the "stuff" she knows. She tells him simply that he didn't have a shadow. Half of the stuff she knows if just from paying attention.

Inside, Forge complains that Jamie is dripping on his floor. Layla tells him he could have shared her Hello Kitty umbrella. He says he has an image to protect. Forge asks Jamie how much has Scott told him about their plan. Not much. Forge has basically built a sort of time machine. He calls it a Chronal Tracer. He tells them that time branches off in infinite directions. Since M-Day, it's only branched out in two directions for mutants. They need Jamie to investigate them.

In a hospital in Santa Cruz, a man is brought into the emergency room after seemingly walking in front of an ambulance. The man turns out to Wolverine looking for Amelia Voght (who is working at the hospital). When she recognizes him, she turns to mist and escapes into the air ducts. Outside, Storm manages to suck Amelia out. She and Nightcrawler tell her they want to know were the Marauders are since the Acolytes used to have close ties to them. Storm tells her she can't protect them. Amelia tells them that she wasn't protecting the Marauders but rather them. She says fine, she'll tell them where they are but it won't be on her conscience.

Jamie asks Forge if the plan is to send two of his dupes into the the time streams and have them return with information. Forge says that's basically it. Jamie is a little hesitant since his dupes haven't been too stable lately. The two produced seem fine. The first is off with no problem. When the second is to be sent out, Layla runs into the Chronal Tracer, grabbing the dupe just as it activates. Jamie yells to Forge to reverse the machine. Forge tells him he can't. Both of the trips were one-way. Jamie is ticked off now. He asks how are his dupes supposed to come back. Forge tells him they're not. A message had been sent to them psionically into their brain cells. When they got the information, they would kill themselves and the information would be absorbed into Jamie. He grabs Forge and is about to hit him for leaving Layla stuck. Before he can hit him, his eyes roll back and he passes out.

The "new" X-Men are having words with Cyclops. They're not too happy that there's a "war" going on and they aren't able to do anything. When Rockslide stands in front of Scott challenging him about whether they have what it takes, Scott simply sends him flying back with an optic blast to put him in his place. He tells them they will help when they are told where and when the time comes. If they don't like it, they can just leave. Hellion asks if he's serious about just letting them walk out the door. Scott says yes. Then they will go after them and drag them back to chew them out for deserting their species in this time of need.

At the Purifiers' church, Rictor, or Jake as he's now known, is scanned and revealed to be a human. When he asks where they got the technology, they just tell him they recently acquired it. There is more to their operations than a simple church. A hidden room reveals an arsenal of weapons. As Rictor/Jake stands in surprise, they tell him this is nothing. This is just one of their smaller bases. He should see the one they have in Washington.