Many years ago

A 14 year old Beth Walker lays on the ground holding her ribs in pain as the woman called Deathstrike stands above her ordering, "Get off your ass Sparkplug."

Silver Sable looks over, "Ease up, Ngumi. She's just a kid."

Ngumi keeps her eyes on Walker, "If we coddle her she won't learn a damn thing."

Sable begins to speak but Walker sits up and glares, "I can handle it."

Beth then stands and spits out some blood and raises her knives and takes the stance Ngumi showed her. Ngumi's eyes narrow as she lifts her sword, "Come on, we don't have all day."

Beth charged at her angrily slashing toward Deathstrike as she calmly blocked all her strikes, "That the best you have, kid?"

Beth nearly snarled as blue energy surrounded her blades. Ngumi's sword broke as the energy hit the blade and Walker went for her throat in frustrated rage. Ngumi dodged and grabbed her arm and bent it behind her back forcing her to drop the blades, "Its about damn time Sparkplug."

Beth struggled futilely to get herself free but Ngumi held firm. Sable sighed and started to move toward them but the woman called Domino stopped her, "The kid needs this."

As Beth dropped to her knees Ngumi asked, "What do you see?"

Beth put her hand down and grabbed a fist full of sand, she then hurled it in Ngumi's eyes. Ngumi released and Beth grabbed her arm and flipped her over to the ground. Ngumi smiled, "That's my girl."

Beth dropped to the ground, "When are you going to quit holding back on me?"

Ngumi sat up, "You aren't ready for that by a long shot."

***

Now, Wilds of Colorado

David Hardy leans on a tree huffing as he looks on Walker running in place, "This is how Shield agents spend their down time?"

She nods, "Gotta keep your strength up. You get weak, you die. How do you keep in shape?"

He shrugs, "Mostly with the running for my life thing."

She then looks to 7, "You don't feel the need to work out?"

He continued tinkering,"No."

***

Several miles away at a Goblin camp a beast of a man appears in a flash of light. He pays no attention to the surprised Goblins as he began to walk. He hears them lift their guns as one speaks, "Wrong place, mutant."

He looks back, "Mutant? Such a primitive term."

He then suddenly appears before the man who spoke and grabs him by the throat lifting him in the air. The man started convulse in pain as the massive man calmly held him. The other goblins were shocked as the man seemed to begin swelling. Stone started ripping out of his flesh as the mutant dropped him. As he writhed in agony on the ground his attacker leaned down and the rest of the goblins fell over in pain as the various minerals in their bodies began to solidify and expand.

He calmly explained, "One should never threaten a stranger without cause."

He then leisurely strolled away from the camp.

***

Hours later

Beth was filling a canteen from a stream as she noticed the massive man a few yards from her scooping some water up before taking a drink. He looked to her and spoke, "Could you tell me where I am?"

She shrugged, "Colorado, I think. Sorry I can't be more specific."

He sighed to himself, "Coordinates were off a bit."

She was curious about that but he was gone before she could ask any questions.

Back at their camp David was laying on the ground as he spoke to 7, "Next time I agree to Walker's work out, I want you to slap me really hard."

7 nodded, "Just remember you asked for it."

***

The large mutant sits on a fallen log and pulls a communication device from his belt, "Stonework to command, Coordinates were off by a few dozen miles, I will attempt to obtain means of transport."

(To be continued)

(Sorry this chapter is a bit weak, just needed to establish some things.)