DISCLAIMER: Siryn, Black Tom, Juggernaut, and all related X-Force characters belong to Marvel Comics. I am only using them for entertainment reasons. In Marvel continuity, Siryn’s first encounter with X-Force took place in issue #3. I've never actually read that one, so if I diverge from continuity, you know why. Also I am ignoring Siryn’s brief tenure at Muir Island.

NOTE: < > indicates thoughts. This is part three of the series which began with "You Only Live Twice," and "Juxtaposition."

Mayo County, Ireland

Theresa Rourke ran her fingers along the balcony of Cassidy Keep’s east wall which overlooked the North Sea’s pounding surf. It’d been a while since she'd had a chance to admire the view. After her mother, Maeve Rourke-Cassidy died in an IRA bombing when she was three, she'd been raised here. She'd spent her springs and summers here, and the balance of the year in the nearby village of Killernay.

A secret part of her heart always felt like it belonged here. She'd never known her father, so her uncle, Thomas Cassidy had raised her own.

<He isn’t a bad guardian, although, he isn’t what I’d call a "role model" ...> Theresa reflected. She threw another empty bottle to the ground, which shattered upon impact. A puddle of the liquid inside seeped into stone cracks in the floor.

When she was twelve Tom’d sent her away to a boarding school, because his criminal deals interfered with his role as her guardian.

"Maybe he did because he generally believed it was the best thing for me, or maybe it was because he didnae want me finding out about his arrest for traffickin' in the black market." <How could he do that? I was hurt, angry over his rejection.>

Theresa picked up the crate of gin and uncorked another bottle. She knew she shouldn't be drinking so much,but it did help deaden the pain.

<Back then it didn’t matter what I wanted or thought about it. Having a kid underfoot was simply an ‘inconvenience'. Tom wasnae prepared to deal with me and business at the same time, and business came first. He had his priorities. Of course, only when my mutant powers manifested, then he realized how valuable I could be to him.>

Terry shrieked, her sonic scream shattered the glass and cracked the stone walls. She glanced at the banks of roses and everblooms, whose petals were turning brown and crinkled at the edges because she hadn’t been there to take care of them. Theresa raised a glass in mock salute to the forlorn looking garden.

"Tis a fond welcome back I’ve received," she said, drinking down the contents of a tumbler of gin.

<"At first, I loved the adventure, and the danger, and felt closer to Tom than I ever had." Terry sighed, biting back tears. "He didn’t know I’d graduated to hard liquor during my time at that Catholic school. Tom always drank after a successful heist, and insisted that I join him. In my heart, I had doubts about the criminal life I was leading. Drinking helped silence my conscience. Tom would say that 'this was the life', and I was foolish enough to think that it was ... ."> Terry stared moodily out upon the ocean.

"Come inside, lass," Tom called. "Ye can stare at the ocean some other time. Donnae scream ike that, I cannae afford to have the stone masons come again, and I donnae know how to plaster."

"Aye. I’m coming," Theresa replied, ignoring the slight jibe about the renovations her uncle had been forced to make to the castle because of the structural damage her sonic scream had on buildings and glass.

Inside, dinner was waiting for her, corn beef and cabbage with fresh baked rolls. All her favorites.

"What’s the special occasion?" Theresa asked sitting down in the high backed chair her uncle pulled out for her. Knowing Tom as well as she did, she knew that he only spared no expense, made full course meals when he wanted to impress a client.

"Cannae a lovin’ uncle provide a special dinner for his only niece? Welcome back, Terry," Tom grinned and made an elaborate sweep of his arms across the spread, indicating the meal, and the lit chandeliers.

"All right, ye’ve convinced me," Theresa grinned back. It never ceased to amaze her how utterly smooth and charming her uncle could be when he pulled out all the stops. <"I cannae stay mad at him forever, and this meal is very good,> She thought taking her first bite, savoring the taste, washing it down with the white wine from the bottle in the middle of the table.

Later

"Did ye enjoy yuir dinner?" Tom asked, signaling the servants to clear away the table. "I’ll wager tis a far sight better than boarding school food."

"Excellent, as always. Aye, there’s no comparison. Ye should have yuir own cooking show," Theresa joked.

"Ah, the problem with that, is I’d have to go on network television, and they’re never profitable." Tom said, as he wagged a negating finger at her in mock severity.

"Aye, profit comes first, so ye’ve always taught me," Theresa replied.

"Always. That’s why the three of us twill be takin’ a trip Stateside tomorrow morning," Tom announced, pouring himself another goblet of wine.

"Cain’s going?" Theresa asked, referring to Tom’s partner and on-again, off-again friend, who went by the name Juggernaut. Theresa just thought of him as ‘yuir typical, over-sized, muscle-bound, blowhard.’ Not that she couldn't get along with him, or that he didn't treat her with a modicum of respect during the occasions she’d accompanied the pair on heists.

"Aye, if he can manage to be on nigh on time." Tom got up and strode around the dining room table to her chair.

"Any place special?" Theresa asked, a spark of interest flaring in her intense green eyes.

"Aye, how does the World Trade Towers sound?" Tom whispered conspiratorially.

"Wonderful," Theresa laughed, as Tom ruffled her red hair, <"I wish he wouldnae do that. I’m not twelve years old anymore,">

New York, Next Morning

The elevator doors opened, with a slight shudder since they hadn’t been serviced for several months. A tall man, wearing dark clothing, entered. He wrapped his cloak snugly around his body, then clenched his fist around a narrow cylinder hidden underneath. It was a shiloh, an Irish word for a quarterstaff. Most quarterstaffs weren’t seen much, outside of dojos, and maybe some university or military training grounds. However, this was no ordinary staff. The man who owned it was a mutant whose ability was tochannel bio-energy through it. He pushed the button for the observation deck, then grinned.

<"Everything’s going according to plan. Now if that big lug who calls himself my partner, would just be nigh on time ... Ah, tis harder and harder to find good help these days,"> Black Tom thought as the elevator doors slid shut, carrying him upwards.

Upon reaching the penthouse, the man called Black Tom Cassidy, although not a short man, was suddenly dwarfed by a massive shadow as another figure emerged from the shadows of a support pillar.

"Cain," Tom greeted.

"You were expecting the Colossus of Rhodes," Cain greeted.

"You’re on time, that makes an eighth wonder of the world,"

"There are so many, not that it makes any difference if you’ve lost track," Oh, by the way, the explosives are a time-delayed mechanism, all we have to do is get, grab the loot and get out. Piece of cake."

"Ah, staging a terrorist attack/bomb-threat, to make off with a fortune in precious stones," Black Tom sighed, already calculating the fortune. He could have sworn he heard an invisible cash register go ‘caching!" as the numbers added up. "I love conventions."

"Yeah, Just make sure that Red does her part," Juggernaut replied.

"You don't know her as well as I do. Have no fear, Terry’ll come through." <"Although she’s been a wee bit out of sorts lately,"> he thought.

X-Force HQ Evening

Cable deactivated the red light on the monitor that indicated an incoming message.

"Cable here."

"Nathan. Cable," Charles Xavier, greeted.

"What do you want?" Cable responded gruffly.

Charles Xavier was the last person he expected to hear from. Although, the majority of X-Force were former students at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, both men well aware that each had made their own decision to leave the X-Mansion and join X-Force.

"We haven’t always seen eye to eye on many issues, Cable. I trust we both recognize that. Barring our obvious differences, I truly believe we're on the same side when it comes to fighting for the "Dream" of mutant coexistence, and ... ." Xavier trailed off.

"Save the speech, and cut to the chase, Xavier," Cable interrupted, irritated with the dramatics.

"Very well, a band of terrorists have targeted the World Trade Center. I’d send the X-MEN, however they’re currently away on another mission," Xavier began.

"Why not send X-Factor," Cable said reasonably. After all stopping terrorists would be more in their modus operandi, being 'a government sponsored team. You know as well as I do that Valerie Cooper, and others consider X-Force ‘clandestine," Cable finished.

"I’ve already contacted Valerie Cooper. X-Factor is unavailable. They’re handling another situation involving a mutant terrorist named Haven. Speaking of which, Cerbero has pinpointed at least two unidentified mutants whose powers are unknown at this time. The Juggernaut is also with them," Xavier finished.

Cable didn’t have to like Xavier, but the man was asking for his help, and he’d give it to him.

Domino walked into the conference room. She’d meant to discuss the schedule training sessions for the following morning, but it could it wait. Not wanting to interrupt his phone conversation, she straddled the chair next to him and rested her elbows on the conference table.

"Okay, okay. We’ll go." Cable replied, grimacing, he knew something had been to up. He didn’t like being treated like a third wheel, to handle a situation that the ‘acceptable groups’ wouldn’t touch, but X-Force had its duty, and they’d do it in their customary style.

"Thank you, Nathan. Be careful," Xavier said, before hanging up.

"Yeah right," Cable growled, resigned but committed, as he slammed the receiver down on is resting spot.

"One doesn't have to be a telepath to tell that something's wrong," Domino remarked wryly.

"We’ve got another mission. This time at Xavier’s request, it seems we’ve got to handle a situation that they don’t want to touch." Xavier handed me the convenient excuse ‘they’re away an another mission."

"What about X-Factor?" Domino asked, arching an eyebrow.

"They’re busy. By the way, The Juggernaut is probably there," Cable explained.

"Big surprise," Domino replied. "So, how do you want to handle this one? I assume we’re going."

"Yeah, we're going. We’ll just bring the house down, We may not be able to kill him, so we’ll just bury’em," Cable said grimly. "Call the team in for a briefing, Dom."

"So we’re damage control or demolition?" Domino asked she pressed the panel for the public address system, "Briefing in ten minutes, get in here."

"Demolition?" Boomer echoed, having heard the tail-end of the conversation. "That’s my department, so were are we going?’ she asked, gum plastered to her face, leading the pack as the members of X-Force arrived for the briefing.

"Don’t encourage her," Cannonball laughed as he straddled a chair, and ignored Boomer’s angry glare.

"Fekt! I for one, would appreciate engaging in live combat as opposed to these mock combat sessions. Even scrimmages against my own troop mates, aren’t as good as the real thing," Shatterstar shrugged leaning up against the door frame.

"Don’t sweat it, Star," Warpath said, squeezing past Shatterstar to take a seat at the conference table.

"Yeah, amigo. It’s not like we haven’t been behind the eight ball before. This just make its tougher," Rictor said, breathing a tad shallowly after trying to keep up with Shatterstar.

"Wonderful. So half the team runs interference, ensures the safety of any civilian bystanders, while the other half of the team brings down the house?" Domino said.

"Uh, like she said. I won’t lie to you and say it’s going to be easy, so be careful. And no grand-standing, you got that, Star?" Cable growled, staring at Shatterstar.

Shatterstar didn’t reply, just nodded his hand at the reprimand and acknowledgment of his orders.

"Okay, folks. Gather up any gear you’ll need. We’ll move out within the hour," Cable finished, watching as they left the conference room to suit up.

X-Force arrived at the top floor of the sky-reaching ivory tower. Landing the PACRAT, a modified version of the X-MEN’s own SR71 ship, the Blackbird, proved to be relatively easy. Rictor brought it down for a smooth landing.

"Correct me if I’m wrong, but would now, not be the time to get our hands dirty?" Shatterstar asked as the team disembarked from the transport.

Before leaving their base, Cable had filled them on the details of the mission. Enroute he’d informed them that they should be prepared to expect the worst. Terrorists had the reputation of being loud and messy.

"All right, kiddies, I want this done by the numbers. Take them down player by player," Domino yelled, jumping down on top of the Plexiglas, spraying it with fire from her double barreled guns.

Cable followed, jumping through the hole Domino had created, hefting his own oversized energy rifle over his broad shoulders. He landed with a thud on the floor of the observation deck, startling the crowd and sending them scattering in different directions, while the rest of the team followed.

"Do you hear that?" Warpath asked, tilting his head upwards as a high pitched whining sound grew steadily louder.

"Star', check it out," Cable ordered, as his words were cut off by an explosion that knocked everybody off their feet, glass and masonry flying around like so much shrapnel. Shatterstar pulled his swords out and glided over to where he thought the source of the sound was located.

Cannonball ignited his blast field, and launched himself into the air.

"Ah’m makin’ a circuit of the area. So, where are they? Ah thought this was going’ to be tough."

"That’s the Juggernaut?" Boomer asked, wobbling on her knees, still recovering from the blast. She regained her feet, and pointed to a seven foot behemoth emerging from the shadows along a bank of elevators. "Can of spam, dead ahead," she announced, preparing an energy sphere.

"As corny as it sounds, babe. That’s my name, don’t wear it out," the Juggernaut replied as he pummeled the floor with a gigantic fist causing the floor to buckle.

Cannonball flew towards the Juggernaut, figuring his blast field would protect him when he collided, hoping that it’d be enough to knock the man off his feet. <"Wonder if ah can get that blasted helmet offa him, too?">

Boomer brought her hands together, cupping a sphere of plasma energy and pitched overhand towards the Juggernaut, which exploded on impact. Meanwhile, Domino and Cable took potshots and Rictor brought up the green energy from his hands and poured it in the general direction of the Juggernaut.

Shatterstar leaped into the air, swords raised, excepting a double flip in mid air, easily evading the man called Juggernaut’s flailing limbs as he tried to latch on to him. The large man simply laughed everything they threw at him off, complaining that it tickled. Even when Warpath socked him with a solid right hook.

Theresa, a level below the observation deck, used her sonic scream to carry herself up through the air. She emerged through the hole. In the back of her mind, she wondered if her mythological counterparts, the Sirens, ever ambushed Irish sailors in this way.

<"Ach, I’m daydreaming again. I haveta keep focused on the mission. Tom’s countin’ on me">

She noted several costumed folks tackling the Juggernaut. Bracing herself on the edge of the gaping hole in the floor, Theresa let out a deafening sonic scream. It worked like a charm.

The large, muscle bound man collapsed to the ground. He slammed his hands over his ears. Seeing that he was out for the count, Theresa turned her attention to taking out her other opposition.

"Cannonball, see to the civilians," Cable ordered, taking a few seconds to ascertain the positions of the others, confirming that Warpath was unconscious but otherwise unhurt. He continued to keep up a steady barrage of fire at the Juggernaut. <"For all the good's it's doing. This is getting expensive in ammo."> he thought.

Cannonball reversed direction and speed off his flight, frantically trying to stem the flood of people fleeing the observation deck. "Don't panic, folks!" He yelled. "Just pretend it's a fire drill! Form a single file line and head for the nearest exit!" Cannonball shouted.

Thankfully, they listened, responding to a recognizable voice of authority in the midst of panic as the crowd trickle toward the stairs and elevators. Cannonball heaved a sigh a relief as he'd been successful in getting the crowd out of harm's way. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a red haired woman open her mouth and let out a high pitched scream.

<"Ah guess we’ve pecked our mutant’>

The scream caught Cannonball off balance, and slammed him into the windows. <"Well look on the bright side, Guthrie, at least ya got the civies out of the way before ya got slammed into the wall. Wouldva hurt without mah blast field ...> he thought as his vision swam and he closed his eyes.

"Sam!" Boomer gasped. At the start of the fight she'd been standing ontop the jewelry displays, pitching plasma energy spheres overhead, growing increasingly frustrated as the Juggernaut just absorbed the energy or let it harmlessly explode off his armor. Boomer saw Cannonball caroming through the air and collide with the windows. She jumped down from the tables and ran over to him.

"You okay?" Boomer asked, bending over him, and shaking him, totally zoning out the fight. Rictor, who'd been standing next to her, shook his in fond irritation, seeing Tabitha rush to Sam's aid. He then focused his concentration on adjusting the frequency his vibrator waves operated like Cable'd drilled into him during the team's last training session figuring that maybe it'd trigger a hairline crack in the Juggernaut's armor. <"Not that we're making anything else we've tried so far is doing any good anyway" he thought, shaking his head in disgust.

Meanwhile, Black Tom haning back at the edges of the battle intermittently sprayed those who’d seek to thwart his operation with bio-energy blasts from his quarterstaff. He worked his way towards the jewelry display cases. Suddenly he felt a sharp blade at his throat.

"Coward! Any warrior worth his mettle would not stand back in the shadows. He’d face me in honorable combat!’ Shatterstar growled.

"Too bad, I’m not a ‘honorable warrior." Black Tom used his quarterstaff to hit Shatterstar in the solar plexus and moved on.

Shatterstar rolled to the side, recovering quickly.

He decided to ignore Black Tom and concentrate on the more immediate threat, the Juggernaut. He executed a double flip easily crossing the room in a matter of seconds.

Shatterstar evaded the Juggernaut's flailing limbs as he tried to latch onto him. The Juggernaut pulled off his helmet, still locked solidly onto his head, but dented and scrapped by Shatterstar’s swords. He plunked back on his head, it still fit.

"You were lucky, ponytail! I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. But you were unlucky enough to really tick me off, so now I’m gonna splatter ya, like the bug ya are!" the Juggernaut shouted.

"I’d like to see ya try!" Rictor yelled. His vibratory waves flowed from his hands which cracked the floor beneath the gigantic man. The law of averages being what they were, something had to give. Under the Juggernaut’s weight and being hit a force akin to a wrecking ball, the floor gave way.

Theresa saw Cain go down through the flor and become partially lodged mid-floor as his bulk held him up for a few seconds, then sent him plunging downwards.

<"We keep this up and the place will look moon craters."> She turned around just in time to see Black Tom hunched over from carrying a load of duffel bags where'd he hastily stuffed the choice precious stones from the display cases. He excited leer reminded her suddenly of pictures of wizened gnomes she'd seen in her storybooks as a child, a greedy, excited gnome. Up until now she'd excused his criminal side, she'd gone along with it, thinking that it was just and adventure, that if they just stole things no one got hurt. But seeing that expression on her uncle's face, glancing around the wreckage on the observation deck, in a matter of seconds, something inside her snapped, that if no one else could put a stupid this chaos ... <"Then, bloody hell, I'll do it! Sometimes blood isn't thicker than water. I love him, but I haveta put a stop to this madness.">

Theresa stopped hovering in midair, landing on the floor. She then let out a deafening scream in Black Tom's direction, ignoring the unsettling feeling his wounded look caused her, as he keeled over unconscious. The decibel levels causing temporary damage to his eardrums, but hopefully not causing permanent deafness. <"Does he think I betrayed him?"> she wondered silently. She smiled bitterly, <"As for Cain, well, either he'll lurch his way out, or the authorities we'll have to get a crane to haul him out,"> she thought absurdly.

"It's over!" Theresa then yelled at the top of her lungs, addressing the room in general.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Cable said.

Just then, police sirens wailing loudly from outside, signaled the official end of the fight, which meant New York City's finest had arrived on the scene.

"That's our cue, people! We're outta here, NOW!" Cable shouted, as X-Force filed out. Theresa again used her sonic powers to float her way up through the hole in the roof.

On the roof, after

X-Force regrouped on the rooftop where the PACRAT had landed. Most had already gone aboard to give Cable and the Irish mutant some privacy to talk.

"The name's Cable."

"Theresa Rourke. So what happens now?"

"The fact that when push came to shove, you choose the better part of valor is going to weigh heavily in your favor, girl." Cable said.

"I donnae pretend I like the stunt my uncle tried to pull off here, and I want to see him pay for his crimes," Theresa said, standing rigid in front of the big man who glared icy daggers down at her. She hoped her voice didn't shake and that she sounded more determined and persuasive than she felt.

"He will, don't worry about that," Warpath added, still dizzy from the assault on his sensitive hearing. He'd come too about the same time as the local authorities arrived on the scene.

"Do ye have any openings on yuir team? Without Tom I’m on my own?" Theresa said.

"I’ll give it some consideration enroute back to our base. Just so you know up front, joining up will mean living a bunker in the Arizona desert."

"Ye’re not serious, Sir?" Theresa asked, taken slightly off guard.

"I am. Are you still certain you want to go through with this?" Cable asked.

"I am. I can make me own decisions. And I know what I’m doing when it comes to usin’ me powers," Theresa replied, crossing her arms as if daring him to dispute her claim.

"I can attest to that," Warpath said wryly, soothing a lingering headache.

Domino returned at that instant from below. "The local authorities are mopping up things below. We're through here." she said, nodding encouragingly at Theresa. "Good going down there," she commented, turning towards the team's transport.

"I'm always up for new recruits, Board the transport. You’ll have time to think about your decision enroute," Cable turned around and boarded the PACRAT. Theresa followed, wondering, not for the first time, what she'd gotten herself into.

XFORCE HQ, Aftermath

Upon their return to their headquarters, Cable sent everyone to shower and get cleaned up, then had them gather in the conference room. "Team, I'd like you to meet Theresa Rourke. I've given her request to join some serious consideration, and I've decided to grant it. As you're aware, I'm always up for new recruits," Cable announced.

"Whoopee!" Boomer yawned. "So, what's she going by?"

"I've decided on Siryn," Theresa replied, folding her arms.

"A little more enthusiasm wouldn't kill you, Boomer,' Domino remarked.

"We'll star with introductions: That's Domino, She's the team's second-in command."

Cable gestured towards an almost albino woman with a tattooed patch over one eye.

"Nice to meet ye," Theresa said, shaking her hand.

"Likewise," Domino replied, returning the gesture.

"That's Boomer," as you may have picked up already," Cable indicated the blond girl who wore a pair of green sunglasses. She'd lent her one of her shirts upon their return from New York. Although if she was planning on joining the team she'd have to remember to improve the girl's taste in clothes.

"Yeah, Red," Rictor added. "Boomer here could use the balance, not to mention having a roommate." He grinned, then winced as she nudged in the ribs.

"That's Cannonball," Cable said, ignoring the banter, pointing towards a tall blond kid, who wore aviator style goggles pushed far up on his head which entangled in his hair. "That's Rictor," Cable continued, gesturing towards a brown haired kid. Theresa thought he might be Mexican judging from the accent.

"The more the merrier, ah always say," Cannonball added, "After all, we accepted those two, as he pointed towards Rictor and Boomer. "So ya'all can't be all bad."

"Aye, I can see that," Siryn replied laughing at the good-natured joke made at Rictor's and Boomer's expense.

"That's Shatterstar," Cable continued, indicating a tall kid with hair almost as red as her own, he wore in a long ponytail. He didn't acknowledge her 'hello,' apparently completely absorbed in critically examining the light reflecting off his swords.

<"Swords?"> she thought.

"And last but not least, that's Warpath," Cable concluded the introductions leaning back in his chair, and crossed his arms.

"Welcome aboard, "Warpath said, pumping her hand up and down.

"Uh, thanks," Theresa replied unsure of what to make of the muscle bound hunk she'd pegged for a bad attitude waiting to happen.

"Welcome to X-Force, Siryn. Hope you survive the experience," Boomer commented, echoing the same phrase that she’d been handed when she, Rictor, and Shatterstar had joined the team.

"Meeting adjourned, Welcome aboard, 'Siryn,' Cable echoed.