AN: This is a kind of weird little story that has been running around my head for some time, but which I never felt confident writing down.
So basically, this is the prologue/pre-credit sequence of a possible 4th X-men movie. I love those movies, but the 3rd basically screwed us over and it seems like the only way to go now is to reboot or follow the First Class continuity.
Except it's not, at least I don't think so. This story might actually 'fix' what the 3rd movie broke: as in bring Scott and Jean back, give Rogue her powers again (and maybe get her to take Miss Marvels powers as well), bring in Gambit (who isn't 60 or something if we go by Wolverine Origins) and you know, bring in a villains that aren't either Magneto or some mutant hater all by introducing one person who can do all this and more: Mister Sinister.
I might add some chapters later, with other key scenes that would be cool, but I am not sure yet on how I am going to do that, so for now this is it. At the bottom of the page I'll post some random trivia, cause I threw in some references to the movies and the cartoon tv show.
Warning: This is turns very dark. Mentioning of brainwashing and torture. A somewhat gory description of character 'death'.
X-4. Revelations. Prologue.
To say that the research facility was dreadful was probably the understatement of the year. General Sortz wasn't an easily frightened nor a superstitious man, but even he had to admit that the place felt somehow haunted.
Beside him is aide seemed to feel it to, seeing as he wouldn't stop fiddling with is tie and cleared his throat numerous times. Finally, as they almost reached the lab, he spoke up.
"Sir, for the last time, I must protest against our presence here. If anyone were to find out, after last time ... think of the outrage."
Sortz snorted at the idea alone. "This is a beyond top secret facility. Not even the damn NSA knows this exists." He himself had only been informed of it's presence a month ago and only now been allowed to enter the facility.
"Perhaps, but sir, I have been over the files, last time we gave these people free reign ..."
"They created a weapon." Sortz interrupted.
"Yes, sir." The aide sighed. "They did."
The meaning behind his words were left hanging in the air, but Sortz knew exactly what his aide meant. He had read the files as well.
"They will not fail us again." He sounded more sure then he felt.
The lab was something straight out of a torture movie. Sortz dared not look at some of the machines lest he could imagine what would have happened to whatever poor soul that had been strapped into them. As long as he did not know, he would not have to claim responsibility for the experiments.
Personnel were running around making the final preparations for the demonstrations as he took his place at the observation platform.
Bolivar Trask only greeted him curtly, before going back to his work. Storz didn't like the man, he reminded him too much of a mad scientist creating things man had no business in creating. But that was why he was valuable to the project, whatever machine the doctors needed, he could create.
The atmosphere in the lab was starting to get to him and the General found himself grow as anxious as his aide.
A weapon, he told himself, they needed a weapon no matter what the cost. The mutant menace called Magneto might have disappeared from the face of the earth, but numerous splinter cells had taken over his place. Mutant terrorists ran rampant in the country, not to mention anti-mutant militias who were gathering arms.
A war was brewing, bigger then any fight they had before. Sortz did not delude himself into thinking that humans could ever defeat the mutants, were they to rally behind a common cause. Only one incident and the entire thing could blow.
So they needed a weapon. What they were doing here, all these experiments, they were right, because they needed to defend their citizens. Even the playing field.
And yet he doubted.
One of the senior doctors approached the cage that occupied the center of the room. It was a big thing, build from bulletproof glass it seemed. Wires and machines were connected to it. Right now it was empty.
The doctor looked over his shoulder at the observation platform once. Sortz immediately disliked him. There was something about him that send chills down his spine. He was too pale, Sortz thought, something made even worse by the long dark hair that framed his face.
"Sinister." His aide commented, a tremor noticeable in his voice.
"Come again?"
"That's what the other personal are calling doctor Windsor behind his back. Mister Sinister. He's their head geneticist."
Sortz stared at the back of the mans head for a moment. He couldn't agree with the nickname more.
The doctor, finished with his preparations, made his way up to the observatory.
"We're ready, sir." This Sinister said to Trask, drawling out the words. From up close the man looked almost handsome, charming even. And yet there was something there in the way that he held himself and the way he smiled. As if he was in on some great secret joke.
Well, Sortz would not let any man unsettle him, especially not some smug looking doctor.
"Tell me doctor, what is your interest in this project?" Sortz asked bluntly. "Desperate for a chance to play God."
Sinister smiled at that and though it seemed impossible it made him seem even more handsome and terrifying.
"Play God? I wouldn't quite put it like that." He replied lightly.
"Then how would you put it?"
Another smug secret smile. "Getting prepared."
Something was happening in the back of the room and so Sortz turned his attention away from the doctor and his cryptic words, to behold the weapon he was promised being led into the cage.
"God have mercy on us all." His aide muttered in shock.
Sortz gasped, too stunned to say anything.
The cage door closed with a loud clang and some mechanism starting warming up, gears turning loudly and various buttons and lights started flashing.
"Isn't she a beauty?" Sinister asked sweetly.
"You son of a bitch."
Sortz tore his eyes away from the girl in the cage and focused his rage on the men around him.
"You monsters!" he yelled at both Sinister and Trask alike. "You sick bastards!"
"Oh don't act outraged, Stan." Trask barked back defensively. "You knew damn well the parameters of this project."
"Parameters? Last time it was a willing recruit! You have used a child!"
"She is not a child." Sinister said softly. "She was never a child, just a weapon."
Sortz had never wanted to punch anyone as much as he wanted to punch that smug bastard now.
"Perhaps this demonstration will convince you." Sinister added and he nodded to an assistant who flicked a switch."
"What are you going to do?" Sortz asked.
"Behold." Sinister responded with a dramatic gesture towards the cage."a new super soldier. Trained from birth in the art of killing, equipped with superhuman senses and, in one word ..."
Metal panels slid down the sides of the cage, leaving only the glass wall that faced the observatory free.
The girl, who Sortz realized with a sick feeling, couldn't be a day over sixteen, seemed to notice something was amiss. She took a defensive stance, glancing over her shoulder at the back of the cage, with her hands balled into fists.
The metal of the cage turned red hot and the girl turned back to face them, her unkempt hair sweeping around her. She looked more animal then girl now, fear clear on her face.
"... indestructible."
The girl screamed soundlessly as she threw herself at the glass window. Kicking, screaming, clawing. Three claws each extruded from the girls hands, but they were useless against the glass.
His aid dropped the clipboard he was holding.
"Good God, a furnace. You've put her in a furnace!" He screeched.
Her hair caught fire first and then the flames were upon her. Sortz could do nothing but scream.
"Shut it off! Shut it off!" his aid yelled and Sortz jumped forward, grabbing Sinister by the throat.
"Shut if off!" He screamed in the mans face.
Even now he was perfectly calm and he just nodded to the assistant who flicked the switch again.
The flames died down and Sortz stared with wide eyes as the remains of the girl crumbled to the floor. Bile rose up in the back of his throat. Sixteen, his daughter's age. What had they done? What had he done?
"You killed her." He rasped, still holding Sinister in a vice like grip that did not seem to bother the doctor.
And he just smiled.
"We've poisoned her. Shot her, strangled her. Stoning, drowning, anything you can imagine, we have done to her." Trask boasted loudly.
"She cannot age, get sick, nor die." Sinister drawled. "She can only kill."
"You crazy ..."
"Sir!" His aide interrupted, pointing back at the cage. Sortz followed his gaze and promptly let go of Sinister.
Slowly, but steadily, against all logic or hope, the girl was healing. Bones regrew, muscle and sinew repaired themselves and finally even skin, hair and eyes healed perfectly. And when those eyes opened, the girl screamed.
"A new, better Weapon X." Trask murmured. "One to our bidding. Win out wars."
"And to prepare us for the days of Apocalypse." Sinister added.
AN: So yeah, this is the set up for a fourth movie. Of course the girl escapes. Mr. Sinister becomes the main antagonist. And the X-men have to deal with violent anti-mutant protesters, new friends, old friends returning from the dead and more.
On to the trivia:
The girl in the cage is of course X-23, Wolverines clone.
Bolivar Trask is actually the creator of the Sentinels, which is how I remember him from the tv-show, but I figured it'd be a cool cameo to make him a part of the Weapon X program and an engineer for whatever machine Sinister wants build.
The previous experiment the aide mentions in the beginning refers to both Wolverine's adamantium experiment and the Deadpool crap from Origins.
Sinister uses the false name of Robert Windsor, which he also used in the comics when he dabbled into mad scientistry.
And finally Sinister of course doesn't mean the Christian Apocalypse, but the ancient all powerful mutant.