X-Men: Dawn of Judgment

Prologue: The Colosseum

As he lay in his cell, he heard the screams of the mutants. "Damn it, I'm sorry." His name was Legacy. Even to his father, the one who created this program. Just like Stryker with his Weapon program, Legacy's father would stop at nothing to create the strongest weapon. When Legacy was born, his father loved him like any father should and would; then the accident happened.

On his son's birthday for his eighteenth year, he bought him a new car.

"Rayne, why don't you take Lilly to school this morning?" His father said flashing the brand new keys at him. Rayne was the oldest, well liked in school and now he had a new car. In his eyes, he just went up a step on the totem pole of popularity.

With toast in her mouth and eyes sparkling Rayne's sister pleaded with him, "Can I?! Can I? Puleeeze?" Reluctantly, he agreed. How was it going to look riding to school with his sister. Maybe not so high after all, he thought as they got into the car. "So..." Lilly began, "Dad doesn't know?"

"No, and you're not going to say a word. You know the fanatic heis about mutants, if he knew I had powers..." The car fell silent as they pulled into the parking lot of the school.

"I know... I know." Lilly responded. She looked at her brother wide eyed as she saw something approaching the driver side window, "Rayne look out!"

He was 21 now, his father did this in 'memory' of his sister Lilly. One mutant, every hour, until midnight so they knew they pain he felt when his daughter died and Rayne survived. "It's your reward Rayne. It's not all bad, you're now my Legacy. You will be my greatest scientific achievement." By all rights Rayne should've died when his sister had. The car erupted into flame, but, his body absorbed it and healed him. His father studied him, experimented on him. His father did something to the mutant gene in Rayne's body... he rewrote it. Before he could only absorb heat and flame. But, now his body could do so much more. Not only could he absorb heat, but any power source, or element and heal himself, he could also project it as pure energy.

Over the years his father, twisted and crazed by the death of his daughter tortured Rayne. Made him attack other mutants. Hone his skills against them in an Colosseum like dogs, being bet on.

Just then he heard a hiss of his cell door unlocking and turning toward the colosseum.

Ugh. Dad must be low on funds again... Fine. I'll play, as long as I get my cut.

Just then his cell turned red. "Fire. He must be really looking for entertainment." He took a deep breath as he felt his body absorb the heat. "Perfect."

The Colleseum roared with excitement as Rayne stepped out of his cell. It was unnerving, even to him. "And the challenger!" The voice boomed, "She's electric, she's deadly. So deadly she can kill you with a piece of unsharpened metal and duct tape to create a robot... SHEEEEEEE IS Gadget!

"Get ready for a BLOOOOOOD BAAAATH!"

"A girl? Great."

Gadget charged at him, hands sparking with electricity. A bolt of electricity hit him hard sending him flying backwards off his feet. He laid there incapacitated for a moment until he got his bearings back, "Oh, this is gonna be fun." He rose to his feet and smiled at her, and his hands began to glow deep red. "Electricity? That's neat tricks babe, but you never seen flames that burn this hot."

He grabbed a rope that hung from the ceiling and pulled it down, but instead of bursting into flame, it became the fire. He wielded it like a whip, cracking it at her.

"What the hell?!" Gadget pulled down her wielding goggles to protect her vision from the heat. "What kind of mutant are you?"

"A great one." Cracking it down on her again and again.

"You see," he continued, "My father being as twisted as he is mutated my x-gene even more," cracking the whip again, lashing against Gadget's leg. "Before I was only able to absorb energy like heat, electricity, water, UV rays from the sun, things like that. That was of course until, my father mutated me into a weapon. Now not only can I absorb energy, I can also manipulate it, control it... Well to a point."

Gadget fell, her leg in searing pain. "Stop! Stop it! STOP IT!" Gadget screamed in pain and anger. All Rayne remembered after that was blinding white light.

When Rayne woke, he realized his cell was renovated to fit two.

"What the hell?" He sat up, head and body aching, to see Gadget on the other side of the cell, her clothes tattered.

"So, you live like this all the time?"

Widget's voice caught him off guard, like a whisper; She looked tense, not knowing this life. Rayne could see it.

"How's the leg?"

She clentched her teeth at the thought of what happened.

"Fine."

"Sorry I went overboard... heat of the moment, no pun intended."

She sat there grimacing.

"Come on give me something."

He was answered by a bolt of electricity straight to his groin and a single joyful smile at his pain.

"Ha. Ha." Was all Widget responded.