In a world that hates and fears mutants, Professor Charles Xavier and Tony Stark struggle to fight for peace and unity between mutants and humans. Recently, their first act towards privatizing peace was sending their X-Corporation prodigies, Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Hank McCoy, Bobby Drake and Warren Worthington III out in uniforms with masks designed by X-Corp engineer Forge in effort to protect anti-mutant presidential nominee Senator Edward Kelly.

However, for Warren Worthington III, he has learned that his ex-best friend, Cameron Hodge, has gone into partnership with Tony's biggest competitor, Obadiah Stane, to help build and distribute Sentinels – mutant-hunting robots designed to keep mutants in line.

Issue 14: Slave Island

Trask Industries Facility – Cleveland, Ohio

The weeks after Senator Kelly's press conference faded by into November, but, it did show Cameron Hodge and Obadiah Stane that the mutant issue was raising.

For Cameron Hodge, he'd recognized one of the masked mutants at the press conference as his former friend, Warren Worthington III. Growing up, he and Warren had been best friends since middle school. The two had been like brothers, Warren often being the one to stand up for Cameron against bullies at school and taking him under his wing. However, when he'd learned of Warren being a mutant through Warren's father, Cameron had felt nothing but pure disgust and loathing towards the kid that had been like a brother to him. As far as Cameron was concerned, whatever friendship he'd had with Warren was done, and he didn't want to have any kind of relationship with him. However, what disgusted Cameron even more was the fact that despite Warren being a mutant, he still got the girl.

Throughout their years of friendship, even as middle school teens, Cameron had always had a thing for Warren's girlfriend, Candy Southern. Her long black hair and dazzling blue eyes made her more beautiful than words could ever describe. Cameron could still hardly believe that Candy had chosen Warren, a mutant, over him, a regular human being who was just as good-looking as Warren and maybe even smarter.

Now, as Cameron walked through Trask's facility in Cleveland, Ohio, he knew that he and Obadiah were meeting with Warren Worthington, Jr. to discuss the usage of the Legacy Cure and if it was safe or not to use on mutants. However, what Warren Jr. didn't know was that regardless if the cure was safe or unsafe, Cameron and Obadiah still had plans for it. In fact, the two had collaborated together and founded an island down near the Madagascar called Genosha, where they already had a couple dozen mutant prisoners that they were planning testing the Legacy Cure out on to see if it actually worked. Warren Jr. most certainly didn't know, and even Senator Kelly didn't know.

Cameron and Obadiah passed the Trask Industries workers who were building Sentinels that were going to be shipped to Genosha in order to hold the mutant test subjects in line. Senator Kelly was completely unaware of Cameron and Obadiah's intentions with the cure, and they both wanted to keep it that way, mostly because they knew if Senator Kelly heard what they were planning, he'd dissolve their partnership completely.

"Hello, gentlemen," said Warren Jr. as he approached them. "Now, I know that this cure hasn't been tested too thoroughly yet. I'm putting that in both your hands, because this is vital that it works. I also know that this is your opportunity to test out Trask's Sentinels. Now, you both know that if the cure or the Sentinels do not work as they should, Senator Kelly is not going to use them in the future as part of his potential presidency."

"Of course, Mr. Worthington," said Cameron. "You can actually thank Stane here for partially coming up with the design behind the Sentinels, because his company handles robotics and weapons much like Stark Industries. This is our chance as Tony Stark's competitors to prove that his approach of hiring mutants will not work, because who is to say that those mutants he hired won't stab him in the back? How do you think I felt when I found out your son was a mutant?"

"I know Cameron . . . and we saw him and his actions at the press conference. Sure, he got us out, and he and Alpha Flight stopped the Brotherhood, but, that doesn't mean he couldn't potentially be anything less than a danger. And what about those other mutants that Tony Stark hired? I mean, a boy no older than fourteen who can control ice? A telekinetic and telepathic? Who is to say that that red-headed girl couldn't control and manipulate our minds? What about that kid they had that can shoot lasers from his eyes?" Obadiah asked in a disgusted tone.

"This is why this cure must work . . . however, I do want to warn you both of something, and I want to make sure that you're both aware of this. Because I actually took the liberty of testing the cure on one mutant . . . a boy named Artie Maddox whose father came to me and asked me to test it on him because his son's mutation leaves him mute as well as deformed. The cure had started to suppress the mutation, but, it began to attack some vital organs in his body, namely his heart and liver. That boy is twelve years old. Thankfully, he didn't die, but he could have if he hadn't been rushed to the ER," Warren Jr. said, concerned about this.

"We do not know if it will cause other mutants the same harm," insisted Cameron, wanting to push it further.

"Cameron, I am just saying that there are risks involved with this cure, and I want to make sure that you are aware of the risks," said Warren Jr.

"We're well aware, Mr. Worthington. But, we need to just test the Legacy Cure further," Obadiah insisted.

"Are you one hundred percent sure?" asked Warren Jr.

"Yes, Mr. Worthington, are we talking Chinese?" inquired Cameron.

"You are talking English," Warren Jr. said. "I'm just saying I am not going to take responsibility for what you two choose to do with the cure. You're on your own with that."

"Yeah, okay," Cameron said. "Keep telling us that, Mr. Worthington."

"I will," Warren Jr. insisted. "Because the two of you better know and understand what it is that you are doing, because this is a risk."

"We do know what we're doing. We're very well aware," said Obadiah in an insisting tone of voice. "But, I can say this, Mr. Worthington. We actually have quite the brilliant plan in mind for what we're going to do with the Legacy Cure. If you just come with us to Cameron's office, we can show you what it is that we have got in mind."

Genosha – Prison Cells

On the island of Genosha, the mutant prison cells were packed with a couple dozen mutants ranging in age and gender who were to be the first test subjects of the Legacy Cure Worthington Industries had cooked up. Among those prisoners included fifteen-year-old Alex Summers, fifteen-year-old Lorna Dane, twelve-year-old Jamie Madrox, eleven-year-old Megan Gwynn, nineteen-year-old Clarice Ferguson, fourteen-year-old Rusty Collins, fifteen-year-old Tabitha Smith, and eleven-year-old Jubilation Lee. As far as Cameron Hodge and Obadiah Stane were concerned, they didn't care that these were children. They were looking for subjects to test this cure on, they didn't care who they tested it on. It didn't matter if that mutant was an adult or a child; they were going to make sure that the cure was thoroughly tested by whatever means necessary.

As Alex Summers sat in his cell with his cell mate Lorna Dane, his thoughts drifted to his older brother Scott. Usually, he'd be the first one to call his brother, but, that morning, employees of Stane and Hodge had come knocking down his foster parents' door, using brutal force when saying that they were coming to collect him. Alex leaned back against his prison cell, power-dampening handcuffs around his wrists which were blocking his mutant powers. Of course, he'd told Scott he was a mutant in their recent email exchanges and phone calls, and from Scott's description of his own, their powers seemed to correlate to one another. He looked across his cell at Lorna, whose mutation had caused her naturally black hair to turn a bright, florescent green. It also didn't help that her powers were unstable due to her bipolar disorder. She had been in and out of psychiatric wards since the age of twelve. Lorna had her back to her cell, her own plastic handcuffs surrounding her wrists as she sat there with a solemn expression on her face.

In the cell across from them resided Jamie Madrox, a boy who could create multiple copies of himself, and the youngest inhabitant of the prison, Megan Gwynn, who's mutation was just simply pastel-colored wings which allowed her to fly, and a create a special dust which allowed her to create hallucinations. As far as Alex was concerned, there was nothing harmful about Megan or Jamie, but, Hodge and Stane just didn't care that two of these inhabitants in the prison were a little boy and girl. It was too much for the mutant teen to take in. Shaking his head, Alex pushed himself to sit on his cot. He couldn't take just sitting there in a cell feeling useless. This whole situation sucked a thousand times over.

Soon enough, Jamie and Megan both looked as though they were sick of waiting to see what was going to end up happening to them. They were eleven and twelve, children; they were innocents. It was something that Alex couldn't believe, the fact that Hodge and Stane were involving little kids. He could understand involving nineteen-year-olds like Clarice Ferguson who was legally an adult, but, children who didn't have a right to decide anything for their selves?

"Alex?" asked Megan in a small voice. "How – How long have we been stuck here?"

"I've been stuck here a day, Megan," Alex said.

"I-I honestly think I've been here for a month," said Jamie.

"What are they going to do to us?" Megan asked.

"They're looking to see if they can 'cure' us," Clarice explained in a cynical tone. "Let's just hope and pray that that's all they plan to do, because I cannot take another day in here, to be quite honest with you."

"I'm right with you there, Clarice," Rusty said, his fiery, reddish-blonde hair matching exactly what his power was, which was pyrokinesis.

They could hear the cries of more mutant children, who were sitting in their cells in fear for their lives, thinking that they were about to be killed on this island. Many of these small mutant children, some of those being no older than nine years old had been separated from their parents. Alex felt disgust. As a fifteen-year-old, he was surprisingly very smart and knew everything that was going on. He knew that Senator Kelly was hiding stuff from the press about his intentions as president of the United States. All Alex knew was that he wanted off this island, because the way he and so many of these mutants were being treated was no different than how Holocaust victims had been treated.

'This is disgusting,' Alex thought to himself. 'There's no way that anyone in the government approved of something like this to happen . . . no fucking way . . .'

Cleveland Trask Industries Facility – Cameron Hodge's Office

By the time Cameron and Obadiah finished presenting to Warren Worthington, Jr. what their plans were with Genosha, the elder Worthington sat there, digesting it all.

The idea that his Legacy Cure was going to be tested further on a couple dozen mutants on some private island left him speechless, and not in a good way. He had already warned Cameron and Obadiah the dangerous possibilities that this cure could be highly deadly towards mutants, but, Stane and Hodge seemed very adamant about wanting to press forward, without involving Senator Kelly. It was something that Warren Jr. did not like, not in the slightest. He swallowed, contemplating what it was that he should say. He knew that this was taking it to a level that he did not want it to. In fact, due to the fact that the Legacy Cure had been deadly towards Artie Maddox, he wanted to terminate the project completely and get rid of the cure. He also wanted to let Senator Kelly in on the fact that he was terminating the project of the cure because he knew that if Senator Kelly knew that the cure was as dangerous as it was, the presidential candidate wouldn't go for it at all.

"So, Mr. Worthington, what do you think?" asked Cameron, clearly in pride over his idea of holding mutants hostage on an island so that they were the first test subjects.

"I think that this is insane, Hodge!" Warren Jr. said, shaking his head. "Cam, I was planning on terminating the project of the Legacy Cure because it nearly killed that boy! And now you're telling me you're pressing forward with it, and to top it all off, you've got the son of the Madrox family in your custody! These are children you're talking about there!"

"And like you were thinking about your son when you threw him out?" questioned Obadiah.

Warren took in Obadiah's words. Of course, he had a point, and he realized what a hypocrite he looked like. Here he was, worrying suddenly about the fact that children were being held on an island against their will, yet he wouldn't even talk to his own child. He swallowed, knowing what a horrible position that he was being put in at the moment. He knew that he couldn't do too much to just make his son hate him further. His son hated him enough as it was.

"No, Obadiah, do not compare the two!" Warren Jr. snapped. "I'm telling you right now release those mutants off Genosha immediately, because I am terminating this cure because it can kill people! Senator Kelly would not go for this!"

"Well, Warren, we actually were anticipating your reaction, so, how about we make a deal?" Hodge asked as he pulled out a small pistol, aiming it at Warren Jr. "You give us the cure right now and not go to Senator Kelly to talk his ear off about it, or you die, plain and simple."

"Cameron . . ." Warren Jr. whispered his face blanching.

"Mr. Worthington, this is our chance to get rid of some of the mutant population. You of all people should appreciate that," whispered Hodge.

"No . . . No absolutely not!" Warren Junior said.

"Oh contraire, Mr. Worthington, you will go along with this," said Obadiah.

"But if you end up killing those mutant prisoners –"

"Then we've got at least twenty-five less mutant menaces to worry about now, don't we?" asked Hodge. "Now, hand us the samples of the cure so we can ship them off to Genosha along with our Sentinels, and we'll be on our way." He cocked the gun, his hand on the trigger.

'What the hell do I do?' Warren Junior thought to himself. 'This is obviously illegal . . . if I am caught up in this I'll be fucked. God I really did it this time. I really did it. Either I hand over this cure and risk the lives of mutants on that island, or I potentially get shot in the head right here in Hodge's office. Oh God . . . help me.'

Warren Worthington, Jr. knew that he was in the worst position possible. He knew that partially, it was his fault for going into a partnership with Cameron Hodge and Obadiah Stane. He also knew now that he had betrayed and threw away his own son. He realized just how badly he had screwed up, and how he had done this to himself. He knew that he didn't have too many choices at this moment in time. It was either hand over the mutant cure to Stane and Hodge, or die. Finally, he let out a sigh of defeat.

"The cure is here and ready for you," he finally decided to say.

"Good choice," whispered Cameron. "You might not be thinking this now, but, you'll be thanking us both later. Trust me." The two crooked business men left Cameron's office, leaving Warren Junior there with his thoughts. He knew now more than ever that he had to do something to try and stop Hodge and Stane, but, what could he do? Those two were probably going to end up exterminating at least twenty mutants on the island of Genosha. Finally, Warren Worthington Junior knew what he had to do. He had to alert his son, even though it was the last thing that he wanted to do at that moment in time.

'I'm sorry, my son. It turns out, you were right. God, what have I done?' Warren Jr. thought to himself, thinking about how he had failed his one and only son.

Up next: Deception

A/N:

Just so you know, I updated today, a day early, because tomorrow is United States Mother's Day. Also, I'm going to see Avengers: Endgame this afternoon. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate that than posting early. Also, I am debating if I want to post weekly, just because there is so much story I want to get out sooner rather than later. What do you think of that?-

DC-MarvelGirl 1997