XXXXXXXXX
Early the next morning at Washington D.C., Henry McCoy stepped through the doors of the Department of Mutant Affairs building. He took a quick glance at his staff members at their desks, all on the phone. There was a lot of commotion, same as any other day. Some of them still looked at him strange, but Hank was use to the stare. Hank then looked to the flat screen mounted on the center of the left wall. It was broadcasting the events of yesterday in which President McKenna added mutants to anti-discrimination laws. It was a big victory for the mutant community.
By this time, the chief member of his staff, Carol Danvers, an attractive blonde mutant with several different abilities came up to him.
"Hank, there appears to be a situation," she began.
"What is it?"
"We were informed that down in Florida a Trask Enterprises truck was attacked last night by a mutant and a shipment it was carrying stolen. Several witnesses have been interviewed and security tapes are being reviewed as we speak."
"That's good, Carol. Very good."
"As you know, the department of defense is going to think that Magneto was responsible."
"Ah yes, the usual suspect. Well, it's highly likely that he was behind it. Is there anything else I should know?"
"Secretary Creed is waiting for you in your office."
Hank sighed.
"Thanks for the head's up."
Inside of Hank's office, the Secretary of Defense, Graydon Creed sat at one of the chairs across from the desk as he waited for the blue mutant to come in. Hank finally opened the door and headed in, taking off his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack.
"Graydon. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? If it's about the Trask Enterprise truck, Carol just informed me of it."
The other man stood up.
"It's not only that, Secretary McCoy. I've come to let you know that a convoy that was holding two mutant prisoners was attacked last night. They escaped and four federal agents were killed."
"I told you that keeping mutant prisoners mobile was a bad idea."
"Well is case you haven't noticed Hank, we're having a hard time trying to figure out what to do with these animals," Graydon responded in a hard tone. "And with your agency always breathing down our necks about not being too harsh with them we're running low on ideas."
"So what do you suggest?"
"A strong facility, maybe on some kind of island, not easy to access-"
"That's been tried already," Hank reminded. "Remember Alcatraz?"
"Not this time. We'll be one step ahead."
Graydon bent down to pick up a suitcase. He opened it up and took out what looked to be a blue, metallic collar.
"This was what was stolen from the truck down in Florida. It's called a mutant inhibitor collar."
"A what?" Hank questioned.
"Something Trask Enterprises designed. Through electronic means, the collar prevents a particular being from consciously using their mutation, successfully neutralizing them. I brought this for you to examine."
He then handed Hank the collar and a remote.
"Of course. I'll have to see what effect it has on a mutant's well-being."
"It doesn't harm the wearer, it just renders them powerless. The only way to get it off once it's placed on is by pressing this button on the remote."
Graydon pointed to the correct button on the remote and Hank nodded.
"Thank you."
"So what are you doing about Magneto?" Graydon then asked, changing the subject. "And his associates, Mystique, Sabretooth..."
"We're actively pursuing all leads."
"I'll bet."
"We are. Magneto has sort of gone off the radar over the last few months. The convoy attack sounds like him, we'll look more into that. But with what happened in Florida, he can't be in two places at once."
Graydon then turned to leave. He opened the door and looked back at Hank one last time.
"My department and I are getting impatient. If you don't take the necessary steps in catching this guy, we will."
"It's not a competition Graydon. You know that Magneto doesn't stay quiet for very long. When he makes his move, we'll be there to apprehend him."
"No, we will be there to apprehend him, not a group of mutant vigilantes. You tell the X-Men to stay out of it."
Right after Graydon left, Hank took a seat at his desk and began looking over the mutant inhibitor collar. Just then, Carol stuck her head in.
"How'd it go?" She asked.
"About how you'd expect," Hank took a deep breath, then remembered the assignment he had given to Carol. "So, do you find out anymore about the tunnels?"
"Yes. I've found the blueprints for them."
Carol brought them in with her and unrolled the blueprints on his desk for Hank do take a look at. Tunnels that were beneath several different states and currently being occupied by The Morlocks.
"Apparently they've been living underground for years now," Carol began to explain. "They come up every so often to steal food and medical supplies. But from what we've gathered, no violent crimes can be attributed to them."
"Several of them allied themselves with Magneto several months ago," Hank pointed out. "We don't know if they still have some sort of partnership or not."
"What's going to be done about them?"
"The government is prepared to offer them safe space in a sanctuary city in exchange for their corporation in leaving those tunnels," Hank told her.
"Who's going to negotiate with them?"
"You're looking at him."
"It's not a good idea to go down there alone, we have no idea of how many live in those tunnels. You're going to need some help."
Hank smiled.
"I think I know just the right people."
Before Carol could respond, a knock on the open door got her and Hank's attention.
"Sir, I think you need to see this," the staff member Curtis said. "It's at the end of the secruity video."
Both Hank and Carol both got up to follow Curtis back to his desk. Curtis unpaused the video they got from Florida to see a large tornado attack the truck at Trask Enterprises. It took out all of the workers and secruity before the tornado disapeared and they all now found themselves staring at a man on the video tape.
"Well that answers it," Hank sighed. "A mutant was responsible for the attack. Curtis, run the man's face through our database, see if he has a record."
"Yes sir."
XXXXXXXX
A large concrete building sits out on the horizon at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on an otherwise beautiful landscape of gently rolling hills. A freshwater lake surrounds the facility as does a vast series of plants and trees. Inside, there was a large, airless room, devoid of windows, filled with computers and top of- the-line equipment to examine DNA. Sitting at one of the computers, Scrambler, a small Korean mutant typed, going over something his boss had given him. Just then, Riptide, a Spanish-American mutant with slicked back dark hair and could honestly pass for a male model walked into the room. He watched Scrambler work for a moment before he was suddenly and violently thrown backwards into the wall by an invisible force.
He then started to choke as he could no longer breathe.
"What part of keep a low profile did you not understand?"
The calm, but angry deep voice came from the shadows as only a pair of glowing red eyes could be seen. Stepping out into the light, was a tall figure wearing a black cape with red satin lining with his fist clenched in front of himself. He was known as Sinister.
And his appearance matched his name. Shining red eyes with no visible pupils, a red diamond upon his forehead, just above the nose. His silky skin was milk-white and his long hair was jet black.
"You've been making a lot of mistakes since I've amplified your power, Riptide," Sinister growled. "I told you to just steal the shipment, as low-key as possible."
He then unclenched his fist and Riptide fell to the floor. Riptide gasped for air and rubbed his throat. After a few more deep breaths he managed to say;
"Sorry...Mr. Sinister."
"Don't let it happen again. We are not ready to make our move just yet."
"I'm still getting use to it," Riptide admitted. "I don't know my own strength."
"I suggest you learn it. Quickly."
Riptide nodded.
"I will."
Sinister then looked to Scrambler who had ignored the whole thing.
"Scrambler?"
Scrambler finished his last entry then spun around.
"Yes sir?"
"Have you identified the mutation yet?"
"Apparently this is the DNA of a shape-shifter."
"Excellent," Sinister smiled. "Continue your work."
Sinister then leaves the room. As he went back to typing, Scrambler chuckled to himself and then spoke in a sing-song voice;
"You screwed up again."
Riptide glared at Scrambler.
"Shut the hell up or I'll-"
Scrambler spun around in his chair again.
"Or you'll what? Go ahead, touch me." He challenged.
"You know full well I don't have to touch you to hurt you."
"Oh yes, a raging tornado inside of this place. I'm sure that would make Sinister very happy with you."
Riptide grinded his teeth and Scrambler laughed at his obvious frustration.
As he turned back to his computer, Scrambler then noticed that a certain someone wasn't at Sinister's side like usual.
"Well I saw the devil. Where is the devil's favorite demon?"
"Probably out looking for more recruits," Riptide guessed. "That's his job isn't it?"
Elsewhere in the compound was a practice room. The lights were dim inside of it, and a faint humming sound started to grow louder, as if a hoard of insects were getting ready to swarm. Suddenly the humming grows in volume as a round silver projectile, the size of a baseball came shooting out from the ceiling. Alexander Summers, a young man in his early twenties with a short head of brown hair unleashed a light blue burst of energy from his chest, destroying it. Another projectile was released, this time from the center wall. Alex got that one as well.
He continued on, one after another before two projectiles come at him at once. Alex got one, but ducked beneath the other.
"You missed one."
Alex looked over to see that Sinister had entered the room.
"But I didn't get hit," Alex responded.
Sinister walked further into the room and began to slowly circle around him.
"If you have the chance to destroy something, destroy it."
Another projectile came hurling down. Alex quickly blasts it.
"You're still only using one blast at a time," Sinister observed. "I amplified your powers for a reason."
Three more projectiles suddenly come at him at the same time from different directions.
BLAST! BLAST! BLAST!
Alex nails all three at the same time with three different blasts of energy, all unleashed at the same time, and done so with far more power. Sinister grinned.
"That's my boy. Looks like you are going to need a new mutant name."
"You know, I'm glad you found me. I always wanted to be with other mutants. Like that group they talk about on the news."
"You mean the X-Men?" Sinister questioned.
"Yeah."
"Be glad you are not with them."
"Why's that?"
"They protect people who want to eliminate mutants."
"Why would they do that?"
BUZZ!
Alex quickly spun to his left and blasts two projectiles.
"Because they are weak-minded, pathetic fools." Sinister then turned to leave. "Finish your practice."
BLAST!
"So what's my new mutant name?" Alex then asked.
Turning back to look at him, Sinister smirked.
"Havok."
Sinister left the training room and headed to his office. Once he was there he shut the door and moved along to his desk. On top of it was the New York Times newspaper he received and the headline was 'Mutants living under the ground?' The story was about a couple who had apparently seen a group of mutants entering the sewers late at night. As he continued to stare at the headline, Sinister's fist clenched as he breathed heavily in anger…
Back in Queens, New York, Callisto stood in an alleyway along with Arclight, Caliban, and Spyke. They were getting ready to knock over a nearby Rite Aid for medicine. It was early in the morning, so this was the best time. There weren't usually many customers inside when the store first opened.
"Alright," Callisto began. "You all know the drill. In and out, don't harm anyone unless you have to."
They all nodded before following Callisto out. Once they reached the doors of the drug store, Caliban entered first and pulled out his gun. He pointed it at the cashier who screamed when she saw him.
"Don't move!" Caliban yelled.
"Please!" The cashier begged as she opened the drawer. "Just take the money, don't hurt me!"
"We don't want your money."
Callisto, Arclight, and Spyke then came bursting in. Arclight went for the bandages and other first-aid equipment while Callisto and Spyke ran to the back where the pharmacy was, where the kept the better drugs.
A sharp wooden bone protruded from Spyke's hand as he jumped the counter and waved it around, threatening at the several workers.
"Don't be a hero and you won't get hurt," Callisto then spoke as she quickly grabbed some painkillers and other medicine. There were out as quickly as they were in, having done this plenty of times before. However, just as the four ran out of the drug store, a cop nearby pulled his gun and pointed it at the Morlocks.
"Freeze!" The cop yelled. "Get down on the ground!"
Spyke sent the wooden projectile his way. It nailed the cop in the upper right shoulder which knocked him to the ground.
"Damn it," Callisto cursed when she saw the cop fall and people on the street began screaming. "Come on, we need to get off the streets."
The Morlocks ran through an alley and hopped a chain-linked fence. They kept going until they reached a sewer entrance. Spyke pushed it open and they all headed down, one by one. Down into the place they called home.