A/N: Thank you for your comments. I will be updating this fic as well as my other fic, The Return of the White Ranger, pretty soon. Please R & R.

ISSUE #5 SEEDS OF HYDRA

GENOMEX

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

8:45 AM.

Genomex is at the cutting edge of science and technology, expanding the boundaries of knowledge and possibility.

Mason Eckhart, the founder of Genomex. It was only yesterday, where he was enjoying the fruits of his position. Sometimes, things went well, sometimes they went poorly, and other times they just didn't go at all.

He faces the window. He leaned forward to stare at the stasis pods below and his scientists.

Across the gap outside the door, Mason heard the footsteps on the floor.

The Vault-like doors hiss open and a beautiful young woman strolled in with confidence. Her perfume scent refreshed the sterile office.

Raina has always looked her best in her Asiatic floral dress. Raina has left the Centipede Group and has recently joined Genomex.

Sterile office looms over her.

"Mr. Eckhart, we finally meet in person." greets Raina. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Is this is how you contain a problem?" greets Eckhart, his voice rich, deep and in control. A hint of contempt. "It seems to me you've only succeeded in exacerbating a predicament."

"We are trying our best to contain the situation." She said. "Now, it seems that the Strand has become a factor in that situation -"

"I'm well aware of the Strand's involvement." He interrupts sparing her a long and measured glance, waiting for an answer.

His dark spectacles contrasting with his pale skin and white hair.

"The situation called for desperate measures, Mr. Eckhart." She explained hurriedly. "You of all—"

"Oh and by 'desperate measures,'" he presses. "You mean by blowing up a Public Library - sky high? Attracting non-other than the attention of SHEILD?"

She thought of blurting something out, but then thought better of it.

He continues. "I went through great pains to track down Patient 01—"

"Great pains, for what?" She asked bitterly. A photo of said patient in her hand. "For this adorable little lab rat?"

Eckhart keeps his expressionless look.

At that, she took a moment to gather herself.

"Mr. Eckhart," she said in a soothing voice. "Clearly, my methods were a little unorthodox, bu-"

"Clearly." intones Eckhart.

"But," she continues. "I only want what you want." she walks up to him and places her hand on his chest affectionately. "And what we want is simple."

A seductive smirk stretches across her face. Her attempt to diffuse the tension.

Eckhart doesn't return the gesture, but instead, his expression changed and sharpened before her eyes.

Softly, he said to her. "Somehow, I doubt that."

Raina's smirk shrunk. She backs up.

"Unlike most of your clientele you're accustomed to," he said. "I'm not a deranged narcissist who needs his ego stroked."

Raina straightened herself up once again. "It's not what you think."

"I have called you up here because the situation is even less simple than you think." He stresses. "Key members of HYDRA, the minds behind every diplomatic, military and covert operation and you put them in a room with a Psionic."

"A Psionic?" her eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "You mean, like, a mind-reader? They're a myth."

Eckhart's laconic response caused her to roll her eyes. "So is Loki." He said.

"Hmm." She conceded.

"And not just any Psionic," he continues. "One whose has uncharted telepathic capabilities that far exceed any new mutant." He sighed contemptuously. "How's that for an adorable little lab rat?"

"Whatever secrets she might have accidently gleamed she probably doesn't even know she knows them." She rationalized. "They're probably buried underneath layers and layers of psychosis."

"You mean to tell me, I mean, in your expert opinion that this new mutant recruit poses no threat?" He asked wryly.

"I'm merely trying to rule out the obvious. We owe the Strand a punch in the teeth," she said. "Wouldn't you say?"

"That's where you're wrong. Genomex has opened up the frontiers of Genetic science." He says. "Right now, we're lost in the middle of nowhere without a compass. Patient 01 was that compass. And your plan is to mount up and have-a-go with a band of super-powered hoodlums?"

After a pause..

"Maybe it was a bit premature to assign you to this mission." comments Eckhart.

"I placed a tracker on the cryogenic box. And it appears our quarry is on a SHEILD Airborne Mobile Command Station that's parked not too far away from here." says Raina. "If you give me one more chance-"

"And now you think storming a SHEILD Plane will make up for your failure from before?"

No response from Raina.

"Have an extraction team ready." orders Eckhart, without equivocation. "It is imperative that you bring her into custody, immediately. Unharmed."

"I'll need all logs on behavioral modification triggers." says Raina. "With that, I'll find our little albatross."

"And you'll have them." says Eckhart.

Raina turns to leave the office..

"Oh and Raina." calls out Eckhart.

Raina turns to face him.

"If you come back empty handed again," he says with finality. "I will invent new ways to ruin the rest of your life."

"Hail Hydra." She replied.

"Hail Hydra." He replied.

Raina cleared her throat, turned and walked out the Vault-Like doors.

SANCTURY

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

1:00 PM

The Mutant X team invites the SHEILD Agents to their base. Despite their ideologies, the teams have come to realize that they are more alike than they will admit.

"My Agents are trained to carry out clandestine operations." Stresses Caulson. "We will lead the team on the rescue effort."

"Clandestine Operations." Scoffs Jesse. "You are guys are nothing more than glorified janitors cleaning up Nick Fury's mistakes."

"And Mutant X is nothing more than a self-righteous Vigilante force cleaning up Adam Kane's mistakes." said Ward.

"Mutant X protects people." argued Jesse. "Our team is trained to work with these types of recoveries and we work alone."

"If the world caught a glimpse of the reality of new mutants, we'll soon have a full-fledged panic on our hands." says Shalimar. "After which, I can all but guarantee every new mutant will quickly become a public pariah."

"Humans have always feared what they don't understand." says Coulson. "I took an oath to protect the world from a much weirder world. Adam Kane's disappearance has worried a number of powerful people and, like it or not, they asked us to become involved in his return."

They nod in acknowledgment.

"This is what we know so far." Starts Jesse. "The Strand is an organization that is dedicated to the cause of mutant superiority over humans. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. This organization is led by him –Gabriel Aschlock."

Jesse points to a mug-shot of a handsome Caucasian male who looks to be in his thirties.

"Oooh," says Skye. "He's a cutie."

People silently look at Skye then return their attention to the view screen.

"Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists." informs Jesse. "The ones that do, call him Patient 0.0 – the first child of Genomex. He's credited with over two dozen assignations."

"I thought this guy was dead." said Brennan.

"So he's a ghost story." says Ward.

"Most likely scenario," chimes in Jesse. "The Strand maybe planning some kind of preemptive strike. From what we could piece together, they maybe building squads of even more Powerful New Mutants. If this is true, things could get ugly pretty fast."

"How many are we speaking of?" asks Skye.

"Your guess is as good as ours." Answers Brennan.

"I say, the Strand have played their hand now it's time to play ours." says Skye. "Why not just infiltrate the base and rescue Adam?"

"You don't storm your enemy's strong hold when he's got a hostage." informs Caulson. "You wait 'til he makes his move then you strike."

"Mr. Academy, over here." Quips Brennan. "Plus we have no idea what's really waiting for us in there."

Ward fixes him with a look of annoyance.

"And his next move might be?" asks Shalimar.

"What we do know is that this was not an isolated incident." reasons Coulson. "We have reason to believe that Mason Eckhart maybe the next target on the Strand's wish list."

"The Genomex Security is mostly made up of Private Military Contractors," says Shalimar with a shrug. "Knowing Eckart, he'd probably has all of his units, security officers, shit, even his GSA Agents on full alert."

"Lovely." Says Peterson.

"Now," said Coulson. "I want to bring Mason in before the strand gets their hands on him."

"Sounds like a plan." Says Brenan.

"Check in as soon as you know something." says Caulson.

"Roger that." Said Ward.

"Jess, I want you and Skye to stay here." says Brennan. "Try to recreate the last hours before his disappearance. See if there's a clue in there that might tell us what happened."

"I'm on it." Says Jess.

"Will do." Says Skye.