New Blood II: Growing Ranks

New Blood
Chapter 5: Family Ties

************************************************************************

Honolulu Hawaii

The surf on the beaches of Hawaii was intense for this time of day. It was early and the ocean breezes were much stronger than usual. It was perfect surfing weather and numerous locals and tourists were already taking advantage of it. It had all the makings of a good day at the beach, but for Alex Summers it just meant more rigor.

Alex had just punched in for his shift at Wave Havok, a small surf shop. As the first one in it was his job to wax the display boards, set up the register, and organize all the merchandise and supplies. It was tedious, laborious, and downright boring at times. It was hardly the kind of work he thought he would be doing by now. If someone went back and told him a year ago he would be busting his butt six days a week working at a surf shop for minimum wage he would have scoffed. But a lot had changed recently.

His life had been hard enough. When he was little he and his older brother Scott survived a plane crash that killed their parents. It left them orphaned and alone, but unlike his older brother Alex got lucky (at least as lucky as anybody could get after watching his parents die). He was left largely unharmed by the crash while Scott was left with brain damage. While he was in a coma, a nice family came by and adopted him. They were the Billings family and they just endured the loss of their son, Todd. They welcomed him in with open arms and for the most part they were nice to him. But there was always a tension between them because Alex felt they were using him to replace their dead son. When he didn’t act as they thought Todd would have, they got upset and a fight would ensue. Because of that it was hard to think of them as parents and even harder to love them as such.

Even though the plane crash left a lasting scar on him, he grew up in a fairly normal environment for the most part. He had a number of friends, he did okay in school, and he was popular with the girls. He was usually off doing his own thing and was content keeping everybody at arms length. But his life took a dramatic turn the day he found out he was a mutant.

After he graduated high school, he left home for college at the University of Hawaii. It was far and away from his adopted home, which he needed because he couldn’t take being Todd’s replacement anymore. The distance allowed him to be his own person and for a while it was all going well. But it didn’t last long. Shortly after he arrived he started getting terrible burning sensations in his hands. At first he tried to ignore it, but it kept getting worse. Then one day he was on his way to class when it got unbearable. He broke out into sweats and started convulsing. Then his hands started glowing and to the horror of many scared onlookers, he unleashed a powerful blast that destroyed a nearby statue and did minor damage to one of the buildings.

What happened afterwards was the beginning of a nightmare. He found out from a doctor that he was a mutant and when word got out there was a major outcry. The school used the damage he did as an excuse to expel him and even though he tried to appeal his case, nobody came to his aid. Even his own friends abandoned him. In the end he was forced to accept their ruling. But he didn’t go home. He couldn’t go back to the Billings where there would surely be more fights. It was bad enough he wasn’t their precious Todd, but now he was a mutant and that was too much. So he stayed in Hawaii, getting a job at a surf shop and making a meek living working 60 hours selling surfing gear to rich tourists.

As Alex looked over the store, which was still a mess after yesterday’s sale, he sighed bitterly. Life sure had a way of turning on a dime. One day he was an aspiring college student. The next he was a destitute mutant working for minimum wage and living in a crummy apartment. It wasn’t fair. He didn’t ask to have his parents taken from him. He didn’t ask to be a mutant either. These were just the cards he was dealt.

“Another lousy day at a lousy job,” he groaned, “Why does life have to suck so much?”

He got to work restocking the merchandise and picking up assorted trash people had discarded. Ten minutes into it he heard the bells at the front door ring, indicating a customer had entered. Alex cursed himself for having forgotten to lock the door and turned to address the would-be customer.

“Sorry pal, but read the sign. We’re closed for another…”

But Alex stopped in mid sentence. When he turned to face the customer he was shocked to find that it was no ordinary customer. It was none other than his older brother, Scott Summers. He hadn’t seen or spoken to him in nearly four years. And if his build and the fancy clothes he was wearing were any indication, a lot had happened since then.

“Hello Alex,” he greeted, “Nice to see you again.”

“Scott?!” Alex exclaimed, “Damn, is that you?”

“It’s me, Alex. It’s been a while.”

“It’s been a while? Is that all you have to say after what? Three years?”

“Four, but who’s counting?” said Scott.

Alex needed a minute. He and Scott hadn’t been on speaking terms in four years and he just drops by as if it were the most casual thing in the world. He still looked as serious as ever, but was very different. He was bigger for one. It looked like he really hit the gym. He had significant muscle mass to his once slim frame. He also looked remarkably well-groomed for someone who was working construction jobs the last time he spoke to him. The clothes he was wearing had to be expensive. Either he was in the wrong dead in job or something else happened during their absence.

“This is fucked up,” said Alex as he started to pace, “Where the hell have you been, Scott? What have you been doing all this time?”

“Long story, little brother,” Scott answered, “Sorry I haven’t kept you up to speed. If memory serves me right, our last conversation didn’t end too well.”

“If you’re referring to that fight we had, that’s putting it pretty damn lightly. What was it about again? Didn’t it have something to do with you wanting to drag me to New York City to go after some weird job opportunity with some guy who sent you a package in the mail?”

“I don’t remember trying to drag you out there with me.”

“Funny, because I remember you wanting me to drop everything in my perfectly normal life to join up with you for reasons you wouldn’t even tell me about.”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know at the time,” said Scott, trying to keep his cool.

“Bullshit,” scoffed Alex, “I was a happy doing my own thing at my foster home, going to school and what not, and you wanted me to abandon all of that.”

“You’re putting words in my mouth again! I didn’t want you to abandon anything!”

“Yes you were! You thought that just because I’m you’re little brother I have to follow you whenever you wherever you go! I can’t live my own life! I have to leave it all behind because my big brother says he has a hunch about something!”

They were getting into the same argument all over again. Back when Scott left Nebraska for New York, he called Alex and asked him to meet with him so they could pursue this opportunity together. He hadn’t manifested his mutant powers at the time and was living a happy life in a foster home. He couldn’t blame him for not wanting to leave that behind, but they still got into a fight about it. And here they were doing it again.

Scott forced himself to take a deep breath. He had to remember why he was here. He was trying to get Alex to join them and now that his powers had manifested he had potential. He just had to get through that thick head of his.

“Look Alex…I don’t want to have this argument again. For now, why don’t we both admit we were at fault?”

“How am I at fault? You’re the one that called and you’re the one that hung up.”

“That doesn’t matter now, Alex!” said Scott strongly, “What matters is you’re still my brother and you’re in a bad situation.”

“And what situation is that?” he replied skeptically.

“You’re a mutant who just got expelled from school and now you have to carve a meek living working at a dump like this servicing tourists. You can’t look me in the eye and tell me you wanted this.”

Alex fell silent. He was still mad at his older brother, but he was right on all points there. He didn’t want this and he was looking for ways to get out of it. Scott sensed this and put on a more compassionate face for his wayward brother.

“I know what happened, Alex,” he said empathically, “I know your mutant powers manifested and I know they got you expelled from school. I also know why you won’t go back to your foster home.”

“Please don’t bring that up. I’d rather not talk about it,” groaned Alex.

“Fair enough. But I think we can both agree that this isn’t where you want to be in life. And as a mutant in this day and age opportunities are few and far between.”

“You come all this way to state the obvious or are you going to get to the point already?”

It was a sore subject and Alex was never one for patience. Scott knew that so he went right to his main reason for being here.

“My point is it doesn’t have to be this way,” he told him, “I was once in the same position as you’re in right now. I barely got any schooling, I was living out of a run down apartment, and I was working construction jobs just to get by. But then somebody gave me an opportunity to do more with my life and I took it.”

“Is this that same opportunity you tried to get me to go with?”

“The very same,” said Scott with a half-smile, “It turned out to be more than I ever expected. I’m now a part of something so grand I couldn’t even begin to describe it. I’m making more money than I ever dreamed, I’m learning more than I ever thought I could learn, and I’m enjoying more life’s pleasures than I ever thought possible. And all I had to do was take a chance and commit to something big.”

“So is that why you’re here? To gloat about everything you gained and I missed out on?” said Alex bitterly.

“Of course not,” he said, trying to sound like a concerned brother, “I’m here because I want to extend that opportunity to you too. Everything I’ve accomplished you can accomplish too if you’re just willing to take a chance. The world is an unjust place, little brother, and you’re seeing first hand how bad it can be. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You’re not just my brother, Alex. You’re a mutant with great power and potential. Put it to good use and the rewards you could gain are endless.”

There was a strange glimmer in Scott’s eyes as he talked about this strange opportunity. Alex had never seen it before. Even though he and Scott had been estranged for years, he still knew his brother well enough to sense when something was off. Four years had changed his brother. It wasn’t just in his clothes or the way he bulked up. There was a real dark intent in his eyes that hinted at something grand. Looking at his current situation it was hard to argue he didn’t need a boost of some kind. But as much as he would welcome any change, he was still uncertain.

“Sounds pretty heavy, Scott,” said Alex, “Just what is this opportunity anyways? And how did you get so involved in it?”

“I could sit here and spend the next five hours explaining that,” laughed Scott, “But trust me, it’s big. If you really want to know what it is and what it can do for you, come with me and you’ll see first hand.”

“So you do want me to pick up and leave…just like last time,” said Alex smugly.

“Yes, only this time you won’t be leaving anything behind. You don’t seem that close to your foster family anymore and this place sure isn’t showing you any love. Why not give it a chance? I promise you’ll like what you see.”

“And how can you promise that?”

“I’m your brother, Alex. We may not get along, but I am your brother. Just trust me on this. It’ll be better for both of us.”

Alex studied his older brother and contemplated his decision. Scott presented a pretty compelling case. His life here in Hawaii was crappy by all measures and going back home to the Billings was a complicated endeavor at best. His chances at getting back into school were also pretty slim and he didn’t have a lot of options. Scott made it sound like a cure all for his problems. But beyond that, he was doing something neither one of them had done in a long time. He was coming to him as a brother and that resonated strongly.

Looking around at the store, which was still a mess, Alex came to his decision. There was still a lot of distance between him and Scott, but now was as good a time as ever to start mending it.

“You know, it’s been a long time since I placed my trust in you, Scott,” said Alex.

“Well to be fair, we haven’t had a lot of chances,” said Scott.

“True, but that’s what happens when things beyond our control tears us apart. It’s not easy getting beyond that, but like you said we’re still brothers. If ever there was a time I needed to trust you, now’s the time.”

Scott couldn’t help but smile. That was the first time he ever heard Alex really humble himself like this. Lord Xavier was right about playing the family angle. It went quite a ways.

“So you’re going to give it a try?” said Scott.

“Do I need to spell it out for you? I’ll do it, bro,” said Alex with a bemused grin, “Just let me give my resignation to this place.”

Then to Scott’s surprise, Alex turned around and used his powers to fire two powerful shots. One hit the cash register, blowing out what little money was in there. The other hit the main display behind the counter, which was a pile of board with a cardboard cutout of a stereotypical surfer smiling goofily to the customers. Alex always hated it and he hated working at this place. It seemed like a fitting way to leave his mark.

“I think that should send the message,” he said with a mischievous grin.

“You always have to be over the top, don’t you?” said Scott with an approving smile.

“It just wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t.”

It was the kind of attitude Scott remembered. He was impulsive, determined, and not afraid to put himself out there. He had all the makings of a good Hellfire member. He saw him doing well among other pawns with a taste for adventure. He was going to need training and learn a bit of discipline, but he was confident his brother would do the Inner Cricle well. He just hoped Alex’s talent for pushing his buttons didn’t come back to haunt him.

San Francisco, California

Greed is a strange phenomenon. It drives people to do the worst kinds of evil and the best kinds of good. Few would deny they ever felt greedy at some point in their lives. Even fewer would deny they didn’t feel bitter about the greed of others. Lorna Dane was someone who was hit hard by the greed of others and it left her in a pretty precarious position.

Just a few years ago, Lorna was a normal teenage girl with an already complicated life. She was the daughter of a single mother who had psychological issues that often required therapy and light medication. She didn’t know who her father was and her mother never talked about him. She got the feeling that it was part of what fed her issues. That’s why she often ignored it and went about her business. She had every intention of just getting through school and going off to college. But recently, that plan was shot down.

It started with an accident. Her mother was on her way home from work one day when she got blindsided by a drunk driver. They both survived, but she was left paralyzed from the waist down. She vividly remembered standing by her mother’s bedside, worried for her well-being. She pulled through but her paralysis left her confined to a wheelchair and dependent on medications to alleviate her pain and cope with her psychological issues. It forced Lorna to take on more responsibilities. For a while it was okay. Her mother was still able to work and managed to cope with her emotional issues, but then they received a another major blow. The company she worked for was firing her. Apparently the insurance for both her paralysis and her psychological problems were too much of a burden and they had to let her go. They claimed it was a painful decision. But to Lorna it was just pure greed.

After being laid off her mother’s health continued to decline. She suffered long bouts of depression and would go on endless rants about how she was being punished for her sins. She would never say what those sins were, but Lorna tried her best help her through. She just wasn’t making it easy for her.

In order to pay the bills and give her mother the care she needed, Lorna dropped out of school and took a waitressing job at a trendy restaurant downtown. The pay stunk, but they had health benefits and that was all that mattered. It didn’t help that the owner paid the other girls a lot more. She suspected it was because they were older and more ‘developed’ in some areas while she was barely out of high school. It was a stressful, rigorous job that she despised. But she needed money. It always came back to the money.

“Hey Lorna! We got another order up! Get that puny ass of yours in gear and move already!” barked the manager.

“Hold on! I’m coming! Just give me a sec to put this stuff away!”

“Well hurry it up or I’m taking it out of your paycheck!”

Lorna groaned as she dumped a load of dirty dishes onto the counter. She was tired and sore. Working twelve hour days was murder and testing her physical limits. Looking over at the next order she groaned. This was supposed to be her last table and then she was off. She had to check in on her mother to make sure she took her meds and at this rate she would be stuck here late yet again. She didn’t know if she could lift any more plates. Luckily, she had something that helped her out.

“Hope this doesn’t get me fired,” she muttered.

Focusing her gaze on the dish, the dishes and silverware suddenly came to life. Then by her command, they levitated over towards her and she took them in her arms. She looked around to make sure nobody saw it. Once she was certain she made her way back out into the dining area.

It was one of the few extras she had in her life. A few years ago she found out she was a mutant with the power to manipulate magnetism. If anything had metal in it, she could use her power to warp and twist it in many different ways. It was pretty handy around the kitchen and even handier when wanted to spite rude customers. She was lucky that San Francisco was a very liberal city and didn’t have nearly the kind of prejudice towards mutants that other places did. Even her green hair, another side effect of her mutation, wasn’t even seen as weird around here.

Over the years she got pretty good at using her powers. But there were times she wondered how she could use it to better herself and her mother. There weren’t many options other than using it for crime. And she couldn’t risk that because if she got caught there would be nobody to take care of her mother. She was always on the lookout for new opportunities. She heard among some mutant circles that there were employers that specialized in hiring mutants for certain jobs. She tried looking into it, but it was hard when she was juggling so much with work and taking care of her mother. She hoped one day something would come up, but for now this is what she was stuck with.

“Thanks hot stuff,” said a middle-aged man in a gaudy suit as she served him his food.

“Your welcome sir,” she said, ignoring his flirtatious stare.

“I like your hair,” he said, “Did you dye it or is it natural?”

“It’s natural,” she answered.

“I see…so the carpet matches the drapes?”

Lorna cast the man a harsh scorn. Too many dirty old men came at this time of day. They just didn’t have anything else better to do than harass her.

“Enjoy you’re meal sir,” she said, trying to hold her tongue.

“So it does match,” he grinned.

Lorna rolled her eyes stormed away, but not before using her powers a bit to make the man spill his soup on his lap.

“Oww, hey! What gives?” he exclaimed.

Lorna grinned to herself as she tiredly stretched her limbs and headed towards the back. That was her last table and her shift was finally about over.

“Finally, I can get the hell out of here,” she said to herself.

“Don’t forget you gotta work overtime tomorrow, kid,” said her manager, “You owe me for leaving early last week!”

“I know,” she groaned, “I haven’t forgotten.”

The young mutant retreated to the lockers where she took off her uniform and gathered her things. She had hoped her manager would show a little sympathy for her leaving early to take her mother to the doctors, but some people were just assholes by their own nature. Just once she would have loved to have those people switch places with her. If the world were truly just people like her manager and the people who fired her mom would own up to their decisions so they knew how tough it was. But the world wasn’t just. At least it never was for her.

After changing into her normal clothes she made her way out the back door. From there she had to catch the next trolley to get to her mom’s apartment. She was so tired she wasn’t sure she could make it, but she had to make sure her mother was okay. The doctors told her she was deteriorating with each passing day. It was up to her to keep her going, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it up. As much as she loved her mother, she was just too weak to hold herself together anymore.

Once out the back she prepared to head out towards the street. But to her surprise someone was waiting for her as she opened the door. It was a man a few years older than her with white hair and pale skin. He was wearing nice looking suit, too nice for a place like this.

“Hi, are you Lorna Dane?” he said.

“Um…that depends,” she said anxiously, “Who are you and why are you back here?”

“Relax, I’m not a stalker or some predator. I just want to talk. That is, of course, if your name is Lorna Dane,” he said.

Lorna studied the man for a moment. He looked serious enough. She had seen enough stalkers and would-be rapists in her job to tell them apart and this guy didn’t fit the profile. He didn’t fit the profile of an honest Joe either, but there was something else about him that caught her attention.

“Yeah, I’m Lorna,” she said, maintaining a suspicious tone, “Who are you?”

The man hesitated for a moment. It looked as though he was nervous or something. He was about to say something, but then he stopped again. He then took a deep breath and said what was probably the last thing she expected him to say.

“My name is Pietro Maximoff. I’m your half-brother.”

“My…half-brother?” Lorna repeated.

“Yes…your half brother,” he said in an awkward, yet serious tone, “We share the same father. But he probably doesn’t know about you.”

“Uh huh…right,” said Lorna, getting more uncomfortable with this conversation by the second.

Pietro cursed himself internally. He was not handling this as well as he hoped. This girl was looking at him as if he was crazy. He might as well have been given how he was carrying himself. He was used to being Quicksilver, the tough Hellfire operative that provided fast cover and got things done at high speeds. Reaching out to other confused mutants was something he left to others, but this time it involved his half-sister. But he already promised himself he would go through with this. No use turning back now.

“Look, I know this sounds crazy, but it’s true. We are related,” said Pietro, “I’ll prove it. Your mother used to work for a private surveying company that does business with large government bodies like the UN, right?”

“Yeah, while she was in grad school,” she said carefully, “What’s that got to do with us being related?”

“Twenty years ago she was just starting out and doing a lot of her work in Eastern Europe, mostly the Balkans. At about the same time, my father was wandering those parts. He was in a sad state because his wife, my biological mother, had recently been murdered by a village mob. He came across your mother in Sarajevo and, without getting too graphic, spent some time with her.”

Lorna shifted uncomfortably. A lot of this was news to her. She knew her mother started off her career in the Balkans. She told her many stories about her travels, but she never mentioned meeting anybody over there. Then again she never talked much about her father either so what this man was saying wasn’t impossible. But that didn’t make it true either.

Sensing her disposition, Pietro moved in closer and continued.

“I know it’s a big claim. And if I were in your shoes right now I probably wouldn’t believe it either. But it’s true. There are records that can prove it. We could even do a blood test and it would show we are related.”

“Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves,” said Lorna, still very anxious, “Say I believe you, Pietro…why are you here? And why now of all times?”

“This is just the right moment I guess,” he shrugged, “As for why I’m here, that’s a bit harder to explain. But I heard about what happened with your mom. I’ll be the first to say it’s downright wrong and I’m sorry you have to deal with this on your own.”

“Thanks, I guess, but how did you know about that?”

“Where I come from, that kind of information is as easy to get a picking up a carton of milk from the store,” he said with a light hearted grin, “That sort of leads me to why I’m here. You see, I work for an organization that has extensive reach into many affairs. And we’re always on the look out for those with the potential to do great things with their abilities. And if what I saw back there with that guy is any indication, you have some pretty impressive abilities.”

“You saw that?!” said Lorna in bewilderment, “But how?”

Pietro answered with a little demonstration. He used his super speed to run to the front of the alley and back, stopping just behind her in a blur she could barely follow. And before she could even turn around, he tapped her on the shoulder and regained her attention. Even for a girl who lived in a place like this were mutants were far more visible, that was pretty impressive.

“Wow…” she said, looking both surprised and convinced.

“We share more in common than just a father,” grinned Pietro, “And the people I work for believe someone with your power and potential deserves more than scraping by a meager living while caring for a sick mother who was unjustly let go for something beyond her control.”

“I’m flattered,” she said with a smile, “But who exactly are these people you work for? Are they those mutant employment rings I’ve heard about? Because I’ve been looking to get into one of those.”

“Oh we’re much more than that,” grinned the speedster, glad to hear she was already seeking out such opportunities, “While we do have divisions that actively recruit mutants, some of which work in this area, what we’re offering you is much greater. I’m here to personally offer you a position in an organization known as the Hellfire Club.”

“The Hellfire Club? Never heard of them,” said Lorna.

“And rightfully so. We tend to stay in the shadows, but make no mistake our influence is vast and our resources are endless. We have our hand in just about anything you can imagine, but what sets us apart is the grandeur of our main goal.”

“And what might that be?” said Lorna, showing some genuine intrigue.

“To take power of all kinds and use it to instill order in a chaotic world,” answered Pietro strongly, “The best way I can think to describe it is an analogy my father once told me. He said there are two kinds of people in this world: people who are oppressed and those who do the oppressing. And you’ve endured your share of oppression, have you not?”

“If being forced to work demeaning, dead-end jobs for lousy wages because some greedy prick fired my mom for being sick, then yeah. I’d definitely say I qualify,” said Lorna bitterly.

“Well here’s your chance to do something about it! I once was in your position and I wanted to do something about it. I made the foolish decision of following my father at first. He thought he could destroy those who oppressed him and our kind with brute force, but realistically speaking what good does that do? Why destroy something when it is so much more efficient to seize control of it?”

Lorna thought about that for a moment and it made sense. Thinking back to how everybody treated her and her mother, she had gotten a raw deal. She was always underneath people, having to fight her way to survive because she was constrained by circumstances. Looking at Pietro she saw someone who endured something similar. It made her seriously believe that she was related to this man.

“I now realize my first attempt to overcome injustice was wrong,” said Pietro, his tone becoming more solemn, “Luckily, the Hellfire Club took pity on me and gave me a chance to rise above my meager beginnings. They trained me and I proved to them that I could do whatever needed to be done for the betterment of the organization. And I’ve been rewarded handsomely. This nice custom suit I’m wearing is probably worth more than those fancy watches your manager loves to parade around.”

Lorna couldn’t help but snicker at that. He seemed to sense how much a jerk her manager was as well and the fact he picked up on his annoying dress sense spoke volumes about him.

“You could have that chance too, Lorna,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Someone of your power deserves much more than working minimum wage slaving over dirty dishes and obnoxious patrons. And as your half brother, I guess I’m somewhat obligated to lend a hand on behalf of the Hellfire Club.”

“It all sounds great and all, but experience tells me that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is,” she retorted.

“And that’s usually right and this is no exception. Make no mistake, this offer is not a free ride. It requires you to work, learn, train, and do a number of other things, some of which you may find objectionable. I myself went through it and so did my sister. It was by no means easy, but it paid off in many ways.”

“Wait, back up! You have a sister?” said Lorna, now sounding even more excited, “Does that mean…”

But Pietro cut her off. He kicked himself for letting that slip, but he contined.

“Yes, you have a half-sister as well. And you’ll get to meet her along with many others like yourself. It’ll be a long, hard road, but it’s all a part of something grand and just. Serve the Hellfire Club and prove yourself and your rewards will be endless. You’ll not only enjoy unimaginable comforts and pleasures, your mother will never have to worry about sub-par medical care for the rest of her life.”

Pietro gave her a moment to take everything in. That last part really seemed to resonate and she was really taking this seriously. This was quite a shift for her. It wasn’t enough he just came out and told her he was her half brother. He presented her a potentially life-changing opportunity. There was any number of reasons to think twice about it. The bold claims he made were hard to back up, especially to someone who didn’t understand the kind of power Hellfire wielded. But having been in the same position under much worse circumstances, he knew what went through the minds of those who were desperate. Lorna was desperate and alone. He was offering more than just a way out. He was offering his support as a blood relative, something that went a lot further for both of them.

Lorna paced for a moment, thinking about her current life situation and what lay before her. If she turned this down she knew what the next day would bring. She would get up, go to work, and spend another day trying to support her mother and herself in an unfair world. If she went with Pietro, she had no idea what would come of her. But it would be different and it would give her to the chance to rise above where she was now. The chance to actually enjoy the finer things in life and do more with her powers really resonated. So did the chance to give her mother the care and comfort she needed. It also helped that this man could very well be family, something she had so little of in this world.

“You know, Pietro, I’ve spent my entire life just accepting my status in the grand scheme of things. But you know what it’s gotten me? Nothing! I’ve never really taken a chance on anything. I’ve never even been given a chance to begin with.”

“So are you going to take this one?” asked Pietro, sensing in her a frustration with her current life that sounded promising.

Lorna looked her half-brother in the eye and smiled.

“Why not? So long as we’re family I might as well get to know the family trade.”

Pietro smiled back. Maybe he wasn’t so bad at stuff like this after all. For something he was so uncertain about, this was going pretty well. Then to his surprise Lorna leaned in and gave him a hug. He wasn’t prepared for it, but he eventually found himself hugging back. It had been a long time since he had a family moment. Wanda was never that affectionate and over the years she was even less so. But he tried not to think about that at the moment.

“You’re making the right decision, Lorna,” said Pietro, “I promise you won’t regret it.”

“We’ll see,” she said with a smile, “This is all happening so fast! I can’t wait to tell my mom.”

“I’ll tag along. I’ll be happy to answer any questions she may have, but bear in mind there’s only so much I’ll be able to tell her. The Hellfire Club is very strict on maintaining a low profile.”

“I understand,” she said with a knowing look, “So where exactly is this Hellfire Club anyways? When will I get to see it?”

“It’s a ways, but don’t worry. We have very efficient ways of getting around. You’ll see. I’ll show you the ropes.”

“Thanks, Pietro. I’d like that.”

The young woman smiled and Pietro smiled back. He came here not expecting to connect with her. He doubted she would even believe that he was her half-brother. But she heard him out and took his words seriously. Maybe there was something she saw in him that he didn’t even know he was conveying. Maybe she just wanted to believe she had other family out there after being alone for so long. Whatever the reason, he connected with her. And if she had the kind of potential that seemed to run in their family, he saw her as being a great asset to the Hellfire Club. He planned on showing her the way. Only this time, he wouldn’t make the same mistakes he made with Wanda.

For Lorna, it was an exciting new beginning. There were so many questions going through her mind. Was this guy really her half-brother? If he was then what was her half-sister like? Did she have more family out there? What exactly were they going to have her do? Whatever the case, she was ready to take a chance. She was tired of being stepped on by the rest of the world. She always wanted to rise above her limited means and the Hellfire Club sounded like the perfect place to do that.

Hellfire Manor – Guest Room

Logan groaned as he drifted in and out of consciousness. His head was still spinning and his body still stung in every area. The events of the past twelve hours were a blur. He remembered being outside the advanced nuclear research facility, he remembered fighting Sabretooth, and he remembered the alarms going off and an army of guards attacking him. After that it was pretty fuzzy.

He wasn’t sure where he was now. He sensed he wasn’t outside anymore. He was in a room of some sort in a place he didn’t recognize. The scent of the room wasn’t like anything he smelled before. He wasn’t even sure he was in Canada anymore. He tried getting up, but it felt like there was a fully loaded dump truck on top of his body. Grunting to himself, he opened his eyes to take in his new surroundings. It was then he realized he wasn’t alone. Somebody was sitting at his bedside.

“Glad to see you’re awake,” said a calm, yet powerful voice, “Please, don’t get up. You’re still healing from the fight.”

“Ugh, thanks for the news flash, bub,” grunted Logan.

He laid back down and turned towards the source of the voice. It turned out to be from a neatly dressed bald man with a slim build wearing a fancy Victorian suit. He didn’t stink of the scent of Weapon X or Sabretooth so that was good. But there was something else about him that was off. He couldn’t put his finger on it in his weakened state, but it felt distinctly dark.

“Who are you? Where the fuck am I?!” Logan demanded.

“You’re in New York City in a guest room at Hellfire Manor,” the man answered, not at all affected by Logan’s harsh tone, “And my name is Charles Xavier. I am Black King of the Hellfire Club.”

“That supposed to impress me? There’s only one king I know and that’s Burger King and I don’t see you wearin’ a goofy outfit,” he mocked.

“I hope you will consider being a bit more respectful, Logan. Were it not for me and my associates, your smoldering corpse would most likely be strapped to a dissection table back at the research facility.”

“Oh so you were the one that sent those amateurs? Gee thanks, for a moment I thought you people were just passing through.”

Xavier scolded this man’s harsh tone. If any other man had talked to him with such disrespect he probably would have given them a harsh psychic seizure to set them straight. But given this man’s reputation he wasn’t surprised. And if he wanted him to cooperate he would have to hold back a little.

“Are you going to continue to be this difficult? Because I could easily hand you back over to their hands. I’m sure they would be more than happy to see you again after what you did to some of their comrades.”

“Ah bring em on. I could take them,” he scoffed, “Besides, you won’t send me back.”

“You think I’m bluffing?” said Xavier, maintaining a stern demeanor.

“No, but you went through all the trouble bringin’ me here. You ain’t just gonna throw it all away. A guy dressed as nice as you, you just don’t seem the wasteful type.”

Xavier looked at the man strangely. For someone who was supposed to be such a brute, he was pretty sharp. He was much sharper than reports said he was. Given his experiences he shouldn’t have been surprised. Nobody could survive as long as he had without being a little bit smart. That was a trait worthy of respect, but Xavier still had to get past that attitude of his. It looked like it wasn’t going to be easy.

“So are you gonna tell me why I’m here or what? I get the feelin’ it ain’t out of the goodness of your heart,” said Logan, who was beginning to get a little more strength back.

“You’d be right about that, Logan. Or do you prefer Weapon X?”

Logan growled at the sound of that name. It was a name that always stirred immense rage within him. It triggered brief memory flashes of him floating in a bio tank, wires coming out of every part of his body, and a searing pain as his mind and body were prodded like a common lab animal.

“Where did you hear that name?! Are you one of them?!” he demanded, shooting up from the bed.

“Relax, Logan, I assure you I am not affiliated with that obscene weapons program. I am a simple man of great means looking for new opportunities,” said Xavier, maintaining a calm aura, “And as it turns out I’ve had my eye on you for quite some time.”

“That supposed to make me feel better about this shit?” grunted Logan.

“No, but it should give you an idea of my reach. If I can keep tabs on you, a man whose reputation is legendary for his ability to disappear for long periods, then it should be a clear indication of my power. I probably know more about you than you know about yourself. But given the rather extensive gap in your memory, I wouldn’t say that’s much of a stretch.”

Logan growled again. But he was beginning to take this man more seriously. He knew about his memory gaps and he knew about Weapon X. There was a chance he might know more and because of that he calmed down.

With his strength now returning to him, Logan rose up so that he was now in a sitting position with his back against the board. His vision had cleared now and he was more aware of his surroundings. To his surprise this guest room he spoke of was pretty fancy. The bed was king sized and covered in expensive French linens with authentic Japanese silk embroiders. The walls were well-kempt and had elaborate patterns of Occult imagery, some of which he recognized as being from Japan and China. It was all pretty fancy. But he was far from impressed.

“So you ain’t from Weapon X, you ain’t from the military, and this place is way too fancy to be a government building,” he surmised, “So what is this place?”

“Somewhere that a man of your means can do much more than he could otherwise,” answered Xavier ominously, “This organization, the Hellfire Club, is unlike any other organization in the world. We deal in power, plain and simple. But we use somewhat ‘unorthodox’ means to gain it and equally different means to wield it.”

“So you’re a club of tyrants. Big deal. What’s that got to do with me?”

“Oh we’re hardly tyrants,” said Charles, “Tyrants are deluded fools who just think they are gods among men. We are much more than that. We have special qualities that help us in our goals.”

Then Xavier switched to his telepathy to prove his point.

‘If you recall, my associates who came to your aid had abilities far in excess of normal humans. Like yourself, they are different. But unlike you, they wield their power in a different way that helps drive the Hellfire Club.’

His voice echoed strongly in his mind. It was strong enough to cause a bit of pain. Logan rubbed his head a bit. He met telepaths before and he never liked them probing around in his head. That’s why he had strong psychic shields, but this guy was able to get around them without breaking a sweat. That indicated that maybe there was more to him than just fancy clothes.

“So you’re mutants,” said Logan, “Takes one to know one I guess. I still don’t see what this has to do with me.”

Xavier smiled for the first time since he woke up. Logan still wasn’t too impressed, but he was definitely taking him more seriously. The fact he knew about Weapon X said a lot. The fact he broke his shields to make a point said even more. It showed he was tougher than his appearance let on and Xavier had a feeling that went a ways with this man.

“Oh it has everything to do with you, Logan. Like me, you’re a man of great power. Your ability to heal from any wound, live well beyond your years, and wield senses sharper than any normal human sets you apart. It should come as no surprise that there are those who would seek to exploit those talents to further their own agenda.”

“Don’t remind me,” growled Logan, drawing his claws briefly to remind himself of what was done to him, “You gonna try to do the same? Because if you are I’ll just fight my way out of here right now.”

“Oh come now, if I wanted that would I have set up this nice guest room for you? I had a feeling you would be adverse to hospital rooms so I decided this would be a more appropriate setting to make my offer.”

“You did your homework on me, bub,” said Logan with a slight laugh, “But what kind of offer are we talkin’ about here? Because I have bad experiences with people making offers.”

“I assure you this one is different,” grinned Xavier.

The Black King then rose up and stood confidently over his bed. He exuded an aura of confidence and power. For what he was about to propose, he wanted to make sure Logan knew he was serious. He had his full attention and even though he was still clearly skeptical, he was willing to hear him out.

“I’ve read up on your past, Logan. I know what you’ve been through. People have been trying to control you all your life. They’ve been trying to turn you into a living, breathing killing machine. They didn’t want a soldier or a warrior. They wanted a weapon they could wield like a machine. But like all weapons, they’re easy to create and very difficult to control. They could warp your mind and steal your memories, but they could not destroy the man behind the animal.”

“And I made them pay for it,” said Logan firmly, snarling at the harsh reminder of what was done to him.

“That you did,” said Xavier with an approving grin, “What sets me apart is that I understand that men are not dogs and can never be conditioned as such. If you want someone to serve you, you must persuade them to do so. You must give them incentive and benefits so that they will do as you wish and do so without question.”

“So what? You think you can give me incentive to do your dirty work or something? Because I ain’t a grunt for hire,” scolded Logan.

“Oh I don’t want you as a grunt or a soldier,” quipped the Black King, “I want you as an ally…one I can rely on to train others in the ways of combat and take down those who threaten my organization. But unlike the fools at Weapon X, I do not wish to force you to join. I wish to offer you generous compensation.”

Logan studied this man for a moment. This was the first time in his shady memory that someone offered to pay him to do the kinds of things he was usually forced to do. It was a nice change. The man already pulled him out of a trap in Canada and put him in a nice room. But that only went so far with him. His experience told him to trust no one. Just because he offered to pay doesn’t mean he was going to do it.

“You think you can just buy me?” he scoffed, “Don’t get me wrong, bub, I got nothing against money. But there ain’t enough money in the world for me to just throw myself into this circus you’ve got here.”

“Oh I’m not just talking about money, Logan,” said Xavier with an ominous grin, “There are things of much greater value that Hellfire has to offer.”

The Black King then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object he knew would get his point across. It was a simple dog tag and an old one at that. It dated back decades and was well-rusted. But the name on it was still readable and it was a name of great importance to Logan.

Curious and still skeptical, Logan took the dog tag and read it. When he saw the name his expression shifted. It read James “Logan” Howlett on top and below it read “Wolverine.” At the bottom were tiny letters labeling the tag as belonging to Canadian Special Forces, circa World War II. The second he read that name, James Howlett, a shiver ran down his spine. He knew that name. It was a name he hadn’t heard in a long time, but one that was very important to him. It was his real name. It was the name he had been born with.

A sudden flash of memories surged through his mind. He saw images of himself in a military uniform fighting in the trenches of Nazi Germany. He heard voices of men calling out to him. They were calling him James or Jim and he was responding to them with the same gruff persona he always had. It left no doubts. This dog tag was real and so was the name on it. This man who he barely knew and who already saved his neck once had just given him the answer to a question he spent the last several decades trying to uncover.

It was official. Logan was impressed. This Xavier guy wasn’t lying when he said he could provide incentive. As he looked at the dog tag, taking in the long lost memories that it conjured, he re-evaluated his initial reaction to this guy. Maybe he was worth hearing out.

“James Howlett…I’ll be damned,” said Logan, shaking his head in amazement.

He then turned back towards Xavier.

“How the hell did you get something like this?” he asked intently.

“There is little the Hellfire Club cannot obtain with the proper use of resources,” said the Black King, his grin never waning, “We have unmatched capabilities. My associates have already been able to uncover much about your past, some of which I’m sure you haven’t uncovered yourself. And we’re willing to give you access to it. We’re even willing to help you uncover more. But you must return the favor.”

“Figures,” he sighed, “So that’s it? You help me get some answers and I join this club of yours?”

“In essence, yes,” answered Charles, “But you’ll get more than just answers. You’ll have a chance to apply your talents to a much grander cause. And for your service you will enjoy many comforts and privileges.”

“Oh yeah? What kind?”

Before he could answer, the door to the guest room opened and Emma Frost entered. She hesitated for a moment upon seeing that Xavier and their guest were in the middle of a conversation, but a telepathic message from her mentor assured her it was okay. Her timing couldn’t have been better and neither could her choice of attire. She was wearing her trademark white lingerie with thigh-high boots, matching gloves, and a cape. As always she made sure it was as revealing as possible. And it gave Logan quite an eyeful.

“Sorry for interrupting, Lord Xavier, but Sage wanted me to inform you that she and Hank are done treating Rogue. They found some interesting side effects from her encounter with Miss Marvel. Some of those effects might be of great interest to you.”

“Thank you, Emma,” said Xavier with a nod, “I’ll get right to it after I’m done here.”

Emma nodded back and turned around to leave. In the process she gave both men a nice view of her perfectly shaped butt, which was displayed in great detail by a very revealing thong. Logan stared the whole time until she was gone.

After she left he turned back towards Xavier, who was still smiling. He didn’t have to say anything. The look in his eye said it all. Logan smiled back with a wolfish grin. Looking down at his dog tag and thinking back to what he just saw, he came to a clear conclusion. It was a simple offer. Xavier wanted him to join this place and bust heads like he always did, only this time he wouldn’t be forced. They would pay him with money, beautiful women, and information about his past. All that put together made for pretty sweet deal.

“Need I say more?” said Xavier coyly.

Logan grinned and tucked the dog tag away in his pocket.

“You drive a hard bargain, Chuck. But I guess I could stick around and give this place a try. You deliver everything you promise and I promise you I’ll do my part. I am, after all, the best at what I do.”

“Very well,” said Xavier, extending his hand to the former living weapon, “Then we’re agreed.”

“Yep! You officially got yourself a, Wolverine.”

The two men shook hands. For the first time in many years, Logan was committed to something. He had been a lone wolf since the day he left Alpha Flight. He swore he would fight his own battles and find his own past. But now he realized there was only so much he could do on his own. If he was to get what he desired, he needed to make deals. And Charles Xavier just gave him the deal of a lifetime. He hoped he would deliver and give him the answers he was looking for. If nothing else, he could always get to know some of the Hellfire Club’s beautiful women.

For Xavier, he got something much more. He knew that sending Mystique on this mission to investigate Weapon X was risky. It took four years and a lot of work, but he finally got something out of it. He had in Logan a savage fighter who would make a fine addition to the Inner Circle. There were other more ambitious reasons why he wanted him, but that was a matter for another day. But for now he focused on getting him indoctrinated into to the Hellfire Club. He had a feeling he would fit in just fine here.

Sinister’s Lab

Ororo and Remy arrived at X-Industrial an hour after they got Deadpool’s call. The merc with a mouth met them at the entrance and told them they were supposed to meet outside of Sinister’s lab. It was an odd place to meet, but not completely unheard of. They usually got their job briefings there when it involved stealing something high tech or using some advanced technology that was outside of Sage’s expertise. Along the way Deadpool made a few snide comments about their somewhat disheveled appearance. He could tell Ororo and Remy were having sex when they called. The signs were obvious and he just couldn’t resist making comments.

“Man, you must have been going at it for you to be walking like that, Stormy babe! He use one of those ‘extenders’ or maybe an extra finger or two?” he snickered.

“For the last time, Deadpool, what we do in our private time is none of your business!” exclaimed Ororo.

“Yeah! And besides, Remy don’t need no extenders! He’s got all the accessories he needs,” said Remy with a cocky grin.

Ororo shot him a look, but he just smiled and shrugged. While Remy wasn’t as obnoxious as Deadpool, sometimes he could be just as immature. Aside from the jokes, there was some uneasiness about this sudden call. Even though it wasn’t unusual for them to get a call out of the blue like this, usually Xavier contacted them directly. Rarely did he cede such tasks to someone else, but it wasn’t unheard of. He was probably just busy with those new wave of recruits he told them about. It left them to wonder what this was about.

“So you have any idea what this new job is, Wade?” asked Ororo, “You didn’t give too many details when you called us.”

“I assumed it would be hard to pay attention with some guy going down on you so I was just being polite,” he shrugged.

“Wade…” scorned Ororo, her eyes flashing white to show she was serious.

“Hey, I know as much as you do babe. I was in the middle of setting up a nice three way with these hot Asian chicks at Club Hellfire when I got a page. Under normal circumstances, hot Asian chicks take priority, but it was marked urgent so what could I do?”

“You have Remy’s sympathies,” snickered the Cajun, “So you really don’t know?”

“Ah you know they don’t trust me with too many secrets,” said Deadpool with an obnoxious gesture, “They know the merc with a mouth can’t help himself sometimes. Like the song goes ‘I just gotta be me!’”

Remy and Ororo rolled their eyes. As annoying as Deadpool was, he had a point. He probably really didn’t know because he would have blurted it out already. That was just how his messed up persona worked. But whatever the details, it had to be important if they called all three of them. They were each some of Hellfire’s premier mercenaries. They always handled high priority jobs that had little room for error. They had no doubts that this would be more of the same.

When they arrived near the entrance to Sinister’s lab they saw Sinister standing there waiting for them. They didn’t see anybody else, which was unusual. Sinister rarely gave out missions and on the rare occasions he did, he didn’t call them together like this. But they noticed something different about him. He had this strange grin on his face, as if he was excited about something.

“Ah, there you are. Right on time,” Sinister greeted, “Thank you for arriving on such short notice.”

“No prob, pasty face!” said Deadpool with a two finger salute, “But this better be good. There are only so many ways you can justify leaving an Asian three way.”

“Well put, Wade,” said Ororo with a bemused look, “So where’s Xavier and Selene? Were they supposed to meet us here?”

“They’re busy at the moment. But that is of no consequence. They weren’t the ones that summoned you. I was.”

“You? Since when do you set up jobs that needs all three of us? Ain’t you got your own errand boy to do that?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot entrust this task to Hank or any of Hellfire’s usual grunts. I need expert thieves.”

“Ha! Well too bad. You got us!” joked Deadpool.

“Enough with the modesty,” said Sinister, “I’m a busy man so I’ll make this quick.”

The mad geneticist handed them each an unmarked folder. The three thieves opened them and took out a small packet of paper. There weren’t many details, just some information about some foreign companies and technical specs of some advanced equipment. Usually when they got information on jobs they would get a much more detailed account of the task, but this was downright minimal. And there was a reason for it.

“In each packet you will see a list of overseas companies and a detailed print out of some advanced biotech hardware. You’ll find that most are in Asia and none are currently in the Hellfire Club’s sphere of business influence. What I want from you is to break in and steal the listed equipment. But moreover, I want you to cover your tracks. There can be no evidence of a theft.”

“Steal some stuff and make it look like an accident. Sounds simple enough,” shrugged Remy.

“But why do you need us to steal it?” asked Ororo, “Can’t you get Xavier to just buy it? It’s not like he doesn’t have the money.”

“True, but these components I require are not for sale per-se. Many are the only of their kind and some of the components aren’t, to put it bluntly, legal in most learned countries.”

“Ah, I see what you’re getting at. Gear that’s too hot to handle so the only sensible thing to do is steal it. It’s like poetry,” said Deadpool.

“Quite,” grinned Sinister, “There are several dozen parts, a few of which you should be able to steal in bunches. I would like to have them as soon as possible, but I’m a patient man. Take extra care in getting these parts to me and me specifically.”

“Why you?” said Ororo suspiciously, “Do Xavier and Selene know about this?”

That was a tricky question. Sinister couldn’t up and tell them he was doing this behind the Inner Circle’s back. They would run straight to them and squeal if they did. He had to be careful, but he had to be truthful to some extend. These three may be lowly thieves, but they weren’t fools by any stretch, even Deadpool.

“They know as much as they have to,” said Sinister cryptically, “I’ve already sent them a report and you can double check with them if you so desire. Just get these jobs done. These components are absolutely vital to my research.”

“I’ll bet,” said Remy, who was also suspicious, “Just outta curiosity, what kind of work is it this time? Them last tests with that goblin gas was pretty messed up.”

Sinister just laughed in response. He remembered how theatric those demonstrations were. He even got a few people to throw up. But it was all part of the scientific process.

“Oh I could spend the next several hours talking about that,” he told him, “But I won’t bore you. All you have to do is steal those components and collect your reward.”

“Hey, no prob Mr. S! You know me! I take a bootin’ and keep on shootin! I’ll get you your little erector set in time for Christmas! I’ll be like Santa Clause if he was a thief!” laughed Deadpool.

“Wade…” groaned Ororo.

They decided not to give Deadpool the opportunity for any more quips. So with the files in hand they made their leave, a new job before them. It didn’t seem too hard. It would require multiple trips to various parts of Asia and Europe, but it was nothing they weren’t used to. But looking over some of these components as Sinister called, them, a few things stood out. For one, they couldn’t even pronounce the names of some of them. A few were even written in other languages. They had all the marks of dangerous, illegal technology. Neither one of them were scientists so they couldn’t even begin to fathom what this stuff would be used for. But it was a job and they weren’t paid to ask questions.

“This seem as odd to you as it does to Remy?” inquired the Cajun.

“It’s Sinister. When is it not?” said Ororo, “On the surface I can’t see anything too out of the ordinary, but we should tell Xavier the story just in case. I’m sure he can figure out if Sinister’s up to something.”

“That’s why he’s the king!” commented Deadpool, “In the meantime, let’s just have some fun busting some heads. It’ll be like camp only with more homicides!”

Deadpool’s assessment was skewed, but even he agreed. They should probably be careful here. There’s never any telling what Sinister might do.

But even as they left, Sinister stood back and grinned confidently. He knew they would probably go to Xavier. He knew they would probably tell Selene as well. But none of that mattered. Xavier was a smart man, but even he couldn’t comprehend what he had planned for these devices. It was all leading towards his grandest ambition. He already had Hank working on some of the specifics. Once he had those parts he could begin the next step. Then his research was sure to take some interesting turns.

************************************************************************

Up next: Lorna and Alex arrive while Logan contemplates his new life.