Times had been tough on Forge,
the mutant with the gift to build any machine. Ever since the mess on Genosha,
he had been tossed around from one prison cell to another. Nobody really knew
what to do with him. On one hand, he helped a madman create a machine that
nearly destroyed the world. On the other it was his own foresight that helped
defeat Magneto. Some wanted him imprisoned for the rest of his days. Others
wanted him executed because his gifts were just too much of a threat. Either
way, his creative genius was going to be restrained. It seemed all but
necessary in a world that wasn’t ready for his machines.
After rotting in a prison cell at
NORAD for a while, he came across a new opportunity. White Cell, a private
military company that often employed mutants, pulled a few strings to get him
out. The only catch was he was going to have to work for a special research
facility called Muir Island. They didn’t tell him too much about what he would
be tasked with, only that he would have a chance to put his talents to good
use. At this point, anything was a step up.
He arrived on the Muir Island
landing platform via transport chopper, courtesy of White Cell. He was still in
shackles and being carefully watched by John Proudstar. But so long as he was a
prisoner, he had to call him Thunderbird. Since he was a former X-men, he had
little sympathy for him after helping Magneto.
“We’re here. Get up,” ordered the
Native American mutant sternly.
“Seriously, is it so much to ask
for a simple please?” groaned Forge, “I get that shit enough back at NORAD.”
“After helping a man like
Magneto, you deserve every bit of it,” said John as he shoved him to the rear
of the plane.
“In case you forgot, I did help
stop him.”
“You wouldn’t have had to if you
hadn’t gone along with him in the first place. It would have spared the world a
whole lot of anguish and one of my partners wouldn’t be in a coma.”
Forge shifted, muttering some
curses under his breath as John led him out the rear entrance. As soon as the
hatch was opened, they encountered the dreary Irish weather. It was pouring
rain and very windy. But aside from the conditions, the facility before him
looked pretty advanced.
“You should feel lucky,” said
Thunderbird, “If it were up to me you would stay locked in the darkest cell in
Guantanamo Bay, but you still have something to offer the world you almost
destroyed. As it just so happens, a few friends of mine have the right
leverage.”
“These friends of yours sound
generous,” grinned Forge.
“Don’t mistake it for a charity.
One of them happens to be an old partner and trust me, he’s not doing this out
of the goodness of his heart. He’ll be keeping a close eye on you and so will
I. You got yourself a big break, Forge. Don’t blow it.”
“Thank you for the encouragement.
No wonder you went so far in the Marines,” said Forge dryly.
Thunderbird ignored his remark
and shoved him forward into the rain. A few other White Cell guards followed
them, keeping their weapons pointed right at Forge in case he made a break for
it. If he knew what was good for him, he would get comfortable here because
this was going to be his home for the foreseeable future.
Just outside the landing zone,
two figures were waiting. It was Moria MacTaggart and Sean Cassidy. As soon as
John Proudstar saw Sean, he nodded and saluted. Sean smiled and saluted back.
As old partners, they were still bound by their roles.
“Good to see you again, Banshee,”
John greeted.
“Ye too, Thunderbird,” replied
Sean, “But I’m not in White Cell anymore. Just call me Sean.”
“I’m more tempted to call you
crazy for brokering a deal like this. How you got the higher ups to let Forge
work for Muir Island is beyond me,” retorted the Native American mutant as he
roughly shoved Forge towards them.
“Ow! Easy there! You’re the super
strong one! Not me!” groaned Forge.
“Sorry about that, lad. John
tends to hold a grudge longer than most people,” said Sean as he undid his
shackles, “It’s a good thing the leaders at White Cell are more forgiving. They
just needed a few reminders of all my years of service to them and they made it
happen.”
“That still doesn’t make him any
less deserving of a prison cell,” muttered John.
“Ever consider giving therapy a
shot, Proudstar?” groaned Forge.
“Watch it, Forge! Get used to my
attitude because you’ll still be dealing with me! Sean and Moria here may have
you in their custody, but there’s no way the big wigs back in the states will
let someone like you go unsupervised. That means I’ll be checking in regularly
to make sure you’re not constructing another doomsday weapon.”
“I’m sure you’ll be looking
forward to it,” groaned Forge.
John Proudstar’s gaze narrowed as
Sean shooed away the rest of the White Cell guards. He made it clear he was not
letting him off the hook. Forge may be a brilliant inventor, but he was no
fighter. He had no desire to test his luck with these people.
Thankfully, Sean and Moria looked
a little more welcoming. Moria even held her umbrella over his head so that the
pouring rain would stop soaking him. They started leading him inside, ready to
show him where he would be putting his inventive skills to good use.
“I be honored to have ye here,
Forge. I think ye will find Muir Island to be the perfect place for an
inventive mind like yours.”
“Compared to prison, anything would
be a step up. Making a cell phone out of a bar of soap just gets old after a
while,” said Forge, “So what exactly will I be working on? I’m guessing you
don’t call in these kinds of favors just to upgrade your laptop.”
“Oh we have quite a challenge for
ye, lad,” said Sean, “And ye be coming in at the right time because we’re all
pretty stumped.”
“Sounds right up my ally,”
grinned the mutant inventor, “So what’s the problem?”
“Not what…who,” said Moria with a
slightly saddened look, “It’s my son, Kevin. He’s a mutant with very dangerous
powers.”
“Ah, I see. Issues with control,
I’m guessing?”
Jack
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