Chapter 1: Acquisition

The Dursleys prided themselves on being normal. A normal husband with a normal job, a normal wife and a normal son, living in a normal house in a normal town. This, however, was hard to do with the freak of a boy who was thrust upon them. Anything that was out of place, anything preventing them from reaching their dream, was therefore his fault.

It therefore came as no surprise that the odd man sitting in their front room was there about him. Admittedly, he was not so odd as the freaks, but there was no denying that the pasty man in his skin-tight, leather suit, not a muscle moving, was a slightly odd man. Plus, he was American. That was odd enough on its own.

"I am here for the boy," the man said monotonously.

"Who are you?" Vernon fumed. "I have just returned home, and have found some random American here, asking after the freak! I demand to know who you are."

"Where are my manners," the man replied, quirking his lip in a vague imitation of a smirk. "My name is Ajax, and I work for an extension of the Canadian Government."

"Hmph," Vernon huffed. "Better, I suppose. Now, state your business!"

"I have," Ajax replied softly. "I am here for the boy. Harry Potter, I believe?"

"What has the freak done this time?" Vernon growled.

"You misunderstand," Ajax replied. "He is genetically… unique. He is of great interest to us. We would be willing to offer compensation for his acquisition."

"Compensation?" Vernon asked, mouth watering slightly. "What… what kind of figures are we talking about."

"3 million US dollars," Ajax answered. "Tax free."

X

Fifteen minutes later, Ajax closed the back of his van, trapping a small, passive boy of four years inside, a slight smile gracing his face. He pulled a thin mobile from his pocket, pressing a button on the speed dial. "Asset acquired. Begin disposal."

The Dursleys were found dead three days later, burning in the wreck of their car on the M1.

X

The Director, also known as Malcolm Calcord, stood serenely over the sedated boy, eyes scanning over the computer readout.

"Magnificent," his fellow said. He was a British doctor, by the name of Robert Windsor, and an expert in anything genetic, with a particular affinity for mutations. "Truly wondrous. It is greater than I hoped."

"Explain, please, what has you so excited," Malcolm deadpanned to the excited doctor. "I am not so versed in science as you - I am here to fund, and make weapons."

"Ah, sorry…" Windsor replied, not at all apologetic. "He does indeed have an active X-Gene, yet it seems to have no physical effect at all!"

"What?" Malcolm barked. "But you said this would be the acquisition of a lifetime! All those reports of varied powers…"

"Seem to come from this other gene!" Windsor exclaimed. "A gene whose markers should react violently with the X-Gene, yet the boy still lives. Another gene, with further power, power which seems to be founded in probability and reality manipulation, if I had to guess."

"Fascinating," Malcolm drawled. "But how does this improve his prospects as a weapon?"

"As I have said, his body should have been destroyed by these genes forming in conjunction!" Windsor giggled hyperactively. "Plus, his blood seems to have adopted the vaccines given to children his age!"

"Meaning…" Malcolm prompted.

"I have determined his mutant power," Windsor grinned. "Adoption! The ability to adopt foreign bodies into his own body, make them his own!"

"Brilliant," Malcolm groaned. "Completely useless."

"But you misunderstand," Windsor chuckled. "We are standing upon the largest collection of mutant DNA in the world. If we extracted the X-Gene, and introduced it into his genetic code…"

"...we could craft the perfect soldier," Malcolm grinned, catching on. "Hand picking the greatest powers to make the ultimate weapon. Weapon M, if you will."

"A thousand, hmm?" Windsor shrugged. "I thought we were on nineteen…"

"It has styles," Malcolm snapped. "And emphasises how much more advanced the asset will be."

"Ah, well," Windsor replied. "There is a reason why I am not in charge of naming things. I'm just a scientist, after all."

"Indeed," Malcolm chuckled. "Now, how shall we begin? We have the blood of many powerful mutants, but which shall form the first power of our soldier? The telepathy of Charles Xavier? The telekinesis of Jean Grey? The weather manipulation of Ororo Monroe?"

"You are thinking too big, Director," Windsor sighed. "We must be cautious with this - if this were to fail, not only would we lose the asset, but also the blood of many powerful beings. We must choose something we can afford to lose."

"I've got just the thing!" Malcolm grinned, pulling out a radio. "Francis? I am in need of your presence."

A few minutes later, the man in question entered the room, a slight scowl on his face. "I have asked you to call me Ajax."

"I do not pay you to make up names, Francis," Malcolm snapped. "We are in need of your blood."

"My… blood," Ajax frowned.

"Yes, you see, we have just come across the most remarkable of young mutants," Windsor grinned. "And your blood is the perfect thing to test his abilities with."

X

After extracting the stoic man's blood, Windsor extracted the X-Gene, suspending it in a fluid of his own creation, ready to forcibly bond with the genetic makeup of the Weapon M. Said Weapon was now strapped to a series of electrodes, numerous needles poised to enter the boy's flesh.

"Today, my colleagues," Windsor intoned. "You will witness history in the making." His hand hovered over the lever. "The Weapon Plus program has had several key successes. Weapon I, known to the world as the Super Soldier Serum. Weapon II, now known as 'Rocket Raccoon'. Weapon V, resulting in the superhuman Agent Venom. We mustn't, of course, forget our greatest, Weapon X, or our more recent recreation in the form of X23. Even Weapon IX, the madman known as Deadpool, could be seen as a success." He grinned, putting a hand on the lever. "But Weapon M shall surpass them all. And the first step is now."

"STOP!"

Windsor frowned. "Dr. Kinney. You were not invited into this meeting."

"Your treatment of Lau- X23 is one thing," Sarah Kinney growled. "It may be detestable, but she is just a clone. The legal rights of a clone are dubious, after all. But this? A true-born child? This is wrong!"

"Dr Kinney," Malcolm huffed. "We are beyond the law. So what if a little boy suffers? Within a few years, he will not see it as such. Tell me, does X23 complain about our treatment? Does she cry to you about the pain she has been put through?"

"No, but she has known nothing else in her four years of life," Sarah spat. "This boy has had a life!"

"I'd barely call it that," Ajax scoffed. "I met his so-called guardians - textbook abuse if ever I'd seen it."

"And this makes it right?" Sarah scoffed. "This is inhumane!"

"I do not employ you to criticise my morals," Malcolm drawled. "I have a therapist for that. No, I employ you to simulate basic social stimulation with X23." He paused. "Congratulations, Dr. Kinney, I'm granting you a raise. Your assistance will be most helpful in creating our newest Weapon."

Sarah went to protest again but, seemingly realising the futility, just nodded sharply, storming out of the room.

"She's going to be trouble," Ajax warned.

"Her input is necessary," Windsor replied, hand returning to the lever. "We need Weapons capable of acting in public."

Ajax hummed, unconvinced.

"Anyway," Windsor interjected. "History has been delayed enough. Now, the greatest weapon this world has ever seen shall be born."

He pulled down on the lever, and the machine began to hum. Cylinders began to slide, with the blood red syringes plunging into Weapon M's flesh, with only a flinch in response. The liquid slid slowly down the syringes, flooding into the host's body, before the electrodes began to crackle, heating up as hundreds of volts flooded into his bloodstream. The boy jerked violently, thrashing in his spot, before letting out a blood curdling scream, not stopping even when the electricity stopped flowing and the needles withdrew.

"Well," Malcolm muttered, peering down at the boy, contorting in agony. "I'm glad we used an expendable resource."

"Actually, this is good," Windsor smiled. "Now we have to wait and see if his body can handle the agony."

"And if he does?" Malcolm inquired curiously.

It was Ajax who answered, a deep chuckle preceding his answer.

"Then he will never feel pain again."