Into the Heart of Darkness
Prologue
(Year: 2000 Location: New York City, NY - alternate dimension)
The dark haired young woman strode purposely through the darkened hallways, carrying a sheaf of papers in one hand. Coming to the end of the corridor, she manipulated the doorlock with familiarity. A mechanical voice rang out, a bright light pinning her in place.
" STATE ACCESS CODE "
" Alpha 3-0-4, ID Threnody."
" ACCESS PERMITTED "
A loud hiss broke the quietness as the large metal lock slowly pulled apart. The woman waited a moment until the light went off, before stepping through quickly. The doors immediately began to shut behind her. Checking the papers carefully, she went through a second door, placing her hand on the DNA scanner before being allowed through.
Beyond the second door was a large room filled with vials, large glass containers, enough wires, test tubes and computer consoles to rival any Hollywood laboratory setup. The young woman bypassed the containment units lining the one wall of the room, heedless of the vaguely shapeless things floating within the murky water. She knew they were there. She just didn't care.
At the back of the room, the dark outline of a large person was seen, his back to the girl. She made no noise as she appproached, but she knew he was aware of her presence all the same. Coming to a halt directly behind him, she waited patiently for him to acknowledge her. After a minute of typing on the keyboard in front of him, the man lifted his head, but didn't turn around.
" The papers."
Holding out the folder quietly, the man took it from her and opened it. Scanning the sheets, a rare smile curved his lips upwards, showing sharp teeth in an almost feral gesture.
" Yes. Yes, this will do...nicely." The dark man finally turned his gaze on the woman. " You've done well, Threnody." [1]
" Thank you Master," she said, bowing slightly, waiting for her dismissal. The man waved his arm at her offhandedly, his attention already back on the papers. Silently, Threnody ghosted back out of the laboratory, again ignoring the shapes in the glass containers that seemed to register her presence, placing wierdly-shaped extremities on the transparent walls to get her attention. Exiting the final doorlock, she returned to her quarters until her master would call for her again.
The man placed the retrieved papers on a nearby table that had convienient hand and foot shackles attached to it. A rusty color stained the metal finish but it was long since dry, and the man didn't worry about ruining the sheets of information. He turned his attention back to the metal object in the room just beyond the computer terminal. His most recent....acquisition.
Black as night, the object of the man's attention gleamed coldly in the harsh lights fixated on it. It resmbled a large generator of metallic marble, coils of wires and tubes snaking out of various ports and connecting to actual generators surrounding it. A faint blue pulse echoed within the center of it, strange symbols carved into the surrounding metal. Metal not of this world. The man's dark laughter echoed softly.
" Yes, it will do indeed." The man's eyes glowed red, a remarkable effect when combined with a lack of pupils, set in the pasty-white face. " And I, Sinister, will teach the feeble humans of this world a lesson they shall never forget!"
Notes:
1. Threnody is a mutant that absorbs other's pain and transforms it to plasma which she releases uncontrollably in deadly explosions. Sinister found her and in exchange for helping her to control her power, she works for him as a researcher. In this particular timeline, I'm ignoring the fact that she's now with Nate Grey - this either takes place before she meets the X-MAN, or he doesn't exist - Nate Grey ain't a part of this fic.
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