18 Secondary Objective

"That was humiliating," Warren murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. Tombstone had done a number on him with the body slam and it was clear he wasn't used to being on the receiving end of a beating.

"You did well," Scott told him simply. "A few mistakes, but they're things that can be worked on easily. This will have probably solved one of your problems already."

"Like what?"

"Overconfidence."

There was a pause, Warren scowling and looking ready to argue, before stopping. He sighed, shoulders slumping and waved his hand as if to ask for further explanation. Despite being prideful, Warren was willing to learn and improve, it was a good sign.

"Up till now, you've dealt with small groups, the largest being the Grady Gang," Scott said, Warren nodding his head to show that he was right. "No doubt those numbers were small and besides a few handguns and melee weapons, unarmed." Again, Warren nodded his head. "Whoever that big guy was and works for, they're different."

From what Scott knew, Tombstone worked for Kingpin as an enforcer or did for a little while. But he wasn't certain that was the case in this world. He also didn't want to raise questions as to how he knew things he shouldn't, especially with Amelia around.

"They'll be heavily armed, coming in much greater numbers and no doubt better trained as well. Probably having a few ex-military and possibly ex-special forces members amongst them." Back in the early days, guys like that were dangerous, that was until the level of power they were dealing with grew to an insane peak. "You earned a few victories over small-time thugs and it clouded your thoughts, hindering your ability to observe your surroundings."

Warren looked at him, as did Amelia. They were indescribable, showing equal amounts of surprise, respect and dubiousness. It was hard to tell which one was the main emotion they felt.

"How many times have you done this?" Warren asked, turning to Amelia for an answer.

"I don't." She replied, both then looking back to Scott.

"This would be my fourth." He responded.

The admission made Warren chuckle humourlessly. "I've done more than that." He shook his head, running one hand through his hair. "How'd you get so good at this then?"

"We all have our talents," Scott told him. "We can't be good at everything, so it's natural for us to seek out help from those better than us at other things. In this instance, I'm better at this, but I imagine there are plenty of things that you're better at than me."

"It's a little humiliating to have someone who's only done this four times show me up though." Warren pointed out, Scott smirking.

"And can you say that you haven't done the same to others?" Warren's silence spoke volumes. "I want you on my team, Angel. With training, you can become an incredible hero and with a team, you'd be even better. We're both Mutants and eventually, you're going to be forced to pick a side."

"I don't know if we will." Warren's tone was dubious as he spoke, doubting his own words. "Besides, there's a lot to do here in New York."

Scott nodded his head. "But there's a lot to do all other America and the world. Mutants are going to be hunted and suppressed." He then extended a hand out to Warren who looked at him questioningly. "If you haven't made up your mind, that's fine, the offer will always be open to you."

"For now.." Warren paused to think upon the answer.

He could see the benefits of joining Cyclops and Mist, but he wouldn't deny that he was envious of his skills. Warren knew better than most how difficult it was to work with people you were envious of. Now, it was certainly a new experience to be the one envious than the one being envied, but the experience was telling.

"I think I'm going to stay in New York." Warren eventually answered, Scott frowning, but nodding his head.

"Alright." Both Warren and Scott shook hands. "But remember, the offer's always open. But before we go our separate ways, let me warn you, things are going to get much harder for you now. Whoever the big guy was working for in Queens, you will now be on their radar and they'll no doubt try to make an example of you. Watch your back and if you're ever in danger, contact me on this number."

Scott handed over a slip, Warren looking down at it.

"You were prepared for me to refuse, weren't you?' Warren wondered, Scott smiling.

"Always best to be prepared for every possibility."

-X- Line Break -X-

He had failed to recruit Warren, a surprise, but as he had told him, Scott had prepared for the possibility. However, recruiting Warren had not been the only purpose for him to come to New York City, there was another reason.

The Morlocks.

The underground, sewer-dwelling Mutants, each hideous and deformed thanks to their Mutations or by attacks from Ant-Mutant Mobs. Large and numerous, operating like a gang more than a civilised nation. They were the perfect source of recruitment for future X-Men, bitter and angry, looking for someone to hone those emotions into a fine edge.

Many of them were adults and Scott had no worries about training them up to be soldiers in the war to come. The children though, he still had reservations about doing things like that. He could understand why Cyclops had trained children and even agreed with it. However, Scott had never agreed with letting their feet, even if he could understand why there was no choice. Whether that was a good or bad thing, Scott didn't know and for the first time, it was not an answer that the memories or instincts could provide him with.

This was one he had to figure out for himself.

Just like the situation at hand with Amelia by his side. She didn't trust him and no doubt wanted to return home to Charles and Alex as soon as possible. Scott however, not only did not trust her either, he wanted to stay out longer and do more with this temporary bit of freedom. New York City at this time had little to offer him, but the Morlocks and Angel were the biggest draws this city had at this time.

Especially with the Baxter Building now apparently being in Chicago.

Another change that had existed in this world without influence from him.

"Amelia, you believe that Mutants should hide, don't you?" Scott wondered as the two sat down at a small cafe. A small stop that in Amelia's eyes, was probably the last one before they made their journey back to Bayville.

It was a cafe in Manhattan, precisely where the Morlocks were based in Cyclops' memories. There was a possibility that they weren't here, just like with the Xavier Institute and with the Baxter Building, but Scott lost nothing by looking. In a situation like this where he had no clue as to where else they could possibly be, following the memories as a guide was the best principle, far better than moving around blindly.

"Yes," Amelia drew out the word, bemused as to where this question came from. Scott had made it no secret that much like Charles, he disagreed venehmently with her idea on how to handle the Mutant crisis, in fact, his distaste for it was even more profound. The very idea of hiding and cowering away seemed to be insulting to him, but Amelia had come to understand very quickly, Scott was a fighter.

To him, it was better to die fighting than live on his knees.

A smile and dangerous mindset and one that worried Amelia endlessly. That type of mentally was one that human nature showed could be destructive, not just for those involved but for the innocents caught in the crossfire. Someone with that type of mindset would fight and fight until he breathed his last and gave his all.

Death, destruction and absolute chaos, that's what that mindset brought about.

Each one following it intending to make their enemies pay for victory in rivers of blood. But when all was said and done, when they were finally defeated and died on their feet, it was not them that paid the price for their actions. No, it was the family and loved ones who had done nothing wrong who paid the price.

In that case, it meant Alex.

"So, if Mutants were in New York, where do you think they would go?" He wondered, Amelia pausing as she raised the cup of coffee to her lips.

An uncomfortable feeling settled over her, instinctively not liking where this conversation was going. "In plain sight." She replied, New York being such a big city and with so many people, it was easy for Mutants to get lost in the crowd.

"And if they had a mutation that made hiding in plain sight impossible, like say bug eyes or something along those lines? What then?"

Amelia narrowed her eyes, frowning deeply. "Why?"

"Because I think it's unlikely that for a place as big and as busy as New York that there haven't been any Mutants born here. Yet they're not noticed or brought to life. The Avenging Angel is the first instance of a Mutant being publically sighted in New York, strange is it not?" Scott explained. "So, where did they all go? Hide in plain sight? Miraculous then that they were all born without any outward mutation that easily sets them apart as Mutant. Especially when places like London, Beijing, Tokyo, Istanbul and other populous cities have reported dozens of Mutant sightings, each with grotesque mutations."

"Perhaps, New York just got lucky." She answered understanding and hated where this conversation was going. But Amelia also knew that the chances of stopping him were impossible, he was just like Charles in that regard. Once he set his mind to something, he would not stop unless he chose to.

Scott shrugged. "Probably. But I think they're hiding somewhere. Shall I tell you where?"

"The sewers." Stopping him would be impossible, Amelia knew that much from the outset. But she could at the very least try and curb some of his actions now. A task that she knew was going to be easier said than done.

"My thoughts exactly," Scott answered. "So, let's finish up here and see if there are alligators or Mutants in the sewers of New York." Speed was of the essence for Scott, hoping to get to them before they got too set in their ways. If he could get to them and offer them another option, then he could stop the Morlocks from seeing themselves as sub-humans. A dangerous mindset that had led to increased hatred and bitterness towards all those leaving on the surface, not just humans but other Mutants.

However, he also wanted to at the very least, establish friendly relations with them. If they could, a partnership and alliance could be reached if they were unwilling to come with him. One that would see all future Mutants brought to the Xavier Institute and have a Mutant base in New York.

It was something that they hadn't been able to establish for a long time in Cyclops' memories. But the Morlocks would be the start of it if they were at the very least not willing to come to join them at the Xavier Institute. But it would require a more diplomatic approach if they were still early doors in their career. If it was later on though, things would be much simpler, he could just do what Storm did to gain control of the Morlocks.

Combat.

Callisto from what he knew would be a difficult opponent in an enclosed space with her enhanced strength, speed and agility. But he could take advantage of her advanced senses with his Optic Blasts, the darkness of the sewers would make sudden lights dangerous and distracting. Yet even with that, it all came down to the changes in this world because if she had been afflicted by Masque's powers, then she would have an added element of danger with the mass of tentacles that would be her arms.

However, Scott was confident in victory all the same.

Either way, he was coming out with the Morlocks at his side or as an ally.