Bethune Memorial Hospital, Toronto, where the mood is no less than ugly. Heather Hudson a.k.a. Guardian and Colin Hume a.k.a. Windshear, two of Alpha Flight, Canada’s premiere super hero team, exit the hospital, followed by a gurney on which lays the wounded Betan Whitman Knapp a.k.a. Manikin, and is pushed by Alpha Flight’s own Doctor Walter Langkowski, better known as Sasquatch. ‘Are you ready for this?’ asks Colin. ‘Like I’m ready for haemorrhoids’ Heather replies. ‘That’s the spirit!’
Reporters and camera operators suddenly swarm around the Alphans - ‘Guardian, over here!’ ‘It is true?’ ‘Can we expect?’ ‘Some Statement?’ Heather smiles and turns to Windshear, who sighs and mutters that this is what he is paid for. ‘Ladies and gentlemen of the press’ he says, beginning his speech, in which he informs the reports and journalists that they will be making a full statement in due course, but that right now they have a very sick teammate who needs urgent medical attention.
But the reporters begin shouting out their questions and comments anyway - ‘Is it AIDS?’ ‘Risk of contamination?’ ‘Why was he placed in a normal hospital? ‘Who is it?’ ‘Northstar?’ One reports grabs Guardian and exclaims that Alpha Flight is supposed to be serving the people of Canada - and the people of Canada want to know if there is a threat to their well-being. ‘No comment’ Heather declares. The reporter doesn’t give up though, and asks if there is a disease killing paranormals and if it is communicable.
Annoyed, Heather raises her voice and repeats ‘No comment!’ The reporter is mad and is about to say something else when the handsome Walter Langkowski remarks that the reporter obviously doesn’t hear too good, and transforming into Sasquatch, he roars ‘NO COMMENT!’ into the reporters ear.
Shortly, inside the ambulance, Heather exclaims ‘Nice one, Langkowski, that’s what I love about this team…its members give such good P.R.’ Windshear informs Heather that they have to organise a press conference straight away, and since she is their leader, he believes she should be there, adding that as of late there has been a growing feeling, which was probably created by the press in the first place, that Alpha Flight has grown apart from the citizens it is supposed to be protecting.
Windshear explains that they have to demystify themselves and nip this “super-disease” story in the bud before it alienates them all. ‘Great’ mutters Heather, annoyed that she is going to be stuck in a press conference while Manikin is probably dying, and Weapon Omega is reverting back to his old savage self - Wild Child.
Meanwhile, in Old Montreal, Weapon Omega walks along the darkened streets, remarking that this is where it begins - the search for a past he never wanted to know…until now. He thinks that it is strange, for as Wild Child, he couldn’t have cared less about who he was and where he came from, but as Weapon Omega, he plainly didn’t want to know - perhaps because he was afraid of what he would find.
But Kyle knows that stuck in this limbo between one and the other, in control but ever likely to slip back into his more unrestrained persona, he desperately needs answers. However, he believes that treading the fine line between man and animal is what is making him feel truly alive, a whole person. He realizes that he has always been a “created” person - either the crazed Wild Child, or the government approved Weapon Omega, pumped full of drugs. Kyle realizes that he doesn’t even know what drugs have been pumped through his body, but it is that drug that has pronounced him fit and safe for active service.
Weapon Omega decides that Kyle may not even be his real name, or just one that some faceless person decided to tag him with. He exclaims that he must find his identity - before someone else creates another one for him. He thinks of Nemesis, his old Gamma Flight teammate and the nearest thing he ever had to a friend. He recalls that she pretty much said once that she knew she could help him, that all he had to do was ask…’Well, I’m here, Nemesis…and I’m asking!’
After walking down a dirty alleyway, Kyle comes to a door, and enters it, taking off his jacket, he decides that there is no sense in taking chances, for friend or not, Nemesis has always valued and protected her privacy venomously. Therefore, she may view this as an unwarranted intrusion, and respond with force. Kyle appears to be in some sort of run down basement, with a mattress on the floor, but he decides that it is as much like he remembers it, for Nemesis only brought him here once, to mete out punishment to a fat slug of a man who had been looking to take Nemesis’ place as leader of the Children of the Night.
Walking through a large hole in the brick wall, sight suddenly fails Weapon Omega, the darkness envelops him, but instinctively, he taps older senses, ones little used outside of the animal kingdom, and immediately, he knows tow things…one: he is not alone. And two: the beast has been roused!
Back in the alleyway, someone has been following Weapon Omega. He thinks to himself that central office wants the impossible, that they want him stopped, which is fine - Wild Child, Omega - whatever he is calling himself, it is just a meal ticket. But he has to watch and follow, though sooner or later - like right now - he runs the risk of having to get up close and personal - which is what central office doesn’t want. It doesn’t want Department H to know that there is a Department K. ‘Letters! Meaningless ciphers for the desk jobs to get their hots over!’ He thinks that the way he sees it, this is an extreme situation, which calls for extreme sanction!
Meanwhile, at the “H” of the aforementioned Departments, where the long serving Alphan Eugene Milton Judd a.k.a. Puck is seeking answers. Stubbing out another cigar, he asks the computer, if after a whole night spent together, he could get something more meaningful than “Access Denied”. He mutters that there is nothing - no links, no clues that might be able to explain where Wild Child really came from - or why a guy called Wyre is suddenly trying to kill him.
Judd sips a cup of coffee and tells himself that he shouldn’t be so surprised, and thinks that this has “military” stamped all over it, and he knows just too well how tight-lipped they can be - especially if the subject is a highly volatile one that may just blow up in their faces. Judd thinks that he could General Clarke, but decides that compared to Clarke, the machine would seem positively eloquent, and decides that he needs another investigative plan - something of their own, and taps into the personal diary of James MacDonald Hudson and searches for subject matter “Wild Child“.
The search results bring up an entry from long ago, where Mac expressed his concern over the induction into the program (in his absence) of subject Wild Child, and the judgement in this matter…of Walter Langkowski! A wide-eyed Judd knows that he has discovered something very important now.
Back in Old Montreal, Weapon Omega leaps out of the way of his assailants, he knows they are good, fast and skilled in the ways of death - their eyes accustomed to the perpetual darkness. But he is better, he could keep this battle up for hours, take all they can give and return it - with interest. He knows that he could lose himself in this fight…but that isn’t why he came here. He came to find himself, and suddenly stops the battle.
Weapon Omega informs all of the children that have been attacking him that he will not fight them anymore and that he came here to talk to their leader, Nemesis. But the only response he gets is a low, subhuman growl that builds in intensity - an animal challenge. The beast within him rises to it - but the man checks it - and in doing so, dampens the enhanced senses which otherwise may have saved him, for someone comes up behind Weapon Omega and smacks him in the back of the head. ‘Now my children…take him down!’ the large man exclaims.
Back at Department H, in the laboratory of Doctor Walter Langkowski, Manikin lies encased in some sort of cocoon, while Walt continues his report, stating that the strange cocoon which has formed around Knapp is some sort of self-generating organic matter - and whatever is happening in there is anyone’s guess. Walt’s scans are inconclusive, sensors are registering multiples of just about everything - heartbeat, blood pressure and tissue matter - and neural activity is off the scale! Examining the scans, Walt thinks that by all rights, the poison in the Jackal’s claws should have killed Knapp outright - so he can only assume that the multi-persona aspect to his mutant physiology changes that - but he cannot be sure of this, or anything else, without removing him from the cocoon…and that might kill him.
Kara Kilgrave stands behind a window and looks in at her former boyfriend, wrapped in the cocoon. ‘Oh, God,’ she thinks to herself. ‘Please, Whit - please don’t die! Don’t…leave me!’
Elsewhere in Department H, Witchfire is in some sort of trance. She feels Persuasion’s grief cutting through her commune like a stiletto blade to the heart. She finds it strange that no one blames her, not even Kara, and believes that they should, for she was the one in charge and gave the order that sent Manikin to his doom, even though she knew that beyond his ability to summon past and future oh himself he was powerless and vulnerable. Witchfire admits that now she would give anything to save him…even if it would cost her immortal soul. And in a place far removed from what we understand as reality, cold laughter greets Witchfire’s thoughts….
Back in the sewer system beneath Montreal, Weapon Omega is chained in the dirty water, when Nemesis finally manages to wake him by calling to him. Kyle is surprised to see Nemesis chained up before him but before he can say much, Nemesis tells him to shush, and informs him that be coming here and allowing himself to be taken, he has surely doomed her. Kyle mutters that he doesn’t understand, when a large Albino man steps into view, ‘Then let me explain,’ he grins.
Scars line the man’s face and chest, and he reveals that it is revenge that is being dealt here - on both Nemesis and Weapon Omega - for these scars which cover his body. Addressing Kyle as Wild Child, he asks him if he doesn’t remember, though there was little in the ways of formal introduction when the last met, but he thought Kyle would recognize his own handiwork. Kyle doesn’t respond, so the large man shouts ‘Well?’ ‘I - no. Yes’ replies Kyle, to which the large man smashes him across the face and declaring that he would hate for him to die…not remembering Rok!
Kyle, still bound by the chains, claims that he remembers and declares that he is sorry - sorry that he didn’t do a better job of tearing Rok’s fat face off. ‘Animal!’ shouts Rok as he lunges at Kyle, and smashes him backwards. Rok looms over Kyle, claiming that he left him choking in his own blood, face torn by claws, teeth smashed to a pulp. Apparently, it was a “lesson”. Rok claims that he learned well, because the next time Wild Child went off, he didn’t hesitate and made the children his own - and now they have prospered and grown under his leadership. ‘Prospered?’ exclaims the disgusted Nemesis before she declares that the children were warriors fighting a divine war, but that now Rok has turned them into assassins for higher.
Weapon Omega realizes that once more, he is a pawn in someone else’s game - a bit-part player following his few lines - he doesn’t exist to them beyond a means to an end. ‘No more!’ He decides that Nemesis, Rok and the whole world must see that he is not Wild Child, not Weapon Omega…but just himself - and he will not be beaten, chained or ignored.
Rok places one of his super strong hands on Nemesis’ neck as she tells him that he has emptied the children’s lives - but Rok interrupts, exclaiming that he didn’t bring Nemesis here to debate…’I brought you here to die!’ Rok motions to Weapon Omega and tells Nemesis now that her pet is here he can begin. Rok has in his possession Nemesis’ sword of justice, and grabbing Kyle by the hair with the sword ready to strike his neck he shouts ‘Let justice be done!’
But suddenly, ‘Master - look ouwww!’ cries one of the children as he is hurled at Rok, causing him to stumble off balance. Standing nearby with several children hanging off of him is Garrison Kane - a.k.a. Weapon X! ‘Focus. Channel it. Make the will iron. Make the body diamond. Get into the groove!’ he thinks to himself, before apologizing to Rok for crashing his party, and warning him that if he wants Weapon Omega dead, then he is going to have to deal with him.
Back at Department H, where Guardian and Windshear are just returning following the press conference. Heather remarks that she would rather go ten rounds with the Master of the World than go through that again, adding that she can imagine more user-friendly lynchings. Heather points out that what is worse is that they don’t know whether they made any difference to tomorrow’s headlines. Colin says that they will see tomorrow, before motioning to Judd, Walt, Northstar and Aurora and exclaiming that he doesn’t remember organizing a welcoming committee.
Heather asks Judd what is going on, to which the diminutive Alphan explains that they have to move fast, for the Weapon Omega situation is far more serious than they realized. Heather asks Judd what he has discovered, to which Judd turns to a solemn Walt, and suggests that he explain to Heather what is going on.
At that moment, under the streets of Montreal, Weapon X pounds Rok in the face, as Rok claims that he doesn’t know who he is, but one thing is for sure - Weapon X has interfered in matters that do not concern him. Kane thinks to himself that Rok is wrong, and that job aside, this concerns him all the way down the line.
Kyle watches the battle between Kane and Rok, the beast is within him - it is anger, fury and power - but this time, it will work for him! With a mighty roar, Kyle pulls up the blocks that holds his chains to the concrete, while Kane disengages his left arm and aims it at Rok, while thinking to himself that Cable in so many ways shaped the man that he is today…’Yeah, right, pardon me if I don’t think him too much!’
Kane tells himself that there is so much pain, so much hurt - and he can still see the image of Wyre in the wreckage - crying like a baby - tears streaking the blood on his face and hands. Then all Wyre said was “Enough”. That is why Kane is really here - to say it to Wyre - “Enough” - before he hurts others the way Cable hurt him. Kane’s left hand returns to him while he punches Rok in the gut with his right arm.
‘That hurt!’ shouts Rok, grabbing Nemesis’ sword and running towards Weapon X, boasting that he will cut him in two and feed him his own liver. Kane thinks to himself that Rok might just be able to - for Nemesis’ sword can cut through anything - including him. He regrets reminiscing - because it left him vulnerable - except that a large block attached to a chain smacks Rok in the back of the head.
The fat man falls face down into the dirty water. Holding the block by the chain, Kyle declares that perhaps now he will be able to get some answers, and reminds Kane that “Weapon X” was Logan’s codename before he became known as Wolverine. ‘You Canadian government? His replacement?’ Kane doesn’t offer an answer, and realizing he isn’t going to get an answer, Kyle remarks that he is tired of this - tired of not knowing why certain people seem intent on keeping him alive, while others want him dead.
Kyle turns to the still-chained Nemesis, hoping that if Kane won’t tell him, perhaps she will. Cuts from her own sword covering her body, Nemesis doesn’t say anything either, but Kane informs Weapon Omega that there is more to it at stake than he realizes. Suddenly, a laser beam targets Weapon Omega’s head - and Wyre comes into view. ‘Bang! You’re dead!’ he exclaims.
