Scalphunter and Sabretooth go to Satan’s Circus. There, they sit on a table where Scalphunter reveals to Sabretooth how Mr. Sinister created Hans. Scalphunter remembers how long it took Sinister before succeeding in an experiment that even dated back from before World War II. Scalphunter remembers how he and Sinister looked over the just-created Hans, who was, in Sinister’s eyes, supposed to be the perfect mutant. Scalphunter stared in agony at Hans, he says, when Sinister ordered him to start Hans’ training. Hans seemed to be invulnerable to various robotic lasers. Sinister smiled. Sinister and Scalphunter watched Hans make the next move and began attacking the training robots.
Scalphunter watched Hans fly, use super-human strength, use optic beams and speed. Hans destroyed everything that attacked him. Sinister threw a spike at Hans, which went right through his stomach. Hans smiled and took the spike out of his abdomen. Seeing this, Scalphunter realized that Hans also must have a healing factor. While Sinister was joyfully laughing with the success of his experiment, Scalphunter realized that all Hans’ powers seemed like a résumé from Xavier’s. But Scalphunter says that he knows he doesn’t need to tell Creed all that, as he found out first-handed what Hans’ powers are.
Sabretooth agrees, but corrects that Hans isn’t invulnerable, as he beat him. And, Sabretooth continues, if hadn’t it been for Hans’ look-a-like teammates showing up, he would be victorious. “That’s a big if,” Scalphunter says. Scalphunter informs Creed that if he wants Sinister, he’ll have to go through the rest of the Children first. And Sinister himself isn’t also an easy man to defeat. Sabretooth stops Scalphunter, asking him why he is helping him. Scalphunter explains that he has been “scalp hunting” for Mr. Sinister for over half a century now but, with this so-called perfect “Children” Sinister has in his might, Scalphunter fears that he’ll soon be out of working for the man and be eliminated for good this time.
Sabretooth comes to the conclusion that they’ve got some job ahead of them. “We?!” Scalphunter panics. There’s no “we,” he says. Scalphunter says that he’ll give Sabretooth the location to Sinister’s castle, even the ways to pass the security systems. Scalphunter even promises to be out of the way when Creed attacks, so that he’ll only have to deal with the Children. Whatever happens between Sabretooth and Sinister then is Creed’s case, Scalphunter says, but that’s all he can do. Sabretooth sarcastically thanks Scalphunter, for letting him go alone against an army of super-mutants.
Scalphunter suggests that Sabretooth could consider contacting the X-Men. He gets up and, laughing, walks away. “The X-Men,” Sabretooth mockingly says. Creed finishes his beer and concludes: “That’s it!” Meanwhile, at his castle, Mr. Sinister realizes that sometimes, experiments fail. Sinister goes to his lab and stands over a banded Hans and tells him this, and that it’s a fact every good scientist must accept. Sinister continues that Hans is the pinnacle of Homo Superior perfection. Sinister takes a look at some of the items he obtained from mutants over the years and continues to say that, through his genius, Hans has been bestowed powers beyond the wildest dreams of every common, everyday mutant. And yet, Sinister says, when you look right down to it, Hans is still only an experiment.
Hans begins to panic. And, Sinister says, when experiments are deemed to be failures, they are to be discontinued. Sinister finds Hans’ defeat at the hands of Sabretooth quite disappointing. Sinister takes out a knife to shut Hans down and wonders what to do with him, with the rest of the Children watching over his back. Sinister asks Hans if he can convince him not to discontinue him. “Nope.” a voice says from behind. Sinister looks back and finds Sabretooth standing behind him. Sinister is not impressed and tells his Children to prepare to attack.
Sabretooth smiles, saying that he knows they all seem to have powers like the X-Men have. That got him into thinking. Creed says he knows that Sinister always was fascinated with the X-Men’s telepaths, like Jean Grey, Cable and Nate Grey. And the Children all have the X-Men’s powers, but no telepathy. This doesn’t add up, Creed believes. Unless… Sinister did. Sabretooth smiles and stands still, while all the Children begin to burn up in flames! Sinister asks Creed what he has done. Sabretooth explains that every mutant worth his salt knows that telepathy is the hardest power to control. Which is what got Creed thinking, why there were no signs of that powers in the Children. Because they couldn’t control it either. Sabretooth moves away some of his hair and reveals a special-made device, that his new employers have installed onto him. The device allows Creed to beam his thoughts directly into the Children’s minds and those thoughts, of course, aren’t that pleasant.
Sabretooth asks Sinister if he now wants to fight him. Mr. Sinister says that he despises to act in such violence, but will do as he must. The two villains prepare to attack each other, when they are stopped by none other than Mr. Tomes! Some security guards appear behind him and point their guns at Sinister. Michael Grand shows up too, and concludes that they did pick the right man for the job after all. Sabretooth says that his job isn’t done yet. Grand hands Creed over a check, saying that it is. Sabretooth can’t believe his eyes when he sees the big number on the check. Grand explains that it’s twice as much as they agreed and then tells Sabretooth to leave, as he wishes to talk to Sinister in private. Sabretooth doesn’t mind at all and takes off.
Smiling, Grand calls Creed a piece of work. Suddenly, Grand stands up from his wheelchair and says he wants to discuss the business at hand. Grand asks Sinister to allow him to introduce himself. Grand takes off his falls image and reveals his true self: that of John Sublime! Sublime apologizes for the deception, but found it necessary. Sinister quickly moves and grabs Sublime by the throat, saying that he doesn’t like to use violence, but that it doesn’t mean that he isn’t good at it. The security guards point their guns at Sinister again, but Sublime orders his men to stand down. Sublime begins to cry, telling Sinister that there is a mistake going on, as he is in fact… his biggest fan!
Epilogue one…
Back at his office at MegaCorp, Sublime informs Tomes that Sinister went for it. Sublime opens a videoscreen, which reveals Hans and the other Children working out in one of his training rooms. Sublime finds it okay, as Sinister deemed them to be failures anyway. Tomes doesn’t think so, believing that whenever Sinister finds something to be a failure could be another man’s most success any day. Sublime and Tomes toast to their victory. Tomes asks Sublime what he gave Sinister in return. Sublime explains that he let the good doctor take a peek at the mutant files Sabretooth stole from Weapon X for them. Tomes laughs at the irony of it all.
Sublime stares at a painting of the Professor he has. Tomes wonders, and asks Sublime if he thinks if the Professor ever truly had any idea of what he started. “Doubtful,” Sublime says. Sublime looks at the Journal of Nathan Essex, saying that it would be nice to have the Professor’s autograph. Tomes asks if Sublime finds it wise to string Creed along like this, if he would ever find out that he is doing Weapon Plus assignments now. Sublime corrects and explains that the best agent is often one who doesn’t know he’s an agent at all. Tomes agrees, and states that, with the U-Men and now the Children, Sublime is creating himself a huge army for himself. Sublime agrees, but after all, he says, what is a war without armies. As Tomes looks at the Children training, Sublime opens his laptop and overviews his lists of targets.
Epilogue two…
Sabretooth is back at Satan’s Circus, playing poker with his buddies. The Constrictor isn’t that happy, as he told Sabretooth a thousand times before that, when he brings an outsider to the game, make sure he stinks at it. Sabretooth laughs, guessing he could have known that Scalphunter would win the game. Scalphunter laughs too and says that Sinister wasn’t that happy when he left to Genosha this morning. Peepers walks over to Creed, telling him that someone left a note for him. Sabretooth reads the note and tells his gang to cash him out. Sabretooth stands up and walks out, saying that he’s got someplace else to be. He drops the note, which reads “Brotherhood.”
