In a reception room near Capitol Hill, Marcus Worthington awaited his two guests for the day...
Despite Oscorp's new drug successfully entering the market and receiving strong feedback, the business magnate who stood at the pinnacle of the medical industry refused to believe that a young Osborn and some so-called genius could shake Worthington's long-held throne.
If he truly set his mind to it, there were countless ways to crush the fledgling Oscorp and Umbrella... acquisitions, mergers, poaching talent, manufacturing PR crises...
A relentless offensive would suffocate them before they could even find their footing. However, family matters had drained Marcus' energy, and for now, his top priority remained solving the mutant problem.
Progress in the lab had nearly stalled. According to the head of research, they lacked live mutant specimens. More experimental material was needed to compare data and find a way to suppress, or even eliminate the mutant gene...
This answer infuriated Marcus, but he had no choice. Coincidentally, he had already been considering targeting mutants, which was why he had invited these two guests today.
The roaring fireplace bathed the room in warmth as the weather turned colder. The aging Marcus rubbed his hands together, he was no longer the energetic young man he once was.
Between family troubles and corporate affairs, he was already stretched thin. If the empire he had built over a lifetime couldn't be passed down to his son, what was the point of all his struggles?
The flickering flames reflected in Marcus' eyes. He couldn't just stand by and watch Warren become a monster. What high society would accept a mutant?
As his thoughts churned, the door opened.
One guest was Senator Robert Kelly, a familiar face on television, all smiles and amiability. The other was a stern-faced man with an air of cold detachment, the kind that warned strangers to keep their distance.
"Colonel William Stryker, Senator Robert Kelly, both of you share the same stance on this issue, so I assume introductions aren't necessary." Marcus rose to greet them.
Colonel Stryker, an Army officer, glanced at the senator with faint disdain. The man only opposed mutants as a political tool... what would a profit-driven politician know about the true threat those freaks posed?
"Mr. Worthington, let's cut to the chase. A man of your stature must value every second." Stryker took a seat without ceremony, picking up a glass of whiskey as if he owned the place.
Marcus' smile stiffened momentarily before smoothing over. Though he disliked the colonel's abrasive manner, he needed the man's cooperation to obtain live mutant test subjects.
Everyone in the military knew of William Stryker's irrational hatred for mutants. Since his youth, he had dedicated himself to studying them... some even called him "The Butcher", his hands were stained with mutant blood...
"Senator, please sit." Once Kelly was settled, Marcus continued, "I'm not one for political niceties, so as Colonel Stryker said, let's be direct..."
"...Worthington has a keen interest in mutants. Senator Kelly, you're a leading voice against them, and Colonel Stryker advocates for their complete eradication. Since we share the same stance, why not join forces?"
Marcus studied their expressions before pressing on, "I'm sure you're both aware of Worthington's influence. To put it bluntly, my ancestors arrived on the Mayflower. No matter who sits in the White House, Worthington has remained rooted in this nation, unshaken by storms!"
Senator Kelly's eyes gleamed. As an ambitious politician, he knew exactly what a financial empire like Worthington could bring to the table. Many in power were already in their pockets, even presidential elections were just another investment opportunity.
With Worthington's backing, his Mutant Registration Act could dominate the news cycle, rallying public support and propelling him to greater heights.
Seeing the senator's interest, Marcus turned to Stryker. In his experience, no one could resist the allure of money and power, "Colonel, I hear you've been urging the White House to classify mutants as a dangerous group... mass arrests, internment, all to prevent them from threatening society?"
"They're genetic aberrations. From birth, their cursed DNA festers inside them. Most manifest freakish abilities during puberty, some harmless, others catastrophic. Their existence demotes humanity to a lower class. The two species cannot coexist. When conflict erupts, mutants will treat us like the Nazis treated the Jews... herding us into camps, gas chambers..." Stryker spoke fervently.
His obsession with mutants had begun in 1973 at the Paris Peace Summit, where he first encountered the man called "Wolverine"... Since then, he had devoted himself to mutant research, until a personal tragedy turned him from scholar to executioner.
Marcus and Kelly exchanged glances, privately dismissing Stryker's apocalyptic rhetoric as alarmist nonsense. Humans, as the dominant species after millions of years of evolution, ruled this planet. How could a handful of mutants possibly threaten that?
Kelly, in particular, found it laughable. His Mutant Registration Act was just a publicity stunt... a way to bolster his image as a tough, principled leader. The scattered, hiding mutants were hardly worth his concern.
"Colonel Stryker's foresight is remarkable. Mutants are indeed a societal cancer, a ticking time bomb. But outright war between species would face resistance, especially from the short-sighted fools in Congress." Marcus played along, his sunken eyes sharp.
He was a master negotiator... first bridging the gap, then setting terms, all while probing his opponents' limits to secure his goal...