With a lab like this Michael was sure there were bound to be some unique things but before he did all that he knew he had to handle a different situation first. That being what to do with all the people he had just liberated.
Killebrew had already made a deal to go with him and some scientists even chose to tag along. However, this still left many other scientists available along with the test subjects who were newly awakened mutants. Just leaving them to their own devices was foolish when the greatest resource of all is arguably people.
So with that in mind, he gathered everyone up in a large room to give them a choice. To either follow him or to leave. He wasn't going to try and beg people to follow him. If they wanted to then great if they didn't want to then it was also good. It meant he got rid of someone who wouldn't have been loyal or trustworthy.
"Is this everyone Dr Killebrew?" Michael asked while observing the cafeteria now filled with people. Some were expectant already having a clue as to what was going on, others seemed nervous.
"Mostly… Mr Wade is still recovering I believe. Do you want to wait for him?"
"No that's fine actually it's better he isn't here" Michael may have been a Deadpool fan in his previous life but he knew better than to stick with the merc for too long.
Floating up into the air Michael presented himself as best as he could. If he was going to get people to follow them then he was going to need to step out of his comfort zone and show some charisma. This was something he personally had never done before but he figured he was handsome enough to give it a shot.
Gazing down at the people Michael made a confident smile and spread his arms wide. A simple gesture but it showed off his impressive physique and made him seem even more impressive. By this point, most people knew that Michael was the one responsible for releasing them but actually seeing him was a totally different experience. He felt completely different from the rest of them if they with their regular mutant abilities were beyond human then Michael was like a god in human form.
"Thank you all for being here," Michael began, his voice firm but not unkind. "I know the last few hours have been... intense. Some of you were held here against your will, experimented on, and tortured. Others were the ones conducting those experiments. But right now, that doesn't matter."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in. There were a few murmurs in the crowd, but they quickly died down as Michael continued.
"Right now, we all have a choice to make," he said, his tone resolute. "The facility we stand in is no longer under the control of those who once ran it. I've made sure of that. But the question now is: what do we do next?"
Michael let his gaze sweep across the room, meeting the eyes of as many people as he could. He wanted them to feel that he was speaking to each of them individually and that their decisions mattered.
"I'm not here to force anyone to do anything," Michael said. "If you want to leave, you're free to go. No one will stop you. But before you do so I'd like to offer you all something more than just survival. I offer you a chance to follow me."
The murmurs grew louder this time, as people began to whisper among themselves. Michael could see the mixture of emotions playing across their faces. One of the many mutants present seemed more vocal than others as he stepped forward to speak.
"And what do we get by following you? I don't want to sound negative but that last person most of us followed took us here… I also don't see why you'd want us to follow you when you're not even a mutant. In fact I don't even know what you are" His points resonated with those present, especially his last comment. Following the X-men or brotherhood were obviously safer choices considering they were all the same species. But Michael? They weren't even sure what he was, let alone his goals.
"I may not be a mutant but we aren't too different. Like you all I was taken to a government facility destined to be used in human experiments for the rest of my life but fortunately thanks to that I gained power. The power to leave and choose my own fate. This is also why I give you the same offer. Now I won't make this look like a fairytale story where we all run off into the sunset. If you choose to follow me there may be times we need to fight to protect ourselves from those who seek our abilities but in turn I will also provide you all a home but most of all a community. One not obsessed with defeating humanity or saving it like those X-men and Brotherhood."
"As for the scientists, I know many of you are also unsure of what to do. Some are probably even thinking of returning to the government but I'd also like to give you all the opportunity to work for me. I can't say my resources exceed the government but my treatment will at least be better and your pay will be good."
Honestly compared to the mutants Michael felt the hardest to convince would be the scientists. These guys were Unjudged by society and could easily transfer anywhere they wanted. Maybe if he explained a bit about compound V like he did with Killebrew then it was possible that they would stay with him but that's not what he wanted. Using his best resource as a lure could potentially be disastrous if he keeps bad company. So in the end he had to keep things as simple as possible.
Floating down to the ground, his feet touching the cold tile as he took a step forward. The crowd parted slightly, giving him space. He could see the effect his words were having. No longer were the people filled with so much uncertainty.
"Now," Michael said, his voice softer but no less commanding, "if you want to leave, the doors are open. I will do nothing to stop you, heck I'll even give you a hand. There's plenty of weapons lying around and food. You're all free to take those with you but that's where my help will end."
Following this some people got up to leave most were scientists who were just bystanders to the whole revolt but they weren't the only ones. Some mutants even left with them which was unfortunate but Michael didn't dwell long on it. Simply because he was actually in a great mood. The amount of people who chose to follow him was actually quite significant. Just from a glance, he could tell that most mutants stayed along with around half of the scientists. He had expected a decent turnout but this was much more than he originally thought.
Getting a look at the mutants he discovered why so many had stayed. In the front of the whole group were three he was very familiar with Sarah, Jack, and John. He wasn't sure what it was they had told the rest but it was clear that the others stayed mostly because of their words. As for the scientists he could only attribute this to Killebrew as the man was well respected among his peers.
"Great, then our first order of business will be transporting as much of this equipment as possible to my lab outside of New York City. If you have strength based abilities please help move the heavier equipment. Also, gather up as much data as possible. I know some of you may see this as wrong because of all the pain this data caused but it would be wrong to have let so many die for nothing."
As Michael addressed the remaining crowd, the door to the cafeteria creaked open, and Wade strolled in, still a little worse for wear but very much alive. He glanced around at the gathering and then up at Michael with a grin.
"I've made a decision milk drinker! You and I will build a team and it will be one of the best out there if not the very best. We'll make a total of three movies and maybe even bring in Hugh Jackman. We'll call it X-Force" Saying that Wade lifted his hands high in awe of his own genius. He could see it now with this money Fox could escape the dreaded hands of Disney.
"That's right you little evil mouse Fox will stay out of your hands" Everyone sort of stared at Wade unsure of what to say as everyone beside Michael knew what he was talking about.
"Sorry to break it to you but I'm pretty sure Disney already bought Fox and also I'm going to have to say no to the team thing. You know copyright stuff I can only be part of the seven"
"Ugh, the agony! Fine Superman knock off wait till I find another Superman knock off to replace you for my team" With that he left while dragging a tied-up man and woman.
Michael could have added Deadpool to the team but honestly, the man was too much for his sanity and was a loose cannon. The last thing he wanted was Deadpool getting his hands on Compound V. He'd already seen Butcher create some sort of little demon symbiote with his cancer by using. No need to do the same with Wade. Michael got chills just imagining it.
'Alright that's taken care of and it looks like Dr Killebrew already has everyone handling their tasks. Guess this means I can properly loot.' Gaining a light smile Michael took out his phone and checked out the building's schematics until he found what he was looking for.
In the basement of the facility was where they kept their more secret operations. Some of which even Killebrew knew little about.
.
.
.
Arriving at the basement Michael found heavy metal doors. Using his X-ray vision he was able to see that it wasn't just one either but multiple. The facility was already impressive and could survive a nuke but this was another level.
Cracking his knuckles Michael got straight to business and began prying the doors open one by one. It took a while but after 25 doors he finally made it through into a separate lab.
Much like the ones before it was all white with advanced equipment lying about. 'Better take that stuff with me as well when I leave' Michael noted. If it was down here then he was sure the data they had was useful.
Walking further he found some uninteresting things like freeze guns. He could see why they had this down here. It was impressive but not really that interesting. At Least not when he compared it to the block he was holding in his hands.
A block you might ask? Yes, exactly that. More specifically an ingot. This may sound even more boring than the last item but Michael's X-ray vision shows him something that was pretty impressive.
"The way its molecules are structured is completely different from anything I've ever seen…" Tightening his grip he tried exerting his full strength onto the ingot but failed to bend it. Heck, there wasn't even a dent left on the metal.
Now Michael knew he wasn't the strongest in the world but bending metal should be easy. Unless the metal was something significant like let's say Vibranium.
"But you aren't Vibranium aren't you. No this is a Weapon X facility the same facility that held Wolverine. Meaning that this is most likely adamantium" This realization made Michael look at the ingot with excitement. It was a small piece and nowhere near enough for a suit to be made from it but just having this piece made this whole mission worth it.
Hearing steps in the distance Michael turned and saw Killebrew coming through the entrance.
"Dr Killebrew you were also interested in what may be down here?"
"Haha I can't lie and say I'm not but that's not why I'm here. I wanted to let you know that most equipment has been transferred above ground but we're still struggling to get the larger things out."
"Hmm I'll head over there soon then to help"
"Umm, that's not all… Dr Smith made a confession. He was the leak and the reason why we all became in danger"
Michael didn't really know who that was but by the old man's expression, he could tell it was someone close. "Did he say why?"
"Yes, according to him, they're keeping his girlfriend in another facility. I've heard of other such facilities but information on their locations is usually kept guarded so I don't fault him for his choice but I'm still disappointed"
'A girl huh well love does make men blind' Michael tried to think of the wisest way to handle this. His mind went straight to just killing the man and ending it there but his choices shouldn't always end in violence. It is just not civilized nor is it healthy.
Doing so also might leave the scientist rather fearful of him if they see that punishments are handled with death. So this really was a delicate matter.
"I know this is selfish but can you spare him? His choice was foolish but he's young and talented. I'm sure he can be a great asset."
Tapping the ingot in his hand Michael thought about the pros and cons of the choices he could make before coming to a final decision.
"Alright but under one condition"
Killebrew sighed in relief but still carried some vigilance for what this condition may be.
"Dr Smith will be demoted to a lab assistant and will work right under. Not just that but he will perform human experimentation in your steed"
"What!" Dr Killebrew was about ready to fight for human rights when Michael lifted his hand stopping the doctor.
"Do not worry the subjects used won't be like the ones here. Instead, they will be scum like rapists, serial killers, and human traffickers."
"But still isn't that too far… I'm sure I can still give you results without resorting to that"
"That may be but can you honestly say that your results will be as accurate and as fast as the ones that you gained from actual tests?"
As a man of science, Killebrew knew he was right. Even medicine is tested before use so something like this magical enhancement would need thorough testing. But realizing this and accepting it were two different things for the old man.
Releasing a sigh he struggled before coming to a choice.
"Very well but as long as the subject remains in that guideline I have no problem"
"Good, now what was this about other facilities? Is there a way to find them?" He was already happy to see that human experimentation was accepted but more facilities such as this one were sure to provide him with just as much merit.
"There should be maybe within Francis's personal computer there could be more information"
"Alright I want you to check those logs as well pull as much as you can before we leave" Giving a nod Killebrew left to do that while Michael began gathering the equipment lying around. This was going to be a long day of transport but he wasn't complaining. At the end of the day, no one hated free stuff.