What You Need To Be
For Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Angel Dust, this is where the road leads.
[Author's note: This story immediately follows the story When In Doubt, Blow Something Up, which in turn follows Strangest of Heroes. It concludes the collection featuring Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Angel Dust.]
"You keep one knee bent for the impact and the other leg at the back for balance," said Christina. "If you can project some of your kinetic energy under you there should be no trouble."
"Tell the truth, I think it's a bit showy," said Ellie. "Too Iron Man."
"Yeah, there is that." She took another large swig of whiskey. She had almost finished the bottle. "You want to try it?" She gestured at the ground, five stories below the ledge where they were sitting. It was the roof of the not-very-expensive hotel where Ellie had rented a room.
"Uh, maybe not right now." She took a sip from her own bottle. She had only had a few mouthfuls but her head was already starting to spin. She didn't think it was from the height, or from the fight at what had once been New Age Control Systems, although she still felt bruised and battered from it.
"Suit yourself." Christina drained her bottle and tossed it over the edge. Ellie thought that it took a long time to hit the ground.
Christina took Ellie's bottle from her, took a swig, and handed it back. They were watching the sun come up.
"Are we up here," said Ellie, "so you can get me drunk and nail me? 'Cos I might be alright with that. Maybe."
Christina considered. "I hadn't thought about it ... until you mentioned it. But ... no, I don't think so."
"You saving yourself for Colossus?"
Christina laughed. "A girl's allowed to have some fantasies," she said. "Maybe I'll give him a call sometime. After ... the Warlord."
"I've got the number." Ellie put her head on Christina's muscular shoulder and closed her eyes.
She awoke with her head throbbing. She realised she was in her bed in her hotel room, still wearing her X-Man uniform but with her boots off. There were sheets and blankets over her.
She sat up – it made her head hurt even more – and looked around. It looked as if Christina had slept on the couch, after carrying her to bed. There was the sound of the shower running. It stopped, and a few moments later Christina emerged, naked and drying her hair.
Ellie's jaw dropped. She had not realised that Christina was so ... big.
"Uh, sorry, I didn't know you were awake," said Christina. "I should have put on a robe. Or something."
"Yeah, maybe."
Christina found a robe and put it on. She pointed to the table, where there was coffee and bagels. "I got breakfast for us," she said. "Even though it's one o'clock in the afternoon."
Ellie struggled into the shower, and let the hot water clear her head. She wrapped a towel around herself, thinking that everything about her body seemed really small now. She sighed, and joined Christina at the table. She wondered if Christina's capacity to absorb huge amounts of liquor stemmed from her mutant toughness or her Italian-background genes. Bit of both, probably.
"You got any ideas about how to find the Warlord?" said Christina. "He won't be going back to his main building. He's got a reputation for being careful. And with that helicopter he can jump around from site to site."
Ellie considered. "Yeah, he's got a chopper," she mused. "Maybe ... let me think ... yeah, maybe." She retrieved her phone and searched for a number, and then called it. "Is that the Civil Aircraft Authority? You handle helicopters, right? I have client for my photography business, he wants me to take some shots of his helicopter, but I've lost the address. It's a big helicopter, maybe a converted military one. The number on the side is DM602. Can you tell me where it is now? ... Okay, got it, thanks."
She turned to Christina. "There's a small private airport on the edge of the city," she said. "The chopper is on its way there now, scheduled to land in about an hour. Good thing I took a note of the number on it." She called up a map of the area, showing the airport, on her phone.
Christina raised her eyebrows. "Fuck, that's impressive," she said. "You're ... really smart. Even with a hangover."
"My first one."
"Really? Well, damn, girl, you're the goods, alright. Feel like a trip to the airport?"
"Yeah, but maybe we should get dressed first."
Part II
They were in the back of a cab. The Indian driver was looking at Ellie in the mirror.
"I know you!" he suddenly said. "Friend of Mister Pool! I am Dopinder. You remember, I had my cousin in the trunk. He was crushed terribly. Very unfortunate. For him."
"Oh, you, yeah, I remember now," said Ellie.
"Where is your metal friend?"
"Er, he's ... at home."
"You know, I heard that where I dropped you off last time, you and the metal guy and Mister Pool, that there was a big accident. An aircraft carrier fell over. Did you see that?"
"She caused it," put in Christina.
"Oh," said Dopinder. "Very peculiar."
"You kind of had to be there," said Ellie.
"Since you are a friend of Mister Pool," said Dopinder, "you should have something that he left here." He passed a sub-machine gun over the seat.
The two women looked at each other. "Who are we to refuse?" said Christina. She took it, and tucked it into her belt.
They pulled up at the entrance of the airport. Ellie handed Dopinder a large bill. "Are you going to be creating some chaos now?" he said.
"Most likely. You should probably get out of here."
They watched him drive away. "That was ... odd," said Christina.
"Welcome to my life," said Ellie.
They set off for the helipad at a run. They took cover behind a building and peeped around.
The helicopter had just landed. The Warlord and a posse of his men disembarked and started heading for a line of SUVs, four of them. There were three motorbikes as well, probably to act as an escort. All the men around the Warlord were armed with machine guns.
And there was Talon.
The Warlord and Talon were in the second vehicle of the four. The convoy set off, two motorbikes at the front and one at the back.
"Damn, we're going to miss them," muttered Christina.
"They haven't made it yet." They ran for another building, which fronted onto the road. The last bike in the convoy was coming up. "Take him," Ellie said.
Christina leaped out and punched into the guy on the bike. He went flying one way, and the bike went the other. But as the guy fell, his gun fired. Christina picked him up and punched him again, knocking him out.
The last SUV in the convoy had stopped, alerted by the shots. It turned and began to come back – fast. It was coming straight at them, intending to mow them down.
Ellie started to walk towards the vehicle – and then run. The energy shield began to form around her, a blur of heat and force.
She smashed into the car, and it disintegrated. Bits and pieces, and men, went flying.
Ellie dusted herself off.
"Holy shit!" said Christina. "I knew you could do that, but still ... fuck!"
"One down," said Ellie. "Let's get after the others."
"But how? That car's not going anywhere, ever."
"On this," said Ellie, lifting the motorbike. She got on, and started it up.
"You know how to ride one of these things?"
"Benefits of a mis-spent youth. Get on the back."
Christina managed to squeeze on behind Ellie. And they were off.
"I suppose I should tell you," said Christina, as she put her arms around Ellie, "that I've never been on a motorbike before."
"Great," muttered Ellie. "Lean when I lean. And hang on." She punched the speed.
In a few minutes, they saw the three vehicles of the convoy, just as they moved onto the freeway that led into the city. The last SUV in the line began to slow. Ellie was coming up behind them.
Suddenly, each of the rear doors, and the roof panel, flew open. From each, a man with a machine gun leaned out and fired.
But there was nothing there. Ellie had pulled into the adjoining lane, behind a truck. Now she swung back in – alongside the SUV. Christina grabbed hold of one of the gunners, and yanked him out. The SUV swerved wildly.
Christina pulled the sub-machine gun from her belt. She sprayed the SUV with bullets, and then shot at the tires. They blew out, and the vehicle swerved again, and slowed. It started to fall back. Christina threw the empty gun aside.
Ellie held up two fingers.
The other motorbikes had turned and were coming at them. The riders lifted their guns.
"These are mine," said Ellie.
The distance was closing fast. Fifty yards. Thirty.
Ellie was aware that there were other cars on the freeway. Keep it focused, she told herself.
The blast swept along the road, picking up the bikes and throwing them aside. Ellie zoomed through the wreckage.
Up ahead, the two SUVs had pulled to a stop. Men had got out of them and were firing into the air, clearing the stretch of road of civilian traffic. Cars began to turn back, coming the other way.
Ellie pulled to the side and stopped to let the traffic pass. The two women looked at the pair of SUVs. The men had lined up to form a gauntlet.
"They've got enough firepower to turn us into chopped meat if we go straight in," said Ellie. "You know, that piece of freeway looks ... familiar." She glanced at an overhead sign. She had a sudden recollection of a body falling from it, and then Deadpool trying to convince Colossus that he had had nothing to do with it.
Christina was looking around. "I know I'm not great on the tactics, but I have an idea. Do you remember what we were talking about when we were on the roof?"
"About you getting me drunk and nailing me?"
"No, the other thing."
Ellie thought about it. "Oh, that. Right."
The Warlord was standing at the back of his phalanx of men. Talon was at his side. One of his men was looking down the freeway.
"They've gone," he said. "Where did they go?"
"Maybe they've given up," said another man.
"No," said the Warlord. "They haven't."
There was a sound – from above them. The motorbike came roaring off the overpass forty feet up. The two women jumped off while it was in the air.
The bike smashed into one of the SUVs, bounced off, and went skidding into the group of men.
Christina hit the asphalt with a massive thump; Ellie came down next to her, on a cushion of energy, more lightly, her leather coat flowing around her. "Well, that wasn't so hard," she said.
But Christina was already charging, smashing into the Warlord's thugs. She threw them left and right, fighting her way towards the Warlord and Talon.
Ellie let go a burst of energy that pushed the wreck of the SUV into a group of men, scattering them.
Suddenly, Christina and Ellie were facing the Warlord. He stared at them.
"Just what," he said, "do you have against me? As if it isn't enough that you wreck my base of operations and destroy the company that I planned to take over. Now you're making it personal. When I'm nothing but a businessman trying to make some money."
"If you have to ask, I probably can't tell you," said Ellie. "But you're an evil fuck, and as far as I concerned that's enough."
"It isn't you I want," said Christina. She pointed at Talon. "It's him. Take that collar off and let him come with us and we'll let you live."
"Maybe," added Ellie. She saw that some of the men were getting up, collecting their guns.
The Warlord smiled. "In that case, you will have him. Talon, kill this woman!"
Talon came striding forward, and punched into Christina. "No," she said. "Pietro, don't – "
But he smashed into her again, sending her flying.
The men raised their guns and aimed at her. "Uh-uh," said Ellie to them. She let them see that her hands were glowing with balls of heat. "Let's keep this a one-on-one. You guys put the guns down and I, well, I won't turn you to cinders."
They put their guns down.
Talon was still punching into Christina, blows like hammers. He swung the bone claw at her but she blocked it. She kicked, and drove him back a few steps. But then he came charging forward again. He lifted her up by the throat, off her feet, throttling her. She clawed and struck at him. She managed to get her foot between them and pushed herself away. He whacked into her again and she went rolling across the asphalt, losing skin. She lay there, panting, bleeding.
The Warlord walked over, and looked down at her. "Looks like you lose, bitch," he said.
She gave a grim smile. Then she opened her hand to show him what was in it.
Talon's control collar.
"Don't think so," she said.
The Warlord heard a sound behind him. And then the bone claw came sweeping down. His head left his body. It rolled, rolled, and stopped. The face wore an expression of astonishment.
One of the thugs picked up a gun and fired at Christina. But Talon – Pietro – lifted her and put her behind him, protecting her. Bullets slammed into him.
And then one of the other bodyguards knocked the gunman down. "You moron, you'll kill us all!" he shouted. "Haven't you seen what the young one can do!?"
Young one, thought Ellie. But this time she smiled.
"It's over," said Ellie to the men. "Start running. Or ... "
They ran. Fast. In a few moments, they were gone.
Ellie walked over to Christina. She was kneeling, with Pietro's head in her lap. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she was saying. "That night ... you told me I'd had too much to drink. But I didn't listen to you. I ... I'm so sorry – " Tears began to roll down her face.
Pietro reached up and brushed them away. "Sei perdonato," he said softly.
Forgiven, thought Ellie.
"Hey, he's not dead yet," she said. "One of these cars is still working, I think. There's a hospital nearby."
Christina lifted him into her arms. "Let's go," she said.
Coda
It was three days later. Ellie, Christina and Pietro were sitting in a cafe near Ellie's hotel.
"Glad to see that you're doing alright, Pietro," said Ellie.
"It will take more than bullets to finish me," he said.
"What are you going to do now, the two of you?" said Ellie.
Christina considered. "Pietro and I need some time together, somewhere quiet. Time to talk. Think. Recover. From everything."
Ellie handed her a card. There was a telephone number written on it. "For when you're ready," she said. "And I'll give him your regards."
Christina took it, and tucked it into her cleavage. "What about you?"
"I think ... I think I am ready to go back to the Xavier mansion."
"And become an X-Man?"
"Let's say that I've learned a few things I had to learn for myself. Like how to not be a pretentious brat the whole time. But as for being an X-Man, well, we'll see."
"As far as I'm concerned, you're already a hero."
Ellie smiled. She got up and started for the door. She was almost there when Christina called out to her. She came striding across the room. She swept Ellie into her arms and kissed her – and Ellie kissed back. It was a hard, passionate kiss. "You know," Christina said softly, "maybe I should have nailed you that time."
"Or maybe," said Ellie, "I should have nailed you."
They parted. "See you," said Christina.
"See you," said Ellie.
END
Note to readers: Darkpenn recently published a novel about a female superhero (sort of). Anyone who is interested can find it on Amazon. Title is I, Viridian: Supervillain. E-copy and hard copy. Author name is Derek Parker. Book blurb is:
This is the story of Viridian: supervillain, fan of Shakespeare, owner of many sexy shoes, carefree and irresponsible at the competitive level, bearer of a mystical gem that gives her incredible powers.
Raised by thieves to be a thief, she was never really a child, or never grew up, she doesn't know which. When she washes up on the shores of Oklahoma City, pursued by shadowy forces and an unknown enemy, she links up with an oddball gang of would-be supercriminals: mastermind Monk, samurai Tantō, strongman Cave, and the remarkable Flux.
And through them she discovers what it is she is looking for: a reason to fight, a reason to stay, a reason to care, and, most of all, a reason to love.