This is an alternate ending/continuation of my story Love and a bullet, If you have not read it I highly recommend reading it first or much of this story may not make much sense to you. Please Review and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: As with Love and a bullet I will not be adding a disclaimer to each chapter. I don't not own the X-men or any other marvel characters contained in my writing. If you forget that then revert to chapter 1 and start all over again.
Stryker's holding cell
Location unknown
"19 it has been far too long you don't call you don't write." Stryker said smugly as bullet made his way to a sitting position.
"What's a girl to think right." Bullet joked as his senses began returning.
"You are a lot funnier than I remember." Stryker said as he walked around Bullet slowly making sure he was still restrained.
"I must not have gotten the concept of humor before, after growing up around a bunch of soldiers with sticks up their asses. Let me ask you something is that standard military procedure or is it that you enjoy it so much that you make everyone that works for you get one shoved up there." Bullet smirked and his opposition's smile faded.
"We will see how you feel about joking once I am done with you." Stryker remarked before he walked back to the door he came in. He opened the door and signaled for someone else to come in. A large man walked into the cell and bullet had a pretty good idea of what was about to happen.
"Tell me 19, what are your mutant pals planning?" Stryker asked calmly.
"What makes you think I would ever tell you anything? And I swear if you say something cliché like you have ways of making me talk I will spit in your face." Bullet answered just before a large fist crashed into his jaw sending him falling onto his side once again.
"This can go on all night 19." Stryker said just as calm as before as Bullet slowly made his way back to a sitting position.
"That's fine by me, seriously is that all you got princess? Try spreading your feet a little further apart giving yourself a wider base and lean into your punches, those sissy jabs are definitely not going to get the job done." Bullet corrected the stance of the large soldier proceeding over his interrogation. Another punch and he fell once again. Bullet got back up again and smirked at the large soldier. "You know a chair for me to sit in would make this a lot easier, I wouldn't have to keep getting back up, we could cut this whole process in half."
"Seriously 19 what are they planning?" Stryker asked again before he jerked his head to the side as bullet spit blood right in his face. Another punch and he hit the ground again.
"Sorry I have been wanting to do that for a long time." Bullet smirked through a bloody smile as he got up once again.
Bullet continued getting asked and continued getting hit for another hour, he had blood leaking from his mouth, nose, a cut just below his left eye and one above his right, he was getting tired from continuing to get back up just so they could knock him back down.
"Make this easier on both of us 19 and tell me what I want to know." Stryker said as bullet leaned his head down to wipe the running blood from his mouth off on his shirt.
"Alright, alright, just don't hit me again. Ill tell you." Bullet said he blew air out of my nose blowing blood onto the ground.
"We are planning a bake sale in order to raise money to fund an army." Bullet said before getting punched again. He got back up and flexed his jaw until he heard a sickening pop signaling that his jaw was back into place. "Seriously cookies, cupcakes, and rice krispy treats for everyone." He said and smirked but stryker seemed unamused. "Ok its not a bake sale, its a car wash." He said and was punched once again. "Would you believe a raffle?" He asked from the ground and was kicked in the ribs. "Seriously you could win a new TV." He continued pushing his luck even while struggling for air.
"I am growing tired of these games." Stryker asked angrily now.
"I am surprised you thought this would work. Did you forget that I have proceeded over interrogations? You are doing it all wrong. You have not tried bamboo chutes under my fingernails, or waterboarding I always wondered what that was like. Maybe you should take the pistol from your hip and put one in my knee, it really does not matter what you do I wont tell you anything." Bullet ground out through all of the pain he was experiencing and Stryker pulled his gun from his holster and put it to bullet's forehead.
"Maybe I should just kill you now then." He said as his finger slowly began applying pressure on the trigger.
"Do it." Bullet gritted through clenched teeth angrily. Stryker's hand began shaking unsurely and Bullet smirked. "You wont, your too much of a coward, look at your fingernails, they are too clean you use other people to do your dirty work. How about your girl here, let her do it." Bullet then remarked looking to the man that has been punching him for over an hour.
"You are still to valuable and unafraid to die it seems. By the time I am done you will wish I had. There are things worse than death. We will see how cooperative you are after food and light depravation." Stryker said and turned to walk out of Bullet's cell.
"Good, not that I don't love the company but I could use a nap, see you tomorrow, oh before you go would it be possible for me to get a pillow?" Bullet joked eliciting a grunt from Stryker before he walked out and slammed Bullet's cell door behind him angrily and the satisfaction hit him knowing that he was getting under Stryker's skin.
Mutantville
Rogue woke up cold and alone this morning something she is not used to and doesn't wish to get used to. She shrugs off the alone feeling and decides to get her day started She is unsure if Bullet is just running a little late but that is what she is going to tell herself anyway. She got up from the bed prepared to go wake up Robby and that's when She noticed the paper with Jason's perfect handwriting scrawled on it.
My dearest Marie
Last night will be the last time I will ever lie or hide anything from you. I had no intention of retrieving the adamantium meteorite. If everything goes according to plan I am being held prisoner by William Stryker as you read this. I recently discovered he has been keeping an extra close eye on mutantville and our family in particular. I knew that if I exited the barriers alone he would come for me. I will get a message to you soon, try not to worry about me. Keep a close eye on Robby as I don't know yet what Stryker is planning but we cannot continue to wait we must act now. I am sorry that I lied but it is for the greater good.
You and Robby are the best things to ever happen to me. Despite all of our arguing I am as in love with you today as I ever have been and in the event that this is the last time you ever hear from me I have something I need to get off my chest, something I should have told you a long time ago but couldn't bring myself to say. Marie I don't think you will ever be able to forgive me and I cant blame you if you don't, but your father is dead, has been for a long time. I know because I pulled the trigger. After you were discovered to be a mutant he became very involved in the anti mutant movement in Mississippi. He began speaking out often and gaining many followers. I received an offer from a wealthy mutant to put a stop to it. The moment I met you I knew immediately that you were his daughter from research I had done. I did not tell you sooner for the simple fact that when I first came to the X-mansion I did not want to ruffle any feathers and then we began to grow close and I couldn't bring myself to tell you for fear that you would hate me. I never cared much what others thought of me but you, you were different. Something about you brought out a side of me that I have never experienced. It was new and exciting and for the first time in my life I felt happiness I was no longer empty and cold. I know it was selfish of me but I couldn't let that go, so in the event that I don't survive this I want you to know that I moved on at peace with myself and who I am. Please let Robby know that I am very proud of him and that I love him. When he asks about me when he is older tell him the truth. I want him to know who his father really is. There is so much more that I want to say unfortunately I do not have the time. I must cut this letter short so In closing I would like to say that I am sorry for everything.
Love, Bullet
Rogue dropped the tear stained letter in Fear and Anger and a bunch of other emotions she couldn't quite make out. Her father did disown her but before she was a mutant he was a good man and she never even got to say goodbye. She never got to go to the funeral. She never got to help her mother through the grief. And now to find out she has a child with the man behind all of it, the fact that he has been hiding all of it from her, she feels hurt, she feels betrayed but honestly the way she feels about him had she been in his shoes she cant honestly say she woud have told her.
"Mommy don't cry." Robby said as he walked into the bedroom. "Daddy will be home soon. He is a hero he is going to save the world just like Iron man." He said and Rogue couldn't help but smile.
"Your right Robby he is a hero." Rogue smiled and grabbed his hand as she pulled him into a hug. Its strange that as confused as she is that a child is able to hit the nail right on the head. Jason is a hero and as much wrong as he has done he also does a lot of right, and now he is making a potential sacrifice play to save plenty of mutants many that he doesn't even know. "What do you say we go see uncle Charles?" Rogue asked and Robby smiled up at her.
"Yeah uncle chuck can help daddy." Robby said excitedly. Rogue got him a bowl of lucky charms and cleaned the house to try to get her mind off of the situation at hand. Once Robby finished eating breakfast they left for Charles' house.
Holding cell
Location unknown
Bullet awoke to the sound of a voice in his ear and he smiled that his plan is beginning to take shape.
"Bullet, oh my god are you ok? You look terrible what did they do to you?" The voice asked worriedly.
"Wasp, damn am I glad to hear your voice. How's Hank?" Bullet asked quietly.
"Is that really what you want to talk about right now? What have you gotten yourself into?" Wasp asked still right in his ear.
"Stryker is planning an attack on Mutantville." Bullet responded gruffly.
"Fury thinks so too." She said which threw him off guard.
"Then why hasn't he done anything?" Bullet asked angrily but still managing to keep his voice down so that he didn't rouse any suspicions.
"He has to be careful about how to go about it and he has no proof. Do you have any idea where you are at right now?" She asked him.
"I was unconscious when I was brought here." He answered.
"Your are underneath of the white house as we speak. Thankfully you snuck that tracker in. Speaking of which how did you get that in here without it being found?" She inquired.
"Wow the white house, this should be fun. I surgically implanted the tracker two weeks ago, long enough to remove the sutures and let the wound heal." Bullet said and could audibly hear her cringe.
"So what am I supposed to do? Why did you send me a message to find you today?" She asked before putting the pieces together. "Oh my god you planned this, even you cant kill the president." She said shocked and so loud that had she not been so small the whole white house would have heard her.
"I have no choice, Mutants are planning an all out war as we speak. If we can draw it here and away from the rest of the country then that is what I have to do. Stryker has to die or millions of others will. I need you to go to mutantville and fill Charles in on whats going on here, he has a flash drive for you with the proof fury needs. Tell them we need a full scale assault in two days. Only the Strongest most indestructible are to come here. Wolverine Sabretooth Juggernaut Colossus and any others who are up to it. We need a defensive team back at mutantville protecting the civilians, manipulators and telekinetics, anyone who can fend off a sentinel attack. Now did you bring what I asked?" Bullet asked her and she flew from his ear to his hand behind his back.
"You know that if a full scale war breaks out that The Avengers will have to step in." She said after flying back to his ear.
"Even the avengers wouldn't stand a chance against all of mutant kind. You heard about the damage I did to the helicarrier alone" Bullet informed her.
"Your right, I will talk to the avengers see if we cant lend a hand but I doubt Fury will go for it." She offered.
"I appreciate it. Go now before Stryker comes and deliver my message to Charles." Bullet said as he began formulating his plan of escape. "Oh and Wasp, Thanks."
"Be careful Bullet." She said before flying back into the vent making her exit.
Washington DC
Two days later
"How are you feeling 19?" Stryker asked as he walked into Bullet's cell and flipped on a light which hurt his eyes after being locked in the dark for two days without any light or food.
"Apart from having to listen to that smug voice of yours pretty well all things considered." Bullet answered trying to keep some pep in his voice although he can hear himself, and his voice is incredibly hoarse.
"I am very glad to hear that. As much as we have been through I hate that it has come to this." Stryker said as he placed a bag on the small table in the corner of the cell.
"I can tell you are real broken up." Bullet coughingly responded as he sat up against the cold metal wall while his eyes adjusted.
"I see you still have that fire. That's one thing I always admired about you. That and as complex as you are you have a certain simplicity about you. However, it seems in this case that was your downfall. You may have been able to take down the men I sent to capture you had you only packed a larger arsenal." He said as he began unloading the bag and pulling Bullet's weapons out of it.
"I don't need a bunch of fancy gadgets, its the tried and true weapons that I always found to get the job done." Bullet responded and smiled knowing that he just helped him to escape.
"I am surprised that you kept this of all things. If memory serves this is the very first weapon I gave to you. Kind of touching, the life I led you on, the one you hate so much, all started with this blade and you kept it to remind yourself of me. I knew you always saw me as a father figure but I had no idea I meant that much to you." He said brandishing a combat knife he pulled from bullet's bag.
"Your right, I tried many times but just couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. Not yet anyway." Bullet said and grinned evilly at the man.
"I am a bit disappointed that you lost a step along the way however." Stryker said as he sat the blade back down on the table.
"Ive lost nothing." Bullet replied as he was almost out of the rope binding his wrists behind his back. "Do you honestly believe I had no idea you would come for me. You know me better than that, I had every little detail planned since the Area 51 invasion this has been a decade in the making. You must be stupider than you look if you think I didn't anticipate every last detail you miserable sack of shit. You see I knew I would never be able to draw you out in the open you are too much of a coward for that. I needed to make you think you had the upper hand. I am 5 steps ahead of you on this one. Any minute now my mutants pals as you called them-" I began before another guard came to the cell door.
"Mr. President we need to get you out of here. Marine one is prepped and ready to go as we speak." The guard said and bullet smirked. "Right on schedule."
"I am going nowhere, let them come." Stryker growled angrily.
"But Mr. President, protocol states-" The guard began.
"I am the President damn the protocol. Keep an eye on weapon 19 here. I have a few preparations I need to make." Stryker said to the man before exiting the cell.
"I have heard all about you, if you make one wrong move I wont hesitate to kill you." The guard said to bullet with a hitch in his voice.
"You drew the short stick you know that right?" Bullet asked the young recruit noticing he is a stickler for the rules which shows bullet just how green he is when it comes to dealing with Stryker.
"What do you mean by that?" He asked with his hand next to his holstered sidearm.
"You are going to be the first to die." Bullet said and lifted his head to look the man in the eye.
"I'm serious if you try anything I will put a bullet in you." He said shakily, Bullet could practically hear the fear in his voice. The man wasn't lying he had heard of bullet and that name carries fear with it.
"I will make you a deal, cut my restraints and turn your head and I will let you live." Bullet said and the young recruit readied to draw his weapon.
"I cant do that." He responded and Bullet shook his head.
"Well then I'm sorry." Bullet told him as he swung his right arm out catching the recruits before he could even unsnap his holster. In one swift move Bullet snapped his wrist and jumped to his feet putting his other hand over the man's mouth muffling his scream of pain. "Ill make this quick." Bullet said before turning the man's body around so his back was to him. Bullet grabbed both sides of his head and quickly snapped his neck. He lowered him the ground to avoid the loud thud that would follow a body dropping. He walked to the table and quickly strapped on his pistol holsters. He strapped the sheathe to the combat knife Stryker held moments ago to his right thigh and sheathed the blade. He grabbed his MP5 and slid a magazine in and grabbed the keys to the cell from the fallen guard. He unlocked the cell and made his exit.
Bullet rounded a corner and saw two men at the end of the hall facing away from him prepared for any threat to come their way. He whistled loudly and as they turned around he fired two quick bursts dropping both guards. It has been quite a while since he has ended a life. Hell he hadn't done it since Robby was learning to crawl and then it was only by absolute necessity. His aim is a little off due to his weakened physical and mental state but not enough to severely alter his chances. He is too far off to be making any thousand yard precision shots with a scoped weapon but he is not in that situation at the moment. He made his way past the cellar taking out four more secret service agents on his way. He came to an elevator and He knew it was a bad idea but also the only way to get to the next floor. He boarded the elevator and it begans to ascend to the ground floor.
The door began to open and Bullet quickly tossed out a flashbang before hitting the door close button. He gave it a second and opened the door once again. He fired the remaining three bullets in his MP5 before tossing it aside and pulling out his pistols. He walked past the stunned agents calmly ending one life after another. As he was preparing to fight his way past the lobby a red flash blew the door open sending agents flying and wooden shrapnel all over the place. Logan and Sabretooth rushed in the front doors quickly incapacitating guard after guard. More and more agents began flooding in and Bullet could hear the sound of military helicopters outside of the building. He used Wolverine and Sabretooth as a distraction and ran across the lobby to the hallway leading to the oval office. It is the most fortified room outside of the bunker in the basement itself. Six guards rounded the corner at the end of the hallway and Bullet emptied the last of his ammunition taking them out. He ripped off his blood stained shirt as the dried blood made it stiff and uncomfortable to move in.
"End of the road Stryker." Bullet said as he kicked open the door to see Stryker leaning against his desk. "You know not only was this the first weapon you gave me but also the first weapon I ever took a life with. It is kind of ironic." Bullet said as he pulled the blade from the sheathe on his thigh.
"How so?" Stryker asked calm in the face of certain death.
"The first blade you ever gave me is also the one that is going to end your life and this sick reign of yours, its almost poetic really." Bullet smirked as Stryker stood to his feet and we began circling each other. Bullet tossed the knife and the blade dug into the wood floor in the middle of them. "It is your only chance, pick it up."
"Bad move." Stryker said and Bullet began kicking chairs out of the way creating a makeshift arena for them to meet in a final conflict.
Bullet took a fighting stance nearly two feet from him and Stryker swung the blade at bullet with a slashing motion which he dodged. Stryker quickly twisted his wrist and swung back hand which Bullet also avoided. "Your getting slow old man." Bullet said and Stryker swung the blade again. Bullet kicked the hilt of the knife knocking it from Stryker's hands. He shook the pain of Bullet's kick off and began circling him again. Stryker took a muy thai stance and launched a front kick at Bullet. He caught his foot and lifted it knocking Stryker to his back.
"Get up." Bullet yelled and he began scrambling for the knife. Bullet walked over and kicked the older man in his stomach expelling the air from his lungs. He coughed up blood and still tried reaching for the knife. Bullet walked walked towards it and kicked it closer to Stryker. He struggled but after a few seconds got to his feet. "Do us both a favor and end it. Cut your own throat, you cant beat me." Bullet said and Stryker lunged like an amateur in an attempting to stab him. Bullet sidestepped and grabbed his arm. He held it outstretched and kicked in his elbow breaking his arm outward. The knife fell to the ground and Bullet smirked as he picked it up. He walked behind Stryker and wrapped one arm around his throat and placed the tip of the blade in his back just behind his left rib.
"I have been waiting for this moment a long time. See you in hell Stryker." Bullet said and began slowly pushing the blade in.
"Go ahead make me a martyr. Prove that mutants are as bad as I have been telling everyone." Stryker ground out through the pain of the knife tip digging into his flesh.
Stryker is right and as much as bullet doesn't want to admit it he knows he is right. He cant kill him not now. If it was just him Bullet would cut his heart out and walk outside with it in hand allowing the soldiers outside to take him down but what kind of future would that create for Marie, for Robby? He pulled Stryker to him and walked him to the entrance of the building.
Bullet walked out onto the white house lawn using the president as a human shield. Speaking of shield, Fury's helicopter landed and bullet has never been more excited to see him.
"Everybody stand down. This man is wanted on nearly every continent on the planet that makes him my property. Bullet release the president and put your hands above your head." Fury yelled into a megaphone before giving bullet a wink with his good eye.
Bullet did as he was told. He released stryker and placed his hands above his head. Hawkeye placed his bow away and approached bullet with handcuffs he moved bullet's hands behind his back and allowed hawkeye to cuff him. "You think you won weapon 19, you already lost you just don't know it yet." Stryker smirked as More shield agents took him onto a separate chopper. Bullet smiled as he knew what Stryker was referring to and that he had a contingency plan set into motion.
"What is the plan here Fury?" Bullet asked as they were off back toward Mutantville. Just as Fury was about to answer a loud explosion could be heard coming from the direction of mutantville.
"Director fury there was an explosion at your current destination." A voice came over the chopper radio.
"It was expected and is taken care of." Fury responded.
"No you don't understand, bodies are dropping like flies, the explosion wasn't nuclear. Chemical readings we are getting seem like it is some type of airborne pathogen. It is dissipating as quickly as it is spreading.
Bullet sat forward in his seat scared for the first time in his life and he wasn't alone. Scott, Logan, Sabretooth, Laura, Colossus, and Storm all sat stunned at what they were hearing.
"Speed it up Fury." Bullet yelled fearfully knowing that his contingency plan failed.
"It may be Dangerous Bullet we cant risk it." Fury replied.
Bullet grabbed the gun from the holster of the shield agent next to him and put the barrel against Fury's good eye.
"Step on it or director fury dies." Bullet yelled to the pilot as Hawkeye pulled his bow in tight quartes and it was cut in half by a set of adamantium claws.
"Who's next?" Wolverine asked menacingly. "You heard him go." He then said to the pilot.
The helicopter picked up the pace and soon began to descend in what was left of mutantville. Bullet jumped from the helicopter before it landed completely. He ran home kicked his door in and ran from room to room looking for some glimmer of hope. After a search turned up no results he ran back outside to hear his name being called from a distance. He took off at a breakneck pace jumping over lifeless bodies that lay in the street until he saw Logan on one knee on the sidewalk outside of the school. Bullet noticed the body of a small child and a woman with two white streaks in her hair. If at all possible he picked up the pace until he reached Logan's side and he dropped to his knees. He scooped Robby into one arm and propped Rogues head up on his leg. He couldn't protect them, he couldn't save them, after everything he put himself through after all of his careful planning he got too full of himself and thought he couldn't be beaten and it cost him his family. He laid Rogues head back down and stood up with his lifeless son in his arms. He turned in a circle looking at all of the limp dead bodies scattered all over the school's front lawn and the surrounding sidewalk's and streets.
"Stryker! You will burn for this do you hear me!" Bullet yelled to the sky in a tone that would have scared the angels from the clouds they perched upon.
"We need to start clearing these mutants out." Fury said to one of the shield agents.
"Clearing them out these are people Fury." Bullet said angrily.
"There is no one to claim the majority of them." Fury said. "Not to sound like a complete ass but America could use the space."
"The space?" Bullet questioned getting angrier by the second. "They will not get this space. The space will become a cemetery, a monument for all of the lives lost here do you have a problem with that?"
"Yeah actually-" He began before hawkeye cut him off.
"No we have no problem with that." Hawkeye said before pulling Fury aside to talk to him out of earshot.
Bullet walked back and sat on the ground by Rogues side holding his son. Tears streamed down his face and Logan and the others left him to grieve in piece looking for other friendly faces. Bullet laid his son down next to Rogue and walked back to their house solemnly. He opened the garage and walked in where he grabbed a shovel. He walked back solemnly and broke ground on the School's lawn.
"Bullet we can get crews in here to do this." Logan said placing his hand on Bullet's shoulder.
"Ill take care of it." Bullet said coldly.
"You have been through a lot, let me-" Logan began.
"I said ill take care of it." Bullet remarked getting angry with his friend.
Graves were dug and soon more bodies joined and more holes began being dug. Holes dug by Scott, Logan, Colossus, Laura, and Storm. Holes for Charles Xavier, Jean grey, Hank McCoy and countless other X-men. Once the holes were dug Bullet Lowered Rogue and Robby into their graves and climbed back out. He tearfully threw shovel after shovel of dirt into the graves and once they were filled back in before anyone could say anything or give any type of service bullet turned and walked away. Anyone who knew him knew in that moment not to say a word. Just let him grieve in his own way. The only problem now is they have no way of contacting him. What they don't know is that this is the last time they will see him for quite some time.