Okay, so, I finally thought of a good second chapter to this "one-shot". Firstly, I figured I'd put this small author's note in here, but here it goes.
Firstly, this will be a hodgepodge of the recent X-men movie, X-men 2: Rise of Apokalypse video game, and a bit of the comics strewn in between. I have a boyfriend who I sat to next to in the Wolverine movie - to my utter stupidity - and got a little sketch of the comics and how the movie didn't "portray" certain mutants right, or something. Of course, I had to shush him because Hugh Jackman was totally naked and I needed to concentrate, but I caught some of the X-men lowdown. So, regardless, most of my knowledge comes from various sources, so don't quote me as right. Wikipedia and movies can only carry me so far...
...
...
Hugh Jackman was so freaking hot...don't you agree?
XD
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
"Why are we here?" I muttered, angrily kicking a rock from the road. Colossus looked over at me and I ignored the stare, laying against our car on the side of the road. "I'm bored. I want action." Around us, people milled about, all celebrating Mardi Gras. It was the famous week, and I couldn't even celebrate since I was technically "on duty".
"What?" Colossus asked, clearly shocked.
"Ew, not like that! Look at all these men! Disgusting!" Dirty looks were thrown my way, and I glared at all the males. "Don't even try to deny it, you're all freaking wasted anyways." I sighed and let my head fall on top of the car, wishing for peace from the noise blaring all around us. "Why are we waiting?" I complained. "Why not just go in and ask him?"
"Because we're not sure he is even here," the Russian replied, watching the bar for any signs of our prey. "And Storm has not given us the order to move in." I banged my head softly against the car, groaning in frustration.
"She sent me out in the middle of one of my most favorite times of year, only to be put on duty and prohibited from alcohol. What does she take me for, a saint?" Colossus didn't answer me, but instead, the comlink in my ear came to life.
"Colossus, Barrage, you're clear. Go in." I immediately bounded off of the car and almost ran inside of the bar in my haste to complete the mission. Colossus caught me, a gentle hold on my arm, and I contained my enthusiasm and let him go first. As he walked inside, he drew a few glances, but both of us were generally ignored for more...wasted...fare. I scanned the room and sensed the mutant in question by a gambling table. I gestured to Colossus who nodded and walked over to the mutant. I watched the door, cautious, but neither of us didn't expect any trouble. I turned to look at my partner, who managed to get our prey away from the gambling table with little fuss. The man gestured to me and I followed the two men to a room in the back of the bar.
"Well, if it isn't the X-men," he drawled with his Cajun accent. "What can I do for you?" he asked, looking in my direction. The double meaning wasn't lost on either Colossus or myself, so Colossus took the lead in the interrogation.
"We need your help. We have come across an enemy known as Apocalypse."
"And you'd like my help in beating him, I presume?" Colossus nodded.
"The Brotherhood and X-men have teamed up...and we need all the help we can get," I added.
"Well, who is this Apocalypse? I haven't heard of him."
"That's because you're in Mardi Gras," I retorted. "And I'm not allowed to drink," I began, pouting at Colossus. Of course, he ignored me once again, and concentrated on the mission at hand.
"He is a mutant dating back at least 5,000 years. He has a genetically altered military, as well as robotic, at his disposal. Also, he has captured Professor X and Polaris."
"That's not good news," Gambit pondered, spinning an Ace of Spades idly above his right hand. "I suppose I should help. After all, we're friends, right?"
"Right," I agreed.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
"But I wasn't allowed to drink!" I protested, floating at the edge of the bed. "It was torture, I'm telling you! Storm just didn't like the fact that I couldn't find Deadpool, and she's out to get me!"
"She's not that devious," my Logan replied, not even bothering to open his eyes.
"Aw, come on! She knows I've always wanted to go to Mardi Gras, but she made Havoc come pick me up in the X-Jet and wouldn't let me stay."
"Good for her," he replied, placing his hands on the back of his head.
"Not you too," I complained. "You know I always wanted to go to Mardi Gras!"
"To get drunk and flash people? Sounds stupid."
"It's the thought that counts!" I weakly defended. "And the beer in here is horrible...ugh."
With that, I closed my eyes and continued to hover in the air, Jean's training firmly ingrained into my nightly ritual. Through her death, Logan had found acceptance and closure, though I knew he still thought of her often. I had to admit, I was indeed jealous of my old teacher, but in a dark corner of my heart, I knew that his feelings for her would never change. She was his first love, and for making him happy, I couldn't break the hold her memory held with him.
"What's wrong?" Logan asked, noting the quiet, serious atmosphere in the room around us.
"I'm going to have to leave," I muttered, opening my eyes to stare at the ceiling. "In two days, if I remember correctly. I don't want to go. Storm knows I hate traveling."
"What?" Logan snarled, sitting up to stare at me. I looked at him and saw the intensity of his gaze. He had been protective since the death of Jean, though I didn't mind for the most part. "Where?"
"Canada," I answered, my voice soothing. "She wants me to search for Deadpool."
"Didn't she tell you? He's being sent over here tonight." With that news, my concentration broke, and I fell to the floor in a heap.
"What the hell?" I cried out. "She's been making me worry for nothing!" With my outburst, Logan calmly laid back down and I could literally see the tension leaving his body. I smiled gently through my anger as I felt little butterflies skitter through my stomach, but rose from the floor and went to the door.
"Behave," Logan commanded as I exited our room.
"Oh go to hell," I muttered, slamming the door behind me. I had to admit, slamming the door always made me feel better. I walked down the hall, smiling at various friends, and made my way to Storm's office. I sensed her inside along with another mutant, who I assumed was Deadpool, and grinned as I opened the door with my mind. I casually strolled inside, ignoring the look from the Canadian operative, and smiled sweetly at Storm.
"Barrage, this is Deadpool. She's been the one that attempted to contact you a week ago." The operative looked at me, and I could see the appreciation in his gaze. However, his head was covered by a red hood that matched his red, skintight body suit, which threw my own persual off.
"You're a hard man to find," I generally complimented. The man was literally a ghost; he left no trace from any operation.
"Well if I had known it was you trying to find me, I might have rented a hotel room." I snorted at the invitation and slid my hands into my jean pockets.
"Nice swords," I stated, changing the soon to be awkward subject.
"I bought them at a pawn shop in Canada. Really good swords, but the price was just a tad bit high. I mean, they're swords." I deadpanned.
"Doesn't your government provide you with weapons?"
"They would, but the pawn shop sold them cheaper, so I had to go there myself. Isn't it hard to find good service these days?"
"Deplorable manners," I agreed, amused by the sarcasm.
"We've called you here-" Storm interjected, "To ask for help defeating Apocalypse. I assume you've been briefed?"
"Big evil scary mutant was abused as a child, so he grows up with an inferiority complex, tries to compensate, and eventually wants to take over to the world to satisfy his bruised and fragile ego? Yeah. I know about him." I began to laugh, ignoring the mild reproach from Storm. "My government wants in so America can owe us a favor. So when can I join? I can provide an excellent resume, and I have plenty of character resources."
"No," Storm halted, a smile on her face. "That's quite all right. Barrage, since you're here, can you show Deadpool to his room?"
"Where's he staying?"
"Across from yours."
"Well, isn't that ironic?" he commented. I gestured to him and I opened the doors again with my mind, letting us both out. My anger at Storm was a thing of the past; this sarcastic mutant was sure to amuse me until we began to fight Apocalypse for real.
"So, why is your name Deadpool?"
"Because, when I joined Weapon X, everyone placed bets on when I was going to die. Needless to say, they lost miserably. I hope to send them letters soon, give them my well wishes."
"And I'm sure they'll send hitmen to kill you."
"Now why would they do that? It's just a letter."
"Just a letter? Oh I don't think so." We climbed the stairs to the boarding rooms, and I began to walk him down the hall. Though his manner and body posture were "easygoing", I saw his eyes absorb everything around him, and he never completely relaxed. "So why did they send you down here anyway? Get the short end of the stick?"
"Well, of course, I'm the best." I rolled my eyes at his arrogance, but he continued. "And another reason involves a nine iron and a dog named Fluffy."
"You didn't!" I cried out, scandalized.
"Well, it didn't kill it, just...knocked it out. Needless to say, the admiral wasn't pleased with my behavior. For some odd reason, I was sent to the Yukon for recon a short while later, and never knew why..." Finally, we reached his door, and I opened it to reveal his room.
"So," he began, as he stepped inside and took it all in. "You coming back to my room later tonight? I promise I won't bite, and, you won't be needing clothes, I can assure you." I laughed, rolling my eyes, and opened my mouth to refuse when the door behind me burst open. Logan immediately walked to me and crowded my body with his own, sending a message to Deadpool. "Well, well. Wolverine. Haven't seen you in a long time." Taken aback, I turned to Logan only to see him staring at Deadpool fervently, his eyes cloudy, as if he was trying to remember.
"Do I know you?" Logan finally asked, coming out of his reverie.
"It's Wade, remember? We were special ops together, you know, with Stryker." Logan shook his head, eyeing Wade, waiting for any sudden moves to give him an opportunity to attack. Instead of letting him do so, I placed a placating hand on Logan's arm and pulled him inside Wade's room. I shut the door behind us and nodded to Wade to continue. "So it's true. You did lose your memory."
"How did you know Logan?" I asked.
"He served in the military with me. Him and Viktor were really inseperable at the time, kinda Brokeback Mountainish-"
"Get on with it," I interrupted.
"Right. Anyways, Logan went AWOL, and Viktor went batshit, destorying everything and hunting us down. I heard that Logan eventually got drafted into Weapon X, and I lost his trail then. Years later, I heard he joined the X-men." With the short explanation done, Deadpool shrugged. "That's all I know." Instead of pressing the matter, Deadpool let it drop, and I quickly pulled Logan out of the room and into ours so he could digest the information.
"Sabertooth and I..." he mused as he sat on the bed. "Brothers...I want you to read my mind." My eyes widened and I recoiled at the thought.
"You know what Xavier said! He said the mind will remember in time, when it can assimilate the information and feelings. Plus, I never did any of that. Jean never taught me, so I'd be flying blind and I could potentially damage memories. I don't want to take that chance."
"It's not your decision," Logan argued.
"The hell it isn't!" I shot back, my temper flaring to match his. "What if I damange your memories of me? When you woke up, what if you didn't remember me? That makes it my problem!"
"I want answers!" Logan snarled, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. "I need to know, now." His eyes bore into my own, and it was then I knew that if I didn't do this for him, he would hate me forever. This was important to him; years of his life were missing, and closure was vital to his mental health. Suddenly weary, I nodded in acceptance.
"I'll do it. Lie on the bed, will you?" He released me slowly, allowing his fingers to skim across the red hand marks on my arms in apology, and did as I bade. I sat on his waist and placed my forehead onto his own. "This may feel uncomfortable," I began, placing my hands on his temples. "You cannot shy away from these memories. If you do, you could damage them beyond repair. You must accept them, whatever they are. I'll try to go gently."
"Start at Weapon X...when they put the adamantium in me."
"All right." I closed my eyes and connected to Logan's mind. Immediately, I felt the rush of adrenaline, combined with the emotions his brain had stored, and I was immediately swamped with anger and confusion. I had to fight to keep my own sanity; a mind merge was difficult to maintain. Locking down on his mind, I fought past the initial wave of emotions, and began to search through his memories. Most of his memories were of war, killing, and him merely fighting to stay alive. Viktor, or Sabretooth, was by his side in the earlier flashes of memories I glimpsed, and I realized Deadpool had indeed been truthful. I forged through the murky waters of the rough sketches of memory, and finally found what I was looking for.
"Viktor! No!" Logan ran through the forest, her scent calling to him. Most of all, he smelled blood. Her blood.
"I'll be in your program." The man looked at Logan, victory in his eyes.
"Excellent."
"This is Weapon X. He has regenerative powers, and adamantium will be fused in his bone structure, creating the perfect weapon. As you all know, admirals, adamantium can cut through any metal. He's the perfect candidate for this procedure.
"Wipe his memories," the same voice stated. "I don't want him to remember a thing."
A heartbeat sounded on the monitor, followed by another.
"I think he heard you." Rage built inside of Logan, and he burst from the water, a feral scream splitting the air.
"Thanks for letting me stay." The old man smiled at him, and nodded. His wife came in behind him, a plate of food in her hands."Here, I made you some-" A shot through her forehead cut her in midsentence, and Logan could only stare, as shock paralyzed him. The old man was next to be shot, and he fell to his knees, confusion written on his features. Quickly, Logan ran for the old motorcycle stored in the shed, and turned in on. He drove for the door, and the barn exploded around him.
"It meant something to me too, Logan!" A feminine voice cried out. "They had my sister!"
"The kids are safe," Gambit stated, and Logan looked at him, confused. "Do I know you?" he asked.
"I love you, Wolverine."
With that, I pulled out of his mind, pain and agony written on all of my features. Apparently as a side effect, emotions were transfered to both minds. I rolled off of Logan and curled up into a ball, tears leaking from my eyes as my body spasmed in an uncontrollable panic attack. I cried out as the pain from physical and mental wounds coursed through me, and I couldn't control any of it. I began to throw up mental blocks as Jean had taught me, but instead, I was rolled onto my back, and Logan grabbed my chin in a ferocious grip.
"What's going on?" he asked fiercely, fully in protection mode. I couldn't form any words; I just sobbed incoherently and tried to fight the hold on me. Flashes of his memories flittered through my own mind, and I could feel his pain and watched as he took the life of other soldiers. The graphic nature of his kills left me physically sick to my stomach, and my mental powers finally kicked in. Logan was thrown off me and into the wall behind him while my body somehow made it to the bathroom to be sick. Over and over the pain coursed through my body and I continued to feel the heartache and anguish left with his memories. Finally, after what seemed like hours later, his memories dissapated, leaving me back in my own mind once again.
"Logan?" I called out weakly.
"I'm here. What the hell happened?" I relayed what I had seen and the information left Logan frowning. "The man was Stryker...but I don't remember the woman."
"I felt that she was important to you." I admit I was jealous, but since she hadn't come back to him, I figured that something had happened to keep her away.
"Maybe." With that, he turned to look at me. "Are you all right to move?" His gruff tone made me smile. Not being bossy had to be killing him.
"Yes." He picked me up and put me on the bed, letting me lay my head on his shoulder.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
I was lying on a field of grass, resting in the gentle sunlight. The sky around me was a clear blue and a soft breeze flowed around the meadow, ruffling my hair slightly. I held a wild rose in my hand and plucked it, watching out for the thorns on the stem. I threw it in the air, and let it twirl above me, and I smiled at the picture. I leaned up and saw Logan walking toward me, dressed only in leather pants. I smiled seductively at him and let my hair fall down around my eyes for a wild untamed look. Logan smirked at me and continued to walk over to me, complete and utter confidence evident in every step he took. He was so masculine and so damned sexy that I could just-
"Katherine!" With a pop, my dream shattered, and my head flew from the desk and I blinked furiously to clear the sleep from my eyes.
"Whatzgoingon?" I slurred before yawning.
"We've decided to go to New Avalon," Storm replied, apparently holding off her disproval of my behavior.
"Why?" She cut her eyes at me and I placed my head in my hand. "All right, all right. I'll ask Logan later." My boyfriend in question was leaning up against the wall, watching me with hooded eyes. The older mutants around me varied in reaction, but no one scolded me. That showed me the severity of the situation.
"Good. Now, Havoc will fly us to New Avalon in the X-Jet. I expect everyone to be prepared in an hour." With that, everyone stood and walked out of the room, and I tried to sneak out with them. "And you, Barrage, will stay." I cursed silently under my breath and plopped back into my desk like a reluctant child held against her will. "What do you remember?" she asked as everyone left the room.
"We're going to New Avalon, a place in Anartica that's like a rainforest, to find evidence of Apocalypse's motives or something and...I fell asleep."
"Did you hear why it's like a rainforest?" Storm asked patiently, the teacher in her allowing her to deal with me calmly.
"Because of some alien like technology. I didn't get the specifics."
"Well...I guess it's not important. For now, we are going to explore the immediate area, and I want you on the recon team." She knew how to punish me, that's for sure.
"Yes ma'am," I said dutifully, hanging my head.
"However, I will be sending Logan with you, and I expect both of you to be on your best behavior."
"Yes ma'am."
Storm sighed, then pointed to the door.
"Go," she said.
"Yes ma'am!" I bolted for the door and exited the room before Storm could heap any other punishments on me. I ran for my room and jumped inside, expecting to see Logan. When he didn't appear, I frowned. It wasn't like him to not be somewhat prepared for a mission, and I was sure he was going to chew me out for sleeping. I shrugged. I wasn't going to ask for any more trouble, that's for sure. I went to the closet and dragged out a travel bag that Storm had bought for me, and began to tear through my clothes to gather necesities for the trip. Most of the time I'd be wearing my X-men suit, but it was good to have backup. After clothes came toiletries, and after my frantic packing, I flopped down on the bed.
I glanced at the clock beside of my bed, and my eyebrows furrowed. It had been a good twenty minutes, and there was still no sight of Logan whatsoever. This was odd, even for him. By now, he should be trying to con me into packing for him. Finally, I sat up and got into a medative position. I closed my eyes and spread out my senses, searching for Logan's brain pattern. Finally, I found him by Jean's grave and I withdrew immediately, giving him privacy. This would be the first time he would be away from visiting Jean's grave since she had died, and I felt a pang of melancholy. Why wasn't he with me? Would I always compete with my dead teacher for his affections? Would I always come second?
I shook my head. I couldn't let this affect me, especially in the light of such an important job in front of me. There would no doubt be enemies waiting for us in New Avalon and I couldn't afford to be distracted...no matter how much I wanted the issue resolved. It would have to wait. I walked into my closet, and quickly changed into my suit. I took a look in the mirror, fluffed the collar, and gathered what semblance of control I could before grabbing my bag and heading towards the X-jet.
"Kat!" I turned to see the other Kat running toward me, and I shut the door behind me.
"Walk with me," I told the girl. She fell into step beside of me and I glanced at her, only to see her eyes radiating concern. "What's wrong?"
"Take care of Bobby and Colossus for me...will you?"
"You know I will," I promised with a lopsided smile. "I always do. They need someone to do it for them, ya know?" Kat laughed softly, but the concern for her two friends didn't vanish from her eyes. "Trust me," I said simply, leaving her in the hall behind me. Besides my own insecurities with Logan, I had to look out for the rest of my team, so my relationship had to be put on the backburner for now. I simply jumped down the stairway and landed nearly in stride with Deadpool.
"Well now, where have I seen you before?"
"Very funny."
"If I said you had a hot body, would you hold it against me?"
I grinned at the age old line and shot him a side glance.
"Deadpool, old buddy, I'm just trembling in desire for you."
"Now that's what I like to hear. What we need now is some whipped cream, cherries, chocolate, and toast."
"What?" I asked, taken completely by surprise. "The hell is the toast for?"
"Well, when a man loves a woman-"
I cut him off with my hand.
"I take back the question. Please, for the love of god, don't answer it." Deadpool grinned, not put off in the least.
"You just ask me about it later," he said, shifting his bag slightly over his shoulder. "For now I'll content myself with my fantasies."
Wisely, I held the question on the tip of my tongue and Deadpool laughed, knowing what I was going to ask.
"Where's your boyfriend?" he asked, looking around. "Wouldn't he be all up in arms by now? What a letdown." I smiled slightly, but fell back into my contemplative mood.
"He's with Jean," I answered seriously. Deadpool, taking the hint, sobered and glanced at me.
"Who's Jean?"
I was quiet for a moment, debating on whether to take him into my confidence.
"Whatever you tell me, I won't repeat."
"Is that a promise?" I asked, amused.
"When a beautiful lady's in trouble, how can I do anything but help?" I laughed once and sighed.
"He loved Jean first. I've always come second."
"Loved?" Deadpool asked, looking straight ahead. I was glad for the monotone voice, because I couldn't deal with sympathy right now.
"She died. He...had to kill her."
"So?"
"How can I compete with a perfect memory?" As I asked the question, I felt a slight weight fall from my chest and I was glad to have finally voiced the question. Deadpool was silent, and I took the initiative and continued. "Even when we were dating, I could still see the looks he gave her when he thought I wasn't looking. If Jean wasn't married, he'd be with her, not with me. I was the fallback girl, but I figured as long as I had him at my side, I wouldn't care."
"And you were wrong," he stated.
"Yeah. I want all of him. But...I guess I owe Jean something too. She taught me everything I know."
"Did she love him?" I lowered my head, looking at my feet.
"I don't honestly know. I mean...I guess she wanted him to a point, but she was loyal to Scott, and I think she did love him. But...I don't know."
"So she loved him?"
"In her own way, I believe."
I was grateful for Deadpool at that moment, forcing me to come to conclusions that I had always forced from my mind. The realizations hurt, each one slicing a deeper wound into my heart, but this had gone on long enough. I needed to realize what had happened, and what would happen.
"So ask yourself. Do you love him?"
"Yes," I replied, knowing the answer intimately.
"Does he love you?"
At that, I went quiet and I could feel the sorrow beating through my body. I shut my eyes and stoppped, pressing my fingers into the corners of my eyes in an effort to control myself. At once, Deadpool's hand began to massage my neck, and I immediately felt calmer.
"Until you know the answer, or the idiot proves it, you won't move on. That's your problem."
I was quiet for a moment, just letting his fingers work pure magic.
"Jesus, you give a great massage."
"Oh, just imagine what else I can do," he responded, catching onto my withdrawal. "Now get moving, or else I'll be forced to-"
"No. Don't say it!" I cried, slapping my hand over his mouth. I felt his lecherous grin, and I found myself grinning in response. "You know how to cheer a girl up."
"Well-"
"Take the compliment or leave it," I stated, cutting him off.
"I know when to cut my losses," he replied casually, walking toward the X-Jet, leaving me laughing behind him.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*
I strapped myself into the back chairs, bored and ready to go. Granted, we still had about ten minutes before take off, but Deadpool and I were just ready to get this over with. He was cleaning his swords at the time Logan walked in, and he glanced up at me. I met his gaze, then turned to Logan, a smile ready for him.
"Hey, you get packed all right?" I asked, trying to act normal.
"Yeah," Logan replied gruffly, walking past me to stuff his luggage in the compartment beside of us. Another knowing look passed between Deadpool and I, and he nodded once, telling me to continue talking.
"That's good. I was going to pack for you, but I figured I'd let you be responsible for once," I said, smiling brightly at him, like I did whenever I was teasing him.
"Yeah. I made it."
"I saved you a seat," I said, patting to the one on my right.
"Storm wants me up front."
"Oh, all right then." Like the pro I was, I covered my true emotions, and gave him a soft smile as I stood. I walked over and went to kiss him, and he let me, though I felt no physical or emotional response from him. He just let me kiss him and didn't respond in any way. Hurt beyond words, I turned quickly to hide the sudden raw pain in my eyes and looked to Deadpool in desperation.
"I'll keep you company," Deadpool joked, gesturing to the seat I had stood from. "I'll tell you about a man and his swords. Go on, sit down." Through the sense of betrayal, I heard the implied command and forced my numb body to move.
Like I had been shown throughout my childhood, I believed everyone was going to betray me at some point, and I had to fight my natural instinct to think that Logan was totally betraying me for a dead woman. It was one of my flaws, but with little moods or inconsistancies, I always thought the worst of people. Xavier had indeed helped me reduce the instinct, but it could never be fully purged from my system.
"I'll see you when we land, Logan," I told him, averting my face as I strapped myself in once again. To my relief, my voice was normal with only a faint tremor in the undertones. I knew Logan wouldn't pick it up, especially when he was thinking of other things.
"Yeah." I heard him walk off and squeezed my eyes again. My worst fears came to life as I felt tears leak down my fingers. I hated to show weakness in front of everyone, and I was glad most of the mutants were still loitering outside of the X-Jet. I felt cold steel under my chin and it was lifted to make me look at Deadpool. I opened my eyes and looked down the sword, to see his eyes. He was serious, yet emotionally distant.
"Suck it up and cry later," he whispered, aware Logan had exceptional hearing. The point of his sword pierced my skin, causing blood to dribble down my throat, and I gulped. "Are you not Jean's protege? Would she want you to be crying right now?" I shook my head. "That's what I thought. Stop being a woman and focus."
Like Deadpool had intended, the sexist comment caused my temper to flare.
"Hey, women can do just as well as men," I shot back. The sword retreated and Deadpool chuckled.
"There's my little dove."
"D...d...dove?" I sputtered. "That's a ridiculous nickname!"
"Well it's yours now, little dove."
"Stop calling me that."
"Is he harrassing you, ma cher?" I turned to see Gambit enter the X-Jet and I smiled at him.
"He's calling me horrible nicknames," I complained. Rogue appeared at Gambit's side and smiled as she heard my comment.
"What's the nickname?" she asked.
"Little dove," Deadpool answered before I could stop him. I shot him a glare, grateful at his skillfull manipulation of the situation...even though the nickname was stupid.
As we argued among our fellow mutants, everyone eventually came aboard and seated themselves, ready for the flight at hand. Though the atmosphere was generally relaxed, all of us were worried about Apocalypse, and what his true motives truly were.