Im sorry for the late posting. I have made the executive decision to post the chapters every two weeks instead of every week because typing on a tablet is difficult and it doesn't stress me out as much. Indo have two other stories too, so it allows me more time to work on tthem all too. Soo yeah. Enough with my talking. Onto said chapter.

i own nothing.

The sun is barely in the sky when the transport group mobilized. Zoe didn't wake up when called the first time, so one of the guards had to carry her when they moved. All six people walked toward the designated transport vehicle, a black, four-door GMC with almost illegally tinted windows that made Nikki huff when she first saw it. "How stereotypical can they be?" she muttered to her cleaned-suited partner as they approached.

Deadpool nodded in agreement as he shifted the then recently reclaimed bag higher on his shoulder. "They might as well written 'come kill us' in neon," he said as he watched as the guard called Reese carefully shifted Zoe into her car seat and buckled her up.

Nikki gave one hum in reply before she turned her head to look at him from the corner of her eye. "I call shotgun," the younger merc declared as she reached the passenger door and grabbed the handle.

Of course that declaration was met by some protests from everyone but the driver in the remaining group, but everything was silenced quickly once Nikki clenched an annoyed fist and causes the morning shadows the form spears at their throats. After a two minute talk down from Deadpool, the shadows receded and they got finally got situated and moving. Desmond took the wheel with Nikki obviously in the passenger side. Reese stays beside Zoe in the second row of seats and Deadpool spread out beside Tyler in the very back. Before they officially started the trip, Deadpool lead Desmond to a sketchy, under the bridge setting a few hours away and met with his masked contact for weapons.

This is where they are now.

Nikki leans against the passenger door of the car as she stands outside just a few yards away from where Wade and the contact converse. She watches with a mild interest as she brushes her teeth, breaking down the name, weight, purpose, shot count, and range of each weapon that appears and disappears in the back of the trunk. She sees her partner's excitement from under his mask and almost smiles, mentally comparing him to a kid in a candy store. Then she mentally scolds herself for using that classic metaphor.

The teen spits out another foamy mouthful and reaches behind her for the half-empty bottle of water to rinse her mouth. "Would you tell your partner to hurry up," Tyler demands from in the car, leaning over the second seat to call from the window. "We're on a deadline."

Nikki swishes a few more times before spitting that out and turning to face him. "This is a delicate operation, sir," she explains calmly through a frown. "One wrong word with this guy, everyone, except Deadpool, ends up dead." Tyler looks like he's about to say something, but Deadpool calls her over before he does. The younger mercenary smirks at the guard and sends a wink in his direction before tossing her toothbrush in her seat and pushing off the car toward her partner.

The contact looks up from the trunk at her approach and Nikki watches as his mouth pulls up into a joyful grin under his mask. "Little Nikki!" he says excitedly, throwing his arms up for a hug when she stops beside Deadpool. The contact closes the distance and throws his arms around her shoulders, rocking from side to side with his excitement as he hugs her. "I haven't seen you since you were hip high, riding around on Deadpool's back."

The teen sighs through her nose at the unwanted physical contact, but forces a small smile for the old aquaintance. "Hey, Chester," she says, lifting a hand to pat his back twice before he releases. She steps back discreetly as he turns back to the trunk and she shifts to peek inside. "What do you have for us today?"

"Only the best for you two," Chester replies, grabbing a hidden handle and pulling up. A second compartment opens underneath the first and Deadpool's eyes widen in excitement. Semi and fully automatic assault rifles, sniper rifles, police sanctioned, pump action shotguns, desert eagles, and so much more. Deadpool grabs Nikki's shoulder and holds a fist to his mouth as he tears up through his mask. "Take your pick," Chester invites, motioning to the array as if he were on a game show.

Ten minutes, two semi-automatic rifles, a sniper rifle, a shotgun, a desert eagle and three Bowie knives later, the mercenaries bid their weapons dealer farewell and head back to the car. Chester was kind enough to throw in a hundred rounds of ammo for each gun for free and he passed Nikki a pair of brass knuckles with it. Their hundred thousand in the bag was shrunk down to their last two thousand and the empty space is filled by their weapons and ammo supply. Reese politely told the duo to store the bag in the trunk and away from Zoe or else they won't move, so the did as told, each sliding a knife into their boot just before they do. Nikki also shoves her brass knuckles into her pocket before hopping back into her place in the front.

Then the group is back on the road, no one talking save the man on the radio station Desmond flipped to. After a while, Nikki sighs through her nose and closes her eyes, trying to tune out the most recent shootout that is discussed on the station.

It doesn't feel like a long time has passed before someone taps on the window and startles Nikki back to awareness. The teen raises a fist and nearly punches the glass before she processes her the familiar red face of her partner. "Wakey, wakey, Nikki-poo!" he says excitedly as he pulls her door open. "Zoe woke up and had to pee, so we're at a rest area!"

Nikki sighs through her nose and lowers her arm slowly, using the newly relaxed hand to grab the handle and open the door. "I wasn't asleep," she responds as she slides from the car. "I was ignoring the radio."

"Well you did a good job of tuning everything else out too, Nikki-roo," the older mercenary says through a mask covered smile. "Tyler's been asking for help from you for a while. All you did was sleep."

The younger merc frowns slightly as she shuts the door and stretches her arms over her head. "Not sleeping," she says again, dropping one arm to her side as they start toward the rest area. She squints under the gleam of the near afternoon sun and uses her other arm to shield her eyes from the light. "And what did he need help with?"

Deadpool's smile widens and he lifts his arms in a shrug. "Apparently I have personal space issues," he says nonchalantly, though Nikki knows the tone he uses hints at smugness. "It's not my fault he's insanely hot."

"He's pretty average to me," Nikki responds, raising a puzzled eyebrow at Reese and Zoe standing beside the women's bathroom.

"You're too young to know about attraction anyway," he says, earning the same puzzled look from Nikki.

"I'm nineteen."

"Too young."

"What's this?" Nikki asks Reese as they come within earshot, completely ignoring Deadpool's previous statement. Her gaze turns to Zoe, who dances eagerly with a hand between her legs and a desperate look in her eye. "What's with Little Bo Pee? Why can't she...go?"

"I was waiting for you," he explains, extending the hand that holds Zoe's toward her. "Take her to the bathroom."

Nikki raises an eyebrow in expectancy and drops the shield arm to her side. "Not my job," she counters. "Plus I don't need to go. Just let her go."

"I can't," the older man explains, still holding the hands out. "I can't be in there with her, so I can't respond if anything happens. You are a female, so you can go in and watch out for her."

The teen inhales deeply and rolls her eyes. "I don't do the hand holding shit," she says, reluctantly heading for the bathroom door. "Let her go." Reese hesitates before releasing the young girl's hand, allowing Zoe to race past Nikki into the bathroom. Nikki passes a look to Deadpool as the young child disappears inside. "You blow anything up, I'll disown you."

Deadpool frowns deeply under the mask and sniffles slightly. "You never let me have any fun," he complains as he turns to the men's bathroom.

Reese's brows furrow together questioningly and he looks to Nikki. "He doesn't have anything that blows up," he says as Nikki turns to the bathroom. "How cold he blow anything up?"

Nikki releases a single, amused huff from her nose and glances at him over her shoulder. "You obviously don't know Deadpool," she replies before entering the bathroom.

The younger mercenary is surprised at how clean the bathroom looks as she scans the immediate area for any threats. Two old ladies, a couple of chatting teenagers and three women all go about their business in the decently spaced area, leading Nikki to believe Zoe's the one in the only closed stall in the back. She smothers a yawn and hops up to sit on the counter. She earns a few disapproving glances from the old ladies and women, but she ignores them by pulling her knife from her boot and cleaning her nails with it. That certainly got everyone moving faster and soon it's just Nikki and Zoe left in the bathroom.

The toilet flushes and the door unlocks, revealing the sleepy eyed Zoe as Nikki suspected. Zoe smiles brightly at Nikki as she walks toward the sink, watching as Nikki tucks her knife safely back in her boot. "Hello," the child says happily, finally looking away as she reaches up and turns on the water.

Nikki bites the inside of her lip to keep from frowning at the child's enthusiasm. It's too early for this level of joy in Nikki's mind, even though it is almost eleven in the morning. She can barely handle all of Wade's energy when she first wakes up, so adding a child's energy would usually be out of the question. But seeing as it is only a small child and she doesn't want to seem like a total bitch during the official first meeting, Nikki forces a smile and nods in Zoe's direction. "Hello."

Zoe's smile seems to widen as she finishes washing and turns off the water. "Who are you?" she asks, grabbing a handful of paper towels from the tray beside the sink. "Reese says you and your dad are here to help us."

Nikki's eyebrow twitches in annoyance at the repeated mistake. "Deadpool isn't my dad," she replies, fighting to keep her voice level and nonchalant. "And yes, we are here to help."

Zoe smiles as she dries her hands with the wad of towels and tosses them in the nearest trashcan. "Thank you," she says, moving to stand in front of Nikki with a hand extended. "My name is Zoe."

Nikki bites back the rude comment about how she already knows her name and instead reaches out and takes the small, still damp hand. "Nikki," she replies. "You're welcome." She releases the hand after two shakes and slides from the counter. "Let's go," she says, leading the way toward the door. "I'm getting hungry."

Zoe gives an enthusiastic agreement at the statement and bounces out when Nikki pushes the door open. Reese leans on the wall between the bathroom, only half listening to the mercenary beside him. "Ah," the guard says, pushing off the wall as Nikki and Zoe exit. "Good. Now we get go."

"Reese I'm hungry," Zoe comments, taking her place beside Reese and grabs his hand.

"You are?" Reese asks, leading the child toward the car as Nikki and Deadpool linger behind. "Well, maybe Deadpool can drive us somewhere to eat."

Nikki raises an expectant eyebrow in her partner's direction. "You're driving?" she asks, earning a nod from Wade in reply.

"Yup," he replies, taking a casual pace as he walks with his partner. "Tyler said he doesn't want me back there with him anymore and Desmond doesn't want to drive. So we switched and now I'm driving."

The younger merc hums once. "Do you even know how to drive?"

Deadpool scoffs in mock offence and bumps her with his hip. "Of course I know how to drive," he retorts through a smile as they reach the GMC. "I drove that bus away from Hulk that one time didn't I?"

"I don't think that counts," Nikki replies lazily, glancing over at Reese strapping Zoe in. "You almost crashed that bus then the teacher shot you in the head... Then the bus still flipped."

Desmond shifts from the back seat and tosses Wade the keys, earning a nod of thanks from the mercenary as he heads toward the driver's seat. "That's not my fault," he counters as Nikki pulls her door open. "The Hulk was riding my ass for eight miles and he destroyed the road. Plus the teacher was an ungrateful bitch."

Reese inhales heavily as he finishes buckling Zoe in and turns to face Deadpool. "I'm pretty sure Mr. Shakes told you about your poor language," he comments passive aggressively as he hooks himself in. "Need I remind you we have a child in our midst?"

"Lighten up, Reese's cup," Wade says as he and his partner climb in their respective seats. "It's just words. Why make 'em if you can't say 'em?"

He jabs the key into the ignition and starts the car, causing Nikki to hook her seatbelt and lock it in place. "You might wanna hold onto something," she informs to the rest of the passengers in the car. "This man's insane."

"Not that insane," Wade responds through a maniac grin and sifting the car into gear. "Just determined to get paid." He presses down on the gas with the same smile. "You still might want to buckle up, though."

Thirteen hours, three pit and gas stops, seven debate about "appropriate road trip music" later, Deadpool pulls into the first designated checkpoint. Nikki's eyebrows pull together in suspicion at the darkened building and grabs Deadpool's hand when he shifts to park. "You feel that too right?" she asks, scanning the shadow layed area around the car.

"The feeling that something is really off here?" Wade responds in mild sarcasm before shaking his head. "Nah."

Seatbelts click off in the back and cause Nikki to twist in her seat. "Don't get out of the car," she instructs, unbuckling her own seatbelt and reaching for the handle.

Deadpool reaches out and grabs her other shoulder before she has a chance to open her door. "You don't get out of the car either," he says, clicking his own belt off and opening the door. "I'll check it out."

"No," the younger merc denies, drawing out the final syllable and pulling him back. "You're the driver. You need to be ready to move if something goes wrong."

"I'm not letting you out the car, Nixon."

"You're not the boss of me, Deadpool."

Tyler leans forward from the farthest back seat. "Why do we need to case the place?" he asks, causing both people in the front to turn around. "It's a safe house. They know we're coming."

"Then why is everything dark?" Nikki counters, motioning to the blackened windows. "Someone would've been up to greet us if everything was going well."

Wade nods in agreement. "That's why I'm going in to-"

"No," Nikki rejects again. "I'm going to check the place."

"I have a healing factor. If anything pops out to kill me-"

"I'd see it before it did." The black-haired mercenary motions a hand to her face. "Night vision, remember."

"Why don't you both go in?" Tyler inquires from the back. "It would settle-"

Something large lands on the hood of the car and causes everyone to jump, Nikki and Deadpool whipping back around just in time to see the body slide down, leaving a thick, crimson smear that marks the trail the head took. The mercenaries stare a few seconds before Deadpool closes his door and takes a grip on the wheel. "This is why we don't go in dark places!" he announces, shifting into reverse as Nikki climbs to the back seats. "We need guns, Nick!"

"Working on it," Nikki replies, gripping the middle seat to help her balance when Deadpool floors it in reverse. She narrowly avoids kneeing Reese in the head as he leans over to cover the very confused Zoe when she leaps to Tyler and Desmond's seat. "Outta the way, Rent-A-Cops," she says, kneeling on the seat between them to lean into the trunk. She barely has a strap in her hand before she lifts her head to look out the back window. "Person!"

That's all it takes for Wade to slam on the brakes, causing Nikki to jerk forward and slam her face against the back window. The car stops and the momentum sends Nikki tumbling backwards to get stuck in the space between the floor and seat. She ignores the concerned looks from the two in the seats beside her and groans, blinking rapidly to clear the stars from her vision. "You alright, Nikki?" her partner asks, turning to look at her and out the window.

"Fine," she grumbles, pulling on the middle row headrests to get up. "I left the guns in the back. Where's the person?"

"Still there," Tyler answers, watching the figure as they slowly approach the car. "They're coming."

Deadpool smiles hopefully and lifts his gaze to the back window. "Maybe they're friendly!"

The figure lifts their arm and aims a high caliber pistol in the car's direction. Nikki sits up higher and starts for the trunk again. "I don't think so."