Robby Robertson walked into Jameson's penthouse with a copy of the Daily Bugle under his arm. He went to the kitchen and took the security viewer out of the ice-box. Flicking through cameras, he eventually found one that showed Peter in his Spider-suit hard at work on his computer.
He slid the viewer back into the ice-box and walked over to the grand piano. He entered in the right tune and the wall with the picture of Jameson on it slid open.
He walked into the place Peter liked to call 'the web'. It gave him an eerie feeling. The room was decorated with a web pattern and strands of steel hung from the ceiling. Peter used them to practice his acrobatics with. Along the walls were numbered filing cabinets that held the many inventions of Peter's family. The only light in the room came from the computer screens.
Peter barely looked at him. He was focusing on the computer screen and typing rapidly.
Robby walked up and placed the Newspaper in front of him. The Headline read, SPIDER-MAN EVADES X-MEN. The picture was of Rhino hanging hopelessly under the wrecking ball. "Care to tell me about last night Pete?"
"Good to see you too Robby." Peter muttered. "Don't worry. Nobody got hurt."
"Not what I hear. You're lucky I have some control over the stories or New York would have heard about Rhino being in critical condition. They have to have the Avengers operate on him because they can't get past the suit."
"Nobody cares about him." Pete muttered. "He's a mob hitman."
"And what about officer Munroe?"
That made Pete pause. "I didn't know she was claustrophobic."
"But because of you she's in the hospital recovering from severe shock."
Pete gritted his teeth. "It won't happen again."
Robby nodded. If anybody didn't need reminding of how much he messed up it was Peter. He was so hard on himself already. "So, how did it go?"
Pete shrugged. "Basic introductions were made. I don't think they were taking me very seriously."
"Their mistake." Robby chuckled.
Peter broke into a smile too. "Now I see why Jameson chews everybody out so much. It's great fun, and really relaxing after a hard night of Spider-man."
"So, what did you find out?"
Peter sighed. "Not much. Just that Jameson was onto something big. Something that he needed to go to the Avenger's mansion to find out."
"And what are you doing now?"
"Memorizing the blueprints."
There was silence for a long time. Robby froze while his brain processed that. He started to sputter; "You… you're not… Peter please tell me you're not thinking…"
"I'm going to break into Avengers H.Q. and copy their files. I'm going to do it at the charity ball."
"That's madness!" Robby yelled. "That's suicide!"
"I can find a way." Peter insisted. "Every system has a weakness. All I need to do is find it."
"No way Peter. I tolerate your little hobby, but I'll call the Avengers on you if you go there."
Peter went quiet, and then turned to him. Robby had been his friend ever since he started working for Jonah. "Robby." He said. "He was your friend too."
Robby winced. "Peter…"
"What I'm about to do is going to be dangerous. This'll be the most dangerous thing I've ever done. But I'm doing it for Jonah."
Robby sighed and gave up. "Fine. How are you going to do this?"
Peter gestured back to the screens. "Well, you were right; it is a state-of-the-art system. All of the entrances are guarded. They have scanners that will analyze every layer of clothing for weapons, find the X-gene, and tell whether it's active and what mutant ability is present if it is."
He called up a picture of the Mansion. "The mansion itself just serves as a living quarters for the Avengers. Kitchen, bedrooms, and of course the Ball room. That's where the Ball will be held for the most part. The twenty levels below that are where I want to go. That's where the security center is, the maximum security prisons, the training area, the hangar, and the Avengers Mainframe."
The picture turned into detailed blueprints of each floor. "There are security cameras everywhere and the security center has twenty-four/seven watchmen. The security center is on the third story right next to the mainframe. The first two stories are solid titanium. The twentieth story and the three below it are the training areas and the hangar. Right underneath that are the prisons. And the arsenal and the security guard's living quarters are dispersed all around."
He put several other pictures on the screen. "The Avenger's network controls the entirety of the lower levels. All of the doors are opened and closed at timed intervals, and will only open or close manually for an Avenger. Retinal scan identification only. Thanks to this feature, and the consideration for the lives of their employees, the Avengers have a state-of-the-art life support system for the lower levels. This means the air ducts are large enough that somebody as skinny as me could be able to crawl through them. However, the only entrances to the ducts are through the garden, and guard dogs patrol the area constantly. Interspersed in the ducts are grills that would potentially stop anybody crawling through the ducts, and they are periodically electrically charged. Any attempt to remove them would set off the alarms. Also, thermal scanners in the vents would detect anybody crawling through."
He called up the files for the Avengers, featuring mug-shots of each of them. "And then there are the Avengers themselves. If an alarm is set off and they're in the building they will immediately hunt out the intruder. With advanced planning I could probably fight them all, but the Sentry" He pointed at his picture on the screen. "would pose a challenge. Tougher than steel, stronger than the Rhino, flies at speeds of mach seven, and he can fire lasers out of his fists. Has to take pills to keep sane, so psychic attacks could prove effective. But even if I had psychic powers or some device that could mimic them, the Avengers have two psychics in their employ, and they'll probably be at the ball scanning the place. Also, since he is so… disturbed… I'm betting that he won't be allowed to go, so he'll be down on the lower levels I'm going to break into."
He waited for Robby's response after finishing his explanation. It was as predictable as ever.
"That's suicide Peter!" He yelled. "You'd have to smuggle in all of your equipment in through the scanners, without Mary-Jane or the Osborns knowing! Then, you'd have to sneak out of the party and go across grounds patrolled by dogs! Then, you'd have to go through air ducts that have heat sensors and electric grills, to make it down to the corridors. The doors down there will only open if you're in time to the guard's schedule, or if you've somehow managed to knock out an Avenger and drag him with you without anybody noticing! Then, you'd have to make your way through a maze of security without setting off any alarms! And after you've managed to download an entire mainframe of information onto whatever you've brought along to download it onto, you'd have to make your way back! All without anybody knowing you're gone!"
Peter nodded. "It does sound a little intimidating doesn't it?"
"Intimidating? It's impossible! There is no way you can smuggle your belt or costume in there. You'll have to go through the vents to avoid being caught on camera. And if you set off just one alarm, you're history."
"Yes. The security checks on the way in are by far the biggest problem."
"You think that's your biggest problem?" Robby asked incredulously. "What about all of the metas just upstairs, waiting to get a piece of you?!"
Peter was silent for a moment. And in that moment, he actually thought he'd gotten through to him. "I have to do it." He said.
Robby shook his head. "Come on Peter. Even you can't have a plan to get through this. There is no way. None of your little gadgets are up to the job."
Peter shook his head then started, as if an idea had hit him. "Experiment zero." He said grimly.
"What's experiment zero?" Robby asked, looking around for the filing cabinet then walking towards it.
"Don't open it Robby!" Peter jumped out of his seat and stood between Robby and the cabinet drawer marked zero.
Robby took a step back. "What's in there Pete?"
"Nothing you need to worry about."
"Bull."
Peter sighed. "Alright. You remember when I told you that my Uncle only failed once? This is the failed experiment. It's pretty unstable still; I'll have to put it into a container for the Ball."
"Peter, do you mean to tell me that you have an unstable failed experiment and you're planning to trust your life with it?"
"I've done some tinkering." Peter tried to assure Robby as much as himself. "I know the risks. It could work."
"To what end Peter? To avenge Jonah? All of this, just for revenge?"
Peter put his hands on Robby's shoulders. "Whatever this was, it was so important, Jameson died for it. I think he'd want us to finish his last investigation."
Robby's face contorted into a mixture of fear and sadness. After a conflicted moment, it settled on sadness. "Is there anything I can do?"
Peter nodded. "Gather up all of the information you can on the Avengers. Let's see if we can figure out what Jonah wanted to figure out without having to go to this ball."
Robby nodded and turned to leave. Then he turned back around. "Peter?"
Peter flinched, and then turned. "Yes Robby?"
"You should probably take the Spider-copter and have it hover above the party, in case you need to get away fast."
Peter smiled. "That actually might come in handy... with the stealth configurations… thanks Robby."
Robby left and Peter began to plot his way into Avenger's mansion. It was going to be much more dangerous than he'd let on to Robby. He was glad that Robby wanted to help him, despite that. He really had some amazing friends.
Doctor Otto Octavius placed a hand on the glass of his aquarium. Several little octopi clung to the rock wall. One of them detached and made its way to the glass. It clung on to the other side of where Octavius' hand rested.
"Ah, yes Machiavelli. Don't worry. You and your children will be getting food soon enough."
He reached over to the control panel at his side. The roof of the aquarium opened, to reveal Scott Lang. Blindfolded, and tied up with a thick black cord. Scott Lang was the one in charge of the recruitment for The Cabal. A petty 'team' of scientists working under Reed Richard's supervision to create a 'better world'.
Scott Lang had denied him entry. For, 'psychological reasons'.
Bah! He was the smartest mind in New York! Did they think they could reject his brilliance because he would refuse to conform to their ridiculous 'standards of mental health', or their precious 'code of ethics'? No, they would suffer for this indignity.
He pressed the intercom button. "Good evening Mr. Lang. How is it, 'hanging'?"
Lang squirmed like a worm on his hook. "Who's there? What do you want? Do you want money? I have millions, you can take it all!"
Otto chuckled at his captive's naiveté. "Oh no Mr. Lang. If I wanted your money, I would have simply taken it. And it would have been easy, with those pathetic safeguards the Cabal has tried to protect it with. What I want is revenge you poor fool."
Dr. Lang actually started to cry at this. "Why?!" He screamed. "What did I ever do to you?!"
Otto gritted his teeth. "You humiliated me of course! I am the greatest mind the world will ever see! What gave you the right to deny me my place in the pantheon of minds you call the Cabal?"
"Who… who are you?"
Octavius ignored him. "But really, I should thank you. If you hadn't denied me entry, I would never have realized my full potential. I would never have realized that I didn't need your sniveling excuse for a high school science club. Despite your best efforts, history will recognize me as the greatest mind since Oppenhiemer! Speaking of which, please give him my regards if you meet him."
"Who are you? I can let you into the Cabal if you just let me go! Oh god! Don't kill me! Oh god!"
Octavius paused, his finger hovering over a button on the panel. "No you poor worthless ant. Not quite. But if knowledge is power… then perhaps I am. As your death draws nigh, scream in fear my proper name; Doctor Otto Octavius. The greatest mind of our time."
He pushed the button.
The rope was cut and Lang dropped into the water, the door closing behind him. He writhed and squirmed, and as his blindfold fell off the last thing he saw was Octavius. Lit only by the rippling blue light emanating from the aquarium, his face lit up with glee. His bulbous form bounced up and down like a giddy schoolchild, as the rocks at the bottom of the aquarium came to life.
The giant Octopus became the color of blood, as a massive tentacle snaked out and wrapped itself around the terrified Scott Lang. With a slightly sickening crunch, he went as limp as a boned fish. The octopus slammed him against the wall several times, cracking the skull and spilling its juices.
The several little octopi swarmed like piranha where it hit and extended their probosci to suck in the errant gray matter. While the giant octopus on the floor pulled itself up to reveal to Octavius its gaping maw. Three sets of teeth extended from the beak and began to tear the corpse limb from bloody limb.
When it was over, the monster lay back down and reached out, placing a tentacle on the glass. Octavius placed his own hand over it. "Thank you Oppenheimer. No, this one didn't hurt me, he was just an annoyance. I appreciate your concern though." He chuckled grimly as his pet belched out the ropes and the clothes. "Yes, I imagine he would taste better than my father. I'm glad you enjoyed it." He leaned in closer and whispered. "I did."
Suddenly, a green button beeped in another corner of his dark lab. He sauntered over, smoothing out his mullet. He hurriedly pulled down his impressive harness and put it on, giving himself four new appendages to work with. He sat down next to a control panel in front of a genetician tank, readying his tentacles over it. He reached one tentacle across his lab and pressed the beeping button.
A television screen came to life in front of him. Osborn's face smiled at him from the view screen and he could see the large form of Wilson Fisk behind him. "Hello Octavius." He said. "Hard at work I see."
"As ever with the workload you give me." Octavius said. He and Osborn were well acquainted. Osborn was nowhere near as intelligent as he, but he was smart enough to be able to recognize his genius and praise it.
"Only because I have so much faith in your genius Doctor. There's nobody else who could do what you're doing for me."
And with that Octavius heartily agreed. "Your fifth assassin will be done in but a moment Osborn. I would have done your fifth by now, but he heartily refused. He said it was a matter of pride that he… 'hunt armed only with skill, honor, and destiny'."
Osborn nodded grimly. "That does sound like Kraven. I'll talk to him. In the meanwhile, have you heard of what happened to Rhino?"
Octavius' eyes widened underneath his sunglasses. "Something happened to him?"
"Yes. Spider-man."
Octavius scratched his head. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this… Spider-man. A vigilante I presume?"
"Yes, but he has no powers. He's been active for a while, but he's never been a threat before. Trouble is he's upgraded from small-time to prime-time. I know Rhino isn't the smartest of guys…"
"Understatement doesn't become you Osborn. The man was a Neanderthal. I was surprised he could be bilingual."
"Actually, he's not really Russian. He only used the accent and the word da because he thought it sounded scary."
"Ah. I suspected as much."
"Regardless, he was beaten by a man without any powers. That makes us look bad. Not only that, but now his hide will be available to the Avengers… maybe even the Cabal."
Octavius gritted his teeth. "No! I designed the suit myself. Radioactivity shielding, tough enough to stand an assault from a tank, regenerative capacity. They cannot take my genius! They cannot! How did Rhino manage to blunder?"
"Repeated blows by electrically charged vibranium and then a Jackhammer."
Octavius thought for a moment. "That might work. The repeatedly applied electricity coupled with the vibranium might have been able to reverse the polarity of the suit's protective layer, thus making him able to feel the electricity and it would even cancel out the regenerative abilities long enough for a Jackhammer to apply."
"So in short, the suit was designed to counter large or prolonged attacks, not repeated small ones."
"It would appear so unfortunately. Something to fix in reproduction." He gritted his teeth and started murmuring under his breath. "I just bet the Cabal has the suit already. Oh they're probably just laughing away at the poor sap who designed the suit. I'll show them." He returned his attention to the screen. "We need to show them who they are dealing with."
"Exactly Octavius. That's why we're going to break into Avenger's mansion and take it back."
Octavius broke into a wide smile. "What did you have in mind?"
"First, we upgrade from six to seven. This seventh will be tailored specifically to kill Spider-man."
"Excellent." Octavius rubbed his hands in anticipation. "I already have a little something in mind. And the Avengers?"
"We attack in a week."
Octavius shook his head. "Well that just won't do. In a week, the Cabal might have the suit. I can have a seventh ready to attack this weekend if Kraven declines. There will be a charity ball. That means hostages. Wealthy important hostages."
Osborn nodded. "Good thinking Octavius."
"As ever Osborn."
"But I'll be one of the hostages."
"What place would be safer?"
Osborn laughed heartily, almost falling off his chair. "Alright Octavius. I'm going to leave you to plan for this one. You'll be the first person to successfully steal from the Avengers."
"James!" Elsie called. "Your girlfriends are here!"
James quickly grabbed the contents of his desk, including his files on the Avengers and the ticket to the ball, and shoved them into a drawer on his desk. He locked it up just in time, as Rogue, Kitty, and Jubilee walked through the door. "You are the worst secretary ever!" He called out to Elsie. She just stuck her tongue out at him.
Marie Darkholme came from a family of crime. Her mother was an international jewel thief who called herself Mystique and was married into the Lehnsherrs. Of course, nobody could prove any of them were criminals. But rumors flew, and she had a tough time in the X-men. She was the first X-woman, and was more effective than the whole force. Eventually she was kicked out, some say it was for her criminal connections but it was really just jealousy. Thankfully, Agent Storm found her and gave her a place in her howling commandos. Since then, most people called her by the name she'd got in the X-men. Rogue. She stole people's life-force when she touched them. Usually it hurt, but thanks to James healing factor he was immortal. He had life-force to spare.
Kitty Pride was the first of the three girls to be on the commandos, but she was younger than Rogue. Kitty was an expert in the fields if electronics and computers. She was the toughest of the three. James had taught them all martial arts, but she was without a doubt the best. Even without her powers, which included the ability to phase through things. After she was a witness to the death of another mutant kid, she also had a magical 'soulsword' that made her hair white whenever she used it.
Jubilee was a Japanese kid he'd rescued off the streets of Madripoor. Kitty may have brains, but Jubilee had the best detective skills of the three. She was one of his kid spies with Jimmy until she grew up and got a job with Shield.
"Hi James." She said. "How's business going?"
"Bad." He replied. "I only have one case at the moment. They've shut off my cable."
"Awe, sounds rough." She said, sitting on the desk. "Want me to help you relax?"
"We aren't here for that." Rogue chided. "James, we're here about last night."
"I thought so." He leaned back in his chair. "Any way I can help?"
Kitty shook her head. "Not on your life. You know how Agent Storm feels about you."
"We're actually here to ask you a few questions." Rogue said. "For starters, Agent Xavin saw you in the club with Spider-man. The claw marks in her kidney confirm it. What case were you working on last night and why was it nessecary to stab s Shield agent?"
James put on his poker face and recited the lie he'd thought up this morning. You owe me Parker. He thought. "I was actually about to call you about that. The current case I'm working on… well, it's for the Marvel Knights. You know, I would have just taken the messenger hostage and turned him in for the reward on those guys. But he paid me more."
"You were aiding and abetting…"
"No Kitty, I wasn't. I was aiding and abetting the people of New York."
"What do you mean?"
James shrugged. "Listen, you guys have been trying to infiltrate these guys club for a while now, right? Well, it just so happens that you can't because their leader, Moon Knight, can see right through your guys. And it isn't anything psychic either. It's magic so you don't know how to block it." He leaned forward. "But it just so happens, that I am immune from this guy. You know, one of my mutant powers is, I can only be seen on the color spectrum. Even his magic spectrum can't see me. I can do what you guys can't. I can infiltrate the Knights, call you when I get to their home base, and help you take them out. And get the reward money." He added, as an afterthought.
The girls were speechless. "Um, wow." Kitty said. "Seriously, that's genius! Why didn't we think of using you?"
"Because Storm doesn't trust him." Jubilee said.
"And as for Xavin." He said. "I am sincerely sorry about that. All I knew was that she was a Skrull. You know how I feel about Skrulls. Now that I've smelt her, it won't happen again. You have my word."
"I'll have to call this one in." Rogue left the room and speed-dialed Agent Storm.
"So were you really going to arrest me?" James whispered as soon as she was out of earshot.
"No." Kitty giggled. "I was going to phase us out as Shield bombed this place from the sky. Then we'd arrest your charred remains." The three of them laughed. They all knew it would take more than that to stop James.
"So what was so important the Knights would trust you with this?" Jubilee asked.
"Actually it's an interesting case." James said. "I could use some help from Shield's end."
"And you can have it." Rogue said as she came back into the room. "As long as you keep us in the loop. Storm's desperate enough to get these guys that she's willing to give you a chance. Bet that was a wrench."
"Great." James said grinning.
"One thing though." Rogue said. Her hand reached out like lightning and grabbed his face. He recoiled, but she kept a firm grip as she shifted through his memories. If she didn't find an Avenger besides Spider-man, they'd arrest him.
A tense minute passed, and she let go. "Wow, okay. You're good."
"I know I am." James grinned.
"No, I mean you're… never mind. Just tell us what you know. So far."
James leaned forward. "I've learned that the Four Kings…"
"Who are myths." Kitty said exasperated.
"No they aren't."Jubilee said.
"Well of course they are! I can't find any trace of them on my computers. That means they don't exist."
"Trust me, they exist." James said. "And they have a list. Right now, there are names on this list. By the month's end, the names will be crossed off. Do you see what I'm saying?"
"A hit list?" Kitty asked. "Why do the Knights want to know about a hit list?"
"Obviously, everybody on the list would have to be somebody that the Kings don't want alive." Jubilee said. "Every moment the people on this list are kept safe would frustrate the Kings, which is what the Knights want."
"Yeah, and that's not all." James said darkly. "Rumor has it that Deadpool, or at least a Deadpool lookalike, is taking off the names on the list."
Kitty gasped, but Jubilee and Rogue looked confused.
"Alright." Jubilee said. "Who's Deadpool?"
"I think I saw him in a memory." Rogue said. "He had a red suit with a black patch over one eye right?"
"In one darling." James said. "Deadpool is the most dangerous man on this planet."
"Interpol has forty Gigabytes on him!" Kitty said. "He's one of J.F.K.'s suspected killers!"
"Wait," Jubilee said. "you don't believe in the four kings, but you still read J.F.K. conspiracy sites?"
"He's supposed to be retired now." James said. "It may be a lookalike, but I still want to find him and ask him about this new guy."
"What makes him so dangerous?" Rogue asked.
James looked her in the eye. "He's insane. He has the Healing Factor like me. And he's madder than a hatter at a tea-party where the tea was spiked with LSD." He looked away. "He was one of three people to beat me in a fight."
The girls were silent. They knew how hard it was to do that.
"Wow." Jubilee said. "Why would somebody like that retire?"
"Personal reasons." James said.
"How do you know?"
James was quiet for a long time. "He was the one that taught me how to fight."
None of the girls knew how to respond to that.
"We knew each other for a long while. We met each other train-hopping during the great depression. He was just a kid then. A kid with a Japanese uncle, who'd taught him how to use a sword. Those were good times. Just two kids, riding train cars, katana fighting in the moonlight, taking potshots at rats. Good times." He sighed wistfully. "Things just weren't the same after the Hiroshima incident. But we've kept in touch. Until recently. We haven't spoken in five years. He still sends Christmas cards, but I haven't managed to trace them back to him." He looked up. "I know he's a mercenarie and stuff, but I knew him long before he went mad. He's my friend. And whoever's out there trying to imitate him is going to pay."
An arrow flew through the air and hit the side of the tank. It exploded and a hundred pounds of cocaine spilled out.
A second later, Hawkeye flew into it. Followed by a very angry man in a high-tech suit.
"I can't believe you just did that!" He screamed. "I just specifically told you not to, but you did it anyway! Do you have any idea how much you are dead right now?"
He grabbed Hawkeye by the throat. "You know what? I'm not going to kill you. Not right now. I'm going to poke your eyes out." He raised his arm, which was covered in spikes like the rest of his body. "Here's a word of advice; never name yourself after the body part that you'd hate to lose the most."
"The eyes ain't what I'd miss the most." Hawkeye sneered. "You're gonna hafta aim lower for that." He threw a handful of cocaine into Porcupine's face. Porcupine dropped him and stumbled backwards, releasing a volley of spikes. Hawkeye dodged them and scooped up another handful of cocaine, running forward and shoving it down Porcupine's throat.
Suddenly, a white crescent-shaped grappling hook shot down and embedded itself in the wiring in Porcupine's suit. Moon Knight leaped down from the rafters, using a beam as leverage to pull the porcupine up. When he reached the bottom of the tank, Hawkeye had already pinned an arrow into the side and he quickly tied the rope around it.
They looked up to admire their handiwork. Porcupine hung from the ceiling, completely out of it. "Nice move." Hawkeye said.
"Thank you. I believe it is called; the Spider-man maneuver."
Hawkeye groaned. "You're not still on about him are you?"
"He was a true hero. We should not have abandoned him. He will only keep fighting on his own, and he is far more likely to be hurt. He has proven that he could defeat Rhino, and within days of being beaten within an inch of his life. "
"Beginner's luck." Hawkeye said. "You have that profile thing right? Why do you keep bugging me, when you know I won't change my mind?"
"You will. Not today, not tomorrow, but as long as I continue to apply pressure, you will burst."
Hawkeye shook his head. He looked back up at Porcupine. "Did I O.D. him?" He asked.
"No." Moon Knight replied. "He was already a drug addict. He will recover."
"Well then maybe you can explain why you're in my bust Moon Knight." He said.
"The Punisher. The Avengers have him. He must be rescued."
"Let him rescue himself."
"You would abandon him too?"
"Hey, you know as well as I do the man's loco."
"But he's a 'loco' we need."
Hawkeye gritted his teeth. "This is the end of the discussion." He said. "I'm already late for my date with Black widow." He jumped out of the vat, followed by Moon Knight. As they left, a head popped out of the cocaine. It wore a red mask, with a patch of black over one eye.
The man waited until he was sure they'd gone, and then he stood up, flexing. One of the Porcupine's spikes was embedded in his lower intestines. He pulled it out, and the wound healed rapidly. He shivered as the cocaine on the wound was absorbed into his system. He jumped up, ricocheting off the walls of the vat and slicing the rope holding the Porcupine up with his Katana. The both fell into the vat. As he checked Porcupine for a pulse, he remembered what Moon Knight had said about Hawkeye.
As long as I continue to apply pressure, you will burst.
He took out his radio. "Hey Barracuda. What odds are Mojo giving Black Widow being the next one off the list?"
"Seven to one." Came the reply.
He smiled under his mask. "Well, put all of our money on her." He said.
"You got it Deadpool."
As he was getting up to leave, he found a pulse.
He took out his Katana, and cut it off.
In the middle of night, Rogue got out of bed and put some clothes on. He really is the best he is at what he does. She thought, looking down at James between Kitty and Jubilee.
She walked over to the wall, making so little noise that even he couldn't hear, and walked through. She'd absorbed all of their powers during the night. She'd probably keep the claws until she died now. She'd also absorbed a message from Jubilee.
He's figured out how to trick your power and isn't telling us everything. At midnight, sneak into his office and look in the bottom right drawer of his desk.
She emerged from the wall into his office and phased the drawer out. She laid it out on the desk and took out the first file on the heap. It was a complete profile of all of the Avengers, and their powers. As she was looking through, a ticket to the ball fell out. She eyed it suspiciously, and put everything back where they were. She sniffed them all, and nodded. She was so covered in Wolverine's smell right now he wouldn't be able to distinguish her scent.
She phased back into the bedroom and went back to bed.
