Chapter Nine
Blackwell Road, North Los Angeles
December 12, 0150 hours

Liam sat across from the man who identified himself as "The Boss", smiling gently. He really hated the man. He disliked drug dealers in general, but this man really rubbed him the wrong way. Everything about him screamed crook, from his badly tailored cheap suit to his smelly cologne and dirty gold teeth. Yes, teeth. The white man had a "grill" on top and bottom that would make Lil' Wayne jealous, and it didn't look like he took much care to keep them clean. And he smiled a lot.

So Liam just smiled back as they talked. Liam felt a little uncomfortable, sitting there in a t-shirt and baggy cargo shorts, since his only weapon at the moment was his telekinesis. His revolver had been confiscated by the large man at the door. Sure, he could send the man through the wall with his TK, but he didn't want to risk injuring the man. He still needed more information.

He'd come in, posing as a buyer, wanting to set up shop in a thus untapped market, his own neighborhood. He'd told the man that he was a schoolteacher, and had provided a credible set of fake ID. So far he'd learned that the man's supplier was evidently part of Burgeon Imports, and was very well connected. Customs, police, judges, the district attorney…they all belonged to the supplier. All the man had to do was get the drugs out onto the street, and supply his superior with any mutants who became hooked on Lick. Simple.

"So, I buy from you, and pass any muties who get hooked bad, and I get to keep all my profits. Is that about right?" Liam asked.

The man grinned, and Liam had to force the smile to stay on his face to keep from retching on the man's scuffed Italian loafers.

"That's right, my friend. That's right. Not a bad deal, huh? I still gotta ask my boys to check you out, obviously."

"Obviously." Liam nodded. "And once I check out, I bring you what? Ten grand? Twenty to start?"

The man shrugged.

"Whatever you think you can sell, buddy. I work with all budgets." The man said. "Only one thing you gotta remember. You cross me, and I kill you. Not just you. I kill you, your family, your friends, your boss, and all those precious little brats at your school. Deal?"

Liam nodded again, smiling.

"I think we can do business." He said, offering his hand. "I never liked those kids anyway."

He man laughed, and grabbed Liam's hand.

At that moment, all hell broke loose. The door to the room splintered into a veritable cloud of wood slivers, and a giant metallic man came crashing into the room. Reacting a half second later, Liam swung the man towards the massive mutant, and immediately charged up two powerful blasts. He tossed one at the metal man, and one at the window, intent on creating a rapid exit. The large man caught the man, and tossed him aside. Liam took off running after his second blast, and it blew the window out of the wall, along with a nice large chunk of wall. Liam was halfway to freedom when his path became blocked by a blue furred mutant with a demonic smile.

"I don't think so, mein freund." The mutant said.

Liam turned, and saw a third mutant striding into the room, and suddenly realized who the three were. They were X-Men. They were members of a group of mutants who were at times superheroes, criminals, world savers, outlaws, teachers, and explorers.

Liam was severely out of his league, and he knew it. He stopped dead in his tracks, and raised both his hands over his head.

"I give, I give." He said quickly. "I'm a P.I."

The large metal mutant, whom he guessed was Colossus, went over and picked up the only groggy human in the room. He tossed the much smaller man onto the couch, and the third mutant to enter the room, the one known as Wolverine, walked rapidly towards Liam, unsheathing his claws as he did.

"Woah, woah, woah! Take it easy, guys. I'm a private investigator. I'm not here to cause you any trouble." He said, his powers automatically charging.

"Put that away. Stop it right now, bub, or I give ya a shave that gets a little too close." Wolverine said.

"Okay, okay. Just gimme a second. You're kind of freaking me out right now. Just a second." Liam said, backing away, and actively trying to power down.

His powers slowly faded, and he took a seat on the edge of the couch, trying to look as non-threatening as possible.

"Look, I'm on a case, and my leads brought me here, okay? I just-"

"Shut up. Not another word until I say so, clear?" Wolverine asked, pointing his claws at Liam.

The younger mutant just nodded. Wolverine turned to the furry mutant, Nightcrawler, and spoke.

"Elf, if he makes a move, you port him outside. I'm thinkin' ten stories up, and let go. Pete?" he said, turning to Colossus. "If the other one moves, squish him."

The metallic mutant smiled and cracked his large steel knuckles with a sound that was like several rapid gunshots. The shorter mutant turned to face his two prisoners, for that's what they were at the moment. He stared at them both in turn, scowling, and looking for all the world like he wanted to just carve the answers out of them. Liam sat silently, as the other man came around.

"Now, I'm gonna ask you two questions. If I don't like your answers, I'm gonna kill you. If you lie to me, I'm gonna kill you slow. I'll know. Hell, I may just kill you anyway, but if you provide me with the answers I want, I'll make it quick."

Liam nodded, and the drug dealer did the same.

"Now, you." The short mutant turned to Liam. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"My name's Liam Kynde. I'm a private investigator with Knight Time Investigations. I was hired to investigate a company called Burgeon Imports. Paper trail and a few friendly hints dropped by a stretchy mutant who apparently works for the guy who hired me led me here."

Wolverine leaned close and sniffed the air around Liam. If Liam hadn't already been terrified, that certainly would have pushed him over the edge. The softly growling mutant squinted at him.

"This stretchy guy. He kinda gray and cocky?"

Liam frowned.

"Uh, yeah, actually. Friend of yours?"

The other mutant frowned and sighed, turning to face the other man.

"You. Who's your supplier. Give me a name."

The man had tears threatening to spill over his cheeks, but he didn't cry yet.

"No. She'll kill me."

"Mother fucker, I'll kill you, and I promise you I'll hurt you more." Wolverine shouted, impaling his claws in couch, next to the man's head.

"I don't know! I don't know her name!" the man yelped. "Her guys called her Chief! That's all I know, I swear."

Liam perked up, and turned to the man.

"What'd she look like?" he asked.

Wolverine growled at him.

"Shut up."

"Dark hair. Long and kinda curly. Green eyes, looks Asian. She always wears green." The man rambled.

"I know who he's talking about. She's one of the people I'm investigating."

"I didn't ask you, kid. Shut up." Wolverine said.

"I think maybe you should listen to ze man, mein freund." Nightcrawler said.

Liam raised his hands, and shut his mouth. Wolverine turned back to the man and sniffed. He growled, and withdrew his claws, letting all of them slide back into his hands.

"Where? Where did you meet her?" he asked.

"Uh…uh…I think I met her down at the shipyard. Yeah. Yeah. The shipyard. That's where I pick up my shipments. They come in from outta the country. I don't know where."

Wolverine nodded.

"Good. Pete, squish him."

"Ah! Fuck! No! Please!" the man cried, tears finally spilling down his face.

"Kurt? 'Port him till he passes out."

Nightcrawler grinned evilly.

"Come, you evil evil man. Let us go for a ride." And they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Okay, bub. Spill." Wolverine said, turning back to Liam.

"Well, her name's Chief Elle Blur. She runs Burgeon Imports. Everything I've got on her leads to dead ends. Education, job history, personal references and contacts. She's a ghost, but I'm making headway." He said. "I've got information that suggests-"

"That some really rich and famous people are involved? So rich they are damn near invisible?" Wolverine asked.

Liam frowned and nodded.

"Okay, your turn. Spill. Why do you know so much of what I don't?" he asked.

Wolverine sighed and shook his head.

"No time. And not here. You got a car nearby?"

"Yeah. My SUV's down the street."

"Good. I hope ya have a big couch, because we're crashing at yer place tonight."