Land of heroes.
Before we begin I have an issue to address regarding certain reviews I have recently received, both privately and publicly. Now as I have commented in other stories I am currently working, earning my degree and when I can, write.
Because of this I sometimes take time to update my fics, but that does not mean I have abandoned them, it simply takes a while to get through them all but I do get to them eventually. I ask for your patience and thank you for it.
Now I don't know how others writer's deal with their public but I like to believe I am receptive to certain requests when I feel they contribute to my work…however I do not like it when I am ordered to deliver at someone else's schedule or manipulate my story to likings of someone else.
I work at my pace and I place what I feel is right for the story. If this is not satisfactory to certain readers then by all means you may look elsewhere for your entertainment, but do not come to me thinking I am some nobody that will take that.
Respect is earned not given, when you order me like some dog you disrespect my work and me. I will let it slide for now but I will not a second, you have been warned.
I apologize to those who took their time to read this message but I felt it had to be done just like the person who flamed me in my Belmont fic. Now on with the show as they say and thank you for your time.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Marvel or Halo (God, I wish I did though.) enjoy.
Thanks to my Beta reader for helping me once more, hope to read more of your work soon, you ever need help just ask.
Chapter 8, part 2:
In the surrounding forests near the Xavier estate…
It was calm and peaceful morning around the woods that surrounded the safe haven for mutant's known as the Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters.
This calm was only broken as its interdimensional visitor ran through its trees and bushes for the third time in the day since dawn.
John ran around the area that Logan used whenever he felt the need to push himself, hence the name "Logan's run", it was a route only used by himself and occasionally Psylocke who had the Canadian mutant's permission, when she wanted to blow off some steam.
John was currently wearing on a set of military issue track pants, combat boots, and a simple sleeveless shirt as he ran the course. He was enjoying the workout and the privacy for now as it brought him back to memories of his past.
It reminded him of the woods on Reach where he and the others were airdropped when they were 8 and where they learned the lesson of Teamwork when they took on the disguised marines much like a pack of wolves Déjà lectured them about. It made him reminisce about his past with his Spartan brothers and sisters; he wondered how many made it after the war and especially if his team was all right.
Blue Team was the premier Spartan team; very few could ever say that they weren't hard pressed to beat them during war games. Those that did were made better prepared for what came during real time battle.
Blue Team was, in John's perception, one of the more flexible teams since they had quite the roster in the day, and they had accomplished quite a number of feats together, though not all of them ended well in some respects.
Each of his teammates, those living and dead added something that made them a formidable force when they faced the Insurrection, and when they fought the Covenant.
Sam was the muscle of the team, being the tallest and strongest Spartan and John's oldest friend next to Kelly; to this day he carried the weight of his death on his shoulders. That was the hardest day of his life when the war with the Covenant broke out, leaving his best friend behind to his death, but he also balanced it out with the fact that Sam did not hesitate to do what he could, he knew that Sam would have given him his own MJOLNIR had the situation been reversed and he had been the one hit with that Plasma bolt and had his compromised.
Linda, the lone wolf of the team, was the best sniper in the bunch, give her a sniper rifle and a target and she would hit the bull's eye every time and she could wait for as long as necessary as well. The battle in the Unyielding Hierophant was the finest display of sniper prowess he had ever seen and he had no doubt that Linda would have considered it a good test of her skills.
Kelly, or the Rabbit as she was affectionately called, no one could catch her once she cut loose and ran for all her worth, she often took the role of bait to lure unsuspecting enemies into an ambush. And the ability she had to endure pain put just about everyone to shame; even he was amazed at her durability and endurance at times.
Fred was more into the direct approach when dealing with his enemies, the man was a master with the blade and knew the right spots to strike with it. The Elites always had a tendency to go after Fred whenever he pulled out his blades due to their martial culture only to soon to regret that choice as they were either torn apart or sported new holes in them.
Kurt, the only one to ever truly beat him during war games, he had a sixth sense when it came to ambushes and planned appropriately for them. He owed him for the rescue back when his team was sent to recover some nuclear warheads form insurrectionists even though in the past he was not too comfortable with Kurt's desire make friends with anyone in the UNSC ranks.
It was a truly a tragedy he fell during an EVA and a faulty slipspace drive, and yet another lesson to him and the others to ALWAYS check their gear before any operation as an unexpected failure on his EVA pack lead to him being killed.
John did miss them and hoped that those of his team and the other Spartans were well, with luck the invention Dr. Richards and Stark told them about yesterday would aid them in returning home and better aid the UNSC in dealing with the Loyalists.
Thinking about returning home however made his mind wander to Karen, what would happen to her when he left? Would she ask to come with him? Would he refuse her? What would his world reaction be to her would be considering her being a mutant?
He had a duty to return to the UNSC…but he also had a duty to Karen, the question that plagued him the most was…which deserved more priority?
He shook his head and left such thoughts to a later time as he approached the campsite he set up last night. He took out a canteen filled with a drink that was a mixture of proteins, mineral and vitamins that helped maintain his body's high metabolism.
It was not known for its taste but did help him regain his energies, with that said he decided to practice some Tai chi to cool down. Though not as fluid as Li it did grant him some measure of tranquility and serenity and it was something that kept him at top form as well.
Meanwhile…
The three teams and guests had arrived early in order to get the proceedings started sooner. Having been alerted to his exact location thanks to Cortana keeping an eye on him, Miranda, herself, Karen and a few volunteers went to fetch him.
Cortana, through the use of a portable holopad Miranda carried, guided the group to the campsite while in human size. Miranda was dressed casually despite the possibility that student's who had encountered her would ask why she was near such recognizable people; she wore blue jeans, long sleeved red blouse and a black windbreaker.
"So how are you all this morning?" Miranda asked them.
"Oh fine…" Rachel spoke "…things have been thankfully peaceful as of late."
"Same with us…" Carol spoke up next to the Commander "…it's nice to have day where the fate of the world isn't on the line, shame it never lasts." The blonde finished.
"How are you guys?" Jen spoke up.
"Well…at times it feels strange." She spoke as she tried to elaborate.
"What do you mean?" Karen asked as she held her free hand while they walked.
"Well Karen…back where we come from we didn't have time to relax, because of the war we had to fight." She said as she tried to explain without the need to go into the gory details of the war.
"I can't imagine living with that kind of stress." Ororo spoke as she recalled the images of such a war with such fearsome and bloodthirsty enemies. And to be on the losing end would have been a real strain to anyone, let alone facing eight different races all at once.
"We tried to remain hopeful but at times things were Hell, John got it the worst from what I heard and seen firsthand." Miranda spoke as they closed in.
"How so Commander?" Natasha asks.
Cortana chose to field this one.
"Well Natasha, when we first arrived on the first Halo installation we got into one fight after another…I think he only rested one night while we were there, and we where there for a week so you can imagine how drained he must have been once we blew the place to smithereens. Fighting for seven days nonstop with only stims to keep you up is pushing it…not to mention the injuries."
"Whoa!" Jen spoke in surprise "…I heard about running on fumes but that takes the cake."
"Then there was the battle in the Forerunner Dreadnaught, he had to fight wave after wave of Covenant troops one after the other, salvaging any weapons he could find and also facing what would be considered an interstellar army all by himself. Oh yes John most definitely earned some rest after so much, of course he'll never admit it."
She finished with an amused smile as she remembered how hard it was to get him to relax.
"Well that's not fair! I'm going to talk to him and ask him to rest."
Karen spoke up with determined tone, earning some chuckles from the women and A.I.
However Karen decided to ask for some help and walked up to Jennifer.
"Miss Walters?"
"Yes sweetie?"
"Could you go out with my Dad for one night?" She asked honestly causing everyone to stop and look at her.
"What? Is there something on me?" She asked as she looked at herself.
"Uh Karen…Heh…not that I mind…" She-Hulk started as she knelt to look at the girl "…but why did you ask ME." She finished, though if she were honest with herself she had no problem carrying out her request.
*Well I was going to ask him out to that dinner party I was invited to.* She thought as she remembered that it was one of the cases involving a hit and run. Since the victim was the son of one of New York's better liked citizens who made many contributions for the homeless and needy, he wanted to thank her for helping them out.
"Well…you're pretty and strong, and you did help me with what happened to my Mom."
"I see…tell you what I'll ask him and if and see what he says 'kay?" She asked with a smile and getting one from the small girl, she stood up and showed a victory sign to the others and received some glares from Psylocke and Rachel.
Ororo decided to change topics in order to avoid a catfight, though she was hoping that Karen would have asked her instead she chose not to make an issue of it…yet.
"So what do you believe he did while he was out here?"
"Training most likely, Spartans are constantly training to keep themselves fit and ready for any situation, apart from that I heard that they usually work in the armory on their weapons, armor and equipment with near religious zeal, but considering their missions that is no surprise. Plus meditating though I don't know any of them who do that, I know John doesn't do that though and prefers more physical activities to burn off the excess energy." Miranda replied.
Cortana then chimed in with a smile on her face that spoke of mischief.
"Yep, John loves to train and he keeps in shape in a very dedicated fashion. So don't be surprised by what you heard...plus it at least gives you ladies an idea of the levels of stamina he has for certain activities you and he could have. THAT should make your time teaching the birds and the bees as it were to him entertaining and SO worthwhile right?"
Some of the ladies could not help but react as some blush bright red, others raised their eye brows, and Jen smiled wolfishly as well.
"What do you mean birds and bees? Why would Dad need to learn about animals?"
Karen asked not understanding the true meaning of her words.
"You should have your Dad tell you about it…very soon in fact."
Cortana said to the small mutant with a smile on her face, already picturing in her mind the look on John's face the very second Karen asked him that. John did get a full education about human interaction and procreation as well as everything else, but that was only as a side subject as he and the others were trained to fight and did not have time for that sort of thing.
*John is screwed now.* Betsy sent to the others while desperately trying not to laugh at what would be a very awkward conversation. The others shared in the joke.
As soon as they arrived to the campsite area...they now had a chance to see John in action. Though in this case he was shirtless and covered in sweat as he began to practice one of the harder styles.
John stretched and pulled his arms and legs as he began his katas. He was so focused that he was unaware that he had an audience, Miranda, Karen and Cortana moved away to allow the ladies who admired John to get a GOOD look at him.
Rachel blushed at the sight of John like this and couldn't help but feel her thoughts heading in an oh so naughty direction. She was happy that neither Scott nor Emma was around, since who knew how they would react! She even worried how her mother would have reacted if she learned how...attracted she was to John.
Ororo felt her heart beat faster, she looked at John and she felt like she was watching a beautiful predator move with grace and power. Now she really regretted not making a move sooner and vowed to find a way and a chance to do so in the future.
Betsy smiled warmly and couldn't help but admire the way John moved; he made just about every athlete she ever met and dated look sickly. She had set her sights on him and would definitely make more of an effort from now on.
Carol felt her face burn and she could not help but recall how she managed to touch him when treating his wounds. And now she was getting an eye full and what a sight it was.
Pamela couldn't help but feel her animal side and feminine side get VERY heated and excited. She had seen male models before, but John was in a totally different league. He was a whole other type of handsome. She was almost purring.
Natasha couldn't help but feel her mind begin to think VERY Interesting images as she watched John move. She was accustomed to the male form, but John had a deep appeal and seeing him like this added more fuel to the fire.
Jen could not help but grin even more as she licked her lips slowly. The images that came into her head would have been used in an adult movie, and she had EVERY intention to make those images reality when she could get the chance.
Miranda saw the looks and couldn't help but shake her head in amusement. If the other UNSC personnel saw this, they would have been very jealous or amused. And she had no doubt that the sergeant major was still alive he would have laughed his butt of and even try to impart advice to his Spartan friend if he could on how to court the ladies.
Cortana spoke then.
"They have it bad."
"No kidding, I think it would take an act of God for them to move away from that." She replied.
"Huh?" Karen spoke not understanding what Cortana meant.
"Oh nothing Karen, you should call him and tell him to stop or he'll miss out on all the fun."
"Oh! Okay…" She replied as she walked to her adopted parent.
"Dad! We're here to get you!" She spoke loudly as she walked towards him.
He snapped out of the flow he was in upon hearing her and indeed saw several of the female members as well as his crew watching him while Karen fetched him.
He went to the tent he set up and wipe himself of the sweat he built up before grabbing a T-shirt and putting it on, he did not miss several of the ladies groan in disappointment though why he had no idea at this time.
"Good morning Karen." He spoke as she stood in front of him.
"Morning Daddy, you ready to workout with your friends?"
John chuckled a bit as he considered what he was doing more than a simple workout.
"Yes, just as soon as I change into something more appropriate."He spoke as he went into his tent and put on a clean shirt, showering could wait after he finished the tests.
John picked her up and placed her on his shoulder before walking towards the others.
"Good Morning everyone." He said politely to the group.
They returned the greeting and began to walk towards the others.
"So John, how do you feel about facing a fellow Super Soldier?" Pamela asked.
"It should be a unique experience; I have studied him as best I could for this match." He replied honestly.
"I'll say it's unique…" Carol said as she suddenly recalled seeing Steve in the Gym as he prepared.
"Cap seems almost excited with the idea and he's the calmer one of the Avengers." She finished.
"And what were you able to determine from your studies?" Natasha asked as she wished to see what conclusions he came to as she, some of the Avengers, Fury and Steve himself wondered how the two stacked up.
"Though we are both from different times and different methods by which we were turned into what we are now, I believe it will be a good match. I know I have an edge given my augmentations when compared to his, however he has more experience fighting more powerful opponents."
"Hmm, looks like you gave it some thought." Carol said as she walks next to him.
"He who knew himself and his enemy shall find victory in every battle." He replied.
"I see you have read the works of Sun Tzu." Natasha spoke in approval.
"It was required reading at the academy, if we were to be soldiers we needed more than just brawn if we were to succeed as Spartans. Not to mention we studied other subjects such as politics, languages, and science so we'd be better prepared for anything."
He spoke as he recalled the many lessons in strategy, teamwork and other areas Dr. Halsey and Déjà deemed necessary.
"So you're also super smart?" Karen asked with childlike innocence.
"I wouldn't go that far sweetie…" Cortana said with mirth "…this caveman here has more guts than brains."
"If I recall correctly you aren't all that great either, do you remember installation 04?" He asked in return with a bit of a smirk.
"You won't let me live that down will you?" She said with a glare and a pout to which John replied with a slightly larger smirk.
"Someone has to keep your pride in check."
"What happened?" Rachel asked in curiosity.
"It was when we first arrived to the Halo for the first time, I left Cortana in the control chamber and she decided to investigate while I dealt with certain party crashers. At some pointed I needed to get somewhere fast so she accessed the teleport grid, she did managed to get me there…on the ceiling where I proceeded to land on my head."
He finished earning some laughs much to the embarrassment of the A.I.
"I keep telling you it was an accident!"
"So…we know you've done your research on Steve, what about Logan?"
Black Widow asked as she wondered what he thought about one of the few men in her life cared for like a parent.
"That one would be more difficult, the man's mutation means he has greater endurance and stamina than me who has an artificial healing factor. Add in the fact that he has faced fierce foes such as the Hulk and lived shows he can handle himself."
John spoke as he went through the information they had on him.
"His Adamantium skeleton means his blows are stronger and attempting to attack areas such as his head or shins is inadvisable."
"However when pushed hard enough the man let's his instincts take over and loses his self control, it makes him more dangerous but also more predictable. In that sense he would be the same as the Brutes, anger them and they become fierce berserkers, but they become easier to predict though harder to take down…even their leaders are not immune to that and I've fought them more than once in my career."
The other heroes could not help but agree to some extent, having seen the brutality of the Brutes or the Jiralhanae as they were known; they were not the least bit happy with the idea of facing them. They could be defeated but they were not to be underestimated either.
They soon arrived with the others who waited around their vehicles, the students crowded around the area amazed at seeing so many heroes at the school.
One group was easily recognized as the New Mutants.
"Check it out guys!" Noriko Ashida AKA Surge spoke in awe at seeing the Avengers, Fantastic Four and Spider-man at the school.
"Wonder why they're here?" David Alleyne AKA Prodigy asked.
"Maybe they came for a game of baseball?" Jay Guthrie AKA Icarus spoke in humor.
"I kind of doubt that Jay..." Josh Foley AKA Elixir said as he neared with his girlfriend Laurie Collins AKA Wallflower "…though stranger things have happened."
"True…we have had our fair share of strange encounters." Sofia Mantega AKA Wind Dancer added to her teammates comment as she recalled the crazy things that happened in their time as the New Mutants.
"Hey…aren't that Karen and her Dad?" Laurie asked her teammates as she pointed towards the Father-Daughter in the lead of several female heroes and the members of the UNSC crew.
"Forget that! Is that woman glowing?" Nori spoke as she spotted Cortana.
"What is she?" David asked mostly to himself.
"Maybe you should ask her Alleyne." A cocky voice asked behind the group.
"Oh great, it's Keller." Nori said in a sarcastic tone as the leader of the Hellions and his team appeared.
"Nice to see you too Ashida." The telekinetic spoke with arrogance at the blue haired girl.
"Julian, please…" Sofia spoke to her somewhat romantic interest "…it is too early for this."
The teen immediately backed down as he did not want to upset his potential girlfriend.
"Heh, I'm just playing with her Sofia."
"Yeah and I'm Bigfoot." Nori whispered to David.
"Hey guys what's the deal with all the capes?" Santo Vaccarro AKA Rockslide asked with both curiosity and excitement.
"Don't know." Wallflower replied.
"Why is Karen with them? And aren't those the Detectives who fought those whack jobs?" Cessily Kincaid AKA Mercury asked out loud.
"Who cares?" Julian snapped as he never liked being around the man, something about him put him off after the incident when he saw the guy eliminate Stryker's people with extreme prejudice.
*Guy's a psycho is what he is.* He thought as he saw him and wanted to stay well away from the man.
"Hey! I think he's gonna fight Captain America!" The stone skinned teen spoke as he saw them heading for the training mat Logan used to teach self defense.
"I can't believe I'm saying this but I think Santo is right." Brian Cruz AKA Tag spoke as he ignores the indignant Hey from his friend.
"Let's go guys!" Julian spoke as he ran towards the scene, followed by an equally excited Santo.
"Ugh! I just know nothing good can come from this." Brian said as he and the other Hellions followed. The New Mutants hesitated before doing the same.
Several minutes earlier…
"Good morning Chief." Steve greeted as he saw the man come towards them.
"Captain Rogers good to see you as well."
"So are you ready for our bout?" Rogers asked as he and the others walked towards the area where Logan taught self defense classes.
"Yes sir, I assume you are as well?"
"Well not as much as you I would assume since even the only information we have on your abilities is with your armor on and those records you showed of your training."
The Sentinel of Liberty replied as they arrived.
There were several X-men waiting there, he recognized Gambit, Rogue and Nightcrawler…and there stood a new one he hadn't met yet, a green haired woman in a purple suit with cape.
"Greetings Herr Mendez."
Kurt said as he saw the man close in on them followed by the others. He never called him with his number; Kurt said that he was not some nameless machine but a person and hence deserved to be treated as such.
John had no problem with that and always called him by his name in return.
"Good morning Kurt, Rogue, Mr. LeBeu…and you as well miss." He said to the woman as he put Karen down next to him.
"I'm Lorna Dane, though in uniform they call me Polaris…so you're the one everyone is talking about…" She spoke as she held out her hand "…it is good to meet the man who helped defend the Institute and one of our students."
"It was the right thing to Miss Dane…" He replied as he shook the hand though he was careful not to hurt her "…I have little to no tolerance for men like Stryker and his so called Purifiers."
"Please call me Lorna; you earned that right after what you did."
"Morning John, you ready to rumble?" Rogue asked with a smirk at what was about to unfold.
"As prepared as I can be."
"Well take Ol' Gambit's advise friend, Logan he be dat good in a scuffle but tend to lead with his fist mo' than he's head."
"Shut it Cajun!" Logan growled though he was used to Gambit's sense of humor, and he did jump in with his fist more than most. But that hardly meant that he was stupid either.
"I'll keep that in mind." John spoke to the Cajun mutant while ignoring the glare Logan sent his way.
"Before you begin…" Reed spoke as he pulled out a device that seemed like a hand held metal detector connected to a tablet computer.
"I would like to scan both you and Commander Keyes to determine your quantum and spatial resonance frequencies to determine where your home reality is located." The leader of the four requested.
"All right." John spoke as he stood still while the man waved the device over him horizontally and vertically.
"All right, now you Commander Keyes." He asked as he stretched towards her and repeated the same.
"Excellent, with this I shall begin the search for your reality as soon as we return to the Baxter Building."
"How long do you believe it will take Doctor?" Miranda asked.
"Hmm, hard to say, it depends on where your reality stands in the spatial ladder, the farther away it is the more time it would take to contact them…that reminds me I will need some target coordinates to accurately pinpoint where the message will be sent." Reed said to the two.
"Cortana send the coordinates for the Forerunner home world, if we're lucky Reckoning Bias will pick it up and find some way to relay back to the UNSC or come up with a plan to help us."
"Done and done Commander." Cortana replied as she sent and encrypted message to the Baxter Building, Redeeming and herself had made sure to check for any intrusion programs after their encounter with the Latverian dictator, thankfully none were found.
"Well then let's get this show on the road, Chief time to show your stuff."
John nodded as he removed his shoes and socks as he stepped on the tatami mat.
Steve did the same despite wearing the uniform as he felt it necessary to respect the teachings and traditions involved when using such a training area. He left his shield with Janet and T'Challa while he tested himself with the Spartan.
Both stood facing each other, Steve in a loose boxing stance with his right foot leading in. John reciprocated the stance before he and the Captain began to circle one another.
"They are studying each other." Hercules said out loud.
"Indeed, truly this shall be a fine duel between the two." The thunder God replied to the Grecian deity.
Steve started the fight by launching a left-right punch combo at John, followed by a right spinning backhand. John ducked under the punches and the back hand by dropping down for a sweep kick faster than Steve could follow.
"Ugh!" Steve was unprepared for the speed his opponent presented as he fell and was surprised to find a fist aimed at his face upon regaining his bearings.
John backed away however as this a simple spar to him, in actual combat he would have caved in the man's head in, though he did take this spar seriously.
"Do you wish to continue?" He asked as he backed away.
"Yes." Steve replied while getting back up.
*I didn't even see him move!* He thought as he got ready.
The others shared his sentiments.
The Captain soon moved again and started off with a spin kick to the left side of John's torso, He flipped over the kick and threw a kick of his own to the abdomen.
"Oof!"
"Steve! You okay?" Jen asked as she watched the man get back up, though this time he was more weary.
"Jeez, I haven't seen Cap taken down that fast in years." Hawkeye commented.
"Yeah, I think only Pietro would have followed John's movements." Janet added.
"It's a good thing he isn't wearing that armor of his or else Steve would be toast."
Tygra said as she remembered that the armor made the Spartan even more deadly.
"Actually John was holding back." Cortana spoke calmly as she watched her friend. That comment got a reaction as the heroes looked at Cortana in shock.
"He's what!" Peter shouted
"John is holding back…considerably I might add." The UNSC A.I spoke.
"By how much?"
Fury asked as he looked back to the two and could clearly see the Spartan was by far faring better than Steve.
"I'd say 70%. If he went full throttle, then he would have crippled Steve in a very short span of time, only the other Spartans would match or surpass him as far as I know, though Sangheili and Jiralhanae are the ones who are able to match and surpass John and the other Spartans while in armor no less.
"Actually, when John was still a teen and recovering from the augmentations in the Atlas, a UNSC carrier, he was training with weights and left the gym afterwards, only to be accosted by a squad of ODSTs, and it did not end well."
Fury was curious and spoke once more.
"How bad are we talking about here?"
"I´ll tell you later, but it was…unpleasant for them." She said while she directed a concerned yet hidden look at Karen who was watching the fight.
They all wisely chose not to ask until later when the little girl was not present.
"Uh…Logan?" Kitty looked to her mentor but he just gave her a look that clearly said he was going through with this.
"Drake…" Wolverine spoke to the jokester of the team.
"Yeah?"
"Set up the Danger Room, we're going to need space."
"Right, you got anything you want in particular." He asked out of curiosity, Logan said loud enough so Karen didn´t hear him.
"I want a cage; don't care what kind just put one in." The feral mutant spoke in all seriousness that gained everyone's attention.
"Logan…" Cyclops was starting to protest but Logan beat him to the punch.
"Don't get in my business slim, this is between me and him."
Scott let the matter drop and just hoped things did not end up badly between the two.
Back with the pair of Super Soldiers, John decided to start off this time and ran towards Steve before delivering 3 kicks to the lower leg, mid-section and head. Steve evaded the low kick, blocked the second one with a wince and ducked under the high kick and lunged for the single grounded appendage and pulled it back.
John made no sound of being affected by the drop; however he was aware that the Captain was attempting to grab him in a Judo hold while he was on the mat by the way he maintained hold of his leg and going for his arm.
John countered by pulling him towards him sooner than expected and flipping him over thanks to his greater strength.
Steve rolled and got back up, but John once more charged him and attacked too fast for him to compensate since John barely felt winded. Steve tried another kick but captured the leg and twisted while going down causing his opponent to fall once more.
Landing on his back Steve had no time to recover before John slides in next to him, trapping his right arm between his legs and his neck in a headlock. Steve thought the hold, but with no leverage and the Spartan using more of his enhanced strength he simply could not, he used his free arm to tap out.
John released him and stood up calmly while the blonde massaged his throat.
"Are you all right Captain?"
*Cough.* "That…will teach me to get cocky…heh…good move John, I'll have to remember that one." He said with a smile as he held out his hand, John pulled him up and nodded in respect.
"Guess this old warhorse still has something to learn."
"I wouldn't say that sir, you merely weren't completely informed of my capabilities in relation to your own."
"True enough, still…" Steve spoke as he headed were he placed his footwear while John did the same "…would you be interested in sparring with me, help me keep my edge while learning something from a new generation of soldier?" He asked.
"I would have to check my schedule but I don't see the harm in that." John replied as he began to place his combat boots on.
"Excellent, it would be good to face someone who can push me to my limits and not try to take my head off." Steve joked as he really could better himself with John's help.
He walked towards Janet who held his shield for him to take; as he took it he suddenly had an idea.
"John…"
"Yes?"
"How good IS your hand eye coordination?" The WWII hero asked as he kept the shield in his arms.
"Is he suggesting what I think he is?" Tony whispered to Carol who nodded slowly.
"Fairly accurate sir, though if you are suggesting what I think you are, then I would need some targets." He spoke.
"Well we are heading to the danger room, so we can set up something there." Scott spoke.
"Then please lead the way Scott." John asked politely.
They all soon left with the exception of two teams of young mutants who were stunned by what they saw.
"Dude…was I seeing things…or did I just see Karen's old man kick Captain America's ass?" Santo asked with complete surprise.
"Yeah he did, and did it like it was a cakewalk to him too." Wither replied in an equally shocked tone.
"Oh man! That was awesome!" The golem like teen spoke and the other mutant teens with the exception of one brooding Telekinetic had to admit that the battle was impressive. They all knew of Captain America and had seen him in action, but to see this guy take him on and win was a whole new thing entirely
"Do you think that he's a Super Soldier like him?" Surge asked David.
"He has to be, I mean how else could he beat him so fast? I'm not even sure we saw him go off at a full tank yet."
"He could be a mutant." Sooraya suggested.
"I don't think so Dust…" Icarus said to his friend "…I get the feeling that he isn't a mutant, I mean sure there are mutants who can do what he did but if he is one…"
"Why isn't he here at the institute or is part of the X-men?" Cessily finished.
"Who cares the guy is still a psycho…" Julian muttered.
"Oh? Is wittle Hellion afraid of the big scary human?" Surge mocked with a smirk.
"Oh up yours Ashida."
"Hey David, think you can use that super brain of yours and peek at them." Santo asks.
"What?"
"Dude, I heard he was going to take on Wolverine in a cage! That would be sooo awesome!"
The others thought over and agreed that it would be interesting.
"Fine…I'll see what I can do, but this better not be like the time you, Brian and Keller asked me if I could tap into the security feeds for the female faculty showers." David said loudly as he recalled just how angry Frost and the other women were when he reported that little gem.
*Bro code my ass! No way am I getting in trouble for those nuts.*
Naturally the girls were not aware of this and, and with the exception of Sooraya who merely frowned, pounced on them.
"You bastard!" Keller yelled as used a telekinetic bubble to shield them.
With John and the others…
John along with Carol, Rachel, Steve, Fury, Cortana and Miranda waited for the elevator to rise after the others went first towards the danger room, as they waited Rachel decided to ask the Spartan something that has been on her mind for a while.
"John?"
"Yes Rachel?" He asked while the others looked on.
"Back when Louise and Karen were showed the Dawn and who you really were you said that you couldn't remember your childhood…" She spoke while others were surprised by the comment as it was the first time they heard of this.
"Yes, I recall the feelings I got whenever I thought of my parents but who they were or what they looked like is a blur to me." He replied neutrally, while Miranda and Cortana already knew this the heroes not present where surprised by that comment.
"You don't remember your family?" Carol asked sadly.
"I remember that my Mother loved me very much and smelled of soap, I recall that my Father was proud of me though I cannot recall the reason." He replied though he wasn't entirely honest as he recalled that the feeling came when he spoke to Parisa back on his reality's Earth.
A part of him wondered what happened to her during the attack on Earth, he hoped she was all right; his brief encounter with her led him to believe her a good soldier and person.
"Why do you ask?"
"I was thinking…you've help us when the Purifiers and Sentinels attacked and you don't see us as freaks or outcasts, so I thought to myself "he should be repaid for all he's done." So if you would allow me, I could use my powers to help you at least regain your memories before you became a Spartan."
John, Miranda and Cortana were stunned silent at her offer; if she were anything like Emma she would have used her abilities to read their minds.
Miranda and Cortana both looked at the Spartan as he contemplated the offer to regain something of such value as his forgotten memories.
*Would it truly make a difference? I have lived without them for so long, what need would I have for them? It wouldn't change 30 years of my life.* were some of the thoughts in his head.
"I will…have to consider your offer Rachel; it's still kind of you to offer." He replied while giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze.
She placed her hand on his while looking into his eyes and nodded.
They soon arrived to the control area where the X-men programmed their combat simulations, the Danger Room was as big as a football field, it seemed harmless but given the advance technology of both earthen and Shi'ar origin it was anything but.
"Mr. Drake is it possible for you to program the simulator with targets? We wish to test John with his hand eye coordination first." Captain America asked the ice wielder.
"Sure, I can do that." Robert replied as he manipulated the controls and several targets appeared below.
12 human shaped figures stood randomly in the central area.
"Thank you, Mr. Summers if you would please show us down."
"Sure."
"Can I come?" Karen asked.
John thought it over and decided to humor her.
"All right, but be on your best behavior." He said to her as he held her hand and followed the two outside.
"Okay, the squirt is gone now so what the hell happened between the Spartan and these ODST's you told us about." Fury asked bluntly as it had been bugging him for a while now since he first heard of it.
"Okay first off don't call her that…" Cortana spoke with a mild glare directed at the man getting some chuckles from the women and impassive look from him "….and second its better if I show you while telling you." She finished as she projected a holographic image of John's memories.
"John was fresh out of receiving his augmentations and under microgravity therapy to adjust." She spoke as the images showed John at age 14 entering the gym.
"I still can't believe his fourteen…" Clint spoke "…I swear he looks older."
"That's the achievement Dr. Halsey and CPO Mendez were aiming for when they bred the Spartans, the perfect soldiers." The UNSC A.I said as the images continuing with John going to several machines to work on, his however showed confusion.
"What's wrong? It looks like he's having trouble." Sue asked.
"Like I said they were sent to adapt to their new bodies, they were stronger and faster now, they reacted faster than normal humans did."
The image showed just that as John went to the punching bag and began to strike it faster and faster that only Hercules and Thor could only follow. He moved to another part of the gym confusion still there as he punched another bag only to gain the same result.
Understanding soon came when he realized what was done to him. John was looking to leave when four ODST's came in, from the way the ignored him one even going so far to shove him aside.
"Nice bunch aren't they?" Bobby asked sarcastically.
One of them went to the weights followed by a spotter; however John had removed the pin as a test for his speed yet forgot to reinsert it. The disks fell with a loud clatter.
John apologized but they would have none of that.
"I'm not too sure on the details since it was before I was created, but I do know that John tried to avoid a confrontation with the ODSTs, but they were not letting up."
As if to prove this they circled him and one had him in a headlock while two at his sides grabbed him by the arms, the one in front of him prepared to strike him.
John freed one of his captured arms and cold cocked the one in front, easily breaking his nose after that he freed himself from the headlock. Before things could escalate further a fat sergeant came in and from the looks of things wasn't happy his boys were getting trounced.
"Soon he was in a boxing ring with one of them with the Sergeant and three others looked on. John was soon forced to fight and it was the end for the others. John proved that even though he was only recovering, he was not to be looked down on."
John stood in the center of the ring with the largest of the four, the other three watching with arrogant smirks. Those soon died as the ODST was attacked first a blow to the jaw, then John easily pinned the man´s arms to his chest and with his free hand struck the ribs, broke the man´s knee and with more blows the man was dead before he hanged on the ropes.
The others soon attacked after witnessing the results, what followed was a massacre. The one with a bloody nose armed himself with an iron bar his intentions quite clear, he was the first to attack and had his wrist shattered when John sidestepped and countered.
Not releasing his first opponent John let loose a sidekick at a second attackers groin, the men watching the images cringed as from the expression on the hardened soldier face he was not going to have children any time soon or if ever.
"Talk about nutcracker." Fury muttered.
John then took the bar easily and swung at the third and final attacker´s neck so hard he flew over the ropes, given the relative ease he used when lifting it was a safe bet the man was dead before he hit the ground.
"He ended up killing two of them with his bare hands and severely crippling the others who spent months in the medical for reconstructive surgery and to um…clone some damaged equipment if you get my meaning."
She said in reference to the man who was clutching his crushed anatomy.
"That was why there was a good deal of bad blood between the ODSTs and the Spartans, since John was still fourteen and they were hardcore elite ODSTs and a cut above the regular Marines and he killed them like they were nothing." She spoke as she ended the images with CPO Mendez entering the room.
"And that was when he was in full throttle to boot…so Steve is actually lucky that John was not going on a full tank, even more so now that he is an adult and his abilities have grown since then."
Fury whistled while the others were looking on at the fight with their eyes open wider somewhat.
"Was that…" Ororo found herself struggling to say the words but still pushed forward "…was that the first time he ever killed anyone?"
"Yes Storm, it was in self defense and in accordance with the rules of engagement so he could not be prosecuted. Which in hindsight was a good thing since at the time the Spartan II Program was to be kept under wraps and out of the public eye. And for a number of good reasons since you already know that it was already breaking more laws than most with what was needed to remold John and the others."
"My God…" Peter let out softly as he was shaken by the images and words.
"Hmm, truly John is a Spartan through and through." Hercules commented with some pride as he recalled the ancient Spartan's way of manhood.
"Aye, he would make a fine addition to the ranks of Valhalla should he fall in battle." Thor added.
"You guys are nuts, he shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place..." Rachel snapped at the two "…He should have been in high school flirting with girls living a peaceful life not one filled with blood and guts! And then having to fight in that…hellish war…no one deserves that!"
"Our apologies fair lady, but what you see is not what we see…"
Hercules commented calmly as he truly did understand the woman's words.
"Yes it is indeed tragic the Spartan's denial of family and friendships with those outside the realm of warfare, but what we see is a noble warrior dedicated to the protection of the innocent and just. And we have seen that his actions saved many fine warriors lives' and he has given hope to those who though only death awaited them."
"'Tis true, tho' we may not be nothing but myth in his world it does not mean valiant men such as John are lacking, we know this to be true fair Rachel Grey. Think not on his personal losses but of his many sacrifices as he upheld his ideals and honor. He deserves that much as well."
Thor spoke in a calm yet rational voice.
"I would gladly stand by his side in battle if such a day comes when all others fall and only he remains."
"Indeed old friend, I have no doubt that many others in my world would say the same." Hercules spoke as both agreed the man deserved respect.
The others agreed that John deserved more than pity for he endured, they all turned to look down at the proceedings as the four entered the room.
With John and the others…
"Do you think you can pull it off Dad?" Karen asked as she sees Captain America hand his shield over to John after explaining what to do.
"I believe I can manage, stand clear either way." He spoke as he hefted the shield easily on his arm and got a feel for it, he knew that this was not just any shield as the metal contained properties that were none existent in his reality.
He took careful aim and with a throw launched the shield at the first target.
*CLANG!* it toppled the target before bouncing back at John. As it did John eyes focused on it, much in the same way when Dr. Halsey used a coin to test him.
Just as it reached him John's arm entered the leather straps beneath it effectively catching it. However instead of stopping he move clockwise and hurled it again, this time it struck three targets.
He repeated this until all targets were down and he held the shield close to his chest.
"Most impressive John, aside from me you are the only other man who has ever managed to wield the shield effectively."
"I believe the phrase 'it's all in the wrist' comes to mind Captain." John said as he returned the object to its rightful owner.
"Well let's get up there Logan is probably getting antsy to fight you." Scott spoke as he led them out.
They all soon returned and some of the hero's were impressed with John's performance.
"That was some nice aiming there John, maybe next will see how you manage with my bow." Clint spoke with a smirk.
"Well if you ever retire Rogers I won't have to look far for a replacement." Fury spoke with some humor, though some wondered if he was really joking on that matter. John was more than able to take Steve's place if it came to that.
"Somehow…" Miranda spoke up with some mirth in her voice "…I doubt Master Chief America, will have the same impact as Captain America." She said with a chuckle some of them reciprocated.
"Okay can the chatter people, we have a fight to get too." Logan spoke out gruffly as he walked out and headed to the room.
"How do you stand him?" Miranda asked with a sour look.
"Through will and a prayer. And even with those things, I still try to find a way to keep calm about it." Scott replied tiredly.
"He isn't that bad…" Kitty spoke up in his defense, though from the looks directed at her they weren't sold on the idea "…really, he isn't."
"Uh…he is gone right?" Bobby asked cautiously.
"Yeah, why?" Spider-man replied.
"Well…you know how he asked for a cage?"
"What did you do Bobby?" Lorna asked her boyfriend, knowing his habit for comedy when the situation didn't call for it.
"I had to improvise a bit."
Lorna just gave him the look which was more than enough to make him confess.
"You remember that time I brought you here and used the danger room to watch the Mask."
"Yeah…" She replied as she recalled the Professor and Scott giving him the riot act for misusing the room…though she did find it cute that he would go that far for a date with her.
"Well I did the same, but with something else."
"What did you use?" Miranda asked.
"Let me show you." He spoke as he pressed several keys into the console.
The area shifted and soon it was an arena sized auditorium with a squared ring in the center and a very large cage above it.
"You used a Hell in the Cell match!" Johnny spoke loudly while some of the others were stunned.
"It was the only thing I could think of on the fly!" Iceman said in his defense.
"Cool!" Karen shouted loudly "…ooh can Dad's intro music be the Rock's? He´s my favorite."
It was at that point that Logan entered the room and gaped, Bobby having decided to roll with what he had conceived had given his on intro music, in this case Stone Cold Steve Austin's music evidenced by the sound of glass breaking and bass guitar blasting through the speakers.
"DRAKE!" Logan shouted as once again he felt that Iceman was messing with him…again.
-I had to improvise! — Bobby quickly spoke through the speakers.
"So help me Drake, there won't enough of you to fit in a body bag after I'm finished with you!"
- Ah suck it up ya mook and get on with the damn thing! Oh…uh sorry kid. - Ben spoke before he apologized to Karen who said it was okay in the back ground.
"Fine!" He yelled as he walked to the ring while the music blared.
Up with the others John was preparing to leave…however Jen decided to follow, making stop and raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Hey…every wrestler needs eye candy." She said with a wink as she took him by the arm and led him away.
After a minute Betsy decided to follow.
"Where are you going?" Tony asked.
"Where else? To get ringside seats of course." She said with smirk.
The other looked at each other and followed though Bobby and Lorna remained to see that everything went as planned…and of course to get snacks.
"Sometimes I wonder why I am still going out with you Bobby." Lorna asks with amusement.
"You said it was because I make you laugh and because I said I like seeing you smile." He said honestly.
"You always knew how to cheer me up." She said with a smile.
As they all left the two behind Peter decide to ask something that had been bugging him for some time.
"Cortana, can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
The masked hero had always been curious about the other Spartans, hearing about Fred was an eye opener but he was sure that the other Spartans were also different from John. After all, John was supposed to be the balanced one in comparison to some of the others.
"What about the other Spartans, I heard about Fred already, what about some of the other Spartans?"
This stopped them as they chose to listen in as they too were curious about the others.
Cortana smiled a bit and decided to show them some files, and the first image was that of another Spartan armed with an SRS99C-S2 AMB Rifle and with the designation of 058.
The Spartan removed the helmet of the MJOLNIR to reveal a redhead with her hair cut short only up to the neck, in the same style as Rachel with emerald green eyes which were showing seriousness, and calmness. The others were surprised by that and Scott could not help but notice some vague similarities to Jean, and the same could be said for Peter as she looked like a serious version of MJ.
Clint spoke next.
"Who's that?"
Cortana replied.
"This is Linda-058, and is considered as the finest sniper in the Spartan II's, and was a core member of John's own unit, Blue Team. John considers her the one who makes being a sniper look like a work of art and she's the only one he considers the strongest emotionally out of all of them."
Fury replied to that.
"Really? Why is that the case?"
"Linda's the lone wolf of the team and is the only one who does excellent work alone which is something to talk about since all Spartans with the exception of Gray Team work better as the team."
"Of course that doesn´t mean she doesn´t get along with the others, she and John have worked together for many years and they trust one another with their lives, she always has their backs and went it counts she can be a truly formidable opponent."
"Most snipers as you know usually have a spotter/security partner with them, but Linda could do everything that a sniper team can do and she can stay there for longer as she uses the teachings of Zen to help her in waiting for that one shot to turn everything around.
"Her abilities are so great that at more than one engagement she shot her weapon and took out a pair of targets so fast and none of the other Spartans figured out who she shot first. John's faith in her skills was confirmed many times and if she was here…she would give Hawkeye or even Bullseye a run for their money."
Clint raised his eyebrow at that and even Natasha was curious as the archer spoke.
"How good is she?"
Cortana replied to that as she played the file on the mission on the Unyielding Hierophant.
The heroes watched in utter shock and amazement as they saw the battle that involved Linda and even Clint was flabbergasted by what he was looking at. Once the video was over, Ororo was the one who spoke out what they were all thinking.
"She was able to do…all of that?"
Cortana nodded and replied.
"Correct, Linda shot down seven Elite Banshee pilots upside down with her sniper rifle in one hand while on a cable over seventy stories, and the only way to take out said pilots was through an opening the size of a quarter, and through at least nearly a foot thick of armor, electronics, and more. And that was in broad daylight but she angled herself in a way that made her invisible to a force of at least a million or more Covenant forces."
Next came the image of another Spartan though in this case it was another woman without armor on, she have deep brown hair tied into a small ponytail and blue eyes, like Linda she bored a seriousness expression.
"This is Kelly-087, or as she is known to the others, the Rabbit."
"Why that name?" Karen asked though she found it cute.
"Because she is the fastest of the Spartans, after the augmentations she was clocked at running at 62 KPH without the MJOLNIR on, John broke that record by going 102 in the mark V and tore his Achilles tendon to do it. She is built for speed and could probably beat a Cheetah in race."
"Dam…I mean Dang, I bet Pietro would love to get acquainted with her."
Clint quipped, getting and amused shove by Carol while making sure he didn´t say inappropriate around John´s daughter.
"Also she has the highest pain threshold of them all; she was the one who took the longest to come out of the augmentations which as you know were…unpleasant. To further prove this during the Fall of Reach she and the others had to jump out of a burning Pelican several miles high without parachutes. She was injured but showed no signs to what extent."
"How bad are we talking about here?" Johnny asked.
"Real bad, she had bruises, broken ribs, a lacerated liver and a collapsed lung, and still she got up to fight for at least two days straight." That earned some shocked expressions and made them wonder what drove someone to fight in those conditions.
"Was she okay?" Karen asked with some worry that was mirrored n some of the others faces.
"Oh she was fine sweetie, Dr. Halsey made sure to make her all better." Cortana said with a soothing smile.
"As an interesting side note, Kelly is John´s oldest friend next to Sam, they both took his death hard as they were the ones who were the last to see him as they left the Covenant vessel as it exploded. She accepted it in time but John still feels he should have done more."
Cortana then changed the image to another Spartan II who carried a MA5B Assault Rifle and soon removed his helmet and to allow the heroes to see a young man with black hair and blue eyes who had a calm but amused smile.
"This one is Kurt-051 and is known to be the leader of Green Team; unlike the other Spartans Kurt happened to be rather sociable and liked to get to know his team mates and those outside of the Spartan II forces. That might seem normal to some but Kurt's fellow Spartans and John were not too keen with what Kurt was doing."
Betsy spoke at that moment.
"Why is that?"
"You have to keep in mind that almost all of the Spartans were guarded and private people with the exception of those they knew and trusted as well as each other. Kurt was one of the exceptions with the other being Jorge-052 who was the heavy gunner of the team he was in."
"Kurt however was a highly skilled Spartan and a great leader and was even considered by Dr. Halsey and Chief Mendez as one of the more skilled leaders, with the latter saying that Kurt would lead the Spartans as the whole, though Halsey thought John was more suited which we now know was correct, though Kurt on occasion acted as his 2IC."
"Kurt's other ability was being able to detect ambushes, calling it a bad feeling he would get. John and Kurt would usually spar with one another in team missions and Kurt usually won those missions since no matter how well made the ambush was, he was always able to foil it. One could say that he was a living version of a mine detector."
The heroes were looking at the images and that was where Rachel spoke.
"How did John change his opinion of Kurt?"
"It was when Kurt was sent in to replace Sam who was killed in the war, John was not too sure about it, but after Kurt not only foiled an ambush meant for them by the Insurrectionists but rescued them from the enemy, removed their neural restraint collars, and got them out without incident, John changed his mind…Kurt was lost however during a mission in deep space, his loss was hard on the others, including John, which is why the Spartans insisted that they all would check their gear themselves before and after a mission."
"There were other notable Spartans in the group and each brought something that made them as a whole the most effective unit in the UNSC, though in their mind they saw each other as family than comrades."
"That must be one heck of a family they have going there." Ben spoke as he remembered them saying how close they were to one another.
Cortana sighed as she recalled another notable Spartan though not for the right reasons.
"Yes but like everyone knows, every family has a black sheep…and the Spartans were no different." She spoke as she showed images of a young man with grey hair and oddly red eyes.
"This is Soren-066, he was very adept at blending in his surroundings and would have made an excellent candidate for one of the infiltration teams had his body not suffered irregularities given the procedures performed on the Spartans."
"What happened?" Steve asks as he can tell there is a story there, one without a happy ending.
"Because he could not serve as an active member he was placed along with others in other areas that may benefit from their work, he was not pleased with this and someone used that resentment to make him betray the UNSC and side with the Insurrectionists."
"Oh dear, that must have been a real blow to the others and John, what happened to him?" Ororo asks.
"He disappeared after the ship carrying himself and the infiltrator was shot down, no one saw him ever since, but the others were far from pleased when they learned of his betrayal. In their hearts and minds he is dead to them and no longer is one of them. John especially as he saw his actions as spitting in the face of everything they fought and bled for, along with the others who did not make it, and that is one of the only times I know that John would be extremely furious at a fellow Spartan."
"Man, I hate to see what would happen if they met up again." The Human Torch said as they resumed their walking towards the room.
Down in the entrance to the Danger Room, John and Jen were just outside waiting to enter when Jen decide now was the perfect time to ask John out.
"Hey John what are you doing Saturday night?"
"Nothing to my knowledge Jennifer, why do you ask?"
"Well…I was invited to a party by a client I helped out and it says bring a guest, I know it isn't your thing but I was hoping you'd be my date for the evening."
"Hmm, are you sure you wish for me to go with you? I wouldn't exactly fit in with the crowd." He said honestly.
"Hey neither would I, let's face it big and green doesn't exactly hide very well in a crowd." She said he a smirk on her face.
"…All right, I do owe you for helping out Karen with her case, and I make sure to repay my debts." He said with a small smile.
"Trust me it will be great, and if you don't feel comfortable with anything you let me know I'm not out to ruin anyone's night."
He nodded and soon entered the fake arena just as the sound of music came out.
-IF YOU SMELLLLL… WHAT THE ROCK… IS… COOKING!—
"Ha ha ha, well I guess it appropriate to call you the people's champion." She said as she led him down the ramp.
Behind them the others arrive just as the music starts.
"Thank you Mr. Drake!" Karen shouts and waves at the control booth.
Bobby naturally cannot help but reply.
-Anything for a pretty lady.—
Once they all seated themselves and Jen joined them ringside next to Karen, the cage was lowered while ominous music played.
John and Logan stare at each other on both sides of the ring.
"Just to let you know I ain´t holding back bub, and you damn well better not either or else I will pull out the claws."
"If you insist." John replied neutrally as he took his stance, with that said there was only one thing left to do.
-FIGHT! — Bobby yelled over the speakers.
Logan wasted no time as he rushed John who stood his ground. Logan knew he was far stronger and faster than him, but he had not back from any fight in his life and he wasn´t about to know.
Logan threw a right hook John ducked under before retaliating right hook to the jaw. Wolverine backed up a step just barely missing the blow and again he was forced to dodge just as quickly as this was followed by a left hook, however instead of stopping John used the momentum of the swing to spin kick the man in the chest at full strength.
"GUH!" Logan was sent hurling into the ropes, they tense before dropping him down. It should be considered that thanks to the adamantium in his bones Logan was still alive where as others would have their chests crushed.
John not one to let an opponent rest rushed the downed mutant and grabbed him by the shoulders; Logan however expected this and rammed the back of his head into the chin of the Spartan.
John staggered back before the feral mutant attacked with a successful left hook and right back spin kick to the stomach. John tumbled back before he regained his footing just as Logan tackled him into the ropes.
Logan started hammering into the larger mans abdominals as fast and as hard as he could, the Spartan however had enough and grabbed him by the torso and tossed him over the ropes with as much force as he could…which given his augmented strength was considerable as Logan hit the cage before he hit the floor.
"Oh man, Logan will be feeling that in the morning." Kitty said.
"God…" Miranda spoke as she saw the man get up and run to the opposite end and bounced of the ropes "…what is John doing now?"
"I believe he will be jumping over the third rope…and there he goes." Cortana spoke as John slammed into a recovering Wolverine.
"How did he know to do that?" Natasha asked.
"Made him watch an episode of Smackdown with us." Miranda spoke as she recalled he was not impressed and thought that the whole thing might have looked professional, but had too much showboating in it.
"Son of a…" Logan shouted as the man drove into him.
John got up as fast as he could and grabbed the shorter man by the back of shirt and rammed him into the cage once more.
"Go get him Dad!"
Logan once more got up and rolled left to avoid a right mid high kick to the face, Logan not one to waste an opportunity struck the back of the raised leg with a hard left jab to the knee. That brought John down and opened him to a swift right hook to the face that landed him in the cage itself.
Logan had to give the man credit for not once crying out, that didn´t stop him from drop kicking him in the back. The forced caused John to bounce of the cage towards Logan grabbed him in a suplex and flips him hard onto the simulated mat.
That stunned the Spartan enough for Logan to look under the mat.
*Let´s see how real this is.* the man thought as he pulled out a chair from under it.
"Oh my God! John he has a chair!" Carol shouted at him.
John was up and ducks under a swing and slams his fist into Logan´s stomach winding him, John doesn´t speak a word but his intentions are clear as he takes the chair and using his enhanced strength drives hit into the Wolverine´s back hard.
"Oooh that has got to hurt!" Clint winced from the loud smack.
"Well, Chief Mendez did teach him to use the environment to his advantage, and believe me; anything that he can reach, John has an uncanny way of making it turn into a weapon of mass pain."
Cortana said casually.
With the New X-men and Hellions…
"Hit him again!" Santo shouted as they watched from the computer monitor the fight.
"Shut up man!" Julian hissed while watching.
"I can´t believe he is actually holding his own against Wolverine, that guy's one the best X-Men around, and this guy's wiping the floor with him!" David said in surprise at what he was seeing.
"Yeah, who is this guy?" Cessily spoke.
"What do you guys think? Is he some sorta of superhuman or something?" Brian spoke while taking a chip out of the bag he brought with him.
"He has to be to take on a guy who fought the Hulk and come out alive." Elixir spoke without realizing that John himself did so and won.
"Shame we can´t ask about it or else Frost will give us a Brain whammy."
Noriko commented as she drank from her soda.
"Oh that has got to hurt." Jay said with a wince as John slammed Logan´s head onto the steps.
"I am really glad he is isn´t a teacher here, can you imagine what he would put us through?"
Wither said as he did not relish the thought of facing him in the simulator.
"That´s why we keep this a secret, no way can Frost go into our heads without permission so we keep quiet."
Julian said as he did not want to get kicked out for just having some fun.
Back with the others…
Both men were now in the ring, and from there torn clothing and opened wounds they had taken their fight to limit. Both were healing slowly thanks to their respective healing factors, both natural and artificial.
However it was time to end it one way or another.
Those outside the cage could feel it, and were in awe of how John had lasted against Wolverine since many knew the man was in no way a pushover.
"Is it over?" Karen asked while keeping her hands on her eyes, though occasionally taking a quick peek.
"It´s gonna I can guarantee you that." Jen replied as she was riveted to her seat by the brawl that they had witnessed.
"There they go!" Cortana spoke as they rushed each other.
John threw a right and Logan counter by ducking and striking the stomach. John retaliated with a knee to the head and a left hook to the jaw. Logan backhanded with his right and spin kicked the Spartan´s head with his left.
John hit the ropes and shook his head to clear it. The man´s metal covered bones added weight had caused more damage than anticipated but still he would face this challenge head on.
Logan saw his chance to end it and went after John, this however proved to be a mistake as John attacked in a way no one saw coming.
Just as Logan reached him John dropped down…and brought up his arm with all his power and speed backing it right between Logan´s legs.
"Oh he did not just do that!" Fury said with a wince as he saw what happened to the last man John struck that way.
"What? What did Dad do?" Karen asked as Miranda kept her hands over the child's eyes.
"You REALLY do not want to know sweetie." Jen said as she too felt that was excessive.
"Boy do we have a story for you mean green." Clint said to her as he knew things were about to get ugly for Logan.
And he was correct as John soon began to attack in earnest. A left uppercut to the face staggered the man back a few steps, John then hit the abdominals with a left right punch combo before grabbing Logan´s right arm and swing him into the ropes.
On the rebound John timed a spin kick to the head that had the man spinning to the floor hard.
"Oof!"
It was there John decide to mimic something else he saw on the show… a sharpshooter.
"GRAGH!" Logan cried out as John pulled back with ALL his strength that it practically seemed that Logan´s back would have broken if not for the adamantium. Logan desperately tried to gain some leverage but John just pulled harder the more the man struggled.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity Logan tapped out from the pain.
"Oh my God! He made him tap out!" Spider-man said shock, even his lenses seem to widen from it.
"He won!" Karen shouted in glee.
"Bobby, end the thing already." Scott as he wanted to get them to the medical wing to have them checked out.
Iceman did so and soon the arena vanished as if it was never there.
John fell to one knee while Logan remained on the floor panting.
"Damn…can´t believe I tapped out…"
"Are you all right?" John asked.
"Well just about everything is aching…but still best fight I had in a long time."
"I could say the same."
"Heh, you´re all right Spartan, you're all right in my book. Course I will ask for a rematch." Logan spoke with a smirk on his face.
"I am not surprised, but I will accept…it was a very unique fight." John replied with a smirk of his own.
With that said the others came and helped them out, while taking about the fight they had and some of the highlights. The young mutants who had watched from a far were also wondering what more was there to this man who had done something they had not thought possible.
Needless to say things would take an interesting turn the residents at Xavier´s because of it.
To be continued…
A/N: Well there it is, hope you enjoy this chapter since the story will be on hold while I work on my Buffy fics as well as some new material that just won't let me be! Damn you plot Bunnies! Damn you all to Hell!
Now I honestly do not know why I put the WWE reference but once I started I couldn't stop. And on a personal note…The Rock is going to lay the smackdown on John Cena's candy ass come Wrestlemania!
Naturally the Hellions and New X-men will get caught and John will get involved, it will definitely be a unique experience.
Now then I know that I promised to put Deadpool in this.
"Which you did not." Said mercenary spoke while eating Taco Bell on a sofa and playing Marvel VS Capcom 3 on PS3.
"Where in the Hell did you get Take out? And why that slop?"
"Just because you don't think it's real Mexican food doesn't make it slop."
"Real Mexican food is cooked not prepackaged."
"Whatever…so why am not in this thing yet?"
"Because someone needed to be taught a lesson on not making demands from the author."
"Why?"
"…I am not playing the why game pool, and if you say why again I will throw you in the pit."
"Fine…hard ass."
"And a Fuck you too, to you as well asspool."
Sorry about that folks, someone's leash was loose.
Deadpol ignores that comment and goes back to playing.
Now once I get back to this story I will deal with the date and the possibly make an incursion with Spider-man realm, perhaps have a certain thief make an appearance as well.
The whole him regaining his memories will be addressed also as I see it as a chance for him to bond with Rachel. Still don't know who ends up with him but I plan to have him at least interact with all of them in certain ways before making the final choice.
Now onto some reviews:
formerlyarandomreviewer: hope this is your first step into fandom as more than a spectator. Also I have yet to decide if I will bring in more Halo characters but if I do it won't be Teams Black and Grey (Too weird), Tom and Lucy would be interesting, and Blue Team would be a strong possibility.
DJBingo and perseus: Did not think to see Blade in this…but it could be used to introduce John to the supernatural aspect of Marvel. Thanks for the idea.
mcknight93: Hope to read more on your Halo/TR story, I found the concept interesting. As for how many words I use, I never count I just go with the flow of the story and leave it at that when I feel satisfied. Never said Widow was out.
cjcold2: Thanks for your comments, and Karen will be calling someone Aunty just not our loveable A.I. I nearly forgot about the Database but I do have an idea on how to use it, I just need some info first. Interesting ideas for a meet with the weird and spooky I'll see what comes up thanks. Hmm Miranda with powers…interesting.
Overwatch: That's the plan, to make him more than a soldier and find something else worth living for.
Well that is all for now, I'll get back as soon as I can…remember be patient and you shall be rewarded for it.