AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the reviews! Harbinger Of Kaos said "Well either you will have him convinced that piece of crap Kimura must die or you can have Laura drown her as she did in the comics." Neither, read on XD RecklessBaka, I liked your Batman comment so much it's the title chapter. Thorber Stone, thanks for the great review again! I'll definitely answer tomorrow! I will most likely update again on Wednesday, I am doing 3 chapters this week instead of the usual 2. Hope everyone enjoys! :D
CHAPTER 12
I Am Not Batman
Julian spoke first. "I think we're somewhere over Manhattan."
All three were floating in the air, in a circle, looking at each other.
Santo was glaring at him. "That was not cool, dude. I almost shit a brick when you grabbed me like that."
"Wouldn't be surprised if that's what you were eating these days." Julian arched his eyebrows. "Packing on the pounds, Vaccarro. Really need to lay off the carbs. Even if you weren't made of rocks, I bet you'd still weigh like, four hundred pounds."
"I'm big boned!" Santo argued. "And 'scuse me if I don't enjoy spending hours in the gym moving a piece of lead around like some people I know. Besides, you ever seen a scrawny wrestler?"
Julian grinned at him. "Never seen a fat one, either."
Laura cleared her throat, and they both looked at her. "The docks are to the north of here. Approximately one mile."
Julian frowned. "Which way's north?"
Santo pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "It's that way, dumbass."
Laura shook her head and pointed in the opposite direction.
Julian paused. "I'm going with Laura on this one."
Santo shrugged. "Good call, man. Go with your gut."
A few moments later, they were on top of the water, approaching the wharf at a slower pace. Julian was gritting his teeth as he touched down. "Damn. Never had to work so hard not to smash something. Okay—where from here?" Julian looked at Laura expectantly.
She closed her eyes. Judging by the quality of the technology—scent-scrubbers and whatever gun had incapacitated Santo—the company Kimura was working for now had a large budget, and intelligence on all of their abilities. It was most probably a new branch of the facility that had made her, as she had told Julian. There were a few persons who kept themselves informed of such new businesses here in the docks. She just needed to decide who was the most likely to talk.
As if reading her mind, Santo frowned. "How we gonna get people to talk about this? We don't got money." He paused, eyed Julian. "Right?"
Julian closed his eyes, gritted his teeth. "No, Santo. I don't have money anymore. You know my parents cut me off, so just stop asking about it. You ask me like once a week."
"Just checkin'." Santo looked at Laura. "We beatin' people up, then?"
Laura hesitated.
Julian noticed this, and his expression grew serious. "Yeah, we're just beating them up. Right, Laura?"
She closed her eyes and began walking.
"Hey!" He snapped. "You didn't agree!"
Santo shrugged and started after her, as did Julian, after a few moments.
Laura headed toward a derelict building, the sides shaggy with moss, and the roof leaky and weather beaten. She walked up to the door and knocked confidently, her other hand making a fist as her claws slowly slid out from between her knuckles. She could hear the argument inside over who would answer, with someone named Ed eventually getting the task. She waited until she heard him stick his eye against the glass before she punched her clawed fists against the wood.
"Laura!" Julian shouted behind her. He sounded upset.
She ignored him and kicked the door in, then entered. The only way to get the information was to make an impression. A strong impression. She headed right for the poker table in the center of the room and grabbed the man who ran this operation by the tie. She knew who he was, not by name, but by appearance. He worked for the Facility. He had posed as a client and made her kill for him, once, as a sort of quality assurance test. She had delivered the target's head to him.
She reached down and slid his gun out of his holster, then stuck it under his chin.
"You have until the count of three to tell me the address of the new mutant laboratory in the city. One."
The man gave her a wide-eyed look. "You can't be serious. Do you know just how many labs there are?"
Laura clicked back on the safety. "Two."
He stared at her. "I have no idea where it is."
"I believe you." Her eyes narrowed. "Three." She pulled the trigger, and his blood and brains splattered everywhere—all over the table and his companion's empty chairs, and Laura's front. He slumped to the table.
The gun was yanked from her hand. It flew to Julian's gloved fingers. He flicked the safety back on and emptied the magazine onto the floor, then turned to her, his eyebrows drawn together. "Laura…"
"He didn't have the information we need." Laura paused. "He needed to die."
"You don't get to make that call!" Julian threw the gun on the floor and ran his fingers through his hair. "You…you just shot someone execution style." He seemed very distressed.
"Yes." Laura folded her arms. "You wanted to come."
"I had no idea you were going on a murder spree!" He kicked the gun away and gave her a look of cold horror. "Laura, seriously, what is your deal? It's one thing to defend us, when people come with guns to a school. It's another to do what you just did." He paused. "Oh my god, you've got brains all over your front." He closed his eyes. "I feel sick."
She closed her eyes. "Go home. Please."
"No." Julian's tone was sharp. "I am not leaving you out here to hurt people."
Laura glanced at him again. "I have not hurt you. Or your friends."
He shook his head. "You can't make what just happened okay."
"What he did was not okay. He is one of the men who helped take Cessily. I did what needed to be done." She gave him a hard look. "I am not Batman."
Julian's hands formed fists. "I used to think you were just totally weird. Now I can't believe you manage to act so normal." He paused. "I just…I don't even know what to do with this. An hour ago we were on a date, playing shooter games at an arcade, and now I just watched you murder someone." He paused. "I even tried to kiss you. I—"
Laura sighed. "You are wasting my time. Go home, Julian."
He looked at her again, his eyebrows drawing together. "You need to clean up."
"I will wash when we are finished." She paused. "Blood is good for intimidation."
"Holy crap!" Santo had reached the door, and was taking in the mess, his eyes wide. He looked at Julian. "Dude! Did you do this?!"
Julian closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "No, Santo, I didn't. Why the hell would you think it was me?!"
"I dunno." Santo paused and shrugged. "I guess 'cos I saw an explosion, and I know you like makin' stuff explode...?"
"…" Julian gave his friend a flat look. "Just shut up and go wait outside again."
Laura gazed at him.
Finally, he turned back to her. "No more killing!" he ground out. "Promise me! No more killing! Okay?!"
She folded her arms and wrinkled her nose. "Okay."
"LAURA DO SOMETHING!" Julian shouted, staggering backward as a sword came plunging through his shield as if wasn't even there.
Laura was sitting on the edge of a windowsill, watching as he struggled with five men, all dressed in black and gold samurai armor, wielding vibranium katanas. Santo was no better off, currently scattered all over the carpet of the office, his head near her feet, mumbling curses. Her guess was that the metal upset their energy fields somehow.
She frowned. "You asked me not to get involved."
Julian jumped backward, dodging another swipe. "I DIDN'T SAY NOT TO HELP! I—" he sidestepped and jumped over another swing— "I SAID NO MORE KILLING! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HELP—AAGH!" He grabbed his arm.
Laura smelled blood. She was on her feet instantly, her claws popping with a snkkt! And then she charged, running up the wall and launching herself at the figure who had cut him. One hand plunged its claws into his neck, her foot claws catching two of the beings on either side. They all made wispy sounds, and then their armor crumpled to the ground, empty. Laura started to fall as the opponent she'd leaped on disintegrated, but Julian caught her with his arms.
His forehead wrinkled. "The hell are these things?!"
"Not human." Laura frowned up at him. "I had a contact here, but I think he is mostly likely dead. We should go."
"No shit." Julian paused, set her down on her feet. "Can you, uh, deal with the last two, though? So…so no one else gets hurt by them."
She raised her eyebrows. "Are you asking me to kill?"
He scowled. "No. Like you said…they aren't even alive." He shoved her out of the way as another sword poked through his shield.
Laura shook her head. "You should not try to protect me. I heal. You do not."
"Yeah, well—" he shoved her out of the way again. "I'm not a coward, either."
She paused. "No."
He glanced at her. "So…you gonna—"
Laura sighed and charged again. A few moments later, the last of the armor tumbled to the ground, empty.
Julian dropped his shield. "Finally."
She walked back to him and took hold of his arm, examining the blood trickling from the cut. It was not deep, just long. She heard Julian's heart beat speeding up and she glanced up to find him gazing at her. It reminded her of the look he had given her in the arcade, but there was something else as well now. Fear? Disgust? She let go of his arm and moved to the window. "We should keep moving."
"Hang on." Julian knelt down beside Santo's head. "Having trouble putting your fat ass back together?"
"Just a bit." The latter frowned. "Give me a hand?"
A moment later, Santo reformed in a swirl of green. "Thanks. That hurt."
"Anytime." Julian looked at Laura, frowning. "Where to next?"
She frowned, too, and closed her eyes. "Perhaps…perhaps you should go home now. There is one last person I will try." She paused. "They will know, for certain."
Santo gaped at her. "Why didn't you freakin' start with them, then?!"
Julian folded his arms. "Yeah, what gives?"
"Because it will not be easy." Laura paused. "I may get into trouble."
Santo stared at her. "You're afraid of someone?"
"I'm afraid of them, now, too." Julian's arms dropped to his sides. "Who…who are they?"
"They are on the East side." She looked at him. "Fly me there. And then go home."
"Stop saying that." He glared at her. "We're all in this together. That means, we go where you go."
"Yeah!" Santo paused. "Where're we goin'?"
Laura closed her eyes. If they insisted on coming, they would need to know the risks. Particularly Julian, since—of the two—he was the only one she could damage. She looked at him again. "I may need your help."
He raised his eyebrows. "My help? You mean, there's actually something you can't do?"
"It is not something I cannot do." Laura's eyebrows drew together. "It is something I might do. Please, you cannot tell anyone what I am about to tell you."
Julian also hesitated, his forehead wrinkling. "Do I want to know this?"
Laura started to turn away.
He grabbed her wrist. "Fine, fine, tell me."
She looked at Santo, then stretched up and whispered into Julian's ear. "There is a scent. A trigger scent. When I smell it…I go away. And when I wake up, everyone around me is dead. I am worried this man will have some of that scent." She waited a few moments, then pulled back and looked at him again.
"What?" Julian was staring at her again. "You…just…what?"
"What?!" Santo looked at them. "What did she say?! Come on, guys! I hate bein' left out!"
Julian frowned at him. "Wait outside, you dumb rock." Before Santo could protest, he floated him out the window and shut it, leaving his friend suspended in the air. "What do you mean, 'trigger scent'?"
Laura sighed. "It is something that I smell and I—"
"Yeah, I got that." Julian paused. "But what is it?" He paused. "Like…a death perfume?"
She paused. "Yes."
"Yeah, I didn't want to hear this." He rubbed his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay. So…so you want me to make sure you don't smell it."
"That may not be possible." She looked down again. "If I smell it, I need you to kill me. Break my neck. Crush me. Drop me out of the window. Or-"
"No! Laura…" he stared at her. "I'm not killing you. I'm not killing anyone. Just stop it. We'll all go home and—"
"No!" She reached out and grabbed him by his collar. "Cessily may not have time. Trust me. I have…seen…these places."
He hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. I will."
Laura's eyebrows arched. He was lying, she could smell it. But perhaps he would change his mind in the moment she sniffed trigger scent. So she said nothing.
Julian opened the window, and they joined Santo, who was floating with folded arms.
"I hate that you can do that!" the latter snapped.
"The adults were speaking." Julian grinned. "Besides, wasn't it me who just put you back together?"
"Oh yeah." Santo thought for a second, then shrugged. "Till you guys correct me, I'm just gonna assume she was tellin' you some kinky sex thing."
"Wish it was." Julian looked at Laura again. "East side?"
She nodded.
They were mostly silent for the trip, except for a brief argument about how to access the tower. Julian wanted to check in below and avoid a fight, but Laura insisted he charge straight into their next target's office, through a wall so no one would see them coming. Santo agreed with her, loudly. Julian rolled his eyes but gave in, bring them crashing through a solid brick section of the tower's mostly glass exterior.
"OHHHH YEAHHH!" Santo yelled, as he tumbled across the floor, waving his arms.
"I knew it!" Julian glared at him as he got to his feet. "Always something stupid with you!"
Laura was already up on their target's desk, grabbing him by the tie and shouting into his face. "WHERE IS THE NEW LAB?!" she demanded, her face contorted, claws at the ready.
The man smiled slightly. He had a big, heavyset frame, and wore a pale ivory-colored suit. His scalp glistened under the dim lighting.
"How you've grown." His voice was calm and drawling.
She raked her claws down his cheek. "WHERE IS THE NEW LAB?!" Her hand was shaking.
Santo clapped his big hands to his face. "Dude! Julian! That's—that's—"
Julian stood and looked around. His eyes widened in recognition. "HOLY FUCK!"
"KINGPIN!" Santo squeaked, grabbing his friend's arm. "Oh man, we are so dead! He was like level five on the Danger Room! He's like the crime boss in New York and he's gonna put out a major hit on us and we'll never be able to sleep again—"
"Santo, shut up!" Julian looked at Laura. "Laura! What the—"
"BE QUIET!" She shouted over her shoulder, her claws now at the Kingpin's throat. "Tell me where the new lab is or I will create an anterior medial incision. Your intestines will spill out, and you will die slowly."
"Your confidence impresses me." Kingpin frowned slightly. "But I seem to remember…there was something that could make you falter, no?" His eyes slipped past her, to her companions.
Laura pressed her claw tips into his throat. "I will kill you before you can try anything. Tell me what I want to know, and you will live."
"That would be ironic, wouldn't it?" His eyes narrowed. "You do seem to have me at a disadvantage, little girl. But I don't take kindly to threats." His hand made a sudden movement, for something on his desk.
Kingpin was suddenly flying backward in a blur of green. He and Julian smashed through the enormous tempered glass window into the street forty stories below. Laura rushed to the window and looked out, her mouth open. She had not expected this.
Julian stopped around floor thirty-five and made a fist, halting Kingpin's descent.
"Listen, I've had a really bad night!" he snapped. "And I know it's just going to get a hell of a lot worse. So let's just get this over with. Tell me where the fuck that lab is." His voice was barely shaking.
"And who are you?" Kingpin asked. He sounded a little less calm than earlier.
Julian shook his head. "Not important. Come on, out with it. My friend has killed, like, ten people tonight...so I've got some catching up to do."
Santo joined Laura at the window. "Holy shit!"
Laura nodded slightly.
"Interesting friend you have there." Kingpin looked up past him.
Julian wrinkled his nose. "Kill Bill, or the Kool-Aid Man?"
His captive gave him a dry look. "X-23. You know that whatever you've seen tonight is a drop in the bucket, right?"
"Probably. But—" Julian dropped the man a few feet. "—that's not what we're here to talk about, is it?"
Kingpin's eyes widened, then narrowed. Laura could smell the adrenaline he was releasing, even from all the way up on the top floor. He must be afraid of heights.
"Dude, if Julian drops him, would he be Kingpin then? Santo asked.
Laura paused, her forehead wrinkling. "Perhaps."
"Hey, what happens if I do drop you?" Julian asked, letting them fall a couple more feet. "Am I Kingpin then? Huh?"
"Great minds, am I right?" Santo grinned and held up his hand in front of Laura.
She gazed at him for a few moments, then looked back at the scene.
His grin faded. "Awww...X...dude...you left me hangin'. Not cool."
"You know what I liked a lot when I was a kid?" Julian held out his hand, causing the bigger man to bounce up and down rapidly. "Yo-yo's. I can even do tricks...want to see?"
"Alright, alright!" Kingpin snapped. "Just…stop. Stop! I'll tell you."
"What, really?" Julian sounded surprised.
"Yes. Just stop dropping me." The man glared at him. "You'll find the entrance at the crossing of thirty-fourth and one hundred twelfth. A manhole cover. I have no other information for you. Now, the descent had better be smooth, or I'll have every one of my employees called in to hunt your skinny asses down, you promise?"
"Pinky swear." Julian made a fist, and Kingpin shot upward, yelling curses back at him. He flew through the broken window and skidded across the carpet, then hit the metal elevator door just down the hallway with a loud bang!
Laura and Santo looked over their shoulders, as Kingpin struggled to sit up, then collapsed.
"Oh man. He's gonna be so pissed when he wakes up again." Santo paused. "No one said my name, right?"
"Which one?" Laura asked.
"Santo." Santo paused. "God dammit."
Julian rejoined them, floating outside the window. "Let's get out of here. Fast." He was grinning.
Laura glanced at him. "You agreed the descent would be smooth."
Julian shrugged. "He said down. Not up."
The corners of her lips turned up slightly.
"Come on." He reached his hands out to her and Santo, then pulled them out of the window and into the air. "Let's go find Cess."
