August 26, 1994
The stage had been set and in more ways than one. For four months, from a wet spring to a dry summer, life went on as it always did, but there was an undertone of espionage and secrecy in there too. Logan, Jay and Roger had managed to keep their hush-hush target safe and only in Teller's ears, but that had been difficult too, especially after Roger's wedding date had been set and Mae content to be a bride without dangers on her doorstep. There had been so much going on as well, especially with Ellis riding so high, that they almost had no time to think of Vinnie Paul. He had been accepted back into the mutant community's fold of course and it was a high price he had to pay too. Teller managed it too, restricting privileges even though Vinnie was an employee, making sure he was nowhere in sight when Ellis came and denying alcohol and charging for it too. They happened to be some of the few ways Vinnie knew he was in the shithouse and ones that he did not appreciate.
The complaints were pretty vocal and vicious, causing daily arguments between the two in the upstairs apartment. Although it was a rule that no mutant powers be used, Vinnie pulled a few fast ones on Teller and ones that made Jay weaker when he got Teller out of his past life. It also left the bar owner in a tight corner, suddenly exposed to so many who he used as business contacts or employees. While he was appreciative of being led back to the present moment, he also tried making it out to be nothing. However, Logan knew better. Teller had a bad past and Vinnie was trying his hardest to make him suffer because of it.
Soon, the time would come for revenge and it was going to be a slow night in the meantime. Logan can already see it, drinking in his usual spot. There wasn't as many people around as there used to be, mostly because a lot of them had been too interested in getting into Ellis' camp and seeing about positions, and most are seeing the writing on the walls. Those who are mutants and low on the totem pole that are being used might be tossed aside. Teller and Chameleon had been cautious lately, the former more so than ever before, especially with information passing too. As far as Logan was concerned though, Vinnie was the one telling Ellis everything that would destroy their link to Teller. Roger had been studying the interactions with unease, more so pushing their plan.
The late summer night though…it was perfect with its sluggishness. Nobody was around, Teller had the police turning a blind eye and Ellis did not suspect a thing. Logan heard that the rising political star had dismissed everything Vinnie was passing on anyway (lately, especially when Chameleon pulled a few pranks to prove Vinnie wrong), even though his cousin was trying to check out every accusation and all without success. This would mean that Vinnie would not be missed.
Nervously, Snake Eyes refilled the beer pitcher and passed Logan another glass. When the older mutant eyed it suspiciously, Snake Eyes shrugged his shoulders and pointed behind Logan. He turned around in his chair as the bartender left, seeing Roger approach. The master spy nodded at Logan, taking a seat next to him and liberally pouring beer into the extra glass. Logan returned to his own drink, ignoring the inane chatter around him, although he noted that Roger was being quiet. He knew that Roger was thinking about knocking off Vinnie Paul and had no hesitations about it. However, the way he was sitting, Logan swore that Roger was antsy and just as edgy as Snake Eyes.
"What?" Logan asked softly, almost afraid of the answer.
"Peter Ellis is here," Roger answered back in the same tone, smiling at a woman who passed them from behind. "Vinnie decided to give him a call this morning."
Logan blew out some frustrated air. "Now what?"
"Plans are the same, but with a little twist. Teller is trying to get the younger Ellis out of here. He isn't interested in dealing with an idiot."
"I agree. Heard he was whiny."
"Logan, nobody could doubt Ellis and his worming into power. What makes me wonder is why he would recruit someone like his cousin who hardly did a thing in his life except messing things up."
"Makes me think he wants to destroy his own work or have a scapegoat. I can't decide."
Roger grinned. "Must be. Let me check on Jay. He's going to have the updates."
With a grin, Roger drowned the last of his sorrows and left Logan. It left the older mutant wondering what was happening. They were so careful about their plans. Roger was always invisible and Jay had an eye for everything. Vinnie snitching to the Ellis camp was enough justification to get him killed. Possibly calling over the Ellis cousin was something that made Logan think Vinnie had more up his sleeve than just making the past nightmares become a reality.
Soon enough, Roger came back and sat down. "Peter Ellis is gone," he said proudly. "Teller shooed him away. It seemed to be too much for our bar owner to have too many meetings. He said he only answered to old Leon Ellis anyway. That scared the cousin away."
Logan finished the last of his beer, giving Roger the last of the pitcher. The master spy accepted, taking the extra glass and pouring, even gulping it down quickly. He wiped his lips with his sleeve too, giving Logan a grin that resembled the Cheshire Cat. Hardly feeling the effects of the alcohol, Roger stood up from the stool too, heading one way. This was a sign for Logan to begin too. By this time, Teller would be thinking about a new DJ, something he had been mulling over anyway, and would be telling Snake Eyes that it was time to put in a posting. While this was happening, Jay was leaving his post by the door, locking the bar up for the night until people leave, and telling Vinnie that Peter Ellis wanted him, although the budding politician had left some time ago. By then, it would not take the older Mitchell sibling long to get Vinnie ready to fall into the lie and the spider webs made…
Taking his sweet time while all this happened (half an hour and no more), Logan walked down the hallway after Jay went in, past Teller's usual meeting room and knocked. He then opened a door on the right, a heavy metal one that nobody ever entered unless Teller's unlocked the heavy bolt and allowed entry. He closed it quickly behind him, grinning as he crossed his arms and viewed the scene. Jay was sitting in a metal chair, his mind concentrated on the young mutant hanging from the ceiling by his wrists. The body, still quite alive and shirtless and shoeless and already showing fright through its colored pants, twisted and turned every which way, trying in vain to extract its own revenge, and failing in that, glared in a menacing way when he noted Logan. The older mutant chuckled, happy to see Vinnie Paul so helpless now.
"Like how your women are when you see them?" Logan asked Vinnie. "Without a way to help themselves, tied up and beaten?"
"Fuck you, old man," Vinnie yelled, spitting directly at Logan's face. While most of what came out was blood, Logan was still not so pleased, punching Vinnie in the face, where his nose was previously broken. Blood flowed freely down from it, discoloring it more.
"You think you're so powerful, don't you?" Logan asked as he wiped the offending slime from his face. "Think the world is on your shoulders and they owe you everything?"
Vinnie said nothing, attempting to kick Logan with his tied-together feet. Missing, Logan again punched Vinnie in the face. The adamantium-laced fist made contact with Vinnie's mouth this time, splitting his lips open and knocking out his upper front teeth. Jay even winced at the cracking noises made. However, he knew that he could not back down now. He vowed to not kill another human being since coming back home and to try to live in peace, although home was never that. However, circumstances made him rethink that old promise, especially in the wake of Duane Webber's assassination and now, this. In his mind, Jay figured that Vinnie and Duane deserved everything they got and more. They both hurt his sister in ways unimaginable and that could not be tolerated anymore. Danielle was his little sister. He could not afford to lose her too, after Fiona went missing…
There was a knock. Then, the door suddenly opened again. This time, it was Roger. He shut the door behind him, sure that nobody was at the other end listening, and tossed Jay a file that again came out of nowhere. Logan watched Jay's reactions as he read through the pages. Nodding at the end, he motioned Logan closer. When the older mutant obeyed, listening to Vinnie crackle in hilarity (for what, he could not tell), he took the offending item from Jay's hands and skimmed through it. It was true then, as he saw it. Vinnie Paul was a traitor to the cause for equality. He was telling all secrets to Ellis, fueling the propaganda campaign since 1988. He also was selling Teller out, although Ellis hardly worked against the bar owner. This, in Logan's book, sealed Vinnie's fate, more so than rape and murder.
Logan gave the file back to Jay calmly, facing Vinnie as he spun again. The older mutant was going to be playing a different game now. It would be an excuse they needed to get rid of Vinnie and a good one too. However, it was a dangerous one that he decided on, one that he knew would get the best of his rage. In doing so though, he would essentially be deposing a mutant who was too treacherous and one that would easily bring them down. There was no doubt about it. Vinnie Paul would do anything to get them all killed.
"Ok, let's see if you can remember the past eight years or so," Logan began. "I mean, you're what? Nineteen? Twenty?"
"What does it matter to you?" Vinnie sneered through a whistle-like voice, his bloody grin quite scary to behold, if Logan had to be honest with himself.
"Don't you think being a kid gave you an excuse for some unsound judgement?" Logan paced back and forth as he talked, hands now behind his back. "I mean, being maybe eleven or twelve and running to Ellis wasn't quite a good idea. It's hazardous, if you ask me."
"I would say so too," Roger chimed in.
"Why would a kid want to deal with such scum?" Jay wondered out loud.
"Hmm, such great observations." Logan stopped his pacing and turned to Vinnie. "Makes me wonder what Ellis wanted from you."
Vinnie said nothing. He continued to laugh quietly to himself though.
"Being dictator of this free country?" Roger inquired. "Wiping out the mutants? Making a pure nation, like Hitler tried to? Condemning the weak to camps and ghettos?"
"Making mutants into errand runners?" Jay continued. "Don't you know that stooges are the first to die when one is on the top of the mountain?"
The merriment went on. Vinnie wasn't going to say anything except allow his laughter to be heard. That much was certain. However, a nerve had to be hit. Logan needed something that would again justify their actions. His hands itched to let the claws out, allowing the pain to be felt before they caused another's soul to leave this earth. His rage was shaking its cage bars, begging to be released and to find a way be spent. One word and Logan could emancipate it all. He just needed to go on with the game they started. A few more words maybe and it would soon end.
"And scapegoats are usually the ones who think they can do anything." Logan turned to Vinnie. "I lost count of how many girls have been wounded or killed because of you. Who knows how many after Danielle you had?"
"None," Vinnie promised.
Logan turned back to Roger. The master spy shook his head.
"Try again," Logan said loudly.
"None of your business," Vinnie finally replied. "What's a few girls to you? They're nothing anyway."
"Personally, nothing," Logan admitted. "To you and what truths you tell, everything. If you can tell a simple lie, what would you make think I would believe you?"
Vinnie was still silent. It was infuriating enough, but Logan had to keep calm as long as he could. He could not allow the fury to come out just yet.
"Let's try asking about Ellis," Jay suggested.
"Perhaps a good idea," Roger added.
"I think so too." Logan began pacing again, hands now in the front instead of the back. "Now, Vinnie, you going to tell us about Ellis?"
"Who?" The innocence Vinnie conveyed was hardly truthful and was sarcastic. "Which one?"
"You know who we're referring to," Jay retorted, his temper rising. He grimaced as he used his powers in a torturous manner, something that made Vinnie scream in horror, spinning in circles on the rope.
Logan waited until Jay was finished. He had not expected the older Mitchell sibling to use his powers in such a manner. Such was the name of the game they played, he figured. It had not taken long anyway. Secured and knowing that nobody was able to hear Vinnie, Logan approached the limp younger mutant carefully. He knew that Vinnie would no longer be able to give him nightmares. Jay had ensured everyone of that. However, it was still a shaky situation to stand there before the master of illusions and see him bleeding out slowly. Two hits to the head and Vinnie was probably seeing hallucinations of different things. Certainly, it would account for him to irritate other than despising the three mutants for the mess they put him in.
Vinnie finally stopped spinning, panting heavily and trying to catch his breath. "You won't be able to stop Ellis," he gasped as blood dripped from his aching mouth. "No matter what you do, he's ahead of everyone and will always anticipate your every move. I can say that he's planning on so much and would stop it nothing to kill you all. Some people may be disposable and some may be keepers, but in the end, they're all going to be dead anyway. What does it matter to me, just as long as I have my way and he has his? They're just the same."
Logan had enough. "I think this recess is over," he declared, unleashing his claws.
He did not even see himself move, he was that blind. All Logan could remember afterward were the pools of thick black blood and three large holes were a neck used to be, a head hanging by a few threads. And all around him, two astonished faces stared at him, unwilling to believe that a beast was released and tamed so quickly and that they had allowed it to happen in that manner. However, it was no matter to Jay and Roger. Vinnie Paul was dead.
