First of all, I want to sincerely apologize for the lateness of this chapter - my BETA has gone into hiding and so I'm posting a late and un-BETAed chapter.

Second of all, I am going on vacation for the next two weeks and I won't be updating for a while - and after you read this chapter you all will hate my guts. But absence makes the heart grow fonder so I'm sure you all will get over it.

Now - ahem - enjoy!

Chapter 49

Noelle was not the only one to groan out load at the first sight of the blob that was Lady Liberty.

It wasn't that she didn't love that stern, fierce green woman, but still… leaving the gorgeous, balmy weather of the Caribbean to return to the daily hassle of school, Danger Room sessions, and scholarship applications in chilly weather? Not fun.

"I can't believe it's over," whispered Alana.

"Neither can I," Julia agreed, leaning on the ship railing.

As they got closer and New York came into focus, the other students joined the girls on the topmost deck, watching as home came closer.

They docked in the afternoon; good thing, too, or else no one would have been awake for it. Even at past noon, they had still been straggling into the dining room, hair mussed and eyelids heavy with sleep. Now they watched as responsibility sped closer.

Logan, Ororo, Bishop, and Scott and Alex Summers were waiting for them with several empty vehicles.

Spirits sank even more as they loaded their luggage, much heavier than when they had left of course. By the time they were on the highway, the atmosphere was depressed. Getting off on the exit to the Institute, the returning vacationers were downright morose.

"Home sweet home."

There were chores to be done. Rooms had to be cleaned, homework neglected for a week had to be done, and suitcases had to be unpacked.

"We shoulda stayed in Puerto Rico," Sarah mumbled as they pulled through the gates.

"Ah, c'mon, munchkin," her father said cheerfully. "If you're in Puerto Rico, that means I have to spar with your mom every – single – day." He shuddered.

"You didn't have to ask her to marry you," grumbled Vassily from where he was squished into the backseat.

"Well, actually, she asked me. We'd been dating for a while and she just came into our room, gave me a ring and said that she was asking me to marry her. How can you argue with that?"

You really couldn't, Noelle decided privately. But then, her parents had a rather… interesting, forceful, and, at times, painful history, so she really had no room to talk. How had her father proposed? Ah, yes, that day… how long had her father been in the hospital after that? She couldn't remember… something like three days – her father hated hospitals.

They came to a stop right in front of the Institute and climbed out. The huge oak front doors burst open to reveal a mob of small familiar faces that had darkened or reddened since the last time she had seen them.

"NOELLE'S BACK!"

She laughed and knelt to allow them to knock her back onto her behind. "Bonjour, mes chéries. Ah missed y'all."

"We missed you too!"

"I missed you the most!"

"No way!"

"I did!"

"No, I did!"

It took a while for Noelle to redirect their enthusiasm to helping unload the car, but once they had calmed down, all of the bags were safely delivered to their owners' rooms in record time.

As for her and Sarah's room, it was stuffy and the air inside felt stale. The moment she stepped foot into the room, she hurried to the window and heaved it open. The plants were a little droopy, but it was nothing a little TLC wouldn't cure.

Without bothering to unpack she threw herself on her bed and let the sea breeze from her window sweep over her. It didn't take long for someone to find her.

"Did y' bring moi anyt'in'?"

"Hello t' y' too, Claire."

Ah, good to be back.

Vincent turned the obsidian knife over in his hand; he had seen it in a shop on one of the islands they had visited and hadn't been able to resist. So what if it had been hideously expensive? He hadn't bought much else, unlike James who was pulling out trinket after trinket to give to his ecstatic younger sisters.

Sinking down to sit on his bed, the young Assassin watched the way the black stone blade of his knife gleamed white, then blue, then purple in the light.

He'd had the same dream again. Trapped at the bottom of the pit, practically drowning in snakes while his fellow winged creatures did their best to protect him, only to have their ranks broken by that one dog that leapt down into the hole to attack him. Then having that creepy dog-lizard-thing come down and… had it really rescued him?

Tonight though, there had been something new… what looked like a bunch of leeches? Thick black slimy things that attached themselves to every other flying creature and even some of the hounds. Even to him.

The feeling of the things had been disgusting and horrifying enough to wake him up.

What did it all mean?

He was pretty sure about the dragon, the winged animals, and the snakes, but what about the rest of them? What could they possibly represent? And what – if Bridget was right – did it all mean?

Hm.

Let's see…

He didn't have a clue.

Damn – maybe he should just stop eating before bed.

A sudden outburst of talking erupted from the hallway.

"Wha's goin' on?"

"Dunno, mate."

Lucien LeBeau stuck his head into their room. "Y'all gon' wan' see dis."

The roommates exchanged glances.

"I'm intrigued, aren't you?"

"Hurry up, Jim, we gon' miss it."

They ran out of the room and crowded around the upstairs bay window. Rather unfortunately, they were the last ones there and it was almost impossible to see anything besides the back of someone's head.

Being the taller of the two, Vincent did his best to edge around Alexei and catch a glimpse of what was going on.

"What da –"

Attention all students! Will the older students calmly gather the younger students and send them to the shelters; then may I ask that all instated X-Men meet at the front of the Institute.

"Something is not right," Alexei intoned grimly.

"Wha' was y' firs' clue?" Vincent asked sarcastically, staring at the black vehicles coming through the gates.

In less than five minutes, they stood outside on the front steps of the Institute watching what was coming.

A battalion of black SUVs and military jeeps entered the grounds like a swarm of black beetles. The dull thwock-thwock of helicopter blades filled the air as a flock of choppers came swooping down to land on the lawn. The noise mingled with the snarling of the vehicles, causing a deep rumble not unlike that of the growl of…

Hounds.

Dieu…

Wolverine let out a sound worthy of his namesake. "Fury."

The lead jeep pulled right up to them and a tall, bald, black man with an eye patch stepped out. He was dressed in combat fatigues and was about in his late fifties.

Vincent thought he looked like that guy who had played Mace Windu in Star Wars. He also didn't think he was there to sell lightsabers.

"Good afternoon, General Fury," Professor Xavier said courteously, though Vincent was sure he could detect an edge of steel under the politeness. "What can we do for you?"

"Professor. Wolverine. X23," the man said curtly, nodding to Xavier as well as the stony faced mutants who stood on either side of him like bodyguards.

"It's Laura now."

"That's nice. Professor Xavier, I'm here as a matter of national –"

"Security," Logan interrupted. "We know the spiel, Patch, so just tell us why you're here."

"That freak Deadpool broke into our facility –"

"And you let that bastard Trask send Sentinels after our kids."

Cyclops jumped in. "And then you had the nerve to demand DNA samples from all of us."

"That's what I happen to be here about, actually," the man said coldly, sticking a toothpick into his mouth.

"You're not getting anything from us!" declared Alana Wagner.

"Already got what I needed from you, sweetheart."

"What exactly are you saying, General Fury?"

"I'm saying we've already got your students' DNA. Isn't that right, Lieutenant Bishop?"

There was a dead silence as everyone's head whirled around to stare at the muscular black man who had been their teacher for over four months. Tessa – AKA Sage – backed away from him, her usually impassive face blank with shock.

"Sorry, Professor," he muttered, having the decency to look shame faced. "My orders were to get the DNA of your students and –"

"And so you followed orders," Sage interrupted him. "You… seduced me."

"Tess, no, it had nothing to do with us."

"Get out. Take your things and get out. You used us all. And you… you…"

Vincent had never seen the calm, unflappable Sage look like this, her usual calm was fracturing and Jubilee was trying to put her arm around the injured party's shoulders to no avail.

"You just… I'm pregnant."

Now it was Bishop that looked stunned. "We're preg-"

"No. I am pregnant. You merely donated sperm. Get out."

"But…" the disgraced took a step forward only to be grabbed by Alexei and bodily hurled through the air to land with a crunch on top of one of the jeeps.

"Anyway," Fury continued calmly. "While we were entering the DNA into our databanks, we found something very interesting."

"Maybe a violation of constitutional rights?" snarled Julia.

Fury's one eye was darting around the mass of students, apparently looking for someone. "It turns out that one of your students… well, let's ask him. Vincent Boudreaux?"

He was officially confused. James shot him a glance which he returned with a bewildered shrug.

"I am afraid Vincent is not available for questioning," Xavier said flatly.

"I'm afraid that's not up to you. Now kindly tell him to step forward or I'll take him and arrest the rest of you for obstruction."

Wolverine scoffed and scratched the underside of his own chin with a single, gleaming claw. "You shouldn't make threats ya can't deliver on, Patch. Now what do you want Knife for anyway?"

"Given him a nickname already, huh? Well, I guess you should know. I suppose Vincent has told you that he's an Assassin from New Orleans."

This caused a bit of unrest among the students.

"Not all of you knew, I see."

"Just get on with it, Fury."

"Well, it turns out that Mr. Boudreaux was here to murder three of your students. Would you like their names?"

"Is it the government's practice to arrest people before they've committed a crime?" Beast asked coldly. "As you can see, all of our students are perfectly healthy."

Meanwhile, several of the students were shooting Vincent horrified looks.

"No, but when they're suspects to break-ins and helping fugitives escape, they're free game."

"What are you talking about?" Laura/Talon/X23 demanded in the tone known to make hardened Vietnam veterans piss their pants.

Fury glanced at her cautiously before continuing. "After Sinister's Marauders escaped from our facility, it was discovered that the… man who broke them out, Deadpool, left behind a large pool of his own blood. Of course we performed a number of tests on it to determine location and current identity and wouldn't you know, it came up with a match."

There was a nasty feeling growing in his stomach. A match? To Deadpool? What the hell did that have to do with him? What was this guy talking about? Was he suggesting that he was –

"Are you suggesting that Vincent is Deadpool, General Fury?" the Professor asked. "Because any one of my students can attest to the fact that Vincent was present when Deadpool appeared."

"You are a doctor in genetics, aren't you Professor? Maybe you can explain how two males, who have had no apparent contact with each other until just these past few months, can share over forty-nine percent of their alleles?"

Vincent had no idea what this man had said, but judging by the frozen look on the Professor and most of the other adults' faces, it couldn't be a good thing.

Vincent, he heard in his head. If you have any idea what this man is talking about, please step on James' foot.

He didn't move a muscle.

Very well. Do not reveal yourself, whatever happens.

He nodded, though he knew the Professor couldn't see him.

"Show me your data!" Beast commanded.

"Doctor!" barked Fury.

A rather shriveled looking old man with pince-nez that did nothing for his squint stepped out of the jeep and hurried towards them, clutching several folders. He shook visibly at the sight of the rather dangerous looking blue creature that stood before him expectantly.

"Give him the files."

"As you will see," wheezed the man, as he handed over the manila folders. "The individual known as Deadpool shares almost half of his alleles with the subject Vincent Boudreaux. The only alleles not apparently shared are comparable as the allele from Deadpool seems to have been mutated into something… else. Judging by the other subjects we have recently acquired, it seems to be the healing gene common in several mutants present at this Institute. However, the mutant regenerative abilities of the mutant Deadpool surpass anything I have seen in other individuals with the gene. I also find it necessary to add that this particular allele also seems to be mutating inside of the subject Vincent Boudreaux so I can only conclude that the mutation we see in Deadpool will soon begin to fully manifest in him. Furthermore –"

"Oh my…" whispered Beast, flipping through the papers and showing them to Xavier, Talon, and Sage, all of whom were looking increasingly grim.

"Thank you, Dr. Mores," Fury interrupted. "Now give us the bottom line."

"Ah yes, ahem, based on the extensive tests we have run, there is a 99.7% chance that the mutant Deadpool is the father of Vincent Boudreaux."

Once again utter silence fell.

Vincent had to fight the urge to throw up. He could feel eyes boring into him; if Fury hadn't noticed everyone staring at him before, he couldn't miss it now.

He found himself swallowing the half-digested remains of the sandwich he had eaten on the boat.

This guy… this Fury… he was insane.

He was just trying to flush him out. That was it.

Yeah. That was it.

His brain showed him the unwelcome image Bridget had shown them all just before Mardi Gras, when her power evolved. His mother kissing a tall stranger in red…

No. That had been his father.

Lazare Mercier.

"You piece of shit!" Wolverine roared. "The kid's dad is dead! Lazare Mercier, looked it up myself!"

"Logan," the Professor said quietly. Vincent?

But the young man couldn't have said anything if he wanted to.

On the more physical plane, Wolverine had gone absolutely still, staring at the group examining the file.

"That file is completely legit."

"Cause you guys've been completely on the up and up with us before!"

"Look Wolverine, I don't like this anymore than you do, but I swear to you that this is real. And we need to find out what is going on – see if this kid is a clone, some projection, or just a time the freak forgot to use a condom."

The young Assassin found himself longing for a shotgun, something, anything to take this son of bitch's head off.

"Now. You!" Fury's black eye fell directly on Vincent. "Come with us, son. C'mon boy, you think Bishop didn't send us pictures along with blood? I know who you are, move it. We need to ask you a few questions and run a few tests."

Well he had questions of his own.

A lot.

"I am sorry, General," the Professor said coldly. "But as long as Vincent is under my protection and care, he will not be going anywhere. If you really need to question him so badly, you may do it inside."

"No can do, Xavier. He needs to come with us and we are prepared to use deadly force if necessary. C'mon, Vincent, if you let your friends fight for you a lot of them are gonna die and all of them that actually survive are gonna be locked up."

There was a time when this would have meant nothing to him. He wouldn't have moved. But the thought of these bâtards killing James or Eddie or Alexei… or Sofy or… Noelle.

A hand closed abruptly around his bicep and he whipped his head around to see Lucien LeBeau gripping him fiercely. Fierce dark eyes bored into his. "Don' even t'ink 'bout it."

"I think you will find that we do not respond well to threats, General," the Professor said in a tone Vincent had never heard before. "Especially not when they are used to manipulate our students."

Around him, the students of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters were shifting into the battle ready stances they had perfected in the Danger Room.

"Wha' da hell're y' doin'?" he hissed at them. "Dey only wan' me! Dey ain' no reason fo' y'…"

Someone slapped him upside the head and Noelle was suddenly beside him. "Weren' y' listenin' da ot'er nahght? Y' one o' us. Y' an X-Man an' we look afteh our own. Now shut up an' get ready."

"Don't make me do this, Xavier!"

"On the contrary, General. It is you are forcing us."

"Fine then."

Projectiles exploded from every vehicle on the lawn and it was only a blast of wind from Storm, a sound wave from Backlash, red energy blasts from Vassily/Red Star and Havok, and a diamond shield courtesy of Bijou that kept it all away.

Soldiers poured from the helicopters, the SUVs and the jeeps and the X-Men leapt forwards to eject them from the premises. Of course, it didn't take long to discover that only a few of the missiles and bullets were actually meant to be fatal. Most were equipped with heavy sedatives and knock out gases.

"Fall back!" Logan roared. "Cajun, target those weapons!"

Lucien darted forwards, narrowed eyes darting through the crowds of soldiers sprinting towards them and taking cover behind their vehicles. "Got 'em."

He slammed his hands together and the air quivered.

Beyond them, rifles exploded apart, pieces of tranquilizer darts falling to the ground and thick white smoke swirling around.

"Done, Monsieur Claws!"

The government boys started wobbling and sinking to their knees.

"Keep that smoke away from us!"

Miss Ororo stepped forwards, head high and face more composed than a queen's, raised her hands and called up a force of winds worthy of a hurricane.

The knock out gas floated out to sea, leaving behind dozens of unconscious soldiers. Those who had managed to avoid the smoke charged towards the rebellious mutants, riot sticks, pepper spray and tasers in hand.

The cans of pepper spray froze, exploded and shattered in their owners' hands. Tasers shorted out in bursts of blue electricity or blew up. In less than forty-five seconds, the only weapons available to the invaders were their sticks.

And Sarah/Wildcat, Lucien/Backlash, and Noelle/Kestrel – not to mention the rest of the students and most of the teachers who weren't dealing with the missiles and such that were still raining down on them – were waiting for them.

Things were actually going very well.

Vincent slammed his boot into an approaching soldier's stomach, stepped through the kick, fell into a somersault and came up on his feet besides Talon. "How we doin'?"

"Quite well. You have not been apprehended, no one has died, and no one has been injured or captured."

BANG

Whipping around, the X-Men were faced with the sight of a burning roof.

The Institute was on fire.

"James!"

"On it!" The firebug seemed to snatch at the air and the flames went out with a whoosh, leaving behind nothing but bare rafters and a few stubborn roof patches.

"Well, least the main structure's alright," Alex Masters-Summers muttered.

A volley of screams beyond anything he had ever heard – barring the time his cousins had caught a Thief no older than seven and begun torturing her for information. They had carved the skin from her arms and laughed when she screamed – this was the kind of shrieking he was hearing.

"Noelle, WAIT!"

Too late.

The Thief had gone leaping over their heads with breathtaking grace and taken to the air.

She didn't get more than three feet forward than something big, yellow and clawed smashed into her and knocked her to the ground.

Sabretooth leered down at his prey. "Well, aren't you cute?"

"HANDS OFF!"

The feral mutant received a kick that sent him flying (and probably pulverized his ribs to hell and gone).

"We're ba-ack!"

Something big and red came out of nowhere and suddenly Vincent was no longer on his feet.

His back hit the ground so hard he thought his spine had smashed like a champagne glass. Then something crashed down on his gut, effectively blasting the air out of his lungs.

"Hiya, fruit of my looms."

Oh God. Oh no.

Vincent pried his eyes open to see Deadpool kneeling on his stomach. The mask above him was stretched out, suggesting a huge grin. "Not you."

And the truth is revealed! Don't be too hard on it, kay? Tell me if it seemed forced or suckish or if it was awesome.

REVIEW!

Oh, and PS: the sequels have it - the adventures of Vincent and Noelle will continue after this story!

Dieu… - "God…"