August 19, 1992
You look a lot like your father did in the old pictures.
David smiled and Terry knew that she'd said the right thing. It looked like he'd needed it. He seemed uncomfortable in the uniforms that they had found. She had never been a fan of the high collars herself. While Terry stayed in her SHIELD tactical gear the rest had suited up as well.
Sharon had tied her hair back and had offered to do the same for Rahne. Rahne looked nervous, her eyes darting repeatedly out the window. She was uncomfortable with her new environment, but they needed as many ferals as they could get. Max seemed too angry to think about anything other than the mission, and she hoped that he calmed down before they got to the Institute. Piotr seemed to be keeping his head well.
Amanda was the oddest one to see. To Terry's surprise she had volunteered to come along. There had been a hushed argument between her and David, but it appeared that she'd won. David had assured her that Amanda was an acrobat, that she probably had more training than Sharon in some respects, and definitely more experience than Rahne. It was odd to think of a human member of the X-men though. Moira had been support: not combat.
Sharon gave Amanda a knowing look as she went to the front of the plane. She was going to be driving. Terry had always crashed the simulations, and Sharon seemed familiar with the plane and most of its special features.
"So, when we get there," Sharon said, "What's the plan?"
"A distraction on the front lawn, and we enter through the basketball courts," David said, "The hanger's underneath there."
"That's...weird," Rahne said.
"Going in through the front door won't work," David said, "They might be down in the tunnels: I can't imagine him using the students' rooms for some reason. I'll do a quick mental count, and if I'm wrong, we'll do a standard entrance: one group in the front, one in the back, and one through the roof."
He shook his head as he sat down.
"Really don't want to do that," he said.
"Why not?" Max said.
"Because it's the most logical course, something Scott or Alex would've done," David said, "Seeing how they didn't win, I have the feeling something might've gone wrong with that."
Max fell silent.
"Okay, now that we have that question answered," David said, "We should have some people acting as a distraction in the plane and on the ground while the rest of us sneak in. They can assume that the rest of us are on the plane."
"Who's staying where?" Rahne asked.
"Well, I have the feeling that Deadpool's good at being distracting," David said dryly.
"Best there is!" Deadpool said.
He gave a thumbs-up.
"He'll be on the lawn with someone else," David said, "I haven't decided who yet, and Sharon, you're in the plane."
She gave him a withering look. He shrugged helplessly.
"You're the only one who really knows how to fly it," he said.
She nodded, but she still didn't look happy. David glanced briefly at Terry.
How do you feel about working with Deadpool? he thought.
Fine, she thought back, Just fine.
David looked like he didn't believe her, but he directed his gaze towards his buckle.
"Terry will be on the front lawn," he said, "She's a good fighter, and she should work as good back-up. If we need back-up, we'll call you. If not, we'll meet you all on the front."
Terry nodded and sat down in the back. She saw Sharon give her a worried look, and Terry just smiled. There was too much about her situation to adequately communicate it without a notebook of paper or David as an intermediary. It was easier just to smile.
Deadpool sat down next to her. Terry looked at him out of the corner of her eye. His head was facing forward, not even glancing at her.
"Everyone buckled in?" Sharon asked.
There were a few murmurs of assent. Rogue closed her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her. Terry wondered if she was deep in thought or praying.
"Then hold on," Sharon said, "We should be near the school in a few minutes. I'll drop them off first, and then we'll loop back to the front of the school."
Terry nodded and thought about her father. He had always trained her to know what to do in these situations. She felt a little scared going into full-fledged combat without her voice. No matter what she had told everyone who'd asked, she was disconcerted to know that she was without her greatest weapon.
Her father had taught her to be more than her voice though. Terry could remember her initial combat lessons, trying to imitate her father. Even then she'd wanted to grow up to be a SHIELD agent, be like him, fight with him.
Terry had never fought Sinister. He'd been locked up since before she'd reached fifteen. He had been something in the past, and Terry had never looked at her past too closely. She could still remember the chilling way that he had looked over her, judging whether or not she was fit for experimentation.
He had her father though. That meant that she wasn't going to be afraid. She was going to get him back by any means necessary, because that's what he'd do for her. It wasn't more complicated than that.
The plane began to rumble. She knew it was lowering.
"If you're on David's team, I suggest you get out now," Sharon said.
There was a flurry of buckles being slung back. David got up from the control panel and rested his head by Sharon's armrest. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Terry looked away, trying not to invade their privacy.
"Watch yourself," he said.
"Don't be dumb again," Sharon said, staring forward, "I'm smarter than you. I'll be fine. Just rescue your brother and the rest, and leave some ass for me to kick when I get down there."
David laughed.
"I love you Sharon," he said.
"I love you too," she said.
The hatch doors opened and the ramp unfolded. David turned and left the plane, along with the rest of his small team. Terry wondered if she was going to see him again. He was one of her oldest friends, and he was going off into a dangerous situation with a handful of green children.
In many ways, he was still green himself. He'd been in a few fights and Danger Room simulations, but they weren't anywhere near the same league as this operation. He looked at her over his shoulder. If he had any doubts about his predicament, they didn't show in his eyes.
Good luck, he thought.
Good luck to you too, she thought.
He left and the hatch folded up. Terry began to think about her own part in the mission. She couldn't help but look at the front of the plane. Sharon was still looking forward, and Terry admired her courage. She thought she saw one of her hands shake a little as she began the take-off sequence, but it was steadied easily.
Perhaps it was part of who they were, the children of the X-men. They had all grown up with some sort of adversity or another. They had been lost, hurt, watched their parents charge into battle. David had been right when he'd talked about them having a massive legacy to live up too, but there was also a legacy that they had been building for the ones who came after them.
It was a legacy to keep trying. Terry just hoped that their legacy wasn't going to end before it began.
"Terry, I screwed up."
Instinctively she looked at Deadpool. She tried not to think of him as Wade, it was too painful. He wasn't looking at her, but she'd heard his words clearly. Her eyes glanced up at Sharon. Terry knew she had enhanced hearing, but Sharon was ignoring them.
Amanda was sitting a row up, and there was no way she could hear. Even so, Terry didn't acknowledge his words. She looked out the window instead. Terry heard him sigh.
"There's not much else ta say about that," he said, "I mean, I left, didn't I? It wasn't...I just wanted..."
There was another pause.
"I wanted to kill her for hurting you. You nearly died. Did they tell you that? Did they tell you how close it was?" Deadpool asked, "Before the medics came you were just bleeding everywhere and you weren't answering me..."
She closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears in.
"I wanted her dead for that," Deadpool said, "But I didn't chase after her when one of your teachers told me to stay behind and tell you. Doesn't that count for something?"
She wanted to turn and tell him no, but she heard him sigh.
"Thought not," he muttered, "Why would it? I wanted to leave because it was my fault. And...I knew then that you wouldn't want me to, but I did it anyway. Because it's always gotta be about me, huh?"
Terry wanted to nod, but she couldn't bring herself too. There wasn't enough anger.
"You needed me, and I'm sorry," he said, "There's not anything else that I can say beside that. Except..."
He made a noise in the back of his throat.
"I saw ya earlier huggin psychic-boy," Deadpool said, "And before ya call me jealous, or something stupid, I know it wasn't like that. I just know that...I know that it should've been me doin that. Your father's been captured, and he's always been a bastard ta me, but he loves you and...damn I'm bad at this, but I'm sayin that I should've been the one ya coulda turned to."
Terry bit her lip. He should have been.
"In short, I know that I shouldn't get a shot at makin it up ta ya, but I'd like one," he said.
She turned to him then, letting him see the raw pain in her face for the first time. She moved her lips carefully, making sure that he would be able to read her lips.
I need more than that.
He looked at her helplessly.
"What more?" he asked.
More, she lipped.
He looked down and Terry felt the tears coming back again. She had to stand firm. She had spent the first seven years of her life recieving pain from people she should have been able to depend on. Terry wasn't going to let that happen again.
Terry began to turn away, feeling failure in her. She had tried to accept the man next to her. Now he wouldn't accept her need to at least have what they were acknowledged. He couldn't be ignorant to her meaning. Terry had never asked for it before, just waited and hoped. She'd thought that, if he'd really thought about it, he'd find the courage to tell her. She'd been wrong.
"Guys, I'm dropping you off," Sharon said, "I'll give you as much air support as I can, but the Blackbird wasn't built for aggressive maneuvers. I have a few ideas though. It was always late whenever I was studying dad's blueprints, and they helped me fall asleep."
Sharon cracked her neck as Terry unbuckled. She got up and stood by the hatch, holding onto one of the handles that hung from the ceiling.
"Want me to land or-?" Sharon asked.
"We can jump," Deadpool said, "It's only like, what, five feet? We got good footwear."
He unbuckled and stood by Terry. The hatch doors began to open and she looked down.
"Terry, I want another chance because I love you."
The words came out in a rush. Terry turned to him as the wind blew around them. She reached out and yanked his mask up, pressing her lips to his in a kiss. Terry pulled away after a moment, keeping her hand on his cheek.
I love you too, she mouthed, Now let's go kick some ass.
Wade grinned wildly. Grabbing her around her waist they jumped through the hatch doors.
A/N: I may not be able to post for the next few days, so I'm posting two chapters tonight.
