Chapter 3
We took all of the back roads we could, trying not to be detected by anyone before we needed to be. Soon enough, we had reached the harbor and were swimming our way to the bottom.
"Once we get down there," I had said, "There will be a latch that we can open to access the air lock. Once we use it, we'll be detected, so it's important to take cover the second we're in."
Now, we swam down low, and I was thankful that I had a toad's lungs, so I could swim down this deep. Thousands of fish went by, swimming along as if nothing was happening around them. Animals are funny that way; they never seem to really understand what's going on around them.
We got to the base, and I began to feel around for the air lock. Sure enough, it was where I thought it would be. I opened the latch and we slipped in.
Water drained out very quickly, and we could hear the alarms going off. Red lights were flashing and the air lock doors swung open. We ran through quickly, and the guards were turning the corner. Had to hide...
They met in front of the air lock, but couldn't see where the two of us had hidden. There were four guards there, not too much of a problem. So, I came swinging down from the ceiling, kicking two of our foes in the face. Wolverine took the other two out in much the same way, and we were alone again.
I walked up to one of the fallen guards and lifted up his radio. I cleared my throat and said, "False alarm, I think that the air lock needs some repairs."
There was an awkward silence, then, "Okay, we'll have someone look at it tomorrow." When we were cleared, we set out toward the center of the compound. We ran into a few more guards, but they put up as little of a fight as the first ones did, so it was mostly smooth sailing.
Then, Wolverine got a nervous feeling and we hid in an empty bedroom, shutting the door behind us. Some guards decided to go to bed, so the rooms would enter lock down mode. "That doesn't sound good," I said. All of the doors locked, and we were stuck in.
Wolverine clawed at the door for five minutes, but gave up, "It's made of adamantium, and my claws won't break it. I guess we're stuck here for the night."
Neither one of us was very tired, so we stayed up and played cards all night. "You know, I always thought you were a bit of a stiff, but you're an okay guy, Wolverine," I said.
He looked a little angry, "You've got some nerve," he said, "I'm not your friend and you know that. We're on the same side this one time, and that's it. This is bigger than you or me; I couldn't fight them all alone, no matter how much I wanted to. Just remember, when this is all over, you're my enemy again."
That hurt, it really did. "You don't understand me, do you? I'm a freak!"
"Got news for you, bub, all of us mutants are supposed to be freaks," he replied.
"No, not that," I said, "I'm a freak, even among other mutants. No one wants anything to do with poor old Toad," for a moment, I felt as though I may actually cry, "I'm not strong or fast, I don't have any powers that could be useful in a fight."
Wolverine chuckled, and then set a card down. "We have more in common than you think," he said. I scooped up another card and looked at him. "You know, these claws aren't a power, and if I didn't have them, my powers wouldn't be much more impressive than yours."
"In fact," he continued, "We have a lot in common. When I lived in Canada, they told me I had no where to go and that as log as I did what they said, they would give me a place to stay, like the Brotherhood did for you. Then, you got to be in charge, and you still had that negative self-image burned into your mind."
Interesting theory, I thought. I tossed down another card and said, "Maybe you're right, but that's why I've worked so hard. I've made some bad choices, but I've cleaned up my act. And, when this is all over, I want to find a way for us mutants to live in peace, some way that I can have a drink without being shot at and walk through town without a worrying about being hunted down. Is that too much to ask?"
Wolverine didn't say anything for a minute, as if he were thinking hard about something. Then, he laid down another card and said, "Don't feel bad, I've made my share of mistakes, too. I'm always being hunted down by someone or something that I've made mad. Take Sabretooth, for example, me and him have been fighting for years, but neither of us remembers why."
I threw down my final card, and said, "I win." morning came and the door unlocked.
We took all of the back roads we could, trying not to be detected by anyone before we needed to be. Soon enough, we had reached the harbor and were swimming our way to the bottom.
"Once we get down there," I had said, "There will be a latch that we can open to access the air lock. Once we use it, we'll be detected, so it's important to take cover the second we're in."
Now, we swam down low, and I was thankful that I had a toad's lungs, so I could swim down this deep. Thousands of fish went by, swimming along as if nothing was happening around them. Animals are funny that way; they never seem to really understand what's going on around them.
We got to the base, and I began to feel around for the air lock. Sure enough, it was where I thought it would be. I opened the latch and we slipped in.
Water drained out very quickly, and we could hear the alarms going off. Red lights were flashing and the air lock doors swung open. We ran through quickly, and the guards were turning the corner. Had to hide...
They met in front of the air lock, but couldn't see where the two of us had hidden. There were four guards there, not too much of a problem. So, I came swinging down from the ceiling, kicking two of our foes in the face. Wolverine took the other two out in much the same way, and we were alone again.
I walked up to one of the fallen guards and lifted up his radio. I cleared my throat and said, "False alarm, I think that the air lock needs some repairs."
There was an awkward silence, then, "Okay, we'll have someone look at it tomorrow." When we were cleared, we set out toward the center of the compound. We ran into a few more guards, but they put up as little of a fight as the first ones did, so it was mostly smooth sailing.
Then, Wolverine got a nervous feeling and we hid in an empty bedroom, shutting the door behind us. Some guards decided to go to bed, so the rooms would enter lock down mode. "That doesn't sound good," I said. All of the doors locked, and we were stuck in.
Wolverine clawed at the door for five minutes, but gave up, "It's made of adamantium, and my claws won't break it. I guess we're stuck here for the night."
Neither one of us was very tired, so we stayed up and played cards all night. "You know, I always thought you were a bit of a stiff, but you're an okay guy, Wolverine," I said.
He looked a little angry, "You've got some nerve," he said, "I'm not your friend and you know that. We're on the same side this one time, and that's it. This is bigger than you or me; I couldn't fight them all alone, no matter how much I wanted to. Just remember, when this is all over, you're my enemy again."
That hurt, it really did. "You don't understand me, do you? I'm a freak!"
"Got news for you, bub, all of us mutants are supposed to be freaks," he replied.
"No, not that," I said, "I'm a freak, even among other mutants. No one wants anything to do with poor old Toad," for a moment, I felt as though I may actually cry, "I'm not strong or fast, I don't have any powers that could be useful in a fight."
Wolverine chuckled, and then set a card down. "We have more in common than you think," he said. I scooped up another card and looked at him. "You know, these claws aren't a power, and if I didn't have them, my powers wouldn't be much more impressive than yours."
"In fact," he continued, "We have a lot in common. When I lived in Canada, they told me I had no where to go and that as log as I did what they said, they would give me a place to stay, like the Brotherhood did for you. Then, you got to be in charge, and you still had that negative self-image burned into your mind."
Interesting theory, I thought. I tossed down another card and said, "Maybe you're right, but that's why I've worked so hard. I've made some bad choices, but I've cleaned up my act. And, when this is all over, I want to find a way for us mutants to live in peace, some way that I can have a drink without being shot at and walk through town without a worrying about being hunted down. Is that too much to ask?"
Wolverine didn't say anything for a minute, as if he were thinking hard about something. Then, he laid down another card and said, "Don't feel bad, I've made my share of mistakes, too. I'm always being hunted down by someone or something that I've made mad. Take Sabretooth, for example, me and him have been fighting for years, but neither of us remembers why."
I threw down my final card, and said, "I win." morning came and the door unlocked.