This chapter is relatively short, but it sets up some future events. Setting up future events is fun.
DISCLAIMER: I own Derrick Bolris. Cobra and G.I. Joe belong to Hasbro, Wavedancer and Trinity belong to Red Witch, and everything else belongs to Marvel.
Chapter 4: A Few Plots Spinning
Cobra, the mortal enemy of G.I. Joe, was known for many things. To the world at large, they were a threat to humanity itself. To the members of the Misfits, they were led by a complete idiot. Regardless, Cobra still plotted world domination, and one of Cobra Commander's latest plans was about to be put into motion.
"Baroness, Destro," the masked leader of Cobra addressed his two second-highest ranking members, the metal-faced Destro and the black-haired Baroness. "It is my great pleasure to welcome to our ranks someone we can trust to retrieve something we shall use to our full advantage!"
"Commander, we have attempted an army of mutants multiple times," Destro pointed out. "Not one of those times has that plan succeeded."
"Ah, true," Cobra Commander agreed. "But my latest plan shall both destroy the Misfits as well as give Cobra the power it needs to conquer the world! All we need is help from this man!"
"Hey, why can't I have my own nuke?!" a distant voice complained. "It's the latest thing! All the cool people have one!"
In an instant, Baroness and Destro's faces—at least, that of the Baroness—paled.
"Sir…" Destro began, but no other words could follow.
"Tell us you didn't hire—" Baroness began, but a humanoid flash of red light interrupted. In the light's place was a man dressed in a red-and-black body suit.
"Aloha, Cobra!" cried the mercenary known as Deadpool. "Uncle Deadpool's here to give noogie lessons!"
He immediately grabbed Destro and began drilling his fist into the Cobra member's head.
"Noogie, noogie, noogie!" Deadpool laughed.
"So glad you could join us, Deadpool," Cobra Commander said as Deadpool released Destro. "I'm sure your talents will be put to excellent use while employed with Cobra."
"Yeah, hold that thought," Deadpool said quickly, pulling out a gun and shooting at the ceiling. "Thou dare taunt-eth the Deadpool, buzzing spawn of Drew Carey?! Thou shalt feel the spiteful and bullet-y wrath of my favorite gun and my yellow thought boxes! Oh, wait, I don't have those here. The yellow boxes, I mean. Darn fan-fics."
"As if we needed more insanity," Baroness muttered as Deadpool continued to shoot into the ceiling.
Deadpool quickly turned to her.
"Hey, wait a sec!" he said. "You're not Bea Arthur! CC said that Bea Arthur would be here!"
"Er, no, actually," Cobra Commander corrected, "I didn't."
"Could I at least have my own pet baby T-rex?" Deadpool whined. "Pleeeeaaaaassseee?"
"I don't see why not," Cobra Commander shrugged.
"Commander, Deadpool will kill us all if he gets his own dinosaur!" Baroness cried.
"Oh, you worry too much," Cobra Commander said, waving Baroness' objection aside. "After all, with Dr. Mindbender, there are plenty of things possible!"
"Yay!" Deadpool cried. "I get my own dinosaur and I can do Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions! Hallelujah!"
"We are most certainly doomed," Destro sighed.
****
Rina Logan, better known as X-23, stared up at the ceiling of her room in the Xavier Institute, long brown hair scattered across her pillow. There were nights when she had nightmares regarding her past as a weapon of Hydra. There were nights when she would sleep peacefully. But this was neither of those nights.
She was wondering about what Logan, her adopted father, had said earlier in the day, when he came back with a report on Derrick.
"Kid's pretty ticked off at the world, and doesn't want anythin' to do with the X-Men, Misfits, or whatever else floats your boat," Logan had said. "Reminds me a lot of Rina back when I first met her."
Was it true? Was there really someone who had suffered tragedies enough to make him angry at the world? Was there someone…like her?
I'll find out one day, Rina thought. One day I'll meet this Derrick.
And then she went to sleep.