Disclaimer: Marvel Entertainment owns everything, with the exception of Cat who is my own creation. This is a work of fanfic, no copyright infringement intended.

Author's note. This story takes place in the altered reality ruled by Magneto and the HOUSE OF M, created by the reality-warping powers of the Scarlet Witch. As such, the histories and affiliations of some characters may have changed significantly. Captain Marvel is in the normal universe known (mostly) as Ms. Marvel.

Chapter 8 Maggot

"Well?" Bishop asked nervously as Lily came out of the Captain's office. "You still got a job?"

Lily nodded. "Shaw couldn't deny that the attack was unprovoked, although he did say that he felt my questioning was insensitive to the survivors, and made it abominably clear that without a warrant, we're not talking to any SHIELD Personnel."

"Which," Bishop observed, "with current evidence he knows we can't get."

Lily nodded.

"Got some good news for though."
"What?" Lily asked, sinking down to her desk.

"Spoke to some contacts and got an address for Maggot and Sergeant Dugan."
"Who?"
"Sergeant Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan, Fury's second in command, during the war. The guys reckon that if anyone knows about Fury, it'd be him."

Lily nodded.

"And," Bishop continued, "They've found Carol Hines."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?!" Lily demanded. "We need to talk to her now."
"That may be difficult." Bishop said, uncomfortably holding out a report.

Jane Doe #1234 the caption read.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The black hair was grey now. The face was drawn and lined.

Not surprising Lily thought. The woman had been in hiding for nearly 30 years. Now her face was peaceful.

A man stood beside her, running his fingers through the damp hair.

"It's O.K. baby." He muttered. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"Who?" Lily asked.

The man turned to face him. She fought not to wince. His face was worst than Deadpool's scarred mass.

"I knew who she was." He said quietly. "But I was the same. A guard at the camp, until the end." He indicated his face. "A mutant did this. Which one I'm not sure. All I saw were three claws, then darkness."

His fingers stroked the corpse's cheeks. "She found me. Took me from that place. We were both dead. And so we lived." He turned back to face them, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Until now." He broke down.

A commotion outside the morgue attracted their attention.

A mutant entered. He looked at first sight too strange to exist. His skin was dark blue with hair tied back in a top knot. His eyes, behind goggle like glasses, were brown and they ignored everyone in the room and merely focused on the corpse.

"It's true then." He said. "She's dead."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're looking very smart." Cat observed, as Kurt stood in the doorway. He was dressed in black jeans and an opened neck shirt. A black leather jacket was draped over one shoulder. His hair, still damp from the shower, was cutely ruffled.

"Off to meet Rach' then?"
Kurt nodded.

"We are going to see "My Funny Valentine" at 7."

"Supposed to be good." Cat replied.

Kurt nodded.
"I wished to thank you again. For covering my shift. I know Wolverine disapproved."

"He had a talk with you?" Cat asked, focusing on the screen.

Kurt nodded harshly. "It is ridiculously that-"

"You're going to have to hurry if you want to make the movie." Cat interrupted. Kurt nodded, recognising a fight he couldn't win and teleported out. Cat shook her hand to diffuse the scent of brimstone.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"She always seemed to feel guilty." Maggot sat quietly; sipping the tea he'd been given. Or to be more accurate, the slugs on his wrists devoured the tea and most of the polystyrene cup. Lily forced her face to stay neutral.

"Used to come down every night. Never said anything, just sat there. Weeping. Until the last night."
"Then what happen?" Lily asked.

Maggot shifted uncomfortably.

"You must remember," he said, his African accent becoming stronger as he became unhappy. "That I was of no interest to them, even less than the Sapiens volunteers. My Power, Eany and Meany," the slugs jerked up at the mention of their names, "they thought were useless. I think, I know that they planned to kill me"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



The footsteps echoed rapidly around the concrete bunker. The woman's face was terrorised.

She ran a swipe card over the control panel, her fingers trembling as she punched in the code.

"Come on. Come on!" she muttered rapidly as the machine searched for confirmation of her authority. The panel fell away revealing a handle. She gripped it and pulled down.

The energy fields in front of each cell fell away.

The inhabitants gazed out, confused, but they made no attempt to escape.

"Go!" she said. "Go now! Quickly!" her eyes darted behind her.

"Why you help?" began one of the inmates, but she interrupted.

"Go now! While there's still time." She seemed half mad.

Slowly, half believing this to be a trick, a small boy with blue skin, that had once been brown, stepped out.

She nodded encouragingly.

"Good. Good. Now go!" The child paused, uncertain.

"GO!" she all but screamed. "Go now! Before he comes!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Who was he?" Lily asked.

It was the child, uncertain and afraid who answered her question.

"I don't know." Then the child was gone and the adult continued.
"The agents on the original investigation thought it was Wolverine."

"But you don't?" Bishop asked.

The child and the man answered together. "I don't know."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



"It's a bit of an insult really." Cat said, regarding the document. "The guy's name is Remy LeBeau. A career thief with a record as long as your arm. Got caught by Captain Marvel. He claims he's got information on a Human resistance plan. So we have to investigate,"

She regarded Rogue cautiously. "Advanced warning," she said, gathering up the relevant papers. "The guy's supposed to be a bit of a charmer."

Rogue shrugged. "Charmer's don't mean much to me Sugar."

Cat smiled acknowledgement. As Rogue got to her feet, Jess entered.

"So what's his name?" Cat asked, as Rogue left.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jess said, taking up her post.

"Uhun! When I saw you last, you were wearing a, what can only be described as a "date skirt". That is a skirt at least," she paused, head on one side regarding her teammate "4 inches shorter than SHIELD Regulations permit. And," she said as Jess ducked her eyes. "No offence meant honey, but you smell like a chemical factory."

She sniffed the air.

"What is that? Van Dan No. 7?"

"No. 5" Jess muttered, keeping her face down.

Cat nodded. "And that standard issue soap you used to try and get rid of it. Must be pretty serious."

"You can't tell James!" Jess said in a rush.

"Wasn't planning to." Cat said with a shrug. "He knows something's up. Wanted a name."

"Archie Corrigan." Jess said in a rush. "He's a Sapiens pilot in Madipoor."
"Logan's old stomping ground." Cat observed cooling, "be careful they don't know each other."


"They don't." Jess replied. "I asked him, he didn't know any one called James, Logan or Wolverine."

Cat opened her mouth then closed it again. Jess hadn't had much luck in love, so she was dammed if she'd ruin it.

"No major problems. Despite the commotion early, everything's been quiet." She calmly completed her briefing, and handed over to Jess and Toad.

Toad had brought his copy of the Daily Bugle with him. On the front cover, Cat could see a photo of Carol Danver's with Simon William's arm draped around her. She smiled, as she walked back to her quarters, thinking of all the mutants she'd known in the Mutant Human War. None of them would have thought it possible that a mutant could date!

"We've come a long way." She muttered, changing out of her uniform.
"Aye." Agreed a small voice in her head, "and paid a high price."
"It was worth it." She muttered angrily.

The voice asked again. "Was it?"

TBC
Author's note. Right come on people I know you're reading this. If you want more hit that button and let me know. Else I will abandon this for months on end!