Los Angeles California
"Do you know who we are looking for?" Logan asked annoyed as another person walked past eyeballing his gruff appearance."Of course I do. I just got us into one of the most secretive places on the planet and stole thousands of their secrets to cover up what we went for in the first place you think I cant find one girl in California." I answered and he growled.
"Then why haven't we found her yet, this city smells like pot." He answered and I laughed.
"Because I am enjoying your suffering." I responded and he began rubbing his knuckles threateningly at me.
"Can you at least tell me where Stryker is hold up at?" He asked and I shook my head.
"I didn't look into the file much myself. I only caught a few pieces. I wanted to keep my mind clear for the escape. I will need a computer to look at it and I do not have one secure enough to open these files on I will buy one and secure it tonight." I answered.
"Lets just find the damn girl and get out of here." Logan then said and I got in my car and took off. Logan followed me on his bike and we arrived at a hotel a few minutes later.
"This is it." I said after I pulled up and parked across the street from the hotel.
"Nice digs." Logan said admiring the place.
"Lets go." I said walking into the hotel lobby and sat myself down in a chair.
"What are you sitting down for?" Logan asked.
"She rented the whole top floor, only hotel personnel are allowed up there." I responded casually.
"You said it yourself, we just walked into one of the most secretive places on the planet, the two of us, and your worried about breaking a few rules." He said and I find that I love getting on Logan's nerves.
"This is a recruitment mission, How do you think she will react if we just break into the top floor and barge into her penthouse suite?" I asked and he sat down next to me annoyed.
"So we are supposed to just wait until we she comes down?" He asked impatiently.
"Relax, she will be here soon. She has a concert tonight and a source tells me she always goes shopping before a concert." I explained.
"What source?" Logan asked.
"Entertainment tonight." I said and Logan looked at me like I am an idiot.
"I need a beer." He said.
An hour later and the girl we were waiting for waked around the corner being escorted by three armed security guards. I got up from my seat and pointed her out to Logan.
"Excuse me Ms. Blaire." I said as we approached the young blonde.
"Not today buddy." One of the guards said and put his hand out to stop me from getting any closer. I wanted to break his hand and knock out the other two out but that would only hinder my chances of recruiting her.
"I have a daughter who is a huge fan of yours. Would it be too much trouble if you could sign an autograph for me?" Logan asked and that really surprised me.
"She doesn't care that I am a mutant?" Alison asked and I smiled thinking this might work.
"No she is a mutant as well." Logan lied again.
"I am sorry to hear that Mr.?" She asked.
"Logan and I'm not, she gets it from her old man." Logan then said flashing the warmest smile I have ever seen on his face. I wonder how often he practices that.
"Jerry, Steven get out of my way." She then said pushing past her security guards. "I would love to sign an autograph for your daughter." She then agreed.
"Actually I just needed to get you away from your security guards." Logan then said quietly and she looked at him frightened.
"Don't Worry we are not here to hurt you. Logan here lied about having a daughter but not that he is a mutant. We both are." I said and Logan slowly started to extend a claw before retracting it.
"Wow what do you do?" She then asked me.
"Nothing visually. My mind just works much faster than anyone else's on the planet." I explained.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" She asked.
"We are members of an institute in New York that houses Mutants safely and also teaches them to better control their powers. We feel that with you being a high profile mutant your safety is at risk. And that is why we would like for you to come back to New York with us." I explained.
"Thanks but no Thanks, that's what I have security for. It was nice meeting you Mr. Logan and..." She said and paused for me to tell her my name.
"Woodbury, Jason." I said and she smiled before walking back to her security guards.
"Well that was a waste of time. Lets head back." Logan said and I shook my head.
"Not yet, we haven't fulfilled our mission." I said.
"We made an attempt she refused what more can we do?" Logan asked.
"You are going to take the night off. Find some seedy dive bar and have a few drinks maybe get laid. I have a concert to attend." I explained and walked away.
I walked back to my car and drove to Beverly hills. I got some lunch and waited for the sun to go down before getting out of my car and I pulled the contents out of my trunk and placed them in my back seat. I began sneaking through some back woods into a gated community. I have a concert tonight but first I have some other business to attend to. I reached the familiar house to find that the security system has still not been updated. I disabled the system before walking to the front door and again used a familiar bump key to enter the house. I stood in the hallway and heard moving coming from the den. Once the door to the den opened I grabbed Hunter brawn and slammed him into the wall.
"Bullet, What a nice surprise. I didn't expect to see you again, hows tricks?" he asked and I planted a fist into his ribs expelling the air from his lungs. "That wasn't very nice." He said gasping for air.
"Where are Reno and Molokai?" I asked angrily.
"I don't know I only get in touch with them when I have business. Even if I did what makes you think I would tell you." He said and I punched him again.
"Because you believe your life is more important than theirs." I said and punched him another time for good measure. I then placed a piece of tape over his mouth, a bag over his head and zip tied his hands behind his back. I walked him toward the back door and back through people's yards until I got back to my car and threw him in the trunk.
I drove to an old closed down restaurant and picked the lock to the back door. I retrieved Hunter from the trunk and drug him inside. I placed him in a chair and removed the bag from his head.
"You are going to make a phone call and tell them to come to this address." I said showing him a piece of paper. "Or the beating I gave you earlier will only be the beginning, do I make myself clear?" I asked and he shook his head no so I punched him in the jaw.
"I said do I make myself clear?" I then asked again and he shook his head no once more. I pulled my combat knife from its sheathe at my waste and cut the skin just under his ear. "You can walk away from this once I have them. Are you really willing to die for those low lives?" I then asked and removed the tape from his mouth.
"Ok, you made your point. I need my phone?" He said and I pulled his phone from my pocket. I went through his contacts until I saw the name Reno and I dialed the number for him. He did as he was told and told them to come to the restaurant. I then put the tape back over his mouth and waited.
Twenty minutes later I heard a car door shut and I backed up against the wall next to the door. Reno walked in and I kicked in his knee breaking it and grabbing the pistol from his waist in one fluid motion before aiming it at Molokai.
"Come in, Join the party." I said and he began to reach for his gun. I fired one bullet and it blew his trigger finger off. He began to scream in pain and I rushed forward to place my hand over his mouth. I began walking him inside and he bit my hand. I threw him inside and shut the door before kicking him in the face knocking the teeth he just used to bite me out of his head. I then grabbed two more zipties and did his and Reno's hands like I did Hunter's I placed them in chairs and placed tape over their mouths.
I left the restaurant and headed back to Beverly hills. I drove past the lee's old house the place looks like the grass hasn't been cut since the last time I have seen it an no lights are on. I drove past the place Jubilee does her gymnastics training but this late at night the place was empty. Only one more place to look for her. I drove to the mall she frequents and began walking around the place. It was closing and she was nowhere to be seen. Just to be thorough I walked out of the exit at the opposite end and saw a crowd gathered around. Some kind of show. I pushed my way through the crowd surprised to see none other than the small Asian girl publically using her powers. I sat there watching for a few minutes and noticed people throwing money into a bag for her. I ducked back out of the crowd and decided to wait until she was finished performing when I noticed a group of security guards approaching. Apparently she noticed them too because she grabbed her bag and darted out of the crowd. Here we go again. I began running after her and as she ran through the parking lot and across the street she nearly got hit by a car but instead jumped clear over the hood. I leapt up on top of the hood and ran across it. The traffic slowed the security down enough that I was able to grab her and pull her off down an alley.
"Get off of me!" She screamed before launching a light at my face. I narrowly avoided it and grabbed both of her hands.
"Jubilee. Its me." I said and she looked up at me.
"You, what are you doing here?" She questioned but seemed to calm down.
"I have something I need to show you." I said and she looked at me questioningly.
"I am not In the mood. I didn't make near as much money as I hoped and things haven't exactly been going good for me." She explained and I reached into my pocket and dropped a hundred dollar bill in her bag.
"Excellent show, worth every penny." I said and she looked at me shocked. "Now can I show you what I need to show you?" I asked. "My car is around the corner."
"I don't even remember your name." She said.
"Jason Woodbury." I told her and began leading the way. We got into my car and I began driving.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"Golden Palace." I said.
"That Chinese restaurant? It closed down 4 months ago." She explained.
"I will explain when we get there." I said calmly and she didn't seem afraid to be in the car with me.
We arrived ten minutes later and I pulled around back. We got out of my car and walked to the back door. I opened the door and walked in before Jubilee in case one of the men got free.
"What the hell is this Jason? Who are these people?" She questioned and the fear began to grow in her voice and facial expressions.
"These two are the men that killed your parents." I said gesturing to Reno and Molokai. "And this one is the man that paid them to do it. I am sorry to have to tell you all of this Jubilee but I believe you deserve some closure. It was a car wreck that took your parents but it was because the brake lines were cut, it was no accident." I said softly and tears began to fill Jubilee's eyes.
"Is this true? How do you know this?" Jubilee asked and I feel I owe her the truth.
"I know because I was originally hired to kill your father. Your father invented a software that was Costing Hunter here a lot of money. After following your family around I realized that your father was just an honest hard working man and I couldn't be the one to kill him. I went to tell Hunter the hit was off and that's when I was informed that he put other plans into motion. It was already too late for me to do anything Jubilee, I am sorry." I said and she fell to her knees and began sobbing heavily. I placed my hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her.
"Get off of me!" She screamed. "You are no better than they are! You followed my family around with the intent of murder. You used me." She yelled angrily and her hands began to glow.
"Your right." I said and placed my hands out. "Do your worst." I said and she dropped back to the ground after a few seconds and began crying again. After a few minutes she wiped her tears and got to her feet her eyes filled with nearly 9 months of pain and anger.
"This was all over money?" She asked turning to hunter. "And you two." She then said turning to Reno and Molokai. "You killed my parents for a paycheck?" She asked angrily. "I will kill you." She then yelled.
"I will give you some privacy." I then said and walked out of the kitchen and into the front of the restaurant.
I heard some more muffled yelling and screaming and crying and then a loud blast. Jubilee walked into where I was at a moment later red eyed and puffy cheeked.
"Is it done?" I asked.
"No." She said and sat down at a chair in the restaurant. "It's not what my parents would have wanted for me." She said and I nodded.
"I understand." I said and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you probably don't want to talk to me but if it means anything at all I am sorry Jubilee."
"What is going to happen to them?" She asked.
"They will answer for what they did. I never had any intention of letting them live. I just wanted to offer you the chance to be the one to do it, you deserved that much." I said and she didn't seem too upset.
"What goes around comes around. I don't suppose I could talk you into just calling the police?" She then asked.
"They have police bought and paid for, it wont do any good. If you would like you can go out to the car. You shouldn't have to witness this." I said as I pulled my pistol from the holster on my waist.
"Make it quick?" She asked.
"Sure thing." I said before walking into the back again. I saw the chairs the three were sitting in knocked over from the blast jubilee hit them with but they were all still breathing. I stepped to them and stood over Reno first and aimed my pistol at his head. I pulled the trigger and his body went limp in the restraints. I walked over to Molokai next and his eyes were big. I could hear him pleading through the tape but he was going to be shown no mercy from me. His body went limp after a second gunshot. Next came Hunter Brawn.
"After everything you did to that girl you had to know it would come back to bite you. These are your last moments I want you to think hard on everything you put her through." I said and he began laughing through the tape. The anger that came over me was unbearable. Instead of shooting him in the head I put a round in his shoulder. His laughing stopped and were replaced by muffled screams of pain. I then put a round in his other shoulder. I holstered my gun and knealt over the man. I pulled my knife out and slowly pushed it in between his ribs and directly into his heart. I pulled it back out and wiped the blood on the knife off on his shirt before sheathing it and walking back out to the where Jubilee was still sitting.
"Its done?" She asked while leaning against my car where she waited.
"Your parents have been avenged." I answered and she stood up straight as I approached an expressionless face looked back at me. "Where are you staying Jubilee?" I then asked.
"I was staying at the mall, guess that's out for tonight." She responded.
"I have a hotel room not far from here it wouldn't be a problem for me to get another room for you." I said and she just began walking.
"I will figure something out." She said softly placing her hands in her pockets.
"Let me help you Jubilee." I said hoping she would show some emotion even if it was to blast me.
"You have done enough." She said coldly.
"If not me then how about a man I work for?" I asked and she turned back angrily.
"A man you work for?" She questioned. "You kill people Jason." She then said and I felt stupid.
"Not for money, not anymore. I am now in the business of helping. I work for a place in New York a haven for troubled and abused mutants with nowhere else to go. Its really a nice place really exquisite." I explained and she turned and began walking again. I jogged to catch up and placed a phone number in her pocket. "When you get tired of sleeping in the park give me a call." I said before turning and walking back to my car.
"What's New York like?" She asked and I turned to face her again.
"Busy, crowded the people are rude and it smells like piss, everything you would expect but that's the city. The Institute is outside of the city its clean, unpolluted and the people are friendly. Mostly anyway." I then said thinking about some of the students and what they think of me. "I have not been but I heard they have some nice shopping malls." I then joked.
"And the guy you work for, what's he like?" She then asked and I sat on the hood of my car as she walked back and sat next to me.
"Bald, paralyzed, surrounded by annoying kids all day. He has every reason to be a complete ass but somehow he finds a way to keep himself together and he is actually a very nice man." I said.
"And its full of other people like me?" She asked and I smiled.
"Some that project energy but I haven't seen a mutation like yours yet some type of plasma am I right?" I asked.
"I don't know I just do it." She said and I nodded.
"The facility is a school that's primary function is to help young mutants learn control of their powers. I think you would fit in great there." I said and could tell she was beginning to think about it. "So how about that hotel room?" I asked.
"You sure it wont be a problem?" She asked and I didn't say another word. I just got up and walked to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her.
She thanked me and got in the car. I drove us to the hotel I was staying at and got her a room next to mine. I gave her the key and informed her I had another mutant to talk to. She went into her room and I left.
I headed to the concert as it was ending and approached the back door to the stadium.
"No one without proper I.D. clearance is allowed back here." A man standing at the door informed me.
"Your absolutely right, I have it here somewhere." I said sticking my hands into my pockets pretending I was searching for it. "Ah here it is." I said pulling my hand out of my pocket and hitting him right on the edge of his jaw line behind his cheek. He hit the ground with a thud and I took his security badge before I opened the door and stepped over him. I draped the badge over my neck and as long as no one looks too closely I should be in the clear. A few young girls with backstage passes started screaming when Alison walked off stage. She smiled and talked to them for a few minutes before signing autographs. She then proceeded to her dressing room where two more security guards stood on either side of the door. I laughed after taking a second to think of a way in and my mind flashed back to movies I have seen where they always shimmy through the vents. No I need to make a statement, time to ruffle a few feathers.
"Hurry come quick Donald is out cold!" I yelled referring to the security guard I knocked out.
Security guards began to scramble to get the people with back stage passes and other concert employees to safety some ran outside to find Donald and others secured a perimeter.
"Why aren't you two checking on Donald?" I asked approaching the guards outside of Alison's dressing room who appeared on edge but didn't move.
"Ms. Blaire's safety is our number one priority." They answered in unison.
"That's too bad." I said before grabbing a pressure point in one's collarbone before grabbing the seconds elbow in an exact spot to cause him to fall to his knees. I threw the first one to the ground releasing his collar bone and pushing the second to the ground with a three inch punch I learned from Bruce Lee. I hurried into the dressing room and covered my eyes as Alison hurried to find a bra to put on.
"What are you doing in here!? Get out!" Alison yelled at me. "Jason?" She then questioned.
"Yes, Ms. Blaire." I said as I turned to face the door and held it closed as Security guards tried forcing there way in.
"Oh my god, please don't hurt me!" She screamed and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold her Security off much longer. I released the door and Lunged for Alison. I grabbed her arm and turned her around. I threw one arm over her shoulder holding her nearly naked body against me. I covered her breasts with the arm I was holding her with to leave her a shred of dignity when her Security guards broke the door down.
"I am not going to hurt you bit I need you to call off your dogs. I do not want to hurt them." I whispered into her ear.
"Let her go asshole." One of them yelled as he pulled a taser from his waist.
"I'm not an asshole." I replied unable to resist being a smart ass. "I am serious, I do not take kindly take to threats and I will not hurt you but the moment one of them touches me I will not hesitate to hurt them." I then told Alison again.
"Get out of my dressing room, he is not going to hurt me." Alison said although her voice was extremely shaky.
"We cant do that Ms. Blaire." One replied although they had no leverage to use in this standoff.
"You can and you will or I will kill her." I shouted and the security guards stopped and looked at each other. I pulled my trusty combat knife from its sheathe to emphasize my point.
"Ok, ok please just don't hurt her." The obvious leader said as they began to back up out of the room.
"I had no intention of hurting you but I couldn't let them know that." I then said and let Alison go. She scurried into the corner and huddled up into a ball. I threw her a shirt and pair of pants and turned around so that she could get dressed. "I didn't mean to scare you Ms. Blaire and maybe this was not the best way to go about it but I needed to show you that your security will not be able to protect you. I used non lethal methods and getting in was childs play. Imagine if someone wanted to get to you that wasn't so nice." I then said.
"You did all of this just to prove to me that I am not safe?" She asked and I turned to see that she was now dressed.
"Yes." I responded.
"Well you made your point, I don't exactly feel safe right now." She said.
"Maybe this will help." I said and placed the knife I had on a dresser in the changing room before pulling my Sig from the holster at my waist and then reached down and pulled the deringer I had ankle holstered and placed them all on the dresser.
"And the place you told me about can keep me safe?" She asked.
"It can, its not quite as private as you are used to but its a exquisite place and well fortified. It nearly killed me the first time I broke in." I answered.
"You had to break in and now you are recruiting for them?" She asked and shook her head.
"Long story, first day there, early morning." I gave her a very brief summary.
"What about my security? I will not be cooped up there all the time." She said.
"They will not be permitted on the grounds, mutants only. However this is my first recruitment mission and I would like it to be a success what if I agreed to be your personal bodyguard? I dispatched of the ones you have here. I have an unrivaled awareness and I am better trained than any special ops soldier." I offered and could tell she was thinking.
"I will need to see you in action. When you get back set up an exercise to showcase your talents and I will visit your Institute." She said and I reached my hand out to her.
"You have yourself a deal." I smiled and handed her a card before turning toward the broken door. "Goodbye Ms. Blaire." I said and grabbed my weapons and holstered them before walking back into the backstage area.
"Hold it right there." A security guard said and began approaching me.
"Let him go." Alison said from behind me and they made a path so I could pass.