Xavier's institute for higher learning
2 Weeks later
"Why hasn't she left yet?" Rogue asked after we left my cottage making our way to the mansion.
"Why does it matter?" I asked in return.
"Uh maybe the fact that she tried to kill yah multiple times not to mention the fact she took part in Stryker's raid on the mansion." She replied. "Ah just don't see why yah are not more worried about her."
"Because Stryker has always had trouble keeping his pets on a leash. Look at me, look at Logan. She is just another in the growing list." I explained.
"And now the whole list is at one place, do you honestly think that is a coincidence?" She asked.
"Not all of them." I said and she glanced at me confused.
"I thought yah said there were eight others between yah and Logan that died." She said.
"One survived. He was a mercenary before Styker found him. He had some health problems, tumors that formed on his brain and he was dying from them. Stryker approached him with an offer to cure him of them if he would work for him. Stryker had scientists working with gene manipulation and he used the research on this man. He gave him Wolverines healing factor which temporarily healed the tumors. After a short time the accelerated healing began causing the tumors to grow at an accelerated rate leaving the man horribly disfigured and slightly insane. After Stryker's end of the bargain didn't hold up the man escaped and has been going on with his life under another alias." I explained.
"That's terrible. How do you know this?" She asked.
"I know everything that was going on at the time at Stryker's base." I answered and she shuddered.
"Ah can only imagine the sick shit he did." She said as we reached the mansion door. "What was the man's name?" She asked.
"Wade Wilson, He goes by Deadpool now."
...
"X-men I would like to thank you all for assembling. As you all know my dream is to reach a point that mutants and Humans can coexist peacefully and the X-men are not needed. Today we are taking a step toward realization that my dream is possible." Charles said once we all assembled in his office.
"That's great Professor but can you elaborate?" Jean asked.
"Of course dear, Dr. Henry McCoy is being considered a position with the U.N. As an ambassador for the mutant population." Charles said and everyone turned to Hank who stood behind Charles quietly.
"Congratulations Hank." Scott said.
"Perhaps we should hold off on the congratulations Scott. Charles said Hank is being considered he didn't say that he is now the ambassador." I said.
"Precisely, which is why I have decided to host a benefit for the worlds leaders in which I would like all of you present as a showing that mutants are worthy of holding a place at the U.N." Charles explained.
"I'm out, good luck furball." Logan said and headed for the door.
"Logan I would appreciate if you would re-" Charles began before I interrupted.
"Charles, if the rest of us are going to be away from the mansion perhaps it would be wise if Logan stayed behind to insure the safety of the mansion. We would not want a repeat of Stryker's attack." I explained. "Besides do you really want Logan around a bunch of suits with his drinking habits and manners." I then said eliciting a few chuckles and a low rumbling growl from the wolverine.
"Perhaps you are right Bullet. Logan will remain here, can I count on the rest of you to attend?" Charles asked looking around the room.
After being met with a round of yeses he dismissed us and we went on with our day. I walked downstairs and out of the mansion. I pulled my cell phone and dialed a number.
"Who is this and how did you get my private line?" Nick fury asked from the other end of the line.
"What do you have on Stryker?" I asked.
"Bullet, What? How did you get this number?" He asked.
"Shut up and answer my question Fury." I said angrily.
"I haven't found anything substantial yet." He lied.
"Your playing a dangerous game here Fury. Tell me the truth or-" I began before he cut me off.
"Or what, you will fly the Jet up here land it without it being blown out of the sky and take on all of shield to get to me?" He asked and I laughed.
"Ok little threats aren't going to work I can respect that but how about we quit this game of cat and mouse. You see I know exactly what you know. I know that you are lying to me and quite frankly I don't care why. What I do know is that you are going to lend a hand in bringing Stryker down, or some secrets of shield's that found their way into my possession will find their way all over the internet. You see when you installed the new security system for the Institute I knew you had an ulterior motive and I decided to use it against you. It took me a week but after digging around in the network you installed I found a tunnel directly into shields mainframe. Everything you know, I know and everything I know is backed up on a secure file that could be hidden in several places. In the past month I have been in 5 different cities in three different states I have used 8 different aliases and that's not even counting New York. It would take weeks to track down where it may be hidden in New York alone. Or who knows maybe I mailed it somewhere, maybe not, the point is unless you want me to expose you and your organization you will play ball." I said and he sat on the other end quiet for a few minutes.
"What do you want me to do?" He asked in a defeated tone of voice.
"Nothing at the moment, I will contact you when I am ready to strike. Just keep a team of your best on standby." I said and hung up the phone.
"Preparing for an assault are yah?" Rogue asked as she walked down the steps.
"You knew it would eventually come to this. So why do you sound so surprised?" I asked as I placed my phone in my pocket and turned to face her.
"Once you deal with him will you be able to let go of your past and move on?" She asked.
"I am moving on. I am forging my own path with you." I explained.
"No yah are going through the motions but yer mind is still focused on the wrong he has done to yah." She said.
"Not the wrong he has done to me but to the countless others I have killed as a result of him. They haunt me Marie and that is something I don't know if I will ever be able to get past." I said hanging my head shamefully. "People say that when they have killed someone that it will haunt them forever, constantly in the back of their mind eating away at them. Do you understand what it is like when there are hundreds of them and the back of your mind is a memory like it happened yesterday. At least with other people that memory can fade over time. I will be stuck with fresh faces and voices, blood curdling screams and children crying before I pulled the trigger. Children Marie, innocent children whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time but Stryker did not care, they were loose ends to him. Each of those victims are but a ripple in a blood filled pond growing bigger and bigger until I pull my pistol and place it under my own chin. The only thought that kept me from pulling the trigger is that all of those people deserve to be at rest and they can not do that while Stryker still draws breath." I said and she shuddered at the anger filling my eyes as those thoughts flooded my head.
"Bullet don't yah see yah are still an assassin that's the part that needs to be put to rest. Only now yerr contract is personal." She said.
"This is not a personal contract this is justice." I replied.
"This is murder." She said placing her hand on my shoulder.
"Exactly, with the crimes he has committed there is not a jury on the planet who would not sentence him to death, the only problem is Stryker is above the law." I said, the pure anger filling more and more by the second.
"So judge, jury, and executioner. This really means that much to yah?" She asked removing her hand from my shoulder.
"It must be done. He has gone too far and he will continue until someone puts a stop to it." I replied fiddling with the snap on my holster. I need to let off a few rounds.
"Lets go." Rogue said grabbing my hand and leading me inside the mansion.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Stress relief." She said and continued pulling me.
Before I knew it we were outside of the danger room and Rogue was gesturing for me to unlock the weapons that I kept stored here so I didn't have to carry all of my weapons back and forth.
"Pick your poison." She said looking down at the arsenal laid out before me.
I grabbed my Benelli M3 and slung it across my back. I grabbed my Colt 1911's and holstered one at each side before grabbing some extra mags and then I grabbed my AR-10 and two extra mags before nodding to Rogue that I was ready. She took a few minutes carefully selecting her own arms before walking to the door of the danger room. We walked in side by side prepared for war and stood in the center of the room.
"What simulation are we going to run?" I asked through a small grin that was forming on my face. As angry as I am she knew exactly what I need and is making it happen.
"How about a friendly competition." She said turning to face me.
"What did you have in mind?" I asked liking where this was going.
"Ah had the Professor design a new sim. A battle through the destroyed streets of New York. Enemies popping up all over the place. Score is kept depending on shot location and distance from target. Headshots score 10 points, center mast shots score 10 points, and any other hits are 5 points. Another point is added for every 10 yards of distance from the target. Are yah all clear on the rules?" She explained.
"What's the wager?" I asked hoping to make it more interesting.
"If ah win, we are having a sleepover tonight." She said.
"Fair enough, when I win I want a foot rub." I replied.
"Eww Bullet yah know ah don't like feet." She said disgusted.
"Exactly which is why you should really try to win, as futile as the attempt may be." I goaded and she shot me a mean glare.
"Ah have gotten pretty good." She said.
"I agree but the student still has not surpassed the teacher." I replied and she readied her M4.
"Computer run competition 51702." She said and I watched as the room began to change into a vision of what New York would look like if it were suddenly a war zone.
"Begin in 3, 2, 1," The computerized voice announced and Rogue took off at a brisk walk looking around through the scope of the rifle.
I switched the rifle in my hands for the shotgun on my back. The least I can do is shoot distance with a shotgun to help even the odds. I began walking alongside her looking down the sight of my Benelli until I spotted my first target roughly 60 yards away in a third story window. I released a slug and looked to see a scoreboard on the far wall add 16 points to my name.
"Now yer just showin off." Rogue said before firing a single round at a target 40 yards away behind a destroyed car. The round traveled through the broken window and into the dead center of the targets back. I glanced back at the scoreboard to see 14 points added to Rogue's name. She fired another round and 12 more points were added to her name with a distance shot, 70 yards out but not a kill shot. "Don't get too tied up in the score, Ah would hate for yah to realize how far ahead of yah ah am." Alright she came to play lets have fun with this.
We began making our way through the streets fighting side by side taking out target after target and the points began climbing. 45 seconds in and I glanced at the score board and saw that Rogue is 37 points ahead of me. Guess the shotgun was not such a good choice after all. She has gotten much better than I realized and she is making this an interesting competition. I pulled out both of my pistols and immediately took out a target all the way at the end of the street. 32 points added to my score.
"Now that's not fair. How did yah even see him?" She asked as I quickly caught up with her.
"My eyes are trained to notice small minute details out of place. I saw the top of his head sticking out from behind the rubble." I responded as another target popped up out of an alley to the side of us. I fired a round and took the lead with another 10 points.
Three minutes in and as good as I was doing Rogue was trailing just behind me. I ejected my clips and realized I was empty time to bring out the rifle. I glanced over and realized Rogue had just run out of rifle Ammunition and switched to her pistols. There is no way she could win now.
Two minutes later and the competition came to a close. "Competition over in 3, 2, 1." The voice said and I lowered my rifle.
"There is no way. You let me win!" Rogue exclaimed after holstering her pistols and looking at the scoreboard she was ahead by 12 points.
"I wouldn't do that, I was just focusing more on long range shots. You cleaned up the closer targets but apparently there were a lot more of them." I explained although I knew she could see right through me. Time to act quick before she gets mad. "So I guess we are having a sleepover." I said before leaning over and kissing her on the cheek and walking out of the danger room to store my weapons.
Thankfully X-23 kept to herself for the most part. She did join us for dinner but ate quickly and went back to doing whatever it is that she does. We watched Television for a while and thankfully she is not into the girly shows or anything too completely stupid seeing as how she stole the remote control and kept a firm grasp on it when I attempted to wrestle it away from her. I am now hooked on this show that was running a few episodes called Burn Notice. The night grew late and it was time to call it a night. I walked Rogue up to my room and kissed her goodnight before turning and walking back toward the stairs.
"Where do yah think yer going?" She asked from the doorway to my bedroom.
"You said we had to have a sleep over. You didn't say anything about sleeping in the same bed." I responded.
"Ah won our competition so just like with the T.V. what ah say goes on our sleepover. Get yah ass back in here now." She said and I smirked as I waked back towards her.
"Your right. What you say goes." I caved and walked towards the bed and pulled the covers back for her. She climbed underneath and made herself comfortable. I walked around and removed my shirt before climbing into bed myself. I placed my arms behind my head against the pillow and before I could say anything Rogue snuggled up into my shoulder. I lowered my arm back and wrapped it around her pulling her in closer. Her hand began rubbing my bare chest. She stopped on a long jagged scar stretching its way all the way across my chest from starting at my left shoulder and running all the way down to my right hip bone.
"Yah know people say that scars are like chapters to yah life story. If that's true then yah have one hell of a story to be told." She said tracing the scars with her fingers.
"The scars don't bother you?" I asked a little self conscious about them.
"Nah they are part of yah. The physical scars I can handle its the emotional ones that are a little rough for me." She said and kissed the inside of my shoulder.
"Marie, I really do not want to get back into this again." I sighed getting a little uncomfortable.
"You misunderstood mah intent Bullet. If you really feel you need to get rid of Stryker I will understand that completely. I just want yah to put this chapter behind you and finally start healing." She said and I sighed glad that she is not attempting to bring me back down again.
"Thank you Marie." I said and kissed the top of her head.
"Can ah ask yah something Bullet?" She asked softly.
"Anything." I replied and began running my fingers through her flowing auburn hair.
"Why did yah let me win?" She asked and I chuckled.
"Not going to let that one go are you?" I asked. "Honestly Marie it was because you deserved it." I was in a dark place and with the simple gesture of taking me to the danger room for the competition you threw me a life line. There is something epic about that heroine soul of yours. You are my bright light in the dark." I said and she stopped tracing my scars before leaning up on her elbow and planting a soft kiss on my lips before laying back down.
"Yah would have done the same for meh." She said softly.
"How can you be sure of that?" I asked.
"Because yah did the same for meh before yah really even knew meh. You took a chance and risked your health to help me with mah mutation. You taught me to shoot because you knew it would get my mind off of failing to suppress my powers in the beginning. You stepped up and changed mah life when no one else could." She said and I squeezed her into me. Her hand went back to rubbing my chest making its way across the hills and plateus of my scars before her hand slowly began to works its way to my stomach and then the waistline of the sweatpants I was wearing.
"Marie, no." I said and she didn't even pause as her fingers played at the edge of my pants.
"Ah am ready bullet. I want yah, after everything yah have done for meh I know its yah. There could never be anyone else for meh. Take meh Bullet." She said and after a convincing argument like that what how could I refuse her.
Her hand began working its way underneath the waistline of my pants and I groaned in pleasure as her petite hand began rubbing slowly. Things began to progress and as nervous as she was I was feeling just as nervous there has never been a woman I was more concerned with pleasing. But at the same time I know she is a virgin and I have to focus on being gentle at the same time. What started out as an awkward nervous encounter soon turned into a passionate warm embrace as our nerves faded into feelings of need and desire. Moans and pants filled the air the smell of sweat and musk filled our nostrils and a strange tingling feeling tugged at my heart strings as we both made love for the first time.
"That was incredible bullet." Rogue exclaimed through panting breaths as I rolled off of her and she snuggled into my chest.
"I didn't hurt you did I?" I asked fearfully.
"It hurt at first but now ah am just sore." She replied.
"Shit I am sorry." I said as I tilted her chin up to look into her eyes.
"Ah'm not, Its a good kind of sore. Like after a good workout." She said softly before kissing me. "Was it good for you?" She then asked nervously.
"It was incredible for me Marie. I have never made love before it was a life changing experience but now that I have experienced it I don't think I could just go back to sex, so you are stuck with me. How does that sound to you?" I asked with a grin.
"Sound like a dream come true." She said before yawning softly and snuggling back into my chest.
"Goodnight Marie." I replied kissing the top of her head.
"Night bullet." She replied and closed her eyes. Her breathing soon calmed from labored breaths too a much more shallow at ease breath and her heartbeat slowed to a normal rate. She fell asleep in my arms and that is something I have not experienced in a long time but also something I could really get used too.
I awoke the following morning to a beautiful head of messy auburn hair and distinct white streaks and I smiled as I rubbed her shoulder and felt the warmth of the sun creeping through the window on her pale white skin. I smiled at the thought that a few months ago she never thought something like this would be possible and to be honest I had my doubts about it as well but after getting to know her I knew she would be capable of anything. Now she just need to get more comfortable with the other students so that she can get some sun. Her body has been covered for years and her skin is nearly one shade from being translucent.
"Whats got yah so worked up this mornin?" Rogue asked groggily as she stirred from her sleep.
"Pardon?" I asked.
"I can feel yah poking meh." She said as she turned over to face me and her hand snaked under the blankets rubbing my morning erection.
"Maybe its the fact that I get to wake up to such a stunning southern belle." I responded and she smiled a warm smile.
"Are yah up for another round?" She asked trying to sound sexy although her voice was raspy and tired.
"I am always ready but I think we should wait. If we go again so soon you wont be able to walk straight today." I responded and she shrugged.
"Ah'm willin tah risk it." She replied.
"Already a nympho after one night. I am such a bad influence." I said before leaning down and kissing her forehead. "I still think we should wait though, we do have things to do today." I said and she glanced at me.
"Like?" She asked as she sat up and tried fixing her hair.
"We have to find you an evening gown." I answered which confused her even more.
"What for?" She asked even more confused now.
"I have been invited to attend a big wig event with some of the worlds top leaders and even though I am not the guest of honor it would be best for me to show up with a piece of arm candy as my plus one." I replied.
"Bullet, do yah really think it would be best for meh to be surrounded by a bunch of people ah don't know feeling uncomfortable and wearin a dress that shows off skin. That sounds like a bad idea to meh." She said and I took her hand and kissed her palm after sitting up nest to her.
"You have made incredible strides with your mutation and we can work on meditating more before we leave the mansion. I would prefer not to go alone." I responded and she groaned.
"Ugh please don't make this somethin ah feel like ah have to do for yah." She said and turned her head away from me.
"You know how my mutation works and that I do not like to be around a bunch of people I do not know, I need you there to help keep me centered." I responded letting her know she has practically no choice. Just then my phone ring and I recognized it as a number I have seen pop up in quite some time not after I told him I was out of the business anyway. "We will continue this conversation later, I have to take this." I said before walking out of the room.
"I thought I told you I was retiring." I said softly.
"I have a job that you should consider. It will be relatively easy for you considering your current location also the contract is for double your normal rate." He responded and I stopped and thought for a second before looking back down the hall at my bedroom door.
"Not interested. That life is behind me." I said before preparing to hang up the phone.
"The targets name is Henry McCoy." He said quickly and I raised the phone back to my ear.
"Tell the contractor the hit is off. I will personally destroy anyone who makes an attempt on his life." I said and paused for a response.
"Your name does not carry the same weight it used to. I can put the word out but with the price I can not make any promises. There has not been a price this high since the prince three years ago in Africa. I seem to remember you collecting that bounty." He said and I sighed.
"This isn't about money Henry McCoy is a personal friend of mine and he is to be left unharmed." I responded and heard him cough in surprise at the other end of the line.
"Listen to yourself, "friend" the you I knew would never have even used a word like that." He replied.
"The old me is no more." I said.
"I see, I will put the word out along with your warning but again I can make no promises Jason. Good luck with the new leaf you are turning." He said before hanging up the phone.
"Bullet, thank you." I heard Rogue say from the entrance to the bedroom.
"You were eavesdropping?" I more stated than asked.
"Ah'm sorry, ah didn't mean tah but I didn't know ah was restricted to the bedroom. Ah got up to head downstairs and overheard yah turn down the job. Ah just want you to know how much that means ta meh." She said and I sighed. "We need tah tell the Professor."
"No we can't. Someone will take the contract but if we tell Charles he will do one of two things. One, he will cancel Hank's event or Two, he will increase security at the Event letting the hitter know we are onto him." I explained.
"Exactly he needs extra security, and if the hitter knows we are onto him maybe he will decide to opt out of the hit." She replied.
"No I can keep him safe and stop the hitter all in one night if he doesn't know someone is after him. I don't know who put out the hit but it is someone with money who hates mutants and doesn't want one gaining any political footing. He will want the hit done in public and if he does it at the event I can bring him down but I an not protect him 24 hours a day. If you have any faith in me at all please do not say anything." I pleaded.
"Fine ah wont say anything. So ah guess you don't want me coming along now?" She asked.
"No, I need to keep up appearances. But I will need you to follow my instructions if things go south, I will not have you in the line of fire." I explained and she nodded.
"Please just don't let anything happen to Hank."