Xavier's institute for higher learning
The next morning
"I do not see why we shouldn't go speak to them they are just going to stay there until we do Charles." I said gesturing to the news reporters standing outside of the mansion gates.
"Because they are sharks who smell blood in the water looking for any chance to strike and make mutants look bad." Charles said calmly as he went back to his business.
"Only if we let them make mutants look bad. Or we could use it to our advantage. As they say no press is bad press." I countered. "They will stand out there all day until they get something, you and I both know that. What happens when one of them climbs the fence and the security kicks in. The last thing we need is a bunch of reporters with bullet wounds."
"Which is why the security is not on right now." He explained.
"So we are open to an attack. I will go speak to them Charles. I can handle them in the least damaging way possible and then we can all get back to our lives." I said and he sighed.
"Very well just please do not get sucked into their traps." He replied.
"No one is better at avoiding traps than me." I said and headed toward the front door of the mansion.
I opened the front door and immediately heard the chatter begin all the way from the front gate. I walked toward the reporters and the camera flashes with my head held high and a smile fit for television plastered across my face. I was prepared to answer any and all questions as professionally as I can.
"Excuse me sir, but is it true that a mutant named Henry McCoy is being honored with the title of ambassador for the mutant population?" A man asked holding his microphone out to me.
"Is it also true that an assassination attempt was made against him?" Another reporter asked.
"Nothing is official as far as the mutant population getting an ambassador. There was an attack that resulted in the aggressor being incarcerated and no one was hurt Human or mutant." I answered.
"Is it true that the failed assassin is a mutant?" A question rang out from the left of me.
"As far as I am aware no genetic test has been done to identify the genetic background of the attacker. Whether they are mutant or not is not the point. The point is that mutants were directly targeted in a rather public event with security footage and a lot of high profile personnel." I replied.
"Are you suggesting that someone was attempting to send a message?" The first man then asked.
"Its seems rather obvious to me. Dr. Henry McCoy has become a rather public figure in the past few months as he spoke up regarding mutant rights. Others have done the same things before and were taken from this world for their beliefs. It may be wrong to make a comparison to Dr. Martin Luther King but wasn't he assassinated for speaking up for his beliefs. African Americans have since been accepted and are welcomed by our country and I can only hope that the work Dr. Henry McCoy is doing will show the same result whether it be 10 years or 20 or even fifty. Mutants did not ask to be mutants, we were born this way and there is nothing we can do about it. We merely wish to be a part of the communities we live in without being persecuted for something we have no control over. As far as the attack goes, it was not the first against mutants and I am fairly certain it will not be the last. I would like to say before I go that to whoever organized or funded the attack that your mission was unsuccessful and so will any future attempts. You will be brought to justice for your crimes and punished accordingly. Mutants have the same right as anyone else on the planet and we are not going anywhere so please place your hatred and bigotry aside as it will only do more harm than good. I would like to thank all of you for coming out, now if you would not mind we would like to continue with our lives without being hounded, so please go home." I said before turning around and walking away.
I walked back into the mansion and moments later the reporters seemed to get the message and began packing up and leaving. Hopefully now we will be able to continue with our normal routine consisting of going outside without having our pictures taken and having questions shouted to us from over the fence.
"How did everything go?" Charles asked as I entered the building.
"Pretty well, they will head back to their stations and edit the footage and it should be on by the 6 o clock news." I answered.
"How can you be sure that footage they edit will deliver the same message as you gave?" He asked.
"Anything can be done with a computer Charles. I will make sure the right footage makes its way on television." I answered.
"Hacking is illegal Bullet." He replied.
"It is only illegal if I get caught but my computer has a scrambler that simultaneously scrambles my I.P. address and covers my tracks by cloning hundreds of other I.P. addresses throughout the country. It would take an F.B.I. tech division 10 years to connect it to me by that point the statue of limitations has passed. And that's if they decided to waste that much time and money to even attempt it. I am not hacking bank accounts and stealing millions upon millions of dollars they will not waste the effort." I explained.
"Always thinking of everything aren't you?" Charles chuckled.
"Part of my mutation." I shrugged my shoulders. "How is Hank doing?" I then asked.
"Perhaps you should go see him." Charles suggested.
"I think I will, I will see you at 6 for the news." I said before placing my hand on his shoulder and walking toward the elevator.
...
"Good early afternoon Hank." I said as I walked into the med lab.
"Hello Bullet, I know I did not have much of a chance last night with everything going on but I would like to thank you." Hank said walking up to me and extending his hand.
"Don't mention it, I was looking out for a fellow X-man. You would have done the same." I replied reaching out my own hand.
"Oh Bullet you are bleeding." Hank said looking at my side noticing the red stain on my shirt as I extended my arm. I wasn't even aware that the wound started bleeding again.
"Yea just a flesh wound Hank, nothing to be concerned about I cleaned and disinfected the wound last night." I said and withdrew my arm.
"Remove your shirt." Hank then said and I sighed.
"Really its ok Hank, I will take it easy for a few days and let it heal." I argued.
"Nonsense the least I can do is take a look at it." Hank replied and I grabbed the hem of my shirt and lifted it over my head. "Oh my bullet that is much worse than you let on." He said and I shrugged.
"Its alright. I bandaged it myself last night but I used a dry bandage without thinking and had to rip it out this morning. I stopped the bleeding it will be fine." I said.
"But if you do not properly close the wound and keep it covered there is a good chance it could become infected. Let me suture it closed it wont take but a few minutes.
"Ok whatever you feel is necessary, you are the doctor." Great looks like I have another scar to add to my collection. Hank walked to his cabinet to grab his suture kit and turned around a second later. He opened the kit and removed a needle and glass bottle with a clear liquid in it.
"No lidocaine Hank." I said as I noticed the label on the bottle and he sighed.
"Please don't tell me that with all of those scars that you are afraid of needles?" Hank asked and I shook my head.
"Allergic to lidocaine." I answered and he looked shocked.
"You mean you healed from all of these wounds all of these stitches without any numbing agent?" He asked. "Allergies to Lidocaine are extremely rare and for someone such as you that must be extremely terrible."
"Its not technically an allergy. You see lidocaine numbs the nerves and senses which send direct signals to the brain. When those nerves become numb the messages are clouded and with the way my brainwaves and electrical patterns are increased further than an average persons the clouded messages completely short out my brain. It causes a case of short term amnesia which with my power should not necessarily be a bad thing but when the amnesia ends all of those memories and everything I have ever learned throughout my life come flooding back in an instant and completely overloads my brain. Last time that happened it nearly cost me my life and that was sixteen years ago with everything I have learned since it most surely would kill me. Just sew me up." I answered and he looked even more shocked now.
"Ok, I suppose I should say this is going to hurt but I assume you are already well aware of that." He said as he prepared the suturing needle.
He began running the needle through my flesh and I winced at the sharp stab every time it entered my tender flesh but I have lived with worse, pain is not permanent. He finished stitching the wound closed and I placed my arm down. Hank walked to the biohazard container and disposed of the suture kit along with the bloody bandages and threw them away. I followed him and threw my blood stained shirt in the same waste container.
"Thank you Hank, you are a good man." I said.
"So you have had run ins with deadpool in the past?" Hank asked as he walked to the sink and washed his hands.
"I have, a little over 5 years ago. We were both assigned the same mission and were unaware of it at first. Once we became aware we fought for who would carry out the mission but not without a battle wound to show for it." I answered pointing to a small scar where the blade of one of Wade's sword impaled completely through me. "After I removed his head I carried out the mission and continued with my life." I said and Hank choked.
"I'm sorry for a second I thought you said you removed his head. I must be mistaken because there is no way that is possible." Hank said after taking a drink of water.
"Wade does not die Hank. Even removed from his head. I hacked shield not too long ago and saw a video of him fighting the Hulk. Hulk completely smashed in his skull, I can show you that video and he was still at full form yesterday. I know that's hard to believe but Wade is in a sense immortal. Scott witnessed me impale his brain with one of my knives yesterday yet you saw him coming around outside of the hotel." I said and he merely shook his head.
"That is incredible. So what do you think? will he be a problem anymore?" Hank asked.
"No he will find a way out of police custody but Wade has a level of respect and once whoever put the hit out realizes that he failed publicly he will offer the money to someone else." I answered.
"So now we have to worry about someone that we don't know." Hank said.
"Yes but an individual who does not possess nearly the amount of skill that Deadpool has, believe me you are much safer now." I said trying to be reassuring. "Besides with personal security like me you are in great hands doc."
"I appreciate that Bullet." Hank said as he helped me up from the exam table.
"As I said before I was helping out a fellow X-man as far as I am aware I am still a member of the X-men and will continue to fulfill my duties." I said as I headed for the exit.
"You know you don't always have to be so professional bullet, you could just say you were looking out for a friend." Hank said and I paused.
"You know I don't think I have ever had a friend apart from Marie." I responded.
"You do now, quite a few actually so get used to it." He said and I chuckled.
"Your a good friend Hank." I replied before leaving and letting the med lab door slide closed behind me.
"Ah bullet, I was hoping to run into you." Charles said as he approached me.
"What is it Charles I was just heading back to my place ready to call it a night?" I asked as I kept walking and he rolled alongside me.
"Well Hank mentioned that the injury you received should heal within a week and you will have full mobility back." He said and then stopped.
"Is this going somewhere?" I asked.
"Yes I would like you to take lead on a mission." He said and I stopped and faced him.
"What about Scott, He is the leader is he not?" I asked confused.
"Yes he is however he and Jean are taking a much needed vacation and their presence shall not be required. If for any reason they are needed they are but a phone call away. I would ask Logan but he would merely turn it down. As much as he does not like taking orders he is not one for leading either." Charles explained.
"What is the mission?" I asked intrigued.
"I have received a tip that a medical company is experimenting on mutants on a cargo ship just outside of U.S. jurisdiction in the Atlantic ocean." He said.
"International waters, sounds fun. Let me look into it and I should be ready to proceed by this weekend." I said and began walking again.
"Wait how do you plan on locating them?" He asked.
"Satellite imagery scanning for any ship that spends an excessive amount of time in international waters. I will create a list then get crew manifests and docking schedules for when they resupply." I said and he nodded his head.
"Bullet that's brilliant." He said.
"That's just the beginning. I will have a full work up by Thursday, I will call a team meeting for a mission briefing and then we will go from there." I said.
"I knew I could count on you." Charles said and turned his wheelchair and headed back toward his office.
"I will not let you down Charles." I responded and walked back toward the back door.
Miami Florida
Friday afternoon
"How are we going to get onto the ship?" Storm asked as we watched the ships crew unloading from a distance.
"I have a plan for me and Logan but I will need you to fly yourself and Beast in. Can you handle that?" I asked.
"That is quite a distance to fly the two of us." She replied.
"Can you accomplish it?" I asked as that would be the quickest easiest way. "It would be a bit of a task to sneak you and Hank on board Hank more than you but a black woman with snow white hair might raise some eyebrows."
"I can complete the task I will just have to take a breather once we are aboard the ship." She said.
"Very well just come in under a fog and then get to cover until I give the signal." I told her as we walked back to our rental cars.
"What is the signal?" Hank asked.
"You will know." I answered with a smirk.
...
"What the hell are we doing out here?" Logan asked as we walked down the street full of bars and nightclubs.
"That's what we are doing here." I said pointing out two men leaving one of the bars.
"Who are they?" He asked.
"They are our ticket onto the cargo ship." I said.
"What we just ask if we can come along?" He asked as we walked behind them.
"Not exactly." I said as I balled my fist up in my left hand. "I'm going to kill you freak." I yelled before punching Logan in his jaw sending him sprawling onto the concrete.
"What the hell are you doing?" He growled getting to his feet.
"Shut up mutie!" I yelled as I pulled my knife from my sheathe. "Play along but show off your mutation." I whispered quiet enough that only Logan could hear.
Logan unsheathed his claws and lunged for me. I sidestepped his attack and sliced his side open with my knife.
"Ahhh." Logan screamed in mock pain and I kicked him in his side dropping him to the ground. I kneeled down on his chest and placed the blade of my knife at his throat.
"No don't kill him." One of the men we were following yelled as he approached me.
"Back off." I yelled raising my knife to him.
"No you got it all wrong." The other man said and put his hands in the air. "You don't need to kill him there are better uses for him."
"What do you mean?" I asked lowering my blade.
"I work for a company that could use someone like him. You seem pretty capable we could always use more hands. I parked on the next block we can put him in the trunk but we need to go before the police show up." He said and I sheathed my knife.
"Bring the car around now." I said and the men took off.
"You know I don't like labs, I will kill you for this." Logan said as I kept my knee placed on his chest as the men pulled up.
"You wont be there long I just need you to not kill anyone." I said as I yanked logan to his feet and zip tied his hands. I opened the trunk and threw him in.
"What were you doing attacking a mutant like that?" The driver asked as I climbed into the back seat.
"Its what I do." I said quickly improvising as I hadnt planned out a back story. "I am a hunter. I track and bring down dangerous mutants for sport."
"How do you get into that line of work?" The man in the passenger seat asked.
"I traveled all over the world hunting big game and dangerous animals. I have killed lions, bears, wolves, elephants, gorillas, hell one time I even killed a rhinocerous with the very same knife I nearly decapitated the freak in the back with. I always accomplish what I set out to do and I always take a trophy. I was thinking of taking the claws of that mutant, what can you offer me to make me change my mind?" I asked steering the conversation back to the task at hand.
"I can not offer you anything officially, however my boss can. I made a call and informed her of your skills when we went to get the car. That is where we are heading now. She would like to meet you." The driver explained.
"Lets hurry this up but this better be good, I do not like to have my time wasted. If I am not in i will walk away without a second thought and I will take the mutant with me. The first one of you to stand in my way will suffer the same fate as he will. Do you understand that?" I asked knowing that the wa to get people like this to respect you is to not show any leniency and to be a bit of a prick.
We pulled up at a house in a relatively quiet suburban neighborhood and the car came to a stop. We exited the car and walked up tp the front door of a house where the passenger of the car rang the door bell.
"Jeremy, Ron, it is nice to seethe two of you. This must be the man you told me about." A woman with short brown hair and glasses said as she answered the door.
"Nice digs." I said as I pushed my way past her and into the house.
"What the hell are you doing. You cant just walk in here like you own the place and take your shoes off before you walk onto the carpet." She said angrily as I walked in looking around.
"Too late." I said as I stepped onto the white carpet with my dirty combat boots.
"You didnt tell me he was a complete ass." She said to Jeremy the driver.
"Hey now thats not nice." I said before sitting on her sofa and kicking my boots up onto the coffee table.
"You better be as good as they say you are or-" She began to say.
"Or what?" I asked getting to my feet and lifting my shirt revealing the two identical sig sauers on my waist.
"Lets change the subject. What made you ecide to attack a mutant on a busy street in Miami. Thats a good way to get yourself arrested?" She asked as she stood at the other side of the table.
"Hard to arrest a man that technically doesnt exist. The reason I attacked the mutant is because I hae been tracking him across 4 states in the past three weeks. He is one hell of a catch for me and a trophy to go above my mantle." I answered.
"What do you mean you dont exist?" She asked intrigued.
"I used to be an average ordinary kid. Out of high school I joined the army. I quickly moved up the ranks and became a ranger. Then a C.I.A. blacks ops merc. They erased my identity in the event that I should get myself caught. I sold some secrets to russia and then became a private security consultant. I spent alot of time in shitty dirt poor countries working for wealthy men with no morals. That is where I got this scar." I said before pulling the collar of my shirt down eavealing a slash going across my collar bone. " After that I decided to leave it all behind and travel the world. I became bored of that and took up hunting as a hobby. After I grew bored of hunting less superior species I started hunting mutants and I finally tracked down the one that gave me the scar. He is in the trunk of the car out back. A feral with a healing factor. Incredibly dangerous. Just as I was about to put him out of my misery tweedle dee and tweedle dum here stopped me. They suggested I speak to you." I explained.
"That explains the training my men witnessed, they told me you were very good although I have yet to see it. You said this utant has a healing factor?" She then asked.
"Yes a strong one. Lets get straight to the point. That mutants life means alot to me so whatever it is that you are up to better pay very well and once whatever you use the mutant for is over with he is mine or I walk." I explained.
"Ok here are my terms. 5 grand a week as my security supervisor and we keep the mutant." She countered.
"10 grand a week and I get the mutant when you are finished with him thats my final offer." I said as I stood to my feet.
"You have no ground here what makes you think you get to negotiate?" She asked.
"The fat that I can put a bullet in all three of in 0.8 seconds dispose of your bodies somewhere they will never be found, take the mutant and dump the car in the ocean. The way I see it you can either pay me what I want or not pay me and let me leave with the mutant, the third option does not work out well for you." I said as I placed my hands at my sides aking Jeremy and Ron very nervous.
"Ok you made your point. You better be every bit as good as you say you are. If you are not we will renegotiate your terms. I doubt you can deal with my whole security team." She said coolly.
"Dont be so sure. Call this number in the morning and give me the details. We will discuss things further then." I said handing her a card with the number for my burner phone. I shook Her hand and the Ron and Jeremy's hand before making my exit but not before using a litle sleight of hand. I walked out of the house and shut the door behind me. I climbed into the dricer seat of Jeremy's car and sped off into the night with the men running down the street behind me.