*Special thanks to willwrite4fics and TinySprite for betaing this chapter. It came out much better because of it.
Sorry for the delayed update. Real life got in the way of writing, but now I'm back.
Silence
Chapter 34: Courage Under Fire
Fantastic Four Headquarters
The blades of an overhead ceiling fan swished softly as they cut through the air. Lifeline mindlessly watched as they turned in a lazy circle again and again. It seemed to be an endless circle to him. The fan didn't seem to know or care that anything existed outside of its little world.
Ignorance must be bliss.
His body ached. The combat medic wasn't sure if the pain was simply psychological, or if was the early stages of the Legacy Virus. It had been two days since he'd arrived at the doorstep of the Fantastic Four. The legendary Reed Richards had used his equipment to take a blood sample from Lifeline's otherwise impenetrable skin. The results were conclusive.
They had allowed him to stay, for the time being. It wasn't as if Edwin Steen had anywhere to go at the moment. He was a walking biological weapon now for any mutant that came near him. That left GI Joe (at least so long as either Beach Head or Short Fuze was present), SHIELD, the Avengers, and the X-Men out of the equation. Susan Richards had fixed up one of the guest bedrooms for him.
Lifeline stared up at the ceiling fan. Two days. It had been two days since he'd holed himself up in the bedroom, barely speaking with anyone. He certainly hadn't spoken with anyone outside of the Fantastic Four, other than a brief telephone conversation with Dr. Donald Blake. Ed had of course told the alter ego of Thor about the test results.
He hadn't told anyone else though. That, of course, didn't mean that no one else knew.
Elsewhere in the compound, he heard Reed Richards speaking with Hank McCoy. They were talking about him, of course. At the moment, they seemed more concerned with his mental state than his physical health.
"….Susan's tried to draw him out Hank, but he doesn't seem up to speaking with anyone at the moment."
There was a sigh, followed by Beast's voice.
"That's understandable, Reed. It's probably best not to tell him about…"
Edwin rolled over in his bed and tuned out the rest. Whatever Beast was going to say, he could hear it later. The medic wasn't sure he could deal with it at the moment.
Honestly, Lifeline wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. Perhaps he should feel angry or afraid. Instead…he felt numb. Perhaps he was still simply in a state of shock or maybe it was depression. Psyche Out would give him an accurate prognosis, if the military psychiatrist were present.
Lifeline wondered idly if the Joes knew. If Beast knew, then GI Joe had undoubtedly been informed. The medic knew he should call Duke or Flint and inform them himself. It was his duty to do so.
His muscles refused to move, unable to draw up the energy even to twitch. If Beach Head were present, he would no doubt roar at the medic until he stumbled down the stairs and got on the phone. Once he actually got around to calling, Beach Head would also likely bitch him out for not having called sooner. Either way, he was getting an earful.
The medic felt a pang when he realized just how isolated he now was. He wouldn't be able to have a face to face conversation with Beach Head, or any mutant-at least not without a protective glass between them. It suddenly, truly, hit home to him that he was going to have to live the rest of his life in quarantine. There was no way the medic could risk possibly infecting other mutants. No more X-Men Mansion. No more Avengers Tower. No more SHIELD Helicarrier.
No more GI Joe.
His shivered slightly from a sudden chill. Edwin pulled a blanket over him. He wasn't used to feeling cold. He wasn't used to feeling…vulnerable. No, that wasn't it. Lifeline had grown up feeling vulnerable and he still was. However, that was an emotional vulnerability, not a physical one.
The ceiling fan continued to rotate, unconcerned with the emotional crisis taking place below it. Lifeline found himself resenting it.
It wasn't necessarily that he was afraid of death, at least no more than the next person anyway. However, it was really the first time that he'd had to face his own impending death. As a combat medic, Captain Edwin Steen normally would have faced his potential death each time he stepped into a combat zone. However, his invulnerability had given him a sense of safety. Even in the few battles he'd been forced to take part in since his reveal as a mutant, Lifeline had never really felt that his life was in danger. He'd always been fighting….no, not fighting…attempting to make sure someone else's life wasn't in danger. As for himself? His powers had always kept him safe from physical harm.
But now, his safety net was gone. Over time, his body would experience the various symptoms of the Legacy Virus as the disease replicated inside of his cells. As that happen, he would also lose all control over his mutant abilities before they disappeared.
No superhuman strength. No flying. No invulnerability. No nothing. Just a dying, weak man.
Edwin Steen truly was facing his death for the first time and it wasn't in the line of duty. Perhaps the way he had contracted it still counted, but….
He sighed. Rather than meeting his end heroically, he had barricaded himself up in a borrowed bedroom and was watching a ceiling fan turn. His fellow Joes would be ashamed of him. A part of him wondered if this wasn't somehow God's punishment for hubris. After all, the medic was now discovering that unconsciously, he'd viewed himself as invulnerable to the basic ills that afflicted humankind. He was even finding that he wanted a more "glorious" end. Surely that was hubris?
Lifeline shook his head and forced himself to sit up in bed. No, that line of thinking was wrong. It was the kind of thinking that people like his father bellowed from their pulpits. It wasn't very far off from saying that the Legacy Virus was God's punishment against mutants. Shame filled him now.
Edwin rubbed his neck. His body and mind felt completely drained, but the medic knew he couldn't continue to hide from reality. He had the Legacy Virus, nothing would change that. He could stay curled up in his bed like a child, or he could stand on his feet.
He stared at the bedroom door. Lifeline knew he should open it and go downstairs. The medic resolved to stand up and turn the door knob, but he continued to sit. A couple of minutes past before he reminded himself yet again that he needed to call GI Joe.
However, the medic continued to sit, unable to completely break out of his lethargy. It wasn't until large footsteps thundered up the stairs that he finally struggled to his feet. The door slammed open with no regard for his privacy. Looming in the doorway was a silent god of Thunder.
Edwin awkwardly greeted him. Other than the brief telephone conversation with Donald Blake, he hadn't spoken to him or Thor since the Seattle incident. The medic had no idea what to say.
Thor eyed him for a moment before holding out a paper sack in front of him.
"The Son of Richard tells me that you have not eaten much since your arrival," the god of Thunder boomed. "I have brought you food fit for a warrior." Lifeline thought about reminding the man that he wasn't a "warrior," but didn't have the energy to argue. Instead, he thanked the man and took the offered bag.
The scent of spices and cooked meat hit his nose, reminding the medic that he really hadn't eaten much the last couple of days. He tore open the bag and saw several wrapped items. A few seconds later, he was devouring what seemed to be a gyro.
Thor seemed pleased that his gift was well received.
"They are called 'shawarma,'" the god told him. "Tony Stark introduced me them. It has since become an Avenger tradition to eat this after a particularly difficult battle."
"Thanks," Edwin mumbled through a mouthful of food. It was certainly delicious. He made a mental note to try more 'shawarma.' Thor said nothing else until the medic was finished. With the speed at which the mutant inhaled the Middle Eastern food, it was only a few seconds.
"You did not argue when I called you a 'warrior,'" Thor finally said, concern written on his face. "And you have not called your superiors in GI Joe…instead you have been content to hide like some Dwarf in a cave."
Edwin stared down at the empty sandwich foil in his hands. Thor was right to call him out.
"This…." The medic hesitated a moment as he struggled to find his words. "I mean…I know Thor. I just don't know what to say to them...to anyone." Lifeline crumpled up the trash and tossed it back into the paper bag. Thor was still watching him silently.
"I can't fulfill my duties to GI Joe or the X-Men," the medic continued. "Maybe I could for a while before the virus really hits, but then I run the risk of infecting someone. And…" he struggled with what was also concerning him, fearing Thor's response. However, Lifeline knew that the Asgardian appreciated honesty.
"This isn't the way I thought I'd go out," Lifeline added lamely. "I'm a medic. If I was going to get killed, it should be in the line of duty while helping someone else. Dying in bed from a virus…it's not really…."
"Glorious or heroic," Thor finished. Edwin felt somewhat ashamed, feeling that he should be above such feelings. What did it matter how he died, so long as he did his duty to help people while he lived?
A strong hand fell on his small shoulder. Everything about Thor seemed to dwarf the short and light framed Edwin Steen. The Asgardian kept his hand there. After a moment, Edwin relaxed from the "human" contact. At least he wasn't completely isolated from people. Asgardians couldn't contract the Legacy Virus, nor could non-mutant humans.
"I understand," Thor told him quietly. "I too would prefer to die while in the line of duty, rather suffering as you must. However….you still have a duty that you can perform while you live. A duty, in fact, that you must perform. Perhaps this is fate. One can never tell with the Norn sisters."
"Norn sisters?" Lifeline asked. He tried to read up on Norse mythology, but the reference still escaped him. Thor gave him a faint smile.
"The goddesses of fate. Perhaps they have something in mind for you." Edwin bit his tongue. He believed in one God and in Jesus Christ. Perhaps the Asgardians fit in somewhere in the divine scheme, but he hadn't quite worked out how yet. But, perhaps Thor was right in a way. Perhaps God had something in mind for him. That was the only way at the moment he could deal with the mental pain.
"Duty?" he asked tiredly. "What kind of duty can I possibly perform, Thor? I can't even go near another mutant at the moment." Thor sat silently for a moment.
"I will be honest, friend," the god of Thunder spoke after a moment. "In some ways, you remind me of my brother, Loki." Lifeline gave a start at that, wondering what he could possibly have in common with the Asgardian god of lies…or how that was even relevant to the conversation. Thor noticed his confusion.
"My brother….was not always thus," the god told him. "You were right to point out that in many ways, he was a 'mutant' among us. An outsider, though the House of Odin attempted to pretend otherwise. But that is not the parallel I speak of. Both he and you have always been odd in that you do not prefer fighting…even finding it barbaric…and would rather use cunning over your brawn."
Lifeline nearly pointed out that Loki was hardly a model for "non-violence," but he let the god of Thunder keep talking. From what he understood, Thor was still carrying around emotional baggage. Despite all the evil Loki had done, the god of thunder wasn't quite able to let go of the childhood image of his brother. Perhaps Loki once had found the Asgardian warrior culture unappealing, but that didn't change the fact that the god of lies was more than happy to stab you in the back.
"Yet," Thor continued, unaware of what the medic was thinking. He seemed to be talking more to himself now. "Despite that, both of you seem more comfortable among the company of warriors than your words claim. If Loki really achieved what he wanted, I do not think my brother would know what to do with himself if all of Asgard truly fell…with all its warriors dead."
"Thor," Lifeline said after a moment. "I'm not your brother." The medic wasn't sure what to make of the other man's confession.
"Aye," the Asgardian said, standing up. "You are a much better man." He offered his hand to the medic. "You are a healer of warriors, Edwin Steen. A much more honorable profession than that of the god of chaos of lies. While Loki revels in death and destruction, the very thought is reviled by you."
Lifeline considered that silently. He wasn't sure how he felt about being compared to Loki or why Thor even felt that there was something to compare. If anything, he was slightly disturbed that Thor seemed to be putting him on the same pedestal as an Asgardian. Hopefully, he was reading too much into it. After all, Lifeline was no psychologist.
However, Thor's next words dashed his hopes.
"In some ways," the Asgardian added 'helpfully,' "you are much like a god. Your mutant abilities are more than a match for the average Asgardian and as a healer, you answer the prayers of the fallen and heal the dying…"
"I'm not a god, Thor!" Lifeline rebuked sharply. Thor seemed taken aback. The medic groaned and rubbed his forehead. He knew the man was trying to help him, he knew. But Thor wasn't really helping at the moment.
"I….I'm sorry," the medic apologized. "Look…I understand what you're trying to say, but I disagree. I don't have the power of life and death in my hands. As much as we…healers…try to pretend otherwise, we can't save everyone." Hell, he couldn't save himself at the moment. "And I know my mutant powers probably put me on the level of an Asgardian, but I'm human, Thor." He wasn't a god, not like the Magnetos of the mutant world tried to claim. If anything, contracting the Legacy virus was proving that.
Edwin Steen was a mortal man, subject to death like anyone else.
"I did not mean to offend," Thor apologized quietly. "It….was a compliment."
"I know Thor and I appreciate it," the medic replied. "It's just…with Magneto's claims of mutant superiority, it just didn't sit well."
Both men were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Lifeline wondered what Thor was thinking. Did the man really see him as a pseudo-god? And was part of the Asgardian's newfound friendship with him a result of seeing a bit of his adopted brother in the medic? Edwin knew that Thor had "brother issues." He just wasn't entirely happy that he was possibly getting caught up in it.
"Edwin," Thor finally said, switching back to the earlier part of their conversation. "I never really made the point I was trying to make with Loki earlier. The point I was trying to make…perhaps badly…is that your mind will continue to work just fine, even as your body fails you. If anything, your mind is the greater asset."
"And what do I do with that?" Edwin asked desperately. Thor shook his head, as if to say, 'Usually I'm the dense one.'
"Heal," Thor replied. "Find a cure for the Legacy virus. By doing this, you cure not only thyself, but countless many who suffer as we speak."
"Beast hasn't found a cure yet," Edwin reminded him quietly. "And I don't have half the brains he has. The only asset I had to help him was the fact that my mind runs faster than his, but now…"
"Your mutant powers have not failed you yet," Thor reminded him sharply. "And even if they do, what then? Will you cower like some child in this room and wait for death to find you? Or will you meet it and defy it? For Odin's sake, Edwin! You are a warrior, though you claim otherwise! Enough with this cowardice! You are moaning like a frail, old woman, who is afraid of her own shadow!"
Edwin felt his back stiffen. He was not going to cower and moan about his fate. Thor was right, on this part at least. He still had a part to play.
"I'm not going to give up," Lifeline replied. The Joe glared fiercely at the Asgardian god of thunder. "And I'm not a coward!"
Thor smiled, pleased with the response. The god of thunder grasped one of the medic's hands.
"The fire in your eyes has returned, fair healer," Thor's eyes gleamed as he spoke. "I am glad. If you lose your heart, you lose the battle." He squeezed Lifeline's hand before letting go.
Edwin glared again, though this time it was for a different reason.
"You did that on purpose!" he accused. Thor laughed, but there was no hint of mockery in his voice.
"I was told that if I 'pushed the right buttons,' as the mortals say, I could make you angry enough to snap out of your depression," Thor replied proudly. "I knew you would respond to an accusation of cowardice like any true warrior."
"I'm not a warrior," Lifeline replied stubbornly. "And you can be a devious bastard when you want to be." Thor, of course, took that as a compliment. Ed supposed it was, in a way. The Asgardian had just utilized one of Beach Head's favorite tactics against the pacifistic medic: if all else fails, piss him off.
Thor eyed the clock on the wall.
"Come, friend, your guests should have arrived by now."
"Guests?" Lifeline asked, still annoyed. Thor beckoned the medic to follow him. As they walked down a flight of stairs, the Asgardian explained that Nick Fury had sent Psyche Out and one of his SHIELD agents to debrief him. Edwin saw that Thor was correct, as the blonde military psychologist was waiting for him with an unknown man. The other man, probably the SHIELD agent, was dressed smartly in a business suit.
"I see you got him to come out of hiding finally," Psyche Out said, looking at Thor. "Good work."
"You sent him?" Edwin asked, feeling a bit more irked at the thought that Kenneth had planned this. Psyche Out smiled at him, but shook his head.
"As much as I would like to take the credit, most of it goes to Thor. He volunteered. I merely gave him a few pointers. The rest was up to him."
Two devious bastards. Damn them both.
But, Edwin reflected after a moment, they had gotten him out of that damn room. Thor had also managed to strengthen the medic's resolve. They were still devious bastards though.
"Ed," Psyche Out said awkwardly, "I'm sorry." Lifeline hung his head for a moment, fighting his emotions. He knew that his friend could see right through him. Kenneth Rich didn't need psychic powers to sniff out emotional turmoil.
"We'll talk later," the blonde Joe added. "In private. For now, we have other things to discuss. This is Agent Phil Coulson." Psyche Out indicated the previously unnamed SHIELD agent. Agent Coulson stood up and offered a hand with a friendly smile. Edwin shook it after a moment.
"A pleasure, Captain Steen," Coulson replied. "I'm SHIELD's new liaison to GI Joe. There are some new developments we need to discuss."
"Developments?" Lifeline asked. "Like what?" Agent Coulson indicated an empty chair. Lifeline took a seat and looked at Coulson and Psyche Out. Both men shared a grim look behind their placid faces. However, Edwin wasn't able to read anything beyond that. It suddenly occurred to him that Kenneth and Phil Coulson both shared a knack for creating an impenetrable "poker face."
"Lifeline," Psyche Out finally said. "The Jugglers have issued a warrant for your arrest. They want a court martial for what you did in Seattle."
"What?" Both Lifeline and Thor responded at the same time. The Asgardian apparently hadn't known what the "debriefing" was going to entail. There was a look of pure rage on his face.
"They cannot!" Thor thundered. Lifeline, however, stared wordlessly at Psyche Out. He'd done his best during that fight to hide his identity. He'd known that he was risking his career by going against the military. However, those same soldiers had been targeting mutant civilians.
The medic closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. Not only did he have the Legacy Virus, he'd also been made into a military criminal and traitor. Lifeline wearily waited for the other shoe to drop. Bad news usually came in threes.
"What happens now?" Lifeline finally asked quietly.
"That is what we're here to discuss," Agent Coulson piped up. "You could answer the summons for a court martial…but let's be honest here, Steen, you won't get a fair trial. The Jugglers are using this as an excuse to get rid of you."
"Get rid of me," Lifeline repeated, not really wanting to follow the line of thinking.
"Don't be dense," Coulson told him. "Psyche Out tells me that you're smarter than that." Psyche Out shot the SHIELD agent a small glare before turning his attention back to the medic. The psychologist was going to have words with the man later about dealing "sensitively" with patients exhibiting signs of clinical depression, especially one who was still dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from his childhood abuse.
But…that was not the major issue at the moment.
"Ed…if you go to that court martial, you'll be convicted of treason," Psyche Out told the medic quietly. "If you even make it that far. You would have to be imprisoned until the trial, which means you would have to wear an inhibitor collar. Someone would kill you in prison before you even made it to the court martial."
"Not to mention that you risk spreading the virus to any mutants that might be around," Agent Coulson added.
"So what….I ignore the warrant?" Lifeline asked in disbelief. "Disobey the law?"
"You already did," Coulson pointed out. "Though to be fair…the military also disobeyed the laws of justice by targeting civilians. Fury is behind you on this."
Lifeline supposed he should take that as some consolation. Nick Fury was a strong ally. He watched numbly while Psyche Out handed him a small piece of paper.
"Your orders," the psychologist told him quietly. "Destroy it after you read it." Lifeline stared at him a moment before forcing his eyes down to the fragile piece of paper in his hands.
Lifeline,
SHIELD and GI Joe will handle the Jugglers. Until further notice, you are to go into hiding. Tony Stark is preparing a place for you at his mansion in California. Pepper Potts will meet you at the Fantastic Four headquarters at 1400. You are to stay with Stark until you hear otherwise.
Best of luck, soldier.
(signed)
Nick Fury
Flint
Lifeline read it twice, still not quite believing what was happening. Not only was he in quarantine, now he was a fugitive from the government. He felt his former resolve waiver. How was he supposed to fight this?
"I will not allow this!" Thor thundered, gripping his hammer tightly. "He acted honorably! How can he be treated thus? I will have words with these 'Jugglers'!"
"No Thor!" Psyche Out responded, though it sounded more like a plea. Against a god, it probably was. "You will only make it worse. Let us deal with the Jugglers." Thor glared at the psychologist with such intensity that the man scooted back slightly. Lifeline realized that he had better intercede. He placed a hand on Thor's arm.
"Thank you Thor, but my friend is right." Lifeline emphasized the word friend, so that Thor would back off of Kenneth. "If you just charge in, the Jugglers will use it as an excuse to launch hostilities against not just mutants, but the Avengers and possibly even Asgard." Thor snorted and muttered, 'let them try.' However, the Asgardian settled down enough that he finally nodded his head.
The medic sighed. His former fatigue was rapidly returning. It was encouraging at least to know that he wasn't alone. People were willing to stick out their necks for him.
"How are SHIELD and GI Joe planning to handle it?" he finally questioned. Agent Coulson gave him a wry smile.
"Let us deal with that, Steen. We're getting you a lawyer as we speak," the man replied. "Even though we're not planning for you to go to trial, we still could use the legal advice." Lifeline raised an eyebrow. Who was going to defend a mutant fugitive, dying from the Legacy Virus, in a military court? Coulson saw his eyebrow and handed him a thin folder.
"Your lawyer's name is Jennifer Walters, also known as She Hulk. You couldn't ask for any better."
Lifeline took the folder and flipped through it quickly. Inside was a brief biography of this Jennifer Walters, as well as summaries of her best known cases.
"And she'll do it?" he asked, still in disbelief. Coulson gave him a good natured pat on the shoulder.
"Don't doubt me, Steen," Coulson told him. "Now shut up, we're not done debriefing you." Lifeline raised another eyebrow. He saw Psyche Out look at his watch from the corner of his eyes before giving Agent Coulson a knowing look.
"Supernanny is on soon, isn't it? Aren't you recording it?" the shrink asked. Coulson huffed slightly and straightened his papers.
"How did you know…never mind," the SHIELD agent replied, quickly changing the subject. "The point is, there is something else you need to know."
Lifeline held his breath. He was somewhat irked that Coulson seemed to be brushing some of this off just to watch some stupid television show. Of course, it was possibly just Coulson and Psyche Out's attempt to put him at ease. Edwin wouldn't put it past either man to orchestrate "lines" ahead of time. Despite Coulson's friendly, 'average Joe' demeanor, there was a calculating look in his eyes that wasn't unlike that of Psyche Out's.
The medic shook his head, more concerned with what this other "something else you need to know" was. Bad things came in threes.
"Lifeline," Psyche Out told him, giving him a somber look. "Beach Head, Short Fuze, Gambit, and Bishop are missing. We have reason to believe that they were captured by sentinels."
Time seemed to freeze. Whether it was merely his perception or his superspeed kicking in, Edwin didn't know. He felt his heart begin to race.
Legacy Virus. Court martial. Sentinels.
Why was all of this happening to them? Frustration built inside of him and Lifeline suddenly felt as if he was imprisoned inside of a paper house. He instinctively wanted to lash out, but the pacifist in him warned that lashing out was wrong…especially as Psyche Out and Coulson would be injured in the process. The frustration at being forced to sit while his world was being torn apart was even more unbearable.
Good God, were Beach Head and the others even still alive? Edwin vaguely noticed that Psyche Out's lips were moving in slow motion. What else was being said? His ears buzzed, but his brain continued to work at an inhuman speed, unable to process the rest of the conversation. Psyche Out's expression began to change slowly. It seemed to take a day even for his eyes to widen slightly.
Thor finally smacked the back of his head and brought the medic back to the "normal" realm. Ed rubbed his head, grateful at the help but irked by the method. Typical Asgardian, using violence as the method for everything. Of course, if Edwin was in a mood to think rationally, Thor was the only Asgardian he had ever met. It was hardly fair to use him to stereotype the other members of his race.
"I need to repeat what I just said, don't I?" Psyche Out asked. Lifeline nodded silently. The medic listened numbly while the psychologist and Agent Coulson reported what the search party had found so far: a destroyed Dreadnok compound, evidence that some vehicles had escaped the destruction, destroyed sentinels, and four missing mutants.
"I have to help them," Lifeline finally muttered. If his teammates were still alive, then either the sentinels had taken them "somewhere," or Cobra had them. Possibly both.
"You're not going to do anything, except follow orders," Agent Coulson told him sharply. "Potts will be here in less than an hour. We'll deal with it."
"We'll deal with it," Lifeline repeated. "You mean I'm just supposed to sit in hiding and wait? I can't do that!"
"You will," Psyche Out ordered firmly. "Unless you want to infect them if you did manage to find them…or risk being caught and arrested. What if a sentinel shows up? The Legacy virus may not be affecting you much now, but it may be just enough that you could get caught as well."
Lifeline bit down on his lip. It was true, of course. He'd just lost control of his superspeed, even if the others didn't know that. They probably just figured that he'd zoned out from the shock. Even if it was more likely that his subconscious had generated it, it was still possibly a side effect of the Legacy Virus.
"The Norns must really hate me, Thor," the medic finally mumbled. At the moment, he was willing to believe that goddesses of fate were screwing with him. It was more palatable than believing that his God was allowing this all to happen. Yes, he knew that suffering was part of the Christian tradition. It didn't make it any easier to deal with when it actually happened.
"I doubt that," Thor replied. The man seemed a bit uncomfortable. "We all have difficult trials that we must face in our lives. This just happens to be your time, Edwin."
Edwin didn't acknowledge that. He didn't want to go through any trials. He didn't want to sit back and watch while everyone else worked to save him and his teammates.
"If you lose your heart," Thor had told him earlier. "You lose the battle."
Lifeline gritted his teeth. Life, fate, God, the Norns…whomever….had apparently decided that he was going to be in for the fight of his life. Fine. Even though he was a pacifist, he knew that not all battles were fought with violence. Whatever happened next, he couldn't give up. There was too much at stake.
At the end of the day, he was still a Joe and Joes never gave up.
Camp Dolores
Three days. Three fucking days. At least he thought it had been three days, but the ranger wasn't quite sure. Perhaps it had been two…or four. In the absence of outside light or any sort of "routine", it was difficult to be sure how much time had actually passed.
Beach Head glared out between the bars of his cell door. For the past "three" days he and Gambit had attempted, perhaps poorly, to play the role of quiet, passive prisoners. During that time, he and Cajun had attempted to covertly gather what information they could from nearby mutants like Callisto.
The guards were hardly fooled, as they seem to have already determined from day one that Beach Head and Gambit were a problem waiting to happen. That was another reason for playing along as decently well behaved prisoners. It would be disadvantageous if the two men were separated from each other or even from Callisto, who was currently their strongest ally in the internment camp.
However, Sgt. Major Wayne Sneeden had just about had enough of the "good prisoner" act. His training told him to cooperate for now, especially since there was zero chance of him breaking out of the cell…let alone escaping from the camp. The ranger was perfectly capable of being patient and calculative.
Unfortunately, his pride and indignity at the whole situation was gnawing at him. The claustrophobia wasn't helping either.
Beach Head's body involuntarily shuddered. He squeezed his left hand against his thigh and willed the trembling to stop. Instead, the trembling switched to his hand. Wayne grimaced and hid the hand in his lap. So far he was managing to keep from having a panic attack, but just barely. The terror at being locked up was always just below the surface. Beach Head didn't quite want to admit it, but having Remy LeBeau around helped. It would have been different if he'd been locked up without a familiar face.
Ten days, Callisto had said. The internment camp kept new prisoners locked up for ten days before releasing the "good ones" into the open section of the camp as slave labor. Beach Head ground his teeth and forced himself to be patient. About seven more days until he could get out of this god forsaken cell and do some reconnaissance. The ranger took a deep breath and let it out. His phobia was wreaking havoc on his nerves. As hard as he'd tried to hide it, Beach Head knew that the internment camp guards had picked up on it.
His eyes watched as a burly, overweight man stopped in front of their cell. Speaking of guards, one had decided to grace their cell with his presence. Wayne braced himself for another round of mockery. He was well acquainted with this particular guard, by this point. Beach Head had nicknamed the man "Dumpy" for his less than spectacular physical condition. He had no idea what the man's real name was. Gambit had provided the surname of "MacFatson" for their less than beloved keeper.
Dumpy MacFatson was one of the more sadistic guards.
The man had tortured everyone in Beach Head's cell once already simply because "Dumpy" hadn't liked the way that Wayne glared at him. This time, the ranger pointedly avoided eye contact. Provoking the man's wrath meant causing problems for Remy and the three other civilians in their cell, one who was an elderly woman and the other who was a teenager. As far as Beach Head was concerned, he was responsible for their wellbeing.
"Enjoying your cell today, mutie?" the guard sneered. "Maybe if you behave, we'll let you out. We could use another freak to clean the latrines." Beach Head bristled, but forced himself not to respond. Internally, however, he pictured himself putting a bullet through Dumpy's head….right after he shoved the man's balls down his throat. The ranger said nothing as the man continued to mock him. However, Dumpy soon took offense to the lack of response that he was receiving from the GI Joe ranger.
"Don't ignore me, you sonovabitch!" The guard shouted. His pudgy nose wrinkled up and reminded Wayne of a pig's snout. The thought made his lips involuntarily quirk up.
"What the hell's so funny?" The man shouted. Beach Head cursed inwardly. Even when he tried not to invite trouble, trouble still found him. The ranger wanted to curse back at the fat guard, but he didn't want to hear a seventy-four year old woman weep from pain again.
"He thinks it's funny that a big man like you has such a little dick," Callisto piped up from the next cell. "Which is pretty obvious, from the way you compensate for it. What do you fuck, rabbits? Or do you go for rodents?"
Red faced now, Dumpy switched his rage over to the next cell of mutants. Wayne watched as the man activated the torture device present in that cell's inhibitor collars. There were gasps of pain as the pain receptors in the bodies of every occupant of Callisto's group were activated. Beach Head grimaced. Twice so far he'd experienced that form of torture. It felt as if your very veins were on fire, followed by temporary paralysis.
"Scream," Dumpy ordered. His lips were twisted into a cruel smile. "I want to hear screams; otherwise, I'll just keep pressing the button." Seconds ticked by before one of the cell occupants gave in, a man by the sound of it. The guard's desire finally fulfilled, he ceased his torment. Beach Head heard Dumpy lean in and whisper loudly to Callisto.
"You want to find out how big my dick really is, woman?" Beach Head held his breath. He wondered angrily if the man planned to rape her. Rage built inside him. To his relief, however, the man finally snorted with disgust.
"As if I'd debase myself with a mutant," the guard sneered. Dumpy spit at Callisto through the bars of the cell door and returned to his patrol. No one spoke for quite some time. Beach Head finally worked himself up to muttering a quiet 'thank you' to Callisto when he figured that the paralysis had started to wear off. He was fully aware that the woman had purposefully drawn the guard's anger away from him.
"Welcome," Callisto grunted after a moment. Wayne could hear the pain and anger in her voice. The Morlock said nothing else. Beach Head swore silently that Dumpy would be the first one he would kill when they escaped, followed by Dr. Kischel.
Kischel, as he had since discovered, was the man in charge of processing prisoners. There were also rumors that he experimented on mutants. It appeared that Camp Dolores had its own Dr. Mengele, who had committed countless medical experiments on Auschwitz prisoners.
Dumpy's footsteps receded down the hall. Beach Head could hear two more sets of footsteps from other guards. He'd give this to whoever was in charge of security, at least. The guards might not all be in appropriate physical shape, but they altered the times of the security patrols and guard shifts. This, unfortunately, meant that one could never be quite sure if and when a guard or two was around the corner. It also made determining how much time had passed quite difficult.
Wayne pushed down a tight feeling in his chest. He was starting to hyperventilate from the small cell again. The ranger closed his eyes and forced himself to push his rage and unease away. He concentrated on one of Snake Eyes's stupid meditations for a few minutes until he felt the panic subside slightly. It sank began to where it had been before…just beneath the surface.
Three days down, seven more to go…at least, assuming that the guards deemed them "well behaved" enough to be let out. Beach Head exchanged glances with Gambit, who had been silent throughout the previous exchange with Dumpy MacFatson. The Cajun had attempted a cat nap earlier, but was now fidgeting restlessly as he too glared out of the cell.
Gambit made the ASL sign for "patience." Wayne nodded his head curtly. He knew that Remy was having a hard time with the whole patience thing as well, though he seemed to be managing it better than the ranger.
The X-Man looked at him for a moment before making the signs for "pig" and "head", followed by the non-ASL sign for "beheading with a katana" that Snake Eyes had created. Beach Head smirked faintly at that and made the Snake Eyes created sign for "shank with a very sharp object." Remy grinned at that. Since the two men had nothing else to do with their time, Wayne had begun teaching the Cajun ASL.
Of course, Beach Head was better at "reading" ASL than "speaking" it, but that didn't deter him. The two men needed a silent form of communication. Even though the hidden security cameras would undoubtedly pick it up, the guards on patrol at least wouldn't hear them speaking. Besides, whoever was monitoring them wouldn't understand any of the non-ASL signs that the Joes had come up with.
It was probably only a matter of time before the powers that be realized that the two men were using a secret form of communication and tried to put a stop to it. For the time being, however, Beach Head and Gambit did what they could to hide the fact that they were using poor sign language.
The ranger let his mind wander slightly while he quietly began to teach the Cajun the words for "explosive" and "grenade launcher." No doubt that the X-Men and Joes had begun a search and rescue mission by now. The mutant team had probably tracked their borrowed jet to the Everglades and found the damage left by the battle with the sentinels. Hopefully Bishop and Short Fuze were safely back with them. As for Courtney…
Wayne numbly wondered about the former model. What was she going through? Was she angry? Had she even been told yet? They had only so recently begun to expand their relationship to the romantic realm. Even though he was a telepath and knew she was serious about him, Beach Head still had some doubts about a relationship. Was he really worth the trouble for her? Surely Cover Girl could find someone better than him who didn't come with the baggage of being a mutant.
He shook his head. That line of thinking was going to make him feel worse, not better. Instead, he wondered about his other teammates. Beach Head eyed the corners of the cell, half hoping to find a silent ninja lurking there. Hell, he'd take Flint's smug face at the moment.
Beach Head began to quiz Remy on the signs that he'd already taught him. They went through the list to see which ones the Cajun remembered. Gambit faltered on a couple of difficult ones, but otherwise seemed to have memorized the signs already. The ranger began to teach him a new one.
When they finally escaped, Lifeline would no doubt berate him for having gone on such a stupid mission. At least, he'd bitch Beach Head out once the pacifist was done being a mother hen and a pain in the ass medic. Thinking about the medic reminded Wayne of his still unhealed injuries. Multiple bruises dotted his body. Thankfully, there didn't seem to have been any internal wounds.
Wayne sighed slightly. Where ever Steen was, he hoped that the man was staying out of trouble. Pacifist or not, Ed had a tendency to land in messy situations as well, even if not to the same frequency that Wayne did. The amusing part was always when the medic threw a hissy fit about it or tried to rationalize how it "was not his fault" that he'd ended up in the said mess.
His lips quirked up slightly before Beach Head sighed again. He didn't know when he would see any of his friends or teammates again. Hopefully they could locate the captured mutants, but Beach Head knew they couldn't play the passive role and wait for rescue. He was a Joe…and perhaps a bit of an X-Man. If he could find a way to bust out himself and shut down the internment camp, he would.
Gambit wagged a finger at him to draw his attention before signing "Dumpy" with his fingers. Beach Head gritted his teeth and prepared for the second round of abuse. Remy had apparently memorized the man's footsteps by this point. This time, it was the teenaged boy in their cell that managed to accidentally set the guard off.
A minute or two later, Beach Head felt as if his veins were on fire. The old woman cried softly while the boy whimpered. The other woman simply bit down on her lip and was silent. When their torment finally ceased, the ranger found himself face to face with Remy. The Cajun's red eyes glimmered dangerously. Wayne knew in that instant that Gambit wanted blood just as much as he did.
It took a while for the paralysis to wear off and even longer for all the pain to subside. As soon as they were able to move again, Beach Head and Gambit went back to their sign language lessons.
GI Joe Pit
"….next batch of Joes will be arriving in three hours, Duke."
Duke nodded his head as the Joes' warrant officer continued to update him, via computer screen. Considering the current situation, GI Joe was moving into the new Pit ahead of schedule. It wasn't pretty or quite up to their needs at the moment. However, both GI Joe and SHIELD needed their own operating spaces.
"Any word on Lifeline?" the first sergeant finally asked. As if concern over a certain, reckless sergeant major and three other mutants wasn't enough, the medic had gotten himself into trouble as well. News about his infection with the Legacy Virus had arrived a mere twenty minutes before the Jugglers had dropped their own bomb shell.
"Psyche Out just checked in," Flint replied. "Apparently Thor's 'pep talk' gave him just enough of a kick that he was willing to open up finally. He and Coulson debriefed Lifeline about the current situation."
Duke let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. He had been concerned that the medic, pacifist or not, might have insisted on helping with the search party. There had also been a concern that he would insist on sitting through a court martial to prove his innocence. Fortunately, cooler heads had prevailed. Duke looked at his watch. Steen should be on his way to California with Pepper Potts by now.
"We can't let the Jugglers take him," Flint said quietly.
"We won't," Duke reassured. "Regardless of what happened, as far as I'm concerned, Lifeline did his duty as a Joe." Not so long ago, the first sergeant had been in favor of mutant registration. However, his views had changed much since then. Even if they hadn't, a military roundup of civilians was unacceptable.
And…God dammit. Duke couldn't do anything about the Legacy Virus, but he'd make damn sure that his foolish medic stayed out of government custody.
"Remember Flint," the first sergeant added. "Lifeline's destination is only to be known to you, me, Fury, and Charles Xavier at the moment." With the exception of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Agent Coulson, of course. Professor Xavier was also arguing that Dr. Henry McCoy should be in on the loop, as he would be working with Lifeline on a cure. The less people who knew, the less chance there was of the government learning where the medic was hiding.
"I know," the warrant officer replied. There was a pause before he continued again. "Scarlett is late in checking in."
"Something probably came up. Give her another twenty minutes," Duke suggested. The last they had heard, the small search party had discovered a small Cobra hideout. Scarlett, Wolverine, and Storm Shadow had seemed keen on spying on the Cobra troopers there. Duke had ordered that they stay out of sight and not interrogate anyone unless it was necessary. It would be better if Cobra didn't know that the trio was on their trail.
Wolverine, of course, didn't have to obey Duke. However, the X-Man was cooperating for now.
"Operation Ent is nearly ready to go," Duke told the warrant officer. The first sergeant rolled his eyes slightly. He had let Mainframe and Flint come up with the name and of course, the two Tolkien fans had decided on a Lord of the Rings reference.
"You still don't like the name," Flint said, frowning slightly. "What's wrong with it?"
"I'm just struggling to figure out why you decided that tree creatures were an appropriate codename for killer, mutant hunting robots," Duke sighed. "And no, don't tell me it's because they're both large and humanoid looking."
"Well….the Ents destroyed Isengard, which was being used to make Uruk-hai. In the same way, we're trying to destroy wherever the sentinels are being manufactured, not to mention find where Beach Head and the others were taken," Flint answered. "And the ninja get to pretend to be hobbits…"
"What?" Duke asked cluelessly.
"Well…." The warrant officer tried to explain. "Compared to a giant robot, ninja are small and Snake Eyes and Kamakura are going to hitch a ride like Merry and Pippin did on Treebeard…."
"Shut up Flint."
Flint shut up with a huff, obviously annoyed that his teammate had no interest in discussing literature parallels and codename metaphors. Duke rolled his eyes again. He'd learned his lesson. Never let a couple of geeks pick a mission name. He mostly blamed Mainframe for this one, as Flint by himself probably wouldn't have gone with a Tolkien theme.
He probably would have gone with Chaucer or Lord Byron.
"When's the mission a go?" the warrant officer asked instead. Duke allowed himself a satisfied smile.
"Mainframe is testing his baby out now. If it works, we can be ready as early as tomorrow."
With Psyche Out's help, the computer technician had created a device that would transmit mutant brainwave patterns. Theoretically, they would lure in one or more sentinels. The ninja would then attach tracking devices to the robots and then hitch a ride. After that, the Joes would discover either the source of the sentinels or where the robots were taking captured mutants. Hopefully both.
It should work…in theory. One of the X-Men had volunteered to be "live bait." So far, the Joes had turned down the offer. Duke wasn't going to risk anyone else. However…the tactician in him couldn't help noting that they were more likely to find where Beach Head had been taken if one of the sentinels actually had a prisoner.
"Alright, well, keep me informed," Flint told him. "I need to get going. Let me know when the next transport of Joes arrives."
"Will do, Duke out," the first sergeant said. Flint nodded before the screen went blank. The blond Joe sat for a moment in contemplation. As things usually did, everything went to hell at the same time. However, the Joes weren't adverse to dangerous situations. If anything, they thrived in them.
After a while, there was a soft knock on the door of his temporary "office." The first sergeant called out his permission. The door opened to reveal a dirty Tunnel Rat and Dusty. Duke listened as they gave him a status report of the construction work. When they were done, the first sergeant dismissed them. However, both men hesitated slightly and looked at each other. Finally, Tunnel Rat took the initiative.
"Top…" the smaller man began hesitantly. "Is it true about Lifeline? Does he really have the Legacy virus? And the Jugglers…."
"It's true," Duke affirmed grimly. The two other men digested that silently for several long moments. He wondered what the rumor mill in the Pit was currently saying. The first sergeant realized he was going to have to make an official statement to the men and women under his command.
"What happens now?" Dusty finally asked. "We can't let the Jugglers take him."
"And who's going to be in charge of medical…." Tunnel Rat asked at the same time. Duke held up a hand to silence both men.
"No…we're not letting anyone take our medic. We're moving him to safe place as we speak. As for the medical staff, Stretcher is temporarily in charge until…" Until what? A miracle cured Lifeline? Until the Jugglers decided to leave the man alone and drop all charges of treason? Duke didn't finish his sentence. He had no words of reassurance to give to his Joes.
"We'll figure it out, Top," Dusty finally said quietly. "We'll get Beach Head, Short Fuse, and Lifeline back somehow." Duke wished he had the desert trooper's optimism. As much as he hoped otherwise, the situation was grim.
"Dusty's right," Tunnel Rat piped up. "Lifeline will pull through somehow. He has to." Duke managed a thin smile. It was apparent that the smaller man was trying to convince himself of that more than he was trying to encourage the Joes' first sergeant.
"Rat," Duke said. "We'll do everything we can. The Joes protect their own."
Malibu, California
"And this is the main kitchen here," the pretty red head said. Lifeline barely heard her, as he was too busy staring at a painting on the wall.
"Is that….an original Picasso?" he asked. Pepper Potts nodded her head and told him a little about it. The medic wasn't really an art connoisseur, so he didn't really care about the details. He was more concerned that there was an actual Picasso painting hanging innocently on the wall.
Welcome to Tony Stark's house.
The red haired woman continued with her tour of the Malibu mansion. Lifeline silently followed along, trying to take everything in. As hard as it was to believe, this was going to be his home for the foreseeable future. Perhaps for the rest of his life.
Edwin consciously decided that he wasn't going to touch anything for a while. He eyed an elegant lamp as they passed by a reading room. That lamp alone was probably worth more than everything he had in his savings account.
Of course, the Jugglers had pretty much shut down all access to his own money. Lifeline couldn't even reimburse Tony Stark for a broken lamp even if he wanted to. Not only was he on the run, he was on the run with only thirty-six dollars in his wallet.
Nope, he definitely wasn't going to touch anything.
"Now if you get lost, just ask the house for help," Pepper Potts said. The medic stared at her blankly. Tony's assistant winked at him before addressing the very expensive home.
"Hello Jarvis."
"Hello Ms. Potts," a computerized voice answered back. Lifeline gaped at the woman. A talking house?
"Uh….I thought Jarvis was the name of the butler," he said lamely. It was the first thing he could think of to say. Pepper Potts explained that Tony had named the artificial intelligence in honor of the real Jarvis.
"Say hi, Edwin," she told him cheerfully.
"Um…hi…." Lifeline stammered. Stark's house made the old Pit and SHIELD Helicarrier look antiquated by comparison.
"Greetings, Edwin Steen," the computerized 'Jarvis' told him. "Please feel free to ask for help whenever you need it."
"Um…thanks…." The medic answered, still stunned that he was in a talking house. Houses weren't supposed to be able to carry on a conversation with you. Pepper seemed amused by his reaction. With a grin, she looped her arm around the gaping pacifist and continued to lead him around the house.
"You basically have the run of the house," she explained. Pepper steered the medic to a staircase and indicated that he should follow her down. "However, Tony said not to go outside unless he gives you the okay. He's monitoring the satellites, including the secret ones that 'don't exist.' When it's in the clear, you can go out on the veranda or in the area just outside the house."
They reached the bottom of the staircase. Mechanical noise drifted through, including the sound of a person's heartbeat. Edwin recognized it, as it also carried the distinctive noise of a miniature arc reactor. The strains of ACDC blared loudly from a nearby area. When a set of doors opened, Lifeline's military mindset immediately identified the place as a motor pool. Logic kicked in a moment later and he redefined it as a 'garage.'
Although Tony Stark's play room probably was a more apt definition.
"Ed!"
Stark immediately looked up from what he was working on. The billionaire waved the duo over to where he was currently hunched over an open chest plate of the Iron Man suit. A set of computer screens nearby appeared to be working on…something.
"Glad you could make it," Tony told him.
"Thank you," Lifeline said. He truly was grateful for what the man was doing for him. Stark merely grinned at him a moment before placing an arm around the smaller man's shoulder.
"Come on, let me show you around," the Avenger told him. "Welcome to my humble man cave." Pepper Potts cleared a throat, causing Stark to add "But Pepper is welcome." The woman rolled her eyes as Tony began to give the medic a very detailed guided tour of his pride and joy. Lifeline warily eyed a very expensive looking Ferrari, too nervous to go near it. Tony Stark noticed his reaction and proceeded to talk the medic into sitting behind in the driver's seat.
'I'm going to break it, I'm going to break it,' Lifeline fretted. The medic didn't know how Stark it did, but the man talked him into driving the car around the garage before parking it.
"Will you be needing anything else, 'Mr. Stark'?" Pepper finally asked.
"Nope, you can go," Tony replied, waving her off. "We're going to have a guy talk…you know, macho stuff. You wouldn't be interested." The woman rolled her eyes at that.
"Shall I prepare the kitchen for when you come back from killing and skinning a bear?" she asked. Tony shot her a grin.
"You think too small Potts…for your information, we're going to go back in time and kill a mammoth."
"With a pacifist? Good luck with that."
"He will if he's hungry enough," Tony shot back. He lightly elbowed the medic. "Right? Come on….back me up here."
"Um…." Was the only response Lifeline could find. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with Tony Stark's joking, especially when his life was basically in the man's hands at the moment. The billionaire gave him a good natured pat on the shoulder and turned to grin triumphantly at his assistant.
"See? He agrees with me."
"I hardly think 'um' qualifies as agreement," Pepper Potts replied. The red head rolled her eyes again, before finally leaving the two men alone. Tony winked at the medic and continued to try joking with him. Lifeline stiffly nodded his head and tried to laugh. The Avenger finally sighed.
"You need to loosen up some….I'll get you to laugh yet."
Lifeline didn't respond. At the moment, he didn't know how Stark could even laugh about anything. Then again, he wasn't the one on the run with a deadly disease. Tony sighed again before climbing into the passenger seat of the Ferrari.
"Look Ed….I know it's hard for you," the billionaire told him. "It's a bad time….everything's going down the shit hole. You're not alone in this though."
"I know," Lifeline replied quietly. He blinked his eyes and was surprised to find they were wet. The medic struggled to control his emotions. He wasn't going to lose it, not now. Tony looked at him for a moment before turning the car radio on low. Black Sabbath began to play in the background.
"There aren't any women around that you need to act manly for," the Avenger told him. "Or any men that you need to put on a strong face in front of." He patted the medic's shoulder and got out of the car.
"Come out when you're ready," Tony told him. The billionaire returned to his former work station. Edwin continued to sit in the car and let a few tears finally leak out. He was thankful that Tony had recognized his need for personal space. The medic turned up the radio slightly and leaned his face into the steering wheel.
He was going to make it through this. He wasn't going to give up and he certainly wasn't going to cry. Determined that whatever happened, he would at least be in control of himself, Lifeline wiped his eyes. He shut off the radio and spent the next few minutes in a Zen meditation. Finally a little more in control of his emotions, the medic turned off the car and walked over to where Tony Stark was silently working.
Edwin watched him for a moment before he asked what he was working on.
"Making some adjustments to my armor," Tony answered him. "As for this…." He gestured to the set of computer screens near him. "I'm working on a virus to crack the Jugglers' computer systems and steal their data."
"What?" Lifeline asked, surprised. "Do the Joes know?"
"Nope," Tony replied. He pressed a finger into the medic's chest. "And you're not going to tell them. The Avengers are investigating the Jugglers too, but since GI Joe and SHIELD are both government agencies, we don't want to involve either of them."
"It's that easy?" Lifeline asked, still astonished at what Tony was up to. Stark gave him a humorless smile.
"I wish. Like any reasonably intelligent person should, the 'good' generals are keeping their secret files in a closed system. That means they aren't connected to any outside network. We're going to have to go directly to the source and input the virus."
"How are you going to do that?" the medic asked. Tony wagged a finger at him.
"We may not have ninja, but we do have the Black Widow," he answered. "She and Hawkeye are going to infiltrate the Jugglers' offices and steal their information. I'd send Steve too, but…well….Cap isn't exactly technology savvy. The whole James Bond thing is more Natasha and Clint's thing anyway."
Lifeline silently thought about that. He hoped that the Avengers could dig up some dirt on the Jugglers. Both Nick Fury and Hawk had been trying to do just that, but they were still constrained by the fact that they worked for the government. The Avengers, on the other hand, didn't have to deal with the same bureaucratic tape.
"Let me show you where you'll be sleeping," Tony told him, changing the subject. "Follow me." The billionaire wiped his greasy hands on a rag and beckoned the medic to follow him. They walked through part of the house before they came to an innocuous looking wall. Tony looked at Edwin.
"Say your name."
Ed blinked a moment before following Tony's orders.
"Edwin Steen recognized," the mansion's computer system said. "Please input retina scan."
Tony showed him where a scanner was hidden inside an ornate mirror. The medic bent down and let the scanner examine his eyes. A moment later, a hidden doorway swished open to reveal a set of rooms. Edwin stared at where the wall had previously existed.
"What?" Tony asked, noticing his expression. "A guy can't have too many hiding places in his house. You never know when the government's going to come snooping in." Lifeline shook his head and stepped inside the hidden space. From the looks of it, he was currently standing in a rather barren looking living room. Other than a used looking couch, a TV, an armchair, and a coffee table, nothing else adorned the room.
He walked into the next adjoining room and found a bedroom and bathroom. Further investigation produced a kitchenette, a reading room, and a laboratory. Lifeline finished his small circuit of the "apartment" and found Tony in the last room. It was a divided space, with a glass wall in between. There was a set of chairs on either side of it.
"This whole 'apartment' is a quarantined area," Tony explained. "When you're inside, it will close and completely seal off. This will keep you from infecting any other mutants that are in the house at the same time as you. It will also keep you hidden if anyone comes snooping around.
Lifeline silently surveyed his new 'home,' which suddenly also took on the slight aura of a prison. He suspected that he was going to spend most of his time here. Even though Tony was giving him the 'run of the house,' that didn't mean that he still couldn't be spotted by hidden eyes.
"The glass wall," he finally said, looking at the two chairs on the other side of it. "Is this a place where I can…talk to other mutants?"
"…Yeah," Tony answered quietly. Lifeline swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. Well…at least there was a place for him to talk face to face with another mutant without infecting them.
"You managed to put all of this together before I came?" he asked after a moment. Tony shook his head.
"I'd actually created this a number of years ago for Bruce Banner. He usually hides out here whenever the government ups the 'Hunt the Hulk' crusade. Bruce hasn't needed this for a long while now. I just made some modifications to fit your needs."
"He won't need it?" Lifeline asked. Tony shook his head before offering a cheeky grin.
"It's not like I don't have other hiding places," he replied. "And besides, I asked Bruce first and he said that you needed this place more." The medic looked around at the hidden apartment again. He suddenly felt homesick for his former room in the old Pit or even his room at the X-Men's mansion.
"I'll have some of your belongings shipped here," Tony told him. "We'll just have to do it covertly so no one suspects anything." He looked around at the mostly barren apartment. "I know…it's a bit dull looking at the moment. We can pick up some things to brighten it up though. We can even repaint the walls if you want."
"It's fine," Edwin said quietly. "Thank you." Tony smiled at him before jerking a thumb towards the exit.
"I've got to go take care of some things," he said. "How do you feel about Chinese for dinner? Oh…and you'll find that there's a direct link between your lab and the X-Men, so you and Beast can work together without interference."
"Uh…thanks," the medic responded. "And Chinese is fine." Tony gave him a good natured slap across the shoulder and headed towards the door. The billionaire paused briefly and scratched his head.
"Oh yeah….there's something for you in the bedroom," Tony added. "I think Pepper put it in one of the dresser drawers. I'll call you when dinner's here, but feel free to do whatever you want. I'm monitoring every inch of the house, so I'll know if anyone's playing peek-a-boo with us."
The Avenger left. Lifeline stood there silently for several long moments as he surveyed his new 'home' again. Finally, he walked into the bedroom and began pulling open the dresser drawers. In the third one, he found a small brown package. He lifted it out and stared at it. Very carefully, he began to peel away the brown wrapping.
Inside was a box of cookies and a note.
Keep your chin up,
Roadblock
Lifeline felt his bottom lip quiver ever so slightly. He looked at the sweets and found that they were peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. Roadblock had even taken the time to make his favorite cookies. The medic wasn't sure how he'd known, but then again, the machine gunner seemed to have a knack for knowing the favorite foods of his fellow Joes.
He picked up a cookie, closed his eyes, and bit into it.
Chapter notes:
1. Thor and Lifeline's conversation on Loki: It may not be apparent, but Thor isn't necessarily saying that Loki disliked violence. He's trying (badly) to say that Lifeline and Loki share a knack of preferring to outthink a problem versus 'fighting' it. But…because Thor is Thor, he isn't as articulate as other people when it comes to making a point or argument. This is why Lifeline is a bit confused over why Thor even brings up his brother. It doesn't help that Thor is carrying around emotional baggage regarding Loki.
2. I refer to Stark's chest piece as an arc reactor. In the comics, it's actually called a magnetic field generator. I decided to go with arc reactor for two reasons. One, it's more familiar to any readers who have watched the Marvel movies, but haven't read many (or any) of the comics. It's also possible that Stark upgraded from a magnetic field generator to an arc reactor in this universe.
3. Jarvis is a butler in the comic verse, but Jarvis is also the name of Stark's AI system in the movies. I decided to go with both for my story, mostly because I liked the idea of Tony have an artificial intelligence he talks to (and not having any idea for a name that wasn't Jarvis). My solution was that for my story universe, he named it after the 'real' Jarvis.
4. There are two Marvel/Avengers movie references. One is shawarma. The other is Agent Coulson. This isn't a movie crossover, but I like Coulson, so I decided to stick a version of him in my crossover.
5. Lifeline's rank. Someone on twitter expressed surprise that I called him "Captain Steen" and not "Sgt. Steen." My rationale is that in the original Marvel GI Joe run, he would have been sergeant. However this story, becaues it contains Kamakura, adult Billy, and Firewall as characters (and takes place after Doc was killed), Lifeline has been promoted. This is because according to his official bio, he studied medicine after GI Joe was disbanded and before it was brought back together. Because of this, my Lifeline is more of a field surgeon/physician than just a medic. Also, I remember reading his IDW/Devil's Due run rank as Captain somewhere, though I can't find it now.