Disclaimer: Kim Possible and all characters portrayed and/or implied inside that television animated program belong solely unto Walt Disney Productions.
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Turning Up The Heat
"Fine, leave them alone. For now," Fury fumes over the recent turn of events. First, Possible usurps his authority. The Shadow Committee even offered that insipid bitch his job. He worked 15-years to acquire this post. And she turns it down, esteeming it beneath her talents.
Next, he assigns Hawke a simple task. Kill Possible and her parents. The rest of their families would fall easy enough, afterwards. Now, he learns the 120th bombed his agents, embedded among E and C companies. He'd bet his pension Possible's nerd scrambled the 120th squad's coms, tricking them into bombing their own people, to avenge his fallen colleagues.
Fury holds his cool. Dr. Load was pay soon enough. He couldn't ignore there was a silver lining in all this bad news. If he was so preoccupied with the 120th, that geek couldn't have interfered with his core objective. "What about the little girl? Did our people at least acquire her?" Fury sips his Chameleon Cold-Brew coffee to steady his nerves. He hadn't slept in 3-days straight planning these ops. Everything else failed; this was his last hope. Fail this one, and it'd all be for nothing.
"Possible proved more resourceful..."
"Possible?" Fury spews his coffee, jumping up and spilling his brew. The hot liquid lands squarely in his lap. He was so livid. His mind didn't register the searing pain. "She's dead!"
Wilkes shrinks back under the director's growing furor.
Romany picks up the slack again, "No, Sir, she's not. She's alive and breathing".
"Damn," he clenches his fists, punching the nearest wall, over and over. Now, it made better sense. She knew about his operations and probably tipped that damn mutant.
"Now, Wilkes, what were you going to say about her resourcefulness?"
"Only, she somehow eluded detection, rescued the Stoppables and the little girl".
"Are we sure it was her who rescued them?"
"Six neighbors positively identified her picture, Sir".
"How are they so sure?"
"Sierra Team divided into two units. Unit #1 took the front door, and Unit #2, the patio. Possible was inside, waiting on them. She decimated Unit #1 by blasting the front door with a 40-mm HEI RPG. The accompanying debris killed most, dazing the survivors.
Amidst the chaos, she tuned and fire F1A1 green tip 5.56-mm full auto rounds through the patio door sawing Unit #2 in half in mere seconds. The survivors scattered, then regrouped, intent on going back in and grabbing the little girl. Only, Possible raised the Stoppable's home defense shield and detonated land mines she'd planed all around the home's outer perimeter".
"Any survivors?"
"None, Sir," he shudders, recalling the photos. "Flying debris ripped apart surviving team members, while fiery miasmas roasted their disfigured bodies. Those reverberating blasts are what attracted their neighbors' attention. Many witnessed Possible blow a gaping hole in the home's exterior, somersault on the front lawn with the little girl in her arms. Dean and Olivia Stoppable emerged moments later. They got inside Possible's 2016 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe and sped off down the road".
"That's an expensive ride. And there couldn't have been many in that small town. Tell me our brothers in local law enforcement have them in custody".
"No, Sir," Wilkes discloses the bad news, averting eye contact.
"Are you two good for anything?" He curses their incompetence, swearing under his breath.
Romany picks up the slack again, "The Phantom simply..."
"What…ghosted?" He throws his hands up.
Romany opens his mouth.
"I swear if you say…" Fury wouldn't even utter the word disappeared.
"I wasn't going to say that, exactly, Sir. The Phantom did vanish, but was replaced by a jet black 2016 Lamborghini Estogue".
"And local police didn't think to question the driver?" Fury pleads for common sense.
"They saw no reason to stop the driver at the time, Sir. She..."
"She?" Fury couldn't believe his ears.
"We didn't catch this, until later, Sir. Traffic cams positive identify the driver," he lays her photo on his desk waiting.
Fury explodes, "Of all the incompetence! Local police had an APB, even her name and description in connection with acts of terrorism on American soil. And they didn't think it necessary to stop this driver. I expect such ineptitude from a small town, like Middleton, but not the Colorado's Highway Patrol. Tell me, Commander, what's the world coming to?"
Simmering Hot
Luckily, he didn't have to answer.
"Commander," a young analyst under his authority interrupts, "our latest field reports are coming in, even as we speak".
"What'd we achieve, Shepherd?" Wilkes changes the subject fast. He prayed under his breath his analyst found something. Maybe good news would sway Furious Fury's ire, or at least direct it towards someone else.
"Sir, Aconasema's back," Shepherd blurts.
"What!?" Fury boils over with ire.
Wilkes palms his face, groaning mentally, but calm outwardly.
"How can you be sure?" Fury demands proof. If she were back, they could proceed with Phase #3.
"Two things, Director," the analyst answers his boss' boss. "First, I monitored those sentinels, like Commander Wilkes suggested. All four groups. Our satellites caught this," he projects their video onto Fury's computer screen.
Tiny vortexes open all around their sentinel army. Fiery phoenixes and dragon emerge, impacting their metallic soldiers head-on. A single hit erases the 100-foot, 50-ton monstrosities from existence in seconds. These hits come so hard and so fast. They'd eradicated their mightiest army in under 20-seconds.
"Anything else, Shepherd?"
Wilks, Romany, and his command bridge crew grew uneasy around him. Fury should be livid about her reappearing after so long absent. Instead, he seemed almost giddy, mixed with irritation.
"There's also this, Director," Shepherd projects the scene outside Xavier Institute. The sun turns black a soot. Crimson clouds roll in reinforcing the darkness. Thunder, lightning, and fiery rain—an element against nature itself—descend slowly draining the vegetation. The fiery column dips down revealing a 5'5" tall redhead with ruddy tone skin, pinkish-red eyes, and fiery red hair, and wearing a jet black catsuit with a Fire Phoenix and Mystic Dragon ghost-stripped across her chest".
"Chiyoko Hanamura," Romany immediately recognized the mutant who'd sacrifice S.H.I.E.L.D.'s last helicarrier, while saving them and humanity. He respected this mutant-goddess, not that he'd ever say it aloud. He simply couldn't understand his boss' reaction lately. Sure, he was upset over losing his helicarrier, but mellowed when realizing what she'd done to save humanity. Why had he suddenly turned so obsessed with ending this mutant-goddess? He simply couldn't reconcile his reaction.
"Dragon Phoenix," Wilkes shared his shipmate's admiration. He, too, kept quiet. Nowadays, the act of defending any mutant—especially this mutant-goddess—carried stiff consequences. Losing your job was the least of any sympathizers' worries. Rumor was, their boss organized a clandestine division within S.H.I.E.L.D. itself, specifically trained to seek out and terminate agents sympathetic towards mutants.
No one gave these rumors much credence til their most loyal mutants started to turn up dead under very mysterious circumstances. Then, Possible caught an assassin making an attempt against Scarlett Flame. This clandestine operative boasted about being a patriot, claiming how he'd acted under direct orders. Most surviving mutants broke their ties with S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury didn't seem to care.
"Aconasema," Fury growls through gritted teeth. Brows furrowed, glaring at her photo.
"Someone mention my name," Aconasema appears behind them.
Fury jumps up and whips around. "Aconasema," he spews her name. Eyes set in stone. Teeth gritted like vise grips. Nostrils flared. Fists clenched by his sides. Limbs shaking with raw fury.
Kim surprises everyone there. None ever dreampt what she'd do next. Nor could they plan accordingly. Kim takes Fury into her arms and kisses his passionately, then releases him teasing, "I missed you, too, Sweetheart".
Fury spits and putters wiping him mouth. Madder than ever. "What's wrong with you, you...?"
"Ah, c'mon, don't act so hostile around your little minions. You enjoyed all those private nights we shared together. Why reject me now? I mean, you desired this body for so long".
"Desired? All those nights? What the hell are you talking about, You Crazy Bitch?"
"Crazy, am I?" She counters him with derisive laughter. "Why do you deny what we share, Darling? Is it because of those under your command? Who cares about them? We know the truth. That's all that is really important".
"Truth? What truth?" He retorts, seeing his crew eye him dubiously, and dreading what wild idea his bosses might jump to upon hearing this wench's lies.
Aconasema feeds his crew and bosses' growing suspicions, "You poured your heart out unto me. And I'm here to grant your greatest wish, My Love".
His wrath evaporates almost immediately, replaced by genuine concern for his and his crew's health, asking, "What's you do unto us, Woman?"
"I told you," she winks at him. "I granted your deepest wish, Darling. The process has already started, and cannot be reversed".
"Process? What process?"
"You'll be a mutant by weeks end, Darling".
His crew backs away. Back planted against the exit door. The sensor didn't detect their presence or auto-detect their presence, like they should've. Crew members couldn't flee the bridge. Most were thinking the same thing. Was this why he was so giddy after learning about her resurfacing? Did he really miss her?
"Oh, don't worry," her eyes rake his crew. "You're won't be alone".
"I won't?" They already doubted him. Fury senses his crew's loyalties shifting, thinking deep within. He'd acted so strange lately. Maybe there's some truth in what she's saying? And he couldn't, or woudn't, explain his actions. That gave her ruse more credibility in their minds and hearts.
"Oh, no. I know how much this crew means to you. So, I released mutagenic spores on this helicarrier. All of you will be mutants by week's end. Be careful, though. Let your superiors learn about this, My Love, and you'll all be battling sentinels right alongside other mutants throughout the world". She smiles, then vanishes, leaving them alone to reflect on what she'd said and did.
Boiling Over
"Jackson," Fury alerts his head of security, "lock down this boat immediately. No one gets on or off this tub without my express permission, or until this quarantine's over, understood?"
"Yes, Sir," her gets busy on his security panel, alerting his guards.
"Dr. Frazer," he contacts his head of chief medical office (CMO).
"What can I do for you, Director?"
"Doctor, put this boat under a Level A/Type 6 Quarantine. All medical staff and personnel will wear appropriate hazmat bio-suits with splash guards and SCBA gear".
"Director, what's the threat?"
"Aconasema just paid us a visit. She claims she released some viral, mutagenic spores aboard the heli-carrier, Doctor".
"What'd she claim these spores were designed to do, Director?"
"She claims they'll turn everyone aboard this boat into mutants by week's end".
"How?"
"I don't know, Doctor. That's what I need you to find out," Fury despised this predicament. Ignorance means having to admit she'd blindsided him. Nick Fury. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Senior Director. The man who always had a contingency for everything, except this time.
"Assemble all scientists knowledgeable in infectious and contagious diseases, and have HazMat teams sweep this boat, top to bottom. Pay close attention unto our environmental systems. She says, she released mutagenic spores, that will turn everyone aboard this carrier into mutants by week's end. She can only do this by releasing them through the environmental systems".
"I'll get right on that, Sir," he kills the connection, and turns around, meeting his crew's fearful glares.
"Well," he yells, spreading his arms abroad, "you have your assignments! Get to them!"
"Yes, Sir," every man and woman salutes, getting busy.
S.H.I.E.L.D. standard operating procedures strictly forbids contacting an agent or asset in the field. It only served to expose him/her unto unnecessary risk. He didn't have a choice, this time. He'd already gone outside S.H.I.E.L.D. once. Why let its regulations dictate what he did?
Fury was too bad to give a damn right now. He retreats into his makeshift office, seals his door shut, and plops down behind his desk, before retrieving his HenchCo black-market cell phone and dialing his chief assassin. He'd never failed a mission. What went wrong this time? Did he underestimate Possible?
Red Hawke seldom answered cold calls. He'd made countless enemies in his job. They could easily back-trace his location, and harm him. He, however, made an exception seeing the Caller-ID. He knew, there was no hiding from a client like Jupiter Kipling, Fury's alias over HenchCo's Dark Net lately.
"Hawke here," he answers the call.
Furious Fury lived up to his reputation thundering, "Red Hawke, You Imbecile! Kim Possible is still alive and exposing our operations".
"Impossible," he scoffs. "I leveled her apartment, taking two above and two below hers. Seven of her neighbors perished in that explosion, and six more in the flames, before the fire department reached her complex and put out the inferno".
He'd always been an arrogant man. Fury cherished putting him
"You didn't consider her battle suit's specs, supplied by our special ops, didn't you?"
"Battle suit? Her dossier didn't mention anything about a battle suit, Sir," the master assassin defends his reputation. He'd never failed an assignment. And, the one time he does, it's because he'd relied upon someone else's INTEL. He should've known better. He just figured, a major intelligence organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. would provide more reliable information than his usual clients could about his targets.
"Didn't you receive the target's full bio, Hawke?"
"I received a bio, yes. But, my bio didn't include her service record. Again, there's nothing unusual in that. I figured, you head a major intelligence gathering organization. You wanted to keep certain things secret. That's why I didn't question what you sent".
He accesses his mobile email application, types in Fury's HenchCo Dark Net account info, and emails him a copy of what he received. He hears Fury's phone beep on the other end. He presses his point, "As you can clearly see, that is what I received, and it doesn't mention anything about a battle suit".
Fury didn't immediately say anything. He accesses his email, double clicks Hawke's email, and brings up his dossier. Three minutes pass in morbid silence. "Damn," he finally swears aloud, pounding his desk in growing fury. "This isn't what my people sent you, Hawke!"
Red Hawke sighs heavily. He despised dealing with amateurs, and expected more from the legendary Nick Fury. "It may not be what I was supposed to receive, Fury, but that was what I got".
Fury didn't know why. His mind immediately landed upon Possible. She acted so differently last time she was aboard the helicarrier. Aconasema impersonated her once. Black Widow received a false scroll without ever suspecting her contact was an imposture. What if he hadn't dealt with Possible? What if it was really Aconasema aboard his boat.
She spoke with an accomplice, code named Ares. Security combed the carrier for over a week, but failed to locate this traitor. He wonders, what if this accomplice was never aboard the carrier. He couldn't believe he'd ever been so gullible. She'd hoodwinked him! Again! Possible, if that was her, must've been the distraction. Something about the woman rubbed him the wrong way, bringing out his worst traits, which somehow made his more susceptible to Aconasema's manipulations.
Possible and Aconasema's tactics weren't exact matches, but didn't' have similarities. It became clear, Possible was the brains behind their relationship. Aconasema was the power. Possible directed her actions las time against Hydra. "If Possible's involved, I'll bet her tech-geek somehow hacked our systems, then swapped my files with bogus ones to mislead you. That way, you'd fail at taking Possible out".
"Tech-geek? You mean, Wade Load?"
"The same. He ran her team's logistics," Fury deadpans.
He'd heard many excuses in his day. Fury's topped anything he'd ever heard. "A kid? You're blaming this lapse in communication on a kid?" Hawke laughs mockingly.
Fury growls, miffed he'd dare malign his character. "He isn't an ordinary kid, You Idiot!"
Red Hawke didn't purposely malign his character. He'd learnt in his field. You can't trust anyone. He devised ways to validate what they said, without them realizing what he was doing. That was why he'd laughed in Fury's face. He didn't detect any deception. Of course, that wasn't really so surprising. Fury was a seasoned spy, accustomed to lying, very convincingly. "Oh, yea, and why's that?"
"Dr. Wade Load may only be 15-years old. But, he possesses six Ph.D.s".
"A kid with six Ph.D.s?" Hawke cocks his right brow. That wasn't inside the bio he received, either. He runs Wade's name through NCIC. The FBI's National Criminal Information Center verifies Fury's claims. His computer spits back, "Dr. Wade Load, computer hacker, suspected with hacking several high-profile corporate databases, including HenchCo, as well as many state and federal government agencies. No convictions yet, over lack of evidence".
Fury anticipated Hawke would verify his claims. He was sure who the master assassin would use. Fury gives him a few moments to read the material, then presses his point, "Dr. Director warned me about Dr. Load. Like you, I didn't take her seriously. I didn't see how a single kid could possibly interfere with my coordinated operations.
And that's how he undermined Phase #1 so easily. Also, why Possible was waiting inside her in-laws' home, and how she decimated my Sierra Team, before we could nab Golden Heart. That damn wiz-kid tipped her off". He couldn't admit she already knew about their op. If The Bosslearnt this, he'd consider him a liability, necessary to eliminate to minimize their risk exposure, immediately.
Hawke senses, and understand Fury's tension. His fault? Fury's fault? It wouldn't matter. The end-result amounted to the same thing. Fury chose him for this assignment. The mission was done, until Kim Possible, her husband, family and in-laws were dead, and Golden Heart in their possession. That'd been his creed since becoming an assassin, and what had built his reputation so rapidly, besides his efficiency, integrity, and discreteness.
He, sadly, couldn't redeem Phase #2: Golden Heart. That was done. He could, however, redeem his reputation. "I guess you're right," he humors his employer. "What's my revised orders, Sir?" He seeks the boss' new mission parameters. This wiz-kid fed me erroneous information once already, causing me to fail my mission. His actions tarnished what I value most, my reputation. He'll pay, and pay dearly".
Fury grins, sensing, then redirecting Hawke's bubbling wrath. "Find Possible and Load, and kill them both! Leave no witnesses, regardless what you must do!"
"What about the husband?"
"Kill him, too," Fury sanctions the whole family. "If she's alive, he probably is too".
"That will cost more," Hawke ups his fees.
"We'll double your usual fee," Fury didn't quibble about costs. This failure could cost them billions, if the wrong people hear about this.
"Nice doing business with you, Director" he salutes into the vid-phone, then gets serious, seeking clarity about the new parameter in his mission. "Oh, I do need one more thing, Boss".
"What do you need now, Hawke?" Fury snaps, irritated Hawke would dare play him like Possible. He enjoyed these insipid mind-games like her. That was why he initially chose him for this mission. Hawke thought like she did. And he'd get result where others failed. Fury kept his cool, though unable to shake a dull headache lately. He couldn't alienate his best operative, at least not yet.
Hawke senses, he'd about pushed Fury too far. He states his desire plainly, "You know your pet agent better than me".
"I do, so what?"
"Well, Possible's nerd has already bypassed your security once, and fed me erroneous information. Let's say you retransmit my new mission's parameters. How can you honestly expect me to abide by those orders? I don't have access to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s systems. I, therefore, cannot verify they're yours. Why bother?" He indirectly blames S.H.I.E.L.D. over this botched mission.
"Right or wrong, there are some things a bio and psyche profile can't provide, Fury. She's wanted, and now her face is plastered on every TV, newspaper, magazine, and website across this globe. Where would she most likely go to seek shelter? I mean, she must have someone she still trusts".
Fury grits his teeth. He couldn't miss Hawke's veiled accusation. First, Hawke blames him over failing his mission. He couldn't but didn't verify the dossier his tech emailed his phone. Next, he insinuates this kid was smarter than his tech team, possibly all of S.H.I.E.L.D. Now, Hawke deepens his derisive insult by asking his tech's help to outsmart Kim Possible's nerd. Fury wanted to berate this snug bastard, but couldn't. He'd raised a valid point. His people did feed him false information.
"Her Nana, Uncle Slim, and most childhood friends are dead. She built a vast support network during her early years as a crusading, world saving 'vigilante hero'. The majority of those contacts, however, are either dead or incarcerated on one charge or another. The rest are too damn old to worry about. That only leaves us three known possibilities: Joss Possible, her cousin, Team Impossible, and Shego".
"I can understand her seeking Team Possible's help. They worked together in the past. And, if my info is correct, she convinced them to work with Global Justice. But, Shego? I know Possible worked with her brothers, Team Go, a few times. I thought Shego and Possible are enemies".
"I'm not so sure about that last part, Hawke. Rumor is, Shego loves Possible. Plus, they've cooperated on occasion, besides when Team Possible worked with Team Go. Your best bet, locate Joss Possible, and you'll locate Golden Heart. Possible's hiding her, wherever she hid her cousin".
"What makes you so sure she hid her cousin?"
"No one has seen or heard anything from Joss Possible, since Slim Possible's unfortunate head-on collision with an 18-wheeler on MT-3 in Montana, 2-years ago".
"If your hordes of agents haven't located Joss Possible in 2-years, what make you think I can locate her in a few days, Fury?"
"I believe, we've rattled Possible's cage. And she's predictable when rattled. Possible will lead us to where she hid her cousin. She simply needs the proper motivation".
"How do we motivate her?"
"Start asking around about Joss Possible, then inconspicuously slip Team Go's name into the brief conversation. Shego will hear, and come back into the open. Grim-Lore can easily lock onto her own unique quantum signature. My gut says, wherever she is, Possible won't be far behind".
"And wherever Possible is, Golden Heart will be there, too," Red Hawke simpers with admiration.
"Exactly," Fury basks in his own genius. "That was why I suggested hunting for Joss Possible, first, only then mentioning Shego's brothers' names. I'll bet, if they're involved, Shego will too. She claims Possible as her princess".
"Is she Posible's birth mother?"
"Could be," Fury entertains the possibility. "Possible's genetic code doesn't match James Possible period. He isn't her father. Her mitochondrial DNA, however, resembles, but again, isn't a perfect match for Anne Possible's DNA either. But, it's close enough. Our geneticists concluded, whoever is Possible's birth mother, she and Anne Possible are close relatives, like sisters or maybe first cousins.
I'll bet this mystery donor is Shego. Maybe that was how Kim Possible wound up in the Possible's care. Also, why they never signed any adoption papers. Hers must be a private, in-the-family type of adoption. That was another reason I propose you first seek Joss Possible, but mention Shego's pesky brothers. Sure, they annoy her, but she loves them.
And that's how we'll ensure both women, Possible and Aconasema. Possible loves Shego. And, for whatever reason, Aconasema cares about Possible. If Shego is her mother, it'd explain why she claims the redhead as Her Princess all these years. And why she occasionally helped Possible, even against her own beloved villain community".
"Thank you, Fury. Such knowledge will be most useful in locating her again," Red Hawke hangs up throwing his current phone into the incinerate, just in case Fury should double cross him.
Fury hangs up and puts away his satellite phone. "I have you now, Possible," he smirks with clenched fists. "And you'll help me bring down this Goddess, whose baby you value above your own kind".
Kim smiles, turns off her ear piece and vanishes.
Icy Reception
Kim reappears amidst her Martian base. "Father..."
Her question halted by Olivia slapping her hard and screaming, "How could you?"
"What'd I do?" Kim asks, royally confused.
"The fact you have to ask only proves you're no good for our son! You Tramp!" Olivia storms across the room sobbing hard than ever.
She wasn't getting any answers from Ron's mom. She was too emotional. "Paw," she questions his dead earnestly, "what'd I do?"
Dean Stoppable cocks his head, unsure how to interpret her question. He senses her genuine confusion. He couldn't side with her against his own wife. Dean chases down his sobbing wife, wrapping her within his arms.
"Father?" She knew he'd have the answer. And he wouldn't worry about hurting their feelings.
"We saw you kiss Fury, Chiyoko," Wolverine replies with deep disappointment. He didn't think his own daughter would cheat on her husband.
Kim didn't bother denying his accusation. In fact, she does the last thing anyone ever expected. She cracks up laughing, loud and hard.
Dean Stoppable didn't know what to think or say. Kimberly seemed so well-suited for his son. She'd always cared for and defended Ronald. And he had her. A part of him didn't believe she'd ever purposely cheat on Ronald. And yet, he'd seen it with his own eyes. Her reaction when confront didn't ease his growing concerns, though seemingly inconceivable. "What's so funny, Kimberly?" He demands.
"If you bought my 'love-scene' ruse, and you know me, then Fury's bosses must've bout it double so," she laughs more riotously.
"Scene? What scene?" Dean had never been so confused.
"Did I kiss him? Or did she, Paw?" Kim points across the room.
Her twin acknowledges her signal. She moseys from the shadows. "Hello," she greets them, twiddling her fingers and smiling coyly.
Olivia hears the woman's voice. It sounded identical with Kimberly's. She loved her daughter-in-law, but despised her incessant mind-games. Trying to figure them out gave her a headache on more than one occasion. Now wasn't the time to start another scenario.
Olivia snaps her head up, and swings around, ready to give her daughter-in-law a piece of her mind. She gasps in shock. Her tongue tied, and mind numb with doubt, seeing not one but two Aconasemas. "Who is she, Kimberly?" Olivia points between them.
"An android, Maw," Kim smiles, barely able to contain her elation, over their confusion.
"Alright," Wolverine intervenes amidst this little misunderstanding, "you've launched another of your infamous head games. And we're caught in the middle. Care to explain, Chiyoko?"
"I don't mind, Father," she smiles.
"She kissed Fury…"
"Maw, Paw," she assures her in-laws, "I'd never betray Ron's trust by kissing another man".
"Why'd you…uh, she, have to kiss him in the first place?" Olivia Stoppable rubs her throbbing head. She knows what she saw, only she wasn't so sure what to believe anymore. She loved her daughter-in-law, but despised her obsessions with these infernal mind games.
"My reasoning was quite simple, Maw. Threatening or torturing Fury wouldn't work. He's a hardened military man. So, she did what he'd least expect".
"Kiss him?" Even Wolverine wrestled with following her logic here. Whoever heard of a warrior defeating a mortal enemy with a kiss? Only a woman would think about something so diabolical.
"Why not, Father?" She reads his mind, justifying her actions. "The droid insinuated Fury and I were secret lovers, having an illicit affair behind his crew and bosses' backs. I became so lovesick, I exposed our relationship openly, as an expression of my love, by giving him what he allegedly wanted more than anything else in the world".
"And that'd be what, Chiyoko?"
"To become a mutant, him and his crew, Father".
"And just what tactical advantage would this little charade serve, Chiyoko?"
"Fury is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Senior Director. His job theoretically mandates he be an unbiased intermediary between mutants and humans. An illicit affair between a man in his position and a wanted mutant kinda undermines his unbiased position and jeopardizes global security.
Fury may talk himself out of trouble. And that's a big maybe. Even if he does, his bosses can't take any chances he may've swapped sides, aiding us mutants. They'll watch him closer than ever. Inversely, that'll restrict his actions against us, some. And that's better than nothing.
Because, I get the distinct impression, whatever he's been doing lately, the Shadow Committee knows about his op, or at least certain higher ranked members do. But, the committee hasn't sanctioned his vile actions. Now, Internal Security will launch a full investigation into his recent activities. His allies on the committee and within Internal Security will severe ties, too busy covering their own backsides.
And I know one thing. A crooked politician will always cover his/her backside above everyone and everything else, applying just enough pressure, to absolve their own guilt, and possibly make Fury look guiltier. Fury knew, his own agency will soon be watching him 24/7. He wasn't sure when he could contact his man in the field again. He had to get his message out. My droids vanished; I stayed behind. It was a good thing I did, let me tell ya".
"Why's that, Chiyoko?"
"Father, have you ever heard of an assassin, code named Red Hawke".
"Yea," he recounts the man's history, "his real name's Dante Reza. He grew up in the Bronx, N.Y., and joined the military at 18. He got bused boosting cars. A judge gave him a choice, prison or join the military. He joined the army, and clawed his way up the ranks, eventually assigned to the 75th Ranger's Regiment, stationed at MacDill AFB, in Tampa, Florida.
Reza lost his commission over beating a female army recruit unconsciousness, after she pushed to join what Reza viewed as the 'boys club' of special forces. The next day, he left the United State, joining the Libyan rebels during Libya's 1st Civil War starting in 2011. When it ended, his allies started to resent an American's involvement, and accused him with being a CIA spy, who bilked both sides of the conflict for profit, costing thousands of Libyans their lives.
A rumor even alleged, his accusers doused him with kerosene, set him ablaze, and left him for dead. Reza survived, left disfigured for life. Plastic surgery and skin rejuvenation treatments erased most of his scarring, all except a deep burn scar along his right cheek and wavy scars down his back. After this, he became an assassin for hire. No hit less than $200,000. Why are you asking about him, Chiyoko?"
"Because, he's the bastard who hurt my husband and is hunting my baby," she deploys her claws. "And he's the man I'm gonna kill".
"Chiyoko, please reconsider that choice".
"Time for considerations are over, Professor. I mean no disrespect. I bowed unto your headship at your school. I expect the same respect here. Fury ordered that madman to kill everyone in my family, except Hana".
Anne senses the finality in her daughter's voice. She really meant to kill this man. She knew, reasoning alone wouldn't work in this situation. Kimmie wasn't thinking logically. She was locked into a maternal protective mode. Nothing else mattered but her baby's safety. "Are you positive about this man's guilt, Kimmie? I mean, are you positive beyond a doubt?"
"Positive, Mom. I heard Fury order the hit himself…"
"Fury? Order a hit?" Professor X gasps in shock. He'd known the man many, many years. Sure, he'd bend the law on select occasions, but never commit outright murder.
Wolverine shares his mentor's doubts. "Chiyoko, Fury may be many things. A murderer isn't one. Are you absolutely sure you heard what you think you heard?"
"Positive, Father," she tosses him the recorder. "Doubt take my word alone, listen with your own ears. Hawke is to find Joss, if he doesn't get what he wants, he's to move onto Shego and her brothers, even capture her brothers, just so Shego will be more cooperative. Team Impossible is this madman's next targets on Reza's crusade to kidnap my daughter".
Wolverine presses play. He doubted Fury could ever do something like this.
Professor X couldn't believe his ears, "What's he to do with these suspects?"
"Like I said, capture and interrogate, even torture, if deemed necessary".
"What's he allegedly seeking?"
"His objective is straightforward. He's been given a list of suspects. He's to interrogate them, every man and woman, even using their own children against them, if necessary. His objective is to locate Hana and me. He's also to eliminate anyone he suspects might be helping me elude federal authorities. I must stop him, or thousands of innocent people could needlessly perish. All because these idiots seek us, and their victims don't know my whereabouts. The sad reality is, I've already told where I am. They simply won't listen". She turns to leave.
"Wait right there, Missy," Wolverine grabs her hand. "You ain't going anywhere without me".
"Logan, you can't..." Professor X couldn't hold his peace. Logan had come so far to reclaim his own humanity. He feared, if he partook of this daughter's blood crusade, he might regress and become worse than ever. Professor X couldn't reconcile his actions. Logan had to know this. How could he chance this happening by participating in this madness?
Wolverine sympathizes with his mentor. He shared similar doubts. It wasn't that long ago. He, too, was lost. He'd worked long and hard to win back his humanity. Professor X worries, if he pursues his daughter's vendetta, his own desire to protect his child will take over, and amplify his dormant, volatile predatory nature, and he might again lose what he'd worked so hard to regain.
He couldn't guarantee that won't happen. Neither could he sit on the sidelines. "Chuck," he tries to explain his actions, "I may not be a 'touchy-feely' type of parent. That doesn't mean I don't care about my family. I do know, however, no one targets my daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law, while I draw breath. Kick me off the team, if you must, I'm still going to defend her, with or without your help".
"Very well, Logan," Professor X sighs, ceding his point. There was no reasoning with a worried father. Blood was thicker than water. "Do what you must".
"Let's go, Chiyoko".
Tears swell up in her ears. She didn't think he'd chose her over his friends.
"Ah, don't get on mushy on me, Girl. I've had enough for one day," he storms towards the exit.
"Yes, Father," she opens a portal. Wolverine and Chiyoko disappear through it seconds later, only to have it close behind them.