I looked down at the body on the floor.
"That look in his eyes," I said. "That crazed look in his eyes when he said I was Jack Hayes. It's almost as if…" I trailed off.
"As if he was trying to convince himself," Abigail finished my thought.
"Like he was Jack," I said.
"People will go to the most extreme measures to justify their actions in their minds," Abigail observed. "Even telling themselves that someone else did something they did. He was in denial."
"But why would he go after us? I assumed he worked for Tyler Dayspring, but maybe not."
"Oh, he was," Abigail stated firmly. "He underwent Weapon X. It has to be connected."
I looked down at the body again. "We should take him to SWORD. Confirm he's actually Jack Hayes."
Abigail nodded. "Let's go. It's best not to call the police for this one; they might think you're something you're not."
Or at least I hope I'm not.
=deadpool-deadpool-deadpool-
With Jack's corpse in the backseat, we drove to a large government complex. A guard approached us and gasped when he saw the dead man, but Abigail explained, "It was self-defense. We need to talk to Agent Gyrich."
He let us through, and Abigail said as she parked the car, "Getting SWORD on this will help clear everything up."
She led me first to the lab, where technicians positively identified the dead man as Jack Hayes, a mercenary wanted in nine countries for high-profile assassinations.
I told myself this was proof Abigail was telling the truth. All common sense pointed in that direction. But I still felt the insecurity and guilt over sins I'd never committed eating away at my heart.
Get over it, Wade. You're not Jack.
"Here's the office," Abigail said. She knocked on the door, and it opened up. The man inside looked shocked to see my face. "Do you remember Agent Gyrich now, Wade?" Abigail asked. "He's our supervisor."
"Oh yeah, I remember you," I told Gyrich, looking into his eyes. "But I know you by another name, Tyler."