Remnant's Mightiest Heroes!
Chapter 19: Something Sinister This Way Comes
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New York City, New York
Nov. 8, Noonish
"Oh, hey there!" A man in a red and black full-body tactical suit waves at you. "What's red and black and blue all over? If you guess Deadpool, then you've got Deadpool! The Merc with the mouth! The regenerating degenerate! I know what you are thinking, who did I have to piss off to get my own chapter? I'll give you a hint…look underneath the goddamn title of this fanfic! Thanksgiving came early, and I know exactly how to thank the author!"
"Uh, Mr. Pool, who are you talking to?" An Indian American in a blue and white striped shirt asks from the driver's seat. Deadpool gestures to him from the passenger's side.
"Everyone, meet my getaway driver and protégé in the hitman business, Dopinder. Great guy," Deadpool introduced. "I tried to talk him out of the biz, but after his first kill, I took him under my wing. Tell them how you did it, Dopinder."
"I ran him over, Mr. Pool."
"Excellent! Not as great as killing a guy with a Zamboni, but still okay! Anyway, I was talking to the readers my friend. They are very interested to know what's going on here. What is going on is simple. I'm going to thank the author by doing exactly what I do to thank somebody who gives me my own chapter of fanfic…kill a supervillain asshole!"
"We have another contract?" Dopinder asked in excitement. "Who are we killing this time?"
"Who are we killing? I believe the term is who am I killing. It's elementary my dear Dopinder," Deadpool said in a phony British accent. Somehow, he puts on a deerstalker hat and ulster coat. "From the slightly modified line from Shakespeare's Macbeth, I deduce that today's turkey dinner is going to be Captain Douche!"
You realize that the readers don't know who the antagonist for this chapter yet?
"Which one are you, the voice in my head or the author?" Deadpool asked with a frown. "Both of you shut up anyway. The entire chapter is already spoiled anyway. Blame the author because he was the one who committed the offense of writing his name in the title. If you don't want people to know who the bad guy is, don't make it so obvious!"
"Captain Douche? Who's he?" Dopinder asked.
"Glad you asked," Deadpool said. "Take Count Dracula, Darth Sidious, and all of Adolf Hitler and merged them, and you get one of the worse men to ever walk the shithole known as Earth. He is the world's Reed Richards on genetics. He loves to acquire samples of mutants such as me to improve his big ego. I'd tell you more about his back story, but I think I spoiled plenty already. All I can say is that he's got a captured hero and I'm coming to rescue her. I am shocked that none of the X-Men are around."
"Who is the X-Men?" Dopinder asked.
"For the last time…you know what, until Prophet explains what the hell happened to them, I'm going to let you stroll down memory lane all on your own," Deadpool said. "Not that I actually miss those goody two shoes. If I'm going up against this guy, that means I'm going up against his merry band of mutant killers. That means it would've really been handy to bring an Eight Feet of Chrome and Sabrina the teenage witch. Not that I need them because this chapter is all about me!"
"What about me?" Dopinder asked, pointing to himself. "Am I important too?"
"Of course, you are," Deadpool said in a cheery tone. "Where else am I going to find someone to drive me to a supervillain's secret headquarters? And to run them over if they try to make a run for it?"
"Yeah," Dopinder nodded in agreement. The taxi slowed to a stop. "We're here and the toll is seven-fifty Mr. Pool."
"Oh shit. I'm a little short right now," Deadpool raised his hand. "Crisp high five?"
Dopinder returned his high five like it was a usual occurrence. Then he got out of the Taxi and waved him off. He watched as the taxi drove off before turning to look at the place where his quarry is hiding. It was a two-story brownstone mansion that looked as if it had seen better days.
"Ass-Sex House," Deadpool read out loud, not caring if he misspelled it. The rest has all faded away. "Here we go with the oldest supervillain mistake in the book. Give a lame-ass name to an abandoned building. It's already killing this fic. I say we start this off with a bang, which is why I brought a lifetime supply of C4…"
No, you didn't.
"Yes, I did."
No, you didn't.
"Yes, I did, it's right here next to…me…" Deadpool gestured to where he claims the C4 is at but isn't. Deadpool blinked a few times to register the fact. He looked everywhere for his C4 when he realized what has happened.
"Oh, beans and chimichangas!" Deadpool pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Dopinder! Yeah, it's me. I forgot my C4 in the trunk of your taxi, which will explode and possibly unalive you if you crash it. Get back over here!"
Deadpool puts his phone away and sighs.
"While we're waiting for Dopinder to get back over here in his walking death coffin, let's do a recap and go back a few hours. Right about then, team RWBY was doing what every young hero does best…"
Avengers Mansion, New York
A few hours ago, still about noonish
"…get their asses handed to them by an Avenger."
"Move! Gather at point alpha!" Ruby cried out as she speeds to the side to avoid a dark red energy blast. No sooner than she reformed that she saw a good chunk of rock sent hurtling her way. Ruby fired a shot from Crescent Rose to use the recoil to propel herself away just in time. The silver-eyed girl ran a few more meters before taking cover from behind a fallen wall.
"Ruby!" Weiss came running to her hiding place. The former heiress looked as haggard as her team leader was. "Are you alright?"
"Crescent Rose's blade got blunt," Ruby said, showing her the damaged blade of her weapon. She bit her lip at the state of her weapon. "That force field of hers would put aura to shame. I've kept my distance so that she can't catch me in her grasp."
"I've summoned the Arma Gigas to keep her distracted," Weiss said. "Please tell me you have a plan."
"I'm working on it…" Ruby said.
"Then you better work on it fast," Blake said as she lands in between them. "We're running out of time and she's tearing right through us. And by that, I mean she's uprooting every building to find us."
"Well, that's just great," Weiss corrected. "Can things get even more hard?"
Blake and Ruby stared blankly at Weiss. Their white-clad teammate looked at them in a confusion. "What? What did I say?"
"We are facing an opponent who can control the probability and your best move is to jinx us?" Blake hissed.
"She promised that she won't be using hex bolts," Weiss hissed back. "Besides, it's not like things are going to get worse."
They were interrupted by the sound of screaming. A yellow blur flew over the wall and crashed a few feet next to them. When the dust cleared, they saw Yang lying down and seeing stars. One look from their HUDs told them that her aura is in the red. Weiss could feel the stares of her teammates on her.
"Alright, I get your point!"
"Okay, I'd rather wish we are facing Nat right about now," Yang breathed as she sat up. "That haymaker was like a couple of stampeding boarbatusks. Why do I get the feeling that she was strengthening it with magic?"
"Did you really think that charging in to engage her in close quarters was going to work?" Blake asked out loud. "She's like a walking WMD with her powers."
"That reminds me," Yang looked directly at Weiss. "She totally ripped apart your Armas Gigas… limb from limb. Trust me, it wasn't pretty."
"Brothers…" Weiss gasped into her hand.
"But that doesn't mean she doesn't have a weakness," Ruby said. "We just need to make her lose focus and then we can beat her. I've already cooked up something in the lab."
She pulled out a spherical like object and explains, "My own brand of a flash grenade. The flash lasts a little longer and is much louder. This should keep her unfocused for a while. We just need to give it time to detonate."
"She's not going to give us a chance," Weiss said.
"Then we misdirect her," Ruby pressed. "Keep her focused on us until it's too late for her to react."
At that moment, the wall they were using for cover disintegrated. Team RWBY's eyes were wide as saucers when they saw the person walking towards them. Her eyes glowed red and her hands emanated vapor of red hue. She radiated raw power ready to be unleashed while smirking at them.
"Ready to give up?"
"Not yet Wanda!" Ruby declared. "Cannonball!"
Team RWBY at once sprang into action. They took off in separate directions as Wanda threw another blast of red telekinetic force at them. Ruby fired bullets at the Scarlet Witch while keeping her distance, taking care to fire in between changing the cover. The bullets exploded against a red barrier, according to what she seemed to learn about her, her barriers are passive and don't require much conscious will. Almost like an aura. But she was keeping her focus on her, just as planned.
While she is distracted, Weiss used sets Myrtenaster to her liquid hydrogen vial. A glyph formed on the ground several meters away from the fight and a column of ice emerged out of it. Blake leaps onto the top of the pillar and transforms Gambol Shroud into ribbon form.
"Ruby, we're all set up," Weiss spoke into her suit's inner comms.
Ruby received the message and nods. She fires one bullet, this time an incendiary round. It exploded into a fireball, blocking Wanda's view. Ruby activates petal burst to speed away to where her teammates are. Weiss is keeping the ribbon anchored with a black glyph and keeping it taut. Yang stood behind it and flexing her arm.
"You ready sis?" Yang asked.
"You betcha!" Ruby cried as she takes her place in the launch area, riding on Crescent Rose in scythe form.
"Now…GO!" Yang cried out as she punches the glyph, giving Weiss a boost to launch Ruby into the air. She soared high into the air, observing the ruined landscape of the city below. Shifting Crescent Rose into a sniper rifle, she fires a few rounds before dropping the grenade. Gravity did the rest, and it plummets to the ground.
"Get ready," Ruby yelled into the comms, hoping they got the message. Within a few seconds, a flash enveloped the area she knew Wanda would be. Her friends' suits have glare protection visors that will allow them to engage Wanda while she's disoriented. As the flash died down, Ruby used her semblance to land herself on the nearest rooftop. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she contacts her teammates.
"Did we get her?"
"Uh…Ruby? She's not here!"
"What do you mean she's not there?"
"I mean she's nowhere to be found!" Weiss repeated. "What else was I supposed to say—AGH!"
"Weiss? Are you alright?" Ruby cried out before she found herself enveloped in a cocoon of reddish energy. Helpless, she was lifted into the air and dragged forward to a waiting Scarlet Witch. Next to her levitated the rest of her team, who struggled in vain to get out of the telekinetic prison.
"That was an excellent plan," Wanda praised. "But you forgot that I could read your mind."
"Curses," Ruby said, being careful to watch her language. Seeing that there is no use in continuing, she hangs her head in defeat.
"Okay Wanda, we give," Ruby said. The Scarlet Witch gave a soft smile and dismissed the energy from her hands. The cocoons that held Team RWBY fade, and they fell to the ground in exhaustion.
"JARVIS? What's the diagnostics on the HARM room?" Wanda asks.
"Still holding Miss Maximoff," The AI butler replied as the city ruins faded into pixels of light. "Despite being an AI, I'm grateful that you didn't damage it too much."
Wanda just rolled her eyes at this. She looked to team RWBY and said, "Despite your loss, you've done an excellent job in this exercise. When confronting an Omega Level Threat, every minute counts. If Captain Rogers were here, he would praise you for your quick thinking."
"But if you weren't holding back, we wouldn't be alive," Ruby pointed out, to which Wanda grimly nods. "But how did you escape the blast zone. Even if you put up a barrier, you should've been blinded."
"Pietro isn't the only one who moves fast," Wanda said with a smile. "Or in my case, I just freeze time long enough for me to move out of the area. I'll admit Ruby, despite forgetting about my telepathy, you made me focused on you to keep me in the dark about your friends' strategy. It gave me enough time to get to cover before the flashbang exploded."
Team RWBY stared at her blankly, unable to come up with a response.
"Okay…I think I speak for everybody here," Yang breathed out slowly before she threw her hands towards her. "You will definitely put Professor Goodwitch out of business! First telekinesis, then telepathy, hex bolts, freaking magic, and now time stopping? Is there anything you can't do?"
"I could make a list," Wanda chuckled. "Trust me, it's very long. But I think we should take this back in the living quarters. It's Team JNPR's turn now."
At those words, the HARM room opened, and their friends walked in. When they saw the states of their friends, each member developed different looks. Jaune and Pyrrha looked sympathetic. Nora looked satisfied. Ren is neutral as always.
"Let me guess…you got your butts kicked too?" Jaune asked.
"Yep," Team RWBY said with a small pop.
"Now you know how it feels," Nora said smugly. Ren just shook his head at her superior attitude.
"Nora…"
"What? They thought it was funny when we lost our match! We should find it funny they lost theirs! It's called poetic justice!"
"In their defense, they weren't fighting a speedster not powered by aura," Pyrrha points out. "You're only mad when he made me trip you with my Milo. Anyone could've gotten a glimpse underneath your skirt."
"Or when he gave me a wedgie," Ren moaned.
"Or when he made me and Pyrrha punch each other in the face," Jaune winced. RWBY giggled much to their chagrin. "Speaking of which, will we be sparring with him again?
"No, he's out getting some ingredients for me to cook," Wanda replied much to their relief. But that relief vanished when she said, "Today, you will be facing Vision."
"Great…" Jaune groaned.
"Oh, where's your sense of adventure fearless leader?" Nora asked. "We're not fighting a pesky speedster this time!"
"But I don't want to kill him," Pyrrha said tensely. "Polarity and technology don't interact well."
"All the more reason to practice right now," Vision said. The Avenger, that the remnantians believe for the first time, entered through the HARM room's doors. "The purpose of these exercises is to test your ability to adapt to a situation. For this scenario, I have gone rogue and need to be detained by any means necessary. Pyrrha, if you wish to avoid destroying me, I will focus your semblance on different parts of my body."
"I'll do my best, Vision," Pyrrha said, but still wary of the damage her semblance can do to him if she's not careful.
"We all will," Jaune added in determination. Their training sessions proved the Avengers to be tough to handle. With their array of powers, skills, and technology it is no wonder they are Earth's mightiest heroes. But their people have been fighting the Grimm ever since the God of Darkness created them. Like the Grimm, they can adapt and get better.
"Make sure you go easy on them Vis," Wanda said, rubbing her hand on his arm in an affectionate manner.
"I will refrain from phasing through them," Vision replied. "If I phase through them and increase density to one-half ounce, it will cause them to experience excruciating pain, a shock to the nervous system, and unconscious. Any further than that and the shock will kill them if the organic damage is not extensive enough…"
"Vision," Wanda said forcefully. She gestured to the already pale team JNPR. "I believe that you scared them enough."
"My apologies," Vision bowed. "I merely wanted to give you a warning about the damage my powers can do if I am not careful."
"Thanks for the warning," Jaune squeaked out.
"Anyway, we'll take our leave," Wanda said as she walks to the exit. "Good luck and have fun."
Team RWBY followed the Scarlet Witch out of the room. They were making their way to the changing room with Wanda staying outside. Her eyes flashed red as well as her body as she changed clothes in front of them. Gone was the red chest plate, the ankle-length skirt, the elbow-length red fingerless gloves, black trousers, thigh-high boots, and the intricate red crown. Replacing it is a simple maroon t-shirt a gray hoodie and jeans.
"Show off," Yang muttered.
"That would be a handy power to have," Weiss says as she changes out of her suit.
When they were done, they exited the command center and made their way to the kitchen. They decided to help Wanda out with cooking today's dish—pasta. Ruby and Weiss helped out with the pasta. Yang and Blake picked out the meat. Wanda sorted out the cookbook and picks the spices.
"So, Wanda," Blake began as she laid out fish on a cutting board. "Can you finish that story of the X-Men?"
"Right now?" Wanda asked with a knowing smile. Blake got flustered and turned back to filleting. Yang smirked at this reaction.
"Don't be a tease, Wanda," Yang said. "Come on."
"Yes! You really left us hanging!" Ruby insisted.
"Very well…" Wanda laughed. "Now then, where were we?
Ever since they've moved in, Wanda would visit them. Sometimes, she would tell stories of the heroic X-Men and their exploits. There were so many heroes were on the team. The one-eyed wonder Cyclops, the agile Beast, the weather witch Storm, and the savage Wolverine. Despite being on the side of the Brotherhood for a time, Wanda had quite the stories to tell.
Her latest story included a fight between them and the Marauders. They are a group of mutant warriors and assassins under the employ of Mister Sinister, a villain who hunts and collects mutant DNA. What appalled Blake was their most heinous crime—the massacre of an entire mutant community. In this story, they tried to kill mutants seeking refuge in Genosha.
"Right when we were about to be killed, the X-Men showed up," Wanda was saying. "We agreed to a truce and teamed up against the Marauders. Blockbuster proved to be useful as a shield. So, I lifted him and used him to block energy harpoons fired from…well, Harpoon. It kind of sounds weird when he chose Harpoon as his codename. Anyway, I provided cover while the rest moved to engage the Marauders. Nightcrawler grabbed Vertigo and teleported her away from the battle, giving our heads a rest and her a headache from all the hops he did. Iceman froze Arclight to prevent her from causing another earthquake. Multiple Man gave us a lot of trouble with the number of clones he created because we keep hitting him. In the end, he had to put himself to sleep. Seeing as how they were losing, the Marauders retreated."
"Couldn't you have just wiped the floor with them?" Yang asked skeptically. "I find it difficult to believe they gave you trouble with the power you're packing."
"Mister Sinister wasn't just a scientist, but a skilled manipulator and powerful superhuman if not a mutant," Wanda explained seriousness. "Thanks to the mutant DNA he grafted onto himself, he possessed an array of powers, mostly psionic. But once he gets inside your head, he can play you like a fiddle. Trust me, he's feared by mutants everywhere for a reason. If he is involved…trouble is always bound to follow."
"We'll take your word for it," Blake said with a shudder. "What kind of…sociopath would massacre his own people?"
"He's technically not a mutant," Wanda clarifies as she goes back to check the spices. "But from what Magneto's Acolytes could gather, he seems to be collecting Mutant DNA for something. I can't gather more than that because his mental defenses are as strong as Charles Xavier's."
"Charles Xavier…" Weiss muttered. "Wanda, can I ask something that's been bugging me for a while?"
"Okay."
"What makes you believe that the X-Men exist?" Weiss asked, making Wanda freeze with her back still turned to them. Before Wanda could speak up, she continued. "I know that you said that you were part of the Brotherhood of Mutants for a time, but when did you fight the X-Men?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."
"There hasn't been any record of the X-Men," Weiss said, narrowing her eyes. "So far, SHIELD only has records on Magneto, Mystique, and Sabretooth. Right now, the Brotherhood is a supremacist organization dedicated to world domination. They don't have information on any other members, including the Marauders. Until you told us, we didn't know about mutants. The only thing we have to go by are your stories."
"She has a point," Blake said. "Don't get us wrong Wanda, but the only thing to go by is Genosha, which is in ruins, and the fact that three out of the Brotherhood you told us exists. But from the way you are talking, it's hard to believe that you would make this up. Like you actually experienced the stories you told us. I'm sorry for doubting you…but it just doesn't make sense."
"You're right…it doesn't…" Wanda answered with strain in her voice. Briefly, her eyes were flickering red. The remnantian teens immediately tensed up. Vision warned them what would happen if she experienced any kind of emotional turmoil. The results can be catastrophic if left unchecked.
"Wanda, we're so sorry!" Ruby apologized quickly. "You don't have to—"
"It's alright," Wanda said, taking deep breaths and leaning on the metal table for support. Slowly, the glow in her eyes dimmed. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I should be in control of my emotions."
"Does answering really cause you that much distress?" Yang asked timidly. Whenever she lost control of her anger, her semblance flares up. Putting the Scarlet Witch under any kind of duress was a bad idea. Weiss and Blake were wisely thinking the same thing and felt ashamed.
"It's just…I can't answer your questions…" Wanda said as she straightens herself. "Not yet…"
Then, the kitchen door swung open, letting in a breeze. Standing in the middle of the kitchen is Pietro Maximoff, Wanda's brother and speedster of the Avengers.
"Sister, I got the eggs, olive oil, salt, and flour," Pietro said. He stopped when he saw the atmosphere of the room. "Is something wrong?"
"We were debating on what kind of pasta to use," Ruby says quickly. She gave a light glare towards her teammates, specifically Weiss and Blake. We'll talk discuss this later, she conveyed silently. "Which would you prefer Pietro? Homemade or packaged?"
"Oh, that's easy, homemade," Pietro with a smile as he puts the ingredients on the table. "Especially if my sister is cooking."
"It's good for your health," Wanda said, recomposing herself and placing her hands on her hips in indignation. "You would've crammed your stomach with junk food if I hadn't stepped in. Which reminds me…you haven't made off with any have you?"
"Well…" Pietro tried to make an excuse, only to meet the accusatory eyes of his sister. Not just her, but the girls from Remnant. "Okay, maybe I did nip a few cupcakes, but I paid for them, honest! I even have the receipt!"
"Can you produce it?" Weiss asked tersely. "Forgive me, but Wanda has told us you have a history of being a no-good kleptomaniac."
"Do you know how many items I filched without anyone realizing it? A no-good kleptomaniac would've been caught. I'm a great kleptomaniac!" Pietro declares defensively as he fished into his pocket and pulls out a slip of paper. "Besides, this proves that I legitimately bought them and NOT steal them."
Watching this, Blake chuckled at this interaction. This reminded her of when she and her team met Sun Wukong of team SSSN. He stowed away on a ship to Vale to participate in the Vytal Festival. She frowned as that brought back bitter memories of Kang's invasion. During the fighting, they got separated and haven't heard from them.
Just then, she felt her scroll vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out, a notification popped onto its screen.
"Hey guys, I'm going to be out for a while," Blake said. "I need to pick up a package."
"Really? What is it?" Yang asked in curiosity. "Is it another adult novel?"
"Of course not!" Blake blurted out before she even walked out the kitchen door. "Do you really think I keep adult novels?"
"I wouldn't be surprised," Weiss muttered.
"Yeah, I still remember finding that book of filth back in Beacon," Ruby deadpanned.
"Well, it's not okay," Blake snapped as she exits. "I'm leaving now!"
Her teammates chuckled as the door to the kitchen slams closed. Even the two Avengers smirked at her fluster. Then, they went back to making their pasta dish. The three teens wisely dropped the previous subject.
"So anyway…" Pietro spoke up. "I see that team RWBY have survived their exercise, how is team JNPR?"
"Let's find out shall we," Wanda said, looking up at the ceiling. "JARVIS, can you bring up the video feed for the HARM room?"
"Certainly Miss Maximoff."
A holographic TV screen flickered into existence. The three members of Team RWBY's eyes widened at the fight between Vision and team JNPR. They began laughing because they are having as much luck as they are in their spar against Wanda.
"Oh my gosh! He's just standing there like a rock!" Ruby giggled as JNPR engages an unmoving Vision. Jaune was alternating between slashing with his sword and shield bashing to no avail.
"He must be increasing his density to the point where he can't move or be moved," Weiss said in between laughter as Pyrrha tried lifting him with her semblance. "Crude but effective."
"No shit!" Yang guffawed as she clutches her belly. "He's just standing there doing absolutely nothing and they're not even making a dent!"
"Enjoy it while it lasts," Wanda warned. "Because tomorrow, you will be going up against Hulk."
Team RWBY's laughter died abruptly. Slowly, they turned their attention away from the TV to look at Wanda. Her expression was all serious. Pietro was nodding his head in agreement with his sister. It was Weiss who broke the tense silence with a squeaky voice.
"You're joking, right?"
Blake should've known better.
She was berating herself in her head as she walked the streets of New York. That situation reminded her when Weiss was venting her anger about the White Fang and Faunus in general during their first semester at Beacon Academy. It caused Blake to lash out and run away from her team until that day at the docks.
Blake wondered Wanda would've nearly lost it like back then. She knew that the female Maximoff would never hurt them, but it takes someone to light the fuse. Whatever it was, maybe she can relate to her.
"I would've been uncomfortable myself," Blake muttered. "Why did she get distressed? Could it have something to do with the X-Men?"
Blake had no reason to doubt the Scarlet Witch. The cat Faunus became fascinated with the exploits of the X-Men in not just stories but from store-bought comics. Some of them included their clash with their opposites, the Brotherhood of Mutants. It was like a clash between the peaceful and extremist factions of the White Fang. Briefly, she wondered if the situation would've been different if there was a Faunus group similar to the X-Men.
But according to her connection to SHIELD, Daisy, there are few mutants in the world. Heck, no one believes mutants exist. It was like ninety percent of the mutants have vanished from memory. As much as she hated to admit, anti-mutant activity has been directed at the rest of the superhumans. She grits her teeth at the thought of them celebrating to be rid of more pariahs.
What was more disturbing is the Avenger's reactions to her questions about the X-Men. Captain Rogers recalls fighting alongside a man named James Howlett in WW2 but can only remember that he had Wolverine's signature claws. T'Challa felt like he had a martial bond with someone but can't explain it. Several more Avengers shared the same unexplained feeling. That made her feel like something is going on.
She was broken out of her thoughts when she arrived at her destination. The bell rang as she entered the store. Carefully lined up on shelves are paperback comic books and graphic novels. To her amusement, some of them involved the Avengers and exaggerated versions of their exploits. There are even figurines hanging on the walls, with Captain America and Iron Man were tying for first place while Thor is absent. An elderly man was rummaging from behind the counter when he looked up. Blue eyes widened from behind Vendome sunglasses and a smile broke out from beneath a white mustache.
"Welcome back, true believer! Gosh, I haven't seen you in the store since…"
"The supervillain madness that's been going on lately?" Blake asked with a wry smile. "It's good to see you too Stan."
"Here, I got your package right here," Stan placed a brown box on the table. "Just in time too. I'm just about to close up shop."
"Then I'm glad I got here in time," Blake said as she opens her package. Inside, laid out on bubble wrap, is an X-Men comic book wrapped in plastic.
"That was pretty hard to find," Stan said. "You're going to love it though. This issue contains the X-Men's first battle against the master of magnetism and the five original X-Men."
"Please don't ruin it for me," Blake begged. Stan laughed at her reaction.
"You really love reading the X-Men's adventures, don't you?"
"It's fascinating…no, inspiring," Blake said as she closes the box. "To be fighting to protect a world that hates and fears you. While some mutants became consumed by dark impulses, the X-Men fought against it. I feel like their story is worth reading. Thanks, Stan."
"You're welcome. Come back if you need some more inspiration," Stan waved as Blake left the counter. "Excelsior!"
Blake smiled and exited the store. She hugged her package like it was a priceless treasure. The cat faunus had just turned the corner when she bumped into someone.
"Oh, I'm sorry…sir?" Blake's voice trailed off when she saw the man in front of her. His red hair is tied up in a short ponytail. Underneath a brown overcoat, he wore a white and black suit with a yellow bandanna around his neck. Underneath his arm, he carried a rectangular box.
"Just watch where you are going," The man snaps as he brushes past her. Blake's amber eyes followed him as he walked away. Something about him looked familiar. Something told her to follow him.
After a few seconds of consideration, she began to follow him. Remembering Natasha and Bucky's lessons, she kept her distance while keeping him in her sights. Fortunately for her, it was getting dark, which allowed her to utilize the darkness to hide her should he look over his shoulder.
Eventually, they came to a warehouse. Blake wondered why suspicious people have to choose abandoned places for their activities. She saw the man stop in front of the door before he turned his head. Quickly, she retreated further into the darkness. The man scanned the area for a few seconds before he turns back to the door. He inputs a code into a keypad to unlock the door and enters the building.
Blake steps out of the darkness and looked at the building. She pondered her options. She can leave an anonymous tip to the police about criminal activity. But she didn't know who the man was or why he looked familiar to her. That's not enough to sanction a raid.
"I'll need to get some evidence," Blake muttered. Looking around, she saw a wall vent grill. "When in doubt, use the vents."
After changing into her suit, she approached the grill and tied Gambol Shroud's ribbon to it. Wrapping it around a nearby streetlamp, she pressed a button on Gambol Shroud. One of the functions of her nano-weapon is a pulley system that grants Gambol Shroud the capability to lift heavy objects via a pulley system. Or in this case, lift a ventilation grill off a wall.
Metal screeched as the grill buckled from the force. Then, the bolts holding it in place came off and the grill clattered to the floor. The ribbon pulled the grill to where Blake stood. The Shadow untied the ribbon and transforms it into pistol form. Holstering it on her hip, she approached the open vent and pulled herself inside. She made sure not to use her elbows and knees to avoid hurting them. She wondered how Natasha and Bucky pulled this off.
After crawling around aimlessly, she heard voices. Following the sound, she came to another vent grill. Placing her hands on it, she pushed with all the strength her aura gave her. Slowly, the grill popped off and she exited the vent. Crawling onto a ledge, she looked down below.
The place has been set up like a laboratory. Instruments have been set up and running. On tables are beakers and test tubes filled with who knows what. The only light came from the halogen lights from the ceiling.
Two women were handling what looked to be blood samples on Petri dishes. A lime-green-haired woman wearing a skintight suit with various shades of green sets one underneath a scanner and presses a button. The other had purple hair and wore silver armor that left her right shoulder bare. She was particularly toned and muscular for a lady, but lithe and curvaceous. A nearby door opened and the man Blake followed walked in.
"There you are Harpoon!" The purple-haired woman walked over to him. "Where have you been?"
"I was briefly delayed, Arclight," Harpoon replied. Blake's ears twitched at those names. Harpoon and Arclight. She remembered where she heard those names before. But this is too ridiculous to be a coincidence.
"I don't know if I should miss the actual thing or not," Arclight muttered. "Anyway, we've finished uploading the samples to the boss. Unless of course, you procured your share."
"Right here," Harpoon held out a box. Arclight took it out of his hands and opened it. Inside are more Petri dishes filled with blood. "It was difficult to procure. Given that there are barely any mutants in the world."
"You mean nearly extinct," Arclight said as she closes them. "Did anyone see you?"
"No witnesses," Harpoon replied. When Arclight raised an eyebrow, he continued, "There were a few witnesses, but I took care of them."
Arclight nodded as she turned to walk over to the laboratory. Blake did not like the way that sounded. If her hunch is correct, then these people are the Marauders. THE Marauders. Enemies of the X-Men and mass murderers. Not to mention that they just killed witnesses to their crimes. She should've known because she saw their faces in the comics. Did that mean that Mister Sinister is somewhere nearby? Were those blood samples from other mutants?
"Vertigo, send this to the boss," Arclight handed Vertigo the Petri dishes. "Once Blockbuster gets back, we can begin cleaning up. The sooner we get it done, the sooner we get paid."
"On it," Vertigo replies as she begins submitting samples underneath the scanner. At that moment, the door opened again, and another man entered. He is bald and wore a blue suit with a yellow line that traced from his right shoulder to his left foot. His muscles showcased the strength packed in them. When he stood next to the Marauders, he towered over them. Blake didn't need to hear his name to know who the newcomer is.
"There you are Blockbuster," Arclight said. "We're just about to clean up. We can start with the subjects."
"Nothing like a quick neck snap won't fix," Blockbuster said with a grin. Blake did not like the sound of that. Her wide eyes followed Arclight and Blockbuster as they walked over to a massive shipping container. Wanting to confirm her suspicions, she switched her mask vision to thermal imaging. She could pick out multiple heat signatures in the container. If she's correct, they are holding mutants. And they were going to kill them.
She had to do something. Her eyes trailed to a nearby circuit breaker. She faintly remembered the infiltration into that White Fang meeting back on Remnant. Smiling at the faint memory, she pulled out her pistol and aimed.
"They can't see in the dark," Blake muttered as she fired a shot. The bullet struck the breaker, sparks dancing from the impact. Almost instantly, the area was plunged into darkness. Below, the Marauders are on full alert.
"What the hell happened?" Blockbuster demanded. "Who put out the lights?"
"That was a gunshot," Arclight said warily. "Someone's in here!"
"How can, you be sure?" Vertigo asked.
"I've fought in the Vietnam war, Vertigo. Of course, I don't know a gunshot when I hear one!" Arclight argued. "Blockbuster, if I want you to hit something, I'll let you know. In the meantime, just stand still and do nothing unless you want to bring the place down on us!"
"Understood," Blockbuster said glumly.
"Alright…since our mystery guests won't show themselves, we'll force them out," Arclight said. "Vertigo."
"On it," Vertigo held up a hand as she activates her powers. Waves of swirling psionic distortion emitted from her. Blake was in the process of sneaking above when she felt nausea hit. In her struggle to not vomit, she felt herself roll off and fall to the floor.
Now I know how Jaune feels about his air sickness…
"I heard something!" Harpoon declared as he took a metal object off his belt. In an instant, an electric blue harpoon formed around the object. He threw it at the place where Blake lay. The cat faunus could barely think straight from nausea inflicted upon her. She rolled herself to avoid the projectile. It exploded where it struck, leaving a small crater. The energy illuminated only enough for the Marauders to see her.
"There you are," Arclight sneered as her hands glowed brightly. When she brought them together in a clap, it sent out a shockwave. Blake gritted her teeth as she lets a shadow take her place. Arclight is just like Daisy, only releasing her shockwaves by either clapping or stomping. She isn't doing the latter because it will make the floor collapse and destroy their precious mutant samples.
If she remembered anything from her X-Men comics, it's that she also possesses Blockbuster's degree of strength, making it difficult to put her down. Not to mention that while Vertigo is poor at combat, her ability is a nuisance. Not to mention that she didn't want to be at the end of Harpoon's…well, harpoons. The only reason Blockbuster isn't doing anything is because of Arclight's orders. Without her team, she's at a disadvantage. She should've waited for backup.
Unless…
"Where'd she go?" Vertigo asked when they saw him vanish.
"I don't know. She must be a teleporter, otherwise, there is no way she avoided that," Arclight said. "Harpoon, give us alight. Spread out and find her. She must be somewhere in the building."
"Umm…Arclight?" Blockbuster said.
"Blockbuster, what did I tell you?" Arclight groaned. "When I want you to hit something, I'll let you know."
"But she's right in front of me!"
Arclight and her fellow Marauders whipped around. Sure enough, the Shadow is standing right in front of Blockbuster. She was staring at them with her arms crossed.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get her!" Arclight ordered the Marauders. They didn't need to be told twice as they rushed to attack Blake. Smirking to herself, she let her shadow take the blows. Blockbuster's fist hit Arclight in the face, the force sending her flying to a wall. An energy harpoon hit Blockbuster in the chest, shocking him before he fell to the ground, paralyzed. Harpoon got a massive dose of Vertigo's power, getting a nosebleed as he falls unconscious. Soon, it was only Vertigo who is left standing.
"W-What just—" Vertigo was cut off as she heard the click of a gun behind her. Blake was expecting her to raise her hands in surrender. She didn't expect her to turn around and try to use her powers on her. Quickly, Shadow pistol-whipped her to knock her unconscious.
"That takes care of that," Blake muttered. She was surprised at Vertigo calling out her bluff. The cat Faunus was going to fire a shock round to keep her stunned. Not to mention, that they were aware of her semblances, but not how it worked.
"Too late to worry about that now," Blake said as she holsters her weapon. Despite her earlier dread, she felt jittery. She took down a squad of supervillains all by herself! Her team isn't going to believe her.
But she shook those thoughts out of her head as she walked over to the shipping container. She sliced the lock off and opened the door. Seeing a nearby light switch, she flipped it on. Inside are several children, some of them barely ten years old. When she opened the door, she scampered towards the back in fear. The fight must have rattled them. Blake held up a placating hand to calm them. Slowly, she lifted her mask to show them her face.
"It's alright," Blake said soothingly. "You don't need to worry. I'm with the Avengers."
The mention of Earth's Mightiest Heroes calmed them down. Blake could see a spark of hope in their eyes. The cat Faunus replaced her mask and pulled out her scroll.
"Shadow to Avengers. I need some assistance…"
While she is calling the Avengers, one of the Marauders was recovering. Arclight was stirring into consciousness from the floor. Then, a voice spoke inside her head. The tone of it made her shiver.
"Arclight?"
Arclight swallowed. "Boss?"
"What is happening to my lab? The transfer was interrupted, and the power is down so I can't see inside."
"We have an intruder sir. She destroyed everything and released the subjects. It's only a matter of time before the Avengers get here! There's nothing I can do," Arclight sent over the mind link connecting her to her boss. He was not going to be happy. And she was right.
"You are responsible!" Her boss roared in her mind. Arclight cringed and braced for the punishment. But it never came. Rather, her head jerked to where she could see the intruder. She could feel her boss looking through her eyes.
"Arclight…listen to me very carefully…"
"I'm alright Ignite, just get over here," Blake said. She puts away her scroll and sighs. "My friends are on their way here. Just sit tight and we'll get you all home."
Her ears flinched as she heard the sound of a wall being broken down. She turned around to see Blockbuster jumping through a hole with Vertigo slung over his shoulders. Arclight leaped after him with Harpoon slung over hers. They're escaping!
"Stay here. They'll be here soon," Blake ordered as she took off in pursuit. She leaped from the second floor and fell to the ground on all fours. She saw Blockbuster punch a hole in the street, with assistance from Arclight, and jump in. Grimacing, Blake followed them into the sewers.
"Shadow to Avengers!" Blake yelled into her scroll. "The Marauders are escaping, and I am in pursuit!"
Ignoring the smell, she took off after them. Even with her night vision, they knew when to make a run for it. They took twists and turns as if they memorized the layout and knew how to throw her off. She was able to track them by the sound of their footsteps and their ragged breathing. Something that they taught her to use to her advantage.
Eventually, she came to an exit. Looking out, she saw the Marauders running towards a mansion. Quickly, she sprinted after them. She had just made it past the gate when she saw them enter the mansion. Taking out Gambol Shroud, she made her way towards the front door and slowly opened it.
She stepped into what should've been a richly decorated foyer. There is a dual staircase leading up to the second floor that encircles a table with a bust. It had accumulated so much dust that Blake nearly sneezed.
Blake stilled when she heard the sound of clapping.
"Bravo, bravo," A suave British voice spoke up. "It's not often that one manages to defeat my Marauders single-handedly."
Blake looks up at the balcony and felt her face drained like she saw the boogeyman. Standing there is a pale man wearing a dark costume with a high collar cape in strands. His pale face would've made him a vampire if it weren't for the red diamond marking on his forehead. Unlike the comics she read, he had grown a well-kept beard. Red eyes without pupils stared at her in cold calculation.
"Mister Sinister."
"Pleasure to meet a fan," Sinister said as he rests his hands on the railing. "You'll have to forgive me…Shadow, I believe. A fitting name by the way. The point of a secret hideout is to make people not look. What better way than to make the place safe and secure than to make it seem authentically abandoned."
"So, you and the Marauders are real," Blake declared.
"Indeed. So are the Brotherhood, the Morlocks, and even the X-Men. But like you, I'm clueless about what happened to the latter. But that hardly matters. I have other interests in mind."
"Kidnapping, abducting, and human experimenting you mean," Blake snarled as she leveled Gambol Shroud at him. "I know all about you and you are worse than any villain I've ever your hands up. Any minute, the Avengers will be here so don't try anything stupid."
"You dare threaten Mister Sinister like some common criminal?" Sinister growled. "Did you really think that you followed the Marauders by chance? Who do you think they listen to?"
"You're their leader, of course, they would—" Blake stopped when realization crept onto her face. "You wanted me to come here."
"Exactly. You see, you have something that piques my interest, and I wanted to get my hands on that. Not that you'll remember of course."
Before Blake could act, Mister Sinister placed a finger on his temple. Blake cried out as she felt something intrude on her mind. She felt disoriented from the psychic attack. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in another place.
"Where am I?" Blake cried out. The foyer had been replaced with metal walls and a floor. Her amber eyes widened when she recognized the place. It was the train cart during that mission when she decided to defect. Then, behind her, she heard the sound of a sword being drawn.
Who she saw made her blood run cold.
"A-Adam?" Blake choked out. Stepping towards her is her mentor back in the White Fang. She would never mistake him for someone else. She'll remember the mask that covered his upper face, the two reddish-black bull horns, or Wilt and Blush.
"Hello darling," Adam Taurus drawled.
"Y-you can't be here! You can't!" Blake stepped away from him. She transformed Gambol Shroud into pistol form and fired a volley at him. Adam easily deflected them with a flick of his sword. She tried to run, only to meet another Adam standing at the entrance to the cart. Taken off guard, she couldn't even use her semblance to avoid the oncoming fist to her gut. The cat faunus collapsed on the ground, as the two Adams beat her. Soon more Adam's joined in, kicking her while she's down. The only thing she could do was curl up into a ball as her aura weakened until it broke.
Then, one kick to the head, and all she saw was oblivion.
"Flash forward to right now, I think we're caught up," Deadpool said. "First I agree with you that the author is getting lazy because we're nearing the word limit. Second, it's time to rescue Shadow! But first, we've got to get past what could be our next greatest adversary…a giant metal door!"
Deadpool rapped a finger on a giant steel door. Then he rubs his fingers against his chin as he looked behind him. Haphazardly stacked into a pile are plastic explosives, commonly known as C4.
"Hmm…how much C4 is this going to take?"
No more than 20 Ounces.
"What?! I hate the metric system! How much in American?"
Well let's see…uhh…carry the seven…
"Dude screw math! Just use all of it," Deadpool said. After several minutes, the door is covered head to toe in C4. Each of them blinked red at a fast pace as the timers counted down.
3…2…1…
The C4 exploded, sending the door flying off its hinges. Behind the door is another laboratory where the Marauders and Mister Sinister were at. The force of the explosion knocked them off their feet. After the ringing stopped, Deadpool strolls in with white doves flying from behind him."
"Oh yeah! Now that is what I call explosition!" The merc with the mouth yelled. "Hello, Marauders! Here's a riddle. What's red and black and blue all over?"
"Wait a minute…I know that voice…" Mister Sinister muttered. His red eyes widened when he saw the merc standing there. "You!"
"Me!" Deadpool pointed his thumbs towards himself. "Nice to see you again Captain Douche!"
"Kill him!" Sinister screamed out in rage.
"Ah ah ah! Papa needs to address the main issue in this chapter," Deadpool said, wagging his finger at the villain. He turned his attention to the rest of the Marauders. "Of all the villains you put me up against, it has to be these losers? Blockbuster, the hulk wannabe who was so dumb he picked a fight with Thor…"
From out of nowhere, Deadpool pulled out a chem launcher. He fired a canister at the hulking brute. The canister deployed a gas that was breathed in by Blockbuster. Within seconds, Blockbuster felt his lungs burning and fell to the ground.
"That's right, kiddos! Magic Satchel! Never leave home without it," Deadpool said before turning to Arclight. "Arclight! Looking good babe! Been working out? Your chesties look unbelievable if you catch my drift."
"You're dead pansy!" Arclight yells out as her foot glowed. She stomped the floor, sending a shockwave that shook the area. Seeing this, the merc with the mouth leaped over the wave and drew his katanas. In a scissoring motion, he sliced Arclight's head. Her expression of surprise is frozen on her face as the head rolled on the ground.
"Now that the only thing good about this is out of the way, let's move on to Vertigo, the woman with the lamest superpower ever," Deadpool says as he shoots Vertigo without even looking with one of his handguns. "Then there's the guy whose superpower is to create harpoons!"
He fired another shot that pierced Harpoon's head. The man was about to throw another energy Harpoon before he got killed. It fizzled out as Harpoon's body hit the floor.
"And then there's you," Deadpool points his gun at a man wearing a green suit the covered him from head to toe. "You're not even on the Marauders roster, Multiple Man. So, what the hell are you doing here? Also, green is a poor choice for your suit! Especially if it's animated!"
"Why don't we find out?" Multiple Man asks as he punches an open palm. The circuitry on his sit glowed as an exact duplicate seem to walk out of him. That duplicate created another duplicate, and another repeated the process. Eventually, Deadpool is surrounded by duplicates of Multiple Man.
"Kinetic duplication, huh," Deadpool said, reading off a card that had the image of Multiple Man. "So, does that mean every time someone slaps your ass, it creates a duplicate? Better question…does it work if I shoot you?"
All of the clone's sweatdropped. Uh-oh.
"Let's find out, shall we? I only have ten bullets left so you're all going to have to share," Deadpool said as he twirls his guns. "Let's count them down. Nine…"
With one bullet, he shot three clones at once.
"Eight…"
Another bullet ricochets and kills five duplicates.
"Seven…Six…"
Two bullets. Two bodies.
"Five…"
This time, it was a gas tank that took the bullet. Like any movie stunt, the gas tank exploded and took a crowd of duplicates with it. He was about to fire another shot when a duplicate manages to get a lucky hit in. The blow did little damage than annoy Deadpool.
"Ever heard of using a weapon? It's not rocket science!" Deadpool says as he shoots the duplicate. "Four…"
A duplicate rushed him. Deadpool was briefly cut off guard before he aimed his gun.
"Three! Two! One!" Deadpool yells as he empties his guns. He cursed himself. "Stupid! Worth it!"
"Well, looks like I am out of bullets," Deadpool said to the rest of the duplicates. "You know what they say? When life takes your bullets…make life, give the bullets back!"
Then, he pulled out a minigun. Deadpool let loose a barrage of bullets that cut through the horde of duplicates. There wasn't enough time for Multiple Man to create a duplicate. Because the following will be graphic, we will skip ahead to where Deadpool had emptied his minigun. By now, there is a pile of Multiple Man duplicates.
"Enough!" A telekinetic force slammed Deadpool into a wall. Mister Sinister advances upon the merc. "Deadpool, you are a repugnant, revolting, disgusting abomination with no place in this world!"
With each word, he threw a blast of telekinetic force at the Merc with the mouth. Each blast increased the depth of the Deadpool-shaped hole. When Sinister stopped firing telekinetic blasts, everything became quiet. He waited, but Deadpool didn't emerge from the hole.
"Surprise!"
Two sword tips jutted out from Sinister's chest. Sinister coughs blood as Deadpool had suddenly appeared behind him and turned him into a shish kebab. With a flourish, Deadpool withdrew the swords and let Sinister fall to the ground. The villain was coughing blood as the Merc with the Mouth walked up to the front of him
"Teleporter. Another thing to never leave without," Deadpool said as he twirls his katanas. "Got the little bitch this time didn't we?"
With that, Deadpool sliced off Sinister's head. Planting his swords into the headless corpse, he picked up the head. Taking a pose, he pulled out his smartphone.
"Pose for the camera, Mr. Silly!" Deadpool took the photo and tossed Sinister's head to the side. "I'm so posting this on Twitter."
Aren't you forgetting something?
"Umm…no? What could I be forgetting?" Deadpool asked. Then, he heard a groan coming from behind him. "Oh yeah! I need to rescue Shadow."
He happily skipped over to where Shadow is being held. She was restrained to a table that had been untouched by the carnage left by Deadpool. Carefully, he undid the restraints as she woke up.
"Huh…where am I…?"
"Good morning sleeping beauty!" Deadpool greeted with a wave. "Good evening, my name is Deadpool, and I just saved you..."
"Oh my god!" Blake cried out when she saw the bodies strewn all over the area. Her eyes are horrified at the carnage. When she looked down, she saw small amounts of blood on her suit. She leaned over the side and emptied her stomach.
"And there it is," Deadpool said with a sigh. "Look kid, if you think me killing an entire room of supervillains was bad, imagine what Limp Bizkit did in the late nineties."
"You killed them?" Blake asked shrilly at how he said it so casually. Her shock faded away when she recognized him. "Wait…you're Deadpool!"
"Yep. The Merc with the Mouth and Regenerating Degenerate at your service," Deadpool said with a bow. "I know what you're thinking, why the red suit? Well, that's so bad guys can't see me bleed. Black is a good choice too."
He was cut off by Blakes's slap. It rebounded throughout the secret lair. Deadpool stood up and rubbed the spot where she slapped him. He glared at Blake.
"What the eff? Is this the thanks I get for saving your ass?"
"Finally!" Blake growled. She was surprisingly feisty for the normally mellow Faunus. "I wanted to talk to you about this!"
She held out a card in front of him. On the card is the image of Adam Taurus. Blake asked if she could hang onto it from Doreen. Ever since she learned who created it, she had been on the lookout for Deadpool. Today, she's facing him.
"Oh yeah, your crazy abusive ex-boyfriend," Deadpool said. "Honestly, you can do so much better girl."
"Why did you think I left him?" Blake asked heatedly. "You know what, that doesn't matter. How did you know about my personal life? Do you have any respect for people's privacy?"
"I do kitty, and it's called no respect," Deadpool as he wipes off imaginary dust much to her chagrin. "As for how I know, let's just say I know the right people. And before you throw a hissy fit, let's just say that you and I can relate."
"Really?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, my life was pretty shitty before I put on these clothes," Deadpool gestured to himself. He sat down beside her. "Where I come from, family was an f-word for me. Don't even get me started on my old man bailing on me. Everything stayed shitty until I got into the mercenary business. It got even better when I met a hot chick named…my memories hazy, so I can't recall her name. And let me tell you…love is a beautiful thing. When you find it, the whole world tastes like a daffodil daydream. So, you got to hold on to love, tight! Never let go. I made the same mistake as you once, Shadow, and let me tell you…it tasted like Mama June after hot yoga."
"Okay…" Blake said slowly. Despite sitting in a room that has been bloodied up, she was enraptured by Deadpool's tale. "So…she dumped you?"
"No. I dumped her," Deadpool admitted. "I got diagnosed with the worst cancer since Freddy Krueger. My girlfriend would never leave my side, which is something I couldn't have. Then a man in black came to me and offered to not only cure me but give me incredible powers. Eventually, I became desperate and accepted his offer. Let me tell you…that moment turned my life into a horror movie."
"What do you mean? It cured your cancer, didn't it?" Blake asked. Instead of saying anything, he lifted his mask. Blake had to resist the urge to gag at the sight of his face.
"Yeah…my face looks like an avocado who had sex with an older and more disgusting avocado," Deadpool said as he replaced his mask. "It's irreversible. This means I tracked down the dickhead who did this to me for nothing. Ironically, my cancer is also keeping me alive otherwise I'll explode from my face worse than Freddy Krueger. On the plus side, I did get to see the hot chick again. It was happily ever after until some assholes came and killed her for revenge. Thanks to my healing factor, I can't see her again. If I ever remember her."
Despite the invasion of privacy and the carnage that happened, Blake felt sorry for the man. She tried to say something, but Deadpool held a hand to her mouth.
"Don't start with the pity. The point is that life is an endless series of train-wrecks with only brief, commercial-like breaks of happiness. I may be a bad guy who gets paid to eff up worse guys, but all it takes is the right girl to bring out the superhero in you. And let me tell you, Blake…can I call you Blake?"
"Can I call you Wade?" Blake asked with false sarcasm. She smirked at his silence. "Yeah, I know who you are. SHIELD has a file on you."
"Well, it's no thanks to one-eyed Jackson. Anyway Blake…all it takes is the right person to bring out the hero in you. You just have to keep looking. After beating the world record of getting married to countless babes, I found the perfect girl."
"You have?"
"Yep, and I call her Death. We'll be together as soon as I die and that means…never," Deadpool said to a puzzled Blake. "Whelp. I got to go, and you got to go back to your friends. After this hit, I'm going to enjoy my fee."
"That's right, you're a contract killer," Blake said, remembering the details of the file on Deadpool. She had to admit, the file was extensive.
"Yep and Captain Douche over there was going to destroy this place that sells the best chimichangas," Deadpool said. "Along with everyone else on the planet so no one can ever enjoy chimichangas again."
"Wait…you did all of this…" Blake gestured to the room. "For chimichangas?"
"Yes, chimichangas. I just love saying it. Chimichanga. Chimichanga. Chimichanga. Chimichanga. Thanks to me, the world's chimichangas are safe from the evil-chimichanga terminator."
At that moment, Deadpool's phone vibrated. Pulling it out, he read a text message.
"Idiot! That wasn't the real Sinister, it was just a clone," Deadpool read out loud before he groans. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me! The author included you? The last thing I needed is more of your dire warning from the future crap!"
"Who is it?" Blake asked.
"The author isn't going to let me spoil it, so let's just say that he's a grumpy old #$% with a winter soldier arm," Deadpool said as he texted back. "Shut it! Are you texting from the future?"
"Yes! Don't believe me? Check the label on his back!"
"Label?" Blake asked as Deadpool walked over to Mister Sinister's headless corpse. Blake winced as she stepped in the blood of the Marauders. For a full minute, she couldn't believe that she had a deep, yet confusing, conversation in the middle of a crime scene. She thought the invasion had traumatized her and her friends. Briefly, she wondered if it made her used to this with all the casualties she witnessed. Deadpool flips the corpse on its side to look at the label on the back.
"It says, 'Made in China. Machine wash. Cold only," Deadpool reads aloud.
"Are you serious?" Blake asked, peering over his shoulder.
"The other label."
"AGH!" Deadpool threw his hands up in frustration. "This is another goddamn clone!"
"Another clone?" Blake asked. "What do you mean?"
"As it turns out, I've been trying to kill Sinister and put an end to his Chimichanga destroying scheme for a year. Yet every time I find him, I kill a clone instead!" Deadpool yelled as if directing that author. "I got to go. Mister Sinister isn't going to kill himself."
"Do you have to kill him?" Blake asked. She gestured to the bodies around them. Hasn't there been enough killing?"
"Hey, if wearing superhero tights means sparing psychopaths, then I'm not fit to wear them," Deadpool rebuked. "Besides, Mister Sinister makes clones all the time. Did you really think they work for him just because of the money? Unlike me, who's invincible, he can clone them and himself back to life."
"That's not coming back to life," Blake protested. "That's replacing them with copies."
"Call it what you will, but I got to go," Deadpool said. "On the bright side, you can use the bodies to prove that you are not crazy."
"What do you mean that I'm not crazy?" Blake asked. "I'm not the psychopath here!"
"Correct. What I mean that the X-Men are real, catnip," Deadpool clarified to her surprise. "I'm going to get this off my chest. The X-Men are still out there, kid. Somewhere. Soon, the whole world will know."
"You know what happened to them?" Blake asked in wonder.
"Nope. But I know someone who does," Deadpool said. "I'll be seeing you Shadow. We have to close up quickly because we're way over the word limit. On another note…for my next chapter, make sure to demonstrate my healing factor this time."
With that, Deadpool teleported out.
Mister Sinister shuts off the holo-feed seething.
Somehow, the genetic abomination known as Deadpool found him AGAIN. In one of his own laboratories no less. He was like a tumor that he can't seem to excise and that frustrates him to no end. Even if he locked himself in a sound chamber, he can't get his voice out of his head.
He has been trying to keep his project undercover so that it doesn't attract the attention of SHIELD. The upside of the world forgetting about mutants and most of them vanishing. His Marauders couldn't find any traces of past sample donors. Another blockade in his endeavors.
But no matter where he went, the merc always managed to find him. It was like somebody is feeding him information about his operations. He tried to pry into his mind to find out the source, but much to his irritation, he can't. He suspected that his healing factor causes his brain to be in a constant state of flux and regeneration, rendering him immune to psychics such as himself.
Mister Sinister had much to do to keep this place from being discovered. First, he's going to have to make more clones of himself to keep Deadpool and his mystery contact off the trail. Then, he's going to have to create more clones of his Marauders. While Deadpool keeps killing them, they are slowly learning if not fast enough. He might consider bringing back several past members of the Marauders to keep him on his toes.
But first, he had an appointment to keep. Pressing a button on his throne, a hologram shimmered in front of him. This one showed a woman who looked as if she was expecting him.
"Hello Doctor Rappaccini," Mister Sinister greeted.
"Hello Doctor Essex," Monica greeted back with a smile. "I must say, I didn't think you would follow through in our deal."
"Doctor Essex was what the humans called me. Call me Sinister," The villainous scientists said in between his teeth. "As for our deal, I'll admit, it has piqued my interest. Even though the children aren't mutants, I'm willing to make an exception."
"Then you have a sample?" Monica asked. Sinister held up a vial labeled BLAKE BELLADONNA. Before Deadpool came barging in, his clone managed to transfer the sample of the Remnantian over to him. He carefully manipulated her mind to cover his tracks and keep them guessing his true motives.
"I want access to your cloning labs," Sinister declared. "I'm having a bit of a pest problem and it's costing me greatly. While you're at it, I also want access to future samples of these Remnantians. They will prove beneficial to my research. You made the right choice in coming to me doctor."
"We shall see," Monica said. "I'll be sending over someone to collect it in a few hours. Please take your time."
"Of course, doctor," Sinister said as he cuts the feed. He glanced at the vial containing the girl's DNA. According to the file, she's a Faunus, a subspecies of remnantians humans. To think that they would be making the same mistakes as Earth when they don't understand that their next evolution is emerging. Humanity will always fear change. This is why he would become a monster to install change. That's one of the reasons he is willing to ally with Scientist Supreme. Science has no room for morality.
Despite mutants being wiped off the face of the earth and memory, he was concerned. If there are other mutants out there and in hiding, there's a chance that HE could be around. That's why he was so interested in the sample. The remnantians believed that their powers come from the soul. While it's preposterous, he was curious about how their genetics allow it to happen. If he can crack the secrets of the Remnantians genes, this can be beneficial to complete his ultimate goal.
Creating the ultimate mutant to oppose HIM should he ever emerge. Unless he is gone for good, he can finally be free. Perhaps he can revive the mutant race with the ability of the soul. But first, he had to make sure that Deadpool doesn't kill him. He recalled having a sample of Jacob Gavin Jr. Time to make use of his ability.
He was broken out of his thoughts when the door opened. He stood up abruptly. There shouldn't be anyone but him here. How did they get here without him knowing? He turned to confront the intruder that dared to enter his base. But his words failed him when he saw who was standing there.
"It's you…"
[~][~]
Greetings and Bienvenu readers.
Blake has had encounters with enemies of the mythical X-Men. Not to mention I have Deadpool his own chapter just to stop him from annoying me. I HOPE IT WAS WORTH IT! But not to worry, you'll be seeing him again soon. And I failed to portray him correctly or overdid it, it's payback for the hell he put me through. But don't get me started on THAT story.
On a side note, it looks like Monica has allied with Mister Sinister. What are their plans? And who is the person who did Mister Sinister meet? Wait for more to find out.
Until next time.