CHAPTER 386 PLANNING
<span style="font-weight:400">“What the hell did you do this time?” Logan asked. I was standing over Gwen as sheid on the couch.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Uhhhh,” I said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“It was me this time,” Alex said. I realized he was standing behind me. His Haki all over the ce he was taking it pretty hard.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“What?” Scott asked his brother.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I let the spider out,” Alex said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Weston’s pet?” Logan asked. “I thought it was dead.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I didn’t know it was there. But now there is a radioactive spider on the loose,” Alex said. I rubbed my face as Logan and Scott turned from Alex to me.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“A what?” Wolverine asked. I groaned. <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t exactly know if it was radioactive,” I said. “But it wasn’t a normal spider.”
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<span style="font-weight:400">“And what does this have to do with the passed out girl?” Scott asked. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“It bit her,” I said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright, team meeting. Everyone around the table. Weston, you will start exining. I am starting to really doubt this whole ‘I went to the auction on my own’ tale,” Scott said. Eyeing me then Logan, the hairy man shrugged but nodded.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Fine,” I said, moving to the table.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Who are you?” Scott asked, looking at Betsy. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“A…mutant?” She asked, looking at me for permission. I nodded. “Yes, a mutant, to join your…team?”
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes,” I said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes,” she said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Whatever,” Scott said, grabbing a seat. He sat down with a groan. “Start talking.”
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<span style="font-weight:400">To my surprise I did, just because I was ying it over and over in my mind. “First was the first night here. The Baxter Building exploded and I stopped some machine from spewing out radioactive waves and dragged those people out. Then there was the Oscorp logo. You know my story, how I was hit with goo and got shitty super powers? Well it wasbeled with Oscorp all over it. I decided to check it out. My luck wasn’t the best. I happened to get there when this kid was bitten by this radioactive something or other spider. I don’t know, it killed a few people and I was able to save him, maybe. I grabbed the spider. Threw it in the box and was sure to tell Logan and Hisako to not touch it.” I pointed at her.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I forgot to tell the others,” she said ashamedly.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“You’re not in trouble here,” Scott said, his face stoic.
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<span style="font-weight:400">I grumbled and went back to it. “Anyway, that kid has superpowers now. Then I found these warehouses. I got to one. Met this devil girl. The Kingpin was at one of the warehouses. He had this bodyguard who had another super powered girl under his control. We beat the purple guy-” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“You beat Killgrave?” Betsy asked, her eyes wide.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah,” I said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I thought you said the Hellfire Club did,” Scott said to Logan.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s what I heard,” Logan said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Uhh right,” I said, forgetting about Emma. “Anyway I beat him and…left him there. Maybe they got him after that. Then the super powered girl wasn’t under his control anymore. Then she told me about the auction. I went there with the devil girl. We caused amotion, fought y-” I stopped myself from pointing at Betsy. “People. And dealt with more drama. I got a lead on the Doctor I suspect took the mutants. Gwen took me to his house. Turns out he was experimenting on himself to get his dick back. He hurt her. Ran off. I saved her. Brought her here. Then she gets bit and probably has super powers now.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">I nodded. “That’s about all of it.” I looked up to Scott and Logan.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I got about half that,” Scott said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“More than me,” Logan growled. “You know, when I gave you some leeway I thought you were asking questions and following people. You’re supposed to report in for fights.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Why? I won them,” I said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Because you’re breaking thew,” Scott said. “I know it may not seem like it, but we work for the government. If Fury hears about any of-” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“He already has,” a man said as he stepped out of the elevator. I recognized the person as being beside Nick Fury thest time I saw him. He was shorter, full head of brown hair, he wore a ck business suit and looked like any other man. The kind of person you would see but wouldn’t see.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m Agent Colson,” the man said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Ohhh,” I said, realizing I should have guessed earlier. He must have been our SHIELD contact. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I will be the point man with you from now on,” Colson said. He walked over to me. “We have been hearing about what you’ve gotten into, and it’s not good. That auction you attended and set fire to had agents working inside.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I didn’t-”
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Your cat did,” Colson said, pointing at Tabi who was sitting on the windowsill. “Where the hell did you get that thing anyway?”
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Uhhh, I plead the 5th,” I said, realizing my chances of staying under the radar were gone. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“We can talk about thatter,” Colson said. Rubbing his temples he turned away as he thought. When he looked back to me he asked, “This is all rted to your little oil spill, right?” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Pretty sure,” I said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Okay. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. In the future, if you are going to make scenes you need to report in.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“They were going to sell the mutan-”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I know,” Colson said. “And we had people ready to move in to intercept as soon as they left the auction,” he said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh really? Even the Kingpin?” I asked.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“This country takes buying and selling of people very seriously.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Why do I doubt that? This country hates mutants,” I said, growing angry.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t hate mutants,” Colson said and left it at that. I still didn’t believe they would have stepped in with Kingpin but dropped it. “Weston, I realize you want some revenge. And yes, you seem to have more skills than you’ve been letting on. But there is a process for all of this. The X-Men work for us. We point, they intercept. We point because we know where to point. We have the resources and technology to know when and where you are needed.”
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Did you even know about the shit Oscorp has been up to?” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course. They are a military contractor. We judge and watch them at all times,” he said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Then where is Connors?” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Connors doesn’t work on our projects,” Colson said smoothly.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Well he is the one at the center of all this crap.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Where is your proof?” He asked.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“At-” I stopped myself. There was no way to answer that correctly, and I could tell it wasn’t going to go where I wanted to. “I’ll get it.”
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<span style="font-weight:400">“You’ll get it?” Colson asked. I nodded. “You, who has been flying all over the city. A person I’ve had to intercept no less than 20 calls about every day since you got into town.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Why bother? People fly,” I said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“In nes they do,” Colson said. “Kid, you’re using your powers like-” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“They were mine?” I asked. “A part of me? Oh what? I shouldn’t use my dick next? Next time I need my nose picked I’ll use someone else’s finger. This is who I am.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“But it’s not who this country is,” Colson said. His Haki calm he wasn’t even arguing with me, simply talking. I was the one getting agitated. I forced myself to take a calming breath. “Weston, I appreciate that you’re helping people. And you seem to get mixed up in a lot of events for some reason. But this country does not like mutants. They do not like people flying outside their window, doing things that aren’t normal.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Well they sure as shit better get used to it,” I said. “Colson, this is only the start. You think this is bad? Picture it when the viins starting? That radioactive explosion at the Baxter Building? That’s nothing. There are fucking aliens on their way to fuck our shit up. People that eats out there. Monsters that destroy continents with a wave of their hands. But you want to keep people safe? Let their virgin eyes pretend it’s noting? They need to toughen the fuck up. Get used to it now. Mutants have only just started to show up.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We have be distracted from the point of this conversation,” Colson said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Which is?” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“You need to keep us in the loop,” Colson said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Then put me in. I’ll join your little SWORD and SHIELD. But I want autonomy.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“How do you know that name?” Colson asked, his Haki cold again. “Are you psychic now?” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“No,” I said. “I hear things, Colson.” He and I stared at one another for a long time. Both judging the other. I was the only one of these people not a mutant. I had been offered a position in the future Avengers, I wondered how much leeway I had. “Talk to Fury. I won’t join if I don’t get autonomy.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“I doubt he will do that,” Colson said. <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Doesn’t hurt to ask. But I’m not interested until I get it,” I said.
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<span style="font-weight:400">He looked to the others in the room. A few were staring at us with their mouths open. Logan had a big grin on his face, Scott had a worried look. “Wrap your little investigation up. 2 days, that’s all you have,” Colson said. I thought about it and nodded. He turned and walked out. I said a lot of things I probably shouldn’t have. When the elevator shut with Colson leaving I got more than a few exmations.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“What the hell was that, kid?” Logan asked. “Got some balls on you to stand up to Colson so soon.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“That was dumb,” Scott said. “Like he said, we work for them.” He frowned but looked up.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, thanks for the drama,” Hisako said. “You seriously going to join the government?” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Hell no,” I said. “I’m sure they have this ce bugged, so they know that too. They wouldn’t give autonomy to anyone. Besides, it’s best to ask for forgiveness than permission. I think we have a lead on where to go. Gwen, quit pretending to be asleep.” <span style="font-weight:400">
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<span style="font-weight:400">She jerked up, looking over the back of the sofa at us. “Sorry, didn’t want to interrupt,” she said.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“No, it’s fine,” I said. “I can tell you’re hurting, and it’s passed your lunch hour, so you might as well show us now. Where is this ce that you think Connors might be at?” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know. I just went there once,” she said shyly. “And I’m really hurting.” She looked to the others around the room. “How the hell did I get sucked into this drama?”
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<span style="font-weight:400">“No idea,” I said. “But you’re in it now, might as well enjoy it.” I moved over to her. My Spark ability telling me that she was about half healed. I could feel almost every muscle crying out in pain, but I healed her a lot. I was afraid to try to heal her any more than she already was. “Hungry?”
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Starving,” she admitted. I nodded and moved to the kitchen. Thinking through what needed to happen I regretted a lot that I said to Colson. Giving up too much of what I knew I kind of got too into showing off. I had really been hoping a quest would pop up to join SHIELD, but it hadn’t. I guessed my role was still with the X-Men.
<span style="font-weight:400">Since I seriously doubted that the X-Men would be the main part of the canon ending I had to get as much as I could from them while I was with the group. I was going to need to be able to act independently. And I really needed a new hero name. I didn’t want people yelling Bastard at me as I flew by. That could mean anything.