Putting Dread to rest

[Ember]

Despite spending the rest of the evening at the stables, or rather with Cadillac Jack, Aideen was ready for her plans by nightfall when everyone was guaranteed to be inside. It was a school night for one, and the curfew for the younger students was set for 11 then so she knew there was a slim to none chance for her to run into anyone. The bath she took washed off the smell of horses from her skin and got her ready for her own mission.

While she tended Jack, her mind wandered into thought about the consequences of her leaving. Aideen knew it would probably make the relationship she had with Logan all that much more obvious, but she was slightly past the point of caring whether people know or not what's going on with them. Because of him, he went out to try and fix what was her problem to begin with, and to top it all off, Sabretooth was involved in it. She couldn't let him take that alone, and everything in her screamed that something wasn't right and she needed to go to him.

Her motorcycle bag packed lightly with a change of clothes, knives, and cash, Aideen zipped up her leather jacket and walked silently down the hallway, the ninja in her staying out of sight and ducking into corners to avoid being seen. Niki knew she was going, and she knew that her friend would her mouth shut until she was sufficiently far away. Her silent footsteps were unheard by all as she walked through the mansion, taking the door through the cafeteria out.

The feeling of dread deepened in her stomach as she made her way to the garage, making sure it was empty before she entered. All she could think of was the need to get to Logan, to stop something bad from happening. She didn't dare turn on the loud bike in the garage so close to the school, for fear that someone might hear. After fastening the bags to her bike, she pulled in the clutch handle and began to slowly push the bike out of the garage. It wasn't easy, for though her bike was smaller than others and definitely smaller than Logan's Fatboy, but it still required a bit of strength to push, especially on the dirt trail in the woods not far off from the road. Once there was just enough distance, she would move on to the road and ride to the city. Until then her thoughts centered around the feeling of dread in her stomach.

[Chopper]

Chopper had been in the kitchen, getting some milk because he was having a hard time trying to get to sleep. He stayed up late the night before with Stoney watching movies cause they just got the new box set for Transformers: Beast Wars and he had begged him to watch it with him and Austin. This morning he tried some of that coffee stuff that all the grownups liked so much but it tasted gross to him, and now he couldn't sleep. He was just about to open his fridge when he swore he saw a fleeting shadow from the corner of his eye. Of course that meant that Chopper had to go investigate, as he had been really into the ninja thing lately cause of Aideen.

Low and behold, it was Aideen that was walking quickly through the mansion. Huh? What's going on? She can't be leaving again, she just got here! And X-Men don't go on missions in the dead of night alone... he thought with a face scrunched in confusion as he kept his distance, deciding to follow her. It was then that Chopper KNEW that something was wrong cause he followed Aideen before, or tried to, and she would always catch on before he barely took a step. For her not to notice him shadowing her, even if he did keep his distance.

He watched from the trees, in only his Batman pajamas and slippers as she pushed her bike out of the garage and headed toward the dirt trail. Chopper waited a bit before he followed her. For a second he thought he lost her in the deep woods and ran down the trail until he heard the sound of her motorbike being pushed. At that point though they were pretty deep in the woods, and though Chopper would never admit it, he was a little frightened. "AIDEEN!" He yelled, running through the bushes just as the girl was about to get on her bike. "Wait!" He ran up to her, out of breath and a little dirty from his trek in the woods. "Where are you going?"

[Ember]

Her hand stopped on the ignition while her head whipped around at the sound of Chopper's voice. "Chopper?!" she said with disbelief, swinging her leg off the bike. "What are you doing here?" And how the hell did I not notice you following me? I am too focused on Logan and the situation with Rumble, I need to pay more attention to my surroundings. She took off her helmet, her hair still intact in her neat bun. Placing the helmet on the back of her bike she walked over to Chopper and bent her knees slightly so she could be at eye level with him.

"You shouldn't be here. It's dangerous to be out here alone. Why aren't you inside?" Her soft voice was stern but not harsh, as she did not have it in her to be harsh with Chopper. "Come, I'll walk you back home, Karma will get very worried about you," Aideen said and straightened up, indicating her head to the woods. She didn't know how to deal with this strange situation and how to have Chopper go back quietly.

"I'll be home again soon, I just need to go take care of some things. When I come back we can go fishing again with Stoney, I promise we will," she said and looked at him, trying to think of the best way to persuade him to go with her back to the mansion. "Will you go back to the mansion please? As a favor to me if anything." She needed to get out on the road, that feeling of dread was getting heavier by the minute and she couldn't lose that time, for Logan might already be in danger.

[Chopper]

Chopper was silent for a moment, his toe stubbing the dirt since he knew he shouldn't have followed her but he just couldn't help himself, she was his friend and he wanted to be there in case she needed help kicking Rumble's dumb butt or somethig. The one thing he had to do was ask a question that was nagging his mind. "You're going after Mr. Logan aren't you?" he asked in a low voice, looking up at her and studying her carefully.

"I saw him leave earlier, he looked real worried about something." It was true, Chopper had been in the garage at the time looking for the tools that Sean needed cause it would help him fix his PSP when he saw one of his favorite teachers of all time get right into the garage and just take off on his motorcycle. He was too distracted to even acknowledge that Chopper was there, which is what convinced him something was really wrong.

"I can help you though Aideen! I got a neato power, and I'll stay out of the way and just be there like as a sidekick or something. Please Aideen?" He looked at her desperately, needed her to see that he was ready to be useful and help her with her problems. "Please, please I won't do anything withou-" His words were cut off abruptly then, and there was a very good reason why.

[DeadPool]

And that reason was because the little boy now had a very powerful tranquilizer dart lodged into his shoulder. “Stupid bug!” I said from the shadows. From the shadows I emerged the one… the only… DEADPOOL also known as ‘The Merc with the Mouth’ and my Indian name, ‘Wild in Sheets.’ Okay so that last one was a lie, but I guarantee you a lot of the ladies think that. That shot would have been perfect if that stupid bug didn’t get in my ear.

This is why I like the city, the only kind of pests we have to worry about are mutated cockroaches and rats, and probably alligators in the sewers. Oh yea, and the costumed crazies running around and fighting crime, causing crime, getting laid and drinking on the side, you know the usual. I’m different from all of them though, a true individual. I fight crime when I’m paid to do it.

“Alright let’s get this… whoa. You look even better than you did in that picture!” I stared at her dumbfounded for a moment, a big smile coming on my face while I watched her give me a sexy little smirk and rolled her hips, walking towards me with that ‘Take Me Now’ look on her face. Man I love chicks that got that exotic thing going on. Not Eskimo chicks though, they’re just weird. Is there even such a thing as a Hot Eskimo chick? Eh I got more important things to think about. Alright! This is more like it! I straightened up and puffed my chest out. Wait I just shot a kid… Ah crap... I’m hallucinating again aren’t I? I shook my head and was met with a totally different sight than what I imagined. “That is SO unfair!” I said before I brought up the Tranq gun again and shot at the hot little chick in leather.

[Ember]

It took less than a second for Aideen to go into soldier mode, and this time she had anger to feed her focus. "You better hope he's alive," she spat her hand had moved up in the blink of an eye, the knives from her boots in her hands and one hand sprang up, deflecting the dart aimed right at her. Her heart had stopped when she heard the whizzing of the shot fly by her and Chopper's eyes rolling in the back of his head before he fell back on the ground in a limp form. It was a surprise attack, and she was angry like nothing else for herself for not being more aware of her surroundings.

While one knife deflected the tranquilizer, Aideen threw the other one hard, embedding it right into his stomach. She didn't hesitate to take off the knife strapped to her thigh by the holster that Mason got her before going right after him. She was too motivated to be easily taken down by some assassin, and anyone who thought so was a straight up fool. Her training came into focus with the dodging of blows from deadly looking katanas to her. The burst of adrenaline and anger made her hands form extremely hot balls of fire, and she didn't hesitate adding them to her attack straight at him.

In this mode, Aideen didn't think outside of strategy. She didn't wonder who he was and why he was shooting people with some kind of Tranquilizer darts, as she was sure Chopper wasn't dead. No in this mode, it was all about the battle, all about the need to survive and overcome, and no man in a goofy costume would convince her otherwise, even with their nonsense comments.

[Rhetoric]

“F*ckin psycho smart phone! Just DIAL!” Liv smacked Willow’s Droid against the heel of her hand, scowling at the screen that was blinking a picture of Optimus Prime at her. It was supposed to be a phone, wasn’t it? So where were the goddamn buttons to make the call? Growling, she shook the Droid as if that would somehow help her solve the mystery of the missing numbers as she snuck through the trees on quiet, bare feet. Liv was terrible with tech. The more bells and whistles, the more likely she was to light it on fire and stomp on it until it was just a pile of non-threatening coils and gears. Her own phone was a delightfully simple Nokia Brick whose numbers were neatly displayed on actual buttons right there on the face of the phone. She sighed. That was gone forever, frozen to death in Lore’s room. Willow’s phone… well, the Paragon had nicked it off its charger since the girl was asleep and wouldn’t miss it anyhow. She wouldn’t be gone long enough to miss. Liv just wanted to hear some familiar voices, to check in.

It wasn’t like she missed home or anything…

The ground was cool under her feet as Liv padded silently through the woods. She was still in her soccer shorts, her Giant’s hoodie swallowing up her small frame, still holding the smell of home and cigarettes. A slow, somewhat confused grin appeared on her face as she drew the fabric tighter to her, breathing it in. Her stomach flipped a bit. It hadn’t stopped squirming, to be honest, the mere thought of those intensely blue eyes making her cheeks burn—BEEP… The Droid died in her hands before she could try and work out the annoying thoughts that had been badgering her all night. City boys with gentle hands were so far down her list of priorities and she snorted, shoving her dark curls out of her eyes, though her expression was still distinctly puzzled.

With the phone dead so was her source of light and Liv blinked at the sudden darkness, waiting for her eyes to adjust. “F*ck me sideways,” she groused, hunkering down into the neck of her hoodie with a somewhat disgruntled sigh. The night was quiet and Liv leaned back against a tree staring out into the comforting darkness of the woods. “Guess I’d best get used to this place, huh?” She looked over her shoulder, a smirk on her lips. “You aren’t sneaky enough, buddy. But nice try.” The buck from earlier came out of the shadows, timidly sniffing at her before bumping her gently with his brow tines.

*I’s hiding,* he said in his nervous little voice that reminded her so much of Carter.

Liv blinked and scratched gently behind the buck’s antlers. “Hiding? From wha—OOF!” Something solid and furry slammed into her chest and had she not been propped against a tree, Liv would have been bowled over by the panicking, puffed up raccoon doing his best to hide up her sweatshirt. “Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Knock it off, Pooge!” Liv’s voice rose in annoyance as she reached down the neck of her hoodie and yanked out the frantic furball. “What’s gotten into you?” He was shaking, his small body quaking like a fuzzy maraca. “Pooge?”

*FIRE!* Dozens of raised voices drew Liv’s attention and she immediately drew the Pooge back up to her chest, startled. The deer bolted, his white tail a flag as he disappeared among the trees, closely followed by a small wave of woodland critters, all fleeing from the one thing none of them could fully understand but fully feared. *FIRE!* Liv was off like a shot, her bare feet picking over the earth quickly and easily, Pooge clinging to her arm, chittering at her angrily for running in the wrong direction. She didn’t know what she was running toward, but it didn’t much matter. If some asshole was out playing with matches she would be shoving an entire porcupine up their ass and ordering the animal to dig its way out.

Liv changed direction slightly, counting on the voices that only she could hear to guide her until she saw it. A small glow, a tiny flicker, a movement… The Paragon darted onto the scene, skidding to a stop, jaw dropping at the chaos reigning in front of her. It wasn't a fire at all. It was Aideen and she was pissed. A kid was in the dirt, his eyes peacefully closed. Aideen, as serene and controlled as she’d been with the horses that afternoon, looked totally insane. She was all deadly fire and glinting steel as she stood facing some stranger in a mask and Liv’s eyes widened, reflecting the flames dancing off the X-Man’s hands.

“Motherf*cker…”

The raccoon took one look and fled, his parting words stuck in Liv’s head. *Run.*

[DeadPool]

“Aw damn you’re a ninja chick? Damnit I should have made it three million,” I said taking her knife out of my stomach while I used my katana to block her. I knew she had a fire power, but she’s a ninja too? I so don’t get paid enough of this. “Hey look at that, you DO look hot fighting! HA I SAID A PUN!” I yelled as my katana clashed with her knives and she swung up in the air. “Why do you think they call it puns? Puns sound a lot like buns, and you got pretty nice ones by the way,” I took that chance to check out a fine piece of ass when- “OOOOWW! That’s my good shoulder!” Damn ninja firechick got me right in the shoulder.

“In case you didn’t realize, I do heal. See look, it’s like magic! One minute you have a knife in my stomach and now it’s gone! I’m like Houdini, but my magician name would be better.” I used my katana and pushed her back. Damnit this would would soooooo much easier if I was allowed to kill her. But nooooo, I got to bring her back unharmed. I really should have made it at least 3.5 million. I turned to stop a block just in time to see another little girl run into the clearing. “Really? Since when the hell do kids roam the woods at night? Oh well.” I took the Tranq gun from it’s holster and shot a dart right at her. “BULLSEYE!” The girl went down faster than the boy, but that’s probably cause I got her in the collar bone.

“Now where were we… Oh yea! We were talking about my career as a magician.” I flipped through the air and landed behind her, trying to use my katana to disarm her and you know, not cut off her hands and all. “I’ll be ‘Wonderful Wade’ and you can be my lovely assistant. I would rather have the Olsen twins but you can’t go wrong with a hot chick. OH I DID IT AGAIN!” Man I was awesome, and I’m getting slightly jealous how good this girl looks moving like that. Why can’t I ever be paid to sleep with hot chicks? I’d be the best gigolo ever.

“OW! You know this is really becoming a repetitive conversation. I told you already, I’m like good as new in a minute. It hurts me that you don’t listen!” My voice went teary eyed there and I did my famous wail. “WE’LL NEVER MAKE THIS WORK UNTIL YOU START LISTENING-“ I stopped and blinked for a second as I brought my katana up again to clash with one of her knives. “Sorry about that. I fell asleep watching Lifetime again. There was a movie with Ashley Olsen in it, and then well you know how it goes.” I really needed to start keeping the remote within reach. “So how about you make this easier on me and you know STAND STILL so I can use my last Tranq dart on you and be on my way. Good?”

[Ember]

Why do I always fight the crazy ones? In a neat roll, Aideen managed to block his katana, but he knocked one of her knives straight out of her hand. Quick. Too Quick. And a healing factor, not even Logan heals this quick. She had no idea what was going on, why he wanted her of all people. That feel of dread, though currently ignored as metal on metal clashed together in a spectacular symphony one clang after the other, lessened but did not leave.

From the way the mercenary spoke, someone paid to get her, paid a lot of money. Her Uncle? No, he woouldn't need to pay money to retrieve her. As much as Aideen hated to admit it, all he'd have to do was walk through the doors of the school, order her to come, and she would fight herself into a body paralysis to avoid leaving.

There wasn't time to dwell though, not with an equal fighter in front of her. When he knocked one of her knives out of her hand, Aideen had to move quicker and put her entire focus on the battle. She couldn't worry about what happened to Chopper or the Paragon girl then, she had to focus on staying alive, on getting him before he got her. That was the only way she could help them, for she was no use to them in the same state as they were.

The adrenaline pumping through her veins, her determination at a situation where her chances were grim and the need to overcome the situation to the best of her knowledge. With one last attempt to give it her all, Aideen threw the knife in her hand right into his neck and then sent a stream of fire engulfing him. The smell of the burning material from his costume filled her nostrils as she rolled on the ground and picked up one of her discarded knives, watching his every move.

[DeadPool]

"AHHHH! These uniforms don't come cheap! Damnit!" I started doing that crazy fire dance, finally settling on rolling around on the ground. They really don't pay me enough. I should made them give me 4 million. Or 4.75 million. Yea, that's a better number. GOD DAMN! WHY ISN'T THIS FIRE GOING OUT? Uh... maybe cause she's controlling it and she doesn't have to make it go out...? Oh shut up what do you know. Why do I always get the powerful crazy chicks? And why do they always go for the neck?! It makes me cough like crazy and I hate the sound the knife makes coming out of my skin. KKKESSSWWCCHH[/i] Ew, that sounded like a gutted pig. I'm going to Popeye's after this.

"You know, I'm just gonna heal eventually, and then I'll be really mad, and your like a 9.5, maybe a ten if you smiled and showed your legs off, and it's hard to be mad at anything about a 7- NO! YOU MELTED MY BELT! LUCILLE!" Okay, so maybe she looks good naked, but NO ONE ruins my belt, even if I should be getting 5 million for this job. Plus expenses. You do know you can teleport right? Oh yea, how the hell could I forget that? I blame it on her tits, or imagining what her tits look like. Why would she hide them? Aren't superhero chicks supposed to run around half naked? I would, I still have my Marvel Girl costume...

I teleported right away, landing behind the hot little fire babe- Oh look at me go again with those Puns, I'm like a master at them! From now on I shall be Master Puns, who likes to touch Buns! I knew Eminem had nothing at me. Anyways this time, since I wasn't on fire anymore and all, I decided not to take the time to check out her ass again and just brought the tranq gun up and got her right in the back of the neck. Thank God her hair was up, otherwise I might have gotten the leather, and it's not like they gave me adamantium needles, it's hard to break through leather. I think I'll stick to leather uniforms now, less likely to get damaged in action. I watched her touch her neck, probably trying to take it out and then fall to the ground. Damn these things work fast, good thing too, I'm nearly naked and I'm modest.

Looking around, I have to say not bad. I mean yea I got two casualties in the process, but at least the main job is done. Now to call boss man. At least I invested in one of those indestructible phones that Stark Industries made. Ow ow hot! Damn woman burned my glove off! Heh... bet she's really hot in bed. Oh yea, I am SO the Master. The phone rang once and wouldn't you know it, they picked up on the second ring! Aren't I just special?

"The eagle has landed.... the cake is out of the oven.... the pie is on the shelf.... DAMNIT I DID THE JOB!"

"......."

"Well I'm adding another 2 million to my fee, see she totally burned my suit off, and these tights don't come cheap."

"............."

"See here's the funny thing about that, I have her and you don't. So you don't pay me all my money, I don't give her back. She's hot too, ha look at me now, I'm using puns in everyday conversation. I should be an English teacher. A substitute English teacher. DOROTHY! BEA ARTHUR!"

"......"

"Fine, so when I get that little notification thing that the money is in my account, I'll deliver her to you guys. Better hurry up though, I don't have any more tranquilizers left."

"....."

"Oh well some I shot at her, and by the way you didn't tell me she was a ninja chick so add another million to the price. And looks like you guys got some extra prizes too!"

"..........."

"A little kid and some teenage girl, little boy is kinda like Macaulay Culkin's age when he was in 'Home Alone.' You know that movie? Yea great movie. And the girl's just some tomboy that ran in while I was trying to get your girl."

"................."

"Okaayyyyy but that'll cost ya extra! Na I'll be generous I won't ask for another million. $999,999.75 will be enough.... Yes I'm serious, donate that dollar to the starving kids in Africa. I always feel bad when I don't drop that quarter in the jar they keep at grocery stores."

"......."

"Well when I get my mula, you'll get your... whatever they are."

The guy just hung up on me! How rude. Oh well, might as well start cleaning up. "Thank you for being a frieeennd," I sang picking up the tomboy chick and throwing her over my shoulder. "Traveled down the road and back agaaaaain. You're heart is true-" I picked up the sexy ass fire chick and threw her over my other shoulder, getting an amazing view of her ass in leather in the process. "You're a pal and a confidaaannt. Dun dun dun du-du-du. And if ya threw a partyyy, invited everyone you knewwwOOoooo. You would see the biggest gift would be from me-"

I stood over the kid while I waited for my phone to beep, still staring at the fire ninja girl's ass. You know.... she is unconscious, she'll never know. And you'd still be bringing her back unharmed... Damn you evil conscious/voice of reason.... I'm stronger than this... I can do it... Aw what the hell. I gave in, I gave in and I'm proud, cause copping a feel on that ass was so, so worth it. If anyone asks, it was an accident... and it's still an accident. "You would seeee the biggest gift would be from me And the card attached would say-" The beeping of my phone stopped my performance, and I had to smile when I saw all those numbers that now made up my account. "Now THAT is a job well done!" I heaved up the little boy, keeping the two girls balanced on my shoulders pretty well since they weren't fat. "Thank you for being a frieeeennnnnd." And with that, I teleported to deliver the goods.