Thanks to Marvel comics for their wonderful characters. Psylocke, Juggernaut, Courier and Deadpool are all theirs. Buy something of theirs, willya! :)

Chapter 7

Tracy and I were walking on the beach. It was sunny and warm, and we were hand in hand, enjoying the walk. I was totally happy. Then everything started shaking.

“Betsy! Betsy! Wake up! You’re late!”

“Wha-what? I do’wanna, mom!”

“WAKE UP!”

“I’m awake, god dammit!” I was pissed. “What the hell is so important?” My hands charged with energy.

It was Jackie. “Hey, easy there, Betsy. You’re late for our briefing. You didn’t answer the wake up call, so I came up to see what was wrong”

My hair was a mess. It was covering my face like Cousin It. I still hadn’t opened my eyes. Sleepily, I replied. “So you have a key to my room too? Why doesn’t everyone just stay in here then? Between you, Cain and that mental patient Deadpool, My room is just a freakin’ meeting hall”

“You saw Deadpool?”

“Yeah, I did, and he saw too much of me, that asshole”

“Wait, what?”

I flopped back down and threw the covers over my head. I was in a full blown teenage girl hissy fit, and I didn’t care who knew.

“He spied on me somehow and saw me naked. He made a crack about me not wearing underwear under my shirt. He scared me and then he…he *spanked* me. Then Cain comes in and laughs about it! A man saw me NAKED, and it’s a big joke! Then I couldn’t sleep and…and…I hate you people!” I burst into tears.

Jackie sat next to me and rubbed my back. “Hey, Betsy. It’s okay”

“No it isn’t! It’s not okay! I don’t belong here!” I was near hysterics, and I didn’t care.

Cain picked that minute to walk in. “Hey. We need to get down there, now. The boss is getting itchy. He pointed to his phone”

I sat upright in my bed and screamed at Cain. “GET OUT! I hate you people! I’m going to die and no one CARES! I’m just a kid. I don’t want to die…” I fell back down, sobbing and beating the mattress.

Cain backed out without saying a word. Jackie got up and whispered something to him. He nodded and left, dialing something on his phone.

Jackie returned to the bed where I was still inconsolable. “Cry it out, honey. It’s okay to cry”

“I hate my life. Mom and dad are dead because of me. I couldn’t stop that…that maniac from killing all…those…people!”

“It’s gonna be all right, Betsy”

“NO IT ISN”T!” I screamed. “Have you ever heard a baby die? How she doesn’t understand why she hurts and where her mommy is? Have you ever heard the last thoughts someone has before the leave this world? I have! hundreds of times. It-it stays *here*” I poked my head, hard. “And it never, ever leaves!”

“You’re right, honey. I don’t know what that’s like. I don’t know how to help you, but I’m willing to listen”

“I–I want to go *home*. I want my mom and dad. I don’t want to die!”

The Boss got the call from Cain. “Code Purple, Boss”

The Boss scowled. “You sure?”

“Yeah. Poor kid’s having a meltdown”

“Shit! Okay, I expected this, but I hoped it would wait. I’ll handle it”

Cain growled on the other end. “Don’t hurt the kid, or you’ll wish you’d never been born. She’s family to me”

“Don’t worry, Marko. I like the kid too. The last thing I’m going to do is hurt her” He hung up the phone and called for his psych team.

When the team assembled, he addressed them. “The kid’s having PTSD episode. Bad. She needs help and needs it bad. She’ll be worthless to our operation as is. Problem is, she may be the only one able to stop this guy from blowing half of New York back to the stone age. So here’s the plan…”

I was still crying when I heard the door to my room open. “GET OUT!” I screamed. “Go awayyy”

I felt a stick, and then everything went black.

~o~O~o~
“This plan of yours sucks!” raged Cain. “You said she wouldn’t get hurt!”

“I didn’t hurt her. I just put her to sleep, Marko. She’s deeply troubled. She’s been through enough pain and trouble in the last year to put ten people out. And no thanks to that idiot Garrison, she’s managed to survive. He’s on his way to Iceland now on his new assignment”

“And you knew that guy was an asshole from the word go, and you let him stay? I oughta…”

Jackie put her hand on Cain’s arm. “Not now, Cain. What *is* the plan?”

“I’ve got some…special people working on her now. They are creating a psychic barrier of sorts, keeping the pain she’s feeling segregated. It’s temporary, but I’ve been assured she won’t be harmed. I’ve got the best working on her now”

Cain thumped his fist into his other palm with a huge smack. “Digging around in her brain isn’t harming her? You’d better get to the point quick”

“At ease, Marko. I told you I’m not going to hurt her, and I’m going to be true to my word. There have been some events that you may not be aware of. Last night, a bar was blown up and forty people in the bar were killed. Two strippers that worked there were found fifteen minutes ago. They were raped and murdered. Nitro was the culprit in both crimes. He doesn’t care who he hurts or why. Psylocke, we believe, is the only one who can shut him down. If we can’t get her back in fighting shape, and if your team can’t stop him, my people predict a series of catastrophic events that will make any event in our history pale in comparison”

Cain relaxed. “Okay. I’ll buy that”

“I rather not use the girl at all until she’s had some seasoning. I disagree with the higher ups who view all metas as assets to be exploited. Some just want to live their lives. Not everybody has the stomach to do what must be done. We don’t have a choice now”

The Boss’s phone rang. Picking it up, nodded. “Good”

As he hung up, he moved to the door. “She’s done. Come with me”

They walked down the hall to the Medical Treatment room. Jackie caught a brief glimpse of a bald man in a wheelchair as the elevator doors closed

~o~O~o~
“Hi guys!” I chirped as Cain, Jackie and The Boss Entered the room. I felt strangely refreshed and I couldn’t understand why I caused such a fuss earlier.

“Sorry for the big mess earlier. I’m okay now. I think I’m PMS-ing or something”

Jackie smiled and gave me a hug. “Its okay, Betsy. Just as long as you’re okay now”

“Never better, but I do need a shower and my breath is gross” I looked at Cain who appeared uncomfortable. “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier. I didn’t mean it”

“It’s okay, kid” he rumbled. “I’m not the sensitive type”

Looking at the Boss, I pouted. “Can I pleeese go back to my room now? I *need* a shower!”

“Jackie, you go up with her. Cain, I need to brief you about the mission”

As we rode up the elevator, I asked Jackie if she forgave me.

“Nothing to forgive, kid. We all have our moments, and you’re probably right, it was PMS. I get really cranky every time mine comes around. It’s the worst” She smiled her dazzling smile at me. “Now, let’s focus on getting you cleaned up and back to work”

The shower felt amazing. My head hurt a little, but it quickly went away in the hot water. I spent the better part of twenty minutes just letting the water hit me. Jackie knocked on the door. “We’re running late, princess. Get moving”

Sighing, I finished washing and conditioning my hair. The bathroom was a mass of fog, and I turned on the exhaust fan and the infrared light. Patting myself dry, I felt so warm I didn’t bother to wrap the towel around me. I dried my hair and took care of my other business and twenty minutes later I was ready to go.

Jackie, could you give me my outfit? I yelled through the door. I knew Jackie still had thoughts about other women and I didn’t want to be a distraction. Regardless what people may say, not all women are comfortable being naked around other women. I was one of those.

“You put makeup on?”

“Sure!” I said innocently. “I’m not going out without looking my best. I noticed you’re wearing some too”

She rolled her eyes. “I put mine on early. I didn’t hold the whole team up”

“So?” I giggled.

Jackie smiled. “Let’s move, Princess”

We made it down to the briefing room. Cain and The Boss were going over some plans. We were all looking at the plans on the table “Glad you could finally make it. Okay, as I was saying, Aziz will meet Nitro tonight, here, and…”

“I’ll be there to collect Aziz” I jumped and squeaked a little bit as Deadpool made his unwelcome appearance. We all looked at him. “What? Is something hanging off me?”

He made the mistake of teleporting (I guess that’s what it was) right next to Courier. She calmly smiled and kneed him in the whatsits.

“okayyyyy, that hurt.” He gasped. “Didn’t see that coming”

She bent down and grabbed him where it hurt. “That’s for being a peeping tom, Wade. We girls don’t like to be looked at when we are naked” she squeezed tighter. And seventeen year old girls should *never* be looked at” She squeezed again.

“Okay, you win” He gasped.

“Apologize, Wade” squeeze.

“sorry…”

Jackie let go with a satisfied smirk. “Good boy, Wade”

“Don’t mention it…Courier” he gasped.

The boss continued like nothing had happened. “So, as I was saying, we will be here… I was smiling after Jackie winked at me. I so owed her.

It was five minutes before Wade was able to speak. “Uhhh, thanks for the support, guys. I’m okay”

The Boss turned to Deadpool. “Oh, Wade, were you here?”

“Ohhhhh, you’re good, one eye” He said, pointing at the Boss. “Ignoring me and all that. I like you. We’ll need to get better acquainted”

“No we don’t, Wade. You’re a good soldier, but that mouth of yours…”

Deadpool looked up. “Now wait just a doggone minute. That line isn’t even original! Foul! Foul! And you call yourself a writer!”

I looked at Jackie questioningly “Don’t ask” she mouthed.

Wade turned his attention to Jackie “And you, Miss ball grabb-urrrrk”

A huge hand cut off Wilson’s diatribe as it closed around his torso. “Remember me, ‘ol buddy?’”

Deadpool teleported out of Juggernaut’s hand. “I can explain all of that, Jugs”

The Boss slammed his fist on the desk. “Enough of this nonsense! We’ve got a job to do!” He muttered something about amateurs and continued. There will be ten or so hired goons with Aziz. Take care of them ASAP Marko, Wilson, they’re yours. Any surprises, and I’ll feel better if Juggernaut is there”

“Only ten? Let big mouth over there handle them”

“Hey! Just because you don’t have the rapier wit of a Deadpool, don’t bad mouth the…mouth. All right”

The boss continued. “In a sense, Marko is right. The terrorists in this faction of Al Qaeda have been paying big money to some very powerful entities who would like nothing more than to bring this country down. The fall of the Soviet Union left some pretty powerful people in the lurch even twenty years later. Be ready for anything”

We also have reliable intel they have a master genetics whiz on the payroll. With all of the nonsense going on with genetics research, I wouldn’t put it past them to have a few tricks up their sleeve…”

~o~O~o~
Essex was completed with the final experiments. The large man strapped to the table was a willing participant. Abd al Malik Nagi was a convicted rapist and murderer in the United States, revered in his home country because he only killed infidels Essex had managed to make him “disappear from the penal system six months prior. Nagi bore little resemblance to the average sized man who left the prison. He was nearly eight feet tall and muscled to an extreme degree. He didn’t look like a bodybuilder, however. Large and blocky, he weighed almost 800 pounds.

“Relax, my friend,” Essex spoke in an almost hypnotic tone. “This will only hurt a little”

With that he emptied the syringe he was carrying into the intravenous line running into Nagi’s arm. Immediately, Nagi’s eyes rolled back in his head and he went limp. What Essex knew was that Nagi was in terrible pain, but paralyzed. He smiled. The targeting system would have an easier time on the implant in his chest. The radiation gun was ready and Essex punched in the keys that would begin the gamma irradiation. After entering the code, Essex smiled thinly. Now the fun would begin.

~o~O~o~

We found accommodations on their way to Lower Manhattan a bit tight in the Tactical Armored Vehicle or TAV that Homeland Security kept on hand for these situations. They told me it was a modified Infantry fighting vehicle and was armored to withstand 30 mm projectiles and had a 40 mm auto cannon and twin 50 caliber machine guns. The crew of two was sandwiched in with Courier, Deadpool, the Boss and I. Cain wouldn’t have even come close to fitting, so he used his H1 to get there.

“Umm, excuse me, but why are we going in a tank?” I asked the Boss.

This isn’t a tank, Psylocke, It’s a TAV” he replied tersely while checking his weapons for like the tenth time.

“Okay, TAV or whatever. Couldn’t a car get us there easier and with a lot less attention?”

“It’s always good to go in with overkill. That way, I don’t have to call it in when things get out of hand. Lately, they always get out of hand” He went back to clicking and poking and prodding, whatever these guys do with their penile extensions AKA guns. I liked my sword.

“Sooo, what…”

The Boss looked at me with a glare. “Don’t you ever shut up?”

Deadpool jumped in. “Hey! You’re supposed to be telling ME that, one eye!” He paused and then suddenly said. “Ooops! Gotta go!” then he blinked out. That was a cool trick.

Suddenly Courier sniffed the air. “Oh god. He didn’t.” She sniffed again and then held her nose. “That son of a bitch FARTED!”

I caught the briefest of whiffs before I held my nose. “Ewwww, gross! Gag! Why would he do that with *us* in here!”

I could have sworn The Boss had a small grin on his weathered face. “What’s the matter girls? Can’t handle a little ‘eau de latrine’?”

I was livid and still holding my nose. “I can’t believe I’m breathing it! Don’t you have like a gas mask or something? I’m gonna be sick.”

“NBC equipment is right over your head, missy, but I wouldn’t recommend throwing up in a gas mask. Now that’s gross, as you are so fond of saying!”

“Oh god. Let me out!” I said dramatically. “I *hate* men and I *hate* him!”

“Settle down, princess we’re almost there. Besides, I’ll bet it’s gone by now”

“Jackie! Aren’t you going to say something? Anything?”

“She looked at me. That would require breathing, something you are doing a lot of. Why don’t you calm down and focus on the mission”

Still holding my nose, I pouted. “Bastard” I thought. I’ll get him somehow. I quieted my mind and reached out. We were close, within a mile, I guessed. I could feel Aziz, several lackeys; I counted around twelve or thirteen, and four or five really chaotic minds. They seemed part animal and part human. And they were completely wild.

“I think we may have a problem. I’m getting some funny thought patterns. I’m not sure, but they may have some weird animal human hybrids there”

The Boss raised his eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Well, no, but they are some whacked out minds. It’s the best guess I’ve got. I’m kinda new to this, you know”

“One to Delta. Stay on your toes. Possible modifieds on scene. They’re expecting us”

I was issued an ear radio, as was everyone else. I heard the response. “Delta, copy. Use Vulcan ammo, people. Shoot to kill”

Vulcan ammunition, as it was explained to me by Jackie, was a high energy round for the small arms that gave them the hitting power of a 50 caliber machine gun. They looked like a tracer traveling to their target, and any soft human hit by the round pretty much blew apart. More junk thought of by people with nothing better to do than kill things, I thought.

“One minute to egress, team” called the vehicle commander. I could hear the strike team, a group of specially trained Army Rangers tasked to the Delta unit calling off their positions.

I was still confused by what my job was. I had been told to stay with the Boss. I was starting to get really nervous. “What am I supposed to do? Look pretty?”

“You stay with me, and I mean right on my tail. You’re taking out Nitro. Your particular talents will short him out” I think he saw the fear in my eyes, because I was scared. Really scared. The Boss took my chin in his hand “You’ll be okay kid. Stay with me, and do what I say when I say to do it, and you’ll be fine. Blast his freaking mind with everything you’ve got”

“Don’t let me die, okay” was all I could muster in a very small voice.

He smiled at me. It was a crooked smile from a battle scarred face. “I won’t. I have confidence in you, and you are way stronger than you think you are”

The back of the TAV opened up. We rolled out and Courier had changed to the form of a rather muscular man that was about 5 inches shorter that she was. She winked at me and deployed.

“One to Delta. Go/no go, team leaders”

“Two, go”

“Three, go”

“Angels Four, go”

The building was a large warehouse along the riverfront. The entire area was poorly lit, and the warehouse was worse. I was holding on to the Boss’s belt. He turned and winked. “Ready?”

I nodded nervously. I was not ready for this shit. And now I thought I needed to pee.

“GO!” The night lit up.

And I had to pee…

To be Continued