Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 407 PLANNING

“What the hell did you do this time?” Logan asked. I was standing over Gwen as she laid on the couch. 

“Uhhhh,” I said.

“It was me this time,” Alex said. I realized he was standing behind me. His Haki all over the place he was taking it pretty hard. 

“What?” Scott asked his brother. 

“I let the spider out,” Alex said.

“Weston’s pet?” Logan asked. “I thought it was dead.”

“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. 

“A what?” Wolverine asked. I groaned.

“I don’t exactly know if it was radioactive,” I said. “But it wasn’t a normal spider.” 

“And what does this have to do with the passed out girl?” Scott asked.

“It bit her,” I said.

“Alright, team meeting. Everyone around the table. Weston, you will start explaining. 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. 

“Fine,” I said, moving to the table. 

“Who are you?” Scott asked, looking at Betsy.

“A…mutant?” She asked, looking at me for permission. I nodded. “Yes, a mutant, to join your…team?” 

“Yes,” I said.

“Yes,” she said.

“Whatever,” Scott said, grabbing a seat. He sat down with a groan. “Start talking.”

To my surprise I did, just because I was playing 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 was labeled 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. 

“I forgot to tell the others,” she said ashamedly. 

“You’re not in trouble here,” Scott said, his face stoic. 

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-”

“You beat Killgrave?” Betsy asked, her eyes wide. 

“Yeah,” I said.

“I thought you said the Hellfire Club did,” Scott said to Logan. 

“That’s what I heard,” Logan said.

“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 a commotion, 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.”

I nodded. “That’s about all of it.” I looked up to Scott and Logan. 

“I got about half that,” Scott said.

“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.”

“Why? I won them,” I said.

“Because you’re breaking the law,” Scott said. “I know it may not seem like it, but we work for the government. If Fury hears about any of-”

“He already has,” a man said as he stepped out of the elevator. I recognized the person as being beside Nick Fury the last time I saw him. He was shorter, full head of brown hair, he wore a black business suit and looked like any other man. The kind of person you would see but wouldn’t see.

“I’m Agent Colson,” the man said.

“Ohhh,” I said, realizing I should have guessed earlier. He must have been our SHIELD contact.

“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.”

“I didn’t-”

“Your cat did,” Colson said, pointing at Tabi who was sitting on the windowsill. “Where the hell did you get that thing anyway?” 

“Uhhh, I plead the 5th,” I said, realizing my chances of staying under the radar were gone.

“We can talk about that later,” Colson said. Rubbing his temples he turned away as he thought. When he looked back to me he asked, “This is all related to your little oil spill, right?”

“Pretty sure,” I said.

“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.”

“They were going to sell the mutan-” 

“I know,” Colson said. “And we had people ready to move in to intercept as soon as they left the auction,” he said.

“Oh really? Even the Kingpin?” I asked. 

“This country takes buying and selling of people very seriously.”

“Why do I doubt that? This country hates mutants,” I said, growing angry. 

“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.” 

“Did you even know about the shit Oscorp has been up to?”

“Of course. They are a military contractor. We judge and watch them at all times,” he said.

“Then where is Connors?”

“Connors doesn’t work on our projects,” Colson said smoothly. 

“Well he is the one at the center of all this crap.”

“Where is your proof?” He asked. 

“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.” 

“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.”

“Why bother? People fly,” I said.

“In planes they do,” Colson said. “Kid, you’re using your powers like-”

“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.”

“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.”

“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 villains start coming? That radioactive explosion at the Baxter Building? That’s nothing. There are fucking aliens on their way to fuck our shit up. People that eat planets 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 not coming? They need to toughen the fuck up. Get used to it now. Mutants have only just started to show up. 

“We have become distracted from the point of this conversation,” Colson said. 

“Which is?”

“You need to keep us in the loop,” Colson said.

“Then put me in. I’ll join your little SWORD and SHIELD. But I want autonomy.”

“How do you know that name?” Colson asked, his Haki cold again. “Are you psychic now?”

“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.”

“I doubt he will do that,” Colson said.

“Doesn’t hurt to ask. But I’m not interested until I get it,” I said. 

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 exclamations. 

“What the hell was that, kid?” Logan asked. “Got some balls on you to stand up to Colson so soon.”

“That was dumb,” Scott said. “Like he said, we work for them.” He frowned but looked up. 

“Well, thanks for the drama,” Hisako said. “You seriously going to join the government?”

“Hell no,” I said. “I’m sure they have this place 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.”

She jerked up, looking over the back of the sofa at us. “Sorry, didn’t want to interrupt,” she said. 

“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 place that you think Connors might be at?”

“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?” 

“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 really hurting. 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?” 

“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. 

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. 

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