The Plaguebearers - Log Eight

[x-dominion.livejournal.com]

The X-Men realize that they've been duped by an enemy they have met before.



“I know we can’t get a cab covered in sewerage. Anyone know any Uber drivers without a sense of smell?”

"You know, I think I'll defer to Logan on that one." Kitty grinned as she looked over at him. I am so glad I don't have an enhanced sense of smell right about now.

Logan snorted. "You have no damn idea. I'm 'bout willin' to subject myself to a military grade decon shower right now." He stuck and was going to stink for days. It'd be a month before he got the last traces of sewer out of his nose.

"I'm going to give Duncan a heads up. Maybe give the mansion a call. See if Clarice will come bail us out?"

"Mmm. Sounds good." Kitty pulled out her phone and stepped away to make the call. It was as much to see if they smelled less individually than in pairs as it was for privacy. She sniffed herself as the phone rang. Nope. That's all you, Pryde.

Logan watched them both pull out phones and wondered where his was. He wasn't sure it'd survived the sewer sludge intact. Or if it had he was going to ask for a new one. That thing would carry the stench forever. Since washing electronics never ended well. He should probably give Rogue a heads up on the stench he was going to bring back to the mansion.

“Fred. It’s Kane. There’s an ambulance that should have pulled into St. Michaels about five minutes ago. The mutant Roxxon was experimenting on and two Maggia goons responsible for the blast are in the back with a Doctor Sikorski riding shotgun. Wait… what?” Kane lowered the phone for a moment and looked at Kitty and Logan. “Doctor Sikorski was found murdered in his home two hours ago. That’s not-“ The phone shot up to his ear again. “Fred, has the ambulance reached St. Mike’s yet? Fuck. Fuck!”

Kane muttered into the phone and thumbed it off. “No one at St. Michael’s knows where the ambulance is.” They all exchanged the same look. They had been played. It almost wasn’t a surprise when Kane’s phone rang.

“Agent Kane. A pleasure. I admit, seeing you all in action is quite spectacular, even if it wasn’t a… hand’s down victory. Sorry. A little indulgent but I just couldn’t resist.”

“Scourge.”

“The Scourge, please. Just Scourge makes me sound like some sort of bathroom cleanser.”

“Where are you? Where are the others.”

“I’ve taken care of them. You see, Agent Kane, both Enforcer and Termite are exactly the kind of mutants whom cannot be allowed to live. Criminals. Mercenaries. Preying on innocent people because they have powers and others don’t. A single shot to the head for them both. They never even woke up. I’m not a sadist.”

“What about Death Adder?”

“Yes, how ironic that the innocent in this case is only known as Death Adder. Still, thanks to Roxxon, he remained too dangerous to allow to live. He was also mercifully terminated. Roxxon’s security was simply too robust to sneak in to eliminate him, and Enforcer and Termite turned out to be woefully unequipped to restrain him. If it wasn’t for you and your friends, I, or should I say Sikorski, would have never been in the position to eliminate all three as easily as I did.”

“You hired them.”

“Of course. Why work to dispatch them individually when you can use them to remove an additional target as well. You’ll find the ambulance and their bodies in an alley near 2nd and 40th. The EMT is unconscious and unharmed in the front seat. Good day, Agent Kane. Justice is served.”