Chapter 12- Visions of Copycat

Chicago- Edge of the metropolitan area, 2008- March- 17 (Night)

Exodus-                   

Once they gathered their things. Mystique took the time to thoroughly examine each member of her family. Once she was satisfied with everyone's health, well everyone's but his. The group moved to another part of the city, so that they could have Rogue explain what she learned from the barkeep.

Rogue pulled out some napkins that she had written on, as she explained. “So according to the messages from Weasel’s phone, Deadpool signed up with a team of mercs. They call themselves the ‘Six-Pack’ for some reason. And they’all supposed to ship out soon, something about how they’ve been hired to escort some arms dealer.’

“So if you are certain he is where, this woman Exodus is looking for, is going to be, then we need to get to the docks. Well, at least before they leave that is."

"That's not much of a lead," Exodus complained.

“I wasn’t finished. Woulda hold your horses?” Rogue asked, sounding more and more like her usual self. After a moment, she continued. “See this was the first time their team was going to be working with this arms dealer, so they asked our bartender creep to look into him, and his ship.’

"Weasel couldn't find out much about the client, only that his arms permit was legit, but the name was bogus. However, he had a long history with the ship, R.T.S. Graymalkin. It was finished being built and christened in ninety-two out of the Republic of Transai. It had been sold four times, and never been reported in combat, and never needed a tow or been in an accident.”

"Sounds like a ship that has played it safe," Destiny commented.

“Well if we miss them here, we know that they are going out to sea. And with the ship’s name, it won’t be hard to find them out at sea.” Raven pointed out

“What’s the arms dealer’s name?” Exodus asked, not that he expected to know him, but felt any info would help.

Rogue switched to an earlier napkin and read. “Charles Christian.”

"Never heard of him," Mystique muttered, as she pulled her damaged pistol out.

“So?” The knight asked.

“So I tend to know most arms dealers, because with my powers I need any ordinance I can get my hands on, so this Charles is either new.” The shape-shift explained while trying to fix the pistol that had a bolt shoved down its barrel.

"Or it's a fake name," Destiny said to the distracted woman.

In the end, the blue woman just took out the clip and discarded the broken firearm.

“Regardless, we have a target now, the ship called the Graymalkin," Exodus stated, once they heard the gun hit the ground after bouncing once.

“We are not running off towards another possible fight after what just happened.” Mystique snapped at him.

He squinted at her in confusion, and then he said. “While the battle with Sabertooth was unforeseen, we now have a lead on our goal, the recovery of Copycat. So why shouldn’t we go?”

She walked over to him before answering, once she was in his face she said. “Because over half of us are injured. Kurt and Arlette both are still hurt from the hits they took from Sabertooth, you got a half dozen cuts from his claws, and do I need to remind you that I was shot two days ago. Even you must realize that it might be best to let her run off on her own, given our circumstances." As she named those who were hurt, she jabbed him in the chest with her finger.

“Mom you were shot?!” The boy asked in surprise, over from where he was sitting on the ground.

"If you are that worried about your family, then I will do it alone," Exodus stated before she could answer the boy. Then he moved to leave them, but she reached out and blocked him.

“Damn your stubbornness.” She muttered before pointing out. “You really think you can take on six, plus opponents while keeping one of them alive, all by yourself? Because we both know that she was never in this for the cause, which means you will have to drag her back, kicking and screaming… and for what?”

The knight blinked at Mystique before he repeated what he had already told her. “My Lord said we need her and her powers for the cause. He did not specify the why.”

"Isn't she a watered-down copie of Mama?" Arlette asked, she too was sitting on the ground, but was leaning against the wall of the nearby building.

"Mystique may take on the appearance of anyone she sees, has met, or can visualize," Destiny explained while putting away the remaining medical supplies. "Vanessa Carlysle, however, copies whoever she comes in contact with. This means she needs either a person or a sample of a person for her powers to work. However, she, unlike your mother can copy the powers and genetic properties of the subject as well."

"I have more flexibility but am limited in actual combat, as I cannot get other people's powers. She can actually mimic a powered individual. Whether they are mutant or enhanced, she can copy them. So long as she can reach them." The shape-shifter simplified the difference.

“So Magneto wants her to replace someone?” Kurt guessed.

The knight crossed his arms before saying. “Possible, but I doubt that he would want her to replace our Patron. The two of them have become friends over the past few weeks, and I find both of them to be too honorable, to just discard someone. Besides the Citadel is already locked onto the current Nath’aniel, so I doubt she would be tricked, even if Copycat were to copy the mage.”

“Wait, what’s a Citadel?” Rogue asked as she pocketed the napkins into one of the pockets of her jacket.

"Our future home, it's some base that the others found," Mystique answered.

“Well that’s all well and good, but then what’s a mage?” The brown-haired girl asked after she stopped talking.

"Nath'aniel is. As far as we can tell he is the last surviving one. He was locked away for a long time, and only awoke because we stumbled on him and the Citadel. They were a previous sub-class of humans, before us, mutants came to be more widely known.” Exodus explained to the youth.

Rogue nodded a few times before asking. “So the great leader of the Brotherhood, Magneto sent you to kidnap a woman, so that she can have mage babies?”

The shape-shifter waved her hands like the idea was wrong. “That’s not how her powers work dear, if she would copy this Nath’aniel, she would be a man, so she couldn’t…”

"Yes, that is exactly his plan." Destiny said interrupting the blue-skinned woman.

Everyone looked towards the helmed woman. She didn’t seem to notice that she had captured their attention with her statement. Exodus was about to ask her to explain, but he then noticed that Mystique was gesturing for him to wait, and then he realized that Destiny must be living through one of her visions, from hearing the teen’s question.

Destiny seemed to be looking above the knight as she explained. “The Citadel would have samples, hair, blood, even a dead body is enough for Copycat's powers to work. Magneto hopes for her to mother a line of pure-blooded mages, so that in the future, mages and mutants will stand shoulder to shoulder against humanity. And one day we will live in a utopia of outcasts."

Arlette gasped and coughed, before saying. “Yeah, no pression (pressure) or anything. Just asking a woman to be the mother to a whole race."

“So we don’t tell her. After all, other than Destiny’s vision, we are only guessing.” Exodus ordered. He looked at everyone, and after a moment or two, all of the teens nodded. Mystique only looked away, and Destiny reloaded her crossbow, in the end though, no one disagreed with him.

"So the only thing between you and your 'lord's' plan is six mercenaries and a probably disagreeable woman." Rogue threw out at him.

“What do you know about this six-pack from your time in Weasel’s head?” Mystique asked the girl.

Rogue shrugged, but answered, saying. “Not a lot, he only knew three of their members, and its leader by reputation. Deadpool was an exceptional soldier and close friend to the barkeep. He had a rather high body count in his various work, and that was before he got sick and his mutant powers kicked in.’

“Grizzly, the muscle of the group, is your classic Enhanced. Bigger, stronger, and bulletproof. How he got his powers, Weasel didn’t know, but Grizzly is your typical brawler. If your typical brawler can punch through a brick wall.’

"The last member that Weasel actually met was Anaconda, another Enhanced. She was gene-spliced in some lab in Europe. So she has longer arms and legs, along with being able to breathe in water, he also heard that she is strong, stronger than any normal man, but not as strong as the team's muscle. Who by the way, is Grizzly.’

“And their leader Kane, is supposed to be Deadpool version two. Just without the powers, or the mouth.”

“Mouth?” Exodus asked confused.

It was Mystique who answered. “I heard Deadpool has been called the ‘merc with a mouth’, because he won’t stop talking, even when fighting.”

“So a woman who barely talks, dated a man who won’t stop talking?” The knight muttered in confusion.

“Married.” The blue woman corrected.

“So their devoiced?” Arlette asked, from her tone Exodus thought she was also confused about the couple.

Mystique bit her lip and made a face before explaining. "Well, judging from the story she told me once. Now mind you we were both very drunk at the time. She is actually his widow… He died, of cancer. And then he somehow got better, but when the two of them reconnected, he didn't want to be with her anymore."

“He dudn’t want to be with her because he looks like a skinless tomater under his suit.” Rogue suddenly added after the shape-shifter was done explaining what she could remember of Copycat’s past.

There was a moment of silence as everyone turned to look at the teenager. After the moment Rogue made a disgusted look and added. "Look, just be glad that he wears the full-body suit. Because that man's body and face, are not easy on the eyes, for anyone.”

“And you know this how?” The girl’s mother asked.

“Weasel and him are close friends, and they go drinking whenever he is in town. Even then he wears the suit, just lifts up the mask enough to take a drink.” Rogue answered, and then shivered at the memory of the man before adding. “So trust me when I say, do not look if he were to get naked near you. He is haunting to look at. Kind of wish I was old enough to drink these memories away.”

“In my day, you are.” Exodus pointed out.

“It’s not your day anymore.” Mystique reminded him.

“And you didn’t drink at her age in your day?” Destiny asked the shape-shifter.

“At her age, I was sneaking into houses. Just to steal and eat some food.” The blue woman corrected.

“Can we get back on task, before you two put the kids to sleep?” The knight asked the two women.

"You're the one who started it." Kurt pointed out to him.

Exodus thought to point out that drinking had been first brought up by Rogue, but then her comment was just tacked on after she had actually contributed to the discussion. So in fact the boy was right. In the end, the knight kept his mouth closed, as he floated in his angry musings.

“So the plan ees for us to find, and fight, a group of skilled killers, just so we can kidnap a woman. Who kind of worked with you. That ees stupide plan.” Arlette said to clarify, after another long moment of silence between the adults.

“We will need to kidnap the ex as well.” Destiny added, making both teenage girls gasp for different reasons. The seer then further explained. “In none of my visions, do I see her agreeing to Magneto’s plan without him there to support it.”

"That blabbermouth, are you insane, he is even more against our cause and greedy than she was. What could we possibly offer him? We can barely think about paying her unless your mage has a small fortune that you don't know about." Mystique rambled.

“Time and again, Nath’aniel has explained that his people saw currency as pointless. They would prefer to bargain and trade.” Exodus said, shooting down the idea of them paying the two mercenaries. The knight then asked. “You said he had powers, is he a mutant too?“

Rogue nodded and then muttered. "He's a regenerator."

“So he heals, like Sabertooth and Wolverine?” Exodus asked to clarify.

“No, Rogue is right. Deadpool is a regenerator, not just a healer.” Mystique said.

“What’s the difference?” her son asked.

“Scale and speed. As you saw with Sabertooth, he can be hurt and injured. However, with Deadpool, I saw him get his arm shot off by a shotgun. By the end of the fight though, he just shook out the buckshot, before holding the severed limb by where it should be attached, and in less than an hour he was perfectly fine. I am not sure that Sabertooth could do the same.” Mystique explained her statement.

"That being said, however, we still might be able to convince this Deadpool," Exodus said once there was silence again.

“How?” Rogue asked first.

"When we first got the Citadel, we were followed by a wing of the Obsidian Fang, an international mercenary band. They laid an ambush and Basilisk got hurt bad, everyone was certain she was going to die." Exodus started with, he made certain they were all paying attention when he added. "And then Nath'aniel healed her with his magic, not only was her life saved, but she walked out without a single scar. Treating a skin condition or deformity should be easy for the mage."

Mystique then looked over at Destiny, the shape-shifter didn't even need to ask, as a moment later the seer stated. "I see him agreeable, and eventually cured of all of his ailments."

The blue woman nodded before suggesting. "Ok, so we offer them a bribe first and see if they go for it. Maybe walk away without a fight if he is willing to deal."

“And if not, we beat up some mercs and kidnap two unwilling mutants, and bring them back to the Brotherhood," Exodus explained plan B.