Far, Far From Fandom, Wednesday Morning
Nate
The now-familiar warping of reality gave way to a battlefield. A squad of heavily armed soldiers beat their retreat past rocks and trees, clinging to their weapons. At the head, two familiar faces - Nathan Dayspring, long-haired and decades older, and Tetherblood, as always, right beside him.
Wade
"Why do I get the feeling that I should have a small dog and three companions with me while I'm doing this?" Wade looked down at his outfit. "Oh thank god, I thought it might be blue plaid for a moment there."
He sighed and wandered on after the group, knowing complaining wouldn't do any good, but was still fun. "My feet hurt, I'm tired, I have to go to the bathroom, Nate's hair is long and luxurious." A beat. "What kind of product do you use? It's so shiny and Pantene Pro-V commercial lookin'."
Nate
Both older and calmer than he'd been previously, Nate simply glanced back at the sudden noise, identifying a strangely familiar form. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he spoke, "But be quiet. There's Canaanites up ahead in that clearing." He paused. "Double-time out of here!"
Wade wandered out ahead slightly, looking around for those kooky Canaanites. "BEA ARTHUR IS A GODDESS!"
Nothing.
"Remember, Natey? Nobody can hear me but you."
Nate
"Right."
And then the screaming for help started up ahead. Screaming for help that Nate was fairly certain was coming from one of his own soldiers. His attention flitted away from Deadpool immediately as he threw his own weapon back to one of the soldiers. "Go. Take this. You'll need it in case you hit opposition on the way back."
Soldier
"But you can't go!" The soldier caught his weapon readily, but fixed her worried eyes on him. "You're the-- shouldn't you come with us?"
Nate
But Nate was long since on his way, leaping towards the battlefield. "Fall back. Now. I can handle this solo."
Tetherblood
Which was exactly the kind of phrase that was going to stop Tetherblood dead in his tracks, turning around. "...Here we go again."
Wade
Wade tried to give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but... Invisible and oddly intangible here. "Ya can't hear me, but will it help if I say he survives this one somehow? 'Cause he's around after all that long luxurious, giving me weird ideas about petting it-- hair."
Shaking his head, Wade darted off after the suicidal one, wondering what caused this lapse into wanting to be less alive.
Tetherblood
Tetherblood would have been comforted, really, to hear all of that. Unfortunately, he was stuck dealing with Nate alone. "Dayspring! What are you doing? You're not even armed!"
Nate
"One of our guys is stuck in the middle of that. I have a responsibility to that soldier-- I've got to get him out." Regardless of what Tetherblood might want to be doing, Nate kept on running, his eyes trained on the violence up ahead.
Tetherblood
With a sigh, Tetherblood pressed his hands against the rock and leapt over, yelling after him. "And what about your responsibility to the rest of the clan?! Dayspring, we need you as our leader! What the hell would those people do without their chosen one--"
Nate
But Nate had reached the fray, pulling a single dagger out. "We both know you're above that Askani bunk, Tether. I'm a soldier like everyone else."
Wade
Feeling kinda ignored and very annoyed by Nate's latest little suicide attempt, that would be Wade kicking him in the head. "I liked the annoying kid from before better. Bring him back."
Nate
It had been a while since the last time he'd gotten hit in the head by anyone technically incorporeal, which was the only reason why said action made Nate stop momentarily in his tracks and snap his head over to the source of the attack, vaguely annoyed.
Tetherblood
Giving Tetherblood enough time to reach him. "You're being deliberately reckless again," he growled. He was even more annoyed.
Wade
"You tell 'im Tetherblood!" Wade cheered, crossing his arms over his chest and giving Nate an annoyed look right back.
Tetherblood
The annoyance gave way to concern once the anger was out. "Listen, I know how much you loved Aliya-- But you have a chance to do so much with your life. Why risk it acting like a lunatic? Do you think she would've wanted that?"
Nate
Nate paused, regarding him for a moment-- "Whatever it takes," he said, and leapt into the battle below.
Tetherblood
Oh, hell.
"Bullheaded, obstinate, arrogant..." Tetherblood jumped after him again.
Wade
"'Would've'...?" Wade watched Nate go, looking back from Tetherblood to him again and taking off after him. "Oh, goddamn it, Nate!"
Nate
He landed in the middle of the fray, coming up behind the enemy. "Put the weapon down. Immediately."
Canaanites
For a moment, the Canaanites could do nothing but gape. "...In the name of the High Lord, it's him..."
Wade
"Jesus?" Wade asked, shooting Nate a dirty look for being such a moron. AGAIN. "I think he was black or something, actually. Saw it on the History Channel."
Tetherblood
Checking the charge on his gun, Tetherblood realised that heading in now would be as stupid as--
Well, Nate heading in now. He circled back as fast as he could.
Nate
Gripping his knife, Nate stared down the soldiers. "Move away from that man."
Canaanites
Their first, instant reaction had faded. Now came cockiness, considering the numbers. "Or what? You'll stab us to death? Our armor's psi-shielded. You're as dead as this piece of meat." One of the Canaanites cocked his gun at the captured soldier.
Nate
The picture of stoic force, Nate glared upon them. "You don't honestly think I'd confront you alone, do you? My entire group has you surrounded. Throw down your weapons or pay the price!"
And that was a gun being cocked in his face. "Last chance," he responded, coolly.
Wade
Wade clapped, really impressed by the bravado shown there. "Wow, bluffing this well so early. Niiiiice. You practice a lot in front of the mirror?"
Canaanites
Unfortunately, the Canaanites had exactly the same idea. "You're bluffing."
Nate
Nate narrowed his eyes, one flaring up with light. "Idiots," he said, "If there's one thing you should know about me-- I don't bluff."
Almost as if on cue, enemy soldiers exploded under the force of a barrage of bullets, fired from behind.
Wade
Taking a seat on a nearby rock, Wade gave him an even and completely disbelieving look. "Bullshit, Nate. I don't bluff because I usually just don't care. You bluff more than anyone. Really, ya shouldn't say that around people who know you too well."
Nate
Nate eyed him warily. "...Know me too well?"
Tetherblood
"Sorry for cutting it close, Nate." Tetherblood stood up from his hiding place, surrounded by several other armed Askani soldiers. "I didn't have enough firepower of my own, so I had to circle back for the rest of the crew. We barely--" He paused. "...Wait a second. You didn't realize we were here, did you?"
Nate
Nate glanced away from Wade. "Nope."
Wade
Wade lay back on the rock, trying to get some nonexistant sun through his costume. "Of course he had no idea you were there to help. Ya know, Nate, the suicide attempts get annoying after a while and I won't always be around to drag your ass back to life so you can continue your all important mission."
Nate
Another curious, almost quiet glance towards Wade before Nate gripped Tetherblood's arm for a brotherly shake. "Thanks just the same," he said, after a moment. "Sometimes, I just..." He let go, turning slightly. "...I miss her."
Tetherblood
Tetherblood glanced after him, worry in his eyes. "I know, Nate..."
Wade
It might be hard to tell, but Wade's eyes were closed behind the mask, shoulders back and relaxed against the stone that wasn't there really.
"I liked her, ya know. Not that it means much to you now or maybe even later, but... I liked her. Seemed able to keep you in line." He was looking completely elsewhere now. "I'm sorry."
Nate
"What is, is." Nate turned his back entirely, "'Sorry' doesn't matter."
And then he was interrupted by the sound of someone beating on flesh. He spun around.
Soldier
The freed Askani soldier had had quite enough-- it had been a long day, and this Canaanite's face would do nicely to work out his frustration. "How's it feel now, Canaanite filth?" He slammed a fist down hard, sending blood and whimpers into the open air. "How does it feel?!"
Nate
And Nate was there in an instant, grabbing the man's arm. "That is more than enough. This battle is over."
Wade
Wade didn't move, already knowing he wasn't able to do anything in this fun little trip down the rabbit hole.
"Choosing life or letting it choose you?"
Nate
Another wary glance up at Wade; at this point in his life, Nate had started gaining some inkling of insight-- some place in his mind trying to figure out that question rather than shoving it away as being annoying, cryptic nonsense.
Soldier
"You don't understand this!" the soldier roared suddenly, shouting in Nate's face when he noticed the man's attention waning. "The Askani'son is more than us. You don't feel what we do. You don't suffer like ordinary people suffer."
Wade
"I can't really punch anyone here, but you can so... couldja punch that guy for me?" Wade asked, sitting up and shooting the soldier a dirty look. One that normally promised a lack of intestines.
Nate
For maybe the one and only time in his life, Nate did as Wade asked, punching the man down to the ground. And hard.
He couldn't take this one. Not today. Just not.
"I... wish that were true," he said, voice wavering for an instant. He stared down the young soldier, "But I've known all that and more."
Wade
Which was nice of him because Wade was getting annoyed with not being able to cause violence here.
"Thanks a bunch!" he said to Nate cheerfully, hopping off the rock to wander over. "And you don't wish it was true, Nate. You wouldn't be you without it and that would just make me sad to not have someone to make watch ANTM with me."
Nate
Nate settled back, climbing gracefully back to his feet. Something niggled about this in the back of his mind, but he wasn't certain what, and thus, cast it aside. Calm, now. "You can't deny that your anger is there," he said, offering his hand to the soldier. "But you can control it. You let it carry you out of your foxhole when trepidation tells you to stay. Just don't let it turn into hatred."
Wade
"Says the guy with more control issues than a trouble shooting guide for remotes."
Nate
Having pulled the soldier back up onto his feet, Nate was left with little but himself again. "It's a matter of keeping focus," he told Wade, simply, and began to pace forwards, motioning his team back behind him.
Wade
Wade followed along, since there wasn't much else who could do. "And then you focus so hard that you forget how to be human anymore. Mutant. Whatever."
Nate
"Human isn't something you forget." Just... ignore, maybe. Force yourself to go beyond, when the cause was right. Tetherblood shot him a look, incapable of working out what kind of voice he was talking to this time.
Wade
"You'd think so," Wade said, wandering past him to wait for the next fun little trip. It was like that show with the sliding about through dimensions. Without the adorable brothers.
Nate
"It is."
Even if you didn't want it to be.
And that's when the edges began to fade again.
Wade
"Where to next, Mr. Wizard?"
[ nfb, nfi, ooc-ok, shamelessly ripped from an early issue of Cable and preplayed with the magnificent mouthy_merc ]