[Fic] Everything Nice part 5
Title: Everything Nice 5/5?
Author: Guardian
Rating: R (NC-17 overall)
Pairing: Cable/Deadpool
Timeline: sequel to Sugar & Spice
Disclaimer: written for fun, not profit.
Word count: 1,840
Summary: Shit gets real.
Previous Parts: Master post here.
The rendezvous point turned out to be inside an enormous factory that was far from meeting OSHA regulations.
"This doesn't bode well," Tony said quietly as they crossed metal catwalks.
"It has a certain charm," Wade commented, staring at dangling bits of sharp metal and enormous, defunct machinery. "Look - indoor swimming pool!"
"That's sulfuric acid," Tony said, suddenly glad he was wearing a mask. "This better not be an AIM gig."
"Certainly not," a voice called out, and they looked up to see a slim, almost sickly-looking bespectacled man peering down from an upper level. Cyrus Vadas, apparently. His lack of green or yellow jumpsuit indicated that this wasn't an AIM headquarters, nor a Hydra base. "You've found it? Bring it here." The man disappeared, and they heard and saw sparks from some sort of welding being done.
"Now I have to lug it up the rickety old staircase?" Wade frowned. Tony ignored his complaints all the way up two flights of stairs. Wade whistled when they got to the top, impressed. "Iron Man fan," Wade guessed, judging by the suit of armor that the scrawny man was working on. "I've got the Iron Man underoos. Well, four pairs, to be exact."
"It is... far from being as sophisticated as the Iron Man armor," Vadas said. "But the sonic device should finally complete the suit."
"Whatever," Tony interrupted. "You're not getting anything until we've been paid."
"What he said," Wade agreed.
Vadas stopped welding and brushed himself off. "Of course. Where are my manners? This is the bank account and pin number," he said, producing a piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to Tony.
Tony scrutinized the piece of paper. "How do I know the money's there?"
"Because it's one of Norman Oswald's accounts," Vadas said. "I've been skimming funds from it, but I won't need it anymore."
Tony gave Wade a slight nod that indicated he could finally get rid of the case. Wade made a little whoop and handed it over, pleased to finally be rid of his burden.
"Naturally, if the account is short, I'll be back to crush your trachea," Tony said.
"Of course," Vadas nodded as he opened the case and removed the device. "Now I suggest you and your friend leave."
"You should give that suit a sweet paint job," Wade advised while the man began to bolt the device to the arm of the suit, and then connected wires. "Some cherry red and metallic black would really pop."
"I was thinking silver and blue," Vadas admitted.
"Psshh! You might as well just paint it hot pink, then. If you wanna look sharp, go for gold and black trim."
"Silver and black," Tony said. "Dark colors are intimidating and stealthy."
"You're just allergic to color," Wade scoffed.
"Some people have class."
"I've got class! I've got class coming out of my backside! It's color that's really intimidating. It makes a costume pop."
"Some people choose not to prance around in red spandex," Tony rolled his eyes.
"Monochrome sure didn't keep you from getting shot," Wade retorted. "So much for stealth."
Just then, one of the windows shattered with a crash, and Wolverine landed on the floor in a crouch, claws at the ready. Wade was surprised - seriously surprised that the building still had windows that hadn't already been smashed by kids with rocks.
"Wolvie!" Wade clapped in delight. "Love the dramatic entrance, but you didn't stick the landing. That's gonna hurt your score."
"Wade?" Wolverine snarled, shifting to his feet while more X-Men arrived through the freshly smashed window. Psylocke, Warpath, and X-23.
"See?" Wade said to Tony. "Black and yellow. It's classic."
"I thought you turned over a new leaf, Wade," Wolverine growled.
"What? Me? I turned over a whole new tree!" Wade exclaimed.
"Okay, then," Wolverine advanced. "Tell me you didn't steal the sonic device."
"I didn't," Wade said. "I helped steal it. What's the big deal? It doesn't work, and the bad guy's right there. Go get 'em, Wolvie."
Wolverine made an irritated noise, but turned his full attention to Vadas, who had climbed inside of the metal suit, and seemed to have a hard time controlling it.
"Give up now, bub, or else," Wolverine said, sliding his claws together menacingly. "I'm sure you know what I can do with these babies, and let me assure you, that little exo-suit ain't gonna do jack to protect you against me."
"On the contrary," Vadas said as he activated a weapons system, and began to fire.
Wade folded his hands behind his head and leaned back against the railing next to Tony. "Ten bucks says Wolvie takes off one of his limbs."
"Ten bucks says 'Wolvie' takes off one of your limbs," Tony countered.
"Hah, you're on." Wade watched the fight with idle amusement, waiting for Lara or Wolverine to sink claws into the exo-suit and end the little show. But the weapons system was... surprisingly good.
"Logan, hit the sonics!" Psylocke yelled, clutching at a wound.
"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" Wolverine snarled.
"You won't get the chance," Vadas said through blood-stained teeth as he activated the device on his suit.
A pulsing suddenly filled the room, like the air itself was thick and throbbing. It was almost like being next to a subwoofer at a party, with the bass pounding into Wade's chest and head. It was strange, and Wade watched the X-Men, and Tony, drop to their knees. Tony made the cutest little sounds of anguish.
"Tingly," Wade said, only feeling slight discomfort from the sonic device. "Is this gonna cause hearing damage?" But actually, he couldn't hear a thing - could only feel the sound vibrations.
Vadas approached Wade, curious as to why the device hadn't affected him as much as the others.
"My apologies," Vadas said, tinkering with the device. "It's not working as it should just yet."
"Duh. I said it was broken," Wade retorted.
"Broken, yes," Vadas agreed. "In the sense that it's not as harmless as it was intended to be."
"Err, whatnow?" Wade frowned. Strangely, he found it difficult to move.
"Ah, I'm not at the correct frequency," Vadas said, pressing a button. The pulsing suddenly stopped, and there seemed to be a collective noise of relief.
Wolverine was on his feet in an instant. He lunged at Vadas, claws first, but the neuralacoustic transducer activated again, and he dropped to his knees once more, along with everyone else except for Wade, although he wobbled.
"Interesting," Vadas murmured as he experimented with the device. A little tweak on the settings, and the X-Men collapsed to the floor like stringless puppets. He laughed, pleased by the results, and then noticed Wade, who was merely slumped at the railing, a hand pressed to his head.
"Am I supposed to be able to feel my brain?" Wade questioned. It was like someone had put a balloon in his head and was trying to inflate it. Not quite painful, but incredibly disconcerting.
Vadas approached Wade and attempted to pull off his mask, but Wade slapped his hand away.
"Hey. No free peeks."
"Odd. You shouldn't have any motor control left at this level. What does it feel like?"
"It tickles," Wade answered.
"Hm." Vadas dialed the device up another notch. "How about now?"
"Heugh... my nose is bleeding," Wade said, trying to stanch the blood through his mask. His movements felt heavier, hard to control, like he was drunk. And boy was it hard for someone with his metabolism to get drunk.
"Good," Vadas smiled.
"Good? Bleeding is not good," Wade protested.
"Not for you, no," Vadas agreed. "But it means my device is working now. In a minute or so, your friends will all suffer massive brain hemorrhages. The designer considered it a flaw, but I consider it a bonus. Of course, not being able to hear their screams of anguish is a pity. But sacrifices need to be made."
"It's lethal?" Wade realized, earning an amused chuckle from Vadas. He struggled to support his own weight on his feet, and pulled up his mask to spit blood onto the floor. Vadas watched all of this with the detached gaze of a scientist noting the results of an experiment.
"You realize, of course, that I must fight you now," Wade said, each word a great difficulty.
"You're welcome to try," Vadas nodded, shifting his stance in anticipation of a fight, although he knew all too well that Wade was having trouble enough just to stand.
Wade realized, even as his brain was struggling to keep functioning, that he would never be able to beat Vadas in a fight. He was cornered against this railing, with nothing behind him but a serious plunge. Everything felt heavy and slow. His own weapons were weighing him down, and he doubted he had enough fine motor control to so much as shoot a gun. Swords were out of the question - too much effort needed - and even if he could begin a hand-to-hand fight with Vadas and attempt to take him out as quickly as possible - jab his fingers into the man's brain, snap his neck - the device would probably just keep on going, and he would only live long enough to watch Wolverine's brain ooze out of his nose. Which was kind of cool as an abstract concept, but totally not cool as a "holy fuck, everyone's going to die in this shitty factory and it's all my fault" sort of revelation moment.
Vadas saw Wade's hesitation, and the slight slump of his shoulders in defeat.
"It's almost a shame," Vadas noted, feeling philosophical. "The weapon is so effective, it removes the simple thrill that comes from the challenge of the hunt."
Wade laughed suddenly. "You know what's funny? A lot of people tell me I don't have a brain. Guess this shows them!"
Vadas chuckled as well, amused by Wade's tenacity even in the face of certain death. He ceased to be amused when Wade used the last reserves of his energy to grab him and heave them both over the side of the railing. When they hit the bottom, Wolverine finally found the ability to lift his face out of a pool of his own blood. His head still throbbed like the worst headache ever, and there was a terrible fusion of Vadas screaming, followed by horrific silence.
"Wade, you fucking idiot," Wolverine cursed, rushing to the side of the platform.
"Logan?" Psylocke questioned.
"Tell Cable to get here, now," Wolverine snarled.
"But Cable isn't-"
Wolverine leapt from the edge, not listening to her from the start. He reached into the pool for Wade, his skin decomposing and lungs burning from fumes as he dragged his remains out of the sulfuric acid.
Cable? Psylocke thought as she stared over the edge at Wolverine, who was howling in excruciating pain. Cable, if you can hear me, Wolverine wants you here now. He's hurt, and Deadpool.... Wade Wilson is dead.
The end.