A Dark Trail - Chapter 12

"Well, we aren't likely to be questioning him," Pollock said, massaging her throat. "How is it I get knocked out more when I work with you two than when I fight you?"

"We go easy on you," Clever Adolescent Panda replied instantly.

"Totally," Calvin agreed. "Also, I would like to be somewhere else before local law enforcement is called to investigate the collapsed building and corpses therein."

"Agreed," Pollock said. "Hopefully we can get the gnome in stable condition and get some answers. I suspect the computers we appropriated will take some time."

"No worries, then," Deadpool called cheerfully, ""dead" is a very stable condition."

"Wade!" the panda shouted.

Cassanee surprisingly came to the mercenary's defense. "He was already dying before Deadpool stabbed him."

Or perhaps she was just stating facts. Deadpool was unfazed either way. "Look my fuzzy buckaroo, these guys are playing a different game from what you usually get from your saucy CEO archfoe." 

Pollock mouthed "saucy?" with a bewildered expression as Deadpool gestured at her, but CAP was not impressed by this argument. "I've faced things that tried to kill me before, Wade. Pollock summoned a demon once, remember? It beat the snot out of you."

"I certainly don't remember that," Deadpool replied defensively. "And that's not my point. She's not so gung-ho about killing you she'll kill herself or her goons in the process."

"They're valued employees, not goons, thank you," Pollock stated huffily.

"Right, breathing punching bags." The mercenary kept his gaze locked on the panda. "Point being, it doesn't look like these guys quit as long as they can keep going. You gotta stay on your toes."

"I get it, Wade. I can handle it."

"Sure ya can, kid!" Wade said brightly, "just like the rest of the merry band. Except maybe Calvin. Right, guys?" 

He turned to see only Pollock standing there. "Where'd everyone else go?"

"They all wandered off a few minutes ago," Pollock explained. "Calvin said something about checking on his ride."

"During my important, mentor-like speech?!" Deadpool was aghast.

Rhodez crouched at the edge of the new hole in the ground, searching for signs of movement through the still-settling dust and rubble. Cassanee stood calmly beside her, arms hidden within her cloak while the wind rustled it around her legs. "Anything?"

Her voice carried more tension than usual, as she wondered if the man with electricity powers was down there somewhere, waiting for an opening. Rhodez shook her head. "Remember how the basement was underwater? Looks like whatever they did dropped the whole building deeper than that. I haven't seen anyone yet."

Cassanee pointed at something bobbing. "An arm?"

Rhodez squinted for a moment, then suppressed a gag. "Yeah, that's all it is, though." She paused, and focused on it again. "It's drifting away."

"So the water is flowing to somewhere?"

"Yup. Don't know where, though. Maybe the hallways run a little farther out under the property, and that's all."

"Can we find out?"

Rhodez thought about it. "If we had some dye, we could add it and see if it surfaces somewhere else."

"I have plenty of red dye! Just let me open an artery!" Deadpool offered.

"Deadpool, introducing your blood into an aqueduct would probably be considered biological warfare," Pollock stated calmly.

"Hey! The only side effect of my blood is awesomeness! And possibly an elevated blood alcohol level!"

"You've been drunk this whole time?!" Rhodez was incredulous.

"It's not enough to get me drunk, but normal people, yeah, they might get buzzed. And buzzed driving is fun driving!"

Ignoring all this, Clever Adolescent Panda reached into their satchel and produced a device with a single, steadily flashing light. "This is a tracking device. If we can put it in something that'll float, it'll work."

"What did you bring a tracking device for?" Pollock shuffled through her collection of oversized cartridges.

The panda looked surprised at the question. "Um, to attach to a suspicious person if they got away, of course!"

"For if Calvin got separated again," Cassanee countered.

CAP glanced at the ground, embarrassed. "He's always vanishing!"

"Yes, like right now, for instance." Pollock handed over an empty cartridge, a mess of confetti on the ground next to her.

CAP's head shot up and swiveled from one direction to another. "What?! Where is he?"

"You know, for the tracker to be of any use, you need to put it on him before he disappears."

"Shu-shut up! Why did you have a cartridge filled with confetti, anyway?"

Now Pollock got defensive. "It's not confetti, it's chaff! To confuse any radar-guided weapons!"

"Oh, yeah, sure it is!" CAP said sarcastically. "You can't confuse a missile with that small amount of chaff! And why would it be all different colors, and made of paper?!"

"Let's all calm down," Deadpool said, stepping between them. "Calvin will show up when he gets hungry."

"We don't have any food with us," Cassanee stated flatly.

"We don't? No one brought celebratory tacos and wieners? What the fuck, you guys?! So unprofessional! Where was I? Second, there's nothing wrong with having confetti handy, since it livens any situation. Watch!"

Deadpool bent down, grabbed the confetti, and tossed it overhead. In the thick summer air, it drifted down around him quickly, fluttering to the ground. Everyone regarded the mercenary, who seemed to be waiting for something.

After a moment, he scratched his scalp. "Well, it would have worked if we had tacos, I'll bet."

"Are we gonna throw that tracking device in?" Rhodez asked. "I don't do well in the heat."

"Sure," CAP chirped, before realizing it was missing. "Where did it go?"

"How in the hell did you lose something you were holding in your hand?! Do pandas develop senile dementia in adolescence?" Pollock asked sardonically.

"Threw it in," Cassanee explained, gesturing towards the hole. "Wasting time."

"Oh. Well, good. Now we just need to find Calvin."

"What are you dinguses doing over here?" Calvin leaned out the window of his SUV as he rolled to a stop nearby.

"Where were you?" Clever Adolescent Panda asked.

"Checking to make sure no one was coming to see what happened. Also loading the computers you grabbed in the back." He jerked his thumb towards the rear of the vehicle. "What did you think I was doing?"

"I assumed you fell into the hole," Pollock responded.

"I was worried you were captured or hurt," CAP explained.

"I figured you went to the bathroom," Rhodez chipped in.

"Saw something and investigated alone," Cassanee said from the back seat. She'd wasted no time getting in the car.

"You guys are doing this wrong!" Deadpool huffed. "You're supposed to say something outlandish! Like, I thought you were having a pleasant conversation with a total stranger!"

"Now that's going uncalled for," Calvin said flatly. "Will you guys get in already?"

"Yeah Deadpool, Calvin would never do that," Rhodez laughed as she headed for the van.

"Don't backsass me, Padawan! Don't think I've forgotten you not sticking around for my important words of wisdom to the source of cuteness on this blog!" He produced a swagger stick from somewhere and swatted her on the head.

"What the hell, Wade?!"

"Physical abuse is an X-Men approved teaching method! I got certified in it and everything! Or was that some weird anime girl dating game I played on my phone?"

"Maybe we should let Rhodez ride with us," CAP said, hesitating to climb into the passenger seat.

"You are more than willing to give her your seat, but we are not putting three people back here," Pollock stated firmly.

"Yeah, that's not happening," Calvin added. "No way can Rhodez keep Pollock and Cass from destroying my ride if they start fighting. She's on her own."

Calvin accelerated back onto the two-lane highway. Deadpool and Rhodez followed in the van moments later.

A Dark Trail - Chapter 11

The gnome in question had jumped from the cart as it careened out the window and stood on the ledge, listening. The entire front of his body hurt, between the bullet impacts, the acid, and the metal shards embedded in the melted goo of his face. It sounded like that time-obsessed fool Etereo had failed, and he didn't have much hope for Geiger, considering no scent of burning flesh or screams had drifted down to him.

He couldn't win alone. At the rate he was losing blood, he might not even survive. He jumped away from the building, but as he did, saw the other two pests stepping off a fire escape. What was worse, they saw him.

The girl moved first, in deceptively slow, loping strides, but covering ground quickly. She still wasn't ready for him to kick off the air and spring above her while a foot off the ground, and passed harmlessly beneath him. He saw her turn in mid-stride to face him and he twisted to be ready for her next move. So he never saw the metal disc when it smashed into the base of his skull. His body went parallel to the ground, face down, twitching uselessly. He was dimly aware the girl caught him as he fell.

The platter bounced off the asphalt parking lot and shot back towards Calvin. He'd wrapped his hand in his handkerchief, so catching it didn't hurt quite as badly this time. He rushed over to Cass. "Oh crap, I didn't kill him did I? I was trying for stunned!"

She shook her head. "Still breathing. Already badly injured, though. Won't last long."

"Don't worry, I'm sure the Savage Avengers are still accepting applications," a voice called from behind them. "Or maybe the T-Bolts."

"Never to the first, and only if Hawkeye's leading the second," Calvin retorted without turning. "Which of you did he attack?"

Rhodez raised her hand. "My rifle blew up."

"Aw shit, really?"

"Yeah, but I think I have a useful power now!" She said with more cheer.

Behind her, Deadpool shook his head "no" emphatically before interrupting. "What'd you bring him down with? Rocket launcher? Novelty cartoon anvil?"

Cassanee pointed at Calvin, who held up the drink tray. "He threw that."

The others gawked, and Calvin rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm not bad at throwing things."

Clever Adolescent Panda arrived at the tail end and swallowed Calvin up in a Hug. "That's so awesome!"

"Thanks pal. Are you OK?"

"Yeah, it isn't good, but we're OK. Pollock and I are gonna take some of the computers in the lab with us. We'll see if we can find anything on them. Where's the one who attacked you?"

Calvin gestured towards the roof. "Hopefully still KO'ed up there. We didn't have anything to tie him up with, and carrying a guy with electric powers down a metal staircase seemed risky."

"At least you know where he is. I think ours sank into the foundation of the building."

A raspy laugh clawed its way out of the gnome's throat where he lay on the ground. Cassanee crouched nearby. "What's funny?"

"You idiots have no idea what you're up against."

"Cliche alert. Are we messing with forces we cannot possibly comprehend, too?" Wade asked, yawning and digging a finger in his ear (through his mask, not sure how effective that is). "You shouldn't stick your finger in your ear, haven't you heard Narrator? Especially not my finger." 

Well, OK then.

Calvin and Clever Adolescent Panda exchanged glances, the panda replying, "Yeah, that's not exactly new for us."

"I'm sure you will enlighten us on the nature of the threat?" Pollock stood at the rear of the group, arms folded across her chest.

"Don't count on it sweet cheeks." The gnome's grin, with only a few remaining teeth, through that ruined landscape of a face, was not a pleasant sight.

"Oh no, you've made a demeaning comment about me based on my looks," Pollock stated flatly as she moved closer. "Do you want me to cry, or lose control and kill you quickly?"

Before the gnome could respond, Cassanee shouted "Move!" and tackled Pollock. Clever Adolescent Panda did the same to Calvin, and Deadpool for Rhodez. Electricity arced from above, scorching the pavement in a ring around the Gnome with No More Syringes(?)

Looking at the roof from beneath his furry buddy, Calvin saw the Old Electric Man standing at the edge. Maybe it was the angle, but he felt the man was glaring specifically at him. "Get off," he hissed. "He's gonna fry you to get at me!" He felt the panda shake their head firmly, and began trying to squirm free.

"What are you doing?!" The Gnome found the voice to shout from somewhere. "You know what you're supposed to do!"

The six looked at him, then the frail man as he spread his hands, electricity flowing in greater amounts than ever. He glowed blue now, brighter and brighter, energy arcing down the walls and into the interior of the building through every opening.

It was obvious to Pollock he was trying to destroy it, and possibly them, somehow. She shoved the girl in the hood off her and rose, searching for a cartridge, one to wrap him up. If the foul-mouthed runt was near death, another person to interrogate would help. Maybe she'd finally get Ca-the sullen girl to leave her be.

As she raised the gun, something crashed into her back, sending the shot wild as she was driven to the pavement. She felt two small hands clamp, vise-like, on either side of her throat. Too small to choke her, but more than enough to cut off her carotid arteries. She tried to roll, dislodge him, but no luck. Her head was wrenched back far as it could go, back bowing under the strain. She couldn't concentrate enough to shapeshift. Her fingers clawed at his, but it was as though his hands had grown roots into her skin.

In the corner of her vision, she could see the sullen girl trying to pull him off. Strong as she was - and Pollock had been hit by her enough to know - she wasn't making much headway, though Pollock thought the grip might be loosening slightly. Or she was blacking out already. It only took a few seconds.

She saw a blurred image of the gnome open his mouth to bite one of the hands holding him The moment he did, a red-gloved hand jammed a serrated blade in the opening. The grip tightened for a second, then released. Pollock's head fell forward, she was just able to shift one arm so her forehead landed on it, rather than the pavement.

"I'm gonna go ahead and finish the fun-sized serial killer, OK." Deadpool's tone didn't suggest he was asking permission.

"We still need to stop him," Rhodez gestured at the man on the roof, still flooding power into the structure. "Can you hit him from here, Deadpool?"

The merc ignored her, focused on the gnome. She looked around. "Anybody have anything?"

Clever Adolescent Panda was sorting through Pollock's satchel. "I don't know what any of these cartridges do."

Calvin sighed, pressure situations weren't really his thing, but. . . "Worth a shot." He hefted the tray, took a couple of steps as he drew his arm back, and then let it fly. He pretty much expected it to bounce harmlessly off the building on the first floor. Maybe the second, if he got a tailwind. If that was what happened, he must have gotten one hell of a tailwind, because it flew true, arcing cleanly towards the Electric Man, arms still outstretched.

Rhodez could see the man's eyes widen, but he didn't try to defend himself. Instead, the amount of energy pouring from him increased. Just as the tray reached him, there was a loud rumble from somewhere beneath their feet, and the man slumped, exhausted. The tray flew over his head.

"Shit. Sorry," Calvin said.

"That was a really good throw," his fuzz buddy assured him. "He just moved at the last second. At least we can go talk to him now."

Which is when the entire building collapsed. Whatever his powers triggered, the building couldn't stand under it any longer. It trembled internally first, and as it began to collapse on itself, the ground it stood on gave way, forcing everyone to retreat towards the cars as the rest of the structure fell into the depths. Dust billowed from the hole, before drifting over like a fog bank made just for them.

"Great, we're probably all gonna get mesothelioma," Calvin grumbled as they stumbled through it in the direction of their cars.

"Not me!" Deadpool exclaimed. "Healing factor! High five!" He raised his hand, and after a moment, Clever Adolescent Panda high-fived him.

"You don't have a healing factor, you stinker," Calvin snapped. "Do you?"

"Not really, but I couldn't leave him hanging."

"You're dead to me, Clever Adolescent Panda."

"Does that make Deadpool, Dippy Fresh?" Rhodez wondered.

"He is a very '90s idea of cool, so yes."

A Dark Trail - Chapter 10

By the time Deadpool and Rhodez turned from the window, the gnome was gone.

"Do you think he ran off?" Rhodez asked hopefully.

Deadpool, looking unusually serious, answered, "He shrugged off three bullets to center mass and knocked us both on our asses. Unless he's the love child of Domino and Puck and his luck powers ran out, probably not."

The two moved through the cubicles, searching everywhere. Reaching another intersection, Rhodez glimpsed something at the far end of the lane to her right. She raised her rifle and fired. The round tore a sizable hole in one cube, but the shadow she'd seen darted to safety, for the moment.

"Office Surfin'!"

Only for the moment because Deadpool was headed that way the moment he noticed Rhodez had seen something. He made a flying leap onto a mail cart and hurtled down the aisle, crouched low, arms out to either side. The Gnome with a Syringe could have easily escaped down another aisle, but didn't see the point. He leapt into the air, ready to kick this jittery idiot's head off.

The mercenary met the jump with one of his own, drawing a sword as he did and shouting, "Special Deadpool Sword Technique!"

The two sailed past each other, Deadpool's attack allowing him to avoid the kick. They landed facing away from each other, both in a crouch. At the intersection, Rhodez watched, waiting for something to happen. Deadpool sheathed his blade with click that echoed in the empty workspace. The gnome straightened up, and Rhodez raised her rifle as his eyes locked with hers. "Deadpool?"

"Wait for it," he replied, still in his landing pose.

A single cut in the gnome's tunic appeared. He scratched idly at the unbroken skin under it.

"It itched. That's about it."

He took one step towards Rhodez, and the lower half of his beard fell to the floor. He froze, staring at his shorn facial hair.

"Beard Trimmer!" Wade exclaimed proudly as he finally stood up and turned to face them. Before he could say more, a tiny fist connected with his chin. His lower jaw was driven back, nearly severing his windpipe. The rest of him flew into the wall, only his lower legs and hand sticking out of the hole. 

A shot hit him in the shoulder and made him stumbled. He whirled and glared at Rhodez, who looked on in dismay.

"Oh come on!" she groaned as the gnome sent the cart screaming towards her with one kick. There was no time to dodge, so she held out the rifle, hoping to blunt the impact at least a little. She felt a sharp pain shiver up both arms at first contact, but opened her eyes to find she hadn't been run over. The cart stopped on contact. Her arms stung and her rifle was dented. She probably couldn't risk firing it again.

Which was a problem, because the gnome was watching her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. She hadn't retrieved her hatchet after he kicked her in the head, and if the .30-30 rounds weren't stopping him, she doubted using the rifle as a club would work.

"Microverse ZZ Top." The gnome turned, fed up with the insults. Of course, compared to the syringe full of acid Deadpool sprayed into his face, insults weren't so bad. Rhodez approached slowly, not really wanting a closer look at the damage, but Deadpool seemed unperturbed, already talking to himself about whether a "Melt with You" reference would have been better.

The tiny terror lurched blindly, and Rhodez backed up, settling in a crouch, one hand on the ground steadying her to defend or roll away. The gnome crouched as well, preparing to jump. Gaining high ground for an attack, or trying to escape? It was never clear because as he went to jump, his feet slid from under him and he simply fell on his face.

His mostly melted, extremely injured face.

"I guess your luck powers really did run out," Deadpool observed over the screams. "You aren't hurt enough you can't feel pain, but the acid did make you uglier than me." 

He tried to walk over to the gnome, but his feet slid uselessly on the carpeted floor. The gnome glared hatefully through the eye that's lid hadn't melted over as he scrabbled uselessly at the carpet, trying to drag himself away. "You could run me over for an hour and I'd still look better than you, crapbag."

"As much as I'd love doing donuts on your face in the parking lot, I don't think my trainee would approve." Deadpool found he still couldn't move. "Hey Padawan, throw me your rifle, I'm on a treadmill here, and not just the constant cycle of making friends then pissing them off my creative teams have me on."

"I'm not sure it'll help, Wa - Deadpool. See for yourself." She stood and tossed it to him. As she did, both Deadpool and the gnome abruptly regained traction. Deadpool turned it into a lunge, ignoring the rifle, knife drawn to pin his enemy to the ground like a bug on display. The gnome launched himself up and away, snatching the rifle in midair. Knowing it would be useless against the regenerating merc, he aimed at Rhodez, who had fallen backwards and was scrambling away on all fours.

Deadpool found he couldn't get up, limbs sliding uselessly. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious, useless narrator. How about you explain who entered a cheat code to turn this into an ice level from Mario 3?"

Listen here you, this is not a visual narrative. I have to describe what's happening for the audience.

"Blah, blah, while the useless narrator defended his obsolete job, Deadpool threw his knife at the stupid, smelly, ugly gnome!"

Knock that off! Ahem, Deadpool threw his knife, but the rifle had already exploded in the gnome's face, what was left of it. He fell backwards, landing on the mail cart. It spun slightly and rolled more than would be expected from the impact. Taking a chance, Rhodez rushed the cart and shoved it. The cart sailed down the aisle like a runaway train, and almost as devoid of passengers, the disarmed and maimed gnome writhing atop it. The cart went through a window at the end of the aisle with a crash and fell out of sight. 

Deadpool found he could get up again. "Thank goodness, those little blue pills are expensive." 

To Rhodez, "I think you need X-Men training more than assassin training, Padawan. We could enroll you in the X-Force after-school program and split the difference."

Rhodez sighed. "I can't afford more education. I already have enough student debt I seriously considered letting you train me to be a contract killer. I can't even replace that rifle," she gestured glumly to the shattered remnants of her weapon.

"That's why you take hits on the side, when you aren't going on paramiltary, morally ambiguous missions with a bunch of people in black-and-grey outfits! They'll even give you guns, you just have to "lose" them along the way," the mercenary gestured enthusiastically.

"Are you two OK?" They turned to see a damp panda and bedraggled Pollock, wringing out her cape.

Deadpool arched one eye. "Not as OK as you two, if you had time for pool sex. You're supposed to invite me to that."

Hard to say which of the other three people in the room was more disgusted by that comment. "That's not what we were doing!" snapped Pollock. "We were attacked by an idiot with grenades and intangibility powers!"

"That still doesn't explain looking like you just ran through the city in a thunderstorm to catch the train your lover is leaving town forever on," Deadpool observed, before turning to Clever Adolescent Panda. "So, what had you bothered in there, big chum?"

"There were a lot of researchers and lab technicians, and they were all dead. It looks like the Amilgars did it. What happened up here?"

"We got attacked by a creepy gnome," Rhodez explained.

"Is that all?" Pollock asked incredulously. "From all the damage, I'd think you fought a team of highly trained super-soldiers."

"I've heard gnomes have eight times the strength of an ordinary human," the panda observed, "but I've never met one, so I don't know if it's true."

"Pretty sure it's true," Rhodez said wearily.

A Dark Trail - Chapter 9

On the first floor, Pollock and Clever Adolescent Panda were still in trouble. Pollock managed a second barrier against the last grenade, but only barely. Without the panda behind her, acting as a brace, she'd have been blown across the room.

Out of explosives, the Immaterial Man seemed content to try rushing and diving at them. Pollock rolled left, CAP right, and he slid smoothly into the floor. The duo jumped onto the few remaining objects in the room, Pollock an equipment cart, CAP one of the holding tubes, trying to stay out of reach of surprise attacks from below. Four eyes scanned the room for any sign of that unsettling smile or green suit.

Pollock whispered, trusting the panda's ears to pick it up. "I might have something to stop him, but we need a way to hold him in place for it to work."

"I have something, but you'll have to stay back or it'll get you, too." The panda dropped to the floor more heavily than necessary, all senses on alert for their opponent, something hidden in one broad paw. Both sets of eyes swiveled to the blocked doorway at the sound of loud cracking. The floor gave way under the remains of the collapsed ceiling, concrete and plaster splashing into the water below. Even after the rubble fell through, cracks spiderwebbed outwards. From her higher vantage point, Pollock could tell the floor was unusually thin, like a single sheet of graham crackers.

"He's been pulling away the floor this whole time!," she shouted as the floor gave way entirely. Her perch tipped backwards as it fell, and she was unable to leap clear. Clever Adolescent Panda lunged towards a wall, just managing to grab a pipe running from ceiling to floor with one paw. This left them unable to do anything for Pollock as she fell into dark water.

It also left them vulnerable, trapped on a single narrow handhold. It wouldn't be difficult for the enemy to reach out of the wall and take the panda's heart. Unless he was focused on Pollock while she was in the water.

As CAP scanned the murky surface below, hoping for a familiar head to break the surface, a hand shot out of the wall, although it was aimed at their face rather than their heart. Our furry hero had been warned somehow. An instinct maybe, or the rustle of fabric as it passed through air, and flung themselves backwards into the open space where there used to be a floor.

"Time flies, but you just fall." The Immaterial Man began to emerge from the wall, intending to attack while the panda was helpless in mid-air. Before he could launch himself from the wall, CAP hurled the item in their paw. The Aura Lock grenade released a flare of light, and the spectral foe spasmed, tumbling gracelessly for an instant before their suit caught on a bracket holding the pipe to the wall. The panda's momentary triumph didn't convince gravity to release her grip, and CAP plunged into the frigid water, bobbing to the surface moments later.

The few functioning lights in the room above didn't illuminate much of the lower level. They appeared to be in a long hallway or tunnel. There was no sign of Pollock. Perhaps her cape had weighed her down? Before CAP could start a search, a low groan rolled from above. The Immaterial Man glared down, smile gone, as he phased one hand into the wall to lever himself up and free his suit from where it was caught.

He held a lighter in his other hand, and it was then the panda noticed a sticker on the pipe indicating it was a gas line. If there was still any inside, phasing a lighter in there would be bad for everyone. Except, presumably, the one who could turn intangible and let the explosion pass through him.

"You can't buy time, but time can say bye."

From behind CAP a canister flew up and exploded in a cloud of yellow smoke around the Immaterial Man. "Would you shut up, you nattering lunatic?!" a wet and extremely angry-looking Pollock snarled.

The lunatic in question tried to close his eyes and mouth, then retreat into the wall, but his concentration faltered, and he couldn't pull himself in. He fell, not out of the wall, but down through it, towards them, towards the water. There was no splash, not even a ripple. His passage caused as little disturbance as starlight.

"He must be stuck in his intangible state!" CAP realized, submerging and kicking to the floor. "He'll just keep sinking if I don't stop him!"

Underwater, most of the panda's senses were muted, if not entirely useless. From what little they could make out, there was no sign of that shiny green suit. The Immaterial Man was gone without a trace.

By the time Clever Adolescent Panda resurfaced, Pollock had reached the staircase to floors above and was watching the water warily from the dry landing. She offered a hand as the panda reached the staircase. "No sign?"

The panda shook their head, water droplets flying in all directions. "I don't know how far down he could be by now. If he regains consciousness in time, maybe. . . "

"I designed it to keep a regular person unconscious for hours. Even Wade would probably be out for an hour."

The panda's dark eyes locked on Pollock's green ones. "What would you need something like that for?"

Pollock folded her arms across her chest, exasperated. "For all the very annoying, very strong people who keep showing up at my business and causing problems. It's a nonlethal response. In my defense, I wasn't expecting the person I used it on to fall to the floor and then through it."

"Great, but now we've got nothing."

"I'm sorry, perhaps you'd prefer to be back in the freezing water faced with an opponent who probably wouldn't be hampered at all?"

The panda raised their front paws in a placating gesture. "You're right. This just isn't going how I hoped."

"Does it ever?" Pollock scoffed. "There are still the computers in the lab. Or perhaps one of the others found something."

Both of them snapped their heads towards the ceiling at the sound of gunfire. Dashing up the stairs, CAP said, "I don't think Wade is just bored."

A Dark Trail - Chapter 8

Calvin followed the fiddle out the window, but where it fell to the parking lot below, he hopped onto a narrow ledge and scooted to the side. He was angry about getting shocked, not suicidal. 

Adrenaline and a desire to get clear caused him to almost overshoot and sail into empty space like the instrument, but he was able to regain his balance as electricity sparked and snapped out the window on his left and into the air. He made his way along the narrow path to the next hallway down, where he found the window was entirely intact. Over his shoulder, he saw his new best friend sticking his head out the window, scowling.

"Aw, crap."

Then the elderly-looking man was flying out the window, the fat end of Calvin's bat taking his place, one slim hand holding it tightly. For a moment the Electric Man seemed to cartwheel helplessly into space, until the electricity surged from his hands again. It reached back to the building, seeming to almost grasp the metal framework that ran along the exterior, then arcing back to its master. His descent slowed, then stopped, and he began to rise back to their level.

Having forgotten his own very exposed position, Calvin watched as the bat withdrew from his sight. Before the walking skeleton could follow, Cassanee leapt out to meet him. She kicked him squarely in the face, using him as a springboard to go higher, and she floated backwards enough to grab the edge of the roof with one hand. As the Electric Man again overcame gravity, Cass easily pulled herself up. He glared up at her, while the Lady in Orange looked down at him, no emotion showing.

For a few seconds, they held this stalemate. Then, with a little more power, he was launched above her, Cass darting back smoothly while he rained bolts of sheer power on her as he descended. Calvin continued down the ledge, trying to find some way to access the roof. 

Cassanee felt steadier here. Only a few AC units for cover, but the open roof offered far more room to maneuver than the close quarters of the hall and offices. Not that she would say she was winning, exactly. Getting close enough to strike was tricky. She couldn't tell that he had a recharge time, and didn't plan to take another direct hit to find out. She stayed to one side or the other, so it was more difficult for him to use both hands, since using both seemed to allow for stronger attacks and a wider range.

At least he hadn't been able to stay airborne. She'd be in real trouble if he claimed the high ground, she reflected, ducing behind an AC unit. A moment later, she darted back the direction she'd come, heading for more cover. She saw his right hand rise out of the corner of her eye, but she'd didn't slow her pace until after he decided where to aim, so he led her by too much. She turned 90 degrees, heading for him as his attack crackled ineffectually wide left.

He raised his left arm in response, and she adjusted smoothly to her right. Just enough to avoid any harm beyond her cloak getting singed, but not enough to divert her. She held the bat in one hand, letting it trail behind her just above the roof. She could bring it to bear in a full swing on any number of places on his emaciated body. She saw his eyes widen, and then the right hand was there, crossed over his left bicep, palm out. She was able to glide sideways as a wall of current erupted between them. The barrier unfortunately redirected her long enough he could bring his left arm back into the fray and she had to retreat.

Cassanee felt her teeth grind in frustration. She was faster than him, but he could cover such a wide range with little movement or effort. And he was on a section of roof with no cover nearby. Drawing him into an ambush was impossible. She started to wonder if she'd been better off in the maze of halls and offices after all. This was slightly outside her range of expertise.

"Hey! Heeeeey! Old Man! You gonna do your version of Fiddler on the Roof? Oh that's right, you ca - awk!" Calvin dropped back out of sight onto the fire escape. The metal fire escape. Crap. Well he couldn't be picky. He'd been lucky to even find this rickety thing around the corner of the building. Especially since he hadn't seen a way to access from inside. Maybe they renovated the building and left it behind?

At any rate, he'd reached the roof and tried to give Cass an opening the best way he could: being a smart ass. Well he got the guy's attention, but when Cass tried to capitalize, the Electric Man flung one hand to his side. His energy arced out and wrapped around an AC unit, pulling him that way. Cass' swing only grazed his left side. To her credit, she didn't break stride, flowing smoothly in a gentle arc that tracked his movement, and kept her between him and Calvin.

Calvin popped back up into view and flung the metal platter like a Frisbee. Focused on Cass as she looked for an opening, the Electric Man didn't notice the platter ricochet off the AC unit he was being drawn towards, and it collided solidly with his jaw. The current coming from his hand abruptly cut off, the upraised arm straightened out and jerked higher on some invisible puppet string.

The tray spun off in the direction of Cass, who let it drift over her shoulder as she darted in and struck the stunned man once in the face with the end of the bat. He flew backwards before he hit the roof and rolled another few feet.

Calvin walked up, holding the tray in one hand and shaking the other. "Captain America always makes catching it look so much easier. You have any rubber coils or insulation or anything?"

Cassanee's eyes stayed on their downed opponent. "He wears gloves. Rubber coils?"

"Yes, and he takes performance enhancers. And I mean something to absorb any electricity he tries to discharge."

She shook her head. "Nothing like that."

"Me neither. Should we try getting the others and leaving while the getting is good?"

A Dark Trail - Chapter 7

Rhodez dove back around the corner and watched Deadpool go tumbling ass over teakettle past her, before her view was obscured by the cubicle wall falling on her. She did her best to brace herself and push back, but there must have been a file cabinet on top, considering the weight fighting her efforts.

Deadpool landed awkwardly in a cubicle across the aisle, body sprawled across a partition. Rhodez dragged herself free and pulled him down to the floor. Besides some aches in her back and a familiar ringing in her ears, she wasn't too bad off.

"Are you OK?"

The merc seemed cheerful, given circumstances. "My heart started again a minute ago, that's usually encouraging."

Rhodez looked over her shoulder in the direction of the explosion. Peering through the smoke and fire, she spied a red hat moving their way. "I don't think you got the little bastard."

"Hey now, no disparaging him on basis of his height or parentage," the merc objected as he concentrated on getting his feet to respond again.

Having no success, he raised his head and shouted in the direction of the explosion. "Not when we can make fun of his stupid Christmas variant dunce cap! Or how he has his shirt untucked, but his belt on over it!"

Rhodez immediately began dragging Deadpool down the row and around the corner at the far end. Pausing to catch her breath - the merc was heavier than he looked - she hissed at her luggage, "Wade, shut the hell up! He already kicked your ass once!"

"Pfft. If I didn't shittalk people who kicked my ass, I'd never get to talk."

"Then at least wait until you can move something besides your mouth!"

"No promises. You see Johnny the Homicidal Fairyland Creature?" 

Checking the rows on either side, "No, he's not in either aisle."

"Rule #4: Remember to look up." Startled, Rhodez did as suggested, and found the gnome perched on the cube wall right above. He pounced.

At close range, Rhodez opted to try swinging her hatchet at him. The gnome kicked in mid-air and bounded over the weapon, then stomped on the top of her head as he came down. She fell to the floor stunned.

Deadpool had regained control of one arm, and unloaded with his pistol as the gnome neared the ground. It simply kicked off the air again and double-jumped over the gunfire towards the wall. He kicked off in Deadpool's direction, but went through the ceiling panels.

"It's like trying to kill Samus while she's doing the worst Mario cosplay ever. Must be a hack," Deadpool grumbled, watching the ceiling for signs of movement. Still 6 shots left, and he doubted he'd get a chance to reload right now. He shifted the pistol to his right hand, and picked up Rhodez' hatchet with the left.

The corner of one panel behind him and to the right lifted just slightly. The mercenary threw the hatchet at the opposite corner, and the panel split, gnome falling into view. Wade fired twice, and his target again air-jumped out of the way.

"You aren't getting away from this troll, David." Deadpool tracked and fired, but the gnome pushed off the ceiling with both hands and plummeted like a meteor. A tiny, bearded meteor. Shots 3 and 4 missed, but 5 and 6 struck the gnome in the chest. He grunted, but kept falling, stomping on Wade's chest with both feet.

The occasional X-man felt most of his ribs break, and one lung collapse. "Not collapse, more burst like a melon, helpful narrator. It isn't the first time, but I usually have to piss off the Hulk. Or at least Spidey. You know, when he's in one of his "edgy" moods. . . Say, why aren't you dead?"

The gnome opened his tunic. Bullet impacts were visible, but as bruises. The shots barely broke the skin.

"I'm very dense."

"You said it, not me."

Annoyed, the gnome produced another syringe. "Through the eye this time."

He was sent flying as he finished the sentence. Rhodez regained consciousness enough to shoot him in the back. He crashed into a cube wall. It rocked from the impact, but the other partitions it was connected to kept it from toppling.

Groaning, then cursing, the gnome began to rise. Rhodez immediately chambered another round, and the gnome hurled the acid-filled syringe at her. It was snatched out of the air by a red-gloved hand. The mercenary also rose, twirling the syringe around one finger.

It was at that moment an old man fell past the window to their left, only to reappear an instant later, lightning arcing from his fingers as he rose steadily past them and out of sight.

The two stood silently, until Rhodez turned to Wade. "The hell was that?"

"Old Man Electro's demanding his own 12-issue mini-series now."

A Dark Trail - Chapter 6

"Barrier!" 

A pink energy wall shielded Pollock and Clever Adolescent Panda from the worst of the grenade. Shrapnel shredded wires and shattering glass. The concussion sent a nearby cart flying, scattering the few pieces of equipment on it as it did. Pollock winced and dropped the wall, needing to catch her breath.

CAP immediately launched at their attacker, who didn't seem able to react in time. To the panda's surprise, the man proved insubstantial as a shadow, and CAP crashed headfirst into the wall. The man watched the panda's faceplant, then turned towards Pollock, producing another grenade from his suit pocket. "Your hour is at hand."

From behind him, a whip cracked, knocking the grenade loose before it could be armed. The man swung his other arm in a lazy arc toward CAP's head. The panda had enough experience to be wary, and rolled out of the way.

The hand slid easily into the wall for just a moment, until its arc brought it clear again, a piece of the wall grasped between his fingers. He locked eyes with the panda and smiled. "Won't be a minute."

"Is he using time-related expressions?" Pollock grumbled as she reached into her jacket for a large gun. The man drifted into the wall and out of sight.

"Of course he is! Didn't you see the clocks all over his outfit?"

"What do grenades and intangibility have to do with time?"

"Time to call a hearse," the voice responded from behind them as he rose through the floor. He sounded calm, but his targets sensed an undercurrent of glee.

The whip lashed out again, passing through harmlessly as he brought out another grenade. Pollock fired and the canister burst open, revealing a whirling saw blade. The top of the grenade fell to the ground harmlessly.

CAP gawked. "What happened to boxing gloves and silly string?"

"I have those, but I thought more extreme measures might be required."

The man frowned momentarily. Then reached into the floor and pulled a section of piping several feet long, which he held easily at one end. "Playtime is over."

He jabbed with the impromptu staff, catching Pollock in the chest, driving her into the wall. Pollock gasped from the dual impacts, wishing she'd remembered to bring a flak jacket. The staff was already snapping to the right, where CAP absorbed the strike on two thick forearms. The panda slid an inch, no more. They tried shoving back, but the man let his feet sink slightly into the floor and he stopped.

Clever Adolescent Panda took a firm grip on the end of the staff, murmuring to themselves. Perhaps impatient, the Immaterial Man pushed again, only to see the panda bend the staff back on itself like they were planning to roll it up. Using that extra grip, CAP gave a sharp wrench.

The man pulled back, refusing to give an inch. Which is what his furry opponent wanted. CAP used the force of the pull and vaulted into the air, spinning and cracking the whip in the air overhead.

"It's your down time." The man released the staff and extended one hand, waiting for the panda to pass through him. He'd be able to grab any number of organs.

It didn't work as planned. Clever Adolescent Panda jabbed with their free paw, and it connected solidly against the Immaterial Man's. The force behind it, combined with the momentum of the leap, smashed the man to the ground, the floor bending and creaking beneath him. Too stunned to react, a moment later one the lights, its cables cut by the whip, crashed on his head.

CAP helped Pollock, clearly confused, to her feet. "Did he forget to turn intangible?"

"I altered my aura so I could still hit him. Like how I make it so insects don't recognize me as food."

"Setting aside that those two things are nothing alike, why didn't you do that earlier, then?"

"It takes more concentration than fooling insects. You have to make it sorta tangible, but not all the way tangible."

"Clear as mud."

"Your hourglass is out of sand." Their foe rose slowly.

"That was kind of weak. Really awkward phrasing."

"Don't critique his dialogue, just punch him again!" Pollock yelled as she got some distance, trying to think of a good counterattack. CAP's fist shot forward. . . and passed harmlessly through his target.

"What was that?"

"I lost my concentration, maybe because someone is yelling in my ear! I don't see you doing anything!" The panda leapt back, away from another swipe of an intangible limb.

"Whatever, let's just get out of here. We need more room to operate."

The Immaterial Man's smile returned as he sank into the floor. The two dashed towards the door, only for the floor to come crashing down, the wall and ceiling following, sealing them in. As they tried to wave away the dust - no telling what toxic materials were in the walls - they watched their opponent stroll through the debris. As he stepped clear he began tossing a grenade, the one swatted away from him earlier, casually. "You're on borrowed time."

"He's strong enough to bring down an entire wall?" Pollock was growing more irritated and concerned by the moment.

"It's not that hard. He probably swept out key supports beneath it. It's not like he punched it."

"Shut up."

A Dark Trail - Chapter 5

One floor up, Calvin and Cassanee continued their search. They found nothing living, but every office showed signs of past use. Nothing useful had turned up, but Calvin kept checking any documents lying around.

Flipping through a spiral notebook, he paused on one page, eyebrows raised. Cass noticed, but waited for him to explain.

"It says, 'let this end' over and over again. The tiny handwriting looks familiar. . ."

Calvin folded and stuffed the papers in his pack and joined her in the hallway. They'd checked everywhere, save behind the double doors at the far end of the hall from the stairs. They moved that way, checking the offices they passed again, just in case.

They leaned up against the walls on either side, each gripping one doorknob. The knobs turned easily, the doors swinging open at a gentle push. It was another office, but far larger than the others. Some executive's, probably. A more impressive, sturdier desk, with two low chairs on their side, and a taller, much nicer chair on the other side, its back to the window. A walnut bookshelf in one corner, a circular tray with dusty glasses and a bottle of Scotch on a low cabinet along the opposite wall.

Stepping farther into the room, Cassanee paused and sniffed the air, picking up the ozone scent from after a thunderstorm, but without a source. Calvin tapped her shoulder and pointed to their right. There was a faint outline, like the one he'd seen reflected in the window earlier. It resolved into a person. A thin, almost skeletal gentleman, wispy white hair standing out from the sides of his head. He wore a tuxedo that hung loosely on his frame, a fiddle in his left hand. He tilted his head and regarded them with an unreadable expression.

The lights in the room flickered to life, followed by the ones in the hall, the light rising in intensity until it was almost painful. Calvin felt the hair on his scalp and arms rise, his hands clenching the bat even more tightly, all the while his mind was telling him to go. Cass' eyes were narrowed and he could tell she was tense, ready for any sign of danger, but the man did nothing.

Calvin decided to try talking. "Um, hi. You wouldn't be able to tell us anything about this place, would you?"

The man said nothing. Merely placed the fiddle beneath his chin, and raised the bow. Calvin wasn't sure what that meant - he bet nothing good - but Cassanee darted forward and ripped the instrument from the bony hands.

That, at least, produced a change in expression. The man's eyes and mouth drooped in dismay. He extended his now empty hand, trying to reclaim the fiddle. Cass easily stepped out of reach, holding it behind her. "Just tell us what you'r - "

She was cut off as lightning arced from long fingers and coursed through her. Her head snapped back with enough force the hood of the her cloak - the one Pollock thought must be glued on - actually fell back. Her mouth moved soundlessly, unable to draw a breath to exclaim.

For the first few moments, Calvin stood rooted in place, too surprised to move. By the time he broke out of his stupor, rushing forward in what felt like slow-motion, the man ceased his attack. Cassanee was falling and he was reaching for his fiddle again, expression almost back to what it was before.

Calvin slammed into his side, bat held in front of him like a bar. He drove the man into the wall with all the force he could muster, hoping to hear some sound of pain. A cry of pain or a grunt, a bone snapping, something showing this wasn't futile. Instead the man just looked at him curiously. As though he couldn't understand what was going on. He raised one hand again.

Calvin rolled to his left, towards the windows, electricity just missing, scorching the carpet in its path. Calvin stumbled back, grabbing the cabinet to avoid falling on his ass. The tray with the alcohol and glasses sat next to his left arm. He swept it forward, flinging the items at the man, who raised his arms to shield his face. The bottle shattered, dousing him in what Calvin hoped was high proof booze, while Calvin got to his feet and darted by, grabbing the tray as he went.

He scooped the fiddle from where the man dropped it when he shielded himself, tossed it and the tray in his pack, then gathered Cass' unconscious body. She was still breathing, at least. Calvin scrambled for the doorway, but glancing over his shoulder, saw the man had cleared his vision and was raising his left arm again. Calvin was so focused on that he almost ran into one of the doors before he resumed looking where he was going, but managed to avoid it with a spin and dive sideways into the hall. He twisted to land on his back and not let Cass' head hit the floor. The bat slipped from his sweaty fingers and made a muffled clatter as it landed on the carpet.

He heard two sounds as he landed. One, the crunch of the fiddle under him. The other, the fwoosh of a flame igniting. The lights in the hall dimmed, though they didn't go out entirely, an orange glow coming from the office. Calvin sat up and double-checked Cass' heart and breathing hadn't stopped in the last five seconds (fifteen? thirty? how long since he checked last?). They hadn't. His own breath was coming in short, rapid inhales.

Thump. He looked again at the double doors.

Thump. A footstep. Thump. The interval shortened. Thump.

Cass groaned as Calvin scooted backwards. He couldn't seem to get his feet under him, but they could at least push him down the hall. He passed an open office and rolled his cargo onto the floor. He closed the door quietly and used his grip on the doorknob to pull himself to his feet. His legs couldn't decide between running in any direction as fast as they could and giving way again as the odd gentleman stepped into view.

His sleeves were burned away, the hair on the right side of his head singed to nothing. The stench from that was just delightful. Otherwise, he seemed unharmed. He locked onto Calvin, who made a show of rattling the knob as if trying to open a locked door.

Calvin released it and stepped back, hands up in a non-threatening gesture. "OK, so good news/bad news. Good news, I have your fiddle - "

Then he was diving for another corner as the stranger raised both hands and unleashed a charge that surged down the hall like a wave of writhing snakes. Calvin's left foot spasmed and an unpleasant tingle ran up the entire leg, leaving it numb. He hobbled to the end of the hall, to the window where the raven had been earlier. Behind him, the Electric Man turned the corner, watching him.

"You know," Calvin gasped, "I was going to say this next bit was bad news, but to hell with that. I crushed your stupid fiddle the second time you tried to electrocute me. He pulled it out by its broken neck as proof.

Then he tossed it out the window.

"Oops."

A Dark Trail - Chapter 4

Deadpool and Rhodez wound their way through the cubicle rows. Wade hummed to himself as he picked through the abandoned work spaces. Rhodez hefted her rifle nervously, attention divided between the unpredictable mercenary and their surroundings. With sunlight filtered through dirty and broken windows, the whole floor had a gloomy feel. The cubicle partitions almost reached the ceiling, so where they still stood, the ambient light was low, conditions similar to dusk. Just bright enough their lights didn't help much.

Eyeing her flashlight, Rhodez asked. "Wade, uh Deadpool, you have any nightvision goggles?"

"Nah. You wouldn't want those, anyway. You turn a corner into a bright light and end up blind. Or maybe that was just Weasel after I pointed that floodlight at him. You'd think his eyes would be more resistant, staring at computer screens all day, with their comforting, irradiating glow."

Deadpool chattered on, unconcerned. Rhodez tuned him out, wondering how he talked for three minutes without pausing to breathe.

"Hey, check this out!" She was pulled from her thoughts at his excitement. He'd moved several cubes down without her noticing. She found him hunched over a desk. "Look, this person made a whole petting zoo out of paper clips! This one's gotta be an elephant!" 

Wade tried imitating an elephant's call, to little success, sounding more like a fart. Actually, since this is Deadpool, he might have been.

"Oh yeah," Rhodez replied uncertainly, "that's kinda cool. They must have been bored as hell."

Deadpool breezed past her, paper clips animal having lost his interest. "Tell me about it! Normally when I come on these adventures with you guys there's a lot more explosions and a lot less mood-setting."

"Really? I only got to go on the one where we tried to shoot a pie at Pollock out of a bazooka. That was pretty exciting, but I didn't know if that was normal."

The mercenary put his finger to his chin in an imitation of a person capable of thought. "Hmmmm, I'd say that was on the low end, really. No robots or chainsaws, no extended kung-fu battles. Don't they tell you about their adventures?"

Rhodez thought it over as they turned a corner on another row of cubicles. "Calvin does sometimes, but he always underplays things. It's like pullin' teeth. Everything is "OK", or "a little rough."

"Huh," Deadpool grunted, "he sure bitches a lot more when we're in the middle of them."

"Ha, I can believe that." Rhodez snapped her head around as she caught a glimpse of something moving behind her. It scurried out of a cubicle and around the corner to another row. "Did you see that?"

Deadpool walked past, drawing a katana with one hand and a pistol with another. "No. You're imagining things." 

As he said this, he rounded the corner, gun leveled at. . . nothing. The merc motioned for Rhodez to follow him as he moved slowly down the row. "7th Rule: If you think you saw something, you probably did. A little yellow bird taught me that. Unless you're drunk. or fighting a telepath. Or have an unstable brain prone to hallucinations." 

He stopped and studied her intently. "You aren't experiencing any of those, right?"

"I don't think so, but how would I know if there's a telepath messing with me?"

"It tingles like a bad rash or the clap, but inside your brain."

Rhodez made a disgusted face. "I'm not feeling that."

"That's what my doctor at the massage parlor said!"

"Let's just keep looking."

They reached a four-way intersection. There was no sign of anyone or anything moving. The only sound the distant rush of cars passing by on the road, until a hollow metallic thud at the end of one row. An empty coffee can rolled slowly into view. Deadpool turned to Rhodez and made a series of hand gestures. By the time he was mimicking a bird flapping its wings while he twirled in place, she was completely lost.

Recognizing this, he put a finger to his lips in a "shh" motion, then tiptoed down the hall, holstering his gun as he did. Once in 10 feet of where the can came from, he crouched, then sprang into the air, doing a neat flip and drawing his other katana. He landed on the desk, blades ready, Rhodez moving up behind him. 

Office supplies and random tchotchkes left behind. A magnet proclaiming "Stick to it!" on a file cabinet, holding up nothing. But there was a gap in the base of the rear partition, allowing access to the next row. They both heard a scrabbling sound, like a large rodent. Rhodez turned and went the way she came, hoping to loop around and cut it off. Deadpool simply vaulted the partition, but miscalculated the location of the desk and landed awkwardly. Fortunately it was more embarrassing than painful.

He stepped out of the cubicle, spying a small person moving swiftly. Their most notable feature, other than their small stature, was a tall, pointed red cap.

"What's your hurry, Pippin? If you're hunting for second breakfast, I got a nice pineapple for you. That's not a reference to my junk, it's a euphemism for a grenade."

The figure stopped as Rhodez rounded the corner ahead of it and sighed. "I'm not a hobbit, you jibbering idiot."

"I think he's a gnome, Wade."

The gnome grinned at her with unpleasantly sharp teeth. "I am indeed."

"So are you Gerber's Elf with a Gun? Do elves Pokevole into gnomes? Doesn't matter, my sword has +3 poison because I haven't cleaned it in weeks!" Deadpool lunged, bringing the blade in an overhand swing towards the gnome. The gnome casually caught Deadpool's wrist with one hand, and flung him over his head.

The Merc with a Mouth smashed into the ceiling before falling facefirst to the floor. The gnome pulled a syringe from its pocket and jabbed it into Deadpool's spine.

"I hope that was a clean needle," he said as he started to climb to his feet.

The gnome gave another toothy grin. "Sure, except for the acid in it."

Deadpool crashed back to the floor, legs refusing to respond. The gnome tossed the syringe aside and drew another, leering at Rhodez. "Guess what time it is?"

"10:17?"

"Huh?"

"It's 10:17 in the morning. I'm right, right?"

The gnome checked his wristwatch. "Yeah, yeah it is." When he looked up, she was sighting down the barrel of her rifle.

"Knew it."

The gnome kicked Deadpool's limp body into the air as she fired, the bullet joining several others inside the mercenary. Rhodez winced, but Deadpool barely grunted. The gnome grinned, until he noticed something spinning on the ground. A grenade with Deadpool's emblem on it. He turned to escape as it exploded.

A Dark Trail - Chapter 3

Clever Adolescent Panda and Pollock closed the lab door firmly behind them as they entered. They scanned with their flashlights for a light switch. Finding one, Pollock flipped it experimentally. Nothing.

They stood silent, taking in the lab. Two rows of work stations. Some stations housed computers, others tools and parts. At each station was a person, either slumped over the desk or collapsed on the floor.

CAP covered their nose with one paw, the smell almost overpowering. "I'm glad we didn't let the others see this."

Pollock stepped carefully, avoiding pools of dried blood. "I'm fairly certain the fool noticed your reaction, and I wouldn't doubt Deadpool knows something as well."

CAP climbed two stairs to a raised section of the floor to the left. It held several long tables, most toppled or pushed against the walls, more equipment and people strewn everywhere. On the floor, among the victims, familiar looking transmitters. The panda picked one up and tossed it to their companion, who caught it easily.

"I think the ones at the computers were probably the ones who programmed commands into these things. Do you have anything that will work as a power source?"

"A few small batteries. They might work for a little while. Do you think there's anything left on the drives?"

Pollock didn't look optimistic. "I doubt it, but it would be best to confirm. The transmitters we collected in the woods weren't in any state I could determine what else might have been built into them."

They found an undamaged terminal, and fed it some power. After a gentle hum, the screen lit up, showing a login page. The panda glanced over. "You think we found someone who uses "password" for their password?"

"Unlikely." It wasn't the password, nor was it any other common choice.

CAP patted Pollock on the shoulder. "We can take one with us if we want. Let's keep looking." They approached a set of double doors on the wall opposite the entrance. Pushing them open revealed a narrow corridor that immediately turned left. The corridor was pitch black, their lights revealing featureless stone walls leading to a single steel door. 

It was ajar, blood stains visible on the inside. Two more people lay on the floor. They could tell both of the deceased had been hit repeatedly with great strength or at high speed. Or both. The door was dented to the extent it was concave, bulging towards them.

Clever Adolescent Panda moved carefully, avoiding the corpses. Pollock, on the other hand, hefted the larger one until it was half-in, half-out of the doorway. At the panda's questioning gaze, she replied flatly, "I'm not getting trapped in here because the door rolls shut. It has an autolock system. You want to chance it still functions?"

CAP narrowed their eyes, but didn't argue. The room beyond the steel door was also in total darkness, no sound other than the crunch of glass beneath boots and paws. Panning lights across the room revealed a row of large tubes lining the walls. Each tube had a glass cover in the front. Or used to, as each appeared to have been broken from the inside.

Pollock crouched to pick up a piece of glass with familiar hair on it. Thin, stiff, a metallic sheen. She passed it to CAP, who took a deep inhale.

"Amilgar?" Pollock still thought it was a dumb name, but her suggestions had been roundly ignored.

"Uh-huh. So they escaped, then rampaged through the lab?"

"It looks that way, though that doesn't match their being transported halfway across the country."

"Or being able to kill them with a command," CAP settled on their haunches, still passing the light over the room. "How do you attach the control unit once they were loose?"

"Perhaps they pumped a sedative into this section of the building."

The panda shook their head firmly. "The first door we went through wouldn't have held long enough."

"What do you think, then?"

CAP turned to face Pollock, an unsettled look in their eye. "It would be easier to attach the control unit while they were still under control in the tubes. Calvin told me when he and Cassanee were watching them, a few that didn't wake up with the others suddenly startled awake, like they were shocked, without anyone touching them. Maybe the control unit could be used for that, and maybe someone used it to send them into a frenzy and kill anyone here who could talk."

"That's certainly. . . grisly. I've found a strongly worded non-disclosure agreement usually does the trick."

Before the panda could respond to what they assumed was an attempt at a joke, the overhead lights flickered to life. Not all, leaving the room starkly divided between pools of light and shadow. CAP cocked their ears and angled their head towards the ceiling.

"What do you hear?"

"Gunfire, maybe."

"Deadpool may simply be messing with one of the others, or bor - "

Before Pollock finished the sentence, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A flash of green at the edge of the shadows in the corner. CAP noticed her trailing off and followed her gaze. A muted tremor of an explosion somewhere above caused the light fixtures to shake. Just enough to push the shadows in that corner back a bit. Enough to show the green was part of a suit, worn by an otherwise nondescript man.

The suit was a deep emerald green, covered in clock face designs. Each face appeared set to a different time. His hands were clasped behind his back, head cocked to one side. His closed-lip smile made the fur on the panda's neck and scalp rise. Pollock tensed as well, and the man spoke.

"Time's up."

His hands swung into view. Each held a grenade. The one in his right hand, he immediately hurled at the two of them.

A Dark Trail - Chapter 2

Somewhere, there's a particular man in a particular room. He stood ramrod straight beneath a bright, narrow light, staring at the barely visible outline of another person. That other person was seated in the darkness consuming the rest of the room, left cheek rested on the knuckles of his left hand. His posture suggested an amiable air, but the man in the light was not at ease, waiting for the other to speak.

When he did, it was not good news. "An observer tells me they found the facility."

"That's impossible sir!" The man under the light couldn't stop the denial from rushing out, even when he knew it was a mistake, not to mention pointless. His master wouldn't say that unless it had happened, not being one for jokes.

The man in the chair's tone didn't show any sign he took offense, even as he replied, "I recall you telling me as much several months ago. Yet the impossible has occurred."

The man under the lights tried to will himself not to sweat, to no avail. "I'm sure they won't find anything."

"As sure as you were they wouldn't find the location at all?" The question could almost be mistaken for playful teasing. With another person, that might even be what it was. The man in the light knew it wasn't, and even having a sense of how this would end, had to try and save himself.

"Let me deal with them! It can serve as their tomb!"

"I already made arrangements for that some time ago. You underestimated them, but I did not overestimate you."

The slightest lift of the index finger on the right hand from where it sat on the arm rest, followed by the sound of meat being cut. The man in the light reached unsteadily for his throat before pitching forward onto the floor.

The one responsible was still in shadow, only the weapon and the hand it rested in visible. The blade had just a thin stain of blood on it, its ivory handle gleamed under the light. The hand was pale, long fingers curved loosely around the ivory, fabric visible at the base of the hand the orange of a stubborn bloodstain washed many times. The person holding it made no further movement or sound, but the seated figure perceivd something nonetheless.

"If this doesn't work, you'll have your chance. Let's see how the others do."

***

In the abandoned building, Cassanee and Calvin reached the top floor, pushing open the door carefully. Unlike the below, this floor consisted of a long hallway lined with offices. Other hallways intersected at right angles further down. They paused, listening for movement. Hearing nothing, they advanced, pausing at the first pair of offices. One door was closed, the other ajar, and they approached that one first. Calvin pushed it open with one hand, as Cass peered in from the other side.

A desk sat in front of a window. Cheap metal, cheaper particleboard top, dusty papers and pens scattered over it. Empty bookshelves in the corners. Cass stepped in, Calvin following after making sure the door across the hall showed no signs of opening. All drawers and cabinets were empty. The papers showed only random doodles, lines drawn in aimless patterns. Calvin glanced out the window on the weedy parking lot. No one had messed with his car yet, at least.

"I wonder what's in that lab. CAP really wanted to go in," Calvin whispered as they crossed the hall to the other door.

Cassanee tried the knob, but found it locked. She raised her leg to kick it open, but was stopped by Calvin's hand on her shoulder. "Let's check unlocked rooms first, try to keep a low profile."

The young woman nodded and continued down the hall. After a few steps, "They want to make sure Pollock doesn't destroy any evidence."

Several months in close proximity hadn't improved Cass' opinion of Pollock, Calvin noted as they reached an intersection. He hadn't really expected it to, and as long as they held off on killing each other, that would be enough. Checking both directions, they saw nothing but windows at the end of the halls and more offices. They took the right hallway first.

"That's a possibility, but Panda was concerned about something they smelled when Pollock cracked the door open. The hair on their neck went up."

Cassanee paused, watching him over her shoulder. "If there's a threat, why not warn the rest of us?"

Calvin didn't look up from poking through some torn up papers that had spilled into the hall from a kicked over wastebasket. "I'm guessing it wasn't a threat, but something a person would rather not find."

The hall ended at a broken window. The carpet squelched under their feet, the odor of mold and rot strong. They stared out the window, at a dense tangle of woods. From this vantage, there was no hint of what might live in those woods. Calvin's eyes drifted to the sky and he saw an outline reflected in a bit of glass still in place.

He whirled, pulse racing. At the far end of the hall, in the empty pane of another broken window, sat a raven. But nothing more.

"Something wrong?"

Calvin clenched the bat tightly, trying to get his heart to throttle down. He glanced at the woman next to him, watching him from beneath her orange hood, curiosity mixed with concern. Cass' instincts weren't telling her anything was wrong; why were his?

He shook his head. Probably just because he was less sure he could handle trouble than she was. "Thought I saw someone. Guess not."

They returned to the intersection, then across and down the opposite hall, towards the raven. It flew off as they approached, but not before calling, once.

Calvin couldn't decide if it was a laugh, or a warning.

A Dark Trail - Chapter 1

On a muggy June afternoon, two vehicles pulled to a stop in a deserted parking lot. One a nondescript white SUV, the other a black van with a mural stenciled on the side of a man in a red-and-black suit riding a dragon. Clever Adolescent Panda, Calvin, Pollock, and Cassanee exited the SUV. Across the lot, a decaying office building simmered in the sun.

"Why, exactly, did you park so far away?" Pollock grumbled. "It's miserable."

"Habit, I guess," Calvin replied. "Plus, no one can see our cars from the road if they're parked here. I don't want trouble with the local police. Or any police, for that matter."

Deadpool and Rhodez (formerly Makes-Brakes-Fail-Lass) emerged from the van. The mercenary quickly circled around to clap the other on the back encouragingly. "The brakes only failed on you once the entire drive over here! And you mostly avoided that lady on the scooter in the crosswalk!"

"That's not helping, Wade."

"Well, maybe you should focus on improving your reflexes instead of your control over your powers. I can shoot at you randomly if that'll help. And it's Deadpool when I'm on the clock."

The other four ignore the conversation to size up the building. Three stories high, constructed of weathered stone, with parts of the metal frame deliberately exposed to break up the basic cube shape. Most of the windows on the upper two floors were shattered, but those on the ground level were covered by heavy metal shutters. The front entrance and loading bay doors looked sealed shut.

Cassanee tilted her head to one side. "This is the place? Looks unused for years."

"Those metal shutters are high quality," Pollock replied confidently. "Too pricey to leave behind on a building that's been entirely abandoned. Someone wants to make sure no one can snoop."

"And yet, we're going inside," Calvin remarked, spinning the bat he was holding nervously. "How did you figure out this was the place?"

"One of my cousins found a particular isotope of vanadium in the coats of those Amilgars," CAP explained. This is one of the places in the world you'd process it, and Pollock found a record her company owned this place three years ago."

"Only for a brief time, then they sold it to someone whose existence I couldn't confirm," Pollock finished, checking the pockets in the interior of her coat. "Sounds suspicious, yes?"

Deadpool bounded in front of everyone and into the conversation. "Also boring. I'm not getting paid by the hour folks! (Why am I not getting paid by the hour? I need a better contract negotiator.) Let's go, folks!"

Rhodez whispered to the panda. "Is he getting paid? I don't want to get stuck with a bill. I'm already worried what he's going to charge for these "lessons" he says I'm getting."

"Not unless Pollock is."

Overhearing this, Pollock answered, "I said I would if he doesn't vanish before we're done here."

Cassanee ignored all the talk, headed for the front door, Calvin ambling along behind her. The others hurried to catch up.

The front door was indeed sealed shut, possibly welded. "Never fear, I have nature's hide-a-key!" Deadpool produced some plastique from a belt pouch, but Pollock and CAP each grabbed one shoulder to stop him.

"Wade, I mean Deadpool, let's not blow up the building before we get a chance to investigate."

"Yeah," Calvin interjected, "save that for our dramatic escape. I want to do the 'run away and then get tossed through the air by the shockwave' move."

"No way," Rhodez disagreed, "slow badass walk all the way."

BOOM

All heads swiveled to see Cassanee had kicked the door, leaving a sizeable dent. The second kick bowed the center further, but the edges held.

"These doors can be tricky, you got to hold your mouth just right," Deadpool stepped up, drew his sword and in a smooth arc swept it straight down through the door, an inch in from the weld. He stepped aside and the next kick bent the door into the building. Cassanee stepped in without a word, while Deadpool bowed and gestured for everyone else to follow her.

The light from outside didn't extend far into the lobby, but everyone had brought flashlights or headlamps. Except Deadpool, who had a Pool-Signal built into his belt buckle. To the left were doors to the loading dock. A quick glance revealed it was empty, and heavy dust sat on all surfaces. Faint traces of footprints and wheel tracks, but that was it.

Directly ahead were stairs, heading both up and down. It was impossible to tell how far down, because past the first three steps, everything was underwater. The water was murky and green, bits of office detritus floating on the surface. Paper clips and clipboards, rubber bands and an overturned coffee mug. Rhodez peered into the water intently, Calvin watching from over her shoulder. "See something?"

"Maybe. Can't tell how far down it goes." She passed her hand along the surface. "Water's cold, though."

Pollock's voice called from behind them. "Let's hope we don't have to go for a swim then. I didn't pack any breathing equipment or thermal gear." She had opened the door to the right of the lobby a hair and was scanning it carefully. CAP was all on fours below her, nose pressed into the opening. "This looks like a research lab of some type. Probably the best place to start. You can go look at whatever you want," she added as a dismissive afterthought.

"I'll look with you, just in case you miss something." The panda's tone was more tense than usual. They glanced back at everyone else. "Maybe you guys can find something on the upper floors?" The pair stepped into the room and let the door close behind them.

Deadpool looked at the other three, hands on his hips. "That was rude. Like working with Logan, except less shedding."

The remaining four climbed the stairs. The second floor landing opened to a single large room divided into cubicles. Some of the cubicle partitions were gone, but most remained, obscuring the view. Calvin's eyes flicked between the room ahead of them and the stairs that continued above them. "Start here and work up, or at the top and work down?"

"Why waste time? Let's just split up."

"'Split up?'" Calvin echoed. "In an abandoned industrial facility that may have been used to create monsters?"

"Deadpool, that's a terrible idea," Rhodez agreed. "This place is a horror movie set."

"Exactly," the mercenary said brightly. "The sooner we split up, the sooner anything lurking will attack, the sooner I kill it."

"What if the thing attacks us on the floor you aren't on?"

Deadpool poked the ceiling with his sword experimentally, causing plaster to rain on them. "I'm pretty sure I can shoot through this."

"Do not fire blindly. I don't need any more friendly fire injuries from you," Calvin jiggled his foot a little for emphasis.

"Fine, I'll use these X-ray specs." He put on a pair of googly-eye glasses.

Noticing Cassanee's impatient expression, Calvin sighed. "Fine. You and Rhodez check this floor. We'll head upstairs. Come investigate if you hear screaming, I guess."

"You're leaving me with Wade?!" Rhodez couldn't suppress her concern.

"You're less likely to get accidentally shot if you're where he can see you," Calvin said matter-of-factly as he followed Cassanee.

"Don't worry, Padawan," Deadpool threw his arm around her shoulder, "this is the perfect opportunity for training. There could be all sorts of enemies lurking behind all this cover! Or tripwires! And lasers!"

"Uch, fine."