Marvel: Life is Good

Everything after that was… chaotic. There's really no better way to describe it. They grabbed me, started asking questions rapid-fire, all the while side-eyeing Deadpool and Yuriko like they were one wrong move away from causing a scene. I gave them the short version of my "adventures," mentioning the kids on sublevel five and the isolation cells for particularly strong mutants on sublevel three. They already knew Deadpool, but for Yuriko, I introduced her without using her name, explaining she'd been enslaved by Stryker and was a mutant too.

I was worried about Logan's reaction—figured he might blow up—but he just looked at her the way he looks at everyone: like crap. Either they didn't have beef in this timeline, they hadn't had it yet, or he'd forgotten. Whatever. Moving on.

I also mentioned that there was a girl's body down the hall in the morgue, one that absolutely needed to be retrieved. That little tidbit made Magneto's eyes flash with anger, her jaw audibly grinding. Then, I told them I'd killed the big boss—Stryker himself. Logan frowned at that but kept quiet, while Magneto and Sabretooth exchanged approving glances, like I'd just been promoted to "junior psycho" in their book.

I didn't hold back, either—told them Stryker's office had a vial of the mind-control neutralizer. A few drops in the eyes would eventually lift its effects. There were documents there too, stuff that might be useful down the road. I tried to cover everything that could help.

After that, they sent me upstairs. Deadpool stayed with the strike team, while Yuriko silently followed me. She only muttered her name once during the entire conversation, and when asked if she wanted to join the fight, she shook her head and gestured toward me. And… weirdly enough, everyone seemed to relax when she did that. Even Logan gave her a glance without his usual grumpy-ass face. What kind of reaction was that?

On the way up, I grabbed a pair of pants off a corpse—a dead woman with her head almost severed. They were way too big, but a belt and a quick burn-hole adjustment did the trick. So now I was topless but rocking military pants, albeit rolled up at the bottom and slightly bloodstained. Still, at least my boys felt a semblance of false security.

On the first sublevel, Jean Grey and Toad greeted us. Jean immediately squawked at my disheveled, shirtless state, while Toad just explained where to go and who was waiting for us upstairs: Storm, Cyclops, and Charlene were there as the heavy artillery and interference crew. Kitty and Kristi, who'd managed to escape during the kidnappings, were with them too.

Hearing that Kristi was okay made me feel a wave of relief. I'd been really worried. Yeah, we hadn't been together long, but I liked her a lot—there was strong chemistry there, plenty of attraction mixed in.

When we made it to the surface, the base was a wreck. Lightning cracked across the stormy sky, and the wind whipped through the trees with violent force. Miss Ororo Munroe was clearly putting in work, messing with satellites and keeping any aircraft at bay.

That's when Kristi crashed into me. Hard. The girl had clearly been losing her mind over this, and the rapid-fire German she unleashed on me knocked me off balance for a second. But she cared. That much was obvious.

I just hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. Wanted to kiss her on the lips, but then I remembered how much I'd thrown up today and decided that was not what she'd be dreaming about. So we just stood there for a few minutes, holding each other.

It did occur to me, though—was my little Tobi standing at attention? Stress, maybe? Kinda embarrassing. Judging by Kristi's twitching purple ear, she noticed too. But she didn't pull away. Nice. This was exactly what I needed. Now if only I could get a shower, a toothbrush, and a massage…

My stomach growled loud enough to make Kristi laugh, reminding me that food wouldn't hurt either. But that'd have to wait.

They led Yuriko and me to a pair of buses parked near the demolished base. Charlene was there to meet us, looking concerned but clearly up to speed thanks to her telepathic abilities. Smiling warmly, she mentioned there was warm clothing and snacks inside the buses.

Clothing? Meh. Food? Yes, please.

What did make me a little nervous was the silent staring contest happening between Xavier and Yuriko. She was clenching and unclenching her fists, and Charlene just kept watching her with a calm, unreadable gaze. Finally, she smiled, and gave a curt nod before throwing me a glance and heading for the bus.

Well, alright then. Mutant solidarity wins again, I guess. As for me? I was gonna eat.

And eat I did—politely, too. I swear! Not eating for a whole day isn't as bad as people make it out to be, as long as you don't have a fridge nearby tempting you. Honestly, I'd been too focused on keeping myself alive to even feel hunger.

But as I ate, I thought about the chaos we'd left behind. The military base was practically rubble. On the way out, I saw tied-up guards, dead bodies, and captured soldiers locked in big metal cages. The mutant community had clearly hit a boiling point over the kidnapped kids, and honestly? I couldn't blame them. Hell, I'd gone full slasher flick in there myself. After seeing the girl in the morgue… well, I figured the remaining soldiers on the lower levels were about to have a very bad time. Deservedly so.

Still, the future worried me. A wrecked military base isn't something the government's just gonna let slide. I don't know how well the mutants had jammed communications, but sooner or later, someone's gonna notice and send tanks, APCs, and a whole lot of questions. Step one? Get out of here fast. Step two? Go underground. Like, really underground—sewers, dungeons, the whole nine yards.

But for now, things were calm. The buses were filling up with my fellow survivors, and there wasn't a tank brigade in sight. Yuriko sat near the front, half-turned toward me. She'd refused snacks and mostly just kept an eye on things, occasionally letting her gaze linger on me with a faint smile—a surprisingly sweet, polite, and slightly reassuring smile.

Then Raisa and Windy showed up. A bruised but still-tough Colossus and an unscathed winged Windy slid into the seats behind me. The conversation turned to the events we'd just gone through, with the girls doing most of the talking. Even Windy dropped a few colorful curse words.

And then… she entered.

Her.

Jubilee swept into the bus like the Empress of the Universe. Her smile radiated smug superiority, and her eyes sparkled with anticipation. She was a living embodiment of drama.

Everyone who knew Jubilee even a little could tell—she was about to drop some big news. The kind of bombshell that makes the cosmos shudder. And me? I just wanted to whimper and hide. Preferably between Sabretooth's titties.

Jubilee scanned the now-quiet bus, her gaze critical, before declaring: "Not enough people here. Once we're home, I've got something BIG to tell you!"

The collective sigh of relief from the bus was almost audible. I exhaled, grateful, while everyone else just seemed mildly disappointed.

Thank you, Goddess. Thank you, God-Emperor. Om-nom-nom-nom. Damn, these chips are pretty good.

And then... well, then everyone was rounded up, and we just left. Yeah, it was that simple. Charlene rode in the first bus, Storm in the second. Charlene made sure the ride went smoothly, while Storm kept the skies above us conveniently cloudy. The fighters split between the buses and a couple of cars taking point in the front and rear. We were heading home. Next to me, my lovely, blue-skinned Kristiana was snuggled close, wrapping her tail around my leg while holding my hand. It was cozy. Too cozy, maybe.

The Next Day. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

The size of Stryker's operation was her undoing. Too many people. Too many prisoners. The info leaked to Magneto's newly acquired informants from the Sisterhood, who quickly rallied the mutants to rescue their children. This wasn't just a rescue mission—it was the rescue mission, the largest one in the history of mutantkind in the U.S. Everyone came together. The Sisterhood. Charlene's people. Numerous enclaves. Some handled logistics, others set up blockades or brought food, clothes, and medicine. The mutants with serious combat skills? They suited up as shock troopers and evac teams. Sure, compared to full-scale wars, this was a drop in the ocean, but for a species that was used to operating in small, tight-knit groups, this was monumental.

And, well, that was that. We gathered up, beat the crap out of the defenders, leveled the base, and freed the prisoners, including a few dozen mutants snatched from all over the country by Stryker's cronies. Our losses? Just one girl: Sandy. As Logan gruffly muttered, "Tough luck." Turned out she got killed by her guards during a breakout attempt. Just one solid kick to the head from a heavy boot was enough to end her life. The scientists, ever practical, shrugged and went, "Guess we'll dissect her then." Did I regret torching the ones responsible? Not for a second. Most of them were basically successors to Dr. Mengele. On the lower levels, after Magneto saw the dead girl, there weren't many survivors left. Even the scientists got shredded. When Charlene expressed some concern, Erika just shrugged and said, "I lost my temper." Fair enough.

The weirdest part of all? Deadpool. How the hell did she get there before everyone else? How did she sneak down to sublevel three, where she was first spotted by the guards, sparking a shootout? When asked, she just said, "I came for Tobi. A young, growing boy needs sunshine, and dungeon air does terrible things to complexion." Charlene's response? A nervous shoulder shrug and a rushed, almost rap-like, "We believe you! Thank you so much for your help!" Polite granny energy, I tell you.

By midday, most of the school's residents were huddled around a TV, watching the news with disbelief. The base we had smashed to bits was all over the screens. Security camera footage played on a loop. But—get this—it wasn't showing mutants storming the place. Nope. It was all about how Stryker's people were dragging kids into cells. About the experiments, which looked more like torture sessions. They even showed me strapped to the electric chair. They aired the murder of little Sandy and her autopsy table footage. A revolting montage of revolting acts by revolting people.

But the biggest shock was the narrative being spun: "A tragic incident. Criminal actions by rogue military operatives. A madwoman, Colonel Stryker, leading a team of extremists." And then, get this: "The brave U.S. military successfully freed mutant children kidnapped by radical anti-mutant fanatics."

Seriously, I kid you not.

The talking heads kept swapping out, but they were all saying the same thing. The cherry on top? Alexandra Pierce, the newly appointed Secretary of Defense, taking the podium after her predecessor "committed suicide" that morning. She declared:

"Mutants are as much citizens of the United States as anyone else. The government, the military, and law enforcement all serve the American people. No one has the right to kidnap and torment children or adults. The Founding Mothers made this nation free and great for all, and anyone who threatens the freedom of American citizens is a criminal and a traitor. We will ensure that those responsible for this heinous crime are punished. Colonel Stryker has already met her end—she was killed during the assault on her base. She has been found guilty of crimes against the American people and stripped of all ranks and honors. Further investigations into the involvement of other high-ranking officers are ongoing."

And just like that, the narrative was flipped. There were also loads of interviews with random citizens, and they all said basically the same thing: "If they'll kidnap mutant kids today, what stops them from taking my boy tomorrow?" "How much longer are we going to tolerate this? These soldiers have lost all sense of decency!" "A mutant girl lived next door to us. Sweet and polite, not like those rowdy brats. A bit strange, sure, but harmless!" "Kids are our future! Who could even think of doing something so barbaric?" "Look at this—they tortured boys too! These aren't humans; they're animals!"

The internet? Total chaos. Hundreds of forums, thousands of bloggers, all buzzing. Sure, there were a few places where people grumbled, "Well, that's what these animals deserve," but overwhelmingly, mutants were getting support, and the military was being dragged through the mud. It was… surreal. The kids at the school were mostly ecstatic, but the adults? Oh, they were pensive. A week ago, mutants were "a threat," and now this? Plenty to think about.

A familiar office. Behind the desk, a woman in her early fifties leaned back in her chair, studying reports on her monitor. Everything had gone perfectly. No, better than perfectly. This information bomb had gone off with minimal effort on her part. Stryker's people had practically done the work for her—finding the school, creating a distraction for the senior mutants, kidnapping the children, and signing their own death warrants in the process.

Planting a few sympathetic agents into the right information traffic routes? Child's play. Redirecting surveillance to specific recording devices for later retrieval while shutting it off for Stryker's guards? Easy. Her people had simply waited in secure hideouts until the main forces arrived. Negotiations with Pierce? Flawless. Alexandra wasn't an idiot—she understood the long-term value of loyal mutants. Controlling mutants? Not as scary as the media once made it out to be. Ninety percent of mutations were only dangerous under certain conditions. And with trained squads to back them up, loyal mutants could handle nearly any threat. Teams like Xavier's always ended up stabilizing the situation and aligning with the Organization's goals.

The pieces were all falling into place.

Control. Real control is impossible in a world engulfed in chaos. And the chaos stirred up by the unhinged "awakened" individuals across the U.S. (and sometimes beyond) is, more often than not, was calmed down by none other than Xavier's people or Lehnsherr's crew. Meanwhile, all of Stryker's projects are safely where they need to be—along with the particularly promising scientists.

Now, the focus has shifted to the massive task of assimilating mutants into society. The propaganda machine is gaining momentum, orders have been issued, and the process is in motion. All that's left is to tweak the trajectory slightly and stoke the flames of public outrage, steadily increasing the number of sympathizers. She had plenty of "hot material" left to shake things up. The X-23 project, for example. The trick was waiting for the current blaze to start dying down—then tossing in more fuel and giving it a burst of oxygen.

The Organization's operatives cleaned up the base after the mutants had left. Officially, the U.S. military liberated the children—no need for unnecessary rumors. This move would reduce the army's reputational losses while making the X-Men think the military was scrambling to cover its tracks after the information leak. Not as suspicious as politicians suddenly doing a 180. A series of resignations and prison sentences for a few particularly inconvenient individuals would further cement this shift in narrative. "Some folks got burned and fell from grace, while others seized the chance to score political points by jumping on the opposite bandwagon"—and that'd be the truth, at least partially.

And then there was Tobias. Oh, Tobias. The boy had honed his gift and become even more valuable. The footage she had received made her absolutely giddy. Such excellent combat potential. And the boy had tasted blood—quite literally. What delighted her most, though, was that he hadn't broken, hadn't become a hollow shell or a raving lunatic. Prayed, did he? Please. In a fight, every other atheist starts praying. As for killing Stryker? She'd have done the exact same thing in his shoes. Sure, extracting greater benefits from the now dead Colonel was a better option, but the boy was only fifteen. Still, not only did he take down that lunatic, but his actions also earned him the admiration—if not outright affection—of a mutant with remarkable regenerative powers. Smart boy. Inexperienced and prone to making mistakes, but that would change with time.

She was a little baffled, though, by his new companion—a small demoness of sorts. But hey, at least the girl spoke an intelligible language. Still, the boy really needed to find himself at least one normal, human girlfriend. Hopefully, that squint-eyes girl wouldn't start hovering around him, though.

And what about SHIELD? What were the discussions over there? She'd need to look into that. Nothing classified, of course—merely what's being discussed near the cooler, just to satisfy her curiosity. Surely, even an old woman could indulge in a few small weaknesses.