With the Kingmakers orders being given out, the Hellions were all flown out to the Genetassist research facility, where they were ordered to retrieve the new Project.
" The guards and most of the security systems are already down. That means Paladin and Diamondback are on the inside." Ian told the group.
" Oh, great. So, what do we do?" Santo asked.
" Simple, we're going to go in after them. And when they aren't looking, we'll snatch whatever the project is from them." Julain explained.
" The Kingmaker said it would be in a briefcase. if that's the case, then we just need to keep an eye out for a case." Brian explained.
" All right, let's go, Hellions." Julian exclaimed. He flew down to the building with the others right behind him and strode right into the facility.
It was easy for them, as the two hired mercenaries had already dispatched most of the guards. Though things seemed quiet the group still kept their wits about them, making sure to check each hallway carefully before proceeding forward. And soon enough they stumbled upon their targets.
" Okay, Mercury. You're up." Julian told the girl.
" Right, I'm on it." Cessily replied. Her body slowly turned into a liquid form, and she began maneuvering her way through the security grid that Diamondback had put up to keep people from sneaking up behind her and Paladin. However, she didn't take into account Cessily's skills.
" Who else you figure is after this prize?" Paladin asked the woman.
" Every major player. A.I.M, Hydra, you name it." Diamondback replied. Unaware that Cessily was getting close to the two of them.
" So this would fetch a lot in an auction, huh?" Paladin asked.
" We have an employer. They get the case." Diamondback replied.
While the two were talking, Cessily quickly snatched the case away, but the moment she did the two mercenaries became aware of her presence and gave chase.
" Paladin, we got trouble!" Diamondback exclaimed. " Get that grid down and help me." Diamondback told the man as she leaped through the defense grid's lasers. When she landed, she stood right in front of all seven Hellions.
" Hey, now... Didn't anyone teach you it isn't nice to steal?" Julian asked the woman.
" You kids need to hand that case over." Diamondback told the group.
" Wanna bet?" Julian asked.
" Hey, I saw you on Tv! You saved the Governor. Now you're suddenly a thief?" Diamondback asked.
" Saw me on Tv? I looked good, didn't I? And you remembered me." Julian joked.
" Throttle down, Junior. This isn't the time to try and flirt with me. Hand over the case before you get in over your heads." Diamondback told the boy.
" Maybe she's right, Julian. Something about all this doesn't feel right." Ian told the boy.
" What? It's seven on one. What's sexy gonna do?" Julian asked.
" Seven to two. And we're professionals. You're outmatched." Paladin stated as he ran up to the group with his gun already drawn. " I don't like shooting kids..... But I'm getting paid well enough to get over it. So, drop the case, boys and girls."
" Man, you really want this case. Must be something major in it." Brian stated. He placed his hand on the briefcase. " And I just tagged it."
Paladin and Diamondback both quickly fell under Brian's powers and started running away from the case.
" Tag, that was awesome. Two professional baddies out of the way in like two seconds!" Julian exclaimed.
" Hey, I figured if they're so tough, why even fight them? It's no big. Now let's get." As Brian was speaking, Diamondback threw one of her diamonds right into the back of Brian's head and knocked him out cold.
" Bri- Tag!" Julian yelled.
" Sorry, Kid. But your buddy's power only has so much range, and I'm pretty good at range." Diamondback told the group as she and Paladin returned.
" You kids wanted this fight. Let's do it." Paladin spoke.
" Alright, I'm not doing this." Ian stated. He grabbed the case from Julian and handed it to Kevin. " Take this and go, take Tag with you too." Ian told the boy.
" Right, guess I'm not very useful without my powers." Kevin stated.
" of course, you are. You just don't know it yet." Ian told the boy.
The first one up was Mercury. She wrapped her body around Diamondback to try and constrict her movement.
" I'm liquid metal... No way you're breaking free!" Cessily told the woman.
" Unhhh! Nice trick... But I have two things... You don't. An electric diamond. And an insulated suit!" Diamondback told the girl. She used her electric diamond to fry Cessily's body forcing her to melt onto the floor.
Julian then used his telekinesis to attack Diamondback. Meanwhile, Sooraya was trying to get Paladin to stand down from the fight as well.
" My sand can strip the flesh from your bones. Please, we don't want to hurt you." Sooraya told the man.
" Really?" Paladin asked. " You're just stealing this weapon for kicks?" He asked the girl.
" Weapon?" Sooraya asked.
" Yes, weapon. You're stealing a weapon." Diamondback exclaimed as she dodged a table that was thrown at her by Julian.
" And doing a very poor job at it." Paladin spoke. He shot Sooraya in the face with his stun gun and the girl dropped to the ground.
" Okay, that's enough of that." Ian raised his hands and slammed them together, producing a shockwave that slammed Paladin and Diamondback against the wall.
"Well, look at you professionals. Don't seem so tough now do you?" Julian asked.
" We... Were hired by SHIELD." Diamondback struggled to speak. " We we're working with the government." She stated.
" I don't care." Julian told the woman. He raised a desk and smashed it down on top of her, knocking her out for good.
" Julian, that woman just said she was working for the government." Ian told the boy
" I heard. Let's go." Julian stated.
Julian, Santo, and Kevin all cared the unconscious Hellions outside where they regrouped.
" Julian... Is that thing really a weapon?" Santo asked.
" It's high-tech. Anything can be used as a weapon." Julian told the boy.
" But we just took it from SHIELD!" Kevin exclaimed.
" And you believe her?" Julian asked. HE took flight, leaving the Hellions to try and catch up with him. But Ian stood behind and waited a bit.
" Yeah. Sorry about that. Look we got it. And we're on the way to meet the Kingmaker. I gotta go." Ian talked. As quickly as he pulled out his phone, he put it back up and rushed to join the others as they returned back to the Kingmakers Hq.
A little later.
" Julian, wait." Kevin called out to the boy as they walked into the building.
" No waiting, Kevin. We made a deal. Maybe you guys don't get what that means." Julian said to Kevin as he walked up to the Kingmaker's assistant.
" I'll let him know you're here." The woman said to Julian.
While, Julian was distracted, Kevin snatched the briefcase from Julian's hands causing Julian to get Irate.
" Hey! Kevin, quit screwing around!" Julian yelled. " You don't want to mess this up, Kevin! Let's just give him the case!" Julian told the man.
" Back off, Julian! I want to know what's in there, too.' Santo told Julian as he pushed him off of Kevin.
" It's locked." Kevin stated.
" Then let it stay that way." Julian told the boy.
" He's right, guys. We made a deal. And the Kingmaker held up his end of the deal." Brian told the others.
Kevin ignored them both and continued to try and open the case.
" Cessily, can you open this?" Kevin asked the girl.
" Of course." Cessily replied. " Once I'm in, I should be able to shape my hand." Cessily spoke. She placed her hand on the briefcase and molded it into the locks.
* Click!
" There we go." Cessily spoke as the briefcase unlocked." What is it?" She asked.
" A Biological weapon." The Kingmaker stated.
The group all turned towards the man as he walked into the foyer and glared at him.
" The amount in that cylinder is enough to kill every man, woman, and child in a city the size of Los Angeles." The Kingmaker explained.
" YOU LIED TO US! Genetassist is not your client!" Sooraya shouted in anger at the man.
" That is correct. My client didn't want to have to pay them for the weapon. And he didn't want the government to have it." The Kingmaker told the woman.
" Who is your client?" Santo asked.
" Does it matter?" Kevin told the boy. " Whoever it is wants a Bioweapon, Santo. He has to be bad news." Kevin told the boy.
" I want to know who used us!" Santo yelled.
" It doesn't matter. He is a client. Which means I do things for him, and he does things for me. One day he may help further your dreams. Right now, you're helping me further his." The Kingmaker exclaimed.
" No." Kevin replied.
Julian sat there thinking for a moment and then he snatched the briefcase from Kevin.
" He's right." Julian told the boy. " A deal's a deal. Here's your weapons. Signed and delivered." Julian told the man.
" Julian, no!" Sooraya exclaimed.
" I'm not so sure this is a good idea." Kevin told Julian.
" A deal is a deal. You signed the contracts, and you don't even want to think about the consequences of breaking them." The Kingmaker told the group. " I held up my end of the deal. Now, it's your turn."
Julian stopped the man for a moment and spoke to him.
" On one condition, Kingmaker. You cut us loose from the deal. Destroy our contracts. Release us from that deal and we give you what you want. We'll have fulfilled our obligation, but that's that. After that, we're done." Julian told the man.
" Is that what you really want?" The Kingmaker asked.
" I don't want to be tied to anyone." Julian replied.
" Once the deal is off, all the benefits you've enjoyed end with it." The Kingmaker stated. " Kevin.... The cure has almost worn off. You'll need to take another dos soon if you want your death touch to stay dormant. And Sooraya... I could help your mother get into the United States. I doubt the Xavier Institute could do the same. I doubt they could even track her down the way I did." The Kingmaker told the two. he then turned to Santo. "You'll be banned from the wrestling circuit, Santo. You'll never get that chance to prove your strength. Cessily, your parents finally accept you for who you are... You have their love, and you didn't have to change. I made that happen. What happens if our deal is off? Are you willing to risk losing that?" The Kingmaker asked the girl. " Brian.... When you came to me all you wanted was to keep your friends together after they got their wish."
" That was your wish?" Julian asked the boy.
" I just thought.... With all of you getting everything you ever wanted... The group might, you know, stop hanging out." Brian told the boy.
" I made you realize that you could be the one to make them happy. You could make them need you. I made you my right-hand man. And in time you could have been the next Kingmaker." The Kingmaker told Brian. " And you, Julian. Fortune and Glory, remember? You know how the world treats mutants. You know how little respect you get from your own parents. Imagine how the world would treat you if I pulled the plug on my arrangement with Jennifer Matlin and her newspaper." The Kingmaker told the boy.
Julian paused for a moment and looked back at the Hellions.
" It's all up to you, Julian. Time to decide who you're gonna be." Ian told the boy.
Julian turned back and nodded.
' Tear up the contracts." Julian told the man.
" Last chance." The Kingmaker stated.
" Do it." Julian told the man.
" Put the briefcase on the desk." The Kingmaker replied.
Julian did as he said, and the Kingmaker destroyed the contracts binding the Hellions to his service.
" Done, the contracts are destroyed. You are released from our deal." The Kingmaker stated.
" And the weapon belongs to you now. Or whichever client you've arranged to give it to." Julian replied.
" Doctor Octopus will be most pleased. You kids sure are missing out on being part of a very exclusive club. Now, you are free to leave. Free to do whatever you like with the rest of your pathetic and uninspired lives." The Kingmaker told the group.
" Whatever, we like huh?" Julian asked. " Well, for starters... We'd like that case back. NOW!" Julian exclaimed and the Hellions attacked The Kingmaker.
The Kingmaker dodged out of the way of Julian's telekinesis and pushed a button on his watch.
" You stupid kids. Do you seriously think that after all these years of doing business, I wouldn't have made a few deals for myself?" The Kingmaker asked as a giant blue barrier appeared to cover him. Sooraya, Cessily and Ian attacked the bubble only to be hit by a burst of electricity that dropped all three of them. " My client list is long and some of them have amazing gifts of technology. You kids have no idea who you are dealing with. Congratulations. You managed to get released from our deal." The kingmaker stated, he then blasted Santo in his face with some kind of laser from his glasses.
Julian tried to blast the Kingmaker again, but he was electrocuted by the man.
" Tagging yourself, Brian? You've got to be kidding me. I've worked with mentalists before. Several of them work for me. Do you think your limited form of mind control can affect me?" The Kingmaker asked the boy. He punched Brian in his face and the boy dropped. " And Kevin, you wanted your power gone. Well, guess what? It won't return for another half an hour. Be careful what you wish for, huh? Then again, you'd never use it anyway. So, sad... You're always fighting what you are. You could be magnificent killing machine." The Kingmaker explained to the boy. He then blasted him in the face and knocked him out as well.
" Heh! Stephanie, call the police and tell them there are wanted fugitives in my office and they've trashed the place. Come to think of it, this place is a dump. We're breaking our lease." The Kingmaker told the woman. He turned and walked out of the office, but not before Ian, who had been playing possum. slipped a tracker onto his body.
A little while later, The Hellions all began to wake up.
" Hey, sleeping beauties. Sleep well?" Ian asked the group.
" Ugh! Dude, why'd you wake up so fast?" Julian asked.
" I was never knocked out. Do you really think a small current of electricity would knock me out?" Ian asked the boy.
" Ugh, dude, that hurt." Julian spoke.
" Good! I'm glad it! You deserve it!" Ian told the boy.
" You're right. I shouldn't have been so desperate to."
" Julian, I'm glad you're having a moment. But we have important things to do right now. We need to go get that briefcase back." Ian told the boy. " We also need to run from the cops. Because they've tried to get in for a while now."
" I've got it. Come on." Julian spoke. He created a large telekinetic platform for everyone to stand on and levitated them all out of the building.
" Man, am I so glad you're powerful, Julian." Santo stated.
" Powerful? The Kingmaker wiped the floor with us, Santo." Julian stated bitterly. " Speaking of powers... Is your back online, Kevin? has the cure worn off yet?" He asked.
" I can feel it. Like a hunger. It's coming back. But I won't use it, Julian." Kevin told the boy.
" I wouldn't ask you too, Kevin." Julian replied. " All right, if he's trying to get the case to Doc Co, then that means he's going to New York. That means the airport. This late at night is the only time in Los Angeles when the freeways are empty." Julian explained.
" Then we know where we're going. Hit the gas, Julian." Ian told the boy.
Julian nodded and the group all took off into the night sky, soaring over the city's buildings to hunt for the Kingmaker
"