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Creed's Firecracker	By : Polymer Category: X-men Comics > Het - Male/Female Views: 4069 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men comics, or any of the characters from it. I make no money from from the writing of this story.

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Summary: Missing Scene

Disclaimer: I don't own X men, Marvel Comics does! This is FANFICTION, not for profit, but for entertainment only! This applies to ALL the following chapters as well!!!

He clutched the shivering Jubilee to him, and snarled. Just how his life had become intertwined with Jubilee's could be answered in the string of recollections that he dredged up. It had all started with that Yashida business two years ago when he was still part of Weapon X. When he'd been tracking two runaways called X-34 codnamed Sunfire, and X-36 codenamed Polymer. Shiro and Mariko Yashida.

He could taste their fear and smell their defiance even now as he recalled loosing track of them to those blasted X men�.

Two Years Ago in New York City:

"Mariko!" cried Shiro. "They are coming� we must get out of here�"

"Shiro�" she gasped as she hung up the phone. "I got someone to come help us� that friend I told you about�"

"He'd better HURRY if he's any HELP!" Shiro grumbled as he raised his hands, and pushed her behind him. "The security guards sold us out!"

A blast of gunfire spattered them, and Mariko pushed her cousin down. A thin film of plastic formed a dome around them, tempered plate bulletproof that resisted the firepower. The door splintered as it was cut down.

"I can smell ya in there, you runts!" came a loud snarl. "They're here boys!"

"No�" Mariko whispered.

"Get back cousin, this is a job for a warrior," Shiro whispered. She lowered her shield and he forced her behind him. A blaze of fire sprang up, cutting them off from the others.

"What the hell�" gasped the men as they were surrounded by a blazing inferno.

"Cowards, you look for a woman, but you face Sunfire instead!" he laughed harshly. Another well placed nuclear hot fire shot singed the guns from their hands. They retreated, screaming as the room burst into flames. Grabbing his cousin, Shiro rose into the air, fire streaking behind him.

"Go on an run ya firefly. Cause I'm gonna hunt your ass down!" Victor Creed yelled as he shook his fist at the streak of fire.

Mariko and Shiro flew across the city, knowing they'd attract some sort of attention. "They're right behind us," said Mariko as she saw the helicopters in close pursuit. "Cousin they'll never give up�"

"They had you once, they will not again succeed. We should never have come� we should have stayed in Japan! I could have protected you�"

"I needed to find out what happened to my father� your uncle!"

"He abandoned you� it was only out of respect for you that I came here. And I say we must leave now�"

Shiro said as he landed on the top of a building. Burning a hole through it he pushed her inside, and turned to volley the helicopters with fire.

"I know someone� who might be able to help us�"

"Better call them soon� I'll hold them off�" Shiro urged. "Go� now!"

"Cousin�"

"Get OUT of here. Creed wants you� he won't have you! I promise I'll keep you safe�"

"But you�"

"GO woman!" he yelled. Mariko stumbled down the stairs as her cousin shot out the door. It grew molten hot as he sealed her in.

"Stupid idiot," she muttered as she heard the hale of fire. A huge blaze lit up the room as she descended the stairs into the unused attic below. Floor after floor she rushed down, searching desperately for a phone. Why had they come back? Didn't she know this could have happened?

Pulling out a picture she stroked it. "I should have known you weren't alive. They wanted me� they found me� but I promise you I'll find out what happened, and make whoever it is pay�"

Another blaze of fire heated up the building, and she continued her mad dash downstairs. The scars ached for they were still very fresh and clean. He hadn't forgotten her. Was there any chance that the other one was still alive? For she didn't see him with the rest of the operatives.

"Hank� please� are you there?" she whispered.

"Michelle� is that you?"

"Yes�" she whispered. "It's me� from college� I just got back from Japan� and I think I'm in trouble�"

"Why are you back here, Hon? You said you were visiting but I didn't think�" asked Hank as he twisted the phone cord around his fingers. He glanced back and forth, looking to see if anyone was listening. He stuck test tubes in the centrifuge and turned it on. The whirring drone drowned out his conversation effectively enough.

"My cousin and I are in trouble� they know I'm here� and they'll kill us�"

"Who Michelle?" Hank asked, desperate.

"The government. Department H�"

"No," Hank whispered. "Michelle� you can't stay there� where are you now? I know what they almost DID to you� you shouldn't be here� can't you go back to Japan?"

"I can't. IF I do they'll kill my family� to get me to join them� please help me! Hank� they're after me� they know who I am� HE knows� "

"Wait, let me come get you. You know I said I'd always be here if you need a place to crash�" Hank McCoy said. "Look�"

"I'm at the Holiday Inn," Michelle whispered.

"I'll come get you, with my friends. I think you'll be safer with us�"

"All right�"

"Wait there� we're coming," he said as he dropped the phone. "Professor!"

***

She closed her eyes as she remembered. Shiro bravely was blazing away as he fought them off. The sudden arrival of the X men at the proverbial nick of time. A duel of fire and flame. They fled in fear, knowing what the X men had done that year ago.

Just as they reached the building where she was trapped, she saw her cousin's face as he slagged the heat away. "Mariko�"

"Shiro� I told you I'd get help�"

"You must go with them. Pretend you don't know me�"

"What?"

"For your own sake. They will use me to get to you� our family. These people can help you learn to protect yourself. For the good of our family you must go with them, and I must leave you�"

"Are you crazy?"

"It was your choice that brought us here. And I swore to my father to protect you. Now I cannot. They must do what I can't. I have no place in this country... you have a chance..."

"Shiro�"

"Trust me. I love you too much to let them use you to hurt our family� you are known to them by another name. Use it� when you're ready to fight on your own� I'll come find you� and bring you home� when my father has cleared our family's name�"

"I know why you're doing this," she said. "But damn it�"

"You must be brave. You're the rightful clan heir� should something happen to my father or me� your half brother�"

"Will stop at nothing to find me�"

"No� he's the one who sold you out� to the Department�"

"God no�" she whispered.

"They're coming� quickly� no time. Goodbye Mariko, my cousin," he whispered as he kissed her forehead. "I won't see you again for a long time� but I will pray for you� so that I may someday return and find you a warrior to join the fight at my side�"

"Goodbye, Shiro," she whispered as he gently lay her down, and retreated into the flames. Shouts and cries all around her drowned out her own tears.

"Michelle!" Hank McCoy yelled.

"Over here!" she cried. A blue furred face stared down into hers, contrasting against the raging flames. Temperatures plunged, and rain thundered down as an ice clad figure and a white haired weather witch applied strange energies.

"Are you hurt?" Hank whispered.

"Hank�" she said as she touched his face. "You� you weren't joking� you DID change�"

"I know you're frightened, but we're here to help�" he urged, gently picking her up in his massive arms. "Jean!"

A red head with short-cropped hair rushed up, alongside a slender muscular youth. Over his eyes gleamed a gold-framed visor with a single lens of red quartz. Green eyes concentrated, and Mariko felt her body wrapped in invisible forces. "Back away from her Hank� she might be injured� I'll take over�"

"She's all right," Hank said. "Jean will take care of you� Michelle�"

Jean Grey glanced down at the Japanese/American woman. Although she could be as young as 18, Jean sensed from the look in her dark eyes that she was probably more like 22. Her black uniform was tattered, and she lifted the girl's arm to see the letters X-36 tatooed there.

"Michelle is it?" Jean asked. "Don't be scared. I'm Marvel Girl� but my friends call me Jean�"

"My cousin Shiro� didn't make it," she whispered. "X-35�"

"I didn't see any sign of anyone else�" said Storm from afar.

"You're a mutant, like us�" Scott Summers said. "Don't worry. We're the X Men� we'll take care of you�"

Mariko nodded, letting Jean's power wrap around her and carry her towards whatever vehicle that had carried them there. Other black suited figures swarmed about, their various powers unknown to her and yet so familiar. How could they know she was alongside of them, yet in a special place where they demanded unspeakable things of her.

She already knew them. Especially the one who slashed with gleaming claws. The only one whom Sabretooth feared.

***

A Saturday Morning, a year Earlier:

"Well runt, ain't life just special," Victor Creed mumbled as he pressed his ear to the door of Logan's small cabin reatreat. He had been following them the past week. Finally he had tracked her down, the bitch that had tagged him. He licked his lips, tasting her scent in his palate, and longing for the taste of revenge he thirsted for. Now he had been preparing to take her out from under Logan's nose.

"You belong to ME, girly pie," he mumbled. "Even though the runt thinks yer his, you ain't. I smell his stink on ya, but that'll change�"

Creed slipped away into the bushes and arousal hissed as he moved back. From a distance he lifted binoculars and watched as Logan and Michelle exited the cabin, carrying bags that he strapped to the Harley. He watched as Logan climbed on, and they roared away.

Grinning, Creed got into his HUMVEE and turned the key. At a discreet distance he traveled knowing Logan's destination. So he'd decided to be dumb enough to chase her to Japan, he thought. Better. All the better to be able to get to her through him. Either way it didn't matter. Shinobi Shaw he had a score to settle with, and he was damned if Shaw's plan would take out the girl before he got his shot.

He glanced at the scrap of communiqué he had gotten from Silver Fox. The squaw had some loyalties after all. She'd scribbled him an email, and circled in yellow highlighter was the words, "Thought you might like this, dirtball. Go piss up a rope� and weep�"

"Yer right. I hate she's with the runt, but you just saved yer pretty ass," he spoke to nobody in particular. For after it were the details of a secret communiqué that she'd intercepted? Seems Hydra had gotten a contract to carry out a kidnapping. And through that, an assassination.

"Lady Mariko's been found all right," he laughed. "Wouldn't ya piss yer pants if ya know I knew where she was all this time�"

Oh he'd been able to track her. After the fire boy had taken her away. He had wanted to kill her for what she had done. But as the time had passed, he had come to feel a strange warm gladness for her. She had a backbone after all. Any frail that tried to off him had his twisted respect.

Mariko had chosen a nice pair of black jeans, boot cut, with black stiletto heeled boots, and a low cut sweater top. The jeans jacket she wore had wide lapels and zipped up. Pushing his dogtag necklace into her shirt, she accepted the helmet he passed her. Then she leapt behind him on his scoot and waited for him to gun the engine into life.

They shot out of the garage, and circled the drive before the X mansion. She laughed as she slid her arms around his waist and they shot out of the gate. Overhead they saw Storm gliding after Rogue. Both women were laughing as they chased one another in combat drills. Ororo waved, passing over them again before dipping out of sight.

"Where you heading, hoser?" Rogue yelled.

"Gambit wondering if you join him for pool, Cherie," Gambit called as he pulled up on his own motorcycle, a Plymouth Victory. Behind him, Jubilee was holding onto the sissy bar, her rollerblades whirling.

"When pigs fly, yuh troublemaker!" she taunted as she dropped down and flew alongside of him.

"Shut up and get on that bike, will you?" Jubilee yelled. "Enough with the angst!"

"Ahl right I will!" Rogue said as she dropped down and climbed on behind Gambit. Jubilee let go of the sissy bar and Gambit gunned the cycle away.

"Eat my dust Cajun," Logan yelled as Gambit and Rogue caught up with them.

"We'll see what dis bike be made of, mon ami!" Gambit laughed as he revved his engine.

"Am I gonna haveta make you boys behave?" Rogue asked.

"Dis I get for bein' a gentleman, neh?" Gambit laughed.

"Logan, save the gasoline, will you?" Michelle laughed.

"Once I wipe that smirk off Cajun's face," Logan grinned.

"You guys!" Jubilee yelled. "HEY!!!"

"Jubilee, you KNOW that's not safe!" called Storm as she swooped down and grabbed the teenager under her arms. Jubilee squealed as Storm flew away with her and circled back to the mansion to leave the two couples alone.

The Harley and the Victory roared off down the country road, amidst whoops and yells. Rogue laughed as she clung to Gambit, and Mariko as she held onto Logan. They were laughing and shouting verbal pot shots at one another rover the loud rumble of their engines. Then Logan veered off onto a country side road, and Mariko laughed as she heard Gambit's cursing in French.

"Sorry darlin, but I couldn't stand him flapping his yap," he mumbled.

"Rogue will keep him busy," she said. "So, where are we going?"

"To our little hideout�" Logan laughed.

"But we have school tomorrow�"

"Not till the afternoon�" Logan smirked. "Besides, you've been leading all damn week, why not take a break�"

"Every day with you is a vacation," she smiled as she hugged him.

***

They held hands like teenagers as Logan led her to the cabin, and slid open the door. She smiled as he swept her up and carried her inside and put her down. The small place was much as they had last left it, and she inhaled the familiar scents.

"I'll just start a fire�" Logan murmured as he stole a kiss.

"And I'll get some coffee going," she whispered as she moved off to the kitchen. Warmth filled her, as she saw him grab the firewood and crouch to arrange it. She got a nice shot of his jeans covered butt as he leaned over, and finished piling the kindling.

She could never get enough of him, she thought as she poured coffee into the instant machine. Once it was started, she grabbed the wok and started to fix some dinner as the rice steamer heated up. He would love a simple meal, she figured. The stir-fried beef and vegetables would suit both their palates, and she heard the crackling of the fire minutes later.

A record player hissed as Logan picked an Aerosmith greatest hits record. Other noises indicated he was lighting candles and incense, to set the right sort of mood. A no-nonsense, honest-to-goodness dinner, and some fun following. It was so easy to be around him.

Which was why she cursed when the cell phone at her hip vibrated, and she opened it. "Hello?"

"Cousin�"

"Shiro?" she whispered. "But� how� after all this time�"

"Cousin, I'm on my way to America. There's something that you must do, I need your help�"

"Are you all right� you said you'd escaped from Weapon X�"

"Indeed I have. I need you to come back with me. It's Uncle� something's happened to him�"

"Shiro, you know they won't accept me�" she trailed off.

"They are holding him prisoner. And your stepbrother is trying to hold things together, but he is only one person. He needs you�"

"He has you�"

"He asked for your help. Without you, he can't hope to get my father� your uncle back� and if he doesn't return, the clan could forfeit its right�"

"But surely they have the�"

"The sacred artifact is missing� and I need you� you've been training with the X men. If we stand together, we have a chance of getting my Father back� and helping save the clan�"

"Shiro I can't just leave�"

"You must. You are STILL a member of the family. I need you� the family needs you�"

"You made it clear that I couldn't ever be legitimately an heir with what Creed did to me," she said quickly.

"That may be, but half of your blood is Yashida. That fact does not change. And you are still my cousin. You are the only one I trust."

"Who has Uncle?"

"Lady Deathstrike and the one called Shaw�"

"Damn," she mumbled. "But that means Weapon X�"

"Not Weapon X. She and he are working alone. Along with the others� you must come as soon as you can�"

"I can't just�"

"Please cousin, I need you�" he urged. "Your brother needs you. He asked for you�"

"My brother has no great love for me�"

"But he knows duty and family are first. The three of us are the only hope� so many depend on us�"

"Damn, damn damn," she hissed. "I'll be on the next flight out� but I must tell Xavier�"

"Do so. But trust no one. There may be those that already know where you hide�"

"What if I bring help?"

"Only those you trust the most. And keep your mission secret� none must suspect� I must go. I'll wait for you at the compound�"

"All right," she nodded. "Hold on�"

***

"Got a fire going, and some of your favorite�" Logan started as he saw her stirring the dinner. "Smells damn good�"

"Good," she nodded as she filled two plates, and he carried them out for her. He smelled something different. A sense of fear and panic not present.

Smiling, he set down the plates and they sat next to one another. He started to eat, and noticed she hardly touched the food. Rather she was prodding at it with her chopsticks, a faraway look in her eyes. "Darlin, you okay?"

"It's nothing you should worry about�" she smiled quickly.

"Uh huh, yeah, right," he mumbled as he smelled otherwise.

"I'm going to have to cut the date short. I have to get back to the mansion�"

"So soon?" Logan asked. "You worried about Cyke� cause if you are�"

"Please Logan, I have to go back," she said firmly. "I know we promised to spend some time up here� but I need to go back as soon as we finish dinner� there's something I forgot to do�"

"What?" Logan asked. "Maybe I can help ya� if it's training exercises�"

"It's something I have to do myself� you shouldn't worry about it," she said as she picked up her plate and carried it out to the kitchen.

"Mind telling me what the hell's going on?" Logan asked as he got up and followed her.

"It's nothing you need to worry about� I'm fine� there's just something I have to do�"

"Wanna try again?" he asked, grabbing his plate and throwing it into the sink. "There's something wrong, and you KNOW I can smell it�"

"Logan, I have to go away for a while� if you want to help me, you can tell Scott and the Professor I've requested some time off�"

"Why haven't I heard about this�" Logan grunted as she began to wash the dishes. "You're not makin' any sense and I sure as hell wanna know WHAT's gotten into ya now�"

"Please don't ask me," she said as she felt her eyes stinging with tears.

"The hell I won't," he grumbled, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around. "Are you gonna tell me what the hell's going on? Cause I don't like ya running around hiding stuff from me if I can help�"

"We both have things that we'd rather not share� surely you have your own parts�"

"Look, let me get this straight� what's so all fired flamin' important that you gotta suddenly drop EERYTHING and run away� are you in trouble� what just went down�"

"Logan please trust me. It's nothing you can do anything about� it's something I have to do alone�"

"What the hell does THAT mean?" Logan asked, agitated as she slipped out from his grasp and walked quickly over to the back bedroom. She was tossing some of her clothing into a suitcase.

"I need to go away. Something's come up� and I just need to leave�"

"From me?" he asked. "M'iko, what is this all about� did I say or do something�"

"No Logan� it's just� it's just personal business�"

"Oh yeah so damn personal you can't let me in on it? I thought I mean something to ya�" he said angrily. "What's this about� you owe me an explanation or SOMETHING!"

She sighed, as he caught her arm, and bit her lip. "It's� I got a phone call. I have to leave now. Someone's life is at stake and I'm the only one who can�"

"Who?" he asked.

"It's family business� I have to go back�"

"Go back where? Weapon X? That's bullshit�"

"Not weapon X� Logan�"

"Now that makes EVERYTHING goddamn clear�" he snorted. "What do you mean� are you actually gonna up and go to Japan of all places?"

She nodded. "Shiro called me. He needs me. I�"

"Why didn't ya tell me, dammit�" Logan sighed as he sank down on the bed. "Shit, you can trust me� what does he WANT?"

"I wish you didn't ask me� I�"

"Is he in trouble� is it�"

She buried her head in her hands. "I don't WANT to go� but I have no choice� I have to leave� leave the X men� and you� I�"

"M'iko, be STRAIGHT with me�" he growled as he grabbed her shoulders. "I'm not just letting ya slip away without�"

"You can't help me where I�m going, Logan. This isn't an X men matter. I've got obligations�"

"To yer family� is this what I THINK it is?" he asked, voice low and angry. "Is it that Yakuza bullshit? Cause if it is, I can't let ya go off without�"

"Don't you realize what they'll DO if I drag the X men into it? It isn't their fight� it's�" she trailed off. "I can't run away from this Logan� I can't� please, you have to take me back and tell Scott and Professor X that I needed to go away for a while�"

"M'iko, I'm not gonna do that�"

"Please if you love me�"

"Dammit, I'm NOT letting ya go alone! They could KILL you! Those bastards� you don't know what you're up against� they�" he tore at his hair.

"He needs me� and I have to go�" she said as she removed his hands. "You think I want to leave the X men? You? But I can't expect you to�"

"Tough shit, cause I'm going with ya�" he said angrily. "Cause I'll be DAMNED if yer gonna get carved up by those goddamn butchers without ME around t' protect ya!"

"But your duty to the X men�"

"What about MY duty to YOU?" he asked slowly. "All this honor an' duty bullshit� don't ya trust me enough t' let me help? If you really love me, you won't shut me the hell out� if anything every happened to ya I'd�"

She buried her head in his chest, hugging him tightly. "Dammit Logan I don't want to go�"

"You're not gonna face it alone� I'm with ya in this�"

"But I might not ever be able to COME back�" she whispered.

"All the more reason I should be with ya. You need me. Sides if anything happened Red would kill me anyway," Logan joked.

"You don't know what you're committing to," she said softly.

"I'm not stupid, M'iko. I know what this thing you gave me IS," he said.

"I thought you didn't read Japanese�"

"I've been learning here and there� I was just fooling when I said that. This here thing that you passed onto me ain't just some trinket. It's something that yer family members give t' the person they trust most. The person they pick t' be their bodyguard or consort�"

"Damn I wish you weren't so smart�"

"Like it or not I AM involved. And all that duty n' honor garbola� in your society they AIN'T gonna accept a woman's authority without some kinda man standing alongside her. Bunch of shit, but that's what yer up against�"

"I can't ask you to�"

"You ain't asking cause I'm volunteering," he said sharply. "Sides, how in hell ya gonna STOP me?"

"True," she whispered as he wiped away her tears.

***
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Creed's Firecracker