Bushwhacked

Posted on Fri Jan 21st, 2022 @ 3:09pm by Charles Xavier & Shinobi Shaw

1,189 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 2: Northern X-Posure
Timeline: August 2nd, 1990

Rain fell in the streets of Seattle, though that was nothing new. Mildew overgrew the mortar on the buildings in the sprawl of the First Hill neighborhood. As the last dim light of dusk set over Puget Sound, the rats, bangers, and other creatures of the night began to crawl from their holes to scour the streets.

Jason pulled the collar of an old coat up in the hopes of keeping out some of the chilly air. He'd managed to snag a few pieces of fruit earlier, but they were long gone and his stomach was growling. The storefronts and shops were closed up for the night and all of their produce had been taken in. But he was tired of fruits and vegetables...he wanted something more substantial. But that would have to wait. He had an appointment to keep and a possible job waiting for him.

Jason walked through the cool, rainy night looking for his contact, a guy who went by Bruiser. Bruiser was a local thug who ran a small-time gang and a small part of the few city blocks he was on. Word was, he was looking for someone with a specific skill set. And Jason thought he could trick Bruiser into thinking that he had it. When in reality, Jason would just use his abilities.

"Hold up."

The voice had come from the dark corner of an alley on the near end of the street. From opposing directions, two gang-bangers with thick winter coats and sagging pants rushed to Jason's side.

"Spread your arms," said the hidden voice. "And lift up your shirt."

Jason shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so today, boys. Bruiser can send whoever he wants to intimidate me. But if he's looking for someone to do a job, you don't wanna damage his goods."

A click sounded off next to Jason's head. It was the distinctive sound of a pistol hammer cocking back. "Nobody talks to de boss wit'out gettin' checked," said the gunman in an unusual accent. "Do as de man says and pull up your shirt."

Jason slowly raised his shirt. "You guys aren't from Bruiser, are you? Sounds like you're not even from around here."

"Smart boi we got here, ah?" The two men inspected him for listening devices and came up empty. "He's clean."

Only then did a tall, muscular man step forward. His bald head glistened even under the dim streetlights. "It looks like you took a wrong turn," he said with a crisp accent, perhaps a muddled variant of Received Pronunciation. "Come along quietly and we can avoid unpleasantness."

The rainy streets erupted in shouts, grunts, and the sounds of broken bones.

---

The video feed abruptly cut out.

"Have you managed to identify anyone?" asked Professor Xavier.

"No." The concession made by the stone-faced African-American man in a slate suit and silver tie was nothing short of glum. "Our CI claimed the bald man at the end was John McIver, aka Bushmaster, a prominent figurehead in a Maggia family from Europe. What he'd be doing in Seattle abducting people off the street is anyone's guess. But if true..."

Professor Xavier looked across the desk at Special Agent Fred Duncan and marveled at his use of the word "people" when referring to mutants. The man was more than Xavier's personal liaison with the FBI. He had been the man who first brought Scott Summers to the Mansion all those years ago. When Project Wideawake became active and began producing Sentinels, it was Fred who had leaked the information to Xavier and gave the X-Men critical intelligence to respond to the threat. In many ways, the professional and personal connection between Fred and Charles was a microcosm of the noble dream of peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants. Both men would do what needed to be done for the greater good, red tape be damned.

It was for that reason Special Agent Duncan had risked his job once again and read the Professor into an active investigation.

"Then it would speak to a nationwide plot," Charles said, completing Fred's thought. "Typically the Maggia do not openly operate outside of the state of New York, and then not with a focus on mutants."

While nodding in agreement, Fred presented more dossiers. "Mutant abductions have been reported all throughout New England as well." Thumbnail pictures fell free from their paperclips which held them to their case files.

"These are but children!" Charles said with such alarm that it caught his breath away. "Few of them could be considered adults."

Fred could only nod again, though his eyes glowered with subdued rage. "I can't imagine why the Maggia would specifically target mutant youths. As you can see, the crew that took the boy from Seattle would've failed if not for the heavyhitter alleged to be Bushmaster."

The conclusion was obvious. "For extraordinary risk, there must be an extraordinary payoff." Professor Xavier rubbed his chin.

"Exactly." Now that they were on the same page, Fred softened a bit. "I can't bring you in to the investigation, not formally," he said. "At least not without a good reason to."

"Yes, of course," Xavier admitted. Evidence was the bane of the X-Men's contribution to law enforcement. Despite the scene caused at the Roxxon facility where they had rescued Levi, there was insufficient evidence to pin anything on Roxxon. Their cleanup action had simply been too thorough. "Governments have conducted testing on mutants for decades. Multinational corporations have been doing the same. Perhaps the Maggia is working for a patron in either sector."

Fred scowled at the thought. It might be true, but he didn't have to like the sound of it. "Or maybe the gangsters are claiming their pound of flesh."

"Even so," Xavier said, letting the argument slide, "something must be done. Immediately."

It stung, but Fred nodded again, this time reluctantly. "Dozens of mutant youths have been reported missing over the past several months and the FBI has no hard leads at this time. I know I don't have to say it, but I will: your missing students might be among them."

"Perhaps," Xavier said at length. The circumstances under which the Blackbird returned to the Mansion with Cyclops in a fugue state and all flight logs erased all seemed like a league above anything the Maggia could pull off, but anything was possible. "Even if your superiors at the Bureau disagree, the Maggia abductions are a lead that we cannot ignore." He paused his inner ruminations enough to give his friend and ally a pleasant smile. "Thank you, Fred. I will make this matter a priority."

"Leave me out of it," Fred said as he gathered up his case files. "Less I know, the better." As he closed up his briefcase, though, he gave Charles a hardened look. "But you find anything or get yourself in too deep, you send up the flare, you hear?"

Xavier smiled wider this time, feeling mirth at the idea that the FBI would ever back up the X-Men in public. "I'll keep that in mind, old friend."

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