52 The Plan

Nicole's emergence, transformation, and the reshaping of her persona had laid bare to Aiden the complex nature of such a process.

Aiden had once naively thought he could command an army of mutants. Yet, finding individuals among ordinary humans whose ideals aligned with his own, especially after being transformed into mutants and having their lives radically altered, proved incredibly challenging.

One Nicole had exhausted Aiden's resources, a fact both intriguing and frustrating. The most unpredictable element in the world is the human heart, which is precisely what makes life so beautifully complex.

Fortunately, Aiden had a team template, a digital representation of "loyalty," instilling confidence in his first subordinate.

Realizing the arduousness of this path, Aiden had no immediate plans to seek a second "subject" for transformation. He preferred to mold Nicole into his ideal vision before embarking on another experiment.

Under Wade's tutelage, Nicole was rapidly absorbing various skills. Her significantly enhanced reflexes gave her an unparalleled talent with dual katanas, earning both Aiden's and Wade's admiration.

Aiden spared no knowledge in firearms and tactical training, and Nicole was visibly evolving at an astonishing rate—it was already the sixteenth week.

Wade's training had not only turned Nicole into an exceptional female warrior but also proved financially lucrative for the pair. The once-powerful mercenary Wade paled in comparison to his current mutant incarnation.

The old Wade completed missions for hefty bounties. Now, with a newfound sense of power, he had ditched his mercenary status to become his own boss.

Unshackled by rules or demanding employers, Wade carved out his own niche. Nicole, devoid of mercy for gangsters, was a perfect partner in crime, zealously plundering ill-gotten gains from gangs.

Aiden had never anticipated such a development. Alone, Nicole likely would have disregarded wealth, but with greedy Wade, their team shifted from training to a spree of violence and plunder.

Wade lavished Vanessa with everything she desired, frequently sending her money. His cavalier attitude towards finances was laughable. Despite earning plenty, Wade was perpetually broke, a testament to his extravagant spending habits. Vanessa likely couldn't curb Wade's "golden touch," which always seemed to regenerate.

As Nicole's graduation loomed, Aiden gave up on recruiting Wade. Despite sixteen weeks of goodwill and Nicole's efforts to advocate for Aiden, Wade proved impervious to persuasion.

Aiden accepted that Wade was an extreme individualist, doubtful anyone could truly integrate him into a team. Both Aiden and Wade were not ones to play second fiddle.

In the short term, Aiden believed he could hire Wade with money. Understanding this, he ceased his futile endeavors. Should a dire situation arise, Aiden trusted that deploying Nicole with adequate funds would temporarily secure Deadpool's formidable combat prowess for his team.

Aiden pondered his next move. Four months of global wanderings had deepened his understanding of this world, revealing a stark divide between mutants and humans.

He also learned of a mutant school in Westchester County, New York, through online research—a revelation that unsettled him. Despite the distance from his base, Aiden dared not investigate, fearing an encounter with a certain professor.

If the professor read his mind, who knew what chaos might ensue?

Aiden, Deadpool, and Nicole had executed several missions worldwide without attracting the X-Men's attention. That aside, as they continued to roam the globe, Wade expressed a desire to return home.

Nicole was nearly ready to graduate, her training complete, and Wade yearned to reunite with Vanessa.

Sensing impending events and after a final effort to include Wade in his team, Aiden resolved to cease his attempts.

Belatedly, Aiden acknowledged his past errors in judgment. Perhaps what he needed most wasn't "physical defense" but "mental defense." With many in the Marvel world capable of reading thoughts, Aiden had to ensure his memories remained secure to navigate this world safely.

During their four-month journey, Nicole hadn't earned a single orb of light—not for lack of killing, but because those she killed weren't mission targets.

Now, Aiden faced another dilemma. He was cautious in this world, fearing the notice of telepaths. Yet, he had no desire to return to the "Avengers" world, where Hydra was likely scouring the globe for him. Another universe didn't seem right either, as "Mutant Madness" was dominated by mutants, potentially with even more telepaths.

Most pressing was a task in New York, waiting for Aiden to collect orbs. He had initially let it slide, thinking gang leaders elsewhere might count as targets, but that wasn't the case. The precious orbs were vital for Aiden's empowerment and testing Nicole's progress against the New York gangs seemed a fitting graduation.

Sometimes, risk is a necessary choice.

Tips:

Sorry, on webnovel, fan fiction cannot be signed, and some important content cannot be uploaded.

So I uploaded the full story on Patreon, and for just $0.10 / day, you can enjoy 20 chapters in advance

If you're interested, check out Patreon

Copy to browser open:

patreon.com/Xiaosheng634