Ch.19

Before I could make a decision about what to do, Grace came running over and saw what was happening. This alerted the Heroes who had superhuman hearing, however, I was much quieter on my own. Crimson Countess, panicked and released her ball of energy toward Grace. On instinct, I jumped in the way as the ball of energy hit my body launching me backward right into Grace. 

However, the ball of energy made my skin and organs explode outward as I landed on Grace. I groaned as my body quickly repaired itself, with only my metal skeleton visible for a few seconds. I looked down as I pushed myself up and saw Grace groaning in pain after I crashed into her. Her eyes widened at seeing my body repairing itself almost immediately. 

I ignored her look as I stood naked in the jungle, I turned to see the Russians dragging Soldier Boy's body away. The Russians were shouting to the Heroes to dispose of us while dragging the body away. Though the only ones intact to fight were Crimson Countess, Gunpowder, and the TNT twins partially. Mindstorm was knocked out and Black Noir was only twitching every few seconds as his brain was exposed to the world. 

Gunpowder immediately started shooting at me, though I ignored him as bullets were only an annoyance to me at this point. The real threat here was Crimson Countess and possibly the TNT Twins. So, I charged toward the Crimson Countess who stared at me in surprise as my body finished healing the damage she dealt. 

With an animalistic growl I ran toward her, she panicked and launched another attack at me though I dodged it as it exploded a tree behind me. The shrapnel lodged itself into my back, but I ignored it pushing forward. The TNT Twins then launched their electrical attack at me stunning me for a second as Gunpowder shot me round after round, my anger rising though I've learned to not lose control as easily anymore. 

Then another ball of energy struck me from Crimson Countess exploding my body once again. I almost felt myself snap as the only thing intact was my skeleton and brain. I then let out a scream of rage as I stepped forward as my body quickly repaired itself. This made each of the heroes stare at me in horror and fear, freezing them all. 

"What kind of monster are you?!" Crimson Countess said more to herself seeing this. 

"I"m gonna rip you in half bitch!!" I yell as I launch myself at her, snapping her from her fear. 

However, before she can send another ball of energy I grab her shoulders and head butting her making her cry out in pain. The others watched in horror still as I was still repairing the damages, probably looking like Terminator. Then as she stumbled back grabbing her head, I brought my claws out and swiped upward cutting both of her arms off at her elbows. 

She stood there screaming and looking down at her missing arms, snapping the others from their stupor. The TNT Twins quickly shot another wave of electrical energy at me and Gunpowder was shooting at me with a panicked face. I growled through the pain from the Twins and stabbed Crimson Countess in the stomach with both my claws. 

With an angry growl, I lifted her above my head and cut her in half above me, cutting her screams out as she died instantly. I was then bathed in her blood and insides as they rained down on me, only increasing my blood lust further. I turned to Twins with a feral look, as they stumbled back in fear.

"WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!?!?!" Gunpowder was crying as he was shooting at me. 

I then ran toward the Twins, however, the woman twin dropped her brother leaving him behind as he was the injured one. She kept running and not looking back as her brother stumbled but fell trying to run too. 

"Teresa you bit–" the man twin was about to say but I ran past him cutting his head in thirds while chasing down his sister. 

Gunpowder seeing me kill him, dropped his gun and fell to his knees while staring at me in horror. Teresa did not have superhuman speed or endurance as I easily closed the distance. I then stabbed her in the back making her gasp in pain while looking back at me. She then coughed up some blood before I swiped up cutting her in half from the mid-chest up. I walked over to Gunpowder who was cowering as I approached him. 

"He's just a kid," I hear Grace say as I walk over completely naked, covered in blood and viscera. 

"Listen, kid, if I even hear you speak to anyone about what happened here… I will find you and due to you what I did to your team," I say while ignoring Grace. Gunpowder nodded his head vigorously while staring at me in complete fear. 

I walked past him toward one of the Russian soldiers, I then took their balaclava, boots, and pants, and put them on. I then walked past the completely frozen Gunpowder, knocked out Mindstorm, and comatose Black Noir. 

"I'm not a kid killer," I say as I walk past Grace toward our camp. 

"And the others?" Grace says while holding her side and grimacing from the pain. 

"They attacked first, plus I was tasked to protect you. Crimson Countess was about to kill you," I say shrugging my shoulders. 

"I meant Black Noir and Mindstorm," Grace says slowly walking and I decide to pick her up and help her which she doesn't say anything to. 

"Black Noir looks about to die any second and brain dead. Mindstorm isn't awake, plus I have no quarrel with him," I say as she stares at me in silence while we walk the rest of the way back to her camp. 

"Where is Payback?" we hear the black man who was with them ask us as we come back to Grace's camp which is now mostly destroyed. 

"Further that way. They seemed to have fought with the Russians. The Russians killed most of them and took Soldier Boy," I say as the man looks surprised. However, I can see behind his faked surprise to see that Vought seemed to have planned Soldier Boy's abduction. 

"I see… I need to see the survivors then," the man says before quickly making his way to the remaining members. 

"Vought knows something," Grace says once he is out of earshot. 

"Looks that way," I say placing her down as one of her medics comes running over to look over her. 

"Are you leaving now?" Grace says as I grab a cigarette from the supplies that weren't destroyed. 

"Not sure… why?" I say to her as she gives me a hard look. 

"I have questions," Grace says knowing to ask me about what she wants to know when we aren't surrounded by others. 

"I'll answer them if there is time," I say shrugging. 

In the next few hours, the camp gathers their dead and mourns thier losses. While a US heli arrives in camp to gather the living and dead superheroes. As they get on the heli, the black man with the team gives me a hard stare while trying to place me. Then the heli leaves just as quickly as it came. 

As night descends, Grace and her remaining men bury their fallen. They then gathered the remaining supplies before moving to a new spot Grace had set up in case this site got found. Once we arrived her men silently went about preparing the camp for the rest of the Operation. Grace motioned for me to follow her, we then sat further away from the camp as her men worked. 

Grace pulled out a new pack of cigarettes offering me one, which I took. We then sat in silence for an hour smoking and just looking at the wilderness. With a heavy sigh, Grace turns to me giving me a look over before speaking. 

"So… you're a supe too," Grace says while exhaling some smoke. 

"Yes," I say nodding my head. 

"A supe working for the Government and not Vought… How'd that happen?" Grace says raising an eyebrow. 

"Cause I've been around a lot longer than Vought and already been working with the Government for as long as I can remember," I say not elaborating. 

"I can only assume a handful know of your existence," Grace says while looking off into the distance. 

"Now more know and even more with time I'm sure. Especially after today, though I knew it was bound to happen eventually," I say shrugging my shoulders. 

"I assume you are 'need-to-know' then… great," Grace says with a heavy sigh.

We both then fall back into silence, before heading back to camp. The next morning, another CIA agent appeared. Along with them much-needed supplies for their camp and new soldiers willing to fight for whatever it is they are doing out here. 

"Logan, you can return home with me," the Agent says as the supplies are being unloaded by the new soldiers. 

"Nah, not yet. I'll stick around for now, was stuck at home for a while and want to get out. Unless Reagen needs me for something I'm helping out Grace here," I say as Grace raises an eyebrow at my statement. 

"Understood, I'll relay your decision. Reach out should you wish to extract anytime," the Agent says before leaving with the trucks. But before he leaves, he hands me a new mask too.

"Why?" Grace asks me while the camp is much more talkative with the new soldiers. 

"As I said, I was bored at home and this will give me something to do for the time being," I say while she stares at me trying to see if I'm lying.

"Fine, but you are gonna be helping pull your weight. Plus knowing your abilities I might have some extra work for you," Grace says to me giving me a commanding look. 

"Yes Ma'am," I say snapping to attention and saluting her. 

"Fuck off," Grace says annoyed by me. 

The next few weeks passed, and I learned that the mission had already been in the works for the past few months. I led a small squad of men who were in charge of gathering intel from the enemies. This went on for another few weeks, during this time Grace was becoming more friendly with me. 

Seems that being the only other American here and my relaxed attitude made it easier for her to open up to me. Plus I would tell stories to the men and her about my past adventures. Everyone thought it was me just messing around since there was no way I was as old as I was claiming to be. 

"Logan, is it true? Are you really from the 1800s?" Grace asks me as I stand by the edge of the camp enjoying the quiet which she interrupted. 

"Oh, you finally believe me?" I say with a smirk, as I only take off my mask when alone or with her and no one else. 

"I guess, shit after what I see what you can do. Plus you don't seem like a liar," Grace says taking my cigarette which I just lit from my mouth for herself. 

I grunt in annoyance at her taking my cigarette, she gives me a playful smirk. Then we sit in silence before I feel her staring at me. I look toward her and she seems to be debating something. Then before I can ask what is on her mind, she grabs me by the face kissing me. 

"Sorr–" Grace says pulling away since I didn't respond to the kiss. 

Then I cut her off kissing her back. Things quickly turn heated as we begin tearing each other's clothes off. Plus we both seemed to want to release some steam and it appeared she has not been able to for some time now. I picked her up in the air as she wrapped her legs around me. The night was going to be a long one, but a very good one.