Getting closer...

The next day, X'ara, MJ & Kori met up with Emily & Jean and explained their plan. Both Jean & Emily were immediately on board with the idea, with Emily explaining that she'd wanted to use either Jean or Betsy's telepathy to access X'ara's mind, but that she was also hesitant to ask upon seeing the trauma in the Tamaranean's mind. However, now that X'ara was willing, plans were made to allow both telepaths access to X'ara's memories, hoping they could find something that X'ara had suppressed or locked away.

"Remember, you can back out at any time. Our top priority is protecting you," Emily reassured X'ara, still worried about disrupting the alien woman's delicate mental state.

"I appreciate your concern, but I need to face my trauma eventually," X'ara told the vampiress. "Everyone I have met here has conquered their hardships... and to help you, I must now conquer mine."

"I'm grateful you feel that way. If we can bring down Kingsley, we can prevent him and his underlings from taking advantage of women like yourself ever again. But I still ask that you let us know if the strain is too much," Emily continued. "And once again, X'ara... thank you. You're a strong woman."

X'ara responded with a shy smile as MJ, sitting to her left, squeezed her hand gently to reassure her that neither she and Kori were going anywhere.

"I've contacted Betsy. Right now she's on X-Men business, but once that's wrapped up, she says she's in," Jean informed the group.

"Got it. What's Betsy's ETA?" Emily asked Jean.

"Two days' time. We can get started any time after Thursday... X'ara, do you think you'll be ready by then?"

"Yes. I can do this," X'ara replied -- while there was fear in her voice, there was also determination. Kori, sitting to X'ara's right, placed a hand on her knee and smiled warmly. This only helped to strengthen X'ara's resolve -- she was committed to repaying the kindness everyone here had shown her.

"Good. And don't worry -- Betts & I won't let you get hurt. I promise," Jean said with the same comforting, warm tone X'ara had heard from Kori & MJ.

X'ara smiled again, tears forming in her eyes -- maybe she'd finally found somewhere she could belong on this strange and often cruel planet. "I believe you, and I am grateful."

"Well, it looks like we can wrap things up here," Emily said, dismissing the group. "So, do you ladies have any plans for tonight?"

"Actually, we do," Jean said. "Kori, MJ & I have planned a girls' night out. We work together, so we might as well do a bit of team bonding -- care to join us, boss?"

"I'd love to, but I've got a show to plan and more Kingsley crap to sift through," Emily said, clearly disappointed she couldn't join them. "But I'd love to do something with you girls soon. I'll let you know when my schedule's open."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Jean smiled. "But I get it. Between this and the X-Men I've got a full plate myself. How about you, X'ara?"

"Spending time with you sounds lovely, but I am still uncomfortable being in public. Kingsley still may be targeting me," X'ara explained.

"Right. Well, when we're done with that bastard, me & the girls are gonna take you out to celebrate," Jean promised. "So you'd better be ready."

"You blew it up."

Gwen stood there, facepalming. She should have called Felicia for this job. All she needed from them was information on an Oscorp lab hidden in the Catskills. But they asked her -- begged her -- to come along. Said they'd offer the information for free if she took them. And since Gwen wasn't exactly rolling in cash, she agreed. Big mistake.

"You sound surprised... Remy's whole power is pretty much 'blow shit up'. And I always blow shit up when I do a job. Were you not expecting us to blow shit up?"

"Yeah, Wade, kinda. Especially since, y'know, I specifically asked you not to blow anything up."

"You did?! I guess I didn't listen to that part of your instructions. Although, I gotta admit, I kinda zoned out when you were droning on and on about all that science bullshit. I had no idea you could be so boring... still, the blowing things up thing -- I am sorry about that. I admit it, that's on me. And Remy..."

"No, no, no. Don' blame me for dat, mon ami," Gambit groaned. "You were de one settin' de charges."

"And they never would have gone off if you hadn't overcharged that generator, Frenchie!" Wade snapped.

"I was tryin' to restore de power -- which you cut, imbécile!"

"Hey! I know what that word means... and while I'm very flattered that you think I have the strong thighs of an ox, that's not what we're talking about here!" Deadpool retorted.

Gwen sighed, unable to contain her exasperation. "Wade... _imbécile _means imbecile."

"That's not what Remy told me!" Wade yelled, then turning to Gambit and saying, "You're the worst french teacher ever, you know that?"

"Oh god, will you two shut up?! I was looking for some really important information. Information that would have linked a corrupt fashion CEO to Oscorp's Goblin program. And because of you two dingdongs, I'll never get it now," Gwen said, well beyond irritated at this point.

"Information? You mean like this?" Wade said, pulling out a flash drive. "I downloaded this before we got separated."

"No kiddin'," Remy said, taking another flash drive from his pocket and handing it to Gwen. "I got this from an office when I was lookin' around. Figured dere had to be something I could sell on it..."

Gwen plugged both drives into her phone and looked at some of what Deadpool & Gambit had pulled from the lab's hard drives, surprised. "This... is exactly what I was looking for. Uh, good job, guys... I think?"

"See? SEE? You get your info, I get to blow shit up... it's a good day for everybody!" Deadpool crowed.

"You still didn't need to blow the lab up," Gwen reminded Wade. "You could've killed us."

"Could've killed you," Wade corrected Gwen. "And Remy. I'd have been fine. I'd have smelled like burnt ass, but..."

"Y'already smell like burnt ass," Gambit told Wade.

"Yeah, but that's only because I haven't showered for a week and a half. Trust me, it could be much worse. Think burning raw sewage being propelled through the streets by the Hulk's farts--"

"--I get the point," Gwen interrupted. "Either way, I'm not dead, and I got what I need. That's a win."

Gwen couldn't help but wonder how Gambit and Deadpool had been able to co-exist, let alone recently (and successfully!) pull off a job that had netted them both $25 million, but that didn't matter. She was now able to find out what Kingsley had done with Osborn's goblin serum, and she'd hopefully be able to use it to take this new Hobgoblin down.