Trouble

"What did I do now?" Walt had just watched Scott Summers give a strange look before passing through one of the Krakoan gates.

Logan shrugged sipping his drink sniffing. "Somethings up in New York. That's why he's leaving. As for what you did you showed up with Emma. You know they were sort of a thing once?"

Walt sighed. "It ain't like that! Wasn't my idea and it's purely business and PR."

Logan smirked and glanced at where Emma Frost was talking with the others. "Coulda fooled me. She keeps looking over at you. Anyway try not to be hard on Cyclops. This X-Men thing is cause he and Jeanie want to step down and back. Work on their relationship. They need this."

Walt gave Logan a look. "When did you become an expert on women?"

Logan nodded grinning. "I ain't but I don't pretend to be neither. But hey you seem to be doing alright!"

Walt shook his head. "I ain't an expert neither. Knowing that you know nothing is the first step on the path to enlightenment supposedly. I always thought that aplied to women too, myself." He frowned. "I don't like it."

Logan blinked. "You don't like the ladies? Coulda fooled me-"

"Not that. You know that's not the case," Walt gave him a hard look. "And you know what I'm talking about."

Logan sipped his drink and frowned sniffing then nodded. "People keep getting called away... I don't like it either. First Fury calls the Avenger leftovers away then Rogue left and now this. You think something's up."

It was a statement not a question. They'd worked together before and been friends awhile. "You don't either. That's the second time you've sniffed in less than a minute."

Logan shrugged but was still frowning. Walt knew him well too. "What do you wanna do? No one else has raised any alarms yet-"

"I have," Walt said. "I put my guys in a state of high alert before thos thong even started. I got that funny feeling in my gut."

Logans frown deepened into a scowl. "Troubles coming. Good enough for me. What do you want?"

Walt looked around. "What's the security like here?"

Logan snorted. "You mean on an island with some of the worlds most powerful omega level mutants gathered on it?"

Walt nodded. "Yep. Let's think it through. Let's just say someone found away around those two things, hypothetically. What else ya got?"

Logan nodded. "We got all the other mutants gathered here... plus me. You know how I am in a fight. You're here too. If anyone comes looking for a fight-"

"They'll find it," Walt finished but shook his head. "I'd like permission to have my forces stationed here or at least nearby if something unexpected happens."

Logan grunted. "You'd like to bring your goon squad into play on Krakoan sovereign soil? You know that could cause an incident. You'd have to tell somebody."

Walt smirked. "I thought that was what I was doing? It's easier to get forgiveness after the fact than permission."

Logan sighed but the corners of his mouth twitched up as he tapped Walt's drink with his. "Alright. I'll cover yer bet. You better be right about this, bub!"

Walt shook his head. "Actually I hope I'm wrong. But I doubt it and so do you." He waved to Curie and she and some of the others nodded coming over. "Oui. What ez eet?"

Logan sniffed and raised an eyebrow. "Aha!" He looked towards where Mystique was then back at Curie. "That was bugging me all night!"

Walt nodded as Curie/Mystique rolled her eyes as they flashed yellow briefly. "Yeah," he said. "She's the same but different. It's complicated but the short version is we have another Mystique and some others with similar powers and skill sets." He smiled at Neo as she joined them with Baroness and Elyia in tow. "The situation is our foe is making a move. I can feel it, Logan can smell it and before any of you-"

Neo shook her head and nodded taking his arm. She was with him and looked at the others.

Anastasia nodded. "She's right. It feels off to me-" she looked at Mystique/Curie who nodded. "Sorry. Correction. Us as well. What do you propose?"

Walt nodded thinking fast. "If I were the enemy... hmmmm... this has been setup with multiple moving parts and layers. We stopped some but we have to assume not all. Likely it was all for this moment so they either need to fold or go all in. This... it 'feels' personal. I'm betting they go all in. 3S is standing by for once the shit goes sideways. Their targets are..." he looked around at all the gathered people but his eyes went to the stage. "I doubt their planing on making a show of attacking sustainable housing and food. The targets are the new X-Man team and the Omegas. Probably the Telepaths."

"Jean," Logan said and Walt nodded. "I know. Jeanie and Chuck are in trouble as well as Em, Jubes, Ali and Laura. Neo I need you cover the X-Man candidates this year. It's Jubilee and our friends Alison aka Dazzler also Laura aka Talon-" he looked at Logan.

Logan sighed and shrugged, "Synch, Cannonball, Prodigy, Frenzy and Juggernaut."

Walt nodded. "Synch, Cannonball, Prodigy, Frenzy and... Juggernaut?!?!" He looked at Logan incredulously who chuckled at his reaction and nodded. Walt blinked and shook his head. "Oh kaaay. Guessing there's a story there. Give me the Cliffs notes later... "Jughead". Him too, then..." he paused.

"What's up? Those names change something?" Logan asked but Neo held her hand up for silence. Walt was think hard.

He nodded after a moment. "Some of those names. Big damn powerhouses and nigh immortals... Dazzler, Cannonball and Juggernaut... that's too strange to make up. So that means they're planning something big enough to stop the unstoppable. And then what I said earlier... It's not enough to "win". They want to make a statement. Crush the dream."

Curie/Mystique nodded. "It's personal... Charles?"

Walt nodded. "Chuck and Jeanie. Good luck. Go."

Anastasia and Mystique nodded and left in a hurry. Walt turned to Neo. "Tell Jubilee what's going on and to coordinate with the other X-Men candidates with you? Can you make the illusion work? It's going to depend on you to fool everyone if only for a short time."

Neo started to tip her hat cockily but stopped at how seriously he looked at her and she nodded very seriously. Walt smiled grimly and kissed her cheek. "Be careful." He signed, 'I love you'.

She nodded and returned the gesture of 'I love you' then took off. Walt turned back to Logan. "Teleporters. We got a lot of important VIPs here and not a lot of teleportation specialist s at the moment."

Logan gave him a funny look and opened his mouth to point out there wasn't as much need with the gates... And stopped. "Good point. Dammit you think this is that bad?"

Walt shook his head. "I don't know but it's the one part that doesn't make sense in this. If it's a problem I don't want to find out about it when our pants are down."

He grinned in a humorless way. He was already baring his teeth for the fight ahead... And so was Walt. "This is why I always hated playing cards with you back in the day. I'm on covering our asses!"

Logan took off as Elyia gave him an update. "Forces are getting in position and strike teams are approaching Krakoa..." She smiled. "But that's not what you wanted from me now is it?"

Walt shook his head. "No it isn't... first I think Gwen might have already texted her bandmates but reach out and apologize and try to reschedule our meeting with "The Mary Jane's". There's more but I don't want to involve you without asking first. Not your mess. Not your problem. That said...?"

Elyia/Lady Loki smiled. "You wouldn't be adverse to a bit of mischief?"

Walt shrugged and winked. "It's hard to be in two places at once. In the aftermath I'm sure we can come up with a good story to explain it away afterwards if anyone even brings it up but only if you're comfortable with that. This has little if anything to do with Asgard and nothing to do with you. You're my partner and this would be beyond the limits of our discussed agreement. It doesn't necessarily advance the story of Loki, so if you'd rather not get involved I quite understand."

She blinked then smiled. "That's... true. And surprisingly thoughtful. Forgive me. I'm not used to such consideration." She paused thoughtfully. "Wait... am I mistaken or are you talking around owing me a "favor" if I decide to help?"

Walt shrugged. "Can't blame me for trying. Very well. I'll owe you a "small" favor for your indirect involvement that is beneficial in this event. How about that?"

She smiled. "Well bargained and reasoned. Normally I'd like to bargain a bit more but that was well done and we're running out of time."

Walt chuckled and shook his head. "Translation. I offered too much, to early."

Elyia's/Lady Loki's eye practically sparkled with amusement. "Not necessarily."

He sighed but gave her a wink. "Translation. Probably so." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Be careful. Friday. Send the package to my location along with a QS "football" and the dull AM "letter opener". Time to change suits."

(("Mk 1.01 Stealth Iron Shadow with extras deployed."))

She touched her cheek watching him quickly slip through the crowd and smiled for a moment, before shaking her head. "In truth this story is already entertaining and amusing. I likely would have gotten involved for less... and you know it. What a strange mortal. Interesting indeed." She walked behind the foliage of the grotto and Walter appeared on the otherside. "Boy howdy," Walt/Loki said with a cocky grin tilting his hat to a rakish angle.

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Rachel "Raven" Roth Manami "La Brava" Aiba Tsuyu "Froppy" Asui Haruhime Sanjouno Anastasia "The Baroness" Cisarovna/DeCobray Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida Gwen "Gwenom" Stacy Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee and Jennifer "She-Hulk" Walters

Will Return In

Party Crashers

Coming Soon]