The X-Project

SHIELD finally arrives and ends things.



“My spotters think they saw people moving through the forest.” Sheriff Altman said, and Kane silently hoped he was right. He could only give the X-Men so much time.

“Send out a couple of officers on a sweep. We need to maintain containment.” Garrison said all the right words, even knowing that he was undercutting his own negotiation. Not that it was much of one; Burnside was a total paranoid, convinced that the government had initiated the SUPER SOLDIER program to be used against its own citizens and impose a federal fascist state. He turned back to the phone. “I’ve talked to the local news teams, Major Burnside. They want some kind of guarantee before they are willing to send anyone inside.”

“You tell them to get their asses inside or I’ll-“

“They’re private citizens, Major. I can’t force them at gunpoint. You know that.” There was a moment of silence at using his own rhetoric against him.

“This is a complete waste of time,” Brand observed, casually looking at her watch. “This could have been over by now, Slick, if we’d done it my way.” She’d taken on board the remark about people in the woods – it figured Kane would find a way to involve his leather-clad buddies. With any luck SHIELD would catch them red-handed interfering in a federal investigation. Provided they showed up sooner than later.

“The hostages and the hostage takers are still alive. That means this is currently working, Brand.” Kane said, without heat. They’d been having this fight for the last two hours, and he was tired of it. She wasn’t a trained negotiator, and she had exactly the wrong temperament for these kinds of situations. But Kane’s name had some weight; the regular press didn’t know it, but the agents from the Field Office knew that Garrison had resolved the hostage situation with President McKenna’s daughter, and they were willing to listen to him for now.

“Sheriff, if we can get a-“ Kane stopped abruptly as a trio of armoured trucks came down the road, all in black and blue trim, with sirens blaring. There wasn’t an insignia on the vehicles, but there didn’t need to be. “Brand.”

“Yes?” she replied blandly. “Oh, look who’s here. You’d better let that dirtbag inside know time’s up for ransom demands.”

Kane paused, and the look he gave her was chilly. The genial Canadian agent had disappeared for a moment, and his eyes for a moment were those of his uncle or father; the look that said that you would be held accountable for what you’ve done.

The SHIELD team quickly assembled, and a blonde haired woman stepped in front of them, clad in a black armoured jumpsuit.

“Gentlemen, I’m Major Carter and I’m taking over this situation.”

“This is under FBI jurisdiction, Major. I’m-“ Kane stopped as she held up a federal document.

“DAD Duncan ceded command to us twenty minutes ago, Special Agent Kane. According to the information you’ve sent in, this is an obvious SPB encounter. What the hell were you thinking, Special Agent?” The woman was a hard forty, and her steely blue eyes met his.

“Trying to keep everyone alive, Major. Containment and hostage negotiation tend to work against each other.”

“If I gave a shit about you, Special Agent, I’d be insulted. Mount up, people. We’re going in five.” Carter turned back to Kane. “That’s how long I’ll give you to make him surrender.”

“Can’t win them all, Kane,” Brand murmured to him, low enough that no-one else could hear. “Time to let the professionals deal with this properly.”

“You know, you’re an awful lot less attractive when you’re wearing your cunt all over.” Kane picked up the phone. “Major Burnside, we’re out of time. You need to surrender, sir.”

“Son, you need to bend over and unfuck your brain a moment. I have thirty hostages wired to explosives and-“

“No, you don’t, sir.” The side door pushed up, and screaming employees started to rush into the parking lot, corralled by a mixed group of agents and police while the SHIELD team moved into position. “In three minutes, a SHIELD response team will breach the building through multiple entry points. Their orders will be to neutralize you as a threat. Any hint of resistance will involve a lethal response. Your men are now out of the equation. Major Burnside, it is over.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, before he spoke again. “When I was your age, I was protecting CIA pukes setting up heroin warlords in Laos to raise local anti-Charlie hit squads. It’s funny, isn’t it? Once, they thought I could be Captain America.”

“Major-“

“I suppose I should be quoting Nathan Hale. I regret I only have one life to give for my country. But, hell, I always preferred ol’ Jim Bowie.” Burnside’s ironic chuckle came clear over the line. “Fuck the Mexicans.” The line cut off.

Brand looked at the fleeing hostages and then back to Kane. “Interesting. Very interesting.” Kane’s venom seemed to amuse her more than anything. “Time’s up. Let’s finish this mess.”

Kane stood by the command centre as the SHIELD team breached the building, and he could hear two distinct shots before the automatic weapon fire began. The command channel was live with shouts, before Carter’s voice finally overrode them all.

“Target is down. I repeat, target is down.” The Canadian shook his head and walked back towards his car. Brand reached him before he could climb in and took the passenger’s seat. There wasn’t anything he could do. After all, she was his partner, for now. He started the car and pulled out, not wanting to watch them pull the old man’s corpse from the building.

Brand started to say something, but Kane held up a hand. “Don’t. You won here today, Abigail. You beat me. But until now, I didn’t know that this was a war.”