by Perri Smith
As if in answer to her prayer, there was a huge boom from somewhere close by and the light fixtures started throwing sparks. One exploded, sending everyone in the room ducking for cover, leaving Wolverine and Siryn exposed. Siryn felt a shard of glass knife stab deeply into her thigh and would have screamed if she was able. But the cold blade of Rebound's knife forced her to choke it back.
The light show stopped, and so did the lights. "What the hell was that?" Rebound yelled into the darkness.
"Something happened to the lights," a nameless Genoshan guard answered.
"No kidding, hotshot, go find out what!" There was the sound of keys jangling, then the door opened. For a moment the guard was silhouetted against the shadowed hall. Then another shadow joined his. The fight lasted less than a second.
An incredibly easy-to-identify voice rang out. "We're he--ere!"
"Deadpool?" Rebound snarled. "I shoulda known." He started to lunge for the merc, but Deadpool was gone before he could get there. Another figure, this one slight and short, met the charge with a brilliant flash of blinding light. There was a sizzle, then a heavy 'thunk' and the clatter of a knife dropping to the floor.
"Rebound from 50,000 volts, redneck," Delphi drawled, dropping something metallic, heavy and obviously highly conductive.
There were various other thunks and a scream, hastily cut off, before Deadpool reappeared. "Boy, can we make an entrance or what?"
"Shut up and get her collar, Wade." Delphi moved behind Wolverine, hands working at the metal around his neck. His claws snicked out and Delphi flinched, but he ignored her, twisting his wrist and trying to slash at the restraints.
Siryn reacted with a bit more emotion, twisting against her bonds. Deadpool muffled her yells with one hand over her mouth. She tried to bite him. "Criminy, Red, can't you tell a rescue when you see one? If you keep fighting me, I'm gonna throw you over my shoulder and haul you out that way! Actually, that could be fun anyway. . . ." If looks could kill, he'd have been on the floor with a lily in his hands. "Come on, babe, there're about ten zillion idiots with more muscles than brains in this place. You wanted me to take all of 'em on?" He started on the collar, still talking. "Not that I couldn't have, but it would have left serious marks on my favorite skin, not to mention my favorite sis."
"Will you button it and move?" Delphi hissed. Siryn turned to look at her; she was still working on the collar but her eyes looked curiously unfocused. "They've found my other little present in the generator and the main lights are gonna be on in a few minutes!" She finished fumbling, and the collar came loose from Wolverine's neck. She started on the restraints next, obviously trying to avoid flying claws. "I'm only takin' these off if you promise not to kill me until after we get outta here," she warned. He groaned and cursed. "I'll take that as an agreement. Wade, hustle it!"
"I'm going, I'm going. Damn, you're turning into one helluva nag." The collar came off, finally, and Siryn sighed with relief. He didn't bother with the buckles on the restraints, using a knife to simply cut them loose.
The second she had a hand free Siryn hauled off and punched him as hard as she could, sending him stumbling back. It hurt her hand, but did wonders for her temper and her pride. "Ye low-down, miserable . . . "
Delphi's hand clamped over her mouth. "Look, hard as it is to believe, we're the good guys here, and your only way out. Now shut up and move, or we'll be happy to leave you here. Got it?" Theresa nodded once, short and sharp. "Good." Delphi let her go and gestured over her shoulder at Wolverine. "Wade, he's hurt bad, you're gonna have to help him."
"Me? He weighs half a ton! Why the hell should I carry him around, he keeps trying to kill me!"
Delphi aimed a killing glare at him. "If he didn't want to kill you, he wouldn't be worth savin'. But you got him into this, and you're damned well gonna get him out." He started to answer, but she cut him off curtly. "Wade, we have no time. Just get him."
He met her eyes in a silent staredown, well over a foot taller than her. But the tiny woman refused to back down and she won; Deadpool went over to Logan, who was already sitting up. His face was set in lines of agony, but he glared at Deadpool anyway. "I don't need yer help, Wilson. I can make it myself."
"Yeah, right, and fall flat on your face in three seconds," Delphi snapped. "Stop being stupidly macho." Logan grumbled, but let Deadpool haul him off the table.
Delphi turned back to Theresa, who was stunned to see a faint glimmer of relief briefly replace the ice in the other woman's eyes.
"Can you walk? We're goin' t' have serious company any second now," Delphi asked, as Deadpool hoisted a still-protesting Wolverine's arm over his shoulder. Fortunately, Logan was in no condition to effectively enforce his wishes.
"I think so," Siryn answered, swinging her feet to the floor. She stood -- and almost collapsed as her leg gave way. She risked a look down and wished she hadn't; her leg was covered with blood, a large shard of glass sticking out. She reached for it, but Delphi swatted her hand away.
"Leave it - you'll do more damage and let it bleed more. So much for that," Delphi muttered, her eyes swinging to the door and back. "We'll have to do it the hard way." She pulled Theresa up, taking most of the taller woman's weight on her shoulders and making good-and-damn-sure her gun hand was free.
"Delphi, I can . . . "
Delphi cut Theresa's protests off brusquely. "The hell you can and we can't waste time arguin'. I'm a lot stronger than I look."
Deadpool was already at the door, looking cautiously left and right down the hall, then back at them."Man, what a picture. Gotta get an 8x10 of that, maybe put it in the den. 'Deadpool's Ladies' -- I wonder who'd buy it?"
"Shut up, Wade!" the two women snarled in unison.
"Why don't you just put that on tape and save your voices?" he grumbled, but he also went through the door, gun ready and not even staggering under Wolverine's weight. "Wolveroonski, ya gotta cut down on the desserts, man."
Delphi and Siryn exchanged disgusted looks, for the first time in perfect agreement, then followed him.