Killer Instinct

Chapter XVI

XVI.

The pain from teleporting didn't exist anymore, now that I had full access to my powers. I sighed with relief at being in the lobby of Henry Tower.

"Fuck," Apollo, Ivy and Misha looked dazed. The pain didn't affect me, but it clearly affected them. Curious.

Misha's knees gave out, and he knelt on the floor, lips white as he gritted his teeth. "The bullet. We've got to get it out. It's platinum encased."

"I'll get him a healer," Apollo took off.

"Wait," I said, kneeling by his side, our eyes meeting. I touched the wound gently, concentrating on it. I could do this. I could heal him. I was a universal. If I couldn't do it, I could simply will it to happen.

And that is what I did, directing the energy around us, forcing it into Misha's shoulder, forcing that energy to slowly expel that bullet, slowly knit the tendons, blood vessels, muscles, skin back together in shoulder. It happened slowly at first, taking so much energy, I was panting, sweat dripping down my face. It wasn't an easy process, but as it gained momentum it grew easier and easier, until finally there was nothing but smooth golden skin where a gunshot wound had been.

I sighed, sitting back on my thighs. "That should do it."

Misha had a pained look on his face, his eyes burning in a way that my lost memories deciphered as horny.

I could feel myself responding, and glanced away from him.

Ivy's electric ice blue eyes met mine, a smirk playing along her lips. "Good job, sis."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks... I think."

"Let's head to the conference room. We'll have to debrief James." Ivy sighed, rubbing her forehead. "It's going to be a long night."

Standing there in the conference room, running on nothing but caffeine and sugar, I knew the meaning of pure exhaustion.

Strategy was something I could hardly claim to be an expert in. I was used to taking orders, not giving them. Fortunately for me, James Henry was more than well-equipped to plot the next stage of our plan. Together with his chief advisors whose names I didn't bother remembering, along with Selene, Apollo, Misha and Ivy- who had apparently been another one of James' many double agents- we plotted.

"A direct assault." He told us, rolling blue prints of the MIA headquarters in Washington, D.C. across the conference table. "We'll gather all of our forces and march on the capital. The objective is to kill Doug Spielman, and anyone with top level clearance who knows he plans to take over the Norm government."

"A coup?" Misha shook his head. "That would be nearly impossible. Even with Isley having full access to her powers, we couldn't just storm one of the most secure buildings in the world. And killing Doug Spielman is a lot easier said than done, considering the fact that he's an immortal mutant with a penchant for not being killed by traditional means." Misha paused, glancing up at James. "No offense."

"None taken. And don't worry about killing Doug. He's mine."

"Like hell he is!" I snapped, bursting to my feet. "You told me that was my job. He's my kill."

"And how," James Henry glared at me, "do you presume to kill Doug Henry? Are you even certain he can be killed?"

"If I rip off his head, I'm sure it's unlikely that he will survive that." I tiled my head to get a better look at James' face. "Am I right?"

"You make it sound so easy." James Henry shook his head. "There's a reason why Doug Spielman killed you in all of your previous lives. It is because you vastly underestimate his power and ruthlessness."