X-Men: The Gifted Ones

60. C-COMPANY CAMP, OUTSIDE OF MY LAI, VIETNAM

Mystique disguised herself as the young private again. She hid and waited just off the path from the camp to the latrine. She finally saw the muscular, square-faced man she knew was Colonel Barker. The man had thick eyebrows and high cheekbones. She decided to follow him in. He looked at the private as he approached the urinal and acknowledged him with a nod. She smiled deviously and gave him a chop to the back of the head, stunning him. She pulled a needle out of her pocket and sedated him as she changed back to her true form. "Nothing personal, Colonel," she said dismissively. "Just can't risk you spoiling the mission."

The scales on her body shifted and she disguised herself as the Colonel. She picked him up and carried him to his tent where she laid him on his cot.

She returned to the camp acting relieved from the latrine, rejoining the group and sitting down. "What did I miss?" she asked, trying out her new disguise. "And who the hell are these people?"

"Sir, these people are known as the Mutant Brotherhood," Calley spoke up. "They have a plan to not only help us with our offensive tomorrow, but to help us win the war."

Sergeant Victor Creed grinned, baring teeth that looked almost too sharp to be human. A rabid glint sparkled in his eyes. "You won't believe what these people can do, Sir. This pretty little thing? She can fly and spit fire. This young pup here can run like the wind, this other guy can make wind, and there's even a teleporter."

Captain Medina tried to be deferential, but his mind was clearly made up. "In addition to the weapons we already possess, and the skills of Warpath, Thunderbird, and Forge, these people really can help us win this war. We need them, Sir," Colonel Medina added. He seemed to be in agreement with Calley and Creed.

Only Lieutenant Bill Stryker seemed to disagree. "Sir, I don't think we need mutants, they're nothing but trouble. The ones in our company can be controlled but these people? We know nothing about them! There's enough damned freaks in this company as it is."

Mystique glared. "That's enough out of you about mutants, Stryker!"

Captain Forge Thompson spoke up, "I have to agree with Stryker on this. The Brotherhood cannot be trusted!" The man's blue eyes scanned the group seated around him. Could no one see this?

"Forge is right," Staff Sergeant Warpath agreed. "The Brotherhood has their own agenda. Always has. Just because a snake says it's your friend doesn't mean it won't bite."

Thunderbird hoped that his fellow X-Men would help this Colonel reject the offer from the Brotherhood and he wasn't afraid to speak up. "If Magneto is behind this, it will be nothing but trouble for us! He always has a hidden purpose!"

"What hidden purpose would Magneto have?" Barker pressed.

"How, then, will we plan this offensive without them?" Creed asked.

"Same as before," Forge replied. "We go in, wipe out the National Liberation Front with our own skills. I have a bad feeling about the Brotherhood's intentions."

"We need every weapon at our disposal for this mission and I mean every weapon!" Creed argued. "The more we have, the more insurance we have for success."

"I agree," Mystique said, knowing that the Company C only knew that she was Colonel Barker, not one of the Brotherhood. "We should go in there aggressively, close with the enemy and wipe them out for good! The Brotherhood will make sure we are successful."

"What about civilian casualties?" one man spoke up. He was Sergeant Logan. Mystique had learned that he was Victor Creed's brother. He also had an almost feral look in his bearing, yet unlike Creed, he did not appear to be driven by pure hate.

"Our Wolverine is turning into a puppy-dog!" Creed chuckled. Logan glared.

Captain Medina looked at them, his black eyes sharp in his olive skin. His angular-featured face appeared tired, tired of losses, tired of waiting. "Civilian casualties should be at a minimum. In this area, nearly all the civilian residents of the hamlets in the village would have left for the market by oh-seven hundred. Any who remain will be NLF or NLF sympathizers. Does that answer your question, Sergeant?"

Forge could hardly believe what he was hearing. "You said anyone left behind. You mean even the women and children? The elderly?"

"They're all V.C., now you do your job and go and get them!" Medina replied impatiently.

"Children?" Logan asked, stunned. "Even children?!"

"When you're in there," Medina yelled, "you need to ask yourself this: Who is my enemy? Anybody that is running from us, hiding from us, or appears to be the enemy. If a man is running, shoot him, you see a woman with a rifle that is running, shoot her!"

Forge, Warpath, Logan, and Thunderbird exchanged uneasy glances.

Mystique needed to keep the discussion moving in the Brotherhood's favor. She couldn't give anyone the privilege of second thoughts. "Colonel Henderson, you and I will cordon off the village. Riptide, we'll need your skills to assist in the cordon. Make sure no one gets in or leaves. Medina, you-"

"With all due respect, Colonel," Thunderbird interrupted, "I do not like the idea of just killing anyone who crosses our path. Especially a child."

"Captain Proudstar, if you compromise the mission, you will be thrown into the Brig or worse. Do I make myself clear?" Mystique-as-Barker barked angrily.

Thunderbird stood up and drew his handgun. Everyone's hands went to reach for their holsters for their guns, especially Medina, Creed, and Calley. Thunderbird glared at them defiantly and pointed his gun down. He pulled the trigger. He cried out in pain as the bullet penetrated his foot.

Mystique and the Company could not believe what they had just witnessed. "You... IDIOT!" she screamed, incredulous. "What the hell have you done?!"

Thunderbird gasped in pain but still stood erect. "John Proudstar does not kill women and children!" he declared, his voice proud. He collapsed from the effort. Warpath and Forge caught him before he fell to the ground.

Medina was furious. How could one of his best men do that. It was deliberate! He would court-martial the jackass the first chance he could, but for now, he had to keep this mission together. He didn't need anyone else in his company to follow such an idiotic example. "Stryker!" Medina panted furiously. "MedVac this idiot out of our sight straight away!"

"Yes, Captain, sir!" Stryker replied, disappointed.

Medina turned and addressed the Company. "If anyone else wants to do something stupid like shoot themselves in the foot," he declared curtly, "just step forward; I'll take care of it for you now while the helicopter is still on the ground! Otherwise, get your butts up at oh-six hundred hours. We depart at oh-seven hundred sharp!"

Forge and Warpath carried Thunderbird away, his wounded foot creating a bloody trail in the jungle. Stryker walked ahead. The man hadn't said a single word to them since he was given his orders to MedVac Thunderbird from the camp.

Forge and Warpath gingerly placed Thunderbird into a seat on the helicopter. He had never felt so much pain in his life. He had also never felt so much pride.

"Have you lost your mind?" Forge demanded. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm not crazy," Thunderbird panted as Warpath tended to the bullet wound. "I just knew no other way to get word out that we need as many X-Men as possible to intervene. You know the Brotherhood is up to no good! I'm going to get word to Charles and Beast as soon as I land in Saigon. In the meantime, you two need to stay. Stay and try to sabotage this mission or at least whatever the Brotherhood intends to do! I have a bad feeling about why they want to be involved!"

Warpath nodded in understanding. "Let them know we haven't much time. We may only be able to hold them off for so long. Good luck, little brother."

"To you as well," Thunderbird said as Warpath closed the hatch to the helicopter and walked away.

The helicopter took off toward Saigon. Warpath hoped that Thunderbird could reach the X-Men, could stop this massacre in time.

He couldn't see this ending well for the United States. Or ending well for mutantkind.