Chapter 38: Red Hood Faction

Soho, New York 

Cole Stephans

Serrated pitched talons met the rope-like tentacles in a metallic clash that rumbled around the warehouse. 

Cole's eyes pulsated sickly green between clashes. Arkady arms remained folded as he guarded the passage to Coles's target. 

Cole snorted, his persona granting him insight into tactical patterns to exploit. Exploring his new gifts would only increase his percentage, especially doing things the persona had and would do. 

His percentage ticked up begrudgingly as the fight lingered, relatively faster than Red Hood's own, but he understood that The Hood was his foundation Persona, a baseline for what was to come. 

“Mabel and Anatoly are trying to escape. Bullseye, what's your situation.” He subvocalized, a handy sleight-of-hand tactic known to Kurt.

“Mopping the remainder of the mobsters. Thanks for the new gear, kid.” Bullseye responded. 

“Firestar, engage the boas, and keep your distance; I'm not sure what his tentacles range is.” 

“I have to come in through the roof. Is that okay.” she queried. 

I snorted. “I don't care about property damage, Firestar.” 

“Two boas drones incoming, target selected,” she responded, the hidden excitement not missed. 

Just a little more, and I'll have her lights on. Cole had already had her debuting suit pictured in his head. 

He glided backward, floating almost twelve centimeters from the earth. He couldn't fly at the moment; the spiritual aspect of his ectokinesis and his unique physique, which included ghost-like attributes, held the potential. 

Ectoplasmic tendrils spooled around him as he stood aloft. It was plain to see Arkaday had no intentions of seriously engaging him. 

Cole studied the man, the red trademark suit visible through the patches made in the man's outfit. 

Carbonadium was a resilient, radioactive metal vastly substantial than steel but more malleable and cheaper than adamantium. Due to its malleability, carbonadium was less durable than True Adamantium but still nearly indestructible.

Bullseye-Benjamin Poindexter

Benjamin Poindexter had worked with the Russian mobster numerous times, so when the men noticed he was amongst they did not flee but tried to claim his head. 

“You soviet scums want my bounty.” he chuckled. 

He pitched his newly acquired gifts superhumanly fast, three mobsters gurgling on their blood, highly sharp knives sprouting from their juggler. 

He swung around, guns almost leaping into his hand at enhanced speeds as an unknown man slowly strolled into view. 

“The infamous assassin bullseye.” Said the giant Russian, stepping forward. 

“And who are you, big man? Here for the bounty, too.”

The giant Russian sighed, scraping at the metallic band around his neck. 

“Money won't do me any good,” he said in heavily accented Russian. “I just have to put you down, and maybe I can at least get a drink from those bastards.” 

Poindexter shrugged. “Come on then, big bear, with your size, I doubt I'll miss.”

Cole Stephens 

The mobsters that lingered dropped their rifles and fled, not expecting such a clash to occur, so long being the top of the food chain and utterly shocked that a mutant had been amongst them all along. 

The sound of metal crashing against metal filled continued to feel the air. 

Two adversaries were moving at alarming speeds, each trying to end the other. 

Cole pivoted, sweeping Arkaday's feet from under him. 

Every strike had become lethal; neither faltered; Cole's new Persona leaned heavily on devastating blows as his hands morphed into serrated daggers that deflected the tentacles before restraining them into a spear aiming to run them through. 

The wounds on the two were healing visibly. Cole had realized his healing factory was slowing. 

The Russian soldier smiled, showcasing his sharp incisors, his breath visible as a chill settled into the air. 

The sight of Cole's healing had made Arkady excited, old memories of a foe and a vendetta emerging 

Omega Red had carbonadium coils through which he could transmit his ability to drain life energies. Carbonadium was highly radioactive, and objects composed of it had proven to slow accelerated healing factors such as Wolverine's. 

The Russian Killer's eyes sparked in Interest before a gleeful look spread across his once placid countenance. 

He traded blows with the mutant before being kicked into a pillar, destroying it as he slid across the floor. 

Arkady quickly overpowered him. His ectoplasmic armor rippled like a disturbed puddle. Cole groaned and coughed, blood splattered against the ground. 

Superhuman strength had its hierarchy, and Omega Red had quite more of it; each of his connecting blows had staggered him. 

Cole flipped back up, no worse for wear. 

He hadn't known which version of the Russian mutant he was dealing with, but the moment he felt his stamina deplete, he quickly figured it out. 

Death spores were one of Arkady's original mutations alongside life force absorption before his cybernetic enhancements by the secret organization. 

His mutant opponent hadn't uttered many words but met him in combat. Cole had the upper hand on speed and flexibility as he smoothly dodged the power swipes of the two belt-width metal tentacles. 

He regretted fostering multiple identities at the moment. Red Hood could quite quickly end the mutant before him with the gear he had at his disposal. 

A beep emanated in his inner ear. Cole looked upwards before refocusing. 

A carbonadium tentacle wrapped around his neck and lifted him from the ground. His clawed hands gripped at the offending limb. 

Cole turned his hand into a sledgehammer as he was snatched toward the mutant. Cole sent his fist into the mutant chin, shattering his teeth and drawing blood. 

Freed from the artificial adamantium, he stepped into the dazed mutant personal space; Cole's other hand formed a blade that he savagely stabbed into the man's chest. 

Arkady hissed in pain, his hands gripping at the blade that pierced through him. The Russian mutant breath caught as cold, chilly air left his clenched mouth. 

Cole sneered. He could play the same game. He sent a powerful chi-enforced uppercut to the Russian mutant, sending him sailing into the wall, destroying the plaster and sending a cloud of debris billowing

The Russian mutant hadn't moved; half his body speared through the warehouse wall. Cole wondered if he had beaten the man but snorted at the thought: this was Omega Red. 

Omega Red's limbs jerked, his pale white hands clenching each side as he peeled himself from the hole. 

The man stood, eyes burning with maddening intent. Arkady reached up and touched his chin. 

That had hurt him. He had hit him with a blow that would have killed El Uno, instantly turning his brain into mush. 

All Cole had got from his results was a deep purple bruise that remained even as he healed. He regarded Cole, obviously mistaking him for a weak mutant. 

“You stand still, some form of resistance to my spores. Interesting?” He asked in heavily accented English. 

Cole responded. “Your abilities are known to me but aren't fatal. I would love to kill you here and now, but we have a problem.” 

Arkady laughed loudly, tentacles flowing back from his wrists. “Yes, we have a problem. You die now.” 

Cole wanted to defeat the man; the reward would be worth it. 

“Maybe next time, comrade.” he mocked. “I can't afford the time to tangle with you.”

At that moment, the boas' drones descended, high-caliber Wayne artillery unleashing its payload onto the Russian mutant. 

Cole leaped forward, tendrils adhering to the walls as he beelined toward Mabel. He was annoyed at how long he had to complete the mission. 

His comm beeped. “I ran into another mutant. I managed to tranq him. The bastard was starting to go furry after he realized what was happening. He has some band on his neck.” 

“Ursa Major,” Cole responded. He had assumed that was the second mobster guard. He wondered why the Russian mob had high-profile mutants protecting them. 

Only one way to find out, he thought. “Secure him, he's coming with us.”

“What? This bugger is fucking huge. How-”

Cole cut him off. “He's probably being forced or controlled of some kind. Regardless, I want the band on his neck for research, and he perhaps has intel on what's going on in the wide world. 

“Get him to the rendezvous location, and I'll take it from there.” He ordered. 

He cut the line, unwilling to hear the man grumble and curse. 

“The ladies are out, boss, what's next.” Anne's amused tone poured through the earpiece. She had finally made it. 

“Your chance to shine, minion. Burn it down.” He ordered, teasing the firebug. 

Omega Red roared behind him, followed by an explosion. He turned, seeing a boas drone ascending; the growling mutant bounded six meters in the air, tentacles intertwining into a thicker cudgel aiming to crush the final machine. 

He pushed chi into his limbs, moving out of the way, only having time to reinforce himself before he activated the Boas drone self-destruction function. The explosion engulfed the mutant, but Cole was already leaping through the window. 

He sailed through the air, propelled by the explosion at his back. He landed hard, concrete giving under his weight. 

He was out of the building, the city lights flashing above him.

X-Men

“I found him.” Shouted Jean, startling Vanish as he stood on the roof overlooking Harlem, a contemplative look on his neutral facial features.

Jean had telepathically alerted Xavier. She didn't want to wait any longer. Ignoring Scott's approach, she and Vanisher vanished. 

Scott shouted, reaching out, but he only received a smile from the annoying teleporter before he took Jean away. 

“Professor, Jean has left with the Vanisher.” Score said furiously into the comm. 

Cole Stephens 

Cole felt Kaecillus's approach, the lantern ring resonating with him intricately, but didn't stop as he pushed himself forward, running faster than ever. 

The former master of the mystic arts came into New York airspace like a comet; countless people noticed the crimson streak that set the night sky ablaze. 

Mabel and Anatoly had separated. The mobster had fled east. Cole's head turned, deciding who to pursue; he didn't want the ringleader to escape, and the man would only go to the ground and restart his trafficking ring another time, possibly in another city. 

He straightened and darted across the parking lot, leaping over a fence in a single bound. He telepathically connected to the Red Lantern and ordered Kaecillus to end him. 

Anatoly was one daredevil notable takedown, and Cole would deprive the man of that feat tonight. 

The thought of the blind vigilante had sparked anger inside of him; Jeremy hated the man with such ferocity his anger lingered beyond the grave. 

Tires screeched as Mabel attempted to flee in their vehicle. She stared at him through the windshield, hands gripped tightly on the late-model Mercedes steering. 

The lady was many things, but she was not one to scare easily.

Mable, foot stamped down on the pedal, accelerating toward him, the individual who caused her the most recent of her problems. 

Cole drifted up before landing on the speeding vehicle. Gunshots rang out as she emptied the clip into him, peppering him uselessly. 

Unperturbed, the woman continued to accelerate.

He adhered himself to the car, his right hand formed into a wicked blade. 

He positioned his metamorphic hand above the driver's seat. She had sealed her fate working with traffickers. His bladed arm punctured into the vehicle. 

The car jerked before going out of control; Cole disengaged and floated back toward the ground as he watched the vehicle impact a cement truck at a growing work site. 

He felt the system clamor in his head. Other notifications from the night pushed at his mind to be seen. 

He had ended Mabel Stokes, a notable drug peddler, murderer, and sex trafficker. 

Choice-Villain: Take the law into your uncaring hands and Annihilate the Stokes Crime Syndicate Leadership. Reward(s): Villain alignment percentage dramatically increases. Star Trek—Combadge 

The badge reward had unlocked Star Trek gear in the store, and even the specialty section had items he wanted, namely the translocation technology. 

He hadn't noticed the two individuals that were watching him. Jean ensured that, but the look of horror across her face and the spike of fear from the Vanisher had made him turn around. 

“What do you people want?” He shouted across the distance. He would need to figure out how to secure himself and his people from tracking of this kind. 

Vanisher shrugged, taking a step back, but Jean met his gaze. 

“Why?” she asked him. 

“Why what,” he responded, curious at why they were trailing him. 

“Why did you kill her?

Cole scoffed. “You're asking me why I killed a drug dealer, a trafficker of women and children.”

He reported in answer. 

Bamf.

Cole hadn't gotten a response from the host of the Phoenix force before more individuals appeared. 

Kurt and his trademark tale show up in an explosion of black smoke. The blue mutant looked around before his black coal-like eyes landed on Cole. 

Scott stared at the vehicle on fire before focusing on him, his teeth clenched, a snarl lapping at the corner of his lips.

Magneto and Professor X regarded him, the latter with a look of pity. 

He felt the pricking at the back of his mind; unlike Dormammu's forceful assault, Professor X had taken to a more worming method. Cole had made an effort and pushed back, drawing on his many attributes. 

Xavier's face scrunched into one of concentration, still attempting to invade the privacy of his mind.

Cole growled his displeasure. His power over fear unraveled almost subconsciously. His ectoplasmic armor reformed across his body, and his height grew slowly.

That spark had smothered out but had smoldered his already considerable anger; his additional personas hadn't done him any favors as both men were mad at the world for their flights against them. 

The ignited coals glowed heatedly, a haze of heat rippled around him, and the recent fire tilted in his direction, attracting slowly unbottled rage.

“Get the fuck out of my head.” He hissed.