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Pound the Table | An X-Men Self-Insert

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So far at least it seems everything could have been just Bullseye being good at murdering people and preparing his hunting ground by previously cutting the phone lines and fire alarms and etc... buuuut, what's the deal with no one else being in that wing of the courthouse? At least half of that could just be the adrenaline pounding in their ears and moving too fast for anybody else to catch up, but if there was truly a total emptying of that part of the complex, then how would Bullseye do that? Beyond somehow sending in a bomb threat through the building he's at least partially cut off from the outside, or like, just killing them all? No, unless this is more a general terror plot than an actual political assassination, clearly however things were worked out for everyone in that wing to be scheduled out the door at the same time, or temporarily having to move offices for some reason or another, or whatever happened- that's where the conspirators putting out this hit have tipped their hands and actually gotten a little dirty as fairly directly involved with the planned murders.

If this is right, then honestly, it wouldn't take much to just work up the chain and keep flipping them for their superiors, since they were such amateurs as to so compromise the cut outs between them and Bullseye, and to seemingly not really have a plan B if crossbow man failed to get the job done.
 
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bookwyrm said:
So far at least it seems everything could have been just Bullseye being good at murdering people and preparing his hunting ground by previously cutting the phone lines and fire alarms and etc... buuuut, what's the deal with no one else being in that wing of the courthouse?
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Sounds more like since they know the targets are mutants and mages Bullseye hired out some help to shift them into a pocket dimension or something like that. When Noa got out of the building and Bullseye followed it was broken and that allowed the signal to Stephen to go through.
On the other hand it is clear that this is much more than a hired hit, the goal is anti-mutant because the targets are clearly St.John and Noa (or else Bullseye wouldn't have wasted time going after Noa instead of shooting St.John through the door and bailing, he's a pro) and there must be a large organization behind it. At the same time some kind of authority has to have been aware of the plot because it would be too much coincidence to have an AD that is a perfect decoy for St.John. Maybe it's Nick Fury doing shenanigans again and botching a sting operation, that would also explain why Stephen was so furious.
 
Always Late said:
Maybe. But here's the question that poses: If Jonathan isn't who he says he is, then why did they still kill the ADA? There was clearly a body double selected, without the double being aware of it*, and put into that position so an assassin would be drawn out. But with a man on the inside signaling to his colleague(s), why did they still fall for the trick?


*Unless we're going full-bore Marvel Madness and the ADA was never actually a person and just a realistic robot. Or a magic disguise. Or a clone.
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If you have a box of creatures, their behavior becomes much more predictable, albeit excited, if you give the box a good shake. Also, Bullseye seems like the sort of asshole who just likes killing people. Payment is pretext more than purpose.
 
Bullseye's major character flaw is that he doesn't miss though. He seems like he's been contracted to kill the mutants and only the mutants. Killing anyone else would mean he missed his target and his own compulsive disordered brain cannot allow that.
 
kaosisreality said:
Bullseye's major character flaw is that he doesn't miss though. He seems like he's been contracted to kill the mutants and only the mutants. Killing anyone else would mean he missed his target and his own compulsive disordered brain cannot allow that.
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My thinking is that he killed the ADA to make sure that all his targets stayed together, making it easier to track them and pick them off.
 
I think he (Bullseye) wanted the sadism of psychological torture by putting the victims in a horror movie cut before actually killing them.
 
Equally likely,
"Bullseye, kill anyone in that room that might be St. John, he might try to wear a disguise."
"Cool, permission to kill anyone in that room at my discretion. Heard."
 
I'm just trying to say that teleporting people to a pocket dimension seems like a huge leap for "Nobody is in the building".
Bullseye couldn't have killed everyone in the building and then hidden all evidence silently, from a whole other building. It was kinda a major plot point of this update that he couldn't cover both sides of the building from where he started...
And if Bullseyes plan was to kill everyone then he would have waited for them to leave the cover of the building before shooting the DA.
Pinklestia said:
Yeah if he had just used an explosive he would have got the MC and probably everyone else.
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And thus the fact that he didn't is good evidence that it wasn't his job to do that.
 
First: congrats on your doggo's recovery @October Daye

Krazyfan1 said:
I can see Noa getting lessons on the Teleportation spell.
if it would have worked before, it would have been a Lot easier to get away.
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she's noted as being a fairly weak mage, what makes you think she can cast a teleportation spell?

SCDMR Aramatha said:
Huh, cool
Who was that man?
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Bullseye, an assassin with perfect aim (with anything, guns, bows, thrown items of any sort). Often fights Daredevil (DD was the first person to stop him from killing his target, ruining his perfect record, and he holds a grudge) but has also fought various other heroes. During the Dark Reign Marvel arc, Osborne used Bullseye as his fake Hawkeye for the Dark Avengers.

Pinklestia said:
I can believe the assassin but blocking magic? Since when the anti mutants have magic?
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If he was able to learn Noa is a (weak) mage, he probably hired someone to set up the equivalent of a cellphone jammer on the building, just to cover his bases. Bullseye can plan ahead, much like he arranged for the fire alarms to be cut and phones blocked.

Ganurath said:
If you have a box of creatures, their behavior becomes much more predictable, albeit excited, if you give the box a good shake. Also, Bullseye seems like the sort of asshole who just likes killing people. Payment is pretext more than purpose.
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Yeah Bullseye is a sadist. He gets paid to do what he loves. :rolleyes:
 
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I'm betting it was either the other DA or the Judge that were involved with St. John's previous trial who hired the assassin. IIRC both of their careers were basically ruined when the backroom dealing and corruption was revealed. They seemed like the type who would be petty enough to hire an assassin if they thought it would get them some payback.
 
Kotar said:
I'm betting it was either the other DA or the Judge that were involved with St. John's previous trial who hired the assassin. IIRC both of their careers were basically ruined when the backroom dealing and corruption was revealed. They seemed like the type who would be petty enough to hire an assassin if they thought it would get them some payback.
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Considering that the other DA was killed by said Judge's car in an incident that was almost certainly induced by Magneto, I suspect the Judge.
 
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CANON Sidestory — Ringing In the New Year
  • Sidestory
    • And now for something completely different...

    ------

    Thursday, December 27, 1990

    ------

    Cate dropped onto her couch with a thud and a sigh.

    "Holidays treating you that badly?" Noa asked, sitting next to the FBI agent, petting the cat in her lap.

    Cate rolled her eyes. "The season always brings out the stupid in people. Did you know that emergency services get more calls on holidays than any other time of the year?"

    "Yes, you've told me many times," Noa agreed, settling in for a familiar conversation.

    "And some of that filters up to us," Cate continued.

    "Just like every other year."

    "And I just had the stupidest case today-"

    "And you're not allowed to tell me anything about it."

    Cate sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah. We made it through Christmas though, just New Years left. We're in the home stretch."

    Noa took a break from petting the cat to pat the taller woman on the shoulder. "I have leftover Sichuan beef if you want it."

    Cate chuckled "You and your Christmas dinners. Though actually, I have something for you. Let me go get it."

    Noa watched with a raised eyebrow and a skeptical expression as Cate retrieved a small box from the kitchen, one wrapped in candy cane print wrapping paper.

    "Here we go!" Cate said cheerfully, handing the box to Noa.

    Lester the cat was set aside and Noa unwrapped the little cube-shaped box. She opened it, then pulled out its contents, giving Cate an unamused look. "These are Christmas ornaments, Cate," Noa said, holding up a pair of plastic snowmen on hooks. "Why?"

    Cate grinned. "You could hang them from your horns!"

    Noa glared at Cate. "Why?"

    "Because it would look nice?" Noa's unimpressed stare didn't waver. "Please? Just once?"

    Noa sighed. "Fine. Once." She reached up and put the little hooks over her horns, leaving the little snowmen dangling. "There. Happy?"

    Cate grinned wide, holding up a disposable camera. "Very." The flash went off.

    "CATE, YOU ARE A DEAD WOMAN!" Noa screeched, lunging for her so-called friend. "Give me that!"

    The FBI agent laughed uncontrollably, holding the disposable camera out of the tiny woman's reach with one hand while trying to fend off the assault with the other.

    "I swear Cate, I am cancelling your birthday!" Noa shouted, trying to climb the other woman. "For the next three- no, the next TEN YEARS!"

    Cate only laughed harder as Noa finally managed to overbalance the two of them, bringing them crashing to the floor.

    ------

    Noa sat fuming on the couch, arms crossed over the camera she'd captured and glaring daggers at the still chuckling Cate. "Sorry, sorry," Cate said, wiping away a tear of mirth where she sat on the floor.

    "I'm not talking to you," Noa grumped.

    "I guess I deserve that," Cate said, slowly getting to her feet. "Alright, alright, let me get the real present."

    "Still not talking to you."

    "I noticed," Cate said, heading for a bookcase and reaching up the top some six feet off the ground and entirely out of Noa's line of sight. "I wanted to have this for Hanukah, but custom work and deadlines don't always mix."

    "Custom work?" Noa asked, curious despite herself.

    "Yup, called in a favor with a friend in the agency," Cate said, bringing out another small cube box, this one wrapped in blue and silver striped paper. "Here you go. Happy late Hanukah, or early New Years, or... whatever."

    Noa glared at Cate, taking a moment to pin the camera between her back and the couch before taking the box and tearing off the wrapping. The lid came off next, and she pulled out the contents, giving Cate another glare. "More Christmas ornaments? Really?"

    Cate rolled her eyes. "They're not Christmas ornaments."

    "Just because they're Stars of David doesn't mean they're not Christmas ornaments," Noa said angrily, putting the offending trinkets on the coffee table in front of her.

    "I'm serious, they're not Christmas ornaments," Cate said. "Here, let me show you." She picked up one of the trinkets. There was a tiny thumbscrew where the surprisingly sturdy hook connected to the little blue and white six-pointed star. Cate loosened the thumbscrew, then squeezed just above it. The star fell out completely, dropping to the table.

    Noa blinked, picking up the little star and the tiny attached hook. "Cate? Is this an earring?"

    Cate nodded. "Yeah, picked the pair up for like thirty bucks at the store. The clamp's the custom work. Check this out." She took the earring back from Noa. "All you have to do is squeeze the clamp right here," she pinched the base of the hook, "slip the earring hook in," she inserted the little metal hook, "let it clamp down, and then you just tighten the screw," she gave the little thumbscrew a quick turn, "and you're good to go!" Cate held up the reassembled not-a-Christmas-Ornament.

    "Cate- what-" Noa asked, taking the trinket and staring at it. "What is this?"

    Cate chuckled. "It's like an adaptor, turning earrings into... horn rings, I guess? It obviously won't work with stud earrings, but it should take any standard earring hooks. Though you might want to dull the points first, just to be safe."

    Noa blinked, staring, mouth slightly open.

    "Uh, Noa, you okay?" Cate asked, nudging the mutant's shoulder.

    Noa abruptly hugged the other woman in a fierce embrace, gently crying into her shirt. "Thank you," she whispered.

    Cate chuckled, patting Noa on the back. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

    "You're still a butt," Noa grumbled into her shirt.

    "I guess I deserve that," Cate admitted. "Happy early New Years, or late Hanukah, or whatever this is."
     
  • Sidestory
    • This MCU lawyer need magic lasers , she mas to know crap l8ke this is going to happen, no matter how much she a non combative
     
    Wardragon said:
    This MCU lawyer need magic lasers , she mas to know crap l8ke this is going to happen, no matter how much she a non combative
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    That's a bit of a non-starter. It's been established that she has minimal but existing magic ability, and lacks the arcane 'oomph' to do anything big or offensive.

    Second, this is a legal drama. Bullseye is a credible threat because assassins happen around politically charged stuff like this all the time in those.

    The majority of power Noa wields is soft power. Social, political, reputational power. The further we go in time and the better communication methods become available, the more quickly she can bring that to bear.

    This was never going to be a fighting lawyer fic. Besides, She-Hulk fills that niche already and does it well.

    This is a different genre and expecting biggatons and constant smackdowns from the protagonist doesn't mesh.
     
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