“Well this is a surprise.” Tank declared opening the door to a familiar figure. “What brings you by Helen?”
“Got some intel I’m not exactly liking,” Helen replied stepping through the door. “Logan around?”
“Upstairs with Rogue. They’re having a discussion.”
Helen smiled at him, “Discussion?”
“Yeah you knowhe says something she replies and vise versa.”
“Oh that’s what they’re callin’ it now.”
“Something like that. The rest of the team is out with the kids. Decided to go for a trail ride.”
“Well I think its important enough that I’m going to interrupt this discussion.” Helen declared with a pointed look at Tank.
He paused at the foot of the stairs, “LOGAN! ROGUE! We’ve got company.”
“Be down in a minute.” Rogue hollered back.
“Coffee?”
“Love some.”
Sitting at the table Helen glanced up at couple that moved into the room and smiled.
“Helen,” Logan nodded at her.
“Mrs. Creed what do we owe this pleasant surprise?”
“I just found something out that I think you might want to take a look at.”
“What?” Logan pulled the pages toward him. Flipping through them he glanced sharply at the woman sitting across from him. “How old is this?”
“Came in last night. My insider said that she overheard the call.”
“How reliable is your insider?”
“I’d stake my life on her information. She’s never fed me bad intel.”
“Logan? What is it?”
“Someone called from Xavier’s place.” Logan shoved the paperwork toward her. “The army’s gonna hit ‘em within the next few days.”
“Sooner than that. If you want in on this you’re gonna have to move fast. I brought a team with me; they’ll be flying down to New York this afternoon.”
“So you’re helping Xavier out then?”
“No. I’m helping those kids out. How many of them are obvious targets? How many will die before the nights out? They’re children; they have no control over what the adults in their lives do.”
Rogue nodded and looked at Logan. “What do you want to do?”
“We can’t let ‘em fall. Makes us like they are.”
“I’ll get our gear,” Rogue rose smoothly. “Full armaments?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s bounced back quite well.”
“She’s a fighter,” Logan replied rising to his feet.
“How are you? I see you haven’t left her here. You haven’t fallen back into the lifestyle that you once had.”
“She needs me.”
“And you? What do you need?” Helen asked carefully.
Logan glanced at her steadily, “She just walked out of the room.”
“My team will be ready.”
Logan nodded and walked out of the kitchen leaving Tank sitting silently and Helen staring at his retreating back.
“He’s changed.”
“No. I don’t think so.” Tank said. “I think he’s the same man he always was. He’s just found something new to focus on.”
“And what happens when revenge is dealt out? When he has payment for the wounds the girls suffered?”
“Payment will never be in full.” Tank rose and poured a cup of coffee for himself. “As far as he’s concerned Logan’s world is this place, these people. He loves her Helen. In ways that we will never understand.”
Helen nodded, “I’ll meet you at the airfield.”
“Why not just use the pad here? It’s big enough to land a large helicopter.”
“Don’t want to impose any more than we already have.”
Tank laughed, “You gave him back something he’d been missing Helen. You can’t impose on us if you tried.”
“Still we’ll meet at the airfield. No sense in disrupting the kids if we don’t have to.”
Tank nodded and watched her disappear out the door. Opening the folder he sighed. Xavier was at the top of the next hit list for the army. He wondered idly who had ratted them out and why. Time would tell he supposed.
Silence filled the interior of the small private jet as the two teams sat contemplating this attack. Regardless of what was said or done, they all knew that they would have to protect the innocent lives.
Helen turned her head to watch Logan and his team. Huddled together the girls held hands, their heads bowed together, their bodies tensed. Next to them the men in their lives watched over them in stoic silence. Careful touches, small caresses were all indications of emotional dependencies welcomed by the small group.
“They’re gonna be formidable.”
Helen glanced at the woman who spoke. “They were trained by the best there is Val. You should know that.”
“They’re fighting a battle of their own this time. Whoever sold Xavier out will pay for it with their lives. As much as they might hate the man, they don’t want to see the children in his care harmed.”
“Be prepared for this Val. We’re going to have to fight hard to save them kids.”
Val smiled sadly, “I haven’t taken it easy on the battlefield in sixty years… no point in starting now.”
“We can do this.” Kitty whispered clinging to Rogue and Jubilee’s hands. “We’re strong, trained…”
“And we move as one.” Rogue replied looking at her steadily. “We’re not alone now either.”
“For the kids.”
“For the kids.” Kitty and Rogue echoed softly even as they leaned back into the men holding them. They would make it work. Xavier would owe them another on the tally list but they weren’t willing to risk the kids having to live their nightmares.
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