Skydancer

A/N: Sorry for the time between updates, I've been lost in Beauty and the Beast land with yummy Vincent. L So sorry. Here's an extra long chapter to repay your patience with me. Also, is everyone finding the point-of-view transitions ok to follow or would y'all like me to label when I'm switching?

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned the X-Men…

Chapter Four

Dancer glares at the "hidden" Brotherhood headquarters sprawled out before her. No matter how many years she's been working as a merc and death-for-hire she'll never understand why the supposed villains of the world like freaking warehouses. Do they have some kinda warehouse discount in the underworld or something?

She shakes her head.

Villains.

Not that she's a white hat herself…but still…she's never hidden in a decrepit warehouse like some kind of bottom-dweller either.

Sighing wearily she pushes up her infrared goggles with one hand. There's just too goddamned many bodies between her and the upper floor where she senses her younger siblings. If their parents were here…maybe. Lord knows Dad and his wife Mickey can deal some damage as Feral mutants but even so…they're only Class 3's not Omega like herself or the Creed/Howlett brothers she's heard of.

Thank god Sabertooth seems to have defected from the Brotherhood. Magneto must've run out of ready cash to pay the mammoth mercenary.

She shudders. Even for her…taking on Sabertooth is something she'd think twice about doing solo. The man is the living embodiment of the word dangerous without the iron-clad control of his younger brother. The animal inside Victor Creed is reputed to be much wilder and unrestrained. Like the difference between a wild wolf and one kept in captivity it's entire life.

Fuck it. Angel was right, going in there alone is asking to get either outed or captured or both. And while she could deal with the first, there's no way she would submit to the second.

She'll die before letting someone lock her in a cage again, figuratively or literally.

The silken cage she grew up in and lived within before she got her wings made her selfish for her freedom. She'll be damned before she goes back to pretending full-time.

Her birth parents gave her an untamable nature and her father made her an unequaled killer, but that bitch she used to call mother with her silk suits and her perfect pearls nearly snuffed out her wildness and tried to control her for her own ends.

No, she'll never go back.

Moving away from the complex she gets out her phone. Time to call in an old debt.

xXxXxXx

Closing the door behind her, Rogue let the relieved breath burst from her lips. Playing calm and cool with Logan took a helluva lot of effort without factoring in his newfound "brother" and company. She let a smile play about her lips for a moment. The look on his face when she told him that she took his room though…priceless.

Shoving away from the door she moves quickly, changing from the light spandex bodysuit into the tougher and slightly-less-revealing leather X-Men uniform. With Logan around she's going to need the extra layers to keep her body under control. She shivers thinking about sparring with Wolverine in the spandex. Nope. There's no way she'd be able to tame her body's response to him with only one little layer of fabric between them.

Walking out into the hall she knocks softly on each of the new members' doors, rounding them up with only a little bit of grumbling. Thankfully all had shed their riding gear and gotten into sweats and T-shirts for a workout.

Once they were all present she began herding them to the elevator to take them down to the Danger Room, ignoring all the students who watched the legendary Ferals with fascination and fear.

"The Professor wants y'all to work with the main team later." She says briskly as they enter the elevator and she rests against the back wall. "But first I need to see what all y'all can do both as a team and separately so we can integrate ya best as we can."

After trading glances Logan speaks as their spokesman/leader. "Makes sense, kiddo. But," he ignores the look he got from Rogue. "You already know what I can do."

She laughs. "I know what you three years ago could do." She says as they left the confining metal box and move towards the Danger Room. "I don't have the slightest idea what you can do now. For all I know you've gotten rusty." She teases with a flirtatious look.

Victor snorts a laugh. He's always liked this frail. She's got sass and guts. Too bad she's not his.

"Rusty my ass, kid." Logan grunts. "Hell, I taught you mosta what you know."

"Knew, Logan." She corrects with gentle sadness. "You've been gone a long time. I'm not the girl you used to know. Not anymore."

With that she waves them into the Danger Room ahead of her. Ignoring the fascinated looks from Remy and Wade she moves over to an observation area behind a glass wall and takes a seat.

"We'll start with the one-on-one stuff first, then move into a team scenario. Don't hold back." She says briskly. "I need to know what you can do. Gambit's up first."

Giving the beautiful chere a charming grin Remy moves up into the center of the room as the others fall back to join Rogue.

Thinking quickly, she queues up a program for him and then watches carefully as Gambit blasts and fights his way easily through the scenario. Speaking softly she asks Logan:

"What class is he?"

"Omega class biokenetic energy mutation and a down and dirty fighter." He says. "We're all Omega's kid."

Nodding thoughtfully she calls Gambit back and sends out Deadpool, using a more difficult program this time before moving on to Victor and then Logan.

Leaning back against the wall she studies all four of them carefully. Omegas. Other than herself the only Omega class mutant at the manor was Jean Grey. Not even the Professor is an Omega class and here Logan comes strolling back into the X-Men with three others in tow. She shakes her head. Omega class mutants are extremely powerful, with off-the-charts abilities. Professor X told her once that besides herself there's only a dozen or so Omega class mutants in the world. Now five of them are X-Men.

Logan never did do anything by half-measures and that includes surprises.

"Alright boys," she grins at them. "Let's see if y'all know how to play together."

In a mischievous mood she brings up the same obstacle course from earlier watching Logan groan as he sees his holo-self along with holo-Victor and Mystique.

"Non, cherie." Remy groans along with his friend. "Tha's just no' right."

Laughing she add another twist – a holo version of herself…only one wearing a lot less clothes. Remy's groan this time is one of appreciation as he sees the beauty clad in a glorified leather bikini and short-shorts with boots. Logan curses under his breath at the sight. He doesn't need any extra fantasies of Marie running around in his head, he has plenty of his own.

"Don't worry it won't drain you like I would. But it will shock you hard enough to put you down." Rogue laughs at the looks on the men's faces. Except for a blank-faced Victor they're all in various stages of shock and arousal. Knowing someone's weaknesses can really bite them in the ass.

"Wade take on Mystique, Victor and I will deal with our counterparts, and Remy you've got Rogue. You're the only one with a power that than keep her off-a-ya."

Nodding they all take up their battle stances, Wade gripping his katanas and Remy twirling his bo staff. Unbeknownst to the team as they started fighting, Cyclopes moved into the observation area to join his co-Captain.

"I can see why the Professor let Logan bring them in." He said quietly to a stony-faced Rogue. Watching the team, she gave a short nod.

"They're excellent. Better than anyone we've got. But…" she trails off as she watches them.

"…Their teamwork needs a lot of work." He finished for her. "They're all lone wolves Rogue." He reminds her needlessly. "Not one of those men is known to play well with others."

She snorts. Like she needs reminding of that with Psyke Logan running around in her head. She gave a wince as Remy is put down hard by the holo-her. Logan and Victor were working great as a pair but completely ignoring the others while Wade is just toying with Mystique, more interested in having fun than in completing the mission or helping Remy. A mistake when holo-Rogue comes up behind him and lays him out.

In the meantime Logan and Victor put down their holo-selves, leaving them facing off against the remaining two holos when Rogue cancels the program.

Weary already she shakes her head at Cyclopes.

"Sure you don't want to trade me jobs?" She jokes before moving out into the Danger Room where Logan and Victor are busy waking up their friends.

"Not a chance." Scott shoots at her back.

Figures. She thinks ruefully. Right about now she really regrets taking on being a Captain.

Once the four men were all awake…although Remy's a little unsteady on his feet leaning against his staff for support, she addresses the men, arms folded across her chest and feet squarely planted.

"Your teamwork sucks ass." She says baldly, channeling her inner-Logan. "One-on-one y'all did great, excellent even. But the moment y'all have to work together it all falls apart."

"Look, doll…" Wade starts only to get cut off when she lifts a hand.

"Don't even." She says coolly. "Logan and Victor are a great pair, but I expect that after being told of their…connection. But you two," she points to Remy and Wade. "Suck ass at the teams thing. Remy,"

His head snaps up as he fixes his shades.

"You're too damn cocky. I know you've never seen me fight but Logan's instructions should've been a warning. Wade, you were too busy playing with your opponent to realize Remy was in trouble. That could be deadly in a real life situation."

Wade could only nod. It was true enough.

"And you two," she scowls at the Ferals. "You were just as bad about ignoring what was going on around you. You're too quick to fall back on your Feral natures and you forget about tactics."

Victor just growls at her.

Sighing she waves them all off.

"Dinner's in ten, afterwards you'll go again with me leading this time before working with the main team later."

"With you?" Logan cocks his head to one side and raising a brow.

Rubbing her temples she nods.

"I must've done somethin' horrible in a past life 'cause the Professa decided that y'all are my new team. Apparently I'm the only one he thinks could actually get y'all to work together."

"Come on, chere," Remy grins. "We're no' tha' bad."

She just shoots him a withering glare before leaving for the dining room.

"Figure out what you did to piss Stripes off yet, Jimmy?" Victor asks as they move towards the locker room to clean up.

Logan grimaces. "Not for sure, but probably because I left for so long. I'm not exactly the best at keepin in touch."

The other three just laugh. They all know that better than anyone.

"Better fix it quick." Wade advises. "I wouldn't want to stay on that one's bad side. She seems like the type a woman to take it out of your hide."

xXxXxXx

With a groan Rogue pulled up her favorite stool at the island in the staff kitchen. God forbid she have to deal with the multitudes of teens and children in the cafeteria right now.

Concerned Ororo looked up from the salad she was throwing together to study her friend. Over the years they've drawn much closer together and the Rogue was her maid of honor at her wedding to Hank. It's taken years but her friend has finally put herself back together after the abandonment of her best friend, Logan. Now he's back and Ro is afraid for Rogue.

"How did it go?" She asks carefully, only to be answered by having a striped head bang into the marble countertop. "That well, huh?"

Rocking her head back and forth on the cool stone Rogue grumbled to herself.

How the hell am I supposed to turn that motley crew into a cohesive team by tomorrow?

Let them see what you can do, my dear. Eric suggested. They'll be more likely to listen to you if they respect what a powerful creature you are.

Wolvie growled in agreement.

The other me will have a lot easier time fightin' with ya and not focusin' on protectin' ya if he knows you can kick ass. Her Logan pointed out.

"I think I'm going to have to kick all of their asses before I can even attempt to lead that 'team'." She groaned. "Alpha males, the lot of 'em."

Ro made a clucking noise. She remembers what it was like trying to lead the Wolverine the first time he joined the X-Men. Multiply that by four and suddenly she's very happy that she's semi-retired from hero work.

"Who's ass are we kicking?" Scott asked as he along with his wife entered the kitchen. Hank and Kurt are on cafeteria duty that night.

Giving him a fulminating stare out of one eye Rogue replied. "Who do ya think?"

Scott just chuckled as Emma started making their plates and brought them over to the table. He ruffled Rogue's hair in a rare show of affection as he passed her slumped-over form.

"It's probably the only way they'll listen to you." Emma commiserated with the young woman.

"That's kina mah thought." Sighing Rogue sits up and fixes her hair before grabbing a plate of salad and lasagna for herself. Once the four burdensome men make their way up to the kitchen there likely wouldn't be any food left over for dawdlers.

"You've partnered with Logan before, it shouldn't be too bad." Scott pointed out. "Although, making a point to show them what you could do certainly wouldn't hurt any."

"What would you suggest?" Rogue asks politely.

Scott gave an evil grin as his telepath wife looked at him in shock over what's in his mind.

"It's been awhile since you've taken on the team…"

xXxXxXx

Following their dinner the X-Men assembled in the control center for the Danger Room. While Victor, Remy, and Wade looked around in curiosity, the rest simply wait patiently for their instructions while Angel fidgeted in anticipation. He needs to relay Dancer's information to Rogue but hasn't had a single moment alone with her all day.

Heads bent close together Scott, Rogue, and the Professor walk into the Danger Room.

Picking up on Angel's thoughts Charles sent him a quick message: Later.

Nodding he looked up, alert and ready for orders.

"With our new additions," Charles nods towards Logan's team. "It seems appropriate to…remind everyone of why your Captains are your Captains. The first scenario is simple: Scott and Rogue vs. everyone else."

Logan and his team watch in fascination as the main team including Storm and Beast groan in unison and One-Eye and Marie smirk. What the fuck are they missing?

The junior team just smiles in relief. At least none of them are going to wind up in the med bay tonight.

Her smirk edging into evil territory, Rogue saunters wickedly over to her mentees as the others watch. With a smooth movement she takes off her gloves and winks at Cyke.

"Y'all don't mind, now…do ya?" Laughing she brushes her hand swiftly over Bobby's and Pete's faces as the rest watch in shock. They've never known Rogue to intentionally borrow powers outside of actual combat.

"Not at all." Colossus grins at her. "Always a pleasure."

Bobby just grimaces. The sensation has never bothered Pietr the way it does him. Thankfully he doesn't pass out anymore when she does that.

Holy fuck… Logan thinks to himself. She really has changed. I barely recognize her anymore.

And whose fault is that, dumbass? Wolverine snarls at him. If it was up to me we would've marked and mated our little Marie-mate years ago.

Shut. Up.

Moving into the center of the Danger Room which has morphed itself into what looks like a giant padded room, Cyke and Rogue move to standing back-to-back as the others surround them in a bull-pen formation. Feeling almost normal with each other again they grin before focusing on their opponents.

Angel, Nightcrawler, Emma, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Sabertooth, Deadpool, and Wolverine circle them, trying to decide a course of action.

Separating them is the only way to go. Emma told them as she braced herself. Otherwise they'll just pick us off one by one. Nightcrawler?

Kurt nods before bamfing up to Rogue and then teleporting them both to one corner of the room. Grinning happily Victor, Wade, Remy, and Warren move to take her on while the others engage Cyclopes.

The Danger Room filled with movement and the sounds of explosions both major and minor as the Captains got to work reminding everyone just who the top dogs are.

Furiously throwing punches and kicks, Rogue knocked out Kurt before the others could reach them in the corner. Swooping down, Angel attempted to catch her off guard only to get blindsided by a rain of icicles from Bobby's copied power.

Two down.

Grinning, Rogue crouches low preparing to take on three much more difficult opponents. She's not really surprised Wolvie stayed to take on Cyclopes. Those two will never get along and will never sidestep a chance to take each other on.

Remy charges up a pair of playing cards before flinging them at her chest. With a thought she redirects them at Wade, grinning gleefully at their shock when he gets hit head on and knocked temporarily out of the fight.

Suddenly wary of the petite woman, Victor hung back a moment to watch as she engaged Gambit, spinning easily out of the way of his staff and blocking or outright redirecting the blasts from his charged cards. He recognized a lot of Jimmy in her fighting style with some Eric and what must be her own style thrown in. Some One-Eye too. Well, well. Jimmy's little kitten has some bite to her.

Shaking off the hit from Gambit's cards Deadpool scrambles to his feet and crouches next to Sabertooth.

"What's the plan?"

Victor cocks his head. Somebody must've been paying attention during Stripe's lecture earlier.

"Wait for Gambit to get knocked out then come at her at the same time. He's too much a ranged fighter to work well with us. I don't wanna hafta dodge that fucking staff."

No sooner had Sabertooth spoke than Rogue whirled in close to Gambit and reaching out grabbed him with one small fist in his trench. Smiling with wicked intent she leans in close and places her mouth against his throat in a mock-kiss. Angry from their earlier dismissal of her as their leader, she pulls him into her, forcing his Psyke copy to behave himself as the man collapses at her feet.

Smirking at her two remaining opponents she lifts a deck of cards from the now-unconscious Gambit.

"Wanna play?"

xXxXxXx

When the dust settled in the Danger Room only three people remained standing. The Rogue is being circled warily by the Wolverine and the Sabertooth, none willing to back down from the challenge. Charging one of the few remaining playing cards from the pack she lifted off of Gambit, she throws it in Sabertooth's face, temporarily blinding him as he dodged out of the way. Taking advantage of the distraction, Rogue flips over top of him to Logan waiting for the right moment.

"Looks like we really need to have that talk, kid." He says with a grunt as she darts behind him and climbs onto his back like a monkey as Sabertooth shakes off his muddled senses.

"Looks tha' way." She whispers in his ear before pressing a kiss to his grizzled cheek, then his neck. Hitting skin with the second kiss she holds on just long enough to drop him before flipping away from his body and faced his brother.

"I wouldn't try that with me, Stripes." Victor says with a raised brow, mirroring his brother's favorite expression.

"Believe me, the last thin' I want is one o' you floatin' around in mah head." She laughs as she circles the mammoth mutant.

Victor just grunts before charging her head on. Every muscle in his body screams from the constant battle he's fought with this one little woman. She tough all right, a worthy match to his little brother. If the two of them ever get their fucking heads on straight anyway.

Crouching she calls up the power she borrowed from Pete for just this thing, plating herself in metal that will deflect those vicious claws of his. Smarter than most people give him credit for, Sabertooth had watched her take on opponent after opponent, learning how she fought and engaging her every now and then to see how she reacts. Knowing that neither of them want her to use her active mutation on him does give him one hell of an advantage that the others simply don't have.

The two collide with a crash as Rogue grabs his shoulders and planting one foot in his stomach uses his own momentum to flip him over her head and against the wall. He can't even lie, that one rang his bell.

"Enough!"

The Professor's voice rang through the Danger Room's speakers as Victor climbed to his feet and Rogue instantly turned off her borrowed power. Waking up Logan sits up as the others all file back into the Danger Room, everyone else having left as they were knocked out of the challenge.

Scott in particular had a nasty scratch running down the front of his uniform that needed Hank's doctoring skills. Thankfully no one was too injured from the melee as they still had a mission in the morning.

The junior team followed the older X-Men in, Jubilee sauntering over to Gambit palm extended.

"You owe me twenty bucks. I told you Roguey would be the last one standing." Grumbling sounded around the group as different bets were paid off all around. One in particular surprised Logan and Rogue. Scott bet Wade one hundred dollars that Rogue would kiss Logan before the end of the battle. Snickers sounded all around as Logan felt a blush head his cheeks under his beard.

"Wasn't 'xactly a kiss…" Wade grumbled.

"Lips on skin in two areas…it counts." Cyclopes argued, accepting his payout with glee.

Rolling her eyes she motions for Scott to start the debrief after collecting his winnings.

"We have new information regarding the rescue op tomorrow." Wincing over the wound running down his chest Cyclopes gestured for Angel to fill in the team.

"The teens Buckethead and crew snatched aren't just any mutants." Angel began carefully updating the team without revealing any information that would have Dancer taking off his head. "They're Class 5 and Ferals but they have mutated powers beyond the normal speed, senses, etc. Highly sought after both by us and Magneto. The Professor has spoken with their parents several times but they've never shown any interest in getting involved with other mutants outside their family."

"Why not?" Rogue asked thinking quickly.

"Their parents are mutants as is their older sister…which is the reason why this is above and beyond our normal priority. We have to get these kids out before their family gets involved."

"Who're the family?" Victor asked.

"Nightwolf and Luna are the parents…" Angel trailed off. He really didn't want to talk about Dancer if he could avoid it.

"The mercs?" Wade asked surprised. He's known them for years and they never mentioned any kids. Not that people in their kinda work tended to talk about family. That kinda thing can lead to all kind of troubles.

Angel gives a short nod.

"I can see why we need to grab the kids." Victor says with a laugh. "Those two crazy asses will tear the Brotherhood a new one and not care about how many bodies they leave behind."

"Pot…kettle…" Scott whispered under his breath only to grunt as Emma elbowed him in the side.

Then Rogue asked the question Angel really, really didn't want to answer.

"Where'd you get your information, Angel?"

Wincing he looked away.

"Angel…" Logan growled. Something about this mess stank to high heaven.

"Nightwolf has another daughter from a different relationship. When I found out about the teens getting snatched I gave her a call to see how she wanted to handle it. A couple hours ago she gave me the go ahead to talk to you guys about pulling them out. Guess there's too many bodies between her and the kids for her to do it solo."

"Who is she?" Logan's so-shit senses were really going nuts now.

Sighing, Angel ran one hand through his hair.

"She's a merc…and a killer. Some of you might've heard of her. Goes by the name Skydancer."