Author's Note – I don't own Superman, the X-Men or anything claimed by Marvel or DC.

Also, we are getting close to the end of my partially-written-in-advance chapters, so expect the pace of updates to slow somewhat. Sorry.

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Chapter Thirteen

Publicity

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"So I was wondering that since NASA has no space shuttles available to help us, do you have any idea about what to do?" Clark heard as he opened the door to Xavier's office. Xavier looked up and waved him in.

"Could Tony Stark help, I heard that he has several new shuttles."

"I've already contacted him." The man on the computer screen sighed. "Iron Man and Doctor Doom had another of their… disagreements, it'll take at least four days before even one shuttle is repaired enough for use. By then, Outpost One will be hitting the atmosphere."

"What's happening?" Clark asked and Xavier looked up.

"The recent meteor shower damaged Outpost One, a spoace station being used by the Fantastic Four and Stark Industries to test out new technologies prior to their release. Currently, the station is dropping out of orit and will hit the upper atmosphere in…"

"Three days, seven hours and forty two minutes. Thor tried to get up here to help us, but even someone of his power level can't operate outside the atmosphere for long."

"Indeed." Xavier said. "Doctor Richards is an old student of mine from Harvard. I'm honoured that he called me for help, but…"

"I was coming to tell you that the Javelin is ready for it's test flight." Clark said with a smile. "Where are the spare parts you need being stored?"

"Stark Enterprises has them at Stark Aerospace. Why?"

"Get them ready to load the parts, I'll fly the Javelin over there, then get the parts up to you." Clark said, turning to the door and tapping the small badge that he had (with Evan's eager input) created. "Cyclops, Wolverine, either of you available for a mission?"

"Clark." Xavier said from the doorway. "You know that this will lead to the public getting proof of the existence of mutants?"

"No, it won't." Clark grinned. "That's the beauty. All it will reveal is that Logan is still around, Superman is real and that they have a third member of their team, all of whom are helping the Fantastic Four. They'll simply assume that we're more enhanced humans, like them. And it'll build some goodwill for the future."

Xavier nodded slowly. "I see. You make good points. Very well, good luck."

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"…as yet there is no sign of any craft being brought out to deliver the gathered equipment to the damaged space station Outpost One." The reporter said, facing the camera. "A recent statement from Tony Stark has confirmed that transport will be provided, and from here, we can see Tony Stark himself and the famous figure of Captain America, the hero brought back from death by the enigmatic and mysterious Superman. Wait, what's that… There, there, there! tI's a plane, but what a plane it is!"

The assembled members of the Xavier Institute (and Amanda) watched intently as the camera swung round and up, zooming in on the approaching plane. The silver three-engined plane swooped overhead almost silently, then it banked and slowed, the downswept forward-curving wings rising around the engines incorporated into the wings themselves, rising up and over until the tips of the wings halted barely two meters apart, the same height as the tail. A moment later, the plane hovered in mid-air, then started to descend, landing wheels extending as it did so.

"What… is… that?" The reporter breathed as the plane landed. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before, curved wings, smooth silver skin… large mirrored viewports… wait, a ramp is descending and three figures are coming down. I've just been told that we've been given another feed by Stark Enterprises, we're going to it now."

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"Superman! Wolverine!" Steve grinned, striding over to the trio and shaking their hands. "And who is your friend?"

"This is Cyclops." Superman smiled as Steve turned and offered his hand. "He can generate and fire concussive and thermal blasts, plus he's a good pilot who is fully trained to fly the Javelin."

"That is an amazing plane." Came another voice. "How much for it?"

Superman turned. "Tony Stark, I assume? I'm afraid the Javelin isn't for sale."

Tony nodded slowly. "I see. With your permission, I'd like to send my bodyguard, Iron Man, with you. His newest armour is space-capable and has the station schematics uploaded. I have business to attend, so I'll send him out."

Clark watched him leave, then turned to face the pile of equipment. "Shall we?"

"You grab one end, we'll grab the other." Steve said. "Let's get this thing on board."

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"Nice aircraft." A metallic voice said and Clark looked round to where their newest guest was entering through the cockpit hatch, closing it behind him. A device on his belt vibrated and Superman narrowed his eyes, then concentrated.

"I thought you were sending a bodyguard, Tony, not coming yourself."

The armoured figure froze, then his helmet opened and Tony glared at him.

"How the hell did you figure that out?"

"You were trying to scan the Javelin." Clark shrugged. "I merely returned the favour. Now, if you can please sit down, we can launch. Cyclops, we have a full complement and are ready to go."

Tony sat down and glanced at the belts moving to secure him, then over at Superman who was sitting just across from him.

"Care to tell me how you negated all my scanners?"

"Advanced technology." Clark said. "I used molecular circuitry."

"And the jets? Even I know that they're not normal jet engines, especially since jets can't get us out of the atmosphere."

"The jets are… I think the best way to describe them would be reality catapults. They fasten briefly onto the probablility bobbles that the universe is built from, and use them as leverage to propel the Javelin. It does mean that agility decreases as the speed rises above mach three, while the craft can't exceed more than point-six lightspeed. Having three of them, mounted a third of the way down each wing and halfway up the tail, allows for full maneuverability even in space, where there's no air to help steer."

Tony stared at him in near-shock and Steve turned in his seat to look back at them. "First time I've seen anyone shut him up. You realise that he'll be trying to duplicate the things you've described, don't you?"

"It'll keep him out of mischief for a decade or so." Clark grinned as the Javelin rose and hurled itself into the sky.

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"…and we have now finally confirmed that Superman does indeed exist!" the reporter said excitedly. "Wolverine is listed as being an ally of the newly-formed Avengers, but this new hero, Cyclops, is still a mystery, we do not know how he is linked to the two who were responsible for the return of one of the greatest heroes of our time."

Magneto sat watching the screen. Although his face was expressionless, his clenched fist and the lump of shapeless metal that had once been his desk testified to his anger.

"Now, Captain America, Iron Man, Superman, Wolverine and Cyclops are heading into space to help to save the damaged Outpost One. With all the required replacement parts and no less than nine powered individuals including the Fantastic Four who are currently aboard the space station, it is almost a certainty that the station will survive."

"Humph." Sabertooth snorted. "Short stuff in space? As soon as he pops his claws, he's dead meat."

Magneto blinked and looked at him curiously.

"Hey, even his healing power won't let him recover from dying form lack of air." Sabertooth shrugged. "And his claws would rip open his space suit."

"That… is an interesting point." Magneto said slowly. "I hadn't thought about that."

"Heh, and people think I'm here only for my brawn." Sabertooth grinned as they turned their attention back to the screen.

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""Tony, your suit is fully space-capable, yes?"

At Iron Man's nod, Clark turned to face the others and held out a box which he opened up to reveal a half-dozen silver armbands emblazoned with the crest of the House of El as well as an X inside a circle.

"Take one and put it on your left arm, on your bicep." He said. "These are nano-suits, they can provide protection against vacuum comditions for up to six hours before needing to recharge. The nanites are stored in the Crest of El, the power systems are in the X-men icon. To activate the suit, tap the House of El icon twice, to deactivate, do the same, although it'll only deactivate either when it runs out of power or if you're in an atmospheric environment."

Steve took the proffered armband andslid it on. Looking at it curiously, he double-tapped it and his eyebrows rose as what appeared to be a silvery liquid flowed out of the band, covering his entire body while forming around his head like a helmet, the visor clear."

"Once deployed, the suits provide life-support, communication capabilities and basic readouts." Clark said. "I do have more advanced space suits, but given that we shouldn't be in space for more than a couple of hours, I figured that these would suffice. Cyclops, The suit will attach to your visor, allowing you to use your powers, Wolverine, similar thing for your claws. Here are harnesses containing maneuvering thrusters and attchment points, if you activate the suit while wearing them, the suit will incorporate them into itself."

Steve deactivated his suit, donned one of the harnesses and reactivated it. Looking down, he stroked the harness and nodded, before deactivating the suit once more.

"Very impressive, Superman. I've never seen anything so advanced before." Tony said, his face showing his focus and determination, his normal teasing expression in abeyance. "Cyclops, how long before we dock?"

"On final approach now." Cyclops said. "Iron Man, Superman, I suggest that you both get out and check that the damage is what we think it is. Reed says that he, Ben and Johnny are about to suit up and will be ready in about five minutes."

Tony nodded as his face-plate dropped into position, the optical scanners set into his mask glowing. Superman tapped his belt and his silver suit deployed.

"No arm band?" Iron Man asked.

"Integrated space suit." Superman responded as he led Iron Man to the airlock. "Since I don't need the maneuvering harness, I was able to make a few tweaks to my outfit."

"Interesting."

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"…and we are now switching to the external feed of Outpost One, and we can see the approaching spaceplane, the Javenin, approaching the space station. It would appear that the Javelin has deployed… it's Iron Man! Iron Man is currently approaching the station, along with a silver-clad figure… Superman! Iron Man is using some sort of modified repulsor to fly but Superman seems to be flying through space with ease. They're circling the station now."

Nick Fury took a small sip of the cooling coffee that one of his aides had given to him earlier as he watched the news-feed in the main display screen on the Helicarrier bridge. The faint rumbling of the quartet of turbines that kept the Helicarrier aloft seemed to somehow enhance the tension.

"It looks like the Javeling is moving closer, it must be starting the final docking procedures."

"Whoever that pilot is, he is showing incredible skill." Agent Coulson noted and Fury nodded.

The image on the screen seemed to shake for a second, then it zoomed in on the front of the Javelin.

"It looks like Cyclops is currently the pilot."

"That plane has artificial gravity!" Fury said, his eye intent. "Logan just rose and walked to the back."

"Interesting." Coulson agreed. "I've been reviewing the data from the plane's takeoff, it wasn't using either directed turbine thrust or repulsors. In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd swear that it was using some sort of anti-gravity device."

"You're right." Fury said slowly. "That is interesting…"

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"Good news." Superman said over the radio. "The damage isn't as bd as anticipated, it looks like the impacts dislodged a couple of the fuel pipes and power cables. Iron Man and I have scanned them and are re-attaching them now. We'll still need to replace a quarter of the primary pipes and three of the secondaries, aswell as patch a couple of holes, but that should be no problem."

Reed Richards nodded as he glanced at the other two in the airlock. Getting a thumbs-up from both of them, he triggered the air pumps and hit his communicator.

"Understood, Superman. We are beginning evacuation of airlock now, we'll be out in about two minutes."

"Excellent. Iron Man and I are starting the repairs now, Wolverine and Captain America are moving to assist."

"Pressure down to fifty percent and dropping." Reed said. "We should be out soon."

"Cyclops to all hands, performing final docking maneuvers to airlock three now. All hands, stay clear."

"Did you get that, Sue?"

"Final docking maneuvers at airlock three, confirmed." Sue's voice sounded over the comm closer to the station. "Cyclops, I read you closing speed at six centimeters per second at this time."

"I read it as five point nine two." Cyclops said. "Double-checking now, coming up to penultimate braking burn… now."

"Reed here,airlock now reading zero, repeat, zero pressure." Reed said, glancing round to see the other two giving a thumbs-up. "Opening outer airlock hatch, preparing for extra-vehicular activities."

"Glad to have you join us." Superman said. "Iron man, I think that's the heaviest things dealt with, you keep fixing, I'll pull back and start circling since I don't use thrusters and having a Dutchman incident at this point would be a bad move."

Ben grinned as he slowly swung out of the airlock, absently attaching a safety-line to the attachmant points by the airlock exterior. "Superman, excellent idea. Reed, Flameboy and I are coming to help now."

"Understood."

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Xavier looked over his steepled fingers at the trio standing in front of his desk.

"I must admit, Clark, your idea did cause me considerable worry at first, but it seems to have worked very well. I must ask, though. You kept seeming to defer to Scott out there. Why?"

Clark gave a slight shrug. "My presence has been suspected for years, and it was pretty much confirmed when Logan and I revived Rogers. What I've done is to make people think that I answer to Scott, making him seem to be the leader of a team that includes me. That in turn means that when Scott finally leads the X-men that you are putting together, people will simply assume that it's another team of superheroes like the Avengers. And when the existence of Mutants is finally unveiled to the public, they'll think of Scott and the X-men as heroes first, mutants a distant second. They'll be so used to trusting them that the whole mutant issue will seem… laughable."

Xavier nodded.

"Well thought out. I agree completely. But the public will expect to see him again."

Scott shrugged. "We'll still keep a low profile, Professor. But with this, we've reduced the potential consequences should we slip."

Xavier nodded again.

"Very well, gentlemen. Good job."