Hey guys!

Been a while, I know. Things have finally calmed down for me. I apologize for the wait in everything.

I am not sure if the next chapter I'm working on will be the final chapter in this or not, but that's what I'm shooting for. I'm glad this turned out alot better than it did the first time.

As usual, please feel free to rate, review, and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.

Thanks!

"Want help?"

Juliet looked up from her arm to see Tony staring back at her. She let out a small sigh as she looked back down to the suit she was trying to put on and shook her head.

"Just trying to figure this out."

"Here..." he said, helping her adjust the armored hand onto her own. "Look, I'm not good at this kind of thing. Love, or, whatever."

"You don't need to explain anything." Juliet replied. "I mean, look at me. I'm not the most tempting option."

"That's not what makes it difficult." She let out another sigh as he continued fixing the suit to her arms.

"Before Pepper, I never really settled down. I wasn't someone you wanted to date. I wasn't that guy."

"And now she's gone."

He stopped to look at her, their eyes meeting.

"Yeah." he said after a moment. "She is. And I moped for a long time. I'm past it, kind of. It's the moving on part that I don't have down yet."

"I wasn't asking you to."

"You kissed me. You did it for a reason."

"Usually people do."

"Then what was it?"

Juliet looked away from him, shaking her head slightly.

"I thought there was something." she replied before looking back up to him. "It was my mistake."

"There is something. Don't think there isn't... I guess... I just don't want you getting your hopes up. I don't know what you want from me exactly, and I don't know if I'll be able to give that to you. But if you give it time, give me time, then I think it'll be better for us in the long run."

Juliet gave him a slight nod.

"Taking it slowly then?"

"Taking it slow." he agreed, giving her a small smile. She returned it as he returned to assisting her with the suit. "So what's your plan?"

"Plan?"

"We're going out there to fight. Your people obviously have a huge advantage against the aliens. The strength and the whole, not dying easily thing."

"The wolves will bring fire."

"So they're going to beat you guys with flaming sticks?"

She smiled, shaking her head at him.

"They'll come up with something. They'd be stupid not to."

"They have the numbers, no denying that." Juliet looked at him suddenly, knitting her eyebrows together and letting out a short laugh. "What?"

"Numbers."

"Yeah?"

"We don't need people. We need skill."

"Please don't tell me you're turning the Avengers into vampires. Don't think that'd be a good look."

"No." she said with a smile. "We need an army."

"Military is kind of off the board."

"We're in New York. It's obvious, isn't it?"

"Not following."

"The school for gifted youngsters."

"The Xavier institute?"

"The mutants."

Tony gave her a small smile and crossed his arms.

"Not bad."

"Thanks."

"What if they aren't there?"

"That place has alot of protection. There's no way they're hiding elsewhere."

He shrugged.

"It's worth a try."

"Good. Then let's go."

"We need to bring others."

"I can bring Kate and Garret."

"I'll bring Steve and Thor. Bit of variety will help them join our cause I suspect."

"We should go tonight."

"I'll suit up once I'm done helping you."

"This is it?"

"GPS says it's past those trees."

Juliet lifted her face mask as they approached the large building that soon came into view. A strong wind picked up and blew against them.

"What's this coming from?" Kate yelled, looking around at Juliet.

"It's her." Tony replied, looking towards the school.

A woman stood at the gate to the school, her white hair and eyes catching Juliet's attention.

"What do you want?" she asked, stepping closer to them.

"We just want to talk." Juliet called from the wind.

"We still aren't interested in Loki's army."

"We aren't here to recruit you into his army, we want to recruit you into our own."

The woman's eyes cleared as the wind dropped, letting them walk toward her.

"Keep your distance." she warned.

"My name is Juliet."

"These kids don't want to fight in a war."

"We aren't with Loki. We want to stop him."

"Why should I believe you?"

"You should believe us." Tony said, lifting his mask. "We're the ones who tried stopping him to begin with."

"I remember."

"We have some people but not enough. We need more power."

"Any other time mutants use powers we're hunted and put in containment."

"All the more reason for you to fight."

The woman smirked, looking back to her.

"And you are?"

"We're mutants." she lied.

"You guys are gonna have to come inside to talk to the ones that can make that choice."

Juliet and her companions sat quietly, watching the few mutants in the room think over the proposition she'd just laid on them. She knew a few of them would be against it, preferring to stay hidden and safe in their school.

"So you want us to fight, and then what?"

She looked to the man sitting in the wheelchair in front of her.

"You do whatever you want. We just want our world back."

"Our X-Men are hated amongst humans."

"You can prove you do good for them. Give them their world back."

"We should give their world back why?"

Juliet looked to the woman who spoke up.

"Why not?"

"Do you know what they do to people like us?"

"Yes."

"And you want us to fight on their behalf, for their freedom, so they can go back to treating us like animals?"

"No. I want you to fight for you, on behalf of all that are like you, so that we can have peace again."

"Peace? There never was true peace."

"It was better than what we have."

"What's your power?"

"What?"

"You said you're a mutant, what's your ability?"

Juliet glanced to Kate and Garret before shaking her head at the girl.

"We're not mutants. We're... otherwise enhanced."

"Please explain." Xavier said.

"We aren't mutants, but we're... gifted. We're vampires, the three of us."

Juliet waited for them to make comments of disbelief, but was surprised to hear nothing.

"I imagine Loki was interested in your gift."

"He was. He held me captive for a while. I managed to escape."

"And now you want to fight against him."

"We would contact Asgard, the realm of gods, but the bifrost is still broken. Their army would be helpful but we can't reach them, and they can't reach us. So we have to find a different way. You guys are the best chance we have."

"If I send mutants with you, I will not send children, no matter their ability."

"I would never ask you to put these children in danger."

"In truth, mutants have come here to seek refuge, but not as many as you'd hope. Though some are better than none."

"You're really sending us with her?"

Juliet glanced at the man who protested, hearing the one standing next to him sigh in annoyance.

"I am advising it, yes. If you don't wish to go, don't."

"I will go."

Juliet looked over to the man who stood now after being crouched down in a corner the whole time. His yellow eyes and blue fur made Juliet smile slightly at the thought of how many gifted people really were out there without most people knowing it.

"The X-Men will go."

After one volunteered, so did the rest, and before long, they were leaving with Juliet and her group.

"Before you go, you should know that I have means of contacting other mutants." Xavier explained. "I will do so and hope they will come to your aid."

"Thank you sir." Juliet replied, turning towards the door and leaving the school.

After a moment of silence and walking, Tony nudged her, giving her a smile.

"Good job."

She let out a small laugh, relieved that they'd gotten a few more people to help in their cause.