Disclaimer: The X-Men are the property of Marvel. Golan and Cirrus belong exclusively to Star and are used with permission. Corrinth retains all rights to Ilehana Xavier and Ori. Lamby retains all rights to Blaze.

A/N: This story is a joint work between Lamby and Corrinth, based on Corrinth's X-Men the Movie fanfiction of the same name. The beginning of this chapter overlaps with Lamby's 'Landslide', and the riot referred to later occurred in the same story, bringing us up to date. Reviews always welcome.

03

Was this it? Was this the last piece of information she was looking for? Her ancient Japanese wasn't up to much, but she had learned to recognise the symbol for Guardians and for Destiny, and there, that was Temple... wasn't it? In a fervour of excitement, she scribbled down the symbols. For years she had searched for this, and finally, deep in the dark catacombs of Yatsushiro, located on Kyushu, the southern-most island of Japan, here it was, the final piece to the puzzle. She was sure of it now. The calling she had felt for years was gone, replaced only by a defensive attachment to the bulging notebooks in her rucksack. This was her information - hers and hers alone.

"Spooky down here, isn't it?"

Ilehana spun round, how had her nose and ears failed her! No one had ever crept up on her before! A young Japanese girl, maybe fourteen or fifteen, stood in front of her. Her scent was masked by a heavy musk perfume that made Vixen want to choke. Ilehana didn't take in any more, details weren't important. She had to get away from here; she needed help to contain her ever-growing powers. Ori would come with her to Bayville if she asked, a cry for help was never left unanswered in the pack...

"Only if you let it bother you." Ilehana retorted harshly. She nodded to the girl, walking past her and leaving her in the dark. She felt the eyes follow her path up to the surface, but never saw them turn a burning shade of yellow...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm sorry to have to call you out here again Professor." Principle Kelly walked besides Charles Xavier's wheelchair, strolling around the side of the school building in the pleasant sunshine. "But as you can see," Kelly continued. "The damage your students caused during the riot has been quite extensive. I simply cannot allow them to return to Bayville High, and the parents of many normal students are demanding financial compensation..."

Xavier let his eyes wander slowly over the cordoned off area of wall and rubble. It was true of course, his X-Men had been involved in creating the mess, but as a way of escape from a no-win situation only. Somehow though he knew Kelly would not take well to suggestions that his 'normal' students could be as easily blamed for the damage to school property as any of the mutants who lived at the Institute. Instead of answering immediately, Xavier flicked the control of the wheelchair into forwards, approaching the ruins with a look of consideration on his face. There must be a way around this...

He didn't have time to react, let alone call out aloud or telepathically for aid as something wet and horrid sunk fangs into his neck. Venom pumped through his bloodstream, making him gag and his eyes cloud over. Pain flooded him, darkness took him, and Professor Xavier knew no more...

"Quickly, get him out of here." Mystique dropped Kelly's form eagerly and pointed a long finger in Xavier's direction, just as he flopped ungracefully from the wheelchair and onto the grass. The mutant who had poisoned him stepped back, smirking at a job well done. A small woman with pale blue skin, her face was thin and drawn with cold, wet eyes, a tiny nose and thin blue lips. She was wearing an extremely tight cat suit and though her body was light and thin, it was well muscled. Her arms were spread to reveal thin membranous webbing reaching from wrists to ankles, and attached to her sides. More membranes were folding themselves away around her jaw as Gambit pushed past her to pick up Xavier's fallen form. Cirrus was one spooky gal that Gambit was glad he had never hooked up with, that's for sure. "Is he still breathing?" Mystique asked sharply.

"Yeah." Gambit replied, checking Xavier's pulse and hoping he hadn't had chance to get word to his daughter before he passed out. Gambit knew Vixen well, and he was only slightly surprised at how bad he felt about what they had done to her father. But he worked for Mystique now, and she had some major plans for Xavier Senior that Gambit for one wasn't about to stand in the way of. With Pyro's help Remy lugged the deadweight of Xavier to the waiting van, the doors closed behind them and Mystique could finally allow herself to smile. She had her Chosen One, all the pieces were in place, and the Guardians would rise once more...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ilehana approached the mansion with Ori the wolf at her heels, morphing as she walked from the reassuring familiarity of the wolf, to the troubled form of a human with a growing weight on her shoulders. No matter how she tried, she could not outrun the overwhelming growth of her mutant powers. Without even trying, she could tell the thoughts and feelings of every mutant around the Xavier Institute. It was almost too much to bear, but Ori was as always a source of strong comfort, as was the knowledge that she was amongst friends.

Vixen felt a great swell of pride in her pack, the X-Men, as she regarded several of them outside in front of the mansion enjoying the warmth of the day. Golan, the newest member of the team, was exploiting his somewhat unfair advantage of having four arms in a game of American football with young Bobby Drake. The two boys had struck up a good friendship over the last few weeks since Golan's arrival in Bayville, for which Ilehana was glad.

Jean Grey and Ororo Munroe were sunning themselves on the grass to one side of the football game, each spread elegantly on a mottled blanket. Storm laughed when the football made a sudden appearance besides them, but Jean cried out "Hey!" in mild agitation. The telekinetic plucked the ball up again with her mind and threw it back to Iceman, making Vixen shake her head. She had never, and never would, understand Jean Grey. They were polar opposites, rivals in everything from the moment Jean had arrived at the Institute, Ilehana's home her whole life, and become her father's star pupil.

Three more mutants occupied themselves by the expanse of garages. Ilehana could not deny the pleasure of seeing a shirtless Logan giving Scott's precious car a fine tune. Neither could she hide the laugh at the protective look Cyclops had about him as he tried hard not to get agitated at Wolverine's tampering.

#One-Eye's positively disturbed, Logan, what on earth have you found wrong this time? Or are you annoying poor Scott deliberately? # She spoke to her partner telepathically, mind voice amused.

#If he didn't drive this thing like a boy racer, there wouldn't be things fallin' off every time I look under the bonnet... # Logan pointed out. #You feelin' better after you're run, babe? #

#Much. # Ilehana lied, knowing he wouldn't know any different if she didn't tell him. #How's Blaze? # She referred to the other mutant by the garages, washing her silver-grey convertible with vigour.

#Tetchy. # Logan filled in, wiping his oily hands on an even oilier rag. #Just for a change, y'know? #

#Feeling threatened Logan? Tetchiness around here is usually your domain. # Ilehana teased, not because she wasn't worried about her flatmate, but because teasing Logan was a comfort in its normality.

#If you weren't so damn cute... # He began, then shrugged as Ilehana closed the mind link gently, but firmly. It worried Wolverine more than he'd ever admit to anyone, how much Vixen was obviously carrying, how she wouldn't let him help her, wouldn't even talk to him about it. He hated feeling so useless, so desperate, longing that they could just be a normal couple. Normal couples, Logan mused as Vixen approached Blaze, went for sunset walks on the beach. Normal couples had romantic candle lit dinners, spontaneous nights out, evenings in the back row of the movies. Normal couples held hands, kissed, cuddled and argued. Normal couples did not run around all the time after a bunch of troublesome mutant kids, chaperoned by a mutant wolf, trying to save the whole damn world...

#Face it Logan, # He hadn't realised she was still listening to his thoughts, mind voice betraying her smile. #Normal is so relative. #