On grounds patrol outside the mansion, Cyclops paused in the darkness of the night, casting a wary eye around the landscaped gardens, searching for any sign of movement. He was on high alert, knowing there would be an attack coming any time soon... and from any direction. So, when he felt a light tap on the back of his head from a familiar bo-jitsu staff, he groaned, cursing himself for his lack of attention.

"Damn it," he grumbled, and dropped to the ground immediately, obeying the rules, having been officially tapped out, "where the hell did you come from...?"

"Next time, look up, mon amis," whispered a familiar voice, laced with amusement.

Cyclops felt a light-fingered hand lift his two-way radio from where it was hooked onto his belt. He turned to look, but his attacker had already fled. With a sigh, Cyclops stood up and took his night-vision binoculars out of his pocket. He watched as his assailant dashed towards the mansion, paused by the wall, and then used a rope to climb up to the third storey window ledge. He watched in disbelief as Gambit leapt from one sill to the next and made his way around the corner of the building in a dizzying display of acrobatic skill. Cyclops saw him pause, as Wolverine appeared near to where he had begun his climb, sniffing the air.

Wolverine raised his radio to his lips and spoke into it, but without his unit Cyclops could not hear what was being said. He sighed again, knowing they were probably asking him to check in, and swore again – he was the team leader and he'd been the first to get 'knocked out'. He'd find some way to pay Gambit back; next time they faced each other in the Danger Room, he'd wipe the smirk off that Cajun's face...

He frowned as he watched Gambit make his way back down to ground level, wondering what the man was doing – it had looked like he was planning to go in via the roof, but now he was back down on the ground...

... Wolverine sniffed the air as he came around the corner of the mansion; the Cajun was nearby, he could smell him for sure, but there was no ground trail. He was looking up, examining the window ledges, sniffing the air, when he felt something small hit him in the chest.

"What the hell...?" he glanced down, raising his fingers to touch the red stain on his uniform – a paintball pellet, "Aw, dammit..."

Swearing aloud, he dropped to his knees and sat back against the wall of the mansion, grumbling to himself that in real life he would have rejected the bullet, healed and gone after his assailant with righteous fury. But the Professor had set the rules of the game, insisting that an assailant may have a way to incapacitate him or suppress their powers, so now he was officially "out".

"I'm gonna get ya fer this, Cajun," he growled.

However, Gambit had already fled. Wolverine got to his feet and, still grumbling and grousing, leaned against the wall, arms folded, where Cyclops soon joined him.

"He got you too, huh, Cyke?"

"Far too quickly," Cyclops admitted, reluctantly, "is that... paint?"

"Yeah," Wolverine picked at the stain in irritation, "son of a bitch... I'm gonna kick his ass next time we're sparring."

"I'll join you," Cyclops said, dryly.

Wolverine's radio sputtered a crackled of static, and then: "Watchdog Whiskey, there is no sign of the intruder on the south-east roof, do you have a visual?"

Wolverine sighed, unable to reply, as a familiar figure soared through the air and landed in front of them; Rogue took a step forwards, eyeing them both quizzically.

"What're you fella's just doin' standin' around...? Oh," amusement glittered in her green eyes, even in the darkness, as she raised her radio to her lips; "This is Watchdog Romeo, ah've got eyes on Watchdog Whiskey – he's down. Ah'm goin' in fer a closer look..."

She took flight again, leaving her "fallen" comrades behind. On an unspoken agreement, Wolverine and Cyclops followed her around the corner of the building, mostly out of curiosity to see what would happen when she intercepted their elusive intruder.

However, the small explosion of a window shattering made both of them leap back in surprise, as Cyclops growled a curse.

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" snapped the team leader, "Did he just blow up a window?"

"Yup," Wolverine sounded amused, "I think Gumbo's lettin' himself have a bit of fun..."

"Watchdog Bravo to all units, we have a window breached on the ground floor, north face!"

"This is Watchdog Romeo, ah'm closest – I'll check it out!"

"Careful, Rogue," Cyclops murmured, through gritted teeth, "he'll be expecting you..."

Rogue launched herself around the corner, looking this way and that, searching for their 'intruder'... only to feel a thump as something wet hit her square in the chest.

"What in the world...? Oh..."

She sank to the floor and lay down on the ground, realising she was also out of their little game.

"Ah'm gonna get ya fer this, Cajun!" she hissed at him, as he ran past her, flashing her a quick grin, "Yer gonna be spending a week in the med bay when ah'm done with ya!"

"Watchdog Romeo, report!"

She got to her feet, brushing herself down, as she was joined by Cyclops and Wolverine.

"Where is he?" she asked, irritated, "ah'm gonna whup his ass when ah get mah hands on 'im..."

"Last seen climbing up to the roof," Cyclops jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "wanna see what he's up to?"

"Sure do!"

Rogue took each of them by the arm, soaring upwards, depositing them on the roof top, just as Gambit appeared over the edge, crouching down behind a chimney.

"The roof door is alarmed," Cyclops whispered to the others, "if he goes in that way, he'll trigger a remote sentry drone..."

"Uh... ah don't think he's plannin' to use the door..." Rogue's irritation had been replaced with merriment at their colleague's antics, "Ah don't believe it..."

"Down the chimney?" Wolverine sounded incredulous.

In the darkness, Gambit gave them a wink and a cheeky wave, before he dropped down the chimney flue, and out of sight. Cyclops let out another huff of a sigh.

"You'd better get us back down to the ground, Rogue," he told her, "something tells me the exercise will be over shortly."

Wolverine and Rogue's radios both crackled to life as their two remaining colleagues continued with the training exercise, unaware that their defences had already been breached.

"This is Watchdog Sierra, I am commencing a search of the ground floor area, he may be in the building."

"This is Watchdog Bravo, I will guard the Asset. Stay in radio contact."

A few short minutes later, the radio activated again, with a final command.

"All units, stand down... it's over."

"Alright, let's get in there," Cyclops sighed, "and, when it comes to kicking Gambit's ass, let's form an orderly queue and take turns... Rogue, go find Storm, please. Let's go debrief..."