Chapter Eight

"Chimera!"

Vixen's voice was a roar of strength and defiance, echoing through the corridors of the Institute, challenging her rival. She did not bother to move furtively, but strode through her home with new purpose. She followed her nose, tracking Chimera's evil scent, her eyes flashing with anger and her whole frame tense.

Chimera was fiddling with the pad via which the X-Men gained access to the lower levels, contemplating going and fetching Xavier as it required a palm print. In his wheelchair, he would be the easiest to move. Thinking she had won, she wanted it all; Cerebro, the Danger Room, the vehicles, anything she could use, master or sell was hers to take. She'd won the day – the undisputed queen of telepaths and to the victor went the spoils!

"What?" Her head jerked up instinctively as she heard Vixen's shout. "What? How?"

"Chimera…" Vixen almost purred the name as she rounded the corner and stopped. "You lose, Chimera, this ends now."

"How did you break free?" Chimera's eyes darted about as she searched for something, anything, to use as a weapon or escape.

"You gave me my blood, Chimera, but I learnt the truth of my mother's death not so long ago. I accepted it then, I accept it now. I love my father, and my brothers, but there is another…"

"Ah yes. Dear Wolverine." Chimera took a pace backwards, Vixen followed, growling instinctively as her enemy spoke Logan's pseudonym. "He's all animal, isn't he? I can see why you would like him, little wolf."

Chimera's barb hit home, causing Vixen to pause. Who was Chimera to her Wolverine? An ex? A crazy stalker, or nothing at all? Vixen decided it was probably one of the latter two and not worth her time. Meanwhile, Chimera continued to needle her, asking if Vixen would have submitted if she'd been given Wolverine in her illusion.

"I already have him." Vixen answered levelly. "Body, heart and soul, he is mine as I am his. I have no need of your shallow illusions."

"Shallow?" Chimera screeched indignantly. "Shallow? How dare you? My Dragons…"

"Your Dragons are parasites." Vixen scoffed. "They feed off the energy of their victims even as they allow you to create delights. They are no better than ticks on a wolf, not things to be proud of."

Chimera screamed. Rage, frustration and not a small amount of fear vented towards the collected Vixen. The psionic dragons unfurled, reaching, snaking towards Vixen, hissing and growling and trying to ensnare their victim.

"If you will not submit, then you will cower before me in fear! If you will not take what I give in gladness, then you will choke as you lose what you love most! Now, my Dragons, now!"

The dragons roared, diving over, under and around in the confined space of the corridor. Vixen had nowhere to go as they roped themselves around her again, dragging her closer to Chimera. She struggled and fought against them bravely, but was helpless in their grasp. She tried to Change, to shift into a different, smaller form, but her power seemed dead in the dragons' hold. When she was close enough, Chimera reached out and took Vixen's head between her palms.

Wolverine flew through the air, thrown by some unknown force. Vixen leapt after him, gripping his hand and managing to hold on as Wolverine dangled over a cliff edge.

"Hang on, Logan!"

"What exactly do you think I'm doing, babe?" Wolverine bit back. Vixen ignored him, trying to haul him up, but his body and metal-laced skeleton was too much for her to pull up onto solid ground.

"You're gonna have to help me, Logan!" She grunted with the effort of just holding him. He swung his other arm up, allowing him to grasp her arm. She cried out in pain, but didn't let go. He slipped a little in her grasp, then a little more, and suddenly he was falling, falling down towards the rocks below….

"You're going to have to do better than that." Vixen told Chimera, gulping down her anxiety. "Logan would survive that fall easily. It would hurt like hell, but he'd still live."

Charles Xavier frowned at the two lovers stood before him. His elbows rested on the arms of his wheelchair, his fingers laced together. Vixen held Logan's hand tightly, waiting to hear what her father had to say.

"You're in love? And you want my blessing?" He sneered. "In love? I'm not sure either of you knows the meaning of the word. So no, you can't have my blessing, and that sort of thing will not go on under my roof."

Logan pulled his hand from Vixen's, looking at her sadly. She knew he wouldn't go against her father's wishes. It was easy enough for her to walk away, she'd been gone so long anyway, but she knew Logan wouldn't come with her…

Anger flashed though Vixen, white hot. Rage that her father would try to deny her what she wanted most in the world, and then anger that Chimera would dare to try to use such a thing against her. It was that anger that would be Chimera's downfall, which began to deconstruct Vixen's carefully built controls. For so long, she'd feared her growing telepathic powers, kept them bottled up behind walls. Now, she relished them, feeding the fire with every ounce of fury she could muster. As Chimera began another illusion, one where Wolverine was attacking her, she forcibly blew out her walls, setting her telepathy free. Her eyes bored into Chimera's. Her victim gasped as Vixen dispersed her dragons; they fell away as if nothing but ribbon, evaporating as they hit the floor.

Vixen's powers rippled the air about her as she took hold of Chimera's mind. The self-proclaimed telepathic queen fought back, trying to lose Vixen's hold, but there was nothing she could do. Already as mad as the Hatter, Chimera became a wreck, stuttering and stammering, trying to form words and failing. When Vixen, disgusted, no longer wished to touch Chimera's mind, she dropped her hold as if it was a hot coal, leaving Chimera free. The insane mutant launched herself at Vixen, nails brandished like claws and hissing at her nemesis, and Vixen simply pushed her arms aside and then shoved her backwards…

Six adimantium claws appeared through Chimera's torso. Vixen looked up to see Wolverine looking a bit surprised. Chimera didn't cry out, she just gave a gasp, a sigh, and then collapsed to the floor as Wolverine retracted his claws, all trace of life and madness gone. Vixen glared at the body, her own shaking with anger and a sudden exhaustion. Logan came to her side, moving slowly so as not to startle her. He took hold of the tops of her arms and gently guided her a little way away from Chimera's body. When Vixen's eyes wouldn't leave her enemy, Logan grasped her chin and gently, but firmly, forced her to look at him.

"Easy, darlin'." He spoke softly. "It's over, she's gone." Vixen nodded absently, and then her eyes suddenly focused. She punched him angrily on the shoulder, hard enough to make him grunt in pain.

"Where the hell were you? I couldn't reach you! I was so worried…" Vixen went willingly as Logan pulled her into his warm, strong embrace, burying her face into the curve of his neck. Logan stroked her hair gently.

"Sabretooth and Mystique lured me away earlier today. They knew that once I smelt him, I'd go after Sabretooth." He told her gently, his voice low and calming. "They knocked me out cold between 'em; musta smashed by phone when I fell to the ground."

He stroked her back, his large hand alternating between small, comforting circles between her shoulders, then long strokes down her spine. She did not move, but he felt her shaking begin to lessen. "Your telepathic shout musta woken me up. I came straight here. Chimera and I have met before. She assumed Weapon X would be as bonkers as her. When she discovered she was wrong, she tried to set her dragons on me. Turns out they didn't like the taste of adimantium."

"I'm glad you're okay." Vixen sniffed. Logan hadn't realised she'd been crying. He lifted her head gently, his palm cupping her cheek. In a movement so gentle, it almost denied everything he was; Logan thumbed away her tears and kissed her very softly. He leant his forehead against hers as all around them the Institute's residents came back to reality, Chimera's illusions shattered like glass.