Title: Stay Down

Time: 8:00 AM

Place: Ororo Munroe's office.

*Note* Using Obama as a Senator for this chapter...he'll be president in later chapters...count this as my disclaimer!

"It ain't safe, 'Ro!" Logan slammed his fist down on the oak desk. He felt as though physical assertion could possibly sway the Snow Plow. He was wrong.

Ororo glared at him, "I will be perfectly fine, thank you."

Logan began pacing the room, one hand on his hip while the other stroked his chin, ran through his hair, balled into a fist and slammed against the wall. It was as if he were stuck between a rock and a hard spot. "Why can't Hank go? Send the big ol' furball. He won't have any trouble."

She sighed, "Hank is not the principal of this school nor the president of the Mutant-Human Coexistance Move. It has to be me."

He stared at her, shaking his head. "No. D.C. is a stupid place for a mutant to go. That's like walkin' in the line of fire!"

Also standing, yet not in a nervous I'm-losing-this-argument-but-still-fishing-for-some-thread-of-hope kind of way. "Logan, I -"

"This!" He practically shoved the emailed picture of Kurt Wagner's destroyed body in Storm's face. She didn't flinch. "This is exactly what you'll get. You'll walk right into it, 'Ro. Right into a trap, just like they want." His eyes were fierce with threat, as if he would do everything he could to stand in her way.

He was very close to her face. Too close for comfort. And so, with a bit of annoyed rage, Ororo electrified her friend into the wall he previously put a hole through. His angry growl yelped and then "Oofed" at the striking pain as he slid to the floor.

"Logan," she said with a strained voice. "I am going to be very nice to right now and if you say one word I will electricute you until that hairy chest of yours singes off. Understand?"

He growled.

"Good," she didn't keep her eyes off of him as she returned to her desk and pulled an envelope from a drawer. "This invitation is a peace offering. Senator Obama understands us and wants me to make a public announcement declaring our wish for coexistance. He feels we deserve a chance to speak. Logan, this could be the one thing I can do right for these children. This could be their way out of living in fear. Logan, not all of us want to run forever." She tossed the letter onto his lap.

Glaring at her, he unfolded the paper and read.

Dear Miss Ororo Munroe,

"You ever been married, 'Ro?"

She blinked, not expecting his forward question. "No."

He did.

I am writing to you in hopes of peace. I believe it is time the world was shown that the homo-sapien race is not alone.

"Never?"

"No. Never. Keep reading."

Scanning to the last paragraph, Logan read. I hope you consider my invitation. The Conference is to be held in Washington D.C. at the U.S. Capitol... He stopped reading at the provided itinerary of the press conference.

"So you're going." No need to question.

Ororo knodded, "Yes. I'm going."

"Alone?"

"I was asked to come alone."

Logan stood up, quickly scanning the letter again. He slowly walked to Ororo and held out for her to take. "Then you're as good as dead." And left the room.

6:00 PM

Garage.

"Just like that, huh?" Domino handed Warren a beer and leaned against the front of her car.

Warren knodded. "Yeah, just like that. He handed me the keys to the jet and said 'Have at it, Wings.' Then he took off on his bike."

Domino whistled. "Sheesh. Wonder what happened." She took a swig of her Coors - er - Logan's Coors, to be precise. "So...you have the keys to the jet, huh?"

Angel looked at her, "Uh....yeah?" In a flash, he was yanked up -without spilling his beer, thank you!- and drug towards the (hopefully) fixed X-men fighter jet.

*Note* I'm so sorry it's short. College takes up a lot of time!