Author's Note: I enjoyed writing this chapter, although it was far too tempting to complicate it with details about Ilehana that really aren't relevant to this story. Nice to see some of the other X-Men involved .

Also, think I've sorted the "which X-Men shall I use?" conundrum so I can post again. Yay!

Scene Nine

The briefing room in the hidden lower levels of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was awash with anticipation, only awaiting the arrival of Vixen. Cyclops, aka Scott Summers, was sat at Charles Xavier's left hand, his red coloured shades sat firmly on the bridge of his nose as he regarded the rest of the team around the table. At his right hand side was Jean Grey a telekinetic telepath, and also his beautiful fiancée. On the other side of her was Storm, an African woman with snow white hair and the ability to control the weather. Her cold, grey eyes were fixed on what could have been a friendly argument between Logan – surname unknown but frequently went by Wolverine – and Cyclops. They were discussing basketball, a subject Storm normally had no patience for but seeing Scott so wound up and Wolverine winding him up was as awkwardly amusing as ever. At the head of the table, between Cyclops and the spot reserved for his daughter was Charles Xavier himself, watching over his team with his fingers joined at the tips and elbows resting on the arms of his wheelchair. His reaction, a mere lifting of the head to look towards the doorway, was the first indication that their last team member was about to enter the room.

A few seconds later, the circular door to the briefing room slid aside, and the tall, lithe blonde woman entered the room. Silence fell throughout the room and all heads turned to watch her approach the table. She did not falter under their gaze; she crossed the room in confident strides, dropped a hand onto Wolverine's shoulder as she walked past him to take her seat. He grinned at her; and she returned it with a genuine smile.

"This is where they're hiding. The NYPD gave us the location and it has been confirmed by Jean and Scott." She flicked a remote that her father handed her, giving Scott a nod of credit as the display brought up an area. "We have reason to believe they are holding Beast, making Hank work on what was supposed to be his cure. No one knows what they're planning on making with it, but the test-run they dealt on Robert Kelly shows the danger we are all in, mutants and humans alike."

Professor Xavier was interested in seeing if any of the team was uncomfortable with Ilehana taking charge of the mission ahead of them. It was normal for Cyclops to lead the team. Ilehana was more used to working as a field agent, her predatory nature making it difficult for her to exist alongside some of the children that lived at the school, as well as personal rivals. Jean, for example, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat and looked to Scott for some sign that he was comfortable with this sudden change in power. Cyclops himself, as well as Storm, had worked alongside Vixen as equals on numerous occasions in the past when the X-Men were just up and running. Neither offered anything, just watched and waited as Vixen delivered the information pertinent to the mission. Wolverine, Vixen's on-off lover and staunchest supporter, just rubbed his knuckles in anticipation of a fight. Xavier, only half listening to his daughter, watched all this without thought or comment.

"Any questions?" Vixen made deliberate eye contact with each and every member of the X-Men around the table. Each team member shook their head with varying degrees of confidence. Vixen nodded, as much to herself as to them. "Okay, we'll convene in the hanger in 30 minutes. Go."

There was a general scramble as the X-Men set off to their assignments. Wolverine paused to see in Vixen would be following him, he didn't need a verbal answer, nor even a nod or shake of the head. A glance was enough. He left the room without a backward look. The two Xavier's watched him depart in silence.

"You have some regrets, Ilehana?" The father broke the silence between the two, choosing to speak aloud and forcing her to speak her own thoughts aloud.

"Regrets?" She looked down at the table, tapping the fingers of one hand on its surface. "No. I may have, though, when this is over."

"You think the human race is ready to accept the truth?"

"The human race? No. Detective Taylor was beginning to accept, the rest may not be so open minded."

"We have to do this..."

"To protect them. I know."

Vixen had to admit the curse of trying to make herself understood. Had her father deliberately misinterpreted what she was trying to say? Possibly. She was thinking not of the coming battle but of the job that had to be done afterward, but for now she would roll with this line of conversation and deal with tomorrow's issues tomorrow. She smiled a touched ruefully and rose to join her comrades in the hangar.

"I'll monitor you as long as I can."

"I'll try and maintain the link when you get tired."

"Don't tire yourself unnecessarily," her father, unwilling to accept that his daughter was the stronger telepath for reasons that were best kept between them, was concerned for her safety, "you'll need your strength in the battle."

"I won't put myself or the team at risk."

"I know." Xavier rolled his chair to be sat in front of his daughter. He took her hand, a gesture he did before every mission, every battle. He squeezed her fingers gently and almost whispered the words he always spoke. "Come home safe, my daughter."

Ilehana smiled reassuringly, knowing the thoughts that were running through her father's mind without having to read them. Too many times in her life, she had left her father fearing for her life after tragically losing her mother at such a young age. She knew that it was so much harder for him sending his children – his foster children as well as his biological daughter - off to fight his battles than it was for her to go. She enjoyed the hunt, if not so much the kill. She felt little fear in this moment before the hunt; more pressing was the desire to flex her claws and muscles in preparation for the coming battle.

Ilehana bent and kissed her father on the cheek and murmured the words "I will" in his ear as she always did, knowing that the odds were that one day those words would be a lie. She smiled to herself. Today was not that day.