If I get five reviews for this chapter, I'll update before the weekend is done :) Hehe, aren't I a lil'stinker? And the next chapter is gonna be tense!

Thanks guys!

xXx

Cap and I rode the elevator down thirty floors. He filled the others in through his radio about our status. As no one else had become as close as we had to finding where they kept my parents, he asked them to leave the base so that there was less chance of us being given away to the MRD. He told them that him and me could finish the recon mission.

That made me feel good. One, that he wasn't sending me away when I was so close to finding Mom and Dad. And two that that he believed in me enough to let me tag along.

That good feeling went away the moment the elevator doors and I saw gun pointed at my face. It was weird. I wasn't as scared of the gun, of it shooting me, as I was afraid that the mission was failed. That I failed my parents and I would never see them again.

I jerked out to kick away the gun, but quickly held back when Cap stepped in front of me.

"Is there a problem, private?" He asked politely.

The MRD soldier with the gun was young. Maybe only one or two years older than myself. "There are no visitors scheduled to be down here right now."

Eep.

Cap remained cool headed. "No, I don't suppose we were scheduled in. You see, we were called in at last minute."

The young man looked at us suspiciously. "Why were you called in?"

I spoke this time before Cap even opened his mouth.

"To repair the security system." I said in my calmest, even bored, voice. "Heard some mutie down here busted up his cell pretty bad. We have to fix the wiring before the whole system is fried and all the prisoners get loose."

Obvious terror flooded the private's face. I counted on that. He's young and scared enough as it is, but add the threat of 'dangerous' mutants running loose and he turns to putty. Its kind of sad how easily people can be manipulated.

"I-I didn't hear anything about that." He stuttered weakly.

I raised a cool eyebrow. "Of course you didn't. They don't want the whole place running around going crazy, right? It would cause a panic."

"Are the systems damaged on the second floor as well?" He asked, his eyes wide. "Are the holdings up there still secure?"

Second floor? Were there more mutants up there?

"For now they are." Cap answered, giving me a look. I understood. My parents might not be down here but on the second floor.

"O-okay. Where's your papers?"

Uh-oh. I waited for Cap to answer but he didn't.

He tightened his grip on his gun. "I-I-I'm supposed to shoot anyone who comes down unscheduled or without papers."

I shrugged and stepped back into the elevator. "Well, I don't want to be shot. I'll just go up and get the ruddy papers. Hope the system doesn't shut down before I get back to fix it…"

"No wait!" The man grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the elevator. "Go on and fix the system. We can figure out the papers later. Just hurry!"

Cap spoke a little more to the private to find out what cell Dad was kept in. I wanted him to ask about where Mom was also, but I understood that he couldn't without making us look suspicious. We headed in the direction of the cell.

"Good cover, soldier." Cap said under his breath, slapping my shoulder proudly.

"Thanks. I'm just glad he didn't ask where our tools are." I whispered back.

It felt like forever before we came to the cell the soldier had told us held Dad. I was so close but still so far. Cap put a small, circular device on the key pad and radioed to Ironman to hack into the system. There was a whirling sound, and then the thick metal doors open to a small room. There was some sort of glass that had blue electricity skittering across it, separating the room in two. Cap spoke to Ironman again to work on turning off the power.

For the first time in months, I saw my Dad.

Dad…

He was chained to the wall at an angle preventing him from using his claws to free himself. He was shirtless and his head hung until his chest as though he was dead. He wasn't moving.

My heart raced and I panicked. Ironman had managed to turn off the power so I banged on the glass.

"Dad!"

His head shot up, and he snarled like a savage animal. His long metal shot out, grazing the wall and creating sparks. But the moment his eyes met mine, the Wolverine was subdued and Dad was in his place. His claws retracted and his eyes became softer.

"Leah?" His voice was hoarse.

Cap opened the door and I ran to him. I wrapped my arms around his bare chest, and started to cry. His arms were still bound to the wall, so all he could do was put his lips to the top of my head.

"Oh my God, oh my God," I sobbed, "Dad, I missed you so much!"

Cap found the release for Dad's hands and finally his strong arms wrapped around me in a safe, warm hug.

"I've missed you too Leah." He said in his deep, kind voice.

Dad. He was my hero before I knew about his super powers. He's taught me everything I know, from how to do a perfect roundhouse kick to gut a fish. He protects me. He always shown me love.

I don't even know how I've made it a few months without him.

He kissed my forehead again before he let me go.

"Steve, what the hell is she doing here?!" Dad snarled.

I flinched at his harsh voice. "Um, glad to see you to Dad."

"Leah, this is not the place you should be, ever! How did you even get here?" Dad asked me, but he was looking at Cap with fiery eyes.

Cap stayed firm. Not an easy thing to do when Wolverine is looking like he wants to use to as a scratching post.

"Logan, she's been an asset to the team. She's pulled more than her weight and-"

"IT'S NOT ABOUT HER DOING HER SHARE, ITS HOW SHE SHOULDN'T BE HERE! SHE'S IN DANGER!" Dad roared.

That awful animal look was in his eyes again.

"Dad," I grabbed his arm. "Its not their fault! I made them let me come. I don't care if its dangerous, I couldn't leave you and Mom here to rot!"

"Leah, you can't be here! This isn't a job for a little girl!" Dad yelled. Dad actually yelled at me. He never yelled at me. Sure, he's scolded me and punished me, but he never yelled.

Be tough Leah, I ordered myself. And give the guy a break. He's been locked in here for months, being tortured. He's not himself.

I crossed my arms and looked up at Dad. "Since you've been gone, I've taken out a giant sentinel robot, by myself, stole a hummer from the X-men, escaped the Avengers, outsmarted Spiderman, located my parents when every superhero smarty pants had been looking for months, devised this brilliant plan to save your sorry butt, and flirted with some dirty soldiers and took one out so I could find you!"

I took a breath than added. "I also pawned Deadpool. Dad, I may be a teenage human, but I can handle anything."

Dad stared at me with wide eyes. I stared him down, but from the corner of my eye I saw Cap covering a smile.

"I can handle anything." I repeated.

Dad let out a breath, swearing. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed me. "You're still in trouble, but I'm happy to hear you kicked Wade's ass."

I looked up and grinned. "Let's go save Mom."

xXx

We were just leaving Dad's cell when an alarm blared loudly, followed by flashing red lights that came from the walls. I looked from Dad to Cap, waiting for orders. Neither of them looked phased, so I kept my face as calm as I could.

"We've been found out," Cap said, "we have to hurry."

"Cap, you get Leah to safety. I'll go find 'Ro and another mutants they have down here." Dad ordered.

"I'm not leaving until I know Mom's okay." I said stubbornly. "You guys might need some help."

Dad opened his mouth, but I quickly interrupted. "I might not be a superhero, but I'm not useless. I can help."

Dad shut his mouth and began running, with me and Cap at his side. "You know about the superhero thing now?"

"Yup, and trust me, we'll talk about it later." I said as we rounded a corner to find four men with guns pointed at us. Dad pulled me quickly back around the corner as they began to fire.

I was about to ask what the plan was when Dad let out a blood curling roar. His claws popped out and he leapt forward, slashing the men to bits. All I could do was stand there and watch as my father killed people in front of me with his own hands. I couldn't even flinch as their blood speckled my face.

I knew Wolverine was a killer, but I can't honestly say that I was shocked to see my dad was one as well.

I was actually scared of him at that moment.

My thoughts must have been clear on my face, because when Dad looked back at me, panting slightly with blood splattered all over him, his face became white and ashamed.

"It's, it's okay Dad." I said weakly, stepped towards him. I wiped the blood away from his face. "You were here for a long time and they hurt you. They were shooting at us."

Though I said the words, I would never be able to forget seeing him murder those men. He could have disarmed them and knocked them out, he didn't have to kill them. He did this out of anger and revenge. I must never let myself become so lost in rage that I take another's life.

He nodded and we continued on.

" 'Ro should be around this way." Dad said, leading us.

"How do you know? Have you seen here?" Cap asked, keeping a look out for more men.

"No, but for the first week we were here, I could hear her screaming." Dad said darkly.

"The first week?" I asked, worried.

"Yeah, after that they just," Dad answered, "stopped."

We came to another cell, but it was much different from Dad's. It was just a small metal door. Cap got Ironman to open this one as well. When the door slid open, I thought I was going to barf. It was just slightly bigger than the lockers at my school. Just enough room that you could kneel down.

"They put Mom in a small cage?" I whispered, backing up.

That was a whole new level of Hell. I suffered from claustrophobia, just like her. I knew first hand how the walls feel like they're squeezing, crushing you and how the air is sucked out of your very own lungs. There is only darkness and you truly believe you are going to die. And if you're kept in that small space for long enough, you wish that death would just come so you don't have to suffer any more.

For a moment I did not feel so bad for Dad killing those men who did this.

Mom was curled up into the smallest ball she could manage, as if she could create more room. Her beautiful white hair which usually glowed with brilliance was dull and looked more like grey. Her face was ashen and her eyes were squeezed tightly closed. She looked like she lost at least thirty pounds that she didn't have to spare in the first place. Tears leaked down her face.

I knelt down and reached in, (making sure to stay out of the room I feared) "Mom?"

Her eyes opened to pure white, not the blue eyes I remembered. Her mouth opened as well, in a silent scream.

Too weak to even scream…

I pulled back. Dad lifted Mom out of the room and into the hallway, but she did not improve. She remained crumbled on the floor, still screaming without a voice. Dad whispered to her that things were going to be okay and covered her eyes with a piece of cloth Cap ripped off his jacket.

"She hasn't seen light in months," Dad explained in a pained voice. "this light is going to cause her a lot of damage and pain if we don't cover her eyes."

I nodded, silent. I bet her body must be in agony as well, seeing as she's been in the same position for months.

Dad asked Cap to radio to Jean to hurry down to us so she could put Mom into a deep sleep so we could get her out.

I looked down at Mom again. Is this what Alaban meant? What if he meant Mom was going to be the greatest lost I ever known? Is she going to die? Is she going to lose her mind?

No ,I thought stubbornly. I'm not going to lose her.

xXx