Notes from robbie: *puts on Scott Defense Squad President hat* Yeah, Marvel has been incredibly stupid with my favorite X-Man. I don't know if it's a case of the writers straight up admitting they don't *like* Scott (which is the case far too often for my tastes *glares at Marvel* why would you give a writer a character that they have stated they don't LIKE that canNOT end well) or if they just don't understand him or what, but we're writing him the way he SHOULD be written. I mean, this is the guy Logan literally describes as a "boy scout," and Marvel thinks he would be saying/doing the things they're putting out? NO.

I agree heartily, Scruffy, that the two of them together are an amazing, amazing team, though I disagree that people who get along don't make for an interesting read. (See: our golden trio of Kate, Kurt, and Logan.) You don't gotta screw up characters and make them stupid just to find interesting storylines, Marvel. *pats Scott's head* You can have him back when you understand how to write your own characters, Marvel.

And yes, that *incredibly stupid* storyline is thankfully NOT 616, but since we're picking and choosing our canon, we thought we'd just state outright that the stupid is NOT with us ;) This isn't a 616 "alternate timeline" (so, no, griezz, no divergence point). It's a whole different universe entirely. It's based heavily on the 616, of course, but we're ignoring pretty much everything from the "All New, All Stupid" Marvel (except for Kamala and Miles because we heart them) and also a whole lot of other stupid from the 616 and any other universe. We're just cherry-picking… which probably explains why our characters (like Scott) are less obnoxious than Marvel has written them :P

CC is just next to robbie right now : "PREACH, sistah. PREACH." ALSO .. and totally unrelated, if you read our contributions to The Freelancer Collaboration's 'In The End, You Always Kneel' the two of us (geniuses that we are) made our very own sequel on a JOINT profile. PLEASE. Go take a peek at 'There Will Be No Kneeling' on TeamAwesomeLives. It's our OTHER baby. And we love it.

"Logan's Girls Club"

The next morning, it was still dark outside when Noh crept down to the kitchen to grab plenty of food. Unlike Logan, he needed food to fuel his healing before he could heal, and he didn't want to worry Jubilee with how much he needed it when she was already wary of comparisons to Wolverine.

It was early enough that he'd just slipped down in his pajama pants, barefoot, to make himself plenty of pancakes, and he was well into his first stack when he was surprised to hear footsteps coming down to the kitchen.

When he saw that it was Scott, he just smiled and nodded Scott's way. "You're up early," he said.

"This is when the coffee is still good — and available," Scott said with a soft smirk as he got a pot started.

"Yes, I see the wisdom in that," Noh said, nodding quietly.

"So, did you just get back?" Scott asked, leaning on the counter as he waited for the coffee. "Jubilee said you'd gone to do… something with SWORD?"

"I arrived last night," Noh said with a shrug, "and went right to Jubilee. I didn't mean to take so long, but some… past commitments have reared their ... ugly noses? Is that the phrase?"

"Faces, but close enough," Scott said, his head tilted to one side as he frowned Noh's way. "If you need some help—"

"It's not a concern for your team," Noh told him, cutting him off with a wave of his hand.

"Maybe not," Scott said as he set his mug down and really focused on Noh. "But you're kind of part of the group. Like it or not."

"I do enjoy it," Noh told him earnestly, turning his attention to Scott more fully. He hadn't realized that he was actually considered to be a member of the team, and he found himself smiling at the idea before he had even fully processed it.

"Are you familiar with the term 'family takes care of each other'?"

"I imagine it's similar to 'the Kree take care of their own'."

"Very," Scott said, nodding. He watched Noh for another long moment before he said, seriously, "Well, we take care of each other. Even if it's not a concern for the team."

"I appreciate the offer," Noh said. "Truly." He sighed as he finished off the last of the stack of pancakes and pulled a few more onto his plate. "I… hope you will not think too much of the change in subject, but I do have a pressing question for you," he said after a moment's pause.

"Anything you need," Scott replied as he went back to his coffee.

"When I was processing my records in SWORD," Noh said with a frown, "I… heard mention that aliens are not the only ones on your world who are so tightly regulated."

Scott frowned and nodded, a tight line to his mouth. "Yes, that's right."

"I don't recall hearing Jubilee ever speak about it. And ... considering how much trouble it has been for me not to have gone through the proper channels…"

Scott tipped his head to the side for a moment as if he suddenly understood what Noh was getting at. "I don't know that we ever took care of that," Scott admitted. "I'll — I'll see to it that it's been done — or it will be. We really don't need to give SHIELD a reason to come knocking."

"Certainly not," Noh agreed with a relieved smile. "Thank you. I care for her, deeply and truly — and I don't like to think she might be in trouble for anything, even something as simple as overzealous bureaucrats."

"I'll have Logan check with Fury — skip the red tape all together," Scott said with a nod.

"That — frankly — is a relief to hear," Noh said, his shoulders relaxing substantially as he absently traced the pattern of the band on his arm. "Thank you, Scott."

"Anytime," Scott said with a tiny smirk before his brow furrowed and he half pointed with his coffee mug. "What's the story with the arm bands? Are they new?"

"Relatively," Noh said, a small frown crossing his face before he shook his head and slipped off Brand's Kree band to show it to Scott. "It's a present from home — from… a friend, I think."

"May I ask what it's for?" Scott said as he turned it over in his hands.

"Comfort." Noh smirked the slightest bit. "My people might not spend as much time in lavishing comforts on themselves as yours do, but this—" He tapped the band, which hummed slightly in Scott's hand the moment Noh touched it "—is a calming tool. It's psionic."

"And you haven't needed a calming tool until recently?" Scott asked quietly.

Noh's smirk died, and his expression fell as he tried to find the right way to respond to that. He let out a small sigh as he finally settled on, "I didn't have one until recently. And then I acquired ... two."

"Funny how that works," Scott said, though he didn't point out that Noh sidestepped the question. Instead, he straightened up a bit and gave Noh a small smile. "Do you have a comm from us? Because I think I'd be calmed a bit if you did. It would ease Jubilee's mind anyhow."

"I don't mean to worry her," Noh said as Scott handed him back the band and he slipped it back onto his arm, the psionic circuits immediately sensing his distress and sending their soothing hums through his body. "I know I've been out of contact recently."

"I don't believe it's you that's worrying her," Scott pointed out. "But she cares for you quite a bit too."

"And I her," Noh said quickly and earnestly. "She is — frankly astounding." He smiled as he took the band back from Scott and slid it onto his arm. "I'll be sure to spend more time with her — perhaps take her to ice cream. I'm told that is a good apology."

"You might do better to take Jubes out for noodles and dumplings, honestly. She manages enough sugar on her own, and," Scott said. "She misses them."

"Then that's what I will do," Noh said, starting to smile. "And I'll make sure I buy some supplies to keep on my ship as well. We're not always so close to Earth restaurants. Or within calling distance for takeout."

Scott smiled at that. "She loves it anyhow."

Noh nodded. "We share that in common," he said. "I came to this world as an explorer, and I still love to discover new things — especially with her." He stood up and went to the stove. "I'm making more pancakes — would you like any?"

"No thank you," Scott replied. "I'm going to just wait for Annie. We like to start the day together."

"That is a good tradition to have," Noh said as he poured in another few cups of pancake mix. "If I were to wait for Jubilee to wake up, though — I would never have breakfast."

"If you bring it up to her, she'll wake up faster," Scott told him.

Noh grinned at him. "You are full of good advice this morning, my friend. I think I will do just that."

The second round of pancakes were quickly devoured as Noh fed his healing body — but the third round went in careful stacks and had a few chocolate chips in the stack. By the time he had everything on a tray to bring up to Jubilee, a few others had come down to the kitchen, including Annie, who was grinning as she made a few omelettes beside Noh at the stove when she realized he was bringing Jubilee breakfast.

He slid into Jubilee's room with a wide smile and set the tray down on the bedside table as he climbed back under the covers to snuggle up next to her. "Jubilee," he whispered into her hair. "I have pancakes."

She smiled up at him sleepily. "You're so much sweeter though," she replied quietly.

"Some of the pancakes have chocolate chips in them, so that may not be true," he teased.

"Oh no, it's still true. Even if they were drenched in maple syrup and covered in sugar. You've got it beat."

"You are a biased judge," he told her as he gently kissed her cheek.

"Doesn't mean I'm wrong," she replied as she pulled him closer for a kiss.

He kissed her back, right into the pillows, grinning madly. "As long as you admit your bias," he teased in her ear.

"I'll admit just about anything you want if you keep up with the kisses."

"Careful making promises like that," he said, laughing quietly. "I used to be a criminal, you know."

"I don't care," she replied with a shrug.

"Well, that's good for the sake of my pride," he said as he just kissed her deeply, his hands in her hair and the pancakes forgotten until there was a high, whining sound.

He was sure she couldn't hear it, because she hadn't paused in the least, but he pulled back with a frown as the whining noise continued until he realized it was coming from the band and simply tapped it to acknowledge it — and it stopped.

She just smiled up at him when the kiss broke. "So what's the plan today, handsome?"

"I… don't have a plan beyond pancakes," he said with a frown, reaching absently across the bed for the communicator he'd brought from his ship.

"Well I'm pretty sure I could come up with something," Jubilee offered as she watched him carefully. "You know. If you want."

"I'd like nothing more," he told her distractedly, his attention on the coordinates in the message he'd just received rather than on her.

"But …"

He sighed. "But I have someplace to be," he told her, then leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I'm very sorry — I'll be as quick as I can."

"How much of this are they pushing for you to do?" Jubilee asked grumpily, her arms crossed over her chest. "Because it's screwing with your aim. You only got my cheek."

He smiled softly at that and kissed her properly. "Sorry about that," he said. "I was distracted."

"That's a bad sign," she said. She watched him for another long moment, her lips pushed out in half a pout before she had to ask, "How much time have you got before SWORD comes in and asks for us to kick their butt?"

"I'm going to them, not the other way around," he said as he sat up and looked around for his shirt.

"You know," Jubilee said thoughtfully. "You are free to say no, too."

He just leaned over and kissed her cheek again — then paused, reconsidered, and kissed her fully for longer. "Enjoy the pancakes, Jubilee," he told her as he slid over to where the rest of his uniform was resting on the chair.

"Come back to me in one piece, or I will tear that woman limb from limb," Jubilee said. "I've done it before. I will do it again."

"Brand doesn't deserve your fury," he said as he slipped on his shoes.

"Then tell me who does," Jubilee replied. "I can even play charades if you're paranoid."

"Don't fret, Jubilee," he said, then kissed her forehead, now wearing his full uniform. "I'll see you soon."

"Oh, I'm not fretting," she promised, the color rising in her cheeks before she pulled him back down for one more kiss. "I'm preparing to kill someone."

"And you are at your most attractive on the warpath," he teased when the kiss broke.

"Hurry back, handsome."

"Keep your hands up," Logan said for the fourth or fifth time. "You're leaving yourself open still."

Kate raised her hands again and glared at him, panting a bit. They'd been doing hand-to-hand training for a while now, and she was starting to get tired, but no way was she going to admit that to Logan, not when he was finally promising to teach her more cool things.

He nodded his head for her to attack again when a familiar voice echoed over the intercom.

"Hey. That is not how you taught me," Natasha said as she and Clint arrived in the booth of the Danger Room. She had her arms crossed and her hip cocked to the side as she leaned against the controls, watching the training session with one eyebrow raised.

"You taught Natasha this stuff?" Kate asked.

"And more," Logan replied with a nod before he waved Natasha down. "Come show her how it's done. She ain't listenin' to me."

Natasha climbed down from the booth with a bit of a smirk before she faced Logan. The two of them squared off in the same form that Logan had been showing Kate, and the fight that followed was far more polished than what Kate had been doing — before, to Kate's surprise, Natasha flipped Logan and pinned him.

"You let me win," she accused him almost as soon as she let him up.

"Yes I did," he replied with a smile before she threw her arms around his neck with a grin and muttered something in Russian to him.

"See, I never get greetings like that. Even when we were dating," said Clint as he too joined them from the booth.

"Did you let her attack you?" Logan asked as the two of them shifted to one arm around each other as they faced the two Hawkeyes.

"No, I let her turn me to a life of crime," Clint said easily.

"Well, he tried to keep me out of it to start with," Natasha replied.

Clint smirked Logan's way. "Good job." He just chuckled to himself before he slipped over to where Kate was and pulled her into a hug — clearly not about to let Logan have all the fun.

"I didn't get too much time with her," Logan said with a nod. "Though I did try to save her from Von Strucker. She was a cute kid."

"And we all appreciate it," Clint said seriously. "Can't imagine life without the Black Widow."

Kate had to laugh at that and shake her head at Clint as she gave him another squeeze. "So what bring you to this part of town?"

"Figured we'd stop by and make sure you were all safe and sound," Clint teased right back. "You know — gotta look out for my Katie Kate and make good on my threat to Nightcrawler if I have to. You haven't been by the place in a while, and you know how Lucky worries."

"I'll have to stop by and visit Lucky more often, then," Kate chuckled. "You're right — he's such a worrier."

"Hey, you never know. You could have been turned into a four-year-old or kidnapped in space or something. You're an X-Man now," Clint laughed.

Kate just rolled her eyes at him before she gave him a big hug again. She hadn't realized it, but it had actually been a while since she'd seen him, and she found that not only did she miss her old mentor but he just looked like he needed hugs, still in that post-breakup slump.

"We have a little news on your friend, Madame Masque," Natasha said, still smiling — which of course, immediately drew Kate's attention from Clint to Natasha.

"What kind of news?" Kate asked.

"Nothing too exciting," Natasha replied straight-faced. "Just a location and an itinerary."

Kate broke into a huge grin and held out one hand. "Gimmie."

"As soon as you show me you can do that take down," Natasha replied with a wicked grin, and Logan chuckled and gave Nat a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, you — you're so on," Kate said, leveling her finger at Natasha before she turned her gaze to Logan. "Logan, stop laughing and fight me so I can get my itinerary."

"You got it," Logan replied as he stepped forward, still smiling. "So is that the key? Get Nat to come play a little with us?"

"If she keeps bringing me stuff like that? Invite her all the time," Kate said.

"I can just come and compete with you if he wants to show me some new tricks," Natasha offered.

"And what if I don't want to share my Wolverine?" Kate teased.

"He was mine first," Natasha shot back with a wide smile.

"So now it's my turn," Kate reasoned, starting to laugh.

"Or," Logan broke in. "We can bring in Jubes, and we can really get competitive with everyone."

"That's… actually not a bad idea," Kate said, pausing slightly as she considered it. "She's been mopey lately with Noh gone."

"When she's not coming down to fight with me, yeah. I've noticed," Logan said, though he was already settled into his stance and gave her a pointed look. "But now? Why don't you just quit yappin' and bring it?"

"Consider it brought," Kate said with a grin, squaring off against Logan with a confident swagger that quickly turned into annoyance when she didn't get the takedown the first try.

"You can do it," Logan urged. "Think about that itinerary."

Kate just smirked and came back at him — this time managing the move. It wasn't as elegant as Natasha's had been, but she was still grinning when she offered her hand to Logan to help him back up.

"You gave it to her, too," Natasha pointed out.

"Shut up and give her the intel," Logan shot back.

Kate held out her hand cajolingly, and Natasha just smirked and handed her the flash drive with the information and Clint gave both Natasha and Logan a look that clearly read 'you let him get away with that?'

"Thank you very much," Kate said with a bit of a bounce in her step. Kate had just pocketed the drive when the familiar bamf sounded right behind her, and then shortly thereafter, several more echoed the room. She spun to see Kurt grinning at her seconds before he swept her up in a kiss.

"And thus ends my final class of the week," he said with a smile. "Tell me, frauline, do you have any plans for the weekend yet?"

"Actually," Kate said, getting Kurt to raise both eyebrows. "I just might have an idea or two."

"Is this something you prefer to do with Clint and Nat?" Kurt asked as he looked over at the two new faces. One little bamf was staring up at Natasha with a sloppy grin on his face, and Kate was sure that he was blushing slightly.

"They can come if they want," Kate allowed as she looked over at the two Avengers. "But you should totally come too. No fun without you."

"We'll come along and make sure you two actually get around to finding Madame Masque," Natasha said with a little smirk as she crouched down to boop the little blushing bamf on the nose. "I've heard stories about what happens when you two are left alone."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kate said. "We're perfect little angels."

"Sure you are," Clint said. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and smirked her way. "Don't think of us as chaperones. Think of us as… actually, yeah, we're chaperones."

Kate just rolled her eyes at him and batted him away. "We don't need…" She shook her head at him. "You're an idiot."

"Yeah, I am," he agreed without hesitation.

"So — where are we going?" Kurt asked, stealing Kate back from underneath Clint's arm with a little smile.

"Cairo," Natasha said as one of the bamfs flitted near her shoulder with a look of intense interest until she bared her teeth at him and he broke into giggles.

"Lovely," Kurt said with a little nod before he made it a point to kiss Kate again. "Perhaps when we're done with whatever it is you have planned, we can take in the sights just the two of us," he whispered to her, grinning into her hair.

"I'm so there," she replied, returning the kiss and hooking her arms around his neck, which prompted him to just grin quietly and glance over at Clint and Natasha.

"We will meet you there when you're ready to leave," he said simply before the two of them disappeared in a burst of blue smoke.