Retro - first, want to thank you for the real feedback. I agree...things have been dark and in these next chapters it will only get darker. However, I too have been wanting for some more...tender moments between these two. Now that might be hard to come by soon, but let me assure you, if you stick around, you will not be disappointed.

I have been trying to balance out the serious with the tender though...still a work in progress.

Canuckle -you should ask around for the Logan Whisperer...she's the one to talk to ; ) As for Scott, he's always so uptight and serious in everything I read and I guess I should give him a little more credit but just felt the need to give him some freakin' passion for once. Guy isn't in front of a team or prepping for battle...someone invaded his home and that hurts. Glad you approved.

Apex checked his gear one more time as he crouched in the shadows. He knew he was prepared, but habits like this kept one alive.

The intel had been good. The target was in the back room of the warehouse. This was supposed to be covert...minimal collateral. Obtain the target and return him to the extraction. It was made clear that no one was supposed to know he had ever been there. Quite. Simple. Apex checked the rifle's magazine last before clicking it into place.

He had counted two guards at the door, six inside the first room and then at least a dozen with the target in the main section of the warehouse. The previous objective had eight – which means they now knew that someone was coming for them. Taking them one by one. Apex knew that was still too slow, one by one, but he had to be patient. Precise.

He turned towards the light at the end of the alley, ready to move, but a quick movement on the rooftops across the dock brought Apex up short. A sniper covering the building? It's what he would have done…He looked harder but saw nothing…no, he was alone. Just him and his prey. He was ready…

"What am I doing? What am I doing?" Greer was not where she was supposed to be. She was not supposed to be sitting in her field uniform. She was not supposed to have tailed Colton. She was not supposed to have followed him to these docks. She was definitely not supposed to be sitting on top of this warehouse in the middle of the night freezing her tail off.

Again, Greer silently berated herself to just slip away and get back to the Mansion. She had promised to trust him, he gave her the distance when she needed it and she should be doing the same…

'But I cant…' Greer thought guiltily. Colton and her were...they were together. There was no other word to describe it and Ororo and Jean had made sure she knew it. They had spent almost the entire time at the mall pestering her about it until she had finally relented and said it out loud.

'We're sleeping in the same room for god's sake...what else am I supposed to call it?' But when asked whether she had discussed that with Colton...Greer glanced over at the warehouse...hoping to catch a glimpse of the panther. It wasn't that she was afraid he'd disagree with her it was just...she wasn't sure he even really knew what that meant...and she didn't want to risk changing their relationship again. When they had mutually ignored each other, it had been one of the hardest weeks for Greer...She didn't want that...Not again.

But that wasn't the only reason she was sitting on this frozen rooftop...there was something different about Colton. His behavior around her was the same, improved even. He actually sought contact with her now...the two of them rarely apart from each other when together. He didn't even avoid the rest of the Mansion. But there were times...times she knew he was someplace else. Somehow he was becoming...distant. Removed. It was hard to explain…

There was an afternoon she had planned to go out with Illyana and Kitty, but there train had been delayed. So she had headed down to surprise Colton in the Danger Room. She hadn't been surprised to find it locked so she went up to the observation deck and...it was like she had been transported back to Weapon X. She didn't recognize the man she saw down there...it had been vicious. She hadn't seen Colton like that and it worried her.

But the biggest reason of Greer breaking her promise to Colton… Much to her chagrin… Was because she had seen the state he was in when he returned back to their room now that he didn't need to hide it...although a part of her wished he still did. She would pretend to stay asleep when he took a shower…but she could still smell it from when he walked in…the blood. When he lay next to her that night and wrapped his arm around her waist… She could tell it was…broken. He had been hurt…and Colton being hurt didn't rest well with her.

And even if he tried to hide it she saw he was battered. That strange sort of hollowness in his eyes that she wasn't familiar with…it reminded her of Logan.

All of this made Greer finally crack and just to keep her sanity in check, she decided to just tail him for one day. To ensure he was OK. That he wouldn't get into something big enough he couldn't get out of. Because if Colton was bad at something…it was knowing his limits.

It was why she had wanted to call out and beat Colton until he told her what he was doing here, but something had stopped her. She needed to know the truth. No more secrets. And she knew that the only way she was going to get that was to stay on the frozen rooftop and wait.

Greer's vantage point gave her a good view of the docks. It all looked typically…boring. Greer was worried she had lost Colton, perhaps he had known she was following him and had simply came here to lose her? That seemed likely…except for the warehouse that happened to have the two-armed guards standing in front of it. Bingo. It didn't take training with the x-men to know a likely target when it wasn't even trying to hide.

She jumped to an adjacent building for a better look. Staying to the shadows, Greer waited. She did not have to wait long.

...

Michael had been told this was supposed to be a simple body job. Keep the client safe and get paid.

After that bullshit dishonorable discharge, work had been hard to come by. Some friends had tipped him off to contracting work. The Congo, Manchuira, El Salvador…Michael had done and seen things enough to know that as long as he could cash the check, he didn't much care what he was tasked with. He thought he had seen it all. Done it all. There was nothing the world could throw at him that he couldn't spit right back. But now, Michael gripped the handle of his Desert Eagle, and for the first time in a long time, wished he was someplace else.

The muzzle flashes were sporadic and would light up different parts of the warehouse, never letting Michael know where the attacks were coming from. Michael counted the screams, until he knew that there were none left. Just him, the four man crew he had put together, and the client. Michael had never much cared who his client's were but looking back at the man in the burgundy suit, his sunglasses pushed on top of his blond head, he had to give the man credit for not braking a sweat.

"Hey! What the hell is coming?! Who are they?!" Michael yelled at the client over the call of more gunfire. Suddenly, the thunder stopped and a dead silence filled the warehouse.

"Not a they...It…It is coming…" Michael gave the client another look before gesturing for the men to take positions around the crates that created a defacto barrier. Obviously the client wasn't as calm as he thought.

"No man could take down that many men. I don't care who it is…"

"No...not a man..."

**BAM**

"A weapon..."

"Damn it!" Michael ducked as a bullet flew past his head and found its home in the client's leg, now cussing profusely.

"FIRE, FIRE!" Michael and the rest of the squad unloaded into the darkness, spraying everything in sight. The power had been one of the first things to go...before the screaming had started.

**GAAAAH!**

'No! Behind them!' Michael turned in time to see the last of the three men collapse, blood pouring freely from what looked like slash marks.

"We need to get – " Michael looked to secure the client and get the hell out of here but the client was already gone. Slipped out of a backdoor. That's when he felt it. Behind him; like a shadow that he could actually feel. Turning slowly, Michael never had the chance to scream as his gun clattered to the floor.

...

Apex followed the blood easily enough. He knew the target could not get far with where he had shot him. Apex rounded a corner and found him braced against a shipping canister, his hands attempting to staunch the blood pouring from his leg.

"Weapon 22…" The man said it with enough anger for Apex to know that word had spread. Good. He wanted them to know that he was coming for them. That he was coming for them all.

Apex used one hand and picked him off the ground by his jacket. The other held a small vial with red liquid inside.

"Where do you get the drugs Cain?" The blond haired man, blood trickling from a large gash on his head, spat in his face.

"I was hoping you would say that." Tossing away the vial, Apex reached out and proceeded to break an arm. Cain screamed in agony, the look on his face one of pure hatred.

"Your mouth seems to be working fine. Now let me try again. Where do you get the drugs?"

"You sadistic freak. We are going to dissect you for this." Apex simply twisted the arm as Cassidy screamed and withered in his grasp.

"I am waiting. You will answer me." Apex tightened his grip, making sure Cassidy maintained consciousness. It wouldn't do him any good to have to revive him.

"Go to hell! I don't listen to a freakin' weapon!" Cassidy began to suck in a large gasp of air. Apex growled, releasing the arm and quickly grabbing the neck instead. Cain immediately began to grab at Apex's hand with his own. Futile…Apex now growled in satisfaction at watching Cain's face turn an intense shade of purple.

"Colton! Stop!"

Oh no…anyone but her…

Apex didn't look behind him. He didn't need to.

"Go back home Tigra. You shouldn't be here." Apex kept the pressure on Cassidy's neck, his struggles slowly fading. He had caught Greer tailing him a few miles from the Mansion...but terminating the mission hadn't been an option...not when he was so close. He had hoped she would keep her distance but...that wasn't Greer.

"Colton what are you doing? Put him down!" Greer also saw that Colton was dressed differently then how he had left the Mansion. He was dressed in all black, some version of a tactical vest with armor plating covered his chest, with dark pants leaving his clawed feet exposed. He once again had the wraps around his hands. Despite herself...Greer again was reminded of Weapon X.

"You don't know what you're talking about. This is Sean Cassidy. He's been supplying Banshee to in New York City." Greer was doing her best to slowly get closer to Colton as he spoke.

"So? Colton this is crazy! You need to let him go and get out of here." How were they going to explain a room full of bodies? He would get arrested...or worse. Greer was now only a few feet away and saw that Cassidy had stopped struggling. "Colton you're killing him!"

"Mutants Tigra. Banshee is made from harvesting mutant DNA." Apex felt the pulse slowing, just a few more moments…

"Colton that doesn't change anything. You have him. You won. X-Men don't kill!" Apex looked over his shoulder for just a moment...and saw the look he knew Greer would have. That look of fear...but now...there was no need to cover the truth.

"I am no X-Man…" Apex turned back to watch Cassidy die when Greer kicked Apex's knee, dropping him into a crouch and releasing his grip on Cassidy, who collapsed in a heap to the pavement. Apex roared in response and turned on Greer, Greer rolling backwards and hissing back.

For a moment, Greer was afraid Colton might actually attack her. Instead, he just shook his head and came out of his crouch.

"You have no idea what's going on here. You need to leave...now." But now it was Greer's turn to shake her head.

"Not without you. We need to get back to the Mansion...tell the Professor...Logan...someone."

"No. That's not what this is about."

"Colton! There's a warehouse full of people that - that you killed. How are you supposed to -" Greer felt the pulse on her back and turned just in time to see the entire warehouse explode and felt the blast of heat on her face. Apex just noted that the explosives worked better than last time...before turning back towards Cassidy. But again Greer stopped him.

"Colton no. This isn't right." He blew up a warehouse...just...blew it up...

"Greer..." Apex just shook his head. He needed Greer to get out of here...he'd explain later but for now...

"Freakin' animals..." Apex whipped back towards Cassidy and saw him open his mouth just in time to tackle Greer out of the way as a sonic blast whipped past them. Greer thought her eardrums would explode as the crates behind where they had been standing crumpled from the blast. Shaking his head, Apex saw that aside from moaning about going deaf, Greer was alright...but turning back towards Cassidy...he was gone.

"Damn it." Greer struggled back to her feet and rubbed the sides of her head. She looked over at Colton, expecting him to be mad...furious even. And he was...just not directed at her.

"We should leave..." Greer went to pull on Colton but his eyes were on something above them.

"It's too late for that."

Greer raised her hands, confused and momentarily blinded, as a spotlight suddenly dropped down. Blinking a few times, she saw that a Quinn Jet had suddenly appeared above them. She was tensed to run but saw that Colton simply stood his ground, obviously waiting for something. As a black cord dropped down, Greer saw what that something was...the infamous Black Widow. Greer could just stare opened mouthed as she detached herself...'what is going on?'

"Evening Apex."

"Widow..." Greer looked between the two...did...they...know each other?

"You certainly have an interesting idea of showing a girl a good time." Greer growled a little as Natasha gave her a once over...she didn't like it, and while she could tell from his posture that Colton didn't either, he remained calm.

"What are you doing here Widow?" Natasha just smiled as she returned her attention to the larger feral. Greer noticed that while she might have appeared relaxed, Black Widow had yet to take her hand off of her sidearm.

"The Director would like to have a word with you."

"Wait...Fury? Director -" Greer felt Colton's hand put pressure on her back where Natasha couldn't see it. Obviously he wanted her to stay quite.

"The Director knows how to reach me. Otherwise, I'm working and you need to stay out of my way."

"I would say so...SHIELD's had its eyes on this place for weeks. Now the entire op is compromised." Colton held back a growl...so that's why Fury had wanted this operation dark...his own people had been eying it. "What you did is going to cause them to pull back...make it harder to track and identify the supplier."

"You play your games...I was doing what was necessary."

"You're short sighted Apex. You're an excellent operative...but a poor operator. Now let SHIELD pick up Cassidy and come with me. I can only keep the rest of the team at bay for so long." Apex turned his gaze towards the water...something was out there.

"Stay out of my way Widow...same goes for Fury." Natasha tightened the grip on her gun as Greer heard the spark of her suit charging. Colton shifted slightly, Greer knew what was coming next...

"Stop...Colton stop. Let's just go..." the ex-KGB assassin looked between Apex and this tigress...certain despite what Fury said that this was going to end only one way...and instead to blink in surprise as the massive feline let out a breath and returned to a more neutral position. Natasha did not return the courtesy, certain it was a trick.

"We're leaving." Colton turned to leave but Black Widow wasn't finished.

"I said Fury needs to speak with you...both of you." Now Apex didn't hold his growl in check as he suddenly stopped, Greer at his side looking over her shoulder and wondering if the small red head had a death wish.

"Tigra...go back to the jeep." Greer was about to argue but Natasha spoke first.

"No...like I said, the Director wants to speak to both of you." Apex didn't know what Fury wanted with Greer...but it wasn't going to happen. He'd rather risk losing Fury than risk her...so be it.

Greer heard the footsteps...smelled them all at once. On the rooftops around them...the docks behind them...the containers above them. At least two dozen SHIELD agents, all their guns trained on Colton...who had in that moment covered the distance to place his claws around Widow's throat. Natasha had returned the favor by aiming one of her Glocks at Colton...while the other was trained at Greer's heart.

"Colton..." Greer was trying to find a way out but all Colton seemed focused on was reading Widow's face who kept her own eyes locked on his. She wasn't smiling anymore.

"He just wants to talk...no need to get messy." Natasha kept her voice light as she placed slightly more pressure on the trigger.

"Forget it. It's not -"

"I'll go." Greer ignored the clicking of the rifles as she went to stand closer to Natasha.

"That's not -" Greer had no idea what she was getting. He couldn't -

"I said...I'll go." Greer kept her eyes on Black Widow and away from Colton who she just knew was staring daggers. But if this is what it took...then Greer was willing to do it. Besides...there was no chance she was going to let Colton fight SHIELD just because he wanted to protect her. It wasn't going to happen...it seemed she needed to protect Colton from himself.

"See Apex...nothing to fight about." Natasha slowly withdrew her gun as Greer put a hand on Apex's arm until he lowered it. With a signal towards the jet, two more cords dropped down and in a few moments, the jet took off into the night.