TW: Thank you.

FWI, I made some edits to the first two chapters. Nothing huge or anything, but just so no one gets confused.

The Triskelion

Afternoon

"And that's kind of all of it sir," Clint said, finishing his report as he, Oliver and Dragon stood in Fury's office.

For a long moment, Fury was silent as he considered all they had told him. Finally, he spoke.

"Not your usual success rate, I admit. We still have no idea what Stryker wants with Weapon X," Fury grumbled, almost to himself.

"Logan," Oliver interrupted and Fury shot him a look. "His name is Logan."

Oliver felt Clint and Dragon's gaze on him but Oliver found he didn't care, meeting Fury's eye without flinching. After a moment, Fury seemed to nod before leaning back in his seat.

"Logan, Weapon X, Wolverine, whatever you want to call him, Stryker is still after him. And we still have no idea why," Fury said with a frustrated sigh. "Between this, someone trying to assassinate the President and those pirates I had to send Rogers and Romanoff after, I barely have enough time to breathe."

"Pirates?" Clint questioned but Fury waved him off.

"I'm sure Romanoff will tell you next time you see her. Back to Logan, any idea where he went?" Fury asked and the three agents shook their heads.

"He said something about keeping a promise, but wasn't real forthcoming with the details," Dragon explained.

"So basically, we got nothing," Clint said sarcastically and Fury shot him a look before nodding.

"Well, could have gone better, but it could have gone worse too. Looks like we'll have to put this Wolverine on the Index," Fury mused.

A retort was on the tip of Oliver's tongue but he bit it back. Arguing with Fury about the Index never got him anywhere. Besides, better not push his luck any more than he already had.

"Dismissed," Fury said with a wave of his hand.

The trio nodded, silently exiting the room. Once they were gone, Fury reached into his desk, pulling something out. It looked like a flip phone with an X on the front. Fury put it to his ear and waited.

Xavier Institute

Same time

Charles Xavier was in his office when he heard a beeping sound. Pulling open a drawer, he saw a device identical to the one Fury had just pulled out and picked it up, answering it.

"Nick," Xavier said calmly.

"Hey Chuck. Some of my agents had a run in with your pal Wolverine," Fury said and Charles chuckled.

"Well, I hope he didn't hurt them," Charles said.

"The opposite actually, I think one of my agents has a new best friend. Of course, I have to put him on the Index now. I can't keep covering for your school Charles," Fury said and the smile left Charles's face.

"I know. Thank you for all you've done over the years," Charles said gratefully.

"It's what friends are for, right? But I admit, letting you know about Logan isn't the only reason I called," Fury said and Charles nodded.

"You wish to know about the Mutant who tried to assassinate the President," Charles said knowingly.

"So it was a mutant. Any chance he works for your friend Lehnsherr?" Fury inquired.

"Erik has been in a maximum security prison since the incident at the Statue of Liberty," Charles pointed out.

"I repeat the question Chuck," Fury said more forcibly.

"It's unlikely. Even Erik's influence has limits. Regardless, I'll know soon enough. I'm sending two of my students to where I believe our would be assassin may be and I'll be paying Erik a visit later," Charles explained. "You caught me just on my way to Cerebro."

"Well, good luck. Hopefully, you can solve this thing so I don't have to," Fury said before they hung up.

Oliver's apartment

Later in the afternoon

Oliver, dressed in civilian clothes, walked into his apartment after turning the key. He flipped the lights on and started as he saw someone sitting at his kitchen table.

"Hey," Bobbi said, looking at him with a soft look on her face.

"Bobbi," Oliver said his voice no more than a whisper before swallowing the lump in his throat. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk. Clint, he's worried about you," Bobbi said as she got to her feet.

"Well Clint needs to remind himself that I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself," Oliver said, closing the door behind him while avoiding looking at her.

"He knows that. But he's not someone who turns his back on someone he cares about when they need help. And neither am I," Bobbi said as she walked over, placing a hand on his chin and making him look at her. "It's been a while since we've been this close."

"That was your choice," Oliver said softly, his heart hammering in his chest.

How was it, after everything that had happened, after two years of distance, Bobbi Morse still had such an effect on him?

"As I recall it, you're the one who's been avoiding me since you got back from Kansas. Clint says you think I blame you for what happened in Russia. Do you?" Bobbi inquired.

"Don't you?" Oliver asked as he looked at her inquisitively.

"Of course not. Kovar is the one who blew up our safe house, not you. But you blame yourself, don't you?" Bobbi said, realizing it for the first time.

"How can I not? Kovar blew up our safe house to get to me. If I hadn't fallen for his trap-"

"Kovar would have found some other way to make me lose our baby," Bobbi cut off Oliver firmly. "We were in a situation where no matter what we did, Kovar was going to find us and somehow, our baby would die. It took me months of therapy to accept that. I'm sorry you felt like you had to carry this alone, but it was never your fault Oliver. I don't blame you for what happened, neither should you."

Logically, Oliver knew that what she was saying made sense. But Oliver's heart, the part that had been struggling to mourn the life that had never gotten a chance in this world, still struggled to accept her words as the truth. Seeing this, Bobbi placed a hand on his cheek.

"It's okay if you can't accept that now. Like I said, it took me a long time to accept it. But when you're ready, I'm here to talk," Bobbi said, grabbing his hand and placing something in it. "We may not be together anymore, but I will always love you Oliver. We're bound together by what happened, and I will always have a special place in my heart for you, just like I'm sure you'll have one for me."

Bobbi then leaned over, lightly kissing him on the cheek before pulling back. She smiled slightly, holding onto his hand for a moment longer before letting go and walking out the front door. The door closed behind her and Oliver stared after her for a long moment before unfolding his hand, seeing she had left him a piece of paper. Written on it in Bobbi's handwriting was a phone number with the words 'when you're ready' written above it.

Maximum Security Prison

Night

In a glass wheelchair, Charles was led into Magneto's cell by a security guard. Magneto was turned away from him in a chair, his hand held up to his face.

"Charles Xavier. Have you come to rescue me?" Magneto asked sarcastically.

"Sorry Erik, not today," Charles said calmly as the security guard left.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Magneto asked grimly and Charles waited until the automatic door closed before answering.

"The assassination attempt on the President, what do you know about it?"

"Nothing! Only what I read in the papers. You really shouldn't have to ask Charles," Magneto said as he turned to face him and Charles paled as he saw the dark circles under his old friend's eyes.

"What's happened to you?"

"I've had frequent visits from William Stryker. You remember him, don't you?" Magneto asked as Charles rolled over to him.

"William Stryker?" Charles repeated, the name striking a cord.

"His son, Jason was once a student of yours wasn't he?" Magneto pointed out.

"Yes, years ago. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to help him. At least, not in the way his father wanted," Charles remembered as Magneto got to his feet.

"And now you think taking in the Wolverine will make up for your failure with Stryker's son?" Magneto asked mockingly and Charles shot him a look. "You haven't told him about his past, have you?"

"I put him on the path. Logan's mind is still fragile," Charles said and Magneto smirked.

"Is it? Or are you afraid of losing one of your precious X-Men, old friend?" Magneto asked and Charles was silent until he got a thought, broadcasted so loudly from Magneto that Charles started.

"Erik, what have you done?" Charles asked and Magneto looked at him in remorse.

"I'm sorry, Charles. I couldn't help it."

"What have you told Stryker?" Charles demanded his mind racing as Magneto sighed in regret.

"Everything," Magneto said.

They then heard a hissing noise. It took the pair of men a moment to realize it was a gas, filling the cell through the holes in the glass walls.

"The war has begun," Magneto said ominously.

"Scott!" Charles shouted as he raced towards the door.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance!" Magneto told him, sinking to his knees as the gas began to take effect.

Charles heard the sound of Scott's powers beginning activated but knew they would have planned for that. There was only thing he could do now, Charles thought as he began to get drowsy.

The Triskelion

Same time

Fury was in his office, waiting to receive word from Romanoff or Rogers when a voice pierced his mind.

"Nick, they're coming for my school. Protect them. Please."

Fury looked around wildly at the sound of the voice, but it was gone as quick as it had been there.

"Charles? Charles?" Fury called out but received no answer.

A pit of dread forming in his stomach, Fury reached into his desk, pulling out the phone for the second time that day and attempting to call Charles. But this time, there was no answer. Lowering the phone to his side, a dark look crossed Fury's face.

With Romanoff and Rogers busy with the pirates, there was only one team he could trust with this.

In his SHIELD issued bunk, Clint was asleep when his phone rang. Sitting up, Clint picked it up, thinking it might be Nat or Laura. But when he saw it was Fury, Clint frowned before answering.

"Sir?"

"Call Dragon and Queen, the three of you meet me in my office ASAP. You have a new mission," was all Fury said before hanging up, leaving Clint staring at it in bewilderment.

Oliver's apartment

Not long after

Lying in his own bed, Oliver was staring up at Bobbi's picture, a lifetime of unspoken thoughts in his head when he heard someone knock on his front door. Sitting up, Oliver put the picture back in his wallet before getting out of bed. He made his way out of his bedroom as whoever was on the other side of his front door knocked again. Opening the door, Oliver was surprised to see Dragon standing on his doorstep.

"Get dressed. Fury has another mission for us," Dragon said and Oliver scoffed.

"Of course he does," Oliver muttered.

"This seems different. According to Barton, Fury sounded spooked. And it takes a lot to spook Fury," Dragon said and Oliver frowned. "He wants us in his office ASAP, so get dressed."

Oliver nodded as he headed back into his room to change into more fitting clothes for a mission, wondering what, if anything could spook Nick Fury.

Nothing can convince me that MCU Fury and Charles would not be friends who help each other out.

Hope I did okay on the Oliver/Bobbi scene.

And now the real plot of the story begins.