Thanks for all the new follows and favorites. Special shout out to Cheshire, Zolkien, and Sagehadley for the reviews. Cheshire ... yea I've had that scene in my head for a while and brutal was right. But can't be all fluff all the time and plenty of action to come.

"How are you doing Logan?"

"Drinkin' ... and pissed. But that can get worse depending on what you gotta share with me Cap." Logan grunted at his friend. Steve Rodgers nodded as he came to sit across from Wolverine. The two were at a bar someplace between Avengers Tower and Xavier's. Logan had told Cap an exit and to look for the bar on the left. The fact it was near 2am didn't matter ... place was always open.

"Logan what happened at the school I - we're all worried about what happened. Tony is looking into everything and Jan is beside herself. If there's anything the Avengers can do ... we're here." Cap's tone was sincere but Logan merely shot another glass before pouring himself another.

"That a fact?" Logan's tone was neutral as he knocked another one back.

"Of course. I mean - I know you told me everyone is recovering but are any of the children -"

"Mutant children." Logan's tone tinted with a growl as Logan seemingly forgot about the glasses and took a pull from the bottle. Steve noticed it wasn't the only one on the table.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Cap shot back.

Logan fixed Rodgers with a look he couldn't quite place but didn't back down. Logan finally snorted and settled back into his seat with a shrug.

"We'll get to the kids in a bit Cap. First I want you to tell me what happened." Captain America tried to read Logan but as always that was difficult. When he'd reached out and asked for Steve to swing by the school and get his read on what had happened he'd been ... surprised. Logan had been an Avenger for years but had always been highly protective of Xavier's and been careful to keep the two worlds separate.

"Alright ... well the attack was well scouted, planned, and executed. The main transformer that provided power to the entire region was blown. It's what triggered your generators and lag in your security."

Logan nodded as Cap continued.

"But anyone who knows what they're doing knows that the physical security surrounding the school is secondary."

"You're talkin' bout Chuck?" Logan nodded as Steve reached across the table and poured himself a drink into one of the few unused glasses on the table.

"Not just Professor Xavier. The amount of omega level psychics - even those not that level - makes any attack on the school almost impossible. You don't need to tell me how many there are but yes ... Xavier alone is enough of a deterrent for most. But that was before this."

Steve opened the folder he'd placed on the table and pulled out a photo of what looked like some gaming device. Logan knew most of the kids played on those things for hours.

"Lemme guess ... not just a toaster?" Logan took another pull as Steve grimly nodded.

"I sent a scan to Tony. One of the students had it delivered a week ago. Was probably intercepted and replaced with this. Tony's best guess is that it's been emitting a low frequency microwave targeted at the ... the ..." - Steve pulled out a paper in the folder and tried understanding what Stark had rattled off but quickly shook his head - "basically it's been sending out a frequency targeted at psychics. Messing with their powers somehow ... like a computer virus for the mind."

Logan had gone quiet at this point, his eyes fixed someplace on the table, as Captain America continued on.

"So that, combined with the blown generator, took out your defenses and gave the unit their window."

"The 'unit?'" Logan looked back at Rodgers.

"That's something I'm still working on. They had on standard fatigues and gear outside of the weaponry. That and their tech wasn't good enough for AIM. Doesn't match HYRDRA or most other hostile groups. My military contacts told me no foreign power was involved." Logan took a few seconds to glance at the additional papers Cap had passed over laying it all out but just nodded again.

"I could have given you more but Storm and Beast cut me short at the woods. I'm assuming you took care of things from there?"

"Could say that." Logan gave a hollow chuckle and nodded.

"So the entire attack took place in that sixty second window. Now what confused me is why they didn't press their advantage. The rocket attack took you out for long enough for a competent strike team to at least subdue you. Colussus was off site. But that's when I noticed the fire charges."

Captain Rodgers pointed to another document, this one with a drawn map of the east side of the school, the school and it's grounds clear and then where the forest began. Steve had marked a red line over an area bordering the forest.

"The attack wasn't designed to force their way into the school. It was to force someone out of it and then keep them separated."

Steve sat back as Logan leaned forward to casually glance over all of the intel that Cap had gathered.

"Any idea who they were after?" Logan's eyes went back to Steve's blue ones.

"How could I?" Steve was confused at the question but shifted ever so slightly in his chair.

"So that's it?" Logan rumbled as he leaned back into his chair another shot following suit.

"All I could get that quickly." Steve's tone was measured as he let out a breath.

"We good?" Logan muttered into his glass.

"All done." A smooth voice called out from the other end of the bar and before Steve could turn around Logan tossed the table, papers and glass flying as with a growl Wolverine went at Rodgers.

The two changed leverage almost a dozen times before Logan managed to slam Steve into the opposite wall. Captain America expected something like this whenever he hung out with Logan but wasn't trying to hurt him without knowing what the hell was going on.

Logan had no such reservations and the popped claws proved it.

"Logan what the hell!?"

"You didn't want me on that mission to raid the HYDRA site Rodgers. In fact ya told me to sit it out."

"What are you talking about?!" Steve slammed Logan's arms out of the way but again Wolverine adjusted and slammed him back into the wall which cracked on the impact.

"Tell me ya didn't know anythin' about it Rodgers. Tell me ya didn' know they were gonna come after the kid." Logan's growl was low and filled the now definitely empty bar save for Psylocke who took a lazy sip of her drink.

"What are you - the attack? Logan the Avengers - I! - would never be a part of something like that. And if I knew about it I would have stop it." Steve lost his patience and with speed knocked Logan back, though it ended up with Wolverine between him and the door.

"Psy?" Logan growled out.

"He's telling the truth. At least about not knowing about the attack. But he thinks he knows why." Betsy's eyes flashed purple as she smirked at Captain America. He was cute in that all-american till you puke kind of way.

Logan just kept in his stance and growled.

"Logan, listen me. Fury only told me what was going on after that mission when Widow disappeared. But that doesn't matter because you know me Logan. I would never attack a school - kids - like what happened yesterday."

"Why does Fury want her? What could make one feral so damn important?!" Logan seethed.

"Fury doesn't want her." Cap's tone was as solid as ever but Logan just growled.

"Bullshit."

"It's not that simple Logan. Fury is after something- I don't know what. But he thinks he can get it with her." Scott tried reasoning but Logan was past it.

"Logan I can't make you believe me. But are you really willing to go to war over this? You don't even know it was SHIELD that -"

Logan threw something at Cap which he caught on instinct ... a gun?

"What is this?" Rodgers turned the - no it wasn't a gun it was some type of medical device.

"Tranq gun. But that's not what's important. It's what was inside it." Cap looked back to Logan clearly waiting for more. "Damn thing had the same shit inside of it that Widow used to put Kara down last time. Hank's sure of it."

Cap looked down at the gun, his brow furrowed as he realized what Logan was saying.

"Logan ... if SHIELD really is behind the attack on the school -"

"If SHIELD ... Fury ... the damn Avengers had anything to do with it ... I'll come for all of ya."

"Damn it Logan you can't really believe we'd do something like this! The kid is a target. You knew that when you took her in."

"You tryin' to blame the attack on Kara?" Logan snarled back.

"No! Logan ... think about it. Let's say this was SHIELD ... hell pretend I was even the one behind the attack. Why would I be stupid enough to stage an all out assault on Xavier's in the middle of the day? In broad daylight? Would you?"

"Logan ..." Betsy cut in.

"Not done yet Psy." Logan shot back but Betsy shook her head and pointed to the TV hanging behind the bar. The three watched the news for a few seconds.

"That's why." Logan growled and without a word or another look at Steve he was out of the bar and back on his bike with Betsy riding tail.

Inside the bar the news kept replaying the same coverage.

It was a video ... of Kara in the woods.

Betsy did her best to keep her boots out of the muck as Logan kicked off his bike and headed inside without bothering to see if she'd even wanted to be driven here.

She'd promised herself she was done with this place ... the hero game was a dead end. And it paid for shit. The leather pants, designer blouse and shearling lined jacket proved that.

Checking her phone and not seeing any way out of this place (she suspected Forge had foiled her attempts at Uber somehow) Betsy shrugged and headed inside. She knew Logan had to have something decent to drink tucked away someplace.

Walking around no one aside from a few sticky teenage boys noticed her. Betsy preferred it that way. But what she did see was not what she'd expected even with Logan's brief explanation of why she'd had to leave her very comfortable Soho penthouse in the middle of the night.

Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters looked like it had been through hell.

The kitchen was a mess ... she could tell from the smell of bleach the place must have been scrubbed down soon after the attack but the bits of broken glass and holes in the walls told her enough.

The thoughts she was picking up were ... anxiety ... fear ... anger ... confusion. Betsy shook her head as she put her shields back up. She had her own problems to deal with.

After waving off Piotr and avoiding Bobby, Betsy made her way down to where she assumed Logan had been heading.

She had been in the infirmary before. Logan had snuck her in here only last year to get stitched up when one of her first contracts had gone bad. She remembered seeing a kid recovering from the flu ... maybe some minor surgery for a student that couldn't pass for normal at the local hospital.

But she'd never seen the infirmary like this. Not even after a mission.

Beast was seemingly in constant movement as he moved from bed to bed. Storm ... seemingly indestructible Ororo ... was bandaged up and passed out. A few students she didn't recognize were in similar straights. One girl with a southern drawl was up and talking quietly with her friend who's thoughts were actually moving faster then her mouth. Which was impressive.

Though what caught her attention was that she was thinking the same thing Logan was ... though his was tinged with clear intent of violence.

"Where's Kara?"

"You're awake."

Kara blinked as she slowly came to ... wincing a bit at the unfamiliar feeling of stitches.

"Dr. McCoy said your - your healing factor was spent. Somethin' bout needing to 'prioritize' more important things."

Kara looked around slowly ... the room looked like the infirmary but it wasn't. She'd spent enough time down there with Beast when she was bored at night and Logan wasn't around to know almost every room. The recovery room ... his lab room ... the surgery room ... but this was different.

"Are you OK?"

Kara fixed her stare at the teen girl in the bed next to her for a few seconds before giving a nod.

"Fine Rahne."

Rahne's head jerked back in surprise as it tilted in a very familiar wolf like way.

"How'd you know it was me?" Rahne's Scottish tilt filling the empty but comfortable room. It looked a lot like a hospital suite mixed with Kara's room upstairs.

"Scent ... eyes ... and you growl with an accent." Kara explained as Rahne took a second to process before letting out a bark of laughter and nodding her head.

"Dr. McCoy said that when they put me under for surgery I just ... went back to this. It - it's been a long time." Rahne kept flexing and looking at her hands as she shivered under her sweats. She missed her fur.

"Same to me." Kara shrugged, earning a relieved smile from Rahne.

"Well that's good ... cause he told me I gotta stay like this for a while. Doesn't want me messing up any of his hard work or somethin'." In truth Dr. McCoy was relieved when Rahne had reverted back to her human form before surgery ... he'd been nervous his brief research into surgery on a wolf would be up to the task of the amount of work ahead of him. Rahne didn't know it but she was lucky to have made it at all.

"Logan?" Kara shifted to sitting in the middle of her bed as she continued taking in the room. There was a desk and a tv along with a couch ... even a small fridge.

"He came by a few hours ago I think. Told me we'd been out for almost two days. Didn't say much after that except spent some time sittin' over there." Rahne pointed at a well worn leather chair near her bed. Kara noticed a door across from both of their beds which from the scent she assumed was a bathroom. The other door must lead out to the hallway but it was closed. She noticed the door appeared ... heavier. The frame around it more solid.

There wasn't any windows ...

Kara let out a hiss as she braced herself against the bed. She'd tried getting up but felt a sharp pulling sensation on her side. Lifting up her shirt - one of her favorite ones from Raven - she saw a bandage over her hip.

"Ouch ..." Rahne winced in support, "if it makes ya feel any better you'll probably heal up faster then me."

Kara shot Rahne another look ... she seemed nervous at being human again but relaxed. Her hair was longer then she'd thought from how Kitty had described her ... and she was taller than Kara.

"Why are you here?" Kara asked, her cautious tone seemingly lost on Rahne as it was her turn to shrug.

"Professor X came by and said he didn' want to overwhelm me. Turns out I've ummm ... been in the woods for almost a year? Didn't exactly have a watch out there but ... I didn' know it had been so long." Rahne smiled weakly, clearly embarrassed though Kara wasn't sure why. She let it drop.

Instead she shot another look at the door.

"How the hell did this happen?" Logan growled as he paced in Xavier's new, temporary office as Ororo - newly released by Hank but still wearing the marks of the assault peaking from her robe - stood nearby. None of them looking directly at the news as it replayed yet another clip of Kara eviscerating the group of attackers that on camera looked very much like American soldiers.

"For now that isn't the most pressing question." Xavier's calm tone not matching his mind as it raced through his school, checking in on his students at a rapid pace.

"What are we going to do next?" Storm asked and Xavier nodded. Logan kept pacing.

"It won't take long for the media to figure out where that video is taking place. I've kept this school a secret for decades but ... it appears we need to prepare for the reality that Xavier's School for Gifted Children will be out as a mutant haven in a matter of hours ... days if we're lucky. Parents need to be alerted."

"I'm gettin' Kara out of here." Logan stopped pacing and headed for the door. Xavier and Ororo could look after the school ... but if the world knew the truth about Xavier's ...

"And that is exactly why Kara should remain here." Charles cut in to Logan's thoughts as he wheeled around the desk. Ororo could tell from the way Logan looked at Xavier that he didn't appreciate the psychic butting in.

"This place is about to become ground zero for every mutant hater in the country. That and the attack gotta be connected. Best thing I could do is get Salem outta here before that happens." Logan was already on the road in his mind. They'd head north ... further the better ...

"That's not going to work Logan." Xavier argued and Ororo tossed her hands up in frustration.

"For those of us not in either of your minds how about you state it plainly Charles."

"This is still the safest place for Kara. For any mutant. That has not and will not change. Besides ... we need you here Logan. The students look for you to lead by example ... if they see you running now it would devastate them."

"Ain' runnin' Chuck. I'm takin' that girl someplace no one's gonna find her. And this place got plenty of firepower to keep you all safe." Logan pushed back.

"Perhaps ... but if you believe that taking Kara away from here ... her home ... her friends ... will make her safer ... why did you bring her here in the first place?" Xavier countered.

Kara wasn't awake too long. Rahne and her raided the fridge, filled with a few cooked steaks, chicken, and a few containers of vegetables along with two big bottles of water and after that it wasn't long before they were both passed out again.

The next day Kitty, Rogue and Kurt came by to say hello. Rogue was doing better but Dr. McCoy wanted her to stick around the infirmary for another day or so. None of them asked Kara what had happened in the forest ... there was no need.

The footage was everywhere.

Even when Xavier had shut down the TV's it was all over the internet. Most of the mansion was talking about Kara again but this time Kara's friends made it a point to stick up for the absent feral.

Scott had to pull Mako and Bolin off a pair of older boys who had been spreading rumors that Kara was chained up someplace out in the woods ... though neither brother ended up in trouble as Scott spent more time yelling at the two spreading rumors and left the two brothers with a nod.

But it didn't escape anyone in the group's notice that Kara still hadn't made an appearance upstairs.

The group took turns stopping in to see how Kara and Rahne were doing. Raven had been the one to not so subtly suggest that they keep it down to pairs ... when Raven had cam down herself the first night she could tell that Kara was feeling ... well if not anxious than as close as the dark feral got to it. The fact the lights in the room were kept low even when she and Rahne were awake was another signal to Raven that the two were still on edge.

Raven had been one of the few to see Kara when she was got carried in by Logan ... she didn't blame her.

But what Raven didn't know was that Kara had tried going upstairs that day. But only once.

"Are you alright child? Do you need Dr. McCoy?" Ororo looked somewhat surprised as she turned to find Kara looking up at her.

"Going upstairs." Kara rumbled softly, her tail swaying slowly behind her as she studied Ororo.

"Are you hungry? I'll have Bobby bring some more food down." Ororo's tone was caring and her body language was open and relaxed ... but Kara couldn't help but notice how she positioned herself between Kara and the stairs that led to the main floors.

"Not hungry." Kara took a small step to her left and Ororo mirrored it.

"I was thinking of bringing you down some new books. You need to keep up with your work so you're ready when classes start up again. Yes?" Ororo's smile was supportive but Kara's tail slowed as her gaze seemed to harden even while it focused on the storm goddess.

"You bring any food?" Rahne asked expectantly as Kara came back into their room but Kara just shook her head as she went and sat against the far wall, her eyes now fixed on the door. Rahne tried talking to the pantheress but after not getting much of a response, Rahne shrugged and headed to grab some food herself.

Kara's eyes were closed as she listened to Rahne's progress until she heard the teen hit the second landing on the stairs after a brief conversation with Ororo.

A low growl filled the room as Kara rubbed her shoulder and bared her teeth.

Logan came down at some point but whatever he said to Kara didn't seem to have much impact.

He talked and Kara listened, her back to the wall she hadn't moved from, he said something about 'not bein' happy' and 'protect' and 'temporary' but he didn't have to bother coming down to explain it to her.

Kara understood.

The rotating teachers walking the hallways at fixed intervals and the fact the elevators weren't running was enough for Kara. She didn't bother trying to go back upstairs again. She knew they wouldn't let her.

They were guarding her. She was trapped. Again.

Rahne came back a few hours later to find Kara apparently asleep or even meditating in the same spot she left her. Shrugging, she put some new food and water in the fridge and put the books Storm had given her by Kara's bed before zipping up her sweatshirt and crawling into bed. She missed her fur ...

"So you're the one everyone's been whispering about."

Betsy gave the kid credit. Her hackles shot straight up but she didn't jump ... just glanced over a shoulder before slowly turning back to watch the silent TV.

Kara had never seen ... she'd never known what she looked like when she ...

"That's not bad work. Messy ... but you've had Wolverine as a teacher so I guess that's gonna happen." Besty's tone like she was grading one of Kara's papers as she took a sip of her drink. She'd been right ... Logan had booze stashed all over this place.

Kara growled cautiously as she fully turned around this time. Betsy first noticed the eyes ... amber and focused ... kid could certainly level a look. The rest she took in with the clear expression of someone making an appraisal. Kara didn't much like it.

The woman scented somewhat of Logan but there was other scents as well: lavender, a spice she didn't recognize, leather ... and gun oil.

"Who are you?"

"Someone who didn't belong here either. But you can call me Braddock ... or Psylocke." Betsy had spotted the pantheress coming out of the library which was curious seeing as it was near three in the morning and she was supposed to be confined to the lower levels. Betsy typically didn't waste any time on kids ... or worse teenagers ... unless she was paid to but if this was the one putting everyone - even Logan - into knots she was curious.

"You know Logan?" Kara asked as Psylocke took a seat at the island. She hadn't heard her coming which was ... different. So far only Logan had pulled that off consistently.

"A lot of people could say that. Why don't you ask me a real question ... and maybe I'll get my own." Kara tilted her head as he ears swiveled, clearly marking out where everyone was before deciding she wasn't about to get thrown back downstairs, and slipped crossed legged onto the top of the nearby couch, making her even with Braddock ... and with more options to get away.

"What do you want?" Kara's tone was less suspicious as Betsy nodded in approval.

"Good ... you're a quick study. I came because Logan asked me to ... he usually does when things aren't exactly 'X-Men' approved. I stayed because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about."

Kara hadn't taken her eyes off of Psylocke but narrowed them at the mention of trouble.

"My turn," Betsy ran a hand through her purple hair as she took a sip of her drink, "where did you learn to do that?"

Kara didn't have to turn around to know what Psylocke was referring to.

"Not here." Kara rumbled and Betsy actually chuckled as she put her drink down.

"No kidding."

Kara couldn't help it and shot another look over her shoulder ... watching as the feral onscreen took down another two targets. Betsy expected the kid to flinch ... but she just kept on staring.

"Lemme guess ... they whisper about you. Call you 'dangerous'. Hell ... I bet Logan said he can train you." Betsy's tone was light but Kara noticed that her smile was ... cold. She nodded.

"This might be blasphemy in this place but the old man isn't always right. What you can do ... what you are? It's not something to be sanded down ... restrained. These idiots ... damn this whole school should be thanking you." Betsy's eyes flashed purple as Kara leaned a little closer.

"For what?"

"For doing what needs to be done," Betsy leaned back, bracing herself on the doorpost, "but just you wait. You're still a kid ... hell you haven't even gotten your big kitty claws yet. Then they'll all see you."

Kara rubbed her shoulder as she shot another look at the TV. Logan told her things would be different here. That was better ... right?

Betsy didn't have to be psychic to know when a kid was doubting herself.

"Never question what you are. It's a waste of time. I know what it's like to be thought of as an asset ... a tool," Betsy closed her fist and Kara's eyes widened a bit as a purple psy blade suddenly appeared, "and like I said ... I didn't fit in much here either."

Just as quickly the blade disappeared and Kara fixed her gaze back on Psylocke.

"You want to stay here?" Betsy's question caught Kara off guard.

"I am here." Kara tried but Betsy shook her head, a slight frown creasing her perfectly made up face despite the time.

"I'm asking why you don't leave. Clearly they can't keep you here ... even if they'd like to.

"Safe." Kara rumbled back but Betsy just raised an eyebrow and looked over at the recently repaired kitchen and newly replaced window.

"Try again."

Kara's gaze dropped to her lap as she carefully considered why she didn't just leave. After she'd slipped by a sleeping Iceman she had looked out the window ... towards the forest ... past that to the highway ... further north ... or even south ... but instead she'd headed for library. Grabbed her favorite book. She'd even planned on how to slip back downstairs without anyone noticing. But why ...

Kara's quiet allowed her to hear and scent almost everyone in the Mansion when it was this late. Kitty and Rogue ... music coming from Raven and her room from the earphones she always forgot to turn off ... even Ororo's scent and Dr. McCoy muttering in his lab ...

"Home." Kara's tone firmer this time. Betsy tilted her head slightly as she smirked, clearly judging the answer but smart enough not to say anything.

"Guess that's good enough for now," Braddock nodded before taking out a small card from her pocket and holding it up for Kara to see, "but if you ever want to try doing something else ... gimme a call. Who knows ... in a couple years you might even be useful enough to have around." The card suddenly lit up purple as it burnt in Betsy hand. Kara blinked ... but could clearly recall what was on the card. Something told her she always would.

"Who you talkin' to Betsy?" Scott yawned as he shuffled by on his way to the kitchen in search of some water.

"No one." Psylocke was already headed past Scott, the half finished whiskey forgotten, her boots clicking down the hall as she slipped on her coat and grabbed her bag by the door.

"Tell Logan I'll see him around. Bye boyscout." Betsy didn't turn around as she faux saluted, leaving Scott scratching his head as he shrugged and headed for the kitchen.

Betsy walked into the garage and after a moment of decision decided on the rather tame BMW to give her a ride back to the city. Xavier had cars to spare. She waited until she was on the highway to make the call.

"I couldn't retrieve the target. But your intel was right ... she's there."

Psylocke didn't wait for answer before closing the phone and in a flash of purple it was nothing but parts on the side of the road. Betsy frowned as she considered what she had done for a only a minute before giving her head a shake.

"Just a job."