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Jonathan had let his editor know he’d be coming in with his article ready to print. This information however hadn’t remained private. The editor’s secretary had made sure to leak the information that Jonathan would be coming in to her COH contacts. She of course had no idea what the church had planned for Jonathan and for anyone in the building with him. When the morning came all but Xavier went to London. Rose had teleported with Jonathan bringing him a block away from the paper in an alley. “So you are sure you are ready? We can only assume that the church is going to be ready for you.”, Rose asked. Jonathan nodded. “I understand Wolverine. But it’s gotta be done.”, Jonathan sighed before walking out of the alley and starting for the paper. The team had taken positions all around the building that the paper was located in to watch Jonathan. All were ready to leap into action if necessary. Mason had his own way of knowing things, and Alan had managed to get a bug in the Church and so they knew in advance that they planned to go after the journalist Jonathan Fuller and the Sun Times he works for. So Mason, Adder and Garrison were all waiting in an alley at the ready not even aware that Excalibur was on site.
“Jonathan!”, Nichola Kearney exclaimed as he walked in. She’d been working there as the receptionist for the last five months. She’d actually thought Jonathan to be rather cute, not that she’d speak up about it. There were HR policies about things like that not to mention she was far too shy. Her twin brother Hadyn had gotten the courage. “Oh um hello… Nichola.. right?”, Jonathan greeted trying to recall her name. Nichola smiled. “Yes. Nichola Kearney.”, she smiled nodding. Jonathan blinked hearing the last name Kearney. His mind instantly thinking about Skye. He shook the image of Skye away. “Well if you’ll excuse me. I need to go turn in my article.”, he smiled before heading up the stairs to the editor’s office. He noticed a lot of people were looking at him. Not that he should be surprised. He was sure they all knew about him getting shot and having been MIA ever since. He just smiled politely to them, completely unaware that some of the faces he didn’t know where new hires but were church members. “Hey Matt.”, Jonathan greeted walking into the editor’s office. But he froze as he looked up. His editor was sitting tied to his office chair with a gun pointed at his head by a man wearing a ski mask. His eyes glanced around counting five other men holding guns in the room. “Glad you could finally make it Mister Fuller.”, the man holding the gun to Matt’s temple spoke. “Well here I am. Why don’t you just leave Matt be and you can take or kill me whatever you want. Just there’s no need to hurt anyone else.”, Jonathan said slowly raising his arms hitting a button on the bottom of his laptop that Xavier had placed there and told him to press if he got into danger.
“Oh it’s not that easy mate.”, the man sneered. Jonathan could hear screams outside the office and turned his head seeing armed men start grabbing employees. “You see orders changed. It’s not just you that needs to go. It’s this whole paper. We feel that the opinions being published or that may be published by this establishment will paint us in a negative light and so it needs to go.”, the man continued a smile on his face. Nichola was the only one to get a chance to hit the emergency dial on her cell before she was forced to drop it. The responder at the other end was trying to get an answer but all they could hear were the terrified screams of people being taken hostage with guns pointed at them. But it was enough and they traced the mobile to send unites. When Jonathan hit the button it notified all of the Excalibur. “Let’s move in.”, Rose instructed. Skye and Donovan took the front while Ashley and Atif teleported in on the second floor and Rose and Billy teleported into the top floor. “Let her go NOW!”, Donovan demanded as he and Skye got inside seeing a man pointing a gun at their cousin Nichola holding her by her black hair.
Seeming to be in no mood for the masked man’s interruption the man turned the gun to Donovan and fired. The bullet pierced his left shoulder which got him to stumble back before creating a hot knife and throwing it piercing the man’s right calf bringing him to the ground in pain. “Ah said ta let her go, Ah meant it.”, Donovan glared at the man who blinked looking at where the gunshot was healing itself. Nichola blinked looking at Donovan and then to Skye. She didn’t know her cousins were masked vigilante’s but she knew they were mutants and masks couldn’t exactly hide them. “Do…”, she started to speak but Skye shook her head. “It alright lassie. Yer in shock. Ah’m Iolar and dis is Laoch. Get yer arse outta ‘ere aye? We got dis.”, Skye instructed. ‘Just do as Ah say coz.’, Skye spoke telepathically to her cousin. Nichola nodded before quickly heading for the door. “Wait….um Laoch… tank ya. And Ah called da police before dat one grabbed me.”, she said quickly before heading out the front doors. As she was heading out Mason, Adder and Garrison were coming in. Mason looked to Skye seeing her and glanced to Donovan. “You alright? I heard a gunshot.”, Mason asked looking Skye over checking for injury. “She’s fine mate. Dinna fash Ah got her back. And da bullet hit me.”, Donovan answered. “Oh well then… let’s see about taking care of the rest of these blokes. You two can keep moving I’m guessing your team is already here I can hear shouts upstairs.”, Mason nodded to the stairs.
Donovan nodded grabbing Skye’s hand. “Come on let’s give support ta our team.”, he stated before running up the stairs. Adder had moved past Mason and the Kearney twins giving her focus to some of the men rushing at them. Garrison followed her lead getting into the fight. ‘Stay safe...please..’, Mason thought as he watched Skye follow her brother. ‘Only if you do’, Skye thought back racing up the stairs. Mason smiled and set to work with his team clearing the first floor of church members knocking them out and getting them tied up for the police to deal with. Atif and Ashley had been met with hostility. The church members threatening to kill their hostages. Atif was quick to get a shield of the hostages who had been huddled together in fear. “Not happening. Let’s show them why you don’t mess with the freedom of the press.”, Ashley smiled moving in her arms covering with water as she started to blast her way through the men slamming to the wall forcing them to drop their guns. Donovan and Skye stopped at the top of the stairs Skye pulling her brought down as the ducked a man getting forced off his feet and into the wall at the top of the stairs by a strong blast of water. “Fury is on da warpat’.”, Donovan commented with a smile, “Aye let’s go ‘elp our cozs”, Skye nodded getting up. “Let’s get these hostages untied.”, Atif said seeing his cousins. “You and Inolar do dat. Ah’ll back up Fury.”, Donovan agreed moving to get into the fight with Ashley. “It’s going tobe okay.”, Atif assured the frightened people as he and Skye started to untie them. “Go down da stairs. Dere anot’er team clearing out da bad guys. Police are on deir way.”, Skye instructed pointing to the stairs.
“Another team?”, Atif asked looking to Skye questionly. “Aye. Da Black King and his merry court.”, Skye nodded. The people didn’t care what they were saying they just started to scramble for the stairs. “I’m getting sick of you.”, one man shouted at Ashley aiming his gun. Atif’s head went on a swivel hearing the gunshot his eyes going wide to see his sister was the target. Ashely was busy fighting someone else and to more than just her own surprise water from her arms suddenly redirected to former a thick layer of ice over her abdomen stopping the bullet as the ice pushed away from her forcing the bullet back as it crashed to the ground. “‘Ow did she do dat?”, Skye asked. Atif gulped witnessing what just happened. His mind flashing to the video footage of the night the institute was burned and how in the womb he and Ashley had defended their mother as best they could. Atif said nothing just formed a shield and rushed the man with the gun slamming him into the wall hard before bringing the shield down starting to punch him in the face. “Don’t...you...ever...fire...a...gun...at...my...sister...and...her...babies…”, Atif spoke in a broken sentence between punched. “Babies??”, Mason questioned as his team got to the second floor. Donovan knocked on the man who Ashley had been fighting. Ashley had backed herself against a wall trying to just breath a hand over her abdomen. Once the man was sufficiently bloodied and knocked out Atif got up and moved to his twin. “You...base..now.”, Atif stated sternly before pressing her watch forcing her to teleport back to Muir Island. “We apparently missed something.”, Adder commented. “Aye…”, Skye said grabbing a man who was trying to sneak up on Adder and slamming him to the ground.
When Ashley had arrived at Muir Island Xavier was more than a little surprise. “Ashley? Saiai? What happened? Are you injured?”, he asked quickly getting up from his station to get to her. “I’m… I’m…”, Ashley stammered trying to find the right words. She pulled her mask off and looked at Xavier’s face. She could see the worry he was trying to keep buried in his eyes. “You’re what sweetheart? What happened Saiai?”, Xavier asked his brow furrowing as he looked at his wife. “I’m pregnant…”, she just let the words fall out of her lips. “Pre...pregnant? What happened? How do you know?”, he asked thinking trying to recall her last menstrual. She’d always been irregular in her cycles skipping a month here and there. And with all the stress recently with the new job, the moving to Scotland, Excalibur, and their wedding he couldn’t remember the last time. “We were in the middle of the fight. I was using my water arms fighting on guy and another tried to shoot me. And.. and…”, she tried to explain physically shaking. As the moment was replaying in her mind she was flashing back to that footage of the night her mother was taken hostage at the school.
“Here Saiai, sit.”, Xavier encouraged bringing his chair over to her. Ashley nodded a little sitting down. “Water pulled away from my arms, I wasn’t doing it. It formed a thick layer of ice as a shield to my abdomen and the bullet hit the ice and the ice pushed the bullet away from me slowing its momentum and absorbing it before it fell shattering to the ground.”, Ashley explained barely able to believe it herself. Xavier gulped a little getting to his knees in front of her and without words just wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her lap. “Ā, kamisama watashi no ai. (Oh god my love)”, he whispered. He knew he’d always be worried about her when she put on her mask. But this this was different. They were going to be parents and apparently to mutant children or at least one mutant child. He’d been told the stories of how her and Atif displayed their abilities while in the womb. And now their unborn child was doing the same thing. “Anata wa watashi no kichōna, matawa preciouses arigatōgozaimasu. (Thank you my precious, or preciouses.)”, he spoke raising his head to kiss her uniform over her stomach. Ashley blinked pulled from her daze as he kissed her stomach and looked down at him.
“Xavier? What did you say?”, she asked. “I was thanking the baby or babies. I called them my preciouses.”, he explained looking up at her. Ashley smiled a little running her hand through his hair. “Knowing our luck it’s babies.”, Ashley teased. “Be it one or more as long as they are children with you I am the luckiest man, husband and apparently father to live.”, Xavier smiled shifting on his knees to kiss her softly. “You do realize that you are hanging up the mask till they are at least one.”, Xavier stated pulling back from the kiss. Ashley laughed a little but nodded. “Okay. I’ll take a leave from hero work till they are one. I’m still going to dance, at least till they say I’m too fat for ballet.”, she agreed. “I love you Ashley. We may not have planned to start our family so soon, but I’ve found the best things in life aren’t planned.”, he grinned. “Mmm like falling in love with me?”, she teased. “Exactly like falling in love with you. I’d not planned it but I could not be happier that I am. And now we will add to our family. Oh your brother will b e so thrilled when you tell him.”, Xavier mused. “Um he already knows. He saw it happen. And well like me it reminded him of the footage from the night mom was taken and we tried to protect her. He um… well he bashed the man who shot me till he was unconscious and then pressed the teleporter on my watch to send me here. I think it scared him, that I could get injured and what could happen to the babies.”, she sighed. “Well he is the seer lord knows how long he’s foretold us having children. It may not have been the best or more normal way to find out. But they are a blessing none the less.”, Xavier smiled kissing her again.
Back at the paper they could hear fighting upstairs. “Fuller…”, Skye said without a second thought started running up the stairs. “Fuller?”, Mason furrowed his brow. “Ah got her back. Just ‘elp Seer.”, Donovan instructed racing after his sister. Mason wanted to follow after Skye, to be the one to protect her. Adder and Garrison were already getting into the fight with Atif. Atif was in no mood for these men now. No they’d attacked his twin and her babies. Any typical sensitivity he had was gone. There was only rage left. Mason moved to try and follow but saw Adder fighting one man while another was coming up behind her ready to shoot her. He didn’t even think he held up his hands forcing the man into a wall. “Stay away from her.”, he said sternly. Adder glanced over her shoulder a small smile. Of course she could depend on Mason to have her back. No matter what that was something she would never doubt about their relationship. So as Mason, Adder, Garrison and Atif were cleaning up the second floor Rose and Billy were up on the third fighting the armed men trying to get to the editor’s office and to Jonathan. Billy was firing hex blasts at men causing them to stumble back and drop their weapons or their weapons to suddenly malfunction. Rose was taking them out at the legs with her claws as she was fighting.
Donovan and Skye got to the floor and joined the fight to try and get to the Editor’s office. “Where's Fury and Seer?”, Rose asked. “Seer sent Fury back to base. We’ll explain after. Da Black King and his team are ‘elping him clean up da second floor.”, Donovan said slamming his head into a man’s knocking him out. “Where is Fuller?”, Skye asked throwing a man down the stairs. “In the office.”, Rose said pointing. “We’ve been trying to clear these guys out and get the hostages out.”, Billy explained nodding to the hostages that were hiding. “Ah’m going ta save Fuller.”, Skye said making her way to the Editor’s door pulling it off it’s hinges. Donovan sighed and moved to get the hostages untied and instruct them to get out quickly. Only two men were left in the office at this point. And both and their guns on Jonathan. “This is all your fault! You call these freaks in!”, one shouted pulling the trigger. “JONATHAN!!!!”, Skye yelled that night in the alley replaying in her head and she jumped at Jonathan forcing him to the ground. The bullet missed Jonathan but instead it hit her piercing her left leg. “Iola!? IOLAR!”, Jonathan shouted finding himself lying on the ground under her. hearing his sister's code name being shouted with earnest Donovan rushed in. Jonathan’s shouting was loud enough Mason heard it downstairs and ran for the stairs. Donovan looked to his sister on the ground seeing the blood and then to the two men holding guns.
“Ya want someone ta shoot ya shoot me! Ya DO NOT SHOOT MA TWIN!”, Donovan shouted forming hot knifes and unleashing them pinning one to a wall. Mason rushed to the door and looked to Skye his eyes going wide. “Iolar…”, she barely breathed as she went to her side pulling her away from Jonathan. He untied her sash from around her waist ripping it. He used some as gauze to her wound and then the rest he wrapped tight over that to hold it in place to try and stop the bleed. Skye yelled in pain. “Wat Ah wouldn’t give ta trade powers wid ma brot’er.”, she groaned. “Oh god Iolar…”, Mason shook his head holding her before his eyes looked up and narrowed at the two men. “You...you did this.”, Mason glared. “Laoch. Get here out of here now.”, Mason ordered. Donovan was ready to continue to get his retribution but paused hearing Mason. “Ya don’t get ta tell me wat ta do.”, Donovan said. “But I do. Let’s get out of here. The cops are coming and she needs medical attention.”, Rose said stepping into the doorway. Laoch glared for a moment but conceded moving to his twin. Jonathan was just watching this in confusion mixed with worry for Skye. He didn’t know this man who’d rushed in but based on how he was reacting to Skye getting shot he was coming to one conclusion of who was under the mask. “Fuller you need to stay and talk to the police.”, Rose said. “But...I want.. I need to know she’ll be okay.”, Jonathan said moving to hold Skye’s hand. “Someone will let ya know.”, Donovan said carefully picking up his sister and hitting his watch. Rose, Atif and Billy also all disappeared. Leaving Jonathan in the room with Mason and the man who’d shot Skye.
Adder came to the door and looked around confused seeing only Mason in uniform. “W’at ‘appened?”, she asked. “This son of a bitch shot Iolar…”, Mason said pointing to the man who was trembling. Adder’s copper eyes went wide. “Her team all left. Which is fine by me. We handle this our way now.”, Mason instructed moving closer to the man who’d fired the gun. he held out a hand the man starting to gasp for air. Mason didn’t speak. Jonathan’s eyes went wide as he was frozen in fear watching as the man drew his last breath. He looked to the masked man a mix of feelings. He was terrified at the fact he’d just killed someone. But if he was right, if that was Mason he couldn’t blame him. In fact he wished he could help get retribution for Skye’s injury. “Bout damn time. Rook let’s clean this up our way.”, Adder instructed walking to the man Donovan had pinned and slammed her poison filled talon into the man’s throat. Once Mason and Adder left the office to go see to the elimination of the others COH Jonathan rushed to his editor untying him. Before the police arrived and Mason’s team had to go they had managed to kill nearly half of the men who’d attacked the newspaper. If this was the secret, if Mason was a mutant who also wore a mask it certainly explained why Skye had doubts. The man was a killer. Jonathan had seen him kill without remorse that day. And he knew he needed to tell Skye what he saw. She needed to know she was in love with a cold blooded killer.
As soon as the rest of the team arrived Rose and Donovan were quickly getting Skye to the medical bay so Rose could carefully remove the bullet and stitch the wound. Skye had passed out from the pain and blood loss. Once things had calmed down Xavier and Ashley let the rest of the team know that Ashley was pregnant , though they’d still need to see a doctor to get a better idea of how far along they are. Atif figured at that point it was a good idea to reveal his vision. So he told the team how he kept seeing a little boy with black hair and a little girl with blonde hair playing in a yard with Faelan in wolf form with Ashley chasing after them laughing. The vision made both Ashley and Rose smiled. The idea of Ashley’s children playing with Faelan. While the team was relaxing, most having headed home Rose and Donovan had remained to stay with Skye. “She’ll be okay. She’s a Kearney, my understanding they are too stubborn to die before they are ready.”, Rose teased nudging Donovan who was leaning against the wall watching his twin breathing intently as if willing her to wake up and to be okay. He nodded a little. “Aye. Skye too tough to let someting dis minor stop her.”, he agreed before he heard Skye’s mobile starting to go off. He furrowed his brow grabbing it from her purse. It was Jonathan.
“Aye Jonathan? Dis Laoch.”, Donovan answered. Jonathan frowned hearing Laoch’s voice. “Is she...is she okay? I’ll never forgive myself that she got hurt because of me.”, Jonathan spoke softly. “Dinna fash. It her job. It all our jobs, ta save lives.”, Donovan shook his head. “When I.. when I was shot she stayed with me at my side. I know I just got out of your headquarters, but I doubt you took her to a regular hospital. Can I… could I please come see her?”, Jonathan asked. Donovan sighed and looked to Rose. Rose nodded. “Fine. Ah’ll come fetc’ ya in a minute. She got another call coming in.”, Donovan sighed seeing Mason beeping in. “Of course. It’s probably Mason…”, Jonathan sighed hanging up. Donovan frowned there was something about the way Jonathan said that which didn’t settle. “Aye Mason? Dis Donovan.”, he answered the phone switching to the other line. “How is she? Can I see her?”, Mason quickly questioned without formal greeting. “She’s mending well enough. Rose got da bullet out and stitched her up. She’s resting now. And Ah sorry mate but Ah canna bring ya ta see her. No offense but she at our secret base. W’ich Ah intend ta keep secret even from you. Ah’ll keep ya posted on her progress. Ah gotta go, duty calls and all.”, Donovan said hanging up. Mason frowned as the call disconnected clutching the phone tightly. Adder walked up to him as he sat on their couch and offered him a pint. “She okay?”, she asked. “Donovan said she’s okay. They got the bullet out and closed the wound. She’s resting at their base to recover. But...he won’t let me see her because she’s at their base and I’m not one of them.”, Mason frowned taking the pint in exchange for his phone.
Adder sighed taking his cell putting it aside and sat on the arm of the couch running a hand over his hair and down to rub circles at his back. “She’ll be okay mate. She’s Skye Kearney toug’est bird, cept me, you’ve ever known. And well can’t fault t’em for keeping t’eir base secret. We keep ours from t’em too. But Ah sure t’at soon as she well enuff she’ll come ta see ya. W’at woman wouldn’t come looking for t’eir man. Especially w’en t’at man you.”, Adder tried to sound encouraging. it was killing her inside to say any of it. She didn’t want Skye to have Mason, but it was his choice. And she had resigned herself to the idea that what had happened that night between them was just a one time act of passion and lapse in judgement. Mason took a deep breath before taking a sip of the pint. “You’re right pet. This is Skye. She’ll be okay. And when she’s better I’ll see her. Till then I’ll be filling her apartment with her favorite flowers. So when she does come home she’ll be walking into her own personal valley of roses.”, he concluded leaning his head against Adder. “I should have saved her. I should have followed after her… but you needed me and I couldn’t….”, his voice broke off. “Shhhh Mason… it’s okay. Her brot’er was wit’ her. ya ‘ad no reason ta t’ink she’d come ta ‘arm. And Ah did need ya. Ah’ll always need ya just like ya’ll always need me. We got eac’other's backs t’rough t’ick and t’in, mate.”, Adder sighed kissing the top of his head. “Come on go get some sleep.”, she encouraged. Mason nodded and with her encouragement got up and headed for his room.

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Jonathan had let his editor know he’d be coming in with his article ready to print. This information however hadn’t remained private. The editor’s secretary had made sure to leak the information that Jonathan would be coming in to her COH contacts. She of course had no idea what the church had planned for Jonathan and for anyone in the building with him. When the morning came all but Xavier went to London. Rose had teleported with Jonathan bringing him a block away from the paper in an alley. “So you are sure you are ready? We can only assume that the church is going to be ready for you.”, Rose asked. Jonathan nodded. “I understand Wolverine. But it’s gotta be done.”, Jonathan sighed before walking out of the alley and starting for the paper. The team had taken positions all around the building that the paper was located in to watch Jonathan. All were ready to leap into action if necessary. Mason had his own way of knowing things, and Alan had managed to get a bug in the Church and so they knew in advance that they planned to go after the journalist Jonathan Fuller and the Sun Times he works for. So Mason, Adder and Garrison were all waiting in an alley at the ready not even aware that Excalibur was on site.
“Jonathan!”, Nichola Kearney exclaimed as he walked in. She’d been working there as the receptionist for the last five months. She’d actually thought Jonathan to be rather cute, not that she’d speak up about it. There were HR policies about things like that not to mention she was far too shy. Her twin brother Hadyn had gotten the courage. “Oh um hello… Nichola.. right?”, Jonathan greeted trying to recall her name. Nichola smiled. “Yes. Nichola Kearney.”, she smiled nodding. Jonathan blinked hearing the last name Kearney. His mind instantly thinking about Skye. He shook the image of Skye away. “Well if you’ll excuse me. I need to go turn in my article.”, he smiled before heading up the stairs to the editor’s office. He noticed a lot of people were looking at him. Not that he should be surprised. He was sure they all knew about him getting shot and having been MIA ever since. He just smiled politely to them, completely unaware that some of the faces he didn’t know where new hires but were church members. “Hey Matt.”, Jonathan greeted walking into the editor’s office. But he froze as he looked up. His editor was sitting tied to his office chair with a gun pointed at his head by a man wearing a ski mask. His eyes glanced around counting five other men holding guns in the room. “Glad you could finally make it Mister Fuller.”, the man holding the gun to Matt’s temple spoke. “Well here I am. Why don’t you just leave Matt be and you can take or kill me whatever you want. Just there’s no need to hurt anyone else.”, Jonathan said slowly raising his arms hitting a button on the bottom of his laptop that Xavier had placed there and told him to press if he got into danger.
“Oh it’s not that easy mate.”, the man sneered. Jonathan could hear screams outside the office and turned his head seeing armed men start grabbing employees. “You see orders changed. It’s not just you that needs to go. It’s this whole paper. We feel that the opinions being published or that may be published by this establishment will paint us in a negative light and so it needs to go.”, the man continued a smile on his face. Nichola was the only one to get a chance to hit the emergency dial on her cell before she was forced to drop it. The responder at the other end was trying to get an answer but all they could hear were the terrified screams of people being taken hostage with guns pointed at them. But it was enough and they traced the mobile to send unites. When Jonathan hit the button it notified all of the Excalibur. “Let’s move in.”, Rose instructed. Skye and Donovan took the front while Ashley and Atif teleported in on the second floor and Rose and Billy teleported into the top floor. “Let her go NOW!”, Donovan demanded as he and Skye got inside seeing a man pointing a gun at their cousin Nichola holding her by her black hair.
Seeming to be in no mood for the masked man’s interruption the man turned the gun to Donovan and fired. The bullet pierced his left shoulder which got him to stumble back before creating a hot knife and throwing it piercing the man’s right calf bringing him to the ground in pain. “Ah said ta let her go, Ah meant it.”, Donovan glared at the man who blinked looking at where the gunshot was healing itself. Nichola blinked looking at Donovan and then to Skye. She didn’t know her cousins were masked vigilante’s but she knew they were mutants and masks couldn’t exactly hide them. “Do…”, she started to speak but Skye shook her head. “It alright lassie. Yer in shock. Ah’m Iolar and dis is Laoch. Get yer arse outta ‘ere aye? We got dis.”, Skye instructed. ‘Just do as Ah say coz.’, Skye spoke telepathically to her cousin. Nichola nodded before quickly heading for the door. “Wait….um Laoch… tank ya. And Ah called da police before dat one grabbed me.”, she said quickly before heading out the front doors. As she was heading out Mason, Adder and Garrison were coming in. Mason looked to Skye seeing her and glanced to Donovan. “You alright? I heard a gunshot.”, Mason asked looking Skye over checking for injury. “She’s fine mate. Dinna fash Ah got her back. And da bullet hit me.”, Donovan answered. “Oh well then… let’s see about taking care of the rest of these blokes. You two can keep moving I’m guessing your team is already here I can hear shouts upstairs.”, Mason nodded to the stairs.
Donovan nodded grabbing Skye’s hand. “Come on let’s give support ta our team.”, he stated before running up the stairs. Adder had moved past Mason and the Kearney twins giving her focus to some of the men rushing at them. Garrison followed her lead getting into the fight. ‘Stay safe...please..’, Mason thought as he watched Skye follow her brother. ‘Only if you do’, Skye thought back racing up the stairs. Mason smiled and set to work with his team clearing the first floor of church members knocking them out and getting them tied up for the police to deal with. Atif and Ashley had been met with hostility. The church members threatening to kill their hostages. Atif was quick to get a shield of the hostages who had been huddled together in fear. “Not happening. Let’s show them why you don’t mess with the freedom of the press.”, Ashley smiled moving in her arms covering with water as she started to blast her way through the men slamming to the wall forcing them to drop their guns. Donovan and Skye stopped at the top of the stairs Skye pulling her brought down as the ducked a man getting forced off his feet and into the wall at the top of the stairs by a strong blast of water. “Fury is on da warpat’.”, Donovan commented with a smile, “Aye let’s go ‘elp our cozs”, Skye nodded getting up. “Let’s get these hostages untied.”, Atif said seeing his cousins. “You and Inolar do dat. Ah’ll back up Fury.”, Donovan agreed moving to get into the fight with Ashley. “It’s going tobe okay.”, Atif assured the frightened people as he and Skye started to untie them. “Go down da stairs. Dere anot’er team clearing out da bad guys. Police are on deir way.”, Skye instructed pointing to the stairs.
“Another team?”, Atif asked looking to Skye questionly. “Aye. Da Black King and his merry court.”, Skye nodded. The people didn’t care what they were saying they just started to scramble for the stairs. “I’m getting sick of you.”, one man shouted at Ashley aiming his gun. Atif’s head went on a swivel hearing the gunshot his eyes going wide to see his sister was the target. Ashely was busy fighting someone else and to more than just her own surprise water from her arms suddenly redirected to former a thick layer of ice over her abdomen stopping the bullet as the ice pushed away from her forcing the bullet back as it crashed to the ground. “‘Ow did she do dat?”, Skye asked. Atif gulped witnessing what just happened. His mind flashing to the video footage of the night the institute was burned and how in the womb he and Ashley had defended their mother as best they could. Atif said nothing just formed a shield and rushed the man with the gun slamming him into the wall hard before bringing the shield down starting to punch him in the face. “Don’t...you...ever...fire...a...gun...at...my...sister...and...her...babies…”, Atif spoke in a broken sentence between punched. “Babies??”, Mason questioned as his team got to the second floor. Donovan knocked on the man who Ashley had been fighting. Ashley had backed herself against a wall trying to just breath a hand over her abdomen. Once the man was sufficiently bloodied and knocked out Atif got up and moved to his twin. “You...base..now.”, Atif stated sternly before pressing her watch forcing her to teleport back to Muir Island. “We apparently missed something.”, Adder commented. “Aye…”, Skye said grabbing a man who was trying to sneak up on Adder and slamming him to the ground.
When Ashley had arrived at Muir Island Xavier was more than a little surprise. “Ashley? Saiai? What happened? Are you injured?”, he asked quickly getting up from his station to get to her. “I’m… I’m…”, Ashley stammered trying to find the right words. She pulled her mask off and looked at Xavier’s face. She could see the worry he was trying to keep buried in his eyes. “You’re what sweetheart? What happened Saiai?”, Xavier asked his brow furrowing as he looked at his wife. “I’m pregnant…”, she just let the words fall out of her lips. “Pre...pregnant? What happened? How do you know?”, he asked thinking trying to recall her last menstrual. She’d always been irregular in her cycles skipping a month here and there. And with all the stress recently with the new job, the moving to Scotland, Excalibur, and their wedding he couldn’t remember the last time. “We were in the middle of the fight. I was using my water arms fighting on guy and another tried to shoot me. And.. and…”, she tried to explain physically shaking. As the moment was replaying in her mind she was flashing back to that footage of the night her mother was taken hostage at the school.
“Here Saiai, sit.”, Xavier encouraged bringing his chair over to her. Ashley nodded a little sitting down. “Water pulled away from my arms, I wasn’t doing it. It formed a thick layer of ice as a shield to my abdomen and the bullet hit the ice and the ice pushed the bullet away from me slowing its momentum and absorbing it before it fell shattering to the ground.”, Ashley explained barely able to believe it herself. Xavier gulped a little getting to his knees in front of her and without words just wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her lap. “Ā, kamisama watashi no ai. (Oh god my love)”, he whispered. He knew he’d always be worried about her when she put on her mask. But this this was different. They were going to be parents and apparently to mutant children or at least one mutant child. He’d been told the stories of how her and Atif displayed their abilities while in the womb. And now their unborn child was doing the same thing. “Anata wa watashi no kichōna, matawa preciouses arigatōgozaimasu. (Thank you my precious, or preciouses.)”, he spoke raising his head to kiss her uniform over her stomach. Ashley blinked pulled from her daze as he kissed her stomach and looked down at him.
“Xavier? What did you say?”, she asked. “I was thanking the baby or babies. I called them my preciouses.”, he explained looking up at her. Ashley smiled a little running her hand through his hair. “Knowing our luck it’s babies.”, Ashley teased. “Be it one or more as long as they are children with you I am the luckiest man, husband and apparently father to live.”, Xavier smiled shifting on his knees to kiss her softly. “You do realize that you are hanging up the mask till they are at least one.”, Xavier stated pulling back from the kiss. Ashley laughed a little but nodded. “Okay. I’ll take a leave from hero work till they are one. I’m still going to dance, at least till they say I’m too fat for ballet.”, she agreed. “I love you Ashley. We may not have planned to start our family so soon, but I’ve found the best things in life aren’t planned.”, he grinned. “Mmm like falling in love with me?”, she teased. “Exactly like falling in love with you. I’d not planned it but I could not be happier that I am. And now we will add to our family. Oh your brother will b e so thrilled when you tell him.”, Xavier mused. “Um he already knows. He saw it happen. And well like me it reminded him of the footage from the night mom was taken and we tried to protect her. He um… well he bashed the man who shot me till he was unconscious and then pressed the teleporter on my watch to send me here. I think it scared him, that I could get injured and what could happen to the babies.”, she sighed. “Well he is the seer lord knows how long he’s foretold us having children. It may not have been the best or more normal way to find out. But they are a blessing none the less.”, Xavier smiled kissing her again.
Back at the paper they could hear fighting upstairs. “Fuller…”, Skye said without a second thought started running up the stairs. “Fuller?”, Mason furrowed his brow. “Ah got her back. Just ‘elp Seer.”, Donovan instructed racing after his sister. Mason wanted to follow after Skye, to be the one to protect her. Adder and Garrison were already getting into the fight with Atif. Atif was in no mood for these men now. No they’d attacked his twin and her babies. Any typical sensitivity he had was gone. There was only rage left. Mason moved to try and follow but saw Adder fighting one man while another was coming up behind her ready to shoot her. He didn’t even think he held up his hands forcing the man into a wall. “Stay away from her.”, he said sternly. Adder glanced over her shoulder a small smile. Of course she could depend on Mason to have her back. No matter what that was something she would never doubt about their relationship. So as Mason, Adder, Garrison and Atif were cleaning up the second floor Rose and Billy were up on the third fighting the armed men trying to get to the editor’s office and to Jonathan. Billy was firing hex blasts at men causing them to stumble back and drop their weapons or their weapons to suddenly malfunction. Rose was taking them out at the legs with her claws as she was fighting.
Donovan and Skye got to the floor and joined the fight to try and get to the Editor’s office. “Where's Fury and Seer?”, Rose asked. “Seer sent Fury back to base. We’ll explain after. Da Black King and his team are ‘elping him clean up da second floor.”, Donovan said slamming his head into a man’s knocking him out. “Where is Fuller?”, Skye asked throwing a man down the stairs. “In the office.”, Rose said pointing. “We’ve been trying to clear these guys out and get the hostages out.”, Billy explained nodding to the hostages that were hiding. “Ah’m going ta save Fuller.”, Skye said making her way to the Editor’s door pulling it off it’s hinges. Donovan sighed and moved to get the hostages untied and instruct them to get out quickly. Only two men were left in the office at this point. And both and their guns on Jonathan. “This is all your fault! You call these freaks in!”, one shouted pulling the trigger. “JONATHAN!!!!”, Skye yelled that night in the alley replaying in her head and she jumped at Jonathan forcing him to the ground. The bullet missed Jonathan but instead it hit her piercing her left leg. “Iola!? IOLAR!”, Jonathan shouted finding himself lying on the ground under her. hearing his sister's code name being shouted with earnest Donovan rushed in. Jonathan’s shouting was loud enough Mason heard it downstairs and ran for the stairs. Donovan looked to his sister on the ground seeing the blood and then to the two men holding guns.
“Ya want someone ta shoot ya shoot me! Ya DO NOT SHOOT MA TWIN!”, Donovan shouted forming hot knifes and unleashing them pinning one to a wall. Mason rushed to the door and looked to Skye his eyes going wide. “Iolar…”, she barely breathed as she went to her side pulling her away from Jonathan. He untied her sash from around her waist ripping it. He used some as gauze to her wound and then the rest he wrapped tight over that to hold it in place to try and stop the bleed. Skye yelled in pain. “Wat Ah wouldn’t give ta trade powers wid ma brot’er.”, she groaned. “Oh god Iolar…”, Mason shook his head holding her before his eyes looked up and narrowed at the two men. “You...you did this.”, Mason glared. “Laoch. Get here out of here now.”, Mason ordered. Donovan was ready to continue to get his retribution but paused hearing Mason. “Ya don’t get ta tell me wat ta do.”, Donovan said. “But I do. Let’s get out of here. The cops are coming and she needs medical attention.”, Rose said stepping into the doorway. Laoch glared for a moment but conceded moving to his twin. Jonathan was just watching this in confusion mixed with worry for Skye. He didn’t know this man who’d rushed in but based on how he was reacting to Skye getting shot he was coming to one conclusion of who was under the mask. “Fuller you need to stay and talk to the police.”, Rose said. “But...I want.. I need to know she’ll be okay.”, Jonathan said moving to hold Skye’s hand. “Someone will let ya know.”, Donovan said carefully picking up his sister and hitting his watch. Rose, Atif and Billy also all disappeared. Leaving Jonathan in the room with Mason and the man who’d shot Skye.
Adder came to the door and looked around confused seeing only Mason in uniform. “W’at ‘appened?”, she asked. “This son of a bitch shot Iolar…”, Mason said pointing to the man who was trembling. Adder’s copper eyes went wide. “Her team all left. Which is fine by me. We handle this our way now.”, Mason instructed moving closer to the man who’d fired the gun. he held out a hand the man starting to gasp for air. Mason didn’t speak. Jonathan’s eyes went wide as he was frozen in fear watching as the man drew his last breath. He looked to the masked man a mix of feelings. He was terrified at the fact he’d just killed someone. But if he was right, if that was Mason he couldn’t blame him. In fact he wished he could help get retribution for Skye’s injury. “Bout damn time. Rook let’s clean this up our way.”, Adder instructed walking to the man Donovan had pinned and slammed her poison filled talon into the man’s throat. Once Mason and Adder left the office to go see to the elimination of the others COH Jonathan rushed to his editor untying him. Before the police arrived and Mason’s team had to go they had managed to kill nearly half of the men who’d attacked the newspaper. If this was the secret, if Mason was a mutant who also wore a mask it certainly explained why Skye had doubts. The man was a killer. Jonathan had seen him kill without remorse that day. And he knew he needed to tell Skye what he saw. She needed to know she was in love with a cold blooded killer.
As soon as the rest of the team arrived Rose and Donovan were quickly getting Skye to the medical bay so Rose could carefully remove the bullet and stitch the wound. Skye had passed out from the pain and blood loss. Once things had calmed down Xavier and Ashley let the rest of the team know that Ashley was pregnant , though they’d still need to see a doctor to get a better idea of how far along they are. Atif figured at that point it was a good idea to reveal his vision. So he told the team how he kept seeing a little boy with black hair and a little girl with blonde hair playing in a yard with Faelan in wolf form with Ashley chasing after them laughing. The vision made both Ashley and Rose smiled. The idea of Ashley’s children playing with Faelan. While the team was relaxing, most having headed home Rose and Donovan had remained to stay with Skye. “She’ll be okay. She’s a Kearney, my understanding they are too stubborn to die before they are ready.”, Rose teased nudging Donovan who was leaning against the wall watching his twin breathing intently as if willing her to wake up and to be okay. He nodded a little. “Aye. Skye too tough to let someting dis minor stop her.”, he agreed before he heard Skye’s mobile starting to go off. He furrowed his brow grabbing it from her purse. It was Jonathan.
“Aye Jonathan? Dis Laoch.”, Donovan answered. Jonathan frowned hearing Laoch’s voice. “Is she...is she okay? I’ll never forgive myself that she got hurt because of me.”, Jonathan spoke softly. “Dinna fash. It her job. It all our jobs, ta save lives.”, Donovan shook his head. “When I.. when I was shot she stayed with me at my side. I know I just got out of your headquarters, but I doubt you took her to a regular hospital. Can I… could I please come see her?”, Jonathan asked. Donovan sighed and looked to Rose. Rose nodded. “Fine. Ah’ll come fetc’ ya in a minute. She got another call coming in.”, Donovan sighed seeing Mason beeping in. “Of course. It’s probably Mason…”, Jonathan sighed hanging up. Donovan frowned there was something about the way Jonathan said that which didn’t settle. “Aye Mason? Dis Donovan.”, he answered the phone switching to the other line. “How is she? Can I see her?”, Mason quickly questioned without formal greeting. “She’s mending well enough. Rose got da bullet out and stitched her up. She’s resting now. And Ah sorry mate but Ah canna bring ya ta see her. No offense but she at our secret base. W’ich Ah intend ta keep secret even from you. Ah’ll keep ya posted on her progress. Ah gotta go, duty calls and all.”, Donovan said hanging up. Mason frowned as the call disconnected clutching the phone tightly. Adder walked up to him as he sat on their couch and offered him a pint. “She okay?”, she asked. “Donovan said she’s okay. They got the bullet out and closed the wound. She’s resting at their base to recover. But...he won’t let me see her because she’s at their base and I’m not one of them.”, Mason frowned taking the pint in exchange for his phone.
Adder sighed taking his cell putting it aside and sat on the arm of the couch running a hand over his hair and down to rub circles at his back. “She’ll be okay mate. She’s Skye Kearney toug’est bird, cept me, you’ve ever known. And well can’t fault t’em for keeping t’eir base secret. We keep ours from t’em too. But Ah sure t’at soon as she well enuff she’ll come ta see ya. W’at woman wouldn’t come looking for t’eir man. Especially w’en t’at man you.”, Adder tried to sound encouraging. it was killing her inside to say any of it. She didn’t want Skye to have Mason, but it was his choice. And she had resigned herself to the idea that what had happened that night between them was just a one time act of passion and lapse in judgement. Mason took a deep breath before taking a sip of the pint. “You’re right pet. This is Skye. She’ll be okay. And when she’s better I’ll see her. Till then I’ll be filling her apartment with her favorite flowers. So when she does come home she’ll be walking into her own personal valley of roses.”, he concluded leaning his head against Adder. “I should have saved her. I should have followed after her… but you needed me and I couldn’t….”, his voice broke off. “Shhhh Mason… it’s okay. Her brot’er was wit’ her. ya ‘ad no reason ta t’ink she’d come ta ‘arm. And Ah did need ya. Ah’ll always need ya just like ya’ll always need me. We got eac’other's backs t’rough t’ick and t’in, mate.”, Adder sighed kissing the top of his head. “Come on go get some sleep.”, she encouraged. Mason nodded and with her encouragement got up and headed for his room.