It was a large room, dwarfed by the bookshelves that lined the walls and the huge fireplace that burned warmly on one wall. Two doors were at the men's backs as they faced the man in front of them. He sat behind a huge mahogany desk in a high back leather chair.

He stared across the table at the two men that he had sent as messengers for his Lord. Their answer was less than pleasing. He showed no emotion on his handsome face as he expertly opened and closed the butterfly knives in his hands. He was slender, but with an athletic build, currently hidden beneath a silk three piece suit. His long black hair tied back in a braid and rested over his right shoulder. He was a handsome man, angular features with high cheekbones. A long, thin scar that stretched from his left eye to his jaw coupled with two-day-old bruises and cuts that marred his perfect face and skin.

He leaned forward in his chair, the action caused his ribs and lungs to burn with pain which his face never showed, toward the two men. "Gentlemen, this is not what I wished to here."

"Our deepest apologies, Mr. Kim, however, we had no choice. He would not see us," offered one of the men as an explanation.

Kim smiled and nodded his understanding. With a quick flick of his wrist, darts flew from his hand and impaled the man's face. Kim tilted his head and watched the man fall back in his chair, slamming hard into the ground. The surprise look on his face was frozen with his instant death. Kim slowly turned his head to the remaining man. "I'm sorry, I was left with no choice."

His dark eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched so tight, the veins were dancing across his jawline in perfect rhythm to his racing heartbeat. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"This girl, Lord Viper's niece, means the world to him and this incompetence that you have shown, leads me to believe that you do not care that she is in the gravest of danger. That these animals, they kidnapped her from him and we fear what they may do to her."

The man nodded. "I will not fail you, Mr. Kim."

"See that you do not."

The man stood, bowed and left the room through the door that Nang opened for him.

"Idiot," Kim snarled as the man left. He gestured at the dead man on his carpet. "Nang, get someone to clean this up."

Nang nodded and left the room.

Kim stood, stepped over the body and exited the second door. He made his way down the corridor to his Master's bedroom. He knocked lightly before silently entering the darken room. He made his way across the plush, light gray carpeting to the huge four poster bed. Although the bed was done in early Victorian, the rest of the room was heavily Chinese motif, with most of the décor that was an array of dragons and snakes.

Kim sat in a wing back chair next to the head of the bed, folded his hands on his lap, and stared at his Master.

Viper laid asleep on his bed, his aristocratic face relaxed in slumber without concern or worry, his black hair loose and fanned out over his pillows as he slept. His face was bruised and cut much like Kim's but his wounds ran deeper. That animal, Wolverine, hand gutted his Master in combat and left him incapacitated for the last two days. Kim had kept vigil at his Master's side and changed the bandages himself, not trusting anyone to be near him during his recovery.

Viper groaned as he turned toward Kim and slowly opened his eyes. Kim smiled and Viper offered the slightest curve of his lips to his friend.

Is she?" he asked hoarsely.

"Not yet, but I'm taking care of it. I am currently trying to hire him and have those two taken out of picture and then we will have the girl."

"No, have him bring me the gaijin as well," he insisted weakly.

Kim opened his mouth to protest but Viper silenced him with a wave of his hand as he turned his face from his friend. "No, bring him to me. I must know."

"As you command, My Lord." Kim stood, bowed and exited the room.

She stood in the hallway and had watched from the part open door as he carefully helped her into her pajamas and then tucked her into bed. He had sat on the edge of the bed, speaking softly to her, and gently stroking her hair until she settled down and went to sleep.

He shut the door and looked at Jasmine. "Jas."

"And you said you wouldn't make a good daddy," she reprimanded him. "From what I just witnessed, stud, you'd make a fine daddy."

"Don't start," he grumbled as he began to stride away.

Jasmine tilted her head and paused for just a brief moment before following him. She knew she was going to over step her bounds and whatever chance may have been for her and him to get back together, she was about to blow all to hell. It was a chance she had to take and that little girl deserved the best and the best was Logan.

"Start? Start? Honey, I haven't even started to start," she snapped as she caught up with him.

He stopped so abruptly that she almost passed him. She turned to face him. "I suggest that ya don't, darlin'."

"Too late," she said, hands on her hips. "You know I can't keep out of other people's business. You have what you do best and I have what I do best. Meddling."

"Do it else where."

"No, I don't think so." She shook her head and then locked her eyes on his with a smoldering glare.

Wolverine knew her temper, she claimed it was her heritage of Greek and Sicilian but he figured it was just the fact that she was obstinate with an indomitable will. He returned the stare but said nothing.

"We can continue this in the hall where everyone can hear or we can go somewhere quiet," she said in that acerbic tone that he hated.

"Fine," he snapped and opened a near by door for her. They both went in and Kurt came flying out.

"But zat is my room," he protested and then sighed. "Ah, vell, who am I to stand in ze vay of true love."

He contemplated listening at the door but then decided that it would not be a healthy decision, so instead, Kurt headed off to the danger room for a bit of practice. At least it would be less painful.

Logan shut the door after rudely removing Kurt from his room.

"That was tactful," Jasmine voiced in an irritated tone. "I'm sure he'll appreciate your treatment."

"He'll get over it."

"Yeah, I guess that's what you always figure, huh? They'll get over it. They'll forgive you. They'll forget you and move on with their lives. Mister Logan who comes in, saves the day and rides off into the sunset without so much as a glance over his shoulder."

Logan chuckled in a non-humored fashion and shook his head. "What're ya getting at?"

"I'm getting at this, you thickheaded fool," Jasmine replied heatedly as she stepped up into his personal space. "You can pull this crap on adults and they'll understand. You can pull this on your friends and, from what I've seen, they'll forgive you. You can pull this on lovers and for the most part, they will understand that you can't be tied down, that you need your space or that the tie isn't for long or someone else needs you more. But you can't do this to a child, Logan, because they won't understand. You can't just walk into Kitku's life and then ..."

"Butt out, Jas," he warned, his eyes narrowed.

"Bite me, I'm already in," she snapped back, unheeding his tone. "You can't walk into her life, been what you two have been through and then not take responsibility for those actions. She won't understand and personally, neither do I."

"Yer crossin' a dangerous line, girl."

"Tough. She loves you like a father and you need to accept that and do something about it." Jasmine continued in a pleading tone, "Logan, after all that she has been through, you are the only thing she has left to hold onto. Can't you grasp that you are everything to her? You gave her hope. Hope that finally, someone wanted her in their life."

Logan broke eye contact from her. He shoved his hands into his pockets, crossed the room to a window and looked at the night sky. "I know."

"Then if you know, do something about it."

He continued to stare out the window, refused to look at her. He thought about that little girl and how much she meant to him. In his own eyes, he knew there was nothing he could do for her. He could not give her a home, stability or anything a little girl would need. He was an X-Man and what kind of life would that be for her.

"Better than on the streets," he argued mentally with himself.

"If you don't, I will," Jasmine's voice broke him out of his reprieve.

He turned around, his arms over his chest and looked at her in disbelief.

"I'll legally adopt her and, at least, try to provide her with some kind of family."

"You're gonna give her a family?" Logan grinned and then realized his error.

Jasmine stepped even closer, her green eyes seething with anger and the magnetics around her made his bones twitch. "I'm willing to try and takes more guts than you apparently have. You've given her the belief that you and she are family and then you tear it away from her. At least I won't do that."

Wolverine's arms dropped to his side, his face twisted with fury.

"Get as pissed as you want but at least I can face what that girl needs and she needs someone who has the courage to love her and be there for her." Jasmine took a step back and turned to the door. "I always believed that you were capable of so much more," she said as her voice took on a softer tone. "I once thought that you and I would have a family someday because you had so much to offer. I guess, I was wrong. Maybe you don't. And maybe I don't want what you have to offer. Cowardice."

She opened the door and slammed it shut behind her. She paused and hoped he would come after her and tell her that he had already decided to adopt Kitku. That she was wrong and he did have the courage to love that little girl.

He never followed.

Controller made his way down the corridor from the drop off point that Gatewayer had left him. He walked purposefully toward a door where a young Vietnamese-American woman sat at a desk. Her name was Liberty Song. Her Father had named her Liberty after the Statue of Liberty and Song after her deceased Mother.

She was currently working at her desktop computer but held up her hand to him without taking her eyes from the screen.

She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "He's in a mood."

Controller nodded. "And it won't get any better after this."

She glared at him and snarled, sarcastically, "Thanks a pants full."

He smiled down at the slender, but full figured female. She had beautiful, long black hair, currently pulled up in an elaborate hair comb; bright blue-gray almond shaped eyes and full lips that seemed to have a perpetual pout. Her slender, artistic hands were covered in rings and knuckle rings, her wrists were adorn with bracelets as were her biceps, and she wore several necklaces and earrings.

"You're welcome," he replied politely, ignoring her sarcasm.

She stared up into his deep, brown eyes and shook her head. "Controller, you are so dangerously close ..."

Controller grinned and shrugged. "I'd like to get closer."

Her light-hearted laughter filled the room and was highly contagious. Controller was chuckling, in spite of himself.

"Daddy-O would have your head on a platter," she informed him as she caught her breath. They both smiled at the thought but knew she was right. Her father would probably walk by and just shoot him in the head without a second thought and without fear of his telepathy.

Controller sighed and shrugged. "Ah, such is life. Anyway, I know he's not busy, so may I?"

"You had Gatewayer spy on him?" she asked with exaggerated surprise.

"Who me? Perish the thought."

"Yeah, right. Go on," she buzzed the door open and waved him past.

He smiled once more at her, before he headed to the oversized, steel-reinforced door.