The night was calm above the Xavier Institute, but inside its walls, the air vibrated with unease. Mausgrau sat on the edge of a stone bench in the courtyard, his tail flicking slowly as he sharpened the dagger he'd carried since his jungle days. The soft scraping sound echoed in the stillness, keeping his mind busy while the weight of their next move pressed down on him.
Delilah stood nearby, silent, her arms crossed as the glow of the moon caught the edge of her crimson armor. She had not been herself since the last training session. Not after revealing the full scope of her powers.
"They look at me differently now," she said at last, breaking the silence. "Jean… Cyclops… even Storm. They don't see me. They see the power. The danger."
Mausgrau's ears twitched, and he looked up at her with a steady, thoughtful gaze.
"You are dangerous," he admitted plainly. "But danger is not evil. A blade can cut bread… or a throat. Same steel."
Delilah let out a faint laugh, though it was edged with bitterness.
"You make it sound simple. It's not. Not when they know I could reshape this entire school if I lost control."
Mausgrau sheathed his blade, standing with deliberate calm. His shadow stretched long in the courtyard.
"Then don't lose control. You told me once you wanted to live as a normal human. To stop being… what you were before. This is your chance, Delilah. Do not waste it."
Before she could reply, footsteps approached. The X-Men—Jean, Logan, and Beast—entered the courtyard. Jean's eyes locked on Delilah with her usual careful calm, though her voice carried urgency.
"We've intercepted chatter," Jean said. "The Black Serpents are moving again. And this time, they're closer than ever. A cell has been sighted just two towns over."
Logan's claws slid out with a sharp snikt.
"We're gearing up. The Serpents don't set foot this close unless they're hunting something—or someone."
Delilah's expression hardened.
"They're after the keystones."
Beast adjusted his glasses, his brow furrowed.
"You know this?"
Delilah nodded. "I can feel it. Their energy… their obsession. It's the same pull that drove them when I wore another face."
The courtyard went still. Mausgrau rested a hand on his dagger again, ears twitching with tension.
Jean gave a sharp nod.
"Then we don't wait. Mausgrau. Delilah. You're with us. Tonight we take the fight to the Serpents before they take anything else."
For the first time in days, Delilah's lips curved into a grim smile.
"Good. Let's see if they still fear the shadows they once served."
And together, they stepped into the dark, toward a battle that would not wait for dawn.