Disclaimer ¡¦Only borrowed, not stolen. Played with carefully. Sorta.

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Chapter 4: Settling In

¡¦I am not wearing that,¡¦ Dee said stubbornly. ¡¦It¡¦s not decent.¡¦

¡¦Girlfriend, I have to remind you to wear a shirt over your bra, and you think this isn¡¦t decent?¡¦ Jubilee asked, holding out the catalog folded to show a model wearing a three-quarter-length skirt. ¡¦This is absolutely perfect with that sweater, and you can¡¦t just wear pants all the time.¡¦

The youngest woman in the room hunched her shoulders, but refused to give in. ¡¦If it went to the floor, I¡¦d consider it, but I will not show my ankles in public, and that¡¦s final.¡¦

Jean¡¦s smirk from the other side of the room did not help as Jubilee tried to deal with the obstinate teenager. ¡¦Fine,¡¦ Jubilee sighed, and tossed the catalog at the redhead. ¡¦You can order her some more pants.¡¦

¡¦Every culture has their own taboos, Jubilee.¡¦ Jean¡¦s voice sounded strained as she struggled to maintain a straight face. ¡¦If Dee considers her lower legs risqu¡¦ then you should respect that. We can make her some long skirts, or she can continue to wear the trousers she¡¦s comfortable with.¡¦

Jubilee glared at her. ¡¦You¡¦re enjoying this, aren¡¦t you?¡¦

¡¦What, you arguing with a teenager over what she can and cannot wear?¡¦ Unable to control herself any longer, Jean collapsed in a peal of giggles. ¡¦Oh, yes. Immensely.¡¦

Dee¡¦s blue eyebrows drew together in puzzlement as she watched her commander stick her tongue out at the red-headed woman, but shrugged it off as Storm peeked into the room. ¡¦Dee, your brother is asking for you.¡¦

¡¦Yes, ma¡¦am. Do you know where he is?¡¦

¡¦Respect from my juniors. How refreshing.¡¦ Jubilee ignored the gibe, and Storm smiled. ¡¦He¡¦s in the garage with Bishop. He said you¡¦d enjoy seeing one of our vehicles.¡¦

Still baffled by the behavior of the older women, Dee left.

Storm stepped aside to let her pass, then entered the room and cast an amused glance over the clothing and catalogs strewn about. ¡¦I¡¦m also to remind you, Jubilee, that you¡¦re due in the Danger Room shortly. Cyclops and the Professor are interested in measuring any differences in your pyrotechnic abilities, and you specifically requested they evaluate the possibility of you rejoining the team.¡¦

¡¦Yeah, I remember. I¡¦ll be there. And hey, added bonus of not having to stare at little cards with circles and stars on them any longer.¡¦

¡¦Her telepathy appears to be one-sided,¡¦ Jean elaborated when Storm raised an eyebrow. ¡¦We¡¦ve established that she can hear anyone who ¡¦shouts¡¦, whether or not they¡¦re psychic, but she cannot send effectively unless the listener also has some telepathic ability.¡¦

¡¦Let¡¦s not forget the whole ability to eavesdrop bit,¡¦ Jubilee added blithely. "I thought I was going to choke on dinner last night.¡¦

Storm grinned in wild speculation as Jean blushed. ¡¦In the future I¡¦ll be more careful about my shields when I¡¦m talking to my husband.¡¦ She grabbed the nearest glossy catalog in an attempt to forestall any further questions. The western wear choices had heavy circles around several items, including a pair of dark blue riding pants with reinforced seams, and a double breasted cavalry shirt in a similar color.

¡¦Talking, huh? Is that what it¡¦s called?¡¦ Having turned the tables on the teasing, Jubilee wasn¡¦t about to let it go. ¡¦You know, I didn¡¦t finish college, but I¡¦m pretty sure that¡¦s not¡¦.¡¦

¡¦Enough,¡¦ interrupted Storm, taking pity on her friend. ¡¦So you can hear, but not send. A pity. That could have come in handy in combat. You could telepathically direct those under your command.¡¦

¡¦As if Vic would listen to me. Usually, I just kinda pointed him in the right direction and set him loose.¡¦

A lady-like snort came from Jean¡¦s direction as she gathered the scattered clothing. ¡¦Funny, that¡¦s how Scott used to describe telling Wolverine what to do.¡¦

Storm chuckled. ¡¦What is truly appalling is how alike Wolverine and Sabretooth are.¡¦

¡¦Other than the two foot difference in height, and the whole psychotic killer bit,¡¦ Jubilee drawled. ¡¦Actually, he¡¦s doing a lot better. I doubt he¡¦s gonna curl up on the Professor¡¦s couch and meditate any time soon, but a few months hanging around here ought to help him.¡¦

Storm frowned at the mention of mention of months. ¡¦Jubilee, are you sure you won¡¦t reconsider returning to college? You had only one semester left, and you could easily rejoin the team then.¡¦

Jubilee shook her head apologetically, but her tone was firm. Sorry, Stormy. Nothin¡¦ doing. I can¡¦t leave my troops here alone with people they don¡¦t know. And I can¡¦t leave Vic without a leash. He needs someone to remind him who¡¦s boss on occasion.¡¦

A slender white eyebrow rose. ¡¦Remind him - what an odd word to use. The display you two put on three days ago was the closest I¡¦ve seen to all out warfare enacted in the Danger Room.¡¦

Jubilee's hand flew out in a dismissive gesture. "That? That was just a dominance spat. Happens all the time."

"You could barely walk out on your own two feet," Jean reminded her tartly.

"Yeah, but who walked out, and who was just plain out - cold?" A roguish grin revealed Jubilee's broken tooth again, and Jean decided to let it drop.

"Jubilee," Storm called pointedly, "The time? You are expected in the Danger Room¡¦"she checked the clock on the nightstand, "three minutes ago."

"Nag, nag, nag," Jubilee huffed under her breath, but shoved her feet into her worn boots and clomped off. The older women accompanied her as far as the Observation booth, letting her make her own way to the large brushed- metal doors of the Danger Room. Inside, Storm took the last empty chair behind Bishop as Wolverine rose from his place behind Scott and offered it to Jean. She took it automatically, knowing it was useless to argue with him over a courtesy that was second nature to him.

¡¦You¡¦re late, Jubilee,¡¦ chided Bishop over the intercom as she entered the arena below.

In response, Jubilee rolled her shoulders and made a hand gesture that Storm and Jean did not recognize, but had no doubt was rude. ¡¦Fire it up, Bish.¡¦

Switched clicked and a hum rose from the main computer, and seconds later the featureless floor and walls of the Danger Room became an old-growth forest. The widely spaced trees were ideal for attackers to hide behind, and the generated soldiers in black combat uniforms blended easily in the deep shadows. On the various monitors and tattletale electronic displays, Scott watched Jubilee fend off the first attacker.

Noting the ease of her defense, he tapped a key and bumped up the threat level of the simulation a single percentage. In the chair beside him, Bishop made a small noise of disgust. Wolverine had to agree with him. ¡¦Cyke, you¡¦ve had Jubilee run tougher sims than this when she was home on holiday. I think she can handle a little more than this kiddie routine.¡¦

Two more commandos had joined the first on the forest floor, and Scott shrugged. ¡¦Fine.¡¦ The indicator LED¡¦s glowed higher as he raised the level again. The next pair of attackers actually took several blows before being dispatched.

¡¦That¡¦s more like it!¡¦ rose Jubilee¡¦s tinny voice from the intercom. An ambush from the rear took her attention, and she spun to meet it.

¡¦Why isn¡¦t she using her powers?¡¦ questioned Storm after a few minutes. She startled when a deep voice answered her; she hadn¡¦t realized Creed had followed her into the booth.

¡¦Lee likes to keep the big guns until later in the fight,¡¦ he rumbled. ¡¦Gui¡¦vos tended to target her, once they figured out she was in charge.¡¦

Cyclops considered that for a moment, then tapped the keys again. He watched his youngest team member move fluidly from one opponent to the next, able to see the martial arts he had first started teaching her ten years ago in her smooth dispatch, along with the style of the others who¡¦d taught her how to fight. A move that was pure Gambit caught his eye, and he had to smile.

Bishop¡¦s large brown finger landed on the keyboard during a slight pause in the action, and Scott did not object as the display crept up higher yet. Below, the action became more frenetic as three computer generated figures converged on Jubilee. For the first time, a colored ball of light flew from her hand and caught one of the black-coated wraiths, blowing him backwards into a tree with the same decisive thump that worked so well against Sabretooth. Two more were blinded by a spray of phosphorus-bright sparks and were quickly dealt with. Scott and Jean peered at the readouts as Jubilee continued to fight the simulation.

The six people watching her noticed when her fluid style changed, becoming more precise, less forgiving. The graceful martial arts gave way to a brutal efficiency of movement and energy. Several attackers were dropped within moments of their appearance, burned ¡¦fatally¡¦ while their legs still propelled them forwards. The screen in front of Scott indicated that more of the injuries would have been deadly, rather than merely rendering the opponent unconscious.

Scott brought up the data from Jubilee¡¦s last evaluation nearly a year ago, and compared it to the new temperature and energy levels that changed every time a concussive shock vibrated the reinforced plexiglass in front of them. ¡¦Damn. She has gotten stronger.¡¦ Bishop did not bother to answer, but tapped his favorite control several more times. The yellow lights on the control panel changed to orange, then red.

In the Danger Room, Jubilee¡¦s shirt darkened with sweat, and the monitors that caught her expression revealed her intense focus as she fought and whirled, one moment shooting plasma from her hands and seconds later delivering physical blows. The never-ending stream of artificial opponents continued to fall around her, blinking out of existence and allowing floor space for the next who expired.

When the flood of simulated commandos finally died, Jubilee took several much needed breaths and scrubbed the sweat out of her eyes with her sleeve. Peering up, she was able to make out the figures watching her from the enclosure above.

¡¦Vic?¡¦ she called up.

¡¦Yeah?¡¦

¡¦Bishop been playing with the controls up there?¡¦ A deep chuckle was all the answer she needed. ¡¦He touches anything else, I want you to break his finger, ¡¦kay?¡¦

¡¦My pleasure,¡¦ the big man replied.

Bishop¡¦s hand was still resting over the keypad. His finger moved a bare smidgen once, eliciting a responsive twitch from Creed. The finger quivered again. A sound rose from Creed¡¦s chest, not quite a growl, but a series of deep guttural clicks that sounded almost like amusement. Bishop¡¦s face gave nothing away, but Logan could sense the lack of true hostility between the two.

¡¦Well -- this is interesting,¡¦ came Jubilee¡¦s voice from the speaker. Belatedly he glanced back to the simulation where an oversized Sentinal was striding through the generated forest towards Jubilee. Logan shifted his weight, a familiar tension constricting his chest. He¡¦d fought this scenario¡¦s finale before. It was a bitch.

¡¦First mistake was letting me know you were coming.¡¦ Jubilee¡¦s hands cupped at her sides, cradling tiny balls of pure white light which swiftly grew larger than basketballs and spit sparks of different colors. A nimbus of pink and blue plasma arced between and around her fingers as the metallic leviathan came closer.

The steady thump of metal feet was deafeningly loud as it bore down on its small opponent, and did not pause as Jubilee hurled both balls of energy at it. The orbs leapt eagerly from her hands and sped, one after the other, to impact the metal form as it raised its weapons.

¡¦No time for mistake number two,¡¦ intoned Bishop ritually as Jubilee threw herself behind a large tree trunk. His words were all but lost in the twin detonations of her attack, explosions so intense the floor shook beneath the observers¡¦ feet, and warning systems lit up all over the control board. The view screen automatically polarized to shield the viewers from the intense light, so they could only guess at what parts of the destroyed automaton rained against the darkened window. As it slowly cleared, Jubilee¡¦s panting voice came clearly across the intercom.

¡¦Indiana Jones, eat your heart out.¡¦

¡¦Showoff,¡¦ Creed muttered as the screen cleared.

Bishop shut down the simulation and left Scott and Jean to peruse the results. ¡¦She should know better ¡¦her blood sugar will crash in the next few minutes. You go get her and meet me in the kitchen. I¡¦ll find her something to eat.¡¦ Creed grunted in agreement and followed him out, rather to the others¡¦ surprise.

Storm moved forward to take Bishop¡¦s vacated seat, and Wolverine moved forward to read over her shoulder. ¡¦Well?¡¦ he asked.

The computer flickered as it made comparisons and projections. Below, Sabretooth entered the Danger Room and hauled a shaky Jubilee to her feet. Her laughter came over the speakers at some comment from the man, and Wolverine¡¦s eyes narrowed at the still surreal spectacle of Victor Creed slinging a casual arm around Jubilee's shoulders.

Scott finally answered. ¡¦If Jubilee can consistently produce energy blasts like this, then Alpha class is a given.¡¦

¡¦I¡¦m not so sure, Scott. If she is weakened that much¡¦¡¦

¡¦Gimme a break, Jeanie,¡¦ Wolverine interrupted. ¡¦If she¡¦s been in combat non-stop like she says, she¡¦s got no reserves left. Why else d¡¦ya figure she¡¦s so scrawny?¡¦ He poked the read-out. ¡¦Get her some regular eats, Cyke, and she¡¦ll be giving you a run for your money.¡¦

Cyclops had to agree. Jubilee and her strays had eaten an astonishing quantity of food since their retrieval. Hank, in his capacity as a doctor, had specifically encouraged the consumption of protein and calcium while surreptitiously donating his Twinkies to Jubilee¡¦s voracious junk food appetite. The teenagers Dee and Tommy had been on the borderline of malnutrition, and even Bishop had been far below his normal weight. Creed, the only one of the group still up to his 'fighting weight,' had been given a considerable amount of ribbing at dinnertime for his ability (and tendency) to eat damn near anything, cooked or not.

¡¦Alpha class,¡¦ Cyclops pronounced to the room at large, then rose and left to tell Xavier the X-Men had another member.

*********

Storm finished the paper she was grading and flipped it over to start on the next. Next to her, Jubilee huffed a sigh worthy of the teenager she once was and reapplied her wandering mind to the math problems.

"Ya know, 'Ro, when I said I wasn't going back to school, I didn't think you'd get your revenge by making me teach school instead."

"It's only temporary, Jubilation. At the rate Dee and Tommy are learning, they'll soon be beyond the level you and I can competently instruct them."

Jubilee continued to run the red pencil in her hand down the row of figures, looking for mistakes. She didn't find any. The two youngest strays were sponges, picking up the contents of the standard texts and skills with astonishing speed.

"I'm gonna ask them if they want to go to Massachusetts," she finally confessed. "They both need more challenge than we can give them.¡¦

¡¦Charles mentioned something similar to me just a few days ago, and I think it¡¦s an excellent idea. Being among other teenagers might give them a sense of belonging they don¡¦t have here.¡¦

Jubilee picked at the tattered edge of one sheet of paper. ¡¦They deserve a chance to be kids, Storm. Both of them have spent way too much time as soldiers. They need to learn how to be something else."

¡¦Have you given any thought to what they might do with themselves, after they¡¦ve completed their education?¡¦ Storm asked gently.

¡¦A little. Dee could probably dye her hair and pass as human, but Tommy¡¦s skin just gets darker in the sun. At least, it did back where they come from,¡¦ she amended. ¡¦I¡¦m sure we could scare up an image inducer if he really wanted to try going out in society.¡¦ The red pencil drummed on the tabletop restlessly. ¡¦I guess it¡¦s really up to them, though.¡¦

One shoulder shrugged, but Storm was not fooled by Jubilee¡¦s offhand manner. The older woman patted her hand sympathetically. "Letting go is always hard, Jubilee. If you truly believe it is in their best interest, then you must put aside your own feelings."

"I promised I'd take care of them, though. Sending them away is breaking that promise. And Chibar¡¦ I can¡¦t even get him to come into the house during the day."

The bleak tone of voice pulled at Storm's heart; she had spent much of the last two months with Jubilee and her people, helping them acclimate themselves to their new lives, and knew the deep affection and tremendous loyalty the group felt towards their leader was returned in full. "Give the man some more time, Jubilee. His world has changed radically, and he¡¦s not as young and resilient as the others. And giving Dee and Tommy the education and the freedom to explore a life of their own choosing is fulfilling your promise, Jubilee, not breaking it. Do not be so harsh with yourself. Even X-men leave the fold."

The younger woman did not look convinced. Storm put her head to one side, considering. "Why don't we take a trip to Snow Valley, the four of us, and tour the school? Dee and Tommy can look things over, and decide for themselves. You will not be sending them away, you will be allowing them to leave. Does that satisfy your sense of honor?"

Against her will, Jubilee's mouth twitch. "Oh, alright. Sounds good."

"Wonderful. We'll call this afternoon. Now," she continued, turning over another paper, "if we could get your other student to simply turn in his homework, I would feel my life were complete."

The light sarcasm brought Jubilee's brow down to a frown. "Tweed skipping out again?" In the two months they'd been in Westchester, Tweedle's name had shortened and become Tweed. Even having it pointed out that tweed was a fabric worn by librarians and geeks, he had insisted it was a camouflage pattern and stuck with it.

"Of course he is. And Bishop is no help at all, he positively encourages it."

"We'll just see about that," muttered Jubilee. She cast her mental tendrils out into the mansion - while she could not contact Tweed or Bishop with a psychic communication, she had been working with Jean and Charles on how to mentally reach her mind out to feel the people around her, and was getting much better at it.

"Got him. He's in Bishop's room, and they've got company." Her wry comment brought Storm's attention.

"What, is Remy in there teaching him how to drink bourbon?"

"Nope. Cable's here."

"Good heavens," responded Storm. "Worse. Much worse."

Tweed attempted a charming grin when his annoyed superior appeared in Bishop's quarters, but the narrowed eyes told him he was in trouble. He cast a guilty look at the pile of homework on a table - it was obvious he'd used it as an excuse to join the other two men in discussing the military hardware spread out on every surface.

"Tweed! You can play with Bishop and Cable's toys when you're done with the work I gave you," she informed him, ignoring the affronted looks from the other two at hearing their pride and joy called 'toys.'

"C'mon, boss," he attempted. "I'll get it done later."

"The deal was, you pass the GED and you don¡¦t have to take the same classes as your little sister. When you do pass, you can tell me to go to hell. Until then, you follow orders."

Bishop gave the young man a sympathetic glance, but wisely did not interfere.

Cable, who had taken a liking to Tweed, gave him a wink. "No problem, there, Jubilation. We'll help the kid out."

Unfortunately, Jubilee saw the wink and pointed a warning finger to the gray-haired man. "You give him one answer and so help me, I'll put rollerblades on you and make you learn to skate."

He peered down at Jubilee from his full twelve-inch advantage in height. ¡¦You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Cable's cybernetic eye glinted at her, and she returned a nasty smirk.

"Advice," he grumbled in surrender. "No help."

"Good."

Cable might have said more, but Charles Xavier's mental voice reached them all and changed the mood in the room immediately.

<X-Men. Please assemble in the Briefing Room in fifteen minutes. Sabretooth, this includes you.>

**********

Victor Creed wasn¡¦t thrilled about putting on another shirt with Xavier¡¦s little ¡¦X¡¦ on it, but the boss had tossed it to him three weeks ago and told him to wear it or choke on it. Taking orders from Pint Size had rubbed him the wrong way from the beginning, but he was minding it less and less. He was still confident he could kill her with just a little effort, but he¡¦d sworn to follow her to get off that backwater cesspool of a planet, and she¡¦d kept her end of the bargain. He usually didn¡¦t care whether he broke his word, but things hadn¡¦t turned out too bad, and she had pulled his fat out of the fire on a few occasions. Not to mention that for such a small piece she had a hell of a punch in those little fireworks of hers.

She trusted him to watch her back, and that was something he didn¡¦t usually get. He also trusted her, too, and that was definitely unusual. The fact that she actually acted like she gave a shit if he lived or died was something he¡¦d never experienced at all. Lotta people wanted him dead. Other than her, Sabretooth couldn¡¦t think of anyone that wanted him to stay alive. The novelty of that alone was interesting enough to put up with the current situation for a while longer.

The circular table in the Briefing Room was littered with papers as he followed Jubilee in. Cable, Tweed, Dee, and Tommy had taken a row of chairs against the far wall, out of the way but able to observe. The Professor glanced at them as they entered, and it was obvious they were the last two to show up. The rest of the group looked at the incongruous pair; one blonde and hugely tall, the other dark and petite, but dressed in identical blue trousers, topped by matching double-breasted cavalry shirts similar to the type Bishop often wore. Stenciled on the left pectoral was a circled 'X' in bright yellow.

Xavier merely nodded in greeting, ignoring any possible statement that might have been made by or about the change in uniform, and began to lay out the details of the mission. The facts rolled into Creed¡¦s brain as he listened without really paying attention. The reasons, suspicions, and careful weighing of facts meant nothing to him. It was a situation ¡¦it needed fixing. That was the biggest difference between himself and the others. If they had a problem, they hadta justify themselves. In Creed¡¦s mind, if someone did something to piss you off, then it was their fault if they got hurt when you decked their ass. Ethics and justifications were for geeks and losers.

His heart rate increased at the prospect of violence, and while Lee would specifically forbid him from killing anyone, he knew he¡¦d be able to vent some of the restlessness that continually plagued him. Across the table, Xavier finally quit yammering, only to let Summers pick it up. As far as Creed was concerned, they took an ungodly amount of time to say they didn¡¦t have a clue where their objective was, but they had to find a hidden lab somewhere in the paramilitary terrorist compound. This outfit didn¡¦t give one extra rat¡¦s ass about mutants compared to all the other minorities they considered threats, but they were apparently ready to kill or die over issues a large percentage of the world didn¡¦t even know existed. A quick glance around showed everyone was nodding in agreement like dashboard Chihuahuas. Wolverine, chewing on the end of an unlit cigar, was the only person who looked as fidgety as Creed felt.

He was ready to let loose a growl to get the show on the road when the boss leaned forward and placed both hands flat on the table. Bishop noticed too; they were both familiar with the signs when the little wheels started turning in Jubilee¡¦s head and one of her plans started rolling out.

¡¦Something you want to add, Jubilee?¡¦ Scott queried.

Her hands left the tabletop and began to sift through the scattered hard copy and riffle through the electronic displays. A bubblegum pink nail tapped on the display screen, which obligingly enlarged the bird¡¦s-eye view of the compound.

¡¦There¡¦s a security camera in there.¡¦

Near the fence stood a forlorn knot of dying trees. A tiny metallic glint was revealed against the dull leaves.

Scott moved to her side. ¡¦So?¡¦

¡¦Why are they hiding the camera? These others,¡¦ and she indicated the fence line, ¡¦they already cover the perimeter.¡¦

She shuffled through the papers again, then stacked them and used the straight edge to simulate a line of sight from the trees to the compound within. At one point, it lined up with a small alcove on a nondescript building. Enlarging it, she tapped the keyboard and had it run through the time-lapse shots gathered.

At only one time did a figure show; an obvious guard in the act of smoking a cigarette. She froze the display.

¡¦Even they gotta go outside,¡¦ Wolverine growled.

The corner of her mouth twitched, but otherwise his longstanding resentment over clean air rules was ignored. ¡¦There¡¦s your lab,¡¦ Jubilee stated.

¡¦How can you be sure?¡¦ Jean asked. By now, the entire team was gathered closely, watching the unfolding detective work.

¡¦His weapon.¡¦ At maximum magnification, the grainy sidearm was barely discernable. ¡¦All these other goons have rifles, but this boy¡¦s an inside- only guard. Whatever they¡¦ve got down there, they don¡¦t want to take the chance of blowing it away with maximum firepower. And they want to keep an eye on it without being too obvious.¡¦

¡¦Gotta be a door in that corner,¡¦ Wolverine stated. ¡¦No way he¡¦d wander that far from the other entrances just for a smoke.¡¦

"There are no power lines going into that building, Jubilee," Scott pointed out.

"Really. So how come they've got that huge ass air conditioner on the roof? That sucker's big enough to ventilate a five-story building. Maybe they just like it extra cold in there."

"High-power servers require substantial cooling, even in underground facilities," Hank offered.

Pink Ray-Bans appeared from Jubilee's pocket, landing on her nose with an insouciant flourish. "I say we go heat things up a bit. Send in a small team here, everyone else makes a lot of noise over there, and boom, we¡¦re in.¡¦

Cyclops eyed her speculatively. ¡¦Who do you take in?¡¦

¡¦Vic, Bishop¡¦¡¦ Only someone familiar with the body language of a person wearing glasses would have noticed the slight hesitation as Jubilee's hidden eyes flicked to Wolverine, then past. ¡¦And Gambit. Maximum damage.¡¦

Red lenses peered at pink ones until Scott was confident she wasn¡¦t going to back down, second-guess herself, or show any of the insecure, unsure signs of a junior officer. He finally nodded, just once.

¡¦Do it.¡¦



Jubilee and Bishop burst back into the lab, startling Gambit as he argued with the security lock on the stubborn inner door. Across the room, Sabretooth kept a watchful eye on the scientists and disarmed guards huddled in the corner. Apparently bored, he was tossing glass beakers and vials with uncertain contents into what had been an expensive freezer unit. On it¡¦s back, the wads of papers, books and other debris within it burned fitfully as more liquid hit the flames. Occasionally, it would flare brightly as something flammable splashed.

¡¦Having a good time?¡¦ Jubilee asked as she dropped a metal rectangle of computer innards onto the counter beside him. She spared a single, minute thought for the hope that nothing too nasty was incubating in the contents of his new hobby.

Creed looked up from the wreckage thoughtfully. ¡¦Had better.¡¦

¡¦Kill anyone?¡¦

¡¦No,¡¦ he snarled truculently.

¡¦Good boy.¡¦

¡¦Fuck you.¡¦

¡¦Buy me dinner first,¡¦ she said, absently, focusing on LeBeau¡¦s activities. ¡¦Gambit, wha¡¦d¡¦ya find?¡¦

¡¦We got something special down dis hallway, Petite, but the access code be playin¡¦ hard to get!¡¦

Gambit shoved one of his electronic toys into the card slot, fiddling, but the panel blew another electronic raspberry at him and refused to open. ¡¦Them boys over there got mighty nervous when I asked what¡¦s down here, and they don¡¦ wanna answer Gambit when he ask real nice!¡¦

¡¦Vic!¡¦ Jubilee snapped. ¡¦Grab one of those white coats and get him over here! Bishop, watch the corridor.¡¦

¡¦Hell, yeah!¡¦ Creed rumbled, picking a likely target and stalking towards him. In seconds, a pudgy man in a white coat was unceremoniously thrust in front of Jubilee and the stubborn door.

¡¦Open it,¡¦ she ordered.

Dr. Willard Franklin was having a very, very bad day. Budget meetings that morning had slashed his operating expenditures, his lunch had been delivered cold, and only five minutes ago his entire laboratory had been overrun by a squad of mutants who had blasted their way in, overwhelmed the few guards, and proceeded to destroy every single piece of very costly equipment. The main computers had been melted into slag by the woman who appeared to be in charge, and unfortunately she had followed the cables to the backup mainframe. The smoke trickling through the ventilation gave none of his subordinates much hope that the auxiliary system had been spared. Those who managed to look beyond the loss of years of work were busy being highly terrified of the mutant who¡¦d taken such enjoyment of wrecking things.

He drew what little dignity he had left, considering he was on his knees, around him. ¡¦No. I won¡¦t. The subjects aren¡¦t even mutants, you couldn¡¦t possibly be interested in them.¡¦ The alarm claxon had been going off for several minutes, and he was certain the security would discover these intruders at any moment. it could only be a matter of time before the other guards in the complex discovered the break in. Really, he had no idea what was taking them so long.

¡¦Subjects? You¡¦ve got live -human - test subjects in here?¡¦ The surprise in her voice disappeared as she clamped down on any emotions. ¡¦Vic. Break his arm.¡¦

The big man grumbled deep in his throat with pleasure and hauled the scientist to his feet. At the same time, Gambit protested. ¡¦Jubilee, you can¡¦t¡¦¡¦

¡¦Gambit. Shut up.¡¦ She turned to the quivering man. ¡¦Code, or arm. Your choice.¡¦

¡¦Oh, very nice,¡¦ he blustered. ¡¦Good cop, bad cop, I¡¦ve seen this in the movies¡¦¡¦ His voice broke off as she seized the front of his lab coat and slammed him backwards, hard.

¡¦Do I look like I play games?¡¦

Blue obsidian in an Asian setting bored into his eyes and he swallowed, suddenly remembering how the plastic casing around his servers had melted and run under the same hands that now pinned him to the wall. The clawed giant¡¦s grip had never left his arm, and it tightened with a raw, pitiless strength that helped him focus wonderfully.

¡¦314159.¡¦

¡¦Oh, please,¡¦ sneered Jubilee. ¡¦Pi?¡¦ She released him abruptly and plucked at the pass-card hanging around his neck. The lanyard parted with a sharp claw that swept far too close to his face, and Dr. Franklin slid numbly to the ground, forgotten.

Gambit kept watch on the far entrance of the lab as Bishop left his post to help the others in the short hallway. Jubilee and Creed toggled the holding cell doors and released three unsteady male prisoners, who hardly believed their incarceration was over. Bishop caught one of the shambling prisoners under the arm and steered him towards the stairway they¡¦d originally forced their way down. As he passed, Gambit snagged the broad mutant¡¦s attention.

¡¦Tell Gambit de trut¡¦. The petite, she woulda let Creed torture dat man?¡¦

Bishop watched their squad leader pull a shaky prisoner to his feet and replied in a low voice. ¡¦When Jubilation confronted the man who violated Dee, he laughed at her and wanted to know what she thought she could do about it.¡¦

The Cajun thief waited for the other shoe to drop. Bishop finally looked him full in the eye and finished it. ¡¦She slit his throat and issued orders that his body be stripped and hung in a tree by the main road.¡¦

Air whistled tunelessly as Gambit muttered the fencer's salute. "Sa-sa. The petite¡¦ she¡¦s grown teeth.¡¦

¡¦Sharp ones,¡¦ agreed Bishop.

¡¦Chat later, move your ass now!¡¦ shouted Jubilee, just behind them. ¡¦Vic, grab my door prize. Let's go!"



¡¦Strike One, where are you? Jubilee? Dammit, Jubilee, answer me!¡¦ Cyclops cursed as the time ran on without a sign of the strike team. The diversionary firefight at the main gate was solidifying, and it would not be long before the humans rallied and pushed out against their attackers. The doubts any leader has over sending troops into a dangerous situation surfaced and combined with a nagging sense of unease over giving Jubilee such responsibility on her first real mission since returning to the X-Men. The sound of Jubilee¡¦s voice in his earbug brought instant relief to the pressure building around his chest.

¡¦Keep your panties on, Cyclops,¡¦ Jubilee shouted. ¡¦We found some extras down there.¡¦

¡¦We¡¦re outside the fence line now,¡¦ came Bishop¡¦s calm voice. ¡¦We have three passengers.¡¦

Cyclops signaled the withdrawal and joined the rest of the team as they pounded towards the Blackbird. Gambit and Bishop joined them first, weaving through the trees and leading three men who appeared sadly bewildered. Bringing up the rear, Jubilee and Sabretooth kept an eye on their back trail while urging the rescued subjects onward.

¡¦I¡¦m betting Nick Fury would like to have a talk with these guys,¡¦ Jubilee began when she got within earshot. ¡¦One of ¡¦em told me he pled guilty to drunk and disorderly in some podunk town out west of here, and woke up in this joint. S.H.I.E.L.D. still keeps tabs on justice system abuses, right?¡¦

¡¦Your orders were to get in and get out! You should not have taken that kind of chance!¡¦ Scott hadn¡¦t planned on yelling, but Jubilee apparently had Wolverine¡¦s knack of getting to him. ¡¦What made you think you could go play hero?¡¦

He hadn¡¦t even realized Sabretooth was growling until Jubilee held up one hand to prevent him from moving. ¡¦Cyclops, the situation was under control. We got what we came for, did a good deed, and got out with our butts intact. What is the problem?¡¦

¡¦You should have called for backup.¡¦

She shoved her trademark sunglasses up on her head. ¡¦I didn¡¦t need it.¡¦

She looked past him, to where Bishop stood on the gantry. ¡¦Bish, get on the horn to the Professor. Let him know what we found, and ask him to put in a call to S.H.I.E.L.D. These poor guys are gonna need some help. Vic, keep that hard drive handy; give it to Hank when we get home.¡¦ Creed hefted the open rectangle of electronics that looked inconsequentially small in his big hand and grunted in acknowledgement.

Jubilee looked at Scott again and took a small breath. ¡¦With your permission, sir?¡¦ she added, without a single trace of sarcasm.

Cyclops hesitated.

The X-men had never had a military tradition; both Scott and Xavier had wanted the team to be a family, not a regiment. Jubilee had just spent nearly a year steeped in the blood of a rebel army, where discipline and punishment were instantaneous and brutal.

In either instance, he knew he was out of line, and she was deferring to him as her leader only because she chose to. In doing so, she was also reinforced his leadership in front of the rest of the team.

Reluctantly, Scott¡¦s anger evaporated. In its place, something closely akin to pride with a healthy dose of respect.

¡¦Granted.¡¦ He cuffed her shoulder lightly. ¡¦Good job, Jubilee.¡¦