Chapter One

In the quiet of the night, a singular voice rose in song. The words were of an ancient and lost language that the world had not heard in centuries. In a heavily wooded area, next to a running brook, a large bonfire blazed. Its flames licked high enough to threaten tree branches, yet the great oaks did not become damaged. A black silhouette clothed in what appeared to the naked eye to be shadows danced about the fire in a clockwise direction. Its arms moved about in a fashion not unlike praying, with the exception that the prayer was not solely aimed at the heavens, but at the ground, the water, and the fire as well. More words in an ancient tongue floated through the air. Almost immediately, the wind picked up to the extent that scientists would have classified the phenomenon as an F1 tornado. The shadow thrust both open palms at the ground and a low tremor shook the earth with the effect of an earthquake of level three on the Richter Scale. With a muttered word, the shadow swept one arm across the brook, making its waters crash against the dirt sides and splash into the air a few inches. Spinning, the figure faced the blazing fire and thrust both arms wide, calling out a single phrase.

"Anal Nothrok Dochiel Dienday!"

The flames of the bonfire roared into the air, licking at the air above the tallest tree. For several moments, the fire remained a pillar stretching to the sky. Then, I shrank back to do its normal size, shivering and shaking to the side, as though it were trying to form itself in some other way. Suddenly, fiery wings burst from the sides of the bonfire, stretching out to a length of ten feet each. The main body of the fire shrank and thinned out into the form of a reptilian body. The top of the flames flattened and spiked in certain areas, forming a head with horns.

The flames had taken on the unmistakable form of a dragon. It looked down at the silhouette and bowed its head, as though acknowledging its master. The figure mimicked the gesture exactly. "You know the question on my mind, can you answer it?"

The fire dragon stretched to its full height and regarded the questioner for a moment. Then, it collapsed on itself before exploding out. The silhouette shielded its eyes for a moment and then looked up just in time to see the fire had become to singular rays. They wavered and bowed, like a charmed cobra. Then, they crossed over each other and reformed together, making the plain, ordinary bonfire once again.

But the whole event had not gone misunderstood, for the shadow-figure had seen the image that the fire dragon had wanted him to see. For a second, the two fire rays had given him a symbol to seek out to.

The symbol was an X.

She felt the wind rush by her, lifting and swirling her long, black hair in such a delightful way. Beneath her feet, the carefully maintained wheels of the roller blades rotated at a speed that few would ever dream of even attempting. Yet she did so much more than attempt, she did.

Flying around a curve, the young X-Man known as Jubilee let out a high cry of joy, loving the feeling of adrenaline as it coursed through her. There had been so much that troubled her in the past, Gambit¡¦s acknowledgement of his part in the massacre of Morlocks, the death of her friend Illyana, the lost and subsequent return of Wolverine¡¦s adamantium (at which time he had been Death for a short while), and so much more, that it was she took these small things like being able to fly around on her roller blades at death-defying speed with such relish. Making another nearly unimaginable turn on the jogging path, she came up to the back of the Mansion that had housed her and what she considered her family for so many years. Out on the basketball court in the back, she watched as a short, nearly as short as her diminutive frame, man and a tall man played one on one basketball with more fervor than any NBA superstar (Michael Jordan graciously excluded) could ever dream. Skidding to a halt just at the edge of the fenced in court, she watched as the taller man with auburn hair and almost demonically red eyes leap into the air, cartwheel, and literally shoot the basketball while upside down. While this act was almost ludicrous, what was even more amazing was that the basketball slipped through the hoop with hardly a sound. Almost immediately, the shorter man grabbed the ball and raced back to the top of the court, dribbling for a brief moment before racing straight down the middle of the court. The taller man moved to block his path, but realized that was a mistake when he was barreled out of the way by the shorter, and obviously much stronger man. Leaping up, the short man easily put a lay-up into the hoop. The ball struck the court again, but neither men went for the ball. Instead, they both stood with their hands on their knees, panting heavily, sweat pouring off them.

Both men spun around at the sounds of energetic clapping to see the young Jubilee standing there clapping enthusiastically, her face alight with excitement so much it nearly glowed. "Wow you guys, that was impressive! I bet you could put most of the NBA out of business with just the two of ya!"

The shorter man snorted and walked over to a chair, picking up a towel and wiping his face off. The taller man, on the other hand, flashed Jubilee a debonair smile and walked over to her, taking one of her hands and dropping a gentlemanly kiss to the back of it. "Merci ma petite, your comment be jus¡¦ de ting that ol¡¦ Remy be needin¡¦."

Jubilee couldn¡¦t help but blush by the comment and the kiss. After all, she didn¡¦t know any movie star that had better looks than Remy LeBeaudreaux, Master Thief and fellow X-Man. His muscles where toned to absolute perfection, his belly was washboard flat, and he had a smile that could make your heart do a jitterbug while leaving you breathless for more. "Gambit, I think you¡¦d better lay off."

Gambit lifted a dark brow, his crimson orbs looking rather confused. "Why you say dat petite?"

SKNIT!

Gambit didn¡¦t even need to turn around to know that Wolverine was standing two feet behind him with the three, foot-long adamantium claws extended out of one or both hands. While Gambit¡¦s face belied the nervousness, his voice was as smooth and suave as ever. "Umm, Remy be thinkin¡¦ that now be a good time to be leavin¡¦, non?"

Jubilee couldn¡¦t help but giggle, seeing the expression on Gambit¡¦s face and the over-protectiveness on Logan¡¦s. "I think so Remy, I doubt Hank¡¦ll want you in the Medlab, again."

Gambit nodded quickly and hurried from the court, barely pausing to grab a towel, and disappeared inside the mansion. Once he was gone, Jubilee turned to face the man whom had been a father, a friend, a brother, and a partner to her for nearly six years. She skated the short distance to him and punched him in the shoulder, immediately wincing and shaking her hand, muttering, "Note to self: hitting a man with metal bones equals dumb idea." Then, she looked down into the short man¡¦s eyes, thankful that her roller blades gave her a little height and she could actually look down on someone. Of course, in Logan¡¦s case, that wasn¡¦t necessarily a good thing, but it gave her a little kick to know she could do it. "Why did you have to go and do that Wolvie, he was just being nice ya know."

Wolverine growled, but she could see the flicker of a smile at the corner of his lips. "That Gumbo ain¡¦t good ¡¦nuff for ya Jubes, he needs to be keepin¡¦ his mitts off ya."

Jubilee flipped her long dark hair out of her face. It had grown much since she had moved back into the mansion and now rested just an inch passed her shoulders. "Oh pu-leaze! Like I would want to go out with Remy! Do you remember what happened the last time I accepted a date from him?"

That actually drew a chuckle from Logan, making his solid, hairy, bare chest tremble slightly. "Yeah, and I remember how you gave him a black eye when he tried to give you a kiss."

Jubilee shrugged innocently. "A lady never kisses on the first date." Now Logan actually laughed, a deep, rolling sound that made Jubilee smile even brighter. "Since when did you become a lady?"

This time, when Jubilee hit him, it was with the toe of her roller blades that struck him in the shin, making Logan yelp. "I¡¦ll have you know Mister, I can be a lady whenever I want, so don¡¦t give me any of yer lip!" Yet despite the words, the radiant smile never left her face and she hugged him tightly around the neck. "I love ya Wolvie."

Wolverine hugged the young woman whom he considered his daughter tightly and whispered back to her, "I love you too Jubes."

He moved through the kata form with a complete emptiness and peacefulness of the mind. Every movement of his body was in harmony with the nature that surrounded him. The woodlands whispered things into his ear that no one else could hear, soothing the anxiousness that tormented him. He could feel it, that strange feeling of nearness that let him know he was so close, yet close to what?

He ignored that last question, letting it flow out of his mind and let himself drift back the slow, steady kata, his hands drifting out, weaving through the air, and return, only to drift out in a different direction and begin their dance once more. These were movements of peace, tranquility. Sometimes, things in life were like that, calm, even, untroubled.

Yet there were always times when action was needed, when the more destructive path must be taken. His hands closed together, almost looking as though he was praying. Then he drew his hands sharply apart and to his sides, a crackling red energy dancing along his fingertips. In a burst of light and energy, the red shot out of his hands, stopping three feet away. The energy hung there like that, forming two crimson blades of energy. Then, he exploded into action, the twin energy blades whirling around him in a dance known since the time man learned of war. A humming filled the air as the blades dipped, slashed, pierce, parried, and blocked invisible adversaries. And yet still, he moved faster and faster, until there was nothing but a blur of red around him, a thick scythe of death to any that neared it. The air literally cracked with the energy as he continued this lethal dance, his every muscle working in conjunction with another.

And then, he was suddenly as still as a statue, his form in a crouch, his arms out and slightly back, the twin blades of crimson energy crackling hungrily for a target. Taking a deep breath, he slowly allowed the adrenaline in his veins to thin out without bringing him crashing back to ordinary existence. The energy blades collapsed down into his hands and disappeared. Standing up, he walked over to where his Harley lay against a tree, his shirt and long black trench coat draped across the seat. Pulling on the shirt and coat, he drew out the map in his saddlebags and took one more look at the route he was taking. He had perhaps a few hours until he reached Westchester. Tucking the map away, Cole Raven mounted the bike, keying the engine and roaring off down the beaten road that had led him to this quiet refuge. In his wake, the trees seemed to sway and bend in recognition of one that was a power among them, yet there was no wind in the air that would cause such an action of the inanimate guardians of the woodlands.

"Oh come on Hank, do I really have to do this?"

Dr. Henry McCoy, aka the Beast, smiled down to Jubilee as she lay on the medtable, her sleeve rolled up to her bicep. "Well Jubilee, if you really wish, I could certainly extract my sample from another area of you. Perhaps your thigh or your neck would be a better place."

Jubilee shuddered and gave her big, blue-furred friend and acidic look. "Yeah right, you aren¡¦t going anywhere my neck with that needle." She sighed and made an attempt to relax. "Just hurry up and do it."

Hank chuckle and swabbed his young friend¡¦s arm, never ceasing in his mild banter with her. "It amazes me that after all that you have been through, Sentinels, journeys to other planets and dimensions, battles with super-powered foes at least two to three times your stature and power, you still cannot handle a simple inoculation. I am especially wounded that you would think that I would not administer such injections with the utmost care and tenderness that fills Besty McCoy¡¦s bouncing boy¡¦s heart."

Jubilee turned her head to look at him with incredulousness. "Do you always have to ramble on like that Hank? I mean come on, Logan never has to get these things done."

Again, Hank chuckled. "Well I would certainly hope not, after all, his healing factor is quite capable of handling any inoculations he might need. His immune system is quite remarkable. I have often wondered if there is a possibility that his healing cells could be transferred-"

"If you stop right now, I promise I won¡¦t scream malpractice."

"Very well, I am finished."

Jubilee sighed, happily at least his chattering was over with. Now came the hard part. "Okay, do it."

"Already done."

Blinking, she looked over at him to seem his huge, blue-furred hand depositing the expended syringe into a biological hazard bin. "You did it already?"

Hank turned back around to face his young charge. His smile, which would normally frighten anyone that did not know him because of his naturally feral countenance, was comical considering he was wearing a huge white lab coat and a pair of big glasses. "Indeed I am."

"But, I didn¡¦t even feel it."

"An age old trick of misdirection my dear. While I had your mind focused on my thoughts of yourself and the concept of medical science, you did not even realize that I was inoculating you at the very same time."

Jubilee swung her legs over the side of the bed, brushing at her jeans before hopping off the bed and giving her big friend a hug. "Thanks Hank."

"You¡¦re quite welcome my dear. Now run along, it is a lovely spring day."

She was out the door before Hank could even finish his sentence, leaving him chuckling as he prepared the next inoculation for Gambit. He really needed to think of something good to distract the wily Cajun, he hated shots even more than young Jubilee. His eyes drifted throughout his lab and he smiled as he spied the Girls of Summer calendar hanging from a cabinet.

Jubilee raced out onto the back deck to find Jean and Betsy sharing a pitcher of lemonade, smile and chatting about nothing in particular. At the same time, both women turned to look at Jubilee and smiled. "Well hello Jubilee, we were just talking about going to see a movie in a couple hours, would you like to help us pick one out and join us?"

For a moment, Jubilee was absolutely flabbergasted. Despite the fact that she was eighteen, the X-Men still treated her like she was thirteen, usually leaving her to fend for herself in finding entertainment. Happy at this sudden change of mind in the two women, she hurried over to a chair and sat down as Jean poured her a glass of lemonade. "What kind of flick where you two thinking of seeing?"

"Well, something dramatic would be nice, but I certainly wouldn¡¦t mind a hefty amount of action," Betsy said. The two other women giggled. Ever since Psylocke¡¦s change from a proper Englishwoman into an assassin ninja many years ago, she had tried to maintain an air of dignity, but always seemed to slip into her "action junkie" roll, as Wolverine often put it.

Jubilee took a look at the newspaper that was opened to the movie section and quickly scanned the list, her eyes going every title with surprising speed. "Hmmm, well the new Highlander movie is playing, that one has both of the Highlanders in it and Adrian Paul is just too cute!" Jean and Betsy laughed, but they couldn¡¦t help but agree, and decided that Highlander would indeed be a good movie to see.

That was when the deck beneath their feet exploded.

Cole raced through the woods as fast as his legs could carry him. The woods blew passed his eyes in a blur, his body pushed almost to its limits, the speed greater than any normal person could attain. He pushed himself faster. Murmuring a few arcane words, he felt the power ripple from him and take effect, making colors blur slightly as his speed increased even more. He knew he was at what his body could take and if he pushed it anymore, he might exhaust his power and burn up. But he knew he needed to get there, he knew he was so close and that he was already too late to stop it from starting, but that didn¡¦t mean he couldn¡¦t end it.

Jubilee tried to shake the cobwebs from her head as she picked herself up from the shattered wood that surrounded her. She hurt, but not badly, just a few aches from muscles being contorted improperly. Jean and Betsy had taken the brunt of the attack, with Jean getting a psi-shield only halfway up before the explosion tossed them into the air and into the side of the Mansion. Jean seemed to be okay, just a little shaken up. Betsy had a cut on her forehead where some wood had cut her, but otherwise ready for action. The three slowly got to there feet and looked out at the lawn just beyond the deck where the attack had come from, seeing a large, purple humanoid with bulging muscles, pointed teeth, and elfish ears. His hands glowed with a green energy, the same that hat caused the explosion. As Jubilee moved beside Jean, she lifted an eyebrow and quipped, "Where¡¦d the Martian come from?" "Martian or no, he doesn¡¦t seem like he comes in peace."

In agreement with Jean¡¦s statement, the Purple creature let loose with another blast of green energy, but this time the three women were ready. Jean used her telekinetic abilities to leap into the sky while Psylocke and Jubilee leapt out of the way as the rest of the deck was reduced to splinters where they had been standing no more than a second ago. Tucking up her body, Jubilee flipped twice before landing, her hands opening wide and sending a barrage of pafs at the creature. The pyrokinetics exploded against the purple humanoid, sending him reeling back, but did not put him down. He glared at Jubilee with nearly white eyes, one hand reaching out towards her, pulsing with green energy.

"Uh oh," she muttered, wondering if she would have a nice funeral. At the moment before the energy blast fired at her, Psylocke dove, lashing out a kick to strike the humanoid in the wrist, sending the blast wide and into the sky. Growling in annoyance, the creature back-handed Psylocke, sending her flying ten feet away and crumpling to the ground. He returned his focus to the two remaining women and prepared for a dual blast that would extinguish their lives.

That was when a black blur suddenly shot out of the shadows, slamming into the purple creature and throwing him onto his face. The blur materialized as it slowed to a more normal speed and formed into a young man in a black trench coat, jeans, and a black shirt. He did a handspring off the fallen body and landed in a crouch, one hand touching the ground, the other swept behind him, his coat swirling behind him. "Back off Rizz, they aren¡¦t part of this!"

The creature stood up, his white gaze looking at the young man with unabashed glee. "About time you showed up Raven, I was wondering what was taking you so long."

Cole Raven narrowed his steel gaze and a crimson shaft of crackling energy sprung from his outstretched hand. "How did you find me?"

Rizz laughed. "With that vulgar display yesterday? How could we not track you?" Cole silently cursed himself. Knew I shouldn¡¦t have gone that vulgar with that! I couldn¡¦t used coincidental, but it wasn¡¦t as definitive. "So you found me. Let¡¦s do this, but leave them out of it, they aren¡¦t a part of this."

Again, Rizz laughed. "Raven, you are such an idiot! Of course they are part of this. They¡¦re the only ones that really have a chance against us."

Jubilee, who was over with Jean at Betsy¡¦s side by this time, watched this exchange, looking at each other at Rizz¡¦s last statement. "A chance against who?" Jubilee asked in confusion. Jean could only shrug and they both looked back at the standoff.

"Wrong Rizz, they aren¡¦t the only one." With that, Cole sprang from the ground, the crimson energy blade slicing through the air with a crackling hum. For a second, Rizz was surprised at the speed of the attack, but was able to leap out of the way of the crackling blade. He wasn¡¦t quite fast enough and a clean gash opened up in his side.

The much larger combatant put a hand to his wound and growled. "You¡¦re going to die for that Raven!"

Cole, shifted his stance slightly, a crimson blade springing from his other hand. "You¡¦ve been saying that for years Rizz, you¡¦re starting to bore me with it."

The humanoid roared and rushed in, his huge hands, which Jubilee now saw had claws at the fingertips, slashed at the young man. Cole leapt up and flipped back out of the way, but two gashes opened up on his thigh, making the young man hiss in pain as he landed. "Nice Rizz, real nice." He dove back in, the crimson blades flashing. Rizz spun and returned with his own slashes.

Jubilee and Jean watched in a transfixed state as the two combatants attempted over and over to find a weakness in the other¡¦s defense, ducking, weaving, dodging, blocking, and striking. They seemed to be almost a perfect match against one another, neither getting much more than a nick on the other here and there. A cry leapt from Jubilee as their would-be savior was suddenly the victim of a brutal slash across the chest, opening his shirt and flesh. Cole snarled at the pain, but didn¡¦t stop. In fact, Jubilee¡¦s eyes widened as he seemed to move even faster! Apparently, Rizz could not believe it either, because he started backpedaling to try and escape the onslaught of attacks. And still, Cole kept coming, the crimson blades hissing and crackling in the air as the dove in, opening gashes big and small all over the humanoid. And still, Cole was moving even faster!

Rizz saw it coming a second before it started and knew he was done for. Even so, his mouth opened to let loose a denial just as a crimson blade sliced in, plunging deep into his chest, right up to Cole¡¦s fist, the tip and several inches exploding out his back, very little blood spraying as the wound cauterized nearly the moment the searing heat of the blades touched it. Rizz¡¦s face looked down disbelievingly at the fist at his chest, then up to the owner of it. A moment later, the large humanoid disintegrated into nothing.

Cole dropped his hands to his sides, the crimson blades collapsing down into his hands. He lowered to one knee, one hand pressed to his bleeding chest, trying to somehow stop the blood as it poured from the wound. Jubilee, Jean, and the now recovered Betsy all rushed over to the young man. Jubilee slid to her knees, catching the young man and cradling him in her lap as he pitched forward, on hand pressed atop his to the wound, the other gently stroking his hair. Jean and Betsy took one look at him before telling the young woman to stay with him before they ran for the house, screaming for Hank. Jubilee watched them go for a moment, then redirected her gaze back down to the young man in her lap. "Who are you?" she asked quietly.

Cole coughed slightly before responding in a raspy voice. "Cole Raven."

"I¡¦m Jubilee."

"Nice to meet you Jubilee."

She couldn¡¦t help but smile a little at the levity in his voice, despite he probably had a fatal wound and was bleeding to death. "You don¡¦t die on me, hear? You¡¦re the first person here who is around my age and if you die I won¡¦t have anyone to talk to."

That drew a chuckle from the young man, followed by a cough that flecked his lips with blood. "Well, I certainly can¡¦t do that to a beautiful woman, can I?" His eyes went wide for a moment and he said in a quiet voice. "Okay, I¡¦m going to pass out now if you don¡¦t mind."

Jubilee held him tight, her cheek resting atop his head as she whispered, "As long as that¡¦s it, okay, I¡¦ll be right here, but don¡¦t die okay?"

But he never heard the last of her words as Cole slipped into the blackness of unconsciousness.

"Your friend here is very lucky," Hank remarked as he reviewed the chart of his patient, "Not only has he suffered serious physical injuries, but he is thoroughly exhausted. By these readings, it seems as though he has been running for nearly three days straight without stopping." He looked up at Jubilee, who was sitting beside Cole, holding his hand in her two. Cole was asleep on the biobed, his chest wrapped in bandages and an IV running into his other arm.

"Is he a mutant Hank?"

"Surprisingly, no."

That made her head come up. "No? Hank you have to be kidding me. This guy has moving faster than we could see and he had two lightsaber-looking things coming out of his hands!"

The Beast removed his glasses from the bridge of his nose and wiped them off with a cloth. "Well, I would whole-heartedly agree that this remarkable young man is not your average John-Q-Public, but he is most definitely not a mutant. I took a chance and checked his DNA and there is absolutely no trace of the genetic X Factor that makes a mutant who they are."

Jubilee looked back down at Cole¡¦s face, half tuning out Henry¡¦s scientific mumbo jumbo before he left the two of them alone. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, despite his wounds. Reaching out, she brushed an errant strand of black hair from his forehead, allowing her fingers to gently caress the soft skin. He was so handsome. His face seemed so innocent and young, yet old and scarred at the same time. His physique was like something that would give Remy some serious competition in the ¡¦babe¡¦ area. His chest was tight and solid and his stomach was flat with the definition of someone who took care of them self on more than just a regular basis. His short black hair was straight and seemed to be naturally windblown. From when she had seem his eyes, Jubilee had seen them in two different ways. During the battle, they were sharp gray, like the tempered steel of a blade. Yet when she had held him in her arms, they had softened, looking like the sky when it was comfortably overcast and made you just want to snuggle up with something warm.

Stroking her fingers through his hair, Jubilee felt the softness of it, like a kitten¡¦s fur. That seemed rather odd for a man. Every time she had run her fingers through Remy or Logan¡¦s hair playfully, it felt soft, but not this soft. He was such a curiosity. When he had first appeared, she almost thought he was looking at a young version of Logan. He seemed almost feral. Definitely lethal. Yet when the battle was over, he seemed so gentle, almost vulnerable. Of course, it probably didn¡¦t help that he had a sucking chest wound at the time, but thinking back on it, it didn¡¦t seem to matter the wounds he had taken. "Weird," she whispered to herself. "I¡¦ve been called worse."

Jubilee¡¦s eyes flashed down to look at Cole, who was looking right back up at her. There it was again, that softness, that gentleness in his eyes. He smiled up at her and she smiled back. "Hey," she said quietly, "How are you feeling?"

He shrugged a little. "A little beat up, but not bad." Slowly, he sat up, wincing a little.

"Hey now," Jubilee admonished, gently trying to ease him back down, "You lay back down."

With just as much gentleness, he resisted her and sat up fully. "I¡¦ll get too stiff if I lay here much longer."

"You took a serious hit to your chest, you should rest and let it heal."

Slowly, to Jubilee¡¦s astonishment, Cole unwrapped the bandages around his chest, drawing them away to reveal a thin white scar on his chest. "What the hell? I thought Hank said you weren¡¦t a mutant."

Cole smiled, reaching over and slipping the IV from his arm with what Jubilee saw was expert skill. "I¡¦m not."

"Okay, hold on a second, you¡¦re not a mutant, but you have a healing factor? Did someone just decide that two plus two equals five and not tell me?"

Cole laughed quietly and slipped his legs over the side of the bed. "I¡¦ ll be glad to explain it all, but I really should explain it in front of everyone." He went to step off the bed when he realized that he wasn¡¦t wearing anything but a sheet around his waist. "Ummmm, that is, if I can get some clothes." He looked at Jubilee with a raised eyebrow.

She giggled and walked over to a chair at the far end of the room, getting his clothing, a green shirt replacing the one that was torn in his fight. Leaving the room, she gave him some privacy while he dressed, even though she secretly wished she could have seen him without that sheet on. A few minutes later, Cole emerged from the Medlab, fully dressed and looking as though he hadn¡¦t been in a life and death battle with a six and a half foot purple Martian several hours ago. "Ready."

Smiling, Jubilee slipped her hand into his, leading him through the Mansion towards the den while she relayed a message to Jean through her mind to get everyone together.

The X-Men that were still at the Mansion and not on their own personal business or assignment were gathered in the den. Altogether, there were seven of them: Cyclops, Jean, Storm, Beast, Gambit, Wolverine, and Professor Xavier. As soon as the door to the den open, all eyes turned towards it expectantly. Those same eyes widened when they saw Jubilee holding the hand of the young man that had battled the creature outside a few hours ago. At the sight of such surprised looks from her friends, Jubilee almost pulled her hand from Cole¡¦s grasp, but it just felt so good holding his hand that she decided to balk etiquette and leave it right where it was. Besides, she could hold his hand if she wanted to.

For several minutes, the entire group stood in silence, no one knowing what to say. It was the Professor who finally broke the silence. "Please, have a seat young man."

"Thank you," Cole said politely, sitting in one of the chairs. Jubilee perched on the arm next to him, still holding his hand. "I suppose you all want to know who I am, why I¡¦m here, and what I am." There were general nods all around.

"We do not feel you have harmful intentions," Xavier stated plainly, "that much is obvious based on what my students have told me about the encounter outside."

Cole nodded. "Yes, that is true. I¡¦ll get into that in a little after I start with the preliminaries. My name is Cole Raven, and despite popular opinion, I am not a mutant. My power is derived from a different source, namely magick." He waited to see their reactions and was surprised when he received none. "You took that pretty well."

"You aren¡¦t the first person we¡¦ve met that uses magic dude," Jubilee giggled. A quick look from Logan quieted her, but the amused smile still remained.

"Well, that would explain it I guess," Cole said, seeming to visibly relax.

"What has brought you here Cole?" Storm asked with her usual gentleness combined with an understandable concern for her team.

Cole straightened in his chair, his eyes hardening just a bit. "There is a conclave of magi, very powerful, very deadly. Their whole purpose is to get as much power as they can and be a force to be reckoned with in the magickal community, as well as the mortal one."

"Another terrorist trying to take over de world, non?"

Cole looked at Gambit with hard eyes. "No, the conclave doesn¡¦t work that way. Taking over the world would functionally be impossible. What they can do, though, is establish enough power to become a very serious influence. Think of your biggest crime boss and multiply that by about ten, and I¡¦m being nice." Everyone in the room exchanged looks. "I was part of a group of magi that was going to take these bastards down, but they put a mole into our organization and my entire team was taken out. I¡¦m the only one left and I¡¦ve been trying to stop them however I can."

"Are there other groups of individuals such as yourself who wield magic and are fighting against this conclave?" Beast asked, the look in his eyes saying he was mentally taking notes of everything.

"Yeah, there are groups scattered all over the world. Unfortunately, they outnumber us two to one." He sighed and leaned back in the chair. To Jubilee, it looked as though this recounting was emotionally tiring, as though a lifetime had been spent in this war. She draped an arm around his shoulders and offered him a comforting squeeze. Cole looked up at her and thanked her with a soft smile, a small twinkle in his eyes that made her heart beat a little faster. When Cole looked back at the others, he caught the briefest glimpse of the looks the gave each other at Jubilee¡¦s actions. "The reason I¡¦m here is because you people are a force that the conclave fears. The power that all of you wield could one day destroy them, and that scares them."

"You don¡¦t think we¡¦d join these guys do you?" Wolverine growled, sounding insulted.

Cole shook his head. "No, none of us do. But the conclave might try more attempts to destroy you like they did today."

"So why are you here Cole?" Cyclops asked.

Cole looked up at Scott for a moment, then directed his gaze to Xavier. "My friends and family are gone, they were destroyed by the conclave. I¡¦ve been running this game on my own for a while now and the other teams don¡¦t have enough people to give me another team. I was hoping that maybe I could stay on with you guys, maybe become part of your team."

Xavier looked at Cole for several long moments before finally speaking. "We will consider your request and let you know our answer. Until then, you are more than happy to stay here as our guest. I am sure several of my students would be glad to show you around and introduce you to what it is we do."

Cole nodded and stood up, "I guess that¡¦s all I can ask for, thanks."

Xavier nodded and pivoted his hover-wheelchair around, gliding out of the room with Storm, Jean, and Scott trailing behind him. Cole looked to Remy and Logan, but they had already departed for who knows what reason. Hank stated he need to go over Cole¡¦s blood work some more and left himself. That just left Cole and Jubilee.

He looked over at the young woman and took in her image for probably about the hundredth time that day. She was gorgeous. Her black hair hung down just past her shoulders in silky waves, the light shining softly off it. Her bright blue eyes seemed to hold an inherent mischief in them that was tempered with kindness and gentleness he hasn¡¦t seen in very many people. The softness of her skin, slightly tinted from what he figured was Asian decent almost begged to be caressed by a gentle hand. The fact that she had a killer body that any woman would die for just seemed to complete his definition of perfect woman.

"So," he finally said, amazed his voice was so calm, "Where can a guy get something to eat around here?"

Chapter Two

The crimson blade of energy hissed through the air moments before the metallic drone let loose an electronic screech, it¡¦s dome-shaped head soaring through the air as it was detached from its body, sparks whirling from where they were severed. A clang sounded as the head bounced off the floor and Cole spun to face the other two remaining drones as they stood amidst the husks of five other dispatched enemies. He twirled the crimson energy blade in his hand, the energy from the weapon making the air thrum with power. As incomprehensible as it may seem, the drones, mere collections of metal, wiring, and programming, seemed to hesitate and almost reconsider attacking before they rushed in at him on hovering jets of air. Cole waited and watched as one came at him from each side, their metallic talons reaching out to rip his flesh from his bones. He collapsed his one energy blade and waited, hands at his sides, his eyes flicking left and right to gauge their closeness.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Cole¡¦s arms snapped out to his side, an energy blade springing from each hand and punching through the steel faceplates of the drones, killing their computer brains. Their forward momentum drove them all the way to Cole¡¦s hands, sliding the blades further through them. As soon as the two drones reached Cole¡¦s hands, he spun into a crouch, tearing the energy blades through the dome skulls and letting them collapse to the floor. For several moments, he remained that way, in a crouch, his twin energy blades crackling with energy. Then, with a sigh, the blades collapsed into his hands and where no more, leaving Cole crouched with one hand on the floor for support as he caught his breath, his chest heaving as sweat glistened upon his brow.

"So," he said with only a hint of a gasp of breath, "How did I do?"

For several moments, there was silence. Then, a voice came over the intercom. "Quite well Cole, that was Wolverine¡¦s Beta level combat program and I must say that you are much on par with his skill."

A smile touched Cole¡¦s lips as he stood up, brushing off his pants. "Thanks."

Up in the control room of the Danger Room, Professor Xavier looked over at the other small group of students that had gathered. "Your opinions?"

Scott folded his arms, trying to look completely neutral. "He has combative skills, that is for certain. What I wonder about is if he can operate in a team capacity without turning on one of us by mistake."

"Oh pu-leeze Cyke!" Jubilee cried, "You heard him before, he used to work with a team. He¡¦s just real good working by himself too." The young mutant girl looked over at the short man that stood beside her. "Just like Wolvie."

Logan smiled, throwing a fatherly arm around his young ward¡¦s shoulders. "That¡¦s my girl." Jubilee laughed and hugged him around the waist. "And I do disagree with Slim here, but not on general principle this time." He smiled at the frown that came from Cyclops. "The kid¡¦s got some moves, I¡¦ll definitely give him that. But also, I got a good look in his eyes during that fight and I can tell ya all that this kid won¡¦t back down from nuthin¡¦."

Charles Xavier turned his chair around to face Logan, lifting a brow. "Do you truly believe that?"

Logan nodded. "Absolutely."

Charles rubbed his chin in consideration before turning back to the control panel, looking at Scott and saying, "Activate the Omega program."

Jubilee blinked, her eyes going wide. "What!" She moved forward to stop Scott from activating the program and was halted by a hand on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw Logan standing there.

"He has to go through it Jubes, we have to see if he can handle it."

Not liking it one bit, but seeing his logic, she stepped back to Logan and held to him tightly, her face riveted to the scene that unfolded below.

On the floor of the Danger Room, Cole watched as the air rippled and a form grew and solidified before him. His eyes narrowed when he recognized the shape before him. "Son of a bitch!" he growled.

"The purpose of this," Charles said over the intercom, "Is to see how well you can handle yourself against some of the opponents we face."

The giant form of Apocalypse looked down at his tiny opponent and a sinister grin spread over the thick blue lips. The smile vanished as crimson blades sprang from Cole¡¦s hands and sliced off Apocalypse¡¦s legs at just above the knee, sending the huge mutant crashing to the ground. Just as the mutant¡¦s body crashed to the floor, Cole leapt, his twin crimson blades slashed down, slicing through Apocalypse¡¦s neck, severing his head. The surprised look on Apocalypse¡¦s faded away as the program ended and Cole¡¦s opponent vanished. The blades collapsed into his hands and he turned to look up at the control center. "Well?"

Up in the control center, there was absolute silence. Eight eyes looked down into the Danger Room in amazement. The voice that broke the silence gave words to what they were all thinking. "Whoa!" Jubilee whispered.

"Yeah," Logan agreed gruffly and quietly, "I¡¦d say whoa is just about right."

"Now," Xavier said, to both his students and into the microphone so he could communicate with Cole as well, "That Apocalypse was at about half his strength that we have encountered. But I must say that you performed quite well against him."

Cole smirked, running his fingers through his windblown hair. "Thanks. The guy isn¡¦t so tough if you don¡¦t waste time just standing there gawking like an idiot." Cole heard a chuckle from the control booth and smiled.

"What do you think about taking it at the max level? We will keep the safeties in place so no real harm can come to you."

Cole shrugged at Xavier¡¦s suggestion. He could guess what they wanted from him. They wanted to see his limits, how far he could push the envelope before he crashed. If that was what they wanted, he was more than willing to give it to them. "Load me up and cut me loose."

No sooner where the words out of his mouth, the form of Apocalypse appeared once again, fully healed, and not looking happy. Cole couldn¡¦t be sure, but he could swear that he was even bigger than before. Looking up, he could see a look in the construct¡¦s eyes that told him no quick fix would take this guy down like before, but that didn¡¦t mean he take him out. With a shrug, he said, hoping he sounded nonchalant, "All right, show me what you got."

What Cole got was a huge backhand with said hand being about three times the size of his head. Tasting blood in his mouth, the young man sailed through the air, tucking himself into a ball and flipped twice before straightening and landing on his feet in a crouch, his coat swirling behind him. His ears rang from the blow, his vision fuzzed for a moment, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he was still trying to realize that his head was still attached to his shoulders. All in all, he felt he was doing pretty well. With a thrumming his, his crimson energy blade sprang into existence from his outstretched hand. Exploding into action, he charged forward, watching not Apocalypse's hands or feet, but his eyes. Even though this was a computer construct, Cole knew that the Danger Room computers were able to not only duplicate physical forms, but the chosen program¡¦s emotions and thoughts. It was the most advanced piece of equipment on the planet, and Cole planned on seeing if he could maybe do a little reprogramming.

He watched the eyes shift left and spun right, his crimson blade slashing out in a tight arc that lopped off the hand of the incoming punch aimed right at his head. The construct howled in pain and a huge boot swung in his direction. Hitting the ground in a baseball slide, he glided across the floor under the limb and rolled to his feet, driving the tip of his blade through Apocalypse¡¦s thigh and tearing sideways, cutting the leg almost half off. Spinning his blade once, he watched in disbelief as the wound in the construct's leg healed and a new hand grew in the place of the stump he had left from his previous strike. "Oh you¡¦ve got to be kidding me!" It was quite evident this was no joke when a giant hand swept down to flatten the young fighter into the ground. Scrambling back, he was able to avoid becoming a pancake by inches as the huge hand slammed down into the ground with a thunderous blow. Spinning his blade into a reverse grip, Cole plunged his weapon down into the back of the construct¡¦s hand, spearing it there. Deciding to use this advantage, he shifted his body so he was facing Apocalypse and took off running, ripping his blade up the giant mutant¡¦s arm, cutting it in half until he reached the shoulder and leapt off, flipping back and away, leaving Apocalypse with his arm looking like a butterflied shrimp. As soon as he hit the ground, Cole collapsed his blade, lifting his hand and uttering an arcane word. A heartbeat later, a howling wind suddenly appeared out of no where, slamming Apocalypse into the back wall and stunning him for a moment. Cole, on the other hand, was down on one knee, snarling in pain as blood dripped from his mouth.

It seemed to those in the control center that he had received a blow to the face, but no blow had ever been struck. Logan¡¦s eyes narrowed in curiosity, but his thoughts were cut off as he felt Jubilee press to him, her arms tight around his waist. Looking over at her, he saw a worried and frightened expression on her face as she watched that battle in a transfixed state, her eyes wide and her lips parted in awe and fear. "He¡¦ll be okay darlin¡¦," Logan said quietly in his gruff voice.

"He looks real hurt Wolvie, maybe we should tell the Professor to shut down the simulation."

Logan shook his head. "No Jubes, we can¡¦t do that. If this kid wants ta be a part o¡¦ the X-Men, we need to see if he can handle this."

Jubilee opened her mouth to say something when she gasped. Logan¡¦s head whipped around to look into the danger room and instantly saw why.

Cole stood up, his eyes narrowed, a trickle of blood falling from his lips as his hands whipped out to the side, blades of crimson energy searing out of his hands and coming to full, blazing life. Throwing his arms back and up, he become a blur of motion, the crimson of the blades only seen as a bright streak as they left his hands and spiraled towards the construct, spinning so fast that they ceased to be beams of energy, but disks. There was a split second that was timeless, with everyone, including the construct, watching the two energy blades reach for their target. Then, the second was over and Apocalypse was standing against the wall, a blade piercing each eye, stapling him to the wall. Cole looked at the scene, his face contorting with strain, every muscle vibrating with some unknown effort.

Finally, he collapsed to one knee, his strength washing out of him in a tide. Just as he fell, his blades vanished into nothingness. For a moment, all was still, the only sound being Cole¡¦s labored breathing. Then, a grind sound filled the air. Cole looked up in disbelief as the Apocalypse construct stood up, fully head from every wound Cole had delivered. The young man shook his head in denial, but the construct just kep walking forward.

"Shut it down!" Jubilee yelled. "He¡¦s too weak right now, that thing will kill him!"

Scott and the Professor worked frantically at the controls, trying do exactly that. "We can¡¦t shut it down," Cyclops reported, keeping quite an amazing calm about himself, "Cole¡¦s blade going through the floor like that shorted the system and cut off the safety countermeasures." He looked up, his expression unreadable behind his red ruby quartz glasses. A hiss sounded and everyone spun just to see the doors to the control room close. Wolverine¡¦s eyes went wide and he yelled, "Jubilee, no!"

Cole watched the giant creature of his destruction approach slowly, a sick smile upon its lips. Lifting a giant foot, Cole could only watch, his energy nearly gone from his use of vulgar magicks and throwing his blades like that. The foot began to descend and he wondered if it would hurt much. An explosion pulled his thoughts away from that direction as the construct staggered back, looking over at the doorway to the Danger Room. Cole looked over as well and his eyes went wide. "Jubilee, no!"

The young woman stepped into the Danger Room, fireworks sparkling around her hands. "Leave him alone you big meany! He¡¦s waaaaay to cute for you to go killing him."

If he hadn't been close to passing out, Cole might have smiled at that comment and maybe even felt a little embarrassed. At the time, though, he was just horrified to watch as the walking death machine made its way towards Jubilee, smiling at its ensuing victory.

For her part, Jubilee was doing her best, throwing paff after paff at the monster to try and stop it, but all it did was laugh away her pyrotechnics and move closer. When she realized that her powers wouldn¡¦t come close to stopping this hulking monster, Jubilee gulped and started to search for the switch that would open the door. A huge fist drew back, preparing to send young Jubilee into the next life. Jubilee closed her eyes tight and winced.

"Hey asshole!"

Jubilee¡¦s eyes snapped open in disbelief as the construct turned, revealing Cole standing behind it. Albeit, he was crouched and obviously in pain, he was still standing, his blades glowing bright in his hands, a snarl trickling from his bared teeth. "You want to fight someone? One opponent, no waiting." Apocalypse turned, but the second he did, Cole went into overdrive, becoming a blur of motion as he leapt onto the construct, his crimson blades flashing so fast Jubilee couldn¡¦t track where one blow ended and another started. Huge gashes formed in Apocalypse¡¦s flesh as though by magic, appearing seemingly out of no where. And still, Cole moved faster, his blades scything out and cleaving into the monster, ripping off hunks of flesh and tearing through layers of muscle and bone beneath. The howls of the construct filled the air and suddenly became garbled and warbled. Watching with wide eyes, Jubilee saw the Apocalypse construct suddenly shudder and then shatter into a thousand pieces as the computer systems in the Danger Room ceased to be able to hold a solid form together. Tiny shards of bent light sailed through the room as Cole collapsed to the ground, his energy blades collapsing into his limp hands. Jubilee ran over to him, sliding to her knees beside his unconscious form and drawing him into her arms as she screamed for the others.

Slowly, Cole felt consciousness return to him, a dull throbbing in his head and a pressure on his chest. The throbbing in his head he knew was a headache, but the pressure on his chest he had no clue about. Opening his eyes, he looked down to see a sight so wondrous to behold it took his breath away. Jubilee sat in a chair right beside his bed in the room the X-Men had given him, her head resting on her arms on his chest, her expression so very peaceful and beautiful. At first, he was tempted not to do a thing, but in the end, he ended up gently stroking the silken lengths of her hair, sighing at the feel of the strands running between his fingers. The action made Jubilee shift, a soft moan slipping from her. With rapt awe, Cole watched as her eyes fluttered slightly and then fully opened, revealing the sparkling blue depths he knew he could easily loose himself in. A soft smile spread over her lips and he was sure he was melting into a puddle of liquid Cole. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back, "How long was I out?"

"About three hours."

"And you were here the whole time?"

She nodded, that soft smile still upon her lips. "Uh huh, the whole time. What happened? You didn¡¦t seem like you got hit that hard."

A chuckle slipped from Cole¡¦s throat. "Well, my ears were ringing from the backhand. But what knocked me out is the magick I used. It was real vulgar and I took on some serious Paradox."

Jubilee just looked at him confused. "Okay, I¡¦ll try to explain," Cole said patiently, "When utilizing magick, you can¡¦t typically use magicks that would defy the laws of physics, like that huge wind blast I used on the construct. When that happens, and someone who doesn¡¦t use magick sees it, reality decides to slap you down and go, ¡¦no no, you can¡¦t do that¡¦. That is what Paradox is, it¡¦s reality crashing down."

"But what about your energy blades, those seem pretty vulgar to me."

Cole smiled at Jubilee¡¦s gentle confusion, obviously eager to learn. "Well my blades are the only magick I can use that is vulgar and can be seen by people who don¡¦t use magick. They are a physical manifestation of the magick that I was born with and are like a Paradox¡¦s paradox. I can use them all I want without risk of being vulgar because of how I was born."

That drew another smile from the young Jubilee. "Kind of like being a mutant."

Cole returned her smile and nodded. "Well, yeah, that sounds about right."

"What about when you through them, that seemed like a big strain on you."

"Well the one drawback with my blades is that although I can use them at will, if they leave my hands it takes a huge amount of concentration to keep them in existence."

She nodded in understanding, and from the look he saw in her eyes, he knew she really did understand. "Feeling any better?"

Cole nodded, already sitting up. "Yup, a few hours of sleep does wonders for a person." He was about to swing his legs over the side and stopped, looking down at the sheet. "Should I be worried?"

That drew a soft laugh from Jubilee. "Nah, Hank left your pants on when he saw you had just passed out, that¡¦s all."

Cole nodded and swung his legs from the bed and stood up, the sheet dropping off of him. "Where¡¦s my shirt?"

For a moment, Jubilee was silent, unable to make her voice work. All she could do was stare as this exotic and beautiful creature that stood before her in half nakedness. His muscles were so chiseled that they seemed to have been carved by the finest artisan. Wolverine was solid, and Gambit was lean, but Cole....Cole was raw beauty in a man. He looked so scrumptious she was ready to make a meal out of him right then and there. Her lips quivered and parted, wanting to nibble upon him and taste his skin, knowing instinctively that he would be the most divine thing she had ever tasted in her life. Her hand drifted up to gently trace the curve of his chest muscle with the tips of her fingers. He was so beautiful.

"You¡¦re beautiful too," Cole whispered.

Jubilee¡¦s eyes shot up to his, widening in surprise. She didn¡¦t realize that she had said that out loud! That was when she felt his hand gently resting on her hip, his fingers lightly tracing along the curve of her hip and upper thigh. The touch sent a shiver up and down her spine. Her breath rushed passed her lips in a whisper. "Is this okay?" Cole asked quietly, almost as though he were afraid that he was doing something wrong.

"Oh God yes!" Jubilee whispered, leaning forward and resting her cheek against his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist and holding him close. Cole closed his eyes his heart thrumming in his chest. Slowly, his arms encircled the young woman and held her tight, reveling in the feeling of her silken hair against his bare chest, her soft, soft skin gently caressing his flesh. He still couldn¡¦t believe it. Here he was, some down in the dirt mage, and he had this beautiful girl holding onto him and whispering in his ear that what he was doing was more than fine!

For many timeless moments, the two of them remained that way, locked into each other¡¦s embrace, drawing strength from one another. Finally, unable to wait no longer, Cole drew his head back and gently tipped Jubilee¡¦s chin up so their eyes met. Their lips where no more than a few scant inches from each other. They looked into each other¡¦s eyes, sky blue meeting steel gray, and Cole found he had lost his voice. He couldn¡¦t tell her what he wanted, that she meant everything to him, that he would give everything just to be with her.

"We should probably go see the others," Jubilee whispered, very gently disengaging from Cole¡¦s embrace, but leaving her hand in his, grasping tight. Cole swallowed and could only nod. Inside, though, he was raging. The strong part of him howled in rage at the weak part for not telling this beauty how he truly felt about her. But then, the time for thinking was over and Jubilee was guiding Cole out of the medlab, barely pausing so he could grab his shirt and coat.

The X-Men all looked over as the door to the war room hissed open, admitting the their young X-Man and future X-Man. Logan cocked a bushy brow as he saw Jubilee held Cole¡¦s hand tightly, but remained silent. He knew that the kid had the hots for her the minute he first laid eyes on her. He could literally smell the desire he had for his young ward. And deep down, he knew that the kid would treat Jubilee right, give her the love that he couldn¡¦t provide.

"Hi," Jubilee said with her usual spunk and fire, a sparkle in her eyes, "What¡¦s going on?"

Professor Xavier looked worried. "It seems that one of our old adversaries has returned into our midst once more."

Instantly, Cole was all business, his eyes narrowed slightly with a power pulsating behind them. "Who?"

"Sinister," Cyclops said with a trace of disgust.

Cole nodded solemnly, his eyes tracking over the rest of the X-Men. "What is he up to?"

"Well," Xavier said as he pushed a few buttons and a holoprojection of Westchester and the outlying area popped into view, "It seems that he is coming for us."

Cole watched as a small red blip on the holomap slowly made its way towards the mansion. "How long before he gets here?"

"About thirty minutes," Cyclops reported in his leader¡¦s voice.

Cole caught the change in the intonation and he nodded. "Just put me where you need me."

"We can¡¦t do that Cole," Charles said with a trace of apology in his voice.

The young man lifted a brow, looking rather offended. "Excuse me? Last time I checked, I had passed your tests and was part of the team."

"You passed the combative tests, but there is still much more that we need to teach you before you join the team. Your job will be to remain inside the Mansion while the rest of us deal with Sinister."

Cole¡¦s fist slammed down on the war room table. "Oh come on! You¡¦ve seen what I can do. This isn¡¦t about learning powers and control, this is going to be a flat out battle and you know it!"

Logan took a step forward and placed a hand on the young man¡¦s shoulder, his dark eyes trying to offer some solstice in his own, feral way. "Listen kid, I know how you feel, but with Sinister it isn¡¦t a flat out fight. This guy is tricky and sneaky and experience counts here. Sorry kid, but this is a fight for us, not you."

Cole looked into Logan¡¦s eyes, wanting to lash out at the old man, rip him apart with words, but he saw the experience that lay in the old mutant¡¦s eyes and he knew that Wolverine was the best at this kind of thing. If he said that he should sit this one out, then he knew what he was talking about. "All right," he said with a sigh, "I¡¦ll stay in the Mansion." He snapped a look at Charles before another word was uttered. "But the second things go sour and it looks bad, I¡¦m coming in."

Charles nodded, a hint of a smile on his face. "Agreed."

The X-Men stood out on the Mansion¡¦s lavish back grounds, all of them dressed in their tight, form-fitting combat suits. Wolverine tipped his head up slightly and sniffed, growling, "They¡¦re here."

No sooner had he said it, a great plane that looked almost alien in origin appeared overhead, lowering to the ground with barely a thump. A ramp lowered down, allowing a tall man in all black with a dead white face and a small, red diamond in his forehead. "Hello X-Men," he said cordially, "I trust you have not been waiting long for me."

SKNIT! Wolverine¡¦s claws flashed into existence with their traditional metal-on-metal sound, a snarl seeping from his clenched teeth. "No way you¡¦ re getting your hands on Scott and Jean again clown boy."

Mr. Sinister just laughed, a deep, rolling sound. "My dear Logan, you assume so much. I have not come for Mr. and Mrs. Summers at all."

Gambit cocked an eyebrow. "Den who you be lookin¡¦ for homme?"

Lifting a black, leather-clad hand, he pointed a finger. Everyone turned to look at whom he indicated, a very surprised and now fearful Jubilee. "Me?" she said, barely containing a squeak that wanted to pop out.

"Yes you child. You possess power you are not even aware of, and I intend to have it." He snapped his fingers and several hulking men trudged out of the plane, their expressions fierce and ready to fight. "Get them Nasty Boys."

From inside the Mansion, Cole listened to the sounds of the plane landing, but that was all he heard. He growled in frustration at the helpless position he was in. He wanted to help his future team against this adversary, but he knew that they had experience in dealing with Sinister, he didn¡¦t. Sitting down in the middle of the front hall, Cole folded his legs lotus style and rested fisted hands on his knees, his eyes closing as he channeled some of his magical energy into altering his perceptions, allowing him to see outside the Mansion. His brow furrowed as he watched Sinister release his Nasty Boys on the X-Men. A growl seeped from him again, but all he did was watch.

Jubilee leapt to the side, sending a stream of pafs towards one of the Nasty Boys that punched out at her. The pyrotechnics exploded around the hulking brute¡¦s face, blinding him and making him scream from the burns they created. Without missing a beat, she leapt up, swinging around the thick neck and slamming both feet into his back, using him as both a target and a springboard as she pushed him face-first into the dirt while flipping back, straightening and releasing another grouping of pafs at another Nasty Boy charging at her. It seemed like an unfair fight to her and she wanted to cry foul. All the X-Men were fighting with one or two of the Nasty Boys, but Jubilee had at least four coming after her.

After all, she was the prize.

Landing in her feet and looking around, she watched as Wolverine tore his claws through one of the Nasty Boys, sending him to his knees and then onto his face as an adamantium knee crushed his nose. She was about to go help when she saw Gambit spin, kicking away one of his opponents and hurling a card blazing with energy at her. Dropping to her belly, she rolled onto her back just in time to see another one of the Nasty Boys get blown ten feet back by the kinetically charged, explosive card. Leaping to her feet, Jubilee sent a hail of fireworks at another Nasty Boy charging at her, making him fly back as well with her own explosions.

A sudden sound of searing energy made her spin. When she did, she wished she hadn¡¦t turned around. Tears filled her eyes as she saw all of the X-Men laying on the ground and Sinister standing over Xavier, his hands pulsing with energy. "It is over child, come with me and I will spare their lives."

"No way!" Jubilee yelled at him, "I¡¦m not going with you, you¡¦ve probably got rats!"

Sinister shrugged indifferently. "Very well, have it your way." Both his hands shot forward and a huge blast of energy screamed through the air towards her. Her X-Man instincts taking over, Jubilee leapt out of the way, flipping over the blast and landing on her feet. She landed and glared at her enemy.

Cole watched in anger as the X-Men were one by one defeated, leaving Jubilee to defend herself. He had told the Z-Men that if things went sour, he was in the game. WEll, things couldn¡¦t get anymore sour. Opening his eyes, he leapt to his feet and raced to the door, yanking it open just in time to see the blast of energy leap from Sinister and head straight for him. It was a blast that Cole knew would vaporize him, and there was no way he could get out of the way.

"You have to do better than that Sinny!"

Sinister only smiled. "You think that was aimed at you little Jubilee?" She blinked in confusion. "I am here to capture you, not kill you."

"Then what....?"

"I simply did not wish us to be interrupted by our young friend."

For a moment, Jubilee just looked at Sinister as if he¡¦d grown another head. Then, it hit her. Spinning around, she looked at the Mansion, seeing half of the building incinerated. The half of the building Cole was in!

"NO!!!!!" Jubilee raced to the smoke and rubble, falling to her knees at the edge of it. Tears coursed down her cheeks and her body shook with sobs. He was gone, Cole was dead. There had been so much that she had wanted to tell him, so much she wanted to give him. She never even had the chance to tell him that she loved him. "Oh God, Cole! Cole!!"

The sound of footsteps behind her didn¡¦t even make her look. She just hung her head in defeat, all thoughts of resisting fleeing her mind. All she could think of was Cole, how he was dead before she could tell him anything. When she felt a leather-clad hand on her shoulder, she winced, but did not fight, there was no point to it. The tears flowed down her face, dripping off her chin and into the grass beneath her knees. "Come child," Sinister said coldly, "It is time to...."

His voice died off unexpectedly and Jubilee looked up at him. It was very unlike Sinister to stop right in the middle of his posturing, unless something had really got his attention. Judging by the look on his face, the utter disbelief, she had to guess that this was one of those times. Following his gaze, she looked upon the rubble that used to be the Mansion and gasped.

Slowly, the smoke parting as though commanded to do so in honor of its master. It swirled and molded around a dome that crackled with red energy. Within the dome, a shadow slowly walked, the wind plucking and swirling at the long tail of its coat, making it snap in anger that matched its owner¡¦s fury. Every step it took revealed a little more of the shadow until it exited the smoke, the crackling energy dome collapsing down into nothingness. For a long moment of silence, no one dared breathe.

The silence was broken as the shadow¡¦s arms extended to its sides and twin shafts of crimson energy sprang out of its hands with an angry hiss, the crimson rippling and thrumming with power.

Cole narrowed his eyes as energy crackled from them in black flames. "Now I¡¦m pissed!"

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