SUMMARY: Jubilee is force grown to adulthood and trained by the Hand. Upon escaping she tries to find a way back to the U.S.

NOTE: Anything bordered by an asterix means the person is using internalized dialog (usually to themselves). Anything bordered by () is someone speaking in Japanese.

FEEDBACK: This is only the first part of the story. Please send feedback of any kind (praise, flaming, constructive criticism, etc.) to [email protected] .

No matter what she did they kept coming. Ninjas from above. Ninjas from below. Everywhere. Without the luxury of time to come up with any plan, "A", "B", or otherwise, Jubilee bolted.

"Lemme alone! Lemme alone!" she screamed at those behind her. *Cripes that really worked Jubester. Get a move on.*

She continued to run blindly through the woods behind the mansion. As she rounded a stand of trees, the ground suddenly gave way. Down she fell into the blackness.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"

Eyes flown wide open, Jubilee woke cold, naked and strapped to a cold steel table. A voice caught her attention. She craned her head to see a ninja leering at her as he babbled to her in Japanese. Fear gripped her heart. *It wasn't a dream.*

"Go get yer pajamas in a twist. 'Sides I can't understand a word yer sayin' " she said and spat on him.

The ninja narrowed his eyes, angrily wiped his face, and slapped her. She continued to swear at him straining against her bonds until they cut into her skin. Laughing, the ninja slapped her a few more times, then waved the scientist standing the background forward.

He was holding a ten-inch long needle connected to a thin, hairline wire. Again the ninja laughed at her when she couldn't hold back the screams as the needle was passed through one shoulder, both arms and both legs.

(Mr. Shaw. We are ready.)

Shinobi Shaw, leader of the Hand, shooed his ladies away. (Good. Process her. I am eagerly waiting to see if that blathering scientist is worth what I pay him. His accelerator fits my plans perfectly if it doesn't kill my playtoy first.)

Electricity crackled throwing an eerie yellow light across the lab. The scientist threw several switches to focus the electricity down through the wires. Incredible amounts of energy struck Jubilee. With every jolt she screamed. Her skin seemed to split as the last barrage completed the cycle. She fainted.

***One week later***

(She submits only after we beat her almost senseless. Impressive stamina. Once her training is complete she will be the perfect assassin. Yet she refuses to kill?) His master of assassins held his breath for a few seconds then replied (Yes Master.)

"Ya can't do anything to make me. Ya haveta kill me first!"

Shinobi smiled. (Now Miss Lee I think we can do better than kill our number one pupil)

"I hate it when you do that! Speak ENGLISH you stupid jerk!"

"Getting nasty aren't we Miss Lee. Let me introduce you to an associate of mine, Mikoshi."

Countless needles pricked and danced about her skin. Metal bands about her neck, ankles, and wrists held her suspended vertically while the artist did his work. They were padded to prevent her from damaging herself, but they hadn't bothered with anesthesia. The pain was mind-numbing. Helpless tears ran down her cheeks as they tattooed a dragon over her entire body.

Mikoshi took his time, starting the head at the dimple in her right shoulder. Another week and he had finished a third of the body, which wound above and below her breasts. Two more weeks and he had the wings extending down both arms with metal scales fused at each wing joint.

Shinboi watched the entire process, further impressed with her strength. Once the tail was finished in a winding spiral down her left leg he entered the chamber to inspect his artist's work.

Jubilee was taken down, almost gently, and placed in a cage deep underground. An inhibitor collar prevented any use of her powers so the cage was left unlocked. Fear and punishment were the only security the Hand needed.

******

Halfway around the world, Logan grumbled, flung his covers aside and rolled over to turn on the lamp perched on his nightstand. His eyes watered slightly but cleared after they adjusted to the brightness. *Three-thirty in the morning?! Great, I got about an hour's worth of sleep. This had better be good* he thought as he picked up the phone.

"Talk fast, bub, 'cause, if this is a crank call, I'm gonna put ya inna world of hurt"

"Logan, Thank the blessed Lord. We're having a bit of a problem with Penance. Can I speak to Jubilee?"

The last statement brought Wolverine's brain completely out of its sleep fog. Now awake and angry, he paced, wondering how far he could shove his fist down Banshee's throat.

"Cassidy," he began in a deadly calm tone, "if you woke me up a three in the flamin' morning to ask me if you can speak to someone that is down the hall from you, you're going to have a problem with me instead a' Penance." To emphasize his point, Logan growled while he waited for an answer.

An hour later Logan hung up the phone and woke the rest of the mansion. He was beyond angry, but had to stay focused. Steaming pots of coffee were placed on the conference table at both ends.

Bobby shuffled in holding his robe closed and sagged into the first available chair. Ororo arrived seconds later and nearly tripped over Drake's legs. Jean, Scott and Hank completed the assembly muttering about the hour and threats of dire consequences if this was a prank.

"Drake had nuthin' ta do with this, Cyke. I called this meetin'," Logan snapped. An uneasy hush ran through the room. These two never got along but it was obvious that Logan's normally bad moods were worse. Bobby fidgeted nervously. He wanted to clap, or scream, or do anything to break the silence. Amazingly, Logan backed down first.

"There is no time, I'll deal with your flip attitude later Cyke." It took all of his willpower to not pop his claws and pin their 'fearless leader' to the wall. "Jus' got off the phone with Cassidy. Jubilee's missing. Has been fer three weeks. Near as I can tell she and Frost had it out. Next mornin' Paige noticed the Jubilee was out of bed *before* everyone else, a phenomenon in itself."

Knowing smiles decorated each face at the table. They all had had trouble waking their youngest member. When she went off to the Academy, they could count on at least one call a day from Frost, complaining about them always sending her lazy, impertinent students.

Before Logan could finish, Scott chimed in. "What in blazes took so long for them to tell us?" The question echoed through the group. Most of them were standing now, unable to contain their feelings any longer. They all loved the girl and felt responsible in a way for anything that happened to her.

Logan understood but he had to continue, not give into his emotions. "Because, they thought she was with us." Scott stopped dead in his tracks. Again the entire room fell into silence. From his uniform pocket, Logan drew out a folded up fax and read out loud:

"I'm blowing this kiddie pop-stand. At least the X-Men listened to me once in a while. I'm going HOME. -J-"

"They believed, my fellow mutants, that their erstwhile companion arrived here safe and sound but didn't figure to check up on her. This is quite disturbing." For once Beast had a used english to state the obvious, but no one teased the hairy doctor. Tears spilled down his cheeks. "Oh, my stars and garters," he cried softly.

Jean mentally cursed careful not to project the thought outward. Too much time had passed by. Anything could have happened to her. "Let's get over to the Academy. Hopefully we can pick up some sort of trail"

Even with the help of telepaths, the search was not going well. Jubilee seemed to have disappeared of the face of the Earth. Frustrated with dead ends Logan became increasingly hostile. *Two months and nuthin'. They keep tellin' me that I should let her go, that if she hasn't been found after all this time she must be d... de...* He couldn't bring himself to say it. Refusing to cry, he howled; long emotion filled keens that spoke volumes no amount of words could touch. It was a sound strong enough break the hearts of an entire family.

Rain fell in heavy sheets onto those standing in the graveyard but none of them noticed. No one spoke as they huddled over the shrine. Most of them had resigned themselves to the worst possible scenario¡¦ that Jubilee was dead.

******

Days passed into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. Each time she refused to kill she was punished. Thrown back into her cage with a "night visitor". None of them were gentle. Sessions lasted for what seemed like eternity. At any sign of resistance, Jubilee was beaten with a bamboo sword.

No matter how bad it got she still refused to kill. *This is NOT going well* Shinobi fumed. *Three years and not a single kill. I've had to send a back up ninjas just to make sure the job was finished; most annoying. We've beaten, tortured, and humiliated her, yet her spirit hasn't broken*.

(Master, it is confirmed. The woman is pregnant.) Shinobi barely registered the report, too deep in sulking. (Master??)

Evil washed over Shinobi's face. (I heard and you know what to do) he said and flicked off the intercom. *Finally something that will break that wench.* He would sleep soundly this evening.

Jubilee lay on her back a rare smile on her face. Hands resting on her belly she could feel the child growing. Grinding metal sent shivers up her spine as her cage door swung open. Sighing, Jubilee sat up and steeled herself for yet another session. Clothes were never a problem. She had gotten used to being without them. She also knew this particular visitor. He was the baby's father; the only one who had shown her the slightest bit of kindness. Jubilee relaxed and was caught completely off guard.

Rough hands shoved her against the wall. Fingers tightened around her neck when she struggled. Out of the corner of her eye, Jubilee caught the glint of a long rod topped by a sharp hooked spike. With sickening precision the rod was shoved in just far enough to kill the baby, then ripped right back out.

Blood covered her thighs and bed. The remains were left on the floor to rot. *My baby¡¦ they killed...*

Deep within the recesses of her mind, Jubilee tapped into the full-strength powers her newly matured body possessed. Overloaded, the inhibitor sparked and fizzed to the ground.

What was once known as the greatest assassin house in Japan, exploded. No one survived except for one lone woman walking dazed out of the rubble. Shinobi had gotten his wish. She killed, killed them all.

As much as she hated to admit it, the Hand had trained her well. In the two months after the explosion, she had managed to live in the woods of Japan until she had healed. Once strong enough, Jubilee ventured into the city. There were certain things she needed but were only found in Tokyo's upscale malls.

A shadowy figure dropped down from rafters of the darkened mall. As a former mall- rat and a trained ninja, Jubilee easily picked the complicated lock that secured a huge metal gate and placed her palm on the control panel of the proximity alarm. With very little effort she fused its circuits, rendering it inactive. Quickly she ducked and crawled across the floor just under the view of two overhead video cameras. Their control panel got the same treatment as the proximity alarm.

Ten minutes and three more picked locks later, Jubilee had assembled quite a collection. *Skin tight bodysuit, check. 2 adamantium katanas, check. Tank top, bike shorts, and underwear, check. Speak, read write Japanese tapes and tape player, check. Bag to carry everything, check. Now I just have to get rid of any fingerprints* Jubilee thought as she stuffed her acquisitions into the bag.

She retraced her steps, passing a hand over anything that she had touched, detonating fingerprints. To avoid damage, she absorbed the energy away from the objects. Once outside, she slung the bag over her shoulder and slipped silently into the night.

Boat fog horns roared outside and woke Jubilee out of her troubled sleep. Groaning, she sat up and winced as a splinter from the wood pallet that made up her bed pierced her butt. The warehouse she had found refuge in for the past few weeks provided ample room and enough privacy for the fights. Today, Jubilee hoped to win enough money to bribe her way onto the freighter that was leaving for Canada in a week.

Slowly she eased off the pallet, careful not to pick up any more splinters. Sunlight crept through cracks in the walls and warmed her tired body. For a few moments Jubilee basked in the rays, grateful that she had lived one more day. Shaking herself from the sun's thrall, Jubilee strapped on her tape player and pulled the headphones over her ears. They were the only things she wore during her morning warm ups.

Most of her katas had been created to give the illusion that her tattoo was alive. They required complete control and devotion to the slight shifts of muscle in sequence. Each movement enhanced the next, each movement deadly in its own right. Jubilee continued to push, repeating each movement until satisfied with her performance. Sweat dripped down her back and slicked down her hair, she was ready.

Outside, the marketplace teamed with activity. Hawkers called loudly, drawing in the unwary shoppers to buy their goods. Stands lined the streets, boasting an incredible array of goods. The sheer amount of noise would drive anyone crazy, but it served a purpose, to mask the sound of the fight.

Patrons, bookees, and fighters alike crowded around the ring. To Jubilee it looked like a scene from Wall Street. A large sign was hung above the roll up doors, displaying fighters' statistics and betting odds. Bettors waved their money in the air while children, called runners, collected and returned to the bookee.

On the board the odds were climbing. Jubilee looked over the stats of the other fighters and snorted. *I could take them in my sleep* she mused while slipping on thong underwear. It provided coverage as well as shock effect, showing as much of the tattoo as possible. Her tank top, which clung like a second skin, barely covered her breasts. Buckles on the side snapped into housing in the underwear. With wrists and ankles wrapped for added support and swords strapped across her back, Jubilee strode out into the ring.

Silence followed in her wake. Someone gasped, (The Hand). Abruptly, noise returned, betting coming to a fevered climax. Another glance at the board showed that she was slated to fight not one but two members of the notorious dock gang.

She continued to scan the crowd, anxious to get the first glimpse of her opponents. Shouting heralded their arrival, as they shoved their way to the ring. The one on the left had his hair pulled back into a ponytail. He wore black jeans and a leather vest. His companion, long hair hanging loose to his waist, boasted the same jeans and vest but also had strung a chain through the belt loops.

(Hey, China doll, you wanna have some fun?) chain-boy said and undid the chain from his pants. Slowly he circled Jubilee, chain swinging in a deadly arc. Only his shoulder gave away his intention. The chain spun a few moments longer, then shot towards her and wrapped around her right wrist.

Steadily, she dipped into that place in her mind where she'd buried all the anger and pain of her capture, and wore it like a cloak. Steel blue eyes locked onto chain-boy's face.

(Okay, I guess I get to kick your ass first) she growled and deepened her stance. Around them the crowd laughed. A few of them had the audacity to tease chain boy.

(I think not) ponytail said and launched into a flying kick that caught her across her cheek. Blood flew from her nose and spattered onto chain boy's boots. Quickly he yanked on the chain and brought Jubilee to her knees. Ponytail was on her in a hot second, securing both arms behind her back. He held her throat and whispered something in her ear.

Ponytail, not knowingly, triggered something in her brain. Like a switch, anger, fear, and desperation flooded her senses. Every moment of pain and humiliation felt anew. Jubilee screamed her rage. Her eyes no longer saw. Drawing on hidden reserves of strength she wrenched her arms out of ponytail's vise-like grip. In one fluid motion she shrugged off the chain, leapt up and drew both swords. Not far gone enough to use her powers, but too far gone not to kill.

When she could see again, blood covered both outstretched arms up to her elbows. Each sword point ran through her opponents' throats. They quivered with muscle spasms, eyes wide with surprise. She watched the life die out of their eyes, a little piece of herself dying with them.

A small part of her old self tried to care. Tears pressed at the back of her eyes, but she grit her teeth, determined not to let them fall. In deft, precise movements she withdrew both swords letting the bodies slump to the ground into pools of their own blood.

Stunned silence lasted for a handful of heartbeats. The audience hadn't expected her to win. That she had done it so quickly with no hesitation added insult to injury. They were treated to a further display as Jubilee jerked both swords upward into an X above her head and kiyaied at the top of her lungs.

Jubilee emptied everything she had into that single kiyai. Spent, Jubilee eyed the crowd. By some unseen signal noise returned to the warehouse. She'd made many of them poor and could almost feel their disgusted, contemptuous looks. Those that had taken a chance shot her expressions of respect even envy. With a flick of her wrists she flung the remaining blood from her blades, slipped on their sheaths and walked over to the prize table, head held high.

No one challenged her. Jubilee slung the money bag over one shoulder and walked away from the warehouse without a second look back. It was time to get out of this place, away from all the hurt and anguish. She wasn't running away, she was going home.

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