Chaos and Fury: Parts 1-4

by Parodys

Disclaimer: Marvel characters belong to Marvel. Mine belong to me. Any use of my characters without my permission and you will be severely spanked.

A/N: I'll try to make this as brief as possible. It really does help if you read Of Infinity and Chaos first, because this would make a lot more sense, although I tried to make this stand on its own as much as possible. The Prologue takes place right after Jubilee freed the slaves-trust me it explains a lot of stuff that will happen. Ciele is a sort of trusted advisor of sorts to Jubilee that was entrusted to keeping the treaty enforced.

I am so sorry about the first posting of this chapter...all of my alien dialogue bit the dust so here is the fixed version. Hope you like it! :)

telepathic thought

[alien language]

Prologue

Time: Just after the freedom of the slaves.

Place: Intergalactic council

"[I will not tolerate this.]"

The Kyln's voice reverberated across the immense hall, stopping the assembled aliens' arguments. The oval room currently housed several thousand representatives from various planets, all of whom had turned to look at the speaker, situated in a balcony above the scene. The young woman was simply dressed in pants and a vest that hung on her thin frame. Her hair was shorn close the scalp and the start of a dark scar trailed down from the indentation on her neck to her chest. Beside her stood two aliens, Ciele and Bob, one tall and sinewy and the other short and lean.

"[They,]" She pointed at the accused that were sitting confined in the middle of the room, "[Have murdered your younglings, your mates, your families. Are we agreed on that point?]"

Murmured assent came from the floor. "[They have kidnapped, tortured and killed generations of your people. They also did this with the knowledge and support of their governing planet. Are we agreed on this as well?]"

A rumble emerged from the crowd as each alien motioned their agreement. Jubilee nodded in satisfaction. After weeks of debate over what to do with the slavers that had imprisoned her as well as countless others, they seemed to be finally getting somewhere. Clutching the rail in front of her, she held on for dear life as the room blurred and then cleared. Unwilling to rest, Jubilee had pushed herself to the point of exhaustion day after day until she had finally reached the point where she was functioning on sheer willpower. Forcing herself upright, she looked out at the gathered creatures.

It had seemed so simple to free herself and then free the slaves while she was at it. However, achieving that freedom when no one else had, meant that the aliens regarded her as a hero, a savior of sorts. And now, within three weeks of being free, she had helped the aliens return home, and used the opportunity to create a treaty ensuring peace. Unable to ignore the call put upon her, she had put off returning home so that she could help them. And now they called her the Kyln, a creature from legends that would bring justice to the weak and caretaker of the homeless.

Jubilee's weary blue eyes glanced at her friends, who moved closer as if to support her physically. As she stood before the immense crowd all she could think was that she was just a kid. What did she know about this? Hell, she had flunked out of debate, why should she be any better at intergalactic councils?

Holding up her hand for silence, Jubilee paused a moment before speaking. "[You all have asked me to determine a suitable punishment for the accused and this is what I have decided. An old friend once told me that killing, no matter what the cause never ended with peace. With each death came more violence, more hurt, more pain and I believe that we all have suffered long enough without bringing more onto ourselves. So let me say this; genocide, no matter what the crime, is not acceptable in any form. If nothing else comes from this, let this be an era of peace. You all stand on common ground, so do not waste the opportunity.]"

Gesturing to the brutish creatures that were restrained, she called them forward. "[Ji'in stand before me and hear your fate. From this day forward you will be shunned. You will be pariahs, forever scorned by others and accepted nowhere. This is your punishment for living off the misery of others. You will also sign this.]" Jubilee waved to a thin parchment. "[It is an alliance that ensures you will no longer keep slaves or maintain any such practice. If you should break this then your lives, which I have spared, are given to the planets here. And trust me, you will not survive their punishments.]"

Bowing slightly to the assembly, she turned to leave. It was taking every last ounce of strength left to remain upright and her blood pounded in her ears, with tiny stars swimming in her eyes. Facing the floor once more, she looked at them in dead seriousness. "[Know this, I will now what happens when you leave here. Break this and I will return to ensure your punishment.]"

Shaking, she walked off the balcony past the heavy drapes into a dark hallway. Once concealed, Jubilee collapsed into the arms of Ciele, who gently lifted the small woman up and carried her to their quarters. As they walked down the sleek hallway, the crowd roared to life, shouting. "[Kyln! Kyln! Kyln!]"

-in-

Chapter 1

Time: Three and a half years later.

Place: Space, 5 billion light years away from Earth-

"[When will we arrive?]"

"[In approximately 4 cycles. Tell the crew to prepare.]"

"[The Kyln is expecting us?]"

"[No, but we have means of communicating with the Kyln. She will be aware of our arrival.]"

"[I am... excited to meet her. What is she like?]"

"[Just and brutal. Her soul is troubled but I believe she will help us. Go now and prepare.]"

The creature bowed once and left the bay, leaving the captain staring at the stars streaking by. Rubbing worriedly at her nodes, she returned to the calculations on the terminal.

"[We are coming, Kyln. As I vowed to you, I will keep my oath.]"

-in-

Academy for Gifted Children

Danger Room

Jubilee circled her opponent warily, her eyes narrowed and she ducked just in time to miss a punch. Deciding to end it, she gave a spinning kick to the man's stomach. He doubled over and she tapped the back of his neck sharply. The body slumped to the floor and his eyes rolled grotesquely to the back of his head. Satisfied, Jubilee retied her ponytail that had come loose during the fight.

Breathing hard, Jubilee wiped her face with her shirt and turned to her audience of about ten students, all standing open mouthed. "That is what a real fight looks like, no holds barred, without your powers. Eventually each and every one of you will end up powerless and in a fight. I'm here to teach you how to defend yourself. Any questions?"

The assembled group of freshman shuffled awkwardly, and Leech put up his hand. "Ms. Lee?"

Jubilee nodded. "Yes?"

"Would that guy have been dead?"

She walked over to the prone figure on the ground and flipped him over unceremoniously on his back. "No, I merely disabled him. Life, class, no matter whom it belongs to, is precious and we do not take anyone's life. We will learn how to protect ourselves without fatalities."

Artie shook his head, in argument. *What if it's them or us? What then, is it still right to kill?"

Jubilee smiled slightly and called up to Paige who was operating the booth. "Paige run Beta 24."

Instantly a gruesome looking alien appeared and within seconds had Jubilee in a vice grip, choking her. With a slight twist she got free and managed to get a chokehold around its neck and was slowly applying pressure. Giving a slight nod to Paige, the program froze.

"So here we are, Artie. It's obviously me against him, we're about evenly matched and since you so eloquently put it I have the right to kill him. So let's do it." Another nod unfroze the sim, restarting its struggle once more. The alien started screaming a high wailing noise, which Jubilee paid no regard. "As long as we're going to kill him, let's torture him as well. That way the bastard can pay for what he tried to do to me."

Artie shrugged uneasily.

"Come on now, its only one life in the grand scheme of things. Here, it's easy. Just apply the slightest pressure here and then twistâ¤|" The creature's neck snapped slowly, the crack echoing through the silent room. A few of the students paled and one ran from the room. "There, that didn't take too long and now I don't have to worry about him coming to get me."

*That's not what I meant!*

Jubilee shrugged indifferently. "Dead is dead." She looked out at what was left of her class, and pointed to the dead alien at her feet. "We can kill, but we don't. It's the only thing that separates us from terrorists, tyrants, and those that would kill us. If we do it, no matter what the justification, we have already lost. Keep that in mind. Class dismissed. Leech go check on Julie and Pete okay?"

The kids filed out and with a sigh Jubilee walked to the observation room where Paige was looking slightly green.

"Was that really necessary?" Paige grimaced, and ran a protective hand over her swollen belly. The fact that she was pregnant at all had come as surprise to everyone, especially to the expectant father, Jono who had practically fainted when he had found out.

"Yes, it was. They need to learn that death isn't some pretend video game that they can start over and over again. Life isn't cheap and I don't want them to treat it that way."

"Well you certainly got their attention. I wondered why you wanted me manning the room today."

"It's a lot more effective if they don't have time to prepare for it. Besides in a couple of years I'll be teaching your kid a thing or two about hand to hand combat." Jubilee patted Paige's stomach gently.

Her face lit up as she felt a small kick in return. "Jubes, are you able to tell what my baby is? Can you hear it?"

Jubilee smiled softly and knelt so that she was looking at the Paige's stomach. "I can if you want." At Paige's nod Jubilee closed her eyes and gently let her mind touch the forming consciousness within. "It's a girl, and she's very happy right now. She's all warm and cozy and very comfortable." She paused and looked up at Paige who had a silly grin on her face. "When was the last time Hank check you?"

"About a month or so ago, he said we'd be able to listen to the baby this month. Why? Is anything wrong?"

Shaking her head Jubilee just lightly touched her stomach and concentrated. The sensation of touching a new mind was incredible, in Jubilee's mind's eye it looked like a tiny ball of light that pulsed with the infant's thoughts. After a few minutes she looked up with a grin. "Got a bit of a surprise for ya actually Paige."

"I have twins?!?" Paige squealed jumping up and down.

"No, actually it's more like triplets. Two girls and a boy. What have you been doing Hayseed?"

Paige blushed a beet red and mumbled, "Well, I do come from a large family."

Jubilee smiled and gave her a hug. "I just want to see Jono's face when you tell him."

"I'm going to let him know right now!" Paige gave Jubilee one more hug and then dashed from the room, waddling slightly. Jubilee watched her go fondly, Paige and Jono had been through enough problems in their lives to deserve this tiny bit of happiness. As for Angelo and herself, Jubilee gazed out into the now empty room, the two of them had remained together for the past three years without any mention of marriage or children. Now, as Jubilee saw her best friend the happiest she had ever seen her, she was beginning to wonder if she was missing out.

When Jubilee had finally graduated at the top of her class two years previously, Emma and Sean had finally decided to get the team a ⤡¦headquarters' of sorts. Basically it was just a huge mansion, tucked in a forest away from the mainstream public, only a few minutes from the school. The mansion, complete with an underground complex of two Danger Rooms, X- wing, and computer center, had been divided up into apartments for the older members of the team. Paige and Jono shared one, as did Jubilee and Angelo, and, to the surprise of many only six months ago, so did Sean and Emma who had gotten married in a quiet ceremony with only the team present. The ten younger members all shared rooms on the lower floors. M, Jono, Paige and Jubilee had stayed behind to become teachers at the school; all of them focusing the areas that they were best at. M had gotten the majority of the Calculus and Biogenetic classes, Paige taught English and Computer classes, Jono took care of the power training and Jubilee had been in charge of regular training. Angelo was the only one of them that was often called in to the X-men as back up for missions.

Jubilee activated the computer and punched a few keys. The Danger room scene shifted slightly and a faceless figure stood motionless. Sean entered the room, and he looked up to where Jubilee was. "Ready for training lass?"

"Yep." Seconds later she was beside him and he nodded at the figure. "Feeling like some hand to hand today?"

"You know it Sean. Let's do this." Centering herself, she got into a fighting stance, going instantly on guard as the fighter flexed its shoulders.

Sean watched with interest as Jubilee and the fighter sparred. He had made them almost equally balanced, giving the sim just the slightest advantage in speed and strength. Jubilee's fighting technique had been almost totally defensive in the entire time he had known her, and today it was oddâ¤|she was actively aggressive. Her blows were not meant to defend but lethal. Sean moved a couple of steps back, and watched her narrowly miss shattering its ribcage with a well placed kick.

"Die asshole!!" A gloved fist smacked solidly into her face, throwing Jubilee onto the floor. Jubilee sniffed, trying to clear the blood and sweat from her face before her opponent could gain an advantage. Her waist long hair was drenched from her exertions and before long she was sporting a swollen jaw that would be black before the day was out. The fighter shook himself out and circled the girl warily, his pace thoughtful as he looked at her. Angry, a tiny ball of plasma formed in her hand and her fingers clenched around the sphere.

Sean frowned as he watched the two. "Jubilee, think you're way through. This exercise is to help your hand-to-hand skills, without your powers. Get rid of it."

Flinging the ball against the wall, she didn't bother to answer and blew the Irish man a kiss before slamming a roundhouse kick to the fighter's neck, snapping it with a sickening crunch. The figure slumped to the floor, his head hanging at an odd angle. Jubilee turned to look at Sean (who had turned a pale green), to see if he would call up another sim.

Sean glanced at his watch and then held up his hand, signaling that the fight was over. He walked over to her, handing her a towel before looking at the simulated fighter on the floor. "Lass, the point is to disable, not kill. That," he poked the body experimentally with his toe, "is very much dead."

Shrugging, she wiped her face with the towel and looked at the body with distaste. "I don't know why. I've been on edge lately."

"Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's just so weird, being on the other end of this teaching thing. I never figured it would be so hard."

Sean looked faintly amused. "Did you think that we teachers had it easy all this time?"

Jubilee shrugged. "More than the students. And then Leech asks me today whether it's justified to kill someone if our life depends on it."

"What did you say?" Sean tossed the basketball at her and took up the defensive position.

Jubilee slowly dribbled the ball and ducked past him and did a lay-up. "What was I supposed to say? None of us are ones to talk, I mean you, Emma, and I all have killed someone in the name of the greater good. It would be kind of hypocritical for me to stand and say that we shouldn't do it."

"But you did."

"Yeah." Sighing she bounced the ball to Sean. "I always thought that by the time I got this old I would at least have some answers."

"Yer only twenty lass, the world hasn't even begun for you yet." Sean smiled and sank a hook shot straight into the net. "As for us old folkâ¤|" Putting his arm around her shoulders, he gave her a light squeeze. "Don't loose faith yet lass, life's too precious for that."

The basketball lay forgotten as the two walked off in silence, each lost in their thoughts of the past and the skeletons that lay there.

Chapter 2

The next day

Rays of pink and orange light shot over the horizon, coloring the world with hues of gold. Up in her balcony, Jubilee sat deep in mediation, her thoughts slow and deep as she let herself sink into her unconscious. It had become a daily ritual with her; the forced isolation helped her center herself for the upcoming day and the onslaught of people's thoughts that would barrage her. In and out, each breath let her go deeper and deeper until she felt herself submerge into the murky depths of...

Jubilee awoke with a start, instantly aware that she was somewhere else, a cave from the looks of it. Mentally searching for another presence, she found nothing and stood up. The walls of the cave were high, and came to a point over her head where there was a hole letting in a ray of sunlight. Unwilling to move from her position to the darkness, she looked around uncertainly.

[Kyln...] The name echoed across the cave.

"Who is it?"

[Kyln...]

Jubilee unconsciously felt for her knife that she kept constantly on her, only to find that she was garbed in a silky robe. A soft footfall made her turn and a tall figure emerged from the shadows. The creature was about 7ft tall, a dark blue with golden eyes, and small protruding knobs on its forehead. Jubilee looked at in disbelief.

[Ciele?] Jubilee grinned and gave her a hug, looking at her fondly.

[It is I. How have you been, Kyln?] The alien gave a small bow in deference to her. Its mouth twisted into a smile, something unfamiliar to its people, but did out of respect for the woman before her.

[Good, what are you doing here?]

[As you asked, I have come with news of your people. Disappearances have been reported throughout our system, beings have gone missing in the thousands. It appears that the Ji'in have not adhered to the treaty as you had hoped.] Only someone familiar with Ciele could detect the faint hint of chiding in her voice.

[Fine, don't say that you told me so. I know what you said about them, but genocide of a nation is a drastic measure.]

[Were not the billions of lost slave lives drastic enough for you?]

[Enough, we have had this conversation many times, and it seems that I was wrong. Where are you?]

[We will arrive in about two days of you time. Will you be ready?]

[I will be. Where you will you land?]

A series of images flashed in front of her eyes and Jubilee nodded. [Sounds good. I have to go and get prepared. One questions though...]

[Yes?]

"[This is what you meant when you said you would get in touch with me?]"

"[Yes. Unfortunately your body is being adversely affected by the communication device that was implanted, so we must make this quick.]"

"[You know, when you put it in I had more of a beeper thing in mind.]"

"[Bee-per thing?]"

Jubilee projected an image of a small box that beeped, indicating a need to talk. "[But this is good too, so how do I wake up?]¡¦ The words were no sooner out of her mouth when she felt someone shaking her violently.

"Jubes!!"

¡¦Nahzat!¡¦ Swearing as she drew in a ragged breath, Jubilee opened her eyes to see Angelo looking at her worriedly. He was still wearing his boxers and his hair was rumpled. Over his shoulder, Monet and Paige were peering at her with expressions of fear.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I couldn't wake you up from your meditation. And then you stopped breathing, I called to them for help and then you woke up. We better go see Cecelia."

Her mind still distracted, "Cecelia?" she repeated slowly.

"She's here to give a guest lecture in biology and microbiology for the children?" Monet spoke up from behind Angelo.

"Oh..." Jubilee stood up with the help from Angelo and looked at him for a second, her blue eyes fathomless. "We need to talk."

"After you see Cecelia. Then we talk as long as you want." Angelo gently led her to their bedroom and helped her to the bed. All of a sudden Jubilee felt totally and utterly lost, swept up in something beyond her control and her body sagged slightly on the bed. Angelo had just enough time to catch her before she fainted.

-in-

The medical labs of Generation X were one of the finest in the world. In the small facility, they had the ability to do everything from perform major surgery to fix scraped knee. It had been one of the requirements Emma had insisted on when the mansion was built for them, "Too many people have died because we haven't had the time to get them too the hospital." She told Forge who was in charge of the project. He had argued and complained about it during the time, but Cecelia was grateful for it now as she examined Jubilee on the bed.

The girl was ashen and there was a thin sheen of sweat on her body, but her pulse was strong as Cecelia felt for the light throb in the girl's wrist.

"She seems to be strong, but I'm going to run some blood tests to be sure. I don't want her teaching today or tomorrow so cancel her classes, or send someone to fill in for them." She said brusquely to M who had joined Angelo down in the med lab.

"I'll take care of it." M said, and walked off, the door closing with a slight hiss as she left.

"When will she wake up?" Angelo paced the room, oblivious to the fact that he was till in his underwear.

"I honestly don't know, but you'll have to give me some room so I can find out. Why don't you go get dressed and I'll see you when Jubilee and I are through." Pushing him slightly towards the door, Cecelia waited pointedly till he left the room. As soon as he disappeared around the corner, she turned back to her patient was. "Now, let's see what's going on here."

Ten minutes later Cecelia looked at the results of the blood test in surprise, and smiled at the woman lying on the bed. "Well, well, well Jubilee." Preparing a syringe, she injected the girl who woke up a few moments later.

"Cecelia?"

"Rise and shine, you've given us quite a scare. How are you feeling?"

Jubilee rubbed her hand over her eyes tiredly. "Not that great, but I'll live."

"Well I have some good news for you, it looks like you¡¦re pregnant."

"Excuse me?!?" Jubilee's mouth dropped open and her hand fled to her stomach. "How long?"

"Only about four or five weeks. Didn't you notice your period missing?"

"No," Jubilee shrugged. "I haven't had my period ever since I was kidnapped. I just kind of assumed that I couldn't have kids."

"Well, congratulations you're about to become a mom! Is Angelo the father?"

"Yes, of course. But..." Her tired face looked at the doctor in dead seriousness. "He can't know that I'm pregnant. Certain things are going to happen soon and I can't afford for him to be distracted by me or the baby."

Emotions flickered across Cecelia's face as she looked at Jubilee, "Fine, I won't tell anyone. But at least let me make sure that everything is fine, and you'll need to take certain vitamins etc to be certain that he or she stays healthy. I'll go let Angelo know that he should give us a few more minutes."

Jubilee waited while she went to the intercom and talked to Angelo. Suddenly a thought came to mind, "Will I be able to transform with the baby?"

"I don't know." Cecelia replied honestly, she pulled up some files on the computer. "Have you changed at all during the past month?"

"Once, I flew out to Xavier's to talk to Wolvie but it was at the very beginning of last month so I can't be sure."

"Well Jubilee, there aren't any reported cases of a mutant being able to mutate between both forms while carrying a child. I wouldn't recommend it."

"We sacrifice what we must for justice..." Jubilee caressed her stomach, pushing down her feelings of longing for the tiny life growing inside. She had always wanted a child, but had thought that of the many things the slavers took from her, her ability to have children had been one of them. Paige's pregnancy had stirred up feelings she had long thought dead, and she had watched Paige blossom month after month. Now she had it in her grasp and the chances of the baby...Jubilee shook her head, getting the thought out of her mind. She would take what life gave her, after all, hadn't she taken everything else that had been dished out?

"We sacrifice what we must for justice." Cecelia repeated. ¡¦I can't say that I ever heard that before."

Jubilee slowly got up and started getting dressed. "It's an ancient saying in the some of the older galaxy systems. Life was hard for them not so long ago; they're very protective of their freedom."

"I'll say, you think it's really worth it?" Helping the younger girl into her sweater, Cecelia shivered a sense of unease coming over her. "Justice at any cost?"

"Yes." Jubilee said simply and gave Cecelia a hug. "Thank you, take care doc."

She walked out the door, and went upstairs to find Angelo. Cecelia watched her leave, and suddenly felt the urge to call her husband. Automatically dialing the numbers, it was only a few seconds before Hank's face appeared on the screen.

"Yes, dear?"

"Just wanted to let you know that I love you."

-in-

Upstairs Jubilee had sat Angelo down in their living room, told him what that Ciele had contacted her, that she was leaving in a day and that she didn't want him to come. Needless to say they were in the middle of slight argument.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I have a duty to these beings. I have to go."

"A little over a half an hour ago, you were unconscious. Now you want to travel millions of light-years away from Earth, in a totally unsafe situation? Stop me when I'm off track here."

"I am not a child anymore. I love you Ange, but don't even start pulling that 'You're a girl and you're helpless' routine on me."

"So now I'm chauvinistic because I want to protect you from getting hurt? Dammit, Jubes this isn't a game."

"Don't you think that I know that? Hundreds of thousands will die if I don't do something. I am going no matter what you say."

"Fine, go. But I'm coming with you, there is no way that I'm letting you go into that kind of situation without someone to watch your back." Angelo had gotten almost purple in the face and he and Jubilee were standing three feet from each other screaming their heads off. Ah, the joys of a committed relationship.

"You aren't going to let me??" Jubilee screeched. "Excuse me, but since when did you get a say over what happens to me?"

"We've been going out for three years and you ask me if I have a say in what happens to us? I care about you Jubes, I love you and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Her eyes softened slightly. "I don't want you to get hurt either. Please, when I go out there I can't worry about whether or not you're safe. You'll also be target. If the Ji'in see an opportunity to hurt you to get to me, or distract me they will do it."

"I can take of myself, Joo. You got taken away from me once, I'm not letting that happen again. I am not going to be left behind again." He peered into her eyes and stroked her face. Sighing she held on to him, her only secure anchor in the world.

"Fine. Ciele is meeting me, us just outside of Ladybrand, South Africa tomorrow at around 3pm their time. That gives us about 27 hours to get ready." Jubilee breathed in the singular scent that was Angelo and then pulled herself together. "We need to brief the team, and I need to go and fly out to see Wolvie. Will you be okay?"

"Sure." Angelo looked at her suspiciously for a moment. "You aren't going to leave without me are you?"

She turned around and grinned at him, her blue eyes sparkling. "Hadn't even crossed my mind. I'm going to see the Wolvster in an hour, so I'll see ya in a few." With that she skipped out the door, a grin on her face. She touched her stomach softly, life may have given her some crappy things, but this time she was going to take what she wanted. *I love ya Angie.*

He smiled as he received the thought and sent her light psionic kiss in return. *I love you too, Joo.*

-in-

Later (courtesy of a borrowed X-wing)

Xavier's mansion

The dappled sunlight trailed up Jubilee's face to dance around her eyes, as she looked at her friend fondly. Lying back on the warm grass, she chewed a green twig while her counterpart chewed his cigars. No comment had been made about the plane, although Wolverine had taken an intrigued sniff and refrained from lighting his cigars. For over an hour nothing was said, just the understanding silence of two friends who know each other like no one else. Putting her head on his lap, he gently ran a hand over her hair while committing every smile, every gesture she had to memory. To the casual observer, the two looked far more intimate than friends, but for those that knew them, it was innocent. Their companionship founded on their total trust of each other. Finally she got up and gave him one last hug. He held her close for a second and then pulled out a package he had managed to conceal.

"Figgered you'd need this someday." Dropping it into her hands, he watched as she opened the two-foot long box. Nestled inside the satin bed was an elegantly crafted curved knife, just slightly longer than a dagger. Carved onto the handle was a Chinese dragon, and Jubilee picked it up, her fingers fitting perfectly into the grooves the dragon created. She sliced the air with it a few times, and it was perfectly balanced.

"It's beautiful." she whispered. "I've never seen anything like it." It glinted in the sun and she traced the flat of the blade with a finger.

"The blade's made from adamantium, and I carved it myself. The dragon on it is called Ki-Lin, caretaker of the weak and so gentle that it would not harm an ant. Yer alien friends they called you that...uh...¡¦

"Kyln."

"Yeah, it reminded me of this when you told me. It seemed appropriate." He handed her a leather sheath with a belt. "So you can keep it handy." Jubilee secured the belt around her waist and slipped the knife in.

"Thank you, Logan." She touched his face for a moment. "How did you know?"

"It's in yer eyes, Darlin. Those blue eyes tell me you¡¦re getting ready for war. What I what I want to know is, do you need me there to watch yer back?"

"You and me kicking butt across the galaxy, very cool. But, no thanks. Ange is already planning to tag along and I need you here for something to come back to. I better go, so, uh, take care Wolvie. I love ya."

The expression in his eyes said more than words could ever express, and he wrapped her in his arms. Sniffling, she grinned against the warm fabric. ¡¦You know I never understood until now why you would drop everything for someone you hardly knew. It was never easy was it?¡¦

¡¦Far from it Darlin.¡¦ His voice was gruff. ¡¦Far from it.¡¦

Before the tears fell, she ran to the plane and lifted off. The X-wing quietly lifted off and shot into the sky. Wolverine looked at the trail of white smoke left behind and said a quick prayer to the heavens. "Just be sure ya watch yer back, kid."

-in-

The night was crisp and clear, the star brilliant under the moonless sky. A lone figure strolled across the grounds, her small figure almost dwarfed by the huge trees surrounding her. In the quiet of the night, she was treasuring these last few moments of silence before...Jubilee couldn't bring herself to think of what might happen. Pulling the clip from her hair, she shook her hair loose letting the wind pick up and toy with the long strands.

Jubilee barely had time to register the blast before she was hurled to the ground. Shaken, she tried to get up but found that she was too weak to even stand. The shot seemed to have some power-draining device and she could barely find the strength to keep her eyes open. Within seconds she had dropped into unconsciousness, with the words whispered in her ear. "[Not this time pet.]"

Rough hands grabbed her while an inhibitor collar was put around her neck, her body then dragged onto a ship that sped off into the night. No evidence, no witnesses, and nothing was cried out except for one telepathic cry, that shook Angelo out of his sleep with a sense of terror he had felt only once before.

Chapter 3

Previously

The night was crisp and clear, the star brilliant under the moonless sky. A lone figure strolled across the grounds, her small figure almost dwarfed by the huge trees surrounding her. In the quiet of the night, she was treasuring these last few moments of silence before...Jubilee couldn't bring herself to think of what might happen. Pulling the clip from her hair, she shook her hair loose letting the wind pick up and toy with the long strands.

Jubilee barely had time to register the blast before she was hurled to the ground. Shaken, she tried to get up but found that she was too weak to even stand. The shot seemed to have some power-draining device and she could barely find the strength to keep her eyes open. Within seconds she had dropped into unconsciousness, with the words whispered in her ear. "[Not this time pet.]"

Rough hands grabbed her while an inhibitor collar was put around her neck, her body then dragged onto a ship that sped off into the night. No evidence, no witnesses, and nothing was cried out except for one telepathic cry, that shook Angelo out of his sleep with a sense of terror he had felt only once before.

-in-
Currently

Angelo sprinted from the room to the control room downstairs, he had been unable to reach Jubilee through their psi-link and Wolverine said that Jubilee had left the mansion hours ago. Bringing up Cerebro online he initiated the search sequence, while calling out to Emma who had been up working late.

Emma arrived to find Angelo forcing Cerebro through another search sequence, having come up negative three times already. His eyes were wide and slightly panicked as he moved wildly around the room, checking the various screens.

"Do it again! I heard her! Repeat until her presence is found, Goddamn piece of crap." He slammed his fist down onto the console, rage and fear emanating from him in waves.

"What's going on?" Emma lightly touched his mind, but withdrew after a couple of seconds. All she could find was an intense feeling of loss, and worry. Stepping back a couple of steps, she quickly looked at the searches he had done so far.

"Jube's is gone. She cried to me for help and then she was gone. I can't feel her and I can't reach her. This damn machine can't find her."

"What about her bioscanner?"

"It's been deactivated. You don't understand, Ciele contacted her last night. She said that the Ji'in had been violating the treaty and that Jubes had to go and enforce it. "

Emma bit her lip, and tapped a fingernail nervously on the console. "Have you considered the fact that she might have left early? Maybe she didn't want you to come."

Angelo turned to Emma, his eyes cold. "I don't think so. She promised me that she wouldn't go without me and she wouldn't. I can't believe that you'd actually ask me that." He looked at her in disgust. "I felt her call out to me and she needs me. Help me or don't but get the hell out of my way. Jubilee said something about Ciele coming to pick her up sometime tomorrow on earth but I don't remember where."

"Can you contact this Ciele?"

"I think so. Hopefully they're within radio range, and if not I can bounce messages to her through other ships in the area." He pulled up a screen in front of him, mentally calculating how long it would take. After punching in a series of co-ordinates he activated the receiver. "Here goes nothing." Taking a breath he concentrated a moment before speaking. "[The Kyln calls her people. Ciele come, it is time to fulfill your oath.]" Nodding satisfied, he sent it off, sure in the knowledge that it would be bouncing across the stars within seconds, suddenly grateful that Jubilee had bugged him about memorizing the sentence.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Where did you learn?"

"Jubes made me learn just in case something happened to her. It was a trade off. I learned it and she would start learning Spanish, so that when we adopted ki...." His voice trailed off and he slumped into a chair. Emma walked over to him and put her arms around him, surprised to realize that she viewed this young man as a son. Comforting him, she telepathically called out to the other members of the team. *Time for a meeting. We have a situation on our hands.*

Gently stroking his tussled hair, Emma said softly. "The computer will let us know if anything comes up, and you need to rest. If Jubilee is going to contact you then you need to stay calm, additional interference will hinder the process. You need to be strong right now, and remember that you both have an exceptionally strong psi-link. If there is any way she can contact you, then she will. It may be subtle so pay attention to your gut instincts.¡¦ Her eyes grew distant. ¡¦The team is assembled, and they will need to know the details of what happened. You don't need to tell them everything, but they will need to know the basics. Let's go."

The tall man, got up agonizingly, his shoulders hunched over as if he was in extreme pain. Emma led him to the conference room, where Sean, Paige, Jono and M were assembled, their conversations falling silent at the sight of their teammate.

"What's wrong Ange?" Paige sat down next to him, concern evident on her face. Unlike her teammates she hadn't bothered to change into her uniform, the tight spandex already too uncomfortable for her. Instead she was wearing a soft flannel shirt and shorts, because she had been banned from the rest of the missions until the end of her pregnancy. Her blond hair curled softly around her face, coming loose from the ponytail she had it in and she looked almost angelic. Angelo let her hold him for a moment before he pulled away.

"At least wait for Jubilee. Is she still in bed?" M said, glancing upstairs to where Ange and Jubilee's apartment lay.

"She's gone." His voice was hoarse, and the phrase seemed to hang in the air, broken only when M said softly in disbelief.

"What?"

"They've taken her again. Earlier tonight. They took her. Cerebro can't find her. I can't feel her." Angelo stared dully ahead, refusing to look at his friends.

Emma held up her hand for silence as everyone started talking. "We do not have much time. You were not told everything for the simple reason that you didn't need to know. Now you do." She paused, uncertain of how they would react. For many years Jubilee, even though she had been through more than most, had been regarded as the baby of the team. Emma was aware of how easy it was to see the girl...woman in that light. Jubilee was small and terribly fragile looking, while still managing to make wisecracks and laugh at life. After all she was only 20, still too young to drink but already old enough to have seen too many of her friends die. Emma glanced around the room lingering on each face, they had a right to know, and Emma knew that the longer they waited the less their chances were of finding her alive. All it would take to make the 'firecracker' vulnerable would be an inhibitor collar and an end to her captors' patience, and Jubilee was not known to acquiesce to her kidnappers' demands.

Her face expressionless, she continued. "When Jubilee freed the slaves from the mine, they regarded her as a hero of sorts. She stayed months making sure that they got to their home planets safely, or in cases where it wasn't possible, set them up in a foster planet. It took place in a sector in the far reaches off space, literally untouched by peace or civilization. So, when the planets' representatives gathered to collect their people, she took the opportunity to call for an intergalactic council. She mediated it, and at the end a treaty was signed by all that ensured peace. The slavers, the Ji'in, were forced into exile and were treated as pariahs, their lives spared only because Jubilee pleaded for them. She became known as the Kyln, a creature from a legend." The room was silent, nothing could be heard except for Angelo's harsh breathing. Emma decided to end it quickly for the sake of the man in front of her.

"Anyway, Jubilee had two advisors or friends of sorts who escorted her back to Earth. These two were responsible for making sure that the treaty was adhered to and if not, they were to inform Jubilee at once. She was contacted last night, and was told that the Ji'in have started another slave mine. Ciele, that is her friend, is currently on her way to earth to pick Jubilee up. Unfortunately, someone kidnapped her earlier tonight.¡¦

A beeping broke the silence after Emma's speech, and she consulted the small screen on the one wall of the room. Activating the message she turned to look at Angelo. "It's for you."

A dark blue face appeared on the screen, great gold eyes on it's face and it said simply. "We are coming. Prepare for our arrival in an hour." Several co-ordinates followed and Angelo stood up decisively, looking at his teammates.

"Let's get ready."

Silently, the team filed out and as they were leaving the room, Jono pulled Angelo back for a second.

*We will find her, mate.*

"She's my life, I could find her anywhere." Slapping Angelo on the back, Jono saw the determination in his eyes. "And this time it ain't going to take four years, amigo."

-in-

--Tick--

The minute hand moved another notch, a feat witnessed by six individuals. Sprawled around the command center of the mansion, the team was dressed in full battle gear watching the clock with an increasing intensity as ten, fifteen and then half an hour passed. Angelo tapped his foot impatiently as he glared at the timepiece.

--Tick--

Jono glanced at Paige who was busy monitoring satellite activity for anomalies, she shook her head slightly and Jono raised an eyebrow at Angelo.

*So wot's the game plan?*

--Tick--

"Hitch a ride to space, get Jubes, kick whoever did this to her in the ass and then comeback. Short, simple and easy." Angelo didn't even bother to look at Jono, his stare still fixated on the clock. Jono's eyes flashed, and in one fluid motion, he grabbed Angelo by the shirt and dragged him out into the hallway.

*Scuse us for a moment.*

The brightly lit hallway echoed with scuffles and squeaks as Angelo pushed Jono away.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

*Being a friend.* Jono replied.

"What do you want?"

*Listen, I know that you're worried about Jubes, but we all are. You have to get a grip man, we're all your friends here so don't start taking it out on us.*

Angelo paced up and down the corridor, his footsteps fast and uneven. Not bothering to answer, Angelo turned mid-stride and slammed his fist into the wall. "Goddammit!"

Reaching forward Jono grabbed his wrist. * Take it easy, man.*

"No, you don't get it." Angelo shook off his hand and started to pace again. "Before Jubes was taken the last time, we were like...like best friends. And then she came back four years later and I fell in love with her and she actually loved me back. You know what I was thinking that whole time? I was just hoping to hell that whatever had brought her to me and let her love me would just leave us alone. So, for three years I didn't rock the boat. Sure, we moved in together but that was it. I didn't want to give in to the happiness because you know what happens. So for three years she stayed, never complained and then I messed it up."

Jono's forehead furrowed as he tried to make sense of his ranting. *Ange...*

"I got this." Angelo reached inside his uniform and flung a small box across the floor to him. Picking the box up, Jono flipped open the lid to reveal a silver ring, exquisitely made from twisted coils of silver, surrounding a smooth sapphire.

*Oh man. You were planning to ask her to marry you.*

"What was I thinking? No marriage has ever survived our lifestyle. Look at Jean and Scott, Psylocke and Angel, Remy and Rogue, hell any of Wolverine's relationships, Bobby, Angel...anytime any of us try to get happy look what happens. Remember Ev and M, when they first found each other. That lasted a total of two weeks before he died..."

Furious, Jono shoved Angelo against the wall.

*Get over yourself. Sure, you've had some bad times, but who hasn't? Look at our team, we've managed to survive inspite of this curse you say we have. We live an extreme lifestyle and accidents are bound to happen."

Angelo slumped to the floor, his hands unclenching and clenching. "Why did I ever think that I would be allowed to be happy? I wasted three years and now I don't know if she'll make it back."

Jono stood over him and held out his hand. *We are not the X-men; we are Generation X and we make our own fate.* Pulling Angelo up, Jono gave him light punch. *You want Jubes to marry you? Then stop feeling sorry for yourself and do something, besides I hear she wants a spring wedding so get your ass in gear. Come one, Paige says she's found something.*

The two friends walked down the hall to the command center, just before entering Angelo turned to look at Jono curiously. "How do you know she wants a spring wedding?"

Jono winked at him. *Didn't you know mate? Paige and Jubes tell each other everything.*

"Everything?" Angelo choked a little, turning red.

*You know that thing with the honey and cantaloupe...?*

"Oh God..." Angelo turned even redder.

*Well, actually Jubilee projects rather loudly, especially when she gets...distracted. Plus it was when her powers were still pretty new. I'd say only the team knows about it...and most of Westchester.* Angelo glared at Jono, who looked for all the world like he was grinning his head off. Jono patted him on the shoulder comfortingly as Ange blanched as he went over how many 'melon' incidents there were *Don't worry about it, after that night Emma helped Jubes with her shields. Although, we did get some fantastic ideas.*

The door slid open and Emma glanced from one boy to the other, noting Angelo's flaming face. She smiled slightly as an image of a melon flashed. "Oh, the cantaloupes." Ignoring Angelo's fervent thought to sink into the ground and die, her face became serious. "If you're done, we have visitors."

Stepping aside, she revealed a contingent of 7ft tall, blue skinned aliens who were standing uncomfortably in the middle of the room. Standing on the far wall, looking equally uncomfortable, was the team.

*Oh boy.* Jonothon muttered.

The tallest turned to Angelo, its mouth twisted into a smile to reveal sharp, pointed teeth. "Greetings lifemate of Kyln, I am Ciele. You called?"

Chapter 4

-Excerpt from Paige's diary-

In every person's life there comes a time to choose, to decide what they'll be doing. It's the course that sets their destiny and for ill or good, they are bound to it. That's why, in bright sunlight of this morning, we split up. I never thought that I would see the day when it would happen, but I guess that was going to happen sooner or later. As soon as the aliens found out that Jubilee had been taken, they made plans to leave almost immediately. The big thing was, who was going to go?

I would have followed them to the farthest reaches of space, but my pregnancy kicked me out of going. Apparently long space travel isn't good for the unborn. Jono didn't want to leave me alone, so he stayed. A sweet gesture since I knew that he wanted to be there for his best friend. Angelo of course was going; I don't think there was a force here on Earth that could have stopped him, and Emma joined him. She said something about losing Jubilee once and it not happening again. Seems as if we all have got guilt issues about that. God only knows what they're doing to her now.

Sean eventually stayed behind with us, and not surprisingly Monet decided she didn't want to go. She and Jubilee were never the best of friends, but perhaps she didn't want to leave her students behind. Personally, I think she's not going because she feels Jubes won't want her to, but maybe I'm not giving her enough credit. We all care about Jubes...I really hope she's all right.

So in the space of an hour, Ange and Emma left on the ship and head off to God knows where and I remember they had the oddest looks on their faces. It was like they didn't know what they were going to find out there. So, Jubes, keep in mind that I only have six months left of this pregnancy so I want you home before then. I can't have my babies without my best friend holding my hand, can I? Just be safe, be safe.

-End excerpt-

The meeting room on the ship was rather simple, a round black table with ten seats surrounding it. A view screen was on one wall, and a silver ball floated in the middle of the table, a meditating device used to focus thoughts. The table, used for everything to discussing times of peace, to what it was used for now, times of war, currently housed Ciele, Angelo, Emma and a short alien called Bob. The latter creature had been called in to get information about what had happened to Jubilee, and he had returned only a few hours later with news.

"We have learnt that the Ji'in were able to get a hold of a power inhibitor, which they used to contain the Kyln. Apparently the devices are able to control the mutant powers of your species, thus leaving the child helpless." Ciele clicked worriedly. "We can not rely on their generous nature to keep her alive or return her. We need to get her back soon."

Emma looked thoughtfully at the alien. "Are these inhibitors like the ones on Earth? There, they can control the power that they are specifically designed for."

Chugging back a tall glass of what looked like ale, Bob burped unceremoniously. "That is what my informants tell me."

"Then at least we have some hope. Right after Jubilee's return, she underwent another manifestation of her powers. She gained telepathy and it created a mind-link with Angelo in the process. If that hasn't been contained then there may be a way we can find her."

Excited, Ciele's nodes trembled. "We didn't know of this at all, and we can be almost certain that the Ji'in did not either. If we can use this to trace her and she doesn't give it away, we should be able to track her down."

Holding up his hand, Angelo stood up. "Wait a second. What I want to know is, before all of this happened you were coming to pick Jubilee up anyway. Why?"

Ciele walked up over to the screen and touched it. A star chart appeared and she indicated one in the far corner. "Rumors have been circulating for years that the slavers had started taking beings again, but we have been unable to find any verification until a few months ago. A number of my scouts reported that a deserted moon in one of the far sectors of the quadrant had been getting an unusual amount of traffic."

Angelo ran a hand through his hair agitatedly. "So what does this moon have to make it valuable to the slavers?"

"The moon is extremely rich in resources of various metals and organic materials found nowhere else in the sector."

He frowned. "So why was it deserted if it was so valuable?"

"An expedition was sent out to the moon, very early in our exploration but because of the harsh conditions, almost the entire team was lost. Most companies found the loss of life too high to justify mining there. The Ji'in have no such compulsions."

"And what was Jubes going to do? Lead you all against a war with the Ji'in?" Angelo asked sarcastically.

"Yes." Ciele replied, her tone neutral. The angry boy in front of her was upset, and she understood why. They had come, out of the blue and told her friends that not only was Jubilee a part of something billions of miles away, but she was a leader to them. "The intergalactic council is meeting in two weeks and we must have Jubilee back before then. If word gets out that she has been captured, the chaos would reach epic proportions." She tapped the screen a few times and pulled up a document. "See this? Nothing more than a piece of paper signed by various planets and still it managed to bring together a sector when nothing else had. The Kyln was the primary force behind this and the main reason why it was adhered to all this time. To you she may be just a girl, a friend, but to us she is the Kyln."

Emotions warred in Angelo's face as he looked at the alien. There was no doubting her sincerity. "Fine, how long do you think she has?"

Bob gazed at the young man, assessing him, before deciding to tell the truth. There was no sense in giving him false hope. "Depends on how long they're willing to keep her alive and pump her for information. If she isn't dead yet then she will be by the end of the week. I say we have about 120 hours of your time. They can't risk having such a powerful political figure in the their possession any longer than that. As long as she shuts up and complies with them, she should be fine for the moment."

Ange sank his head on the table and groaned.

"What is it?" Bob growled.

Emma shook her head. "Our Jubilation is not known for her ability to "shut up and comply" as you so aptly put it. She's been kidnapped several times and she seems to deliberately antagonize her captors. It's the oddest thing really, even when she was a child she used to bait the kidnapper until they were ready to kill her just to shut her..." Emma trailed off at the look on Angelo's face. "Which is more the reason to find her."

"Are you certain?" Ciele asked anxiously.

Angelo looked up at the blue alien, his gray eyes tired. "This is Jubilee we're talking about."

Comprehension lit in her face. "Oh, dear."

-in-
On a Ji'in ship
98 hours remaining

"[Yeah that's right slugman, I'm talking to you. Did you fall in crap on your way over here or do you normally look like that?]" Chained with every conceivable restraining device, Jubilee still managed to assert her freedom. Jubilee had woken to find herself stripped of her clothing, weapons and belongings and was wearing a simple black shift that felt uncomfortably like an examination gown. To add insult, she had been given a drug that disoriented her thoughts and speech so she couldn't think clearly. Collared around her neck was the power inhibitor, her arms and legs strapped in shackles and a thick coil of metal around her waist.

"[Nanananananananana slugman! Where's your evil archenemy Slimeboss?]" Jubilee swung from her chains and twisted her neck so that she could see the guard.

The Ji'in captor sighed tiredly. He hadn't wanted the job, but gamble your workshift for one lousy game and he had gotten stuck spending the entire rotation watching her. Shuddering, he thought of the twenty more cycles he had left. "[Can you please SHUT UP?!?]" He screamed at her, peering through the little window in the door of her cell. Really, he wasn't ugly was he? He worked out and tried his best to eat well and exercise. It was if she wanted to hurt his feelings, and he'd end up with a complex before long.

"[Nope. Sorry slugman, you got me now you have to put up with me. Puhlease, you guys are so pathetic, first you kidnap me and then you spend two days deciding what to do? A monkey's ass has a bigger brain than you do. Know what? You are so ugly that...]" Jubilee's sentence was cut off as the door slid open. Three aliens walked in, regarding her with barely concealed malice. Jubilee eyed them as they walked towards her, two of which she recognized from her time in the mines. The tallest one, a species she didn't recognize, strode over to where she was standing and stroked her face curiously.

Jubilee shook her head violently and spat in his face. "[Don't you dare touch me!]"

The creature just chuckled and wiped the spittle of his brow. "[Rather puny for this Kyln everyone claims it to be.]" Its voice was thick and the words were hard to make out even with Jubilee's translator. "[Still this should be interesting. I haven't seen a human before, I will enjoy learning from her.]"

One of the shorter ones that were draped in a green toga just stared at her in disgust. "[Amazing how ugly it is. It's a wonder the procreate within the species.]"

"Fantastic, I'm going to be an experimental toy for an alien. If only Mulder were here." Jubilee muttered. At her voice, the doctor extended two eyes towards her, examining her closely.

"[Interesting, but expected. Some intelligence was required for the escape from the mine.]" Walking around her, he continued to talk to himself, ignoring her completely. Finally after a few minutes of peering, poking, and the occasional prodding, he instructed the guard to strap her down to a table that emerged from the wall. "[Now for some fun.]" Practically humming, he prepped by her shaving her scalp bare, not paying attention to Jubilee's moan of disgust as the long locks fell to the floor.

"[That took me years to grow moron!]"

He ran a hand lovingly over the instruments his assistant had brought in and picked up a long needle. Thoughtfully inserting it into her head, he slowly pushed through the flesh and then bone. Jubilee bit her lip, dark beads of blood oozing out as she forced herself not to scream. Clearing her mind, she systematically retreated into her head, bringing back memories of Angelo; his smile, the way he laughed, the tiny dimple no one else knew about. It was only after the drill entered her vertebrae that she finally gave in and screamed.

-in-

Angelo dropped to his knees, holding his head in his hands. He had been sitting with Emma, trying to concentrate on their psi-link when and intense pain it him. As he hit the floor, he knew that it was Jubilee.

"God, they're torturing her. She's in so much pain. Oh God."

Together, Ciele and Emma, managed to get Angelo to a couch in the quarters he had been given. Emma stroked his forehead, and entered his mind, dulling the pain so he could think. His gray eyes cleared and glanced around the room.

"Apparently our question is answered, Jubilee still has her telepathic abilities. However, they seem to be torturing her." Emma's face paled in rage and it took her a moment to get her emotions in check. "She must have been drugged otherwise she would have tried contacting us by now. Angelo, I want you to grab onto that link and think of about a time when you were both happy. Try to calm her with it. I've shut off the pain so you'll be okay."

"What about her pain?"

Emma's eyes flickered sadly for a second before answering. "I can't take the chance of her captors finding out about her powers. Now quickly concentrate."

His face cleared as he envisioned a golden thread, and he delicately touched it sending tiny ripples down its length into the darkness. Images began to form as his mind wandered back to the time just after Jubilee had graduated. After the ceremony, the two had driven off to a remote part of the Rocky mountains and spent three weeks camping there. It had been beautiful, spending day after day lying in the sun, in huge fields of flowers that were intense bursts of color along the foothills of the range.

Ange sank even deeper into the memory as his hold on the link tightened.

-in-

It was so gorgeous, the utter calm and peace as the two of them lay in the valley. They were basking in sun, reveling in the warmth as Angelo traced an idle hand over Jubilee¡¦s smooth skin. Jubilee smiled, stretching like a cat under the attention and she rolled over onto her stomach to look at him, her sapphire eyes shimmering with unsaid emotion.

Neither was willing to speak what they were feeling, both having suffered from too many things in their lives to risk losing each other. It was if nobody said anything, then nothing could be taken away. That, however, didin¡¦t prevent Angelo from holding her close whenever it was possible.

¡¦Angie..¡¦ Jubilee placed her head on his chest, listening to the comforting sound of his heart and the pulse of his blood.

¡¦Yeah?¡¦ He fingered the silver necklace that he had given her, a silver chain with a sapphire pendant, an X emblazened across the front of it. Everytime he had seen the stone in the store, it had reminded him of her eyes.

He could barely hear her, but felt her on a much deeper level. *I¡¦m not afraid when I¡¦m with you.*

*Me either, Amante.*


-in-

Emma¡¦s breath caught in her throat as she witnessed the memory, the utter power of emotion behind it. While she had been aware of the bond between the two of her students, she had no idea that the bond was that deep. Besides Angelo, she was th eonly who truly knew what Jubilee had gone through, perhaps even better than Angelo and in her heart of hearts she was almost certain that they wouldn¡¦t find Jubilee alive.

-in-

Tears had long ago ceased to be effective in releasing Jubilee from her pain. All that she had now was a soft sobbing that choked her breathing. she had been left alone after hours of torture, and now was curled against the wall, trying to think of anything but the pain. And the horrible feeling of knowing almost certainly that any life inside of her was a mere memory. All she wanted to do was give up and die. She almost laughed as she pictured what Angelo would say. When she had spent that year training and studying to graduate, Sean and Wolverine had pushed her to the breaking point time and time again.

Sean would force her in hand to hand combat to where she was so exhausted and then push her further. ¡¦Life doesn¡¦t give ye breaks lass, I sure as hell ain¡¦t going to do the same.¡¦

Jubilee had struggled to her feet, her body aching in so many places that she didn¡¦t want to even think about how much she would hurt the next day. Her eyes flickered to where Angelo was watching from the sidelines. He had been everything to her from a lover, to a sparring partner and in times like those, someone who supported her. she could hear his voice in her head, *Amante, you can kick his ass, I¡¦ve seen you do it a million times in the sims. Block out the pain, and focus on yourself. Besides if you can eat the five alarm chilli without blinking, you can do this.*

Surpressing a laugh, she rolled her neck. *That¡¦s because the first bite killed off my tastebuds.*

Shaking off her aches she faced Sean with a smirk. ¡¦I spent four years eating alien crap that I can¡¦t even name and you think I expect breaks? Better dig out your four leaf clover, Irish because you¡¦re gonna need it.¡¦

Her techniques, enhanced by alien defence methods, had beaten Sean only twenty minutes later. So, as she sat, bruised and battered almost beyone recognition, she closed her eyes and thought of her lover, of his face, and his voice. ¡¦Angie...¡¦ Her voice was hoarse from the screams, and could barely be heard. She could almost hear his voice in her head. *Get angry. They have no right to touch you, to violate you. You¡¦ve kicked the collective asses of dozens of people. You¡¦ve leveled buildings just becuase you¡¦ve been pissed off.*

Jubilee could feel the blood pulse in her viens as she heard the hiss of the door opening and the locks sliding out. She could hear the footsteps of the doctors walking in. The smell of them curled her lips and very slowly she rose to her feet.

¡¦You are going to die.¡¦ Her face was expressionless as she stared at the aliens in front of her. ¡¦You aren¡¦t going to hurt me anymore.¡¦ She could feel a hard, hot pulse of power surge inside of her, tapping the inner core that she had only accessed once in her life. A huge pulse radiated out from Jubilee, detonating things in it¡¦s wake. Beings fell to the ground in agony, the heat burning their flesh as the wave of plasma washed over them.

Her eyes glittered and she strode forward ignoring the debris littering the floor. Sirens pierced the air and she ducked into the hallway into the complicated maze of halls and rooms. It was only when she felt safe that she paused long enough to see where she was. Glancing around she found herself in the private quarters of what looked like the guards, judging from the mess that had been left behind. Dull blue modules lined the walls, and after rummaging around in one, she found a jumpsuit that she quickly put on. The rough folds hung on her small figure, the fabric chafing her wounds, but she prefered the covering that the clothing provided. Walking out into the hall she searched for an exit, her mind quickly scanning the surrounding rooms, landing on what looked like a transport room.

Not bothering with the tiresome maze of cooridors and rooms, Jubilee began systematically blasting a path in it¡¦s general direction. Tired and drained, Jubilee was fueled by anger and the intense desire to leave. Her muscles strained against each step and her heart pounded at each blast.

¡¦Focus.¡¦ She muttered to herself. The room swayed and Jubilee looked around in surprise. ¡¦Huh, look at that.¡¦ Her feet seemed surprisingly light as she stepped over broken chunks of wall. The smoke cleared and found herself in another lab. Strapped to the wall was a young alien and Jubilee winced to see the scars on its body. Whoever had been doing had obviously been stopped in the middle, with IV¡¦s dangling half in it¡¦s arm.

Without thinking, Jubilee caressed the soft brow of the child. *You¡¦ll be safe.*

Wide, clear eyes blinked at her and relaxed under Jubilee¡¦s hand. The small being couldn¡¦t have been more than four feet tall, with pale yellow skin that had fine scales over it and webbed feet. Jubilee snapped off the shackles and it collapsed in her arms, clutching her possesively with fierce hands.

*shhh* Jubilee whispered. *I¡¦ll take care of you.*

One arm held the child as the other was outstretched to fire blasts, as Jubilee finally made it to the transport room. Aliens looked at her startled as dust crumbled around their heads, pausing just long enough for her to slam them against the wall. Her hands shook as she scanned the computers, looking for the coordinates to someplace that she was familiar with. After ten long minutes, she finally came across something that looked close to what she was seeking and after a moment¡¦s hesitation, she stepped through the portal .


A/N: More is acomin¡¦.Just not that soon...sorry folks I¡¦ll be in the hospital so I won¡¦t be updating for at least a few weeks/ a month. The bright side is that when I come back I will be finished with all of the series that I¡¦ve been dragging on!

Review please!!