The Wolverine and Jubilee Page

The New Kid

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Marvel Comics. Not like I'm getting paid anyway (though I wish I was, cuz I'd be rich by now).

Summary: X-Man crashes into the Biosphere and is befriended by Jubilee, but Gen X's deadliest foe soon arrives with plans for revenge!

Notes: If you don't like the idea of Nate & Jubilee as a couple, do NOT read this story. At least, don't read the end of it. That's about all I have to say on that. I'm not really clear on the matter of psi-signatures and psi powers, so don't yell at me if I used them wrong. I suck at accents, so I apologize if you can't figure out what Jono, Paige, and Banshee are saying in my stories. Thoughts/Telepathic Speech = Italics "I wonder what Monet's wearing under that costume," Angelo thought to himself. Emphasis = ** "What the *heck* are you talkin' about?!" Jubilee cried.

Part 1: The Arrival

Paige stopped in the hallway, gritting her teeth. If she wanted to get inside her dorm room, she would have to do it quickly. Not because Emplate or Omega Red was hiding in her closet, but because as a country girl raised on a farm, she just couldn't stand the sounds of Green Day. Or Korn. Or Limp Bizkit. Or Lit. Or PM5K. Or any other band that Jubilee liked.

Paige didn't mind so much that Jubilee wore headphones while she listened to her CDs. That part actually helped. But when everything she listened to had to have the volume turned up so far that it all sounded like screaming, Paige did mind. Jubilee had told her that it was the only way to get the full effect of songs like "Break Stuff"and "Freak On A Leash." Paige had replied that screaming at the top of your lungs was never considered singing. That only made Jubilee increase the volume even more.

With a sigh, Paige walked over to the boy's dorms, where she was sure to find the one person that could convince Jubilee to drop the volume a bit (or keep her busy while Paige grabbed a few items from their room).

"Everett, I need your help."

The boy looked up from his CD player. "What's the problem?"

"It's Lee again."

"Let me guess. She's jamming to Limp Bizkit."

"I don't know *what* it's called. All I hear is the screams."

Ev followed her back to the dorm room she shared with Jubilee. "Try to understand, Paige. Jubes likes rock bands."

"Ah'm gonna rock *her* if she keeps it up."

Ev shook his head and walked into the room. Paige's country accent always seemed to return whenever she got upset.

Jubilee was sitting on her bed, headbanging to "Break Stuff" for the third time that day. After spotting Ev, she flashed him a smile before turning off the CD. "Too loud?"

"A bit."

"'Kay. Maybe I'll go see if Penny likes this one." She hopped off the bed and walked out of the room. "Hey, Hayseed," she said, passing Paige in the hallway.

Paige sighed and placed a hand on Ev's shoulder. "Thanks."

"No prob. Just gotta know how to talk to her."

Paige gave him a blank look. "Ya said, 'A bit,' and she quit!"

"You're a poet, and you don't know it."

"...you're scarin' me, Everett, you really are."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jubilee had just walked into the Biosphere when was a loud roar, followed by an earth-shaking rumble. "Whoa!" she cried just before she went facedown in the grass. The rumbling stopped a few seconds after it had started.

Naturally, Jubilee's first concern was her CD player. After she found it was okay, her next concern was Penance. Sure, she had diamond hard skin, but could that really stand up to a falling star, or whatever had caused the earthquake? Jubilee decided there was one way to find out as she broke into a mad run.

She found Penance a moment later. The girl was fine, but as Jubilee reached her, she could see that everything else was not. She was standing next to a huge, smoking crater in the ground. The end of it, anyway. There was a long trail of upturned dirt where something had crashed and slid along the grass.

"Did you see what did this?" Jubilee asked.

Penance joined her hands above her head, making the shape of a large circle.

"Okay, it was big and round."

Penance then ran over to the crater and pointed excitedly at something in it.

Jubilee carefully walked over and was about to look inside when something grabbed her foot. Reacting instantly, she flipped backwards, freeing herself from its grip and throwing a handful of sparks at the crater.

A stranger covered in brown from head to toe slowly crawled out of the crater. It took Jubilee a few moments to realized that this was dirt caused by the crash. The stranger was panting loudly, but also trying his best to speak. Jubilee could just make out the words "help" and "please". She was still debating on what to do when Penance began to approach the stranger.

"Um...you sure that's a good idea, Penny?"

Penance kept going, giving no indication that she even heard Jubilee. She stopped just in front of the dirt-covered stranger and stretched out her hand.

The stranger hesitated, only for a second, then pressed his hand against hers.

Jubilee waited for the blood, the cry of pain, and the hand to be drawn back in shock. She waited some more. Finally, she realized that it wasn't going to happen. "That's new."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I HATE you!" Angelo shouted.

"Most do," Monet replied, "but you still owe me $100 for the billiard game."

"POOL! The game is called POOL!"

"Call it whatever you like, but you still owe me." She held out her hand.

Jono watched as Angelo counted the bills and shoved them into her hand.

"Thank you, Espinosa. It has been, as always, a pleasure doing business with you."

"Y'know, chica, we had a word people like you back in the barrio. Maybe you've heard it before."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, a bi-"

Before he could finish, they were all thrown off their feet by the earthquake. Jono slammed into the pool table, while Monet went flying into Angelo as they both hit the ground.

Monet shook her head. It was then that she realized she had landed on Angelo, who appeared to be drooling. She quickly got up.

"If there was ever a way to die," Angelo whispered, staring up at her.

"Shut up and see to Jono. I'm going to check on the others."

Angelo blinked as the grin slowly faded from his face. Then he went to help Jono up.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He wasn't sure where he'd wake up. Not only because his head had been spinning at the time, but with Prime Sentinels on his tail, he hadn't wanted to strain his powers again. He tended to bleed and pass out a lot when he did that. Not an option when fighting or running from merciless opponents that wanted him very dead, or worse, if possible.

"Dude, you gonna wake up sometime today?" a voice suddenly asked.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to see a girl leaning over him. She was definitely Chinese, something that surprised him. He couldn't ever remember meeting anyone Chinese, but the more he looked at her face, the more familiar she seemed. It was almost as if he'd seen her in a dream.

"Hello? Anybody in there?" she asked, waving a hand over his face.

He blinked. "Sorry. You look familiar. I know you from somewhere...or somewhen..."

"Um...okay. But I think I'd remember if I had any friends that could announce their arrivals like you did."

He slowly sat up, wincing as his arms protested the action with twin stabs of pain. "Where am I?"

"Snow Valley, Massachusetts. More specifically, Xavier's School for-"

"Xavier? I know that name...somehow."

The girl smirked. "Well, I'm hearin' a lotta "some"s, but I ain't heard any facts yet."

"I'm Nate," he told her, not liking the way her face twisted when he said it. "What?"

"Well, I know somebody by that name, but he's a real party pooper. Plus, he's way too old to be even remotely cool. Anyway, next question." She reached up and fingered the white streak in his brown hair. "Is that, like, natural?"

"Yeah. Why is that important?"

She shrugged. "Isn't. I just like it. Where are you from?"

"I don't...I can't...remember," he said slowly. "I must have amnesia from the crash. The last thing I recall is fighting some Prime Sentinels, and then teleporting...well, anywhere to get away."

"Then you're cool in my book," the girl responded with a grin. "But maybe you should stay down here. Frosty might not like the idea of staying here. If she spots you, or even senses you-"

"Not a problem," Nate interrupted. "I've been masking my psi-signature ever since I got here. I pretty much do it automatically."

"You're a telepath?!" she squealed excitedly.

"Yup."

"Cool!" She got up and started for the door. "You're hungry, right? I'll get you something from the kitchen. Just, like, stay here. Okay?" Before he could reply, she was gone.

Nate sighed and stretched out on the couch, wincing again as he moved some parts that weren't quite healed yet. He couldn't go anywhere if he wanted to. Not that he minded staying in the rec room. Room service sounded much better than wandering around aimlessly. Besides, this girl seemed really nice, and...and he didn't even know her name.

She came back five minutes later with a box of leftover pizza and three cans of root beer. "It's not exactly a world class meal, but it's filling."

"Thanks, um...you...nice person..." He looked at her helplessly.

The smile on her face seemed to fit her perfectly. "Jubilee," she said with a laugh.

He nodded before taking a huge bite of pizza. "It fits," he mumbled through a layer of cheese, sausage, and pepperoni. "You seem like a...mmm, this is great!...cheerful person."

"And you seem like a very hungry person," Jubilee replied. "Maybe I should go back and see if we have anything else to eat."

Nate shook his head and swallowed. "No, I'm fine. Look, are you gonna get in any trouble for hiding me down here?"

She shrugged. "No more than usual. Besides, I'm sure the guys will help me out."

"Why'd you bring me in here?"

"Well, it'd be way rude to just leave you in the dirt like that."

"No, I mean, what makes you think you can trust me?"

Jubilee stared at him. "Well, *that* question doesn't reassure me."

"Sorry. Most people would've just called the cops."

She smirked. "I think you'll find that no one here is like 'most people,' Nate. I've seen weirder things than a cute guy in a crater. Though that was the high point of my day." She glanced at a clock on the wall. "I better go. Someone might actually be worried about me, with your little earthquake drama and all. I'll be back later."

"Hold on," Nate said as she reached the door. "I'm just supposed to sit here until you come back? What if someone comes down here?"

Jubilee shrugged. "You're a telepath. Convince 'em that you're not here and, like, make 'em scram. Simple, no?" She smiled at him once more before running out the door.

Nate grunted in frustration. He felt like a puppy that a girl was trying to hide from her mother in the basement. The only differences were that he wasn't a puppy, (although he had been called cute & had plenty of hair) Jubilee was hiding him from a headmistress instead of a suspicious mother, (though he suspected there wasn't much difference) and he was in a rec room instead of a basement (although they were both located in the lower area of the school). That, plus he had pizza and root beer.

Any other person would've felt insulted. Nate, on the other hand, shrugged, sipped his root beer, and went to work on the next pizza slice.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I'm sure the earthquake was just a one-time thing, Frosty," Jubilee said calmly.

"Oh? What makes you so sure?" Emma Frost asked.

"Massachusetts isn't exactly earthquake country," Angelo pointed out.

"Yeah, and we've been here almost two years now," Ev added. "This is the first one."

Emma reguarded them with an annoyed sigh. "Very well. Return to your rooms for the day. Just in case."

There were many pairs of rolled eyes, but everyone went back to their rooms slowly. Well, almost everyone.

Paige noticed that Jubilee was actually skipping back to their room. Perfect candidate for Peter Pan's Lost Boys though she was, Jubilee had never been that happy. Something was up. Angelo saw it, too.

"Penny for your thoughts, Jubecita?" he asked.

Jubilee stopped skipping and replied, "Make it a buck and you got a deal."

"Fifty cents."

She frowned at him. "And you call yourself a negotiator? Two bucks!"

"A buck and I won't thwap you," he threatened, extending his index finger towards her forehead.

"Deal."

He handed her the dollar, which Jubilee quickly pocketed. She stood on tip-toe and whispered in his ear, "I've got a secret." Before he could stop her, Jubilee raced down the hall and disappeared into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"I don't know who's dumber," Paige said after a few seconds. "You for paying her, or her for running away like a total idiot."

"Maybe it's you for thinking someone cares what you don't know," Angelo shot back with a lopsided grin.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The man with the pale skin slowly came into the light, the red diamond on his forehead gleaming almost evilly. "You are mine," he whispered, staring down at the boy. "Mine to shape, use, and direct, until I see fit for you to die. And when you do, I will be there. Not to mourn your passing, but to collect your genetic material for the next generation of mutants. There will always be an ultimate, and I will always control it."

Nate screamed as he woke up, sweat drenching his entire body. That wasn't a good thing, since he still had dirt on him from the crash. Plus, he'd had enough nightmares to last him a lifetime. Technically, he'd missed most of his life, thanks to Sinister's accelerated aging process. He was really just a big kid, probably no more mature than Jubilee seemed to be. Maybe even less than that.

He was starting to wonder when Jubilee would come back when she finally did, carrying more root beer and a half gallon tub of vanilla ice cream. She suddenly stopped, her jaw dropping. Then she dropped the tub. Then the root beer. "Nate?" she asked, looking around and sounding very confused.

"What?"

Jubilee jumped a few feet, as if she hadn't expected him to answer. "Where are you?"

Nate quickly realized the problem and lowered the shield that had been rendering him invisible to others.

Jubilee gasped as he materialized in front of her. "Geez, Nate! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry. I forgot I'd done that when I fell asleep."

Jubilee started to pick up the food she'd dropped, but found that most of it was already floating towards Nate. "I'm guessing you've got other powers besides the telepathy and teleportation?"

"Telekinesis. Handy stuff," he told her. He began to start in on the ice cream, but Jubilee grabbed his hand.

"I don't mean to sound motherly or anything, but...have you looked in the mirror lately? You've still got like half a ton of dirt on you."

"It crossed my mind, but since you are supposed to be hiding me, I didn't think it was a good idea to go around looking for a shower."

"Maybe so, but I only cleaned off your face and hands when I brought you in. I didn't feel comfortable...y'know...with the rest..." She trailed off, avoiding his eyes.

Nate grinned. "Understood. I'm gonna need some clean clothes, too."

Jubilee thought for a moment. "Don't worry about that. You just get clean, and I'll get the clothes. Follow me."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jono didn't have any real reason for being awake at 3:00 AM in the morning. On good nights he slept like a rock, and on bad nights he watched old movies until it was time for class. Not that he liked old movies that much, but it kept him busy. Insomnia was a disease, but to Jono, it was a chance to relax without sleeping. Any other student would have been snoring just then. Which was why Jono was completely (but not really pleasantly) surprised when Jubilee walked in.

"Jono, you got any clothes you don't want?" she asked, her eyes traveling around the room.

"Yer came down here to ask me that at this hour?"

"Yeah. Why?"

He shook his head. "Help yerself to anything in that pile over there." He pointed to a mountain of clothes in the corner.

"You are, like, so cool for this, Jono," Jubilee said, turning her attention to the clothes.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Don't see why yer want my old clothes anyway."

"Oh, they're not for me," she replied, holding up a black T-shirt.

"For Ev, then?"

"Nope."

Despite the hour, now Jono was really curious. "Lee, is there something yer not telling me?"

Jubilee looked thoughtful for a moment before grinning. "Yup." She quickly turned her back to him, going through the clothes with more speed now.

Jono got up from the couch and walked over, examining some of the clothes tucked under her arm. "Since when do yer wear black, gel?"

She shot a glance at him over her shoulder. "I'm goin' through a Goth phase."

Jono's eyes crinkled, his version of a smile. "What's his name?"

She pretended to look annoyed. "*Who's* name, Jono?"

"The guy in the rec room," he replied. "I can hear yer thoughts about him."

Jubilee spun around, her eyes narrowed. "Stay out of my head, Starsmore!"

"I was. But when yer practically filling the air with thoughts of him, it's hard not to catch a few of them." Then, his eyes crinkling again, he went on. "Yer *like* him?"

"Shut *up* already, Jono!" she cried, blushing bright red.

"Yer know I'm right. So, when do the rest of us get to meet him?"

"Soon. You have to promise not to tell anyone!"

"What's in it fer me?"

Jubilee looked shocked. "I'd expect that from Ange, but not you, Jono!"

"I'm a surprising bloke, and I'm still waiting."

She sighed heavily. "I don't have anything to offer you." Then her eyes glowed menacingly. "But when Emma does find out, I'll be glad to tell her you were in on it if you don't help me."

"Yer dirty, Lee. Real dirty."

"Yeah, well, so's my friend, and he needs clothes. Thanks!" She ran out of the basement with a handful of clothes before he could change his mind.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nate looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. It was almost 4:00 AM now, and Jubilee still wasn't back with the clothes. "Okay, let's look at this logically," he thought to himself. "There's a good chance someone could come in here to take a leak and catch me, so I should get outta here. Just hope I can find my way back to the rec room."

Tightening the towel around his waist, Nate then secured another over that one, just to make sure he was a bit closer to being decent. Then, muttering a silent prayer that no one would see him, he opened the door and slipped out into the hallway as quietly as possible. He had only taken three steps when someone cleared their throat very loudly.

Nate froze and slowly turned around. He could now see a group of teenagers watching his every move. They all wore red uniforms with black X's all over them. Putting two and two together, Nate figured that these were the other kids Jubilee had mentioned. He only hoped they weren't stool pidgeons.

"You have exactly ten seconds to identify yourself and explain what it is you're doing here," the tall girl in front stated.

A breeze blew through the hallway, adding to Nate's now irritable attitude. "I thought it was obvious. I'm a half-naked guy in a towel, and I just took a shower."

The boy with the gray skin did his best to hide a smile behind his hand, and the bald one had to look away to keep from snickering. The tall girl, however, was not amused.

"Ah think she means your name, and what your intentions are," a girl with blond hair added.

Nate smirked. "Uh huh. Well, if I had a mother, I'm sure she'd tell me not to reveal my name to strangers. Anyway, this is just a big misunderstanding. I was invited here."

"By whom?" the tall girl asked sharply.

"Jubilee," he replied. "Y'know, kinda short, black hair, bright yellow raincoat, says 'dude' and 'like' a lot."

"He's definitely met her, M," the gray boy said.

"Perhaps. But since Lee isn't here to verify that, we'll need a bit more proof."

Nate could see that he wasn't going to like the tall girl very much. Plus, it was really starting to get cold with nothing but two towels on. "Maybe this will help," he said. Without hesitating, he projected a mental image of himself crashing into the Biosphere. Then one of Jubilee & Penny finding him. Followed by one of Jubilee handing him a pizza box and cans of root beer.

"It scares me to say this, but I actually understood that," the bald guy muttered.

Nate sighed heavily as footsteps were heard behind him. "Help would be *great* right about now, Jubilee!" he called over his shoulder.

Jubilee ran up beside him, panting and clutching a bundle of clothes to her chest. Then she spotted the others. "Oh. Hey, guys."

"Ya know him, Lee?" the blond asked, nodding towards Nate.

"Oh, sure! Nate's my best bud," she quickly replied, slapping him across the back. "I just ran to get him some spare clothes Jono didn't want anymore. What are you guys doin' up this late?"

"Monet woke us all up with a psionic message and said there was an intruder in the school," Angelo said, rolling his eyes. "Of course, it was just Jubicita and her strange boyfriend. Why do I suddenly feel like going back to sleep?" With that, he turned and headed back to his room.

"It's been...weird to meet you, Nate," the bald guy admitted. "Maybe I'll just wait to introduce myself in the morning, seeing as how you're...well, half-naked."

"Good idea," Nate agreed, grabbing the clothes that Jubilee handed him. He quickly went back into the bathroom and closed the door.

Jubilee suddenly felt a hand on her arm. "Ev, he's cool, I swear," she said.

"Oh really. And where's he staying?"

"The rec room, for now."

Ev gave her arm a squeeze. "Let me be more specific. Where is he *sleeping*?"

"He can't be serious," she thought. Jubilee's eyes drifted to his face. "He *was* serious!" "Ev, what you're implying is *so* not cool! I'm not some cheap slut!"

Ev's face turned bright red, and behind him, Jubilee could see Monet forcing herself not to comment. Paige also appeared to be quite red.

"Jubilee, I just meant that-"

She jerked her arm away. "Yeah, I know what you meant. Thanks a bunch, Ev. I'm so glad to find out what my 'friends' really think of me." She quickly stormed away, muttering angrily to herself.

Ev sighed miserably as Jubilee left. "Just great."

"Ah'm sorry, Everett," Paige said, touching his arm.

"Me too, Paige."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jubilee was sitting on the couch when Nate finally got back to the rec room. He could instantly tell that she was upset. Fortunately, he knew he hadn't done anything, so it was someone else's fault. He carefully sat down beside her in silence. If she wanted to talk, she would.

"You got any friends, Nate?" she asked suddenly.

"Besides you? Barely."

A faint smile touched her lips, but it quickly faded away. "They as two-faced as mine?"

He shrugged. "They seemed okay. Suspicious and upset over waking up this early for nothing, but okay."

Jubilee snorted. "Ev actually thought I was sleepin' with you. Not that it was any of his business if I was, but just the idea that he thought that pisses me off!"

Nate was quiet for a moment. "This Ev. You two good friends?"

"Yeah, until he practically called me a slut."

"Sounds like he's jealous."

Jubilee looked at him. "Of what?"

"Well, you have been pretty distracted, what with me crashing in your backyard and all. He probably just misses hangin' out with you. I know I would. And the gray guy probably didn't help much with the 'strange boyfriend' crack."

She laughed a bit. "Ange has a way with words. So you really think Ev's jealous?"

"I know he is. I could feel it when you called me your best bud," Nate replied. "Must've thought that was his title."

"True. But he still had no right to judge me like that."

"I agree. Maybe he's just worried about you. People tend to do that when they care."

Jubilee nodded silently. "Y'know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were tryin' to cheer me up."

"Is it working?" Nate asked.

She sighed. "Yup. Thanks."

"Good. Now get off my couch so I can get some sleep."

A devilish look appeared on Jubilee's face. "Make me." The words were barely out of her mouth when Nate tried to grab her raincoat by the collar. Moving faster than he'd expected her to, Jubilee ducked under his reach and hit him with a diving tackle, knocking him back onto the couch. She pinned his arms and smiled triumphantly.

"Can I ask you something?" Nate asked.

"No, you can't get up yet."

"Not that. Did you mean it when you called me cute earlier?"

Jubilee tilted her head slightly. "I never said that."

He smirked. "You did. Your exact words were, 'I've seen weirder things than a cute guy in a crater. Though that was the high point of my day.' Admit it."

She quickly shook her head. "Nope."

"Okay. So would you mind if I said *you* were cute?"

"Only if you were lyin'," she replied.

"I'm not," Nate said quietly, staring up into her blue eyes.

"Good," she responded, staring into his brown ones. Then she quickly looked away. "You planned this, didn't you?" she asked accusingly.

"Never. I actually thought you'd be nice like you were before and let me sleep."

"So I'm not being nice now?" she asked with a pout.

"No, now you're just being kinky," Nate replied matter-of-factly. "Which I normally
wouldn't mind, but it *is* 4:15 in the morning and I am *very* tired. Which is why you were able to pin me in the first place."

Jubilee slowly got off him, staring with a confused look on her face. "Dude, you are, like, so making my emotions conflict with each other."

"Huh?"

"I've never wanted to hug someone and hit them at the same time," she explained.

Part 2: Evil Intentions

Jubilee didn't want to get up, but someone kept shaking her. She had a pretty good idea of who it was, too. "Hayseed," she mumbled through the covers, "back off or I'll paf you good."

"Get up, Jubilee."

Slowly, Jubilee's eyes opened wide. That wasn't Paige's voice. It was a boy's. "Nate, that better be you."

"It is," he said, sounding slightly annoyed. "Are you getting up or not?"

Jubilee sat up and pulled the blanket around her small frame. "What are you doin' in my room?"

Nate looked very uncomfortable as he muttered, "I need you."

"That's a given," she replied with a smirk. "If you're still crashin' into Biospheres instead of ringin' doorbells, you obviously need a bit more info on proper visitation."

"Very funny. I meant I don't know my way around the school, and I don't trust any of your friends to help me yet."

"Good point." Jubilee yawned and stretched her arms. "Gimme a few minutes to get dressed." When Nate didn't move, she narrowed her eyes a bit. "Wait a sec. If you don't know your way, how'd you find me?"

Nate blinked. "I told you I was a telepath, Jubilee. I tracked down your psi-signature. Wasn't that obvious?"

"Not really, considerin' I'm not a psi to begin with."

"Yes, you are. Besides, everyone has a psi-signature. People with powerful minds just have fairly stronger ones. Man, if they don't even teach you that at this school, what's the point?"

Jubilee sighed and rubbed some sleep out of her eyes. "Nate. I am *not* a psi."

"That's not what your psi-signature says. Look, maybe I didn't tell you before, but I happen to be a very powerful psi. Maybe the best, in terms of raw power. Skill is another thing altogether, but I know a fellow psi when I see one."

"Uh huh. And important as that may seem to *you*, I still can't ignore the fact that I'm tryin' to get dressed and you're still in my room. So if you expect me to take you anywhere, I suggest you get your butt back to the rec room and wait!"

Nate smiled thinly and crossed his arms over his chest. "Did I hear a please at the end of that demand?"

"No, and you're not *gonna* get one! Out!" Jubilee insisted, tossing a pillow at him.

Nate simply rearranged the molecules of his body, allowing it to pass right through him. "Well, if you're going to be mean about it, fine." As he slowly faded from sight, he muttered, "Must be that time of the month."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"The teleportation device is ready. Sir."

Emplate slowly got out of his chair. "Good. Make sure we arrive when they don't expect it, DOA."

"Of course, sir."

Though the shorter mutant couldn't see it, Emplate was smiling behind the heavy respirator that kept him breathing. After all this time, he would finally have his revenge on Generation X. Especially on Jubilee. She'd foiled his plans once before, but not this time. He wouldn't even bother to feast on the marrow from her bones. She would simply die by his hands. Then, as the other children were frozen in horror and shock, he would slay them as well.

It was no longer about obtaining a meal. These children had stolen Penance from him, injured him, and defeated him. More than once. He would pay them back tenfold. Once they were gone, perhaps he would move on to X-Force, or maybe even the X-Men themselves. But that could wait. For now, revenge was the only thing that mattered.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Yer Nate, right?" the boy asked, adjusting the black scarf around his face.

"Yeah. And you would be?"

"Chamber. Mates call me Jono. I'm the one Jubilee got the clothes from."

Nate nodded slowly. "Thanks." There was an uneasy silence for a few seconds. "Look, I hate to ask you this, but-"

Without a word, Jono reached up and pulled down his scarf, revealing the psionic energy within him. "Hence the codename, mate," he explained, slipping the scarf back onto his face. "Mutant powers took half me face and most of me bloody chest when they manifested. It's not pretty, but I live with it."

"Thought I was the only one," Nate muttered.

"Wot? You missing something, too?"

"Yeah," Nate replied with a sigh. "Only most of my life. I was 'born' in a lab, and my body was subjected to accelerated aging. I've only been alive about a year or two now, and I just found out that all this power I was supposedly blessed with is really is a curse. They're going to destroy my body before I reach 21. That's why I'm trying to live right while I still can."

Jono considered that for a moment. "How long you here for, guv'nor?"

"I don't know. At least until I heal up. Why?"

"Seems like yer gonna fit in very well."

"Thanks, Jono. How well do you know Jubilee?"

"Guess yer could say fairly well," Jono replied.

"So am I the only one that thinks she's got latent psi power?"

Jono scratched his head. "Takes a certain amount of mental control to place her sparks, but that's about all I've ever sensed."

Nate shook his head. "I know what I sensed. There's got to be something."

Eyes crinkling, Jono said, "Could be. Gel's a bit annoying, but she's a doll once yer get to know her."

Jubilee then entered the rec room, and stopped when she spotted them. "I see you two have met. Doin' the whole 'I-can-talk-in-your-head' thing, Jono?"

"Don't really have a choice, luv," he replied, stretching his arms.

"Right. I'm gonna take Nate to see Penny. You comin'?"

"In a minute. Promised the gel I'd bring her extra apples t'day."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Monet closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Good air in, bad air out. She sighed and opened her eyes, watching as Jubilee and the boy she called Nate entered the Biosphere. Monet didn't like surprises, simply because she was supposed to know everything. Nate was a surprise. A big one, if you wanted to get technical about it. She should have been aware of his prescence as soon as he crashed down yesterday.

There was a flash of light behind her, and a small man floated up beside her. Though his mouth never moved, Monet could hear his every word.

"Yes, Mentor. I, too, was unaware of this new one. His power is great."

Silence.

"No, I do not think it is safe for him to stay here. He must have enemies."

Silence.

Monet sighed. "Very well, Mentor. I will speak to him today, if you insist."

Silence.

"I agree. The air is not right. I think he has tainted it. Lee will be blind to the danger he brings."

For the first time in what could have been years, the mutant known as Gateway sighed and shook his head. Then, with a few spins of his whirlygig, he was gone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Yo, Penny! You got company!" Jubilee shouted.

The bushes instantly began to rustle, and Penance slowly emerged. Her blue eyes scanned the perimeter, then stopped on Jubilee and Nate. She carefully approached them, stopping a few feet away. Her eyes turned to Jubilee expectantly.

Jubilee looked back, muttering to herself. "Where's Jono with those apples?"

Nate got down on one knee and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he looked at Penance and offered her his hand.

Penance stared at his hand for a few seconds, then slowly stretched a single, razor-sharp finger towards it.

"Uh, Nate? Maybe you shouldn't-" Jubilee began to say.

Nate shushed her and nodded.

Penance slowly tapped his hand with a finger, her eyes widening in surprise when he didn't pull back. She came even closer, placing her entire hand in his.

"Dude, how are you touching her?" Jubilee whispered in disbelief.

"I'm not," Nate replied quietly. "I'm using a skin-tight telekinetic shield. It's thin, but extremely strong. I just told her that she can't hurt me while I have it." He slowly moved his hand, so as not to scare her, and pressed two fingers against Penance's forehead.

As if he had just asked her a question, Penance nodded, a faint smile touching her lips.

"What'd you do?" Jubilee asked.

"I sensed two minds," Nate explained, "so I asked if there were two girls inside of her."

"She can, like, talk to you?" Jubilee said slowly.

"Well, I can talk to her. She doesn't speak much, even when she does answer."

Penance's eyes locked on Jubilee's face. Then they slowly turned to Nate while her finger pointed at the girl.

"What'd she say?!" Jubilee nearly shouted.

Nate slowly backed away and lowered his shield. "She wants to touch you now."

"Can she do that?"

"She can if I make a shield for you. Hold still." He closed his eyes again, focusing his telekinetics on Jubilee's body. He had to picture her entirely in his mind's eye, or risk some of her not being totally covered.

It seemed to take forever, but Nate finally opened his eyes. "Okay, I'm done."

Jubilee didn't notice any change at first, but when she began to move, it felt like her whole body had fallen asleep. Then a tiny spark seemed to travel through her, and she could feel again. "That was weird."

"Go ahead," Nate said. "Penny's waiting."

Jubilee sat down on the grass in front of the girl. "C'mon, Penny."

Penance slowly reached out and touched Jubilee's hand. When there was no visible damage, she came closer.

Jubilee carefully reached up and ran her hand along Penance's face. The skin seemed to feel smooth, but she wondered if that was because of the shield. Pushing the thought out of her mind, she impulsively drew Penance's head down and kissed her forehead.

Penny stared at her friend, as if she'd just done something very shocking. Then her large eyes began to cloud with tears, and she threw herself forward, hugging Jubilee tightly.

Though she'd never made a sound before, Jubilee would swear later that she heard a tiny whimper in Penance's throat. She gently ran her hand through the girl's hair. "It's okay, Penny," she whispered, holding back her own tears. "I'm here for you."

Eventually, Penance slowly released Jubilee, hating to have to let go.

Jubilee smiled brightly at her.

"I hate to rush this," Nate said quietly, "but I can't hold the shield forever, Jubilee."

"Wait!" Jubilee quickly kissed Penance's forehead again before stepping back.

Nate instantly dropped the shield and fell to his knees, taking deep breaths. When he lifted his head, Jubilee stared at him in shock.

"Nate, you're bleeding," she whispered.

"I'm okay. It happens when I use too much power." He wiped the blood from his nose. "Since I've been attacked ever since I got to this world, using a shield for myself is second nature. This is the first time I've tried it with someone else."

"So you knew this would happen, and you did it anyway?"

He nodded. "It was worth it."

Jubilee knelt beside him and cupped his face in her hands. "Me and Penny really appreciate this, Nate."

"If no one could touch me," he responded, grasping one of her hands, "I'd need to feel loved every now and then, too."

"Thanks for everything, but maybe you should save some of that?"

Nate nodded. "I won't have much of a choice. My body sometimes cuts off my power automatically. I might not be able to do that again for a few more days."

"I can wait," Jubilee replied, glancing back as Penance disappeared into the bushes. "I just hope she can."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sean stared at the readings, shaking his head slowly as the battle progressed. "Fascinating."

"More like very dangerous," Emma said. "I've never encountered a mutant with such raw and unrestrained psi-power."

"It isn't unrestrained, lass," Sean replied. "Ye heard what Jubilee said."

"She only met this boy yesterday," Emma pointed out. "And if he really is that powerful, he could easily make her believe anything."

Sean sighed and turned back to the screen. Monet aimed a punch at Nate's head, but the boy simply deflected it with a telekinetic shield. Then he expanded it outwards, knocking the girl away from him.

"I still don't think he belongs here."

"If'n yuir so concerned about the lad's powers being unrestrained," Sean noted, "there's no better place for him t'be. The kids are here to learn about their powers."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jubilee watched with satisfaction as Nate teleported behind Monet and struck her in the back. Despite what he'd said about straining his powers, he was holding his own against her. At full power, he probably would have had the upper hand. That theory alone made Jubilee smile a bit wider.

Nate had come into her life so suddenly, she hadn't even bothered to think about his history much. If she had, she would have realized, (much like Emma had) that great power always attracts attention. Mostly unwanted attention. And though it wasn't power that drew Generation X's greatest foe to the Biosphere that day, it might as well have been. Because only power could save them now.

But Jubilee, confident that Nate could handle just about anyone, (especially Monet) turned her attention away from the fight. She just happened to see Penance standing near the spot where Nate crashed. There was nothing wrong with that alone. What was wrong was the little man standing next to her, wearing a chauffer's cap and an evil grin. By the time Jubilee recognized him as DOA, it was too late. Something struck her from behind, and the world began to spin as her energy left her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I must admit that my initial assumptions about you were wrong," Monet said.

"Yeah, I'm just full of surprises," Nate replied, wiping some sweat from his forehead. "Are all the others as tough as you?"

"They wish. But what I don't understand is why, of all people, you would bond with Jubilee."

Nate stared at Monet. "I can't explain it. I just feel like we have something in common. Maybe because we're both orphans."

"She told you about that?"

"I'm starting to think there's nothing she didn't tell me," he said with a laugh. "She never really seems to stop talking."

"On that much we agree," Monet replied with a smile. "Which reminds me. It's hard to believe that we haven't heard one of her trademark comments by now."

"True," Nate said quietly. "Almost as if she didn't...or couldn't...make them."

Monet's eyes widened. "No. Not here, not now...not again!"

"What?" Nate asked, grabbing her arm.

"It's my brother," she told him, a terrified look in her eyes. "He's back!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Think he stands a chance against Monet?" Angelo asked.

Jono shrugged. "He's got potential, but I've never seen him in action. Could get pretty messy."

"Is it just me, or did it get a lot quieter out there all of a sudden?" Paige asked suddenly.

"Yer right," Jono said. "Fight must be over."

"Not really, kiddies," a familiar voice announced. "The fight's just beginning."

Jono instantly reached for his scarf, planning to blast the man into next week. However, he suddenly spun around, unleashing a full blast of psionic energy upon his friends at point-blank range. Then he collapsed, a blank look on his face.

There was a quiet chuckle as DOA entered the room, followed by Bulwark, Vincente, and Murmur, the other members of Emplate's "team." "Tie them up and bring them outside quickly," he instructed. "The boss doesn't like to be kept waiting."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I must admit, Jubilee," Emplate said as she opened her eyes, "that the last time we met, you outsmarted me. Allowing you to live that long was a mistake on my part. This time, I intend to kill you before you have a chance to open your big mouth."

Indeed, Jubilee didn't have time to open her mouth as Emplate's hand came towards her face with lightning speed. But before it could touch her, something made her realize that Monet was either much faster or simply strong enough to distract her older brother. Of course, a girl with super strength slamming into your chest is usually enough to distract even the best villians. Emplate was no exception.

As he doubled over in what was either pain or laughter, Emplate got a brief taste of something that wasn't entirely unfamiliar to him. It was power: raw, great, and untamed. And the instant that he tasted it, Emplate wanted more. "Well, Monet," he said, "I see you've returned to the world of speaking. But make no mistake about it. Even if it is Nicole & Claudette trapped in the form of Penance, I still intend to take her back. If you're not careful, there might be two girls with diamond-hard skin soon enough."

Monet glared at him. "Honestly, brother. If you insist on ranting evilly, the least you could do is sound convincing."

Emplate smiled beneath his respirator. "How's this for convincing? Unless you agree to once again become my silent servant, your friends will be destroyed." He motioned to his assistants, who had already tied up the rest of the team and were currently bringing them outside.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nate had no idea what DOA stood for. Nor did he care at the moment. All he knew was that DOA had tried to take Penance, and that he wasn't getting off that easy for the attempted kidnapping.

"I don't know who you are," DOA muttered, "but the boss won't like you for this."

Nate glanced down at Penance, who was hiding behind him. From what he had gleamed from her mind, if DOA was here, then so was Emplate. That was bad. Gen X had faced Emplate twice and won both times. That was good. Of course, they had some help from Bishop last time. Now, they've got me, Nate thought to himself. Better make that count for something.

DOA wasn't exactly armed. He didn't look particularly dangerous, unless you had an intense fear of someone with large teeth biting your knees off. He almost looked comical, but the name tag on his cap took away from that. This guy could probably hurt me bad. But he is a telepath. They're always good for dinner. That's what the boss says, anyway. He'd be happy if I got this one for him. Might even give me a raise.

He didn't have time to think the situation out any further. Nate's fist smashed into his forehead. No telekinesis or anything like that with it. Just the rage of one young man. Luckily, it was more than enough.

"Okay, okay!" DOA cried. "What do you want?!"

"Your boss's head," Nate replied. "Now." With that, he and Penance disappeared in a bright flash of light.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Emplate hadn't expected reinforcements. But when Vincente, Bulwark, and Murmur all fell to a psychic attack the likes of which he had never seen, he was actually concerned. The attack reeked of the same power Emplate had tasted before. The hunger was driving him crazy now. He would deal with Jubilee and her friends later. Now, he would feed, and feed well.

"I suggest you step away from her quickly," Nate said angrily. He was weak from using his powers, but he'd sacrifice his own life in a second if he thought Jubilee could escape unharmed.

Emplate merely grabbed Jubilee's hair. His eyes traveled to Penance. "Well, boy. You have someone I want, and I have someone you want. How does a trade sound?"

"Sounds like I should take you out and keep them both," Nate answered, starting towards him.

Emplate raised a hand, exposing the mouth filled with sharp teeth. "Any closer, and your friend here loses even more of her genetic marrow. I could drain her completely in a matter of seconds. Give me the girl, now!"

Nate froze and looked at Penance, who was cowering next to him. She grasped his leg tightly, careful not to cut him. She obviously didn't want to return to captivity. "I'm so sorry, Penny," he whispered. "But I can't trade you for them and her."

"Yes," Emplate whispered hungrily as Nate forced her forward with a telekinetic push. "Return to me, Penance. Feed me once again."

Jubilee suddenly awoke. The first thing she saw was the terrified look in Penance's eyes. Instantly realizing what must have happened, she tried to prevent her friend from making a terrible mistake. "Nate, no!" she screamed.

Three things happened at once. Emplate slapped Jubilee, his hand closed around Penance's wrist, and Nate disappeared. Then, a second later, so did Penance.

"What?! NO! ARRRGH!" Emplate cried. Partially because Penance was lost to him. Partially because Penance's razor-sharp claws tore at his back. Mostly because he finally realized that he had been tricked by the children again. Before he could recover, Nate connected with a kick to his face. Emplate fell to the ground, trying to figure out just how he had been defeated.

"Psychic hologram," Nate answered, reading his mind. "Just a little something I specialize in."

"Well done, boy," Emplate grunted. "You have won this battle, but next time, you will no be so successful." He soon faded from sight.

Nate sighed as his head began to pound. "Just when I don't need a migraine."

"You'll have worse than that when I'm done with you!" Jubilee promised.

"Huh? What's with you?"

"You let that creep hit me!" Jubilee said, pointing to the tiny scar on her cheek.

Nate did his best not to laugh. "I'd kiss it and make it better if I didn't think you might reward me with a faceful of sparks." He suddenly froze, and a strange look passed over his face.

"You okay, dude?" Jubilee asked, instantly becoming serious.

Nate said nothing as his legs began to wobble and the world turned black.

Part 3: Power Within

"C'mon, Nate. Quit hangin' back there. We got work to do."

It was Jubilee, of course. But not the one he'd just met. Another one. From his homeworld.

They didn't belong here. Well, she didn't. Nate had been given life in Sinister's labs. Jubilee was the one that was out of place. He tried to tell her that, but she wasn't listening.

"There it is!" she said suddenly. "C'mon, help me get it open!"

He turned to see her tugging on the door of a nutrient bath. One that he found all too familiar. "Not like that," he said pulling her away. He leaned closer to the door and said simply, "Open."

There was a hiss, and the doors slid away to reveal the child inside. He slowly stepped out, surprised to see faces other than the pale one he'd grown used to seeing. "Who are you?" he asked warily.

"Friends," Jubilee said quickly. "What's your name, kid?"

"Nathan," the boy whispered, staring up at her. "Is the pale man here?"

"No," Nate replied. "He's gone, for now."

The boy suddenly began to cry. "I don't wanna be here!"

Jubilee swept him up in a firm hug. "Don't cry, little guy. You gotta be strong."

"That's what the pale man tells me."

"Don't be strong because he tells you to be," Nate said. "Be strong because you know you are, deep inside."

"Yeah, and don't let anybody tell you you're not fit to survive," Jubilee added.

"He's coming back!" The boy looked very nervous. "You have to go now!"

Jubilee kissed the boy's forehead and put him down. "Let's jet, Nate."

"Not yet." Nate reached down and took the boy's hand. "I don't care what anyone tells you, kid. You're a survivor. Nothing can stop you, not even death. One day, you'll know what I mean. For now, just wait. Your time to shine will come faster than you think."

The boy nodded and stepped back into the nutrient bath. "I'll remember."

"Hurry! Get us out of here!" Jubilee hissed as the door on the top level began to open.

Just before they faded away, they could both hear the boy whisper in their heads, "Bye, Jubilee. Bye, Nate..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nate carefully opened his eyes. "Jubilee?"

"Isn't here right now," Monet replied. "Just Penance and myself."

Penance's face drifted into view, offering a slight smile.

"What time is it?" Nate asked.

"Almost 2:14 AM. You've been unconscious for a very long time." She paused. "We wanted to thank you for defeating our brother. I'm not sure I possessed the courage to do it this time."

"I wasn't even sure I had the power at the moment," Nate told her.

"All the more reason for you to stay here," Monet said. "We are all learning about our powers. Each student has gained greater control over them. You could benefit from our school."

"Jubilee put you up to this, didn't she?"

Monet looked genuinely surprised. "No. I am merely making a suggestion, based on what happened in the battle. Besides," she added, looking at Penance, "my sisters told me what you did for them. It is good to know that someone aside from me can touch and communicate with her."

"It would be great to stop living my life on the run from someone every two hours," he admitted. "And I could always learn more about what's happening to me."

"Then you will stay?"

Nate turned his head and caught the hopeful look on Penance's face. "Yeah, I'll stay."

"Magnifique. I will inform Mr. Cassidy of your decision immediately."

As Monet left the infirmary, Nate sighed. "I never could resist a girl with hope in her eyes," he muttered.

Penance only smiled, but he could hear her shy voice in his head. "Thank y-you."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Dis no time to fall asleep, p'tite," the voice said.

Jubilee opened her eyes. "Huh?"

"Wake up and smell de Infinites. 'Specially since dere's one behind you."

"Yow!" Jubilee barely dove aside in time as the huge arm of an Infinite slammed the spot she'd been standing on. "Take this, you big jerk!" she shouted, showering him with her pyrotechnics.

The Infinite collapsed, most of his armor gone.

"Sumthin' on your mind, girl?" Gambit asked, touching her shoulder.

Jubilee smirked. "Like I'd tell you if there was?"

"Yeah, but Guido ain't here. Guess who is?"

"Cajun, you got exactly three seconds before that hand becomes Kentucky fried."

"Dat happens, and your shoulder ends up over there. Course, your arm would land right here, but dat would still leave a big mess. So talk."

Jubilee sighed. "When you first tricked me into joinin' the X-ternals, I was really only doin' it for Ev. But now, it just seems so pointless. So we take out a few guards a night and steal their supplies to help the needy. So what?! That ain't gonna stop the big A."

"Gambit never said we would. Just said we wouldn't be doin' him any favors, p'tite." He turned away from her. "'Sides, stoppin' him is what the X-Men do. We're just de little people they stepped on when it's time to take de credit."

"So what's the point?"

"You still breathin', girl?" he asked, glancing back at her.

"Yeah."

"Den dat's de point. C'mon, p'tite. Lila's gonna start to miss us soon."

Jubilee shook her head and followed him. Not because she wanted to, but because she had nowhere else to go. That, and it was hard for any woman to say no to Remy LeBeau. As far as she knew, only one ever had. But then again, if Jubilee had to choose between the leader of the X-Men, (who happened to be Apocalypse's arch rival) and the leader of the X-ternals to marry, she had a good idea of who she'd pick.

They hadn't gotten far when there was a bright light overhead.

"Stay low, p'tite," Gambit whispered.

Jubilee obeyed, pressing herself to the ground. But it wasn't a Sentinel that passed over them. It was a boy.

He was probably around Jubilee's age, maybe a few years older. His entire body had an eerie yellow glow around it, which seemed to originate from his left eye. There was a determined look on his face as flew past, leaving a trail of yellow energy.

When he was gone, Jubilee looked at Gambit. "Who was that?!"

Gambit shook his head. "Dunno, p'tite. Just hope he's on our side."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next time Nate woke up, Jubilee was staring down at him. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Finally, both opened their mouths and said, "I dreamed about you."

"Okay, this is getting too weird," Jubilee muttered. "Anyway, I mostly came down here to thank you for savin' me from Emplate. And for not giving Penny to him." Then, she lowered her voice. "You wouldn't have *really* traded her for me, would you?"

"I've asked myself that question a million times since I've been down here, and I still don't have an answer, Jubilee," Nate replied. "I know she's important to you, but you're important to me, and I've already lost too many friends. Somehow, though, I think you could've handled Emplate on your own."

"Yeah? What told you that?" she asked.

"Monet told me you used to be one of the X-Men. Every X-Man I've met, extended or otherwise, has been a good person to have on your side in a fight."

"So...you're sayin' I'd have escaped from Emplate anyway?"

"Yup. Or he would've gotten tired of hearing you talk."

"You just love makin' my emotions conflict, don't you, Nate?"

"It's a gift."

Jubilee's eyes lit up. "That reminds me. I been givin' some thought to when you said I was a psi. I was thinkin' maybe...if you're strong enough...you could go inside my head and turn my latent powers on...if I even have them to begin with."

"Not only is that extremely dangerous for us, it could harm Jono, Monet, and Ms. Frost's powers," Nate warned. "Besides, there's a chance I might see something in your mind you don't want me to see."

"I'll risk it," Jubilee replied. "I wanna know more about my powers. That's why I came to this school. What was the point if I don't learn about them?"

"Fine, it's your head," Nate muttered with a sigh.

"Dude, stop lookin' so bummed. I don't like people pokin' around in my head, but I trust you. So do it before I blast you into next week."

Nate slowly pushed himself to a sitting position. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he said before pressing his fingers to her forehead. "Open your mind to me."

Jubilee closed her eyes as she felt a warm sensation all over her body. Every inch of her skin began to tingle, and she could sense Nate's prescence as he gently moved past her thoughts and memories. She could see images of her Gen X teammates, the X-Men, Wolverine, Gambit, and her deceased parents.

Suddenly, it was as if someone threw the process in reverse. Jubilee was now seeing images that she didn't recognize. A black girl surrounded by the scent of death, a man with only half of Cyclops's visor, and a creature who seemed to be nothing but fire contained in large, clear armor.

Then the images did become slightly more familiar, but not totally. There was a version of Wolverine, but he was missing one hand. Then Jean Gray, but her hair was different, and a mark on her face almost made her seem more like...Psylocke? Then Magneto...leading the X-Men...married to Rogue...naming his son after Charles Xavier? Gambit, Strong Guy, and Sunspot...but not them...and Jubilee herself?

Suddenly, the images all faded away, replaced by a single, fearsome face: that of Apocalypse, the undying. Then his face was replaced by another, a pale one with a red diamond in the center of the forehead. This face begin to laugh evilly and grow larger, blocking out anything else.

"Jubilee? Are you okay?"

She blinked and looked at Nate, who seemed very worried. "Um...yeah. I guess."

"Well, I don't have amnesia anymore. I guess the probe gave my memory some sort of jumpstart. Try using your powers."

Jubilee threw up her arm, casting out an array of sparks in various colors. "Looks the same as ever."

"Try thinking about it with your mind first," he suggested.

Jubilee pictured it in her mind, then repeated the process. "Nope."

"Guess it didn't work. Sorry, Jubilee."

She was about to tell him that it wasn't his fault when there was a loud roar behind her. Jubilee spun around in time to see Sabretooth charging towards her, malice in his eyes. Just as he leaped at her, something clicked in her mind.

Sabretooth disappeared in an explosion of pyrotechnics. That was a bit unexpected. But then Jubilee felt a certain weight in her hands. Curious, she looked down, and didn't believe her eyes. She was tightly gripping what appeared to be a rocket launcher. Except that it was made entirely of glowing, sparkling colors which were constantly shimmering.

"That ever happened before?" Nate asked quietly.

"Nope," Jubilee answered quietly. "Did I kill him?"

"Nope," he replied. "Psychic hologram again. But it did what it was supposed to do."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1 Month Later

"The last thing she needs is a gun the size of one of Bishop's," Paige muttered, watching as Jubilee fired at targets pinned to the wall.

"I dunno, chica," Angelo said. "I think it's bigger. We might even be talking Cable's standard here." He turned back to the Biosphere, where Nate and Jubilee went on with their training session.

"Does it really matter?" Everett asked. "According to Ms. Frost, she should be able to make any kind of weapon, with enough focus."

"Perhaps, but this is Jubilation," Monet reminded him. "How much focus could she possibly have at her disposal?" The words were barely out of her mouth when a bright, multicolored arrow flew past, missing her head by inches.

Jubilee grinned as she lowered the bow. "Focused enough for ya, M?!" she shouted.

Nate cleared his throat loudly. "You're supposed to aim at the targets."

"Oh, I am. Her face has been a target since the moment the first day of school."

"Um...let's just try another weapon, okay?"

Jubilee nodded and closed her eyes. "I'm thinkin' Xena," she muttered. In a few seconds, she had formed a sword. "Cool!" She waved it around a few times.

"Well, it seems like they're only limited to your imagination...which, lucky for you, seems to be endless." He ducked as the sword almost took his head off. "Hey!"

"Sorry. Heh." The sword disappeared as suddenly as it had come. "I never really did thank you for pullin' this new power outta me, did I?"

"I'm used to it," Nate replied as they walked towards the school. "But it's not a new power. Just an aspect of your power that you didn't know about. They just came out as sparks before because you didn't have precise mental control over them then."

"But I feel like I owe you somethin' for teachin' me about it," Jubilee said. "Not that I'm offerin' to pay you, cuz I'm majorly low on funds at the moment."

Nate chuckled. "Jubilee, your friendship is payment enough. But there is something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What's that?" she asked, stopping to look at him.

He sighed. "When I was probing your mind, I found something."

The color drained from Jubilee's face. "What...kinda something...exactly?"

"I wasn't going to say anything, but Jono keeps dropping hints about it and-"

"Spill it, Nate," she interrupted.

"Well, let me first say that the age thing isn't an issue-"

"...you knew?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, but I wasn't going to say anything until you did."

"Um...wow," Jubilee muttered. "So is that, like, a BIG no, or just a small one?"

"Neither."

"...are you saying yes?!"

Nate was doing his best not to laugh. "I'm saying that I haven't had much luck in that area. The first is dead, the second turned out to be an evil clone of Jean Gray, and the third...well, I don't know where she is. But that's reason enough to have doubts."

"Are you givin' me the 'let's-be-friends' chat before we even give it a try?" Jubilee asked, looking very upset.

"No, Jubilee. I'm telling you that if you want to try this, I want you to be absolutely sure that you want this to happen."

She stared at him for a moment. Well, I gotta know something first. Seems like the focus of this conversation has been a bit one-sided. I'm wonderin' how you feel."

"Do you remember when I said you were cute?"

"I believe it was right after I denied sayin' the same about you," she replied with a grin.

"Well, that was then. You're not cute anymore."

Jubilee felt like someone had just ripped out her emotions and stomped on them. "WHAT?!"

Nate grinned and cupped her face in his hands. "Now you're just plain lovely."

"Are you saying that cuz it's true or cuz I have a gun pressed to your chest?"

"Both," Nate admitted with a smile. "But I'm never going to kiss you if you don't put that thing away."

"That's cuz you said the wrong thing. I may be lovely, but I am *not* plain."

"Okay, okay! I take it back. You're incredibly beautiful."

"Much better. So if I kiss you...then it's official?"

Nate nodded. "Of course, you have to promise that Ev won't kill me in my sleep."

Jubilee giggled. "Oh, I'll take care of him. So, do we have a deal?"

"We do." He drew her closer and gently kissed her forehead, her nose, and then her lips. He held the kiss for about ten seconds. Then he frowned.

"What?" she asked.

"Damn," he muttered. "I should've made you promise that Wolverine and Gambit wouldn't kill me, either."

An evil smile appeared on her face as three bright claws popped from her hand. "Too late, bub!" Jubilee growled in her best Wolverine impression.

"You have to promise *never* to do that again."

"Just wait until I learn how to speak Cajun," she joked, drawing the claws back into her hand.

Nate just shook his head and slipped his arm around her waist as they walked through the Biosphere.

The End!