And The Truth Shall Set You Free

They watched her sitting calmly in her cell. Humming an eerie tune, eyes closed and a small smirk playing across her features, as if she knew something they didn't.

Scott frowned and Emma stood stoically behind him.

Bobby's back against the glass, looked totally and utterly defeated.

Gambit standing next to him with his forehead and right arm against the window, wondering when it was his petit changed so much, even before she was infected.

And Monet, the only former Gen-Xer around as she too stood stoically next to her former headmistress/leader. She was sure that if Jono knew, he too would have come running, but he disappeared way before any of this happened.

They all watched even more intensely as they heard the doors to her 'chambers' open, even Bobby turned around to see what would happen.

"Hello Jubilee."

The smirk on her lips grew even wider.

"I wonder…."

And she said as she brushed her bangs out of eyes and slowly opened her to stare at winged mutant, who stiffened at the coldness of her voice and waited for her to go on.

"…what she would have done. Would she have fought? Or would she have given in? My best guess, she would have fought tooth and nail, and still would have won. She wouldn't have given in. That's my guess, but eh…what do I know."

Her brown eyes quickly flashed red, her smirk back in place, waiting for the curiosity to eat at him and everyone else who was watching to ask what she meant.

"Jubil….."

Her cold laughter rang through the room, making everyone wince as they once remember the past when it was free and joyous.

"You X-Men are pathetic," she spat at them. "Four years since joining you, I have giving you chances to figure out the truth. And now this!" she pointed to herself. "Look at me! Take a good look at me! I caved and became into this creature! SHE DIDN'T CAVE IN TO HIM, AND SHE WOULDN'T HAVE CAVED IN NOW! ALL OF YOU REFUSE TO SEE THE TRUTH!"

Standing up and pacing up and down the room, all of her anger was rolling off her in waves.

"Jub…"

Warren tried once again, but stopped as she whirled on him, eyes still red and full of hatred

"That. Is. Not. My. Name. I'm experiment JLC6. Go on. Ask me. "

Silence was met. Scott and the others kept on watching, but Emma was out of the room and heading into her former charges room.

"What do you mean?"

Warren whirled around to Emma, surprised to see her in here.

Jubilee's eyes sparkled maliciously, as if waiting forever to be asked.

"What does 'JLC6' mean?"

Her smirk just grew.

"JLC6. Jubilation Lee Clone number 6."

Silence met her as she chuckled.

"….What?" Warren asked horrified, as she calmly walked back to her bed.

Tilting her head to the side, she kept staring at Emma.

"Almost four years. Four years and you never once suspected? Come on now. Try to figure it out. What happened nearly four years ago, hmm?"

Scott and everyone tried to remember, going through events that were significant in their hectic lives.

"Bastion," Bobby was the first to say it out loud.

And Scott's eyes widen in horror as the realization of her meanings shocked him to the core.

"That's right. I see you are finally getting it. Operation Zero Tolerance. Bastion. I'm the only one that actually made it. All the five others didn't. They couldn't keep the DNA stabled. Hell, I was losing my powers way before the witch came into play. She just helped me hide the why my powers were getting weak. But seriously. How could you not know? Eyes don't all of sudden turn from blue to brown with no reason. He couldn't figure out why on that part. She genuinely intrigued him. The last time I saw her, she told me not to say a word, and where I could find her journals before pushing me behind a giant rock in the desert. I stayed hidden as Bastion and his goons came upon her in their vehicles. I watched as she was put back into a statis tube before they drove away when they couldn't find me."

She watched as the information process into their minds.

"So you see…I believe the REAL Jubilation Lee would never find herself in the predicament I'm currently in. She didn't give in to Bastion, as far as I know. Still makes me wonder if she is even alive. But, hey you guys did destroy all of Bastion's labs and all."

Her eyes now closed once again, the eerie humming started up again, smirk back in place, completely satisfied to have that off her back.

The X-Men let the horror of the situation sink in.

"Madre."

END...