Notes: Sigh. It's trying to become a series. Help me, guys!
Monsters Like Us
An X-Men Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Chapter 2: Dark Comfort
There had been a small boy, surely no older than ten, among them. His mother had clutched him and screamed in terror as Colossus moved toward them, coated in blood and roaring in mindless (or perhaps just single-minded) blood lust.
"It's okay, Mama," the boy had said, with no idea he was speaking his last words. "He won't hurt us. I saw him on the television. He's a superhero, and they only hurt the bad guys."
The boy's father had been a major financial contributor to Project: Wideawake, which had produced several generations of Sentinels, the mutant-hunting robots that were still a major threat to all humans, mutant or otherwise. There had been no concrete evidence that the boy or his mother were in any way intending to follow suit. But their guilt or innocence had not mattered at all: while Colossus was empowered by the malevolent energies of Cyttorak, they had been little more than targets. Most of the killing had been lost behind a hazy, crimson blur in his memory, but for some reason the trusting look in the boy's eyes had stayed with him.
"Brother, wake up," Illyana murmured in his ear.
Piotr slowly opened his eyes, and for a moment had no idea where he was. He remembered that Illyana had taken them through one portal after another, trying to throw off anyone who might be attempting to track them. They had stopped at a hotel because of the lunch special, and while he recalled insisting that they stay when Illyana had begun to yawn, nothing else sprang to his mind.
Apparently they had stayed, because Piotr was lying in one of two beds in a hotel room, with Illyana leaning over him.
"You were having a bad dream," she told him, gently mopping his sweaty forehead with a cool, damp towel.
"It wasn't a dream," he replied at once.
"Bad memories, then," she corrected, with the tone of one who knew she was right. "I thought I should wake you. Was I wrong?"
"No, Snowflake, you were not. Thank you."
She tried to smile for him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, which bothered him. "You haven't asked where we are yet."
"We are together, and you are free. I don't suppose much else matters." His gaze landed on the clock on the nightstand, which read 11:48 PM. "I've been asleep since lunch?"
"You didn't seem tired, but you said you wanted to sleep." Illyana picked up a pitcher on the nightstand and filled a small glass with ice water. Piotr thought she was thirsty, and was surprised when she pressed the glass into his hand. "Drink," she said in no-nonsense tone.
"I am not thirsty, Snowflake."
"Brother, I know you don't need water, food, or oxygen in your armored form, and especially now that you're the Juggernaut. But I also don't think it's a good idea to start relying on the benefits of that power if you don't have to. Unless you want to end up a slave to it the way Cain Marko was, I suggest you drink."
Piotr drank.
Illyana took the glass when he was done, refilled it, and started to hand it back to him. Instead, she changed her mind, took a few sips herself, and then gave him the glass. "I should probably take my own advice," she admitted.
"Would you really have accepted Cyttorak's offer?" he asked abruptly after draining the glass again. "Would you really have become the Juggernaut?"
"Yes," she answered simply. "I don't think I would have enjoyed it, but I could have handled it. I'd say I've handled far worse."
"You're supposed to let me protect you, Snowflake," Piotr whispered. "Why won't you let me?"
"Because I don't like seeing you suffer, any more than you like seeing me suffer. So if I can protect you, I will. That's what it means to be family."
"You've been through enough."
She smirked. "And when has life ever stopped giving me challenges, just because I've had enough? It doesn't work that way for anyone I know, and especially not us."
"I have more power now than I've ever dreamed I would. Are you saying you won't let me use it to protect you?"
"No. I'm saying that you had better get used to me protecting you as well. If you didn't want me to feel that way, maybe you shouldn't have been such a good big brother all these years."
He stared at her incredulously. "Did you actually just say that?"
She patted his arm. "Yes, but I'm obviously teasing you. I do still joke sometimes. I know it can be hard to tell when I am, though."
Piotr blinked, watching as Illyana sat on her own bed and stretched out. "Are you tired, Snowflake?" he asked.
"Just thinking," she replied softly, staring at the ceiling.
He hesitated over his next words, and then decided to express them, anyway. "I love you, Illyana. I know I don't say it often-"
"Brother," she interrupted impatiently. "You are perhaps the only person I have ever met who tells me they love me through practically every action you take, and every word you speak. Even if you never said it again, I would always know. And I will always love you in return."
"Does that mean you wish me to stop saying it?"
"No," she admitted after a pause. "Only that you shouldn't feel you must out of necessity, or a fear that you haven't said it enough. Trust me, you have and you always will. I would just ask you, if I ever had any doubt. But I'm sure I won't."
It did his heart good to hear her unshakable confidence in him, and Piotr felt less like a monster because of it. For the moment, anyway.
Two hours later, there was a series of hard knocks at the door.
Piotr and Illyana glanced at each other. Neither had been sleeping, but knew most other hotel guests would be, and that room service had long since ended. This had to be something else, and not necessarily a good something else. Piotr had just stood up when a familiar voice growled, "Open up, Pete. I ruined plenty o' doors in my time, and I'll be happy to do it again."
"Logan?" Piotr murmured. He glanced back at Illyana, who nodded her consent, and then he opened the door.
Logan was indeed standing in the hallway, wearing a checkered flannel shirt and blue jeans, but he wasn't alone. There was a blur of movement, and suddenly Piotr had the weight of a person around his neck. It was a relatively small person, and even a full-sized person wouldn't have strained him much, but he was still rather surprised.
"Hiya, Petey!" The smiling, young Chinese woman hanging onto his neck gave him a big squeeze. "I missed ya, big guy!"
"J-Jubilee?" Piotr asked in shock, wrapping his arms around her automatically. It wasn't really necessary, as she had a surprisingly firm grip on him and clearly was in no hurry to let go.
She grinned and darted her head forward, obviously meaning to kiss him on the cheek, but suddenly froze as Logan cleared his throat. Shooting him a guilty look, she immediately released Piotr and dropped back to the ground. "Sorry," she muttered, hanging her head. "I wasn't thinking."
Piotr blinked, and it wasn't until he put together Jubilee's abnormal strength, paler than normal skin, and the interrupted kiss that he remembered what the issue was: Jubilee had recently been turned into a vampire, and from the looks of it, she was still adjusting to all the changes that had to come along with that. "There is nothing to apologize for, Jubilee," he assured her. To prove this, he placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, the easiest part of her to reach.
"Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.
"If you had meant to attack me, I'm quite sure we would all know. My new-found... abilities come with some impressive defenses. At best, you might have chipped a fang."
Greatly relieved, Jubilee gave him another hug, then shoved her way past him. "Hey, 'Yana!" she shouted, in complete disregard for anyone else on the floor who might be sleeping. "Get out of that bed and give me a hug!"
Piotr frowned at Logan as he walked into the hotel room. "She wasn't going to attack me."
"She didn't plan to, anyway," Logan agreed, shutting the door behind him. "But you ain't been around her lately, the way I have. She's changed. Ain't her fault, but she has, and she's got to be careful. It's easy to forget what she is while she's with friends, but she can't afford to. Everyone don't have a healing factor, and even the few that do probably couldn't fight off all the effects of a vampire bite."
He wanted to believe that Logan was wrong, but Piotr could not help glancing over his shoulder. Jubilee had pulled Illyana out of bed and was hugging her happily. Illyana was tolerating this rather well, for the moment.
"How did you two even find us?" Piotr asked.
"Funny story, actually," Logan said, grabbing Jubilee by the back of her raincoat and pulling her off of Illyana with some effort. "I'll let the kid tell it." He paused and looked at Illyana. "Hey, darlin'. How's life treatin' ya?" He reached out and lightly brushed her cheek with his thumb.
She smiled warmly at him. "Better now, Logan. Although, if you can explain to me how you were an X-Man for so long without killing all of them, that would be a big help."
While this was clearly a joke, no one even smiled.
"You know about the mission," Piotr said abruptly.
"There's a mission?" Jubile asked, her eyebrows raising. "Where? When?"
"They don't know, Peter," Illyana disagreed. "That isn't why they're here. Is it, Logan?"
Logan didn't speak right away, and Piotr was reminded of the odd connection that existed between the Canadian mutant and his sister. After Magneto had ripped the adamantium from Logan's body, the man had been on the brink of death, with his healing factor working overtime but ultimately unable to keep up with all the damage suffered. Logan claimed to have seen Illyana's spirit while he was hovering between life and death. According to him, Illyana, who had succumbed to the Legacy Virus mere days before, had forced him to keep living, rather than allowing him to die. Illyana never confirmed this claim, although from then onward, she certainly acted as if it had happened.
"Time to tell 'em, Jubes," Logan said simply. "They're gettin' antsy. We should all sit for this."
Piotr sat on his bed, and was a little surprised when Jubilee did the same, since there was plenty of room on Illyana's bed. Logan simply stretched out on the floor. For some reason, Piotr immediately assumed that position would be more comfortable for someone who was used to being hunched over as he stalked prey, or perhaps just being weighed down by an adamantium-bonded skeleton.
"We tracked you by scent," Jubilee explained. "I made Wolvie take me shopping, and suddenly I picked up this really neat smell."
"You did?" Piotr asked before he could stop himself. "Not Logan?"
Jubilee blushed. "Yeah. So? You think vampires have bad noses?"
"No, but have you ever smelled anything before Logan did?"
"Um... no, guess not. But I was never a vampire before, either. Anyway! I followed the scent to this hotel."
"...was it blood?" Piotr asked hesitantly.
Jubilee gave him a funny look. "You'd think so, right? But no. I totally know how blood smells, and this was something else entirely."
"You're probably smelling demon," Illyana stated calmly.
Jubilee stared at her, clearly stumped. "Why would either of you smell like demon?"
Illyana rolled her eyes. "I am a former ruler of Limbo, an alternate dimension practically filled with demons, and my brother is the current avatar of Cyttorak,
who is essentially a giant red demon. If we didn't smell like demon, I can't imagine who else would."
"Oh." Jubilee glanced at Logan. "You could have told me!"
"And you could have brushed up on Illyana's history any number of times before now," he shot back. "Stuff's been on file for years."
"But that's practically spying! We only do that for bad guys, not our friends!"
Piotr cleared his throat. "Actually, Jubilee, I've had to do that a number of times with other comrades. There have been many X-Men over the years, and aside from that, it's good to learn what everyone's sore spots are."
"Oh yeah? And what are my sore spots?"
"I know not to mention Tabitha in your presence."
Jubilee snorted. "Yeah, well, that's just good taste on your part." She glanced at Illyana, frowning a bit. "So, you guys... how did get used to it? I mean, demonic power seems like a pretty big deal from where I'm sitting."
"In my case, there really wasn't much choice," Illyana replied. "I either had to adjust, or spend the rest of my life trapped in another dimension as a slave. My brother's circumstances are thankfully more manageable, but I imagine it will be some time before he can fully accept things as they are."
Piotr shook his head. "And what is it you think I'll be able to eventually accept, Snowflake?" he murmured. "Being a demonic avatar? Having the destructive thoughts that now constantly roam through my mind seem natural? The idea that Katya will never be able to love me as I am? Or that in my efforts to protect you, I have simultaneously managed to curse myself and widen the rift that exists between us and our friends?"
"All of it," she answered at once. "Brother, do you regret protecting me?"
"Of course not. I could never."
"Then as far as I'm concerned, there is nothing to be ashamed of. So you are empowered by a demonic entity now. I suspect it will only bring us closer. You have no idea how much I can teach you now. You may see yourself as being cursed with this power, but I can teach you how to make it your own, and more importantly, how to use it in ways that benefit mankind while still pleasing Cyttorak."
"And if I don't want this power? What then?"
Illyana smiled sadly. "Then I can show you how to give it up. But I don't think you will."
"Why not?"
"Because since Cyttorak originally offered the power to me, I imagine he would do so again. And even if he did not, I would still offer to take it. Brother, you forget that the entire reason we convinced Cyttorak to strip Cain Marko of the power was so that we could ensure it would be kept in responsible hands. If you cannot bear it, then I must."
Piotr stared at his sister, and for the first time, he wondered. Kitty had told him repeatedly that the person who had returned to them after so long was not his sister, that she simply could not be the Illyana Rasputin that they had known and loved. Yes, Illyana had always been impulsive and stubborn, and she had constantly wrestled with her dark side. But the young woman who had returned to them was clever, clearly comfortable with what she was, and though he now hated to admit it, extremely manipulative. He now realized that she had trapped him in an impossible situation. If he gave up the mantle of the Juggernaut, she would take it up.
And that would destroy him.
It would mean that he had failed to protect her. It would mean that his sacrifice had been meaningless. More importantly, it would mean he had lost Kitty for nothing.
He desperately wanted to believe that his beloved Snowflake would never have forced so cruel a choice upon him. But as he looked into her eyes, Piotr was forced to accept that she had. Just as he was forced to accept that despite all of that, still he loved her, and still he would die for her if called upon to do so.
She could see in his eyes that he knew, just as he could see in hers that she was genuinely sorry for what she had done to him. But he would never ask her to apologize, and she would never offer. At least, that was what he believed.
But when she stood up, walked over to him, gently took his face in her hands, and kissed his forehead, Piotr knew it was the only apology he would ever get, as well as the only one he'd ever really need.
Piotr could remember a time when Jubilee would have found such a scene to be gross, or at least far too mushy for her tastes. But he was surprised to notice that instead of looking disgusted, she just looked very sad as she watched them. "Jubilee? What is wrong?"
Jubilee shook her head, wiping away what looked suspiciously like a tear from her eye. "If I still had my powers, I'd sneak back into Utopia just so I could paf Pryde but good. She didn't deserve either of you."
While he didn't really like anyone badmouthing Kitty, Piotr could sense that Jubilee genuinely resented Kitty on their behalf, and it was difficult not to appreciate that. He reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her against him. Jubilee responded in kind, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. He expected Logan to object, but was glad to be disappointed there. Perhaps such comfort had been in short supply, now that Jubilee was a vampire.
Piotr never questioned that there was love between Logan and Jubilee, almost as if they were father and daughter. Logan had never been big on hugging, but he tolerated it from those close to him, which included long-time comrades, and especially all of his "adopted" daughters, including Jubilee and Kitty. However, Kitty had long since outgrown the days where she saw Logan as a mentor, and now demanded to be treated as an equal. As far as Piotr knew, Logan went along with this, but he suspected they all knew that deep down, Logan would consider Kitty one of his daughters until the day he died, if he ever did. Jubilee had grown in another direction: while she was clearly more mature, if only slightly, she did not seem to mind Logan treating her like one of his kids (which was, Piotr realized, still very far from treating her like a kid). If anything, Jubilee seemed to cherish the role of tagging along with Logan, and had been known to start fights with anyone who tried to fill her shoes.
This, at least, Piotr could fully appreciate: many former comrades had turned against Jubilee when she had become a vampire, calling for her destruction as a dangerous, evil entity. Though he understood their fear, Piotr had not agreed with it. Seeing Jubilee as evil would necessitate seeing Illyana the same way, as she had been consumed by darkness for far longer, not to mention far more frequently. He was not surprised at all that Logan's feelings for Jubilee remained largely unchanged. Logan was wary of her on some level, of course, because Jubilee was still in the process of learning what she could and couldn't do without being overtaken by blood lust. Certainly, it helped that Logan was one of the few people that could force her to calm down, and could part with blood on a regular basis if needed. More than likely that was why Jubilee was so much like her old self even now: a consistent blood supply, without her having to hunt for it. Such a simple solution to such a complicated problem.
There was nothing like that for him, and even if there was, he would refuse it to keep his sister... well, less cursed than she currently was, anyway.
It was always good to see Logan. He did not condemn people for the darkness in their souls. And really, how could he? The little he could remember of his own past was stained black with blood. It was why a large part of Illyana had always liked him. It didn't matter to Logan how far she had fallen, or what paths she had chosen. He would forever be convinced that he had done far worse, and was willing to forgive her solely because he still saw her as a child who was entitled to make mistakes, no matter how huge.
Jubilee was another matter. It wasn't so much that Illyana didn't like her, as it was that she did not consider them particularly close. Jubilee had always been more of a friend of a friend via Kitty, and even then a mostly reluctant one, as Jubilee and Kitty only seemed to get along sporadically. The visit itself wasn't so odd, though the timing was far too convenient for Illyana's liking. Logan was not typically one to be at the beck and call of Cyclops, but he would fall in line if he felt there was a good reason. But was the reason Illyana, her brother, or both of them? She doubted the visit had been Jubilee's idea, although the story about tracking their scent sounded too awkward to be anything but genuine, coming from Jubilee. It was time for some answers, and Illyana knew better than to try to get them from Logan, especially when there was a far more convenient source present.
"I need to use the bathroom," Illyana announced, rising from her bed. After a brief pause, she added, "Jubilee, come with me."
To her credit, though Jubilee initially looked dumbfounded, she recovered almost instantly. "Yeah, okay," she replied, standing as well.
"You both need to go?" Piotr asked doubtfully.
Jubilee made a show of rolling her eyes as she followed Illyana into the bathroom. Illyana indicated that Jubilee should close the door behind them, which she did, but not before they heard Logan grunt from the floor, "You ain't figured out yet that girls travel in packs, especially when it comes to powderin' their noses?"
"Petey's not really that clueless, is he?" Jubilee murmured, leaning against the wall and drumming her fingers on the edge of the sink.
"He is my brother," Illyana sighed. "He will always believe that some small part of me is innocent, and part of him will always be as well. I think I prefer it that way."
"But that isn't why you asked me in here."
"No. Just as you and Logan aren't here for a social visit, are you?"
Jubilee frowned. "You seem pretty sure of that."
Illyana gave her a flat look. "I wouldn't exactly call us best friends, Jubilee."
"Neither would I. But then, I'm not so sure you even have one at all right now. Or did I just imagine that whiny phone call from Pryde today about how you're officially evil incarnate? Nice job, by the way. I never would have thought of extra-dimensional stains for a prank."
Illyana smirked. "Thanks. Again, why are you two here?"
For a moment, Jubilee looked as if she might try to avoid the question again. Then she sighed and shook her head. "Okay, you were right a second ago We're not best friends." She paused and looked into Illyana's eyes. "But I hope you still at least think of me as a friend?"
"You used to call me 'Pimple', Jubilee," Illyana replied coldly.
Jubilee winced.
"You also stayed by my side when I was dying of the Legacy Virus, and entertained me, even though you didn't speak Russian, and I had no idea what you were saying. I know you didn't have to do that, but you did. So yes, I do consider you a friend. But that doesn't answer my original question."
Jubilee relaxed somewhat. "Okay. Then as a friend, could I ask a favor of you?"
"That would depend on exactly what the favor was. But I'm not opposed to the idea so far."
"Coolness. So let's pretend for a moment that I am a new and reasonably cute vampire."
Illyana stared at Jubilee for a long moment. "Go on," she said at last.
"Let's further pretend that as a new and reasonably cute vampire, I no longer cast a reflection, and therefore am currently being robbed of the pleasure of checking myself out in your standard, everyday mirror."
"I see."
"Let's further pretend that I happen to be friends with an amazingly talented sorceress who possesses a certain amount of skill in the dark arts."
"Should we also pretend that you are currently in a small, hotel bathroom with this same amazingly talented sorceress friend?"
Jubilee grinned. "Hey, why not? So long as we're pretending."
Illyana nodded, smirking again. "Of course. So long as."
"Let us further pretend that this amazingly talented sorceress friend might have a way of possibly enchanting a mirror, so that a reasonably cute vampire would be able to see herself in it."
"Wait, stop." Illyana cleared her throat. "Are you honestly asking me to enchant a mirror just so you can check how your face looks?"
"No way!" Jubilee replied at once. "That would be silly. I'm asking you enchant a mirror so I can check how all of me looks. I was hoping for a full-length one, see. So... can you do it?"
"You mean, can I enchant a mirror so that a vampire, namely you, casts a reflection in it? Probably, but I'm not going to. It would be a waste of my talent."
Jubilee's face fell. "Oh."
"Mostly because I already possess a demonic mirror that could easily be altered to suit your purposes," Illyana went on. "And since you're already a vampire, you probably wouldn't even suffer the expected negative effects, like being burned alive. And even if you did, you'd recover fairly quickly. Give me a few days to work on it. I can probably get it to expand and contract on command, so you can carry it in your pocket."
"Oh," Jubilee said again, sounding very surprised. "Okay." She bit her lip. "You really don't mind doing all that for me, 'Yana?"
"If I minded, you'd be the first to know. Anyway, you did ask nicely. I'm not too busy at the moment, and it would be an interesting little challenge. I do despise being bored, you know, and this would keep me occupied for a while. Plus I'm sure the thought of you with a demonic mirror would give Cyclops a migraine at the very least, or possibly an ulcer if we're really lucky."
Jubilee grinned and impulsively gave Illyana a big hug. "You are officially the coolest non-best friend I've ever had, 'Yana! Thank you!"
Illyana blinked, slowly and hesitantly returning the hug. "You're very welcome, Jubilee," she murmured softly. "But do me a small favor in return?"
"Sure, anything!" Jubilee answered at once, pulling back a little and beaming at her. Illyana could almost smell the trust coming off of her. It wasn't a bad feeling at all.
"Don't take me out of the running for best friend just yet?"
Jubilee's smile widened, impossible as that seemed. "You got it, 'Yana."
"What's eatin' ya, Pete?" Logan asked after several moments of uncomfortable silence.
Piotr had been staring at the closed bathroom door the entire time. He wasn't sure why. He trusted Jubilee, and it wasn't as if Illyana could not defend herself. If anything, he was more concerned that Illyana might harm Jubilee, rather than the other way around.
"My sister... does she seem different to you, Logan?"
Logan chuckled. "She's grown up. Kids, they tend to do that."
"No, I mean does she seem entirely different? Not herself, in other words."
"You mean in the way that maybe the girl in the bathroom with Jubilee is an imposter?"
"...maybe."
Logan considered this for about three seconds. "You love her?"
"Of course I love my-"
"No. You love the girl in the bathroom? When you look in her eyes, does it feel fake? Does it feel like she's foolin' ya, and the real Illyana is still dead?"
"...no," Piotr whispered. "And I firmly believe that if my sister were dead, I would feel it, know it, in my heart."
"Then why are we even havin' this conversation?"
"Because she is just so very different. Sometimes I must wonder if this isn't some sort of elaborate plot to destroy us. When I look at some of the things she's done since she returned, I have even more doubts."
"But she don't feel fake to you."
"No. No, she doesn't."
"Then I think you've got your answer, Pete. Maybe I'm going soft, but you know what? I think if she was fake, and your sister was out there somewhere else, dead, alive, or stuck in-between somehow, you'd know it, sure as you know your own name. And since it don't feel that way to you, I say what we've got here in front of us is the real deal. Changed, sure, and darker, no question, but still the honest to God genuine article. That's what my gut says, and I bet yours says the same thing, even if you're too unsure to listen to it."
"I see," Piotr said softly. "Thank you, Logan."
"No thanks necessary. Just callin' it like I see it. Might try it yourself sometime."
A moment later, the bathroom door opened, and Jubilee stepped out. "Wolvie, we can hang out here for a few days, right?" she asked. "I want a real chance to catch up with these two."
"Nice way to impose on 'em, darlin'," Logan chuckled.
"Hey, no way! They want me here!" Jubilee insisted. "Right?" she asked, looking hopefully at Piotr, who could only smile in return.
"I would not be opposed to some company, Logan," Illyana admitted as she stepped out of the bathroom. "I don't expect we'll have any other friendly visits."
"Yeah, see?" Jubilee chimed in, throwing her arm around Illyana's shoulders. "They need me! And even you can't say no to these adorable faces!" She pointedly ignored the fact that, judging by Illyana's frown, she seemed to resent being called adorable.
"I think it could be good for all of us," Piotr agreed.
"Sounds like I'm outvoted, then," Logan commented, not sounding the least bit upset about it. He stood up and pulled a small silver flask out of his pocket, tossing it to Jubilee as he headed to the door. "Gonna call Melita, make sure she ain't been kidnapped or brainwashed or nothin'."
"His giiirlfriend," Jubilee said in a loud, sing-song whisper.
Logan shot her a look before slipping out of the hotel room.
"Blood?" Illyana guessed, giving the flask a significant look.
"Yup," Jubilee replied calmly. She unscrewed the top and started to take a sip when she noticed the siblings were staring at her. "Oh, I totally forgot to ask. Does this bother you two? I could go in the bathroom and do this."
Illyana shrugged. "I've seen far worse. Brother?"
Piotr shook his head. "It is fine, Jubilee."
"You sure, Petey?" Jubilee asked. "It won't ruin your image of me?"
He smiled. "I have known you a long time, Jubilee. It is easy to imagine the contents as fruit punch. I will manage."
"I'm not sure if that was an insult or not," Jubilee murmured, pouting for a moment before taking a long drink.
"I did not mean it as one."
Jubilee rolled her eyes. "I was joking, you big silly. You're like the sweetest guy ever. I know you'd never insult me to my face. Not on purpose, anyway."
"How, ah... is it?" Piotr asked hesitantly.
She blinked slowly. "You mean, how is my blood? If you're asking if I'm enjoying my blood, not a whole lot of choice there. If you're asking if I enjoy the idea of it, no, but I manage. And if you're wondering how it tastes, then don't."
"I'm sorry."
"S'okay," Jubilee replied, giving his arm a pat. "It's an odd situation, I know."
"No odder than ruling a dimension of demons or being the Juggernaut, I imagine," Illyana added.
Jubilee nodded, unable to help grinning. "Yeah, that's probably true." Her eyes lit up. "We should totally form our own team!"
"You don't get to pick the name," Illyana said at once.
Jubilee stared at her in shock. "You mean you're okay with it? You're not even going to shoot the idea down?"
Illyana nodded. "As long as you don't get to pick the name, I think it's a great idea. I get to be the leader, of course."
"Why, because you think you're the smartest?"
"No, because she knows she's the smartest," Piotr answered knowingly, earning a smile from his sister.
Jubilee sighed. "Okay, there's that, too. So you're both in? Just like that?"
"I think we could all use some reminding of the fact that we're still human," Illyana said. "Nothing does that quite so much as having a good friend around. Of course, there are some conditions."
"Conditions?" Jubilee asked, frowning. "Like what?"
"Jubilee, we accept you just as you are. But we also accept the responsibilities that come with being friends with a vampire. That means you're going to need a constant supply of fresh blood, and we need to have some safeguards in place in case there ever comes a time when you can't get it the preferred way. Feeding from us isn't a viable option, as we don't know what that would do to you. I think the simplest solution is to have an allegiance spell in place."
"Which would do what, exactly?"
"Basically, you would swear to be my subordinate, and failure to obey would result in penalties."
Jubilee scowled at her. "I'd be your slave?!"
Illyana chuckled. "I could certainly use it that way, yes, but I would hope as my friend, you would trust me enough not to worry about that. This would mainly be to prevent your blood lust from driving you to attack innocents or comrades. The penalties would have to be rather severe, I'm afraid."
"How severe are we talking here, 'Yana?"
"Assuming your blood lust overrides common sense and your normal loyalties while possibly even enhancing your powers, quite severe. The penalties would need to stop you immediately. Maybe start with intense pain, then total paralysis, and if that still fails, possibly even a coma-like state."
"You could really do all of that?" Jubilee asked in shock.
"If you trust me to stop you, then yes. But we would also have to designate others who could activate the spell, in case anything happened to me and I was unable to. For example, I would recommend Peter."
"I wouldn't," Piotr disagreed at once.
"And why not?" Illyana asked, clearly annoyed at being challenged.
"I assume the only reason you would be unavailable to activate the spell was if something happened to you, Snowflake. But it stands to reason that it would have also happened to me, since I would be with you. So designating me as an alternate would be a waste."
Illyana rolled her eyes. "Suppose an evil sorceress decided to kidnap me from a women's restroom? The only way you would be able to prevent that is if you were in there as well, which you most certainly would not be."
Piotr blushed.
"There, you see? So, you're first on the list of alternates. Agreed, Jubilee?"
Jubilee nodded, shooting Piotr a sympathetic grin. "Sounds good to me. I assume these all need to be people I trust immensely?"
"For the most part, yes. I would suggest former teammates, and possibly even some people you almost never see. It pays to be prepared."
"Then I have some people in mind, but this would require some traveling."
Illyana nodded. "I thought as much. Seeing as how I am no longer under restriction, I'd be happy to take you anywhere you need to go. We can start tomorrow. Right now, I need to see a demon about a mirror." With a wave of her hand, she suddenly dropped out of sight, vanishing into a glowing portal that snapped shut behind her.
Jubilee frowned. "I can't say I know her that well, Petey, but I get the feeling she was lying."
"I doubt it," he replied. "She probably is going to get the mirror. It probably just won't be her only stop along the way."
"You think she's going to get herself in trouble?"
"She left us here, Jubilee. What do you think?"
"I think I want to call for back-up, but it would probably just tick her off, which I'd like to avoid. I'm starting to get why you were so overprotective. I don't much like this feeling of wanting to help her and not being able to."
"You get used to it."
She perked up a bit. "Really?"
He sighed and shook his head. "No. Not really."
It was late. Late enough where any sane person should have been fast asleep.
Naturally, when Illyana set foot into the office, she was expecting an audience of one, and she was not disappointed.
"You know, my being in here is the only reason that fifteen different alarms didn't just go off," Cyclops said mildly.
She smiled. "You're exaggerating. I'm sure it's less than nine, but more then five. Anyway, I thought you'd be up. Mind you, if I wanted to catch you indecent, I would have tried your bedroom first."
"I suppose I should be glad that you didn't. Just tell me you didn't teleport directly here from wherever you were."
"No. I had to bounce a few places first," she admitted. "Well, I probably didn't have to, but I assumed it would be better for everyone, primarily myself."
"Wonderful." Cyclops leaned forward. "Is this a social call, or do you have some business?"
"A little of both. I was serious when I said I didn't want to stay here, but I did at least want to let you know that Peter and I are fine. Oh, Logan and Jubilee send their regards."
He chuckled. "Somehow I doubt that."
"Well, they'd didn't say I couldn't lie about it. I figure that's practically sending their love, for those two. Anyway, I'm mostly here to request a current address for the St. Croix family."
Cyclops stared at her for a long moment. "As in Monet St. Croix's family?"
"That's the one. Jubilee thought we could visit."
"Monet isn't exactly one of the few people that are comfortable dealing with Jubilee's current status."
"I suspected as much. Note that I said nothing about visiting her in particular."
Cyclops stared again. "You've never met Monet's family, have you?"
"No," Illyana answered. "Do I detect a hint of concern, Scott? What is it that you think I might do to them?"
"I'm more concerned about what they might do to you, if you tried anything funny. I should warn you that Monet's sisters last tested as having genius-level intellects, when the mood struck them."
"I've dealt with genius before, Scott. I'm not impressed."
"They have a standing invitation to join the Future Foundation."
Illyana blinked. "Oh. That type of genius. I promise to play nice, then. Now can I have the address?"
He gave her another long look before pulling up the information on his computer, printing it out, and offering it to her. Before she could take it, he drew his hand back slightly. "What aren't you telling me, Illyana?"
She sighed. "We've formed a team. Entirely Jubilee's idea, if it helps."
He grunted. "Is this something you'd like me to sanction at some point?"
"I think it's better that you don't. So far, there are too many people uncomfortable with Jubilee's status. And mine. And Peter's. Which is sort of the point, actually."
"Thanks for letting me know, I guess. If you were even going to."
"I didn't expect you'd give me the address unless I told you that much."
"You were right." He allowed her to take the printout. "Remember what I said about the St. Croixs. They like Jubilee, or they did last I heard. You, they could go either way on."
"I'll keep it in mind. And thank you for being open-minded, Scott."
He shook his head. "I'm not. I just haven't decided to get in your way yet."
"Then thanks for waiting." Illyana gave him a wave and summoned a portal.
As she began to step through it, Cyclops thought about warning her that Monet was currently enjoying some downtime at home, which would no doubt complicate whatever plans Illyana and Jubilee had with Monet's sisters. But then he realized that since he had no say in whatever they were planning, it was probably best for Monet to interfere, if only so he ended up with a better handle on the whole situation. So he remained silent as Illyana stepped out of his office, and instead made a mental note to keep an eye on the rest of Jubilee's former Generation X teammates. Which, now that he thought about it, did technically include both Monet and her sisters, so maybe the visit's purpose was more innocent than he figured.
"A team, huh?" Cyclops murmured as he leaned back in his chair. "Didn't see that one coming."
Logan was treated to an unusual sight when he returned to the hotel room. Honestly, he'd expected in the twenty or so minutes he'd been gone, Jubilee would have more than worn out her welcome, and the Rasputin siblings would have her restrained in some way.
Instead, he found Jubilee asleep in Illyana's bed, the covers pulled up over her head. As if that wasn't enough protection from any early morning sunlight, Illyana was in the process of magically tinting the windows. Logan had no clue how that worked, but trusted that if it involved magic, Illyana was the expert among them and therefore knew what she was doing. There was no immediate sign of Piotr, but Logan picked up his scent coming from the bathroom.
"Did your phone call go well?" Illyana asked.
By her tone, Logan judged that she was not merely trying to be polite, and was genuinely interested, so he responded in kind. "Yeah. Told her I was with some old friends. Left out the part about Pete, though. The whole Juggernaut deal is a bit much to explain over the phone, and some people still don't react well, given current events."
Illyana nodded. "Like you, Cain Marko was very good at what he did. The reputation, as well as mistaken first impressions, will be difficult to manage."
"You think Pete's up to it?" he asked.
"If not, I have no doubt he will rise to the occasion. My brother does not like to fail me, and I must admit it is one of his more endearing qualities." She paused, then added, "We've formed a team and you don't get to tell us no."
Logan grunted, though not disagreeably. "What do you need from me, besides regular fresh blood?"
"Space to work, mostly. Possibly a degree of trust."
"Guessing you only got one of those from Cyke?"
She shrugged. "I felt it was more bits and pieces of both, but he isn't trying to stop us, yet."
He nodded. "So I guess if I want to stay one of the cool dads, I can't, either."
Illyana eyed him, more curious than upset. "Why would you want to?"
"Neither of you is an expert on vampires. Hell, I'm still learning as I go."
"We won't hurt Jubilee, Logan, and we won't let her hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it."
He knew better than to argue over who deserved to be hurt and who didn't with her. It was a fight he'd never win. Really, the simple fact that anyone existed, who had both the desire and the know-how to corrupt an innocent girl's soul as completely as Illyana's had been, was justification enough. Truth be told, Logan wasn't sure if he could encounter the one responsible and not simply cut his throat in two seconds flat. He loved Illyana that much, and even if he hadn't, no girl deserved to be hurt the way she had been. And it was always nice to have a good reason to kill, if he had to do it.
"I know I can trust you and Pete, darlin'. It's just, this is Jubilee. She's mine."
"Which is only one reason why I would hope you'd trust us to protect her, and ultimately worry less about her being with us."
Logan stared at her for a long moment. "You'd ask me for help if you needed it?" he asked at last.
Illyana nodded. "You're at the top of the list. Actually, at this point, you pretty much are the list."
"Works for me."
"Us, as well." She smiled at him. "We'll be fine, Logan. If we've learned nothing else from you, it's how to take care of our own, no matter what changes they or we have gone through."
He nodded and didn't say another word against them. Not because he agreed, but because he knew famous last words when he heard them, and figured Illyana should have known better than to jinx herself like that. Part of him thought she did know, and would greet whatever hell came for her and his Jubilee with a smile. Part of him was more afraid that Illyana wouldn't be the only one smiling.
Continued in Chapter 3: Cut and Paste, St. Croix Style
A reunion with the St. Croix sisters proves that some monsters have rather misleading faces. One sister isn't happy to see Jubilee, though not for the expected reason.
