Chapter 4

Let it Die

"Let it die, and get out of my mind...

The tragedy starts from the very first spark

Losing your mind for the sake of your heart "

Jubilation Lee had just had an epiphany; Daytime television really did suck as bad as people said it did. This realisation dawned when she found out they were no longer showing reruns of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeanie, or even Oprah.

It seemed every channel had been taken over by the same crappy soap-operas. So now she sat alone in the rec. room watching the only thing she could find worthy of her time, an Italian dub of Bridget Jones' Diary.

Most of the New Recruits were outside playing baseball while the X-Men were having a Danger Room session with Wolverine. Jubilee had skipped her gymnastics practice, excusing herself with too much homework.

Well, she did in fact have homework, but not so much that it would come in the way of practice. Part of her had really wanted to go, but she knew that having Taryn Fujioka in her face was the exact opposite of what she needed.

Yep, Taryn was on her gymnastics team. In fact, Taryn had been the best gymnast Bayville High had seen in years, until Jubilee showed up. Back in L.A., before her parents died, Jubilation Lee had been training since she was a kid, and her trainer often said she could one day make it to the Olympics.

Safe to say, Taryn had not taken it well when Jubilee joined the team and suddenly became the coach's favourite.

So she stayed home. Sadly, she quickly found that her thoughts were too scattered for trigonometry, and it made her regret skipping practice. It was really pissing her off, because she knew the equations were easy and that she could solve them in minutes.

But instead of doing them she stared at the screen, trying to translate whatever it was Renée Zelleweger was saying.

--'--

Rain.

It was the third day in a row it had been pouring from heavy clouds above Bayville. During the day it would be miraculously sunny for late November, but it seemed that once the school hours where over the sky turned grey. If only it would snow, maybe they could stay home from school some day.

The New Recruits were on their way inside, she knew none of them were keen on getting caught in the rain. Maybe they should have a word with Ororo Munroe about it, after all, she did control the weather and could certainly turn the clouded frown upside down.

She could hear the footsteps off her friends coming closer, and then the door opening. She didn't care much, she was actually rather engrossed with the movie, but she did catch Bobby Drakes familiar voice call out that he didn't need to change to dry clothes. Although, really, it just went in one ear and out the other.

"Man, it's really coming down hard out there," he said, but Jubilee didn't spare him a glance. "You think Storm's PMSing or something?"

At that she turned her head, sending him a viscous glare. Boys...

"So..." he scratched the back off his head, before deciding to join her on the couch. "What're ya watchin'?"

"A movie," she muttered.

"Daniel, quello che mi hai appena fatto non è legale in alcuni paesi."

Bobby sent her an odd look, one eyebrow raised. Jubilee continued to pay him no attention, too busy cursing the Italian network station for not putting english subtitles. She pulled her knees to her chest and crossed her arms, while Bobby put his feet on the coffee table. And he was whistling.

It was Jubilee's turn to look oddly at her friend, but before she had time to come up with a good remark to throw his way, Bobby had snatched the TV remote from right in front of her face.

"Hey, I was watching that!" she shouted as he switched channels, and in the next second flung a pillow at him. Bobby only laughed it off.

"Yeah, well I'm not spending my time watching some French crap."

"It's Italian, you overgrown Popsicle." He burst into hysterical fits as Jubilee crossed her arms once more and gave him the expression of a scorned three year old.

"You're so gonna have to make that up to me, Drake," she muttered.

"Really?" he asked with a grin. "Well, how 'bout we go to the mall tomorrow? Maybe catch a movie or something?"

Jubilee stared. "What?"

"You know, in English this time."

"I got that part, I just... Are you asking me out?"

"Well," he scratched the back of his head, fumbling for words. It was kinda cute, when she thought about it. "You know, you've been looking really down since we left you alone here, Jubes. I thought you might need some cheering up."

Jubilee bit her lip. Is it that obvious that something is wrong? She could only imagine how easily Jean or the Professor could read her, if Bobby (a guy who was usually as clueless as... well... any other guy) could tell so easily.

"So I guess you could call it a... a date."

"You know, I think I'd like that," she said, flashing him a smile. "I think I'd like that very much."

"So, tomorrow? After Danger Room?"

"Sounds great."

"FREEDOM!"

Both their heads snapped towards the door, recognising the voice as Kurt Wagner's. Outside the room Jubilee could hear footsteps and the familiar voice of Nightcrawler along with the rest of the X-Men. Her gaze shifted from the door to Bobby, back and forth a few times. She grinned.

"We'll talk later, okay?"

And with that she was out of the rec. room before he could think of something intelligent to say, and only called 'Okay!' after her.

Down the hall she could see the boys and the girls parting ways to their respective dorms. She could only make out some of their conversation as she calmly walked up to the girls.

"He's never ended a session just like that," Kitty muttered, as the three female members of the X-Men made their way towards their rooms. "We weren't even halfway through..."

"What are ya complainin' for Kitty?" Rogue asked, her southern drawl ever present. "Ah for one have nuthin' against some free time. Danger Room is startin' wear me out."

Jean nodded her agreement and then turned, like she already knew Jubilee was coming up behind them.

"Hey guys!" the younger girl greeted with a wide smile. She didn't need the red haired telepath on her case again. "Have any of you seen Logan?"

"He's down in the hangar, Firecracker," Rogue replied. "Think he's goin' somewhere though, so yah might wanna..." she continued, but before she could finish Jubilee was already out of sight.

"What's up with her?" Kitty asked, as Jean shook her head and stared at the floor.

--'--

"Wolvie?" the young Asian called out into the hangar room, a soft echo reaching her ears. The place was so huge.

"Over here kid." she could hear Logan's gruff voice call back from the other side of the vast space. She found him hunched over his bike, doing something that looked like tightening a bolt from her viewpoint.

"Are-are you going somewhere?" she carefully asked, her mind telling her that this might not have been a good time.

"Yeah, I gotta go check on somethin', squirt."

"I-I have to talk to you about something."

A paused followed, and Logan put the still-unidentified tool down. He turned his head and looked at her, eyes searching her face. She stared at the floor.

"What about, kid?"

Deep breath, Lee, deep breath. "About the Brotherhood. And Magneto."

Logan's face seemed to grow harder, his jaw clenching. And she could see his adamantium claws threaten to pop out at the mention of the name. "What about 'em?"

"I-I think they're planning something, something big," she whispered, knowing that Wolverine could hear her loud and clear. "Something's going to happen in New York city."

"How do you know this, Jubilee?"

Her eyes went wider when he said her name, in such a serious tone. His eyes matched his voice, as if he was telling her that it was a serious accusation she was coming with. Telling her that this better be something she was sure of.

"I overheard some talking, a phone call."

"Between who, kid?"

"Pietro Maximoff was at one end."

"And the other?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Silence. She hadn't thought this far, she had assumed it was Magneto. Who else could it have been?

"I don't know for sure," she said, straightening up a bit.

Logan sighed, running a hand through his hair. Even though she wasn't a telepath, his thoughts were obvious to her. She could hear it in his voice, and see it on his face. Doubt.

But he sighed, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off of her. He was giving her a chance.

"What were they sayin'?"

That was it, the question that would make or break her, determine whether or not this whole thing was actually a threat or a misconception. She took deep breaths.

"I'm not sure, I could only hear one end," he looked at the ground as she finished. Her fist balled up, angered that he would give up on her so easily. "But Quicksilver mentioned the X-Men! He said that Mystique said that we wouldn't be any problem! He said that the Brotherhood knew nothing about it, that we'll never see it coming!"

"Calm down, Firecracker," he muttered, and her hands fell limp by her side. "The guy's from New York, just like Evan," he reminded her. "How do you know he wasn't talkin' to some friend there?"

"At four in the morning?!" Jubilee snapped. Logan stared at her, watched her face go from flushing with anger to pale realisation. Oh God... Her lips parted, wanting to say something.

"I-I'm sorry," she muttered weakly, staring at the floor. "I..." She could hear him sighing, getting on his bike and putting his helmet on.

"It's your life kid. Your choices." Liar. He was so disappointed, she could hear it in his voice. She felt like crying, and knew if she looked at him she would. He continued nonetheless. "If you really think somethin's goin' down, go talk to Chuck about it. I gotta go."

The key turned in the ignition, the all to familiar sound filling the hangar room. Her eyes lifted from the floor as she watched him kick off, and she felt compelled to say something, to explain. But he was gone and out of sight before she could muster the courage.

"Damn it!" she shouted, throwing an energy plasmoid the size of a baseball at the closing door.

Pietro saw how the X-men sneaked into the mall looking for them. He saw how they split up and went to search for them, and most of all he saw Lance grabbing Kitty the first chance he got, telling her to leave. Was he an idiot or what? Why the hell did he have to warn and X-man? It was not like Wanda was going to kill them…knock unconscious maybe but not kill. She wasn't that kind of person, okay the day she would meet Magneto there was really no telling what she would do…well at least she hadn't killed him.

Pietro had never understood why Lance didn't just give up the idea of getting Kitty. Is what not like he got anything for running after her, except for that ONE date to the dance. And even if she did decide to date him he would probably have to live on kisses until the day he married her, not that either of that was ever going to happen.

Pietro had never liked girls like Kitty and he never would, actually he had always thought that the X-girls were pretty boring…well until Jubilee had come.

They had all heard that the X-men had taken in new recruits so when the X-men and their new friends arrived at school that sunny Monday morning the members of the Brotherhood were all standing by a window looking down at the new members of their rival team.

And that had been the first time he had seen her, she had stood out from the others with the low cut jeans, bright yellow tub top and the black leather jacket, and of course a bigger and worse attitude then all of the X-geeks had together. By the second week she was already in detention almost as much as he was and she thought of more practical jokes the he ever thought was possible and as a plus she got away with 80 of it.

He sighed and leaned against a wall when he saw Nightcrawler walking into a clothing store.

Time for some fun

And sure it was fun…until he got thrown into a wall and hundreds of shoes landed on top of him. When he had managed to get up on his feet's again, he hurried out of the store just in time to see Wanda make her entrees. He hated the fact that Wanda was stronger than him but it was worth to have a look when the X-men finally got their asses kicked. He rushed down to the bottom floor and before he knew it Jean came flying thru the air and almost landed on him.

"Having problems?" He asked with a smirk.

"No more then you are going to have" The redhead told him as she got up and for a few seconds she was on her knees infront of him.

"Why so cranky?" He asked. "Many girl would be happy to be were you are"

"Just shut up" Jean said and started to go back to help the others. "No one of us normal girls would be happy about that"

"Well not all of your little X-people feels that way" He said with a big smile as Jean turned around to give him a strange look. "Better fight for your life now" he told her before he took of to join the other members of the Brotherhood who were in a more quit area of the mall, waiting for Wanda to finish.

The X-men had been gone just a little more then an hour when the door suddenly flew open. Jubilee who had been on her way to her room almost jumped as Cyclops stormed inside the house. She had been planning on talking to the Professor but then they had gotten the alarm that the Brotherhood had been in the Bayville mall and there really hadn't been anytime to talk.

When she saw the expressions on the X-men´s faces she didn't need a second guess to understand what had happened…they had lost. The Brotherhood boys had been hard to beat a few times but they had never lost against them before and from the looks of it they took it hard…Like get over it Jubilee felt like yelling at them. If you lost all you had to do was get up and try again, when she had been on the streets there hadn't been anytime for her to be sad about it, not that there had been anytime for her to make mistakes either…She just guess that this wasn't a time to talk to the Professor now and she didn't really want to, he had been acting a little bit weird lately, had to be the whole Magneto thing.

Jubilee sighed and started to go up the stairs to her room. Whatever was going to happen in New York wasn't good and whatever it was, it was sure going to be a surprise since she couldn't talk to anyone about it.