Scott consoled Jubilee and finally got her to stop crying. "Jubilee, what is your fault?" He felt the girl's head leave his chest and noted the undeniable guilt that cloaked her beautiful face. She lifted herself back onto the table and turned momentarily to see Jean and Bobby walk out of the room; her voice shook as she spoke:

"Scott," she whispered, "don't be mad at me. Please don't be mad at me." Cyclops shook his head in disbelief. What could Jubilee possibly have done that would make her act so? Nothing came to Scott as he listened intently to Jubilee's every word.

"I knew her plan, Scott. I knew her plan! I knew everything and I didn't say a word!" She spoke hastily and shook her head furiously in spite of herself.

"Jubilee, calm down! I'm sure you're taking this completely out of proportion..." Scott tried to reason with her, but Jubilee just shook her head. Then to his surprise, she smiled.

It felt as if a hot knife ran down his spine as he watched her lips form an eerie grin. A minute flew by before he was able to speak:

"Jubes, how are you to blame for Mystique's actions?" Then, her once soft eyes turned hard as they connected with Scott's through his visor.

"Because I'm helping her."

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but finally Cyclops recoiled a bit and questioned, "Helping her? Jubilee, we saw you fighting her, you had a knife! You were..."

Too horrified to go on, Scott let his mouth hang open in surprise. The girl in yellow produced the blade once again and stroked it lovingly.

"You mean this knife?" She wagged it in front of him and could tell that his eyes followed.

He didn't say a word so she continued:

"Oh, Scott, you're so oblivious! Don't you realize what's happening? Everyone has been targeted by the Brotherhood. See, they're SICK of being the odd-man-out and the X-Men on top. Get it? They don't want to be your BITCH anymore!"

Finally Cyclops' lungs seemed to work.

"Targeted?"

Jubilee nodded.

"And you're working for the Brotherhood now?" Shock wound its tight grasp around Scott and constricted his windpipe; he could barely take anymore. Jubilee cut the silence:

"Not for the Brotherhood, dear Scooter. With. There is a tremendous difference between the X-Men and Brotherhood, you know." She paused for a moment and slid casually off the table, inching her way toward the stunned man.

Cyclops tried to back away from the insane girl, but immediately collided with something large behind him. Quickly, Scott whipped around and saw Remy standing there. How he had moved from his table without Scott knowing was a wonder, but now Cyclops felt like he was safe.

"Remy, Jubilee's telling me that she's with the Brotherhood..." His voice was hastily cut off as Gambit fiercely darted his hand toward his fellow mutant's throat.

Remy stood there with Scott suspended no less than a foot off of the ground, his red-on-black eyes staring menacingly. A smile spread on his lips as he roughly pulled Cyclops closer to him.

"I know."

And at that moment, Jean Grey walked back into the room and gasped as she saw the scene before her.

"Gambit!" Jubilee immediately yelled.

Knowing exactly what to do, Gambit used his other hand to whip out numerous cards and send them flying at Jean. Without thinking, Jean whisked up her hand and focused all of her attention on each of the objects, steadying them with her mutation. But that was just a ruse; Jubilee was there in an instant and plunged her knife into Jean's abdomen. The injured woman fell to the floor, grasping her stomach in agony. Fresh, warm blood spilled onto the clean tile floor of the MedLab. Jubilee watched as Scott squirmed in Gambit's hands. It was evident that he desperately wanted to save his fiancé.

'But oh well,' Jubilee thought nastily. 'Things have to change.'

___________________

Pyro lazily kicked up dirt as he made his way back to the mansion. Was he really considering Mystique's proposition? Scratching the back of his neck, he thought about the mysterious blue mutant. Did he have any feelings for her?

"I just met her!" John exclaimed to the darkness. He finished his cry in a thought, 'How can I like her?'

But he supposed if you saved someone's life, you had to feel something for them. But what if she didn't return the emotion? The Brotherhood could just be using him; maybe they only wanted his power or status. There was a lot to consider before he made his decision official.

Before he even opened the door, Pyro knew someone was there. Who, he didn't know, but it was definitely someone that he didn't want to talk to.

It was Storm.

Ororo Munroe was crouched on the floor placing paper towels down on the puddles of blood when he walked in the door. As soon as she heard him, her soft eyes darted toward him but she didn't say a word. Pyro sighed; he supposed it was up to him. Not even bothering with shutting the door, he spoke to the white-haired woman.

"Professor, I know there's a million things you want to say to me and even more reprimanding remarks, but can it wait 'til tomorrow?" He peered at her though weary eyes, but her expression did not change.

"John," he listened to her soft voice as she walked toward him, "I know you don't like to hear people talk about you like they know you, and I know that I am no exception, but maybe you could just hear me out?" Pyro felt himself grow angry by her mere suggestion, but he decided that he had just proved her point. Regardless, he lost control:

"I don't have to listen to anyone! And I know that people think they know everything about me, but they DON'T!" His heavy breathing and blaring eyes still were not enough to penetrate Storm's concern. She just looked at him with poignant eyes.

'Why isn't she talking?' John grew even more furious. She was judging him, and that was all she was doing. Suddenly, he exploded once again:

"Why can't I just be left alone? I don't want anyone around; I don't want people giving me orders; And I don't need to be shunned by a damn woman!"

And there was his crucial mistake.

Ororo's beautiful eyes narrowed and her soft voice resided no more in her throat. Now a harsh, mordant edge adorned her words.

"I respect your comments, Mr. Allerdyce, but your condescension is not necessary. I wonder when you will grow up and release these childish games of yours?" John was taken aback for a moment but held his guard firm.

"And I don't respect you in any way. So why don't you get out of my fucking face?"

Thunder rumbled through the open door behind Pyro, almost making him jump. Lamps flickered about the mansion and John felt himself become increasingly worried. The whole manor was shaking and his insides reeled with fear. Brilliant bolts of lightning lit up the blackness of the world around the mansion and identical bolts were reflected in Ororo's eyes. She fixated her white eyes on him and he felt that now would be a good time to leave. With one more look at his professor he turned away and ran up the stairs.