Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except my characters. Which are quite a few this time around. Let's try it this way: I don't own any Marvel characters that happen to show up in the upcoming chapters and which I'm sure you'll recognise without any need to name long lists. I also do not own Jenny, which Dizi created a few years back and which is a fabulous character. I strongly recommend you read her adventures with Wolverine and the X-Men.
21. Back from the Dead
"It feels like I'm bringing him to meet my parents or something," Jubilee groaned. "It's mega-weird!"
"So how do you want to do it?" Kurt asked, but Jubilee just groaned an uncomprehensible answer and dropped her head on the kitchen table.
"May I be so bold as to suggest a stronger coffee," Hank sat down next to her. "And neutral ground?"
Jubilee twisted her head to look at her furry friend without lifting it off the table. "Like what?"
"How about going out together? The New York Yankees are playing next week; we could all catch a game together."
"What, like a family field trip? Seriously?"
Kurt sat down opposite Jubilee.
"Why don't you bring him over our house the day after tomorrow?"
Jubilee frowned and lifted her head.
"Why? What's happening the day after tomorrow?"
"We're having a barbecue. Creed is coming over."
Mouth open in shock, Jubilee sat up.
"What?! You're taking Sabretooth to your house!? Since when do you take sociopaths murderers to your house, Kurt? And how come nobody told me about it?!"
"Technically," and Hank slid a mug of coffee in front of Jubilee, "Creed will be accompanying Lilia on her first housecall."
"Thanks, Blue," and she took a hurried sip. "What are you talking about? What housecall?"
"Zelig wanted Lilia to come over, but Isabel refused to let her go without her father's permission and Creed refused to let her go anywhere without his company. So, he's tagging along." Kurt sighed. "We weren't sure about it at first, but both Lilia and Zelig have been begging us to OK it, and Isabel swears that Creed wouldn't as much as look the wrong way towards a friend of Lilia's so... We'll see how it goes."
Jubilee took a long, thoughtful gulp.
"So, who else is going to the barbecue?"
Kurt snickered.
"Besides me, Jenny and Zelig, we'll have Lilia, Isabel, Creed, Logan, Hank, Peter, and Kitty. A full house!"
Jubilee sat back.
"It is neutral ground, I suppose."
"With room for two more," smiled Kurt. "So, shall I tell Jenny you're both joining us?"
"I don't know," and she played with the mug a bit.
Kurt somersaulted onto the freezer.
"That's settled then!"
"Hey! I haven't dec..."
But Kurt teleported away with a provocative "I'll warn Jenny immediately". Jubilee grunted, unamused.
"Shall we go and meet Scott?"
Jubilee grunted an affirmative and took the empty mug to the sink.
"How come he isn't going tomorrow?"
"He, Bobby and Emma had already scheduled a meeting at Massachusetts and couldn't postpone it. But there was no need, really. Even though Creed's healing factor has resumed its activity, he's still far from a complete recovery."
Jubilee picked up a briefcase.
"Is he going to join us today then?" Hank nodded. "And can we hope for any details on the toxic slugs?"
Hank opened the door and allowed Jubilee to go through ahead of him.
"I daresay he won't have any other options but to do so."
Creed got off the shower and started drying himself. It was the lightest effort – so light it wasn't even effort – but he still had to stop midway to catch his breath. It was a hell of a comfort knowing that his healing factor was working again, but unfortunately it wasn't even working at half its usual power. On the other hand, the healing factor had resumed activity the day before: it was too early for miraculous healings.
Once he was finally dressed, he sat down on the bed and once more caught his breath. He was so not looking forward to a meeting with the X-morons.
"Good morning," McCoy entered with his usual fake cheerfulness. "Are you ready?"
Creed decided to ignore the question and save his breath. Instead he got up and started walking. Excruciatingly slowly. By the time he reached the meeting room, he was once more out of breath, with a splitting headache and in a rotten mood. Amazingly there were no comments as he slowly reached his seat.
Summers got up and started yapping. It took a serious effort to keep a straight face; he felt like his head was about to burst. How the hell was he going to make it through the party on Sunday?
"Creed!"
He glared at Summers.
"Quit yer yellin', boy. I ain't deaf."
"No, but you're looking a bit 'dead' around the edges."
Creed snarled at the grinning Drake.
"Whaddya wanna know?" He spit at Summers.
"Everything you can tell us about those slugs."
He was so not ready for long speeches.
"They was developed by the Neverland Project."
"Yes," Hank said. "You've told us that. Do you know who was involved in their development?"
Creed shook his head.
"I only heard of it after it was developed." He sneered at the memory. "As far as I know, it was first designed... to attack my healin' factor. That it can be used on any healing factor... that's a plus."
"Who had access to it?"
He looked up at Jubilee, wondering if she was there on an official bureau mission and how candid the young woman was on her reports.
"Soldier X, the Director and at least the scientists behind its development." He glanced over to Logan. He hadn't seen him since he'd blacked out on the jet. "But its use in slugs, that was later, as far as I know. I never saw them used that way."
"How was the toxin used then?"
Creed shrugged.
"Skin contact." Then added an explanation: "The objective wasn't killin'."
"Do you know the names of anyone in the research department?"
"Ya mean someone that could've sold it t' the highest bidder?" Summers nodded. "No."
Obviously not the answer they'd wanted.
"Are you sure?"
Creed cleared his throat, trying to get rid of an itch without coughing.
"The only scientist that I know was involved in the Project..." A pause to breathe and again clear his throat. He was not going to have a coughing fit there. "He wouldn't have sold it t'no one."
"What makes you so sure?"
He grinned.
"'Cause Mister Sinister don't sell nuthin' he can use."
Creed enjoyed the look on everyone's faces.
"Sinister?"
"He pretended t'be a human scientist t'get access to... some extra guinea pigs," he offered. "But I don't think he was involved... in developin' the toxin."
"Great," Drake groaned. "So that's a dead end and we're back to square one."
"Are there any records on the Neverland Project that we can go through to see if we can get some names?"
Jubilee was not a dumb chick, apparently. As Summers reached a cabinet to get the files, Creed had to consider that the girl – with the FBI – might continue that line of investigation independently of the X-Men. If that was the case, then he risked not learning anything of whatever they might discover. It would be in his best interest to know who had had access to the toxin, which meant remaining in the investigation. And he knew exactly how.
"Faces," he said. He didn't continue until he was sure everyone was paying him attention. "I don't know no names, but I know all the scientists workin' with Sinister. Plus a few that worked in another department."
"That's not much to go on, but it's better than nothing," Summers nodded. "OK, Jubilee. See what you can find in these files. Any names you can come up with, Creed can then tell us if he ever met them and where. Now let's wrap this up. Bobby, have you got everything packed up? We're leaving as soon as possible."
Creed remained quietly, mustering his strength for the way back to the infirmary. So Summers and Drake were leaving, uh? And they had packed up, so that meant they wouldn't be back for the night. Did it also mean they weren't going to go to the barbecue? Hopefully it did.
Personally, he wasn't looking forward to it, though he had faith in his healing factor and expected to feel much better on Sunday. But he definitely wasn't in the mood to play the nice guy in senseless chit-chat. On the other hand, he'd get to evaluate how safe the Wagners' place was for Lilia to hang around without his presence. Not to mention it would be nice to breathe some fresh air.
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