Chapter 29: SHIELD Has the Best Teachers
February 23
Jubilee and Noh's Room
When Noh returned from training with Logan, he was still grinning to himself. The lessons were so much more fun since Logan had taken on a pair of fourteen-year-old twins, Kurt Wagner's siblings, to train. They were so enthusiastic about everything, and it hadn't taken long at all before they were needling each other and their fellow trainees, so the whole lesson had been an exercise in trying — and failing — to contain his laughter.
"I didn't think fighting would make you so happy," Jubilee commented. "I like it, though."
He laughed and swept her up in a quick kiss. "Well, some of the moves are much like dancing," he told her as he spun her for an example. "But that is not what has me in such a good mood."
"Oh? What did it this time? New song? Or did you find chocolate?"
"If I had, you'd have known it the moment I arrived," he teased her. "No, Logan has a pair of new students, and I have never laughed so hard in my life. They are a force of nature, and they simply bowl their instructor over with pure enthusiasm. It's a sight to see."
"Okay, that sounds like a good time," she had to admit.
"They're from Nine — the little twins that belonged to Kurt Wagner; do you remember?" he asked, still smiling.
"Yes, I remember — adorable little things," she said with a laugh before she just had to kiss him.
"And Skye was encouraging them the whole time," Noh said, laughing at the memory. "The three of them in tandem seem to be nigh unstoppable."
"Encouraging trouble in that class," she said before she let out a little noise. "Not surprised."
He kissed her quickly, and when he was done, he kissed her again for longer. "You have not seen them pick on each other the way they do," he told her softly.
"Well how can I when she insists on staying a secret, hidden-away, super SHIELD agent?"
"You could come with me to the lessons," Noh offered. He broke into a little teasing smile. "I could use a good dancing partner."
"Oh? Is there dancing too?"
"As I said, some of these moves are very similar to dancing — easy to learn if you know how to follow cues like that," Noh told her with a smile.
"I'll have to think about it — though that might be the only way I get to see who this person is that's pestering my victor."
Noh couldn't help but tease her. "Would it help or hurt if I told you she's my sparring partner more often than not?"
She gave him a little look. "Oh. So she's got you brainwashed too, huh?"
"To be fair, the other students are a couple and a set of twins," Noh pointed out.
"Then … maybe I should go," she replied. "Maybe I need to think about helping out somehow."
"It really is fun to learn, and observers are welcome. The twins' mother came with them to be sure they weren't learning anything too shocking," Noh told her. "She is sweet. I see where Kurt got his manners from."
"Well, I guess if you're okay with me utterly wiping the floor with you …"
His grin widened. "What? And have to let you pin me? Outlandish," he teased.
"That's it, mister, you're on," she said poking him in the chest — but then following it up with a kiss. "You won't have to let me do anything, because I'm going to take you down."
February 26
Tahiti Wing
It had taken several weeks for those that knew about the paths using the ductwork to get used to the new layout — and Remy had been the one to figure out how to use them to get to some parts of the other side of the building. They were still on a separate system from the rest of the base, but they could get further past the guards than ever before — and knew who was coming to visit before they were even through the last checkpoints.
So if they wanted to, they just had to get through two coded doors to get to the other side of the base. Which, Remy and Clint both assured Kate, was really not that hard.
Add to that the news that Skye had brought, that SHIELD was getting ready to find a way to tell its personnel and the victors the biggest secret in SHIELD, and there was plenty of excitement to go around.
And besides, the restrictions were already much lighter around Tahiti. Even if some of the decisions were tactical — SHIELD couldn't exactly lock them in at night when half of them were running night missions — it was still just… a totally different feeling at this new base, one that the kids were absolutely taking advantage of.
For example, Kate was laid out on Kurt's bed with her head in his lap as they hung out together, just enjoying each other's company well after the doors would have been locked and curfew enforced at the old base. Just chatting about their families, and how much had changed, from the information they were able to get from the likes of Coulson's team and others.
"It has to happen before April," Kate told Kurt as he brushed his fingers through her hair over his knees. "Fitz said that's when Susan's due, and I'm not going to miss that."
"And the twins turn fourteen at the beginning of the month," Kurt told her. "It would be nice not to miss any more birthdays than necessary."
"Didn't you tell me it was the first of April?" she asked. "So that means March. Don't give them a heart attack on their birthday, Kurt. That's just mean, even if it is good news," she teased him.
"I still think it would be an impressive entrance," Kurt said with a grin.
"That's because you're so dramatic," she laughed.
"I can't help it," he replied easily. "And it's fun to think of the best way to tell them."
"You'd just like to pop out of their cake and scare them half to death," she accused him.
"Yes, in a cloud of blue smoke," he agreed, grinning.
"You're just spoiled after that parade entrance. Everything has to be a spectacle with you," she giggled.
"It was amazing," he laughed. "But you can blame my stylist for spoiling me."
"I'll have to have a word with him," she agreed. "I heard they brought the stylists back — all the good ones, anyway. I mean, mine and Logan's are engaged, so we'll have to be there for that," she laughed.
"Which, if you listen to how Skye tells it, that could happen at any moment," Kurt said with a grin.
"Yeah, apparently there's just something about Twelves and Sevens in the Capitol," Kate teased, purely to get the look he saved for just that kind of joke out of him.
"Very funny."
"I'm hilarious and you know it," she said with a crooked grin before she sat up slightly to kiss him. "It's why you like me." She paused, bit her lip, and grinned even wider, "But I promise not to make horrible jokes when I meet Margali and the twins."
He had to laugh at that as he returned the kiss. "Yes, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell my family you're interested in anyone but me," he teased.
"Like they'd believe I'm anything but nuts for you," she shot back. "I thought you said they were smart, Kurt. Give them some credit."
"Still, it's bad form to lie when you're meeting your boyfriend's family," he teased her lightly. "Even if you are just joking."
"True," she had to admit, then let out a long sigh. "I guess I'll just have to tell them all about how cute you are."
"They already know that. I've always been this way," he said with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Well. Then I guess that's it. No need to meet the family — you already have it all planned out," she teased. "What they'll say, think…"
"That's not what I said at all, Kate," Kurt laughed, though he paused and added, "But if you don't want to say hello just yet—"
"Yeah, I'm not shy," Kate waved him off, even if Kurt could tell that she was at least a little nervous about it despite her protestations to the contrary. "I want to meet your family, Kurt. They sound so amazing whenever you talk about them."
"They are," Kurt said with a little nod as he shifted to get more comfortable beside her. "And they'll love you."
"Of course they will," Kate said with a crooked grin. "How could they not?"
"It's impossible not to," he agreed.
"That's why we work," she told him, still grinning. "You're impossible not to love; I'm just a big ball of cuddles… Now all we need is our missing teammate so we can double date."
He matched her grin with one of his own as he leaned down to steal another kiss. "Yes, and it won't be much longer," he agreed.
February 28
Secret SHIELD Training Room
"I hope you don't mind, Logan — I brought my Jubilee today," Noh said as he arrived at the scheduled lesson that morning.
Naturally, Jubilee made her way over to bear hug Logan as a means of saying hello and to make it harder for him to say no.
"She should probably know how to take care of herself. Like an angry kitten right now," Logan agreed over the top of her head. "All fluff and hiss."
"Oh, I'll show you," Jubilee said, putting a finger in the center of his chest before she smiled and kissed his cheek.
"Bring it," Logan replied with an amused little smirk.
"Oh, are we already fighting Logan today?" Amanda called out as she and Stefan arrived.
"I thought that was later," Stefan agreed with a grin.
Jubilee turned with Logan to greet the incoming twins, then she shoved him in the shoulder and all but skipped over to introduce herself. "Jubilation Lee — call me Jubes, please."
"Call me Stefan," said the young blonde before he thumbed over his shoulder. "And call her the second one."
"I'm Amanda," she said, shaking her head at her brother. "It's nice to meet you in person. Noh talks about you all the time."
"Nonstop," Stefan agreed.
"It would be annoying if it wasn't so adorable."
"Are you going to fight over who plays with Jubes?" Logan asked. "Or are you going to have a tea party instead?"
"No reason we can't do both," Amanda teased.
"Yeah? That's how we'll start it then — fight for who spars with Jubes," Logan decided.
The twins broke out into little grins at that, already squaring off. "You're already the most popular sparring partner here," Noh teased her as they watched the twins. "I'm not surprised in the least."
"Always so shocked," Jubilee said as she bumped him with her hip.
It wasn't too long after Amanda had totally pinned her brother that the other three showed up — Fitzsimmons holding hands and Skye wearing a little smile, though she paused when she saw Jubilee. "Oh hey. You joining the crew too?" she asked.
"Why? You worried?" Jubilee shot back over her shoulder, with her arms crossed.
"About what?"
"Nothing," Jubes said, shrugging one shoulder up and smirking wickedly.
"Be nice," Logan warned her quietly.
"Hey, no poaching my sparring partner!" Amanda called out as she let Stefan up. "I won her fair and square."
"No worries," Jubilee called out before she skipped forward. "You're all mine!"
Logan turned to Fitzsimmons and Skye. "Rock, paper scissors for your partners," he told them. "It's very scientific."
"It is not," Simmons couldn't help but say almost immediately after he said it. Which of course only got a little laugh out of him.
"Do it anyhow."
Both Fitz and Simmons looked put out, but they went along with it — which was how Fitz ended up with Skye as a partner, and Stefan zipped over to claim the remaining SHIELD agent.
The lesson was another one that the twins immediately declared as the best ever as Logan and Noh ended up demonstrating how to do a few much more refined throws and disarming exercises to the rest of them.
The upside to working with Logan, of course, was that whoever was paired up with him ended up getting the benefit of immediate correction before they could attempt to do it incorrectly. So naturally, Noh had it down cold before much time had passed — and when he had it down, it was time to change partners. And he wasn't at all subtle in trying to get Jubilee to watch as Skye stepped up to Logan with a completely unhidden grin.
"So. How remedial are we goin' today?" Logan asked.
"Hey. I've been practicing," Skye said. "I'm at least low-level. Never remedial."
"Yeah? Since when?"
"Since my favorite teacher wasn't here yesterday," she teased. "I had to outsource."
"Oh. Well, tell May she's wrong."
Skye laughed outright. "You tell her. It's more fun. When I do it, I just get the look."
"When I do it, I get a bottle of whiskey," he replied with a little smirk. "It's like magic."
"Like I said — more fun."
"Alright, troubles. Bring it." He waited, to give her a chance to try on her own, and to Jubilee's surprise, she did the moves without more correction than a grip on one of the holds. "What did you and May do yesterday anyhow?" he asked from the mat.
"Actually, it was me and a few younger agents. Learning by teaching," Skye said with a smile.
"Oh, that's funny," he said. "What are you learning?"
"That I can get totally taken down by some of the youngest agents in SHIELD. It's not fair," Skye laughed, which of course, only prompted the twins to jump in.
"Bet we're younger," Amanda said.
"And we'll still totally wipe the floor with you," Stefan said with his chin tipped up and his chest puffed out.
"Who, her?" Logan asked, pointing up at Skye. "Possible."
"But not you?" Amanda put her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, no chance," he replied before he sat up. "And I promised your mother you wouldn't go back to her crying."
"That is just mean and hurtful," Amanda said, shaking her head.
"And true," he argued.
"Yeah? Money where your mouth is," Stefan said. "Both of us versus you."
"Just the two of you?" Logan asked with a trouble making smirk. "You want me to do it with my hands behind my back too?"
The twins glanced at each other, grinned, and pounced without another word spoken in what was honestly their best attempt to take him down. Logan sidestepped them and tripped Stefan before he took a few steps back and very clearly held up his hands to put them behind his back. It just served to make the twins fight that much harder, but of course, it still wasn't a fair fight at all.
"He could do it blindfolded, too," Skye whispered to Jubilee with a proud smile as they watched the fight.
And halfway through it, while Logan was dodging their strikes, he decided to have a little mercy on them and started to critique what they were doing wrong as they tried to hit him. "You're both telegraphing every move," he pointed out. "And you need to keep your elbows in."
"Don't look at where you want to hit," he told Stefan before he swept Amanda's feet out from under her, and she tried for a frustrated grab at knee level in obvious annoyance.
"Come on, guys. I thought you said you were good," Logan teased.
"We are!" came the immediate, frustrated response in stereo.
"Then take me down, before I die of old age," he replied.
"You are just — so—" Amanda let out a noise of pure annoyance.
"Sorry, didn't catch that last part," Logan said, actually chuckling at her.
"She said you're a goon," Stefan finished for his sister. "Come on — fight us!"
"You haven't landed a hit yet," Logan pointed out. "Makin' a nice breeze though."
Amanda and Stefan both glanced at each other and nodded before both of them simply stopped, crossed their arms, and shook their heads. "Not if you're gonna play like that."
"I'm just dodging," he pointed out.
"Show us how to fight," Stefan said. "Not grab air."
"That's what I was doing before you tried to attack me," Logan said.
"Yeah, and then you switched to showing off," Amanda grumbled.
"Oh, I wasn't showing off," Logan said. "Not even close."
"Yeah, yeah," Amanda said, waving her hand. "You were showing off. Call it what you like."
"You ready to learn something — or do you just want to spar?" Logan asked.
"Not if it's gonna be like that," Amanda grumbled.
"Yeah, that's just not even fun," Stefan agreed.
"Alright then. Fitz, head over to Noh, Simmons to Stefan. Jubes and Skye," he said before he smirked at Amanda and waved her forward. "Keep to what you do well," he told her.
"Yeah, what's that?"
"I meant something other than smack talk, but …"
She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be mean."
"That's half of my job description, kiddo," he pointed out before he held up his palms to her. "Come on. Kicks. We'll get you set to kick a field goal with Ronan's head."
"Thanos," she corrected him with a smirk. "You already decorated Ronan."
"Then you'll need to learn how to run up him halfway first," Logan told her. "That guy..." He shook his head. "Bigger in person."
"Then I need a different partner for practicing," Amanda pointed out.
"Good luck getting one that can teach you," he shot back. "All the biggest ass kickers around here are short."
"Me and Stefan excluded of course," she said.
"Well, you're not even up to Jubes' level yet," he told her, gesturing over to where Jubilee and Skye were sparring — viciously enough to get both Logan and Amanda to stop and watch the show.
In a dirty move right out of Logan's playbook, Jubilee had Skye on the ground an instant later, and Skye held up both hands. "Woah. Uncle."
"I thought you could keep up," Jubilee said, panting, fists raised.
"And if you were Hydra, I'd pull some other moves, but I'm not gonna do those here," Skye said. "That's all I got left." She shook her head from the ground. "Who taught you — Logan?"
"Duh," Jubilee said as she crossed her arms over her chest and took a few steps back.
Skye climbed to her feet and smirked. "He's a good teacher," she said. "Saved my life, actually."
"That move?" she asked as she stepped forward and simply couldn't stop herself from straightening up Skye's shirt.
Skye shook her head. "No, a different one. But same basic principles." She grinned. "Throat punch — then hit 'em low."
"Ooh, yeah," Jubilee said nodding. "That worked for me once too. I don't think it was life-threatening, but … creeper. Dropped him."
"Creeper for me too, only mine had a gun and worked for Hydra," Skye said, pulling a face.
"Eew," Jubilee agreed. "Did he teach you how to take their gun and pistol whip them with it yet?"
"Yeah, last time I was in Seven," she said with a nod.
"He hasn't taken me out to shoot yet though," Jubilee said. "Hard to do … stylist and all that noise."
"Well, now there's not so many rules," Skye said with a smile. "There are some good ranges out here, and my SO is pretty good for lessons if you don't mind a total lack of conversation."
"Um. Hello?" Jubilee said before she gestured to Logan. "Most of his lessons are just …. Direction. Has he taken you to the range?"
"We went a couple times, but mostly my SO takes me. She's very particular about weapons handling," Skye admitted.
"Weapons or aim?" Jubilee asked quietly.
"Yes?" Skye laughed. "She's, like, the mom of my team. Fitzsimmons and I have decided. She doesn't think it's funny, though."
"Well, he said he wasn't going to teach me any gun stuff here until I'm ready to kill something," Jubilee admitted. "Something about you don't point it at anything you don't want dead."
"Yeah, that's rule one," Skye agreed. She let out a sigh. "Not going to lie ... shooting someone? Sucks. I'd recommend not doing it if you can."
"So you've shot someone too? Yikes." She pulled a face at that. "Sounds freaky."
"Same creep. Came back like a bad dream and tried to haul me off? So I shot him."
"Did you kill him?"
"I meant to," she admitted. "But no. Four bullets in the chest and he's still out there being a creep. Ugh."
"Well, we'll catch up to him sooner or later and fix that little problem. Maybe he'll get his face decorated too," she said cheerfully.
"Yeah," Skye said with a small sigh. "We're trying — me and my team. When we get him, I'll let you know. We'll throw a party."
"Sounds good," Jubilee said with a little sigh before she pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Ready to go again before we get in trouble?" She tipped her head to indicate over her shoulder where, sure enough, Logan and Amanda were side by side watching the two of them.
Skye smirked. "We'll save the trouble for later," she said as she settled into a fighting stance, and the two of them went back into it — though not nearly as viciously.
March 2
SHIELD Base
Jubilee had enjoyed the training session with Logan and his little flock, for sure, but he'd already taught her half that stuff. So… she went looking, and she'd found herself a new instructor after poking a few SHIELD agents and annoying them enough to get pointed at a young woman with short cropped blonde hair and bubblegum.
"Oh my God, twinsies," she said half under her breath. The blonde stopped what she was doing when she spotted her new student, and the gum fell right out of her mouth.
"You're a stylist! And like … my favorite stylist. Oh …. My …. Okay. Okay. Hi," she said with a half curtsy. "I'm Tabitha, but around here, they call me 'Boom Boom.'" She extended her hand and grinned widely when Jubilee took it. "I totally love your designs — our styles mesh so well."
Jubilee was thrilled. So far, Tabitha was the first one on base to know or care about who she was. But she had a question that couldn't be left unanswered. "If you're the explosives expert? Um … why aren't you doing this in the field?"
"I don't do too well under pressure?" Tabitha replied. "I'm excellent at building bombs though — time bombs specifically — and it turns out I'm a fabulous teacher ... even when the boys don't want to learn from the bubbly blonde." She cracked her gum and grinned again then waved Jubilee over to her work table.
"So, first things first … let's show you … a two-part reaction. This is a little treat for your snipers when you leave. It's totally like … non-reactive? Until you hit it with a high-powered rifle round. And then …."
"Boom?" Jubilee asked, and Tabitha nodded slowly. "Oh, I can't wait to show Wolvie how wrong he is on this …"
