Title: A Friend in Need 07/18
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Archive: Sure, just please ask first
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and disturbing imagery
Summary: Synch and Jubilee are captured by Tessa and Shaw. A thoughtful look at how
the resulting scars have lasting effects on the whole GenX team.
Disclaimer: The X-Men and Generation X are property of Marvel Entertainment.
Characters are used without permission, no profit is being made, and no infringement
on copyright is intended.
*****
A Friend In Need
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 7
"So, what's the game plan?" Logan asked, turning a chair around so that the back
faced the table and straddling it. Jean, Sean, and Emma were already seated at
the table in the nearly deserted hospital cafeteria. Nonetheless, to be on the
safe side, the telepaths took precautions to ensure that their conversation
would not be overheard.
"I'm going to attempt to enter Jubilee's mind again," Jean said, taking a
spoonful of the soup Monet had brought her.
"You said that last time you tried it, you found the mindscape highly
distorted?" Emma asked, adding some sugar to her tea.
"Yes. Aside from the irregularity of the physical landscape, the memories were
twisted, merged; different events in her life were pieced together, along with
ones that have never occurred."
"And the scan ended with a traumatic event? Her own death?"
Gravely, Jean nodded.
"And then she flatlined," Logan said. He placed his hand on Jean's, letting her
know he did not blame her.
"Do ye think the two events are related?" Sean asked after taking a sip of his
coffee. "Dr. Knight did say there was a risk of pressure building in her skull.
. . ."
"It seems too much of a coincidence for the events not to be related," Emma
said. "But it also seems more likely that it was the physical trauma--the
pressure on her brain--that affected the events being played out in her mind. I
highly doubt that Jean's presence triggered the arrest."
Jean looked at Emma, a little surprised. The last thing she expected was for the
White Queen to support her. She still did not completely trust Emma Frost. But
she knew that Emma truly cared about her students, including Jubilee. Perhaps
this common bond among the four of them that drew them together here--concern
over the welfare of Jubilation Lee--also made Emma realize that assigning blame
would not make the problem go away. Perhaps Emma, too, felt somewhat responsible
since the children had been accosted by her enemy to get information he could
use against her. Whatever the reason, Jean was thankful she did not have to
defend herself to Emma; she wanted to conserve her strength for the task at
hand.
"What effect do you think a second psi-scan will have?" Sean asked of no one in
particular.
Jean sighed. "It's hard to say. I think it has to be done quickly. A prolonged
presence may only create more problems, or push her further into a coma. I think
it will be necessary for me to become directly involved, to aid Jubilee in
battling the evil presences in her mind. I believe that once she is able to
conquer them and to get over her fears, the residual damage from Tessa will have
been repaired, and she will be on the road to recovery."
"Sounds good to me," Logan said. "When do we go in?"
"*We* will be doing nothing," Jean said. "I'm going in alone."
"Don't be foolish; I will accompany you," Emma told her.
"Emma, I want to limit the stress on Jubilee's mind. It has already been taxed
enough; too many unwelcome presences can only have a negative effect. Besides,
from what I've observed already, she has a fear of people she thought she could
trust turning on her. Frankly, I don't think having a former enemy of the X-Men
present will sit well with her--especially with the confusion of events."
Even as Emma coolly regarded Jean, the only indication that her mind was at all
troubled was the paleness of her knuckles as her fist clenched tightly around
the spoon she held. "And you think you can do any better? You tried once
already, and nearly killed her." She smiled inwardly as she saw Jean flinch at
the remark. "Besides," Emma continued, "*I* am her teacher--not you. It is my
responsibility to--"
"Emma, calm yerself," Sean said, placing a hand on her arm.
"I will not let this go, Sean. Ms. High-and-Mighty-X-Man thinks that she can
waltz in here and tell me what to do when it concerns one of my students. I will
not stand for it!"
"Where were you when Jubilee was injured, Emma?" Jean spat. "Where was her
precious headmistress when she needed her?"
"Ladies, please!" Sean said, preparing to hold Emma back from Jean if necessary.
"Bickering amongst ourselves in not going t' do Jubilee a bit of good."
"Irish is right. Fact is, Jeanie's been here from the start," Logan said. "She's
been monitoring Jubilee the longest. If she thinks it's best to do this solo,
that's how we're gonna do it. But she gets only one shot. If this don't work,
then we consider other options. That fly with everybody?"
Crossing her arms, Emma nodded. "Provided the child survives this attempt."
"Emma!" Sean hissed.
"That's all right, Sean," Jean replied, getting to her feet. "I am quite
confident in my abilities; I don't need Emma's approval to know that this is the
best decision. Would you like to monitor the proceedings, Emma?"
"As if you need to ask," Emma said, also rising.
"Then it's settled," Sean said as the four of them began to walk toward the
elevator. "Let's do it."
*****
"You comfortable, Jeanie?"
"Fine, Logan," Jean said, leaning back in her chair at Jubilee's bedside.
Emma, Sean, and Logan stood in various spots in the room, watching her. Picking
up Jubilee's hand, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm ready," she
told them.
"Good luck, lass," she heard Sean say as she entered Jubilee's mind.
This time she was prepared, knowing what to expect in the landscape, and she did
not feel quite so disoriented. Things were still upside-down and twisted, but
Jean was able to compensate. On this occasion, she saw that the location was not
a Beverly Hills residential area, but rather the Australian Outback, the former
headquarters of the X-Men, and the place where Jubilee met Wolverine.
Jean decided to begin by observing, as she had last time. She would have to let
Jubilee duke it out for a while by herself. This time, however, if serious
trouble reared its ugly head, leaving Jubilee hopelessly outmatched, Jean would
become involved, join a fight if necessary, and help Jubilee to conquer her own
personal demons. But in order to do this, she must first locate Jubilee.
Shielding her eyes from the brutal sun with her hand, she scanned the barren
terrain. The old abandoned buildings appeared to be completely deserted--there
was no sign of any of the X-Men. She was about to go pay them closer inspection
when she saw a figure moving in the distance. It was Jubilee, a few years
younger than she was now--the age she was when she joined the X-Men.
*Well, at least her age fits the setting,* Jean thought. *Perhaps the
correlation is a sign that her mind is beginning to heal. . . .*
Looking at Jubilee, Jean could not help but smile. She was wearing pieces of the
other X-Women's old costumes: Dazzler's body suit, Rogue's boots, and Storm's
leather vest. It appeared that even back then, Jubilee had atrocious fashion
taste when it came to color schemes. That would explain the taxi yellow coat and
bright red, blue, and green costume she would later use. Jean vowed that if--no,
*when* she corrected herself--Jubilee made it out of this, she would take the
teenager on a shopping spree and get her some clothing that was not quite so
blinding.
Jean could see Jubilee looking around her warily, checking to see if she were
being watched, before she entering a hole in the wall of one of the compound's
buildings.
*Well, here goes,* Jean thought as she gave chase.
As she entered what she thought would be the X-Men's former Australian compound,
Jean realized that, contrary to her first impression, the events and Jubilee's
appearance were not in accord. She found herself in the sub-basement of the X-
Mansion. She followed Jubilee to the Rec Room, and watched as the girl began to
play a video game. This Jubilee corresponded in age and dress to the one who
joined the X-Men. Her shades were lowered, and on their surface Jean could see
the reflection of colorful blasts of light as the aliens on the video screen
were blown to kingdom come.
"Yes! Eat plasma, ya sleazoids!" Jubilee shouted, fingers skillfully flying over
half a dozen buttons to control her space ship and its weapons.
Seeing the happiness on the girl's face, Jean felt a lump in her throat. She
wondered if Jubilee would ever be able to be this carefree again.
Suddenly, the lights went out in the room and the screen went black.
"Hey, what gives?!" Jubilee shouted. She peered around the room. "Great.
Somebody blows a fuse just when I was about to beat my personal record. I'll bet
it was ole Gumbo who--" She broke off abruptly, and stood perfectly still,
listening. She would have sworn that she had heard something--the whirring of
something mechanical. She looked across the room and nearly screamed. Three
pairs of green eyes glowed in the darkness about three feet from the floor. She
heard a low rumbling, like a growling, coming from the same general area.
She raised her right arm in the air as though holding a torch and emitted
several of her energy plasmoids, momentarily illuminating the room in a pinkish
glow. In those few seconds, she could see the owners of those hideous eyes--they
were robotic guard dogs, created by the cybernetic Donald Pierce and his
Reavers, used to guard the basements in the Australian compound the X-Men
commandeered. The instant Jubilee saw them, she knew she had only seconds to
react before the dogs would strike and rend her limb from limb. The only problem
was that they stood between her and the only exit.
She had been in the Rec Room dozens of times, and knew its layout like the back
of her hand. At least, she hoped she did. Taking mental note of her position,
she ran toward the center of the room, where the pool table was located, and
leapt above it in order to grab the green light shade that hung down on top of
the table. As she swung forward, she brought her legs together and straight out
in front of her, her feet connecting with the snout of one of the dogs as it
leapt toward her. With a whelp, it was knocked to the floor. Using her forward
momentum, she grabbed her knees to her chest and did a somersault in midair,
landing on the floor about ten feet from the door. She silently thanked her mom
for making her take all of those gymnastics lessons when she was a little kid.
She was about to make a run for it when a gut feeling told her not to.
a voice seemed to say in her head.
She quickly spun around, spreading her hands and letting loose with her
fireworks. The dog that had been about to attack her from behind staggered,
momentarily blinded. Now was her chance. She poured on the speed and headed for
the door. Just as she reached it and began to turn the doorknob, she felt a
sharp pain in her ankle as sharp canines dug into the flesh, accompanied by the
cracking sound of bones breaking. She screamed in agony as she fell to the
floor. She reached back at the dog and cascaded him with fireworks; still, he
did not let go. In that moment, however, she saw that there was half a dozen
pool sticks scattered on the floor. On her belly, she reached to the side,
trying to grab one. It was less than an inch from her extended fingers. She
stretched, and her fingers tightened around the wooden stick. She quickly
twisted her body and sat up, pounding the dog in the face and chest with the
makeshift club until he let her go. Adrenaline rushing through her veins, she
shouted as she continued to beat him, and finally gave him a tremendous whack,
sending him sprawling across the room and into one of the legs of the pool
table.
Dropping the stick, she scurried to her feet and was out the door in an instant,
quickly closing it behind her. She used her powers to slag the doorknob, thereby
trapping the dogs inside. Going as fast as her injured ankle would allow, she
limped down the hallway, in search of the elevator that would take her to the
main floor and--she prayed--help.
While Jean expected the path Jubilee took to reveal the ground floor of the X-
Men's current headquarters, she found them instead in the living room of the
school in Massachusetts. She, along with Jubilee, stared in horror at the
carnage that lay before them. Jubilee's fellow students were strewn about the
room. There was blood everywhere. Jubilee walked slowly across the room, looking
at each body in turn.
Mondo lay in the middle of the room, intestine strewn out of the gaping hole in
his great belly. Paige half-lay on the couch. One hand clutched a shredded patch
of skin that was still attached to her cheek; she had evidently been trying to
husk into a more powerful form when she met her demise. She, too, was gutted.
Seeing a gray hand on the floor, Jubilee followed the extended arm to behind a
chair, where Angelo lay in a heap, surrounded by a pool of blood. Her gaze
returned to the corner of the room, and she found Monet beneath an overturned
bookcase, her hand with its stiffened fingers reaching out vainly from
underneath.
As she continued on her trek, Jubilee tripped over something. Looking down at
her feet, she gasped. There was a rush of bile to the back of her throat, and
she swallowed hard. It was a dismembered arm in the sleeve of a leather jacket.
*Jono,* she realized sadly. She did not want to find out what had happened to
the rest of him. But something was not right. There was still someone missing.
Where was--
She heard a soft moaning coming from somewhere nearby. That was when she noticed
the bloodstains on the carpet. It looked like someone had managed to drag
himself out of the room. She followed the trail to the foyer, where she found
him, slumped against the wall. His right hand clung to his abdomen, and she
could see from the tissue that escaped from between his blood-soaked fingers
that he was holding his viscera in as best he could. She looked at him for a
moment from a distance. Then she spoke his name. "Everett."
He looked up at her, and she could see the hope light his face. "Jubilee. . . ?"
She hurried to him and knelt beside him. "Oh, Ev, look at you!"
"I'm a real mess, huh?" He began to cough, and a bloody froth escaped from the
corner of his mouth. "The others?"
Closing her eyes, Jubilee shook her head.
"You've gotta get out of here, Jube."
"Not without you, bud."
"No," he said, and another spasm of coughing wracked his body. "I'll slow you
down. Besides, I'm not gonna make it anyway."
"Don't talk that way; 'course you are." She tried to smile as the tears spilled
onto her cheeks.
"Don't . . . cry, Jubes," he said, his voice growing weaker, as he shakily
reached for her. His fingers softly touched her cheek, and she placed her hand
over his and closed her eyes. She rested her forehead on his. "I'll miss you. .
."
"Me, too. We had some rockin' times, Ev. You're the best bud I've ever had."
"You, too . . . now, go. Before he--" His voice stopped abruptly. A gasping
sound escaped his lips, and then he was silent. His hand fell from her cheek.
"Oh God, Ev. Don't leave me! Please don't leave me!"
"Yer not alone, kid."
Jubilee cried out at the familiar gruff voice. She turned to make sure it was
really him. Seeing it was, she felt relief fill her. Everything would be all
right now that he was here. He always made everything all right. He would
protect her, keep her safe. And he would find whoever had done this to her
friends, and make him pay.
"Oh, Wolvie!" she sobbed, running right into his arms and holding his waist
tightly.
"Shh, kiddo. Everything's okay. Yer safe. I'm here."
As she managed to get herself under control, she slowly pulled away and wiped
her cheeks with the back of her hands. "I've never been so glad to see anyone."
"Yeah, well, we've gotta get moving. We're sitting ducks. What's the fastest way
out of this place?"
"This way. C'mon." She turned around with her back to him and began to lead the
way. Then, suddenly, she heard the familiar *snikt* of his claws being
protracted. She stopped suddenly and turned around, hoping against hope that
this was not happening. "W-Wolvie. . . ?"
"Sorry, darlin'," he said, raising his claws over her head. "Sayonarah." She
could see that his claws were covered with blood--and she was sure it was more
than his own. Too petrified and shocked to run away, she simply fell to her
knees. She did not even attempt to use her powers. She could not believe that
this man would do anything to harm her. This man, who she trusted with her life.
This man, who had been like a father to her. This man, who was about to gut her
like a fish.
As Wolverine lunged for Jubilee, he found that his claws instead struck some
unforeseen object. The impact put him off-balance and he staggered backwards.
Jean, who had remained in the shadows, biding her time, realized that now was
the moment to act. She hurried to Jubilee's side and knelt before her, wrapping
her arms protectively around her. Jubilee began to cry again.
"Leave this child alone!" Jean said to Wolverine. Growling, he got to his feet
and lunged toward them both. Jubilee winced, and she felt Jean's grip tighten
more securely around her. Again, Wolverine met the unforeseen barrier. "Don't
worry, Jubilee, I won't let him hurt you," Jean told her.
"W-why?" Jubilee asked. "Why d-did W-Wolvie d-do this?"
"It's not Wolverine," Jean said simply. She glanced at him intently, and
suddenly he flew away from them and across the room, slamming against the far
wall, several feet off of the floor. Snarling, he tried to break free. "Don't
bother trying to struggle," Jean told him as she got to her feet. She walked
closer, leading Jubilee, her arm still protectively wrapped around the girl's
shoulder. "I've got you in a telekinetic choke-hold. Now, would you care to
reveal who you really are and why you've slaughtered all of these innocent
children?"
"Because I told him to," came a feminine voice from behind them.
Jean could feel Jubilee shudder in her arms. She tightened her hold and
reinforced the shield that surrounded them as they turned to face their
opponent.
"Tessa," Jean said. "I should have known."
"I see the need for my ruse is up," Tessa said, and gestured toward "Wolverine".
The image dissipated, leaving Sabretooth in his stead.
Jean herself repressed a shudder at the sight of the cold-blooded killer. Tessa
must have really played hardball, she realized. The psychic damage must be
severe for Jubilee's mind to have created such a horrific scene. Nonetheless,
the appearance of Tessa herself could mean the end to all of this, she realized.
This was a projection of the source of the damage. If Jubilee could face her,
and defeat her here, in her own mind, then she would certainly recover from the
psychic injury Tessa had incurred.
Jean could feel Jubilee shaking; the girl was terrified. On one side was
Sabretooth, snarling and growling. On the other, Tessa, the woman who tortured
her mind, revealing untold horrors Jubilee did not know could exist there. Tessa
gestured, and the school transformed to the barren desert landscape of the
Australian outback. About twenty feet away, she could see a giant wooden X, on
which Wolverine was pinned. Pierce and several of his Reavers stood before him.
Pierce was taunting him, and, suddenly, he drove a knife into Wolverine's side,
drawing blood. Wolverine howled in pain. The same distance away in the opposite
direction they could see Omega Red standing with the young Illyana in the grasp
of his tendrils. She screamed as he began to absorb her life energy, and
suddenly went limp in his grasp. Sebastian Shaw walked over to Tessa, carrying
Everett over his shoulder. He dropped him to the ground, and Everett fell onto
his back. He lay there, unmoving.
"No," Jubilee muttered, grabbing her head and closing her eyes. "No more. I
can't take any more."
"You've got to fight her, Jubilee," Jean told her.
"N-no . . . I c-can't . . . I'm no telepath."
"I'll be here with you, sweetie. But this is something *you* have to do."
"I . . . I'm scared. What if she hurts me like she did before? This is nothing
compared to what she showed me then."
"I won't let her hurt you. Be strong, sweetie. I know you can do this." Jean
gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"O-okay," Jubilee said, summoning up her courage. She set her shoulders
resolutely. "This isn't real. None of this is real."
She looked toward Wolverine and the Reavers. "That isn't Wolvie. I saved him
from the Reavers, and now they and Pierce are dead."
Logan and the Reavers vanished.
She looked at Omega Red and Illyana's still form. "Yana's dead. Let her rest in
peace."
They went away as well.
She moved toward Shaw and looked down at Everett. It looked so much like him.
She found her courage beginning to waver. "Oh, God, look what he did to Ev. He
wouldn't stop hitting him. . . ."
"Don't give in to her, Jubilee," Jean said. "You can beat her."
Slowly, Jubilee nodded, and looked away from Everett and up at Shaw. "Bite me,
creep!" she spat, and bombarded him with fireworks.
Both he and Everett slowly faded away.
Now all that was left was the source. Tessa backed away, looking nervous. She
gestured in the distance, and suddenly the ground began to rumble. A large
Sentinel began to appear over the horizon. It raised its hand, and a concussive
beam flew toward them. Somehow, it managed to get through Jean's shield, and
struck her. Crying out, she crumpled to the ground.
"No!" Jubilee screamed. She turned to face Tessa. "You've hurt everyone that's
ever meant anything to me," she said, walking closer. "But this is all pretend.
This is all just in my mind. It's not real. And neither are you!" Balling her
right hand into a fist, she struck Tessa square in the jaw. Tessa fell backward
and onto the ground. "Take a hike, bitch!" she screamed, letting lose with her
plasma powers.
Tessa seemed to melt away. As she did, the landscape was transformed from the
barren desert to the lush grounds of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters on a
sunny summer afternoon. Jubilee sighed. Turning around, she saw Jean lying on
the ground. She hurried to her side. "Jean. . . ?"
Jean's eyes opened, and she slowly sat up. She looked around and smiled. "You
did it, Jubilee! I knew you could."
"I couldn't've done it without your help," Jubilee replied, holding out a hand
to help Jean to her feet. "I saw the Sentinel blast you, and then I got so mad
at Tessa. . . . She used me, played with my emotions, twisted my memories. And I
wanted it to stop." She embraced Jean. "Thank you for your help."
"My pleasure, kiddo," Jean said, holding her close.
"Now what?" Jubilee asked her.
"Now, it's time to go home." Jean held out her hand. "You ready?"
Jubilee grinned. "Am I ever."
Together, they headed for the school.
*****
Jean's eyes snapped open. She was back in her body in Jubilee's hospital room.
Sean and Emma were looking at her. Jubilee still lay in bed, unmoving.
"What happened?" Sean asked.
"I-I think it was successful," Jean told him. "She managed to banish Tessa from
her mind."
"Then the psychic damage is healed?" Emma asked.
"Yes. I see no reason why she shouldn't regain consciousness." Still holding
Jubilee's hand, she gently stroked her cheek.
"I'll go get the doctor," Sean said. Before he left, he stopped and put a hand
on Jean's shoulder. "Good job, lass."
Jean smiled and closed her eyes in weariness.
"You okay, Jeanie?"
"Just tired, Logan. I'll be fine."
"Congratulations, Jean. It appears you accomplished what you set out to do."
Emma almost sounded disappointed. There was a hint of jealousy in her tone.
"I just want what we all do," Jean told her. "For Jubilee to wake up and be all
ri--" She stopped abruptly.
"What is it?" Emma asked, walking closer. "Jean?"
Jean's face broke into an enormous grin. "Jubilee--she just squeezed my hand. It
wasn't very strong, but I felt it!"
At that moment, Sean returned with Dr. Knight.
"She just squeezed my hand," Jean told them happily.
The doctor proceeded to examine his patient. "She's out of the coma," he told
them several minutes later. "She appears to be merely sleeping. I suspect she'll
be awake by morning."
"Thank the saints!" Sean cried. Smiling, Emma took his hands in her own.
"I'll check back on her later," Dr. Knight said before leaving.
"Can I get ye anything, Jean?" Sean asked. "Ye must be exhausted."
"I am tired," Jean told him. "I think I'll go stretch my legs and give them a
call back home," she said, getting to her feet.
"Good idea," Sean said. "I'll go give the kids a call, too."
"Logan, could you and Emma sit with her?" Jean asked. "I think it'd be best if
she woke up to a familiar face."
"Of course," she replied, taking a seat.
"Go get some food, Jeanie," Logan said. "You look like you could a hot cup of
java."
Sean held open the door and they walked into the hallway. Jean sighed with
relief. These had been some extremely tense several days. She knew Jubilee was
not completely out of the woods yet, but this was a major step in the right
direction. Hopefully, Jubilee would be awake and speaking with them by the next
day.
End Chapter 7
*****
Author: Somogyi
Email: somogyi02@yahoo.com
Archive: Sure, just please ask first
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and disturbing imagery
Summary: Synch and Jubilee are captured by Tessa and Shaw. A thoughtful look at how
the resulting scars have lasting effects on the whole GenX team.
Disclaimer: The X-Men and Generation X are property of Marvel Entertainment.
Characters are used without permission, no profit is being made, and no infringement
on copyright is intended.
*****
A Friend In Need
by Somogyi
somogyi02@yahoo.com
Chapter 7
"So, what's the game plan?" Logan asked, turning a chair around so that the back
faced the table and straddling it. Jean, Sean, and Emma were already seated at
the table in the nearly deserted hospital cafeteria. Nonetheless, to be on the
safe side, the telepaths took precautions to ensure that their conversation
would not be overheard.
"I'm going to attempt to enter Jubilee's mind again," Jean said, taking a
spoonful of the soup Monet had brought her.
"You said that last time you tried it, you found the mindscape highly
distorted?" Emma asked, adding some sugar to her tea.
"Yes. Aside from the irregularity of the physical landscape, the memories were
twisted, merged; different events in her life were pieced together, along with
ones that have never occurred."
"And the scan ended with a traumatic event? Her own death?"
Gravely, Jean nodded.
"And then she flatlined," Logan said. He placed his hand on Jean's, letting her
know he did not blame her.
"Do ye think the two events are related?" Sean asked after taking a sip of his
coffee. "Dr. Knight did say there was a risk of pressure building in her skull.
. . ."
"It seems too much of a coincidence for the events not to be related," Emma
said. "But it also seems more likely that it was the physical trauma--the
pressure on her brain--that affected the events being played out in her mind. I
highly doubt that Jean's presence triggered the arrest."
Jean looked at Emma, a little surprised. The last thing she expected was for the
White Queen to support her. She still did not completely trust Emma Frost. But
she knew that Emma truly cared about her students, including Jubilee. Perhaps
this common bond among the four of them that drew them together here--concern
over the welfare of Jubilation Lee--also made Emma realize that assigning blame
would not make the problem go away. Perhaps Emma, too, felt somewhat responsible
since the children had been accosted by her enemy to get information he could
use against her. Whatever the reason, Jean was thankful she did not have to
defend herself to Emma; she wanted to conserve her strength for the task at
hand.
"What effect do you think a second psi-scan will have?" Sean asked of no one in
particular.
Jean sighed. "It's hard to say. I think it has to be done quickly. A prolonged
presence may only create more problems, or push her further into a coma. I think
it will be necessary for me to become directly involved, to aid Jubilee in
battling the evil presences in her mind. I believe that once she is able to
conquer them and to get over her fears, the residual damage from Tessa will have
been repaired, and she will be on the road to recovery."
"Sounds good to me," Logan said. "When do we go in?"
"*We* will be doing nothing," Jean said. "I'm going in alone."
"Don't be foolish; I will accompany you," Emma told her.
"Emma, I want to limit the stress on Jubilee's mind. It has already been taxed
enough; too many unwelcome presences can only have a negative effect. Besides,
from what I've observed already, she has a fear of people she thought she could
trust turning on her. Frankly, I don't think having a former enemy of the X-Men
present will sit well with her--especially with the confusion of events."
Even as Emma coolly regarded Jean, the only indication that her mind was at all
troubled was the paleness of her knuckles as her fist clenched tightly around
the spoon she held. "And you think you can do any better? You tried once
already, and nearly killed her." She smiled inwardly as she saw Jean flinch at
the remark. "Besides," Emma continued, "*I* am her teacher--not you. It is my
responsibility to--"
"Emma, calm yerself," Sean said, placing a hand on her arm.
"I will not let this go, Sean. Ms. High-and-Mighty-X-Man thinks that she can
waltz in here and tell me what to do when it concerns one of my students. I will
not stand for it!"
"Where were you when Jubilee was injured, Emma?" Jean spat. "Where was her
precious headmistress when she needed her?"
"Ladies, please!" Sean said, preparing to hold Emma back from Jean if necessary.
"Bickering amongst ourselves in not going t' do Jubilee a bit of good."
"Irish is right. Fact is, Jeanie's been here from the start," Logan said. "She's
been monitoring Jubilee the longest. If she thinks it's best to do this solo,
that's how we're gonna do it. But she gets only one shot. If this don't work,
then we consider other options. That fly with everybody?"
Crossing her arms, Emma nodded. "Provided the child survives this attempt."
"Emma!" Sean hissed.
"That's all right, Sean," Jean replied, getting to her feet. "I am quite
confident in my abilities; I don't need Emma's approval to know that this is the
best decision. Would you like to monitor the proceedings, Emma?"
"As if you need to ask," Emma said, also rising.
"Then it's settled," Sean said as the four of them began to walk toward the
elevator. "Let's do it."
*****
"You comfortable, Jeanie?"
"Fine, Logan," Jean said, leaning back in her chair at Jubilee's bedside.
Emma, Sean, and Logan stood in various spots in the room, watching her. Picking
up Jubilee's hand, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm ready," she
told them.
"Good luck, lass," she heard Sean say as she entered Jubilee's mind.
This time she was prepared, knowing what to expect in the landscape, and she did
not feel quite so disoriented. Things were still upside-down and twisted, but
Jean was able to compensate. On this occasion, she saw that the location was not
a Beverly Hills residential area, but rather the Australian Outback, the former
headquarters of the X-Men, and the place where Jubilee met Wolverine.
Jean decided to begin by observing, as she had last time. She would have to let
Jubilee duke it out for a while by herself. This time, however, if serious
trouble reared its ugly head, leaving Jubilee hopelessly outmatched, Jean would
become involved, join a fight if necessary, and help Jubilee to conquer her own
personal demons. But in order to do this, she must first locate Jubilee.
Shielding her eyes from the brutal sun with her hand, she scanned the barren
terrain. The old abandoned buildings appeared to be completely deserted--there
was no sign of any of the X-Men. She was about to go pay them closer inspection
when she saw a figure moving in the distance. It was Jubilee, a few years
younger than she was now--the age she was when she joined the X-Men.
*Well, at least her age fits the setting,* Jean thought. *Perhaps the
correlation is a sign that her mind is beginning to heal. . . .*
Looking at Jubilee, Jean could not help but smile. She was wearing pieces of the
other X-Women's old costumes: Dazzler's body suit, Rogue's boots, and Storm's
leather vest. It appeared that even back then, Jubilee had atrocious fashion
taste when it came to color schemes. That would explain the taxi yellow coat and
bright red, blue, and green costume she would later use. Jean vowed that if--no,
*when* she corrected herself--Jubilee made it out of this, she would take the
teenager on a shopping spree and get her some clothing that was not quite so
blinding.
Jean could see Jubilee looking around her warily, checking to see if she were
being watched, before she entering a hole in the wall of one of the compound's
buildings.
*Well, here goes,* Jean thought as she gave chase.
As she entered what she thought would be the X-Men's former Australian compound,
Jean realized that, contrary to her first impression, the events and Jubilee's
appearance were not in accord. She found herself in the sub-basement of the X-
Mansion. She followed Jubilee to the Rec Room, and watched as the girl began to
play a video game. This Jubilee corresponded in age and dress to the one who
joined the X-Men. Her shades were lowered, and on their surface Jean could see
the reflection of colorful blasts of light as the aliens on the video screen
were blown to kingdom come.
"Yes! Eat plasma, ya sleazoids!" Jubilee shouted, fingers skillfully flying over
half a dozen buttons to control her space ship and its weapons.
Seeing the happiness on the girl's face, Jean felt a lump in her throat. She
wondered if Jubilee would ever be able to be this carefree again.
Suddenly, the lights went out in the room and the screen went black.
"Hey, what gives?!" Jubilee shouted. She peered around the room. "Great.
Somebody blows a fuse just when I was about to beat my personal record. I'll bet
it was ole Gumbo who--" She broke off abruptly, and stood perfectly still,
listening. She would have sworn that she had heard something--the whirring of
something mechanical. She looked across the room and nearly screamed. Three
pairs of green eyes glowed in the darkness about three feet from the floor. She
heard a low rumbling, like a growling, coming from the same general area.
She raised her right arm in the air as though holding a torch and emitted
several of her energy plasmoids, momentarily illuminating the room in a pinkish
glow. In those few seconds, she could see the owners of those hideous eyes--they
were robotic guard dogs, created by the cybernetic Donald Pierce and his
Reavers, used to guard the basements in the Australian compound the X-Men
commandeered. The instant Jubilee saw them, she knew she had only seconds to
react before the dogs would strike and rend her limb from limb. The only problem
was that they stood between her and the only exit.
She had been in the Rec Room dozens of times, and knew its layout like the back
of her hand. At least, she hoped she did. Taking mental note of her position,
she ran toward the center of the room, where the pool table was located, and
leapt above it in order to grab the green light shade that hung down on top of
the table. As she swung forward, she brought her legs together and straight out
in front of her, her feet connecting with the snout of one of the dogs as it
leapt toward her. With a whelp, it was knocked to the floor. Using her forward
momentum, she grabbed her knees to her chest and did a somersault in midair,
landing on the floor about ten feet from the door. She silently thanked her mom
for making her take all of those gymnastics lessons when she was a little kid.
She was about to make a run for it when a gut feeling told her not to.
a voice seemed to say in her head.
She quickly spun around, spreading her hands and letting loose with her
fireworks. The dog that had been about to attack her from behind staggered,
momentarily blinded. Now was her chance. She poured on the speed and headed for
the door. Just as she reached it and began to turn the doorknob, she felt a
sharp pain in her ankle as sharp canines dug into the flesh, accompanied by the
cracking sound of bones breaking. She screamed in agony as she fell to the
floor. She reached back at the dog and cascaded him with fireworks; still, he
did not let go. In that moment, however, she saw that there was half a dozen
pool sticks scattered on the floor. On her belly, she reached to the side,
trying to grab one. It was less than an inch from her extended fingers. She
stretched, and her fingers tightened around the wooden stick. She quickly
twisted her body and sat up, pounding the dog in the face and chest with the
makeshift club until he let her go. Adrenaline rushing through her veins, she
shouted as she continued to beat him, and finally gave him a tremendous whack,
sending him sprawling across the room and into one of the legs of the pool
table.
Dropping the stick, she scurried to her feet and was out the door in an instant,
quickly closing it behind her. She used her powers to slag the doorknob, thereby
trapping the dogs inside. Going as fast as her injured ankle would allow, she
limped down the hallway, in search of the elevator that would take her to the
main floor and--she prayed--help.
While Jean expected the path Jubilee took to reveal the ground floor of the X-
Men's current headquarters, she found them instead in the living room of the
school in Massachusetts. She, along with Jubilee, stared in horror at the
carnage that lay before them. Jubilee's fellow students were strewn about the
room. There was blood everywhere. Jubilee walked slowly across the room, looking
at each body in turn.
Mondo lay in the middle of the room, intestine strewn out of the gaping hole in
his great belly. Paige half-lay on the couch. One hand clutched a shredded patch
of skin that was still attached to her cheek; she had evidently been trying to
husk into a more powerful form when she met her demise. She, too, was gutted.
Seeing a gray hand on the floor, Jubilee followed the extended arm to behind a
chair, where Angelo lay in a heap, surrounded by a pool of blood. Her gaze
returned to the corner of the room, and she found Monet beneath an overturned
bookcase, her hand with its stiffened fingers reaching out vainly from
underneath.
As she continued on her trek, Jubilee tripped over something. Looking down at
her feet, she gasped. There was a rush of bile to the back of her throat, and
she swallowed hard. It was a dismembered arm in the sleeve of a leather jacket.
*Jono,* she realized sadly. She did not want to find out what had happened to
the rest of him. But something was not right. There was still someone missing.
Where was--
She heard a soft moaning coming from somewhere nearby. That was when she noticed
the bloodstains on the carpet. It looked like someone had managed to drag
himself out of the room. She followed the trail to the foyer, where she found
him, slumped against the wall. His right hand clung to his abdomen, and she
could see from the tissue that escaped from between his blood-soaked fingers
that he was holding his viscera in as best he could. She looked at him for a
moment from a distance. Then she spoke his name. "Everett."
He looked up at her, and she could see the hope light his face. "Jubilee. . . ?"
She hurried to him and knelt beside him. "Oh, Ev, look at you!"
"I'm a real mess, huh?" He began to cough, and a bloody froth escaped from the
corner of his mouth. "The others?"
Closing her eyes, Jubilee shook her head.
"You've gotta get out of here, Jube."
"Not without you, bud."
"No," he said, and another spasm of coughing wracked his body. "I'll slow you
down. Besides, I'm not gonna make it anyway."
"Don't talk that way; 'course you are." She tried to smile as the tears spilled
onto her cheeks.
"Don't . . . cry, Jubes," he said, his voice growing weaker, as he shakily
reached for her. His fingers softly touched her cheek, and she placed her hand
over his and closed her eyes. She rested her forehead on his. "I'll miss you. .
."
"Me, too. We had some rockin' times, Ev. You're the best bud I've ever had."
"You, too . . . now, go. Before he--" His voice stopped abruptly. A gasping
sound escaped his lips, and then he was silent. His hand fell from her cheek.
"Oh God, Ev. Don't leave me! Please don't leave me!"
"Yer not alone, kid."
Jubilee cried out at the familiar gruff voice. She turned to make sure it was
really him. Seeing it was, she felt relief fill her. Everything would be all
right now that he was here. He always made everything all right. He would
protect her, keep her safe. And he would find whoever had done this to her
friends, and make him pay.
"Oh, Wolvie!" she sobbed, running right into his arms and holding his waist
tightly.
"Shh, kiddo. Everything's okay. Yer safe. I'm here."
As she managed to get herself under control, she slowly pulled away and wiped
her cheeks with the back of her hands. "I've never been so glad to see anyone."
"Yeah, well, we've gotta get moving. We're sitting ducks. What's the fastest way
out of this place?"
"This way. C'mon." She turned around with her back to him and began to lead the
way. Then, suddenly, she heard the familiar *snikt* of his claws being
protracted. She stopped suddenly and turned around, hoping against hope that
this was not happening. "W-Wolvie. . . ?"
"Sorry, darlin'," he said, raising his claws over her head. "Sayonarah." She
could see that his claws were covered with blood--and she was sure it was more
than his own. Too petrified and shocked to run away, she simply fell to her
knees. She did not even attempt to use her powers. She could not believe that
this man would do anything to harm her. This man, who she trusted with her life.
This man, who had been like a father to her. This man, who was about to gut her
like a fish.
As Wolverine lunged for Jubilee, he found that his claws instead struck some
unforeseen object. The impact put him off-balance and he staggered backwards.
Jean, who had remained in the shadows, biding her time, realized that now was
the moment to act. She hurried to Jubilee's side and knelt before her, wrapping
her arms protectively around her. Jubilee began to cry again.
"Leave this child alone!" Jean said to Wolverine. Growling, he got to his feet
and lunged toward them both. Jubilee winced, and she felt Jean's grip tighten
more securely around her. Again, Wolverine met the unforeseen barrier. "Don't
worry, Jubilee, I won't let him hurt you," Jean told her.
"W-why?" Jubilee asked. "Why d-did W-Wolvie d-do this?"
"It's not Wolverine," Jean said simply. She glanced at him intently, and
suddenly he flew away from them and across the room, slamming against the far
wall, several feet off of the floor. Snarling, he tried to break free. "Don't
bother trying to struggle," Jean told him as she got to her feet. She walked
closer, leading Jubilee, her arm still protectively wrapped around the girl's
shoulder. "I've got you in a telekinetic choke-hold. Now, would you care to
reveal who you really are and why you've slaughtered all of these innocent
children?"
"Because I told him to," came a feminine voice from behind them.
Jean could feel Jubilee shudder in her arms. She tightened her hold and
reinforced the shield that surrounded them as they turned to face their
opponent.
"Tessa," Jean said. "I should have known."
"I see the need for my ruse is up," Tessa said, and gestured toward "Wolverine".
The image dissipated, leaving Sabretooth in his stead.
Jean herself repressed a shudder at the sight of the cold-blooded killer. Tessa
must have really played hardball, she realized. The psychic damage must be
severe for Jubilee's mind to have created such a horrific scene. Nonetheless,
the appearance of Tessa herself could mean the end to all of this, she realized.
This was a projection of the source of the damage. If Jubilee could face her,
and defeat her here, in her own mind, then she would certainly recover from the
psychic injury Tessa had incurred.
Jean could feel Jubilee shaking; the girl was terrified. On one side was
Sabretooth, snarling and growling. On the other, Tessa, the woman who tortured
her mind, revealing untold horrors Jubilee did not know could exist there. Tessa
gestured, and the school transformed to the barren desert landscape of the
Australian outback. About twenty feet away, she could see a giant wooden X, on
which Wolverine was pinned. Pierce and several of his Reavers stood before him.
Pierce was taunting him, and, suddenly, he drove a knife into Wolverine's side,
drawing blood. Wolverine howled in pain. The same distance away in the opposite
direction they could see Omega Red standing with the young Illyana in the grasp
of his tendrils. She screamed as he began to absorb her life energy, and
suddenly went limp in his grasp. Sebastian Shaw walked over to Tessa, carrying
Everett over his shoulder. He dropped him to the ground, and Everett fell onto
his back. He lay there, unmoving.
"No," Jubilee muttered, grabbing her head and closing her eyes. "No more. I
can't take any more."
"You've got to fight her, Jubilee," Jean told her.
"N-no . . . I c-can't . . . I'm no telepath."
"I'll be here with you, sweetie. But this is something *you* have to do."
"I . . . I'm scared. What if she hurts me like she did before? This is nothing
compared to what she showed me then."
"I won't let her hurt you. Be strong, sweetie. I know you can do this." Jean
gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"O-okay," Jubilee said, summoning up her courage. She set her shoulders
resolutely. "This isn't real. None of this is real."
She looked toward Wolverine and the Reavers. "That isn't Wolvie. I saved him
from the Reavers, and now they and Pierce are dead."
Logan and the Reavers vanished.
She looked at Omega Red and Illyana's still form. "Yana's dead. Let her rest in
peace."
They went away as well.
She moved toward Shaw and looked down at Everett. It looked so much like him.
She found her courage beginning to waver. "Oh, God, look what he did to Ev. He
wouldn't stop hitting him. . . ."
"Don't give in to her, Jubilee," Jean said. "You can beat her."
Slowly, Jubilee nodded, and looked away from Everett and up at Shaw. "Bite me,
creep!" she spat, and bombarded him with fireworks.
Both he and Everett slowly faded away.
Now all that was left was the source. Tessa backed away, looking nervous. She
gestured in the distance, and suddenly the ground began to rumble. A large
Sentinel began to appear over the horizon. It raised its hand, and a concussive
beam flew toward them. Somehow, it managed to get through Jean's shield, and
struck her. Crying out, she crumpled to the ground.
"No!" Jubilee screamed. She turned to face Tessa. "You've hurt everyone that's
ever meant anything to me," she said, walking closer. "But this is all pretend.
This is all just in my mind. It's not real. And neither are you!" Balling her
right hand into a fist, she struck Tessa square in the jaw. Tessa fell backward
and onto the ground. "Take a hike, bitch!" she screamed, letting lose with her
plasma powers.
Tessa seemed to melt away. As she did, the landscape was transformed from the
barren desert to the lush grounds of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters on a
sunny summer afternoon. Jubilee sighed. Turning around, she saw Jean lying on
the ground. She hurried to her side. "Jean. . . ?"
Jean's eyes opened, and she slowly sat up. She looked around and smiled. "You
did it, Jubilee! I knew you could."
"I couldn't've done it without your help," Jubilee replied, holding out a hand
to help Jean to her feet. "I saw the Sentinel blast you, and then I got so mad
at Tessa. . . . She used me, played with my emotions, twisted my memories. And I
wanted it to stop." She embraced Jean. "Thank you for your help."
"My pleasure, kiddo," Jean said, holding her close.
"Now what?" Jubilee asked her.
"Now, it's time to go home." Jean held out her hand. "You ready?"
Jubilee grinned. "Am I ever."
Together, they headed for the school.
*****
Jean's eyes snapped open. She was back in her body in Jubilee's hospital room.
Sean and Emma were looking at her. Jubilee still lay in bed, unmoving.
"What happened?" Sean asked.
"I-I think it was successful," Jean told him. "She managed to banish Tessa from
her mind."
"Then the psychic damage is healed?" Emma asked.
"Yes. I see no reason why she shouldn't regain consciousness." Still holding
Jubilee's hand, she gently stroked her cheek.
"I'll go get the doctor," Sean said. Before he left, he stopped and put a hand
on Jean's shoulder. "Good job, lass."
Jean smiled and closed her eyes in weariness.
"You okay, Jeanie?"
"Just tired, Logan. I'll be fine."
"Congratulations, Jean. It appears you accomplished what you set out to do."
Emma almost sounded disappointed. There was a hint of jealousy in her tone.
"I just want what we all do," Jean told her. "For Jubilee to wake up and be all
ri--" She stopped abruptly.
"What is it?" Emma asked, walking closer. "Jean?"
Jean's face broke into an enormous grin. "Jubilee--she just squeezed my hand. It
wasn't very strong, but I felt it!"
At that moment, Sean returned with Dr. Knight.
"She just squeezed my hand," Jean told them happily.
The doctor proceeded to examine his patient. "She's out of the coma," he told
them several minutes later. "She appears to be merely sleeping. I suspect she'll
be awake by morning."
"Thank the saints!" Sean cried. Smiling, Emma took his hands in her own.
"I'll check back on her later," Dr. Knight said before leaving.
"Can I get ye anything, Jean?" Sean asked. "Ye must be exhausted."
"I am tired," Jean told him. "I think I'll go stretch my legs and give them a
call back home," she said, getting to her feet.
"Good idea," Sean said. "I'll go give the kids a call, too."
"Logan, could you and Emma sit with her?" Jean asked. "I think it'd be best if
she woke up to a familiar face."
"Of course," she replied, taking a seat.
"Go get some food, Jeanie," Logan said. "You look like you could a hot cup of
java."
Sean held open the door and they walked into the hallway. Jean sighed with
relief. These had been some extremely tense several days. She knew Jubilee was
not completely out of the woods yet, but this was a major step in the right
direction. Hopefully, Jubilee would be awake and speaking with them by the next
day.
End Chapter 7
*****