Author's Note and Disclaimer: "The Birthday Wish" is the beginning of an
extended story known simply as 'The Venus Factor'. Events within this part
of the tale take place in a niche that I have carved out between 'X-Men
Unlimited' #34 and 'Uncanny X-Men' #402, about 3.5 years after the
disbanding of the Generation X team. Cut me a little slack and just run
with the time line. As always, these characters are not mine, nor is any
profit made off of using their likenesses. If anyone from Marvel ever
reads this, this true believer would love to write for you. And stop
dismissing Jubilee; she's a great character. Until that day, MMM!
***
"So tell me again why I work for you?" Mystique said glaring at the imposing blue man that stood in front of her.
The room they stood in was stark and sterile. Several doors led from the metallic interior, which was sparsely decorated with desk and a small laboratory area.
"Why, that's elementary, dear," Sinister sneered. "I was the highest bidder. There's something immensely rewarding about knowing that furthering science won out against all of the other petty causes you've championed."
"I didn't sign on with you for any great cause, and I certainly didn't sign on with you to be your errand girl," she frowned.
"No, you didn't. And I didn't hire you to have you question my plan, either. I told you... I'm doing an experiment. I require your aid because of your unique talents. That is all that you need to know until I find it necessary to tell you more," he replied roughly. "For now, I need you to wake the girl, but make sure you give her another injection first. She needs to be fed. Make sure you look like you're wearing a collar as well. And smoke a cigar before you go in there; I want this to be absolutely convincing."
***
"Jubes... Jubes, hon, wake up," a voice pried her gently from the darkness.
"Wo-Wolvie? S'that you?" Jubilee said groggily, shaking some of the sleep from her head. She felt drugged. Propping herself up on her elbows, she realized that she was no longer bound. Artificial light streamed in from the door, which was now propped open. "I... Where are we?"
"I'm not sure, darlin'. I haven't been able to find out much yet... These collars," he growled, fingering his own, "seem to block our mutant powers, and they can transmit a heavy shock, too. So don't you go misbehavin'. I don't want you getting hurt. I'll take care of you, I promise."
Jubilee looked at Wolverine, confused. He didn't want her to fight? Why was she in this closet but he seemingly could go anywhere he wanted? Why the hell couldn't she think clearly?
Her thoughts were interrupted as Wolverine began pulling a wrapped-up sandwich from his shirt. "Food?" she asked, her mind suddenly dominated by the hollow feeling in her stomach.
"Yeah, smuggled this in for you. You need to eat it slowly so that your body can process it. I'm not sure how many days it's been since you ate anything," he said, offering her the sandwich.
"Days?" she asked, shocked. Surely she hadn't been sleeping that long... Surely it hadn't been more than a few hours. She began chewing on the sandwich as slowly as her ravenous hunger would allow. "How many days?"
"Well, it's been about six days since I saw you on the street by your house."
"Six days?!"
"Yeah... Listen, hon, I hear someone coming this way. I'm gonna scoot. You eat and then get some sleep. I'll come back when I can." He withdrew from the cramped quarters, his fingertips grazing her cheek as he pulled away, the light going with him as the door was tightly shut again. She heard the bolt slide home, locking her in.
'Six days?' she thought, horrified. If no one had found her yet after six days, there was a good chance that rescue was not coming.
***
"So how did everything go?" Sinister asked as Mystique walked back through the main room, morphing back into her own skin.
"Perfectly. She swallowed everything," the shape-shifter replied.
***
"So tell me again why I work for you?" Mystique said glaring at the imposing blue man that stood in front of her.
The room they stood in was stark and sterile. Several doors led from the metallic interior, which was sparsely decorated with desk and a small laboratory area.
"Why, that's elementary, dear," Sinister sneered. "I was the highest bidder. There's something immensely rewarding about knowing that furthering science won out against all of the other petty causes you've championed."
"I didn't sign on with you for any great cause, and I certainly didn't sign on with you to be your errand girl," she frowned.
"No, you didn't. And I didn't hire you to have you question my plan, either. I told you... I'm doing an experiment. I require your aid because of your unique talents. That is all that you need to know until I find it necessary to tell you more," he replied roughly. "For now, I need you to wake the girl, but make sure you give her another injection first. She needs to be fed. Make sure you look like you're wearing a collar as well. And smoke a cigar before you go in there; I want this to be absolutely convincing."
***
"Jubes... Jubes, hon, wake up," a voice pried her gently from the darkness.
"Wo-Wolvie? S'that you?" Jubilee said groggily, shaking some of the sleep from her head. She felt drugged. Propping herself up on her elbows, she realized that she was no longer bound. Artificial light streamed in from the door, which was now propped open. "I... Where are we?"
"I'm not sure, darlin'. I haven't been able to find out much yet... These collars," he growled, fingering his own, "seem to block our mutant powers, and they can transmit a heavy shock, too. So don't you go misbehavin'. I don't want you getting hurt. I'll take care of you, I promise."
Jubilee looked at Wolverine, confused. He didn't want her to fight? Why was she in this closet but he seemingly could go anywhere he wanted? Why the hell couldn't she think clearly?
Her thoughts were interrupted as Wolverine began pulling a wrapped-up sandwich from his shirt. "Food?" she asked, her mind suddenly dominated by the hollow feeling in her stomach.
"Yeah, smuggled this in for you. You need to eat it slowly so that your body can process it. I'm not sure how many days it's been since you ate anything," he said, offering her the sandwich.
"Days?" she asked, shocked. Surely she hadn't been sleeping that long... Surely it hadn't been more than a few hours. She began chewing on the sandwich as slowly as her ravenous hunger would allow. "How many days?"
"Well, it's been about six days since I saw you on the street by your house."
"Six days?!"
"Yeah... Listen, hon, I hear someone coming this way. I'm gonna scoot. You eat and then get some sleep. I'll come back when I can." He withdrew from the cramped quarters, his fingertips grazing her cheek as he pulled away, the light going with him as the door was tightly shut again. She heard the bolt slide home, locking her in.
'Six days?' she thought, horrified. If no one had found her yet after six days, there was a good chance that rescue was not coming.
***
"So how did everything go?" Sinister asked as Mystique walked back through the main room, morphing back into her own skin.
"Perfectly. She swallowed everything," the shape-shifter replied.