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!
***
The phone rang once, and Logan sat up in bed. He listened to the quiet conversation on the other side of the apartment.
"Yeah, I'm here. No, Jono, they haven't contacted him yet," he could hear Monet whispering.
He smirked. As though whispering did any good with him around.
"Are you really waiting two more days before you come out? Can't you just say you 'happened' to be in L.A.? Or I could say that I had already invited you, and forgot that you were coming... Please? I don't want to see Jubilee hurt just because this prick thinks he can take on the world by himself."
Logan bristled slightly, but stayed in place.
"Alright, well, I'll see you tomorrow, then. I guess that's an acceptable compromise. But if something happens, I'm calling you. Okay. Good to talk to you to, Jono. Bye."
Logan lay back down, staring into the night, running his options through his head. Shortly before dawn he left the apartment.
***
When Jubilee awoke, Wolverine was lying next to her, his arms wrapped protectively around her, seemingly still asleep himself. Her head felt clearer.
What the hell was Wolverine doing here? And where was 'here' anyway? She snuggled against him, not willing to give this up, even if it was a dream, and drifted back to sleep.
***
Wolverine looked at the map that was laid out before him. The signal that Cerebro had picked up -which he now knew was Mystique- was from somewhere within a two mile radius... He had to find out where before the others were sent out. He had to save Jubilee himself.
He stared at the circled area on the map, waiting for something to jump out at him. Not surprisingly, it was an industrial sector. Lots of warehouses, and very little of anything else. He wondered for the thousandth time how they had known he was here, and who exactly 'they' were.
Whoever they were, they obviously wanted to die.
He stood and stalked out of his motel room into the morning light, heading for his bike.
***
Kurt, Bobby, and Warren all sat in a wide-open room at the top of the Worthington Industries building that overlooked the New York City skyline. All three were staring at Jonathan Starsmore.
"So tell me again exactly vat Monet said," the blue, elf-like mutant known as Nightcrawler said, disbelief plain on his face.
~Look, I've already told you,~ he answered, a fist slamming down on the conference table to stress his words. ~The Professor apparently told Logan no teams would join the hunt until the day after tomorrow. He hasn't even said anything to us yet, probably because he knew we wouldn't wait, but there's no other team that he could pick. Jean has her hands full at the Institute, and Storm's team is on the other side of the world. We, on the other hand, have our heads up our asses in New York City."
"Well, I can't say that I like this any more than you do, kid, but maybe we should wait for the Professor's blessing," Warren Worthington replied. "I'm sure if he's giving Logan time there's a damn good reason for it."
~Why should Wolverine come through for her now?~ Chamber replied, what was visible of his face twisted into a scowl. ~He abandoned her in Massachusetts, and from what M says he hasn't even seen her since they got to L.A.~
Bobby Drake looked up at his teammate. "Listen, she didn't exactly leave a calling card for any of us. Wolverine didn't turn his back on her, and neither did the rest of us. It wasn't that way. You don't understand..." he began, but Chamber cut him off.
~No, I don't understand, and neither did she, nor any of the rest of us, for that matter,~ he interjected. ~We never understood why the X-Men looked down on us, their younger counterparts. We never understood why you kept us locked away in Massachusetts instead of in New York where we could have learned directly from you and helped you. Don't say it's because we were too young, because Jubilee herself was with the X-Men long before she was with Generation X. We never understood, Jubilee most of all, because you used to be her family, and then you sent her away. From her point of view, at least her first family, her real family, only left her because someone killed them. You?~ he paused in his rushed, jumbled thoughts. He shook his head. More calmly, he began again. ~That's why she left for Los Angeles with Angelo instead of returning to the Institute. That's why she never said goodbye. And that's why she stayed in Los Angeles with Monet.~
He glared out the window as the others just sat there speechless.
***
The phone rang once, and Logan sat up in bed. He listened to the quiet conversation on the other side of the apartment.
"Yeah, I'm here. No, Jono, they haven't contacted him yet," he could hear Monet whispering.
He smirked. As though whispering did any good with him around.
"Are you really waiting two more days before you come out? Can't you just say you 'happened' to be in L.A.? Or I could say that I had already invited you, and forgot that you were coming... Please? I don't want to see Jubilee hurt just because this prick thinks he can take on the world by himself."
Logan bristled slightly, but stayed in place.
"Alright, well, I'll see you tomorrow, then. I guess that's an acceptable compromise. But if something happens, I'm calling you. Okay. Good to talk to you to, Jono. Bye."
Logan lay back down, staring into the night, running his options through his head. Shortly before dawn he left the apartment.
***
When Jubilee awoke, Wolverine was lying next to her, his arms wrapped protectively around her, seemingly still asleep himself. Her head felt clearer.
What the hell was Wolverine doing here? And where was 'here' anyway? She snuggled against him, not willing to give this up, even if it was a dream, and drifted back to sleep.
***
Wolverine looked at the map that was laid out before him. The signal that Cerebro had picked up -which he now knew was Mystique- was from somewhere within a two mile radius... He had to find out where before the others were sent out. He had to save Jubilee himself.
He stared at the circled area on the map, waiting for something to jump out at him. Not surprisingly, it was an industrial sector. Lots of warehouses, and very little of anything else. He wondered for the thousandth time how they had known he was here, and who exactly 'they' were.
Whoever they were, they obviously wanted to die.
He stood and stalked out of his motel room into the morning light, heading for his bike.
***
Kurt, Bobby, and Warren all sat in a wide-open room at the top of the Worthington Industries building that overlooked the New York City skyline. All three were staring at Jonathan Starsmore.
"So tell me again exactly vat Monet said," the blue, elf-like mutant known as Nightcrawler said, disbelief plain on his face.
~Look, I've already told you,~ he answered, a fist slamming down on the conference table to stress his words. ~The Professor apparently told Logan no teams would join the hunt until the day after tomorrow. He hasn't even said anything to us yet, probably because he knew we wouldn't wait, but there's no other team that he could pick. Jean has her hands full at the Institute, and Storm's team is on the other side of the world. We, on the other hand, have our heads up our asses in New York City."
"Well, I can't say that I like this any more than you do, kid, but maybe we should wait for the Professor's blessing," Warren Worthington replied. "I'm sure if he's giving Logan time there's a damn good reason for it."
~Why should Wolverine come through for her now?~ Chamber replied, what was visible of his face twisted into a scowl. ~He abandoned her in Massachusetts, and from what M says he hasn't even seen her since they got to L.A.~
Bobby Drake looked up at his teammate. "Listen, she didn't exactly leave a calling card for any of us. Wolverine didn't turn his back on her, and neither did the rest of us. It wasn't that way. You don't understand..." he began, but Chamber cut him off.
~No, I don't understand, and neither did she, nor any of the rest of us, for that matter,~ he interjected. ~We never understood why the X-Men looked down on us, their younger counterparts. We never understood why you kept us locked away in Massachusetts instead of in New York where we could have learned directly from you and helped you. Don't say it's because we were too young, because Jubilee herself was with the X-Men long before she was with Generation X. We never understood, Jubilee most of all, because you used to be her family, and then you sent her away. From her point of view, at least her first family, her real family, only left her because someone killed them. You?~ he paused in his rushed, jumbled thoughts. He shook his head. More calmly, he began again. ~That's why she left for Los Angeles with Angelo instead of returning to the Institute. That's why she never said goodbye. And that's why she stayed in Los Angeles with Monet.~
He glared out the window as the others just sat there speechless.