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 sun was already almost at its zenith. Logan glared up at it, knowing the longer it took him to find Jubilee the less time that he would have to rescue her. Without the others. He couldn't come up with a good reason, other than personal pride, to want to settle this on his own, but he knew all the same he didn't want any of Charles's help.
He looked at the row of warehouses before him. The third-to-last block in the area indicated by Cerebro. Door number one? Or maybe door number six? 'Where are you, darlin?' he silently pleaded in his head. He turned his bike towards the building on the far left and continued on.
***
"How's our patient today?" Sinister asked Mystique as she entered the laboratory, not bothering to look up from where he was writing notes into a slim black notebook.
"She just got her morning injection. I'm on my way in with breakfast now," she muttered. "If you need anything else, guv, please just ring the bell," the blue beauty finished sarcastically.
"Oh, I think I'm fine for now, but thank you," Sinister replied, a small smirk gracing his own chiseled blue features.
Grumbling, Mystique's body shimmered slightly as she changed shapes and walked down the hall to where Jubilee was being kept. She paused at a table near the door and picked up an apple, placing it in her pocket. She looked up at the guard who was flanking the prisoner's door. "Has she woken up yet?"
"Yes, ma'am. I escorted her to the bathroom a few minutes ago," he replied warily.
"Blindfolded, I hope?"
"Yes, ma'am. Just like you instructed. And we took several wrong turns, as well."
"Good. Now remember, the signal to let me out again will be the sound of these claws being dragged along the door. Let's get this over with."
The guard took her by the arm and opened the door to Jubilee's cell. "You can rot in here with the other mutie scum," he snarled, shoving Mystique into the small chamber, slamming the door behind her.
***
"You're back!" Jubilee quickly crawled across the tight space to where Wolverine sat crouched. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, darlin. I'm fine. Just hungry and tired is all. Here," he said, fishing in his pocket. "Brought you something." He tossed the apple to her. "Figured you were probably hungry. I don't know how much you've eaten since they brought us breakfast yesterday. I saved this just in case…"
"Breakfast? Yesterday?" Jubilee brought a hand up to her face and rubbed at her temple. "I don't remember breakfast yesterday," she admitted, whimpering slightly. "I don't feel right at all. Were you here?" she asked, taking a bite of the apple.
"Of course I was, darlin. I've been here every minute except when they've been running the tests." A look of pain crossed his face.
"Tests?" Jubilee raised herself to her knees and looked Wolverine as directly in the eye as she could in the dark. "What... what are they doing to you?" she asked tentatively. "Are you okay?" She took one of his hands in hers, holding it close to her chest. Poor Wolvie. He comes to rescue her and ends up a lab rat again. Wait. He didn't come to rescue her. He was caught with her. By... Wolvie? It was getting to be too much for her. Tears began rolling silently from her eyes down her cheeks.
"Ah, it's nothing I haven't been through before," he admitted, taking the forgotten apple from her hand, helping himself to a bite, and handing it back. "Don't cry, babe," he added, wiping her cheek with his hand. "We've got each other, and that's what matters."
He drew her to him and she huddled in the lee of his arm, seeking whatever comfort was available. After a few minutes, the sedative kicked in and she drifted back to sleep. A single clawed hand reached up and ran down the length of the door.
***
Logan looked up at the next building. GeneSearch. Well, it sounded just as promising as the countless others he had already been through. Frustrated and tired, he walked through the door.
A stark lobby with no waiting area and a single receptionist's window greeted him. A comely brunette looked up from a magazine and met his gaze. "Can I help you, Sir?"
"I certainly hope so," he answered, pocketing away his weariness and putting on a smile. "I'm looking for a friend who works here. His name is Carl Smith."
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't have anyone here by that name," the receptionist answered, giving him an odd look.
"Are you sure?" he asked again, falling easily into the script that he had been using all morning. "This is GeneSearch, is it not?"
"Yes, sir, it is, but like I said, we don't have anyone here by that name. This facility is actually practically empty. There are only a couple of researchers and some assistants here. And no one by the name of Carl Smith."
Wolverine inhaled, and for the first time all day found what he was looking for. Not a lie, but fear.
"Thank you, ma'am. I must have been mistaken. Have a nice day," he replied, backing out of the door again.
The receptionist looked down at a picture on her desk and then picked up the phone. "Sir? You know that man that you told me to look out for? He just left."
"Interesting," came the quiet, calm reply. "Can you please page Ms. Darkholme and have her meet our guest at one of the back doors?"
"Yes, Sir."
***
The sun was already almost at its zenith. Logan glared up at it, knowing the longer it took him to find Jubilee the less time that he would have to rescue her. Without the others. He couldn't come up with a good reason, other than personal pride, to want to settle this on his own, but he knew all the same he didn't want any of Charles's help.
He looked at the row of warehouses before him. The third-to-last block in the area indicated by Cerebro. Door number one? Or maybe door number six? 'Where are you, darlin?' he silently pleaded in his head. He turned his bike towards the building on the far left and continued on.
***
"How's our patient today?" Sinister asked Mystique as she entered the laboratory, not bothering to look up from where he was writing notes into a slim black notebook.
"She just got her morning injection. I'm on my way in with breakfast now," she muttered. "If you need anything else, guv, please just ring the bell," the blue beauty finished sarcastically.
"Oh, I think I'm fine for now, but thank you," Sinister replied, a small smirk gracing his own chiseled blue features.
Grumbling, Mystique's body shimmered slightly as she changed shapes and walked down the hall to where Jubilee was being kept. She paused at a table near the door and picked up an apple, placing it in her pocket. She looked up at the guard who was flanking the prisoner's door. "Has she woken up yet?"
"Yes, ma'am. I escorted her to the bathroom a few minutes ago," he replied warily.
"Blindfolded, I hope?"
"Yes, ma'am. Just like you instructed. And we took several wrong turns, as well."
"Good. Now remember, the signal to let me out again will be the sound of these claws being dragged along the door. Let's get this over with."
The guard took her by the arm and opened the door to Jubilee's cell. "You can rot in here with the other mutie scum," he snarled, shoving Mystique into the small chamber, slamming the door behind her.
***
"You're back!" Jubilee quickly crawled across the tight space to where Wolverine sat crouched. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, darlin. I'm fine. Just hungry and tired is all. Here," he said, fishing in his pocket. "Brought you something." He tossed the apple to her. "Figured you were probably hungry. I don't know how much you've eaten since they brought us breakfast yesterday. I saved this just in case…"
"Breakfast? Yesterday?" Jubilee brought a hand up to her face and rubbed at her temple. "I don't remember breakfast yesterday," she admitted, whimpering slightly. "I don't feel right at all. Were you here?" she asked, taking a bite of the apple.
"Of course I was, darlin. I've been here every minute except when they've been running the tests." A look of pain crossed his face.
"Tests?" Jubilee raised herself to her knees and looked Wolverine as directly in the eye as she could in the dark. "What... what are they doing to you?" she asked tentatively. "Are you okay?" She took one of his hands in hers, holding it close to her chest. Poor Wolvie. He comes to rescue her and ends up a lab rat again. Wait. He didn't come to rescue her. He was caught with her. By... Wolvie? It was getting to be too much for her. Tears began rolling silently from her eyes down her cheeks.
"Ah, it's nothing I haven't been through before," he admitted, taking the forgotten apple from her hand, helping himself to a bite, and handing it back. "Don't cry, babe," he added, wiping her cheek with his hand. "We've got each other, and that's what matters."
He drew her to him and she huddled in the lee of his arm, seeking whatever comfort was available. After a few minutes, the sedative kicked in and she drifted back to sleep. A single clawed hand reached up and ran down the length of the door.
***
Logan looked up at the next building. GeneSearch. Well, it sounded just as promising as the countless others he had already been through. Frustrated and tired, he walked through the door.
A stark lobby with no waiting area and a single receptionist's window greeted him. A comely brunette looked up from a magazine and met his gaze. "Can I help you, Sir?"
"I certainly hope so," he answered, pocketing away his weariness and putting on a smile. "I'm looking for a friend who works here. His name is Carl Smith."
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't have anyone here by that name," the receptionist answered, giving him an odd look.
"Are you sure?" he asked again, falling easily into the script that he had been using all morning. "This is GeneSearch, is it not?"
"Yes, sir, it is, but like I said, we don't have anyone here by that name. This facility is actually practically empty. There are only a couple of researchers and some assistants here. And no one by the name of Carl Smith."
Wolverine inhaled, and for the first time all day found what he was looking for. Not a lie, but fear.
"Thank you, ma'am. I must have been mistaken. Have a nice day," he replied, backing out of the door again.
The receptionist looked down at a picture on her desk and then picked up the phone. "Sir? You know that man that you told me to look out for? He just left."
"Interesting," came the quiet, calm reply. "Can you please page Ms. Darkholme and have her meet our guest at one of the back doors?"
"Yes, Sir."