DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own any of the X-Men, nor do I make any money off this stuff (which is kinda the point, as far as I'm concerned. Wouldn't be as much fun if it was work.).
A/N:
RATING: R for the story as a whole; I reserve the right to use bad words and will probably end up describing bad situations. Angst … ain't life grand?
ONCE HER NAME WAS MELUSINE
Jubilation Lee took a long look around the crowded room and heaved a surreptitious, satisfied sigh. Never in all her short life had she seen so many beautiful people, dressed so well, all at once. Just passing to her left was a lovely, petite blonde woman wearing a pale lavender gown that accentuated curves Jubilee could only hope to acquire with age. The woman turned her perfectly coifed head, and smiled at the equally handsome man who joined her. Envy stabbed through Jubilee, but she banished it easily with the glow of her own accomplishment. She was here, not just for fun, but on a mission. On a mission with the X-Men.
She picked up her tray and began to circulate through the crowd. On a mission, at long last. Stopping to offer the guests canapés, she scanned the area for potential trouble. The Professor hadn't been sure of the specific nature of the threat, but he'd been sure enough that a fundraiser for Senator Deanna Carr, one of the few pro-mutant voices in the government, would attract some unfriendlies. And the team was equipped to deal with anything that came up. Storm, with her ability to control the weather; Wolverine, with his adamantium claws and mutant healing factor; Rogue, extraordinarily strong; and Jubilee. Who would…who would….provide a distraction, shooting fireworks from her palms. Okay, Ju she admonished, that's not the way to go. Professor X picked you because you're good. Just go with that.
The blonde woman in the lavender gown watched the young Asian girl disappear into the crowd. Though she was mortally tempted to laugh out loud, she contented herself with a small and triumphant smile. She often 'eavesdropped' for compliments, but rarely had they paid off so handsomely. She readily picked out the other mutant "team members" that the girl had identified. A tall Negro woman with striking white hair, wearing silver, had to be Storm. The vivacious Southern Belle, statuesque in a forest green sheath with a high collar and elegant black gloves highlighted by a stunning diamond bracelet, was certainly Rogue. And the Wolverine? There, behind the bar, polishing glasses and pouring drinks. With a thin veneer of civilization as camouflage, she reflected. Oh, formidable enough, she supposed. But not a match for her.
Jubilee stopped at the bar to reload her tray, and confer with Logan. "Hey kid," he greeted her. "Seein' any action?" "Yeah," she replied. "The mushroom ones are going really fast, but these green things are way gross. You?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you think? Is something going to happen?" Logan paused to pour two shots and pass them to a waiter before replying. "The Professor knows his stuff. Somethin' ain't right here. It'll go down, all right. Better go," he urged, as Jubilee herself caught sight of the incensed headwaiter bearing down on her. Grabbing a new tray, she launched herself into the crowd and forced her way across the room. Maybe she could catch another glimpse of the woman in the lavender gown.
She was stopped partway to her target by a middle-aged man. "Oh thank goodness!" he smiled. "Please halt, I'm completely famished." He had the kind of grin that invited you to grin back, Jubilee realized. "Now, gracious bringer of hors d'oeuvres, tell me, which of these is safe to eat?" He reached for one of the green-topped crackers. "Ah, I see by the widening of your eyes that these are not a tasty treat. Perhaps the mushroom, then?" He took the last two from her tray, leaving her with only green. "Delicious," he proclaimed. "But scarcely filling." Reaching into his suit pocket, the man dropped a bill onto her tray. "A little something for your college fund, with more if you return with more of these delectable mushroom morsels?" The plaintive tone in his voice was only exceeded by the hangdog expression in his eyes. "It's a deal," Jubilee laughingly assured him, as she crossed the room to the main server station. Her eyes widened as she realized the bill he'd dropped on her tray was a fifty. "Holy!" she breathed. She was definitely heading back there with all mushroom! And her luck increased on the return trip; the lavender lady was standing right beside Big Spender. She was only ten metres away from another fifty dollars when, with a huge crash, the wall blew in.
The force of the explosion knocked Jubilee to the ground, and the aftereffects of the boom were still ringing in her ears as she got to her feet. Silhouetted in the newly made opening were two forms, one grotesquely huge, the other deformed and lizard-like. The huge one roared a wordless challenge, surging forward into the room. He was met by the slight form of Rogue, who, with one dainty punch, sent him flying back whence he came. The lizard guy was met by Wolverine and a blast of icy air from Storm. Just a distraction, she thought bitterly for a moment, then was stopped by the voice of the Professor. No, Jubilee, not a distraction. You must help these people get out safely. She looked around; people were already starting to scatter.
Just ahead of her, the lavender lady was helping the Big Spender to his feet. "Come with me, sir," she said authoritatively. "I'm with event security." "You have a badge, I suppose?" he inquired weakly. "Of course," she replied, holding up an empty hand. "Of course," he steadied himself on her arm. "One can never be too careful, you know." "I know," she returned, leading him towards a side exit. Jubilee was immobilized with astonishment. She was not event security; they'd reviewed the files at the mansion before setting out. And yet, somehow, showing him an empty hand, she'd convinced that man that she was. Meaning … Senator Carr had never been the target. And the lavender lady was a mutant. And she was kidnapping that nice man. Jubilee hightailed it out the exit after them.
She raced down the corridor without catching a glimpse of them. Only a closing door gave her a hint as to their location. She caught the door before it snicked shut and eased into the stairwell. The tapping of heels was coming from down below. With a deep breath in, Jubilee triggered her mutant power and began to sneak down the stairs after them. Normally her fireworks erupted with a hissing noise, just like the real thing, but she'd been working hard on her control, bringing her power to the point of firing, holding it there. Much better for sneaking, as current events were proving. She raced down three flights of stairs, cursing mentally when she heard them opening a door. Please don't let them be too far in front of me! she prayed, exhaling with relief as once again she was able to catch their door before it closed completely. She saw them at once, hurrying down the hallway. And she'd lose them for sure if she didn't stop them soon.
"Hey!" she called out, then kicked herself. Way cool dialogue, Ju! But it did its job—the lavender lady stopped and turned. "Where do you think you're going?" she added, for good cliched measure. "I'm with security," the woman began.
"Oh no you're not," Jubilee cried, opening her hands and allowing the barest trickle of her power out, as a warning. "Now let this man go, or I'll have to do something!"
"I don't think that's really necessary," the woman began. Jubilee shook her head, feeling the tell-tale tickle of telepathy at work. Her fireworks began to hiss in earnest as she built up for a blast. She'd have to aim carefully, to take out the woman without hitting the man. "There's really nothing wrong here." The woman looked past Jubilee, down the corridor behind her. "And I can take care of this by myself," she grated. If she hadn't been so busy aiming, Jubilee would have laughed. The oldest trick in the book!
"Now," hissed a voice from behind Jubilee. She whirled around in shock, firing instinctively, but the blast was cut short by the wicked crack of a lizard's tail against her skull.
"There's nothing wrong," the lizard-man finished with satisfaction.
***
Jubilee awoke in a dark, dank room. Her head was pounding, and though she was pretty sure she was lying still, she was also about ninety-nine percent sure the room was spinning around her like a crazy amusement park ride. She could make out shouting, from somewhere nearby.
"Morons!" screamed a woman's voice. Lavender lady, Jubilee identified. "A nice, simple kidnapping with ransom, and you screw it up! Do you know what this kid is? Do you know who she is? I had everything under control, until you turned up!"
"Don't push us around, Lady High-and-Mighty! We've all got responsibilities here. Our directive was clear. No one was to identify you. She saw you, she had to be dealt with."
"I was dealing with her," Lavender Lady's tone had dropped into the subglacial. "She wouldn't even have remembered seeing me."
"Don't be a fool, Melusine," a third voice answered. Jubilee recognized this one too—the Leaping Lizard. "You ain't that good. Besides, what He says, goes. And He said, no one id's you. You don't want to cross Him, do you?" There was silence in the other room. Jubilee tried blinking her eyes and moving her head. Pain stabbed through her, stopping the tilt-a-whirl motion of the bed momentarily.
"She's awake," Melusine announced curtly.
"'S your funeral," the Lizard called out cheerfully, as Jubilee heard the door open and close. A light weight settled on the bed beside her, and surprisingly gentle hands reached out to either side of her head, feeling softly around.
"How are you doing?" Melusine asked. "Would you like a drink?" She took a cup from beside the bed and held it to Jubilee's lips. After a drink, she continued. "Does it hurt?"
"Won't tell you," Jubilee whispered.
"Tell me what?" She continued her gentle probing of Jubilee's head, hissing softly as she determined the extent of the swelling. "This, it's not good."
"Anything," Jubilee answered, then gasped as Melusine's relentless fingers found a particularly tender spot.
Don't speak, Melusine's mental voice urged. Believe me, it wasn't my idea to bring you here. Or to give you this knock on the head. My choice, you would have stayed in the hallway, nice little memory wipe, no one's the wiser. I really don't like this.
What? Jubilee thought dazedly back. Melusine disengaged from the girl's thoughts, sitting back on the bed. I don't like any of this, she realized, not for the first time. While the girl was at the hotel had been one thing, but now that she was here, there was almost certainly only one outcome. He would have it no other way. And in that context, what she was about to do was almost certainly a gross waste.
"Lie still," she whispered to Jubilee. She laid her palms on Jubilee's temples, and somehow, gradually and miraculously, brought the room to a slow and gentle stop. A gorgeous lassitude stole through Jubilee's body, a deep warmth that banished pain and care, and swirled in a gentle motion from the tips of her toes to the top of her skull, easing and draining the killing pressure that had built up in the subdural hematoma, mending the cracks in her skull caused by the bruising impact of the lizard's tail, and finally, soothing away the surface swelling and smoothing the way into a deep and dreamless sleep.
***
Jubilee awoke for the second time in the airless chamber, this time without any dizziness or pain. "Come on!" hissed a voice from the door. Sitting up, Jubilee opened her palm to allow a tiny bit of firecracker light to escape. It was Melusine, formerly perfect hair in some disarray. "Come on," she repeated. "We have to go now."
"Where?" Jubilee asked. Melusine rolled her eyes in frustration. "To get you out, of course. The others are sleeping. Now's our best chance. Come on!" Jubilee remained on the cot.
"Why?"
"We don't have time for twenty questions!" Seeing that Jubilee was not about to budge, Melusine relented. "They're going to kill you," she admitted. "I don't want that to happen, so you have to escape now. While they're sleeping. Before He comes."
"He who?" Jubilee asked. Melusine's moment of calmness was past; she began to bob restlessly in front of the door. "Don't ask. Just come. There's not much time. Less if we don't go now. Come on!" Melusine opened the door, and Jubilee quickly scrambled off the cot and followed.
The room beyond was also pitch black. "Douse the light!" Melusine commanded and Jubilee obeyed. "Give me your hand!" They picked their way across the room; from the far corner, Jubilee could just make out the sound of heavy breathing. Halfway across, one of the sleepers began to whimper; Melusine froze. Sleep! Deep sleep! Jubilee's head began to sag. Not you! The thought lanced her back to consciousness. They hastened to the exit and slipped through. Melusine led Jubilee through a maze of corridors and staircases, in all directions, until finally they stood at a door. "This is it," Melusine whispered. "Out this door, then down two blocks and you're on Broadway. Don't wait around; get someone to pick you up."
"You're not coming with me?" Jubilee didn't know whether to be shocked or frightened.
"No," the other woman replied. "I have unfinished business here. Now go."
Jubilee paused with her hand on the door. "Thank you. I won't forget what you did for me." She turned the knob and disappeared.
Yes, you will. thought Melusine triumphantly as the girl ran down the street.
END OF PART I