Disclaimer: I own not, you sue not!!
Hello, I greet you with my new Muse sat at my side (many thanks to NCSGirl though you could have at least housetrained him!). Firstly I would like to thank everyone who makes the effort to read and review it really does help!!
Also thanks to Oracles Maiden who has made a fab job of doing Mels POV!! And also for the constant support, badgering, advice and ideas!! It really helps, I hope I do ya proud in #12! Check out Oracles Maiden's new X-Men fanfic it really is brilliant!!
NcsGirl For you constant support, ideas and generosity!! You reviews keep me laughing!! Oh and keep up your brilliant work!!
Red Haired She Devil for your great ideas (as witnessed in this by Hank's crab talk!)
ZilentZombie for your constructive critism and generous reviews!! I have tried to sort out my punctuation stuff as you pointed out, it's just I get terribally bored proof reading my own work (and it shows)!! Like NCSGirl your reviews have me in stitches!
DarktheDestroyer thanks for a) returning to the fold b)taking the time to review!
Xx-Disturbed-xX thanks for taking the time to read Retribution X! Oh and what do you think happened to Kat? I left it open ended cause a) I wanted readers to draw own conclusions b) I didn't really wanna write anymore at that time!!
Thank you also all for reading I hope you enjoy this I know its quite long but it is my favourite one!! Let me know what you think and which one is your fav!!
So without further ado please read, review and enjoy:
Retribution X: an anniversary, new uniforms and a holiday!
Retribution X in debate
"Well we should definitely do something!" she said taking a bite out of her apple
"Why?" I asked Jubilee
"Because it's our first anniversary of being an official team!" Jubilee exclaimed
"That's not really a good enough reason and I'm not letting any of you drink after Halloween and my returning party! I still can't get the smell of the Summers bathroom off of me!" I glowered at them
"You can't stop us!" Jubilee said getting up from her chair, a movement that I mirrored glowering at her across the table.
ZZzzz I charged my hands "You wanna bet sad act?!"
"Girl's Girls settle down!" Mel said pulling Jubilee back down to sitting position.
"Firstly girl's before we plan anything hadn't we better find out what funds the Professor's going to cough up for the occasion" Ev pointed out in her quiet manner.
Sometimes I felt that we were a bad influence on Evelyn and Melody, only a year ago they had been so prim and proper against the sins of alcohol and now….hell they were as bad as the rest of us!
"Gal's you know thing's are bad when I'm the voice of reason, but I actually agree with Ev on this" Kat said seriously, however she would have been taken a lot more seriously if she hadn't said it while wearing her dog tags on top of her ears and hooked over her nose.
"Okay any volunteers?" I said looking around the table which had no raised hands "Okay do I have to delegate?" Kat shoved Evelyn's hand up in the air "Don't all rush at once ladies…" I sighed it was useless I was never going to be able to sell Xavier as a good looking hunk "…Okay we'll all go together safety in numbers and all that!"
In the Professors study
"But I've already brought you you're anniversary gifts!" Every ones eyes glazed over, it was going to be Shakespeare or Dickens…always bloody Dickens
The Professor indicated for someone to step out of the shadows
"ARGH! IT'S A MONKEY BUTLER!" Kat yelled attaching herself to Jubilee's arm and cowering slightly
"No Kat that's Beast!" Jubes soothed her in the way one would an annoying puppy
"Beast would you fetch the parcels from the cupboard over there?" The Professor asked politely
"I would be honoured"
"Brown noser!" I said through the side of my mouth to Mel who giggled
"Professor what's a brown noser?" Kat asked innocently before I slapped upside the head. "Owww! She said looking around for the source of her pain before sending a small flame at a fly harmlessly buzzing around the room whom she suspected to be the culprit.
Unfortunately she missed and set one of the paintings on his wall on fire, Ev quickly squirted it with water to put the flame out before Prof X noticed. However there was a floor to this plan too: the painting was a water colour, and alas the paint ran into a sad multi-coloured puddle - oops.
Beast walked over with 5 brown paper parcels tied with string. It was quiet exciting I must admit, it was something to do with the brown paper and string. Despite my excitement I looked at the package suspiciously as if it contained a bomb, Mel held hers loosely by corner as if it was contagious. Kat had begun to open her package eagerly enough but was held up by the string, I looked at my package and began to unwrap it neatly. I held up it's contents a leather jacket decorated with buckles and belts giving it a biker like appearance and if the instructions had been followed it was reinforced with Kevlar. It had the X symbol on each shoulder and had quite a high collar. I also received a pair of black baggy jeans that were faded in the front and a pair of combat boots (which every one received). I was quite ironic I thought how I was called white lightning yet I possessed a black uniform.
I smiled thanks at the Professor who quirked an eyebrow "I hope they all meet your requirements, you have been badgering me to get you uniforms for long enough and I thought your anniversary month would be the idle time in which to give them to you!"
I looked at the others: Kat held up the heavily feathered yeti like costume she had ordered, she was so pleased she hugged it to her and began to lift the hem of her t-shirt.
"Ummm…Kat I feel I'm not speaking for myself when I say I feel no urge to see your pot belly, so please go somewhere else to change into it!" I ordered
She shot up ran to the door seemed like she had forgotten something ran back and kissed the Prof on the cheek before realising what she was doing then began to splutter and wipe her tongue against her feathered costume as a way to clean it. Unfortunately (or the opposite) her mouth was then left full of feathers as she ran out of the room.
Melody showed me her new figure hugging black leather cat suit (again reinforced with Kevlar and of a style not uncommon within the X-Women) which would look both seductive and fashionable (especially when coupled with the chunky belt bearing the coveted X symbol) while accentuating her curves.
Evelyn's costume was of a cerulean airy fabric not unfamiliar to the sheerness of voile, this however covered a black tank top which bore the symbol in the centre of its chest and I assumed would be reinforced with Kevlar.
Jubilees new costume was, you guessed it, yellow and not un-similar to Mel's in style, however she had a face covering like Gambits (okay so not exactly a face covering but you get the gist of it). Personally this wasn't to my taste it was too…um…yellow!
At least we wouldn't look like interfering civilians anymore, but it was a bummer that we knew we'd be pushing it if we asked for a party, well not for me but for the others.
Back in our wing
We all stood in the living room showing off our new battle garb.
"Jeez Mel we ain't trying to make them drown in their own drool!" I said looking at the costume that seemed to fit too bloody well…damn her and her good looks and perfectly proportioned body, no matter what I did or wore I'd still only be a midget…sorry vertically challenged.
I laughed at Kats proud expression but I think I must have been going soft in my old age because I just didn't have the heart to point out that she looked like emu after being put thought a mincer.
"Ya ain't plannin' ta render me colour blind are ya darlin'?" Wolverine asked Jubes leaning against the living kitchen door frame.
Jubilee glowered at him.
Kat had got her zipper stuck in her feathers so she walked around in circles to try and get at it, so I walked over to try and un-jam it. Kat however got impatient and set her hands alight resulting with her whole outfit going up in flames. Ev once again saved the day by drenching her with water. I looked heaven ward, god would I never be safe from the living nightmare that is … Kat!!
"When ya gonna get in your costume Sparky?" Wolverine asked me eyebrow cocked
I shot him what I hoped was a withering look, before tucking my dog tags in under my jacket.
Wolverine got up to return to his scour of the fridge (which I hoped would prove fruitless because it would save me running the gauntlet of raiding the Brady Bunches fridge).
I sighed glad he was gone and announced quietly that "Captain Canada has left the room!"
"I heard that bub!"
Damn his sensitive hearing I thought bitterly shaking my fist at the ceiling (a habit I have recently got into causing weird looks from anyone but the girls).
The next day in the Professors study
"What?!" We yelled in unison
"I for one refuse to work at all on our anniversary month!" Jubes said crossing her arms
"Jubes that's going too far, but to not let us have even a day off is a bit harsh Professor!" I said trying to hark back to the negotiation classes that we had had with Beast (Wolverine hadn't been allowed to teach us that, something about his idea of negotiation being to slice n dice people had been mentioned).
The professor burst out laughing
"What is so funny about our distress?" Mel asked bottom lip stuck out like a shelf
I merely stood mouth agape I had never seen the Professor laugh before…it was…well to be completely honest …gross you could see all of the food in his teeth.
"Well this..." he waved his hand "has all been a joke...it was Scott's idea actually…"
"That would explain why it isn't funny then!" I muttered out of the corner of my mouth I saw Wolverine smirk besides Jubilee (he too had been summoned).
"…you see you think we wouldn't celebrate your 1st anniversary as a team when really we've organised for all 6 of you to go on a cruise to Hawaii!"
"I love you Professor Xavier!" Jubes squealed in a very un-Jubes like manner as she threw her arms around him.
I looked at him suspiciously "What's the catch?"
"None, except that you can each choose to take an X-man with you!"
"Bagsy Gumbo!" Wolverine shouted
I glowered at him I had wanted to take my alcohol supplier "Since when did you say bagsy?" I sneered at him
"Since now!" Snickt
"Fair enough!" I gulped looking at the claws being waved in my face
"I would advise you think seriously about who you're going to take…" the Professor cautioned "…you must decide which one's you feel deserve a break not which one's you like!"
We walked out of his office
"TO HELL WITH THAT!" We all screamed in unison before running for the debating table
The debating table an hour later.
"Right Wolvies taking our alcohol supply! So that leaves us with a free rein with who else to ask!"
"I'll take Gambit!" Kat announced this was her 20th outburst on who she was going to take with her. Her choices differed but always came back to Gambit eventually, and then we would have to explain to her Gambit was already spoken for she'd sob and then the whole vicious circle would be repeated.
Debates always took it out of us (especially when Kat was involved) we were now incredibly hot and sticky with sweat, but we had only decided that we would avoid all sushi.
"I'll take Kurt he will defiantly be an ally" Mel said
We all shot our heads round to look at her with raised eyebrows
"What?! He would!"
"What about ol' blue boy?" I asked
"I said I'd take Kurt!"
"Jeez you've got Kurt on the brain I meant the other blue boy! Dr McCoy!!"
The table fell silent as we watched Mel do that nervous, indecisive jig peculiar to her.
"What's wrong?!" I asked irritably
"I don't think taking Kurt's such a good idea after all…" she said indecisively
"I'll take the lil' cutesy…" Kat said looking up from the yoghurt pot that had been occupying her for the last hour.
"Please Kat don't…"
"Too late!" Kat sang just before the yoghurt pot got stuck to the outside of her cheek resulting in the helpless flailing of limbs.
Jubes flicked the pot off of her cheek for her when she saw a safe gap in the limbs.
"Let's go around the table and reveal who we want to take! It's going to be easier then assessing each person in the mansion or we'll be here forever!" I said "so we know who Mel and Kat want to take-Beast and Kurt" I summed up "I will take Scott"
Everyone looked at me
Jubes finally spoke up "You hate Scott and all he stands for though!"
"I know but it sure would piss Wolverine off and bedside's who else are we going to pull pranks on?"
"Good point!"
"I'll take Scott!!" Kat yelled
"But you just said…"
"I am aware of what I just said!" Kat said briskly
"Okay Ev you go next"
"Ummm...Professor X!"
"I'll take the Professor!" Kat yelled
"But you just said…"
"To hell with what I just said that was over an hour ago!"
"Well…technically Kat that was 10 seconds ago!"
"Ohh look there goes Mel using her brain again!" Kat said in the voice you use when speaking to babies
"Look will you just decide who the bloody hell you are taking?!" I was losing patience now, the football…sorry am in America…soccer would kick off any minute
"I'll take Kurt then!" Ev helpfully offered
"Kurt…yes definitely Kurt I'll take Kurt!" Kat yelled
"Bloody hell it ain't an auction!" I said as she raised her hand
An hour later
"Right I'll take Scott, Jubes your taking Jean, that's the victims sorted! Ev's taking the Professor because she couldn't think of anyone else; Mel's taking Beast and Kat's taking Kurt! That's sorted then! Debate adjourned!" I said relieved the whole ordeal was over. "Unbind Kat!" I ordered as much as I didn't want to
Suddenly Jubes hand flew to her mouth "What about Bobby?"
"Oh no Bobby!" Kat said crestfallen
I knew what was coming Zzzzz
"Oh well he's young he'll get over it!" She said perking up
"I thought so!" I muttered.
Remember to not review is a sin, like eating weetabix without suger!!
