O Jubilation – By Darlin
A/N – Woohoo! Thanks to my wonderful reviewers.
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Chapter Two – Woe and Grief
After a week of camping with Logan and learning how to survive in the wild, Jubilee was actually staying awake in class. She still seemed to be daydreaming half the time but she was more attentive than usual which showed she was making some progress. Of course Logan had considered that intense torture from him would inspire her but he was still not satisfied with his results. He decided to give her a few days off from camping and he cancelled the 6 a.m. meetings as well in hopes of seeing what might transpire.
Jubilee couldn't believe her good fortune when Logan gave her the news. She would still meet with Ororo daily but no more camping out with Logan for three whole nights would be heaven. The first free night she kept to her room glad to sleep in a real bed for a change. The second night she decided she better lay low and stayed in her room again but on the third and last night she decided she better take care of business.
Unbeknownst to Jubilee Logan was watching from the secrecy of some nearby bushes as Jubilee took a dangerous leap from her window to a thick tree branch outside. He couldn't help but appreciate her acrobatic skills but he had to shake his head with disappointment. He'd been waiting and watching under her window for the past three nights and she hadn't made any real attempts to leave so he'd hoped she was cured of whatever it was that she needed to be cured of.
He'd gotten a kick out of watching her though. The first night she'd thrown a few things out of the window then hidden behind the curtain waiting to see if anyone was paying attention to her doings. He hadn't thought of that tactic but he since it wasn't her that came out of the window he didn't budge from his hiding place. The second day she had actually climbed out onto the window sill and kicked her legs against the side of the house for a good hour. She'd done this two separate times but he still hadn't made a move. Now he was trailing her as stealthily as a Wolverine could.
He hated to think what she was involved in. He'd been worried about her extracurricular activities ever since he'd heard her climbing into her room that first morning when Ororo had unlocked her door. He had smelled something very unsettling on her when they'd entered the room. Not alcohol, not drugs, and not sex. What he had smelled was gun powder – gunpowder and blood.
He was all too aware that her unique fireworks didn't smell anything like gunpowder and blood. He hated the thought but he figured, maybe she was in some kind of a gang. It went against everything he knew about Jubilee but he couldn't think of anything else that would explain her smelling like that. Watching her avoid the alarms and homemade booby traps that Emma had had some of the students rig he had to admit she was good but then again she'd learned from the best – him. Normally he would've been proud of her but now he was beginning to regret he'd taught her anything at all.
Dressed in one of her favorite yellow trench coats, Jubilee was an easy target to track. It made him wonder what she was thinking until she tossed the coat in the bushes by the garage and pulled out a Vespa motor scooter that no one had missed or thought to look for. She then proceeded to push it through the grass till she was off the beaten track. Logan followed her and saw her stop when she reached the thick brick gate that wound around the estate. He wondered curiously how she was going pass the brick wall without setting off the alarm.
He didn't have long to wonder. Jubilee scanned the area carefully before she lifted what looked like a large section of sod up. She moved it aside and pushing her scooter she disappeared into the ground. Logan ran up to the dark spot where he'd last seen her. Looking down he saw a large hole with a crude ramp that descended gradually. Pretty sneak, he thought. A tunnel under the wall. Flamin' sneaky, he thought, I taught her too well! He knew she had to come back to put the sod back in place and he thought about waiting for her for a moment but he'd need transportation if he was going to trail her. To stay or go? Catch her now and put the fear of the Wolverine in her or find out what she was up to?
"What now?" A soft voice whispered in the darkness.
Logan jumped, startled. He cursed under his breath.
"You are losing your touch, old friend," Ororo whispered in his ear.
When he glared at her she smiled and said quietly, "Upwind."
"Sssh," was all Logan could think to say, not any happier knowing why she'd been able to sneak up on him.
"She's brilliantly sneaky much like you. Need a lift?" Ororo was as quiet as she could be.
Logan could hear Jubilee making her way back through her little tunnel. He put a finger to his lips and shushed Ororo and grabbed her arm pulling her into a stand of nearby trees. They watched Jubilee drag the plate of sod back into place with only enough space for her to slip back through. She then struggled with getting it closed completely for awhile. When she finally succeeded Logan could hear her running down the makeshift ramp.
"Alright, Ro I'm glad yer here," Logan whispered more harshly than he'd planned, his words sounding more resentful than pleased.
Ororo only smiled at her friend. When they heard the sound of Jubilee's Vespa start up Ororo floated up on a gust of wind till she was just above Logan then she caught him by the armpits and a strong wind carried them both upward. They were easily able to follow their ward into New York City as Jubilee actually wasn't trying to cover her trail. She had no suspicion that she'd been followed. Since the citizens of New York were quite used to seeing flying super heroes Ororo didn't attempt to hide their pursuit from any curious eyes that might be peering out at them from the many skyscrapers.
"Hell's Kitchen? What the blazes is she doin' here?" Logan growled.
It appeared that her
destination was a dark alley strewn with trash and lined with vacant boarded up
buildings. Neither could figure out what she could be doing there. Ororo lit
down on a nearby rooftop and they watched her knock on a door of one of the
buildings. After about ten minutes she came back out parked her Vespa behind a dumpster and walked out of the alley without
looking back.
Now that she was on foot Logan took the lead and Ororo followed. When
Jubilee finally came to a stop they were once again confused as she merely
leaned against a mail box and put a pair of sunglasses on. They looked at each
other briefly then returned their attention to Jubilee. After awhile it looked
as if she was paying attention to a seedy bar a little ways down the street.
A few people staggered by, some on their own steam, but no one seemed to pay
much attention to Jubilee. However, after waiting outside for half an hour a
large man with hair down to his waist came out of the bar, his eyes immediately
latching onto the young girl. He stood in the dim light, lit a cigarette then
headed over to her with a leering smile on his face. Jubilee turned her back to
him with a groan but the man kept coming. When he put a large hand on her
behind Ororo had to hold Logan back so their cover wasn't blown.
Jubilee whipped around angrily and blasted him with her pyrokinetic
fireworks.
Ororo looked at Logan who
reluctantly met her eyes.
"You taught her well," Ororo said.
"Then what the hell's she doin' standin' on a flamin' street corner like a hooker?" Logan snarled.
Ororo shook her head sadly then nodded towards the subject of their
conversation. They saw the man whom Jubilee had attacked running down the
street, both hands covering his eyes. A horn blasted repeatedly when he ran too
close to a car. Jubilee just laughed and watched him run blindly through the
street. She then made her way slowly down to the seedy bar she'd been observing
before she'd been so rudely interrupted. She didn't go in but continued to wait
leaning against a building blowing her bubble gum bubbles totally non-fazed.
After about fifteen minutes another man came out. He was a thin man about six
feet tall and non-descript staggering and singing off key. Jubilee immediately
perked up watching the man carefully.
"Dawson? Samuel Dawson?" Jubilee shouted.
"Huh? Who're you? An' who wants ta know?"
"I do," Jubilee smiled, removing her shades and moving seductively towards him.
"Oh, mama! You can call me whatever you want. I got something fer you, babe. You think you're woman enough to handle me? Come on then, girl. Daddy's waiting!"
Jubilee kept walking to him, her hands moving over her breast as if she were teasing him.
"Ro, I'm goin' in . . ." Logan's jaw nearly dropped to the ground at what he witnessed next.
Jubilee pulled a gun out of her bosom and took aim at the drunkard who wasn't sober enough to sense the peril he was in.
"No!" Ororo screamed even as Logan ran and dove for Jubilee knocking her to the ground, her gun skidding across the pavement.
But the gun had already gone off assaulting their ears with the sharp harsh sound of death a moment later. Ororo grabbed the gun from where it had fallen then rushed up to Jubilee and Logan who were both on the ground staring at the man who was lying in a pool of blood. Jubilee made an effort to get up as if to go to the man but Logan threw her over his shoulder.
"What the hell do you think yer doin', Jubes?" He demanded and smacked her as hard as he could on her derrière.
"Get her out of here!" Ororo ordered as people began coming out of the bar curious to see what was going on.
Her signature lightning bolt broke through the night sky striking the street in front of the bar causing the people to panic and rush back inside. A thick fog successfully hid the three X-Men as they made their escape. Ororo followed Logan and Jubilee for several blocks as a pounding cold rain beat down all around them. When she was sure that they weren't being followed she called a halt and ordered Logan to put his burden down on her own two feet.
Tossed unceremoniously onto the ground like a puny sack of potatoes Jubilee landed with the breath knocked out of her. Logan and Ororo looked incredulously at Jubilee who was completely soaked and looked more like a child than ever sprawled out on the dirty ground. She, in turn, looked aghast at her mentors not knowing what to do or say.
"Have you lost your freakin' mind, kid?" Logan snapped.
"Are you going to turn me in?" Jubilee asked her voice surprisingly calm as she got up.
"You just killed a guy, Jubes!" Logan yelled.
"Sssh!" Ororo hissed her eyes still white from using her powers. "We do not need more attention drawn to us!"
"So says the lady with the white eyes," Jubilee laughed then coughed.
Ororo turned very angry and very blue eyes onto Jubilee who quaked in her boots. Logan stepped in between the two. He couldn't remember when he'd seen Ororo look so angry. When his hand caught hers, Ororo looked at her friend and made an effort to calm herself. She took several deep breaths then nodded to Logan who stepped out of her way.
"Tell us what is going on," Ororo ordered as calmly as she could.
"I- I – I'm a – a hit man. A hit girl I guess. Whatever."
Logan and Ororo looked at each in utter shock and horror.
"You better be kiddin'!" Logan yelled.
"Explain yourself child!" Ororo was now yelling as loudly as Logan.
Jubilee tried to shrug as if she was unconcerned but the gesture failed. She was shaking from fear though Logan didn't know if it was fear of being caught or fear of him and Ororo.
"I-I kill people – bad people. I kill 'em for a living," Jubilee mumbled.
"What kind of insane, asinine, stupid . . .?" Ororo could find no words and she fell silent as she took several deep breaths again. Logan noticed she was nearly shaking as badly as Jubilee.
"This sure as hell can't be yer idea, kid. Who put you up to this?"
Jubilee looked from the clearly shaken Ororo to the very enraged Logan. She knew there was no way out of this and she didn't try to lie.
"Come with me and I'll show you," she said and started walking.
Ororo and Logan looked at each other again. He put an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder gently. Her hand covered his and she didn't let go of it as they resolutely followed Jubilee back to the alley where she'd left her Vespa.
"You better hide behind here," Jubilee suggested pointing to the dumpster. When they were out of sight she knocked on the door.
After a minute the door opened a crack then opened wider to let her in. Logan ran up ready to force his way in behind her. Ororo following more cautiously prepared to cover them should the need arise.
"Hey, kid what the hell's going on?" A man in a suit and sunglasses barked when he saw Logan who was growling so animalistic the man almost dropped his gun.
With the mood Ororo was in she was ready to strike this man down with everything in her extensive arsenal if he harmed one hair on Logan or Jubilee but before she could speak a deep voice from within the dark room called out.
"Put the gun down, Ramos!"
"Frank Castle!" Logan's stared angrily into the darkness of the room.
"Logan the Wolverine," the deep voice sounded full of amusement.
They saw a tall man clothed entirely in black leather step out of the darkness. When he had fully emerged from the darkness the dim light provided a better glimpse of the man but what stood out was the large white skull emblazoned on his chest. He looked from Logan to Jubilee to Ororo where his eyes lingered appreciatively causing Logan to growl even more like a wild animal.
"You must be the beautiful and powerful Storm that I've heard so much about," Frank Castle's voice was full of confidence as he stopped in front of Ororo and attempted to take her hand.
"Logan, you know this man?" Ororo asked appalled and taking one step back.
"Frank Castle's the Punisher – a vigilante. An' what? Now you've got kids killin' for ya too?"
"Only a select few," Frank said easily.
"How? Why?" Ororo was flabbergasted.
"The Internet," Jubilee said.
Logan, Ororo and Frank looked at the young girl but only one of them spoke.
"So what're you going to do, Wolverine? The man your friend here was after is a wanted felon who raped two teenaged girls and killed a man and his wife when he broke into their house – after he raped the wife."
"She got him," Logan said through his rage.
"That does not justify killing," Ororo said vehemently. "There are laws we all must abide by."
"I thought the almighty X-Men lived by their own laws," Frank said.
"We are not criminals!"
"That's not what I heard, Storm. You've been labeled outlaws by the Daily Bugle more times than I can shake a stick at . . ."
"A what?" Jubilee asked.
"A stick, Miss Lee," The Punisher gave her a severe look then continued – "I know J. Jonah Jameson isn't much for the truth when it comes to us – good guys but you're in his little tabloid more 'n me or Spiderman whether it's lies or not."
"What the flamin' hell does that have ta do with anything?" Logan spat out. "I oughta kill you right before you lure in any more stupid little girls!"
"No! Logan don't," Jubilee pleaded. "I'll do my time." She held out her hands as if she expected to be handcuffed.
"No."
All eyes turned to Ororo who was running her hands through her thick long hair.
"Jubilation, you've obviously been led astray but you will not be going to jail not if what Mr. Castle says is true. You will be punished most severely and Mr. Castle. . ." Ororo's eyes flashed her fury and the Punisher stepped back involuntarily. ". . . As of this moment you are out of business."
"Pay the kid," Logan said suddenly.
"Logan!"
"Give her the money, Castle an' if I ever find out you've been usin' kids for any of yer sick, hair brained schemes your ass is mine," Logan said ignoring Ororo's protest.
"Remember how I took you out with that steam roller? Well I can do it again you little pipsqueak!" Frank laughed.
"That stupid stunt didn't even work then asswipe!"
The Punisher looked a little disappointed as he realized the truth of Logan's words. With Logan's healing factor it was nearly impossible for him to be killed. Realizing he couldn't get rid of Logan he said, "Ramos, give him the money."
"It better all be here. Count it Jubilee," Logan barked. "An' Punisher, you heard what the lady said, yer out of business. I will be back an' if you haven't vacated the premises yer gonna have ta answer not only to me but ta every superhero this city has ta offer. You think Daredevil and Spidey're gonna stick up for you, Castle? They'll be huntin' ya down right along side me, bub!"
"Logan, come on," Ororo said.
"I ain't kiddin' ya sick mother . . ."
"Logan! That is enough! We need to get Jubilee back now!"
"I see she's got you whipped," Frank laughed and his cohort, Ramos laughed with him.
"At least I got a woman!" Logan snarled. "You couldn't get a woman of this caliber if you paid her!"
"Logan!" Ororo pulled him towards the
door.
Jubilee was trying not to laugh at Logan's male posturing but Ororo wasn't
pleased one bit. When they were outside she almost felt like slapping some
sense into Logan. Who did he think he was telling that lunatic she was his
woman?
"So now we know how you got all that stuff I saw in yer room – all the latest technology and the scooter." He shook his head then started counting the money. His eyes grew wide with disbelief when he counted out twenty crisp one hundred dollar bills. "Jubilee, you have a serious problem!"
Jubilee didn't know if he thought she was crazy or was paid too little or maybe paid too much. She'd received the same amount for the others she'd killed. And what was the big deal anyway? She'd only actually killed two people before she took out the guy earlier. Tracking the scuzzballs down was hard work, but she'd thought the money had been decent now she was wondering if the Punisher had ripped her off.
"Ow!" Jubilee wasn't prepared when Logan's hand gripped her arm like a vice and she couldn't help but winced in pain.
He dragged her over to the dumpster, threw her onto her Vespa and yelled, "Get your ass home now an' don't even think about runnin' 'cause you know I can find you no matter where you go!"
Alarmed, Jubilee started her bike and took off. Looking behind her she saw Logan being lifted by Ororo as they too took off.
"Oh, Logan what did we do wrong?" Ororo groaned.
"I dunno darlin' all I know is we fixed the problem. She won't be goin' around killin' off people again not as long as I can help it," Logan replied gruffly.
"But she has killed and who knows how many! I just can not understand that. Whatever happened to our little Jubilation?"
"I dunno, Ro but at least we know what's wrong with her. I couldn't figure out why she had so much expensive stuff in her room but now. . ." Logan sighed and shook his head.
"She has to pay for this, Logan but I just do not know how. What can we do? What possible punishment shy of going to prison would even work?"
"We'll work somethin' out, darlin'. It'll be alright," Logan assured her.
"We will have to tell the Professor."
"Maybe."
Ororo was silent. She genuinely loved Jubilee and discovering what the child had been up to was absolutely heartbreaking.
"Sheeesh, Jubilee, teenage hit girl! Who'da thought," Logan muttered.
