Chapter 12: Generation X

Jubilee stood with Monet and Penance at the entrance to Four Freedoms Plaza. After leaving the remains of the school, they had fled to the X-Men's old base in Australia. There, they had learned that the creatures had somehow gotten to New York. Monet had insisted that they go to New York to tell the gathered heroes what had happened.

"Our information is invaluable." she had said. So they came.

"Well, Jubilee said. "Let's go." She purposefully strode to the door and went in, Monet and Penance close behind. Monet soon found an intercom. "Excuse me," she said into the speaker.

"Yes?" the voice of Reed Richards answered.

"My name is Monet St. Croix, formally a student at Xavier's School for gifted youngsters. My friends and I have information regarding the threat facing the city."

Reed and Xavier both looked startled. "Formally a student?" they said at once.

"Come on up." Reed said. "Maybe we can get to the bottom of this."

"Paige is dead?" Sam murmured despairingly. No one had taken the news of the demise of Generation X well.

"Where are Artie and Leech?" Xavier asked softly.

"They are safe." Monet said. "Gateway is taking care of them."

At that moment, Spider Man's voice broke in from the communicator. "Okay guys!" he cried, behind him, the sounds of carnage could be heard. "We found 'em! We could really use some back up!"

That was all the assembled heroes needed to hear. They were more than ready to destroy the alien threat.

"It's clobberin' time!" Thing cried as they left the building.

Soon, only Monet, Reed, Xavier, Jubilee and Penance remained.

Jubilee sat, squirming in her chair. She felt torn between her desire to do something, and her absolute relief that she was safe in the heavily fortified Four Freedoms Plaza. Jubilee did not like being torn. She'd always known what she wanted, and now, she didn't.

"Uhhh!" she stood, frustrated. She began to pace. "I can't stand it Professor," she said to Xavier, "I've got to do something!"

"I know how you feel." Xavier said. He was monitoring the progress of the battle. It was hard, keeping his cool when so many of his students had been killed. But he did what he had to do. "But I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help you."

"I just need to do something. At least you and Monet got something to do. Don't they have any computer games on this thing?"

Monet stared through the microscope at a piece of skin from the dead hand shaped alien nicknamed, the face hugger. She was so relieved to finally find a mind almost as intelligent as her own. As well as a task worthy of her intelligence. Learning as much about these things as possible. The physiology of these creatures was amazing. She'd never seen anything like it.
Beside her, Reed Richards analyzed the creature's blood.

"What did the X-Men do with the aliens that Ice man froze?"

"Why?" She looked up from her research. "Have you found something?"

"Yes, it seems that when the blood is subjected to extreme cold temperatures, it automatically heats itself up, to incredible temperatures. If the X-Men have not destroyed them, when they thaw, they will once again be a threat."

Fatale, Havok and Random stood in the front hall of the X-Men's mansion. "Now what did Furball want us to do again?" Random asked.

"Find the ones that were frozen by Ice Cube and take them back to his lab for study."

"Finally." Random sighed. "An easy job."

Shatterstar sat in the infirmary, sulking. His ruined ankle had kept him out of the fighting, and he did not like to be left out of a battle. So instead he sat, watching the television that Beast had installed at the console.

So engrossed was he in the program, that he almost did not notice the shadow that fell over him. He spun in his chair, ready to fight, but he never got the chance.

Fatale's dagger entered through his eye, into his brain, killing him instantly. "How many were there?"

"McCoy said two." Havok answered. "Let's keep moving." He led them into a dark corridor that led back the way they came. "I don't like this." Havok muttered. "They weren't where he said they would-"

Havok's next words were cut off by the sound of his head being ripped from his shoulders. Fatal let out a rare scream as the two monstrosities charged at them.

Random shoved her aside and blasted the Aliens before they had taken two steps. "Well," Random said, looking at the acid drenched corpses and that of their leader. "I don't think the boss will be too happy with us, but at least we're alive."

"That's amazing." Monet said. "These things seem to be capable of surviving any climate."

"Indeed, they may even be able to survive the vacuum of space." Reed theorized.

Reed Richards jerked up at the sound of the alarm. "Someone's penetrated the inner defenses!" He tapped a few keys on the console, and relaxed. "It's just Wolverine." he said. "I was wondering when he'd show up."

Reed and Monet entered the next room, and informed Xavier and Jubilee of their guest.

"Wolvie's here?" Jubilee asked, in disbelieving joy. "Yes!" She ran from the room to intercept Wolverine. She wanted to have a few minutes alone. She always found public displays of affection to be embarrassing. She ran towards the stairs barely able to hear Wolverine's footsteps up the stairs over the beating of her heart.

She'd heard that Wolverine's regression had accelerated recently, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. In the place of the man she once knew, was a creature like something out of a fairy tale. An unpleasant one.

"Wolvie?" she asked quietly. "Is...is that you?"

"Yeah kid." he answered sadly. "It's me."

Tears sprung to her eyes. "Oh Wolvie." She stepped up to him and hugged him fiercely. Behind her, the rest of those left to keep house crowded into the room and stared at what Wolverine had become.

"Not to be rude," Monet said, "But where have you been? Why weren't you with the others?"

"I was busy. But where are the others now? I've got to find them."

"They're looking for the nest." Reed said. "Wolverine, what happened?"

"It's a long story, and we don't have time for long stories. Where is your communications equipment? I know where the nest is." He ran into the communications room, but stopped in the middle of the room. He put a hand to his chest.

"Are you okay Wolverine?" Xavier asked.

"Yeah Prof., I'm fine. Just gettin' cramps that's all."

Jubilee's eyes widened with shock. "Oh no, no not you!"

Wolverine eyed her with concern. "What's wrong?" He grimaced with pain, when another cramp, this one worse than before shot through his chest. Suddenly he realized what had been bothering him all the way over here. He'd left the Punisher outside, not thinking he'd be needed. But right about now, he really would have liked to have one of his guns.

"Seal the exits!" Reed, the voice of reason shouted. "We can't let it get out of the room!"

"Wolvie!" Jubilee started for Wolverine, unsure of what to do.

"Stay back Jubilee!" Monet grabbed her.

"Damnit let go of me you bitch!" She struggled ineffectually in Monet's strong grip.

"Jubilee we've got to be ready to kill it when it comes out! But if you're too close, it might kill you!"

Jubilee could only watch helplessly, as her closest friend was torn apart from the inside. Wolverine's enraged, pain filled scream would echo in her ears forever. He fell to the floor, as the baby alien emerged from his ripped apart rib cage.

The chestburster sprung from the fallen man and looked for a way out of the room. Then, Wolverine's hand grabbed it, and crushed it.

Jubilee collapsed as Monet released her. She could not see through the cloud of tears and she did not want to. She closed her eyes and began to weep. Her sobbing subsided slightly when she felt strong arms embrace her.

"I'm all right darlin'. I'm all right. My healin' factor kicked in before it was even all the way out. I'm all right."

Jubilee clutched at him desperately. "Don't you ever scare me like that again." she reproached him quietly.

"I'll try darlin'."

Next: the search.