::ducks flying objects:: Okay! Okay! Holy Mother of Marihia! You people are scary when you don't get your stories. I've already had three rabid plot bunnies sent to me via e-mail over this story. All three of them bit me too, so don't be a little bit surprised if this chapter is a bit confusing in some respects. Even I don't really understand all of it. I think some of the X-men may be coming into the next chapter, and one of them is already here, so what are you waiting for! Go read! And review, review, review. But no more rabid plot bunnies, please. My doctors already a bit worried about the bites I've got, and he didn't believe me when I told him they came over the Internet…
Chapter four
As they walked in, music wafted out and they could both see that Sandra was up on the stage singing. Everyone else was sitting over at a larger corner table that faced the front door. Connor smiled at them when he saw the linked arms.
"Hallo, my people. How goes the night?" Amanda giggled at the accent Jubilee used as she sat down next to them.
"Cute. Have you two been having fun then?" She got two glares for her trouble.
"Actually, we were over at the Sentinel Stone. Dorian was filling us in on who is in town. Has anyone actually seen Lord and Lady Wessex?" Duncan looked over at the occasional pain in the arse he had for a friend.
"I didn't even know they were in the city, Adam."
"Well apparently the town's been filling up with the long-lived ones. That African witch is in some chateau in the hills, Terry and Tilal have been around, Timothy's here and so are…what did you say there names were?
"Kera and Jason. The Aussies." Jubilee took an unopened bottle from the table and gave it a quick once over, ignoring Amanda's protest as she opened it and took a swig. "Guava Chaser. Nice choice." She finished the bottle off and then raised it in her hand, signalling to the newest waitress that she wanted two more. The waitress brought them over and then gave her a good look.
"Sorry, but we can't serve these kind of drinks to underage people." The rest of the table chuckled at her words as Jubilee just sighed. Instead of snapping at the twenty something year old about respect to your elders, she grabbed the girls wrist and pulled the white sleave up enough to see the tattoo there. She shoved the hand in front of the girls face and tapped a sharp fingernail on the tattoo.
"Now think about this. Think very, very carefully. Who am I sitting with here." She gestured around the table at the other immortals. "Lets see, we have a one thousand year old, a four hundred year old, a five hundred year old, and oh yeah, Me, the four thousand year old. Not to mention two Watchers. Does this tell you anything?" The girl was starting to look scared as she realised her mistake. She looked over toward Joe, looked back at the irate Immortal and slammed the drinks on the table, before running for the door to the back room of Joe's place.
"What exactly have you been training your Watchers, youngling. You'd think they'd learn enough to recognise one of the longer-lived." Joe looked down at his hands as Jubilee's unnerving stare brushed over him.
"She's only been Watching for two weeks. This was the first time she's even met an Immortal. And even though I told her this was an Immortal safe-haven, she just wasn't expecting so many of you together without swords." Jubilee sighed, grabbed one of the Chasers and walked over to the back door.
The next room was well lit, with boxes and large refrigerators scattered around. Over to one side was an office area, and behind that was the rest area that consisted of a lounge a TV and not much else. Sitting on the couch was the blonde waitress with her head in her hands and small sobs coming from her direction. She didn't even notice that Jubilee was there until the Immortal was sitting down and flicking through the TV channels. She looked up in shock as Jubilee ignored her and then shimmied to the other side of the large lounge.
Jubes spent five minutes flicking from cartoons to weather reports to news. The whole time she was just sitting quietly, letting the girl get used to her. When she finally spoke the girl nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Ya know, we of the long lives, Spirit Chosen, Immortals, Gods Children, Demi-Gods, the Eternally Damned…we've had anywhere between a few decades to a few millennia to get used to this world. We know how the game is played, and we all play it well, or we die. You younglings don't have the time nor the inclination to learn the game, so you play by instincts. The problem is, when some one who plays the game as a way of life, meets some one who plays because it's part of growing wiser and dying…one of them tends to be more arrogant, more irritated, has the desire to teach that other one what is really supposed to happen in this world." Jubilee took a long drag from her bottle and waited.
"T-the G-G-Game? T-the I-Immortal's Game? Why would h-humans want t-to learn the I-Immortals Game?"
"Not the Game of the One. The Game of Life. And no, I'm not talking about that cheesy board game. I mean, the reason people are alive. The way people live. It's not something that the Powers That Be dictate. The Game of Life is a human chosen path. It's the culture of the country, the treatment and respect of betters. The disregard for inferiors. All of that is the Game." She took another swig.
"H-Human interaction?"
"Psychology major?" The girl nodded.
"Good. You'll fit right in with all the other Watchers. But yes, I meant human interaction. Immortals have spent their Darkness damned lives learning how to interact, not only with mortals, but also with the higher standards of Immortals. The one's who have been alive for millennia, Amanda and myself, have been learning how to interact properly for years. But the thing is that sometimes you just want to stop the game for a while. Let you're hair down. You don't want to have to worry about what culture you should be working in right at that moment. You don't want to care about the fact that you just flipped the birdie to a king." That brought on a giggle. "You know that when you find other Immortals, you can ask them to stop playing the game, both Game's, and just hang around for a while." She chucked the now empty bottle into a trashcan and layed her head back on the couch.
"The problem is, that sometimes a mortal can walk in on that, and get severely offended by something that you're doing. In this day an age, the thing that seems to offend people most for me is the fact that I like to drink. Anything."
She stood up and went to have a look in Joe's private fridge. Stocked full of beer as usual. Grabbing one she opened it and took a satisfied gulp.
"See that's when things turned wrong back there. Here I was sitting in a Watchers bar, about to be served by a Watcher, and you tell me I can't drink because I'm…ahem…underage. I'm not blaming you. Joe said you only just started and I'm the first Immortal you've met, so you wouldn't have known, but it still just irked me, cause it happens all the time. So I'm sorry about snapping at you, and you don't have to worry about the Watchers getting upset about you meeting me, 'cause no one will tell unless you do. And if you would like to learn a little more about Immortals, like what their favourite beer is, or whom Connor's latest crush is on, then you're welcome to come back out and hang around with us. Off the record." Jubilee tossed the now empty bottle in the rubbish, smiled at the dazed young woman and walked out the door without a backward glance.
Methos raised an eyebrow at her as she sat down next to him, then handed his beer over. She smiled a thank you and drank it down, ignoring the shocked looks from the others. All of them right down to the youngest knew perfectly well that Methos never handed his beer to anyone. It was a universal fact. Amanda smiled at her and then nodded her head at the door. Jubilee looked over and blinked as her secondary Watcher walked in and nodded to her.
Over the years that she had been the Lady of the Light's Watcher, Jemma Grail had not once disobeyed the rule of the Watchers. Do not speak to your assignment. Seeing as Jemma was a mute/deaf woman she didn't have to talk to her assignment. Jubilee was very good at long range sign language. They could have a whole forty-minute conversation from opposite sides of the street with out missing a beat. The surprising thing was that Jemma was supposed to be in America at the moment.
//Hello, Jem. What're you doin' on this side of the planet?// Jubilee's hands flashed as she 'talked' with her Watcher.
//The Watchers heard of this little gathering Joe organised, though, they aren't sure if it was his idea. They think it's one of you, and when I heard that it was going to take place I knew you'd be here. And seeing as you don't like Lucas even slightly, I decided to come and Watch in his stead.//
//As you will. But I'll be going to see Mordin tomorrow, so don't follow, understood?// Jemma nodded, smiled at Joe and left.
"You're gonna say high to Mordin?"
"Amanda, sometimes you're too nosy for your own good. But yes, I am. Wanna come?" Jubilee's innocent smile turned into a wicked gleam as Amanda's face went pale white. "I'll take that as a no."
Richie watched this exchange with interest, then finally decided to speak.
"Who's Mordin?"
"Long story short, the immortal incarnation of Death." The blank look on his face is almost as funny as the pale one Manda is still wearing. "He's an immortal who also happens to be one of the most powerful psychic creatures on the planet. Not so much in the attack region, but in the fact that he can sense when a person will die, and he can kill them at that moment just by pointing a finger at them…well, it gets a little scary."
"I don't get it. If he only kills them when they're ready to die-"
"Painlessly. Well painlessly for someone who's going to stay dead. But when he sees an Immortal…immortals should already be dead so he can kill them on sight, and believe me when I tell you that it is unbelievably painful for an Immortal. He's only a few hundred old, but he's got a reputation amongst immortals. Headhunters especially don't go near him. Word is, that if he really wanted to take a head, he'd point at the chosen one and the Quickening would be transferred like that!" She snapped her fingers and Richie jumped.
"Oh."
"So Joe," In an abrupt change of subject, Methos turned to the 'old' man. "What's with the Gathering?"
"Hhm, well, I'd rather tell you all at once-"
"Joe." Three different voices in three different accents told him with a single word not to bullshit them.
"There's a new problem out there, for all Immortals, not just the pacifists."
"Does this have anything to do with the sudden up rising of mutants? Or is this about that goddamned demon that keeps popping up every thousand years?"
"The demon has been taken care of this time. There is some problem with mutants, but this is about the Game itself."
"What about it Joe? We've been playing the Game for years, even those of us who try not to." Mac frowned at him, then shrugged at Connor as the older Macleod glared at him. "You know I don't like having to play the Game Connor. Nothing you say will ever change my mind."
"But something I'll say might change Connor's. I don't want a panic, but you're going to hear it later anyway, so…the Game is over." Jubilee blinked, suddenly extremely interested in what the Watcher was saying.
"What?" Amanda tried not to choke on her drink.
"What are you talking about? The Game never ends until there is only one left. Maybe you haven't noticed, but there are few more then one sitting at this table." Connor whacked Amanda on the back and exchanged glances with Mac. Jubilee's hand snuck out and came into contact with Methos'.
"The Game…the Quickenings, all of it has been destroying this world. Maybe you haven't noticed, but over the last fifty years nearly twice as many headless bodies have turned up then there have been in the last two centuries."
"And an equal number of pre-Immortals have been found. What's this have to do with world destruction?"
"Jubilee, what would happen if someone got your Quickening?"
Jubilee pursed her lips, thinking about it. She'd seen before what would happen during a mutant-Immortals Quickening. The power would manifest amid the lightening. Well, that had been because the mutant had the ability of telekinesis. Trees had been ripped up, buildings flattened to the ground, she and the other two immortals there at the time had all been killed. She'd also seen what had happened when the witch Morgan had died. Her powers had created a witch-storm so bad it had separated part of England into a series of small islands. Jubilee was both a mutant and a trained witch…
"Ah. I see your point, darling. End of the world, as we know it. And I'm not even the most powerful mutant I know. Luckily none of them are Immortals, but still, I'd hate to see what would happen if Storm or Xavier were one of us."
"Exactly. And even if it didn't destroy the planet, the Immortal who gains your Quickening will get enough of your magik and power to do so when he or she is beheaded. And what happens if someone gets Cassandra's Quickening?" Jubilee gulped down the rest of her beer and stood up. Everyone but Joe looked at her in confusion.
"I think I'd better get the other power users here, fast. Cassandra will be here in time for the Gathering, I promise. Right now though, I think I'll go talk to Mordin now rather then tomorrow. Evening all." As she walked away, she very clearly heard them asking the same question.
"What the hell are you two talking about?"
"You were talking about the destructive powers of your mutation, weren't you?" Jubilee turned to see Methos holding his jacket out to her. Her powers had always kept her warm, but Methos would never allow a woman to freeze in the cold Paris air. Even though he had left her to die in the Norwegian snowfields, but at least there, no one had seen him being an arsehole.
"Yup. Have you ever seen a mutant-Quickening?" She took the jacket, then handed him the keys again. Methos walked her to her car and opened the door for her.
"Once. On a ship bound for London, three hundred ago. Tamie Le Modreld took his head, and the ship was torn apart by giant waves of seawater. Apparently Lord Yesray could control water."
"I remember him. What an arsehole he was. Worse then you even. And he kept trying to drown me every time we got within ten feet of each other. Said that fire couldn't stand up to water, and he'd take my head to prove it. I wonder who ended up with Lady Le Modreld's Quickening?"
"Cassie, actually. She said the mutant powers didn't come through enough to make it noticeable. It's just another bit of magik to her."
"She told you this, before or after she tried to kill you?" Methos snarled and started to drive.
"Mac told me." Jubilee nodded understanding and sat in silence while he drove toward the church that sat on the closest Holy Ground.
Jubilee looked up at the giant steeple church, knowing perfectly well that she would probably die again in the next few seconds. While the land around the actual church was Holy Ground, the church itself was a curious little island of normal Immortal-fighting earth. The first time she ever came to the small village that had turned into Paris, she had nearly had her head cut off when she accidentally stepped out onto the island of fighting land and the resident Immortal had taken an unexpected swipe at her.
Even through all her travels, she still hadn't figured out how the hell the un-Holy island had been created. She just knew that it was there, and Mordin could kill her as soon as she stepped onto it.
"You sure you want to go alone?"
"You sure you want to die?" She retorted back to Methos and allowed her pride to override her fears, walking into the church. Jubilee was absolutely amazed at her timing, as she walked through the giant doors, turned into a hidden hallway and bumped into none other then Nightcrawler.
"Liebchen?"
"Aw crud. Kurt, what are you doing here?" The yellow-eyed demon priest blinked at her, his voice shaking as he replied.
"Visiting an old friend of mine. Vat are you doing here?"
"Ahhh…"
"She's visiting an old friend of hers. Good evening, Joyous." It was Jubilee's turn to blink in shock as Mordin walked up behind Kurt and smiled at her. He smiled at Kurt as well. "A very, very old friend." Kurt's eyes widened, and he would have choked on his own breath if Mordin hadn't whacked him on the back.
"You-you-Jubilation! Immortal?!?"
"Wait, you know about Immies?"
"I visited his monastery once, during a pilgrimage. He told me of his mutant life, and I told him of my immortal one. We've been friends ever since. Kurt, let me reintroduce you to the Lady of the Lights, Alegria, Jubilation, Joy, Celebration, Chi-ciri. One of the oldest living Immortals known." Kurt turned a lovely shade of purple as he tried to take that in.
"H-how-how long?"
"How long have I been pretending to be Jubilation Lee? Five years. The real Jubilation; yes there was one, died along with her parents when she was eleven. How long have I been alive? Four thousand and thirty seven years. A very long time." He was still going a nice purple colour, one that Jubilee decided she wanted to replicate some day, as it was a beautiful lavender blue. "Kurt, I'm Immortal, you are not. Breath, dude." He gulped air down and closed his eyes. Then opened them again as something occurred to him.
"You do not act like an Immortal."
"Yeah well, for one, I've been a fifteen year old for four thousand years, and for another, I regress every few centuries to child hood and sort of start all over again. It makes things interesting. Plus I had to pretend to be a kid around you X-ers for the last few years."
"The X-men…"
"The X-men believe I'm in Florida with Gen X. Gen X believe I'm in the Bahamas with the X-men."
"They will believe that?" Jubilee scrunched up her nose, acting like a teenager.
"Well, the last anyone saw of me, I was walking through one of Gateway's portals, so instead of going home and pretending I was with one or the other, I'll go home and be outraged that Gateway sent me all over Europe." She frowned as she felt the buzz wondering outside, in and out of her range. Methos was getting slightly impatient. "If I go home at all." Mordin was looking upset as he too felt the buzz, though at a lesser extent then she did.
"Who is that?"
"Hmm, oh. Just Adam. He doesn't like me being in here all alone with the other version of the Immortal Death."
"Then you'd better make this quick so as not to worry him. Kurt, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Of course, mien fruend. Ah, Jubilation-" She was already digging in her pocket for something. Finally she pulled out a card with the address of her apartment on it.
"I'm under the name of Jaenelle Renoa. Just show them the card and tell them I invited you up. I'm in the penthouse."
"Of course Jubilee. I don't suppose I have the right to call you liebchen any more."
"I don't mind. Makes me feel young. Fresh, ya know? Go on Kurt, I should be back at the penthouse by ten, maybe eleven. If I'm not back by then, tell Amanda, my cousin who stays at the apartments, that someone's headhunting. She's an immortal, she'll understand."
"Of course, liebchen. Goodnight, Markus." The two watched him go, then Jubilee turned and grinned at the man beside her.
"I thought you hated the name Markus, Markie darling."
"No, I just hate the way you always twist it up. Now what's so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"
"Can we talk somewhere a little more private?" She finally noticed the people who had been staring at Nightcrawler. Mordin nodded and led them toward a back office. Jubilee didn't bother to sit down, knowing she'd likely be pacing soon anyway. "I just found out from Joe what this Gather is about. He wants us to stop playing the Game."
"He what?"
"Wants us to stop playing. He says that with our powers, both mutant and magik, as well as the pure energy of the Quickening, we've all been destroying this world. The more Quickenings we take, the more it falls apart. And I know he's right. I mean if someone got my Quickening; well my mutation is fairly calm, but my magik powers just grow with time, so my Quickening could blow up half the planet. And then you have the problem of who ever got my Quickening, could you imagine a head hunter with even half my powers? It would be-"
"Horrible. Just like your babbling. Sit down already." Jubilee stopped pacing and drew a deep breath.
"You know, you're still the only Immortal I let talk to me like that?"
"That's cause you know how painful it really is to die. It is a good thing that I'm not a head hunter, isn't it?" Jubilee returned his smile, sat down and closed her eyes.
"Speaking of the hunters, I'm sorry about your Teacher. Galdrion was a fine scholar. He didn't deserve to die like that."
"We all die by beheading Joyous."
"I meant the fact that the hunter killed him normally first, then took his head. That's almost as bad as fighting on Holy Ground."
"It was cowardly. About this whole Quickening business. I think it should wait until the Gather. But in truth, I don't see how the Game could be stopped."
"Neither can I, darling. It's that that really scares me."