Disclaimers: I don't own the X Men. I am not making any money from them. Thanks to Marvel for being understanding about us using their creations.
Chapter 15
Kate had been at the mansion for four months. It was now April and time was running short. She knew that she must finish what she needed to do soon. She had an idea that could me beneficial to all mutants but she would need access to a computer. With that in mind, she approached Professor Xavier in his office.
"Professor," she began. "I have an idea that could disrupt the FOH for years down the line but I need your permission and computer access."
"What do you have in mind?" he asked. His eyes narrowed, the widened in disbelief as she told him of her plan.
"What makes you think you can get into their computers to carry off this plan?"
"The FOH," she explained, "Like all large organizations, uses security software to protect itself from hackers. Most of the larger business use a version of a program that I wrote fifteen years ago. I have continued to update the most effective of those programs all along. Last year, I offered a new version to everyone that had been using the older versions. I built a 'back door' into the new version. Any system running the new version is open to me by that back door."
"The FOH is using the new program," it was not a question.
"Yep," she stated with a smile. "Large organizations are dependant on their computers for everything. I plan to strike at the heart of the matter and move their money around."
"No one will get hurt?" he asked.
"The only thing that will get hurt will be their credit rating," she promised.
"How will you cover your tracks?" he asked.
"I'm not worried about that," she said. "If S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't caught me after all these years, the FOH doesn't have a prayer."
You've been in the S.H.I.E.L.D. computers?" he asked, astonished.
"I've been there so often I have my own password," she told him. "I prefer to stay informed."
"And you've never been caught?"
"Never."
"Very well," he said. "You have my permission and access to the War Room computer."
"Thanks," she replied.
"Professor, why don't you have human students here?"
"I beg your pardon?" he asked, startled.
"Why do you hide here?" she asked.
"I provide a safe haven for mutants who need it. We aren't hiding."
"Yes," she told him, gently, "You are. You preach peaceful coexistence but you segregate yourselves from the normal world. You don't allow the normal population to see just how mundane your lives are. We normal humans see your lives as glamorous, super powered adventures. It's not that way. You still have to do the dishes, walk the dog, clean the toilet and other ordinary chores that the rest of us have to do. You have locked yourselves away from the rest of the world. We have no choice but to imagine what your lives are like. You need to present the reality to dispel the rumors."
In a lot of ways, he agreed with her. They did segregate themselves but only for the safety of both sides.
"We need a safe place to learn to control our powers," he explained. "A young mutant with emerging powers is a danger to everyone. We allow them to develop their powers in safety."
"I agree that emerging powers need supervision, Charles. I don't agree with total isolation. 'Brown vs. Board of Education' outlawed segregation in all forms. I think you'll find that genetic segregation will be covered by that ruling. You are raising a generation of mutants that won't know how to interact with normal humans. It's going to blow up in your face eventually."
She got up and opened the door to leave. As she went through the door, she paused and turned back.
"Think about what I have said," she instructed. "I can force the issue with legal action if necessary but I don't think I will need to. I'm going to get started on my project."
He watched the door close behind her, deep in thought. She could easily destroy everything he has built with one lawsuit. He knew that she would win the suit if she ever brought it to the courts. No one has ever successfully challenged the landmark ruling and Xavier doubted anyone ever would. He needed to discuss this with Emma and Sean. They had attempted to intragrate humans into the Academy once with very limited success. Maybe it was time to try again.
Kate stopped off at her room and picked up her Discman before going to the War Room. She always worked better when she had music to soothe her mind. Slipping a CD into the player, she went to work, taking apart the FOH at the seams.
Getting into the FOH system was easy but the financial files were convoluted and confusing. She decided to scrape up all the money and redistribute it to other, more deserving organizations. She would, later, write a program to deal with the incoming donations. She pulled the banks and account numbers from the system with care. She didn't need to set off any alarms yet.
The banks were where she had the most difficulty. Some of them had firewalls that she was unfamiliar with and she needed to get in without being detected. She was working on this when Gambit came home.
He discovered her in the War Room, standing in front of the computer, swaying to the music on her CD. He appreciated the movements of her leather covered bottom but he was positive she didn't belong in the War Room with an active computer terminal. He grabbed her, trapping her arms at her side. What happened next, even his quick reflexes couldn't prevent.
Kate found herself restrained from behind and did exactly as she had been taught. Reaching behind her, she grabbed his crotch and gave a viscous squeeze and twist. She was immediately released. Stepping aside, she turned and brought her foot up and gave her attacker a ringing blow to the side of his head with a booted foot. He fell like a rock to the floor.
The fire in his crotch and head spread to every part of his body. Gambit, being a man, did what most men do when their balls are racked; he vomited. He was in so much pain, he didn't feel the sharp kicks she was giving his back as he gagged and moaned. He heard the screeching of an angry woman but he didn't understand the words. He felt the crazy woman being lifted away from him as the room filled with people.
"Kate, calm down and tell me what happened," Logan yelled as he carried her to the hall.
"Son of a bitch grabbed me from behind," she ranted. "You'd think he'd know better, living here but no. He had to so something stupid. He knows everyone here is highly trained and he still did it. How dumb can you get? What the hell are you smiling at?"
"You," he said. "You just took down a very powerful mutant all on your own. You taught him a lesson he won't forget. Ya done good, Kate."
They watched as Gambit was carried from the War Room.
"Idiot," she told him.
"Bitch," he replied, gasping.
"Kate Dempsey," she introduced herself. "Pleased to meet you."
"Remy LaBeau," he said. "Can't say the same."
"Ice," she told Hank. "Both ends. He'll be fine in a couple of days."
The assembled X Men looked at her with new respect as Gambit was taken to the med lab.
"What?" she asked. "He did something stupid and now he's paying for it. I didn't kill him but I could have. I figured he belonged here so I didn't do any lasting damage."
The X Men left, shaking their heads in wonder. Jubilee and Logan remained behind.
"What did ya do to Gambit?" Jubilee asked in awe.
"Testicular torsion and a round house kick to the head," Kate told her.
"Testicular what?" she asked.
"I gave his left testicle and squeeze and twist," Kate explained. "Very effective if you're grabbed from behind."
Logan winced in sympathy. That had to hurt.
"Rad," Jubilee said, impressed. "Can ya teach me? Wolvie won't teach me any dirty tricks."
"Sure Jubes," she said. "I need to finish what I was doing first but if you'll meet me in the Danger Room after your morning class tomorrow, I'll show you a few things that I'm sure Logan doesn't want you to know."
"Great," Jubilee called as she ran down the hall to the elevators. "See ya tomorrow."
"Kate," Logan said. "There's a reason I didn't teach her those things. I don't want her to use em on me."
"Logan," she said. "Jubilee is a beautiful young woman. If she hasn't been raped yet, she will be in the future. What I can teach her can prevent that from happening."
"What do ya mean 'yet'"
"She was on her own for three years before you met her. She was a pretty child. I'm sure she didn't go unnoticed. Her skills are awesome now. She just needs to learn a few tricks for dealing with a lust crazed, determined man."
With that statement, she returned to the War Room to work.
He had to talk to Jubilee. What Kate said made a lot of sense but it was a subject that he didn't want to think about. With Kate teaching Jubes all her dirty tricks, he had to confront the subject and his own feelings about her past. He had never asked too much about her life on the streets and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know now. Jubilee was very closed about her life before meeting him.
The more he thought about it, the bigger the lump in his stomach grew. He had to know, if only to help Jubilee get over the trauma.
He found her in the kitchen, rooting through the refrigerator.
"Hey Wolvie," she said. "Want a snack?"
"Not right now, darlin'" he told her. "Jubes, Kate got me at thinking about what happened to ya before ya pulled me off that cross."
"Yeah?" she asked suspiciously.
"Before ya met me," he asked reluctantly. "Where ya….raped?"
She paled and dropped the tomato she was holding. "How did you find out?" she whispered.
"Oh God, Jubes," he said gathering her into his arms. "I didn't. Kate said ya probably had been. Why didn't ya tell me? I would have taught ya to defend yourself differently."
"I couldn't trust you at first. By the time I did trust you, it wasn't an issue anymore."
"Rape is always an issue," he said softly. "Never think I don't care. You're the most important person in my life. I would give anything for it not to have happened, but it did. We have to deal with it. If ya let something like rape fester, it'll eat away yer soul."
He lifted her chi with a finger and looked into her eyes. "Ya gotta talk about it before it destroys ya."
"I was my last foster father," she began. "He would come into my room every night. At first, it was just to watch me sleep. He didn't think I knew he was there but I did. Then, he began touching me. I tried to tell my foster mother but she didn't believe me. She would punish me for telling lies. Usually she beat me but sometimes she would lock me in a closet. When he started ..well, you know, I went to my case worker. That night, they took turns hitting me. I left the next morning."
Logans' heart was breaking. Most of her childhood was dominated by violence and torture. How could a person entrusted with the life of a child be so cruel? That she survived was amazing. That she didn't have major mental problems was astounding. That she trusted him enough to cuddle in his arms was the most amazing thing he'd every known. With her history, she should have refused to allow any man to touch her much less love her. He felt humbled by her strength.
(Logan, why is Jubilee so distressed?) Jeans' mental voice asked.
(A boil that needed to be lanced, Jeannie. She'll be fine) he replied.
"Any other times, darlin'?" he asked.
She began to tremble, her breathing rapid. This was a much more recent trauma.
"Jubes?"
"Bastian," she whispered.
He pulled her close again, his tears falling into her hair. Bastian was his biggest failure to her. She was missing for a month and he didn't know it. It was only due to circumstances that he found her, wandering in the desert after she freed herself from the compound. He still beats himself up every day for that failure.
(Logan) Jean interrupted. (You'd better stop. She's not taking this well.)
(I'm not taking it well myself.) he told her.
"If yer not ready to talk about it, I understand." he told her softly. "I can wait till yer ready."
"I'm not," she said. "I'm going to take a nap."
"Sure thing, darlin'" he said as he released her, wiping the tears from her face.
"I love ya, Jubes," he told her as he kissed her cheek.
"Love ya too, Wolvie. Thanks for listening." She ran out of the kitchen quickly.
Logan spent the rest of the day beating the crap out of the robots in the Danger Room until he could barely stand up any longer.