Sidekick

Chapter 4


"I'm not a kid," she muttered. "God! Like what is like their deal?"

"Easy there," Wolverine urged and she felt his hand settling on her shoulder to give it a squeeze. "He's in no mood to flamin argue. Yer with me, and if anyone wants to whine about it…"

"Are you seriously gonna let her go off with that maniac?" Warren asked as he took Scott aside. Everyone rushed off to his or her various locations.

"What was that, bub?" Wolverine asked sharply as he raised his voice, and Warren glanced in his direction. "Care to rephrase that?"

"I think it's pretty obvious you're not the ah… most stable influence," Warren said quickly. "To put it delicately…"

"And like YOU are, HELLO," Jubilee shot back as she snapped her gum at him. "Wolvie's not the one who got his brains scrambled by Apocalypse…"

"Young lady…" Warren said. "You're far too young to…"

"I heard it before, flyboy," she smart cracked at him, not intimidated in the slightest. She stepped out from behind where Wolverine had moved in front of her. Warren actually backed off, realizing that Wolverine's bad attitude was having a caustic effect on her, and it only proved his point. He was a bad influence, and maybe someone should step in and do something to change it.

"Maybe it's time someone ELSE took over your training with that attitude, young lady!" Warren sniffed at her.

"Oh please, I'm shaking," she mumbled, crossing her arms.

"He's just trying to be helpful," Psilocke said. "There's no need to be petulant…"

"Let me get my thesaurus and slap him upside his head…" she mumbled.

"Back off lady," Wolverine said sharply. "Last time I checked, you were the newcomers… and you know something… I don't LIKE newbies telling ME what to do… clear?"

"Wolverine, back off, we got a lot of ground to cover!" Scott said sharply. "And we can't waste time arguing…"

"But Scotti," Warren said.

"Look, bub, if anyone's objectin' to my choice in teammates, they're gonna answer to these…" Wolverine growled low in his throat as he stepped between Jubilee and Warren, who was about ready to jump out of his skin. Psilocke's hand glowed bright purple, and Jubilee gulped as she saw the long crackling samurai sword form out of sheer mental energy. Three bright skewers rerupted from Wolverine's glove, cutting off Jubilee's view of the new members.

Her hand misted with a stray cloud of plasma, and she realized that whenever she was nervous or angry she'd be on the verge of it. However she was seriously thinking of paffing either one that Wolvie didn't get first. Betsy raised an eyebrow at the display of the teenager's power, and felt an extremely strong bond between the two she hadn't anticipated. Of all the X-men she'd naturally assumed Jubilee would gravitate towards Storm or Jean. That a psychotic nutcase with his built in claws would be the X-man she trusted the most was ludicrous.

"ENOUGH people!" Scott barked. "Warren, you're out of line! Get Psilocke under control. I've made my decision! Get to the blackbird immediately. Wolverine, sheath those claws now mister before I do! And Jubilee, back off. This isn't the Danger room!"

"Hear ya loud and clear, Cyke, unlike SOME people," Wolverine gritted.

"You're supposed to be setting a good example to her," Scott said as he leveled his visor at Wolverine. "So I suggest you keep Jubilee from following your attitude mister, or she's got a new drill instructor…"

"Last time I checked, pal, everyone's social calendar wasn't cleared," Wolverine said in a low voice that only Scott could hear.

"Scott," Jean said and cast him a look that told him he needed to calm down. "He's the only one of us who can reach her sometimes. And if you reassign her, she's only going to be more of a handful…"

"Fine," he telepathed back. "You'd better set a better example, Wolverine, or you're off the training roster. Adjust your attitude, for her sake. Cause if it gets out of hand, it's YOUR responsibility. And you, Jubilee, better listen to everything he says, cause if you step out of line it's HIS neck on the block, not yours…"

Jubilee whispered, releasing the breath that she held. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble, Wolvie…"

"Don't worry about it kid. He's just blowin' steam. But you gotta leave the battles to me, short stuff. I know how he thinks."

"This isn't over," came a low voice that brushed past them as warren marched out with Betsy next to him. Still Jubilee felt Wolverine pushing her behind him towards the wall as they walked past. A shiver went down her spine when she saw the look that the ninja threw in their direction.

"God what is her deal?" Jubilee whispered as he stood between her and them.

"Nothing' kid, let's go," he said abruptly, taking her shoulder and guiding her in the opposite direction as quickly as possible. "Before I reach out and touch someone… and I don't mean usin' a phone…"


"Warren, you didn't need to be so blatant," Betsy said as they walked along.

"I don't see what Scott thinks he's doing, pairing that kid up with that… psycho…"

"Wolverine's a veteran member of the team. Of all the X-men, he's the best suited to protect her. Also, he won't put up with her attitude," Betsy bit her lip. "She's had a history of behavior problems considering how many foster homes she's had. And Wolverine seems to be the only one who can reach her. Other than Gambit… and of the two…"

"Lesser of two evils?" Warren rolled his eyes. "Great. Isn't there some way we can change Scott's mind?"

"We could appeal to the Professor, and find some way of indicating that Wolverine is somehow jeopardizing the child's safety…"

"I don't want to see her get hurt. There have been too many risks already…"

"They don't take her on missions that are overly dangerous, and although she's small, she is 15…"

"It's easy to forget. Anyway, Betts, don't you see…"

"Warren, we've only just joined the team. Scott doesn't trust me very well, even less than you. And you're just as suspect since Apocalypse…"

"Don't remind me," Warren closed his eyes. "Rogue vouches for me… she'd be a better choice to train Jubilee…"

"She flies and is invulnerable. Her powers are nowhere near similar to Jubilee's. Gambit's are closer in nature… but he's too busy flirting to be of much focus to her. However, I might be able to bond with the child…"

"She's very powerful," Warren said. "She'd be an alpha class when she comes of age… but using that power in a destructive manner…"


Jubilee wondered if they were going to use one of the small minijets, or something more conventional. She saw Gambit leaping into Rogue's sportscar, while Storm extended her cape and rose gracefully into the sky. Already the hanger and garage were emptying fast.

She'd expected to see the jeep that wolverine normally used when he motioned her to follow him to another corner of the garage. Gambit was still arguing with Rogue when they saw the gleaming of chrome on something Jubilee had seen there intermittently, but hardly had the chance to see anyone except Cyclops or Gambit riding.

Gambit tumbled out of Rogue's car and watched as she peeled out quickly. "Cher, surely we can work this out…"

"You got yer mission I've got mine! See ya!" she called as she roared away.

"Remy don't get why Cher doesn't just fly," Gambit muttered as he rubbed his sore backside and wandered over towards where his motorcycle was.

Gambit's Victory cycle sat near Cyclops's Yamaha speedster, but she knew that often Wolverine's obsession was the Harley Davidson Softail which was surrounded by its banks of tools. She knew if anyone so much as breathed on it they'd get a death stare from him. Gambit found out the hard way when he took it for a joy ride, and ended up with a shredded coat.

"Whoa Wolvie that's one sweet ride," she commented as he moved towards it and kicked down the stand. Guiding it with the handlebars he rolled the bike towards the nearest entrance and stopped. Gambit was already firing up his motor as he leapt on, and gunned the engine of his cycle.

"Here Jubes, catch," Wolverine said as he threw something at her, and she stumbled as a helmet hit her in the middle of the chest.

"Are you seriously saying that you want me to ride with you on this?" she got out as she realized that he was actually going to ride with her as a passenger on his beloved bike? This was something that nobody should even touch let alone dream of sitting on, and he was acting as if it were no big deal.

"I'm not gonna hear grief from Cyke about a busted head," he said gruffly. "Hurry up and get on… we've got some huntin' to do."

"Wolverine mon ami, where's your jeep?" Gambit asked as he fastened on his own helmet and twisted his handlebars.

"In the shop if it's any of yer beeswax, gumbo," Wolverine shot back as he climbed on the seat, and Jubilee fumbled with her helmet. "Now get on the 'scoot, before the gumbo makes us eat his dust on that British knock off…"

"Why don't YOU wear a helmet, huh?" Jubilee challenged him.

"Cause I got a hard head," he answered.

"Still you ARE supposed to be setting a good example for me, remember?"

"Do ya wanna walk home, kid?" Wolverine grunted. She shut up.

"Wicked," she managed to get out of her throat before she scrambled on behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. She'd seen Happy Days in reruns, and her share of people riding choppers, and this was no exception.

"First thing kid, lean into the turns when I do."

"Whoops," she gasped as she squeezed her eyes shut, and heard the load deafening roar as he kicked the cycle into life, and she felt the rumbling through her thighs. It jarred her teeth, and shuddered her whole body as Wolverine lurched it forwards and they were actually in motion. She yelped and clutched onto him tightly as she resisted tumbling backwards and they were running parallel to Gambit. Her eyes were shut most of the way when she realized the wind was whistling through her ears, and she felt her coat whipping behind her.


"Relax kid, it's not so bad," she heard him grunt.

"Sorry Wolvester, I still left my stomach behind in the garage!" shouted Jubilee as she realized she was zipping along the backroads at some ninety miles per hour.

"Ya don't have to grab onto me like yer gonna die. You just keep yer hands at yer sides if it's more comfortable, ya won't fall off, trust me. If you tense yer arms yer gonna regret it later…"

"You think something's up with the professor?" Jubilee shouted over the noise of the rumbling engine as they streaked along.

"Maybe, but I don't think he's gonna be showing his mug around here," Wolverine shouted back. "Especially if they want to lead us on some wild goose chase. Ask me it's a waste of time…"

"But you're doing it anyway, right?"

"Right. Cause I got a nasty suspicion' it's not our only problem…" he said.

"So like WHAT are you talking about? Somebody else?"

"Been havin' a bad feelin', kid," he said. When he called her kid, she wasn't quite so resentful; because for all intents and purposes she wasn't a kid in the same way the others seemed to view her.

"I knew it… lemmie guess; it's about Warren and that Betsy girl, right?" Jubilee said quickly. "I knew they were bad news…"

"Don't be so fast kiddo," Wolverine cut her off. "Yer right, but there's more…"

"I told Storm and the others I'd seen something weird when I went out blading the last two days, but they said I was imagining things…"

"What did you see?" Wolverine asked as he suddenly pulled off the road, and she felt her heart stop and catch up with her stomach.

"Something pretty weird," she shivered, although it was a warm day. "I was like going along the main road to the town, like you know the one that leads into West Chester, an' I saw something streak past overhead outta the corner of my eye. I stopped to look, but it was like there one second and not the next…"

"What time of day?" Wolverine asked, turning to look at her over his shoulder. She realized she was still hanging onto him, and let go.

"Ugh, just an hour before dark," Jubilee whispered. "I felt like somethin' or someone was tailin' me… and every time I turned around, it wasn't there… but I knew…"

"First time you sensed this kid?" Wolverine asked, and Jubilee took a deep breath. She glanced at her watch and felt her stomach churn, because she realized the sun was just above the mountains. They were far from the mansion, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"You believe me, Wolvie?" She asked. "You don't like think I'm nuts?"

"Did I say so, Jubes?" he asked, using his own pet name. "Do I LOOK like I'm blowin' ya off?"

"No, but I told Storm, and Gambit the other day, but Gambit was blabbin on the phone… and I went blading earlier today, and I like totally forgot about our sparrin' with Storm, she was pretty ticked… but what does THIS haveta do with the professor?"

"Everythin' maybe, and nothin', don't know yet," Wolverine said quietly. He cocked his head to the side, as if listening to something. Jubilee felt her skin shivering, and tried hard not to let him know she was feeling that twisting in her stomach. That's why she was rollerblading two hours earlier. She hated not being out and around on her blades. No lameoid scare tactic would stop her. Wolverine opened his mouth to comment again that she didn't have to hang on so tightly, but figured it wasn't such a big deal. While she was holding him in a grip that would have crushed Remy's ribs to powder, an adamantium skeleton was far less forgiving.

"You messing with my head, Wolvie? Because if you are, it's so not funny," she muttered.

"No way I'd do that darlin' you got enough trouble going on without me addin' to it," he said quietly as he started the engine again, and pushed off onto the main road.


Jubilee held her hands on the sides of her thighs; suddenly shy about clinging to him like she was a scaredy cat. She felt ashamed of being so silly. If Wolverine believed she was serious, then maybe it wasn't a big deal after all. What could go wrong with him here? He could handle anything, and so could she. They'd fought Juggernaut together, didn't they? Not to mention other scrapes they'd gotten one another out of.

"You saw it too, Wolvie?" Jubilee asked.

"Yeah, when I was out in my jeep yesterday," Wolverine said. "Why'd you think it's in the garage?"

"I heard you telling me about it, and then Gambit cut you off, and I was gonna ask you, but you were like gone the whole day, an' then Storm said you were busy," Jubilee got out.

"It was pretty much the same situation you told me. Started with me driving along, minding my own business onna way to Harry's. But then I sensed something outta my range of sight. Accompanied by a noise that was drillin' into my head. Almost like an engin' going at a lower frequency than a person could normally hear. An I heard it over the engine. You know how it's like for me with my enhanced senses…"

"Like some kinda dog whistle, but low instead of high," Jubilee nodded. "That's like what I heard the last week when I was out rollerblading. So that's why I've been wearin' my Walkman… not just to hear tunes, but to shut out the noise…"

"An it's on this road," Wolverine added. "That you heard it, right?"

"Yeah… I figured that out. This same time of day…" Jubilee commented as they continued on towards the backroad that took them towards West Chester. They were around the back of the estate now, and she saw the rays of light were slowly gleaming. But it seemed unusually brisker, and there were dark clouds.

"Geez, wonder if Storm's cookin' up something," she shivered as she rubbed her thighs, and then grabbed the edge of the seat. "Wolverine, how CAN I hear the sound if my ears aren't sensitive like yours?"

"Dunno, maybe it's because you were closer to the source… sometimes women and children can hear sounds others can't. But in this case it doesn't matter, because you felt it through your whole body… if we're talking about the same situation…"

"I didn't tell the others because… well I told Cyclops, and he thought I was making excuses… and then I tried telling Storm, and she figured it was just some side effect of me listening to my walkman way too much… and Gambit…"

"Flamin' terrific," Wolverine snorted. "You mean to tell me that nobody was listening to you when you told them this?"

"Yes," Jubilee confessed. "I kept it to myself…"

"Kid, lemmie get this straight, don't be afraid to tell anyone anything. Especially me. I'll the judge if yer nuts or not… too many crazy things in this world bein' overlooked because some smartass thinks they know more than you…"

"I've never had a problem keeping my mouth shut; they say I talk way too much anyway…"

"So?" Wolverine laughed deeply. "Cyke and Prof. Chuck talk way more than you do."

"Wolverine! Report!" Came Storm's voice.

"I hear ya 'Roro," Wolverine answered. "You hear some strange vibration goin off?"

"Something's disrupting the atmosphere for miles… I'm trying to pinpoint the source… I'd suggest you and Jubilation take care… I'm trying to clear the weather… but it seems to be electromagnetic… like a charged lightening…"

"We're checking it out…"

"Rogue is currently assisting me. Take caution, Wolverine… we're going to investigate from the air…"

"Gotcha Ro? What's the Cajun doin?"

"Gambit be doin' fine, Cheri," came Gambit's voice over the comlink. "He be hearin' nothin' but seein' strange dark clouds gathering. You sure that's not you Cherie?"

"That is not my doing. Be ready to meet up with us in ten minutes. Keep in constant contact!" called Storm. "Radio if you have any contact… but do not engage without direction…"

"That was like soo clear," Jubilee muttered when the link closed. Wolverine's back tensed as he moved the cycle closer to the source, and she felt something pulsing through them, over the vibration of the Harley Davidson. Wolverine leaned into a tight turn as the road bent, and she instinctively did the same, her knuckles numb because she was gripping the seat so hard. Something made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Hang on, darlin' it's gonna get rough…" Wolverine shouted.

"What the…" she got out as something blew past them, and she stifled the yell in her throat as they were assaulted by something from behind. Her arms locked around his waist as he swerved hard left and right, and the smell of ozone burned her nostrils. As bad as it was for her, it was infinitely worse for Wolverine.

"Woverine, please report! This is Storm, are you all right?"

"What the flaming hell is going on up there!" Wolverine shouted. "You trying to kill us?"

"I'm trying to redirect the unusual weather that's suddenly brewing. The elements are resisting my will! Someone ELSE is controlling them! Rogue's caught up in the interference… I'm going to investigate… you've got to turn around and go back to the mansion or you'll be vaporized…"

"Ororo!" Wolverine shouted as he heard the garbled static, and Jubilee froze as she saw an odd red swirling and undulating pattern form in the sky. Wolverine pulled the cycle over, and stopped, glancing up as Jubilee followed his gaze. He groaned, doubling over as something unheard ripped through him. Jubilee could not hear, but she felt something not right. Luckily he'd put the kickstand down or they would have toppled over.

"Wolvie, what's going on…?" she asked, shaking him from behind as he let out a pained growl, and put his hands over his ears. Then as soon as it had started, he released his grip and breathed in and out, his back heaving against her chest.

"Cripes… some flamin' noise… rippin' through my head…" Wolverine gasped.

"You okay?" Jubilee asked, her arms squeezing from behind. "You were flakin out…"

"I'm fine," he said. "Flamin' fine…"

"Um isn't like the aurora borealis not supposed to be this far south?" Jubilee pointed up at the sky.

"Not usually," he muttered. "Something's really off. Something's interferin' with radios and other communication… that'd explain why I'm smelling' ozone…"

"This is nuts… I feel like someone's watchin' us…" she trailed off. "But that's stupid…"

"Ain't stupid if it's a gut feeling, Jubes," he panted, trying to stop the retching feeling twisting his stomach into knots.

"What did you hear?" Jubilee asked.

"Like a loud whining, and then it stopped, and it was overtop the low vibration…" he muttered.

"God, it's going right through me," Jubilee whispered as she felt the rumbling ground through the stopped cycle. Wolverine straightened up, and tensed. He sniffed the air that had grown tingling around them, and fired up the engine suddenly.

He kicked down the stand, and shouted, "Hold on kid, and keep yer eyes SHUT!"

"What the…" Jubilee got out before he gunned the engine and whirled the bike around. She gripped him tightly as they accelerated sharply, and she felt her skin prickling with something. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the shape moving, and then shivered as she hugged him closer. An overwhelming sense of dread slammed into her body, and she felt as if something were just behind them, moving ever closer.

"Hold on!" he yelled over the noise of the engine. Jubilee opened one eye to see the speedometer's needle flickering closer to 120 mph, and a wave of heat growing ever more intense from behind them.

In the rear view mirror she saw a red glow flickering, spreading closer and she knew it wasn't good. Wolverine was trying to outrun something, and she wasn't sure if it was fire or flame, but her eyes were aching. It looked a lot like her own fireworks display, and for a moment Jubilee thought it was a glowing ball of energy that was keeping up with them. Already the world had gone dark, and she felt her stomach twist in fear as Wolverine pulled off the road and quickly into the trees. Her stomach was left behind when they whooshed down an incline and she gritted her teeth.

A pricking sensation just like her hands tingling before she paffed someone covered her whole body, and something added up in her head. There was no way. Who or what was behind this, and why was it so familiar?

Wolverine let out a loud cry as he doubled over. Jubilee felt him swerving left and right as he struggled to keep the bike moving around the thickening trees, and she glanced back to see the radiance following them.

"Holy crapola," she thought to herself. Raising her hand she held her fingers. "If that's what I think it is, they can try a Jubilee style paff…"

"Chew on this ET! Phone home already!" She yelled. Light flickered from her fingers, sizzling in an exploding rain towards the radiant shape. As her fireworks hit it, there was a burst of light that seared her eyeballs, and then they stopped abruptly. The prickling happened again, and before Jubilee slipped into unconsciousness, she sent another fireworks round towards the source.

She smelled burning something, and then felt Wolverine grab her around the waist and drag her off the cycle. The sensation of tumbling over and over clutched against him accompanied the impact of the cycle as it flipped. Her head felt like it had exploded, and she felt no more.