Jubilation Lee raced down the hall, angry shouts following her.
"Jubilation!" Scott Summer's furious voice echoed in the halls of the Xavier Institute.
"Miss Lee!" Henry McCoy's voice mirrored Scott's. Jubilee knew she had several reprimand's coming. She let out an angry huff as Bobby Drake, her partner in crime, slid past her.
"Sorry Jubes, I'd take you along for the ride, but I don't plan on detention anytime soon!" He yelled out to her as he flew past on an ice slide. She and Bobby had been playing a prank on Hank when it was just their luck that Scott had entered the room to be a part of it. Apparently, Scott and Hank didn't appreciate being covered in honey that was poured from the ceiling, by the buckets they tied up earlier, than being pelted with goose feathers that were blown from a fan.
Jubilee was tiring easily. Her breaths were now coming in short pants. As she darted around the corner a hand shot out and grabbed her, pulling her into a hidden room. She gasped as she was pulled against a hard body, and a hand was slapped across her mouth. She watched as Scott and Hank passed by at an alarming rate. As soon as she relaxed she was freed from the tight grasp. Jubilee turned to find herself face to face with none other than Taris Creed, son of Sabretooth.
"Thank's Taris, you really like, saved me back there." Jubilee uttered her thanks to the older teen. As he opened his mouth to say something, they were interupted by a yelp from Bobby as Hank and Scott caught him. Jubilee giggled while Taris let out a deep chuckle.
"No problem, looks like your partner got himself into quite the predicament." Jubilee was surprised at the deepness of his voice momentarily, but quickly got herself together.
"Yeah, they'll catch me too." She frowned. "I'm not lookin' forward to the punishment. With them two, it could be anything from washing the lab floor, to like, extra danger room sessions, bright and early." Taris chuckled at this.
"I wouldn't know, I'm one of the teacher's pet's. You know, never get in trouble, straight A's, on the football team. That's me." He said with a bored expression.
"And you're like, Sabretooth's kid?" To Taris she sounded surprised.
"Yes, he's a great dad no matter what anybody says." He was put off, but he didn't blame her, his father was a known murderer and psychopath. And besides, this was Jubilation Lee he was talking with.
"Well sorry, I just like figured he'd be well..." She didn't finish her sentance because she could hear someone coming. They both turned to see who it was, finding Hank and Scott still covered in feathers storming down the hall looking for Jubilation was just too funny and they busted out in laughter. Hearing the laughter, Hank opened up the hidden door that looked like another piece of the wall except for the peep hole that was hardly noticeable. Seeing them Hank gave out a triumphant cry. Scott looked over Hank's shoulder and grinned.
"Oops..." Jubilee's eyes widened and she let out a nervous laugh. "Hehe, it's all in good fun right guys? Guys?" Scott and Hank were now grinning mischeviously.
"I must thank you for catching this little nymph, she's been quite evasive to our struggled attempts at containing our little firecracker." Taris simply smiled at Hank's eloquent speach.
"Yes, thank you Taris, it was quite helpful of you, but I must ask, were you a part of this?" Scott asked with a grim smile.
"Nope, I just pulled her in here so you'd capture the annoying one first." Taris explained.
"Hm yes, but I do believe that makes you an excessory in this most heinious prank." Hank saidd with that smile again.
"Heh, well I uh..."
"Hank's right," Scott interrupted. "two weeks of waxing the cars in the garage, mopping the lab floor, and i expect you both to do an extra danger room session on the weekends." Jubilee gasped at Scott.
"What!" She exploded. "That's like, overkill!"
"Sorry Jubilee, this is too much to excuse." With that Scott and Hank left to wash off their feathers.
Sweat poured off of Taris as he lifted the weights he kept in his room. Man, that little firecracker is just too much trouble! Well maybe I can teach her a thing or two about manners. Taris grinned. Maybe if at all possible we can become friends. His smile faded. Taris didn't have many friends because they were afraid of his father, and most of the guys just wanted to get closer to one of his sisters. Fat chance at that. There was no way under the sun he'd let any guy get close to his sisters. Putting the weights down Taris headed downstairs to the garage to start waxing the cars. On his way down, Taris knocked on Jubilee's door.
"Hey Jubes! Get a move on, time to wax those cars 'til they shine like crystal!" He yelled through her door. Taris had been a skilled telepath since the age of nine. His mother was a part of an alien race similar to the Shi'Ar, all of the Shi'Aki (the name of his race) were telepaths, but it wasn't his mutant power. Sensing her hesitancy to go with him, Taris opened the door without her permission. Jubilee gasped in surprise. She had been in the process of tying her short black hair that fell to her shoulders now into a small ponytail when Taris had knocked on her door. She ignored it at first, but when she didn't answer, he had opened the door and come in. Now he was standing in the doorway eyeing her up. Jubilee glared at him. Taris just laughed.
"Think about answering the door next time if you don't want me storming in on you." Was the first thing he said.
"Well you didn't have to like, be impatient! You could've like, just waited!" Jubilee's brown eyes narrowed at him.
"If you were actually going to answer then I would've, but your thoughts gave you away, so don't play all innocent on me." Jubilee's eyes widened.
"You read my mind?" She queried. "That's like, a total invasion of privacy!"
"Well, I'm not as reserved about using my powers as Professor Xavier or Professor Grey." Even though Jubilee was yelling, Taris was determined to stay calm. She gave a frustrated cry.
"Let's just like, go." She obviously had given up.
"Right, lead the way Jubes." He held out his arm towards the open door for emphasis.
"Don't call me that."
"What? Jubes?"
"Yes!" She snapped. "Only my friends can call me that!"
"Oh well! I'll call you whatever I want to." He grinned as he sensed her anger. He barely had time to evade as she let a paff blow his way. Whoops, maybe I irritated her a little too much. He smiled at her when she tried to punch him and missed. Screw manners! I'm having fun!
Jubilee was extremely irritated. Sweat poured down her brow into her eyesight, making her even madder. First her partner in crime departs her, then she gets detention, her mind is breached, and to top it off, she thinks the guy who invaded her privacy is hott. He's supposed to be butt ugly or as old as the professor!
"I heard that." Jubilee was brought out of her thoughts at the sound of Taris' voice.
"Reading my mind like, again?" He smiled at her in that flirty way that reminded her off Gambit.
"Oh c'mon! I don't look anything like Gambit!"
"No, you don't." She said as she took in the sight before her. He had short blonde hair that was cut surfer style and needed a major trim, and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. He had broad shoulders, and well toned muscles rippling across his chest and the rest of his body like waves.
"I spend alot of time on my muscles." He said commenting on her thoughts again.
"I can tell, now stop reading my mind." She chastised him with a smile.
"I didn't have to, the look in your eyes was enough." He said with a wide grin, showing off his very white teeth with just a hint of his fangs showing. "But you just confirmed my thoughts." Jubilation blushed crimson.
"Let's just wax the cars alright?" Taris nodded in agreement.
"Good idea."
When they finished they headed up towards the lab to start cleaning the floors. On the way they saw a very upset Bobby who was carrying a pile of very dirty and very smelly clothing.
"Looks like you got your hands full there Drake." Commented Taris. Bobby shot him a dirty look and Jubilee giggled.
"He's like, right Bobby boy." She laughed harder as he tripped and fell, the clothing covering him.
"Think we should help him?" Taris asked her mentally.
"Nah, he had it like, coming." She replied. Shrugging his shoulders, Taris continued his way up to the lab with a very happy Jubilee skipping along with him.
"Everybody was Kung Fu fighting! Hiya! Those guys were fast as lightning!" Sang Jubilee and Taris in unison as theyu mopped the floor. Jubilee had been humming it, then Taris had started singing with that deep baritone of his and soon they were singing it at the top of their lungs, right into their mops like a microphone. Jubilee began to skate on the now wet floor while mimicing some karate moves. Taris just watched and laughed as Jubilee slipped and fell on her bottom. He easily skated over to her and held his hand out.
"Need a hand?" Jubilee tried to glare at him but failed and ended up smiling instead.
"Yeah, thanks." She said as she took the offered hand. "Who knew this floor could get so slippery." She mumbled to herself. She started putting away the mops and motioned for Taris to empty the dirty water in the buckets. Jubilee rummaged around in a closet until she found the towels she was looking for. Tossing one to Taris, she dropped her's on the floor and stepped on it. She started making walking motions, but didn't pick up her feet. Taris used his mind to place the towel on the floor and move it around. Soaking up all the water on the floor.
"Hey! No fair!" Jubilee saw what he was doing and was instantly jealous.
"Sorry Jubes, there are benefits to being a telepath, and one is not having to get dirty." Jubilee succeeded in glaring at Taris this time, but it was short lived because Taris had decided to have a little fun and sent his towel racing towards her at an alarming rate. Her eyes widened and just as it was about to hit her she closed her eyes and felt herself being lifted telepathically from the floor. She gasped in surprise as Taris carried her over the floor and dropped her into his arms.
"You are like..." She forgot about speaking as she realized Taris himself was hovering above the ground where the towel was still zooming around cleaning the floor.
"Don't want you getting in the way of the towel." He said with a smirk. I wonder what she'll think of this. I want to read her mind, but I really don't want to get on her badside.
"Uh huh, right, now could you like, put me down?" She said rolling her eyes.
"Sure, no problem." And with that he dropped her on the still speeding towel and sent her zooming with it. Jubilee started screaming very loudly, hurting his enhanced hearing. Without meaning to, Taris slapped his hands over his ears and roared in pain. The X-Men heard his roar and came rushing to the lab. Flinging open the door, they came upon the sight of Taris morphing into what appeared to be a white tiger. His mutation was rough on him, his bones snapping and turning weird directions. His claws popped out of his fingers, crimson rain falling on the floor. His pupils turned into diamond slits, still that wonderful shade of blue. Black stripes slid across his skin like internal snakes. Fur of white and black covered him. And finally, his mutation was complete. The X-Men all stared in shock, but Wolverine did not, he could sense the beast inside of Taris, and knew he was dangerous. Logan knew the reason he had gone feral, Jubilee had brought out his powers with that scream of hers. He probably wouldn't have transformed for his first time if not for that scream. He probably would've just felt his senses swell. His transformations would've come later. But now Taris in his white tiger form was growling at the shocked Jubilation who was standing there with her mouth hanging open.
"I didn't know you were like one of those transformer people!" She exclaimed. Taris roared in response. Logan recognized it as a roar of claim. Taris wanted to claim Jubilation as his own. So that no other man could have her. Logan knew this because he had been there himself, many times.
"Taris, are you okay?" Jean asked.
"Yes, my furry compatriot, how are you feeling?" Henry McCoy ever the doctor and scientist queried. Taris let out an ear splitting roar and made a lunge at Jubilee. She screamed and shot out some feeble fireworks, her hands in front of her for protection. Jean barely had enough time to catch him before he reached Jubilee.
"Logan! Help! Maybe you can reach him!" Jean's telepathic plea echoed in Logan's head. "His mind is so far gone into his feral state that he's blocked to me!" Jean's voice was getting more strained as she talked to him. Logan decided real fast what he was going to do.
"I can't hold him!" Jean cried in fear as Taris broke free of her mental grasp and lunged at Jubilee.
to be continued...
A/N: muhahahahaha! I'm just sooooooooo evil:-D Y'all will just have to stick around and find out what happens in the next chapter! muhahahahaha!
