JUBILEE AND JUBILATION

PART TWO

THE BRAKING OF THE PHOENIX

'Oh ye of little faith.' Jubilation thought to me. 'Did I not say I had a plan to bring back Logan?'

'Yes, but how?'

'Get Jean in here, alone, and tell her about me. Then I'll take charge and do the rest.'

'But you never wanted to talk to any of them, that's why I'm here. Do you not need me any more?'

'No, I'll always need you. They like you and they would never like me.'

'Then why…'

'The Phoenix Force is going to help us bring back Logan.'

'What? How?'

'Don't worry about it. Just get Jean in here and I'll handle the rest.'

'Uh, ok, fine.'

"Henry?" I started.

"Yes dear?"

"Can I talk to Jean, alone? I need to talk to her about, uh, some stuff."

"Hmm, yes, I do think that would be a good idea. She has had experience with big power boosts, and what can go wrong with them. I'll call her now." And with that he went over to the intercom and called Jean to the lab.

When she got to the lab, Henry said "Well I'll leave you two ladies alone. I'm going to take a nap." He said stretching. "Good night you two." And with that he left.

As Jean sat down I started. "Jean I have something to tell you, something not easy for me to say, so please don't interrupt. The me you know, it's not the real me, or should I say, not the original me. I guess I'm what would be classified as a split personality." Jean gasped at this. "The me you know is a created personality. The original didn't think Wolvie or you guys would like her or who she is or what she's done. So she made me, Jubilee to be with you guys. But Jubilation wants to talk with you now, so here she is." And with that I gave Jubilation control.

"Hello Jean, I'm Jubilation." Jubilation spoke. Jean was visibly shocked. She could tell it was Jubilation in charge not me. "I'm sure you have many questions, but now is not the time. And then she froze Jean with her power. 'Jean,' she thought 'I'm going to have a little 'chat' with the Phoenix Force, then bring it out to play.' I suddenly saw what her plan was. It was brilliant. And if it worked Jean would be Grateful, after she got over being scared shitless.

'No! You can't! It will go out of control, it always does!' She thought as she tried to struggle but couldn't even move.

'Yes it does. And I remember why too. You said that the Phoenix Force is addicted to your emotions, and will put you through anything it can think of to feel new and different emotions. It is extremely addicted to your negative emotions you said. And when you break, that is when the Dark Phoenix comes out to play. The Phoenix driven by your negative emotions. Isn't that how you described it?'

'Yes but…'

'How did I know? Well Jubilee was quite concerned after the last incident, and when you called Doc Samson, psychiatrist to the superpowered and superdangerous, well she was quite concerned and curious and listened in on your sessions. And when she listened in, of course I had to too.'

'But then…' Jean began.

'I'm going to convince it to just take any emotion that you feel at the moment, and be damn grateful just to get that.'

'What? That's impossible!'

'Watch me.' And with that the three of us were in front of the Phoenix Force's psychic prison in Jean's mind.

'What? Why are there two of you? Even a spilt personality should have only one astral body!' Jean thought projected. 'I'll let Jubilee explain. Jubilee, Please keep her calm while I do this.'

'Ok.' I thought projected. 'Just go easy, you don't want to seriously damage the Phoenix.'

'I know. This won't be like that time with Bastion, I'll go easy.' And with that she went over to the Phoenix, while I turned back to Jean.

'That time with Bastion? What's going on? What's she going to do?' Jean asked panicked.

'Jean, now look at me. This is Jubilee, the girl you know. That is Jubilation, my original self. Now the last time Jubilation came out was when I needed to get away from Bastion. He was a sick fuck who tortured and raped me. Well Jubilation had had enough and she, well she tortured him to death when she came out and got free.'

'What, how, why?'

'I may have put bounds on MY power, but not hers. I couldn't. She's, well if you compare it to a computer program, she's like DOS. The main operating program. I'm Windows. The sub operating program that fools you into thinking it's the main one. Now what affects Windows does not necessarily affect DOS. Like in this case. So when she came out, quite pissed at Bastion, nothing could stop her from showing him what she learned from him in my captivity. As it went on, she grew even more experimental, and tortured him till he died about a week later.'

'How could she do that? She's…'

'A monster? No she's not. She's just pragmatic, extremely so. She's willing to do anything necessary for survival. You have no idea what she's been through or has done or is. She never wanted you to, that's why I was created, to be the happy go lucky girl you would like. But I guess now she's going to have to come out more and more. Maybe she won't even need me anymore some day.'

'What are you saying?'

'Never mind that now, I'll tell you later. For now, let's talk about what she's doing over there.' As I said that, Jean looked at Jubilation and the Phoenix. If a psychic manifestation could vomit, Jean would have. I grabbed her face, and made her look into my eyes. 'Jean, calm down and don't look over there. It will be all right.'

'How will it be all right?' she said getting panicked again. 'the Phoenix is…'

'Getting tortured? Yes, yes it is. Just like it's done to you every time it wants something. Jean, she's not doing this to be cruel, but to help you, so you never have to fear being the Phoenix again. You will have control over the Phoenix when this is over, you'll never have to worry about hurting the one's you love or innocents again. You'll be able to help others with your power. Like us.'

'Help you how? Why?'

'The Phoenix can bring you back from the dead over and over again. You're kind of immortal when you think about it, you don't seem to age, have you noticed? And while you can die, the Phoenix just keeps brining you back.'

The light dawned on her. 'She wants the Phoenix to bring Logan.'

'Yes we, we both love him very much. I should of stopped Sabertooth, or let her do it, but I was too scared to release my power till he died. We'll fix that.'

'Jubilee, think, Just because you can do something, should you? Logan is dead. Is it right to bring him back?'

'Jean, I think you should be asking yourself that question, seeing as how you're the one who will have to do it.'

'What?'

'Jean, we may have amazing power, beyond that of even the Phoenix, but we can't bring back the dead. When the Phoenix is under your control though, you will. Think about that. Not just Wolvie, you could bring anybody back.'

'Your right. That's a scary thought.'

'Jean it's you who will have to do this, we're just giving you control of this power, control you should have had all along. What you do with it though, that is your problem.'

'So what if I decide not to bring back Logan? What if I think it's the wrong thing to do?'

'Jean I won't blame you or be, well, too upset. And Jubilation, well she'll be pissed at first, but she will really understand I promise. And even if you don't bring back Wolvie, this needs to be done. You need control of the Phoenix Force before it does something you will regret for the rest of your life.'

'That's true. But this way?'

'Jean, it's the only way she could think of. And no mater what you may think, it is fair, considering what the Phoenix has put you through. Now please, will you please bring back Wolvie?'

As Jean thought about it I couldn't help but listen in. Really, a telepathy you can never turn off is annoying. I mean imagine a hundred different radios going at the same time, not being able to turn a single one off. Right now though it was just one radio I couldn't turn off station Jean.

'Ok, I'll do it.' Jean finally thought projected.

'Really? Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!' I cried hugging her.

'I guess I'm just as selfish as you two are. I'd miss him too much not to bring him back.'

A little while after that Jubilation called us over. 'Jean,' She thought projected as we got near. 'The Phoenix has agreed to be a good little birdie and obey you now, isn't that right little birdie?' The Phoenix sent all of us it's feelings of confirmation. 'It knows it's been a bad little birdie, and it will be good, because if it's bad again I'll have another little 'chat' with it, and next time I won't gentle, but be very, very mean.' The Phoenix shivered in fear. 'so good we understand one another little birdie. I'm letting you out now my little birdie. Go over to your mistress and obey her.' And with that the Phoenix's prison was no more, and Jean and the Phoenix Force had merged again.