All Character's belong to marvel comics.
flash back
psy speech
Samuel Guthrie, Robert Drake and Roberto DeCosta stood in the door way of the Guthrie family farmhouse, speechless. In front of them stood four strangers, and Jubilation Lee, one of their best friends who they hadn't been in contact with in years. "Hellions, sit tight." she said over her shoulder. Turning back to Sam and the others she said "May I talk to you boys outside for a moment?" Without waiting for a response she began to walk toward the door.
"Of course Lee." Bobby said. The three boys waited as Jubilee walked passed them and out on to the porch. Shooting the four strangers a critical glare, they followed her. On the porch the three boys smiled at her, but she was not smiling back.
"Bobby! What the hell was that? Icing up in front of strangers. If I hadn't been here I think this would have escalated to an 'incident' and you 'd all be in a lot of trouble."
"They lied to get inta my house!" Sam tried to defend himself.
"We did no such thing. We never said we were from Xavier's, that's was a misunderstanding. And I am a former classmate of yours, so even if I had said I'm from Xavier's I would still be telling the truth."
"All right, but who are those people, where have you been and what brought you here? Don't get me wrong ah'm happy to see you but, this is a shocker!" Sam said trying to brighten the situation.
"I'll only tell you if we can go inside and get something to eat. I'm starved." Jubilee said her signature smile warming up her face.
The tension gone for the time being, Sam, Berto and Bobby gave her a hug. "Come on in girl, plenty of food 'round here." Sam and Roberto led the way into the house. Bobby noticed Jubilee hanging back a moment, and walked over to her.
"Hey." he said cooly.
"Hey." She replied with the required amount of aloofness.
"Sweet ride. Did you get to drive it?" He gestured to the SUV.
"It is, but I'm not aloud to drive yet. Tall dark and telepathic in there drove." She gestured toward the house, and took a few steps in that direction. Bobby stepped in front of her.
"You never returned my letters. I missed you. A lot." He gave her a big hug. Jubilee returned the gesture. When they finally pulled apart, Bobby looked into her eyes, and leaned in to kiss her lips. Jubilee turned away, the kiss landing harmlessly on her cheek. Bobby looked disappointed for a moment, then smiled at her.
"Let's go inside, there's a lot to talk about." He draped his arm around her shoulder, she wrapped hers around his waist as they began to walk toward the house. When Jubilee looked up at the door she spotted Angelo standing there with his arms crossed. Their eyes met and Angelo turned away to walk into the house. "Shoot." Jubilee said to herself.
Apparently Bobby had seen him too "Who's that guy? Looks like a total freak..."
Jubilee mumbled "My boyfriend." as she broke away from him and ran into the house.
"Boyfriend?" Bobby asked to no one, then kicked a large rock in frustration.
Entering the kitchen Jubilee says "Hey guys, how's it going?" Looking around, Angelo nowhere in sight.
"Your friend Sam here is quite hospitable, he has offered to make us food." Shan responded.
"Yup that's 'cause Sam's a great guy. Um, has anyone seen Ange?"
"Which one's that?" Roberto asks.
"The droopy grey one."
"He just went out the back, the British one followed."
"Thanks Berto. Be right back, Hellions, these are some of the New Mutants, talk, be friendly." As Jubilee reached the door, Bobby hds just reached the kitchen. Their eyes met, Jubilee mouthes an 'I'm sorry' and takes off.
Surveying the farm land Jubilee couldn't see either of them and so in slight desperation, she reached out. She mentally called, screamed, to Jono. No answer. She began to walk toward the field. "Shit." She ran her hand through her hair, frustrated. About to turn back toward the house, she finally spotted two lanky shadowy figures. She walked over to them briskly and tapped Jono on the shoulder. Angelo's eyes looked slightly red, and his hands were jammed into his pocket awkwardly. He looked away from her.
I heard you call, but Ange really didn't want to talk to you...
I got this, get back to the house, I'll be along in only a moment. He gave her a skeptical look, but nodded and headed back. She walked up behind Angelo and slid her hands around his waist. He flinched, and for a moment she felt hurt. "Don't pout, your skin gets all droopy when you do that." she whispers.
"It 's not like it matters when you've already got some other guy at your finger tips." Angelo snapped.
"It's not what you think, he's an ex, and old flame."
"Someone you never told me about." he turned in the circle of her arms, to look her into her eyes.
"I'm sorry, but we never talk about your past, I didn't think we needed to talk about mine. Look, we need to get back inside to fix this misunderstanding, but this... we can talk about this later, all night, until you feel better or you atleast have all the facts before you're mad at me. But right now, we need to go in." Jubilee pleaded.
"Whatever you say chica." he said distantly, breaking her hold around him, but retaining one of her hands as they walked back in.
By the time Jubilee and Angelo got back to the house, the three x-men were chatting with the three Hellions merrily. An unfamiliar young blond female, another Guthrie presumably, was also present.
"Hey. Time for formal intros I guess."
"Actually, we've already done that Jubes." Bobby said, a slight trace of annoyance in his voice.
"Well then just allow me to do a quick recap to make sure we're all on the same page. Cordelia Frost, Shan Coy Mahn, Jonothan Starsmore, Angelo Espinosa, and myself Jubilation Lee. We're the Hellions, from the Massachusetts Academy in Snow Valley. Hellions, these are old friends of mine, the New Mutants from Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Bobby Drake, Roberto DeCoasta, and of course, our amazing host Sam Guthrie." That said Jubilee made eye contact with the last, un-introduced occupant.
"And this would be mah little sister, Paige."
Jono got out of his chair and crossed the room to shake Paige's hand. Nice to meet you, Gel.
"A-are you... speaking inside mah head?" She asked shakily, but not seeming scared so much as surprised.
"He is. Why don't you sit down and chat with us?" Shan offered.Sam smiled brightly at Shan as Paige took a seat at the table.
"So Paige, the rumor is you're a mutant, like your big brother." Cordelia asked from across the table.
Paige answered meekly "Ah am. Sam says I should attend Xavier's with him, that it will help me a lot, but Ah'm not too keen on leaving the farm just yet."
"Xavier's is a good school." Jubilee commented and instantly she felt Cordelia inside her head. "But there are other places for people like us..." Jubilee shot a look at Cordelia.
"Do you plan on going to college Paige?" Shan inquired.
"Gosh, Ah sure hope so, but it really depends on how Momma and the farm are doing."
"Paige, you can go to college. Momma's got other kids that can help with the farm, and it's not like you'll be leaving forever." Sam argued. Jubilee got the feeling that this was a common dispute that went on between the siblings. "She talks like this all the time, then she complains that she'll never see the world." Sam offered as an explanation.
"Well I haven't been with the Hellions very long, but last night I met business men from around the globe at the Hellfire Club. They're the ones that fund the Hellions."
"The Hellfire Club?" Roberto asked, looking at Jubilee sternly.
"Yes." Cordelia answered smugly.
"Lee, you never mentioned them. They're bad news!" Roberto began to panic.
DING the oven rang, the food was ready. Sam and Paige got up quickly.
Angelo put a comforting hand on Jubilee's shoulder and whispered "Saved by the bell, eh chica?" She replied by placing her hand over his and giving it a gentle squeeze. Everyone helped set the table and serve the food, everyone except for Cordelia of course. She seemed to be in a terrible mood, but no one really cared.
After dinner the conversation leaned toward Jubilee's days at Xavier's, and though they were interested in their rival school, the Hellions tried streering it more toward world events, or anything they could all discuss. Unfortunately Bobby was set on the subject.
"You know that new Senator from New York used to be a real liberal, but on the mutant issue he's a total conservative, it's such a shame that people don't see the good we can really do." Shan commented.
"Heh, he actually used to be the princepal at Bayville High School." Roberto informed.
"If it wasn't for those Brotherhood jack asses he probably wouldn't be so bent against us." Sam said sadly.
Y'know what they say, one rotten apple spoils the whole lot. Jono added.
"You guys seem to know a lot about bad seeds then don't you?" Bobby blurted.
"Excuse me?" Shan asked, appauled. Everyone shot a angry look at his abruptness, even Paige.
"You said you work for the Hellfire Club, right? We all know they're criminals, no point in lying to us. So where does that put you Hellions?"
"Much higher on our way to success than you." Cordelia snapped. It was cordelia's turn to get the angry looks now. "Now, what is this really about Robert?" She looked at him hard.
"Lee." Bobby answered simply
"Why because I moved on?"
"No, you changed! You get pulled out of school, disappear from your closest friends and then show up at Sam's doorstep years later, completely different and look at the company you keep! Did the Hellfire club buy you from your parents or something? I mean where the hell were you when the rest of us were fighting for the fate of the world?" Bobby was standing now, practically yelling in her face.
"Where was I?" Jubilee repeated, sounding very hurt, and little.
"Where were you?" Bobby said definatively, and slowly sat back down.
"Um, that's kinda a good question. Where were you Jubes?" Sam asked meekly.
Jubilee looked down at her feet, the only sound in the room was that of her her inhale and finally exhale. "I had only been with the Hellions for a short while, when that whole Apocalypse thing went down." Jubilee started. "I begged, pleaded for Emma to let me go help." Jubilee fought passed the building tears to continue her story. "She told me that you didn't want me, didn't need me, that I'd just be in the way! I told her no, told her that was a lie! And she showed me the TV, all the people assembled to fight. She said that if I was needed I would have been contacted!" The tears finally spilled from her eyes. "I knew then that she was right. I knew I wasn't wanted. Xavier KNEW about my parents, but couldn't be bothered to come get me! Emma told me that if the X-men failed, I'd be needed. She said that we were the last defense, and I knew it was true. I couldn't afford to screw around like in the old days, I knew I had to be the real hero." Jubilee stood up quickly, wiping her tears away. "It's late, we should go. We'll be back tomorrow to discuss the Academy with your sister." The rest of the Hellions followed her lead.
"She's going to Xavier's." Sam called to her.
"Let's allow her to decide that." Jubilee spat marching toward the door.
Sam and Bobby were her two best friends at Xavier's. Neither of them knew that her parents died, or why she fell out of contact with the rest of them. Had no idea she lived on the streets, or how much she really knew about the Hellfire Club.