Emma's Problem Solver
Sorry
I haven't updated in ages, hopefully this will be worth it
though.
And I own nothing except Kess and the plot.
Enjoy
The weather had taken a turn for the worst. Thunderstorms ripped at the Academy; lightning lighting up the skies, rain flooding the fields and the humidity making it all unbearable. Tempers were fraying as students, mutant and human alike, were getting restless at being cooped up inside in unbearable heat. The tension was mounting and it was only a matter of time before it broke out in a literal explosion. It was a Saturday afternoon not long after Bobby had returned to the X-Men, leaving Jubilee in a rare condition of low spirits. Most of the students had gone home to their families for the weekend, and just as well for them. Kes was pacing in her room, on edge from the excitement of the storm, the hate of the humidity and the lack of anything to do. She finally let out a frustrated, "Arrggh!" and headed for the Gym to practise Martial Arts in combination with controlling her 'Sight'. She was able to turn it off in short amounts, but hadn't yet mastered doing two things at once. Kes was on the ground floor when she heard a loud BANG from upstairs. Her heart in her throat, her mind racing with possibilities, she ran upstairs in the direction of the noise, arriving at what was left of the upstairs common room. The explosion had been carefully calculated, Kes could see that. The debris had been directed away from the girls, rather than at them. A display of strength or a warning, not an attack. Jubilee, Paige and Monet St Croix were in the midst of the rubble, shouting at each other in attack mode. Jubilee's pafs were dancing in her hands; expanding in size and quantity the longer she held them. Paige had shed her skin to reveal...well, it looked like stone, and Monet had a murderous and haughty expression on her face. The auras of all three had expanded to twice their usual size and seemed to be battling with each other. Kes hovered at the doorway surveying the damage and the situation, unsure of what was going on and whether she should get Ms Frost before Jubes blew up something else. What settled it for her was Paige and Monet advancing on Jubilee and Jubes clearly losing the little patience she had left. More for the sake of concern for Paige and Monet's welfare than for Jubilee being out numbered, Kes made her way over to try and break up the fight.
"Uhh, guys?" she said. The three young women turned her way in surprise, not realising she was there,
"I don't think this is the best place to do whatever it is your about to do. I doubt Frosty's gonna be too happy with how the common room looks right now and I don't think you two ought to rark up Jubilee anymore, she won't be so nice next time."
Jubilee grinned at her in an eerie impression of Wolverine for those who knew the man.
Paige and Monet shivered a little before looking down their noses at her.
"It's not ah' fault Jubilee is so sensitive," Paige said, "She's the one that blew the room up, not us, we won't get in trouble."
Kes frowned and Jubilee's pafs grew larger and brighter.
"Look," Kes said, "I highly doubt Ms Frost will give a toss who did the blowing up. Fact is, you guys were all here, and therefore all have a part in this great big redecoration effort. Now if you don't want this whole shebang to get worse, I suggest you leave Jubes alone."
"Aww, Kes you're my hero," said Jubilee still grinning. She turned to Paige and Monet,
"You heard the lady, ttfn, shoo flies, laters homies." Her light tone did not hide the steel in her voice. Kes shivered slightly as she realised both how powerful and how controlled her friend really was. If Kes was as angry as Jubilee was now, her sight would be out of control and her crystal walls in full effect. She had a new respect for her friend and the power she had. Unfortunately, Paige and Monet didn't have the sense that Kes did. They advanced on her for the insult. Kes readied herself for the attack when she saw a flash of white out of the corner of her eye. She shoved her walls up, reinforced them so they were twice as strong as normal and prepared herself for the mental blasting that was to come. It was bad. She had never imaged that the cool, calculated and unemotional Emma Frost would lose her temper but lose it she did....
*********************
They were confined to their rooms for a week if they weren't attending classes until Emma and Sean figured out what their punishment would be. To everyone's surprise, it included all of Gen X and Kes, not just those that had had a hand in destroying the common room, which had been covered up as a renovation accident. They were called down to the lower levels of the school to the simulation room similar to that of the Danger Room at the Mansion, much to the disgruntlement of those not involved. As they entered, they found Emma, Sean and Hank standing before them. The White Queen was so cold you could almost feel the chill.
"As a result of the appalling behaviour of a few of your number, you will all undergo a unique type of punishment and hopefully enlightening experience that will leave you with an altered sense of both yourself and your peers. Think of it as a team building exercise" Emma regarded each of them momentarily before continuing,
"This is your debriefing. Be prepared. Be tolerant." She nodded and swept out of the room. The group were left looking at Sean and Hank in alarm and askance. Sean spoke first,
"Emma has asked me not to tell ye what we have in store for you all and I respect her wishes. I am disappointed in your behaviour. I had hoped you would have more sense and control." Jubilee, Paige and Monet all looked down.
"We are hoping this exercise will help you to gain a new understanding of your friends and your study peers. Good luck." He too nodded and left the room.
They were now left with only Hank.
"This will be a fascinating study of the human mind, behaviour and self expression. This has not been attempted at any time previously and will be a new experiment for all concerned. Have no fear as you should not come to any grievous injury that we are aware. My humble wishes of luck, understanding and fortune to you all."
He too walked out. The door slide shut behind him, leaving the mutant group alone in the simulation chamber. They looked at each other, faces told of confusion, fear, apprehension and a little bit of excitement. They were all there, Jubilee, Paige, Monet, Angelo, Everett, Jono and lastly, Kes. As they were about to speak, the air in front of them rippled. Each of them immediately adopted their defense stance and prepared for attack, forming a circle with their backs together, arguments and differences temporarily forgotten. They found themselves in a place that was completely white. No up or down or end could be distinguished. They were in a place of nothing. It was then that each caught a glimpse of another, and did a double take.
"Whoa!"
"Dude, check you out!"
"Wow, Ange"
"Dios, what is this?"
"What the Hell is going on?"
"Ohh, it's like Residual Self Image," said a voice in quiet realisation. All heads turned towards Kes, silently asking what the hell she was going on about.
"You know, from the Matrix. Where Morpheus takes Neo into the white place like this and he has regular clothes and no holes in his head. It's a residual self image, how we see ourselves, ideally, is projected into the computer and displayed" Kes grinned, "I'm kind of a movie geek."
"Dude, and thought I watched too many movies. Who woulda thought Frosty could come up with something like this?" Jubilee said admiringly, shaking her head.
'This' was the change in appearance of everyone in the room. Jubilee herself had pink and blue streaks in her black hair, which was shorter and spikier than normal. She wore tight black jeans, knee high combat boots and a loose white top with a large yellow 'X' on it over a tight black singlet. Over that she wore a fitted bright yellow trench coat that came down to her mid thigh and resembled the old firemans coat Kes had seen in her wardrobe. She had her pink sun glasses perched on her head, a silver necklace that Bobby had given her years ago with a 'Best' pendant hanging from it.
Paige herself looked a bit different as well, with longer hair and tighter clothes, and 'X' pendant earrings dangling from her ears. Monet was an intimidating figure with her long black hair in a wave down her back and Ev was looking damn good in baggy jeans and a grey t-shirt with an encircled black 'X' on it.
Perhaps the most dramatic transformations were that of Angelo and Jono. Since their mutations had dramatically altered their appearance, how they saw themselves on the inside was how they used to be. Jono was without fire. Tall and strong, he wore dark loose jeans, a black tee shirt with a dark blue X on it and a black leather jacket. Paige was staring at him in awe and blatant admiration. He had pale, clear skin and, Paige noticed, a very nice mouth with a firm chin.
Angelo had the dark skin typical of his Hispanic descent. Dark brown hair fell into his eyes and just below his ears. He had worn and baggy skate jeans on with a chain hanging in a loop on one side, a small X dangling off it. His favourite green hoodie was restored to its former glory and a small plaited bracelet was wound around his right hand, a gift from Kes. Jubilee and Kes, actually all Gen X members, were checking out Angelo. None of them had known him before his mutation and had often wondered what he had looked like. Well, Kes thought, I knew he was good looking, but damn!!
Kes had changed also. Her hair was slightly shorter and she wore a black peaked beanie Angelo had given her. She wore tight blue jeans, a contrast to the usual baggy skate jeans she usually wore. Her trusty black Chucks graced her feet, sporting purple and yellow laces and a blue singlet top with the words "Mischief Managed"* sprawled across the front in sliver could be seen under a grey denim jacket made to look like it had a hoodie underneath it. She looked down and saw it ended at her midriff, exposing the bottom of her top. And...yup she had her favourite shoulder bag with all the badges on it with her, and all the stuff she carried wherever she went was in there too.
Jubilee gave a low wolf whistle. "Looking good, guys" she said with a grin.
"Ah, Jubicita, we could say the same for you," replied Angelo with a wry smile. As it happened, though, he was looking at Kes. A fact that Jubilee did not miss.
"Whoa Kess, who knew you were hiding a figure under...those... baggy..." Jubes trailed off, and Kes looked at her curiously, wondering what was wrong. She was about to ask when Jubilee shrieked,
"Kestral Samantha Tresswell is that a tattoo!!"
Kess froze and looked down at her hip. The blue singlet she wore didn't quite reach the top of her jeans, which were hip huggers. Just peaking out of the top of her jeans, a small rainbow tattoo could be seen on her hip.
"When did you get that?! Why didn't you tell me?! Damn, I thought I was the only one cool enough to have one!!* You full on stole my awesomeness !! What is it?" exclaimed Jubilee all in one go.
Kess
laughed, relieved. "It's a rainbow. I got it when I turned
16."
"Why a rainbow?" asked Paige, looking confused.
The rest of the group looked at her like she had two heads and Jubilee said slowly, like she was talking to child, "That's because of her power Paige, you know, the pretty colours she sees when she looks at people?"
Paige flushed angrily at Jubilee's tone, and was about to retort when the whiteness surrounding them rippled. Once again, they prepared themselves for attack, remembering the White Queen's warning to 'Be prepared'.
They were confronted by a park like scene instead. Oak, willow and poplar trees were gracing the sides of a pond and a path lined with the same trees, which they happened to be standing on, wound its way down the centre of the grassy field. The sky was a pale blue and small wispy clouds drifted over every now and then. The sun gave warmth, but not enough to burn or feel uncomfortable. It was a welcome relief from the irritating weather that currently held the Academy in its grip, and each of the teens felt themselves relax, tension and restlessness fading away. Jubilee flopped to the ground and spread herself out, hands behind her head. She flipped her sun glasses over her eyes and said,
"Sit down Hayseed, me and you have differences to settle."
Paige sighed, but dropped down next to her.
Everett and Monet headed in one direction, walking up the path to the cover of the trees. Jono sat down next to Paige and Jubilee saying,
"Can't let you attack the gel now, can I. May I join this difference settling?"
"Knock yourself out, Shock-o-Shock," said Jubes with a smile.
That left Angelo and Kes. To Kes's surprise, he held out his hand. She took it. They headed in the opposite direction of Monet and Ev, just wandering down the path at an easy pace. Angelo was silent and Kes could tell what was probably on his mind.
"You look damn good, Espinosã," she said, succeeding in making him smile.
"And you look bonita, querida," He stopped suddenly and grabbed Kes's other hand, entwining their fingers.
"Does this make a difference, how I look?" His eyes were unreadable.
Kes smiled up at him.
"Angelo, you nut, don't you remember our conversation when I first came here? What you look like is no never mind to me. I know you and I see things differently than most people. I always knew you were a looker, just never to what extent. All I see now is how you see yourself, and that is something I value. You're still the same to me no matter what." She paused.
"What about me?" she asked quietly, half fearing the answer, her eyes flicked to the ground, "I mean, I look kinda rock chickish and I know that probly looks kinda rebel-ish , but I swear I'm not, I just like jeans and badges and beanies and-"
Angelo put a hand under her chin and gently tilted her face up so she was looking into his eyes. He moved slowly, coming closer and closer until his lips finally met hers. Kes's heart leapt, her lips tingled and an electric jolt, swept through her. She responded by reaching up and twining her hands into his hair. Angelo's hand left her chin and his arms wrapped around her as he pulled her close and tight. Their kiss deepened and became heated. Kes saw Ange's aura expand and she was finally able to see her own as it widened and met with his. It was purple, she thought in mild surprise, too happy with the feeling of kissing Angelo to take much notice. She sighed in happiness, only causing Angelo to hold her tighter. The sound of voices woke them up and they sprang apart as Jubilee, Paige and Jono rounded the corner. Jubilee stopped and eyed them closely. Both looked dazed and a little out of breath and they stared at each other in wonder. Jubilee grinned and evil predatory grin. This was brilliant. She had them cold, there was no way they could deny their feelings now. She was about to make a wittily unsubtle comment when once again the scene rippled and changed. The park and trees melted away and buildings, cars, lights and people replaced them. It was immediately clear that they were under attack as explosions tore through the air and debris rained down around them.
Kes saw an immediate change come over Jubilee, a side of her she had never seen before. She morphed from the bubbly teen she knew into the leader of an X-Men team who spoke with absolute authority and expected to be obeyed.
"St Croix, get in the air, I want you covering us and telling me their layout. Ange, get out to 20 metres 12 o'clock and disarm not kill. Guthrie, shed into something you find useful and defensive and go 20 metres 8 o'clock, same instructions. Shock o Shock, your 20 metres 4 o'clock and Ev your with him, stick close. Kes you're with me. Tell me what we're looking at here."
Everyone
dispersed without a word. Jubilee had created a defensive circle,
with her and Kes in the centre. Kes was cursing Emma Frost with
every word she could think up. She had told her time and time again
that she was not a
fighter, had no intention
of joining Gen X and did not want
to participate in their Danger Room Replica sessions. Just
wait till I get out of here, Kes thought
fuming; I'll give that woman a piece of my
mind. But until then, Kes had to focus on
the trouble at hand. Closing her eyes, she magnified her vision,
opening them to be able to see like looking through binoculars and
slowly turned in a circle, relaying everything she saw to Jubilee.
"They've got two mutants in the air, just flyers, scouts
probably, humans on the ground, surrounding us they have stun guns
have some mean looking armour, then there's....shit, Jubes they
have a telepath and she'll be in range soon approaching at 3 'o
clock, a chick with super strength and invulnerability at 6 ;o clock,
and mutant that can cause earthquakes I think at 1 'o clock."
Jubilee
took in this information with a nod, flicked her pink sunglasses over
her eyes and yelled out her instructions, "We've got a telepath
coming, try shielding your minds like Frost has been teaching us,
humans with stunners; just dodge the rays and knock 'em out however
you can. Monet take out the fliers now, then I want you on that
mutant at 6' o clock, she's got super strength. There's an
earth mover at 1 'o clock, that's you and Ev, Jono. Ange, you
got most of the humans and Kes if she needs help. Now on the count
of three, close your eyes, 1, 2, 3!!" Kes closed her eyes as
Jubilee threw her paffs up and around them, surrounding her and Gen-X
in a circle of blazing fireworks.
"Now move!" shouted
Jubilee. Opening their eyes and taking advantage of the blindness of
their opposition, they attacked. Kes swung her bag at the nearest
man, smacking him under the chin, dropped to her knees, kicked out a
leg, catching the guy at the back of his knees and knocking him to
the ground. Jumping back up, she moved on to the next one. Reacting
automatically, her body remembering the lessons, she fought as hard
as she could, not knowing for how long. She saw Jubilee move like
lightning, using her paffs in conjunction with her extensive range of
gymnastics and martial arts. She saw Monet in a telepathic battle,
Jono and Ev leaping to get clear of flying rocks and glimpses of
Angelo and Paige fighting as she was. She was getting tired, a
stunner had caught her right arm leaving a bloody slash, her ribs
ached from a badly dodged punch and her eyes from the vision tricks
she was using to get as much of an advantage as she could. Another
man fell to her kick in his stomach and she looked around just in
time to see a boulder the size of a car flying toward Angelo.
Reacting without thinking, she threw herself across the distance
separating them, slamming Angelo to the ground as the boulder whizzed
over their heads, narrowly avoiding them. Before either could react,
Jubilee yelled
"EYES" and they closed their eyes tight as her paffs exploded into the air. With this distraction, the remaining mutants were taken out by Monet and Paige and Gen-X stood warily panting as the scene changed once again.
The demolished city block disappeared and the cold metal of the Academy Training room appeared in its place. The teens sank to the ground in relief, only Jubilee remained standing. Kes stood up holding her hand out to Angelo who took and she pulled him up. All of them looked exhausted and worse for wear. The door to the room opened and in walked the White Queen, Banshee and Beast. With the entrance of Emma Frost, Kes was livid. She was tired, in pain and seriously pissed off. Abandoning all respect for authority, she marched up to Emma, and started yelling,
"I told you I'm not a fighter!! I specifically said I don't want any involvement in this teen fighting team!! How dare you force that on me!! You have-!"
"Miss Tresswell, if you do not stop yelling I will be forced to restrain you." The White Queen said coldly. "Besides, from this exercise you must surely see how valuable you are to this team. Look how-"
"Restrain me!! How you gonna do that, you can't invade my mind like you can the rest of this bloody school you manipulating witch!! You think this was the way to get me on your little team?! Force it on me?! Who the hell do you think you are?! I'm here to learn not be bloody manipulated!!" Kess stopped for a breath, and was about to continue when she felt two hands on her shoulders. She turned to see Angelo and Jubilee. They looked at her with understanding and concern. Her anger melted away and she let out her breath and closed her eyes. She opened them to find the room was swaying and looked down at her arm in surprise, finding that it was still bleeding.
"Oh," she said softly before the floor rushed up to meet her.
