Chapter 30: Old Friends and New Faces
Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters of logos.
Madame Hydra stepped through the halls of her organization's headquarters, having been summoned for a meeting by her superiors. The ruling council of HYDRA was gathering in the main room this evening to discuss future plans, and she wasn't planning on disappointing them, especially after her recent failures and subsequent demotion. She had been treading cautiously since then, even using her own money to fund her recent body enhancements rather than relying on the organization for support.
Stepping through the doors leading into the spacious hall, the agents guarding the area sunk into deep bows as she walked past them and ascended the dais leading to the top. As the green-clad woman stepped onto the large audience platform in front of Baron Strucker's throne, she quickly caught sight of the Gorgon, who had arrived just seconds before her. The red-suited man acknowledged her presence with a tiny smirk, casually straightening his dark sunglasses with a tap of his finger.
Ignoring his presence for the moment, the green-clad woman approached the elderly man sitting across from her, acknowledging him with a respectful bow. When she received no reaction, Madame Hydra rose to her feet and moved so that she was standing across from Gorgon, the latter of which had positioned himself to the right of their illustrious leader.
"I trust everyone who's going to show up has arrived." Gorgon replied with the tiniest of sneers.
The woman standing to his right copied the gesture before turning to their superior. "If that is the case, then perhaps we should begin."
Baron Strucker opened his mouth to answer, but was quickly interrupted by the resounding creak of doors. The trio looked down to see the source of the noise to find a dark clothed man carrying a large. His long black cape and angular horned mask made him easily recognizable by those inside and outside of the organization. The dark figure walked past the guards with an unreadable expression, handing his dual-bladed weapon to one of the guards before ascending the stairs to join the others.
"Reaper…" Strucker acknowledged him with a note of indifference, although he was somewhat pleased to see that the last of their number had finally arrived.
The dark clad man bowed his head respectfully before speaking up. "You have my apologies for taking so long to arrive, but my team was intercepted by SHIELD agents during our return trip from New York."
Baron Strucker looked at his three commanders from atop his throne, appearing much less than amused by the explanation. Folding his elbow against the right arm of the chair, he pressed his fist into his check in an attempt to subdue his own rage. The former Nazi was noticeably irritated by the news of their greatest enemies interfering in HYDRA's plans. He wanted to inquire more about the attack, but soon found the action unnecessary.
Madame Hydra took a step towards their visitor. "I trust that you kept any information from falling into the hands of SHIELD?"
"The people they sent were a bunch of nobodies, so we can assume they didn't know I was on board" The newcomer dismissed the notion with a nasty expression. "It was a small squadron of flyers using jetpacks to board the plane. I slaughtered them with minimal resistance, but we were forced to stop and inspect the craft in case they left any tracking devices."
"I guess that could explain why you took so long to get back here." Gorgon pointed out.
The female of the group smirked at his blunder. "It appears that I am not the only person to experience complications as of late. We have made our share of enemies over time, and because of this we must endure the consequences."
Gorgon shook his head with a nasty expression. "Both heroes and criminals alike know of HYDRA's power. It is natural that there would be those who seek to stop us, no matter what the reason. To the former, we are a danger to society, while the latter group sees us as a major threat to their own ambitions."
Despite her dislike of the man for taking her job, the green-clad woman found herself amused by his statements. "Indeed… We have truly become the enemy of the world."
"Enough wasting my time with this banter!" Baron Strucker stood up from his seat, sending a collective chill down the spines of his most trusted subordinates. He looked to each of them with a hint of frustration before sitting back down. Settling down, he quickly decided to take charge of the meeting. "Each of you was given responsibilities to attend to, but now is the time to relay the results of your respective labors."
When no one else stepped forward, Grim Reaper decided it was better to conclude business here as soon as possible. "Although I did this without your permission, my team stayed behind in Manhattan to ensure that the Crime Cartel would no longer pose a threat against HYDRA."
Madame Hydra blinked in confusion. "I mean no offense, but wasn't your mission to topple the organization for betraying us during recent transactions. I doubt any of the remaining gangs have the capacity to pose a threat to us."
"It was your fault that we lost important information to Wilson Fisk, but I digress." The dark villain replied with a hoarse snicker, earning him glare from his superiors. "Either way, I figured that with Silvermane in jail and the Kingpin out of the picture, the other family heads would elect a new leader. The next in line was Alisha Silver, but Luchino Nefaria took out Manfretti's worthless daughter and seized command of the remaining syndicates after agreeing to divide the remainder of the Kingpin's assets. "
"Get to the point!" the former Nazi snapped, his gaze hardening with impatience.
The dark-clad villain smirked in response. "I spoke with him shortly after the incident, and he greed to support HYDRA in exchange for new weapons and some funding to help re-establish the New York Crime Cartel's broken sphere of influence."
"Ah… Now I see what's really going on." The Gorgon mused out loud. "You made certain that whoever replaced Wilson Fisk as leader would have connections with us."
"Controlling him may yet prove difficult, but at the very least we now have a hand in the affairs of an independent organization." The Grim Reaper elaborated his plans to the others in the hopes of gaining their support.
They fell silent as they considered the options created by this new alliance, having had a rocky relationship with the previous syndicate lead by Wilson Fisk. Madame Hydra was particularly bitter that turning to them for assistance had backfired, resulting in her humiliation, although she could not deny that things would have gone much smoother had they exerted a stronger grip over the Manhattan crime lords. She was noticeably surprised when their leader nodded his approval.
The elderly man slammed his fist into the arm of his throne to catch their attention, this time addressing the Reaper. "We will see if this alliance benefits us, but until then you will tell me if your other dealings were as successful."
"Just as you ordered, I also paid some visits to Asia before you sent me to New York to clean up Viper's mess." The dark-clad villain began. "The Yakuza have no interest in working with or against us, although several representatives from The Hand are open to negotiation. We also met with Norman Osborn in an attempt to forge an alliance, but the he claimed to have other obligations right now."
"When HYDRA's plans finally come to fruition, that deranged lunatic will regret turning his back on us." the red-clad mutant smirked with a sense of sick amusement.
Viper stepped forward with a smile. "That reminds me… I have recently uncovered several files that may prove of interest to us. What I have discovered is controversial at best, although I am almost certain that you may be able to shed some light on this subject."
Baron Strucker rested his elbows on his lap, gently lacing his fingers together with interest as he leaned forward. "I'm listening…"
"Yes my lord." She groveled before reaching into her pocket and withdrawing a small device the size of a remote control. "While searching through the data stolen by Gorgon, my team cross-referenced the information in an attempt to compare it with existing data stored in our mainframe computer."
"Just get to the point!" Although her superior did not shout, his expression soured.
She nodded quickly before resuming. "You of all people knew that Adolf Hitler was an eccentric man, one who believed in the stuff of mysticism and legends."
The former Nazi paused as if reflecting on some of his fondest memories, although his stern demeanor quickly returned. "The Fuhrer's vision for the future was truly remarkable, but he lacked the strength of character and state of mind necessary to achieve what could have been his. HYDRA rose from the ashes of his pathetic demise!"
"Which is why the beginnings of this organization were so heavily influenced by these flawed ideologies." Viper added this last part with a relish before continuing her explanation. "As I was trying to say, our database contains many things pertaining to Hitler's schemes. Among them was a certain legend pertaining to technology used during ancient times."
"In what way does this relate to the current situation?" Grim Reaper sneered from behind her.
After a brief staring contest between the two operatives, Viper pressed a button on her remote, the device projecting the image of a crystal. "Wilson Fisk stumbled upon this Nazi artifact after purchasing it from a museum in Germany."
"It's a rock..." Gorgon's normally serious expression gave way to a snicker. "Just because Hitler thought it had magical powers, doesn't mean it's of any use to us."
The green clad woman opened her mouth to explain, but was distracted by the sound of her leader standing up. Baron Strucker seized the device from her hand without even asking, the act rendering his lieutenants speechless for the moment. He pressed a button to enlarge the image so that it was many times larger than the actual stone, almost as if he were searching for something. Several moments passed in silence until his eyes settled on the markings inscribed on the stone's holographic projection.
"I never would have believed it possible until this very moment." The Supreme Hydra reasoned, his eyes widening in surprise. "That the legacy left behind by my former superiors has survived after all these years!"
Although the mask hid his facial expressions, Reaper was confused by his leader's sudden shift. "My lord? Does this object mean something to you?"
"Would you care to explain what's going on?" the red-clad mutant straightened his glasses again, his mouth contorting into a flat line.
Baron Strucker moved so that he was standing in front of his throne, a spark of fascination dancing in his cold, black eyes. "During World War II, the Red Skull was once tasked with locating three ancient stones possessing the power to harness the power of the Earth itself. I thought it madness at first, until the truth was finally given to me by my superiors."
"Indeed…" Madame Hydra added with a smirk. "According to HYDRA's archives, these objects gave off a distinctive energy, and when combined with an ancient weapon, the power radiated from within the crystals grant the controller the ability to do virtually anything!"
Grim Reaper folded his arms before shaking his head dismissingly. "It's not that I disagree with the possible benefits to be gained if this legend was true, but what proof do we have that such a vessel even exists? I'm not entirely convinced."
"I don't believe that anything could be so powerful, even with magic." Gorgon agreed.
"Silence! What I speak of is not mysticism, it is technology. I saw for myself that it does exist… The vessel was a machine far more advanced than anything we had ever seen before, and it was unearthed by Nazi scientists during the war." The former Nazi's grin deepened as he placed the hologram projector in his pocket. "Ancient records spoke of three stones that powered the device, although the Red Skull was only able to locate one before the war ended. Had he managed to find them all, the Axis Powers would have been victorious!"
The group's mutant groaned slightly before addressing his colleagues. "I'm not sure whether or not to believe it either, but you've gotta wonder how a crook like the fat man could have stumbled onto something like this?"
"Yes, I am also curious to know of this." Baron Strucker spun around to face them, his stony expression returning.
Madame Hydra withdrew a page of notes. "According to the records stolen from the Crime Cartel's database, the crime lords were attempting to extract the secrets of Project Rebirth from the mutant terrorist, Erik Lensherr, alias Magneto. They found out he was after these artifacts, but only after using one as bait to lure the target to New York, did the Kingpin realize what his prey was really after. The answer was found in Herbert Landon's research notes, which revealed a connection when the files were compared to those in our mainframe computer."
"And if we resurrect this machine, HYDRA will be unstoppable!" Strucker added, his eyes blazing with a fire which rivaled that of Hitler himself.
Gorgon seemed to have accepted this new revelation, although he still showed signs of hesitation. "If other people are after this thing, we could be in for some competition."
"You also say this machine was an ancient relic… How do we know it'll still work after sitting around for centuries?" the scythe-toting villain replied.
Baron Strucker let out a sickening laugh. "Simple-minded fools… This technology is beyond your comprehension! It was created by the same person who constructed those pyramids that almost destroyed the world several months ago!"
The others looked shocked by this sudden revelation, now becoming aware that their leader possibly knew more about the stones than was contained in HYDRA's database. Having served alongside the Red Skull during World War II, it was apparent that he possessed knowledge of even the most secret projects that the Nazis had worked on. Even Madame Hydra was intrigued by his tenacity, although this new revelation seemed to have won over the trust of his two remaining commanders.
They had all seen the incident on the news, and had watched as even SHIELD failed to stop the technology wielded by Apocalypse. Grim Reaper smirked at the prospect of having similar technology under their control, while the red-clad mutants standing beside him remained remarkably stoic. As the endless possibilities filled the minds of his subordinates, their leader moved back to the raised platform where his throne was situated, although this time he did not sit back down.
Baron Strucker raised his hand into the air as he stood at the top, his gesture getting the attention of everyone in the room. The dozens of soldiers lining the walls of the room copied his gesture, along with the three HYDRA commanders stationed directly beneath him. Looking up where their leader stood, it almost seemed as though he was framed by the presence of the yellow and red banners bearing the symbol of the skull and snake, that of the organization's crest.
Launching his fist into the air, the former Nazi took a deep breath. "HAIL HYDRA!" he bellowed.
"HAIL HYDRA!" the others responded with a cult-like unison, each of them copying his salute.
Meanwhile…
It was around ten o'clock at the Xavier Institute, and the majority of the main team was feeling exhausted from their earlier battle with the Juggernaut. The professor had recently instituted a new curfew for the students due to several the instances of late night mischief. His trust in their maturity had dropped quite a bit since Avalanche had left the school. During his brief stay, a group of younger students hijacked the X-Van and took the Blackbird out for a joy ride shortly afterwards, resulting in severe consequences for everyone involved. While their probation had long since concluded, they still found it necessary to keep a close eye on the students.
As the students rushed between the bathrooms preparing to turn in for the night, a lone figure approached the outer gates of the school. Although the darkness obscured her figure, the uninvited visitor was clearly a girl of average height, although it would have been difficult to discern anything else from the limited lighting. A security camera posted on the outer gate gravitated towards the movement, but was quickly destroyed by a brightly-colored blast of energy shot from the stranger's body.
"Well that won't do…" The female visitor gave the gate a gentle nudge to confirm that it was locked, using her opposite hand to blast the lock open. A smirk of amusement reaching her lips as she forced open the smoldering ruin, gently resting her hands on her hips as she stepped over the newly opened threshold. "It's good to be back!"
Almost as soon as she entered the institute's grounds, several lights began flashing wildly from the security system that protected the mansion, signaling several weapons to rise from secret compartments hidden on the grounds. The fountain slid aside to reveal a large weapon, which immediately targeted the intruder, firing off a net infused with enough electrical energy to render the average mutant unconscious. Spinning on her heal, the visitor repelled the oncoming projectile with a multi-colored blast, firing a second stream of light to disable the net-launcher.
Several more obstacles activated as she approached the front door to the complex, although at this point she was no longer smiling. The expression on her face was one of mingled annoyance and regret as she ran through the traps, diving behind a bush for cover. The mutant crawled sideways as she prepared to flee the scene, but was caught off guard as the stun lasers and security lights flashing overhead switched off. The grounds became dark once more as the security system simmered out, but it was soon replaced by the creak of a door, closely followed by footsteps.
Jubilee had been absent from the institute ever since mutants were revealed to the world, yet she had chosen a bad time to show off her newly honed abilities. She had practiced during her absence in solitude, although her arrogance had led her to do something stupid tonight. She had hoped that walking through the grounds at night would have been an accurate gauge of her abilities, but now was beginning to regret the decision.
Hearing the familiar voices of her friends, the Chinese American girl began to crawl out from behind the bush, almost looking forward to seeing her old friends again. It looked as though they were searching the ground, but before she could speak up, a dark figure dropped down from above. Before she could react, her attacker had pushed her onto the ground, placing a foot on her back as a pair of claws stabbed into the ground.
"I'm going to ask you this once… Who are you?" a high-pitched voice hissed in her ear.
The metal talons resting dangerously close to her neck reminded her of Wolverine, although Jubilee immediately noticed that there were only two instead of three. Although her captor had forced her head to face the opposite direction, the accusing voice was clearly female.
Unable to answer due to her shear surprise, the girl stand behind her pulled her into a standing position by the hair, slamming against the nearby fence. Jubilee saw her face for the first time as she was forced to face her adversary, looking surprised that someone else seemed to possess powers nearly identical to those of her former instructor.
"Just settle down and listen… This is all some sort of misunderstanding."
X-23 retracted the claws in her left hand, although she kept a firm grip on the intruder's wrist. "The next thing that you say had better be convincing."
The Chinese American tensed up again as she felt her captor exert more force, although she was relieved that the claws were no longer pressing against her throat. She forced down a lump in her throat and prepared to speak, but before either of them could finish, a beam of light illuminated the scene, closely followed by the person holding the flashlight. Wolverine stepped out from behind the corner, having caught their intermingled scents shortly after his clone apprehended the intruder.
"All right Laura, that's enough." He waved her down, causing the child to release her prey.
The feral girl backed away from them slowly, her eyes never leaving the intruder for even a second. "Do you know this intruder?"
Wolverine gave her the tiniest of nods before turning his attention to the other girl. "So, if you wanted to get in so badly you could've just called ahead and we might've turned off the security system."
"Yeah, sorry about that..." Jubilee rubbed her injured back and forced a smile. "So, did you know it was me?"
"Hank told us that the culprit used some bright colored sparks to take out the security cameras. Chuck figured it might be you, but we I don't know what reason you woulda had to break in here like that."
Admittedly it had been a stupid idea to break into the complex, but her lack of regard for safety over fun was something she hadn't lost. Thinking back, this impulsive side of her had resulted in the Blackbird incident, during which she had accompanied the other students for a nighttime joyride in the X-Jet. Having trained during her absence, she had also wanted to test out her improved abilities, although she knew this wasn't a valid answer.
The young mutant looked nervous at the prospect of giving him such a ludicrous response, but the sudden arrival of her former classmates quickly took the strain off her shoulders. Scott Summers strode through the night with a flashlight in hand, closely followed by Nightcrawler and Iceman.
"We heard the commotion… What's going on?" His eyes quickly settled on the newcomer, causing him to stumble slightly, his hands fumbling the light in his hands.
The blue-skinned mutant caught the object with his tail before transferring it to a gloved, three-fingered hand. Upon settling the beam onto the trio of mutants, he almost fell over. "Jubilee, is that you?"
Upon closer inspection, the rest of the group realized several interesting changes. While at the Xavier Institute, Jubilee had straight long hair and typically wore a short yellow jacket while not in uniform. During her long absence, her physical appearance and sense of style had changed dramatically, resulting in a shorter messier hairstyle framed by the pink tinted visor on her forehead. She wore tight blue shorts and a pink top underneath a yellow trench coat, the sleeves pushed up slightly to reveal a pair of gloves. Her physique had also changed slightly, her tight outfit revealing her larger bust and slightly more rugged physique.
Iceman gave her a casual wave as he approached, although he chuckled slightly upon seeing her up close. "I know it's been awhile, but are you trying to make some kinda fashion statement with that getup?"
"He's still the same as ever." Cyclops pushed past his younger teammate before turning his ruby gaze on the visitor. "You're looking well, especially considering the rest of us haven't seen you in almost a year."
"Never mind all that static… What brings you back here?" Bobby questioned eagerly.
"It's a pretty long story, but I've been through some rough times in the last few months. Not really something I want to talk about right now." Jubilee ran hand through her decidedly messy hair, trying desperately to relax despite the suspicious glare coming from the animalistic killer.
Wolverine noticed these subtle interactions and quickly attempted to remedy the situation. "Ease up Laura, she's not the enemy."
X-23 nodded once before taking a step backwards, looking very much like a guard dog that had been called off by its owner. The feral girl seemed less tense than before, although she did not smile or attempt to apologize to their new guest. She strode past Jubilee to stand behind Logan, gently folding her arms. Based on the reactions of her fellow X-Men, the Weapon X mutant realized her previous aggression and decided it was best not to say anything else relevant to this particular situation.
Jubilee shrugged off the awkward moment, quickly returning to her cheerful self. "I'm really sorry for crashing the party, but I was hoping to surprise you guys. Hope I didn't cause too much of a ruckus."
"It's a little for that, considering the damage you did the security system." Wolverine gestured to the destruction her powers had caused before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Either way I think you should speak to Charles before leaving."
A lump formed in her throat as she opened her mouth to answer, prompting her to swallow twice before addressing the subject. "Actually, I was planning on sticking around for a while."
Iceman slapped a hand on her shoulder. "So I guess you intending on coming back to the institute as a full-time student? Now that you, Tabitha, and Rahne are back, we've got the entire class together again. It'll be just like old times! "
"You are planning on becoming a student again, right?" Kurt added hopefully.
Jubilee's smile wavered for a moment, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Logan or his female counterpart. Both mutants were known for their enhanced perception and the ability to observe event he smallest details. Having been created as human weapons by Weapon X and HYDRA respectively, it was very rare for either to misread simple body language. The yellow-clad mutant seemed to sense their eyes on her and quickly nodded in response to Nightcrawler's previous question, her happiness returning instantaneously.
She shook her head to clear out any doubts, forcing a smile to ease their minds. "I actually was considering it, but maybe we could go inside and talk about this a little bit before sticking me back into those drab uniforms."
"Looks who's talking." Bobby added humorously. "You're standing there dressed like you walked out of an exploding Halloween store."
The Chinese American her hands as if preparing to fire off her powers, but rather than set off her fireworks to spook him, she stomped his foot with all the strength she could muster, causing him to cry out in pain. Leaping on one foot in a comical fashion, the icy mutant fell backwards and onto the ground. The others looked surprised at her sudden display of force, each of them noting how gutsy she had become in her absence from the institute. Jubilee smiled at his misfortune as she realized he had fallen into a puddle leftover from the sprinklers earlier that evening.
"At least my clothes aren't covered in mud." She jabbed him with a wink, causing the others to snicker as the cocky mutant tried to wipe off his clothes.
"Can't argue with that, can you?" Kurt added with a lighthearted chuckle.
After a moment, Bobby let out a laugh of his own, making a pointing gesture towards the yellow-clad mutant standing in front of him. "All right… Looks like you got me."
Wolverine watched for a moment as his students shared a laugh at Iceman's expense, quietly letting them have some fun. In his own way he found it amusing that someone had given the rowdy mutant a reprimand without any arguing, although he knew that there were more important matters to discuss at the moment. Stepping into the small mob of younger X-Men, he waved a hand to refocus the group's attention onto himself.
"Don't mean to put a rain on this parade, but its past curfew and the rest of you should head back to your rooms." He turned to face Scott Summers. "You, Kurt and Bobby round up the others and call of the search. I think Rogue, Amara, and Ororo were searching the other half of the grounds."
He nodded compliantly. "No problem, but what do you guys intend to do?"
The former Weapon X mutant glanced at his partner. "Laura and I can take it from here while you track down the others. In the meantime we'll take her inside and make some arrangements."
"We're on it." Cyclops looked over at them one more time before gesturing them forward.
Kurt and Bobby followed their self-proclaimed leader back towards the training grounds to see if anyone else was still searching for the source of the disturbance. An awkward feeling returned as she found herself alone with the feral mutants, creating a sense of discomfort. Logan was never one for long conversation, and his partner seemed even less keen on talking, and they both bore down on her with scrutinizing stares.
Her former teacher exhaled slowly as if gathering himself, clapping a hand on her shoulder and pausing mid-step as he walked by. "So, how's about we head upstairs and talk to the professor?"
"Don't know how he'll react to seeing me after all this time, but I hope he's not angry about the damage."
X-23 strode ahead and opened the door as they approached the mansion, trying her best to be courteous. She was naturally suspicious of the visitor, although being new to the team they were not yet acquainted. Wolverine allowed Jubilee to go first before joining her in the foyer of the mansion, closely followed by Laura. She glanced outside, giving the warm night air a suspicious sniff before shutting the door behind them.
The Chinese American mutant glanced around the hall as they neared the stairs, gracefully spreading her arms out with a sense of nostalgia. "Whoa… Feels good to be back." She called out with a wide grin.
"I guess your parents finally wised up and decided you were better off here than back home surrounded by mutant-haters." Logan added gruffly.
"Uh, yeah…" Her expression wavered in response to his words, but she smiled again to hide her discomfort, gently stroking the back of her head with a gloved hand. "In any case, we should really go see the professor before it's too late."
"I assume you remember the way." Logan pointed in the general direction.
The trio ascended the stairs and headed down the hall with Jubilee in the lead, closely followed by the two Weapon X mutants. Their small procession continued in silence as they walked the corridors leading to the telepath's personal study, although none of them seemed very sociable at the moment. While X-23 seemed wary of their guest, Wolverine occupied himself by thinking about the circumstances surrounding her return.
He had thought as much the day Jubilee's parents picked her up from the institute after Magneto exposed mutants to the world. They had also lost Wolfsbane the day before, and the other students had been sad to see them go. It was only natural that some people would want to be with their children during such hard times, but Wolverine lacked offspring and found the idea more difficult to understand as a result. He knew that parents were only doing what they deemed best, but at the same time he understood that it wouldn't do them any good to shelter their kids from the harsh realities of being a mutant.
Wolfsbane returned to the institute weeks earlier, although this second reappearance was less predictable. While the dog shape hadn't changed much, Jubilee seemed much different. He didn't know why, but their brief interactions had made it clear she wasn't the same girl that had been carted away by her parents several months ago. Trapped in his thoughts, Logan looked up to realize that they had just arrived outside his superior's door.
The younger mutants were staring at him expectantly as if hesitant to barge in unannounced, but Wolverine shrugged off the notion and pushed the door open and entered. "Hey Chuck, there's someone here who wants to see you?"
"That's quite all right… I expected as much after someone set off the alarm." Charles Xavier looked up from his spot by the fireplace with a surprised expression.
Wheeling his chair around to face the visitors, he ushered them into his study, gesturing for Jubilee to take a seat on the couch. The Weapon X mutants were both interested in the night's proceedings for different reasons, but neither seemed keen to relax just yet. Wolverine closed the door behind them before seating himself on one of the armchairs surrounding the table. X-23 shifted uneasily as she positioned herself next to the door like a guard. Feeling the feral girl's eyes on her, Jubilee sat down on the couch on the side of the table opposite the professor.
"It's been quite a while." The telepath surmised with a cheerful expression. "We are very pleased to see you alive and well, although considering your long absence from the institute, it was more than a little surprising when you turned up on the security monitors."
She let out a nervous giggle. "Well that could explain how you guys knew it was me outside."
"Hank was downstairs performing maintenance on the mansion's security system when the cameras captured your image." The professor tapped a finger against the side of his cranium with a knowing smile. "I made certain to probe the surrounding area with my mind to make sure he was correct before we shut down the security system."
Wolverine folded his arms with a sigh. "Just be glad I told Laura not to get carried away, or else we'd be out there picking up your pieces."
"Who is she, anyway?" Jubilee spared a quick glance at the feral mutant, although she turned back to the professor quickly.
To her surprise, it was Logan who answered the question. "That's a long story…" He scratched the back of his head and exhaled with a noticeable grunt, looking as though he had something bitter in his mouth. "Laura's the newest member of the X-Men. For now I say we just leave it at that."
"No worries! I'm sure we'll all be good friends." The yellow-clad girl replied.
Professor Xavier nodded in agreement before shifting his focus back onto their guest. "More importantly, I wish to know why you came here this evening. As you former teacher I am pleased to see you, but surely you must have a reason for coming back."
"Well, honestly I would like to return to the institute as a student this upcoming semester, assuming you wouldn't mind having me."
"Normally that can be easily arranged, although after tonight's incident I also wish to know why you didn't tell us you were coming."
Wolverine's eyes refocused on the girl. "He's not the only one… What I really want to know is why you walked onto the ground at night without making a call. You know we've got a security system that can be dangerous if you don't know how to handle it."
Jubilee's cheerful demeanor became more serious as she realized the stupidity of her actions, although this sudden realization made her even more reluctant to explain herself. After all, it was really something she had done on a whim, which was pretty embarrassing in retrospect. She could feel the eyes of her former teachers and the new girl boring into her as she tried to collect herself, but after several moments of awkward silence she realized that there was no dismissing the notion this time.
She took a deep breath, looking rather ashamed. "Well I there's not point in lying this time. I guess there's no good reason for what I did. The truth is I've been practicing with my powers for months now and figured taking on the security grid would be a good way to test my new moves."
"What you did was cause a lot of trouble for no good reason." Upon seeing the real regret in her face, the gruff mutant let out an exasperated sigh. "It may have been a bone-headed move, but I guess I've seen worse."
"Yes… I am almost certain that this is a reference to some of your own actions?" the professor verbally jabbed his old friend. He cleared his throat with an air of authority before reassessing the situation surrounding the girl. "Nevertheless, what you did tonight posed an unacceptable risk to yourself and those around you."
"I'm still really sorry for what happened." She responded truthfully. "If there's anything at all that I can do to make up for it, just let me know and I'll be happy to help."
Her host folded his hands with a calm expression as if to dismiss her comment. "Since you were not a student when you committed these acts, I see no reason to punish you."
The yellow-clad mutant looked slightly relieved, but also surprised by his statement. "Will you let me come back?"
To her surprise the bald man looked amused by her statement, although his voice was very stern when he spoke again. "The type of behavior you displayed tonight will not be tolerated should you choose to ignore your better judgment. If you promise never to make such an irrational decision again, the rest of us would be proud to count you among our number."
"You have no idea what this means to me, professor. I promise not to let you down! She clapped her hands around his and politely accepted his handshake. "It's good to be back!"
Charles Xavier looked satisfied with her answer, although he still had one more query. "Before we finalize the agreement, I also wish to know whether or not your parents would agree to this arrangement. As an underage student, we should probably check in on them to make certain that they have no objections."
A dense silence fell over the room as he mentioned this last part, although Jubilee had been expecting this to come up at some point. Her cheerful demeanor vanished almost immediately only to be replaced by a grimace, but she seemed reluctant to voice her displeasure in front of them. This did not go unnoticed by the professor, although she sincerely hoped that he wouldn't read her mind. Despite his cool exterior Logan also sensed her discomfort, although Charles knew that it was best to address the issue.
"It is against my morals to pry, but you appear to be deeply upset. Perhaps we could help if you would care to share whatever burden it is that ails you."
"My parents died in an accident not long after hey took me away from the institute." The girl sitting before him quivered slightly at the thought, her inner sadness manifesting itself for the first time in months. She felt her fingernails digging into her knees as a single tear slid down her face. "There wasn't anyone else to turn to, especially since everyone in my hometown knew I was a mutant."
"Jubilee…" the professor murmured her name with empathy, inclining his head in reverence for her hardships.
Although no more tears came out, the yellow-clad girl subconsciously wiped her face. After some bad experiences in foster care, she had spent several months alone, during which she learned to exert greater control over her mutant powers. She had originally spurned the idea of coming back to the institute, but after spending so much time on the streets, she had come to terms with her condition and resolved to come back to the place where she truly belonged. Despite her newfound resolve, it was an odd mix of emotions.
She had been truly happy earlier at the prospect of coming back to Bayville, but with the happy memories of easier times, also came the pain of loss. Seeing the X-Men again brought the sadness of loss back to the surface, and for the first time in months, she realized how tough the last year had been. Since Magneto had exposed mutants to the public eye, mutants had suffered more than ever before. She found it difficult to believe how much she had changed in such a short period of time.
Wolverine looked at her solemnly, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. "Why didn't you come to us sooner? We could have helped you…"
"At first I didn't believe it would be any better here than it was anywhere else." She replied truthfully. Looking at her decidedly rugged appearance, she shook her head ruefully. "Maybe I just needed some time to think everything through. I was angry at my parents for dying and I hated my friends for deserting me. I felt empty on the inside… Almost like I wasn't the same person anymore."
"Trust me, you didn't do yourself any favors by running from your problems." The feral mutant shook his head disapprovingly.
Although disappointment had been evident in his demeanor, the telepath wore an accepting expression. "None of us have a right to criticize her actions, least of all you." He glanced at his old friend sitting to the right.
Logan groaned with displeasure, although he couldn't work up an argument considering some of things he had done over the years. With a defeated sigh, he reluctantly nodded in agreement. "I guess you're right. Tch… What else is new?"
"Perhaps Jubilee simply needed time to rediscover herself after losing everything that was important in her life." He glanced over at the girl with an almost fatherly expression. "Would I be correct to assume this is why you chose not to return to us until now?"
"I needed the time to myself for that reason, but I began using my mutant powers to help steal clothes and food. After a while I realized that I didn't like the person staring back at me in the mirror because it wasn't the real me… I decided to come back here, because it was the last place I remembered being happy."
Charles Xavier considered her words, silently going over them in his mind several times before coming to a conclusion. He sensed no lie in her voice or dishonesty in her mannerisms, having trained himself to search for such things so that he would rarely be forced to use his telepathy without another person's permission. In addition to the several subjects he specialized in, the professor had dappled in psychological fields. Combined with his experience dealing with even the most mentally disturbed mutants, he was more knowledgeable than most psychiatrists.
In comparison to Jubilee's story, he thought of how an embittered Erik Lensherr had allowed his own hatred to consume him, turning him into Magneto. The violent man's extremist philosophy concerning humans and mutants hardly seemed better than those who he most despised. In an effort to ensure that no on would ever suffer like he had during World War II, the magnetic mutant had become what he hated most, and yet seemed too blinded by his own ambition to fully understand how far he had fallen in the process.
"So Chuck… What do you think?" Wolverine's comment pushed the focus back on their guest, who had chosen not to interrupt.
"I see that you have been through much, but I am ever more impressed that one as young as you managed to discover these things in such a small amount of time when even those much older cannot grasp the concept." The professor sat back in his wheelchair with a contented expression, a shadow of a smile barely visible through his calm exterior. "Bearing this in mind, I don't believe there is any reason to refuse your request."
The yellow-clad mutant stood up, tossing a few tiny sparks into the air in a show of gratitude, the display of happiness earning her an irritated expression from X-23. The feral girl found her rapid change of demeanor confusing, although even she wasn't certain why. Perhaps Jubilee's ability to speak positively despite her hardships wasn't something Laura could fully understand with her range of emotions.
Having been raised by an evil syndicate with the intention to breed out all emotions tended to have disastrous affects on the individuals mind. Logan stepped behind her and placed a hand on the girl's back in an attempt to calm her, having sensed her discontent. A small glance passed between them, but the gesture went unseen by the room's other occupants.
The psychic mutant unfolded his hands, bringing them rest on the arms of his chair. He smiled in response to her good intentions, sweeping the notion aside with a movement of his wrist. "So long as you keep your promise not to cause anymore trouble around the institute, there is no reason to worry about repaying me for this kindness…"
"I can't thank you enough for giving me this chance." Her cheerful demeanor returned immediately.
The professor wheeled behind his desk, catching the attention of his staff members and student. After rummaging through several draws, the wheelchair bound man pulled out a small set of forms and placed the first paper on the surface of his desk. It was a basic contract regarding the purpose of the school and the rights of the students. Jubilee took a quick glance at the paper as the telepath withdrew a small pen from his pocket, tapping the tip against his desk to indicate the small box near the bottom of the page.
"If you will sign here, I can complete the paper work for your immediate enrollment."
"Gee, it's really that simple." she cocked her head to the side to get a better look at the sheet before scribbling her signature in the designated spot.
"Normally there would be more complications, but due to your extenuating circumstances, I have decided to simplify things." The psychic mutant shifted the paperwork to the side of his desk. "I will deal with this tonight so that you may rejoin the student body as soon as possible."
"If there's anything I can do in return, all you need to do is ask me!" Jubilee assured him.
The professor sized her up for a moment before gently shaking his head. "So long as you keep your promise not to cause any more trouble around here, I see no reason to worry."
Meanwhile…
Far away in one of the most bizarre places imaginable, someone else had plans of their own. A large creature situated in the center of the room watched mutants all around the world through the view of several television screens above his head and anywhere else they would fit. The floor itself was carpeted with a large number of wire and cords, each connected to a different device, although to an ordinary person it would have been highly confusing. Overall the chamber was a strange metal room covered in television screens and monitors, very similar to the way people would have imagined the inside of an alien spacecraft.
The figure in the center of the room was large and rotund, situated on top of a metal platform with spider-like robot legs extending from the bottom. Although his upper half somewhat resembled a large obese humanoid life form, his proportions were larger than life and his skin was a sickly yellow color coated in small blotch-like blemishes. The monster's face was big a chubby, his large red eyes and leering grin giving the impression of pure insanity, and several wires appeared to be holding his eyes and mouth open like puppet strings.
A crown of wires covered his head like a toupee made of thin metal tubes, many of which seemed to connect to his body, and his flabby arms were unusually long in comparison to his body, ending in clawed elongated digits. In addition to the robotic legs supporting his lower half, a large tail-like appendage shot out from the back of the machine, running up his back and curling above his head like a scorpion tail, ending in a sharp robotic claw.
"After all this time, I've finally found the perfect subjects!" the creature boasted in his loud, boisterous tone, his eyes rolling several times in excitement.
The monstrous being made a serious of loud slurping sounds as he reached into a large bowl sitting on the ground, shoving a large handful of worm-like creatures into his mouth. Without a second thought, he swallowed them whole, letting out a satisfied belch as the still living creatures wiggled their way down his throat. A large stream of drool ran down his face, but he remedied the situation wiping his hand against his gigantic stomach.
As he admired his handiwork, the doors opened behind him to reveal a shapely human woman wearing a form-fitting blue outfit. She had an almost zombie-like quality to her eyes, although the rest of her face still displayed a fall range of emotions. A strange samurai-like helmet adorned her head, covering a mane of long white hair which hung from the sides. She also wore a belt and white boots, but the most striking quality was her arms. While the first two appeared to be normal human limbs, she had four extra arms, each with a metallic look to them that made her look like a cyborg.
"Master Mojo, per your orders we have placed the station into orbit around the Earth." She explained methodically.
The monstrous being cackled like a psychopath, his robotic lower half adjusting so that he could see her. "Well done Spiral… I'm almost finished searching for the perfect humans to feature in he newest episode of Mojovision!"
His six-armed assistant nodded respectfully. "You seem to have taken a peculiar interest in these mutants. Is there any particular reason why?"
"I've been watching footage of these creatures for weeks now. Mutants are the perfect subjects to feature in this month's special, because their powers make everything so unpredictable!" Mojo screamed wildly, giving his overly large stomach a jovial slap. "Yes siree… It's my job to give the people what they want! And these humans are bound to make the ratings go up, up, up!"
Spiral held up a small metallic object. "If you desire these mutants to fight for the entertainment of the populace, then I have recently procured something that may interest you."
"Lemme see! Lemme see!" the hideous creature rubbed his hand together like a child that had been promised sweets. He floated over to her atop his platform, snatching up the information drive and placing in into one of his many machines. "And here we go!"
The television monitors began playing footage of several people he had never seen before, all of which were engaged in some kind of battle. The first showed several younger mutants trying to fight off a giant robot, while another showcased footage of a similar team fighting to attack pyramid-shaped structures all around the world. Mojo grew quiet as he spent several minutes observing each clip, his mouth agape with joy and ecstasy as the mutants used their powers in intense combat situations.
"Genius! Brilliant! Bravisimo!" the spineless creature exclaimed, shooting his arms into the air and waving them like an excited child. "These mutants are just what we need to satisfy the public. They can perform like champions, they can take a hit, they keep on coming, and they know how to fight."
"On Earth, I believe they're known as the X-Men." His assistant added helpfully.
Her master scratched his flabby chin with a sharp-clawed index finger. "Hmmm… These X-Men are the perfect mutants for the games. Now all we gotta do is get 'em here, and then the network's popularity's gonna skyrocket to unseen levels!" he looked up as if staring at the star. "Yes, I can see it now! Mojovision, the most popular form of entertainment in the known universe!"
The grotesque monster began pushing buttons on a random device, projecting a large three-dimensional hologram of the Earth. His partner watched carefully as her master punched in the names of their targets, having obtained them from the news feed they had stolen from around the world. Several minutes passed as he completed the list of names, using his advanced alien technology to simultaneously hack every mainstream database in search of the information he desired. In a matter of seconds, an image of the desired locations appeared on the monitors lining the room.
"And viola! It looks like I found 'em!" Mojo spread his arms out in celebration before gesturing to his helper. "Now all you have to do is go down there and bring those nasty little money-makers to me!"
"If that is what you wish…" Spiral answered robotically, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Am I allowed to use any force necessary to claim them, should the targets not comply?"
"Sure, whatever! It's better if you keep them in one piece, but I'll accept damaged goods so long as they can still fight." Her master cackled deeply, his eerie smile growing larger. "All right, enough wasting time with stupid questions! Just get down there and make sure you bring some good ones back. Personally I liked the intangible girl and the fuzzy blue guy, but remember to throw in some surprises to keep things fresh!"
The woman nodded once before exiting her master's room, leaving him alone with his thoughts once again. The blob-like creature quickly dove back into his work observing the footage of the mutants, thinking of ways he could exploit their powers to make fights more interesting. He hoped they would cooperate, or else he would have to use the mind-control devices, which he knew were less than reliable due to past experiences.
Of course sometimes if a subject refused to participate, he would have no choice. Mojo twiddled his fingers in anticipation as he planned the terrain and traps to use in the upcoming show. Such things could make even the most boring performance more interesting, although he had high hopes that the human wouldn't need to rely on these gimmicks so much. The fail safes he always added were helpful.
He cracked his knuckles with an insane leer. "In these games… No one's gonna survive!"
Note to Readers: This took a while to write, and it was hard due to lack of motivation on my part. As usual I'm sorry for any typos or spelling and grammar mistakes, but it's late when I write this story most of the time. My program is also acting a little funny, so that might have affected the quality more so than usual. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter despite the fact that I didn't think it was my best work. Still, there's some potentially important story elements in this chapter.
As for some side notes, I added Jubilee back into the X-Men because she left during X-Men: Evolution. I did change her appearance more to the character seen in the comics, and tried to give here some depth because she was largely ignored in X-Men: Evolution despite having played a bigger role in the comics and other cartoon adaptations. I also realized that the serious tone of the story was getting stale for me, so adding a zany villain like Mojo makes room for some completely crazy material. Plus it's good to see an X-Men villain other than Magneto playing a role in the story.
Please REVIEW… If there was a part you particularly liked or you have a suggestion for the story, I would really like to hear it. I'm open to any and all contributions.