Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men or any marvel or fox related products. I do not make any money from said characters that I write about. The only ones that I own are David and his sisters. If you are writing a story and would like to borrow them that may be able to be arranged just please PM me first.
Also I am overjoyed that my story has received the praise that it has. I would like to thank all of my readers but my loyal reviewers and readers most. Amy Hunt, Suga227, and animal56 I really appreciate all of the love you have thrown my way. It is truly an honor to have such awesome fans. Before you start reading I would like to say I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope that you all do not hate me for it. Please enjoy and as always please review or PM me to let me know your thoughts.
"Jubilee good form but you are telegraphing your punches try not to swing so widely." David stated as he monitored a hand to hand combat program in the danger room.
"Havok try bouncing on the balls of your feet. If you cant learn to do that your going to continue to get hit." David critiqued Alex's defensive posture.
"Surge your too stiff loosen up." He directed to the blue haired mutant.
"Sarah, nice kicks but you need to work on your balance."
"Nightcrawler your an animal but after watching you for 30 seconds I already know what you are going to do next try mixing it up." David finished after making his way down the line.
"That's enough team. The robots don't seem to be posing much of a problem for you. Why do you say we work with someone who can think on their feet and give as good as they get?" David asked as they hadn't seemed to be improving much at least as far as hand to hand goes.
"Who do you have in mind Karma?" Alex asked confused.
As he finished his question the danger room door slid open and Logan's team entered the room. "This is who I have in mind." David gestured to the team.
"You may know some of them but we use codenames in here. So I want to introduce you to Shadowcat, Colossus, Frenzy, Warpath, and Darwin, and of course the leader of this group of brutes Wolverine." David said before presenting his own team who stood proudly at attention as he did their roll call. "Team 2 I would like you to meet Jubilee, Nightcrawler, Surge, Network, and Havok. We will be playing a game I am sure you are all familiar with called capture the flag. The only difference is we will be playing mutant style. I want to use your powers anyway that is necessary for you to come out on top. There will be 3 flags placed throughout the course one on either base and three located in random places. the first team to reach three will win the round. We will be playing 3 rounds, best two out of three wins." David explained to his group of nervous teammates. "Any questions?" He then asked.
"Are you and Wolverine going to get involved?" Asked Jubilee.
"No, well not for the first two rounds. If it goes to a round three we may help out." David answered.
"It wont go to a round 3." Logan grunted as his team went to their starting point.
"Your right your team is a bunch of strong guys my team is smart and much faster you wont stand a chance." David remarked smirking at the man.
David led his team to their starting point and began to fill them in. "Colossus has super strength and in his metal form it increases even more, also you will most likely not be able to hurt him. Frenzy has skin that can withstand close range small arms fire but she can be affected by force. If you should find yourself going toe to toe with her keep her off balance. Warpath is extremely fast and strong try to avoid him. Shadowcat will not have to worry about obstacles and you will not be able to lay a hand on her but she doesn't have the physical capabilities of the others. Darwin can adapt to his environment making himself nearly indestructible but like Shadowcat he doesn't have the physical capabilities of the others. What I am trying to say is use your head out there and we can take this. Wolverine just got his team together and they have not had the same time to train as we have. While there will most likely be hand to hand combat involved. Try not to seriously injure any of them they have been told the same thing. Kick their ass without question but I do not want to see any broken bones or anything over the line brutality wise. If I see you attempting to incapacitate someone you will be removed from my team. Do I make myself clear?" David asked ready to get started.
"Yes Karma." Was the collective reply of the group before they then huddled together to formulate a game plan.
"Network as much as you were able to help in the sim yesterday, hacking the system to that factory we raided and shutting down security protocols. I think we will need you somewhere high looking for flags. Nightcrawler can you help her with that?" Jubilee asked as she had become the unofficial group spokesperson.
"Metal conducts electricity I will take care of colossus." Surge spoke up.
"Not a good idea Surge. While you may slow him down it wont stop him. Ithink we should stick to outplaying them." Jubilee replied.
"Who put you in charge?" Surge asked bitterly.
"I'm not in charge, but Colossus is a close personal friend of mine he doesn't play to lose. He has been at this a long time and he is not to be taken lightly." Jubilee explained getting frustrated with the girl's need to constantly challenge her.
"And I am?" Surge asked as her eyes began to crackle.
"Surge calm down. That is not what I am saying." Jubilee said forming a paff in her hand to defend herself if need be.
"Then what are you saying?" Surge asked stepping forward toward an unflinching Jubilee.
"I am saying that you need to get over your whole Lone ranger attitude you have been at it for weeks and its annoying. You are part of a team or have you forgotten that?" Jubilee asked.
"Surge, Jubilee Knock it off. If you cant learn to work as a team you will never make it on an actual mission. Put your differences aside until you are on your own time. I am not going to have you fighting on my time." David yelled through the speaker in the observation room.
"Can you not be a bitch until this over?" Jubilee then asked her.
"Can you not continue to suck up to Karma? The way he gives you special treatment I would think you were blowing him." Karma replied.
Jubilee's face turned a dark shade of red in Anger before David's voice played over the speaker again. "Session's over. My team is free to go on about your day. Surge Jubilee I would like to speak to the two of you in the war room." David said before shutting off the speaker. "Maybe another time Wolverine. Danger room is all yours." David then added.
"Guess she figured you out huh kid." Logan grunted.
"Looks that way. I gotta go find some way to get them to play nice." David replied.
"Good luck, oh and by the way you owe me fifty bucks." He smirked.
"The bet was that your team was able to beat me team. this isn't a forfeit just rescheduling. Think of it as a way to better prepare that group of monsters you call a team." David shot back slapping Logan on the back as he left the room.
"Would you mind telling me what that was?" David asked as he sat at the chair at the front of the table the X-men do their mission briefings at. Jubilee and Noriko sat across from each other at either side of the table neither wanting to go first. "Alright since neither of you want to go talk then both of you keep quiet and listen. The reason I had you facing off against another team today is to judge whether or not I feel you are prepared to take on a real mission. If you were able to work together today and pull off a victory I was planning on going to professor Xavier and see about getting you out into the field. Now It seems that I was wrong to even assume that you might be able to handle it."
"David that's not fair she started it." Said Jubilee.
"What are you six years old." David stated. "I don't care who started it. I don't know why the two of you seem to have a problem with each other and quite frankly I don't give a shit. I cant put the two of you in the field like that. You will get yourselves or the team hurt because you cant control your tempers. Because of some typical high school bullshit. I refuse to let people get hurt because your too immature to talk this out like normal rational people." David said angrily his eyes roving back and forth between the two girls.
"She constantly gives me grief for no reason." Jubilee added looking back at David.
"I already told you it's because your a suck up." Surge replied before turning to David. "And you play right into it. You give her all the extra praise she so desperately craves."
"Excuse me!" David's tone grew louder at the comment. "If Jubilee receives extra praise it is because she has earned it. She has more experience in these exercises she has been put in these type of situations before she became a student at this school she is able think quicker on her feet and adapt to the situation at hand. I don't give any undeserving praise. I praise nightcrawler when he makes a good call. I praise Havok when he reacts quickly and helps to defend his team. I praise Sarah when she is able to keep you from getting spotted by looping security feeds in these sims. And I praise you when you are able to pull yourself and others out of tough situations by using your head your powers or both. I don't show any favoritism to jubilee just because we are-" David quickly stopped realizing he had almost spilled the beans.
"David!" Jubilee shouted.
"Oh my god, you are I knew it." Surge said looking back and forth between David and a red faced Jubilee.
"Well I guess the cats out of the bag." David replied knowing he fucked up. "Yes Noriko Jubilee and I are dating. We have been since before their were teams or even before I was a teacher. Be that as it may I still don't see what makes you think I treat her any differently in the danger room than I do any of the rest of you. I know personally how quickly things can get ugly in the field and I do not wish to see any of you get hurt. That is exactly why the two of you need to learn to work together. Here is what's going to happen. The two of you are going to spend the rest of the day together." David informed the two anger filled women.
"What? You cant make us do that." Surge nearly jumped from her seat.
"David that's bullshit." Jubilee's face nearly turned purple.
"Your right I cant. I can however insure that if you don't you will not be participating in team exercises extending how long it takes until you are able to do field runs. On top of that I can personally make School hell for you around here." David bluffed hoping they would go for it.
"That's completely unfair." Jubilee shouted.
"Life is not fair, suck it up." David replied getting to his feet and leaving the room knowing he would most likely be sleeping alone tonight.
"Well looks like we are stuck together" Surge dryly stated.
These past few weeks have been hell and if I have to be stuck with you I do not want to be here what do you say we go into the city?" Jubilee asked as she had been feeling cooped up lately anyway.
"Yea that sounds good I need to pick up some more hair dye anyway." Surge replied standing up from her seat.
The two made their way from the war room and walked through the sub basement in an awkward silence. They reached the elevator and made their way to the lobby the hissing of the opening elevator door being the only sound audible apart from uncomfortable breaths in the empty hallway. The elevator doors opened again and the silence was broken by the chatter of other students but the comfort level remained the same. Jubilee pulled out her keys as they entered the garage and sound disappeared once again as the door closed behind them. Jubilee pushed the unlock button on her key ring and a bright yellow mazda beeped 4 cars away.
"I should have guessed this was yours." Surge smirked as she opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat.
"Yea I guess it is a little obvious." Jubilee said uneasily entering the driver side.
"So why yellow?" Surge asked.
"It has always been my favorite color. It's so bright and warm and it stands out." Jubilee answered as she turned the key in the ignition sparking the engine to life. "Why blue?" She then asked in return.
"I saw the hair color for the first time 2 months after my powers came about. It read electric blue on the box. I tried it and fell in love with it. My hair has been blue ever since. It fits my powers perfectly."
"Not to mention your personality." Jubilee said as she pulled out of the garage door.
"What do you mean by that?" Surge asked angrily.
"It's not a bad thing. You just have an electrifying personality. You can be a little shocking at times. Pardon the puns." Jubilee responded. "I'm known to have an explosive personality. Seems to fit my powers. I think a lot of mutants are like that. My friend Bobby or Iceman as he is called on Storm's team has a calm cold relaxing personality. Shadowcat, the one we almost faced off with earlier has a passive power has a power that allows her to get in or out of places without being seen. Even around the mansion she is shy. She doesn't draw any unnecessary attention to herself." Jubilee explained as she exited the gates at the end of the institute grounds.
"I never thought of that before. It makes sense though." Surge said.
"So what happened between the girls?" Logan asked as he walked out into the garage and began to help David finish tightening the last few bolts on his now fully restored bike.
"Forced them to spend the rest of the day together." David said as he began to tighten down the next bolt. "Figured they will learn to be friends."
"And if they don't?" Logan asked amused.
"Then they will kill each other. Either way it goes ay least I don't have to put up with the fighting anymore." David shrugged.
"Or they may come back and kill you." Logan said as he picked up a rag and began polishing the chrome.
"At least they would be working together." David joked as he placed the socket and wrench back in Logan's toolbox.
"Somebody help me!" David dropped to his knees holding his head.
"What the hell is wrong kid?" Asked Logan as he was used David taking a lot of pain it must have really been something bad to drop him so quickly.
"Why was your boyfriend being such a dick?" Surge asked as she pressed the power window button to allow some wind to reach her face.
"David is complicated. Normally at least with women he is a sweet respectful and a perfect gentleman. That's how his mother raised him to be and she is probably the only person he is afraid of. When it comes to training on the other hand he has this ruthless determination and he demands perfection. Especially as the leader. It has always seemed to me like he is afraid of failing or afraid of letting those he cares for down. Normally he is not this bad but I guess our little spat kind of pushed him over the edge." Jubilee answered finally being able to speak to the girl without wanting to slap her.
The two continued their drive until they reached times square. Jubilee parked her car a few streets away and they emerged from the vehicle. The pair walked through the streets of New York together stopping at a few stores where they got the hair dye and Jubilee decided with the temperature slowly dropping day by day she needed to refresh her winter wardrobe. After shopping and dinner at a small café was done and over with the two made their way back to Jubilee's car still far from friends but far from enemies as well. They reached Jubilee's car when an incredibly large man stepped out of a nearby alleyway with hunger present in his eyes.
The man leapt at the teens with a ferocious growl. Jubilee was unable to drop her bags as the man was upon her. She was knocked to ground by the body weight of the man and was overwhelmed by the terrible smell permeating from him. She felt a throbbing ache in her skull where her head hit the concrete when the man tackled her and the last thing she saw before she passed out was the most evil face she had never hoped to see again.
Surge quickly jumped into action and drew electricity from an overhead street light and zapped the frighteningly large man. If it hurt him he didn't seem phased as he released one hand from Jubilee and back handed Surge knocking her clear across the street. A few men who had seen the commotion ran to help the seemingly defenseless girls but they stood no match to the man. The giant made quick work of the humans leaving broken bloody bodies and limbs littering the street. The man then turned back walked over to surge. He then grabbed her by the neck lifting her clear off the ground before speaking a few words into her ear.
"What the hell is wrong kid?"
"Jubilee something happened." David replied as the pain in his head began to quickly fade.
David rose to his feet quickly and made his way through the mansion at a breakneck pace. He knocked a few students over and bumped into countless others who were not quick enough to get out of his way. He reached his destination in record time and opened the door he was looking for without knocking.
"Charles something is wrong, Jubilee is hurt. I need you to find her." David said franticly, fear resonating in the tone he used.
"Calm down David. Take a deep breath and tell me what is bothering you." Charles replied trying to ease the obviously troubled mutant standing before him.
"I cant calm down Charles. Jubilee is hurt somewhere in New York." David said this time a little more slowly.
"How do you know this David?" Charles asked confused.
"I don't know I felt it Charles. We don't have time for questions." David said getting frustrated with the only person he knew at the moment who could help him.
"The kid nearly passed out in the garage. Whatever he felt was bad I would take him seriously Charles." Logan said now getting to the office.
"David would you mind if I took a look at what you felt?" Charles asked.
"Whatever gets this over with." David said kneeling in front of the wheelchair.
Charles placed a hand on either side of David's head and entered his mind. "Ahhh!" Charles screamed as he was nearly thrown from his chair in pain.
"Told ya it was bad Charles." Logan said as he helped to get the man straightened back up.
"Your right David something terrible has happened. Follow me I will find her as quickly as I can." Charles said as he wheeled himself from the room and down the hall.
"Where are we going Charles cant you use your mind?" David asked.
"It would be hard to pinpoint her location in a city as large as New York. However if I use Cerebro. I will be able to narrow down her location." Charles answered moving as fast as his wheelchair would allow.
"Professor Alexander!" Noriko Shouted as she saw the group hurrying through the halls.
"Noriko we are busy it will have to wait." Charles said as he continued.
"No Charles stop." David said stopping and approaching the girl quickly. "Where is Jubilee? I swear if you had anything to do with this I'll." David began saying.
"She was kidnapped. I tried too help it wasn't much use." The girl replied tears streaming down her face. It was in that moment that David noticed the large fingerprints on her neck.
"Kidnapped?" David's heart sank. "By who?" He then asked his fear quickly being replaced by an unrivaled anger.
"I don't know his name but he smelled horrible. He killed 4 men and then grabbed me. The only reason I am alive is because he wanted me to deliver a message only I don't know to who." Noriko wailed as she relived the events.
"Noriko, calm down what were his exact words?" David asked as fear for Jubilee's life began to overwhelm him.
"Tell the runt I said hello." She repeated the last words said before the man took off with Jubilee.
"Sabretooth!" Logan growled in a low deep rumble that seemed to shake the walls of the mansion.
"Sabretooth I have heard that name before. That's the guy you saved Daredevil from. Logan can you track him?" David asked as revenge began settling in his mind.
"David we will get Jubilee back we need to formulate a plan I will assemble the team." Charles said as he saw David's wheels begin to turn.
"No time for a plan Charles." David said to the man before he turned back to Noriko. "Where were you when he took her?" He asked the scared blue haired teen.
"45th street. I drove her car back. You should just be able to listen for the sirens. there was so much blood." She answered as her tears continued to flow.
Without another word David headed for the door to the garage with Logan following right behind him. He reached the garage door and turned when he heard his name called.
"David, I am warning you If you do what you are intending to do there will be no place for you with the X-men or at this institute." Charles said sternly although he knew it would be futile to try to convince David to stay.
"Been good knowing you Chuck. Ill bring Jubilee back and I'll disappear just do me one favor and tell my family I love them." David said before he shut the door behind him.
What does sabretooth want with Jubilee?
Will the young Jubilee be harmed?
What does David have planned for the giant mutant known only as Sabretooth?
Will David survive an Encounter with the evil mutant?
Why are you reading this in the old super hero narrative voice?
Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of A firecracker changed my life to find out.