Slamming the door of the beat up old Volkswagen that Logan had managed to find Jubilee smiled at Erica and the newest addition, a tall, gangly boy calling himself Frank. “Okay no arguing. We have things to do today and I won’t be playin’ referee.”
“Yes ma’am,” Frank nodded quickly. “We’ll behave.”
Rolling her eyes at that sentiment Jubilee led the way into the small strip mall nearest their base. With school starting a couple of weeks Logan, Tank, and Scott had all insisted that the kids have stuff for it. Logan and Rogue had taken off for a week and come back with several thousands of dollars to be spent on the kids.
Now, a week later Jubilee was playing steward and had taken the two representatives to get supplies. Shop after shop was gone through until they’d spent most of the money. Assessing the number of bags Jubilee decided it was time to head home.
Following the kids out of the bookstore she paused at a familiar looking man standing next to a fancy suburban a few parking spots away from their battered car. “Iceman,” the low, furious snarl had both kids tensing.
“Miss Sparks?”
“Don’t worry. Just listen to me. When I say run, you get the hell outta here. You got it?”
“Got it,” Erica nodded quickly as they got closer to the vehicle.
Stowing the bags into the car, Jubilee pressed the keys into Erica’s hand. “Regardless of what happens you take Frank and you go home. Don’t look back, don’t argue, don’t do anything but go.”
Erica nodded and nudged Frank toward the car. Opening the door she let him slide inside before she glanced at Jubilee who was standing between them and the stranger. “Miss Sparks.”
“Go now!” Jubilee hissed her fists clenching as she assessed Iceman’s potential threat. When it came time to choose between her and the kids, she’d let him get her and save them. The worst that he could do was kill her… others had tried worse and she’d survived.
Sliding behind the wheel Erica closed the door and started the engine. “Buckle up Frank, looks like we’re running.”
“But we can’t…”
“Don’t argue.” Erica hissed. “She’s our only line of defense right now. You wanna risk getting caught?”
Frank swallowed harshly and shook his head, “No.” The snap of the belt clicking into place was enough to send the car lurching forward. Glancing once in the rearview mirror Erica pushed aside the need for tears as she watched a second man, slimmer, with a black look upon his face step out of the truck and confront Jubilee.
“Oh God,” she whimpered and hit the highway. With Wolverine’s teaching in her head she took the long way home. Heading east she sped along until she reached the five mile point before bouncing onto a dirt track and doubling around to come up on the highway twenty odd miles west of town.
“What’s the matter Iceman, you can’t handle facing a girl by yourself?” Jubilee taunted slowly every instinct within her body telling her to run and not look back. She couldn’t run, there were other lives, more innocent lives than hers at stake so she fell back on her training.
“I don’t see a girl,” Iceman replied coldly swinging the keys on one fingers. “Just…
“A used up piece of trash the army didn’t kill,” Jubilee finished. “We heard you the first time asshole. What do you want?”
“Simple. We want what belongs to us back.”
Jubilee shrugged, “I can’t help you. I don’t have anything of yours.”
“Yes you do,” the stranger with Iceman drawled indifferently. “And we’ll get it back.”
“For someone whose suppose to be smart you’re pretty stupid.”
“Perhaps. But then there are two of us, and only one of you. And your little team-mates have run like scared little kids. What’s that tell you?”
“That you’d better watch your ass,” Jubilee hissed at the sudden sharp dart of something into her thigh. Glancing down she recognized the familiar form of a tranquiller dart and shook her head. “Death wish kids,” she muttered even as she slid into a world of black déjà vu.
The soft sound of running water filled Jubilee’s head as she surfaced from the darkness. Opening her eyes a slit she glanced around and realized she was alone at least for a moment. Tilting her chin up she stared at the shackles that encircled her wrists and the heavy metal headboard.
Swallowing against a rising tide of fear and remembered horror she tugged on them, testing their strength. Realizing they wouldn’t break she glanced around her, there was no indication of something to help her.
“At least I’m still dressed,” she muttered under her breath even as she heard the soft sound of Iceman’s voice on the other side of the door. Snapping her eyes shut she forced herself to even out her breathing, to act like she was still unconscious.
The clunk of keys hitting a wooden table, the rough rasp of a zipper, the sound of breathing all gave her indications of her surroundings. The dip in the mattress beneath her sent a bolt of fear through her even as she felt the warmth of a hand caressing her face.
“Wake up Jubes,” the soft, almost tender voice belied the grip on her hair.
Opening her eyes she stared into Bobby Drake’s with cold disdain.
“So gald to see you awake. Was beginning to think you didn’t want to play with us.” He whispered nuzzling against her cheek.
Jerking away from him she centered herself. Old familiar survival mechanisms were revived and like a line of switches were slowly turning on. Each one shutting some part of her down.
“Fuck you,” she ground out.
“Oh you will,” Bobby whispered softly fingers plucking at the buttons of her blouse, “See the way I figure it. This is hardly new to you. After all if you can keep the army guys happy enough to want to keep you for so long…I should be nothing.”
The sound of the door opening and the other man stepping into the room a small, plain brown bag in one hand sent off warning flags in Jubilee’s mind.
“Oh let me introduce one of our newest team members, this is Warlok. He’s a mutant to. I do hope you don’t mind if he joins us. After all, three ways is hardly a drop in the hat for you…isn’t it.”
Slowly his voice faded until it sounded like he was at the end of a long corridor hollering at her. Retreating to the furthest corner of her mind, Jubilee hid from what she knew was coming. Instead she opted to sit in her mind and replay the list of names of those who had helped her since she’d gotten out.
The cloud of dust in the yard had barely settled before Erica stumbled from the car. Racing toward the front door she barely noticed the tremble in her hands, in her body as the door opened and Rogue stepped out.
“Where is Jubilee?”
“They got her,” Erica sobbed collapsing against the woman. “I don’t know who but she wouldn’t let them get us.”
“What are you talking about?” Rogue demanded ushering the girl onto the porch swing. “Who took her?”
“Some guy named Iceman,” Frank explained hovering over the girl sobbing in Rogue’s arms. “She said to run, not to look back. We did what we…”
“Where? Erica were you getting school supplies?”
Frank nodded, “We were just about to head home. She said we’d grab a burger before coming back and then we saw them. Standing beside this fancy black truck. Next thing we know she’s telling us to get in the car and go home. We don’t know where they took her.”
Rogue nodded and glanced from Frank to Erica, “The others are in the house. I want you to take the kids and go to the safe-house.” Raising a hand when he made to protest she stared at him, “Panther and I have some business to see to. I want you to do as I say. Wolverine, Tank, and Cyclops are out in the north field. They’ll be back in two hours. You tell them for me that Frankenstein has gone to collect a missing appendage.”
“But…”
“Do it,” Rogue ordered ushering Erica onto her feet. “Take her inside and get into the safe-house.”
As soon as the two obviously stricken teens were out of sight Rogue extended her claws and glanced up the stairs. “Katharine!” She called loudly. “Play time.”
A moment later Kitty was standing staring at her from the landing. “What’s up?”
“The X-men took Jubilee.”
Kitty’s face twisted into a hate-filled mask of fury, “Let me get changed.”
“You’ve got ten minutes,” she replied hurrying up the stairs to meet her friends gaze. “This time, it’s personal.”
Kitty nodded and hurried to her room to change. This time she wouldn’t allow them to get caught. Dressed and ready she belted on the semi-automatic .45 and headed down the stairs to where Rogue was standing holding the keys to the pair of high powered bikes that Logan had insisted upon.
“How far do you think they got?” Kitty purred as they mounted the bikes.
Rogue snickered and glanced at the other woman, “Oh I have no doubt they didn’t go far. I don’t think he grabbed her to take her back to New York.”
“You don’t seriously think he’d grab her just to hurt her like those other men did?” Kitty gaped at her in horror.
“I think that is exactly what he did,” Rogue revved the engine and leaned low over the gas tank. A jerk of her head and the visor slid down into place a moment before the bike roared down the driveway, followed by its twin.
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