Post by adrini on Jun 3, 2014 23:24:53 GMT -5
X-factor Chapter 1: Fireworks
October 2004
Target is in the back of the library. He is in distress. Approach with care, Director.
"I got this, poor punk kid. What set him off, Hill?" Nick Fury ran into the crowd as teachers and students hurried in the opposite direction. "He's been controlling this for a while."
Caught a few classmates trying to hurt a kitten behind the library, pushed him over. Seems he grabbed the cat, blew a hole in the wall and hid in the corner. Won't let anyone come close, just curled into a ball. The kids are in bad shape.
"Damn right they are, dumbasses. Maybe they'll learn something. See proper charges are filed, Hill. I want that on their records." The doors to the library were smoldering as he reached them. "Got it. Get the Quinjet ready, and grab Alex."
The remains of the school library smoldered as sheer lines of burned ash crisscrossed the walls. Following the trajectory it was easy to find the young teen. Young Scott was pulled into a ball as expected, holding tightly to a small jet black kitten who looked terrified itself and was clinging to it's rescuer. Both the boy and the cat looked to be in need to medical care, the boy had been hit with several pieces of debris. His ruby glasses were broken nearby.
Scott, and his younger brother Alex, had been placed into the foster care system following their parents sudden disappearance. They had been bounced from home to home, and were separated a number of times, before it took leaning from SHIELD itself to get them placed together again. It was passed time to pull them out.
"Summers, can you hear me son?" He leaned down and saw the young man nod. "Good. Now keep your eyes closed I brought a spare, you'll be okay."
The teen nodded again and lifted his head enough to allow the SHIELD Director to place a new pair of glasses over his eyes. Once in place he sighed in relief, and even smiled as the kitten batted at the new red object.
"I had to stop them, they were going to kill her." He hurried to explain. "I tried telling them to stop, but they laughed and-" He was curling into a ball again.
"I know son. There are real idiots in this world. It's time you got out of here though." Nick pulled the young man to his feet, the thirteen year old made sure to tuck the kitten into his jacket. It seemed the cat was joining the family. "Hill is grabbing Alex."
"Another home. I'm sorry, Alex was liking this one." He lead the boy through the busted wall to where a helicopter was touching down nearby.
"We knew it would come to this, some powers can be integrated but yours might need a different home then most. Welcome to SHIELD Summers."
February 2014
"This is Agent Summers, returning from mission Anastasia. Requesting clearance." He spoke into the comm. The hanger below opened and he lowered the plane into the dock. "Any other arrivals today Agent Rasputin?"
"Jean's still on mission, but she checked in and is well." Scott smiled as he felt the jet settle. "Plus Hill dropped off some new mission specs, said you needed to get back to her by 0800."
The door to the plane opened and he jumped out, his friend was walking over.
"No sign, Piotr. Maybe Jean will have better luck." The russian nodded, not surprised. "We'll keep looking. She has to be somewhere."
"I am grateful you try, Scott. I can believe she will be found if it is you who is looking." His taller friend turned to walk to the bay doors. "Raven brought italian so we could avoid c-rations for one night. Also a package came in for you from the PX, I had to sign for it. It is in your quarters."
"Good, thank you." He grinned, noting to inspect the package when he got a spare moment. "What do you know about the new mission?"
"That it will be quite a trip to the southern sector, and that Agent Hill recommends you take Jean. The target may be more sensitive then normal." They walked through the halls to the mess where two trays of food court grade meals were waiting, anything was better then a MRE. The file was sitting next to his, there was always more work.
"Then Jean is who we need." He sat down to the meal and opened the file. Looking over the information he sighed and closed it again shortly. Piotr nodded.
"I was afraid of that, this is a sad one?" He asked and Scott nodded. "Then we will wait for Jean, sad ones without her do not turn out well."
"The best shot we have. I'll eat in my room tonight, thanks for the heads up." He packed up the file, food and drink and walked to the small cubby hole SHIELD called temporary singles quarters. As he was on call for the organization the vast majority of the time he just called it perminant home. There was little point in keeping a side place he would never see.
Opening the door Madalyn jumped on the desk and smelled the food he put down. The cat quickly started pawing at the bag.
"No, my food. Down." He held the cat for a moment before putting her on the floor and threw a couple toy mice to distract her from his dinner. It didn't work and she began to rub against his leg as he settled in to his meal. She got a few crumbs of bread in return.
The file was thick, the next mark had a long history of vagrancy, petty crime, hints of abuse and neglect, she was going to be one rough kid. He finished dinner as his feline companion claimed his pillow, then started writing in notes. Two hours, or half the file in, he heard a knock at the door.
"Enter, but I'm in the middle of a file." The nob turned and the door opened. Soft footsteps entered.
"Piotr told me we had a delicate one, fill me in?" Jean's weary voice said behind him, turning he saw her yawning. "No luck, by the way. I'll dig again, see if I can do better."
"Tomorrow, you look exhausted." He hurried out of his chair and she settled into his chest. After seven years of wishing she was his, he wasn't used to it yet. "We'll finish the file and call it. You'll need to be in form for tomorrow."
How bad? Even her mind voice seemed fatigued. Trainwreck?
Five years ago, who knows now. It will be rough. She nodded and he expanded their new link. Sighing happily she joined him. Missed you, always miss you.
I'm just a thought away, my love. She looked at the file. "But for now we have to play hero again. Though I have no idea where we're going to put this one."
-----
The late summer sun hit the concrete world that was Southern California. Palm trees, skaters and the fashion elite seemed to have long taken over. In sensible jeans and tees the two agents wore weren't as undercover as they had hoped to be.
Intel says to look in the mall and skate park areas. Sparks, small fires and floating balls of light get followed up on.
"Understood Hill. Scott out." The park was full of kids. "What's the approach?"
"Promoters, of course. I need to find the alpha male, he's our way in." Jean scanned the area then spotted the perfect mark the same time he did. " Brilliant."
She walked over to a young teen, maybe fifteen, and offered a hand. The boy stood and gazed at her as she introduced herself. Scott knew to let her work.
"Sarah Tildon, FX Sports and Games. My partner and I are interested in new talent for a show. Regional, we're looking for local talent to show case. You seemed very talented, if you are interested in some media exposure"- Jean tried not to grin as a few younger kids ran off and alerted the nearby leader. This rouse worked every time.
"Hey, this is my park. No one does anything here without my say so." The large latino young man hurried to reclaim his territory. "What you have to say you say to me."
"Of course, we want to put on a show and we need a star. If this is really your park then we'd be glad to talk to you. Phil Coulson, my partner Sarah." Jean tried but failed not to smile. "We've gotten reports of a number of possible talents in the region. I do believe you were on the list."
"Ya, I'd better be. Who else?" He nodded.
"One girl being considered for a companion spot, add a female presence to the show. A scout spotted her about a week ago, one Jubilation Lee?" Jean smiled kindly. "Our producer was quite excited."
"Ya, Jube. She's over by the mall. You'll do right by her, no funny business I mean." He looked uncertain.
"Our producer's neck is on the line, it would be in our best interest. If we want to stay employed." Jean said ryely. The kid, knowing it wasn't implausible, bought the story.
"Ya, good." He was relieved, he cared for the new mutant. Someone to keep in mind later. "She's in a hard way, can you take care of her now?"
"Today, easily. If she's willing of course." Scott nodded, the kid looked around and motioned to the others to leave them.
"I'll see to it, look, Jube, she's special. Like really special, I don't know if you're producer guy is up for that. I mean, some people don't mind." He was speaking softly.
"Whatever it is, we just have a job. Only thing we work for is the paycheck." Jean shrugged. "No issue here."
"She's over by the theater, this time of day it's pretty packed so she can sneak in and-" He jumped back. Familiar red figures were breaking the wide windows, the sentinels had arrived, marked in the classic red and black. At seven feet tall these were the infiltrators, designed to be able to go into buildings and fir more easily into smaller places. There was, thankfully, no sign of their much larger cousins. "Jube, their after Jube."
Scott and Jean ran ahead and ducked into a corner to change into uniforms before reaching the mall. The sentinels were walking to the back of the building, where the theater was.
So much for finding her first. Cyclops, what is the plan? Poitr said via radio as the jet appeared over head.
Same as ever, when we get the mark they'll leave as well. We're in route, be ready for extraction. Jean was sprinting up ahead and scanning the area, she must have gotten a hit as she floated into the air and ducked into the decorated theater entrance. He ran to the entrance and was greeted by two of the larger sentinels.
I can lift you through. Jean said over the radio as he jumped over a punch. She's in the back right of the complex.
I'll keep civilians out, make sure no one else gets hurt. Get her out of there. The sentinel began hitting the area around him with lasers. Someone was going to be hit.
The first sentinel opened his arms to try to smash him but doing so opened his chest area, and his cyber blasts went to work. The control box frizzed, the robot stopped and the second took notice.
Cyclops. Mutant. Reward for capture.
He sighed but ran around the sentinel and pecked at it's joints. The metal fists hit the ground and he used the bounce to gain enough air to target the control box of the second one as well. He knew there would be more inside, there were always more.
The sentinels were closing in on the girl and she was aware of it. Jean could sense the terror while still in the hallway. The movie had been in the farthest back screening room, likely to avoid security. She was there, Asian, petite, with a worn yellow jacket and short black hair.
Jubilation, that's a mouthful. You have a shorter version? She walked up to her and knelt a few feet away.
"What, how?" The girl looked up, shocked out of fear. "Are you mind talking-"
I'm special myself. Those things are called sentinels, and they won't stop coming for people like us. They don't care who they hurt along the way, and I think you have friends here.
"Jubilee. What can I do? I can't run from them." The girl hurried over and looked at Jean. "Help me."
"I can. Stay close. We'll be safe before you know it." They raced to the projectionist's room, where the second story emergency exit was. Jubilee looked confused, it was a 50 foot drop. The sentinels were surrounding the exits below. Jean called the jet.
"Okay. Now what?" The teen looked at her. The quinjet quickly appeared and flew a few feet away, still too far to jump.
"Now we jump and hope Pheonix can catch us and get us the rest of the way." A second man ran to the landing. "Ladies first."
"No need, she's light." Jean focused and lifted the teen to the jet where she hurried to get buckled in. "Ready?"
"Go. They aren't far behind." Scott grabbed her hand as they leaped and she floated them the rest of the way to the plane.
"Doors closing. Welcome to the family Miss Lee. Good job, Jean." Piotr sealed the door and the jet took off. Jubilee was beginning to calm down. "Back to home base, we have an issue. Hill is waiting."
"Says it's important. Got the memo this morning. Never a good sign, be ready to go when we get back." Scott added. Jean was more concerned about the girl.
"You in there? I'm here if you need me." She looked up, still scared and nodded a little. Jean could sense she wouldn't mind company so she got up to sit closer. "It's all over. No one will hurt you anymore."
"Ya, sure." The teen sighed. "Who are you? What is this?" She looked around the small room.
"I'm Jean, code name Pheonix. That's Piotr, or Colossus. Over there is Scott, or Cyclops. We work under SHIELD, mutant rescue and training. We were all rescued, like you. Now we pass it on, keep new mutants safe." Jubilee had tucked her legs into her chest. "We've been there, you can talk to anyone you want. As much as anyone we can understand."
"Or not. Some of us took awhile to open up. Whatever works for you." Scott added, Jean smiled sadly. She still remembered.
"Okay, so what is home base?" Jubilee asked. "Temporary housing?"
"It was meant to be. The issue is mutant training can be more damaging then normal training. It's the only structure that can take it till our real base is finished, whenever that is." Scott rubbed his neck. "Original finish date was two years ago."
"Cramped, but safe. We will have better one of these days." Piotr said. "But I must ask, where is Miss Lee to sleep? The rooms are full."
Six months isn't a terrible amount of time. Scott said gently. The link was always available. Are you ready?
I am, but there will have to be furniture changes, the standard issue stuff falls apart. We'll go shopping. Jean blushed as her better half began to beam.
"They're talking." The teen saw and flinched. "It's creepy."
"It's who they are." The tall man was smiling gently. "And I suspect they just found you a room. You'll get used to it."
"Raven, hurry. We need out now." Maria Hill was dragging the second footlocker to the front hall, Piotr's. "They will be here any minute."
The blue skinned agent walked calmly to the area carrying a meowing cat carrier and dragging Scott's foot locker. She didn't seem concerned, she never did.
"Just Jean's left, start loading up." The slim woman walked back to the rooms. Hill could swear she was sauntering. "I got this."
Cursing to herself Hill carried the boxes to the front room where the jet could load them quickly, she still had no idea how the information had sneaked out. However it had the Hellfire club was sending a "representative" and she didn't feel like greeting whoever it was.
Stacking the footlockers and cat carrier she saw Raven pull the last footlocker into the room as the sound of a jet was heard landing, she could only pray it was the team.
We came as soon as we heard, what do we need to do? Hill let go of a ragged breath as Jean's voice gently filled her mind. You're terrified. We'll be right there.
Hill smiled, knowing the telepath was unwilling to probe minds unless safety was in question. In seconds she heard hurried footsteps in the nearby hall.
"Status, Agent Hill." Scott said briskly, he was standing next to the newest recruit, Jean hovering protectively nearby. "What's the situation?"
"Bugging out, no time. Load the lockers and get ready to go. Piotr, refuel the jet. We have a ways to go-" Jean was looking into the air with a vacant look on her face, communicating.
"Her. She's close." Hill looked at the young woman, the others turned to do the same. Jean's face turned, listening. "She's called the 'White Queen', do you know who that is, Hill? She'll let you go, says she wants me. She'll let everyone go if I stay. She wants something, but I don't know what, she'll only tell me in person."
"Negative, Agent Grey." Maria barked before Scott had the chance. The young man was pale white. "I will not put key personnel in danger like that. We leave ahead of time. Break it off."
The young agent nodded and closed her eyes, trying to close the connection. Hill motioned for Piotr and Raven to load the jet, and the newest member went with them. Scott there would be no moving. Sweat quickly formed in beads, and the mental strain of the effort became visual. The 'White Queen' wasn't giving up her target.
"Scott, help her." She said as he ran over and focused himself. The mental love nest the two shared looked to be the best hope of locking the intruder out. After a few minutes of the two sharing brain waves Jean opened her eyes and took a breath. The last of the packages had been carried out, and Jean had to be supported but they got to the jet. Piotr lost no time taking off. The crew looked at Jean, concerned. She and Scott were still holding conference.
"Will she be okay?" The new teen asked, pulling Maria's attention away. It occurred to her they hadn't been introduced. "Whatever that thing was, it was in her head."
"It was." Maria affirmed. "Jean is a telepath, she can contact others and be contacted by others like her. We got out in time, she'll be fine."
"So that means Scott is one to, so they can talk." It was good reasoning for a new agent, if incorrect.
"Scott's connection is through Jean, due to their close personal relationship. He can only talk to her. His gift is optic blasts. Useful in battle but hard to live with on main street, and he can't turn them off so the glasses always stay on." The kid nodded.
"I guess you can get used to that. What about the others? Or you?" Maria smiled at the sympathy.
"Piotr has strength and can turn his skin to steel, and Raven is a shape shifter. I'm an officer in SHIELD, that's the umbrella organization that technically runs this, so I am a normal. Think of me as the handler, I make sure you have a base, food, supplies, and that everyone stays safe. Maria Hill, welcome to the team Jubilation."
"Jubilee. Are we getting that new base then, it was supposed to be done two years ago." The other members of the team erupted in laughter, even Jean who seemed to be recovered. Maria sighed, it got brought up every single time.
"Yes, you are getting the new base. Now stop bringing it up. Seriously people." Jubilee smiled as the others cheered. "This is the weirdest group I've ever headed."
"Aw common' Hill, we're not that odd." Jean was collecting herself after the attack. "It's rough living in closets. Besides it wouldn't be fair to hold us to military protocol."
"I thought this was a military organization." Jubilee looked at the others, suddenly weary.
"It's pseudo-military. Most units you apply to or get recruited into. X-Factor tends to be for mutants that wouldn't fit anywhere else. They have no home to return to, like you and Scott. Or what home you had isn't there for you anymore, like Piotr and Jean. It's not a job assignment so much as a rescue and refuge operation. In any other unit half the stuff these guys pull wouldn't fly for a second. But as this is a life as much as it is a career I can ignore a few hundred rules." Hill leaned back with a knowing smirk. "They're lucky I'm so nice or I'd have to split the mind melders over there up somehow. That's fraternizing in the purest form, you know."
"It would be unlikely to work, Agent Hill." Piotr said, grinning, as Scott pointedly ignored the commander and pulled Jean close. Jean wordlessly tangled their feet together.
----
"Look, Piotr. It's my room!" Jubilee grinned and jumped in place as she looked at her creation. The paint had dried and the new furniture had finally come in. Scott and Jean had helped her put it all together. She had even spent her first paycheck on a tv and game system. Who knew it paid to be a freak?
"It is nice, you seem happier. I am glad." He watched her carefully wipe a smudge off the new tv. "How is your training progressing?"
"Better." She was suddenly more serious. "Jean says I need to control my pain or I'll hurt people again. I try but-"
"It can be hard to fight, we understand." She knew by now that was true. "If you don't mind the intrusion she can lock certain amounts of it away, so you can deal with it as you are better able. But it does mean a great breech of privacy, and great trust."
"It is Jean." Jubilee sighed, considering the idea. If by anyone else the idea would be unthinkable, but Jean was the picture perfect girl scout and surrogate mom rolled into one. "I'll keep trying for now. Where is everyone?"
"Scott is off at a division meeting, Raven is taking a personal day, and Jean is working on their rooms. We will start getting missions again soon, so everyone wants to get settled." Jubilee hurried out the door to the rooms that the team's poster couple shared. Likely to talk about her new quarters.
In anticipation of the two love birds owning up to how they felt, a process that began the day the severely injured Jean arrived at the base over seven years ago and had ended just six months prior, the new base design included a suite for the couple by order of Nick Fury himself. A master bedroom, an office, two bathrooms and a guest room that was currently being used to house air. Neither of the two had much time off base to build personal possessions so they were at a loss at what to do with all the room. When Piotr entered he saw Jean looking at the cavernous rooms with a look of frustration as she sat on the floor, piles of home design magazines at her feet. She had been pulled from the real world so young that she never got the chance to learn decoration or homemaking, she was still lost as to what to do.
"The furniture is nice." Jubilee said as she looked around the room. There wasn't much else to comment on. Even the sheets were military issue. They were still living out of foot lockers, despite having dressers now. Neither had had normal furniture for far too long.
"Scott's parents, part of the estate was saved." Jean smiled tiredly at her. "I have no idea what I'm doing. How did you get your room so nice?"
"I chose colors I liked, and a theme. Here, let me help." She joined her new friend on the floor. Jean scooted over to make room. "Like colonial or art neuvo. I think Scott might like american classic or modern."
"I wish I knew what any of that meant." Jean said and looked at the pages. "I kinda liked that one, does that help?"
"A nostalgic nod to 1850's simplicity and grace." Jubilee read off the page. "Ya, you could do this, patch work quilt, warm walls, lots of pictures of friends and family. Be really nice, homey."
"Homey is good, right?" Jean looked at the magazine spread. "I mean, we don't really care all that much, but I feel like we should do something."
"It means to feel like a home." Piotr looked over her shoulder to see the picture in question, it was pleasant. "It is very good."
"Home." Jean sighed with a tired smile. "Home would be good. I'd like that."
Piotr smiled and left the two to work out details. His own quarters were easily done by bringing his family's things out of storage, including his sister's items that he still had faith would be used again someday. The new base was large, with enough rooms to make it clear that new members were assumed. The team was settling in well and after so long making due with temporary fixtures, they almost marveled at having room to breath.
He heard the bay seal and walked to the door in time to see Scott return from the meeting, the man had to remind himself he was in the right place for a moment.
"Welcome. Any news from the meeting?" Piotr smiled at his friend. Scott grinned.
"I was hoping I would see you first. We didn't want to say anything till we were sure." His smile grew. "Maria got some intel and Jean checked it out, we had to be sure."
"Sure of what?" Scott was not one to speak in riddles.
"Piotr, we found her. We know where Ilyana is." Scott beamed as the words got through. "And we know how to get her out."
October 2004
Target is in the back of the library. He is in distress. Approach with care, Director.
"I got this, poor punk kid. What set him off, Hill?" Nick Fury ran into the crowd as teachers and students hurried in the opposite direction. "He's been controlling this for a while."
Caught a few classmates trying to hurt a kitten behind the library, pushed him over. Seems he grabbed the cat, blew a hole in the wall and hid in the corner. Won't let anyone come close, just curled into a ball. The kids are in bad shape.
"Damn right they are, dumbasses. Maybe they'll learn something. See proper charges are filed, Hill. I want that on their records." The doors to the library were smoldering as he reached them. "Got it. Get the Quinjet ready, and grab Alex."
The remains of the school library smoldered as sheer lines of burned ash crisscrossed the walls. Following the trajectory it was easy to find the young teen. Young Scott was pulled into a ball as expected, holding tightly to a small jet black kitten who looked terrified itself and was clinging to it's rescuer. Both the boy and the cat looked to be in need to medical care, the boy had been hit with several pieces of debris. His ruby glasses were broken nearby.
Scott, and his younger brother Alex, had been placed into the foster care system following their parents sudden disappearance. They had been bounced from home to home, and were separated a number of times, before it took leaning from SHIELD itself to get them placed together again. It was passed time to pull them out.
"Summers, can you hear me son?" He leaned down and saw the young man nod. "Good. Now keep your eyes closed I brought a spare, you'll be okay."
The teen nodded again and lifted his head enough to allow the SHIELD Director to place a new pair of glasses over his eyes. Once in place he sighed in relief, and even smiled as the kitten batted at the new red object.
"I had to stop them, they were going to kill her." He hurried to explain. "I tried telling them to stop, but they laughed and-" He was curling into a ball again.
"I know son. There are real idiots in this world. It's time you got out of here though." Nick pulled the young man to his feet, the thirteen year old made sure to tuck the kitten into his jacket. It seemed the cat was joining the family. "Hill is grabbing Alex."
"Another home. I'm sorry, Alex was liking this one." He lead the boy through the busted wall to where a helicopter was touching down nearby.
"We knew it would come to this, some powers can be integrated but yours might need a different home then most. Welcome to SHIELD Summers."
---------
February 2014
"This is Agent Summers, returning from mission Anastasia. Requesting clearance." He spoke into the comm. The hanger below opened and he lowered the plane into the dock. "Any other arrivals today Agent Rasputin?"
"Jean's still on mission, but she checked in and is well." Scott smiled as he felt the jet settle. "Plus Hill dropped off some new mission specs, said you needed to get back to her by 0800."
The door to the plane opened and he jumped out, his friend was walking over.
"No sign, Piotr. Maybe Jean will have better luck." The russian nodded, not surprised. "We'll keep looking. She has to be somewhere."
"I am grateful you try, Scott. I can believe she will be found if it is you who is looking." His taller friend turned to walk to the bay doors. "Raven brought italian so we could avoid c-rations for one night. Also a package came in for you from the PX, I had to sign for it. It is in your quarters."
"Good, thank you." He grinned, noting to inspect the package when he got a spare moment. "What do you know about the new mission?"
"That it will be quite a trip to the southern sector, and that Agent Hill recommends you take Jean. The target may be more sensitive then normal." They walked through the halls to the mess where two trays of food court grade meals were waiting, anything was better then a MRE. The file was sitting next to his, there was always more work.
"Then Jean is who we need." He sat down to the meal and opened the file. Looking over the information he sighed and closed it again shortly. Piotr nodded.
"I was afraid of that, this is a sad one?" He asked and Scott nodded. "Then we will wait for Jean, sad ones without her do not turn out well."
"The best shot we have. I'll eat in my room tonight, thanks for the heads up." He packed up the file, food and drink and walked to the small cubby hole SHIELD called temporary singles quarters. As he was on call for the organization the vast majority of the time he just called it perminant home. There was little point in keeping a side place he would never see.
Opening the door Madalyn jumped on the desk and smelled the food he put down. The cat quickly started pawing at the bag.
"No, my food. Down." He held the cat for a moment before putting her on the floor and threw a couple toy mice to distract her from his dinner. It didn't work and she began to rub against his leg as he settled in to his meal. She got a few crumbs of bread in return.
The file was thick, the next mark had a long history of vagrancy, petty crime, hints of abuse and neglect, she was going to be one rough kid. He finished dinner as his feline companion claimed his pillow, then started writing in notes. Two hours, or half the file in, he heard a knock at the door.
"Enter, but I'm in the middle of a file." The nob turned and the door opened. Soft footsteps entered.
"Piotr told me we had a delicate one, fill me in?" Jean's weary voice said behind him, turning he saw her yawning. "No luck, by the way. I'll dig again, see if I can do better."
"Tomorrow, you look exhausted." He hurried out of his chair and she settled into his chest. After seven years of wishing she was his, he wasn't used to it yet. "We'll finish the file and call it. You'll need to be in form for tomorrow."
How bad? Even her mind voice seemed fatigued. Trainwreck?
Five years ago, who knows now. It will be rough. She nodded and he expanded their new link. Sighing happily she joined him. Missed you, always miss you.
I'm just a thought away, my love. She looked at the file. "But for now we have to play hero again. Though I have no idea where we're going to put this one."
-----
The late summer sun hit the concrete world that was Southern California. Palm trees, skaters and the fashion elite seemed to have long taken over. In sensible jeans and tees the two agents wore weren't as undercover as they had hoped to be.
Intel says to look in the mall and skate park areas. Sparks, small fires and floating balls of light get followed up on.
"Understood Hill. Scott out." The park was full of kids. "What's the approach?"
"Promoters, of course. I need to find the alpha male, he's our way in." Jean scanned the area then spotted the perfect mark the same time he did. " Brilliant."
She walked over to a young teen, maybe fifteen, and offered a hand. The boy stood and gazed at her as she introduced herself. Scott knew to let her work.
"Sarah Tildon, FX Sports and Games. My partner and I are interested in new talent for a show. Regional, we're looking for local talent to show case. You seemed very talented, if you are interested in some media exposure"- Jean tried not to grin as a few younger kids ran off and alerted the nearby leader. This rouse worked every time.
"Hey, this is my park. No one does anything here without my say so." The large latino young man hurried to reclaim his territory. "What you have to say you say to me."
"Of course, we want to put on a show and we need a star. If this is really your park then we'd be glad to talk to you. Phil Coulson, my partner Sarah." Jean tried but failed not to smile. "We've gotten reports of a number of possible talents in the region. I do believe you were on the list."
"Ya, I'd better be. Who else?" He nodded.
"One girl being considered for a companion spot, add a female presence to the show. A scout spotted her about a week ago, one Jubilation Lee?" Jean smiled kindly. "Our producer was quite excited."
"Ya, Jube. She's over by the mall. You'll do right by her, no funny business I mean." He looked uncertain.
"Our producer's neck is on the line, it would be in our best interest. If we want to stay employed." Jean said ryely. The kid, knowing it wasn't implausible, bought the story.
"Ya, good." He was relieved, he cared for the new mutant. Someone to keep in mind later. "She's in a hard way, can you take care of her now?"
"Today, easily. If she's willing of course." Scott nodded, the kid looked around and motioned to the others to leave them.
"I'll see to it, look, Jube, she's special. Like really special, I don't know if you're producer guy is up for that. I mean, some people don't mind." He was speaking softly.
"Whatever it is, we just have a job. Only thing we work for is the paycheck." Jean shrugged. "No issue here."
"She's over by the theater, this time of day it's pretty packed so she can sneak in and-" He jumped back. Familiar red figures were breaking the wide windows, the sentinels had arrived, marked in the classic red and black. At seven feet tall these were the infiltrators, designed to be able to go into buildings and fir more easily into smaller places. There was, thankfully, no sign of their much larger cousins. "Jube, their after Jube."
Scott and Jean ran ahead and ducked into a corner to change into uniforms before reaching the mall. The sentinels were walking to the back of the building, where the theater was.
So much for finding her first. Cyclops, what is the plan? Poitr said via radio as the jet appeared over head.
Same as ever, when we get the mark they'll leave as well. We're in route, be ready for extraction. Jean was sprinting up ahead and scanning the area, she must have gotten a hit as she floated into the air and ducked into the decorated theater entrance. He ran to the entrance and was greeted by two of the larger sentinels.
I can lift you through. Jean said over the radio as he jumped over a punch. She's in the back right of the complex.
I'll keep civilians out, make sure no one else gets hurt. Get her out of there. The sentinel began hitting the area around him with lasers. Someone was going to be hit.
The first sentinel opened his arms to try to smash him but doing so opened his chest area, and his cyber blasts went to work. The control box frizzed, the robot stopped and the second took notice.
Cyclops. Mutant. Reward for capture.
He sighed but ran around the sentinel and pecked at it's joints. The metal fists hit the ground and he used the bounce to gain enough air to target the control box of the second one as well. He knew there would be more inside, there were always more.
-----
The sentinels were closing in on the girl and she was aware of it. Jean could sense the terror while still in the hallway. The movie had been in the farthest back screening room, likely to avoid security. She was there, Asian, petite, with a worn yellow jacket and short black hair.
Jubilation, that's a mouthful. You have a shorter version? She walked up to her and knelt a few feet away.
"What, how?" The girl looked up, shocked out of fear. "Are you mind talking-"
I'm special myself. Those things are called sentinels, and they won't stop coming for people like us. They don't care who they hurt along the way, and I think you have friends here.
"Jubilee. What can I do? I can't run from them." The girl hurried over and looked at Jean. "Help me."
"I can. Stay close. We'll be safe before you know it." They raced to the projectionist's room, where the second story emergency exit was. Jubilee looked confused, it was a 50 foot drop. The sentinels were surrounding the exits below. Jean called the jet.
"Okay. Now what?" The teen looked at her. The quinjet quickly appeared and flew a few feet away, still too far to jump.
"Now we jump and hope Pheonix can catch us and get us the rest of the way." A second man ran to the landing. "Ladies first."
"No need, she's light." Jean focused and lifted the teen to the jet where she hurried to get buckled in. "Ready?"
"Go. They aren't far behind." Scott grabbed her hand as they leaped and she floated them the rest of the way to the plane.
"Doors closing. Welcome to the family Miss Lee. Good job, Jean." Piotr sealed the door and the jet took off. Jubilee was beginning to calm down. "Back to home base, we have an issue. Hill is waiting."
"Says it's important. Got the memo this morning. Never a good sign, be ready to go when we get back." Scott added. Jean was more concerned about the girl.
"You in there? I'm here if you need me." She looked up, still scared and nodded a little. Jean could sense she wouldn't mind company so she got up to sit closer. "It's all over. No one will hurt you anymore."
"Ya, sure." The teen sighed. "Who are you? What is this?" She looked around the small room.
"I'm Jean, code name Pheonix. That's Piotr, or Colossus. Over there is Scott, or Cyclops. We work under SHIELD, mutant rescue and training. We were all rescued, like you. Now we pass it on, keep new mutants safe." Jubilee had tucked her legs into her chest. "We've been there, you can talk to anyone you want. As much as anyone we can understand."
"Or not. Some of us took awhile to open up. Whatever works for you." Scott added, Jean smiled sadly. She still remembered.
"Okay, so what is home base?" Jubilee asked. "Temporary housing?"
"It was meant to be. The issue is mutant training can be more damaging then normal training. It's the only structure that can take it till our real base is finished, whenever that is." Scott rubbed his neck. "Original finish date was two years ago."
"Cramped, but safe. We will have better one of these days." Piotr said. "But I must ask, where is Miss Lee to sleep? The rooms are full."
Six months isn't a terrible amount of time. Scott said gently. The link was always available. Are you ready?
I am, but there will have to be furniture changes, the standard issue stuff falls apart. We'll go shopping. Jean blushed as her better half began to beam.
"They're talking." The teen saw and flinched. "It's creepy."
"It's who they are." The tall man was smiling gently. "And I suspect they just found you a room. You'll get used to it."
---
"Raven, hurry. We need out now." Maria Hill was dragging the second footlocker to the front hall, Piotr's. "They will be here any minute."
The blue skinned agent walked calmly to the area carrying a meowing cat carrier and dragging Scott's foot locker. She didn't seem concerned, she never did.
"Just Jean's left, start loading up." The slim woman walked back to the rooms. Hill could swear she was sauntering. "I got this."
Cursing to herself Hill carried the boxes to the front room where the jet could load them quickly, she still had no idea how the information had sneaked out. However it had the Hellfire club was sending a "representative" and she didn't feel like greeting whoever it was.
Stacking the footlockers and cat carrier she saw Raven pull the last footlocker into the room as the sound of a jet was heard landing, she could only pray it was the team.
We came as soon as we heard, what do we need to do? Hill let go of a ragged breath as Jean's voice gently filled her mind. You're terrified. We'll be right there.
Hill smiled, knowing the telepath was unwilling to probe minds unless safety was in question. In seconds she heard hurried footsteps in the nearby hall.
"Status, Agent Hill." Scott said briskly, he was standing next to the newest recruit, Jean hovering protectively nearby. "What's the situation?"
"Bugging out, no time. Load the lockers and get ready to go. Piotr, refuel the jet. We have a ways to go-" Jean was looking into the air with a vacant look on her face, communicating.
"Her. She's close." Hill looked at the young woman, the others turned to do the same. Jean's face turned, listening. "She's called the 'White Queen', do you know who that is, Hill? She'll let you go, says she wants me. She'll let everyone go if I stay. She wants something, but I don't know what, she'll only tell me in person."
"Negative, Agent Grey." Maria barked before Scott had the chance. The young man was pale white. "I will not put key personnel in danger like that. We leave ahead of time. Break it off."
The young agent nodded and closed her eyes, trying to close the connection. Hill motioned for Piotr and Raven to load the jet, and the newest member went with them. Scott there would be no moving. Sweat quickly formed in beads, and the mental strain of the effort became visual. The 'White Queen' wasn't giving up her target.
"Scott, help her." She said as he ran over and focused himself. The mental love nest the two shared looked to be the best hope of locking the intruder out. After a few minutes of the two sharing brain waves Jean opened her eyes and took a breath. The last of the packages had been carried out, and Jean had to be supported but they got to the jet. Piotr lost no time taking off. The crew looked at Jean, concerned. She and Scott were still holding conference.
"Will she be okay?" The new teen asked, pulling Maria's attention away. It occurred to her they hadn't been introduced. "Whatever that thing was, it was in her head."
"It was." Maria affirmed. "Jean is a telepath, she can contact others and be contacted by others like her. We got out in time, she'll be fine."
"So that means Scott is one to, so they can talk." It was good reasoning for a new agent, if incorrect.
"Scott's connection is through Jean, due to their close personal relationship. He can only talk to her. His gift is optic blasts. Useful in battle but hard to live with on main street, and he can't turn them off so the glasses always stay on." The kid nodded.
"I guess you can get used to that. What about the others? Or you?" Maria smiled at the sympathy.
"Piotr has strength and can turn his skin to steel, and Raven is a shape shifter. I'm an officer in SHIELD, that's the umbrella organization that technically runs this, so I am a normal. Think of me as the handler, I make sure you have a base, food, supplies, and that everyone stays safe. Maria Hill, welcome to the team Jubilation."
"Jubilee. Are we getting that new base then, it was supposed to be done two years ago." The other members of the team erupted in laughter, even Jean who seemed to be recovered. Maria sighed, it got brought up every single time.
"Yes, you are getting the new base. Now stop bringing it up. Seriously people." Jubilee smiled as the others cheered. "This is the weirdest group I've ever headed."
"Aw common' Hill, we're not that odd." Jean was collecting herself after the attack. "It's rough living in closets. Besides it wouldn't be fair to hold us to military protocol."
"I thought this was a military organization." Jubilee looked at the others, suddenly weary.
"It's pseudo-military. Most units you apply to or get recruited into. X-Factor tends to be for mutants that wouldn't fit anywhere else. They have no home to return to, like you and Scott. Or what home you had isn't there for you anymore, like Piotr and Jean. It's not a job assignment so much as a rescue and refuge operation. In any other unit half the stuff these guys pull wouldn't fly for a second. But as this is a life as much as it is a career I can ignore a few hundred rules." Hill leaned back with a knowing smirk. "They're lucky I'm so nice or I'd have to split the mind melders over there up somehow. That's fraternizing in the purest form, you know."
"It would be unlikely to work, Agent Hill." Piotr said, grinning, as Scott pointedly ignored the commander and pulled Jean close. Jean wordlessly tangled their feet together.
----
"Look, Piotr. It's my room!" Jubilee grinned and jumped in place as she looked at her creation. The paint had dried and the new furniture had finally come in. Scott and Jean had helped her put it all together. She had even spent her first paycheck on a tv and game system. Who knew it paid to be a freak?
"It is nice, you seem happier. I am glad." He watched her carefully wipe a smudge off the new tv. "How is your training progressing?"
"Better." She was suddenly more serious. "Jean says I need to control my pain or I'll hurt people again. I try but-"
"It can be hard to fight, we understand." She knew by now that was true. "If you don't mind the intrusion she can lock certain amounts of it away, so you can deal with it as you are better able. But it does mean a great breech of privacy, and great trust."
"It is Jean." Jubilee sighed, considering the idea. If by anyone else the idea would be unthinkable, but Jean was the picture perfect girl scout and surrogate mom rolled into one. "I'll keep trying for now. Where is everyone?"
"Scott is off at a division meeting, Raven is taking a personal day, and Jean is working on their rooms. We will start getting missions again soon, so everyone wants to get settled." Jubilee hurried out the door to the rooms that the team's poster couple shared. Likely to talk about her new quarters.
In anticipation of the two love birds owning up to how they felt, a process that began the day the severely injured Jean arrived at the base over seven years ago and had ended just six months prior, the new base design included a suite for the couple by order of Nick Fury himself. A master bedroom, an office, two bathrooms and a guest room that was currently being used to house air. Neither of the two had much time off base to build personal possessions so they were at a loss at what to do with all the room. When Piotr entered he saw Jean looking at the cavernous rooms with a look of frustration as she sat on the floor, piles of home design magazines at her feet. She had been pulled from the real world so young that she never got the chance to learn decoration or homemaking, she was still lost as to what to do.
"The furniture is nice." Jubilee said as she looked around the room. There wasn't much else to comment on. Even the sheets were military issue. They were still living out of foot lockers, despite having dressers now. Neither had had normal furniture for far too long.
"Scott's parents, part of the estate was saved." Jean smiled tiredly at her. "I have no idea what I'm doing. How did you get your room so nice?"
"I chose colors I liked, and a theme. Here, let me help." She joined her new friend on the floor. Jean scooted over to make room. "Like colonial or art neuvo. I think Scott might like american classic or modern."
"I wish I knew what any of that meant." Jean said and looked at the pages. "I kinda liked that one, does that help?"
"A nostalgic nod to 1850's simplicity and grace." Jubilee read off the page. "Ya, you could do this, patch work quilt, warm walls, lots of pictures of friends and family. Be really nice, homey."
"Homey is good, right?" Jean looked at the magazine spread. "I mean, we don't really care all that much, but I feel like we should do something."
"It means to feel like a home." Piotr looked over her shoulder to see the picture in question, it was pleasant. "It is very good."
"Home." Jean sighed with a tired smile. "Home would be good. I'd like that."
Piotr smiled and left the two to work out details. His own quarters were easily done by bringing his family's things out of storage, including his sister's items that he still had faith would be used again someday. The new base was large, with enough rooms to make it clear that new members were assumed. The team was settling in well and after so long making due with temporary fixtures, they almost marveled at having room to breath.
He heard the bay seal and walked to the door in time to see Scott return from the meeting, the man had to remind himself he was in the right place for a moment.
"Welcome. Any news from the meeting?" Piotr smiled at his friend. Scott grinned.
"I was hoping I would see you first. We didn't want to say anything till we were sure." His smile grew. "Maria got some intel and Jean checked it out, we had to be sure."
"Sure of what?" Scott was not one to speak in riddles.
"Piotr, we found her. We know where Ilyana is." Scott beamed as the words got through. "And we know how to get her out."