Things happen for a reason. That’s what my parents always told me. But after they died, it was as if that saying was the antithesis of why I became an X-Man; of why I lost my powers, and of why Wolverine was destroyed at the hands of the Alliance. I thought that I was left to pick up the pieces and once again start a life on my own. But now I’m starting to doubt myself, which is weird. I’m about to wake up now, and things are never going to be the same again... Again.
Haven, The Thirteenth and a Half Floor, morning...
Her room was an absolute disaster. Despite the fact that she was a messy person by nature, it was clear that the room had had a little help. Charred blast-holes and chunks of singed fibers were apparent all about the room as sunlight glazed over the suite at the current ungodly hour. Sure she slept soundly enough, but as Science often proves, with every action, there is an opposing and equal reaction. Silence was soon penetrated by equal noise.
“Jubilee! Wake up!” It was a familiar voice. A voice that sounded too damn perky first thing in the morning. The first thing she wanted to do was slap the voice away. Man, she was so tired. But it obviously wouldn’t help. She recognized the voice as Marilyn Hodge’s.
“Wha...Marilyn? If I need clean towels, I’ll just call you, ‘kay?” She said, lifting her head up enough to speak before plowing her face back into the pillow.
“That’s room service, sweetie, which is definitely not a job I’d like to have in this room, especially. But seriously, though, something’s happened! You have to get up immediately!” Said Marilyn-voice. This time, her voice was beginning to sound impatient instead of happy-go-lucky, which was a bit out of character for her.
“Well...” Jubilee mumbled into her pillow. “Can’t you just like, take notes and put ‘em on my desk later?...” She was falling back asleep; and not making any sense to boot.
Marilyn rolled her eyes and pulled the pillow out from under her head and flung the blanket from Jubilee’s tired form. Almost immediately, out of completely exhaust-fueled delirium, Jubilee balled her fist up and with eyes still straining to open, she said, “Cut the crap ‘fore I-“
She opened her eyes to gaze in front of her. Except the only problem with that is that she was forced to look all around her surroundings, noting that almost every pristine white surface was charred black and was littered with holes, like a minuscule bedlam had happened in her room while she was sleeping. It was then that she noticed the most unexpected thing of all.
“-blastcha.” The term seemed almost alien; she hadn’t used it in so long.
Marilyn stood before her, slowly backing away with a look of awe on her face, and she was staring straight at Jubilation’s balled up fist.
It was glowing. Not only was her fist glowing, but it was glowing the familiar iridescent hue that it glowed back when... you know...
“I HAVE MY POWERS!?” She exclaimed, the words echoing out of her freshly shattered windows, apparently from the previous night’s fiasco. She uncurled her fist and looked down to her palm, which was giving off little sparks of energy that discharged with a ‘PAF’.
Haven lobby...
The entire room was uproarious. It was difficult for even Wasp and Hulkling to keep them under control as some were shouting with glee, some were crying, while most were simply furious that some of these people suddenly had had their powers back and they didn’t. A podium was set up towards the reception desk and Marilyn was the first one to take the stage.
“Everyone, please, just be calm. I’m going to need all of your focus and attention if I’m going to be able to explain how the situation is.” She pleaded to the ground.
“I’d say the situation is pretty f%!#in’ bad, Marilyn!” Came the voice of Longshot, being amassed by ex-mutants who were bombarding him with questions and rants as he was one of the ‘lucky’ ones who woke to find himself repowered. Maybe chance had something to do with the fact that he’d even lost his powers in the first place, simply based on the fact that he wasn’t a mutant to begin with.
Jubilee exited the elevator, still reeling from disbelief, and looking completely disshevled with her usual bob worn messy and out of control, and her sleeping clothes holey. It was a good thing she double-bagged her Hello Kitty tank-tops, otherwise everyone would be staring at the large amount of non-boobs she possessed. Don’t judge. She glanced around a bit and spotted Molly, who was looking extra super-happy that day, despite having to be herded around by Vange. She rushed up to Jubilee right away.
“Jubes! Do you-“
“To answer your question...” Jubilee interrupted, holding a hand open before her as if to halt Molly’s words, but instead, glowing globules of energy discharged from her palm, fizzling out before they hit the floor.
“Sweet!”
“I know, right? Did it get you too?”
“Yeah. Rumor has it that-“
“Any and all Ex-Mutants who slept on the Fourteenth floor last night woke up today with their powers back... sort of.” Marilyn claimed from the podium. It was obviously an awkward approach to starting a speech, but Marilyn hadn’t exactly had a lot of practice at this sort of thing.
“Why them!?” Exclaimed a young man from amongst the crowd.
Marilyn sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. “Security feed that was taken from last night’s episode showed some sort of energy beam charging towards this sanctuary at about 1 A.M. Shortly thereafter, all cameras on the Fourteenth floor were decimated. What this beam of energy was or where it came from remains to be seen. However, I urge all of you not to panic and to await further instruction in the cafeteria. All Ex-Mutants who slept on the Fourteenth floor last night, please report immediately to the group room for a private discussion. That is all.”
The caucus of noise filtered out of the lobby and headed down into the cafeteria, leaving the newly powered mutants to wander over to the group room. Apparently, last night wasn’t just some random miracle. Or was it...
Chairs were lined up side by side across the room in front of a desk where Marilyn strode towards; Teddy and Janet already in their seats. In the seats across from the tribunal sat Jubilee, Molly, Longshot, Shatterstar, Vange, Telford Porter (who Jubilee still thinks changed his name accordingly), Cynthia Sommers, Beth Destra, and Dee Dee Cloon. Kyle Gibney was still locked in his room.
“I guess I’ll just cut to the chase here.” Started Marilyn. “While no one really knows why exactly you’ve been repowered, it’s obvious that now, none of you necessarily need to be here. So why don’t I go down the line and ask if any of you have planned anything.”
“Planned?” Came the Vanisher’s voice.
“Yes. You know; where you’ll stay, what your goals are; that sort of thing. Dee Dee?”
According to Haven gossip, Dee Dee used to go by the name She-Bang. Apparently she could snap her fingers, causing miniature sonic booms. Apparently, she was also stupid.
“Are we gonna die?”
Jubilee started laughing immediately.
“Jubilee.” Came the stern voice of Marilyn. “No, Dee Dee, you’re not going to die. I wanted to know what your goals were.”
“I always wanted to play tennis.” She offered.
“O...k.” Marilyn quickly shifted her glance between Teddy and Janet and then continued. “What about you, Beth?”
Beth Destra was a mutant that went by the name, ‘Oops’. She had some sort of bad-luck power. All that Jubilee knew was that Beth was British and drank a lot.
“Seeing as how there’s nothing left of my home to go back to, suppose I’ll stay around here a while. Stupid question, really. I don’t see the sense of treating us like we’re in grade school.” She lit up a cigarette and Marilyn continued.
“And what does the future hold for you, Miss Sommers?”
Cynthia Sommers was hardly older than Jubilee. She was supposedly some sort of super-genius that already had a degree in botanical sciences. So not only was she a dork, but her power was her being able to turn into any form of earth or something lame like that. She called herself Forsythia. Which sounds like some sort of anti-depressant.
“I’m afraid I can’t answer that at this moment, Ms. Hodge... blah blah blah...”
Jubilee drifted off to sleep from all the boring goings-ons until Molly started talking.
“...I’m not going with the Runaways again, that’s for sure! After I lost my powers, they left me on the Hollywood strip and a prostitute took me in for six weeks!”
Evangeline’s eyes went wide with panic. “What!?”
“And then she forced me to take drugs and I ended up pregnant!” Molly gesticulated with her hands. Jubes liked that about her. Too bad she was too busy covering her face in her hands to notice. Tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks as she tried to breathe. She hadn’t laughed this hard in a long time.
“I’m just kidding. No, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go to school again.”
Vange was mortified. Marilyn was stunned. Jubilee was proud. Now let us progress.
Haven, noon, Lobby...
Molly and Jubilee strode out of the group room after an entirely too boring meeting, to be greeted by one of the Haven’s concierges. “I have a phone call for Ms. Lee.” He looked to Jubilee. “Would that be you?”
“No, Ms. Lee is my mother. And she’s dead.”
He looked extremely uncomfortable. She rolled her eyes and patted Molly on the head. “Go ahead and meet me out front. It’s probably one of the X-Men seeing how everything’s been going. Boy, they don’t even know the half of it!” She exclaimed melodramatically, flinging her arms in the air as she spoke.
She skipped over the service counter and picked up the receiver that was laying on the table.
“Jesus speaking.”
“Yer far from Jesus.”
“Oh yeah? Well which one of us got crucified, hmm?”
“Ah’d say all three o’us.”
Jubilee felt a well of relief and glee flush into her face. It was Wolvie!... well, sorta. Wolverogue.
“Rogue!”
“Jubes!”
“You’ll never guess what happened to me last night!”
“Ah’m scared t’guess, sugah.”
“I GOT MY POWERS BACK!”
The voice on the other end sounded muffled and Jubes rubbed her palm on the ear-piece.
“Hello?”
“No, Ah’m here. What didja say?”
“I. Got. My. Powers. Back.”
“How!?”
“I dunno. But hey, that’s old news. When are y’gonna pick me up? Now that I’m repowered, I’m large and in charge!”
“‘Bout that... listen Jubes... Ah can’t really do that right now. Y’understand?”
“Personal business; my favorite oxymoron...” Jubilee stated with sarcasm.
“Look Jubilee, Ah promise Ah’ll come’n gitcha. And soon... but now Ah don’t have t’worry aboutcha as much now that ya’ll have yer powers back... which you will explain t’me at some point, right?”
“Soon as I think up a believable enough scenario, you’ll be the first to hear it.”
“Yeah...”
An awkward silence spread between the two. The situation obviously hadn’t gotten any easier. And this weird, psuedo-bond that the two shared was still... budding, I guess you’d say. But someone had to say something, otherwise the uncomfortable moment would stay with Jubes all damned day.
“So. I hear Val Cooper’s gettin’ fat. What’s up with that?” Jubilee blabbed. It was clearly the end of the conversation.
“Ah’ll call ya soon, hun.”
“Yeah... bye...” She set the phone on it’s cradle and massaged the bridge of her nose. Abandoned again. Whatever. She made it a habit not to rely on friends. They either ended up dead or fought against them when they were needed most.
Hollywood, afternoon...
Jubilee and Molly decided they needed to take a little hiatus from all the craziness back at Haven, so they found themselves walking the Hollywood strip, talking about how things were going to pan out for them and if they would decide to stay at Haven or not.
It was around then that Jubilee spotted Shatterstar headed in front of them, walking by himself and looking kinda depressed. Jubes furrowed a brow and rushed ahead of Molly to his side.
“Hi.”
“Hello again.”
“We kinda got off to a rocky start before, huh?”
He remained silent.
“Look, it seems that we’re all in this together now.”
“How’s that?”
“Well, being the only mutants in Los Angeles kinda puts us at odds with everyone else. That and I’m not quite sure I get you yet.”
“I do not even ‘get’ me yet.”
“Well... let’s start this again, then. So rumor has it you have a boyfriend over in New York. How long y’been gay?” Jubes didn’t mind delving into personal matters, apparently.
“‘Gay’?”
“Yeah, you know; disco, tight pants, Barbera Streisand; that sorta thing!”
“Well I do not know about all of that, but I do know that I have deep feelings for Rictor.”
“Rictor, huh? I heard about him. Nothing too bad. S’what? Ya gonna join the X-Men now?”
“My place isn’t among the X-Men seeing as how I am not a mutant.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re an alien; I get the picture. Where are you headed now all by your lonesome?”
The two stood before a tattoo parlor across the street from a costume shop. It didn’t look all too clean, but then again Jubes never been inside a tattoo shop before. She glanced over to him with an eyebrow raised. “You’re getting another tattoo? Of what? You’re covered as it is, unless you’re putting it on your naughty areas.”
“‘Julio’.” He stated simply. Shatterstar, since M-Day, had made appointments almost every week to get something done. Since he’d lost his powers, it made him feel like he’d lost his most important sense. Naturally, he used self mutilation to make himself feel better. But, pretty self mutilation, at that. Now that he’d gotten his powers back, it probably wouldn’t change anything. Tattoos are like an addiction for the man at this point.
Jubilee held a hand to her chin as if to think for a moment. “Maybe I should get one too. Like a butterfly or something girly and retarded like that. What do to you think, Molly?” She realized Molly had been silent for some time now. “Molly?”
She whipped around and found that Molly was nowhere in sight. This was a problem. Maybe this was the reason Vange was hanging out with her all the time. “S#!+!” Jubilee exclaimed. “Molly’s gone!”
“Well then we will look for-“
“GET YOUR HANDS OFFA ME, CREEP-O!” Rang out before Shatterstar could finish. It was Molly and it came from the alleyway beside the tattoo parlor.
Jubilee and Shatterstar ran to the alley, met with the visage of a purple gooey guy wrapping his sludge around Molly’s arms so she couldn’t use her tactile telekinesis. Why he was there and what he was doing with Molly were all inconsequential at this moment.
“Eat fireworks, Sister-Boy!” Jubilee spout out, diving ahead of Shatterstar, unleashing a blinding display of bright reds and yellows, causing the purple drooley guy to drop Molly and cover his eyes with his hands.
Molly ran to Jubilee and Shatterstar grabbed a knife he had hidden in his boot and tore it through the air as he performed a front somersault; his arm jutting out so when he landed in front of slime dude, a perfect cut ran from top to bottom. Probably would have killed him, if he hadn’t reformed almost immediately.
“No one’s going to stop me from taking her!” He shouted towards Molly before using his slimey arm to drive Shatterstar into the opposite brick building like a mallet.
Without a moment to spare, Jubilee leapt into the air, legs stretching outward in opposite directions, allowing her to gracefully clear herself over the purple slime. But not before she let out a blast of white-hot plasma directly down over his head, causing the rubbery substance he was made out of to pop and sizzle. He let out a cry of pain and smacked her away blindly, before making his way over the fence at the opposite end of the alley.
“This isn’t over!” He shouted angry.
“I’m sure it is!” Jubilee mocked, pushing herself from the cement and dusting off random debris from her brand new jeans. Molly ran to her side to help her up.
“Are you ok?” Molly asked, a hand on Jubilee’s shoulder.
“Yeah... I’m ok. Is he ok?” Jubilee offered, a thumb gesturing to a fallen Shatterstar, still on the ground.
“I don’t know.”
“Well did you check?” Jubes asked, concerned, yet agitated.
“No, I don’t like him that much. I’m ok too, though.”
Jubes rubbed a hand through Molly’s sloppy locks that remained visible after she dropped her hat sometime during the kidnapping. Jubilee leaned forward, letting a hand out for the waking Shatterstar to take, but he still seemed dazed.
“Are you ok... I feel stupid calling you Shatterstar, so.... Are you ok, Fat-Deb-Shopper?” She offered, teasing.
He raised himself up and put a hand against the back of his head and looked at his palm for blood. “Do not ask me that again. And my name, for your knowledge, is Benjamin.” He stated in the same cold way he always states stuff.
“What kinda name is that for an alien?”
“The human kind.”
“Who was that guy?” Molly butted in.
“Ugly- Oh! Who? Hell if I know.” Jubilee stated.
“He is Gorgeous George. Formerly of Mister Sinister’s team.” Shatterstar answered.
“He ain’t that gorgeous.” Jubilee replied under her breath.
“I think we should head back you guys. We’re going to have to talk about this to some of the Haven guys.”
“Why?” Jubilee asked.
“Because I almost just got kidnapped.”
“Oh. Well at least it wasn’t me for a change.”
Molly stuck her tongue out at Jubilee before they headed back down Hollywood Boulevard, towards a bus that would lead them back to the home.
Haven, a short time later...
The entire place was swarmed with media. Apparently word had gotten out about several members of Haven regaining their powers after a mysterious light show the night before. Among the reporters was Trish Tilby, on special assignment from the New York branch of Fox News. The three of them made their way towards Haven with no idea how to react.
“There they are!” Shouted a blonde man in a three piece suit behind a camera man.
The group rushed up to the three residents and Trish was the first one officially on the scene. “Welcome home, Jubilee. Any comment on the current crisis surrounding the Haven Treatment Facility?”
Jubilee pushed the microphone out of her face before she replied. “Thank you. And no.” She said simply, dragging Molly towards the entrance with her. Shatterstar, or Benjamin, as he is called, was able to breeze past the horde with little-to-no effort. Jubilee had no interest discussing the well-being of her people.
“So Jubilee, Val Cooper’s put on a few extra pounds since her inditement into the United States Press Secretary. Do you have anything to say on the matter?” Called the voice of a male working for a local tabloid.
Immediately, she whipped around, leaving Molly in the dusk and skipped over to the man.
“Boy! Do I ever!” She exclaimed gleefully before she was abruptly tugged by the arm back towards the Haven entrance by Benjamin’s tight grip. She cursed the whole way inside.
Inside, the three were immediately rushed by Hulkling and Wasp.
“What’s going on?” Asked Molly.
“Trouble. We’re going to have to keep everyone inside until further notice. It’s way too hectic out there.” Wasp claimed, glancing out the door as she ushered the three into the lobby where they were met by Marilyn.
“I’ve been looking all over for you, Jubilee, where’ve you been?”
“Geez, calm down mom. We needed a breather. Unfortunately, it’ll be the last one for a while now.”
“Why’s that?”
“The Avenger people over here decided to issue a lock-down.”
“Oh no.” Marilyn didn’t sound too concerned. “Well, I’m sure it’s all for the best. And Molly? Evangeline has been in hysterics looking for you.”
“I wonder if I buy her a cat, she’ll stop being so possessive.” Molly stated to herself.
“Something happened while we were gone today, Ms. Hodge.” Benjamin spoke.
While Shatterstar was telling her the story, Teddy and Janet got involved because they decided to eavesdrop the entire time. That officially made the lock-down worse. If the media attention wasn’t dangerous enough, then it would be up to Hulkling and Wasp to find a way to make it that much more severe. Keeping an entire facility of both mutants and exes alike inside, altogether, for a long duration, the drop of one bomb could wipe them all out. Just saying; it could!
Just then, a nameless resident of Haven rushed up to the gathered group and took Marilyn aside. Apparently, it was far enough from the two Avengers that they couldn’t ‘accidentally’ overhear what she was saying to Marilyn.
According to the girl, a newsbreak exclusive made its way on the Fox News channel proclaiming that a lock-down had been issued and that several residents of the shelter were still missing. Trish Tilby must have been damn good because a majority of the people staying at Haven had no idea still.
Later, Jubilee’s room...
Evangline was in absolute hysterics. It was a little obvious that she would react that way. She practically made a vow that she would never let Molly out of her sight again. And it was no use for Jubilee to promise Vange that she’d look out for her, seeing as how she did a pretty lousy job of it this afternoon. But after a few shots at the bar, Vange allowed Molly to stay in Jubilee’s room for the night. So apparently the vow wasn’t that big a deal.
Jubilee was laying flat on her back atop the coffee table by the window, staring directly at the ceiling with her hands resting on her chest. Molly was sitting at the nearby desk, talking and raving like a twelve year old often does.
“What are you doing?” Molly finally asked, after going on and on about something that Jubes was hardly paying attention to.
“There’s a fly on the ceiling. I’m trying to decide whether it’s dead or not. This lock-down business is probably the most boring thing I’ve ever had to participate in besides being kidnapped by Emplate in my Generation X days. Y’know... when I was with the X-Men-“
“I miss my friends.” Molly stated before Jubilee could finish. Apparently, Jubilee’s rants were infamous as well.
Jubilee furrowed a brow and perched herself on the table, her legs dangling over the end. “What exactly happened with you and the Runaways, anyway?”
Molly sighed and stuck her hands into her hooded-sweatshirt pockets. “Well... everything was basically ok before the whole Scarlet Witch thingy. But after I lost my powers, no one knew how to keep me safe. Like, everyone wanted me in a concentration camp. Those who didn’t wanted to do tests and stuff on me. So I guess Chase and Nico did what they thought best for me.”
“You’re not happy here?”
“Not as happy as I’d be with them.” She looked over at Jubilee with a sad expression on her face.
“Don’t sweat it, kid. I’ll stick with ya till the end. And that’s a patented Jubilation Lee promise. Ya get what I’m sayin’?”
Molly wiped at a tear forming in the well of her eye and nodded. “Ok, boss lady.”
Just then, a knock sounded at the door and Jubilee begrudgingly stalked off, not bothering to look through the peep hole as she stopped at the entrance. “Hi, I’m not home right now, but if you leave a message after the beep, I’ll listen to it, then forget to call you.”
Jubilee pointed to Molly.
“Beep!” Molly belted.
“It is Benjamin. Let me in, please.” It was Shatterstar.
Jubilee swung open the door and stood in the frame; her hands on her hips and her hips, themselves; cocked. “Geez, Benny, dontcha believe in contractions when ya talk?” She asked, psuedo-annoyed.
“I-“ He started before Jubilee yanked him into the room, slamming the door shut behind her.
“If Vange was awake and sober, she’d probably kill me for having a boy in here with Molly around. I mean, you’re queer and I’m totally not interested, but Vange is pretty oblivious if you know what I mean.”
Shatterstar wasn’t listening. He took a seat next to Molly and crossed one leg over the other. “I’m leaving tonight.” He stated simply.
“What? Why?” Jubilee asked, only half concerned seeing as how she still thought he was kind of an alien ass-hat.
“I have my powers back. And there is little good I could achieve here; cooped up with a bunch of crazy mutants. Not my idea of a cup of coffee.” He sternly explained.
Jubilee covered her mouth to hide a smile and swallowed a fit of giggles before she brought her hand away and controlled herself. “Cup of tea, Ben.” She stated with a nod.
Molly grinned and nodded too, having also attempted to tame a fit laughter of her own.
Benjamin simply rolled his eyes. “Well whatever the metaphor, I do not plan on staying.”
Jubilee huffed and plopped down on her back onto the bed. “Well... I think that’s stupid. I mean you’re here because people need you now. Like, it’s like a sign from God or something that we get our powers back. To protect these people, y’know?”
“That is why we have Teddy and Janet. I do not understand.”
She rolled her eyes and tried to explain. “No... like, we’re their people who finally got a second chance, I mean, you’re not, but still. Second chances always come around for a reason. And I totally think that this is the reason.”
“What are you suggesting, Jubilation?”
“I’m suggesting we all stick around for awhile; see what happens. Maybe even form our own supergroup if we need to!” Jubilee was beginning to get excited.
“Yeah! LA’s got enough crime to spare! Why don’t we form a team?” Molly chimed in, perking up from her place at the desk.
Jubilee walked over to Shatterstar, her hands clasped together with a look of sadness in her eyes. Pity, really. “Please, Bennifer. You’ll be wasting so much of that ninja-y stuff if you leave us now.”
“I do not know.” He stated coldly, crossing his arms as he averted his gaze towards the window.
“Well at least think about it, kay?” Jubilee was beginning to get impatient.
“What about the missing guys from around here? I mean apparently Longshot, Beth Destra, Dee Dee, and Forsythia never came back. And Kyle and Telford disappeared from their rooms, too!” Molly explained.
“And you know Telford isn’t his name.”
“Seriously, Jubes. Let it go.” Said Molly.
“You’re suggesting an investigation, then?” Benjamin spoke, becoming a tad more interested. Being at Haven now that he had his killer instincts and premiere physical abilities back, staying at a shelter didn’t seem like the height of an active life for a person like him.
Both Jubilee and Molly nodded with grins on their faces.
“The only problem is, we’ve gotta find a way to break curfew.”
“Oh, do not worry about that, Jubilee. I am sure I can handle it.”
A bit later, outside Haven...
“S#!+!”
“Shh!”
“Sorry.”
Jubilee, Molly, and Benjamin had managed to climb out of one of the shelter’s windows on the main floor’s bathroom. Jubilee, unfortunately, fell into the bushes on her way down, prompting the other two to clasp their hands over her mouth to muffle the obscenities. After a few moments of stillness from the trio, they took off into the night.
“So... what’s our name going to be?” Molly asked as they made their way along.
“Name?” Came Benjamin’s voice from the side.
“Yeah, our super-group name.” Jubes stated, matter-o-factly, also from the side.
Benjamin shook his head a bit, cracking a smile from the humor of the situation. He’d never met people so energetic and looney after Boom Boom. Maybe that was a reason why he decided to stick around this long. “This is one wild bunch.” He said, mostly to himself.
“That’s it! Benny, you are sex! The Wild Bunch!”
Molly grinned and nodded her head excitedly in agreement; their trail leading them farther and farther down the street.
About a block or two away, they realized they had no idea where the hell they were going.
“So...” Molly started.
“Yeah, I know, Molly.” Jubilee retorted, a bit agitated.
“This could have been thought out a bit more clearly, yes?” Came Benjamin’s voice.
But before Jubes could manage an eyeroll, a colossal explosion ripped through a nearby building that lay further down the Boulevard. It seemed just a tad fishy considering the circumstances, so the group continued towards the fire and the ashy debris that was now raining over the street. Shatterstar halted himself and held arms branched out to stop the other two; his killer instinct now taking effect.
“What is it, ‘star?” Molly asked, eyebrows raised.
“People inside.” He stated simply.
Jubilee rolled up her three quarter sleeves and stalked towards the burning building. “No sweat; let’s do this.” She commanded confidently before she felt the familiar grasp of Benjamin’s grip on the back of her shirt.
“What the hell, Benjie?”
“Do not bother. They are gone.”
“Already!?” Jubilee barked.
“This has to be some sort of set-up.” Molly said from the sidelines. “I mean we’re missing all of the obvious signs. The other Ex-Mutants went missing, I almost get kidnapped, but didn’t because the guy was retarded, and some building explodes down the street to lure us away!”
“What do I look new?” She followed herself up.
Before the group had time to turn around yet another explosion occurred right behind them. It was Haven. The explosion immediately tore the three of them from the current vandalization towards running to the second. Their home. Unfortunately, none of them had abilities that dealt with invulnerability to fire or some sort of water based power. Which sucked.
As they came upon the shelter, they noted that the damage from the explosion was mostly concentrated on the upper part of the building’s levels. What they would later find out is that the main target was the Thirteenth and a Half floor.
Next Ish on Ex-Mutants: A License to Practice!
