Jubilee had stopped paying attention to Nate. She didn't know what to think, her mind was a jumble of confused thoughts and images. She remembered the first time she'd heard of Xavier. The screams that had filled the night as people were dragged out of their homes, and hauled into prison for "purification". That night her whole life had changed. The little girl with a loving family, had become an orphan. It wasn't an uncommon situation. Many children had suffered such fates, but the only difference in her case was that she was lucky enough to pass Xavier's genetic testing. Through the swift manifestation procedure they had discovered the X-factor in her genetic matrix. She had been declared useful.

The Mutant Crusade, that's what they called it. Taking back what rightfully belonged to them. The humans hadn't a prayer against the strength, brutality, and conviction of Xavier's followers. Jubilee had been recruited into the Crusade. At first the scientists believed that she was a low level mutant with only the ability to throw fire works, and create light shows. Luckily for her they didn't look further into the implications of her powers. She was placed with all of the other "New Mutants". They were to be the next generation of X-Men, but they were all too young to take part in the present conflict. "I should probably be grateful to Xavier for that, at least," she thought.

The New Mutants Project was housed in the abandoned Massachusetts Academy. After Xavier had wiped out the mind of the Headmistress, Emma Frost, he and his X-Men had either converted or murdered all of her students. Sometimes Jubilee wondered why Xavier hadn't had the foresight to change the location of his own "school". Everyone knew of what he'd done at the Massachusetts Academy, but he'd decided that it was the perfect location. And after all who was foolhardy enough to challenge him.

Xavier would have been surprised to know that many of his own kind opposed him. Not for any moral reasons, but simply because they didn't think he was any different from the human masters that had sought to rule them previously. After he and Magneto had defeated Apocalypse, Xavier believed there was no one to stand in his way. Mutants were the heirs to the earth, and he was their emperor. In his supreme arrogance he left the Massachusetts Academy without sufficient protection, and in the end that is what saved Jubilee.

She didn't remember how long she'd been at the Academy when the attack came. She didn't even remember how old she'd been, but she guessed that she was probably six. It was nighttime and again terrified screams woke her from sleep.

At first she thought that it was a nightmare, and that she was reliving the deaths of her parents. She struggled to her feet, and saw smoke coming from beneath her door. She took the edge of her blanket, wrapped it around the knob, and slowly opened the door. Smoke filled the hallway, and she couldn't see anything, so she crouched down, and began crawling toward the stairs. Once she reached the bottom all she could think of was getting out. Flames blocked her path to the door, and she didn't see any other escape. Tears streamed down her face, and she opened her mouth to scream for help, but she couldn't make a sound as smoke filled her lungs. Choking and sobbing she fell to the ground, sure that she was going to die.

Jubilee felt a pair of arms lift her up, and wrap her in something. She tried to open her eyes, but it hurt too much to even turn her head. All she could do was mumble a soft prayer of thanks.

"Your welcome kid, but we're not out of the woods yet," she heard the man reply.

"He has a nice voice," was her last thought as she lost consciousness.

"Great, now I gotta find us a way out of this huge inferno. I don't suppose you have any suggestions? OK, you sleep, I'll solve the problem." Jamie Madrox was called the Multiple Man, but at this moment he would have gladly traded his power for a pair of wings. He ran from the room, looking for an exit. He knew he'd have to think fast if he wanted to live. "The Boss'll be pretty upset if I don't make it out of this one." Jamie had gotten into the habit of talking to himself, which wasn't too strange because usually there was a duplicate to respond. He saw the huge window facing the front lawn, there were no flames blocking his path, and he knew he had no other choice. "I hope this doesn't hurt," he said, and tucking the girl securely against his chest, he made a run for it. The moment he hit the window, he created a dupe, and against the combined force of two men, the window shattered.

Jamie gulped huge amounts of air, and quickly got to his feet. Making sure the girl wasn't hurt, he noticed a small band around her neck. "Is it a Genoshan?" his dupe asked. "Looks like a variation. The girl was probably too scared to use her power anyway. I think she's fine, just exhausted. Let's rendezvous with the team, and give the Boss his little present." Whenever he talked to a dupe, it was like he was thinking out loud. It didn't make a lot of sense to those observing him, but he and the dupe always understood each other.

Picking up the girl, they made their way around the wreckage of the Academy, to the front gate. Beyond it a small group of people awaited their arrival. "What have you got for me Madrox, we've been waiting on you." The words were hard, but Jamie knew that Nathaniel Essex cared about his people. He didn't show it, ever, but he cared.

"She's the only one I found, they must've moved the ones that they could and eliminated the ones they couldn't. The bastards set fire to the place killing everyone who couldn't get out just so we wouldn't reach them." Fury and disgust laced every word.

"Here give her to me. Let's get out of here before they decide to fight back. I got the data in the lab, before they destroyed it. So, at least we accomplished something, but Xavier will pay for the innocents that have died here." Essex took the girl and headed toward the plane, intent upon leaving this place of death.

"Nate, did Ariel say where Father was?" Essex was Jubilee's only concern. She had to know if he was safe. She knew he wasn't the saint he tried to pass himself off as, but she also knew that he had saved her. If he was dead Xavier would pay dearly. She had already lost too much, if Xavier took her father, she didn't think she could bear it.

"No, he didn't say anything, but don't worry sis. The old man's OK. He always manages to get out of tight jams." Nate tried to keep things light. He knew how Jubilee was emotionally attached to Essex. She wouldn't rest until she saw him, and truthfully, he was a little concerned himself. It was too soon, for Xavier to come out. They weren't prepared, and if they were discovered, the team would be badly outnumbered.

Suddenly a light shined brightly in the room. A luminous circle grew and within it appeared a man. Nate and Jubilee were instantly in defensive position. Nate was powered up, and a telekinetic field surrounded both him and his sister.

Jubilee, reached for the her laser rifle, but forgot that she hadn't taken it on the mission earlier in the evening. So she powered up a pyrotechnic light beam, at full force she was ready to kill whoever emerged from the portal.

--To Be Continued--