She waited quietly for what seemed to be an eternity but was only a few minutes. Jubilee took no notice of the passing of time. She had learned that patience was the key to the hunt. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw that everything seemed to be exactly the same as it had been before.

"You might as well come out of the shadows, and make it easy on yourself."

It was a hard voice that startled Jubilee out of her watchfulness. She hadn't seen anything move, but apparently she had been found out.

At Nate's age, most young men would have been thinking about frivolous activities, but the human-mutant conflict didn't give them such luxuries anymore. And for Nathaniel Essex's son, the only existence was that of fighting and survival. Created in a laboratory, the X-Man never desired anything beyond the life he was bred for. His arrogance about his telepathic and telekinetic abilities was well justified, for with only one arguable exception, his was the greatest mind on the planet.

However, there was also a human side to Nate, one that deeply loved his sister and admired his father. Added to his incredible power was immeasurable loyalty. If ever put to the test, Nate would lay down his life for these two people. For that reason alone he walked among the thrill seekers and fugitives known as the Marauders.

Nate allowed himself to be carried along with the crowded throng of people out in the streets of down-town Madripoor. His appearance might have caused speculation in some people had he not telepathically altered the perception himself so that he appeared to be just another average citizen of Madripoor. All the while his mind actively searched the crowd for some mention or sighting of Wolverine.

Nate had already tried the Princess Bar, but found that place empty and boarded up. After sending an astral projection of himself inside the building, to make sure the inside was as empty as the outside, Nate quickly left and joined the bustle of Madripoor's Low Town.

With his mind busy trying to locate Logan, Nate was caught unawares when a young girl careened into him, darting from one of the many small alleys that lined the street. Nate reached out to steady her, and out of the corner of his eye, saw that there were six young men pursuing the girl. She struggled in his arms, but her actions were motivated more by the fear of the gang than of him.

Nate looked down at the girl, telepathically calming her frenzied thoughts, and finding out her relationship to the boys. Her thoughts told him that she had been accosted by the boys while going home, and their taunts had taken a serious turn when she tried to defend herself. The girl was no more than twelve years old, and didn't deserve the hateful act they were about to perpetrate on her.

In the few moments it took Nate to see into the girl's mind, the pack of boys had surrounded them, effectively eliminating any chance of escape they had. The boys leered at the girl, calling out obscenities. Then they looked at the young man who held her, and from the looks on their faces, Nate could see that they weren't impressed. The leader stepped out in front, and gestured for the others to fall back slightly, while still maintaining the circle.

"Well, I guess I'm going to have to get involved," Nate thought. These boys might be vicious, but they weren't mutants, and Nate didn't doubt his ability to deal with them on his own. Furthermore, he certainly didn't feel the need to use his mutant powers.

"You want to throw your life away for this thing? Walk away now, and I won't have my boys hurt you unnecessarily." The leader spoke with assurance. His words were followed by sniggers from the members of the gang. Nate shifted his eyes to look over the rest of the boys. They were all young, at the most they were about as old as he was. Nate knew that they were capable of hurting the girl, but they didn't stand a chance against him, a warrior born and bred.

"I'm not the one who is throwing his life away, so unless you want to debate the facts, lets get this started." As he spoke, Nate waited for the leader to make his move, and he also kept a close watch on the rest, knowing that they would move in as soon as he felled the leader.

The leader's first move was painfully obvious. He lunged forward with his fist, intending to strike Nate square in the face. He easily dodged the blow, pushing the girl still clinging to him, behind him, so that she wouldn't get in the way of the combatants. Nate's eyes never left the leader and he quickly ducked as the boy once again whipped his arm around, attempting to hit him. The boy was close enough for Nate to swipe a kick at him, knocking him to the ground. Standing up, Nate saw the boy spring back up, and he kicked him again, this time with a strong roundhouse kick to the face. The boy took a bit longer to get up, but his companions moved closer to help him up and jointly attack Nate if necessary. Nate knew that with such street gangs, one-on-one fighting was just a matter of perspective.

Now that he had shown the leader to be ineffective against him they would attack him in full force, maybe even forcing him to use his powers to hold some of them at bay. Nate could easily end the fight by shutting off all of their minds, but he was hungry for some action. Over the last few months Sinister had coddled him to the point where he didn't get to see any action. And this physical exertion was making him finally feel alive.

Nate was ready to take out as many as he could without using his powers, so he turned and grabbed the boy closest to him. Using the boy like a sling-shot, Nate maintained a tight hold on his arm and propelled the boy into the group surrounding the leader. The body flung across all of the boys once again threw him to the ground. The next instant Nate was bombarded with angry blows. He stood with his feet grounded, careful not to lose balance, and dodged most of the blows aimed at his head, while striking his closest assailants in the chest and the sensitive debilitating area at the center of the neck. One of the attackers got close enough to knock the wind out of Nate with a strong hard blow to the chest. Nate doubled over, and at the next moment five boys jumped on him, seeing that he was hurt. They repeatedly kicked him, and Nate knew that they would not give up until they had completely subdued him. Nate grabbed the leg of the boy closest to him, and pushed him into the other boys. This gave him some room to maneuver, and he was finally able to stand up again. Angry, Nate was ready to strike out with his powers, when he felt a great heat flare up and heard a horrified scream.

The boys immediately moved away from him and stood facing the new threat. With his back toward to commotion, Nate wasn't able to see who or what the new arrival was. Once again he felt great heat, he sensed that the thing was powering up again, and the gang also realized the danger that they were in, so they fled, leaving Nate to deal with it alone. Sending out a mind scan, it took barely a second for him to know that he wasn't in trouble, but he wouldn't go as far to say that this new arrival was a friend. Nate telekinetically lifted himself up, letting his aching muscles heal from the beating.

"Well, well, if it isn't the good son, Daddy's little boy scout. You know, X-Man, I would have thought that with your designer genes, you could have taken care of that street trash a lot quicker. I guess Sinister will have to go back to the drawing board for the next model." The low mocking voice greeted Nate, and looking up he saw that the speaker's face wore a matching sardonic expression.

"As long as he keeps the same good looks, I'll be happy. You know Sunfire, your bark used to be much more ferocious. Don't tell me your months away from the Marauders have turned you into a nice guy." Nate kept his tone light and friendly. He could use a friend in his search for Logan, and Sunfire really wasn't that bad. Maybe he could telepathically put a muzzle on him, that way Sunfire wouldn't be able to spread that liveliness of wit and good cheer that he was famous for. The thought made him smile, but looking around, he noticed that he had forgotten the girl in all of the commotion created by the fight.

Telepathically, he searched for her, but she wasn't in the vicinity, and he guessed that she had fled home. He hoped she was safe, but couldn't do more to help her, because he had a situation to take care of.

Sunfire had turned away from him and powered down. He was examining the destruction caused by the fight, and was surprised to find that it was very slight. Normally mutant fights caused vast amounts of destruction and devastation. Although he hadn't seen any of the boys exhibit mutant powers, they might have been too surprised to think of anything except running. The thought that Nate would be fighting normal humans never occurred to Sunfire. Why would he waste his time getting physical with them when all he had to do was go into their minds and shut them off? Nate saw the question in Sunfire's expression, and cut him off before he could vocalize it.

"They were going to gang rape a kid. I couldn't allow it. I stepped in and I didn't use my powers because..." Nate trailed off, realizing that there was no excuse for not ending it before it even began. Jubilee would have ended it, fast. If Sinister got word of this incident, Nate would be in for a real tongue-lashing. Sinister expected better, and he didn't like his expectations to be shattered, especially not by one bred for perfection. But now was not the time to think about what might or might not happen. Nate had to find Wolverine and get them all to L.A., after that he could wonder about his arrogance and stupidity.

"Whatever reasons you have for street fighting, I don't really care. But what I am curious about is what you're doing in Madripoor? It's a little bit far from your usual stomping grounds."

"I'm looking for Logan." Nate didn't feel like bantering with Sunfire anymore. All he wanted to do was get the job done.

"There's no need."

"What do you mean..." Nate trailed off at Sunfire's raised eyebrow. Taking the hint, he opened up his mind and scanned the area. As Sunfire had said there was no need to look for Wolverine. The moment his mind connected with Wolverine's, his eyes, too, saw the man hidden by the shadows.

"How's it going Junior? I knew someone would be comin' round to gather up the troops, just never thought Essex'd send his favorite toy. D'you come alone?" Logan sounded cold, but Nate was used to the patronizing way the older Marauders treated him. He didn't mind because he knew that it wasn't mean spirited. They just wanted him to prove that everything Sinister had promised about his abilities was true. Now with Xavier back, he had the chance to show them, and himself, that he was the greatest mind on the planet.

"No, I came with some help. Only I had to stash her because her anger and hatred were clouding up our search. I'll give you a guess as to who that could be." Nate hoped that he could provoke some kind of reaction out of Wolverine. But all Logan did was take out a cigarette from the pocket of his jacket and nonchalantly light it up.

"So you brought the other kid with ya, huh? I hope she's matured since the last time we met. Tantrums really don't suit assassins." Wolverine pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against and walked toward Nate and Sunfire. "I know why you're here, and Sunfire and I are ready to go." With that he turned and started walking toward the docks.

Nate didn't question how Wolverine knew that Sinister was preparing for war against Xavier or how he knew where Jubilee was waiting. Wolverine was a man who had knowledge and secrets, so Nate just accepted his word and followed his lead. Sunfire looked like he wanted to argue, and Nate could sense an internal battle taking place within him, but in the end he too shrugged it off and began following Wolverine.

Jubilee cursed herself for being foolish enough to fall for such a blatant trap. Here she was, caught in the dark, with no back up in the immediate area, and facing an unknown enemy. She wasn't afraid of losing or that she would be killed. She was angry because she had not thought it through. She had heard a sound and gone to investigate like a new recruit, rather that the seasoned soldier that she was.

"Give it up girl-friend. Right now your outmatched and outclassed. If you don't make a fuss, maybe Xavier will take pity on you and kill you quickly." Jubilee heard the same voice that had threatened her earlier, but this time she heard sniggering and a chuckle following the words that was distinctly different. There were two of them, maybe more, and they were Xavier's people. So far they hadn't located her, but in such a small area, it was inevitable that they would find her in a matter of moments. Jubilee tried to telepathically contact Nate, but couldn't make a connection with him.

"Great, he thinks he's the greatest telepath in the world, but he can't even sense that I'm in trouble," Jubilee thought. If she could just get out, she might be able to even things up a bit, but she knew that someone would be guarding the door.

She tensed, hearing a light footfall behind her. Knowing that she had been discovered, Jubilee charged up to her full lethal power level, and maintained a solid grip on her dagger, ready to use it with an equally deadly force.

"Well, here you are. Hiding in the dark like a poor frightened mouse." The speaker moved closer to Jubilee. She recognized the voice that had been taunting her previously, and now as she saw her tormentor she had a face to put to it, that of Monet St. Croix, M of Xavier's Generation X. Jubilee tried to edge away from M, but as she moved back, she sensed that the other attacker was close as well. She turned half of her attention toward the second person, when M snaked out an arm in an effort to grab her. Jubilee reacted instantaneously and brought the had holding the dagger swiftly through the air, neatly slicing through the sleeve of M's uniform and deep into her forearm. With vicious glee, Jubilee twisted the dagger deeper, and when Monet screamed, she quickly retracted the dagger, grabbed M's arm in both of hers, and brought her knee up, effectively bending the arm backwards in a clean break.

Upon hearing the painful howl of his teammate, Synch came out of the shadows, ready to make Jubilee pay for hurting M. Jubilee knew she had been lucky in disabling M so quickly. The girl was too confident in her abilities and usually underestimated those of others. But the same strategy wouldn't work on Everett Thomas. This boy could get in synch with her mutant power and use it against her.

"You Bitch, you're going to wish you had just come along quietly," holding her broken arm, M screamed at Jubilee.

"Yer all talk M, maybe you're not all powerful as you thought. I mean, if a fire-cracker like me can hurt you that badly, I'd hate to see you after a brawl with the other Marauders."

"Care to try that little trick on me?" Everett had moved close enough so that Jubilee could see that he was ready for any fast moves she made. So she did the unexpected. She set off a few pyrotechnic bursts in his face, attempting to blind him, and made a quick dash for the door.

As she ran past Everett, she felt a sharp tug on her hair, and was pulled to a stop by the subsequent force attached to it. "Not so fast, little Jubie. It's time we taught you that Gen X does it better and harder." With that, Everett swung his hand back and slapped Jubilee across the face. Her head snapped back from the force of it, and tears came to her eyes. She had thought that Everett would synch to her powers, but the velocity and force of the blow made it clear to her that he was in tune with M. Then he kicked her in the abdomen, sending her to her knees. M walked up to them, and looking up into her eyes, Jubilee had the feeling that she was in for some major pain.

Seeing Jubilee on her hands and knees, M let out a weak croak of laughter. "This is where you dogs belong, on the ground." With that she repeatedly began to kick her where Synch had, causing her to feel faint. After some minutes, Everett dragged Jubilee up by the arms and held her up in front of him. Jubilee felt too weak to use her dagger, and she didn't have the energy to power up her light beam. M came and stood in front of her. She let her broken arm fall limp to her side, and with her good hand she reached out and grabbed Jubilee's neck in a deadly vice. "Where's you smart mouth now, Marauder? I think I might just shut you up permanently." She began to squeeze Jubilee's throat more tightly, and Jubilee could feel her strength leaving her.

Then she felt M release her hold, just as Everett also let go of her. Without their support, she fell to the ground. Breathing in deep gulps of air, she looked around and noticed that M and Synch had also fallen to the ground. They were unconscious but still breathing. There was only one explanation for this, and Jubilee sent silent thanks to her brother as she stumbled out of the shack to meet him.

Nate saw Jubilee's battered appearance and cursed himself for not trying to contact her sooner. It was only when he, Logan, and Sunfire had reached the entrance of the port that he tried to telepathically contact Jubilee and let her know that he had found Logan. When all he got from her mind were flashes of fear and pain, he knew something was wrong. So he tried to make contact with the other minds, and that's when he learned that Jubilee was in imminent danger of dying. Without a thought Nate shut off their minds. He would have killed them but he didn't want to risk Xavier learning about his existence. Instead he put them to sleep, which might raise some questions, but any Alpha class telepath had those abilities.

"Oh Nate, thank God you came when you did." In her relief, Jubilee hugged Nate, and buried her face in his shoulder. Such uncharacteristic emotion took Nate by surprise, but he returned her embrace.

"You two goin' to hug all night or are we gettin' a move on?" Logan's voice broke through their emotional outpouring, and they both immediately let go of each other. Nate mentally warned Jubilee not to start anything, and since she was too exhausted from the fight, she let the remark pass. Slowly the four of them made their way toward the plane disguised in one of the moorings of Regent Harbor.

"Well, it looks like someone did a number on you two." A mocking voice broke through the cloudy haze surrounding the minds of M and Synch. From their position on the ground, they looked up to see Storm glaring down at them.

To Be Continued