One-Way Ticket On A Runaway Train - Chapter Seventeen
Author’s note: As this story was written in July of 2001, years before X3, I didn’t copy the Golden Gate Bridge scenario from them.
A month after the trip to Paris, the X-Men learned that the Eiffel Tower had not been the intended target of Magneto as expected. San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, however, was. Not certain of exactly how many allies Magneto had managed to recruit, the Professor decided to send a full contingent to the west coast. Along with Logan, Scott, Storm and Hank, the Professor also sent Bobby and John. The Professor was meeting with Emma Frost, who’d decided not to align herself with Magneto after all. Jean was to remain at the school to protect the children. As the Blackbird took off into the early morning sky, Jubilee had a strong sense of foreboding.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” she told Kitty.
“You mean like it’s a trap?” Kitty asked.
“No, I’ve gotta bad feeling something’s gonna happen to us,” Jubilee replied.
“I hope you’re wrong,” Kitty said, as the Blackbird disappeared from sight, and with it their strongest line of defense.
Walking into the kitchen, Rogue caught the worried expression on Jubilee’s face. Not wanting to alarm her, Jubilee tried her best to relax, but it was too late.
“What’s wrong?” Rogue asked, as she dished up the scrambled eggs.
“Nothing. What makes you think anything’s wrong?” Jubilee replied abruptly.
“’Cause you look like someone told you Bloomingdale’s just filed for bankruptcy.”
“Oh, that. Just worried about the team. Ya know I always worry about them whenever they go on a mission,” Jubilee said, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.
“Uh-huh. Okay,” Rogue replied, not entirely convinced.
Just then Jean came into the kitchen, refilled her coffee mug and walked right back out again without saying a word.
“Is it my imagination or is she getting worse?” Jubilee inquired, as she shoveled a fork full of eggs into her mouth.
“She can barely even look at me or Rogue,” Kitty answered, sprinkling salt on her own eggs.
“Well, I don’t know how she can be so pissed off just ‘cause we’re all getting on with our lives. She has no right,” Rogue stated, as she slathered her toast with orange marmalade.
“Yeah, well that may be true, but it still makes it uncomfortable to be around her. She gives me such icy glares, I swear I need a sweater,” Kitty said.
“Well, she looks at me like she wishes I’d keel over dead. So if she just makes you feel chilly, consider yourself getting off lightly,” Rogue informed Kitty.
“She’s just pissed ‘cause in all the years her and Scott were together she never got pregnant,” Jubilee said, scooping some egg onto her toast.
“She’s so damn frosty, her eggs are probably frozen,” Kitty said with a giggle.
“Yeah, who need cryogenic’s when Jean Grey’s around,” Rogue added with a chuckle.
Just then Jean reemerged in the kitchen, having decided she wanted some cookies to go with her coffee. Having heard the biting remarks, she actually said something this time.
“I know you call me the Ice Queen behind my back, but at least I’m not a whore who fucks one man, then proceeds to fuck another man while carrying the first one’s baby. As for you, Kitty, I never bought your sweet and innocent act for a minute. Just remember, my dear, Scott’s first born is going to be by another woman. You can give him a houseful of kids, but a man’s first son will always be the most special. You’re all getting along just so peachy right now, but wait until the little bastard is born and then see how nice you all play. I’m just waiting for the inevitable fireworks to start and then I’m gonna sit back and enjoy the show.”
With that, she swept out of the kitchen with a satisfied look on her face. Jubilee jumped up, ran to the entry of the kitchen and yelled down the hall at Jean’s retreating back.
“Fuck you, bitch!” Turning back to the shocked faces of Rogue and Kitty, she said, “Oh, that felt better.”
“I can’t believe she just said those things,” Kitty said, totally shocked and horrified.
“Oh, ignore her. She’s just bitter because she couldn’t keep a man if she super-glued one to her bed,” Jubilee shouted, just in case Jean was still within hearing range.
“Well, her not being able to get past this really worries me,” Rogue stated.
“Don’t be. What she gonna do to you? No matter how pissed off she is, she’s not stupid enough to actually do anything,” Jubilee tried to reassure her friend.
Rogue rubbed her seven-months pregnant belly and let out a long sigh. She’d feel better when their men were back, having Jean as their only source of protection was suddenly no comfort to the young mother-to-be.
~*~*~*
The day went by agonizingly slow, but at least mercifully quiet. Jean stayed hidden in the medlab for the rest of the day, while the girls watched a Monty Python marathon on BBC America. Rogue decided to go upstairs and take a shower before dinner, which was going to be pizza from Armando’s. At 6:30, the doorbell rang announcing the arrival of the food. Jubilee checked out the window and saw Tony’s familiar truck in the driveway. Opening the door with a flourish, she was shocked to find Tony had been replaced by Sabretooth!
“Special delivery,” Sabretooth announced with a sadistic grin, just before he grabbed a hold of Jubilee by her yellow cashmere sweater. Struggling desperately and managing to loosen herself from his grip with a rip of the sweater, she tossed a fireball at the gigantic man - pfft! Sabretooth simply laughed maniacally as the sparks ignited a small fire on his arm. Smothering the flame with a massive paw, Jubilee smelled the singed hair as she lobed another fireball at him. Pfft! This time the flame ignited his long hair and once again he extinguished the fire quickly with a look of sheer irritation on his face. He was not amused at her lame attempts at offense and grabbing her by the remains of her tattered sweater, effortlessly tossed her into the wall with a sickening thud. She was unconscious before her body slid to the floor.
Kitty was coming down the main staircase just in time to see Jubilee hit the wall. With an ear-piercing scream she turned and started retreating back up the stairs. Sabretooth bounded after her, catching up with her just as she reached the second floor. His first attempt to seize her failed as she phased right out of his grip. However, as soon as she solidified again, he tripped her, dazing her enough to throw off her equilibrium. Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed her by the throat. The gigantic man then shook her like a rag doll, causing Kitty’s vision to blur. Pressing a wet sloppy kiss to her lips, he let out an evil chortle before hurling her down the stairs. She bounced a couple of times before hitting the marble floor of the foyer, landing on her head with a loud crack.
“Rogue!” She thought before the blackness overtook her.
Rogue had just rounded the corner of the hallway leading from her suite when she saw Sabretooth fling Kitty down the stairs. Letting out a terrified shriek, she turned and started to run back to her suite. Sabretooth turned in the direction of the scream and was on her in mere seconds.
Jean meanwhile had telepathically sensed the turmoil and came up into the main house to see what all the commotion was about. Finding both Jubilee and Kitty unconscious in the main foyer, she turned in the direction of Rogue’s screams. Rushing up the stairs, she reached the top to see that Sabretooth had Rogue in his powerful grip. He had the terrified pregnant girl by the throat, lifted off the ground and dangling in front of him. Rogue was reluctant to use her powers against the formidable man, fearful of the effects absorbing his warped personality would have on the baby. Catching sight of Jean behind Sabretooth, she choked out a cry for help, but Jean just stood there completely immobile.
“Use your power to freeze him, Jean,” Rogue pleaded.
Sabretooth turned to see if Jean was going to telekinetically attack him, but she remained perfectly still.
“Jean, for God’s sake, help me!” Rogue screamed as Sabretooth’s grip tightened on her windpipe.
Realizing he wasn’t going to get any resistance from the redhead, Sabretooth raised his massive clawed hand and brought it down in an arc over Rogue.
~*~*~*
A couple of hours later, the Blackbird landed in the hangar and the team emerged, tired, but unscathed. Magneto and his allies were quickly thwarted at the Golden Gate Bridge, although they did manage to elude capture once again.
John and Bobby were the first to emerge from the jet, with John noticing Jean lying on the floor by the doorway to the Ready Room. Shouting to the others who were coming out behind them, John ran to her side. Kneeling beside her, he noticed a small wound on her side, that she was clutching with a blood soaked hand. By this time Logan, Scott, Hank and Storm had reached the injured Dr. Grey.
“Tried to stop him,” Jean said weakly.
“Who? Tried to stop who?” Scott asked anxiously.
“Sabretooth,” she replied.
Scott went ghostly pale. “Oh my God, the girls.”
Logan was already in the elevator when Scott jumped in just as the doors closed.
Hank bent down to gather Jean in his arms and carry her to the medlab. He instructed Storm to come with him to help, and for John and Bobby to follow after Logan and Scott.
The elevator doors opened on the main level of the house and Scott and Logan were both running toward the main foyer. They weren’t prepared for the scene that greeted them. Jubilee was crumbled in a pile against the wall by the front door. Kitty was in a broken heap at the bottom of the stairs, a small pool of blood coagulating around her head. Not seeing Rogue, and panicking, Logan bounded up the stairs, as Scott gathered Kitty in his arms. At the top of the stairs Logan found Rogue, blood had been flung everywhere and she was lying in a large pool of it, completely still.
Downstairs, as Scott sobbed and cradled Kitty, he heard Logan let out a painful wail unlike any sound he’d ever heard before.
“CHRISTOPHER!” Scott suddenly screamed.