The X-men led by Scott 'Cyclops' Summers rush towards the infirmary as the alarms sound and explosions rock the mansion. They burst through the doors to see the walls charred, smoking equipment littering the floor, a light strip hanging from the ceiling flickering and sparking, and a smoky haze that clouds the entire room. Hank peers at them through the protective glass of his office window in dismay as the smoke begins to clear. In the far corner they can barely make out the shape of one of the young men in a defensive crouch over the form of the other.
"Winds I summon you to clear our vision" Ororo 'Storm' Monroe says as a breeze sweeps from the hall, clearing the rest of the smoke from the room so they can better asses the situation. The young man wears only the hospital shift Hank dressed him in, his starvation thin form evident through the light fabric, dirty auburn hair hangs wildly loose to his lower back, the stitches of the wound over his right eye are torn away allowing blood to seep down his taunt features, demonic eyes glitter wildly as they dart around the room in panic. In his right hand he holds a dangerously glowing scalpel, his left rests on the ashen-blonde head of his friend as he mumbles to him to get up.
Jean moves more into the room slowly and the young man's eyes focus on her, "Get back..." he hisses raising the scalpel slightly. "It's all right, we're not going to hurt you." she says soothingly while she continues to advance holding his attention as Hank slips from the office a syringe in hand. Catching on Logan steps more into the room, "Easy kid, put it down b'fore someone gets hurts." His eyes dart from Jean to Logan giving Hank the opening to grab his wrist. He immediately twists to the side trying to free himself and Hank slips the needle into his shoulder. He yelps in pain and jerks away, his eyes rolling back as the sedative takes effect and he slumps to the ground beside his friend. The X-Men look at each other in relief and Logan lights a cigar, "Now what?"
Slowly Remy regains consciousness and realizes with a start that he is tied down. Looking around frantically he sees Billy laying on another bed a few feet away. The room is smaller than the one he woke up in before. but it still smells like a hospital. As a monitor attached to him flashes red the large, furry, blue man enters the room followed closely by the pretty red head and the guy with red glasses. Taking a deep breath he pushes against the restraints across his chest to no avail, as panic begins to set in again he starts thrashing, "Lemme go... Y'hear? Lemme go." Unconsciously tears begin to form in his eyes as he fights.
"Shhhh.." The red head says soothingly as she rests her hand on his forehead, surprisingly it does calm him some. "Wha'cho wan'? " He glares at her, his eyes terrified and defiant. "It's all right, we don't want to hurt you. We just want to help." She continues to talk to him as she brushes the hair from his face. The furry man goes over to Billy and his fear for his friend heightens his panic, "Don' 'urt'im... jus' a kid. I do wah' ever y'wan'. Please." Hank glances at him and smiles gently, "He is going to be just fine. He just needs some rest. My name is Hank McCoy. I am a doctor and if you promise to remain calm I will release you." He nods frantically agreeing and the man touches a panel on the wall releasing him. Immediately he jumps from the table and touches Billy's shoulder, "Kid? Come on, gotta get. Kid wake up." Looking over his companion he flinches seeing the bruises on his face.
"You both got a rather bad beating, let him rest." The red head smiles reassuringly, "I'm Jean and this is my husband Scott." She motions to the other man who stayed in the doorway, realizing the weakness he is showing a hard mask drops over his features making him virtually unreadable. Cautiously Scott steps forward dropping his clothes on the bed, "Go ahead and get dressed, when you are ready come upstairs and get something to eat." He glares at them defiantly, "Don' take charity, wha' dis gunna cos'?" he jerks his head in the direction of Billy indicating the care. Jean smiles warmly, "We can discuss that over diner." With that all three of them leave the room.
Scott releases a relieved breath once they reach the top of the stairs, "That went well enough." Hank raises his brows slightly and shrugs as he goes towards the kitchen ahead of them. Jean nods, visibly relieved, "It could have been worse." Stepping into the kitchen they are confronted by the rest of the team. "Is it safe to assume that the child was more cooperative?" Concern etching Ororo's brow. Scott nods to them, "Yes, and it appears that he is convinced that he has to pay for his friend's treatment." glancing at Jean, "Why did you tell him we would discuss payment when he came up?" She looks out the window thoughtfully, before she can answer Jubilee speaks up, her voice low, and eyes distant, "On the street nothin's free. Ever."
They study her for a moment as Jean smiles faintly, "Exactly." Jubilee brightens with an idea, "Why don't you just do like they did with me? Y'know, have'm do odd jobs for so much time. Then he may just decide t'stay." The room falls silent as they ponder the suggestion. Suddenly the young man appears in the doorway and they take a moment to study him.
Cautiously he makes his way up the stairs *This is too much, what the hell do they want?*. Reaching the top of the stairs he comes to a hall, following his nose he finds the kitchen. As soon as he steps into the room he feels nauseous. There are ten of them staring at him, taking on an indifferent, cocky poise he glares at them. After taking in jeans that are loose, not because they are too big but because he is too thin, and a black tee shirt that is torn and ragged, looking as if it were dug out of a dumpster, hanging from the young man's boney shoulders. Jean's eyes soften, kindness radiating from her, "Please come in, are you hungry?" As he sits in the chair closest the door she sets a plate of steaming food before him. He studies the chicken and potatoes, leaning back in the chair automatically suspicious of the delicious smelling meal. *What's this going to cost me?* Suddenly a girl about his age with dark hair and almost oriental features is standing next to him. She leans over his shoulder dipping her finger in the mashed potatoes and sticks her finger in her mouth with a grin, "It's good, if you don't want it I'll eat it."
"Jubilee." Scott's sharp tone pulls his attention away from the girl. "What?" she says sarcastically as she flops into the chair next to him. Scott glares at her for a moment at a loss for words as a short stocky rough looking man barks a laugh, "Easy Cyke. Kid's doin' what she does best." The others chuckle breaking the tension in the room and the girl, Jubilee leans near him whispering, "It's cool, they didn't save you just to kill you." The stocky guy raises a brow slightly watching her. After staring at the food for a moment more he digs into it with gusto.
"Now, by way of payment," He tenses immediately at Jeans words, expecting the worst. "We could use an extra hand around the house, you will get a room, three meals a day, and your friend will get the care he needs. When he is feeling better he can help you pay off the debt." He eyes her warily, "How long?" she looks at Hank, "It's your bill so it's your call." Hank taps his chin thoughtfully for a moment, "I believe a month of service for each of you would be sufficient." Remy quirks a brow, "Y'mean two mont's right?" he nods in response, "That is correct my young friend." After a moment of weighing his options he agrees, *Troglodyte.* Jean smiles warmly at her husband sending him thoughts of acceptance, "And what are your names?" The young man looks at her warily as he mumbles, "Ferret an' dat's Kid." She nods slightly, "Well Ferret, I think that once you are done eating than Jubilee can show you a room. I assume you would like to share one with Kid?" He nods curtly.
Jubilee grins watching him explore the small room. "I remember when I first came here off the street. I didn't know what t'think of any of it." He studies her for a moment absorbing her words. "You were street?" She nods with a shrug, "Seems like it was years ago when it was only one." She runs her hand lightly over the desk top, "I was scared shitless, didn't know if I was coming or going, and I would have left but I made friends." She smiles looking at him, "Hard as it may be for you to believe, they are good people." He sits down on the edge of the bed watching her as the words pour over him, through him. "How long were y'out dere?" he jerks his head toward the window. "Wow, almost five years. I was orphaned and split from the home. What's your story?"
He gazes out the window for a moment, "I'm wha' dey call a Gutt'r Rat." Her eyes close slightly as she nods in understanding, "Doesn't that mean you don't know your family and that you've never had a home?" He continues to stare out the window without really seeing anything as he nods, "Don' even know how ol' I really am. Billy t'ink I be 'bout sixteen er so." She sits down beside him, knowing better than to touch without invitation. "You and Billy been together for awhile?" He nods, a smile touching his eyes but not reaching his lips. "Picked'im up 'bout ten years 'go. Closes' t'ing to a fam'ly I got." She smiles in return. "Well hey, he should be up and around soon, and once you guys are settled then maybe we can go into town." He looks up at her surprised and she chuckles, "It's not a prison, just a place to call home."
Remy glares at the basket of laundry with irritation muttering, "Dey mus' be dingue." Hank smiles watching him carry the clothes into the laundry room, **The lad certainly has relaxed more since yesterday.** Jean nods in agreement, **He has been rather lippy with everyone but, he's doing the work.** In aggitation he drops the clothes as Jubilee joins him, "Want some help folding?" He glances back watching the adults leave and a mischevious glint touches his eyes as he looks back at the clothes and purposefully drops a bright red shirt into the washer with all the whites. Jubilee stiffles a laugh, "Ororo is going to freak." He shrugs pulling the dry clothes out, "Y'still wanna 'elp?" She grins brightly, "Might as well those're my clothes."
He follows her up to her room carrying the basket, "Dis sucks." She looks at him sympatheticly at the dejected tone of his voice, "It's not so bad, a little boring but not hard." He drops the basket at the end of her bed and studies the room for a moment, "Wish Kid was 'wake." She flops down on the bed and picks up a pair of jeans, "Yeah, but he needs the rest." He snorts dropping onto the floor across from her, "Been 'urt 'fore an' didn' need t'sleep f'all day.." She chuckles raising her brows, "You slept for two days." His jaw drops slightly, "Y'kiddin' me? We been 'ere f'four days?" She nods and throws a couple shirts at him, "I offered to help, not do it myself." He huffs muttering, "Allez vous faire pendre ailleurs!" She raises a brow slightly, "What's that mean?" He grins for the first time, "Not'in."
Sure enough, Billy awoke early the next morning. Remy was already up, and had almost completed all of the tasks given to him for the day, when Hank told him he should go down so that Billy wouldn't be frightened when he woke up. As he sat down on the bed and nudged his friend Billy's pale, murky blue eyes opened for him. "Hey Kid. Y'a'right?" Slowly Billy sat up looking over the hospital gown he still wore, "Yeah, what's up? Where are we?" Remy shrugs one shoulder, "Not sure, In de Nort' I t'ink, chilly ou'side." Billy grows instantly alert, "How'd we get in the North?" Remy shrugs again, "Dese people, dey 'elp us, 'elp you. An' dey let us work it off. Gunna take 'bout two mont's de doc said. An' dere's a girl 'ere dat's kin'a cool."
Billy grins childishly, "Hot damn." shaking his head slightly he continues, "How long we been here?" Remy looks at the ceiling, "'Bout week." Billy rests his head in his hands, "Where's my clothes?" As Remy opens his mouth to answer Jubilee opens the door, said clothes in hand. She smiles brightly at Remy and nods to Billy, "These what you're looking for?" He looks between his best friend and this girl nodding dumbly, "Well, I'm Jube." she pauses for a moment as he stares at her, "and you're Billy" Remy chuckles softly and Billy's eyes widen.