Fractals

Fractals Chapter Fifty Seven (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply


A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE ™, Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta… *sends more Tims * InterNutter, TC, Maxwell Pink and Dracena are loverly and wondermous for archiving/hosting. :) ProPhile: Caught up yet? Readers/Reviewers: *glomp* Danke! And this fic should wrap up before Xmas and after Yule so… within the next two weeks. Yay.



“If we stand still, they won’t see us.”
“What the fuck is that? Cat logic?” Jubilee started forward only to have Belladonna jerk her back into the alley.
“No, you idiot, it’s making sure we don’t die a painful death. Or making sure you don’t, at any rate…” She ran her tongue over the false molar in her lower jaw. The cyanide capsule had been replaced months ago and she was sure of it’s safety, but she also knew what she had to do if she were ever captured. _Damn those old war movies, _ she thought bitterly. _Give someone a stupid idea and I’m forever off hard candy. _1
Jubilee bounced on her toes once then glared at the other woman. “I don’t care what your reasons are, don’t ever grab me again, got it?”
Belladonna smiled slowly and narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Go enjoy your death then.” She turned sharply on her heel and proceeded back down the alley in a swish of old fashioned skirts and waft of florida water.2
Jubilee set her jaw and turned her back on the departing Belladonna, watching the two men across the street. They were Assassins, Belladonna had told her, not the best in the League but still very good. You have to be, she told the younger woman, to join. She made it sound like such a wonderful skill to have, being able to murder someone in inventive and secretive ways. _I guess I can see that, _ she admitted to herself a second later. She was sure she was hidden well so she did not flag in her scrutiny of the two men until one of them turned and looked directly at her. _Shit. _ She stood still, unwittingly obeying Belladonna’s earlier command until they both set down their paper cups of hot liquid on top of the public use trash can and began walking quickly but smoothly across the street towards her. _Fuck shit damn motherfuck _ She stepped backwards once, then twice, then whirled on her heels to spring down the alley, only to run face-first into Belladonna.
“I knew you couldn’t stay away,” the older woman said archly, shoving Jubilee behind her and standing, hands on her hips, waiting. “Bon jour, mes amis,” she caroled as the two men skidded to a halt before her. “May I help you with something?”
They exchanged looks and the taller of the two cleared his throat. “We’re on a job…” He glanced meaningfully at Jubilee, held in place by Belladonna’s tight grip on her wrist. Solange snuffled softly in a carrier on the Creole woman’s back but otherwise seemed unbothered by the entire proceedings. “So, um, if you don’t mind,” the man continued, smiling politely and stepping forward.
“Cher, it ain’t gonna take two men to kill this lil’ girl,” Belladonna chided. “Besides, she’s mine. I marked her months ago. I’m surprised your local leaders failed to inform you of that,” she said in a tone which clearly said she was not in the least surprised. “Maintenant, go away, merci.” She did not move but continued to stare the other assassins down.
The shorter man sighed. “Look, we have our orders…”
“And you’re making the entire organization look very unprofessional,” Belladonna snapped. “Fighting like this in front of a mark! I’m ashamed that you’re in the same league as I am!” She did not wait a second longer. She released Jubilee’s wrist and sprang forward, baby still securely on her back, and delivered a crushing kick to the taller man’s windpipe, her left hand whipping out, a thin silver blade on a chain snaking from around her wrist and slicing the other man’s carotid arteries.
It happened so fast and fluidly that Jubilee did not even have time to utter a gasp or scream. Her body hummed with the need to flee or fight but she was frozen in place; Solange uttered a weak cry and went back to sleep. Belladonna wiped the smear of blood on her hidden blade off on the shorter man’s overcoat and stood. “What,” Jubilee finally managed, “did you just do?”
“My job,” Belladonna snapped. “Remember that next time you feel like pissing me off.” She checked the straps on the baby carrier and fished a small bottle out of some camouflaged pocked in her voluminous skirts and awkwardly handed it over her shoulder for Solange. “Maintenant, you ready to go?”
Jubilee nodded. “You were serious… they want to kill me…” She shook her head. “That’s fucked up.”
“Not just you. Don’t give yourself airs. They want to kill all mutants. I just wish I did not have to kill them so quickly. I wanted to know who hired them…” She sighed and rubbed her eyes delicately with her finger tips. “We cannot go through town. We need to take the long way.”
“Do you think one of them has a cell phone?” Jubilee asked, already kneeling beside the taller man. She had seen dead bodies plenty of times when she was younger and had not qualms about searching clothing for useful items, but it did not mean she liked doing it.
“Probably… pour quoi?” Belladonna bounced uneasily on her toes. It was bad form to linger at the site of a hit. It was just asking to be caught or revealed.
“I’m calling home.” She stood smoothly, a black cell phone between her thump and forefinger, dangling precariously. “I want to know what’s going on.”
Belladonna’s hand shot out and she grabbed the phone from Jubilee. “Now your fingerprints are all over his clothes and this phone. Smart.” She shoved the phone down her cleavage and jerked her chin. “We find a pay phone once we’re out of town. Come on. Solange is getting cold and I’m getting angry.”
Jubilee fumed silently. “Fine. After you then!” She stalked down the alleyway after the blonde, the shadows swallowing them as they retraced their steps to the back roads of town. Behind them, a shadow detached from the bricks and slid along the dead bodies, seeming disappointed before spreading out, covering the ground and rushing silently towards the two women.


1 Some spies used to have a similar situation and if they were captured, had to bite down hard to poison themselves before being tortured and forced into giving up information. Or so said my old history teacher, lol. Neat story either way and something to scare little brothers with when they go to the dentist. “He was putting a cyanide caplet under your filling!”
2 Citrus scented cologne that was popular back in antebellum times.