No Fate

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Epilogue



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Jubilee was adrift in a wonderful dream when she first heard the voice, convinced that last night had been a gift from the Sandman instead of a real occurrence. At first she was delighted as her memory filtered back and she realized that it all had really happened, she had her first time with an incredible woman and that woman was still here with her to give her hope that it wouldn't be the last. That dream turned quickly to a nightmare, however, as Jubilee registered the deadly intensity in her voice and the fearsome content of her words.



"Wake up, don't make a sound." she whispered, eyes hard and sharp as the metal of her claws. "They're here."



Jubilee hadn't had to ask what she meant, the look in her eyes told the whole story. Sitting bolt upright, fear and adrenaline banishing sleep from her, she slipped swift and silent for the bed and scrambled for her clothes. Pulling them on quickly, she dashed for the bathroom to empty her bladder before they made a run for it, not knowing when they'd get a chance to stop again. On the way back into the main room, she was startled by an unexpected sight so far out of left field that she was shocked with confusion instead of fight or flight panic.



The girl was blonde, young like they were and quite pretty except for her bizarrely pupil-less black eyes, and it was lucky for her that she didn't get a face full of plasma fireworks from Jubilee's mutant power for her sudden arrival. Instead, Jubilee simply tilted her head with a raised eyebrow as she asked the confused question.



"Did you just come out of the closet???"



The girl blinked, looking for a moment at the doorway she was halfway emerged from, but then recovered her wits and shrugged. "Nah, I did that a long time ago. Now, as I was about to say, come with me if you want to live."



Jubilee was stunned, but her adrenaline fueled the rapid recovery of her own wits as she looked to Kylie, who was staring the new arrival down with her claws popped. Understanding the unspoken question, the deadly mutant cyborg spoke quickly and to the point.



"There's at least two full squads out there, fully armed and covering all the exits. We'd have to fight our way out or find another escape path, and against so many... I might survive. Your chances aren't as good."



Jubilee shuddered at this news, then looked between her and the new arrival. It made no sense, that she was there at all or how she'd arrived, but she came to a quick decision. This bizarre woman was their best chance. Bereft of other options, they had no choice but to take a leap of faith. It hardly seemed like it could be any worse than taking their chances with the terrorist soldiers outside.



The strange, colorfully dressed black-eyed girl was still watching them, hanging half-way out of the closet door with a multicolored warp effect behind her as she repeated herself. "You don't have time. Come with me if you want to live."



As her new partner joined her, Jubilee paused only long enough for one last deep kiss. Even if the worst should happen, she had the comfort of knowing she wouldn't die alone, or unloved.



Those thoughts buoyed her spirit and steeled her resolve as she took the hand of her new love and leapt with her together into an unknown future.



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[The Watcher concludes:]



"As you may know, the young rescuer was the mutant teleporter Ariel, who led the ragtag group of ruffians and refugees called the Fallen Angels. Over time, Jubilee and the former X-23 would become core members of that group, solidifying it's membership and giving them much needed power and experience that would be the key to their survival in the months and years to come. Thanks to their addition, the group endured the events that in other timelines led to their dissolution or destruction, and became a safe haven for renegades that would play a key role in the lives of many mutants who would have otherwise suffered worse fates. With them, the two would accomplish more than either would with the X-Men or virtually anywhere else, and also found personal fulfillment in their lives as a mated pair."



"It is not the path of the Watchers to show bias in their observations, much less make clear preferences known, but it is perhaps notable that out of all possibilities and amid countless negative alternatives, this timeline resulted in what could clearly be described by some as a happy ending. By the rarity alone of such positive results, one cannot deny that such an outcome is truly remarkable."





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