Jubilee and Husk

(Ed note: Its the 1990s, again!)

"I don't know why you always get so nervous in airports," Paige said.

"Uh, maybe because the last time we recruited a mutant at one, Emplate attacked and he, like, nearly killed you?" the self-proclaimed California "mall rat" responded.

"Right, but don't you think that then I should be the one who gets nervous? I barely remember it," Paige said, shrugging.

"Yeah, because you went into shock when he ripped open your belly. And I was the one stuck ripping off your skin so your powers would heal you. That was like, grody to the max."

Paige, a statuesque blonde, shrugged her shoulder again. Her brother, Sam, was a full X-man, and Paige had every intention of joining him on the team. Letting the danger get to her was the quickest way of staying on their little junior varsity squad.

Jubilation Lee, a Chinese-American gymnast, waited half a beat and switched subjects. If Paige wouldn't engage on that subject then move on to another. Jubilee might not like airports, but she was absolutely terrified of silence. "So, if we finish up here, are you gonna rent a car and drive down to your family?"

"We're... We're in Denver. I'm from Kentucky... Are you just completely unable to read a map?"

"Whatever, does it look like I pay attention in geography class? They're all boring, empty states that don't have a beach or an In-and-Out." Jubilee stuck out her tongue, "What was the kid's name again? Ethan, something?"

"Yeah, Emma gave us a picture of him that the Professor faxed over, give me a second," Paige said as she opened up her backpack.

"Nah, I remember. Total spazoid. Type of guy who blends in with the wallpaper. We just look for the blandest looking dweeb in the airport. What were his powers supposed to be, anyways?"

"Some kind of mind control?" Two weeks ago, both Paige and Jubilee threw off the mental controls of Mesmero. Out of all of Generation X, they were the most willful. And if something went wrong, Emma Frost was going to check in three hours.

As they were talking, a teenager with a bowlcut walked by, his hand on the ass of an extremely attractive redhead who was probably twenty-five or older. She was wearing a trenchcoat, high heels, and as far as Paige could tell, nothing else.

"I think we found him."