Cain & Jubilee log

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Jubilee comes across Cain on the grounds of Xavier's, the two talk and a deal is made



Jubilee paused at the edge of the forest, noting Cain standing close by with a stop watch in his hand and a slightly worse for wear X-man trainee in the grey sweats that they used for most of the physical training that didn't have to do with the danger room or going out in the Blackbird.

"Who'd have thought it? Mr Cain 'Get off my lawn' Marko training young kids." Jubilee called, an impish grin apparent. "I think I just felt my universe totally jump sideways or somethin'."

Cain waved absently at Jubilee, turning to yell at Alex about getting the hell off his lawn if he was going to puke and that the showers were that way so why wasn't he moving already? Chuckling as he watched the young man hurriedly amble back to the mansion, Cain focused his attention at the former trainee. "Well, look what the cat dragged in. How's things?"

"Can't complain. Well, okay, I can complain and do, bitterly. But then Wanda just gives me a pile more work, and Remy makes comments about sending me to nasty places. I may learn slow, but I do learn." Jubilee noted idly, giving him a once over glance before glancing over at the start of what looked to be an obstacle course. "And you?"

Nodding towards the series of tree stumps and elevated logs that would eventually be an agility challenge for the trainees, Cain shrugged. "Keeping the next generation on their toes, knocking a few of 'em around. Teaches 'em a lesson and puts a smile on my face, so can't really complain."

"Bet they must love you. You tried out your course yet? Or is it still 'in construction'?" Jubilee asked, giving the logs a look before glancing back at the older man.

"Ain't here for folks to like me," Cain grunted in response. "Here to make sure they don't get their fool selves killed the moment something goes down that they ain't prepared for dancing around in the Danger Room. Ain't likely that we're gonna fight the Brotherhood out in the backyard, but if you can get through that quickly without busting yourself up," he indicated the debris-strewn path, "Going over crashed cars or concrete or whatever, it becomes like second nature. That's how they taught us in the Corps."

"Remy an his friends have been teachin' me much the same way. 'Cept with them it's usually fire escapes and buildings, through tiny windows, stuff like that." Jubilee noted, looking up at him now that she was closer. "It's good that you're tough on 'em, don't get me wrong, hey? What else you gonna have in here when it's finished?"

"Set of the gut-busters, mud crawl, probably some of the jungle ropes," Cain mused, stroking his chin. "Half these kids ain't got a lick of upper body strength these days. It's one thing to practice how to blast or punch a guy, but if you gotta climb up three stories to get to him and you're out of breath?" He sliced a hand across his throat expressively before looking Jubilee over. "You doin' good work with Remy? And I don't mean does it pay well or anything like that. You proud of what you do?" he asked, looking the younger girl in the eye.

It didn't seem that long ago to Cain, she'd been the screwup that he'd had to help pull out of a Hellfire Club basement, or retrieve when she'd disobeyed a lockdown order. She had the look of someone who'd walked both sides of the fence for a while, and working with Remy -- well, it wasn't a guarantee which side she'd eventually settle on.

"It's not the stuff you'd stand up on a podium an brag about. It can get dirty out there, an I figure I ain't seen even a small part of it yet." Jubilee began, her voice careful now. "But I'm proud of it, yeah. I figure, better me, then one of your young kids."

Cain thought about that for a moment, then nodded to himself. "Fair enough," he said quietly. "I ain't about to say I'm proud of everything I done in my time, but sometimes fighting the good fight takes ways that ain't for everyone."

"I figure, it's a job where I'll be happy when I'm out of a job, someday. But it's a job worth doin' while it's needed." Jubilee murmured, giving the obstacle course another look. "You need a test dummy on this thing at all?"

Cain smiled. "It's about a quarter-mile unfinished, then the trail meets up with the path to the quarry. Feeling froggy, then?"

"Oh, I'd say more gazelle then frog, or Remy's friends ain't been doin' their job." Jubilee replied, gaze lighting up with the thought of a challange. "You set a time limit for it as is? Or waitin' till you're finished?"

"Seven minutes, or beat me to the quarry," Cain drawled, sticking his hand out towards Jubilee. "Loser buys beers at that place by the brownstone, deal?"

"Oh dude, you are so on." Jubilee said, gripping Cain's hand and shaking it. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

And with that she took off, already running as she vaulted over the first obstacle with a quick push of her hands.