Log: Remy and Jubilee: On the Floor.

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Who: Remy, Jubilee
When: Wednesday 8th December 2004 Time: 4:30pm

"Just goin' for a smoke." Jubilee said to her companion before walking off
toward the nearest balcony.

 

She'd been working at the Casino for a couple of days now, getting to know
the people and the layout. She'd made sure to work her way into the route that
would lead her past the elevator they'd need to use to get down to vault. As she
walked, she pulled out a cell phone, dialling a pre-determined number. They'd
all been given new cell phones, something easily discarded if it was traced.

 
"Oui?"
 
"Gumbo, takin' a ciggie break, meet me on third floor
balcony?" Jubilee drawled into the phone, playing up her Californian accent.

 
When she'd hired on, she'd made up a cock and bull story about only
recently being off the plane from SoCal and wanting to make some money fast.
They'd not questioned it but she supposed they saw a vast amount of young women
through this place. The turnover was certainly high enough, that's for sure.
Luck appeared to be on their side, as when the time came they'd have no trouble
disguising people as staff.
 
Remy sat at the little vestibule, right
across from the rails. He scowled when Jubilee arrived. "Petite, Remy mentioned
dat whole operational security? You know, dat thing you broke when you called
and asked it meet in de hotel?" His voice was quiet, and modulated low, but it
carried the effect of him shouting. 
 
"Dude, chill, I'm like the maid.
Totally swear you could drive a truckload of Assassins through that place and as
long as they had 'hotel staff' painted on them somewhere, people would ignore
the hell out of them." she replied.
 
The sudden paleness of her face
belied her words however, she knew she'd fucked up. She just hadn't admitted it
out loud yet.
 
"Counting on de stupidity of your mark is de easiest way
to get killed." Remy said, looking damnedly casual. "So let's say one of your
new friends decides to join you for a break, and dat guy happens to see you
talking wit' me, and it sticks in their mind? In any con, eventually someone is
going to start asking de right questions, petite, and when dat happens, de game
is over."
 
Remy wasn't as angry as his tone conveyed, but he knew he had
to jolt Jubilee out of her casual risk taking. The fact was that she was a
teenager. This was all a big movie to her, even if she did understand abstractly
the danger they were in. She had a decent criminal mind in her head, but none of
the professional paranoia that would keep her alive.
 
She leaned back
against the rail, watching him for a moment in silence. When someone gave you
information of any kind, it was better to think on it instead of just nodding
your head dumbly and moving on. This was the biggest job she'd ever been
involved in, certainly the most dangerous. She'd been treating it as just
another walk in the park though. Stupid of her, and stupid was something none of
them could afford. "Sorry, Gumbo. Didn't think about it like that. I'll be more
careful. So, wanna hear what I found out? Apart from the fact that people who
stay in Casino hotels seem to be the worst kinda pigs. The bathrooms alone would
make your hair stand on end."
 
She pulled a battered pack of cigarette's
from a pocket in her maid outfit, and fished a lighter from another. She offered
the pack to Remy, flipping open the lid with her thumb.
 
Remy took a
cigarette, nodding. "Oui. But remember what I said, Jubilee. Never rely on de
mark being stupid. Greedy, scared, dupable; fine. But stupid? Dat gets you
killed. Lesson two. File dat away." Remy pulled out a battered lighter and lit
his cigarette.
 
"Now, tell me all about what's going on, petite." 

 
Jubilee took a moment to light her own cigarette, placing the lighter
and pack back into her uniform. She'd gotten better at this, hardly coughing
now.
 
"Well, found out that Arcade and the like have their own private
staff. So, no hope of me gettin' into their rooms. But I did manage to get
myself assigned to the route near the elevator we're gonna need to use.  Looks
like there's guard changes at 6am and 3pm at the least. Can't tell you how long
the shifts are though, couldn't stick around to check. From what you've told us
about the guy, I'd say he'd probably change the duration of the shifts, keep it
all chaotic so there's less chance for someone to time somethin'. But that kinda
thing always has a pattern. Less he has a computer for a brain, it's never as
random as they like to think it is. We get our shift times off a computer
though, so could be the guard shifts are somewhere in there too. There's buku
surveillance about the place too. Never seen so many cameras in my
life."
 
"Doug and Forge can pull de rotations later. Try to give you de
time you need to get de vault open." Remy said absently, his mind ticking over
the information that she'd given him. "For now, stay far away from de private
rooms. A couple of questions can likely be put down to curiosity, but you keep
asking, and someone might remember it after de fact. Remy'll take care of dere
personal details." He blew out a plume of smoke and smiled. "Just make sure dat
you and 'manda don't kill each other until after you get into de vault."

 

"Well, I did have that nice spot in the desert picked out an all but I
suppose I could wait till after she's been all useful and shit." Jubilee
drawled, letting a grin cross her face after a moment. "Seriously, she an I got
our differences but I think we're pretty keyed to the fact that if we fight
here, we're liable to get other people killed. Least, I am."

 

Jubilee picked at a small bandaid on her thumb, remembering the rappelling
training with Nathan and Amanda. She had to admit she'd been somewhat overly
smug when she'd picked that particular skill up faster then the other girl.
She'd stowed the attitude pretty quickly when she'd noticed Nathan glaring at
her meaningfully.

 

She raised an eyebrow at Remy. "So, why am I here, Gumbo? Seems to me I had
a dozen people tellin' me I'd never be in a position to put others' in danger
till I learnt to stop bein' an ass. Not that I'm complainin' or anythin',
understand. Just curious." 

 

"Two reasons, petite. Your powers and skills make your part of de job
perfectly suited to you. No one else has de energy projection powers to put to
use dat specifically, and can get down de shaft without killing demselves. Your
little California tough girl front is so obvious dat anyone can tell you just a
scared kid trying to deal wit responsibility for de first time, just like any
other runaway dat hits Las Vegas. Showing dem exactly what dey expect to see."
Remy said, and Jubilee had to quell the momentary flash of annoyance at the
attitude comment. Scared kid? Her?

 

"As for de rest, well, maybe de thing you need least is people wrapping you
in soft cotton and sticking you in de corner." Remy's voice was still that light
conversational tone; if you we're really listening, he could have just as easily
been discussing the dinner special or sports scores. "Remy don't got all de
details on things, but from what I've heard, your stupid mistakes, and dey have
been stupid, have been helped along by a lot of apparently unrecognized
stupidity from others around dem. Dat don seem right to me."

He was putting a lot
of trust in her. Trust that she wouldn't freeze at the wrong moment, trust that
she wouldn't do something stupid like she had at other times. "I'll try not to
let ya down, Remy." She looked at her watch, realising she needed to go unless she
wanted questions to be asked. "Gotta go, no rest for the wicked and all that."

She walked toward the door, turning back at the last moment. "So,
after this is all over, you gonna have a third lesson for me?"

"Live throught this, and I might." LeBeau
stubbed out his ciagrette and smiled. "One day, petite, Remy going to either
make you a first class criminal or one hell of an X-Man. Guess you
got to make dat decision."