The city of Genosha stretches out below me like a maze, all gleaming spires and impossible architecture. I'm forty stories up, sprawled on a lounge chair beside an infinity pool that seems to pour right off the edge of the world. It's the kind of luxury that would've made my teenage self laugh in disbelief.
And I can't enjoy a single second of it.
I adjust my sunglasses, trying to hide my tears as a lump forms in my throat for the hundredth time today. The stupid swim crop top Emma gave me rides up my stomach when I shift positions. Men can't even be shirtless at pools. "Not unless you want to be a victim," Emma said.
Just one more thing that feels wrong since Peru.
Since Jubilee.
The moment Emma left to meet with Magneta, it all came flooding back. Her laugh. The way she'd get awkward asking me questions about my balls. The look in her eyes right before... before...
I swallow hard, gripping the edges of the lounge chair until my knuckles turn white. Was Emma doing something to my mind, keeping me calm these past few days? Or is it just being alone that makes everything hurt more? Either way, I feel like I'm drowning on dry land, gasping for air while surrounded by paradise.
A waiter glides by, offering some fruity drink with an umbrella. I wave him off, not trusting my voice not to crack.
My eyes scan the pool area, a plethora of topless women lounging in various states of relaxation. In any other circumstance, I'd probably be hyperventilating with excitement. Models, actresses, mutants with physical enhancements that defy belief, all displaying their bodies with casual confidence while guys like me are stuck in these ridiculous crop tops.
But all I can think about is Jubilee's face. That final look of pure terror when she realized what Nova was forcing her to do. Did she feel pain? Was she conscious through it all? The questions torture me more than any injury ever could.
"Hey there, hot stuff. Mind if we join you?"
I glance up, squinting behind my sunglasses to see two women standing over me. The sunlight frames them like some bizarre poolside photoshoot. One looks completely human, tall, curvy, with dark hair cascading past her shoulders and not a single visible mutation. Just a regular gorgeous person.
The other one, though, her skin is a mesmerizing blue-green that reminds me of tropical waters, with a texture that looks almost spongy, like it might be soft to touch. She's draped in golden chains that glint blindingly, necklaces layered over her chest, bracelets stacked up her arms, even a delicate chain circling her ankle.
I open my mouth to speak, but no words come. What am I supposed to say?
"Actually," I finally manage, my voice rougher than intended, "I'm not really looking for company right now. Sorry."
The human-looking one shrugs and starts to turn away, but the blue-green woman steps closer.
"Aw, come on," she purrs, her voice like warm honey. "A cutie like you shouldn't be all alone on such a beautiful day." Without waiting for permission, she perches on the edge of my lounge chair, the weight of her body tilting me slightly toward her.
"Really, I'm…"
"Shhh," she interrupts, reaching out with slender fingers that seem to shimmer with tiny droplets of moisture. Before I can react, she gently plucks my sunglasses from my face.
Her playful smile vanishes instantly. "Oh," she whispers, eyes widening as she takes in my red-rimmed eyes, the tear tracks I'd been trying so hard to hide. "You're crying."
I sigh heavily, snatching my shades back from her hand. "Look, I've had a really rough week, okay?" The words come out harsher than I intended as I jam the glasses back onto my face, creating a barrier between me and this persistent stranger.
"Keppel," her friend calls from a few feet away, "maybe we should…"
"Nonsense!" Keppel waves her friend off without even looking back. Instead, she shifts closer, her jewelry jingling like wind chimes. "A rough week is exactly why you need company. I'm excellent at making people feel better."
The moisture on her blue-green skin glistens. But right now, all I can think about is how much I want to be left alone with my grief.
"I appreciate the offer, but seriously…"
"What's your name, handsome?" she interrupts, leaning in so close I can smell something oceanic and floral emanating from her skin.
"Jack," I mutter, inching away until I'm practically falling off the other side of the chair.
"Jack," she repeats, savoring my name like it's some exotic delicacy. "I'm Keppel. And I simply refuse to let such a pretty face stay so sad."
Her hand, cool and slightly damp, lands on my bare knee. I flinch.
"Did someone break your heart?" she asks, tilting her head with practiced sympathy. "Because I can promise you, there are plenty more fish in the sea." She gestures to herself with a sparkling grin. "Some of us are even part fish."
"He said he's not interested."
The voice cuts through our conversation like a blade. I look up to find a woman standing over us, her shadow falling across my face.
She's topless like most of the women here, but that's not what catches my attention. It's her hair, a vibrant copper-red mane that literally seems to be on fire, flames dancing around the edges without actually burning. Her skin gives off a subtle golden glow, like she's lit from within.
"Excuse me?" Keppel pulls back, her blue-green skin darkening slightly. "We're just having a friendly conversation."
"Doesn't look friendly to me," the flame-haired woman counters. "Looks like harassment. He clearly wants to be left alone."
Keppel rises to her feet, jewelry jangling aggressively. Her friend steps closer, looking nervous.
"Hey, woah woah," Keppel says, raising her hands defensively. "We're not looking for trouble from an Avenger, alright?"
"Then just walk away."
There's a tense moment where I think Keppel might argue, but instead she just scoffs, turns on her heel, and struts away. Her friend follows quickly, throwing one last worried glance over her shoulder.
Once they're gone, the woman turns to me, her fiery hair settling down slightly. "You alright?"
I blink up at her, still processing what just happened. "Did those girls call you an Avenger?"
Her cheeks flush, the glow of her skin intensifying slightly with what I assume is embarrassment. "It was just West Coast," she says with a dismissive wave. "And I kind of just left the team."
"Oh, that's cool," I say, not really knowing how to respond. Then, because it seems like the right thing to offer, I add, "I just joined the X-Women."
Her eyes widen, the green suddenly shifting to a glowing amber. "Wait, no way! I used to be an X-Woman!"
She sits down on the edge of my lounge chair, the same spot Keppel had occupied, but somehow it feels less invasive. The heat radiating from her body is comforting rather than oppressive.
"I'm Angelica," she says, extending her hand toward me. "I go by Firestar, though."
I shake her hand, surprised to find it pleasantly warm rather than burning hot. "Jack," I reply. "Cracker Jack, around the mansion."
Her eyebrows rise slightly. "I haven't heard of you yet," she says, studying me with those shifting green-amber eyes.
"I'm pretty new," I shrug, adjusting my sunglasses again. "Only been with the team for a few months."
Firestar tilts her head, her expression turning serious. "What has you crying behind those glasses? Most people don't come to Genosha's luxury pools to sob alone."
The direct question catches me off guard. Part of me wants to deny it, pretend I'm fine like I've been doing since we landed. But since we share a connection with the X-Women…
"Do you know Jubilee?"
Firestar's face immediately shifts, her flames dimming slightly as she frowns. "Not well, but yes, I knew her. She's five or six years younger than me, I think. But I remember seeing her around."
"She died a few days ago," I say, my voice catching in my throat. I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump that's forming. "She was killed right in front of me. In Peru."
Firestar's flames dim even further, her entire body seeming to lose some of its glow. Her face falls, those amber eyes widening with genuine shock and grief.
"Oh my god," she whispers, one hand coming up to cover her mouth. "Jubilee? She was... she was so nice. I had no idea."
I nod, looking down at my hands. They're clean now, but sometimes I swear I can still feel Jubilee's blood on them, sticky and warm. "So yeah, I'm just kind of processing it all. Not doing a great job of it, obviously."
Firestar's warm hand settles on my arm, the heat radiating through me like a physical comfort. "Maybe a vacation was a smart move, then," she says softly. "Getting away from the mansion can help. After I lost my first teammate, I couldn't stand being around all the reminders."
I glance up at her, curious despite my grief. "What about you, why are you here?"
"I'm waiting for an old friend, actually. Someone called me up looking for help."
"She's meeting you at a resort?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
Firestar's lips quirk into a half-smile. "It's complicated."
Before I can ask her to elaborate, a voice cuts across the pool deck.
"Firestar, there you are."
I turn to follow Firestar's gaze and nearly choke on my own spit.
Holy shit.
Standing there in black armor that hugs every curve is a woman I've never met but instantly recognize. Blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and an expression that could cut glass, it's Magik.
My brain short-circuits as memories flood back. Gabe sprawled across his bedroom floor, comic books everywhere, ranting about how Magik was the hottest X-Men ever created. "Dude, that demon queen aesthetic? Those thigh-high boots? That soul sword?" One time he told me that he accidentally blasted himself in the face with his own cum while jerking off to her comics.
I wonder how Gabe's doing…
Magik stalks toward us, her boots clicking against the pool deck with each purposeful step.
"Illyana, hey!" Firestar calls out, her voice brightening as she stands up from my lounge chair.
Magik's eyes narrow as she approaches, her gaze shifting between Firestar and me. "Are you hitting on boys at the pool now, Angelica?"
Before Firestar can respond, Magik's intense blue eyes lock onto mine, studying me with an unsettling focus. "Wait," she says, her expression shifting from mild amusement to recognition. "I saw you at the funeral this morning. With the Frost woman."
My throat tightens at the mention of Jubilee's funeral. "You were at Jubilee's funeral?"
She nods. "Yes. I portaled in when Kitty let me know what happened." Her voice softens slightly, though her stance remains rigid.
Firestar's head whips toward me, her fiery hair flaring with sudden intensity. "Emma Frost?" The way she says Emma's name sounds like she's spitting out something poisonous.
"Yeah," I reply, confused by her reaction. "Emma Frost is who brought me to Genosha. She had some meeting with Magneta and…"
"Emma Frost is evil, Jack," Firestar cuts me off, her voice sharp with urgency. The flames in her hair rise higher, dancing wildly around her face as she grabs my arm. Her skin feels several degrees hotter than before.
"What?" I pull back slightly, startled by both her words and the heat radiating from her fingers.
Firestar leans in closer, her eyes shifting from amber to a blazing gold. "That psycho recruited me to her academy when I was just a teenager," she says, her voice dropping to an intense whisper. "She acted all sweet and caring at first. She even gave me a horse, can you believe that?"
I shake my head, struggling to understand this horse part. "Okay?"
"And then she killed it," Firestar hisses, her grip tightening on my arm. "And blamed it on someone else!"
"Why would she do that?" I ask, my stomach dropping at the thought.
Firestar's eyes burn into mine, literal heat waves distorting the air between us. "She wanted to brainwash me into some kind of personal assassin. That's what she does, Jack. She finds vulnerable young mutants and shapes them into weapons."
"That's old news," Magik cuts in, her voice calm and matter-of-fact as she crosses her arms over her black armor. "Emma Frost is an X-Woman now."
Firestar's whips her head toward Magik. "What?"
"You really need to keep up with Beast's newsletters," Magik says with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Emma joined the X-Women, and by all accounts, she seems to be doing well there."
"Beast has a newsletter?" I ask, genuinely confused.
Magik nods again, her blonde hair catching the sunlight. "Yeah, she emails everyone once a month with updates on the team. It's actually very helpful."
"I hate checking my email," Firestar mutters.
Magik sighs and gestures toward the resort entrance. "Come on, get dressed, Firestar. Mystique is waiting for us."
"The blue girl?" I ask, remembering the shapeshifter from our rescue mission and that time with Sabertooth.
Magik gives me a look that could freeze hellfire. "No, the purple one," she deadpans, then rolls her eyes. "Yes, the blue shapeshifter."
"We should really get going," Firestar says, but hesitates, her flames flickering with what seems like genuine concern as she looks back at me. "Jack, seriously, be careful around Emma Frost. Whatever she's told you, whatever she's shown you... she has an agenda. She always does."
"I appreciate the warning," I say finally, not wanting to dismiss Firestar's obvious trauma, "but Emma's been good to me."
Firestar's expression softens. "Just watch your back."