Chapter Ten

The plane ride was quite uneventful, and as much as Jubilee hated sitting in one place for so long, the majority of the flight was spent asleep, curled up against Logan's arm.

Jubilee was still quite groggy from the flight. This stopover in Thailand would be a short one, and she and Wolverine were scurrying through the tiny airport, attempting to dodge the locals. The fact that she felt hung over did not help matters.

"Why is this place so crowded, Wolvie? Is there some special event going on that someone forgot to clue is into?" Jubilee asked crossly.

"The economy has been pretty bad here lately Jubes. When someone does get to fly, they usually make it a family outing to see the person off. So most of the persons here are not going anywhere but back home after the flight leaves."

"Well, I wish they would just wait outside!"

Wolverine chuckled as Jubilee continued to shove her way through the crowd.

Finally, they managed to locate their gate, and Logan and Jubilee boarded the small turboprop plane shortly thereafter. It seemed like just moments after they had taken their seats, the aging plane sputtered to life. Wolverine frowned as the smell of the turbo diesel fuel ravaged his sensitive nose. Jubilee looked questioningly at her traveling companion.

"The engines are runnin' extremely rich." Logan said as he held his nose.

The small plane lurched ahead and turned toward the runway. As the plane picked up speed the small cabin shuddered violently. Jubilee involuntarily grabbed Logan's hand as she stared wide-eyed straight in front of her.

Logan leaned close to the young Asian, and whispered, "Don't worry darlin', she may sound bad, but she will get us there. My hearin' don't hear nothin' we should be worried about. And by the way, my fingers are turnin' blue."

Jubilee glanced down and released her panic grip on Logan's hand. Her face became even more flushed. Logan put his arm around the girl, and pulled her close. "Enjoy the view darlin', we will be there before ya know it."

Once the aircraft was airborne, the shuddering ceased. Jubilee gazed out the window, viewing the tip of Vietnam as it passed off to the left. Beneath her was the South China Sea, seeming to stretch on forever. The water from this height seemed to have a deep blue tint, almost the color of a perfect sapphire. The endless sea, the sun glinting off the wings of the aircraft, and the fact that she was still groggy from the previous flight lulled her back into the throes of slumber. She nestled herself in the crook of Logan's arm, and slowly allowed her eyelids to droop. ‘Funny how I feel the safest here in his arms.' she thought as she drifted back to sleep.

Logan felt Jubilee snuggle against him and could tell that she was already out cold. He rested his furry cheek against her straight black hair. Peering over her head, he lazily watched the clouds slide gracefully across the window. ‘Having Jubes here is good,' he thought ‘it keeps me distracted from everything I'm feelin'. Since he had heard the news, Logan had taken little time to reflect on the implications of the visit by Nick Fury. One minute he was looking forward to a little R and R with Jubes and the next he is going to Madripoor find out about the re-emergence of a project that had turned his life into a living hell. Madripoor! At one time, the little South Pacific isle was one of the few things that could bring a smile to his grizzled face. Now it was as foreboding a place as any for the Canadian.

His mind wandered to a mental picture of Electra, the Grecian assassin that was his former lover. How beautiful she had been, how full of life. Killed for petty jealousy by his wife, Viper. Logan shuddered at the deal he made with the devil on that one. His marriage to Viper was nothing more than a sham, a ruse to placate the warring factions that threatened to tear the city apart. But Viper wanted more; she wanted to possess what she could not have. She wanted Logan for her own. He knew it was a mistake to bring Electra to Madripoor, but he thought that he would be strong enough to protect her. Now she was dead, and Viper too. The war that was put off finally found the catalyst that it had been seeking. With the death of Tyger and Viper, there was no clear leadership between the gangs to stave off the bloodshed. What once was a refuge for persons who did not want to be found became a battlefield.

Logan cringed at the havoc he had wrought with his own hands. With Electra gone, and Viper dead, Logan mourned her loss the only way he knew how. Bloodlust. He teamed up with what was left of Tyger's faction and crushed anyone that was in any way affiliated with his former wife. The streets of Madripoor ran red for days, and the person known by the locals as Patch was given another reason to be feared.

The bump of the landing gear snapped Logan out of his stupor. Jubilee uncurled herself from Logan's side to see tears streaming down the face of the man she thought incapable of crying. Questioningly, she stared into the cold blue eyes of her mentor.

"Not this time, Jubes. Not this time."