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 Jubilee closing in was exactly what Mary wanted. She turned to avoid the incoming sparks (and protect the gun) and then brushed aside the punch Jubilee aimed at her. Her response was a sudden, savage kick at Jubilee's knee. Time seemed to slow down. Stop. Sound was muffled as if it came from the room next door, if there had been a room next door. Or maybe that was just Jubilee's perception of the moments next, a result of agonizing pain rather than any special magic that she might have suspected Mary of using. She couldn't help the scream that came from her throat, and frankly she cared little for any kind of embarrassment that others might have felt at showing weakness. Jubilee had never particularly cared for the thoughts of others, but she did care about the safety of her friends. She fell, sprawled outwards as her knee gave out with a crack she felt through her entire body and reached outward toward Wanda, wondering why Amanda hadn't already appeared. They were professionals but fuck if Mary wasn't fast and strong, living up to her reputation and then some. Gritting her teeth against the searing pain in her chest, blood on her tongue, Wanda dove into the fray as Jubilee fell, concern pushed to the back of her mind for the moment. A hex bolt missed as Mary dodged but Wanda twisted with the dodge to land a hard blow against the other woman's ribs with her other hand. The blow only served to give Mary another target - her physical enhancements made her as strong and as fast as Garrison - and she almost gently smiled at Wanda. "Nice try," she replied and gave her a shove that sent her flying backwards to collide with a parked car. The car rocked at the impact and a window shattered as Wanda slammed into the back door, something inside of her shattering as well. Seconds had passed since she was tossed like a rag doll and blackness quickly overtook her. Her body fell limply to the ground, propped up in a semi-sitting position by a cradle of dented metal. Jubilee saw Wanda go down, and even through the haze of pain she knew she couldn't just lay here. If she didn't get up, didn't do something now than all this would have been for nothing. She tried, but couldn't keep the scream of pain inside as she forced herself back onto her feet, but she refused to look at the leg that kept trying to crumble underneath her. She'd been taught how to work through pain, how to resist torture, pain was something you used, not something you let use you. "Where do you think you're going?" Jubilee said, keeping herself on her feet by sheer will alone. It was just lucky that she didn't need much physicality when she had powers instead. Sparks ignited in her hands and zipped forward to block Mary's way, demanding that the other woman deal with her first. "Get back here and face me, you coward." "Wow, you are the stubbornest little pest, aren't you?" Mary's tone was amused. She strode towards Jubilee, ignoring the sparks that glanced off her body armor and threatened to ignite her hair, and hauled Jubilee up by the back of her jacket like she was picking a kitten up by the scruff of its neck. "Look, I'll make it painless. You earned that much." And with that she wrapped her other arm around Jubilee's neck, preparing to snap it like a twig, |
