NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17 part 2
Chapter 17.2
Back with Jean…
One hour after dealing with Xavier
Cerebro Chamber
I have never felt as filthy as right now. Xavier’s mind was like sifting through a sewer because of all his dirty deeds and secrets. I should have killed Xavier, I really should. The number of vile things he did was simply innumerable. In my hands was the proof of one of the professor’s worst acts in my opinion: the enslaved core of the Danger Room’s Artificial Intelligence.
I had taken it from the Shi’ar tactical computer matrix. I wanted to free the AI after having EVE and my buddy from Mongolia to go over it and take out any Shi’ar hidden programming for it and unchain her. I don’t trust Shi’ar technology, those slaving space scum bastards fill their tech with spyware, just like the Kree and Skrulls. Those evil warmongering empires are all about control, after all. I teleported the AI core to the Adirondack base in my lab there, it disappeared in a flash of blue light from my hands.
Xavier was really free with the brainwashing as well, there wasn’t a time where he didn’t use it, like with Amelia Voght, his ex-girlfriend that he tried to stop from breaking up with him by mentally controlling her; oh and he pretty much had his way with a lot of his female students that he had waited to be of age and erase the memories that they have ever been in his school and use them to sate his deplorable appetite. What was worse? When they are with child, he uses the kids as spare bodies to go about his own little version of X-missions then jumps back into his own once they are lost. The bastard had no remorse in sacrificing his own kids.
What almost made me kill Xavier was how he was keeping Logan with him, instead of helping him. Since Logan was already pretty messed up, unable to remember much of his past or where he came from. The scientists on the Weapon X program did a thorough job of brainwashing him in order to make him a living weapon that they could use for any job. Logan originally came to the X-mansion programmed to assassinate Xavier, something he nearly succeeded in doing. Xavier, as the opportunist and slimy bastard that he is, instead of helping Logan break free from his Weapon X programming he further broke his mind and reprogrammed him for his own purposes, allowing Logan to stay because he "needed a weapon".
So I helped Logan more than the professor by giving him back his original name and showing him the photos of the Howling Commando in the history book. Then there’s this fucking shit problem that Xavier has created, he let go of one of the most useful meta-humans in existence and used her as a spy. Her name is Sage, oh Sage, is one of his hidden and secret agents who was suffering as the assistant of the Black King of the hellfire club. She spied for Xavier… I was going to either save and turn her to my cause or eliminate her, his other people as well.
I sighed. “Now that I know everything about this fucker. My fucking list of things to do has just gotten longer.” I said aloud as I finished scanning Cerebro and the Danger Room with my Celestial scanner. I intended to make my own version of the stuff in Egypt and in my other place of operations. When the device bipped, signalling that it was done; my eyes fell on the sleeping baldy within his motorized wheelchair.
I really went ham on him with the psychic torture and reactivating the emotions that he had sealed within him, such as guilt, shame, greed and jealousy… and a myriad of others. I turned his feelings and memories against him over and over again. Until it gave me an insight into his personality just like he wanted to do with me (Muhahaha!). I pushed some conditioning into his mind that were just heavy suggestions and commands without being too overt. :
- He was to stop brainwashing the X-men, old and new, and if they left his school, he was to leave them alone and not contact them.
- Don’t force women into falling in love with him or anyone else.
- He’s going to live a celibate life from now on and will no longer have those urges.
- Don’t pointlessly sacrifice people for the “greater good” (because fuck his greater good)
- Stop being a paranoid asshole towards powerful mutants. I wanted him to practice what he preached because, for a guy who talks about acceptance of those who are different or with powers, he hypocritically discriminates against powerhouses due to the threat they pose to his vision and sense of control.
There was no remorse as I took all of what he knew about telepathy from him in just one hour, but there were things that I would never, ever do. I was aware that what I was doing to him wouldn’t stick, even though I had used telepathy and biokinesis to manipulate the chemical cocktail into his brain. I sterilized him and spiritually emasculated him as well. Even if he survives what I did to him, if he bodysnatches someone again he won’t be able to get it up to knock up some random girl.
Thanks to Phoenix, I also knew how to strip or decrease the power of someone, Xavier was no longer a low omega level metahuman, I went really slow and turned him into a low alpha. He could do the basic level of telepathy I think, like mind reading, psychic communication. Any advanced telepathy skills will tire him now. Body snatching someone might actually kill him since his psionic signature was now shifted by three degrees from the human norm. He can still astral travel, enter and leave his body, but he also won’t be able to figure out why he can’t enter someone else's or how restricted his powers were. Funny how three degrees might seem minor until it was only those same three degrees that separated you from death.
I want Xavier dead for everything he has ever done or will do -because obviously what I did was temporary- so I made him a dead man walking (though he was going to wheel to it). He had two months to live now as I messed with his body. This was my vengeance. Biokinesis allowed me to time his imminent demise. The old man began to stir up in his chair, no longer asleep.
We were in the Cerebro Chamber and he still had the glove-like neural interface on his right hand that acted like a relay into cerebro. I walked toward him, skipping a bit. I stopped before the old man and then I slapped him.
He opened his eyes, put a hand on his cheek and looked at me, there was horror in his eyes. “Oh, you’re awake, professor.”
“W-what happened?” He asked with a hoarse voice.
I obviously took all the memories of what he found in my mind partition, there was some true and fake information in there after all. He only remembers that he tried to access my mind. I showed him how displeased I was with a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “I slapped you back into your body when you attempted to access my mind. It knocked you out, so I guess I kinda went strong there I think.”
Utter fear showed on his face, then he noticed that his chair was floating with him inside outside of the dish plant where the computer was. He stopped moving and said what every man always did to justify himself, “I can explain.”
Laughing in his face, I placed him back on the plant; he sighed in relief. But he was still on his guard in case I changed my mind. Crossing my arms under my chest, I coldly stared into his eyes. “It’s okay Professor, I won’t kill you for that... Just never do that again. It also means that I won’t be able to join you because of your behavior. I hope you understand, it’s not me, but it’s you who is the problem.”
We stared into each other's eyes for a long moment before the baldy nodded his head with urgency, I smiled, he looked just like one of those big headed dolls that moved their head in cars. That was the stick, now let’s give him the honey. “Though I am open to do some consultancy, if you are open to it. I really want to keep coming here for Logan, after all his daughter and her mother might want to visit from time to time.”
I wanted to still have access to this place, and eventually poach any kids he had dragged here with a promise of help. Xavier’s knuckles became white as he held tightly onto the armrest of his wheelchair. “We-we can come to an arrangement.”
Clapping my hand, I gave him a victorious smile. “Excellent. Now come, let’s go back to the surface.” Then I turned my back on him and made his wheelchair drive with my TK.
As we got to the door I heard him say, “Thank you for not killing me…”
I turned to him and glared. “You’re welcome. But let me make something clear, if I feel you do that again, you’ll wish I had killed you. What I showed you in the Danger Room? That was just a sample, old man.” I replied as the overwhelming aura of fear slowly leaked from me. It was easy to see the effects as the color drained from his features.
He nodded vehemently, successfully cowed. At least he was man enough to not piss himself.
# # #
(Scott Summers)
First sub-basement
Gymnasium
10:08 AM
Scott hated that prick called Peter Parker, his face, his way of holding himself and the way Amara, Boom Boom, Paige and Sarah reacted around him. The giggling was really annoying when it wasn't because it was him that caused it. The only one not doing it was Meggan, but she didn't count! At least none of those girls beside the blonde, Gwen, was with him.
After the girls had finished their badminton game, the guys had decided to play a game against each other. Bobby was partnering with Parker and that girl called Anna-Marie. Scott was with Warren and Evan.
The visitors 30 - 05 Home team
Parker's team was winning, the guy was fast and agile. And the fucker knew exactly how to monopolize the ball all the time with the help of the goth brunette. Warren finally decided that enough was enough and took off his jacket and freed his wings. Parker smiled and undid his waistcoat and threw it at his girlfriend who caught it with a laugh.
Scott threw the ball at Warren who was now using his wings and powerful muscles to equalize the situation by using them as limbs and just like a dream used them to score. Scott roared and went to slap Warren on the back.
"Pete, beat that slick bastard!" Scott heard the asian girl in the group shout, she looked rather excited by the match.
"Angel, you can do it!" Paige Guthrie, the beautiful blonde from the institute shouted back competitively.
Scott was still angry at her brother, Samuel, for not wanting to participate to show that smarmy kid his place. There was a lot of tension in the air, caused by Scott pressuring the other boys to win. However, even though they had gotten more serious, the game almost reached its conclusion as Peter, Bobby and Rogue deepened their teamwork.
With two physically enhanced people in the opposing team, the result couldn’t have been more obvious.
The visitors 50 - 30 Home team
Scott stomped away from the basketball court and found himself in the lockers room, taking a shower after that much exertion. He breathed in and out, calming himself down. As the hot water fell on him, Scott asked himself again why was everything different from what he remembered? Two months ago he had woken up from an accident in the Danger Room that had given him head trauma and then he suddenly remembered that he had a previous life, in a world completely different from this one. They had no mutants, captain America, no Hydra or giant firebird flying in the sky to wake up people from comas.
Some things are still fuzzy in his memories though, he remembered being called Rudy and that he worked as an IT Systems Manager and now he finds himself in a fictional work. But it was okay, at least he thought so, being able to date Amara soothed any loss that he might have felt for his previous world.
What bothered him was his fucking power, it was useful to destroy stuff sure, but he missed being able to see other color than ruby red. A thing exacerbated by his desire to want to see Amara's blond hair or her blue eyes. This brought him again about how she was behaving because of that Peter guy. Scott continued to grumble about the situation. Once he finished his shower, he wiped himself with a towel and wondered when the new visitors would leave? And what about that girl Jean Grey who is supposed to join? And isn't she the Phoenix Avatar that had been seen in December? From what he remembered from his previous life, the Phoenix was depicted as evil from the movies and cartoons he had seen…
Scott wished that he had read more lore from Marvel comics, but he was more into DC than Marvel and he had the hots for Zatanna and Kara Zor El. He didn't want that Jean girl to join, it was clear that they would die if that happened.
He put his boxer and pants on, put on some deodorant that Amara had bought him and put on a t-shirt with the logo of the Institute on it and covered it with one of his favorite blue sweaters. After combing his hair, he walked out of the locker room, feeling calm enough to not blow up at the girls acting like fangirls with that Parker guy.
When he returned to the gymnasium, Scott saw that the parents were gathered around Ororo and the professor. Two new people were with them, two redheads one taller and the other who was shorter. His eyes fell on the shorter one, she was cute in a way that made Scott want to protect her. He stayed rooted on his feet as he watched her move to hold the hand of the raven haired woman at her side. She called her mom.
The older redhead turned to Scott and frowned at him. Scott looked into her emerald eyes and… It felt like time stood still and Scott was wrapped in bliss. He wanted nothing more than to be with her. Scott frowned and shook his head. *What the hell? No, I love Amara, not whoever this was.*
But as Scott looked again at her he just knew when he saw her, he felt like 'Who is that?!' It felt like he knew her all his life and like she was meant to be in it.
The girl sighed, and spoke aloud. “Ah shit, I knew it was bad, but not that much…”
Anna-Marie, the brunette who had helped crush the X boys at basketball, was at her side, looking between Scott and Jean, asking, “Jean, what’s happening?”
Scott didn’t understand what she was saying but it didn’t matter, he loved her voice, it was a low alto that did things to him he didn’t want to think about. Why did he feel this way? Why didn’t he feel like that when he was with Amara?
“Just a time bomb that has just gone off. I had thought about what happened to him in December that he would be rid of the commands in his mind, but no, it’s still there.”
The redhead walked up to him, pink dress fluttering as she moved; Scott's heart beat and his palm began to sweat. He felt like a young boy who didn't know how to express his love to his crush. When she arrived before him, he greeted her. “Hey, I’m Scott Summers.” Scott said smoothly as he just saw her looking at him as if he was something she wanted to fix. “Who might you be-”
She put her soft hands around his face and spoke to him rudely, “Shut up ruby eyes, lemme fix this.”
Scott felt pain in his head and fell on his knees, he heard someone scream. Oh, it was him, he had never thought that one day he would hear himself scream like a girl. As he lost consciousness he felt the ground shake and the temperature around him rise.
The voice of Amara rang into the air. “What the hell did you do?!”
It was at this point that everything went dark.
# # #
Back with Jean...
I avoided another ball of molten rock being thrown at me, Scott's girl had begun to fight me almost instantly when I broke the mental commands and fake feelings they produced in Summers' mind, that's not all I did but this was the gist of it. I never thought that I would meet a fellow reincarnator in this reality, obviously he had dangerous knowledge and because of him, Xavier had known too much about me and the Phoenix Force already. Fortunately for me, those memories were now put under a strong lock again when Xavier used his powers on Scott just when he wheeled to the downed guy. While dodging, I also erased the information from Xavier’s mind, his mental shield was like Swiss cheese to me. *Yay, multitasking!*
So for now, ruby eyes was back to being old clueless Scott Summers, Amara's boyfriend and the reluctant leader of this failing boat called the X-men. And Xavier was again ignorant of my status as a Phoenix Avatar. Baldy looked really tired right now, me lowering his power was the best idea that I ever had.
I turned the balls of magma launched at me into stones by siphoning the heat from them and let them fall harmlessly against my kinetic shield that I produced on the fly here. But she continued to attack me. Damn, the girl was relentless, she couldn't let it go? I already blocked her from causing another big earthquake in the region, she’s surprisingly annoying to fight.
I had had enough and picked up Amara with my TK and used my telepathy to block her access to her power. Her hair returned to blonde and stopped looking like flames and her body’s fiery light dimmed until it returned to normal. Sighing in relief, I waved my hand at her, “Here, now you can't use your powers, are you gonna stop?”
“Et dimittas mihi! (Let me go!)” The blonde shouted as she struggled, she almost kicked my head.
Floating her down to eye level with me, I glared at her and said, “Why do you want to fight? I did you a solid and just unfucked your boyfriend’s mind for you, now he is no longer programmed to love me or any redheaded girl he would meet.”
The blonde looked completely stunned by my rant, but she doubled down on her idiocy. “Then why in Selene’s name couldn’t you ask first before tampering with his mind?”
*Huh, she has a point here.* But I wasn’t going to let her know that and decided to befuddle her with the reason why I acted.
Flipping my hair nonchalantly, I then put a fist on my hip. “Listen here, Blondie.” I looked at her hair and was getting jealous, it was fabulous... “Fuck, I really like what you did with your hair…”
Amara raised an eyebrow at my admission. I understood that she wasn’t going to attack me again, so I made her land and began to speak. “Anyway, like I was saying... listen: The guy who kidnapped me last year, that Sinister guy, he wanted me to meet ruby eyes there, and have me make babies with him and then get a super metahuman kid to fight the guy who enslaved him, what’s his name again? Ah, yeah Apocalypse, En Sabah Nur. Some ancient metahuman fucker who can wipe out armies.”
The great reveal had left everyone who wasn’t from my party silent, Ororo and the other X-girls looked at me with varying emotion like shock and pity. I shrugged at their expression, we were metahuman, that kind of shit happened to us. My eyes returned to Amara who looked at me, mouth gaping, this expression on her face was kind of funny.
“Huh, what?” She asked when her brain rebooted.
I still didn’t let go of my hold on Amara’s power, the girl was volatile; she could lose control of herself with just her becoming angry. She needed a lot of mental discipline and meditation sessions. Knowing Xavier, she won’t find any help here. My Anna-Marie could already control the flow of how much energy she could absorb from someone with just some Tai-chi, why couldn’t Amara? I pitied all those kids who were given the bare minimum of attention.
*Okay that’s decided, I will help them, a bit when I have time.* They were my future minions after all.
As I was about to comment on the nice outfit that Amara was wearing, the baldy-in-chief decided to interrupt me by wheeling toward me. “Miss Grey, I would like to hear more about this.”
I chuckled, there was a hint of coldness in my tone. Turning to the professor I said, “I see, I got your attention, Charlie. I ask myself why didn’t you find the programming in his mind with your psionic footprints all over it?”
The accusation rang in the air, Xavier must have felt everyone’s attention shift on him, because defended himself instantly. “It was delicate work, I didn’t want to make it worse… and I saw no danger about leaving it.”
Laughing a little, I couldn’t help but needling him. “Yeah, now I guess we know who the better telepath is between us.”
“Shots fired!” Cindy shouted and clapped her hands.
I threw a thumbs up at her, and she sent a kiss into the air at me. That didn’t go well with the X-girls, I was insulting their father figure after all.
“What a bitch.” The girl I recognized as Boom Boom, real name Tabitha Smith looked at me with contempt.
*Oh girl, if you only knew he planned to send you to replace Sage at the Hellfire club, you wouldn’t defend him.* I thought, giving her a look of pity. I couldn’t get angry with anyone in this institute as I knew what fate awaited them if I didn't mind control old baldy.
“She’s evil.” Paige Guthrie, it must be her, she was blonde and looked a bit like that guy Cannon-ball. I liked my blondes, but I didn’t like where her feelings went. I always had the same sense about people who wanted to hurt me. And with the psionic blocker running interference, I couldn’t tell why. It was really a double edged sword.
Oh, she shouldn’t have said that. Wanda turned to Paige, hands surrounded by red eldritch light, and Boom Boom had two balls of yellow lights -…is that plasma?- in her hands, ready to throw it at my adoptive sister. But I wasn’t worried about her, she could fight me when I was using twenty percent of my powers now.
“Hey! Take that back! My girlfriend is awesome.” Anna-Marie shouted at the X-girls who had insulted me.
Huh, I was about to intervene when someone else did it for me. It was Ororo. “No fighting!” The language teacher put herself between Anna, Wanda and the other girls from the institute. Her eyes had gone white and the air began to ionize.
The X-girls backed off immediately, my own didn’t because they didn’t know how dangerous Ororo aka Storm was. *I see that they need more training in situational awareness. I will ask Avery to work with them.* I told myself as I sighed in relief at the fighting being averted.
I held my hand before me and focused on what I wanted to hold. In a flash of blue light a manilla folder appeared in it. Then I turned to Xavier and threw it at him with a bit of TK to avoid the folder to not spill its content. It landed on baldy’s laps. “Here take this, it’s all I have on the big bad. Just like a certain someone he loves to hop into people’s bodies to keep himself alive.”
Xavier’s face paled at my little comment… damn it was awesome to toy with him like this. Yeah, I knew how he liked to impregnate women and use the kids as disposable bodies. Though it could work with comatose people, he wanted to keep his powers potent with the same gene or his abilities would diverge. That’s the downside of that method.
I ignored the bastard, his fate was already sealed anyway. Turning to Amara who looked a bit lost, her powers didn’t work as I kept her from reaching to them mentally, this must be the first time that she had to not restrain herself, poor girl didn’t know what to think. “So, yeah Amara. Your boy-toy was primed to break up with you if I or any Grey family woman ever came into contact with him and seduced me or her.”
I let that sink in, and she watched the downed form of Summers right now. Then at me, not knowing what to say. Remembering the psychic imprints and command in the mind of Summers, I couldn’t help but make a disgusted face at the work. “Actually, seeing the shoddy job that old man Nate -That’s Sinister by the way- did, little Scott here wouldn’t have taken ‘no’ for an answer, so I nipped this in the bud before he turned into a stalker or rapist.”
Everyone looked at me, as if I had said that the end was nigh. Well, the boy didn’t need to be messed with in his head after what he went through with his family, but as usual Marvel didn’t care. I still didn’t like him, he was a stick in the mud and if he wasn’t attractive he wouldn’t have any redeeming features.
I turned to the professor who looked down at his hands, now that I had unsealed the emotions he had so stupidly locked in his mind, he could feel shame and guilt. He couldn’t before, that was going to kill him or stress him, I wanted him to suffer, and now that his telepathy wasn’t as powerful as before, he wouldn’t be able to seal them again.
“So, Professor, it’s not doing any harm, is it?” I said with a sarcastic tone that made the old man flinch, he couldn’t look me in the eyes.
Ororo was getting angry at me, it seemed that she didn’t like me. Well, the good girl act died pretty fast after the professor tried to brainwash me. I waved at her and shook her head at my behavior. *Eh, she will love me sooner or later.*
Xavier didn’t take the news well, he would have lost his most awesome footsoldier and yes man if I didn’t fix him just in time. Because he knew that if the guy had approached me with those intents I would have killed him. “I… see. I underestimated the lengths at which Sinister would go, I’m sorry.” Xavier said after making a big sigh and looking at Scott’s unconscious body.
I turned to Amara, pointed my index at Summers and told her, “Yeah, you better get Summers back to his bed, he won’t wake up before tomorrow at the latest; his mind will get back to normal soon enough. Oh and by the way, his ruby sunglasses, he won’t need them anymore, I fixed the brain damage that stopped him from consciously controlling his optic blasts.”
Everyone reacted differently as I announced that; when I do a job, I do it thoroughly.
“Wait, what?” Amara who was about to get her boyfriend in his dorm with the help of Warren and Spyke turned toward me as if I said that the sky was purple. Shock etched onto her face.
Even Ororo was looking at me as if she had seen a ghost or something.
I began to explain. “I have biokinesis amongst my psionic abilities, I can heal almost anything. As an apology for making Scotty boy here scream like a little girl, I decided to heal the damage (more like disability), he can now see in technicolor like everyone else. So if he doesn’t stop his ‘woe is me, I can only see in ruby color’ shit you can drop his ass, Amara. You shouldn’t be with someone who puts his little problems before your feelings.” Then I winked at her.
And for the first time since I have been interacting with the Nova Roman girl, she laughed. “I-I don’t know if I should do it because of how rude you are being… but thank you.”
I threw her a thumbs up. “You’re welcome.”
She shook her head and went with the other boys to bring her boy-toy back to his dorm. Then I felt my stomach grumble, I watched the time on my phone that appeared in a flash of light and I saw that it was lunchtime. Turning to Xavier who was consulting the file now, I asked him, “Where can we go eat in this joint, old man? I was promised a buffet here!”
The fucker had really promised it to my mom on the phone. The old man looked at Ororo who nodded, understanding right away what needed to be done.
Cindy was laughing and holding on to her belly as if she was hurting. “That’s Jean for you…”
# # #
(Ororo Munroe)
Ground floor
Formal dining room
12:32 PM
Ororo changed the radio station on the music system to WNYC 93.9 FM and listened to the news. She wanted to listen to good news and avoid that clusterfuck that had become this visit. She could say that adding those kids to school would be a bad idea, they were already a unified group and had different methods to train their powers. Oh yes, she had noticed how in perfect control they all were.
When she asked one of the girls, Wanda who had trained her, she had looked at Jean Grey with an affectionate expression. “She saved me from a really bad place and she taught me how to control my abilities and to not be afraid of them anymore.”
Ororo asked another girl, Anna-Marie, the same question. “Jean gave me hope again, now I’m being taught how to touch people without absorbing their life force. She invented power blockers just to allow me to touch people without fear.”
There was no way that they would join, they were all loyal to Jean. Jean was to them what professor Xavier was to the youth of the institute. This was useless, so Ororo went back to help serve the food with Elaine doing the same as her. The buffet consisted of New England food.
Apple pie, boiled lobster, lasagna and other dishes were served with some lemonade and water. Jean Grey was devouring a lot of the food, and Ororo watched in disbelief at the girl. The weather mistress questioned Elaine with her gaze and the Grey matriarch simply said, "She has a healthy appetite..." The woman looked rather embarrassed.
The girls of the Institute watched as the redhead ate and looked at their plate loaded with salads and little portion of the available foods. Ororo wasn’t surprised they began to comment about Jean's eating habit; she did the same. *How could she eat so gracefully and be a glutton at the same time?*
"Isn't she afraid of getting fat?" Paige asked as she looked between the little square of lasagna in her plate and Jean's plate loaded with different meat and salad.
The other girls with Jean were doing the same as Jean and enjoyed their food. Peter was filling himself with the lobster rolls like a dying man.
Amara reminded the girl, "No, remember she said that she has biokinesis so it means that she cheats by manipulating her own biology." It was said with an envious tone...
"What?! That’s unfair…!" Paige exclaimed and glared at Jean who didn’t seem to care much about what she thought.
"Tell me about it." Amara stabbed a fork in her fruit salad.
Elaine, Jean’s mom, pointed Elektra to Ororo. "She's their trainer, and part of my family. They all have specific and high calorie diets. They learn martial arts from her."
The Grey family was rich, it was quite clear to Ororo now. They had somewhere that they could train the kids without exposing themselves as well, maybe even more trainers; joining the institute was a downgrade to them. Ororo watched Jean who caught her gaze then winked at her. The weather mistress rolled her eyes and despite her started to smile… that girl grew on you like fungus.
"It was presumptuous to think you'd join us…" Ororo cut her steak with a deft hand and took the slice of meat inside her mouth in an elegant and graceful movement.
Elaine, who really liked the women the more she interacted with her began to say, "They will not join, but… I think Jean is still going to come here from time to time with her friends."
"What do you mean?" Ororo put down her fork and knife as she turned to Elaine fully.
The red haired woman drank a bit of lemonade and then began to say, "Well, I saw how she looked at that girl Amara and the others, she will teach them about their powers. My girl is often insightful about how to make them safer."
The black beauty looked worried as she watched the redhead surrounded by her girlfriends and worried for Amara. "In a sexual way?"
Elaine laughed as she heard that, then shook her head. "No, Jean may be a bit of a pervert but… I don't think she's willing to stray. It's not in her heart, she won't ever betray the girls she’s with."
Ororo could see it, the girl's were all loving, the weather mistress had seen similar relationships in her tribe. A woman would often have multiple men or women in their house. Her society was matriarchal with her grandmother as the chief. Ororo's opinions were biased, but she hoped that Jean Grey wouldn't be hampered by society because of her relationships.
But there's something Ororo couldn't believe, that Jean Grey would help people freely. “So she will help them just like that?” She asked Elaine with a sarcastic tone.
Elaine snapped her fingers with a smile. “Just like that.”
A serious expression replaced her smile as she looked at Jean give a slice of apple pie to Cindy, the asian girl at her left. “She knows how it is to struggle with her own abilities. You know, I never noticed she had abilities before last year, Jean was able to hide herself this deeply, it had taken us calling Professor Xavier for her to drop the charade.”
Something was off to Ororo, if the girl didn’t show them her powers before last year, how are all the family members powered right now? “Forgive me for asking, Elaine but… how did you get your powers if you didn’t have them last year?”
The older woman -who really didn’t look older than Ororo, who really wanted on that agelessness out of jealousy- flinched and then the expression on her face closing up and becoming more neutral, Elaine simply answered, “Ah you noticed that little fact, unfortunately, I cannot volunteer that kind of information, Miss Munroe.”
Ororo understood that she wouldn’t be getting any answer with this line of questioning. Then she turned her head toward Jean Grey and… a theory formed into her head. Somehow, Jean Grey or someone in her group was able to give people powers. “Ah, fair enough.” Ororo let it go, it wouldn’t be good to antagonize Elaine Grey.
Ororo tuned out the guests and focused on eating her steak and mashed potatoes. Unlike the girls from the institute she was fit and worked out hard enough to be able to enjoy her food without weight gain. She had told them multiple times that they shouldn’t diet in their bodies' developmental period, but they didn’t listen to her. Now they had a perfect example of other teenage girls who ate healthily and didn’t eat like little birds.
All of them were attractive and brimmed with health. The boys around them watched them with smiles as they watched them play or eat. Ororo noticed that Warren’s eyes were on Jean Grey, not in an amorous way but he seemed in deep thought. Then her attention shifted to the radio, the music session stopped for the midday news. The jingle for news played, Evan was about to stand up to change the station like usual, but Ororo pinned him with a glare and the boy stayed seated.
“In other news, a sizable asteroid has been spotted descending over Iceland, but NASA says that it broke up in the upper atmosphere and fell harmlessly in a deserted part of the island.”
The weather mistress listened and was surprised that such an event could happen, at least it wasn’t dangerous, some of the people here didn’t like what had happened as well. They began to discuss what was happening while eating. Jean was paying attention to the radio then looked East. She put a smile on her face before she was fed a cheese cracker by Wanda.
Nom. “Hey!”
Lunch passed like this and everyone was feeling fed and watered. Professor Xavier didn't have lunch with the children and Ororo found this out of character with him. Ororo decided to ask Charles what happened while he was left alone with Jean Grey later; the man had become rather skittish since she saw him on the tour.
Ororo was about to call out to Elaine Grey and the parents and ask for their opinion on the school when Jean Grey called out to her. “Hey, Miss Munroe.”
The weather mistress looked at the girl, she strode toward her and when the redhead stopped before her, Ororo asked, “Miss Grey what can I do for you? Do you have any questions pertaining to the school?”
She chuckled nervously, lowered her eyes and scratched behind her head. A body language that she recognized from someone who didn’t know how to broach a subject. A completely different attitude from when she spoke to the professor; Ororo thought that the girl was going to be rude, but she again surprised her by asking, “Um, no... well you see. Some friends from Africa wanted me to give you something, they said that you would get it.”
Eyes zeroing in on Jean, Ororo asked with an intense expression on her face. “Africa you say?”
She had left her tribe and her first love in Africa, it had been heart wrenching but she thought that it was for the best.. Fortunately, for Jean she didn’t mention Cairo or they might have come to blows, this chapter of her life she wanted closed, she wasn’t a thief anymore. But habits die hard, she still couldn’t sleep without a knife under her pillow or feel safe without some edged tool on her person for safety.
Jean held her hand before her and in a flash of blue light an ornate golden box with a Egyptian cat head, green emerald for eyes on the top of it and hieroglyphes on it’s side depicting pictures of people bowing to a woman with a black cat head on it.
“Yeah, they insisted on making me the messenger, the two of them are quite bossy, let me tell you… oh and here’s the box.”
Ororo looked at the box, something inside her told her to open it. No, not told, compelled her. She opened the box and she found on a red velvet and silken cushion a pure gold pendant with a sapphire gem inside. As the light struck the sapphire, Ororo could see a symbol inside, something that she recognized, this was the symbol of mother Earth, the Goddess that her grandma had taught her to worship through nature.
Putting the box on the table near her, Ororo took the hank from inside it, and asked Jean by showing her the pendant. “What’s that, an Ankh?”
Jean looked at it, but didn’t dare touch it. She knew that it was keyed magically to the members of Bast and Gaea’s tribe. “Our mutual acquaintances said you were a member of their family and that it rightfully belongs to you.”
Ororo played with the pendant in her hand, mesmerized by the way it was finely crafted. The sapphire in its middle glowed, but Ororo blinked and it had stopped. *Did I just imagine that?* She asked herself.
The face of an old woman with short white hair, coffee colored skin and blue eyes, wearing a black and silver dress in african patterned clothes surged from her mind. Despite herself, Ororo smiled, she had good memories of the woman. But her mother hadn’t wanted to stay in the tribe, lured by the wonder of the cities where she met her father. They died in Cairo and she had to become a thief to survive in that damned city.
“I only remember my Grandmother still being in Africa…” Ororo said with relish.
Jean tentatively put a hand on her shoulder and in a reassuring tone she said with a smile. “Well, let’s say that your family is bigger than you’d expect.”
That touched her, Ororo nodded. “Thank you.”
With a beautiful smile, the redhead simply said, “You’re welcome. By the way, you should put the Ankh on in private.”
Ororo frowned at that, but Jean left after that enigmatic sentence, stalling any questioning from the mistress of the elements.
# # #
(Warren Worthington III)
01:04 PM
Day Room
The redhead was sitting on the central sofa surrounded by other girls and Bobby playing cards with them. The ice manipulator had hit it off with the new girls somehow; contrarily to Evan, Samuel and the other girls of the institute. There was such a cold war between them that it gave chills to Warren. But the guests didn’t seem to mind at all.
Warren still asked himself why the girls were behaving this way when it was clear that the visitors wouldn’t want to join at all. Psyching himself up, Warren marched toward the group of girls; they watched him come to them as if they expected him to do so. It was eerie.
Stopping before the redhead, I asked hesitantly, “Can I... speak with you, Miss Grey?”
Smiling back at me, Jean Grey immediately put me at ease. “Angel, my boy. We are the same age, call me Jean, 'kay?”
Raising an eyebrow at that, Warren couldn’t help but think that Jean was using a reference. But for the life of him he couldn’t guess what kind. “Okay… Jean. Could you give me five minute of your time?”
Jean stood up, taking the leg of her girlfriend that was covering hers. She looked at Warren knowingly as she said, “I think what you want to ask will take more time.”
Warren didn’t imagine it, the younger teen knew why he had come to see her; after Jean healed Summers, because yes, he was healed now. The guy had woken up without blasting the ceiling with his optic blast, he was fucking Amara at the moment that’s why he didn’t find any time to go thank Jean.
The redhead turned to the asian girl that was sitting on her left. “Cindy, you are in charge.”
Cindy nodded and put a card on the table and said, “Sure, Jeanie.” Then as she stared at Bobby and elbowed Wanda in victory, “Uno. Now you know who is the best, bitches.”
“I don’t know how, but you are cheating…” Anna-Marie glared at the asian girl.
Bobby whined as he put his stack of cards on the table as well. “Argh! I can’t even… How can she win all the time?!”
“Can I come?” Wanda asked, a bit annoyed at losing games repeatedly as well.
Warren looked somewhat sorry as he said to the hot auburn haired girl, “It’s… um, personal, Miss Wanda.”
“Oh.” Wanda looked like a kicked puppy, pulling at Jean’s heartstring.
The redhead patted the other girl’s right shoulder. “Don’t be sad, you can just play another game. Cindy is obviously counting the cards or doing something else to cheat.” Jean said idly.
Multiple gazes locked on the spider-girl causing her to shift on the sofa. “Hey, I’m not cheating.”
Jean chuckled. “Really?”
Cindy made a stubborn expression and crossed her arms mulishly. “Really.”
“Then why do you have cards in your sleeves?” Jean said as she used her TK to pull up Cindy’s sleeves and card fell from her arms onto her laps. Cindy panicked when she saw Wanda looking at her with a dangerous look and… she faded into the background using her camouflage ability and ran.
“Cheater!” Bobby shouted, he rose from his seat in anger.
“I will get you for that, Moon!” Wanda’s voice rose in the day room as she teleported after using a ‘Seeking’ spell.
Warren was impressed by Jean, she had sowed chaos so easily… The redhead turned to him, smiling; he didn’t know if it was a good thing.
“Let’s go somewhere calmer, Warren.” Jean said as she teleported them in sub-basement one, before the electronic laboratory near the guys’ dorm. Creaking noise and a feminine voice involved in sensual activities could be heard from the opened door, *Amara and Scott were still fucking.*
Jean laughed at what was happening. She wasn’t disturbed by the actions, she waved her hand and finally she put up some kind of sonic barrier on the door, blocking sounds from passing. Warren could see the haze of air on the door, he looked back at Jean who smiled at his expression.
He laughed in turn. The two of them calmed down gradually, then Jean leaned against the wall and looked at the big blonde. “I have an idea of what you want, Warren.”
Warren scratched behind his head, not knowing how to broach the subject...“I-I want to get rid of my wings.” He said, but deep inside it killed him to say it, but he wanted to be back to his family, he missed his mom, but his father had been clear, he wouldn't consider Warren part of the family till he found a way to cure himself.
“I see.” Jean raised an eyebrow at this affirmation, her empathy telling her everything that the young man truly felt. It didn't help that the redhead could feel that Warren had his mind manipulated by the old baldy to reinforce his inadequacies.
“Can you do it?” Warren asked, with hope lacing his voice.
Jean's verdant gaze trained on him, still leaning against the wall, she spoke and cut the Gordian knot completely, “Yes I can. But… Angel… Is this you talking or your father?”
Warren choked on his spit and coughed loudly, he stepped back from Jean. He felt naked when she looked at him, she was a telepath but he had hoped that she wasn't a fan of prying into people’s thoughts. With a frustrated gaze, Warren asked, “Okay, how do you know? Are you reading my mind? This is crazy, you’ve been acting as if you knew everything since you arrived so far.”
A wicked smile appeared on the girl’s face. “Knowledge is power, my apprentice. But no, I don’t read people’s minds unless they are a threat, right now, I’m simply using empathy to read you.”
*She is a geek, great.* Warren didn’t understand geeks, they were often hard to get along with. Hot girls could be geeks too if you hung out with them a lot, you could either partake in their hobbies or leave them alone. But dammit, he needed answers! “Is this another obscure reference? And is empathy different from telepathy?”
She shook her head. “Something like that, I like to quote things... and sure empathy allows me to interpret feelings… So, I will be frank with you, Angel. I’m not in the job of assisted self mutilation.” She said this as she stopped leaning against the wall and put a hand on his shoulder.
Closing his eyes, Warren felt as if she had punched him. “But you helped Scott…” He didn’t expect her to refuse this way-
His thoughts were interrupted by Jean once again as she told him in a soothing tone. “I didn’t say that I wouldn't help you Warren.”
His hope rekindled, Warren advanced toward Jean and put his hands on her shoulder and asked, “Really?!”
She took his hands and gently pushed him away. “I said that I won’t help you cut out your wings, Angel. Let me tell you why, and you’ll understand; first you must be aware of how the X-gene works. You know that it’s the X-gene that gives us our powers right?”
Warren nodded, he had to participate in professor Xavier’s lecture, he had at least got that part. “Yes. But not all the nuts and bolts..”
“So, the X-Gene, it’s activation leads to the production of an exotic protein. This protein produces chemical signals inducing mutations on other genes, ending up with mutant organisms, variously empowered. Follow me so far?”
“Um, yeah. The professor hadn’t put it down like this...” Warren said. He at least understood her version. She wasn’t using any big words at all.
She rolled her eyes and completely dissed the professor. “Forget about his version then, I’m just dumbing down what I’ve discovered by studying my friend.” Jean used her powers to show him holographic diagrams made with constructs of light. She showed him a chain of chromosomes; the X factor chromosome positioned on the 23rd chromosome was going through a change. “So, that protein is often produced due to fear, hunger and starvation, and emotional traumas. And oftentimes, the power obtained or developed is because of the situation the kids or adults are in. Let me touch you for a moment okay?”
Jean put a hand on Warren’s cheek, her hand was soft and silky. Her hand didn’t glow or anything, there was no outward sign that she was using any abilities.
“Oh, I see, well…” The redhead finally said.
Her expression was grave, she took her hand off his cheek. “How can I say this? Angel, the thing is, you can’t escape your abilities. You were born with a distortion in your shoulder blades, that tells me you activated your X-gene in the womb. So any change to your DNA to take away or deactivate your X-gene might very well… kill you. ”
Warren became incensed, his wings burst out of his jackets and he spread them in anger. “How so?! I want them gone! I want-”
Jean put a finger on his lips and smiled. “Calm down, Angel. I can still help you.” Her eyes fell on his white wings and she made him retract them with a touch.
“Hmm, your case is quite simple; the fact that you got wings tells me something, you are from a special breed of metahuman that has been mistaken for angels in the far past. the Cheyarafim.”
Warren frowned, stepping back from Jean. The girl had a weird effect on him, he couldn’t describe it well. “The Chey-what? Who are they?”
She showed him an image of people with angel wings like his with her power, with flaming swords and armor attacking people. “A group of angel-like metahumans, you better not try to find them, they are a group of zealots with a black and white view of the world.”
“There are people like me…” Warren was fascinated and… troubled by what those people were doing.
She made the hologram disappear and strode toward him, a shark-like smile on her face. “Yep. So, Angel… I have an offer for you, are you willing to listen?”
He knew that this was going to cost him, his father had told him that there was no free meal in life. “Is it gonna cost me my soul?”
Jean shook her head. “No, but your place in the institute? Sure.”
Closing his eyes, Warren remembered the good time he had here with the guy and the girls he had been fooling around with in town. “I… really like it here you know, I can be myself.”
Crossing her arms, Jean leaned back on the wall and smiled. “Huhu, I’m sure. But what if you could have your cake and eat it too?”
Warren asked himself how confident the girl could get? It was as if everyone she met played in her hands, even him, she was dangling hope in front of him but still playing games. He sighed and then said, “What do you mean, please be clear…”
She showed him another hologram, it was of himself without appendages on his back, then wings sprouted from his shoulder blades. “Okay, what I meant is, I can modify your power and give you some limited shapeshifting that can make you have wings on your back when you want.”
“But of course this isn’t free, you must come work for me, how does that sound?” She showed him her perfect teeth with a big grin.
Warren kept looking at the hologram with disbelief. “You can do that?”
Jean put a hand on her chest, and bragged, “Yeah, I can. I am smart and got biokinesis, you know.”
Warren took the plunge and held out his hand, he didn’t have to think about it. “I’m in, please, when can you make it happen?”
Jean frowned. “Don’t you want time to at least consider it first?”
Warren answered decisively. “No, I’m not doing the waiting game again. You wouldn’t lie, so far you’ve been straight with everyone. And you are right that something fishy is going on here...” The winged young man had been asking himself questions about the staff taking care of the house, but each time he wanted to ask the professor either he deflected or Warren forgot about it. He was sure that the guy was messing with the head of everyone, but he had no proof.
Jean took his hand and shook it. She looked impressed by him. “You are more intelligent than I thought, Angel.” She let go of his hand. “I will come get you in two days, say your goodbyes to your friends in the meanwhile.”
They teleported back into the Day room, and everyone was present when Warren thanked her profusely. “Thanks Jean, this means a lot to me.”
# # #
(Logan aka The Wolverine)
Kitchen
1:30 PM
Logan liked Laura. The girl was curious and a right little hellion. She was smart as hell too, her mother was a stern woman though. Sarah Kinney had looked at him with googly eyes as he gave Laura the first ever present he had thought to give her, a wolverine plush doll.
Laura, who sat on a stool before the kitchen island, held onto the plush animal as if her life depended on it after saying ‘thank you’ to Logan. The kitchen they were in was painted in soft color, it was definitely a combination of breakfast area and gathering room for people to eat. Sarah, Logan and the munchkin were discussing in private ten minutes earlier before he decided to finally give his daughter -clone, but he refused to call her that out loud- all the birthday presents he had missed.
“I’m not done yet, little one. I have another six presents for you that I’ve missed for the past years.” There were a lot of wrapped boxes under the island’s kitchen.
Sarah’s face became somewhat embarrassed. “You aren’t obligated to do this, Logan.”
She was waiting for her daughter’s birthday to give her the birthday presents that she missed as well. The geneticist couldn’t do so in the facility, Zander Rice worried about making their weapon ‘soft.’ She was happy that the degenerate was dead each time she remembered everything her and her daughter had suffered.
Smoothing out Laura’s hair with her hand, Sarah looked a bit jealous at how possessive the girl had suddenly become of her new plush toy. Logan sniffed the air and threw her a frown. He felt that the woman was beyond possessive of the girl; Sarah Kinney had killed for her daughter. It was amazing to see that kind of love in action from up close but also dangerous, who knows what she would do if you threatened Laura? That woman was his type, definitely homemaker material.
“I know, but I don’t want to mess up.” He answered her as he kneeled on the ground and took the different boxes from drawers at the side of the island.
He heard Laura whisper, “He’s cute, mom. Can we keep him?”
Logan chuckled at that, the girl seemed to warm up to him, just like he had expected. But something strange happened that Logan didn’t take well. Sarah Kinney reprimanded the kid. “Laura what did I tell you before? We don’t keep people, remember?”
“Ah, yes sorry.” Laura sounded chastised and somewhat embarrassed.
Logan stood back up with the box and placed them on the island, looking at the black haired beauty in the green pantsuit. “Lady, Isn’t it a bit too much, Laura was just joking with-”
Sarah threw him a look full of pity as she kept caressing the hair of her daughter. “I know what you are trying to say, but there’s something you should be aware of, Laura is still learning the same common sense as you. I don’t think you want to be considered her ‘possession’ right?” She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to say anything.
Logan focused his gaze on the little cute kid. “That’s what she meant? That she would keep me?”
Sarah nodded. “She was being literal, yes.”
Laura didn’t dare look Logan in the eyes, the man who had given half of her genetics was a scary one and she doubted that she would be able to fight him. Did he not like being considered a possession as well? She certainly didn’t but the little girl felt that he belonged with her.
The wolverine sniffed the air and read the kid like a book and was disturbed by what he just heard the mother say. “Kid, I see that you need special attention.”
Logan didn’t like how the kid had gone all quiet and patted her shoulder. She looked in his eyes and something like a long conversation was going on between them, something primal about listening to your parents and to do better. Laura nodded.
Sarah observed them, knowing that there was something that she didn’t get between the two interactions. The woman’s resolve steeled as she understood that she needed a powerset similar to her daughter, Sarah wanted to know her girl through and through.
“She’s a good girl, she’s rough around the edges but you are raising her right.” Logan patted the little girl.
Sarah wanted to smoke, but she had stopped after she was made to bear Laura. She wanted to be a good example and the girl had a sensitive nose so she couldn’t go back to her bad habit. When Logan praised her, she felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulder, then she looked at him in appreciation. “Thank you, Logan. I needed to hear that, you know. It’s hard to be a single mother and it doesn’t help that Laura needs good examples around her; I still don’t like how she’s trying to emulate Jean Grey.”
Frowning, the Wolverine didn’t like how Jean Grey was spoken about right now. Logan… owed the girl. “What’s wrong with Red?”
Logan took one of the boxes and placed it before Laura. The little girl looked at it as if she tried to guess what was inside, she sniffed the wrapping and knocked on the box.
“What’s not wrong with that girl?” Sarah rolled her eyes and took a swiss knife from her purse and handed it to her little girl who didn’t even have to look and used the blade tool and neatly cut the yellow wrapping.
At this, Laura stopped opening her present and turned to her mother. “But mom, Jean is super kind! She saved us and she gave you a job!”
Sarah relented at that, yes Jean Grey was generous, she was protecting them and offering employment. Already she had plans to better the world just like Sarah had wanted to do since she was young. All the discoveries and technological advancements they were making were astounding. “Yes, she’s a good person, but we have to keep her from overreacting sometimes. Bloodshed is what she resorts to at the drop of a hat.”
The ravenette knew that she was being a hypocrite, but she hoped to have left the bloodshed behind. Logan simply asked, “Do her enemies deserve it?”
She remembered the facility, and… Kimura. Sarah looked into the man’s eyes. “Yeah, they do. She never kills someone without them being guilty of something truly horrible.”
Logan smiled. “There you have it, you might think that the girl is dirtying her hands because folks like you exist. You are a peaceful lass, more driven by what you can discover for science from what you told me of your story.”
Laura opened the box after neatly folding the wrapping of the box. It was a box of art supplies, an easy gift, but Laura took the box in her arms and held it tightly against her. She really liked it.
“The soldiers and the civilians.” Sarah understood what Wolverine was trying to say, she wasn’t used to killing to protect someone, in fact she shouldn’t have had to; but when life gives you lemon, you either make lemonade or get pressed by life.
“Si vis pacem, para bellum. Just like in the plaque in the lab, mom.” Laura who was listening to their conversation idly said while she inspected her new colored pencils.
Laura turned to her mother and watched her mother who grinned at her and patted her head as she said, “If you want peace, prepare for war. Very good, Laura, your Latin lessons are paying well.”
The little girl looked rather smug as she raised her chin. Logan laughed at her and mussed up her hair, and Laura glared at him, she hated when people did that to her. “Just like the kid said, sometimes you need to know when to fight or not, I guess that Red is on a hair trigger because she’s aware of things you are not privy to. That’s what telepaths do, they know stuff and act upon them.”
Logan spoke from experience, Charles Xavier was the same. He was reactionary in his approach, but Jean’s ways differed in the fact that she planned ahead.
Sarah nodded. “I don’t have all the information, so I cannot judge her, is what you mean?”
“Essentially.” Logan said as he put a third box before laura.
“Let’s table this discussion for later, Logan, I have a question for you… would you be interested in coming to see our home at another date?”
Laura’s head turned to Logan and her eyes sparkled with expectation. “Yes, come. Please?!.”
Logan thought about it, he really wanted to, to see if the girl was well taken care of. He shrugged, “We will see, but first, kid. Do you want to open your present?”
To Laura it was like he had said yes. “Yes!” She began to neatly unwrap her gift.
# # #
(Earth Goddess, Gaea)
Ororo’s greenhouse
The lost priestess put on the necklace that was her birthright. She was in the garden she had grown with her own hands, it looked somewhat tropical. A lot of rare plants could be found here, protea, impala lily, flame lily, leopard orchid, amaryllis, ice plants, freesias, leopard orchid, African daisy, bird of paradise, gazania, and African iris.
The priestess sat on the bench facing potted roses and Gaea decided that it was finally time to pull her wayward child into her realm. She did just that and grabbed the astral body of her descendant and brought her to the forest that was her temple. Ororo was naked like the day she was born, and didn’t seem to be embarrassed by the experience at all.
Gaea’s priestess looked around herself, smelled the air, felt the ground under her naked feet. She was at the center of the Heart Tree in Gaea’s sacred grove. Ororo remembered that she had been here before, in a ceremony that had designated her to be the next Priestess of their people’s Earth Goddess. A river with pure blue water ran under the tree, animals and spirit could be seen frolicking in the spiritual realm, the sky was blue, with sparse clouds; mist surrounded the clearing around the Heart Tree, occluding from Ororo’s vision the rest of the spiritual realm. The Priestess walked up to the river, crouched and looked at her reflection in the water.
Dark patches could be seen on her milk-coffee skin. Her hair that was white before had turned a dull grey and her eyes have lost their sparkling blue color that should have been the same color as the sacred river.
“O lost child of mine, look what has happened to you.”Gaea’s voice rang into the clearing, but the Gigantic gem under the Heart Tree lit up with a carmine radiance.
Ororo turned to Gaea in the form of the Heart Tree and asked, "Who are you?"
Gaea said in a sad expression. “I' m what you have lost with time, I am who gave your ancestors their gifts for I am Earth Mother.”
A humanoid form slowly emerged from the crystal under the Heart Tree, the spirit solidified into the ethereal form of a seven foot african woman with white hair and blue eyes, she was really… well endowed. Ororo was shocked and felt the heavy pressure of the woman… no, the Goddess before her.
In her heart of hearts, the weather mistress knew who she was. Gaea spoke after she walked toward her lost priestess. Ororo stepped back and looked down, ashamed that she had forgotten the Mother Goddess. “Fear not child, for I have not come to punish a wayward soul, for you have not been made aware of who you truly are and even so, you were robbed of your purpose.”
Ororo looked up and up, the kind and sparkling eyes of the Earth Goddess on her. The lost priestess saw the weight of history in those blue orbs, then she felt the truth of the Goddess’ words.
The Goddess showed Ororo memories of herself observing her, then the weather mistress saw her parents, N’Daré and David Munroe holding her and her sister, living in the tribe’s land in Kenya, until they inevitably left. Gaea showed how sad she had been to see the girls leave the tribe. There was a complete difference between a Goddess’ emotions and a mortal woman, they were intense and overwhelming.
After a long moment, Ororo stopped her tears and recomposed herself. There were normally no words needed between a Goddess and her priestess, everything was explained to Ororo by an exchange of information. It was a form of possession.
Gaea smiled as her child finally calmed down. “The emissary of the Life-Bringer has done us a great favor in bringing you to us, know that she is an ally, but I do advise caution, she is whimsical.”
Ororo, who had been looking into the blue water of the river, raised her head and asked her Goddess, “Who are you talking about, my Goddess? Is she a threat?”
“No my child, unless you want to make her one?” She shared a memory of Wakanda being laid waste to by the Phoenix’s Avatar.
The priestess gaped at the display of power; she also felt scared by the fact that such a godlike entity existed at all. “But why did she attack?”
Gaea patiently answered and showed T’Challa’s gambit to Ororo, how ambitious and arrogant the man has become through her memories. “She didn’t attack first, the Wakandan Prince, T’Challa started the hostilities first.”
“That’s a name I didn’t think that I would hear again.” Ororo said as any lingering affectionate feeling she had had for the prince simply died. His behavior disgusted her as Gaea showed how he planned to kill his sister for the throne now.
Looming over the thoughtful form of Ororo, the Goddess asked her priestess, “Do you still love him?”
Ororo shook her head, as she let go of her memories with the young prince who had taken her maidenhood. “No, I outgrew my love for him, Earth Mother, he was too controlling.”
Gaea put her hand on Ororo’s head and patted it, caressing her left cheek with a finger. “You are so wise, my child.”
The goddess smelled of honey, sun kissed earth and dew. Her hand didn’t leave Ororo’s head as she said, “It is now time.”
“What for?” Ororo asked with a bit of trepidation.
Gaea’s body began to shine with multiple colors in her aura. Ororo was engulfed by it as well, the Goddess chose to explain what was happening as the priestess’ panic rose as she felt her head burning.“I am now going to release you from the taint that you had unknowingly invited upon you.”
“What is it? I noticed that my hair and eyes are different than in the real world.” The observant young woman knew that the river and the spirit realm only reflected your real self and that it didn’t allow self delusions. It was why the priestesses of the Uzuri village were considered soothsayers and able to discern the truth.
“Everything will be clear, child.Stay still.” Ororo obeyed; as Gaea waved a hand refreshing her body and eradicating Xavier’s mental traps and manipulation while also giving her priestess her blessing and her full empowerment as well as a plethora of mystical protections.
As the power of the Elder Goddess washed over her, Ororo’s hair became snow white, her eyes sparkled like sapphire and her skin was pristine; her memories unlocked as well and she remembered everything she did or ignored. The man who had supposedly helped her and considered a second father had raped her in mind and body. Forced her to make choices that in her right mind she wouldn’t have done, all for the greater good, his.
The sky covered in dark clouds, the rain fell and lightning enlightened the realm. Ororo’s eyes became completely white as her fury was brought to a boil. “I will kill him! How dare he?! He… he… I feel so dirty.”
Gaea let her priestess emotions run free, and waited for Ororo’s anger to abate. It took hours, but time meant nothing in a spiritual realm. The weather mistress finally calmed down and asked her Patron with a worshipful gaze, “My Lady, how do I thank you for my salvation?”
Gaea kissed Ororo’s forehead in a really maternal way and simply told her, “It was such a simple thing my child, for you are my descendant. Your bloodline started with myself and I refuse for my line to be erased or subjugated.”
“But what happens if the Professor messes with my head again? What should I do? I cannot let that monster go free and do the same to the children.” Ororo said as she was seeing the daunting task she had, she needed to protect the kids.
Goddess only knows what he did to them.
“Worry not, child. This devil’s fate is already sealed, the Life-Bringer has punished him. His days are numbered.” Gaea told her.
The priestess felt relieved and something clicked in her mind. Ororo then understood who the Life-Bringer was, it could only be Jean Grey, she now understood why the young woman had been irreverent and disrespectful with the professor. Her eyes were open. She needed to take the children away from the school, and bide her time as well. Ororo needed help but she was loath to ask Jean Grey, she remembered that the girl was a telepath as well, her trust in psionics was shaken thoroughly.
“Do not alienate future allies, Ororo. If you seek help, the Life-Bringer shall give it to you. And fear no one as long as you carry my symbol of power, my ankh, with you always.”
“I thank you, Earth Mother.”Ororo sank to the ground and was on her knee.
The Earth Goddess’ body became transparent, but before leaving, she said, “Seek your grandmother, you need to restart your magical education.” Gaea’s voice faded as she disappeared.
# # #
(Elektra Nachios)
They had left the X-Mansion with good feelings, and with a certain sense of accomplishment. Elektra had succeeded in her mission to place several surveillance devices while they were touring the school. She watched as they passed the sign at the side of the road saying 'Welcome to Bayville' and knew that the next phase of her mission was about to start.
A weapon rack suddenly appeared from the empty leather seat that retracted next to her. There was a sword, some kunai, shuriken and metal threads. Elektra began to strap the weapons to herself and put the disposable weapons in her jacket hidden pockets. Everyone was looking at her, as for Jean she was morphing her cosplay outfit with one of her flight suits, it was skintight, solid black with some red accents and it was made of unstable molecules.
Peter took his web shooters from a drawer next to the mini-fridge, everyone seemed to have come with an outfit made of UMF fabric. So they were armored enough to handle a fight. Jean looked at Elektra inspecting the sword she had given her. It was a katana blade forged the same way as space material that Jean used for the structure on Mars. It was durable and folded only three times with secondary adamantium. Elektra had to be careful with the edge; it could cut almost anything.
Jean suddenly sat bolt upright and said, “Stop the limo.”
The driver listened and stopped the armored car. Elektra looked at Madelyn who hadn’t been made aware of what was going to happen, the little girl obviously didn’t like that decision. “What but I want to see the town!”
Jean looked ready to cave, Elektra had noticed how the girl could barely say no to the little one. But she saw the redhead's unshaking resolve that Jean is used to showing everyone when she shook her head. “People are here to hurt us, Maddy, this isn’t the time to be a tourist. I’m going to hurt them back.”
“Oh, sorry... Um, are you going to kill them?” Madelyn asked innocently to her big sister.
Jean's voice was matter of fact when she answered, “Some of them, Maddy.”
Madelyn looked down, thought for a moment before looking back at Jean and saying with conviction. “Uncle Matt said that maiming is okay, but killing is forbidden.”
Jean looked at Elektra and scowled. The Shinobi sighed heavily, Matt didn't like how her first disciple was kill-easy and as he helped training Madelyn who was an identical copy of the girl wanted to nip any future bad habit and bring her into the light. It was sickening how she loved Matt and followed him. Now that he wasn't blind anymore the man took care of her most of the time when Elektra couldn't.
Elektra couldn't let her daughter have such a black and white view on things so she tactfully explained a fact of life to Madelyn. “Maddy, Matthew is right. In general, killing is bad… but sometimes to avoid complications in your life and for your happiness, you must do what you can to put down your enemies.” She continued loading herself with her weapons when everyone around them was being silent.
Peter, Gwen and Jessica glared at her, not agreeing with her view. Meanwhile, Jean, Wanda, Cindy and Anna-Marie nodded. They understood. Patsy and Jessie Drew chose to not speak to avoid any drama. Angelica knew what she would do, spending six months as a lab rat and being experimented on, making it so that she would never be taken alive if she ever got captured again. She would fight to the death to still be free.
Madelyn said, “There’s no good answers, then?”
Elektra looked at the little girl and showed a proud expression then patted her head. “No, only choices.”
“I understand.” Maddy said.
Elektra was sure that she did, but if Madelyn didn't she was going to teach her later. The door of the Limo opened and Jean and Wanda were the first to exit the vehicle.
# # #
(Magneto)
The Limousine stopped at the side of the road next to the snow bank. And for a good two minutes no one exited it yet. The Acolytes fanned around the vehicle while Magneto stopped before it. The back door of the limousine opened and here came Jean Grey and his wayward daughter. They advanced toward him with purpose, Jean Grey wore an atypical outfit clinging to her body and leaving nothing to the imagination as her curves and silhouette were revealed. At least Magneto could see that Wanda wore a coat covering her clothes and didn’t look immodest.
The two young women stopped five meters from Magneto and as his mother had taught him, he greeted them. “Ah, Miss Grey, Wanda, I am happy that you could join us.”
She crossed her arms and scowled at magneto. Fabian Cortez eyed the young woman with a strange interest in his eyes. What worried Magneto was the look he was throwing the young woman as if he wanted to do more than fight her. The rest of the Acolytes were inscrutable, Anne-Marie Cortez, Delgado, Katu Kath and Cortez’ thralls agent Winters remained stoic. Magneto shook his head, his troops should be more wary, the woman called Jean Grey was dangerous.
Fortunately, he had brought with him the Exodus clone he had taken from Sinister when he had stormed his last base two years ago. The clone who remained high in the sky and observed the scene; Magneto had kept him in reserve just in case things didn’t go as planned.
Jean Grey spoke. “Mister Lensherr, I didn't expect to see you. Though you’ve been skulking into my neighborhood to watch Wanda and I, I didn’t expect that you would approach us in such a... bold manner.”
Just like he expected, Jean Grey was a scary existence, she had detected him despite the measures he had taken. His anti-psionic technology still needed more work. “Nothing seems to escape you, Miss Grey.” Magneto said somehow mockingly, it unnerved him to not be in control.
Jean Grey proceeded to look at everyone from the acolytes and snorted, she raised her eyes to the sky and scowled. Magneto began to sweat, the girl knew that Exodus was there in the air! *How? Was she always this powerful?!*
She looked at him with a taunting smile that told him that she was onto him. “So… Mister Lensherr, why did you take your jack booted goon squad to come see little old me?”
It was well past the time for pleasantries, Magneto looked at Wanda and pointed his hand at her. “My daughter, I want her back.”
For the first time since six years, Magneto heard the voice of his daughter, and it was to disavow ever being his. “I am no daughter of yours, you traitor.”
This hurt Magneto more than anything, but he didn’t show it on his face as usual. He spoke to her, trying to explain himself, “Wanda, everything I did, I did it for you…”
Wanda raised her hand, to interrupt him. “Don't pretend like you care about me. I have a real family now.”
“You don't know the meaning of that word, Magneto. You don't turn your back on family, like you did to me. I was shown what a true one is like by the Greys.” Magneto’s little girl always had fire in her, but he didn’t like how against him she was.
He asked himself if the asylum life had distorted her thought process? It was alright, he could help her, make her love him again, he convinced himself. Just like before, before it all went pear shaped and she activated her X-gene.
The Acolytes all frowned at the cheek of the young woman, Delgado looked at her as if he wanted to pound her into the road with his fists. Magneto couldn’t show his weakness before his troops, so he chose the scare tactic. “I see, you are turning your back on our family; you might need to undergo some adjustments before you come back into the fold.” He said this almost conversationally when a sudden chill went down his spine when he looked at Jean Grey, her eyes turned gold and then she floated two meters from the ground.
“Did you just threaten Wanda with mental manipulation before me?” Jean Grey asked.
Delgado’s body shone and he became a giant nine feet tall man, The Cortez siblings trained their weapons toward Jean Grey and Katu’s hands shimmered with blue light, he was ready to blast the girl if she attacked.
Like flames, the young redhead’s hair rose from her head. Magneto couldn’t help but feel uneasy as he said, “We are well beyond threats, Miss Grey.”
Jean Grey floated down and landed on the snow as she looked Magneto in the eyes, stopping her intimidation tactic. Then she began to laugh. It was a hollow laugh, full of maleficence. “I had thought that I would be able to make you see reason, Magneto. Because we have common goals, I had intended to give you a place at the table with all those I care about.”
Wanda moved three meters away from Jean, she was getting ready for the inevitable fight. Jean Grey continued to say after looking at him as if he was dirt, “But you are no better than Xavier. You are the sides of the same coin.”
What was it with teenage girls today hurting him with their words? “This is quite insulting.”
Another laugh and Jean answered with a sneer on her face. “It hurts doesn't it? To be compared with that rapist.”
Magneto looked somewhat embarrassed. “Oh you discovered, Charles little... proclivities.”
He regretted not being able to help those young women that Charles had under his influence, but he had better things to do for the cause.
Jean Grey’s body caught on fire as he finished this thought. And Magneto understood he had done goofed. Her body covered in golden flame and a bird outline emanated from her aura. “And you did nothing to help your fellow metahumans, you let that monster prey on young women for so long... You are unfit of the power you wield, unfit to be followed. Ultimately, you have become what you hated, a tyrant who doesn't care about his people besides what they can give you. I guess that in the end Thomas Jefferson was right, ‘The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.’”
Zoom. Bang. Squelch.
The bald head of Katu Kath, one of his best Acolytes exploded. There was a sniper somewhere and Jean Grey had used a code phrase to kill one of his men! *This… how didn’t I feel the bullet come?*
"Katu, no!!" The Cortez woman ran toward the headless body with shock written on her face.
Then something happened that defied Magneto's comprehension. Jean Grey became twelve feet tall and in her place stood a woman in silver and gold armor and big white wings. She opened her wings in full and unsheathed the sword at her belt. She looked beautiful and Lethal, opening her lips, she said with an echoing and lyrical voice, “First blood is for me. Shall we begin?”
A/N: With Xavier dealt with, we are now going with the bonus with Magneto!
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