Apparently the answer was pretty bad. The X-men, what little remained of the X-men, were divided. Scott and his school were in San Francisco. Logan and his team were in New York in a refurbished and freshly renamed school. She had to admit that it some what amused her that Logan named the school after her. She had a feeling that had more to do with the rivalry between him and Scott than anything else. Some things would never changed.
Logically it made sense for there to be two schools. They could reach more people. There would be options for the students. This had little to do with logic and what was best for the students. It didn t take a rocket scientist to know that. Logan and Scott fought, again. This time it resulted in a break with X-men choosing what sides they wanted to be on. From what she heard, there were so few mutants left, they shouldn t be divided if there was going to be a chance for survival. Scott should have been more tactical than that. He was supposed to be the logical one. Sure this kind of behavior was expected from Logan, but to start a school out of pure spite? At least he was helping people she supposed.
The memory of returning to Earth was fresh in her mind. She remembered waking up somewhere near Anchorage, Alaska. It didn t take long for the Avengers to find her. Apparently they had been tracking the Phoenix for quite some time. Their latest goal was to destroy it before it could go on another murderous rampage and take it out on an unsuspecting random planet. It was understandable but foolish. Not even five minutes being back on Earth, she was in custody and being put on trial for crimes that hand t been committed yet.
So what are you going to do? Jean asked somewhat amused by the situation. If her captors had been spending so much time tracking the phoenix, they must have had some knowledge on what they were going to do when they finally had it contained. Are you going to kill me when I haven t even been back for a day yet. Seems a little rude.
Lets not jump to exaggerations, miss, Steve said looking over to her. They had been waiting for Fury, and in the mean time had been discussing things in a hushed whispers as if that could stop Jean from knowing what they were talking about if she really wanted to know.
My name is Jean. There s no need for formalities or are you just trying to minimize the damage that will be done to your conscious after you execute an innocent woman by not acknowledging my name. Because we all know how well that go to plan works with the Phoenix.
I was only trying to be polite.
Forgive me if I doubt that given my experience with people who think they know what they re doing in the situation.
We know exactly what we re doing, Tony interjected trying to get some control over the situation.
You know nothing! Jean snapped at them unable and unwilling to keep calm when these men talked about what they were going to do with her like she was some sort of property or animal they inherited from the death of a relative. Some of you may be entirely brilliant and you could have consulted the most brilliant minds that are in your arsenal, but you know absolutely nothing about what you re dealing with. You think that you can kill me and your problem will be solved. That will never solve the problem. It is a quick band aid fix and the adhesive will dissolve when she wants to come back.
We ll just have to make sure that there s nothing to come back to.
What are you going to do Tony? Put me in a lead box. She s an all powerful being with the powers of creation at her finger tips, not Superman. Jean s snark got her no response as they continued on giving Tony s words the chance to sink in. Nothing to come back to. If you do what the Shi ar did, I will rip that battery right out of your chest and I won t need any powers to do it. Jean made no attempt to hide the threat from her voice.
Is that a threat, Miss Grey?
It s a promise Stark. I will not stand by and watch you murder what little family I have left. What are you going to do about all the other Jean Greys and their children and family members in alternate universes. Rachel made it here, what s to stop the rest of them. You think that the phoenix is contained in this single universe?
Complete silence followed her comment. Either they hadn t thought about it or they didn t want her to talk anymore and stopped goading her. Jean didn t care which one it was. She doubted that they had any way to get to other Universes. Given that their only plan so far was to kill her, she didn t think that they had the ability to jump different universes. Time maybe. Universes, probably not.
It wasn t until they were joined by Scott Summers that Jean had any interest in the group.
I should be included in this conversation, Jean said making her presence known once again. It s my life that you re talking about. Last time I checked I still get a say in that, and seeing is I doubt I m getting any sort of trial, this is the least that you can do for me.
Why? It s not like you re going to agree to whatever we have to say, Tony said not even looking at her.
If anyone knows the meaning of literal self sacrifice, it s me. I m sure Scott can vouch for me that I have willingly gone to death when I have deemed it necessary. Besides don t you think that it makes sense to actually have an expert on the Phoenix in on these conversations? From what I ve seen you don t really have one of those here.
Don t be so sure darling, came a voice shortly before the body it belonged to sauntered into the conversation. Sorry I m late, I got caught up with a few things.
Are you bringing Rachel with you Emma dear? Because right now I still don t see their so called expert.
Emma has been consulting with us as has Scott, Bruce said offering an explanation before things could get tense.
The Phoenix inhabited me as well as some point, don t forget Jean dear, Emma said sounding almost proud of herself that she had that sort of power even if it was for only a moment.
Being used by the phoenix for all of five seconds doesn t make you an expert, especially since you weren t even in control, Jean reminded her. She wasn t going to sit here and be preached to by Emma. If anything you re the whole reason we have a problem with this. You had Mastermind delude the Phoenix into insanity or did you neglect to tell them that? I doubt they already knew that given their poor knowledge on the history of the situation.
True but I know first hand of how it can destroy your life.
And if it wasn t for me and the Phoenix, you d still be in a million little pieces on the floor, or did you forget that too?
Jean this really isn t going to help your situation, Scott pleaded with her.
And what is Scott? Just because I m at their mercy right now doesn t mean i m going to sit down and take this. I have done nothing to deserve this right now. Have you heard what Tony wants to do? He wants to eliminate every possible host that the phoenix could take. You do realize that includes your daughter right?
That solution was taken off the table a long time ago Jean. Tony is just being an ass.
I wouldn t be so sure about that. It s the cleanest way to do it, and I wouldn t mind starting right now just so shut her up, Tony said not looking up from the table.
Scott, tell them to let me out so I can at least be part of this discussion. Even the Shi ar at least let me fight for my life. I ll keep the dampener on if it makes everyone more comfortable, Jean said trying one last time.
She s got a point. Let her out, Scott said looking to Steve. He agreed and Jean was swiftly let out and joined in on the conversation.
You re responsible for whatever she does, Tony said.
Tell me you ve at least tried to think of something other than just trying to kill the Phoenix, Jean said willing to hear what they had come up with.
There s a plan to try and control it, Bruce said hesitantly.
Who came up with that idea? No one wanted to answer, but eventually Emma very smugly offered up the answer.
We did.
You and Scott? Are you kidding me? You should know how terrible that is. You can t control this.
We very nearly had it under control the first time around.
You tortured it into insanity! You are the reason that there was ever a Dark Phoenix. You were the cause of the deaths of billions of beings. I wasn t even a part of that. I was still in suspended animation. If you want to lock up a killer, it s her, not me.
You always have a flare for the dramatics.
What s the matter Emma? Don t like being called out on the things you ve done when you re still trying to push your new rehabilitated image?
Ladies please, can we get back on track? Steve asked as Fury finally walked into the room.
Now now Rogers, don t break them up just yet. We could get a mud pit, sell tickets, and probably get the government a good ways out of debt from the profits. No one was amused. Pudding or Jello would work as well.
I hear you either want to kill me or control me, Jean said calmly to Fury wondering what he thought about what his team had been doing.
Right now those are the two options that we re considering, yes, Miss Grey. He told her.
Then let me give you a third one. History shows that when you don t try and mess with this that I m in control of things. Planets aren t being destroyed. There s no intergalactic mayhem or issues. There s always a reason that I come back. Let me figure out what it is. If I feel myself slipping I ll report back here and get help. You can keep a tracker on me if need be.
And what if you can t get back here? What if something goes wrong?
Then I ll make sure that I m always with the only man who s ever been able to kill me.
Unacceptable, Scott said.
And why is that? Emma asked slightly irritated that Scott would have any objections that Jean would be spending a lengthy amount of time with Logan. For once Jean and Emma were on the same page.
Because he s in New York and the main X-men base is now located in San Francisco. If you re here to do something than being with the X-men will be the best way to figure out what that is.
You don t know that Scott. Even if that is true, I m tired. I want to go home and rest. My home is in New York, Jean said. No one should be disputing the fact that she wanted to rest. Keeping herself rested was a good way to make sure that she was in control. She didn t want to deal with the stress of being around Emma and being in a new city.
Are you sure that you can handle all of those old ghosts?
The bigger ones would be with me in San Francisco. Besides, I don t think that it s a good idea to be around Emma. If we re being careful about this and taking every precaution, then I shouldn t be round someone that has a history of wanting to control this.
My whole life does not revolve around you, Emma said offended at the notion.
I am trying to do you a kindness Emma. Most women wouldn t want to live in a house that has their current boyfriend s ex wife living in it. Emma took a moment to think about what Jean said and nodded afterwards.
I agree with Jean. Let her go to New York to rest. You ll have more people around her anyway if she goes dark side. Like she said, Logan is the only one with enough decency to kill her when she asks him to. If she doesn t figure out what she s come back for, then we ll help her.
What do you say Fury? Give me a chance. I can be a lot more use to you alive than dead. The world must be really going to hell if I m back, right?
Jean Grey, you are going to be on probation that will be served out at the Jean Grey Institute for Gifted Youngsters. You will be outfitted with a chip that will measure your power levels, stress levels, and other biological signs. It will also track your location. If at any time we determine that you are acting as a threat or in a danger of losing control you will answer to us and we will try to fix the situation in any way that we can so long as you continue to remain in control and in the service of Institute. Do you agree? He asked her.
Yes, but I m serving this out where?
The Jean Grey Institute of Gifted Youngsters, Emma answered. Your feral lover has decided to rename the Xavier Institute and start his own school.
Things have changed Miss Grey. I hope that you can adapt.
That's the end of chapter one. I've been out of the fanficiton world for a little while and I'm not completely caught up with what everything's been going on in the x-universe which is why this is slightly AU as to not upset any die hard fans out there. So I hope you enjoy and continue reading.