Note: Yay, I'm back from camp! Time to get moar wonderful stories out there for y'all to read :)
Chapter 6: Mind Games
Noh-Varr hadn't been too impressed with some of the classes so far — they were either remedial at best compared to his level of technology or else they seemed pointless, like English, since he already knew the language. He had, however, enjoyed talking to Hank McCoy about his theories on genetics, though the science itself was behind his own. History was fascinating, because it provided Noh an insight into the planet he was currently visiting. And of course, the combat class was absolutely wonderful; he loved the fact that Logan and K were pushing their students. It was a lot like home.
But the first class that he actually did poorly on was, to his surprise, psychic defense. Jean had been properly mortified to find that Noh's philosophy on telepathy was the complete opposite of Earth's. His mind was completely open so that his crew and Plex could be installed, after all, but here, it seemed that the point was to hide away thoughts and separate minds.
"There are just … so many people here that would take advantage of this," she told him, looking almost horrified when he had explained his own version of psychic defense — protecting the mental links between crew members, not closing off entirely. "I'm sure it's perfectly in order with things in your dimension … but here …"
Noh-Varr frowned at her. "You have such backwards ideas about mind sharing."
"I don't mean just here on Earth, either," she tried to explain, still looking horrified.
"Yes, I am sure the Shi'ar are a problem, as are other threats—"
She shook her head. "Not just Shi'ar …" She let out a sigh. "It's not the same here."
"You want me to close my mind and close the possibilities of cooperation." He raised a single eyebrow as he considered her. "That seems backwards, to my view — and borders on rude."
"I want you to learn to be able to close it when someone attacks your mind," she clarified. "I don't want you to close out what you want — just the negative and those that would try to use you."
He considered her for a moment before he finally nodded. "I suppose, if that is how things are done in this reality, I could at least learn the techniques." He shook his head. "It just seems so backwards to me, not to be open."
"I'm sure it does," Jean agreed. "And to be honest, I don't know what I'd do without the link I have with Scott. I know what it is you're missing — and how effortless it is when it's there. You must be hurting without it."
Noh-Varr looked surprised her way for a second. No one here had brought up the ache that had been sitting in his mind ever since he arrived — though, of course, no one had known how much it hurt. How could they know, unless they had experienced what it was like to be one with not only Plex but the crew and the ship itself?
Where there had been dozens of voices, there was silence. Where there had been a guiding hand in Plex and the Supremor, there was silence. All around him was quiet, and it was only one more reminder of everyone he had lost.
Grief… grief didn't cover what it was he felt. He was alone, abandoned, isolated, in a sea of unfamiliarity. Not even his new friends could alleviate that feeling — that he was drifting and aimless and so very alone.
He let his shoulders drop and nodded. "There's… nothing there," he said slowly. "Where there used to be a consciousness of millions."
"I only saw a glimpse … but it seems overwhelming even with what I saw."
"It's not, really, but I was born into it," Noh-Varr said with a small smile. "This world is so quiet. Deafeningly so. You're all so separated."
She smiled. "We are, but there is a good reason for that," Jean said before she concentrated just a bit and first projected to him, Our world isn't designed for how you were created. With that, she gave him the opportunity to 'hear' what nearly every person for a five mile radius was thinking at that moment — not that he was able to differentiate one from another.
For that one moment, his eyes went wide, and he almost stumbled back before he shook his head when she let up the glimpse of the others. "What…"
"That was just five miles out," she told him. "I can go much wider if you'd like."
"No, no," he said, shaking his head. "That… that was chaotic. Contradictory." He looked completely stunned and confused. "I don't understand. How do you survive as a species? You don't know what you want!"
She gave him a soft smile. "We learn that slowly."
He put a hand to his head and shook it hard. "You're right — you could never be joined the way I'm used to. You would derail each other in a second."
She smiled a little wider at him. "So … psychic defense?"
He nodded. "Yes, I think that would be prudent."
"Then I think … I'm sorry, but I don't think you're ready for this class," Jean said with an honestly disappointed look. "But you and I can go to Charles, and we can work together."
He frowned at that. "This class is for learning psychic defense."
"It is. But if you would like me to demonstrate a light attack, then you'll see how you need an advocate with you to start." She tipped her head to the side. "It's a lot like learning any new fighting style. Sometimes it's good to start with a partner fighting with you."
Noh-Varr nodded. "That does make sense," he agreed, though he didn't look happy about it.
"Don't worry, I'll be on your side," she told him.
He nodded and even gave her a little smile. "I don't doubt that. If what you say is true, then if you were not on my side, I believe I would know by now."
"You would," she agreed with a smirk that bordered on a crooked smile. "On the other hand … Jubilee and her adoptive family are naturally hard to get into."
"Her… adoptive family?"
"Jubilee is an orphan," Jean told him as they headed toward Charles' office. "Logan and K treat her like their own. Usually."
"Ah." Noh nodded his understanding.
"You can't tell from the population here, but people on this planet usually raise their children into adulthood."
Noh-Varr seemed to think it over. "We were simply born — well, emerged from growth chambers — at an age where we could serve the Empire," he said.
"Then you'd likely find our methods barbaric," she said.
"A bit," he admitted with his own small smile. "I know other worlds where natural families are the norm. But we have no such things as orphans on my world. Everyone is part of the collective group. That is what seems more barbaric to me."
"Well, this planet is made of small families that raise their children as they see fit. Sometimes … the parents are lost or killed — or the children given away. Most of the adults here … well. You'll see if you're around for long at all. We're very protective of little ones."
Noh-Varr nodded. "You should be. They aren't developed enough to be without. Even I know that much."
She couldn't help but smile to herself as they reached Charles' office — and he projected out for them to enter before either could knock. "Charles, I was hoping we could do some psychic plane work for Noh's self defense," she said as they walked in.
"I am apparently a remedial student," Noh-Varr said with a self-deprecating smile.
Jean gave his arm a gentle squeeze and shot him an encouraging smile. "We're going to help you with that."
Charles smiled warmly at both of them. "Of course," he said, then turned to Noh. "I think it's best if we begin by looking within your mind — to see what it is that needs strengthening and where our efforts can best be focused."
Noh nodded, opening his hands widely. "That much, I can do."
Charles nodded at that. "Then, let's see what there is to defend, shall we?" With that, he guided the three of them into Noh's mind.
The mindscape that Jean and Charles were able to see was in itself a whole new view of things for both of them. It was just recognizably Kree enough to know that the setting was Hala, but it wasn't anything like the world that they had visited before. Everything was flush with warm light and decorated in vibrant greens and blues and white. It was all angular, every building fitting into the next like puzzle pieces, the streets and pathways following straight lines.
It was perfectly crisp and clean and spotless, everything funneled in one direction toward the center of the city, though as they walked toward the center, they finally came across something that simply didn't belong in the clean white surroundings.
It looked as if something had once been there — something huge and imposing that took up the better part of a few hundred yards in any direction. But instead, there was only the jagged edge of a gaping hole, with no bottom in sight.
Noh-Varr frowned when he saw it. "I'm not sure I understand," he said. "This is my Hala, but this doesn't belong here."
"What does belong there?" Charles asked.
"On the physical world where I come from, this would be where the Supreme Intelligence, as you'd call it, is housed," he said. "Each ship has a Plex that links us back to it, and we're linked to the Plex. Or… I was." He frowned and continued to pace the edge of the hole.
"So this is the gap in your consciousness," Jean said. "What's no longer there."
Noh-Varr nodded slowly. "It must be," he agreed, then turned to frown back at the cityscape they'd walked through. "Everything leads to this point. And now…" He shook his head and sat down nearby. "Now, there is nothing."
"You can rebuild much of this," Charles told him.
"With what minds?" Noh-Varr asked. "This reality is closed. There is no one to step in here."
"You can rebuild it for yourself," Jean said. "It wouldn't make it any less possible to reconnect should you find yourself back in your own universe."
"But it would make it possible to learn to defend my mind," he surmised. "I suppose I cannot defend an endless hole." He turned to the other two. "I don't know where to start," he admitted. "Everything I am was directed by the Empire. How do I begin defense when what is here was the very heart of who I am?"
"We can help you … you just need to decide how you want to go forward, and as you do so … the hole will close up," Charles told him. "I've seen much worse."
Noh-Varr looked surprised to hear it but nodded all the same. "I… want to go to Hala and find a purpose again. Is that helpful at all?"
"It may be," Charles replied. "And Jean and I may be able to help you to contact them without going all the way there."
Noh-Varr seemed to brighten at that. "That would be ideal. I need guidance; I'm not sure what to do here on this world."
"Then I'll start; Jean can help us to project that far. Concentrate on your message," Charles told him.
Noh nodded and closed his eyes. I am Noh-Varr of the Kree Gestalt ship Marvel. I have come from another reality and crashed on this Earth and seek to serve the Empire here, but I don't know how.
Charles and Jean both shared a small look at the nature of the message — neither of them was entirely comfortable with Noh's request for orders — but the boy was so determined that they relayed it to him.
To their surprise, the response seemed to echo from within the gaping chasm that they were standing beside when it did come: This earth is and shall ever be protected by the Empire. You are part of this Empire, and thus, you are never alone. You will be empowered to act and have the power to act to protect this world, and know that the empire is watching you. You are no longer alone in this universe.
When the message came through, Noh-Varr seemed to visibly relax, looking completely relieved to have a directive, even if it was just to stay put for a while and protect this planet. But more interesting to Jean and Charles was the fact that the gaping chasm seemed to have a bottom to it now, just a few feet below them.
"Thank you," Noh-Varr said, looking up at the other two with an expression that bordered on the most emotional they had seen him, drawing their attention from the hole back to the young man.
Jean and Charles glanced at each other one more time before they left his mind together, and Noh-Varr followed, still looking like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. "Thank you," he said again, offering his hand to Jean in that same trusting manner as before.
"We only want to help you find yourself," Charles said, though the warmth was gone from his smile as he considered the situation. It was clear that the Kree had established a foothold in Noh's mind, and considering the design of his mindscape, they had made themselves comfortable where his drive and purpose was housed.
Noh had come from a universe that directed him, and the Kree of this universe were clearly more than happy to take advantage of a willing drone.
The session ended quickly after that, with Charles assuring Noh that he had seen enough to begin to formulate a plan for his defense. But he didn't voice his thoughts until Noh was back in class with Jubilee, and Jean's eyes were flashing with fire by the time the boy was out of earshot.
"I think that you should continue private coaching on his defenses," she said to Charles. "You've got more experience — and I'd like to wait before revealing anything."
"It will take some time," Charles replied softly. "To give him his freedom." It was clear that he too, was seething over the teenager's misuse, but already Charles was forming a plan on how to try to repair the damage. Finally, Charles looked up at Jean and forced a smile into place. "Let's just hope that we can do what is required before the Supreme Intelligence decides to reassign him."
"If it happens too soon, I'll be sure to join him. Even if the ship is lost, I can return on my own," she decided. "I can't help but feel that Hala wouldn't be under Shi'ar rule had I not been afraid of them the first time we met. Perhaps they wouldn't feel so desperate."
"And beyond that, it would be beneficial for you to go with him to prevent the damage from worsening," Charles said with his chin resting on his clasped hands.
"It won't go any further," she said.
"No," he agreed. "It won't."
After leaving Charles' office, Jean made a point to reach out to her best options for stress relief that didn't involve the man in her life, and by the time she got to the kitchen, both Ororo and K were meeting up to join her for a drink off grounds.
"What's the plan?" K asked, "Aside from keeping you two from getting too wasted and getting you home without any flying incidents?"
"Isn't that enough?" Ororo asked with a sly smile as the guys came up from the Danger Room, already discussing possible outcomes and how to get Noh prepared to join the team — at least temporarily.
"He's already been trained for combat — we just need to train him on how to work with us, and how to hold back," Scott was saying, clearly already on board with their new find.
"Take your sweet time with that," Jean said as she pulled her coat on. "That's not going to happen for a while."
Scott looked up at Jean with an honest look of surprise. "I thought he was here for a while."
"He is," she said. But he isn't going to be ready for that until we address a few major issues.
Scott tipped his head her way. What's wrong?
Major security breach for starters. Jean looked more irritated, and a blush rose up in her cheeks that only happened when she was outright mad. And a controlling presence that he is designed to follow no matter what.
Designed? Scott frowned Jean's way. I don't like the sound of that.
It's ingrained into his psyche, she told him before she made her way over to wrap her arms around his waist and snuggle in for a moment. And he has no concept of free will. At all.
Scott almost absently kissed her forehead and then frowned a little deeper. So if he's not in his home reality, who is controlling him? He asked. I thought he said he was disconnected to everyone.
She made a little noise of irritation in the back of her throat. He was. He wanted to go to Hala, and we helped him phone home. The Supreme Intelligence answered and basically told him to park it until the Empire tells him to roll over and beg. "I'm going out with the girls for a few hours. Hope you don't mind too much. I know it's short notice." But if I don't go and relax, I'm going to go full on firebird on those idiots.
Scott nodded. "That's fine. I need to talk to the professor anyhow," he said. You said you both were there for the message. I think I'd like to hear the details.
She looked up with a little smile and stole a kiss. "You're wonderful. Have fun."
With that, Scott kissed her back for a second before he headed off to Charles' office, curious on just how bad this 'controlling presence' from the Supreme Intelligence could be — though even with the affectionate routine, they were fooling absolutely none of their friends as to what they had been up to.
"Psychic makeout session?" K muttered to Ororo.
"Not a very long one," she replied. "And not very sneaky either."
The three women were almost out the door when Jubilee and Noh-Varr came running up to them, holding hands as usual. "Are you guys headed out?" Jubilee asked.
"We're taking the Jeep," K told her. "What is your need, sweet sparkles?"
"Noh-Varr's never been to the mall," she said. "And he needs to experience the right way to shop."
"A mission of mercy," Ororo mused. "Do you have Remy's credit card?"
"Do you?" Jubilee shot back.
"What a question," she replied before she dug into her purse and handed over a black card. "I have another for us, of course."
"Of course," Jubilee said, matching her tone exactly before she turned to Noh-Varr. "Always depend on the weather goddess, Noh. That's just a fact of life."
"I'll try to remember that," he said with a light smile and a nod.
The little group piled into the Jeep and headed out, and while they had hours before closing time, the women simply dropped the two teenagers off and headed off with instructions on where to be at closing time. In the meantime, the adults were going to drink — at least until Jean felt less like burning the Supreme Intelligence to ashes.
"So," Noh-Varr said, turning to Jubilee. "What is it we need to purchase?"
"Clothes for you … you really can't wear the same thing every day," Jubilee said. "More clothes for me ... because a girl can never have too many yellow trench coats … and music for both of us because … well. We can."
He looked down at the white and green he was wearing and let out a sigh. "Yes, well, I suppose there is some logic to that," he said, taking her hand again as they kept walking. "And you do not wear your uniform at all times."
"Well … I don't really wear a uniform?" Jubilee said. "Cramps my style a lil bit."
"But you are on a team," he pointed out.
"I am," she agreed. "But I'm what they are calling 'junior league'... you know … now that there are enough younger people to put on a team together. Whatever. I was with the grown ups before the kiddie team started."
"Then you are leading the junior team?" he asked. "If they assigned you to those with less experience, that must be the case."
"More or less," she said with a shrug. "Usually, we have to follow whoever joins us from the senior team — which isn't bad most of the time."
"Hmm." Noh-Varr tipped his head to the side. "I wonder… if I were to ask to join the team while I am here, which I would be considered to be — junior or senior. I was just an ensign, after all."
"Prolly depends on how you test in," she told him. "See … the prof wanted to make sure I wasn't being rushed into being grown up. As if that didn't already happen before I met up with the X-gang anyhow."
"Ah, then I am probably not the best person to test into such a situation, since I emerged fully-grown from my growth chamber," he pointed out.
"Awww, that's a shame," she said, shaking her head. "You probably would have been a cute little kid. I mean, you'd have nothing on me; I was precious. But not … not bad."
Noh-Varr laughed. "I suppose I might have been," he said as he followed Jubilee into the clothing section of the store.
"Just … start looking for the colors you like," she advised — shooing him with one hand. "And we'll figure out what size you are."
He raised an eyebrow her way but started to wander through the different racks of clothing, which let Jubilee get a few minutes to find some cute things for herself. By the time she got back to him, though, she was surprised to see his eclectic collection of just about everything white or green or black.
"You… said to find the colors I like," he said simply.
"I did," she agreed before she looked at him and held up a shirt, only to shake her head and pick up the next size up. "You'll need to try these on first." She waved for him to follow her. "Changing room back here."
"I did try to find pieces that visually matched by build, but there doesn't seem to be a consensus on the labels as to proper sizing," he said, sounding annoyed.
She smiled up at him. "Tell me about it. It's even worse in the women's department."
"That… is incredibly inefficient," Noh-Varr said.
"And irritating," she agreed. "Not everyone is stacked like a supermodel."
"Considering the prefix super-, I would think that would be obvious," he said as he took a handful of clothes into the changing room to try them on.
"Oh, you're amazing, Mr. Spock," she giggled. "And so right."
"That is not my name," Noh-Varr called back from the dressing room.
But that just had her laughing harder. "I promise I'll show you what I'm talking about when we get back, okay? But it so fits you."
"So… this is a nickname? Like 'Charles' for Charlie?"
"Yes," she giggled. "But Charlie is the nickname for Charles. He doesn't like it when Logan and K call him that. He prefers his whole name."
"Then why do they call him that? They obviously like him."
"Mostly to irritate him," she said. "They like to pick on the people they like."
Noh-Varr shook his head as he stepped out in black jeans and a white tee shirt. "Is this passable?" he asked.
She had her arms crossed over her chest as she waved him forward. "Spin around please …"
He shrugged and held out his arms to spin around.
"Are you comfortable?" she asked. "Because it looks like it might be almost tight."
"That's how clothes are fitted," he said.
"You think so? Different fabrics need different cuts. Bend over to touch your toes and tell me if it's comfy."
He smiled at her and bent over first forward and then backward all the way to touch his toes again. "Hmm, you're right. It doesn't quite stretch as much as I do."
She was grinning and very clearly on the verge of laughing still. "It really doesn't. Shameful."
He tried on a few more pairs of black slacks and jeans as well as a variety of green and white tees before they packed up to head out, this time for the music store.
The two of them looked through the CD selections, but obviously, since Noh-Varr was new to the reality, he didn't have any clue who any of the artists were, so he was simply reading some of the song titles and looking over the artwork.
Jubilee took a moment and watched him cluelessly pick up one album after another before she set her CD down and guided him over to a listening station. "This really only has the newest stuff on it … but it should give you an idea of what you're looking at. The artwork … hardly ever tells you anything."
"Your whole world is filled with inefficiencies," he told her with a smile as he sat down at the station.
"Shut up and embrace it," she laughed as she handed him the headphones.
He pulled the headphones down over his ears, and almost instantly, he lit up like a Christmas tree, grinning widely as he listened to the song playing over the headphones. He cycled through a few different songs — Boyz II Men, Bryan Adams, that sort of thing — and he only seemed to get more excited with each one before he took off the headphones and looked over at Jubilee. "We don't have anything like this where I am from," he told her.
"Well of course not, it's inefficient," she teased.
"It's wonderful," he countered. "Some of these harmonies… they move through you."
"That is how music works," she told him. "And if you like that … you'll love dance class."
"I think I will have to try it," he agreed. "And… I will need more varieties of music. There are a lot of genres in this store, and you said this station was only newer music."
"Oh, that … is really just pop," she told him. "There is a lot more than that. Some of the other stations have other stuff … hard rock is over there … and some oldies …"
Noh-Varr grinned outright at that, making his way through the different stations — though it was clear he had a favorite when he practically parked at the oldies station, the grin widening the longer he sat there and listened until finally Jubilee had to practically drag him away from it — and leave with a whole stack of oldies for him to listen to, since obviously he liked it.
He was still grinning over the CDs as they grabbed some smoothies to have while they waited for the older X-Men to come get them. "This is good too," he said, shaking his smoothie a bit.
"I will never give you something that isn't worth having," Jubilee pointed out.
"I didn't think I would like the artificial sweeteners, but the texture and the taste are … fun," he said with a little smile.
She smiled at him and couldn't help but shake her head. "So. Is the big, bad, inefficient mall anywhere as bad as you imagined?"
He laughed. "No, I can see the appeal," he said. "Perhaps not in the ridiculous clothing debacle, but in the other stores."
"Well now that we know your sizes, it'll be easier if you need anything else," Jubilee pointed out as the Jeep pulled up with their ride. All three of the ladies were smiling, through once the kids climbed in, Jean seemed to get a little more somber, though not entirely. She was leaning against the window and muttering under her breath about a firebird while she made half-hearted gestures with her hands miming an explosion.
"Did you kids have fun?" K asked as they headed out.
"Yes," Noh-Varr said, grinning over at Jubilee. "Jubilee showed me 'oldies' music."
"How far back is considered oldies now?" K asked.
"Um, sixties-ish," Jubilee said.
K let out a noise of disbelief. "Ridiculous."
"It is not," Noh-Varr said. "I thought it might be, but the harmonies and the way the sounds are woven into each other…."
K gave him a dry look in the rearview mirror and flipped on the radio to tune into a station playing tunes from the forties. "This is from the forties — and it's not oldies either," K said.
Noh leaned forward with both of his eyebrows high as he listened to the music. "I like this style," he said. "You can feel this one too — in your teeth and your skin."
"It's not even turned up," Ororo said. "Not like in dance."
Noh-Varr waved a hand at her. "I can hear very well."
"Let's not play that game," K replied. "For some of these, it's nice to feel it rather than hear it."
Noh-Varr nodded. "That makes sense," he said before he looked K's way. "I think I would like to be in dance class — who do I speak to for that?"
"Me," she said as she looked at Jubilee, who was giving her a pleading look. "Jubes knows when class is."
"Wonderful," Noh-Varr said with a genuine smile directed Jubilee's way. "I think music is an inefficiency I can support," he added just for her.
"Well that's one …" she replied with a teasing smirk.
"It won't be the last one he supports," Jean sang out.
"I cannot support the inefficiency of clothing sizes," he said. "They are not standardized in the least."
"They are not," K agreed before she turned to Ororo with a smirk. "We should all follow the goddess' example and say to hell with them all together." She looked over her shoulder at Jean. "We just have one hold out."
"Ah, well, as I've learned recently, it is not a gathering of Terrans until one of you disagrees," Noh-Varr said, sounding perfectly matter-of-fact about it.
"Honey, you're so wrong," K said, chuckling to herself. "We don't need to gather to do that."
He laughed out loud at that. "This is true," he agreed, earning a little eye-roll from Jubilee and a smirk from Jean.
When they got back to the mansion, K made sure to help Jean out of the Jeep and let the redhead lean on her as they headed inside until she found Jean's waiting husband. "Scott … We had a pretty good time, and Jean is one hell of a cheater on the pool table after four or five shots of tequila. So you know."
"Trust me; I married her, I know," he said with a smirk as he let Jean lean on him a bit, though when she simply leaned in more and kissed him, the smirk widened, and he picked her up to carry her.
"I may have encouraged her to keep going," K sang out. "Have a nice night."
"You too," Scott said, still grinning as he carried the overly affectionate Jean off.