I own nothing! Important A/N: I will not be updating on December 1, and 8, because those days will be too close to Latin 1 finals. If I manage to write a chapter, I will post it, but if I cannot, I hope I will at least have extra ideas for more chapters. I couldn't update this last night. My grandfather died a few days ago, so I didn't have any time for finishing this chapter. We've been getting ready for the funeral. I ran into complications with my Phoenix plot arch. I will still try to update next Tuesday on time. I will refer to Jean as either Jean (in her proper personality), Phoenix, or Desire. Phoenix and Desire are interchangeable.

I can feel exhaustion rising, the energy from radiation the only thing between It and unconsciousness, and I realize I need control back. This foreign force must not master me. I close down our brain, fighting hard. My vision, our vision, goes dark, signaling my success.

Chapter 11: Of Phoenixes

Jean woke up slowly, painfully. Or maybe it was Phoenix who woke up painfully. Anyway, both of them could feel it. It took a little time to adjust to her/their surroundings, and Phoenix was confused. What should they do? It was at that point that Phoenix realized It was incased in a large, metal container, on a bed. Phoenix did not like being trapped.

Jean had stopped It. Phoenix needed energy, and It needed energy desperately. It looked around again, and sensed an energy source. It wanted that energy, but it couldn't get It. Not yet. That fool of a human, Scott, the one that Jean seemed to love so much, to…desire, had entered. He would do, for now. A smile spread across Phoenix's face, and, as Scott made his way over to it, Phoenix leaned forward, legs sliding off the bed, long gown trailing behind It. Scott stood only a few feet away, and Phoenix let the force of Jean's desire carry It forward, giving Scott a hug, and a kiss on the lips.

Scott was turned from righteous fury at Jean's sacrifice to confusion, to desire. Phoenix's smile grew as he kissed It back, and, for a few seconds, only the two of them existed. It was Scott who pulled away first, and Phoenix was disappointed. It wanted energy, and energy It would have. Ah, well. Phoenix could wait a little longer.

"Jean. Jean, you shouldn't have done that." Scott stated sharply. Poor human, as much as Phoenix agreed, Jean's sacrifice had set It free. "You should have answered me. I love you, and I don't like the idea of you getting hurt. Please, don't do that again."

Phoenix smirked, lazily. "If I want to do it again, I won't have to ask you." Ha! It could rip him to shreds if It felt in the mood. Desire didn't live life with barriers to Its enjoyment. Not that threatening Its life counted as something It wanted. It waited for a little bit longer, and watched Charles Xavier enter. He would have made a prime candidate for a host, but Desire hadn't fully reformed, and couldn't have chosen his body if It wanted to when he was born.

It was Charles who sensed something was wrong, and gave Scott the alarm. "Scott, back away from Jean." He looked confused, and Desire realized why quickly. It had forgotten how to raise barriers against other telepaths. That meant that right now, Its mind was an open book.

"Jean's fine, Professor. Aren't you?" He asked, looking concerned. The last part was addressed to Phoenix. The warning the human telepath gave came moments too late, as Desire realized the reality of the situation, at the same moment It realized Its mind was being probed for information. Desire lunged forward at the self-same second the Professor realized what was coming, and tackled Scott in one more kiss, disorienting him. For a second, Desire searched for that familiar thread of want, and pulled it, attacked it, absorbed energy that Scott left open to Its mind, and watched him sink to the ground with a sense of delight. He had collapsed, and was watching her, only now realizing that something was wrong.

Phoenix pulled in flames, released flames, and soared through the roof. Energy. It saw some, distantly. A fire. Phoenix moved quickly.


Daniel Williams had been trying to read more about Desire when he felt a jolt of energy. It was similar to being stabbed in the skull, crushed, and then sent to fight Pariah…without an Ecto-Skeleton. At least, that was what he compared it to. He buckled under the pain, losing consciousness. He knew it had been more than an hour when he woke up again; the stars had shifted quite a few degrees. He would guess about three hours, and his head still throbbed. At least he wasn't dead, or in a hospital.

He tried to dismiss the feeling that something had gone wrong with the world, but he wasn't successful. He wasn't sure if not being successful in that was a bad thing, or a good thing. He managed to stumble into his house, and through the piles of junk. He collapsed onto his bed after taking some ibuprofen.

He woke up again in time for lunch, and he knew he wasn't going to be very sleepy, so he would probably read all night. He fixed a lunch without paying much attention to what was in it, and he ate, keeping an eye out for trouble. It was at that point that he saw the fiery bird sweep over the city of Bayville, a phoenix. He tripped over the chair he'd left himself to read while sitting on, and watched it soar away. Even in daylight, it was possible to see the flames.

It was at that point that it occurred to him, maybe he ought to speed up the research. He was fairly certain that had been Desire. Lovely. He ate and read simultaneously. He was starting to compile useful information, and there was a chance that he could do something. He just hoped he could finish his theory before the world needed it.

Like it? Loathe it? (I couldn't resist saying, "Loathe") Review it, please! I'll try to get the next chapter out on time. Still: Phoenix plot difficulties. I have sort-of got them worked out, though. Almost.

-MiaulinK