I do not own X-Men anything.
Oh well.
Dream On
Good Intentions
"Are you purposefully using your powers to intimidate the other students, Jean?"
Charles Xavier's tone was mild, yet firm.
Jean's lovely, young face crumpled in on itself with stress as she perched anxiously in one of the chairs in his study.
"No, Professor."
He eyed her closely.
"I need you to be honest with me, Jean. It is imperative that we as mutants do not use our powers against one another. We must have trust and safety within our community."
Tears sprang to the girl's eyes.
"No, Professor, I'm not!"
She hesitated, then bit her lip, visibly shaking.
"I just . . . I mean . . . I don't how to control it and the more upset and worried I get, the worse . . ."
She stopped, twisted up and confused and afraid. Clenching and unclenching her pale, thin hands. Finally she burst forth in genuine regret and anguish.
"I don't want to be like this, Professor!"
The antique lamps are the room flickered. The amber colored liquid in the crystal reservoirs sloshed as the serving art rattled.
Shame and frustration welled up further in the poor girl inadvertently causing it all.
As Charles Xavier sat seemingly unperturbed in the midst of it all.
The thought had occurred to him and the possibility of it was more concerning than her purposefully causing issues within their ranks.
Because she could not control her power, there would have to be a contingency to control it for her.
Thereby taking away her free will.
Or . . .
". . . of the most powerful mutants I have ever encountered. Unfortunately she has little control or understanding of the power she carries within her."
Charles Xavier took a deep, troubled breath. And exhaled just as slowly.
"And I truthfully don't know how to best help her."
He stopped, staring out at the green mutant covered lawn of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
Then he continued speaking, just as quietly as before.
"I wish you were here, Erik. I wish we could dicuss this over a game of chess. I wish you . . ."
He let the unfinished thought fade away even as it formed in his mind.
. . . were still my friend.
He wasn't projecting his thoughts or speaking to anyone in particular. He was only speaking to himself.
Or rather the himself that hung in the back of his mind, the old one. The bald one. The one with steely, determined hope firmly esconced in his depthless eyes.
He needed guidance, he needed help.
He needed . . . the serum.
And a drink.
Maybe more than one.
He remained where he was.
Contemplating.
Speculating.
"Perhaps . . ."
Perhaps she could be trained to harness her power. Direct it. Control it.
"I don't want to do this, Professor. I'm scared."
The girl's voice quavered as she spoke.
Standing rigid, hands knotted into white knuckled fists.
Calm your mind, Jean. You must learn to control your powers.
Shiny helmet atop her fiery tresses, thick cords running to the console that regulated Cerebro's inner workings.
"I . . . I don't know if I can."
Charles Xavier took a deep breath, trying to think through the smooth surreshing voice in his head.
I know what you're doing, Charles.
Step aside, Erik. You're only a figment of my imagination anyway.
I still know a labrat when I see it.
Then the haunting voice faded, though Charles still felt the disapproving aura linger.
The room was dark, save for slight glow along the pathway back to the door and ghost glow around the console.
Focus your thoughts, Jean. Open your mind. Imagine looking for someone in a crowd.
The void of Cerebro was quiet, dark.
Hush with anticipation.
Jean?
And suddenly the entirety of the domed room exploded into dazzling light so bright, Charles actually felt physical pain.
As dozens of shape lights lit up like shining beacons.
Red and white, human and mutant.
Very good, Jean. Let us stay within the parameters of the Manor, shall we? Find a mind and tread carefully.
But the telepathic girl appeared to be ignoring him. Swept away by the sudden emergence of power Cerebro had awakened her to.
Instead, the luminescent path of her search left the realms of upstate New York.
Traveling far afield.
Jean, stay within the parameters of the Manor, please.
Down and away.
Through growing myraids of human and mutant minds, touching briefly. Moving on.
As though searching for something or someone of extreme importance.
Jean? Jean. Jean.
Until she stopped. Somewhere in the marshland state of Florida.
Honing in on one particular form.
White, indicting human. Surrounded by other forms, mostly human, a dot or two of mutant.
Jean? What are you doing?!
The entranced girl smiled thinly and Charles Xavier realized her mind had gone suddenly alien and dark.
I've found him.
Her astral voice was flat, as if she, but not she, were really speaking. Dread started to well up in Charles' heart.
The man who hit Annie with his car.
Annie-
She's dead because of him.
The figure staggered.
She's dead.
Jean-
And he doesn't even care.
Clutched at his head.
He's at a party.
Jean-
He's at a party and Annie's dead.
Crumbled to his knees.
Annie should be at a party.
Jean!
And he should be dead.
While the other figures amassed around him, shuffling bending down to him and jostling in what was clearly a panic.
He should be dead.
Jean!
Charles Xavier telekinetically jerked the power source from Cerebro.
Professor, it's not fair.
Only to find Jean was not only psychically assaulting the helpless human.
She died.
But also powering Cerebro in the face of his efforts to abort the session.
Jean, stop!
And it hurt her so much.
Jean!
She was my friend. And she didn't deserve to die.
Jean!
And then all went dark.
The first sensation she felt was an awful headache.
Throbbing, pounding.
As if her head were about to split apart.
Groaning, she put her hands to her temples,
And opened her eyes to see flickering sunlight dappling the room through the lace curtains that hung at the window.
She moaned pitifully.
And saw him move.
Professor Xavier in his wheelchair.
Posture straight, face a mask of worry.
"Jean."
He wheeled to her bedside, stopping close enough to touch.
"Are you alright?"
She closed her eyes again.
"My head hurts. What happened?"
His eyes grew more hooded and worried.
"You . . . you don't remember?"
She tried to shake her head, only to have a nauseating roiling pain ground the movement to a halt.
"No. I . . . remember talking about going into Cerebro. And then . . . and then . . ."
It was like a blackhole in her mind. As if something that should have been there had been scoped out like ice cream in a bucket.
"I can't remember. Did I do something bad?"
Charles Xavier kept his face an impassive blank.
"It uh, it actually didn't work. I do apologize for the inconvenience of missing class for nothing. I know how studious you prefer to be. Admirable quality."
He tried to smile normally, but it just felt sick and crooked.
"What about my headache?"
Charles forced himself to shrug casually.
"I believe you slipped and took a rather sharp knock to head actually."
You're a ridiculously pitiful lier, Charles.
Sticks and stones, Erik. You should be here to help me.
If I were, I would helping her learn to control her powers, Charles.
She's too dangerous for that now. Perhaps when she is older, more mature.
So you plan to keep her power caged up under your supervision? As you did with Mystique?
I will not bandy arguement with a phantom of my imagination, Erik.
As you wish, old friend.
Charles redirected his attention to the frightened girl before him.
Jean Elaine Grey, red of hair. Green of eyes.
Thirteen years old.
Who had, a scant six hours ago, murdered a man over a thousand miles away by liquefying the soft tissues of his brain.
Using nothing more than Cerebro.
And the power of her own mind.
So it is cannon that Xavier used Jean's powers in Cerebro. I kinda made up the rest.
Thanks to brigid1318, DinahRay, GladerTributeCamper, and Muggleborn92 for coming back and reviewing!