The X-Men present and even some of their enemies were in shock. Logan tried to comfort Jean, but she pushed him back, clinging to Scott's body as to a life buoy. She had laid her head on his chest, from where she almost didn't hear anymore palpitations. Her face in the blood of his wound, she was crying, she was crying…
Suddenly, flames started again to emanate from her body and, as Jean wasn't realizing anything, Scott's wound started to heal. She was in such a state that she didn't realize that he had started again to breathe
- "Blimey" marvelled Hank
He took Scott's pulse:
- "It's reinforcing and stabilizing!"
The voices which were so far away until then, reached Jean's mind. She opened her eyes and saw by herself the miracle. She didn't understand. She passed her hand where Scott had been mortally touched: there wasn't anything anymore apart from the blood he had lost.
- "The Phoenix's tears" Beast realized
- "Ya explain us?" asked Logan.
- "In the mythology, the Phoenix's tears, those coming right from the heart, have an enormous capacity of healing"
Jean was too shocked for following the conversation, the flames surrounding her had vanished again. She was covered with Scott's blood and passed her hands on his face for encouraging him to wake up.
- "Scott?" she was begging.
- "Jean...?" he ended to weakly answer
- "Oh my god, you're alive!" she exclaimed, in tears
- "You saved my life... " he said by opening his eyes.
- "I believed I had lost you, I believed I had lost you forever, I love you so much, so much" she cried against him.
She was shaking, he didn't know how to settle her down, apart from laying kisses on her face and hugging her.
- "Everything's alright, I'm here"
Hank intervened
- "How do you feel Scott?"
- "Weak, but alive, the pain has disappeared..."
- "For a dyin' person, ya seem well" smiled Logan.
- "It's a true miracle" said Beast "Jean cured the wound but you need a transfusion, you lost a lot of blood "
- "I've the same blood group as his" Jean reached to articulate
- "Well, we'll begin the transfusion as soon as we'll be back" he said before asking at Scott "can you get up?"
- "I think so…"
Logan offered him a hand for hoisting him on his legs. Scott wavered and took support on he and Jean who didn't leave him for a moment still under the shock
- "We better not trail, the soldiers'll turn up now that the storm passed"
Kitty destroyed the recordings of the cameramen even though they were in live. Cyclops realized the extent of the damages. Cars and buildings were in fire, pane of glass and shop windows were broken. The streets weren't looking to anything anymore, debris were covering the holed, battered and fissured ground. Other vehicles had been reduced to a state of pancakes and the street lamps were laid on the ground. Here and there, short-circuits were producing some sparks:
- "Oh my god... not the best way of being discovered, we'll be blamed for that"
- "It's Magneto who had organized everything, Phoenix has settled this story" said Hank
- "You have…?" asked Scott to Jean who hadn't said one word anymore, she was shocked.
- "No, she just knocked him out in order to let him in the hands of the justice with Pietro" answered Logan
Jean's eyes ignited, she was going to take care of the damages, without damages, no reproaches it would be something in least against them. At the beginning, the fire seemed to simply vanish. Then, without apparent effort, all the streets, all the buildings, all the cars regained their origin state under the amazed eyes of everyone, all quickly understood who had made this miracle. Jean took care of all the zones with a simple glance, simply by positioning back all the molecules. Then her eyes turned back to normal.
- "Wow" said Logan "Ya'd take good care of the Institute household" he tried to joke but he didn't even make Jean smile.
The mother of the little girl approached:
- "Thank you infinitely for having saved my daughter's life. Whoever you are, I'll be eternally grateful" she said by shaking Scott's bloody hand without any repulsion.
- "I'm glad that she's safe" he answered.
- "Let's go" said Hank "you need care".
They joined the other mutants who panicked by seeing Jean and Scott covered with blood.
- "My god what is all this blood?" asked Ororo
- "Scott you've a head of unearthed" pointed out Tabitha
Jean shivered and Scott tightened her a little more against him, kissing her on her bloody forehead
- "Ya can't better say" declared Logan who was still supporting him
- "Scott was mortally wounded, Jean saved him thanks to the Phoenix's tears" summarized Beast "a true miracle"
- "My God" repeated Ororo
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The citizen's reactions, coming out of their hiding-places, were parted. Those having seen only the demonstration of powers and the destructions looked at them with fear and disgust. A glance that Jean knew, her mother having had the same one for her. But those who had seen the Phoenix settling the problems so easily, the drama of Scott's shortened death and the repairing of the city, seemed more fascinated than another thing.
Members of the S.H.I.E.L.D, who had just arrived, had seized Magneto and his son. Wolverine communicated to them the instructions that Phoenix had given for Magneto's detention but also the name of the person responsible of the creation of the sentinels. Nick Fury promised to hold account of it and, after having ensured himself that the two prisoners would remain unconscious during a few hours, set out again with his men.
- "Let's go" said Logan while returning towards the group.
All embarked in the X-Jet and the X-Copter, X-Men, as Brotherhood, or Acolytes (put aside sabre-tooth who had yet slipped by). They were all in the same boat after all.
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A few minutes later they were at the Institute. The casualties, for the majority without gravity, were dealt by Ororo, the Professor and Hank while the valid people were free to leave. The majority of the Brotherhood and the Acolytes had already done it. But Wanda, Peter and Remy, although on their feet, remained to help.
Hank set up the transfusion for Scott who was lengthened on one of the beds with Jean against him. She still hadn't said a word since he was back on his feet, she wore a vague glance and tears were still running out, diluting the dried blood covering her cheeks. She was far from the Phoenix sleeping in her.
- "Hey Jean, it's finished" said nicely Beast by passing a finger on one of her cheeks "You saved him, you saved everyone, everything is alright"
He gave a damp tissue to Scott in order to wash their faces; they would have a shower and get changed later. The bond Jean shared with Scott was wide open and he didn't cease to see the same scene again and again, the one of his death.
- "Jean..." he tried.
She didn't answer.
- "She's in a state of shock, no wonder after what happened" said Hank "I can't give her any tranquillizer, or it'll pass in your blood and you don't need that. As soon as the transfusion is finished I'll give her some and, after a good hour of sleep, she'll be better" he reassured him
Scott agreed as Hank started the transfusion.
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Beast turned over towards the other adults:
"My god" said the Professor "If Scott had died, the universe wouldn't be the same anymore Jean would have lost any control and would have been eaten from inside by the anger and the desire of revenge"
"Yes I thought about it" approved Logan "Fortunately, he's alive"
"He'll pull trough?" asked Ororo
"Yes, of course he'll, Jean healed him completely. A transfusion, two days of total rest and he'll be alright" answered Hank "In fact here it's Jean who's worrying me the most, she's in a state of shock, I think she has had the fright of her life"
"And there is also the fact that it's the first time Phoenix made such demonstrations of powers, she must have struggle all the time for keeping a kind of control for not letting the things getting too far" declared Charles.
"Yes, but she'll be ok, she's strong our Jeannie" said Logan
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Valid students went in a common room once their wounds patched up, and switched on the TV:
"... beings with extraordinary powers had fought these machines... "
"It's objective" pointed out Tabitha before zapping
Zap
"... who are they? From where are they coming from? We'll do everything for discovering who those individuals are... "
"It only misses X-Files generic…"
Zap
"... If they are humans, can we trust them...?"
"No, as soon as you'll turn you back we'll liquidate you" scoffed Bobby
Zap
"... Come from nowhere these machines seemed to only attack these beings…"
"Ah you've also noticed it?" asked Evan
Zap
"... extraterrestrial? of course!"
"Yes right" scoffed Rogue
"ET calls home" imitated Jamie
Zap
"... What do they want? Since how long do they live among us?"
"Since as long than you, cretin of the islands" said Amara
Zap
"Are we on the point of being invaded?"
"By the stupidity?, like, without any doubt" commented Kitty
Zap
"... refuse to make comments concerning the rumours surrounding the Xavier Institute where several identified individuals live: Evan Daniel, Kitty Pride, students of Bayville. This being which seems to hold quasi cosmic powers is no other than Jean Grey, world champion of Ice-dancing; her partner, Scott Summers has also been identified... "
"Brilliant" Evan commented by seeing his photograph before Tabitha zapped again
Zap
"... the majority of the mutants seems to be normal people, beside of their powers…"
"Yes just a detail" said Amara
"They found the word 'mutant' on this channel, it's progressing" pointed out Rahne.
"It's true"
Zap
"Everyone mistrusts everyone... "
"That's not new" commented Bobby
Zap
"... It's the mob through the whole world, everybody knows that these mutants don't live only in the USA, in fact here at the Xavier Institute... "
"That can seem idiot, but I had never thought about it" said Kurt
Zap
"... We ask for a registration of these... "
"Change of chain" said Evan
Zap
"... Who says that the government isn't manipulated by one of them...?"
"Better and better" said Tabitha
Zap
"The word ' mutants' had been pronounced, they would be, according to geneticists the future of the human evolution... "
"Not so idiot finally" pointed out Rahne
"Yes but all weren't like each other, this beast and this blue imp can they be considered as human?"
"Hey!" the Elf complained
"We give back the word to Rick, our correspondent, on the spot"
"Here all is become calm again since the quasi mystical appearance of a firebird, true Phoenix who made incredible demonstrations of power by stopping these machines but also two mutants responsible of the confrontation. She also saved one of them who was dying after having avoided the death to a little girl as you see it on the screen."
"Oh my god" said several students when they saw the images of Scott's 'death'
"They weren't joking went they said that he had been deadly hurt" realized Tabitha.
"…grateful said her mother to us. Then, this mutant has put back the city in its original state, as if nothing had happened" said Rick "This Phoenix is in fact a mutant of human appearance who isn't unknown and, if I dared, I would qualify her powers of divine"
"Indeed, blimey, it's Jean Grey, world champion of Ice-dancing and the one she saved is Scott Summers her partner!"
"BUZZ, already said" said Bobby.
The man who had so coldly spoken about Hank and Kurt took again the word:
"As by chance two young people who won everything in their sporting discipline are mutants, they're cheating, it's obvious. They are a danger, a threat, they endanger our genetic inheritance and the balance of the forces"
"BBBBOOUUUUUHHH!!!" made the students
"How would they endanger our genetic inheritance if they are the future of it?" pointed out another speaker.
"Definitely I like that one" said Amara
It was the same during all the day, a crowd had even taken shape at the Institute gates where citizens were chanting anti-mutants slogans.
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In the end of the afternoon, even though Scott was still weak, he and Jean returned to their bedroom. After two hours of sleep the young woman had left her dumbness.
They left their bloodied clothes, and both entered into the shower. The warm water ran out on their skin, cleaning the most part of the blood traces.
"Are you better now?" he asked
"A Little…" answered Jean "I... it was a waked up nightmare, my worst nightmare..." she choked in a sob.
"Hey, that won't happen again, it's over, tell yourself that it was only a nightmare"
She shook her head
"It was real Scott, I can't forget it like that" she said "if I hadn't had Phoenix's powers, you would be died at this hour…"
He tightened her against him, she needed comfort, and she needed to find back her reference marks. He knew that if the situation had been reversed he'd been in the same state. In fact he had a little been like it with Phoenix's appearance, but that was different, there he should really have died and in a rather violent way, covered of blood.
He caught the shampoo and applied some on Jean's hair.
"Everything will change now, won't it?" she asked, letting him washing her hair.
She felt exhausted despite her two hours of sleep. Controlling Phoenix's ardour, enduring this trial of believing Scott dead during a few minutes and giving him some of her blood had tired her. She let her go against his chest.
"Surely yes" he answered by massing her head "now, it remains to know in which direction"
"Human ones will never accept us: we are different, they destroy and fear all which is different since the dawn of times" she said
"You reduced the damage to nothing, without what I think that the worst would be to envisage" he said, by attracting her back under the shower for rinsing her hair "Here, it's already better like that" he said by laying a kiss on her face
"Do you think they will prohibit certain functions to us? The access to schools etc?"
"I don't know"
"When we see what happened with the Jews and all the other minority ethnos groups during the centuries, I acknowledge that I'm pessimistic…"
Scott briefly kissed her.
"Don't be,, let's see before judging"
Jean used her telekinesis for washing Scott's hair and soaping their bodies for releasing them from the remainders of sweat and blood.
"Do you imagine if they call into question all these years of training and work?" he asked "If they withdraw our medals and prevent us from taking part in competitions because we are mutants?"
"No, I didn't think yet about it" she answered "I believe that, before all, I must recover from this day"
She closed her eyes and sighed slowly, letting the warm shower release her muscles and tightening herself against Scott as the water was finishing rinsing the foam:
"I love you more than my own life, I wouldn't have survived you in normal circumstances" she started "Because, the worst is that, with the Phoenix, I don't even know if I'd have succeeded in killing me" she said with a slight laugh
"You don't have to think about it anymore" he answered by looking her in the eyes.
He didn't sermonize her on the fact that she was to live, no he knew that him either wouldn't survive to her, so reproaching to her such thoughts would be the last straw.
"Scott?"
"Hum?"
"Make love to me please" she said "I need to erase of my head these images of you... dead... I need you…"
He felt through their bond at which point that was haunting her. But this direct request surprised him, it was the first time that the things happened like it, usually nothing was premeditated between them. But never mind, he kissed Jean by turning off the water before taking her in his arms for joining their bed.
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The evening the X-Men gathered in a common room with their three new recruits: Remy, Peter and Wanda who had decided to stay at the Institute. When Scott and Jean arrived, Logan made a discreet comment about the fact that Scott was supposed to rest, but didn't linger on it. Anton, who had come to join them (well Kurt had to teleport him from the crowd to the building) tightened his student in his arms. He had seen what had happened and had feared the worst.
They were watching the news for knowing their fate, when:
"We must stop our programs for an intervention of the President of the United States" (the one of the movie, certainly not the current President about who I'd abstain from comments it's better...)
"My dear fellow-citizens I address to you this evening as the majority of the heads of states of the world" he started "Today, which was only seen into the comic strips, and the movies, which seemed incredible for the majority of you happened: mutants exist and you must know that the government knew it for more than ten years"
"What??" made several voices
"Hush" grumbled Logan
"Yes, since ten years we supervise them, we study their DNA which has indeed revealed that they were more advanced humans. We made what we could for keeping them hidden for their own safety above all, but the events exceeded us. These robots, these 'sentinels', had been designed by a group also knowing the mutants existence and which has escaped to our control. Doctor Trask, his leader, and his soldiers had been judged and placed in jail for theirs acts qualified of racists considering that they were aiming a pure and simple genocide. As for the mutant who caused this confrontation, he was also stopped thanks to the intervention of one X-Men, one of the mutants living at the Xavier Institute which collects and helps the people carrying the gene X to control their power" he said "The students living at the Xavier Institute are particularly pacifist and are trained for using their powers for the good. So I asked to the people manifesting in front of the gates of this Institute to stop immediately and to go back to their home. The X-Men have, at several times, saved the life of citizens without being noticed and perhaps they have even saved yours or the one of someone you care about. The moment came for you to show spirit of cohesion. Cease to set the ones against the others; you shouldn't judge the mutants on their powers or their appearances. You must learn how to be tolerant and to accept the difference. Any discrimination or violence made against mutants will be punished in the same way that if it had been directed towards a human" he finished "I can now answer your questions "
"Mr. President! Mr. President!!" made several voices
He indicated someone.
"Mr. President, why having let mutants reach significant posts or sporting competitions? Cheating must be easy for them. If we take the example of Jean Grey and Scott Summers, I doubt that they deserve their titles We saw Miss Grey's powerfulness, she must, between other, possess the power of telepathy for having extirpated information from the mutant responsible of the confrontation"
"Mr Reynold, why prohibiting posts to mutants? They have the same rights than any other human" began the President "Then, think well that all was done for supervising the use of the powers. Indeed detectors are placed throughout the world to monitor any election, congress, school examination, sporting competitions, lawsuit etc, there is even some of them here .If a mutant uses his/her powers he/she is immediately located and disqualified, banished or judged for cheating, attempt of corruption or other. For the two mutants to whom you've made a reference Mr Reynold, they don't make exception, all the competitions were supervised, they never used their powers. Miss Grey has even henceforth an increased monitoring for the phenomenal power she's developed. In conclusion, no title, no judgement, no result of examination and no election implying mutants will be doubted. Think that the doping sportsmen, them, pass sometimes apart from the nets, not the mutants because their powers prevent them from doping themselves without it being immediately noticed So I repeat it: no discrimination will be tolerated and I await for sporting or legal judges, professors and other people having a role to play in the life of others, a great neutrality."
"Then they will remain in liberty?" asked a Chinese journalist
"Miss Chin, of course they will remain in liberty and that in the whole world. It's necessary that you understand that rejecting them, it's rejecting your own future because they represent it. Your children or little children have great chances to carry this gene X responsible of the mutation; wouldn't you like them to grow in a free world?"
"Of course, thank you Mr. President"
"Someone else?"
He indicated another journalist.
"But they're true wars machines, they precisely represent a threat for our children!"
"Mr Blint, the billion human beings of the planet cohabit with the small thousand of mutants since tens of years, the fact that the world is henceforth conscious of their existence won't change anything. All they want is tolerance, those who preached the superiority of the mutants changed of camps since the betrayal of their mentor or are too much dispersed for representing a threat. No more question"
Logan switched off the TV.
The students were under the shock, so they were under monitoring for ten years? Their glance was posed on the professors who didn't seem so astonished. It was Jean who declared more than she asked Professor Xavier. She was much more powerful than him and perceiving or analyzing thoughts or behaviours was easy for her.
"You knew it"
Charles knew that it was useless to lie.
"Yes, I knew" he admitted "I have some account to make with the government by keeping them informed in exchange of their silence and of their collaboration in the event of trouble caused by a lose of powers"
"But why didn't you tell us?" asked Tabitha
"For a simple reason: prudence" answered Logan showing in the same time; that he was also aware "Ya tended already sometimes to let ya go, when ya knew that ya had to remain discrete. If we had told ya that the government knew our existence, ya would have less controlled yerself and don't tell me the contrary"
"How do they supervise us?" asked Scott
"For you and Jean and any other sportsman, in addition to the sensors being in the strategic public buildings and working during competitions, there are the famous bracelets which they make pass for master keys. Since the Phoenix appeared, they had to make modifications or they would have lost all their equipment in case of use of powers" answered Charles " So Jean, you've sensors less sensitive but specifically targeted to supervise you"
They discussed like that during long hours before going to bed for recovering from this day particularly exhausting.
Review please!