For Scott and Jean who, at one month from the world championships, didn't go anymore to school but followed correspondence courses, the fact of being suddenly revealed was felt only through the newspapers and the websites. It was mitigated, their fans seemed to remain faithful to them in the majority, had told them Kitty. But they were rather sceptics as for the fair plays of the next competition and that despite the presidential orders. In fact for Jean in particular, it was what had happened which haunted her, she made many nightmares where she didn't save Scott and lose control of Phoenix and he had to comfort her often before these bad dreams disappeared.
For the other Institute members, it was martyrdom. Even though many professors and students respected the requests officially, semi-officially it was something else. There were those who looked at them as if they were rats, those who feared them, those who seemed to respect them and those who were fascinated by them.
Duncan's band and the Brotherhood (the ones who hadn't remained at the Institute and had kept this taste to put the disorder) had well tried to waste one evening devoted on the tolerance, but the simple arrival of Jean who had felt their presence and had come to make sure that they would remain quiet made them incline. No need of demonstration, they knew with who they dealt.
"Band of cowards, she's alone!" Duncan had exclaimed
"Perhaps, but she's more powerful than all the mutants of the planet joined together, and maybe even more, we're not insane!" had retorted Toad before setting out again with a jump.
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One week before the world championship, Ororo accompanied Anton, Scott and Jean to Paris with the X-Copter so that they could carry on to train and especially adapt themselves to the skating rink and take their marks on this one. Of course, the two young mutants could have piloted it, but Charles had preferred not to put this responsibility on them so that they could concentrate on their programs.
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The day of the first trial, the other students were going to join them. It was a week of class, but for supporting their friends for this first championship ' undercover' everyone left for Paris. They were first of all going to make a turning to Montreal for embarking Jean's family...
John Grey's house, 6.10 p.m
Jean's father lived in a particularly isolated house which was perfect for fetching them.
"We'll never be at Paris at time by leaving only now!" said Paul, Sarah's fiancé who was going to be part of the voyage.
He had rather well accepted the mutants; he was open-mind.
"We'll darling, they've between other a rather particularly remarkable jet, I never saw it but it'd join Bayville/Paris in only one hour" said Sarah
"The Concorde took 3h26! That would mean that they... not it's not possible, they would reach Mach5?"
"Yes it's, exceptional isn't it?"
A yawn made itself hear.
"Do they arrive soon mom?"
"Yes Annabelle" answered another woman, Jessica, John' sister
It wasn't the motors noise which informed them of the X-Jet arrival, but the blow of the engines for the vertical landing. Once the cloud of dust dissipated, the Blackbird appeared in all its splendour.
"Wow, we'll take this plane?" exclaimed Annabelle
A footbridge opened, and the Professor went down in his wheelchair:
"Good evening, are you ready?"
"Good evening Charles" said John by shaking his hand before answering "yes we can leave"
"Well, we'll find, Scott and Jean in Paris. Hey Annabelle you've grown a lot"
"She doesn't dry up of praise on her cousin and even more since she saw her on TV with the sentinels story"
A voice inveighed them:
"Hey, I wouldn't like to hustle ya but we should leave" grumbled Wolverine.
They all took their bags and went up in the X-Jet, their eyes filled up with curiosity. Charles made rapids presentations for Jessica and Paul, but also for Annabelle, Sarah and John who didn't know the new recruits, and invited them to sit down.
"Does the government know also for this plane?" asked Paul, admiring
"The government yes, but not for a long time because it's equipped with a furtive system without faults" answered the Professor "the civilians, them, are unaware of its existence"
"The militaries would sell their own soul for havin' it between their hands" said Logan by starting the engines "But they won't have it"
The plane shook, went up vertically on a hundred meters, before leaving ahead, passing several times the sound wall until Mach 5.
"Jean's really able to pilot that?" asked Sarah, suddenly sceptic.
"What, the X-Jet? Yes since nearly two years now" Logan answered
"Blimey... "
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The hour passed quickly, the X-Jet had slowed down for twenty minutes and was arriving in sight of Paris.
"Chuck?" asked Logan
The Professor placed his hands on his temples.
"She's in place as scheduled" he answered
In front of the interrogative glances of the guests, Hank, who was wearing his image inducer, declared:
"We can't land in a park without drawing attention; So Jean is waiting for us there for taking care that nobody notices our landing"
"How?" asked Jessica
"By telepathy. She'll feel any person seeing us and will do the necessary so that she or he doesn't see anything strange. Of course the X-Jet remains in furtive mode for the radars but not from sight, so, once posed, Kitty will phase it in the ground when we'd have left"
"Yes like that nobody sees it and the soldiers can always scrape themselves to try to study it" said Wolverine
"Logan" the Professor nicely reprimanded him
They arrived above of the park and saw four people right below: Anton, Ororo, Scott and Jean. The walkers, indeed, didn't seem to notice anything.
Once posed, the passengers started to go down, nothing did press, it was 7.10 p.m, Scott and Jean passed at 9p.m. For the young woman, keeping a part of her mind for controlling the walkers while welcoming her family wasn't a problem.
The reunion was warm, they had often spoken to each other by phone, but it was good to see each other again.
"Aunt Jessica!" said Jean by embracing her "That made such a long time!"
"I wasn't going to miss the championship of my niece" she answered by hugging her back before shaking Scott's hand
"Paul, come here so that I can introduce you to my little sister" called Sarah
Jean smiled to the fair man who approached.
"So here is my future brother-in-law"
"And here is the powerful Phoenix" he smiled by shaking her hand
"I'm delighted to meet you finally and to know that you're so tolerant"
"Shared pleasure" he said before turning his head "Scott I suppose?"
"That's right, glad to meet you"
They shook each other hand. The Professor noticed Anton's tired eyes.
"Hey Anton, you seem to be exhausted"
"Don't talk to me about that, those two came for three mornings to wake me at four a.m with an alarm clock…." He said
The other laughed
"Like in the movie 'Rasta Rocket'?" asked Tabitha
"Exactly" answered Ororo "But I don't think they have ever seen this movie"
"Did they take a picture?" asked Kurt
"Yes"
"Splendid!" eclaimed Tabitha
Behind them, Kitty was phasing the X-Jet which the attention of the family, that didn't happen everyday. The plane was only buried until the fuselage when:
"Jean, can I have a little help please? I'm saturating, it's stone" said Kitty
"I take care of it, move back" she answered.
Her eyes ignited and the X-Jet seemed like going down quietly as in quicksand. Then, once disappeared under the surface, the ground regained its normal texture.
"Modifications of molecules" indicated Ororo "Impressive I know, but her powers don't have known limit"
Jean's eyes regained their normal colour.
"You'll remember where you parked?" Scott asked Logan
"Very spiritual Cyke" answered Wolverine "And ya by the way?"
"Just beside"
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They took their belongings and walked a hundred meters for joining their hotel where they had held seven rooms since months: five with two superposed beds in each one and two with a double bed for the two couples: Scott and Jean, and Paul and Sarah. The repartition had been made so that at least a responsible, adult or not, would be in each room.
Scott, Jean and Anton didn't stay long. They went to take their bags containing all that they needed and left for the skating rink.
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The others dined at the hotel before leaving at their turn for attending to the ice-dancing short programs. At the entry, some people with anti-mutants signs had just been arrested.
Like any high level championship, the comments were given in the local language and in English, the spectators had auricles at their disposal to hear them. The group of twenty-two people went to settle in the cabins right at the edge of the skating rink.
Scott and Jean passed first of the second group which had the advantage to have a freshly re-surfaced ice.
"Here are Scott Summers and Jean Grey, the American couple world champions in title, doubles national champions, both eighteen years old. They have the disadvantage to be the only known mutants of the competition" began a commentator
"Yes but the regulation is clear and no discrimination must be made. The detectors of the government had always perfectly functioned and many skaters disqualified due to doping had perhaps been because of powers utilisation"
"Yes perfectly, but those are unknown"
"With the system of notation in place since more than one year, and that although it's really indisputable only for the technical note, scamping is much more difficult than before"
"Let's hope for it because these two young people are surely not the only mutants of the disciplines of figure skating"
Scott and Jean entered on the rink by greeting the public which one was divided between those who were applauding and had made streamers for encouraging them, and those who where hooting or launching some choked 'Cheater' or 'freaks' . Jean's costume was at the origin made by a two pieces swimsuit sewn on the combination in clothes-fitting and on which part of fire colour tissues had been added. Scott wore a black combinaison.
"Let's see their program which, I can say for having seen it in repetition, is very sparkling"
"Yes I've also seen them, their youth brings a lot to the theme of this imposed dance which is the samba and the rumba" said the woman
"Youth, and beauty, this American lady is very beautiful, they form a pretty couple"
"Oh but, we women are not in remainder; following an operation, Scott Summers doesn't need anymore to wear his glasses and he has very beautiful eyes" laughed the female commenter.
"Here they're in place, samba: 'Black Machine' and Rumba 'Feeling the passion' "
The music began
"And they start with a samba, with a very technical step work" said the commentator
"The public is already applauding in rhythm"
"And here is the rumba passage, it's very slipped, very artistic and very expressive, as usual"
"Yes beautiful attitudes and very beautiful spins"
"Another transition really close to the ice, this is daring" commented on the man
"And wow here again the samba, these two young people have really energy to resell, the public encourages them, that whistles, that applauds, it's superb"
"Yes they seem to have fun, they take pleasure to skate and this is very communicative. What a synchronisation's work!"
"They'll melt the ice" laughed the woman
The program took end (Video)
"It was very technical" summarized the woman
"Yes high level ice-skating, worthy of theirs titles, and a lot of cold blood and control for presenting it to us without faults despite the last events"
"It is difficult to remember that these two young people have phenomenal powers when we saw them dancing like this"
"We wait for the marks" said the commentator
"Yes, and they are taking their time to come, it seems to have dissensions, the bailiff will slice by indicating if there were or not use of powers"
Scott and Jean, blown, were anxious, were they going to be scamp?
The marks arrived, they found themselves placed third at the provisional general classification which wasn't really good at this time of the competition. As a matter of fact two other groups of skaters had yet to pass. But is the judge kept their use and didn't dig more the gap of points they wouldn't have to many in less than their competitors.
"I had well said that the law would be applied" the Professor told them.
"Yes but that's still limit" answered Scott
"They must have been scamped but the technical note had sliced" declared Anton "Good work the children"
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The group joined them, they weren't going to watch the other pass, those who wished to would watch it at the hotel with a slight differed.
"Hey Jean, it was very sensual your passage on the rumba" Sarah told her sister as they were going back to the hotel after the couple had made a rapid declaration to the journalists.
"It's the dance which wants that"
"Tell that to the marines, I think that the feelings have their role to play, it was very strong, you melted the ice"
Jean smiled by shaking her head of enjoyment. All she wanted was a good shower and a good night of sleep, tomorrow it would be the free program, the most significant.
The young woman was already sleeping when Scott left the shower and slipped under the covers. He laid a kiss on her hair and fell asleep at his turn.
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The next day passed very quickly and, without realizing it, they were on the rink. Jean wore a dress a little similar to the program of the previous year one, but of a gold colour with flounces at her arms. Scott was wearing black with a long collar Beethoven's time. Indeed their program was relating Beethoven's last night before he realized that he was becoming deaf, he remembered all the marvellous moments of his life, his love for his wife whom Jean was incarnating, his compositions, before starting to lose hearing.
"Scott Summers and Jean Grey, Americans" announced the loudspeakers
The couple set up themselves and the music began:
"The music: 'Beethoven's last night'" said the woman
"It's very aesthetic, there is an enormous work of interpretation... ah a jump of Scott, which is rare in this discipline, but point out that he had been national champion of figure skating"
"Yes and that was an original jump"
"Fast Passage"
"Very beautiful slipped on one knee, attitudes on ice taken at full speed, it's really superb"
"Wonderful balance move for their famous reversed lift"
"It's flowing, it's light, it's very expressive, very well interpreted"
"What I really respect about Scott it's that he invests himself totally in the choreography, which is rare with the other ice-dancers" commented the woman
"Here the circular step work, nothing to critic"
"And a difficult and original final"
The public applauded (Vidéo)
"It was very powerful"
"Last year they won everything: the national for the second time and the world championship" said the woman
"Their program free on 'Carmina Burana' was one of the greatest moments of the discipline"
"They're very organized, the always present to us inedit programs. They are only eighteen years old, but what good skaters they are!"
"Yes, they're fighters and they've again proved it to us this evening"
"We're waiting for the marks while charming small skater girls are collecting flowers and cuddly toys sent on the ice"
Scott and Jean left the skating rink.
"It was perfect the children, bravo" said Anton before accompanying them to the platform for the marks.
Those were posted and, before they could hear them, they knew that they were good because the public was applauding.
"They are placed first and with scope" said the woman
"Yes it's deserved and they have such an advance of point that we can say right now that they are untouchable"
"Nevertheless, there remain two couples"
Scott and Jean drank a little water and slipped on their wind-breakers. They knew that they were on the podium but they didn't know yet their place.
On the ice the couple before the last, Russians, passed. They were less good technically and there were even two moments of hesitation.
"According to me, they can say goodbye to the podium" pointed out the woman
"Yes there was two mistakes and they weren't at all into the music"
However the marks were astonishment high which made hoot the public. They were placed first.
"Ah no, it's impossible"
"Some 8 into the components, it's unbelievable, they won't…"said the commentator, suspicious
"They will, they are placed first"
"What?" said Anton "It's not possible, it's a shame! What kind of judges are they??"
The public whistled and hoot all the more
"Here, really, I don't understand, they are really far from the level of the couple American" said the commentator, indignant
"The public and the trainer of these last ones seem to be of the same advice"
The Russian were smiling, when...
"Something's happening apparently" said the commentator.
"Yes the bailiff is taking the micro"
"The couple Smilkoff and Brosky is disqualified for use of powers for trying to corrupt the judges" said a voice by loudspeaker.
The advertisement was retransmitted in English.
"I can't believe it" said Jean.
"They cheated and they were proud" added a perplexed Scott
But, henceforth, the Russian couple had lost its smile and cursed against these damned detectors before being evacuated under the howls of the crowd.
"We have just had a proof of the efficacy of these famous detectors" said the commentator
"Yes, fortunately that they are there, and that for eight years, without what they could have cheated for a long time"
"Even the only two mutants who were known seemed perplexed in front of such an attitude"
"They've never used theirs, not even for their reversed lift, we have the proof of it. Ah here is the last couple" announced the woman as the French were welcoming their representatives in a thunder of applause.
The last couple passed. They were original and very gifted, to supervise closely. They did a program without faults and took the second place. Moreover, thanks to the disqualification of a couple, those who were fourth found themselves on the podium for their greater pleasure, because the fourth place was regarded as the worst.
But the most important for the group of mutants was that Scott and Jean, despite the current circumstances, had just won their second world championship. They couldn't believe it, and the medal ceremony seemed to proceed in the fog.
They were officially qualified for the Olympics Games championships and had to answer many interviews before succeeding in eclipsing in the cloakrooms to change and join the group.
This evening it was the festival. Everybody was congratulating them, the pressure had fallen down, tomorrow would come the exhibition. It was the advantage of practising the discipline which was most of the time medal-holder in last. Some drank a little, as Anton who made several toasts with vodka but nobody ended drunk.
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The following day they were presenting their exhibition program on 'time to say goodbye' by Sarah Brigthman and Andrea Bocelli. Scott was wearing his short-program costume, and Jean a combination gilded but not aggressive or tawdry.
There were yet people whistling as they were setting up. Scott lengthened on the ice, his knees folded up. The music began, and Jean positioned herself on top of him, knees against knees, hands in the hands, supporting themselves at the force of their arms before she leaned to kiss him, that they changed of position and that Scott made a candle in balance on one of Jean's knee.
"Wow" said the commentator
"They are original, that's the least we can say"
Scott made slip Jean on her back on several meters before raising her
"Exhibitions are the moments where everything is allowed, for our greatest pleasure"
It was a program very in contact with the ice thanks to slips and excessively close (here I would like to say "fusional" but there isn't translation in English) and news lifts.
"Grey and Summers have the grace, the interpretation and the passion with them, which made of them dangerous competitors for the Olympic Games" said the commentator
"What people like about them is, between other, their speed of skating, and it's true that they go very quickly even in exhibition"
"I dunno if it was wanted, but when we know who is Jean Grey, I mean, her mutation which represent a firebird with immense powers, this contact with the ice is creating a thrilling contrast"
"Yes, this and her side really submitted in this programme" approved the woman
The program finished again on the ice and they had even a recall for a part of their free program.
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After having changed, having embarked flowers and cuddly toys and having remake appear the X-Jet and the X Copter. They were parted themselves for the flight back. John, Sarah and Paul decided to take the X-Copter with Scott, Jean and Ororo even though the flight would be longer.
Once in the airs, when her powers weren't required any more and that she could release some pressure about Phoenix, Jean fell asleep against Scott and he sank himself in a refreshing sleep.
"You haven't came for nothing" said Ororo by piloting
"No it was superb" approved Paul
"And which ambiance, I'm happy that their discovery as mutants hasn't reduced all their work to nothing" declared Sarah
"Yes so do I" approved John as they entered a strong clouds depression.
"They were rather pessimistic on this subject but they nevertheless decided to fight and that paid" said Storm
"One of my daughters is double champion of ice-dancing, the other will get married, I've reason to be proud" said John
The four adults smiled.
"We don't have a good visibility anymore" pointed out Paul
"I was precisely going to settle it"
They didn't see her eyes covering themselves with a white veil, but suddenly the sky was cleared in front of the apparatus.
"Very useful" said John before returning to the subject "Well, I'm glad that Jean is still so happy, I saw what happened with these sentinels"
"Yes I've also seen the state in which Scott was on the television" said Ororo "I was supervising the others when that happened and when I saw him, he was upright, I hadn't realized the gravity of what had happened nor the miracle generated by the Phoenix. I understood it by seeing the state of shock in which was Jean and the images which passed on the news"
"My god, I was turned over to see my sister in this state" remembered Sarah "I couldn't imagine how I could have comforted her"
"We've to admit that until there the Phoenix was a good thing, she allowed to cease the attacks of the sentinels, to stop Magneto, to save Scott's life and to repair the city, without what I think that our acceptance would have been much harder than it had been"
"You still think that she could be a threat?" asked John
"All depends the situation, if a desire of revenge or an immense anger took Jean, the Phoenix could take advantage of it. Phoenix takes the control during the battles, we maintained Jean away by her own will because she had understood it; but there, if she hadn't come, we wouldn't have pulled through and who know what could have happened…" blew Ororor before adding "Jean's really tensed when she has to go out since the Phoenix's apparition, she's afraid that she could lose control so competitions are bringing more stress for her than before even though she doesn't show it"
"I'm nevertheless reassured to know her in good hands" said John
"Yes Scott take very well care of her, he's changed as soon as she arrived at the Institute and it's even more obvious since she has repaired the zone of his brain damaged during the accident which cost his family's life" answered Ororo "He had really been metamorphosed and he has the same effect on Jean, they are well together, they found each other"
"I like him and I trust him" approved John.
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