Chapter 21

The world around her was smoky, making it hard to see what surrounded her, but on occasion the fog would lift long enough for her to peer through and see that she was surrounded by darkness.

Jean was always thrown off guard whenever she entered someone's mind. Normally, since that would be a massive invasion of privacy and an abuse of her powers, Jean normally didn't try to enter anyone's mind without their permission, but when she did a full and total psychic immersion, it took her a couple of seconds to get back on balance.

"Okay, Jean," she whispered to herself, the words echoing in the vast space. "Think…...what's the first thing that the Professor would tell you to do…...? Uh, find the person's psyche maybe?"

Just then, a maniacal laugh echoed throughout the space. And while Jean was frightened, she was ready for anything.

Well almost anything.

As the maniacal laugh died down, her ears picked up the sound a child screaming. With as much speed as she could throw into her legs, Jean ran as fast as she could toward the sounds of the screaming. Jean came to a screeching halt when she saw a little girl, maybe about ten years old, huddled underneath a rocky outcropping. The child was exactly like the scaled girl in the Manor Infirmary, except she had little stubby horns that were protruding out of her head and the wings and tail were a bit too big for her little body.

All of this was taken in in a moment's notice, and Jean quickly softened her expression as she knelt.

"Hey there…." She whispered.

The girl started suddenly, as though just realizing that she was there. Her tear-filled eyes were wide, and she tried to back up, although there was nowhere left to go.

Jean immediately saw the fear in her eyes and attempted to calm her down, "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend. My Name's Jean. What's yours?"

The young child sniffed, and while it seemed she was debating whether or not to talk to her, Jean was very grateful when she whispered, "Ade….."

Jean eyes lit up happily. "'Ade'. That's a wonderful name! Are you lost, Ade?"

The girl shook her head, her tangled blond hair going this way and that. "No….Hiding."

"Hiding? From what?"

"The bad man…." She whispered. Jean's brow furrowed as she shifted herself into a position that would help make her seem nonthreatening. Legs underneath her, with her palms resting face down. The more that she seemed to be trustful, the easier it would be for Ade to show her where to go.

"The bad man? Who's he?"

"He makes bad thoughts have voices and laughs really scarily."

Okay, now Jean was really confused and anxious. The presence of the smoke seemed to increase, almost as though to blanket and hide the two of them.

"Don't worry, sweetie, I won't let anyone hurt you."

She glanced up through her eyelashes. "Promise?"

"Promise." Jean assured, holding her hand up like the boy scouts. She smirked as the girl giggled softly, but grew serious when Jean leaned down and said, "But I'm looking for someone. She's in a lot of trouble and needs help. Do you mind showing me the way?"

Ade looked uncertain. Jean's brow furrowed in sympathy.

"I swear I won't let anything happen to you." She held out her hand in offering, hoping that the young girl would take it. Ade bit her lip nervously before hesitatingly taking the offering. Jean sighed inwardly.

Small victories.

Gently, Jean pulled the girl out of the hiding place before glancing around her. There was nothing that indicated that whichever way they chose to go would be the right one, so they would be walking blind.

"Okay, uh, let's go…this way." She pointed, making to start walking north of their current position, but Ade tugged on her hand, apparently wanting to go the opposite way.

"No, no, no, no. This way."

"But this way looks like it has a lot less fog."

Ade shook her head, her eyes wide. "Nooooo…...it's a trap."

Another laugh echoed through the area, one that sent chills down Jean's spine. Ade's grip on her pants leg tightened, and in any normal situation, Jean would've worried about tearing, but now, there were other things that warranted her worry.

Like the creature rising through the fog, in the direction Jean wanted to take the little mutant.

"Hehehehehe, looks like we have visitor…." the creature hissed out. Jean braced herself for a fight, feeling her power surge through her.

The creature gave another laugh, moving forward. "None of that now."

The thing in front of her waved its hand, and her powers pilfered out. She glanced up; her eyes wide with fear for the young mutant that she had to protect without the powers she relied on so much before.

"You're on my turf now. And there she goes."

Jean turned around, her heart thundering in her chest as she saw the young, winged girl running as fast as she could in the opposite direction, jumping every so often and flapping her wings like crazy as though she was trying to fly.

"So, the chase begins." He turned towards Jean, his smile showing no emotion but his cold-blooded lust for violence. "Good luck, Jean. You're gonna need it."

With a blink of an eye, he was gone. Jean stood, shocked for a moment, before she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. It was a race, a race for the girl's psyche. Everything else was an afterthought.