Three

She sat on the front stoop smoking a cigarette and sipping a Pepsi. The stars were bright; the moon was full all against the midnight blue canvass that was the midnight sky. She smiled brightly, knowing now that her burdens where lighter with the professor informed. She didn't know why she felt so light, he just knew about her now, yet, it still made her feel like a load was taken away from her.
"He does that." A little boy walked outside and sat next to her.
She snubbed out her cigarette and smiled at him. "Hello, who are you?"
"Kevin," he smiled at her. "Professor makes us all feel better, it is what he does."
"Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"Shouldn't you?"
"I don't sleep anymore." She said frowning a little. "But you are young, you should sleep, you have school in the morning."
"I had a bad dream."
"Oh? What was it?"
"I was walking in a field and there was the moon and the sun in the sky, like the sky was divided into night and day, and these creatures, I don't know what they looked like now, but I remember they scarred me, they were walking down the divide, it was like a line in the sky was reflecting on the surface of the field. They scarred me because they were dripping with blood, then I saw people, humans and mutants alike were walking around in a daze and they too were drenched with blood. Then I saw you,"
"Me?" she asked astonished.
"Yeah, you, you were walking around with a bow and arrow muttering about unfinished business and walking to get even. You looked madder then anything in the universe." The boy sighed. "Then I woke up." he shivered. "Do you know what it means?"
"No." she shook her head.
"It means something big is coming and you past is going to show up and you are going to face it head on and you are going to want to get even with the people from your past. Is there anyone in your past that you do not like and that you want to kill?"
She starred at the boy for a long moment. "Yes, there are a lot of people in my past I would like to kill, but," she shook her head.
"But what?"
"But I don't remember them." she looked at him again as if expecting answers.
"There are no answers Oz. None that I have that you don't already know."
She smiled. "Thanks anyways Kevin."
He got up and walked back into the house. "Good night Oz."
"Good night." She looked at her snubbed out cigarette and frowned. "Down, I snubbed it to hard. I got to learn to snub lighter."
"The professor would have your hide for smoking in the first place."
"Night Logan."
"Night." He smiled and sat beside her. "So, Oz, you are an insomniac as well?"
"I guess I am now," she looked over at him. "And it is all because you and Scott had to come over at three sixteen in the morning and wake me up."
He raised his hands in defense. "Hey, I was just standing there, he was knocking."
"But you weren't doing anything to stop him now were you?"
"Well, no, but-"
"But nothing, you are just as guilty as he is Logan, and I won't forget that." She stretched, her back popped in several places.
"What will you do now?"
"I don't know I can't stay here."
"Why not?"
"Because, like I said earlier Logan, this isn't where I belong."
"And where do you belong Oz?"
She crossed her legs and rested her wrists on her knees. "I honestly don't know where I belong, but I know it is not here. This is a house, not a home, at least," she pushed her self up and stretched again. "Not for me." She looked down at him. "I was thinking Rio de Janeiro, I heard it is nice this time of year. Or maybe the Greek islands that would be nice. Maybe Rome." She rubbed her temple and closed her eyes. "What about you Logan? What are you going to do?"
He stood up and shrugged. "Well, I don't know, but," he looked her in the eye then looked away.
"But what?"
"But," he shrugged. "I don't know."
She tried to look him in the eye but he evaded her gaze.
"Good night Oz." He kissed her on the cheek and walked off quickly.
She stood here in shock. "He kissed me." She said rubbing her cheek.

Oz stood outside the Professor's office until he opened the door smiling up at her.
"Come in, I was expecting you to knock."
"I knew you knew I was out here, I didn't want to intrude on you getting ready."
"Very kind of you Oz, but I assure you, I am never to busy to talk to people."
She nodded and closed the door behind her; she sat on the couch and smiled at him. "Professor, tell me, who was Jean Grey?"
The Professor looked up at her, her mind was a locked door. "Why do you want to know?"
"Scott thinks only about my presence being here a nuisance and about this Jean Grey, Logan thinks about her, everyone thinks about her yet they only give that, nothing more. So, who is she? Or am I not at liberty to really ask?"
"Ask! I am very thrilled that you are taking an interest in our lives here!" he smiled jovially. "But when it comes to Jean Grey, I think you should ask Scott, he loved her like no other could, if anyone should tell you about her, it is him."

"No!" Scott shouted. "Whom do you think you are to ask about a woman you know nothing about?" he hissed. "You have no right to ask about her! You have no right to talk about her! You have no right to think about her! You have no right-"
She backhanded him and walked off. "You have no right to talk to me like that." She said over her shoulder and left the school.
Professor Xavier walked into the room with Logan; they looked at Scott at the ground cradling his cheek.
"That oz, she's mental." He said.
"What did you do?" Logan asked.
"She was asking about Jean, she had no right! And I told her so, then she backhanded me and left."
Logan made to run after her.
"You won't catch her Logan, she's a teleporter remember?" the Professor said. "She's gone."
Logan wheeled around. "WHY DID YOU TALK TO HER LIKE THAT SCOTT! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO TALK TO HER LIKE THAT? SHE'S OUR GUEST HERE!"
"She didn't have the right-"
"You're wrong Scott," the Professor cooed. "She has every right to ask."
"Professor!" Scott said shocked.
"Everyone has the right to be curious, she caught the vibe of Jean off of everyone, she was curious and she came to me but I told her to ask you since it is you that she cherished and loved."
Logan nodded still glaring at Scott.
"I didn't know that." Scott said innocently.
"That's why you don't jump to shit like that!"
"Logan," Professor warned against foul language.
"Sorry. But still."
Professor Xavier nodded. "Yes, next time do not jump to conclusions like that Scott, it makes you look bad."
Kurt strolled into the room. "Oh, Professor, here you are."
"Yes Kurt?"
"I had the feeling again all day yesterday and just now, but it is gone, what do you think it is?"
Logan shook his head. "I am going to go look for her Professor."
"You do that." Professor Xavier nodded. "Now Kurt,"

*** *** *** ***

Logan ran into Oz outside a coffee house, however she was drinking down what looked like a red Popsicle from a cup.
"Oz?"
"Ow!" she pressed her hand to her head.
"Headache?"
"No," she closed her eyes and pressed harder. "Brain freeze!" she quickly downed the rest of the drink and clutched her head with both hands.
"What is that?"
She dropped her hands and shook her head furiously back and forth. "It is called an Italian Water Ice, they are really good, and the only thing that gives me brain freezes."
Logan looked at the cup. "Interesting."
She smiled at him and wiped her lips and rubbed her face. "So what are you doing here?"
"Nothing, I was just looking for you."
"Why?" she leaned back onto her hands.
"Because I wanted to know why you backhanded Scott."
"You know why, I know you do."
"Right, I want to know what you want to know about Jean Grey."
She shrugged. "I respected what Professor Xavier said, to ask Scott, but I think he is still too riled up about losing her, you are too, that is why I went to the Professor in the first place, because I felt it was disrespectful to ask you or Scott, yet he thought it was out of place to ask anyone but Scott." She sighed. "I don't know, I told you, I don't feel in place there, it is not where I belong, this is a reason, because I don't know how you all work, who asks who about whatever. Everyone defines respect and proper ways in different ways, mine are different, but I find it too much a hassle to learn everyone else's I. I just don't know." She stood up and threw her bag over her shoulder.
"So where are you going to go?"
"There is a race in the town square in a little less then an hour, the prize is a racer's motorcycle. I have my eyes on it."
"What kind of race?"
"A motorcycle race." She shrugged. "This guy said I could ride his bike, but I have to do something for him in return." She shrugged. "I figure if I win, it'll be worth it."
"Forget him, use Scott's bike, I rode it in, it'll be good for racing."
She eyed him. "Are you sure?"
"Why not?"
She shrugged. "All right, so I take it you are going to stay for the race."
"Why not?"

Scott's bike was good. Better even. It rode smoothly and took turns easily. Oz maxed it out on the straight a ways on the outskirts of town and took the turns a little over seventy. She won the race a full minute a head of everyone else.
"Congratulations!" Logan cheered.
People surrounded her, patted her back and jeered jovially. Nobody had seen a race over with that fast.
Oz took her new cycle to a garage and had it checked over and fueled.
"Where did you learn to ride like that Oz?" Logan asked grinning widely.
"I loved to race, I figure, go big, or go home. I race everything, cycles, cars, bikes, blades, boards. anything fast enough to do something stupid in, I'll race it. I can't stand slow, life is too short to go slow."
Logan nodded. "I agree." He grabbed her into a hug and kissed her deeply.
She stepped back after a long kissing moment and looked at him.
"Sorry." He finally said.
She nodded and got on her cycle.
"Where are you going?"
"You know, you ask that question a lot."
He shrugged. "I just care."
She tilted her head. "You 'just care'?"
"Is that a crime?"
She revved the engine. "No, I'll come back someday."
"When?"
She shrugged. "Someday." And again, she was gone.

**** **** **** ****

Oz pushed herself into a sitting position on the park bench. The sun had been up only fifteen minutes before the heat of it woke her up. She ran her hand through her hair and shook her head.
"Morning sunshine." A voice cackled behind her.
She jumped up and looked at the mean looking man standing behind the bench.
"Remember me?" he grinned. "I am sure you do." He raised his hands and threw her into a tree and held her there. Another man came into view, he wore black attire, like the first man, like her, but this man wore black gloves, which he slowly removed now as he approached her.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"You don't remember me?" the man with black gloves asked. "What a shame, but I am not surprised. You weren't suppose to remember, the fact that you remember what you did, then you told Xavier, well, that made us mad. We had to come all this way to track you down just to seal your mind again, but I figure since I am here, why not just assure myself on some recent information with what is already in your head?"
"What do you mean?"
"Oz, surely you remember that there were people who are using your head like a lock box." He grinned evilly. "We put information into your head and sealed it. If we had any question about that information all we had to do was track you down, get inside your head and assure yourselves again. Well, I got some information and I didn't like it so I am going to check it with what is in your mind." He had his gloves removed now, his hands looked like they were just retrieved from a fire. They were black, burnt black and looked as if they would blow away in the wind if a strong enough breeze swept through.
"Yes," he nodded. "You were always afraid of my hands, I wouldn't expect you to have overcome that fear." He placed both of his hands on her head and threw his own head back.
A door in her mind opened, a tidal wave of information crashed out of her mind and flooded his. She jerked and tried to pull away, but the first man held her tight with his telekinetic powers. The pain of the memories made her scream, she tried to teleport but he wouldn't let her.
Finally, after what seemed a million years, the man with burnt hands pulled away.
"Fine." He sneered, he slapped her and the second man let go of her. She crumbled to the ground, the information still rushing out of her.
"Morpheus, Tida, I remember you two." She pushed herself up. "I remember what you two did to me!" her claws extended slowly.
Morpheus, the man with burnt hands watched her. "Oh? And what exactly are you going to do about it Oz? Scratch us with your claws?"
She lashed out, slashing Tida across the stomach, he pulled back and threw her into another tree and held her there.
"You are faster then I remember." Morpheus shook his head. "You might even have kill Tida here, he is bleeding to fast."
The fact that Tida was dying didn't faze him.
Morpheus clutched her head again and locked her mind up and started to project images into her mind like her did last time. She held onto his name, she trapped it in different places to remember it. Finally she collapsed to the ground, Morpheus looked down at her then at Tida who was dead. Oz clutched at her own head now, the new images driving her mad. He said something to her, then left, and she stayed there, close to screaming from the new images, images of her killing people without knowing it, of her going back to the school and killing them, and not knowing what she was really doing.
"Shh," a soft voice cooed. "Shh, it'll be alright now." Soft hands slid into her hair, the images faded away and she blacked out.

**** **** **** ****

"No,"
"Why not?"
"Because when I got to her someone was already in her mind, something is in there that she probably doesn't want-"
"Exactly, so just go inside and see what she is harboring."
"No."
"Aw, come on, don't be such a prude."
"Why don't you go into her brain if you are so edger to see what is in there?"
"No going into my brain without my say so." Oz muttered within the layers and layers of blankets.
"Are you awake?"
"Who's asking?"
"My name is Degas."
Oz sat up and fought her way out of the blankets. She looked at the two women sitting by a large fire. Only had long black hair and wore a green tang top and baggy blue jeans. The other had short red hair, wore khaki shorts and a white tang top.
"I know you." Oz pointed to the red hair. "I know you, I remember you."
"You do?" Degas, the black haired one, looked over her shoulder at her friend.
"I remember you," Oz chuckled. "But," she went solemn faced. "You can't be you, you're dead."
"The Phoenix-"
"I mean before that, before any of that." Oz shook her head. "You don't remember me do you?"
"I've never met you."
"You're Jean Grey."
"Yes, but I don't-"
"Your name sounded familiar, I needed to know if it really was you, I needed your face but no one present a picture of you in their mind."
Jean was taken aback. "Who are you?"
"Jean, its me, Oz Conner. I. I saved your life."