Flickering Souls

Chapter Five: Changing Lanes

Scott awoke with a start. He was in his bed at the mansion. The hallway outside teemed with life and activity. The ground outside the window was not covered in snow. The grounds were green and the sun was dipping low in the sky.

This is the day. Scott realized. The day that Mezmero took over Jean's mind and made her steal for Apocalypse. (As detailed in the episode Mindbender)

He stared quietly out the window.

But what am I doing here. Am I supposed to stop it?

He grimaced. How can I just let it happen?

Scott turned away from the window and bashed his knee painfully. He dropped to the ground, grasping it in pain.

"What the hell?" He demanded upon seeing what he had walked in to.

It was a large, chrome switch that resembled the throttle of a train. It was shifted all the way to one side and seemed to be mounted directly to the floor with four large chrome bolts. It was definitely not there yesterday.

A moment later Scott stood up and slowly regained the strength in his knee.

He eyed the switch from all angles as he circled it. He reached out and took hold of the handle. It felt electric, as though energy was flowing through it and he understood suddenly, what he was to do.

He pushed the lever slowly forward and images flooded his mind. First he saw Jean, stealing the first ring, then coming back for Kurt to go after the second. The whole event rolled through his mind and he realized that as he was pushing the switch, he was undoing this future event. It would happen differently this time if he continued to throw the switch.

It will be worse! He realized. It will be destructive this time!

And he could hear the Authors voice in the back of his mind. "All pain is growing pain Scott – So long as you learn from it."

The sun was dropping past the horizon as he pushed the lever. Time was passing as a breakneck speed around him. Clouds tore through the sky and the casual activity of people moving about the mansion buzzed around him like giant mad insects.

And Scott buried his fears and his hesitation. He had signed up for this duty and he was bound and determined to see it through. He forced the switch away from his body and it stopped with a loud click.

Then it melted and dissolved in to nothing, right out of his hand.

He glanced up at the door and …

What am I doing out of bed in the middle of the night? He wondered. And why does my knee hurt?

He looked around the room and then turned inward for answers.

Jean …

Something nagged at him. He couldn't remember what it was.

But maybe … Maybe it had something to do with Jean. He reasoned, since she was all that had come to mind.

And he set out to find her.

The instant that he did, he knew something was horribly wrong. She was in uniform and hovering above the floor. Her eyes were glassy and she seemed to look right through him when he spoke.

"Jean, what is it? What's wrong?"

Mezmero's eyes flew open. Blast it! He thought. My control over her isn't strong enough yet!

And Scott could see that Jean was waking up and coming around. Her eyes began to clear and she looked at him.

"Scott …" She said lovingly.

"NO!" Mezmero shouted, his mind racing with images of the torment and torture he would receive in return for a failure in this matter.

Mezmero took hold of her mind and threw it wide open, looking for a weakness.

Jean twitched once and lost her concentration. Her eyes fluttered and she began to fall to the floor.

Scott lurched forward to try and catch her.

But Mezmero found what he was looking for. A single thought that she had expressed as a child.

"We're like Gods, aren't we?" She had asked almost innocently, staring up in to Xavier's eyes.

And he had told her no, that they were not like Gods or God. They were people, just like everybody else.

"But maybe …" He had added. "We are like the people who once called themselves Gods."

And in her young mind – it was the same thing.

"Yes!" Mezmero could see his victory clearly now. And he threw that mental switch in her mind. The one that let her understand that she was a God among men.

And she caught herself in mid air. Her eyes had gone wild and she adopted a maniacal smile. Her attention focused on Scott and she saw him for what he was – someone in her way. She understood clearly that releasing Apocalypse was the only way to remain a God.

Scott's mind filled with static and a million high-pitched whines of varying keys and intensities.

"Ach!" He collapsed to his hands and knees, breathing hard. "JEAN!!" He roared above the din in his mind.

No! Jean thought, knowing that he had sounded the alarm. Now I can't come back!

Doors began to fly open all over the mansion. Kitty charged through the wall – but she was still out of phase and Jean couldn't sense her strongly enough to affect her mind.

And then Kurt appeared before her in a cloud of gray brimstone smoke.

Yes! Mezmero whispered to her mentally. Take him now while you have the chance!

Kurt suddenly cocked his head to one side as he felt Jean's telepathic touch. He expected her to explain what was happening or to give him instructions on how to help.

Instead he felt his body arc. She was setting off all of the pleasure centers of his brain. All the joy and passion he had ever felt in his lifetime was coursing through him at once at Jeans command. He collapsed in to his trust and the feeling – and she had him.

She had found his moment, his one thought.

Am I really a demon? He had asked that mirror so many years ago.

In response, he heard her whisper seductively. No! You are a God!

And he believed her.

His mind flooded with The Great Undertaking; The act of releasing and raising Apocalypse.

Kurt's face hardened in to a twisted, grinning mask. He turned to Scott who was rising to stand.

Kurt leapt up and kicked Scott between the eyes, breaking his glasses.

Kitty gasped and Kurt and Jean both whipped their heads around to face her. She stumbled two steps back and fell through the wall. Professor! She screamed mentally in an almost blind panic. Something is WRONG!

Rogue came flying on to the scene in time to see Kitty 'retreat' through the wall. She could tell that Kurt was landing from a jumping kick and she saw Scott go down in a heap against the wall.

"Get away from him!" She roared, throwing herself toward the group.

She felt Jean reaching out toward her mind and anger took her completely. She threw all her momentum in to her fist and planted it against Jean's jaw

Jean's head snapped back and she fell against Kurt who grabbed her and with a smug nod to Rogue teleported himself and Jean away.

"Jean?" Scott asked, his arm wrapped over his eyes.

"No Scott." Rogue said softly. "They're gone now."

Scott let her help him up. He lowered his arm slowly but kept his eyes tightly shut. "Rogue?"

"Yeah?" She asked, concerned.

"Thanks." He said softly before setting his jaw in anger.