Chapter 6
Scott left the infirmary, in more pain than he had ever felt before. Jean's words echoed over and over in her head, ~ Maybe things would be better if Scott wasn't here – if he never, you know....~ driving him to the point of insanity. He needed to get away, before everything overwhelmed him. He felt like crying, but he can't. Not only because of the fact that he was the leader, and thus had an image to maintain, but also because his eye beams vaporized any tears that escaped his eyes. ~Guess it was true what they say, that ignorance is bliss....~
Bamf!
Scott nearly jumped as he realized that he wasn't alone.
"Hey Scott, you okay?" Kurt Wagner asked his friend. "You know, after what happened in the Danger Room ...."
Thankful that his eyes were hidden behind a wall of ruby-quartz, he smiled at his friend. "I'm fine - can we not talk about it right now?" he lied.
"Vell, if you ever need somevone to talk to, I'll be right here, alvight?"
"Thanks dude"
Smiling, the furry blue mutant teleported away, leaving Scott alone with his thoughts once more.
Ever since she enrolled into the Institute, Scott Summers had been enamoured with Jean Grey. His reaction when he first met her said it all - a 'Wow.' A single word that described just how special she was to him. Sure, she might've realized this and played with his feelings by going out with high-school football star Duncan Matthews, but he somehow knew that she would eventually come around. More than once, he suspected that she might have felt the same way about him. Now, he wasn't so sure. Unlike Matthews, Warren Worthington was not a jerk, despite what he said earlier. And now, after witnessing her kiss with Warren and her announcement that she really did like Angel more than she would ever like him (after all, she did say things would be better if he was dead), Scott Summers cannot face it. As Cyclops, he wouldn't think twice about jumping in to action against Magneto and his pitch or an army of mutant-slaying Sentinels. But to confront Jean and realize that she was lost to him forever? ~No way~ He loved her too much, and although he wanted her to be happy, he really did, he knew he can never stand the sight of her being with another man. More importantly, there was no way he could trust himself, not since Apocalypse.
Entering his room, Scott pulled out his briefcase and began to pack. Throwing in some clothes, shoes, money, his laptop and whatever else might be required, he also stuffed in an extra pair of ruby-quartz glasses and his combat visor. Looking around for anything that he might be missing, his gaze rested on a framed picture of Jean and himself. ~We looked so happy together~ he thought, staring at himself with an arm wrapped around her shoulders. He threw it in with the rest of his stuff. Shrugging on his leather jacket, he turned around to see Professor Xavier staring at him from his door.
Neither spoke for a long time. The Professor was fully aware of what the younger man was doing and the actions that brought it about. Wheeling himself in and closing the door behind him, the Professor regarded his surrogate son with fatherly eyes. No words were spoken; none were needed. Their understanding was complete. Both knew the younger boy wouldn't be staying.
"Scott, before you go, I want you to take this with you." Xavier handed his first student a sealed envelop with a big X stamped across it. "I already wired some money into your back account, which should last you for several weeks." Pause. "You know where to go if you need help," he finished. Before he turned to leave, Scott hugged the Professor, who returned the embrace affectionately. Jumping out the window, he turned his head and said, "I'll be back," before disappearing into the darkness. Sighing, Xavier turned to leave, but before he did, his eyes strayed to the blue and gold uniform lying on the floor, the golden 'X' shining brightly in the light.
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As the large Boeing 777 passenger jet jumped into air, Scott Summers found himself staring at the framed picture of Jean. Didn't she realize how much he loved her? ~Get over it Summers. She's with Warren now~
Deciding that now was as good a time as any to open the envelope given to him by Xavier, Scott found two packages of paper. Reading the first one, labelled "Article 629E," Scott found the document reporting on the increase of mutant signatures detected by Cerebro, and warns of the possible implications of such a proliferation of mutants in the world. The report made two recommendations to ensure that the chances of an outbreak of a war between human and mutants be kept to a minimum. More schools such as the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters should be established to help younger mutants learn control of their powers, and a need to expand the mutant police force such as the X-men to accommodate the increase in mutant activity.
The second document immediately caught Scott's attention, as it was labelled "Restricted Access." Briefly skimming over the first few pages, he established that the manuscript was the blueprint for a new mutant police force similar to the X-men. In it was also a map that showed the location of a new base (in California), access codes to the facility and a small list of mutants that Cerebro put together that should be considered for such a team. Smiling at the fact that Xavier had tasked him, not the adults, with the responsibility of forming a second band of mutant superheroes, the former leader of the X-men took out his laptop and highlighter and started to work.
Several hours later, the plane landed in the province of Quebec, in Canada, to refuel. As he stepped out of the airport for a much-needed stretch, Scott saw a gang of people chasing a teenage girl through the streets.
"Stupid freak! We don't want you!"
"What the hell are you doing in our city?"
"Shouldn't you be at the circus or somethin'?"
Predictably, the small group of mutant haters cornered the child in an alley. As they moved in on her, metal bars and baseball bats in their hands, they were stopped by a voice.
"Leave her alone."
Turning to see Scott behind them, the crowd looked surprised, but then quickly angry. "Or else what? You gonna blind us with your sunglasses at night?"
"So you don't like my shades? Guess I should take'em off?" the young mutant smirked.
"Whatever works for you buddy." At that, two men charged him. Both of them were much taller than Scott, who was already 6ft 3 in, and outweighed him by at least 50 lbs. It looked like it was going to be a slaughter.
"You aren't gonna hit a guy with glasses, are you?" At that, he lifted his glasses above his eyes, letting forth a powerful blast that knocked both his attackers against a wall, out cold. At the sight of the two heavily armed-men defeated so easily, the others fled the scene as fast as they could.
Replacing his glasses, Scott walked over to the mutant girl, checking her for injuries. As he approached, she shied away from him, obviously terrified with what she just witnessed. Although she looked like a normal girl, Scott noticed for the first time that she had a lilac-tinge to her skin and strange purple markings on her face. "What's your name?"
"C-Clarice," she managed to stutter out.
"Where are your parents? Shouldn't they be around?" he said, looking around. There was no response. Deciding to take a different approach, he asked, "So, you are a mutant." At that, the girl nodded. "What is your mutation? What can you do?" In a soft voice, she whispered, "I can teleport. But I'm not very good at it."
"That's okay. You'll get better. Come on, I'll get you home." The girl didn't move.
"I don't have one," she said, barely audibly.
Scott Summers considered his situation for a moment. He couldn't take the girl with him, as he had a job to do, but he couldn't just leave her here either. He toyed briefly with the idea of bringing her to the new base in California. Taking her hand, he led her back to the airport, on the basis that he would find her some foster parents someway along his trip.
He never did. As it turned out, Clarice Ferguson, codenamed Blink, turned out to be the second member of Xavier's second group of mutant peacekeepers, dubbed "X-Factor."
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Retreating to the library, Jean Grey buried herself in a book. It was just one of the ways she escaped reality and truly relaxed herself. Although to her friends and other members of the X-men she's 'Miss Perfect,' only a handful of people knew the real Jean. Her façade of confidence and self-assurance successfully concealed her sometimes temperamental and insecure nature, one that also longed for acceptance, for love. Scott knew that Jean, and accepted her because of it, not in spite of it. Would Warren be the same?
Several months have passed since Scott left the Institute. The official reason for his departure was that he was "assigned a difficult mission that would take him away for an extended period of time." Although it was half true, everyone knew the real reason he left. Around the mansion, Jean and Warren were the talk of the Institute. Branded the "Perfect Couple," they were now considered an item, a stage that she had never reached with Scott. Despite this, she found herself thinking of him, more than she wanted to.
~It's not like I loved him anyway. He's arrogant, uptight and a total jerk; unlike Warren, who's kind, sweet and caring, everything Scott isn't. I'm happier with my boyfriend than I ever was with the Jerk. Who wouldn't want to be with a cute, rich billionaire as opposed to a stuck-up, orphaned, air force brat? If the Jerk wants to leave, fine by me. It's a good thing I didn't love him....~ Why was she lying to herself?
"Oh Scott, I'm so sorry," she whispered, hoping in some way he can hear her. "Please, come back soon."
Authors Note: Yeah, yeah, I know that wasn't how X-Factor came about, and the members would be completely different from the actual ones in the X-men universe, but hey, this ISN'T the X-men universe. It's the X-men Evolution universe. =)
