Child of Light and Darkness
~
Chapter Five
"Alright team now that ya all are here, lets get started..."
Wolverine's harsh voice echoed across the danger room.
"Yer mission fer today is quite simple, it'll play out like a game of capture the flag. Ya can see the flag 'bout a few yards 'head o' me. Now as ya all can see, this flag is far out of reach, that's because this mission is about watching each other's back. Your objective is to retrieve the flag, as a team, with no men down, n' bring it back to yer place here. During the time it will take you to reach the flag, there will be a number of distractions from the danger room. You must protect each other. If it looks like a teammate's in trouble help 'em out. Now remember this is only a training session, But it is still very important. One day it'll be the real thing, n' when that day comes, you will all have to rely on one another to get through it. And because of that, I want you to act like this mission is the real deal. Now remember this is a team mission, if ya see one o' your teammates down, or it looks like they're caught in a sticky situation help 'em out cuz ya can't win if the whole team isn't up n' at 'em."
"Any questions?"
Logan just received grunted mumbles from half of the six membered team.
"Didn't think so...Cyke here's yer field leader so pay attention. If at any time Cyke here feels that he's done all that he can, he'll relinquish command to Red. Alright than, lets get started."
Logan punched some more keys on the keypad and the danger room darkened. The lights flickered than brightened again. There was a slight sound of machinery clanking and turning as the danger room prepared itself for the training session.
Scott quickly motioned to the others to split up.
Rogue, Remy and Kurt quickly moved up into the front leaving Scott, Jean and Kitty behind them. The machinery clicked than popped out of their sockets. Quickly one by one they began firing and shocking or doing whatever they were programmed to do. It was soon obvious that the first level of the training session was easy for the highly experienced X-men as one-by -one they took down the robotic machinery.
"Level. One. Completed." The Danger room chimed shutting back in it's claws and damaged machinery.
"Well it seems ya'all are pretty familiar with this line of training." Logan said, knowing this all along.
"It seems to me that you kids need to be challenged harder, so let's get to it. Danger room load, Alpha 20." Logan said with a smirk.
The lights flickered than the scenery changed to revel a dark, rocky background, where the flag was sitting atop a rock. The students recognized the scene as the same one they had trained on, when Mystique was actually Professor Xavier and when "Prof X" had introduced them to their new teammates, the brotherhood. They hadn't used this operation since then.
The stony ground shook beneath the X-men, with the same mighty force as when they had met Bolivar Trask's Sentinel. And indeed it was, for the same large robotic form emerged in front of them.
"Uh Oh...This isn't good, Um I liked level one." Kitty stated.
"It's alright just stay calm, It's not real. It's just a practice session." Scott said.
"Yeah but you've never fought it."
Scott's mouth opened to reply but he was interrupted by a large blast from the sentinel, which he nearly avoided. The large blast caused the X-men t o split up across the danger room.
"Alright everyone, remember stay in teams." Scott shouted over the sound of the machinery.
He shot a powerful optic blast at the sentinel, who in turn fired one of his, Scott ducked it, and it blasted Rogue in the chest, she stumbled backward but managed to keep her balance.
A large claw extending from the wall grabbed Rogue around the waist and pulled her toward the wall, Gambit ran to Rogue's aid, touching the claw as he energized it, the claw zapped back, and Rogue slid out of the claws grasp.
The sentinel than opened it's chest and began to fire shots at the X-men.
Kitty managed to phase through the shots as she than phased through a claw from behind her.
"People the flag!" Scott yelled from his position firing optic blasts at a claw which held Rogue in it's grasp. The claw split in two , releasing Rogue.
Scott looked around quickly at their position. They could still get to the flag, but it was a more strategic idea to get the sentinel down ASAP, before any of them were hurt. That way they could all get to the flag, together with no men down, plus they wouldn't have to worry about the sentinel on their tails.
"Alright guys, the plan is to get the sentinel down as soon as possible! The best way to do that is to work together, as one team not separate ones. We've done this before, so you all know what to do. Even a sentinel can be caught off guard!"
"Hey buddy whatchya lookin' at? Yeah I'm talkin' to you!"
Rouge shouted, as the sentinel looked down at her.
"Ya' think you can pick on someone yoah own size? Or do I just have 'ta teach ya a lesson?"
Rogue smirked as the sentinel reached down to grab her, she jumped out of the way as the sentinel's fist hit the ground creating a fist size hole.
She quickly dodged a claw that came her way, causing it to ram into the sentinel's arm, the sentinel smashed the claw with his other fist as he brought up his smoking arm, which was exposing wires.
Kitty phased through a claw from behind her, causing the claw to slam into the foot of the sentinel. The claw broke as the Robot lurched back, but remained standing keeping it's balance by standing on it's unarmed foot.
Jean, levitating in the air shielded blasts, and used a mind bubble to send the blasts from the sentinel back at him.
The sentinel was smoking in many places, it seemed like the sentinel might fall, but it stood tall.
Remy, running and jumping to avoid blasts from the danger room as well as the sentinel, reached the sentinels' leg. He placed both hands on the sentinel energizing it. He concentrated hard as the energy grew from the robots leg to the rest of his body.
It would take a while for Remy to energize the whole sentinel, so in distraction Scott shot his most powerful optic beams at it.
With most of it's wires exposed, it was hard for the sentinel to block any blow without harming his exposed wires more.
The robot shot a missile from his chest cavity down toward Remy, he was forced to let go and jump to safety.
What Remy had energized of the sentinel blew up as Remy let go, this caused the most damage to the robot and it staggered back and leaned as if trying to maintain balance.
The sentinel only had one option left and that was to divide and conquer. It began to fire missiles wildly and without hesitation.
"Whoa!" Scott shouted as a he leapt to the side to avoid the missile.
"What's it doing?" Kitty asked worriedly.
Scott shook his head, "I dunno it just want crazy."
"Well yeah, we're pretty much out doin' it, It probably has no choice but to act up." Rogue said in that bitter demeanor that was expected of her.
Suddenly the sentinel began to speed up and missiles shot out of it one after another destructing anything in it's path.
"Uh oh zis is not good." Kurt said before bamfing to avoid a missile.
Scott grunted as he fell to the ground, "New plan team, just try to take out as many missiles as you can." He said from the ground letting an optic blast through.
"Ah can't keep this up much longer, Ya gonna have ta think of somethin' fast cuz I don't think this is working." All Rogue could do was leap around and avoid the flying targets up ahead.
"Yeah okay...Regroup." Scott shouted waving a hand toward his right. Once the team had managed to return to base Jean threw up a TK shield up.
"Hurry I can hold it....but with these missiles flying into it I don't know for how long."
Scott nodded at Jean's request. "Okay here's what we do..."
Jean pushed in concentrating all her strength into that of the shield. Jean fought back the stinging fiery sensations she had been having all morning. She didn't know what it was but she was having all these thoughts, she swore she could hear a voice in her head, not that of someone's thoughts but as if someone was speaking to her in hushed whispers.
She clenched her fists, she didn't know what it was but it felt as if something was in her, running through her veins it felt like fire burning her from the inside. It would feel a lot worse, but one thing about being a telepath was that she could help her mind to ease what she was feeling by strategically cooling down the burn, leaving it but a warm sensation. Although it only lasted a few hours, so she'd have to do it all again.
Jean shut her eyes trying to concentrate on Scott's voice, but she kept having these images flashing through her mind. She recognized herself in them, she was doing things, she was thinking things, she couldn't make them out, it was as if the hushed voice was showing her what to do, telling her to do it.
"Jean-"
"Huh?" Jean turned her head to look at Scott.
"Let's go."
Jean nodded. She let down her shield with defied ease, she started to run but quickly stopped and stiffened as she had another image flash. Jean rubbed her forehead, she couldn't make it out but she knew what it was telling her what to do, It was showing her what to do.
"Go ahead do it."
Jean didn't know if that was her voice or the voice in her head.
With slight hesitation Jean decided to take a risk and reply.
"I can't."
"All You have to do is just think it."
Jean concentrated.
"That's it you got it."
She pictured the missiles. She concentrated hard and could see the molecules of the missiles slowly coming apart. Jean reached out her TK and with the help of her Telepathy she pictured all the missiles in the room. She reached out to the missiles touching them, it felt like a bird touching the sun with the tip of it's wing, but somehow to her it was a marvelous sensation. She pulled them in with her TK and pictured in her mind the molecules ripping apart bursting the missiles into flames.
"It is done." The voice said disappearing as suddenly as it had emerged.
Jean opened her eyes to watch as all the missiles blew up mid-air. Jean watched dumbfounded, had she done that?
The rest of her teammates watched in awe as the missiles blew and disappeared with no work at all done on their part.
Without missing a beat Scott shot his optic beams at the sentinel, two near the chest, and the sentinel fell.
As the robot landed hard on the ground, without hesitation, Kitty phased through the sentinel sending whatever wires that were still working, out of commission.
Rogue ran back holding the flag, branded with an X, and Kurt teleported the team back to base.
"Alpha 20-Divide and Conquer-complete. Danger room ending mission." The computerized voice chimed as the danger room shut down it's stimulated virtual reality.
"Good job team." Logan said taking the flag from Rogue. A smirk spread across his lips.
"Now ya'll can go have breakfast."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"Man there is nothing good about an early mornin' training session." Rogue said between gulps of pancakes.
"I dunno petite, Remy t'inks it revs up his energy."
"Revs it up? It exhausts mine." Kurt said standing up for seconds.
"Like wasn't it weird?" Kitty asked picking at her salad.
"What weird?" Rogue asked.
"Like how all those missiles just, like blew up."
"Yeah, but Logan probably had it simulated into the level."
"C'mon Rogue we both know Logan, like he wouldn't do that."
Rogue looked to Remy who shrugged.
"Vell if you ask me it looked as if something pulled zem apart."
"Huh?"
"Yeah pulled zem apart." Kurt shrugged not really dwelling on it.
"Yeah Remy t'inks fuzzy here is right, Maybe Red did it. Remy t'inks of all of us Jeannie would be da only one able ta do dat wit' her telekinesis n' all."
"Nah Jean ain't nearly that powerful, Cajun."
"But do you think-I mean like maybe she did."
"Excuse me?" Rogue asked as if the question was unutterable.
Kitty put her fork down. "Like maybe Jean did do it. I mean her powers are growing, like maybe after that whole power surge thing, like, you never know."
Rogue gave her a blank stare considering that. She shook her head.
"Who cares, all that matters is we aced the session, I really don't care how we did it, as long as we don't have ta do another early session tomarah I'm good." Rogue picked up her plate and placed it in the sink.
"Yeah Remy too." Remy excused himself and quickly raced out of the kitchen to catch up with Rogue.
Kitty stared at Kurt, who shrugged in between bites of food. She sighed as she stood up and placed her utensils in the sink.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
Jean ran a comb through her wet hair. She had taken a shower, gotten dressed and now was preparing for the day. But she didn't feel well. She still felt weak and disoriented like she did when she had woken up. Usually she would feel more grounded by now. Her mind was getting worse now images from her dream just flashed through her head uncontrollably. She didn't know why or what it meant.
She was still baffled at what had occurred in the danger room, it's like she had just thought it, and it happened. But she didn't have that kind of power, hell, the professor didn't have that kind of power.
All she knew is she had outdone herself. Whatever it was, Jean just wasn't feeling well, it had tired her out like her powers used to when she first came.
"Hey Jean, there you are. I thought you'd be downstairs."
"No, I'm not hungry."
"You okay?"
Jean set down her hairbrush and rested her head in her left hand. "I don't know."
Scott walked into Jean's room closing the door behind him. "Something wrong?"
Jean lifted her head off her hand. She tilted her head to her left side to face him causing all her hair to rush to her right.
"I just don't feel well. I had the nightmare again."
"Oh Jean, I'm sorry."
Jean shook her head. "It's not your fault, I just don't know how to stop it. I just keep seeing the images rushing through my head, I don't know what it means. I can't stop it Scott."
Jean's face was a mixture of pain and dismay.
Scott walked over to Jean and put his arms around her. "Hey Jean, it's alright."
"I just want it to stop Scott, I just want it to stop."
"You just need some rest, you'll feel better."
"No, No, you don't understand I can't stop it, I can't."
"Jean, I'm sure once you've lied down for a while it'll all feel better."
Jean shook her head and broke away from their embrace. "I don't think so Scott."
Jean placed her head in her hands as Scott looked on with worry.
After a moment of silence, Scott spoke up. "Maybe you should talk to the professor, he'll understand I mean at least he can find a way to help you."
"I was debating that myself, I didn't want to, but it's getting to the point where I can hardly keep thoughts out of my head. I mean I've tried everything, all my mind exercises, everything I've learned for the past 8 and so years, but nothing's working."
Jean opened her eyes and stared at the blank wood of her vanity, lost in thought. Jean concentrated on the maple washed wood of her vanity she noticed something drop unto it splashing into a small circle. She realized it was blood and immediately her hand rushed to her nose, she was surprised to find that it was bleeding.
"Jean you okay?" Scott asked peering his head down to meet hers.
"I think so." Jean said hazily lifting her head up.
"Jean you're..."
"Yeah…" She nodded blankly.
"Ah here..." Scott said handing her a tissue.
"You alright?" Scott asked again.
Jean blinked her eyes, "I dunno...suddenly I feel a little...numb."
"Numb...?"
Jean shook her head as she slowly stood up.
"I- I'm cold."
"You need a blanket or something?" Scott asked standing up as well.
"No. I don't think it'll help...I just...I feel so weak."
Jean began to sway to the side slowly.
"Jean you sure you're okay?"
"I feel dizzy, like faint or something..."
"Whoa!" Scott exclaimed as he caught Jean as she fell to the side.
"Jean! Jean!" Scott shouted trying to wake her up.
"Oh man! This is not good! Jean! Jean! Okay what to do...what to do..."
Scott hastily ran his hand through his chestnut hair before deciding on one of a series of options that had run through his mind.
"Okay good idea...take her to Hank."
"It's okay Jean, you're gonna be alright." Scott said as he lifted her up into his arms. He hoped she could still hear him.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"Mr. McCoy? You here?" Scott's voice echoed throughout the fairly large lab.
"I'm over here." Hank shouted, his voice muffled.
"Where?"
"Here."
Scott jumped as Hank appeared from under the large piece of machinery that he stood by.
Hank pulled his safety glasses off his head and put down his blowtorch.
"This large piece of scientific machinery you see here has been causing glitches in my medical and experimental readouts."
Hank glared at the machine to his left.
"I just can't figure out what's wrong with it. Possibly nothing, I didn't see anything out of the usual...I guess I'll just have to put my experiments of the relation between molecular structures and human combustation on hold."
Scott raised his eyebrows. Could you even relate the two?
"Oh my stars and garters...what's wrong with Jeannie?" Hank asked, just noticing the body in Scott's arms
Scott quickly snapped back to the task at hand.
"I don't know, something happened to her. She complained of not feeling well, she said she was cold and felt numb. I dunno how it happened exactly but her nose began to bleed and she just fainted."
Hank raised his eyebrows.
"Fainted?"
Not waiting for an answer he quickly dismissed the question.
"Set her on the table Scott."
Without hesitation Scott laid Jean on the med table.
"Do you know if she was feeling anything out of the ordinary?" Hank asked checking Jean's pupils with a small flashlight.
"Uh...Well besides what I explained to you...no. Uh she kept having this dream...this nightmare. She had one again this morning, it's been causing her to lose sleep, she said that she just couldn't stop the images from flashing in her head."
"Uh huh." Beast murmured checking Jean's vitals and other necessary things.
"Do you know what this nightmare was about?"
"Uh no...uh she didn't tell me...only that it was a nightmare and it confused her."
"Do you think that maybe her nightmare triggered something in her mind? I mean she said that she was having trouble keeping her telepathy in check." Scott asked not turning his eyes away from Jean.
"Well I won't know anything until I run some tests."
Hank grabbed what looked like some sort of laser but was really a body scanning device. He pulled it over the bed when it was about three inches above Jean, he switched a button on the side and a red light illuminated Jean and the bed.
Hank put on a special pair of visors and motioned for Scott to stand back.
The red light flashed three times as if taking a picture, than Hank peeled off his visors and pulled the scanning device away from the bed.
"So is she okay? Is everything alright?"
"I don't know, it will take a while for the scanner to process the information."
Hank sat down next to the computer and punched some keys on the keypad.
"What's that?" Scott asked looking towards the picture on the screen.
"This is a full body X-ray of Jean's figure It's a scanner, it will allow me to take live data scans and cat scans, bone marrow scan, X-rays all kinds of X-rays, you know things like that but all at once. It will easier allow me to monitor progress and rule out suspicions and hopefully it will easier help us to figure out what triggered her fainting spell."
"Oh...What's that?" Scott pointed to a faint orange spot on the diagram.
"Oh, that? It's nothing. Just a glitch it's been happening to all my readouts lately. I told you that damn piece of machinery is acting up on me."
"You sure?"
"Very. See right now as we speak the scanner is using the pictures it took and checking vital organs and liver and such for abnormalities. It saves me a lot of work."
"Technology like this exists?"
"Oh yes. It's very real."
"Have you ever used it before?"
"Well I have used technology like it, but nothing to this extent."
"So what? It's your first time using this technology?"
"Yes, the medical form. I've used other forms of this technology, for my experiments and such."
"So...uh... what's the maximum of time it'll take?"
"Eh...I'm not sure, Like I said this is my first time using this method, now normally it would probably take a few hours, but this form should work much faster...but I really can't say."
"Okay, I'll just wait than." Scott stood quietly staring at the monitor, than he took to pacing the floor.
After a few minutes of listening to Scott pace, Hank turned around.
"Hey uh listen, why don't you go get changed? Maybe grab a soda. I can inform you when we get anything."
"Um I don't want..."
"Scott, Jean is perfectly safe down here, I'll inform you if any changes occur while you're gone."
Scott looked undecidedly toward Jean, "Uh...Okay." he reluctantly agreed.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
Okay…it's started. I'm hoping to post a few more chaps to get it moving a little quicker for ya'll. But I promise you…when Dark Phoenix appears, I made her a real kick-ass…er…um I mean I made her bad…very bad. But than again…I made her very bad in my opinion and if it doesn't come across like that to you guyz when I finally post that chap…than at least I can say I tried to the full extent of my writing abilities.