Child of Light and Darkness
~
Chapter Nine
"Mesmero how lies our current status?"
"The horseman our ready and awaiting your command. It shouldn't be much longer now, the time is near."
"Good." Apocalypse sneered. "And what about your newest recruit how is he faring?"
Mesmero cast a glance towards the dark corner. "As of present he has been successful."
"She is near. I can sense her. Her mind is in a state of serious mental disarray."
The man said emerging from the darkness of the corner.
"And your current status of the girl, Mastermind?" Apocalypse asked, voice booming.
"Invading her mind was easy given her present mental state. Creating my illusions was even easier. Her mind is very vulnerable. I have only helped her along. She is beginning to trust me. She believes I can help her gain the control she so desperately wants over her mind and powers. I believe that soon she will yearn for control more than ever. She knows I can help her learn to control her recent mutanic manifestation. She will want control so badly she'll do anything for it."
"Anything Mastermind?"
"Anything. Jean's mind is in such a jumbled state that she has unknowingly showed me all her fears and everything, or anyone that makes her vulnerable. Her mind is in such a fragile, confused state that once she agrees to my help, it should be intimidating on how easy it will be to sway her. And when that time comes, she'll be ours."
Apocalypse laughed. "I LOVE IT!"
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
Jean parked her vehicle and glanced out the window to the tall building on her left. She didn't know what she doing here, or what had motivated her to come.
She sighed and pushed herself out the door. After a moments glance to the building's sign on her right she pushed open the large double doors and walked in.
This was the Catholic Church where Rogue and Scott had ran into Magneto while trying to recruit Angel.
She had only been here a few times before. Her family used to attend Christmas services here when she was young.
They had stopped coming when she was about 8.
She didn't remember much but what she did know is that being in this place seemed to bring a sense of peace to her and that is what she so desperately wanted right now.
It was very late and she was the only person visible in the room. She took a seat in a pew towards the back wall. She rested her head on the back of the parallel pew in front of her. Everything was so quiet here…so peaceful.
She didn't know if she had fallen asleep or what had happened, but the next thing she heard was a voice rousing her up.
Jean slowly rose her head up and pulled back loose strands of red hair. "What-who?" Jean asked groggily seeing no one.
"Don't you know child?" The voice asked again.
Jean concentrated on her mind and replied back telepathically. "Who are you?"
"I know what you want."
Jean didn't reply and the voice continued.
"You want control. You want to learn."
"I just want it to stop."
"Of course you do. I can help you."
"But how do you know?"
"Let's just say I'm an admirer…I just want to help."
"I need help."
"And I can help you."
"But what do you want in return for helping me?"
"I want nothing. I need only have the joy of knowing I helped you."
"It's just sounds all to easy."
"I understand your doubts. But I needn't cause any harm. Look up."
Jean did as he commanded and lifted her head up.
"Now turn to the back wall."
Jean turned and saw a young man leaning against the wall.
He looked to be about no older than 25, with short neatly trussed brown hair and a clean shaven face the sported a small goatee at the end of his chin. To Jean's perspective he was average looking.
"Is that-" Jean began to ask telepathically.
"Come closer my dear I won't hurt."
Jean stood up and walked towards him.
He smiled upon greeting. "See I truly mean no harm." He said aloud.
"You're-"
"I am." He replied cutting Jean off.
"You may call me Jason. Jason Wyngarde."
"How have you been able to communicate mentally with me? How do you show me all those images?"
"I will answer your questions very soon. But first you must come with me." He held out his hand.
She glanced at it wary. But deep down she knew she really needed his help. She grasped it and smiled.
He returned the exchange.
"Now I shall help you gain peace." He said as the surroundings around her began to fade and eventually so did Jason.
Soon all that was left in her mind was blackness.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"Where is she? She should have been back by now!" Scott huffed as He, Logan, Ororo, Hank and Xavier entered the study.
"While what I don't understand is how Jeannie got out in the first place. I thought it was Chuck's orders ta keep 'er confined til we know more. Not that I agreed wit' it o' anythin'."
"I tried to stop her but-she told me she'd be back. Where is she? Why isn't she here?"
"First, Scott you must calm down. Second, it was never my order to keep her confined in the institute. I just thought for all concerned it was the more logical approach. Although after what Scott and the others witnessed earlier…I'm beginning to doubt my decision."
"Well whatever Professor. But how is standing around here talking, going to help us find Jean?"
"From what I've heard Jean was behaving in an abnormal but dangerous way. If your decision to keep Jean confined to the premises was not such a good idea in your perspective professor than how is letting Jean run around New York anymore secure?"
"I'm afraid it isn't Ororo. I'm sorry if I implied such a notion. However with Jean's mind in the state that it is, I fear it just might be more dangerous. After all, in Jean's current mental state her mind is probably wide open to the random thoughts of the citizens of New York."
"Oh great! Jean can hardly separate her voice and her own thoughts let alone all the voices and thoughts of about a million people! That alone will driver her crazy! We have to find her Professor!"
"Of course Scott. But you realize that if Jean isn't using her powers than cerebro cannot locate her."
"Yes I know but…" Scott paused as he laid his hands on Xavier's desk and bowed his head. "I just can't imagine what she is going through."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
Jean's mind began to stir. Her mind felt fuzzy and kind of prickly. Jean grunted as her eyelids opened to reveal the brightness of a light.
She flinched as her eyes adjusted to the brightness after having only seen darkness.
"Wh-Where am I?" Jean asked aloud her voice wavering. "What happened?"
The last thing she remembered was going to the church and seeing a man- Jean's mind snapped to realization as she remembered.
"Jason? Jason are you here?" She yelled aloud. Her senses were slowly returning and her first intention was to walk. But she couldn't her legs wouldn't move. She tried moving her arms but they were strapped down. She was strapped on some sort of horizontal examining table.
"Jason?" Jean repeated. Still no answer.
"Jason are you there?" Jean asked using her telepathy.
But something didn't feel right. Her head felt hollow as if her telepathy had been stripped away from her mind.
"Your powers aren't going to work you may as well forget it." A voice said through the darkness.
Jean searched the room with her eyes, as her neck was strapped to the table with some sort of band.
"Jason?"
"No need to strain you eyes. It is I." He said appearing in view.
"Where am I? I thought- you were going to help me. To help me control. Why can't I use my powers?"
"Your powers are completely neutralized by inhibitor fields built into the manacles around your arms, legs, and neck. It's completely harmless to your health though my dear."
Jean groaned becoming uncomfortable strapped to a table like this. "But why?"
"Well my dear, the simple reason is, that I couldn't risk it. With your powers being as uncontrollable as they are these days it was a simple precaution. However having these manacles hold back your mental powers will also help me to help you."
"H-How are you going to teach me?"
"Teach you? My dear I'm going to do much more than that. I'm going to release you. To free you from your limitable bonds."
"But I can't-I can't control all my powers at once. My mind is still evolving. What I need is to learn little-by-little to used what power I can handle to gradually build it up as I mature."
"Huh, who taught you such rubbish. Xavier? Child there is no need for you to learn that way. Xavier has shielded you from knowing just how capable of controlling all your powers you are."
"No it's not that. My mind-"
"-Your mind is fine. You don't know how simple and carefree it could be for you to control the newest manifestation of your mutation. Don't you see? Xavier has known for years just how powerful your mind is. But he has led you to believe your much weaker than you really are. The simple truth is, you can control your newest manifestation with simple ease."
"No. The Professor would never do that. He had always been truthful and honest with me."
"Xavier is a fool! He had not told you this because deep down he fears you, perhaps even envy's you. He knows that you are becoming much more powerful than him. He has known for months about your mutation. Yet he had not been straight with you. Instead he fills your head with lies and dishonesty. All because he knows what you will become and because it's part of your mutation, he knows he cannot stop it. You see it all makes sense in the end."
Jean wanted to doubt his words but they rang so true and made so much sense. Why hadn't Xavier done more to help her? All he did was tell her to fight it! That was all he did! Could Jason be right? After all, his words made a lot of sense and clarified a lot. He had made Jean's mutation sound so wonderful and great. So peaceful and exactly what she wanted. She doubted him deep down, but in her heart she knew he'd help her. He was right it all made sense in the end.
"Do it. Teach me to control my powers, just like you said. All of my powers. If I really am as powerful as you say, I want it all."
Jean said her motivation stemming mostly from what Jason just finished telling her.
A small smile played across his lips. "Excellent lets get started."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"Cerebro is having a hard time tracking Jean. It's still scanning for recognition of her brainwaves." Xavier said removing his helmet.
"So this means Jean is defiantly not using her powers?" Scott asked nervously.
Xavier sighed. "Well yes and no. Yes Jean is not using her powers. However cerebro cannot match Jean's brainwaves. And even though she's not using her powers, it still should recognize them."
"Okay, so that means…"
"Well the only explanation I have is that Jean's mind may be altered beyond recognition. Even with Jean's mind in the state it was that wouldn't affect cerebro's recognition of her brainwaves."
"So if the thoughts and chaos in Jean's mind wouldn't cause it to become altered, than what would?"
"You want the truth? I don't know. But I fear this has something to do with that dark presence I encountered earlier in Jean's mind."
"Whoa! Dark presence? A dark presence like what you encountered in Mesmero's mind?"
"Not exactly Scott. The presence was similar but more persistent."
"Okay so we can't locate Jean because her mind has been altered by some dark presence which had inhabited itself in her mind…and we're just gonna sit around and do what? If we fail to locate Jean with cerebro than we'll have to locate Jean the old fashioned way, by looking."
"Slim there are over a thousand people in New York! There ain't no way a few o' us can find 'er by lookin'!"
"Oh yeah? Well if you're not going to, Logan, I will!"
Logan stopped Scott from walking out by placing his hand on Scott's shoulder.
"There ain't no way in hell yere gonna find 'er alone either."
Scott pulled his arm out of Logan's grasp. "Well what am I supposed to do? Just wait around here?!"
"Yes Scott. That's exactly what you should do."
"But Professor we don't even know where she is! I mean what if she's in trouble! What if she can't use her powers? Huh? What are we going to do than?"
"Well obviously we must find her soon, before any thing goes wrong…but our best chance at locating Jean right now is to keep using cerebro."
Scott threw his hands up in disbelief. "What is this Professor! You're doing absolutely nothing to help her! You keep saying you are but you still know nothing new! Jean ran away because she needed help…she needed answers. Help and answers that you couldn't give! I mean are you even trying to help her?"
"Of course I am Scott!" Xavier snapped back tensely but still calm. "I'm doing everything in my power to help her. But you must understand that there is no right way to deal with this! None of us saw this coming! We didn't know what to do."
"Yeah but to tell her to fight it with her will power!? I mean for gods sake it's her mutation you know as well as all of us that she can't fight that!"
"Scott please calm down." Ororo commanded in a motherly tone that even cause Scott to pay attention. Scott held up his head and cast his glance upwards his jaw line firm in an angry manner.
Ororo placed a hand on his shoulder and Scott slowly began to calm down.
"It pains me to say this but maybe Jean does not want to be found."
Scott slid his left hand over his mouth and turned his gaze to Ororo. "I don't believe that. I can't afford to think like that."
"Believe me Scott none of us want to think that, but we must consider all options and that very well could be one of them."
"But why Professor? I mean what is up with her?"
"Well her neurologics for one." Hank yelled aloud from his place at the computer silently scanning over files.
All eyes glanced in Hank's direction. Logan turned and leaned his back against the doorframe as the others grouped closer to Hank.
"What?" Scott asked peering over the monitor.
"Well you know those data scans I took of Jean?"
Hank continued not waiting for a reply. "I've been keeping them at close range so I may look over them further and it also helps me to keep a close eye on Jean's present medical state."
"And…?" Scott asked urging him on.
"And…Jean's neurological activity is way above normal."
Scott's mouth formed to say something but Hank cut him short by continuing.
"However in Jean's mental condition right now, it is what I expected to find."
"So you're saying that if Jean's mind weren't so vulnerable and open to thoughts as it is, you'd probably consider above normal neurologics, not so normal after all."
"Correct Storm. That's exactly what I'm saying. Jean's mind is in disarray and this is what her neurologics should be in the condition she is."
"Okay, but say this weren't normal, what would cause her neurologics to attain to such high levels above normal?"
"In my opinion Scott? Oh I don't know…I'd say probably some kind of mental interference. Any kind of mental interference is the only thing that would cause Jean's mind to jump to such high levels."
"And in this case it's all the thoughts and confusion in Jean's mind that's causing it."
"I believe it is. I will however, continue to watch and look over her data scans for any further unnatural developments."
"Very well Hank. I too, must get back to cerebro in hopes that we might find Jean before it's to late."
Hank nodded at Xavier as Logan, Storm and Scott followed him out.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
Trust me the action is coming…soon. Geez I didn't realize that I had written so much stuff before all the action. I mean I didn't realize how slow going it could be. But all these chaps leading up to the action are as important as the action itself. It's all vital to the meaning and understanding of Jean's condition.