Child of Light and Darkness

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Chapter Fourteen

"What did she just do?" Bobby literally screamed at Scott.

Scott thought frantically. "I don't know! I don't know!"

It was a good guess that the three witnesses were pretty frantic, frightened, and confused.

"What'd she do? What happened to her?"

"How the hell should I know? I don't know what just happened there, I wish I did but I don't. I'm just as frantic and as clueless as you!"

Scott and Bobby shouted back at each other.

Kitty probably as frantic as the two, was the voice of reason here.

"C'mon guys, like just calm down. 'kay? None of us know what Jean is doing or what she did okay? Now yelling at each other isn't going to like solve that."

"Kitty's right Scott. This has gone on long enough we have to stop her from killing him. We all know that's what she's going to do. She said so herself, one more blow and he's history."

Scott reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, let's go."

But unfortunately the didn't have the chance to do Much of anything, as a sudden light appeared in the room and they had to shield their eyes from it's brightness. They could hear objects breaking and molecules being pulled apart. The light lasted a few minutes and than it all sucked in.

"What the hell was that?" Bobby uncovered his eyes. "Oh sorry I forgot. You know just as much as I do."

Scott nodded. "I can't believe this happened."

"Like what happened Scott?"

"This whole thing. That isn't Jean in there, that's not her!"

"Calm down Scott."

"Yeah like, we know it's not her. Let's just all calm down and think this through."

"Think what through? We have no time! We have to get outside."

They backed away as the door, which was left intact, opened. Jean emerged from the room.

"Jean, what'd you do?" Scott asked jumping up besides her.

"It's fairly simple Scott. I just beat Mesmero to a pulp, than tore apart his nerves, his shields and than finally his mind. I am sad to say Mesmero has passed into the land of shadows."

"You killed him?" Scott asked in fright, shock and disbelief.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I not clarify that good enough for you? I pulled apart his mind."

"You killed him?" Scott repeated. "But why?"

Jean smiled. "There's no point in living if you can't feel alive."

Scott's face looked puzzled, 'There's no point in living if you can't feel alive?' Where'd that come from?

"And right now I feel more alive than ever." Jean finished as Scott found himself at a loss for words.

"But Jean-Are you alright?" Scott asked frantic and worried.

"Am I alright? I'm better than alright, I'm great! For once I feel like I'm truly alive!"

"Than why-why did you kill him?"

Jean rolled her eyes, as a smirk played across her lips. "You want the simple explanation? Payback's a bitch Scott. Mesmero had it coming."

Jean smirked as if what she had done was no big deal.

"Payback? But-But-

"Whoa, Whoa! Trouble ahead!"

Bobby's cries interrupted Scott.

"Horsemen ahead!" Bobby shouted. He stopped abruptly as did the others.

Famine the only horsemen left laughed evilly. "Hello dears. You look lost, may I help redirect you?" She sneered.

"Nope, I think we're fine thanks." Scott said in an attempt to draw her back.

"Maybe you were, but you're not anymore." Famine sped forward.

"Which one is this?" Bobby asked.

"Why I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself…Famine."

"Famine, like that doesn't sound to good."

"You're right my dear it doesn't." Famine smiled as she charged at Kitty.

"Like Whoa!" Kitty shouted putting her hands up in phasing position.

Famine was taken by surprise when she went right through Kitty.

Famine gave Kitty a shocked expression, "What are you a ghost?"

"Like last time I checked…no."

"DUCK!"

Famine turned around at the sound of a male voice. Bobby who held a piece of the broken concrete…iced himself up a ledge and slammed into Famine, causing her to fly off her horse.

"Whoops. To late." Bobby smiled tossing aside the concrete. "Gets 'em every time."

"Watch and learn my dear." Famine said picking up the piece of concrete, turning it into dust.

Bobby swallowed hard.

"That's right, that's what I can do to you with a single touch." Famine hopped back on her horse.

Scott took the opportunity to shoot an optic blast. Famine noticed it out of the corner of her eye, and reared up her horse. The optic blast hit the horse's stomach damaging it slightly.

"Ha, fools." Famine sneered.

"Alright Enough! This has gone too long."

Jean appeared from the darkness of the shadows.

"Awe…have you come to fight me dearie? Please do well try."

"Trust me lady, I won't try, I'll do."

Famine was taken aback at Jean's surety.

"Will you now?"

Jean slanted her eyes.

Her fists lit up with the energy. She thrust her hands forward and Famine flew back hard. Jean held the horse steady, and motioned with her hands to tear it apart, and the horse slit in two. Jean picked the horse up in the air and slammed it to the ground.

Jean glared at the frightened Famine who watched as Jean destroyed her horse.

"Now it's your turn."

Famine eyes grew wide in fright but she tried to hide it.

"Jean no!" Scott grabbed Jean's arm.

"No more killing."

"Let go of me Scott!"

"C'mon Jean, you don't have to kill her, just knock her out or something." Scott pleaded.

Jean hesitated, than pulled her arm from Scott's grasp. "Very well."

"You have met mercy today Famine. I am not usually a merciful being." With those last words, Jean blasted Famine with a telepathic mental bolt, knocking the helpless horseman out instantly.

"She won't be getting up for a while."

Jean shrugged past Scott and Bobby making for the exit.

"Lets go, we still have work to do."

The others paused, since when did Jean give out the orders?

"Scott…I'm like, scared. I mean this isn't Jean at all. It's something else."

"Do you think it could be Mesmero's impact on her Scott?" Bobby asked voicing the same concerns as Kitty.

"I can't say for sure, but it's something. I mean that wasn't Jean. I think her powers are taking over, clouding her judgment."

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"Professor I've got something here!" Hank shouted typing furiously at the keyboard.

"What is it?"

"It's another mutant. Cerebro has just detected his powers."

Xavier scanned the screen. "Mastermind."

"Yes Master of illusions, he is able to create illusions in one's mind…change memories, even make one believe something that's false."

"I see."

"I believe Professor that Apocalypse is using him."

"It makes sense. Mastermind could pry into Jean's mind, make her believe his a friend who only wants to help, he could promise her whatever she wants….and then create the illusion that he's taking her away to help her. In the meantime he could really be corrupting her…showing her images that he has created and forcing her to believe them. He could also wipe her memories and in their place leave false ones."

"That would defiantly be enough to provoke her powers."

"Indeed. It's also not a good sign. If he has done something of this sort, it does not mean good for the team."

"I'll contact the team."

"Very well Hank."

"Oh cerebro also picked up another signature."

"Is it Jean?" Xavier asked wheeling towards him.

"Yes they found her."

"That's a relief."

"Yes it was. But not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I told you I'd watch over Jean's data scans…that I'd research them. Well I did. I've compared Jean's present scans with those that I took and saved a few days ago. I've just finished processing them."

"Bad news Hank?"

"Jean has realized her ultimate potential as a psi. She knows she possess the power of a god but only the experience and awareness of a young woman. She can't cope with that totality of power…I doubt anyone on earth could. So to protect itself from itself, her mind engaged in a series of psychic circuit breakers that cut her power back to a level she could handle. But lately, someone…or something…has been releasing those breakers. There are almost none left. Jean's now tapping near-infinite power-levels."

Xavier sighed. "I feared this would happen."

"Is there nothing we can do?"

"Well Hank, we can pray."

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"Mastermind? So ya think this guy's 'round 'ere somewhere? 'Kay Chuck we'll check it out." Logan signed off the X-communicator.

"What is it Logan?" Ororo asked.

"Cerebro detected another mutant. Charley says he's got enough power ta provoke Jeannie. They think that Mesmero and Apocalypse recruited 'im."

"So this new mutant, we're looking for him."

"We are now."

Rogue, Kurt and Remy came bursting in the door.

"There ya are! We been lookin' fer ya."

"Sorry we had ta take care of some business."

"Don't be Rogue. Did ya get 'im down?"

"Down and accounted for boss." Remy smiled.

"Good. Be alert we got a new mutant on our hands. Goes by the name 'Mastermind.' He's a master of illusions n' the sort so be careful. Chuck and the Doc think he's somehow behind this."

"Gotcha. Vherever he is ve'll find him."

"That's the spirit fuzz ball. I just talked ta Slim. They got Jeannie."

"Vell zat's good."

"Not really."

"What do ya mean?"

"Tell ya later. Right now we gotta find this mutant."

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"You're to late X-men! The Age of Apocalypse is here!"

"Uh oh! Not good." Bobby retorted as they walked out to the grounds just to see Apocalypse emerge from the darkness.

Logan snarled. "You must be Apocalypse!"

"Not what you were expecting I presume?"

"No. I was expecting some geek running around with his underwear outside his pants." Logan said sarcastically.

"Why aren't you the funny one?"

"Actually I'm the serious one. N' I'm totally serious about kicking yer butt!"

"I'll beg you to try!"

Logan growled. "Kurt take yer team inside n' find Mastermind. 'Ro n' I can handle 'im."

Logan made sure Kurt took his team inside.

Than he snarled and unsheathed his claws, He was in for the fight o' his life, and he was ready for it.

He pounded toward Apocalypse, ready to give it his all.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"You are to late X-men!"

Rogue stopped abruptly as Mastermind walked up to them.

"Uh, why does everyone keep tellin' us that?"

"Because it's the truth. I would know I worked on your comrade."

"Yeah 'bout dat, what exactly did ya do ta her?"

"That is none of your concern. You have bigger problems."

"Oh you mean like that 5 ton garbage truck out there?" Rogue said pointing to the doors that led outside to Apocalypse.

"You have no idea." Mastermind sneered.

"Vell ve do know somezing and zat's zat ve aren't just going to let you get avay. Are ve guys?"

Remy and Rogue shook their heads.

Mastermind chuckled "What are you going to do to me? I can easily create the illusion that I am nothing but a friend."

"Yeah sorry 'bout dat mon ami, but de professor done some work on us and you can't reach into dis." Remy said pointing a finger at his skull.

"He's right ya can't. But ya did somethin' to our friend and ya helped that metal bucket, so that's why if we're gonna die, yoah gonna die with us."

Mastermind took a step back but Kurt was a second faster and bamfed over and in mere minutes held on to Mastermind and teleported him back to meet Remy and Rogue.

Kurt held him tight so he couldn't escape.

"Vhat should ve do vith him?"

"Well we're not gonna kill him." Rogue stated.

"I say we take him outside chere' let him see a piece o' da action."

"Ja, I agree."

"Okay Kurt why don't we tie him to a pole or something?" Rogue said looking at Mastermind the whole time taunting him.

Kurt bamfed the four outside to the side of the building.

"Here's good." Remy said pointing his stick at a metal pole in the ground that had once been used to hold up a wire gate but the gate had long since rusted out.

"What exactly do you thing I'm going to do? I can easily be free of these childish bonds." Mastermind said as Remy proceeded to tie him up with a metal chain.

"Yeah you could, but ya ain't gonna." Rogue said taking off her right glove.

Mastermind pulled his head back as Rogue's hand neared his face.

"What are you going to do?"

"Just knock ya out a little. Keep ya secured. It'll only hurt for a second. But I guarantee ya it'll hurt you more than it does me."

Rogue placed her hand on his cheek as he gave out a stiff yell. Rogue's mind flashed as she made skin contact and she let go watching Mastermind's conscious, limp head fall loosely down.

"Well I'll be chere' ya know just how ta treat a man." Remy smirked.

"Anyvay I zink ve did za right zing. Ve might need information out of him later."

"Ah ahgree."

"Hey Rogue, what's happening out there?" Scott asked as his team came rushing to hers.

"Logan's and Ororo are biding us time while we deal with this guy." Rogue said pushing on his limp head just to have it fall over again.

"Mastermind." Jean stated frankly, her mind briefly going somewhere else.

Rogue, Remy, and Kurt looked her over for a brief moment, analyzing their newfound comrade. They noticed the same thing as everybody else…something was different about her.

"Did he put up a good fight?" Scott asked.

Rogue looked back at him, And Remy replied. "Nah, the prof proofed our minds so he couldn't get to dem."

Rogue nodded. "Yeah, we couldn't get anything out of him 'cept the usual warnings so we tied him up and knocked him out."

Scott looked him over and shook his head. "Okay, good work." He said nodding.

"Remy t'inks dat we should go give Wolverine a hand no?"

"Yeah he's dealing with Apocalypse, I think he's gonna need a hand." Rogue agreed.

"Either that or a miracle." Scott muttered. "Okay, let's get this over with."

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Almost the end of Apocalypse…geez…even I can't wait…that guy's starting to annoy me. But low and behold…hahaha…I've got the power…to kill him off. Hehe…

Will the X-men get their miracle? Well this is only fiction. Anything's possible.