Child of Light and Darkness
~
Chapter Fifteen
Logan fell back to the ground. He had just attempted to jump and slash Apocalypse. But the mutant was so much taller then himself, and so much more powerful. Logan had been at this for a while but his attempts all failed.
"Why do you push yourself so hard? Ha, Ha, you know you're no match for me." Apocalypse boomed. Logan was just grateful he had prevented Apocalypse from going through with his plan.
"What do you plan ta do bub?"
"Do? This isn't about doing or not doing. This is about power. About dominion and rulership over all living creatures. If I harness the power of the girl I can take over everything!"
"I've heard it all before bub. I hate ta break it to ya, but Jeannie's free. Ya can't use 'er fer anythin'."
"Ha. Is that so? She might be free…but perhaps she's still a prisoner."
Logan frowned. "What is that supposed ta mean?"
"You're comrade has seen the darkest depths of the human soul…yet she lives. Why? Because she enjoyed it. She enjoyed the experience the darkness brought her. She enjoys the feeling of ultimate power!"
"How do ya know?"
"I implored Mastermind to do my bidding. I only had him pry deep into her mind and unleash that side of herself that she keeps hidden, the darkness corrupts her….the joy of evil provokes her. It shouldn't be long now."
"So yer usin' Jeannie and through 'er yer gain the power you've always wanted."
"Delicious isn't it?"
Logan had to admit that was a good plan. But nobody was going to harm his Jeannie.
"I find it revolting."
"You know you can't save her. Why do you bother? The world is at my mercy."
"What if she turns against ya?"
"She will not. She hasn't the will power to fight off the haze left by Mesmero and Mastermind."
"Ya sure yer not underestimatin' her abilities? She's still human."
"No. She is a creature of darkness…a servant to my will. She is no longer who you knew."
This enraged Logan and he charged at Apocalypse claws extended.
Logan found his legs tangled in masses of roots that sprouted from the ground. Apocalypse's doing of course. Logan struggled against the tightening roots to get loose.
"Don't bother struggling it is of no use." Apocalypse boomed.
Ororo emerged from the left side of Apocalypse. Her eyes already white, and her hair already ruffling from her self-created wind, she thrusted her hands out in front of her, trying to make a huge brush of wind to take Apocalypse by surprise. Because of his large figure, the wind did not affect Apocalypse and he remained grounded. Seeing that this was of no affect, Ororo tried by blasting lightning from the sky. The lightning to had no affect on him. Apocalypse tired of Ororo vain attempts and he had roots spring from the ground to wrap around Ororo's whole body, dragging her to the ground.
" 'Ro!" Logan shouted.
He struggled harder against the roots. But the harder he struggled the tighter the roots wrapped around him. The roots wrapped around his wrists and he found his hands being pinned hardly to the sandy ground. In a vain attempt to free himself, Logan popped out his claws. Summoning all his strength Logan pulled back his wrists and managed to slit a part of the root around his arm. He pushed his arms backward and the slit became bigger until finally, the roots broke. He detangled himself, and swiftly he jumped upon Apocalypse. Apocalypse was prepared however, He had shape-shifted his hand into a shield, and he rammed the shield into the mid-air Logan and Logan fell back. Falling back into the air, Logan flipped backwards once, and landed on his feet.
"It's gonna take 'lot more than that to ground me bub." Logan snarled.
Well he talked Ororo summoned lightning from the sky and it struck the roots. The roots being living creatures, jerked back at the touch of the lightning and Ororo detangled herself from them.
"Take a break guys we're here!" Scott shouted, as his team, Rogue, Kurt, and Remy appeared behind him.
"Now you're talkin'." Logan grinned.
"Ah…it seems you have defeated my horsemen, I must congratulate you on a job well done. You are better than I took you for. No matter, you cannot prevent something that cannot be prevented."
"Don't keep us from trying." Scott shouted
"You fools won't last a minute against me." Apocalypse's face turned from mere amusement to angry determination.
This is where everything seemed to come in a blur. Things were happening so fast, the X-men had to be minded the whole time lest they run into a trap. Roots sprouted from the ground, Rogue managed to avoid them, Remy just exploded them, and Kitty phased through them. Bobby had taken to the air icing himself up and was trying to attack Apocalypse that way. Apocalypse used his shape shifting abilities and blocked Bobby's ice missiles. Bobby tried to keep hitting him with missiles; His endurance couldn't stay up forever and he began to weaken, as he tired and he iced out. A ricocheted missile caught him by surprise and he swerved to avoid it, but it just missed him, and caught him in the corner of his side. Bobby swerved sideways from the pain, and he was forced to fall to the ground.
Rogue was avoiding the roots so far, one grabbed her around the leg, but Remy threw a card at it, and it thrusted back and Rogue quickly released herself. But soon the ground began to shake and many, many roots sprung from the ground, but this time they kept growing until they were as tall as cornstalks. Rogue found it hard to avoid being tangled by roots taller than her, and she found herself being pulled to the ground. Scott shot his optic blasts at most, but the more he injured some, double that many sprouted to the ground. The same happened to Remy, the more he energized the more appeared. Logan lashed out at the roots, his testosterone racing, He just kept lashing at them, breaking some, as double that many appeared. It was easy at first, but he found himself having to lash and quickly lash again, but even he too was tiring.
Kitty and Kurt seemed like the only safe ones…but they only seemed like the safe ones. Kurt teleported and Kitty phased, but it was only a matter of time before Apocalypse noticed them. He shape shifted his arm into a missile launcher He shot at the ground near Kitty and the ground somewhat split. Kitty leaned back avoiding the crack. But it just grew larger until Kitty was at the edge of the cliff and about to fall back. Because the ground was split, if she phased through it, she would only find herself falling once she reached the middle where the ground split. Kurt quickly teleported and grabbed Kitty and teleported them both back. But Apocalypse was one step ahead of them and once Kurt grounded them, before both of them had time to think, a blast hit Kurt straight in the chest. Apocalypse shape-shifted his arm into a fiery sword and lashed at the roots around Kitty and Kurt. They started on fire and Kitty tried waking Kurt up, she could have phased through the roots, but they covered the entire cliff, she would just be phasing into one fiery root after another.
The roots had the all others tangled and at Apocalypse's wishing, the roots turned from fiery green grass sprouts, to fiery metal chains. It seemed that they all were left at Apocalypse's mercy. And god knows he wasn't in a merciful mood.
"It seems I have you all at my mercy. If I wish to, I can have you detangled at this very moment. But fortunately for me, and unfortunately for you, I do not wish so. It seems you have met your match X-men. It is now that you fully realize no one can stop Apocalypse, I AM INVINCIBLE!" Apocalypse shouted in glee.
"Our paths have crossed and unfortunately for you, it will be the last path you shall ever cross. You have stumbled unto your death warrants X-men. The Age of Apocalypse has now come!" Apocalypse roared in triumph.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
Jean felt the power within her, she felt herself reeling toward it, and she felt it twisting her mind. She subdued the urging for the power within her. She lifted up her head, and found her teammates, trapped underneath fiery metal chains, in which they only could hope for mercy from Apocalypse. Jean knew they would never get it Apocalypse was merciless.
Jean studied her surroundings, her teammates, Apocalypse. Somehow she felt drawn to him…drawn to Apocalypse and his view of the world…she liked it. The feeling of power…of knowing that you are the only one who can decide the fate of millions.
Jean stepped forward as Apocalypse threatened her teammates. But they weren't her teammates. They weren't her friends she didn't know them…all she knew where the sensations within her. She didn't want power…she wanted substance…satisfaction…she answered to no one, especially Apocalypse.
She felt the power within her, she could feel her need for rapture beyond all comprehension nearing. Jean gave in; she welcomed the urgings of power. She let her will slip, her circuit breakers fail, she felt her mind being twisted and consumed. Her power is a song within her…A passion beyond all comprehension. She is more alive than she has ever been…as she smashes through the psionic barriers in her mind with contemptuous ease.
The obsidian flames burn brighter within her, and, in the distance, she hears music…a sympathy of power long sought and well remembered. Transfixed by an inhuman joy, her burning soul spreads it's wings and soars towards a destiny that will no longer be denied. She reels under the impact of more sensations than she has names for…as her song of power builds to its inevitable crescendo. She felt herself being fully consumed by the phoenix until Jean was no more.
Her body consumed with power and energy. She felt the power of the cosmos within her grasp. Her hair rose as if it were the fire itself, her eyes blared with an undeniable determination, of anger, of evil. She was no longer Jean Grey, now she was only Phoenix.
The consummation transformed Jean. Her eyes flared a deep fiery orange with lust and evil. Jean had been completely transformed Her bright red hair illuminated a fiery orange as if it were fire itself.
"Here me X-men! No longer am I the woman you knew! I am Fire! And LIFE INCARNATE! Now and Forever…I AM PHOENIX!"
Hearing Jean's exclamation Apocalypse turned to face her.
"Ha, Phoenix so you've come to side with me."
"That I have indeed."
"I knew you wouldn't disappoint."
"I don't intend to."
"Together we could build a future where humans recognize our worth. That we are the future!"
"Did you really think you could use me to gain you power?"
"You are still an X-men. And only still human."
"I am not like them."
"Ah, perhaps. But you are just as weak."
"Are you sure?"
"Ha, there is nothing to be unsure of."
"You will regret those very words Apocalypse."
"I am not afraid of you."
"Yes, but you should be."
"Why should I be afraid of the likes of you?"
"I am more than you have bargained for."
"You are weak and created…you may be powerful but you still have the human mind and you are not strong enough to fight off this haze."
"You should know, that by playing with me, you're playing with fire."
"Is that so?"
"I hope you enjoy it, Apocalypse."
Phoenix smiled evilly. She knew that this was one fight Apocalypse could not survive.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"Professor!" Hank exclaimed
"Yes Hank?" Xavier wheeled up to him, still in the computer lab.
"Look at Jean's neurologics. They're way off the charts. The same with her brain scans they're going crazy, and Cerebro can't even recognize her anymore…it's as if she's died."
"Indeed, I feared this would happen."
"What is it Professor?"
"The simple explanation Hank is that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Phoenix is the ultimate expression of Jean's potential as a Psi. Too much power, I fear, too soon. Jean is too young…she lacks the awareness necessary to control her now limitless abilities."
"So what can we do?"
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. It is already to late."
"But Professor-there has to be something."
"Jean's fate is no longer in our hands Hank. There is-There's nothing we can do for her."
Hank bit his lip and Xavier lowered his head in thought and deep sadness.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"I will be your destruction Apocalypse!" Phoenix crooned.
"Ha, Ha, why is it that you want to extract revenge so harshly on me?"
"You wanted me for my power! I shall not so easily consent!"
"I made you who you are! You are my servant!"
"I answer to no one! You only provoked my dormant powers. My mutation made me! You underestimated me. You thought I would bow to your demands. I needn't care nor want what you hunger for! I hunger for power for sensations you cannot give. You knew I'd be powerful but yet you still felt confident that I could not harm you! You thought falsely! Prepare to face my wrath!"
She let loose the fire around her and it sprung towards Apocalypse, but even with all his power and invincibility did it not stop the fire from harming him. Apocalypse screamed in pain as the fire went through him leaving a scorching burn inside.
"No one can harm Apocalypse! What-are-you?" He asked in between breaths.
"Your worst nightmare. With a merest shrug I can destroy a world; with a slightest smile, destroy a galaxy, with a single thought incinerate the universe, You want to know what I am? You tell me!"
"You're not of this world! You are a demon!"
Jean laughed evilly. "Ha. Ha. You have guessed nicely Apocalypse. But trust me I am much worse than a demon. I am your death!"
"No one can kill Apocalypse! I cannot be killed!"
"Is that so?"
"It is."
"You want to know what I am Apocalypse? I am born and consumed in blood and flame and sacrifice! And I return always coming back. I Am what is, what was, what will be! I Am the Angel Of Death! Chaos-Bringer!"
Apocalypse had never been frightened he had never been rattled. But this creature was rattling him. She had surprised him by harming him. It was fair to say he was indeed intrigued by her power.
"You're bluffing."
"Am I? You think I'm bluffing Apocalypse? You want your proof? Here it is than!"
If there was any part left of Jean in herself, this was the end of her.
Phoenix summoned all her power, everything she held possible. With a single thought and a bolt of powerful energy she could easily destroy Apocalypse. She summoned all her power; Jean still was somewhat in control. She still had some shields up; her will was slightly still there. But this last thought, this last boost of power was enough to destroy and blow Jean's mind away. Jean's body illuminated with more energy, more power than she had ever felt before. The Phoenix let go of all that powerful energy. She led it straight into the heart of Apocalypse. Jean felt the power taking over her, she felt herself being completely and full consumed by power, energy, evil. Jean's young mind and body couldn't take it. She screamed in pain as she felt her mind burning up, being twisted and consumed.
"NO!" Apocalypse screamed as he felt parts of him being torn up. As the energy exploded the ground shook and split, the X-men were released from their bounds of chain.
Wolverine lashed at the remits of chains around his teammates. His feet shook from underneath him.
"Elf take the rest o' the team and start the Blackbird! This ground's gonna give!" He shouted over the loud noise of debris.
"On It!" Kurt said teleporting out with all but Scott and Ororo.
The ground shook harder, and rocks began breaking apart as the ground split.
The blackbird landing on the premises ruffled Scott's hair with the strong wind it picked up. Scott and Logan were the only one's still left who had not boarded the blackbird.
"Slim let's go. This place is gonna give any minute now!" Logan shouted from his place by the stairway of the aircraft.
"Just give me a minute." Scott shouted back, still shocked.
"We don't have a minute, let's go!"
Scott watched as Jean flew off and Apocalypse disappeared under the rock and debris.
"But Jean-"
"We'll track 'er later! If we don't go now we may not live to help 'er." Logan shouted shoving Scott in the plane and than hopping in himself.
Kurt pulled back as hard as he could on the joystick bringing them into the air allowing the debris to miss hitting the plane.
"What do we do now Logan?" Ororo asked, after the plane had settled down.
"Mastermind. We gotta get answers outta 'im."
Kurt nodded and flew the plane about 5 miles away from the falling debris. He landed the plane next to the pole where Rogue's team had left Mastermind.
They all filed out and Logan charged toward Mastermind.
"What did you do ta 'er?" He asked holding the bounded man by his collar.
He smirked. "Her transformation is complete."
Logan unsheathed his claws. "Apocalypse is dead…so is Mesmero…I better start talkin' if I were you…or yer gonna share the same fate as them."
"He thought he could control her. He thought if I provoked her enough into unleashing her powers…I can keep her from reasoning logically…if I were to just leave a haze in her mind. Apocalypse underestimated her…she cannot be controlled…she is much more powerful than he could imagine. She saw right through his plan and her negative emotions got the best of her."
"What? You better clarify that. Think 'bout it, ya don't got nothin' ta lose."
Mastermind sighed and sneered.
"Negative emotions are a part of being human. The girl became so god-like that she lost touch with her humanity, and succumbed to the darkness that has consumed her. Her growing powers are being fueled from her emotions. When she uses her powers in a big way, they "burn up" or eliminate her emotions. Therefore living her soul void and empty, she feels nothing, not care, not love, all she feels is her need for power for sensations only she can bring."
"Lemme get this straight…ya knew this would happen and didn't stop it?"
"I only did what I was told. It is not my place."
"You let this happen and now the whole world is at her mercy! Do you not understand that?" Scott shouted pushing forward ready to hurt him.
Logan held up his arms and prevented Scott from walking any closer.
"He did this! He's responsible for all of it!"
"I did nothing! It would have happened eventually. The girl is to blame for it all!"
"How dare you blame Jean!" Scott shouted, hand on his visor.
"Calm down bub!" Logan said pushing Scott's arm away from his visor.
"We just gotta call the prof and see if maybe we can find out where she went."
"How? Cerebro can't detect Jean's mind scans because it can't recognize her…her mutation has completely changed her scans!"
"Let's just get back in the 'bird and we'll figure somethin' out."
"What about him?" Scott nodded towards Mastermind.
"He's comin' wit' us."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
She stands motionless, a shadow among shadows, feeling dark fire consume her soul. Her face is supremely calm. Her face lies. Jean Grey is terrified…more afraid now than she's ever been…because she knows what is happening to her. And she cannot stop it.
She laughs to herself. The man is such a fool. She will enjoy what happens next. And realizing that, she weeps.
Jean emerged from the shadows.
"You are all to predictable." She sneered.
"Jean!" Scott shouted. "Listen to me…"
"No you listen!" Jean interrupted. "I have no need for you fools!"
With a swift motion of her hands she tore the pole from the ground and released Mastermind.
"I only want him."
Her hands burned with fiery energy she pushed her hands outward and Mastermind want flying to the side wall of the labatory. She pinned him there.
Logan started to rush forward to stop her.
"Stay out of this!" She shouted. She encased the entire team in a telekinetic bubble and pushed it back sending them flying she put up an invisible blocking shield so they couldn't move past it.
She turned back to Mastermind.
"You made a mistake, Jason. You made me learn to control and use my power for evil, you created the illusion in my mind that I was evil, you made me believe I was evil, but Instead of enslaving me forever to the powers of evil, you shocked me awake. You set me free. Too late, I fear for you. You had me do evil to gain you power and through this body I felt the thrill of that evil and now I thirst for more!"
"No! I compensated for that reaction…my power should have…"
"Your Power Is Nothing! Do you have any idea what you've done…what forces you've set in motion?!!! You came to me when I was vulnerable. You filled the emotional void within me. You made me trust you…and all the while, you were using me!"
Jean pinned him tighter to the wall crushing his chest as she attacked him at will.
"Please no more I beg you! You're killing me!"
"I intend to do a lot worse than that mastermind. You tailored your illusions to fit my most private fantasies…the repressed dark side of my soul. You gave me what I secretly wanted…and used that to destroy me! It's only fair that I return the compliment. Through me, you sought power. Very well than, I'll grant your wish. I'll give you power, Jason Wyngarde…such as no living being has even dreamed of. Would you like to see me as I truly am?!"
At Jean's touch, his mind expands at the speed of thought, racing instantly from one side of reality to the other. Through all the infinite reaches of space and time. In the blink of an eye, Mastermind finds, himself in touch with the universe…his brain flooded with all the myriad, absolute, contradictory truths of existence.
He screams. Unable to cope, he runs. Unable to escape, he drowns. He is, after all, only human…a man of limited awareness, limited power, limited ability, transformed in a god.
Jason's head flung back as she thrust her hands sideways. She pried into his mind, reading all his memories and fascinations. She used his power against himself and sent him images of her…of her power…and what she was capable of.
It took mere minutes, Jean's body lit up in one last moment and she surged all her power at his mind. It went through him and she repressed it again, and glanced at his lifeless body.
She had sent him into a solar state…a type of coma…but he might as well have been dead.
The obsidian flames burn brighter within her, and, in the distance, she hears music…a sympathy of power long sought and well remembered. Transfixed by an unhuman joy, her burning soul spreads it's wings and soars towards a destiny that will no longer be denied.
Finally Jean could fight no more and whatever was left of her…she let her power corrupt with Jason's 'death'. Her eyes flashed black and fiery as her clothing changed from a green to a dark blood red burgundy representing her turn to evil.
She turned around satisfied and let down the telekinetic barrier holding the X-men in place.
"I trust you'll go no further. Not after what you witnessed. With his death I have no need for any of you, I have let loose the ties that bound me to the woman I once was."
She ascended to the skies. "No longer am I the woman you once knew. I'm a being no force in existence can withstand. I AM DARK PHOENIX!"
"Jean! Wait!" Scott shouted but he was unable to stop her.
"Logan we have to go after her!"
"No! We can't! You saw what she did ta him. We gotta go back, talk this through."
"But-
"It's the only way. Charley will know what has ta be done."
Scott sighed. "Alright but we have to think fast."
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
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Mwuahaaa…..Yes! Finally Dark Phoenix! Yay! Anyway Jean is DARK PHOENIX! Sorry but I had a good time writing the following chaps. I love to write Dark Phoenix.
Yes I know…some of her lines with Apocy were kinda…cheesy, lame? Take ur pick, whatever. I tried. I mean c'mon if you were a powerful creature of evil would you say stuff like "Hey dude" Or "I'm gonna kick you're a--"
Sorry but I just didn't picture my Phoenix saying stuff like that. But anyway on to good news…Apocalypse is dead! Yes! Yes! Yes! Sorry but he was vital to the plot but I really couldn't wait to kill him off.
And I'm glad I got Mastermind out of the way…you'll see why I had Jean KO him in next chapter. (I mean it was fun, but there's a point to her killing sprees.) Well she kinda only knocked-out (hence the KO above) Mastermind, but she might as well have killed him.
Keep in mind I published this thing 'fore Dark Horizon…I think. Anyway after one chap of dialogue…we're gonna get to the X-men fightin' Phoenix's tail…er…butt. This fic may be PG-13 but my dialogue written as Authoress will try to stay on the PG line…so yeah…
For those of you that have read the Original Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont, than you may recognize some bits of dialogue from those Comics into my fic here, like her scene when she went psycho crazy on Mastermind but that's only cuz I didn't feel like writing my own paragraph. (And it's only 'bout a paragraph or two, so I didn't copy a ton of lines from the comic to this script…if I did that this fic wouldn't be quite original.)
As always R&R! You know how I like it!