Rachael found herself moving through a thin and wispy cloud. All around her memories flickered – Jean's memories of the world as it was and not as Rachael remembered it.
The joy became her discomfort and the smiles became her sorrow. Her parents were so much happier… In a place where they didn't have … her.
Rachael squirmed slightly under the realization.
And suddenly she felt cold. Her vision filled with a golden glow and she felt she was losing something precious … but exactly what eluded her.
She recoiled in pain – in the pain she had caused her parents and the pain she caused herself at seeing their innocent joy.
She felt her throat close and it became hard to breathe.
She was aware of Jean leaving the room and somehow aware that Jean might have killed her – except for fear of giving herself away.
Giving herself away… The thought tumbled through Rachael's mind.
But it failed to connect with anything concrete.
More of Jean's memories flickered through Rachael's mind.
She saw Jean taking the phone from Jubilee and placing it to her ear.
"You have a daughter in England…" The voice began.
She recognized the voice immediately. Watts!
He did this to her… Made her come… Told her to…
To steal my power…
And a fire burst in the pit of Rachael's stomach. The flames raged through her sleeping body and made it quiver and twitch. Her every nerve ending burned with her intensity.
And had this fire a name… It would be called RAGE.
Her own memories, the most horrible ones she had, rose to defend her from the onslaught of happiness and joy.
Her first beating…
The time she almost died in the wilderness…
When her father had the chip implanted in her head to control the use of her powers…
The way her uncle would take her on his mutant manhunts and use her like a hound…
All these things and more welled up from inside of her.
Jean's memories were false now in Rachael's mind. Her own identity so far outweighing the shallow 'depth' of her mother's that her memories simple obliterated Jeans as they appeared.
Right… Rachael realized. I can't move… She left me… Asleep or… Out…
She swallowed and squirmed again.
I have to wake up.
And a little bell went off in the back of her mind.
She put me out…She touched my mind! Recently!
And Rachael's soul reached out for that contact. It was slight and skillful and hard to find but like a scratch on the lens of life it was there.
Forge said… She remembered. Something about this world… Needing a light… TOUCH!
She almost erupted in joy when she caught hold of the contact – like a single hair running through her mind.
And as she caught it she moved her essence inside the 'hair' – and it became like a great tunnel to her and she found herself flying along it and racing back towards the waking world.
I never thought I'd say this… Rachael thought about Jean. But I'm going to enjoy beating her down!
Jean shivered for just a moment – although she wasn't real sure why.
Jean felt something digging in to the back of her mind, like the clawing of a bird…
Oh, no… She couldn't have! Jean thought in a sudden panic. But another part of her smiled slyly and though: That's my girl!
The clawing became a stabbing and Jean realized she was wincing in time with the feeling.
"Are you okay?" Kurt asked her, concerned.
She smiled. "I have a confession to make." She said, feeling flush with the pleasure of revealing a deception.
Kurt shook his head curiously. "What?"
Emma jolted awake and leapt for Kurt's robe. No! She thought, realizing what was coming.
Lucy looked at Forge and Wilson.
"Look." She said, stretching her arm out to show them. "I've got goose bumps." And she looked around warily.
And Forge instinctively glanced towards the hall that led to Kurt and Jean.
Jean smiled and raised her hand. "You have to die." She told him and a telekinetic jolt shot out of her hand and hit Kurt square in the chest.
It was a horrible sight. Kurt's chest exploded almost from the inside in a six-inch circle in the middle.
Splatter hit the ceiling, walls and Jean.
Jean smiled wryly in to Kurt's surprised eyes.
Emma flew out of Kurt's room and saw him still on his feet, the glistening hole in his chest.
"No." She said softly, looking to Jean.
Just then Kurt fell to his knees and looked more surprised than anyone at the development.
Emma's gaze hardened and she turned herself toward the task of attacking Jean's mind.
Jean is strong but she lacks Xavier's subtle gifts. Emma on the other hand never appreciated the subtle approach in the slightest.
Monsters rolled out of Emma's mind. Evil orderlies and the nasty secrets of a thousand diseased minds flooded in to Jean.
Jean went pale and blinked, on the verge of passing out, and the tried to defend herself.
Emma cried out as she continued the flood "QUICKLY EVERYONE! NOW!"
Her words echoed throughout the lighthouse, tinged psychically with her regret and fear.
And everyone responded.
Brian leapt from his bed and pulled on some shorts as he made for the door.
Lucy took lead and forge followed immediately. Wilson crept hesitantly behind them.
Emma felt the clawing in the back of Jean's mind and knew from the taste what it was.
She's repressing the girl! Emma realized and she extended her mind to Rachael and dragged her through the layers of mental constructs that Jean had buried her under.
No! No! Jean realized. Leave her alone! She thought but she felt Rachael slipping away from her control.
"You bitch." Jean sneered at Emma and Emma realized that Jean was throwing off her psychic attack.
Lucy burst in to the room and saw Kurt on his knees, looking at the blood on his hands and the hole in his chest. He looked up at her and then at Jean.
Got it! Lucy dove, her claws in place and she hit Jean like a whirlwind of fury and steel, striking alternately with her hand claws and the ones in her feet.
Jean threw up telekinetic shields as fast as he could and managed to only get hit once or twice, but that was enough.
Jean leapt backwards and out on to the deck rising with a superior smirk on her face.
Kitty and Alistaire burst out of her room, their clothing disheveled and their faces flush.
Emma redoubled her efforts and Jean shot a telekinetic blast at her out of principle.
Alistaire dropped to his knees next to Kurt and caught him as he went to fall.
Kurt looked shocked and shook his head at Alistaire who in turn looked only at a loss and while holding Kurt up in a kneeling position by holding on to one shoulder… He used his free hand to hold Kurt's.
"NO!" Kitty screamed and began to run for Jean. Just then Brian blindsided her by smashing through the windows and diving on the surprised girl. They went down in a heap and Lucy dove for Jean while Emma rushed to follow.
Wilson slid in next to Kurt and Alistaire on his knees just in time to see Kurt's head fall forward.
"Sir?" Alistaire shook him "Please… Sir?"
But Kurt's head only bobbed and his hand that ha d just been holding him tight was now limp.
"He's gone." Wilson whispered to Alistaire, recalling the first time he had found a body – frozen to death – under a bridge.
Alistaire met his eyes. "I know." He admitted.
And Alistaire stood up, drew his Bosley Special out of the small of his back, and headed out towards the fight on the deck.
Jean had risen again above the fray and she smiled. "Well, since you're mostly all here anyway…" And the phoenix force roared around her like a great angry eagle as the great form exploded out in to the sky.
Jean raised a hand and focused all the force she could muster in to one great shot and turned it loose on the lighthouse.
A portal opened and Betsy walked out of it alone, looking defeated.
When she lifted her eyes she saw Jean's great telekinetic shot bearing down on her and…
Her brother dove between them and took the shot full in the chest.
A great explosion ripped through the lighthouse and blew out some walls as it decimated the roof.
Wilson braced against the impact and when the smoke cleared he found himself standing alone amid the rubble, over Kurt's dead body, facing the Dark Phoenix – all on his own. Without anyone else in sight.