X-Men: Fate

Grey Skies

Jean Grey's eyes were closed. She was resigned to her fate. The Phoenix had caused her to kill many people: innocent strangers and a few she had deeply loved. She hadn't been strong enough to control it; stop it. She managed to lock it within herself. She brought the chaos it wrought to an end. Now, she was in a coma, feeling her life slipping away and waiting for the death she deserved.

The Phoenix tormented her endlessly; it had her bound by chains, blazing from its fire.

Jean suffered. At the same time, the pain brought her comfort. As time passed, she heard her friends, her family, asking her to stay and begging her to live. They, their voices, only brought more guilt, causing her to sink lower in the depths of her mind, granting The Phoenix more amusement, and leaving her evermore at the mercy of its restraints and torture.

Time became lost to her.

An unfamiliar voice reached her. The voice stirred her being…

"We're going to bring you back. Help us."

The voice caused her to open her eyes.

The Phoenix's flames surrounded her, but she peered through them. She could make out three figures before her. Three young people had appeared in her mind. This was a surprise: a shock to say the least. Ororo and Logan wouldn't have sent students on such a dangerous assignment, yet they were here in more danger than they could ever imagine.

"Jean!" Reva shouted.

"Jean Grey!" Adrian exclaimed.

"Miss Grey…" Reth said in a quick breath of disbelief.

Reva, Reth, and Adrian acknowledged her when the fire at their backs drew their attention; they saw her containment through the flames.

"It's not safe here!" Jean told them, shouted to the them desperately, because she was fearful of what soon would be upon them. "You must leave!"

"Not without you," Adrian said.

"We can't without you," Reva said.

"We're here to save you," Reth explained, taking a step toward her, "and we need you to save us."

"First," a familiar voice that Jean recognized said, drawing everyone's attention, "no one is going to save Jean. Second, you three have made a mistake in coming here. This is where the three of you will die."

Reth, Reva, and Adrian took in the sight of a second Jean Grey, The Phoenix.

The Phoenix, hovering in midair, had flowing red hair, no pupils in its fiery eyes, wearing provocative clothing while draped in flames. It raised a hand and sent forth those flames on the trio.

"No!" Jean shouted. No more innocents lost! She struggled against her chains.

The trio watched as the flames came to engulf them.

!

In a split second, Nova came at the second Reth with a flurry of punches. She was a hair faster than him, but he was at least able to protect himself and keep her from completely taking him out with her quick barrages. Second Reth had his focus on Nova, so he was taken off guard when Obsidian hit him with a punch that sent him down the corridor: in the opposite direction from the medical lab.

Second Reth jumped to his feet, gathered his bearings, and avoided Nova's moves; however, Obsidian once again punched him: sending him into the wall this time. Obsidian's attacks left his whole body aching. Nova wouldn't stop laughing, and her laugh was like a cackle.

"Told you this would be easy," Nova told Obsidian.

That's when second Reth noticed only two of the three intruders were in this fight. His powers didn't work like Reth's. He wasn't a long range fighter, who could play a great game of keep away, but like his other half he did have a few tricks up his sleeve. He didn't know their plan and didn't much care what it was, worrying was his other half's job; his job was to shut them down.

"We're not here to hurt anyone," Obsidian said: not only to Nova but to second Reth as well. She implored him. "Leave us to our work."

"That might be true for you honey," second Reth said, "but your friend Nova here is a different story. Besides, you're up to no good, one of you's missing, so can't do that." He drew his fist in and unleashed what he liked to call an aura burst. Whitish, bluish flames left his fist, but they didn't burn Nova and Obsidian, which is what they thought would happen; however, it would freeze their auras: effectively paralyzing their bodies. "Now, don't you two go anywhere. I'm going to go get your buddy." He gave them a slight wave before he ran for the medical lab. He found Phantom's body leaned against the wall by the medical lab's door, resting peacefully.

Obsidian had wrapped herself around Nova. She used her Density Control for defense. She had embraced Nova to protect her from the attack.

Second Reth checked the door, and it was still locked. Reva and Adrian's bodies hadn't been moved or tampered with. His eyes lay on Jean. What was this attack? He was left lost and confused: long enough for Nova to shoulder check him down the corridor and then hit him with so many attacks they left him unconscious before he hit the floor.

Lupita went back to Aimi: concerned for her, even though she'd never say so or ask if she was all right. Aimi had protected Lupita, so she stood motionless, and Lupita had been right; with this strange, eccentric, and powerful X-Man knocked unconscious his effect on Aimi faded.

"Let's hurry and get out of here," Lupita told Aimi. "We don't want to find out what else he can do if he comes to."

Aimi nodded in agreement, recovering from the attack. When she reached the medical lab, after looking over the body of the X-man that looked about her age, she picked up Leon's body and punched through the medical lab door when Lupita cleared her throat.

"Why are there two other unconscious mutants on the floor?" Aimi asked. "Did Phantom do this?"

"Doesn't matter," Lupita said, entering the medical lab and stepping over one of them to reach Jean's side. She took off all the equipment attached to Jean. "Grab her, and let's go."

Aimi took a deep breath, exhaled, and grabbed up Jean. Lupita scouted up ahead in a split second and returned.

"All clear," Lupita informed her. The two left the medical lab together with Aimi carrying Leon and Jean on each of her shoulders.

!

Reva snapped her fingers, and one of her fiery (solar energy-shaped) sparrows flew past her and her teammates. It passed them, and she used it to absorb the flames.

"Sorry Phoenix," Reva said, "but I'm well equipped to put you down. I know all about you."

"Of course The Phoenix Force would still be here," Reth said.

"We'll see about that you little wench," The Phoenix said. With a wave of her hand, Reva, Adrian, and Reth were thrown back toward Jean's flames.

Reth used his Aura Manipulation to stop them in midair and bring them to the floor safely.

Jean stopped struggling against her restraints because she couldn't believe The Phoenix hadn't killed them yet.

Adrian went into action before The Phoenix made another move, sending her on the run with shadow constructs of blades.

Reth and Reva went to Jean. They were in someone's mind. Anything could happen. They had to move fast. Reva absorbed the flames. Reth moved the chains, but they were hardly budging.

"We didn't come unprepared," Reva told Jean.

"It's not, The Phoenix I mean, as dangerous in your mind," Reth said. "Things are unpredictable, but it's limited."

"It bound you," Reva said, "but you originally bound it, remember?"

Jean closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. They had to go. They had to leave. She hadn't cast it out like she thought. That had been her original intention. She only had succeeded in ending its killing spree. Here wasn't safe.

"It is time for you to wake up," Reva told her.

"I've heard a lot about you," Reth said, continuing his work on the chains. He was making progress. "I know you're strong. It's not about your power though but your character. So many people love you and miss you. It's not that you can't wake up, but that you're afraid you shouldn't."

"And if you're as great as everyone says you were," Reva said, making sure Adrian's back was covered, keeping the flames from overtaking him with multiple sparrows, "it's time to make up for the past by living in the present."

Jean opened her eyes. She looked upon the three young mutants and read their individual thoughts.

Reth wanted to return Jean to her friends and loved ones.

Reva wanted to prove they could be X-Men: part of a legacy.

Adrian wanted to help Jean help herself, so he could believe in himself and in accepting others believing in him.

Professor…

Scott… Logan…

Ororo… Hank…

Her friends… Her family…

The X-Men.

Jean took hold of the chains that bound her and broke them. She freed herself.

The Phoenix saw this, and it was pissed.

With the opening, Adrian knocked The Phoenix back. He smiled at Jean.

Reva cleared the flames of the chains that surrounded Jean.

"I think I'd call this mission a success," Reva said. She brought a smile to Jean's face.

"Glad to finally see you smile," Reth said, holding out a hand to her.

Jean took his hand, and with her free hand she telekinetically took up The Phoenix. In her grasp, it ceased all its actions.

"No more Phoenix," Adrian said, joining them. "It's all Jean now."

Jean laughed softly. She hadn't laughed in a long time. Maybe not forever, but she liked the idea and sentiment.

Someone else appeared in Jean's mind.

"Who are you?" Reva questioned him.

Jean read his mind.

"Leon…?"

Leon didn't seem surprised that Jean knew his name when he looked to her. He quickly placed his attention on The Phoenix suspended in midair. Unlike the five of them, Leon's form was less corporeal and more ethereal. The next thing everyone knew he became a part of The Phoenix.

"Jean," Adrian said "what's going to happen? What does this mean?"

Reva had to catch Jean when Jean grabbed her head and collapsed along with The Phoenix who hit the floor, grabbing her head.

"Reth," the second Reth appeared across from Reth.

"RJ?"," Reth said, questioning this second turn of events.

"The device separated our consciousnesses," RJ said, "and we have a situation. The Brotherhood is here, and I think they're here for Jean. Reth, you need to get out there, and then you all need to get out there."

"You never want me in control," Reth said.

"Time's are a changing," RJ said. "You're becoming more yourself. Later. Stop them."

Reth nodded.

"Adrian," Reth said. "Reva."

"We're right behind you," Adrian said.

"Listen to your other half boy scout," Reva said. "We'll be fine."

Reth nodded again. A second later, he closed his eyes, and he was gone.

"We can't leave," Reva and Adrian told RJ at the same time.

"What!" RJ questioned them both.

Reva and Adrian glanced at each other and nodded in agreement.

"One of the Brotherhood members, Leon, has The Phoenix," Adrian said.

"Or it has him," Reva said, directing RJ's attention to the site of the two. She held Jean.

Leon and The Phoenix stood on their feet. Adrian moved to cut through them with a shadow construct. They grinned wickedly before they disappeared, and Adrian cut through air.

Reva, RJ, and Adrian looked to Jean, who appeared to have gone unconscious; they realized Reth is going to need them and they might not be able to assist.

!

Reth opened his eyes, and he found himself in the corridor. He saw the damage to the medical lab's door, and then he saw that Jean's body was gone. He looked down the corridor, and he read for auras. He could see the trail of a cloudy red aura tinged with orange and a dark blue one mixed with some pink. Other colors swirled around these two, but Reth figured these were the culprits. He ran.

Reth came from the sub-basement and entered into the mansion. Entering the mansion he was bombarded with thoughts and feelings. Hurt. Anger. Fear. Confusion. He kept running, following the trail. He saw Logan and Psylocke in combat. Danielle had Quicksilver with his back against a wall terrified from realistic illusions of his own fears. While Psylocke appeared to be enjoying herself, Logan went at her serious as death after she stopped him from getting at Jean's body. Reth saw the two culprits, Nova and Obsidian, run out the door, and then Rogue appeared in the doorway before she turned from Logan and left the mansion.

"Stop 'em kid!" Logan shouted before Psylocke stabbed him through his leg and backhanded him.

When Reth ran out the mansion, Forge and Havok were trading blasts: Havok from his chest and Forge from his neutralizer gun. An explosion happened above Reth, which sent Azazel to the ground, and he saw Remy. Reth continued to run after the trail. Ororo struck Lightning from the sky, separating Rogue from her two culprits when she tried to teleport to them. Next, Rogue teleported around Ororo, and the two of them both disappeared. Reth concentrated on Jean's aura, pulling Jean from Lupita and Aimi. They were two of the three new Brotherhood members. Reth's aura manipulation kept feeding him information and emotions. Lupita and Aimi both stopped when they lost Jean's body.

Jean woke up when she reached Reth. Reth realized and felt when RJ had rejoined him.

Aimi and Lupita, more so Lupita, made to go for Jean, but Phantom, Leon, began to wake as well.

"We can't let them leave," Jean managed to say in a whisper. "We can't let Leon leave." Standing and speaking were an effort for her.

"Phantom," Aimi said. "Are you okay?"

"We must complete the mission," Leon said. He turned toward Jean. "She must come with us." His eyes had gone white. Flames began to fluctuate around him.

Reva and Adrian joined Reth.

"The Phoenix left with Leon," Reva told Reth.

"We got to stop him," Adrian said. "Separate them. Leon's life is in danger, whether he knows it or not."

"I'm with you Phantom," Lupita said. "Our mission can't fail." She stood at the ready at Phantom's right side.

"If you're okay Phantom," Aimi said, "we can continue." She stood at the ready on his left side.

"Jean get to safety," Reth said. "You're in no condition to deal with this. Let us handle it." Adrian stood at his right, and Reva stood at his left. They agreed.

"Phantom?" Leon questioned Lupita and Aimi. Two voices spoke next from the same mouth in unison: one Leon's and the other similar to Jean's. "Call me Phantom Phoenix."