Chapter Five

Jean opened her eyes. Her head was pounding. She sat up, brushing her hair back from her head with her hand. Where was she? She stood on a metal area. She walked to the edge of it, holding her hand up – it bumped against an invisible force.

"Genies, isn't it? It reflects your powers to contain you." The man appeared. He looked like an average rich fifty-some guy – steel grey hair, a pinstripe suit, a drink in his hand.

"Your force field prevents from your powers are containing you," he said in glee. It was true. When Jean looked to her right, she saw Emma coming to in a clear, crystal holder. She frowned, she looked up in disgust.

"The hell is this?"

Jean turned to her right, seeing a dark, foggy substance of Ororo's presence. "Ororo," she whispered. "Sir, you have to let me out!" She exclaimed. "My friend, she's hurt!"

He did nothing but watch her with interest, clinking his ice around in his glass.

"Did you not hear her, you disgusting man?" Emma snarled. "She said, let us out!"

"You mutants are fascinating."

"He's acting as though we're zoo animals!" Emma yelled, stamping one diamond foot. The whole cage shook. "I'll slam your head into the wall until it breaks in two, you revolting human!"

Instead of responding, he simply turned. Jean followed his gaze and stopped when she saw the restraints – it was bars like Emma's. But they had a ruby red, zapping noise around the bars. Though Jean couldn't see how was occupying the trap, she knew. "Scott!" She called desperately.

"Your friends been out cold for hours," said the man in the middle of the room, taking a sip of his drink.

There was a groan.

"Son of a . . . Alright, who put me next to Summers?" Jean heard a gruff voice call. She looked next to Scotts container and saw steel – no, adamantium – bars.

"Oh, the other one's awake!" Called the captor happily.

"Yeah, he is," Logan growled. "Seriously, if you were going to trap us, did you have to put me next to Summers? Sheesh."

"Logan?" Jean called.

"I'm here, Jeannie. Whats going on here?"

"You're in my home!" exclaimed the man. "My name is Aleksander Saunders."

"What are you, bub, a scientist?" Logan asked gruffly.

Saunders looked offended. "Of course not! I'm simply a collector." He took another drink. "This is your new home, my friends. You are my prizes."

"You hired Deadpool, didn't you?" Jean said.

He nodded.

"And Sabretooth?" Emma demanded.

Saunders gave a wave of his hand. "He was out for blood anyways. But you, Ms. Grey, I promised to him when I grow bored of you."

"Grey-Summers. My name is Grey-Summers." Jean frowned. "Call me by my name, or don't speak to me at all."

He shrugged. "You bore me already, Mrs. Grey-Summers."

"I'll promise you everything that's not a bore, Mr. Saunders," Emma said suddenly.

Saunders raised his eyes brows and walked closer to allow her to elaborate. "But only if you let me stay out of the blasted container," she finished with a giggle.

Saunders hesitated, then hit a button. Immediately, all of Emma's defenses were off. She stepped out in the open. Jean took a breath, waiting for the move Emma would make to get them all out. But instead, Emma sent Jean a devious and hateful smile as she walked out of the room with Mr. Saunders, already shedding her coat to reveal her white top again.

"Backstabbing slut!" Jean shouted as Emma ignored her. "You never deserved to be called an X-Man!"

Jean yelled, and suddenly, without a choice, she felt something broke lose inside her. It welled up in her, and she suddenly felt hotter then she had felt before. She was breathing laboriously, and she screamed. The force field around her shattered like glass, and Jean felt herself in the air. With a glare at Logan, she sent a burst of telepathic fire at him. She heard him yell her name, but Jean no longer cared. How could Logan have been so weak to have allowed them to get captured? Worse, how had he just left her four years ago, with nothing but the occasional letters? How could he have come pathetically crawling back, bringing Emma with him? Jean turned her gaze to Scott. . . He had also left her in a time of need. She hurled her cosmic fire at him as well, Logan yelling at her to stop. Scott hadn't even tried that hard to be a good husband had he? Jean saw the way he watched Emma with an interest. Emma. That two faced bitch. Jean would love to kill her herself, to make her pay for the insecurities she allowed Jean to feel, that she wanted Jean to feel.

"Jean! Please! Stop!" Jean was crying now, and she fell to her knees. She felt Logan and Emma lean down next to her.

"I'm sorry," Jean gasped. "I'm sorry . . ."

"Jean, it'll be alright!" Logan said. He pressed his lips to hers. "It will be okay."

"It was all a ploy, Jean, all of it!" Emma explained. "I went off with him, and disposed of him –"

"Disposed of him?" Jean looked up sharply. The flame was back in her, and seeing Emma . . . "Dispose of him like you want to dispose of me? Like you want to take my life? To have Logan, and Scott, and my team . . . That's all you want, isn't it? All's you ever wanted. I can see in your mind, Emma Frost, don't deny it. I can control you."

"Jean, please!" Emma said, jumping away to avoid Jean's anger and fire. "Jean, don't make me do this, please! I don't want to!"

"Stay away from my life!" Jean cried. She looked at Emma. "Emma, alls you want. . . Just stay away! I'll kill you."

Emma was crying. "I'm sorry!" She yelled. "I'm sorry!" She turned to diamond, and before all empathy was gone, once more, she said, "I'm sorry." Emma took Jeans head in her hands, and everything was dark for Jean.