Here is the brand new chapter, the last one was very angsty and this one is basically the third-act climax. I hope you all like it
Enjoy...
Chapter 15 – Concession
The couple lay on their sides, their naked bodies spooned, covered to their chests with a sheet. Scott had his arm tightly wrapped around his wife. They were both awake and silent, their minds racing through their bond. Their uniforms piling in a corner of the room.
It had been hours ever since they returned from the mansion to their home. Scott had carried Hope in her room, as Jean instructed and when their daughter woke up, she found her parents smiling at her, oblivious to what happened to her. Jean had erased the trauma and healed the small brain injury while it was fresh. Hope was safe, yet her parents were desperate.
The girl was soon falling back to sleep, too tired from the ordeal she didn't even realize she went through and her parents left her in peace. They never returned at the mansion, guilt couldn't be added in their overload of emotion. They had seen their deaths, but most importantly, they had seen their child doomed in a destiny they had narrowly avoided themselves.
They had been through it all, the fire, the pain, the sacrifice and the despair. But Jean's mind was intact; she had the one thing Hope never got because of Charles' seizures: a chance to control her powers and stop the Phoenix. It wasn't fair, Hope was too innocent, too kind to get through all that and it felt like already happening as Franklin was struggling to stop the events from unfolding.
The couple, desperate and afraid, had sought solace in each other, like always. Time had stopped as their bodies and souls met, trying to grasp themselves from their love for this bane ahead of them.
'We'll protect her, no matter what,' Scott whispered close to Jean's ear and she sighed heavily. She hated to accept the truth in Franklin's words.
Charles would choose Hope over himself, he always sought hope…
'No matter what…' she considered the words in her mind, wondering if they actually meant them, remembering herself killing Charles from Logan's timeline. Scott's arms wrapped tighter around her as he saw what she saw. They couldn't kill Charles, it was impossible, unimaginable, atrocious, he was the closest thing they both had to a father, their protector, their mentor and example.
'We could take her and leave,' Jean's voice was broken after so long without talking, desperation painting it as she suggested the failed plan, the only thing she had came up as an alternative.
'And let them all die from his stroke,' Scott whispered. Jean closed her eyes as she felt them burning with tears for the umpteenth time that day. She felt like a coward for knowing, for listening to Franklin for the move to the boathouse, in a way, dooming everyone else back at the mansion. There must have been another way.
Their pagers vibrated once more, they had ignored them so far but they knew they would have to return to the mansion. The children from the mission needed space to spend the night, their samples needed examination, the infirmary was full of people in need, Raven was missing, the team was back from a failed mission that needed debriefing and they had to find out who got in Mexico before them and why. Yet, the leader of the X-Men and the main physician of the team remained hugged on their bed, being selfish for the past hours and for the first time in their lives before the team's needs. The X-Men didn't know the details but the time had come when Jean and Scott had to put their roles as parents before their roles as anything else.
Jean took away her tears angrily and moved the pagers close to them through her powers, turning them so they could see the code given. They were both needed at the base, of course they were.
'You think Hope will wake up through the night?' Scott asked and Jean sighed and shook her head as she turned around in his arms and faced him. Without saying a word, she reached and took off his visor, holding back the lethal beams. She needed to see the eyes she loved so much. Scott smiled sadly at her as he caressed her tear stricken cheek.
'I am not messing with her sleep too.' Jean refused to telepathically throw her daughter in slumber. She had broken enough rules for a day with her child's brain. Scott nodded his head and Jean sighed as he held her closer to him. 'I can send to Elisabeth, she will need the rest anyway.' Scott reassured Jean. She was trying to contain her guilt for what she had done to Hope, Scott leaned closer for a kiss.
'You're an amazing mother,' He sent through their bond as the kiss continued. In Franklin's future, she had struggled until the last moment to save them all. They had -or would- die together, violently but at least they were separated from each other for mere moments.
Jean tried her best to believe her husband, the guilt and hopelessness suffocating her. She didn't want to go through the Hell she had seen, Eden seemed more like a prison rather than a haven, hiding while the school and the entire mutantkind got extinct. She was among the most powerful mutants in the world; she had to find a way to stop the destruction of her life, of her home and family, of her child.
No matter what.
xXx
The doors of the briefing room opened to reveal Scott and Jean; the couple entered the room and looked around them. It was only Logan and Storm inside, Ororo was sat on one of the chairs while Logan paced up and down, before them, there was a touch screen, some results were loading. The couples looked at each other, no smart remark from Logan, no question of duty and no words of comfort. Before the mission, the four had cleared the secrets between them, now just a few hours after it, one couple had seen the end of their child, everyone's end, while the other couple waited for the results of a new beginning. Jean didn't have to go deeper in checking mentally the projected worry from the couple, one of the children were too similar to Logan, he had a daughter, it would be confirmed after the results were finalized.
Jean had almost forgotten about the experiments, she and Scott looked at the screen and released a breath of relief as none of the children's genetic code matched theirs. Hank had done a quick job through it all and now they waited in silence, two more children's results and they would be done. Jean wondered for a moment if these children-experiments had advanced to the pre-puberty stage only because back in the past, some other experiments had taken place, by her and Scott's DNA samples.
She tried to push away the memory of destroying the tanks with the semi-finished experiments of Project Ω. The old feeling of being violated and used returned as the image of the man with the shining eye by Hope's side returned in her mind. She wasn't ready for the implications, neither Jean nor Scott, not yet.
Jean scanned the school with her mind, the children had been taken to the rooms she, Scott and Hope had previously occupied, at least they had good timing. Marie, Kitty, Peter and Kurt were taking care of them, afraid, some were aggressive. Jean kept scanning the mansion. Hank was at the infirmary, everyone but Charles –who was still in the coma- had been dismissed with small injuries and concussions. Jubilee was in one of the guest rooms. Jean was surprised to sense more activity at the lower levels. She looked at Storm who nodded, knowing when her friend used her powers.
'We allowed him since you didn't reply to the pagers. Franklin has been searching through Cerebro for Raven.' Storm whispered after a moment, Jean and Scott nodded, of course, he was still focused on his mission.
'So now we trust the bub?' Logan asked, only half caring about it. Jean and Scott sighed, how could they explain? If they didn't trust him, if they made his life harder than they already had, Logan would be grieving over Ororo's dead body sooner or later.
'Yes, yes we do,' Scott only confirmed and Logan shrugged and nodded.
'How's Hope?' Ororo finally asked as she glanced one more time at the screen, one more child to be matched, Laura something, Jean couldn't focus on the screen but felt that this was the child in question.
'She's fine,' Jean only offered and the four fell in silence again. In a way, it was an understanding silence, a silence among parents, expectant and grieving.
The program beeped the moment the analysis was over, the results remained in a large text on the screen, Logan approached with Storm behind him. He breathed through his nose as Jean and Scott approached too, to make sure. No child was theirs, Laura was indeed Logan's. Jean and Scott glanced at him at the same moment Storm took Logan's hand and squeezed it. They all remained in silence.
The doors opened sharply, making the four turn as Franklin stood at the doorway.
'Am I interrupting?' he asked without waiting for an answer. 'I found her, I found them.' He declared and the four decided to forget the future of the next days or the next years and focus on the Brotherhood.
'Lets finish this,' Logan declared through his teeth and Scott summoned the X-Men once more for that day.
Everyone was exhausted, back in the Blackbird, heading for Finger Lakes Forest. Magneto had been smart, staying close by, easily targeting Charles like he had done by hiding in the smallest national forest of the United States. That explained how Peter and his sisters had reached Westchester so fast.
The Blackbird this time was piloted by Scott and Jean, they had given some time to Logan and Ororo, and they needed the distraction of flying, themselves. Franklin had brought the coordinates, he had done a good job, not missing a bit and searching for Raven while Jean and Scott had retreated to the boathouse to lick their wounds. He had exploited the valuable time and finally, they had a lead. Elisabeth was more than happy to stay with Hope after her injuries. Hank would keep an eye on Charles who was still in the medically induced coma and Marie would take care of the new children.
Jean could feel everyone projecting their thoughts. Logan was lost in thought of what to do with Laura. Ororo was lost on what to do to help Logan, staying by his side was the only constant for the both of them. Kurt's religious views were challenged by the experimentation on children, a deep sorrow creeping inside his heart. Remy had learnt about Marie, he had promised her he'd stay and take his responsibilities, the tests had been done, Marie was expecting their son. Bobby had learnt about it too, after that mission, he had decided to leave the team and the mansion. Peter was thinking of Kitty, if they made it that night, he'd propose. Kitty was thinking of the children from the Transigen Project, how the school could get a new department and work as an orphanage too.
Franklin's mind was peaceful, for the first time, Jean could reach to it and feel the outskirts of it. He was tensed and worried, yes but he was also content for not keeping everything a secret anymore, for having shared his pain, for not always being on guard, for making them understand his struggle. Jean turned at her seat and her eyes met his, he gave a small smile, a smile like the ones he had given her in the visions, the smiles of a son. Jean realized he was only thirty two, young and yet so brave to come back in time and face them all for Hope. Jean glanced at her husband by her side, on the pilot's seat, Scott was thinking of all the possible scenarios encountering the Brotherhood, his mind completely focused on the mission. He needed the distraction; he also needed to blast people through walls with his powers to vent.
The Blackbird landed at the outskirts of the forest, the lake Seneca was seen as a huge black body of water at the end of the horizon. Scott stood up and everyone looked at him.
'I want you focused, we don't know how many of them will be.' Cyclops started and everyone nodded. 'You'll have your comlinks on, no hero displays, no unnecessary talk, no time lost, no killings. We finish with the Brotherhood and call upon the Special Forces to take them. We must finish this tonight,' he added and everyone nodded and moved outside the Blackbird. Scott and Jean were left last as the team exited the plane. Jean was ready to move before her husband but Scott held her hand and made her turn around and look at him.
'This will be my last mission,' Scott announced to her and she sighed and shook her head, looking at him. Their bond was a link between them but also allowed them individual thoughts, he had obviously taken the decision in mental silence, he didn't want to worry her more. Scott Summers took the amateur X-Men from Raven and Charles and made the team of super heroes they were for the past decades. The team everyone loved and hoped to save the day. Jean knew the day he'd step down was nearing but she had hoped it'd be under better circumstances.
'Scott…' she tried but he shook his head and took her other hand as well, bringing their bodies closer.
'You always said a position in DC will be open for me, for tactician and strategist Chief. I can do that, we can stop whatever might come at us. We can terminate all the projects that might lead to catastrophe.' Scott explained and Jean sighed and nodded her head. She knew this time would come sooner or later. 'Hope will need both of us and we have the unique opportunity to stop the problems before they start. Besides, great changes come for the team… we know that from Franklin, it's time for Logan to take care of the big kids and Peter to manage the younger ones…' Scott added and Jean smiled and nodded. After that night, they were done risking their lives on the field. They needed to step back like Charles had done after the accident that crippled him in Cuba, stepping down gracefully was preferable than being shoved aside or worse, cut down.
The couple exited the Blackbird last and joined the team as they moved through the forest in a line. They needed to move away from the Blackbird and its metal if they were to face Magneto and Polaris.
'Damn it,' Franklin whispered and Jean brushed off his mind. There was metal strapped on the trees. Of course Magneto would bring them to his element.
'Someone approaches.' Jean informed through their interlink in their ears, preferring that instead of simply speaking in their minds.
A bright light shone above their heads, momentary blinding them as a purple frame opened in the air and from inside Wanda Maximoff, three blond, identical girls and an Asian woman rushed through it. Jean shielded her team mentally as she felt the three girls telepathically attacking the X-Men. Wanda waved her arms, weaving a scarlet field of energy the moment Franklin and Storm levitated in the air.
'That's Blink,' Franklin informed everyone through the link.
Franklin blocked the field sent by the Scarlet Witch as Storm's eyes turned white and she summoned lightening, hurled at the telepath girls and Magneto's oldest daughter. Before the lightening could strike them, Blink opened a portal in the air, the lightening moved through it and a moment later, though another portal, it struck the ground before the X-Men, everyone moved out of the way in panic as Storm looked shocked at the abrupt change.
'Shit, tha' was close.' Logan's muttered curse was heard through the interlink as Franklin waved his arm towards the woman, sending a powerful telekinetic hit but she opened another portal and jumped inside before she could reappear further away, the portal closed in time for Franklin's telekinetic blast to destroy the trees behind. Cyclops tried to blast the Scarlet Witch away and he almost succeeded as she struggled to keep her ground by creating a shield to protect herself, Wolverine and Colossus tried to attack her from behind but she created another shield, she was very strong.
The triplets focused and created a field around them that Jean tried to break with a hit of telepathic confusion. It seemed to work as they frowned and groaned in pain yet they seemed eager to keep on focusing against the team, they held their hands in their attempt to focus. Jean felt their minds trying to yield the shield she had created in her teammates' minds. They wouldn't succeed but if they weren't taken down soon, they would keep on bugging at her defenses. Jean raised herself in the air, her body engulfing itself in the familiar flames. Another portal opened and from inside, Warpath attacked Franklin the moment a man turned into lava– Sunspot- reached for Gambit, Iceman and Nightcrawler. Jean attacked the girls, affectively taking them down. Iceman hit at Sunspot with his powers, fire and ice created vapor that blinded both teams.
Blink took the chance and threw another portal in the air and through it, Polaris and Eclipse floated through it, the green-haired mutant moved her hands, the Blackbird groaned. The external metallic shell got ripped and chunks of it flew in the air, towards Storm who blew it away, towards Jean who took it down with her powers and towards Kitty who let it pass through her as she wouldn't be able to move away in time.
Cyclops tried to hit Blink with his beams but it was impossible to get her as more portals opened again and again, causing his beams to end up at random spots through the forest, she couldn't focus the portals in an angle for the beams to hit her enemies but Scott's attempt was also futile at hitting her. Another portal opened by Blink and three mutants came out of it.
Young Wolverine, claws out and rushing to Logan with a scream of fury, X-24, a clone, no emotions, no remorse was all Jean could gather from the man. The rest of the X-Men watched in shock as the two Wolverines attacked each other while Quicksilver rushed through the portal, towards Shadowcat and Colossus. A man with white hair followed, no more than 30 years old, one of his eyes glowed as he looked around him, one arm was metallic. The same man who had stood by Hope when she reached for Magneto, Franklin had called him Cable. He looked directly at Jean and Scott the moment Jean caught mentally Franklin's happiness at the sight of that man. Jean gasped as she reached for the man's mind, her heart skipping a beat as she found a given name and identity.
Nathan Summers, X-Ω/II. Jean could read his mind, he let her in. The Brotherhood had broken into Rice's facility, Wanda had been informed by Raven. Nathan had been released and taken along x-24 and Eclipse who was considered dead. Nathan wouldn't participate in the battle, he just wanted a glimpse of the people he had been made from. He had suffered terrible experimentations, he had fought with Magneto, refusing to fight, at the end; lying that he would as to escape. He wished to live far away from everyone. Jean felt her heart breaking. The experiments she had destroyed back in Alkali had been a mix of clones and in vitro fertilization results of hers and Scott's. Even though they hadn't been finished nor awake, facing yet another result of experimentation with their DNA, from Rice this time, alive and breathing, made Jean's stomach drop.
'Scott… this is,' Jean tried to send to her husband through the fight and felt his confusion and anger as he had seen all the things she had found in the younger man's mind.
'Jean…' He sent as he attacked the Scarlet Witch again, groaning in effort as his beams collided with her own field of energy, the entire forest glowing in red. 'He's made of our DNA… but he's…' He was trying to comfort his wife while hurting his enemies.
'Our son,' Jean whispered in shock as her eyes were still locked with Nathan's, his face softened only for a moment as he looked back at her.
Someone tried to attack her from behind, but she simply waved her hand with force, slamming them on the ground, it had been Peter, trying to take advantage of her shock at seeing Nathan. Kitty grabbed Peter and descended him in the ground before she could move out of it and materialize herself, trapping him neck deep in the ground.
Jean was still looking at the built young man before her. His face angry, hard features, yet familiar to Scott's. His eye, the normal one was her own dark color, the bionic one scanning both her and Scott. She could feel his telepathic powers, probing in her mind, he wasn't as skilled, yet there was potential in him, he had her powers inherited and Scott's agility. Nathan saw Hope in Jean's memories as she allowed him in, hoping to make him see she wasn't an enemy, that she was unaware of his very existence. That the only time she had seen him before was mere days ago, in Rice's scattered images and Franklin's future, where he would stand next to Hope along Franklin. He withdrew from her mind abruptly, making her gasp and glanced at Scott who was also looking at him, the bond allowing him to feel and see everything Nathan had shared with Jean. Scott was defensive but accepting, they had a son, he was willing to expand the family if their oldest child stayed long enough for it. The young man nodded once but moved away from the couple, abandoning the battle and leaving among the chaos of it.
'Wait!' Jean screamed but the young man was gone in the forest before she could rush behind him, he might not be very skilled but he was blocking her telepathy, whatever they had experimented on him with, allowed him to shut down his brain's imprint like computer software.
The two Wolverines were hurled in a ball of claws and screams. Storm was fighting the Scarlet Witch with Iceman and Gambit, Nigtcrawler was teleporting behind Blink, keeping her busy from opening more portals to confuse the team. Shadowcat and Colossus took down Warpath. There was a fire set through the forest because of Sunspot and Eclipse's powers against the team.
Jean was still searching through the forest mentally as another portal opened and Magneto was attacking her before he could even move through it. Behind him, Raven followed in her blue form, Jean hadn't seen her in that form for years. With Polaris' help, father and daughter brought the pieces of metal from around the trees against the team and ripped apart the Blackbird, creating metallic shells that tried to engulf both Jean and Franklin. Sunspot engulfed the shells in fire, creating two scalding traps. Jean glanced at Franklin and they nodded at each other as the entire Brotherhood was fighting with the X-Men. Both Jean and Franklin telekinetically moved the metal away from the team as Polaris tried to keep her ground, one large piece of metal struck the two Wolverines as another smacked against both Nightcrawler and Blink. The two most powerful mutants levitated in the air in unison, Jean sent her intention to Scott. Desperate times demanded desperate measures.
'X-MEN! FALL BACK!' Cyclops screamed the command to his team, everyone tried to back off with the Brotherhood unsure if they had to keep up while the X-Men struggled to regroup. Magneto moved in the air as well, Polaris and the Scarlet Witch behind him. Storm followed Jean and Franklin as the rest of the mutants fought on the ground.
'Phoenix, the traitor of our kind,' Magneto accused but Jean didn't care about him or his accusations, in the future she had seen it all. They had been doomed, she was also tired of trying to pull him out of his hatred. Like Charles, Erik knew of Logan going back in time and still, he had chosen to be against them. She had made a vow to herself, her child and Marie, she would get rid of the world from his presence. Franklin had told her Magneto would attempt to take Hope at his side.
Both Jean and Franklin pushed at the scalding cocoons, gritting their teeth as they were hurled at them with force. Storm summoned more lightening at Magneto and his children, the magnetic field around them getting heavy with the added energy. Jean whimpered in effort as the flames around her grew stronger and she finally sent the trap thrown at her by Magneto, towards the Scarlet Witch, affectively hitting her with force, causing her to scream in pain as she pushed away the object and attacked Jean with a powerful wave of energy. Magneto pulled more metal from the Blackbird and the surrounding trees, Jean had to protect Storm who was in the middle.
Franklin groaned in effort as he averted the metal led by Polaris towards Mystique instead, slamming her with it by accident as he broke the magnetic field. Raven made no sound as she fell on the ground with a sick thud. Magneto lost his own focus for a moment and Lorna screamed in agony as her mother fell unconscious, a nasty burn forming on her body as the scalding shell hit and trapped her on the forest floor. The young Wolverine was also destroyed by Franklin who was fighting lower in the air as he made it to destroy even the adamantium bones of the clone.
'NO!' Magneto screamed furiously as Lorna rushed to her mother, Raven was out as Polaris drew her mother in her arms, tears running down her angry eyes. Jean felt her heart sinking as she felt Raven's brain slipping. The fight resumed beneath them but Franklin nodded at Jean, urging her on with wild eyes, she levitated herself further up even with the Scarlet Witch's attack against her.
Jean closed her eyes and reached within, through her fears, her recent experiences of the future and her two children, one bore by her, the other artificially made, through her conscious self, past the nightmares and hopes. Beneath her feelings and her dark thoughts, It was right there, screeching in anticipation and joy.
She felt it rising from within her mind and through her chest, the magnificent firebird erupted, engulfing her and shedding light and fire through the forest. Somewhere behind the Phoenix Force, a thunderstorm was starting by Storm in her attempt to keep the forest safe from the fire.
'No matter what,' Scott's words returned in her mind for a moment.
Guided by Jean's senses of who is an enemy and who is a friend, the Phoenix Force engulfed Magneto in a field above everyone else, the Scarlet Witch and Polaris tried to invade the spherical field in vain, their brains emitting fury and pain for Raven's harm, agony for their father. Jean looked at her enemy, her mentor's oldest friend, the father of three children. The Brotherhood wasn't just a team, it never was just that, Jean could sense that, they were something like a family, different rules, certainly different morals, but still, they fought a cause and just like Charles, Erik was the main leader, guiding everyone.
'How far you've come my dear, yet you'd never kill me, not in front of Charles.' Magneto called out but Jean didn't know what he meant, through the surge of power from the Phoenix, she simply closed her eyes and kept her promise to herself and Marie. No hero displays, no unnecessary talk, no time lost, no remorse for the man she once –briefly- accepted as an ally. Jean screamed as she felt the Phoenix magnifying under her thoughts, feeding on her fear and seer will, annihilating Magneto in an instant, giving him a death with no torture, unlike what he had offered to countless of his enemies throughout the years. She was finally putting an end to a fight of more than six decades between the master of magnetism and the X-Men.
The Brotherhood and the X-Men had halted their fight as the firebird raged on and Jean allowed it to cleanse her life, the man who had done all the wrong choices and dragged his family into this, his children would be safer without him. The man who had sent Logan back in the past, knew better and yet only made the same mistakes. From Genosha to Liberty Island and from Auschwitz to Alkali Lake, always between rage and serenity, Erik was gone once and far all with Jean staining her hands with the blood of the man no one dared to kill. In another timeline, she had annihilated Charles, in this one she had to destroy Erik and she had just done so.
Somewhere bellow, Peter, Wanda and Lorna screamed in fury for their father but Jean could see them almost as in slow motion as the Phoenix raged on through her. The firebird screamed once again, knocking the Brotherhood members unconscious with its seer energy. Raven's eyes opened and she gasped as she was brought back from the coma her injury had thrown her because of the Phoenix Force, yet she only whimpered in pain as she fell unconscious from the physical pain. Jean felt liberty and ecstasy surging through her veins as the force of life and death surged through her veins, rejuvenating her and singing to be completely released.
'Jean…' It was Scott's voice within her mind as she glanced down bellow and saw him looking up at her. He projected the image of Hope through their bond, their house by the lake, their lovemaking from a few hours ago, their life. She knew, she felt the Force raging on from within her, she knew this had to be finished soon. Scott was her constant, her arbor, grasping at their love was the only reason she didn't allow herself in the Force's liberating absolution and her own destruction.
Jean closed her eyes and bended her body outwards, gathering the emotions that ran wild, grasped the essence of the Phoenix and started minimizing the firebird around her, the storm's raindrops hitting her face as the fire stopped evaporating around her.
The Phoenix Force screeched in protest for its freedom taken but Jean knew very well how to close up her mind again, put back the borders separating her unconscious from the rest. The firebird became smaller and smaller until Jean found herself within her own mind, under her favorite tree, -where Scott had seen her for the first time in '83- with a tiny firebird in both her palms. The firebird looked up at her and this time closed its winds and lowered its head, obeying. She let it fly up to the tree that even after all these years, held its blossoms, her powers still growing. She extended herself out until she found herself on the ground of the forest.
'I got you,' Scott was whispering as he held her the moment she touched down. Storm was dialing something on her uniform's tracking system, alerting the army. The rain around them got harder, extinguishing the fire from the battle. The Blackbird was destroyed but the Special Forces were on their way to capture the wounded Brotherhood.
Jean, Scott and Ororo couldn't help but move closer to Raven who lay on the forest floor, her eyes closed, next to her, Polaris lay fainted. Jean lowered her body and tried to find a pulse, Raven was barely alive. Jean's eyes filled with tears, the last moments she had with her friend were within a fight of accusations and insults.
Sadness and guilt were replaced by the feeling of something going terribly wrong as Jean closed her eyes and focused on it, Wanda. Jean brought the unconscious woman close to her telekinetically and delved into her mind quickly, probing without a second thought.
While Jean and Franklin were in DC, Raven had reached Erik, the hours spent in the infirmary explained. Raven had lost hope in the team as her secret was out and Polaris became an enemy and target of the X-Men. Raven hoped that by informing her daughter, she'd protect her from the manhunt the Office for Mutant Affairs had unleashed upon her.
'You finally realized they're trying in vain,' Erik was saying as Peter had brought Raven to the Brotherhood's hideout after the fight at the briefing room.
'Their cause is flawed, they found another facility full of experiments, and yet they hunt down you instead of these monsters.' Raven was saying, Jean could feel her loyalty torn between her two families, her disappointment and fear. Erik looked at Wanda pointedly. She nodded and closed her eyes as she read Raven's mind for details like the coordinates of the laboratory.
'These experiments, if successful, will be our new additions, fighting the true cause, being the greatest examples of human brutality against our kind.' Erik said, nodding at Peter, Blink showed up from around the trees.
'I can take us there through my portals if Peter shows me which way.' She offered and Erik smiled at Raven.
'Allow me to introduce you to our grandson, Raven, this is Erik.' Magneto offered as Polaris showed up with a six year old boy held affectionately by the shoulder. Raven smiled tearfully at her daughter and grandson. 'Stay here with him and we'll go liberate our brothers and sisters.' Erik offered and Raven nodded as a big portal opened before them.
In Mexico, after the massacre they created, Magneto was tearing apart the doors from the vaults. A young man who looked exactly like Logan snarled, chained on the walls, an electronic collar wrapped around his neck. X-24.
Eclipse was there, tied up and tortured, the same control collar around him, Lorna rushed close to her partner who seemed unable to remember her.
Nathan Summers was tied up on the wall in a similar fashion. The Brotherhood took the three men and destroyed all evidence along the rest of the people who participated in the laboratory, men following orders. They didn't care about the children, the X-Men could deal with them at the school. Wanda was closing her eyes to focus close to her father.
'They're approaching. The mansion is unprotected, the powerful mutant and Grey are coming here.' She informed them and Erik nodded as he magnetically moved the new additions of the Brotherhood, Wanda knocked them out telepathically. 'Pull my old friend out of his misery.' Erik requested from his daughter as they left the facility.
'He's far away, I might miss,' Wanda warned but her father smiled at her, it was evident she was the most powerful of the siblings, his pride and joy. He raised his hand to Wanda's shoulder and squeezed encouragingly.
'I trust you, my dear.' He reassured her and she smiled. The CIA had been wrong, she was an Omega Five and she had attacked the mansion's telepaths, aiming at Charles but injuring the rest too while the X-Men arrived in Mexico.
That explained Charles' untimely seizure even though he had been improving until it happened. It wasn't Charles' brain but Wanda attacking him. Jean reached deeper in the woman's mind, trying to find the source of her powers, they were still enabled in her unconscious, and keeping open a portal to Charles' mind, showing him what had happened at the forest. Jean felt his terror and sorrow at the loss of his oldest friend, he had seen Jean killing Erik and Franklin injuring Raven.
She felt Charles losing the battle within the coma, he was letting go, abandoning everything. Jean felt terror grasping at her heart for him dying and at the possibility of another accident. Jean severed the connection, sending the Scarlet Witch into a coma at the abrupt intervention. She pulled out of the woman's mind with a gasp and looked at Franklin who nodded his head as he was already looking at her.
'We must go back.' Jean declared and Scott nodded at her, he had seen it all like Franklin who had followed her into Wanda's mind with his own powers. The rest would have to wait for the Special Forces to take enemies and allies but she had to go back at the mansion before it was too late. She was still towering the three women closest to Erik when Scott and Franklin reached for her and the moment they touched hands, Franklin teleported them away.
The trio was teleported inside the infirmary, Hank roared at them in instinct, startled. He was in panic as he was trying to stabilize Charles, the monitors around him beeping erratically as Charles' brain was collapsing. Jean rushed close as Hank made way for her. She moved the bed sideways, needing Charles' head close to her and like he used to do with her, she leaned above him and closed her eyes, her hands on the sides of his head. Descending in his suffering mind was like diving into a wild sea.
Images of his students, of Erik, Moira and Raven, of the mutants Jean knew were the original X-Men: Banshee, Angel Salvatore, Azazel, Hank, Darwin, Alex Summers. Their demise had broken his heart, the bullet had severed his spine. Erik was accused of killing president Kennedy, becoming Magneto and getting in prison. Charles had lost himself in alcohol, closing the school, Logan showing up, explaining to him about the future. Charles and Erik reuniting because of a very young Peter, Hank there, trying to keep the balance. Stopping Trask's assassination in the Paris summit. Finding Raven and stopping her. Reopening the school and accepting the first students. Charles finding Jean.
'Charles!' Jean called out in a scream, she was lost in the scattered images as she went through his life.
'I have hope for her, she's the most powerful mutant I have ever encountered. And she has to know that, it's a good thing she's a kind and sweet person with all this power.' Charles was saying to Hank who was worried about Jean's unstable powers. 'She might not like being the biggest freak in the school but she needs to learn control.' He was adding as Jean searched deeper. She had to find him.
Charles begging for Jean's help in Cairo. The first time Jean entered Charles' head and saved him by unleashing her powers. One of the many times she was there for him.
'Charles!' Jean screamed again as she found herself inside the mansion, empty and cold, dimly lit in moonlight, its walls had started cracking, the glasses on the windows trembled.
'We have it in us to be the better men,' Charles' voice was heard from somewhere and Jean looked around her, Charles' study. She rushed there and opened the doors. She found herself before young Charles and Erik, between them a game of chess and scotch, right before Cuba. The room was warmly lit, a fireplace and lamps made it comfortable, everything was in place, nothing seemed off within that place.
'We already are…' Erik was retorting. 'We are the next stage of human evolution.' He added. 'You said it yourself.' He concluded accusingly.
'No, no,' Charles was trying to reason with him, looking down and then noticing Jean, startling her. She tried her best to smile at her young mentor, he was still moving his legs on the chair, the scene had frozen, Erik was unmoving.
'Charles… I…' Jean tried but young Charles smiled at her as he stood up, pausing his talk and the game of chess with his dear friend. 'Come with me please,' Jean offered but Charles smiled, his innocent eyes full of kindness, he was about thirty years old, young and sweet, full of hope, still without pain. She knew her own eyes were still wild from searching him through the turmoil of his always calmed mind. He had descended himself in a part of his that wasn't collapsing yet, deep into his past, where he still had control over his own mind, body and life. 'I can still save you, pull you out of this,' Jean added and Charles smiled and shook his head.
'Until?' he asked, his voice expectant and kind, Jean could feel he knew everything that was to happen because of him. 'Franklin projected everything to me as well as he did to you and Scott…' Charles confirmed and Jean felt her eyes filling with tears. She was trying in vain and they both knew it. He approached her and smiled. 'I'm sorry for not letting you know about Eden earlier, my dear.' Charles apologized and Jean chuckled through her sorrow.
'I should be apologizing, for being angry at you, for acting like a selfish child. I'm so sorry, please forgive me.' Jean finally confessed and Charles' eyes filled with tears too, her pain was his pain. He reached and took away her tears with his hand.
'My sweetest Jean, you acted as a mother, I have nothing to forgive you for.' He offered and Jean sighed and leaned into her mentor's touch, relief surging through her heart. She had missed his faith in her. 'You're my triumph, Jean. Logan helped me not to mistreat you and with Scott, we saved you and you -in turn- gave us Hope.' Charles explained and Jean sighed as she looked at him. 'The future of this school, what I always sought.' He went on with a smile. 'The young man was right, I don't want you all destroyed because of me at the end. Hope is precious, her powers with your kindness and Scott's honesty… She can become the greatest example, the perfect example for the next generation, someone both humans and mutants will look up to.' Jean smiled at the faith he showed in her daughter. Hope had to be prevented from leveling cities to the ground through the Phoenix. Jean couldn't help but glance at Erik, Hope would never go there.
'I'm so sorry, if I hadn't put an end, he would always come back,' Jean apologized and Charles nodded and took her hands in his.
'I loved him, he and Raven were my soul mates.' Charles admitted as he looked back at Erik. 'But dying now or in the future doesn't matter to us. I am choosing to go before destroying everything I strived for and he is better gone than drawn in his own pain and anger. We were given a second chance and we both made our choices. This is another choice now.' Charles added and Jean tried to contain her tears, the truth of Charles' words both elevated and hurt her.
'No matter what, Jean,' Charles whispered as he brought her closer in an embrace. Jean shut her eyes as the tears fell. She and Scott had hesitated at the words but Charles was ready. 'Hope must be protected,' he added and Jean nodded her head. He was putting an end at the dilemma between himself and Hope and always the selfless, the altruist, he wasn't choosing himself. 'Teach her like I taught you, don't yield before her tears and desperation.' Charles advised his most powerful student as Jean nodded her head. They broke their embrace and Charles looked deep into her eyes.
'Don't let It control you,' he meant both her and Hope. His last words were the same with Logan's timeline, Jean realized she was the one letting him go, not killing him but not saving him either. Mother and daughter would have to find a way to live with the Phoenix Force shared by the both of them. That would be a new territory she would have to enter and explore with her only child and supported by her husband and she knew, along the way Nathan would join them.
'Thank you, for everything.' Jean whispered and Charles smiled as he released her and walked back to his chess game with Erik, picking up his favorite scotch and making the next move while talking about Sebastian Shaw.
Jean moved out of the room, the moment she closed the double doors of the study, she felt herself being pulled out of the mansion as Charles' brain started deteriorating completely.
She found herself back at the infirmary and opened her eyes the moment Charles was leaving his final breath and the monitor started beeping non-stop, signaling his failed heartbeat.
'He's gone,' Jean whispered as Hank rushed to bring the defibrillator but Jean shook her head. 'There's nothing we can do,' she whispered truthfully as Scott moved slowly and turned off the monitor, his fingers trembling. 'There's nothing I could do,' she only half lied as Franklin and Scott had witnessed the exchange though her. She felt her knees going weak and she allowed herself on the floor as she released the first sob, her heart breaking for her dead mentor, her father. Jean only cried harder as she heard Hank's ragged breath and Scott's muffled sobs. She sensed Franklin's relief for the outcome and she couldn't blame him for his reasons but at that moment she could only mourn for her loss.
Charles Xavier was gone, by his own choice, sacrificing himself before he could become the initiator of their destruction. Taking matters into his own hands and finishing at the end of the line as he wished, with a glass of scotch, in his study, playing chess in the company of his favorite person in the world, Erik Lehnsherr.
Soooo many things happened, I wanted everything to happen fast for the sake of continuity. I hope you liked it, battles are not my strongest suit as I don't like them so much and prefer to focus on the relationships but I wanted a little bit of everything. Erik and Charles are down and I hope I did them both justice with how they died, explaining the seizure from the previous 2 chaps as Wanda's attack I hope made it sense. Please let me know what you think of it all. Thank you for reading.
CP09