Categories > Cartoons > X-Men: Evolution > X-men: Evolution of the Heart
The Legend of the Phoenix
1 reviewAU on how the X-men came to be. Major Jott and Kurtty. Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty, Evan, and Rogue have all had horrible lives. See how they ban together and become the future X-men with the help of ...
0Unrated
X-men: Evolution of the Heart
Chapter 27: The Legend of the Phoenix
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Jean flew through the sky, frantically trying to get away. She didn't know where she was or how she got there, but she still scrambled to avoid whatever entity was trying to get her. Pushing her powers to the limit, she tried to stop the sinister red flames from touching her. But they just kept coming...They were getting closer. Then, a terrible image formed before her very eyes as a dark entity forced it's way in to her body and mind.
"No...NOOOOOO!!!"
Suddenly, Jean woke up in a cold sweat struggling to breathe. She also realized she was floating in mid air over her bed. Upon feeling this, she fell back down on to her mattress as she struggled to get her mind together once again. The dream seemed to play over and over again in her mind and each time she felt the same terrible feelings of having everything about her being taken over by some powerful, unknown force. The memory alone had paralyzed her. She couldn't breathe...She couldn't even think straight anymore.
Just then, Scott entered her room as if he had felt every second of the terrible dream.
"Jean...Are you okay? Jean..." said Scott as he made his way over to her bed.
Jean didn't respond; she was still too paralyzed by the mysterious visions that seemed to follow her no matter how much she tried to ignore them. Scott sat by her on the side of her bed as he felt her anxiety through their mind link. Upon feeling his presence near her, she collapsed in to his embrace. Tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to make all the dark images in her mind go away. Scott held her close as she cried out her fears. Then finally, Jean found the strength to speak.
"It happened again..." she said in a weak voice.
"The dream?"
Jean slowly nodded as Scott started to gently stroke the side of her face. His touch helped calm her down enough to get control of her thoughts again. For nearly three weeks now mysterious dreams and visions had plagued Jean. At first they were thought to be minor power surges, but when she began to describe images and feelings they grew in to something more. It was now almost a common occurrence for her to wake up from awful nightmares. And every time they happened, Scott came to her room and lull her back to sleep as best he could. Tonight, however, had been the worst yet.
"Want me to stay here tonight?" asked Scott as Jean's gaze shifted up towards his face.
"Would you?" said Jean as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Of course," assured Scott as he kissed her forehead and let her rest against his side. "I'll stay as long as you need me."
"Promise?"
"I promise..."
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The next morning, Jean went to the Professor for help with her constant nightmares. This had been going on for too long and it was beginning to take a toll on her. What the visions really were remained a mystery. But every time they happened, they got stronger and more vivid.
"Professor...I don't know how much longer I can handle these visions. They're just getting too strong. They make me feel so strange and...And weak...I just..."
"Calm down Jean...You won't be doing yourself any favors by getting too hysterical about this," coaxed Xavier as he tried to calm his young student.
"I can't help it!" said Jean desperately. "They won't stop! They just won't stop..."
"It's okay Jean...You don't have to worry about them now. I can help you," said the Professor.
Slowly, he put his hands on her temples and began to place temporary blocks around her mind. They never lasted long, but they gave Jean enough strength to block out the dreams. While he was doing this, Xavier saw some of the images that had been plaguing the young telepath. They were full of a mysterious fire that seemed almost...Alive in a sense. The feelings of her being overtaken and consumed by this fire were nearly too great for event the Professor to block out. But through it all, he was able to make out the image of a magnificent bird-like creature that took shape once it fully occupied Jean's body.
Xavier soon finished putting up his blocks and Jean breathed a heavy sigh.
"Thank you Professor...But how am I going to make the nightmares stop?" asked Jean still full of anxiety.
"I don't know," replied the Professor honestly as he tried to make sense out of all this. "But I promise you, we will make them stop. You aren't alone with this problem Jean. Don't ever forget that."
"I know and I thank you for that," said Jean as she let out a heavy sigh, "It's just that...Everything finally seemed to be going well for me. I have good grades, I'm starting to look at different colleges, and I have a wonderful boyfriend...Then this happens. It's like...Anytime things start to go well for me, something terrible comes along and makes my life more hell than it already has been."
Jean felt so tired and helpless. She found it hard to sleep anymore and she found it even harder to think about. The dream had taken hold of her mind and it refused to let go.
"Try not to see it like that Jean. You'll get through this," assured the Professor as Jean stood up and started to leave.
"I hope so Professor...I really hope so."
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Down in the kitchen, the rest of the group was having breakfast. Evan was getting himself a healthy load of sausages, Kurt was making some pop tarts for himself and Kitty, and Rogue was busy making herself some eggs. Ororo was also present, simply helping Rogue who wasn't the best cook to say the least. Logan was out on a bike ride and the Professor was busy in his office. But there were still two people unaccounted for.
"Man, where are Scott and Jean?" said Evan as he went for the last few sausages, "They're gonna miss breakfast again."
"And at the rate you're goin' there won't be anything left to eat," commented Rogue as she started cook some scrambled eggs.
"Hey, they snooze they lose," said Evan as he bit in to the sausage.
"Yeah, what's with them lately? Jean's been acting really strange for the past few weeks," said Kitty as she pulled her pop tarts out of the toaster.
"Ja, she's been spacing out left and right. I vas beginning to think she was having another one of her seizures," commented Kurt as he sat down next to Kitty and started to munch on his pop tarts and toast.
"You think something's wrong with her powers?" said Rogue as she tried to get the oven setting right.
"I don't know...I haven't seen any shattered glass or broken furniture lately so it's hard to tell," said Kurt, slightly laughing at some of the memories from the experience.
"I'm sure she's fine everybody," assured Ororo. "You must remember how hard it was for her to gain control of her powers in the first place."
"That's for sure. Hell, there are probably still a few dents in the wall left from it," said Evan with a light laugh.
Just then, Scott entered the kitchen. He looked more tired then usual, no doubt because of what was happening to Jean. This change in their behavior had been very sudden to them all. Just a month ago, both teens had never looked happier. They were going out on dates regularly, they kissed and held hands, amongst other things...But then something happened to Jean and they couldn't determine what it was. And from the looks of it...Neither could Scott.
"Hey man, you hungry?" asked Evan ignoring the tired look on Scott's face.
"Yeah...But it appears somebody already ate all the bacon," said Scott as he looked towards Kurt.
"Hey don't blame me man! I couldn't help it! It was just so crispy and good and..."
"Its okay Kurt...I'll just have some cereal," said Scott not wanting Kurt to go on with all that food in his mouth.
As Scott got a bowl and began to pour himself some Lucky Charms, Rogue decided to ask him about Jean.
"So Scott...What's the deal with Jean?" asked Rogue as she turned away from her eggs briefly.
"What do you mean?" asked Scott, who had hoped that nobody would talk about this.
"Come on Scott, don't play dumb," said Kitty, "Don't think we haven't noticed it. She's been acting really strange lately. I mean...She just keeps spacing out, she keeps forgetting things, and well...It's just not like her."
"Yeah, have her powers been acting up again or something?" asked Kurt.
Scott just sighed. Even thought Jean was still upstairs, he could sense the mental turmoil she was feeling in her mind. He had sensed it since day one through their link. It was hard on the both of them...But it was by far the worst on Jean.
"It's not her powers...At least I don't think so. It's this weird nightmare she's been having," said Scott as he tried to hide the concern in his voice.
"Nightmare? Come on Scott we all have nightmares on a regular basis," said Rogue.
"Not nightmares like this..." said Scott ominously.
"What do you mean?" asked Kitty curiously.
"I don't know...I really don't know..."
There was a brief silence after Scott's words. A nightmare was one thing, but Scott was making it sound like a completely different problem. It had to be something serious with the way it was making Jean act. Suddenly, a burning noise was heard coming from the stove.
"Rogue...Watch the stove!" exclaimed Ororo as she saw Rogue's eggs starting to burn and singe.
"Oh shit!" cursed Rogue as she spun around and took the pan off the burner and tried to salvage her blackened scrambled eggs.
The others couldn't help but laugh at Rogue's futile attempt to save her tainted meal, but now it was just a smoking heap of egg matter.
"I warned you to keep you're eyes on the stove," said Ororo with a slight grin as she helped Rogue scrape off the pan.
"Yeah...Guess I found out the hard way," muttered Rogue in mild frustration as she got a few more eggs and tried again.
However, this little mishap didn't even register in Scott's brain as he absentmindedly stirred his spoon in his cereal contemplating how he should help Jean. It pained him to see her like this. He had been doing all he could to be there for her and it did help her to some extent, but it didn't stop whatever was happening to her. There was definitely more to this than meets the eye and Scott knew it. He hope the Professor would find something soon or this nightmare that had taken control of Jean's mind promised only to get worse.
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In the library of the institute, Professor Xavier had been feverishly going over scores of books, trying to look for answers to what was happening to Jean. He had nothing to go on other than some of the images he saw when he used his powers to put blocks on her. However, those blocks were becoming less and less effective. Ever since Jean had arrived at the institute he had been keeping tabs on her powers. Lately, they had been growing at an exponential rate. Xavier knew that her powers were getting harder to control because her rate of control wasn't keeping up with the growth her powers. It was clear that something was going to happen soon...And her powers would most likely be a part of it. He needed to find some answers soon if he was going to help Jean with this mysterious nightmare. Just then, Logan entered the room.
"Still at it huh Chuck?" said Logan as he walked over to the desk the Professor had been reading at and dropped a dozen or so books in front of him. "I got ya the rest of those books ya needed."
"Thank you Logan. I hope they will be of some help. I'm getting nowhere fast with this so far. I'm just finding more questions instead of answers."
"Just what are ya lookin' for anyway?" asked Logan curiously.
"I'm not quite sure just yet, but I will find it," sated the Professor in response.
"Well, good luck to ya. I'm sure you'll find whatever you're looking for."
"Yes...I hope so."
After that, Logan left and the Professor went back to his reading. He sighed as he closed yet another book with more questions then answers. He had been trying to help Jean with whatever was plaguing her dreams. There was definitely more to them then simple power surges. From what Charles Xavier had sensed, something was trying to take over Jean. Feeling desperate for answers, he wheeled himself over to the phone and dialed the number of someone whom he hoped could bring him some answers. Strangely, somebody answered after the first ring.
"Hello?" said a voice on the other side.
"Irene, is that you?" said the Professor.
"Ah yes, Charles Xavier. I was expecting your call," said the woman on the other end of the phone.
"Then you must be having your visions again I assume."
"Assumptions are always dangerous, but you would be right in this one. I have been having some rather disturbing dreams."
"For how long?" asked Xavier.
"Three weeks."
Three weeks...The exact amount of time since Jean began having her nightmares. The Professor knew then that it had to be about whatever was plaguing his young student.
"What exactly did you see?" asked the Professor with a bit of anxiety in his voice.
"Something sinister Charles...Something so dark it could affect the lives of many...Especially your students," said Irene in an ominous tone.
That was more than enough to worry Professor Xavier, but he pressed on.
"What do you mean?"
There was a brief silence over the phone. Destiny was definitely contemplating something, but it was more complex than even she could imagine. However, she already knew what was going to happen and she didn't fight it.
"One of your student's Charles...Is about to become a force unlike no other. You already know whom I'm talking about so I won't bother to say her name. She is going to face an evil so great that it could shatter the world itself. This entity is a force almost as old as the universe. It's been waiting, looking, longing for a new host to bond with so it can unleash its wrath upon us all."
Destiny's tone was too serious to ignore. Her predictions in the past had been all too right in the end and the Professor took this one seriously, for it concerned a student and it may also concern much more.
"What exactly is this...Entity?" asked the Professor.
"You've seen it Charles. It is the immortal bird of holy fires. It is...The Phoenix."
The Professor tried to hide his anxiety upon hearing those words. This was a living god she was talking about...And it was trying to manifest itself in one of his students. He was about to respond, but Destiny had cut him off.
"You'll know more soon enough Charles...We all will. My dreams foresee a very, very dark future. I can't be sure if any of us will survive it. But even if we do, I see some very tumultuous times ahead for both you and your students. Either way, a great shroud of darkness has overcome the future...And I don't see how it can be stopped."
Destiny's predictions were never this dark before. They never spoke of events so grand that it could ultimately doom the future of the world. However, she had been flawless in her foreseeing of the future before...And there was no reason to believe that this one was any different. Charles Xavier was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say or do about this.
"Thank you Irene," said the Professor with a sigh, "You've been a big help."
"I don't know if I have or not Charles. To be honest, I wasn't supposed to tell you about this. However, this future is too dark and I for one don't wish to see it happen. But if there's one thing I've learned since you taught me how to use my powers, it's that we can never run from fate," said Destiny, who seemed disturbed, yet somewhat accepting of what she was saying.
"So you say there is nothing that can be done to save my students...Or the future?"
There was another brief silence over the phone as Destiny contemplated her response.
"This wasn't a normal vision Charles. It was dark, that it was...However there was something...Strange about it."
"What do you mean?" responded Xavier.
"While I saw all these horrid images there was this...Emptiness. There was some strange zone of uncertainty that I had never sensed before. It was as if something...Or someone was trying to mess up the future and all that is meant to happen. I wish I knew more...But I don't. That is all I can say for now Charles...I hope I have been of some help to you."
"You have Irene...And I thank you. Now...It appears I have some work to do."
After that, Xavier hung up the phone and so did Destiny. She retired to her room where she knew she would see the same dreams again and again. The X-men were in for a long, difficult future that they did not have control over. It was sad in a sense...Because two very innocent, kindred souls would suffer because of it.
Professor Xavier could only sit and wonder about what Destiny had just told him. It was far more than he wanted to know, but he couldn't forget about it. Now it seemed Jean's nightmares were the least of his worries and this new entity...The Phoenix was the big problem. Slowly, Xavier rolled himself back towards his desk where a large pile of books was still there. With a heavy sigh, he took one of the books and opened it to a certain section he remembered seeing before.
He saw an old picture of the mysterious and majestic Phoenix. It was a symbol that permeated through many different cultures across the planet and yet it seemed that it was anything but a mere myth. The picture resembled Jean's dream all too well as the image of the immortal firebird held a mysterious spell on his mind.
"Professor..." said a voice coming from the door.
Xavier looked up to see a tired Jean Grey standing there before him holding a tray of food.
"Ororo said you might be hungry," said Jean as she placed the tray off to his side.
"Yes...Thank you Jean," said the Professor, but with a somewhat sorrowful tone.
"Is something wrong?" asked Jean as she turned to leave towards Scott, who was standing at the door waiting for her.
"No...Nothing's wrong my dear. Tell Ororo I said thanks," responded the Professor.
Jean didn't ask anymore questions about the Professor's somewhat saddened tone. She just walked out and left with Scott.
The Professor couldn't help but feel saddened upon seeing Jean as she walked off hand and hand with Scott. He just didn't have the heart to tell her what he now knew. She had suffered a terrible life as it was and now he was told that she was about to suffer even more and there was nothing that could be done about it. In addition, Xavier couldn't help but worry for Scott as well. He and Jean were so close and losing her would be too devastating for him to bear. The memories of what happened to Scott with Duncan, who was now serving 10 years in prison, still hung fresh in his mind. He had seen and sensed the turmoil it caused Jean and it could only get worse if Scott was faced with the same situation. They loved each other too much to even bear the thought of losing one another.
Charles Xavier was truly at a loss. For the first time he couldn't do anything to help one of his students. He had grown very attached to them ever since he rescued them from the streets all those months ago. They respected him as if he were their real father and he looked at them as if they were his own children. He had always been able help them with whatever problems they faced, but now it seemed that this problem is beyond his help. He let out a deep sigh as he looked back at the picture in the book about the Phoenix and closed it. It seemed that there was no way to stop this from happening now as the Professor read on about this mysterious force. He was forced to simply watch and wait for whatever events that were about to unfold.
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Out in the cold depths of space, a lone flare of mysterious red flame hung in a state of suspension. The brilliant red fire that was full of such unimaginable power simply floated in the dead of space. It pulsated with a mysterious glow, almost as if it were alive...As if it were a living, breathing force. Suddenly, a great spark from within awakened it from it's millions of years of slumber. The holy flame began to burn brighter than ever as it began to soar through the vast distances of space at unimaginable speeds towards one specific point...Earth.
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Charles Xavier had been in his study for nearly five hours reading about the Phoenix. So far, he hadn't found out any more than Destiny had told him. He was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue when suddenly, Cerebro's alarm went off and a loud noise was sent throughout the mansion.
"What's going on Chuck?" said Logan as he barged in the room at the sound of the alarm.
"Cerebro has detected a very powerful mutant disturbance," said Charles as he wheeled himself over to one of the terminals in the wall that fed directly into Cerebro's room, which lay deep underground near the danger room.
As soon as Xavier put the helmet on, he felt a strong psychic surge through his mind and started to keel over from the powerful readings.
"Charles!" yelled Ororo, who had just entered the room as well. "What's wrong? What do you sense?"
Xavier pulled the helmet off as quickly as he could. He had sensed something powerful...Something very powerful in fact. It was so strong that if he had kept Cerebro on any longer it could have knocked him out cold. But whatever it was, it was something that had to be investigated.
"There is some extreme mutant activity up north. I'm not sure what it is but it's very powerful. Tell the others to suit up...We must find out who...Or what this is."
There was not time for argue as the two older mutants left to round up the others while Xavier wheeled himself down to the basement where the X-jet was waiting. For some reason, he felt compelled to grab the Cerebro helmet just in case. He couldn't fight off a terrible sense of foreboding that something was about to happen that he had no control over. Destiny had told him that he was about to find out more about this Phoenix force soon enough. It wasn't a very comforting thought as he watched the rest of the team file in to the hanger. Scott and Jean were the last to arrive in uniform as they entered with the rest of the team.
"Jean."
"Yes Professor?" said Jean as Xavier called her off to the side.
"I think it would be best if you sat this one out. With everything that's been happening to you, I don't know if an all out mission would be good for you," said the Professor in a concerned voice, hoping that she would heed his warning.
"It's okay Professor, I feel much better now. Really, I'll be fine," said Jean.
"Are you certain? I really don't want to see you getting hurt out there. We aren't quite sure what we're facing."
"Really Professor, I'm okay. Besides, a mission might just be what I need to get my mind off my dreams anyway. Don't worry...I'm sure nothing too serious will happen," assured Jean as she turned back towards the jet.
The Professor was about to stop her and try to get her to stay behind at all costs, but something inside told him that his efforts would be in vain. Jean still looked weary even though she tried to hide it from the others. It seemed that Scott was the only one who picked up on it as he gave her a concerned look as she boarded the plane.
"You okay Jean?" asked Scott as she sat down in a seat behind the pilot's seat where Scott had made the final preparations for takeoff.
"I'm fine Scott. Don't worry," assured Jean as everybody buckled up.
Scott didn't respond after that, for he trusted Jean enough to believe what she said. But that didn't stop him from having a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach as the X-jet took off in to the cloudy sky.
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As the jet took off in to the distance and sped to the north, a lone figure stood near the base of the hollowed out cliff. He was a tall, mysterious looking young man with medium-length blond hair and strange samurai-like armor all over his body. He had a long, shining sword in a brilliantly decorated case on his back and two mysterious symbols on the back of his hands that looked like Chinese or Tibetan writing. However, the most predominant feature on the young man was a mysterious mark or tattoo that covered his right eye. Whatever this mark was, it started to glow as the X-jet disappeared over the horizon. Then, the mysterious man grunted with a look of frustration.
"I'm too late...Now nothing will stop the Phoenix from rising again," said the young man to himself as he clutched his fists, "Now all that's left to save us all from the wrath of Dark Phoenix...Is the legend."
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AN: Well, I'll end it there on a mysterious note for now. By the way, the mystery man mentioned in the end is my own creation, please don't steal him! You'll find out more about him in the next few chapters. He will play a vital role in the coming events! In the mean time, stay tuned to see the first encounter with the legendary Phoenix and see how this will effect Scott, Jean, and the rest of the X-men. I haven't read all the comics or seen all the episodes of the old X-men show concerning the Phoenix, but I will do my best. Remember, this is AU so it may be a little different (or a lot if I screw up). Don't forget to REVIEW! Send them to me at slickboy444@aol.com and post them at fanfiction.net. Well, stay tuned to see how this whole Phoenix saga turns out! Until next time, best wishes to you all!
REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! I'M HUNGRY FOR REVIEWS!!!
Chapter 27: The Legend of the Phoenix
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Jean flew through the sky, frantically trying to get away. She didn't know where she was or how she got there, but she still scrambled to avoid whatever entity was trying to get her. Pushing her powers to the limit, she tried to stop the sinister red flames from touching her. But they just kept coming...They were getting closer. Then, a terrible image formed before her very eyes as a dark entity forced it's way in to her body and mind.
"No...NOOOOOO!!!"
Suddenly, Jean woke up in a cold sweat struggling to breathe. She also realized she was floating in mid air over her bed. Upon feeling this, she fell back down on to her mattress as she struggled to get her mind together once again. The dream seemed to play over and over again in her mind and each time she felt the same terrible feelings of having everything about her being taken over by some powerful, unknown force. The memory alone had paralyzed her. She couldn't breathe...She couldn't even think straight anymore.
Just then, Scott entered her room as if he had felt every second of the terrible dream.
"Jean...Are you okay? Jean..." said Scott as he made his way over to her bed.
Jean didn't respond; she was still too paralyzed by the mysterious visions that seemed to follow her no matter how much she tried to ignore them. Scott sat by her on the side of her bed as he felt her anxiety through their mind link. Upon feeling his presence near her, she collapsed in to his embrace. Tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to make all the dark images in her mind go away. Scott held her close as she cried out her fears. Then finally, Jean found the strength to speak.
"It happened again..." she said in a weak voice.
"The dream?"
Jean slowly nodded as Scott started to gently stroke the side of her face. His touch helped calm her down enough to get control of her thoughts again. For nearly three weeks now mysterious dreams and visions had plagued Jean. At first they were thought to be minor power surges, but when she began to describe images and feelings they grew in to something more. It was now almost a common occurrence for her to wake up from awful nightmares. And every time they happened, Scott came to her room and lull her back to sleep as best he could. Tonight, however, had been the worst yet.
"Want me to stay here tonight?" asked Scott as Jean's gaze shifted up towards his face.
"Would you?" said Jean as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Of course," assured Scott as he kissed her forehead and let her rest against his side. "I'll stay as long as you need me."
"Promise?"
"I promise..."
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The next morning, Jean went to the Professor for help with her constant nightmares. This had been going on for too long and it was beginning to take a toll on her. What the visions really were remained a mystery. But every time they happened, they got stronger and more vivid.
"Professor...I don't know how much longer I can handle these visions. They're just getting too strong. They make me feel so strange and...And weak...I just..."
"Calm down Jean...You won't be doing yourself any favors by getting too hysterical about this," coaxed Xavier as he tried to calm his young student.
"I can't help it!" said Jean desperately. "They won't stop! They just won't stop..."
"It's okay Jean...You don't have to worry about them now. I can help you," said the Professor.
Slowly, he put his hands on her temples and began to place temporary blocks around her mind. They never lasted long, but they gave Jean enough strength to block out the dreams. While he was doing this, Xavier saw some of the images that had been plaguing the young telepath. They were full of a mysterious fire that seemed almost...Alive in a sense. The feelings of her being overtaken and consumed by this fire were nearly too great for event the Professor to block out. But through it all, he was able to make out the image of a magnificent bird-like creature that took shape once it fully occupied Jean's body.
Xavier soon finished putting up his blocks and Jean breathed a heavy sigh.
"Thank you Professor...But how am I going to make the nightmares stop?" asked Jean still full of anxiety.
"I don't know," replied the Professor honestly as he tried to make sense out of all this. "But I promise you, we will make them stop. You aren't alone with this problem Jean. Don't ever forget that."
"I know and I thank you for that," said Jean as she let out a heavy sigh, "It's just that...Everything finally seemed to be going well for me. I have good grades, I'm starting to look at different colleges, and I have a wonderful boyfriend...Then this happens. It's like...Anytime things start to go well for me, something terrible comes along and makes my life more hell than it already has been."
Jean felt so tired and helpless. She found it hard to sleep anymore and she found it even harder to think about. The dream had taken hold of her mind and it refused to let go.
"Try not to see it like that Jean. You'll get through this," assured the Professor as Jean stood up and started to leave.
"I hope so Professor...I really hope so."
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Down in the kitchen, the rest of the group was having breakfast. Evan was getting himself a healthy load of sausages, Kurt was making some pop tarts for himself and Kitty, and Rogue was busy making herself some eggs. Ororo was also present, simply helping Rogue who wasn't the best cook to say the least. Logan was out on a bike ride and the Professor was busy in his office. But there were still two people unaccounted for.
"Man, where are Scott and Jean?" said Evan as he went for the last few sausages, "They're gonna miss breakfast again."
"And at the rate you're goin' there won't be anything left to eat," commented Rogue as she started cook some scrambled eggs.
"Hey, they snooze they lose," said Evan as he bit in to the sausage.
"Yeah, what's with them lately? Jean's been acting really strange for the past few weeks," said Kitty as she pulled her pop tarts out of the toaster.
"Ja, she's been spacing out left and right. I vas beginning to think she was having another one of her seizures," commented Kurt as he sat down next to Kitty and started to munch on his pop tarts and toast.
"You think something's wrong with her powers?" said Rogue as she tried to get the oven setting right.
"I don't know...I haven't seen any shattered glass or broken furniture lately so it's hard to tell," said Kurt, slightly laughing at some of the memories from the experience.
"I'm sure she's fine everybody," assured Ororo. "You must remember how hard it was for her to gain control of her powers in the first place."
"That's for sure. Hell, there are probably still a few dents in the wall left from it," said Evan with a light laugh.
Just then, Scott entered the kitchen. He looked more tired then usual, no doubt because of what was happening to Jean. This change in their behavior had been very sudden to them all. Just a month ago, both teens had never looked happier. They were going out on dates regularly, they kissed and held hands, amongst other things...But then something happened to Jean and they couldn't determine what it was. And from the looks of it...Neither could Scott.
"Hey man, you hungry?" asked Evan ignoring the tired look on Scott's face.
"Yeah...But it appears somebody already ate all the bacon," said Scott as he looked towards Kurt.
"Hey don't blame me man! I couldn't help it! It was just so crispy and good and..."
"Its okay Kurt...I'll just have some cereal," said Scott not wanting Kurt to go on with all that food in his mouth.
As Scott got a bowl and began to pour himself some Lucky Charms, Rogue decided to ask him about Jean.
"So Scott...What's the deal with Jean?" asked Rogue as she turned away from her eggs briefly.
"What do you mean?" asked Scott, who had hoped that nobody would talk about this.
"Come on Scott, don't play dumb," said Kitty, "Don't think we haven't noticed it. She's been acting really strange lately. I mean...She just keeps spacing out, she keeps forgetting things, and well...It's just not like her."
"Yeah, have her powers been acting up again or something?" asked Kurt.
Scott just sighed. Even thought Jean was still upstairs, he could sense the mental turmoil she was feeling in her mind. He had sensed it since day one through their link. It was hard on the both of them...But it was by far the worst on Jean.
"It's not her powers...At least I don't think so. It's this weird nightmare she's been having," said Scott as he tried to hide the concern in his voice.
"Nightmare? Come on Scott we all have nightmares on a regular basis," said Rogue.
"Not nightmares like this..." said Scott ominously.
"What do you mean?" asked Kitty curiously.
"I don't know...I really don't know..."
There was a brief silence after Scott's words. A nightmare was one thing, but Scott was making it sound like a completely different problem. It had to be something serious with the way it was making Jean act. Suddenly, a burning noise was heard coming from the stove.
"Rogue...Watch the stove!" exclaimed Ororo as she saw Rogue's eggs starting to burn and singe.
"Oh shit!" cursed Rogue as she spun around and took the pan off the burner and tried to salvage her blackened scrambled eggs.
The others couldn't help but laugh at Rogue's futile attempt to save her tainted meal, but now it was just a smoking heap of egg matter.
"I warned you to keep you're eyes on the stove," said Ororo with a slight grin as she helped Rogue scrape off the pan.
"Yeah...Guess I found out the hard way," muttered Rogue in mild frustration as she got a few more eggs and tried again.
However, this little mishap didn't even register in Scott's brain as he absentmindedly stirred his spoon in his cereal contemplating how he should help Jean. It pained him to see her like this. He had been doing all he could to be there for her and it did help her to some extent, but it didn't stop whatever was happening to her. There was definitely more to this than meets the eye and Scott knew it. He hope the Professor would find something soon or this nightmare that had taken control of Jean's mind promised only to get worse.
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In the library of the institute, Professor Xavier had been feverishly going over scores of books, trying to look for answers to what was happening to Jean. He had nothing to go on other than some of the images he saw when he used his powers to put blocks on her. However, those blocks were becoming less and less effective. Ever since Jean had arrived at the institute he had been keeping tabs on her powers. Lately, they had been growing at an exponential rate. Xavier knew that her powers were getting harder to control because her rate of control wasn't keeping up with the growth her powers. It was clear that something was going to happen soon...And her powers would most likely be a part of it. He needed to find some answers soon if he was going to help Jean with this mysterious nightmare. Just then, Logan entered the room.
"Still at it huh Chuck?" said Logan as he walked over to the desk the Professor had been reading at and dropped a dozen or so books in front of him. "I got ya the rest of those books ya needed."
"Thank you Logan. I hope they will be of some help. I'm getting nowhere fast with this so far. I'm just finding more questions instead of answers."
"Just what are ya lookin' for anyway?" asked Logan curiously.
"I'm not quite sure just yet, but I will find it," sated the Professor in response.
"Well, good luck to ya. I'm sure you'll find whatever you're looking for."
"Yes...I hope so."
After that, Logan left and the Professor went back to his reading. He sighed as he closed yet another book with more questions then answers. He had been trying to help Jean with whatever was plaguing her dreams. There was definitely more to them then simple power surges. From what Charles Xavier had sensed, something was trying to take over Jean. Feeling desperate for answers, he wheeled himself over to the phone and dialed the number of someone whom he hoped could bring him some answers. Strangely, somebody answered after the first ring.
"Hello?" said a voice on the other side.
"Irene, is that you?" said the Professor.
"Ah yes, Charles Xavier. I was expecting your call," said the woman on the other end of the phone.
"Then you must be having your visions again I assume."
"Assumptions are always dangerous, but you would be right in this one. I have been having some rather disturbing dreams."
"For how long?" asked Xavier.
"Three weeks."
Three weeks...The exact amount of time since Jean began having her nightmares. The Professor knew then that it had to be about whatever was plaguing his young student.
"What exactly did you see?" asked the Professor with a bit of anxiety in his voice.
"Something sinister Charles...Something so dark it could affect the lives of many...Especially your students," said Irene in an ominous tone.
That was more than enough to worry Professor Xavier, but he pressed on.
"What do you mean?"
There was a brief silence over the phone. Destiny was definitely contemplating something, but it was more complex than even she could imagine. However, she already knew what was going to happen and she didn't fight it.
"One of your student's Charles...Is about to become a force unlike no other. You already know whom I'm talking about so I won't bother to say her name. She is going to face an evil so great that it could shatter the world itself. This entity is a force almost as old as the universe. It's been waiting, looking, longing for a new host to bond with so it can unleash its wrath upon us all."
Destiny's tone was too serious to ignore. Her predictions in the past had been all too right in the end and the Professor took this one seriously, for it concerned a student and it may also concern much more.
"What exactly is this...Entity?" asked the Professor.
"You've seen it Charles. It is the immortal bird of holy fires. It is...The Phoenix."
The Professor tried to hide his anxiety upon hearing those words. This was a living god she was talking about...And it was trying to manifest itself in one of his students. He was about to respond, but Destiny had cut him off.
"You'll know more soon enough Charles...We all will. My dreams foresee a very, very dark future. I can't be sure if any of us will survive it. But even if we do, I see some very tumultuous times ahead for both you and your students. Either way, a great shroud of darkness has overcome the future...And I don't see how it can be stopped."
Destiny's predictions were never this dark before. They never spoke of events so grand that it could ultimately doom the future of the world. However, she had been flawless in her foreseeing of the future before...And there was no reason to believe that this one was any different. Charles Xavier was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say or do about this.
"Thank you Irene," said the Professor with a sigh, "You've been a big help."
"I don't know if I have or not Charles. To be honest, I wasn't supposed to tell you about this. However, this future is too dark and I for one don't wish to see it happen. But if there's one thing I've learned since you taught me how to use my powers, it's that we can never run from fate," said Destiny, who seemed disturbed, yet somewhat accepting of what she was saying.
"So you say there is nothing that can be done to save my students...Or the future?"
There was another brief silence over the phone as Destiny contemplated her response.
"This wasn't a normal vision Charles. It was dark, that it was...However there was something...Strange about it."
"What do you mean?" responded Xavier.
"While I saw all these horrid images there was this...Emptiness. There was some strange zone of uncertainty that I had never sensed before. It was as if something...Or someone was trying to mess up the future and all that is meant to happen. I wish I knew more...But I don't. That is all I can say for now Charles...I hope I have been of some help to you."
"You have Irene...And I thank you. Now...It appears I have some work to do."
After that, Xavier hung up the phone and so did Destiny. She retired to her room where she knew she would see the same dreams again and again. The X-men were in for a long, difficult future that they did not have control over. It was sad in a sense...Because two very innocent, kindred souls would suffer because of it.
Professor Xavier could only sit and wonder about what Destiny had just told him. It was far more than he wanted to know, but he couldn't forget about it. Now it seemed Jean's nightmares were the least of his worries and this new entity...The Phoenix was the big problem. Slowly, Xavier rolled himself back towards his desk where a large pile of books was still there. With a heavy sigh, he took one of the books and opened it to a certain section he remembered seeing before.
He saw an old picture of the mysterious and majestic Phoenix. It was a symbol that permeated through many different cultures across the planet and yet it seemed that it was anything but a mere myth. The picture resembled Jean's dream all too well as the image of the immortal firebird held a mysterious spell on his mind.
"Professor..." said a voice coming from the door.
Xavier looked up to see a tired Jean Grey standing there before him holding a tray of food.
"Ororo said you might be hungry," said Jean as she placed the tray off to his side.
"Yes...Thank you Jean," said the Professor, but with a somewhat sorrowful tone.
"Is something wrong?" asked Jean as she turned to leave towards Scott, who was standing at the door waiting for her.
"No...Nothing's wrong my dear. Tell Ororo I said thanks," responded the Professor.
Jean didn't ask anymore questions about the Professor's somewhat saddened tone. She just walked out and left with Scott.
The Professor couldn't help but feel saddened upon seeing Jean as she walked off hand and hand with Scott. He just didn't have the heart to tell her what he now knew. She had suffered a terrible life as it was and now he was told that she was about to suffer even more and there was nothing that could be done about it. In addition, Xavier couldn't help but worry for Scott as well. He and Jean were so close and losing her would be too devastating for him to bear. The memories of what happened to Scott with Duncan, who was now serving 10 years in prison, still hung fresh in his mind. He had seen and sensed the turmoil it caused Jean and it could only get worse if Scott was faced with the same situation. They loved each other too much to even bear the thought of losing one another.
Charles Xavier was truly at a loss. For the first time he couldn't do anything to help one of his students. He had grown very attached to them ever since he rescued them from the streets all those months ago. They respected him as if he were their real father and he looked at them as if they were his own children. He had always been able help them with whatever problems they faced, but now it seemed that this problem is beyond his help. He let out a deep sigh as he looked back at the picture in the book about the Phoenix and closed it. It seemed that there was no way to stop this from happening now as the Professor read on about this mysterious force. He was forced to simply watch and wait for whatever events that were about to unfold.
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Out in the cold depths of space, a lone flare of mysterious red flame hung in a state of suspension. The brilliant red fire that was full of such unimaginable power simply floated in the dead of space. It pulsated with a mysterious glow, almost as if it were alive...As if it were a living, breathing force. Suddenly, a great spark from within awakened it from it's millions of years of slumber. The holy flame began to burn brighter than ever as it began to soar through the vast distances of space at unimaginable speeds towards one specific point...Earth.
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Charles Xavier had been in his study for nearly five hours reading about the Phoenix. So far, he hadn't found out any more than Destiny had told him. He was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue when suddenly, Cerebro's alarm went off and a loud noise was sent throughout the mansion.
"What's going on Chuck?" said Logan as he barged in the room at the sound of the alarm.
"Cerebro has detected a very powerful mutant disturbance," said Charles as he wheeled himself over to one of the terminals in the wall that fed directly into Cerebro's room, which lay deep underground near the danger room.
As soon as Xavier put the helmet on, he felt a strong psychic surge through his mind and started to keel over from the powerful readings.
"Charles!" yelled Ororo, who had just entered the room as well. "What's wrong? What do you sense?"
Xavier pulled the helmet off as quickly as he could. He had sensed something powerful...Something very powerful in fact. It was so strong that if he had kept Cerebro on any longer it could have knocked him out cold. But whatever it was, it was something that had to be investigated.
"There is some extreme mutant activity up north. I'm not sure what it is but it's very powerful. Tell the others to suit up...We must find out who...Or what this is."
There was not time for argue as the two older mutants left to round up the others while Xavier wheeled himself down to the basement where the X-jet was waiting. For some reason, he felt compelled to grab the Cerebro helmet just in case. He couldn't fight off a terrible sense of foreboding that something was about to happen that he had no control over. Destiny had told him that he was about to find out more about this Phoenix force soon enough. It wasn't a very comforting thought as he watched the rest of the team file in to the hanger. Scott and Jean were the last to arrive in uniform as they entered with the rest of the team.
"Jean."
"Yes Professor?" said Jean as Xavier called her off to the side.
"I think it would be best if you sat this one out. With everything that's been happening to you, I don't know if an all out mission would be good for you," said the Professor in a concerned voice, hoping that she would heed his warning.
"It's okay Professor, I feel much better now. Really, I'll be fine," said Jean.
"Are you certain? I really don't want to see you getting hurt out there. We aren't quite sure what we're facing."
"Really Professor, I'm okay. Besides, a mission might just be what I need to get my mind off my dreams anyway. Don't worry...I'm sure nothing too serious will happen," assured Jean as she turned back towards the jet.
The Professor was about to stop her and try to get her to stay behind at all costs, but something inside told him that his efforts would be in vain. Jean still looked weary even though she tried to hide it from the others. It seemed that Scott was the only one who picked up on it as he gave her a concerned look as she boarded the plane.
"You okay Jean?" asked Scott as she sat down in a seat behind the pilot's seat where Scott had made the final preparations for takeoff.
"I'm fine Scott. Don't worry," assured Jean as everybody buckled up.
Scott didn't respond after that, for he trusted Jean enough to believe what she said. But that didn't stop him from having a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach as the X-jet took off in to the cloudy sky.
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As the jet took off in to the distance and sped to the north, a lone figure stood near the base of the hollowed out cliff. He was a tall, mysterious looking young man with medium-length blond hair and strange samurai-like armor all over his body. He had a long, shining sword in a brilliantly decorated case on his back and two mysterious symbols on the back of his hands that looked like Chinese or Tibetan writing. However, the most predominant feature on the young man was a mysterious mark or tattoo that covered his right eye. Whatever this mark was, it started to glow as the X-jet disappeared over the horizon. Then, the mysterious man grunted with a look of frustration.
"I'm too late...Now nothing will stop the Phoenix from rising again," said the young man to himself as he clutched his fists, "Now all that's left to save us all from the wrath of Dark Phoenix...Is the legend."
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AN: Well, I'll end it there on a mysterious note for now. By the way, the mystery man mentioned in the end is my own creation, please don't steal him! You'll find out more about him in the next few chapters. He will play a vital role in the coming events! In the mean time, stay tuned to see the first encounter with the legendary Phoenix and see how this will effect Scott, Jean, and the rest of the X-men. I haven't read all the comics or seen all the episodes of the old X-men show concerning the Phoenix, but I will do my best. Remember, this is AU so it may be a little different (or a lot if I screw up). Don't forget to REVIEW! Send them to me at slickboy444@aol.com and post them at fanfiction.net. Well, stay tuned to see how this whole Phoenix saga turns out! Until next time, best wishes to you all!
REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! I'M HUNGRY FOR REVIEWS!!!
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