FicWad

The Twin Greys
Chapter 5: New Redhead on the Block

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In the days following her arrival, Madelyn went to work with the Professor, learning to control her new abilities. Being new to the psychic game, it was tough at first. But with the support of Professor Xavier and her twin sister, Jean, she began honing her skills.

While she was learning to control her powers, her parents went to work transferring her to NYU so she could continue college. And since Scott and Jean also went there, she wouldn't be alone in adjusting to her new surroundings. It was just a matter of making sure she didn't have any more seizures or surges during this difficult transition.

There was a lot to adjust to at the mansion. She was still a major curiosity for the residents, being the long lost sister of Jean Grey. And many still had problems telling them apart. It was an attribute they loved to fool around with, although it got on the nerves of plenty, namely Logan.

But overall, this was a good time for Jean and Madelyn. They were reconnecting despite being separated for so long. There was so much they wanted to do together and so much to catch up on. It gave them plenty of reasons to smile as they learned to accept the notion that they were twin sisters.

"Okay Madelyn, you're doing great," encouraged Professor Xavier as he watched Madelyn levitate several heavy bowling balls, "Just keep it steady and set them down on the target areas."

Concentrating hard, Madelyn pushed the power of her mind to move the heavy objects around the room and place them in a designated spot. It was a common exercise for telekinesis, one that Jean had done more times than she could count. But Madelyn was a fast learner.

Suddenly, the balls began to shake.

"Hold it steady, Maddie," said Jean, standing beside her for support, "Remember...focus and control. Telekinesis is like another limb. You just need to maintain the right mindset."

Encouraged by her sister's words, the bowling balls stopped shaking and Madelyn took a deep breath as she set them down precisely on the targets, which were actually just colored pillows. And once the job was done, a look of accomplishment formed on her face.

"How was that?" she asked confidently.

"Excellent, my dear," smiled the Professor, "You're making great progress."

"Yeah, more than I did when I first started, that's for sure," said Jean, giving her sister a pat on the shoulder.

"Well to be fair, you were only twelve. And younger minds tend to have a much more difficult time attaining the focus and concentration as those who manifest at later ages."

"Guess I should consider myself lucky," said Madelyn, rubbing her temples from the strain.

"Indeed," said the Professor in agreement, "But I still want to keep our sessions steady for a while longer. You're powers may be stable now, but they are growing and it's important that we keep up."

"Otherwise you may have a surge like I did," muttered Jean, shivering at the memory.

"Which is why we must remain vigilant," concluded the Professor, "You have a great deal of psychic potential Madelyn. It's just a matter of controlling it."

As difficult as these sessions were, Madelyn smiled back at the Professor graciously. Having seen how strong her sister's powers were, it was difficult to contemplate how she would manage such abilities. But with the support of Jean and the most powerful psychic alive, she had plenty of reason to be hopeful.

"Thank you, Professor. I understand."

"Then I believe this session is over."

Casting the wheel chair bound man one last smile, Madelyn followed her sister out of the Professor's office.

It was around mid-afternoon and much of the residents were still at school. It was nice because there weren't as many thoughts to pick up on. And it also made hanging out that much easier.

"Man, I can't believe you went through these sessions twice a day for three years," said Madelyn as she and Jean walked down the halls of the upper levels.

"I know. They really push your mind to the limit," sighed Jean, "But I eventually got the hang of it."

"So I've seen," grinned Maddie, "Last I checked you still held a few records in the Danger Room."

"Well now that I've got another psychic to compete with, I should be in good company. Although I've still got a ways to go before I match Logan's stats."

"Yeah, that guy still scares me," said the twin redhead, "Every time he looks at me, he gets this suspicious look on his face."

"Ah, don't worry about Logan, Maddie," assured Jean with a smile, "He's a real softie believe it or not. He's also very protective, so he's suspicious of everything that shakes up the students here."

"I guess I can understand that. But does he have to be so..."

"Feral?" finished Jean, "Of course he does. We don't call him Wolverine for nothing."

The twin redheads let out a round of laughter as they entered Madelyn's room. It had taken a while to unpack everything and she was very picky about how she arranged everything. In some ways, it was reminiscent of Jean's room, but there were plenty of discrepancies.

"I see that you finally got the last of your stuff sorted out," said Jean as she sat on the bed while Madelyn changed her shirt.

"Yep! Although I'm still thinking of making some adjustments," she said, looking around her room.

"I don't see how many more you can make," said Jean, rolling her eyes, "Half of everything is Boston Red Sox junk anyways. I don't see how one person can amass so much apparel."

"Hey, don't ever mock devotees of Red Sox nation, sis," warned Maddie, "Where I come from, Red Sox is a way of life."

Jean was a bit taken at her sister's dedication to the sport, but it wasn't like they could be alike in every regard. And if all the posters, blankets, and hats weren't evidence enough, the shirt she was already wearing also bore the emblems of her favorite team.

"I like baseball as much as the next girl, but I don't take it this far," said Jean as Madelyn fixed her hair.

"Then you have just GOT to come with me to Fenway next spring!" said the twin redhead with great enthusiasm, "My folks know a guy who's got season tickets right behind the dugout. And trust me, it's an experience you'll never forget!"

"I guess I'll have to see for myself," shrugged Jean, "I'm sure you'll show me the ropes."

"Oh you know it! I have a lot of fond memories of going to Red Sox games. In fact, on the year they won the World Series, I was actually sitting along the first base line and none other than Johnny Damon walked by!"

"Johnny Damon?" said Jean curiously, "Who's he?"

"Only the hottest ass in the dugout! He was so cute I got up and flashed him while screaming, 'Johnny Damon is the sexiest man alive!'"

"No way!" exclaimed Jean.

"Yes way!" grinned Madelyn, "He even looked at me and smiled. And I swear I nearly had another seizure."

"Well it's probably a good thing you didn't."

"I know. But it was so worth it," said Madelyn with a sigh, "Still pisses me off that Damon went to the Yankees. Traitor."

Letting out another round of laughter, the twin sisters exited the room. And just as they stepped out, they ran into Scott, who had been looking for them. And thanks to Madelyn's Red Sox shirt, he could tell them apart for once.

"Hello ladies," he said causally, "How'd the session go?"

"Not bad," said Jean, "Didn't break anything this time."

That earned her a slap from Madelyn, but Jean ignored it.

"That's always a plus," said Scott, grinning at their display of sisterly love, "So are you two ready to go?"

"Yep!" affirmed Madelyn, "So how far away is the NYU campus?"

"Not far," assured Scott, "No more than a half hour."

"A half hour?" she groaned, "I guess it could be worse."

"I know it's not as convenient as a dorm," said Jean, "But it's safer this way. Especially since college campuses are popular spots for mutant protests."

"Yeah, I remember," she sighed, "We had a few in Boston a month ago. Guess I'll actually have to pay attention now."

Remembering back to those violent uprisings, Madelyn shuttered at the thought of being the center of that kind of violence. She never really thought too much about it until after she learned she was a mutant. But with Scott and Jean by her side, she had plenty of support even if the going got tough.

"Hey, it'll be okay," assured Jean, "We've got your back, don't we, Slim?"

"You know it, Red," grinned Scott, snaking his arm around her waist.

"Get a room you two," joked Maddie.

"Sorry," said Jean, running her hand down Scott's manly chest, "Sometimes I just can't help myself."

Locking arms with her boyfriend, the trio descended into the foyer and out to the garage. And after strapping themselves into Scott's car, they were off.

**************************************************

Activity on the NYU campus was a bustle of activity as Scott and Jean showed Madelyn around. Her transfer was still pending, but it couldn't hurt to get to know the place before she began her classes. And for the most part, she liked what she saw.

NYU was about the same size as Boston, only a bit less urbanized. It made the air a little cleaner and left room for more trees. The facilities were also very nice, looking advanced enough for her to continue her pursuit into the field of business as she had back home. And there was still so much to see.

"So what do you think, Maddie?" asked Jean, as they walked across the main field in the center of the campus.

"I think I'm going to like it here," smiled Madelyn as she looked around.

"Glad to hear," said Scott, who was holding Jean's hand, "They've got a pretty good business program, so you're set there."

"That's good news for me and my parents. I've been looking to follow their path into real estate. Besides, numbers are kind of my thing."

"Really? Too bad we didn't go to high school together," said Jean, "We would have all been in the same AP Calculus class."

"Oh well," shrugged Madelyn, "We'll make up for plenty of stuff here."

"That we will," said Scott as he checked his watch, "Speaking of which, we should probably be going. Remember, you have your first Danger Room session this evening, Madelyn."

"Yeah, Logan's been pretty serious about that," mused Madelyn, "I have a feeling he's got plenty of surprises planned for me."

"Oh I wouldn't worry," said Jean with a look of encouragement, "I have a feeling you'll do just fine."

"I hope you're right," said the redhead with a sigh.

Madelyn had only seen a few Danger Room sessions, but she saw enough to know they were a challenge. Being so new to this world, the idea of facing robots, laser cannons, and giant mace was a daunting prospect. But Scott and Jean seemed optimistic and that was good enough for her.

"Well, guess this is it," said Jean as they stopped in front of one of the buildings, "Just let us get our assignments and we'll head back."

"Sure thing, Jean. I'll wait here," said Madelyn.

"Alright then," said Scott as he and Jean entered, "We'll be out in a few."

As Scott and Jean went off to pick up their necessary materials for their classes, Madelyn passed the time by walking around the curb, watching as numerous other students passed her by. It was a nice campus, large but manageable. It was going to take some getting used to, but then again so was the thought of being a mutant.

It was all so overwhelming. Everything was happening so fast. She was glad to have the support of her family and sister, but it was still tough stepping into this new world. Walking around the campus, she saw some anti-mutant graffiti sprayed on some of the walls, hinting at the bigotry she was going to have to face.

Never before had she been confronted with such challenges, but like it or not she was going to have to face them.

Suddenly, her train of thought was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

"Jean! Hey Jean! Over here!"

Turning towards the field, Madelyn saw a tall boy with short blonde hair in a denim jacket running towards her. Her lips parted somewhat as she took in his appearance, feeling as though time had suddenly slowed. But she quickly shook it off as she put on a smile as he approached.

"There you are, Jean," said the boy, "I've been looking for you and Scott all day. Where have you been? And where did you get the Red Sox shirt?"

Madelyn blushed, knowing this was going to be awkward.

"I...uh," she stammered, not knowing what to say, "Boy, this is strange."

"Is something wrong?" he asked with a confused look.

Just then, Scott and Jean came back out the front doors and saw them standing near the curb. Immediately, Scott recognized the figure and knew there was some serious explaining to be done.

"Hey Paul," said Scott, waiting for the moment of shock, "Looking for us?"

As soon as he saw Scott standing besides Jean, he froze in confusion. Looking over at Jean and then back at Madelyn, his brain was turning into one big error message. Was he seeing double? Or was he going crazy? Quickly, he scrambled for words.

"Huh? What the..."

Thankfully, Madelyn stepped in.

"Nice to meet you too," she said, trying to keep herself from laughing, "My name's Madelyn. I'm Jean's twin sister."

Upon hearing that, Paul let out a sigh of relief.

"Twin sister?" he said with a bewildered look, "Wow, for a second there I thought I was hallucinating."

"No more than usual, I'm afraid," said Scott, looking all too pleased with how he had reacted, "Man you should have seen the look on your face!"

"Shut up," groaned Paul, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Madelyn couldn't help but giggle as Paul's face flushed bright red. He was trying to maintain his smile, but it was strange when he was staring at a couple of identical twins that were nearly impossible to tell apart. He looked so cute in her eyes, so awkward and shy. This was surely an experience he wouldn't soon forget.

"Sorry, but it's a long story," explained Madelyn, "But since I'll be going here now, we'll have plenty of time to explain it Mister..."

"Paul," he said, extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Paul," smiled Madelyn, "Any friend of Scott and Jean's is a friend of mine."

"Same here," he said, the embarrassment finally fading, "Anybody brave enough to run with these two is okay in my book as well."

"Oh, so you think I'm brave?"

"You survived the drive without getting caught in a riot, didn't you?"

"Hey!" said Scott.

"Easy man," said Paul, putting his hands up in defense, "Can't you ever take a joke?"

"Maybe he can't, but I can!" said Madelyn, laughing at Scott's reaction.

"Oh? So you've got a sense of humor?" said Paul, getting more playful, "That already sets you a peg or two above these two."

"Ha ha, funny boy," said Jean with a mock scowl.

"Glad to hear I've already eclipsed the competition," she said, fighting of a blush of her own, "You're funny, Mr. Paul. Any chance of us running into each other down the line?"

"As long as you're going to this school and hanging out with these two, I'd say that's a pretty safe bet," said Paul, smiling at the idea of seeing more of this girl.

A slow smile spread across Madelyn's face. This guy was cute, witty, and was already making her blush. Not bad for her first visit to the campus. And if this was how the boys at this campus were, then her experience with the institute was going to be that much more interesting.

"Well then I guess I'll be seeing you around," she said playfully.

"I look forward to it," said Paul, "And by the way, Scott, I came by to let you know you've got an exam to make up for physics class."

"Oh joy," he muttered.

"Later guys!" he said, walking off to let Scott sulk, but not before flashing Madelyn one last flirtatious grin.

"Later Paul," said Madelyn, not taking her eyes off him as he walked off.

Jean couldn't help but laugh at her sister's demeanor as she watched the young man disappear into the crowd of students. The ominous smile on her face was all too familiar and for a moment, she just took in this moment, knowing it was going to give them plenty to talk about later on.

"Still with us, Maddie?" laughed Jean.

"What? Oh yeah," she said, snapping out of her daze, "Just spaced for a moment."

"Sure you did," said Jean, sounding totally unconvinced.

Rather than argue with her psychic twin sister, Madelyn tore her gaze from the fleeting boy and came back to reality.

"So...who was that?" she asked, sounding very much intrigued.

"Oh, making friends already?" said Scott with an amused grin, "That's my friend, Paul. He and I were buddies in high school. He was one of the few friends who stuck by me after mutants were exposed to the world."

"I see..." she said, liking where this was going, "Do you know if he has a girlfriend?"

"To my knowledge, he's single," said Scott, laughing to himself as he took Jean's hand and led them to the parking lot, "But we hang around a lot, so you'll probably see a lot of him while you're here."

The smile on Madelyn's face grew wider as she followed her sister and boyfriend to the car. Not only was she finding family, but she was also finding some cute guys as well. Needless to say, it was quite a bit of progress for a new girl.

"I think I'm going to like it here," said Madelyn, entertaining thoughts of life at the institute and NYU.

"Oh I'm sure you will," grinned Jean, "And if you want, we'll tell you more about Paul later. But first..."

"Danger Room, yeah I know," sighed Madelyn, "That should be fun."

"You have no idea," made Scott as they neared the car, Madelyn's first experience with the Danger Room at hand.

**************************************************

Upon returning to the institute, Logan was waiting for them. He was in full uniform and as soon as he saw the trio arrive, he led them down to the lower levels. Madelyn was given a New Mutants uniform, but expressed a desire to have something a bit more unique down the line. Jean said she'd help with that, but before then she would have to show her stuff in the institute's most rigorous training area.

After suiting up, Madelyn was led into the arena along with some of the younger, less experienced New Mutants. The team included Bobby, Jubilee, Sam, Roberto, and Amara. And Logan, Scott, Jean, and Xavier were all on the observation deck, ready to begin.

"How's the new uniform feel, Maddie?" asked Jean over the intercom.

"A little tight fitting, but very fashionable to tell you the truth," said Madelyn, doing some stretching in her new X-men attire.

"And you fill it out so nicely," said Bobby.

"Bobby!" scorned Jubilee, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Ow! Hey, it was a compliment!"

"I know, and thank you, Iceman," grinned Madelyn.

The playful banter earned a round of laughs on the observation deck, but Logan remained serious like he always was when it came to training sessions.

"Enough with the gawking, kiddies," he said, causing everybody to fall in line, "This is twin Red's first session, so let's make it count."

"Twin Red?" whispered Madelyn.

"Just his nickname for you, that's all," explained Roberto.

"Yeah, he has one for everybody," added Sam, "So you should feel welcomed."

"Hey! Pay attention!" said Logan, sensing their withdraw, "We're gonna run a modified version of the level three Junior program. Hank and I made some adjustments to use Madelyn's powers, so keep yer guard up down there, ya hear?"

"We know, Wolverine," said Amara, having been through this situation before when she was new, "What are the objectives?"

From here, Professor Xavier took over.

"Your mission is simple," he explained, "You're to make it from one end of the obstacle course to the other while taking down a specific number of targets along the way. It's a job I'm sure you're familiar with, but to make it more interesting, I've stepped up the firepower of the gears so you'll have to rely on defense as well as offense."

"In other words, I'll need to shield everybody when the going gets tough," surmised Madelyn.

"Exactly my dear," said the Professor kindly, "And since this is your first time, Scott, Jean, and Logan will be on standby in case anything goes wrong. There are also several safety measures in place if need be, so don't worry. You're in good hands."

"In a place called the Danger Room, that's comforting," she quipped.

"Hey, don't worry, girl," said Jubilee with an encouraging grin, "We've got your back!"

Smiling at the support of her friends, Madelyn's fears eased as she took a deep breath and prepared her mind for the challenge before her.

"Alright then, if ya ain't got any more questions, get to the starting line and wait for the buzzer," said Logan, "And Maddie, we'll be monitoring yer stats so give it yer all."

"I will Mr. Logan," said Madelyn in a determined tone, "Besides, I can't let my sister be the only high level psychic in this place, now can I?"

Jean couldn't help but laugh. They had just met each other and already they were becoming competitive. And if they really were identical on every level, then they'd have plenty to compete over from now on.

"In that case, on yer marks!"

Taking their position at the far end of the Danger Room, Madelyn used the techniques the Professor had taught her to prepare her mind. Up above, Scott and the Professor had the stats monitor ready to take in the data. And with an affirmative nod to Logan, he punched in the main commands on the console to initiate the program.

Suddenly, a computerized voice sounded over the arena as the holograms began to form.

"Junior program level three preparing for launch. Program initiation in T-minus 5 seconds. 5...4...3...2...1."

"Here we go!" said Sam, taking on his Cannonball form.

Before their eyes, the scenery around them changed to that of a thick forest, bearing a resemblance to Canadian pines. And ahead of them, a path was opened to the other end, but with plenty of obstacles and obstructions along the way.

"Okay guys! Sam and I will take lead!" said Bobby, taking on his ice form, "Amara, you start burning us a path! Roberto, Jubilee, and Madelyn, you're on defense!"

"And here I was thinking it was going to be hard," commented Madelyn.

"Don't get too cocky," warned Jubilee, "The Danger Room has a way of leaving it's mark."

As the group began their trek through the treacherous forest, hidden turrets popped up from the ground and launched electrified nets at them.

"Bobby!" warned Sam.

"I've got it!" said the Iceman, using his powers to freeze the incoming net into a pane of ice.

Suddenly, more popped up. This time, it was Madelyn's turn to show off her stuff.

"And I've got this one!" she said, using her telekinesis to shield the others.

"Not bad, Maddie!" said Jubilee, using her powers to fry the turrets, "There's hope for you yet!"

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, girlfriend!" said Madelyn, already huffing from the adrenaline.

Up in the observation deck, data was coming in fast and so far, Madelyn was showing some pretty impressive numbers. Having already been an athlete, she had the stamina and mindset for operating on a team. Even if her powers were still new to her, she showed plenty of skill in using them effectively.

"She's doing pretty well so far," said Scott, impressed by the figures.

"The first part is just child's play," said Logan, keeping a watchful eye on Madelyn's state, "Now it gets interesting."

Down below, the obstacles grew more challenging. This time, instead of electrified nets, they were facing flying buzz saws. These were much faster and far more lethal and naturally, the team was forced to slow down.

"Okay team! Looks like we gotta hold up for a minute!" said Sam, "This path is booby trapped to the max!"

"Slow down? Dude, we've got a time limit, remember?" said Bobby, still on an ice slide as he kept pressing forward, "We have to keep going!"

"Iceman wait!" yelled Roberto.

Suddenly, a triple barrage of buzz saws knocked him off his ice slide, sending him falling to the ground. Sam immediately went cannonball to save his friend, but the incoming projectiles already had him in their sights.

"Oh boy! Here we go!" said Amara, using her volcano powers to destroy whatever blasters she saw while Roberto grabbed a tree and bashed them to pieces.

Sensing the breakdown of their formation, Madelyn ran ahead on a whim and cast a large bubble of telekinetic force around them, effectively protecting the team long enough to reform. However, this put a great deal of strain on her untrained mind.

"Come on guys! Stay together!" she grunted.

"Whoa there! Easy girl!" said Jubilee, helping her stay upright with the help of Roberto, "Don't push yourself too much! We're just about halfway there!"

Back up on the observation deck, Jean was starting to get worried. Madelyn was new to this. Putting that much strain on her mind was not healthy, especially for a psychic with so little experience. And it was hard to watch as she pushed herself to her limits.

"Something's wrong," said Jean with a worried look, "It's too much for her!"

But before she could engage any of the safety measures, Logan stopped her.

"Hold up, Red," he said, his gaze not diverting from Madelyn, "Let's see just how tough your twin really is."

Jean reluctantly held back, watching as Madelyn struggled down below. She didn't want to see her sister get hurt, but she didn't want to stand in her way either. This was her decision. She didn't have the right to stop her. But still, that didn't stop her from worrying.

"Come on, Maddie! Keep it up! You're doing great!" urged Amara as she fried several oncoming buzz saws, "Just a little bit further!"

Setting aside the strain in her mind, Madelyn pushed forward, entering the final part of the course. This one was the most difficult, involving flying paintball guns that were difficult to see and even harder to avoid. But with the clock working against them, they had no choice but to dive right in.

"Here they come!" exclaimed Bobby, setting up some ice shields to give them some cover.

"Watch your back, guys! These things sting!" yelled Roberto, ripping out several trees and knocking visible turrets away like baseballs.

Sam and Bobby stayed up front, but they were quickly slowed as more unseen guns ambushed them from all direction. Jubilee and Amara tried to clear them out, but unlike the previous obstacles, these were moving and very difficult to see.

Soon, they were slowed to a standstill just fifty yards from the finish line. They couldn't go an inch further without being smothered by paintballs. Madelyn's head was still throbbing, but as she saw the end of the road ahead, a new sense of determination came over her.

"30 seconds!" warned Logan from the deck.

"Oh boy," muttered Jubilee, "So much for breaking our record."

But for Madelyn, she wouldn't hear it.

"To hell with that!" she grunted, shaking off the support of Amara and Roberto, "We're pushing ahead! I'll cover you!"

"You sure you can do that?" asked Roberto, shocked by the redheads sudden burst of determination.

"Watch me!"

Then, with a burst of telekinetic energy worthy of an alpha level psychic, Madelyn sent a wave of force that temporarily cleared the area of the flying turrets, sending them crashing to the ground in a mangled heap. It was a shocking show of raw power, but the New Mutants weren't going waste any time gawking at it.

"You heard the hot redhead! Let's go!" said Bobby, following Madelyn under the protection of her telekinetic shield towards the finish.

Along the way, more traps attempted to blast them, but Bobby, Amara, and Jubilee made quick work of them while Sam and Roberto covered Madelyn the whole way. And thanks to her telekinesis, not a single round touched them as they crossed the finish line with only a few seconds to spare.

"Now THAT'S a workout!" panted Madelyn, the adrenaline still running hard in her system.

"If you think that's something, try doing it five times a week," gasped Jubilee, sounding very out of breath.

"If they're all this intense, I think I can manage," grinned Madelyn.

"Man, you are Jean's twin sister," said Amara with a smile.

"And don't you forget it!"

Up top, Scott, Jean, Logan, and the Professor looked at Madelyn's stats with surprise and approval. None smiled more than Jean as she sent her sister a telepathic congratulations, earning her a gracious response. It had been a tough first session, no doubt about it. But Madelyn showed she could handle it with a level of skill all her own.

"Not bad. Still needs improvement though," said Logan, casting Madelyn an approving glance.

"Coming from you, I think that's a pretty high mark for a first session," joked Scott.

"Indeed," said the Professor with a smile, "Madelyn shows enormous potential. And I would very much like to see just how far she can take it."

"So would I," said Jean, happy to see her sister succeed.

With Madelyn getting into the X-men more every day, things were sure to get interesting. And for Jean, that may mean having a fellow psychic with her and the regulars. But after what she just witnessed, she wasn't worried. Should she make it to their level, Jean had a feeling she was going to do just fine.

**************************************************

On a lone ship floating about in the Indian Ocean, a single metallic orb descended onto the rusted deck. The weather was stormy and the waters were choppy, but the sturdy vessel held strong as orb landed and opened to reveal an imposing man with white hair, a purple cape, and a helmet shrouding his face in an ominous shadow.

From the captains corridor, a burly seaman stepped out. But as soon as he approached the figure, his form shifted to that of a blue skinned, red haired woman with yellow eyes.

"Are we set, Erik?" said the woman.

"Almost, Raven," replied the white haired man, "The Brotherhood and my Acolytes are ready. But if we're to complete this task, we're going to need a more powerful psychic."

"I thought Mastermind was still with us," said Raven.

"He is. But his powers are not equipped to deal with what I have planned. We'll need to find someone with greater skill. And unfortunately, there are only two psychics we know of that can do this."

With an ominous nod of acceptance, a look of understanding fell upon Raven's face.

"So how do we do this?" she asked.

A flash of lightning shot through the sky as rain began to fall. The sound of thunder echoed in the distance as the two figures stood besides the metallic sphere, which was once again coming to life. Guided by an unseen force, the metal encased the two figures and prepared to take them away. But not before they made their intent clear.

"You, me, and Mastermind are going back to Bayville while Cortez manages things here. If we're to make Genosha a sovereign land for all mutants, then we're going to need the power of Jean Grey to make it happen."

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GET READY! THE TWIN GREYS WILL SOON FACE THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!