Chapter 63: Jean’s Determination
AN: What!? Another chapter so soon!?
Well, there was less work today so I managed to write a small chap :P
I posted this today so the cliffhangerst chapter won''t be long but now, there is another bigger cliffhanger XD
There will still be a chapter this weekend and I don''t know if I can do another chapter on the weekday but here''s hoping there''s less work this week...
Btw, there was ament on scribblehub about Mr. Sinister having manipted Jean into liking Scott from the start...I didn''t know that but I might do that or something simr. I''m still thinking. Thanks for the idea BOOKWORM (that''s his username, I''m not calling him names or anything)
It''s all for you guys so we can have the seggs scene soon XD
But yeah, Mr. Sinister was never in my n so idk if I should suddenly insert him since I know very little about him. Anyway, I''m still thinking about it. Jean seggs scene won''t happen in this chapter just yet. Or the next...maybe...who knows XD Not me :P
That''s all. enjoy!
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<strong>Chapter 63: Jean’s Determination</strong>
<span style="font-weight:400">After some time, Jean finally calmed down and left Benjamin’s arms. Her eyes were still a bit red from the crying.
<span style="font-weight:400">Actually, she still hasn’t gotten over it just yet. After all, she just found out that she killed her own parents because of her powers going out of control…how can she ever get over that?
<span style="font-weight:400">Still, she tried to stabilize her emotions as much as she could tell that something bad would happen if she were to spiral out of control.
<span style="font-weight:400">Looking at Benjamin’s strained expression, she asked worriedly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sorry…are you okay?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin gave her a smile and nodded. Hisplexion turned better the next second. He had already healed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m fine. It would take a lot more than that to hurt me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Do you want me to try again?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Please don’t.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Seeing Benjamin looking smug about it, Jean made a small joke to lessen her tension.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin yed along and feigned a fearful look.
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean chuckled at his exaggerated acting and the tension between them lessened.
<span style="font-weight:400">After a while, Jean sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I…understand why the Professor would seal that memory away…but I’m kinda disappointed that you would think I’d kill him over something like that.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin sighed and exined.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Because your father is still alive.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Huh?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, Jean felt confused.
<span style="font-weight:400">Before this, she could still understand why Charles did what he did. And that was to protect her from the trauma of killing her own parents…
<span style="font-weight:400">But from what Benjamin said…her father was still alive!
<span style="font-weight:400">Then why did Charles lie to her about being orphaned!?
<span style="font-weight:400">She still has a living family member!
<span style="font-weight:400">Why…why did he lie!?
<span style="font-weight:400">The moment she started to think this way, it was as if something was trying to pull her deeper into the darkness and her thoughts started to turn darker and darker…
<span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, she felt a warm hand hold her own.
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean snapped out of it and looked down. Benjamin’s hand was covering her own hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her dark thoughts seemed to stop and she also stopped thinking anything.
<span style="font-weight:400">She looked up and saw Benjamin smile at her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Follow me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">With a wave of his hand, a portal appeared behind them leading to what looked to be a residential area.
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean hesitated for a moment but still let him pull her into the portal.
<span style="font-weight:400">Once they passed through, Benjamin waved his hand again and a transparent film seemed to cover them.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just an invisibility magic to cover us.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin exined.
<span style="font-weight:400">He then turned to one of the houses and looked through the window.
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean followed his line of sight and saw the house.
<span style="font-weight:400">Through the window, she saw a familiar man but his hair already started to show some greys.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Father…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Close your eyes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hearing Benjamin’s voice, Jean turned to him for a moment then closed her eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin did the same and led both their minds into the memories of Jean’s father.
<span style="font-weight:400">The next moment, they appeared at a hospital.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her fathery on the bed and was covered in bandages.
<span style="font-weight:400">Looking at him injured all over like that, Jean held her mouth with her hand and sobbed a little.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was her fault that this happened to him…
<span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, the door opened and revealed a bald man in a wheelchair.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was none other than Charles Xavier.
<span style="font-weight:400">Wheeling himself beside Jean’s father, he began his usual speech about gifted children and want to enroll them at his school.
<span style="font-weight:400">But before he could exin more about it, the moment Jean’s father knew that he wanted to take Jean away, he immediately agreed to it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Take her! Please! I beg you! Take that monster away!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...”
<span style="font-weight:400">Charles fell silent.
<span style="font-weight:400">Not only him, but Jean who was watching this scene was simrly at a loss for words.
<span style="font-weight:400">She stared at her own father but saw only a stranger.
<span style="font-weight:400">In the scene, Charles tried to calm him down and exin that Jean wasn’t a monster, but a mutant.
<span style="font-weight:400">However, Jean’s father was having none of it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t care what she is…just…please…get her away from me…”
<span style="font-weight:400">His eyes were filled with sadness at the loss of his wife.
<span style="font-weight:400">So much so that he no longer saw Jean as his own daughter.
<span style="font-weight:400">He only saw a monster.
<span style="font-weight:400">Charles sighed and left him alone.
<span style="font-weight:400">Seeing him leave, Jean stood there in silence for a moment but still followed Charles out.
<span style="font-weight:400">They then saw Charles visit the young Jean with a warm smile.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Jean, my name is Charles Xavier.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The young Jean only looked at him expressionlessly and asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you here to take me away?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I-...”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I heard you two talk. You’re here to take the monster away.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Hearing herself talk like that, the older Jean’s eyes were filled with tears as she grabbed onto Benjamin’s hand tighter.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin sighed and could only pat her back to console her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Charles smiled and exined.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You’re not a monster, Jean. You are simply special.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t want to be special…Can’t you make me normal?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m afraid not…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, the whole room started to tremble slightly.
<span style="font-weight:400">Charles frowned and turned to Jean who was starting to unravel in her emotions.
<span style="font-weight:400">He gritted his teeth and ced his index and middle finger at the side of Jean’s head.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sorry for this Jean…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Not long after, the young Jean fainted.
<span style="font-weight:400">Charles had sealed up a portion of her powers and her memories.
<span style="font-weight:400">They then returned back to reality.
<span style="font-weight:400">The scene they watched just now was abination of her father’s memories and her own.
<span style="font-weight:400">Now that the young Jean had fainted, she naturally has no memories of what happened during that period of time and the scene ended.
<span style="font-weight:400">Back in reality, Jean stood there in silence for a while.
<span style="font-weight:400">Only after a few minutes did Jean tug at Benjamin’s hand and spoke to him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Let’s go back…please…”
<span style="font-weight:400">She couldn’t stand to look at her own father anymore after what she just saw.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin nodded and opened another portal back to that cave.
<span style="font-weight:400">Back in the cave, Jean removed her hand and went to a corner to sit down and hug her knees.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin signed and looked at the cave floor.
<span style="font-weight:400">It doesn’t lookfortable to sit at all.
<span style="font-weight:400">Oh, speaking of which.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin looked through the misceneous stuff in the System Store and bought arge blue beanbag.
<span style="font-weight:400">He then ced it beside Jean who looked at it speechlessly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You can sulk there instead. The floor’s pretty hard.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Yeah, it’s really hard for me to sulk. My butt was starting to hurt.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean rolled her eyes but still sat on the beanbag.
<span style="font-weight:400">She suddenly felt superfortable.
<span style="font-weight:400">“This is…actually good. Where did you buy this?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“From a cosmic entity that’s not of this universe.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean rolled her eyes again.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin then started to decorate the ce with other furnitures like tables, chairs, shelves…even a TV.
<span style="font-weight:400">“...What are you doing?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m spicing up the ce. You know, like a secret hideout. Don’t mind me. Tell me when you’re done sulking.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean looked at him speechlessly.
<span style="font-weight:400">Is this guy being serious? How can she even sulk properly with him doing something fun?
<span style="font-weight:400">Forget it, I should continue to sulk…
<span style="font-weight:400">Just then, she saw Benjamin ce a billiard table at the side.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait, don’t ce it there. Look, that side is better.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Like this?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“A little more to the left…there.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, it does look nice. Should I ce some arcades here too?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You have that too? In that case, this area is good. Try to ce some here.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean hadpletely forgotten she was sulking and went to join Benjamin to decorate the ce…
<span style="font-weight:400">It wasn’t till a few hourster did she recall.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey! I was still sulking!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Haha, well, aren’t you feeling better already?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Thanks.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean smiled wryly.
<span style="font-weight:400">She knew that this guy just tricked her into momentarily forgetting about those sad memories.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin chuckled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well? What are your ns now? Any thoughts on world domination yet?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...You know, I’m still mad that you would think I’d do something so evil just because of that. Sure I did hate the Professor for lying to me but I thought you and the Professor would already know me better that I wouldn’t do something like that! Especially the Professor!”
<span style="font-weight:400">No matter what, she had stayed in the X-Mansion for a long time now and even became one of the teachers. Isn’t it a bit too much that they wouldn’t trust her own judgment and that they think she will do something evil?
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin smiled wryly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s that that I or Charles don’t trust your judgment. But as I told you before, that force inside you can easily corrupt your thoughts. That’s why you must constantly feed it with happy emotions instead.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...So that’s why you were trying to stop me from sulking…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Actually, if you had more time to sulk, you’d probably be an emo. You might even start to have long bangs and cover one of your eyes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’d be something.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean chuckled as she imagined herself looking like that.
<span style="font-weight:400">She took a deep breath and exhaled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Anyway…thank you, Ben. For going through this with me. If what you said was right and you weren’t there to constantly soften the blow and cheer me up…I don’t know what would happen…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No problem.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“But still…I don’t know how I’ll ever get over the fact that I killed my own mother…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin sighed and patted her head.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You didn’t kill her. It was an ident. Your father knows this too but his love for your mother is simply too strong for him to think clearly and he wanted someone to me. As for getting over it…you don’t need to. Let it be a reminder to you and don’t let it win over you again. Remember, this is your power. You control it. Not the other way around.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean’s eyes glinted with determination.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I understand. But it may be a bit difficult to do it by myself…will you help me, Ben?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin nodded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course. That’s what this secret base is for, right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin chuckled.
<span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, Jean remembered something.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Speaking of, I wanted to ask you something.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What is it?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jean pointed at a certain area of the cave.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I wonder why there’s a need for a bed here?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Umm…”