Chapter 62: Jean

    AN: Regarding Jean''s origin here, I''m mixing a bit of things so it might be different from what you all think. But mainly it''s based on the Dark Phoenix movie since that''s what I''m more familiar with.

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    Chapter 62: Jean

    “Oh right, before we start, did Charles tell you yet?”

    “Tell me what?”

    “...I guess not.”

    Benjamin sighed.

    That damn Charles. I’m pretty sure I told him to tell her before anything bad happened.

    Looking at Jean’s confused expression, Benjamin steeled himself and spoke.

    “Well...I suppose I should tell you then.”

    “What is it? You’re freaking me out now...”

    This was actually a bit risky.

    Telling her the truth can either set her free or...well, completely backfire and she turns into Dark Phoenix...but it should be fine...probably...

    I just need to soften the blow first.

    Benjamin gave her a soft smile and spoke in a soft tone.

    “Jean, you are old enough already...”

    “...”

    Jean swallowed a mouthful of saliva in her tense.

    All this suspense is killing her!

    She wanted to hurry Benjamin but was also afraid of what this thing may be so she could only wait.

    Benjamin continued slowly.

    “You see...when a man and woman want to have a baby...”

    “...”

    Jean was speechless.

    Looking at her expression, Benjamin couldn’t hold it anymore and laughed.

    “Hahaha! Look at your face!”

    “You-!!!”

    Jean flared.

    She finally knew he was just teasing her to get back at her!

    After a couple of playful punches, Benjamin stopped laughing and continued for real this time.

    Good, that should lessen the blow a bit...maybe...or I just made her angrier...

    “Alright, I’ll continue seriously this time.”

    “You better! Now out with it!”

    “First of all, although I know this is hard, but try not to uhh...hate Charles too much. I mean, you can hate him but...you know, just don’t kill him and go on a rampage and all that.”

    “...”

    Jean was speechless again.

    Why would I kill the Professor and even go on a rampage?

    “I mean it. Can you promise?”

    Benjamin insisted.

    “Alright, alright. I promise. Now tell me already!”

    “I’m not done. Also, after I tell you the truth...you must especially not hate yourself even more...do you understand?”

    Benjamin spoke in an even more serious tone which made Jean surprised again.

    Still, she nodded.

    “I promise...”

    “Alright...then, whatever happens next, you must remember that promise you made just now. If you go back on it, I’ll curse you to forever hit your toe at a table corner!”

    Jean’s face paled.

    That curse is too harsh!

    After seeing Jean nod repeatedly, Benjamin sighed and started to explain.

    “This matter is related to your uncontrollable power. You see, there exists a...force inside of you that is considered to be one of the oldest cosmic entities in this universe.”

    “A force?”

    “Yes.”

    “Like...may the force be with you? That thing?”

    “Uhh...”

    Benjamin was a bit surprised at the sudden Star Wars reference.

    Jean shrugged.

    “Scott and Kurt once dragged me and the others to marathon Star Wars. They even made fun of me that time since my powers seemed similar to the Jedis.”

    “Okay, enough about that Yoda, let’s return to the topic.”

    “Oh, you did not just call me Yoda.”

    Jean was shocked.

    There were plenty of Jedis but he had to call her the small green old wrinkly one instead!

    “Do you mean, ‘Just call me Yoda, you did not’.”

    Benjamin continued in a Yoda impression.

    “Haha, stop it!”

    The impression sounded so weird that Jean just laughed at him.

    Benjamin smiled and continued.

    “Anyway, the force inside you, as I said, is one of the oldest entities in the universe.”

    “Is it Yoda? Is Yoda inside me?”

    “Yes, you’re pregnant with a baby Yoda.”

    “Oh, you must be the father then since you look like him.”

    He then guided her own mind to that sealed memory.

    Benjamin and Jean found themselves in the backseat of a car.

    Between them was a little girl with red hair. It was Jean when she was a child.

    In front, a woman with long red hair was driving while a blonde man sat in the other seat in front.

    “Is this...my memories?”

    The older Jean asked as she looked at the scene in surprise.

    Benjamin nodded.

    “Yes. This is you...and those are your parents.”

    “I don’t remember this...”

    “Like I said. This memory was sealed.”

    “Why?”

    “...You’ll see soon enough.”

    Jean didn’t ask anymore and continued to watch.

    Not long after, the young Jean asked her mother.

    “Can we change stations?”

    She referred to the music being played on the radio in the car.

    Her mother simply smiled and answered.

    “When the song’s over honey.”

    “You said that two songs ago.”

    Both parents chuckled and the father turned to her.

    “You know this is a classic, right?”

    The mother then said.

    “Okay, how about I make you a promise? When you’re old enough to drive, you can listen to whatever music you want, deal?”

    The young Jean was upset and didn’t answer.

    She simply stared at the radio and suddenly, the dial spun on its own, changing the station!

    The older Jean looked at the scene in surprise.

    Turns out, she already developed this ability when she was this young!

    Confused at the station changing, the mother turned to her husband but he was also confused.

    “John?”

    “Wasn’t me.”

    Since it wasn’t them, then it could only be Jean.

    Looking at Jean from her rearview mirror, her mother asked.

    “Jean was that...did you?”

    “I didn’t do anything.”

    Still upset and being a kid, the young Jean denied it.

    The mother frowned and turned the dial back to the previous station but not long after, the dial turned on its own again.

    The older Jean turned to look at her younger self.

    Was she...this naughty when she was a kid?

    She was a bit speechless.

    The mother turned to Jean again.

    “Jean, what are you...”

    “I-I don’t know. It’s not me!”

    Now it seems that she was doing it unconsciously and didn’t know that it was her doing it.

    In her confused state, her powers began to lose control and the volume dial started to turn up a lot louder.

    Still confused and her mind not used to using her powers, plus the now loud volume she was hearing, she closed her eyes slowly as she mutters.

    “Quiet...”

    The two parents looked confused and turned to her but the noise seemed to keep getting louder and louder in her ears.

    She placed both hands on her ears and shouted.

    “QUIET!”

    An outburst of mental power was unleashed from her and caused her mother who was driving to faint.

    The wheels began to turn sideways, just in time to meet another car that was passing them by.

    The older Jean was horrified.

    “No!”

    Alas, this was her memory and there was nothing she could do to interfere.

    The car quickly flipped over and several shards flowed toward Jean but an invisible barrier seemed to have appeared and no harm reached her at all.

    Jean and Benjamin were also similarly unharmed and could only watch the events unfold.

    When the car finally landed on the ground, the young Jean finally opened her eyes and saw her mother’s lifeless eyes staring at her through the broken rearview mirror.

    Jean snapped back to reality and quickly separated from holding Benjamin’s hand.

    Her face was pale and her back was soaked in sweat.

    “I...I ki-...I just kil-...”

    Just as she was about to spiral out of control, she found herself inside a warm embrace.

    She gripped Benjamin’s clothes and broke into tears.

    Benjamin didn’t simply hug her to calm her down, but also to contain the mental outburst that was about to erupt.

    While doing so, he patted her back and spoke softly.

    “Let it out...don’t worry, you won’t hurt anyone here...”

    “Aaaaahhhhhh!!!”

    As if being set free, Jean released her full power together with a loud cry.

    Benjamin gritted his teeth and contained the release of her power with his own body.

    His body was tough enough to deal with the shockwave while his mind was well protected enough with his own mental abilities plus the System’s help so he didn’t faint from the mental energy she released.

    Outside the cave, no one knew that they have survived a calamity and were simply going about their own lives.