CH 23: Jean's Day

Under the shade of a tree, beside a river, a young girl with fiery red hair sat cross-legged, deeply focused. 

The sunlight, however, caught her by surprise, and she instinctively shielded her eyes with a hand.

Jean Grey glanced at the bright sun. 'Is it that time already?' she wondered, gathering her books and rising from the shade of the tree.

Jean paused by the side of the lake, her gaze lingering on the shimmering water.

A soft smile played on Jean's lips as she breathed in the crisp air. The sight of the serene lake, nestled amidst the lush greenery, filled her with a deep sense of peace.

'I wouldn't get tired of this,' Jean thought as she released a contented sigh, she turned and began walking towards the mansion, her heart brimming with appreciation for the beauty that surrounded her, until she began to hear whispers.

"Is that the girl?" one of the mutant kids at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters whispered to a friend, their voices filled with gossip about Jean.

"Shh!" another mutant hushed her companion, glancing at Jean with a sly grin. "Don't you know she can read your mind?"

The mutant girl gave her friend a playful tap on the head. "If she knew we were talking about her, she'd be angry. We don't want that."

"Aren't we the ones who should be angry, since she can read our minds without permission?" one of the mutants asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"She won't dare!," the mutant girl replied, shaking her head nervously.

Jean sighed as she heard their conversation, but her smile remained. She had become accustomed to their whispers and snide remarks.

Entering the mansion, Jean was about to ascend the stairs when she saw Professor X in his wheelchair, being pushed towards her by Hank.

"Professor," Jean greeted with a warm smile, her eyes filled with gratitude for the man who had become her guardian after her own father gave up on her.

"Jean, I know you're about to meet your friend, but I think you should communicate with the other children at the school," Charles said, his smile tinged with worry. He felt helpless, knowing Jean was isolated.

"It's fine, Professor. It's not like they welcome me anyway," Jean replied, shaking her head. She wasn't bothered by their opinions; she had someone who accepted her unconditionally.

"I'll go first, Professor," Jean said to Charles before nodding at Hank and climbing the stairs.

"Maybe you should invite him here. Charles and I would like to meet him," Hank suggested as Jean disappeared upstairs.

"I'll try!" Jean shouted from up the stairs.

"Have you found out who owns the truck?" Charles asked, his face serious.

"I'm still looking into it. It's been three years, and the truck was destroyed after the accident. There's nothing left to find," Hank whispered, pushing Charles' wheelchair out the door.

"Are you even sure whoever owns it is the one Jean's talking to?" Hank asked, his brow furrowed.

"It's just a guess, but we still need to investigate," Charles said, sighing deeply. Worry etched itself onto his face.

Charles knew that was the only time that Jean could have connected with someone.

As the years passed, the Golden Psionic Energy in Jean began to fade.

And at that time Charles realized that power didn't belong to Jean and it wasn't her that blocked his psychic abilities.

Although Charles wanted to see into Jean's mind to check if there was something wrong but he couldn't.

While the Golden Psionic Energy dissipated, it didn't weaken Jean.

On the contrary, Jean grew stronger. Ragnar's Psionic Energy nourished her, merging with the Phoenix Force and allowing her to control it, to tame its power, to master it.

Because when Ragnar became a True Golden Dragon, he didn't know even his energy had changed.

Like Fong Jiwu, who was about to be consumed by the Phoenix Force and became the Dark Phoenix used the power of the Iron Fist, to control it and master it becoming the perfect host of the Phoenix Force.

Charles recognized Jean's immense potential. When he tried to peer into her mind, the second time he felt the raw power of the Phoenix Force.

Charles was troubled that whoever Jean was connected to was taking advantage of her.

Although he couldn't penetrate Jean's mind. He could feel she was connected to someone. He even tried to find that person using Cerebro, but it was as if that person didn't exist or wasn't on Earth.

Admitting his mistakes, Charles decided to ask Jean about her connection. Although Jean didn't reveal a name, even mentioning it to be her friend deepened Charles worries.

Unbeknownst to Charles, Hank's eyes flickered briefly before returning to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Inside her room, Jean opened her eyes. 'Looks like Ragnar was right,' she thought, a mixture of dejection and hope playing on her face.

Seating herself cross-legged on her bed, Jean closed her eyes, meditating, or as she remembered Ragnar saying, "cultivating." A smile touched her lips. She could connect with Ragnar without needing to sleep, simply through her powers.

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

Jean opened her eyes to find herself in the familiar conscious space, but this time, it was marred by numerous white cracks.

"You're still here," Jean smiled, walking towards a dark-haired boy seated cross-legged in the floating conscious space.

"I'm cult—" "Yes, yes, yes, cultivating. I know," Jean rolled her eyes, walking beside him.

"Don't you have to have a Soul Ring to get stronger?" Jean teased, knowing Ragnar couldn't acquire one.

Ragnar's lips twitched slightly. "Although my spirit couldn't break through, my mental strength can still be stronger."

"Is that so…" Jean's voice stretched out as she observed Ragnar, placing her hand before him. "Do you want me to create one for you when I control my powers?" Flame energy flickered on her hand.

"No need. I can find a way myself," Ragnar replied, but he opened one eye, sneaking a peek at Jean's hand. A flash of envy crossed his face before disappearing. In his mind, he wondered how Jean had begun to control the Phoenix Force without his help.

"Pfft, hahahaha," Jean laughed, covering her mouth. "Although you pretend to look serious with our connection, I can still sense your envy."

"Who wouldn't envy someone who got something like one of the strongest forces inside them?" Ragnar rolled his eyes, his serious expression dissolving.

"So, how about I share it with you?" Jean asked, her eyes hopeful.

Ragnar frowned before shaking his head. He knew Jean just wanted to strengthen their connection but for them to reconnect like before was to meet in person, but he didn't like the thought of being discovered by Charles and the other mutants.

Jean sighed, releasing his hand. She knew what he was worried about, and it only fueled her desire to become stronger and control the Phoenix Force.

"You're right. They're already investigating your truck. I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything," Jean said sadly, knowing Ragnar was about to leave.

"It's fine. We're already ready to leave anyway, and I need to explore other avenues," Ragnar said, shaking his head and patting Jean's shoulder.

Ragnar knew he needed to leave to explore if he wanted to accomplish more missions. He hadn't anticipated that he was the one having a difficult time to complete a mission as the timeline he was born into was too early.

'Tony Stark is still a kid, Star-Lord shouldn't even be born yet,' Ragnar thought slightly depressed as even Luna completed more missions than him.

"I wish I could go with you," Jean whispered, suddenly hugging Ragnar.

Ragnar's eyes widened before he smiled, opening his arms to hug her back and patting her on the back. "How about this? When I finish doing whatever I plan on doing, I'll visit you."

"Really?" Jean's eyes lit up as she pulled back to look into Ragnar's eyes.

"Yes, it's a promise," Ragnar said, nodding with a smile.

"Then can you at least turn into a dragon for now?" Jean whispered, hoping he would agree.

Ragnar smiled and patted her head, whispering, "No," before vanishing from the conscious space.

"At least let me ride your back before you leave!" Jean shouted with a smile, knowing Ragnar could hear her.

Jean shook her head as her smile disappeared as she began to walk through the conscious space, while the surroundings began to change.

The white cracks spread, engulfing everything, until she finds herself within her own mind, her own conscious space.

Jean closed her eyes, she focused intently, communicating with the power deep within her.

A sharp phoenix cry and a domineering dragon roar resonated within her.

Jean opened her eyes to see a golden dragon energy and a phoenix entity chasing each other in a circle.

Jean silently absorbed the energy emanating from the phoenix as it circled around, the source of her unimaginable power.

But this time it was different, the phoenix suddenly changed its course, flying down towards her.

Jean's eyes snapped open as she looked at the phoenix force that landed before her. It began to shift, assuming a form similar to hers, except its eyes burned with flame.

"You've changed, too much of a change at that," 'Jean' said in wonder, circling her, examining Jean's form.

Then, 'Jean' turned its fiery gaze towards the Golden Psionic Energy. "Is this the reason you're so different in this universe?"

Jean was slightly frightened. She clenched her fist, but she recognized the being in front of her from Ragnar's stories and information. She tried to calm herself.

"You must be the Phoenix Force, am I right?" Jean asked, finding her courage. She knew her powers were strong because she was the Phoenix Force's host, but she also knew it was a conscious, ancient being that she would meet sooner or later.

'Jean' turned around, a smile playing on its lips. It wasn't surprised that Jean knew who it was. "Are you happy? Are you happy with your life in this world?"

Jean was confused. She didn't understand what the Phoenix Force was implying. She didn't know about the multiverse, but her focus was on her own experiences.

Jean thought about her friend, how she wasn't alone in this world, and how someone always supported her.

"Yes, I'm happy," Jean replied, nodding her head, a bright smile on her face.

'Jean' smiled as well, but then began circling Jean. "But you do know your friend has a great secret, right?" Even it couldn't find Ragnar from the connection between Jean and Ragnar.

Jean's smile vanished. She looked down, clenching her fist. She knew Ragnar was different from the Golden Dragon Psionic Energy in her body. Even their connection wasn't normal. But she wasn't planning on telling anything to the Phoenix Force.

'Jean' chuckled, hearing, or perhaps seeing, Jean's thoughts. It began to walk toward the dragon.

"If you want to control my power, you still have to improve. You're far from becoming the perfect host of the Phoenix Force," 'Jean' said as it jumped, its body turning into a ball of fire before transforming into a phoenix. It circled the dragon again, as it had at the beginning.

Jean watched the Phoenix chase the dragon, realizing the Phoenix Force's consciousness had retreated. A wave of relief washed over her, but it was quickly replaced by a surge of anticipation.

"It's fine," Jean whispered, her eyes sparkling. "After all, it's just the beginning."

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

'Jean' appeared in a realm of pure white, a place brimming with raw power – the White Hot Room, the very core of the Phoenix Force.

As she stood there, her form began to shift, transforming into an older, mature version of Jean Grey, her gaze fixed upon a distant point.

"It really is just the beginning," 'Jean' whispered, a hint of intrigue in her voice.

Even the Phoenix Force, with its boundless reach, couldn't locate the boy who was inexplicably linked to Jean.

'But the most important thing is that his energy isn't connected to me,' 'Jean' thought. She could feel the distinct difference between her own psionic energy and the Golden Dragon's, she knew it did not belong to her which makes it impossible when the Phoenix Force is the nexus of all psionic energy of the past, present, and future in all realities of the multiverse.

'That means only one thing,' 'Jean' mused, a playful smile curving her lips. 'His power is from somewhere else.' Though it wasn't a common thing to happen, these kinds of anomalies occasionally arose within the fabric of the Universe.

Just as in one reality, a competition for the title of 'fastest man alive' was disrupted by the arrival of a naked speedster from another Universe, Buried Alien(Barry Allen), who had run so fast he shattered the barrier between Universes.

'Jean' wanted to uncover the boy's origins, but she couldn't make a spectacle of it.

After all, she had only discovered his existence because of his connection to Jean Grey.

'If I showed my interest, other entities would follow suit,' 'Jean' thought, aware that any actions she took would be scrutinized by cosmic beings like herself. She knew that meddling in destinies could have unforeseen consequences.

'For now, I'll just observe,' 'Jean' decided, her gaze turning toward the universe where Ragnar and Jean resided. In the depths of the White Hot Room, she whispered a single phrase, "Find her."

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

Meanwhile, a red cosmic energy, surging through the vastness of space, devoured everything in its path. Its relentless advance suddenly faltered, the energy becoming erratic as it expanded, growing stronger with each passing moment.

This was another fragment of the Phoenix Force, seeking a suitable host in the universe.

While its destiny had originally been tied to Jean, it had evolved into a powerful entity, brimming with cosmic energy.

Fueled by an unseen force, it sped towards its ultimate destination.

Unstoppable and uncaring, it hurtled toward Earth, heedless of the planets and celestial bodies it would obliterate in its wake.

Among its victims would be the D'Bari home world, a planet now caught in the path of the rampaging Phoenix Force.

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