^Devil May Care^ Scott Summers

^the white witch? i like it^

alive: sia

i had a one-way ticket to a place
where all the demons go
———

Music and the beautiful voice of one of the older girls filled the air as kids ran through one of the portals that were set up to get from the main hall to the woods. Luminescent sliver dust floated through the air as they listened to the song lyrics. Max stood with Jean and Scott as the redhead swallowed down her third drink fast.

"One more?" Jean asked as she held out her empty cup to Max, who only smirked at her and took her cup.

"Yeah, let me knock this back and I'll go." She said as she drank the rest of her pink drink like a shot before asking Jean, "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing good, baby~ How you doin?" She said with a drunken smile, making Max nod at her.

"Water it is then." The black haired woman turned around and walked over to the drink table where Ororo and Kurt were.

"Rocks?" She asked the white haired woman, who held up her hand and made ice cubes in her two cups. "Thanks."

"How is she doing"? Ororo asked, gesturing to Jean with her eyes.

"She's...thirsty." Max answered with a slight chuckle.

"And you?"

She looked up to see the concerned look of Ororo, a motherly look at asked her questions that didn't need to be said out loud. Max was normally the one with this look.

"I'm fine but worried about her...as always."

***

As Maxine talked to the two other X-Men, she didn't notice, or hear, what Jean and Scott were talking about.

"So, when are you going to ask her?" Jean asked as she nudged his shoulder with hers. Despite her slightly intoxicated state, she could remember the talk, which was really she giving him a pep talk, they had been having over the past few weeks.

Scott shook his head, smiling as he watched Max laugh at something Kurt had said, before saying, "It's not the right time. I'll ask when the time is right."

"It's not like anything is going to happen to your relationship if you don't ask, but you might as well before something in the world happens." Jean said with a small smile.

"Yeah.."

***

Max returned with drinks as they finished their conversation and she handed Jean her drink. The redhead easily gulped down her pink drink in one fell swoop, before Max could even take a sip of hers.

"Alright, I'll take this," Jean started as she took the drink out of Max's hands, "And you take this." She finished before pushing Scott towards his girlfriend and gesturing them to go dance. The couple chuckle at their friend's shenanigans before turning around, holding hands as they slowly walked over to where everyone was dancing.

"Did...did you hear what the kids are called you two?" Scott asked, making Max turn her head to him.

"Do I wanna know?" She asked with a smirk.

"Yeah. The White Witch. And they're calling Jean, Phoenix." Max laughed at the names and nodded, deciding that she liked them, especially the reference to her white hair.

"The White Witch? I like it. It's definitely better then 'freak' or 'monster.'" She said, making her boyfriend chuckle slightly. Max had definitely come a long way from scaring children in just 7 years and she felt...free.

As she went to say something, her head pulsed, making her stumble back and clutch her head. A wave of intense energy washed over her and her eyes turned red/orange on their own. Another wave of energy made her turn her head to Jean who seemed to be having to same reaction as her.

"You okay? Hey, maybe we should take a break." Max heard Scott's voice but it sound like it was underwater, deaf.

Jeans eyes had turned golden orange, like Max's but different. The edges of her skin seemed to be cracking with orange power, her head spinning as she whispered to the voices in her head, trying to make them stop. Flashbacks to the solar flare impacting her, Max's voice screaming for her, pushing her friend back. The power surging through her, through both of them.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop, STOP!" Orange energy burst from her body, knocking everything around her back, the trees included, except Max. The black haired woman braced herself, a bubble of translucent red protecting herself.

Her eyes widened as she watched Jean fall down unconscious before her own eyes drooped, wanted back their natural color, before everything went black.

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