X-Men: The Gifted Ones

54. JANES' OFFICE, XAVIER MANSION, WEST CHESTER, NY

Jane felt satisfied about a job well done. She and Charles had done it: They opened a school, it was thriving, and the children were excelling. Jane hated to admit that everyone had improved since Jason Stryker had left. Twenty children now... twenty young mutants learning about their powers, how to love their powers, and making friends who are like them. Twenty children who no longer felt alone in the world, thanks to Jane and Charles.

Charles. Jane smiled. How wonderful he made her life! He made her feel so alive. She remembered her early conversations with Polaris and Sway, how she would deny that anything could happen. How she then hoped something would, and the crushing feeling that Charles felt nothing could. She realized she had taught him, too. She showed him that his physical limitations didn't prevent her from showing him how he could have a marriage fuller, more enveloping, than any could have imagined. He had even come alive, too, since their marriage. He had told her she had helped him take his telepathy to heights he could never have imagined.

Life was too perfect, and they were all too aware it could change at any moment. That was why she had doubled down on her training with the others. She hated the idea of inflicting injuries on her friends, but it was the price she had to pay to make sure she could save her own life. She knew if she could perfect inflicting non-fatal ones, she could inflict fatal ones if she needed to. The larger the injury she inflicted, the sharper she honed her healing skills and blocking any pain she absorbed.

Polaris also helped her enhance her physical skills, too. Polaris had changed toward her since Jane had found her in Hank's room. She had become friendlier, warmer, and the skepticism was gone from her look.

Charles even practiced with her. He knew Emma Frost was a telepath and wouldn't hesitate to use psychological assault against Jane, casting illusions, filling her mind with nonsense. Charles taught her how to differentiate between illusions and reality. He taught her how to break trances and even try to block telepathy.

She didn't know when Magneto's forces would strike, she knew Azazel could show up at any moment, without warning. She had to be ready for when he did.

She knew they would not arrive after they had rescued Scarlet Witch. There was a good chance the Brotherhood knew that the X-Men had rescued her. They would likely wait a week or two, allow the X-Men to grow complacent, then strike.

But the X-Men didn't allow themselves to grow complacent. Even if Charles placed his trust in his men in Vietnam, he would always have a backup plan. Jane just hoped it wouldn't include him.

The only thing she doubted about Charles was his trust in Magneto. How far would he go to keep her safe? She wondered if he was keeping her safe to spare his life, perhaps there was no length he wouldn't go.

The sound of an explosion roused Jane from herreverie. She saw a daemonic-looking red-faced man appear. He grabbed her andwith another explosion, she was gone.