Thirteen
MY ALARM STARTED beeping at 4:30 in the morning a few days after coming back to the mansion. I was freaking out because who wakes up at 4:30 in the morning? That's insane! Are you asking me to die at twenty-two? I need my sleep!
"Wakey wakey eggs 'n bakey!" My brother jumped off the bed and started taking off his pajamas.
"What?" I rubbed my eyes. I threw a pillow at him. "What the heck, Oscar!? A woman needs her beauty sleep!"
He put on his clothes and said, "It wasn't my choice. Professor X told all the students to see their alarms to 4:30."
"Aren't you tired?"
He raised his brow. "No?"
I groaned and rose from my bed. "Whatever the heck we're doing better good."
(X)
Everyone was sitting outside on the wet dew. I decided to stand because I don't want my butt to get wet and people think I peed or something. I also stood because I didn't want to fall back asleep. Well, I wanted to fall back asleep, but it was probably a bad idea to.
The Professor was with Magneto in the front. I saw the group of X-Men standing not too far away from them, so I walked over to join them.
"What's going on?" I yawned. "It's too early for this."
Scott said, "They finally came to an agreement last night, and their announcement couldn't wait."
"Attention students!" the Professor shouted.
The students that were groaning about the fact that it's too early had stopped.
I leaned on one of my feet, placing a hand on my hip. A yawn escaped my mouth right before the Professor started speaking.
"Erik and I both want to the protect the mutants. That's our number one priority. The government want us gone, but we need to influence them into thinking that it's okay to be a mutant."
I looked at Magneto. I could see in his eyes that he was hiding something; I didn't have to read his mind to figure that one out. He wore his helmet, also. I want to know what's going on through that head of his, but getting that helmet off is probably a bad idea.
"We need to act like heroes, children," the Professor continued. "For one week next week, all of you will flourish to various locations to help the normals. We have set up hotels for all of you - don't worry, you'll be with each other. During the week, you have to do some kind of good deed. It can range from getting an old lady's cat out of a tree to saving a child in a burning building."
This caused some whispers to emerge in the crowd.
Magneto took a step forward. "But, if the normals decide to have a battle, we have a weapon. You all know her now."
Andre shoved me closer to Magneto and the Professor. I didn't like the idea of this at all. I thought the Professor would've backed me up and convince Magneto to not use me.
Magneto saw me, and soon the Professor did, too. The Professor reached out his hand for mine, and I took it reluctantly.
"Psych," Magneto said. "Our most prized weapon."
Images flashed into my head. They were of Jean.
"Psych is the most powerful mutant known to mankind. She ranks a class 5, which is higher than Charles and I. She still has a lot to learn, but she is a quick learner."
Jean had gone dark. It was like I had seen memories of a past that never was. Her eyes were black, and the veins in her head were visible. She wanted to kill anyone and everyone in her path. She killed Scott and the Professor.
"Children, you should look up to her. She will be the savior of all mutants," Magneto closed.
The images were getting worse. Jean was trying to kill Logan. She was so powerful. She called herself the Phoenix. Jean wasn't Jean.
I dropped to the ground. The memories were hurting my head. I looked at Jean, and she, too, was bending down to the ground. She was holding her temples. She must've read my mind.
Logan ran to me. "Andi!"
I looked up into his eyes and blinked a few times. I didn't speak. I could see him, but I could also see the memories. Logan told Jean he loved her, and then a split second later, he killed her.
"Andi!" Logan shouted.
"Logan," I whispered.
More memories flashed. Jean was getting aggressive with Logan. She kissed him hard, and her legs wrapped around his body.
"Andi," he breathed. He brushed a loose strand of hair out of my face.
The Professor yelled, "You are dismissed."
The students were already leaving. They were terrified of what happened. They didn't know what happened. I didn't either.
"We need to take her downstairs," the Professor told Logan.
I heard Scott say, "Jean needs help, too."
Logan scooped me up bridal style, and all of us headed inside the mansion. I could see Logan crying after losing Jean. Jealousy stabbed me in the heart at this moment. I know I shouldn't be jealous; I have him now. But I still felt so jealous of her.
Logan took of my clothes. "Professor X wants to run some tests," he told me. I really didn't care. He had left my spandex and sports bra on, so I didn't feel exposed. Just cold because of the metal bed.
The Professor used his powers to place sticky circles with chords on my chest. I didn't know what they are called, but I knew they monitored your heart and stuff.
"Whatever happened, it was psychic. I wasn't affected by it, though. Maybe they were linked. Andromeda, can you speak?"
I looked at him, but didn't say a word. I felt like a child who didn't know how to talk. I didn't want to talk.
He moved to Jean. "Can you?"
I couldn't see Jean for the way I was laying, but I didn't hear her speak either. I tried to read her mind, but I felt awfully weak.
The Professor sighed and looked at Logan. Logan raised his brow and looked at me. He took my hand.
"Storm?" The Professor looked at her.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Will you come with me? And Claire, Jamie and Andre, could you please leave? I don't want to sound rude, but I think you three need to sleep."
All five of them exited the room, but I knew the Professor and Storm were just outside the door. The others had gone back upstairs.
Logan looked down at me. "Andi," he whispered. "What's wrong?"
I pulled my hand out of his and placed it on his forearm. I pulled myself up a little. "You...you killed...but...she killed...I don't understand," I said quietly.
Logan stared. "What did you see?"
I leaned my head into his chest and closed my eyes. I shook my head, telling him I couldn't explain it.
He leaned downward so I'd lie back down on the bed. He turned his head, in Jean and Scott's direction.
The Professor and Storm came back inside. "Scott, Logan, back up."
Storm approached me and pressed a few buttons on a monitor. Then a clear helmet covered my head until the tip of my nose. She turned away, and I guessed she was looking at the Professor.
I felt an odd sensation a few seconds later, and soon, I drifted into a sleeping mode....
(X)
I awoke with a start. The helmet was still on my head. No one was in the room, at least from what I could see. I tried to turn my head to the left a bit, and I saw Jean. She was still unconscious.
I wanted the helmet off, but I figured it was a bad idea so I just laid there. I called for Logan in my head; maybe he'd come and talk with me. I have questions, and I need answers.
A few minutes later, the door opened, and Logan ran inside. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly.
I nodded my head. "Yes," I answered. "I'm fine. Just...what happened?"
"The Professor had to run some tests. Then he talked with me. Something's not right, Andi."
My eye brows furrowed. "Not right? What's not -?"
"Well, it's you, actually," he said slowly. He raised his eye brows and sighed. "You're almost...well, it's like we're connected. You keep unlocking memories in my head of pasts that never happened. The Professor doesn't even understand how you're doing it. But it could be dangerous, Andi."
I gulped. "D-dangerous?" My voice cracked. "How?"
"We don't know how 'stable' -" he made air quotes "- Jean is right now." He looked over at her. "She knows her other personality."
"The Phoenix?"
Logan nodded his head, still looking at her. "Yeah," he breathed.
I felt like crying. This was my fault, wasn't it? I don't know how I did it, but I did it.
"Do I have another personality?" I asked.
Logan looked down at me. "No," he confirmed. "The personality you have is the only one inside that head."
"Magneto said I'm a class five. Aren't those mutants out of control?"
"Most of them, yes. But Jean's also a class five. She just has to make sure the Phoenix doesn't return."
I could tell he was thinking of when he killed her. "That's the only way to fix her, isn't it? If-if she becomes the Phoenix?"
Logan didn't respond, and I knew that meant yes. He still has feelings for her, I realized.
"You really care for her, don't you?"
He looked down at me. "Andi, if you think that I want to be with her and leave you, you're wrong. If you read my mind, you would know that. Yes, I care for Jean, but that doesn't mean I care for her like that. She has Scott, and I moved on. I met you, and I..." He trailed off.
"What?" I asked. I was a little frightened with the tone of voice he had before he stopped talking. It was harsh, even if he was saying that he wants to be with me.
He pressed a button, and the helmet on my head moved back. He wrapped his hands around my body and pulled me. "I love you, Andi," he whispered. His lips pressed against mine, hard. I wrapped my arms around his neck and played with his hair.
My stomach had butterflies, and my chest hurt like my anxiety was getting to me. I was so happy, but so scared. I'm afraid to love him, even if I already do.
The door opened, and I pulled away from Logan. The Professor came in with Magneto, Scott and Storm.
The Professor smiled at me. "It's good to see you're awake. I see Jean is still unconscious though."
And Scott added quietly (but still loud enough for all of us to hear), "And you two were about to have sex right in front of her."
My cheeks were turning red; I could feel my face getting hot. I looked at Logan, and he, too, was blushing. I don't think I'd ever seen him blush before, and he looks so hot blushing.
The Professor came up to me. "How are you feeling?" He asked very seriously.
I shrugged. "Okay, I guess."
"Are you still seeing the images?"
I shook my head no.
"You dreamed about the Sentinels not too long ago, and now you're seeing the Phoenix. Your telekinesis is a lot different from most telekinetic mutants."
"Is that bad?" I asked, nervously.
"Not necessarily," he answered, looking away. "But it could be. I need to work with you. You aren't allowed to leave the mansion while the other students do."
I didn't feel upset, although I probably should have. I was happy that I didn't have to socialize with complete strangers - saving a stranger scared me. I didn't like to talk to new people.
"Oh," I said. I couldn't think of anything else to say to cover up that I was happy. I'm pretty sure the Professor already knew I dreaded the idea of leaving the mansion anyways.
I looked at Jean. "Will she be okay?"
"We hope so, yes," Storm answered. She was standing next to Logan, arms crossed over her chest.
Scott walked over to Jean slowly. He reached to take her hand, and he was a millimeter away from touching her when she snatched his arm. "Don't touch me," I heard her say.
I looked at Logan. He took a step closer to me, taking my hand. He was scared that Jean would hurt me.
Jean sat up straight and shoved Scott away. She looked at the Professor. "What's happened to me!?" she snapped.
The Professor tried to seem calm. "Jean, you've seen some things in Andromeda's head. Please, relax. These memories aren't real. They are a dream."
I looked back at Jean. She looked furious. "Liar!" The power flickered. The monitors shook. I noticed that she is much stronger than I am. But I can try.
I let go of Logan's hand and leaned forward a bit. I focused on Jean. "Stop, Jean," I said in her head. I managed to stop time like Professor X can. He was still able to move, but he tried to act frozen like the others. "They were memories, yes. But of something that never had happened. Logan can only remember because he changed the past. None of us can remember."
She looked at me, and I saw the fear in her eyes. "Then how can you?" she asked aloud.
I shook my head. "We're still trying to figure that out. This isn't the first time I've seen these kind of memories. Only, I was dreaming the other memory." I looked at the Professor, to see if he'd say something, but he didn't.
Jean stepped forward to me. Her eyes moved quickly from left to right; she was looking at each of my eyes, one at a time. "You're only a child," she murmured.
I wasn't sure if she was talking to herself aloud or to me, so I didn't respond.
"You are powerful," she continued. "Most mutants don't connect to other mutants like this." She started to circle me, and I felt pressured.
I looked at Professor X, and he simply nodded his head. I took that as a signal to say I can unfreeze time.
It was like I had exhaled the way I unfroze time. The others moved the way they planned, but abruptly stopped. They stared at the two of us, and I heard the Professor whisper to them, "Don't move."
Jean continued to circle me, looking at me up and down. "There's just no way that you can do that. You're too young. You're..." she trailed off and stopped in front of me. Her eyes suddenly turned black and I could see the veins in her face. I knew that she wasn't the Jean we all knew. The Jean we know was trapped inside.
I took a few steps back as a precaution. The Phoenix is dangerous. More dangerous than Magneto.
"You can't be more powerful than me," she said in a sinister tone.
Then everything shook. She rose me in the air, and everyone tried to stop her. I shouted, "No! I can do this! I can do this!" I wanted to fight back.
I pulled Jean up. I concentrated hard to get her out of my head, and it was vice versa for her. This caused tension in the air, which hurt both our heads. We both released at the same time, which threw us against the walls.
Logan ran up to me. "ARE YOU OKAY!?" he shouted.
I rose from the floor. "I'm fine. This is between me and her. Stay out of it unless I say so." I ran out the door. We couldn't fight indoors. The damage to the mansion would be horrible.
I could hear her foot steps coming from behind me. I lifted myself up and flew to the hanger.
"OPEN THE BASKETBALL COURT!" I shouted quickly to Beast.
"What? Why?" He asked, but he did it anyways.
I flew out as soon as the split between the half court line was wide enough for me. Jean wasn't far behind.
I flew faster away from the school. I went to the field where the whole school had met earlier. Then I landed. I had about thirty seconds, so I needed to find the inside me. The me that controlled my powers. I needed them to be stronger than they already are.
I felt this surge of adrenaline hit me as soon as Jean landed on the ground.
"Too cowardly to fight?" She smirked. I realized how similar she was to Magneto in this moment. I didn't like it.
"No," I answered firmly. "I would just rather not blow up the school and all its people in it."
She rolled her eyes as if annoyed and bored. I didn't like this Jean at all.
I lifted my arms out a bit. I pulled a tree out of the ground and swung at her like it was a baseball bat and she was the baseball. She caught the bat, unfortunately.
"You don't have to do this!" I shouted.
She lifted me into the air, and I felt pain prickle my body. It was like a trillion tiny needles had stabbed my body all at once. It's a good thing needles don't bother you much, Andi, I thought.
She read my thoughts and tried to worsen the pain. I ignored them to the best of my ability and lifted her up. I didn't want that tension again. I held out my hand and closed my fist, as if I was choking her. I was Anakin Skywalker trying to kill his wife, Padmé Amidala from Star Wars, only Jean and I aren't married, and this is real.
She grabbed her neck, letting me go. I almost dropped, but I caught myself.
"I could kill you like you did to Scott and the Professor in the past that never happened," I said. "But I won't." I opened my hand, letting her go.
She dropped to the ground. She was at least thirty feet in the air, so I wondered if she'd hurt herself on the way down. But I didn't catch her. She was already unconscious from lack of oxygen.
Scott, Storm, Logan and the Professor came closer quickly. I looked down at them and felt faint. I passed out, falling down....