Chapter 119 - Influence (1/2)

(Around 1 Week Ago)

”We have a lot to talk about Captain Rogers.” Charles Xavier gave a small smile as he put his hand out towards Steve Rogers, another smile gracing his lips as he looked down at it. He didn't waste a second as he provided his own and shook it firmly. ”Yes, yes we do.” A few in the small apartment let out smiles at the interaction, with Tony being one of the only ones to roll his eyes at the interaction.

Jean kept to herself as she leaned against one of the bedroom doors, her eyes were slightly unfocused as she looked at the scene, because even though she was there, her mind was somewhere else.

Caught in her own thoughts, she didn't hear the small whispering at the back of her head as a fiery power slowly opened its eyes, sensing the apartment she stood in. ”The web of life, the Totem. It was here. It was here.” Rubbing her head in slight pain Jean shook it, her eyes flashing red for the briefest of seconds.

Her finger twitched and before she knew what was happening, a ghostly image of Peter suddenly appeared before her eye, her body froze in shock for a second as she watched the apparition move headed straight for her.

It had been so long since she had laid eyes on her friend, her crush…he looked so...different, she inhaled as the apparition continued to approach, before finally walking right through her, continuing on through the door at her back.

Shook from her slight daze, Jean quickly turned to the door eyes wide in wonder and worry. No one noticed the sudden change in the red head as all the focus was on the two men talking in the middle of the room.

Jean looked back at them for a second before slowly reaching up to turn the door handle, something seemed to be compelling her to open the door and if it was a clue towards the whereabouts of Peter, she would gladly do it.

Her hand had just about touched the handle when a stronger migraine struck her mind and her powers flared, Natasha's eyes flickered to the other red head in the room as she gripped her head in pain for a second, a small frown on her lips.

With her back turned no one could see the red fire that slowly started to build in her eyes and with the burning, something that hadn't happened in a long time occurred, Jean couldn't control her powers, couldn't stop the voices from entering.

'Well I wonder if being good with a bow could be a mutant power. It would explain some of the shots I've pull off over the years.'

'OMG I'm in the same room as Iron man! The Iron Man!...I thought he would be a bit more handsome.'

'Man the African Goddess in the white suit should change her career to super model with those curves, I could have gotten her number in 15 seconds back when....no... no, Pepper is the only on for you, bad Tony, bad.'

''What I would give for a good 'Dwarvern Ale/Canadian beer' right about now''

The new voice shocked the pain out of her mind though as she quickly reigned in her powers. The only ones in the room that noticed her sudden loss of control were Charles and a certain entity inside Laura.

Said entity slowly turned to look at Jean, and if it wasn't for the protection of her own inner demon, a shiver would have crawled down her spine. But Jean's mind was elsewhere, she slowly turned back to the others, she had heard something specific with what just happened, one name specifically. 'Peter.'

Jean's eyes locked onto the silver haired Felicia as she leaned on the exit to the apartment, trust her to position herself at the closest escape route. Jean's eyes riveted onto her body as the spike slowly gained control.

A flash of indecision went and came through Jean's mind for just a second as she looked at her, but once again the voice in the back of her mind slowly edged her forwards. 'She knows.' Though Jean didn't hear the words she made up her mind as she focused, turning her power into a weapon, prying away at Felecia's mind, peeling back layer after layer so that she could get her answers.

The problem was she couldn't read her mind or that she found it hard. Both her and the entity in her mind let out small frowns as they worked their way in, there was something… wrong, something different about her. Everyone but those trained to block telepathy, telepaths, or the exceptionally strong minded, were like open books to Jean and even then they were more like fortresses that blocked her out.

All she had to do, all she learned to do was to break down the walls, pierce their defences to find the information inside, this...this was something different, she wasn't like others…wasn't human? No that couldn't be right, her mind was in turmoil as she slowly started to increase her power, she would stop at nothing for information about Peter.

'Find him.'

Jean was in a trance as she started to increase her power, and as it continued to grow, continued to try and read her mind, Felicia slowly felt a growing pressure in the back of her skull. A small flicker of the eye and wince in pain were the start, but within a minute she couldn't help but let out a small groan, swaying on her feet, her body feeling weak.

Natasha quickly moved to support Felicia as she noticed something was happening, stepping closer her own body froze as she unsuspectingly got caught within the mental assault. Her body locked up for a second as her arms failed her.

With glazed eyes Jean didn't seem to know what she was doing as her power locked onto both people and started to unravel them. Slowly small pieced of the information she wanted started to flow into her mind, why Natasha had come to find Felicia, Laura, the Avengers reason for coming.

'But where is he.'

Everyone else in the room stopped what they were doing as they shot to their feet. ”Nat, what's wrong?” Clint stepped closer, Tony already back in his armour brows furrowed in confusion. ”Jarvis, scan them now.” The room built in intensity as it waited for the AI's answer. ”I can detect no outside interference affecting them, however they both show highly increased brain activity at this time.”

A small voice inside Laura spoke up as the others looked on in worry. ”It's the phoenix.” Laura's eye inadvertently turned to Jean in a second, a small growl escaping her lips alerting the others, as her claws popped out. *Snikt* ”It's her.” All eyes turned to Jean, trapped in her own world as she starred at the two.

Clint levelled his bow in her direction as Tony raised his repulsor. Scott quickly moved in their way and reached for his optics, joined closely by Beast and Nightcrawler. ”No wait something's wrong.” Storm tried to be the voice of reason while Charles looked on in shock.

Just one look at the slightly red tinged eyes was enough to tell him what was happening; Jean's powers were acting up! Shutting his eyes with a snap, he reached for his own head as he focused all his powers on Jean.

Hitting a brick wall of psychic defences, Xavier dived through them while the situation in the apartment heated up. Steve looked on in contemplation, frowning as his hand inadvertently reached for his shield lying next to him.