Marvel's Alien Force

At the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, in one of the luxurious teachers' bedrooms, the soft sound of steady breathing filled the quiet room.

Ororo sat beside the bed, a history book open in her hands—the fall of the Ottoman Empire. She wasn't really reading though. She was waiting for Jean to wake up.

It had been over an hour since they returned to the school. At first, Ororo had been worried—seeing Jean unconscious like that—but after learning it was just exhaustion from using too much energy, she finally allowed herself to breathe easy.

"Uhm…"

A soft groan broke the silence.

Jean stirred under the covers and slowly opened her eyes. The familiar ceiling came into view, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"How are you feeling?" Ororo asked, closing her book and turning her full attention to her best friend.

Still lying down, Jean turned her head toward Ororo. Her voice was soft but clear.

"Where is he?"

"Who? Scott?" Ororo tilted her head, confused by the question. "Should I call him?"

"No," Jean shook her head slowly. "I meant that crystal being... Mark Cain, if I remember his name right."

She sat up with some effort, her body still sore.

Ororo understood now and nodded. "He went back to his place—with the mother and daughter."

Jean stood from the bed, her movements a little stiff, and asked, "Where is that place?"

She started walking toward the bathroom.

Ororo raised a brow. "Why? Is there something you need from him?"

Jean didn't reply immediately. After washing her face and wiping it dry with a towel, she finally answered, "I want to know where he is. He's too dangerous to be left unchecked. I'll keep an eye on him… make sure he doesn't do anything reckless."

Suddenly, the door opened.

Scott stepped in, his voice firm. "You're not doing anything like that."

He looked straight at Jean.

Ororo crossed her arms and nodded. "Yeah, why would you even go that far? It's not like there aren't other dangerous mutants out there—Magneto, for example."

Jean shook her head. "Magneto's different. He's stubborn, stuck in his ways, but his motives are clear. Mark's not like that. He's unpredictable. He could be far more dangerous than Magneto or any mutant we've met… and the scary part is, he's not even evil."

Before either of them could respond, Jean suddenly paused. Her eyes unfocused slightly as a voice echoed in her mind.

"Jean, come here."

It was Professor Charles.

"Yes, Professor," Jean replied aloud, her tone composed as always.

Jean looked at them and said, "Professor's calling."

Scott and Ororo exchanged a glance and nodded, following behind her. They wanted to know what was going on just as much as she did.

She reached the office door, took a quiet breath, and pushed it open.

Inside, Professor Charles Xavier was seated on a couch instead of his usual wheelchair. Logan stood nearby, arms folded in his usual relaxed—but always ready—posture.

Jean's gaze met Logan's briefly, but she turned her attention back to Charles.

The Professor looked at the three students who had grown under his care—his pride was clear in his eyes. He gave a small, warm nod and said, "Good to see you awake, Jean."

"Thank you, Professor," Jean said, offering a small smile. "What did you want to talk to us about?"

Charles nodded and said, "Yes. It's about two things... "

Charles looked at them all, then spoke with finality.

"I'm retiring from the X-Men."

The air seemed to still. Even Logan, usually unfazed, blinked.

That announcement made Jean, Scott, Ororo, and Logan visibly stir. Logan was the first to speak, eyes narrowing slightly.

"What? Why now?" he asked, surprised.

Charles chuckled softly at their reactions. "Because I'm old, Logan. Too old to be flying around the world fighting battles. And, well... the world is changing. It's time I step back."

He paused, then added with a calm smile, "I'm appointing Ororo as the next leader of the X-Men."

"Me?" Ororo blinked, clearly surprised. She wasn't sure how to respond. First, Charles announces his retirement—and now this? Appointing her as the new leader? Wouldn't it make more sense for it to be Scott? Or even Jean?

Charles smiled, already knowing what Ororo was thinking. With a bit of effort, he slowly rose from the couch.

"Don't be so surprised. I know what's running through your mind," he said with a gentle chuckle. As he started walking, Scott moved instinctively to support him, but Charles waved him off.

"The reason I chose you, Ororo, and not Scott," he continued, pacing slowly back to his desk, "is because... well, let's just say Scott and Logan don't exactly see eye to eye. That kind of friction could become a serious problem during missions."

He lowered himself carefully into his seat again before adding, "As for Jean... she'll be going to Mark."

He said it so casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Logan and Scott both turned to him at once. "Why?" they asked in unison.

Sending Jean to Mark? That crystal mutant who might be even more powerful than her? It sounded like a suicide mission.

Charles shook his head and said, "I'm not sending Jean just to keep an eye on him. Yes, that young man—Mark—is more dangerous than Erik, far more. But Jean isn't doing this because I told her to. She volunteered... for her own reasons. Isn't that right, Jean?"

"That's..." Jean hesitated, unsure how to explain.

Should she really tell them that Mark had a way of keeping her calm, even when she was in her Phoenix state? That he made her feel in control?

It sounded fair—because it was—but somehow, saying it out loud didn't feel quite right.

Scott could tell something was off, so he stepped forward and asked, "What's going on, Jean? Why would you want to go to Mark if not just to keep an eye on him? And why even volunteer for that? He might not be evil, but we can't be sure either."

Jean shook her head, letting out a quiet sigh. "It's... not for him. It's for me."

"What?" Scott blinked, clearly confused and caught off guard.

Jean took a slow breath, gathering herself before finally saying, "He has a way... of helping me stay in control. Even when I'm using the Phoenix Force."

"That's—" Scott started, but the words caught in his throat. He didn't know what to say, and neither did anyone else in the room.

Charles, however, simply smiled. He didn't say anything further—he trusted his students to figure it out for themselves. And perhaps... keeping Jean close to Mark might just help keep that dangerous power in check.

Charles thought to himself, the memory of those eyes—and that eerie, chilling laughter—echoing in his mind again. He shook his head, rubbing his temple. Never in his life did he think he'd witness something like that.

He was sure it hadn't been an illusion. As a powerful telepath, he was immune to such tricks. Which only meant one thing—if what he saw was real, then Mark was far more dangerous than anything he had ever imagined. More dangerous than anything he could even begin to comprehend.

"Don't stop her, Scott," Charles said calmly. "It's for her own peace of mind. Jean's always lived in fear of losing control. If Mark can help her with that… then let her go. It's not like she can't come back."

"But Professor…" Scott started again, his voice heavy with emotion. He wanted to protest, but couldn't find the right words. He knew Jean better than anyone—how careful she was, how tightly she walked the line between power and restraint. 

And knowing he couldn't help her, that he couldn't ease that burden, made him feel helpless... as her partner.

But now that he knew there was a way to help her, Scott felt stuck. Not because he didn't want to—he desperately did—but because... the being she was talking about wasn't like them. He was different.

"You can't stop someone who's already made up their mind, dear Scott."

A deep, gruff, yet wise voice interrupted, drawing everyone's attention to the doorway.

Standing there was a tall man, his entire body covered in sleek violet-blue fur. His face, though animalistic, held a noble sharpness—intelligent eyes behind round spectacles, and a voice full of quiet authority. Despite his unusual appearance, he carried the air of a gentleman scholar.

Hank McCoy entered the room, brushing the door shut behind him. He had just returned to the mansion after dealing with political business outside—only to walk in and hear that his longtime friend was stepping down.

"I didn't expect you to do it this quickly, Charles," Hank said with a light smile.

To which Charles chuckled and replied, "Hahaha... What can I say? I've got my legs back."

Hank nodded at that, saying, "Fair enough." Then he looked over at Scott, Logan, and Ororo.

"You all have important things to figure out among yourselves. As for Jean—don't worry. If she says Mark has a way to help her stay in control while in the Phoenix state, then it's not just best for her... it's best for all of us if she stays near him."

He turned to Jean and added, "Go get ready. Kurt already left a Bamf mark with him, so you won't have any trouble getting there."

"Thank you for understanding," Jean said sincerely. "And... sorry, guys, for making the decision on my own."

She gave them one last look and quickly left the room to prepare.

***

Hank turned to Ororo with a warm smile. "Congratulations on becoming the new leader of the X-Men, dear Ororo."

"That's..." Ororo hesitated, her eyes drifting to Charles, clearly unsure.

"Are you sure I'm the right choice, Professor?"

Charles nodded, his expression calm but firm. "Don't overthink it, Ororo. You were taught the same as the others, and you've grown into someone strong, wise, and steady. It might seem difficult at first, but once you lead with your heart, you'll realize it's not as hard as it seems. Understood?"

Ororo nodded slowly, still absorbing it.

Charles smiled again and waved a hand gently. "Now go. I need to speak with Hank privately."

Logan, Scott, and Ororo nodded and quietly stepped out, closing the door behind them.

Hank turned toward Charles, his tone casual but curious. "So, tell me—how was our new mutant friend? Anything special about him?"

He eased into the couch, still dressed in his sharp official suit, adjusting his cuffs slightly as he waited.

Charles let out a long sigh, rubbing his temple as he leaned back into his chair.

"Yeah," he said, voice low, thoughtful. "He's… very special. But also… extremely dangerous."

Charles didn't know what kind of actions he should take against Mark. Even though he was certain the young man wasn't evil… that didn't mean evil wasn't with him.

'Ghostfreak…'

The name echoed in Charles's mind like a whisper from something ancient and twisted. Whatever that entity was—whatever he saw inside Mark—it wasn't something the world was ready for.

Letting out the tired sigh of a man who's carried too much for too long, Charles finally looked at Hank.

"We'll talk about Mark later," he said quietly. "For now… let's discuss the direction our policies on mutant affairs are heading. The world is changing, Hank. And if we don't keep up, we'll be left behind… or worse, overrun."

Because deep down, Charles could feel it—Mark Cain wasn't the end of something.

He was the beginning.

***

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