Chapter 171: The Phoenix

[3rd POV] Earlier on Earth, Jean was not having a very good day. She had been at a new school, thanks to the professor wanting his students

[3rd POV]

Earlier on Earth, Jean was not having a very good day. She had been at a new school, thanks to the professor wanting his students to get out and about with students more through an exchange program that they could do. Jean didn’t really want to do this, but she also didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter. 

She had been somewhat enjoying the school, going to classes like a normal person, interacting with normal humans more than normal. Well, that was until she realized that the school housed some of the meanest type of humans out there…

Teenage Girls

When the local mean girls had noticed that she was getting the attention of some of the local jocks - not the sort of attention she wanted, for there was only one person she wanted the attention of - they had made it their life's mission to make her miserable. And by god were they doing it. 

Bumping into her to make her drop her books or food (Which was the food of the Gods that Gwen made her), making fun of her behind her back, spreading rumors about her, and all sorts of other nasty crap. She didn’t even really care all that much in the beginning, knowing that she would only be here for a month or so, until she could go back and continue learning from Gwen like she wanted to.

That was until they decided to flood her locker with water, which included the last picture she had from her best friend in her childhood that had passed away, Annie Richardson. It was a priceless artifact in her eyes, and one that had to be kept safe. She had put it into her locker assuming that no one would be able to touch it, but she was wrong. 

As she held the torn pieces of the last picture she had of her best friend, tears began to well up in her eyes, Scott, Kitty, Jubilee, and Bobby all watching with wide eyes at the side, before fierce glares formed on their faces as she gazed at the bullies. 

“Oh, is the redheaded bitch gonna cry that we ripped some picture? Wah! Wah! What a baby” The leader of the “Mean Girls” said with a cruel grin on her face, as Jean cradled it in her arms, tears streaking down her face as Jubilee scowled. 

“That was the last picture she had of her childhood best friend you bitch!” Jubilee said with a scowl, trying her best not to beat the shit out of the girl. 

Hearing this, the girls just laughed again, as the mean girl leader grinned. 

“Oh? Well that’s just too bad! Maybe the girl deserved it! Or who knows, Grey might have done it herself!” The girl said, as Jubilee snarled and attempted to attack, only for Scott to hold her back. 

“Let me at the bitches! Let me at em!” “Jubilee…look” Scott said, eyes wide as she slowly turned, only to get a good look at Jean.

A look of pure unadulterated rage formed on her face as she felt…something. A deep powerful feeling covered her form, as her psionic energy began to burst out of her, the entire building, no…the entire world began to quiver as she slowly rose to her feet and glared fiercely at the girl, tears of hatred dripping from her eyes as she felt the power within her, the cry of the phoenix, one that had unknowingly traveled not just within her, but throughout the universe. And as she was prepared to let it take control, to atomize this bitch who did such cruel things to her, a pop sounded out, as the students' eyes glossed over. 

“Calm down little bird, it’s okay, I’m here” Gwen softly whispered in her ears, understanding what had happened, that the rage at the girl who had done something so cruel, had been the final straw for the Phoenix Force within her to finally awaken. 

“They did this! They destroyed it!” Jean snarled, as Gwen’s hand glowed softly, the picture repairing itself as Jean looked down at it, eyes flickering, the flames within dwindling slightly. 

“There you go, see, it’s all fixed now. Now calm down, you’ve just unlocked something new within you, something powerful, and you need to learn to control its power, to not allow it to influence your decisions” Gwen softly said, as Jean began to realize what she was about to do, horror filling her.

“W-What is happening to me?” Jean asked, the flames around her dispersing as Gwen sighed. Glancing at the others, she spoke. 

“Get outta here, I’ve wiped their minds of this entire incident, but you need to get back to the school, now. Cmon Jean, we’ve got some things to talk about” Gwen said, her hand softly gripping Jean’s as they teleported off with all of Jean's newly repaired property. 

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The two did not reappear at the school, but instead, they reappeared at Malzif, as Jean looked around in confusion. 

“Where is this, Gwen?” Jean asked, wiping the stray tears from her eyes, the picture kept close to her.

“It’s a project, Jean. Called Malzif, the city for mutants. I created it to house every mutant on Earth, to keep them safe from the influence of normal humans. I’ve already shown Xavier this but he’s being…slow with his decision in regards to whether or not he’ll bring his students here” Gwen said with a soft smile noticing the girl's awe as she looked around. 

“I brought you here so we can speak in a safe place about what it is you house within you, Jean” Gwen said softly, as they sat next to one another on a sofa in her office. 

“What-what is it? Is it bad?” Jean asked, growing worried. She remembered the feeling of incredible power, the feeling that she could do anything, be anything, and most of all, she remembered the cry of the phoenix. 

“Only if you use it to be bad. It’s actually one of the more benevolent cosmic forces out there, one that does it’s duty to the universe, even if that duty may not always be the kindest looking one” 

“Duty?”

“Jean, what you house within you is one of the most powerful entities in all of creation, the Phoenix Force, a living personification of all life and psionic energy that ever has, ever will, or currently exists. It’s older than the universe itself, and has a…rich history” Gwen explained, as Jean’s eyes widened. 

“I-I have something like that within me? How do I get rid of it?!”

“You don’t, Jean. You are its host, not just a normal host, but the best, most perfect host it has ever had. And with that comes a connection, a deep deep connection that I cannot sever, that I won’t sever. It’d do more bad than good Jean, trust me” Gwen explained, as Jean’s eyebrow furrowed. 

“More than good?”

“Jean, the Phoenix is benevolent or neutral in most cases. But when it has hosts, it can turn into something called the Dark Phoenix, something…dark, cruel, even evil. The reason why I’m saying that it’d be better for you to keep it, is because you can do good with the phoenix, Jean. Such incredible things that can save countless lives, and all without the potential of another host eventually going dark” Gwen said with a soft smile, knowing that she could do good with the Phoenix, she just needed the right sort of help. 

“How? How would I control something like that?”

“You can’t control it, not truly. It’s a cosmic force for a reason. But you can come to an understanding with it, you can bond with it. That’s the problem with all the others, they didn’t try to understand the force itself, try to reach a true connection with it, beyond using its power for their own gain, and that is why they could never become what you can. I want to help you become something more Jean, the Phoenix” Gwen said, her hand softly placed on Jean’s own, as the girl looked her in the eye, before smiling slightly. 

“The Phoenix would be a cool superhero name, wouldn’t it?” Jean said, causing Gwen to crack a smile. 

“It would be. And just imagine it “The Ghost Spider and Phoenix save the day!” sounds pretty cool to me” Gwen said, as Jean giggled. 

“Thank you Gwen, really. This-this means a lot to me” Jean said, a slight blush on her cheeks as she realized she still had Gwen’s hand in her own. 

“Not a problem Jean, not a problem at all” Gwen said, looking at Jean with knowing eyes as she felt a warmth fill her. 

“Thank you, child” A voice echoed in her mind for a moment, as Gwen blinked, before smiling in understanding, for it was the Phoenix that spoke to her, and it was clearly happy that it’s true host was happy. 

“So, why don’t we get back home before Xavier loses his bald head over this?” Gwen asked, as Jean giggled and moved into Gwen’s embrace. 

“You just have to put a hand on me you know, but I can’t say I mind this~” Gwen flirted, Jean blushing brightly as they teleported off, all the while, Gwen had one thought on her mind. 

‘Gods…she is adorable!’

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That’s the end of the chapter!

Basically a heart to heart chapter with Jean over the phoenix, talking with her about it and what it is, and calming her down before she goes all Dark Phoenix on everyone. Jean is 100% a love interest if you can’t tell, and there is probably going to be 1-2 more and that’ll be it for the harem. And this time I’m actually going to do better with the romance, as it’s been lacking with Korra, M’gann, Raven and Artemis. 

The vault chapter promised will be coming either today or tomorrow, as it is very obvious which one won lol. 

I’ll be uploading new vault fics too, but the ones you guys voted for will take natural priority. 

Anyways, have a good day!