3rd POV:
As it turned out, they barely had to explain anything to Jean. Phoenix shared most of the knowledge with Jean when she entered her mind to find her.
Bells protections were strong.
True.
But in the face of Phoenix' might and sheer experience it was lackluster. She moved past them like a hot knife through butter, not even needing to destroy the protections.
The three stood in Gwens room awkwardly after Jean explained that she had no need to have anything explained to her.
''Right. Soooooo....,'' Bell trailed.
''So,'' Gwen repeated.
''So...,'' Jean aw´awkwardly repeated too.
Bell pursed his lips. Fuck it. He was gonna step up and be a man.
''Our situation is not great, not terrible. Instead of trying to be miserable, why not try to make the best of the cards we were dealt with? It is not how I would have done things, but now that we are here, I want to do things right. I want to make... this work. I bear you no resentment,'' Bell trailed off and then hastily corrected himself, since Phoenix could take it the wrong way,''You or Phoenix. So, yeah. Let us try and make it work.''
Bells voice trailed of weakly at the end. He started strong, but the more he spoke the more absurd the words sounded and he lost his confidence.
''Right. What he said,'' Gwen nodded, agreeing with Bell.
''Right. That is what I actually wanted to talk about. I did not want to be miserable by default, but seems that is cleared up,'' Jean told them.
''Right,'' Bell winced.
''Right,'' Gwen added.
''Right... You know most men would be glad to have a harem. Phoenix told me that enough powerful figures did that. So are you just pretending or...?,'' Jean asked him a little suspicious. Granted it was clear that Phoenix did not want to share him, but they were both stubborn and it was either that or war.
''I'm not those men. I'm NOT those men. They can be happy for all I care, but I would have been content with just Gwen,'' Bells tone had a warning in it.
So he declared and so it shall be.
His tone also had some resentment and Jean recognized she pushed a little too far. Not that her suspicion mattered, as that would not really change their circumstances with Phoenix breathing down their neck.
''Right. Sorry,'' Jean sighed,''I guess I'll see you at school then. I will try to make this work too.''
''Me too,'' Gwen said. Jean shot her an incredulous look. She has seen her memories and understood that Gwen was lacking somewhat in the confidence department, for some reason. At least when it came to being a partner to Bell. She felt she could not be enough for Bell. Something Phoenix agreed to with vindictive pleasure. Personally Jean felt pity for Gwen, having to be the bigger person here and making sacrifices. Jean doubted she could have done what Gwen did. But then again, it was easy to say something. 'I would have done differently in this situation'. Until that situation arrived those were just words. And Jean did not have the misfortune of having a cosmic entity breathing down her neck.
...
Then again, that was not really true. Was it? Phoenix did threaten with erasing her consciousness and taking over her body.
Huh.
Gwen and her were more alike then she thought, looking at it this way. A strange sort of camaraderie developed in her chest for Gwen. Maybe there were not as different as she thought.
''Right. Alright. Then, I guess I will wait for when you will take me to a date then...,''Jean cautiously looked at Gwen and seeing a nod continued,''I will leave things to you, Bell. I will go now. Through this window and down the fire escape.''
Jean pointed at the window and then moved to slowly leave. Bell and Gwen starring after her. They continued to stare for a bit more at the empty space. As quickly as she came she left.
''That was more awkward, then I anticipated,'' Bell sighed.
''Do you mind explaining the energy Phoenix referenced to? The one inside my body,'' Gwen immediately opened up the subject. Bell cursed Phoenix in the safety of his mind.
''No. No, I don't think I will,'' Bell denied her request.
''Bell!,''Gwen said.
Bell remained unmoved at her insistence.
''I have a right to know,'' Gwen explained.
Bell remained silent, still.
''Do you not trust me? I know we are not equal in power, but it was you yourself that said you wanted us to be equal as partners... Please?,'' Gwen added at the end, her voice no longer angered but heartfelt and a little hurt.
Bell sighed in frustration.
''Look. The energy is not some crutch. It is a tool to aid you, when your own abilities are not enough. It gives you a very small push, by manipulating the world around you. It is a program, only there to keep you safe and/or call be should the program by itself not be enough to fulfill its purpose. It is a little more complicated then that, but that is the broad explanation for it,'' Bell explained reluctantly.
''Why not tell me? Can you spy on it with me too?`,'' Gwen blushed a little. Did he see her naked?
''No. The program is for you and only for you. Besides, I don't need to use it to spy on you. I have other means for that, not that I'm invading your privacy like that. Just saying. As for why I didn't tell you. I didn't want to smother your flame, to rob you of the chance to feel proud of your achievements or to rob you of the chance to truly learn how to fight. Only when you think you fight with the risk of dying, will you fight at 100% and take things seriously. Sparring can take you far, but that is how you TRULY learn,'' Bell explained, reluctantly.
Gwen worked his words over a little in her mind and then widened her eyes.
''My father! My heart almost leaped out of my chest when I saw him being attacked by The Lizard when he was reloading his shotgun and I was on the antenna. The Lizard stepped on something, don't remember what exactly and fell down. All your loved ones have that program?,'' Gwen asked him as realization dawned on her.
Bell scratched his cheek and looked away from her.
Gwen leaped at him and hugged him fiercely.
''I was right. You truly are like a gruff, stern bear, that is loving on the inside. Thank you,'' Gwen thanked him, choosing to look at the positive side of the situation. Bell hugged her back.
''Will you remove these programs from me?,'' Gwen asked after a while in their hug.
''No,'' Bell immediately replied. Gwen tsked.
''Worth a shot,'' Gwen shrugged. Bell broke the hug and while resting his hands on her shoulder firmly spoke to her.
''Gwen, that program is a last resort. I do not want you fighting and relying on it. You will fight as if your life is on the line, even if it isn't. Not truly at least. Because, whatever the case may be. You can not fight cosmic entities or reality warpers. You can only take on so many enemies before their power is too much for yours. Someone could get to me by going after you and I want to keep you safe and know of your safety,'' Bell told her.
Gwen looked at him while deadpanning. She KNEW that, of course, but she did not want to have those words thrown at her face so close by Bell after Phoenix threw them at her too. Even if Bells words came out of a place of worry, rather then vindictiveness as with Phoenix.
Still. She sighed, calming herself down and turned serious.
''Of course,'' Gwen told him sincerely.
If it would keep his peace of mind then she would readily agree with it. She only wished she had a way of returning that gesture. It stung a little, to not be able to truly fight by his side (as Phoenix mocked her), but she would do anything she could to carry her own weight and help him.
Bells shoulder slumped.
''Sorry. This is not how either of us imagined our relationship going,'' Bell apologized.
''No. I told you, it is fine. Besides, you have given your word. Let's try to make this work, at least. The alternative is that we are all miserable in this situation. A situation we are guaranteed to be in, for the foreseeable future. One that we won't get out of, probably forever. Forever being miserable sounds, quite mentally draining. I know I...,'' Gwen was repeating herself.
''Alright! I got the message. Jesus, women, stop pestering me. I said I will try to make it work,'' Bell interrupted her.
Gwen smiled and then burst into a small laughter.
Bell sighed fondly at hearing her laughter. Even if he could not quite find himself as amused as her at the situation.
''But, no. Seriously. Are there are any other such 'programs' that you want to make me aware of?,'' Gwen suddenly turned serious and stopped laughing.
''No, Gwen. Aside from that I shared most of it with you,'' Bell promised her.
''Hmmm. Really?,'' Gwen asked him, slightly teasing, but also insistent.
Bell closed his eyes and cursed Phoenix' big mouth for making his life complicated.
''Really.''
''Really? Really?''
''Yes, Gwen. Really, really,'' Bell sighed. Well, technically there was also Stan being the One-Above-All in this multiverse. But that was REALLY not his secret to tell and Bell would not antagonize him needlessly.
Gwen hummed.
''Seriously, really, really?''
Bell teleported her pillow in his hand and threw it in her face, causing her to laugh.
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''So. How long do you think it will take till dictatorships fall?,'' Peter asked as he sat down with his tray of food in the cafeteria.
Gwen frowned, while Bell looked suddenly very giddy.
''What do you mean?,'' she asked him.
''Please continue with your thought process,'' Bell eagerly asked.
''Well,'' Peter took a small sip from his glass since he was parched,''Dictatorships function on the basis that the hold the monopoly on violence. The Military. It has always been like that. Kingdoms, Empires, etc. Of course there are many more factors to a government holding control over a country, but the most important one is the military, with money and economics second so that you can pay your soldiers. And well... it is hard to hold the monopoly on violence with people like Nexus, Thor and/ or Hulk. So I was just wondering. A conversation starter if you will.''
Gwen looked incredulous at him.
''Who the fuck starts a conversation like this? We just sat down,'' Gwen complained.
''Ehhh. It is a rather tame conversation starter. We started conversations on weirder topics,'' Bell shrugged with Peter nodding sagely.
''Oh, yeah? Like what?,'' Gwen asked them. Both Peter and Bell shared a look, had an entire conversation with just their eyebrows and simultaneously made a decision to move on.
''What brought this question on?,'' Bell asked him. Gwen whipped her head to look at him betrayed. Were they going to leave her out of the loop entirely?
''Gwen, dear, sometimes Bros gotta keep their secrets. Even you being my girlfriend will not change that,'' Bell nodded seriously.
''Amen,'' Peter agreed.
''So, Peter, care to answer my question?,'' Bell asked again.
Gwens head moved from Peter to Bell again and again, not believing them.
''Well. You know about the Avengers and the Chitauri and Ghost Spider with all her villains and that Daredevil guy that was barely caught by the news. Recently there was a man caught on video that bent metal accompanied by a guy that can wield fire. Then, with me having watched so many videos on metahumans I got recommended a video by the algorithm, about a weather goddess in Africa. And so on and so forth. And I thought to myself 'Boy, these are a LOT of metahumans that suddenly cropped up in a short time frame'. And from there my thoughts just spiraled, until I landed at my initial question. Kind of hard not to, considering how often you criticize the government. So, yeah. Care, YOU, to answer MY question?,'' Peter explained how he landed on that topic.
''Are they a lot of metahumans that suddenly cropped up? Or where they always there and the internet only has made us more aware of it? Kind of hard not to, seeing as nowadays there is hardly any place that is not watched by a security camera and everyone has a portable camera and access to social media,'' Bell did not immediately answer Peters question.
Gwen had to agree with Bell, but she asked if they were seriously not gonna share the contents of their Bro conversation with her. Only to be ignored by both boys again. Seriously? She was starting to get a little angry at having them keep her out of the loop.
Peter rubbed his chin.
''I mean... I can't disagree with that. The man that bent metal did look a little older then most people I have seen. Probably older then Uncle Ben too. Unless, he only recently gained his powers. And I did see some comments about something, something Humanity that wrote comments with an incredible amount of vitriol towards metahumans. But that is neither her nor there. Bell, I admit that between the three of us, you possess the most knowledge about politics. So, please?,'' Peter asked him.
Sure the three of them were geniuses when it came to science, even if Bell never seemed to take pride in that. And while they were not completely naive, it was still Bell that knew most about governments and politics. Much more then the two of them, at the very least.
Gwen dug into her food annoyed at both of them. Apparently she was not a Bro. Fine. they can keep their stupid 'Bro' conversations. See if they liked being kept out of the loop from her topics.
She was still listening.
''Hmm. I could answer the question. But then again. You almost answered it yourself. So, let me ask you this instead. If nukes become useless, then what is the next step?,'' Bell asked him.
Peter chuckled a little at the absurd statement. But he quickly wiped the smile from his face. He didn't know about Thor and Nexus, but Hulk came to be because Dr.Bruce Banner was subjected to an incredible amount of gamma radiation. Sooo, it was not completely far fetched to argue that nukes would be useless on, at the very least, him.
Huh.
That was a scary thought.
''Well. If nukes become useless then I would go for the next most powerful thing.... And I suppose in this case it is metahumans. Human experiments?,'' Peter asked gravely.
''You are not completely wrong. But you are missing a few steps,'' Bell took a sip from his own glass, completely satisfied. He loved it when other people thought about how the world could develop. He would have loved it more if Peter dug a little deeper, but no matter.
Gwen got a little depressed as she realized she had no other friends beside them. There was too much testosterone in this group, god damn it. How did it take her so long, to realize this fact?
''Right now, the world is in a grace period. Metahumans are either afraid to show themselves or cautious fearing how the public will react to them. OR they don't care and it suits them to hide in the shadows for now. There are, of course, the few exceptions. Avengers, Ghost Spider. They shift the public perception in one direction. There is, of course, the other half, the villains, that shift the public perception in the other direction. Groups will form with dissenting opinions on what we should do with metahumans.
That grace of period will be shortly followed by, MAYBE, a small civil war, where politicians will try to return things to the status quo, the public being one of the tools they will use to achieve this. The first thing they will do is try and exterminate all metahumans. The reason for that is because it would be far easier for them to return to the fact that nukes are the most dangerous thing around, then deal with the fallout of having human nukes in existence.
It may have escaped you, but politicians don't actually want to tackle and solve difficult problems and issues. They just want to use the system to enrich themselves.
That, of course, will not happen.
It would take to long to explain, but basically, metahumans are an opened Pandoras Box. They are here to stay.
So. The politicians lost access to their nukes, or at least their power has massively diminished. And no, they will not immediately move on to human experiments. That will cost them money. No. The first thing they will try and do is borderline enslave metahumans and make them fight their battles. That would be quite difficult. Thor is an alien and The Prince of Asgard, and its eventual King. It would be a grave insult to chose any other path besides diplomacy and cooperation with him. Then there are those like Hulk. Good luck trying to negotiate with him. Nexus? Who know what his response will be.
That path will also lead to nowhere.
And NOW is the point where we arrived at human experiments. If one can not enslave human nukes, then just make your own.
Simple.
So, Peter, to answer you question. You can trust politicians to be incompetent in all matter except one. Keeping things under control or acquiring power, those are basically the same things. If I realized that, then they could too. If they are smart, they will have skipped all steps and went straight to the human experiments.
It is a delicate game of cat and mouse. Can dictators acquire human nukes before their vile practices make them step on the toes of one of their citizens that is a human nuke in hiding? Or will they remain in power long enough that stepping on the toes of someone like that will no longer matter as they will now have their own human nukes?
If they are particularly smart, they will try and become metahumans themselves, but there are risks with human experiments.
I don't know. It is a hard question to answer until things have already happened,'' Bell finished his analysis. Then again, as Raezen and the guy who hunted down HYDRA he knew much more then he just shared with Peter. The governments were already doing experiments LONG before the Avengers. With very minor success as HYDRA constantly sabotaged them, to the point they could hardly justify continuing on with the experiments and shut them down. Only for them to be picked up by HYDRA and continued.
How very shocking that there is so much overlap between HYDRA and the governments of the world.
Oh, well. Eventually, they will pick up the experiments and try again. This time they will find that they will succeed. Of course by that time, he would be a politician and will use that to tear into his enemies and remove them from the board.
Or he could fail in that attempt.
While he would prefer to do things this way, as it had far more benefits, he could and would pick violence to take over the government forcefully if he failed in this endeavor. All he needed to do was slaughter all leeches. Something he planned to do anyway, only quietly. Oh well. He would do it loudly if he must.
Peter frowned. That... is not what he wanted to hear. As a proud american, that firmly believed in democracy he wanted to hear that dictatorships will fall (eventually). Even if, as they fall they will do an incredible amount of damage, like for example human experiments. He was disappointed at Bells analysis.
A lightbulb went of in Peters brain, as an idea struck him.
''Wait. Sure, dictators can use human experiments to get human nukes, but how would they control them?,'' Peter asked.
Hold up. Wait a minute.
An idea struck Gwen. Jean, could be her answer. One way or another, they would be forced to be close. Maybe Gwen could accept that the boys will not share some things with her. Fine. She can have her own secrets with Jean and the boys can stay ignorant about them.
Yes, that sounded splendid.
''Kill switches,'' Gwen supplied. Sure, she had other matter going on in her head. That did not mean she spaced out or was inattentive.
''OK. Sure. But I doubt Kill Switches will work on someone like Hul...Oh. That is what you meant with a delicate game of cat and mouse. So, Dictatorships WILL fall,'' Peter focused on that matter.
''Sooner or later. But yes, eventually. The world we are heading towards will be quite volatile indeed. All governments will fall in the future and who know what will step forth as power shifts back and forth,'' Bell shrugged.
''That... seems pretty bleak. Democracy too?,'' Peter asked.
''Especially Democracy,'' Bell affirmed.
''Or Demagoguery as Bell likes to call Democracy all the time,'' Gwen supplied.
''Peter is a true believer. Forgive me, if I wanted to spare his feelings just a little by not insulting his beliefs,'' Bell shrugged.
Peter sighed. This again.
''Democracy is different. Yes, it has its faults... as you have forced me to confront them and constantly remind me off. And certainly you have criticized corporations and politicians enough times that I can't ignore that, especially after all the evidence you showed me. But it is still the best government one can have, if it is done correctly,'' Peter argued.
''Democracy is not exempt from anything I just said. It, too, holds a monopoly on violence. Like any other government, it will resort to human experiments eventually,'' Bell told him.
Peter pursed his lips wanting to argue, but.... He sighed. Who was he kidding? It was hard to argue against something he more or less believed in.
''I wonder how the future will look like. If power will shift constantly will anything even get done?,'' Peter worried.
''Maybe. Maybe not.,'' Gwen replied, not TOO worried. Bell was a reality warper and Phoenix was powerful too. Much as that stung to admit, it was true. She could hardly imagine anyone standing challenging them. And if she was right in her suspicion, regardless of what Bell said, more would join. More powerful women definitely.
Who could stand against them?
''You know... I never asked, but what DO you believe in? So far you seem to hate every government. I know your philosophy about long term advancements across the board, but what GOVERNMENT do you believe in? ,'' Peter asked him.
''Does it even matter? Peter, I'm going to give you the greatest advice of your life. Are you ready?,'' Bell asked him.
''I'm ready,'' Peter played along, thinking Bell was pulling his leg a bit.
''Alright. Listen properly. The truth is I have my world view and you have yours. We can sit here and debate night and day. All day. Every day. For the rest of our lives. The truth is, that neither of us will most likely convince the other of our position. So all that is left is to put my power against yours and find out who is right and who is dead,'' Bell explained.
''Hmm. I see. IF you do hold absolute power, then you will have the power to enforce your worldview. What Peter believes at that point is inconsequential as he will not have the power to defend his worldview. IF you do not hold absolute power then what you believe in is inconsequential as you will not have the power to enforce it and Peter can keep on believing what he wants. Of course, neither can Peter force you to change your worldview, since he does not have that power. I don't know, Bell. You are kind of justifying or saying that there is no point in philosophical debates. Something I know damn well, is not the case at all with you, considering how much you like engaging in those,'' Gwen pointed out.
Bell merely smiled at her smugly, as if he won that particular argument before it even started.
''Which is entirely the point you wanted to make,'' Gwen said as realization dawned on her. She sighed. Then again, she was excused for believing otherwise, since she knew how powerful he was. And that was the point. He liked them, so he would have them and the world would have to suffer his choice as he enforced his will.
''Hmm. I don't know, man. That sounds too much like 'Might makes Right'. I kind of don't agree with that,'' Peter frowned.
''I did say that that governments hold the monopoly on violence. That does not mean that it is the be all and end all of the matter, just that it was the most important. If that were the case, rebellions and revolutions would never occur or exist for that matter. But the entire human history has taught us otherwise. It is littered with dead empires. Absolutism and the French Revolution. The Fall of the Berlin Wall. The Boston Tea Party. The Romanian Revolution where Nicolae Ceauşescu was executed. The death of Benito Mussolini. Stalins pathetic death in solitude form a heart attack. Hiters suicide and the fall of Nazi Germany. The fall of the USSR. The fall of HYDRA by the Captain. History is littered to hell and back with examples like these. These are just the most recent and the ones at the top of my head. Our history is plagued with violence, in some cases more, in others less. In very few instances there is almost no violence.
This? All this? Is an outlier. A sheer freak of nature. 80 years of relative peace. Never has this occurred before in history. We have forgotten what we are. Creatures seeped in violence. But those in power never have. They use every trick in the book to sow dissent, to keep us comfortable where that is not enough. To polarize us with political factions. ALL of them are the same. The politician taking power away from the people.
All that is to say, Peter, that 'Might does not make Right'. What 'might' does do is dictate the course of history. And change, unfortunately, is always accompanied by pain. It is a hard thing to leave the safety of your comfort zone. And not everyone can make that choice.
Fair enough.
But then, you have no business dictating anything. Your opinion is utterly inconsequential. Those that do no participate are only fit to be sacrifices. If you are lucky all you will lose is your beliefs. If not, your life,'' Bell went on to formulate a small monologue, before he noticed.
Yes, he was passionate about the subject. Sue him.
Peter opened his mouth and then closed it, trying to process what he said.
''That is a VERY bleak way of looking at the world. And it is quite rude of you to dismiss other peoples opinions like that,'' Peter eventually said.
''I call it realism. And perhaps, if people want me to listen to their opinions then they can pick up the sword and fight for something. Anything. Even if it is their own convictions and that puts them at odds with others. At least they prove that they care about their words and beliefs enough to defend them and fight for them,'' Bell shrugged.
It tasted like rotten milk in his mouth. But in that, and that alone, Bell would give the leeches credit. The want power and control and so they take it. If innocents want a better world then they should take it.
Peter looked helplessly at Gwen, trying to gather some support from her. She merely turned her head slightly to avoid looking him in the eye. While she personally did not agree with what Bell said, she could not completely disagree either. She was more neutral, if anything.
Frankly, in her opinion Bell was just being dramatic. Yes, he meant every word, but that way he worded things made it seem as if he would take things to the extreme. She knew he was more reasonable then they way he made himself sound.
So that begged the question.
Why?
While Gwen trailed off in thought, Peter shook his head. Right. She was Bells girlfriend. Of course she would side with him.
''You are inciting violence. I can't tell if it is violence for violences sake or it it is supposed to have a purpose. That is like... the complete opposite of what Uncle Ben said. With Great Power there should also come an equal amount of responsibilities. If people have the power they should try and protect those weaker then them, IF they can do so without risking their own lives. Hell, you practically agreed with Uncle Ben at one point, when talking about taking actions that achieve the most long term advancements across the board,'' Peter recited firmly.
''Ah, but haven't you heard? 'Absolute power corrupts absolutely'. I'm sure in that state you MUST clearly care very much about your responsibilities,'' Bell sarcastically reminded Peter.
Peter frowned.
''No. That is not what you believe in. I said that once to you. I did. And you said 'No, Peter. Absolute power removes all inhibitions' You said that very clearly. And then you also said 'That it shows the world who you always were. A monster on a leash fearing reprisal. Now? Now, you are at the top. What is there left for you to fear?','' Peter pointed out.
''I did? Fascinating. So what?,'' Bell dismissed bored.
''You!...,'' Peter was about to explode on him in anger. Could he just not give him a goddamned straight answer? That is all he asked for. How did they get he...?
Peter narrowed his eyes at Bell. Bell merely propped his chin on his palm and smiled in satisfaction.
''Have you already forgotten my greatest life advice to you, Peter?,'' Bell asked him.
''Right. It does not matter what you believe. Only if you have the power to back it up and enforce it. As history has shown us, often through violence,'' Peter sighed and calmed himself down.
''Indeed. It does not matter if something is justified. Even during Hitlers time there were germans that disagreed with him on killing Jews. They were outspoken, until they weren't. Of course there is a little more nuance to it, but that is besides the point. Violence speaks, ACTIONS speaks louder then any words. Most of what I said? Forget it. Get it out of your mind for all of them were empty words that I never planned on enforcing. I was merely using them to make a point,'' Bell explained.
''Alright. I get the advice you were trying to get across. It stuck. But what EXACTLY is the point you were trying to make? Unless it is the same as 'actions meaning more then words'?,'' Peter rubbed the bridge of his nose.
''The point, Peter, is that you will encounter all sorts of people in your life. People with belief systems that you will disagree with. Pay them no mind. But watch their actions. Scrutinize every breath they take, if you must. Do that and you would be surprised how much clearer you see the world,'' Bell explained.
''Words have power too,'' Peter pointed out.
''Speaking is an action too. And thus words have power. Weak power, but yes. But Freedom of Speech is not the same as Freedom of Consequences. I have yet to meet someone that is exempt to the latter. You are no fool, Peter. You know very well that there are some words you simply can not utter or you will have the FBI, CIA, police, Avengers and who knows what else knocking at your door,'' Bell told him.
''You don't believe in peaceful revolutions?,'' Gwen asked him, interested in the conversation again.
''Peaceful revolutions do exist. The only example I can think off is The Fall of the Berlin Wall. But remember, there were a LOT of circumstances involved at that time that allowed that. Even if you ignore all of them, note that people did not really speak during that time, they simply came and they celebrated as if they have already won and started tearing the wall down. What were the soldiers gonna do? Shoot them all? They could have, but good luck recovering from that backlash. Name me one other peaceful revolution that was ACTUALLY successful. I'll wait,'' Bell challenged them.
''I just... I wish we wouldn't have to resort to violence. That things could be different,'' Peter lamented, defeated.
''Yes. Violence is terrifying. It leaves a mark on both the world and you and not everyone is able to make that choice. Sometimes the people will never act, despite how many chances were given to them. In that case I only pray that I can step up or someone will dirty his hands to save earth. As the saying goes 'The only way evil can triumph is if good men stand aside and do nothing','' Bell sighed and drank from his glass.
He gave them several chances. In the end, he had to do it all himself and engage in a game of shadows, poison and daggers. It would have been easier if the public amassed and they all confronted the leeches, dragged them out and executed them. Sometimes it was hard to look at the innocents and see innocents.
How much, until they were no longer downgraded from innocents to complacent but complicit?
In the end they loved him for the peace and comfort/security and economic growth he brought them. But it did not feel like victory. Their opinion and love were meaningless to him. At that time it suited him just fine, what with his desire to be miserable.
Now?
Now he could separate between his desire to be miserable and his disappointment. They were not one and the same anymore.
Bell twirled the water in his glass a little, before downing the rest.
While Gwen watched him, Peter just leaned in his chair in thought.
''Yeah. You have given me much to think about. Certainly a new perspective that differs from Uncle Bens. An as you always say. 'Faith not tested is brittle','' Peter quoted him.
''Indeed? Think it over then. Tomorrow or the day after that, I want to continue our philosophical debate on this,'' Bell requested.
''Is there a point to it?,'' Peter challenged teasingly, remembering his advice. He would however do this. He could not believe that violence was the answer to meaningful change.
There had to be something else that would work.
Bell laughed a little at his cheek.
''No. No. I guess not.''
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Nexus came and greeted the four of them after the spar on the weekend.
Laura closed her eyes, ready to have her head patted again. It is the way Nexus usually greeted her. Perhaps it was a very affectionate way, something she did not like engaging in with other people. Even if Katherine and Rogue were now her friends and she guessed Jean too. But she wasn't going to complain.
Only for the head pat to never come. She opened her eyes and starred at him questioning.
''Yo. Whats up?,'' Nexus asked them.
''The sky,'' Katherine replied playfully
''HA! Hilarious,'' he sarcastically complimented.
''Is there something we can help you with, Sugar?,'' Rogue asked him politely.
''Not really. I was bored and came to pester you all,'' Nexus shrugged.
''We all planned on going to eat some pizza. You can come with us, if you want, but I guess that will be a moot point since you can't eat through your mask,'' Jean told him.
''Ah, but with such fine company, NOT eating pizza is a small price to pay. Imagine the riveting conversations we could have,'' Nexus playfully said, as he looked at Katherine.
''Smooth,'' Rogue snorted.
''Like, super smooth,'' Katherine chuckled nervously.
Shit.
She knew eventually her outburst will come to bite her in the ass.
''Well then, ladies, shall we?,'' Nexus asked them as he gave a small theatrical bow and gestured forward with his outstretched palm.
Laura grabbed his sleeve and pulled a few times on it gently while they are were starting to walk in a direction.
''Hm? What is it, Laura?,'' Nexus asked her kindly.
''My head pat,'' Laura reminded him sounding annoyed.
''Oh. Laura, I was made aware that you could take it the wrong way and that touching you like this would be inappropriate. I don't think I should do that to you anymore,'' Nexus told her kindly.
''But I like it,'' Laura assured him. It is something that they had and that felt special to her. She didn't want to lose it.
''Fair enough. But I started feeling uncomfortable after things were put into THAT perspective. I will no longer give you head pats,'' Nexus replied firmly, but kindly.
Laura frowned and looked down, feeling strangely heartbroken at that.
''Do you actually enjoy the head pats, Sugar?,'' Rogue asked seeing, Lauras body language.
Laura nodded firmly.
''Then just give her a head pat, Sugar. If she likes it and gives her consent and you don't mean anything by it, except it being a friendly gesture, then why should you feel uncomfortable about it? Or are you one of those people that worry about image more then the contents of their actions?,'' Rogue decided to come to her friends aid. Laura shared very little with them about her life in the lab. But what she did share painted a bleak picture and Rogue felt for her.
She knew how important it was for a life like theirs to find happiness everywhere they could. God, knows she wants to confront Nexus sooner or later (probably sooner) about the fact that she could touch him without her powers absorbing his powers and memories.
So she decided to come to her friends aid.
Nexus just crossed his arms and they continued walking for a short while as they all waited for him to do something. Until he spotted someone looking distressed and Nexus decided to walk away from this situation.
''You know what? You go ahead and have your fun, that person looks like he needs my help,'' Nexus walked away from them.
Only for the girls to follow after him.
''What?,'' Katherine asked as he looked at them,'' We made no reservation. And if someone needs help, we want to help too.''
Nexus shook his head in disbelief. He would have suspected that she out of all of them would have taken the opportunity to flee the situation. Or she was smart enough to know that it would have made no difference anyway as he would have sought her out at a later time.
''So, who needs help?,'' Jean asked.
''That guy under the tree,'' Nexus supplied and pointed at the figure they were making their way towards.
Rogue looked at him, acknowledged the stranger and the turned back towards Nexus.
She frowned.
''What are we doing?,'' she asked.
''We will need to ask him first what ails him to know how we can help him,'' Nexus replied.
''Ask who?,'' Rogue asked.
Katherine frowned and turned towards Rogue to address her.
''That...What are we doing?,'' she asked instead of explaining things to Rogue.
Nexus quickly put his hand on Lauras head, before she could turn her own head to look at them and away from her distressed boy. She eagerly took the opportunity and leaned into his touch, while moving her head to initiate the rubbing.
Nexus sighed, considering the battle lost for today in his efforts to not head pat her.
''Jean?,'' Nexus asked her.
''I'm fine, rest assured. They seem to forget him whenever they look away from him. Maybe some sort of telepathy?,'' Jean replied. Phoenix shielded her from any memory loss. She wondered if she could still say the same if she was not properly bonded to Phoenix.
Probably not.
''Alright you three. You see that person? Do NOT look away from him under any circumstances,'' Nexus instructed, while pointing at the figure under the tree.
The girls obeyed his order and after a short while the five of them arrived to stand in front of the stranger.
''Why are you crying?,'' Nexus asked him, skipping the greeting.
The boy suddenly stopped making choking noises and lifted his head from his knees.
''Because I'm sad,'' the boy said dismissively.
Nexus blinked. Listen here you little shit, don't be a smartass.
''Yes, I have...observed that much. I would like to know the source of your sadness,'' Nexus elaborated.
''There is no point. You're gonna forget anyways,'' the boy replied.
Ah. So he was right then. Looking away from him caused memory loss about him. Nexus leaned a little back and rubbed his chin in contemplation.
''Really? That sounds like a curse,'' Rogue said, sympathizing with the boy.
''What should we call you?,'' Laura asked.
''Forget-Me-Not,'' he replied.
''That is not a name. It is an alias or a title. Hey. Do you want to see something? Hold up any number of fingers,'' Jean instructed him. He held up three and Jean spun once around, briefly removing him out of her sights and then stopped looking at him again.
''I remember you holding up three fingers. Now. What is your name? Your real one,'' Jean asked him again.
Forget-Me-Not looked at her with an expression of pure hope and he quickly looked at the other girls.
''Don't look at us like that. She is a powerful telepath. That is how she protects herself. We are not so fortunate,'' Katherine quickly explained. The three girls made sure not to look away from him, but they did see Jeans actions in their periphery.
The sad boy frowned.
''I joined only recently. Professor Xavier is also a powerful telepath. He said that he will make something in his mind that will periodically remind him of me so that he can help me in gaining control of my powers. He still forgets me, even if not as absolutely as the others. You... are you an even more powerful telepath then him?,'' he asked her and received a nod.
''Xabi. My name is Xabi,'' he smiled at her.
''Well, Xabi. Stand up,'' Nexus instructed him having arrived at a solution.
''What?,'' Xabi asked him.
Nexus stepped forward and grabbed him under the armpit lifting him up.
''Stand tall. You are strong. Lesser men would have crumbled under the tragedy of constantly being forgotten by those around him. Oblivion is a cruel fate. But instead of crumbling or killing yourself in depression or abusing your abilities to cause evil, here you stand,'' Nexus hugged him sideways by the shoulders and pressed him in comfort against him.
''But even the strongest falter and need a helping hand every now and then. A slight push. Rogue, didn't Hank use the abilities of one of the children I rescued to replicate an X-Gene dampener?,'' Nexus asked her.
''Yes. But it is useless for me. I absorb the energy of the battery,'' Rogue told him not looking away from Xabi.
''Useless for you maybe. But not for Xabi. It is at least worth the effort to try,'' Nexus told her.
''Such a thing exists?,'' Xabi asked them eagerly.
''You said you only recently joined? You are excused for not knowing about this. Aside from Rogue we don't really have any others whose abilities are more of a curse then a blessing. So it is not well known, but yes, such a thing exists,'' Katherine replied.
''Well, then. Let us get to the medical lab. Or the Science Wing. He spends his time at either or,'' Nexus declared.
---
It was very awkward all of them moving while keeping Xabi in their eye sight. At least for Katherine, Rogue and Laura. No one wanted to leave him alone during this time. When they saw his hopeful expression, how could they crush it by abandoning him? But they eventually managed to make it to the Science Wing.
After some back and forth and Hank accidentally looking away and forgetting a few times, only to be reminded again, he tinkered with the collar dampener a few times and adjusted it to fit Xabis neck and specific ability.
The only test now was to see if it worked. Laura volunteered and after a quick spin, she kept her memories of him.
Xabi began crying tears of joy and relief.
---
''It was a nice thing you did, helping him,'' Jean complimented as the two walked down a path across the meadow.
''All I did was notice his cries for help and point him in the right direction. The rest of the help was provided by the others. Hell, you were also not affected by his abilities. You could have done the same,'' Nexus told her.
''Maybe. But unlike you I did not pay attention to my surroundings. Yes, yes. I know a foolish thing to do as you constantly keep saying after every spar,'' Jean quickly added at the end, seeing as he wanted to say something.
''Something I will continue to say until the lesson sticks. It is good advice,'' Nexus told her firmly.
Jean pursed her lips and nodded. He was not wrong, but habits are hard to break.
Nexus sighed.
''Let us go on a date,'' he told her.
''Now?,'' she asked him surprised.
''Yes. Now. It is still quite some time till evening, let alone night,'' Nexus told her.
''You do not want to investigate Katherine?,'' Jean asked him.
''Where is she gonna go that she can elude me? She escaped me this time and she can keep that victory. I will simply have to succeed next time. But the quicker we get this done, the quicker we can get used to the status quo and feel less awkward about everything. I planned on taking you on a date after confronting Katherine anyway,'' Nexus explained to her.
''But I'm hardly dressed for a date. And I'm a little sweaty from the spar. You can't just spring this on me,'' Jean complained.
Some people would call her state optimal. Nexus was not gonna make that joke.
''Your hair is fine. How long can it take to take a body shower and pick up some clothes? We are going to eat dinner in a nice place. We will keep it simply for the first time. Will I have to take you and Phoenix on two separate dates or... how do you two want to solve this?,'' Nexus asked her.
''Phoenix doesn't really care for our human rituals, but she will be for the ride and feel everything I feel,'' Jean explained.
''Sooo, I take just you on a date. I thought she wanted ... I don't know. Something for herself?,'' Nexus asked her confused.
''Yeah. That sounds weird to me as well,but as far as she is concerned. You are her mate and she yours. Anything else is just dragging the matter out before making babies. She is, however, considerate and allows me to fall in love to before ... making babies,'' Jean blushed fiercely.
Nexus threw his hands up in frustration.
What the fuck, kind of stance is that? Was he ever gonna understand what is going on in Phoenix' damn mind.
''How very kind of her. It will be a while till we engage in that. And even longer till we make babies,'' he assured her, causing her to relax a little.
''Oh. in that case she will take the date as well,'' Jean told him.
Nexus wanted to rip his hair out.
''Sure. Just... Just go, prepare yourself, Jean,'' Nexus instructed her defeated.
---
It took hours till she was ready. He forgot that like Gwen, she was a woman. The only reason Gwen arrives on time for their dates is because she spends hours beforehand getting ready for the date. Now there was two of them. Three if Phoenix cared about her appearance as much as Jean and Gwen.
If nothing else it allowed him to take care of some matters. Mainly making the food and seeing Xabi for a bit. To see how he was faring. He was overwhelmed but grateful for everything and already found some friends.
Good for him.
He took her to the Grand Canyon. A massive valley that curved and through which the Colorado River flowed was the spot he picked. And if he used his powers a little to manipulate the sun set and make it look more orange and bloom more beautifully to impress Jean, then no body could say otherwise. Except maybe Phoenix.
The main course was Codfish Meatballs in Sauce and afterwards some desert. Unlike him, not that he really cared about himself, she was almost an adult so (technically) she could drink alcohol. But he picked alcohol free Champagne for both of them.
Then again, American drinking age was 21. He was still thinking as an European on some matters.
''I see you you went through quite the effort to arrange a nice date for us,'' Jean pointed out pleased. She was a little old school. The man should put the effort in for arranging the date.
But perhaps, being old school mattered little, what with her situation.
''Yes. Don't worry about the wind blowing sand and dirt into our food or our clothes. I'm taking care of it. Or any peeping toms for that matter,'' Bell assured her as he held out the chair for her and then pushed her in.
''I wouldn't have minded doing that myself. Did you cook all this?,'' Jean asked him.
''I'm not Gordon Ramsay, but I am something of a culinary connoisseur myself. I hope you like it. For that matter, what is your favorite food, so that I may cook it next time,'' Bell asked her.
''I don't have any favorite food. I eat anything. But I have a favorite dessert. Waffles. And yours? I want to cook for you too,'' Jean asked him, being thankful that he broke the awkward atmosphere with small talk.
''Spaghetti Bolognese. In that case, please indulge. I hope you like Codfish Meatballs in Sauce,'' Bell waved his hand in front of her, gesturing towards her plate. The food was already there and prepared, just being kept warm by his powers waiting for them to arrive.
''It is delicious,'' she complimented after taking her first bite and swallowing.
Bell nodded in thanks.
A short moment of uncomfortable silence reigned over them as they continued to eat more.
''You know. What you said to Peter and Gwen... it is an interesting take on the world,'' Jean opened up the subject.
Bell frowned at her in confusion, causing her to wince a little in shame.
''Sorry, but every now and then Phoenix wants to take control and she uses that to spy on Gwen. Doesn't want to be kept out of the loop or settle for second place, she says,'' Jean explained to him.
Bell took a deep calming breath, his nostrils slightly flaring.
''Ok. Is there a question or...?,'' Bell let the sentence hang.
''No. It's just... I was trying to say that the world lucked out with you. What you are saying does sound like something a villain would say, but I have seen you today. With Xabi. You have a kind heart. What is your ultimate goal? Yes, you told Gwen that you want to make the world a better place, but how exactly will it look like?,'' Jean asked him.
''It does sound like something a villain would say, doesn't it? Kind men do not hold power for long. Cruel men do. I had to learn to swallow all my morals, for they are a poor mans quality, if I wanted to make the world a better place. Of course there should be lines that should not be crossed. It is a fine balance that I have to walk. But ultimately I want to make the world a better place by fixing everything. Everything and anything under the sun that is wrong with our world. Long term advancement across the board,'' Bell passionately told her.
''Some people would have not given a single care about making the world a better place. They would have only indulged. Some would even call you foolish for showing kindness, since you owe strangers nothing,'' Jean told him. Phoenix was certainly very dispassionate about most human matters. She was not cruel, but there was an apathy. Jean was wondering how she should tackle that.
Should she give in or ignore it?
''Good for them. Do the hold my position? My power? Do they hold ANY card here? No. They can talk all they want, they can have their opinions, but as I told Peter, what they want is inconsequential. I hold the power here and I have all the cards. What I want is not inconsequential, because I can enact my worldview,'' Bell told her.
Was he seriously gonna have this conversation with her too?
''I wonder...If everyone thought like you, how the world would look,'' Jean told him.
''My dear. Most people want a summer that never ends, ripe fields for food in their belly, and a ceiling with warmth over their head. Even if all have powers. Most would use it for convenience. To fly to work. To heat up food. Etc. Only a few individuals will seek to hold control over everyone, to satiate their ego. They will die and I will make them into examples. Eventually people will accept the new status quo and that will be it,'' Bell told her.
''You would fashion yourself into a monster,'' Jean repeated Phoenix words, just now.
Bells eye twitched at that exact word. No, actually. That word was just a bad memory now.
''Not quite the exact word I would have chosen, but yes. That life is simple and everything is a clear black and white remains humanities greatest conceit. Life is more complicated then that. I can wear the kindest face known to man and be more monstrous then the devil. I can look evil and be kinder then an angel. I can be an angel that wreaks havoc and a devil that is saintly. Of course I'm being a little a hyperbolic, but the point is that people will fear me. They will call me a monster. And for some that will be enough to stay their hands and smother their ambition.
I DO want to see humanity improve and prosper. But as they are right now, that will never happen. So, I will pave the path. And if I have to do that by being monstrous then I will. And if I have to dirty my hands, then I will do that too.
Nothing worthwhile is earned easy, after all,'' Bell passionately explained to her.
Jean was attentively listening. Phoenix could probably force her to have that same apathy as her for humanity. But she cared enough about the few she cared about that she would not force her beliefs on them.
...Mostly.
In the same way Jean could use that opportunity, a form of power, to enact her own worldview. She wanted to care about humanity as Bell did and for her people to live freely without worry of reprisal.
And so she would, taking some inspiration from Bell to solve her dilemma.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Bell... certainly knew what he wanted. She moved a strand of hair behind her ear.
She could see why, so many variants feel for his variants. He was assertive and kind, even if under the disguise of cruelty, both qualities she liked in a man.
''I see. What I want seems rather mundane right now,'' Jean joked.
''No. Tell me. If it means something to you, then it can not be mundane despite the scope of ambition,'' Bell told her.
''...I don't completely know what I want to do yet. But for the longest time, I thought of becoming a teacher at Xaviers school too. Or a therapist to help people. Either way I would get to help people. But recently the idea of staying near Xavier, after finding out what he had done, angers me. So probably a therapist. But then it is also hard to abandon the others. I know they want to stay a part of the X-Men and fight for our people. It feels wrong abandoning them. I don't know what to do,'' Jean shared her worries with him.
''Then don't abandon them. This is not the year 1033 where we communicate with pigeons. Become a therapist if that is what you want and should they ever need you then they can call you. You have telekinesis. You should be able to rip open a portal and travel through it or control your body and teleport,'' Bell offered her a solution.
''I don't think that is possible. I can't do that,'' Jean pointed out to him.
'You absolutely can. You just need to practice a bit,' Phoenix assured her in her head.
''Nevermind. I can do that apparently. Can I stay with you? When I have to go to college it would be nice to be near you,'' Jean told him.
''Hmm. That would be difficult. I'm still one year away from becoming an adult or finishing school and I would rather keep Mom away from all this. But you will be an adult. I can give you the money and you can rent an apartment in NYC. At least for a year, before we all move in together, under the same roof,'' Bell told her.
''That sounds good,'' Jean smiled at him.
Bell nodded at her.
''By the way, what was that about Laura and not giving her head pats?,'' Jean asked him curiously.
''Simple. The defense that I have a girlfriend is no longer sufficient. Phoenix opened Pandoras Box essentially. I have to be much more conscious about my interactions with other women now,'' Bell explained.
''I doubt Laura has any romantic feelings for you, so I think you are just overreacting. And even IF, she had feelings for you. Just reject her,'' Jean told him.
''I have every intention to, but then unlike others that can still stay friends afterwards, our friendship will definitely end. She will be resentful. Why you three and not her too? I value my friendship with her too much to risk that scenario,'' Bell explained.
''Ah, so you are one of these ones that believe men and women can be platonic friends,'' Jean wondered.
''You don't believe that can occur?,'' Bell asked her.
''I have seen it happen. So I can't say that it doesn't exist. But it is RARE. I guarantee you that some of the boys have or will have feelings for some of the girls on the team despite only being 'friends'. We can check next time, if you want,'' Jean asked him.
''I make it a point to not invade someones mind until I absolutely have too. I'm surprised you are advocating for it,'' Bell pointed out.
''Xavier messed with my mind. We will NOT do that, but just take a peek,'' Jean firmly declared.
''To gossip,'' Bell teased her.
''To confirm our theories,'' Jean corrected seriously.
Bell made a sound of profound realization.
''Of course. But I'm not much one for gossip. You can gossip with Gwen if you want,'' Bell opened the subject. For his peace of mind he wanted Jean and Gwen to get along. Of course, believing Phoenix and Gwen could get along was a fools dream.
''Funny. That is something along the lines she thought as well. She was quite vexed to not be included in your 'Bro' talks. You two were very mean to her. I feel for the girl. Perhaps we should talk about things and leave you out. See how you feel about that,'' Jean teased him.
''A very tragic situation for me, I'm sure,'' Bell lamented.
Jean giggled at their banter.
''So, what is the next big plan?,'' she asked him curiously.
''Investigating Katherines outburst to my confession that I have a girlfriend. Well... had A girlfriend,'' Bell told her.
''You want me to take a look? Why haven't you already done that already?,'' Jean offered to him.
''As I told you I try not to invade peoples minds pointlessly. I invaded Xaviers mind because it was urgent and I had to find out if he touched you inappropriately. In a way he did, but that is besides the point. Or because someone is an enemy. Katherine is neither. If you want to peek into their minds feel free to do so, but I don't want to be complicit,'' Bell told her.
'Don't do that. Despite what he may say or act and pretend otherwise, he does love his silly games and to be dramatic, when things are not serious. 'He is a hunter and a hunter must hunt' as one of his variants once said. Let him have his fun, my dear, for he is right in saying it is not urgent,' Phoenix told her, when she was about to insist he takes a look anyway.
''You are weird. You have no problems taking over the world, but looking in someone minds is too much for you. Do you enjoy being a detective, by any chance?,'' Jean asked him with a knowing smile.
Bell frowned in confusion at her behavior.
''No. You were saying something about 'your people' living without fear of reprisal. How exactly do you want to achieve this?,'' Bell asked her.
''Well, Xavier hoped to arrive at an understanding, diplomatically I must add, with the governments to allow our people to live peacefully along side humans. He hoped to wait and reveal ourselves when the time is right to the public so that they may be in our favor and force the government to rule favorably when making a decision about us,'' Jean told him.
For a brief moment Bell was completely blank faced as he waited for some sort of punchline.
He burst out in a small wheeze, before letting out a short laughter before turning completely serious in his face.
''You serious?,'' Bell asked her.
''I mean... Swaying the public was part of your plan too,'' Jean pointed out. She was not the biggest fan of Xavier, but she was not about to let Bell be a hypocrite.
''True. But the true thing that matters is the governments response. Public perception can minimize blood shed if it is in your favor, but the government can act against public perception anyway. Or sour it with a few well placed 'incidents'.
No. Ultimately swinging the public is for their safety not to influence the government.
Did you know that President Ellis tasked William Trask with creating robots, Sentinels, to control Mutants if they ever broke the law?,'' Bell asked her.
''Yes. I got that from Gwens mind when Phoenix went through it,' Jean affirmed.
''I have to give credit where credit is due. Ellis does not hate you. Surprisingly this president is not even that corrupt after I looked into him and his fears are not completely unwarranted. But what he didn't know was that Trask had a deep seated hatred for your kind. And it is Ellis' last term this time. He won't be able to run for a third term. It takes one person hating your kind in the right position to do immense damage. I will not put my hopes for a better tomorrow in the hands of others. I will bring the better tomorrow myself. Diplomatically or not. Most likely not diplomatically. Xavier is TOO optimistic,'' Bell told her.
''You are not like Magneto, are you? Xavier once told us that, they had a falling out. He was trying to be too diplomatic and Lehnsherr was too ruthless towards humanity. Considering the possibility of mutants living freely only possible once humanity is ruled by mutants. Or dead, if they proved too resistant,'' Jean asked him.
''I'm aware he is gathering strength. In the last two decades the number of mutants being born grew, compared to before. But he became the very thing he once suffered. A supremacist,'' Bell snorted. He caught him often enough as Raezen during his speeches that there was not other conclusion her could make. Perhaps he had his reasons for his stance perhaps not. But right now there was no reason to go after him. Not yet, at least.
''So you are the middle ground? Xavier is too optimistic, Lehnsherr too bloodthirsty?,'' Jean asked him.
''Indeed. I will be the velvet glove and the gauntlet both, and use whatever hand suits me for every situation,'' Bell confirmed.
''Bell...Do you promise that in the end Mutant and Humans will live side by side?,'' Jean asked him a little worried.
''I see no difference between the two. Strictly speaking both can procreate with each other so it is not like you two are two different species. But yes, by the time I'm done both will live side by side in relative peace. I promise you that,'' Bell gave her his word.
Jean relaxed. Phoenix told her that Bell only promised what he could achieve and that he meant his promises.
She suddenly giggled.
''Sorry. It's just, you are not a mutant yet you fight for our cause. I find that funny for some reason,'' Jean drank some champagne.
''Yes. I know. But it is not too weird. Wanda is also like me, possessing powers despite not having the X-Gene. She still fights for our cause since she cares about her brother. Many examples exist I'm sure,'' Bell shrugged and dug into his food again. It has become a little cold, but it was still good.
''I wonder how she has powers? I know you have some sort of void powers, thanks to Phoenix. I admit most has flown over my head. But bottom line from her explanation is that you are powerful. Maybe she is powerful too, if she is like you? Just... maybe not with void powers,'' Jean wondered digging into her own food too.
''Maybe. There is a lot to investigate, but we can look into that matter too,'' Bell understood what she wanted to request.
''Maybe we could ask Phoenix. She will probably know,'' Jean playfully touched on the topic.
''Efficient. I like that. Feel free to ask her and then share your findings with me,'' Bell told her, sounding VERY enthused about the prospect.
Jean couldn't believe it. Phoenix was right. Bell really loved the thrill of the 'hunt'. Whatever that meant.
'When it is not urgent, my dear. Otherwise he does not indulge in his silly games,' Phoenix added in her mind. Right. That distinction was important.
'And do you know why Wanda has her powers? Is it urgent to know?,' Jean asked her in her mind.
'No. For now. Do ensure that her kin does not die, because then it is urgent. Her powers grow the more intense her emotions are,' Phoenix warned her.
Jean nodded.
''She says she doesn't know,'' Jean answered him.
Bell just looked her impassively and then facepalmed.
''Just tell her to give us the answer. That lie was so bad, now I just have to know. Seriously? She is a being that is present in every universe. Of course she knows,'' Bell scoffed insulted. Her primary consciousness is here for now, but the others were puppet clones from what he understood.
''That bad? Sorry. She says that she has access to Chaos Magic,'' Jean replied to him.
''Then we will investigate Chaos Magic and what it is,'' Bell told her.
''There is a lot to investigate,'' Jean pointed out.
Bell just shrugged causing her to shake her head.
Phoenix really knew him best, Jean failed to understand why she considered Gwen her rival. But she was not gonna get between the two of them.
---
''I had fun. It was very pleasant too,'' Jean told him as they stood in her room. She requested to be dropped of here as they could hardly stand outside in the hallway and risk being spotted.
''Next time I will make Waffles for the main course,'' Bell joked making her laugh.
Jean slowly stopped laughing and then simply starred at Bell.
It... was not so bad.
It was not love, but the more she talked to him and spent time with him the more she could imagine eventually growing to love him and be happy with him. In spite of the harem thing.
''So...,'' Jean said, putting her hands behind her back and bouncing back and forth. All dates were supposed to end with a kiss.
Bell rolled his shoulder.
Right.
He understood what she wanted.
He slowly put his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.
With the other hand he lifted her chin a little. Despite being one year younger then her, he was till taller then her, even if just by a little.
Jean closed her eyes, giving control to him and Bell finally kissed her earnestly. He tried not to think of Gwen and failed, starting to feel like a scumbag.
But he did say that he will try to make this work so that no one will be miserable so he kept going and ignored his feeling.
Eventually they parted, Jean slightly flushed and touched her lower lips looking demurely at up at him. She looked eager for more, but Bell knew that was probably Phoenix' influence and would not risk another kiss, least things escalate. Frankly he was surprised she did not rip control from Jean and jumped his bones. Something to worry for future him when he takes her on a date, because he did not want to think about this anymore today.
So. It's official now.
Completely so.
He had a harem.
''Sleep well, Jean,'' Bell smiled at her and then teleported away.
Jean just slowly sat on her bed and traced her lips gently.
It was...lovely.
Yes. She could definitely see this working out if they tried.
(A.N.: 11908 words. Sorry for the delay. I had family members come visit me who I haven't seen in some while. Hope you understand that.
Anyway. Something about this chapter. I know at times Bell sounds like he is preaching. That is by design. He has seen his philosophy work very well, so it is reinforced for him. I don't know which chapter exactly it was, but he said that he will do the same as in his old life 'just better' as in, he won't kill innocents or complacent people or do anything else that will induce guilt in him.
Also that is the final chapter that will give insight into Bells philosophies for a very long time as it won't change for a while. If I do mention his philosophies it will be very brief.
I will focus on the relationships and action/schemes from here on out. Since Bell is a well established protagonist by now and already went through his character growth, I think I can allow myself to do that.
Hope you enjoyed reading it. Cheers.)