Chapter 62 : Dawn of a new era (I need a break)

 

Unspecified location, unspecified time, the Astral Plane

 

The Eater’s eyes narrowed as he was standing in front of where his construct used to be, his senses analyzing every residual trace of magical, psionic or soul activity in the area.

 

As he had suspected, his runework had been forcibly broken by someone with the raw telepathic power to do just so.

 

“Well, I’ll be damned.” The Eater muttered in his cold and raspy voice.

 

The stray soul that had followed him when he had finally enacted his ritual had apparently been the one who did it.

 

And it didn’t make sense.

 

The Eater had made sure that the soul was left in a shell that wouldn’t have the capacity to do so, just in case.

 

A perfectly normal humanoid, without any kind of supernatural abilities and freshly comatose.

 

It should have been a matter of waiting a few months’ time at Earth’s scale then for the construct to collapse on itself, provoking the merging of the stray soul with the one previously trapped in the Astral, destabilizing the both of them catastrophically by a forced merging.

 

The shock would have provoked the soul-death of the newly merged entity, a tragic event to happen to what would have looked like a ward of this multiverse’s authorities even to the more careful analysis, and none would have been the wiser.

 

Yet, the stray soul had somehow managed to undo what the Eater had set up.

 

The ‘how’ of it didn’t really matter though.

 

The Eater had now a loose end in his hands.

 

He didn’t like loose ends.

 

But he would have to do something by proxy, a prospect he liked even less, since he still needed to lay low.

 

His Feast had barely begun, after all, and he was still far from being sated.

 

With a last look toward the construct, the Eater exited the Astral Plane, his thoughts churning an appropriate plan on account of the more esoteric parameters.

 

Not long after, or maybe an eternity, a bird of fire, a raptor of life was hovering on the same spot the Eater had left.

 

The two orbs shining like twin suns that passed as the Phoenix’s eyes narrowed as his cosmic awareness informed him that something wasn’t right.

 

The same wrongness he had felt with the little Outsider he had met some time, or maybe eons, ago.

 

The aspect of Life and Destruction looked across time, space and dimension toward his future vessel and avatar before darting toward where he could feel some of his power dwell.

 

Nothing much, just a token of appreciation freely given to a like minded and rather chaotic individual fighting to preserve Life in her own way.

 

His beak distorted into something that would have evoked a grin if birds were able to smile.

 

-TIME TO GIVE THINGS A LITTLE PUSH.- The Phoenix said before cawing a laugh as he flew off.

 

***

Midtown High’s classroom, Midtown High, Queens, New York, 4th of May, 10:34

 

“Say Aria.” Gwen suddenly whispers, side-eyeing me halfway through her own battle against boredom.

 

I personally lost mine ages ago, busying myself by jutting calculations about a new enzyme that would be useful for one of my personal projects instead of paying any attention to the current chemistry course.

 

“Yes, Gwennie?” I softly answer.

 

“What if we took a break from training tomorrow afternoon?” She asks seriously, “We’re all a bit exhausted after all that time and I think it would be good if we could just have a laid-back afternoon, especially considering you said that we were ready to start our patrols next week.”

 

I arch an eyebrow at her interrogatively.

 

Her eyes shift around as she starts to squirm under my attention.

 

Gwen’s eyes go downcast as a light blush color her cheeks.

 

“Well, I at least could use a break.” She mutters softly, “And I’d like to have time to buy some clothes for the summer this month. Nothing fits me anymore.”

 

I chuckle lightly.

 

“Alright, let’s ask the others how they feel about it at lunch.” I concede to Gwen’s heartfelt plea, “Maybe we could make it another shopping trip with the girls, who knows?”

 

Gwen’s face lights up at that.

 

“There's that very nice pop-up store I heard about on…” She starts to babble excitingly.

 

“I get it, I get it.” I answer while lifting my hands in mock-surrender, “We will see how it goes, ok?”

 

Iris lightly chuckles on our shared-mind, her [Amusement] dancing at the blond antics.

 

Yeah, maybe a pause in training before we start our outings wouldn’t be so bad.

 

***

Midtown High’s cafeteria, Midtown High, Queens, New York, the same day, 12:12

 

“Fuck, yes!” Jessica blurts out instantly when I share Gwen’s proposal, “I swear I would’ve gone barmy if I had been made to spar with you or one the spiders one more goddamn time!”

 

Cindy and Flash chuckle when they witness the heartfelt reaction, the both of them perfectly aware how far I’ve been pushing the dark haired girl lately.

 

Liz’ is smiling amusingly at Jessica while sipping her coconut water while Gwen throws the dark haired girl one of her signature look of reprimand over her crass vocabulary.

 

Blessedly, Hector is having lunch with his teammates today so we don’t have to dance around the subject.

 

Cindy still doesn’t want to talk with him about her ‘new hobby’, a choice that I can respect.

 

“Cindy? Flash?” I ask politely, “Do you also want to take a break tomorrow afternoon?”

 

Cindy looks thoughtful as Flash trades an inquisitive look with Liz’, who merely smiles back at him.

 

“Yeah, I think I’d like that.” Cindy comments aloud, her eyes darting towards her boyfriend’s back in the distance, “It’s been a while since Hector and I had a proper date, I’m going to coax one out of him.”

 

Everyone around the table chuckles at her bluntness as she rises while uttering a ‘be right back!’.

 

“What would you like to do tomorrow, babe?” Flash smoothly asks Liz’ shortly after.

 

The chestnut haired girl beams at him as she scoots closer to his broad torso, placing a hand in a rather possessive maner on his arm.

 

“See, love, there’s that movie that I’d really like to watch with you that all the other cheerleaders keep yapping about…” She starts.

 

I turn my attention back to Jessica and the both of us roll our eyes theatrically.

 

Gwen laughs under her hand at our antics.

 

“Gwen wanted to go shopping, want to come as well?” I offer Jess’, mentally occluding the mating parade happening on the other side of the table.

 

Jessica’s eyes shift between the two of us, her smile growing apologetic.

 

“I’m sorry girl, but I haven’t spent time with Pats’ in ages, so I’m going to sit that one out.” She answers while scratching the back of her head, “Plus, I’d really like to just kick back and relax, even if you were probably going to try to bribe me with clothes.”

 

Iris and I chuckles, one more mentally than the other.

 

“Guilty as charged.” I answer lightly, my eyes roaming over her new fashion.

 

There’s still room for improvement, but we’re getting there.

 

I look back at Gwen as I start to come up with an apology.

 

The look in her mint green orbs as I lock eyes with her is a mix between expectant, hesitant and abysmal dismay.

 

“[Mirth, amusement] : You’re not going to let the poor girl go alone, blood-sister, are you?” Iris amusingly asks as I freeze a little.

 

One of my quickest thought streams ‘hmms’ and ‘awwws’ around, indecisive about the subject for a while.

 

“No, I guess I’m not.” I mentally sigh back to her when I reach a conclusion.

 

Mentally swatting at my symbiote for her [Smugness, sass], I brightly smile as I choose to finally assuage Gwen’s worries.

 

“Well, it looks like it’s just going to be the two of us Gwennie.” I say cheerfully.

 

Gwen beams at me.

 

“[Amusement, cooing, love] : It’s a date!” Iris mentally squeals at me.

 

“No, it’s not.” I drily answer her.

 

“[Amusement, mirth] : You can keep telling yourself that while I’ll be enjoying every second of the two of you dancing around each other.” My symbiotic half sasses me.

 

Coming short on argument, I mentally flip her the bird in an extremely mature fashion.

 

My blood-sister’s snickers double.

 

In the corner of my eyes, I see that Flash, Jessica and Liz’ are already throwing each other's intended looks.

 

With a supreme effort of will, I manage not to groan aloud when they start to look at Gwen and I with sparkles in their eyes.

 

I guess this is what Karma looks like?

 

***

Bayville High’s cafeteria, Bayville High, Poughkeepsie, Upstate New York, the same day, 12:12, in Jean Grey’s mind

 

“So, Scott wanted to go to New York city this week-end, any of you want to hitch a ride with us?” Jean asked as she sat at the table she shared with her fellow mutants.

 

While Kurt kept poking rather leetlessly his food, a hand lazily propping his head, Kitty and Rogue traded a look between each other.

 

Warren seemed thoughtful for a beat before shaking his head.

 

“I’ll pass,” The Worthington scion answered first, “I’m behind in my homeworks and the Prof’ is still queezy about us going out and about after last January.”

 

Rogue snorted aloud, waving her hand dismissively.

 

“Baldie’s advices are worth jack-squat.” She said harshly, flickering a triangular pendant on her neck, “Or he would have thought about Kitty and I’s bauble ages ago if he was so smart.”

 

“He’s still in the doghouse with Logan and Ms. Storm for it.” Kitty added, mirroring the former motion with a finger.

 

The two shared a grin as Scott glowered at the both of them behind his red-tinted glasses.

 

Feeling a headache coming as everyone's emotions started to rise, Jean started rubbing one of her temples.

 

Kurt sighed softly.

 

“I dunno.” He answered hesitantly, “I don’t really feel like going out. What’s the point anyway.”

 

Kitty and Rogue traded another look, theatrically rolling their eyes.

 

Poor Kurt, he’s been really under the weather since he learned his mom's identity.

 

Aamon shouldn’t have told him.

 

Jean blinked, surprised she still thought of the mysterious yet well-mannered puppeteer that had left as fast as he had stumbled in the team’s life.

 

Though, his coming had left some marks.

 

For one, Professor Xavier was indeed in the doghouse with a lot of people in the manor after Aamon’s stunt. He had betrayed a lot of the trust his staff had in him with his schemes and his past conduct had come back to masterfully bite him in the ass.

 

Then, there were the two newcomers that had joined the X-Men’s dwelling : Sarah and Lorah Kinley.

 

The same day Aamon had showed up, Logan had left early in the evening, barely saying anything, to come back the next morning with the two behind him, uttering between greeted teeths ‘they’re staying and that’s final!’ as his only explanation.

 

Emotions at the manor had been tense since that day and it was why Jean had jumped on Scott’s proposition for an outing like a drowning man on a buoy.

 

Scott still had an immense respect for the Professor, a precarious position to hold those days, so Jean wasn’t really surprised that he needed a break away from the manor badly enough to break a few rules for a day.

 

Rogue rolled her eyes once more as Jean exited her fugue.

 

“Where’s Evans anyway?” The southern girl asked archly.

 

“Hidden in the boy’s bathroom.” Scott drily answered, “Another spiky accident.”

 

“Still trying to master that exoskeleton thing, I’d wagger?” Warren asked.

 

“Like every day since January.” Kitty commented offhandedly.

 

Kurt flinched a little at that, radiating distress to Jean’s empathy.

 

“So, Kitty? Rogue? Do you want to come?” Jean asked once more, shifting the subject away from Aamon.

 

The two girls traded a look once more.

 

“Why not?” Rogue finally answered as Kitty shrugged nonplussed, “But I don’t want to hear a word about mutants, rights and the Brotherhood while we’re away from here.”

 

“What she said.” Kitty added as she pointed a finger toward the other girl.

 

Jean turned her attention back toward the depressed teleporter.

 

“You’re sure you don’t want to come with us, Kurt?” She softly asked, “A change of perspective could maybe help you.”

 

His holographic black eyes locked into hers, looking positively dead.

 

Kurt sighed as he dropped his fork in his plate.

 

“Fine, I’ll come.” He answered.

 

“What about Evans?” Kitty curiously asked.

 

“He said he needed to train and left it at that when I asked him.” Scott answered, shrugging helplessly.

 

“Well, we’ll only need one car then.” Rogue concluded.

 

Jean smiled at the girl’s utilitarian comment.

 

“That’s settled then.” The telepath said brightly, raising her water bottle in a mock-toast, “To an easy day wandering around the big apple without mutant bs!”

 

The other chuckled at that, the ever serious Scott even smiling.

 

This is going to be a good day!

 

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