Chapter 66 : Dawn of a new era (Confrontation)

 

Manhattan Mall, Koreatown, Manhattan, New York, 5th of May, 15:02, in Jean Grey’s mind

 

“Again, can someone explain to me why we are rushing ahead like fucking headless chickens to face someone who handed us our asses so splendidly the last time without a fight?” Rogue asked with petulance, clearly annoyed by Scott and Jean’s decision.

 

Next to her, Kitty was sharing her annoyance and dubiousness at the situation while Kurt looked like he was two seconds away to just teleport away and never come back.

 

“Because he’s a criminal who used us for their own gain while blackmailing us, in case you’d forgotten.” Scott drawled, his own annoyance showing and his head swiveling around on the lookout for any possible ambushes, one of his hands dangerously close to his red-tinted glasses.

 

“They’re also the one who allowed me to have a proper night of sleep without phasing through my bed to land in the kitchen; we can also thanks them for Rogue’s tentative new boyfriend,” Kitty started to enumerate, throwing a mischievous look toward her friend with the last comment as the girl sputtered, “They informed Logan about his past, that he had a biological daughter and where to find her, and god know how much the little one needed that badly, they told Jean about her future and pointed you, you Scott “I’m always right” Summers, in the direction of the brother you thought was dead.”

 

Kitty’s voice had steadily risen through her rant and several people around them were looking at them funny as they ascended, provoking waves of anxiety, annoyance and curiosity rolling over Jean’s mind.

 

“Are you even sure that’s them?” Rogue asked for the nth time, tone dripping with disbelief.

 

Jean sighed a little, having only paid a token attention toward the discussion that hadn’t shown any progress since they started to climb the elevators at a breakneck’s pace from the Mall’s lobby, her mind otherwise busy as she was still keeping her eyes on her suspects’ mind while shielding the group in an invisible bubble of telekinesis.

 

Logan and Warren had confirmed that the both of them had been able to shrug Aamon’s orders faster and more easily than the others, a fact that had pointed Jean toward the hypothesis that the alleged demon had used a viral agent to puppet them. Isolating their air supply from them should prevent any repeat of January if she was right.

 

In theory, at least.

 

“No, I am not.” She conceded, her eyes shifting toward Rogue’s own, “But their minds are suspiciously shielded like they were. I had never encountered a two-fold shield centered around the same person before January, even less one that extend to protect them and another with that much ease.”

 

And better shields that mine, even.

 

“And what?” Kitty argued, “We just stumbled upon them while on a Saturday shopping trip in the middle of Manhattan? What sorts of dastardly plans would have them hanging around the biggest mall in New York City, pray tell?”

 

“You said they were two, what if it was…” Rogue started seriously, while mock-gasping amid her pretended heavy revelation, “A date?!”

 

Kitty sniggered openly while Jean sighed heavily, Scott throwing the southern girl a disapproving look and Kurt trying extra hard to pretend he was totally okay being there.

 

“While I get why Mr. Stick-in-the-mud here,” Rogue said while pointing toward Scott, “Feels a moral obligation to apprehend any bad guys around, can you at least explain to us why our sensible telepath decided to run along with what is decisively a bad plan?”

 

Jean’s eyes shifted away as she bit her lips, while Scott was gearing himself for a retort after Rogue’s attack.

 

“I’d like to know as well.” Kitty pointed out while throwing a warning look toward the ergakinetic.

 

Jean started to answer but stopped herself.

 

“They stopped.” She informed the group, “They’re still on the same floor but they stopped after backtracking for a bit.”

 

“Maybe they don’t know we’re on them?” Kurt tried hesitantly with the look of someone who desperately wanted to hear a confirmation to their hypothesis.

 

Jean slowly shook her head while continuing to climb the escalators’ steps four by four.

 

“Doubtful.” She dashed his hope, “Their psy-shields got defensive the moment I probed them. Any individuals showing enough understanding of the mind to have a fully formed shield, let alone two, would have recognized the probe for what it was.”

 

“An attack,” Rogue drawled, “A totally unwarranted assault on someone’s privacy. You can say it.”

 

Jean flushed in answer.

 

“I’d like for everyone to drop the ‘they/them’ pronoun while we’re at it,” Scott spat, interjecting himself in the conversation, “Aamon was definitely a guy last time we saw him and I fail to understand why you’re giving in to his propension to use the royal ‘we’.”

 

“Seems fitting to me.” Kitty answered with a shrug, her emotional balance indicating that her non committal answer had for sole goal to get a rise on the ergakinetic.

 

“Fitting for someone with a superiority complex, more like.” Scott bit back, taking the bait splendidly, “That guy was a nutcase who wrecked our life!”

 

“You’re just mad they put the Prof’ down from the pedestal he was on.” Rogue answered while rolling her eyes theatrically, a rather impressive gesture while maintaining a light jog, “Boohoo, Baldie isn’t perfect and he messed up, what am I going to do with my life?” She mocked while wiping imaginary tears.

 

Scott bristled while Jean stifled a sigh.

 

“Rather hypocritical when it’s the same guy that says it while spending three evenings a week phoning his brother because a ‘nutcase’ helped him track him down.” Kitty commented offhandedly.

 

The boy with the red-tinted glass started to mouth a retort but, blessedly for Jean as the emotions of the group started to get her sick as the general mood soured, the young empath finally had an opportunity to interrupt them with a hand signal to indicate that they had reached the proper floor.

 

“Scott, take points and follow my directions. Be ready to drop the glasses.” She started to rapidly fire her orders as her eyes locked where the two minds had taken refuge, “Kurt, you’re our way out if things go south. Stay back and be ready to teleport anyone just in case. Kitty, Rogue, dampeners off. Kitty, you’re our second way out, stay in the middle and be ready to phaze. Rogue, gloves off and stays behind Scott. If you have a clear shot, you touch them.”

 

The group answered her with a chorus of ‘rogers’ like they had learnt in training and Jean slotted herself between Kurt and Kitty.

 

“Scott, the tea house just in front of us, if you will.” The telepath prompted and the group started to walk cautiously toward where she still could feel the two minds.

 

At least, getting back into old habits had replaced the general mood of annoyance for the girls, palpable dismay for Kurt and simmering anger for Scott with a steady focus for all of them.

 

Jean belatedly realized that Aamon had been right, once again, when they had commented offhandedly that the Professor was less interested in showing them how to control their powers than to train them as a paramilitary unit to further his own agenda.

 

“A tea house, really?” Rogue blurted out, her head swiveling around as she removed her gloves, a precaution she still kept because ‘you’re never too careful’, “Are we really sure we’re not interrupting someone’s date?”

 

Amid his own constant checking of the surroundings, Scott still managed to throw the southern girl another disapproving look.

 

“It’s empty from what I can see.” The boy with the red-tinted glass informed them as they got closer, “There’s no one aside from a barista preparing an order.”

 

“I’m positive they’re here,” Jean affirmed, “They must be further inside.”

 

“Does anybody else think that it’s a little bit suspicious that there’s no one else inside?” Kurt asked while looking backward.

 

Jean bit her lips, having distinctly felt a number of minds calmly walk away at the same time as their targets moved in earlier.

 

But Aamon had something that she desperately needed that the Professor was still withholding after all this time.

 

Answers.

 

On the off chance it’s really them…

 

“Doesn’t matter,” Scott answered the teleporter in her stead, “We’ve got the numerical advantages and we are forewarned. They won’t be able to get the drop on us this time.”

 

“You just had to jinx it.” Kurt mumbled under his breath.

 

I kind of agree.

 

Repressing a gulping motion, Jean followed after Scott, Rogue and Kitty as they crossed the tea house’s threshold, finally having a chance to take a proper glance at their surroundings.

 

As soon as Scott halted his steps, the whole group followed suit.

 

“What the…” The boy with the red-tinted glass started while looking around in disbelief.

 

All the tables were deserted, with the snacks and drinks’ leftovers in various stages of consumption, ranging from still untouched to just finished. All bills had apparently been sold though, as various tips had been left behind on the tables by their previous occupants.

 

“They all just, what, up and left while being polite enough to pay on their way out?” Rogue wondered aloud, her tone betraying her amazement.

 

“Not creepy at all.” Kitty muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

 

“Less creepy than the barista fixing an order for two as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened?” Kurt pointed out, his voice noticeably shrillier than usual.

 

Jean’s eyes narrowed at the remark and she shifted her attention toward the aforementioned barista.

 

The little brunette behind the counter was happily humming along to the soft pop-music of the tea house’s speakers, focused as she was filling a tray with two carrot cake parts.

 

One of Jean’s mind-tendrils went to probe the girl, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

 

Nothing?

 

Jean blinked as she realized that the barista both acted and felt as if the situation was completely normal and nothing out of the ordinary had happened in the few previous minutes.

 

What the hell?

 

“Excuse us, Miss.” Scott harangued the barista after taking a glance behind him while taking a step forward, “We were looking for two people who just entered your establishment? We had a previous appointment.”

 

The brunette’s attention snapped towards them before smiling, not looking at all like someone who just heard one of the worst attempts at a lie Jean had ever witnessed.

 

“Of course,” She answered politely and unperturbed, the perfect picture of professionalism, “Do you want me to show you to their table? If you could just wait for me to finish preparing their order…”

 

The barista left her question hanging while gesturing helplessly to the tray.

 

“We can spare a few minutes.” Jean interjected before Scott could answer, breaking the formation to step next to him, “We’ll wait.”

 

“Thank you, I’ll be done in a jiffy.” The barista answered with a grin, her attention coming back to her preparations.

 

“Guys, I really don’t like this.” Kurt said as soon as the conversation halted, moving closer to the group.

 

“Me neither.” Kitty grumbled, “Like I said earlier, that situation gives me the creeps.”

 

“You’ll have to admit that it doesn’t really look like ‘they’re not getting the drop on us’,” Rogue drawled while gesturing around, “They apparently even took the time to prepare the field.”

 

“Can’t we just leave?” Kurt whined softly, his agitation and discomfort noticeably stronger than the other’s to Jean.

 

“We didn’t really sign up for mutant bs yesterday when we agreed to come.” Rogue pointed out, her eyes still looking at her surroundings warily.

 

“I’m not retreating.” Scott said forcefully, his righteous persona, one of his quirks that tended to annoy Jean the most about him, standing at the forefront of his thoughts once more, “If it’s him, I refuse to let the bastard runs away once more due to a poor attempt at an intimidation tactic.”

 

“I would not say it’s a poor attempt, considering it’s definitely working on me.” Kitty said, her tone dripping with exasperation.

 

“Ditto.” Rogue added.

 

“What they said.” Kurt followed, his holographic face speaking volumes on how he really felt about the situation.

 

Jean sighed.

 

“I won’t force you guys, but even if you retreat, I won’t.” She explained to the group’s benefits, “Mind you, I won’t confront them either, I want to meet them again because they have something that the Prof doesn’t.”

 

“And what would that be?” Scott asked, his tone full of disbelief as his head jerked back in her direction, his aura pulsing with a deep sense of betrayal and sadness.

 

Jean’s heart ached at her boyfriend’s emotional state even as she spoke.

 

“Answers.” She explained quietly, her eyes going downcast, “The Prof is still cagey about teaching me, only vaguely encouraging me to control my abilities in passing when I pester him.”

 

She sighed once more as she closed her eyes.

 

“But he’s not the one who’s supposed to be the avatar of a cosmic force and his lack of actions while I’m still freaking out about it is starting to piss me off.” She admitted aloud to the group, opening her eyes once more, “So I want to talk with the one who will actually answer me when I ask my questions, no matter the price.”

 

In the corner of her eyes, Jean saw Kitty and Rogue trade a look at that.

 

“But you can’t trust him!” Scott argued, arms spread apart, “He’s a villain.”

 

“Maybe, but they didn’t lie to me once when they told me of my supposed destiny.” Jean shot back, folding her arms across her chest, “I cannot say the same about the Prof.”

 

“We already talk about this, Jean,” Scott started, his tone mildly patronizing, “It all boils down to the words he used. Just because he carefully worded his sentence doesn’t mean he didn’t lie to you!”

 

“I’m the empath here, I know that!” Jean bit back heatedly, “The Prof used the same trick on me for years and keeps doing it even after getting busted!”

 

Jean exhaled loudly, a hand coming to pinch the bridge of her nose.

 

“You know what, Scott ? I don’t care about your point of view, I’m going to follow the barista in here to sit my ass at their table and see if they can point me in the right direction.” She said bluntly, “Do whatever the fuck you want but let me have a chance to speak with them before trying, and probably failling, to blast them to kingdom come.”

 

The whistling of a kettle reaching boiling point interrupted any further arguments.

 

As one, the five mutants turned to look toward the barista as she put it on the tray next to a couple of mugs with two tea balls, a little timer and the carrot cake parts.

 

“Thank you for the wait, if you’d please follow me inside?” The little brunette asked them with a kind smile as she picked the tray.

 

The group traded a look with each other.

 

Rogue sighed.

 

“Fine, I’ll go with Jean for backup but you’re going to owe me for this.” She said, clearly annoyed but showing support.

 

“Same, but Mr. Perfect better behaves.” Kitty added while throwing Scott a warning look.

 

Jean shot a grateful look at the girls while Scott quietly bristled.

 

“I suppose I don’t have a choice.” Kurt grumbled to himself.

 

Jean turned back toward Scott to look at him pointedly.

 

“Fine.” He spat, “You got one shot at this, Jean.”

 

“That’s all I ask.” She answered coldly while turning to look at the barista, “We’ll follow.”

 

The brunette quietly nodded as she started to walk deeper inside the tea house, Jean on her heels.

 

The group crossed multiple little booths that offered a more intimate setting along the way, only stopping once the barista did, her back blocking Jean’s view of who she supposed to be Aamon and the yet unknown person.

 

“Here’s your order,” The brunette cheerfully said while carefully laying down the tray, serving the dish and drinks as she named them, “One cherry blossom tea, one fresh mint tea and two carrot cakes. Here’s the timer, pull off the tea ball when it rings.”

 

“Thank you, Mel,” Gently answered one of the two with a rich alto, a very distinctive voice that seemed made to either sing or whisper sweet-nothing in a lover’s ear, “That will be all. And sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Think nothing of it!” The barista pepilly answered as she took back her tray with her, “Will your guests also take something?”

 

“I’m afraid you’ll have to come back to properly ask them in a few minutes.” The voice answered with humor.

 

“I’ll do just that, then.” The barista answered with a little nod of her head before backtracking.

 

Jean traded a look with the others, not really knowing what to make of the discussion that just occured as the barista crossed path with them, muttering an apology as they made way for her to step through the group.

 

When Jean’s eyes looked back toward the table, she was instantly taken aback.

 

Two individuals were facing them, watching intently as they were idly stirring their tea while they infused with an eerie synchronicity.

 

The leftmost was a girl, wearing a red polka dot dress that showed a bit of her curves and her face hidden behind a rather strange white mask, nose- and mouthless with big white eyes delimited by a thick black line.

 

The rightmost was… Also a girl, albeit dressed in a sharp black suit complete with suspenders over a distinctively, and decently filled in the chest area, purple lace woman’s top, her face also hidden behind a white mask, nose- and mouthless all the same, with lilac accentuation and big purple upslanted eyes. To Jean’s eyes, it was eerily similar in design to the one that Aamon had sported on that fateful day of January, albeit in a noticeably girlier fashion and different colors.

 

Further on the circular seat that circled the booth rested a haphazard pile of shopping bags.

 

The two were dressed to the nine.

 

You have to be…

 

“See, I told you guys we were intruding on a date!” Rogue exclaimed before anyone else could say anything, unknowingly coming to the same conclusion as Jean.

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