c13.1

Back with Jean…

Egypt, 12:20 PM (local time)

We passed through the golden portal, Cindy trailing me as I entered my lab. I didn't even feel tired anymore, and it was strange how fast my stamina recovered. Cindy didn't want to be separated from me so she asked to follow me to my new base. We smelled like fresh shampoo and soap, having had a shower at her condo since we didn't want to feel so unkempt after deepening our relationship. We had to take them separately as the simple fact that we had sex made us want to do it all over again.

Cindy was a pervert, and I was enabling her. It didn't bother me, I was discovering facets of myself that I didn't know were there. I understood that I was a dominant person in bed, Cindy too, but I was more so than her and it made us fight while in bed.

Cindy… She was wearing her Silk costume made of web thread. From the pattern I could see with the silk on the front of her costume, I knew she'd gotten better at making costumes. She needed something permanent that showed off her sexiness but covered all of her body- it needed to be armored and able to stop weapon fire, resilient to drastic changes in heat, cold, pressure, density, dirt, etc…

"An unstable molecule suit, huh." I thought with my powers I could synthetize one for Cindy, I understood the concept.

The Unstable Molecules existed on the Angstrom edge between matter and energy and could interchange between either. These could be bonded to 'Anchor' molecules and transferred any change in environment they experienced to these anchor molecules.

Cindy angled her head toward my direction. "Jean?"

She had been examining all the equipment and glowing LEDs on the machines around us. Now that I had a lab, all it lacked was a bed, Cindy was here and that's all that mattered. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Nothing, hon. This is just me rambling."

"Okay." She leaned into me and we walked like that until we reached the forge.

"So this is my lab, I took it from the cold dead hands of the guy who kidnapped me." I smiled, pride shining in my eyes.

I could do everything those tools did with my mind but I wanted to do things with my own hands and maybe use my TK in tandem. Hans had already moved the vibranium ingots near the anvil and the large steel mill ladle.

Cindy didn't seem interested in all the gear. She was looking around on each wall. "Where's his mounted head?"

I frowned at her. "Huh?"

Cindy tilted her head. "When we were in my bed, you said that you mounted his head on your wall."

Then it dawned on me that I may have embellished my tale. "Not the real one, unfortunately…"

I carved a rock that looked like his head as I had burned every one of his clones. I should've saved some but I wanted to be sure of his death. Fire and disintegration had been the best solution to my Sinister problem.

Cindy shook her head with a mocking smile on her lips. "You burned him too well, huh?"

I laughed in embarrassment. "Yes. I was kinda mad when he killed me…"

Words could not explain the depth of my hatred for Sinister; he had made my life hell. *Hmm, my Phoenix costume is red instead of green. Am I… the Dark Phoenix? Is all this hatred going to my head? I need help, I must let go of it; maybe going to Kamar Taj is going to be a good idea.*

Cindy's hands tightened on my arm. "I'm glad you came back, I don't know what deal you made to be able to but…"

At that, my shoulders slumped. "Oh it's a big weight on my shoulders. I had to clean the planet from a parasitic bacteria that possessed humans into hating metahumans like us."

She let go of me and stared at me intensely. "Jean? All those people dying lately? It was you?"

I knew my girlfriend wouldn't abandon me so I told her everything I could. "Yeah, they died because the Sublime bacteria took control of them completely. Phoenix made me kill all the bacteria on the planet, but those people completely taken over died of some kind of sympathetic shock."

That's what my life-sight deduced, I felt somehow guilty about all those deaths, but the Sublime bacteria had turned all those people into monsters able to kill kids or experiment on metahumans. I wasn't able to just leave it and the Phoenix found it wrong and I was compelled into burning down that wrongness. My guilt evaporated when it then dawned on me that it was the reason for the Weapon X program or even why Trask began the sentinel program. I would have to zip over to Brazil to see if that man was still alive.

Cindy looked away for a while and I knew what she was about to say. "Was there any way to-"

I shook my head. "I would have done it, if I could."

I sat on one of the tables and watched as my girlfriend worried about me, pacing back and forth like a caged lion. "I see, I hope no one knows it was you who did it."

"I'm sure that there's nothing to worry about…" I trailed off, smiling.

Cindy walked up to me and grabbed me with a hand at the back of my head and was face to face with me. "Jean, look at me."

I did, she looked serious and my empathic ability felt that she was afraid, not for herself but for me. "You'll tell no one else about this. If they caught you, they would kill or judge you." I nodded, not possessing the ability to refuse her demands.

Cindy let go of me and placed herself between my legs and put my arms around herself.

"I had to. I tried to bring them back to life you know?" I remembered trying to resurrect everyone who died; but the form of a woman in tight black robes with white hair and pale skin stopped me. Lady Death had claimed all their souls and I couldn't take them back.

Cindy grabbed my arms and lifted up her head to look at me with awe. "You can do that?"

I nodded. "Yes, I can. But there's a price to pay." It wasn't like in the comic books, Death and the Phoenix worked in concert, I was an avatar of life and she could refuse to hand me the souls of the departed. There were a lot of rules that I didn't want to break for two hundred million strangers.

"And two hundred million was too much." My girlfriend caught on immediately.

I nodded. "Exactly." I kissed her forehead in reward.

Cindy closed her eyes in pleasure, her being radiating love and contentment. She opened her eyes and said, "Let's forget about it, but hum babe, I don't think you can go around calling yourself Phoenix anymore."

That's my favorite and official hero name though. "I see what you mean."

"Do you have any other ideas…?"

Looking at the lab's ceiling, I thought that if I couldn't be Phoenix, I would be… "I'm going as Batwoman then."

Cindy escaped my embrace, turned and shook her head. "There's a comic book like that you can't-"

A quirky smile spread across my lips. "I will buy DC comics, then I will call myself Batwoman." No pesky copyright laws could do anything about it if I was the owner right? I'd be unstoppable. I would let the fuss die down, but I would use the name Phoenix again.

Cindy facepalmed. "Yeah… you are rich enough for that. Do what you want."

I got off the table and tried to catch her but she fled down the engineering sector. After this game of tag, we made a tour of the gigantic lab while speaking about what our friends had been doing lately. I'd learned that there was trouble in paradise between Peter and Gwen- he'd become more annoying as time passed. It didn't bode well, but something made me ask, "Cindy what color is Peter's costume?"

"Hm, he went from red and blue to black and white, why?"

I halted for a second then ran at super speed to the containers I had placed in the lab earlier, I opened their doors and began to unload everything as delicately as possible. I felt Cindy arrive behind me, there was a question that she projected at me, loud enough for me to hear, What's the matter? Did I say something bad.

Activating my life sight I looked for the meteorite with the other Klyntar sealed inside. "No you didn't, but this is really bad." I emptied every container and finally found it, it was just a piece of space rock and there wasn't any life sign inside. I made it float toward us and Goldie became interested in what was happening, showing her head at the side of mine. I took the cracked meteorite in my hands and painfully closed my eyes, hoping to make the problem disappear.

I felt Cindy poke my belly. "Jean?"

Opening my eyes, I blurted out, "We have a big problem."

"Oh." Cindy nodded yet she didn't understand what the problem with the rock in my hands was.

"I know why Peter has become more assholish." Yes, the guy was an asshole day and night but it didn't make sense for him to be mean or horrible to Gwen- he loved the girl too much and considered her the only one worth dating in the entire world. He wouldn't jeopardize that.

"I don't have the time to go hunting for him, but I think you can." I told her.

This earned me a frown. "What happened to him?"

"You see Goldie?" Cindy nodded. "There's another one like her. It's a bit more delicate than her. I am a good host for her and she has been good to me."

Just like spiderman in universe 616, our Peter was guilt ridden, self loathing and prone to sadness. He should just get over himself and move on. "But Peter?" I continued. "He isn't a worthy host, there's too much negative energy inside him and the Symbiote is going to amplify it and take control of him and worse could happen, it might turn him into a monster."

I knew what a corrupt symbiote could do and it wasn't pretty.

[Truthful: Corruption.] Goldie said aloud.

It was all I needed to say to Cindy; she was already wired and ready to go. "We need to go then?"

I shook my head, crossing my arms as I watched her. "No, I am not going anywhere. But you will, I cannot leave, I have… responsibilities."

And I didn't trust myself not to hurt Peter. I needed to find balance again since I was too used to killing human beings.

"But he's our friend!" Cindy shouted, and I sensed her shock at the idea that I wasn't trying to help Peter. The boy was cute but not that cute, I knew that I would need to do more than take the symbiote away from him, he would need an isolated place to go against the cravings of having been bonded to one.

I looked into her eyes and announced, "I have a clone of myself that I need to take care of."

"YOU WHAT?!" Cindy's mind was in turmoil as she contemplated my revelation.

"Come here." I caught her and pulled her toward the corridor leading to my bedroom.

Cindy didn't pull her hand away from mine, docile as I directed us both to my bedroom. Her mind was still blocking on the fact that I had a clone. I opened the door slowly and put my index finger on my lips and slowly walked up to the queen sized bed. Madelyn was sleeping, her chest rising and falling as she snored contentedly.

As she looked at my clone with wide eyes, Cindy began to shake, then she looked between me and the younger version of myself.

"How old is she?" Cindy's voice was muted of all emotion but I felt the storm brewing within her.

"I don't know, one moment." I said and went to sit on the throne that activated immediately.

I consulted the file about Maddy and saw that she was three months old and had the potential of being an Alpha ranked metahuman. She was well developed and without defects for a clone that had been grown so fast. Well, I could see where my DNA started and where the bits of Elektra sensei were. It could be seen in her skin and how tall she was going to be.

Cindy waited for the verdict.

"She's three months old." I didn't know she was that young. It indeed coincided with the time I found Elektra sensei.

Cindy turned to Maddy. "No… she looks just like she's twelve or so." She said in denial.

Cloning wasn't that advanced outside my lab; Sinister had been a genius, something I could admit now that he was dead.

"She's thirteen years old physically, and mentally she's three years old. A baby." I wasn't letting Madelyn out of my sight, I couldn't.

Cindy shook her head, her bangs obscuring her face, concealing her eyes from my sight. "I think this is too much for today."

"I see, let's get back to the lab, I will whip you up a new costume. You can't take on the venom symbiote with Silk armor." I looked meaningfully into her eyes.

Cindy had better powers than Peter, to be honest. Her Silk power-set was combined with Miles Morales' and that made her really strong.

As she looked at herself, Cindy pulled at the white webbing pressing on her body; it was so tight on her... "What's wrong with it?"

I pulled my mind out of the gutter and decided to show her, I let Goldie turn one of my hands into battleform; my fingers turned into red claws and I walked up to her and sliced her half mask without cutting her face. "That's what's wrong with it."

"Oh." It seemed that she understood how dangerous a Klyntar battleform was.

My claws could tear through flesh, stones, could even cut through the strongest armor known to man. "Before going to see mom and you I was about to go make an armored costume for myself, but as I can't go with you. I'm going to let you have one first."

"But…" What about you?

I knew what she wanted to say, but I didn't want her to fight Peter without any sort of protection. "Nothing can kill me on this planet beyond four people. Come follow me."

We exited the bedroom through the corridor connected to the lab, silence our companion as we walked. My thoughts drifted to the costume I wanted to create. I knew that I wanted a UMF suit for Cindy and me, but not a normal one, it should be able to shapeshift.

*Shapeshift?* I caught Cindy's hand and walked faster.

When we arrived at the labs, I headed straight into the genetics section and booted the main computer. Fortunately, before our confrontation, Sinister had resolved the problems with the generators that I put into the control computer. The feedback loops and intermittent power loss wouldn't happen again. The computer booted up, automatically I was on the desktop and looked through the DNA sample database.

It was well organized and I knew where everything was. I could see that Sinister had met many aliens- Kree, Skrull, Alpha Centaurian…

I felt Cindy's hair on my cheek as I searched. "Jean, what are you looking for?"

She was being distracting. "Shapeshifting, that is the key." I answered absently.

"Shapeshifting?"

I finally found the folder with the complete study of Skrull DNA, and I clicked on the option telling me if I wanted to handle it directly. "Yeah the Skrull, Sinister met some and took a sample of their DNA. It's in my memories, it's how he got his own shapeshifting power."

Standing up, I left the computer to go directly into the DNA bank. It was in another room, contiguous to the computer's room. From the refrigerated steel shelves a vial was selected and I strode up to it. SS-01, or Skrull sample one. Just like I thought. When I turned, I saw Cindy's arms wrapped around herself as though the place was terribly cold.

I cocked my head. "Is there something wrong?"

Cindy's body shook with tremors. "How can you stand in here and not be cold?!"

"Huh? It's cold?" Looking around attentively, I saw that there were indeed a lot of ice molecules in the air, the room seems to be cooled by a nitrogen cooling system. Stupid Sinister, this was a dangerous system… I made the vial float and orbit around me and let out my inner fire.

Cindy stepped back, watching as my aura slowly raised the temperature around us. "Jean what happened to you?"

Walking up to her, I put a hand on her shoulder. "Like I told you I'm a Phoenix Avatar so… I can go to space easily, do you have any idea how cold it is up there?"

She stopped shaking as warmth seeped into her. "Let's get out of here. It seems that you are not good with low temperatures."

I felt her reluctance, but after a few beats she gave in, turning and quickly exiting. She was finally starting to register the differences between me from before and me from now. I had fused with Emily- or was it Emily who had fused with me? We mutually accepted this and formed this new being. Though it was actually my power that made her look at me like a different person.

The automatic door closing behind me, I settled on not letting the matter rest. "Hey Cindy, are you okay?"

Cindy paused, then turned to me. "I am, it's... just you surprised me, that's all."

I placed a hand on her shoulder again."If you don't feel at ease around me…" It would break my heart but I would let her go. I wasn't the type of person who would force others to stay with me.

"Shut up Jean." She snapped, knocking my hand away. Cindy pulled me by my tank top collar and said more soothingly. "Like I told you, you surprised me. You changed a bit, but I'm not letting that little detail get between us, okay?"

Maybe I was reading too much into this? I smiled sheepishly. "Okay."

We went to the scanning room where I took Cindy's measurements and entered them into the central computer and rendered a virtual model of the half korean girl. Making a costume wasn't difficult, there were programs to build armor on this computer, I would just use that. About fifteen minutes later a mannequin was made with the 3D printing machine.

It was made with Cindy's exact measurements, I then proceeded to look at the model of exo armor I stole from Oscorp. There were a lot of those prototypes, I brought it to me with my TK and looked deep in it's working. There were a lot of titanium fibers and some kind of fluid under the flexible plates overlaying it. Triple weave of the titanium dipped mesh.

Activating my life sight, I took the vial that was orbiting around me and looked through it. The DNA was really strange, completely different from what I was used to seeing in humans. However, I had access to Phoenix' memories and she understood how it worked. Be it organic or inorganic, Skrulls were able to alter their forms into that of anything they could imagine. That was really interesting.

The DNA was flexible but prone to weakness, and there were limitations as the Shapeshifting of the Skrull could only take on the appearance of person and none of that person's characteristics or, in the case of metahumans, their powers; in the case of inorganic objects, they took on its appearance, but not its properties.

*Still OP.* That shapeshifting was what I wanted the unstable molecules to be able to do for clothes and costumes. I knew how to make them theoretically.

We were back in the forge. The Skrull DNA sample was back in orbit around me, then I focused on the vibranium ingots, and gripped three of them and made them float over a ladle the size of a man. I turned to Cindy and said, "Maybe you should step back a bit, it's going to get… hot."

Arching a brow, she obeyed. I wanted the ingots to melt and melt they did. I tried to isolate myself and the forge from the outside, I didn't want to fry Cindy. I started with simple fire- blue flame to be exact- and the ingots warmed slightly. They didn't melt. I turned up the heat to white flame which gave the same results. I glared at the ingots; they were taunting me. "Fine, cosmic flame it is." I let out my cosmic fire and threw it at the ingots. I formed a force bubble around them and miracle, the silvery metal began to melt; I looked behind me, Cindy remained but was sweating a lot.

You should go to my bedroom and take a bit of refreshment there. I spoke to Cindy via telepathy.

She shook her head, even with the force-field protecting her and dampening the heat, it seemed unbearable to her. I could see her skin glowing with sweat. It was sexy. The ingots turned into molten metal and then I lowered the force bubble into the ladle. The metal poured into it and when it was full, I closed the lid. I then focused on the heat and gradually cooled the air by stilling the excited atoms.

*Iceman must feel like this all the time.*

After another hour I had to wait for the metal to arrive at a manageable temperature. I passed the time trying to see how I would start weaving the metal into fabric. Once the pure vibranium was liquid enough, I stored everything in the advanced 3D printer and let the computer do its magic. Two hours to have a prototype suit. One hour to have the base mesh suit made and another to implant circuitry inside for communication. I intended to transmute the suit into shapeshifting unstable molecules to marry the different qualities that I wished for it to have.

Meanwhile, I took Cindy with me to the kitchen attached to my apartment, offering her a drink. I had sports drinks, alcohol, and ingredients for cooking here. I didn't know how Hans had done it, but I was happy that he had. Chimera visited us, curious about the new mind she could feel in the base.

Cindy and my second in command stared at each other for some time and I feared a fight would break out. It didn't.

"Boss, you have been awake for eight days now, maybe you should rest?"

It was worse, she had come to play mother hen. Cindy looked at me, and mouthed 'boss?' and I nodded. She's Chimera, my right arm in this base, she helped me kill Sinister. You can trust her, there's Hans my butler and two others I forcibly recruited.

She shook her head, crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the bar.

Chimera, the blonde beauty, raised her chin toward Cindy. "And who is this?"

I glued myself to Cindy's side. "My girlfriend, Cindy. Cindy, this is Chimera. I went back to new york to look for her, there's trouble at home but I can't leave Maddy so-"

Chimera glared at me. "What are you talking about? I can take care of Maddy, go with her if you are needed!"

I didn't expect this and, as a result, Cindy looked happier all of a sudden. Still, I couldn't just give in like that; the little girl had grown on me and I couldn't just up and disappear. There was also the fact that dealing with Peter's mess seemed like a bother; though I saw the point, I couldn't just have a corrupt Klyntar on the planet.

I scowled at her. "But she might cry if she-"

She batted away my concerns, without even listening to them, with a wave of her hand. "Nonsense! She's a good girl, if I explain things to her."

I stared between Cindy and Chimera… the two were already in communication through telepathy. What the hell was happening? I knew this was going to cost me- helping Peter while in his current state was going to give me mental scars.

Cindy's eyes were pleading at this point and I caved. "Fine I will go, but when she wakes up I will be there; I'm not leaving her alone, she wanted to meet her other genetic donor anyway."

Fostering Maddy on Elektra might be good revenge. I smiled. "What do you think about guarding her in New York, Chimera?"

Chimera seemed thoughtful, then nodded. "That's a great idea! I've never been to America before."

Cindy shook her head as she must have guessed what I had in mind for sensei.

# # #

Cindy stayed until it was time to see the base of her vibranium tri-weave suit. She needed to contact the gang and inform them on what was happening to Peter. I was guessing the girls would miss school and conjure up some dastardly plan to keep the adults from asking questions. Mom was surely going to be part of the plot. I sent Cindy back into her room through a portal and that left me in the lab with her suit on the mannequin.

It was completely black, and had no spiderweb patterns- at least not yet. It had the consistency and flexibility of an undersuit armor but knowing what I knew of the original Panther Habit made of normal vibranium weave in the MCU… it made the user completely bulletproof, near-indestructible, and able to withstand explosive impacts without noticeable damage. It was also lightweight and didn't seem to inhibit mobility.

To test its durability, Goldie gave me my P226 pistol and I emptied a clip into it. I placed it down on the table and searched for damage. I came up empty. I smirked. My very first project seemed to be a success. I went to save the schematics in the computer's database just in case I ran out of vibranium, I knew I didn't have enough to make a complete armor for me, but Cindy was important to me, more so than a metal I was sure I could duplicate through transmutation.

The base suit made, I now wanted to test my unstable molecules transmutation process. As I didn't have the machine necessary for it yet, I accessed Phoenix' memories to see if there was a way to tweak our matter transmutation. The information was there but what it told me was that I was going to tire myself because of the artificial state of energy and matter of the substance I was going to create.

I resolved to test the process by taking three body armors out of storage,- the ones the clone soldiers employed by Sinister had used. The first body armor simply disintegrated when I touched it. I went too fast.

*Calm down, this is a matter of control, you are not a destroyer right now, but a creator that seeks to protect a loved one.* I inhaled, then exhaled after revising what I wanted. Unstable molecules, a quirky configuration of atomic nuclei and electrons. I wanted to synthetize them. Taking the second armor in hand, I let the creation juice out and tweaked the armor at the subatomic level, and under my eyes a wave of energy spread all over the armor, fundamentally changing its composition.

When it stopped, the black body armor had gained a blue sheen and when I touched it, its form remained. Squinting, I set my hand on fire and touched the armor, which suddenly mimicked its state and set itself on fire. I let go and the fire went out.

"Another win!" So it worked, now to see if I could add the shapeshifting.

I went to the third test armor and tried to duplicate my success and tried to combine the elements of Skrull; it went well at first, the energy spreading the change did just as expected but suddenly the armor began to disform as if cancerous cells were growing out of it! I took my hands away from it. The armor kept growing with no signs of stopping.

"Kill it with fire!" I spoke, unleashing my cosmic fire on it and started burning it.

It almost didn't work as the suit was growing but the cosmic flames did their job and began to eat away at it. Thirty seconds later there was nothing left of the third armor. I let the cosmic fire burn even the residue, I guess the world wasn't ready for it yet.

*At least I have my first success.* I thought as I looked at the second armor recalling the process.

# # #

December 18th, 1996

05:09 AM, New York time

I was done, Cindy's armor was complete. It was a replica of the Silk spider morph suit, but it worked more like the Panther Habit, I had integrated retractable claws into it and a miniaturized communication system that was connected with my own that I had built in parallel in the form of a choker at the neck.

Nothing more complicated was added; I hadn't wanted to ruin the suit and it should suffice for now. The next iteration would be even more advanced! Though, I did feel drained after all that thinking and crafting. I went to sit on the throne-like desk chair and closed my eyes to rest them for just a second, yes one second.

I saw a burning world, a battle fleet chasing after me and myself destroying them for their impudence. The destruction gave place to life as I lit the core of a dead planet that was being brought back to life and I willed the ocean into being and destined it to bear strong offspring. I flew into the void seeking what needed to be fixed or destroyed, bringing ruin to stagnation.

I jolted awake. Sweat covering me, the memories of destruction and creation alike eliciting strange instincts in me. Even if we had merged, there was still a period of acclimatization that I was under. But if I had those dreams every time I had to sleep it would get old really fast. Sitting straight I gazed at my surroundings, looking for anything amiss.

The cavernous space was still the same, the noise of machinery in the engineering sector was prevalent and despite that, I had slept like a log. Glancing at the time, I realized it was 06:01 AM and that I was late in wanting to be there for Maddy. I yawned, I felt hungry and icky at the same time.

It was time for breakfast. I teleported to my room, finding Chimera on my bed spooning my clone. Now I understood, Chimera treated Maddy like a doll, was it because she had had no childhood? I shrugged, and decided to test the bathroom facility.

It was divine, warm water cascading upon me and revitalizing me. That was until I felt the presence of Maddy and Chimera, their minds were no longer quiescent, they were awake. Smiling, I cut my shower short and dried myself with a thought, doing the same for the shower cabin. Goldie chose another tactical outfit for me, this time in red. Leather jacket, black t-shirt and a pair of tight jeans with warm and comfy boots.

Strangely this time, Goldie didn't add any weapons and I asked her why.

[Derision: Civilization, not needed.]

I would have to make do with my own powers, I guessed. And it had been a while since I went into Klyntar battle form but I felt that it was ready at a moment's notice. I opened the door leading to the bedroom, Maddy was indeed awake and she was trying to get Chimera to let go of her.

She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Mother Jean she doesn't want to let go."

I released a sigh, heading over to the bed and telling her,"Poke her in the arms or belly."

Madelyn obeyed and poked Chimera who was feigning sleep. Still, the blonde held on, so B I tickled her with psionic hands and she opened her eyes while laughing. "I surrender!"

"Good, now why don't we go have breakfast?" I asked, noticing Madelyn's eager expression at my suggestion.

However, it wasn't yet time for her to think about filling her belly as the tall blonde intervened. "Bathroom first!" Chimera shouted with a fist in the air, she loaded a shrieking Madelyn onto her shoulders and left for their ablutions.

The room was empty and I was left alone with my thoughts. "Well I guess it's my turn to feed the troops."

Thirty minutes later, I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for everyone. I doubted that Hans, Regan or Philippa would acclimate to my current schedule, they were used to Egyptian time but if they looked for food they would find it here. Today I chose to go with the classics, eggs, bacon, sausage and pancakes.

The skillet was sizzling as I was finishing the last batch of bacon. I wasn't surprised to see Maddy coming, all clean and her hair resplendent, completely different from mine. Something twitched on my scalp and I found my hair growing visibly.

[Smug satisfaction: You're welcome.]

*Couldn't you have done that earlier?*

[Apologetic: Not enough nutrients, insufficient essence. Now there is.]

And that was that. My hair had lengthened and grown to reach my waist. Goldie didn't just grow it, she even repaired the split ends I had developed and modified the shade to a scarlet luster.

Madelyn looked at me in wonder, then twirled one of her own strands of hair."We are matching!"

"Sure baby, we are. Now come grab a bite." A pause. Then I flinched, realizing I'd said exactly what my mom told me every morning of my life.

Shaking my head, I tried not to think about that, setting down a plate of pancakes before Madelyn, decked in maple syrup. Fortunately, I cut them in bites beforehand. Chimera entered, her outfit different from earlier. It now consisted of a green short tank top showing her midriff, leather pants and cute heels.

"There's still some left?" My subordinate asked, the scream of her stomach clearly audible for Madelyn and I.

I pointed a finger at the stack of pancakes. "Still making some more, knock yourself out."

As I made more food, I felt three more minds awaken, but they stayed firmly where they were. I guessed they weren't that hungry; metahumans were a strange bunch, they were humans and sometimes not. Having power changed one's thought process completely. After a hearty breakfast, Chimera left to search for a coat for Madelyn.

As for me, I decided to go outside and gather ore in the desert outside the valley. As I collected enough, I transmuted the collected metal into an oval portable crystal cage by manipulating its molecular structure by shedding electrons to form positive ions. I now had a symbiote container. Once Goldie purified venom, I would force it into stasis.

I teleported into the lab and grabbed Cindy's spider suit. Doing so, I used my TK to style my hair into a loose ponytail. Sooner or later I would need the help of a professional, I was rich enough to have it taken care of. Madelyn in a big black winter coat with fur trimming around the hood, Chimera in a windproof green winter coat and Hans waited for me in the lab, by the forge.

"Hans? It's kinda early for you." I noted, looking at his pajamas.

I smirked; he wore pajamas. He clearly understood my thoughts and rolled his eyes. "Jean, you should have told me you were ready to sortie again."

"Sorry, but something has come up." Cindy wanted me to save Peter.

I still asked myself why I was bothering to go. *Because you would have liked someone to save you when you were younger.* My traitorous mind answered.

"Are you going to kill someone? Or raid a base?" Hans didn't even question the morality of my actions anymore, that was how awesome he was. Though his tone was flippant when he asked me this.

"No, save a friend." Hans' eyes widened in surprise, then he smiled. "Interesting, it changes from your usual M.O."

I frowned at that. "Hey!" Just because I crushed an army by myself didn't mean I should get used to it!

Hans then looked at how disorganized the lab was, grimacing with disgust. "I guess I will have to establish some form of order to all this chaos. If you'll excuse me." He left striding like a big cat out of the lab.

"Argh." That man was infuriating!

Chimera, meanwhile, looked at Hans' posterior. I bopped her behind the head with my TK. "Do you need a fire hose to calm you down?"

Chimera raised her hands to placate me. "No, Boss. I am good."

"Hmph, that's what I thought." I turned my head and tried to ignore her but Chimera laughed at me. I sighed, you couldn't find good help all the time huh.

"Maddy, are you ready to meet your other mom?"

"Yes!" She threw a fist in the air, almost falling because of the massive coat on her small frame. That was cute… I shook my head with a smirk on my face and opened a portal to Elektra's dojo. I could see the snowfall while it was still dark. A wave of cold spread into the lab. "Well let's go."

# # #

(Elektra Natchios)

USA, New York, Queens

Elektra's dojo

07:12 AM

Elektra woke up hearing the door to the dojo open. In silence she took two Sai from under her pillows and left the bed. She heard creaks from the wood panelings on the other side. Elektra didn't need to get clothes, as she always slept in comfy yet practical outfits when she wasn't with Matt- if he was there the two of them would stay in the nude.

The shinobi already exited her bedroom to go into the living room. She was surprised the Hand would bother looking for her now; she had ramped up her training as they had been pushy lately. Madame Gao was an impatient shrew. Elektra hoped this wasn't another capture attempt on her, or she'd show no mercy if that was the case; some people should have a sense of propriety and not bother someone this early.

Feeling someone behind the door leading out of her living space, Elektra opened the sliding door separating her apartment from the dojo and struck with her Sai that was deflected by… claws? Someone with considerable skills, and when her foe revealed herself she couldn't believe her eyes.

*Jean?*

The red hair and the green eyes were a dead giveaway, nevertheless, Elektra continued her assault and attempted to clock the girl on the temple with the butt of her Sai but it was deflected again. The girl before her was taller, older and had a similar physical build to her. Elektra dared not hope yet, as she was familiar with clones and lookalikes. Elektra had to be sure this young woman was her beloved student.

She lunged and delivered a series of punches and kicks that would have left Jean struggling when they had spared the last time. They were all deflected or evaded. The redhead retreated into the dojo, giving Elektra more space to fight in. The shinobi turned around the young woman and looked for an opening there were none, all of a sudden, the redhead attacked with a punch that Elektra sidestepped and caught a knee strike in her free hand.

At the last moment, Elektra avoided a headbutt that would have done some damage if she hadn't seen it coming and retreated five meters from the redhead. She was stronger, and her reflexes were superior to Jean's but the cocky smile plastered on her face? It was unmistakably Jean.

The shinobi's body filled with her chi, reinforcing her muscles, allowing short little breaths to fill her lungs. Her two Sai twirled in her hands as she jumped at her opponent who mimicked her and had her claws out. As they met a flurry of evasions, feints and counters began. Motes of yellow and ephemeral chi swirled around Elektra's weapons and was met by the golden hued chi of her opponent who decided to disarm her, Elektra let her but she snaked her arm around the redhead's arm and they were immediately on the ground.

Elektra straddled the young woman with her Sai on her neck. She had won. Elektra had never doubted that her martial skills would be surpassed by her student. Jean had refined her technique, moved almost like her even, but she had always been a bit more brutish and willing to get hurt. Elektra knew Jean inside and out, despite her new tricks and superior advantage, the young woman had lost to experience.

"Hello sensei." The voice was Jean's, an older version of her.

She had no doubt left that this rather different Jean was the real deal. Elektra permitted herself a smile, her battle lust giving place to the jovial and quirky teacher that the young woman knew.

Elektra removed her Sai from Jean's neck and congratulated her. "You have gotten stronger beyond my wildest dreams. Who taught you to circulate chi?"

The greek woman put a naked hand on Jean's collar bone, pushing her own chi into her and was surprised to see that her student had so much of the life giving energy in her body. It was like she was a fountain that kept on giving. Elektra took her hand away from Jean who didn't get upset at her teacher touching her chest.

"Would you believe me if I told you that Goldie did?" The redhead said as if in jest.

Elektra glared. "No."

*This is dangerous, Jean has opened all her energy centers. I am teaching a gifted student and the Chaste may come knocking if they become aware of her… right not if, when.* Elektra stood, offering Jean a hand to pull her up.

*The Hand might get an interest in Jean too, Madam Gao would use her to hurt me or to bring me back into the fold.*

Jean took it, chuckling. "Ah too bad, she's the one though." She then began to dust herself off.

Elektra still didn't believe her, but it wasn't important. What she needed to do was teach Jean how to mask her inner chi. "You are still a journey woman." Elektra declared. "Your next training sessions and spars are going to be harsher with me and Matt."

Jean shook her head and cried out, "Urgh. No, please, not yet!"

Elektra laughed, this was it. How she had missed those interactions with her favorite student, torturing her mentally and pushing her buttons was still as fun as she remembered. "Jean?"

"Sensei?"

Elektra engulfed Jean in her embrace and held onto her tightly. "I knew you'd escape, you are my student."

The shinobi felt herself being patted on the back. Jean's voice was tight with emotions when she spoke, "Thanks, I knew you'd believe in me."

Elektra then stepped back from her student, still holding onto her hands. She remembered where she had seen the type of eyes her student now had. Those were the eyes of a killer, she knew her precious student had killed a lot of people already, but Jean didn't seem to be well at all. "How many?"

"What?" Jean frowned.

Elektra asked again, tightening her hold on Jean's hands. "How many did you kill to be free?"

Elektra saw the easy going teenager persona melt like snow under the Sahara's sun and be replaced by a cold blooded killer. There was sadness in those eyes, reluctance to do harm but she would be able to dish out punishment as needed.

"I make Hitler, Mao and Stalin look like kindergarteners." Jean admitted, brutally honest. Elektra released Jean's hands in shock, her mind reeling and her brain leaping to the only event with the biggest body count in history. "The falling? That was you?"

Jean looked down and nodded. "I was partially responsible." Her voice was small, so unlike Jean Grey.

Elektra placed her Sai in the elastic band of her shorts and began vigorously massaging her temples. "I need coffee."

"Before that, sensei… I have something important to tell you." Jean interrupted her.

Elektra stared at the problem child before her. "Which is?"

"We have a daughter."

Another younger redhead, in a black winter that consumed her, stepped out from the darkness of the dojo and smiled nervously at Elektra. "Hi, mother Elektra."

With a smooth movement Elektra's Sai was clutched in her hand and pressed against Jean's throat again. "Jean, explain now… or I will stab you." The assassin in her woke up and for the first time since meeting Jean, her tone now cold and dangerous.

The older redhead gulped loudly.

# # #

Back with Jean…

For an hour, I had to tell her everything that had happened to me- waking up with a broken back, Goldie being instrumental in my escape, how she healed me and taught me how to circulate my chi, how I cheated with the Phoenix to get to this level of Chi manipulation. How I used some of her teachings and knowledge to sow chaos and used it to create distractions and feints to keep my foe unbalanced. To lower the clones' morale.

Chimera sat with us in the living room, nodding her head repeatedly as I described what I did. Elektra had Madelyn's head on her thigh and was caressing her hair absently. It had taken barely twenty minutes for the little girl to win her over. The folder and blood sample with Madelyn's genetic information and her general health were opened on the table; I was happy to have thought about that actually.

Elektra would be able to ascertain the truth. It took me a bit of time to finish my story on the bacteria calling itself Sublime and the effects it was having on humanity. Elektra looked horrified by the organism's possession powers and the things it seemed to have pushed some governments to do. Because yes, why would I keep silent about the Weapon X program? It was a horrible dirty secret of the US government that I would expose to the light in due time.

"I… thank you for being straight with me." Elektra sensei inclined her head slightly.

I never lied to her, not once. "I promised you that I would tell you the truth when you took me on as a student."

There were emotions akin to longing, loss and resignation swirling inside sensei. She put words into her feelings, her smile sad. "But you don't seem to need me anymore?"

I glared at her; I was not a quitter. Killing Sinister did not mean I wouldn't have other assholes after me, trying to control me. "Bullshit, you think I want to stay a journey woman martial artist forever? You are the best, sensei. I would never settle for anything but the best. And to be frank with you, I have too much power…"

Hope burned suddenly in Elektra, but she still held onto her emotional resignation like a free hug sign. "Oh really?"

Shaking my head, I stood up, my gaze piercing. "I want to be like you. To know how to use my natural advantages. I will have separate training for my powers." I held out a fist, making it glow with Chi.

Elektra nodded, understanding. "The path to mastery never ends, Jean."

I rolled my eyes. "I am immortal now, it doesn't scare me. But I want you to guide me on this road."

I wouldn't have it any other way- yes, she may scare me and go too far in training but she cared for me. Matt still didn't like me, Black Widow would be too much of a hassle to track down and I wanted to help Sensei survive her final confrontation with the Hand intact and stick it to the Chaste deep in their collective asses.

Elektra sensei remained thoughtful for another five minutes. Madelyn was like a little cat being taken care of by her second genetic mother. Chimera was playing with her powers creating mini dragons floating around Madelyn's head.

Sensei lifted her head and said aloud, "Very well, we shall continue your instruction."

I pumped a fist in the air. "Yes! Thank you sensei, you won't regret it!"

"You are a good student." Elektra sensei was lavish in her praises.

Jean we need help, can you come? Cindy is having a hard time convincing Gwen. Jessica said in my mind from afar,and I located her instantly finding she was at… was that home? Yes it was.

My head turned to Sensei who seemed to be concerned by my reaction. "I need to go, Jessica is calling me."

I had told sensei why I was back in New York, she approved. Peter needed help, as he had become a rather more violent vigilante than before. That wouldn't do...

"I will keep your friend and Maddy safe." Elektra sensei said, she was already going to spoil the girl...

I slightly bowed, and added a formal tone to my voice. "Thank you, sensei."

Turning toward the dojo, I left the living room and went to get my girlfriend's costume and the symbiote prison. *Peter you better be thankful when I am done with you.*

# # #

(Gwendolyne Stacy)

Grey Penthouse

08:55 AM

"Do you have any proof?" Gwen tone was mocking.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and that she was playing hooky from school. *There goes my perfect attendance score.* She thought that her Mother was right, friends derail the most well laid scholastic plans.

Gwen sighed, thinking about all the problems she'd faced with her boyfriend for the last month. Problems that were supposed to be the fault of some kind of symbiotic amorphous alien life form. Peter had been nearly insufferable and rude since Jean had disappeared. Even Mrs Grey had a bad time believing them but she had that thoughtful expression on her face as she remembered something.

Nevertheless, the simple fact that Jessica and Cindy thought that it was true played in her mind. The simple fact that she had powers had changed the way Cindy interacted with the world. Gwen had noticed that Cindy was into embroidery and sewing without using any needles. As for Jessica, she was kind of more subdued without Jean; her best friend and the one who helped her embrace her powers and herself. The pink haired girl spent her time flying over New York at night, her new hobby.

Jessica was on the red leather sofa, her eyes closed in concentration. She reopened them, looking straight at Gwen with an impish smile. She straightened her red colored skirt and said, "I do, brace yourself."

"Hm?" Gwen rolled her eyes, but at the same time she felt someone breath in her ear and she stood up in surprise.

She turned and saw someone she heard was alive and kicking but hadn't been to see her at all. Gwen stared up at Jean, with all her long red hair and… her vision blurred. Those were tears flowing from her eyes. All of a sudden she found herself engulfed in Jean's arms. "Heya, Gweny."

Gwen held tightly onto her friend. "Jean, I thought…"

Jean caressed her blonde hair and said soothingly, "I'm alive, I escaped."

The blonde pixie stepped out of Jean's embrace and looked at her. She found her redheaded friend to have changed. "You're taller, more muscular. What happened to you? Your hair is kinda bothering me, it's too long."

Jean took on a sad expression, sliding her fingers through her hair. "Yes, do you know a good hairdresser?"

As a matter of fact there was her favorite hair salon and other places that her mother brought her to for different situations. "Mom does!"

Jean had met Mrs Stacy earlier before her kidnapping and the two hit it off. Another sign she may have made a mistake by stopping her pursuit in her and letting Cindy win the redhead's heart. Gwen eyed the half korean girl who glared at her for monopolizing her girlfriend.

Jean slapped Gwen's shoulder delicately and announced, "Let's table a girl's day out in the calendar when we are done with Peter."

Gwen looked as a big silver suitcase flew through the air toward Cindy who caught it. Jean threw her a thumbs-up, earning a smile from Cindy. Then she disappeared upstairs as fast as she could.

Jean took Gwen's hand and pulled her toward the sofa. The blonde girl directly got to the point. "By the way, what's this I hear about alien symbiotes? That it influenced Peter into becoming that… that douchie…"

"It's true." Jean confirmed, all serious.

*Shit if Jean says it's true…* Jean had always been frank with her. It was something she really liked about her- how she was honest with the people she cared for.

Gewn blinked, then found a golden goo-like thing oozing from Jean's arm and forming a head with eyes and very scary long teeth. "This is Goldie, my partner."

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" a strident scream escaped Gwen at the sight of the symbiote who rippled at the sound of the girl's voice.

Goldie wrapped a tentacle around Gwen's right hand, frantically trying to make it let go of her. "Get it off! Get it off!"

The symbiote relented, seeming hurt by the dislike from Gwen, returning into Jean. Jessica didn't know whether to laugh or be mad at Jean as she had received the same treatment months ago. Loyalty to her other girl friend won out. "Jean that wasn't cool!"

Goldie peered at Gwen looking to see if she was still scared. The little blonde sauntered away from the sofa.

Jean shrugged and smiled, "Sorry. Goldie come back!" She apologised, not looking sorry one bit. The symbiote returned inside her host without a sound.

"What the fuck?!" Gwen shouted as she pointed at Jean and the monster she was harboring.

Fortunately for everyone, the voice of reason interrupted the shouting match that was brewing. "Language young lady!"

All of the girls looked at the Grey matron with sheepish expressions or guilt.

It was Jessica who apologized to her first. "Huh, sorry Mrs E."

Elaine Grey eyed each of them who were averting eye contact with her. Jean herself tried to look innocent but failed. "Teenagers. So Jean that's your secret? Oh, and where's my hug?"

Gwen looked at Jean and her mother, who didn't seem to mind the alien monster in their midst. The woman seemed to have nerves of steel.

"Sorry… mom." Jean stood up from the sofa, going over to her mother and embracing her in a hug, her mother not wanting to let go of her.

Gwen was still shaken by the proof that they weren't alone in the universe. "Jean… that… What..?"

Jean sat at her mother's side, sighing heavily before giving Gwen an explanation. "Symbiotes are real, Goldie is benevolent because I treat her like a person. She's also part of me, she saved my life and was instrumental in my escape. I wouldn't be here without her. Symbiotes amplify what people are deep down, I think that I've gotten more prideful since I got Goldie..."

Gwen was smart- one of the smartest girls in this room beside Jean- and she understood the ramifications of what Jean was telling her. Peter was a sweet guy, as smart as her but prone to procrastination and subject to self loathing and survivor's guilt after what happened to his uncle. Then there was his activities as a vigilante born from the need of wanting to do the right thing.

"Then Peter?" Gwen said aloud as she understood that deep down Peter may have let his dark side win out.

Jean crossed her legs and folded her arms, looking rather detached from the situation. "Let's not sugarcoat it. Peter is an asshole, and you are one of the only people, along with May he bothers being civil with."

Gwen closed her eyes, aware of that. The simple fact that he had treated Jean like dirt the first time they interacted after she gave him her condolences was proof. It had tainted any amicable relationship they would have, because Jean was prideful and didn't give second chances easily.

Jean continued, "He should have gotten over himself after his uncle's death, but he kept guilt tripping himself because he let the guy who killed Ben go without stopping him. If you weren't there Gwen he would keep pushing everyone else away until he was completely alone, or worse end up under the foot of another woman like Mary Jane Watson."

This was the first time Gwen heard of that. *That's why! He should have told me, or told May! He thinks he killed Ben...*

Jean stood, pacing between the sofas. "He must treat his symbiote like a thing, a costume that gives him better advantages. And that isn't how you treat them… they can become corrupted and eat their host if they are unworthy."

The golden symbiote's head appeared on a tendril out of Jean's shoulder. [Truthful: Corrupted, need cleansing.]

Everyone turned to Jean n for the answer of what the seemingly telepathic symbiote was saying. Gwen couldn't believe that everyone wasn't more wary of the alien after discovering it was telepathic! "Think of the cleansing as resetting a computer to factory settings. A complete blank. But the problem is weaning the host from the Symbiote's influence on his body. I won't lie to you, it's gonna be hard Gwen."

"So… it's not Peter's fault?" Gwen questioned, hope laced in her voice.

Jean snorted. "Oh believe me, it's his fault. But the Venom symbiote influenced his base instincts, so I will give him a pass, as you should. For now, Peter needs a good ass kicking. Wanna help?" the redhead smiled at Gwen.

Gwen looked eagerly at Jean, a vicious glint in her eyes. "When do we start?" She didn't want to feel useless, and wanted to do something to help her boyfriend.

"This afternoon." Jean told her as her red jacket disappeared inside herself, leaving her tight black tank top. "But first, I'm going to give you superpowers."

Gwen reacted to that with a thrill of excitement. "Huh? How…?"

"Easy, you just have to lay on this sofa and I will do the rest." Jean walked up to her and pulled her to the big sofa.

Gwen let herself be handled by the redhead. "Fine…"

Jean put a hand on her forehead and Gwen was asleep in no time, wondering what type of power she would be given, she didn't want spider ones like that bitch, Cindy.

# # #

15 minutes later…

Gwen woke up with a headache and a sore was sweating and feeling rather warm. Her vision was blurry and… perfect. It was different before as she had damaged her eyes through reading excessively. The white walls and the comfy red leather sofa told her she was still at Jean's. Carefully sitting up, she noticed that she was alone in the living room.

She stood up and found herself jumping into the ceiling, slamming into it. Gwen fell back on the ground and ended up crushing the low table. The noise garnered attention to her as she heard footsteps coming from the upstairs and quickly tried to get out of the ruined wooden furniture.

Cindy was the first to arrive, wearing a black and white quality costume with some kind of red half-face mask with black webbing patterns that looked like a ninja mask out of mortal kombat.

"Hey, I liked that table." Jean arrived behind Cindy, looking rather cross with her blonde friend.

"Hmm, we shouldn't have left her alone." Elaine Grey shook her head at the sight of her crushed low table.

Gwen looked in panic from the broken table to the cracked ceiling, then stared at Jean. "What's happening to me?"

The redhead chuckled, levitating toward her. "Well, Gweny. I gave you a variant of the FISS package."

"FISS?" Gwen repeated, her voice shrill. She didn't even understand what it meant.

Jean threw a fist at Gwen at super speed, the blonde caught it. There was a little shockwave spreading from them making all the crystal figurines on the furniture jump or fall. "Flight, Invulnerability, Strength, Speed."

"Wow." Gwen released Jean's fist to stare at her hands. Her body was still aching from getting messed with and she still didn't understand how Jean could manipulate DNA and genes without equipment but it was worth it; she had powers now.

Jean floated in the air, making a gesture to Gwen to follow her. "Your body couldn't handle more of the DNA manipulation, I had to reduce the efficiency of the power set, I didn't want my friend to turn into goo. So, you have flight, you can fly as fast as me, but you are as durable as Jessica, I tested, your skin is as dense as hers."

Gwen focused, wanting to fly. She lurched into the air following Jean's trail, laughter bursting from her. The redhead continued to speak, explaining what she did to Gwen. "You have super strength, you can lift something like thirty tonish? And you're fast and agile with augmented reflexes."

Jessica chose to interrupt. "So she's SuperGwen?"

Everyone in the room stopped and looked at Jessica who kept laughing at the name. But Jean didn't and put on a thoughtful expression. "Yeah, damn I like that name."

"Welcome to metahumankind, Gweny." Jean announced.

Right then, someone chose to rain on their parade, not sounding happy. "Jean before leaving to save your friend, you better clean the living room." Elaine Grey commanded.

Jean's smile wilted and she felt the glowering eyes of her mother trained on her. "Yes… ma'am."

They proceeded to do just that. Jean fixed the table, making it good as new by reassembling it at the molecular level. The girls helped place all the crystal figurines back in their place to let them take in the light from the sun. They all watched as Jean fixed the cracks in the ceiling.

Elaine nodded, satisfied everything was in place. "Good, now I'm going to call Peggy. She needs to know that you are back."

Gwen saw as Jean sped and found herself before her mother, her hands grasping her shoulders, her eyes panicked. "Mom! No! She's going to-"

A glare from Elaine stopped her cold. "I don't care what you think you are doing playing ghost, but that woman was worried sick for you. She likes you and you owe it to her to let her know that you are alive and well."

Jean pulled her hands back from her mother's shoulders as if she had been burned. But she found the courage to look into her mother's eyes. "Yes mom, I understand though. I think it's time to end our relationship with SHIELD, living under scrutiny has become... bothersome. I found countless cameras and microphones of various sizes in the penthouse. We are going to have to move, again."

Gwen, Jessica and Cindy all gasped at the clear invasion of privacy. They understood Jean's stance- she wanted out.

"I guessed that you wouldn't." Elaine nodded, not as fond of this house as the one in Annandale. She had only stayed for Jean.

Jean continued on, hopeful that her mother was listening. "I've seen a good manor North of my school, it has thirty rooms, we will go see it later when everything is settled, okay?"

Elaine stared at her daughter as if she were crazy. "We don't need a place that big…"

Gwen told herself the same, the Grey family didn't need such a big place and Elaine didn't seem to be the kind to flaunt their money. She knew that the Greys were well off but not that much.

"I am anticipating some needs we will have, don't worry." Was Jean's excuse.

Elaine sighed, leaving the room as she knew she'd lose this argument with her daughter. She had plans and all she could do was help Jean realize them. The redhead turned to her superpowered group of girls.

"Okay girls let's go plan how we will take down Pete!"

Gwen nodded, eager to get back at Peter and make him turn back to the sweet guy he had been before.

# # #

(Peter Parker)

Forest Hills

Parker Residence

04:45 PM

Peter felt danger as he stepped into his house. The darkness in the living room slowly encroached upon him and his spider senses were on full alert. He almost let himself change into his black costume, as he noticed that there were noises coming from upstairs. Oh so slowly, he went up the stairs; they didn't creak as he did maintenance on the house in Ben's stead since he died.

The young man heard voices- female voices- speaking about his computer and how he had built it. He recognized Gwen and… *Grey?*

He ran up the stairs, pushing the door to his bedroom open, finding Gwen on his bed straddled by Jean who was looking into her eyes. The fury that consumed him at the sight made him irrational. His body rippled and black goo oozed out of him as he entered directly into his battleform. As he was about to launch himself at the two cheating bitches, something happened to his costume that began to seize and shake.

Vrrrrrrrrrr. A strident noise rang out, finally registering to his ears. The source of the noise was brought near his head, his costume peeling off him, leaving him in his own clothes. Peter was on his knees, his vision blurred as the sound kept making him feel faint. A feminine silhouette on the ceiling kept pointing a device at him. Now he understood what his spider senses were telling him, he was being hunted by his own friends.

At this point, his symbiote left him completely to protect itself and was scooped up with an invisible force into some kind of glass prison. Even through the blurry forms he could see Jean walking toward him. Without thinking, he lunged at her. It was so sudden that he caught her and they ended up opening a hole in his bedroom wall.

CRASH.

As they were in midair, Peter was caught by the back of the collar of his t-shirt and felt himself fall. "Quick, go put Venom into stasis!"

Peter was smashed into the backyard of his home by someone he recognized to be Gwen. His vision sharpened and he saw her wearing some kind of all black tactical clothing, jacket, tight top, khaki pants and combat boots. She looked like a little of a girl playing army.

"Peter, don't fight." His girlfriend asked, and it felt more like a plea. Peter shook his head.

He had trouble thinking, feeling weaker and cold without his symbiote. He hadn't felt the cold for so long with his symbiote and now it was bone chilling. "Gwen? What the hell are you doing? What were you…. With Grey?!"

Gwen blushed, then looked awkwardly at him and waved her hand, as if dismissing his concern. "Ah that? It was to get you mad and to make mistakes."

Peter shook his head. "I don't understand, since when was she back?" He still had an urge to kick Jean's ass for making a pass at his girlfriend in his own home… in his bed. His knuckles cracked at the mere thought of it as he tightened his hands into fist.

Gwen slowly walked up to him. "That's not important, Peter. Are you going to fight us?"

Peter snorted at the notion. Gwen wasn't a fighter but an egghead. "Fight? As if you could-" His spider senses warned him and he moved his head to the right avoiding being punched in the face by Gwen.

She attempted to knee him in the groin but he jumped to avoid it. What he couldn't understand was how she followed him into the air and clocked him in the stomach, sending him crashing into the palisade. When he righted himself, Peter saw that Jean was also with Gewn and she screamed, "Symbiote neutralized!"

Peter watched as the redhead held onto the oval form of the crystal container they had put his symbiote in. The container simply disappeared from her hand. That instilled panic in him. Peter didn't have his web shooter, he had used his symbiote to store his gadgets. Now he had nothing to take them back. He didn't care, though, and ran fast enough to avoid Gwen and Jessica and not let them catch him and jumped high into the hole in his house only to be kicked out by Cindy who swung from within, she slammed her feet into him.

"Hnnnggg." Peter cried out.

Then he felt himself being slammed in the back, landing face first in the snow. He felt an arm snake around his neck and his arms being forced behind his back.

"Got him." Jessica said from behind him.

Peter clenched his jaw, angry he was being manhandled by a bunch of girls! "No, you don't." He told her before he freed his arms and shoulder checked Jessica, reversing their position. He didn't punch her, still holding some kind of feeling that it was a bad idea. Jumping back he was confronted with Jean that looked down on him from up in the air.

"Coward, come down here!" Peter raged as he saw her, his facial features deforming into a rictus of rage.

"Oh?" Jean levitated down and landed before him.

Peter glanced behind him, Jessica and Gwen staying back as if they knew something he didn't. He put his eyes back on his perceived enemy, only to barely avoid the haymaker that would have rattled him down to his bones as the missed punch displaced air. He kicked her in the guts at the same time, eliciting a grunt from her but she caught his leg. With a shove, she sent him into the door only for him to recover midair and land on the beam supporting the little porch leading inside the house. He jumped at Jean who lunged at him too and clocked him on the shoulder, and caught his torso between her legs and heaved him under her and they slammed into the snow.

Jean began to punch him in the face, using enough force to kill a grown man. Peter caught her fist and punched her in the kidney and she rolled away from him. This was the first time that Peter had to fight someone as relentless as him, he took damage and Jean seemed to take his best hit with aplomb. Though he hit her with enough restraint that it seemed to not work. Could Jean be as durable as him. He thought so.

"Okay, I gave you what you wanted, a fisticuff bout, but now I'm bored." Jean said as she loosened her stance.

Peter frowned, his rage still blinding him to certain facts. "What are you talking about?"

Jean tilted her head. "Peter, you know that I'm just humoring you, right? I don't have to fight you in close combat or anything."

Suddenly, Peter felt himself being grasped by an invisible hand that caught him. His spider senses were useless as he felt himself being caught by all sides. In his fury, he'd forgotten what type of power Jean possessed. "Shit. Are you-"

"I'm sorry Peter, you may hate me, but your wellbeing matters to me and others. Just a tinsy bit for me." Jean showed a one inch space between her index and thumb. "After all, the world needs a balanced and sane Peter Parker. That stint with the symbiote? It's not going to happen again, you better forget it, you aren't worthy of such power in your current state."

"The hell are you saying? It is mine! I found it." He told her, shouting.

"Well, Peter, you continue to prove me right. Did you think your symbiote was the only one in circulation?" Jean's body oozed a gold symbiote that covered her entire body. She entered into her own battleform.

It was attractive and much better looking than his all black look. Once again, he was confronted with the fact that Jean Grey was better than him. Everything he seemed to have for himself she seemed to do better, his parents were dead, she still had hers even with siblings that cared for her. Better powers, and now she had a better symbiote.

"Wow, you make everything about you, don't you? You don't deserve Gwen, after what you put her through too."

"Jean can you finish it please? We have places to be." Jessica hollered from the back.

"Fine." Jean's right hand lit up with electric arcs. "I'm sorry it's gonna hurt, Peter. I'm respecting your willpower and toughness, I'm not going to go easy on you. I died twice already."

"Fuck you and your-" His cussing was interrupted by the lightning shot at him and electrocuting him into unconsciousness.