Chapter 22

"What sort of data?"

The furry man blinked at me as he got up from his seat and looked down at his tablet. "We'd need accurate dimensions, abilities, biological information, and estimated physical parameters. Did you have someone in mind?"

"A few," I smiled. "I'd like to take this Danger Room of yours for a spin and see the rest of your facilities. It'll be a great change of pace from what I'm used to."

"That's assuming the Professor doesn't hand you over to the police immediately," Scott scoffed. "And if you can't tell, you didn't make a great first impression."

"Like the nice lady said earlier, why don't you leave the judgment up to the professor," I snipped.

Dr. Hank shifted gears the moment we left the Blackbird, muttering something about upgrading the fuel injection system and the stealth capabilities, while Logan took it upon himself to wheel the Professor to his room personally.

There was a moment on the ramp when my eyes met Logan's. Chills ran down my spine. He didn't seem like the type to hold grudges, but he genuinely cared for the professor, and I had put him in a wheelchair.

Not that he wasn't already in one, to begin with, I thought in amusement.

"Jean, Scott. Take him to one of the guest rooms so that he can get a change of clothes while we wait for the professor to wake," Storm ordered as she stepped off the jet.

"We're just letting him roam free?" Scott demanded. "Are we forgetting that he nearly killed that Kat guy and murdered a bunch of people literally hours ago?"

"Then, it's a good thing I'm sending you to keep him company," She said. "Surely, you're not saying the greatest team in the world cannot handle some delinquent?"

"Hey!" I half-heartedly protested, watching as angst practically gushed out of Scott. He balled his fist and set his jaw before glaring at me and stomping off.

"Come on, Jean. Let's get this over with. I'm counting down the seconds until the professor wakes up."

I followed behind Jean as she led me out of the high-tech hangar and deeper into the bowels of the X mansion.

"How can you stand that guy?" I asked Jean, who'd been quiet this entire time.

"He's just a bit wary of outsiders and people with…complicated pasts."

"You mean murderers?" I stated flatly. She seemed unbalanced by my candor, and I pressed on.

"I might be sitting for a polygraph, so I might as well tell you. I've killed before, but it's mostly demons, murderous drug dealers, and abusive assholes who deserve it."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Jean asked with a bit of apprehension in her voice. "I could tell the professor."

"It's all going to come out when they look into my past anyway," I shrugged. "You stuck up for me when you didn't have to; I owe you the truth, at least."

"That makes sense," she muttered. "But still, demons?"

"You don't think I'm telling the truth?"

The look on her face spoke volumes.

"They've been after me since I was a kid," I said, casually stuffing my hands into my pocket. I didn't even have to spin a wild tale.

I just drew from Dante's memories. Demons did exist in this world, and oddly, some of them resembled the same ones you fought in the DMC games, but others were Marvel originals. Luckily, only the demons from the DMC game have come after Dante; otherwise, he wouldn't have been alive when Shin gave me his body.

"I've killed so many of them; I lost count. Things only started to change for me last week when my other powers manifested," I said. "When you grow up being hunted, morality takes a back seat to survival."

"I'm sorry," Jean said softly, and I shrugged.

"It's not your fault."

Jean took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Why do you think they're after you?"

"I think it's because of who my parents were," I said. "Don't tell anybody this, but I think I'm not exactly an ordinary human. Maybe I'm part demon or something," I shrugged and looked at Jean. "I suppose you can relate to that; you're not an ordinary mutant, either."

There was a flash of fear and confusion in her eyes. She was obviously curious about my parentage but was more bothered about my comment. "What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you don't know?" I raised a brow. "You're the strongest mutant I've ever seen, and I've met a lot of mutants."

She frowned. "I'm only a telekinetic with some telepathy. The professor is far stronger than I am."

"No, he's not," I said. "My Devil's Eye does not lie. It tells me important things about each person I use them on, and it's telling me you're the most powerful mutant alive. If you're weaker than you should be, it's because somebody is keeping you that way."

"Devil Eye?" Jean asks skeptically. "I thought you said you could only heal and summon weapons?"

"A lot can change in one meditation session," I shrugged. "I couldn't block Telepathy before; well, now I can. Like I said, I unlocked my powers a few weeks ago. I have no idea what my limits are."

Jean still seemed a bit skeptical, so I shrugged. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't believe an admitted murderer either.

"Just ask yourself this before you dismiss my claims entirely: what do I stand to gain from lying to you?" I questioned. "I just met you."

Jean bit her lip in thought before she spoke. "Prove that this Devil's eye of yours actually exists. Tell me something else about myself."

I laughed and actually used the skill.

Jean took a step back, and I saw a notification floating above Jean's head.

Jean Elaine Grey – Avatar of the Phoenix Force

Everything after that was a wall of question marks. Still, it gave me enough information to mess with Jean.

"Your middle name is Elaine," I said with a mischievous grin.

Jean's eyes went wide. "How did you…That's…freaky. Your eyes turned red for a moment there."

"Oh." I didn't know that happened when I used Devil's Eye. "Good to know. So, you believe me now?"

"Yes," she said with some hesitation. "Still, I have a hard time wrapping my head around it…How is any of this possible?"

"The better question should be, who is powerful enough to shackle a god?"

Jean broke her stride when I posed that question.

I hoped she'd make the connection to Charles by herself, but if she didn't, she'd not be completely blindsided when she learned the truth.

And when that happened, I'd be here to pick up the pieces and earn the Phoenix's favor. Whether or not it would like me enough to grant me some of its flame was another matter entirely.

The talk with Charles could go either way, so I was poisoning the well as insurance. That wasn't to say that I had no strategies to convince the old coot to let me stay.

I had stacks upon stacks of information I could use to strong-arm myself a permanent residence here, but staying at the mansion long-term would limit my growth.

Instead, I was planning to stay long enough to win her over completely and get SHIELD off my ass.

"Come on, Jean," I bumped her with my elbow. "Let's get moving before your boyfriend blows a gasket."

Jean blinked out of her reverie and blushed furiously. "Did your devil's eye tell you?"

"I'm not blind, you know?" I chuckled as we walked deeper into the mansion.