Story 18 Broken Hearts. Mended Lives Chapter 5

'How the fuck did the X-men find us?' I thought before shuddering at the thought of Jean and other telepaths reading my mind before I relaxed at the memory of my patron Jake telling me how I and all other Jake's had mental protections from surface-level mental attacks. 

And should someone try to attack us mentally much more directly... Well it would be a mental battle on our turf and we would have all the advantages.

"Jake who was that?" Hinata asked in disquiet at seeing my anxious face and for a moment I wondered on what to answer but then as a series of knocking came on the door I took a deep breath and with my heart firm I looked at Hinata behind me and said. 

"People involved in a lot of trouble. Let me send them away." I told Hinata.

 Frankly, half the bullshit apocalypses and reality manipulation-based dead-end timelines in Marvel were due to insane redhead mutants. Both Jean Gray and of course Wanda Maximov who was undoubtedly Magneto's daughter in this timeline were walking bad ends in of themselves with all the damned drama they get into.

So I wanted literally nothing to do with them!

As a softer almost hesitant series of knocking hit the door, I opened the door again and seeing Jean and Ororo standing there I visibly steadied myself making them wait as I announced plainly. "No. I am not going to the other wheel-chaired creepers hidden away mansion. I don't want to join Xavier's cult, please go away as this is my private domicile." 

And then without any shame, I closed the door in their face again and walked away with my chakra raised and ready to throw a water bullet in their direction as I backed away from the door with Hinata pressed behind me and quickly powerwalking backward into the main room.

'Oh fucking hell no.' I thought as I heard a loud clicking noise behind me and I saw the door fucking unlock itself and low and behold Jean Gray standing at my opened door holding up her hands defensively at seeing my angry expression at how she used her telekinesis to unlock my damned door.

"Wait! Please just hear us out, you two are in danger here in the open." Jean said quickly and my eye twitched as I realized we had been sold out already. This apartment and my fucking identity were burned by Xavier's bullshit Cerebro that had undoubtedly picked up our inhuman nature. With Cerebro having leaks to a dozen damned organizations that meant that Hinata and I were screwed.

'Do I do the violence on the gaslit mind-controlled walking nuke?' I mentally mused before I smiled and said tiredly. "No. You are the ones who brought danger to us in finding us with Cerebro and then coming here... Please just leave us alone so I can pack what little I have."

Ororo was seemingly content standing outside in watch waiting to make sure those other organizations didn't jump onto us as Jean tried to talk to us. But as I felt Hinata grab my arm I calmed down as I listened to Jean speak. 

"Yes Cerebro has its issues. But many of our fellow mutant kind aren't so lucky like me and you who look normal and can live normal lives. But please we just want to help and if you don't want to stay at the Xavier mansion you are free to leave once we clean the information on your identity." Jean said earnestly but even as she spoke there was no hiding how she was looking at me... Oddly and it was obvious why.

As she couldn't read my mind at all.

I shook my head and replied honestly. "I get that. Some mutants are actually just screwed completely... But I am not, I do not want your help nor to be drawn into your group's drama as you guys are rather famous for a reason." 

Jean's face hearing my words twitched and I couldn't help but wonder where we were in the timeline of shit happening and what the X-men had actually been involved in. But still Jean looked over at Hinata and as she spoke her face stilled.

"You..." Jean started with a frown and then her pale skin tone that matched well with her red hair became green and she violently puked on the ground with her holding her stomach as she shuddered and fell back to Ororo who looked in with major concern and her eyes beginning to spark with lightning.

But the red-haired mutant waved her hand with Ororo quickly calming her down and as Jean went to speak... She just violently puked again as Hinata said blankly with zero emotion in her voice. "You should be careful where you look in the minds of others... Some people have gone through such horrors that they just break at seeing the abyss within others."

I put a hand to my face as I realized what had happened. Jean decided to go poking around in Hinata's mind and then got subjected to the solid six months of having an entire ninja village using her and if the hollow look in her eyes was any example... She got a first-person trip on that train that had no brakes.

"Your friend just got the equivalent of going through the Holocaust downloaded into her brain after going through my friend's mind. Please take her and get her some hot chocolate or something." I said helplessly as I realized something.

'Mind-broken people are an actual weapon to be used against mind readers! Imagine Xavier or anyone else's reaction to getting a six-month-long train ran on them all slammed into their minds.'

Ororo gave me a long look before she sighed and looked at Hinata and asked frankly. "Is he treating you good?" 

And without a moment of hesitation, Hinata answered while Ororo wrapped an arm around Jean's shoulder to all but pick up the now catatonic telepath. "He is the only reason I am still alive and not being held in a cage. I am aware of how unhealthy my dependence is on him. But his patience and help has given me back some of my sanity."

Hinata may have said that with a thick voice but there was hiding the honesty in her words so Ororo just visibly shuddered and said. "I am not sure what horrors you been through. But should you both need a safe place Xavier's mansion is open to you. And uhh I hope this helps." She finished as she hefted Jean slightly and with her free hand she reached into her breasts and then pulled out a clip of what looked like several hundred dollars and put it down on the table next to the front door.

"Please excuse us and I am sorry if this visit does bring you both trouble," Ororo said with finality as she all but carried Jean out of our apartment while I just face-palmed hard at how this interaction had gone.