Arc Six. Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Two. The Popular Kids

Gwen laughed, and they both changed into more appropriate attire, Peter standing unashamed as his symbskin rippled and covered him.

"We weren't expecting guests. MJ, hit the fans and Gwen," Peter shrugged "guess we finish this later,"

MJ sighed and hit the air-con button by the door, a fine mist of neutraliser and a subtle breeze filtered through the warehouse as Jean unburied her face from behind MJ, "Is it always like this?" and MJ shook her head.

"No," MJ said angrily, "normally there is no sex at the breakfast table, so what gives?" MJ asked as she walked over to them, "I mean, come on guys, what if it was Curt or your Aunt, really?" and both Gwen and Peter looked at each other,

"Uh, we had an incident, sorry MJ. Emotions were a bit, uh high?"

"I saw, but is everyone okay?" and Peter nodded.

"We'll explain later, but uh, things are a little bit different now. So yeah, why is Jean here?" Peter was grabbing a spray bottle from under the small kitchen and sprayed over the table before wiping it down,

"You? And uh," and Jean went red again, motioning to the group.

Peter sighed, "Yes Jean. Poly. MJ, Gwen, Felicia, and Liv, yes all of us, yes we do, and no not normally at the table, that, yeah, sorry MJ, that was bad. Coffee?"

A stunned Jean nodded and sat down in one of the chairs surrounding the large dining table. "Uh, wait, poly? So?"

MJ nodded and fished out some cookies from the cupboards, now that Poison was a bit more in control they could leave snacks and other treats around the warehouse now without her making Gwen's life difficult, as she went to put them on a plate, Peter smirked and she stuck her tongue out at him, tore the wrapper off and left them in their packet.

"All of us, yes, poly." Peter shook his head. It was always the same, either people ranted about their indecency or quizzed them about how he managed with so many. Jean however stared at the table in thought, and while he was, it didn't take a telepath to know what she was thinking. It was written all over her face, wondering exactly how he managed to have four different women without issues, and as her face was beet red, how they managed everything else as well.

"So, Jean, what brings you here?" Peter asked as he filled the cups and placed them, sugar, and creamer on the table. Jean stared at it and Peter just shook his head, "I can read your mind, but it's rude," and Jean snapped back to reality.

"Sorry just," and she stared, trying to avoid looking at Peter, her eyes moving down and then darting back up to his face.

"Pete, give her a break okay," and Peter laughed,

"Sorry, just too easy, I'll leave you three talking," and grabbing his mug, Peter laughed as he headed back into his home,

"I mean, that was his uh," and as she avoided looking at him, "and you were," and she took a breath, "Scott and I have kissed but, uh."

"Yeah, it happened, and then again with," and Gwen shook her head, "yeah, it's a thing, but really, why are you here Jean? I mean, we haven't seen you since the accident at school, so what's up?" and as Gwen looked at Jean she caught MJ's eye. "Oh, oh you're not enhanced as well are you?" and MJ nodded, but Jean shook her head

"No, we, uh I mean, I'm a mutant," she explained.

Gwen frowned and took a drink of her coffee. "You don't look like a mutant, no extra arms or that," and MJ rubbed her forehead while Jean looked shocked.

"What? no. Why would you think that?"

"Cause uh, mutant, what else could you mean. You know, like the old movies, mutant zombies from Mars, that kinda thing."

"No, we're mutated beyond a normal human, I have powers."

"Ah, so a naturally Enhanced human. So uh, what idiot came up with mutant? I mean, it's a really bad thing to name yourself, most people think of monsters, and well, you're not a monster."

Jean sighed and spun her cup slowly, "The professor coined the term in the '60s, thinking we were born because of the increased nuclear testing, but we now know that mutants have been around for centuries, just hiding."

"You know that's awesome right. So what powers do you have? I mean, are you stronger than MJ? Oh, can you fly? Carol can fly, oh Thor, he can shoot lightning, and Wanda has that red energy stuff," and Jean looked dejected,

"You know more mutants? I mean, not that I was wanting to show off or anything but, uh, you guys are already clued in," and she looked at her cup. "I can read minds but I have telekinesis, so I guess I can fly, but uh. The professor doesn't like us using our powers outside the mansion, in case we get spotted."

Gwen looked around, "seriously? We're in a warehouse, with privacy glass and a huge frickin lock on the door, come one, I'll show you mine if you show me yours," and Gwen twitched an eyebrow at Jean who laughed, "but Carol, Carol is an alien hybrid, oh and Thor is actually Thor from legend, how cool is that, and yeah okay Loki as well, but she was still nice though, and I don't think she pulled any tricks while she was here," and Gwen looked over at MJ who shrugged. As far as she was concerned Loki and Thor saved her and were amazing.

Jean slumped back, the news that more than mutants existed, and that actual mythical gods were real was well too much. "Fine, fine. Your costume is pretty cool though, The professor says-" but Gwen held up a hand,

"Hold up, costume? MJ? She doesn't know?" and MJ shook her head.

"We literally just got here Gwen, and the little show you guys were putting on was kind of a conversation killer."

Gwen took a breath, "it's not a costume Jean, we're hosts to an alien,'' and standing, Poison wrapped herself around Gwen, increasing her height and towering over the table. "We are Poison," and Jean stared up in her, her mouth hanging open,

Hoping to take solace with MJ, she shook her head and the symbiote morphed from her clothing and she stood, "and we are Muse."

"That is so not fair, now aliens, and names, I wasn't allowed a name, it's just Jean," she huffed, "and my costumes lame. We all wear matching uniforms," and as she complained, Poison laughed and vaulted over the table, landing next to her.

"Poor poor baby, having mind powers must be so difficult, and flying, oh no, poor Jeanie," and Muse giggled while Jean pouted,

Poison transformed, and Gwen leant down to hug her, "it's good to see you Jean, but like Pete said, really, why are you here?"

Jean frowned, "The professor did something bad to you guys, and I'm here to fix it." and it was Gwen's turn to frown,

"What do you mean, bad?" and Jean sighed.

"You rescued a girl, from a drug den and we, well, he came and took her. Peter knows and well, he got really mad at us, started fighting with some of the students and it was Laura that stopped him, and I'm here as a peace offering."

"Pete, get your fucking ass out here right now, Mister," Gwen shouted, and Peter stuck his head out of his him,

"Laura yeah?" and Jean nodded,

"So, want to explain, why you didn't tell us you'd been fighting, and why we were all hit by my mind mojo?"

Peter took a breath, "cause I didn't know how to say it without coming across as weird, and no idea how to explain mind mojo without undoing it. I can use telepathy now and Wanda was going to teach me more, but why stress everyone out until I can actually fix it."

Gwen looked unamused but nodded, "that's fair, and you can?" she asked Jean who nodded.

"The professor taught me techniques. I can, I was, going to offer to teach you Peter but uh, Wanda? She's a mutant too?" and Peter laughed,

"Erik's daughter." and Jean stared, open-mouthed at him.

"Magneto, Magneto has a daughter and she's a telepath too?" and Peter nodded,

"And more."

"Oh yeah, she's got this really cool red energy stuff, can move things..with, uh, yeah, sorry," Gwen shrunk down,

Jean sighed. "It's fine, we don't get out much, the professor usually only takes a small group out when he rescues kids and I was told my powers were too unstable for combat. Knowing other mutants are doing fine, is uh, fine, I guess." but it was apparent that finding out that they were hanging out with another mutant who had exactly the same powers as she did, but flashier, had struck a nerve.

Jean took a breath and released it sharply. "So, if I can't teach you, then you can practise, right? I mean, the more people you learn from gives you a better understanding of your mental landscape and how to use it, plus I can unblock the professors wipe, so, " and Peter laughed and Jean scowled.

"It's fine Jean, you don't need a reason to come and hang out, but you know, we're all felons, I think?" Peter paused for a moment "Well, Venom was, I mean, oh, wait, practise right? Then give me your hand." and while hesitant Jean lay her arm on the table and Peter took her hand gently. "Ready?" and she nodded,

Jean watched the rooftop fight play out from Peter's perspective, felt his anger at the attack on Felicia and the shock of Flash's secret, but she saw in full clarity the mistake. She materialised herself on the rooftop and walked around John, there was no malice, no intent to kill him, and as the webbing hit the gun she could see he had unclipped it to attack Venom with his knife, and as Spider-Man reached out the try, there was no murder. It was an accident.

The Venom in the memory moved. "See? I won't deny I've killed, Jean. but he almost killed Felicia, and another would have killed me. I won't show you those unless you want but I had no choice. I'm not perfect, far from it, but John, I had nothing to do with that."

Jean looked, "Show me," and Peter shrugged and the scenes blurred.

In the warehouse, Peter and Jean took each other's hands for a moment before Jean paled and pulled away before puking on the warehouse floor. Sighing Peter moved and opened a small cupboard, grabbed a spray bottle and a bucket and dumped the bucket in the sink to fill with water and sprayed the mess with cleaner.

"You, you killed them," and he shrugged,

"I said I did, I warned you but, yeah, and you know why," as she knelt, the last of the vomit dripping from her lips, and she nodded weakly.

Peter stopped the faucet and grabbed a mop, and sprayed webbing over the vomit letting it soak up the mess.

"He, uh water, can I get some water?" and Gwen ran the faucet and handed her a cup with water in it, "Peter showed me the Alexsi death, and the uh, agent guy." Jean took a small sip and rinsed her mouth out, and Peter nodded and she spat it into the sink, running the faucet to wash it away.

"And you thought that was smart?" She glared at Peter, who nonchalantly shrugged and continued to mop.

"I wanted to see, I wanted to know he was," and Jean stopped.

"Aww crud." and Jean stood shakily, "I wanted to see if Peter was a monster or not, and he's not, he's a realist, and I don't know if that worse,"

"Oh fuck off Jean," was all Peter said as he cleaned the last of the mess. "I felt you probing for more, so see what you wanted?" and Jean went bright red, and Gwen and MJ looked over at the crimson-haired, and now crimson faced Jean as Peter explained,

"She went looking for my memories of all of us having sex."