The Mysterious Phoenix

"So, this is the plan. Ray asked me to train you, given that we're both telepaths. Today, I'll teach you the basics; we can explore deeper later. But first, let's spar a bit," Emma said as she left her sunglasses on the floor and brushed her hair aside, captivating gazes.

"Like a mental spar?" Jean inquired.

"No, not at all. We're going to spar with our fists. I'm going to give you a good smack for everything you've said~," Emma replied with a smirk.

"Oh really? Just what I wanted!" Jean retorted, showing she was ready for the challenge. She technically lunged at Emma, who smiled in response.

Ray and Annie couldn't bear to watch, covering their eyes as the confrontation began.

*BAANG!*

"Ugh!!" Jean grunted in pain as Emma swiftly used some jiu-jitsu, leveraging Jean's momentum to slam her onto the floor. Emma then straddled the redhead and delivered a firm slap. The bullying started.

*SLAP!*

"Get off!" Jean demanded.

"Hehe, where's all that earlier confidence? Who's going to hit menopause?" Emma teased.

Despite Jean's efforts, she couldn't overpower Emma. Eventually, Emma locked in a cross armbar, nearly reaching the breaking point before Jean tapped out.

"A big mouth won't get you far on the streets. Only talk big when you can back it up," Emma lectured as Jean panted and groaned, staring at Emma with resentment.

"What's wrong? Want to try again? As many times as your ego can handle, baby," Emma taunted.

Jean attempted another attack, but Emma countered swiftly; she delivered a punch to the stomach that left Jean out of breath and took her down once more. In retaliation, Jean bit Emma's arm, resulting in a heated struggle on the floor, with compromising positions that hinted at a personal vendetta.

Annie attempted to shield Ray's eyes, but he insisted on watching, enjoying the spectacle despite Annie's protests.

"Pervert!" Annie exclaimed.

"I'm just watching the match," Ray defended himself.

"Isn't it getting too serious?" Annie worriedly asked.

"I think so... Shouldn't you stop them?" Ray suggested.

"Eh? Me? Why don't YOU stop them!?" Annie argued.

"I would have to touch here and there..." Ray laughed.

As the fight progressed and became increasingly personal, Ray decided to get involved since Annie didn't want anything to do with the catfight, in which long nails and teeth were the main weapons. He, however, received two thundering mental notes.

'Don't you dare stop me!' Emma asserted.

"Don't! I can handle this bitch, Ray!' Jean countered.

"Okay..." Ray relented, allowing the conflict to continue.

As the brawl intensified, it became evident that there was a deeper reason behind their hatred. Ray thought these two knew each other from before and had been pretending.

"Stop calling him darling!" Jean demanded.

"Make me-" Emma retorted.

'Nevermind...'

Tired of the confrontation, Emma and Jean abandoned fists for hair pulling, revealing the underlying tension. They grasped each other's heads, prepared to use their telepath skills to resolve the issue.

Jean met a barrage of mental blocks that stopped her intrusion, but Emma... nothing could prepare her for what she saw in Jean's mind.

!!!

Suddenly, Emma's expression shifted, she paled, her body started to shiver, and her eyes lost focus. Jean rejoiced and took the chance to pine Jean down. She wanted to deliver a vicious blow to the nose, hoping not even her mother would recognize her.

But when Jean saw Emma's state, she realized something wasn't right.

"Ray, something's wrong with her!" Jean exclaimed, and Annie and Ray rushed in to check her out. She looked like she was on the border of collapse. 

Ray snatched Emma out of Jean's grasp.

"Stop it, Jean!".

"H-Huh, I... I don't know what's going on! I'm not doing anything! I swear!".

**

**

In Jean's mindscape, a world entirely white, Emma stood frozen, unable to move, completely mesmerized.

Before her, a bird deity with wings ablaze like the sun made a simple gesture by placing her wings in front of her mouth. A phoenix.

"Shh..." she commanded, signifying silence.

Emma's eyebrows twitched, having never witnessed anything like this before. The Phoenix made another gesture, causing Emma to fall to her knees.

"Y-You are... what are you?" Emma felt the urge to scream, but her words emerged as a whisper.

"What I am doesn't matter to you. It flies your comprehension. More importantly, don't breathe a word to Jean or Ray about me. It's not yet time for them to know," the deity warned.

Emma, bewildered, felt trapped in this mindscape, unable to escape the entity's grasp.

"I recognize you, Emma Frost. It's peculiar; you're also not supposed to be here. You're late in this timeline, just like Jean. Who sent you here?" The Phoenix's voice carried a threatening tone, as if the wrong answer would spell doom.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. Please let me go, I won't harm her again," Emma pleaded like a little pussy, regretting even bullying Jean. It was like being caught by the victim's stronger and bigger parent, feeling as though she stood on the edge of a volcano, one misstep away from destruction.

"So you're unaware yourself. None of 'them' are manipulating your mind. I don't believe this is a coincidence, but you could be useful to me. This encounter may benefit you as well, Emma Frost. I have a request for you, and in exchange... I'll grant you power, that is what you wish for right now, correct? power" the Phoenix proposed, extending a wing to touch Emma's chest briefly.

"I-I want... does a being like you need to ask so politely?" Emma realized her mind could be erased at any moment.

"I used to be more tyrannical. As I rise from the ashes, I become stronger and wiser. Erasing your consciousness would draw unwanted attention from the deity who sent you here. That's not convenient for me," the Phoenix explained.

"Nobody sent me here. I truly don't know what you're talking about, believe me," Emma insisted.

"Small beings like yourself are rarely aware of the machinations of those above. Be at ease and stick to your path. Do you accept my request, yes or no?" the Phoenix pressed.

"What is it?" Emma inquired. She at least wanted to know before accepting, but the Phoenix wasn't so patient.

"Do you accept... YES OR NO?" the deity demanded.

"I-I accept..." Emma conceded.

"Excellent," the Phoenix said before imbuing Emma with a flame, fulfilling her end of the deal. "Here is my request: in approximately two months, Jean will face a formidable adversary. She needs to grow stronger. As she is now, our fate is sealed."

"Why ask me? You're clearly more powerful," Emma questioned.

"The higher powers must not be aware of our presence. It goes against the rules of the contest. You care for Ray, don't you? If you wish to stay with him, heed my words and do as I have commanded you. Now, accept your power," the Phoenix commanded.

In the next moment, Emma's body was engulfed in flames, and her fate forever changed.

**

**

Far up the north of New York, in a gigantic mansion... deep underground concealed in a complex facility, a bald man in a wheelchair sat in what looked like a humongous machine. His eyes opened wide when he sensed something that he shouldn't have. 

"W-What was that monster?"