Uncanny X-Men (Marvel Omega)

Into The Light, Part III

The Xavier Institute

Two levels and approximately five hundred feet below ground, on the mansion's second sub-basement level, there is a very special room with a very special purpose. It's new construction, something built in recent months, and a room that is, in many of the X-Men's minds, a long overdue addition. Over the years, many dangerous mutants have been contained at the school in one way or another... small and isolated holding cells, the Danger Room, even the underground medical lab... all have served at one time or another as a way of containing various enemies of the team. They all served their purpose well, but it's become increasingly clear to those currently running the institute that preparing a makeshift prison cell within other facilities can interrupt the flow of operations.

So they built a new facility, a spacious room with a bounty of large containment units, a dozen in all. Each is about twenty feet tall, cylindric in shape and completely translucent. Six sit on either side of the room, and those which are occupied are also filled to the top with a thin, green liquid meant to induce a mild form of hebetude, effectively rendering the inhabitant comatose.

At this present time, only three of the units are in use. In one rests the form of Rancor, an experiment gone horribly wrong with thanks to the Weapon X program, who was brought here after an encounter with the X-Men in Russia. The other two are Madelyne Pryor and Nate Grey, who just hours ago came to the school and attempted to destroy it and all those who call it home. Fortunately, the X-Men were able to stop them, and the attackers were subsequently brought down to the containment area.

Taking a good look at the young man who, in terms of biology, is her son, Jean Grey wonders what's happened. She's not surprised that Madelyne, literally her 'evil twin', attacked the X-Men, but she's baffled as to why Nate would do the same. He's never been on the best of terms with the team, but he doesn't hate them; he's never been their enemy. Jean knows something is amiss, something else is going on... and it worries her greatly, as she can't imagine what kind of force could take control of arguably the most powerful psi in the world.

Sabretooth. She saw his face, in Nate's memories, before Cassandra and Ever took him out. She saw him, in Sinister's old lair in Nebraska, reawakening the Madelyne and Nate after they'd apparently been lying dormant for some time. How could Sabretoothcontrol them? He doesn't possess any powers of the sort, nor is he at all resourceful. Jean knows other forces must be at play... who or what is that which she can't even begin to figure out.

Jean's unsettled. So much has been going well in the past couple of months... but so much has also been going wrong. Her powers have been developing more and more, enabling her to do things she could only imagine doing before. However, these bursts of power have her teammates and even herself a bit on edge, and she's found herself feeling 'off' at times, holding back or letting go more than she should for apparently no reason. Not to mention her recent manifestation of a Phoenix Raptor in Russia... and everyone knows what that could mean.

Then there's Cassandra. Charles' twin sister who missed out on the life he had, and just recently she found her way home. Jean has grown to trust and respect the woman, even consider her family, as she's been there for Jean, helping her and encouraging her in ways that others could... or would... not. Why her announcement in Washington, then? Jean wants to believe in Cassandra, but after declaring to the world that her brother Charles never truly existed... a sliver of doubt has begun to set in, and Jean is trying with all her might to deny it.

Of course there's more. Her irrational behavior, from her brutal slaughter of Sinister to her attack on a teammate to sending the other X-Men on missions without the right protections... even Jean has to admit that, at times, she hasn't exactly been the paragon of logic or self-control over the past year. Add on the fact that two of her dearest friends are dying, and then the weight of Blaquesmith's top secret operation... Jean Grey is a woman slowly coming apart at the seams.