Ghost (X-men fanfic)

Chapter 28

Serene POV

Hank turned around and jumped on the railing, moving quickly towards the building and into the street. Lotus began to fight the other X-men as Erik levitated up above the trees, but still followed Hank. As for me, I could feel my eyes turn blood red and the black smoke-like energy danced around my hands.

Cars began to crash into each other on account of Hank in the street, but he just jumped over them. I quickened my pace towards the building just as Erik landed in the middle of the street. Scott shot a red laser beam from his eyes, but missed and hit a red bus instead. Scott shot another beam at Hank, but hit the car Hank was on instead, sending him flying backwards.

I caught up with Erik as we made our way past the screaming people and towards the building.

"Are you ready to kill her?" Erik asked.

"No," I muttered. "But if it's what I need to do, then sure as hell I'll do it." Suddenly from behind us, Kurt teleported with Scott, who shot another beam. Erik ducked out of the way whereas I used my powers to lift up the hood of a car to block the next one. Scott continued to shoot beams while I continued to block them. Erik reached out his hand and used his powers to make the metal lamp post fall to where Scott was, making him jump out of the way. But to my surprise, Scott quickly regained himself and continued to shoot beams. Just as the car hood broke from the lasers, Hank joined the fight. He launched himself at Scott, slamming him down into the windshield of a nearby car.

"Serene," Erik said, turning to me.

"Yes?" I questioned.

"I need you to go into the building and kill Jean. I need to help out here. Do you understand?" He said. I looked at him for a moment before nodding. I turned around towards the building just as Erik used his powers to pull a subway train out from the ground and started to move it in front of us as some sort of shield.

"Hold them!" He shouted to Lotus. Then he turned around and saw that I was still standing there. "I told you to go inside."

"Well I'm sorry, you just pulled a subway train into the street where some of ours are fighting!" I shouted back. He looked at me and sighed heavily and used his powers once more to open the doors leading into the building.

When we walked through the doors, the subway train smashed into the doors behind us, blocking anyone from entering or getting out. It was a very fancy building with grayish walls and a bunch of decorations everywhere, including a staircase leading to the next floor. And at the top of the stairs was Jean and another woman with long white hair.

"I know whose blood that was." Erik said, looking up at Jean. He flew up into the air towards Jean and the woman, but I stayed back.

"You cast me out," Jean replied. "Now you come here to kill me?"

"That's right." Erik hissed. Suddenly, the bottom rail of the staircase broke off and flew towards Jean, but stopped inches away from her face. It fell to the ground inches away from where I was standing.

"And you couldn't even do that." Jean remarked. "Let me show you how." I could feel Jean's energy start to get stronger, but I couldn't tell what she was doing. My body started to feel numb, my vision started to cloud up, and my ears began to ring.

He abandoned you, Jean's voice hissed in my head. And yet you fight for him. All those things you said to me before were just lies?

"They weren't lies!" I shouted. "I meant them! Every word. But you've changed, Jean. You've let your desires come in the way of your friends. You killed Raven! I'm just helping return the favor!" From my blurred vision, I could see Erik's mask break apart and saw him fly backwards through the window above me, back into the street. But I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. I was trapped.

Death kills the Phoenix, the voices started to chant. Death kills the Phoenix. Suddenly, there was another puff of blue smoke and Kurt, along with Charles, appeared.

"Have you come to kill me, too?" Jean asked them, but still kept me trapped in my own invisible prison.

"Never." Charles said. "Jean never! I failed you. I know that, but...this isn't you." Just as he said that, Jean thrust out her hand and sent Kurt flying backwards.

"Kurt!" Charles and I screamed at the same time. Charles turned to the sound of my voice and looked surprised, but then suddenly terrified. He turned back to Jean.

"Let her go." He said.

"She's strong enough to free herself." The white-haired woman said. "She just needs to find it."

"Jean, please!" Charles cried out.

"You have no idea who I am." Jean said.

"I've raised you since you were a little girl." Charles continued. "I think I do."

"She's not your little girl anymore." The other woman said, walking closer to Jean.

"Who..." Charles started. "What are you?" He paused for a moment. "Jean, please try and remember what I taught you. You can control it. You can do anything you set your mind to."

"So show me." Jean answered. "Walk to me." And of course, at that moment, like all the other times before, my vision went black.