The Sapphire Soldier

Three Rules

"So you're telling me that maniac behind all that tank nonsense is nothing but a goddamn teenager?" Frank asked as we made our way farther into the house.

Peter followed behind him, still a little frustrated from everything that had happened. MJ stayed close, glancing around at her surroundings like she was trying to figure out exactly where we'd ended up. I couldn't blame her. Frank's house wasn't exactly what I'd call welcoming.

"And it's not just the tank," Peter said. "It's every attack on Damage Control this past month."

Frank glanced over his shoulder. "How does a kid know how to drive a tank?"

"I don't know, Frank."

Frank shook his head. "Beat you all over the street like that."

Peter looked offended. "She did not beat me."

I couldn't help myself. "She definitely did. I rewatched the whole fight on the cameras."

Peter looked at me. "You did?"

I shrugged, trying not to smile. "Several times."

Frank let out a quiet laugh. "I'm starting to like you more."

I grinned. "As you should."

MJ had wandered toward a cabinet, several framed photographs sitting behind the glass. She leaned closer. "Is this your family?"

Frank turned around immediately. "Would you get the hell away from that?" He walked over and closed the cabinet before she could get a better look. "Look, I got one rule in this house. You don't touch anything. You don't move anything. And you sure as shit don't ask me any goddamn questions about anything."

MJ raised an eyebrow. "So, three rules."

Frank stared at her for a second, then shook his head. "I see why you're friends." He started walking away. "I'm gonna go put some pants on. Don't touch the chili!"

MJ watched him disappear down the hallway. "I like him."

Peter muttered under his breath. "Of course you do."

I smiled to myself. Something told me this was going to be a long night.

Peter eventually pulled up a chair in front of the computer and turned the screen toward us. "So - I managed to pull this image from my hood, and this showed up."

The screen displayed the picture of the girl we'd seen earlier.

MJ leaned forward, studying it. "Who is she?"

"Until a couple months ago, nobody," I said.

Peter nodded. "She was in and out of foster care, psych hospitals, then eventually got away and dropped off the grid. There's hardly any information about her that hasn't been scrubbed." He clicked through a few files. "She's classified as a telepath. And now we have a name."

MJ looked at the screen. "Jean Grey."

Something shifted in my chest at the name.

Jean. The girl I'd felt try to get inside my mind. The girl strong enough to control someone without me even realizing she was there.

"Yeah," Peter said. "These are Damage Control sites she hasn't hit yet. If she surfaces, my facial tracking program should pick her up."

Frank looked over from where he was sitting. "Oh yeah? What then?"

Peter glanced at him. "Don't worry about what then. Just look after her."

Frank frowned. "Don't worry about it, huh? I'm just supposed to sit here and babysit your girlfriend?"