The youngest member (X-Men Evolution)

Mindbender

"Jean!"   "Jean where are you!"   "Where could she be?"   "Jean! Come on this isn't funny!"

The students were walking all around Xavier's Institute looking for the red headed teen. She hadn't showed up for breakfast, so Marigold and Rahne had gone to check up on her. Only to find her bedroom empty. Soon after a full search of the Institute had started and it was looking worse as more time passed without any answers for Jean's location. Rogue and Marigold ran by the garage just as Kitty phased through the front door. "The cars are all still in the garage...so she didn't leave by driving away." Kitty said, sounding worried. "Do y'all really think she left on her own?" Rogue asked, "or do you think someone took her?" Marigold frowned at the idea. "The Institute has the best security around. I don't know how anyone could have taken Jean without anyone knowing...besides when Rahne and I went to her bedroom it didn't show any signs of a struggle." The young girl explained, Rogue didn't seem comforted by her words at all. "Kidnappers can take someone without leavin a trace...I don't think she just ran off for no reason." Before the three could discuss their theories about where Jean was The Professor telepathically called Marigold and Rahne up to Jeans bedroom. "We will find her guys, I'm sure this is all some kind of misunderstanding right?" Kitty asked, not sounding as optimistic as she was trying to. "We will keep looking, you go see what The Professor wants." Rogue said, sending Marigold back inside.

-The Professors Pov-

"-and this jack in the box, I wonder if it has any significance." I said out-loud as Scott and I sat in Jean's bedroom. Scott was looking out the window, watching everyone search the Institutes grounds. I didn't need to be telepathic to feel the worry rolling off of Scott in waves. "You called up Professor?" Rahne said (her Scottish accent thicker than usual) as she and Marigold walked into Jean's bedroom. "Yes, was this jack in the box in here when you all came to check on Jean this morning?" I asked. "Yep, Jean won it at the carnival last week." Marigold said, looking at the toy in my hands. Beast walked into the room, his large hand resting on Rahne and Marigold's backs, probably to calm his own nerves more than to comfort the girls. "We've searched the whole property, Jean isn't here." I sighed, putting the toy back on Jean's bed. "Then sometime during the night, Jean simply vanished." I said with confusion. "We have to keep looking." Scott said walking away from the window and storming across the room. "And we will Scott, but we need to stay calm so we can think straight." Beast said, moving away from the girls to calm Scott down. I wheeled myself over to Marigold and Rahne, the two were good friends. So it wasn't surprising when they volunteered to go check on Jean together this morning. "Can you two recall what happened this morning for me, so we can know all the information we have." I asked them. Marigold took Rahne's shaking hand into hers and started recalling the mornings events. "When we came to her bedroom we knocked, but there was no answer. So we opened the door and it looked like it does right now...the bed was made, everything was clean." Marigold explained. "A-and that box was on the bed." Rahne said pointing to the jack in the box. "It was like Jean was never even in here." Marigold said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Okay, if you two can think of anything else let me know...Scott, lets gather some of the students and start searching the woods around the Institute." I said wheeling by the girls. "Can we help? I can turn into my wolf form and try to pick up her scent...Logan has been training me on how to do it." Rahne asked nervously. "You can join the search Rahne, but Marigold. I want you to stay here with Beast and help him with looking through camera footage from last night." I said to the girls. "What? Professor! I can help search, I'm worried about Jean." Marigold said, clearly upset with me making her stay inside the Institute. "My orders are final, I'm sorry Marigold but until we know more I want to keep you as safe as possible." I told her. "Because you think I'm too young...you know I can handle it. I've been on more dangerous missions before." She said, her cheeks turning red with anger, if she were a normal child she would be throwing a fit. But Marigold wasn't raised like a normal child, and any rebellious traits had been tortured out of her while being trained to be the next Winter Soldier. But I couldn't tell her any of that, I couldn't tell her that I was worried that Jean had been taken by the same people probably looking for her. I telepathically told Beast to stay with her at all times, and he wordlessly agreed as Scott, Rahne, and I left Jeans room. Marigold was upset with me, but I could fix that later. Once we had Jean safely back with us.