Chapter Eighteen: Flying Arrows
After setting beside Jean he asked casually. He knew something was wrong because she was acting out of character today.
Jean was also standoffish, and Jean gray was a lot of things; smart, good-natured, a loyal friend... but she didn't normally separate herself from the crowd. It appeared like there was something on her mind that she needed to talk about... and he wanted her to feel comfortable confiding in him.
"Come on Marvel, what's got you in this state?" Scott asked calling her by her hardly used codename.
Jean looked up to her friend she had known him longer than anyone else at the institute. She had always trusted him, he was her closest guy friend and for a time he was the only other person that lived in the mansion beside her. So he was as close to her as a family... like a brother.
Hoping she could trust him she started to go over the events of that morning with Ben. She left out details like his real name or his 'Original's" name but told him basically everything else. When she got to the part of Ben kissing her Scott jumped off the ground in protest.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE KISSED YOU?!" Scott was livid she had been on the Blue team for just a day and he is making moves on her?
"Yes, it was surprising even to me." Jean mused thinking back on the experience.
Noticing the slight smile on Jean's face Scott forced himself to regain his calm demeanor. He needed to analyze the issue before showing his reaction.
Probing her a little he asked, "So... what did you do?"
Blushing she paused before answering the question focusing on the leaf again, "When we parted... I told him that I have a boyfriend and left, to be honest, I think it might be because..." she just shook her head not finishing her sentence.
"Because..?" Scott pushed he needed to know all of the details before he knew what to do about all of this. He knew Ben Reilly was bad news, he could see this guy tearing the team apart and he needed to address the issue.
"Well like I said earlier when I was inside his memories there was this other girl. She was his everything. She picked up the pieces and put his life back together. I I don't really know if I am just a stand-in for this other girl..." Sighing Jean then continued, "I don't know how I feel about the kiss, for a time our worlds kind of merged. Pretending that experience didn't affect my emotions would probably be untrue. I just feel really messed up and can't separate what I feel... Does that even make any sense?" She asked pleadingly.
Nodding Scott didn't speak, Jean's world was different than most people. For a time when she was younger she would sometimes take on character traits of the people around her, it was a time she couldn't fully control her powers. Ben had taken advantage and kissed her and now Jean had messed up emotions.
"My suggestion Jean take some time and sort out your feelings, you haven't had an episode like this for years." Giving her a reassuring smile he patted her on the shoulder.
XAVIER'S INSTITUTE EVENING
Scott had been thinking of ways to get Ben alone to have a talk with him. He was causing problems with the X-men and he needed him to back off. Scott was the unofficial leader of the X-men and he had dealt with trouble makers in the past, like Lance. This wasn't the place for Lance just like it wasn't the place for Ben. Although he'd admit he hadn't handled the 'Lance situation' great, he felt it proved his point when he joined the Brotherhood. Ben was more dangerous though, he was inside Jean's head... And that was a little more personal for him.
Spotting the 'clone' (if what he said was the truth) inside the sitting room, Scott decided to approach him.
"Reilly, we need to talk." His voice was stern filled with authority.
Ben was sitting down in a small room he hadn't noticed many people hanging out in, he wanted a quiet place to think. He was pondering how mutant powers emerge in a human.
'Usually appearing in adolescents around puberty... and the first manifestation they start to control them. So apparently there they appear to be like a muscle and depending on in which state they appear. Some seem to be physical in nature, while others are mental... Does that mean the mental state can directly affect the person's powers...
"BEN!" Knocking him out of his pondering he looked up to see a pissed off Scott Summers.
Arching an eyebrow Ben was feeling a little annoyed.
"It's because she looks like her! Isn't IT!" Scott yelled at him. Internally he scolded himself for losing control but he just set there completely ignoring him and it just pissed him off, and while this wasn't the best way to broach the subject it was at least effective.
"She is nothing more than a replacement to you isn't she!" Scott's yell echoed in the small room they sat in. Ben was stunned. At first, he wondered how what the hell he was even talking about. Then Ben realized that Scott knew about MJ! But how?! Then it sunk in... it was Jean. She must have been talking to Scott... giving him details about his life.
The betrayal stung harder than he knew was possible.
Ben was getting angry he had to leave the room before he took it out on this asshole. Then Jean walked in she had heard yelling from Scott and wanted to see what was going on. Surprisingly she spotted Ben striding out of the room, his face was murderous.
He had to get out of this room but was stopped when he spotted her Jean's voice, "Ben... What's happening?" She asked innocently.
"I thought we were friends. But I see it clearly, I hope you are happy." Leaving the room Ben needed some time to think, and the best way was to swing his way through the city.
Maybe he shouldn't feel such betrayal, they didn't really know each other. They were just on the same team and in a weak moment, they had kissed. He hadn't really told her not to say anything, but this was a little too much.
He quickly dressed in his Scarlet Spider suit and made a running start before jumping into the air while sending out a web-line to a nearby tree.
BACK IN THE SMALL ROOM
Jean sat quietly her hands folded into a small ball in her lap. She had demanded Scott tell her everything that just went on before she came into the room. Cautiously watching her silent figure with her eyes closed he wasn't sure what her reaction was going to be.
Jean was raging on the inside. Guilt, hurt, anger and frustration were all rolling around insider of her. But she was a little afraid of losing control if she expressed them now. It was always a struggle when she felt overwhelming emotions, and if she wasn't careful things could get bad...
If Scott wasn't mistaken Jean seemed to be taking it very well she seemed peaceful at the moment. But then when she opened her eyes he knew he had been very, very wrong.
"What did you think you are doing?" The anger in her voice reaffirmed his guess... she was pissed.
"Jean, I..."
"I am a person, Scott. You do not own me. If I choose to have a friend. WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME!" As she spoke the laws of physics exited as the furniture and books around the room began to float.
"You are the single most selfish person... Scott, I need a break. I don't want to see you if I can help it..." Suddenly the floating items dropped back in place and Scott was left in the room taken aback. Did they just break up?... No, they weren't even dating yet! So... What just happened?
BAYVILLE DOWNTOWN
Meanwhile Ben was swinging through the city when a small piece of metal ripped through his webbing. Reacting quickly he shot another one out and stuck himself to the side of a building.
Quickly scanning the area he found a man standing on a nearby building looking directly at him. He was dressed in purple and he had an arrogant expression on his face.
"Did anyone ever tell you that shooting arrows at people isn't polite?" Ben said through his mask.
"No, I shot them all." He said smiling holding up his dark bow in his hands.
"Well, Robin if you intend to rob from the rich... you will really have to find someone else because if you found any cash on me I'd freely split it with you. And By the way... No offense but was your tailor color-blind? I mean purple? I mean even Daffy Duck got the part about the green tights right."
Smirking he drew another arrow aiming it at him again. "I'm not Robin hood... My code-name is... Hawkeye nice to meet you." Without warning, Hawkeye let loose his arrow, and just as he was about to jump out of the way of his arrow it split into an electric net and covered him.
The net sent shocks into his system and he felt his grip on the wall slip as he lost consciousness.