Chapter Seventeen: Powers
Ben's mind was blown. Out of all the guys in this entire school she had to date this guy?! Shaking his head, he decided that he had to walk away. He was so done. She seemed like such a great girl but she had horrible taste in men.
Attempting to put her out of his mind he passed the pair as he walked to his next class. There was no point in avoiding her. She was the team leader after all. He was going to see her when he wakes up in the morning and before he goes to sleep at night.
Looking up, Jean saw the lonely figure of Ben Reilly walking down the hallway. He was keeping his head down and making his way through the crowd. She felt a pang in her heart at the desolate guy. It was just that morning she told him if he wanted a friend she would be his friend... But now it was just so... awkward.
'Are you really going back on your words now? After all, you saw him go through? Just because of a kiss? Are you really that kind of girl... shallow?' Her internal voice was scolding her inaction and for once she was in total agreement. She didn't want to make up another excuse. The further he walked away from her the more she felt the need to reach out to him.
"Hey, P...Ben. What class do you have next?" She caught herself before saying that name. She knew how much emotions brought out in him.
At her voice, he stopped... Ben was feeling a little confused. Why was she speaking to him? Almost like nothing happened between them?
"Uh... A.P. Literature Ummm, what about you?" He responded sounding really awkward.
Instead of Jean answering, he heard Douche-can's voice instead.
"Wait, is that you... Homeless kid?" Obviously not really remembering Ben's name he spouted out the only thing he did remember from when they'd met at his uncle's house. It was untrue then as much it was now, but the words still caught the ears of the people around them.
Sighing Ben shook his head and walked away. He didn't have time for this guy or the idiots around him, unfortunately, this also included the redhead as well. Jean attempted to get his attention a few times but he pretended he hadn't heard her.
Jean just watched Ben retreating away in frustration, she wasn't sure who she was more angry with Ben, Duncan or herself. As complicated as her life was outside of school, she really liked just being a normal girl while she was here. She dated the popular guy, he was cute albeit a little dumb... but he was also sweet too. She had friends that knew nothing about her powers, it was her own little piece of normalcy.
Maybe some would doubt her but she had planned it this way because these people didn't live their lives with the knowledge that if their biggest secret was exposed... they'd be hunted down like wild game.
No at school, she is just as normal as everyone else, and that is how she wanted it to be. At least that is how she felt up to the point she had stepped into Ben's memories.
From the time he was fifteen years old until he had met the other redhead, Jean had become a completely different person as she walked in his shoes. Seeing the world through the eyes of a true hero... Spider-Man. She experienced the weight that held him down, it was what had made him who he is, and that same weight felt as large as the world itself.
If their roles were reversed Jean wondered how he would view her life as she had lived it until now. Hiding behind the face of obscurity in a vain attempt to be normal. She remembered those words he tried so hard to live by "With great power…" the closest she has ever come to taking responsibility was fighting for a few days as part of the 'Bayville Sirens'. Even that was done out of selfish reasons.
Sighing she had to take a clearer look at her life and the people she let inside of it, and she needed to make some changes.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT LITERATURE
Ben had (to the best of his ability) put Jean out of his mind, she was nice but she was TAKEN. It wasn't worth pining over, it was best putting his thoughts to something else. Other than messing up royally at the mansion, he had also been keeping up with the research Beast had been doing on... well, himself or more accurately his genetic make-up. What he had found out was very... interesting.
McCoy hadn't found out whether he was the clone or not, but he did find out that although he wasn't a traditional Mutant like the rest. He might be very close to mutant kind.
There were two theories that McCoy came up with regarding his spider powers; When his original was bitten by the genetically altered spider, it could have activated a latent gene similar enough to the x-gene that granted him his current powers... or if he was indeed the clone... Dr. Warren might not have been able to replicate his 'originals' powers to the same degree as Spiderman and decided to use alternative genetic material with the X-Genes to simulate the same them. Regardless he may not be a complete copy of Peter... If he was the clone he just might be something new altogether.
Currently, it was all theory but if brought up ideas... What he needed to do now was research on how the mutant's genetic code reacts to the human body. If he could understand that, he might be able to grow more than Peter ever was able to.
AT THE SAME TIME IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Something had been bothering Scott for the past few days. It had started when Professor X had reassigned Jean to the secondary X-men team. At the time he wanted to protest but realized he didn't have a reason... Well other than weakening his current team taking off two powerful members. But he couldn't say anything this was what was best for the X-men. He guessed exchange was probably temporary, an attempt to build up the other team before letting Rogue take the reins and taking over team captain. It had only been a day, yet his uneasiness has grown.
He guessed it had something to do with the Web-head. He had heard about the trouble he had caused in this morning's battle training and he starts to think of a few ways to exclude him from the team. Ben didn't seem to be ready for the X-Men, he was acting on his own while recklessly endangering the team. Scott decided that he needed a chance to speak with Jean, together they can think of ideas to resolve the Scarlet Spider issue.
12:30 LUNCHTIME INSIDE THE CAFETERIA
Loud noises filled the entire building making it hard to hear anything other than your own thoughts. Scott usually sat with a few close friends, but today he was on a mission. Scanning the massive crowd of lunch-goers he searched for the red hair of the prettiest girl he had ever met. To tell the truth, Jean was his dream girl. No one else even came close to her, and picking her out of a crowd was second nature to him at this point. Not today it seemed.
He had started with her usual table with Duncan and his crew, checked the lunch lines and even looked out in the courtyard. Scott was starting to think she might have left campus, he decided to take a gamble and look to see if he could catch her in the parking lot when he spotted her. She was sitting beneath a large oak tree with her back against its base, her gaze was shifted up into the branches. A dazed look was plastered across her face.
Jean was completely concentrated on a leaf she had floated above her. Scott knew that look very well. She only was focused this much when she had a lot on her mind.
He couldn't help remembering the first time he saw the girl with hair as red as flames. He was just as smitten with her then as he was now. It was before he had lost the color of his world, and her eyes were the only thing in the world that still had a remnant of color other than crimson.
Approaching her from the side he surprised her as he sat down beside her.
"Hey Jean, what's up?"
Blinking she couldn't help wonder, 'Maybe Scott can give me some helpful advice...'