บท 42: Cerebro
I blinked, still processing her words. "Uh… wow. That's, um… unexpected," I managed, scratching the back of my neck. "So, the Phoenix has… opinions on our personal life now?"
Jean bit her lip, clearly embarrassed. "Believe me, I didn't ask her. She just… suggested it. Said something about 'strengthening the cosmic bond' or whatever." She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her amusement. "Honestly, she sounded like a meddling grandmother."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Just what I need, a cosmic entity playing matchmaker." I met her gaze, trying to sound as serious as possible. "Are we supposed to, like… put this on the to-do list, or—?"
She smacked my shoulder lightly, cheeks pink. "Stop it! It's not a demand, more like a… suggestion." She sighed, looking away. "I just thought you should know. No pressure or anything."
"Yeah, no pressure at all," I said, grinning. "Just that the literal embodiment of cosmic fire thinks we should start a family. Totally normal stuff."
She couldn't hold back a laugh, finally letting the tension break. "This is our life now, huh? Crazy missions, dodging death, and Phoenix giving us... advice."
"Hey, it's all part of the package deal," I said, shrugging. "Can you imagine? A little us, running around, throwing ice beams, or cosmic fire tantrums? We'd have to put baby-proof locks on every part of the galaxy. Who knows, they might just save the world by the time they're in preschool."
She laughed, a genuine, carefree sound that made everything feel normal. "You're impossible."
"And you still love me anyway." I shrugged.
She sighed, resting her head on my shoulder again, her fingers tracing light circles on my chest. "I do… more than I care to admit. Maybe the Phoenix isn't so wrong."
We lay there in comfortable silence, letting the morning light fill the room. She nuzzled on my neck.
"Maybe one day... when we're ready," she whispered, kissing my cheek.
"Yeah, one day..." I murmured. kissing her head.
Eventually, reality nudged its way back in, and I sighed. "Alright, I should probably get going. And you." I flipped her over and went on top of her, pinning her down and kissing her deeply. "Should take a nice long bath and eat something. It's already noon."
"Mmmm, I'm kinda hungry," She wrapped her arms around my neck. "But I don't wanna let go of you yet."
I kissed her nose, smiling. "I don't want to go too. But gotta help out a new friend. So, how about we continue this, maybe at a later date? You know, another date without getting attacked or any interruption?"
"That would be nice," She said. "How about next Saturday night? I'll make dinner."
"Oooh, that sounds amazing. I'm in. Definitely. But can you cook?" I asked with a smirk.
"Tsk. You gotta hurt where it hurts." She gave me a small pout.
"How about we cook together? You wearing an apron in the kitchen and me guiding you?" I said, giving her a sly look.
"Only apron?" Jean asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, if you insist..." I said.
She laughed, kissing me softly. "Hahaha! You are impossible."
"I try my best," I said, chuckling. "Alright. I'm off to work." I kissed her one last time before getting up.
As I left Jean's room, I could still feel the warmth of her touch lingering on my skin, a small smile tugging at my lips as I replayed the morning's events. But now, it was time to get back to business. I had someone to find, and the Professor had promised to help. The clock read a little past noon, which meant the Professor should be rested and ready.
When I reached Cerebro's control room, Hank was already there, adjusting the machine's settings. Emma stood nearby, her arms folded, looking unimpressed by the tech-heavy surroundings.
"Good, you're here," Professor X said as I entered. He looked more awake now, though there was still a hint of fatigue in his eyes. "Hank and I have made some adjustments to Cerebro. Time to find our new friend." He settled into Cerebro's central console, his fingers lightly touching the controls. The door closed and the large circular room hummed to life as Cerebro activated, the faint blue light casting a calm but eerie glow across the metallic surfaces.
Professor placed the helmet on his head, closing his eyes.
"Let's begin."
I stood by Emma, who watched with an unreadable expression. This was my first time seeing Cerebro in action, and I couldn't deny feeling a rush of awe as Professor's consciousness expanded, reaching beyond the confines of the room, far beyond the school. The view around us changed. It was as if we were standing on top of a mountain and looking down at the endless world around us.
There were white little human shapes all over the place.
"These are humans," The Professor said, pointing at the countless little shapes. Then the white shapes disappeared and red shapes appeared. "And these are mutants."
"That many?" I couldn't help asking.
"Yes," The Professor said. "We are not as alone as one might think. Well, let's see where our animal talker friend is hiding."
The view continued to change as he scanned all over the world. It was as if he was reading a book and flipping through pages. It was a mesmerizing sight to behold, and it also brought to light how powerful the Professor really was with the Cerebro. If he wanted to, he could do a lot of things to the human race and even wipe them out. Well, he almost did in the movies. Gotta keep an eye out for trouble in the future.
Seconds stretched into minutes. Then, after what felt like an eternity, Professor's eyelids fluttered, and he let out a sharp breath.
"I found her," he said, his voice low and grave. "She's on the outskirts of Tokyo… heavily guarded."
The view changed and was now focused on a young girl, sitting in a dark room, all alone. Her face was devoid of any emotion, and she just sat there, motionless and silent.
Hank cursed under his breath.
I had to agree. This was not something I had expected. The girl didn't look older than twenty and her eyes had already lost their light. Her arms were riddled with scars. Her muscles looked like that of a seasoned fighter. What the hell did those people do to her?
"They... they turned her into a weapon," Emma said, her voice laced with barely contained anger. "An emotionless, killing machine."
"Her mind is clouded... Drugs and brainwashed... I can not get into her head. Some kind of tech is blocking me," Professor X said as he shut down the Cerebro and took off the helmet. He turned to Emma. "There isn't much time. We need to rescue her before her mind gets permanently damaged."
Emma nodded, looking determined. "I'll go."
"No," Professor said, shaking his head. "Not alone. They must have technology to suppress mutants." He looked toward me.
"You knew?" I asked.
"Jean told me," He said.
I opened my palm, summoning a tiny bit of Phoenix Flames. "No technology can suppress Phoenix Force. I'll go."
"There are hundreds of assassins in there. And since it's Tokyo we are talking about," Hank said. "The Yakuza is very powerful there. Getting caught would be bad for us all. You saw there are many mutants in there, right?"
"You are going to need some extra help and I know just the right person," The Professor said with a smile. "Hank, call Director Fury and ask for Miss. Natasha Romanoff."
"Natasha Romanoff?" Emma asked, looking at the Professor.
"Yes," The Professor nodded. "If there is anyone who can infiltrate a Yakuza hideout without raising an alarm, it's her. If there is any technology that blocks mutants, then she should be able to disable them from inside and create a distraction long enough for you to rescue Chat. It's going to be a fast operation. No side tracking, no distraction, no useless killing." He looked sternly at Emma. "Are you fine with that?"
She shrugged. "As long as she's safe... It's fine by me."
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