That is...so cool." Jean whispered as she looked at Harry's claws. "Do they hurt?" She asked suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Harry frowned as he looked at his claws, they were sharp claws, he would have thought that it was obvious that they would hurt if they stab someone.
"When they come out, do they hurt?" Jean asked.
"Oh...the claws hurt a little bit." Harry nodded as his claws went back inside his arm. "I got used to it." Harry shrugged. "So did Grandpa." Harry said as he gestured to Logan.
"You have claws too?" She blinked as she looked at Logan.
"Yeah," Logan grunted as he raised his fist and three metal claws popped out, Jean gasped as she looked at them. "so does Harry's sister." Logan said before he let his claws go back into his body.
"Though she has two in each hand and one in each foot." Harry added. "Her claws aren't metal though, they are just bone claws."
"That's disgusting." Mrs Grey muttered just as Jean shouted out. "That's awesome!"
"Mine are bone as well but I can cover my bones in metal," Harry said as he raised his left fist and allowed a trio of bone claws to pop out before once again letting a trio of metal claws pop out of his other hand again.
"Wow." Jean breathed as she looked back and forth between Harry's metal and bone claws. "that is so cool." She said just as Harry retracted his claws. "Can you do anything else? I mean do you have any other powers?" She asked.
"Miss Grey," It was Professor Xavier who spoke next. "Harry, his sister and his grandfather also happen to possess enhanced senses, enhanced physical abilities and a very impressive healing factor. Though Harry also possesses the ability to block other people from reading his mind."
"Really?" Jean asked.
"Yes, you see because of Harry being able to cover his skeleton in metal I become unable to read his mind."
"It's because his head is too thick." Logan chuckled, truthfully he knew it was more than that. It had something to do with whatever metal Harry could make, Hank was even now still running tests on it. Logan had some resistance to mental intrusions but he could not just flat out stop it like Harry could.
"Hey." Harry glared at Logan who just smirked back. "Your head is like twice the size of mine, old man."
"Whatever you say, runt." Logan replied in an uncaring voice.
"Can I try to read your mind?" Jean asked Harry before he and his grandfather could continue trying to irritate each other.
"Jean," Mr Grey admonished. "what did we say about using your mutation?"
"I don't mind." Harry interrupted. "you can read minds?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," Jean nodded. "I can hear people's thoughts and sometimes if I think hard then I can move things with my mind." Jean said as she stretched her right arm out and aimed it at a table, a few seconds later the table was hovering in the air in front of them before slowly being lowered back down.
"Neat," Harry nodded while Professor Xavier and Logan looked interested, Jeans parent's had a constipated look on their faces. Harry wasn't too surprised by her powers, after living in the institute for so long that sort of thing did not really surprise him. "okay, read my mind." Harry said before he gestured Jean to continue, Harry allowed his skeleton to be covered in metal just before Jean started trying to read his mind, Jean tried and tried but after a minute she gave up.
"Wow...I...I can't do it." Jean said in an amazed voice.
"Yeah, discovered that a few weeks into living at the institute." Harry said as he felt his skeleton shift back to normal.
"Miss Grey," Professor Xavier spoke up. "You will find that some mutants may develop a single power while others like yourself and Harry may develop multiple powers."
"This is all very fascinating," Mr Grey said in a tone that made it clear that he found the whole thing to be anything but 'fascinating'. "but I was hoping you would be able to help deal with my young daughter's problem."
"Problem?" Professor Xavier echoed. "I assure you, Mr Grey, your daughter does not have a problem. She is special, she is gifted, and I am here to help her with those gifts." Professor Xavier said before he turned to Jean. "Miss Grey, when I was a young boy I would often hear voices in my head, that lead me to believe that I was mad. I could hear voices talking about getting cat food and not getting paid enough, to name a few things that they said, but eventually I realized that I was not hearing voices, I was hearing people's thoughts.
From there it took me a while but I was eventually able to learn to control my powers, instead of letting them control me. At my school, the school for gifted youngsters, I help other mutants with their powers. I help teach them how to use them in a safe manner, I help them learn self control, I help them so that they do not have to live in fear of accidentally harming someone with their powers. And I would like to teach you," Professor Xavier said before he started speaking to the family as a whole. "if you accept then Jean may live at the school, a room will of course be provided for her, there will be no cost for yourselves. You may of course send money for or to Jean if you wish, but it will be unnecessary."
"Wait," Mrs Grey frowned. "we were hoping to remove her mutation, not encourage it."
"I'm not really the biggest brain when it comes to science but even I know that that is stupid." Harry said as he crossed his arms.
"Ahem." Professor Xavier coughed as he gave Harry a look, Harry rolled his eyes but didn't say anymore. "Mrs Grey," Professor Xavier said to Jean's mother. "there are no ways to stop your daughter from being a mutant, at the very least no successful ways that would leave her unharmed, you currently have two choices on how to proceed in regards to young Jean's mutation. You can ignore it and hope for the best, which I really would not advise as that could end up affecting Jean's mental health, and considering that her powers are in fact mind-based that would definitely make things worse. Your second option is to help Jean work with these powers instead of fighting them, I want to teach your daughter self-control, teach her how to live a day to day life and how to live in this world. How to get a job and how to live safely and happily. "
"Jean dear," Mrs Grey said after a short while. "we need to talk with the Professor's in private, would you please go to your room?"
"Perhaps young Harry can go with her." Professor Xavier suggested. "I'm sure he can talk to her and tell her more about the institute while we continue with our discussion."
"Hmm, fine." Mr Grey said after a few moments of silence. "Jean, can you take our...'guest'...and keep him entertained please?"
"Okay Daddy." Jean nodded before she got up, before Harry could protest she grabbed his hand and pulled dragged him with her up the stairs. Harry could obviously stop her from doing so if he wanted but knew that Professor Xavier wanted him out of the room, Harry wasn't really sure what the point was when he could still hear them with his super hearing but decided he had better things to do than argue. "This is my room." Jean said when she and Harry arrived in her room.
"Hmm, that's a lot of pink." Harry noted seeing as the majority of the room was pink.
"Mummy says that girls my age like pink." Jean said, wrinkling up her nose at how much pink was in her room.
"What color do you like?" Harry asked.
"I like red!" Jean smiled brightly. "And my second favorite is blue! What about you?" She asked.
"Oh...I don't really have a favorite," Harry said with a small frown. "I suppose blue...and red."
"Hmm, I like reading story books." Jean said as she took out a story book from a shelf. "Have you read this one before?" She asked, looking excited at the possibility of showing someone her book.
"No." Harry said as he shook his head.
"Oh, do you want me to read this for you?" She asked with a smile and a hopeful look on her face.
"If you want." Harry shrugged. Jean's smile wider and she quickly jumped on her bed and sat against the headboard.
"Come on slowpoke." She said as she patted the spot next to her.
"I'm not slow," Harry replied as he walked over and sat next to her. "you're just hyper."
"I only look hyper because you're slow." Jean said as she maturely stuck her tongue out at him before she turned back to her book. "Okay, so 'once upon a time...'
About half a hour or so later Logan walked up the stairs, he used his hearing and his nose to sniff out where the two were and easily found Jean's room. Logan gently opened the door and peaked inside to see a rather odd sight.
Jean was standing next to her bed, her hands aimed upwards and hovering above the bed was Harry who was upside down and looking very relaxed.
"Hmm, this is fun." Harry said in a quiet voice. "Hi Gramps." Harry added when he noticed Logan standing in the door way. Jean quickly turned around and lost concentration, causing Harry to drop down onto the bed and nearly bouncing all the way on to his feet.
"Oh, sorry." Jean apologized to Harry before she turned back to Logan. "Um...me and Harry were just testing my powers." She said in an embarrassed voice as she rubbed the back of her neck.
"It's alright, Red." Logan said in an amused voice just as Harry hopped off the bed. "I've come to get my misbehaving grandson."
"Ororo says I'm better behaved than you." Harry pointed out.
"That's only because she likes you better." Logan easily replied.
"Oh, can't Harry stay for a bit more?" Jean asked in a hopeful voice. "Please, we were having fun."
"Don't worry, you'll be seeing each other again." Logan said with a small smirk on his face. "Come on Kid." He said to Harry before walking out of the room.
"What does he mean by that?" Jean frowned as she looked at Harry.
"I dunno," Harry shrugged. "maybe he means that your parents will let you come to the institute." Harry guessed. "I have to go now, so I'll see you later then..." Harry trailed off, not really knowing what else to say.
"See you later." Jean smiled as she hugged him.
"Um...right." Harry said as he awkwardly patted her back. "See you later." Harry said before he nodded to her and walked out of the room. Once Harry got to the bottom of the stairs he saw Professor Xavier wheeling out of the front door while Logan was waiting just a step outside of the door. "By the way," Harry said as he stopped in front of Mr and Mrs Grey, both of whom looked like they wanted nothing better than for him to leave their house. "there's a weird smell coming from your bedroom, I don't know what it is but I thought you should know." Harry admitted before he walked out, if he looked back then he would have seen the faces of Logan and Jean's parents as realization hit them, the former looking much more amused than the other two.
"Is Jean going to come and live at the institute?" Harry asked as Logan drove them back to the mansion.
"Yes, she is." Professor Xavier nodded with a smile on his face. "I have discussed the matter extensively with her parents, and after a few days she should be moving into the mansion. We should have a room prepared by that time."
"Hmm, I don't like her parents." Harry commented. "I don't think they like the fact that Jean is a mutant." Harry added.
"Hmm," Professor Xavier paused, not entirely sure how to respond to that. Because it was very clear that Mr and Mrs Grey did - just like Harry had pointed out - not like the fact that their one and only daughter was a mutant. Still, he didn't want Harry to think that all people were like that. "I must confess Harry that you are right. Some people may handle it better but others may need time to get used to the fact that a relative of theirs is a mutant, it's not always an easy thing to discover. Hopefully the two will get over it sooner or later. Though if I may make a suggestion then I would advise you not to say things like that to Jean or in her presence."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Well Kid, how would you act if someone insulted me?" Logan replied.
"I'd call them smart." Harry said without hesitation.
"You've been spending too much time with Sabretooth," Logan said under his breath before he continued speaking out loud. "they are still her parents so she won't like you saying bad things about them, imagine how you would feel if she said bad things about Laura."
"Oh," Harry said as he started to understand. "I think I get it."
"Good," Logan sighed before a smile appeared on his face. "I couldn't help but notice that you and Red were getting along quite well." He said in an amused voice. "Have you already gotten a girlfriend?"
"Ew! No," Harry said as a disgusted look came on his face. "she is not my girlfriend. I just like her because she smells better than you."
"Whatever you say, Kid." Logan said as he shook his head.
"In that case I say you need a bath, and stop smoking those bloody cigars."