Jean and Kitty sat in the quiet café, the hum of conversation around them.
Kitty was mid-rant, excited about her latest discovery.
"You seriously have to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion, Jean," Kitty said with enthusiasm. "It's not just giant mechs versus monsters—it's deep, psychological, totally trippy. You'd love it. Gets into all these themes of—"
Jean's brow suddenly furrowed, her body going still.
Kitty stopped talking mid-sentence, eyes wide as she noticed the shift in her friend.
"What is it?" Kitty asked, her tone immediately serious.
Jean didn't answer right away, her senses stretched to their limit, eyes narrowing as a potent spike of psionic energy flooded her mind.
It hit her like a tidal wave—a massive surge of psychic power.
For a second, it was everywhere.
Then, just as quickly as it had come, it vanished.
She snapped back to reality, her expression tense. "I think we've found what we're looking for."
Kitty didn't need further explanation; she'd seen that look before.
They'd been tracking something, or someone, with significant psionic abilities.
This had to be it.
Jean sent an urgent telepathic message to Logan, who was nearby. "Logan, west district orphanage. Move. Now."
Kitty threw a few bills on the table, and the two dashed out of the café, their earlier conversation forgotten.
Jean's wings of fiery energy manifested briefly as she cleared the nearby civilians of any memories of the spike.
She moved quickly, no time for hesitation.
They arrived just as Logan stood by the door of the orphanage, his hands balled into fists, ready to act.
He didn't need her to explain; the look on her face said it all.
"I think we found what we're here for," Jean said simply.
Logan grunted, his eyes fixed on the building. "Then let's get to work."
As Jean, Logan, and Kitty entered the orphanage, the scene inside seemed completely normal.
The sound of little children playing and staff members going about their day greeted them.
To Logan and Kitty, everything looked ordinary—no signs of trouble or psychic disturbances.
Jean, however, wasn't fooled.
Her psychic senses were still tingling, attuned to the subtle manipulations she could feel.
She glanced around, her eyes narrowing with concern.
"Something's off," Jean murmured to the others. "Everyone here is under some form of mind control. It's not blatant, but I can sense it."
Kitty frowned. "Mind control? But everything looks fine."
Jean nodded, her gaze shifting to Ms. Penélope, who was approaching them with a furrowed brow. "Why are you here? This is a private facility. We can't have visitors without prior approval."
Jean quickly stepped forward, trying to diffuse the situation.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion. We were following up on a lead, but it seems whatever we were looking for is already gone. We'll leave right away."
Logan and Kitty exchanged glances, sensing Jean's urgency.
Logan, ever the practical one, gave a curt nod. "We'll be out of your hair. Sorry for the disturbance."
Jean kept her focus on Ms. Penélope, using her telepathic abilities subtly to soothe any potential unease and ensure the staff didn't remember their unannounced visit too vividly. "Thank you for understanding. We'll make sure this doesn't happen again."
Ms. Penélope looked slightly confused but accepted their apologies.
"Alright, just make sure to get permission next time."
As they made their way out, Logan grunted, "So what now?"
Jean sighed, shaking her head. "Whatever was here is gone. We've got to figure out where it went and what it was doing. But for now, let's not draw any more attention."
Kitty, still processing the situation, nodded. "Agreed. We need to regroup and reassess."
---
Niklaus, hidden behind his veil and feeling the strain of his recent power-up, watched as the X-Men trio exited the orphanage.
He exhaled, knowing they were aware of something significant but unable to pinpoint exactly what.
As he prepared to drop his concealment, a sudden, intense jolt threw him against the boundary wall of the orphanage.
The impact left him dazed.
Scott Summers, using a Clone bot—an innovation by their newest team member that allowed him to channel his mutant powers remotely—had been monitoring the orphanage.
The laser strike from the Clone bot had been intended as a precautionary measure to ensure the area was clear of any further disturbances.
Niklaus, now visibly angry, glared at the remains of the robot that had triggered his exposure.
With a furious snarl, he unleashed his heat vision, incinerating the robotic intruder.
"Damn it!" he shouted, cursing loudly as the remains of the bot disintegrated into molten metal.
The noise echoed around the abandoned playground, carrying his frustration.
Realizing he was out of time and feeling the pressure mounting, Niklaus knew he had to act quickly.
He shot into the sky, hoping to escape their pursue.
But the Phoenix had other plans.
The fiery wings of Jean Grey were closing in on him with relentless speed. The frustration built within him as he struggled to outpace the pursuit.
"Think,Niklaus think!" Niklaus muttered to himself, glancing back at the approaching fiery trail.
He needed a plan, and fast.
His mind raced through options, weighing the potential risks and rewards of each.
If he could outwit the X-Men and find a safe place to , he could potentially turn the situation to his advantage.
As he flew through the air, his thoughts whirled.
He considered using his powers to create a diversion, perhaps by manipulating the environment or creating an illusion to buy himself more time.
But with Jean Grey's psionic senses so sharp, it would be a gamble.
With a deep breath, Niklaus decided to head towards a remote area, hoping to lose his pursuers and find a temporary sanctuary.
He focused his energy on maintaining speed and evading detection, determined to escape the immediate threat and regroup later.
The chase was on, and Niklaus knew he had to stay one step ahead if he wanted to keep away from that troublesome bunch.
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