The X-Project

Jean comes to talk to Crystal to catch up. The discussion turns to the "untouchables," Haven, and the event's effect on the other mansion's denizens.





Jean was up before dawn, a habit she'd picked up from her husband. But she quickly went back to sleep, getting in a couple more hours until the prospect of coffee lured her downstairs. By then, it was around 6:55 am, and she hadn't heard too much stirring coming from the general populace.

The mind functioned in an fascinating way when it dreamed. It was almost not like thoughts, but more like the creation of its own reality. The closest thing to the astral plane many could get. The normal fluidity of thought, complete with its general fragments of sentences, emotions, and ideas, were combined with vibrant, continuously streaming mental pictures and landscapes that the usual dreamer were not even aware they were weaving.

Long ago she had learned to tune the dreamers out if she happened to be awake. When asleep, her mind naturally did it for her. If she relaxed her mental shields just a little bit, the dreams were like the fuzzy images that broke through on a TV with bad reception, there, but hard to make out without focus. With focus it was like Wonderland, filled with complexity and contradiction, where elements from the real world met fantasy in a fashion that the mind took to be perfectly normal in the context of the dream. It was the normal that was strange.

As she waited for the pot to fill up with chestnut brown ambrosia, she left the kitchen to walk toward the classroom areas, looking over the rows of desks and chairs, charts and blackboards. She hadn't had a chance to go by the medlab yet, sleep taking greater priority at that point in time the night she arrived. But today it was on her definite agenda, along with everything else. Hank and Crystal's reports of the de-powered group "the untouchables," was unnerving. But it reminded her why she had decided to come back.

Jean returned to the kitchen, filling up a cup of coffee before heading back up to her room to set about unpacking. By the time 9:00am rolled around she was completely unpacked. As she headed back downstairs, sensing a few more of the conscious crowd out and about, she decided to visit Crystal. She had last spoken with her around February, after she had stayed at the WCA with them with Forge before the two had broken up. Crystal had taken over her classes at Xavier's in her stead.

Jean knocked on Crystal's door, hiding a yawn. Even with coffee, the jet lag still kicked her ass.

Crystal had already been awake for over an hour. She tended to wake up at a time that seemed unusually early to many other people, but she liked to be wide awake and outside before and during sunrise. Flying was always wonderful, and being outside in the morning was especially nice. Today, however, she had chosen to stay inside, not feeling quite herself after her visit to Haven two days earlier. To add to that, she then had to actually write the stunning revelation to alert the others to the Medlab as to what she had discovered, and she still needed to tell the former Untouchables about their new, permanent status. Today was meant to be spent in her room as much as possible.

Crystal was surprised to hear the knock at her door; most people weren't active this early in the morning, especially during the summer. Answering the door, Crystal offered a smile to her surprise visitor. "Good morning, Jean. Please come in." Her thoughts stayed in her head where they belonged; she lived in a house with telepaths and as such tended to keep up at least a light mental shielding at all times to keep her thoughts to herself. She didn't fear that any of the few telepathic mansion residents would try to get into her mind or harm her, she might have suffered at the hands of someone with a telepathic ability but that had never happened at the mansion, but she felt that keeping her thoughts in her mind was the polite thing to do.

Jean had always sensed Crystal's walls. She wasn't bothered by them. In fact, she thought they were a good thing to have on principle, in case another telepath who had less than honorable intentions came along. In her personal experience there had been more than a few.

"Thanks." she said with a nod and a smile as she stepped in.

Jean glanced around. "How've you been?" she said.

Closing the door behind them, Crystal gave a light, helpless shrug. "I suppose that I am fine, yes? I should be thankful that I am still in possession of my mutant abilities, and I am. Still, what has happened is quite disconcerting, and I cannot help feeling ill at ease. Would you like something to eat or drink before we sit?" The proper lady in her won out over her worries; being concerned about the possibilities represented by Haven was no excuse for being rude to a guest, and one she had always respected and liked at that.

Jean shook her head. "No, thank you. I've already had my coffee. Going on two cups now. I think if I have any more I'll be up for days," she mused with a faint smile before before it quickly faded as she set back to the matter at hand.

"I read your report to the other medical staff," she said.

"I'm glad you're okay. This woman...her abilities, from what you described and Hank's report on the test results...sound like they might operate by going beyond the cellular down to the genetic level," she said.

She wanted to talk to Hank and Amelia as well more thoroughly. It stirred up the medical investigator in her.

"Being able to re-write a person's genome to remove the x-gene, if this is truly the case, is quite the feat. But I find myself wondering the validity of her claim of what she's done being 'irreversible,'" she said.

"Her pride and the sheer arrogance, from what you describe of her, is what strikes me as curious. How does she know there will be no complications if she hasn't done this before and with practice?"

Crystal nodded, Jean's statements echoing her own earlier thought process. "Yes, from the way she spoke and acted, the way she was so sure of herself, I would very much doubt that this was the first time she has done such a thing. How she discovered her abilities, and if beginning attempts lead to complications, these things I do not know. What I do know is that she believes that she did the right thing, and that she genuinely seems to believe what she did was in the best interest of the former 'Untouchables'. Part of what surprises me, however, is the fact that she altered four mutants who were complete strangers to her."

"Although I may not like the idea, I could see her using her abilities on people she knew, but to do such a thing to individuals she had never met before?" Crystal shook her head. "Save for a brief conversation with Yvette and Cammie, she knew nothing of who they were or whether or not they truly wished to lose their mutations. How could she do such a thing without the permission of each person involved?" Crystal couldn't suppress a shudder at the thought of that and what it could mean for other mutants who crossed Haven's path.

Jean fell silent for a few moments, sitting down in a chair, resting her chin in her hand.

"John Adams once said, 'Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak.' She may think she's been given this ability to 'help' those who she believes cannot help themselves," she said, leaning back in her chair.

"She may say to herself....'These people, they are hated, they are feared...They try to cope and tell themselves they are okay but they don't have to cope. I can help them. I can give them a normal life. They will hate me now but will love me later,'" Jean said, then shook her head again.

"She may think she knows better because she thinks she's doing it for the greater good. Unfortunately her idea of the greater good seems to make her see her every intention as noble and any attempts to remedy this someone to be pitied, and a fool," she said.

Again, Crystal nodded. "In effect, she is playing God, is she not?" she said, meaning it more as a statement than an actual question, voicing aloud one of her thoughts during her meeting with Haven. "She is taking it upon herself to 'fix' mutants with mutations she views as problematic. Had she only altered Yvette, I would be concerned but not as concerned as I am at the idea that she has caused at least three mutants to become baseline humans without their permission. What if she decides that a particular mutation is harmful but the person with that power does not feel the same way?" Crystal thought of Cammie; the green-haired mutant possessed a dangerous ability, but perhaps she had liked her mutation, even if it had caused unintentional trouble in the past.

"What if she does not confine herself to using her ability on mutants in a particular location? What happens when word of what she can do leaves District X?" This was another reason Crystal was so disturbed by the implications of Haven's power. Surely there were numerous mutants who did not wish to be that way, even if they had useful or harmless powers. With the way so many people felt about mutants, and the way mutants were excluded from certain activities, the young woman had no doubt that there would be quite a few mutants who would gladly give up their mutant status in exchange for what they perceived as the possibility of a normal life.

Jean slowly nodded. "I don't think she has seen the true implications of what she is doing. She probably lives in her own world. People come into her world, but she doesn't see outside of that world and what happens when they leave. She may see the present moment, and the lovely idea of the future it may bring, but tries not to concern herself with anything but what she perceives that future to be," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Anything that challenges her delusion may be something she is afraid to face, so she ignores it, comes up with excuses, tries to entrench herself further and further into her world. And I don't think anyone has really challenged her to think about this notion because they either want her services in the first place, or are too afraid themselves of what may happen should she decide to take their powers away if they do say something." She lifted her chin.

"All she hears is a world of yes and nothing to the contrary."

Crossing her legs, Jean studied Crystal a moment.

"I think, from what you've told me, she seems to be at a precipice. She seems to genuinely want to do good. And that is a good thing. But if left to herself....if left unchecked, with no one to tell her otherwise...or even the introduction of the wrong hand to guide her...I agree. The potential for a problem is there."

Yes, Crystal had definitely been afraid that Haven would cause her to become a baseline human before she left the clinic. Would Haven have spared even a moment to consider the ramifications of such an action? Had she given a single second to think about what she was doing to to "Yvette and her friends"? Even now, safely away from the woman, she felt a feeling of dread at the thought of being in her presence again. It had been the same reason for her distrust of telepaths; most attacks you could see coming and try to avoid. With a mental attack, or one such as could be brought on by Haven, there was no raised hand, weapon, or energy blast to avoid. Even with a telepathic assault, even if you were well aware of the fact that the telepath would eventually break through and win, shielding could at least serve as a warning of the danger. The basis of Haven's power didn't even have this built-in alarm.

"She can prove to be quite dangerous for mutants everywhere, yes, although I daresay some would welcome her with open arms." As Yvette had done, hadn't she? Yes, please take away my mutation; I don't want it anymore. While you're at it, take theirs away, too. Now we can all be happy and normal. Crystal was sure that wasn't really what Yvette had said, but wasn't that what it boiled down to? This obsession with the idea that having certain types of mutations meant that someone wasn't normal. The thought went against Crystal's beliefs. What idiotic nonsense!

"Therein lies a large part of the potential problem with Haven, yes? Mutants and baseline humans alike actually wanting her to remove powers. It is one thing if she does this without permission, but if people come to her willingly? Is it the right of anyone else to tell them that they should not do this, that they are wrong?" Could anyone truly blame Yvette for wishing to be able to hug a friend without inflicting pain, to open herself to the possibility of having a physical relationship with a special someone sometime in the future, when the time was right for her? Was it anyone's right to judge her for her choice?

Jean nodded. "Free will and individual choice in the face of our abilities and how they are used, given the potential of their destructive nature is something that has been thrown around Washington by politicians for years," she said with a soft sigh of frustration, rubbing her forehead. But this was already well known by those in this crowd.

"I can't tell you how many debates I have sat on regarding this very issue. And of the prospect of turning abilities off...no muss, no fuss...would be something greatly sought after by the right parties," she said, her eyes taking on a far away, contemplative look.

"And she would gladly help them. If they whispered the right words in her ear."

She looked up. "I understand why Yvette would want to choose to be human and if she chose, I won't fault her for it. But yes, the bottom line is free will and choice. Taking that away means taking away what it means to be human," she said.

"And in the end, it is what we all are."

"Haven should be spoken to. Have you discussed anything with the other faculty about this?"

Crystal shook her head. "No, I have only given my additional information to those with access to the medical part of the school's journal system. The staff would know what has been discussed in public and what Dr. McCoy informed them in an e-mail," she told Jean, knowing that the newly returned X-Man might not be aware of the fact that Yvette and Cammie had mentioned believing they knew who was responsible where anyone on the journal system could see. Crystal wondered if Jean actually meant "faculty," or if she had referred to the "X-Men." Despite the fact that there were very few staff members who were not on the team, they were two entirely different groups.

"I do not believe that the 'Untouchables' were singled out for living at the school, they were simply there at a time and place that was convenient for Haven," Crystal mused. Right place at the right time or wrong place at the wrong time depending on who you were and how you viewed the current situation. "With Yvette having graduated in June, none of the four are students at the school. I went to speak with her because someone needed to, and I I knew where I could find her." As with the e-mail she planned to send, Crystal would not ask anyone else to do what needed to be done when she was perfectly capable of doing it herself. "I was concerned for Cammie, Jared, Kevin, and Yvette and hoped to discover a way to reverse what had happened. Knowing what I do now, I would not ask any mutant to go near her; I know that I would not want to do such a thing." I would rather face Magneto and the entire Brotherhood, on my own, than be in the presence of that woman a second time. At least then I would have the chance to defend myself.

Jean shook her head. "No, I don't think she specifically targeted them because of their status at the school either. But they were still there, however, and they are a part of the school, whether they are students or not. They live here. The faculty should be prepared for the students' reactions, positive and negative, as well as those who who merely reside here. It will definitely have an effect on the mansion population once word spreads, but it's the students I am most concerned about," she said.

Jean could feel Crystal's mental walls, but the hints of fear radiated off of her like ripples in a pond. Even with the walls up, certain thoughts with the emotions attached were like screaming within a fortress. Though the actual words could not be heard and were well protected, muffled, unrecognizable, the tone echoed off the hard stone, giving clues of inflection and emotion.

"There will be questions, comments. Fears. Hopes. These should be addressed as they come. There will no doubt be a divided line.The possibility of becoming powerless could be frightening to some and intoxicating to others" And something better suited to the faculty than the X-Men in that respect. They were the guiding hand.

Youth carried with it exuberance, both uplifting and blinding in emotion and the entirety of itself. Decisions were made on gut reaction, carried about by the rush of fear, or joy, with no thought of consequence until the afterward.

Jean fell silent a moment. "And I understand your trepidation in wanting to avoid contact with Haven. I feel the same way," she said, then smiled softly.

"I suppose I'm letting my fears get the better of me in some regards." Haven's power had an interesting effect, not just on the body but of the mind. It not only took the literal power away, but also the figurative one. It brought about a sense of helplessness. The hand and the sword were useless when the sword could be taken away at any moment and the mind was aware of the distinct possibility of such being more likely than not.

Jean had already been in mother bear mode before, and now, the situation seemed to heighten that feeling.

She knew how delicate the situation was, however. To make the wrong move could be detrimental in any number of ways. They had to be careful.

"But nevertheless I don't think it should be ignored in the hope it will go away." Something should be done. But at the moment, it was hard to tell what would work. Still, this was not something they were alone in. They were a family. It was not the decision of one but of many. Whatever it was, they would figure it out. They always did.