X-Force: Beyond Omega

Jean's body shook with barely contained rage, her red hair swirling unnaturally as if caught in an invisible wind. Her green eyes shone with a fiery, golden glow, shifting between her normal self and the wild, unstoppable force trying to take over. She clenched her fists, gathering the energy.

"You lied to me," Jean said, her voice shaking with anger. "You tricked me, erased my memories, and made me believe in a life that wasn't real." She moved closer, the ground cracking under her feet from the sheer strength of her power. "You said it was all to protect everyone, but you're just a coward."

"Jean..." the Professor began, his calm facade faltering.

"Don't!" she snapped, her voice echoing with the power of the Phoenix. "You don't get to speak. Not after everything you've done. I trusted you!"

A vortex of energy began to form around Jean, small objects from the rooftop... loose pebbles, shards of broken glass, and even the air itself was spinning around her in a violent storm. Blink instinctively stepped back, her hand gripping one of her portals for safety, but Aron stood firm, unfazed by the display.

"Jean, stop," Aron said, his voice calm yet firm.

"I can't," Jean hissed, her teeth clenched as tears streaked down her glowing cheeks. "He deserves this. He deserves to pay for everything he's done!"

She raised her hand, her palm aimed at the Professor, who remained silent, his gaze heavy with regret. The Phoenix's power surged, golden flames licking at her fingers as the air grew suffocatingly hot.

"Jean!" Aron's voice cut through the chaos. He stepped between her and the Professor, his own power flaring for a brief moment as he absorbed the intense energy. "Don't do this. You'll regret it."

"Move, Aron," Jean demanded, her voice shaking. "You don't understand..."

"I understand more than you think," Aron interrupted. He stepped closer, his tone softening but still resolute. "I know how it feels to be betrayed. To have someone you trusted rip away everything that made you who you are. But this? Killing him? That's not going to make you feel any better."

Jean's hand trembled, the flames dimming slightly.

"He's not innocent!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "He took everything from me. My childhood, my memories, my choices..."

"And proving him right will only mean he wins," Aron said as he looked into her eyes. "He thinks you can't control it. That you're just a weapon waiting to be unleashed. Show him he's wrong, Jean. Show him you're stronger than that."

Jean faltered, her breathing ragged. Her hand slowly lowered, the golden flames flickering out. She looked at Aron, tears streaming down her face, and whispered, "I don't know if I can."

"You can," Aron said, stepping even closer and gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "You've always been stronger than you think. You don't need the Phoenix or anyone else to tell you that. You just need to believe it yourself."

Jean closed her eyes, the storm of emotions within her slowly settling. The swirling energy around her dissipated, and the rooftop fell silent save for her quiet sobs. Aron pulled her into an embrace, shielding her from the Professor's gaze.

The Professor, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange, finally spoke, his voice heavy with sorrow. "Jean, I never wanted to hurt you. Everything I did was to protect you."

Jean pulled away from Aron, her eyes red but no longer glowing. She looked at the Professor with a cold, piercing gaze. "No. You just wanted a perfect puppet. I won't forgive you, and I don't think I ever will."

She turned back to Aron. Then without a word, flew away, the rush of wind blowing her fiery hair behind her. Aron watched her leave, then sighed.

Blink let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She looked over at Aron, his expression a mix of worry and concern.

"Now, Professor, what are you going to do? You wanted to control everything to bring your vision to life while Magneto wanted to liberate the mutants and show humans that we were not to be underestimated. And while trying to maintain that vision, you ignored countless people who needed help and manipulated God knows how many more to ensure the vision stayed intact. How do you expect anyone to trust you, or for the world to believe in us when our leader is just another power-hungry hypocrite who would sacrifice everything to reach his goal?"

Aron looked up, his gaze heavy and tired as he continued. "That is why I'll create a new power from the ground up. I won't let either you or Mangeto manipulate or destroy others. I'll remove every single threat that might endanger both humans and mutants. So, if you stand in my way, I'll kill you." He looked toward Blink. "I'll be back in one month to take those who want to join me. Tell everyone at the school the truth. I won't hide anything like you and Magneto. I'll give them a purpose and show them the change they could bring using their power for good."

Without waiting for a reply, Aron shot off the roof and disappeared into the distance, Blink following close behind.

The Professor stood there, the weight of the world on his shoulders, a heavy silence surrounding him.

"It was always my worst fear," Charles Xavier said, his voice barely a whisper. "Losing my way, becoming no better than the people I fought against. Yet, in the end, I became worse."

He stared into the night, his eyes filled with regret.

"I'm sorry, Jean. I'm sorry, Aron. I've failed you."

***

Jean flew through the night sky, her Phoenix aura dimmed but shining faintly. The cold wind stung her cheeks, mixing with the warmth of the tears that flowed unendingly. She didn't know where she was going; her heart just pulled her forward through towns and cities until it reached the familiar outskirts of a small, quiet neighborhood.

It was already nighttime.

Jean floated in the air, her eyes landing on a simple house at the end of the street. Its windows shone gently with light. This was the place she had glimpsed in pieces of dreams and shattered memories—the house she once called home before everything was taken from her. Seeing it filled her with pain, a mix of deep longing and anger twisting inside her.

She touched down quietly on the grass, her boots pressing into the wet ground. Jean paused, doubting whether she could actually do what she had come to do. But she had to find out—had to understand why the people who were supposed to care for her had hurt her so deeply. With her hands clenched tight, she focused her mind, gently touching the thoughts of those inside.

Her parents were there, older now, their faces etched with years she had missed. They sat together in the living room, their thoughts mundane and focused on the nightly news. But it was the presence of another mind that caught her attention. A young girl about sixteen sat cross-legged on the carpet, a book open in her lap. The girl laughed at something her father said, her voice bright and carefree.

Jean's breath caught in her throat. 'A sister.' She had a sister she'd never known about.

She closed her eyes, delving deeper into their minds, searching for a trace of recognition—of her. But there was nothing. Her parents' memories of her were gone, wiped clean like chalk from a board. In their minds, their firstborn had never existed. All their love, all their attention, was focused on this new daughter.

For a moment, a searing pain shot through Jean, followed by a wave of bitter anger. They had replaced her. Forgotten her. She could restore their memories and make them remember her, make them confront what they had done. It would be so easy. The Phoenix within her stirred, whispering temptations of vengeance and justice.

She stepped closer to the window, her glowing eyes fixed on her sister. She reached out, touching the young girl's mind, and saw flashes of her life. School, friends, dreams of becoming a writer, lazy Sunday mornings spent reading on the porch. She saw love, laughter, and safety, everything Jean had once had and lost.

Her hand faltered, her power retreating.

What would it solve, she thought bitterly, to tear their lives apart? To force them to confront the truth? This girl was innocent. She had done nothing wrong, and whatever her parents had done, whatever reasons they had for their choices, it wasn't worth destroying the life they had built for their second child.

Jean backed away, her chest heaving with emotion. She turned her gaze to the sky, letting the cool night air soothe the heat burning within her. She didn't need them anymore. They weren't her family. Not truly. Her family was gone, and nothing she did could bring it back.

With one last look at the house, she turned and flew into the sky. She didn't bother to hide her fiery aura this time. It illuminated the quiet street below. Inside, the girl glanced out the window, her brows furrowing as she caught a glimpse of the light before it vanished into the darkness.

Jean flew higher, further, leaving behind the pain of what might have been. She didn't know where she would go next, but one thing was certain, she wasn't running anymore. For the first time in years, she felt a sliver of freedom, a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, she could forge a path of her own.

***

[Next day] [5 am]

Aron gave Jean some space to help her gather her thoughts. But he stayed nearby and followed her all the way. She was flying all night without a stop. But as the sun rose, she flew down into a forest.

She found a little lake and sat on the edge of a lake in the middle of a forest, her feet dangling a few inches above the surface. Aron walked out of the shadows, his footsteps making no sound, and sat down next to her.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Jean leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You did good, Jean."

"Did I?" she said, her voice hoarse.

"Yes," Aron replied, his voice full of pride.

She turned to look at him. "Aron, where will we go?"

"Genosha."

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[AN: This isn't your movie Genosha but the comic version. You will soon see the dark reality of the heroes and the world.]