Crunch goes the snow beneath my feet as I step out of the limo, the cold air slapping me like one of my mom's backhands. Xavier's mansion looms ahead, its stone façade dusted with white powder like some fancy wedding cake. After a week in Genosha's tropical heat, the December chill of Westchester feels like jumping into an ice bath.
"So," Emma says, sliding out of the limo behind me with that effortless grace she does everything with, "was that a fun vacation? Do you feel relaxed?"
I nod, watching my breath cloud in front of me. "Yeah, I had fun." My eyes drift to the mansion, searching the windows for any sign of life. Part of me wonders if anyone even noticed we were gone. Jubilee would have. "It was cool to meet Magik and stuff."
Emma's shoes pound against the icy driveway as she steps beside me, her pristine white outfit somehow remaining spotless despite our travel. She follows my gaze toward the mansion, her ice-blue eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yeah, I don't know if I like those girls with you," she says, her British accent clipped and proper. "They treated you like a piece of meat, Jack."
I can't help the small laugh that escapes me. "They were mostly nice," I counter, shoving my hands into my pockets as we start walking. "Even Mystique was nicer than I anticipated. Shame we didn't get to hear anything more about the U-Women."
The memory of that fishing vessel still makes my skin crawl. Those women in black suits, the operating theater, the little mutant girl with the shark fin. What were they planning? Where did they come from? Questions without answers, like most things in my life these days.
"I'm just happy they didn't bother reaching out to us after we helped them."
I snort, glancing sideways at her. "Why?"
"Because it was our vacation, not theirs," she replies simply, like that explains everything.
The limo driver places our luggage beside us, my single worn duffel bag looking pathetic next to Emma's matching set of white designer suitcases.
I grab my bag while Emma hefts hers. As we push through the massive front doors, the familiar scent of the mansion of old books and polished wood hits me like a welcome home punch.
"Jack! Welcome back!"
I look up to see Kitty phasing through a nearby wall, her brown hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She's wearing an oversized MIT sweatshirt and looks like she hasn't slept in days.
"Hey."
"I think Magik was looking for you earlier," she says casually, like this is totally normal information.
"What?" My brain short-circuits. "But she's in Genosha."
Emma stiffens beside me. "What did you just say?"
Kitty shrugs. "Yeah, Firestar too. They both came this morning."
"They portaled here?"
"Yeah, this morning," Kitty confirms, looking between us with growing curiosity. "Something wrong?"
"Fuck," Emma mutters, her perfect composure cracking just slightly.
I shift my duffel to my other shoulder. "Where is Magik now?"
"She's in Xavier's office."
"Thanks Kitty," I turn and head straight for Xavier's office. My mind races with possibilities. If Magik and Firestar came all the way from Genosha to find us, something serious must have happened.
Emma hurries after me. "Hold on, Jack," she calls, her voice tight with tension.
"What?" I don't slow down, just keep walking with purpose down the familiar hallway.
"I don't like this," Emma hisses, catching up to me. "This feels wrong."
"What's not to like?" I ask, though my own anxiety is ratcheting up with each step. "Maybe they found something about the U-Women."
"I have a bad feeling," Emma insists, her voice dropping lower as we approach Xavier's door.
I pause just long enough to knock on the heavy wooden door, my knuckles barely making contact before a familiar voice calls out from inside.
"Come in, Jack," Xavier says, her voice carrying that authoritative warmth it always does. "We were just waiting for you."
I push open the door and step inside, Emma trailing close behind me like an overprotective shadow. Xavier sits behind her massive desk, hands folded in front of her.
Firestar and Magik stand near the window, both looking surprisingly comfortable in the mansion despite having probably been in Genosha just this morning. Firestar's hair flickers with tiny flames around the edges, casting a warm glow across her face. Magik looks as intimidating as ever in her black armor, that massive sword strapped to her back.
"Ah, Emma," Xavier says with a small smile. "The school has missed you. The Stepford Sisters couldn't stop begging for your return."
"How kind of them," Emma replies, her voice dripping with that perfectly polite venom she reserves for situations she doesn't like.
Her eyes narrow as she looks from Firestar to Magik, and I can practically feel the temperature in the room drop ten degrees. Something shifts in her expression that calculating look she gets when she's rifling through someone's thoughts.
"No," Emma suddenly snaps, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. "I absolutely forbid it."
Xavier's serene expression hardens. "Ms. Frost, stop that immediately."
"What's going on?" I ask, looking between them, completely lost.
Magik's lips curve into a slow smile that somehow manages to be both friendly and terrifying at the same time. "Jack," she says, her Russian accent thick, "you are brave. I think we would make a good team. I want you to work with us."
"What?"
Xavier leans forward, her eyes intense. "Magik, Firestar, Kitty and Mystique are creating a specialized team, to find missing mutants. Magik believes you would be an excellent fit for their mission."
I look at Emma, whose face has gone from porcelain-perfect to thundercloud-dark in about two seconds flat.
"I forbid it!" she repeats, louder this time, stepping between me and Magik like she's physically shielding me.
Xavier arches one eyebrow at Emma, her calm demeanor somehow making Emma's outburst seem even more dramatic.
"Ms. Frost," Xavier says, her voice measured but firm, "perhaps you should consider the benefits this opportunity could provide Jack."
Emma's shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath.
"Fine," she says suddenly. "We'll both join this little adventure squad."
I blink in surprise. That was... unexpected.
Magik lets out a short, harsh laugh. "No," she says, crossing her armored arms over her chest. "You would be useless on these missions, Frost."
"Excuse me?" Emma's voice drops to that dangerous purr that usually precedes someone's mental destruction.
"The suits," Magik continues. "They block telepathy." She smirks, the expression somehow both playful and deadly. "Your powers would be worthless against our targets."
"I'm not just a telepath," Emma hisses, her fists clenching at her sides.
Xavier clears her throat, drawing everyone's attention back to her. "Additionally, Ms. Frost," she says, her fingers steepled in front of her, "we need you here at the school. The Stepford Sisters among others require your guidance, and frankly, your classes have suffered in your brief absence."
Emma's body goes rigid. "Jack is my patient!" she snaps, her voice rising. "I've been working with him since the moment I arrived. He needs stability, not to be whisked away on dangerous missions with people who barely know him!"
Xavier's expression shifts, something gentle but firm settling across her features. "Ms. Frost, perhaps you are developing an unhealthy relationship with Jack."
The words hang in the air like a bomb that's just been dropped. Emma's face drains of color, her lips parting in shock.
"I beg your pardon?" she whispers, ice-blue eyes wide.
Xavier doesn't flinch under Emma's glare. "I think this task force would be good for Jack. A chance to develop his abilities in a different context, with different mentors. It's up to him, of course, but either way, judging by your reaction, I believe some time apart would do you both some good."
I've never seen Emma look so blindsided. She stands there, frozen, like Xavier just slapped her across the face.
"You can't be serious," Emma finally manages.
"I am quite serious," Xavier replies, her voice gentle but unyielding. "Perhaps you could give us a moment with Jack? I believe he deserves the space to make this decision without... influence."
Emma's eyes dart to mine, something desperate and almost pleading in them. For a split second, I think she might refuse to leave. Then her posture snaps back into place, her face hardening into that icy mask she wears so well.
"Fine," she says, the word clipped and sharp. She turns on her heel, the movement so precise it's almost military.
The door slams behind her hard enough to rattle the bookshelves. The sound echoes in the sudden silence of Xavier's office.
Magik lets out a low whistle. "Well, that went about as expected."
Xavier sighs, rubbing her temple like she's fighting off a headache. "Illyana, please."
Magik turns to me instead, those powerful eyes locking with mine. "We're trying to do real good here, Jack," she says, her Russian accent thickening with conviction. "You saved Firestar's life with us in Genosha. Think about how many more mutants we could save together."
Firestar steps forward, her fiery hair casting dancing shadows across her face. "That boat in Genosha, that's just the beginning," she says, her voice soft but urgent. "Something bigger is happening. I can just feel it."
I shift uncomfortably under Magik's intense gaze, feeling suddenly caught between worlds. The weight of their expectations presses down on me like a physical thing. Xavier watches me, waiting for my response.
"I..." My voice comes out smaller than I intended. I clear my throat and try again. "Look, Professor Xavier, I think this team sounds important. And I do want to join."
I glance toward the door where Emma just stormed out, guilt twisting in my stomach. "But Emma's been there for me since the moment I met her. And then when Jubilee died..." My voice catches, the memory still raw. "Emma was the one who held me together. I don't want to hurt her by just walking away."
Xavier's expression softens, her fingers steepling in front of her. "Jack, I understand your loyalty to Emma. It speaks well of your character." She leans forward slightly, her voice gentle but firm. "But part of growing as a person, and as a mutant, means making choices that are right for you, not just what makes others comfortable."
"I know, but…"
"Emma Frost is an extraordinary woman," Xavier continues, "but she can also be... hot tempered. This reaction today demonstrates precisely why I believe some distance would benefit you both."
I swallow hard, the weight of the decision pressing down on me. "Would I, still live here? At the mansion?"
Magik shakes her head, her blonde hair catching the light. "We can't have our base here. Mystique isn't allowed on the premises."
Xavier's expression turns solemn. "Unfortunately, that's correct. After she orchestrated Sabretooth's release from our holding facility, I simply cannot have her on the grounds."
"Oh." I nod slowly. "That makes sense."
"But it doesn't matter," Magik says with a dismissive wave. "We have a building in Mutant Town we'd work from. Perfect headquarters, actually."
"Where's that?" I ask, trying to picture it.
"The mutant neighborhood in Manhattan," she explains, her eyes glinting with something like excitement.
"New York City?" My voice rises slightly.
"Yes." Magik nods, a slow smile spreading across her face. "It'd be a good place to get the vibe. Keep our ears to the ground for missing mutants."
"You'd be able to learn more about the world this way too, Jack," Xavier adds gently. "Experience things beyond the mansion walls."
"Yeah," I say, thinking about it. The idea of living in New York City, being part of something important, something that could help find people like that little girl with the shark fin... it's appealing.
"Come on, Jack," Magik says. "Don't be a coward. This is a great opportunity."
I look back to Xavier, anxiety gnawing at my insides. "Does this mean I wouldn't be on the X-Women anymore?"
Xavier's smile is reassuring. "No, of course you would still be part of the X-Women. And you could come back whenever you like. Your room here isn't going anywhere."
I look at Magik, studying her confident stance, the way she carries herself like someone who knows exactly who she is and what she wants. Part of me wonders if I could ever have that kind of certainty.
"I'm not sure I can really turn down your offer," I say finally, though in the back of my mind, I get nervous I'll miss Emma too much. The thought of not seeing her every day creates this hollow feeling in my chest.
Magik's smile widens. "Then don't turn me down." She holds out her hand, the gesture both challenge and invitation.
I stare at Magik's outstretched hand for what feels like an eternity, my thoughts racing. Emma's face flashes in my mind, that look of betrayal when Xavier suggested we needed time apart. But then I see Jubilee's headless body and the little shark-fin girl trembling in that cabinet.
"Alright," I say finally, reaching out to grasp Magik's hand. Her grip is firm, stronger than I expected, like she could crush my bones if she wanted to. "I'm in."
Magik's smile is equal parts predatory and pleased. "Welcome to X-Factor, Jack."