Chapter 123: A Sinister Encounter
27th February 2006, New York City
(Scott Summers POV)
Scott Summers wasn’t happy. Well, he hasn’t been happy ever since he survived the plane crash that killed his parents and his brother. He doesn’t remember much about what happened after that, just that he had stayed at an orphanage for a while, before running away and getting found by the Professor.
The young mutant’s life has been filled with nothing but hardships and sorrow since then. That was until he met her. With hair as red as blood, reminding him of the setting sun, Jean Grey came into his life, lighting up his world. Charles Xavier had given him a purpose, being part of his X-men, a team to save the world. What better purpose could he possibly have?
That was all well and good, but Scott always felt like there was something missing, something he found when he first set his eyes on her. He needed something to live for, something that would get him up every night looking forward to it. Something that wasn’t part of his duty, something that he loved. And the second Scott had seen Jean Grey, he knew that this was it, this was what he wanted to live for.
And things were going well for a while; the two young mutants got along immediately, they became as close as friends could be but nothing more. And while Jean started to explore the world around her, choosing to experience life outside of the institute, Scott Summers remained solemn, choosing to wallow in despair as he saw the world in nothing but red.
And then Jean started to date that idiot, Duncan. What the redhead saw in that jock, Scott had no idea. The guy was an asshole and a bully, but as Jean became one of the popular girls in school, the fact that she should be dating the quarterback became some sort of implied thing. And that was the beginning of the end; Scott could only try to smother his jealousy, choosing not to make a scene every time he saw them together.
Then came the day they left for Egypt, to save the Professor. They ended up fighting one of the most powerful beings that ever existed. That power was something that the young mutant never thought was actually possible. Yet, they came out victorious, well, Apocalypse was killed by some weird shadow person, but Scott didn’t care; they had survived the Apocalypse.
However, Jean came back weird from that trip. She lost herself to her power during the fight and nothing was the same. Scott still shivered at her emotionless eyes back in Egypt before she was stopped by the shadow person as well.
It was then that Scott figured out that the Professor had put in blocks on Jean’s power to avoid this very situation. And the young mutant thought that he was right in doing so, Jean was terrifying, inhuman even, back in Egypt.
Not that it matters to Scott, Jean is perfection given form, this was just another side of her for him to love. However, ever since she came back to Egypt, Jean acted oddly. She seemed to avoid him for some weird reason and they barely talked ever since that day. And before Scott could do anything, Jean moved out of the mansion, leaving him alone for the first time ever since he came to the institute.
Luckily, she still went to the same school, and her rather public dumping of Duncan gave the young mutant hope that he still had a chance with her. But nothing came from it; Jean kept avoiding him, and all he could do was wallow in his own misery and watch her from afar, hoping that one day, she would return his feelings.
A couple of days ago, Jean came back to the mansion, after helping fighting the Professor’s enraged step brother. The fact that she chose to return was overwhelmed by the idea that their history teacher, Jasmine Sayre was some sort of magician and was training Pietro Maximoff’s secret twin sister Wanda. Which means that she was Magneto’s daughter as well.
Scott never like Ms. Sayre; she was too strict and never let him sleep in class whenever he had a training session the night before. But now, that she was opposing the Professor, it irked him. And the Professor is always right, he has been so far. If he said that Wanda should have stayed locked up, that she was dangerous to have around, then it was probably the truth. However, the woman seemed to have gotten away with it. Such is the injustice in the world.
And then, the next day, the unstable witch enrolled to their school. And guess who she befriended on the first day, yeah, Jean fucking Grey. The girl was willing to befriend an unstable girl but isn’t willing to have any meaningful conversation with him.
This was wrong; he and Jean were meant together. How could she not see it? Scott always assumed that they would, one day, find their place in the world together. They would fight evil, save the world, and have a lovely family. It was a beautiful dream and the young mutant had no idea why the redhead rejected it so.
And even now, when the Professor had pretty much kicked them all out for the night because he had some kind of super secret government meeting, Jean had disappeared with Kitty and Wanda as soon as the bell rang.
And now, he had no idea where they were. He didn’t trust them not to get in trouble, especially with the Maximoff girl with them. She might be a spy for her father or something. But now, he could do nothing about it. He just hoped that Jean was alright.
With disturbing thoughts in mind, Scott walked towards a playground. There was nothing for him to do, and he was very bored. He wanted to keep himself busy and distract him from thoughts of a certain redhead.
As he arrived to the playground, he found an older man looking at him. He looked familiar somewhat, it was so weird because he could not place the man. He looked very pale with back silky hair. Before, the teenager could try to place him, the man spoke up, “If it isn’t Scott Summers, as I live and breathe. That’s a name that I never thought, I’d see again.”
“How do you know who I am?” Scott demanded.
The man looked unperturbed, “Why your glasses of course. I would recognize these anywhere.”
“Have we met before?”
The man frowned at him, “Did you forget? It is understandable; you were really young back then, and after a severe traumatic experience like losing your parents, it’s natural that you repress a few memories. If you don’t remember, let me remind you, I was a doctor at the orphanage you went to when you were found after the plane crash that tragically took your parent’s life. I was the one that gave you your glasses. The orphanage matron was scared out of her mind when you started to send laser beams from your eyes, so she took you to me. I’m the one who actually discovered that you can’t destroy ruby quartz using your powers so I made you your glasses using them, so that you could see without destroying everything around you. My name is…”
Suddenly, it felt like someone unlocked Scott’s memory, “Doctor Nate!”
He remembered now; this was the person who he spoke to after the crash. His shrink. He had helped him deal with his family’s demise and move on. He even got him his glasses when his powers manifested, allowing him a small degree of control over them. He even arranged for him to be adopted before the people who would have been his adopted parents ended up dying in a car crash while picking him up from the orphanage. In despair at the loss of a potential family, he ran away from the orphanage and was later found by the Professor. How had he forgotten Doctor Nate? He owed the man a lot, and spat in his face when he ran away without a single word of explanation and goodbye.
Ashamed, the teenager spoke up, “I’m sorry. I know that you would have been worried about me. After I lost another family, I just wanted to get away and deal with things at my own pace.”
The man nodded, “You shouldn’t have left like this, my boy. I spent months looking for you; you had worried me greatly. However, I can understand how much trauma, can cloud a man’s judgement, and overwhelm. I should have known you would have left as soon as I got the news. I should have comforted you, but I was distracted because of a personal issue. For that, you have my apologies, young Summers.”
Scott smiled at this, talking to Doctor Nate was a lot like talking to the Professor. There was that air of wisdom and kindness that they both exuded.
“No worries, Doctor. I got better, move on. I’m happy with my life, so far.”
“I’m glad to hear it, my boy. You were owed a win after all that happened. You look so grown up, now, it feels like yesterday was the day where you came to my doorstep, a small broken boy. Look at you, you’re almost a man, now.”
Scott blushed at this, “And you don’t look a day older.”
The man chuckled, “It’s something of a family trait. We rarely do look our age. Now, I’m curious, young Summers, how have you been. Is there a lady friend in your life?”
The young mutant blushed at the insinuation, “I have been well. I was taken in by Charles Xavier into his institute, and I’m now a senior in High School. As for a lady friend, there’s this one girl. But I don’t think that this would happen anytime soon.”
Scott could see the doctor frowning, “That’s not a healthy attitude to have, my boy. Giving up so easily when things get complicated is a recipe for a miserable life. Nothing worth having is free, you have to fight to earn it. If I had your attitude, I would have never gotten married. She could barely stand me, when we were younger.”
Huh, maybe this guy knows what he’s talking about. Scott guesses that a few tips wouldn’t change anything, “So what should I do.”
“You need to show her that she needs you. Nice guys always finish last, so going like a puppy helping a girl out, will probably get you nowhere. You need to do better. You need to become her hero. Whenever she’s distressed, whenever she feels like she is truly inconsolable, you will get there and make her feel better. You need to be the rock she needs and then, you proposition to her. She’ll probably accept but even if she still refuses then you stop you support, leaving her up to dry. She will realize what she has lost and come back to you. That’s what I did with my wife. It’s a little manipulative but it worked and after years of marriage, I can say that I do not regret this.”
Scott tilted his head, “So should I do that?”
“Everyone is different, Scott. It’s only natural after all. Everyone has different triggers, different motivations. This tactic almost always works but becoming a woman’s hero is different for each one. Your young friend will have different dreams for you to use. So, you’ll have to take that into account.”
“Then how do I know them?”
The man smiled kindly at him, “You know what, why don’t you bring her to me and after a conversation, I’ll let you know exactly how to get her to like you. But you have to know, that’s all this can do, get the girl to like you. After that, you’ll be on your own. You’ll have to learn how to navigate your relationship and not mess up. There’s nothing I can do to help you with that.”
Scott beamed at the older man, “No worried, Doc. I’ll try to get her to see you. How do I contact you, anyway?”
The man gave him a business card with an address and a phone number, “Call me whenever you want, Scott. You’re one of my oldest patients, after all.”
The young mutant nodded, and put the card in his wallet. As he walked away, he failed to see the sinister smile on the Doctor’s face.
Chapter 123: A Sinister Encounter
27th February 2006, New York City
(Scott Summers POV)
Scott Summers wasn’t happy. Well, he hasn’t been happy ever since he survived the plane crash that killed his parents and his brother. He doesn’t remember much about what happened after that, just that he had stayed at an orphanage for a while, before running away and getting found by the Professor.
The young mutant’s life has been filled with nothing but hardships and sorrow since then. That was until he met her. With hair as red as blood, reminding him of the setting sun, Jean Grey came into his life, lighting up his world. Charles Xavier had given him a purpose, being part of his X-men, a team to save the world. What better purpose could he possibly have?
That was all well and good, but Scott always felt like there was something missing, something he found when he first set his eyes on her. He needed something to live for, something that would get him up every night looking forward to it. Something that wasn’t part of his duty, something that he loved. And the second Scott had seen Jean Grey, he knew that this was it, this was what he wanted to live for.
And things were going well for a while; the two young mutants got along immediately, they became as close as friends could be but nothing more. And while Jean started to explore the world around her, choosing to experience life outside of the institute, Scott Summers remained solemn, choosing to wallow in despair as he saw the world in nothing but red.
And then Jean started to date that idiot, Duncan. What the redhead saw in that jock, Scott had no idea. The guy was an asshole and a bully, but as Jean became one of the popular girls in school, the fact that she should be dating the quarterback became some sort of implied thing. And that was the beginning of the end; Scott could only try to smother his jealousy, choosing not to make a scene every time he saw them together.
Then came the day they left for Egypt, to save the Professor. They ended up fighting one of the most powerful beings that ever existed. That power was something that the young mutant never thought was actually possible. Yet, they came out victorious, well, Apocalypse was killed by some weird shadow person, but Scott didn’t care; they had survived the Apocalypse.
However, Jean came back weird from that trip. She lost herself to her power during the fight and nothing was the same. Scott still shivered at her emotionless eyes back in Egypt before she was stopped by the shadow person as well.
It was then that Scott figured out that the Professor had put in blocks on Jean’s power to avoid this very situation. And the young mutant thought that he was right in doing so, Jean was terrifying, inhuman even, back in Egypt.
Not that it matters to Scott, Jean is perfection given form, this was just another side of her for him to love. However, ever since she came back to Egypt, Jean acted oddly. She seemed to avoid him for some weird reason and they barely talked ever since that day. And before Scott could do anything, Jean moved out of the mansion, leaving him alone for the first time ever since he came to the institute.
Luckily, she still went to the same school, and her rather public dumping of Duncan gave the young mutant hope that he still had a chance with her. But nothing came from it; Jean kept avoiding him, and all he could do was wallow in his own misery and watch her from afar, hoping that one day, she would return his feelings.
A couple of days ago, Jean came back to the mansion, after helping fighting the Professor’s enraged step brother. The fact that she chose to return was overwhelmed by the idea that their history teacher, Jasmine Sayre was some sort of magician and was training Pietro Maximoff’s secret twin sister Wanda. Which means that she was Magneto’s daughter as well.
Scott never like Ms. Sayre; she was too strict and never let him sleep in class whenever he had a training session the night before. But now, that she was opposing the Professor, it irked him. And the Professor is always right, he has been so far. If he said that Wanda should have stayed locked up, that she was dangerous to have around, then it was probably the truth. However, the woman seemed to have gotten away with it. Such is the injustice in the world.
And then, the next day, the unstable witch enrolled to their school. And guess who she befriended on the first day, yeah, Jean fucking Grey. The girl was willing to befriend an unstable girl but isn’t willing to have any meaningful conversation with him.
This was wrong; he and Jean were meant together. How could she not see it? Scott always assumed that they would, one day, find their place in the world together. They would fight evil, save the world, and have a lovely family. It was a beautiful dream and the young mutant had no idea why the redhead rejected it so.
And even now, when the Professor had pretty much kicked them all out for the night because he had some kind of super secret government meeting, Jean had disappeared with Kitty and Wanda as soon as the bell rang.
And now, he had no idea where they were. He didn’t trust them not to get in trouble, especially with the Maximoff girl with them. She might be a spy for her father or something. But now, he could do nothing about it. He just hoped that Jean was alright.
With disturbing thoughts in mind, Scott walked towards a playground. There was nothing for him to do, and he was very bored. He wanted to keep himself busy and distract him from thoughts of a certain redhead.
As he arrived to the playground, he found an older man looking at him. He looked familiar somewhat, it was so weird because he could not place the man. He looked very pale with back silky hair. Before, the teenager could try to place him, the man spoke up, “If it isn’t Scott Summers, as I live and breathe. That’s a name that I never thought, I’d see again.”
“How do you know who I am?” Scott demanded.
The man looked unperturbed, “Why your glasses of course. I would recognize these anywhere.”
“Have we met before?”
The man frowned at him, “Did you forget? It is understandable; you were really young back then, and after a severe traumatic experience like losing your parents, it’s natural that you repress a few memories. If you don’t remember, let me remind you, I was a doctor at the orphanage you went to when you were found after the plane crash that tragically took your parent’s life. I was the one that gave you your glasses. The orphanage matron was scared out of her mind when you started to send laser beams from your eyes, so she took you to me. I’m the one who actually discovered that you can’t destroy ruby quartz using your powers so I made you your glasses using them, so that you could see without destroying everything around you. My name is…”
Suddenly, it felt like someone unlocked Scott’s memory, “Doctor Nate!”
He remembered now; this was the person who he spoke to after the crash. His shrink. He had helped him deal with his family’s demise and move on. He even got him his glasses when his powers manifested, allowing him a small degree of control over them. He even arranged for him to be adopted before the people who would have been his adopted parents ended up dying in a car crash while picking him up from the orphanage. In despair at the loss of a potential family, he ran away from the orphanage and was later found by the Professor. How had he forgotten Doctor Nate? He owed the man a lot, and spat in his face when he ran away without a single word of explanation and goodbye.
Ashamed, the teenager spoke up, “I’m sorry. I know that you would have been worried about me. After I lost another family, I just wanted to get away and deal with things at my own pace.”
The man nodded, “You shouldn’t have left like this, my boy. I spent months looking for you; you had worried me greatly. However, I can understand how much trauma, can cloud a man’s judgement, and overwhelm. I should have known you would have left as soon as I got the news. I should have comforted you, but I was distracted because of a personal issue. For that, you have my apologies, young Summers.”
Scott smiled at this, talking to Doctor Nate was a lot like talking to the Professor. There was that air of wisdom and kindness that they both exuded.
“No worries, Doctor. I got better, move on. I’m happy with my life, so far.”
“I’m glad to hear it, my boy. You were owed a win after all that happened. You look so grown up, now, it feels like yesterday was the day where you came to my doorstep, a small broken boy. Look at you, you’re almost a man, now.”
Scott blushed at this, “And you don’t look a day older.”
The man chuckled, “It’s something of a family trait. We rarely do look our age. Now, I’m curious, young Summers, how have you been. Is there a lady friend in your life?”
The young mutant blushed at the insinuation, “I have been well. I was taken in by Charles Xavier into his institute, and I’m now a senior in High School. As for a lady friend, there’s this one girl. But I don’t think that this would happen anytime soon.”
Scott could see the doctor frowning, “That’s not a healthy attitude to have, my boy. Giving up so easily when things get complicated is a recipe for a miserable life. Nothing worth having is free, you have to fight to earn it. If I had your attitude, I would have never gotten married. She could barely stand me, when we were younger.”
Huh, maybe this guy knows what he’s talking about. Scott guesses that a few tips wouldn’t change anything, “So what should I do.”
“You need to show her that she needs you. Nice guys always finish last, so going like a puppy helping a girl out, will probably get you nowhere. You need to do better. You need to become her hero. Whenever she’s distressed, whenever she feels like she is truly inconsolable, you will get there and make her feel better. You need to be the rock she needs and then, you proposition to her. She’ll probably accept but even if she still refuses then you stop you support, leaving her up to dry. She will realize what she has lost and come back to you. That’s what I did with my wife. It’s a little manipulative but it worked and after years of marriage, I can say that I do not regret this.”
Scott tilted his head, “So should I do that?”
“Everyone is different, Scott. It’s only natural after all. Everyone has different triggers, different motivations. This tactic almost always works but becoming a woman’s hero is different for each one. Your young friend will have different dreams for you to use. So, you’ll have to take that into account.”
“Then how do I know them?”
The man smiled kindly at him, “You know what, why don’t you bring her to me and after a conversation, I’ll let you know exactly how to get her to like you. But you have to know, that’s all this can do, get the girl to like you. After that, you’ll be on your own. You’ll have to learn how to navigate your relationship and not mess up. There’s nothing I can do to help you with that.”
Scott beamed at the older man, “No worried, Doc. I’ll try to get her to see you. How do I contact you, anyway?”
The man gave him a business card with an address and a phone number, “Call me whenever you want, Scott. You’re one of my oldest patients, after all.”
The young mutant nodded, and put the card in his wallet. As he walked away, he failed to see the sinister smile on the Doctor’s face.
