5/1 Issue: Powerless

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Slarti
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Title: Damn Not Given
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5/1 Issue: Powerless

Post by Slarti »

Timelined after Fic – Her Everything.

Jean: She may have dozed during her vigil, but she wasn't sure. Jean had definitely lost feeling in her legs and ass.

Anna: Anna had let Jean sit for a while as she tried to make herself comfortable with her back against the weird wall. She was staring into space as she thought about their situation but caught movement from Jean in her peripheral vision. She refocused on the other woman.

Jean: At some point, the remaining warmth had bled out of Jamie's hand and she felt as if his skin was leaching the heat from hers. Jean looked down at his face, only to find him staring at her with half-open, blank eyes. Her breath hitched.

Anna: Anna chewed her lip, shifting a little to make some sound before she cleared her throat, "Jean...?"

Jean: Her head whipped toward the voice and she immediately was dizzy, dropping his hand to catch herself against the floor.

Anna: Anna got up from her spot, rubbing absently at her slightly numb ass as she crossed the space to Jean. She crouched down beside her, "How are you doing?"

Jean: Jean looked up at Anna, her eyes burning and with her hand still braced against the floor. Her head was spinning and her stomach cramped, forcing her to press her other hand against it.

Anna: Anna sighed softly, "Jean... you need to let him go..."

Jean: Her chin trembled and she looked back at him. "Nooo..."

Anna: Anna kept her tone gentle, putting a hand on Jean's arm. "There's nothing you can do for him now..."

Jean: "Because this asshole took my powers," she said, voice raspy. Jean coughed, but it didn't improve. "He was... he was alone..."

Anna: Anna shook her head, "He knew you were there..."

Jean: Jean didn't look at his eyes as she pushed herself back up and brushed back his hair. "In his head. He was alone." She sniffed, coughed, and closed her eyes as more tears leaked down her cheeks. "We have a link."

Anna: "There's nothing I can say that will make this better... but holding on to his body isn't going to bring him back..."

Jean: She sighed, eyes still closed and absently stroking his hair. "You know his powers, right?"

Anna: She nodded, "Yeah... I know the power sets of all the old students..."

Jean: "Most people can't tell the difference between Jamie and his dupes. I can, but... I couldn't." Jean opened her eyes and looked at Anna. "I don't know if this is him or not," she said, voice breaking.

Anna: Anna wrapped her arms around Jean, "Then, for both of your sake's, I hope it wasn't..."

Jean: Jean twisted to return the hug, managing to find more tears as her breath hitched. "Me too."

Anna: "Either way... I'm sorry this happened to him, and to you..." she rubbed Jean's back soothingly.

Jean: Closing her eyes again, she clung to Anna. Jean felt as numb as her ass, but the tears just kept leaking anyway. "Thank you," she mumbled, sniffling again.

Anna: "You don't have to thank me for basic friend stuff," Anna told her softly.

Jean: It was a terrible time for her photographic memory to recall Jamie telling her almost the same thing, when she'd been terrified how he would react to Daken's assault. Jean sobbed, trying to stop herself. What was she going to do without him?

Anna: Anna gave her a squeeze, just holding her and rocking her a little bit while she waited for her calm down again.

Jean: Finally, she forced herself to relax just a little so she could catch her breath.

Anna: Anna gently rocked and shushed her. "Come and sit with me for a little while..."

Jean: Jean knew what Anna was doing, but part of her also knew she was right. She shifted, realizing how stiff she was. Jean wasn't the only one, though, and she felt more tears fall. He was gone.

Anna: Anna got to her feet and reached out a hand to help Jean up, "We don't have to talk if you don't want to..."

Jean: She forced herself to move and accepted Anna's help to get up, feeling as if she'd aged 50 years over the last few hours.

Anna: Anna put an arm around Jean's waist to steady her and helped her over to the wall where she'd been sitting.

Jean: Jean collapsed more than she sat, her head thunking back against the weird wall.

Anna: Anna slid down the wall beside her and leaned against her with a sigh. She didn't know what to say so she let Jean decide if she wanted to talk about anything.

Jean: Jean pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, huddling into herself and Jamie's oversized jacket. After a while, she turned her head, resting it against her knees, and looked at Anna. "How well did you know Rachel?"

Anna: Anna smiled a little, "I liked her. She was fun. Good for shenanigans."

Jean: She returned the smile, a little. "Yeah... sometimes." After a while, she licked her lips and continued. "What about Josh?"

Anna: Anna shook her head, "I never met him... I know that he could heal like me though..."

Jean: "I only met him a couple of times... our family is, like, notoriously dysfunctional." She closed her eyes. "He was gold. His skin. Like that real tall girl who guards Tony Stark now."

Anna: "Heather Cameron," Anna supplied, "What was he like?"

Jean: "Yeah, her." Jean sniffed. "He was... nice. A lot quieter than Rachel. I thought they were kind of a weird couple. And with Rae... it was kinda hard to tell how she really felt, like, about anything."

Anna: "Unless she really disliked it..." Anna nodded.

Jean: "Yeah," she said with a snort that became a cough.

Anna: "She was guarded... I always figured it was a side effect of always knowing what everyone was really thinking..."

Jean: "It was a side effect of being a crazy bitch," she said, more out of habit than anything. Then, she wrinkled her nose at herself.

Anna: Anna laughed a little and bumped Jean with her shoulder.

Jean: "I shouldn't-" She cut herself off. "You know what set her off? That time when she... well, made the news?" And made Jean's parents start giving her side eye.

Anna: Anna nodded, "Yeah... I heard all about it..."

Jean: "She was always kinda, well, unstable, and some mad scientists fucked with her, but Josh always helped level her out." Jean raised her head to look over at Jamie. "Then they murdered him."

Anna: Anna nodded, "No more counter-weight..." she turned her head to look at Jean for a moment, "Are you worried it'll happen to you too?"

Jean: "Rachel and Josh didn't have a telepathic link like we do." She winced. "Did?" It hurt to say it and her eyes burned, so she closed them to try to stop the tears.

Anna: "Does that make it better or worse?" Anna wasn't much of a telepath, she wasn't sure what a telepathic link entailed.

Jean: "I was... always in his head. Like, almost a piece of my mind in his... and vice versa. I knew where he was, anywhere in the city, what mood he was in..."

Anna: She chewed her lip, "I suppose... when your powers are blocked.... it's like that piece is missing?"

Jean: Jean nodded. "I can't feel him, a-and now... I'll never feel him again." The tears were leaking again and she quit fighting them, looking over to where his body lay through blurry eyes.

Anna: Anna shifted to wrap her arms around Jean again, "We don't know that for sure..."

Jean: She accepted the comfort, freeing one arm to wrap around Anna. "I want my powers back. I-I need them back to get us the fuck out, but... then I'll know." She sniffed. "W-what if I'm just like Rachel?"

Anna: Anna shook her head, "You're a very different person."

Jean: "I don't..." Jean bit down on her lip. "I lived without him for four years... but I c-can't live without him again. Not now.”

Anna: Anna gave Jean a squeeze, wishing that she could tell her that she wouldn't have to.

Jean: She lost herself in her misery for a time, but eventually was able to talk again after she cleared her throat. "Still... no clues about why the fuck we're here? Who that guy was?"

Anna: Anna shook her head, "Like I said... didn't even see a ginger that day til I dropped in here. I was really looking forward to my doughnut...."

Jean: Jean frowned, looking around and trying to not let her eyes linger on the body. "I wonder if he's planning on starving us to death."

Anna: Anna considered that. She was hours from lunch and she'd been hungry when she set it all out. But she wasn't anymore, "I don't know... do you feel hungry?"

Jean: She shook her head. "I was thirsty earlier and my throat hurts... I know I should want water, but..." Jean shrugged.

Anna: "Right... and I don't feel hungry either even though I only ate toast for breakfast and had lunch time stolen from me."

Jean: "I couldn't eat if I wanted to..." Her stomach was in knots and her eyes were drawn back to Jamie. "W-what are we going to do with him? ...is this sick fuck waiting to see if we..." She couldn't finish her thought without retching, pressing her hand over her stomach again.

Anna: Anna gave a helpless shrug, "I don't know..." her nose wrinkled, "I kind of hope they come in and get him..." otherwise he was going to really stink the place out soon.

Jean: Jean was still heaving just a little, resisting the urge to go back over to guard his body as she gave Anna a wary look.

Anna: "Jean... you don't want to remember him like that...."

Jean: No. No, she didn't. But right now, remembering at all hurt so much. "W-we were going to get married, have kids... have a life..."

Anna: "I'm sorry..." she gave Jean a gentle squeeze.

Jean: Jean just nodded this time, sniffling, and wiped her hand over her mouth. Gross.

Anna: Ugh, this whole situation was horrible. She didn't know what to say to Jean but she could be there as something solid to hold onto at least...

Jean: She gave Anna a wan smile, thankful she wasn't alone. After catching her breath, she looked over at the body again, her eyes on his unnaturally bent leg. As she watched, the body blinked out of existence.

Anna: Anna followed Jean's gaze to the body, her eyes going wide as it disappeared. Uhoh.

Jean: Jean gasped, scrambling to her feet and instantly tripping over them. After another attempt to get up, she half crawled to close the distance. "Noooo! Nononono..."

Anna: "Jean...." Anna went after her, pushing herself off the wall to her feet to catch her.

Jean: Now, he was gone. Literally. All that was left were some scuffs and smears of blood on the floor. She stopped short and stared.

Anna: "Jean..." Anna said gently, kneeling beside her and again sliding her arms around the other girl, "He couldn't stay here..."

Jean: She knew it was true, but... Jean shook her head and sat back on her heels, unable to catch her breath again. This time, she thought she might be sick and pass out, and turned into Anna to let her hold her again.
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