"We're here."
The taxi driver spoke to Jean, who was sitting in the back seat of the car.
At the same time, he pointed to the house outside.
After paying and getting out of the taxi, Jean felt a strange sensation as she arrived at the gate.
It was a feeling difficult to describe.
"It's been a while since I've been in a car. Did I get carsick?"
Jean had forgotten how long it had been since joining the X-Men.
In addition to teaching students at the institute, she often had to handle various missions as an X-Man.
In most cases, cars were rarely used.
After confirming the address, Jean determined that this was Arthur's house.
She rang the doorbell and, after waiting a while, finally saw a figure coming out of the mansion.
"Hello, Mr. Morgan."
"Do you remember me?"
To avoid being recognized by others, Jean had disguised herself before leaving.
Now, seeing Arthur, she removed her hat and sunglasses.
"Erm… Jean?"
Arthur was a little surprised to suddenly find Jean Grey at his gate.
Seeing his expression, Jean smiled and said, "I used a little trick to get your address."
When she first contacted Arthur, Jean had realized he was someone who preferred things straightforward.
Arthur could easily guess which method Jean had used to find him.
"Ahh… alright, come in."
Arthur opened the door and invited Jean inside.
At the same time, he lifted the suppression field that had been affecting her.
[Jean Grey was listed as invalid for the suppression field.]
The biggest difference between Jean and Gwen was that one possessed telepathic powers while the other relied on immense physical strength.
So, when Jean entered the mansion's perimeter, the suppression didn't feel as strong to her as it had to Gwen.
Once Arthur lifted it, the strange sensation disappeared entirely.
It hadn't had much of an impact on her.
"So? Why did you come here?"
Although Jean was curious about what he had done, she didn't ask directly.
What if it was Arthur's secret?
Led by him, Jean stepped into the house.
In the backyard.
"Do you want something to drink?"
Jean nodded.
This was the first time she had visited someone else's home like this, and she seemed a little unsure of what to do.
"Okay, wait a moment."
Arthur had already guessed why Jean had come looking for him.
The few words he'd spoken that night while drinking with her had clearly left an impression.
A short while later, Arthur returned with two cups of milk tea.
"Here, take it."
Jean accepted the cup, and the cool touch of the glass soothed her nervous heart.
"It's milk tea, a family recipe."
"Drink it and tell me what you think."
Curious, Jean raised the cup to her lips and took a sip.
As soon as she tasted the iced milk tea, all her taste buds seemed to awaken.
The sweetness of the drink instantly calmed her nerves.
"Delicious!"
Jean finished it in one gulp, unable to hold back her enthusiasm.
Comparing it to every other milk tea she'd ever tried would be like comparing gold to trash.
Realizing what she'd just done, Jean quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Morgan. I didn't expect it to be so good."
"It's fine, I'm glad you liked it."
Arthur also took a sip.
(Mmm~ delicious!)
"Mr. Morgan, I came here because I want to continue discussing what we talked about last time. Why do you think Professor Xavier's idea failed?"
"Do you really believe our way of doing things is wrong?"
At Jean's question, Arthur simply smiled slightly.
"It seems you've been thinking about that question all this time."
Jean nodded firmly.
"Well, if you came to me today, that means you already have your own answer."
If she still fully supported Professor X's ideals, she wouldn't have come to Arthur.
Her presence here meant she had already begun to agree with him in her heart.
During this time, Jean had thought deeply.
She had observed the children at Xavier's Institute during classes.
Professor X had done so much for mutants, yet those children could only remain within the institute, unable to live freely anywhere else.
Reality kept showing Jean that Professor X's ideals were useless.
Even if she didn't want to admit it, reality hit her hard.
"But Mr. Morgan, what should we do then? Follow the same path as the Brotherhood and wipe out humanity?"
Arthur shook his head.
"Magneto and Professor X are just two sides of the same coin."
"No matter what they do, the outcome will be the same."
"One just wants to serve, the other just wants to kill."
To a certain extent, Magneto's method seemed like the most effective solution given the current situation.
"Mr. Morgan, I don't understand."
Jean felt her mind wasn't sharp enough for this conversation.
Professor X and Magneto represented two opposing concepts for the survival of mutants.
If both ultimately led to ruin, didn't that mean mutants were doomed?
Arthur didn't criticize her for struggling to understand.
After all, she had grown up within a limited environment.
"Jean, the future of mutants cannot depend on other people's charity."
"You must hold your future in your own hands!"
(End of chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."