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Chapter 45: Yandere
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Jean Grey. And the expression on her face, a stormy mixture of worry, anger, and profound dissatisfaction, was anything but pretty.
Adam's smile didn't fade, but it tightened at the edges. His single, good eye met hers.
Well, he thought. Fuck.
[JEAN! THE MOMENT OF RECKONING IS HERE!]
[She's here to drag his ass back to the X-Mansion, isn't she?]
[The look on her face… Adam is in SO much trouble.]
[Oh, she knows!! She knowws all the trouble he's gotten himself into!]
[She not only knows, she sees his fucked up appearance!!]
Frank Castle took one look at the red-haired woman storming towards the brownstone, her expression a thundercloud of righteous dissatisfaction, and made a tactical decision.
He gave Adam a final, curt nod that somehow conveyed "You're on your own with this one," and quickened his pace, melting into the urban landscape with the practiced ease of a ghost.
He had wars to wage; he had no interest in superhero family drama.
Jean Grey's emerald eyes swept over Adam, a living MRI of dissatisfaction and concern.
They cataloged the fresh, livid scars peeking from his collar, the way he held himself with a slight stiffness that even his smile couldn't fully mask, the heavy bulk of bandages subtly distorting the fit of his baggy long-sleeved shirt and pants.
"I knew it!" She exclaimed, the words bursting forth with a mix of vindication and frustration.
"I heard about the chaos in Hell's Kitchen; explosions, power outages, rumors of the war, and I instantly thought of you. And here you are. I knew it. It's your doing!"
She crossed her arms, a schoolmarm confronting a delinquent. "You are a walking, talking trouble magnet, Adam."
"I'm not surprised, but I am profoundly annoyed that you didn't listen to a word of my advice about taking care of yourself."
Her gaze then shifted to Domino, who was leaning against the doorframe with an air of amusement. "And you! I told you to look after him."
Domino shrugged, a picture of effortless nonchalance. "I can't stop a force of nature. I don't want to. I'm just enjoying the ride. It's a hell of a lot more fun than the alternative."
Adam interjected smoothly, his voice a placating baritone. "Now, Jean, that's hardly fair. It's not her fault."
"The blame lies squarely with the people who decided to exist in a way that inconvenienced me. She's merely a spectator to the inevitable."
["The people who decided to exist…" He says the most unhinged things with such charm!]
[Domino's "enjoying the ride" is a whole mood. Who wouldn't want a front-row seat to this chaos?]
[I bet he'd contaminate Jean and she'd start enjoying the chaos.]
[I can see it, especially since Jean can be very dark, but would he want to open that can of worms?]
[Oh, I think he would love the dark phoenix... Well, I think she would love him.]
"It's just a scratch anyway," He continued, waving a dismissive hand before gesturing grandly into the brownstone. "Please, come in! Don't stand on ceremony."
The group filed in, revealing itself to be more than just Jean.
There was Nightcrawler, offering a sympathetic, fanged smile; Cyclops, his arms crossed and jaw set in a rigid line that screamed disapproval; Anna, known as Rogue; and a blonde youngster, probably in his late teens, who looked around with wide, curious eyes.
The moment the door closed, the atmosphere shifted. Anna approached Adam with an unnerving, silent grace.
Her gloved fingers rose, tracing the air just beside the closed lid of his left eye.
"What happened?" She asked, her voice deceptively soft, a calm before the storm. "Don't tell me…"
"I'm afraid I've rather permanently misplaced it," Adam confirmed, his tone light, as if discussing a lost set of keys. "It's not a big problem, really. An acceptable trade."
Jean's face fell, her anger momentarily replaced by a wave of annoyance; she wanted to facepalm at the casual way he behaved even after losing an eye.
But Anna… Anna remained preternaturally calm. Her auburn and white streaked hair framed a face that had gone utterly still.
"Who?" The single word was ice-cold and sharp as a shiv. "Who did it? Tell me. I can take care of 'em."
[OH MY GOD. ROGUE WENT FULL YANDERE MODE!]
[Tf? She can take care of them? Does she mean kill? That is TERRIFYING.]
[Look at her eyes! That's not concern, that's homicidal intent! Adam, you've created a monster! A very loyal, very scary monster!]
[Psycho girls are so hot!]
[Adam should be very logical, and wouldn't put his dick in crazy, right?]
[You'd have to be the messiah to have the will to resist the urge, and Adam's no messiah. He's done.]
Adam's single eye twitched in genuine, fascinated curiosity. He studied her; the set of her jaw, the fire in her eyes, the absolute, unwavering conviction.
It was as if she were ready to tear down the world, brick by brick, on his behalf. Why? The question echoed in his formidable mind.
Was it because he was her friend? No, that couldn't be it, as he hadn't seen her treat anyone else like this.
Because he'd defended her against that idiot months ago? Could something so trivial, so easy for him, have such a profound effect on a person?
Had he, without realizing it, fundamentally altered the trajectory of her life? And in doing so, had she transformed into… what was the term the audience used? A Yandere?
[He's analyzing her like a science project! He's confused but he's into it!]
["Something so trivial" defending her from prejudice and giving her a place to belong is TRIVIAL to him? This man's scale is broken!]
[Yes, Adam! That's a Yandere! Run towards it, not away! It's more entertaining!]
[Is everyone just gonna ignore the mindblowing fourth wall break?]
[You get used to it with time.]
His intellect, capable of processing terabytes of data and outthinking master strategists, seemed to short-circuit in the face of this raw, obsessive loyalty.
It was a variable he hadn't properly calculated, or rather, he hadn't considered. And he found… he liked it.
A brilliant, unforced smile spread across his face. He opened his arms wide. "I've missed you, Anna," He said, his voice brimming with warmth.
The icy fury in her posture shattered instantly.
She melted into the hug, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest, the question of vengeance momentarily forgotten in the simple comfort of his presence.
From the sidelines, Domino brought a hand to her face in a slow, deliberate facepalm.
She's far too gone, she thought. That's beyond love, that's obsession and fucking worship.
Goddamn, charismatic idiots are the most annoying kind.
A glance at Jean confirmed she was sharing the exact same sentiment, her own face a mirror of exasperated understanding.
"The ones responsible are already… handled," Adam murmured to Anna, stroking her hair. "You can relax."
He then turned his charm on the others, pulling a startled but grinning Nightcrawler into a brief, friendly hug. "Kurt! Good to see you."
He moved to Jean. "I've missed you too, you know." He enveloped her in a hug. She returned it stiffly.
"I'm still angry with you," She muttered into his shoulder.
"I know."
Finally, he turned to Cyclops. The X-Men's field leader stood his ground, his body language a wall of grumpy refusal.
"Scott," Adam said, undeterred. He bypassed the hug and settled for a firm, comradely pat on the back. "I'm glad you're here. I was hoping I could enlist your help with a little project."
Cyclops was so taken aback by the sheer, friendly audacity that he couldn't even form a verbal refusal.
Jean, sensing the social minefield, gently pulled Adam back with a subtle application of telekinesis, guiding him firmly onto the couch.
"Before you conscript anyone into your schemes, let's address the fact that you look like you lost a fight with a woodchipper."
She gestured to the blonde boy. "This is Joshua. I had a feeling you'd be in this state, so I brought him along. His mutant ability is healing."
The name 'Joshua' meant nothing to Adam. He hadn't heard of it before, and with his perfect memory, that could only mean he hadn't read about him.
But the [Information] panel flickered to life in his mind's eye, flooded with instant, eager commentary from the audience.
[JOSHUA FOLEY! THAT'S ELIXIR!]
[Omega-Level Healer! He can control biology on a cellular level! Curing diseases, regenerating limbs, everything!]
[He can turn his skin gold when he uses his power! He's a walking miracle!]
[He looks too young, though. He mustn't be able to heal too grievous injuries yet.]
Adam's single eye gleamed with newfound avaricious interest. "You're very thoughtful, Jean," He said, his voice dripping with appreciation.
His gaze then snapped back to Cyclops, the project clearly still on his mind. "Now, Scott, about that workshop..."
"After he's healed," Jean stated, her tone brooking no argument. She used her telekinesis to keep him pinned to the couch. "Joshua, if you would?"
With a sigh, Adam removed his shirt, revealing the extensive bandages wrapping his torso.
As Joshua stepped forward nervously, Adam gave clear instructions. "The burns and the deeper gashes need to go. But the scars… leave some of them. Especially the ones here. I'm rather fond of the collection."
The one exception was the horrific scar where his left eye had been. "This one, however, you can fix. A cleaner face will suit my upcoming business persona better."
The faces of all those present twitched. Yeah, he's a maniac; his thought process is incomprehensible.
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