Mystique moved swiftly, concealing herself in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, trying to disappear from Jean Grey's sight. But Jean Grey had been watching her the whole time, her figure floating in the air not far behind. Mystique was constantly exposed to her field of vision.
Soon, Mystique was cornered. She looked around, clearly having no way out. To protect herself, she used her most common tactic once again.
Scott's image reappeared before Jean Grey. He stood there, reaching out to her and calling, "Jean, please don't do this. It's me, Scott!"
However, Jean Grey's decisiveness and ruthlessness frightened her. A detached flame transformed into a flying divine bird, charging directly at her. She hastily ducked, barely dodging the obviously dangerous attack. But a few of the bird's glowing feathers still brushed against her body.
This seemingly insignificant situation caused her immense harm. A massive wound, as if torn by something, appeared on her back, running from shoulder to waist, so deep that some of her bones were visible. And surprisingly, no blood was flowing from it.
This was not a good sign because the actual situation was similar to what happened to those behind her who were struck by the same light flames as the divine bird. They could no longer maintain their original form in a material state. They had all turned into indiscernible particles, suspended in the air in heaps, looking like a layer of dust.
This was an attack from the molecular level. Jean Grey's current power could completely destroy the stability of the molecular level. Under her influence, matter could hardly maintain its original existence, only being reduced to molecular form at the microscopic level, whether inorganic steel and cement or organic flesh and blood.
A fiery phoenix suddenly burst forth from the massive Eiffel Tower. In the eyes of countless onlookers, a huge chunk of the world-famous structure's steel framework vanished in an instant. It was as if something had devoured it, leaving not a trace behind. Only a gaping void remained, a testament to its former existence.
This bizarre event immediately heightened the vigilance of the already-alert French government. They realized this was no natural phenomenon, but a deliberate supernatural incident. This realization sent shockwaves through humanity.
Troops began advancing towards the site, while local police efficiently evacuated the crowds. The situation had escalated significantly.
For Mystique (Raven), the situation had long since spiraled out of control. Despite her grievous wounds, which were beginning to heal thanks to her unique physiology, she couldn't afford to be optimistic. Because Jean Grey, completely transformed, had once again seized control of her body.
Jean Grey's flames began to spread, reaching further and further, the dark red flares occasionally searing across the tower's immense frame, leaving irreparable scars. Some of these flames also landed on Raven, causing her immense pain. But she dared not cry out to vent her suffering and fear.
She barely managed to maintain Scott's form, and with great difficulty, she called out to Jean Grey.
"Jean! Stop it, it's me. I can't hold on much longer."
"A truly nauseating expression!" Looking at his current state, Jean Grey, whose inner persona had surfaced, frowned, a sneer curling her lips. "Such a lowly creature, do you think he could possibly influence my will?"
At this point, the invisible telekinetic force immediately transformed into a rope woven from steel, deeply constricting her neck. This power made it difficult for her to breathe, and even the bones in her neck began to creak under the strain.
She struggled desperately to break free, but her body was completely airborne, leaving her with nothing to leverage against. She could only flail her arms and legs wildly, a futile death throe.
"See? Your life is under my control. What right do you have to show off in front of me!" Jean Grey's face was contorted and manic. She manipulated Mystique to move in front of her, staring at her and letting out a hoarse laugh.
Mystique was now on the verge of suffocation, but just before losing consciousness, she made a final effort.
A struggling Zhou Yi appeared in front of Jean Grey. His deathly expression made the woman, controlled by the inner personality, scream, and her grip loosened, finally releasing her control over Mystique. However, the next moment, an invisible shockwave surged forth, its immense power causing the entire base of the Eiffel Tower to tremble. Mystique let out a cry of agony and was pinned against the steel wall.
"Change back, change back! You damn bitch!" Her state was extremely frenzied; she even stopped using her powers, instead reaching out and grabbing her neck.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Mystique, in the form of Zhou Yi, coughed with difficulty. At this moment, she didn't dare to change back to any other form. Although the force on her neck was very painful, at least it wouldn't be fatal. If she changed to another form, she wasn't even sure if this madwoman wouldn't tear her to pieces.
"Ah!" A sharp scream erupted from Jean Grey's throat. The piercing sound carried terrifying mental waves that surged through Raven's brain in wave after wave, and blood began to stream from the corners of her eyes and nostrils. This was the external manifestation of her intracranial injury, and even so, she gritted her teeth and maintained this appearance.
This had become the lifeline that sustained her, and she had to hold onto it tightly.
Jean Grey's inner rage had accumulated to a certain degree. She desperately wanted to strangle the person in her hands, but emotions from deep within her prevented her from exerting any strength. Reason and desire were entangled and clashed in her mind, constantly battering and destroying her mental barriers.
Such fluctuations had already attracted the attention of some people, especially those with ulterior motives.
Mystique, who had been mentally hazy, suddenly changed her appearance. Her eyes became gentle and peaceful, and the aura she exuded became exceptionally serene and inclusive. This kind of temperament, neither as sharp as Zhou Yi nor as cunning and changeable as Mystique, could only appear in one person.
"Jean, calm down. I think you need to control yourself and get some rest." Professor X's voice reached Jean Grey's mind, making her even more irritable.
"Charles, you can't control me, you can't imprison me. You can't..." Her shouts hadn't completely faded before she collapsed limply to the ground. Charles had already invaded her mind and once again sealed the Dark Phoenix persona.
And after doing all this, Charles didn't immediately withdraw his consciousness from Mystique's body, but began to converse with Mystique in her mind.
"Long time no see, Raven!" His voice was unusually friendly, as if speaking to his own family.
In truth, Mystique (Raven) was, in a way, his family. They had grown up together as companions and kin, like a brother and sister. It was a great pity that in choosing their paths, Raven had chosen the Brotherhood, represented by Magneto (Erik), instead of Xavier's School, represented by Charles.
However, this didn't affect their feelings; at their core, they had never changed.
"It has been a long time. Charles! These students you've brought out… it's really not like you!" Touching her neck, Mystique reverted to her original form. She looked at the unconscious Jean Grey on the ground, and fear still lingered in her eyes.
"Among all my students, Jean is the most special. So, to a large extent, I've given her a special education."
"She's dangerous, Charles. I don't know what you're planning, but I can feel her madness and how out of control she is. Charles, your methods are definitely problematic." Mystique kindly reminded the old man, who was close to her; she didn't want to receive an invitation to Charles' funeral too early.
"I know, but there's no other way." Professor Charles sighed deeply. "We went down the wrong path from the very beginning, and there's no chance of redemption now."
"Then destroy her now." Mystique's voice suddenly rose, the word "magnanimous" having never applied to her. On the contrary, her personality could be described as unforgiving. "If you can't do it, I can do it for you. You don't need to keep such a dangerous person around."
As she said this, Mystique's body suddenly stopped moving. She had lost control of her body.
"You know, Raven. I won't let you hurt my students." Charles's voice echoed in her mind, leaving her with a helpless, bitter smile.
"You're still so powerful, Charles. Even in your current state."
"Physical weakness doesn't affect the mind. Although I'm confined to this wheelchair now, I haven't changed in the realm of thought."
"No, you've become even stronger in the realm of the mind," Raven thought silently, to which Charles only smiled slightly, not elaborating.
"So, did you orchestrate that young man's challenge to Erik? Just like before, you set a trap and waited for Erik to take the bait?" The moment Charles appeared, Mystique already had a vague answer in her mind. Facing the man himself, she directly voiced her doubts.
"No, that young man has his own plans. I only invited him to help. Everything is based on his intentions. I only promised to lend a hand at the most crucial moment."
"You're cheating, Charles!" Mystique was always on Magneto's side, so she spoke without hesitation.
"No, I'm just an outsider, giving a novice some guidance. As for how things will develop, it all depends on that young man's efforts."
Charles argued cunningly, which was something he loved to do in his younger days.
"Do you trust him so much? You know he's not one of us!" Mystique still found it hard to believe that Charles would bet on a human, and what he was betting on was the future of the mutants he valued most.
"I'm old, aren't I? Unlike you, Raven. I can feel the aging of my body. So why not let an apple fall onto the chessboard while I still have control? Perhaps, this could open up a new situation, you never know." Sighing, Charles expressed his thoughts, and Raven immediately retorted.
"But maybe it will create an even worse situation!"
"Could it be any worse than what you've done?"
Charles sighed with emotion, ending this conversation that had lasted for decades. The difference in their stances had long ago placed them on opposite sides of the same road. It was really, really hard to go back to the past.
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