This Woman Had Gone Dark

This little mutant girl had been saved. She was an ordinary person now.

But there was still the possibility that her mutant ability could be activated again, because Sean had only taken her ability, not her X-gene.

So, theoretically, she might awaken an X-ability again.

But that was beyond Sean's control...

He did not want to touch anything related to genes, because no one knew what losing her X-gene would do to the little girl.

That raised a question in his mind. Every X-ability had a corresponding X-gene, so how did the Black Ledger inscribe a new X-ability into an old X-gene? Or... how did it create an X-gene for ordinary people who did not have one? After all, a small number of people had no X-gene at all.

Glancing at Wendy, who was still crying bitterly, and little Kelly, who was trying to comfort her mother, Sean walked out of the examination room.

The moment he stepped out, he saw Storm Ororo and Phoenix Jean walking side by side into the clinic.

Enemies really were bound to meet. Sean found it hard to imagine that he had only returned to New York yesterday, yet the X-Men had already come looking for him today.

Phoenix Jean greeted him blandly. "Hello, Dr. White."

Storm, on the other hand, glared at him and said directly, "We're looking for a little girl! She should be here with you!"

That attitude... Sean could not be bothered with her. He merely nodded to Phoenix before returning to his office.

The crying from the treatment room drew the two women's attention.

When they entered, they saw a mother and daughter clutching each other and weeping.

"Is this the child?"

Storm looked at Phoenix questioningly.

What the professor had told them before was completely different from the current situation.

The reason Phoenix Jean had come along was to use her telekinesis to ensure the little girl's safety.

But looking at this... the girl was clearly fine, wasn't she?

Phoenix used her psychic powers to examine the mother and daughter's memories, and her expression changed drastically.

"What is it?"

"Sean White!"

"?"

"He took away her X-ability!"

Please provide the text you would like me to translate or revise. I am ready to process it according to your instructions.

Storm was shocked! This was no joke!

"Jean, when you say took away..."

"Yes, you heard correctly."

"This..."

Storm's face turned pale in an instant.

Mutant abilities were the foundation of their existence. Ororo could not imagine what would happen if the X-Men lost their X-abilities!

"We have to tell the professor!"

Storm was flustered. She owed Sean a debt—did that not mean Sean could take her X-ability whenever he wanted?

"You go back and tell the professor. I need to talk to White."

"Jean—"

"Don't worry."

Storm hesitated, but ultimately did as Phoenix said and returned alone to the Xavier Institute.

Sean had not been waiting for the mother and daughter in his office when Phoenix Jean Grey arrived first.

"Dr. White, I think we need to talk!"

Phoenix skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"Mm, talk about what? Don't tell me you want to talk about dating?"

"..."

Phoenix was speechless. Could Sean White not be serious for once? Dating? What kind of bizarre train of thought was that?

"You took that little girl's X-ability?"

"Yeah."

Sean admitted it openly.

"You... how did you do that?"

"Just a transaction."

He said it so casually, but Phoenix did not find it casual at all.

A transaction?

The name White's Black Ledger flashed through Phoenix's mind, raising goosebumps all over her body.

That ledger gave her an extremely sinister feeling. Depriving mutants of their X-abilities! What a vile thing to do!

"Do you know what kind of storm the transaction you mentioned would stir up among mutants?"

Phoenix asked in a deep voice.

Sean glanced at her, a grin tugging at his lips.

"If not for you, who else would know?"

Sean hit the nail on the head.

If Phoenix had not used her psychic powers to peek into the mother and daughter's memories, and if the professor had not previously told them that there was a mutant girl here, how could they possibly have known that Sean had taken the little girl's X-ability?

But now that it had happened, keeping it secret would be difficult...

Sean did not believe Storm would only tell the professor.

"But... an ability like yours is too evil!"

Phoenix ignored the fact that she had been the one to expose the secret and spoke coldly.

Sean might not have been particularly clever, but he was sharp enough to sense Phoenix's hostility toward him.

It was not quite killing intent, but it definitely was not anything good.

Well then...

The X-Men's old habit of looking down on everyone had flared up again.

Sean recalled a saying: "I'm doing this for your own good!"

It was nothing but the tyrannical mindset of what I think matters, not what you think!

My ability was dangerous? My ability was evil?

Jean Grey, Jean Grey... you had not figured out who the truly dangerous one was!

"Perhaps you should talk to Charles before saying that to me."

Sean's expression darkened as he spoke to Phoenix without emotion.

"The professor will understand my thinking."

(⊙o⊙)...

What did she mean by that?

Sean was a little confused...

Until the objects throughout the room began floating irregularly, Sean understood.

This woman intended to make a move against him. Whether she wanted to imprison or control him, neither was something he could tolerate.

Phoenix's X-abilities were psychic power and telekinesis. All her abilities were centered in her brain. If... she suffered a stroke, would that directly cut off her powers?

There was a ninety-nine percent chance it would.

But Sean did not dare do that. He was afraid of releasing Dark Phoenix. That woman was the truly terrifying one—a casual storm from her could devour a chunk of Manhattan.

He could only deal with her the hard way.

But before taking action, Sean decided to make one last attempt.

"Jean Grey, don't you think you've become rather impulsive?"

"Impulsive? No! I'm perfectly clear-headed!"

Phoenix flatly rejected Sean's words.

Tsk... this was bad.

Dark Phoenix had probably already emerged to some extent. Otherwise, this woman should not have been so violent.

Just as Sean prepared to rush forward and close the distance between himself and Phoenix, a figure darted in through the doorway. Five fingernails gleaming with silvery-white light aimed straight for Phoenix's head...

If that slash landed, even Dark Phoenix would be finished!

Sean did not have time to stop her, nor did he intend to.

As long as Phoenix did not want to die, it was difficult to get close to her.

The one who had rushed in was Deathstrike Yuriko Oyama. This female assistant, who had been staying upstairs all this time, was quite reliable. When danger arose, she knew to attack proactively.

Very good.

Yuriko was still in midair when Phoenix's telekinesis froze her in place.

Then she took a heavy blow and was sent flying, smashing a huge hole through the office wall.

"Ah!"

Linda Carter screamed. She was only an ordinary person—when had she ever seen anything like this? Although, as an American, she was quite experienced with all kinds of violent incidents, seeing someone crash through and destroy her desk right in front of her... well, that still deserved a scream out of respect.

Phoenix had not hit Yuriko too hard. Even if she had, it would not have mattered. Yuriko was even tougher than Sean.

After landing and steadying herself, Yuriko attacked again.

Only two blinks had passed.

Sean moved as well, but his speed was average and his strength was not particularly great.

Phoenix's telekinesis easily restrained him, spreading him out in midair like a starfish.

Sean really ought to thank her for not arranging him into the character for "crown prince."

Enormous telekinetic force pressed in on him from every direction. The pressure was immense. If Sean had been an ordinary person, his intestines and everything else might already have been squeezed out.

Phoenix stared at him, her killing intent overwhelming.

This woman really wanted to kill him?

For a moment, Sean could not understand why.

The reason was actually simple: White's Black Ledger had made Dark Phoenix feel fear!

Yuriko accelerated, then accelerated again! Once she reached maximum speed, she pounced at Phoenix. Using the momentum generated by the weight of her Adamantium skeleton, she endured a telekinetic blast head-on and successfully closed in!

Both claws shot out, aimed directly at Phoenix's chest!

Phoenix gathered a large amount of telekinetic force to imprison Yuriko's hands in midair, but for the moment, she could not lock down Yuriko's entire body.

Borrowing the momentum of her body weight, Yuriko's feet broke through Phoenix's telekinetic blockade. One foot landed solidly in Phoenix's stomach!

Bang!

Phoenix Jean flew backward and slammed against the wall!

The battle ended in just a few blinks.

Sean could not help sighing. Combat power was not just about abilities—it also required talent and experience.

If Phoenix Jean had enough experience, she would not have been caught off guard and defeated by Yuriko exploiting her weight.

The first thing Sean did after landing was tell Linda Carter to leave the room. As for Ava Liss? That female demon had already vanished. Who knew where she was hiding, waiting to ambush Phoenix?

Given Ava Liss's age, her combat experience was outrageously extensive. Sneaking up on a combat novice would be child's play.

Phoenix Jean Grey seemed to have passed out.

A faintly black power leaked from her body, and its sheer strength made people's hearts tremble...

Dark Phoenix Jean had awakened!!

The situation Sean least wanted to see had happened!

The ability to control every particle was no joke! Dark Phoenix could disintegrate Sean in an instant. Even having debtors bear the damage would be useless—all his debtors would be disintegrated along with him!

This was far too unfair...

The other debtors could die together if they had to!

But Vanessa was a debtor now too! And... well, Elektra as well!

They really would live and die together now!

This was no longer a choice between lying low and fighting. He was facing a choice between life and death!

Just as Sean was preparing to gift her a terminal illness, he suddenly discovered that Jean Grey had already entered into an actual debt relationship with him!

She must have damaged some property belonging to Sean!

What a wonderful surprise!

What was there to hesitate over? Sean immediately dumped every brain-related illness he could think of onto Jean Grey. Red Phoenix or Dark Phoenix, he did not care!

Cerebral palsy! Stroke! Brain atrophy!... Anything wrong with the brain, he threw it all at her!

He refused to believe it. So what if it was the Phoenix Force? Could the Phoenix Force be immune to illness?

Attacked by so many diseases at once, even Dark Phoenix temporarily lost control over her body and collapsed to the floor!

Yuriko sprang into motion, all ten fingernails stabbing fiercely toward Phoenix's chest and head. If this strike landed, she would definitely die beyond doubt!

Sean had been wondering where the Phoenix Force would go if Dark Phoenix died.

Can anyone guess where this debt came from?

A 3K chapter—the diligent tree was still diligent!

Dear readers, toss me a vote!!~