[Third Person Pov]
Within the fractured stillness of the Mirror Dimension, Gwen carefully extended the frozen crimson cube she held between her palms, its surface shimmering faintly as though something inside was straining against its icy prison. She stepped forward and presented it to the Ancient One standing before her.
The Ancient One reached out and tapped the cube once with a single finger. At the point of contact, the surface rippled like disturbed water, golden light spreading outward in intricate, arcane patterns that briefly enveloped the entire cube before the object disappeared, as if it was teleported elsewhere.
"Worry not," she said calmly, her voice steady and assured. "I will ensure this remains hidden and protected, so it does not fall into the wrong hands."
As she withdrew her hand, Yao turned her attention elsewhere. Slowly, deliberately, she shifted her head and fixed her gaze on Jean. The intensity of that stare made Jean stiffen instantly; it felt as though layers were being peeled away from her, leaving her exposed beneath Yao's scrutiny.
"What?" Jean finally snapped, unable to take it any longer.
"Allow me to offer you a piece of advice," Yao replied, her tone quiet but weighted, "though it is closer to a warning than simple counsel. Ultimately, how it affects you will depend entirely on how you choose to receive it."
The sudden shift in mood made several of the others tense, eyes flicking between Jean and the Ancient One.
"What is it?" Jean asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.
"A furnace sealed too tightly does not grow cold," Yao said softly. "It grows hotter… until the walls can no longer contain it."
Jean blinked, clearly thrown off, then gestured at herself with a frown. "Wait—am I the furnace in this scenario?"
"Is Jean in danger?" Scott asked immediately, stepping closer to her, worry etched deeply into his expression.
The Ancient One offered no response.
Logan's patience snapped almost instantly. "Well, lady," he growled, his claws glinting dangerously "how about you answer the damn question?"
"She's not going to elaborate, is she?" Storm muttered with a weary sigh, already familiar with how these ominous prophecies tended to go.
"Nope," Peter said at the same time as the rest of the Spider-Family, their confidence disturbingly unanimous.
Logan began to stride forward, his face twisted into a feral snarl. "Good thing I'm real good at making people talk—"
"I wouldn't do that—" Peter started, reaching out too late.
Logan leapt with a roar.
In an instant, writhing eldritch tendrils erupted from the air itself, snapping shut around him mid-jump. They coiled tightly around his frame, yanking him to a halt and suspending him helplessly. Logan thrashed and snarled, muscles straining as he fought against the bindings. He even snapped at them with his teeth, but the tendrils didn't so much as tremble.
The Ancient One shook her head slowly. "Forgive me," she said, unbothered, "but I cannot say more than what has already been stated."
"You didn't say much at all," Jean muttered under her breath, frustration clear in her voice.
The Ancient One sighed softly, she slightly regretted opening her mouth but it was too late now that she did, "I have seen worlds fall because someone believed they could lock away the very thing that frightened them," she said. "When the time comes for you to confront who—or rather, what—you are destined to be… be not afraid. Embrace it."
"'Be not afraid,'" Peter echoed, pointing at her with his thumb. "That's totally from the Bible, right? She's quoting scripture at us. I can't be the only one who caught that."
Yao's face twitched beneath her hood.
Harry covered his mouth, snickering. "She was probably there when it was first written, it can't be helped."
Peter wheezed, his composure completely collapsing. His knees buckled as he dropped to all fours, laughter bursting out of him uncontrollably. "Hahaha! Oh my god—he's saying you're so old you witnessed the Bible being written!" He pointed at her between gasps, pounding his fist against the ground.
Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose with smug satisfaction, proud of himself. The rest of the Spider-Family quickly looked away, covering their mouths as their shoulders shook, desperately trying not to laugh themselves into trouble.
Beneath her hood, the Ancient One simply stared at them, her expression utterly unimpressed. Peter's laughter echoed through the Mirror Dimension, the only sound breaking the silence.
With a sharp huff, the Ancient One turned away. A portal spiraled open before her, its edges glowing softly. Without another glance back, she stepped through it, and the portal snapped shut behind her
Felicia and MJ each took one of Peter's arms, helping haul him up from where he had collapsed onto the mirrored floor. Peter bent forward slightly, hands braced on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath, a final wheezing laugh escaping him as he leaned his weight against them.
"Haaaah…" he exhaled loudly, dragging a hand down his face. "I am so in trouble the next time I see her."
"If you're in trouble," Harry said, flashing a wary, uneasy grin, "just imagine how bad it's going to be for me. I'm the one who actually said the joke."
"Well, that wasn't unsettling at all," Colossus muttered dryly as he made his way over to Logan. He wrapped his massive metal hands around the eldritch bindings and pulled, muscles straining as he tried to pry them apart. Despite his incredible strength, the tendrils barely budged. "These are… annoyingly effective."
Seeing his struggle, Lizzy stepped in, murmuring under her breath as she dispelled the magic holding Logan in place. The tendrils unraveled and vanished like smoke, dropping Logan unceremoniously back onto his feet.
Peter, noticing how the Ancient One's words still hung heavily over the group, straightened up and stepped forward, raising his hands slightly in a placating gesture. "Hey—listen," he said, his tone softer now. "Don't overthink what she said. She's cryptic for a reason. Stuff like that usually comes from a place of good will. She will only say something and intervene when whatever obstacles or hard times are waiting ahead can be handled"
"Or," Felicia cut in, shrugging casually, "you can take her words as the ramblings of an ancient old lady who enjoys messing with people's heads. If that helps you sleep better."
"Don't listen to her," Gwen said, rolling her eyes. "The best thing you can do is keep moving forward the way you already are. Remember her words when the time actually comes. Worrying about something you don't understand yet won't help anyone."
Scott let out a long, frustrated sigh. "I suppose… you're right."
Jean stood beside him, reaching over towards his hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze, nodding in quiet agreement.
"Oooh?" Lizzy whispered to herself, her eyes flicking to their joined hands and then to Logan, who was pointedly staring at their joined hands before looking in the opposite direction, jaw tight as he muttered something under his breath. "I'm detecting a love triangle…" she whispered toward Felicia.
Felicia leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Looks more like a healthy relationship with a very grumpy, reluctant spectator."
"Don't be mean," MJ whispered sharply, shaking her head. "And I'm pretty sure he can hear you."
They all turned just in time to see Logan glaring straight at them, fangs bared as a low, menacing growl rumbled in his chest.
Felicia and Lizzy both laughed nervously, rubbing the backs of their necks. "Sorry," they said almost in unison.
…
With the crisis resolved, the group began filing out of the Mirror Dimension. Hulk and Betty peeled off to head home, leaving the rest behind as reality settled back into place.
"Ah—" Jean suddenly exclaimed, pressing her fingers to her temple.
"Jean?!" the X-Men shouted in alarm, immediately tensing as though ready to rush to her side.
She quickly waved them off, holding her hands up. "There's no need to shout, Professor!" she called out, wincing slightly. "I can hear you perfectly clearly!"
There was a brief pause as she tilted her head, listening intently.
"Eh? Oh… right," Jean continued, nodding slowly. "Cerebro couldn't locate us because we were inside another dimension. We'll explain everything later. But don't worry—we managed to take down the Juggernaut, thanks to Spider-Man and his team."
She forced a small, strained smile as she rubbed her temple again, easing the lingering ache.
Everyone watched as Jean continued nodding, responding with short acknowledgments. "Uh-huh… okay… yep… I'll be sure to tell him."
Finally, she turned toward Peter. "The Professor says you owe him a meeting. He's been waiting for you to visit, but you never showed."
"Oh wow—yeah!" Peter said suddenly, snapping his fingers. "I do remember that!"
He glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "So, anyone got plans today? Because if not, I know exactly where we're spending the rest of the day."
Seeing nothing but nods and enthusiastic approval, Peter turned back to Jean and flashed her a wide grin, giving her two thumbs up. "Tell him we'd be more than happy to stop by Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters!"
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