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As the group of mutants stepped out of the car, a heavy sense of unease hung in the air. Each of them was on edge, but none more so than Rory. The tension between her and Scott before she left the mansion still weighed heavily on her mind. Scott had clung to her like he was afraid it might be the last time they would see each other. And deep down, Rory couldn't shake the feeling that he might be right.

Rory's thoughts were a jumbled mess of fear and determination. She had already faced Jean once, and the experience had left her shaken. Her powers had faltered, and she was unsure if she could stand up to the Phoenix again. But she knew she had to try—for Jean, for Scott, for everyone. Scott was her priority, the man she cared for more than anything. The thought of losing him pushed her forward, even though the fear gnawed at her.

As they approached the house, Professor Xavier's voice broke the silence. "Wait for me here," he instructed, his tone firm.

"What?" Logan's voice was sharp with disbelief. "You're going in alone?"

"I need to see Jean alone," Xavier repeated, his gaze steady but filled with an underlying tension.

The group's unease deepened as they caught sight of a familiar figure standing in front of the house. Magneto, with his usual calm menace, was waiting for them.

"You were right, Charles," Magneto said, his voice carrying a note of cold admiration. "This one is special."

Logan's fists clenched at his sides, his voice a growl. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Magneto met Logan's glare with a calm smile. "The same as the professor—visiting an old friend."

"I don't want any trouble here, Eric," Xavier warned, his tone more pleading than commanding.

"Nor do I, Charles," Magneto replied, though there was an edge to his words. "So, shall we go inside?"

Xavier's eyes narrowed. "I came to bring Jean home. Don't interfere, Eric."

Magneto chuckled, the sound bitter. "Just like old times, huh? But Jean doesn't need saving, Charles. She needs to be free."

"She needs help," Xavier insisted, his voice pained. "Jean is not well."

"Funny," Magneto said, his expression hardening. "You sound just like her parents."

Magneto turned to one of his mutant followers, a silent command passing between them. "Nobody gets inside," he ordered.

The tension escalated as the mutants squared off, each side poised for what could be a catastrophic confrontation. Rory's heart pounded in her chest as she prepared for what lay ahead. She wasn't sure if she could face Jean again, but she knew she had to try. For Scott. For everyone.

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As the two men entered the house, their senses were on high alert, searching for any signs of the growing instability. The air was thick with tension, and as they moved deeper into the house, the eeriness of the scene began to take hold. The kitchen was a mess of clattering sounds, with dishes and utensils trembling as if an invisible hand was shaking them.

Charles wheeled himself into the living room, his eyes immediately locking onto Jean Grey. She sat in the center of the room, surrounded by furniture hovering in mid-air, suspended by her telekinetic power. The moment her gaze met Charles', the floating objects crashed to the ground, the sound echoing through the house like a warning.

Jean's voice broke the silence, strained with emotion. "I knew you'd come."

"Of course," Charles responded gently. "I've come to bring you home."

Jean's eyes filled with unshed tears, dark veins creeping from her neck to her cheeks. "I have no home."

"Yes, you do," Charles insisted, his tone soft but firm. "You have a home and a family."

Before Charles could continue, Magneto's voice cut through the air, dripping with intent. "You know, he thinks your power is too great for you to control."

"Eric," Charles interjected, a note of warning in his voice.

But Magneto wasn't deterred. "Your mind games are not going to work anymore, Charles."

Jean's anger flared, and her eyes glowed with a dangerous intensity. "So you want to control me?" she demanded, her voice sharp with accusation.

"No," Charles answered immediately, his voice calm but filled with urgency.

"He does," Magneto added, his words dripping with manipulation.

"No," Charles repeated, his voice steady. "I want to help you."

Jean's confusion and frustration were palpable as she asked, "Help me? What's wrong with me?"

"Absolutely nothing," Eric assured her, trying to reach the part of the Pheniox he knew was still there.

But Magneto wasn't finished. "Eric, stop!" Charles pleaded, his patience wearing thin.

Magneto's eyes narrowed, his voice rising with intensity. "No, Charles! Not this time! You've always held her back!"

Charles' voice was filled with desperation now. "For your own good, Jean."

Suddenly, a lamp flew across the room, narrowly missing Charles as it shattered against the wall. Jean's voice was a low hiss, full of menace. "Stay out of my head."

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Outside, the fence slammed shut, and the leaves on the bushes rustled ominously. Rory stared at the house with dread, her heart pounding in her chest.

"We're goin' in," Logan declared, his voice steady with determination.

Ororo quickly stepped in front of them, holding them back. "The professor said he'd handle this."

But as they stood there, the sounds from inside the house grew more alarming. Doors banged shut, and the furniture lifted off the ground, reacting violently to Jean's escalating rage.

"Look at me, Jean. I can help you. Look at me!" Charles' voice was desperate, fighting to reach the woman he once knew.

"No. Get out of my head," Jean sobbed, a single tear trailing down her face.

Suddenly, Charles' wheelchair was yanked backward with force, nearly tipping him over.

"Perhaps you should listen to her, Charles," Magneto's voice was taunting, yet there was an undercurrent of danger.

Charles tried to regain control, his voice rising in urgency. "You must trust me, Jean! You're a danger to everyone, including yourself! But I can help you!"

Magneto's voice boomed in opposition. "I think you want to give her the cure!"

"Look what happened to Scott! You almost killed the man who stood by your side for years because you couldn't control your power!", Charles hit a soft spot.

Jean screamed in horror, her power exploding outward. Glass shattered, and both men were thrown violently backward by the force of her unleashed fury.

"That's it," Logan growled, his claws unsheathing with a metallic snikt as he moved toward the house, Rory close on his heels.

Ororo rose into the air, summoning her power to fight off Magneto's team of mutants. Logan was sent crashing through a window by a powerful blow, while Rory focused on altering reality itself, forcing the door of the home open with a wave of her hand.

Logan, battling the titan inside, spotted Rory and shouted over the chaos, "Help the professor, I'll deal with this guy. Go!"

Without hesitation, Rory sprinted toward the living room. As she approached, she transformed the shattered glass on the floor into a protective shield, wrapping it around her like armor to block the gale-force winds that threatened to push her back.

"Jean! Let me in!" Charles pleaded, his voice strained with both desperation and determination.

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Rory pushed through the swirling chaos, her shield of glass deflecting the debris that whipped through the air. She reached the living room just as Jean's power surged, lifting the entire house from its foundation. The floorboards creaked and groaned as the walls trembled, and everything around them seemed to float in a surreal, gravity-defying dance.

Charles was thrown from his wheelchair, his body suspended mid-air as he struggled to maintain control over the situation. His voice, usually so steady and commanding, was now weak, almost pleading. "Jean, no."

But Jean was beyond reason. Her eyes glowed with dark, chaotic energy, the veins on her face pulsing with the sheer force of the Phoenix. She looked at Charles, her expression a twisted mix of fear and anger. 

Rory stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest. She had already faced Jean once, and it had nearly killed her. But she couldn't let that stop her now. "Jean, you're stronger than this," Rory called out, her voice filled with both fear and determination. "You can fight it."

Jean's gaze snapped to Rory, and for a moment, her eyes softened. But the Phoenix's influence was too strong, and the moment passed as quickly as it had come. With a scream of anguish, Jean unleashed another wave of power, sending Rory crashing into a wall.

Rory's shield shattered, the glass falling to the ground in a cascade of sparkling shards. She struggled to stand, using her reality-warping abilities to steady herself. "Jean, please, listen to me!" Rory begged, her voice cracking with emotion.

But Jean wasn't listening. She raised her hands, and the entire house lifted higher into the air, the walls groaning under the strain. Charles floated helplessly in front of her, his eyes locked on Jean's. "Jean," he said softly, "don't let it control you."

For a brief moment, Jean hesitated, her expression torn. But then the Phoenix roared within her, and her hands closed into fists. Charles' body convulsed as the life was drained from him, his last breath escaping in a pained gasp. "Don't let it control you," he whispered, his voice fading as his body disintegrated in the air. 

"NO!" Rory screamed, tears streaming down her face as she watched the man who had been like a father to so many fade into nothing. She summoned all her strength, warping reality around Jean in a desperate attempt to contain her power.

Jean turned her attention to Rory, her eyes blazing with Phoenix's fire. She snarled her voice an eerie blend of her own and the Phoenix's.

Rory braced herself as Jean's power crashed into her like a tidal wave.

The two women clashed in a battle of will and power, the room around them disintegrating under the sheer force of their abilities. Rory fought with everything she had, but Jean was too strong, the Phoenix's influence too overwhelming. Rory could feel herself weakening, her reality-warping powers struggling to hold back the storm that was Jean Grey.

As Rory was about to rip the fabric of their reality, Magneto appeared behind Jean, his face a mask of sorrow. "Jean, come with me," he said gently, his voice a stark contrast to the chaos around them.

Rory's body trembled, her hands pressed against the ground as if some invisible weight held her down. She could feel the force, the power that pinned her there, and it made her blood boil with helpless rage. "You won't get away with this, you son of a bitch!" she screamed, her voice raw and defiant, but Jean was already leaving, her figure disappearing into the distance with Magneto.

The moment they were gone, the pressure lifted, and Rory was left gasping for breath. She tried to push herself up, but the weight of what had just happened crushed her spirit. She crawled over to the professor's wheelchair, clinging to it as if it were the last remnant of the man who had been their guide, their mentor, their family.

Ororo and Logan burst into what was once the living room, their faces pale with shock. The room, which had been filled with the warmth of life moments ago, was now a graveyard of shattered glass and broken hopes. They found Rory crouched beside the wheelchair, her body wracked with sobs. Her tears soaked into the fabric of her sleeve as she shook her head in disbelief, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I'm sorry... I wasn't strong enough."

Logan's heart broke at the sight of her, tears streaming down his own face. He knelt beside her, his hands trembling as he pulled her into his arms. "Oh god! No—" he choked out, his voice thick with grief. He held Rory close, his own tears falling onto her hair.

Ororo dropped to her knees beside them, her arms encircling them both as she wept. The three of them clung to each other, their grief a shared burden as they mourned the loss of the man who had saved them all. The room around them was silent, the echoes of their sorrow the only sound in the aftermath of the chaos that had torn their world apart.

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