Chapter 67: Slight Changes 

Jean Grey

The change in the timeline went unnoticed by the mundane world, aside from those with acute senses, unfathomable powers, and potent mystical energies. 

The X-men, amongst those in the dark, struggled against the presence of the alien creatures. Thanks to rogue elements in the Kree's Federation, they knew a hive had emerged in their neck of space. Supposedly, a planet showing up had alarmed and altered treaties in the region. 

"Arghh." 

Wondergirl's right hand was extended, her left index planted against her temple as she channeled her dual psion abilities; on one end, she was shielding herself and the young junior mutant, Bobby Drake, who had been recently dubbed Iceman by his classmates.

Iceman had been hit. Bobby had a hole in his chest, having been struck by one of the bulkier Broods. Jean's head turned, a slip of attention she would later learn she couldn't afford to make. Bobby stared in horror at his wound, his eyes glossy. 

She had a thought, an inspiration; later, she would learn it wasn't her but the entity that resided in her. "Bobby, you have to freeze yourself completely. You always had the potential." They had acted promptly; the Brood couldn't be allowed to grow.

It is worth noting that Jean Grey is classified as Omega-level due to her telepathic ability. Still, she is also incredibly proficient in telekinesis. She has demonstrated impressive accuracy and control with her skills and immense raw power.

Jean Grey had snapped awake, her head throbbing, the room freezing. She recalled the last seconds of consciousness. She had improved, her mind and physical limitations reaching a breakthrough. She was an Omega, like Bobby and Cole or Red Hood. 

Her professor stated only a few were ever recorded, and most never reached a threshold of her power or training to unleash their full power. He had confided in her that several potential Telapaths were Omega or close enough with sheer will or ability to be considered one. The cuckoos aside, Emma Frost and her feud with the professor had grown over recent months, and she stood groggily, a chill encompassing her. There was never a moment she had a fog in her mind unless she was tampered with. 

Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, shouted in alarm as he fell to a knee. He had erected a dome of ice; there was a single opening where he funneled the aliens, and spears of ice pierced a creature near her. It was smaller, had a more giant head, and even uglier. 

Having not recovered from what she had almost done prior, Jean's mental faculties were still weakened, and she was afraid the professor had gleaned her thoughts. Still, she knew now that he did more than read her surface thoughts. 

Jean Grey hurled a car frozen solid by Iceman. The alien creature shrieked before it was flattened by the weight and force of her telekinetic might. 

'Jean,' an all too familiar voice shouted into her mind, a trick that she had taught Katt Pryd. 

'Katt?' She thought back. Jean shifted, pulling Bobby across the ground; he was heavy, his entire body was ice, and his chest wound bulkier as if he had frozen it over multiple times, but he was alive. 

'Oh. Thank God. When the link broke, we were afraid.' Her thoughts vanished; Jean had experienced this with the young girl before, and Katt's head poked through the ice dome before she knew it. 

Katt smiled, but it dropped when she noticed the now snow-white Bobby. 

"Jean the Wolverine is fighting a man with a target on his chest. I think he remembers him. We can't stop him, and the man is toying with him. Scotts is clearing his section. Since you were out, I had to zip around the town." 

Katt slid inside; even ice couldn't keep the intangible girl out, and not even her powers could touch the girl in that form; what was crazier was she was naturally intangible; it was hard to train her to focus on being solid without falling through the floor and Earth, an experience that girl said was the most scariest thing to happen to anyone. It made her shudder just thinking about falling endlessly.

Jean crushed the iced tunnel that led into the factory. "He works with the Red Hood! Is he here, too?" 

Katt shook her head, grabbing the huffing Bobby and turning them both intangible. 

Midtown High, New York

Cole barely held in a gasp. An eye, minuscule but easily detected by his enhanced and bio-enhanced sight, had been staring at him. Venom was here, and Parker had bonded. 

Once again, the System had shown itself to be quite powerful. He was the only one not affected. He would need to access his team to see if changes had occurred. 

He watched Peter Parker back. Parker was far deadlier with the symbiote, and Venom was sensitive. He wasn't under any illusion that the symbiote hadn't detected his unordinary measures of discernment.

Norman had died still at the hands of Spiderman. The school declared a mourning day; Norman contributed to the program. He had almost forgotten Anne had told him she had been approached to attend a unique program or camp this summer. 

He had suspicions, but now this confirmed it. S.H.I.E.L.D. was creating a school for Avengers. He wasn't invited. It made him chuckle. If they had known who he was, maybe they would have, but why Anne? Was there a secret to who got chosen? Something they knew that he wasn't privy to possibly. 

The school had let out early, and Cole attended, too. He had caught the majority of the sinister six being in attendance in their civilian personas at that. 

The Swarm was still chemically comatose in the A.T.C. Building. He had been able to procure biological teams and chemists. The man had a unique meta-trait that he wanted to harness; being capable of hosting and psionically bonding with an insect, especially killer bees, piqued his interest. Still, the project was far from completion. 

His team had expanded further. Bullseye had been injected with the serum and enhanced to be near or exceeding that of Captain America. Their deal was complete. Bullseye's demeanor had changed, and he was more talkative to the others, but the man was still a psychotic individual who had bouts of mood swings. If he did defect, his penalty would be worse than death, and Cole had obtained him on a whim. The man was a great gopher, at least. 

With ease, he pulled his status up.

Name: Cole Stephens

Known Name: Jeremy York

Alias- Red Hood

Race: Updating

Physique: Unique Physiology

Alignment: -Neutral

System-Bank: $1,345,234

Minion(s) Bullseye—Contracted

Anne Weying—Contracted

Kevin Lourdes-Contracted

Legal—Contracted

Angelica "Angel" Jones—Contracted

Dr. Mishimoto-Contracted

Kaecilius- Red Lantern-Holder

Morlocks-Coerced 25%/100%

Leech-Protectee

Annalee-Corerced 29%/100%

A.T.C Soldiers- Coerced 12%/100%

Persona(s)Jason Peter Todd- Red Hood 103%|100%

Daniel Kilgore- Priest - Haunt 49%|50%

Kurt Kilgore- Special Agent - Haunt 49%|50%

He had almost unlocked a new Persona. Though he hadn't done much in the weeks of training and preparation for The Hand Emergence, he did have a few battles with the gangs of Harlem. One particular was adamant about seeing his civilian identity taken down. He would have to uproot the Stokes like unnecessary weeds soon. 

His H.U.D. flashed in his eyes, and details on the street gang drug and prostitution operations flashed before his vision. It seems everything insisted on making his life complicated. Cole would even consider living an everyday but rich life if not for forces out of his control. 

He had no idea he had jinxed himself. The hand would be at his doorstep quite soon. Jeremy York's attempts to retrieve the company had arrested many of their endeavors, especially a project upstate off the books; it seemed The Hand had discovered another dragon burial, and soon, The Fingers would flock to New York.