If Jean Grey becoming the Dark Phoenix is not enough, she is about to unleash a devastating attack that could potentially kill off his team, his friends.

That is the moment Cyclops has to make a choice.

And he knew what choice he has to make.

Without hesitation, he ran as fast as he can in front of his team's direction and he took the attack in their stead. His body can take on anything that is being thrown upon him. After all, he did something like that in his past battles. While he survived those attacks being thrown at him in the past, the one being presented to him is gonna be different.

He knew he's not gonna make it, yet he chose to make a future sacrifice.

"NO! Scott!" Jean cried in pain of what has happened in front of her as a sign of coming to her senses. The entire team is shocked of the moment as well. "No, Scott!" she runs to her lover's direction as he collapsed to the ground from the attack.

"Jean... is it really you?" Scott said in a quieter voice while the redhead held him by her arms.

"Yes, it's me, my love," she replied smiling to confirm she is back to herself. Then the smile turned into sadness from seeing what is happening to him. "Oh, Scott... I'm so sorry," tears are spilling out of her eyes, and the team did the same, knowing their leader's fate the moment he took that devastating attack in their stead.

"It's okay, Jean. I know you didn't mean to do it," he reassured her while wiping off the tears from her eyes with one hand. "Sometimes, heroes have to sacrifice themselves to save the ones they love."

"I have control of the Phoenix Force from the sacrifice you made just now. I can save you in return," Jean tries to come up with a solution to save her lover in return.

"No... that won't be necessary," Scott politely refused her offer to be saved, showing that he fully accepted his fate. "While revivals can be good, there are some sources that it will never work, and I can't let you take that risk for me."

"But I don't want you to die."

"Don't worry, I'm always here with you."

It is then that he pointed his finger to her chest and head. Jean realized what this means; Scott will always be with her, in her heart and mind. She cried more tears in her eyes as his arm collapsed to the ground after he said his last words to her.

Scott Summers is dead.

At least he died smiling at her, and Jean took off his visor to see his eyes even if they're lifeless at the time for the first time in her life. With no beams being shot from there, this means his death has freed him from the power that was his curse of not being able to see his own eyes in the mirror everyday. Anyway, she cried at the loss of this young man here, and so did his team.

The next day, there is a gravestone outside Xavier Institute and it is Scott's. Also, it is beside Xavier's. Jean took a visit to see this sight; the great leaders of the X-Men team died and buried alongside each other.

"I miss him, too," a voice called out to her, and it's coming from Rogue.

"Rogue... I didn't expect to see you here," Jean is taken by surprise.

"Scott made a huge impact in our lives. He gave me a reason to join the X-Men during our geology club excursion when I was with him at that time because Mystique took your spot for me in order to drive me apart from joining the team."

"I see..."

"That's true, Jean," another voice came calling to her, and it's from Beast. He has the team with him. "I admire his leadership. After all, he took part in saving me from the beast inside me. He did the best he can to stop me before I regained control of myself."

"That's right, Hank," Kitty agreed on the memory. "He was a great leader, and he did a good job in taking care of me when the Professor assigned you to bring me here, Jean."

It looks not only Jean is going to miss Scott, but also his entire team.

"So... what are you gonna do now?" Rogue asked.

"To do what he wanted us to do... keep fighting," Jean replied with determination on her face.

Everyone nodded, and they left the gravestones to go on with their lives.

While this day is a day for mourning, it's also a day for moving on.


Author's Note: RIP Kirby Morrow. He voiced Scott Summers also known as Cyclops from X-Men: Evolution.