[Mystique P.O.V]

I've noticed a change in Ororo these past few weeks.

I often catch her training when no one's watching, teaching the kids, helping them, or patrolling at night with a broad and eager smile, showing an uncommon enthusiasm to do her job.

Every student or faculty member who had a negative impression of Ororo now thinks of her as a good person.

I admire this new and improved Ororo. This Ororo always stands for justice and fights evil to protect innocent civilians. The Ororo knows when to stand against the big and evil group alone.

The previous Ororo always looked around for support and approval to do her work. This time, she didn't give a shit about what anyone thought of her. She does it because she wants to be better and help people.

This mentality is what makes a real hero.

It's nice seeing her look forward with hope and aspiration. It's better than having a nervous wreck that didn't know what to do next.

I always hated people who change for no reason whatsoever. However, I greatly respect those who did it with a proper basis in mind, which they also wanted. And this is a positive change.

Who brought this sudden change?

I think... It's Val.

Why do I think so?

Because of the things I've seen.

Previously, she did her job as a teacher. Then, she would eat dinner with us and comment on a few things here and there, but recently, she's been... how do I put it?

Obsessed?

Yup! That's the right word for it. Obsessed!

She's OBSESSED with Val.

I believe so because of the changes I've seen recently.

She used to read the newspaper every day. Now, she reads only those articles named 'Starlance' in them. I've seen her spend hours reading, watching, and rewatching the videos about him. I've even seen her staring intently at one of the pictures some fan of Starlance fighting Apocalypse took.

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I don't know what happened to her that made her obsessed, but whenever I mention Val in our conversation, she talks enthusiastically. I swear, I could see longing and determination in her eyes.

But, of course, it could only be my imagination.

Either way, when she shows this side, she's overly enthusiastic and can't keep the stupid smile off her face.

She constantly searches for info on Val every day, and the questions in the class are getting more and more enjoyable. She changed her whole teaching schedule a month ago, and when she talks about the history, she unconsciously begins comparing them to Starlance.

I've seen it once, and I realized that she does it in a way that the students don't notice a thing.

And now, I've realized that her actions and thoughts are similar to Val's. It's almost as if she's building herself after Val.

But I've also noticed that she isn't becoming like Val in her actions.

Val doesn't care whether he hurt his enemies badly and doesn't hesitate to kill or physically destroy them like he did to Trask.

She would never do that.

She has her morals and lines that she would never cross. She has her principles and believes in saving even those villains she defeats, which is perfect.

That's the most significant difference between her and Val.

We've gone together on a few missions. You know, the same thing. An evil mutant who thinks his powers make him unique and wants to kill everybody.

Ororo only subdued him, made sure he was incapacitated and got him arrested and sent to jail. If it were Val, that mutant would've been killed, to begin with, with no possibility of redemption.

Then, we were hanging out in a club, and I brought up Val in our conversation because we somehow started and ended our nights by talking about him. I told her the real nature of his nature. You know...

"What the hell did you say?!!!" Ororo slammed the glass on the bar table before turning at me and shouting furiously, "How can a person with that big of a heart, a kind personality like him, do something like this?!"

And I nodded along and gave my reason while drinking. I agreed and tried to sway her in my direction as I replied, "People with a dark past and an equally dark present would only understand them. Sometimes, they use that cruelty and danger to stop people from bothering or treating them differently. It is better to show them this side of you so that you can intimidate the overconfident idiots into running with their tails between their legs."

She remained silent while thinking hard. Her mind wandered to him again, and wondered why. Then she stood straight and came to her conclusion.

I knew what she was thinking. So, I didn't stop her when she stared at me, ordered two more shots with a smile, and said, "That's why you said before that I should do my duty and have the guts to show that I'm not one of the bad people?"

And I replied to her with a small smile, "Yep! If people aren't afraid to annoy or mess with him, he won't have the patience to treat them with kindness or mercy. He already has it hard as it is. In that kind of condition, even I would snap."

Then she stared at her hands and replied silently, "But I would never cross the line."

She raised her hands, smiled brightly, and said, "There aren't enough people like Starlance in this world who take care of bad people, and I want to be one of them."

I nodded while sipping...

But....

I thought Ororo's feelings for Val were gratitude or gratefulness, but they are more than that.

Why?

Because I saw the look in her eyes at the club, that look was definitely of someone in love.

Hmm... if it's true, then it's too important. I need to find out the truth!

Right now!