X-Men: Resurrected or Regressed?

“It’s rather bold of you to assume you get to determine my actions,” Jean said, crossing her arms, “I’m not going to stop helping people just because you say it’s too dangerous.”

To the unaware observer, Jean Grey would have appeared to be less than sane, talking to a mirror in her room within the Xavier mansion. What she saw wasn’t a reflection of herself though. The figure staring back at her wasn’t the luxuriously long-haired redhead wearing a casual T-shirt that hung off her body loosely, leaving a little bit of midriff exposed before the waistband of her jeans appeared. To Jean the reflection held her same shape, the curvature of her body, without the shroud of clothes and the copy of herself was wreathed in flame, a burning effigy mimicking her.

The manifestation of flame shook its head disapprovingly. Its voice boomed through Jean, creating an echo effect that fed the noise back to her in reverberating waves. “You refuse to acknowledge our connection and keep yourself safe.” it said, “I’ve come to the end of my patience, and I’m prepared to intervene if deemed necessary.”

Jean scoffed at the Phoenix Force’s aspect. It needed her: she was its avatar on earth and they were immutably bound on a level not understood by most. However, after so many trials, the constant cycle of death and rebirth, the scattering of her being and ultimately the reconsititutioning of all the parts of herself in the White Hot Room, she’d placed herself above the Phoenix as her body’s ruler. She was in control.

“I refuse,” Jean said, crossing her arms, “do your worst.”

She could see the Phoenix copy of herself in the mirror turn its gaze downward. It was obviously having trouble with Jean’s contradiction of its wishes. There was a look of stunned silence from the entity as it didn’t seem to have anything to say in response.

Jean turned her back to the mirror, ending the conversation. “That’s what I thought,” she said.

She’d misjudged the aspect's actions as a sign of defeat. It was hesitating, considering whether or not what it was about to do was the right decision. “As you wish Jean.” Because of everything The Phoenix couldn’t enforce complete control over Jean anymore, but with the expenditure of a massive amount of its energy it could override her control for a few moments.

It gathered the power within itself, building the energy needed. Jean didn’t need to turn around to see it since she could feel the growing roar of energy in her own head. The mind naturally looks for visual input in a situation like this: unfortunately for her, she looked around just in time to see the flaming figure in the mirror explode into a flash of light.

*PHWOOOOOSSHHH*

None of this actually happened, it was just the psychic projections taking place in Jean’s mind. As mentioned, to the casual observer she would have appeared out of sorts. One second she was having an argument with a mirror and the next she was gripping her head forcefully as if a sudden headache had struck before she fell to the ground on her hands and knees.

When the eyes of Jean’s body reopened it was the Phoenix seeing through them, though it was confused about what it’d done. The being within Jean tried to pull back, to leave Jean’s form and return to its main form as a cosmic entity. Strangely enough it couldn’t. It was locked in, stuck viewing the world through her eyes, experiencing it through her body.

“What have I done?” it asked itself, attempting to move the redhead’s body to examine what influence its power may have had. It couldn’t—Jean’s body was moving on its own like when she’d been in control of it but seemed stuck in the position on its hands and knees.

An exploratory look inward showed that Jean was still here with it, even still in control. The problem was, mentally it was a much younger version of her. Without direction, The Phoenix had imposed its will in a single burst. The effect it had apparently taken within Jean was as a lock, securing away all her memories after the age of two. It wasn’t just that the Phoenix made the lock either: it was the lock, thus being the only thing keeping Jean from resisting its wishes.

The bond between the entity and the psychic was strong before, but now it was well and truly trapped, forced to view the world through the eyes of an adult woman with the mind of a baby.

"This is... less than ideal,” The Phoenix said, testing the limits of its maneuverability. Like before it could still exert some will over Jean’s body but it took effort and the burst to lock away Jean for her own good had exhausted it.

Jean herself seemed content to crawl around on the floor, laughing and giggling at nothing every few seconds. After a few minutes of this the redhead sat back and looked around the rest of the room. From what the Phoenix could tell she was content to sit and wait for something to happen. In the meantime she popped one of her thumbs in her mouth, drooling and sucking on it.

The Phoenix, who was able to feel everything, was immediately disgusted by this. It was sure that suckling on the digit was providing a soothing effect to the infantile mind of its host, but to feel the digit rolling around in her mouth was wholly unpleasant, not to mention the build-up of saliva that followed the action. Jean wasn’t even swallowing so a steady stream of drool seeped from the corner of her mouth and dribbled down onto the front of her shirt.

The Phoenix couldn’t do anything but groan at the situation, hoping for a reprieve. As if in response to its thoughts the door to Jean’s room cracked open. When the shorter girl with her brown hair in a ponytail strode in, The Phoenix gained hope, knowing that Katherine Pryde was a savvy person who would likely do anything to help her friend.

When Kitty’s face didn’t twist into a look of surprise or disbelief upon seeing her friend slobbering all over her thumb The Phoenix’s hopes were dashed. The Brunette approached Jean with curiosity but it extended beyond the psychic’s appearance to the entirety of her bedroom.

After a moment Kitty stood with her hands on her hips, looking down at Jean. She broke the silence of the room.

“What are you doing out of bed Missy?” she asked teasingly, “You’re not supposed to be out of your crib, it’s naptime!”

“...naptime?” The Phoenix thought. If it could shift in discomfort it would have because the look on Kitty’s face told it that wasn’t the only strange thing.

“That’s not all, where’s your crib? Who took your changing table and all your toys?” she asked. The question wasn’t even directed at Jean but rather the room in general. She seemed to already know about Jean’s mental state and was treating her appropriately.

“This doesn’t even look like your room does it Jeanie?” That bit was directed at the redhead and The Phoenix noticed the way her voice pitched up several octaves and the emphasis she placed on Jean’s cutesy name.

It was not surprising to feel Jean respond. The hand with a spittle-covered thumb flew out of her mouth and she reached up towards Kitty needily with a huge smile on her face.

Kitty cooed a little more at her, turning away to let out a slightly annoyed growl and promising that whoever pulled off this “prank” would end up paying for it. “You’re not even diapered right now, are you?” she asked Jean, keeping the cutesy tone.

Jean burbled happily, again failing to provide any useful information. However, within, The Phoenix cried out for its dignity, trying to get through to Kitty. “We are not diapered nor will we ever be. This is a grown woman sitting before you. how do you not recognize the person you’ve known for so long!”

Its cries sadly didn’t reach past the confines of her own mental prison and Kitty again turned away. “You sit tight Jean, I’m going to go fix this.” she said, phasing through the wall. There was hollering beyond the door casting accusations and blame about who may have replaced the furniture from Jean’s room as she went but it faded quickly.

Once again The Phoenix was alone in Jean’s body, stuck waiting for a solution. It used the free time to ponder what could have happened. From what it could gather the lock it’d placed forced a mental block on Jean that left her regressed to infantility. It made sense but didn't explain the behavior of the one called Kitty. The only reason the entity could think of was that as a safety precaution, the "lock" also broadcasted to everyone else that the regressed Jean was the normal Jean.

“Naturally, upon seeing Jean in this state the others will not try to fix her, instead caring for her as they believe is normal. This falls within the parameters of keeping her out of harm I’d set up.” The Phoenix thought, “I wonder how far it extends. Jean being the powerful mutant she is, it is likely not a negligible effect. I can sense that the Pryde girl has some resistance to psychic effects yet she seemed to fully accept the presented reality.”

With the hope that more understanding would lead to an easier solution The Phoenix continued to ponder solutions and reasons. Jean, having grown tired of sitting up, plopped backward and rolled onto her stomach, kicking her legs in the air absentmindedly.

The door to the room reopened thirty minutes later and Jean turned towards the sound, giving The Phoenix a view of Kitty Pryde’s return. She wasn’t alone this time, the hulking form of Piotr along with a stocky gruff man that could only be Logan in tow with huge boxes under their arms.

“Jeez,” Logan said, dropping a box off his shoulder and looking around, “They really did get rid of everything. Whose bed even is that?”

Kitty nodded, “I know right? What’s worse is that I couldn’t find any traces of Jeanie’s furniture anywhere—it’s like it never existed. It’s a good thing there’s that shop nearby, but whenever I find out who’s responsible they’re going to owe me big time. This stuff isn’t cheap!”

“We waste time talking,” Piotr said, cracking open one of the boxes he’d brought in on his shoulder. “Katya, help me build the changing table while Logan removes the bed.”

Logan, grumbling at being told what to do, went to work removing the mattress of the queen-sized bed while the Russian mutant started removing parts from the box. “I’m actually going to focus on getting Jean changed.” Kitty said, setting a bulky bag down beside her, “Look at her, somebody even dressed her like an adult. I’m honestly surprised we’ve gone this long without a mess to clean up.”

So much activity occurred around her that Jean’s attention snapped between the three rapidly. She seemed fascinated by Logan hefting the mattress and grunting but as Kitty pulled her onto a soft changing mat and removed her bottoms her attention quickly shifted. Being an existence born of pure ethereal cosmic energy and only having a temporary form trapped in Jean’s mind meant The Phoenix couldn’t blush. Never had it concerned itself with human concepts like modesty, but now it was almost as if it could feel imaginary blood rushing to its intangible cheeks.

It seemed to be the only one in the room bothered by Jean’s sudden nudity though, the redhead simply giggling and laughing, throwing her hands up in the air playfully. Piotr and Logan paid her no mind and Kitty was diligently focused on the task at hand despite its involvement with Jean’s exposed lower body.

*Phwipp Phwip*

Kitty pulled out two wipes from a dispenser, running the moist material down Jean’s thighs. The shock of the cold moistness from the wipes sent The Phoenix reeling within Jean. The contrast of sudden cold versus the ambient heat of the room made the entity realize just how far it was from the fiery main body it was used to. Human sensations weren’t new to The Phoenix but it also wasn’t used to this level of intimate physical contact. The protective layer of fire it used to have truly was gone, at least for now.

That cold moved down, pressing itself into Jean’s sensitive lower folds and thoroughly passing over every inch. Jean seemed slightly bothered by it herself, groaning and squirming under Kitty’s touch.

“I know, Jeanie,” Kitty said, “We’re almost done I promise.” The brunette discarded the wipes in a can Colossus set next to her. The cold wipes were replaced by two generous spurts of thick white goo. Lotion.

Slow friction warmed the lotion between her hands as she rubbed them together in a circular motion before rubbing it into Jean’s flesh. The attention was welcome and turned the groans of discomfort into mewls of contentment. The coating of lotion completely overtook the cold residue left behind by the wipes. Once again Kitty didn’t neglect any part of Jean’s waist.

It was the same with the faintly sweet-smelling powder that clung to the lotion’s slick residue, creating a thin layer between her skin and the rest of the world. It wasn’t like she was going to remain exposed for long. All that was left was the piece Kitty pulled from the bag, the folded white plastic rectangle with yellow and blue lines down the center.

*CRNNKKKLLEE*

Loud crinkling drowned out the sounds of the other two X-Men constructing  overly large baby furniture as she unfolded the padding. The Phoenix, still recovering from the overwhelming sensations of the diaper change, caught a look at the size of the nappy just before Kitty slipped it under Jean. “I find it difficult to believe humans find many uses for a diaper that’s quite so large. It’s even more amazing that they were able to find all of this so quickly.”

The material of the diaper’s core was exceedingly soft, and her round bottom sank into the puffy, plush center. Kitty pulled the front up around Jean’s groin, smothering it in the thick bulk of the diaper. The Phoenix found a strange enjoyment in this, especially when it pulled in close. The bulky nappy hugged tight to Jean's hips as the side wings pulled towards the center of the clear plastic landing strip.

The redhead nestled in the padded comfort and for the first time since it’d cemented itself in Jean’s head, The Phoenix wasn’t sure if its input on the action had been ignored. Something about the act felt like something The Phoenix wanted to do but under normal circumstances it’d never do that nor did it think it had the ability to influence Jean’s body. Even then, something about the action felt like The Phoenix's choice.

Kitty turned afterward to the other two working behind her. The Phoenix refocused on Jean’s peripheral view to see the room had been almost completely stripped of the old furniture. A sturdy changing table had found its place against one wall and the pair were over halfway done with the crib.

“Maybe I need to pick up the pace,” Kitty said, grabbing one of the shopping bags from behind her, “Okay Jean, all that’s left is getting you dressed. Do you want to help pick out your outfit for today?” The Phoenix resented the question: it wasn’t as if Jean—or the Phoenix—had any real input other than acting as this woman’s twisted dress-up doll. Still, Kitty pulled Jean into a sitting position, scrunching the padding wrapped around her waist as she was pulled forward.

From the bags garments were pulled, spanning from materials like simple cotton to the tight stretchy spandex Jean was probably accustomed to in her “hero suits” to some less than conventional materials that looked like pink satin and white lace.

Kitty held up a variety of these offerings, dangling the hangers from her arm and pointing at each one. The Phoenix noticed that none of these included anything that resembled pants, just connected snap crotches that would provide easy access to Jean’s diaper or, in the case of some very short dresses, practically nothing at all as the skirt on it would do little to hide the puff of her padding than her T-shirt.

“Which one do you think Jean?” Kitty asked, running her hands over the variety.

“NONE OF THEM!” The Phoenix raged, succumbing to the age-old problem of running out of patience, “THIS IS THE BODY OF ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL MUTANTS IN THE WORLD, NOT ONLY THAT BUT IT CONTAINS ME. I AM THE COSMIC MANIFESTATION OF FIRE AND LIFE. YOU DARE ASK WHICH ONESIE MY VESSEL WILL WEAR?”

Despite the loud yelling taking place in Jean’s head she didn’t seem affected by it In fact, she was far more interested in the clothing options presented by Kitty, one in particular. Among the dresses and dinosaur print onesies, a green Spandex-like onesie with a black triangle on the chest stood out to her. The golden hemlines along the arms and legs glimmered slightly in the light of the room, and pulled attention to the other gold addition to the outfit, a stylized bird design, indicating its wearer as The Phoenix.

Kitty marveled at the choice, not just because Jean had picked it but also because of how adorable she thought it was. “Good pick!” she praised, pulling off the t-shirt that remained as Jean’s last shred of adulthood.

The Phoenix within sighed, frustrated by its lack of input. Usually rage won it some results, but no matter how it acted it seemed like whatever influence it’d had over Jean had been sealed up when it locked her mind away.

“Arms up!” Kitty said, trying to get Jean to lift her arms so she could slip the onesie over her head. What the redhead didn’t realize was it was a trap, and lifting her arms fully exposed her weak sides to the brunette’s probing hands.

Kitty brushed her digits against the soft curves of Jean’s tummy, causing the redhead to burst into a storm of giggles and fits. She kicked out and laughed, wriggling and writhing under the brunette’s teasing touch. Even from within, The Phoenix wanted to call out for mercy. In between the tickling jabs it noted the feelings of Jean’s breast heaving, her body spasming and a sense of urgency it couldn’t quite explain.

“If I didn’t know for sure these humans’ perceptions were warped into seeing Jean Grey as the giant infant she’s portraying so well I’d say they’d find this display rather lascivious.”

The tickling assault on Jean continued for several more minutes but on the edge of the feelings of strange and prodding stimulation, The Phoenix noticed something else. The feeling it couldn’t quite describe had vanished and was replaced by a rushing heat that drowned the lower portion of Jean’s waist for several minutes leaving her floating in the warmth before it was leached away into the spongy material around her waist.

*phwwwssshhhhh*

The loud hissing sound got Kitty to stop her game as she looked down to see the outside of the nappy stain yellow and swell, growing heavy with Jean’s wet accident.

The Phoenix, realizing that its host was wetting herself, struggled vehemently, trying to take control and halt the process. Rather than shouting into the void of Jean’s mind, it tried to speak directly to her now, taking on a scolding tone. “Are you really peeing right now?” it asked, growing more disgustedly indignant at the idea, “You’ve really fallen so far as to wet yourself like an infant so thoroughly. What sort of avatar are you?”

For the first time since its imprisonment, the Phoenix actually felt the words strike home as Jean’s face—its face—twisted into a look of discontent from the scolding. It was like a revelation to the entity, the realization that while it may have locked Jean away it made sense that she still held the keys to the kingdom so to speak. It hadn’t taken away control of her body, just reduced her mental age. If it wanted anything the cosmic entity would still need to appeal to Jean, it would just take a lot longer to make her understand.

Meanwhile Kitty herself caught the look on Jean’s face but didn’t think of it as a response to the Phoenix but to the soaked state of her diaper. “Awww it looks like we got you diapered up at exactly the right time!” the brunette said, she cupped the swollen crotch of Jean’s padding, giving it a squish with her spare hand. “It feels like you still have a little bit to go on this diaper so I think we’ll leave you in it till after your nap.”

The Phoenix cringed at the pressure applied to the diaper’s exterior, rejecting the idea that it not be changed right away. The soaked absorbent core was rapidly losing the heat that made it even mildly tolerable and she didn’t want to imagine what it’d feel like hours after Jean’s nap.

“Alrighty sweetie, arms up. I promise no tickles this time.” True to her word Kitty simply pulled the shiny green and gold onesie over Jean’s head. She took a moment to snap closed the onesie’s bottom, struggling briefly with the snaps that didn’t seem to want to cooperate. This led to more prodding at the smooth plastic exterior of the diaper which in turn caused The Phoenix more displeasure. Eventually, Kitty managed to snap together all five buttons, securing Jean inside.

With the assurance from her two helpers that the furniture was put together and secure, Logan lifted Jean in his arms, placing her gently in the crib. The trio gathered the remaining trash, letting the babyfied psychic know they’d be back after “nap time” with more things to fix her room.

Just like that, The Phoenix was once again alone with its host. It wasn’t surprising to find that Jean wasn’t tired. Despite the darkness of the room, she seemed more than energetic. Seeing an opportunity to appeal to its host, The Phoenix tried to reach out to the regressed redhead, seeing what phrases would trigger a reaction.

Scolding seemed to displease Jean, causing her to whine, while gentle cooing—something The Phoenix found useless for conveying information—had her bursting out in happy babbling. While the phenomenally powerful cosmic force worked to communicate with its host, Jean seemed content to play with her toes, raising them high above her body and grabbing at them cheerfully, all the while compressing the soaked padding of her diaper underneath her bottom and between her thighs.

The Phoenix wasn’t even sure how long this had been going on. By its nature it knew what forever felt like and still, this was incredibly boring.

*BOOOOMMMM!!*

When a loud explosion broke the monotonous sound of Jean slobbering all over one of her own toes the Phoenix actually got excited for a moment: there was an end to the doldrum! It all came crashing down when it remembered its predicament and exactly where it was trapped.

The wall opposite the crib broke apart in an explosion of wood and drywall, leaving a cloud of dust that the two figures who’d destroyed it stepped through. Jean—who’d covered her ears upon catching the sound of the explosion—turned to look, giving her and The Phoenix a clear view of Mystique and Martinique Wyngarde, a.k.a Mastermind, stepping over the rubble.

“It seems we at have the right room,” Mastermind said, running her fingers along the undestroyed walls of the room as she stepped towards Jean, “Shall we take Ms. X-Baby here and go?”

Mystique, whose face portrayed nothing but seriousness, wasn’t as coy and approached the edge of the crib with a frown. “Enough Martinique, of course we should. I doubt our distraction will keep the rest of them away from an explosion that loud for long. We need to grab her and go.”

Whether from the sound or the seriousness of the sinister pair above her something had disturbed Jean about the situation. In a very unexpected turn of events, she let out a small whimpering sound that gradually escalated into a full-blown crying fit.

From the inside, The Phoenix did its best to calm Jean while Mystique sighed in annoyance. “Well carrying that around is going to be an absolute pain.” The blue beauty said while pointing to Jean.

The illusionist next to her shook her head. “Only because you don’t know how to deal with her,” she chided, waving her hand and causing a puff of smoke. In between two slender fingers a pacifier appeared, she was quick to pop the soother into Jean’s mouth, quieting the upset redhead’s tantrum. “There see? Now I’m willing to bet there’s a stroller nearby in here, if not I’ll just carry the cutie myself. Let’s get her diaper bag and get out of here.”

While Jean might have seemed content with that turn of events the Phoenix was not and panicked while trying to come up with a solution to the problem. It wasn’t as if it could call for help, nor had it left Jean with the skills to defend herself. From what it could surmise it was powerless to stop the pair from taking Jean—it with her.

The bars of the crib dropped as Mystique reached in for the redhead, lifting her up and away from the mattress. “No.” The Phoenix thought, rejecting the idea that it could allow this to happen, “Jean Grey I demand you do something! Defend yourself!”

Jean took no action and was more interested in clinging to the villainess trying to take her for support.

“NO!” screeched the entity, resorting to it’s old tactic of fire and fury for results, “YOU WILL NOT TAKE US. I REFUSE!”

*PHWWWOOOSSSHHH*

White-hot light filled the room, centering on the diapered redhead in Mystique’s hands. The Phoenix felt the shapeshifter’s hands drop from her side, but Jean herself didn’t fall, instead remaining floating in place. She was, for those brief moments, a faucet pouring forth a stream of cosmic energy that twisted and shaped the world in a blinding explosion.

Mystique and Mastermind were caught directly in it, their cries of worry quickly drowned out by the blast. It wasn't as if they were gone in the explosion though. The Phoenix could feel their powers getting wrapped up alongside Jean’s and aiding the process.

The burst itself was draining The Phoenix as it pulled the cosmic force directly from the entity in an effort to protect its host. At the same time, Jean seemed to be experiencing a side effect herself. Her body was straining, fighting to release the power of the Phoenix Force in a way that left her no control, without even realizing her bowels spasmed from the rush of energy and she felt her sphincter bear down.

When the flash of Psychic energy dissipated Jean found herself floating gently to the ground and her feet touched the carpet just in time for her to drop into a squatting position.

*Bloort*

The Phoenix—still exhausted from its outburst—was beyond the point of embarrassment as Jean deposited a coiled monster of mushy gunk into the back of her padding, causing the already soaked diaper to sag against the snap crotch of her onesie. Jean grunted and huffed as the seat of her pants filled—some moments slowly and other moments in flatulent quick surges—with a slimy heat, all the while gripping the bars of her crib for support.

She finished with a sigh of relief, letting go of the crib and allowing herself to fall back on the squishy accident she’d pushed into her diaper. The Phoenix groaned: as tired as it was, the foul-smelling gunk smooshing against the plump rump inside the diaper wasn’t the most tasteful experience and one it wished it had missed.

Looking across the room it didn’t seem like Mystique and Mastermind were having a much better experience. The Phoenix surmised the explosion had mixed up all three of their powers and changed the two villainesses. Between Mystique affecting her own body morphology, Mastermind’s illusions, and Jean’s own psychic input, The Phoenix had been able to bend reality, imposing the same condition Jean was in onto them.

The brown-haired illusionist had ended up in the satin dress with white lace that Kitty had shown her earlier. From what the entity could see her diaper was three times thicker than Jean’s and locked behind pink plastic pants with purple rubber ruffles across the back. She crawled around absentmindedly, exploring the half-demolished space.

Mystique meanwhile was almost completely nude. Her only clothing was the big puffy yellow diaper with blue wings and a giant red circle with a black X going through it. While she wasn’t given any outfit other than her diaper, the way her brilliant red hair had been pulled into pigtails even made The Phoenix chuckle tiredly. She too seemed to have lost her sense of urgency just like Jean and Mastermind. She sat in the middle of the room, poking the front of her padding curiously.

When Kitty Pryde suddenly phased through the wall of the room shouting, The Phoenix felt itself relax within its host, glad to see that somebody had come to deal with the situation.

“We finally dealt with the other brotherhood flunkies but Scott said he heard a noi—!!”

Upon seeing the state of the room Kitty stopped in shock, looking around at the three infantilized women on the ground. She dropped her head into her hand and thought quietly for a moment. “Looks like they destroyed that wall as a distraction,” she said, “must have destroyed the other two cribs when it happened too. Now we’re going to have to rebuild the whole X-Nursery!”

“Oh no,” The Phoenix thought, “the mental perception extends to these two as well…” The realization that it would have some friends joining it while trapped in Jean’s body weighed heavily on the Phoenix as it wondered how far this could continue. Would others get caught in the babifying sphere of influence? Did it have any hope of stopping the process?

Kitty approached Jean with a smile on her face. “Before we get this all cleaned up it seems like someone needs a change,” she said, “Given the stink lines coming off your back end I suspect it’s you missy.”

“At least that’s a positive,” The Phoenix thought. “I may be trapped in Jean, but at least no longer in this dirty diaper…”