Storm sat on the ground, breathing heavily with her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. Sweat glistened on her skin as she looked up at Ethan, who was slowly descending from the air. His eyes still glowed white with arcs of lightning crackling around his body.
She couldn't believe it. She had just lost to Ethan.
In just three months, he had studied her every move, memorized her attack patterns, and found ways to counter them.
Previously she had held the upper hand against Ethan. While his strength and speed were unmatched, she had the advantage of distance, controlling the battlefield with her storms. But now, that advantage was gone.
Ethan had adapted and now not only did he possessed her powers, but his body was far superior in strength, speed, and durability. It wasn't just Storm's lightning he controlled—he had made it his own, adapting it into his unique fighting style.
It was almost unfair.
She wiped the sweat from her brow before exhaling sharply.
Damn… he looks hot like this.
Ethan smirked while hovering above her before finally landing. "You good?" he asked before offering her a hand.
Storm sighed and took it, letting him pull her up. "I should be asking you that," she said before shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."
Ethan chuckled. "I take that as a compliment."
She studied him for a moment before asking, "So? How does it feel to finally have some long-range attacks?"
Ethan grinned. "Feels like cheating."
Storm rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You've been cheating since day one with that body of yours."
"Hey," Ethan raised his hands defensively, "I can't help that I adapt."
As they exchanged a few more words, they eventually left the training room, returning to their usual schedules.
...
As time passed, things seemed to return to normal—at least on the surface. But Ethan noticed something was off. There was a growing tension between Jean and Scott. They didn't argue in public, but their interactions felt… strained.
Ethan didn't pry into their business. He had already learned that this world wasn't the same as the movies or comics he had once known. Canon was long dead.
After three months whatever issues they had, died down and Jean and Scott eventually decided to move forward with their marriage.
The wedding was grand, held at the Xavier Institute, with nearly every member of the X-Men present. Professor Xavier sat at the front, watching with a small but knowing smile. Logan stood with his arms crossed, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Storm wore a beautiful white gown, standing beside Hank, who looked far too amused at Logan's discomfort.
Ethan, dressed in a sharp suit, leaned against one of the pillars, watching everything unfold.
Anna stood beside him, wearing a dress that was way too sexy for a wedding, not that he was complaining. Every chance he got, he let his hands wander down to her ass, squeezing it playfully.
Anna smirked before whispering, "You better stop, or you won't like what happens later."
Ethan leaned in as his lips brushing against her ear. "Or maybe I will."
She gave him a pointed look but didn't stop him.
As the ceremony progressed, Jean and Scott exchanged vows, and despite everything, Ethan could see Scott genuinely cared for her.
After the ceremony, the reception was filled with laughter, drinks, and dancing. Even Logan, despite his brooding, had a drink in hand while Hank tried to get him to dance. Storm and Rogue were laughing together, while Kurt teleported around, playfully stealing people's drinks.
Ethan simply watched and taking everything in. it felt… peaceful. But that peace wouldn't last.
Later that night, long after the celebrations had died down, Ethan found himself alone in a quiet corner of the mansion. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the silver watch.
The dial now read 10%.
Now with this much power, he can now travel between the multiverse or even the omniverse.
But there were two major problems.
One: It required an enormous amount of energy to function. Even after six months of continuously feeding energy, it had only charged up to 10%.
Two: The destination was completely random. There was no telling where it would send him.
And worst of all, even at full charge, he could only stay in another universe for a few hours at best.
Ethan sighed before running his fingers over the smooth surface. 'I need to test it.'
With only 10%, he wouldn't have much time—maybe a few seconds, a couple of minutes at best. But that was enough.
If he ended up in a hellish universe, he could return before things got too dangerous.
Taking a deep breath, he flipped open the watch.
A brilliant white light burst forth, engulfing him completely.
And in the blink of an eye, Ethan vanished.
...
Ethan opened his eyes just in time to see a fist hurtling toward his face. "What the fu—"
BAM!
The punch connected, sending him flying across the island like a missile. He crashed into the sandy shore and his body skidding across the ground before coming to a stop. A massive trench was carved into the earth from the impact.
The woman who had hit him, dressed in a tight white-and-blue Viltrumite uniform, narrowed her eyes. She hadn't seen where he came from—one moment, the battlefield was empty, the next, he had appeared out of thin air.
But did it matter? No.
She turned her attention back to her target.
"Now that the interruption is dealt with," she said, "let's continue, Mark. Will you join the Viltrumite Empire or not?"
Mark who is better known as Invincible, clenched his fists and his eyes widened with fury. "You just killed some guy!" he shouted.
He was about to launch himself at her when—"What the hell…"
Both Mark and the woman turned in shock.
A few feet away, Ethan stood up and is completely unharmed.
He cracked his neck, shaking off the impact as if it had been nothing more than a light shove. His white eyes glowed faintly as sparks of lightning crackling around his body.
A group of people, having just arrived from a large ship docked on the shore, observed the fight from a safe distance. They appeared to be civilians who are terrified.
The newcomers whispered among themselves, clearly startled by what they had just witnessed.
The woman, Anissa raised an eyebrow.
Ethan sighed, "If you weren't a woman, I'd have punched you hard for that."
That ticked her off.
With a snarl, she launched at him at full speed. A shockwave erupted from her movement, the sheer force of her acceleration causing the sand beneath her to scatter.
Mark barely saw her move.
BOOM!
Her fist connected with Ethan's face again, this time with all the power of an elite Viltrumite warrior. The impact sent sand nearby flying, the shockwave tearing through the shore.
And yet, Ethan caught her punch. Like it was nothing.
"Okay, that's two times now," he muttered before tightening his grip on her fist. "Do you really want gender equality?"
Anissa grunted, trying to pull her hand free. Ethan didn't let go. Instead, he tightened his hold, making her wince.
With a growl, she twisted her body and unleashed a brutal roundhouse kick aimed at his head. Ethan simply caught her leg mid-air.
Mark watched in disbelief.
Nobody could handle a Viltrumite's strength so casually—yet this guy was doing it effortlessly.
Ethan smirked. 'Oh. I know where I am now.'
He glanced at Mark, then at Anissa. The Yellow-and-blue costume, the superhuman strength, the fight for the Viltrumite Empire—
This was the Invincible Universe.
And if this woman was who he thought she was, then that meant—
'I just got punched by one of the strongest warriors in the galaxy... it's exciting.'
Anissa snarled as he let her go and threw another punch, then another, and another. Ethan didn't dodge. He let her land every single hit, watching as his body adapted with each strike.
His muscles hardened with every punch and his bones reinforced themselves, and his reflexes sharpened.
After just a few seconds, his body was already surpassing Viltrumite durability.
The crowd near the ship murmured among themselves, as they can't even see what's happening.
Anissa was starting to realize it, her strength is ineffective against this man.
Her fists, which once broke mountains, were now barely making him flinch.
She grinned. "You're something else."
Ethan smiled, "I am something else." With that, he threw his first real punch.
CRACK!
Anissa shot across the island, slamming into a massive boulder near the shoreline. The entire structure collapsed on top of her.
Ethan stretched his fingers, "Damn, I love my powers."
Before the dust even settled, Anissa burst out of the rubble with her eyes blazing.
She wiped the blood from her mouth before smirking. "That actually hurt."
Ethan grinned. "You can thank me later."
In a flash, the two collided.
Their fists met in the air, sending out a concussive blast that shook the entire island.
BOOM!
The shockwave ripped through the atmosphere, causing waves to crash violently against the shore.
For the next few moments, Ethan and Anissa exchanged blow after blow. Every punch was faster, every strike harder. Their bodies moved in a blur, clashing mid-air before slamming into the ground, tearing apart everything around them.
And with each passing second, Ethan adapted more and more to Anissa's strength and combat style.
Mark struggled to keep up.
How the hell are they moving so fast?
A voice crackled in his earpiece. "Mark, stand down. We need to see what happens."
Mark clenched his jaw. "Are you kidding me?! That guy is—"
"We don't know what he is," the voice interrupted. "If he's fighting a vultrimite on equal footing, we can't afford to interfere just yet."
Mark growled, but he wasn't the type to just sit back.
With a burst of speed, he shot toward them.
Just as he was about to reach the fight—
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Ethan's silver pocket watch began to glow on his neck as he caught Anissa's punch.
A blinding white light erupted from it, consuming him entirely.
Mark barely had time to react before, Ethan vanished.
But to his shock, Anissa vanished with him.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Mark hovered in place and his eyes wide-eyed. "…What the hell just happened?"
Mark's earpiece buzzed again. "Mark, report. What was that light?" Cecil's voice came through with urgency.
"…They're gone," Mark said and his voice is still filled with disbelief. "The new guy and Anissa—both of them. They just… disappeared."
A short pause later.
"Check the area," Cecil ordered. "Look for any trace of where they went and report back ASAP."
Mark clenched his fists. 'Where the hell did they go?'
....
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