By the time Anna, Kitty, and Anissa returned to the mansion, the sun had begun to set. They were in good spirits, chatting about their day out—until they walked into the common room and heard about two Jean Greys.
Then after a while they saw Ethan walking with Jean who looks a lot younger.
They asked him about the rumours and joked about about it until he confirmed it's true.
Kitty's mouth fell open. "Uh… since when do we have a 'Buy One, Get One Free' deal on team members?"
Anna placed her hands on her hips. "Okay, someone better start explaining before I start thinking we've been hit with some kind of mutant cloning experiment."
Jean shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to say. It was Ethan who stepped in, offering a simplified explanation.
After a moment of processing, Kitty blinked. "So… we have two Jeans now? Like, permanently?"
Anissa folded her arms. "Honestly, after everything I've been through, this might not even make my top five weirdest things anymore."
Despite the initial shock, the three girls quickly warmed up to the younger Jean.
They could see she was overwhelmed, and rather than treating her like a stranger, they included her in conversations, tried to make her laugh, and reassured her that she belonged.
Anissa didn't talk much with Jean and treated her like stranger. Honestly, she treats everyone like they're nothing, so no surprises here.
For Jean, who had felt like an outsider in her own life, Anna and Kitty's acceptance meant more than she could say.
And just like that, the day passed without much incident.
.....
The next morning sun bathed Xavier's Mansion in a warm golden glow, but Ethan was already gone before most students even stirred.
The night before, he had spent hours consuming textbooks—genetics, biochemistry, quantum physics—his enhanced intellect devouring knowledge at an inhuman pace. By dawn, he had effectively mastered the entire year's curriculum and then some.
He rolled his shoulders as he strode toward the Danger Room but his mind is occupied with larger ambitions.
His thoughts shifted to a single subject 'Biogenetics.' His blood alone was a miracle—capable of accelerating plant growth, enhancing fertility, even regenerating plant tissue. If he used his blood to make some serum that enhances plant growth and increase fertility, he can make a living and the applications with it were endless.
But breaking into the industry wouldn't be easy. It would take a long time for him to even start a company not to mention the money he needed for that.
Then he thought of other possibilities, Technology was a tempting field, but Stark Industries, Oscorp, and the Baxter Foundation had already built empires in biotech and engineering. Going head-to-head with them from the start was pointless.
Instead, he would carve his own niche.
If he tried to start his own company now, he'd get crushed before he even made a name for himself.
There were smaller bio-genetic companies that specialized in agricultural and environmental sciences. If he could get his foot in the door, build credibility, and prove the power of his research—he'd have leverage.
And once he had influence? Then he could start his own empire.
"Maybe a partnership first," he considered. "Emma Frost has resources… but approaching her without leverage is difficult."
He signed as he got near the danger room, "Guess I'll figure that out after Kamar-Taj."
For now, there was a more pressing matter—testing his limits.
Inside, the metallic chamber hummed softly, waiting for his command. He approached the control panel and set the difficulty level.
DANGER LEVEL: NIGHTMARE
A warning flashed on the screen. "This setting is not recommended. Proceed with caution."
Ethan scoffed. "Proceed."
The countdown began.
As the countdown began, he rolled his shoulders, feeling the raw energy coursing through his veins.
After his encounter with the Phoenix Force, something within him had changed. He wasn't sure how much yet, but he intended to find out.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
As the final countdown in the Danger Room hit zero, a deafening roar filled the chamber.
The simulation materialized around him, transforming the empty room into a massive battlefield. Hundreds of missiles—nuclear, atomic, biological—locked onto him from all directions.
The air vibrated with the sheer force of the incoming attack.
Ethan smirked as his eyes began glowing white with blue lightning cracking across his body. "Let's see how much I've really changed."
The missiles closed in.
He didn't move.
BOOOOM!
BOOOM!
Explosions engulfed him, a hellish inferno consuming the battlefield. Flames surged, smoke billowed, and shockwaves tore through the air.
For a moment, there was nothing but destruction.
Then the smoke cleared.
Ethan stood completely unharmed—clothing obliterated, leaving only the burnt remains of his underwear and the omni-watch hanging around his neck.
He glanced down at himself, then shrugged. "Didn't even feel that. But I need to do something about my clothing."
Before he could think further, the simulation escalated.
Thousands of Sentinels—more advanced than any he had ever seen—emerged. Their metallic bodies gleamed, their mechanical eyes locked onto him like a predator hunting prey.
Missiles, energy beams, and particle cannons lit up the sky, all converging toward him.
Ethan exhaled. Then, with a simple flick of his wrist, the wind began to shift.
The air howled as massive tornadoes formed—each one crackling with lightning, their currents twisting and churning like living creatures.
The missiles veered off course, sucked into the violent storms and redirected toward the Sentinels.
BOOM!
The explosions tore through their ranks, ripping metal bodies apart, but more kept coming.
Several Sentinels broke through the wind barrier, closing in fast.
Ethan remained calm. The tornadoes surrounding him grew even more violent, their razor-sharp winds shredding anything that got too close.
"Not today." He lifted his right hand, blue lightning crackling along his fingertips and then he flicked before whispering, "Railgun."
A concentrated bolt of blue lightning shot forward, traveling at hypersonic speed, obliterating everything in its path.
The Sentinels in its way were reduced to molten slag.
Ethan whistled while feeling impressed. "That was stronger than I expected."
More machines remained, hundreds of them raining down firepower from a distance.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He lifted his hands again, merging wind and lightning into a singular devastating force.
"Wind Scar."
A massive arc of energy surged forward, tearing through the battlefield like an unstoppable force of nature.
Hundreds of Sentinels vanished, consumed by the elemental onslaught.
The last remaining machines retaliated, unleashing a final wave of lasers and energy blasts.
Ethan smirked. He controlled the tornadoes around him, twisting them into a singular, chaotic vortex.
"Backlash Wave."
The vortex absorbed every attack, then sent it all back—multiplied.
A cataclysmic explosion erupted, erasing the last of the Sentinels.
BOOOOMMMMMM....
A terrific sound echoed through the hall way as the simulation flickered.
Followed by a few seconds of silence....
Ethan sighed before saying, "End simulation."
The virtual battlefield vanished, replaced by the sterile interior of the Danger Room.
He glanced down at himself—naked, except for the omni-watch hanging around his neck.
He lifted it, inspecting its energy reserves.
It hadn't even charged 1%.
"Still at 30%? Damn… This thing takes way more energy than I thought." A frustrated sigh escaped his lips.
After his battle in the Danger Room, Ethan sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes as he focused inward.
There was something new inside him, something he hadn't fully explored yet—the Phoenix Force.
He could feel it lingering within his soul, a burning ember waiting to be fanned into an inferno.
But what was the Phoenix Force, truly?
He had read about it before. It was more than just a power—it was a cosmic entity, an unstoppable force tied to creation and destruction in equal measure.
A spark that gives life. A flame that ultimately consumes it.
It was immortal, forever cycling between rebirth and destruction. A cosmic god of fire and renewal.
And now… a piece of it lived inside him."I need to understand it so I can use it."
Unlike Jean, he can't access the power of the phoenix force. He knows a little fragment was inside him. He can feel it. But he needs to concentrate to bring it out.
Taking a slow breath, he concentrated.
At first, there was nothing—just his own breathing, the faint hum of energy in his veins.
Then, he felt heat.
A warmth that wasn't external, but internal—as if the very core of his being had ignited.
Slowly, his body was covered in orange flames.
They flickered gently at first, like a candlelight, dancing across his skin. But as his concentration deepened, they grew, intensifying into a brilliant aura of fire.
For a moment, he felt something greater than himself.
A vast consciousness, ancient and infinite, stirring in response to his call.
Then—just as quickly as it came—the flames vanished.
Ethan exhaled sharply before opening his eyes.
His body felt heated but unharmed. Maintaining the flames was difficult, but he knew—given time—he'd master it.
He smirked to himself, "Alright… I can work with this."
Just then—A loud scream echoed through the Danger Room.
Ethan's head snapped toward the entrance, his enhanced senses immediately identifying the source—Jean.
The young Jean Grey stood frozen at the entrance, her eyes wide and her face turning as red as her hair.
For a second, Ethan was confused, "Hey, Jean—"
"PERVERT!" she shrieked as her voice bouncing off the walls.
Before he could react, Jean spun around and bolted out of the room like her life depended on it.
Ethan blinked.
Then, slowly… he looked down.
Oh... Right...
He was completely naked.
He sighed while rubbing his temples, "I really need to stop burning my clothes off…"
Shaking his head, he reached for the spare clothes in the storage locker. He had barely put them on when he heard footsteps approaching.
...
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