After the thief incident and turning him over to the cops, Ethan, Johnny, and Sue decided to stop by a nearby coffee shop. The trio settled into a booth in the cozy space, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the soft murmur of conversation around them.
Johnny leaned forward before resting his arms on the table. "So, Ethan, what are you doing around here these days? I mean, last time I saw you, you weren't exactly the 'sit-in-a-coffee-shop' type."
Ethan smiled, taking a slow sip of his coffee. "I live nearby now, and I'm focusing on my studies. I'm trying to become a doctor, you know?"
Johnny's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "A doctor? You? Seriously?"
Ethan chuckled. "What, don't I look the part?"
Johnny shrugged. "You just don't seem like the studying type, that's all." He leaned back. "How old are you anyway?"
"Nineteen," Ethan replied. "I'll be twenty in about three months."
Johnny whistled. "Damn, you're still a kid." He grinned. "Guess I'm officially the older, wiser one here."
Sue rolled her eyes. "That would imply that you have wisdom, Johnny."
Johnny placed a hand over his chest, feigning offense. "Wow. My own sister. The betrayal."
Ethan chuckled and then turned his gaze toward Sue. "What about you? What brings you out today? Besides rescuing me from an incredibly incompetent mugger, of course."
Sue smiled, amused by his easy confidence. "We were just walking around when we saw that guy running away after he stole my purse."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Sue nodded. "Yeah. I chased him, and you decided to end it with a single blow."
Johnny laughed after imagining the thief face. "Come on, you have to admit it was entertaining."
Sue rolled he eyes and then leaned in with interest. "Anyway, What kind of doctor are you planning to be? You mentioned something about a specialty earlier."
Ethan's eyes lit up. "I'm diving into bio-genetics. It's the future—combining medicine with genetics to unlock the secrets of life. I think it's the perfect blend of science and innovation. Also I'm fascinated by how our genes shape everything—health, disease, you name it. There's so much potential there for breakthroughs, you know?"
Sue nodded and is clearly impressed. "That's a tough field to crack, but it's incredibly rewarding. Are you leaning toward research, or do you see yourself in a clinical setting?"
The conversation took off from there, Ethan and Sue diving into the intricacies of bio genetics with an ease that surprised even him. He found himself leaning closer, his tone become playful as he tested the waters with a bit of flirting. "You know, Sue, with your brains, you'd make a great partner for some groundbreaking research. Maybe we could team up someday."
To Johnny's visible shock, Sue didn't brush him off. Instead, she smiled with her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Maybe. You've got a good head on your shoulders, Ethan."
Johnny shot him a disapproving look. "Wait a minute—aren't you aware that you have a girlfriend?" he said, half-joking yet concerned.
Sue rolled her eyes. "Oh, Johnny, let the guy have a little harmless flirting. It's not like I'm going to leave him over it."
Ethan laughed softly. "Exactly. See, Johnny? Sue gets it. There's no harm in appreciating a beautiful woman when I see one. It's a sin not to, right?" His tone was light, yet his words carried a mischievous charm that caught Sue's attention.
Before the conversation could drift further, a waitress arrived to take their orders. As she approached, Johnny, always quick with a quip, leaned toward Sue and Ethan."Well, if you think that's flirting, you're talking to the god of flirting here. Watch and learn, kid."
As the waitress approached their table with her notepad poised. "Can I get you folks anything else?" she asked, her tone bright and professional.
Johnny turned on the charm instantly and his voice dropping to a smooth, velvety cadence. "Well, hello there. I was just thinking this coffee's great, but it'd be even better with a side of your smile."
Ethan rolled his eyes as Johnny launched into his usual flirtatious antics. The waitress giggled, playing along with his charm, before finally jotting down their order and walking away.
Then Johnny turned back to the table with a triumphant smirk. "And that's how it's done, my friends."
Sue laughed before shaking her head. "You're incorrigible, Johnny."
Ethan couldn't help but chuckle, tipping his head in acknowledgment. "Okay, I'll give you that one. That was smooth. I'll give you a six out of ten."
Johnny scoffed. "Six? Please, that was at least a solid nine."
Sue sighed. "I should've sat somewhere else."
After the light-hearted moment, Johnny's tone shifted as he began to brag about an upcoming mission. "Oh, by the way, next month we're heading to space for a mission. You know, studying cosmic radiation and all that fun science stuff."
Ethan's mind immediately sparked with interest. He already knew what was going to happen. Next month, Johnny, Sue, and the rest of the Fantastic Four were going to be hit by cosmic radiation, transforming them forever.
Sue, seeing Ethan's curiosity, decided to elaborate. "It's been in the works for a while. A research project studying cosmic rays and their effects on biological organisms. The official announcement was made over a year ago, but most people have forgotten about it."
Ethan leaned back while thinking. 'What if I was exposed to the same radiation? What kind of powers would I gain?' It wasn't as if he could just hop on board their spacecraft, but maybe there was another way…
They lingered over their drinks a while longer, chatting about lighter topics—the thief's clumsy getaway, the coffee shop's quirky decor—before deciding to call it a day. Johnny gave Ethan a friendly pat on the back as they stood. "Catch you later, doc-in-training."
Sue flashed him a warm smile. "Take care, Ethan. Keep up with that bio genetics—it's going to take you far."
"Will do," Ethan replied before waving as they parted ways.
As the trio eventually parted ways, Ethan made his way back home.
When he returned, he found Jean absorbed in reading some magazines in the living room and looked up at Ethan, "If you're looking for Anna, she went to take shower."
Glancing around after nodding, Ethan noticed the kitchen looked like a disaster zone—a remnant of yet another one of Anna and Jean's culinary adventures.
With a casual wave of his hand, a shimmer of magic swept through the room, and the clutter vanished, leaving the space pristine.
Ethan let out a satisfied sigh, waving his hand as the kitchen sparkled clean. "Magic really does make life easier," he muttered.
Jean looked up from her magazine. "You sound like a lazy sorcerer."
Ethan chuckled. "No, I just like efficiency."
Turning toward Jean, who was lounging on the couch, he said, "Get ready. We're about to start training."
Jean groaned dramatically as she closed her magazine. "Ugh, can't we take a break? We've been training non-stop for a week."
Ethan smirked. "You say that now, but when you end up losing control, I'll be the one fixing the damage."
Jean rolled her eyes but stood up before stretching. Just as she did, Anna walked into the room with a towel wrapped snugly around her damp body. Her wet hair cascaded over her shoulders, and droplets of water trailed down her exposed skin. Ethan found it hard to take his eyes off her.
A slow, teasing smile spread across Anna's lips as she caught his gaze. "Like what you see?"
Unable to resist, he stepped forward before wrapping his arms around her waist and capturing her lips in a deep, lingering kiss. Anna smiled into the kiss before returning it with her arms looping around his neck.
Just as things were about to escalate, Jean cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem. Hello? I'm still here, and we have training, remember?"
Ethan pulled back slightly with his forehead resting against Anna's. With a playful smirk, he whispered, "We'll continue this tonight."
Anna chuckled before adjusting her towel. "I'll hold you to that."
Jean shook her head. "Seriously, you two are impossible."
Ethan merely smiled before opening a shimmering portal to the Mirror Dimension. The air around them shimmered as reality shifted, and the two stepped through into the vast, distorted realm.
The buildings around them twisted in impossible angles, floating and rearranging themselves like an ever-shifting puzzle. This was a place where normal rules didn't apply, and it was perfect for their training.
Ethan took Jean's hand, guiding her to the center of the open space. "Alright," he said. "This isn't about magic today. We're focusing on controlling the Phoenix Force."
Jean frowned. "You've been on this for a while now. Why is it so important?"
Ethan held her gaze seriously. "Because power without control leads to destruction. And the Phoenix Force isn't just powerful—it's absolute. If we don't learn to command it, it will command us."
Jean sighed while running a hand through her red hair. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. You've made that speech a dozen times already."
"And I'll keep making it until you take it seriously."
Jean huffed but didn't argue further. She knew he was right. Ever since the Phoenix Force awakened inside her, she had felt its presence—an overwhelming, primal energy whispering in the back of her mind. At times, it felt intoxicating, like she could do anything. But other times, it felt suffocating, like she was losing herself.
Ethan had convinced her that they needed to train together, to understand this power before it consumed them.
Jean hesitated. "I get that… but it's not easy."
Ethan squeezed her hands. "I know. That's why we're doing this together."
After a moment, Jean nodded. "Alright. Let's do it."
Closing her eyes, Jean focused, allowing the fiery energy within her to rise. Flames flickered to life around her hands, golden-red and untamed. Ethan did the same, his body igniting in the same cosmic fire. The heat was immense, but neither of them flinched.
Jean opened her eyes and they glowed with power as she tried to maintain control, but the fire twisted wildly around her, consuming everything in its path. The Mirror Dimension warped under the sheer pressure of the force.
As Jean spread her arms, the flames around her grew, expanding outward in controlled waves. The ground beneath them shimmered, reacting to the raw energy. With a flick of her wrist, Jean molded the flames into different shapes—a bird, a dragon, a phoenix. The fire obeyed her will.
Ethan watched her with an approving nod. "You're getting better at this."
Jean smirked. "Of course I am. I have a great teacher."
The moment of victory was short-lived. The fire around her suddenly surged, growing wild as it lashed out unpredictably. Jean gasped, trying to contain it, but the force was too much.
Ethan immediately stepped in, placing his hands over hers. "Breathe," he instructed. "Don't fight it. Guide it."
Jean exhaled slowly, grounding herself. The flames, once chaotic, began to settle. After a few moments, they disappeared entirely, leaving the air crackling with residual energy.
Jean collapsed onto a nearby conjured chair, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Okay, that was exhausting."
Ethan chuckled. "Take a break. I've got my own training to do."
Jean sat down on a floating chair, watching as Ethan walked to the edge of the Mirror Dimension. His next task was something he had been working on for an entire week—breaking the dimension itself.
He clenched his fists, his hands crackling with a mix of Phoenix fire and blue lightning. Then, he threw a punch at the boundary of the Mirror Dimension. The force of the impact rippled through the space, but the barrier held strong.
Jean raised an eyebrow. "You do know punching a dimension is crazy, right?"
Ethan answers before throwing another powerful punch. "Maybe. But if I ever get trapped here without a Sling Ring, I need a way out."
Jean sighed. "And your solution is… punching reality until it breaks?"
"Pretty much." Ethan threw another devastating punch, sending a shockwave through the dimension. Despite his efforts, the barrier remained unbroken.
Jean leaned back, watching him. "You know, even if you do manage to break it one day, what happens if it backfires?"
Ethan smirked with his eyes glowing with Phoenix flames. "Then I'll just get stronger."
He continued his relentless assault on the Mirror Dimension, each punch fueling his growing strength. He wasn't there yet—not by a long shot. But he could feel it.
One day, he would break the Mirror Dimension.
And when he did, no one would be able to contain him here.
Jean watched in silence as he relentlessly punched the fabric of the dimension.
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