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*****
The cosmos seemed to be fractured by spatial rifts, and beneath those jagged scars in reality, Jean stood motionless, looking like a statue.
"What's wrong with her? Is it... is it still the dark personality?" Hope asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Onslaught Olivia countered loudly. He had personally overseen the annihilation of that shadow self; there was no way it could have survived.
Hela and Gwen gave Onslaught a skeptical side-eye, causing a vein to throb slightly at the fused man's temple.
Clark watched the spatial fissures as they began to slowly knit back together. He turned to Mike with a thoughtful expression. "Dad, did those things catch Jean's attention?"
Mike's voice was heavy. "It's not the cracks themselves. It's what lies on the other side of them."
Clark pondered this for a moment, his eyes flashing. "The Phoenix Force?"
"Most likely," Mike nodded. He then offered a small smile. "We'll know for sure once Jean comes back over."
A few moments later, the last of the spatial rifts vanished. Jean, who had been staring at them intently, let out a long breath of relief. Fortunately, no other Phoenix Force fragments or rival hosts had crossed over. For now, the battle was over.
The conflict had reached its end. She flew back toward the group with a bright, weary smile.
"Sister-in-law! You were so cool just now!" Gwen cheered, rushing forward to give Jean a tight hug.
Jean tapped Gwen's nose playfully before turning to Mike with deep gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle Kent."
Through this ordeal, she had not only permanently erased her dark side but had also successfully bonded with the Phoenix Force.
Mike nodded. "The Phoenix Force... you must use it with extreme caution." While it had chosen her as its host, fully mastering such a primordial power would take considerable time.
"I know," Jean replied softly. She looked nothing like the world-ending force of nature she had been moments ago.
"Jean, did you discover something back there?" Hope asked. Everyone had heard the cryptic exchange between Mike and Clark earlier.
Jean's expression turned solemn. "Yes. It's just as Uncle Kent and Clark suspected. I sensed the Phoenix Force in other worlds."
"Those forces, and their hosts..." Jean paused, a flicker of genuine worry crossing her eyes. "I felt that the hosts in other universes are traveling between dimensions, hunting and killing each other to seize more fragments of the Phoenix."
The group was stunned into silence.
Clark frowned. "Does that mean those hosts might come to our universe looking for your fragment?"
Jean nodded, biting her lip. Before she could voice her concerns, Gwen gave a little giggle. "Don't worry, sister-in-law. This isn't your fault."
Hela licked her lips, a cold light dancing in her eyes. "Let them come." If those inter-dimensional hunters showed up, she might just have an opportunity to see if she could dominate a Phoenix Force herself.
"Exactly! If they dare show up, we'll make sure they never leave!" Onslaught added with a grin, looking at Hela with newfound appreciation.
"Alright! Whether they come or not, it's time for us to head home," Mike said calmly, opening a golden portal with a casual wave of his hand. Raven was still waiting for him, and he didn't want to keep her worried for a second longer.
As for the potential invaders—as long as they didn't all show up at once, Mike didn't consider them a major problem.
Kent Star, The Kent Academy for Gifted Heroes.
While Mike and his family were out in the void facing the Phoenix, the X-Men at the school and the Avengers summoned by Tony were waiting in a state of high anxiety.
Suddenly, a golden sparks spiraled in the center of the office. As the portal opened, everyone in the room let out a collective sigh of relief. It appeared the unknown crisis had been averted.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Mike and the others stepped out of the portal. Mike scanned the room, a relaxed smile on his face, and raised a hand in a casual greeting.
"Yo! What are you all doing here?"
The group's faces darkened as they stared at him with flat, unimpressed expressions.
"Mike, what happened?" Logan asked irritably. God knew how agonizing the wait had been for someone with his short fuse.
Mike chuckled. "Nothing major. It's been handled."
Nothing major? Hope's mouth twitched. They had literally shattered the fabric of space and time, and he called it "nothing major"?
The tension in the room dissipated. As long as it was settled, they were satisfied.
"But seriously, what was it?" Tony asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"The Phoenix Force," Mike explained, gesturing toward Jean. "Jean is now its host."
Phoenix Force? Host? Most of the people in the room were left in a state of confusion.
Seeing the bewildered looks, Clark stepped forward. "I'll explain." He proceeded to give a detailed account of the events that had transpired in the void.
When he finished, a heavy silence fell over the office.
Emma Frost's expression was grim. "So, you're saying that eventually, other Phoenix hosts from different universes might show up here?"
Mike nodded. "If what Jean sensed is true—that they are actively hunting each other—then it's only a matter of time before they track the signal of the Phoenix Force within her and arrive in our universe."
The gravity of the situation sank in. This wasn't good news; if handled poorly, it could lead to catastrophic casualties—something none of the heroes present wanted to see.
Amidst the growing worry, Onslaught Olivia let out a light laugh. "Don't sweat it. If another host shows up, I'll take care of them easily."
"Is... that Onslaught?" Tony asked, looking at the fused man with fascination. Before Mike could answer, Tony muttered to himself, "Why is he still bald after fusing? Is Charles's 'power' really that dominant?"
Onslaught turned a deadpan stare toward Mike. "Can I kill him?"
Mike shrugged, palms up. "Be my guest."
Onslaught turned back to Tony with a disturbingly "kind" smile.
Tony offered a weak, sheepish grin. "I mean... bald looks great on you. Very aerodynamic."
A few people couldn't help but chuckle.
"Olivia," Mike called out.
Onslaught caught Mike's look and smiled. "I get it. See you next time."
Mike nodded and, with a single thought, the two earrings on Onslaught's ears vanished into thin air.
Under the curious and startled eyes of the onlookers, Onslaught turned into a blur of white light. For a brief heartbeat, he remained a single entity before splitting apart into two distinct figures that tumbled away from each other.
"Ah, finally! Separated!" Charles shouted, looking at Erik with pure disdain.
Erik's brow furrowed as he snarled back, "You bastard! I should be the one saying that!"
In the next instant, both men felt a sudden chill. They stiffened and turned their heads to see everyone in the room staring at them with incredibly strange, judging looks. They instinctively took a step back.
"Why are you all looking at us like that?" Erik growled, his face reddening with irritation.
Gwen giggled, her blue flames manifesting into the shape of a microphone. She thrust it toward Charles's face and grinned. "As the only two people to have ever truly 'become one,' we want to know: what did it feel like to be inside each other?"
Charles and Erik: "..."
"GET OUT!"
(End of Chapter)