When Ethan Cole left earlier that night, it was only a little after nine o'clock. Yet less than half an hour later, the catastrophe that had erupted in the small town outside Washington, D.C. had already become breaking news across every major television network in the country. Helicopter footage of the devastated streets, burning buildings, and panicked civilians filled the screens.
Reporters spoke rapidly as analysts speculated about the cause of the destruction. The media quickly focused on one conclusion: mutants were responsible. Before long, nearly every broadcast panel and news discussion had reached the same assumption, pointing directly at mutant activity as the source of the disaster.
Once that narrative began circulating, public opinion shifted with frightening speed. Across the country, anger toward mutants surged again, and many people openly blamed them for the growing instability in society. The chaos in the town became yet another example used to argue that mutants were dangerous and uncontrollable.
The kidnapping of Congressman Kelly earlier in the day only intensified the outrage. Although the connection between the incident and the destruction had not been fully confirmed, the public was already convinced that mutants were behind both events. Suspicion quickly hardened into resentment.
Under those circumstances, the controversial Mutant Registration Act was once again pushed to the center of political debate. Commentators discussed it repeatedly, politicians argued over it on live television, and countless citizens demanded stronger control over mutant activity. A large portion of the population had already begun to believe that the bill absolutely needed to pass.
Hostility toward mutants spread throughout society like a contagious atmosphere. Distrust, discrimination, and fear quietly settled into everyday conversation. For many ordinary people, the idea that mutants represented a threat to human safety felt increasingly undeniable.
None of that mattered to Ethan in the slightest. Even if the entire society discriminated against mutants, it would never affect him personally.
The reason was very simple.
He had wealth. He had influence. Most importantly, he possessed overwhelming power.
After successfully capturing Magneto and the members of the Brotherhood, Ethan immediately returned to work in his laboratory. His current task was highly precise and required absolute concentration. One by one, he began extracting the X-Genes contained within the bodies of the captured mutants and sealing the samples for future use.
Among all the abilities he obtained, two were particularly valuable. The first belonged to Magneto, whose power over magnetism allowed him to manipulate magnetic fields and control metal on an extraordinary scale. The destructive potential of that ability was already well known.
The second belonged to Mystique, whose genetic mutation was far more complex and fascinating. Her cells possessed the remarkable capability to completely reshape themselves, allowing her to transform into virtually any form she desired. Gender, appearance, body structure—every detail could be altered seamlessly from the inside out.
It was not merely a superficial disguise. Her transformation ability recreated physical structures with perfect biological accuracy. Because of that, her mutation represented one of the most advanced forms of adaptive genetic manipulation among known mutants.
More importantly, Mystique's mutation acted as a catalyst.
Although her X-Gene did not grant her additional powers beyond transformation, it possessed an extraordinary compatibility factor. Her genetic structure could integrate with other superhuman abilities far more easily than normal mutant biology allowed.
In the original timeline of events, this very property had been used as the foundation for the Sentinel program. The advanced Sentinel robots were developed using her genetic material as a core template, enabling them to replicate and adapt to numerous mutant abilities.
Her X-Gene functioned as both a catalyst and a stabilizing framework. With enough research and experimentation, Ethan could theoretically use her genetic sample as the basis for something far more ambitious.
For example, creating artificial humans designed from scratch.
Of course, that was only a concept forming in his mind for now. The plan was intriguing but far from perfect.
Ethan himself already possessed a limited transformation ability that allowed him to alter certain aspects of his physical form. However, that power merely adjusted the structure of specific body parts to achieve minor changes. Compared with Mystique's complete biological imitation, his version was significantly weaker.
"Perfect," Ethan murmured quietly as he examined the genetic data displayed across the laboratory monitors.
"If I implant Mystique's transformation ability into my own body, compatibility with other mutant powers will no longer be a problem in the future. My physical structure will be able to handle a greater number of abilities without collapsing."
He leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes reflecting the glowing streams of genetic information flowing across the screens.
"The Phoenix Force is already reshaping my body and enhancing my strength," he continued thoughtfully. "But no matter how powerful it is, it remains a single type of energy. Relying on only one power will inevitably create limitations in the later stages."
For now, those limitations had not yet appeared.
However, Ethan understood very well that they eventually would.
If he ever faced enemies on a higher level—beings capable of rivaling cosmic forces—then relying on a single ability could become a fatal weakness.
He had realized this truth long ago.
The Phoenix Force was undeniably one of the most terrifying powers in the entire Marvel universe. Yet even something that overwhelming was not truly unmatched. There were other forces in existence capable of standing against it.
For instance, the ancient mutant Apocalypse possessed strength far beyond that of ordinary mutants. A single individual like him was already powerful enough to reshape the balance of the mutant world.
Because of that, Ethan had never limited his ambitions to only one source of power.
In fact, he had long been pursuing additional abilities.
Within his mind, a vision had gradually formed—a bold and almost reckless idea.
He intended to use the Phoenix Force as the core foundation and combine it with multiple mutant abilities to construct a completely new version of himself. Each additional power would reinforce the others, forming a system of abilities far more stable and versatile than any single mutation.
Step by step, he would turn himself into something far beyond an ordinary mutant.
One day, perhaps he could even become the god of mutants.
Perhaps even the god of the entire Marvel universe.
Only then, in his own eyes, would he truly be considered successful.
It was an ambition so vast that most people would dismiss it as madness. Yet Ethan regarded it simply as a long-term objective.
Fortunately, the extraction of Magneto's and Mystique's X-Genes proceeded smoothly. The process required far less time than expected, and both samples were secured without complications.
The other captured mutants from the Brotherhood also had their abilities extracted and preserved. However, compared to Magneto and Mystique, those powers were far less impressive.
From Ethan's perspective, they offered little value for enhancing his own strength. As a result, those genetic samples were simply sealed and stored for potential research later.
At the moment, Ethan's own body had not yet fully stabilized its balance with the Phoenix Force. Attempting to immediately implant Magneto's magnetic control or Mystique's transformation ability could disrupt that fragile equilibrium.
Because of that, the next stage of his plan would have to wait a few days.
Once the genetic work was complete, Ethan finally allowed himself a brief moment of rest.
His sudden involvement in the events of this world had already produced enormous consequences. By capturing Magneto and dismantling the Brotherhood during the confrontation, he had effectively shattered the original storyline of the X-Men conflict before it could even unfold.
From that moment onward, the future of this world had completely diverged from its previous trajectory.
Ethan could no longer rely on the knowledge of upcoming events.
This was no longer a predetermined story.
It was a living world.
And because of his actions, the direction of that world had already begun to change. However, Leon is not worried, he is very clear about his goals, even if there is no prophetic foresight of the plot, he can do a lot of things according to his own ideas in the future.
.....
Want to read ahead. Then Join my P@treon 60+ exclusive chapters that are waiting for you.
Free members can get 2 advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: ptreon.com/Lotus_Lover
Join Right Now