Storm's expression shifted instantly.
Her body drifted backward in the air almost instinctively, putting distance between herself and Ethan Cole. The pressure radiating from the man in front of her was immense, but it wasn't just raw power that unsettled her. There was something deeply unnatural about him, something that made her instincts scream in warning and sent a faint tremor through her chest.
In all her years as a mutant, she had never seen anyone deal with her lightning the way he had.
Even Magneto, one of the most powerful mutants alive, handled her storms differently. He would distort the electromagnetic field with his magnetic control, redirecting her attacks rather than confronting them directly. But the man before her had simply swallowed the lightning as if it were nothing more than a snack.
"The crispy, electric flavor is actually pretty good," Ethan said with a faint grin.
Storm's eyes widened slightly.
Then Ethan disappeared.
One moment he was floating in front of her, the next he had vanished from sight entirely. Storm's heart skipped a beat as alarm surged through her mind. Without hesitation, she jerked her body sideways in midair, instinctively retreating while summoning a defensive surge of electricity around herself.
In an instant, countless arcs of lightning erupted from her body.
The electric field surrounding her crackled violently, wrapping around her like a blazing storm shield. The temperature of the lightning alone was hot enough to melt steel, creating a protective barrier that few beings could approach without being burned to ash.
But before she could fully reposition herself—
She collided with someone.
Storm's body stiffened.
Her shoulder had struck solidly against a figure that had appeared out of nowhere beside her. When she turned her head, the first thing she saw was Ethan's smiling face, hovering calmly in the air right next to her.
"Impossible!" she blurted out.
She knew exactly how dangerous the electric field surrounding her body was. Anyone touching it should have been incinerated instantly, yet Ethan floated there as if the lightning didn't exist at all. The violent currents crackled across his body and clothes, but they seemed completely incapable of harming him.
Storm cursed inwardly.
Without hesitation, she threw a punch directly toward Ethan's face.
Her fist was wrapped in dense lightning, the electric field compressing around her arm as it surged forward. The attack crackled with explosive energy, the sound sharp and piercing like the rapid chirping of countless birds.
Then it struck.
"Snap!"
"Boom!"
The first sound was crisp and sudden.
It came from Ethan casually reaching out and grabbing her fist in the palm of his hand.
The second explosion followed immediately afterward as Storm's thunder energy detonated around them, the electric field collapsing violently in every direction. The shockwave rippled through the sky like a burst of thunder, scattering sparks of lightning through the surrounding air.
The two of them remained suspended in midair.
Storm's arm was completely immobilized in Ethan's grip.
At the same time, Ethan had placed two fingers from his other hand gently against her abdomen. The moment those fingers touched her body, Storm felt an invisible force clamp down on her like a cage.
Her muscles refused to respond.
Her limbs were suddenly frozen in place as if the entire world around her had been locked in time. No matter how hard she tried to move, her body simply wouldn't obey her.
Even so, lightning continued to surge around her.
Thunderous waves of electricity burst outward from her body again and again like an unstoppable storm. The energy poured out in massive quantities, as if she were spending power without restraint.
Storm's abilities were formidable even within the Marvel world. Though she hadn't yet reached the absolute peak of her potential, the intensity of her energy was already enough to make even powerful opponents wary.
But Ethan remained unmoved.
Electric currents crawled across his body, and the edges of his clothes had already been burned away into drifting ash. He glanced down briefly at the damage, looking slightly surprised for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.
"Well," he said casually, "since this came straight to my doorstep, there's no reason not to take it."
Storm felt a chill run through her.
"Thanks for the X-gene," Ethan added calmly. "I'll take it."
As the words left his mouth, his two fingers suddenly pulled away from her abdomen.
At that exact moment, a stream of blood burst outward.
A spray of crimson droplets spilled into the air in front of Ethan's hand. But if someone looked closely, they would realize something strange—Storm's body showed no visible wound at all. Her skin remained completely intact, yet blood was flowing out from within her as if it had been pulled directly from inside her body.
"Ah!"
Storm gasped in shock.
She felt no pain, but from the corner of her eye she saw the strange sight unfolding in front of her. The droplets of blood gathered together in Ethan's palm, swirling rapidly until they formed a dense sphere roughly the size of a fist.
The blood orb pulsed faintly as it floated above his hand.
Ethan smiled slightly.
Before Storm could react, the blood sphere suddenly vanished.
In reality, Ethan had already used his psychic teleportation ability to instantly transfer the sphere into his laboratory far away. The genetic sample she carried was far too valuable to waste.
"Orolao," Ethan said casually, looking back at her. "Did Professor X send you?"
Storm's face darkened.
"How do you know about me?" she demanded.
Ethan chuckled softly and shook his head.
"You're overestimating how obscure you are," he replied calmly. "For anyone who's paying attention, it isn't very hard to find out you exist."
Before she could respond, Ethan suddenly reached forward.
His hand clamped around her throat.
Storm's breathing immediately became strained. She tried to struggle, but the strange invisible force binding her body still held her completely in place. No matter how much strength she used, she couldn't even twitch.
"Say hello to Professor X for me," Ethan said lightly.
Then he threw her.
Storm's body shot downward like a cannonball.
She plummeted straight toward the flooded streets below, vanishing from Ethan's sight in seconds. Ethan didn't bother watching where she landed.
Instead, he looked up at the sky.
With a casual wave of his hand, the thick storm clouds above began to scatter. Invisible forces ripped through the swirling black clouds, tearing them apart until sunlight finally broke through again.
Golden light poured down onto the soaked city.
The rain clouds dissolved quickly, leaving behind the strange, peaceful atmosphere that always followed a storm. Sunlight reflected off the water flooding the streets, giving the entire scene a quiet, rain-washed clarity.
But just as Ethan lowered his hand—
A sudden force pressed down on him.
It wasn't physical pressure. It felt more like something had suddenly entered his mind.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
He looked up.
In front of him stood a middle-aged man dressed in a formal suit. The man's expression was calm and gentle, his posture relaxed. His head was completely bald, the smooth surface reflecting the sunlight faintly as he regarded Ethan with a thoughtful gaze.
Then the man spoke.
"Child," he said softly, "your mind has been lost for too long. Don't let the Phoenix control your heart. You should guide this power with your own will."
His voice carried a quiet authority.
"I can feel a familiar force inside you," the man continued. "It is dangerous… and deeply corrupting."
Ethan stared at him.
"Professor X?" he said.
This was the first time Ethan had encountered the legendary telepath directly, though he quickly realized what was happening. Professor X wasn't physically present here—this was simply a projection created within Ethan's mind through telepathy.
"Yes," the man replied calmly. "I am Professor X."
He looked at Ethan with a patient expression, as if speaking to a troubled student.
"Come to me, child," he said gently. "I can teach you how to use your mind to control this power. Otherwise, you will become its slave. And that… would be a tragic fate."
Ethan listened.
Then he laughed.
"You're wrong," he said calmly. "To me, power is just a tool. It doesn't have good or evil on its own. And honestly… I don't see anything wrong with this power at all."
His smile widened slightly.
"In fact," Ethan added, "I kind of like it."
.....
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