---
Hawkeye's warning snapped everyone to attention.
The real threat—the one responsible for all of this—was still out there.
The Hellfire Club had retreated, but that didn't mean the battle was over.
Captain America nodded seriously.
"The one behind all of this... I'll bring him to justice myself."
No one said anything, but a few of the Avengers looked away, hiding small smirks. Even they knew Cap couldn't handle this one alone.
If Lin Fan had been there to hear that, he probably would've laughed out loud.
To him, Captain America's bravery sounded like something straight out of a comic book script.
Then Cyclops burst in, still sweating, and turned to Professor X.
"Professor—can you still sense Jean?"
Charles Xavier closed his eyes and focused.
"Her psychic presence is still there... very faint, but she's alive."
The Avengers finally got a full explanation of what had just happened. When they learned that Lin Fan had left with Jean and caused the appearance of the second "sun" in the sky, most of them were stunned.
Was this even something a human could do?
And why had someone that dangerous been among the X-Men all this time?
But now wasn't the time to ask that.
---
"Let's pool what we know," Tony Stark said.
His armor folded back, revealing a confident smirk.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., show them what we've got."
"Right away, Mr. Stark." The artificial intelligence responded as a blue light glowed in his eyes.
A projection flickered to life from his palm, displaying a full-scale 3D image of Lin Fan.
"This individual has no known identity," J.A.R.V.I.S. said. "There is no match in any global records. While his features resemble those of an East Asian male, we can't rule out that he may not be human at all."
The database had very little on him.
Lin Fan had only recently appeared on Earth.
J.A.R.V.I.S. continued, projecting two scenes:
A destroyed mountain valley—where Lin Fan had unleashed a massive energy blast.
The ruins of the Xavier Institute.
"Based on the scale of these events, this unknown being may possess enough power to destroy the entire country."
The words dropped like a bomb in the room.
Destroy an Entire Country?
That wasn't a villain—they were looking at a world-ending threat.
---
While the Avengers and X-Men processed this intel…
Far above Earth, within the core of a massive artificial sun—
Lin Fan floated in silence.
The process of absorbing the Phoenix Force was almost complete.
The phoenix tattoo on his back now glowed as if alive. His jet-black hair shimmered with faint crimson streaks. He looked transformed—stronger, sharper, and more dangerous.
Jean Grey floated nearby, unconscious. The Phoenix energy that once made her godlike was gone. Her appearance and aura had returned to normal.
The beam of light that once linked their eyes had faded.
Lin Fan opened his eyes slowly.
In his pupils—there was a flicker of fire, a phantom phoenix burning behind them.
"It's done," he muttered. "The Phoenix Force... it's mine now. And it's been fully absorbed by the Majin cells."
He glanced at his hands. Something had changed—not just in power, but in memory.
Fragments of cosmic knowledge surfaced—vague instructions on how to use this new energy.
"So this is multiversal power," Lin Fan said. "It'll take time to fully understand... but I can already use some of it."
He reached into that energy.
Then took a step forward.
---
In the next instant, he appeared near Earth's atmosphere.
Space around him seemed to fold and collapse as he moved.
It wasn't teleportation. It wasn't sorcery.
It was something else—something faster and more advanced than even the Sorcerer Supreme's portals.
He had crossed nearly 380,000 kilometers—the distance between the moon and Earth—in less than a second.
Faster than light.
He took another step—
And in a blink, Lin Fan stood once again on the shattered grounds of the Xavier Institute.
---
Back on Earth, J.A.R.V.I.S. had just finished presenting Lin Fan's threat level.
"The power to destroy the solar system..."
Then Lin Fan appeared—without warning—right in front of them.
"Wow," he said casually, looking at the Avengers. "I didn't expect all of you to show up."
He turned his head, glancing at each familiar face.
Iron Man. Captain America. Spider-Man. Hulk. Hawkeye.
Even the X-Men were there.
To Lin Fan, it felt like years since he last saw them, though only a short time had passed.
The Avengers, however, were stunned.
No alarms, no sound, no warning.
Just like that—he was there.
And the real confrontation was only just beginning.
---