Professor Xavier placed his hands gently on Jean's forehead, his mind carefully slipping into hers. Previously, a powerful barrier had blocked him from entering her subconscious, but now there was an opening, one he couldn't ignore. What he saw inside shook him: fragments of memories, some buried deep, others distorted. And then, something even more shocking. He pulled back, his eyes widening slightly as he exited her mind.
Scott, who had been pacing near Jean's bed, immediately turned to him.
"Professor, what's happening to her? Is she okay?"
Xavier let out a heavy sigh, the weight of knowledge pressing down on him. Before he could answer, Hank McCoy entered the med bay.
"Charles, I came as soon as I finished helping the students who lost consciousness. What's going on?" Hank asked with concern.
Xavier took a deep breath and turned to him.
"Hank, I need you to conduct a full medical examination on Jean."
Hank nodded and immediately got to work. Meanwhile, Ororo Munroe entered the room. Xavier looked at her.
"Ororo, please close the door. What I'm about to tell you must remain between us."
She hesitated but did as he asked, locking the door behind her. Scott narrowed his eyes.
"What's this about, Professor?"
Xavier's expression was grim.
"What I'm about to tell you is something that only three people in the world have known until now."
Ororo and Hank exchanged a look of confusion, but Scott's face darkened, as if he sensed the gravity of this conversation.
"Do you all remember how Jean first lost control of her powers when she was young?" Xavier asked.
They nodded, though Scott remained silent. Xavier continued,
"And how, later, she flew into space, absorbing a powerful cosmic force and to protect us all from annihilation, she sacrificed herself, flying back to release that power?"
Scott's jaw tightened.
"Professor… where are you going with this?"
Xavier hesitated before speaking the words that would change everything.
"The Jean Grey we knew died that day."
The room fell into stunned silence. Scott clenched his fists.
"That's a lie."
"I wish it were," Xavier said somberly. "But it's the truth."
Hank adjusted his glasses.
"Charles, if Jean died that day, then who have we been with all these years?"
Xavier exhaled deeply.
"The Jean you know… is a clone."
Ororo stepped back, her eyes widening.
"That's impossible."
Scott's breathing became erratic.
"No. No, that can't be. I..." He looked at Jean, lying unconscious in the bed. "I've been with her. She's Jean. She has to be."
Xavier's voice was firm but sympathetic.
"This Jean was recreated through an experiment… a project meant to clone and manipulate mutant DNA. When she emerged, I altered the memories of those closest to her including you, Scott, so she could live a normal life, free from the burden of what had happened."
Ororo was the first to regain her composure.
"And you're telling us this now? Why?"
Xavier's face was grim.
"Because the real Jean Grey is returning. That's what her message meant. The true Phoenix is about to awaken, and the host is preparing to reveal herself."
Scott shook his head violently.
"No. This is wrong. Jean is right here. She's real. I love her. It can't be." His voice cracked as doubt crept in.
Ororo turned to him.
"Scott… I know this is very difficult for you, but you need to think carefully. Do you love her for who she is, or do you love her because she's Jean?"
Scott swallowed hard, his thoughts spiraling. He wanted to say it didn't matter, that clone or not, she was still the woman he loved. But deep down, something wavered. If this Jean wasn't truly Jean Grey, then what did that mean for their relationship? For everything they had shared? Had he been in love with Jean… or just the idea of her?
Hank was equally unsettled.
"Jean deserves to know the truth," he said. "She has a right to it."
Xavier nodded solemnly.
"She does. And she will."
The air in the room grew heavier as the weight of the revelation settled over them. Scott stood, fists clenched.
"And what if the original Jean doesn't want to share her life with a clone? What if she tries to… take over?"
Charles's expression darkened.
"That's a possibility we'll have to prepare for. But for now, we must focus on protecting this Jean. She's one of us, and we won't abandon her."
The others nodded, tension palpable. Scott finally spoke.
"So, what happens now?"
Xavier looked at Jean, his expression unreadable.
"Now, we prepare. Because the Phoenix is coming."
Scott remained standing long after the conversation ended, his thoughts tangled. If the real Jean Grey was returning… then who had he been loving all this time?
---
A few days had passed since the shocking revelation about Jean, and while life at the mansion seemed to return to normal, Ethan sensed that not everyone had truly moved on. During their training session, Storm appeared distracted, her usual sharpness dulled by whatever weighed on her mind. Her movements were slower, her reactions delayed, something uncharacteristic of her.
Ethan noticed but chose not to address it yet. Instead, she assigned him a sparring match with Colossus, known as Piotr Nikolajevitch Rasputin. Meanwhile, Logan was busy training Anna in another danger room, making sure she could properly handle the abilities she'd absorbed from him.
Now, standing in the training arena, Ethan faced Piotr, who was fully armored in his organic steel form, his towering presence even more imposing up close.
"All right, Ethan," Piotr said with a slight smirk. "Let's see if you can handle a real fight."
Ethan cracked his knuckles.
"You're gonna have to hit me first."
Without warning, Colossus lunged, throwing a massive punch at Ethan's gut. Instead of dodging, Ethan planted his feet and let the punch land squarely against his chest. The impact sent a shockwave through the room.
Piotr wasn't just strong, he was trained. Unlike most powerhouses who relied solely on brute force, he had skill and precision behind every move. Ethan's bones reinforced themselves, his skin hardened, and his strength already close to Piotr'snsurged to match his.
Piotr raised an eyebrow.
"You're still standing?"
Ethan exhaled.
"Not bad. My turn."
He ducked under Piotr's next strike, countering with a powerful right hook to his ribs. Piotr staggered slightly, eyes widening in surprise. Ethan grinned.
"Good."
He charged forward, weaving between Piotr's heavy swings. At first, the gap in their strength was clear, Colossus slightly outclassed him physically. But then, Ethan's adaptation kicked in. With every exchange, his movements grew sharper, his blows heavier. He countered a punch by driving his knee into Piotr's stomach, making the giant stumble back. Then, in one swift motion, he wrapped an arm around Piotr's torso, lifted him off the ground, and slammed him down with enough force to shake the entire floor.
Piotr grunted as he hit, momentarily stunned. Storm, who had been watching with her arms crossed, snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Ethan dominating Colossus. Still, Xavier's decision to erase their memories about Jean weighed heavily on her. Did he really need to do that? she wondered.
Back in the fight, Piotr tried to rise, but Ethan wasn't giving him a chance. He clenched his fist, and without thinking, a surge of electricity crackled to life around it.
Lightning danced across his fingers, and with one final punch to Piotr's chest, Ethan sent him flying across the training ground. Thunder echoed as Colossus crashed into the far wall.
Silence filled the space. Storm's eyes widened as residual electricity flickered over Ethan's skin. She quickly approached.
"What was that?" she asked.
Ethan looked down at his hands, lightning still arcing between his fingers. He hadn't realized what he'd done until something clicked. Evolution absorption. He remembered: one of his abilities allowed his body, when exposed to another power long enough, to adapt and develop similar traits.
Storm narrowed her eyes.
"You gained new powers?"
Ethan scratched the back of his head.
"I think so?"
Storm glanced at Colossus, who was slowly rising and shaking off the impact. She turned back to Ethan.
"We need to test this."
Colossus, despite his defeat, chuckled and nodded.
"You fight well, my friend. We must do this again sometime."
Ethan grinned.
"Looking forward to it, big guy."
With that, Colossus waved and left, leaving Ethan alone with Storm. She crossed her arms.
"All right. Show me what you can do."
Ethan inhaled deeply, focusing. His eyes began to glow white, just like Storm's when she wielded her full power. Dark clouds gathered above, lightning crackling in the air as he effortlessly summoned a storm around himself.
Storm raised an eyebrow in surprise, then narrowed her gaze.
"It seems similar to my own power."
"I think so too. I can feel my body, mind, and soul adapting," Ethan said, floating slightly as static energy surged through him. "It's like I've always had this power, but now I can control it."
Storm wasn't entirely convinced.
"Then let's put it to the test."
She activated the Danger Room's simulation. Within seconds, the environment shifted, and thirty towering Sentinel models emerged, their robotic eyes glowing ominously.
Ethan smirked, hovering higher as lightning coiled around him.
"This… is gonna be fun."
Storm stepped back, watching as Ethan unleashed his power. A bolt of lightning struck a Sentinel, frying its circuits instantly. The other machines opened fire, but wind swirled around Ethan, forming a barrier that deflected their attacks. With a flick of his wrist, dark clouds engulfed the room, obscuring visibility.
Ethan darted through the storm, dodging lasers and retaliating with bolts of electricity that shattered metallic frames. He was faster, stronger, the storm itself bent to his will.
Storm watched in awe.
"He didn't just gain new powers… he's evolving his own. But why does it resemble mine?"
As Ethan destroyed the last Sentinel, he landed, his body still alive with energy. He took a steadying breath, letting the storm fade.
"So… how'd I do?"
Storm smirked.
"Not bad. But let's see how well you handle me next."
"Bring it on."