Storm sat on the ground, breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. Sweat glistened on her skin as she looked up at Ethan, who was slowly descending from the air. His eyes still glowed white, arcs of lightning crackling around his body. She couldn't believe it, she had just lost to Ethan. In only three months, he had studied her every move, memorized her attack patterns, and discovered ways to counter them.
Previously, she had always held the upper hand against Ethan. While his strength and speed were unmatched, she had enjoyed the advantage of distance, controlling the battlefield with her storms. But now, that advantage was gone. Ethan had adapted; not only did he now possess her powers, but his body was far superior in strength, speed, and durability. It wasn't just Storm's lightning he controlled he had made it his own, folding it into a unique fighting style. It was almost unfair.
She wiped the sweat from her brow and exhaled sharply. Damn… he looks hot like this. Ethan smirked as he hovered above her before finally landing.
"You good?" he asked, offering her a hand.
Storm sighed and took it, letting him pull her up. "I should be asking you that," she said, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."
Ethan chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
She studied him for a moment before asking, "So, how does it feel to finally have some long-range attacks?"
Ethan grinned. "Feels like cheating."
Storm rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You've been cheating since day one with that body of yours."
"Hey," Ethan raised his hands defensively, "I can't help that I adapt."
They exchanged a few more words before leaving the training room, returning to their usual schedules. As time passed, things seemed to return to normal, at least on the surface. But Ethan noticed something was off. There was a growing tension between Jean and Scott. They didn't argue in public, but their interactions felt… strained. Ethan didn't pry; he had already learned that this world wasn't the same as the movies or comics he once knew. Canon was long dead.
After three months, whatever issues they had subsided, and Jean and Scott eventually decided to move forward with their marriage. The wedding was grand, held at the Xavier Institute, with nearly every member of the X-Men present. Professor Xavier sat at the front, watching with a small but knowing smile. Logan stood with his arms crossed, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else. Storm wore a beautiful white gown, standing beside Hank, who looked far too amused at Logan's discomfort. Ethan, dressed in a sharp suit, leaned against one of the pillars, watching everything unfold. Anna stood beside him, wearing a dress far too sexy for a wedding not that he was complaining. Every chance he got, he let his hand wander to her ass, squeezing it playfully.
Anna smirked and whispered, "You'd better stop, or you won't like what happens later."
Ethan leaned in, his lips brushing her ear. "Or maybe I will."
She gave him a pointed look but didn't stop him.
As the ceremony progressed, Jean and Scott exchanged vows, and despite everything, Ethan could see that Scott genuinely cared for her. After the ceremony, the reception was filled with laughter, drinks, and dancing. Even Logan, despite his brooding, had a drink in hand while Hank tried to coax him onto the dance floor. Storm and Rogue laughed together while Kurt teleported around, playfully stealing drinks. Ethan simply watched, taking everything in. It felt… peaceful.
But that peace wouldn't last.
Later that night, long after the celebrations had died down, Ethan found himself alone in a quiet corner of the mansion. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver watch. He had taken it back from Anna earlier. The dial now read 10%. With that much power, he could travel between the multiverse even the omniverse.
But two major problems remained. One: it required an enormous amount of energy to function. Even after six months of continuously feeding energy, it had only charged to ten percent. Two: the destination was completely random. There was no telling where it would send him. Worst of all, even at full charge, he could stay in another universe for only a few hours at best.
Ethan sighed, running his fingers over the smooth surface. I need to test it. With only ten percent, he wouldn't have much time, maybe a few seconds, a couple of minutes at most. But that was enough. If he ended up in a hellish universe, he could return before things became too dangerous.
Taking a deep breath, he flipped open the watch. A brilliant white light burst forth, engulfing him completely. In the blink of an eye, Ethan vanished.
He opened his eyes just in time to see a fist hurtling toward his face. "What the fu..." BAM!
The punch connected, sending him flying across the island like a missile. He crashed onto the sandy shore, skidding before finally stopping. A massive trench marked the earth from the impact.
The woman who hit him dressed in a tight white-and-blue Viltrumite uniform narrowed her eyes. She hadn't seen where he came from; one moment, the battlefield was empty, the next, he appeared out of thin air. But did it matter? No. She turned back to her target. "Now that the interruption is dealt with," she said, "let's continue, Mark. Will you join the Viltrumite Empire or not?"
Mark, better known as Invincible, clenched his fists, his eyes wide with fury. "You just killed some guy!" he shouted. He was about to launch himself at her when...
"What the hell…"
Both Mark and the woman turned in shock.
A few feet away, Ethan stood, completely unharmed. He cracked his neck, shaking off the impact as if it were nothing more than a shove. His white eyes glowed faintly, sparks of lightning crackling around his body.
A group of people, just arrived from a large ship docked nearby, watched from a safe distance. They appeared to be terrified civilians, whispering among themselves at what they had just witnessed.
The woman, Anissa raised an eyebrow.
Ethan sighed. "If you weren't a woman, I'd have punched you hard for that."
That ticked her off. With a snarl, she launched at him at full speed. A shockwave erupted as she moved, scattering sand beneath her. Mark barely saw her blur.
BOOM!
Her fist went for Ethan's face again, this time with the full power of an elite Viltrumite warrior. The impact sent sand flying, the shockwave tearing across the shore. Yet Ethan caught her punch like it was nothing.
"Okay, that's twice now," he muttered, tightening his grip on her fist. "Do you really want gender equality?"
Anissa grunted, trying to pull free. Ethan didn't let go; instead, he tightened his hold, making her wince. With a growl, she twisted and launched a brutal roundhouse kick at his head. Ethan caught her leg mid-air.
Mark watched in disbelief. Nobody could handle a Viltrumite's strength so casually, yet this guy was doing it effortlessly.
Ethan smirked. "Oh. I know where I am now!" He glanced at Mark, then at Anissa. The yellow-and-blue costume, the superhuman strength, the Viltrumite Empire this was the Invincible universe. And if this woman was who he thought, that meant I just got punched by one of the strongest warriors in the galaxy… exciting.
Anissa snarled as he released her and threw another punch, then another. Ethan didn't dodge. He let her land each hit, watching as his body adapted to every strike. His muscles hardened, his bones reinforced, his reflexes sharpened. Within seconds, he was already surpassing Viltrumite durability.
The crowd by the ship murmured, they couldn't even see what was happening.
Anissa was starting to realize it: her strength was ineffective. Her fists, which could shatter mountains, barely made him flinch. She grinned. "You're something else."
Ethan smiled. "I am something else."
With that, he threw his first real punch.
CRACK!
Anissa shot across the island, slamming into a massive boulder near the shore. The entire structure collapsed atop her.
Ethan stretched his fingers. "Damn, I love my powers."
Before the dust settled, Anissa burst out, eyes blazing. She wiped blood from her mouth, smirking. "That actually hurt."
Ethan grinned. "You can thank me later."
In a flash, the two collided again. Their fists met mid-air, unleashing a concussive blast that shook the entire island.
BOOM!
The shockwave ripped through the atmosphere, sending violent waves crashing onto the shore. For several moments, Ethan and Anissa exchanged blow after blow, every punch faster, every strike harder. Their bodies blurred as they clashed mid-air, then slammed into the ground, tearing everything apart. And with every passing second, Ethan adapted further to Anissa's strength and combat style.
Mark struggled to follow. How the hell are they moving so fast?
A voice crackled in his earpiece. "Mark, stand down. We need to see what happens."
Mark clenched his jaw. "Are you kidding me?! That guy is..."
"We don't know what he is," the voice interrupted. "If he's fighting a Viltrumite on equal footing, we can't afford to interfere."
Mark growled. He wasn't the type to stand by. With a burst of speed, he shot toward them. Just as he neared...
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Ethan's silver pocket watch began to glow as he caught Anissa's punch. A blinding white light erupted, consuming him completely. Mark barely had time to react before Ethan vanished and, to his shock, Anissa vanished with him.
Silence blanketed the battlefield. Mark hovered, eyes wide. "What the hell just happened?"
His earpiece buzzed again. "Mark, report. What was that light?" Cecil's voice was urgent.
"They're gone," Mark said, disbelief lacing his voice. "The new guy and Anissa... both of them. They just… disappeared."
A short pause followed. "Check the area," Cecil ordered. "Look for any trace of where they went and report back ASAP."
Mark clenched his fists. "Where the hell did they go?"