Ethan stood at the edge of the crater, his body still radiating with residual heat from the encounter. His upper body was bare, his muscular frame exposed, while his pants were scorched from the flames. The Omni-Watch hung securely around his neck, completely unaffected by the fire that had consumed everything else. As he glanced down at the unconscious redhead in his arms, her eyes began to flutter open. Jean Grey slowly regained consciousness, blinking in confusion as she took in her surroundings. Her gaze finally landed on Ethan, her expression shifting instantly from confusion to alarm.
"Who are you?" she demanded, quickly pulling away from him. She looked around at the unfamiliar wasteland before staring down at herself. Her hands trembled as she touched her arms, feeling her torn clothes and completely unscathed body. "Where am I?" she muttered, struggling to make sense of everything.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. Did she lose her memory?
"Jean… do you remember anything?" he asked cautiously.
Jean furrowed her brows, struggling as though her mind was a tangled mess of thoughts. "I… I think… Yes… I'm Jean Grey." She clenched her fists as if reaffirming her own identity. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened and her breath hitched. "Wait..." She frantically examined herself again, patting her body as though searching for wounds. "I didn't die…?" she whispered in disbelief. Her voice grew louder, more frantic. "The explosion in space… I should have… but ..." She turned toward Ethan, her blue eyes filled with panic and confusion. "Is this really Earth?"
Ethan studied her reaction before responding carefully. "Yes, it's Earth. But let me ask you something… by the way, what year do you think it is?"
Jean blinked at him. "What kind of question is that? It's 1992, of course."
Ethan exhaled sharply. Since this world mostly followed movie plots with some comic elements, he had an idea she was from the time of the X-Men: Dark Phoenix movie. "Things are making more sense now. The Phoenix Force must have kept her in stasis for years before bringing her back."
He gave her a neutral nod. "Right… about that. How about we go to Xavier's school?"
Jean looked at him warily but eventually nodded. Then her gaze trailed over his appearance, finally noticing his lack of clothing. Her lips parted in surprise. "Uh… what happened to your clothes?"
Ethan deadpanned. "You happened."
Jean tilted her head, confused for a moment before realization dawned. She could see flames had scorched the land and burnt his clothes. She recalled being engulfed in fire, it must have been her flames. "Oh…" She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Right. Sorry about that."
Ethan sighed but waved it off. "Forget it. But I need to ask you something. Do you remember what happened to you?"
Jean still looked disoriented, processing what felt like a million thoughts. "I… I remember the explosion when I released the Phoenix flames in space. I remember flames… pain… and then… darkness. But I don't know how I got here."
"That makes sense," Ethan murmured. "By the way, it's actually the year 2000."
Jean's eyes widened. "Wait, what?!" Her whole body tensed as she stared at him in shock, struggling to process the lost time. "That's not possible… it can't be!"
Ethan gave her a knowing look. "You'll believe me once we get to the mansion."
Jean still looked overwhelmed, her breathing uneven. She was clearly trying to make sense of her situation, but Ethan knew standing in an open wasteland wasn't safe. Unfortunately, there was another issue, his clothes were completely ruined.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. His wallet, his phone gone. He had no money and no spare clothes, meaning he couldn't just casually walk through public areas. He sighed, rubbing his temple, before turning back to Jean. "Alright, let's head to Professor Xavier. He might have some answers for you."
Jean slowly nodded, still looking like she was in mild shock. She wasn't sure if she could trust him, but she needed someone to help her out of this place. "Okay… but do you know which way to go?"
Ethan chuckled, then pointed upward.
Jean blinked, clearly not understanding. "What...?"
Before she could react, he moved in an instant. In a flash, he was in front of her, effortlessly lifting her into a princess carry. Jean's eyes widened in shock. "H-Hey! Put me down!" she struggled slightly in his arms.
Ethan smirked. "Hold on tight… unless you want to fall."
Before she could protest further, he took off.
BOOM!
Jean screamed as a deafening sonic boom split the air, Ethan propelling them forward at blinding speed. The wind roared around them as he accelerated, leaving a shockwave in his wake. Jean instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging tightly.
"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU COULD FLY!" she yelled, her voice barely audible over the rushing wind.
Ethan chuckled before glancing at her. "You never asked. By the way, it's better to relax and enjoy the view."
Jean's heart pounded in her chest. The city lights blurred beneath them as they soared at insane speeds. She glanced at him with wide eyes. "Are you a mutant?"
Ethan shook his head. "Nope. I'm human."
Jean's grip tightened. "Bullshit! Humans can't fly like this!"
He shrugged. "Believe what you want."
Truthfully, Professor Xavier and Storm had already spoken to him about the reason for his experimentation. They assumed that because he had adaptation abilities while still human, he was subjected to human experiments. Ethan never confirmed nor denied it, it made for a convenient cover story. Right now, however, he was more interested in something else… his speed.
The Phoenix encounter… had changed something within him. He could feel it. His body moved faster, more fluidly. His senses were sharper. His powers had evolved even further. He needed to test his limits in the Danger Room once he got back.
Jean, meanwhile, tried to ignore the terrifying fact that she was soaring high above the city. Instead, she focused on what Ethan had told her. If it was true, if this was the year 2000, then she had lost eight years. What had happened in all that time? She closed her eyes, resting her forehead against Ethan's shoulder. She didn't know if she could handle the answers.
Ethan, however, wanted to test his maximum speed. He began accelerating even more. "Hold on tight."
BOOMMMM!
Another sonic boom cracked across the sky as he pushed faster, the world below becoming a blur, followed by Jean's screams.
---
Meanwhile…
At the crater site, several black SUVs and armored vans pulled in, surrounding the impact zone. Armed agents quickly secured the perimeter, scanning the area with advanced equipment. A man in a sharp black suit stepped out of one of the vehicles, Agent Phil Coulson.
He adjusted his earpiece before addressing his team. "Secure the area. Check for residual energy readings."
One of the agents nodded. "Sir, there are traces of extreme heat and unidentified radiation, but no sign of lifeforms."
Coulson frowned. "So whatever landed here… is already gone?" He pulled out his phone, dialing a number.
A familiar voice answered. "Talk to me, Coulson."
Coulson straightened. "Director Fury, we've got an empty crash site. Something or someone landed here, but they're already gone. We're collecting as much evidence as possible."
A moment of silence followed before Fury spoke. "I want a full report on my desk. Whatever came down from the sky… find out what it was. I don't like unknown variables."
Coulson's gaze swept across the crater, his instincts screaming that something significant had taken place here. "Understood, Director." He ended the call and turned toward his agents. "Set up a perimeter. I want every trace of energy analyzed. If something or someone landed here, I want to know where they went."
As S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives began their investigation, the truth was already soaring far away… heading straight for the X-Mansion.
---
After flying for some time, Ethan descended slowly, landing at the entrance of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The moment his feet touched the ground, murmurs rippled among the students gathered outside.
Students and teachers stared at him, whispering among themselves. Some recognized him, but their gazes weren't exactly welcoming.
"Isn't that Ethan? What's he doing carrying Jean Grey like that?"
"Wait… Jean? But isn't she on her honeymoon with Scott?"
"Did he just steal a married woman?!"
"Why the hell is he shirtless? Is he showing off or something?"
Some students looked at Ethan with admiration, others with confusion, while a few whispered conspiratorially, assuming he had done something reckless to be returning with a barely clothed woman in his arms.
Several of the female students frowned in concern, noticing Ethan's burnt clothes and bare torso.
"Did he get into a fight?" one of them asked.
"Maybe that's why Jean is with him…? Did he save her?"
Despite their curiosity, none dared to approach him. Ethan sighed, already predicting the kind of rumors that would spread. This is why I hate drama.
He gently set Jean down. But she, however, reacted differently to the crowd. Her blue eyes narrowed as she began using her telepathy to scan the thoughts of those around her.
At first, she had her own doubts about Ethan, especially when he told her it was the year 2000. A part of her even suspected he was lying, that maybe he wasn't human, that he had a hidden agenda. That perhaps he had saved her for reasons of his own.
But those suspicions were already dissolving. Because the moment she entered Xavier's Mansion, she could feel it. Everything was different, the students, the atmosphere, the timeline itself.
And then, the greatest shock of all.
Jean's mind froze as she sensed a very familiar presence. Another Jean Grey.
Her breath caught as she probed deeper, scanning the memories of those around her. She saw visions of her older self, a woman who had lived through the last eight years she had missed. Married. To Scott Summers. On a honeymoon.
Jean's lips parted in shock. "What…?" she whispered to herself. Scott was married to… me?
Her chest tightened. She and Scott had only gone on a few dates before everything spiraled out of control in 1992. And now, she was here in the future. Scott was already married. To… her.
It was far too much to process at once. She barely noticed when Professor Xavier arrived, his wheelchair gliding forward.
The moment she saw him, her emotions surged again. He looked older. Much older than when she had last seen him.
Xavier gave her a gentle smile, his expression calm and understanding. "Welcome back, Jean."
Jean swallowed hard. "Professor?" she murmured, her voice small.
"Yes, my dear. It's been a long time."
Jean felt her throat tighten. The calm and collected Professor she had once known was still here but time had aged him. She looked away briefly, clutching her arms. "This is too much…" she whispered under her breath.
Xavier then turned his gaze to Ethan. "You went out to find a place to live after leaving here, but instead you brought back an unexpected guest, Ethan."
Ethan sighed. "Trust me, it wasn't part of the plan, Professor."
He nodded. "I imagine you both have many questions, Ethan and Jean. But for now, let's get you settled first."
Just as they were about to head inside...
The sound of an approaching car cut through the air. Ethan turned his head, his expression hardening.
A sleek black car pulled up at the entrance. The doors opened, and two people stepped out. Scott Summers and beside him… Jean Grey.
The other Jean.
For a moment, time itself seemed to freeze as both Jeans locked eyes. One, the young Jean, fresh from 1992, still struggling to grasp the reality of time travel. The other the Jean who had lived through the past eight years, matured, changed, and married.
The tension in the air was so thick even the students stopped whispering.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Well… this is awkward."
Scott's jaw tightened. His eyes flickered between the two Jeans, his mind reeling at the sight before him. He thought the other Jean, the real Jean had died. How was she here?
"What the hell?" Scott finally muttered.
Jean's fingers twitched. "You… married me?"
Scott opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Professor Xavier let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples. "I believe this will require a long discussion. We'll meet in my office after you've all changed into something more comfortable."
He turned toward Ethan. "Anna, Anissa, and Kitty went shopping, so they're not here."
Ethan nodded, then glanced at Angelica, who stood nearby, watching the scene in confusion. "Angelica, can you get some spare clothes for Jean?"
Angelica blinked, then snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh! Of course. Come with me… Jean."
Jean hesitated briefly before following Angelica toward the girls' dorm. Ethan, meanwhile, headed to his own room to change.
As he slipped into fresh clothes, his eyes fell on the Omni-Watch around his neck. Casually checking the dial, his eyes widened.
The energy bar… was at 30%.
"What the hell?!" It had taken him five months of constant energy feeding to raise the battery by just 10%. And yet one single encounter with the Phoenix Force had increased it by 30%.
"That's broken as hell."
Ethan narrowed his eyes. Did the Phoenix do something to it? He needed to check it out and also test his newly increased powers. But first, he had to attend the meeting and get some answers, since the Professor clearly knew something he didn't.
Soon, he made his way to Xavier's office.
By the time Ethan arrived, everyone was already gathered. Scott. The older Jean. Logan stood off to the side, arms crossed. Storm was watching everything carefully. Hank adjusted his glasses, clearly deep in thought. And after a few moments, the young Jean stepped into the room as well.
Professor Xavier folded his hands together. "Alright… let's begin."
Silence fell over the office as every eye turned toward Jean.