It had been two days since Jean first saw Ethan naked in the Danger Room, an image she hadn't been able to shake from her mind. That morning, she woke up with an odd sense of familiarity, a pull toward something she couldn't explain. Somehow, she knew it was the Phoenix calling to her. Following that instinct, she wandered through the halls until she reached the Danger Room. She hesitated for only a second, then pushed the door open.
There he was, Ethan, standing completely naked. Her face burned instantly. She tried to look away, but her traitorous gaze flickered over his well-built form before she could stop herself. His muscles were defined, his posture relaxed, and she swallowed, he's big. Jean had slammed the door shut and rushed back to her room, feeling utterly embarrassed. She had never seen a man naked up close before, and it was humiliating because every time she saw Ethan afterward, the image of his naked body resurfaced in her mind.
Days passed, and though she tried to put it behind her, her thoughts betrayed her from time to time. To distract herself, she made new friends. Anna, Kitty, and Anissa became her closest companions. Kitty was energetic and fun, always up for a chat. Anna was confident and straightforward, someone Jean found easy to talk to. Anissa, on the other hand, was quiet and reserved, but once Jean got to know her, she realized Anissa had a sharp mind and a dry sense of humor that she found intriguing. She also discovered Anissa was an alien, oh, how much the world had changed in the past eight years.
She also befriended Bobby, John, and Kurt. Bobby was playful and flirtatious but never in an overbearing way. John had an edge to him but was loyal to those he called friends. Kurt was warm and kind, making her feel more at ease in this unfamiliar place.
Yet no matter how many people she surrounded herself with, one person kept creeping into her thoughts, Ethan.
She learned more about him over the days. He had arrived at the Institute with Anna, and though he appeared human, his ability to adapt to anything that harmed him made him far from ordinary. He was planning to leave next month, something she found herself thinking about more than she should. More importantly, she learned Ethan and Anna had been dating for a few weeks now. That should have been the end of it. Jean knew she shouldn't be thinking about him the way she was. He had a girlfriend, and she barely knew him. It's just curiosity, she told herself. Nothing more.
But was it really?
Jean sat at the lunch table in a corridor with Anissa, Anna, and Kitty beside her, while Bobby, John, and Kurt sat across. The conversation was lighthearted, filled with jokes and teasing. Ethan walked up to them, dropping his tray on the table with a smirk.
"Talking about me again, I hope?"
Kitty snorted. "You wish."
Anna smirked. "If we were, I'd be the only one saying good things."
"Oh? What would those good things be?" Ethan leaned toward her, giving an exaggerated wink.
Jean felt a slight twinge in her chest at the interaction but quickly pushed it aside.
"Don't flatter yourself, tough guy," Anna teased, rolling her eyes.
Ethan chuckled before turning his gaze to Jean. "How are you settling in?"
Jean straightened, caught slightly off guard. "I'm... adjusting. It's different from what I remember."
"Culture shock?" Bobby asked.
"Something like that," Jean admitted. "The technology is a big change. Some of it's pretty cool, though."
"You'll get used to it," Kitty assured her. "Give it time."
Ethan nodded. "That's true. When I first got here, I thought some of the stuff was straight out of science fiction."
Jean tilted her head. "You didn't grow up with this either?"
"Nah." Ethan shook his head. "Where I'm from, things were a lot simpler. Nothing like this."
His answer only deepened Jean's curiosity. The more she learned about him, the more she wanted to know. Why does he have this effect on me?
Kitty suddenly smirked, catching Jean's lingering gaze on Ethan. "Uh-oh," she whispered just loud enough for Jean to hear.
Jean snapped her head toward Kitty. "What?"
"Nothing," Kitty grinned knowingly, turning back to the group.
Jean forced herself to focus, determined to brush off whatever she was feeling. He has a girlfriend, she reminded herself. This is just curiosity. That's all... right?
Soon, the cafeteria buzzed with laughter and chatter as Bobby, John, Kurt, Kitty, Anna, Jean, and Anissa enjoyed their conversation. They had grown comfortable around each other, and even Anissa who was usually reserved had been smiling more.
She was smiling. A lot more than usual.
At first glance, it seemed like a good thing. She was opening up, interacting more, no longer keeping her usual distance. But to Ethan, it felt unnatural.
He had been casually engaging in the discussion, throwing in a few quips here and there, but at some point, he went silent. His gaze locked onto Anissa, and he studied her closely. Something was off.
At first, he thought it was just her warming up to the group. Anissa had been distant toward him before, showing subtle resentment. After all, she hadn't been brought to this world by choice. But now? That resentment was gone. Too gone.
Sure, Professor Xavier had altered some of her memories, erasing specific details about him and the watch. But still, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that something about her was... unnatural.
To test the waters, Ethan leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "So, Anissa, how's the Viltrumite Empire doing these days?" he asked casually. "Keeping their warriors busy?"
Anissa's expression didn't change. "Things are stable," she said with a shrug. "The usual."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. That was a vague answer. He decided to push further. "Really? I would've thought they'd be dealing with more rebellions by now, what with their history of peacekeeping through mass genocide and all."
The entire table went silent.
Kitty nearly choked on her drink. "Dude, what?" she whispered, eyes widening.
John whistled lowly. "Man, you just love stirring the pot, huh?"
Anna elbowed Ethan. "Ethan, stop trying to piss her off."
They didn't know much about the Empire, as both Ethan and Anissa rarely spoke about it. But Ethan ignored them, his eyes locked on Anissa.
She didn't react. Not even a glare. Not a spark of annoyance.
And that was all the confirmation he needed.
In a blur, Ethan vaulted over the table. Before anyone could react, he grabbed Anissa by the throat and slammed her against the corridor wall. The impact echoed through the cafeteria.
A collective gasp filled the room as the group shot to their feet, eyes wide with shock.
"Ethan, what the hell!?" Bobby shouted, ice forming in his palms.
"Let her go!" Kitty yelled, panic in her voice.
John and Kurt exchanged alarmed looks, uncertain whether to intervene.
Anissa struggled in his grip, hands clawing at his wrist. "What... are you doing?" she gasped.
Ethan's eyes glowed white, blue lightning crackling at the edges. His voice was low, almost a growl.
"You almost had me fooled," he said. "But you forgot two things."
The air around them felt charged, as if a storm was about to break loose. Ethan tightened his grip.
"One, the real Anissa would never let someone insult the Viltrumite Empire without snapping back."
Anissa had always carried herself with a certain pride, especially when it came to her heritage. She was a Viltrumite, and they weren't exactly known for humility or kindness when insulted.
Especially Anissa.
Anissa's eyes widened slightly.
"And two," Ethan continued, his voice like thunder, "she wouldn't sit back and do nothing while I choked her."
The silence was deafening.
Anna rushed forward, grabbing Ethan's arm. "Ethan, stop! This is insane!"
Jean and Kitty tried to pry his hand off, but it was like trying to move a steel beam. He didn't even flinch.
Bobby took a cautious step closer, his hands coated with ice and raised defensively. "Dude, I swear to God, if you don't let her go...!"
But Ethan didn't move. His focus was entirely on the imposter in front of him.
"Who. The hell. Are you?" Ethan growled, eyes blazing. "Where is the real Anissa?"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Anissa stopped struggling. A smirk slowly formed on her lips.
"Alright," the figure rasped, voice shifting, "you won."
As Ethan loosened his grip, the form in front of him began to distort. Her skin paled, her dark hair turned ghostly white before falling away in strands. Within seconds, Anissa was gone, replaced by a thin, pale-skinned bald man.
A collective shudder rippled through the group as the transformation completed.
Kitty gasped, stumbling back. "Oh my God…"
John clenched his fists, eyes narrowed. "What the hell?"
Bobby was the first to break the stunned silence. "Okay, someone better start talking. Now."
Ethan narrowed his eyes. He recognized the face. "Morph."
A mutant with the ability to shapeshift and worse, mimic the powers of whoever he became.
Jean looked horrified. "Where the hell is Anissa?" she demanded, stepping forward. She tried to read his mind, but there was nothing like a wall blocking her.
Morph smirked. "Now, now. That would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?"
Ethan didn't hesitate. He slammed him against the wall again, the impact cracking the plaster.
"You'd better start talking before I burn you alive," he said darkly, energy flaring around him.
Morph winced but kept his smirk. "What, no good cop routine? Straight to threats?"
Ethan's eyes glowed brighter, energy pulsing. "Talk."
The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
By now, the commotion had drawn attention. Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway as Logan and Hank rushed in.
Logan's sharp gaze swept over the scene, Ethan pinning a pale-skinned mutant to the wall, the others frozen in shock. "What the hell's goin' on here?"
Ethan didn't even turn. "This bastard was pretending to be Anissa," he said, voice steady but furious.
Hank's expression hardened. "An imposter?"
"Yeah. And we don't know where the real one is."
Logan cursed under his breath. "Dammit."
Hank immediately pulled out his communicator. "We need to alert the Professor. Now."
Ethan gave a sharp nod. "Agreed."
The group mobilized at once. Within minutes, Professor Xavier and the senior X-Men were summoned to an emergency meeting in the underground conference room.
Ethan personally carried Morph there, keeping a tight grip on him the entire time.
As they walked through the halls, Ethan's mind raced. He had been careless. Too careless. Ever since arriving in this universe, he'd let his guard down.
I can't die… so I got lazy.
But the people around him could be hurt. And now, because of him, Anissa was missing.
He clenched his jaw, anger simmering inside.
"Damn it… she wasn't even supposed to be in this universe."
It was his fault she was here. That's why, despite knowing her pride and cruelty, he had been patient with her. Because in a way, he owed her.
He clenched his fists tighter, silent fury burning behind his eyes.
When they arrived at the underground meeting room, the doors slid open, revealing Storm, Scott, the older Jean, and Professor Xavier waiting inside.
Hank wasted no time explaining what had happened.
Professor Xavier's expression darkened as his gaze settled on Morph. He tried to reach out mentally, but his brows furrowed.
"Something is blocking me from entering his mind," the Professor murmured, voice laced with concern.
He straightened in his chair, his tone calm but firm as his eyes fixed on Morph. "Now, tell me, young man," he said, every word deliberate, "who are you, and what are you doing here?"