Jupiter woke up in the morning and went through his usual weekend routine: a quick shower, a short match of Call of Duty, and then downstairs to find Sprite and Ajak already at the table, enjoying breakfast.
"Ahh, you're having breakfast without me?" he said as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
"You're the one who was busy playing games instead of coming down," Ajak shot back, her tone teasing but sharp.
"Fair," Jupiter said, shrugging. Ajak slid him a plate, and he dug in.
"After breakfast," Ajak said suddenly, and Jupiter groaned, remembering her words from the night before.
"You're in trouble," Sprite added with a small, knowing smile.
"Unfortunately, it seems so," he sighed, leaning back slightly. "And I haven't even done anything wrong."
"That says a lot," Ajak replied, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Sprite giggled softly at that, and Jupiter perked up, trying to charm his way out. "I've been a great son. I haven't done anything wrong. Sprite, convince her," he said, pointing at her.
"Huh? How would I know what you did?" Sprite asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You can be my lawyer when we find out," Jupiter said with a grin, leaning back in his chair, trying to look innocent while secretly bracing for whatever was coming.
Ajak rolled her eyes, though the corner of her mouth twitched with amusement. "You really think that's going to work on me?"
"Hey, it's worth a shot," he said, taking a bite of his breakfast, unbothered but secretly nervous.
After they finished eating, Ajak and Jupiter stepped outside for some privacy. The air was still cool from the morning, and sunlight filtered through the clouds above the compound. Jupiter shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing at the sky like he was trying to avoid what was coming.
"So, what did I do, ma?" Jupiter asked casually, voice light, as if they were just picking up a normal conversation.
"I felt your power, Jupiter," Ajak started, her tone calm but heavy. Her gaze locked onto him, steady, unyielding, the kind of stare that carried both authority and fear.
"You said you weren't going to interfere with humans," she continued, stepping closer. The intensity in her eyes could've burned through him if she wanted.
"I changed my mind," Jupiter said, unfazed.
Ajak's frown deepened. "Jupiter, you know my order. Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" he shot back, finally meeting her gaze. "I'm living my life. My goals have changed since I was a kid, ma. I won't just do what you want anymore."
For a moment, Ajak said nothing. Her expression softened, barely, but the weight in her eyes stayed. "Jupiter… you are mine in more ways than you know. I raised you, watched you grow… and yet you think your choices do not ripple through the world?"
Jupiter shrugged like it didn't bother him, but his eyes flickered, betraying a quiet frustration.
"You say your goals have changed," Ajak said, her voice dropping lower, almost a whisper now, "but you must understand, power like yours is not meant to be used freely. You interfering with humanity is the same as me interfering, because you are my son, a being connected to the divine, a god." She reached out, brushing her fingers gently against his cheek, the motion both tender and commanding.
"But it allows for it," Jupiter replied, placing his hand over hers. "You're bound by the will of a Celestial, for what? To watch and do nothing?" His tone hardened, though his eyes remained calm. "I think this level of non-interference means something bad for humanity, and you know it. Can you really stand by and let that happen?"
Ajak's hand trembled ever so slightly. She didn't answer right away.
The silence that followed carried a lifetime of weight, Ajak's sense of duty clashing with her love for her son. She had always believed obedience was strength, that restraint was purpose. But looking at Jupiter now, his conviction, his defiance, reminded her of something she'd long buried: the will to act.
Finally, Ajak exhaled softly. A faint smile, tired and conflicted, touched her lips. "I want to believe you, Jupiter. More than you know. But if anything goes wrong," her voice faltered, the composure of an eternal slipping for the first time in centuries, "if anything happens to you, I will carry that blame across the stars. And I could never forgive myself."
Jupiter reached up, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. "Then let me carry that burden with you, ma. Let me prove I can do this."
Her eyes glistened, not quite tears, but close. She nodded slowly, the tension in her shoulders easing, though not disappearing. "Very well, my son. I will trust you under one condition."
Jupiter raised a brow, half-amused, half-curious. "And that is?"
"If you cannot defeat me in a fight within the year," she said, voice regaining its divine weight, "you will not interfere with humanity again. You'll remain under my guidance, for eternity."
Jupiter blinked, then laughed, a low, disbelieving sound that carried a trace of irony. "I didn't think you'd go full yandere on me," he said, smirking.
Ajak removed her hand, smiling faintly, though her eyes still burned with resolve. "I'm not going to let my son die," she said simply.
Jupiter tilted his head, studying her. For all his confidence, something in her tone made him pause. It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.
"Guess I'll have to make sure I win then," he said, his grin returning, though softer now.
Ajak turned her gaze back to the horizon. "Then you'd better start training," she said, and for the first time that morning, Jupiter could almost hear a hint of pride beneath her calm.
"Right," Jupiter replied with a half grin, stepping forward to hug her. For a moment, she froze, but then her arms wrapped around him without hesitation. It was brief, warm, and grounding, an unspoken truce between a god and the son who refused to stay bound.
After that, Jupiter didn't waste much time. He had promised Ororo he'd return to finish their talk, and promises, at least the important ones, he intended to keep. By the time he arrived at Xavier's School, the afternoon sun was hanging low, painting the halls in gold.
So when Ororo and Anna found themselves mid conversation in her room, they weren't expecting the quiet knock that never came, or the sudden voice that did.
"You guys talking about me?"
Both women jumped slightly, their heads snapping toward the window where Jupiter stood casually on the sill, one hand resting against the frame like he'd been there for a while. His tone carried that same amused confidence that always made it impossible to tell if he was joking or dead serious.
"Jupiter?!" Ororo exclaimed, half in shock, half in exasperation as he stepped down from the window and into the room like he owned the place.
"I heard some of your conversation," Jupiter said, smirking as he adjusted his gloves. "Something about requiring my help."
"You're here," Ororo said, still trying to process his sudden arrival.
"I said I was coming," Jupiter reminded her easily. "Besides, I still have to make you my apostle."
Ororo's brow twitched, but she didn't argue. Instead, she glanced at Anna, who was standing frozen, eyes wide, before looking back at him. "Do you think you could help Anna?" she asked finally. "Her mutant ability allows her to absorb the power, life force, and consciousness of anything she touches. Because of that, she can't touch anyone. Not without hurting them."
Jupiter tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "And you're asking if I can remove it?"
"If that's something you can do," Anna said quietly, voice steady but laced with guarded hope.
He studied her, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Why would you not want such a great ability?"
Anna blinked at him, unsure if he was being serious. "Because it's not great. It's a curse," she said bitterly.
"Power should be what's desired most, no?" Jupiter asked casually, stepping closer until he stood in front of her. "But I suppose that means you're a good person more than anything else."
He began removing one of his gloves, his movements calm and deliberate. Ororo tensed immediately.
"Jupiter," she started, but he ignored her.
"I doubt if anyone else had such an ability, they wouldn't already be ruling the world," he continued, his tone half amused, half thoughtful. Then, without hesitation, he reached out and gently lifted Anna's chin with his bare hand.
The room went silent.
As he spoke and touched her, Jupiter wasn't just looking at her, he was seeing through her. His divine sight unraveled the complex web that made up her essence, and what he saw didn't make sense. Her potential wasn't fixed. It shifted constantly, like a storm that refused to be contained. Every other being he'd ever seen, human, mutant, or otherwise, had limits. She didn't. She was chaos given form.
The moment their skin made contact, her mutation activated instinctively. Her body tried to absorb his divinity, the raw energy of a god, but before it could even touch his essence, Jupiter's authority manifested, an invisible conceptual field that stopped the transfer instantly. He could feel her power scraping against the edge of that barrier, like waves crashing against stone. With enough time, he realized, she might even be able to break it.
He smiled faintly. "To think the party girl I was flirting with had such an interesting ability. That honestly just adds to your charm."
He went to pull his hand back, sliding the glove over his fingers again, but Anna's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.
Her eyes were wide, full of disbelief. Ororo's were too.
"You can touch me?" Anna's voice trembled with shock and hope.
Jupiter looked down at her hand still gripping his. For a moment, his expression softened. "Seems like it," he said quietly. "Guess you're not as untouchable as you thought."
Anna didn't let go, afraid that if she blinked, it would all vanish. Ororo stared between them, still processing what she was seeing.
"Jupiter," Ororo finally said, her voice cautious but warm, "what did you do?"
"Nothing," he said simply, smiling. "Just decided not to let her power affect me."
Ororo raised an eyebrow. "That's not exactly nothing."
Jupiter smirked faintly. "To me, it is."
Anna's breath hitched, realization dawning. "You… you stopped it?" Jupiter shook his head slightly. "No. I'm just unaffected. But what you have isn't a curse, Anna. It's potential. Dangerous, yes, but beautiful, if you learn to control it."
Her throat tightened, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And if I can't?" Jupiter shrugged as he turned toward the window, his tone easy. "Then why don't you become mine?" His gaze met hers, a small, teasing smirk tugging at his lips. "Join me, become my apostle, like Ororo."
Anna blinked, completely thrown. "Become yours?" she echoed, half-confused, half-amused. "Sugar, you don't just go 'round asking a girl that after touching her for the first time."
The air shifted slightly, an awkward silence almost threatening to form until the door opened and Jean stepped in. Her eyes immediately caught the scene, Anna, glove off, fingers still loosely holding Jupiter's wrist while he leaned forward with that calm, unreadable expression, and Ororo standing just beside them, watching carefully.
"Am I interrupting?" Jean asked, her tone cautious but laced with curiosity. Then her gaze flicked between them, realization dawning. "Wait—you're touching Anna?"
Her voice carried just enough for the few students in the hallway to overhear, and now eyes were peeking around the corner.
Anna's cheeks colored as she quickly released Jupiter's wrist, though she didn't step back. "You really don't waste time, do ya?" she said to him, trying to play it off with her usual charm, though her voice wavered slightly.
Jupiter just smiled. "Would you prefer I waited until the second time?"
Jean's jaw dropped. "Is this— is this flirting? Right now?"
Ororo exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose with a faint, knowing smile. "With Jupiter," she said dryly, "it's difficult to tell the difference."
Scott appeared in the doorway a moment later, arms crossed, already looking unimpressed. "When the professor said that you had arrived, Jupiter, I wasn't expecting it to be like this."
Jupiter glanced over, unbothered by Scott's tone. "Alright, let's get this over with quickly. I'm trying to speed this process up."
He started walking toward the door, but Anna didn't move away. Instead, she followed close beside him, her hand lingering just behind his arm as if she was testing the boundary of his presence. It was strange, there was a kind of invisible pull between them now, like she wanted to touch him again but didn't dare. Jupiter didn't seem bothered by it at all; if anything, he seemed faintly amused.
"Lead the way," he said, gesturing dramatically for Scott to go first.
Scott gave him a long, skeptical look but said nothing, turning on his heel and walking out into the hallway. Jean followed beside him, already exchanging a quiet, wary glance with Ororo. Behind them, Jupiter walked casually, hands in his pockets, Anna keeping pace a little too close, and Ororo walking on his other side, quiet but observant.
They reached Charles' office. The door slid open with a soft hiss, and Jupiter was the first to step inside.
"Alright," Jupiter began before anyone could speak, his tone firm but almost conversational, "what details or questions would you like to go over for this arrangement?"
Charles lifted his brows, a small, knowing smile forming. "Straight to the point, I see." His gaze shifted briefly toward Anna, his telepathic sense brushing her surface thoughts, not deeply, just enough to understand the emotional flux surrounding Jupiter's presence. Recognition flashed in his eyes. Whatever Jupiter had done, it made him unaffected by Anna's ability.
Charles folded his hands. "Very well. Let's start with something simple. What would be the job of your apostles?"
Jupiter's blue eyes glinted faintly. "Spread the word of god," he said simply, amusement threading through his voice.
"And that entails?" Charles asked calmly.
"Perform mortal miracles," Jupiter replied, his tone light but edged with divine certainty. "So, not particularly difficult tasks."
Scott's brow furrowed. "Mortal miracles?" he muttered. "That's vague."
Jupiter shrugged. "It's supposed to be."
Charles's tone deepened slightly, steady but curious. "Would your apostles still be free to make their own choices, or does serving under you bind them to your will?"
"Both," Jupiter answered without hesitation. "They can do whatever they want, but my orders shall be absolute."
Jean frowned slightly, crossing her arms. "That doesn't sound like freedom."
"It's more freedom than most are ever given," Jupiter replied calmly, his gaze flicking toward her. "The universe runs on hierarchy, Jean. Not equality."
Charles nodded slowly, digesting that. "What does being your apostle truly mean, beyond faith? Are they merely messengers, or do they act as extensions of your power?"
"Any mortal who invokes the name Jupiter uses my power," he said simply. There was no arrogance in his tone, only fact. The subtle hum of authority filled the room, and even Charles could feel the weight of truth in those words.
"That's… concerning," Scott murmured.
Charles leaned forward slightly. "How do you define justice, Jupiter? Because if my people are to stand under you, I need to know what laws you intend to enforce."
Jupiter tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk forming. "My word is law."
That statement hung in the air, heavy and absolute. Even Charles, calm as ever, felt the weight behind it. There was something divine about the way he said it, as if reality itself would bend to make those words true. Jupiter knew what such authority meant. Zeus in Lostbelt 5 had held a similar dominion, erasing gods and demigods alike, his own children not spared from his judgment. In Jupiter's eyes, if Zeus was the archetype of a king, then he was a tyrant of divinity, akin to Gilgamesh, the king who ruled because the world demanded he do so. To Jupiter, it was simply natural.
Jean exchanged a glance with Ororo, who said nothing but kept her eyes fixed on him, quietly observing every shift in his expression.
"You said you would guarantee protection for mutantkind," Charles began, tone careful but firm. "What does that protection entail? Would you shield us only from physical threats, or from something greater?"
"Both physical and metaphysical," Jupiter said simply, as though the answer were obvious.
Charles's fingers tapped together lightly, his expression thoughtful. "Would you intervene against human governments if they continue their persecution?"
Jupiter's eyes narrowed slightly. "If it is unjust."
Scott's jaw tensed. "And who decides what's unjust? You?"
Jupiter turned his gaze on him, unflinching. "Justice isn't a democracy, Scott."
Scott stared back, but couldn't find a response. His silence was answer enough.
Charles's gaze lingered on Jupiter, studying the calm certainty in his posture. "You speak of spreading the word of god. How far do you intend for this influence to reach? Mutantkind alone, or humanity as a whole?"
A faint glint flickered in Jupiter's eyes before he smiled. "The entirety of creation shall know my name."
Jean let out a quiet breath, half a laugh. "You really don't aim small, do you?"
"I was never meant to," Jupiter said simply, almost with an ease that made the statement unsettling.
Charles leaned forward slightly, curiosity edging into his tone. "Forgive me, but as a man of both science and faith, I must ask… what are you, truly? A god reborn, or something else altogether?"
Jupiter met his gaze without hesitation. "I was reborn." His voice carried weight, final yet incomplete. It wasn't quite the truth. He wasn't truly Zeus reborn, more like the successor to his throne. Through the template, he had inherited Zeus's power, and perhaps a touch of his arrogance too.
Charles noticed the pause. "You mentioned before that you are degraded. What happens if your full power returns? Would you still remain who you are now?"
For a moment, the room seemed quieter. Jupiter's smirk softened, his eyes distant. "I will be free from the bindings of mortal faith," he said quietly, the admission slipping out like something long buried.
Ororo tilted her head, sensing the shift. "And when that happens… what then?"
"I'll become the omnipotent, omniscient god I was before," Jupiter replied calmly, as if he were stating a fact instead of prophecy. His tone held no pride, only certainty. In his mind, he could almost see it, the kind of overwhelming power that Lostbelt 5 Zeus once wielded. If Zeus had only been at thirty-five percent of that power and still nearly unstoppable, Jupiter couldn't help but wonder what he himself would become once complete.
Scott crossed his arms, his tone edged but controlled. "And what happens to everyone else when that happens? To us?"
Jupiter shrugged casually. "Probably nothing." His voice sounded almost flippant, but the weight behind it was undeniable. The truth was more complex. He craved strength because he couldn't predict or control everything. He didn't even fully know what universe he was in. All he knew was that he was in Marvel, where anything could happen, and that meant he needed to grow stronger, stronger than anyone, maybe stronger than anything in this universe, possibly even the multiverse.
His gaze drifted past them for a moment, unfocused, as if he were measuring something far beyond the room. He caught himself before anyone could notice; it was the only uncertain remark he had let slip during the entire conversation.
Charles, ever composed, inclined his head. "I see. So how does the process of turning one into an apostle work?"
Jupiter's lips curved into a faint, almost mischievous smile. "Well, aren't you going to watch?"
He raised his hand, and immediately, a palpable pressure settled over everyone in the room. It wasn't threatening, but it pressed on the mind and body, a reminder of his presence.
"Ororo," he said suddenly. She didn't hesitate to step forward. She had agreed to this already, and going back on her word would violate everything she valued. Jupiter placed a hand lightly on her stomach, adjusting over her clothes, a simple enough point of contact to begin the process.
Lightning flared in his eyes, arcs of pure blue energy spilling outward, crackling silently but intensely. The room seemed to hold its breath as the magic coursed through the air. The moment his hand touched her, he felt it: she lacked traditional magic circuits, no self-sustaining core of magical energy. Yet her potential was enormous, chaotic, and almost unreadable. He had no full understanding of the system of magic here, but that didn't stop him from giving her a pseudo-authority.
It was similar to the gift the goddess Rhongomyniad had bestowed upon the knights of the round table, only far more potent, and imbued with a magecrest. He could feel her tense instinctively, like a novice whose magical circuits were just awakening. He assumed, based on his knowledge from the visual novel, that this was what such a moment would feel like, though he had never experienced anything like it personally.
Eventually, he withdrew his hand, and the lightning in his eyes vanished, leaving only the faintest shimmer of power in their depths. "And done," he said casually.
Ororo fell back slightly, catching her breath, her chest rising and falling as she tried to regain composure. Jupiter's face remained mostly unreadable, but a subtle amusement was beginning to form in his eyes as he looked down at her.
Scott frowned, shifting slightly, but said nothing. His arms were still crossed, posture tense, but his silence carried more than any words could. Jean blinked, trying to process what she had just witnessed, while Charles leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked under his chin, his expression a careful balance of curiosity and quiet concern.
"Ororo, are you okay?" Jean finally asked, her voice soft but steady.
Ororo nodded faintly, though her breathing was still uneven. She looked up and the moment her eyes met theirs, the others froze. Her irises were glowing, bright and alive with streaks of lightning that crackled faintly beneath the surface. It wasn't just an effect, it felt alive, like the storm inside her had finally found a reflection.
Jean gasped, instinctively stepping forward, while Scott stiffened beside her, his expression flickering between awe and unease.
"Well," Jupiter said, his tone breaking the silence with an almost playful nonchalance, "now that all of that is out of the way, are all your questions answered?"
Charles hesitated, then gave a slow nod. "For now."
Jupiter returned the nod, turning casually toward the door. "Good. Then me and Ororo should get to work."
He had just started to step away when Anna's hand shot out, gripping his wrist. The suddenness of it startled everyone. Even Jupiter paused mid-step, glancing back down at her.
"Do that to me too," Anna said, her voice firm despite the tremor underneath. "I also want to become your apostle."
The statement hung in the air, sharp and unexpected. Jean blinked in surprise, and Scott's brows furrowed deeply, the muscle in his jaw flexing. Charles, though, simply frowned, a mixture of disapproval and inevitability. He couldn't say this was unexpected. He had seen the look in Anna's eyes the moment Jupiter touched her earlier.
Jupiter's smirk returned, slow and knowing. "Okay then," he said, his tone carrying both amusement and a touch of curiosity. "But I'd say we do this alone, because we need skin on skin contact."
The air in the room shifted immediately. Jean's eyes widened, and even Ororo's brows lifted slightly.
"But with Ororo, you didn't—" Jean began, but Jupiter cut her off smoothly, his voice even.
"That's because Ororo is connected to the sky," he explained. "The heavens are a direct link to me. I only had to give that spark direction. Anna's not the same. Her power is internal, like a living current, so I'd need contact with her core for it to work."
His tone was utterly casual, but the explanation carried a weight that quieted the room. He wasn't teasing this time; he was stating a fact.
Anna's hand was still on his wrist. She glanced down, then looked back up at Jean. The redhead met her gaze, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
"Do you really want to do this?" Jean asked quietly. She stepped closer, her voice low but firm, though a thread of vulnerability crept into it. "You don't even know what it'll do to you."
Anna's lips pressed together for a moment. Then she lifted her chin slightly, meeting Jean's eyes without hesitation. "Yeah," she said finally. "I… I want to try."
Jean studied her face for a long moment, searching for hesitation, fear, anything. But what she found instead was conviction. It wasn't reckless or blind faith, it was something steadier, quieter. The kind of resolve that came from someone who'd already made peace with what could happen.
"So do you wanna do this here or?" Jupiter asked casually, his tone light, like he was asking about lunch plans instead of something potentially life-altering. He didn't really care either way, but the others sure did, he could feel their tension thick in the air.
Anna's eyes flicked toward the others briefly before landing back on him. "Only the stomach, right?" she asked, her voice calm but her hands just barely trembling at her sides.
Jupiter nodded once. "Yeah. Just the stomach."
There was no ceremony to it, no warning. Anna reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it up enough for her stomach to be visible. Her movements were slow but deliberate, and when the fabric settled just under her ribs, the silence in the room deepened. Jean glanced at Scott, who looked ready to step in, but didn't.
Jupiter watched Anna for a moment, amusement tugging at his lips, not mockery, but appreciation. Her boldness surprised him. She wasn't hesitant, she wasn't timid. She was focused.
He placed his hand against her abdomen. The moment his skin met hers, a faint hum rippled through the air, subtle but heavy, like the atmosphere itself was holding its breath.
Scott's eyes widened slightly. He'd seen what happened with Ororo, but this was different. Jupiter hadn't touched her skin directly back then. With Anna, there was no buffer. Just raw contact.
For a brief second, nothing happened. Then Jupiter felt it, the faint resonance of Anna's essence. Unlike Ororo, whose power had felt expansive and elemental, Anna's was inward, dense, coiled tightly within her being. Her potential wasn't obvious to the eye; it was buried deep, waiting to be tapped into.
Jupiter's mind flickered with analysis even as he worked. She's not like Ororo. Her potential mirrored humanity's, ordinary on the surface, limitless beneath. Absorption. Evolution. The ability to take in and make her own what others were born with.
If he handled this wrong, she could burn out before it ever took root. So instead of giving her the same pseudo authority of thunder he had given Ororo, he shaped something else entirely, something that fit her. A tether not to the storm, but to what lay above it.
He focused, his hand still against her skin, and the faint hum shifted into something deeper. The connection formed through him wasn't of the sky's wrath, but of the heavens themselves, the vastness, the silence, the cosmos.
When he finally drew his hand back, a soft shimmer pulsed from where he had touched her, fading as quickly as it came. Jupiter exhaled slowly, studying her expression with a faint smirk.
Unlike Ororo, Anna didn't react physically. No flicker of light, no sudden energy crackling through her veins. She just stood there, steady and still, eyes focused forward.
Jean frowned, glancing between them. "Is it… done?"
"Yeah," Jupiter said simply, rolling his shoulders. "She took it well. No backlash."
Anna blinked, lowering her shirt, looking down at herself as if expecting something to change. "I don't feel any different," she said quietly.
"That's normal," Jupiter replied, almost dismissively. "You're not storms, Anna. You're more internal, your power's not something you see, it's something that happens."