"Did it work?" Cyclops asked, his voice filled with disbelief as he stared at the shrinking Phoenix energy.
"Great!" Storm exhaled, relief flickering across her face as the overwhelming pressure in the air finally began to ease.
Logan let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Kid actually pulled it off."
But that moment of relief didn't last.
As the Phoenix Force was forced back into Jean Grey's body, a sudden, invisible shockwave erupted outward without warning. It struck Levis head-on before he could react, sending him flying through the air.
Jean hovered there for a brief second, her expression complicated as her gaze shifted between Levis and the others below. Something in her eyes had changed, but before anyone could act on it, she turned and flew away.
Levis, meanwhile, slammed straight into the ground.
"Wes!" Polaris rushed forward immediately, panic evident in her voice as she sprinted toward the impact site.
Storm and Logan followed closely behind.
When they reached the crater, they saw Levis already moving, pushing himself up from the bottom of the pit. Dirt and debris slid off his body as he climbed out, looking slightly battered but far from defeated.
"Wes, are you okay?" Polaris grabbed his arm and pulled him the rest of the way out, her grip tight with concern.
"Cough… I'm fine," Levis said, waving it off as he steadied himself.
His internal systems had already absorbed most of the impact, and his vector control had automatically cushioned the worst of it. Without that passive defense, the blow might have been far more serious.
"Are you sure?" Professor X asked, his tone heavy with concern.
Levis nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. And… Jean regained a bit of her consciousness just now. Otherwise, there's no way I could've suppressed the Phoenix Force like that."
That realization came to him clearly now.
Without Jean's cooperation—no matter how brief—it would have been impossible to push that level of power back into her. That moment of clarity had saved them all.
At the same time, it also made something else painfully obvious.
He had underestimated the gap.
With his current Level Four strength, trying to overpower the Dark Phoenix head-on was unrealistic. That wasn't just any power—it was one of the most terrifying forces in the universe.
Polaris frowned, her brows knitting together. "So… what do we do now?"
The question hung heavily in the air. It was on everyone's mind, but no one had an immediate answer.
Levis took a breath, his tone turning serious. "We go back and figure out a plan. Right now, pushing Jean any further is a terrible idea."
Continuing to provoke her would only push her deeper into the Dark Phoenix state, and if that happened, none of them would be able to stop what came next.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
There was no better option.
Just as they were preparing to leave, Levis' phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the screen and wasn't surprised by what he saw.
Nick Fury.
"Yeah?" Levis answered calmly.
"Wes, I need an explanation. What the hell just happened?" Fury's voice came through, sharp and demanding.
Levis didn't bother sugarcoating it. "Mutant business. I'll handle it."
"Handle it?" Fury snapped. "That entire town is practically gone!"
Levis let out a quiet scoff. "Listen carefully. If this isn't handled properly, we're not talking about a town. We're talking about the entire world."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"What?" Fury's voice dropped, tension rising instantly.
"I'm not joking," Levis continued flatly. "If you think this is something you can deal with yourself, be my guest."
That hit its mark.
Fury immediately backed down, his tone shifting. "Alright. Then you handle it. Whatever you need, S.H.I.E.L.D. will provide."
If Levis couldn't solve this, there was no one else who could. Even their worst-case projections had only accounted for large-scale destruction, not total annihilation.
"And the town…" Levis added.
"I'll take care of it," Fury replied without hesitation.
"Good." Levis ended the call.
Storm looked at him curiously. "S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"They'll handle the cleanup," Levis said simply. "Let's head back."
No one argued.
They returned to the academy in silence.
Inside the war room, the atmosphere was heavy. No one spoke at first, each of them lost in their own thoughts.
There was no easy solution.
Bringing Jean back wasn't just difficult—it felt almost impossible.
Levis leaned against the table, his mind already moving ahead. He had considered a solution long before this moment.
He just needed time.
If he could reach Level Five, everything would change.
The gap between Level Four and Level Five wasn't just a difference in strength—it was an entirely different tier of existence. Once he crossed that threshold, even the Dark Phoenix would no longer be untouchable.
The problem was timing.
He needed two days.
And if anything happened to Jean during that time…
It could all fall apart.
"Wes," Cyclops finally said, breaking the silence. "Do you have anything?"
Storm and Logan both looked toward him as well.
Levis nodded. "Yeah. I've got a plan. But I need two days."
"Two days?" Storm frowned immediately.
That was too long. Too many things could go wrong in that time.
"I trust him," Polaris said firmly, her gaze steady. "That's our best option."
The others exchanged looks, but no one could offer a better alternative.
Storm sighed softly. "Alright. Then what happens after those two days?"
Levis met her eyes without hesitation. "I'll be strong enough to suppress the Phoenix Force directly."
That statement hung in the air.
They had all seen the Phoenix's power firsthand. And yet, Levis was saying that in just two days, he would be able to overpower it.
If anyone else had said that, they would have dismissed it outright.
But this was Levis.
And no one here truly knew where his limits were.
After the meeting ended, Levis remained behind, thinking.
Leaving Jean unchecked wasn't an option. She needed to be monitored—but that came with its own risks.
Anyone who approached her directly would likely trigger a reaction.
Still, two days wasn't that long.
It should be manageable.
He pulled out his phone again and called Nick Fury.
"I need you to keep an eye on Jean," he said.
Fury's response came immediately. "Already tried. Everyone we sent passed out before getting close."
Levis paused.
Then it clicked.
Jean's telepathy.
If someone approached her with intent, she would sense it instantly.
And the moment she did, they wouldn't stand a chance.
....
Can't wait to read ahead. Then Join my P@treon and get 60+ chapters.
Even Free members can enjoy 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: [email protected]/Divine_Quill
Join Right Now