After returning to the mutant academy, everything gradually settled down.
The incident with the Phoenix Force had come to an end—for now.
Although Professor X still carried a trace of concern about the Phoenix Force inside Liam Hayes, Liam himself didn't seem bothered in the slightest. He knew exactly what he had taken, and more importantly, he understood what it meant.
The Phoenix hadn't fully submitted.
That much was obvious.
Using its power freely was still difficult, and suppressing it required constant control. It wasn't something he could wield casually—at least, not yet.
But Liam wasn't worried.
Submission was only a matter of time.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
That night, Liam had just finished "training" with Polaris and Clarice—making full use of his Flexibility and Vibration abilities—before finally preparing to sleep. The room was quiet, the atmosphere relaxed after the intensity of the past few days.
Then—
A figure appeared.
No sound. No warning.
Just there.
"Who's there?"
Liam's voice cut through the silence instantly, sharp and alert. His telepathy surged outward, locking onto the intruder in an instant.
But—
It failed.
His mental power couldn't penetrate the person's mind at all.
That alone was enough to send a flicker of surprise through him.
Without hesitation, he moved.
One moment, he was lying in bed. The next, he was fully dressed, standing directly in front of the figure.
And when he saw who it was—
Even Liam froze for a fraction of a second.
A bald head. A simple yellow robe. A calm, unreadable presence.
Ancient One.
"…So it's you," Liam said slowly.
The Ancient One smiled faintly. "You already knew the answer."
Liam's eyes narrowed slightly.
There had been no trace of mental intrusion, no sign of telepathic contact. Whatever method she used—it was completely beyond his current perception.
Straight to the point, he asked, "What do you want?"
There was no need for small talk.
He knew exactly how powerful she was.
A being on the level of cosmic authority—someone who could casually destroy planets if she chose to. Compared to that, even his current Level 5 state was still far behind.
Unless he used the Phoenix Force.
And even then, it wasn't guaranteed.
"I came because of the power you've obtained," the Ancient One said calmly.
"The Phoenix?" Liam crossed his arms, his tone casual but guarded. "What, you here to take it?"
If she tried—
He wouldn't back down.
The Ancient One shook her head gently. "No. That power does not belong to me, nor do I intend to claim it."
Liam didn't relax.
"Then what?"
Her gaze remained steady. "It is not a power easily controlled. At any moment, it could spiral out of control."
That was it.
She wasn't here to fight.
She was here to check.
To make sure he wouldn't become a threat to the world.
Liam let out a small breath, then waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I've got it under control."
For a brief moment, the Ancient One simply looked at him.
Then she nodded.
"Good."
And just like that—
She disappeared.
No flash. No sound.
Gone.
Liam stood there for a moment, frowning slightly.
That was it?
She came all this way… just to confirm that?
Strange.
But he didn't dwell on it.
Turning back, he saw Polaris and Clarice still asleep, completely undisturbed by what had just happened. Whatever method the Ancient One used, it had bypassed them entirely.
"They must've been really tired," he muttered.
Still, one thought lingered.
If he had been able to sign in with her…
What kind of ability would that have been?
Then again—
The gap between them was too large. The chance of failure would have been extremely high.
"Not worth the risk."
With that, Liam lay back down, pulling the two women closer as he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning—
His phone rang.
Nick Fury.
The moment Liam answered, the complaints started pouring in.
Apparently, too many people had witnessed the battle with the Dark Phoenix. Even though the villa district had been restored, the impact of the incident couldn't be erased so easily.
Fury talked.
And talked.
And talked.
By the time he finally hung up, Liam understood exactly what it meant.
Favors.
Future missions.
Trouble.
He smirked slightly.
"Fine by me."
After all, his reason for joining S.H.I.E.L.D. was simple—to meet more key figures and sign in. More missions just meant more opportunities.
Turning around—
He nearly ran into someone.
Rogue stood there, her expression hesitant.
"Wes… where have you been these past few days?" she asked softly. "And Clarice… and Lorna… are you guys…?"
She trailed off, biting her lip.
Liam rubbed the back of his head. "We've been on a mission."
Rogue didn't look convinced.
"And them? It feels like… they're closer now."
Liam paused for a second.
Then he shrugged.
"No point hiding it. They're both with me now."
Silence.
Rogue's eyes widened slightly.
She had suspected something—but hearing it directly was different.
Complicated emotions flickered across her face.
She liked him.
She always had.
Especially after what happened at the Statue of Liberty—when she realized he was the only person in the world immune to her powers.
But now—
There were already two others.
Could she accept that?
That question lingered heavily in her mind.
"Take your time," Liam said casually as he walked past her. "Decide what you want."
He didn't push.
Didn't insist.
If she wanted in, she would step forward.
If not—
That was fine too.
Inside the training room, things were far more lively.
"Weiss! Over here!"
Scarlet Witch waved excitedly.
Liam walked over with a smile. "How's the training going?"
"Watch this!" Quicksilver grinned.
In an instant, he vanished.
The next second, he was already sprinting across the testing track, his movements blurring as he ran back and forth at incredible speed.
The machine beeped rapidly.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[Speed Recorded: 12,240 km/h]
Mach 10.
Liam raised an eyebrow, then gave a thumbs up. "Not bad."
At twelve years old, reaching ten times the speed of sound was impressive.
Quicksilver beamed. "So… can we take revenge now?"
Beside him, Scarlet Witch stared at Liam just as intently.
The expectation in their eyes was impossible to miss.
Liam sighed inwardly.
They were still holding onto that hatred.
"Pietro," he said, his tone calm, "speed alone isn't enough. You need to know how to actually defeat your enemy."
Then he glanced toward the side.
Jean Grey stood there quietly.
She had already recovered.
Back to normal.
Though now—
She still carried a fragment of the Phoenix Force within her.
Not overwhelming.
But enough to make her stronger than before.
....
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