Liam Hayes had already noticed something crucial earlier.
The Phoenix Force inside Jean Grey wasn't at its peak.
In fact, it was far from it.
For countless ages, the Phoenix Force had been hunted and attacked by the Shi'ar Empire, forcing it to scatter much of its power across the universe. What remained within Jean was only a fraction—powerful, yes, but incomplete.
And incomplete power… could be replenished.
The method was simple.
Absorption.
The Phoenix Force could devour any form of energy to restore itself—Cyclops' optic blasts, Storm's lightning, even something as vast as a star. Given enough time, it could consume entire galaxies, even universes, rebuilding itself into its true, terrifying form.
At full strength, the Phoenix wasn't just powerful.
It was absolute.
It could destroy reality, reshape it, restart it entirely. Its influence extended beyond a single universe, reaching into parallel realities and even the multiverse itself.
That level of power was beyond comprehension.
But reaching it required an equally incomprehensible amount of energy.
And right now—
Liam was taking the first step toward it.
The Dark Phoenix realized it couldn't deceive him.
The moment that trick failed, its fury exploded.
Instead of pulling back, it did the opposite.
It began forcing more of its power into Liam's body, trying to overload him from the inside out.
A desperate move.
A dangerous one.
But Liam didn't flinch.
With the current state of the Phoenix Force, it simply wasn't enough to break him.
The energy surged.
It poured into him violently, building, expanding, growing more chaotic by the second.
Then—
Something changed.
The Dark Phoenix suddenly abandoned Jean Grey's body.
Its form collapsed into pure flame, transforming into a blazing phoenix that shot straight into Liam's chest.
The sheer volume of power caught him off guard.
For a brief moment, even he lost control.
The energy rampaged through his body, chaotic and unstable, threatening to tear everything apart from within.
But Liam wasn't the same as before.
His body had been reinforced repeatedly—through Evolution, Dragon Transformation, and countless other abilities. His foundation was already beyond human limits.
And more importantly—
Vector manipulation activated instantly.
The chaotic energy slowed.
Then stabilized.
Under his precise control, the Phoenix Force was gradually forced into order, its violent fluctuations suppressed as it was guided into a stable flow within his body.
The crisis passed.
But something unexpected happened.
A figure appeared.
A humanoid shape formed from pure flame, standing before him. Its outline resembled Jean Grey, but its presence was entirely different—ancient, vast, and filled with boundless will.
"You cannot control me."
Its voice echoed, sharp and furious.
Liam studied it with interest, his gaze calm. "So this is the Phoenix itself."
He hadn't expected this.
Even after being suppressed inside his body, the Phoenix still manifested its will externally—though only as a projection.
"You are not my chosen host," the Phoenix said coldly. "You will never control me."
Liam didn't react.
Instead, he smiled faintly.
"Phoenix," he said, his tone relaxed but firm, "you're going to submit eventually."
The flame figure's expression twisted with anger.
"That will never happen."
Then it vanished.
The projection dissipated, leaving only the Phoenix Force sealed within him.
Liam closed his eyes briefly, sensing the energy inside his body.
It was there.
Powerful.
Vast.
But not obedient.
Right now, he couldn't fully use it. Not without resistance.
"Guess I'll have to take my time with you," he muttered.
Forceful absorption had its limits.
But submission?
That was inevitable.
Sooner or later, the Phoenix would yield.
When Liam returned to the others, they were already waiting anxiously.
"Wes, are you okay?" Polaris asked immediately, her eyes scanning him for any sign of injury.
Liam laughed lightly. "I'm more than okay. Honestly, I've got enough energy right now to deal with a couple more of you tonight."
Polaris rolled her eyes at that, clearly unimpressed.
Behind her, Cyclops was focused entirely on Jean.
"Jean! Jean, wake up!" he called, his voice tense as he held her carefully.
There was no response.
Her breathing was steady, but she remained unconscious.
Wolverine frowned. "What happened to her?"
Liam stepped closer, observing her condition carefully.
After a moment, he nodded slightly.
"She's fine," he said. "Just the aftereffects of the Phoenix Force being pulled out. It didn't harm her."
In fact, it had done something else.
When the Phoenix left, it hadn't taken everything.
A fragment remained.
That fragment would allow Jean to access the Phoenix's power in a controlled way—far weaker than before, but still significant.
In a way, this was better.
A safer balance.
When the others heard that, their tension eased slightly.
At that moment—
A streak of fire cut across the sky.
It landed beside them with a metallic thud.
"Wow," Tony Stark said as his helmet retracted, revealing a smirk. "You guys really went all out this time."
He had been watching from a distance the entire time, held back by Nick Fury's orders.
Now that everything was over, he finally showed up.
Liam glanced at him. "Yeah. Almost ended the world."
Tony burst out laughing. "Please. With me around? The world's not ending anytime soon."
Liam didn't even bother responding.
Instead, Tony crossed his arms, looking around at the devastation. "Though I gotta say… this place is wrecked. Tomorrow's headlines are going to be insane."
Liam followed his gaze.
The entire villa district had been destroyed.
The ground was torn open, leaving behind a massive crater. Buildings had collapsed, reduced to ruins.
Even S.H.I.E.L.D. would have trouble covering something like this up.
Liam sighed.
"Forget it. I'll fix it."
He wasn't interested in dealing with the aftermath—or the favors Nick Fury would inevitably demand.
Raising his hand, he guided a portion of the Phoenix Force outward.
The energy spread.
Then—
Reality shifted.
The crater filled.
Collapsed structures rebuilt themselves, piece by piece. Walls reformed. Windows reappeared. Roads smoothed out.
Plants grew instantly, flowers blooming as if time had reversed.
Within seconds, the entire area was restored.
Perfect.
As if nothing had ever happened.
The others stood there in stunned silence.
Even Tony was speechless for a moment.
"That's… yeah, I'm definitely not paying for repairs now," he muttered, already pulling out his phone.
Not far away, Phil Coulson approached, his face filled with awe.
"Wes," he said, crossing himself instinctively, "you're basically God."
Liam's mouth twitched slightly. "Pretty sure you're mixing things up, Coulson."
"Oh—right. Different department," Coulson said awkwardly.
Liam shook his head, then gestured casually. "Anyway, the rest is yours."
Coulson straightened immediately. "No problem. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s got it covered."
And this time—
There really was nothing left to hide.
....
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