The Awakening After the Storm

The stars shimmered faintly in the vast silence of space. Ethan hovered effortlessly above the space station, his eyes glowing faintly as the last remnants of the cosmic storm faded into the distance. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and formed a golden portal that opened directly above the hatch.

He glided through it and landed lightly on the metallic floor. The sight that met him was sobering—Reed, Johnny, Ben, and Susan, all unconscious as their bodies sprawled and limp.

Ethan didn't hesitate. With a wave of his hand, a gentle gust of invisible force lifted them. Another flick of his wrist opened a portal leading straight to his home.

One by one, he guided the four into the glowing vortex until the hatch was empty once more. The portal closed with a quiet hum.

But Ethan wasn't done. He vanished with a shimmer and reappeared outside the locked chamber on the station—the one Victor had sealed himself inside during the storm.

The door stood firm, but Ethan gripped the reinforced metal and tore it open like it was made of cardboard.

Inside, Victor lay slumped in the corner, groaning softly.

He conjured another portal and lifted Victor effortlessly using telekinesis into it, following him through the swirling golden circle.

.....

Back at Ethan's home, the living room now resembled an emergency ward. Reed, Victor, Johnny, and Ben were resting on thick floor mattresses, each carefully placed to avoid injury. Susan had been gently laid in the guest room—Ethan figured it was only fair to give her some privacy.

Just as Ethan took a seat on the sofa with a can of Coke, a click sounded at the door. It opened to reveal Anna and Jean, arms laden with shopping bags.

"Okay, I got the candles, those caramel snacks you—" Anna paused mid-sentence and her eyes widening as she spotted the unconscious trio on the floor. "Ethan! What did you do?!"

Jean stared in shock. "Oh my God… please tell me you didn't kill them."

Ethan raised his can in salute. "You're welcome. I saved them."

Anna blinked. "Wait… are those—? That's Johnny and the guys who went to space today!"

Jean's expression turned serious. She touched her temple and gently scanned their minds. "They're alive. And… wow. Wait, how did you survive being outside the station?"

She suddenly remembered. "Right… adaptive evolution. Of course." She shook her head. "Forget I asked."

Ethan smiled. "Susan's in the guest room. I already checked—no injuries. Just exhaustion."

Jean let out a breath of relief. "We can't just leave the guys here, though."

"Well, I'm not stuffing them into my bedroom," Ethan replied with a shrug. "And I don't think Anna would be thrilled with strangers in our room."

Anna stepped forward, "We'll shift Susan to Jean's room. Put the guys in the spare."

"Deal," Ethan said before standing up.

Time passed slowly, the air filled with a soft hum of calm energy.

A soft breeze drifted through the open window, rustling the curtains gently. The light scent of lavender hung in the air. Susan Storm stirred slowly, her eyelashes fluttering as she awoke in a warm, comfortable bed. The room was unfamiliar—painted in soft blue tones.

She wasn't in the station anymore. Jean sat quietly beside her on a chair and smiled the moment Susan's eyes opened, "Hey," Jean said softly. "You're awake."

Susan blinked and is disoriented. "Where… where am I?"

"You're safe," Jean reassured her. "Ethan brought you back to Earth. You're in Ethan's home. You've been unconscious since the storm hit."

Susan tried to sit up, groaning slightly. Jean gently helped support her.

"The others?" Susan asked and her eyes widening.

"They're fine. A little shaken, but no injuries. They're resting in the other room. Ethan made sure all of you were okay before we moved you."

Susan took a breath and nodded slowly, the memory of the cosmic storm still flashing through her mind. "I thought we were going to die out there…"

"I know," Jean said softly. "But Ethan pulled all of you out. He said he scanned you all—no damage."

Before Susan could respond, a voice called from the hallway, "They're waking up," came Anna's voice.

Jean turned to Susan. "You think you're ready to walk?"

"I'll manage," Susan replied with a small smile. Jean helped her to her feet, and they made their way out together.

---

Meanwhile, in the spare room, Reed Richards stirred. His mind was already racing before his eyes even opened. He sat up abruptly, scanning his surroundings. Victor was already sitting upright across the room, his expression unreadable. Johnny groaned and rolled over, mumbling something about needing ten more minutes, while Ben rubbed his head and squinted at the ceiling.

"What the hell…?" Johnny muttered, eyes now open wide. "We're… we're not on the station."

"No," Reed replied. "We're not."

At that moment, the door opened and Ethan stepped in with his usual calm smile.

"Good. You're all up," he said casually.

"Ethan?" Reed narrowed his eyes. "Where are we? What happened after the storm?"

Victor stood, looking around sharply. "This doesn't look like a med-bay. Where are we?"

Ethan raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Relax. You're all back on Earth—in my home, to be specific. After the storm hit, I brought you here. You were all unconscious, but I checked—no physical injuries, no burns, no radiation symptoms. You're okay."

Ben blinked. "Wait, you brought us here? From space?"

"I'll explain," Ethan said. "Let's head to the living room. Easier to talk when we're not standing around in sleepwear and confusion."

The group exchanged glances. Johnny gave a slight shrug, still too groggy to argue. Reed looked thoughtful but didn't push—yet. Victor kept quiet, his sharp eyes locked on Ethan with silent curiosity.

Together, they followed Ethan out of the room and down the hall toward the living area, just as Susan and Jean joined them from the opposite side.

Susan smiled faintly when she saw her team. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah," Ben said. "I feel like I got punched by a supernova, but I'm breathing."

Johnny nodded. "You too, sis?"

"I'm fine," Susan assured him, walking beside Jean. "Let's hear what our host has to say."

As they all entered the living room, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken questions—but for now, there was one shared feeling among them all.

Relief.

They had survived the impossible.

The living room was quiet as Susan sat beside Jean, while Reed, Ben, Johnny, and Victor took places across the room. Ethan stood in the center, "I know you have questions," Ethan began, "After the cosmic storm hit, you all lost consciousness. I found you and brought you all back here. I scanned your bodies for any physical injuries, radiation burns, neurological damage… nothing. You're all in perfect condition—at least physically."

He paused to let his words sink in, then continued.

Reed began rubbing his temples. "That's not possible. The radiation levels—there's no way we should've survived, let alone be unharmed. It's… a miracle." He then turned to Ethan, "No offense, Ethan, but we have no idea how the cosmic storm may have affected us. We need proper scans, data, tests—this could have altered us in ways we can't yet detect."

Victor who is silent until now, gave a slow nod. "He's right. This was not a normal cosmic event. We need to return to our base."

Ethan glanced at Victor, then Reed, and tapped into their surface thoughts. He saw their mental image of the base and gave a soft smile. "Already expected that." He raised a hand and a swirling portal opened before them—through it, a perfect image of their lab base shimmered into view.

They all stared at the portal.

"There. Go. You'll get a full report there."

Johnny's mouth opened, then closed. "I… I don't even know how to feel anymore."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Nobody gives a damn about your feelings, pretty boy."

Johnny scoffed, but said nothing more, still fixated on the impossible doorway of swirling energy.

Reed stood and approached Ethan. "Come with us. You were in that storm longer than any of us. If something's changed in us, it might've changed you too. We need to run a scan on you as well."

Ethan shook his head with a small, polite smile. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass. I'm fine and can deal with anything."

Reed opened his mouth to argue, but stopped. Ethan's presence alone carried a certainty that was hard to push against. He gave him a long look. "We'll… talk later then."

They were too exhausted to argue or even ask questions.

Victor gave Ethan a final glance before stepping through the portal. Reed followed soon after with his mind clearly racing with theories.

Ben lingered a moment before eyeing Ethan. "Whatever you are, pal… thanks for pulling us out."

Ethan gave a simple nod. "Anytime."

Then Johnny who is still processing, muttered, "You're like a cheat code to the universe," and walked into the portal.

Susan gave Ethan a faint smile. "Thank you. Truly." She turned to Jean and Anna who are smiling and nodded.

As it closed behind them, Jean turned to Ethan, arms crossed. "So… you're just gonna act like saving people from a cosmic storm and teleporting them across space is a normal Tuesday?"

Ethan took another sip of Coke. "You haven't seen what I do on Wednesdays."

Anna burst out laughing while Jean rolled her eyes.

After the others left through the portal, he leaned back on the sofa with a quiet sigh.

Ethan's gaze settled on Jean, her red hair catching the light as she tucked a strand behind her ear. A spark of inspiration hit him. "Hey, Jean," he said, "how about dinner tonight? Just you and me."

Jean's head snapped up, "Dinner?"

"Mhm. Tonight."

Anna, who had just walked in from the hallway, immediately perked up. "Wait, hold on—she gets a dinner date and I don't?" She teased before tossing a playful glare at Ethan. "Where's my fancy dinner invite, huh? You're slacking on me."

Ethan rolled his eyes playfully, "You got your dinner way earlier, Anna. It's Jean's turn now." He gave Jean a knowing smirk.

Jean blinked and is confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Anna, on the other hand, caught the implication instantly. Her eyes widened with playful mischief. She turned to Jean, linking arms. "Come on, Red. We need to get you dressed properly. For something... unforgettable."

"Wait, what?" Jean protested, stumbling as Anna tugged her toward the hallway.

Anna then leaned in before whispering something in Jean's ear and the effect was immediate. Jean stopped mid-step, her eyes going wide as her face blooming crimson as she shot a flustered glance at Ethan.

Ethan only smiled and gave a cheeky wink.

Jean huffed and turned away quickly, but her cheeks were flushed.

Anna giggled before pulling her along. "Come on, we've got work to do."

"Anna!" Jean hissed as Anna dragged her into Jean's bedroom, slamming the door behind them.

"I know it's going to take hours to get Jean ready," he muttered to himself with a chuckle. "Might as well make use of the time."

They'd been dating for a few days now, and tonight felt like the right time to take things to the next level and Mark her as his own… Okay, that sounded way more dramatic than intended, but still, it will be the next step in their relationship.

With the girls occupied, Ethan stood up and walked to the far end of the hallway. With a flick of his hand, a shimmering reflective doorway appeared—thin, delicate, like a crack in reality itself.

He stepped through without hesitation, the world around him rippling like glass. It was a vast reflection of the real world, untouched and weightless.

He closed his eyes before taking a deep breath.

Flames burst from his body, not wild or out of control, but radiant and majestic. Phoenix flames. They licked around him like a crown of light, warming the cold glassy dimension.

Ever since the cosmic storm hit him… something had changed. The Phoenix inside him was reacting more intensely.

"Let's see what you gave me this time," he whispered.

He floated in the air, allowing the flames to encircle him fully. Slowly, he began listing his known powers: weather manipulation, phoenix flames, telepathy, telekinesis...

But there was something new.

He gasped softly. His eyes snapped open, glowing with golden-red light.

"Matter... manipulation," he whispered, "Transmutation… the ability to alter matter at will."

He held out his hand and focused on a floating piece of rock nearby. With a subtle motion, its surface shimmered and twisted — turning from stone into crystal, then into a gleaming golden orb.

He grinned, "So that's what the storm gave me…"

The storm had enhanced the Phoenix's dormant capabilities within him. Before, he could barely scratch the surface of its true power. But now — now he could bend matter on a molecular level.

His mind drifted to the legendary feats of the White Phoenix — the future Jean of immense power, who could rewrite reality, shape futures, and collapse galaxies.

"I'm not there yet," Ethan said to himself. "But I'm getting closer."

And he would get there. With renewed focus, he continued experimenting with his abilities.

...

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