In the universe known to Xandar, the vast stretches of space where some semblance of order prevailed were divided among superpowers. Xandar, despite being a fairly strong alliance housing the Nova Corps, actually wielded less influence than the Empires, which were truly formidable.
As expected, all these political constructs maintained a rather fragile truce.
"I was hoping we wouldn't have to go through inspections even in space," Ben grumbled, gazing at the Shi'ar Empire's spaceport ahead of us, which monitored the security of cosmic borders.
At that moment, I was occupied with checking the data currently in Xandar's database. Everything remained as I had expected.
"You all remember our cover story?" I asked my team once more.
All members of my team nodded. Then I connected to the spaceport.
"Hello, this is Reed Richards, citizen of the Xandar alliance..."
—= Some time later =—
"You may proceed," said an anthropomorphic alien with a purplish skin tone.
The Strontian, after completing the inspection, exited our ship into open space without any concerns. The physiology of these beings was quite unusual. Their strength depended directly on the confidence they possessed. If their confidence was strong enough, they could reach levels of power that would make even Homelander shudder. I knew that this race had a representative who nearly rivaled the Kryptonian I was familiar with in strength. Fortunately, this particular Strontian was a member of the Imperial Guard.
"Thank you," I said as my AI managed to infiltrate the Shi'ar Empire's network.
By this point, I already had maps that pinpointed the Phoenix's location within 50 kilometers. I wouldn't have been able to legally access this data, as the Empire had its own plans regarding the Phoenix.
And as for access to the routes that would allow me to reach the sector where the Phoenix was located—that wouldn't have even appeared in my wildest dreams. Gaining access to them was extremely important, because without these paths, reaching the Phoenix would be an extremely lengthy process.
"Ship, plot a course to the Phoenix," I said once the ship had moved a sufficient distance from the spaceport that was still monitoring us.
At that very moment, a hole in space appeared before the ship's bow. The routes that the Shi'ar Empire possessed were not laid by the Imperials themselves. This fact meant there were paths not under the Empire's control.
"Brace yourselves," I said as the ship began entering the newly formed gate.
According to the ship's analysis, it seemed we would emerge not too far from the Phoenix's location.
"That bird might just burn us if we're not prepared."
Just before the ship fully entered the corridor, I heard the spirited exclamations of my companions.
—= The Phoenix =—
Life... What does it truly represent? Many Earth scientists and their colleagues from distant planets spoke of life as the existence of protein forms or beings composed of other, exotic elements. They crafted theories, studied the structure of matter, sought answers in molecules and stars. They were intelligent, these scientists, but even they were unable to grasp the essence of Life.
Life was not merely existence or complex chemistry. It was something far greater than could be expressed through equations or words. Life was the pulse of the Universe, its eternal breath. It was the Great Path that began with the Big Bang and had no end.
Life was the one who reaps all, absorbing the energy of stars, plunging worlds into chaos and destruction, only to revive them anew. It was the Devourer of Worlds, capable of annihilating entire galaxies in the blink of an eye, and the Phoenix that rose from the ashes, restoring light where darkness consumed everything.
I—Jean Grey—was the embodiment of this life. I was part of it, its incarnation. I felt its pulse, its infinite energy, its simultaneous drive toward perfection and destruction. I was the Phoenix, an ancient force that existed long before the first star and that will outlive all that exists now.
Life... It was in every atom, in every star, in every breath. It was within me as well. I saw how it transformed, how it simultaneously destroyed and created, how it broke through the constraints of matter and time. It was beyond understanding, beyond boundaries, beyond universes.
That's why it is impossible to fully comprehend it, no matter how hard scientists try. Life was something that needed to be felt, something that needed to be. I was its embodiment, its consciousness, its eternal fire. And this fire burned within me, flowing through my veins, permeating every cell of my being.
Life could not be classified or analyzed. It was a force that spawned and consumed worlds, the beginning and the end of all things. And all of this was part of me.
—= Gladiator =—
Kallark was one of the mightiest members of the Strontian race. Through training under Deathbird, he underwent enhancements that made him Gladiator.
Leader of the Imperial Guard. One of the strongest representatives of the Shi'ar Empire and the most powerful member of the Imperial Guard, he existed solely to serve the Empire.
Kallark considered this the greatest honor that could exist in the universe.
"Prepare yourselves," Gladiator said, as his eyes, which could see much farther than numerous devices specifically designed for this task.
It was thanks to his vision that Gladiator could see the Phoenix as if it were right before him.
"You know the protocol," Gladiator stated as each member of the Imperial Guard received information that they were close to the Phoenix.
The experience of the oldest members of the Imperial Guard in battling hosts of the Phoenix Force was invaluable in developing the action plan against future hosts of this power.
"I'll need your help to contain the aftermath of the battle," said Magik, looking at Electron, who was capable of generating quite strong electromagnetic shields.
Mentor and Neutron, who had been on the front lines during Gladiator's previous encounter with a Phoenix Force host, were more than ready to confront the current host.
Gladiator began to act the very moment Magik started creating the battlefield.
The fiery Phoenix was at that very moment inside a kind of cocoon, which, with its heat, was destroying a habitable planet located very close to the Phoenix Force host.
It took Gladiator less than a moment to cover the distance between him and the Phoenix. Gladiator's flight speed was several orders of magnitude beyond the speed of light. His reaction time allowed him to act decisively and swiftly.
In the instant when Gladiator's fist was about to pierce the Phoenix's fiery cocoon... the Phoenix awoke. A wave of fire scorched Gladiator's hand and hurled him in the opposite direction with incredible acceleration.
Despite Gladiator's efforts to halt and ascend, he couldn't manage it, and the body of this incredibly powerful being pierced through the planet's crust as easily as a hot knife slices through butter.
Gladiator's burning body was stopped not by Kallark himself. He understood this as clearly as he realized that his impact had caused tremendous earthquakes across the entire planet.
—= Reed Richards =—
The moment we emerged on the other side, I sensed that around the area where the ship appeared, there was an electromagnetic and magical barrier. If the wielder of electromagnetic powers had been strong enough, he could have held me. However, he wasn't as strong as I was. For this reason, all the power of this electromagnetist flowed into my hands.
"Let's not have that," the thought flashed through my mind as I detected Gladiator, who would have pierced the planet if not for my assistance.
Using my abilities, I not only managed to hold Gladiator in place but also gleaned information about his body's structure under extreme stress.
Gladiator truly stood apart from his kin. In comparison, he was the equivalent of a super-soldier among his species.
At that moment, an electromagnetic wave originating from a Shi'ar ship entered my field of observation.
"Received a communication request from a Shi'ar Empire vessel," the AI announced.
Simultaneously, I felt an incredibly strong psionic force beginning to batter through my mental shields.
"Ugh!" A groan escaped my throat as I found myself fighting on two fronts.
The Phoenix's pressure intensified with each passing second, filling the space around me with searing heat, as if the fiery bird demanded my undivided attention. It was a power that surpassed anything I had ever known, even with all my knowledge and experience. The Phoenix was not merely energy or consciousness—it was an all-consuming entity, uncontrollable and intolerant of resistance.
In an instant, my skin paled to a marble hue. I could feel my blood pulsing beneath the surface, as if being burned from within. The enhancement I received from the Juubi proved to be my sole salvation at that moment. It granted me a brief but vital respite. In those precious minutes, I felt my strength partially return.
During that short window, leveraging my increased powers to manipulate space, I managed to create a rift into which I thrust the weakened Gladiator.
The Phoenix's power was incredibly dangerous even to a being like Gladiator, who, while not mortally wounded, was teetering on the brink.
The portal delivered Gladiator back to his ship. His consciousness was drained after the Phoenix's assault, which allowed me to implant a couple of commands that would aid us later.
"YOU ARE MINE!" I heard the Phoenix's scream reverberate in my mind.
The Phoenix's pressure intensified, and at that very moment, I felt the colossal fiery bird set into motion. Judging by the direction she chose, I needed to act swiftly.
"In my absence, Sue will take command," I announced, mentally counting the seconds remaining before my confrontation with the Phoenix. "I need to face her alone."
With those words, I used the Hiraishin to teleport to the nearest moon of the planet—an uninhabited, malleable place suitable for creating battle conditions.
As soon as I appeared on the moon, the Phoenix instantly altered her course. The immense fiery bird was hurtling toward me, and the pressure on my mental shields intensified with each passing second, threatening to obliterate them entirely.
The Juubi, under my control, was a being capable of destroying entire planets, but the Phoenix was an entity that could annihilate entire timelines. The fact that the Juubi managed to hold back the Phoenix's onslaught even briefly was a miracle.
I knew all too well that if the Phoenix continued her assault, my shields would not hold. For this reason, I was preparing to utilize equipment designed specifically for such a scenario. However, I didn't have to do anything of the sort, as the Phoenix's pressure vanished as if it had never been.
"What the...?" The thought flashed through my mind, but before it could form into words, I found myself face-to-face with the figure of a beautiful girl engulfed in cosmic flames.
Jean Grey—no, the Phoenix, who had taken control of Jean Grey's body—was gazing at me with eyes blazing white fire.
In those eyes, I could distinctly sense the weight of millions of years the Phoenix had existed.
"REED RICHARDS," her voice echoed in my mind, as loudly, if not louder, than my own thoughts.
There was something more in those words than just my name; I distinctly detected undertones of something else... Exactly what, I couldn't discern—nothing came to mind...
I had no opportunity to comprehend, as the Phoenix traversed the distance between us in the blink of an eye. She was now hovering right in front of me.
What happened next... I could never have anticipated. The Phoenix, enveloped in flames, drew my head toward hers and kissed me squarely on the lips, like a drowning person craving a breath of air.
—= Some time ago =—
—= The Phoenix =—
Throughout her truly long existence, the Phoenix had never before found an avatar capable of withstanding such an immense portion of her power.
"I am the Phoenix..." the Phoenix whispered, but in the next moment, something happened that she did not expect. "No... I am Jean Grey!"
The Phoenix sensed that Jean Grey was not going to back down. Anger—yet another emotion the Phoenix had acquired while confined within the depths of Jean Grey's consciousness—was new to her.
Jean Grey's onslaught was instantly suppressed by the Phoenix's might.
At that very moment, the Phoenix saw Gladiator, who had previously killed one of her avatars. The subject of the Shi'ar Empire was attempting to do the same as he had on the day he killed the former avatar of the Phoenix.
Unfortunately for Gladiator... Jean Grey was stronger than the avatar he had slain.
"Begone," the Phoenix said in English.
Gladiator's body shot like a cannonball toward the planet opposite them.
He should have pierced through the planet, but his body was halted by telekinesis.
The Phoenix instantly sensed an incredible psionic force. With her powers, it was quite simple for the Phoenix to locate the source of this energy.
A moment later, she began to break through the mental barriers of this being... a human...
"Well, this is interesting..." the Phoenix murmured when the shields did not crumble before her.
The Phoenix directed more power to destroy these shields. As she began to use more power than before, the shields started to vanish at an alarming rate.
The Fiery Bird of Resurrection and Destruction was intrigued that this human had a hidden trump card in the form of a being that closely resembled a Deity of Nature.
Despite this deity being quite powerful... it was not strong enough to oppose the Phoenix.
The Phoenix playfully subdued this creature, but at that very moment, she—the Phoenix—lost control.
"NO!!!" the Phoenix exclaimed, but Jean Grey, who had gained the opportunity, did not hesitate to assert her power.
And so Jean Grey was once again in control. However, the Phoenix did not cease her attempts to break free.
"We can't continue like this forever!" Jean Grey exclaimed.
After Jean's words, the Phoenix momentarily halted her attempts to break free. The girl could keenly feel the immense power hidden within the Phoenix.
"WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE?"
The moment the Phoenix had taken over Jean's body, a connection formed between them. Through this connection, she found herself in the White Hot Room. She couldn't call it anything else—the place where she saw countless versions of herself. Time flowed differently there. By her estimation, Jean Grey spent countless decades there. She did not wish to experience that feeling again.
"I propose a partnership," Jean Grey said.
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