Nick Fury had left, but Ethan Voss knew the matter was far from over. Someone like Fury never simply walked away after a single conversation. However, Ethan felt no concern whatsoever about it. In his eyes, the legendary director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was nothing more than a glorified shepherd unknowingly tending Hydra's flock.
There was nothing impressive about that.
With that thought dismissed, Ethan returned his attention to the plan already unfolding in the shadows—the quiet takeover of Hammer Industries.
According to the events he remembered from his previous life, Justin Hammer had already developed deep resentment toward Tony Stark. After being humiliated yet again during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, that resentment had grown even stronger.
Eventually, Hammer would encounter Ivan Vanko at a racetrack.
That meeting would change everything.
Hammer believed that if Ivan helped him upgrade Hammer Industries' combat armor technology, he could secure massive military contracts and publicly humiliate Stark once and for all. It was a partnership born from jealousy and revenge.
But in the original timeline, Hammer made a critical mistake.
Ivan Vanko was never trustworthy.
Instead of helping Hammer dominate the defense industry, Ivan manipulated him and eventually sent him straight to prison.
However, things were different now.
Anton Vanko and his son Ivan were already under Ethan's control. Under normal circumstances, the racetrack incident should never happen.
But Ethan had already decided that Justin Hammer needed to fall.
Which meant the attack still had to occur.
Ivan Vanko, for his part, seemed delighted by the opportunity.
He accepted the enhancements without hesitation, constructed his armor carefully, and began preparing for the spectacle. His task was simple: appear at the racetrack, beat Tony Stark into humiliation in front of the world, and then allow himself to be captured.
After that, he would be imprisoned.
Justin Hammer would inevitably attempt to rescue him.
Hammer would then eagerly fund the creation of even more advanced armor, hoping to defeat Iron Man again.
And once everything reached its peak—
Ivan Vanko would vanish.
All that would remain would be a legend.
And a lingering shadow in Tony Stark's heart.
At the same time, another major event would unfold.
The official debut of the Justice League.
After all, if even Iron Man—the hero everyone admired—could be publicly beaten down, who else could step forward to restore order?
The answer would be obvious.
A mysterious new organization appearing out of nowhere.
The Justice League.
Meanwhile, Ethan had already begun quietly acquiring shares in Hammer Industries through various intermediaries. Once Justin Hammer was arrested, the company's stock would collapse, and that would be the perfect moment to strike.
There was no need for Ethan to interfere with the early stages of the plan.
All he needed to do was follow the script.
After reviewing those arrangements, Ethan picked up a document listing the planned members of the first generation of the Justice League.
The list was impressive.
Abomination—Emil Blonsky.
Colossus.
Wolverine—Logan.
Cyclops—Scott Summers.
Storm.
Jean Grey.
Behind them were several reserve members: Pyro, Iceman, Nightcrawler, Lady Deathstrike, and Kitty Pryde.
Beyond the mutants, dozens of enhanced soldiers were also prepared to serve as operational support. Leading them were two particularly dangerous men.
Bullseye.
And Frank Castle—the Punisher.
Ethan studied the list thoughtfully.
One name was missing.
Professor Charles.
He frowned slightly. In truth, he would very much like to bring the professor into the organization as well. The only uncertainty was whether Charles would be willing to accept such a role.
With that thought lingering in his mind, Ethan raised his hand and opened a portal.
Moments later, he stepped through.
He arrived in Noah Town.
Over the past few months, the Kingdom of God had changed dramatically. The steady influx of people had transformed the once-barren region surrounding the town into something almost unrecognizable.
Originally, the wasteland stretched roughly fifty to sixty kilometers beyond the town's borders.
Now the barren zone had expanded outward to more than one hundred kilometers.
To the south of the town, a natural depression had recently filled with underground water erupting to the surface, forming a large lake that shimmered beneath the sun.
White clouds drifted slowly through the sky.
The scenery was breathtaking.
At the same time, the arrival of Xavier's students and the mutants previously imprisoned by Stryker had brought Ethan an unexpected benefit.
Each mutant carried unique abilities.
And those abilities began to interact.
Within the unseen fabric of the divine realm, those powers intertwined, merged, and transformed in ways Ethan had never anticipated.
After several days of mysterious gestation, they produced something entirely new.
A supreme ability.
The Creator.
The power was still incomplete, far from its final form. But even in its current state, its influence within the Kingdom of God had become astonishing.
With a single thought, Ethan could now alter the changing of the seasons across his divine domain.
Spring could bloom instantly.
Autumn could arrive in the blink of an eye.
Flowers, grass, and towering trees could experience an entire cycle of life—from flourishing growth to withering decay—in mere seconds.
Flying.
Manipulating electromagnetic forces.
Controlling gravity.
Breathing fire or water.
Teleporting through space.
Even achieving immortality.
All of it was possible.
More importantly, his control over the Kingdom of God had increased dramatically. Ethan could now open multiple portals simultaneously and keep them active for extended periods.
That meant he could establish portals all across the world.
Instant travel anywhere on Earth had effectively become possible.
Inside Noah Town, Ethan soon found Professor Charles.
The professor had been incredibly busy over the past few days. He was working tirelessly to restore the sanity of the mutants who had fallen under Jason's illusions.
At the same time, he was attempting to help Jason himself recover.
And as if that weren't enough, he also had to watch over Jean Grey.
Jean's emotional state had grown increasingly unstable. She remained trapped in a quiet melancholy that worried everyone around her.
Cyclops and Wolverine hovered constantly nearby, both desperate to help but often clashing with each other instead. That left Storm as the only one capable of assisting Charles with the situation.
When Charles saw Ethan arrive, relief flickered across his face.
"I'm afraid I must ask for your help again," he admitted.
Ethan didn't hesitate.
"That's easy," he said calmly. "Let me treat Jason first. Once he's recovered, removing the illusion control affecting those other mutants will be simple."
"As for Jean Grey, that problem is actually even simpler."
"I can extract the Phoenix Force from her."
"Even if her darker personality emerges afterward, the damage will be minimal."
Charles frowned immediately.
"Extract the Phoenix Force?" he asked. "What exactly do you mean?"
Ethan blinked in mild surprise before slapping his forehead lightly.
Of course.
Charles probably didn't even know what the Phoenix Force truly was.
"The power inside Jean doesn't originate from her body," Ethan explained.
"The Phoenix Force comes from the primordial universe itself. It was born at the beginning of existence—a chaotic yet eternal force, both immortal and ever-changing."
"You could say it's a child of the universe."
"The power Jean possesses right now is only a fragment of the Phoenix Force."
"And that fragment alone already gives her unimaginable strength."
Ethan's tone grew more serious.
"If she ever fully awakens, even you and Magneto working together wouldn't be able to stop her."
"What we must do now is prevent that power from falling under the control of her darker personality."
"Otherwise, the entire world could face catastrophe."
Charles fell silent as he considered the explanation carefully.
After a long moment, he spoke again.
"So the Phoenix Force must have attached itself to her when she was a child?"
A faint smile appeared on Ethan's lips.
"That's correct."
"Which means, strictly speaking… the one responsible for Jean's mother's death was this uncontrollable power."
Charles nodded slowly.
"I'll talk to her," he said. "If she agrees, then I appreciate your help."
"Of course."
Ethan waved a hand casually.
"Professor, would you be interested in joining the Justice League?"
"Don't worry," he added quickly. "You can handle the big problems. We won't bother you with the small ones."
Charles didn't hesitate.
"If the Justice League truly exists to protect the world," he said calmly, "then I'm willing to join whenever you need me."
"Excellent."
Ethan stood up.
"Let's go. I'll treat Jason first."
They soon arrived at Noah Town People's Hospital.
Jason sat motionless in a wheelchair near the window, his eyes empty and unfocused. His expression was distant, as if the world around him no longer existed.
Charles lowered his voice.
"His mental state is severely damaged," he explained. "He isn't fully conscious. It's as though he's trapped in a repeating fragment of his own time."
"I tried to reach him before," Charles continued, "but his mind is incredibly powerful. It feels as though he's punishing himself for something."
Ethan understood immediately.
Jason was still trapped in the nightmare of killing his own mother.
Fortunately, the solution was simple.
With a single thought, Ethan activated the Creator.
The world around him changed instantly.
It felt as though he had stepped into a virtual reality simulation.
He found himself standing outside a quiet suburban house. It was springtime, and sunlight bathed the lawn where colorful flowers bloomed across the grass.
"Jason! Wake up and eat breakfast! You're going to be late for school!"
Ethan drifted through the wall like a ghost, entering the house silently.
A messy-haired boy hurried down the stairs from the second floor, still half asleep.
"Mom, you should've woken me earlier!" he complained. "I'm almost late!"
The boy grabbed a sandwich from the table and stuffed it into his mouth.
"I've got to go now," he said hurriedly. "There's an event at school today—"
"Wait! Your lunch, Jason!"
A woman wearing a floral dress chased after him outside and quickly slipped a plastic lunchbox into his backpack.
Watching the scene unfold, Ethan understood immediately.
This was a dream.
More precisely, it was a memory Jason had locked himself inside.
A recurring dream he created to remember the mother he had killed.
Ethan sighed quietly.
Face reality, kid.
Even if it hurts.
He raised his hand.
In an instant, Ethan appeared directly in front of the running boy. The world around them began peeling away piece by piece, collapsing like fragments of broken glass.
When the illusion finally faded, Ethan performed one final act.
He sealed away most of Jason's guilt and sorrow.
The unbearable weight crushing his mind disappeared.
Slowly, Jason's dull eyes began to regain focus.
When his vision cleared, he saw a familiar face standing before him.
"Jason," Ethan said with a warm smile. "It's been a long time."
.....
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