Marvel's New Magneto

"I like this place. If I were designing it, I'd want it to be as comfortable and convenient as possible. The décor doesn't need to be extravagant, and the space doesn't have to be large, but it should be a place where one can feel relaxed, natural, and at ease." Erik's voice echoed softly in the bathroom.

"Sounds like the words of a man who enjoys luxury. What did you do before all this?" Jean asked, running her fingers through her loose, shoulder-length hair.

"What do you think?"

"I can't guess. All I know is what the professor has mentioned here and there."

"I used to be an ordinary person," Erik said slowly.

"Just like mutants before their X-gene awakens, I was granted a gift by a higher being—an opportunity to enter other worlds. Take Selene's homeworld, for example. There were native inhabitants there, as well as others like me—outsiders. Just like mutants are shunned by humanity, we, too, had to pay a price for our powers. We had to keep evolving, competing, fighting. Until one day, we completed all the trials set by that being and were given a chance to leave. By then, we knew that if we stayed any longer, we would die. So we chose to escape those fascinating yet deadly realms and return to the material world.

"I had grown used to the conveniences my abilities provided, so I chose to stay here. At least here, I still had a chance of holding onto some of my powers. Unlike the world I came from, where the laws of physics were so rigid that it stripped away anything beyond the ordinary. That kind of life didn't suit me."

"You don't resent that being for throwing you into danger?" Ororo asked. Like Jean, this was the first time she had ever heard Erik talk about his past. The existence of such a powerful entity was shocking, but Erik's experiences intrigued her even more. His past was shrouded in darkness, known only to the professor, while the rest remained oblivious.

"We called it the Lord God," Erik said calmly. "I won't say I never resented it. But what it gave me far outweighs what it took away."

"If it's so great, why do you keep sneaking back after escaping?" Jean swirled her drink, smiling playfully.

"It's not arrogance. The Lord God gave me the key itself. Maybe every time I travel between worlds, it's watching me. Who knows?" Erik replied indifferently.

"Aren't you afraid of getting caught?"

"A skilled thief always operates where they're most familiar. Even the emperor's treasury has moments of weakness. The Lord God is too vast, and I am too insignificant. In the face of such risks, I choose to trust its promise—that those who leave will not be bound again."

The three of them soaked in the water, chatting leisurely, avoiding any talk of the outside world. Time slipped by, and eventually, Jean swung her legs over the edge of the pool and stepped out. She turned back with a playful smile. Erik understood the meaning behind it and rose to follow.

"I'll go first," Ororo said suddenly. She hadn't spoken much but had been quietly observing them. Now, she stepped ahead of Jean and grabbed Erik's hand.

Erik gestured invitingly. Wrapped in a bath towel, Ororo hesitated for a moment before leaning against the edge of the pool.

Jean chuckled softly as she watched her friend's flushed cheeks. Her curvaceous figure swayed gently with her laughter, different from her usual bright and confident self. Ororo bit her lip, pretending not to hear.

Through the towel, Erik placed his hand on Ororo's back, tracing down her spine to the base. A tremor ran through her body as a tingling sensation spread from her tailbone to the top of her head.

His hands moved expertly along her shoulders, down her arms, pressing into pressure points with deliberate force. A series of faint cracks echoed as her joints loosened—not in pain, not in numbness, but in a deep, almost unbearable relaxation. It was as if the hot water had seeped into her nervous system, leaving her utterly powerless.

As his hands glided across her skin, a faint static charge followed, sending tiny shivers through her. When he applied more pressure, the sensation became overwhelming, penetrating deep inside her, unraveling something hidden within her very being.

Ororo felt as though an invisible organ within her had suddenly awakened, trying to express itself, to cry out with all its might. But the last shred of her rationality kept her from doing so. Today had already gone too far—she had to hold onto some dignity.

Wave after wave of sensation crashed over her, making her feel as though she were walking a tightrope over an ocean of pleasure, ready to be swept away at any moment.

At last, she gave in, allowing her instincts to take over. A husky, breathless moan escaped her lips.

Jean had quietly left the bathroom, retreating to the lounge outside. She couldn't listen any longer—the sounds, the gasps, the rhythm of bodies meeting—everything was too much. Ororo's loss of control only made her own frustration worse, like another part of her was desperately trying to break free.

She lay on a recliner, her back turned away from the direction of the noise, as if doing so could separate her from the source of her turmoil.

"She's asleep," a voice murmured through the lingering steam, distant and ethereal, as if coming from the farthest reaches of the sky.

The familiar sound made Jean and the other presence inside her fall silent for a moment.

Then a hand rested on her shoulder. Jean's body trembled violently.

"Are you afraid of me?" Erik's voice was both a question and a statement.

Jean wanted to deny it, but the words wouldn't come.

"There's fear… but also anticipation," Erik continued, his fingers brushing over the thin towel draped over her. It was as if there was nothing underneath. Each touch carried a faint, static-like sting, igniting the embers within her.

He began applying pressure, and now it was Jean's turn to experience the unbearable, numbing sensation.

Like Ororo, she bit her lip, refusing to make a sound, afraid that the moment she spoke, she'd end up crying out just as her friend had.

"What are you afraid of? The other you?" Erik's words struck a nerve, making her flinch. But before she could react, a sharp smack landed on her skin, forcing her back into place.

The sudden sting made her gasp in anger.

"You're no different," she shot back. "Your mind is locked away too."

"You figured it out," Erik said, unfazed. "That's right. We're very much alike. You're like my sister. The way you and the professor interact is just like my relationship with the other Erik.

"And just like you, I carry a seal in my mind—one the professor placed on me when I first arrived at the academy. He wanted to keep me from following in the footsteps of the other Erik.

"But I never feared myself. No matter what lies beyond that sealed door, it's still me. Light or darkness, good or evil—it's all me. My personality has never been fragmented. I've always been whole.

"When I came here, this world became my home. I choose to follow the professor's wishes because they align with my own. I want to protect this place, just as he does. The only reason I haven't broken the seal is because of the trust between us. It's fragile, but it exists. But if it ever goes against my will… then it's nothing more than a thin veil of silk. Who would fear such a thing?"

With a sudden motion, Erik pulled.

Jean's towel slipped away, exposing her to him completely.

But Erik's eyes weren't focused on her body.

What he saw instead left him breathless.

"Help me, Erik," Jean whispered. As the towel fell, so too did the professor's seal. She could feel the other part of herself growing stronger, rising faster than ever before. Terror gripped her as she pleaded for his help.

"Why ask for help?" Erik murmured. "Look at you… you're beautiful."

In his vision, a magnificent phoenix emerged, wreathed in roaring flames. Each of its feathers shimmered with the brilliance of a sun, glowing in a kaleidoscope of crimson, scarlet, rose, and gold.

Destruction and desire. Power and chaos.

Life and passion.

"You're stunning just the way you are. Don't deny yourself."

He leaned in closer.

And kissed her.

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