The previous kiss had allowed the Phoenix Force within both of them to briefly touch, and during that moment Leon had sensed something unexpected. The Phoenix power inside Jean Grey reacted strongly to the power inside his own body, almost as if the two energies recognized each other. When the forces converged, he clearly felt the Phoenix Force within him grow stronger, responding to the contact like fuel being poured onto a fire.
If he wanted the two powers to merge more thoroughly, the most direct way was obvious. Physical intimacy would bring the two carriers of the Phoenix Force into the closest possible contact, allowing the energies to interact far more deeply. With that thought in mind, Leon did not hesitate any longer and pulled Jean into his arms.
The two of them tumbled onto the bed together, their bodies pressed tightly against each other. In less than two minutes, Leon already felt the same reaction as before when they had kissed earlier. The Phoenix Force within his body surged violently, responding to the closeness, and as the atmosphere between them heated, that power began growing more and more active.
As their bodies remained in close contact, Leon could also sense the changes happening inside Jean. The Phoenix Force in her body was awakening as well, but unlike Leon, who had achieved near-perfect control over the power, Jean's relationship with the Phoenix was far more chaotic. Rather than controlling the power, she seemed almost like a puppet being manipulated by it, her thoughts and even parts of her personality gradually influenced and tainted by the overwhelming cosmic energy.
To Leon, however, this situation was perfectly normal and not something that concerned him. What he needed was Jean Grey as the host of the Phoenix Force itself, not Jean Grey as an individual. When two forces of the same origin met and fused together, growing stronger side by side, that was the outcome he desired most.
Their intense contact continued for nearly an hour. Unlike Lorna's delicate physique, Jean's body had already been strengthened by the Phoenix Force, making her far more resilient. In fact, she was one of the very few people capable of keeping up with Leon's physical endurance.
By the time almost an hour had passed, even Leon felt a faint sense of fatigue creeping into his muscles. His body was extremely powerful, but the constant interaction between the two Phoenix Forces placed enormous strain on him.
Jean lay completely limp on the bed, her body paralyzed with exhaustion. Her final reaction was almost identical to Lorna's when she had reached her limit earlier. The result, however, was astonishing. The Phoenix Force within Leon had grown dramatically, and the amount of power he gained from this single encounter exceeded the total growth he had achieved during the entire previous month.
As he had already understood long ago, taking on greater amounts of Phoenix power required one crucial factor—physical strength. If the body could not keep up with the increasing energy, the balance between the Phoenix Force and its host would break.
Now Leon lay quietly on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. From time to time, thin scars suddenly appeared across his bare body. Each wound lasted less than a second before disappearing completely as his healing factor activated, instantly repairing the damage. Even so, the constant cycle of injury and regeneration revealed a deeper problem.
"The Phoenix Force is growing faster than my body's healing can keep up with," Leon murmured to himself while watching another wound form and vanish. "At this rate, this unstable state will probably last for another day or two."
Despite the discomfort, he was not worried. In fact, he felt fortunate about the path he had chosen from the very beginning.
Leon had built everything around the Phoenix Force as the core of his power. After obtaining abilities such as a regenerative healing factor, he used the Phoenix Force to strengthen and amplify those abilities, turning it into the engine that continuously pushed his power forward.
Other mutants with regenerative abilities—people like Wolverine or Sabretooth—had already reached a natural equilibrium between their bodies and their healing factors. Their power remained fixed within that balance because they had no external source of energy capable of constantly strengthening them.
Leon, however, was completely different.
He possessed the Phoenix Force, an almost limitless source of cosmic energy that could continuously grow stronger. As the Phoenix Force expanded, it fueled the development of all his other abilities as well. This was something no other mutant in the world could replicate.
While Leon remained deep in thought, Jean beside him had already fallen asleep without him noticing. Her breathing was soft and steady, her exhausted body completely relaxed after the intense release of energy.
Leon turned his head slightly and looked at the beautiful woman lying next to him. His eyes revealed a faint hint of satisfaction.
Jean Grey was truly a fascinating existence. Her personality carried both extremes—passion that burned like fire, yet also a coldness that felt almost like ice. The conflicting sensations created a unique charm that had made the previous hour particularly enjoyable for him.
"I've found a real treasure," Leon said quietly to himself with a small smile. "Looks like visiting here every day might become necessary."
He slowly got up from the bed and began getting dressed. After putting on his clothes, he walked over to the table and poured himself a glass of red wine.
Just as he lifted the glass, Svija's voice suddenly echoed through his communication device.
"Sir, Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. is requesting a connection. Would you like to accept the call?"
Leon took a slow sip of the wine before answering calmly.
"Connect it."
A moment later, Nick Fury's voice came through the communicator, and the anger within it was impossible to hide.
"Do you have any idea what you've done, Mr. Leon?" Fury demanded. His tone was unusually serious, carrying an intensity that suggested he had completely lost patience.
Leon responded in a flat, almost indifferent voice.
"It was only a small warning," he said. "Don't try to push me into one of your camps again, and don't attempt to provoke me. I know a lot about the things you and the upper levels of your government are doing behind the scenes."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone turning cold.
"Let me give you a piece of advice."
Leon's voice lowered slightly as he spoke, each word deliberate.
"I am Leon. I am the only truly free human being on this planet. I was born on Earth, but I am already beyond it. None of your laws apply to me, and none of your political ideas can be forced onto me. If I discover that anyone is still trying to manipulate things behind my back next time, the consequences won't be so simple."
"Are you threatening me?"
Nick Fury's voice became even more serious than before, the tension between them rising instantly.
Leon let out a faint snort.
"I'm not interested in wasting time arguing with you," he said casually. "Right now, all you need to do is turn on the television."
As soon as he finished speaking, Leon ended the call without waiting for a response.
Then he raised his hand slightly in front of his eyes. Invisible electromagnetic signals began to ripple outward from his fingertips, spreading rapidly through the air like an unseen wave.
At that exact moment, thousands of people sitting in front of televisions across the United States suddenly saw the image on their screens change.
.....
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