Rise of an Immortal

Professor Xavier sat in his office with hands clasped together in deep thought. Across from him, Scott, Betsy, Jean, Hank, and Ororo listened intently as he voiced his conclusions.

"Ethan Carter's abilities are... unique," Xavier began. "His adaptation is unlike anything we've seen. I believe he was experimented on," Xavier paused for a sec before he continued. "Someone, or some organization, must have discovered his abilities and sought to unlock their full potential. But something must have gone wrong. Either they lost control of him... or he escaped."

Jean frowned. "You think they blew up the lab to cover their tracks?"

"Or to ensure Ethan didn't leave alive," Betsy added.

Ororo crossed her arms and her expression is unreadable. "If that's true, then he was hunted for his power, and will be in the future."

"Which means we need to make sure he isn't led down the wrong path," Xavier said. "Left unchecked, power like his can be dangerous."

Ororo nodded. "I know this better than anyone."

She remembered her time with Apocalypse, how she had once believed strength ruled above all. But now, she saw Ethan as someone who needed guidance, not control.

"I will train him myself," Ororo declared.

Scott arched an eyebrow. "You're taking on a student?"

She smirked. "Let's just say he's more willing to listen when his teacher is… easy on the eyes." Jean rolled her eyes while Hank chuckled.

Xavier nodded. "Then it's settled. We will help him grow, but also watch him carefully."

Weeks passed. Two months after Ethan, Rogue, and Logan had joined the X-Men,

Ethan had become a familiar face around the mansion. Though he excelled in academics and social interactions, his true growth happened in the Danger Room.

On the observation platform, Ororo stood with her arms crossed as Ethan examined the towering metal figure before him.

"The Sentinel program was designed to hunt and eliminate mutants," she explained. "This model is an older version, but still deadly."

Ethan smirked while cracking his knuckles. "Let's see how it holds up."

The Sentinel's glowing red eyes locked onto Ethan before launching a massive metal fist toward him. Instead of dodging, Ethan let the strike connect and his body began absorbing the impact but he was sent flying, crashing into the far wall.

Storm narrowed her eyes. 'He's doing it again... letting himself get hit to grow stronger.'

Ethan stood up with his body already adapting. His muscles hardened, his bones denser. His movements became faster.

With a burst of speed, he leapt onto the machine's arm, running up its metallic frame. His fist struck the Sentinel's head like a battering ram, crushing it in a single blow. Sparks erupted as the robot collapsed, its systems shutting down.

"Too easy," he muttered.

Storm smirked. "Then let's add more."

Ethan quickly outgrew single combat.

Each day, Ethan increased the challenge. First, he fought two Sentinels, then three. By the end of the week, he faced five at once.

And in each fight, the Danger Room adjusted, throwing new variations at him. Some had energy cannons. Others had reinforced armor. But no matter what, Ethan adapted. His strength, speed, and reflexes sharpened with every battle.

A month later, he stood alone in the training room, surrounded by fifteen towering Sentinels.

The alarm blared. "Simulation Level: Normal. Beginning combat."

The Sentinels charged.

Ethan moved like a blur, weaving through their attacks. One Sentinel fired an energy blast—he took it head-on, his body absorbing the damage before countering with a powerful punch that sent the machine crashing into another.

The battle raged on. For thirty minutes, he fought relentlessly. His speed, strength, and durability grew with each encounter.

When the final Sentinel fell, he stood victorious, panting slightly but unharmed.

Storm clapped from the sidelines. "Impressive. But you still lack range."

Ethan frowned. She was right. His body adapted only when exposed to severe conditions, but he had no special abilities beyond that. He needed something more.

He needs to create a situation where he gains superpowers to survive and let his body adapt to it, but that needs to be careful planned, "I'll figure it out," he muttered.

One afternoon, Storm stood with Logan and Scott as Ethan faced 18 Sentinels at once.

"Kid's relentless," Logan muttered while watching as Ethan dodged an energy blast before ripping off a Sentinel's arm and using it as a weapon. "Reminds me of someone."

Scott smirked. "I wonder who."

Storm remained silent and her eyes focused. She had seen powerful mutants before, but Ethan was something different. His body learned from damage, his mind remained calm under pressure. But there was one thing she noticed—he had no long-range abilities.

"He's strong," she finally said. "But brute strength alone won't always win."

In the arena, Ethan took down his final opponent, landing in a crouch as metal debris scattered around him.

He stood up slowly, "Alright," he called up to Storm. "Twenty next?"

Storm chuckled. "That's enough for today. Even you need rest." Ethan smirked. "Do I?"

Scott shook his head. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he's trying to break the Danger Room."

Logan grunted. "Wouldn't be the first."

As the simulation ended, Ethan walked off the battlefield, sweat glistening on his skin. He knew he was getting stronger.

.....

Three months later...

Ethan had always viewed this world as something surreal, like stepping into a movie he had watched a thousand times. At first, everyone felt like fictional characters—people he had seen on screen but never expected to truly know. But after three months, that perspective shifted.

Now, they were more than just names. They were his friends.

Storm, his mentor, guided him through every challenge, pushing him to master his abilities. Hank, with his scientific curiosity, constantly tested the limits of Ethan's adaptation.

Jean, kind yet cautious, always seemed to be watching him, trying to understand what lay beneath his confident smirk.

Then there were the ones who truly made him feel like he belonged.

Bobby, always cracking jokes and making everything lighter. Kitty is always bursting with energy and constantly dragging him into whatever mischief she had planned. Angelica is fierce and competitive, always trying to one-up him in training.

Kurt is kindhearted and fun, who made Ethan appreciate the simple joys of life. And John, fiery in both attitude and abilities, who treated Ethan like a rival but also a brother.

But Anna… Anna was different.

It started small—simple conversations, shared meals, training sessions together. Unlike the others, Anna didn't just see him as a powerful fighter or a mystery to solve. She saw him as Ethan.

Maybe it was because he was the only one who could touch her.

One afternoon, they sat beneath a large oak tree outside the mansion. Anna leaned back against the trunk and watched as Ethan trying to balance basketball on single finger.

She hesitantly takes her gloves off and reached out, brushing her fingers against his other arm.

He turned to her. "Testing my immunity again?"

She nodded. "Still amazes me that I can touch you and not hurt ya."

Ethan smiled. "Guess that makes me special." She smirked. "Don't let it go to your head, sugar."

"You ever get tired of people starin' at you?" she asked as every girl nearby are looking at him sometimes.

Ethan smirked. "Well, I could say the same about you. People stare at you all the time."

Anna's smile faltered for a second before she looked away. "Yeah, but not for the same reasons."

Ethan didn't need to ask what she meant. He had seen it—the cautious glances, the fear people had of touching her, of being near her for too long.

It happened because someone accidentally touched her and fell into coma. That started rumours about her, even if he and others tried to explain her powers, it didn't help much.

Soon, Anna's mutation was a curse to her, something that separated her from the world. But not from him.

"I don't care about that," Ethan said, his tone softer now. "I don't have to worry about you draining me. And even if you could, I'd probably just adapt to it."

Anna looked at him then, her green eyes searching his face. "You make it sound so easy."

He shrugged. "Maybe it is. Maybe people just make things more complicated than they need to be."

Anna hesitated for only a moment before placing her palm against Ethan's cheek.

Nothing happened. No absorption, no sudden rush of memories or powers. Just warmth.

Her breath hitched. "Ah still can't believe this."

Ethan smirked. "Believe it."

She didn't move her hand away. Instead, her thumb brushed against his cheek lightly, as if testing whether this moment was real.

Ethan felt something stir inside him—an unfamiliar warmth, something beyond mere attraction.

Without thinking, he placed his hand over her free hand, their fingers intertwining. Their eyes locked, searching, questioning—until neither of them needed words anymore.

Slowly, they leaned in and then, their lips met.

It was soft at first, hesitant, as if neither truly believed this was happening. But then the hesitation faded. Anna melted into the kiss, her free hand gripping his shirt, pulling him closer. Ethan responded in kind, his other hand finding its way to her waist.

Nearby, a group of students had been chatting in the courtyard, but now? Total silence.

Their friends came here just now.

Kitty's eyes widened. "No way…"

Bobby nearly choked on his drink. "That's—wait, they're actually—?"

Angelica smirked, crossing her arms. "Huh. Took 'em long enough."

Kurt grinned, his tail flicking excitedly. "Zhis is wunderbar!"

Even Storm, who had been watching from a distance, raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. She had expected them to grow closer, but this? This was… unexpected.

Anna and Ethan, however, were oblivious to all of it.

The kiss deepened, shifting from soft and slow to something more intense. Anna clutched at his shirt, pressing herself against him, while Ethan, ever the fast learner, adapted—matching her rhythm, responding with equal hunger.

His adaptation even worked here.

'Guess I should thank that bastard for giving me this power,' Ethan thought briefly before losing himself in the moment.

When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested against each other and began breathing heavily.

Anna's cheeks were flushed and her green eyes searching his. "That was… somethin'."

Ethan chuckled as his thumb brushing against her lips. "Yeah. Definitely."

A beat of silence.

Then, as if drawn by an unseen force, they kissed again—this time with even more urgency.

Kitty turned to Bobby. "Are we just gonna stand here and watch?"

Bobby smirked. "I mean… yeah, kinda. It's exciting to watch."

Angelica laughed. "We should give 'em some space. But damn, didn't expect this today."

As the group left, Storm watched them for a moment longer before shaking her head with a small smile on her lips. Ethan had adapted to many things since coming here.

It seemed love was just another thing he had conquered.

.....

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