FicWad

Phoenix Destiny
Chapter 1: Falling

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AN: This fic is a means to repair that which Marvel has so thoroughly destroyed in the 616 continuity. It takes place after Phoenix Endsong, an arc that I was deeply troubled by and finishes it. It also takes place before Astonishing 13 and after House of M. Hopefully, it'll do justice to those as resentful to what was done as I am.

Summery: Phoenix and Jean Grey have merged and returned to the White Hot Room. Yet still, its missing pieces remain unfound. Then, the arrival of a mysterious warrior named Slayer changes the world of the Phoenix forever. The aftermath of which could affect all reality.

Pairings: Scott/Jean mostly with some hints of others.

'These mean character thoughts or psychic communication.'

Disclaimer: I don't own X-men. Marvel does, but they're still bastards! So screw them! I do, however, own Slayer. He is all mine.

I hope you all enjoy this fic! And don't forget to REVIEW! Send them to me via email or post them on the fanfiction website! Either way is fine! Slickboy out.

AN: If you want to know the origin of Slayer, read chapter 70 of "Hellfire and Brimstone" under my good friend, Agent-G.

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I'm falling through an unknown void. It's black everywhere. And it's freezing cold. I don't know which way is up or down, but I could care less. All I know is there are a million other places I'd rather be.

My name is Jack Robinson. Most people know me as Slayer. I'm a mutant, a warrior, and a mystic. I fight the forces of darkness, evil, call it what you will. Not a lot of people know I exist, but that's probably for the better. Hell, if anybody knew the kind of things I've gone up against, they'd shit their pants.

I've been shot, stabbed, cursed, shocked, burned, tortured, and impaled. Hell, I've even died and gone to the other side. But NOTHING has ever sucked more ass than this.

"RAAAAAAHHHHH!" yelled an imposing, seven foot tall hideous figure as he held Slayer's neck in a chokehold, "YOU FEEL THAT, SLAYER? YOU FEEL THE PAIN? I'M GONNA MAKE SURE YOU FEEL IT EVERY SECOND FOR ALL ETERNITY!"

"Ack!" choked the mutant warrior, blood trickling down his neck as he struggled to break the strong grip.

Mr. Happy right there is Hotshot. And even by my standards, he is NOT a nice person.

He used to be a serial killer/mutant who would gain strength by psychically feeding off of someone else's pain. So naturally, he loved to inflict it, especially on young women. He left quite a bloody mark when he was alive. And he could have been a famous too if he hadn't been gunned down by the cops in New Orleans.

But leave it to them to dump his body in a swamp once used by a Voodoo witchdoctor to summon demons. And as luck would have it, an exiled demon from Hell who tried to challenge the Prince of Darkness was in the neighborhood looking for new residence.

And so far, it's been a match made in Hell. The demon and the man became one and I've been picking up the slack ever since. Hotshot has the mystic power of a demon and the strength of a human. And together, they make for one sick creature.

"YES! YES! SUFFER!" screamed Hotshot, "OH IT FEELS SO GOOD! I COULD FEED OFF IT FOREVER! AND JUST TO MAKE YOU PAY, I THINK I WILL! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

"Shut...up...you sick son-of-a...AHHHHHHH!"

At this point I can feel blood staining my samurai armor. Hotshot's really getting off on this and he won't stop as long as I suffer.

It almost makes me wish I hadn't tried to stop him. He was in South America trying to steal an old Mayan relic used to tame malevolent God's. But in the hands of a malevolent man/demon, it would have been a slaughter.

Hotshot is always out looking for new ways to inflict suffering. With mutant powers from his mortal side and dark chi from his demon side, his appetite knows no bounds. And his cruelty is so great that even Hell refuses to take him.

I've fought and killed this guy numerous times, but he just keeps coming back because there's nowhere for him to go. All I can do is make sure he doesn't inflict more harm on the world than he already has.

Unfortunately, this time I got us both in a heap of trouble when I tried to cast a transport spell to throw Hotshot into space. Somehow, my chi combined with the relic and opened this weird gateway that sucked us in.

Now here we are, falling through a dimensional void. Funny, if I didn't already know what death was like, I'd actually be scared. But right now, I'm just REALLY pissed off.

"OH I'M GONNA ENJOY THIS!" growled Hotshot, an insidious grin forming on his demonic face, "I MAY NOT GET A CHANCE TO MAKE THE WORLD SUFFER! BUT MAKING YOU SUFFER IS THE NEXT BEST THING!"

Jack's ears were ringing from Hotshot's booming voice. It sounded like the wail of a million demons. He had gone up against monsters, demons, and other supernatural forces that defied human comprehension. He never faltered in his quest, driven by the warrior spirit of honor and duty.

But through all those victories and defeats in saving countless lives, he ended up in a place like this having to deal with a monster like Hotshot.

As if his life hadn't been bad enough since the cradle, this was just crazy.

"Do...you...EVER...shut...up?!" spat Slayer, still fighting with what energy he had left.

"GET USED TO IT JACK!" grinned Hotshot, "CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE HEARING IT FOR A LOOOOOONG TIME!"

"To...hell...with...THAT!"

Sick of looking at his hideous face, Jack finally saw his chance and kneed Hotshot in the gut.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" he grunted, momentarily loosening his grip.

Then, the mutant warrior delivered a forceful head butt right between the horns on his blackened, demonic face. Falling back from the force of the blow, Slayer unleashed his fury, delivering a double punch combo to the face.

"Damn you, Hotshot! Damn you back to Hell!" grunted Jack as he delivered another round of blows, "If I have to spend eternity here, I'm not spending it with YOU!"

Letting out one last warrior battle cry, Slayer pulled off a forceful spin kick that sent Hotshot flying into the abyss. He tried to reach for his enemy's neck again, but it was too late.

"I'LL GET YOU SLAYER! I'LL BE BACK! YOU CAN COUNT ON IT! I'LL BE BACK!"

His voice faded into the darkness, the light from the fiery red eyes disappearing and leaving Slayer to fall aimlessly into the bottomless pit.

'Great, I've gotten rid of, Hotshot,' he thought bitterly to himself, 'Now what do I do?'

Falling through the nothingness, Slayer was on the verge of passing out. Fighting Hotshot had left him in a world of hurt. Blood stained his dark blue uniform and the energy had been drained from his body.

Using his vast knowledge of the mystic arts, he tried to cast a spell to help him get out. But he was too weak and there wasn't enough energy. As a mutant, he could tap physical and metaphysical energy. But in this place, there was nothing to tap. And if he tried, he may slip into unconsciousness and never wake up.

Descending further into the darkness, Slayer was on the verge of giving out. A mysterious mark over his eye began to glow, allowing him to see beyond the inky blackness surrounding him. But there wasn't much to see. He bore the power of the all-seeing eye and even that couldn't help him here. So what happened now?

His thoughts began to unravel and he had visions of his past. None of them were pleasant, but in a place like this memories were the only things to hold a mind together. And unfortunately, most of Jack's memories were wrought with pain and sorrow.

'Well...I guess this is it,' he thought to himself, 'All this fighting...all this conflict...finally ending. Oh well. I did my duty. I preserved my honor. Guess there's nothing left for me to do except...'

Suddenly, his train of thought was broken by a sudden glimmer of light that appeared in the distance. It was faint at first, but it quickly grew. It burned with a bright, fiery red, illuminating the surrounding darkness. And the further Jack fell, the brighter it got.

"What the..."

Suddenly, the mark on his eye glowed bright orange and he was bombarded with mysterious sights that his mortal mind struggled to process. All of which surrounded an ancient relic that any follower of the mystic arts would know.

"The...the M'krann crystal?" he said as he fell closer to the fiery light.

The image was unmistakable. The distinctive shape was clear. He knew about this crystal from his studies. While its nature was unclear, it was supposedly a great source of power. And while it had never been confirmed, it was also thought to be a gateway of sorts.

But Jack wasn't thinking about that as he fell closer towards its fiery glow. Soon, he was surrounded in its brilliant aura. He was forced to shield his eyes as he drew closer to the shining gem. He could feel the energy radiating from it, inundating his energy tapping powers.

It was overwhelming to his system. He didn't know what to do. That crystal was getting uncomfortably big. And as he fell towards it, there was no avoiding the inevitable.

"Oh shit! Oh shit! OH SHIT!" yelled Slayer as he hit the crystal and was consumed by the light.

And with a blinding flash, everything went dark.

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Swimming in a haze between dreaming and consciousness, Slayer awoke to a world of pain. His whole body was sore, feeling as though he had just fallen from a 100 story building. And his mind was a mix of incoherent thoughts and chaotic visions.

"Hnn...M'krann...Hotshot...Layla."

Feeling a surge of memories through his mind, Jack was jolted awake. He hated it when he passed out like that. It always caused him to relive things he didn't want to relive. But as he opened his eyes and took in his new surroundings, he had a feeling he was better off unconscious.

"In the name of Bushido...what the fuck?"

He was surrounded by a world of white hot light. It was so intense, yet gentle in a ways. There was no malice or peace, just raw unabated power. It was beautiful, but at the same time Jack remained vigilant.

"Oh man...so much energy," he said, his mutant powers going into overdrive, "Where's it all coming from?"

On the top of his hands, the two mystical symbols he used to cast spells were glowing brilliantly. Usually, they only did that when he was casting a spell, but there was so much energy here that it was reacting with his chi.

Using his power to manipulate and channel the metaphysical, Slayer energized himself with the surrounding energy. Suddenly, he was hit with a rush the likes of which he never felt before.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, his body now glowing in a fiery halo, "Man that's strong!"

All the injuries Hotshot caused faded away as if they were nothing. And with the energy coursing through his body, Jack Robinson felt better than he had in years. His energy and magic was at new heights. He felt as though he could take on every demon in Hell.

But as nice as it was to get a wakeup call, he couldn't help but grow suspicious.

"I don't know what this place is, but something tells me I shouldn't be here," he said to himself.

Suddenly, the area around him began to shake and the white hot light surrounding him flickered with intensity. Then, his all seeing eye turned bright yellow and he saw a figure form in the distance.

"God I hate it when I'm right," he muttered.

Out of the light, two large towers came into view. They were as tall as skyscrapers, radiating with some strange aura. And between them, a bright fiery light descended towards Jack and from that fire, a figure formed and a booming voice echoed through the endless realm.

"You! Mortal! How did you get here?!"

"Yeesh, talk about a poor sense of hospitality," commented Slayer.

"Silence! You are trespassing in a sacred realm! This is no place for a mortal!"

Then, Slayer got his first glimpse of the figure. And when he laid eyes on the imposing presence, he gasped. It was a human woman, and a beautiful woman at that. She had long flowing red hair, enchanting green eyes, and a perfectly curved body worthy of divination.

Covering her perfect form was a skin tight garment of white and gold that accentuated every womanly shape. But aside from her beauty, she did not look happy.

"Who are you?" he asked, trying to sound non-threatening, "And where am I?"

The look on the woman's face didn't change, but she answered none-the-less.

"You are in the nexus of all realities...the place where the fires of creation burn brightest. You are in the White Hot Room. And I am Jean Grey, the White Phoenix."

"White Hot Room? Phoenix? Jean Grey?" said Slayer with a confused tone, "Wait, you're human?"

This caused the white light around him to flicker violently.

"Okay, I take it that's a touchy issue," he said, backing off, "Look, I'm sorry for dropping in like this, but I took a wrong turn in a dimensional void. So if you just show me the door then I'll be on my..."

However, before Jack could finish, he heard the cries of other voices in the distance. And before he knew it, he was surrounded by countless other figures dressed in similar Phoenix attire as Jean Grey, only theirs wasn't white.

There were beings of all kinds, creatures from all over the universe. And every last one of them bore the same fiery glow as Jean, not to mention her distaste of Jack's presence.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, mortal."

"Damn, I was afraid of that," groaned the mutant warrior.

Soon, they were all surrounding the lone warrior. There were bearers of the Phoenix emblem for as far as the eye could see. It was a tight spot to say the least, but Slayer kept his cool.

Suddenly, another human with a small patch of purple hair on his head addressed Jean.

"What's going on here? I sensed him tapping power from the White Hot Room!"

"Easy, Sid Vicious," said Slayer calmly, "I was just reenergizing myself. I didn't know there was a premium on energy here."

"Don't talk down to me, mortal! You have no idea who..."

Then suddenly, Jean stepped in.

"Enough!"

Descending to the ground at the base of the towers, the beautiful redhead approached the mysterious stranger. She still didn't look too happy about his presence, but Jack sensed no immediate threat with his all seeing eye.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Wanting to avoid a fight, Jack respectfully bowed to the powerful being.

"My name is Jack Robinson. I also go by Slayer. I am just a warrior for the forces of light. I know I have no business here, but I got side tracked. I'm sorry if I've caused you any trouble, but if you help me I'll gladly leave."

Jean studied the mysterious warrior for a moment, a suspicious gaze never leaving her face. She didn't know why, but there was something unusual about him.

His appearance was a strange one. He was tall, heavily muscled, and had messy blonde hair. His body was covered by dark blue samurai armor that was littered with mystical symbols. In addition, there were strange marks on his hands and over his eye.

He was human, no doubt about it. Jean recognized that with ease. But there was something else that she couldn't quite ascertain.

"Slayer...a warrior, you say?"

"Yes," answered Jack, "That's all."

The look on Jean's face didn't wane, but some of the other Phoenix bearers weren't convinced.

"He's hiding something! I cannot read his mind!"

"Yes, neither can I! His shields are strong...too strong!"

The tension thickened as the rest of the Phoenix Corp closed in on him. Jack took a defensive stance, but didn't go so far as to draw his sword. These were powerful beings, no doubt about it. And he had no desire to fight them, especially when he was so greatly outnumbered.

Jean was still transfixed on this strange warrior. She didn't know why, but there was something about him that drew her to him. Unfortunately, the others didn't share such curiosity. This was a sacred place. Any intruder had to be dealt with swiftly.

"Oh give me a break," he groaned, "I'm telling the truth! Just let me leave and..."

"NO! Your presence has already upset too much! The White Hot Room must remain pure!"

"Oh boy..."

Suddenly, the surrounding beings of the Phoenix Corp energized with their cosmic level energy, focusing only on the lone warrior.

It was about to get messy and Jean tried in vain to put a stop to it.

"NO! WAIT!"

But it was too late. There was no stopping the fiery flames from the powerful entities. But for Jack Robinson, he had no intention of being burnt to a crisp.

"Looks like it's gonna be one of those days!" he grunted, his hands glowing brightly as he cast a quick spell.

Jean was forced to step back as the immense power impacted the small area where Slayer had been standing. Shielding her eyes, she let out a frustrated grunt.

There had been something different about that man. She felt it on a level she could not explain. As Phoenix and Jean Grey, it meant something to her. But now it appeared she wouldn't be able to explore it.

"NO! You fools! Why did you..."

But Jean's anger was ignored. White Crown or not, it was their job to protect the White Hot Room.

"Sorry, White Phoenix. But it had to be done. That pest couldn't be allowed to..."

But before purple haired human could finish, an unimpressed voice from the towers cut him off.

"I wouldn't be too quick to celebrate, pal," said Slayer, his body still glowing as he leaned casually against one of the towers as a means to spite them, "I don't know who you people are, but I've already had enough. I'm outta here."

Jean's curiosity was quickly replaced with annoyance. It was one thing to drop into this holy place unannounced, but to be disrespectful as well was quite another.

"YOU! GET BACK HERE!"

"Gotta catch me first, redhead!"

Using the endless level of metaphysical energy at his disposal, Slayer cast a powerful spell that engulfed his body in a purple glow. Suddenly, he was energized with intense power and shot up into the air like a rocket.

Speeding past the surrounding Phoenixes, he ascended aimlessly into the light filled abyss of the White Hot Room.

"GET HIM! DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!"

Flying out far ahead of the others, Jean pursued the mutant warrior at great speeds. This was the den of the Phoenix and nobody dominated except them. His presence had already caused enough of a stir. And as White Phoenix, it was her job to put an end to it.

"Shit! Where am I going?" wondered Slayer as he soared aimlessly.

Using his all seeing eye, Slayer saw no means to escape. And if he was really inside the M'krann crystal, then he was in a world of trouble. Any mystic artist knew that this thing was powerful and getting involved with it was a gamble at best.

'There's gotta be a way out!" he grunted, tapping more energy as he flew, "Maybe I can wedge a hole big enough with a transport spell to...'

But before he could finish his train of thought, Jean caught up with him.

"SLAYER! STOP THIS INSTANT!"

"Sorry Miss, but I'd rather keep moving. Your friends seem too eager to have a warrior roast," shot Slayer, trying to increase his speed.

"You don't know what your doing! You have to leave here!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" spat the mutant warrior.

Letting out a frustrated grunt, Jean slowly caught up with him. Slayer tried to get away, but she was too fast. Soon, he could feel the heat of her flames. And as soon as she was close enough, she tackled him.

"ERRRAAAHHHHHH!"

"Ack! What are you..."

But Jack was cut off as they were sent tumbling through the air. She was trying to restrain him from behind, grabbing his arms and holding them back. But Slayer was a warrior. He didn't succumb that easily in a fight.

"I hate to fight a girl...especially a beautiful one," he grunted, "But you leave me no choice!"

Using his warrior skill, Jack pulled off an acrobatic flip, making it so that now he was the one behind Jean, holding her in his firm grip.

"ERRR!"

"I'm telling you, Jean! Let's not do this!" he said, holding on tightly.

"No...Let's!"

Suddenly, Jean's body erupted in a blinding flash, breaking Slayer's hold and knocking him back. But with the use of his powers, he kept flying and held his ground.

"Damn, lady. You've got spunk!" said Slayer, trying to catch his breath.

"I've got lots more than that!"

Concentrating her power, Jean formed a powerful fiery blast. Unable to dodge it, Slayer cast a spell that formed an energy shield. It successfully diverted the blast, but it drained him as a result.

"Holy...that's a lot of power!" he panted.

"I just concentrated the energy of an entire star on you! As resilient as you are, you're still a mortal. And you have your limits!"

Charging up for another blast, Slayer shook his head in frustration.

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Hrrrrrraahhhhhhh!"

Not making an effort to block this one, Jack cast another spell that transported him out of the way in a purple mist. At first, Jean thought she disintegrated him. But when he appeared behind her, she quickly learned otherwise.

"Time for you to cool off, Phoenix!" yelled Slayer, grabbing her from behind and charging up his body to maximize his strength.

"ERR! LET GO! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH!"

"You're right," said Slayer with a grin, "I don't. But I know how to find out!"

Using his all seeing eye, Slayer turned Jean around so she was facing him and the moment she looked into the glowing mark over his eye, she fell into a trance. And for Slayer, the images that followed were equally shocking.

In them, he saw a vibrant woman with a life worthy of envy. She had friends, family, love, and purpose. She was Jean Grey, a passionate being with a strong heart. And through these visions, he saw images of her deeds as a fighter in a world that hated and feared her.

There were so many moments in her life that were happy. Her family loved her dearly. She had married her soul mate. And she deeply cared for many. But at the same time, there were dark memories as well.

He saw images of her rising out of the sea, proclaiming herself to be Phoenix. He witnessed horrifying images of her consuming a star, destroying 5 billion souls in the process. From there, she gave her life only to be reborn again many times. And when her world began to slip away and the power that consumed her grew too great, she sacrificed everything to save the people she loved and merged with the Phoenix Force.

"Good God," gasped Slayer as he saw these images.

Suddenly, the imposing voice of the Phoenix waned and that of a mortal took over.

"No! Don't make me relive it again!"

Tears were forming in her eyes as she was overcome with unparalleled grief. Reliving these painful parts of her mortal life hit her hard. It reminded her of everything she had given up.

"I-I'm sorry," said Jack, "I didn't mean to..."

"No. It's okay," she got out, "It's just..."

Still hovering in the glow of the White Hot Room, Jean stopped fighting this man. In reliving those memories the mortal part of her resurfaced along with many painful feelings. It was the price of being Jean Grey and Phoenix, having to contend with the experiences that still hung over her so strongly.

Looking back at the mutant warrior, she no longer felt malice. In seeing his all seeing eye, she sensed something else within him. She had felt it before, only now it was much stronger. And looking into his all seeing eye, the truth finally came to her.

"You're from my world," she said, gazing at the mutant warrior with renewed intrigue.

"I am?" said Slayer, not knowing if it was true.

"Yes...I can sense it," she said, placing her hands on his face, "I'd sense the aura of my world anywhere."

"Well um..." said the mutant warrior awkwardly, "Look, I know this is odd and all, but I really think I should..."

Suddenly, the raging army of the Phoenix Corp caught up with them and the mayhem continued.

"Get away from her, insect!"

"No! Stop!" exclaimed Jean, standing in front of him protectively.

"He's been here too long! He must be destroyed before any more damage can be..."

Suddenly, a deafening bang echoed throughout the White Hot Room. Every last being of the Phoenix Corp was shaken by the impact. Slayer too was thrown off balance and struggled to keep his spell going.

The fiery light burning throughout the nexus flickered, as if to radiate a sign of distress. And every last bearer of the Phoenix felt it.

"Hnn...wha-what's going on?!" yelled Jean, clutching her head in pain.

"Something's wrong! The White Hot Room! It's starting too..."

Another jolt rocked the area, this one many times more intense. And the effect on the Phoenix was all too apparent, causing every last one of them to erupt in a fury of flames.

"Wow," said Slayer as he watched the spectacle unaffected, "I am NOT doing this."

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" yelled Jean, her eyes glowing brightly as her very being was twisted and warped by some unseen force, "MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!"

"Jean!" yelled Slayer, grabbing hold of her and trying to keep her together.

He tried casting a healing spell, but it didn't do much. He scrambled to think of something else, but he felt out of his league here. His all seeing eye couldn't yet ascertain what was going on.

Then suddenly, he got a vision he wished he hadn't.

"Oh shit!"

Instinctively grabbing Jean and shielding her, the mutant warrior braced himself as a massive blast echoed throughout the White Hot Room. And in a flash of light, everything went dark.

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