[Third Person Pov]
The Juggernaut finally ground to a halt, his massive frame shuddering as the momentum that had carried him forward bled away. A grotesque cavity yawned open along the side of his torso, as if some colossal beast had taken a single, devastating bite out of him.
For a brief moment he swayed in place, boots scraping against fractured concrete, before taking one unsteady step forward and collapsing heavily onto one knee.
His cheeks suddenly bulged, muscles straining as he fought against the inevitable. When he opened his mouth, a violent spray of blood erupted outward, splattering across the ruined ground and pooling beneath him with a wet, sickening squelch.
He coughed and wheezed, each breath a ragged struggle. His enormous body convulsed as waves of pain tore through him, blinding his senses and consuming his thoughts entirely. His jaw clenched tight, cracked teeth grinding together as blood seeped between them, a low, animalistic snarl rumbling from deep in his chest.
That growl grew louder. From the center of his chest, a crimson aura began to bloom outward like a malignant flower, pulsing with raw, unnatural power. His eyes ignited with an unholy blaze as his bond to Cyttorak asserted itself once more. Bone knit together with audible cracks, nerves rethreaded themselves, and torn muscle fibers visibly reformed, the extensive damage repairing itself before their very eyes.
"Commence Phase Two," Peter ordered calmly, his voice cutting through the chaos as he watched the regeneration take hold. Hatred burned in the Juggernaut's gaze as his body continued to rebuild itself.
A portal snapped open nearby and Colossus burst through it at a full sprint, his metallic hands clasped together. Without slowing, he drove an uppercut straight into the Juggernaut's jaw, forcing the behemoth back onto his feet with a thunderous impact.
The Juggernaut staggered, momentarily dazed, stumbling backward as the world reeled around him.
Another portal flared to life above his head, and MJ dropped straight down onto his shoulders. Her webs lashed out instantly, forcing the Juggernaut's arms to cross tightly over his chest as a glowing psychic construct formed around him—solidifying into the shape of a straightjacket. The moment her feet touched down, she kicked off his back and vanished into another portal before he could react.
The Juggernaut snarled again and took a heavy step forward, instinctively preparing to charge once more. His muscles flexed, veins bulging as he began to build momentum, ready to tear free of his restraints—only for another portal to open behind him.
Jean emerged from it, floating effortlessly in the air. Her eyes blazed with psychic energy as she reached out, and with a single, decisive command she locked him in place.
"Ugh…" Jean grimaced as she made contact with his mind. The connection sent a shiver through her as she felt Cyttorak's influence writhing within him—an overwhelming presence that thirsted for destruction, screaming to kill, to crush, to reduce everything around him to ruin.
"Do what you need to do, quickly," Jean urged, her brows knitting together as sweat beaded at her temple. "He's starting to develop resistance to my intrusion. We've stopped him too many times before using this method."
Peter was already moving. From a running start, he kicked off the ground and slid into position directly in front of the Juggernaut. His palms glowed with swirling magical energy as he struck forward, slapping one hand flat against the Juggernaut's stomach and twisting sharply upward.
The pressure folded the Juggernaut's massive body inward as though struck by an invisible hammer. In an instant, his astral form was violently torn free from his physical shell—along with a glowing ruby gem that followed it into the air.
"What?" Cain exclaimed, staring in disbelief at his own translucent astral projection. He looked up slowly, looking at his own broad shoulders and towering frame as though seeing himself for the first time.
A web shot out and latched onto the ruby, yanking it through the air toward Gwen, who stood waiting atop a nearby rooftop. The moment her gloved hands closed around it, whispers flooded her ears—promises of power beyond imagination, of strength unrivaled, of invulnerability to all physical harm.
But Gwen's mental fortitude proved far stronger than Cyttorak's insidious influence. She didn't waver. Two glowing magic circles appeared within her palms as the crimson gem levitated between them.
Drawing on her ice magic, Gwen began forming a seal around the Gem of Cyttorak. Frost spread rapidly, encasing it within a solid cube of ice that slowly stained itself red from the corrupt power trapped inside.
When she finished, she held the frozen cube firmly in her hands. The whispers faded into silence, completely cut off at last.
Meanwhile, Peter forced Cain's astral body back into his physical form. Cain gasped sharply as consciousness returned, his massive frame beginning to shrink and contract. The monstrous bulk melted away until only a normal, ginger-haired man remained, kneeling on the ground with his arms still bound within the psychic straightjacket.
One by one, the team gathered around him, encircling Cain from all sides. Scott leaned heavily against Jean for support as he stood beside Peter, both of them facing the defeated man in silence.
Peter casually held his fist out to the side, relaxed and almost playful in contrast to the tension still hanging in the air. Scott caught the gesture immediately, grinning as he shook his head and tapped his own fist against Peter's in a brief, familiar show of camaraderie.
"Marko," Scott said, his tone shifting back into interrogation mode as his smile faded. He fixed Cain with a sharp look. "How did you even come into contact with the Gem of Cyttorak? I thought we made absolutely sure it was kept as far away from your hands as possible."
"Wait—hold up, pause," Felicia suddenly interjected, throwing her hands up and gesturing for a timeout. "Did you just say Marko?"
"Yes," Aria replied calmly, glancing at her. "His last name is Marko. His first name is Cain."
"Wow," Felicia said slowly, blinking in surprise. She let out a short laugh as the X-Men stared at her, clearly confused as to why that revelation seemed to hit her so hard. "What a strange coincidence."
The Spider-Family immediately chuckled, nodding in understanding as if the reaction made perfect sense.
"I don't understand," Jean said, glancing around at everyone. "Is this some kind of inside joke?"
Felicia smirked, resting a hand on her hip. "Let's just say this—if I had a nickel for every bad guy I've fought within the last twenty-four hours whose last name was Marko, I'd have exactly two nickels." She shrugged. "Which isn't a lot, but it is weird that it happened twice."
Peter snickered quietly, while Jean's eyes widened in realization. "Oooh, are you talking about the attack on the beach last night?" she asked excitedly. "I saw that on the news this morning!"
"Anyway," Scott cut in firmly, clearly done with the detour. He turned back toward Cain, his expression hardening. "Back to important matters. Answer my question."
Cain scoffed, lifting his chin as he looked down at them all with open disdain. "What do you think?" he sneered. "The Gem belongs to me. I'm its rightful owner. No matter where you hide it, no matter what precautions you take, it will always find its way back to me."
Scott glanced toward Jean, raising a brow in silent question. Jean closed her eyes briefly and reached into Cain's thoughts, her expression tightening. After a moment, she reluctantly nodded.
"He's telling the truth," she admitted. "He's personally met Cyttorak. Cyttorak considers Cain his most suitable Avatar. The Gem and Cain are… tethered. Drawn to one another."
"Even if we throw that stupid Gem into another dimension?" Logan growled, his claws sliding partway out with a metallic snikt.
"The answer is still yes," Gwen replied, casually tossing the gem up and catching it in her palm. "We all are familiar with the Gem of Cyttorak and its owner due to our magical studies, and let's just say that dimensional lords are pretty insistent when it comes to their Avatar."
Logan's lips curled into a snarl. "Then our best option is simple. Kill him before the two of them ever come into contact again." He started walking toward Cain, claws fully extended now.
"No."
The word came simultaneously from both Peter and Harry, each stepping forward and placing a firm hand against Logan's chest to stop him.
Logan growled, brushing their hands away. "You got a better plan, then?"
"Even if they didn't," Storm said dryly, rolling her eyes, "you know the Professor would never allow it, Logan. Especially given that he has a… soft spot for Cain. You know the relationship these two have"
Cain snorted. "He's no brother of mine. We don't even share the same blood."
Scott straightened, his posture rigid as he spoke. "That doesn't matter to the Professor. You grew up together under the same roof, with the same parents. To him, that makes you family. To him, you'll always be his brother."
Cain grimaced in disgust. "Ugh. Would someone please shut him up? If I have to hear any more of this sentimental garbage, I might actually throw up."
Several of the X-Men shook their heads in quiet disappointment.
Peter cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself. "Anyway," he said lightly, "we actually do know a place where the Gem can be kept secure—and far away from anyone who might want to misuse it."
"And where would that be?" Storm asked.
"The Sanctum Sanctorum," Peter replied, his tone dropping into something deliberately mysterious. "Home of the Ancient One. The Sorcerer Supreme of the Mystic Arts."
"…"
Logan slowly turned toward Nightwing. "Is he fucking with us?" he muttered. "I honestly can't tell if he's fucking with us, but it really sounds like he is."
Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "Nope. He's serious. The Ancient One's our Mystic Arts teacher. How else do you think we can open portals and use magic?"
The silence that followed spoke volumes.
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