Rogue practically dragged Jay out to the garden before he could make his escape. The late afternoon sun stretched long shadows between the roses, and she'd deliberately chosen the most hidden bench she could find, tucked away behind a wall of climbing vines.

  "Sugar, I'm gonna be straight with you," she said, her Mississippi drawl thick with nerves.

  Jay sat down, but kept a careful distance between them. He already had a sinking feeling about where this conversation was headed.

  "I like you," she blurted out, the words tumbling over each other in her rush to get them out. "You're smart as a whip, handsome as sin, and your power helps people. Our abilities work together like puzzle pieces. You could touch me, and I could finally touch someone without hurtin' them."

  The silence stretched between them like a held breath.

  "Say somethin'," she whispered.

  Jay studied her face, those green eyes so full of hope, which made his chest ache. "Is this your mind talking or your heart, Marie? Because what you're describing sounds..." he paused, choosing his words carefully, "parasocial. Like we'd be toxic for each other from day one."

  "It ain't like that!" The words came out sharper than she intended.

  Jay reached out slowly, his fingers brushing her gloved hand before his thumb traced her cheek. The touch was gentle, almost reverent. "What do you feel when I do this?"

  "Warmth," she breathed.

  "But warmth comes from anyone you touch. When the procedure works, if it works, and I can permanently remove your powers, anybody could give you that feeling. What happens to us then?"

  Her eyes went glassy, and she blinked rapidly. "I'll still feel the same about you."

  "Will you, though?" Jay tilted his head, and there was something in his expression that cut through all her carefully constructed justifications. "That warmth you're chasing, it's not really about me, is it? It's about not being alone anymore. About feeling safe. About being normal." His voice gentled. "And you deserve all those things, Marie, but..." He hesitated, then pressed on. "Tell me, did these feelings suddenly get stronger after you saw me and Domino on that news interview?"

  Her entire body went rigid, shoulders locking up like she'd been struck.

  Jay sighed and let his hand drop. "I thought so. Look, even if Dom and I aren't putting labels on things yet, we're... something. And it wouldn't be right- not to her, not to me, and definitely not to you to pretend otherwise."

  Rogue swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. "You make it sound so cut and dried."

  "Trust me, it never is." Jay stood, brushing imaginary dust from his jacket. His voice carried just enough warmth to soften the rejection. "But hey, chin up. Someone's gonna come along, someone who can handle all of you, not just the parts that are convenient. Some smooth-talking charmer who'll steal your heart clean away."

  The weeks between the Xavier Institute meeting and the procedure blurred together in Jay's memory like scenes from a half-remembered dream.

  Training sessions with Bobby and strategy meetings with the inner circle gradually shifted into late-night pizza sessions where they argued over tactical maps spread across a massive oak table.

  "You know we can still look for alternatives, right kid?" Bobby had said during one of those sessions, grease from his third slice of pepperoni dripping onto a blueprint of the safehouse. "From all those stories you've told me about the multiverse, power-ups were a dime a dozen."

  "Different universe, different rules," Jay replied, studying the building's security layouts. "Besides, we need every advantage we can get for what's coming."

  His dates with Domino were surprisingly easy. She'd drag him to dive bars where her luck made every impossible pool shot look effortless, or they'd catch midnight movies where she'd curl up against his shoulder, both of them pretending they weren't getting more attached by the day. They'd walk through Central Park after dark, her hand finding his while they talked about everything except what they were becoming.

  The baseball game with Ben and Johnny was supposed to be a break from all the tension. It wasn't.

  Johnny spent most of the first three innings hitting on the beer vendor until she finally threatened to dump her entire jug on his head. "I'm just being friendly!" he protested as she stormed off.

  Ben argued with the umpire so loudly his voice carried three sections over. "That was clearly a strike, ya bum! I've seen better eyes on a potato!" He kept it up until security started eyeing their section nervously.

  Jay spent most of the seventh inning wondering if this was what having brothers felt like.

  And now, after nearly a month, the time had come.

  "You sure you don't want backup?" Bobby asked, pulling up in his modified pickup truck.

  Jay slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. "I need you here. Get those emergency protocols ready, just in case."

  "Just in case what? You know we can still find other ways to—"

  "Bobby." Jay's voice was firm but fond. "You worry too much, old man." He pulled the older man into a hug, feeling the warmth and genuine care radiating from Bobby's weathered hands.

  Domino's sleek black Challenger pulled into the driveway with a purr of a well-tuned engine. Jay waved goodbye to Bobby and slid into the passenger seat, inhaling the familiar scent of leather and her perfume.

  "Ready to go super?" she asked, but there was tension threading through her voice that she couldn't quite hide.

  "That's the plan."

  The drive through Manhattan was comfortable, filled with easy silences and the occasional comment about the traffic or the city lights beginning to flicker on as evening approached.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  "Having second thoughts?" Jay asked as they hit a red light.

  "About you getting zapped with cosmic rays by Reed Richards?" She gave him a look. "That's the job, baby. Don't forget that's the priority here."

  "Yeah, what can go wrong?"

  "Famous last words," she muttered, but squeezed his hand.

  By the time they reached the Baxter Building, the sun was painting the Manhattan skyline in shades of gold and orange. Jay felt a knot of anticipation in his stomach.

  Reed had transformed half his laboratory into a cross between a medical facility and NASA mission control. Cables snaked across the floor, connecting massive devices that hummed with energy. The air tasted sharp, with a hint of ozone and disinfectant.

  "Jay!" Johnny called out as they entered the lab. "Right on time, as always. Fair warning, Ben's been stress-eating all day and might take it out on you with bone-crushing hugs."

  "Johnny, please," Sue said, rolling her eyes but smiling. "Try to dial down the commentary for five minutes?"

  "No promises, sis."

  Rogue stood by the massive windows overlooking the city, wearing a crisp white blouse and dark jeans, her hands clasped behind her back. She looked up when they entered, her green eyes meeting Jay's briefly before she found something fascinating to look at on the floor.

  "I asked her to come," Hank explained, approaching with his usual measured stride. "We'll need someone to test your new abilities on, assuming this procedure is successful."

  "And if it's not successful?"

  "She can absorb enough life force to stabilize you until Reed deploys Plan B," Beast said matter-of-factly, adjusting his glasses with one massive blue finger.

  Reed emerged from behind a bank of computers, and Jay noted he looked like he hadn't slept in about three days. His lab coat was decorated with coffee stains in various stages of freshness.

  "Today represents a significant milestone," Beast announced, his cultured voice carrying both excitement and genuine apprehension. "The theoretical implications alone are quite extraordinary."

  "Are you absolutely certain about this course of action?" Reed asked, his expression grave as he looked Jay in the eye. "Once we begin the procedure, there's no stopping it. The cosmic radiation exposure must be completed in a single session, or the cellular damage becomes irreversible."

  Jay met his gaze steadily. "I'm sure."

  Reed nodded slowly. "Then we'll need you to remove your shirt and most of your clothing. The radiation-conducting serums require direct skin contact, and any fabric interference could compromise the entire process."

  Jay stripped down to his briefs, revealing the results of months of intensive training with Bobby, teaching him military combat. Lean muscle defined his chest and shoulders, while his abs showed the kind of functional strength that came from actual combat preparation rather than just gym work. The transformation was subtle but unmistakable to anyone who'd seen him months ago.

  "Well damn, matchstick," Ben rumbled appreciatively from across the room. "You been hiding those under all those loose shirts this whole time?"

  Rogue's face flushed pink, and her eyes immediately found something fascinating about the floor tiles near her feet. Domino, on the other hand, stared openly and raised an eyebrow.

  "You've been holding out on me," she said with mock accusation. "Now, Mama's getting ideas." She paused, noting Rogue's surprised expression.

  Jay settled onto the angled medical table, trying to ignore the attention. "Can we please focus on the potentially lethal science experiment happening here?"

  "Quite right," Beast agreed, moving to check the forest of monitoring equipment surrounding the table. "Your genetic structure presents a fascinating challenge, my dear fellow. It appears to exist in constant flux as every time we attempt to analyze your DNA, the samples seem to deteriorate almost immediately upon extraction from your body."

  "Which is precisely why we're taking this approach," Reed continued, his hands dancing over control panels with practiced efficiency. "Rather than attempting to modify you from the inside out, we're triggering the transformation from the outside in. Controlled cosmic radiation exposure while you're immersed in a specially formulated solution containing a blend of Mutant Growth Hormone and a rudimentary super-soldier serum I've developed from Dr. Erskine's note."

  He paused, looking apologetic. "I should warn you, the treatment will be excruciating. Your body will essentially be rewriting itself at the cellular level. We'll need to sedate you completely for the procedure to progress safely."

  Jay looked around at the faces gathered around him, some hopeful, some worried, all focused entirely on him, which was both comforting and slightly overwhelming. "If this goes sideways, everybody remember....I asked for this."

  "No going sideways allowed," Johnny said firmly, crossing his arms. "Sue would murder me if I let her favorite consultant get fried on my watch."

  "I'm not her favorite anything," Jay protested weakly.

  "Oh, you definitely are," Reed laughed, the sound bright in the tense laboratory. "After all, Sue's a biologist and she talks about your genetic structure more than he talks to me these days."

  "That's not—I mean—" Sue began.

  "It's okay, honey. Science is sexy when it's you rambling about it."

  Domino stepped forward without warning and kissed Jay deeply, her hands framing his face. When they separated, both were breathing hard, and the room had gone very quiet.

  "For luck," she said simply, her voice slightly rough.

  "Thanks." Jay's smile was soft and genuine as he turned back to Reed. "Alright, doc. Let's make some magic happen."

  The next hour passed in a blur of clinical preparation. IV lines went in with practiced precision, and monitoring equipment was attached to track every conceivable vital sign. Jay was carefully positioned within the radiation chamber, which was a transparent cylindrical device that looked like it belonged on a starship.

  The sedative began to take effect as full darkness fell over Manhattan, the city lights starting to twinkle beyond the laboratory windows. Through the observation glass, Jay could see everyone gathered- Domino with her arms crossed and jaw set, Rogue standing slightly apart from the group, the Fantastic Four and Hank clustered around Reed's control station like anxious parents.

  "Beginning final countdown sequence," Reed announced, his voice carrying clearly through the intercom system. "All systems are showing green across the board. Initiating cosmic ray sequence in thirty seconds."

  Sue's voice joined Reed's over the speakers. "Radiation levels are within acceptable parameters. All biological monitoring systems are active and functioning normally."

  Jay's vision began to blur pleasantly as the sedative took full hold. The last thing he saw clearly was Domino pressing her palm against the observation window, her lips moving in either a prayer or possibly a very creative string of curses.

  "Six seconds," Reed called out. "Five... four... three... two..."

  The laboratory suddenly blazed with brilliant, otherworldly light as the cosmic ray projector roared to life. Energy crackled through the air like bottled lightning, and Jay's unconscious form was bathed in the same forces that had created some of the world's greatest heroes.

  That's when the explosions started.

  The sound hit them first as rolling thunder that seemed to shake the entire building from foundation to roof. Then came the screams from the street forty stories below, followed by that distinctive whoosh of something massive moving through the air at impossible speeds.

  Through the windows, they could see fires erupting across Manhattan like deadly flowers blooming in the night. Something enormous moved between buildings, its form blotting out streetlights and casting shadows.

  The Baxter Building shook again, more violently this time. Books tumbled from shelves, and several pieces of equipment sparked ominously.

  "Reed!" Sue shouted over the growing chaos outside. "Should we abort the procedure?"

  Reed's hands flew over his controls, sweat beading on his forehead as alarms began blaring throughout the laboratory. Jay's unconscious form continued to be bathed in cosmic energy, the enhancement process reaching its most critical phase.

  "We have to help the people out there!" Reed called back. "Hank, Domino, Rogue- stay with Jay! Don't attempt to move him until the process stabilizes!"

  Another explosion rocked the building, closer this time.

  Whatever was attacking the city was heading directly for them, and Jay was trapped in the middle of the most dangerous enhancement procedure ever attempted, completely helpless and utterly vulnerable.