C325 Destroyer

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Peter stood in front of the Phoenix Force, its energy crackling and pulsing in the air around him.

"I sense a wisp of my power in you." The Phoenix Force spoke to him in interest, its voice echoing in the surroundings. "First an Infinity Stone and now my own energy. You are quite the anomaly, aren't you?"

"Well, I try..." Peter shrugged, taking her words as a compliment.

Peering down at him, the Phoenix began to shrink as its energy coalesced and took on a humanoid shape.

Peter was surprised to find a beautiful, shining woman standing before him, cloaked in a fiery dress.

"You seek my help." She said, her voice like a chorus of flames.

Peter nodded, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

Usually, he had no fear when facing things like this, but when it comes to the Phoenix Force, he couldn't help but feel the pressure of her presence.

After all, she could kill him at any moment.

Reality Stone or not, the Phoenix Force was far too high up on the food chain compared to likes of Peter, Thanos, and any other universal powerhouse.

"Yeah." he said with a nod, hiding his nerves behind a confident persona. "Jean is having trouble with your powers, and if my guess is correct, then you're the reason behind that, right?"

The Phoenix tilted her head, studying Peter with her shining eyes that burned like the heart of a star.

"I can help her," she said, ignoring Peter's accusation completely. "But I require something in exchange."

"What do you want?" Peter frowned as his hypothesis was proven correct. 'She knew I would come...'

It didn't take a genius to figure out that she orchestrated this whole meeting.

"Since you caused me to lose a Dark Phoenix, you will become my destroyer in Jean's place." the Phoenix said matter of factly. "You will eliminate the growing stagnation in this universe in my name, so that new seeds of creations may grow and rise from the ashes."

"Huh?!" Peter grunted in shock as he shook his head in disbelief. "I can't do that. I'm Spider-Man. I can't go around destroying the universe. I have a reputation to uphold, you know?"

The Phoenix chuckled in amusement.

"Don't play innocent with me. You know what it is to hunt, to kill, to eliminate. And most of all, you know what it means to do what must be done." She stated.

"Alright, you got me there, but Spider-Man is nobody's lackey." Peter says as his face hardened under the mask. "I won't do your bidding."

The Phoenix smiled as her eyes shined with interest.

"Very well," She said with a mocking hint in her voice. "You are free to go. But know this, if you refuse me, I will find another to take your place. And they may not be as morally sound as you."

Peter took a step back, his eyes locked on the Phoenix.

He knew he couldn't defeat her, at least, not with what he currently had in his arsenal.

Even Red Hulk's Absorption wouldn't be able to do much. After all, this wasn't Jean he was dealing with.

If he were to take in even 1% of the Phoenix's energy, Peter had a feeling that he would explode like a firework on the 4th of July.

But he also knew that he couldn't betray his own principles...

Peter stood in front of the Phoenix force, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the fiery entity stare at him expectantly.

"Fine, I'll do it," he said, surprising himself with his own words. "But I have a few stipulations."

"Go on." The Phoenix arched an eyebrow, intrigued.

"First," Peter said, "I will not take innocent lives. And I won't be a mindless weapon for you to use as you please."

The Phoenix nodded, seemingly satisfied with this condition. "And the second?"

"I work on my own time." Peter states clearly. "I have no intention to be bossed around, nor will I be given any timetables. All you have to do is give me a list and I'll get it done. Once that list is taken care of, then my side of the deal will be complete."

"I see..." The Phoenix muttered to herself in thought. "And in exchange, I help Jean, correct?"

"Yes, Jean needs to learn how to control her Phoenix powers." Peter said with a nod. "I want her to be able to use it without being consumed by it, like last time."

The Phoenix regarded him for a moment, considering his request.

Finally, she nodded. "Very well. I agree to your terms."

Peter felt a weight lift off his shoulders, knowing that he had done the right thing.

"Then I guess we have a deal." Peter nodded.

"Good," the Phoenix replied as she snaps her fingers, creating a puff of fire and smoke. "Then let us begin."

And out of that fire appeared a singed scroll, which quickly unraveled to the floor before rolling all the way to Peter's feet.

"..." Peter couldn't help but sigh in resignation.

"As you can see, I have a long list of planets, moons, black holes, ruins of forgotten civilizations, and other universal bodies that need to be destroyed. It is your task to carry out this destruction."

"Seriously?" Peter looked at the list, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the task ahead of him. "How am I supposed to do all of this?"

'I should have asked for more...' He thought, realizing that he may have gotten the short end of the stick in their deal.

"You are Spider-Man, aren't you? Where did all of that confidence go?" The Phoenix Force chuckled in amusement. "Though if you want to back out, then that's fine. Perhaps Jean would be up for the challenge? After all, she's only one burst of power away from turning into a Dark Phoenix..."

"Okay, just stop." Peter sighed as his shoulders slumped. "I'll get it done."

With those words, Peter walked over and took the scroll before raveling it back up.

"So, it's settled then?" Peter asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"It is." Replied the Phoenix, sounding very pleased with herself.

But before leaving Jean's mind, Peter had one last thing to ask.

"You said that my acts of destruction would allow for new creation or something, right? How does that work?" He asks.

The Phoenix Force stood before Peter, her fiery aura casting a warm glow over him.

"I am a being of creation and destruction," she explained. "When I destroy, I also create. Every act of destruction allows space for new creation to emerge."

Peter thought about this for a moment and immediately started feeling much better about his new task.

"So, you're saying that when I destroy something, it's actually making room for something new to be created?" He clarifies.

"Yes, exactly," replied the Phoenix Force. "And as my destroyer, you will be the catalyst for this process. Your acts of destruction will pave the way for new beginnings, new growth, and new life."

Peter nodded slowly.

He had always known that the universe was full of mysteries and wonders, but he had never imagined that he would be a part of something so vast and profound.

"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "I think I understand. Do I get any powers or help for this?"

"You want more powers?" The Phoenix asks incredulously. "You greedy little boy. I've already overlooked the fact that you've stolen my energy and possess an Infinity Stone. What more could you possibly need?"

Instantly, Peter turned sheepish as he scratched the back of his head and turned to look the other way.

"That's what I thought." The Phoenix scoffs and vanishes, returning to the burning lake in Jean's mind.

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Opening his eyes, Peter awoke in the real world with a scroll in hand.

"How did it go?" Jeans ask, noticing the scroll in his grasp as he stepped away from her. "What's that?"

"Nothing that you need to worry about." Peter quickly stashed the scroll into his pocket. "The Phoenix agreed to help you. Try pulling on its energy and create a flame as I taught you."

Peter stood patiently to the side as Jean squinted her eyes and held her hand at eye level, putting on a constipated look in the process.

"I don't think this is..." Jean spoke waveringly as a tiny spark manifested in the palm of her hand. "It worked!"

It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"Good, at least she kept her end of the deal." Peter muttered as he made his way to the door. "Meditate tonight as I taught you and she should appear. Be respectful and diligent. And if there are any problems, contact me immediately."

"Wait! What if-" Jean called out as Peter closed the door behind him, leaving her alone in her apartment. "-I go crazy again..."

Hesitantly eyeing the spark floating in her grasp, Jean found herself quickly becoming determined, as she stormed off to her bedroom, ready to meditate and meet the Phoenix Force for the first time.

A/N: 1529 words :)

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