Shin believed he might hold the upper hand in a fight against Apocalypse, but outright victory would be difficult. Moreover, Apocalypse possessed the ability to enhance mutant powers, which meant his Four Horsemen would likely overwhelm both the X-Men and the Brotherhood.
In the original storyline, Apocalypse had formed his Horsemen within a day or two. Here, he'd been biding his time for much longer. Frankly, if not for the Phoenix Force looming over them, Shin doubted either the Brotherhood or the X-Men would have responded decisively.
Jean Grey glanced briefly at Magneto, then looked to Shin. "Mr. Kevin, if you really have a way, I'll leave it to you."
She then turned to the girl beside her. "Blink, teleport us somewhere remote and uninhabited first."
Shin quickly added, "We should take Rogue with us."
His plan was bold, but he wasn't about to gamble with his life. At this moment, the only one in the entire X-Mansion who might actually restrain the Dark Phoenix was Rogue.
Thanks to her powerful absorption abilities, even the Phoenix Force wasn't beyond her reach.
Normally, Rogue couldn't even touch Jean without being obliterated by the Phoenix Force. But if she was brought in from the start, as a backup measure, things might go more smoothly.
Magneto had considered preserving Shin's strength for the coming battle, but since Shin wasn't a mutant, he didn't need to follow Magneto's orders.
Once he saw Rogue brought in, Magneto felt some reassurance. Even if Jean lost control, Shin's combat power would remain unaffected.
On a desolate island, Jean Grey stood tense and focused. Rogue looked uneasy. Shin, without hesitation, pulled a water gun from his inventory.
In cosmic terms, the Phoenix Force was like an ocean-spanning the multiverse, while Jean was merely a faucet.
Theoretically, if the weight of the entire ocean pressed on that faucet, it would have exploded long ago. However, each multiverse housed its own Phoenix host, so Jean was not bearing the pressure of the entire Phoenix Force alone.
Furthermore, the Phoenix Force wasn't trying to kill its host. It didn't actively flood its vessels—it was simply too immense and volatile, composed of the chaotic emotional energy of multiversal life, which overwhelmed its hosts by nature.
Unless the host actively tapped into its power, the Phoenix Force distributed to each universe remained relatively constant.
Shin's idea was to turn one faucet into two. By using the Twin Drowning Spring, he could split Jean into two bodies. If successful, the Phoenix Force would naturally divide between them.
Of course, he wasn't entirely sure it would work. If the Phoenix Force also split accordingly, they might end up with two Dark Phoenixes.
How powerful was the Dark Phoenix? At full strength, the Phoenix Force could restart the multiverse. Though hosts rarely reached that level, it wasn't out of the question for a Dark Phoenix to annihilate a universe.
Even in the comics, the Dark Phoenix had consumed planets and wiped out star systems.
At his current level, Shin could be considered planetary-class—given enough time, he could destroy Earth by breaching the crust and breaking its structure. But compared to the Dark Phoenix, who could incinerate the planet in a heartbeat, he was far inferior.
It was like comparing Vegeta during his first arrival on Earth to Majin Buu both could destroy planets, but their power levels were worlds apart.
Fortunately, even the Dark Phoenix required time to grow. She wouldn't be able to destroy Earth the moment she awakened.
Shin kept a close eye on Jean while speaking calmly to the nervous Rogue. "In a moment, I'll split Jean into two people. That way, they'll share the burden of the Phoenix Force. You'll stand between them. If anything goes wrong, grab their hands."
Rogue blinked in confusion. Shin's instructions were hard to process. Turn Jean into two people?
Before she could question it, Shin squeezed the water gun. A splash of shimmering cold water drenched Jean Grey's head and then she split into two identical versions of herself.
Both Jeans stared at one another in stunned silence, unsure of what to say.
Rogue, overwhelmed by tension, screamed and instinctively reached out, grabbing both Jean Greys' hands.
Instantly, both Phoenix hosts shuddered and went limp, their eyes flashing red. Though not fully awakened, even semi-dormant Phoenix hosts couldn't withstand Rogue's absorption for long. Her touch rapidly siphoned their power.
But Jean was merely a host. Rogue draining the power of the Phoenix Force across the entire multiverse was impossible, it wasn't even a drop in the ocean.
As soon as the Phoenix Force was drained from Jean's body, it began to refill once more. However, the influx rate couldn't match Rogue's absorption speed. Jean retained minimal physical strength but was otherwise powerless.
"I-It's fine now... Rogue, let go..." Jean gasped.
Realizing she had overreacted, Rogue quickly let go, chuckling nervously. Jean hadn't even lost control yet.
With their eyes closed, the two Jean Greys could sense the Phoenix Force, once an overwhelming torrent, now split evenly between them.
And thanks to Rogue's recent absorption, the crest of that cosmic tide had been temporarily flattened.
Opening her eyes, one Jean gently activated her telepathy, shattering the mental seal Professor X had placed on her.
The Phoenix Force surged into both minds simultaneously. They clenched their teeth, bracing together against its power.
Shin's theory had proven correct. Two hosts in a single universe meant two conduits for the Phoenix Force. Its pressure was halved.
And for now, that made it just manageable.
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