Cambrian
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The XXX-Gene Ch. 70 (Marvel)
🕑 Added 2025-02-16 16:40:41 +0000 UTCA/N: Missed opportunities :P
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There’s a moment where Thaddeus thinks Storm might do something… rash. The longer she stares at the photos, the more deathly afraid the beautiful woman becomes until he’s wondering if she’s going to do something truly reckless. It’s not a look that Thaddeus has ever seen on the African woman before. She’s always seemed so composed and confident, so poised and put-together.
But then he watches as she slowly reins herself in. She doesn’t let her impulsive thoughts, whatever they might be, get the better of her. Instead, Storm takes in a deep breath and then slowly lets it out before eyeing him carefully.
“… I assume you know who this looks like, seeing as you’re showing me these pictures.”
Smiling slightly, Thaddeus inclines his head in acknowledgment.
“It was actually Emma Frost who recognized the familiar face that Madelyne Pryor wears. We thought you and your team might want to know.”
Alas, maybe it would have been better if she HAD gone and done something foolish. At least for his and Emma’s plans. As things stand, Storm gets a knowing look in her eye, even as she gazes at him for a long moment.
“Purely out of the kindness of your hearts, I’m sure.”
Her incredibly dry tone makes it clear she knows better and probably recognizes this for what it is… a distraction. Even still, Thaddeus sees the way that Storm can’t help but glance back down at the photos a couple times more, even as she reluctantly hands his phone back to him. Just because the target knew they were being distracted didn’t always make the distraction any less… distracting.
Rather than answer her implied accusation, Thaddeus just smiles and tucks his phone away.
“If you need my help investigating Professor Pryor, I would be happy to assist. Though I find myself curious… one would think you would be more excited at the possibility of a comrade seemingly coming back from the dead. Instead you seem almost… afraid.”
Storm’s eyes flash a little bit at that, her smile dropping as she rises from behind her chair.
“I suppose if Frost is your source of knowledge, you wouldn’t know the details of Jean’s death, would you? We kept it under wraps for good reason.”
Thaddeus just inclines his head wordlessly, letting her continue.
“… You need to stay away from ‘Madelyne Pryor’, Thaddeus. If she is Jean, then the X-Men can handle it. If she’s anything else, then obviously it’s some sort of trap or scheme.”
Seriously? She really thinks he’ll just listen to her without more information?
“Obviously it’s a trap of some sorts. I don’t really believe in coincidences this strong. Three of my Professors were replaced on Monday. Now, I know where you came from and who’s interests you represent.”
Storm opens her mouth to protest such mercenary terms, but Thaddeus cuts her off.
“But I have no clue who the fuck ‘Shu Wong’ is or who sent her. And obviously I don’t know anything about Madelyne Pryor either except for that she’s wearing your dead friend’s face and the possibility of Jean Grey’s survival scares you more than it excites you. On top of that though, she’s literally my Biology Professor. I couldn’t stay away from her even if I wanted to listen to you.”
Admittedly, it was interesting how all four of the women who had clearly come to ESU for him and him personally had wound up taking over four of his classes back to back all on the same day. But Thaddeus honestly chalked that up to his super-charged Luck Power. It had to find some way of tilting the odds in his favor and… well, he’d certainly figured out something was going on far quicker this way.
Storm winces and Thaddeus knows he’s made a pretty damn good point at the end there. She’s asking him to stay away from the Professor in charge of one of his courses. Something he can’t exactly do unless he’s going to skip class for who knows how long.
Rather than continue trying to convince him, however, Storm begins to gather up her things as she speaks.
“… Just don’t let her get you alone, Thaddeus. And whatever you do, definitely don’t have sex with her.”
Draping her coat over her arm, the statuesque African Goddess of a woman begins making her way towards the door.
“I’m serious. Jean Grey wasn’t just a telepath. I can’t tell you anything more than that, not without risking your safety further… but you don’t want access to her powers. You just don’t.”
And then the female mutant is out the door, heading lord knows where. To investigate further, maybe? Still, it seems she really wanted to get away from this conversation fast, because she’s even left him alone in her office. Not that there seems to be anything to snoop, she’s only been at the University for a few days after all.
As Thaddeus looks around in consternation for a moment, he feels a liquid-like sensation against his skin. Then, out from under his clothes, Cessily Kincaid flows and forms herself up into a humanoid body that starts out metallic and silvery but slowly gains the appearance of proper human skin. Soon enough, Cessily stands before him looking completely normal as she eyes the office briefly too.
“Well… that was weird.”
Grimacing, Thaddeus nods.
“Yeah.”
Grinning at him, Cessily’s eyes twinkle in amusement.
“Ya know, for a second there I thought she was going to demand you fuck her right then and there.”
Wait, what? Thaddeus brow furrows in confusion as he lets out a small bark of disbelieving laughter.
“Hah! What’re you talking about, Cessily?”
Shrugging, Cessily steps over to Storm’s desk, running her fingers across the wood.
“Well, what do you do when your fight or flight instincts are triggered by something you know you aren’t strong enough to fight? Maybe most will react with flight, but some… would seek to get stronger. And you kind of are a walking, talking power boost aren’t you?”
Huh… okay, he could kind of see it.
“Alas, cooler heads prevailed there didn’t they? Unfortunate, but we’ll get her eventually.”
That gets Thaddeus to give his companion a look.
“I’m not going to try to trick Storm into having sex with me just because she rejected my initial offer, Cessily. I have more than enough willing women jumping into bed with me already.”
Grinning, Cessily hops up onto Storm’s desk, kicking her legs back and forth.
“Yeah but… it’s Storm. She’s kind of drop dead gorgeous. I definitely think you want to fuck her. Hell, I want to see you fuck her. Frankly, it was a little exhilarating just watching her stoic attitude drop out of fear today. It would be so much hotter to see that face of hers contort in pleasure instead though.”
That was… Cessily wasn’t wrong, but at the same time…
“Well I’m not going to try to push the issue. If it happens, then it’ll come from her end. Honestly, at this point I just want to know more about Jean Grey. What happened that led to her death in the first place?”
Cessily just shrugs.
“I dunno. Before my time. Buuut… I could look into it for you maybe. Go back to the Institute, try and ask around a little bit. Oh! I could recruit Laura and we could go interrogate Logan together!”
Thaddeus gives her a curious look at that, causing Cessily to grin.
“It’ll work, just trust me.”
Unlike Storm, who Thaddeus thought was a good person but wasn’t about to trust unconditionally… he did just trust Cessily. She’d had ample opportunity to betray him by now. Of course, rather than just hop off of the desk and head off to do precisely what she’d just said, Cessily gives him a coy grin and shows him why she REALLY decided to take back up her humanoid form as she spreads her legs wide and melds away her fake clothing to reveal her naked form beneath.
“First though… wanna fuck on the Professor’s desk while she’s off doing who knows what and unknowingly missing out? Heh, how often do you get a chance like this?”
… This would literally be the third time he’d fucked someone on or over a desk in the past three days. But Thaddeus doesn’t say that. Nor does he decline the invitation. Instead he just chuckles and steps forward, already freeing his cock from its confines. Cessily was still right after all. Fucking her atop Professor Munroe’s desk after the other woman just sidelined them DID sound quite fun~
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“I appreciate you agreeing to this meeting, Ms. Frost.”
Seated behind her desk, Emma doesn’t rise to shake She-Hulk’s hand. A slight snub maybe, but she’s not about to put herself within physical distance of such a woman, even if she could switch to her Diamond Form in a split second. She does offer the other woman an icy smile though, even as she gestures to the reinforced chair across from her.
“Of course Ms. Walters. It was my… pleasure.”
And yet, to her mild surprise… it doesn’t seem like She-Hulk acknowledges the snub in any way. In fact, if she didn’t know any better, she would say the other woman seemed somewhat distracted by something. The large, beautiful, green-skinned heroine kept glancing off to the side every so often and when she caught herself doing it and forced herself to stop, her eyes kept flicking over anyways involuntarily.
Nothing was over there that Emma could see or sense. And the room had been swept for bugs multiple times today, even more than normal. Silence reigns for a long moment, before Emma clears her throat.
“You were the one who asked for this meeting, Ms. Walters.”
At the slight note of reproach in her voice, She-Hulk jolts and straightens up. Her tailored pantsuit looks amazing on her large body, Emma has to admit. Mm, what she wouldn’t give to have the other woman on her knees before her.
“Right, sorry… I’ve just been a little distracted since Monday. Something… I’m not sure how to describe it, but I think it’s something to do with Thaddeus.”
Emma raises an eyebrow, distinctly unimpressed. She’d been expecting more confidence from the other woman. More… forcefulness. This was…
“Yes. I imagine that’s why we’re both here. To discuss young Thaddeus between the two of us, woman to woman.”
Well, not just that. Also the Hellfire Club, if they got to it. But needless to say, Emma would prefer they didn’t get to it. If she could keep this conversation focused solely on her newly minted White Knight and away from the Hellfire Club and it’s illicit dealings, all the better.
“No… I mean yes, but it’s not just that. Do you ever think… about how the world seems to revolve around Thaddeus?”
… What? Emma blinks owlishly, even as She-Hulk gives her a serious, probing gaze. What was she talking about? Revolved around… Thaddeus? Finally, Emma just shakes her head and chuckles.
“I don’t quite know what you mean to say. He’s a good young man with a bright future ahead of him. But the world certainly does not revolve around him.”
“Doesn’t it though? Isn’t it strange how we’re here right now, two powerful women in our own right… and we’re discussing him of all people?”
Emma really didn’t know where She-Hulk was going with this. But she certainly wasn’t going to change the subject on her end.
“Well, he is the bridge that brings us together, is he not? You and I would have no reason to interact without Thaddeus’ involvement.”
She-Hulk just frowns at that though.
“That’s not entirely true. There are a number of reasons we might interact. I’m a lawyer, you’re a businesswoman. I’m an Avenger, you’re part of a shifty and shady club that might have criminal leanings. And yet… what brings us together is a young man who we’re both having sexual relations with. That doesn’t strike you as odd? It’s not… strange to you in any way?”
Emma just shakes her head, growing increasingly bewildered by the trajectory of this conversation.
“No? It’s a big world. Connections happen for many reasons all the time. Just because Thaddeus happens to be what brings us together in this moment doesn’t mean anything more. Are you… alright Ms. Walters?”
She asks that last question because She-Hulk had started looking off to the side again. Jolting, she turns back to Emma with a blank look on her face for a brief moment before she finally smiles.
“… I’m fine. You’re right, of course. Besides, it’s probably just a byproduct of Thaddeus’ Luck Powers more than anything right? When Lady Luck is on your side, anything is possible.”
… Yes, that made sense. Emma still peers at She-Hulk curiously. She wishes she could go a step further and peer into the other woman’s mind, but she’s confident that she would be caught and that would not go well for her. For the same reason, Emma is avoiding just going with the easy option of mentally dominating the green-skinned heroine.
Sure, she might get away with it for a time, and under different circumstances she might have tried it… but right now it was better to hold off on anything as drastic as that. Especially when She-Hulk could still prove to be an ally in the battles ahead. Ah well, as much as Emma would have liked to just keep talking about Thaddeus until they ran out of time, she supposed she would have to be the one to push the conversation along.
“Tell me, Ms. Walters… what do you want from me exactly?”
Straightening up and squaring her shoulders, She-Hulk suddenly looks far more imposing than she did a moment ago. Emma has to hold back the urge to blush a little bit, even as the taller, impressively built woman leans forward.
“Right. What I want from you… it’s simple Ms. Frost. I want you to flip on the Hellfire Club. Turn on your peers, help me take them down, and let me save you from yourself.”
W-Well now. Emma raises an eyebrow, affecting an amused look. She hides the true effect that She-Hulk’s words have on her behind a shake of her head.
“Save me from myself, hm? That’s… quite admirable of you.”
She says admirable, but really she means adorable. And yet, She-Hulk isn’t backing down.
“I’m serious. Thaddeus is a good man, but he’s loyal to you, I can see that much. And for him to be loyal to you… it means you aren’t such a bad person either. The Hellfire Club is like a pit of quicksand. You already pulled Thaddeus in with you. But I’m offering you both the chance to grab my hands and let me pull you out right here, right now.”
This… this was more what Emma expected from agreeing to sit down with a hero. An Avenger at that. With all that strangeness from the beginning behind them, now she feels like she’s finally on a battlefield she understands. She-Hulk’s straightforwardness is rather enviable in its own way though… Emma will have to be far more circumspect if she wants to come out of this exchange the victor.
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A/N: For those of you who didn't pick up on it, I'm toying with the idea of She-Hulk breaking the 4th Wall a little bit in this chapter. But not entirely sure whether it's a good idea or not, so I'm crowd sourcing the decision.
To be clear, I've already decided that even if She-Hulk starts to 4th Wall Break more often, Thaddeus will not ever develop the ability.
I repeat, the MC is NOT going to start breaking the Fourth Wall, because frankly I don't trust myself to handle an MC doing it in the same way I feel like I can handle a side character doing it.
Comments
Para
4th wall breaks can be a good laugh but I don't think they really work here.
Kael Hyun
I seriously need to recommend to people to read her run from I think the '80s because she broke the fourth wall all the fucking time long before Deadpool
Kael Hyun
She-Hulk has always broke the fourth wall in her own comics and sometimes an even others people just need to read more comics. Other than that the people around her also acknowledge that they're in a comic book hell the end of her first run she kills The comic writer who's been her major villain.
JO LP
Perhaps. I don't bother with who did what first, I just care for who does it better and who does it annoyingly. She Hulk is the latter.
Kael Hyun
She Hulk broke the fourth wall way before Deadpool was created. I think taking away something that's built into the character is bullshit.
Gamertecno
I went with no. My mind was going in a very different direction, at first I was thinking she brought Sue with her but then she talked about things revolving around Thad. My first thought at that was not a 4th wall break power but her connection to the green door being boosted to the point she could feel it and through it Thad, hence why she kept looking to the side in the direction she could feel Thad since he would gain his connection through her. It could lead to things that could only be put down for good by using the green door.
Alun Lewis
I voted 'yes' to Jen breaking the fourth wall...it is part of her character but one Cambrian can "control" the usage of. Her asides can be used in Greek chorus fashion to help fill knowledge gaps or hint at poll decision directions...or even let her do some play-by-play for any group sex scenes 😉
JO LP
I already expect that kind of thing if Deadpool visits. I don't want that meta behavior from another character who would not be as funny. She Hulk brekaing the fourht wall is not funny in the comics and it was not funny in the Disney+ show. So I would rather it did not happen here.
Narsil
I voted yes for breaking the fourth wall, I have fond memories of that particular She-Hulk series and wouldn't mind seeing a bit of an homage, but it looks like it isn't to be.
Rockinalice
I just remembered that if Jennifer Powers are getting Boosted she might develop the Gama Sight that her Niece and Hulk have such that she will be see Reality much different they other people such has seeing Ghost, Spirits, Mystical, and general Energy Or just boost her ability to interact with the Fourth Wall
Sith2go
I figured She-Hulk was just starting to go insane from the radiation, like the many Hulks tend to do every now and then. Especially since she has been getting power ups from Thad.
FanofLife
I thought She Hulk was looking to the side as a hint to us that she brought Sue Storm with her
Cambrian
Have enough character bloat as is on top of already having Spider-Gwen, plus wouldn't trust myself to write any of those three characters 'correctly' so I would not expect them to ever show up in this story heh.
Nanaya7Nights
If you want fourth wall breaking, use Deadpool, Lady Deadpool or Gwenpool not She Hulk. She is a sane person, having her break the fourth wall would just be wierd.
Devon
as cute/disgusting as Emma finds Shulk's offer, it's actually a fairly good one. She needs power to go against Selene and Mastermind; and while building Thadeus up is a solid plan, it's long term, while an avengers team assembled to deal specifically with those two is more direct.
RanmaChaos
No to 4th wall breaking. Its exasperating and unnecessary. Don't even acknowledge what happened this chapter moving forward. Just ignore it and move on. I've never read the comics, my SheHulk comes from the 90s Hulk cartoon. She didnt need to 4th wall break there, and she doesnt need to here. She was an awesome character all on her own. Seriously, I watch a compellation of her not long ago, and I was saddened and furious that we've lost such amazing female characters to Modern BS!
Doug Bowman
While I'd like 4th wall shenanigans, both because I'd trust you to do them well and because it honors the source material, it doesn't look like that's going to happen. With the hinting, though, I feel like it needs to be at least addressed. Getting subsumed into the awakening of another new power(reflecting intense observation) or a large transformation in her base(self control boosted to incorporate other hulk-serum entities), side effect of getting mind-raped/temporary amnesia, flexes it like a muscle that accidentally breaks, or something. Doesn't need to be soon, or anything, but I feel like it needs to be dealt with at some point.
Oliver Jenner
I voted yes for the 4th wall breaks but mainly because I want the possibility of more if they fit well rather than wanting to have them there even if they feel a bit forced
Doug Bowman
Seconded.
yr45
Great chapter once again. I'd usually say no to 4th wall breaks based on personal preference, but I feel that she's come this far now that it would be strange for her to completely back off that train of thought. So my vote is for very occasional fourth wall breaks... just not too many of them. It feels like that's the natural place the story is headed - could be a bit strange to hint at it then back off. There's also a lot of humour to be found in her realising she's in an explicit fanfic called the 'XXX-Gene' - not sure that's been done before? Anyway. Excellent work as always. Cheers!
Alchem
Really hope she doesn’t break the 4th wall, personally
Draconic Hermit
She isn't the kind of 4th wall breaker we tend to think about when it comes to that term. She makes subtle references about it but the only times she gets ballant about it is when she talks to other 4th wall breakers.
Argos Yesu
I want her to break the Fourth Wall cause I wanna see someone beat up Deadpool. I’ve gotten annoyed at the Nth Marvel fanfic where Deadpool just crashes the fic and ruins a couple dozen pages with nonsense. If Deadpool appears and starts commenting on us, just sic She-Hulk at him and I’ll be a happy man. Maybe some angry sex between She-Hulk and Thad afterward cause dealing with Deadpool is a hassle and She wants a reward.
TUSF
I want She-Hulk to comment and balk at the poll options.
jp9901
Breaking the fourth wall, classic She-Hulk
Y. B. A.
If Jennifer breaks the 4th wall, I think she'll try to usurp Main Girl status from Emma. ...Which her friends would notice. And wouldn't that lead to all sorts of crazy 'shuraba' developments? I'm all for it! LOL
Rapthorn2ndform
I think you handled the 4th wall bend here perfectly. (I don't think this poll should be a binary) Maybe you could go a little farther but a full on break i don't think works with her in this story. The occasional wink and nod is good tho... ON THE OTHER HAND a character like Gwenpool... she would be the right feel for a full on 4th wall shenanigans.
Gamesempie
And here I thought she had somehow snuck the Invisible Woman into the meeting, but no, she's looking at, or trying to look for, us.
Cole Deucalion
She hulk has to break the fourth wall! Such a great idea and true to her character.
