The Silent Stage of Despair

"SNAP!" was all heard and the mutant body just folded and fell don on the ground with 'Thud'.

An Eerie stillness permeated the air in the wake of Silence's brutal takedown. The battlefield-a field of chaos-became immensely quiet, with groaning soldiers lying in their fallen state, the majority barely holding on to their dear lives, their eyes wide with terror and confusion. Those still standing around them paused to look in Silence's direction, their hearts filled with terror and awe as they wondered who-or what-he truly was.

Half-dead, James barely clung to life as he struggled to comprehend the horror before him. He breathed raggedly, with blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. He looked at Silence in a last desperate leap for any straw of hope that this masked figure was an ally, though he knew deep inside it was not very likely.

The mutants, so sure of themselves only a few seconds earlier, were now nervous. They exchanged troubled glances with each other, their confidence somewhat replaced by attempts to explain what had just happened. Pyro, who was leading the group, glared at Silence, trying to appraise this new menace. Over the years, he had seen and fought against many dangerous persons, but there was something in this young man that disturbed him.

On the other hand, Silence felt his pleasure inflate. 'Yes, they can be so disturbed', he thought, his mind razor-sharp and focused. He saw the fear starting to spear in their eyes, the insecurity wrapping around their confidence. It was just what he needed. 'They have no clue who I really am, and that advantage is mine.'

The mutants began to regroup, their leader yelling orders to form a tight circle. But Silence was already thinking ahead, planning his next move. He wanted to push them a little more, see how they would react under even greater pressure. Time to turn up the heat, he thought, a cold smile spreading behind the mask.

He moved forward without a word, his movements deliberate, calculated. His boots' heavy falls onto the cracked pavement echoed across the field, drawing every pair of eyes to him. The doctor, too, who had been paralyzed with shock, watched him with wide eyes, trying to understand what this young boy was doing in the middle of a battlefield.

Silence relished the attention. He could feel the tension rise, the expectation almost palpable in the air around him. 'Let them watch', he thought, 'let them wonder what would happen next'. He was ready to turn this battlefield into his theatre, and they were just characters in his sinister play.

He strolled up to the rest of the mutants with a casual air. His tone was almost playful, and he said, "Well, well, well, looks like we have quite the performance tonight. Everyone's just an actor upon this stage."

He spread his arms, the theatrics threatening to teeter over into melodrama as he began to prepare his next move. The air around him seemed to ripple with something unnatural, turning the mutants' confused gazes towards him. "Let me set the scene," he furthered, a quiver of dark amusement in his tone.

As he spoke, Silence's accursed speech took hold. "Speak, but be unheard."

A transparent barrier began to rise around the mutants, a shimmering field that only Silence could feel. The barrier was there for him, though almost invisible-merely a very slight distortion of the air. Puzzled and disturbed, the mutants looked at each other as whispered questions and half-considered plans died as their communications were repressed.

Pyro and Azazel stood aside, also watching keenly. They couldn't tell precisely what Silence's ability was, but they soon guessed that his powers somehow related to his mouth. They didn't grasp the full implications but sensed this was a threat to their coordination.

Silence was thrilled by the fact that the barrier finally came into place and really felt proud of himself. It meant his experiment went through successfully. He felt proud, looking back at his new technique: Silent Screams! (not using CE)

(The Cursed Language Barrier:

Ability: Creates a cursed language barrier that prevents people from understanding or communicating with each other. This leads to utter chaos and confusion, as none of the characters can coordinate anything amongst themselves nor ask others for help.

This implies isolation and helplessness for those in the predicament, who cannot communicate their predicament across to others.)

It rose, and Pyro and Azazel turned to each other, perplexed for a moment, before a dawning realization crossed their faces.

Pyro, trying to speak, said, "What in the name of hell is this? I can't hear a thing!"

Azazel's lips moved but no sound reached Pyro's ears as he replied, "We're cut off. Like some kind of sound-barrier.

Pyro was beyond frustrated, his gestures toward Azazel almost manic. "This is no good; we must fall back and find a way to get around this!"

Azazel realized Pyro was frustrated and tried to shout something back in return but couldn't even hear his own voice. He pointed toward Silence with a scowl. "He's the one doing this. We need to stay calm and work around it.

Pyro's eyes had widened, however, staring at his people-the mutants-who also sought to shout and weren't able to do so. "They don't answer. Bad."

Azazel nodded. The gaze was sharp and sure, decisive in every way. He motioned to the rest, who remained watchful. "We need to find a way to break this barrier. For now, focus on the fight.

Pyro, who still tried to raise his voice above the silence, clenched his teeth. "We have to move, and fast. This silence isn't going to save us."( Pun intended)

Azazel nodded curtly with tightened teeth. "Agreed. We adapt or we fail."

As Silence entered the barrier, an elegant smirk playing on his lips, his gait was calm and slow. Outside, the chaos had become muted, unreal, behind the chill of this silent barrier. Reaching the middle, he nonchalantly walked up to his mask. He reached up, his fingers tracing around the zipper before he opened it with a slow, measured movement to expose his mouth. He opened it wide, a childishly playful look on his face, but with an edge underlining it that could only be described as sinister.

Pyro's patience boiled over. He was incredibly angry at the calmness of Silence. Flaming, he would charge forward and shout, "Enough of this game! I will take you down now!"

Meanwhile, Azazel, his eyes full of determination, narrowed as he readied an instant transmission to get behind Silence. "You won't get away with this! I'll handle you myself!

But Silence only smiled, his eyes glinting with that dangerous gleam. He raised his hand and spoke calmly, "Actors should move only when allowed to." His voice cut through the air with chilling calm. "Stop." With the intention of not only stopping but also to stop their mutant abilities which can still get activate in a frozen body.

And with that, his command took instant effect. The raging flames of Pyro went out in that strange, dead silence, like a puff of air blown out by some invisible force. His face twisted up in pure shock and horror as he felt the abrupt siphoning of his heat and his power. Azazel's spell of teleportation frittered away as he started freezing mid-air, pure incredulity etched upon his face. The silence of the barrier had taken not just their voices, but even the powers that had been part of them.

Pyro, with his powers eliminated and his flames doused, stepped backward, eyes wide with panic. "What. what did you do?"

Azazel, still hovering mid-air and unable to teleport, had struggled futilely. His face mirrored fear tinged with anger. "This can't be happening!"

Silence watched with a twisted smile, his eyes gleaming at their reactions. In his mind, he was still heard to continue, "Is it not amazing? To see such strength reduced to naught but by words? Fragile, indeed, is strength when faced with the unimaginable. The silence, after all, isn't just a barrier-it's a show of control."

Pyro and Azazel's faces became a picture of horror as they looked around in desperation. The barrier had turned them completely powerless-a heartless twist that turned their strength into their back. The presence of Silence, complemented by his new, acquired ability, made him the true master upon the stage. 

Silence's gaze fell upon Brock, the mutant whose hands were covered with rock-like features. A wry smile hooked in his mouth, turning into a sneering curve. He moved with a pre-calculated manner; his gait almost pre-rehearsed, awaiting the dark beneath him.

Mockingly, Silence said, "Ah, Brock! It's your time to shine-or rather, time to experience something entirely new. Don't move your head, all right? Just a friendly suggestion as it's my first time.".

He reached out and touched Brock's head with an almost casual air, as if this was some sort of formality. Then his face changed and his voice took on a serious and ominous tone as he chanted, "Shift your sight, friends as foes, foes as friends. Confusion reigns."

The words hung in the air as Silence watched in some kind of twisted amusement, Brock's eyes glazing over, his perception warping. The once formidable rock-armored mutant now looked around in confusion, unable to tell friend from foe as his mind tangled itself in the web of altered reality.

Silence then leaped away, alighting with ease in a manner that was graceful but menacing. He looked over his shoulder at the disoriented Brock and called back cheerily, "Alright, let's not keep the show waiting. Only five of you will move now. The rest, stay put. It's time to see how well you can perform under the new circumstances. And remember, the real fun is just beginning!"

His voice was laced with dark amusement as he looked on at the scene before him. The five mutants, freed from the influence of the barrier now, all looked around in bewilderment, unsure of whom they should be fighting or helping. The dark situation hovered over them, and Silence's command had turned the ordered chaos into a spectacle even more bewildering and sinister.

Brock moved with heavy, deliberate steps, his rock-like armor scraping against itself. The other mutants, disoriented and cut off from communication, watched with increasing anxiety as he approached.

"Brock, are you alright?" one of them called out, but their voice was lost against the barrier.

Brock didn't respond. His eyes locked onto his target with a cold intensity, as he reached near one of them. The mutant watched unguardedly as in his eyes Brock raised his massive hand, his expression unwavering as he brought it down with brutal force.

In a voice stripped of any pretense, he said, "Time for you to meet your end."

The mutant, could only watch in horror as Brock's hand crashed down, smashing his head into a gruesome mess. The brutal efficiency of the blow left no doubt that Brock was executing Silence's command with merciless precision.

(The Cursed Poetry:

Ability: could use his cursed energy to create cursed poetry, which could have devastating effects on those who read or hear it. This could range from physical pain to mental anguish or even death.

Implications: This would add a layer of mystery and intrigue to the story, as characters would have to be careful about what they read or listen to.)