[20] The Power Of Hellfire Club
Port No. 3 in Miami.
Brian, ever the thrill-seeker, watched the unfolding battle on the luxury cruise ship with amused interest.
On the deck of the cruise ship, Magneto slowly stood up, his left hand raised high. Above him, cars and containers hovered ominously in the air. With a slight gesture of his hand, the vehicles and containers began to disintegrate, breaking down into countless steel fragments that filled the sky.
"Well done, Erik. Keep going."
Opposite Magneto, Sabastian Shaw gazed up at the floating steel fragments with calm admiration, not bothering to hide his praise.
"Shaw, you're going to die!"
Magneto's roar echoed across the ship as he clenched his left hand into a fist. In response, the steel fragments turned into a deadly steel storm, rushing forward to engulf the entire deck of the cruise ship.
"So? Should we get rid of him?" Emma asked lazily to Sabastian Shaw.
"Heh~ No, let's see how far our little Erik has come."
Despite Magneto's overwhelming attack, the Mutants of the Hellfire Club remained unfazed.
The Black King, ever composed, leisurely poured himself another glass of champagne, completely unconcerned by the approaching torrent of metal.
Emma was lazily reclining on a sun lounger, soaking in the warmth of the setting sun as if the chaos around her didn't exist.
In the other two corners of the deck, the Red Devil Azazel whistled nonchalantly, casually trimming his razor-sharp nails with a knife, as if he had no care in the world.
Riptide sat quietly in another spot, completely ignoring the havoc Magneto was wreaking.
Magneto, feeling utterly dismissed, gritted his teeth and pushed his powers even harder.
The already fierce steel torrent accelerated, the fragments flying faster than before, resembling bullets. They tore through the deck, shattering champagne glasses meant for the celebration and leaving the wooden surface of the ship battered and splintered.
Yet, the Mutants of the Hellfire Club remained unbothered under the relentless barrage of metal.
Shaw stood calmly as the steel fragments slammed into him. Each piece of steel lost all momentum the instant it touched him, falling harmlessly to the ground. Thanks to his ability to absorb all forms of energy, physical attacks like these not only failed to harm him but also strengthened him further.
Emma effortlessly transformed her body into diamond, and the steel fragments bounced off her impenetrable form, leaving her completely unharmed. She didn't even flinch as the metal rained down around her.
Red Devil transformed into a red mist and vanished from the deck.
Riptide, with a casual flick of his wrist, summoned a tornado that effortlessly deflected all of the incoming steel fragments.
When Magneto's steel onslaught finally subsided, the Mutants of the Hellfire Club remained unharmed.
The only casualty on the entire deck was the unfortunate Colonel Henry, who had just joined the Hellfire Club. He was riddled with metal shards, lying lifeless.
"Tch. Shaw, Colonel Henry is dead," The White Queen said, releasing her diamond form. She walked over to the lifeless body of Colonel Henry and casually pointed out his demise.
"If he's dead, he's dead. It's not hard to find another partner," Sabastian Shaw remarked indifferently, casting a disinterested glance at Henry's body before striding toward Magneto.
"Come on, Erik. We are your true home. Join us, and let's build a world for Mutants—one without humans," Shaw invited Magneto, his voice smooth and persuasive.
Magneto, however, was unmoved by Shaw's words. His expression darkened as he replied, "Shaw, I share your vision for a world of Mutants, but you killed my mother."
Magneto glared at Shaw with fury in his eyes. He raised his left hand, and the dagger that had fallen on the deck shot forward, aimed straight at Shaw's back.
Whoosh.
The sharp sound of the dagger cutting through the air echoed behind Shaw.
But The Black King barely reacted. He simply lifted his hand with ease, and the dagger, speeding toward him with lethal intent, froze midair, suspended by Shaw's ability. Slowly, the dagger fell harmlessly to the ground.
As the world's only Level 5 Mutant, Shaw had mastered his mutant ability to its highest potential. Absorbing energy, even from a distance, was second nature to him.
"Erik, did I ever tell you about my mutant ability?" Shaw asked, stepping closer and lifting Magneto from the ground as if he weighed nothing.
He pulled a small piece of chocolate from his pocket and casually placed it in Magneto's left hand.
"No..." Magneto responded, his voice low and tense.
His eyes locked onto the chocolate, stirring painful memories from his childhood, a time filled with torment at the hands of Shaw.
The deep-seated fear that had been buried for so long bubbled up, and he found himself involuntarily answering Shaw's question.
"Well, it seems I never mentioned it. I can absorb any form of energy—whether kinetic, electrical, or otherwise—and convert it into my own. I store it within me, using it to grow stronger."
"This keeps my cells at peak condition, allowing me to stay young forever," The Black King continued, his tone casual as he explained his powers.
"But honestly, if it was just immortality, it would be rather dull. The truly interesting part is that I can release the energy I absorb.
Like this."
Without hesitation, Black King Shaw demonstrated his ability.
To Magneto's horror, Shaw gently tapped him with his right index finger.
The energy Shaw had previously absorbed coursed through his fingertip, forming a brilliant energy sphere that enveloped Magneto.
Boom!
A massive explosion sent Magneto hurtling into the water.
Shaw had only unleashed the energy stored from Magneto's earlier steel torrent attack, but even that was equivalent to the blast of several high-explosive grenades.
The force of the explosion was tremendous.
Magneto, overwhelmed by the close-range energy detonation, was left seriously injured and unconscious.
He had instinctively used the steel fragments from the deck to form a protective shield around himself, narrowly escaping death or disfigurement from Shaw's released energy.
Even so, Magneto's condition was dire.
His skin was torn and bloody, with deep wounds exposing parts of his bones.
The blood had already started to spread through the water, turning it a deep red.
"Eric!" Professor X shouted, his face filled with panic.
On the shore, he watched as Magneto, severely injured, was gradually sinking beneath the water's surface.
Despite just having met, Professor X already felt a deep connection with Magneto, considering him a kindred spirit.
Seeing his newfound friend in such a state of uncertainty, with his life hanging by a thread, filled him with dread.
"Oh, thank goodness, Eric is still alive," Professor X muttered, pressing his hand to his temple.
His telepathic powers quickly scanned Magneto's mind, confirming that he was still conscious. This small comfort gave Professor X the resolve he needed.
Without hesitation, he leaped into the water.
"Charles, what are you doing?" Brian, who had been casually observing the scene, was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. He called out to Professor X, puzzled by his drastic action.
"Don't ask nonsensical questions, Brian. Can't you see I'm trying to save him?" Professor X shouted back as he swam towards the sinking Magneto, clearly annoyed by Brian's lack of urgency.
Brian raised an eyebrow, watching the professor's somewhat desperate attempt to reach Magneto. "You do realize you're a full two hundred meters away from him, right? Are you planning to swim all the way there?" he asked with a smirk, clearly entertained by the scene.
Brian stood on the shore, watching the struggling Professor X as he attempted to swim towards Magneto. He couldn't help but smirk as he looked at the distance.
"You're really going to swim the whole way, Charles?" Brian teased, his tone lighthearted.
"F**k, Brian, either help or get out of the way!" Professor X snapped back, his voice full of frustration as he splashed forward, his movements slower than he would have liked.
Brian, thoroughly amused by Professor X's irritation, laughed. "You seem to be in a hurry, Charles," he said with mock concern. "Relax."
With that, Brian took a deep breath and stretched his arms and legs. Then, without another word, he dove smoothly into the water.
"Now, it's my home court~"