đ If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.
--------------------
Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V
---------------
"What are you doing! Let me go now!"
Rogue screamed, but Magneto paid her no mind. He had been kind to her out of a sense of his own pride, but he wasn't going to let her feelings get in the way of his plan. He had already decided her fate.
The terrifying magnetic force tore the Statue of Liberty's head to pieces in an instant. Countless sharp metal shards flew toward Clark under his control. Clark, knowing that the metal under Magneto's control was far stronger than his own body, wisely chose to dodge the attack instead of facing it head-on. His current physique, while incredibly strong, was no match for metal enhanced by Magneto's power.
Kryptonians, who fly using a biological force field, are incredibly agile and have no issue with inertia. Clark easily dodged the attacks while returning fire with his heat vision. While not as powerful as Cyclops's, a direct hit would still be more than Magneto's old body could handle.
"You're a talented child, but you're too naive if you think you can handle me!" Magneto scoffed, swatting aside a piece of metal that Clark's heat vision had turned red hot. He then opened his arms, demonstrating his control over the magnetic field.
The Statue of Liberty, which had been holding a torch, began to move its arm like a giant, swinging it at Clark. This time, Clark chose to meet the attack head-on, his fist colliding with the metal arm. The result was not what he expected. Instead of a hard, impenetrable surface, the arm of the statue exploded into a shower of metallic debris.
"Wait... metal?"
Clark realized his mistake too late. Standing on the statue, Magneto smirked, clenching his fist. The debris in the air instantly swarmed toward Clark. No matter how fast he was, he couldn't avoid every piece. Under Magneto's command, the metal stuck tightly to Clark's body, covering him like a second skin.
Because the metal was subject to Magneto's power, Clark lost all control of his body. He was dragged around by the metallic layer. Soon, he was completely encased in metal, like a statue.
"Clark!" Rogue screamed. She had no idea of his strength, but from a human perspective, she knew that no one could survive being completely covered in metal with no breathing room.
"Don't worry, child. He won't die. He just won't be a problem anymore," Magneto said. He considered crushing the metal to kill Clark but stopped himself. He then threw the metal-encased hero into the river below.
"Don't bother me. You are the future of mutants."
Magneto still believed that Clark was a powerful mutant. This belief saved Clark's life. He knew he was getting old, and that the future of mutants would not be his to lead.
Liberty Island
At the same time, the X-Men's stealth jet landed below. Logan, Jean, Storm, and Cyclops all entered the Statue of Liberty, but as Jean walked in last, a glob of mucus shot out from the shadows and hit her face.
The mucus hardened quickly upon contact with the air, and Jean was unable to break free. Her mouth and nose were blocked, and she began to suffocate.
"Jean!" Cyclops shouted, rushing forward, trying to destroy the mucus with his optic blast.
At that moment, a second Logan appeared and knocked the real Logan to the ground. After a brief scuffle, no one could tell them apart.
"Mystique!" Storm exclaimed. Suddenly, a long tongue shot out from the darkness, wrapping around her waist and pulling her up to the second floor. It was Toad, hiding in the shadows with his chameleon-like eyes reflecting the faint light.
"Everyone!" Cyclops shouted, now surrounded by Mystique and Toad. He didn't dare to act recklessly. Sabretooth emerged from the side, snarling like a wild beast.
"It seems I have to deal with you first." After giving his suffocating girlfriend an encouraging look, Cyclops slowly stood up. A laser shot from his eyes, piercing Sabretooth's thigh.
"To spare Jean any more discomfort, I'll finish you in 30 seconds!" Scott declared.
Sabretooth responded with a roar and a charge. Though his abilities weren't focused on physical strength, Scott was a well-trained X-Man. He dodged the attack with a quick sidestep and fired another blast, this time off a nearby mirror, hitting Sabretooth in the back.
"Roar!" Sabretooth roared in pain, but his wound healed instantly. He charged again.
"This is annoying," Scott muttered. He changed the setting on his visor. Instead of a focused beam, he unleashed a wide-angle blast that engulfed Sabretooth.
"What!" Sabretooth screamed. Even with the energy dispersed, the laser still caused damage. The blast knocked him back, and he hit the wall hard. Seizing the opportunity, Scott fired another beam, cutting the chain of a chandelier. The chandelier fell, striking Sabretooth's head and knocking him unconscious. The fight was over in less than 30 seconds.