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"Jean, calm down."
Scott had defeated Sabretooth in less than 30 seconds, but every second counted when someone was suffocating. He rushed to Jean, calming her as he adjusted his ruby quartz glasses. He then carefully used a low-power laser to shatter the mucus covering her mouth and nose, freeing her.
"Thank you, Scott," Jean gasped, taking a deep breath. Despite the immense power she held, she was still vulnerable to suffocation like any normal person. Not everyone could survive without breathing like Clark.
"Magneto threw Clark into the river," Scott said, his voice urgent. "Jean, go find him. I have a feeling we're going to need his strength in the end."
They knew it was a bitter pill to swallow, but they needed Clark's help to defeat Magneto, especially since the battle was taking place on a metal statue.
"I understand. I'll go get Clark. You go help Storm and Logan," Jean replied, and they immediately split up. Scott, however, didn't go to his teammates as promised. He climbed straight for the top of the Statue of Liberty, trusting that his friends could handle their own fights.
The Fights Below
On the first floor, in a maintenance hallway, two Logan's were engaged in a brutal hand-to-hand fight. When the real Logan extended his claws, he saw his opponent do the same.
"You're a good fake, but it won't work!" he sneered, charging forward. But he was quickly beaten back.
Logan's fighting skills were decent, honed from 15 years of a nomadic life. But even so, he was getting outmatched. The Mystique-disguised Logan not only had claws but also had decades of formal combat training. Logan usually had to take a few hits before he could land one.
Frustrated, Logan grew impatient. He realized that while his opponent could mimic his body and his claws, she couldn't mimic the adamantium infused in his bones. She couldn't kill him. So, he switched tactics to his best fighting style: exchanging blows, taking a hit to land one.
This tactic, which should have been suicidal for anyone else, was perfect for Logan's healing factor. He could get hit, and the wound would heal in an instant. Mystique, on the other hand, would sustain real injuries. The tables turned, and Logan started chasing her, a wild grin on his face.
Backed into a corner, Mystique went for a desperate attack, piercing Logan's chest with her claws, straight through his heart.
"Ugh!" Logan grunted, spitting a mouthful of blood. But that was all. With incredible willpower, he swung his own claws, severing Mystique's imitation claws.
"Agh!" Now it was Mystique who screamed in pain. Unlike Logan, whose claws were metal, hers were an extension of her own body tissue. In her agony, she couldn't dodge as Logan's claws ripped into her abdomen.
Bleeding from her mouth, Mystique's body slowly lost strength. Her scales shimmered, and she reverted to her natural form before collapsing.
"Ugh, that's really gross." Logan didn't finish her off. He simply confirmed she was out of the fight and walked away. He had no desire to kill if he didn't have to.
The fight between Storm and Toad had become a one-sided affair. Toad's abilities were simple: great strength, a long tongue, and the ability to spit sticky mucus. While the mucus had been effective in his sneak attack on Jean, it was a limited power. He had used the dark and his climbing ability to gain an advantage initially, but Storm's fury changed everything.
A powerful gust of wind tore the windows open, and lightning illuminated the room. Toad could no longer hide.
"Die!" he screamed, pouncing on Storm. He knew that if he could just get close, he could kill her. But it was a big "if."
Toad couldn't get close. He was lifted by Storm's winds and flung out the window, toward the river below. He desperately tried to grab onto the building with his tongue, but a bolt of lightning struck him, and the battle was over. The charred Toad fell into the water, unconscious.
"It's over."