š 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
---------------
This book completed in patreon ... Full book Available in patreon.....
Go check it out ...
---------------------
"What... what's going on?" John cried, seeing his flames rendered completely useless against Bobby's ice body. That body, now close to absolute zero, could no longer be affected by John's fire.
Bobby reached out and grabbed John's wrists. The sheer cold of his body froze John's hands and his lighter. "You shouldn't have left the school," he said simply.
With a powerful headbutt, Bobby knocked John unconscious, ending the fight.
The Final Stand
Meanwhile, the battle between the X-Men and Eric began. Jean Grey, who had arrived with Eric, watched impassively, unwilling to help either side.
Hiding behind a bunker, Logan and Piotr discussed a new plan. In another direction, Hank, covered by the fog, ran to a nearby soldier's discarded rifle and took out a syringe filled with the cure.
"Piotr, throw me like Clark did in training," Logan said.
"Understood!"
Piotr launched Logan like a cannonball at Eric. It seemed like this single blow would take Eric down. But Logan, with his Adamantium skeleton, was a bright beacon in Eric's senses. With a simple wave of his hand, Eric pinned Logan to the ground, unable to move.
"You never seem to learn to be calm," Eric mocked.
Struggling to move, Logan managed a small smile. "Actually, I have."
Suddenly, Hank leaped from the mist, syringe in hand, ready to deliver the final blow. Just as everyone thought the battle was won, Eric smiled. The gravel at his feet began to spin rapidly, forming a protective shield that knocked Hank away.
"How?!" Logan shouted. He hadn't expected Eric to be so alert.
After repelling Hank, one of the spinning stones shot out and struck Ororo. Scott reacted instantly, firing a laser to shatter the stone and protect her, but another stone hit him in the chest, and he fell.
Ororo was also knocked down by a projectile Logan threw, and the sheer force was enough to leave her dazed and defeated. The last one standing, Piotr, tried to charge, but steel bars from every direction pinned him to the ground.
"You are... only able to control metal, aren't you?" Logan said, having gotten back to his feet.
"That's how it was," Eric admitted, his voice laced with sadness. "Charles knows. When I was young, I could control any material on the ground just by sensing the iron within it. It's just that I'm old now."
"Now, it takes a heavy toll on my body to control those trace metal elements. But if you're going to help humans destroy the future of mutants, then I'll risk my life." As he spoke, the veins on his body bulged. His aging body could barely handle this exertion. A mutant's abilities were instinctive, not a power that grew with age.
With all his teammates defeated, Logan stood alone, his claws extended, ready for one final fight.
"That's enough. Stop it," a voice echoed through the air.
A Moment Frozen in Time
A few minutes earlier, back at the academy, Charles lay in a vegetative state. A tall figure stood by his bed, a black cape fluttering behind him, and the black and gold "S" shield on his chest. Clark was back. He had returned from the sun, only to find his friend unresponsive.
Using his X-ray vision, he saw the damage to Charles's brain. He knew he could use Kryptonian technology to heal him, but now wasn't the time.
Emma Frost opened the door and entered. As the representative of the X-Men, she had noticed Clark's return. But her movement stopped abruptly as a golden portal opened. The Ancient One stepped through, and time froze. Only Clark and the Sorcerer Supreme could move.
"To be able to move in suspended time... your speed..." the Ancient One said.
"Yes," Clark replied. "My speed has reached the speed of light." For all practical purposes, reaching the speed of light meant that conventional time stood still for him. While the Ancient One could focus the power of the Eye of Agamotto to freeze a large area of time, it no longer had any effect on a being as fast as Clark.
"So, ask your questions, Superman." The Ancient One knew why he was there.
Clark didn't waste a moment. "Master, do you have any idea about the energy within Jean? Is it her own power, or... something else?"
The Ancient One nodded. It was exactly what she had expected him to ask. With a being as powerful as Superman before her, there was no need for secrets.
"It is the Phoenix Force," she said. "Or rather, fragments of it. That is the power within Jean."