"Magneto's already taken Rogue to the top. We have to get her out of there now," Storm said, urgency tightening her voice as she looked toward the upper levels of the statue.
Liam nodded without hesitation, already shifting his focus toward the next step. "Right. Jean, stay here and look after Cyclops. We're moving."
Cyclops couldn't even open his eyes safely without his visor, which made him more of a liability than an asset in the upcoming fight. Leaving him behind under Jean's care was the most efficient choice.
Without wasting another second, Liam, Polaris, Storm, and Logan pushed forward, heading rapidly toward the upper sections of the statue.
They had barely turned a corner when a sudden attack came out of nowhere.
A pair of claws shot out from the shadows, aiming straight at Liam's back with lethal precision.
Liam didn't even bother turning around. His reaction was instantaneous—he caught the attacker's arm mid-strike, pivoted slightly, and flung the entire body sideways with overwhelming force.
"Uncle Logan, this one's yours," he said casually, as if he had just passed along a minor inconvenience.
Unfortunately, Logan wasn't prepared.
The body Liam threw slammed directly into him, knocking him flat onto the ground with a heavy crash. The impact echoed through the corridor, leaving a brief moment of stunned silence.
"…That wasn't on purpose," Liam said, glancing at Storm and Polaris with a faintly awkward expression. "You believe me, right?"
Both of them simply shrugged, their expressions clearly saying otherwise.
Logan pushed himself up from the floor, irritation flashing across his face as he prepared to snap back. However, the moment he saw who had been thrown at him, everything changed.
Sabretooth.
The air between them turned instantly hostile.
Old grudges flared to life without a word, and in the next second, the two were already locked in combat, claws slashing as they tore into each other with feral intensity.
Liam didn't bother interfering.
At that exact moment, a desperate scream echoed down from above.
"Help! Somebody, please help me!"
Storm's expression shifted immediately. "That's Rogue!"
"Magneto's machine must be about to start," Polaris said, her brows knitting together as the urgency escalated.
Liam exhaled slightly, already making a decision. "No time to waste. I'll go ahead and get her out. You two be careful."
Before either of them could respond, his figure blurred.
And vanished.
"Liam!" Polaris called out instinctively, her voice tightening as she looked at the empty space where he had just been.
"We're going up too," Storm said firmly, already moving toward the upper entrance. Her eyes flicked briefly toward the torch at the top of the statue, where everything was about to unfold.
Meanwhile—
At the torch of the Statue of Liberty.
"Is anyone there?! Please, somebody save me!"
Rogue's voice trembled with panic, her body restrained as she struggled helplessly against the cold metal binding her. Facing the threat of death, fear had completely taken over.
"Hey… you offering any kind of reward for that?" a familiar voice said lightly.
Liam appeared right in front of her, as if he had stepped out of thin air.
"Liam!!"
Relief flooded her face instantly, her eyes lighting up the moment she saw him.
"Relax," Liam said, his tone calm and reassuring. "I've got you."
He reached out, already moving to remove the restraints binding her arms.
"Stop."
Magneto's voice cut through the moment as he stepped into the chamber at the torch.
He had intended to activate the machine immediately, but Liam's sudden presence had disrupted his timing. Now, instead of proceeding with the plan, he was forced to reassess.
Liam didn't even acknowledge the command.
"You said stop, so I should stop?" he muttered casually, almost amused.
His finger tapped lightly against the metal cuff securing Rogue's wrist.
In the next instant, the structure collapsed at the atomic level, disintegrating as if it had never existed.
Without pausing, he moved to remove the second restraint.
But Magneto acted.
A large sheet of metal tore free from the surrounding structure, launching toward Liam's back at high speed.
"Watch out!" Rogue cried, her voice spiking as she saw the attack coming.
Liam sighed.
It wasn't the attack that bothered him.
It was the volume.
"Can you not scream like that?" he said, rubbing his ear with one hand as if genuinely annoyed.
He didn't turn around.
Didn't dodge.
Didn't even acknowledge the incoming strike.
With his other hand, he tapped the remaining cuff.
It collapsed instantly.
At the same time, the metal sheet reached him—
And stopped.
No.
It didn't stop.
It reversed.
The force acting on it shifted abruptly, its trajectory flipping as it shot back toward Magneto at an even greater speed.
Magneto's eyes widened.
He raised both hands immediately, exerting his full control over the metal as it hurtled back toward him. The strain was evident as he struggled to halt it, and finally, the sheet froze just inches from his face.
For a brief moment, silence hung in the air.
A thin layer of cold sweat formed on Magneto's forehead.
He had nearly been killed by his own attack.
The realization didn't sit well.
His gaze locked onto Liam, who still hadn't even turned around during the entire exchange.
That level of control… that level of composure…
It was completely outside his expectations.
When had Charles found someone like this?
Magneto's expression darkened slightly, but he didn't move immediately. There was no need to rush. Rogue had already been freed, but as long as he dealt with the young man in front of him, the plan could still continue.
On the other side, Rogue's body gave out the moment the restraints were gone.
After being held in place for so long, her muscles couldn't support her weight anymore, and she began to collapse.
Liam caught her instantly, steadying her before she could hit the ground.
"You okay?" he asked, his tone softer now.
"I'm… I'm fine…" she started, then froze.
Her expression changed abruptly.
She looked down at their hands.
Then back up at him.
Almost everyone who touched her suffered the effects of her ability—energy absorption that drained them on contact.
But Liam…
Was completely unaffected.
She pulled her hand back quickly, confusion and shock written all over her face.
"…Liam," she said slowly, her voice uncertain. "Why… aren't you reacting?"
....
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