[Marvel : Mutant God] Chapter 61 - 65

Chapter 61: Weapons Without Emotions

Watching Richard effortlessly eliminate the water mutant who was supposedly immune to physical attacks, Sebastian Shaw's expression darkened to its ugliest.

Only a minute or two had passed since the battle began, yet in that brief span, Richard had already killed three members of the Hellfire Club.

If Riptide's swift demise was somewhat understandable—lacking both Mental Shielding powers and telepathy-blocking equipment made him vulnerable to Richard's mental immobilization—the deaths of Numbers Seven and Eight were considerably harder for Shaw to accept.

What stung most was his earlier boast, confidently declaring to Richard that Numbers Seven and Eight represented the pinnacle of genetic engineering. Now those supposed masterpieces had proven as fragile as ordinary humans when facing Richard's abilities.

The water mutant's performance particularly disappointed him. Though his elemental form indeed resisted conventional sword attacks, he'd foolishly forgotten that Richard was a mutant who had already demonstrated more than ten different mutant powers—including freezing abilities. Instead of immediately retreating to a safe distance, the water mutant had recklessly flaunted his powers before Richard, providing the perfect opportunity to be frozen solid.

Though Sebastian Shaw remained silent, his expression conveyed his intense dissatisfaction with the water mutant's performance. This reaction was entirely predictable—if Richard had been in Shaw's position, his anger would have burned even hotter.

While the exact resources required to produce these enhanced clones remained unknown, their creation clearly consumed substantial assets. Otherwise, the Department of Mutant Affairs' Operations Division would have already deployed armies of such enhanced clones.

"Knowing how to shoot doesn't make you a qualified soldier," Richard observed, controlling the whirlwind to land gently on the dock like a falling leaf. He addressed Shaw, who stood dozens of meters away. "When creating them, you shouldn't have limited their emotions. Human emotions are difficult to control, yes, but humans without emotions are merely walking corpses."

When first encountering the three enhanced clones, especially upon discovering their Mental Shielding capabilities, Richard had braced himself for a challenging battle. Reality proved disappointing—these enhanced clones performed no better than the Department's standard mutant agents.

Judging solely by their observable powers, the clones possessed considerable strength. Some even displayed abilities—like Mental Shielding—that their original templates lacked. However, their weaknesses were equally obvious.

First, they possessed no emotions and minimal autonomy, acting solely according to orders. Second, they critically lacked combat experience. Richard couldn't pinpoint exactly when these enhanced clones had been created, but based on Shaw's earlier comments, they couldn't be more than three months old.

Three months might suffice to develop proficiency with mutant powers, but skillful power usage didn't equate to combat effectiveness. As Richard had noted, knowing how to shoot didn't automatically produce a qualified soldier—these were entirely different competencies.

X-24 from the film Logan provided a perfect example. Despite being in peak physical condition, that clone had failed to defeat an aged, physically depleted Wolverine, even with significant advantages. Not only had X-24 lost to an elderly man and a young girl, but his head had been blown apart by an adamantium bullet—a shameful performance considering his overwhelming advantages.

Compared to X-24, the water mutant's performance was marginally better. Facing a significant power gap against Richard, his defeat was inevitable. His mistake was in execution—rather than hiding in the sea and attacking Richard from a distance with controlled water, a strategy that might have bought him several crucial minutes, his inexperience led him to choose a fighting approach that ensured his immediate destruction.

After hearing Richard's assessment, Sebastian Shaw fell silent. The enhanced clones had been jointly developed by the Hellfire Club and the Department of Mutant Affairs, and Shaw understood precisely why their emotions and autonomous consciousness had been restricted during creation.

He recognized that this limitation weakened their combat effectiveness to some extent but had nonetheless agreed with the Department's approach. The reasoning was simple: like the Department, Shaw didn't want these "weapons" to possess excessive emotion or self-awareness.

Weapons don't need minds of their own—they just need to follow orders.

"Leave now, and I'll pretend today never happened," Sebastian Shaw finally said after more than ten seconds of tense silence.

If he could have, Shaw would have torn Richard apart with his bare hands. Richard had killed three Hellfire Club members before his eyes, destroyed his yacht, and most infuriatingly, taunted him with crude comments about Emma. Under normal circumstances, Shaw would never allow such an offender to walk away alive.

Unfortunately for Shaw, Richard was far from a normal adversary. Even with the enhanced Magneto clone at his side, Shaw lacked absolute confidence in his ability to defeat Richard completely.

After hearing Shaw's offer, Richard smiled. "Didn't you just promise to kill me? Why the sudden change of heart?"

Though no deep-seated hatred existed between them, the moment Richard had received his system task, Sebastian Shaw had been added to his elimination list. Whether to complete his mission, obtain the "Shadow Flare" reward, or to plunder Shaw's mutant powers, the Black King's death was non-negotiable.

"Do you truly want a fight to the death with the entire Hellfire Club?" Shaw's tone chilled once more.

"Let's not waste each other's time," Richard replied dismissively. "You've absorbed considerable energy already. Go ahead—show me what the Black King of the Hellfire Club is truly capable of."

With those words, Richard executed a flourish with his Masamune, pointing its tip directly at Sebastian Shaw.

Seeing this challenge, Shaw recognized that only one of them would leave this encounter alive. Abandoning any further attempts at "persuasion," he began walking directly toward Richard.

Initially, his pace matched that of a casual after-dinner stroll. After several steps, his speed increased to that of a person jogging. By the time he reached Richard, his velocity rivaled that of a sprinting cheetah.

Coming face-to-face with Richard, Shaw unhesitatingly raised his right fist and launched a powerful strike aimed at Richard's head.

Judging by his punching form alone, Shaw's technique resembled that of an amateur boxing enthusiast. Yet the punch he delivered—in both power and speed—reached superhuman levels. While his fighting skills weren't particularly refined, the raw force behind his attacks compensated dramatically. To put it vividly, his punch carried the devastating impact of a rocket.

In an instant, Shaw's fist arrived directly before Richard's face.

At that precise moment, Richard vanished.

Shift Slash!

Richard, who had been standing before Sebastian Shaw, materialized behind him like a ghost. With lightning speed, he swung the Masamune, targeting the back of Shaw's exposed neck.

...

Chapter 62: The Seventh Alpha Level Ability

Richard opted against using advanced techniques like Octoslash or Gravesong, choosing instead a simple horizontal slash. Yet just as the Masamune was about to connect with the back of Sebastian Shaw's neck, it abruptly halted mid-swing.

Teleportation!

The moment his blade stopped, Richard vanished again, reappearing dozens of meters away.

After Richard's voluntary retreat, Shaw turned slowly, facing him with measured confidence. "If a sneak attack from behind could kill me, I would have died ten or twenty years ago." His voice carried a dangerous edge. "Don't underestimate me."

Richard ignored Shaw's warning, his attention fixed on his Masamune. The blade had stopped not from any hesitation on his part, but because its kinetic energy had been instantly absorbed by Sebastian Shaw.

He can absorb kinetic energy!

Though it seemed incredible, the evidence was undeniable. Richard tested the sword with a few experimental swings, confirming it hadn't been damaged or compromised in any way.

"Your powers are indeed troublesome," Richard admitted, "but they only make you harder to kill. Normal attacks can't touch you—but similarly, you can't touch me either."

With that assessment complete, Richard shifted his focus from Shaw to the enhanced Magneto clone. Without hesitation, he activated his teleportation, instantly materializing before the Magneto clone.

Gravesong!

Four fluid slashes launched toward the Magneto clone in rapid succession.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Masamune failed to reach its target, blocked by the magnetic force field generated by his opponent. Each impact produced a crisp, metallic sound.

Simultaneously, Richard detected an invisible magnetic field enveloping his Masamune. Though imperceptible to the eye, this was clearly the Magneto clone's doing—attempting to wrest the Masamune from Richard's grasp.

To casual observers, the Masamune appeared no different from other samurai swords—a metal weapon, albeit with impressive length. But this assessment couldn't be further from the truth.

Neither the game nor the film provided detailed explanations of the Masamune's composition. One fact remained certain, however: this was no ordinary metal weapon.

In the film, the "Thought-Form" Kadaj had merged with Jenova's cells, and the resurrected Sephiroth had directly manifested the Masamune through magic. Though Richard hadn't yet mastered the ability to conjure the Masamune or Sephiroth's attire through magic, he knew with absolute certainty that this blade—designated as an "exclusive weapon" by the system—wasn't composed of ordinary metal.

Discovering that the Magneto clone had shrouded the Masamune in a magnetic field, attempting to manipulate it like any other metal object, Richard channeled the mana coursing through his body.

Octoslash!

The magnetic field surrounding the Masamune dissipated instantly as the blade launched another assault against the Magneto clone.

Like the Gravesong technique before it, Octoslash failed to penetrate the clone's defenses, instead striking against the magnetic force field. Yet with each attack, Richard noticed the blade edge coming closer to his opponent than before.

The Magneto clone couldn't discern Richard's strategy, but he had no intention of remaining passive. As Octoslash concluded, the clone began manipulating nearby metal objects. Under his control, anchors, chains, and various metallic debris from the marina converged on Richard from all directions.

Before these projectiles could reach him, Richard had already teleported away.

Reappearing directly above the Magneto clone, Richard used the whirlwind generated by his Aeroga ability to keep himself aloft. After testing the magnetic field's defensive capabilities with Gravesong and Octoslash, he had formulated a plan to overcome it.

Hovering in the air, he didn't hesitate. He pointed the Masamune downward, its tip aimed directly at the Magneto clone's head, and gripped the handle with both hands.

In the next moment, he employed a technique he had never before used in battle.

Hell’s Gate!

Gripping the Masamune with both hands, Richard descended from the sky like a bolt of lightning. The razor-sharp blade, carrying tremendous piercing force, penetrated the magnetic field and made contact with the Magneto clone's head.

Slash!

The Masamune, driving downward from the crown of the head, instantly impaled the Magneto clone's body. The moment the sword tip touched the ground, razor-sharp sword energy erupted outward in an "M" pattern, splitting the clone's body into several pieces.

Richard had deliberately avoided using Hell’s Gate in previous battles. Partly because he'd never encountered an enemy whose defenses required such extreme measures to breach, but also because the technique was exceptionally brutal.

While skills like Octoslash and Gravesong could also dismember opponents, those techniques typically maintained some distance—several dozen centimeters or even more than a meter—between Richard and his target.

Hell’s Gate offered no such separation. After executing this technique, the enemy's blood and severed body parts lay directly before him. Though he had learned to shield himself with mana to avoid being splattered with blood during combat, the intimate nature of Hell’s Gate meant confronting the enemy's remains at point-blank range, standing in pools of their blood.

Teleportation!

After using Hell’s Gate to eliminate the Magneto clone, Richard immediately teleported away without hesitation.

Establishing a distance of more than ten meters, he activated his Plunder ability.

[Gain new abilities: Magnetic Fields Manipulation, Mental Shielding!]

[Detected same type of abilities, initiating ability fusion!]

[Telepathy is enhanced!]

[Magnetic Field Manipulation: Manipulate any form of magnetic field, current level: Alpha level]

Reading the system's information, Richard smiled with satisfaction.

The seventh Alpha-level ability, acquired!

After dismissing the information panel, he turned his attention to Sebastian Shaw, who stood dozens of meters away.

All the minions have been defeated. Time for the final boss battle.

Having witnessed Richard dispatch the Magneto clone, Sebastian Shaw's expression remained surprisingly composed. Evidently, he had anticipated this outcome when Richard bypassed him to target the Magneto clone first.

After briefly examining the Magneto clone's remains, Shaw addressed Richard: "Let me ask you a question. How have I and the Hellfire Club offended you? Is it because I collaborated with the Department of Mutant Affairs? Or perhaps because I sent Emma and Azazel to deliver that invitation?"

Richard wasn't surprised by Shaw's confusion. In his position, he too would be curious about the motive behind such aggression.

"If you need a reason," Richard replied deliberately, "it's that you kidnapped a pair of twins that you shouldn't have taken."

Kidnapping twins?

Though Richard hadn't explicitly named Wanda and Pietro, Sebastian Shaw made the connection immediately.

"Are they your friends?" Shaw asked urgently.

"No," Richard shook his head.

"Did someone hire you to rescue them?" Shaw pressed.

"No one entrusted me with anything," Richard answered casually.

Seeing that Shaw intended to continue his questioning, Richard cut him short: "Don't waste our time. Delay any longer, and the police and reporters will arrive. Let's finish this!"

With those words, Richard raised his right hand, and a dark energy sphere materialized above his palm.

Black Materia!

In the next second, hundreds of flaming meteorites of various sizes materialized in the sky above Sebastian Shaw's head.

...

Chapter 63: Open the Champagne at Halftime

In terms of sheer quantity, the meteorites Richard conjured with his magic this time far exceeded his previous efforts. Yet in total volume, these hundreds of meteorites combined weren't much larger than the single massive meteorite that had obliterated the yacht earlier. The largest fragments measured only about half a meter in diameter, while the smallest were merely fist-sized.

In the original game, Black Materia could only produce a single meteorite at a time. Before upgrading the ability to level 3, Richard had faced the same limitation. Now, with Black Materia at level 3, he could adjust both power output and magical distribution at will, creating as many meteorites as desired. Given sufficient mana reserves, summoning tens of thousands of meteorites would pose no challenge—let alone a few hundred.

Witnessing hundreds of meteorites materializing in the sky above him, Sebastian Shaw displayed neither fear nor anxiety. Though he couldn't fathom why Richard had created so many smaller meteorites rather than a single devastating one, he remained confident that none could harm him. By enveloping his entire body with his energy absorption powers, even the most intensive barrage would prove harmless—worse, from Richard's perspective, such attacks would only strengthen Shaw by providing more energy to absorb.

"You think you can defeat me with these meteorites?" Shaw taunted, his voice dripping with condescension. "Aren't you being a little too hopeful?"

"Whether it's fantasy or reality," Richard replied calmly, "you'll know momentarily. Enjoy your meteor shower baptism!"

As Richard finished speaking, a green beam of light from above enveloped Sebastian Shaw. In the next instant, meteorites of all sizes hurtled toward him at tremendous velocity, like artillery shells.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

One after another, meteorites approached Shaw only to shatter with thunderous explosions approximately half a meter from his body, disintegrating into small fragments before disappearing entirely.

Though indistinguishable from authentic celestial bodies, these meteorites were Richard's magical constructs. Facing Shaw's energy absorption, both their kinetic energy and the magical power maintaining their form transformed into pure energy, which Shaw absorbed without effort.

The meteor shower bombardment lasted less than ten seconds before subsiding. As the final meteorite fragment converted to energy and disappeared into his body, Sebastian Shaw regarded Richard with undisguised contempt.

Though uncertain of Richard's strategy, Shaw had realized these weren't genuine meteorites. More importantly, he felt assured they posed no threat. In fact, absorbing their energy had significantly increased his own power reserves.

"Is this all you have?" Shaw mocked, his face twisted with disdain. "If so, you'll never kill me—not in this lifetime!"

"Celebrating at halftime isn't a good habit," Richard remarked, ignoring Shaw's ridicule as he activated Black Materia once more.

In moments, hundreds of additional meteorites materialized in the sky above. Taking shape, they immediately rocketed toward Sebastian Shaw at blistering speed.

Once again, explosions echoed across the marina.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Just as before, Shaw employed his powers, protecting himself with a 360-degree energy absorption field without blind spots.

As Shaw began to dismiss Richard's attack as predictably ineffective, a sudden, overwhelming sense of mortal danger flashed through his mind. Before he could react, the mind-isolating helmet protecting his head began moving away.

Not good!

Sebastian Shaw spun around, desperately attempting to reclaim the helmet as it drifted from his grasp. His efforts came too late.

Telepathy!

The instant the mind-isolating helmet separated from Shaw, Richard launched a telepathic assault, invading his mind and completely immobilizing him. Within a second of Shaw's paralysis, his energy absorption powers ceased functioning.

A surreal tableau unfolded before Emma Frost and other distant onlookers. On the dock surrounded by luxury yachts, Sebastian Shaw stood frozen like a wax figure in his impeccable suit, staring helplessly at his hovering mind-isolating helmet.

The meteorites assaulting Shaw appeared suspended in midair, maintaining their attack posture but no longer advancing. Behind the mind-isolating helmet, electric cables had appeared seemingly from nowhere. Copper wires within these cables splayed outward like octopus tentacles, firmly gripping the helmet.

From their distance, neither Emma Frost nor the curious onlookers could discern Shaw's expression clearly. Nevertheless, his final actions before freezing conveyed unmistakable panic and desperation.

Richard had never expected conventional attacks to defeat Sebastian Shaw, nor had he believed the Black Materia meteorites would prove lethal. After observing Shaw return to the yacht with the Magneto clone, Richard had already formulated his strategy.

In the film, young Magneto and Professor X had demonstrated the optimal approach for neutralizing Shaw through practical application. With that successful precedent, Richard needed only to reproduce their tactics.

Professor X possessed telepathy—so did Richard. Magneto wielded magnetic field manipulation—which Richard had just acquired by eliminating the enhanced clone. With all necessary abilities now at his disposal, the rest became elementary.

First, use Black Materia to create a meteor shower as distraction. Simultaneously, manipulate wires salvaged from a nearby yacht, approaching Shaw gradually at speeds too subtle to attract notice. Though Shaw would absorb the kinetic energy generated by moving wires, replenishing such minimal energy wasn't difficult. More importantly, amid continuous meteorite bombardment, the negligible kinetic energy from slowly moving wires could easily be overlooked.

Even if detected, Richard could simply reduce the wires' movement speed further. Though uncertain of the upper and lower limits of Shaw's energy absorption, one fact remained certain: energy beneath a certain threshold wouldn't register. This made logical sense—air molecules possess kinetic energy, yet Shaw clearly didn't absorb that energy during normal breathing. If even the faint kinetic energy of air flow could be absorbed, Shaw would asphyxiate himself whenever using his powers unless he held his breath.

After telepathically immobilizing Sebastian Shaw, Richard took a moment to admire the three-dimensional "still life" he had created before approaching the motionless figure, Masamune in hand. Simultaneously, he searched Shaw's mind for valuable information—the location where Wanda and Pietro were imprisoned, the reason for their capture, overseas bank account numbers and passwords, the Hellfire Club's liquid assets, and more.

By the time he reached Sebastian Shaw, Richard had extracted all the information he needed.

"I told you that celebrating at halftime isn't a good habit," Richard remarked coldly. "Be more careful in your next life."

As he raised the Masamune, preparing to sever Shaw's neck and claim his eighth Alpha-level power, a Quinjet bearing S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia arrived overhead.

"Stop!" A voice infused with righteous conviction reached Richard through the Quinjet's loudspeaker. "Richard Wesley, stop killing innocent people!"

Hearing this authoritative declaration from above, Richard employed his enhanced vision to examine the hovering aircraft.

Sure enough!

The moment he heard those justice-filled words, a name had materialized in Richard's mind. His intuition proved correct—the speaker was none other than Captain America, the living embodiment of American justice.

Beside Captain America, Richard spotted Hawkeye in the Quinjet's cockpit. Hawkeye occupied the pilot's seat, controlling the aircraft, while Captain America sat adjacent, clutching a communication device and staring intently through the windshield at Richard below.

Under the watchful gaze of Captain America and Hawkeye, Richard first released a heavy sigh.

Then, the Masamune in his left hand flashed outward like lightning, instantly slicing through Sebastian Shaw's exposed neck.

...

Chapter 64: The Eighth Alpha Level Ability

Sebastian Shaw was doomed to die.

Even if Captain America and Hawkeye had arrived earlier, they couldn't have prevented Shaw's execution. Had the entire Avengers roster appeared, the outcome would remain unchanged—Richard would not be denied his target.

As the Masamune slashed across Shaw's neck, his head soared upward like a volleyball, blood trailing behind it due to inertia. From the severed neck, crimson liquid gushed forth like an open faucet.

To avoid being splattered with blood, Richard channeled his mana, creating a protective barrier around himself. Simultaneously, he directed the meteorites suspended in the air to dissolve back into pure mana, which his body reabsorbed.

As the large and small meteorites in the sky vanished like mist, Richard immediately activated his Plunder ability.

[Gain new ability: Energy Absorption!]

[Detected same type of abilities, initiating ability fusion!]

[Energy Absorption is enhanced!]

[Energy Absorption level increased, current level: Alpha level!]

[Energy Absorption: Absorbs all energy except psychic energy. The stored energy can be released again or used to strengthen oneself. Current level: Alpha level!]

[X-Gene Mutant power List Updated!]

[Alpha level: Plunder, Super Strength, Enhanced Durability, Accelerated Healing, Teleportation, Immortality, Magnetic Field Manipulation, Energy Absorption]

[Beta level: Invisibility, Enhanced Senses, Telepathy, Giant Body, Gravity Binding, Thermal Vision, Pressure Burst, Flying, Momentum Shift, Mind Movement, Force Field Creation, Energy Materialization, Water Manipulation, Water Elementalization]

[Delta level: Beast Instinct, Bone Claw]

As Richard had anticipated, after plundering Sebastian Shaw's energy absorption ability, his own Beta-level energy absorption and energy emission abilities had fused and strengthened. Though still classified as Alpha level, the newly enhanced version surpassed Shaw's original power.

He couldn't quantify the exact improvement, but one fact remained certain—his energy absorption now exceeded the capabilities Sebastian Shaw had possessed.

Viewing the information panel before him, Richard smiled with deep satisfaction. Before his encounter with the Hellfire Club, he'd possessed only five Alpha-level mutantpowers. Now, merely half a day later, he had acquired three more: Immortality, Magnetic Field Manipulation, and Energy Absorption.

Beyond these powers, Sebastian Shaw had unwittingly "gifted" Richard all his overseas deposits and the Hellfire Club's liquid assets. Just as Professor Xavier personally funded the X-Men and his School for Gifted Youngsters, all Hellfire Club expenses had been Sebastian Shaw's responsibility.

When searching Shaw's mind for overseas bank account numbers and passwords, Richard discovered personal deposits totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Combined with the Hellfire Club's liquid funds, Shaw had "donated" over 500 million dollars to Richard's cause.

Though America boasted many billionaires, few could produce 500 million in liquid assets on demand.

If this isn't a windfall, what is?

Dismissing the information panel, Richard retrieved the mind-isolating helmet held by the copper wires and stored it in his system space as a trophy.

While Richard reveled in his successes, Captain America's expression aboard the Quinjet had soured considerably. He knew Sebastian Shaw wasn't a model citizen, and the Hellfire Club hardly represented lawful enterprise. But neither the Avengers nor S.H.I.E.L.D. had designated Shaw or his organization as priority targets.

The reason was straightforward—Shaw maintained "deep" personal connections with numerous high-ranking U.S. officials. When the Department of Mutant Affairs approached the Hellfire Club to collaborate on enhanced clone development, these senior officials had acted as intermediaries.

Moreover, compared to organizations like the Brotherhood of Mutants, the Hellfire Club maintained a façade of "discretion" and "legal compliance." At minimum, Shaw and his organization presented a law-abiding front to the public.

"What should we do? Arrest him?" Hawkeye asked from the pilot's seat.

Hearing Hawkeye's question, Captain America responded without hesitation: "Of course!"

Unbuckling his seat belt, he stood and moved toward the rear compartment, determined to apprehend Richard personally. However, as he arrived and retrieved his vibranium shield, a weathered voice echoed through the cabin.

"Rogers, Barton—return to headquarters immediately. Richard Wesley is being handled by the Department of Mutant Affairs. He is not a S.H.I.E.L.D. target."

The speaker was none other than the current S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, Nick "Don't F*** With Me" Fury.

Though not physically present in Miami, Fury monitored operations from the Triskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters. After Captain America and Hawkeye departed the Miami branch in their Quinjet, he'd received a situation report from the branch director.

Had they been responding to routine incidents, Fury might have overlooked their autonomous action. But upon learning they intended to confront Richard directly, he'd immediately invoked his directorial authority to establish remote contact with their Quinjet.

As a quintessential American agent, Fury harbored his own distaste for Richard. Despite this personal antipathy, he recognized that Richard wasn't a mutant to be engaged lightly. In Fury's assessment, neutralizing Richard would require, at minimum, the entire Avengers roster.

Beyond assembling sufficient force, they would need to create a battlefield from which Richard couldn't escape. Otherwise, capturing him remained an exercise in futility.

After hearing Fury's directive, Captain America returned to the cockpit, seized the communicator, and countered: "He killed someone right in front of Barton and me!"

"He also killed someone in front of Romanoff and Banner this afternoon," Fury responded sharply. "If you believe you can accomplish what the Hulk couldn't, I'll authorize your attempt to arrest Richard."

Captain America fell silent. After several seconds, he relented: "Barton and I will return shortly."

Terminating the communication, he set aside his vibranium shield, returned to his seat, and secured his safety harness. Observing Captain America's compliance, Hawkeye immediately piloted the Quinjet away from the marina.

Within moments, the aircraft vanished into the night sky.

Leaving already?

Richard shrugged and returned the Masamune to his system space. Though lacking super hearing to eavesdrop on Captain America and Hawkeye's conversation, his enhanced vision had allowed him to observe Captain America retrieve his shield from the cabin—a clear indication that the righteous captain intended to apprehend him.

Unexpectedly, Captain America and Hawkeye had departed without confrontation.

A pity.

Richard sighed. He had hoped to test how many strikes of Octoslash would be required to shatter Captain America's vibranium shield—to determine whether he could demonstrate dominance exceeding even Thanos in the cinematic universe.

Unfortunately, plans rarely survived contact with reality.

After returning the Masamune to his system space, Richard glanced briefly at Sebastian Shaw's decapitated body. Then, using teleportation, he instantly transported himself from the marina to the rooftop where Emma Frost awaited.

Arriving before Emma, he smiled suggestively and asked: "Have you thought of other positions that might make us both happier?"

...

Chapter 65: Chaos Magic, Rescue the Twins

After hearing Richard's words, Emma Frost gave him a seductive look. She wrapped her arms around his neck tenderly, her crimson lips parting slightly as she whispered:

"You can do whatever you want. As long as it pleases you, I have no objections."

Looking at Emma Frost before him, Richard felt a surge of desire rising from within. Without hesitation, he slipped his arms around her slender waist.

Teleportation!

Emma Frost assumed Richard was taking her back to their Las Vegas hotel to continue their afternoon's "debate"—an encounter that had left them both satisfied.

However, she was mistaken.

While Richard was undeniably aroused by Emma Frost, he had no intention of engaging in any intimate activities with her just yet. The reason was simple: he still needed to complete the "One-Winged Angel (II)" mission assigned by the system.

He had just discovered the location where Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were being held captive in Sebastian Shaw's memories. Not only that, but he had also uncovered crucial information about them.

First, their age. The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in this universe were much younger than he had anticipated—precisely 18 years old, the same as their original counterparts.

Second, their powers. Quicksilver's ability remained Super Speed, while Scarlet Witch possessed what Sebastian Shaw believed to be telekinesis and telepathy.

However, after witnessing Scarlet Witch use her abilities in Shaw's memories, Richard knew better. What Shaw perceived as telekinesis and telepathy was actually chaos magic. Shaw had misidentified her powers simply because he was unaware that chaos magic even existed.

If Shaw had known, he would never have mistaken Scarlet Witch's chaos magic for ordinary telekinesis and telepathy.

Chaos magic!

The ancestor of all magic, the oldest independent mystical force, the primordial light in cosmic consciousness and probability manipulation!

Finally, their appearance. Both Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were exceptionally attractive—he handsome, she beautiful. Scarlet Witch in particular, despite being only 18, already possessed a figure that rivaled Emma Frost's.

Orlando, Florida

Orlando was less than 400 kilometers from Miami—no small distance for ordinary people, but merely a thought away for Richard's teleportation abilities.

Standing on the rooftop of a residential building, Emma Frost frowned as she spotted a facility several hundred meters away with a sign reading "Marine Biology Research Institute."

"Are Wanda and Pietro imprisoned in that research institute?" she asked.

"Yes, and they're not the only mutants being held there," Richard replied quickly.

On the surface, the Institute of Marine Biology appeared to be an ordinary research facility. The truth was far more sinister.

This institute served as one of the Hellfire Club's secret bases. After partnering with the Department of Mutant Affairs to create enhanced clones, Sebastian Shaw had detained captured mutants here—specifically, the ones he found interesting enough to keep for himself rather than share with the Department.

From Shaw's memories, Richard could confirm that Shaw had no idea Wanda and Pietro might be Magneto's children. He had captured them solely because their powers intrigued him.

Richard himself couldn't verify whether Wanda and Pietro were truly Magneto's children in this universe. In the original comics, they were indeed Magneto's offspring, but later revisions had changed their parentage to make them children of the previous Scarlet Witch, Natalya. Being born into a magical lineage explained how Wanda could harness chaos magic from childhood while retaining her mutant identity.

The most recent comic continuity had changed things again, making them genetically modified humans transformed by the High Evolutionary's experiments rather than mutants at all.

Even the films couldn't maintain consistency. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they weren't mutants but volunteers in HYDRA's experiments with the Mind Stone. In the X-Men film universe, they were genuine mutants and Magneto's children, though they weren't twins and had an age difference of over a decade.

More perplexingly, in the X-Men films, Quicksilver was portrayed as the same age as Jean, Cyclops, and others, while Wanda was depicted as a small child during the Vietnam War.

The Wanda and Pietro in this universe were only 18. Until Richard could help them and Magneto take a paternity test, he couldn't determine whether they were Magneto's children. One thing he could confirm, though, was that they were mutants—the X-gene had been detected in their bodies.

"After rescuing Wanda and Pietro, what do you plan to do with them? Keep them both with you?" Emma Frost inquired.

"We'll see," Richard replied.

He hadn't decided what to do with Wanda and Pietro yet, but to Emma Frost, his answer implied he intended to keep them close.

Just as she was about to speak again, Richard cut her off.

"Enough wasting time. Let's go in."

"All right," Emma Frost nodded.

Holding her slender waist, Richard teleported them directly into the research institute.

The facility had three floors. The first floor housed standard laboratories, the second contained imprisoned mutants, and the third was dedicated to enhanced cloning experiments.

Although Sebastian Shaw and the Department of Mutant Affairs collaborated, neither fully shared their research with the other. Each secretly created enhanced clones for their own purposes. The three enhanced clones Shaw had brought to the yacht tonight were the "dividends" he'd received from their agreement—the only ones he'd obtained thus far.

Richard and Emma Frost materialized on the second floor, immediately drawing the attention of staff and guards. With a thought, Richard froze them in place using telepathy.

After immobilizing them, he strode purposefully toward the cells where Wanda and Pietro were being held.

Soon, they reached Quicksilver's cell. Instead of retrieving his sword from the system space, Richard employed the powers he had recently acquired from Magneto's enhanced clone.

Magnetic field manipulation!

BOOM!

With a casual wave of his right hand, the cell's heavy metal door—more than ten centimeters thick—was ripped from its hinges. It flew across the corridor and slammed into the opposite wall with tremendous force.

As the dust settled, Pietro appeared before them—his silver hair cropped short, dressed in a pristine white prison uniform with a black power-suppression collar around his neck. He eyed Richard and Emma Frost warily from the doorway.

Ignoring Pietro's scrutiny, Richard turned and walked toward Wanda's cell. Seeing them heading for his sister without a word, Pietro followed without hesitation.

Though this was his first encounter with Richard, Pietro knew of him. He and Wanda had been captured by Sebastian Shaw just two weeks ago. Before their capture, they had followed numerous reports about Richard online. They were even members of Richard's fan sites and forums.

Like most young American mutants who had seen the footage of Richard's assault on the Los Angeles branch of the Department of Mutant Affairs, they admired him greatly. While not quite fanatical followers, they both held him in high regard.

When they reached Wanda's cell, Richard once again employed magnetic field manipulation to tear away the metal door.

As the barrier crashed aside, Wanda came into view, also wearing a white prison uniform. Despite the shapeless garment, her curves were impossible to conceal.

What an incredible figure! Richard thought appreciatively.

Simultaneously, the system's information panel appeared in his vision:

[Mission "One-Winged Angel (II)" completed!]

[Mission reward Shadow Flare delivered!] [Skill Shadow Flare Awakened!]

After dismissing the notification, Richard addressed Wanda:

"I'm here to rescue you."

With those words, he summoned a powerful gust of wind, creating two small wind blades barely a dozen centimeters in length.

Slash!

Under his control, the blades precisely struck the power-suppression collars on both Wanda and Pietro's necks, shattering them.

Free from restraint, Pietro instantly activated his Super Speed. In a blur of motion, he appeared at Wanda's side.

"We've never met you before," he said to Richard. "Why did you come to save us?"

"Because you're special," Richard replied calmly, the convenient excuse rolling off his tongue.