'What incredible psychic power!'
Charles had gained the upper hand, but the shock in his heart couldn't be hidden.
He had already pushed his body beyond its limits, forcing Cerebro's amplification to the maximum. And even then, his advantage over the opposing mental force was only slight.
Across from him, Reid's psychic projection slowly reformed from the mental clash. He had taken a hit just now, yet his expression remained calm and confident as he stared back at Charles.
The reason for that confidence was simple: their objectives were not the same.
Reid only needed to stall Charles long enough for 'Batman' to act. Even if he couldn't block him entirely, with Aquaman and 'Batman' attacking together—and with his own plan moving behind the scenes—Magneto was already as good as dead.
But Charles was different. He didn't have time to spare or alternatives to fall back on. He had to break through Reid's interference in a short window. If he failed, Magneto would die.
One had backup plans and room to maneuver. The other didn't. That difference was clear in the way each of them responded.
Faced with Charles's astonishment, Reid didn't hesitate to throw out a mocking jab.
'That's natural. You barely scraped together a PhD at twenty-seven. What makes you think you're in the same league as me?'
'You—!'
Charles trembled with fury, unable to speak. He had always believed that mutants were superior to humans. Over time, this belief had grown beyond just powers. He saw mutants as better in every way. And now, Reid's words had crushed that pride, stomping it into the dirt.
'I swear, the rest of your life will be spent as a vegetable on a hospital bed!'
With a roar, Charles unleashed another wave of psychic attack. Reid, like before, stood in his way and blocked it head-on.
The resulting mental clash rippled across the entirety of Gotham. Even neighboring cities felt the effects; people suddenly clutched their heads in pain as an invisible tremor rattled their minds.
...
Meanwhile, deep underwater in the waters near Gotham, Aquaman had already prepared himself. Though he could only control sea creatures, he also possessed some psychic abilities. Resisting the aftermath wasn't hard for him.
Namor wasn't so fortunate.
His connection with sea creatures was based on communication, not psychic ability. He had no resistance to mental attacks. The moment the shockwave hit, his body paused briefly.
That was all Aquaman needed.
With a graceful swing of the Trident of Poseidon, he seized control of the ocean currents that the Talokan king had been holding onto.
"No!"
Namor's eyes widened as he realized the sea's command had been stolen. He desperately tried to summon his power to take it back, but it was no use.
In an instant, the tides turned against him. The seawater wrapped around his body, binding him in place. Aquaman surged forward like a torpedo, trident in hand, and pierced Namor's chest with brutal precision.
"Ah!!"
Namor screamed as the blade drove deep. Aquaman then shot upward, forcing him out of the ocean and into the air.
"Water! I need water!!"
Unlike Aquaman, whose need for constant contact with water had been erased after the Silver Age, Namor still suffered from that limitation. His strength began to fade the moment he left the sea.
Injured and thrown into the open air, Namor's condition worsened by the second. Just being out of the ocean for a few moments had left him gasping for breath. His wounds made it nearly impossible for him to survive away from water.
But at this point, that weakness didn't matter anymore.
As the two burst above the waves, storm clouds gathered above. Electricity danced along the trident's edge. The next strike of lightning would bring Namor's end.
At that very moment, Charles's psychic form—still clashing with Reid in the sky—sensed the battle between Aquaman and Namor.
More importantly, he recognized Namor's identity: a mutant. One entirely different from the rest of their kind.
'This is my only chance!'
Grasping that opportunity, Charles made his move. Before Reid could stop him, he pretended to force a breakthrough but instead slipped into Namor's mind and seized control of his body.
'What?!'
Even Reid was caught off guard. After all, how Aquaman chose to fight Namor wasn't something he could control. He hadn't expected the two of them to suddenly surface from the ocean, nor had he imagined Charles would take notice of Namor.
By the time he realized what was happening, it was already too late. With Charles in control, Namor's body unleashed one final surge of water manipulation.
'Erik, it's time for you to wake up now!'
A towering waterspout surged from the water where Magneto was imprisoned. In the next second, a bolt of lightning struck Aquaman's trident. The electricity surged through Namor's body, blackening his skin and ending his life instantly.
With a casual flick, Aquaman tossed Namor's corpse into the waves. Numerous sea creatures, already waiting below, swarmed around it. Within seconds, his body was devoured completely.
Aquaman then turned his gaze toward the churning currents among Gotham's ruins.
He couldn't see the psychic battle between Reid and Charles, but after witnessing Namor's final actions, he had a clear idea of what had happened.
"Batman..."
The next moment, Aquaman plunged into the sea and dove straight toward the waterspout Charles had created using the last of Namor's power.
...
At the heart of the vortex, 'Batman' clung tightly to the metallic sphere in front of him.
'This isn't good. If I detonate the bomb from here, I'll die too.'
Batman's mission wasn't finished yet. Even if it cost his life, this wasn't the right moment to die.
Inside the metal sphere, shaken violently by the spinning vortex, Magneto slowly stirred back to consciousness.
"Where... am I?"
For a moment he was dazed, but then everything came rushing back. He remembered what had happened before he lost consciousness.
'I have to get out of here—fast.'
Even without Charles' guidance, Magneto knew he had to leave Gotham as soon as possible.
Just as he began to separate the metal shell around him, 'Batman' outside noticed the sphere starting to shift.
'Magneto's waking up.'
He tensed, preparing himself to face the mutant leader directly. But before he could act, Aquaman burst into the vortex, wielding the Trident of Poseidon. With a sweeping motion, he dispersed the raging waters.
"Batman, get out! Just blow him up with the bomb and end this old man."
"No, Arthur. I have a different plan."
Rescued but refusing to retreat, 'Batman' looked toward the metal sphere, which was slowly beginning to open.
"Use your storm-controlling powers through the trident and send me into the sky. As for you..."
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