Magneto could sense the metallic elements outside the metal sphere—traces of iron and other conductive materials flowing through the human body. Even without seeing, he knew someone was out there. Someone was waiting for him.
Everything he had experienced in Gotham helped him see the truth more clearly. This city was never what it seemed. The so-called Joker Gang, the Batman: they were never truly enemies.
Gotham was actually under the control of someone else entirely. Unaware of this, they had arrogantly tried to seize control of the city, and the result was tonight's devastating loss.
"But you won't kill me that easily," Magneto growled.
He valued his life, not just from a natural desire to survive, but because he understood how vital he was to the mutant race. If there was to be a war against humanity, his power would be essential. If he died, even if Charles devoted the rest of his life to the cause, there might never be another chance to attack humanity.
So, whether for his own sake or for all of mutantkind, Magneto refused to die here.
He didn't recklessly burst from the sphere. Instead, he concentrated, gathering strength until a surge of magnetic energy erupted from within. The sealed metal sphere split open, and the fragments didn't scatter aimlessly. Under his control, they twisted mid-air, reshaping into hundreds of razor-sharp blades that launched straight toward the figure waiting outside.
Aquaman, already prepared and gripping his trident tightly, responded in an instant. Faced with a barrage of blades, he swung the weapon rapidly. A divine artifact gifted by the god of the sea was never something ordinary metal could stand against. With each clash, the blades shattered into pieces.
But Magneto wasn't finished. He willed the fragments back into motion. Shattered steel reformed into countless slivers, now swirling like a metal storm, encircling the Atlantean king and striking from every angle.
"What a pain," Aquaman muttered under his breath.
Reid had warned him, so he never let his guard down against Magneto. But only when facing him directly did he realize how troublesome magnetic powers truly were. In this modern human society, the mutant leader had no shortage of weapons to draw from.
As Aquaman summoned a surge of water to push back the metal swarm, Magneto's power expanded across the city. From beneath streets, rooftops, and the depths of the harbor, pieces of Gotham's infrastructure responded to his call. Pipes, rebar, wreckage, and debris: every loose scrap of metal was drawn toward him.
Within seconds, Magneto's form disappeared beneath a tide of shifting steel, only to reemerge moments later as a towering metal giant. He stood tall above the water, encased in an iron colossus of his own design.
"Go to hell!"
Magneto hadn't constructed this form to flee. This was his retaliation. He raised a gargantuan iron fist and hurled it toward his enemy.
Boom!
The sound was deafening. The water beneath them exploded outward as Aquaman was sent flying, hurtling through the air like a missile. He crashed into the Trigate Bridge with devastating force, shattering part of the structure upon impact.
'Erik!'
At this time, with Reid no longer blocking him after Magneto regained consciousness, Charles was finally able to enter his friend's mind.
'Charles?' Magneto responded, relieved to hear the familiar voice.
'Can you control the man with the trident?' he asked quickly. 'His strength is absurd. If I didn't have the weight advantage, my metal giant wouldn't stand a chance.'
Aquaman wasn't thrown because Magneto's attack was overwhelming. It was simply because, compared to the massive weight of the metal giant, his own body was too light. That was the only reason he was knocked back.
As for injuries? He had none.
'I can't do that,' Charles replied. 'That man's telepath is projecting their mental strength here too. If I leave your mind for even a second, you'll be taken over.'
"Damn it!"
The words left Magneto's mouth in frustration. His helmet, the one that shielded his mind from psychic attacks, was nearby. He could retrieve it with ease, but that wouldn't solve the problem.
With another telepath on the enemy's side, even if Charles tried to invade his opponent's mind, the attempt would likely fail. And if he put on the helmet but let his guard down for even a moment, just enough for it to loosen, he could still be controlled instantly.
Having Charles stay in his mind, protecting him, was the safest option.
'In that case, help me keep watch on the surroundings. I'm going to leave Gotham. This city's too dangerous; I can't stay here any longer.'
Charles gave a silent affirmation in Magneto's consciousness, keeping a close watch on Aquaman's brainwave activity. But soon, he realized there was no point in monitoring anymore.
Right before their eyes, the Trigate Bridge began to shake.
Below it, Aquaman wrapped both arms around one of the massive bridge pillars. Using sheer brute s.trength, he lifted the entire bridge off its foundation.
'Erik!'
Hearing Charles's urgent voice, Magneto nodded cautiously.
'If it were during my younger days, this kind of display wouldn't have surprised me too much. But now, even I would expend a lot of energy trying to move a structure like that.'
As Aquaman revealed his overwhelming physical power, his attack followed without pause.
He swung the bridge, tens of thousands of tons in weight, using it like a giant club, and slammed it down toward the metal giant Magneto had created.
Though the attack looked slow from afar due to the distance, Magneto knew there was no way he could avoid it. He braced for impact, controlling the metallic giant to meet the blow head-on.
Just seconds ago, that same metal giant had sent Aquaman flying with its massive weight. But the moment it collided with the bridge, the impact shattered it into pieces under the crushing force.
Magneto wasn't struck directly, but the mental toll was immense. He had been channeling his powers through the structure, and as it was destroyed, the backlash hit him like a wave. His already battered body cried out in pain.
Still, at the very last second, just before the bridge body was about to crash down on him, he used his power to manipulate the steel beams within the bridge. They broke apart, and the entire structure crumbled into chunks.
The attack missed.
But hidden in the rain of falling rubble, Aquaman had used the moment as cover. He closed the distance and appeared right in front of Magneto.
Electricity surged along his trident, crackling with terrifying energy as he thrust it toward the mutant.
"Don't even think about it!"
With every ounce of focus, Magneto seized control of the trident's magnetic properties. The weapon froze, just inches from his chest.
"A weapon made of metal? Then don't even dream of landing a hit on me!"
He shouted with defiance. But the veins bulging across his face showed the truth: he was already pushing himself to the limit.
It was true that magnetic fields didn't show mercy to divine weapons. As long as it was made of magnetic metal, it was still affected. The trident was no exception.
But that didn't mean Aquaman's strength vanished because of it.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Your support means a lot, thank you!