Barry gritted his teeth, muscles coiled as he struggled against the unseen force pinning him down. Seraphina, beside him, thrashed in vain, her golden energy flickering weakly. Rick's crystalline veins pulsed under his skin, reflecting the dim light, but even his diamond form couldn't break free. The Professor, though outwardly calm, was channeling all his focus into one desperate telepathic message. Solus, now. Bring them in.
Across the battlefield, beyond the shimmering barrier trapping them, space twisted. A rift cracked open, swirling with dark energy, and out stepped Kai Vex, better known as Blink. His silver-lined cloak billowed as his piercing blue eyes locked onto the scene. He raised a hand, and the air shimmered around him. With a crack, other figures emerged.
Kevin—Inferno—flames erupted in his hands, his smirk sharpening as he rolled his shoulders. "I hope you like things extra crispy."
Hana—Echo—a subtle hum resonated around her as she inhaled. A single note, barely audible, but the air itself vibrated with raw destructive energy.
Gregor—Golem—his towering form loomed, stone-like skin cracking as he stomped forward. With each step, the ground trembled beneath his immense weight.
Vera—Quicksilver—silver locks gleamed as she darted forward, her body moving in a blur. "Let's get this over with."
Elias—Venom—his eerie green eyes flickered as toxins dripped from his fingertips. "Shall we give them a little taste of fear?"
And then, from above, came a whisper of wings. Raven. Dark feathers sliced through the air as the black-winged girl dove in, landing gracefully beside the Professor. Her piercing gaze surveyed the situation before her voice rang out—calm, controlled. "We end this. Now."
Kai smirked. "You heard her."
Magnar cracked his knuckles, the metal debris around him twisting and rising like a swarm of angry serpents. "You brought friends. Cute." He flicked his fingers, and the floating shrapnel shot forward like a hailstorm of jagged knives.
Kai barely had time to yank Inferno out of the way before the metallic barrage slammed into the spot they had been standing. Inferno rolled onto his feet, wiping a fleck of blood from his lip. "Oh, great. A walking Magneto wannabe."
Magnar smirked. "Flattered, but I prefer 'God of Iron.'"
Then came Malak, the cambion—a half-demon with glowing crimson eyes and horns curling from his temple like a twisted crown. His boots barely touched the ground as he hovered, grinning at the chaos. "You guys look stressed. Need a hug?" He lifted a hand, and the shadows at his feet erupted into inky tendrils, lashing toward Echo and Quicksilver.
Echo let out a sharp note, the sheer force of the soundwave scattering the dark tendrils mid-air. Quicksilver blurred past them, appearing at Malak's flank with a smirk. "You should work on your pickup lines."
She swung, but Malak phased into smoke, reforming behind her with a chuckle. "Noted. How about: You're already dead?"
And the ground trembled as the Brotherhood's heaviest hitter—literally—expanded, his humanoid frame stretching into something massive, ancient, and utterly terrifying. Scales the color of molten rock formed along his body, his limbs shifting into powerful talons, his eyes burning like twin suns.
Barry swore under his breath. "They brought a freakin' dragon."
Inferno lit up both arms. "And I didn't bring marshmallows. Damn shame."
Razhaan lunged. Golem intercepted, stone meeting claw in an impact that sent shockwaves through the battlefield. The behemoths grappled, neither giving ground.
And then there was Vaelith. He didn't charge in. He didn't move. He just stoodthere, arms folded, watching them with the smirk of a man who had already won.
The Professor's brow furrowed. He pushed forward with his mind—only to slam into a wall of psychic resistance so solid it sent a spike of pain through his skull.
Vaelith turned to him, tilting his head mockingly. "Oh, I felt that. Cute trick. Here's mine."
The next second, the Professor stumbled back, his own thoughts muddled, twisted, slipping out of his grasp like sand. Vaelith wasn't just blocking him—he was breaking in.
Kai's voice snapped across the chaos. "Professor? What's happening?"
The old man clenched his teeth, forcing his mind to fight back. "He's...strong."
Vaelith chuckled. "You have no idea."
His gaze swept across the battlefield. "I could end this right now, you know." His voice was like silk, his presence radiating dominance. "I could suggest you all just kneel. Or walk away. Or set yourselves on fire for my amusement."
Inferno sneered. "Try it, asshole."
Vaelith's eyes gleamed. "I don't need to." He gestured around. "Look at my team. Look at yours. This isn't a fight. It's a demonstration. And I'm just here to show you one thing—"
Magnar raised his hands, and the entire warzone twisted under his command. Steel beams wrenched free from their foundations, spiraling into jagged spears that shot forward like missiles. Crystallion charged, his diamond-plated body reflecting the storm of metal. Blades shattered against his hardened skin as he bulldozed through the wreckage, fists gleaming with crystalline power. With a single strike, he sent a shockwave through the battlefield, scattering debris like dust in a storm.
Inferno leaped into the fray, flames roaring from his hands as he propelled himself forward. The heat distorted the air around him, turning metal red-hot before it even touched him. He carved through the battlefield like a comet, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. Above him, Echo let loose a sonic blast, the sheer force of the sound rupturing steel and shattering stone. The ground beneath them trembled as the shockwave rippled outward, forcing Magnar to wrench up a barricade of twisted metal to shield himself.
Golem and Razhaan collided again, two titans locked in a brutal dance of destruction. Clawed talons raked across stone flesh, sending sparks flying as Golem retaliated with a thunderous punch to the dragon's skull. The impact sent a tremor through the battlefield, cracking the ground beneath them. Razhaan reared back, his wings spreading wide before he lunged with a roar, jaws snapping at Golem's throat. The stone giant caught the beast mid-strike, muscles bulging as he hurled the dragon-bodied mutant skyward.
Quicksilver blurred between the carnage, her silver hair streaking like a comet's tail as she weaved through the battlefield. She was a ghost, untouchable, her speed turning her into a living blade. Her strikes were too fast to counter, her attacks leaving deep gouges in the enemy ranks. She darted toward Malak, but shadows erupted around him, tendrils lashing out, seeking to ensnare her. She twisted mid-air, barely avoiding the inky grasp, her movements seamless, liquid.
Venom moved like a phantom, slipping between the chaos, his toxic energy pulsing in the veins of his hands. A single touch was all he needed. He lunged at Malak, his fingers crackling with venom, but the cambion twisted away, his form momentarily dissolving into smoke before reforming behind him. Venom spun, striking with inhuman precision, forcing Malak to retreat, his demonic smirk faltering for the first time.
Above them all, Raven soared. Her black wings cut through the sky as she surveyed the battlefield, eyes calculating, searching. Then she dove. Like a spear, she plummeted toward Vaelith, who stood unmoving in the eye of the storm. The telepath merely raised a hand, and suddenly, space around him warped. The air thickened, distorting, and Raven faltered mid-dive. She crashed into an invisible force, wings snapping open just in time to catch herself before she plummeted.
Vaelith turned his gaze to the Professor again, the very air vibrating with his presence. The Professor stood amidst the wreckage, his breath ragged, his mind screaming with the echoes of fallen allies. One by one, his students had fallen. Not dead—no, the Brotherhood wasn't that merciful—but beaten, broken, and utterly outmatched. The battlefield was littered with their unconscious or writhing forms, a cruel testament to the gap in power.
Hall of M were Level Four mutants. The Brotherhood? They were beyond that. Level Five. Some possibly even higher.
Crystallion lay motionless, his diamond skin cracked, fractures spider-webbing across his form. Inferno's flames had died, leaving only smoldering embers where his fury once burned. Echo had been silenced, her throat raw from the strain of her power. Golem was half-buried under the rubble, his immense strength not enough to withstand the onslaught. Quicksilver, normally untouchable, was sprawled on the ground, her silver locks tangled with dust and blood. Venom twitched, his toxic energy spent, his body convulsing from the overload. And Raven—her wings were torn, feathers scattered, her dark form struggling against unseen forces pinning her down.
The Professor clenched his fists. This wasn't just a battle. It was a massacre. A choice had to be made. His mind reached outward, searching for the one escape route left. Solus.
The portal began to form, reality twisting, opening a path to safety. The swirling vortex pulsed, its energy stretching, widening, ready to swallow them all and take them away from this slaughter. The Professor reached out with his mind, pulling each of them toward the portal. Their unconscious bodies lifted, drawn by invisible hands, vanishing into the swirling void.
Just as he stepped back, preparing to leave, the battlefield grew silent. Vaelith hadn't moved the entire fight. He hadn't needed to. And now, he smiled. It was the kind of smile that wasn't meant for victory—it was meant for declaration.
Standing amidst the ruined battlefield, surrounded by the crumbled remains of the fight, he raised his arms, his voice carrying through the desolation like the toll of a bell. "This is not the end. This is only the beginning."
The very air trembled as he spoke. "For too long, we have hidden. We have played by their rules. We have let ourselves be hunted, controlled, feared. That ends now."
His eyes burned with conviction, his voice like a storm rolling over the horizon. "We are done waiting. We are done pretending. We are done being lesser."
The Brotherhood stood behind him, battered but triumphant. Magnar smirked, metal shards floating like daggers at his side. Malak hovered, his demonic form radiating an eerie glow. Razhaan loomed, his dragon form still smoldering, the scent of scorched earth thick in the air. Vaelith lifted his hand, fingers curling into a fist. "Today, we declare war on humanity."
The portal swallowed the Professor whole, his students already gone, his mind reeling at the words that would change everything. And then—darkness.