Magneto could be cloned?
Richard had seen Sabretooth's clone at the Los Angeles branch of the Mutant Affairs Department. He already knew cloning technology existed and had reached a practical level. But seeing a middle-aged Magneto clone standing calmly on the deck of the Hellfire Club's yacht was another matter entirely.
Even if the real Magneto had appeared in front of him, Richard would not have been this surprised. The Brotherhood of Mutants and the Hellfire Club both opposed the Mutant Restriction Act and the U.S. government. Cooperation between them would have been logical.
But a clone—an older version, no less—was different.
That meant planning. Coordination. Resources.
It meant the situation was more complicated than expected.
Black King Shaw alone was already troublesome. Add a Magneto clone into the equation, and the difficulty rose sharply.
Still, Richard showed no panic. No fear.
He didn't know if he could defeat Shaw and a Magneto clone simultaneously.
But he knew one thing with certainty.
If he chose to leave, none of them could stop him.
"Emma," Janos demanded before Shaw could speak, "what's going on? Where's Azazel?"
Emma's lips parted slightly, but before she could answer, Richard spoke calmly.
"He's dead. I killed him."
He placed his knife and fork down, wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, and stood up slowly.
Janos's expression darkened instantly. A small tornado formed in his right palm, swirling tightly, wind howling in miniature.
In the comics, Riptide's abilities were different—high-speed spinning, bone calcification projectiles, rotational force. But in this universe, his power was simpler.
Control and generate whirlwinds.
Before Janos could release it, Shaw lifted his hand slightly.
"Did Azazel offend you when he delivered the invitation?" Shaw asked evenly.
Richard shook his head.
"He didn't offend me. I just didn't want him alive."
His tone was flat. Casual. As if discussing the weather.
"I see," Shaw replied. "Then there's nothing to discuss."
The moment he finished speaking, Janos launched the tornado.
The swirling mass of air shot forward, expanding rapidly as it traveled. From a compact spiral barely thirty centimeters tall, it grew into a three-to-four-meter vortex in seconds, tearing across the restaurant toward Richard.
Neither Shaw nor Janos cared whether Emma might be caught in it.
Or perhaps they already assumed she had switched sides.
Before the tornado even reached him, the restaurant descended into chaos. Tables flipped. Dishes shattered. Glass exploded outward in sharp fragments.
Richard did not teleport.
Instead, he raised his right hand.
Magic surged.
A second tornado formed instantly in front of him—equal in size, equal in force—and shot forward.
Boom.
The two cyclones collided midair, spinning in opposite directions. The impact detonated like a bomb. Shockwaves and uncontrolled airflow blasted outward in every direction, indiscriminate.
Everyone reacted.
Emma shifted into her diamond form, her body crystallizing into a gleaming faceted sculpture. Strength, durability, density—all amplified.
Shaw absorbed the violent air currents effortlessly, his energy absorption swallowing the kinetic force directed at him.
Janos reinforced himself with layered wind barriers.
The Magneto clone extended a hand, magnetic force compressing the surrounding metal fragments into an invisible field, forming a defensive wall.
Behind him, two additional mutants revealed their abilities—one dissolving into a roiling sphere of water, the other igniting in orange-red flames.
Richard stood alone without activating visible powers.
He allowed magic to form an invisible barrier around him—not because he feared injury, but because he didn't want his hair ruined.
Silver hair flowing gently in the wind looked striking.
Silver hair blown into a tangled mess looked ridiculous.
The shockwave subsided.
The restaurant was destroyed—furniture overturned, glass shattered, debris scattered everywhere.
But no one was injured.
When the air finally settled, Richard walked calmly to Emma's side and wrapped an arm around her diamond waist.
Teleportation activated.
In the next instant, they were gone.
They reappeared on the rooftop of a nearby building overlooking the marina.
Emma's crystalline form shimmered faintly under city lights.
"The next fight isn't suitable for you," Richard said. "Stay here."
"Are you sure?" Emma asked quickly. "Except for Shaw, I can deal with the others."
"No," he replied. "I'll handle it."
He paused, then added lightly, "If you're bored, think about new ways to make both of us happier later."
Even in diamond form, she felt heat rise behind the crystalline surface.
Richard vanished again.
He reappeared inside the ruined restaurant, Masamune materializing in his hand.
Shaw watched him return alone.
"Are you planning to fight five of us by yourself?" Shaw asked calmly. "That confident?"
Richard shook his head slightly.
"One against five? That's the worst-case scenario."
He tilted his head.
"If you're unlucky, this is one-on-one. Just you and me."
Telepathy activated instantly.
He targeted Janos first.
Nothing.
No mental freeze.
He shifted to the Magneto clone.
Nothing.
He probed the two additional mutants.
Still nothing.
All three had mind isolation.
Richard's expression hardened slightly.
He had expected at least to immobilize Janos or the Magneto clone.
Instead, every single one of them was shielded.
Shaw noticed.
"You think I don't know you're a telepath?" Shaw said with open disdain.
He gestured toward the Magneto clone.
"Do you think he's just an ordinary copy of Eric?"
Shaw's lips curved faintly.
"Let me introduce them properly."
"These three aren't standard clones."
"They are joint creations of the Hellfire Club and the Department of Mutant Affairs."
He paused deliberately.
"The pinnacle of genetic engineering."
He extended his hand toward the Magneto clone.
"Hunter."
.....
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