Even Magneto can be cloned?
Although Richard had witnessed Sabretooth's clone at the Los Angeles branch of the Department of Mutant Affairs and knew they had mastered mutant cloning technology, he never expected to encounter a Magneto clone aboard the Hellfire Club's yacht.
Meeting Magneto himself wouldn't have been nearly as surprising. After all, both the Brotherhood of Mutants and the Hellfire Club opposed the Mutant Restriction Act and the U.S. government—their cooperation was plausible to some extent.
But a clone of Magneto—and a middle-aged version at that—was completely beyond his expectations.
This complicates things.
Sebastian Shaw alone wasn't an enemy to be taken lightly. With a middle-aged Magneto clone added to the equation, the difficulty rose sharply. Though this scenario deviated completely from his plans, Richard remained composed, showing neither panic nor fear.
He couldn't guarantee victory against both Sebastian Shaw and the Magneto clone simultaneously. However, one thing was certain—if he wanted to leave, neither Shaw nor the Magneto clone could stop him.
"Emma, what's going on? Where's Azazel?" Riptide asked Emma Frost before Sebastian Shaw could speak.
Just as Emma Frost opened her mouth to reply, Richard's voice cut through the tension.
"He's dead. I killed him."
Richard calmly set down his knife and fork, picked up his napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth, and stood up.
Upon hearing his confession, a small tornado immediately materialized in Riptide's right palm.
The Riptide from the comics and the one from the film possessed entirely different powers. In the comics, Riptide could rotate his body at superhuman speeds, drawing in surrounding objects or causing calcifications to form in his bones. While spinning, he would release these calcifications through his skin like bullets to assault his enemies.
In the film, Riptide's abilities were much simpler: controlling and creating whirlwinds.
Just as Riptide prepared to unleash the miniature tornado in his hand against Richard, Sebastian Shaw raised his right hand, halting the attack.
"Did Azazel offend you when delivering the invitation?" Shaw asked Richard, his tone measured.
Richard shook his head and responded with unsettling tranquility: "He didn't offend me. I simply didn't want him to exist."
His tone remained eerily calm, as though he were merely commenting on the pleasant evening weather.
"I see," Shaw replied coldly. "Then it seems there's nothing left to discuss."
The moment Shaw finished speaking, Riptide released the small tornado from his palm. As it traveled, the whirlwind—originally only 20 to 30 centimeters high—expanded dramatically to three or four meters in height as it hurtled toward Richard and Emma Frost.
Despite Emma standing directly beside Richard, neither Riptide nor Sebastian Shaw showed any concern about potentially harming her. Their actions made it clear—they recognized that Emma Frost had aligned herself with Richard.
Even before reaching its target, Riptide's tornado had already transformed the elegant restaurant into chaos.
Rather than teleporting away, Richard raised his right hand and summoned a powerful gust of wind. As his mana flowed, an equally massive tornado materialized out of thin air and rocketed toward Riptide's whirlwind.
BOOM!
The two violently rotating vortices, spinning in opposite directions, collided with catastrophic force, detonating like a bomb. The uncontrolled airflow and shockwave struck everyone in the restaurant indiscriminately.
Except for Richard, every person present—Emma Frost, Sebastian Shaw, Riptide, the Magneto clone, and the two unidentified mutants—activated their respective powers in defense.
Emma Frost transformed into her Diamond Form, her body becoming a sparkling, crystalline work of art. Her strength, stamina, and defensive capabilities increased dramatically.
Sebastian Shaw employed his energy absorption ability, drawing in all the chaotic airflow directed at him.
Riptide and the Magneto clone each created protective barriers. Riptide formed a wall of concentrated wind, while the Magneto clone generated an ultra-high-intensity magnetic force field—invisible to the naked eye but possessing remarkable defensive properties.
Of the two mutants positioned behind the Magneto clone, one transformed into a spherical mass of water, while the other became engulfed in orange-red flames.
As the only person present who didn't visibly activate his mutant powers, Richard stood calmly, channeling his mana to create an invisible barrier before him. With his enhanced physique, he could easily withstand the uncontrolled airflow and shockwave.
But he had no desire to let the turbulent forces dishevel his hair.
Long silver hair dancing slightly in the wind—elegant and striking.
If blown into disarray, it wouldn't look impressive—just embarrassing.
The chaotic airflow and shockwave failed to injure anyone in the restaurant but reduced the once-exquisite dining area to ruins—overturning tables and chairs, shattering dishes, and blowing out the windows.
When calm finally returned, Richard walked deliberately toward Emma Frost and wrapped his arm around her slender, diamond-form waist.
Teleportation!
Under the watchful eyes of Sebastian Shaw, the Magneto clone, and the others, Richard transported himself and the diamond-skinned White Queen off the yacht, materializing on the rooftop of a building near the pier.
"The coming battle isn't suitable for you," Richard told Emma Frost. "Stay here and watch."
"Are you certain you don't need my assistance?" Emma asked quickly. "Except for Shaw with his helmet, I could help you handle the others."
"No need," Richard replied confidently. "I can manage on my own." He added with a smile, "By the way, if you get bored, perhaps consider other positions that might please both of us more."
With those words, he teleported back to the devastated restaurant and summoned the Masamune from his system space.
Seeing him return alone, Sebastian Shaw remarked calmly, "You intend to face all five of us simultaneously? Are you truly that confident?"
Richard shook his head at Shaw's assessment. "One against five? No, that's the worst-case scenario." His lips curved into a subtle smile. "With luck, this will be a one-on-one between you and me."
Telepathy!
Without hesitation, Richard immediately deployed his telepathic abilities. Though his telepathic powers weren't as formidable as those of Emma Frost or Professor X, they still surpassed those of ordinary psychics.
Sebastian Shaw wore a mind-isolating helmet, making him immune to telepathic intrusion. But Riptide was different.
In an instant, Richard used his telepathy to immobilize Riptide.
Are 3 of them mentally shielded?
Richard's expression grew serious. He had anticipated being able to at least subdue Riptide and the Magneto clone telepathically. Unexpectedly, only Riptide the one he got, the Magneto clone and the two other mutants all possessed mental protection.
Noting Richard's solemn expression, Sebastian Shaw regarded him with contempt. "Did you think I wasn't aware of your telepathic abilities?"
Shaw paused, raising his right hand to indicate the Magneto clone. "Did you assume he's merely a clone of Erik Lehnsherr?"
"Allow me to enlighten you," Shaw continued. "These three aren't ordinary clones. They represent the latest masterpieces of collaboration between the Hellfire Club and the Department of Mutant Affairs—the pinnacle of genetic engineering."
His voice dropped to a sinister whisper: "Hunters."
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