With a muffled thud, Professor X collapsed, unconscious. The power of the Mind Stone had overwhelmed even the strongest telepath on Earth.
"Professor!"
"Charles!"
The X-Men rushed forward in shock, forming a protective barrier around his fallen form. Cyclops stepped to the front, face tense, hands raised to his visor.
"You're going to regret that," Cyclops said coldly. "X-Men—engage!"
Without hesitation, he unleashed a precise optic blast. The beam shot straight at Lin Fan with devastating force.
But Lin Fan didn't move. He simply raised a hand, and the beam stopped mid-air as if hitting a wall. His skin didn't even flinch.
"You rely too much on power," Lin Fan said quietly. "And not enough on control."
A figure stepped out from behind Lin Fan, calm and confident. Clad in black with a commanding presence, Sebastian Shaw, the Black King of the Hellfire Club, surveyed the scene.
Cyclops turned to him, eyes narrowing.
"You… Hellfire."
Sebastian smiled faintly. "Still using that same tired strategy, Scott?"
Cyclops fired again, but Shaw moved into the path and absorbed the blast directly. The energy transferred into his body, which now gave off a subtle glow. Shaw didn't transform or grow—he didn't need to. The kinetic energy he absorbed only made him stronger.
Before Cyclops could react again, Wolverine charged from the side with a growl, claws bared.
Snikt!
He lunged at Lin Fan, aiming for his torso. Lin Fan caught his wrists midair and twisted just enough to redirect Wolverine to the side—no wasted movement.
Donald Pierce, the White Bishop, stepped in and struck Wolverine with a precise blow. His cybernetic arm cracked against Logan's ribs, sending him sliding across the lawn.
From underground, Kitty Pryde phased upward to grab Lin Fan's ankle. She tried to pull him down, but Lin Fan responded instantly—energy surged through the ground, blasting her back into the open.
Above them, Storm rose into the sky. Clouds gathered fast, and thunder rolled. A lightning bolt the size of a truck formed in her hands.
But before she could release it, a flash of purple appeared.
Psylocke, glowing with psychic energy, blocked the strike with a telekinetic shield and countered with a concentrated burst of force. Storm was forced back, stunned by the unexpected resistance.
On the ground, Remy LeBeau—Gambit—flung an energized card at Lin Fan.
"Let's see you dodge this, mon ami."
But Lin Fan deflected it mid-air with a wave of his hand, the card exploding harmlessly behind him.
The X-Men were losing ground, fast.
Emma Frost, the White Queen, stepped beside Shaw, arms crossed. "They're not prepared for this level of conflict," she said, eyes scanning the battlefield.
Shaw nodded. "Then let's finish this. The target is Jean Grey."
Just ahead, Jean stood frozen. The pressure, the conflict—it was all too much.
Lin Fan stepped forward, the Mind Stone glowing faintly on his forehead.
Nothing stood in his way now.
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