Chapter 50: [50] Hellfire Club Attacks
New York, Xavier Manor
Brian and the others had left to recruit Logan, and Raven had also departed from Xavier Manor. She was becoming increasingly adept at using her ability, allowing her to slip into high-security locations like the White House in Washington, D.C., without raising any suspicions.
Raven moved freely, unrestrained by any location. From the White House to America's nuclear military bases, she could come and go as she pleased.
With Raven gone, Xavier Manor was now home only to the newest members of the X-Men:
Angel, Siryn, and Havok.
These three were still young and relatively inexperienced. With the senior members of the X-Men currently away, and with Hank locking himself up in the lab, struggling to face his new Beast form, the manor felt unusually empty.
Father Asa, the middle-aged newcomer and a devout follower of Apocalypse, had little interest in mingling with the younger members of the X-Men.
He preferred his solitude and saw little point in joining the antics of the younger "gods."
With no one around to keep them in line, the young Mutants began to indulge themselves.
In one of the lounges at Xavier Manor, they kicked off a lively party.
"Hey, Siryn, what's your ability?"
Angel asked, holding a glass of wine as she performed a playful dance, making the other young X-Men cheer and laugh. After finishing, she wiped her forehead and settled onto the sofa, her curiosity now focused on Sean Cassidy.
At Angel's question, Siryn grinned, stood up, and placed his drink on the table.
"I'd recommend covering your ears," he warned Angel, who was watching him with interest, and Alex, who was quietly observing.
Angel and Alex exchanged a look, then held their ears as Siryn took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and let out a powerful, high-pitched scream.
The sharp sound waves vibrated through the air, creating visible ripples.
Crash.
The cup on the table shattered instantly from the force of the sound waves, spilling red wine all over the floor. The impact continued, causing the glass of the lounge's floor-to-ceiling window to crack and then shatter completely.
"That's awesome!"
Angel's eyes sparkled as she admired Sean Cassidy's ability, and even Alex looked on with surprise.
"What about you, Angel? Why does Professor X call you 'Angel'?" Sean asked, smirking as he looked at Alex, then turned his attention back to Angel with a playful smile.
"Because I am Angel," she replied confidently. Standing up, she let the insect-like wings on her back, which usually looked like tattoos, begin to unfurl.
Buzz.
Her wings flapped rapidly, lifting her effortlessly into the air, showcasing her unique ability.
"Whoa, flight? Your ability is really amazing," Siryn said, wide-eyed and clearly impressed.
"In fact, I can do more than just fly," Angel replied with a proud smile.
She flew a quick circle around the lounge, then darted through the open French window and over to a bronze sculpture outside.
With a smirk, Angel spit out a strong acid solution onto the sculpture's head.
Instantly, the metal began to sizzle and corrode, its surface bubbling as the acid ate away at it.
"Now that's intense," Siryn whistled, clearly entertained.
Alex, however, raised an eyebrow, looking slightly put off.
"Alright, Alex, what about you?" Angel said, turning back inside. "We've all shown off our abilities. Your turn."
Siryn joined in with a grin, "Yeah, show us what you've got!"
Although Alexander Summers knew that his abilities were dangerous, he was still a young man.
Amid the shouts and encouragement from Angel and Cassidy, Havok stood up. "My abilities are dangerous, and I need an open space," Alex said as he headed outside.
He glanced at the sculpture in front of him, then clenched his fists and released his abilities.
Red energy rings appeared around his body. He swung his hands, sending the energy rings outward.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
One of the energy rings struck the sculpture directly, splitting it in two. The remaining energy rings hit the lawn and ground outside, causing small explosions.
But then, one of the energy rings veered toward the building up ahead.
"Oh no," Alex muttered, his face turning pale.
He knew he was in trouble. If that energy ring hit the building, he'd be in serious hot water with Professor X.
He had just found his fellow Mutants; he didn't want to be kicked out of the X-Men yet.
However, even though Alex was extremely anxious, he was powerless.
He could release energy shockwaves, but he couldn't control them.
Just as the energy ring was about to crash into the manor building, a thick red mist suddenly appeared in front of it.
Within the red mist, several figures holding hands emerged in Shockwave Alex's view.
"Get out of the way!" Alex shouted in alarm, worry clear on his face.
He didn't realize these people who had appeared from the red mist were actually their enemies—Mutants from the Hellfire Club. He was still worried for their safety, fearing he might accidentally harm them.
"When will these new generation Mutants finally grow up?"
As the red mist dissipated, the Black King, wearing his telepathic-blocking helmet, looked at the oncoming energy ring and simply raised his hand.
The red energy ring was absorbed into his body instantly.
After absorbing Havok's energy shockwave, Shaw released his grip on the Red Devil.
He turned to a middle-aged woman standing beside him.
"Julie, locate Professor X," Black King Shaw ordered.
The middle-aged woman named Julie tilted her head slightly, her ears moving in response. A wave of visible sound ripples radiated from her ears, sweeping across New York City in an instant.
Countless voices flooded into Julie's mind like a roaring wave. She grimaced in pain, then managed to isolate Professor X's voice in the Eller Tavern, 49 kilometers away.
"Sabastian, Professor X, Magneto, and Brian are all in the Eller Tavern," Julie reported, her face pale from the effort.
"Good work, Julie," Shaw said, patting her shoulder. "Now I can finally take off this headache-inducing helmet."
Black King Shaw reached up and removed the helmet with a look of relief.
Before the X-Men had left to recruit Wolverine, Brian had told Red Devil the location of Xavier Manor. Red Devil, in turn, relayed this information to Black King upon returning to the Hellfire Club. Additionally, Red Devil informed Shaw that the X-Men were actively recruiting new Mutants.
This made Black King Shaw even more cautious of the X-Men's growing influence.
That's why, after discovering the existence of Xavier Manor, Black King Shaw had Azazel use his teleportation ability to bring them there directly.
Because of the painful lesson Brian had taught him previously, Shaw took no chances this time. To ensure success, he brought nearly all of the Hellfire Club.
The only member absent was White Queen Emma Frost, whom Shaw had already sent to the Soviet Union on a separate mission. Present were:
- Black King Sebastian Shaw
- Red Devil Azazel
- Ursa Major, the first Mutant from the Soviet Union who had recently joined the Hellfire Club
- Julie, also known as "Superman's Ear," with her super-hearing ability
However, upon arriving at Xavier Manor and seeing Havok, Angel, and Siryn instead of the senior X-Men members, Shaw felt a pang of disappointment.
He had planned to catch the X-Men completely off guard, even going so far as to wear that uncomfortable helmet to block any psychic interference.
But he didn't expect that the four main X-Men—Professor X, Magneto, Homelander, and Mystique—were not here at all.
Only a handful of younger, inexperienced members were left in the entire X-Men base.
Looking at Havok and the others, Shaw found it hard to muster any enthusiasm for a fight.
"Good afternoon, fellow Mutants. I'm Sebastian Shaw. Relax, I won't hurt you," Shaw said, shifting tactics.
Noticing the confused and uncertain looks on the young X-Men's faces, Shaw decided to take a different approach. He'd cut off potential resistance by directly appealing to these young Mutants and inviting them to join the Hellfire Club.
A warm smile spread across Shaw's face as he spoke, moving towards Angel, Havok, and Siryn.
But just as Shaw was about to extend the olive branch of the Hellfire Club, a roar erupted from within Xavier Manor.
In an instant, a blue, muscular figure rushed toward Havok, positioning itself protectively in front of him.
"Stand back, Alex," a deep, heavy voice commanded in Havok's ear.
Alex turned to look at the source of the voice and saw a towering, two-and-a-half-meter-tall blue-haired figure with bulging muscles.
It was Hank, fully transformed and ready for battle.
'This figure is the Beast of the X-Men.' Alex thought.
Beast Hank had already left his laboratory when he heard the explosion nearby.
Seeing Sebastian Shaw—Black King of the Hellfire Club—standing before him, Beast's pupils contracted sharply.
However, the Beast, now fully embracing his primal instincts, had long since shed the hesitation and self-doubt of his past. Even in the face of a formidable opponent, Beast Hank was prepared to bare his claws and fangs.
"Sebastian Shaw, get out of Xavier Manor," Beast Hank growled, his blue fur bristling as he roared at Shaw.
"It seems the X-Men do have some fighters worth noting," Shaw said, observing Beast Hank's muscular, imposing form with a hint of admiration.
"It's a pity, though—I already have a 'Beast' on my team."
With a slight shake of his head, Shaw turned to Ursa Major, the Soviet Mutant standing beside him with a grin.
"Uriokovitch, this one's yours," Shaw instructed.
The 1.9-meter-tall Ursa Major, with his Soviet military demeanor, nodded, stepping forward with a smile. "Understood, Black King."
As Ursa Major approached him, Beast tensed, frowning slightly.
Although he wasn't familiar with Ursa Major's abilities, he prepared himself for whatever was to come.
But as long as he was a member of the Hellfire Club, he was the enemy.
Who cared about his abilities?
Beast roared, clenched his fist, and swung a punch directly at Ursa.
Though Beast didn't have extensive fighting skills, the sheer power of his transformed body meant he didn't need any. The force behind his punch was enough to make up for it.
Bang.
A heavy impact resounded as Beast's fist connected.
But Ursa didn't even flinch. Instead of dodging, he tore off his thin vest, his entire body beginning to change instantly.
In Beast's stunned gaze, Ursa transformed into a massive, 3.5-meter-tall brown bear, his build huge and muscular.
The 2.5-meter-tall Beast, once towering himself, now only reached Ursa Major's midsection.
"Fuck you," Beast muttered, baring his teeth in frustration.
Bang.
Beast's fist landed squarely on Ursa Major.
Despite the power behind the punch, strong enough to bend steel, Ursa Major barely reacted. He looked down at Beast with a cruel gleam in his bear-like eyes.
"Taste the power of the Siberian brown bear," Ursa Major growled before swatting Beast aside with a massive paw.
Boom.
Beast's body was sent flying, crashing through the recreation room behind Havok and the others. The impact caused part of the wall to collapse, burying Beast in the rubble.
Ursa Major chuckled, striding over to the debris.
"Bare witness to true bear strength."
He reached down, grabbed Beast's right foot, and yanked him out of the rubble, ignoring Hank's furious roars. Lifting him effortlessly, Ursa Major raised a massive paw and slammed Beast Hank back into the ground with brutal force.
The ground cracked and collapsed under the blow, leaving a deep bear paw-shaped imprint where Beast Hank lay.
"Ahem."
Despite Hank's impressive durability, he couldn't withstand the sheer force of Ursa Major's strike. His chest was bruised and sunken, blood trickling from his mouth. With a single blow, Ursa Major had left him severely injured, struggling to even stand.
Ursa Major was indeed Beast Hank's worst match-up.
"Alright, the obstacle's been dealt with."
The Black Emperor cast a cold glance at the fallen Beast, then turned his gaze to Angel, Siryn, and Havok. His expression softened as he offered them the olive branch of the Hellfire Club.
"Now, my fellow Mutants, the revolution for Mutantkind is upon us."
He took a step closer to them, his tone persuasive and full of conviction.
"When humanity realizes our existence, we'll be forced to choose. Will Mutants be oppressed by humans? Or will we rise to rule the world?"
He paused, letting his words sink in, his eyes steady on each of them.
"All of this rests on your decision. You can continue down this path, fighting to protect the very people who fear and despise you…"
"Or, join us and become a member of the Hellfire Club. You'll control your own destiny... you might even become a king," Black Emperor said with a gleam in his eye, casting a significant glance at Angel.
"Or, perhaps, a queen," he added smoothly.
At Shaw's words, Angel felt a spark of excitement. In the human world, she was nothing more than a stripper, but here was a chance to be something more—perhaps even a queen, as Shaw suggested. The allure of power tugged at her, and after a moment's hesitation, she took a step toward Shaw.
"No way, Angel! You're really going to betray us?" Cassidy looked at her in disbelief.
"Shaw is right," Angel replied coolly. "We Mutants are meant to be above humans."
With her decision made, Angel walked confidently to Shaw's side and took the hand he extended toward her.
"Good girl. Now, tell me, what's your ability?" Shaw asked with a smile, though his expression was slightly strained.
"I'm Angel. I have insect wings and can produce a strong acid solution," she replied proudly, demonstrating her ability by letting her wings unfurl.
Shaw's face twitched slightly, and his smile faltered. "That's… quite the ability," he said, though his enthusiasm clearly waned.
Shaw was accustomed to recruiting Mutants of significant power, so a level 1 Mutant like Angel was far from his ideal. However, dismissing her outright could cause discontent among the other members of the Hellfire Club, so he kept his composure and gestured for her to stand with them.
After learning of Angel's abilities, Shaw's expectations for Siryn and Havok had dimmed slightly.
Tsk!
He again glanced at Angel, a hint of irritation flickering in his eyes, and silently regretted making the trip to Xavier Manor.
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