chapter 13

At this moment, there was no time to overthink things.

With just a thought, all the metal objects around him seemed to come alive, dancing in tune with his movements.

"Charles, I don't want to destroy everything you've worked so hard to build," Magneto said, his tone calm but threatening. "Don't force me to act."

Charles responded silently, using his mind as well.

Suddenly, Magneto felt a strong grip on his arm. Sabretooth and Raven, standing silently behind him, had both grabbed his shoulders.

Looking at their emotionless faces, it became clear that a stalemate had emerged.

"It seems like none of us can do anything to each other, right?" Magneto asked, narrowing his eyes.

"It's good that you understand. Now you should leave," Charles replied coolly.

Magneto chuckled. "Heh."

Charles sensed something was wrong, but before he could react, a massive force slammed into him from behind. Knocked from his wheelchair, he caught a glimpse of Wolverine flying like a projectile, smashing into him.

Despite his strength, Wolverine couldn't break free from the invisible force restraining him.

"Professor!" Alanna shouted, rushing over with several X-Men to help Charles.

Wolverine, now held firmly in front of Magneto, struggled helplessly.

"You really are easy to manipulate," Magneto sneered.

He raised his hand. The steel railings from a nearby garden bent like noodles and shot toward Wolverine. The metal pierced into his body, binding him tightly. He couldn't move.

"Argh!" Wolverine roared in pain. Despite his incredible endurance, he could only scream in agony as Magneto's power held him like a puppet.

Swish!

Wolverine was flung away like a ragdoll, disappearing into the distance.

Meanwhile, Robert was still fishing.

Despite the chaos erupting at the entrance of the Mutant Academy, none of it had caught his attention. His entire focus was on the pond before him, eyes locked on his fishing line with hopeful anticipation.

He waited, silently wishing a fish would finally bite.

But then, unexpectedly, a large shadow fell from the sky.

Bang!

It was like a bomb had exploded in the pond. A massive splash burst from the surface, soaking everything nearby.

"What the hell!?"

Robert jumped up, furious.

"Who just bombed my fishing spot!?"

He was livid. Anyone who's ever fished knows that anglers are usually calm and patient. They don't easily lose their temper.

But the one thing guaranteed to enrage any fisherman is someone bombing their fishing hole.

Robert was now in that rare state of rage.

"How am I supposed to fish like this!?"

"I need to know who did this!"

"Can't even let a guy fish in peace? Where's the justice? Where's the law!?"

He clenched his fists, his eyes sharp with fury.

With Joker Thinking activated, his mind raced. Within moments, he traced the trajectory of the falling object and determined it wasn't debris—it was a person.

Though puzzled by someone falling from the sky, Robert couldn't care less about the details. Seeing the red stain in the pond, he figured the guy probably didn't mean to ruin his day.

Still, someone had to pay.

He took off at full speed, heading toward where the disturbance had originated.

Every obstacle in his path was obliterated. Trees as thick as half a meter snapped like twigs, and the ground cracked beneath his feet, leaving behind a trail of destruction that marked his fury.

In under a minute, Robert arrived at the gates of the Mutant Academy.

There he saw it: a chaotic battlefield. The X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants had unleashed their powers and were fighting all-out.

Magneto had already launched the first strike. Wolverine was incapacitated, Charles injured. The Brotherhood had clearly gained the upper hand.

Robert didn't care who these people were.

"STOP IT!!"

His roar thundered across the battlefield, shattering glass in the windows of the Academy. It was like a lion's bellow—powerful, commanding, impossible to ignore.

The fighting instantly halted. All eyes turned to him.

"Someone tell me," Robert growled, cracking his knuckles. "Who the hell just bombed my fishing spot?"

The sound of his joints cracking was sharp and loud, like a mountain shifting.

The X-Men and the Brotherhood alike were stunned.

After a tense moment, Scott was the first to react. His expression changed drastically.

"Get out of here! It's dangerous!" he shouted toward Robert.

Scott swiped the side of his visor. A beam of red light shot from his eyes, aimed at Sabretooth, who had approached Robert with ill intent.

But Magneto wasn't about to let him interfere.

With a simple wave of his hand, a massive iron plate ripped from the ground and rose up to block the beam.

The red laser sliced clean through it—but it bought just enough time.

Sabretooth had already reached Robert.

Unlike Wolverine, Sabretooth was a true predator. He didn't hold back, even against fellow Mutants