The mutation machine roared to life, its energy radiating outward in concentric waves that distorted the air itself.
"We have to stop that thing!" Cyclops shouted, firing an optic blast at the machine's power source. The beam hit its mark, but the energy absorbed the attack, redirecting it harmlessly into the sky.
Wanda clenched her fists around the Scepter. "We'll have to get closer."
"Easier said than done!" Gwen called out, webbing a Brotherhood mutant and swinging him into a support beam. "They're not exactly rolling out the red carpet!"
Talia zapped another enemy with her stun batons, gritting her teeth. "Let's carve our own damn path, then!"
As the team advanced, Sabretooth re-emerged from the shadows, his massive frame blocking their path to the statue's base.
"This again?" Wanda muttered, rolling her eyes.
But before she could act, Wolverine stepped forward, claws extended.
"Back off, Maximoff," he growled. "This one's mine."
Sabretooth snarled, baring his fangs. "You always were the runt of the litter, Logan."
The two lunged at each other, claws clashing with a metallic screech. The fight was brutal, raw, and personal—a family feud written in blood.
But as fierce as Wolverine was, Sabretooth had the advantage in size and strength, quickly overpowering him and slamming him into a wall.
Wanda sighed. "Boys."
With a flick of her wrist, she sent a blast of Chaos Magic into Sabretooth's side, knocking him off balance.
Before he could recover, she twirled the Chitauri Scepter and whacked him upside the head with the blunt end.
Sabretooth staggered, blinking in disbelief.
"You again?!" he roared, lunging at her.
But Wanda was ready. She sidestepped his attack, switching the Scepter into a spear and driving it into his shoulder.
Sabretooth let out a guttural scream before collapsing to the ground.
Wolverine groaned from where he was slumped against the wall. "You're really stealing all my thunder tonight, huh?"
Wanda smirked. "Try keeping up next time."
While Wanda and Wolverine handled Sabretooth, Cyclops and Storm faced off against Toad on the scaffolding surrounding the statue.
Toad's agility made him a slippery target, leaping between beams and scaffolding like a grotesque acrobat.
"Hold still, you little—" Cyclops fired an optic blast, but Toad twisted mid-air, dodging effortlessly.
"You gotta be quicker than that, one-eye!" Toad taunted, his tongue lashing out to yank Cyclops off balance.
But Storm was already in motion. She summoned a gust of wind, sending Toad spiraling through the air. As he tried to recover, she unleashed a bolt of lightning that crackled through the metal beams, forcing Toad to retreat.
Cyclops adjusted his visor. "Nice shot."
Storm smirked. "Thanks. Now let's finish this."
With a coordinated attack, Cyclops and Storm pinned Toad between optic blasts and lightning strikes, finally knocking him out cold.
As the battle raged around them, Jean Grey felt the power inside her growing more unstable with each passing second. Her vision blurred, and her hands trembled as the psychic energy clawed its way to the surface.
But before she could react to the mysterious power inside her, the mutation machine pulsed, sending a shockwave that destabilized the statue. The scaffolding groaned, and Jean stumbled, her powers surging uncontrollably.
Wanda noticed immediately.
"Jean!" Wanda called out, but Jean's eyes were already glowing, her body trembling under the weight of her power.
"I—I can't hold it back!" Jean gasped, clutching her head as psychic energy radiated from her in violent waves.
At the crown of the statue, Wanda finally confronted Magneto, her Chitauri Scepter glowing with power.
"You're too late, Maximoff," Magneto sneered. "The world will change tonight, whether you like it or not."
Wanda spun her Scepter, her Chaos Magic swirling around her. "Funny. I was about to say the same thing to you now get out of my way so I can help Jean nothing is more important than my harem."
Magneto hurled a barrage of metal at her, but Wanda deflected it effortlessly, her Scepter acting as both shield and weapon. She charged forward, her attacks a seamless blend of telekinesis, Chaos Magic, and sheer force.
Their battle was fierce, the clash of powers lighting up the night sky.
"You think you're better than me?" Magneto snarled, trying to overpower her. "You think you can lead mutants into a new world?"
Wanda's eyes burned brighter. "I don't think, Magneto. I know."
With a final surge of energy, she drove the Scepter into the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked Magneto flying backward into a wall of rubble, but not before he activated the machine. Wanda paid no attention to this as she rushed to Jean's side
Despite the X-Men's efforts, Magneto partially activated the machine, sending a surge of energy toward the summit of world leaders.
"No!" Jean screamed, her powers spiraling out of control. In a desperate move, she redirected the energy, creating a telekinetic barrier that absorbed the blast.
But the strain was too much. Jean collapsed, her body trembling as her powers flickered dangerously out of control.
Wanda rushed to her side, gripping her shoulders. "Jean, stay with me!"
Jean's eyes fluttered open, glowing faintly. "I—I can't…"
The machine was still operational, and Magneto wasn't finished. He rose from the rubble, battered but defiant.
"You've delayed the inevitable, Maximoff," he hissed. "But you can't stop it."
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