The ground beneath Liberty Island groaned under the weight of the battle. The mutation machine pulsed violently, sending waves of energy through the Statue of Liberty, causing its metal frame to tremble and crack.
High above, Magneto floated near the crown, surrounded by swirling metal debris. His face was a mask of fury and determination as he faced down Wanda Maximoff and the rest of the X-Men.
"You've delayed the inevitable, Maximoff," Magneto sneered, his hands raised as he manipulated the collapsing metal around him. "But you can't stop evolution."
Wanda gripped her Chitauri Scepter tightly, her eyes glowing with Chaos Magic. Behind her, Jean Grey stood, her new symbiote suit pulsing faintly with golden veins, the wild psychic energy within her simmering just beneath the surface.
"Evolution doesn't come at the cost of free will," Wanda shot back, stepping forward. "And I'm done letting you decide the future for all of us."
With a flick of his wrist, Magneto sent a barrage of metal shards hurtling toward them. Wanda deflected the attack effortlessly, her Scepter spinning in graceful arcs, absorbing the energy and redirecting it back at him.
Beside her, Jean's hands trembled as she tried to focus, her symbiote suit suppressing the worst of the Phoenix's power but struggling to keep it fully contained.
Stay with me, Jean, Wanda thought, glancing at her briefly before launching another wave of Chaos Magic at Magneto.
Magneto dodged, twisting the metal around him into jagged spears and sending them crashing toward the X-Men.
But Jean stepped forward, her eyes glowing faintly as she disintegrated the projectiles mid-air with a pulse of psychic energy.
"You can't win this, Erik," Wanda said, her voice steady even as the statue trembled beneath them. "We have never been afraid of you!"
Magneto's face twisted in rage. "Then you're fools."
From their vantage point near the statue's base, Wolverine and Cyclops watched the battle unfold, their mirrored sunglasses reflecting the chaos.
"I feel like we should be doing something at this moment as if we are needed somewhere." Wolverine muttered, his claws glinting in the faint light.
Cyclops chuckled, adjusting his visor behind the mirrored lenses. "Just enjoy the show, buddy."
But when the statue began to shake violently, the two finally sprang into action.
"Guess break time's over," Wolverine grunted, charging into the fray with Cyclops at his side.
As the battle raged, Jean felt the pressure mounting inside her. The symbiote suit Fracture had given her held the Phoenix back, but only barely.
Her vision blurred, and her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
"I—I can't hold it back," Jean whispered, clutching her head as the psychic energy surged.
Wanda noticed immediately, her focus snapping from Magneto to Jean.
Fracture, help me stabilize her, Wanda commanded, feeling the symbiote pulse in response.
Fracture extended tendrils toward Jean, trying to anchor her mind, but it wasn't enough.
With a scream, Jean unleashed a massive psychic shockwave, the force of it knocking everyone—friend and foe alike—off their feet.
Magneto was sent crashing into the statue's crown, while the Brotherhood scattered below.
The shockwave destabilized the statue further, causing the metal framework to groan ominously.
Wanda crawled toward Jean, her body aching from the force of the shockwave. She reached out, grabbing Jean's shoulders and forcing her to look at her.
"Jean, listen to me!" Wanda shouted over the roar of the collapsing statue. "You're stronger than this! You can control it!"
Jean's eyes were wild, glowing with a fiery light as the Phoenix threatened to consume her.
Wanda closed her eyes, channeling Chaos Magic through her hands and into Jean's mind, using her bond with Fracture to anchor Jean's consciousness.
"You're not alone," Wanda whispered. "I've got you."
Slowly, Jean's breathing steadied, the wild energy inside her calming as Wanda's magic wrapped around her like a protective shield.
The fiery glow in Jean's eyes dimmed, and she collapsed into Wanda's arms, exhausted but alive.
As the dust began to settle, Rogue stumbled onto the scene, her eyes widening as she spotted Crystal Frost—or rather, Mystique—in the chaos.
"Crystal?" Rogue called out, her voice trembling.
Mystique froze, her disguise flickering for a brief moment before it fully dropped, revealing her true form.
The X-Men stared in shock.
"You?" Rogue whispered, her heart sinking. "All this time… it was you?"
Mystique's yellow eyes softened. "I only wanted to protect you."
Natasha, Gwen, and Talia surrounded Mystique, their expressions a mix of anger and confusion.
"You betrayed us," Natasha hissed.
Mystique didn't argue. Instead, she took one last look at Rogue before disappearing into the shadows, leaving behind a complicated legacy of betrayal and protection.
The Statue of Liberty groaned as the final structural supports gave way.
"Wanda, we have to go!" Storm shouted, flying down to where Wanda and Jean knelt.
Wanda looked at Magneto, who was struggling to rise from the rubble, his body battered but his spirit unbroken.
"This isn't over, Maximoff!" Magneto roared, his voice echoing across the crumbling statue.
Wanda met his gaze, her eyes burning with determination. "No, it's not."
But survival came first.
The X-Men retreated, barely escaping as the Statue of Liberty collapsed into the harbor, the water swallowing the remnants of Magneto's machine.
As they regrouped on the shore, the team stood in silence, watching the last of the statue sink beneath the waves.
Jean sat beside Wanda, her head resting on her shoulder, the symbiote suit pulsing gently as it continued to suppress the Phoenix Force.
"I don't know how to thank you," Jean whispered.
Wanda smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from Jean's face. "You don't have to."
Cyclops and Wolverine approached, both looking more serious than usual.
"Well," Wolverine muttered, "guess the ladies saved the day again."
Cyclops chuckled, clapping Wanda on the shoulder. "Nice work, Maximoff."
But Wanda's gaze was distant, focused on the horizon.
This battle was over, but the war was just beginning. Wanda wondered if at this moment all the men of the world were allies against her, it seemed like all of her enemies were always men. This made her wonder about the future.
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