Berlin, Germany. Brandenburger Airport.
After a six-hour flight, Vincent Hall arrived well-rested.
A sleek black Maybach from the Commonwealth Bank was waiting. A personal butler, Hunter, opened the door.
"Welcome to Berlin, sir," Hunter said with a professional bow. "Mr. Smith has arranged everything. The bank is at your disposal."
Vincent nodded. "Thank you, Hunter. Drop me at the Hotel de Rome. I won't need anything else for now."
As the car glided through the streets, Vincent's eyes glowed faintly white.
Hydro-Scan.
The world turned into a schematic of water vapor. He saw the city not in buildings, but in blood and fluid.
At the Hotel de Rome, he saw them.
Mutants.
Their bio-signatures were distinct—like erratic, glowing fog compared to the clean vascular lines of normal humans. The hotel was crawling with them.
"Enjoy your stay, sir," Hunter handed him a card and left.
Vincent entered his suite, locked the door, and changed into a black hoodie.
He stepped onto the balcony.
Whoosh.
Ice wings materialized on his back, and he launched himself into the Berlin night.
The Crimson Bar.
Vincent followed Mystique's address to a nondescript dive bar.
He pushed open the door and sat at the counter.
"Whiskey," he ordered.
The bartender, a massive, bearded man, slammed a beer mug down instead.
"Drink this and get out, kid. This isn't a place for tourists."
Vincent ignored him. He touched the mug.
Frost.
The beer instantly chilled to zero degrees. He downed it in one go.
He pulled out a stack of cash and slapped it on the counter.
"Keep them coming. Until I say stop."
The bartender, William, glared at him. "You don't listen, do you?"
Suddenly, a heavy hand clamped onto Vincent's shoulder.
"Hey, rich boy. You lost?"
It was Max, a mutant known as "The Bear." A four-level mutant with immense strength.
Vincent didn't even turn around.
"Take your hand off me, trash. Or lose it."
"You looking to die?!" Max roared, raising a fist the size of a ham.
Snap.
Vincent's shoulder twitched, sending a shockwave of cold energy into Max's arm.
Max froze. Literally.
Frost spread from his hand to his chest, then his entire body. His cells ruptured instantly.
Thud.
The massive mutant fell backward, shattering into icy chunks on the floor.
The bar went silent.
Vincent tapped the counter. "Refill."
[Desire Points +132,000]
Fear. Shock. Awe. The emotions of the 35 mutants in the bar flooded the System.
"Finally," Vincent thought. "3.11 Million Points."
He could now upgrade his Mind Immunity and Baji-Mizong Art.
"You..." The bartender, William, growled. "You killed Max. The Brotherhood will make you pay."
"I have no quarrel with mutants," Vincent said calmly. "But anyone who threatens me gets a one-way ticket to hell."
In the shadows, a man with hawk-like eyes—The Eagle—aimed a Desert Eagle at the back of Vincent's head.
Bang!
The bullet flew true.
But as it hit Vincent, his head dispersed into mist.
Elementalization.
The bullet passed through the mist and struck William directly in the heart. The bartender collapsed without a sound, the wound frozen shut.
"I just wanted a drink," Vincent sighed.
He turned to the assassin. The Eagle's eyes widened in terror.
[Desire Points +2,000]
Crack. Crack.
Vincent unleashed his aura.
Ice Age.
In an instant, the entire bar was frozen solid. Tables, chairs, mutants—all encased in thick, blue ice.
The door creaked open.
A blonde woman walked in, shivering. Behind her was an elderly man in a crimson helmet and cape.
"Oh my god," the woman whispered. "What have you done?"
"Self-defense," Vincent said, hopping off the stool.
He looked at the old man.
"Magneto. Or should I say, Erik Lehnsherr."
Magneto floated slightly off the ground, keeping his distance. The cold was intense.
"Ice Demon," Magneto said, his voice calm but wary. "I apologize for the rude welcome."
Magneto was smart. He knew his magnetic powers were useless against ice and water. And this boy... this boy was dangerous.
"Is this Mystique?" Vincent looked at the blonde woman (Jennifer Lawrence's form).
"Why are you here?" Mystique asked, angry. "This wasn't the plan! You were supposed to infiltrate, not massacre!"
"Plans change," Vincent shrugged. "Someone offered me a deal to spy on you. But I hate spying. I prefer asking directly. So, Erik... what's your next move?"
Magneto narrowed his eyes. "I am just a retired old man."
"Don't lie to me," Vincent stepped forward.
Magneto raised his hand.
Creeaaak.
The roof tore open. A massive oil tanker truck, parked on the street above, came crashing down.
"Run, Mystique!" Magneto commanded.
The tanker smashed into the bar. Oil spilled everywhere.
Behind Magneto, a young man with a lighter stepped forward. Pyro.
Whoosh!
A dragon of fire erupted, igniting the oil.
BOOM!
The explosion swallowed the bar.
"Clean this up," Magneto ordered, floating away into the night.
"On it, boss," Pyro chewed his gum, watching the flames.
Suddenly, the fire... stopped.
The flames turned blue, then solid.
Frozen fire.
Vincent walked out of the inferno, unharmed. His elemental form had reformed from the vapor.
"Pity. Magneto is fast," Vincent dusted off his shoulder.
Pyro's jaw dropped.
Flash.
Vincent appeared in front of him.
"You're coming with me."
Freeze.
Pyro was encased in a block of ice before he could scream.
[Mission Complete: Establish Prestige.]
[Reward: Blue Blind Box.]
Vincent heard sirens. He didn't stay. He had made his point.
He melted into the shadows.
Hotel de Rome.
Vincent returned to his suite. A quick spin of water cleaned his clothes and body.
He checked his stats.
[Wealth: $10.1 Billion]
[Desire Points: 3.11 Million]
[Rewards: 2 Blue Boxes, 1 Red Box]
He didn't pursue Magneto further. He needed the old man to fight the military later.
"I hope Mystique doesn't get hit with the Cure," Vincent mused.
The Crimson Bar Ruins.
Mystique returned to the scene. The bar was a sculpture of ice and twisted metal.
She shivered. She had underestimated the Ice Demon. He wasn't just strong; he was a force of nature.
"Raven," Agent Jason's voice came over her earpiece. "Target confirmed at Hotel de Rome."
"Thanks, Jason. Pull your team out," Mystique said. "I'll handle him."
She got into a car, heading for the hotel. She had to fix this mess before Vincent decided to freeze the rest of Berlin.
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