When Shin arrived at the battlefield, he saw a large group of mutants engaged in combat.
Apocalypse had suddenly descended upon the academy with two subordinates, and his target was clearly Professor X.
Shin could only recognize one of the two. The one who had transformed into a diamond was likely the White Queen.
The White Queen possessed two abilities: telepathy and a diamond-form body. Normally, she could only activate one power at a time. However, this time, it seemed she was using both simultaneously. Cyclops was clutching his head and writhing on the ground, clearly resisting her mental intrusion.
Though Cyclops was often portrayed poorly in the films, in terms of sheer destructive potential, he ranked at the top among both the X-Men and the Brotherhood. If he discarded his quartz glasses and released his optic blast at full power, he could level half a city with a single sweep of his gaze.
Drawing power from an energy dimension, Cyclops had no energy limitations. In theory, given enough time, his optic blasts could cut the Earth in half.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Storm and Wolverine were being pressured by the other male subordinate brought by Apocalypse.
The man was tall, with a sickly pale complexion and a diamond-shaped red mark in the center of his forehead. His outfit was vampiric in style, featuring a red-and-black high collar and a long strip-like cape flowing behind him.
This guy was extraordinarily powerful and fast. He could fly, unleash energy blasts, and even displayed telekinetic abilities similar to Jean Grey. Despite being outnumbered, he had both Storm and Wolverine struggling to keep up.
"Who is that guy?" Shin frowned. "He looks like trouble."
Of course, the most dangerous one was Apocalypse himself, who was single-handedly suppressing both Magneto and the newly arrived Phoenix, all while holding a casual conversation with Professor X in his wheelchair.
"You've squandered this child's potential! She should be the queen of all mutants, not some timid wreck!" Apocalypse roared.
Professor X, eyes shut, was engaged in a deep telepathic battle. He responded slowly, "Jean is indeed gifted… but she's not ready to handle that power."
"How pathetic! We are gods, above the limits of ordinary humans! Why should we be shackled by their standards?"
"The Phoenix Force isn't merely a threat to ordinary people. Even mutants are helpless before it!"
In just moments, sweat streamed down Professor X's face, while Jean Grey trembled, her expression contorted in pain. Her eyes flickered uncontrollably.
Shin had been unsure what was happening at first, but now he understood, Apocalypse was attempting to unseal the Dark Phoenix.
Though he lacked true mind control, Apocalypse's persistent telepathic goading was enough to awaken Jean's darker impulses and loosen the seal on the Phoenix Force.
The energy of the Phoenix Force far exceeded Professor X's psychic capabilities. The only reason he'd been able to suppress it in the past was because Jean had been young.
Now that Jean had matured, the Phoenix Force, a construct born from the multiverse, had only grown in intensity. It's said to be the nexus of all psionic energy which does, has, and ever will exist in all realities of the Multiverse.
If not for Jean's resistance, Professor X's seal would have long since failed.
Professor X had little choice in sealing the Phoenix. The Phoenix force wasn't emotionless, in fact, it deeply affected the host. When Jean had been too young to regulate her emotions, allowing her full access to that force would've shaped her into a being of pure destruction.
The Phoenix Force's intensity was simply too great for someone immature to handle. An emotional outburst could level entire blocks, turning Jean into a walking bomb.
Yet that created a paradox. Without the seal, Jean could never have matured safely. But with the seal, the Phoenix Force outpaced her growth.
Now, though Jean's personality had stabilized, the Phoenix Force had accumulated into something monstrous. Once unsealed, it would surge forth like a tidal wave, drowning Jean's core identity and giving rise to the destructive persona known as the Dark Phoenix.
Apocalypse didn't care about such risks. He welcomed the Dark Phoenix. What if she believed in the law of the jungle and wiped out ordinary humans like chickens? So what? Apocalypse himself wasn't exactly a humanitarian. In his eyes, the Dark Phoenix was perfect.
But Professor X did care. He regarded Jean Grey as his own daughter and would never allow her to fall into darkness.
Unfortunately, tearing down is easier than building. Apocalypse's telepathy was no match for Professor X's constructed defenses, but the Phoenix Force was far stronger than both of them.
Previously dormant, the Phoenix Force was now provoked into chaos. The unstable energy overwhelmed even Professor X's psychic resistance.
He had no choice but to endure. Anything else would spell disaster. Beings sealed away always erupt the moment the barrier breaks, and this was the Phoenix Force, no mere demon or spirit, but an old cosmic entity.
If the Dark Phoenix erupted here, the academy would be annihilated.
Perhaps only mutants with exceptional regenerative powers like Wolverine or monsters like Apocalypse would survive.
Apocalypse's two followers were clearly chosen for this exact scenario. The White Queen could block Professor X's psychic attacks and fortify herself with diamond skin.
The other subordinate, though unfamiliar to Shin, was a well-known figure in the comics: Mister Sinister, one of the most dangerous mutant villains.
A brilliant geneticist and top-tier scientist among mutants, Mister Sinister had grafted numerous X-genes into his own body, granting himself diverse powers.
While he lacked complete mind control, he possessed some telepathy and had strong psychic defenses, making him resistant to Professor X's abilities.
Moreover, his durability and regenerative powers were formidable. Not even a blast from the Dark Phoenix would easily kill him.
In other words, Apocalypse had carefully assembled a strike team tailored to suppress Professor X and survive the wrath of the Dark Phoenix.
*******************************
If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion
85+ Advance Chapters Now Available!