[The First Mutant Mayhem] – The Echo of Mutant Wars – Mutant Battle Aboard the Naval Vessel

At the same time, aboard the American naval vessel,

* WHAM *

Azazel punched Banshee in the face, catching him off guard. In an instant, Azazel vanished from his original position, leaving behind a hazy mist.

* THUD *

Banshee collapsed onto the floor, spitting out blood that he wiped away from his mouth. He gazed upward and noticed Azazel positioned some distance away.

Banshee clenched his teeth, mustering his resolve, and rose to his feet. In an instant, he opened his mouth, unleashing a powerful sonic scream in Azazel's direction. However, Azazel swiftly teleported, reappearing to deliver another blow to Banshee's face from the side.

* WHAM *

Once again, Banshee tumbled onto the floor and glanced upward. This time, Azazel stood directly in front of him, preparing to strike him again.

However, unexpectedly, two intense beams of red glowing energy, shaped like discs, nearly struck Azazel from behind. Swiftly, Azazel managed to save himself by teleporting away.

* BOOOM *

Azazel materialized a short distance away from Banshee, shifting his gaze toward the warship's railing, which had been completely obliterated by the energy beams. He then redirected his attention to the individual responsible for unleashing those beams.

Havok squinted at Azazel, his chest emitting an ominous red glow. He unleashed another pair of energy beams, resembling discs, aimed directly at Azazel.

* WHOOSH *

The energy beams sliced through the air, reaching Azazel's previous location. However, he wore a smug grin as he teleported, reappearing a few meters away.

Azazel locked eyes with Havok and cheekily winked, taunting him. Just as Havok released another energy disc-like beam, Azazel effortlessly teleported away once more, appearing directly in front of Havok. He swiftly struck Havok's face with a powerful punch.

* WHAM *

The force of Azazel's punch sent Havok sprawling backward, causing him to collapse onto the ground. He coughed up blood while lying there.

With a weary gaze, Havok glanced upward and witnessed Azazel provoking Angel Salvadore, who hovered in the air, hurling acid-filled projectiles at him. Azazel continued his taunts, effortlessly teleporting and reappearing multiple times, further teasing Angel.

Frustrated, Angel hurled numerous acid projectiles at Azazel. Wearing a smirk, Azazel swiftly teleported near Banshee, much to Banshee's horror. Azazel seized Banshee and reappeared directly in front of the incoming acid projectiles.

Angel witnessed the imminent danger faced by Banshee and cried out, "NOOOO!!"

Unexpectedly, two energy disc-like beams sliced through the projectiles, resulting in a small explosion.

* BOOM *

The explosion forcefully propelled Banshee, causing him to be thrown backward and land on the floor.

Azazel materialized once again, perching himself on the warship's railing. He glanced at Angel, Havok, and Banshee, shaking his head, and remarked, "It's becoming rather dull, engaging in battles with youngsters like yourselves."

Azazel let out a sigh, displaying an arrogant tone as he remarked, "What a disappointment! Considering the remarkable powers you young mutants possess, I anticipated at least one of you would be capable of making a dent, but I clearly overestimated all of you."

Sporting a smirk, he gazed at them with arrogance and added, "Come now! Is there anyone among you who can even come close to challenging me?"

To his surprise, Azazel noticed all three of them directing their attention past him, their gazes locked onto something behind him.

Baffled, Azazel wore a puzzled expression as he questioned, "What has captured your attention?" He reluctantly turned around to see what had drawn their focus.

* BANG *

Azazel received a forceful blow to his stomach, causing him to spew blood instantly. The impact shattered multiple ribs, leaving him with a sensation of his insides being repositioned. The sheer strength behind the punch propelled him backward, sending him soaring through the air.

* BOOM *

* THUD *

Azazel landed on the deck and slid along it, his motion only coming to a stop when he crashed into the railing.

Val descended onto the flight deck and addressed the trio with a touch of sarcasm, saying, "What was that hideous demon babbling about? I couldn't quite catch his words amidst the satisfying impact of my punch."

Inside the American naval vessel, Mystique, assuming the guise of a Naval Vice Admiral, stepped into a room. As she entered, the space was filled with a cacophony of shouts and officers issuing commands.

An elderly gentleman caught sight of Mystique and swiftly approached her. Upon reaching her, he spoke urgently, "Vice Admiral Grant! Where have you been? We've been searching everywhere for you."

Mystique assessed the old man's rank and, upon realizing that he also held the title of Vice Admiral, responded calmly, "I am fine, Vice Admiral Porter."

Porter led the way, and Mystique trailed closely behind him. He expressed his concern, saying, "We were worried that you might have become a casualty in the mutant conflict."

Entering another concealed room, Mystique readily recognized the individuals engaged in intense discussions as CIA agents. Among them, she identified Agent Stryker, pointing fingers while arguing with Moira, who also pointed back at him. The disinterested CIA director sat in the middle, seemingly oblivious to their quarrel as he deliberately shut his ears off from their exchange.

Observing the heated scene before her, Mystique's thoughts raced, 'I don't understand why I'm following the orders of that deceitful scoundrel. However, I'm fully aware that I must prevent these individuals from launching the missiles. If they initiate another round of attacks, it will escalate uncontrollably.'

She took a deep breath, composing herself, and whispered almost inaudibly, "Let's do this!"