"What's this? Is this really the King of Atlantis? How weak!"
Namor let out a scornful laugh as he surged forward, brandishing his trident with deadly precision. The ocean around him stirred with his fury, waves churning as he rushed to strike again.
Across from him, Arthur calmly shifted his stance and swung his own trident, steadying the turbulent currents around them with a single sweep.
"While you're busy shouting," he said evenly, eyes locked on his foe, "Mera has already leveled one of your cities."
Namor's expression darkened the moment he heard that.
Though the people of Talokan possessed mysterious powers—especially when compared to surface dwellers like the Wakandans—in raw physical strength and natural ability, they still lagged behind the Atlanteans. And Mera, Arthur's Queen, was even more terrifying. Her power to manipulate water was unmatched. Every time Namor clashed with Arthur, Mera's intervention had dealt severe damage to Talokan's forces.
"You wicked invaders!" Namor roared, rage surging like a storm tide. He lunged forward with renewed fury, determined to put an end to the war in a final, decisive battle.
His own strength was now the last hope Talokan had left. Only by defeating Arthur could he seize any claim to victory.
A tide of sea creatures answered his call, summoned from the ocean depths to join the fight. The waters off Gotham's coast turned into a swirling battlefield, chaos erupting beneath the waves.
The unusual movement beneath the sea didn't go unnoticed by humans. Still, none of them realized this was a war between two ancient underwater civilizations. They simply believed it was some kind of natural disturbance.
...
At the same time, deep within the Court of Owls' headquarters, Magneto led a small team of mutants through a concealed passage hidden behind a chamber wall.
"This is it. Bring Raven's body. We're moving," he said.
Magneto took the lead. Behind him, Azazel, now fully healed, followed along with Jason and Riptide. Together, they carried Mystique's body into the secret tunnel. As they walked deeper, the seemingly endless passage slowly lit up, the walls glowing faintly with each step they took.
Eventually, the lights went out, and in front of them appeared a massive cave entrance glowing with an eerie green light.
"There it is..." Magneto's voice trembled with anticipation.
He already knew the so-called Dionesium was a green liquid metal. And now, the glow before him meant only one thing: the secret to immortality and resurrection was finally within reach.
Whether Mystique could be brought back or not no longer mattered. If he could claim the Dionesium, the dream of a mutant-led world would no longer be just a distant hope; it would become reality.
"Move. Now!"
Spurred by Magneto's urgency, the group stepped into the cavern. But to their shock, someone was already standing at the edge of the glowing pool.
A purple suit. Pale white skin. A haunting, twisted smile.
"Joker! You're actually still alive!"
Riptide and Jason both froze in surprise. They had seen him riddled with bullets, his body torn apart by dozens of submachine guns. Yet here he stood, smiling like nothing had happened.
But Magneto didn't react with the same level of alarm. In his mind, Mystique had only died because she let her guard down. As long as he stayed alert, and with Azazel by his side, the Joker posed no real threat.
"So, the Dionesium really does bring the dead back to life," Magneto said, slowly stepping forward. "Isn't that right, Joker?"
The Clown Prince of Crime kept smiling and gave a slight nod. He showed no signs of hostility.
"Of course. It's Gotham's best-kept secret."
"But now, it belongs to the mutants."
Magneto's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. He looked Joker in the eye and asked, "What do we do? How do we bring someone back?"
Joker casually pointed to the glowing green pool beside him.
"Just toss 'em in. Let the magic happen."
Magneto didn't question the answer. Even if something went wrong, he was confident he could handle it.
"Put Raven in."
Following the order, Riptide and Jason carried Mystique's body forward and tossed it into the pool of Dionesium. Then, like Joker, they stood still and waited.
Moments later, a figure emerged from the pool. Soaked and silent, Mystique stood with eyes wide, hands trembling—but alive. Very much alive.
Suddenly, before anyone could speak, she burst out of the pool and lunged at Joker, wrapping both hands around his throat.
"It was you. You killed me!!"
Magneto's excitement grew at the sight. Up until this very second, the pool had only been a myth. But now, the miracle had become real, right in front of his eyes.
As for Mystique's rage toward Joker, Magneto didn't care at all. The man was just a deranged human. Let her kill him if she wanted. His only true allies were like-minded mutants.
"Hehehe… Miss Raven," Joker croaked, grinning even as her fingers tightened, "You might want to be careful… unless you want a big explosion."
From inside his coat, he pulled out a small switch.
"You've probably guessed it by now. Same old trick. I've rigged this whole pool with explosives. All it takes is one push and—"
Before he could finish, Magneto flicked a finger. In an instant, every metal component inside Joker's switch disassembled and clattered to the floor as useless parts.
"You brought a metal device into my presence and expected to survive?" Magneto sneered. "That mistake just cost you your life. Raven."
"Understood."
With Magneto's permission, Mystique didn't hesitate. There was a sharp crack as she twisted Joker's neck, ending him on the spot.
"Haha... I knew it," Joker chuckled one last time. "You're all so... boring…"
Those were his last words before his body hit the ground and went still.
"Bastard. Still running your mouth even after death."
Even after killing him, Mystique didn't feel satisfied. Rage still burned inside her. She considered dragging his corpse outside and hacking it to pieces, turning him into minced meat. That way, even if some of the Dionesium remained in his body, it wouldn't matter. Without a complete corpse, there'd be no chance of resurrection.
But before she could act, a series of violent explosions suddenly rocked the cavern. The entire underground structure began to shake. The blasts ripped through the stability of the cave, bringing it to the brink of collapse.
"What's happening?! Why are the bombs going off?!" Jason yelled, panic creeping into his voice.
Mystique was stunned for a second, but Magneto, using his magnetic field control, sensed the truth immediately.
"It was that damned Joker!"
He clenched his teeth, glaring at the lifeless body on the floor.
"He tied the detonator to his heartbeat. As soon as his heart stopped, the bombs were set off. He never intended for that remote switch to matter!"
Realizing he'd been played, Magneto was furious. He blamed himself for letting his guard down.
He wasn't hurt, but if the cavern collapsed, the Dionesium pool would be buried—and possibly lost forever.
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