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As night fell, the Port of Miami was shrouded in darkness, with only a little light on the coast not far away, adding a touch of brilliance to the night.
Ivan recharged his energy in advance. At this time, he seemed to be in high spirits, and he used his mental power to check the situation from time to time. Suddenly there was a light sound from the water, and Ivan's eyes flashed. Under the influence of Ivan's powerful mental force, a figure could be seen slowly climbing up from the water to the yacht.
He approached the yacht, waiting in silence. Soon, a figure hurriedly ascended, wielding a dagger, clearly signaling malicious intent.
Under his mental power, the figure's identity became apparent. Despite significant changes, some features from his childhood remained— Erik Lehnsherr, the future Magneto.
Erik had relentlessly pursued and tried to eliminate Shaw for years but found himself outmatched, enduring defeat.
Despite numerous opportunities, Shaw refrained from killing Erik, showcasing a certain level of ruthlessness tempered by a remarkable tolerance for mutants. Shaw viewed Erik as his rightful successor. While Ivan surpassed Erik in strength, Shaw understood his son's disinterest in the world of mutant leadership.
Truth be told, a significant factor contributing to Erik's current strength is Shaw's initial assistance in developing his abilities. Despite harboring a deep-seated hatred for Shaw, Erik dedicated himself to self-improvement. Had it not been for Shaw's role in Erik's mother's death, their relationship might have been quite different.
"Little Erik, long time no see. How have you been recently?"
"Who?" Erik, attempting a covert approach onto the yacht, suddenly betrayed surprise as he was discovered sooner than expected.
With the assassination plan exposed, Erik abandoned secrecy. He tossed his dagger, crafting an intricate pattern, and swiftly aimed it in the direction of the sound.
Aware of his inferiority against Shaw, Erik had long set aside thoughts of life and death due to the deep-seated hatred within him.
"Protego"
Ivan redirected the thrown dagger with precision. Erik, however, honed his abilities relentlessly, enhancing his control over magnetic forces. With a fluid motion, he redirected the dagger mid-air, aiming for Ivan's chest.
He chuckled, effortlessly catching the dagger between two fingers. Despite Erik's attempts, the dagger remained firmly immobilized in Ivan's grip.
"You're quite the ruthless one, attacking as soon as you arrive. It's disappointing, especially considering the care I took of you back then."
In the faint light on the sea, Erik finally recognized Ivan.
"It's you, Ivan Shaw!"
Erik's feelings were mixed at the sight of Ivan. During their time in the concentration camp, Ivan treated him with relative kindness, avoiding extreme measures during experiments and securing privileges for him. Ivan instantly recognized Erik and remembered him fondly.
Yet, despite Ivan's care, Erik couldn't shake the fact that Ivan was the son of the person who had killed his mother. Thus, a deep-seated hatred for Ivan lingered.
This time, Erik sought revenge, determined to eliminate anyone in his way.
"Alright, I didn't expect your father and son to be here, so I'll take care of both of you. Payment for my mother's life."
Prepared for Erik's assault, Ivan faced the situation calmly. Erik, not yet the renowned Magneto of the future, lacked knowledge of his abilities. He could only control metal for attacks and couldn't even alter its shape. Ivan skillfully evaded five daggers with swift movements, twisting and dodging before concealing them.
"You should learn more about magnetism. As one of the four basic forces of the universe, you're using it quite inefficiently. It's a joke," Ivan remarked, his agile movements carrying him towards Erik.
Despite Erik's attempts to control the daggers, their speed increased in vain. Ivan effortlessly avoided the attacks, rendering Erik's efforts futile.
Erik found himself compelled to retreat while engaged in combat, but his speed lagged far behind Ivan's. Helplessly, he watched as Ivan closed in, almost reaching him. Just then, Erik noticed a two-meter-high man beside him holding a metal box. Gritting his teeth, Erik seized control of the metal box and hurled it toward Ivan.
Faced with such a massive metal box, most would instinctively consider retreat. However, Ivan showed no inclination to step back. On the contrary, he accelerated and collided with it.
As the metal box struck Ivan, he absorbed its power with his abilities and retaliated, slamming into Erik with the box.
Erik felt as if a rhinoceros had collided with him. He was sent flying, crashing onto the deck, experiencing intense pain throughout his entire body.
The commotion caught the attention of Shaw, the White Queen. Rushing over, they observed Erik lying on the ground. Shaw quickly grasped the situation.
Erik endured the pain, struggling to rise from the ground, eyes filled with hatred as he stared at Shaw—the enemy who had taken his mother's life was right in front of him, and he harbored a fierce desire for revenge.
"Oh! My dear Erik, what a surprise. I didn't expect to see you here. After all these years, it seems you haven't made much progress. I'm genuinely worried about you."
"Go to hell" Erik shouted while Shaw spoke, controlling a fallen dagger to shoot at Shaw.
Erik's desperation deepened as the daggers barely pierced Shaw's clothes, failing to inflict further harm. No matter how hard Erik tried, it proved futile.
"Why endure so many losses? Haven't you learned your lesson? Hatred clouds your judgment, and you can't defeat me like this. I hope you'll be smarter next time. Now, go away."
After Shaw spoke, he stepped forward, seized Erik's neck, and tossed him aside. Ivan and Shaw showed no concern for Erik falling into the sea, confident in mutants' superior physiology. Despite injuries, Erik's life remained intact.
Ivan glanced at the spot where Erik had fallen into the water, then turned to Shaw, saying, "Are you just prolonging this? Why not tell Erik the truth? As long as he remains unaware that his mother is alive, he'll see you as an enemy. With his growing strength, he might find ways to exploit that, posing a threat to your life. It's better to resolve this grievance sooner rather than later."
Shaw pondered for a moment before shaking his head, "Wait a minute. He's the successor I've chosen, but his current strength is still lacking. If he loses his hatred for me, he'll lose the motivation to become stronger. It'll make things even more difficult. I've set my requirements, and I'll tell him the truth when he's qualified."
White Queen and Riptide were a bit puzzled by Ivan and Shaw's conversation, but they were wise enough not to pry. Some matters didn't require detailed understanding; time would reveal them.
With Erik's situation resolved, Shaw and the others were ready to rest when a distant whimper caught their attention. A large ship emerged on the horizon, lights flashing, and an alarm blaring,
"This is the U.S. Coast Guard. Do not allow your ships to stay here..."
The warning was more of a ruse. Speedboats, armed and controlled by American soldiers, had separated from the yachts.
Ivan wore a smile. The earlier clash with Erik had been a mere appetizer; now was the main course. Ivan knew that Charles the future Professor X, and Mystique, were on the opposing ship. However, the young Professor X and Mystique posed no real threat.
"They also have telepaths!"
Emma, the White Queen, suddenly screamed, eliciting different reactions. Ivan remained calm, having long known about Shaw's abilities. He paid it little attention as induction held no sway over him. Only Riptide showed a change in expression, but relief quickly followed as the White Queen stepped forward to shield Riptide with her abilities.
"Riptide, it's your turn!"
Responding to Shaw's command, Riptide stepped forward, his hands spinning, conjuring two tornadoes that grew in size as they flew forward. Riptide manipulated them with skill, sweeping away the speeding speedboat. The fate of the American soldiers aboard remained unknown.
Shaw wore a satisfied smile, pleased with Riptide's performance. However, the sound of clashing iron chains reached his ears. Observing the yacht's anchor flying up, Shaw knew Erik was manipulating metal for an attack.
"It's time for us to go"
Recognizing the situation, Shaw led Ivan, the White Queen, and Riptide to the boat's lower deck.
Ivan followed calmly. With his evolving brain, control over new abilities strengthened. In addition to energy absorption, he could manipulate the four basic forces of the universe, although not as adeptly as energy absorption.
Boom boom boom.
Erik wreaked havoc, using the anchor to smash the yacht. Ivan covertly controlled a force field around him, creating a repelling barrier to shield all four of them. Despite falling yacht fragments, none caused harm.
Ivan didn't intentionally conceal his actions, but the trio running ahead failed to notice anything amiss. Soon, the four of them reached a submarine prepared in advance on the yacht, swiftly leaving the surface and disappearing into the depths of the sea.