On the luxury cruise ship of the Hellfire Club.
"Wait. First,"
The Black King looked at Brian in the water, then turned to Riptide and ordered:
"Riptide, get Brian out of the water."
Black King Shaw wasn't just powerful due to his mutant ability; his knowledge was equally extensive. He had observed Brian's transformation closely and, although he didn't fully understand what kind of mutant ability Brian possessed, Shaw surmised that Brian's transformation was somehow connected to the water.
The best way to counter such a water-based transformation was to get him out of the water.
Riptide silently acknowledged the order, walking straight to the edge of the deck. He raised his hands, and in his palms, two small tornadoes began spinning rapidly.
Riptide then hurled the two tornadoes outward.
Boom.
What had originally been small, hand-sized tornadoes quickly expanded as they left Riptide's palms.
Almost instantly, the small tornadoes expanded into two massive vortexes.
The tornadoes roared above the water, pulling countless streams of water into the sky. Huge whirlpools formed beneath them, swallowing up the surrounding water and rapidly spreading toward Brian.
Seeing the tornadoes closing in, Brian didn't back down; instead, he charged forward.
As a Level 5 Mutant, Brian's adaptive evolution wasn't limited to adapting to a single extreme environment. He could adjust to multiple extreme environments simultaneously.
Underwater, Brian slightly bent his legs, gathering power, and then propelled himself forward with a sudden, explosive force.
Boom.
The intense force beneath his feet created a shockwave in the water, and Brian's body shot forward like a bullet.
His speed was so fast that the water in front of him split, pushed aside by the sheer force, as if an invisible blade had cleaved the surface in two.
While diving swiftly toward the oncoming tornadoes, Brian crossed his arms in front of him in an X-shape, preparing for impact.
He looked up at the first massive tornado approaching, and a grin spread across Brian's face, revealing his sharp white fangs.
"Perfect to test the limits of my fish-man form's strength."
Brian took a deep breath, discharging a few bubbles from the gills on his shoulders. His muscles tensed, and with a swift motion, his arms swung forward with immense power.
Swoooosh!
Two highly compressed, ultra-high-pressure water jets shot out in an X-shape, cutting through the air like sharp threads. The high-speed rotating tornado in front of him was instantly shattered by the impact of the water columns.
The vortex at the center of the tornado collapsed, and the entire tornado quickly dissipated into nothingness.
"What the fuck!"
Even the usually silent Riptide couldn't help but curse when he saw Brian obliterate the first tornado so effortlessly.
Without hesitation, Riptide spread his hands wide, increasing the wind speed and scale of the remaining tornado. It expanded rapidly, growing more violent, and even caused the massive cruise ship on the water to sway dangerously.
The tornado swelled to tens of meters in size, so powerful that it could uproot a tall building.
The entire port was struck by a massive tsunami due to the tornado's intensity.
"Is this the true power of the Hellfire Club?"
Professor X stood on the shore, watching the raging tornado with a solemn expression, his heart heavy with concern.
All the Mutants of the Hellfire Club were level 4 Mutants. While Brian's mutant ability was undoubtedly powerful, could he really defeat Riptide?
"Brian, you can do it!"
Unlike Professor X's worries, Raven had unwavering faith in Brian. She believed without a doubt that Brian would prevail against Riptide.
Hearing Raven's encouragement, Brian, who was floating in the water, turned and flashed her a reassuring gesture.
Then, with a sudden burst of speed, Brian leapt out of the water, stepping on the surging tsunami as if he were surfing, rapidly propelling himself into the tornado.
"Is Brian out of his mind?"
Seeing Brian rush headfirst into the tornado, Professor X couldn't help but curse under his breath.
But despite his frustration, Professor X quickly acted. He pressed his right hand against his temple, releasing his mental power, which surged towards Riptide.
He was prepared to control Riptide and manipulate the winds to pull Brian out of the tornado.
However, just as Professor X released his mental power, Emma Frost, standing on the deck, sensed the intrusion. She placed her fingers on her temples, immediately intercepting Professor X's mental consciousness.
"Damn it, it's The White Queen. I can't break through her mental defense. I just hope Brian will be okay."
Professor X lowered his hand in frustration. As long as Emma was present, he had no chance of controlling anyone from the Hellfire Club.
Of course, Emma couldn't control anyone near Professor X either. Both of them were level 4 telepathic mutants, meaning neither could overpower the other.
While Professor X and Emma were locked in their mental power struggle, Brian, who had already plunged into the tornado, began to adapt and evolve once more.
He was still in his fishman form, but a closed opening had appeared in the palms of his hands.
Brian named this newly evolved feature: wind hole.
This new organ that Brian's body evolved had a singular purpose: to absorb hurricanes.
As soon as the wind hole in his left palm opened, a powerful suction force pulled the enormous tornado into his palm with a low buzz.
The previously violent water surface suddenly became calm.
On the deck, the members of the Hellfire Club stared at Brian in disbelief—none more so than Riptide himself. He had just witnessed his own tornado being sucked into Brian's hand, leaving him utterly shocked.
Even Sabastian Shaw, who had maintained a relaxed demeanor, now looked at Brian with newfound seriousness.
"What kind of ability does this guy possess?" he muttered, clearly unnerved.
No one answered Shaw's question, and even Emma, who was aware of Brian's ability, chose to remain silent, withholding the information.
"Riptide, you will become the second mutant ability I plunder," Brian said with a menacing grin, revealing his sharp teeth, making him look even more terrifying.
Riptide, spinning helplessly in the water, could only watch in horror as Brian approached.
The water, which was Riptide's adversary, was Brian's domain now. Without hesitation, Brian grabbed Riptide's head and forcefully dragged him further down into the depths of the water.
Riptide's tornado ability had been neutralized completely by Brian's adaptive evolution, and now, powerless, he was no match for Brian's overwhelming control in the aquatic environment.
The struggle was brief, and soon the water grew still again.
With Riptide subdued, Brian's eyes glinted with anticipation.
He was ready to take on Riptide's abilities as his own, knowing that each new ability would make him more powerful and further his dominance.
"You're mine now~" Brian whispered, his voice echoing eerily in the water as he prepared to plunder Riptide's powers.
Looking at Riptide, who was struggling with suffocation, Brian acted swiftly. Using the sharp shark fin on his arm, he made a precise incision, accessing Riptide's brain.
Brian squatted down and began to carefully examine Riptide's brain while simultaneously activating his unique variant ability—one that allowed him to see through the laws governing all things.
With his ability, Brian quickly located the circuit responsible for Riptide's power.
Once identified, Brian's Sylar power activated, and he gained Riptide's ability instantly.
Not only did he inherit it, but the ability was immediately maxed out in efficiency.
"Tornado creation.. Hmm.." Brian muttered, feeling the new variant ability coursing through him. A satisfied smile crept across his face, pleased with his growing power.