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Magneto...
Firebane hesitated, but under the gaze of the Black Queen, he nodded reluctantly.
"Good, then it's settled. In the next operation, one crystal will go to him—he'll be responsible for filling it."
"I understand."
Firebane nodded again.
Possessing a crystal meant that Magneto would become the new squad leader.
The Black Queen waved her hand and said, "Go rest."
As her words fell, the space around her distorted slightly, and her petite figure vanished.
Seeing this, the three—including Firebane—breathed a sigh of relief.
"She's terrifying…"
A mutant known as Boulder wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Towering at over two meters tall and built like a tank, he still trembled in fear before the Black Queen, who stood under 1.6 meters tall.
Firebane nodded, his tone filled with frustration. "Damn it! Magneto…"
"I didn't want him dragged into this mess—this is no good gig."
"Wow!"
A woman named Sonar, with short brown hair and a nose ring, looked at Firebane with surprise. "Since when do you care about others?"
Firebane snorted softly. "He saved my life."
Boulder scratched his head. "So that's how it is."
Sonar then lowered her voice. "Hey, what do you think those crystals are collecting? Every time I see one, I feel a chill all over."
"No idea," Boulder replied with a blank shake of his head.
Firebane rolled his eyes at them. "Every mission, we're told to bring people and kill as much as possible. The more we kill, the faster the crystal darkens—you seriously haven't figured it out?"
The two fell silent.
Firebane shrugged. "Let's go. At least we're safe until the next mission."
As he turned to leave, his expression suddenly shifted and he cursed.
"Damn it, how the hell am I supposed to explain this to Magneto?"
"Pfft, that's your problem," Sonar laughed as she got up and quickly left with Boulder.
---
"Ooh~~"
The Black Queen let out a satisfied sigh, placing a crystal—now turned clear—aside, and then picked up another pitch-black one.
"Heh, this is way easier than collecting it myself."
She chuckled, licking her lips.
**Vitality**, or perhaps one could call it **souls**.
That's what was stored inside the three crystals.
She was a mutant, but also a witch.
Her mutant abilities combined with her magic made her power terrifying.
The crystals were magical tools she created with her own spells.
Her ability allowed her to absorb vitality, and with the vitality she gathered, she could enhance herself, heal injuries, or even extend her lifespan.
Beyond that, when paired with her magic, her powers became even more versatile.
For instance, the teleportation she just demonstrated, along with hypnosis, and damage immunity.
In addition to these revealed abilities, she could also manipulate vitality, projecting it into non-living matter for control, or even forging mental shields with it.
This was why, during her battle with the White Queen, she could resist mental control and drive her out of the Hellfire Club.
Moreover, she could use magic to shift herself into a shadow form.
Her abilities weren't just powerful—they were comprehensive. That's why she had been able to control the Hellfire Club for so many years.
Collecting vitality—that was the real reason she regularly stirred up trouble after gaining control of Hellfire.
Back then, her cooperation with the Black King had completely drained the vitality she had spent years absorbing—and in the end, she got nothing out of it.
Left with no choice, she had to start from scratch, collecting vitality all over again.
However, lately, Hellfire's operations hadn't gone smoothly. S.H.I.E.L.D. and a certain mutant kept interfering with their actions.
Perhaps… it was time to eliminate them.
A thought flashed through the Black Queen's mind, and she began absorbing the life force from the crystal once more.
…
**In a corner of a bar…**
"What?"
Erik looked at Firebane in surprise, feigning a touch of excitement. "I've become one of the squad leaders?"
Seeing Erik's expression, Firebane opened his mouth, hesitated, then couldn't help but say, "Magneto, this isn't a good gig!"
Erik froze for a moment. "What do you mean?"
Firebane rubbed his temples and said, "I wasn't supposed to tell you this right now, but… you saved my life, so…"
He downed a mouthful of liquor and cursed, "Damn it, I'll tell you everything!"
Erik poured him another drink, acting like he was all ears.
"As a squad leader, the Black Queen will give us a crystal, and our task is to lead Hellfire's people and *fill* that crystal."
"Fill it?" Erik asked, puzzled. "Fill it with what?"
Firebane lowered his voice. "With life! The more you kill, the faster the crystal fills up."
Erik's heart jolted, while Firebane wore a deeply troubled expression. "If you don't fill it within a certain time, the Black Queen will personally punish the crystal's owner."
"And that's how you got your new position."
"Punish?" Erik's face darkened. "What does that mean?"
"She will personally absorb the squad leader's life force—turn them into ash."
Firebane took another swig, fear flashing in his eyes. He sighed, "Just two hours ago, Piercer turned to dust right in front of us."
When Erik didn't respond, Firebane blinked, then noticed Erik's face growing darker by the second. Around them, the bar's metal fixtures began to tremble. Patrons started looking around in confusion, some shouting, "Is it an earthquake?" before rushing outside.
Firebane's heart skipped a beat. "Magneto! Calm down!"
Erik took a deep breath and suppressed the rage boiling inside him.
In an instant, the disturbances in the bar vanished.
"What is she collecting all that for?"
"She says it's for the good of mutants."
"You… believe that?"
"We have no choice but to believe!"
Silence fell.
Erik slammed his fist on the table. "She's sacrificing so many lives for her own gain—even killing her own people!"
"Shh!"
Firebane quickly shot Erik a warning glance.
Erik took another deep breath, lowering his voice. "Why do you still follow someone like her?"
Firebane pressed his lips together, then gave a bitter laugh. "What else can we do? She always manages to find the traitors, and then…"
Erik's mind raced with thoughts. "When's the next operation?"
"No idea. The Black Queen always notifies us at the last minute."
Firebane glanced at Erik's dark expression and suddenly tensed up. "I'm warning you—don't do anything reckless!"
"And don't drag me into it!"
Erik nodded. "I understand."
He wouldn't act recklessly. He would eliminate her with absolute certainty.
(End of Chapter)