NOVEL NEXT Chapter 200: The Most Powerful Mutant? It’s Him!
Rochester — Downtown Core
BOOM! BOOM!
CRASH! RATATATAT!
The dull roar of artillery, the rumble of explosions, and the rattle of automatic gunfire echoed like thunder across the ruined streets.
Seven towering Decepticons loomed amidst the shattered remains of what had once been a bustling city center.
Twisted metal, overturned tanks, and scorched armored vehicles littered the block.
The U.S. military had deployed its best: Abrams tanks, tactical strike vehicles, cutting-edge armor.
But against the Decepticons?
Not. Even. Close.
BOOM!
The remaining three tanks fired round after round, trying in vain to land a hit on the behemoths that danced between collapsing buildings with shocking agility.
WHOOSH!
Rockets streaked overhead.
Missiles exploded in the air.
But the Decepticons… just laughed.
> "Hard to believe such fragile creatures could build something this destructive,"
one of them taunted mid-dodge.
> "Exactly! That's what makes them fun to break!"
another sneered, blasting an incoming missile out of the sky with a flick of his cannon.
From atop a wrecked parking structure stood a silver-and-chrome Decepticon, nearly twice the size of the others.
His name was Bonecutter, and he was done playing.
> "Enough games. Rattlesnake, finish off the remaining tanks. Everyone else—no more holding back."
> "Always the buzzkill, Bonecutter,"
Rattlesnake grumbled, but complied.
CLANK—SNAP—WHIRR!
With a twist and a blur of metal, his form shifted into something monstrous—part machine, part serpent, part drill.
Then—
VROOOOOOM!
He burrowed into the earth.
A storm of concrete and debris erupted in his wake as he tunneled like a missile toward one of the final tanks.
> "Shit! He's underground again!"
"Fall back! Fall—"
Too late.
With a deafening roar, Rattlesnake burst up from the ground beneath the tank, his triple-headed form erupting from the street like a mechanical hydra.
The 60-ton vehicle was tossed into the air like a toy, crashing down in a smoking heap.
> "Goddamn it…"
Colonel Atkins clenched his fists.
His eyes were bloodshot, his face pale.
They were losing. Again.
Every strategy. Every tactic. Every line of defense—obliterated.
> "Fire everything we've got!"
"Hold the line!"
More rockets launched.
More soldiers fell.
Their weapons scratched paint. Nothing more.
And yet—not one of them backed down.
Because this wasn't just a battle.
It was a stand.
---
> "All right, Rattlesnake. There's still one tank left. Clean it up,"
Bonecutter ordered coolly.
> "Yes, yes, I know,"
Rattlesnake muttered, still in his triple-serpent form.
The others began to shift as well, preparing to end the charade and wipe the field clean.
WHOOMPH!
But then—a distant sonic boom.
Everyone froze.
A shadow crossed the battlefield.
Something was incoming.
> "That's not one of ours…"
Atkins whispered, eyes widening.
Even the Decepticons stopped firing, their sensors locking on to the black speck rapidly closing in from above.
> "Fang, intercept. Go."
Bonecutter ordered.
> "Understood."
The Decepticon named Fang transformed mid-air into a fighter jet and launched skyward like a missile.
---
Inside the Blackbird
> "Hey, you guys…"
Earthshaker—the mutant with the power to manipulate seismic vibrations—glanced toward the huddle of Xavier and Rorschach's squad members.
He jerked a thumb in Alex's direction.
> "That guy… he's really the strongest mutant you've ever seen? Stronger than Erik?"
Beside him, Cleave and Hawkeye—Erik's men—looked skeptical.
> "No offense, but that seems like fanboy exaggeration,"
Cleave snorted.
"Unless he can control minds like Xavier, I don't buy it."
They hadn't even finished their sentence when a wave of laughter spread from the other side.
> "Come on, Erik's strong, no doubt,"
said Havok, smirking.
"But Alex? You haven't seen anything yet."
> "What about compared to Charles?"
Hawkeye challenged.
> "Alex still wins,"
Sea Siren said confidently.
> "Wait—you guys work for Charles!"
Earthshaker blurted.
> "Exactly. And we say Alex is stronger. Doesn't that tell you something?"
Darwin chimed in with a shrug.
The Brotherhood trio exchanged glances.
They were unconvinced—but definitely curious.
> "INCOMING!"
Hank's voice rang out from the cockpit, cutting through the tension like a blade.
WEEEOOO WEEEOOO!
Sirens blared inside the Blackbird.
> "Enemy aircraft detected. One hostile, closing fast!"
Hank confirmed, eyes fixed on the radar.
Inside the jet, every mutant shifted instinctively.
Adrenaline surged.
Muscles tensed.
And from the corner, Alex Rorschach slowly stood.
He didn't speak.
Didn't posture.
He just calmly walked to the airlock.
Because no one needed to ask what would happen next.
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