The Brotherhood Chronicles presents: The Horsemen, Part One: Famine
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"And when he had opened the first seal, I heard the first beast say, come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine…"
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Over the Atlantic
The Velocity was Charles Xavier's prize vehicle. Capable of both overland travel, as well as cross continental, and even upper stratosphere travel, it was loaded with every form of technology Charles Xavier could dream up of. It's sleek black frame was outfitted with the most advanced weapons systems in existence, but the most dangerous thing about the Velocity was the two individuals who were sitting in the driver and passenger seats, as the heli-jet roared over the Atlantic.
Warren Worthington the Third sat in the pilot seat, his blue skin a contrast to the soft white clouds that were outside the thick glass as he flew through them as he piloted the jet. He was known by many things in his life; a Billionaire, Philanthropist, Playboy, Mutant, X-Man, and on a darker note, as the leader of Apocalypses Horseman, he was known as Death. He finally sat back, pushing a few buttons placing the Velocity onto auto pilot as he cracked the sore muscles in his neck.
"Antarctica?" He asked his companion, breaking the silence the two of them had been in for well over several hours.
"That where the Nexus is." Michael James Nagrite stated as he turned to face Warren, the dark Egyptian tattoo's that ran from his arms, neck, and shoulder to finally end under his eyes seemed to be absorbing the light, and casting him in a perpetual shadow. Warren was wearing his leather X-Man jumpsuit, blue accents to it, matching his skin tone, his razor sharp metal wings were contained in a compartment that was melded into his back.
Omega was just wearing a pair of black and dark blue cameo pants and a tight sleeveless shirt and his sleeveless leather trench coat-style vest. His thick dreadlocks were bound onto the back top of his head in a traditional style topknot.
"The Nexus?" Warren asked. "Sounds way to Sci-fi to me."
"Erik loved his science fiction apparently." Mike smirked before resuming his explanation. "It's a portal that serves as the main transportation between earth and Asteroid M. I put a call into St. John before we left from Xavier's, so my access codes still work. It's a lot safer then trying to take this thing into deep space." Omega stated as he looked back out of the window.
"Hm..." Warren sighed as he turned back to the auto pilot and fiddled with it to get the best results. "At our current rate, we should be at those coordinates within four hours."
"Three hours fifty eight minutes to be more precise." Mike commented as he looked out the window. There were several minutes of more silence until Warren spoke up again.
"It's always with you, isn't it?" Warren asked waiting another long pause before Mike answered
"Yea. Makes it real hard to watch TV, when I've figured out the ending of the show within the first five minutes. Same with books. By the time I read the first 2-3 chapters, I already know what happens."
"Kind of takes the fun out of life." Warren said. "The mystery and unexpected at least."
"I think that was the point. To try and dehumanize us." Mike said simply. "Detach us from what we use to be, make us more willing servants."
"What do you think happened to him?" Warren asked as he looked out the window.
"You got the SHILED report, same as me. They found him a dried husk, drained of all power, and a withered old man." Mike said simply. "They have him on cryogenic lockdown in Area 51 last I heard from Fury. Sinister seemed to think otherwise, but I didn't sense any deceit from Fury." Mike stated coldly.
"Fury has made a career of lying though." Angel added. "He would be good at it."
"Frankly I don't care. He's dead and that's all that matters to me." Omega said, deciding to omit the fact that he new it would be possible for Apocalypse to return.
"Yea." Warren nodded. "I guess I'm just worried that he could come back."
"Lets get to Pyro, and then I'll tell you everything Sinister told me. No sense explaining it twice." Mike answered.
"Works for me." Warren stated as he turned his attention back out the window, over the deep blue ocean, his mind wandering.
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Xavier's Institute, Several hours ago
"Let me get this strait bub, you wanna take one of our two forms of aerial travel on a wild goose chase to go find one of Magneto's flunkies so the three of you can all sit down and have a heart to heart?" Wolverine said as he sat hunched over on the table next to the Velocity. Xavier was sitting next to him in his wheelchair, and Ororo was behind the two, an indifferent look on her face.
"Well when you put it like that…" Warren started to say before Mike cut him off.
"That's the jist of it yea." Mike nodded. "If my memory serve me correct, the Mark 3 X-Jet is the better vehicle, and we wouldn't want to completely leave you guys without any way to transport. The Velocity is lighter, faster and less important."
"Less important to who bub?" Came the growl from Wolverine.
"Logan." Xavier said as he put a calming hand on Wolverines shoulder. "This is obviously important for Warren otherwise he wouldn't have asked. And if young Mr. Nagrite here is also willing to help, we should take in the significant importance of what they are asking."
"Thank you Charles." Warren replied.
"But…" Xavier stated. "I cannot say I'm not concerned." Xavier said as he steepled his fingers. "I will be blunt with you both. There is a shadow of fear in my mind, that getting all of the Horsemen back together might not be another plan that Apocalypse had."
"No grantee's that it isn't." Mike commented, drawing a look for Ororo and Logan.
"So would you have a problem if I sent a chaperone with you?" Xavier asked. "Just in case?"
"No dice Chuck." Mike commented before Warren could.
"This is something that happened to us. Something we need to figure out. "If we have to find another way so be it, but no one else gets involved." Warren said, slightly more diplomatically then Omega had.
"Understood Warren." Xavier nodded as he thought about it. "Alright then. Go with my blessing and I hope the two of you find what you're looking for. Stay safe and we're only a phone call away."
"Thanks Charles." Warren said with a smile as he shook Xavier's hand.
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The Nexus. Antarctica
"So why are we waiting?" Warren asked, his breath coming out in a cold mist that hung in the air before him, lingering before slowing disappearing as Warren turned his head to stare at his counterpart
"The base is pretty much deserted, there's no one down here, as everyone stays on the asteroid, so it runs on simple power and needs time to heat up as the generators kick in." Mike explained as he stood over a console. He was watching the readouts with a careful eye. "Alright, power's been established. Let's go wait for him in the side room."
"Alright." Warren nodded as he followed Omega down the corridor and into an adjoining room. There were a few couches lying around. Warren noticed the temperature slowing going up as they waited. As he looked around he saw a dozen scorch marks over the hallways and some deep gouges in the walls. In short, it looked like there had been a major firefight of some sort. "What happened?"
"War." Mike stated. "He took a hold of me and attacked the Brotherhood before Betsy was able to rein him in. She was able to merge us together. But he did his fair share of damage before he was stopped." (1) Warren nodded in understanding.
After several minutes the base was at a comfortable temperature, and there was a flash of Light. Warren covered his eyes as Mike blinked a few times, shaking the cobwebs loose. There were light footfalls that slowing increased in sound as they made their way towards the two mutants.
"Alright blokes… What's all this hubabaloo about… OH MY GOD!" Came the heavily accented voice of one St. John Allerdyce as he rounded the corner to the room to see Archangel and Omega, in the blended war form. He pulled out his lighter and looked at the two mutant in shock.
"I should have sent out an email or something warning people about this." Mike commented dryly. "Every time someone new sees me… it's the same HOLY GOD!" mike mocked shouted as he waved his hands around.
"So your not all crazy "Only-the-strong-will-survive" Mojo right now?" Pyro asked as he slowly put the lighter away.
"No I'm good." Mike commented as he kicked up his boots onto the end table. "Grab a seat we've got some talking to do, and you guys are not gonna like it."
"Oh boy." Pyro muttered as he walked into the room.
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Xavier's Institute
"Well isn't this interesting." Logan growled as he sat hunched over on the balcony. He was watching as two SHEILD helicopters landed in the front yard of the Institute, kicking up some dust and matting down the grass.
"Want me to see what Fury wants?" Scott asked as he stood at the professor's side. There was a disproving look in the young mans demeanor as he stared at the helicopters through scarlet colored glasses.
"I believe the good general is just paying us a check up." Xavier said simply as he turned around in his wheelchair and headed towards the door to greet their 'guest', Scott following him.
Logan shrugged and jumped from the balcony landing with a dull thud into the ground, kicking up a few dirt clumps and gouging the soil slightly as he then made his way to the front entrance of the mansion to wait for Xavier and Scott. After a few minutes the door opened and Charles and Scott appeared, just as General Fury stepped off of one of the helicopters.
"Fury." Logan snorted. "Next time you may wanna call ahead. We'll have tea and crumpets ready."
"I prefer my coffee black, and with scotch." Fury stated as he walked towards the mutants, flanked by Hawkeye and Black Widow.
"What can we do for you general?" Xavier asked, his calming voice slicing through the tension like a knife.
"I need to speak with Worthington." Fury said sternly. "There's been… an incident." Fury said as he chose his words carefully.
"What type of incident? Is everything okay?" Scott asked, giving voice to the obvious questions that hung in the air.
"Nothing is ever okay Kid." Fury commented. "And as for what happened, I'd prefer to talk with Archangel and tell him the news. It could be bad if he finds out otherwise."
"Warren is on sabbatical right now." Xavier said simply. "He has been having a difficult time since Apocalypse and we thought it best if he took a few days to recollect his thoughts before returning to his duties as instructor."
"The whole reason he's not in a stasis like the Juggernaut right now is because you two agreed to keep an eye on him to make sure Apocalypse didn't do any permanent damage. And now you tell me he's been struggling with it and you let him go off by himself?"
"Charles didn't say he was by himself." Wolverine stated with a throaty growl.
"Okay, who is he with?" Fury asked, frustration clearly visible on his face.
"Why don't we go inside and have a chat, and you can tell us what's wrong and how we can help you." Charles said as he turned around and wheeled himself into the mansion. The dark feeling of foreboding settled in over the gather mutants as the made their way to Xavier's study
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The Nexus
"He can dome back?" Warren asked, voice like ice.
"We're the secrets to his return. Inside all of us is a coded genome, that when mixed with his blood will allow him to return." Mike explained, telling Pyro and Archangel what Sinister had told him a few weeks ago. "That's why I agreed to come with you Warren. Easier to tell you both then have to do separate phone calls."
"Wait if he needs all four of us then he's SOL. The plonkeir can't come back. He killed Pestilence." Pyro pointed out. "I'll bet moi lucky red Speedo on it."
"We don't now what happened to Caliban." Mike commented. "As far as we know that could have been his plan all along."
"So in short, we need to find Caliban, if he's alive, and tell him what up all the while making sure that this Bastard doesn't make a return appearance." Pyro thought aloud.
"That's about the sum of it." Mike nodded, drawing a determined look from the Aussie.
"I'm in." Pyro said with a smirk. "Could be fun to see if this bastard burns."
"I though you would be." Mike said with a smirk. "So the real question is where we start."
"SHIELD would be a good bet." Warren stated. "They're holding Apocalypse's body in cryogenic lockdown we can then go from there."
"We could have Xavier try to find Caliban with Cerebro." Pyro pointed out.
"I'll call the professor and see if he can get on it." Warren said as he got up.
"Alright blokes, lets role." Pyro said as he got up.
"It will finally end." Mike thought to himself as he watched Warren and St. John get ready and load onto the Velocity, setting a course for the Xavier Institute. He didn't know how wrong he was.
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Next time on the Brotherhood Chronicles presents: The Horsemen, Part Two: Pestilence. The hunt for Caliban begins but what the former Horsemen of Apocalypse find will make their mission all the more dangerous.
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(1) See the Brotherhood Chronicles, Chapter 64
Later folks. Please review and let me know what you think,
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