XXXXX

I looked, and there was a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades accompanied him.
-Revelation 6:8

Collective anxiety was becoming almost as tangible as the actual participants of the Xavier Institute's staff meetings.

The tension did not entirely arise from the fact that Magneto was still on the loose; though that was the subject of the most serious conversations, Magneto hadn't really done anything despite being at large. Yet for some reason, an impending sense of doom seemed to hover over every meeting.

Even Professor Xavier was not unaffected by this phenomenon. He seemed like he was just going through the motions of the meeting, as though something else were on his mind. "Ororo?" he prompted as he began going around the table for individual reports.

"Test scores are down," Storm admitted. "The kids seem more restless than usual. I think they've picked up on the fact that something is going on."

The unspoken question hung in the air: what was going on?

Xavier nodded. "Does anyone have any suggestions?"

It didn't take a psychic to figure out that no one had a clue what to do. Hells, they were more restless than usual.

"Very well. Perhaps if we each take some time over the next week to think about this, and come back with solutions next week. Scott?"

"The team is training at our usual pace," Cyclops reported. "Proficiency is steady. Iceman and Rogue are beginning to operate like veterans, and Colossus is becoming more comfortable working with the team every day."

"Thank you," Xavier acknowledged. "Logan?"

"If I had any leads on Magneto, we wouldn't be here right now," Wolverine pointed out.

Xavier smiled slightly. "I see we're all brief today. Jean? Hank? Do you want to fill the others in on how Kurt is doing?"

Jean and Beast both beamed – finally something optimistic to talk about.

"Do you want to…?" Jean offered.

"Go ahead," Beast encouraged.

"As some of you know, we were able to successfully reactivate Kurt's X-Gene earlier today," Jean reported. "We're keeping him in the infirmary for observation, and it might take him some time to readjust to his powers, but…"

Xavier smiled warmly. "Thank you, Jean. Are you ready for the big day?"

Jean and Scott smiled at each other, and more of the tension in the room evaporated.

Perhaps the wedding would be just what the entire Institute needed to lift everyone's spirits. "Now if everyone would kindly stop acting as though they expect the ceiling to cave in at any moment," Xavier continued, eliciting a couple laughs, "let's get through the agenda. It's not as though the world is about to end."

XXXXX

Archangel felt a mixture of sympathy and envy as he led his three new fellow Horsemen towards their master's chamber.

Sympathy, because meeting Apocalypse for the first time could be a very terrifying experience. And also because their lives were about to change irreparably. They would be changing for the better, but they could never go back.

Envy, because the change was something that could only happen once. They were about to experience something very few mortals ever experienced. Archangel had already experienced it; he would never get to experience it again. His change had caused his temperament to become somewhat more constant; stoic, almost. The others would all experience their change differently.

As expected, even the bravest of the three converts jumped slightly at their first sight of Apocalypse. (The ground shook slightly under Juggernaut's feet, but Apocalypse was clearly unperturbed.)

Without any hesitation, Archangel approached the throne and dropped to one knee.

"You have done well, Archangel," Apocalypse affirmed.

Archangel positively quivered with pleasure at having pleased him. "I live only to serve you, my Lord!"

Apocalypse smiled benevolently – though the expression would be almost indiscernible to an outsider – and then turned to the other three. "Welcome, my Horsemen! I am sure you all have questions, but I assure you they will be answered much better by swiftly performing your transformation than with empty words."

"Kneel," Archangel whispered harshly.

The others took the hint. With apparent reluctance, they approached the throne and knelt (somewhat awkwardly in Juggernaut's case) behind Archangel.

All three were equally intimidated by Apocalypse, but Havok and Mystique didn't particularly wish to tangle with Juggernaut, so they ended up directly behind Archangel, with Juggernaut behind them, the four kneeling figures forming a diamond before the throne.

"Conquest," Apocalypse prompted.

"My Lord," Havok answered, following Archangel's lead.

The floor beneath him began to glow with strange energy, and Havok felt his body tingling. Before everyone's eyes he changed. His eyes glowed with strange energy, and he looked inexplicably more formidable.

"War."

Juggernaut nodded silently. The floor beneath him also began to glow with energy. If it was possible, his muscles seemed to grow even harder. Apocalypse touched a button on the arm of his throne, and mechanical arms stripped Juggernaut of his plain armor, replacing it with golden armor covered in Egyptian war paint.

"The armor is a gold/adamantium weave," Archangel whispered. "Only Lord Apocalypse can manipulate adamantium in this way."

"I would certainly beg to differ," another voice interjected as Magneto stepped out from behind the throne.

"Erik!" Mystique called out excitedly.

Magneto's expression contorted in confusion. "Mystique?"

"Famine," Apocalypse announced calmly, and the platform under Mystique began to glow with the same strange energy as the others'. The confusion left her expression; in fact, all trace of emotion did.

"What are you doing?" Magneto demanded, panicked.

"Helping her fulfill he destiny," Archangel answered for Apocalypse.

"No!" Magneto protested, but it was already too late.

"Silence," Archangel hissed.

"Death," Apocalypse concluded.

"Here I am." Archangel bowed low, his forehead almost touching the floor, but there was no change needed; he had already been augmented.

Apocalypse stood. He was an imposing figure, easily dwarfing Magneto. "Now that my Horsemen are assembled we can begin our real work!" Apocalypse announced.

Magneto continued to stare at Mystique, horrified. She gave no indication of noticing his attention.

"Charles Xavier and his X-Men are interfering with the forces of evolution," Apocalypse continues. "They are interfering with the true destiny of mutants. Evolution can only occur when there is conflict. They minimize that conflict and allow stagnation to occur. That is why they must be eliminated."

"What?" Magneto demanded. "Charles—"

"Magneto," Apocalypse finally addressed him instead of talking over him, as though noticing him for the first time. "Thank you for your assistance, but it is no longer needed. I release you from my service."

Magneto clenched and unclenched his fist. He started to walk away. "Mystique?" he said, turning towards her as he walked past.

Mystique glanced up at Magneto briefly, quizzically, then looked at Apocalypse. "My Lord?"

Magneto appeared as though the words had physically wounded him. Apocalypse smiled triumphantly.

"Go now," Apocalypse invited. "Go tell your friend Xavier of death's swift approach, but know that if you do you will die with him."

"You can't possibly expect to defeat us both," Magneto answered defiantly, though there was no conviction behind his words.

"The task would be too simple for me," Apocalypse answered, sinking back onto his throne. "I leave it to my Horsemen, to prove their worthiness."

With one last despondent look at Mystique, Magneto took desperate flight.