Beyond Good and Evil

The X-Jet flew low – well under radar level – as they entered Africa at supersonic speeds.

"It really seems like someone should be able to see us," Rogue pointed out.

"I've got us shielded with a passive psychic suggestion," Jean answered distractedly, her eyes half-closed in concentration.

"She can do that?" Iceman gasped.

Cyclops bit his lip in concern, but concentrated on bringing the jet in for a smooth landing.

"Alright, here's how this is going to work," Cyclops said, turning around to face everyone. "We're going to have to split up to take Apocalypse by surprise. Storm you take Iceman, Rogue, and Colossus to the upper entrance. Wait for my signal before you go in. Jean, Wolverine, Magneto, and Emma with me at the front entrance."

"Putting the people you can't trust on your team, I see," Jean pointed out.

Cyclops shot her a hurt look.

"Summers doesn't trust me?" Wolverine asked with feigned concern.

XXXXX

Archangel approached the throne quickly and dropped to one knee. "My Lord! The X-Men are approaching the citadel. Phoenix is with them."

The intimidating figure rose from his throne. "It is time."

XXXXX

The X-Men split up at the front entrance to Apocalypse's citadel. Cyclops nodded bracingly at Storm who smiled encouragingly back.

"Wait for my signal," Cyclops reminded.

"We might not have a choice," Storm pointed out. "Apocalypse has probably seen us coming."

"I trust your judgment," Cyclops reassured her. "If you think you have the tactical advantage, engage them. If not, get back down here and regroup with us."

Wolverine stepped towards Storm and they embraced. "Good luck," he whispered after kissing her lightly on the lips.

"You too," Storm whispered back, kissing him again quickly before turning away.

Cyclops led the way to the front entrance while Storm, Rogue, Colossus, and Iceman stayed behind.

Storm took flight, followed by Rogue carrying Colossus, and Iceman gliding on an ice path.

XXXXX

Cyclops's team stepped out of the main passageway into a large chamber. At the center was a large, alien-looking device with a platform.

"Jean?"

"I'm a psychic, too, you know," Emma pointed out flippantly.

"Archangel is on the top floor near Storm's team," Jean stated, sounding distracted as she reached out with her telepathic abilities. "I still can't get a read on Apocalypse."

Wolverine grunted. "For someone who's supposed to be so powerful, he sure lets his henchmen do most of the fighting."

"Do not be deceived, Wolverine," Magneto warned. "Apocalypse is here. I am certain of it."

As if in answer to Magneto's words, a burst of deadly-looking energy suddenly lanced at the X-Men, knocking Wolverine aside and forcing the others to jump out of the way quickly.

"Ah, good," Apocalypse's rumbling voice echoed through the chamber as he stepped out of the shadows. "Witnesses for my triumph." He was a truly terrifying figure, tall and muscular to the point of not looking human, so that his armor hardly seemed necessary.

"I was truly impressed that you withstood my Horsemen," Apocalypse continued monologuing as he strode casually into the chamber, apparently unconcerned as the X-Men regrouped. "I did not foresee their failure. Perhaps I have underestimated you."

Cyclops fired a powerful optic blast at the approaching titan while Wolverine rushed at him. Apocalypse looked unfazed by Cyclops's blast, and fired a similar burst of energy back at him from his hand. Cyclops was knocked against the wall, stunned. Wolverine almost reached Apocalypse before the Dark Lord casually fired another bolt of energy at him, knocking him aside with apparent ease.

"Of course, I haven't really underestimated all of you," Apocalypse continued as though nothing had happened. "Have I… Phoenix?" he concluded, staring right at Jean.

Magneto reached out, presumably aiming for Apocalypse's metal-looking armor, but frowned in confusion when nothing happened.

Apocalypse laughed. "Your powers are useless here, Magneto. You will find no metal to manipulate." He grinned at Emma and tapped his forehead arrogantly. "As are yours, Frost. It would seem there is only one of you left to defeat me."

As if to contradict his words, Cyclops fired another blast, startling but not hurting him.

"Jean! Contact Storm! Tell her we've engaged Apocalypse!"

Apocalypse turned and fired a blast of energy at the main entrance, effectively sealing himself and the X-Men in the chamber. "Oh no," he said calmly. "We can't have any interruptions."

With a loud snarl, Wolverine charged at Apocalypse, slashing at him with his claws. Apocalypse appeared almost amused, and his hand suddenly morphed into a large blade with which he easily swiped aside Wolverine's claws, and plunged into Wolverine's midsection, rendering him unconscious. With a smirk, the Dark Lord kicked Wolverine off the blade, sending him crumpling to the ground.

As he finished that action, he was pushed back almost imperceptibly by a pair of telekinetic blasts on each shoulder. Jean stepped forward, continuing to hammer at him with powerful telekinetic blasts, but Apocalypse barely even seemed phased.

He laughed. "Surely this cannot be the power of the Phoenix I've heard so much about!" He raised his hand and fired a blast of energy, which Jean was able to block with her telekinetic powers, but with obvious strain.

Apocalypse took a step closer, and Jean faltered. The blast still did not touch her, but she lost her footing and was flung across the room.

Jean found herself pinned against the wall, and Apocalypse kept walking closer, the intensity of his blast increasing as he neared. She struggled, trying to expand her telekinetic shield to push away the deadly energy, but Apocalypse's strength seemed inexorable.

I can help you, Child, the seductive voice of the Phoenix whispered in her ear, and thin wispy fingers of flames began to emanate from the sides of her arms.

"Jean, no!" Cyclops shouted. In his desperation, he ripped off his visor and opened his eyes, smashing Apocalypse with the most extreme form of his power.

Apocalypse actually staggered and stopped firing at Jean, allowing her to drop her telekinetic shield and remove herself from the wall.

"Impressive," he noted calmly as Cyclops put his visor back on and stood.

"Scott, he's too strong," Jean despaired.

"We're all doomed," Emma agreed dryly.

"What is it you want, Apocalypse?" Magneto had the audacity to demand.

Apocalypse strode calmly toward the machine in the center of the room. "I thought you'd never ask!"

Cyclops again fired at his retreating figure, but Apocalypse simply continued walking.

"This device took me over a thousand years to design and two thousand years to build," Apocalypse said calmly, as though lecturing to a class, apparently oblivious to the X-Men's attempts to stop him as he began to bring the device online. "The final obstacle I had to overcome was how to provide a sufficient amount of power to accomplished such a colossal feat…"

"What does the machine do?" Magneto asked.

"Twice you've tried to create a world without humans, Magneto," Apocalypse said calmly as he continued to manipulate the controls. "I'm just borrowing your idea."

Cyclops began firing with renewed desperation, and Apocalypse sighed, turned around, and hit him with another energy blast. "I really wish you'd stop making me do that. I don't want to damage you too much."

"Why do you care?" Jean asked, confused.

"The way I overcame that final obstacle," Apocalypse continued his earlier explanation, "was to make it run on a particular kind of power… my power. I am able to produce an almost unlimited source of energy."

"Ingenious," Magneto acknowledged grudgingly.

Apocalypse almost smiled. Almost. "I knew you would understand."

"So why not simply activate the device?" Magneto pressed. "Why bring us here?"

"Unfortunately, the sheer amount of power I will have to use to activate this device will easily consume what life is left for this host body. So I will need another. Luckily, you have seen fit to provide me with a sufficient replacement host body!"

"You're not taking Jeannie, bub." Everyone turned with surprise to see Wolverine rising shakily to his feet, the huge wound in his chest already mostly healed.

"No," Apocalypse agreed calmly. "It seems she is not as powerful as I was led to believe anyway; another failing of my minions, perhaps… regardless, it is done." Without another word, he placed his hands on the machine and it began glowing with faint light.

Jean suddenly cried out in pain, and Emma's eyes widened.

"What is it?" Cyclops asked.

Emma shook her head, and Jean said, "My God, Scott… it's killing them… all of them."

Cyclops turned and fired desperately at the machine, but it was seemingly unaffected by the blasts. He tried firing at Apocalypse himself, but it was just as fruitless as before.

Jean closed her eyes hopelessly. "There's only one way."

"No," Cyclops answered hotly.

"You," Wolverine growled at Magneto. "You can stop this."

"And why should I want to?" Magneto countered.

"Because it's probably our best chance to stop Apocalypse," Emma argued. "And once he's done fulfilling your life's ambition, he's going to kill us."

Magneto sighed. "Very well." He reached towards the machine to manipulate some internal component within it, and then frowned.

"What?" Cyclops demanded.

"It's not working."

"Liar," Wolverine snarled.

"He's telling the truth," Emma informed him calmly, reminding everyone that Magneto was not wearing his helmet.

Cyclops had already turned to Jean. "Jean, don't—"

"I love you," Jean said quietly, and then her eyes glowed and she was wreathed in fire.

XXXXX

To Be Continued…

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Based on the X-Men films of Bryan Singer and the X-Men comics by Marvel Comics.

I do not own the X-Men, or any associated characters and concepts.

All biblical passages taken from the New American Bible.

Charles Xavier, aka Professor X
En Sabah Nur, aka Apocalypse
Dr. Jean Grey-Summers, aka Phoenix
Scott Summers, aka Cyclops
Emma Frost, aka White Queen
Erik Lensherr, aka Magneto
Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler
Logan, aka Wolverine
Ororo Munroe, aka Storm
Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy, aka Beast
Warren Worthington III, aka Archangel, aka Death
Raven Darkholme, aka Mystique, aka Famine
Alex Summers, aka Havok, aka Conquest
Cain Marko, aka Juggernaut, aka War
Marie D'Ancato, aka Rogue
Bobby Drake, aka Iceman
Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, aka Colussus
Kitty Pryde, aka Shadowcat
Jean-Paul Beaubier, aka Northstar