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Chapter Twenty One – Dark Horizons

July 1997

In the Himalayas, Remy, Sabretooth and Logan had landed their 'borrowed' plane beside the other, at the base of one of the mountains.

A raging blizzard swirled around them and Remy waited while Sabretooth checked the plane and Logan checked the ground. "Three of them." The latter stated. "And, since I can't detect a third scent, it must be Mystique."

"How about you guys stop sniffing everything and just follow the foot-prints?" Remy suggested snappily, setting off up the mountain. Although he refused to show it in front of his companions, he was terrified, unable to stop the thoughts flying around his head. He had to find her.

Kitty phased through a wall and flashed her torch around. She bumped into something and spun around to see Kurt. "I think we're close. Why don't you go up and join the Professor. I'll look for the others."

"And leave you with Steel-Face?" Kurt finished. "Forget it. I don't trust him."

"Oh, would you relax?" Kitty laughed. "He's not that bad."

Colossus broke through the wall at that moment. "I grew concerned."

"See?" Kitty hissed to her team-mate.

A loud crash made them turn and Kitty lifted her torch once again. The light flooded a new hole in the wall and several familiar figures. "There you are!"

Before any reunion could take place, there was another crash and two robots burst through the wall. Scott, Bobby and John held them off while the others escaped, before running after them.

Despite the revelation of the hieroglyphics, Hank, Magneto and Professor Xavier continued on their way, approaching the other door with some anticipation.

"All this does beg the question," Hank frowned, "if Apocalypse is not entombed here then what lies within this chamber?"

"Answers." Magneto lifted his hand and the doors bent inwards, revealing a room that housed a strange pyramid-shaped crate.

"Unbelievable." Hank murmured. "Rama Tut's vessel?"

"Yes, I believe so." Professor Xavier agreed. "And to think it's been buried under the sphinx for over five thousand years."

As they approached, the markings glowed and it opened to reveal a control pad not unlike the on in Cerebro.

"Looks like the base for the Eye of Ages." Hank commented.

"But where was it taken?" Magneto asked.

Professor Xavier picked up the helmet. "A cerebral interface. Perhaps this very vessel can tell us."

"That's risky, Charles." Hank warned as Professor Xavier placed the helmet on his head.

"Yes, I know. But I believe it is the only way."

As the markings lit up, Logan's voice came from the communicator. "Hank? Hank, are you there?"

Hank replaced the headset. "I'm here. What's your status?"

"We've tracked Rogue to Tibet. She's here with Mesmero…and Mystique."

"They're in Tibet." Hank told them.

"Yes!" Magneto realised. "The highest reaches of the world. That's where Apocalypse is!"

"Wolverine, what are your exact coordinates?" Hank asked. "Machalo Peak. Okay, got it. Until we can get there, stop them any way you can."

Before Logan could respond, they were hit by a psychic attack. Peering through the pain, he could see a cloaked figure above them. After what seemed like an age, he left and they could get up again. "Xavier's mental block just saved our lives."

"Especially yours." Sabretooth agreed. "Mesmero was telling me to push you off the mountain. Problem is, I'm still tempted."

As Logan growled at his retreating back, Remy rolled his eyes. "Do me a favour. Why don't you both jump off the mountain?"

"You're paying for that later, Gumbo." Logan snapped.

"Yeah, I know." Remy muttered, but couldn't bring himself to care.

"Dead end." Sabretooth called.

"We'll see about that." Remy charged the stone and it blew apart, revealing a chamber. "Fire in the hole!"

Half-slumped against the wall, Mesmero grabbed a staff. "Destiny has dealt its hand; do not interfere!"

Back in Egypt, the X-Men and their allies finally reached the chamber where the vessel was. Magneto threw the robot back and Scott, John and Ororo blasted it.

Professor Xavier was reading it. "This vessel…it was built here on Earth ages ago…wait, ages from now? It travels instantaneously. I know how to operate it."

"And I know where to take it." Hank loped to the entrance. "Get aboard! Now!"

Through a combined effort, the robot collapsed, as everyone sprinted for the vessel, making it just before it closed and disappeared.

In Tibet, Logan and Sabretooth managed to knock Mesmero out; Remy sprinted past them into a round room. Mystique had her hand on a pillar, her mouth open in shock. Remy looked closer; she was stone, solid stone.

Fear flooded him and he sped up, running into another chamber and skidding to halt in horror.

Rogue was screaming in pain, standing next to a strange sort of shell, and she seemed to be glowing. Squinting at the bright light, Remy saw shades of people he knew leaving Rogue and flying into the…whatever it was.

Suddenly, Rogue stopped glowing and screaming and staggered back, falling to the floor. Remy ran over and scooped his girlfriend up, but anything else he may have done was stopped.

A glowing man dressed like an ancient Egyptian floated out of the shell and out of the room, paying him no heed. Gently laying Rogue down, Remy stood up and ran after him, staff poised and ready. He hit a shield and bounced back, hitting the ground and skidding to a halt, unconscious.

The X-Men exited the vessel just in time to see Apocalypse float into their chamber. Everyone readied themselves for a fight, but Apocalypse merely clapped his hands, sending out a psychic jolt that sent everyone sprawling backwards, knocking everyone out but Professor Xavier and Magneto.

As Apocalypse entered the vessel, Magneto made one last-ditch attempt to stop him, but was halted in his tracks, thrown back to the floor as the vessel closed, before glowing brightly and vanishing in front of their eyes.

Kitty groaned and pushed herself to her feet, feeling a hand grasp her arm to help her up, not really caring who it was as she leaned against them, pain shooting through her leg. "Ow …" Leaning heavily against whoever it was, she lifted her foot and felt her ankle for swelling.

"Well, that was fairly humiliating, wasn't it?" A voice commented lowly, identifying her prop as Pietro.

Finding nothing, Kitty tested her weight, grimacing as she did so. "Understatement of the century."

"Half-pint, you alright?" Logan asked from behind her.

"Think so." Kitty frowned. She shifted her weight. "Yeah, I'm fine."

It was obvious from Logan's expression that he didn't believe her, but he didn't argue, moving over to where Scott was staggering to his feet as well.

"The pain on your face would beg to differ." Pietro muttered.

"I'll live." Kitty insisted, realising at the same time that he was still supporting most of her weight. "For now." She added darkly.

Her mind was slowly catching up with the enormity of what had just happened. They had failed to stop the release of the most powerful mutant the world had ever witnessed. And their greatest battle was only just beginning.

AN: Review please!