Chapter 5:

Cairo, Egypt

En Sabah Nur's portal flashed around the group - four: the leader, and so far three of his Four Horsemen - and when it faded away they found themselves standing in a dark, quiet street. The air was hot and heavy.

"Where are we?" questioned Archangel.

"We're back in Egypt," observed Ororo, recognizing their surroundings right away. She turned to their leader. "Why have you brought us back here?"

"Now, we wait," was his answer.

"For what?" questioned Psylocke.

"Not what," he corrected. "Who."

Cryptic. And so, on that note, they waited. The Horsemen were confused, but obeyed. They waited for what they didn't know, but it felt like they were waiting a long time. Archangel began pacing back and forth, wings outstretched; Ororo sat, making little flickers and sparks appear in her hand; and Psylocke stood, swinging her blade around.

"Three down, one to go." Upon hearing the sudden and unfamiliar voice in the dark, and seeing the shadowy figure, the three Horsemen jumped into action. A dark figure loomed ahead of them, having appeared suddenly. The Horsemen approached their master, circling him protectively.

"They learn quickly." The voice spoke again, a woman's.

But En Sabah Nur did not seem surprised, or the least bit worried. Instead, he held up his hand, ordering them to stand down.

Then he approached the newcomer, moving slowly. He stood before them for a long moment before reaching up and removing the hood that covered their face. The figure was a young woman with deep olive skin and bright red hair, wearing a deep purple and black suit. His eyes gazed upon her face, one which he had not glimpsed in thousands of years. For too long. "Nina..."

She looked up at him and finally met his gaze, suddenly shocked speechless. Seeing him again, very much alive all these years, all these decades and centuries later, and seeing him standing before her was very much another thing completely. Finally, she found her voice and words again. "En Sabah Nur."

"My Love."

"M-my Love..."

There was a long pause following their greeting, their reunion thousands upon thousands of years in the making. It did not help that the Horsemen were there, lurking behind him like they always did, no matter who was in the role on either side, protectors and master. Or was it better, better to have them here as well? She wasn't sure if she could face him alone.

She cleared her throat, cutting off the silence. "I knew this would be awkward, uncomfortable, to say the least. It has been thousands of years..."

"Too long." His voice a deep rumble.

"Hey, you're that chick from the cage," said Archangel.

She recognized him too - the winged guy who had been fighting Kurt in Germany. "Charming," she responded. Then she turned back to the leader. "Really? This is the best you can do?" She could feel the pressure of his gaze upon her. She looked behind him over his shoulder - well, more around him, as he was so tall, towering over her - to where the Horsemen stood, gathered together. She was glad to escape his piercing eyes, even if only for a brief moment. "So these are the new Horsemen." She began assessing each chosen protector one-by-one. She looked to the 'charming' Archangel first. "Death." Then she turned to Psylocke. "Pestilence." Then she turned to the third and final protector, Ororo. "And you are Famine. Now you're just missing War."

"What?" demanded Psylocke.

"Each of the Four Horsemen represent Death, Pestilence, Famine, and War," Nina explained. "War will be your forth and final member. Always four. No more, no less."

"And let me guess, that's you?" Psylocke said.

Nina was about to respond by saying, "Do I really look like War?" but didn't, and instead said, "Oh no, I am no Horseman."

"Then who are you?"

"She is your Queen." Now En Sabah Nur stepped-in. "I am your King, she is your Queen. And we are both gods."

"I'm no Queen, nor a god. I don't know what I am, who I am. It frightens me..." Now she was speaking to the man she knew, used to know, trapped somewhere in the being who stood before her, maybe. "I possess so much power- I don't understand and I fear I never will, and that terrifies me." The truth, suddenly spilled from her in a vulnerable moment with a man she used to trust, used to love. Maybe, just maybe, he could give answers where the others could not.

Now he reached out and held her cheek, with a perhaps surprisingly gentle touch, staring down at her from where he towered above - he towered high above everyone. "Nina, my fallen star. The only one whose power I could not control. You will rise again. You are lost, you are afraid, but you need not fear now, for I am here. I have returned and will set the world right. No more false gods - I am here now, I am here, for you."

She drew back, away from his touch, leaving his hand outstretched and hovering in the air. It were although she had been held in some sort of trance and had now broken apart from it. "Come find me when you've found number four, found War, and we'll see." With that she turned and left through her own portal and disappeared.

I'm pretty sure I have each Horseman role with each correct respective Horseman here!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)