It: Chapter X

by eternal fire123

When he was young, he was Bill Denbrough, the reluctant Leader of the Loser's Club. Years later and he's grown up to become Charles Xavier, the peaceful Leader of the X-Men, with memories of Derry long gone. However, just as life has finally settled for him, an old friend calls for his return to take a final stand against the nightmare of their forgotten past.

6. X Men Apocalypse

Hey guys! How's everyone doing today? I am so so so sorry for how late this chapter came out. I thought I'd get it out sooner but then work ended up kicking my ass because the work environment wasn't so great. Then I left that job for a different job with a better work environment and then that job ended up kicking my ass in terms of affecting my energy and motivation to do anything except fulfill my body's basic needs and play video games to destress. But it is a fulfilling job with a good work environment so that's a plus.

In addition, this is probably the longest chapter I've ever written in the history of ever (almost 30k long) considering I'm trying to rewrite a whole movie to have better character development, tie into another movie cause it's a crossover, and not be as much of a train wreck/pandering machine as the actual movie and well...delays happened and finally here we are...over half a year later...sorry about that. Anyways, I'm just going to let you guys just jump right into it and I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

Like always, I enjoy any comments, except for those that are just full of negativity and not constructive at all. Just give me something to work with instead of just "It's bad." I also appreciate any positive constructive criticism since I'm always looking to improve my writing and storytelling capabilities. Thanks for reading this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by any medium, and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the books or movies.

Warning: No beta, we die like canon cause superhero timelines are the worst.

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Chapter 5: X-Men Apocalypse

XXXXXX

Raven meandered down the late night streets of East Berlin, seemingly with no destination in mind.

Her black overcoat swished around her bare legs. Her body was scantily clad in a glittery dark purple dress and her face was caked in makeup. She looked and walked like a lady of the night, drawing attention from passersby and a few cars pulled over as well.

However, she merely smiled coyly at them all and continued on her way, only stopping to met out swift punishment against those who were insistent for her company.

She finally stopped when a sketchy looking black van pulled over, giving the license plate a quick once over as she put on her most flirtatious smile. The tinted window rolled down revealing a man looking like a caricature from an old mafia movie in his black suit and tie with a cigar to top it all off. He whistled appreciatively at her as she sashayed over.

"Are you gonna give me a good time?" she asked in heavily accented english.

The mafia man grinned wolfishly at her, responding in his own heavily accented english. "You know it, baby. Why don't you come into my van?"

Raven smiled as she made her way over to the other side of the van. She got into the shotgun seat and closed the door with an ominous click. Before the mafia man could react, she grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the steering wheel.

She slammed his head a few more times, breaking his nose and knocking him completely unconscious. She then removed his black tie and used it as a makeshift restraint. She took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the van.

She made her way to the back of the van and used the keys to open the back revealing a sophisticated cage set up. It's heavily fortified with thick metal bars, wire mesh, and some barbed wire thrown in for good measure. A faint electric humming could be heard and Raven grimaced in disgust when she saw the mutant power restrictors lining the walls of the cage.

She turned her attention to the curled up form within the cage. A young blue skinned teen with a forked tail peeked out nervously behind his scratched up hands.

Raven smiled reassuringly at the teen as she used the keys to unlock the cage, opening its doors and holding a gentle hand out for him to take.

The teen warily watched her, examining her hand and her expression with a critical eye. When he saw no deceit in her gaze, he hesitantly reached out to take her hand. She smiled, curling her hand around his in comfort as she helped him out of the cage.

"Let's get out of here, shall we?"

The teen nodded, grinning brightly as she held out a photo of a room in a nearby hotel for him to examine.

Then the two disappeared in a puff of blue smoke.

XXXXXX

Erik softly sung a lullaby in German as he tucked his niece, Nina, into her bed. His cousin, Magda, leaned against the open doorway and watched the scene with a smile.

"Where did you learn that song, wujek?" Nina curiously asked as Erik gently brushed her hair aside.

Erik smiled at her, his expression one of bittersweet nostalgia. "I learned it from my parents and they learned it from their parents and then from theirs and one day, you'll sing it to your children too."

He bopped her gently on the nose. She giggled.

"What happened to them? Your parents?" she innocently asked.

Erik's expression fell a bit, his smile now tinged with melancholy and grief. Magda's expression also fell, though there was a hint of guilt in her eyes. She moved to scold her daughter for such an inappropriate question. But Erik caught her eye and shook his head with an understanding yet thankful smile. Magda reluctantly backed down as he returned his attention to Nina.

"They were taken from me, when I was a little boy," he said, giving a quick glance at the numbers tattooed on the inside of his forearm. "But they're still here, inside me…" He tapped his chest where his heart was. "And with you, right next to your mother's parents." He opened her exposed locket to reveal a small picture of Erik's mother and father beside a picture of Magda's mother and father.

"Is someone going to take you away?" She asked, looking at him sadly.

He frowned. "Why do you think that, nichte?"

"Because you sometimes leave for a very long time between your visits. Mamo is always worried about you and it makes me scared that one day...you won't come back..."

"You don't have to worry, nichte," Erik reassured her, gently stroking her hair, "I will always come back because you are my family. And I would do anything to protect my family. Anything."

XXXXXX

Bill smiled at the class of fifteen teenage students before him as he patiently waded his way through a lesson on classical literature with an express focus on poetry from the 1800s.

Some of the students were still awake enough to listen to his words, writing down notes with varying levels of attention to detail. Others were fine examples of the different stages of wakefulness, ranging from bored out of their minds to taking a trip to dreamland. A rare few kept trying to divert the conversation towards his latest horror novel and would jokingly remark in mock outrage at how he dared to try and force them to learn literature when he couldn't even write a decent ending.

Just then, Hank walked into the classroom, clearing his throat and pointedly motioning his head towards the door. Bill did a quick mental brush to read Hank's intentions and nodded in understanding.

"Alright everyone, it's your lucky day. Class is dismissed though I expect you all to complete your reading of the first 50 pages of the complete poems of Emily Dickinson," he announced, chuckling in amusement at the mixture of cheers and groans, "I'll see you all later."

The students all hurriedly rushed out of the classroom like a stampede of bulls. Hank jumped to the side to avoid being trampled over because even though he's a seven foot tall blue furred beast, teenagers could topple over any obstacle standing in the way of their freedom.

"Alright, you can come in now, the coast is clear," Bill called out once the last student left.

Hank gestured for Alex to step through as he carefully guided a young brunette teenage boy with a blindfold over his eyes.

"Alex! How have you been? Has Moira been treating you well?" Bill cheerfully greeted, "And this must be your younger brother, Scott."

Alex grinded and waved as he continued to slowly guide Scott towards Bill. "Hey Professor, I've been good. Moira's been working me like a slave driver but she made sure my little bro wasn't thrown in jail when his powers manifested so it all evens out."

Bill laughed at that. "Well I'm glad to see that life as a CIA agent is treating you well."

"Doesn't make you less of an ass though but who's checking," Hank jokingly muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Alex playfully slapped him on the back. "You keep saying things like that and we'll see if I ever buy you that fancy shampoo and conditioner ever again."

The three men shared a laugh together, though it stopped when Scott tugged at Alex's sleeve. "Hey Alex? Should I step outside, give you guys some time to catch up?" Scott asks as he nervously shuffles.

"Oh! I am so sorry, Scott. I don't believe we meant to ignore you," Bill quickly apologized, "Shall we get to the matter at hand then, Alex?"

"Yeah, of course," Alex nodded as they all got down to business, "So it seems plasma blasts run in the family but unlike me, Scott's come out through his eyes and don't have an off switch."

"Oh dear, that would be quite the issue as I'm sure young Scott here certainly does not wish to spend the rest of his life wearing a blindfold," Bill rubbed at his chin thoughtfully.

"It's definitely not doing any favors for my self-esteem," Scott weakly joked.

Bill smiled at him, projecting calm and reassurance towards the frightened teen. "How about we step outside and see exactly what the solution should be towards our problem?"

"Are you sure we shouldn't go to the bunker instead?" Hank asked.

"Unless one of you is willing to carry Scott all the way down there and provided that he's willing to sacrifice his dignity along the way, then by all means," Bill gestured for Alex to pick up his little brother.

Scott quickly slapped Alex's hands away. "Let's not do that please. I already embarrassed myself enough for one day."

Alex threw his hands up in exasperation. "Fine. Let's go outside then. Hank, lead the way."

Hank sighed with mock annoyance as he sent a long suffering expression to Bill.

Bill chuckled. "Never underestimate the value young boys hold towards their pride, Hank. Or have you already forgotten how long it took for you to court my sister before she decided to take matters into her own hands?"

Hank blushed a dark blue at the memory of how he and Raven finally got together. Alex laughed as he slapped him on the back.

Then the four of them were off to a little used section of the back fields where only a few students meandered about. Those students quickly made themselves scarce when Bill mentally asked them too, though they stuck around at a safe enough distance to watch what was going on.

One fantastically destroyed tree later, Hank proposed using some leftover ruby quartz he had in his lab to fashion a pair of glasses that would resonate at the same frequency of the psionic field that protected Alex from his powers. Or some scientific jargon like that.

Without another word, Hank rushed off to complete the glasses in record time considering he conveniently already had the materials to make said glasses all ready to be put together in a dark, lonely corner of his lab.

The look of awe, elation, and relief that spread across Scott's face at being able to see the world without destroying it reminded Bill once again, exactly why he was teaching in the first place.

Now if only his sister and Erik could settle down long enough to share these moments with him, then life would finally be perfect.

XXXXXX

Moira slowly traversed the streets of Cairo, keeping her footsteps as light as possible to prevent anyone from hearing her approaching. She wore the local dress of women with a scarf wrapped carefully around her head and face to obscure her non-Egyptian features.

She slowly followed after a man dressed in all black robes as he walked further into the winding maze of the city, going deeper and deeper into its underbelly.

Eventually, she watched the man walk into a ruined building with rubble strewn all about. She quickly followed after him, not willing to lose her only lead to a child trafficking ring that doubled as a cult which worshipped and sacrificed mutants.

She cautiously walked into the building, spotting a set of stairs leading underground as the only structure intact in the half destroyed building. She swiftly climbed down, keeping her steps light and quiet.

Finally, she reached the bottom of the staircase and immediately hid behind a large pillar. She peeked out from around it and saw a group of similarly dressed men standing around an altar. Upon the altar was a blue skinned man with a purple cocoon of energy wrapped around him. The cultists chant around the unconscious man as another cult member dragged a struggling child with molten gold eyes towards the altar.

Moira slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her cry of horror when she watched the cult member slit the throat of the child and drop the little body at the feet of the altar. Gold blood quickly drained out of the child as it filled the altar, traveling up carved lines as the energy cocoon began to glow.

Once every crevice in the altar had been filled, the blue skinned man gasped into wakefulness. The energy cocoon burst open in an astonishing wave of energy, knocking all the cultists onto the ground and seeming to shake the very Earth at its core.

Moira gaped as the blue man slowly got off the altar, staring impassively at the cultists throwing themselves down onto their knees in reverence. The blue man turned his gaze towards the body of the gold blooded child and his face darkened in rage. He raised his right hand up, the sand around each cultist following along with the motion.

The cultists looked at him in fear, now begging pleadingly with him. His expression was terrifyingly neutral as he closed his fist and the sand rushed forward to crush the head of each cultist in an explosion of blood, bone, and human matter.

Moira ducked fearfully behind the pillar, before the blue man could spot her, as he slowly made his way out of the underground room and up towards the surface. Only when she's completely sure he's gone does she release the breath she had been holding.

She rubbed nervously at her sweating forehead, cursing quietly under her breath. She hurriedly pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number.

"This is Summers."

"Alex, bring Bill to my office first thing tomorrow morning," she urgently ordered, "We've got a problem. An apocalypse sized problem."

XXXXXX

Bill frantically rushed through the halls of the mansion as it violently shook from an almost supernatural force. Hank, Darwin, and Angel followed after him, stopping only to reassure students and urge them to return to their rooms.

However, students continued to poke their heads out, muttering to each other in question and fear as they watched the teachers rush to the room of the only person who could cause such a stir.

Jean Grey.

Bill burst through her bedroom door where her roommate, Jubilee, frantically tried to shake her awake. The mansion continued to violently tremble, the hanging decorations and frames fell one by one as Jean tossed and turned in her bed.

"Jean? Jean!" Bill called out as he rushed over to grab one of her flailing hands.

Jubilee stepped back, hands clasped together in worry as Jean continued to cry out as if in pain. Without a second thought, Bill reached his mind out to hers and was immediately assaulted with the visions that plagued her dreams.

Flashes of a world on fire, red and orange skies, violent storms tearing everything in its path apart, buildings falling into ruins, and people burning alive.

At the center of it all, a man with blue skin and grey armor with hands raised up high as if welcoming the apocalypse with arms wide open.

For a split second, the image of that man was replaced with one of a clown, grinning madly at the sky as three orbs of light circle high above it. A large turtle with the galaxy on its back briefly appeared, crying mournfully in a black abyss.

He shook his head to clear away the images flooding his mind.

'Jean!' Bill mentally shouted as he struggled to latch onto her slipping control and provide some semblance of support. 'Jean!'

Just as he was about to be overwhelmed by the visions, Jean sprung up from her bed, wide awake and breathing heavily as she struggled to overcome the panic that consumed her. She looked to her right to see Jubilee dropping down to her knees with a sigh of relief. She looked to her left to see Bill with one hand gripping his head as he pushed back the headache that threatened to split both of their heads.

"What happened, Jean?" Bill asked, once the turmoil finally calmed.

Jean struggled to speak, stuttering her way through her response. "I-I...felt the world end. I c-could feel...all this death."

"Are you sure it wasn't just all in your head? Or a manifestation of your fear over your abilities?" Bill calmly asked as he kneeled by her bedside.

"No, it wasn't. It felt real, too real," She quickly retorted in protest, "It's not the telepathy or the telekinesis, but something else. I don't know what it was but it felt dark, like it was going to destroy me from the inside out." She gasped out, tears gathering in her eyes. "I thought I was getting better."

"You are, Jean," He said reassuringly, running a comforting thumb over the hand still in his loose grasp. "Control takes time and patience."

She vigorously shook her head in fear, her words tumbling out in a desperate rush. "No, no, no. I can't wait that long. I need to have control! You don't know what it's like to be scared to close your eyes, to be trapped inside your own head, to feel like the darkness inside-"

"-Is going to consume you?" Bill finished with a look of understanding. "Ah, but you see my dear Jean, I do know. I know what it's like to be afraid, so afraid that you'll lash out and feel less human because of it."

Jean looked at him, lips trembling as she struggled to hold back tears. "I'm just scared that I'm going to hurt someone I love again and be cast out like I'm some kind of monster."

"But you're not gonna hurt anyone, Jeanie! And you're definitely not a monster, how many times do I have to tell you that?" Jubilee lightly admonished, rushing to her friend's side. "We're gonna make sure of it. And besides, us mutants are made of sterner stuff."

"Thanks, Lee Lee," Jean smiled gratefully at her.

He reached out to brush aside the hair clinging to her sweaty forehead, drawing her attention back to him. "Everyone fears that which they do not understand. The question then becomes do we allow that fear to control us? Or do we control that fear?"

He cupped her face gently in his hand and reached out with his mind to allow a feeling of calm to wash over her. "You will learn to completely control your powers one day, Jean, and when you do, you'll have nothing to fear. And even if fear threatens to consume again, you will already be strong enough to overcome it."

Bill slowly stood as he patted her comfortingly on her hand. "Now get some rest. You too as well Jubilee. And Jean, if you're still sure about the reality of your dreams, then we'll investigate, alright?"

Jean nodded, laying back as she reluctantly let his hand go. Jubilee patted her reassuringly on the shoulder before jumping back into her own bed. Bill walked to the doorway, giving Jean one last reassuring smile before he softly closed the door.

"Everything good?" Hank asked, wringing his hands in worry.

"Everything's fine now though it would be better if I knew the cause for her nightmares tonight," Bill sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They seem...different than usual. Like a powerful force has risen and her mind felt the whiplash of it's awakening hitting her all at once."

"There's a force powerful enough to cause Jean to react like that?" Angel asked, brow furrowing in concern, "That doesn't sound good."

"My survival instincts are tingling," Darwin muttered, pulling Angel close to him for reassurance.

Suddenly, Alex rusheed into the hall with his phone clenched tightly in a white knuckled grip.

Bill looked to him in concern. "Alex? Is everything alright?"

"No," Alex grimly stated, "I think we've got a problem. An apocalypse sized problem."

XXXXXX

"Ever since the world found out about mutants there have been...cults that see them as a second coming or sign of God," Moira explained as she dropped a very thick folder onto her desk and opened it to reveal numerous photos and files.

Bill examined the contents with a critical eye as Alex read through his own, significantly thinner folder that only contained new information due to his status as an agent under Moira's command.

While she was still the head of the liaison department in the CIA, Moira had also been given the additional task of overseeing any and every mutant related operation due to her connections to the Xavier Academy. Some days she was grateful for the help she got from her friends, glad they were her friends at all, and some days she wondered if she made a mistake going into that Las Vegas strip club all those years ago.

"I was tracking one of them, calling themselves Ashir En Sabah Nur, named after the one they believed to be the world's first mutant."

She pointed at various pictures of hieroglyphs as she continued to explain. "These describe a specific set of powers, greater than any man could ever possess."

"An all-powerful mutant?" Bill muttered, "Is such a thing possible?"

"I'm not sure but wherever this being went, he always had four main followers, disciples, protectors he would imbue with powers."

"Like the four horsemen of the apocalypse," Alex chimed in with a sarcastic drawl, "Wonder if he got it from the bible."

Moira shrugged. "Or maybe the bible got it from him. Either way, we have no idea what he's motives are or what he's going to do besides finding four new followers. The only thing we are certain of is that the reason he was locked away in slumber for so long was because of a revolt that attempted to end his reign over human and mutant kind."

"And now he's probably going to finish what he started cause this is just our life now, a freaking cliche action movie or superhero comic book series," Alex sighed heavily, already feeling a headache coming on.

Bill picked up a photo showing a carved image of the first mutant standing over people like a god as he either gave blessings or struck them down.

"An apocalypse sized problem indeed."

XXXXXX

Jean sat under her favorite tree, one that was mostly isolated but still close enough to people watch should she ever feel like it. She'd pulled a notebook out of her bag when someone's throat cleared, catching her attention. She looked up to see the blindfolded boy from before who'd bumped into her and lashed out with rude words when she spoke in his mind. He wore red lens glasses now.

"Hey..." the boy said, waving hesitantly.

"You can see now, huh?" she said with a neutral tone, putting the notebook back inside her bag.

The boy looked around at the surrounding trees with a giddy smile. "Yeah, it's...not as bad as I thought here."

Murmured whispering caught their attention. Some students passed by and pointed at her, expressions of fear and scorn clear on their faces. Jean ducked her head, hiding away as she heard the words "freak" and "stay away." The boy frowned at them.

"Mind your own business!" he shouted. "And don't call anyone a freak unless you wanna look in the mirror and say it to yourself! "

The students quickly rush away, feeling shame and guilt at being called out by the new kid.

"You didn't have to do that," Jean said, though she's definitely grateful for the assist.

"Why not? We're all freaks here so it's rude to say one person is more of a freak than the other," the boy hotly protests.

She shook her head. "It's only because they're scared of me. You're not the only one who can't control their powers."

The boy's brow furrowed as the dots slowly connected together. "Wait so, last night when the house shook...that was you?"

"Yup," she said, popping the word at the end, "That's why I've been crowned the title of biggest freak in the school."

"If it makes you feel any better, you wear the crown very well," the boy jokingly said.

Jean chuckled. The boy smiled.

"Look, why don't we try this again. I'm Scott Summers," he said as he held a hand out to shake.

She readily accepted it. "Jean Grey."

"It's nice to meet you, Jean," Scott beamed widely at her.

She smiled bashfully in return. "It's nice to meet you too, Scott. Do you wanna sit?"

Scott nodded eagerly, moving to sit down besides her. "Is this your spot?"

"Yeah, I like to watch the world go by. Makes me feel calm and at peace whenever I'm down."

"It's nice."

"Thanks."

The two shared shy smiles as Darwin and Angel watched from afar, bumping fists in victory.

XXXXXX

Hank stood idly by the staircase, making sure the students rushing out of their classes didn't trip and fall on the way to their "freedom." He let loose a jaw cracking yawn when the front door opened.

"Hank?"

He turned to see Raven, in all her blue skinned glory, walk in with another blue skinned teen following behind her.

"Raven! You're home!" he exclaimed as he rushed over to pull her into a hug. "And I'm assuming by the young man following you, your retrieval mission was a success?"

Raven laughed as she returned the hug. "Of course, who do you think I am? I don't do things by halves and I always get the job done. Remember how we got together?"

Hank blushed, releasing her from the hug as he cleared his throat. He looked off to the side in embarrassment. "How could I forget? I don't think I can ever look at confetti or Sean or, god forbid, both of them, the same way ever again."

"It was certainly memorable, I'll give you that. Anyways, I need to go introduce my brother to his new student so we'll catch up later, yeah?" she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Of course," Hank nodded before he turned to give the teen a reassuring grin, "I hope you enjoy your stay here, Kurt. You're safe with us."

Kurt stared at him in awe. "You know my name?"

Raven wrapped an arm around the teen as she guided him further into the mansion. She dramatically stage whispered to him. "We know everything, Kurt. Everything."

Kurt visibly swallowed in fright though calms when Raven and Hank both laughed at his reaction.

"Don't worry, Kurt. I'm just messing with you. But I think you're really going to like it here," Raven reassured with a pat on the shoulder.

Kurt watched as groups of students showcasing various powers and physical mutations wandered past. "I think you're right, Ms. Raven. I think you're right."

XXXXXX

Erik huffed as he pulled down the lever for the hundredth time that day, watching as another bucket of iron dropped down into the smelting pot. He sighed as he wiped away the sweat gathering at his brow.

A buzzer sounded, signaling that it was now time for the lunch break. Workers groaned and sighed in relief, ready to step out of the sweltering steel mill and into the cool outdoors.

"Erik! Glad to see you back here again!" Markus shouted jovially with a thick polish accent. "You are visiting your cousin, yes?"

"Of course! Otherwise I would have no reason to work here surrounded by all you sweaty men, would I?" Erik retorted with a grin.

The surrounding men laughed and slapped him good naturedly on the back.

"You should stay full time so you can keep helping your cousin instead of gallivanting the world like a bachelor!" Liam joked.

Jakub snorted. "More like he should stay so he can bat away any of her suitors. Magda is the beauty of our town after all."

"Careful there, Jakub. Or else I might tell your wife that you have been eyeing other women," Erik playfully warned him, though there is a sharp glint in his eyes.

The men laughed again, jokingly complaining about how he was an overprotective cousin and such. In the middle of the lunch break, Erik's phone rang and he excused himself to take the call.

"Well hello there, William," he smoothly purred, "I didn't realize you missed me that much."

Bill huffed a laugh on the other end. "And I didn't realize we were still playing the name game after all these years."

Erik smiled. "I have to keep you on your toes somehow. So what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

Bill humed as he briefly hesitated to answer. "I'm not quite sure if there's a delicate way to put this but I recently went searching with Cerebro and it seems as if your niece is...well...a mutant."

Erik's mind short circuited at that.

"Erik? Are you still there?" Bill asked worriedly when he didn't respond for some time.

Erik quickly shook his head. "No, yes, I'm still here. Are you sure?"

"100%. You know I would never say anything if I wasn't completely sure," Bill reassured. "And please remember that Magda can come live at the mansion as well, my offer is always open regardless of whether Nina is a mutant or not."

"Right, of course, I..." Erik lifted a hand to rub at the back of his head in bewilderment. "I'll talk to Magda tonight then and hopefully we'll be on the next flight to New York tomorrow."

"Alright then, let me know if you would like Hank to pick you up in the jet instead or if there's any financial aid we can provide," Bill offered, "Remember that your family is mine as well."

Erik's heart swelled with fondness. "You truly are a sappy man, Charles."

"But I'm your sappy man, aren't I?" Bill playfully retorted.

"Of course," Erik said with huff. He smiled softly even though he knew Bill couldn't see him. "Thank you for telling me, Bill." Thank you for everything and I love you goes unsaid.

Erik could practically hear Bill smile back. "Of course, Erik. I'll see you at home."

Before Erik could say anything else, the call ended. He sighed, bringing the phone up to smack his head for his indecisiveness. "Three years together and I still can't say three fucking words."

The break ended and Erik trudged back for another tedious period of work. However, the tedium was broken when the chains carrying one of the many metal smelting cauldrons broke and sent the heavy stone cauldron dropping down towards a frozen worker.

Erik quickly threw his hand out, nudging the cauldron so that it'd fall at an angle, completely missing the worker who scrambled away from the molten liquid contents that spilled out onto the ground.

The others rushed to check on the worker who stared at Erik with wide eyes. Erik slowly put his hand down, trying to play it off as his attempt to shout a warning and not him using his abilities.

He quickly returned to work, feeling the burning stare of the saved worker against his back for the rest of the day.

XXXXXX

Magda paced back and forth in worry, slowly going over the information Erik had just dumped on her.

"Are you sure, Erik? Absolutely sure? Because if you are joking, I swear to God..." Magda asked with a severe expression.

Erik nodded, not a trace of amusement or joking on his face. "I am absolutely sure, Magda. I wouldn't have told you if I was not."

Magda looked at him, eyes examining for any tells or hints of foul play. Then she released a heavy sigh. "Alright. I'll start packing our bags and will tell Nina the news."

Erik's shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank you, Magda. I'll let Charles know that we'll need the jet at their earliest convenience."

She smiled exasperatedly at him. "You are still pulling such tricks with your love?"

"What? Love? Who said anything about love?" He said, growing increasingly flustered.

She giggled at his flailing. "You cannot fool me, Erik. You speak of Bill as if he hung the moon and stars himself. It's been three years already has it not? And you still haven't told the poor man that you love him."

"He can read my mind, dear Magda. What is the point in saying it aloud when my mind might as well be a neon sign screaming at him?" Erik retorted.

"Words carry a different weight when they are said aloud, Erik," Magda rebuked with a growing frown, "And what about settling down?"

"Settling down?" he parroted back in confusion. "You mean marriage? You know it's still illegal for us to be recognized in holy matrimony."

"And when has that ever stopped you from pursuing what you wanted?" she shot back. "Besides, I am not asking you to put a ring on him right this second, even though you should. I have heard rumors that America will be legalizing such marriages in a few years. However, that is not what I am trying to say. I want to know when you are going to stop running away from a future with him."

"I'm not running away from anything!" he vehemently denied.

"Then what do you call this?" she asked, gesturing at his general presence. "Not even a full week had passed from when you returned to New York before you came running back to Poland."

"You told me Nina was sick!" Erik tried to defend.

"With a small cold that she got over by the next day!" Magda exclaimed, exasperated by his excuses.

"I wanted to come help you because you are a single mother raising her child in a small town that gets all of its profits from an unsafe steel mill," he explained.

"And it wasn't simply because of your discussion with Bill regarding a more permanent teaching position at the academy and giving your recruiting duties to Raven and a team she would be in charge of, would it?" she sarcastically asked, shaking her head. "Honestly, I feel sorry for Bill having to deal with a man with commitment issues."

"It's not that simple, Magda," Erik lamely rebuked.

"Oh, on the contrary, I believe it is as simple as saying 'I love you, Bill and I want to spend the rest of my life with you'," she scathingly retorted, "What is stopping you from doing as such?"

He rubbed at the back of his head, his face pinched with anxiety. "It's just...everyone I have ever loved has been taken from me. I lost my father to the camps, I lost my mother to Shaw, I almost lost Bill and the children I've come to care for because of my personal vendetta. I thought I lost you and any remaining connections to my blood family to the Holocaust. No matter how hard I fight, I am never able to truly protect the ones I care about and it scares me. If I tell Bill that I love him, it would only be a matter of time before he is taken from me as well."

Magda smacked him on the cheek. It's a love tap, barely painful at all, but the sensation shocked him. She pointed at him, poking at his chest aggressively. "Now see here, no family of mine will speak like a quitter. Just because you have not been able to protect your loved ones before doesn't mean you can't protect them now."

Her expression softened as she patted him comfortingly on the cheek. "Life is unpredictable, my dear cousin. You need to seize every moment you can and live with as few regrets as possible, otherwise you will forever drown in what-if's and why didn't I's."

"But-" he tried to protest before another light slap to the face from Magda stopped him.

"No buts," she sternly said, "Bill may have a great amount of patience to allow you time to deal with your issues. But even he will run out of that eventually and then I will be attending your funeral, not your wedding."

He sighed before smiling at her. "You're right. You're right. When we arrive in New York, the first thing I'll do is tell Bill how I feel. I promise."

"And when you do, make sure you give him this," she said, pulling a small velvet box from her pocket and placing it in the hands of an astonished Erik.

He slowly opened the box to reveal a silver ring with bronze designs weaving beautifully elegant patterns across its length. He startled at the familiar feel the metal gave him when he placed a gentle finger over it. "Isn't this?"

"That terrible Nazi coin you used to carry around with you and brood at before I finally took it away? Yes, it is," Magda said with a firm nod. "I kept it locked inside my safe but when I saw the path your relationship with Bill was taking, I had it melted down and refurbished into a ring."

She placed her hands over his, closing the lid of the box as she smiled at him. "Now you will be able to replace those horrible memories with happy new ones. But only if you take that first step."

Erik looked at her, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "Thank you, Magda...For everything."

She waved him off with a smirk. "Pish posh. I am simply doing what family would do for each other. Even though we are only cousins, you are a brother to me and I will be forever grateful for your appearance in my life."

He smiled gratefully at her. "And I you, dear sister."

She smiled back, then patted him on the cheek. "Good man. Now go pack your things and then help me pack mine. We should leave as soon as we can. The town is not too friendly to mutants after all."

And just like that, they were jinxed.

The front door banged with harsh knocking as multiple angry voices could be heard outside. Erik and Magda turned in unison and looked through the paned glass windows to see the silhouettes of a mob of people carrying torches and pitchforks as if they were back in the witch hunts of the early 1400s.

Magda was puzzled as to why there was an angry mob at her front door. Erik paled in realization.

"Oh no," he breathed out in fear.

Magda snapped her head at him. "What? What is it, Erik?"

Erik grabbed her and moved them towards the stairs. "I need you to take Nina and go. When you get to a safe place, call Bill and have him come get you."

"Erik, what's going on? You're scaring me," she said while they quickly climbed the stairs.

"I used my abilities to save a man from an accident at the steel mill today. Someone must have snitched," he said as he barreled into his room and swiped the travel bag hidden underneath the bed. He quickly shoved the ring box into one of its many outer pockets.

Magda rushed into Nina's room where the girl stood by her window, staring down at the angry mob underneath in confusion.

Nina turned to her mother. "Mamo? What is going on?"

"There is no time, Nina. Come with me now, hurry," Magda insisted as she grabbed Nina's hand and the two rushed out of the room.

The two met with Erik at the bottom of the staircase. He handed her the bag and ushered them towards the back door.

"If I can, I will try to join you. Otherwise, leave and don't look back," Erik told Magda before turning to Nina and giving her a reassuring smile, "Nichte, your mother is taking you on a surprise trip to see my friend over in New York. Be good, alright?"

"What about you, wujek?" Nina asked, growing scared and confused.

"I need to go take care of a misunderstanding then I will join you when I can," He responded, placing a reassuring hand on her cheek as he kissed her forehead.

He straightened and tried to smile reassuringly at a stricken Magda. "Be safe and I will join you when I can. And remember, Nina needs you more than I do."

Magda nodded, eyes hardening in determination, and she guided herself and her daughter out the back door. Erik watched the two disappear into the woods.

Then he turned around and steeled himself before walking to greet the mob at the door.

XXXXXX

Erik grunted as a pitchfork jabbed at his back, aggressively pushing him down towards the ground. Rough hands grabbed at him and forced him onto his knees with his head drawn back sharply.

Angry voices shouted in polish as he scanned the crowd, spotting many familiar faces who looked back at him with anger and fear. Everyone was armed with either a torch, pitchfork, sickle, or crossbow. No one bothered to speak to him in English and Erik's grasp of polish was tenuous at best.

One thing that was clear though, if the sickle held at his throat was any indication, was that the townspeople were ready to kill him. Thankfully, it seemed that none of them knew exactly as to what his abilities entailed so it's not like the metal tools in their hands could actually kill him. About a hundred angry people with their working limbs would be able to though.

But before anyone could do anything, a small figure burst through the trees and bushes. Everyone turned to see who interrupted their public execution and Erik's stomach dropped to the ground beneath him when he saw an enraged Nina before them.

The hand holding his head quickly let go and the sickle moved away from his throat. The townspeople muttered to themselves, some tried to speak soothingly to the girl while others worked to usher her away. She retorted in rapid fire polish which only served to anger the townspeople further. One of them grabbed Erik by the hair, pulling his head back as the sickle met his throat again.

Before Erik could jerk the sickle away from his neck, Nina let out an unholy shriek. The trees rustled as birds swooped down to flail and flap at the townspeople. Wild boars and deer appeared to stampede through and disperse the crowd. Everyone's shouting, completely scared out of their wits as they pointed at Nina with wild eyes while she continued to scream. Magda rushed into the clearing, appearing next to Nina just as someone raised their crossbow and pressed the trigger.

Magda wrapped her arms around Nina protectively as the crossbow bolt sank into her back. She jerked with a sharp gasp, clutching her daughter tightly in reflex. Then she fell back, revealing that the bolt not only went straight through her but also through Nina as well.

Both fell onto the ground in a jumbled heap, blood pooled quickly underneath their bodies, their clothes rapidly staining red. The travel bag opened from the impact, its contents spilling out from within. The ring box rolled out and stopped just at the edge of the blood pool.

The townspeople stared at the sight in horror, mouths gaped open in shock.

Erik pulled away from the loose grip of the townsperson holding him and scrambled over to his fallen family. He slowly gathered them up into his arms with numb hands. He reached up to cup Magda's cheek, barely registering the cooling temperature of her skin. He then moved to brush some of Nina's hair aside, hardly seeing her skin turn pale with each passing second.

He registered nothing at first, then everything all at once.

He screamed out to the heavens in rage and sorrow. Tears streamed down his face as he clutched the dead bodies of the only blood related family he had left.

The townspeople scrambled to get away from him only to have their metal weapons turned against them. Without even a single glance back, Erik commanded the metal to kill every single townspeople within reach. The dirt floor ran red with blood and the animals Nina summoned rushed off, back into the depths of the forest.

Even when the last body dropped to the ground, Erik continued to scream and howl. Nothing could tear his attention away from the dead bodies in his arms.

That was until a crackle of energy could be heard behind him and a group of people appeared from a neon purple portal. Erik turned to face them, tears still running down his cheeks and throat hoarse from all the screaming.

A tall blue skinned man in armor reminiscent of Ancient Egyptian civilization slowly approached him. Two young women, one with a shock of white hair and another in a leather leotard, and a young man with steel feathered wings hung back in deference.

"I can feel great sorrow within you, my child," the man said with a deep and gravely voice. "You have suffered many great tragedies under the hands of those who deem you beneath them simply because of your existence."

The man held out a hand in offering. "Would you like the chance to prove that you are above them?"

Erik stared numbly at it. It took a moment for his mind to register what the man said but when it did, he pushed the hand away. "I have spent enough of my life trying to stand above everyone. Now I only want the power to protect what little family I have left."

"Is this not the only family you have? The two who lie dead in your arms?" the man asked, eyeing him curiously.

Erik silently raged at the man but he's too tired to voice it. "No, but they were the only blood family that were still alive." Then an unexplained anger filled him, all the negativity he'd repressed towards Bill's much too optimistic ideals and shockingly naive philosophy finally rose to the surface in a rush. "And now I only have the man that I love who insists on opening his arms in welcome to the same people who killed them, who would also sooner kill him as well than accept his hand."

The man hummed thoughtfully, smiling at him as if he knew something Erik didn't. "Then let me revise my offer. How would you like the power to protect the little left that you hold dear?" He extended the hand out again. "If you accept, no one will ever be able to take away your loved ones ever again."

Erik stared at the offered hand again, this time his eyes spark with interest. Normally, he would not so blindly accept this strange man's offer. Not after everything he has experienced and not when he knew Bill would greatly disapprove. Especially after he'd finally reached that place between rage and serenity with the help of the man he'd grown to love and care for more than anything in the world.

However, in his desire to protect and motivated by the still unexplained rage, he reached for the offered hand. In his moment of weakness, he accepted a deal with the devil disguised as his salvation.

And the world shook with the start of the coming apocalypse.

XXXXXX

Peter Maximoff played the Ms. Pac Man arcade game in the basement of his home with a look of complete boredom. He shook his head to flick aside silver grey hair from his eyes as leather glove clad hands moved rapidly in a blur. He was a handsome young fellow dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket with goggles that hung loosely around his neck.

His twin sister, Wanda Maximoff, lounged nearby on a couch, her red hair practically blending in with the red upholstery. She flipped through a teen girl fashion magazine, eyeing the articles in interest while examining her ruffled black dress with red accents in thought.

"Peter! Wanda! Get your asses up here!" their mother shouted from upstairs.

Peter groaned as Ms. Pac Man died from the sudden distraction. Wanda rolled her eyes and tossed her magazine aside. She reached a hand out and bright red energy latched onto his arms, binding them and preventing him from running away.

She then marched him up the stairs where their mother sat in the living room with a beautiful Latino woman dressed conservatively and delicately sipping a glass of lemonade. Wanda quickly dropped the energy leash before the woman could look up.

"You must be Peter and Wanda Maximoff," the woman said, getting up to shake their hands in greeting. "My name is Angel Muñoz. I'm a teacher from Xavier's Academy for Gifted Youngsters. Pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Muñoz," Wanda said politely, shaking the offered hand.

"What's a fancy prep school want with us?" Peter asked, dropping down onto a loveseat in a sprawled position.

"Peter," their mother snapped with a frown of disapproval.

Angel shook her head. "No, it's a valid question. As for my answer, I'm pretty sure that little display I saw earlier when you dragged your brother in should be enough of an answer."

Wanda crossed her arms defensively. "I think you're mistaken, miss. You must've been seeing things after such a long drive here."

"It's alright, Wanda. You don't need to be scared," Angel said with a gentle smile. "The school I work at was established to give people like us a place to belong and feel safe."

"People like us?" Wanda asked, brow furrowing in confusion.

Angel nodded. "Yes, people like us...mutants with fantastic abilities like your energy manipulation and your brother's enhanced speed."

Peter and Wanda both flinched and moved to object but their mother held up a hand to stop them.

"That's enough of that. You know I wouldn't have let this woman into our house if I didn't think she was serious about what she was selling," She said with a stern expression that then softened. "I think you two should go."

"Mom?" Peter exclaimed, staring at her incredulously.

Their mother sighed. "I love you two but I feel as if both of you are stagnating in your progress and I have no idea how to help anymore. Peter, all you do everyday is go out running, eat junk food by the pound, and play games. Wanda, you're isolating yourself, surrounded by magazines and books because you're too scared to go out and make friends."

Wanda looked at her uncertainly. "What are you trying to say, mom?"

"I want you both to go to this school, no if's, and's, or but's," their mother ordered with a stern yet conflicted expression. She turned to Peter. "You need to find some sense of agency for once in your life. Maybe this could be the place for you to do so." She turns to Wanda. "And you need a place where you can finally fit in and be a teenage girl instead of a shut-in at home."

The twins looked at her, not knowing what to say.

Angel cleared her throat, drawing their attention to her. "If it helps, your father will be there. He's a part time professor at the school."

The twins looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them through a series of head shaking, energetic hand gestures, and eyebrow movement. The conversation ended with a firm nod and they turned to Angel with determined expressions.

"We need to have a few words with daddy dearest," Wanda said.

"So sign us the hell up," Peter finished.

Their mother sighed in exasperation, muttering to Peter about language, while Angel smiled brilliantly at them.

XXXXXX

Raven groaned in annoyance as she received another straight to voicemail message for the umpteeth time.

"Is something wrong, Raven?" Bill asked.

"I think something happened to Erik," Raven said, "I've been trying to call him for the past few hours for updates about Magda and Nina but he won't pick up."

Bill's brow furrowed with worry. "Well that is strange. He always picks up his phone, especially after you, Angel, and Moira ripped into him the last time he didn't answer."

"Which is why you should use Cerebro to check up on him," she suggested, "I've got a bad feeling about this and I'd really like some confirmation that it's all just in my head for once."

"I'm due for a session in Cerebro anyways, so we can go now if you'd like to join me," he responded.

Raven nodded and the two made their way down to Cerebro, grabbing Hank and picking up Alex and Darwin along the way.

Without delay, Bill placed the helmet on his head as Hank activated Cerebro. The room slowly brightened, row after row of lights turned on revealing the room to be spherical in shape. Once all the lights were on, they slowly dimmed with a light grey fog color drifting across as Bill's mind searched for Erik's. Ghostly images of people in real time drifted through the air.

The search didn't take long. Bill smiled at the soothing feeling the man he loved gave him though he was slightly confused by the foggy sensation surrounding Erik's mind. Then he registered the location of said mind and was completely taken aback.

'Erik?' Bill asked, brow pinched with worry, 'What on Earth are you doing in Cairo? No, I believe the question is when and how did you get to Cairo? I only called you about Nina barely a few hours ago.'

On the other side of the world, Erik stared up in shock as Bill's voice suddenly flooded his mind. 'Bill?' he tentatively answered back. Then he shook his head in denial. 'No, you can't be here right now. It's all just in my head.'

'Of course it's in your head,' Bill said, exasperated but amused, 'Did you already forget what my ability is, dear?'

'Wha-' Erik gasped, his eyes widening in realization, 'You're speaking to me through Cerebro? You couldn't have just called instead?'

'We have, Erik, multiple times,' Bill retorted, 'Raven is this close to coming to your location right now to throw you into a shallow grave. And on the subject of your location, again, what on earth are you doing in Cairo? Where are Nina and Magda?'

Erik's mind darkened considerably, raging striking down like a flash of lightning. An image of two bodies and a pool of blood flashed through the mental connection. 'They're dead.'

'Excuse me?' Bill asked, completely bewildered. 'They're dead?'

'Killed by the very people you still try to compromise with and make excuses for,' Erik angrily hissed back.

'Not this again,' Bill sighed, exasperated and with no hint of amusement to be found anymore, 'We have already agreed to disagree on such topics. Now don't change the subject. How are Nina and Magda dead and what does that have to do with you being in Cairo?'

Before Erik could respond in any way, En Sabah Nur placed a hand on his shoulder, abruptly inserting himself into the mental conversation between the two.

"My, my, my. You have been holding back with me, Erik," En Sabah Nur tutted at the metal user like he was a little child. "You never told me your beloved held such...power."

'Who are you?' Bill asked, only for a powerful presence to seize control of his mind and lock him in place.

"Bill? Bill?" Raven asked, growing increasingly concerned when she saw how her brother became unresponsive, his eyes widened in fear with a hint of madness seeping through. She looked to the others who also grew concerned, especially when the grey fog and lights slowly turned red in warning. Hank rushed to check the computers.

'Who am I?' En Sabah Nur asked in amusement, 'I...am your God. And I want to thank you, William Charles Xavier.'

'For what?' Bill asked, his heart pounded wildly in fearful anticipation of the answer.

'Thank you,' En Sabah Nur saied, smiling widely as his pupils turned white, 'For letting me in.'

Bill's body and mind suddenly seized as unimaginable power flooded into him. He dropped like a puppet with its strings cut. Raven shouted in fear as she caught him on the way down. He choked, struggling to gain control as wave after wave of power battered at his defenses.

"Bill? Bill!" Raven shouted as she struggled to get the helmet off but it refused to budge. Cerebro's lights bled into a mixture of dark blue and purple, casting an ominous glow as everyone looked around in alarm.

"I-I never felt power like this before," Bill managed to choke out, clutching desperately at Raven as fear and reverence warred in his eyes. "H-help..."

Alex and Darwin watched in horror as the ghostly images of the people Cerebro had been searching through froze. The people stopped whatever it was they were doing as their arms fell limply to their sides and they stood still, staring blankly out like zombies.

"Shut that thing off!" Alex demanded.

"I can't!" Hank shouted back, hands frantically flying over buttons, controls, and keyboards.

"Then just destroy it!" Darwin exclaims, grabbing a nearby chair and starts smashing it against the consoles. "You can always rebuild it later!"

Hank gaped in shock as his friend destroyed his life's work. Then he quickly shook it off, since he really could rebuild it later, and followed his example, clawing at the computers and breaking everything he could reach. Alex ripped open his button up shirt to reveal a tank top with a metal plate attached. He unleashed a powerful beam that he swept across the entire installation.

Finally, the lights died and Raven was able to throw the helmet off of Bill's head. She held him close, his head lolling back and eyes fluttering in an attempt to stay awake and coherent. She gently helped him up, supporting him with an arm around his shoulders as his legs refused to work properly. Darwin rushed over to help her and the five of them slowly moved out of the now destroyed Cerebro.

"What happened, Bill?" Raven tentatively asked when she saw some awareness returning to her brother's eyes.

Bill's head lolled back a bit and his brow furrowed as he attempted to drag some semblance of coherence together to respond. "Erik...he's...with the first mutant...Nina and Magda...are dead..."

Raven gasped. "No! Oh, Erik..."

"He's with the first mutant?" Alex asked, his entire posture tense as he snatched up his phone, "Shit...does that mean he's one of the horsemen?"

A neon purple portal suddenly appeared and out stepped an armored blue skinned man, a teenage girl with white hair, a teenage boy with steel feathered wings, a swordswoman in a leather leotard, and...Erik.

"Well, that wasn't exactly how I wanted my question answered," Alex snarked, glaring accusingly at the man he'd come to consider his mentor and...dare he say it...father figure.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" Raven demanded.

"Greetings my brothers and sisters," the blue armored man calmly greeted. "I am En Sabah Nur and I have come to recruit one of our own to join my cause." He held a hand out to Raven. "Please, would you be so kind as to hand your companion over to us?"

"Over my dead body," she hissed, clutching Bill protectively.

"I have no wish to shed the blood of my kin," En Sabah Nur said, "Please reconsider or there will be consequences. I would like to not raise a hand against my own."

"And where have we heard something like that before," Darwin muttered darkly.

"Why do you want my brother anyway?" Raven asked, still holding tightly onto Bill as if her arms would be enough to shield him from danger.

"He is instrumental in my plan to restore our kind to our rightful place in the world," En Sabah Nur responded, hand still outstretched towards her.

"And what the hell would that be?" Hank demanded, stepping forward to provide another layer of shielding for Raven and Bill.

"Why...above the mortal humans who would dare to subjugate and destroy those who have evolved beyond what their simple minds could comprehend," En Sabah Nur stated as if it was a no-brainer.

They all looked at him as if he were insane and over their dead bodies would they let another power hungry mutant hell bent on ruling the world actually get any sort of help from them.

En Sabah Nur looked at them in disappointment as if they were all stupid children who would never understand their parent's decisions in regards to their well-being. He shook his head solemnly at them. "Then you leave me no choice. Psylocke. Storm."

The white haired teen and swordswoman nodded firmly. The teen, Storm, held her hands out and white lightning shot out of them, forcing everyone to duck and cover. Psylocke threw a blade of neon purple plasma at Raven, forcing her to let go of Bill who fell heavily to the ground. Then Psylocke held a hand out and telekinetically pulled Bill over to them. Erik reached out to cradle Bill's limp body in his arms. A neon purple portal appeared behind them.

"Bill!" Raven cried out, holding a hand out towards her brother as she locked eyes with Erik. "Why?"

Erik turned away, unable to look her in the eyes and unwilling to comprehend her betrayed expression.

Storm shot more lightning, deterring the group from advancing. Alex took a chance, coming out from behind his cover and shooting a plasma beam at them just as Erik and Bill disappeared through the portal.

Psylocke held out a hand and a neon purple plasma shield appeared. The shield absorbed the plasma blast and dispersed it, breaking the solid beam into multiples that shot out in every direction. Unfortunately, some of those directions had hit very important things that exploded upon impact.

Apocalypse and his horsemen disappeared just as the explosion engulfed where they once stood. The portal vanished, taking Bill along with it.

XXXXXX

"I want a twinkie," Peter suddenly proclaimed.

"Then go get one. No one's stopping you," Wanda muttered, staring boredly out the car window as the countryside scenery passed by.

"Hey Ms. Muñoz," he called out to Angel. She looked back at him through the rear view mirror. "Do y'all got twinkies at this fancy schmancy school?"

She nodded, smiling brightly at him. "Of course! We have a ton of teenagers to feed after all. Last I checked we had about ten full boxes of twinkies, some of dingdongs, way too many bags full of all sorts of variety candy, and a fridge fully stocked with the sugary energy drinks of your cardiologist's nightmares."

Peter gaped at her with eyes twinkling in delight. "Oh my god. Can I marry you?"

Angel chuckled, lifting a hand to waggle a beautiful red diamond and ebony stone wedding ring at him. "Sorry to burst your bubble but I'm already taken."

"Then can I just live at this school forever?" He asked, not even blinking at her rejection. His mind was solely focused on the sugar and caffeine paradise awaiting him.

Angel shook her head in amusement. "I don't know about forever, but you can certainly run on ahead to the mansion if you want to. It's just down the end of this road."

Peter took a moment to ponder his decision. Then he took a moment to wonder why the hell he was taking a moment. He saluted Angel and threw his sister a peace sign. "See ya at the mansion, glow stick."

"Just don't go giving yourself a heart attack, energizer bunny," Wanda sarcastically retorted.

Peter flipped his sister off as Angel pulled over and unlocked the car doors. He stepped outside and stretched his limbs out, pulling his goggles over his eyes in preparation. He took in a deep breath and the world slowed down around him exponentially. The wind flowed to a standstill, the grass froze in its motions, the wings of a bee paused mid-flap. And then he was off, running down the street while everything was either moving in extreme slow motion or frozen in place.

He passed by a car full of teenagers about his age - a pretty redhead, a cute asian chick, a blue skinned guy with a tail, and a dude with some sick red shades - with large smiles and mouths opened mid-laugh.

By the time he reached the end of the road, his mouth was already watering at the thought of twinkies and sugary energy drinks galore. However, a fiery orange light in by the mansion caught his attention.

He tilted his head in confusion before taking off, zooming through the various hallways until he finally found the source of the light which was actually an explosion. It was slowly spreading out centimeter by centimeter with shrapnel inching along through the air. He glanced over his shoulder to see four adults frozen in place with their arms thrown up for cover. He turned back to the explosion, cracked his knuckles, and got down to business.

He rushed over to the four adults and grabbed them one by one, the guys he tossed over his shoulder and the women he gracefully wrapped his arms around their waists, before bringing them outside. Then he made his way up floor by floor, room by room, grabbing every kid and teenager that he came across and making sure to scoop up the fish flying out of their tank.

With the younger kids, he treated them gently, placing them feet first on the grounds outside. With the teenagers, he used the explosion's momentum to launch them towards the mattresses he'd tossed outside. With the teachers, he just threw them out the windows with a couple sheets tied to the surrounding trees to catch them.

On one of the upper floors, he took a moment to grimace at the gross attempt at kissing the guy was initiating much to the horror of the girl. He tossed the guy and the girl over the balcony towards the pool just below.

Near the end, he came across the room of a girl sipping on a Dr. Pepper with her dog going at a whole box of pizza by himself. He brought her outside, came back to drink her soda, stole all the slices in the box except for the one in the dog's mouth, and then gently placed the dog outside as far away from the explosion as possible.

Then he made his way back to the final room and hooked his arms around the only two kids left, jumping out the window and landing outside just as the explosion overtook the mansion. Everyone stumbled, fell, rolled, and tripped from the sudden start and stop of momentum and inertia.

"Wow," Peter gasped out in awe as he took off his goggles, "Do you guys always have this much fun or is it just a Monday thing?"

"Who the hell are you?" Alex asked, incredulous as he and everyone else tried to process what the hell just happened.

"Well blondie, I'm the guy who just saved your asses from a fiery death so a thank you would be nice," Peter sarcastically retorted, "And the name's Peter Maximoff."

Darwin perked up in recognition. "You're one of the twins Angel was sent to pick up, the one with super speed. Did you run all the way here?"

Peter shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course. The twinkies were calling my name."

"I never thought I'd ever say this but thank god for factory processed confectionaries," Hank muttered as he palmed at his face in exasperation.

Just then, the car with the four teenagers - Scott, Kurt, Jean, and Jubilee - pulled up followed by the car with Angel and Wanda. They all slowed down and parked before exiting the vehicles with bewildered expressions as they took in the sight of the destroyed mansion and confused students on the spacious lawn.

Angel quickly rushed forward to check on the students and Darwin joined her as they both examined everyone for any signs of injury. They sighed in relief when there were none to be found.

"What are we gonna do now?" Darwin asked, walking back to where the adults had gathered.

Angel nodded in agreement. "We need to take care of all these displaced kids and teens..."

"But we also need to save Bill and stop En Sabah Nur from bringing the apocalypse," Alex said, conflicted over wanting to save the professor or keep an eye on his brother.

Hank turned to Raven who had her arms crossed and was deep in thought. "Raven?"

"Alright guys, I've got a game plan," Raven suddenly said. "Angel and Darwin, you'll have to stay here and look after the kids. Call Moira for backup cause I have a feeling you two will need it. Hank, Alex, and I will go rescue Bill since it seems like this guy's plan hinges entirely on his abilities. And don't forget to let Sean know what's up so he can be prepared in case things go to hell in a handbasket."

"Solid plan but how are you going to go after them when you don't even know where they are and our only jet was destroyed," Angel asked.

Hank shook his head. "Not quite. I built a back up jet that's been hidden away at the nearby CIA headquarters and if I remember correctly, Bill found Erik in Cairo, didn't he?"

"Makes sense considering Egypt is where En Sabah Nur originated from. It's where he tried to rule the world and got knocked into a millennia long coma as comeuppance," Alex remarked.

Raven nodded, expression set with determination. "Alright then, it's off to Cairo we go. Time to go rescue my brother from his dumb ass boyfriend and save the world from the apocalypse."

Alex groaned, smacking his forehead in exasperation. "You know what, I retract my previous statement that our lives are something out of an action flick or superhero comic. We're actually living in a fucking soap opera."

Hank smiled wryly. "Story of our lives, yeah?"

XXXXXX

When Bill slowly came into awareness, the first thing he heard was Erik humming the German lullaby of his youth as a hand gently stroked his hair. His head laid against his chest and his body held in a loving embrace. For a moment, he thought the events of the day were just a dream.

That Magda and Nina were not actually dead. That Erik and his family had safely arrived at the mansion where he spent the night for the first time in a month.

Then he registered the feeling of rocks against his legs and his eyes snapped open to take in a dusty blue sky. He tilted his head to lean against Erik's chest as he looked up to see his beloved's face.

"Erik?" he softly asked in question.

Erik didn't respond. His face twisted as a conflict of emotions warred across its surface though his gaze was guarded and cold. He slowly released his hold on Bill as he stood up and stepped back to join the other three horsemen by En Sabah Nur's side.

"He's awake," Erik said in a neutral tone but his posture betrayed his reluctance.

En Sabah Nur slowly walked forward till he stood before Bill, towering over the still sitting man as a serene smile stretched across his blue skinned and silver lined face. "Hello William Charles Xavier. It is a pleasure to finally meet with you face to face."

"I prefer to be called Bill, thank you very much," Bill dryly stated, "My full name sounds a bit pretentious don't you think?"

"Very well then, Bill," En Sabah Nur nodded in amusement as if he were a king smiling at the court jester for telling a funny joke.

"What do you want with me?" Bill demanded. He reached out mentally towards En Sabah Nur and the four horsemen's minds but flinched, physically recoiling when he ran into multiple fortified mental shields. "And how can you block me?"

En Sabah Nur chuckled. "It is one of the many powers I have acquired over the years. I can shield other's minds from your powers...but seeing inside a mind, influencing it, controlling it...that's your gift. And it's a truly marvelous gift," he said, voice gaining an edge of reverence bordering on obsession and psychosis. "But I am getting ahead of myself. You saw it, didn't you? Through that little girl? The glory of what's to come."

Bill glared at En Sabah Nur and turned his attention to Erik who refused to meet his eyes. "Are you really going to take part in all this death and destruction? Do away with all that we've been through these past few years like they meant nothing to you?"

"All I've known is death and destruction. A few years of playing house with a pacifist and hormonal teenagers doesn't change anything," Erik responded, voice calm with a slight tremor. He still refused to meet Bill's eyes, filled with disappointment that made him wish they were full of anger instead. "Your way doesn't work."

En Sabah Nur smiled in approval. "I've shown him a better way, a better world-"

"No you haven't," Bill angrily interjected, "You've just tapped into his rage and sorrow, accosted him during an unfortunate tragedy and used his vulnerability against him." He turned to Erik, expression softening as he gently asked, "Why are you really doing this, Erik?"

Finally, their eyes met and Erik's resolve to stay indifferent crumbled like a wet tissue in the face of Bill's pleading eyes.

"So that I can keep us safe," he stated resolutely.

Bill's expression fell in sudden realization. "You know what happened to Nina and Magda was not your fault."

"But it was, Bill. It was all my fault!" Erik exclaimed, voice choked with grief and despair, "If I hadn't saved that man then no one would have known of my abilities and they wouldn't have come to Magda's doorstep like we were back in the witch hunts of the 1400s."

"And now you want to take revenge? Again? Look how well that turned out last time! How is this going to be any different now? How is doing this going to keep anyone safe?" Bill demanded, shakily pushing himself up from the ground.

Erik scoffed. "I knew you wouldn't understand. Why do you think I spend so much time away? Because you try so hard to change who I am."

"I do not!" Bill vehemently denied, greatly hurt by the accusations. "You are who you are and I love you for that."

"No, you don't," Erik rebuked, chuckling darkly, "All I am is anger and hate and who could ever love a man like that?

"Oh Erik," Bill sighed as he made his way to Erik, raising a hand to place on his cheek, "You are more than your anger and you know that, you saw that. Don't you remember that feeling? That point between rage and serenity? There is good in you, too."

Erik turned away from his touch. "Whatever good you saw in me is gone, Bill. I buried it with the last of my family but you...you are everything good that's left in this wicked world."

"You know I'm not as good as you think I am. I still have darkness within me as well," Bill gently reminded him, feeling a bit distrubed by the warped desperation he felt from Erik.

"But you are!" Erik vehemently rebuked like he was trying to actively deny that Bill could be as flawed as every human was known to be. It was as if he had somehow forgotten that Bill was also tainted and had blood covering his hands as well. "You may not be able to see it but I can. And so can En Sabah Nur..."

"Erik, please! You're not thinking straight right now. Your mind is much too foggy to be normal. Can't you see that he's using you? Influencing your emotions and controlling you through them?" Bill asked, desperately pleading to Erik who turned his back to him.

"I'm sorry, Bill."

Bill recoiled, deeply hurt by Erik's rejection. En Sabah Nur walked over and guided Erik to stand by his fellow horsemen again.

"While this was certainly a...fascinating discussion...we have business to attend to now," En Sabah Nur interjected as he moved to tower over Bill. "You will send a message to every living mind. Tell them that this Earth will be laid to waste and that it is I, En Sabah Nur, who will wreak this upon them..." He bent over till he was within equal eye line with Bill who glared defiantly at him. "Now...deliver. My. Message."

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't reach that many minds. I don't have Cerebro or anything to amplify my powers with," Bill rebuked, standing his ground despite the fear that filled his entire being from being under the scrutiny of those dark eyes.

En Sabah Nur scoffed. "You don't need that machine to amplify your powers." He chuckled, the sound sending shivers down everyone's spines. "But...you do have me."

XXXXXX

Around the world, all living inhabitants of Earth stopped what they're doing as a presence entered their minds and a sinister layered voice began to speak in their heads.

"Hear me, inhabitants of this world...This is a message. A message to every man, woman, child, and mutant..."

People muttered to each other in confusion with fear soon overtaking them the longer the voice spoke.

"You have lost your way but I have returned. The day of reckoning is here. All your buildings, your religions, your governments, and your teachings...will be wiped clean and begun anew. For there is nothing you can do to stop what is coming..."

Meanwhile, in the field by the ruins of a mansion in Westchester, Raven and Jean jolted in shock as another voice, this one familiar instead of alien, spoke in their mind.

Raven grabbed Hank, immediately spouting off a series of coordinates to a location near the city of Cairo. A location on where her brother would be along with En Sabah Nur and his four horsemen. Hank and Alex scrambled off to get their flight preparations ready while resolutely ignoring the alien voice in their head.

"This message is for one reason and one reason alone...to tell the strongest among you, those with the greatest power..."

The sinister layered voice was suddenly replaced by Bill's calm yet determined one.

"Protect those without," He said as he glared up at En Sabah Nur in defiance. "That's my message to the world."

XXXXXX

Raven tapped her foot in agitation, eyes darting across the CIA hangar with impatience as she bit her lip to stop herself from yelling out in frustration. In the hangar, Hank, Alex, and Moira were scrambling around with their preparations. Hank and Alex were focused on the jet while Moira was focused on her information set up. Finally, after what felt like a century, everything was done and they were ready to go.

"Are you guys sure you don't want to bring some backup?" Moira asked in concern, "I mean you're going up against the first mutant and his enhanced lackeys with a stronger than average shapeshifter, a walking laser beam, and a blue furred beast. The last time you went against a mutant megalomaniac, you also had an acid spitting fairy, a shrieking Irishman, a surprisingly scary telepath, and an emotionally stunted metal bender and you still almost got your asses handed to you."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Alex sarcastically drawled.

"I'm just trying to be realistic here," Moira retorted, "And I would really like my friends and best agent to not become a smear on the Egyptian desert."

"Awww, you think I'm your best agent?" Alex said with a teasing grin.

"Not for long if you keep that attitude up," She threatened.

"Thank you for your concern, Moira, but we'll be fine," Raven interjected.

Moira frowned, her brow pinched with concern. "Promise?"

"Cross our hearts and hope to not die," Raven solemnly said.

"Alright, then I'll leave you to save the world and get our boys back," Moira nodded firmly.

"Just another Tuesday, eh?" Alex jokingly nudged Hank.

Hank growled irritably. "More like a Wednesday."

Alex nodded sagely. "Fair enough. Now let's go stop the apocalypse."

"Famous last words," Moira muttered under her breath as she sat herself down before her multiple screens while the others boarded the jet.

None of them noticed the group of teenagers booking it across the hangar and into the open hold of the jet. Hank glanced back as the sudden scents of caffeinated sugar and bad decisions caught his attention. But he saw nothing and returned his attention to the controls, thinking it was just nerves.

Meanwhile, Jean sighed in relief, lowering her hand as Jubilee and Peter bumped fists. Wanda looked like she wanted to smack them both for celebrating too early and Kurt's head whipped around frantically at the fear of discovery while Scott tried to keep him calm.

Soon the jet took off and they were on their way to Cairo with a flight time of only three hours thanks to the enhancements Hank had done in his, rather limited, spare time.

Halfway through the trip, Raven stretched her arms as her joints popped from being in a stationary position for so long. She unbuckled herself and stood from her seat, slowly walking towards the hold. Alex rose to join her as he cracked his back with a satisfied groan.

The teens that had been chilling in the hold, panicked when they saw her approach. They all frantically looked around for places to hide while Jean quickly reached out to stop Raven and Alex from seeing them standing out in the wide open space.

Fortunately for them, Jean's influence managed to erase the flailing teens from Raven and Alex's keen senses. Unfortunately for her, Raven was acutely aware of when a telepath messed with her mind, courtesy of all the practice Bill had done when they were both still experimenting as kids.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion at the foreign touch on her mind. Then she groaned in realization. "Really Jean?"

Alex jerked in surprise. "I'm sorry, did you say Jean?" He looked around the still empty hold in bewilderment. "Where-" Then a realization dawned on him and he scowled heavily. "Jean, I swear to all the higher powers in existence that you better be the only one here or a certain someone's going to be grounded for the rest of his life."

The illusion of emptiness that Jean fought to keep up fell down to reveal a group of sheepish and guilty looking teens. Alex and Raven stared at the six teens who looked torn between escaping a flying jet or talking their way out of eternal punishment.

Raven's arms crossed with hands curled into fists that were moments away from either choking someone or punching the jet's metal walls. Considering that Hank would banish her to the couch if she hurt his precious baby and Bill would give her the patented disappointed parent look for hurting children, she restrained herself from committing either action.

"Please give me three good reasons why I shouldn't get Hank to turn this plane around right now," she managed to say through gritted teeth.

The six teens exchanged looks among each other, a telepathic conversation flowing between them courtesy of Jean. They nodded once they came to an agreement and Jubilee stepped forward as their representative since she was the only eloquent speaker least likely to get murdered on the spot.

"Alright so reason numero uno is that you're already more than halfway to Cairo so what's the point in wasting time in dropping us off or turning around," Jubilee said, ticking a finger up in count.

"Numero deux is that even though we all know you're very capable, three regular mutants against a super powered mutant and his roided posse doesn't exactly spell the greatest of odds for Earth and we kinda like the world the way it is right now," she said, ticking another finger up in count.

Then she pulled up a third finger and shoved all three in Raven's face. "And di san, the prof would throw the greatest "I'm disappointed in you" hissy fit regardless of whether you tossed us out of this plane right now or take us with you to Cairo so you might as well let us come along so at least you'll be alive to receive said hissy fit."

A standoff ensued between the two groups, neither side willing to give in or back down.

"She has a point," Alex muttered to Raven, breaking the silence. She shot a look of betrayal at him. "What? She does."

"Please Raven, let us help," Jean pleaded empathetically, "The Professor didn't just reach out to you but to me as well. He's done so much for me and I'm not willing to be left behind when I know I can help. The others feel the same as well."

Scott, Jubilee, Peter, Wanda, and Kurt all nodded along vigorously in agreement.

"The Professor was the one who found me and gave me a home...a future," Jubilee said, "I will always be thankful for that and if he's in trouble, no way am I not going to go help him out."

Jean reached out and took her hand, the other girl smiled in gratitude.

"Professor Xavier helped me see again while giving me a way to control my powers," Scott said, "If I have the chance to help, I'm going to take it no matter the risk."

Alex sighed, shaking his head with fond exasperation. He shrugged in a 'what can you do' way, having already expected some sort of reckless behavior from his little brother.

"The Professor was the one who sent you to save me didn't he?" Kurt asked, "If he didn't then who knows where I would have ended up."

Raven frowned, feeling her resolve at standing firm in the face of these teenagers beginning to crumble at their determination which strongly reminded her of when it was them in the younger generation's place.

"Honestly, we don't know this Professor dude," Peter said. "We just wanna have a word with our daddy dearest and the best way to do that is join you guys."

"But he sounds pretty cool, not gonna lie," Wanda quickly interjected, giving her twin a look, "And it's always better to have some extra back up then none at all."

"Wait, wait, wait," Alex said, waving his hands to put a pause on the current conversation. "Daddy dearest who?" Then realization dawned on him, horror following soon after. "No."

Wanda and Peter nodded empathetically.

"Erik? Really?" He asked, surprise not even beginning to cover what he was feeling. Then he gasped as a sudden thought arose and he turned to Raven with wide eyes. "Wait, does Bill know about this? Did Erik cheat on him?"

Raven smiled wryly. "Of course he does. He's not the world's strongest telepath for show. Besides, it's not like Erik cheated intentionally. They were conceived when he was still on his 'Death to Shaw' revenge trip."

Alex nodded slowly. "Well that answers one question. But Erik's never struck me as a deadbeat dad..."

"Well..." Wanda looked away hesitantly, "To be fair, our mother didn't exactly...tell him we existed..."

Alex's mouth opened and closed, like a fish gasping for water. Then his jaw shut with an audible click and he shook his head. "You know what, we can deal with this soap opera bullshit later. For now, we need to focus on saving Bill, smacking some sense into Erik, and stopping the apocalypse from happening."

Raven opened her mouth to protest but Alex interjected. "Oh come on, Raven. They have some good reasons for their involvement. As much as we don't want them to risk their lives, we'd be hypocrites if we stopped them now. Remember our first mission?"

"But that's-" she started to say but cut herself off with a heavy sigh. "I can't believe I'm actually agreeing with you. But fine, fine!"

The teens all exchanged gleeful looks and high fives but a sharp look from Raven stopped them in their tracks.

"You all better obey everything we say no matter what. No if's or but's or questions of any kind or else I really will toss you off this plane without hesitation," She hissed at them in warning.

They all nodded vigorously in fear. She sighed again, kneading her forehead to stave off the growing headache that appeared.

"Hey guys! Everything alright back there?" Hank called out from the cockpit, "I'm hearing a lot of shouting and can smell something that reminds me of caffeinated sugar and bad decisions."

"Well that sums up a teenager rather nicely wouldn't you say?" Alex nudged Raven jokingly.

Raven rolled her eyes at him but she's smiling in amusement. "Everything's fine Hank!" She called out in answer, "Just reenacting our first mission way back when against Shaw."

Hank whirled around to look at them in surprise. "What?" Then his surprise grew to include shock when he spotted the group of teens waving cheekily back at him. "What?!"

The jet tilted dangerously from his inattention.

"Hank! The plane!" Raven called out as they all started falling to the side of the jet from the unforgiving force of gravity.

Hank quickly righted the jet much to everyone's relief. "Better strap yourselves in guys, cause I've got a very strong sense of deja vu and I am not liking it at all."

Everyone looked out the front window to see what he was talking about. The sight of lightning storms, tornados of sand, and streams of debris traveling towards a giant pyramid structure that put even the Great Pyramids of Giza to shame greeted them. They all shared a look with each other before scrambling for their seats, strapping themselves in just as they entered the violent air space.

"Hang on tight cause we're in for a bumpy ride!" Hank cried out as the effects of the supernatural weather struck the jet in full force.

XXXXXX

That sense of deja vu became a retelling of history when the jet crash landed on the sandy plains of the Egyptian desert.

The nine mutants slowly removed themselves from their seats before they carefully made their way out of the banged up but thankfully still functional jet. A quick once over revealed that no one had been seriously injured beyond a few bumps and bruises. Jubilee grinned cheekily at Jean as she lightly commented about mutant durability which had the red-haired girl smiling gratefully for her levity.

The group wandered through the destroyed streets of Cairo. The younger mutants looked sadly at the ruins of the once lively place with buildings in pieces and belongings hastily discarded.

Jubilee gasped and Jean turned away to hide her face in Scott's shoulder as he held her close when they came across the dead bodies of a family. The sight of the parents draped protectively over two children had the twins clutching each other's hands in support as Kurt muttered a quick prayer in respect. Alex sighed in resignation while Hank shook his head mournfully.

Raven looked up at the giant pyramid in the heart of the city with lines of rubble floating towards it. Her gaze hardened and her expression was set with determination. She gestured for them to continue on and they quietly followed her silent orders.

The group slowly navigated their way through the streets, using the ruins as cover for whenever any of the other three horsemen suddenly appeared or flew over on patrol. Eventually, they ducked behind a large wall just a block away from where Erik hovered in the middle of a magnetic field with metal scraps circling ominously around him. Nearby was the entrance to the giant pyramid where they managed to spot the blue figure of En Sabah Nur walking inside while Bill hovered beside him in a prone position that the telepath struggled to break out of.

"Alright, so here's the plan," Raven started to say.

Alex gave her a confused look. "Wait, we're actually coming up with a plan? Wouldn't it be better to wing it and hope for the best because our plans never work out or are so terrible and convoluted there was no point in having one in the first place?"

"Well that doesn't sound...encouraging," Scott commented with a worried expression.

"Now I'm starting to understand why Professor Xavier is so gung ho about exercising our strategic and critical thinking skills," Jubilee muttered under her breath.

Jean and Kurt both chuckled nervously as the twins deadpanned.

"We are so doomed," Peter stated.

"Oh come on, guys! Ye of little faith," Raven exclaimed in exasperation.

"Sorry, Raven but I have to agree with Alex here," Hank said apologetically.

"Who's side are you on, Hank? Don't forget who wears the metaphorical pants in our relationship," Raven hissed indignantly, "And yes, we have a plan. The wonder twins and I will go to Erik to get him to see reason and flip sides. The rest of you will be distracting the other three horsemen while Jean and Kurt steal Bill away before Apocalypse can do anything about it."

They all blinked at her in surprise.

"That's...actually not a terrible plan," Hank said with a look of love-struck awe.

Raven threw her hands up in exasperation. "As much as I want to throw hands with you all right now, we have things to do and a world to save from another power hungry, humanity extinguishing, god complex mutant."

"Wait, another?" Wanda asked in complete bewilderment. "What do you mean by another?"

"That's a story for another time. Now come on people, vamanos," Raven ordered.

Hank, Alex, Jubilee, and Scott rushed out into the open to draw the attention of the three patrolling horsemen.

"Hey assholes!" Alex shouted, waving his arms around like a madman, "Guess what? You burn our house down, we're gonna blow yours up!"

"Is that really the best you can do, Havok?" Hank dryly asked.

"Oh hush, Beast. It's not like you're any better when it comes to insults," Alex retorted.

"Havok? Beast?" Scotts parroted in confusion.

"Oh! Oh! Are those your codenames? Does that mean we're gonna get codenames?" Jubilee asked as sparks started to come out of her hands from excitement. "Can I go with Jubilee cause it's already my nickname and everything?"

Hank stared at her, dumbfounded. "Umm..."

"How about we put a pin on that cause we've got some company now," Alex called out, drawing the others' attention to the three horsemen that appeared before them on a nearby rooftop. "Nice of you to join us," he called out with a cocky smirk. "Mind telling us your names? I've just been calling you Neon Spice, Punk Spice, and Babyface Spice in my head."

One of the horsemen, Storm, tilted her head in confusion, wondering what the hell Alex was going off about. She looked to Angel and Psylocke in question. Angel shrugged cluelessly at her and Psylocke just mouthed 'Neon Spice' while looking highly offended.

"Wow, really guys? You don't know about the Spice Girls?" Alex asked, shaking his head in mocking disbelief, "Man, talk about the next generation growing up without any taste in culture."

"I also don't know who these Spice Girls are," Kurt quietly muttered to Jubilee.

"Just another thing to add on my list of things to educate you about when the world's not ending," She muttered back.

Hank dropped his head into his hands with a groan. "How am I friends with you? Don't you have any better insults?"

"Have some faith in me, bozo," Alex cheekily remarked, "This next one's really gonna rile the younger ones up." He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Poor taste aside, you three don't seem tough at all. I bet you can't do jack shit without your blue man overlord there to hold your hand. Why don't you kids go back to your mamas' basement?"

True to his words, Storm and Angel glared murderously at Alex before launching into the air and racing down towards him with the intent to maim. Storm unleashed a stream of lightning that Alex was quick to counter with a plasma beam. She dodged out of the way as Alex stayed in place, allowing the lightning to strike the ground around him, missing him entirely. Scott joined his side and aimed his own ocular beam at Angel who's knocked out of the air by the force of the blow.

Psylocke shook her head, muttering petulantly under her breath about how she swapped one babysitting job for another and she's not even getting paid this time. Then she leapt off the rooftop to join the fight, pulling a neon purple plasma blade out as she stuck the landing. She charged with her blade pointed towards Jubilee who flicked her hands to make fireworks spark dangerously at Psylocke who threw her arms up to protect her face. Then she's knocked into a nearby building by Hank who Jubilee stopped to exchange a fist bump with before both charged at the enraged horseman who now held two neon purple plasma blades in her hands.

With the two groups locked in combat, the others were in the clear for their respective duties. Raven urged them all forward. She and the twins left their cover to make a beeline for Erik. Kurt grabbed Jean by the shoulder and teleported them to the entrance of the pyramid.

Unfortunately, it was at this moment that Angel rose back into the air and spotted Kurt.

"YOU!"

"You two know each other?" Jean asked, looking at Kurt in bewilderment.

Kurt fidgeted sheepishly. "Let's just say there was an illegal underground fight club and leave it at that, da?"

"You took everything from me!" Angel shouted at Kurt in growing rage, "And now I'm gonna make you pay!"

"Rahat!" Kurt cursed, turning to shove Jean inside the pyramid entrance, "You go on ahead. Save the professor. Leave the horsemen to us."

Jean gave a firm nod. "Stay safe, Kurt." Then she turned away to rush inside.

"You too, Jean," Kurt said as he looked up to Angel charging towards him, deadly razor sharp wings at the ready. He teleported away before Angel could reach him and the horseman let out an enraged roar before chasing after the teleporting mutant.

XXXXXX

"Erik!" Raven cried out as she and the twins managed to climb up to where Erik hovered in the middle of his magnetic field. Metal debris floated precariously around them. "What the hell are you doing, you absolute, complete idiot of a man?!"

Erik ignored her, eyes closed in a trance as he continued to hold his hands out towards the floating paths of metallic debris.

Raven growled, her patience for the man before her quickly plummeting to negative numbers. "Erik!" she shouted forcefully. When he still didn't respond, she angrily screeched, "ERIK! Open your damn eyes and answer me right now or so help me, the next time my brother sees you it will be in a coffin!"

Wanda and Peter slowly inched away from the infuriated blue scaled mutant in fear. She was one second away from committing murder via spontaneous combustion through her burning glare that put Scott's ocular beam to shame. However, her angry screeching seemed to do the trick and drew Erik out of whatever trance he'd fallen into. But there was a foggy, almost distant look in his eyes as if he was aware but not quite all there.

He looked at her in complete bewilderment. "Raven? What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, then he glanced over to the twins who stiffen when his incredulous gaze fell on them. "And you brought a pair of children with you? To a warzone?"

Raven scoffed. "Oh like you're one to talk. Don't try to act all high and mighty now, not after all the shit you're still pulling even as we speak." She angrily smacked her hands against the magnetic field, not even missing a beat when the force repelled her. "What the hell do you think you're doing anyways?"

"I'm protecting us," he stated, head tilted in confusion as if he couldn't understand why she was asking him this.

"From what?" She asked as she waved a hand out towards all the destruction that took place in the middle of Cairo. "How is all of this destruction supposed to protect anyone?"

He shook his head at her like she was a child throwing a tantrum. "This was a hard decision for me to make. You wouldn't understand."

"Of course I don't understand!" she cried out. "I don't understand how you think destroying the world is protecting anyone at all! I don't understand how you could allow another power hungry 'better than thou' mutant with an ego the size of a galaxy to dictate the choices you make in life! And I especially don't understand how you could betray Bill like this! He loves you, god knows why considering how much of a moron you can be, but he does!"

"I'm not betraying him! I'm protecting him!" Erik shouted in growing rage and the magnetic field fluctuated with his emotions. "After what happened to Nina and Magda, I was shown the error of his ways and how it can be used to strike him down just like they were. I was given the power to protect the only family I have left by reshaping the world so that no one will ever be able to destroy the pure good within it ever again."

Raven gaped at him like she couldn't believe how stupid he was. "Are you kidding me?" she screeched, "Bill is far from pure and even he has trouble being good sometimes, I thought you knew that after all the shit we've been through! But that's not the point. Apocalypse is just using you, Erik! He's an ancient old fart with blue skin and way too many powers than should be legally allowed who doesn't give two shits about what you want other than how he can use your desires against you!"

She gestured towards Alex and Hank who were fighting alongside Scott and Jubilee against the other horsemen. "Your family isn't just Bill. We're also your family too! Me, Hank, Alex, Darwin, Angel, Sean, Moira...and we're all fighting to protect what matters to us."

She pinned him with a harsh glare that had him flinch in response. "We're not going to let another mutant like Shaw destroy everything we'd worked so hard for."

Then her harsh expression softened as she glanced over to Wanda and Peter who had been silent during the entire exchange. "Besides...you have more family than you realize."

XXXXXX

Bill continued to struggle for release from his prison as they traveled further into the pyramid and entered a large room with two pedestals situated in the center. When it was clear that there was no obvious way for him to break out barring a miracle, he decided to default to his usual method for conflict resolution.

"What are you even hoping to accomplish?" He demanded. "A world of peace? Through violence, death, and destruction?"

En Sabah Nur glanced down at him, looking at Bill as if he'd just said something stupid but still highly amusing.

"In order to remake the world to achieve the ideal image of peace, destruction is required. Then it's needed to keep that peace in check," he gently said in the same way a teacher would lecture a slow child who'd been told the same lesson hundreds of times over but it still hadn't sunk in yet.

"What you're creating is not an image of peace but a world of fear," Bill bitingly retorted. He has grown very tired of having to deal with megalomaniacs who think fear and destruction were the only ways to get things done.

He had already dealt with two of them, no need to add a third to that list. Then he frowned to himself...two maniacs? Sebastian Shaw was most certainly one of them but...who was the one before him? His attention quickly returned to En Sabah Nur when the first mutant let out a borderline psychotic laugh.

"Your young age shows very well, Bill," he remarked in amusement, "You still hold onto the naive idealism of youth despite the warnings and teachings of your elders. Optimism and idealism is all well and good but fear is what's needed to achieve peace."

Bill didn't bother to rebuke his claims as there was no point in arguing with someone who clearly had a few screws loose in the head. Instead he settled for the next best thing...good ol' denial. "You won't get away with this. You will be stopped."

"I hope you find your final lodgings comfortable," En Sabah Nur said, clearly ignoring Bill's cliche retort. "I'll be sure to take good care of your abilities."

"I beg your pardon?" Bill asked, bewildered by the other's words.

He's unceremoniously dropped onto a solid gold pedestal table with carved lines running from its flat surface down to the ground before spreading throughout the interior of the pyramid. The cocoon still restrained him as En Sabah Nur walked over to the other pedestal table only a few feet away and lay down upon it.

The carved lines on the walls began to fill with molten gold, slowly slithering down to the ground and towards the two pedestals. The gold lines traveled up the flat surfaces as the pedestals levitated into the air, the liquid gold following after it until they connected with the solid surface.

A blinding pain burst in Bill's head as a connection between his mind and En Sabah Nur's was forcefully made. He screamed as the invasive presence of the other mutant slowly crawled into his very being, like wires forcefully shoved into ill-fitting sockets. One by one each connection replaced and overwrote everything that made Bill who he was. Memories of his life flashed before his eyes as they slowly faded to dust, disappearing into the wind as the connection grew stronger and stronger. His eyes fluttered shut as they rolled back in his head, mouth falling open as the transference ceremony continued.

Just before he lost his very sense of self, a fearful cry broke through the fog enveloping his mind.

"Professor!"

Bill sluggishly blinked through the pain as his vision swam, bleary and unfocused. He could barely make out the figure of a young red haired woman who was frantically yelling at him. She grabbed his shoulders, trying to shake him into awareness but he could hardly feel the motion, vision beginning to fade again. Then he breathed in sharply when her hand touched his head and everything became clear again.

"Professor!" Jean cried out in relief when she saw the fog clearing from his eyes.

He blinked and stared at her wide-eyed. "Jean?" He slurred out in question.

"It's okay, Professor. I've got you now," she reassured.

"Jean...T-The connection," he sluggishly mumbled out as she placed her other hand on his head.

She used her telepathy to create a barrier within Bill's mind to shield him against the transference. But she wasn't strong enough to force En Sabah Nur out without causing severe brain damage.

"Let's get you out of here now, Professor," she calmly stated, quickly sending out a message to Kurt for him to come hither immediately.

Not even a second later, Kurt appeared beside them in a puff of blue smoke. He grabbed hold of Jean and Bill before teleporting them to the inside of the jet where they landed in an ungraceful pile of limbs. Without missing a beat, Jean sent out more messages to everyone still confronting the four horsemen.

'We've rescued the Professor but don't come running here right away. We don't know how long Apocalypse will be down and the Professor needs all the time he can get to recover so Kurt will come get you all,' she grimly stated.

She looked over to Kurt who nodded, face set with determination. Then he puffed out of the jet leaving Jean to help Bill fight against the still present mental connection with the first mutant.

XXXXXX

Raven slumped in relief the moment Jean confirmed they managed to rescue Bill. The tension practically spilled from her body at the news that her brother had been rescued from whatever the hell En Sabah Nur was doing with him.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Erik demanded, drawing her attention back to him.

She startled a bit, having actually forgotten what she was doing a moment ago before receiving the news of her brother's safe retrieval.

"Uh...well...I mean," she stammered, flailing about for an answer. She turned to pointedly look at Wanda and Peter considering this was something that would affect them more than her. Erik followed her gaze.

Wanda shrunk in on herself, not liking the attention one bit. Peter crossed his arms defensively as he shifted to block his sister from view.

"What're you looking at us for?"

Raven jerked her head towards Erik. "What'd you think I'm looking at you for? Tell him!"

Peter snorted derisively. "Oh hell no. I ain't telling shit to the guy who decided to side with a megalomaniac asshole," he retorted, "Why don't you tell him? He's like your brother or something, right?"

"Not officially," she admitted with a frown and a glare, "Though he'll definitely be dead meat soon if he continues to make poor life choices. Besides, this isn't my thing to tell."

"But you're so much more eloquent with words and shit," Peter whined with all the brattiness the teenager could muster. Wanda peeked her head out from behind his protective frame and nodded vigorously in agreement before ducking back.

"And you're the one who's directly affected by this so put on your big boy pants and just tell him!" Raven rebuked, growing exasperated by each passing moment.

"Oh and how do you expect me to tell him?" Peter sarcastically remarked, "Hi there sir, nice to meet you in the middle of the apocalypse. By the way, we're the end result of what happens when alcohol and poor life decisions mix together with a side of forgetting to wear a sleeve when you should've."

Erik frowned in confusion. "Wha-"

"We're your children!" Wanda blurted out, slapping her hands over her mouth in surprise as if she couldn't believe she'd just said that.

Everyone gaped at her with varying degrees of surprise and shock.

She meekly lowered her hands and said, "We're...your children..."

Raven laughed sheepishly when Erik whipped his head around to pin her with a glare. "Congrats!" she weakly exclaimed, "It's a boy AND a girl."

"Excuse me? Is this a joke?" Erik asked, looking thunderous at the shapeshifter. "I knew you were angry with me for my decisions but to do something like this? You haven't crossed a line, you've completely obliterated it."

Raven sighed, having completely expected this reaction but the cat's out of the bag and there's no putting the genie back in the bottle. "It's not a joke, Erik," she firmly stated, expression deadly serious.

"Of course it is!" He exclaimed in denial, "It's all just a part of your strategy to throw me off and knock me out of the game when I'm at my most vulnerable. These two may be children but they're certainly not my children."

Wanda cringed, ducking behind Peter and clutching at his jacket for protection. Peter scowled, ticked off by how rude their "dad" was being to his precious sister.

"Look old man!" he angrily exclaimed, "I couldn't give two shits if you believe us or not. My sister and I have gotten through life just fine without you so whatever. Go to hell or something like that."

Erik stared at him, wide-eyed and speechless.

Then Kurt appeared in a puff of blue smoke, startling everyone with his sudden appearance. "We have to go, guys."

"Finally," Peter scoffed, "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

"Ummm..." Wanda mumbled, shuffling out from behind Peter to stand before Erik. "I know you probably don't believe us but...we are your children and our mother, Zehra Maximoff...she says hello and that she's sorry for not telling you about us when she had the chance. Also..."

Her hands began to fidget, scarlet wisps appearing from her growing nervousness. "Even though my brother would never say it, we both hope you'll stop all this needless death and destruction since I'd really like the world to stay the way it is so I can finally make some friends..."

"I second that," Peter chimed in agreement, "You've also got so many years of child support you need to make up for so not destroying the world as we know it would be a great start."

Raven stepped forward, gaze steady and expression determined. "Look Erik. Bottom line is, even if Wanda and Peter weren't your biological children, you still have family. It doesn't just have to be blood that ties us together..."

She gestured for the twins to grab onto Kurt before returning her attention to a shaken Erik. "If you love my brother like you say you do, I hope you're willing to make the right choice," she firmly states as an ultimatum, "Before it's too late."

Then she placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder and all four of them disappeared in a puff of blue smoke. The magnetic field around Erik wavered from how shaken he was at the revelations laid before him. He turned to gaze at the pyramid of En Sabah Nur with uncertainty. The fog within his eyes was slowly but surely clearing.

XXXXXX

Back on the battlefield, Hank and Jubilee tag teamed against Psylocke. Jubilee sent sparks flying right at the plasma user's face, causing her to raise her arms in defense. This allowed Hank to close the distance and latch onto her before he threw Psylocke clear across the area and straight into a nearby building where the walls crumbled down upon her.

Alex and Scott stood side by side, plasma blasts unleashed to keep Storm and Angel at a safe distance. Storm unleashed another wave of lightning and the two brothers briefly combined their blasts into one supercharged bolt that knocked her completely out of the sky. Then they quickly shifted their combined blast at Angel, knocking him down as well. The two horsemen landed heavily on the ground with a ground shaking impact.

Kurt appeared on the field, working to teleport them back onto the jet one by one in a quick succession of blue puffs of smoke. Once he got the last of them onto the jet, he collapsed backwards in exhaustion. Jubilee and Scott placed supporting hands on him that he smiled gratefully for.

"Go! Go! Go!" Raven cried out frantically as Hank scrambled for the cockpit.

Not even a moment later, the jet started and immediately took off for the sky. All of its occupants sighed in relief, feeling the tension ease away as they finally left the destroyed ruins of Cairo. However, it seemed they might've celebrated too soon as the jet began to shake and rattle as Angel, Storm, and Psylocke attacked it. Sirens blared as the jet tipped down, rushing back to the ground at an alarmingly fast rate.

"Hank!" Alex cried out, wrapping his arms protectively around Scott and Jubilee.

"It's no use! All the systems are down!" Hank shouted as he frantically tried to maneuver the jet. "We're not gonna make it!"

Raven turned to Kurt with a manic expression. "You're gonna have to teleport us all out of here before we crash!"

"But I've never done it with this many people before!" Kurt protested fearfully.

"The ground's getting way too close!" Peter shouted, holding onto his sister who's screaming in fear.

"There's no time for second guessing, just do it!" Raven shouted as she gathered everyone together in a big huddle around Kurt.

"Ohhh..." Kurt groaned nervously as everyone grabbed onto him. Then he shut his eyes and teleported them out of the jet in a large puff of smoke.

They all reappeared in the interior of a ruined house, crashing onto the floor in a jumbled heap. Kurt slumped over, completely exhausted as Hank checked him over for any signs of deteriorating health beyond exhaustion caused by the overuse of his powers. In the distance, they could all hear the sound of the jet crashing and exploding. Peter whistled, impressed by the fiery inferno of the explosion before he let out an indignant cry of pain when Wanda slapped him for it.

Raven sighed in relief at seeing them all safe and sound but gasped when she saw her brother. Bill lay on the floor, head in Jean's lap, and was clearly not in any state to do anything. She rushed over to check on him, seeing that he was fine physically but mentally was an entirely different matter.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked Jean whose hands were placed around the professor's head.

Jean grimaced, sweat gathering at her brow as she worked her abilities into overtime to help Bill in the mental battle he was currently engaged in to break the connection with En Sabah Nur. "The transference ceremony...it got cut short...but not before a connection could be established between the professor and En Sabah Nur," she managed to say.

"Excuse me? Transference what now?" Peter asked in bewilderment.

"Can we break the connection?" Raven asked, clutching at her brother's hand fearfully.

"Uhhh guys?" Alex interjected, "Hate to break it to ya but we're still in enemy territory."

This prompted everyone to look out from the crumbling wall to see the four horsemen, barring Erik, arrive at their location. Psylocke stepped out of a neon purple portal, plasma blades drawn and at the ready as she stands ready on a nearby rooftop. Angel hovered in the air, wings beating powerfully to keep him airborne as his metallic feathers glinted dangerously in the desert sun. Storm dropped down from the sky onto another rooftop with white lightning crackling wildly in her hands.

"We really can't catch a break, can we?" Alex sighed heavily in resignation.

"When I said I got that feeling of deja vu, I didn't actually think it would mean history was going to literally repeat itself," Hank grumbled petulantly.

Raven grimaced. "It looks like we have no choice but to fight." She looked back down at Bill and squeezed his hand encouragingly, hoping that he'll be able to feel her touch despite the battle no doubt going on in his mind. Then she reluctantly let go and slowly stood up. "Jean, Wanda, Kurt."

The aforementioned teens straightened from the authority her voice commanded.

"It seems that my brother is an integral part of Apocalypse's plans so I need the three of you to stay behind to help protect him," Raven ordered with a grim expression. "And if things turn to shit, I need you to take him and escape. Don't turn back and never stop for anything because if he gets my brother, then it's game over. Understood?"

Jean and Kurt exchanged worried glances before voicing their affirmation. Wanda was hesitant but an encouraging nudge from her brother had her reluctantly agreeing as well.

Raven gave a curt nod of approval before returning her attention to the horsemen still waiting on their respective perches. "Alright then, everyone else, prepare yourselves for the fight of your lives. The fate of the world's in our hands now."

Alex, Hank, and the other three teens moved to stand beside her, expressions set with determination as they readied themselves for another confrontation. For a moment, the two groups engaged in a stare down, daring the other to make the first move. No words or banter were exchanged when both groups finally charged. Every single combatant released a savage battle cry as they rushed to meet each other in the middle.

Raven lunged with her right fist cocked back for a punch that Psylocke ducked under while raising her dual plasma blades up towards the shapeshifter's neck. The blades passed through air as Raven suddenly appeared behind the horseman with the aid of Peter, her leg raised up for a strike. She brought her leg down hard against Psylocke's back to which the horseman reacted by swinging her blades at her only for Raven to disappear again with Peter's help.

Psylocke dropped one of her blades as she held a hand out and telekinetically threw Peter straight into a wall that crumbled around him. She threw a plasma barrier up which Raven hit with her fist only to be pushed back by the rebound of her blow. Psylocke dropped the barrier and formed another plasma blade in her hand.

She aimed for a strike but was cut off when Jubilee suddenly appeared in front of her, courtesy of a smirking Peter, and unleashed an explosion of colorful fireworks. Psylocke stumbled back with a cry, arms thrown up to protect her face. Peter quickly moved Jubilee out of range as Psylocke dropped her arms and snarled, her brow pinched with irritation. Then she charged at the three of them and the battle continued anew.

Meanwhile, Alex and Scott stood firm, sending their respective plasma beams at Angel and Storm who swiftly dodged as they flew through the air. Angel unleashed a flurry of steel feathers at the brothers, forcing them to jump out of the way before they aimed their blasts again. Storm hovered in the sky, eyes glowing bright white as electricity crackled around her. Dark clouds gathered and swirled around her as she raised her arms up high. With a wordless shout, she threw her arms out and a torrent of white blue lightning struck the ground in multiple waves.

Alex and Scott rushed for cover while off to the side, Hank ran on all fours up piles of rubble. Higher and higher he climbed until he launched himself up into the air and lunged at Storm with claws at the ready and his jaw open for the kill. He knocked her out of the sky, cutting her lightning storm off and allowing the brothers to return their focus to Angel who dive bombed at them with steel wings ready to cut at any given opening.

Eventually, both sides reached a stalemate in battle, the quantity of the good guys managed to balance out the quality of the horsemen's powers. Friend and foe glared at each other across opposite sides as they took a moment to catch their breaths. The tension in the air was palpable, but there's a common thought that crossed everyone's minds.

"Hey," Jubilee said, mouth now running off only because of the adrenaline high she was experiencing, "I know this is a terrible time and setting to be asking this but...why are we even fighting in the first place?"

Everyone looked at her in confusion.

"Like, why can't we just talk it out? We're all mutants right?" she asked seriously, "Can't we all get along? You know, hakuna matata?" Then she paused to tap her chin in thought. "Or was it kumbaya?"

Scott looked at her with his brow furrowing in confusion. "Hakuna Ma-what now?"

Jubilee frowned at him. "Hakuna Matata? You know, from the Lion King?"

Scott shrugged cluelessly at that. "What's that?"

Jubilee gasped and clutched her chest as if she'd been shot. "You've never watched the Lion King?" she asked as she looked at Scott in growing horror.

"Dude," Angel suddenly chimed in, shaking his head in disappointment, "What even was your childhood? I was kidnapped and raised in a mutant fighting ring and even I've seen my fair share of Disney movies."

"My life has also not been the most fortunate but I have seen many Disney films as well," Storm admitted as she looked at Scott in pity.

Psylocke shook her head in exasperation. "I can't believe we're even having this conversation right now but I agree. The fact that you don't know the Lion King is actually kind of sad."

"Wow," Peter breathed out in surprise and a hint of awe, "Even the bad guys are agreeing with us? Damn, Disney really does bring people together for better or worse."

"You all have issues," Scott deadpanned.

"And you haven't seen the Lion King so who's the real one with issues here," Angel retorted.

"Still not me," Scott rebuked, crossing his arms defensively.

Jubilee rushed over to grab Alex by the shoulders as she looked at him in agonized disbelief. "Mr. Summers! What the hell have you been doing to your brother? How could you deprive him of a youth spent watching Disney classics?" Then she recoiled, gasping as a horrific thought crossed her mind. "Oh my god. He's probably never seen Lilo and Stitch or the Emperor's New Groove either!"

Alex sighed, running a hand down his face tiredly. "Is this really the time or place for this?"

"There's always a time and place for Disney!" Jubilee retorted, justifiably angry that he would even consider such a thing.

Alex dropped his head down into his hands and groaned. "Oh my god. What the fuck is my life right now?"

Jubilee shook her head at him in disappointment before turning her attention to Scott. She stomped over to him like a woman on a mission and jabbed a finger at his chest. He flinched when she leaned in close to snarl threateningly at him. "Listen up buddy. When we save the world, we are having a Disney movie marathon whether you like it or not."

"Uhhh..." was the only intelligible response he could give her.

Hank coughed lightly to grab everyone's attention from the "riveting" conversation onto more meaningful dialogue. "Disney aside, Jubilee does bring up a good point." He turned to face the three horsemen. "Why are we fighting? Surely you don't subscribe to the belief of a madman that the world must be destroyed and made anew do you?"

The three horsemen actually stopped to ponder this for a moment, exchanging uncertain glances with each other as an air of hesitancy settled around them. Now that they were no longer fighting Raven, Hank, and Alex noticed how the horsemen's gazes seemed to be clouded as if they were looking at the world through a foggy lens.

They exchanged looks with each other, the grim theory that the horsemen exchanged their autonomy for power seeming more and more likely at the moment. After all, given Kurt's recounting, Angel wasn't born with metal wings. Through the Summers brothers' respective plasma mutations, Psylocke's plasma felt extremely warped in comparison. And everyone with eyes were pretty sure that those metal veins along Storm's skull were definitely not natural.

Eventually, the horsemen arrived at their own individual answers.

Angel was promised overwhelming power for the weak and powerless.

Storm was promised endless riches for the poor and forgotten.

Psylocke was promised respect for the downtrodden and hopeless.

"But those are all false promises," Raven argued, "He just wants to rule the world and kill anyone who stands in his way or refuse to bow down to him."

"Indeed," Hank calmly agreed, "The methods he's using are basic scare tactics that allow him to easily influence people by preying on their fears. You shouldn't listen to someone who commands respect through fear."

Alex nodded along sagely. "We already had to deal with someone exactly like him a few years back and this here's just another version of Shaw but on enough steroids to put down an elephant."

The fog in each of the horsemen's' eyes seemed to slowly clear up the longer they spoke, common sense and logic slowly overriding the fear and intimidation that En Sabah Nur wore like a second skin. They looked to each other in growing confusion, their postures radiated hesitancy and uncertainty. However, the presence of the fog persistently stayed in the horsemen's eyes no matter how much they tried to reach them with their words.

Things took a turn when Erik suddenly appeared, floating down from the sky like an avenging angel with his cape sweeping behind him like wings. Raven tensed in anticipation, motioning for the others to prepare for the worst. She eyed him warily as he landed, frowning as she tried to parse out whether the man was now an ally or still a foe.

Then he turned to face her and she sagged in relief when she saw his eyes clear of fog and expression grim with determination.

"So you've finally come to your senses, huh?" She said, shaking her head with an exasperated smile. "I thought I was gonna have to knock it back into you."

Erik's lip quirked up at the corner as he wryly said, "My apologies. Though I wouldn't have blamed you if you did."

Raven huffed out a laugh. "You always were such a drama queen."

He smiled and turned his attention to the horsemen who eyed him in wary shock. "Please my fellow brother and sisters, there is no need for us to fight. En Sabah Nur is a deranged man who forces respect through fear rather than earning it with compassion," he said, voice clear and expression set with determination.

"He managed to play into my fear over the safety of those I love and I foolishly fell for it," he confessed with great regret, "I'll even admit that I lost sight of what truly mattered but my friends brought me back by reminding me of what truly matters."

Erik held his hand out to the three horsemen in welcome. "Please, break free and join us in our fight against him because we willingly place our faith in a man who strives for a world of peace." He smiled fondly to himself. "He may be naive at times and too optimistic for his own good, but he has a clear vision of a better future. One where there is understanding instead of fear, compassion instead of hate, and he's already making it happen with the help of his allies," He paused upon a quick reflection and shook his head. "No, his family."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Raven said as she looked upon her hopefully future brother in law with pride.

Alex whistled, impressed by the Oscar worthy speech coming out of Erik's mouth. "Now there's the charismatic bastard we've all come to know and love."

"I think love's a bit of a strong word, we tolerate him at best," Hank jokingly remarked.

"Well damn..." Peter muttered as he looked at his biological father with awe, "Now I know why our mom willingly slept with him. Dude's got a silver tongue."

"Seriously," Scott deadpanned.

Jubilee shook her head in disappointment. "Read the room, man. We don't have time for inappropriate jokes."

"Oh shut up!" Peter brilliantly retorted.

"So what say you?" Erik asked, hand still extended out towards the horsemen, "Will you continue to allow your fears to rule you or will you break away and stand courageously in the face of them, daring to take one step forward no matter what?"

The horsemen shuffled in place hesitantly, exchanging glances with a subdued air about them. Then one by one, they slowly stepped forward, the fog clearing from their eyes as they stood before Erik.

"Even though my teenage years weren't exactly a cakewalk, my childhood was even worse," Angel softly stated as the metal feathers of his wings slowly fall off one by one to reveal the white ones underneath, "En Sabah Nur reminded me a lot of my father and I guess the fear of being a disappointment is something that's defined me more than I would've liked."

"I've been on the streets for as long as I could remember, jealously watching children my age be happy with their families, fighting desperately every day just to survive long enough to live to see the next..." Storm hesitantly confessed as the metal engravings curling around her head removed themselves from her skin, "I didn't want to die as another street rat, alone and forgotten."

"I'm not going to go all kumbaya and reveal the nitty gritty of my past but...I was honestly afraid I would never be able to leave my previous situation and jumped at my first chance for escape." Psylocke huffed and shook her head with a wry smile as her plasma blades dim in intensity, "Turns out I just traded one asshole for another."

Then the fog cleared completely from their eyes and a shiver ran through their bodies as they visibly lost the enhancements granted to them by En Sabah Nur. They all collectively shook their heads to remove the last of the first mutant's control.

"WHERE IS WILLIAM CHARLES XAVIER?!" the irate voice of En Sabah Nur cried out with an energy that shook the air.

Everyone whipped around to see En Sabah Nur walking on air as he approached them from the pyramid temple. He was clearly as angry as anyone could be but despite his heated glare, his eyes were unfocused as if he were in two places at once.

Raven chanced a quick glance over to where her brother was and saw Kurt standing vigilant behind a section of wall as cover. The two caught eyes and he nodded grimly, tapping his head and knocking his fists together.

She nodded and returned her attention to En Sabah Nur.

"Over my dead body! If you want my brother, you're going to have to go through us!"

"Foolish girl!" En Sabah Nur bellowed, "You still insist on continuing to defy your god's will?"

Raven scoffed. "I don't believe in god but even if I did, they definitely wouldn't be someone like you."

En Sabah Nur sniffed, looking down upon her over his nose. "So be it." He turned to the horsemen. "Come my Four Horsemen! Crush the opposition beneath your heel so that their blood may water the land of the new world I'll create!"

The horsemen stood still and quiet, calmly meeting his irate gaze.

"Horsemen! To me!" He bellowed as he held a hand out with his palm up and fingers curled as if prepared to crush something.

"Mmmm, that's gonna be a big no from me," Angel said with a shrug.

"Same here," Storm nodded in agreement.

"Ditto," Psylocke flatly stated with arms crossed in boredom.

Erik didn't bother to respond, merely smirking defiantly at the speechless En Sabah Nur. The first mutant closed his outstretched hand into a fist and made a short pulling motion as if trying to use his connection to the horsemen to force them to obey. However, there was no visible reaction from them and it dawned on him that he's lost control.

He growled viciously at them. "Very well then. You have made your bed and now I will have you lie in it."

"Bring it on, asshole! We're going to bring an end to the apocalypses right here and now!" Raven defiantly shouted.

Without another word, the mutants all charged at En Sabah Nur who met them with a savage war cry. The fight commenced and while both sides engaged with everything they had, it was quite clear that En Sabah Nur held the edge over them in terms of combat prowess. However, all hope was not lost because it was also clear that his abilities didn't carry the same intensity as when they all first met him. This was because he was fighting two battles at once, a physical one against his traitorous brethren and a mental one against Bill.

XXXXXX

In the surreal mental world of grey fog and shifting blue shadows, Bill and En Sabah Nur locked hands as they gritted their teeth and engaged in a physical struggle of mind over matter. Neither side was willing to give in as they pushed against the other with all their mental might. Then the building power behind their clash broke and forced them back a few meters apart.

Both stared the other down, Bill in determination and En Sabah Nur in growing anger. The battle between them was at a stalemate. The mental tug of war was going nowhere as neither side was willing to concede but they also had no way of gaining an edge over the other.

They pushed off and rushed at each other again, locking hands and pushing with all their might. For a moment, it seemed as if the building force of their clash was going to snap again. Then En Sabah Nur jerked in surprise as his physical self was assaulted with a lightning charged plasma beam courtesy of the combined power of Alex, Scott, and Storm. Bill took advantage of his momentary lapse to gain the edge over the mental battle.

He set about taking control of the mental space around them, manipulating and shaping it to conform to his will. Piece by piece their surroundings warped and distorted until a blue tinted atrium of the Xavier Mansion took form around them. Now in a space controlled completely by him, Bill released his hold on En Sabah Nur's hands and cocked his right fist back. He struck the first mutant hard and fast across his blue skinned face. En Sabah Nur grunted as he stumbled back from the force of the blow. Then Bill rode the momentum and struck his fists out, each blow forcing En Sabah Nur's head back from the impact until a particularly harsh left hook knocked him down to his knees.

Bill breathed harshly as he caught his breath, bringing his right fist back for another blow that would finally break the connection between the two. However, just as his fist was about to make contact, En Sabah Nur's hand shot up to catch it. Nervous sweat began to trail down Bill's neck as En Sabah Nur slowly raised his head to meet Bill's eyes with a devious grin.

The space around them violently trembled. Bill looked around in confusion that grew into fear when his attention was drawn to the sudden pressure around his caught fist. He watched in horror as En Sabah Nur slowly grew in size, pushing Bill down to his knees and then flat onto his back as the first mutant's hand became large enough to crush his body.

Bill choked as gold lines appeared on the other's skin, slowly trailing down his body towards where Bill lay helplessly underneath his grasp. The mental space continued to violently tremble, threatening to come undone at the seams. If something wasn't done soon, then Bill would lose all sense of his individual self to the first mutant and his family's efforts would all be in vain.

With what little was left of his strength, he reached out to the closest mind within his reach.

'Jean…' he desperately pleaded, 'Help me…'

'I'm here, Professor! I'm here!' Jean's voice cried out frantically.

Bill could vaguely feel her grab his hands with one hand and place another against his feverish forehead. Her touch instantly cooled him and the violent tremble began to calm.

'I'm here for you Professor,' Jean calmly reassured him, 'I'll support you just like you've supported me. You're not alone.'

Despite the boost her powers provided, it still wasn't enough. The destruction of the space around Bill and En Sabah Nur may have come to a halt but the first mutant was still moments away from achieving his goal.

Sensing that more was needed, Jean turned her attention to Wanda.

"Please," she asked with a hint of desperation, "Help me help him."

Wanda clutched at her chest fearfully. She'd never done anything major with her powers beyond the occasional brother wrangling and basic levitation. She had seen the deadly consequences of what her abilities could do when she was young. The fear that took hold of her after seeing the horrified faces of everyone around after she had almost wiped a kid from existence simply because he was hurting her brother. Her family had to move because of the violent backlash against them for her unintentional actions and she'd been hiding away ever since.

"N-No," she stammered out tearfully, "I can't. My powers can only destroy, it can't help."

Jean only smiled softly in understanding because she understood. She was just like Wanda, still was sometimes in how insecure she felt about her control over her abilities.

She only wanted to protect her parents from the truck that was about to crash into them that faithful afternoon drive. It was the first time she'd used her abilities so she had no control and ended up flipping the car, crashing it into a tree. Her mother died before emergency services arrived and her paralyzed father condemned her for what happened. All she wanted to do was protect her family and she'd lost them instead. If the professor hadn't come the day her father disowned her, she doesn't know where she'd be now.

"I know you're scared, Wanda. In fact, I know all too well what you're feeling," she said empathetically, "You feel scared because you know how destructive your abilities can be. You feel angry because you didn't ask for your abilities and all it's done is curse you with tragedy. You feel lonely because you don't think anyone will ever understand or truly love you because of them. But most of all, you feel helpless because all you wanted to do was to protect the ones you love and you couldn't even do that without hurting them instead."

Wanda trembled, biting her lips as she tried to hold back her tears. Jean's words hit deep within her and resonated but still...

"You're not alone, Wanda," Jean continued, "The Professor helped me find control, he helped me overcome my fears even though it will always be an ongoing battle." Then she smiled as realization washed over her. "But most importantly, he helped me learn to forgive myself."

She stretched a hand out with the palm facing up towards Wanda. "Please Wanda. Don't let your fear get the best of you. We all fear what we don't understand. But we don't let that control us because we are stronger than our fear and even if fear threatens to overwhelm us again, we'll be strong enough to overcome it."

Wanda looked to Jean's outstretched palm and eyed it hesitantly. Then, ever so slowly, she stepped forward and grasped it. Jean smiled reassuringly as she guided Wanda to sit beside her and lend her strength. Both girls closed their eyes as they focused on sending what power they could to Bill's aid.

Bill gasped in surprise as he felt their strength course through him. En Sabah Nur's eyes widened in disbelief as his form slowly shrunk and Bill pushed his hand off. The tables have turned once again and Bill had regained his advantage. However, the power from both Jean's uniquely powerful telepathy and Wanda's reality warping abilities caused the mental image of the mansion's atrium to rapidly deteriorate.

Pieces of the walls slowly peeled away and dissipated to nothingness. Behind the plaster and drywall was a curved cement wall with unidentifiable fluids dripping down its sides. The floor beneath them also came undone. Planks of wood were stripped away to reveal a murky watery surface underneath.

Barriers that Bill didn't even know he'd built were slowly coming undone to reveal a darkness that he'd only ever been unconsciously aware of. He struggled to keep control as the atrium disappeared completely, leaving him and En Sabah Nur standing in the middle of a sewer tunnel not unlike the one that haunted his childhood dreams and prompted him to write his first horror novel.

A flash of yellow from a small raincoat caught Bill's eye and his heart lodged itself in his throat as the raincoat drifted in the water with a waxed paper boat trailing after it. A faint laughter echoed through the space and the almost supernatural quality of the sound caused an all-consuming fear to grip his heart and lock his body in place. Three bright orbs circled together as they hovered sinisterly above them.

Outside of the mental space, En Sabah Nur had regained some traction in his fight against the other mutants. He hadn't used any of his more destructive abilities but was still strong enough to knock anyone down. Kurt switched his nervous gaze between the battle going on outside and the still figures of Jean, Wanda, and Bill.

Jean and Wanda both gritted their teeth with strained expressions as they continued to focus on providing their assistance to Bill in his ongoing mental battle. There's a faint red glow around the girls that began to fluctuate as a dark, hazy aura surrounded Bill.

"No! Stop!" Bill shouted out desperately as he backed away from En Sabah Nur who looked at him and their surroundings in confusion. "Please! I-I can't..."

He clutched at his head as it throbbed painfully like waves crashing against anti-flood barriers. The power that was pouring through from the girls was doing no favors in calming the waves, only serving to make them more powerful. En Sabah Nur took his chance and struck out at Bill who stumbled back as the sewer tunnel trembled slightly from the unexpected blow.

The first mutant continued to strike at Bill, punching the other everywhere he could reach, not unlike what Bill had done to him earlier in their encounter. Finally, a powerful downward strike sent Bill crashing to the floor, bloody and bruised. He coughed weakly as blood trickled down from his mouth, trying to push himself off the floor but falling back down instead.

En Sabah Nur grinned as he kneeled beside Bill's prone form. "It seems you're all out of tricks now, William Charles Xavier. Now you're all alone and nothing can stop me now."

Bill could only groan as he struggled to find the energy to stand again. He squeezed his eyes shut as En Sabah Nur slowly reached out towards his head.

'You're wrong!' Jean's voice suddenly rang out.

Bill's eyes snapped open as he and En Sabah Nur turned towards the source of the sound. The scenery distorted and a bright light shone down one end of the sewer tunnel. Two figures appeared, walking out of the light and towards them. Once the figures were close enough, Bill saw that it was Jean and Wanda marching forward with heads held high in determination. He smiled weakly with pride when he saw no hint of fear in either of their eyes.

"He's not alone," Wanda determinedly stated with only a slight tremble of her lips as she glared at En Sabah Nur in challenge.

Jean locked eyes with Bill and smiled encouragingly at him. "It's alright, Professor. You don't need to be scared anymore. No fear...not anymore."

Bill's eyes widened in surprise as her words resonated deeply within him. Suddenly the sewer landscape shook violently, coming apart as the concrete walls fell apart and pieces landed in the water with echoing splashes.

"No fear, professor!" Jean shouted resolutely, "You're not alone! You're never alone!"

Their surroundings continued to violently shake, now beginning to dissipate as Bill slowly pulled himself up off the ground. When he finally stood, the sewer tunnel was gone and the yellow jacket and boat along with it. Instead, all four of them were now standing in an expansive space of black with stars littered across its surface. In the distance were two great beams of light that felt like something that connected to the universe and even extended beyond it.

They felt ancient...powerful...

They were incomprehensible to the human imagination and yet, to Bill, it felt warm...protective...familiar...

Bill reached a hand out towards the beams and something immediately connected with his mind. An ancient voice rumbled in approval as incomprehensible power flooded his very being.

With a silent shout, Bill threw his hands out and broke the connection to En Sabah Nur, finally forcing the first mutant out of his mind once and for all.

XXXXXX

All of the mutants breath heavily as exhaustion and fatigue began to settle heavily in their bodies. En Sabah Nur still stood strong before them with only a few scratches and bruises to show for their efforts. It was clear that this was a losing battle and something needed to be done to turn the tides now, otherwise, the end of the world was nigh.

Then, as if a benevolent god heard their prayers, En Sabah Nur suddenly groaned in pain. He grabbed at his head with both hands as he staggered to a halt. Not even a moment later he threw his arms out, back arched at a spine breaking angle as he howled in pain towards the heavens.

A pulse of ancient energy surged out of his body, forcing the others to throw their hands up around themselves protectively. However, the pulse passed through them without resistance, leaving a sense of tingling warmth behind as it faded away.

They all looked up in confusion that only grew when they caught sight of En Sabah Nur. The first mutant's skin was no longer the deep blue color it had been, now looking a bit ashen as he stumbled from sudden weakness in his body.

Raven quickly glanced back to see Jean and Wanda leaning against a wall in exhaustion as Kurt checked on them. She also saw her brother slowly walking forward with eyes that shone brightly from unknown power. For a moment, she felt fear over Bill's state of mind, reminded of all those times when her brother had that thousand yard stare over a past trauma he could never remember.

That fear grew when she remembered the time when something dark had possessed him during their fight against Shaw. She'll never forget that darkness, drowning his pupils and the whites of his eyes in black as a sinister light glowed from within.

She opened her mouth to call out to him in concern but her voice caught in her throat when she locked eyes with him. The eyes that stared back weren't the black pits from her nightmares of that time. Instead, his eyes were bright and clear, the irises shining with all sorts of colors. It was like the galaxy itself was in his gaze.

Raven closed her mouth as the fear disappeared to be replaced with relief. It felt like everything was going to be okay because her brother was here. Everyone turned their attention towards where she was looking and their jaws collectively dropped in surprise. However, just like Raven, they also felt a sense of relief flood their bodies upon meeting Bill's gaze. Raven returned her attention to En Sabah Nur who looked ready for another round despite his weakened state

"It's the final push, guys!" she shouted. "Let's do this!"

Everyone rushed forward to do their part in stopping En Sabah Nur once and for all. Jubilee unleashed a flurry of fireworks that served to distract En Sabah Nur as Angel grabbed Raven and carried her over to drop a devastating downward strike that sent him to the ground. Hank rushed forward to grab En Sabah Nur and threw him straight into a wall where he was immediately pinned by Psylocke's blades courtesy of Peter respectfully carrying her towards him. Scott and Alex released their plasma beams, distracting En Sabah Nur while Erik manipulated metal debris into pinning him in place. A bubble slowly began to form around En Sabah Nur, blocking the beams as his form slowly faded.

"He's trying to teleport away!" Psylocke cried out in warning.

"Not on my watch!" Storm yelled out. She unleashed a stream of lightning down on the bubble in response, causing it to dissipate just as Bill stepped within arms reach of En Sabah Nur.

Everyone watched with bated breath as Bill slowly raised his arms and placed his hands upon each side of En Sabah Nur's head. A cosmic, multi-colored aura appeared around Bill and moved to cover En Sabah Nur in its otherworldly glow.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then En Sabah Nur let out a piercing cry as his body began to crumble, skin breaking apart like a statue cracking from the passage of time. Slowly but surely, the first mutant broke apart into dust that drifted away with the wind of the desert. Soon, there was nothing left of the Apocalypse except for a small pile of dirt that quickly became one with the Egyptian landscape.

The aura around Bill faded away and his eyes flickered back into their normal color. The connection to that ancient power now gone, exhaustion and fatigue slammed down upon his body like a ten ton weight. His knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground but was caught last second by a relieved Erik.

Bill chuckled weakly. "Haven't we been here before?"

"Indeed," Erik responded with a wry grin, "Except now, there's somehow even more sand in my pants and it's already starting to irritate my skin."

Both men brought each other into a hug as they shared a laugh that had the others collapsing to their knees in relief. Exhaustion filled all of their bodies as the adrenaline from battle faded away.

"Holy shit!" Alex exclaimed as he fell onto his back and pumped his fists into the air. "We just ended the goddamn Apocalypse! Hell yeah!"

Hank snorted. "Never change, Alex. Never change."

Raven laughed as she brought the pair together into a hug as they all laughed hysterically from having just survived another life threatening encounter. Scott, Jubilee, and Peter rushed over to check on Kurt, Jean, and Wanda who'd just recovered enough from the drain of their powers. The horsemen stood awkwardly together in a trio but did exchange a few words over their respective well-being.

Erik pulled away from Bill to look at him with a regretful expression. "I'm sorry, Bill. For everything..."

Bill huffed out in fond exasperation. "Don't be," he said as his expression became mournful. "If anything, I am most sorry about what happened to Nina and Magda. It's never easy losing loved ones and to have them ripped away in such a cruel manner is just-"

"It's alright, Bill," Erik interjected, "There will be time to grieve later. For now, we should be thankful for the fact that our family has survived to live and love another day."

Bill rolled his eyes and smiled. "Always such a drama queen."

"You know you love it," Erik said with a wide grin.

Bill released a put upon sigh. "Unfortunately, I do."

Erik opened his mouth to speak but paused, looking rather reluctant to say anything else.

Bill furrowed his brow in concern, raising a hand to rest upon Erik's cheek. "What-"

"I love you, Bill," Erik suddenly blurted out unceremoniously.

Bill gaped at him in surprise. It took a moment for the words to register in his mind and when they did, he smiled lovingly at the other. "I've always known but thank you for finally saying it aloud."

Erik looked at him with a wide eyed gaze as if he couldn't help but wonder how he got so lucky to have such a wonderful man in his life. He placed a hand behind Bill's neck and brought him in for a kiss. Their silent spectators cheered loudly, a few of them wolf whistled as the two men locked themselves in a passionate embrace. Eventually, the cheering turned into outraged cries for them to get a room as the kiss lasted far longer than was comfortable in such a setting. Bill and Erik broke apart with a laugh as everyone gathered around them.

"Well then, I think it's finally time we get home, yeah?" Raven asked as she stretched her arms out, groaning as her back cracked in multiple places.

"Can we stay here for a little longer?" Alex groaned in agony, "I don't wanna deal with all the paperwork that I know is gonna be waiting for me when we get back."

Hank patted him mockingly on the back. "That's rough, buddy."

"Hold on a sec," Scott interjected, "What about them?"

Everyone shifted their attention to the three ex-horsemen who had been standing there awkwardly, not knowing whether they'd be welcome or not. Bill smiled reassuringly at them.

"I'm sure we can find a place for them. That is, if they wish to come with us?"

Angel and Storm noticeably perked up at the offer. They hesitantly walked over to join the group.

"Uhhh, thank you sir," Angel nervously said.

Bill waved a dismissive hand at that. "You don't need to be so formal. You can call me Bill or whatever variation of Professor suits you best. I have no preference."

He grinned widely at that. "Alright then, professor. My name's Warren, codenamed Angel."

"Well that's not gonna get confusing at all," Hank muttered to Raven who smacked him on the arm with a grin.

"My name is Ororo, but you can call me Storm if you wish," Ororo said with a shy smile.

"And what about you, Psylocke?" Erik called out to the plasma wielding mutant. "Care to join this merry band of misfits?"

Psylocke smiled and shook her head. "Thanks for the offer but I'll have to pass. Now that I've got all this free time on my hands, I want to go out and do my own thing."

Bill nodded in acceptance. "Of course, to each their own. But please remember that there will always be a place for you should you ever wish for it."

She nodded gratefully and a neon purple portal formed behind her. "Catch you guys later then."

She turned around and walked through the portal that disappeared the moment she stepped through.

Peter collapsed onto his knees with a loud whine. "Can we go now? I'm running on empty and need a million twinkies to get a full tank."

"Sure but how?" Wanda asked, "Wasn't the jet destroyed?"

Peter immediately turned his gaze onto Kurt in response. Kurt jerked back and started vigorously shaking his head. "No, no, no, no, no! Absolutely not!"

"Actually, I was thinking about asking the hot chick with the plasma blades to come back and help out," Peter jokingly remarked much to his sister's chagrin.

Erik frowned, crossing his arms in a move of parental disappointment. "Son, you are much too young to be thinking about the opposite sex."

"And you're too old to start parenting and necking a middle aged man like a teenager, yet here we are," Peter retorted.

"Hey!" Bill cried out indignantly. "I'll have you know I look rather good for my age."

"Of course you do, dear," Erik reassured, patting his head patronizingly.

This prompted them all to start howling and crying in laughter like one big dysfunctional family and there was nothing anybody would ever want to change about it.

XXXXXX

Bill shared a smile with Erik as they and the entire population of Xavier's School for the Gifted stood in the field where the mansion once was. There were piles upon piles of construction supplies, furniture, books, and everything that needed to be replaced neatly placed near the crowd. The giant hole that was all that was left of the mansion had been smoothed over and resurfaced by some students to allow the rest to begin rebuilding what was lost.

With a nod, Erik raised his hands up and manipulated the metal construction supplies towards the empty space. Jean grinned widely as she followed after with her telekinesis and other students with similar abilities joined in. Bill proudly watched as the mansion was quickly rebuilt to be even bigger and better than before.

By midday, the mansion was completely rebuilt and Bill unlocked the mansion doors with the key Raven had cheekily presented much to everyone's amusement.

"Alright you lot, time to sort out your rooms again," Bill remarked with a bright grin, "Then it'll be back to business as usual with lessons resuming first thing tomorrow!"

All of the students cheered, groaned, and jeered at his announcement. He laughed and turned to step past the threshold when Erik reached out to stop him.

"Erik?" He asked, looking at the other in surprise.

Erik looked away nervously, refusing to meet his gaze in a surprisingly shy manner that had Darwin knowingly nudge Alex and Sean with a grin. Hank tilted his head in confusion as Angel gasped in sudden realization when Erik reached into his pocket, fumbling around for an item.

"Erik?" Bill asked again in growing concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Ye-" Erik said in a high pitched voice before he cleared his throat and tried again, "Yes. Everything is alright. In fact, it'll be more than alright if things happen to go the way I hope they will..."

"What-" Bill started to ask before he's cut off by Erik getting down on one knee.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Raven squealed as she grabbed onto Hank's arm and started shaking him in excitement. "It's finally happening!"

"William Charles Xavier," Erik said with the utmost seriousness though his eyes betrayed the nervous energy simmering underneath. "You are the most brilliant man I've ever known with all your science degrees and horror literature pedigree. You are also the dumbest man I've ever met with your naive optimism and infuriating habit of helping others with little regard to your own well-being..."

"I have no idea if I should be flattered or insulted," Bill said, chuckling nervously at the flat look he got from Raven in response. "Right, sorry about that. Carry on."

Erik nodded gratefully to her and returned his gaze to Bill. "Before we met, I was lost on a self-destructive path to revenge. Never caring beyond achieving my selfish goals and allowing my rage to slowly consume me in return. Then I met you and you showed me that there was more to who I was than the pain I felt and the destruction I've caused. You brought back feelings that I thought I'd lost forever and for that, I will always be grateful."

Tears began to well up in everyone's eyes as they watched Erik take one of Bill's hands into both of his own, holding it like it was the most precious treasure in existence.

"Bill, I love you more than words can ever hope to describe. I want you to know that I'm glad I was given the chance to know you and hold you and help guide these amazing children with you and become a better man because of you so..."

Bill gasped, staring wide-eyed at Erik as the man pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal a silver ring with bronze designs weaving beautifully elegant patterns across its length.

"Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of our lives building a better future together?"

Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes and trailed down his face as Bill nodded with a watery smile. "Yes. I would be honored to spend the rest of my life with you, my love."

Everyone cheered and whooped in celebration as Erik took the ring out of the box and slid it onto the ring finger of Bill's left hand. He raised from his kneeling position and Bill immediately pulled him in for a kiss.

"Finally!" Darwin cried out in joy.

Angel clapped eagerly in excitement. "I'm so glad they got their shit together before we were old and grey!"

"Ha!" Sean barked out in laughter. "You owe me a hundred bucks, Alex!"

Alex scowled as he handed Sean a hundred. Then he grinned slyly and nudged Hank with his elbow. "Take notes, bozo, cause that's gonna be you and Raven in a couple years."

Hank choked as the others all laughed at him and Raven patted him comfortingly on the back.

"Man, I may have missed out on fighting another megalomaniac mutant but I'm glad I'm here with you guys now," Sean said as he pulled Alex and Darwin in for side hugs. "Ireland can get hella boring sometimes."

"How is a mutant boarding school more exciting than a castle full of ghosts and other supernatural shit?" Alex asked with a perplexed expression.

"Speaking of school, what are we going to do now?" Darwin asked, "Are we continuing on as usual?"

"I don't know," Angel said with a shrug, "Feels kind of weird if we do since we've got so much media attention on us now."

Alex snorted at that. "Now that's an understatement. The CIA is still having a field day with all the bullshit that happened with En Sabah Nur and PR's been an absolute nightmare ever since we got back. I don't think I can even look at a piece of paper without wanting to cry now."

"But it feels a bit anticlimactic to go back to business as usual, doesn't it?" Hank remarked, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"It's alright, guys," Raven nonchalantly interjected, "I talked to my brother and Erik about next steps and we've already got a plan."

Alex raised an eyebrow in question. "Care to share with the class?"

She shrugged. "Sure, it's not like we're trying to keep it a secret or anything. We've decided to start an extracurricular program for any of the students who want to get more hands-on experience with using their abilities for something good and productive."

"Like a volunteer program?" Darwin asked for clarification to which Raven nodded in response.

"That sounds like a good idea," Angel said, "It'd be good to do our part to show the world that mutants are humans too, just with a little something extra."

"Hear, hear!" Sean exclaimed with a fist in the air.

"So what's the program going to be called?" Hank asked.

Raven smiled mischievously at that.

"It's called...the X-Men."

XXXXXX

The group of teenage mutants who had the (mis)fortune of traveling to Cairo lounged about in the new and improved entertainment room of the mansion. Peter, Scott, Kurt, and Ororo were competing against each other in a brawling video game. Jean and Wanda read teen vogue magazines while Jubilee and Warren respectively styled their hair.

"So yesterday was a thing and a half," Peter idly commented as his character down-b smashed Scott's character.

"But it was really romantic and sweet," Wanda said in defense of their father.

"I wish I could have something like what the professor and Erik have one day," Jubilee sighed dreamily as she tied Jean's hair in a pull through braid.

"Yeah," Kurt sighed along with her, not even caring as his character was knocked out by Ororo.

"Oh brother," Scott wryly said, "At least we know who the romantics are in this group."

"That was great and all but..." Warren trailed off hesitantly as he tied Wanda's hair in a twisted ponytail with a few flowers added for embellishment.

Ororo paused the game much to Peter and Scott's cries of outrage. She turned to face Warren and asked, "What is it, Warren?"

Warren bit his lip and turned to Jean. "Hey Jean?"

Jean warily looked up from her magazine, already sensing what he wanted to ask. "Yeah?"

"Was the professors always like that?" he asked while waving his hands around his head.

Scott placed his controller onto the ground and turned to face her as well. "You know, I'm kind of curious about that too. I thought he was just a telepath but he turned En Sabah Nur to dust."

Peter looked over to his sister with a frown. "You guys were rooting around in his head so you've gotta have some idea as to what all that badassery was about."

"That's..." Wanda cut herself off and shared a hesitant look with Jean. Jean reluctantly nodded and she shrugged helplessly at her brother. "I don't know what that was but it felt..."

"It felt powerful, ancient almost," Jean finished for her, "Like something that'd been around since the beginning of time itself."

Peter grimaced. "So the prof is some super old immortal? Ugh, talk about a cradle robber. I regret asking now."

"Dude! Gross!" Jubilee exclaimed in disgust, launching a hair tie at Peter's head in retaliation. "Don't put that image in our heads!"

"Besides, that's not what she meant," Wanda said with a scowl, "It just felt like the professor had some sort of connection to an ancient being of power, not that he is an ancient being of power."

"Did you ask him about it?" Scott asked Jean in concern.

"I did but...he doesn't remember anything about it at all."

"Nothing?!" Scott exclaimed in surprise.

Jean nodded with a troubled expression. "Yeah, nothing. It was like everything involving that power was just wiped from his memory or rather, when I tried reading his mind it was purposefully blocked from being accessed at all."

"And when we tried to push a little more, he just got this glassy eyed thousand yard stare like he'd been possessed or something. When we snapped him out of it, he forgot the entire conversation!" Wanda added, hands fidgeting together from worry.

"Well that's not spooky at all," Jubilee remarked with a shudder.

Ororo muttered a short prayer in Arabic under her breath. Kurt and Warren both made cross gestures and shared a look of surprise when they caught the other's movements. Then they nodded in a show of religious camaraderie.

"What about the instructors? My brother? They'd know something about this right?" Scott pressed.

Wanda nodded. "We did ask them but..."

"Sean doesn't know much about the whole thing to begin with, same with Darwin who knows even less, Hank did a poor job of trying to change the subject before escaping, Angel urged us to focus on our studies instead, Alex straight up told us to drop it, Erik glared at us before stomping away," Jean responded while taking count with her fingers. Then she hesitated, "And Raven..."

"What about Raven?" Scott urged her to continue.

"She said that under no circumstances were we to ever ask the professor about anything even remotely related to it," Jean responded with a grave expression, "She said that something really bad happened during the professor's childhood. She doesn't know what exactly since she was adopted after it occurred but it was something so deeply traumatic that his mind is still protecting him from it. At least, that's the theory she's come up with."

"Is the prof gonna be okay?" Jubilee asked.

Jean and Wanda could only shrug helplessly as they all turned to see Bill happily chatting with Erik in the nearby hallway. His engagement ring glinted brightly on his finger and he's smiling as if nothing was wrong and all was right in the world.

"I don't know but..." Jean eyed the couple in concern. Her mind trailed off to the nightmare she had the night after the battle in Cairo. One in which she wandered aimlessly down a sewer tunnel, fear like she'd never felt before gripped her heart like a vice as she chased after a paper boat with the cackling laughter of a clown echoing in her ears. While not as violent as the one she had in reaction to En Sabah Nur's rising, it was still something she would never forget for as long as she lived.

"Whatever It is...it's not over yet, not by a long shot."

The teens warily watched Bill walk away with Erik, their hands intertwined as a sinister psychotic laughter, just like the one Jean heard in her nightmare, echoed in their heads.

---

And scene! Finally! J*sus Christ on a goddamn biscuit did that take way to freaking long but it's finally done! Hallelujah! Apologies for how long this chapter took. The battle against Apocalypse took me way too long to try and figure out the mechanics of since I was trying to remove the Dark Phoenix elements and incorporate It into it somehow. I'm still not sure if it turned out the way I wanted it to be but there's nothing else I can really do about it and I really just wanted to move on already so here you guys go.

Also, I'm not doing Dark Phoenix because I really just want to get to the plot of It: Chapter 2 and it also just doesn't really fit anywhere in my story's timeline so out the window it goes. So yeah, Dark Phoenix doesn't happen because Bill/Charles doesn't block Jean's memories of what happened with the car accident with her parents and as you've read, I changed those details as well.

Also, also, just like the Muschietti movies, I'm not really going to elaborate too much on the beams or the deadlights cause that's a headache and a half and I already have two headaches trying to fit It into a rebooted superhero storyline. If you guys are confused as to Bill/Charles' connection to the beams and the deadlights, my only explanation is that because of how strong his telepathy is (plus the weird fascination Pennywise has for him in the movie-verse) that a connection was unconsciously formed and affects him more strongly than even Beverly who got a face full of the deadlights. Or at least, that's how it goes in my head.

Also, also, also, after writing this chapter, I went back and edited the previous chapters to fix any plot holes that may have cropped up after getting this entire movie rewritten. Nothing too major, just a couple changes here and there.

I hope this chapter met everyone's expectations, however low they may be, and the explanations for the changes and crossovers weren't confusing. Now let's finally get moving onto the part of the story y'all have been waiting way too long for. Until next time!