Here we go, the first battle between Trask and Apocalypse's forces, and struggles between former allies turned against each other by Apocalypse. Finally, you get to see what the X-Men will use to defeat Apocalypse... though it might not make much sense now. Oh, and excuse the grammar.
Chapter Nine - Night of Fire
"They have stopped all communication?" Caliban asked his wife Callisto as they watched the Jamies work at their various screens. "Then that would mean that there is no reason to pass information through these lines."
"They're all gathered together," the real Jamie told them. "The last message we found was Trask ordering everyone to meet him in Canada. Before that, one of them found out about the Spanish base."
"They're walking into a trap," Callisto said. "Jamie, do they know about the base in Egypt?"
"Do they know?" he asked one of the other Jamies, who checked some of the stored files.
"Nope."
"There is someone else here…" Caliban told the others. "A mutant… not one I have sensed before." Sabretooth growled behind them, and they turned around, surprised, but before they could get a good look at him, he was already in midair. Callisto rolled out of his way, but he wasn't aiming for her. He grabbed Caliban and dug his claws into his cheek, then dragged his claws across his face. The dark blood flowed against the pale skin, and he clutched the wound in pain. Sabretooth grinned, and licked his claws, looking right at Jamie. Callisto jumped at him and kicked him in the face, and jumped back and kicked him in the stomach. Temporarily reeling, Sabretooth flew backwards when Callisto punched his chin. He flipped in the air and landed on his feet, then rushed for her, biting her arm and shaking violently like an animal. The Jamies cowered away from their computers as blood splattered against the monitors. Callisto fell next to Caliban and Sabretooth then turned to Jamie and his duplicates.
"What's going on down here?" Cain Marko asked. Sabretooth turned to see the enormous mutant, and Jamie ran towards him as his duplicates disappeared. Cain looked down to see Callisto and Caliban on the floor, bleeding. "You! You're gonna pay for this!" Cain yelled angrily and charged at the cat-like mutant, then began to pound at him with his massive fists. Sabretooth took the damage more easily than most, but still, Cain's strength was too much for him. There was a reason Cain was called Unstoppable. Sabretooth dropped to the ground, bruised, bleeding, and weakened. Cain lifted his giant foot to stomp on Sabretooth's head and finish him.
"Stop," Archangel called from the doorway. "If you kill Sabretooth, you will be committing an act of treason."
"What do you think you're doing, sending him in here?!"
"He did not come here to attack you. He has been misled…" Archangel turned to look in the hallway and saw one of the mutant servants, a wide-eyed mutant, gasp and run. With a quick flap of his right wing, he sent three metal feathers flying at him. Two stabbed him in the back, and the third in the head. "An illusion-caster. Apocalypse knows about you."
"Get the medic down here," Cain said into an intercom. "Why is Sabretooth here, then?"
"To report. Sabretooth, did you warn Trask?"
"He wouldn't listen," Sabretooth said, slowly getting up. His bruises were fading and parted skin was beginning to close. "I told you he wouldn't."
"And the alternate plan?"
"No good. They got Shifter."
"Which Shifter?"
"Kid Shifter."
"They killed Shifter? This is not good, not good at all. Juggernaut, take whatever loyal servants you can and wait for me in Egypt." Archangel folded his wings and started to leave, but turned back and said, "Make sure to stay hidden."
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Wolverine stood with Mastermind in an underground hangar on the south side of the Spanish city. While the mutant slaves marched into massive airplanes above ground, Apocalypse's higher officials would ride in a small plane made of unmetal, the metal-like substance designed by Apocalypse, and given stealth technology developed by Beast. It wasn't quite time to leave yet, but Apocalypse gave them no further instruction, so they stood there with the rest of Apocalypse's generals.
"Where are they taking all of you?" Wolverine asked.
"Egypt. I guess he has something planned for you here."
"Hope so. I don't wanna have to wait to take them on."
"Eager to fight, as always," Mastermind said, more to himself than to Wolverine. "Logan, did you know that Fury joined Trask not long ago?"
"Did he now?" Wolverine looked at Mastermind, interested. Nick Fury, a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and former friend. Before Logan had been captured for experimentation by the Weapon X program, he and Fury had worked together on several missions. One of their missions led them to Egypt, where Logan had found the tomb of Apocalypse. There, Apocalypse's influence seeped through and corrupted his mind; however, Apocalypse didn't see Logan fit to find the keys, thinking his style much too obvious. When Apocalypse was free, Logan remained his servant. "Can you sniff him out?"
"I'd rather you not use that term, but yes, I sense him coming this way. That's how I learned this. This new ability is hard to turn off. It seems I know everything about everyone within a hundred miles."
"That's not very comforting," Wolverine said.
"I'm not too happy about it either, but fortunately, I can concentrate all my power on casting illusions and get rid of that stupid voice in the back of my head. I think I'll do that now." The closed hangar became an open city; Las Vegas. The plan became an extravagant fountain outside a casino, and the other mutants all became showgirls, and danced.
"Free show, not bad. Makes me wish the real Vegas was still around."
"Yes, this conquest has had its downsides… but maybe we can build a new desert paradise somewhere. There are mutant women as beautiful as human women, and there are mutants who shadow the old magicians with their abilities… me, for example. Mutants are just as greedy as humans and willing to throw their money away for a chance at fortune."
"When we get rid of the humans, we can get started on that," Wolverine said. "We could build it here. He probably won't be using this base much once he's got the rest of the world."
"Either way, he owes us for all we've done for him. The least he could do is give us this city."
"You have a point, Mastermind. One of these days, we'll be kings among mutants."
"We're already halfway there." The skinny, tattooed mutant appeared in the hangar with Apocalypse and Beast, who carried baby Kevin with him. The other mutants stood tall and ready to take orders from their master.
"Wolverine and his men will stay here to face the coming human invasion," he announced in a raspy voice. "The rest will go to Egypt." As the others bowed and boarded the plane, except for Beast and Mastermind, who stayed behind with Apocalypse, the tattooed mutant took Wolverine aside. "I have specific instructions for you, Wolverine, concerning your strategy in dealing with the human army…
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Lance Alvers sat on an examination table as Forge, now sporting dual mechanical hands, scanned him using a handheld device similar to the one he had used on baby Kevin. Kate watched nervously behind glass, alone with Rogue, Scott, and Toad.
"Times are crazy, bro," Toad said. "Apocalypse got most of th' X-Men, even Magneto. Buncha Pietro's old friends tricked Wanda and captured her."
"Old friends, which ones?"
"Uh… that weird guy with th' armor, the stupid Frenchie with th' cards, and that little redhead wolf girl."
"Cannonball, Gambit, and Wolfsbane," Kate said, not looking away from Lance. "They left with Pietro to join Wolverine on X-Force. Now they work for Apocalypse."
"They got Alex, too," Rogue mentioned. Scott noticed that saying so made her a little sad, but she tried to hide it. Scott wanted to say 'good riddance,' but decided not to say it in front of his sister.
"We'll just have to get him back. I hope whatever Forge is doing can help get Wanda back."
"Yep. Not a good enemy to have," Toad said. He saw a lot more than people realized, but he knew Scott wouldn't want him saying this sort of stuff out loud. Last time he did, he blasted him through a wall.
"What about the others? Who's still up to fight?" Scott asked.
"Freddy is injured," Kate said, still not looking away from Lance. "Evan has a broken arm. Jean's morale is low. Pyro and Pietro are still available."
"That's it? That's all of us?!" Toad yelled in outrage. "We gotta be crazy to take on Apocalypse!"
"Hopefully, Lance will be on our side," Rogue said.
"He will. Lance is my friend… Lance is my friend."
"We'll do whatever it takes," Scott said as he left the room. As he walked down the hall, he wondered why he even cared about Wanda. All she had ever done was get him into trouble… but they had gotten into trouble together. He didn't even know her that well. Maybe it was because every other girl was either insane or evil, or both. Maybe what he really wanted was a nice girl who followed the rules.
But what could she see in him? A girl like her liked nice guys who never got into trouble. Scott's middle name may as well have been trouble. She couldn't even see his eyes without getting hurt. Maybe he just took his brother Toad's advice too seriously, 'first girl you see that you like, hold on to her, 'cuz you ain't gettin' another shot.' He wouldn't find another girl like Wanda. Scott was determined to save her, by whatever means necessary.
Later the evening, as Forge continued his analysis and Kate stayed as close as she could to Lance, the others met in the conference room. Mystique now sat at the head of the table, and to her right, Scott, Rogue and Toad sat. To her left, Pietro, Pyro and Jean. Freddy had been wheeled in on his bed (though it took Scott, Pyro and Toad's combined strength to do it), and Evan sat on an extra chair next to him with his arm in a sling. Having been the only one to read Dr. Essex's journal through, Scott was the one to explain to the others what he had found.
Dr. Nathaniel Essex was a geneticist and friend of Professor Charles Xavier. Dr. Essex was not a mutant, but he was fascinated by them. He and Xavier exchanged theories and research and both began to formulate their own finished theories on the existence of mutants. At about the same time he discovered a Cyttorak gem, Dr. Cain Marko had stumbled upon a tomb of sorts hidden away in the mountains in Egypt, where writings indicated an ancient mutant. Dr. Essex went with him on a second journey (Cain still wasn't very fond of Charles, so they left him behind), and they studied the tomb and discovered the name En Sabah Nur, but otherwise found little information of use in his pursuit of mutant history, but Dr. Essex was still fascinated by the idea of an ancient mutant, believing the warnings to be an exaggeration (as the mutants that had revealed themselves to humans at this time were considered monsters as it was). From behind a door they could not open, Dr. Essex heard voices. He didn't tell Cain this because he thought Cain would think him mad. Months later, Dr. Essex left on "family business," though he had really returned to Egypt and to the tomb of En Sabah Nur. The voices grew stronger and clearer, until only one voice could be heard, that of En Sabah Nur himself, somehow alive behind the door. He had started calling himself Apocalypse, and he wanted Dr. Essex to help him leave the tomb. Dr. Essex could only think about meeting the ancient mutant. He sought out the first key, and nobody took notice. He sought out the second key, and nobody noticed. He sought out the third key, and Xavier became suspicious. Xavier and his old friend Erik tried to stop him, but when they lost track of him and met to discuss where Dr. Essex could have gone, an odd incident occurred, and Xavier ended up dead (unknown to Dr. Essex, this was the incident involving the time traveler sent by Apocalypse, though he was not meant to stop them from preventing his liberation, in fact, the future Apocalypse had not thought that he would be discovered so early, but due to the distortion of reality, this great coincidence came about), and Dr. Essex was able to finally free Apocalypse. Unfortunately for Dr. Essex- the last thing he wrote in his journal- Apocalypse hated humans. The last entry was written in different handwriting: Cain Marko's. Dr. Essex's heart had been stopped by Apocalypse, according to the autopsy after they found his body in the tomb. Apocalypse had not bothered to destroy the body or the journal. This was his first and greatest mistake, for inside, Dr. Essex had copied down every single word he found in the tomb, and Cain re-wrote them, translated into English. Written in the journal:
The Tomb of En Sabah Nur
Vile Mutant (a side note by Cain says that it didn't actually say mutant, but it was implied)
Do Not Disturb The Tomb
Do Not Awaken Him
If This Tomb is Opened
The Word Will Fall
The End of Time
The End of Men
A New Era
The Age of Apocalypse (Cain says that this is not the exact wording)
If En Sabah Nur Walks Again
He Must Be Locked Back in
The Tomb
The Key in the Tower (Cain says the actual wording is very vague)
Unlock the Door
And Seal Him In
The Tower Where the Sun Rises
Will Be His Final Tomb
"Why didn't they just lock put him there in the first place?" Toad asked.
"It must've been too difficult," Freddy answered. "I mean, Apocalypse is tough for mutants to deal with, I can't imagine how humans got him behind those doors to begin with.
"Other than that, there's nothing else in there," Scott said.
"Nothing?" Pyro asked.
"That's what I said, shithead."
"There's only a few of us who can still fight," Mystique said. "Alone, we're powerless."
"If we still had Magneto…" Toad said.
"Magneto got what he deserved!" Mystique snapped. "Forget about him. We didn't need him before and we don't need him now."
"…Either way, we'd have to get him back somehow," Freddy said. "That's not an easy task."
"Our main concern is getting back our teammates," Mystique said. "Alex, Wanda, Tabitha, and…" Mystique looked down for a moment. "…and Kurt."
"There's no time," Lance explained as he walked into the room, followed by Kate and Forge. "The mast-" Lance shook his head. "Apocalypse is getting his troops ready for a battle. General Trask of the Pure Blood movement has mobilized his own troops."
"We do not need this…" Mystique grumbled. "Lance, what sort of weaknesses does Apocalypse have?"
"He has none," Lance said gravely. "If you want to recover your friends, then it's best if you go quickly, before General Trask launches a full offensive."
"Then that's where we'll go," Mystique said.
"Lance, what do you know about a tower in Egypt?" Scott asked.
"A tower? I know nothing."
"Nothing?"
"That's what he said, shithead," Pyro replied. Scott glared at him.
"His base in Egypt is hidden among the pyramids. If we must leave Spain, I can lead you there, if you wish." Lance tried his hardest to be polite. Having been under the control of Apocalypse for so long, he felt grateful to the X-Men for having helped freed him. Kate stayed close to him at all times, though he welcomed her; after all, they were best friends as children.
"You'll come with us, then," Mystique said.
"I am at your service."
"We leave in an hour," Mystique announced, and the X-Men left the conference room. Only Mystique and Forge remained. "What did you find?"
"It can be reversed the same way a normal enhanced mutation can. Radiation from a Cyttorak gem has to be stimulated into projecting a counter-radiation that will reverse any effects the original exposure had."
"Stimulated? How?"
"Destroying it."
"Where can I find one of these gems?"
"They're extremely rare," Forge explained.
"You won't find any outside of Apocalypse's reach," Lance explained. He hadn't left, and of course, neither had Kate, though Forge and Mystique hadn't noticed. "He's made sure they're all in his possession. You could try to find some while in Spain, but it would be very dangerous."
"I am willing to take that risk," Mystique said.
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It was a quiet evening in the Spanish city. The sun had just risen, and most of the mutants usually littering the cobblestone streets were absent. Not a single event broke the morning calm.
"Three of them," Destiny had said the day before, and so, three Carrier Sentinels arrived at three different points surrounding the city. The circular carriers on their backs detached, and special boosters on the sides helped steady them as they landed. The main hatch of each carrier opened, and the human soldiers rushed out.
"Nobody to meet us," the captain said to his men. "Stay alert. This smells like a trap."
"Smells like meat to me!" Wolverine yelled. He appeared in one of the city's main streets, with armed mutants behind him, he himself wearing armor plates and a helmet that resembled the mask he wore in our reality. He held up his right hand, extended his claws, and brought his arm down to signal for his own troops to charge. The human soldiers began to fire, but their bullets barely dented the tough armor of the advancing mutants. Wolverine was the first to reach them, and his claws did the work for him. Left and right, human soldiers were gutted, maimed, stabbed, and butchered by the armed mutants. At close range, the humans could fire at gaps in the armor, and the mutants began to fall. Wolverine searched for the human captain, trying to distinguish his scent from that of the other mutants. He found him at last. The captain had one noticeable difference either way; he wore an eye patch.
Wolverine tore through the soldiers and faced his equal on the battlefield. He slashed the captain's rifle in half, but did not kill him.
"Logan," the captain said. The other soldiers around him were too busy fighting the mutants to notice their captain facing the mutant leader. "So this is how it ends."
"Yep. Killed in battle. No better way to go, Fury." Nick Fury had never quite known what had happened to warp Logan's mind, but for his own sake, he had joined Trask's revolution. "Enough of this." Wolverine raised his claws.
"Farewell, Logan," Fury said. "I'd hoped that we could settle this man-to-man, but you're cheating." Enraged by Fury's words, Wolverine plunged both claws into both sides of Fury's chest, and with his claws still stuck inside, lifted him up off the ground.
"You were always jealous!" Wolverine retracted his claws and let Fury drop to the ground. "Jealous of me… jealous of Cap…"
"Not jealous," Fury gasped. "Sorry."
Wolverine turned away from the dead captain and returned to the battle. Elsewhere, Mystique used the battle as a distraction to sneak into the palace. The others were taking separate routes, agreeing to meet inside the palace. Scott, Pietro, Rogue, Lance and Kate had insisted on coming, while Forge, Pyro (who had wanted to come, but they thought he'd draw too much attention), Toad and Jean stayed on the Blackbird until Mystique gave them further instruction. Mystique walked through back alleys in the old-fashioned city past the main battles. The other waves of human soldiers had found their way to the mutants, and the fight was becoming bloodier.
"Stay close," Lance said to Kate, who could not be separated from him.
"Nobody can stop us together, Lance," Kate said to him. "Nobody can stop us."
"I wish that were true, Kitty," he said, calling her by the pet name he had given her years before. Elsewhere, Scott moved dangerously close to the main battle. An armored mutant was thrown into the alley he was walking through, but fortunately, he was already dead. Scott exhaled, and continued.
Rogue made her way around the back of the palace, on the other side of city, where nobody would see her despite walking out in the open. Of course, that's what she thought.
"Alex?" Alex Summers, Havok, stood before her wearing a tight-fitting black outfit and a tattoo across his eye. Rogue knew he had been brainwashed, so she didn't bother trying to reason with him. Of course, he didn't say anything either. Despite Beast's earlier estimate, the inhibitor device on his belt was no problem for the advancer; especially not when Wanda was controlling the field to make sure there was no problem. "Well, I guess you're gonna try to kill me now." Rogue slipped her glove off. "I'm not going down without a fight."
Havok nodded. He held out his hands and, in a flash of red energy that disappeared second after being projected, Rogue flew to the ground several feet away, aching all over. Havok prepared another blast, but something stopped him. It seemed as if he heard something behind him, and ran off into an alley. It just happened that Lance and Kate came upon the wounded Rogue.
"What happened to you?" Lance asked.
"Alex."
"Oh." Kate said. "He...?"
"Yes, he's a Horseman..."
"Do you still like him?" Kate asked bluntly.
"I dunno... I don't go for guys who beat their girlfriends." Lance helped her to her feet, though she was unable to stand up properly.
"Kate, take her back to the others," Lance said.
"What? I can still fight," Rogue said, grunting in pain as she leaned on Kate.
"Will you be alright?" Kate asked.
"I will, Kitty. You know me. Don't worry. I'll see you back on the Blackbird." Lance held Kate's free hand in both of his, and the look in his eyes assured her. She nodded, and phased through a building with Rogue.
Finally, Mystique and her team found the palace. They found that getting in was easy, after a distraction caused by Lance. Inside, more mutants waited, clad in armor, but for some reason didn't go to the battlefield. They snuck around in the shadows, Lance leading them past the army. Mystique didn't trust Lance at all, but at this point, she decided it was better to risk betrayal than not do anything.
"We'll need to get to the lab to find the gems," Lance whispered to Mystique. "It's very well-guarded. You'll have to use a disguise."
"Very well." Mystique changed into Apocalypse.
"With all due respect, Miss Darkholme, that will get you killed. Most of the mutants here will be able to sense you, and walking around as Apocalypse is bound to get you noticed." Taking his suggestion, Mystique changed into a more "human" form of her own appearance, clad in mutant armor. "That will work."
"I will infiltrate the lab. You wait here, and cover my escape."
"Yes, ma'am." Before she left, Lance gave Mystique specific instructions for how to reach Apocalypse's lab. After venturing past the main hall and through a common room, she can upon a smaller chamber with three unmetal doors. She opened the third one and walked through.
Several small tunnels later, she found her way to a vent overlooking the lab. Mastermind held baby Kevin in one of his arms and waved his other hand over his head, but Mystique didn't care. She saw a vicious beast napping in a large glass chamber, with a few human (or more likely mutant) bones littered around him. This was the beast that had once been her son. She cringed just looking at what they had done to her precious child, but she decided that once she freed him, she would make them pay, but first, she had to find a Cyttorak gem. She looked around the lab, and found a red stone on a table near Mastermind. Seeing nobody else, Mystique kicked off the vent cover and jumped down into the lab.
"So you decided to come down," Mastermind said, not looking up. "That's fine. Try not to make a mess, huh?"
"You're going to help me destroy that gem."
"Me? I can't do that. I have limitations on my powers, madam. Now, the fellow behind you, he might be able to help." Mystique turned around meet the fist of Beast and fell to the ground unconscious.
"Secondary tactics!" Wolverine yelled, and the mutants began to use their powers instead of their weapons. Energy beams, psychic blasts, explosions, tendrils, wings, claws, all brought out to destroy the humans. This didn't seem to be enough, and the humans continued advancing. A stray fireball flew onto the palace wall and began to burn it.
"Storm the palace!" one of the human captains called. While one platoon of soldiers was holding back the dwindling mutant forces, the other two charged through the palace doors, where more soldiers waited.
"We'd better get out of here," Pietro said to the others.
"Follow me," Lance told the others. They left the main hall and made their way to the tunnels as the mutants and the humans battled in the common room. When all the opposition had been defeated, the only remaining captain sent a message to Trask.
"General Trask, sir, we have stormed the palace."
"What have you found?"
"Troops meant to stall us. Apocalypse got away on a plane, along with most of his high-level cronies."
"Were the Sentinels effective?"
"No, sir, the Sentinels were not necessary."
"Not necessary?"
"Our men were far superior to them in combat. Even with their mutations, we still managed to corner them and bring them down, all but the field leader, Wolverine."
"Logan lives, then. And the palace?"
"We've swept it and found only one mutant to question. He said the plane was headed to Egypt, and that's where most of the troops are. He gave us the coordinates of Apocalypse's base. The palace caught fire, but my men are trying to put it out."
"Let it burn."
"Pardon?"
"Let it burn. Burn the whole city to the ground. Regroup, and we will see how well Apocalypse stands in Egypt." Wolverine watched from an alley as the soldiers torched the entire city. The skinny mutant with the eye tattooed on his forehead watched with him.
"All goes according to plan," the mutant said, with a tired voice.
"I was hoping Apocalypse would give me and a partner this city, but it looks like we'll have to find another place to start. Where to next, Shifter? Egypt?"
"The master said Egypt… we go to Egypt." Shifter grabbed Wolverine's arm, and they disappeared. Images of them remained in their places, but slowly faded. The orange glow of the city lit the sky as ashes drifted into the air…
Lance led the others into the lab, where Beast and Mastermind now stood with Apocalypse. Baby Kevin sat in a small pillow on a stand at the far end of the lab.
"So, you return, Famine," Apocalypse said. "Have you come to rescue them?" Apocalypse motioned to a series of glass chambers, each divided by a glass wall. Magneto sat in the first chamber in terrible shape, looking as if he hadn't slept in years, covered in cuts and bruises all over. His armor and cape had been taken from him, and only his black suit, torn in various places, remained. Mystique lay unconscious in a chamber next to the sleeping Nightcrawler's own chamber. Apocalypse motioned, and several armored mutants stormed into the room, holding their swords and axes against the throats of Lance and Scott. Pietro was the only one left alone.
"Magneto," Pietro regarded his father.
"If it weren't for him, your mother would still be alive," Apocalypse said to him. "His selfishness cost you your mother, but he has not paid for his actions." A mutant soldier handed Pietro a sword. "I am giving you a chance to show him just how much you've suffered."
"You want me to kill my own father?" Pietro asked.
"I want you to do to him what you feel you must." Pietro looked down at the sword, and then at Magneto. The front wall of the glass chamber had been raised, and the floor slid out like a platform. Magneto's hands were chained with unmetal to the floor.
"…Pietro?" Magneto called, clearly weakened from Wanda's own torture. His eyes had little strength in them.
"I still remember that day, Magneto," Pietro said to his father. "When you sacrificed your own wife to save yourself."
"Pietro, no! I did what I could to save her. Something was stopping me from using my powers."
"Yes, your selfish desire to save your own ass! You know it would go straight for you if you used your powers, but you didn't!"
"No, Pietro! I tried, but I couldn't! I didn't want her to die, Pietro!"
"But you let it happen anyway!"
"Pietro, let it go!" Scott yelled. "Apocalypse is making you do his work for him!"
"Stay out of this!" Pietro yelled.
"Pietro, do with me as you will, but I will not die before I tell you how I feel. You have made me proud Pietro. Even if your judgment has not always been good, you have grown up to be a fine young man, and you will do anything for the people you care about, as I tried to do, but I failed, and it cost me my wife and my family. You will be a greater man than I could ever be, Pietro. You are still my son, and I still love and respect you, even if you decide to end my life."
Pietro looked at his father, then at the sword in his hand, and then at Apocalypse. He approached Magneto and looked down at him. Then, Pietro lifted his sword, held it against Magneto's chest, and dragged it across slowly.
"Pietro, what are you doing?!" Scott yelled. "PIETRO, STOP!" As the blood from the first stinging cut flowed, Pietro created more open wounds, drawing more of his father's blood. He then dropped the bloody sword and looked at his father.
"Perhaps, a better tool?" Apocalypse offered Pietro the same weapon he had given Wanda: a hot, sharpened rod. Pietro took the rod and jammed it into Magneto's side, searing his flesh and forcing him to scream in pain. Pietro pressed it against Magneto's shoulder and held it there for nearly a minute. He could barely hear the sound of Magneto's burning skin over his pained screams. Pietro pulled it away, then pushed it into Magneto's chest, twisting it and forcing it in, his face betraying every ounce of hatred for his father. He looked at the rod and then at Magneto's face. With a grim look on his face, he shoved it into his father's right eye. All but Apocalypse turned away, preferring not to witness the gruesome sight. Magneto's screams were enough to make their skin crawl.
"Enough," Apocalypse said. "You will have time for that later. Send them with the others." The armored mutants led Lance, Scott, and Pietro away. Magneto fell against his chamber floor still consumed by pain. His chamber returned to normal and he was once again locked inside. He clutched his eye-socket, which only brought him more pain, and tears flowed from his left eye.
Aboard the Blackbird, Jean Grey, Toad, Pyro and Forge waited for the others to arrive. Kate and Rogue arrived early, and an hour later, Lance and Scott.
"What's going on?" Forge asked. "Where's Mystique? And Pietro?"
"She got captured." Scott said. "While Pietro was off torturing his own father, we overheard him talking about a base in Egypt. Then we escaped."
"He's leading his troops there," Lance said. "What happened here was just a small skirmish. He tricked Trask's army into thinking they could win by ordering the mutants to fight at half-strength and now they're all headed for Egypt."
"We've got to convince Trask that he's being tricked," Forge said. "We'll have to meet them in Egypt and stop them. But first, we'll have to get Mystique back."
Several hours passed, and Magneto was beginning to deal with the burns and the eye-gouging. He looked over to Mystique, who had just woken up. "You came to rescue Kurt. I knew you would."
"Forgive me for being a responsible parent, Magnus." Mystique noticed his condition, but figured Apocalypse had tortured him, and didn't even mention it.
"Mystique, I'm sorry I did this to you and your children. I didn't mean it to turn out this way, and I'm sorry it has to end this way."
"End? This isn't over, Magnus!"
"But it is," Apocalypse said, facing Mystique from outside the glass. A nervous Pietro and Destiny stood with him.
"Irene… you're with him?!"
"Raven, I…" Destiny looked at Apocalypse. "I have no choice."
"Then I truly have no one to trust," Mystique said. Apocalypse smirked at this little exchange.
"Mystique, perhaps you would like to get to know your son?" he suggested. A wicked smile grew across his face. Mystique turned to see Nightcrawler's chamber. Nightcrawler was still napping, snoring comfortably. He wore a nullification collar to allow his teleportation abilities to be maintained under control. A thin mechanical arm appeared from the floor of Nightcrawler's chamber and pressed his side. A bright spark and a crackle shocked and startled the beast and disturbed him from his sleep. Nightcrawler was quite upset, and swatted the arm and roared. He was suddenly very angry, and swatted the glass walls. He turned his head towards Mystique, his mother, and growled. He scratched at the glass wall separating them, roaring viciously.
The glass was lowered.
Apocalypse smiled wickedly. Pietro took advantage of this distraction and ran.
Alright, folks. Three chapters to go until this is all over.
Chapter Nine - Night of Fire
"They have stopped all communication?" Caliban asked his wife Callisto as they watched the Jamies work at their various screens. "Then that would mean that there is no reason to pass information through these lines."
"They're all gathered together," the real Jamie told them. "The last message we found was Trask ordering everyone to meet him in Canada. Before that, one of them found out about the Spanish base."
"They're walking into a trap," Callisto said. "Jamie, do they know about the base in Egypt?"
"Do they know?" he asked one of the other Jamies, who checked some of the stored files.
"Nope."
"There is someone else here…" Caliban told the others. "A mutant… not one I have sensed before." Sabretooth growled behind them, and they turned around, surprised, but before they could get a good look at him, he was already in midair. Callisto rolled out of his way, but he wasn't aiming for her. He grabbed Caliban and dug his claws into his cheek, then dragged his claws across his face. The dark blood flowed against the pale skin, and he clutched the wound in pain. Sabretooth grinned, and licked his claws, looking right at Jamie. Callisto jumped at him and kicked him in the face, and jumped back and kicked him in the stomach. Temporarily reeling, Sabretooth flew backwards when Callisto punched his chin. He flipped in the air and landed on his feet, then rushed for her, biting her arm and shaking violently like an animal. The Jamies cowered away from their computers as blood splattered against the monitors. Callisto fell next to Caliban and Sabretooth then turned to Jamie and his duplicates.
"What's going on down here?" Cain Marko asked. Sabretooth turned to see the enormous mutant, and Jamie ran towards him as his duplicates disappeared. Cain looked down to see Callisto and Caliban on the floor, bleeding. "You! You're gonna pay for this!" Cain yelled angrily and charged at the cat-like mutant, then began to pound at him with his massive fists. Sabretooth took the damage more easily than most, but still, Cain's strength was too much for him. There was a reason Cain was called Unstoppable. Sabretooth dropped to the ground, bruised, bleeding, and weakened. Cain lifted his giant foot to stomp on Sabretooth's head and finish him.
"Stop," Archangel called from the doorway. "If you kill Sabretooth, you will be committing an act of treason."
"What do you think you're doing, sending him in here?!"
"He did not come here to attack you. He has been misled…" Archangel turned to look in the hallway and saw one of the mutant servants, a wide-eyed mutant, gasp and run. With a quick flap of his right wing, he sent three metal feathers flying at him. Two stabbed him in the back, and the third in the head. "An illusion-caster. Apocalypse knows about you."
"Get the medic down here," Cain said into an intercom. "Why is Sabretooth here, then?"
"To report. Sabretooth, did you warn Trask?"
"He wouldn't listen," Sabretooth said, slowly getting up. His bruises were fading and parted skin was beginning to close. "I told you he wouldn't."
"And the alternate plan?"
"No good. They got Shifter."
"Which Shifter?"
"Kid Shifter."
"They killed Shifter? This is not good, not good at all. Juggernaut, take whatever loyal servants you can and wait for me in Egypt." Archangel folded his wings and started to leave, but turned back and said, "Make sure to stay hidden."
-------------------------------
Wolverine stood with Mastermind in an underground hangar on the south side of the Spanish city. While the mutant slaves marched into massive airplanes above ground, Apocalypse's higher officials would ride in a small plane made of unmetal, the metal-like substance designed by Apocalypse, and given stealth technology developed by Beast. It wasn't quite time to leave yet, but Apocalypse gave them no further instruction, so they stood there with the rest of Apocalypse's generals.
"Where are they taking all of you?" Wolverine asked.
"Egypt. I guess he has something planned for you here."
"Hope so. I don't wanna have to wait to take them on."
"Eager to fight, as always," Mastermind said, more to himself than to Wolverine. "Logan, did you know that Fury joined Trask not long ago?"
"Did he now?" Wolverine looked at Mastermind, interested. Nick Fury, a former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and former friend. Before Logan had been captured for experimentation by the Weapon X program, he and Fury had worked together on several missions. One of their missions led them to Egypt, where Logan had found the tomb of Apocalypse. There, Apocalypse's influence seeped through and corrupted his mind; however, Apocalypse didn't see Logan fit to find the keys, thinking his style much too obvious. When Apocalypse was free, Logan remained his servant. "Can you sniff him out?"
"I'd rather you not use that term, but yes, I sense him coming this way. That's how I learned this. This new ability is hard to turn off. It seems I know everything about everyone within a hundred miles."
"That's not very comforting," Wolverine said.
"I'm not too happy about it either, but fortunately, I can concentrate all my power on casting illusions and get rid of that stupid voice in the back of my head. I think I'll do that now." The closed hangar became an open city; Las Vegas. The plan became an extravagant fountain outside a casino, and the other mutants all became showgirls, and danced.
"Free show, not bad. Makes me wish the real Vegas was still around."
"Yes, this conquest has had its downsides… but maybe we can build a new desert paradise somewhere. There are mutant women as beautiful as human women, and there are mutants who shadow the old magicians with their abilities… me, for example. Mutants are just as greedy as humans and willing to throw their money away for a chance at fortune."
"When we get rid of the humans, we can get started on that," Wolverine said. "We could build it here. He probably won't be using this base much once he's got the rest of the world."
"Either way, he owes us for all we've done for him. The least he could do is give us this city."
"You have a point, Mastermind. One of these days, we'll be kings among mutants."
"We're already halfway there." The skinny, tattooed mutant appeared in the hangar with Apocalypse and Beast, who carried baby Kevin with him. The other mutants stood tall and ready to take orders from their master.
"Wolverine and his men will stay here to face the coming human invasion," he announced in a raspy voice. "The rest will go to Egypt." As the others bowed and boarded the plane, except for Beast and Mastermind, who stayed behind with Apocalypse, the tattooed mutant took Wolverine aside. "I have specific instructions for you, Wolverine, concerning your strategy in dealing with the human army…
-------------------------------
Lance Alvers sat on an examination table as Forge, now sporting dual mechanical hands, scanned him using a handheld device similar to the one he had used on baby Kevin. Kate watched nervously behind glass, alone with Rogue, Scott, and Toad.
"Times are crazy, bro," Toad said. "Apocalypse got most of th' X-Men, even Magneto. Buncha Pietro's old friends tricked Wanda and captured her."
"Old friends, which ones?"
"Uh… that weird guy with th' armor, the stupid Frenchie with th' cards, and that little redhead wolf girl."
"Cannonball, Gambit, and Wolfsbane," Kate said, not looking away from Lance. "They left with Pietro to join Wolverine on X-Force. Now they work for Apocalypse."
"They got Alex, too," Rogue mentioned. Scott noticed that saying so made her a little sad, but she tried to hide it. Scott wanted to say 'good riddance,' but decided not to say it in front of his sister.
"We'll just have to get him back. I hope whatever Forge is doing can help get Wanda back."
"Yep. Not a good enemy to have," Toad said. He saw a lot more than people realized, but he knew Scott wouldn't want him saying this sort of stuff out loud. Last time he did, he blasted him through a wall.
"What about the others? Who's still up to fight?" Scott asked.
"Freddy is injured," Kate said, still not looking away from Lance. "Evan has a broken arm. Jean's morale is low. Pyro and Pietro are still available."
"That's it? That's all of us?!" Toad yelled in outrage. "We gotta be crazy to take on Apocalypse!"
"Hopefully, Lance will be on our side," Rogue said.
"He will. Lance is my friend… Lance is my friend."
"We'll do whatever it takes," Scott said as he left the room. As he walked down the hall, he wondered why he even cared about Wanda. All she had ever done was get him into trouble… but they had gotten into trouble together. He didn't even know her that well. Maybe it was because every other girl was either insane or evil, or both. Maybe what he really wanted was a nice girl who followed the rules.
But what could she see in him? A girl like her liked nice guys who never got into trouble. Scott's middle name may as well have been trouble. She couldn't even see his eyes without getting hurt. Maybe he just took his brother Toad's advice too seriously, 'first girl you see that you like, hold on to her, 'cuz you ain't gettin' another shot.' He wouldn't find another girl like Wanda. Scott was determined to save her, by whatever means necessary.
Later the evening, as Forge continued his analysis and Kate stayed as close as she could to Lance, the others met in the conference room. Mystique now sat at the head of the table, and to her right, Scott, Rogue and Toad sat. To her left, Pietro, Pyro and Jean. Freddy had been wheeled in on his bed (though it took Scott, Pyro and Toad's combined strength to do it), and Evan sat on an extra chair next to him with his arm in a sling. Having been the only one to read Dr. Essex's journal through, Scott was the one to explain to the others what he had found.
Dr. Nathaniel Essex was a geneticist and friend of Professor Charles Xavier. Dr. Essex was not a mutant, but he was fascinated by them. He and Xavier exchanged theories and research and both began to formulate their own finished theories on the existence of mutants. At about the same time he discovered a Cyttorak gem, Dr. Cain Marko had stumbled upon a tomb of sorts hidden away in the mountains in Egypt, where writings indicated an ancient mutant. Dr. Essex went with him on a second journey (Cain still wasn't very fond of Charles, so they left him behind), and they studied the tomb and discovered the name En Sabah Nur, but otherwise found little information of use in his pursuit of mutant history, but Dr. Essex was still fascinated by the idea of an ancient mutant, believing the warnings to be an exaggeration (as the mutants that had revealed themselves to humans at this time were considered monsters as it was). From behind a door they could not open, Dr. Essex heard voices. He didn't tell Cain this because he thought Cain would think him mad. Months later, Dr. Essex left on "family business," though he had really returned to Egypt and to the tomb of En Sabah Nur. The voices grew stronger and clearer, until only one voice could be heard, that of En Sabah Nur himself, somehow alive behind the door. He had started calling himself Apocalypse, and he wanted Dr. Essex to help him leave the tomb. Dr. Essex could only think about meeting the ancient mutant. He sought out the first key, and nobody took notice. He sought out the second key, and nobody noticed. He sought out the third key, and Xavier became suspicious. Xavier and his old friend Erik tried to stop him, but when they lost track of him and met to discuss where Dr. Essex could have gone, an odd incident occurred, and Xavier ended up dead (unknown to Dr. Essex, this was the incident involving the time traveler sent by Apocalypse, though he was not meant to stop them from preventing his liberation, in fact, the future Apocalypse had not thought that he would be discovered so early, but due to the distortion of reality, this great coincidence came about), and Dr. Essex was able to finally free Apocalypse. Unfortunately for Dr. Essex- the last thing he wrote in his journal- Apocalypse hated humans. The last entry was written in different handwriting: Cain Marko's. Dr. Essex's heart had been stopped by Apocalypse, according to the autopsy after they found his body in the tomb. Apocalypse had not bothered to destroy the body or the journal. This was his first and greatest mistake, for inside, Dr. Essex had copied down every single word he found in the tomb, and Cain re-wrote them, translated into English. Written in the journal:
The Tomb of En Sabah Nur
Vile Mutant (a side note by Cain says that it didn't actually say mutant, but it was implied)
Do Not Disturb The Tomb
Do Not Awaken Him
If This Tomb is Opened
The Word Will Fall
The End of Time
The End of Men
A New Era
The Age of Apocalypse (Cain says that this is not the exact wording)
If En Sabah Nur Walks Again
He Must Be Locked Back in
The Tomb
The Key in the Tower (Cain says the actual wording is very vague)
Unlock the Door
And Seal Him In
The Tower Where the Sun Rises
Will Be His Final Tomb
"Why didn't they just lock put him there in the first place?" Toad asked.
"It must've been too difficult," Freddy answered. "I mean, Apocalypse is tough for mutants to deal with, I can't imagine how humans got him behind those doors to begin with.
"Other than that, there's nothing else in there," Scott said.
"Nothing?" Pyro asked.
"That's what I said, shithead."
"There's only a few of us who can still fight," Mystique said. "Alone, we're powerless."
"If we still had Magneto…" Toad said.
"Magneto got what he deserved!" Mystique snapped. "Forget about him. We didn't need him before and we don't need him now."
"…Either way, we'd have to get him back somehow," Freddy said. "That's not an easy task."
"Our main concern is getting back our teammates," Mystique said. "Alex, Wanda, Tabitha, and…" Mystique looked down for a moment. "…and Kurt."
"There's no time," Lance explained as he walked into the room, followed by Kate and Forge. "The mast-" Lance shook his head. "Apocalypse is getting his troops ready for a battle. General Trask of the Pure Blood movement has mobilized his own troops."
"We do not need this…" Mystique grumbled. "Lance, what sort of weaknesses does Apocalypse have?"
"He has none," Lance said gravely. "If you want to recover your friends, then it's best if you go quickly, before General Trask launches a full offensive."
"Then that's where we'll go," Mystique said.
"Lance, what do you know about a tower in Egypt?" Scott asked.
"A tower? I know nothing."
"Nothing?"
"That's what he said, shithead," Pyro replied. Scott glared at him.
"His base in Egypt is hidden among the pyramids. If we must leave Spain, I can lead you there, if you wish." Lance tried his hardest to be polite. Having been under the control of Apocalypse for so long, he felt grateful to the X-Men for having helped freed him. Kate stayed close to him at all times, though he welcomed her; after all, they were best friends as children.
"You'll come with us, then," Mystique said.
"I am at your service."
"We leave in an hour," Mystique announced, and the X-Men left the conference room. Only Mystique and Forge remained. "What did you find?"
"It can be reversed the same way a normal enhanced mutation can. Radiation from a Cyttorak gem has to be stimulated into projecting a counter-radiation that will reverse any effects the original exposure had."
"Stimulated? How?"
"Destroying it."
"Where can I find one of these gems?"
"They're extremely rare," Forge explained.
"You won't find any outside of Apocalypse's reach," Lance explained. He hadn't left, and of course, neither had Kate, though Forge and Mystique hadn't noticed. "He's made sure they're all in his possession. You could try to find some while in Spain, but it would be very dangerous."
"I am willing to take that risk," Mystique said.
-------------------------------
It was a quiet evening in the Spanish city. The sun had just risen, and most of the mutants usually littering the cobblestone streets were absent. Not a single event broke the morning calm.
"Three of them," Destiny had said the day before, and so, three Carrier Sentinels arrived at three different points surrounding the city. The circular carriers on their backs detached, and special boosters on the sides helped steady them as they landed. The main hatch of each carrier opened, and the human soldiers rushed out.
"Nobody to meet us," the captain said to his men. "Stay alert. This smells like a trap."
"Smells like meat to me!" Wolverine yelled. He appeared in one of the city's main streets, with armed mutants behind him, he himself wearing armor plates and a helmet that resembled the mask he wore in our reality. He held up his right hand, extended his claws, and brought his arm down to signal for his own troops to charge. The human soldiers began to fire, but their bullets barely dented the tough armor of the advancing mutants. Wolverine was the first to reach them, and his claws did the work for him. Left and right, human soldiers were gutted, maimed, stabbed, and butchered by the armed mutants. At close range, the humans could fire at gaps in the armor, and the mutants began to fall. Wolverine searched for the human captain, trying to distinguish his scent from that of the other mutants. He found him at last. The captain had one noticeable difference either way; he wore an eye patch.
Wolverine tore through the soldiers and faced his equal on the battlefield. He slashed the captain's rifle in half, but did not kill him.
"Logan," the captain said. The other soldiers around him were too busy fighting the mutants to notice their captain facing the mutant leader. "So this is how it ends."
"Yep. Killed in battle. No better way to go, Fury." Nick Fury had never quite known what had happened to warp Logan's mind, but for his own sake, he had joined Trask's revolution. "Enough of this." Wolverine raised his claws.
"Farewell, Logan," Fury said. "I'd hoped that we could settle this man-to-man, but you're cheating." Enraged by Fury's words, Wolverine plunged both claws into both sides of Fury's chest, and with his claws still stuck inside, lifted him up off the ground.
"You were always jealous!" Wolverine retracted his claws and let Fury drop to the ground. "Jealous of me… jealous of Cap…"
"Not jealous," Fury gasped. "Sorry."
Wolverine turned away from the dead captain and returned to the battle. Elsewhere, Mystique used the battle as a distraction to sneak into the palace. The others were taking separate routes, agreeing to meet inside the palace. Scott, Pietro, Rogue, Lance and Kate had insisted on coming, while Forge, Pyro (who had wanted to come, but they thought he'd draw too much attention), Toad and Jean stayed on the Blackbird until Mystique gave them further instruction. Mystique walked through back alleys in the old-fashioned city past the main battles. The other waves of human soldiers had found their way to the mutants, and the fight was becoming bloodier.
"Stay close," Lance said to Kate, who could not be separated from him.
"Nobody can stop us together, Lance," Kate said to him. "Nobody can stop us."
"I wish that were true, Kitty," he said, calling her by the pet name he had given her years before. Elsewhere, Scott moved dangerously close to the main battle. An armored mutant was thrown into the alley he was walking through, but fortunately, he was already dead. Scott exhaled, and continued.
Rogue made her way around the back of the palace, on the other side of city, where nobody would see her despite walking out in the open. Of course, that's what she thought.
"Alex?" Alex Summers, Havok, stood before her wearing a tight-fitting black outfit and a tattoo across his eye. Rogue knew he had been brainwashed, so she didn't bother trying to reason with him. Of course, he didn't say anything either. Despite Beast's earlier estimate, the inhibitor device on his belt was no problem for the advancer; especially not when Wanda was controlling the field to make sure there was no problem. "Well, I guess you're gonna try to kill me now." Rogue slipped her glove off. "I'm not going down without a fight."
Havok nodded. He held out his hands and, in a flash of red energy that disappeared second after being projected, Rogue flew to the ground several feet away, aching all over. Havok prepared another blast, but something stopped him. It seemed as if he heard something behind him, and ran off into an alley. It just happened that Lance and Kate came upon the wounded Rogue.
"What happened to you?" Lance asked.
"Alex."
"Oh." Kate said. "He...?"
"Yes, he's a Horseman..."
"Do you still like him?" Kate asked bluntly.
"I dunno... I don't go for guys who beat their girlfriends." Lance helped her to her feet, though she was unable to stand up properly.
"Kate, take her back to the others," Lance said.
"What? I can still fight," Rogue said, grunting in pain as she leaned on Kate.
"Will you be alright?" Kate asked.
"I will, Kitty. You know me. Don't worry. I'll see you back on the Blackbird." Lance held Kate's free hand in both of his, and the look in his eyes assured her. She nodded, and phased through a building with Rogue.
Finally, Mystique and her team found the palace. They found that getting in was easy, after a distraction caused by Lance. Inside, more mutants waited, clad in armor, but for some reason didn't go to the battlefield. They snuck around in the shadows, Lance leading them past the army. Mystique didn't trust Lance at all, but at this point, she decided it was better to risk betrayal than not do anything.
"We'll need to get to the lab to find the gems," Lance whispered to Mystique. "It's very well-guarded. You'll have to use a disguise."
"Very well." Mystique changed into Apocalypse.
"With all due respect, Miss Darkholme, that will get you killed. Most of the mutants here will be able to sense you, and walking around as Apocalypse is bound to get you noticed." Taking his suggestion, Mystique changed into a more "human" form of her own appearance, clad in mutant armor. "That will work."
"I will infiltrate the lab. You wait here, and cover my escape."
"Yes, ma'am." Before she left, Lance gave Mystique specific instructions for how to reach Apocalypse's lab. After venturing past the main hall and through a common room, she can upon a smaller chamber with three unmetal doors. She opened the third one and walked through.
Several small tunnels later, she found her way to a vent overlooking the lab. Mastermind held baby Kevin in one of his arms and waved his other hand over his head, but Mystique didn't care. She saw a vicious beast napping in a large glass chamber, with a few human (or more likely mutant) bones littered around him. This was the beast that had once been her son. She cringed just looking at what they had done to her precious child, but she decided that once she freed him, she would make them pay, but first, she had to find a Cyttorak gem. She looked around the lab, and found a red stone on a table near Mastermind. Seeing nobody else, Mystique kicked off the vent cover and jumped down into the lab.
"So you decided to come down," Mastermind said, not looking up. "That's fine. Try not to make a mess, huh?"
"You're going to help me destroy that gem."
"Me? I can't do that. I have limitations on my powers, madam. Now, the fellow behind you, he might be able to help." Mystique turned around meet the fist of Beast and fell to the ground unconscious.
"Secondary tactics!" Wolverine yelled, and the mutants began to use their powers instead of their weapons. Energy beams, psychic blasts, explosions, tendrils, wings, claws, all brought out to destroy the humans. This didn't seem to be enough, and the humans continued advancing. A stray fireball flew onto the palace wall and began to burn it.
"Storm the palace!" one of the human captains called. While one platoon of soldiers was holding back the dwindling mutant forces, the other two charged through the palace doors, where more soldiers waited.
"We'd better get out of here," Pietro said to the others.
"Follow me," Lance told the others. They left the main hall and made their way to the tunnels as the mutants and the humans battled in the common room. When all the opposition had been defeated, the only remaining captain sent a message to Trask.
"General Trask, sir, we have stormed the palace."
"What have you found?"
"Troops meant to stall us. Apocalypse got away on a plane, along with most of his high-level cronies."
"Were the Sentinels effective?"
"No, sir, the Sentinels were not necessary."
"Not necessary?"
"Our men were far superior to them in combat. Even with their mutations, we still managed to corner them and bring them down, all but the field leader, Wolverine."
"Logan lives, then. And the palace?"
"We've swept it and found only one mutant to question. He said the plane was headed to Egypt, and that's where most of the troops are. He gave us the coordinates of Apocalypse's base. The palace caught fire, but my men are trying to put it out."
"Let it burn."
"Pardon?"
"Let it burn. Burn the whole city to the ground. Regroup, and we will see how well Apocalypse stands in Egypt." Wolverine watched from an alley as the soldiers torched the entire city. The skinny mutant with the eye tattooed on his forehead watched with him.
"All goes according to plan," the mutant said, with a tired voice.
"I was hoping Apocalypse would give me and a partner this city, but it looks like we'll have to find another place to start. Where to next, Shifter? Egypt?"
"The master said Egypt… we go to Egypt." Shifter grabbed Wolverine's arm, and they disappeared. Images of them remained in their places, but slowly faded. The orange glow of the city lit the sky as ashes drifted into the air…
Lance led the others into the lab, where Beast and Mastermind now stood with Apocalypse. Baby Kevin sat in a small pillow on a stand at the far end of the lab.
"So, you return, Famine," Apocalypse said. "Have you come to rescue them?" Apocalypse motioned to a series of glass chambers, each divided by a glass wall. Magneto sat in the first chamber in terrible shape, looking as if he hadn't slept in years, covered in cuts and bruises all over. His armor and cape had been taken from him, and only his black suit, torn in various places, remained. Mystique lay unconscious in a chamber next to the sleeping Nightcrawler's own chamber. Apocalypse motioned, and several armored mutants stormed into the room, holding their swords and axes against the throats of Lance and Scott. Pietro was the only one left alone.
"Magneto," Pietro regarded his father.
"If it weren't for him, your mother would still be alive," Apocalypse said to him. "His selfishness cost you your mother, but he has not paid for his actions." A mutant soldier handed Pietro a sword. "I am giving you a chance to show him just how much you've suffered."
"You want me to kill my own father?" Pietro asked.
"I want you to do to him what you feel you must." Pietro looked down at the sword, and then at Magneto. The front wall of the glass chamber had been raised, and the floor slid out like a platform. Magneto's hands were chained with unmetal to the floor.
"…Pietro?" Magneto called, clearly weakened from Wanda's own torture. His eyes had little strength in them.
"I still remember that day, Magneto," Pietro said to his father. "When you sacrificed your own wife to save yourself."
"Pietro, no! I did what I could to save her. Something was stopping me from using my powers."
"Yes, your selfish desire to save your own ass! You know it would go straight for you if you used your powers, but you didn't!"
"No, Pietro! I tried, but I couldn't! I didn't want her to die, Pietro!"
"But you let it happen anyway!"
"Pietro, let it go!" Scott yelled. "Apocalypse is making you do his work for him!"
"Stay out of this!" Pietro yelled.
"Pietro, do with me as you will, but I will not die before I tell you how I feel. You have made me proud Pietro. Even if your judgment has not always been good, you have grown up to be a fine young man, and you will do anything for the people you care about, as I tried to do, but I failed, and it cost me my wife and my family. You will be a greater man than I could ever be, Pietro. You are still my son, and I still love and respect you, even if you decide to end my life."
Pietro looked at his father, then at the sword in his hand, and then at Apocalypse. He approached Magneto and looked down at him. Then, Pietro lifted his sword, held it against Magneto's chest, and dragged it across slowly.
"Pietro, what are you doing?!" Scott yelled. "PIETRO, STOP!" As the blood from the first stinging cut flowed, Pietro created more open wounds, drawing more of his father's blood. He then dropped the bloody sword and looked at his father.
"Perhaps, a better tool?" Apocalypse offered Pietro the same weapon he had given Wanda: a hot, sharpened rod. Pietro took the rod and jammed it into Magneto's side, searing his flesh and forcing him to scream in pain. Pietro pressed it against Magneto's shoulder and held it there for nearly a minute. He could barely hear the sound of Magneto's burning skin over his pained screams. Pietro pulled it away, then pushed it into Magneto's chest, twisting it and forcing it in, his face betraying every ounce of hatred for his father. He looked at the rod and then at Magneto's face. With a grim look on his face, he shoved it into his father's right eye. All but Apocalypse turned away, preferring not to witness the gruesome sight. Magneto's screams were enough to make their skin crawl.
"Enough," Apocalypse said. "You will have time for that later. Send them with the others." The armored mutants led Lance, Scott, and Pietro away. Magneto fell against his chamber floor still consumed by pain. His chamber returned to normal and he was once again locked inside. He clutched his eye-socket, which only brought him more pain, and tears flowed from his left eye.
Aboard the Blackbird, Jean Grey, Toad, Pyro and Forge waited for the others to arrive. Kate and Rogue arrived early, and an hour later, Lance and Scott.
"What's going on?" Forge asked. "Where's Mystique? And Pietro?"
"She got captured." Scott said. "While Pietro was off torturing his own father, we overheard him talking about a base in Egypt. Then we escaped."
"He's leading his troops there," Lance said. "What happened here was just a small skirmish. He tricked Trask's army into thinking they could win by ordering the mutants to fight at half-strength and now they're all headed for Egypt."
"We've got to convince Trask that he's being tricked," Forge said. "We'll have to meet them in Egypt and stop them. But first, we'll have to get Mystique back."
Several hours passed, and Magneto was beginning to deal with the burns and the eye-gouging. He looked over to Mystique, who had just woken up. "You came to rescue Kurt. I knew you would."
"Forgive me for being a responsible parent, Magnus." Mystique noticed his condition, but figured Apocalypse had tortured him, and didn't even mention it.
"Mystique, I'm sorry I did this to you and your children. I didn't mean it to turn out this way, and I'm sorry it has to end this way."
"End? This isn't over, Magnus!"
"But it is," Apocalypse said, facing Mystique from outside the glass. A nervous Pietro and Destiny stood with him.
"Irene… you're with him?!"
"Raven, I…" Destiny looked at Apocalypse. "I have no choice."
"Then I truly have no one to trust," Mystique said. Apocalypse smirked at this little exchange.
"Mystique, perhaps you would like to get to know your son?" he suggested. A wicked smile grew across his face. Mystique turned to see Nightcrawler's chamber. Nightcrawler was still napping, snoring comfortably. He wore a nullification collar to allow his teleportation abilities to be maintained under control. A thin mechanical arm appeared from the floor of Nightcrawler's chamber and pressed his side. A bright spark and a crackle shocked and startled the beast and disturbed him from his sleep. Nightcrawler was quite upset, and swatted the arm and roared. He was suddenly very angry, and swatted the glass walls. He turned his head towards Mystique, his mother, and growled. He scratched at the glass wall separating them, roaring viciously.
The glass was lowered.
Apocalypse smiled wickedly. Pietro took advantage of this distraction and ran.
Alright, folks. Three chapters to go until this is all over.