Deep within the Swiss Alps, a figure sat alone upon a throne pondering his life. He has lived far longer than he ever imagined. Over the years he has gained powers he couldn't have imagined. His only worry is how he gained them.
He was a warrior during the Crusades of the 12th century. A fighter of great strength and unmatched ambition. It was his curiosity and lack of fear of ancient legends which resulted in his current situation. He entered a tower and awoke an ancient evil, an evil man has named Apocalypse.
He was given great power and almost killed his closest friend. That act alone made him betray Apocalypse who cast him in a great sleep. He slept for centuries, only to be awoken himself by one he would come to look upon as a god. It was during this time as an 'heir' to the Lord Magnus that he encountered the modern world. A world filled with those of power. A world he would help his Lord Magnus rule.
He soon came into conflict with one who claimed to be the son of Apocalypse and almost lost his life. Due to the powers given him by Apocalypse he survived, only to try to destroy the true son of his lord, the mutant Quicksilver. After his defeat, he ventured to Genosha and tried to unit the country as his lord would have wished. He was defeated, by the X-Men and came back to the place of his great sleep to ponder his next course of action.
He no longer wishes to follow the path of Magnus, seeing his goal of a world ruled by mutants still as the only true destiny for Earth. Only he doesn't believe that Magnus is capable of being the one to accomplish that feat. He now wonders if following Apocalypse or being the champion himself is the true answer.
*****
Xavier's Institute of Higher Learning, a school for training mutants in the use of their powers, is in fact, a training facility of the X-Men. It contains the Danger Room and several of the world's most powerful and dangerous mutants. Currently, several members of the X-Men, Wolverine, Juggernaut, Phoenix, Angel, Chamber, Nightcrawler, Northstar, and Jubilee, are in the midst of one such training situation now.
Within the Danger Room, Angel leads the X-Men through a holographic war-type situation so they could be at their best when called upon. As Angel flew over head, with Nightcrawler teleporting from here to there, staying a step ahead of his holographic opponents, Wolverine and Juggernaut were taking out a reprogrammed Sentinel. Northstar was trying to use his enhanced speed to rescue Jubilee from being ensnared in giant mechanical arms. Chamber laid unconscious from the hundreds of lasers firing throughout the room. Phoenix controlled the entire escapade from the God Room.
Jean shuts down the program, as Nightcrawler teleported to Chamber to try and revive him. She grabbed the mic and said, "Ok, good everyone. Jubilee, next time don't underestimate the speed of those arms. Logan, you should've helped her instead of losing control and simply attacking. Is Chamber alright, Kurt?"
"Ja. He will be fine."
"I just didn't know those lasers were going to be so powerful. Hit me like truck."
"This is a combat situation, Jonathan. Everything is going to be pushed to it's limits, including all of you."
"Jeanie, let's quit with the yapping and get back to what we're supposed to be doing here. As much as I don't like sitting around while the rest are off helping the Professor, we might as well be ready for anything."
*****
The man known as Mister Sinister knelt before his lord and master Apocalypse. He has just completed operations on the mutants Caliban and Rogue and await for each to awake. He was in Apocalypse's central throne room hearing what Apocalypse had just learned from Ozymandias, another of his servants. He heard of the warnings and began to inform Apocalypse of the operations thus far.
"All goes to plan, Essex?"
"Yes, my lord. Caliban and Rogue will be awake and around within the next day."
"And the others?"
"Polaris is taking to her news as best as could be expected. Gambit knows that the life of his child and the world are at stake so he is quite eager to help. As for the Horseman Death, I shall inform him to return to your service as soon as I depart from you."
"All seems to be going as I have planned centuries ago. Bring me Death and I shall take care of those that have strayed."
With that Sinister rose and headed towards the only exit in the room. He turned and looked over his shoulder to say something else to Apocalypse, but he was gone. His throne sat empty and Sinister once again was astounded at the goal that Apocalypse hoped to obtain through his plan.
*****
The X-Men on the Blackbird are headed back towards the Xavier Institute and still were struggling with the news they were being forced to accept. On board, Cyclops, Storm, and Siryn sat in silence. None quite wanting to accept the order that Xavier had given them, to gather the rest of the X-Men and bring them back to the underground headquarters of Magneto. Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, that silence was abruptly broken.
The crafts radio came alive, "Cyclops, this is Jean. We've got a problem."
"Jean, what is it?"
"I've run a search through Cerebra and found four mutants moving towards a residence in D.C."
Siryn asked, "Why, exactly is that a problem?"
"The residence is the former base of X-Factor that Forge held Mystique and Sabertooth in. It's where we think the Brotherhood has been lying low at and one of the mutant signatures matches that of Genocide."
"We're on are way there. You keep the other X-Men there. If we need help, then you come. We cannot leave the Institute unguarded."
*****
Before Sinister had the opportunity to turn and speak again to Apocalypse, he teleported himself out of the room by dispersing his entire molecular structure and guiding them with his psionic powers through the very air. With the speed of thought, he traveled from his hidden base, deep beneath the Egypt sands, to the snow covered Swiss Alps. More accurately, one of his former resting chambers that the mutant Exodus now sat and wondered his own fate. Apocalypse then reconstructed his molecules and reformed himself from seemingly nothing.
Standing directly in front of Exodus, Apocalypse said- "Your time has come to choose your destiny, Paris."
Exodus rose from his throne and threw back his cape as his eyes flared with psionic energy. "I wondered how long it would take you to finally track me down."
"I did not track you down. I have known were you have been ever since you awoke from your rejuvenation. I have just now chosen to meet with you."
"Well now you are here. What is it that you want from me?"
"I am giving you a choice, Paris. You will either fall in line and join with me or you shall die."
"I do not believe I shall be doing either, Apocalypse."
Exodus prepared himself for what he believed to be his fiercest battle ever. He was willing to push himself to the farthest reaches of his power's limits. He gripped his cape and gritted his teeth, awaiting for Apocalypse's opening attack. Surprisingly, none came.
"You have missed judge why I have come here, Paris. If you choose not to fight beside me, you will die. Just not at my hand. When the time comes my riders shall cull the weak from the Earth. Those that survive will face the might of my Horsemen. None, but those beside me shall survive their wraith. I am only giving you this opportunity once."
"Why? Why would you give me such an opportunity when there are those that will willingly follow you?"
"You were chosen to become Exodus not for your powers, but for your warrior mentality. Even your refusal to join me then and now is a testament to that. You shall gather those chosen as the strong and bring them to the final battleground. That is and has been your role I have foreseen and so it shall be."
Before Exodus could respond Apocalypse again teleported himself away. Exodus sat back upon his throne, contemplating what he had just learned. He wonders if his destiny has been set or if he still might be able to change things to benefit himself.
*****
The Xavier Institute, all members of the X-Men still here are on edge. Each was awaiting an emergency distress call for help from a Cyclops' team. None were expecting Sinister. He teleported himself directly outside the mansion's front doors. He stood there, as the X-Men came to him expecting a conflict.
"I've been wondering when I was goin to be able to hit something," Cain Marko, the unstoppable Juggernaut yelled as he ran from the doors straight for Sinister.
"Cain, stop!!" Jean screamed as she used her telekinetic powers to halt the Juggernaut's full-on rampage.
"Thank you Mrs. Summers," Sinister said with a small smirk on his face. "I have not come here to fight any of you. Rather to tell Warren that the time is now."
Angel touched down from the ground and landed directly behind Sinister. He walked up to and simply stood by his side. The gathered X-Men don't understand what they are seeing.
"I'm sorry. None of you would understand what I must do, but Apocalypse needs me."
"What… this isn't right. Angel, you spent the last couple of years trying to get over what Apocalypse did to you. Why are you going back to him?"
"He just said you wouldn't understand," Wolverine said, walking towards Angel and Sinister. "But I do. Me and Warren knew one of us was goin to be called on. If it's him, then I'll deal with it, but I'm goin with you Essex."
"There is always room for the strong by Apocalypse's side."
The three mutants then disappeared into one of Sinister's teleportation portals.
To be continued…
Author's Notes
Hey everybody, haven't updated lately, but gotta new one out so it's cool. Keep reviewing, it helps. Hopefully, the story is still interesting. A lot more action in the next chapter. Speaking of which- next chapter - the riders of the storm vs. the brotherhood of evil mutants with three x-men coming just a little too late to do anything. Oh, I got the site for this up and I really need ideas for another scene to draw for this story. Let me know what everyone wants to see.