Disclaimer: I don't own AoA, or the X-men. All original characters are mine
however.
A/N: Thanks to 4Rogue and Sweetlikeachocolate for reviewing, and for the wonderful words of praise. Here's the next installment. Oh yeah, and the horsemen are not OC's.
*~*
The Cards are Dealt
Not many people would have dared to cross the Mediterranean in a boat, and no one in his or her right mind would attempt to traverse it in a wooden tub. Well to be fair it wasn't really a tub. It came close though. With his precious supply of food and water finishing, Scott was beginning to think he should have accepted Jeans offer, and stayed on with the X-men. Even being their prisoner would have been better than certain doom. Scott was no pessimist, but he knew when he was lost, and that was exactly what he was. It was the damn storms fault. If it hadn't blown him every which where but back towards the Island, and gotten rid of his navigating equipment, he would have been fine. Instead he had no idea where the hell he was going, and didn't even know if he was heading out towards the Atlantic Ocean itself. Scott steered his boat slightly towards the right. If he judged right, then no matter where he went he would hit land at some point or the other. He hoped it was soon; his food would be finished in a week, and his water in two. Scott was a hard man. When training to be a Prelate he had once sailed across 72 miles of water with no compass or map to speak of. He had braved the elements and defeated a wild mutant at the end of it too. Sinister had been pleased. Scott shook his head. At the time he had thought it was pride on Sinister's part; that the External had been happy that his son had accomplished his mission so well.
He knew different now. It was more likely that Sinister had seen a useful tool being welded. He grimaced. It was pointless thinking on things like that. Far better to think of other things. He reached out through the bond to reassure himself of Jeans well being. Jean was content at the moment, though her thoughts were shadowed with worry for him. Scott smiled. Over this distance, only the barest hint was given of the others sense of well being. He knew that with this bond he could track her anywhere in the world and vice versa.
A sudden gale forced him to stop his musing and begin controlling his sailboat with all his concentration. He could not afford to be pulled in the wrong direction. He swore under his breath and began pulling the sail to the right. The boom began swinging towards him slowly. Scott gritted his teeth fighting against the wind. Suddenly he saw that clouds had gathered in the air, and he heard a crack of thunder. * Oh Fuck *. Suddenly the wind grew stronger, and again stronger. It was all he could do to hold the sail in place. He would not be defeated by a simple storm. He was the High Prelate. No he wasn't, but he used to be. He had defeated a man even the Externals had feared. And they had played him like a harp. They had used him to do their dirty work. The sail pulled this way and that as the winds grew stronger, and the rope thrashed in his hands like some sort of wild animal. He felt his hands slick, and realized that the rope had cut into him.
He planted his feet firmly on the deck and stood. Then he pulled back with all his might. He heard a snapping sound. Then the mast seemed to splinter before his eyes and the sail flew through the air. It was only his quick thinking that saved him. He let go of the rope and fell backwards. The waves tossed the boat this way and that, and Scott felt his stomach churning. He shook his head violently and looked around. Spotting the bag that contained the large survival kit he clutched it to his chest. It contained the last of his food and water as well. A miniature survival kit was attached to his belt. Scott attached his armored gloves to his gauntlets after slipping them on. Without them if he tried to wield the energy through his hands, they would burn. He powered up and blasted a ray into the water behind him, using the force of the energy striking the water to propel him. The water churned and flared up around him, even as waves broke over the area where he first shot at. Scott clipped the machete to his side. He would need other protection than his beams only, especially if he happened to find himself in a country not friendly to mutants. There were only two on the Mediterranean coast, but he didn't want to luck his chances. The way things were going he would probably wind up in one of them. Suddenly a wave reared up before him, and before he could do anything he had gone halfway up the damn thing. He jumped as his boat flipped and landed on it as it headed back down. * OH Bloody Hell. * He half swayed half surfed on the side of the boat before it and he smashed into oblivion.
x----------------- ------------x
Sinister walked down the hallways of the Tower. The guards snapped to attention as he passed, and the servants scurried out of his way. One did not need to look at him twice to know that he was angry. Sinister's heels clicked on the marble as he approached the Hall of the Externals. He was in a very foul mood and he had to take it out on someone. So far he had not had any excuse and Apocalypse would not like it if he killed one of the guards. The door opened as he strode forward and hissed into place behind him. Sinister came and stood in the centre of the room. The other Externals were there. Candra was slowly sipping a drink in her hands, and watching the other two carefully. Exodus and Sammael had been talking as he entered and turned to face him as he came in.
"Ah, Nathaniel, you are finally here. Now we can begin."
Sinister smiled slightly. "My deepest apologies, but I was delayed in my laboratory."
Sinister climbed up the steps that led to his seat. The others took their seats and the four seats moved across the floor to form a circle. Sinister sat facing Sammael.
"We must redeem ourselves in Apocalypse's eyes. He has lost much of his trust in us, and that was not too much to begin with."
Sinister's eyes narrowed. Candra had never spoken this way before. She was usually content to let the others do most of the talking. She had never taken the initiative on any meeting they had.
"Yes, yes, but we must also deal with those renegade Externals. They have gotten more and more bold of late. It would be best to crush them before they have another chance to strike at us."
Sinister made no outward response to Sammael's statement, but on the inside he laughed grimly. Sammael had always had an obsession with destroying the renegade Externals. A very dangerous obsession to be truthful and also very useful to him. Sammael had managed to kill nearly all but a handful of the Externals that stood against Apocalypse and them. If anything that showed that Sammael was a dangerous man. He had also done him and the other Externals a favor by killing so many dangerous enemies. He would need to arrange it so that Sammael should himself fall against the renegades, while managing to finish off the last of them.
"What of the two renegade Prelates? Do we let them get away?"
Exodus had been in a foul mood as well. Ever since he had faced defeat at the hands of those X-men and the Prelate Rumik. Exodus had been very proud of his work with Rumik. To find her able to break through his conditioning had been a blow to the External. Not to mention the fact that he had been defeated in his encounter against the X-men. It was only a small comfort to know that all the other Externals had been defeated and had only just retreated. However his point was a good one. The Prelates that had turned renegade must be found and destroyed. Especially Scott Summers. Sinister wanted to have the pleasure of killing that deceitful bastard for himself. Exodus or any of the others could have Rumik. Cyclops was his.
"You are all right. We must kill the traitorous rebels, we must finish off the remaining Externals, and we must also prove ourselves to Apocalypse. if only to curry his favor a little longer."
The other three turned their gazes sharply towards him. They had never openly voiced their mutual enmity of Apocalypse. Each knew the other had his or her own agenda, and each also knew that the other would betray them to Apocalypse as easily as they would pretend to co-operate with them. This was the first time any of them had spoken out so plainly. Sinister smiled.
"Yes, it is no longer time for us to hide from the truth. We each wish to de-throne Apocalypse, and perhaps take his place. That is why we have always been so circumspect in our efforts to hide from any and all our true plans. However he now has new power, a new force that could kill us where we stand. The horsemen are not something we can easily trifle with. In any protracted fight we may overcome them, but not without taking heavy casualties."
The others mulled over this, and Candra shifted in her seat. "We know all this Sinister, what is your point?"
"The point, my dear Candra, is that we need to work together for once. I don't mean pretend to work together, but actually work together to bring down our enemies. After that. we go our own ways as usual."
Sammael looked up at Sinister. His eyes stared into his for a long time. Finally he spoke:
"So you propose we finally get on with it. You want us to finally finish Apocalypse. It is a very daring plan you must have Sinister. We must take him down before his horsemen find out. If they find out before we can finish Apocalypse then we may all perish."
Sinister smiled at him.
"Oh, you can believe me Sammael. My plan will not only finish off Apocalypse, it will deal with the rebel X-men and the Externals in the same blow."
The Externals leaned forward, now truly interested.
x----------------- ------------x
Alex lay in bed his hands folded behind his head. The last week had been especially harrowing for the young Prelate. The Tower had been broken into twice, an assault had been carried out and prisoners had been freed from the containment cells and breeding pens. In the assault and the two infiltrations, A Prelate, Lumina had been injured and another Prelate had turned traitor, Rumik.
They had lost three mutant units and fifteen soldier units. Worse than that an External, Archanfel had died. In Alex's mind though, the worst thing to happen in the last week was the fact that his brother Scott, the High Prelate had turned traitor as well. In all of Alex's wildest imaginings, that had never struck him as something that could ever happen. To Alex, Scott had earlier been an idol, but later had earned Alex's envy. Alex had always desperately wanted to be like Scott. Throughout their childhood Scott had been the better tactician. He could outmaneuver Alex in his sleep it had seemed to him. They had always been fairly evenly matched in power and in agility, although Scott had been a better fighter than him. The only way Alex had ever exceeded him had been in ability to use their mutant powers. Scott's head injury when young had caused him to develop a block against using his powers properly; therefore he was confined to a visor that he had to control using a knob to alter the frequency of his optic blasts. Scott had been confined behind a ruby prison. Alex had had no such accident and he could channel his energy through his hands and use it at whatever frequency he wished with but a thought, that had always been something Alex had been proud of. He was better a something than Scott. Scott had trained hard though, and with Sinister's help, had narrowed the difference in their ability to use their powers down to a miniscule difference, hardly apparent to any except those who knew what to look for. Scott had confided in him however that Sinister had been constructing Gauntlets for Scott to use.
Those gauntlets would give Scott the ability to use his power as Alex did; through his hands. Alex's envy had bloomed then, and grown.
All that was dross now though. All that remained was the fact that Scott had gone over to the enemy. Alex raised a hand in the air and watched as it began glowing with energy. The other Prelates could deal with Rumik when they found the X-men, but Scott was his. For what Scott had done, Alex swore he would kill him.
A figure stirred at his side. A hand came out from below the covers and ran lightly up his chest. Alex caught the hand as it lay over a nipple.
"Alex, go to sleep. Your thinking is bothering me."
Alex turned to Lorna and stared at her face. Lorna stared back at him, then shook her head.
"Alex, you've got to let it go. It wasn't your fault that everything that happened, happened."
"I can't just let it go Lorna. Why did Scott leave? I don't understand it. He was the one who had always gone on about loyalty and commitment. Why did he turn?"
Lorna got up into a sitting position and cupped his face gently in her hands.
"No one knows that except Scott, Alex. Musing over it will do no good. We can only guess at his reasons. Who knows, maybe this is just one of his plans, though I doubt that. For now all we can do is hope that Scott had some reason to do this. Otherwise."
"Otherwise we'll have to kill him."
Lorna nodded. "Yes, we'll just have to be strong enough to deal with him when and if the time comes. If he did turn traitor, we have to kill him," suddenly Lorna's voice turned nasty, "Him and Magneto. For what Magneto did, I will kill him."
Lorna's voice trembled at the last, and Alex gathered her into his arms. They lay there in their bed, taking comfort against their mutual losses.
x----------------- ------------x
"Ask Rogue? What de hell is dat supposed to mean?"
Remy sat on the stool in consternation. Nothing had gone his way since the attack on the Tower. Not only was Rogue practically ignoring him, but now Emma wanted nothing to do with him either. Well not exactly that, but she had resisted against his efforts for two days now. Once he had gotten under her defenses he was sure he had it made. Now she was treating him like, well like a friend, and one who used to be a lover at that, not one who was anymore. To add onto that Wanda had gotten an attack of guilt, and over the past few days had decided that Rogue was a good enough person to be a stepmother to her, and that Rogue really did love Magneto, as he should be. Due to this, she now refused to talk to Remy till he apologized to Rogue for all the offensiveness they had shown her. That was really unfair of her because Remy couldn't do that, it wasn't possible. The Ragin' Cajun did not apologize when he was in the right. Storm had also decided that he was not well, and had also convinced Moira somehow. Storm apparently thought that while he had been propped up in Sinister's lab, he had been infected with a disease, or had undergone an experiment that had to have changed him somehow, and that Sinister probably implanted a tracking device in him. Because of that he had had to undergo a very thorough examination at the hands of three women: Jean, Ororo and Moira. Since then they had been extremely angry with him. Well, to be honest it wasn't entirely his fault. What the hell was a man supposed to do when a woman ran his hands over his body, especially when he was awake? As a result he had gotten three sharp slaps from them and a notice that until he learned to behave, he would not be welcome in their presence. The only female mutants left to talk to were Kitty, Betsy, Helena and Raven. Betsy and Helena were too busy 'catching up' to be of any use there. Raven was off with Gavin, attempting to salvage anything that might remain in their old base.
Kitty would be with Piotr somewhere. Trying to talk to members of the Human High Council was pointless; they would not be comfortable around him. Remy sighed and got off the stool; he pulled on his duster and walked out of the room. What was the world coming to when there wasn't a decent woman to flirt with?
Remy walked along the halls aimlessly, finally coming to the one that opened up into the remembrance hall. He walked in. This was the hall dedicated to the greatest heroes of the X-men. All of those who had died had been buried here. Remy walked along the gravestones reading the names.
Morph
Remy had been there when Morph had fallen to Quja with a mutant unit. That had been a sad day. Morph had been someone who had always cheered up the group, always ready with a joke or a quip. Remy had liked him.
Jubilee
Remy felt a great sense of loss looking down at the gravestone. Jubilee had been another person who should never have died. She had been only seventeen when she died. Jubilee had been like a sister to Remy. She had died a few weeks after he had left the X-men. Another death that Remy felt partially responsible for.
Lila Cheney, that massive traitor Guido who had been in Roulette, even the singer Dazzler had fallen. The list went on. Remy stopped in front of another gravestone. This one had been given a lot of tribute. The name that had been etched had been done with the wishes of the dead person. The stone simply read:
Professor X
Father, Mentor and Friend to us all.
May he rest in peace.
Remy sighed. The body was not really there of course. That had been taken back to the Tower where God alone knows what had happened to it. According to Helena though Cyclops himself had buried it. That had perhaps been a factor in why Erik and Moira had decided to let him go. That and what Jean had told them about Xavier's dying words about Cyclops.
Remy knelt in front of the grave and prayed.
After a few moments he got up feeling better. He turned to go. Something else had also been puzzling him though, and it cropped up in his mind. Why had Sinister wanted to experiment on him so badly? For that matter, why had Candra taken such an interest in him? Remy needed more help. He decided to go to the one place that always gave him the peace and feeling of solitude he wanted. Remy needed to pay a visit to Belladonna.
x----------------- ------------x
Jean sat in her room. She was worried. As Scott had gone farther away, so had her link diminished. She could still sense him, but more dimly. She could no longer sense his every thought and emotion over this long distance. She had considered using Cerebro to see if it would enhance her link, but had dismissed that idea as being silly. She would simply have to get used to Scott's presence being less in her head. She knew he was somewhere south west of them, but more than that she couldn't be sure of. She could have tracked him if necessary, but again that had not been what he wanted. He had wanted her to stay with the X-men. In truth her loyalties had been divided. Yet she knew Scott was right. The X-men had needed her, still needed her. Once their battle was over, she could be with Scott, not before. She also realized that Scott had his own personal problems to sort out. She had to get a grip on herself and focus on the threat of Apocalypse. He would retaliate, that was for certain, but how he would do so was not certain. Those kill-droids of his were a new complication. The good news was that with two of his Prelates gone, one the High Prelate himself and an External dead, the balance might still end up becoming the same as it was before. Therefore, while their odds were still slim, they now had enough knowledge of the enemy, thanks to Rumik, to attempt to defeat them. The knowledge that the Externals bore each other as much enmity as they did the X-men was enlightening. A knock on the door interrupted Jeans train of thought.
"Come in."
The door opened to reveal Ororo, Warren and Logan.
"So guys, what's the matter?"
They all stared at her for a second. Then Warren spoke up.
"Well, Jean to be honest we were worried about you. Ever since Cyclops left you've been like a zombie, walking around in a trance like state every time we see you."
"Yes, I too was worried, and we all wanted to help you. I know you think you love him, but-"
"Not think, Ororo, I do love him. And furthermore he loves me too."
Ororo lifted a placating hand.
"I didn't mean to question your heart, though I do not know how you can be so sure he loves you. He always was a tricky man. He could have come up with this as a plan to infiltrate our base and destroy us."
Jean's eyes flashed angrily and she stood.
"He did not. I'm as sure of him as I am of you. More in fact."
Ororo's eyes widened and she stood up confronting Jean.
"How can you say that? I am as loyal to this team as you are."
Logan stood up before Jean could say anything and grabbing both women's arms with his one he pushed them into their respective chairs.
"Shut up. Ororo, we're here to cheer Jean up, not pick fights with her. And Jean, Ororo's worth as a part of this team should not come into question."
The two glared at each other, then both women blushed.
"I'm sorry Jean. I did not mean to put you or Cyclops down. You're mood has just been getting me down recently, that and Remy's behavior compounded by Sarah's still being in a coma. Even I do not have an infinite store of patience and well." She shrugged.
"I'm sorry too Ororo, I didn't mean what I said either. I do trust you, as much as I ever did. You're my best friend girl, and don't you forget it. I'm sorry about my mood, I just came to the same realization a few moments before you came in."
Ororo smiled at Jean, who smiled back at her long time friend.
"Good, now that that's settled, I also wanted to talk to all three of you anyway, that's why I recruited you two on the way to Jean's room. Neither of you have clocked any danger room hours since you returned. So unless you want Mags on your ass, I suggest you get in there and get some training done. I'll be watching you with Kitty, who is developing a new program with me and Erik."
The other three glared at the feral mutants retreating back as he walked out.
x----------------- ------------x
The five Externals walked up the mountain. Gilgamesh walked over the rocks and dirt as though it were glass beneath his feet, nearly gliding over the uneven ground. It was a technique he had perfected over his over two millennia of life. Gilgamesh smirked inwardly. The others were having some slight difficulty over crossing the terrain. Asmodeus stumbled over every rock and shallow. The mans nerve had been nearly broken. Gilgamesh had control over the group in the palm of his hand, when that overbearing idiot Astaroth had come up with the news of another External. That had saved Asmodeus's hide, but he was still no longer as confident as he had once been. Gilgamesh had long strived to gain leadership of the External's but Shaman and then Asmodeus had been too suspicious of him. The others had followed those two fools completely and with complete conviction. It had become necessary for Gilgamesh to shape events in the enemies' favor, till things stood where he wanted. Now it seemed he would have another threat to deal with. Still, Gilgamesh had met no enemy that had daunted him yet, including Apocalypse. With his powers and cunning he would always come out the winner, he was sure of that.
"We're nearly there." That fool Astaroth had walked over rocks as though they were smooth ground, and indeed before him they had just crumbled. Such was the power of the man, though he could make nothing organic change shape. A good power, but with limitations. His own power was one that had far less limitations. He began hording energy within him. If necessary, he would kill this External.
Behamen then came down from the sky. She had been flying in the air, as a reconnaissance.
"There's something up ahead, a cave of some sort."
Astaroth smiled, "Yes, that's exactly where I felt it. Then it was as though that person realized someone might detect him or her and shielded him or herself. I was shielded then, and shielded as we are now, we should be able to take him unawares."
Gilgamesh nearly burst out laughing. God, Astaroth was a simpleton. It was more than likely that this External had gone from here, and had left a few unpleasant surprises for them. However, they were committed to finding the External. The others all believed that they needed the External to help them defeat Apocalypse. He had no such ideas. He knew quite well that defeating Apocalypse would not be easy, but he also knew that Apocalypse had never faced one with his powers. If he took the bastard by surprise he would be able to vanquish him, he was sure of that.
"There it is."
The Externals walked into the cave one by one, Asmodeus being the last to enter. He looked around him. The cave was dark, even just a few feet into the cave. The others crowded close into the confined space.
"There's nothing here Astaroth. The wall ends in a dead end a few feet ahead."
Gilgamesh's voice rang out from a bit ahead.
"No, actually there's a bend over here, where there's a crack. We all could fit into it quite easily, except Astaroth."
How had Gilgamesh gotten that far ahead? Asmodeus could have sworn he was next to him a second ago. The others headed for the crack and Asmodeus followed. The others were beginning to lose respect for him, that was for sure. He had seen Galaire smile contemptuously at him as she went past. Asmodeus would have to regain that respect; otherwise he was as good as dead. As they walked around the cave, Gilgamesh kept on going more and more ahead, until they could barely hear him when he deigned to speak. Asmodeus kept on growing more and more suspicious. Perhaps this was all some trap of Gilgamesh's. If that were the case, he would tear him apart with his bare hands. The finally reached a small hallway of some sort, that was lit from the outside, by some sort of radiance from the rocks.
"Hmm, phosphorous. Strange, it is not usually found so close to surface." Gilgamesh stood before a door embedded in the wall. Astaroth ran toward in excitement. He had always reminded Asmodeus of a boy sometimes. He opened the door before they could stop him. The fool, how could he have been so careless?
However there was no trap laid for them inside. As they walked into the dark chamber ahead, Gilgamesh called out from ahead, "There is someone in here."
The room immediately lit up, and a voice called out.
"There is indeed someone in here en' Ulas."
The External's turned as one towards the right of the room, where the voice had come from.
There were steps there leading upwards, where a figure stood in the shadows. It began to descend, speaking as it did.
"So, it took you all long enough. I was beginning to think you would never show yourselves. It appears Shaman did not teach you all well enough. I have been awake for a while now, and I expected you much before this."
The figure resolved itself into that of a powerfully built man, dressed in a high collared black shirt which was open part of the way in front. He wore black form fitting tights, and high black boots. His arms and hands were covered in black gauntlets. He had a high forehead, with dark brows jutting out over his eyes, which were jet black in color. His face was cold and forbidding, with thin lips and high cheekbones, as well as a straight slightly long nose. His hair was long, and swept back from his forehead, with a few strands framing his face, the rest hanging below his shoulders. Something tickled the back of Asmodeus's mind when he looked at the man, but nothing came to light. The man stood before them impassively looking at all of them, clearly awaiting some sort of response.
"What do you mean, you expected us?" Asmodeus was proud that his voice did not shake. He would not admit it, but this man frightened him.
The man turned to look at him directly.
"You mean you have no clue as to who I am? Do any of you know who I am?"
The others shook their heads.
"Damn me for getting stuck with a brainless lot. Did Shaman not tell you anything? You Devinrok, you were his favorite pupil. Did he never mention me?"
"Who are you?" Gilgamesh voiced what had been growing in all their minds.
"I am Nidlen Halfbane."
The words spoken with such simplicity shook Asmodeus to his core. Apparently the others were not affected. They of course did not know. Nidlen Halfbane was the man who had taught Shaman all that he had known. The man Shaman had told him had died years ago. Nidlen Halfbane was also the half brother of Sammael. They had been the only Externals who had been close to Apocalypse's own age. Both these Externals had been very powerful, especially Halfbane. Now Asmodeus remembered where he had seen the man. Shaman had shown him a hologram of him once.
Gilgamesh stepped forward then, "Halfbane? What's this half that you're the bane of? What kind of stupid person calls himself Halfbane?"
Halfbane smiled and stepped forward. "This kind."
Gilgamesh stood looking at him then turned away, "A fool. That is who you have led us to Astaroth. Someone who thinks he knew Shaman. A madman who thinks we have been waiting for his arrival. Someone who might be strong enough to serve our ends though. I suggest we make him work for us."
The other External's now emboldened by Gilgamesh's words nodded their assent. Gilgamesh turned and looked at the large mutant.
"Well, Halfbane?" Gilgamesh gave the name an insulting twist, "do you swear fealty to us? If not we will kill you now and be done with it. You can either work for us, or be crushed by us. The choice is simple."
Halfbane had lost any look of amusement he had. He unfolded his arms and held them loosely by his side.
"I am disappointed, I would have thought Shaman would have taught you better than that. I see I will have to teach you what it means to fear Nidlen Halfbane. I will neither work for anyone, nor be crushed by anyone. Many have tried, including that madman Nur. All failed in killing me, and only Nur just managed to imprison me. I am now free and have been waiting for you all to come. I give you the same choice you gave me. Fight and be crushed or bow to me!"
The other External's faces grew more and more grim as he spoke and now Astaroth swung out his hammer at Halfbane's last words.
"Enough talk. We are done with you. Die Halfbane."
Asmodeus felt the moisture gather in the air and had a split second warning. He moved to quickly stand beside Galaire as the others did, except Gilgamesh, who had disappeared. A massive jet of water appeared out of thin air and slammed into Halfbane who staggered back. His brows drew together and he raised a hand. The lights of the chamber winked out. In the dark Asmodeus could not make out anyone for a few seconds, then his eyes began to get used to the dark and he could just barely make out the forms of Galaire and Astaroth next to him. Behamen had presumably taken to the air. Asmodeus looked to where Halfbane had been. He looked more closely, and then he saw something glow there. The thing resolved itself into a large swallow, a sword like weapon with blades on both sides of the grip. Somebody was holding it, and Asmodeus didn't need to guess twice on who it was. Astaroth charged forward, his hammer glowing as he made it harder than diamonds. Asmodeus shot a temporal blast into the air, watching the chamber in the split second illumination that he gained. He knew that Halfbane couldn't possibly withstand all of them. He would rather be on the side of the winning team. It was a pity though; Halfbane would probably have been useful, even as a master over them. Suddenly in the fading light he saw a glance of something . black . hurling itself onto Halfbane. Astaroth struck at the swallow, but surprisingly it cut right through the hammer. Astaroth bellowed and stepped back.
The lights came on again, just in time to see a black shadow slam into Halfbane. Halfbane flew back and landed on the steps. He pulled himself up and looked at Gilgamesh who was now standing on a rocky outcropping. thirty feet in the air? How did Gilgamesh get there, Asmodeus wondered.
"So you are the shadow master. No matter, I will deal with you as Nur dealt with your trainer."
Asmodeus saw Gilgamesh stiffen. What Halfbane had said had struck home. Astaroth got up and his hammer shaped itself back into place. Halfbane whipped the swallow around and slashed at Astaroth. Astaroth leaped back, and the swallow slashed through the air in front of him.
"Sonofabitch." Astaroth leaped forward again and a blast of energy hit him square in the chest. Astaroth crumpled to the floor. Galaire had already prepared another aqua-blast and hurled it at Halfbane. He fell back on the steps again. Behamen came and stood before him. She looked into his eyes.
"Rise." Behamen's command was spoken huskily. Halfbane seemed to get up against his own will.
"Cease your efforts to fight us. We are your masters. Succumb to our will."
Halfbane stood there for a moment then his mouth opened. All of a sudden his eyes flashed. Asmodeus's eyes widened, but before he could speak a word of warning Behamen flew back with the front of her armor smoking. A blur smashed into Halfbane's chest and he fell to his knees, grunting.
"You are quite strong. I am not strong enough to beat you all."
He jumped backwards and hovered in the air a moment. He floated back to the top of the stairs and hit something on the wall. A low gong was heard and then three secret doors in the walls of the cave chamber opened up and in flowed a whole army of people. There must have been nearly a thousand people in that room. The Externals bunched together in a circle. Astaroth's body lay by the steps and Behamen lay in front of them, by the soldier's feet.
"A pity. I did not mean my army to be used to subjugate you. It is a pity you Externals have kept your pride and dignity, but have left your brains and memories far behind. You shall all now serve me, till Nur has been dethroned and my own brother Sammael lives no more."
A few soldiers woke Astaroth up and a few others also revived Behamen. The External's lined up before Halfbane.
"Bow to me now Externals, for you are mine."
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I should upload fairly frequently, as half the story is already finished. Anyway. some trouble coming in the next few chapters. Read on.
A/N: Thanks to 4Rogue and Sweetlikeachocolate for reviewing, and for the wonderful words of praise. Here's the next installment. Oh yeah, and the horsemen are not OC's.
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The Cards are Dealt
Not many people would have dared to cross the Mediterranean in a boat, and no one in his or her right mind would attempt to traverse it in a wooden tub. Well to be fair it wasn't really a tub. It came close though. With his precious supply of food and water finishing, Scott was beginning to think he should have accepted Jeans offer, and stayed on with the X-men. Even being their prisoner would have been better than certain doom. Scott was no pessimist, but he knew when he was lost, and that was exactly what he was. It was the damn storms fault. If it hadn't blown him every which where but back towards the Island, and gotten rid of his navigating equipment, he would have been fine. Instead he had no idea where the hell he was going, and didn't even know if he was heading out towards the Atlantic Ocean itself. Scott steered his boat slightly towards the right. If he judged right, then no matter where he went he would hit land at some point or the other. He hoped it was soon; his food would be finished in a week, and his water in two. Scott was a hard man. When training to be a Prelate he had once sailed across 72 miles of water with no compass or map to speak of. He had braved the elements and defeated a wild mutant at the end of it too. Sinister had been pleased. Scott shook his head. At the time he had thought it was pride on Sinister's part; that the External had been happy that his son had accomplished his mission so well.
He knew different now. It was more likely that Sinister had seen a useful tool being welded. He grimaced. It was pointless thinking on things like that. Far better to think of other things. He reached out through the bond to reassure himself of Jeans well being. Jean was content at the moment, though her thoughts were shadowed with worry for him. Scott smiled. Over this distance, only the barest hint was given of the others sense of well being. He knew that with this bond he could track her anywhere in the world and vice versa.
A sudden gale forced him to stop his musing and begin controlling his sailboat with all his concentration. He could not afford to be pulled in the wrong direction. He swore under his breath and began pulling the sail to the right. The boom began swinging towards him slowly. Scott gritted his teeth fighting against the wind. Suddenly he saw that clouds had gathered in the air, and he heard a crack of thunder. * Oh Fuck *. Suddenly the wind grew stronger, and again stronger. It was all he could do to hold the sail in place. He would not be defeated by a simple storm. He was the High Prelate. No he wasn't, but he used to be. He had defeated a man even the Externals had feared. And they had played him like a harp. They had used him to do their dirty work. The sail pulled this way and that as the winds grew stronger, and the rope thrashed in his hands like some sort of wild animal. He felt his hands slick, and realized that the rope had cut into him.
He planted his feet firmly on the deck and stood. Then he pulled back with all his might. He heard a snapping sound. Then the mast seemed to splinter before his eyes and the sail flew through the air. It was only his quick thinking that saved him. He let go of the rope and fell backwards. The waves tossed the boat this way and that, and Scott felt his stomach churning. He shook his head violently and looked around. Spotting the bag that contained the large survival kit he clutched it to his chest. It contained the last of his food and water as well. A miniature survival kit was attached to his belt. Scott attached his armored gloves to his gauntlets after slipping them on. Without them if he tried to wield the energy through his hands, they would burn. He powered up and blasted a ray into the water behind him, using the force of the energy striking the water to propel him. The water churned and flared up around him, even as waves broke over the area where he first shot at. Scott clipped the machete to his side. He would need other protection than his beams only, especially if he happened to find himself in a country not friendly to mutants. There were only two on the Mediterranean coast, but he didn't want to luck his chances. The way things were going he would probably wind up in one of them. Suddenly a wave reared up before him, and before he could do anything he had gone halfway up the damn thing. He jumped as his boat flipped and landed on it as it headed back down. * OH Bloody Hell. * He half swayed half surfed on the side of the boat before it and he smashed into oblivion.
x----------------- ------------x
Sinister walked down the hallways of the Tower. The guards snapped to attention as he passed, and the servants scurried out of his way. One did not need to look at him twice to know that he was angry. Sinister's heels clicked on the marble as he approached the Hall of the Externals. He was in a very foul mood and he had to take it out on someone. So far he had not had any excuse and Apocalypse would not like it if he killed one of the guards. The door opened as he strode forward and hissed into place behind him. Sinister came and stood in the centre of the room. The other Externals were there. Candra was slowly sipping a drink in her hands, and watching the other two carefully. Exodus and Sammael had been talking as he entered and turned to face him as he came in.
"Ah, Nathaniel, you are finally here. Now we can begin."
Sinister smiled slightly. "My deepest apologies, but I was delayed in my laboratory."
Sinister climbed up the steps that led to his seat. The others took their seats and the four seats moved across the floor to form a circle. Sinister sat facing Sammael.
"We must redeem ourselves in Apocalypse's eyes. He has lost much of his trust in us, and that was not too much to begin with."
Sinister's eyes narrowed. Candra had never spoken this way before. She was usually content to let the others do most of the talking. She had never taken the initiative on any meeting they had.
"Yes, yes, but we must also deal with those renegade Externals. They have gotten more and more bold of late. It would be best to crush them before they have another chance to strike at us."
Sinister made no outward response to Sammael's statement, but on the inside he laughed grimly. Sammael had always had an obsession with destroying the renegade Externals. A very dangerous obsession to be truthful and also very useful to him. Sammael had managed to kill nearly all but a handful of the Externals that stood against Apocalypse and them. If anything that showed that Sammael was a dangerous man. He had also done him and the other Externals a favor by killing so many dangerous enemies. He would need to arrange it so that Sammael should himself fall against the renegades, while managing to finish off the last of them.
"What of the two renegade Prelates? Do we let them get away?"
Exodus had been in a foul mood as well. Ever since he had faced defeat at the hands of those X-men and the Prelate Rumik. Exodus had been very proud of his work with Rumik. To find her able to break through his conditioning had been a blow to the External. Not to mention the fact that he had been defeated in his encounter against the X-men. It was only a small comfort to know that all the other Externals had been defeated and had only just retreated. However his point was a good one. The Prelates that had turned renegade must be found and destroyed. Especially Scott Summers. Sinister wanted to have the pleasure of killing that deceitful bastard for himself. Exodus or any of the others could have Rumik. Cyclops was his.
"You are all right. We must kill the traitorous rebels, we must finish off the remaining Externals, and we must also prove ourselves to Apocalypse. if only to curry his favor a little longer."
The other three turned their gazes sharply towards him. They had never openly voiced their mutual enmity of Apocalypse. Each knew the other had his or her own agenda, and each also knew that the other would betray them to Apocalypse as easily as they would pretend to co-operate with them. This was the first time any of them had spoken out so plainly. Sinister smiled.
"Yes, it is no longer time for us to hide from the truth. We each wish to de-throne Apocalypse, and perhaps take his place. That is why we have always been so circumspect in our efforts to hide from any and all our true plans. However he now has new power, a new force that could kill us where we stand. The horsemen are not something we can easily trifle with. In any protracted fight we may overcome them, but not without taking heavy casualties."
The others mulled over this, and Candra shifted in her seat. "We know all this Sinister, what is your point?"
"The point, my dear Candra, is that we need to work together for once. I don't mean pretend to work together, but actually work together to bring down our enemies. After that. we go our own ways as usual."
Sammael looked up at Sinister. His eyes stared into his for a long time. Finally he spoke:
"So you propose we finally get on with it. You want us to finally finish Apocalypse. It is a very daring plan you must have Sinister. We must take him down before his horsemen find out. If they find out before we can finish Apocalypse then we may all perish."
Sinister smiled at him.
"Oh, you can believe me Sammael. My plan will not only finish off Apocalypse, it will deal with the rebel X-men and the Externals in the same blow."
The Externals leaned forward, now truly interested.
x----------------- ------------x
Alex lay in bed his hands folded behind his head. The last week had been especially harrowing for the young Prelate. The Tower had been broken into twice, an assault had been carried out and prisoners had been freed from the containment cells and breeding pens. In the assault and the two infiltrations, A Prelate, Lumina had been injured and another Prelate had turned traitor, Rumik.
They had lost three mutant units and fifteen soldier units. Worse than that an External, Archanfel had died. In Alex's mind though, the worst thing to happen in the last week was the fact that his brother Scott, the High Prelate had turned traitor as well. In all of Alex's wildest imaginings, that had never struck him as something that could ever happen. To Alex, Scott had earlier been an idol, but later had earned Alex's envy. Alex had always desperately wanted to be like Scott. Throughout their childhood Scott had been the better tactician. He could outmaneuver Alex in his sleep it had seemed to him. They had always been fairly evenly matched in power and in agility, although Scott had been a better fighter than him. The only way Alex had ever exceeded him had been in ability to use their mutant powers. Scott's head injury when young had caused him to develop a block against using his powers properly; therefore he was confined to a visor that he had to control using a knob to alter the frequency of his optic blasts. Scott had been confined behind a ruby prison. Alex had had no such accident and he could channel his energy through his hands and use it at whatever frequency he wished with but a thought, that had always been something Alex had been proud of. He was better a something than Scott. Scott had trained hard though, and with Sinister's help, had narrowed the difference in their ability to use their powers down to a miniscule difference, hardly apparent to any except those who knew what to look for. Scott had confided in him however that Sinister had been constructing Gauntlets for Scott to use.
Those gauntlets would give Scott the ability to use his power as Alex did; through his hands. Alex's envy had bloomed then, and grown.
All that was dross now though. All that remained was the fact that Scott had gone over to the enemy. Alex raised a hand in the air and watched as it began glowing with energy. The other Prelates could deal with Rumik when they found the X-men, but Scott was his. For what Scott had done, Alex swore he would kill him.
A figure stirred at his side. A hand came out from below the covers and ran lightly up his chest. Alex caught the hand as it lay over a nipple.
"Alex, go to sleep. Your thinking is bothering me."
Alex turned to Lorna and stared at her face. Lorna stared back at him, then shook her head.
"Alex, you've got to let it go. It wasn't your fault that everything that happened, happened."
"I can't just let it go Lorna. Why did Scott leave? I don't understand it. He was the one who had always gone on about loyalty and commitment. Why did he turn?"
Lorna got up into a sitting position and cupped his face gently in her hands.
"No one knows that except Scott, Alex. Musing over it will do no good. We can only guess at his reasons. Who knows, maybe this is just one of his plans, though I doubt that. For now all we can do is hope that Scott had some reason to do this. Otherwise."
"Otherwise we'll have to kill him."
Lorna nodded. "Yes, we'll just have to be strong enough to deal with him when and if the time comes. If he did turn traitor, we have to kill him," suddenly Lorna's voice turned nasty, "Him and Magneto. For what Magneto did, I will kill him."
Lorna's voice trembled at the last, and Alex gathered her into his arms. They lay there in their bed, taking comfort against their mutual losses.
x----------------- ------------x
"Ask Rogue? What de hell is dat supposed to mean?"
Remy sat on the stool in consternation. Nothing had gone his way since the attack on the Tower. Not only was Rogue practically ignoring him, but now Emma wanted nothing to do with him either. Well not exactly that, but she had resisted against his efforts for two days now. Once he had gotten under her defenses he was sure he had it made. Now she was treating him like, well like a friend, and one who used to be a lover at that, not one who was anymore. To add onto that Wanda had gotten an attack of guilt, and over the past few days had decided that Rogue was a good enough person to be a stepmother to her, and that Rogue really did love Magneto, as he should be. Due to this, she now refused to talk to Remy till he apologized to Rogue for all the offensiveness they had shown her. That was really unfair of her because Remy couldn't do that, it wasn't possible. The Ragin' Cajun did not apologize when he was in the right. Storm had also decided that he was not well, and had also convinced Moira somehow. Storm apparently thought that while he had been propped up in Sinister's lab, he had been infected with a disease, or had undergone an experiment that had to have changed him somehow, and that Sinister probably implanted a tracking device in him. Because of that he had had to undergo a very thorough examination at the hands of three women: Jean, Ororo and Moira. Since then they had been extremely angry with him. Well, to be honest it wasn't entirely his fault. What the hell was a man supposed to do when a woman ran his hands over his body, especially when he was awake? As a result he had gotten three sharp slaps from them and a notice that until he learned to behave, he would not be welcome in their presence. The only female mutants left to talk to were Kitty, Betsy, Helena and Raven. Betsy and Helena were too busy 'catching up' to be of any use there. Raven was off with Gavin, attempting to salvage anything that might remain in their old base.
Kitty would be with Piotr somewhere. Trying to talk to members of the Human High Council was pointless; they would not be comfortable around him. Remy sighed and got off the stool; he pulled on his duster and walked out of the room. What was the world coming to when there wasn't a decent woman to flirt with?
Remy walked along the halls aimlessly, finally coming to the one that opened up into the remembrance hall. He walked in. This was the hall dedicated to the greatest heroes of the X-men. All of those who had died had been buried here. Remy walked along the gravestones reading the names.
Morph
Remy had been there when Morph had fallen to Quja with a mutant unit. That had been a sad day. Morph had been someone who had always cheered up the group, always ready with a joke or a quip. Remy had liked him.
Jubilee
Remy felt a great sense of loss looking down at the gravestone. Jubilee had been another person who should never have died. She had been only seventeen when she died. Jubilee had been like a sister to Remy. She had died a few weeks after he had left the X-men. Another death that Remy felt partially responsible for.
Lila Cheney, that massive traitor Guido who had been in Roulette, even the singer Dazzler had fallen. The list went on. Remy stopped in front of another gravestone. This one had been given a lot of tribute. The name that had been etched had been done with the wishes of the dead person. The stone simply read:
Professor X
Father, Mentor and Friend to us all.
May he rest in peace.
Remy sighed. The body was not really there of course. That had been taken back to the Tower where God alone knows what had happened to it. According to Helena though Cyclops himself had buried it. That had perhaps been a factor in why Erik and Moira had decided to let him go. That and what Jean had told them about Xavier's dying words about Cyclops.
Remy knelt in front of the grave and prayed.
After a few moments he got up feeling better. He turned to go. Something else had also been puzzling him though, and it cropped up in his mind. Why had Sinister wanted to experiment on him so badly? For that matter, why had Candra taken such an interest in him? Remy needed more help. He decided to go to the one place that always gave him the peace and feeling of solitude he wanted. Remy needed to pay a visit to Belladonna.
x----------------- ------------x
Jean sat in her room. She was worried. As Scott had gone farther away, so had her link diminished. She could still sense him, but more dimly. She could no longer sense his every thought and emotion over this long distance. She had considered using Cerebro to see if it would enhance her link, but had dismissed that idea as being silly. She would simply have to get used to Scott's presence being less in her head. She knew he was somewhere south west of them, but more than that she couldn't be sure of. She could have tracked him if necessary, but again that had not been what he wanted. He had wanted her to stay with the X-men. In truth her loyalties had been divided. Yet she knew Scott was right. The X-men had needed her, still needed her. Once their battle was over, she could be with Scott, not before. She also realized that Scott had his own personal problems to sort out. She had to get a grip on herself and focus on the threat of Apocalypse. He would retaliate, that was for certain, but how he would do so was not certain. Those kill-droids of his were a new complication. The good news was that with two of his Prelates gone, one the High Prelate himself and an External dead, the balance might still end up becoming the same as it was before. Therefore, while their odds were still slim, they now had enough knowledge of the enemy, thanks to Rumik, to attempt to defeat them. The knowledge that the Externals bore each other as much enmity as they did the X-men was enlightening. A knock on the door interrupted Jeans train of thought.
"Come in."
The door opened to reveal Ororo, Warren and Logan.
"So guys, what's the matter?"
They all stared at her for a second. Then Warren spoke up.
"Well, Jean to be honest we were worried about you. Ever since Cyclops left you've been like a zombie, walking around in a trance like state every time we see you."
"Yes, I too was worried, and we all wanted to help you. I know you think you love him, but-"
"Not think, Ororo, I do love him. And furthermore he loves me too."
Ororo lifted a placating hand.
"I didn't mean to question your heart, though I do not know how you can be so sure he loves you. He always was a tricky man. He could have come up with this as a plan to infiltrate our base and destroy us."
Jean's eyes flashed angrily and she stood.
"He did not. I'm as sure of him as I am of you. More in fact."
Ororo's eyes widened and she stood up confronting Jean.
"How can you say that? I am as loyal to this team as you are."
Logan stood up before Jean could say anything and grabbing both women's arms with his one he pushed them into their respective chairs.
"Shut up. Ororo, we're here to cheer Jean up, not pick fights with her. And Jean, Ororo's worth as a part of this team should not come into question."
The two glared at each other, then both women blushed.
"I'm sorry Jean. I did not mean to put you or Cyclops down. You're mood has just been getting me down recently, that and Remy's behavior compounded by Sarah's still being in a coma. Even I do not have an infinite store of patience and well." She shrugged.
"I'm sorry too Ororo, I didn't mean what I said either. I do trust you, as much as I ever did. You're my best friend girl, and don't you forget it. I'm sorry about my mood, I just came to the same realization a few moments before you came in."
Ororo smiled at Jean, who smiled back at her long time friend.
"Good, now that that's settled, I also wanted to talk to all three of you anyway, that's why I recruited you two on the way to Jean's room. Neither of you have clocked any danger room hours since you returned. So unless you want Mags on your ass, I suggest you get in there and get some training done. I'll be watching you with Kitty, who is developing a new program with me and Erik."
The other three glared at the feral mutants retreating back as he walked out.
x----------------- ------------x
The five Externals walked up the mountain. Gilgamesh walked over the rocks and dirt as though it were glass beneath his feet, nearly gliding over the uneven ground. It was a technique he had perfected over his over two millennia of life. Gilgamesh smirked inwardly. The others were having some slight difficulty over crossing the terrain. Asmodeus stumbled over every rock and shallow. The mans nerve had been nearly broken. Gilgamesh had control over the group in the palm of his hand, when that overbearing idiot Astaroth had come up with the news of another External. That had saved Asmodeus's hide, but he was still no longer as confident as he had once been. Gilgamesh had long strived to gain leadership of the External's but Shaman and then Asmodeus had been too suspicious of him. The others had followed those two fools completely and with complete conviction. It had become necessary for Gilgamesh to shape events in the enemies' favor, till things stood where he wanted. Now it seemed he would have another threat to deal with. Still, Gilgamesh had met no enemy that had daunted him yet, including Apocalypse. With his powers and cunning he would always come out the winner, he was sure of that.
"We're nearly there." That fool Astaroth had walked over rocks as though they were smooth ground, and indeed before him they had just crumbled. Such was the power of the man, though he could make nothing organic change shape. A good power, but with limitations. His own power was one that had far less limitations. He began hording energy within him. If necessary, he would kill this External.
Behamen then came down from the sky. She had been flying in the air, as a reconnaissance.
"There's something up ahead, a cave of some sort."
Astaroth smiled, "Yes, that's exactly where I felt it. Then it was as though that person realized someone might detect him or her and shielded him or herself. I was shielded then, and shielded as we are now, we should be able to take him unawares."
Gilgamesh nearly burst out laughing. God, Astaroth was a simpleton. It was more than likely that this External had gone from here, and had left a few unpleasant surprises for them. However, they were committed to finding the External. The others all believed that they needed the External to help them defeat Apocalypse. He had no such ideas. He knew quite well that defeating Apocalypse would not be easy, but he also knew that Apocalypse had never faced one with his powers. If he took the bastard by surprise he would be able to vanquish him, he was sure of that.
"There it is."
The Externals walked into the cave one by one, Asmodeus being the last to enter. He looked around him. The cave was dark, even just a few feet into the cave. The others crowded close into the confined space.
"There's nothing here Astaroth. The wall ends in a dead end a few feet ahead."
Gilgamesh's voice rang out from a bit ahead.
"No, actually there's a bend over here, where there's a crack. We all could fit into it quite easily, except Astaroth."
How had Gilgamesh gotten that far ahead? Asmodeus could have sworn he was next to him a second ago. The others headed for the crack and Asmodeus followed. The others were beginning to lose respect for him, that was for sure. He had seen Galaire smile contemptuously at him as she went past. Asmodeus would have to regain that respect; otherwise he was as good as dead. As they walked around the cave, Gilgamesh kept on going more and more ahead, until they could barely hear him when he deigned to speak. Asmodeus kept on growing more and more suspicious. Perhaps this was all some trap of Gilgamesh's. If that were the case, he would tear him apart with his bare hands. The finally reached a small hallway of some sort, that was lit from the outside, by some sort of radiance from the rocks.
"Hmm, phosphorous. Strange, it is not usually found so close to surface." Gilgamesh stood before a door embedded in the wall. Astaroth ran toward in excitement. He had always reminded Asmodeus of a boy sometimes. He opened the door before they could stop him. The fool, how could he have been so careless?
However there was no trap laid for them inside. As they walked into the dark chamber ahead, Gilgamesh called out from ahead, "There is someone in here."
The room immediately lit up, and a voice called out.
"There is indeed someone in here en' Ulas."
The External's turned as one towards the right of the room, where the voice had come from.
There were steps there leading upwards, where a figure stood in the shadows. It began to descend, speaking as it did.
"So, it took you all long enough. I was beginning to think you would never show yourselves. It appears Shaman did not teach you all well enough. I have been awake for a while now, and I expected you much before this."
The figure resolved itself into that of a powerfully built man, dressed in a high collared black shirt which was open part of the way in front. He wore black form fitting tights, and high black boots. His arms and hands were covered in black gauntlets. He had a high forehead, with dark brows jutting out over his eyes, which were jet black in color. His face was cold and forbidding, with thin lips and high cheekbones, as well as a straight slightly long nose. His hair was long, and swept back from his forehead, with a few strands framing his face, the rest hanging below his shoulders. Something tickled the back of Asmodeus's mind when he looked at the man, but nothing came to light. The man stood before them impassively looking at all of them, clearly awaiting some sort of response.
"What do you mean, you expected us?" Asmodeus was proud that his voice did not shake. He would not admit it, but this man frightened him.
The man turned to look at him directly.
"You mean you have no clue as to who I am? Do any of you know who I am?"
The others shook their heads.
"Damn me for getting stuck with a brainless lot. Did Shaman not tell you anything? You Devinrok, you were his favorite pupil. Did he never mention me?"
"Who are you?" Gilgamesh voiced what had been growing in all their minds.
"I am Nidlen Halfbane."
The words spoken with such simplicity shook Asmodeus to his core. Apparently the others were not affected. They of course did not know. Nidlen Halfbane was the man who had taught Shaman all that he had known. The man Shaman had told him had died years ago. Nidlen Halfbane was also the half brother of Sammael. They had been the only Externals who had been close to Apocalypse's own age. Both these Externals had been very powerful, especially Halfbane. Now Asmodeus remembered where he had seen the man. Shaman had shown him a hologram of him once.
Gilgamesh stepped forward then, "Halfbane? What's this half that you're the bane of? What kind of stupid person calls himself Halfbane?"
Halfbane smiled and stepped forward. "This kind."
Gilgamesh stood looking at him then turned away, "A fool. That is who you have led us to Astaroth. Someone who thinks he knew Shaman. A madman who thinks we have been waiting for his arrival. Someone who might be strong enough to serve our ends though. I suggest we make him work for us."
The other External's now emboldened by Gilgamesh's words nodded their assent. Gilgamesh turned and looked at the large mutant.
"Well, Halfbane?" Gilgamesh gave the name an insulting twist, "do you swear fealty to us? If not we will kill you now and be done with it. You can either work for us, or be crushed by us. The choice is simple."
Halfbane had lost any look of amusement he had. He unfolded his arms and held them loosely by his side.
"I am disappointed, I would have thought Shaman would have taught you better than that. I see I will have to teach you what it means to fear Nidlen Halfbane. I will neither work for anyone, nor be crushed by anyone. Many have tried, including that madman Nur. All failed in killing me, and only Nur just managed to imprison me. I am now free and have been waiting for you all to come. I give you the same choice you gave me. Fight and be crushed or bow to me!"
The other External's faces grew more and more grim as he spoke and now Astaroth swung out his hammer at Halfbane's last words.
"Enough talk. We are done with you. Die Halfbane."
Asmodeus felt the moisture gather in the air and had a split second warning. He moved to quickly stand beside Galaire as the others did, except Gilgamesh, who had disappeared. A massive jet of water appeared out of thin air and slammed into Halfbane who staggered back. His brows drew together and he raised a hand. The lights of the chamber winked out. In the dark Asmodeus could not make out anyone for a few seconds, then his eyes began to get used to the dark and he could just barely make out the forms of Galaire and Astaroth next to him. Behamen had presumably taken to the air. Asmodeus looked to where Halfbane had been. He looked more closely, and then he saw something glow there. The thing resolved itself into a large swallow, a sword like weapon with blades on both sides of the grip. Somebody was holding it, and Asmodeus didn't need to guess twice on who it was. Astaroth charged forward, his hammer glowing as he made it harder than diamonds. Asmodeus shot a temporal blast into the air, watching the chamber in the split second illumination that he gained. He knew that Halfbane couldn't possibly withstand all of them. He would rather be on the side of the winning team. It was a pity though; Halfbane would probably have been useful, even as a master over them. Suddenly in the fading light he saw a glance of something . black . hurling itself onto Halfbane. Astaroth struck at the swallow, but surprisingly it cut right through the hammer. Astaroth bellowed and stepped back.
The lights came on again, just in time to see a black shadow slam into Halfbane. Halfbane flew back and landed on the steps. He pulled himself up and looked at Gilgamesh who was now standing on a rocky outcropping. thirty feet in the air? How did Gilgamesh get there, Asmodeus wondered.
"So you are the shadow master. No matter, I will deal with you as Nur dealt with your trainer."
Asmodeus saw Gilgamesh stiffen. What Halfbane had said had struck home. Astaroth got up and his hammer shaped itself back into place. Halfbane whipped the swallow around and slashed at Astaroth. Astaroth leaped back, and the swallow slashed through the air in front of him.
"Sonofabitch." Astaroth leaped forward again and a blast of energy hit him square in the chest. Astaroth crumpled to the floor. Galaire had already prepared another aqua-blast and hurled it at Halfbane. He fell back on the steps again. Behamen came and stood before him. She looked into his eyes.
"Rise." Behamen's command was spoken huskily. Halfbane seemed to get up against his own will.
"Cease your efforts to fight us. We are your masters. Succumb to our will."
Halfbane stood there for a moment then his mouth opened. All of a sudden his eyes flashed. Asmodeus's eyes widened, but before he could speak a word of warning Behamen flew back with the front of her armor smoking. A blur smashed into Halfbane's chest and he fell to his knees, grunting.
"You are quite strong. I am not strong enough to beat you all."
He jumped backwards and hovered in the air a moment. He floated back to the top of the stairs and hit something on the wall. A low gong was heard and then three secret doors in the walls of the cave chamber opened up and in flowed a whole army of people. There must have been nearly a thousand people in that room. The Externals bunched together in a circle. Astaroth's body lay by the steps and Behamen lay in front of them, by the soldier's feet.
"A pity. I did not mean my army to be used to subjugate you. It is a pity you Externals have kept your pride and dignity, but have left your brains and memories far behind. You shall all now serve me, till Nur has been dethroned and my own brother Sammael lives no more."
A few soldiers woke Astaroth up and a few others also revived Behamen. The External's lined up before Halfbane.
"Bow to me now Externals, for you are mine."
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So? How was it? Please send any feedback, praising or critical.
I should upload fairly frequently, as half the story is already finished. Anyway. some trouble coming in the next few chapters. Read on.