Okay, so It's a bit late. Sorry. Anyway, I've finished the second part
(this part) and am going to begin writing the third soon. Plus I've begun
work on three more X-men fanfics. So I might be a bit late with each
successive upload.
Hope you enjoyed a little bit of history and this world makes more sense now.
*~*
The Wanderer
It was a dark alley as alleys go. Not much could be seen in it, apart from a large garbage can. A fire escape led up the side of the building. No children played on the streets outside. The mouth of the alley led to a street which was sloping upwards, as many streets had done in the city this had been. A lone figure traveled the once famous slopes. He was dressed in a simple robe made of some dark-blue cloth-like material. He was bald, with a tattoo running over his left eye, and over the gleaming black scalp. His eyes were white, and seemed to be dead. He had been walking like this for a long time now. He barely remembered anything, though a few things were still clear to him. His name was Bishop and he was once an X-man, the last in his true time. However Bishop couldn't travel to that time. His powers had dissipated quickly after. something that had happened. He couldn't remember what exactly had happened, but it was wrong whatever it was. He had been walking for as long as he could remember. His powers were nearly gone now, and it was only at times that he could discharge them, yet they were only effective in making things turn slightly warm. It was fairly pointless using them, so Bishop didn't bother using them. He had not spoken a word in nearly twenty years. He wondered sometimes whether he could still speak. He could hear distant swooping overhead. Some more of Apocalypse's watchdogs. He waved his fist threateningly at them and then laughed at the futility of his own action. In fact he found it so hilarious that he had to sit down for a few minutes laughing away. His eyes gleamed slightly and then faded away into being dull.
x----------------- ------------x
Sinister stood in front of Gambit's prone body. It had been fairly easy to take down the young mutant. Of course two Externals were more than powerful enough to handle a single mutant. Sinister smiled again. Gambit was not the only mutant that fascinated him. He looked over to a small beaker. Two small test tubes sat inside, both colored red. The reddish fluid contained DNA of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Sinister had studied them and had decided that they were the best matched to create a being of almost immeasurable power. It would take a week, and by then his 'pawn' would be ready. It was a bit hurried, but the celestial technology that Apocalypse had gifted him with would ensure that the mutant would grow up properly. A strong young mutant to help him overthrow Apocalypse. Sinister smiled chillingly into his goatee. He would also employ the young mutant to rid him of another annoyance. One that he would take great pleasure in killing. The mutant would kill his own father. Sinister grasped the beaker in his hand and walked towards the large chamber in the side of his laboratory. He placed the two tubes in the small hatch and pressed a button. The celestial apparatus hummed to life and the hatch closed. Sinister quickly operated the machine and then stood back. Through small monitors he could oversee the progress of his creation. Upon it's reaching of puberty he would set it free. He knew exactly where he would keep it, in the hands of one whose soul was forfeit. Within a few weeks it would be grown up enough to unleash his powers, and Sinister would then take over, teaching it. He smiled; he could almost taste the power that would come to him then.
x----------------- ------------x
Holocaust walked along the walkways as fast as he could without seeming like he was in a hurry. The mutant next to him radiated anxiety as well. They had just arrived back from an inspection to a damaged Sea Wall construct and had been shocked to learn that Apocalypse himself was here. They had set off immediately, heading for the control room. Holocaust silently cursed himself. He should have realized his father would make a surprise check. He knew Apocalypse well enough to know that he would not be pleased with the commissioning of Prelates without his approval or knowledge. It had also been one of Apocalypse's strictest strictures that one of them had to remain watching in the control rooms at all times. His feet moved a little faster. Beside him Mikhail Rasputin moved faster to catch up with Holocaust. They moved past bowing guards and soldiers. Holocaust pressed the button to summon the lift to him quickly. The energy mass that constituted what he was churned and varied between a blazing yellowish orange to angry red. His eyes maintained their position though, and below the headpiece, the energy that made up his face was tranquil compared to the rest of him. It was a fairly accurate representation of what he was feeling. He cursed it in his mind. It would tip off Apocalypse to what he felt, and it would count as a sign of weakness against him. He had to control it, not just from Apocalypse but from the man next to him and the Externals in The Tower. They would quickly smash him into oblivion if they detected even the smallest sign of weakness.
As the lift doors opened, he got on board along with Rasputin. Holocaust waited almost impatiently for the lift to reach its destination. He glanced at Rasputin who was watching him with a small smile, though Holocaust could tell he was also worried. Holocaust took all his will and tried to control himself. Finally the energy stopped swirling around and he began to feel more at ease.
The lift slowed down and finally came to halt. The doors opened and they stepped out onto the hallway. They walked forward more slowly now. Holocaust went up to the panel next to the door first and pressed his hand against it. He glowed for an instant and then stepped back as Rasputin took his place. After both had been scanned the door opened and they walked in. Holocaust glanced around for a second before his eyes came to rest on the figure who stood with his back turned to them. Apocalypses cape hung down as unmoving as the figure which owned it. Holocaust and Rasputin both bowed, knowing that Apocalypse would switch his attention to them once he was done with whatever he was occupied with. Out of the corner of his eyes Holocaust could see Deathbird and Erik the Red getting up from their positions on the floor, where they had bowed to them as they entered. On the other side of the room he was sure the Bedlam brothers would be getting up as well. They weren't brothers in the exact sense of the word. They were both dark skinned, and both had roughly the same build. One was bald however with a goatee and the other had long curly hair. They both wore light blue armor, with darker blue pants and t-shirt under the light-blue armor. Their gauntlets were massive and served as weapons on their own.
Apocalypse spoke then, "Welcome my wayward lieutenants."
He turned to look at them. The two remained kneeling, not speaking; they knew better than to try and make excuses. Apocalypse would ask them himself, or he would lecture them about it, but he would not expect them to make excuses unless he asked for any reason.
"It seems you have not followed my directives, in either remaining here or in letting none else into this control room. You have also given mutants who I have no knowledge of the rank of Prelate. I cannot remember ever being told of these 'Prelates'. I do not believe it has slipped my mind."
Apocalypse had begun to walk towards them with every word and when he was done talking he stood right in front of them.
"Rise."
They stood, facing him impassively. Apocalypse smiled slightly. He raised his hand, and the other two flinched slightly. Holocaust for a moment contemplated what would happen if he blasted Apocalypse. Immediately he banished it from his mind. Not only was it disloyal to his father but it was futile. Holocaust could lay waste to a city in a matter of minutes, but it would barely hurt Apocalypse. Even if he had concentrated all his power Apocalypse would still be alive to counterattack, and that counterattack would leave Holocaust dead.
"You disappoint me. However, all that is dross. I have observed these Prelates and they meet with some approval. Perhaps they will help in ridding me of some problems. However the main reason I have come is to take back the Reavers with me. Inform Pierce that he and his Reavers must be ready to leave within ten hours."
Apocalypse turned and strode towards the monitor banks again. Holocaust and Rasputin looked at each other and then Rasputin walked over to one of the control berths. He quickly relayed the message to Pierce. Holocaust walked forward and stood next to his father.
"I do not understand the need for the Reavers Father."
Apocalypse turned and studied his son.
"You have a limited mind yet son. It shall take a while before you are able to plan for all avenues and all obstacles. Yet you have shown good judgment in usage of your powers and whilst in battle your tactics are sound. However you have not yet mastered foresight. The key to complete victory is to strike at the enemy when he least expects it, and in ways which he cannot even begin to comprehend. When faced with multiple enemies you must be prepared for anything. With these Reavers and my Horsemen along with the kill-droids and my armies, I shall attack all but a few of my enemies. Those few I shall leave alive for one reason only. It is sometimes better to leave a valuable enemy standing, the enemy may yet play an important part in your own designs."
Holocaust absorbed the information as best as he could. What did Apocalypse mean all of his enemies? Surely the X-men and human remnant were all that he had to worry about?
Apocalypse turned around and watched as Rasputin returned.
"Pierce will be here, ready to leave, with all of the Reavers in a few hours.. Milord, a question has nagged me for a while now. With Archanfel dead, who will take over the ruling of his sector?"
Apocalypse looked at him, then smiled. It was a smile that seemed to say that Apocalypse knew exactly what Rasputin meant.
"Of course, I have not forgotten that. Holocaust will be accompanying me as well. You Rasputin will be in charge of the Sea Wall. The Sea Wall will be completely under your control. The sensors on the door have already been updated to recognize your bio-signature. You will be able to freely use the control room. As I am. You will remain in charge of this until I am able to rebuild the Tower completely. Once it is complete, you will come there. The control of the Sea Wall will be carried out from there."
Rasputin smiled in a sickly manner.
"The day of Armageddon is close at hand. A war shall be fought as none has been thus far. The strong shall be the only remaining ones on the planet. The weak shall be culled from the strong. Thus and only thus will the Age of Apocalypse truly begin. My Age, with my Strength, one even the almighty Celestial's will fear."
x----------------- ------------x
Magneto looked down at the barren land below him. He had taken a small team with him and set out towards America again. Bypassing the Sea Wall had been easier than usual due to more and more advanced techniques. Small craft like this one were barely visible on the Sea Wall's sophisticated radar. On average radar they would never show up. He had brought along Piotr, Kitty, Jean, Sean and Logan. He had no idea what he expected to find, but something had drawn him here. Perhaps it was fate. Rogue had not been pleased, and it had taken Wanda to convince her to stay. Erik wasn't in Rogue's good books at the moment and he would need to do a lot of making up. A small smile creased his face; the making up wouldn't be all that bad at that. He was glad that Wanda and Rogue had become friends. Wanda's dislike of Rogue had been a problem. However, she had managed to overcome her dislike and the two had in a matter of a week become fast friends. Ororo had taken a smaller team to look for Remy. He had disappeared five days ago and had not contacted them after that. Ororo had become frantic and Rogue had become very worried. Remy was impulsive but he wasn't stupid. He knew that they would become worried if he didn't contact them frequently. Erik stroked his chin slowly. Remy had better have a good reason for his disappearance; other wise Erik would bring his full wrath to bear on him. Something had happened between him and Rogue as well. Before the assault on the Tower, there had been a tension between them, but after the Tower Rogue had barely acknowledged him. In fact the Cajun had fallen out of favor with quite a few females, including Ororo and Wanda, who had been his firm friends for a long time now. Erik had not always gotten along with Remy, but he had pitied the man then.
He shook his head. Now was not the time to worry about trivial matters such as that. He sighed. He had many other, more pressing and worrisome problems to occupy his mind with. * Charles, you really stuck me with a big problem this time. *
"I'm picking up a mutant signature Mags. It's a powerful mutant whoever it is. On low energy levels he was still picked up by our radar."
Magneto shook himself out of his reverie. "Where is this mutant?"
"Close by. In what was San Francisco. He's near fisherman's wharf."
"Hurry there. Any mutant we save from Apocalypse is for the better."
x----------------- ------------x
Quja stared at the read out. It was impossible. The sheet showed that it was a Mutant who should be dead. He turned towards Havok.
"Hey Alex, read this. It's strange."
Havok took the sheet from him. He quickly scanned the read out and turned to the monitor. He quickly accessed the file on the mutant they had discovered.
"It's a restricted file. Let's check out what this mutant is. We should be able to get some credit for his capture. It will elevate us in Apocalypse's eyes."
Quja nodded and strode out of the room. Havok stood in the room for a second thinking how this might be a chance for promotion. He intended to go all the way to the top of the pack. He wanted to rule. This would only help him in that. He turned around and began walking out of the room. He needed help. Lorna would be useful there. Perhaps he would have her as his aide.
x----------------- ------------x
Bishop stood up to begin his wandering again. He was determined to go somewhere. He just wasn't sure where exactly that was. Bishop begun to shuffle forward. That was when he heard it. The sound of whining engines. Bishops hand instinctively went to his side, almost unconsciously. His fingers closed around nothing. In his mind he cursed himself for being all kinds of a fool. His guns had become next to useless ten years ago. There was no way to recharge them. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew. He hoped his power would kick in as it did sometimes. He turned to look as Four figures, followed by nearly twenty others dropped from the ship hovering overhead. The ship then went a little way off and hovered there. A small part of Bishops mind told him that this was a sound tactic, though he wasn't sure why. He raised his hands to fight off these formidable looking opponents. The one who appeared to lead them was a tall broad-shouldered young man. He was dressed in Black with fairly heavy Blue armor. A stylized circle was on his chest. His head was covered in the same Black material as his bodysuit, other than his hair and face. As he walked forward Bishop felt the tug of energy from him. His boots made a heavy thudding sound as he came forward. The woman walking just behind and to the left of him wore a yellow top which had blue slashes which became wider till her legs were encased in only blue. Her strangely green hair flew about in the wind. Another woman who followed near the rear wore a very light blue, almost white bodysuit with a high neck. Her arms were bare however and her gauntlets were a bit too large for her delicate looking arms. A white bandanna swooped her platinum blonde hair back. The last of the four was a wiry built man who was wearing a completely gray outfit, with black armor. 'Prelates' was the word that flashed through Bishops head.
"You are to come with us mutant." The leading mans words were smoothly delivered, to the point. Bishops frowned. He wasn't going anywhere. He could faintly recollect having met the blonde leader and the green haired woman. In far more pleasant circumstances. He stepped back and braced himself for a fight. He wasn't going anywhere.
"Leave Prelate's, this man is not going to your pens!"
All on the ground looked up, The Prelate's in angry recognition, Bishop in surprise. Five figures were hurtling down from a large black jet. One of them was clad in Purple, with a black helmet, and a black cape fluttering behind. Massive layered gauntlets covered his forearms up to the elbows. Bishop could recall having seen him somewhere before, but this time the memory was very unclear, as though he had seen this man do very different things. A redheaded woman flew behind him, a dark blue mark over her left eye and cheek. She wore a red bodysuit, which became blue at the legs. She wore red boots and a black jacket like garment over her shoulders, that ended just above her breasts. A pinkish colored beam connected her to another individual who was wearing a dark blue costume, slashed at intervals with red. One of his hands was a metal implant, with no fingers. His face was partly covered with a mask which ended in two pointed ends led to by large 'wings'. Another man falling was dressed in a black and yellow bodysuit, which covered him from neck down. From his arms came out five large strips, made of leather or the same material as the suit. The last and only freely falling member was a man built almost entirely of steel. He wore red and yellow, which only covered his body and part of his legs. Huge boots were on his feet and his face was partially covered with a bandanna. Eyed gleamed through slits in the bandanna.
The large metal man landed on the ground raising a cloud of dust. Bishop could make out very little. He decided that it was time to make a retreat.
x----------------- ------------x
Magneto led the charge against the Prelates and the mutant units they had brought along with them. The mutant units and soldiers immediately began to run forward, weapons and powers blazing. Quja quickly created a psi-sword and held it in front of him. Phoenix quickly set Weapon X to the ground. He quickly unsheathed his claws and snarled. Quja took the moment to rush him. His psi-sword whirled in his hands. Weapon X warily circled him. Quja was the most proficient swords master in the world. Phoenix wasn't surprised to see him choose a sword as his psi-weapon.
"You're mine telepath!"
Phoenix didn't bother with any words. She quickly hurled a telekinetic blast at him. He deflected it with his psi-sword. He rushed forward and Phoenix quickly erected a shield. He slashed at it and Phoenix had to quickly erect another one. She gritted her teeth. This wouldn't be a repeat fight of the one she had in the Tower. She quickly erected a shield and sprang back. Quja slashed this one away as well. Phoenix then erected another shield, but one that spread and then quickly enveloped her, a large shield that spread close to her. It was difficult, but it worked. Quja slashed the air in front of Phoenix and nearly fell forward. Phoenix took the chance and smashed her fist against his jaw. Quja stumbled back, the psi-blade in his hands flickering. Phoenix leapt forward and kicked him in the head. Quja staggered back again.
Havok shot plasma blasts at Weapon X, but he kept on dodging them and coming closer with each miss. Havok shot faster and faster, knowing that the increased speed meant less of an impact, but it would still stagger Weapon X for a while. A shot finally grazed his arm and Havok yelled in triumph. He leapt forward and smashed into Weapon X's back with his shoulder armor, which stuck out. Weapon X snarled and turned. Havok leapt back just in time to avoid Weapon X's claws from ripping him open.
Magneto faced off against Polaris, who looked at him with a cold gleam in her eyes.
"You killed my father you piece of shit. For that I'll kill you."
Magneto watched her with a pitying look. She was not to blame for what Archanfel had done. She and Havok had been from a very young age trained to hate the X-men and trained to kill them. However the fact that she could senselessly butcher thousands as she had done in the past was something he would not tolerate. To stop her she must be killed.
"If that is how you feel child."
"I'm not a child, I'm a Prelate. Understand that Magneto, for it is your death." Polaris spat at him.
Magneto jumped back in order to avoid a blast she threw at him. Magneto immediately began to use her power against her. He drew on her energy and hit her with a magnetic blast. She flew back and skidded a few feet back. Magneto flew forward and prepared to hit her with a final blow. She erected a magnetic shield quickly, and his blast dissipated. Without warning she rose from the ground, dragging several metallic objects out of the surrounding buildings and rubble. Magneto diverted all of the metallic objects, leaving himself open for Polaris to kick him cleanly in the jaw, nearly breaking it. He cursed and staggered backwards. Polaris punched him in the stomach with both fists. Magneto gasped for breath and lashed out with his massive gauntlets. Polaris fell back. Suddenly Magneto felt someone grab him from the back. Someone big. A huge mutant unit lifted him off the ground and flung him back. Magneto used his power to halt his flight and float in the air. He blasted the huge mutant, sending him flying back, unconscious.
Colossus had five mutants down around him and was engaged in a prolonged fight against a very malleable mutant. Punching him was having no discernable effect. Another appeared from behind him and smashed into him. Its horns didn't harm Colossus, but it hurt the large mutant. Colossus grunted sourly and turned, punching the horned mutant into oblivion. Two more came forward. Colossus looked at them and weighed his options. It didn't look good. Suddenly a barrage of laser fire rained down from the X- jet. It knocked the malleable mutant and one of the other two out, leaving only a panicking young mutant. It was apparently symbiotic, a mutant reliant on another to use it's powers.
"Thank you Katya, the assistance was helpful." Colossus shouted to his lover. The entire mutant unit was down, Colossus turned to the humans who had been shooting him ineffectually. In the few minutes since the battle begun they had managed to put together a portable launcher and the missile hurtled towards Colossus. Kitty fired on it from the X-jet but her shots went wide and the missile smashed into Colossus.
Banshee circled Lumina. She had created a shield around her and was not expanding it. She let the shield remain and began to concentrate on creating a rod of energy, a large one. Banshee noticed the growing line of energized molecules and flew back from it. His sonic scream had had no effect on the shield. The energy rod complete Lumina began swinging it. Banshee narrowly avoided the rod and began to think feverishly, trying to work out how to beat the shield. His eyes narrowed and he communicated with Kitty to fire on his word. He flew far back and screamed at a large, half broken billboard. It began to fall forward, pulling many wires out of the walls in the process. He gave the word and Kitty fired one shot, before turning back to Colossus. The billboard blew up just as it struck the shield, giving out more energy at one time than Lumina could handle. Before her shield could blow up, she dissolved it and began to set off her chain reactions, allowing her enough time to escape the explosion. Banshee cried out triumphantly and dove towards her.
Havok was having a lot of problems. Wolverine was everywhere at once and he was having a tough time just keeping the feral at bay. Both of his hands were dangerous, the claws on one hand and the slab of metal on the other. This only seemed to enrage the feral who seemed to grow faster and his attacks more dangerous with each successful block of Havoks. Havok admitted that it wasn't one of his better idea's to fight Weapon X in close quarters. Suddenly he got a sudden reprieve in the form of a missile striking Weapon X. The feral mutant smashed into a building because of the explosion. Havok smiled in relief, when he heard Lumina scream for help.
Banshee was bearing down on her and she had no means of countering before his scream knocked her out. This was not going as planned at all. He aimed at Banshee and shot a plasma blast at him. Banshee however noticed it and managed to narrowly avoid the blast. Suddenly Quja fell on the ground next to him and slowly began getting up. Havok turned to see Phoenix bearing down on him. He shot at her with a plasma blast, but her telekinetic shield dissipated the blast. Havok snarled in anger and prepared to shoot again when he heard someone approach from behind. He turned just in time to prevent himself getting skewered by Weapon X. He looked to his soldiers who were nowhere to be seen. Where they had been stood Colossus, looking slightly battered but none the worse for wear. Polaris and Lumina quickly joined him. Magneto came flying up, and the X-jet began hovering behind the assembled X-men. Havok cursed under his breath and summoned his own craft. The Prelates began backing off as the X-men advanced. His craft came forward and suddenly stopped a few hundred feet away. Magneto gestured towards it and it went spinning back and smashed into two buildings before exploding. Havok cursed loudly and explicitly, it looked very much like they were going to die. The X-men weren't going to waste any time now. He needed to make a plea for his life.
"We surrender."
Weapon X snorted.
"You're finished Prelates."
Magneto lifted his hand to order the final strike. Havok closed his eyes. A sudden humming caused him to open them again. He looked up towards the sound. Another craft was approaching them, at a very high speed.
Magneto looked at it and raised his hand, however this time Polaris was ready. She lifted her hand as well and severed Magneto's attempt to hold the craft. The hatch opened and a large figure jumped out. It landed neatly on two feet, standing gracefully. It's cape hung behind it.
Apocalypse's most powerful lieutenant, the dread lord Sammael opened his eyes. His forehead creased slightly as he surveyed the area, then he turned to the X-men.
"Your last mistake was in coming here Magnus."
Weapon X snarled in rage, "No you goddamn External, yours was."
He leapt forward, claw extended. Sammael simply lifted his hand and Weapon X just managed to avoid a massive energy blast. Magneto hit him with a magnetic blast, but Sammael only staggered back before brushing it off. Sammael rose in the air, levitating a few feet off the ground. He spread his hands and the X-men scattered as multiple energy beams struck where they had just been standing. Sammael's eyes glowed with power before a blast from his hand smashed Banshee into a building. Phoenix hurled a telekinetic blast at him just as Magneto hit him with a magnetic blast again. Sammael reeled, but again managed to shake it off. Quja and Lumina were too hurt to fight and Havok was too drained to shoot any substantial blast. Polaris shot at Colossus, but Kitty was already there, shooting at Polaris, who abandoned the attempt and flew out of the way.
"Get on board my craft, quickly." Sammael said calmly to the Prelates.
Polaris lifted Quja and Lumina quickly and then returned for Havok. Havok used the last of his energy to blast Weapon X, who fell back. Polaris then carried him up to the craft.
Sammael watched as Colossus charged him. He blocked Colossus's punch and struck him himself. Colossus staggered back. Phoenix looked at him in surprise. Sammael smiled. Colossus would have probably hurt Sammael if he hadn't been so weak from battle. He met Magneto's blast with one of his own then glided up calmly still shooting energy blasts. He stepped onto the craft and turned to look at the X-men looking up at him in frustration. Polaris was using the last of her strength to keep Magneto from tossing the craft as he had the last. Sammael sent a final blast raining down on them.
By the time the X-men could do anything the craft had flown off too far and too fast for Magneto to hold it, especially as Polaris still protected it. Magneto shook his head in anger. "Let's go, they'll be back and our wandering mutant is nowhere nearby, as far as I can tell."
x----------------- ------------x
Contrary to Magneto's thoughts, Bishop was not too far off, watching from the top of a building. He saw the X-men leave. He was lucky to have escaped, especially since that External had shown up. Bishop turned and began walking down the staircase. He should also leave the ruined town. The Tower would probably send someone after him, or at least to find out if the X-men had any hidden base in the city. In a couple of hours the city would no longer be safe for him. He had to leave. He walked out of the building and headed towards the town exit that led inland. He would wander till he found answers to questions he did not know. His memory before the last twenty years was unclear. He knew his name, but he wasn't sure of what else. The X-men. the name struck a chord in him. So had Magneto and when he first heard of Apocalypse he had been sure that it would lead to nothing good. However the main worry he had was Magneto. From what his heart told him, Magneto was not someone to be trusted. However he was not sure why. He sometimes felt as though he were not from this world, or even this time. Again he was not sure why. He would wander, searching, until he could find out the answers he needed.
================================================
Well, there it was. The entrance of Bishop. What does he have to do with this storyline, people may wonder. Read on. It'll become apparent in a while (a long while actually.)
Anyway, the two main characters this fic was meant for return next chapter. Plus, some startling developments as the X-team begins to break down.
Hope you enjoyed a little bit of history and this world makes more sense now.
*~*
The Wanderer
It was a dark alley as alleys go. Not much could be seen in it, apart from a large garbage can. A fire escape led up the side of the building. No children played on the streets outside. The mouth of the alley led to a street which was sloping upwards, as many streets had done in the city this had been. A lone figure traveled the once famous slopes. He was dressed in a simple robe made of some dark-blue cloth-like material. He was bald, with a tattoo running over his left eye, and over the gleaming black scalp. His eyes were white, and seemed to be dead. He had been walking like this for a long time now. He barely remembered anything, though a few things were still clear to him. His name was Bishop and he was once an X-man, the last in his true time. However Bishop couldn't travel to that time. His powers had dissipated quickly after. something that had happened. He couldn't remember what exactly had happened, but it was wrong whatever it was. He had been walking for as long as he could remember. His powers were nearly gone now, and it was only at times that he could discharge them, yet they were only effective in making things turn slightly warm. It was fairly pointless using them, so Bishop didn't bother using them. He had not spoken a word in nearly twenty years. He wondered sometimes whether he could still speak. He could hear distant swooping overhead. Some more of Apocalypse's watchdogs. He waved his fist threateningly at them and then laughed at the futility of his own action. In fact he found it so hilarious that he had to sit down for a few minutes laughing away. His eyes gleamed slightly and then faded away into being dull.
x----------------- ------------x
Sinister stood in front of Gambit's prone body. It had been fairly easy to take down the young mutant. Of course two Externals were more than powerful enough to handle a single mutant. Sinister smiled again. Gambit was not the only mutant that fascinated him. He looked over to a small beaker. Two small test tubes sat inside, both colored red. The reddish fluid contained DNA of Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Sinister had studied them and had decided that they were the best matched to create a being of almost immeasurable power. It would take a week, and by then his 'pawn' would be ready. It was a bit hurried, but the celestial technology that Apocalypse had gifted him with would ensure that the mutant would grow up properly. A strong young mutant to help him overthrow Apocalypse. Sinister smiled chillingly into his goatee. He would also employ the young mutant to rid him of another annoyance. One that he would take great pleasure in killing. The mutant would kill his own father. Sinister grasped the beaker in his hand and walked towards the large chamber in the side of his laboratory. He placed the two tubes in the small hatch and pressed a button. The celestial apparatus hummed to life and the hatch closed. Sinister quickly operated the machine and then stood back. Through small monitors he could oversee the progress of his creation. Upon it's reaching of puberty he would set it free. He knew exactly where he would keep it, in the hands of one whose soul was forfeit. Within a few weeks it would be grown up enough to unleash his powers, and Sinister would then take over, teaching it. He smiled; he could almost taste the power that would come to him then.
x----------------- ------------x
Holocaust walked along the walkways as fast as he could without seeming like he was in a hurry. The mutant next to him radiated anxiety as well. They had just arrived back from an inspection to a damaged Sea Wall construct and had been shocked to learn that Apocalypse himself was here. They had set off immediately, heading for the control room. Holocaust silently cursed himself. He should have realized his father would make a surprise check. He knew Apocalypse well enough to know that he would not be pleased with the commissioning of Prelates without his approval or knowledge. It had also been one of Apocalypse's strictest strictures that one of them had to remain watching in the control rooms at all times. His feet moved a little faster. Beside him Mikhail Rasputin moved faster to catch up with Holocaust. They moved past bowing guards and soldiers. Holocaust pressed the button to summon the lift to him quickly. The energy mass that constituted what he was churned and varied between a blazing yellowish orange to angry red. His eyes maintained their position though, and below the headpiece, the energy that made up his face was tranquil compared to the rest of him. It was a fairly accurate representation of what he was feeling. He cursed it in his mind. It would tip off Apocalypse to what he felt, and it would count as a sign of weakness against him. He had to control it, not just from Apocalypse but from the man next to him and the Externals in The Tower. They would quickly smash him into oblivion if they detected even the smallest sign of weakness.
As the lift doors opened, he got on board along with Rasputin. Holocaust waited almost impatiently for the lift to reach its destination. He glanced at Rasputin who was watching him with a small smile, though Holocaust could tell he was also worried. Holocaust took all his will and tried to control himself. Finally the energy stopped swirling around and he began to feel more at ease.
The lift slowed down and finally came to halt. The doors opened and they stepped out onto the hallway. They walked forward more slowly now. Holocaust went up to the panel next to the door first and pressed his hand against it. He glowed for an instant and then stepped back as Rasputin took his place. After both had been scanned the door opened and they walked in. Holocaust glanced around for a second before his eyes came to rest on the figure who stood with his back turned to them. Apocalypses cape hung down as unmoving as the figure which owned it. Holocaust and Rasputin both bowed, knowing that Apocalypse would switch his attention to them once he was done with whatever he was occupied with. Out of the corner of his eyes Holocaust could see Deathbird and Erik the Red getting up from their positions on the floor, where they had bowed to them as they entered. On the other side of the room he was sure the Bedlam brothers would be getting up as well. They weren't brothers in the exact sense of the word. They were both dark skinned, and both had roughly the same build. One was bald however with a goatee and the other had long curly hair. They both wore light blue armor, with darker blue pants and t-shirt under the light-blue armor. Their gauntlets were massive and served as weapons on their own.
Apocalypse spoke then, "Welcome my wayward lieutenants."
He turned to look at them. The two remained kneeling, not speaking; they knew better than to try and make excuses. Apocalypse would ask them himself, or he would lecture them about it, but he would not expect them to make excuses unless he asked for any reason.
"It seems you have not followed my directives, in either remaining here or in letting none else into this control room. You have also given mutants who I have no knowledge of the rank of Prelate. I cannot remember ever being told of these 'Prelates'. I do not believe it has slipped my mind."
Apocalypse had begun to walk towards them with every word and when he was done talking he stood right in front of them.
"Rise."
They stood, facing him impassively. Apocalypse smiled slightly. He raised his hand, and the other two flinched slightly. Holocaust for a moment contemplated what would happen if he blasted Apocalypse. Immediately he banished it from his mind. Not only was it disloyal to his father but it was futile. Holocaust could lay waste to a city in a matter of minutes, but it would barely hurt Apocalypse. Even if he had concentrated all his power Apocalypse would still be alive to counterattack, and that counterattack would leave Holocaust dead.
"You disappoint me. However, all that is dross. I have observed these Prelates and they meet with some approval. Perhaps they will help in ridding me of some problems. However the main reason I have come is to take back the Reavers with me. Inform Pierce that he and his Reavers must be ready to leave within ten hours."
Apocalypse turned and strode towards the monitor banks again. Holocaust and Rasputin looked at each other and then Rasputin walked over to one of the control berths. He quickly relayed the message to Pierce. Holocaust walked forward and stood next to his father.
"I do not understand the need for the Reavers Father."
Apocalypse turned and studied his son.
"You have a limited mind yet son. It shall take a while before you are able to plan for all avenues and all obstacles. Yet you have shown good judgment in usage of your powers and whilst in battle your tactics are sound. However you have not yet mastered foresight. The key to complete victory is to strike at the enemy when he least expects it, and in ways which he cannot even begin to comprehend. When faced with multiple enemies you must be prepared for anything. With these Reavers and my Horsemen along with the kill-droids and my armies, I shall attack all but a few of my enemies. Those few I shall leave alive for one reason only. It is sometimes better to leave a valuable enemy standing, the enemy may yet play an important part in your own designs."
Holocaust absorbed the information as best as he could. What did Apocalypse mean all of his enemies? Surely the X-men and human remnant were all that he had to worry about?
Apocalypse turned around and watched as Rasputin returned.
"Pierce will be here, ready to leave, with all of the Reavers in a few hours.. Milord, a question has nagged me for a while now. With Archanfel dead, who will take over the ruling of his sector?"
Apocalypse looked at him, then smiled. It was a smile that seemed to say that Apocalypse knew exactly what Rasputin meant.
"Of course, I have not forgotten that. Holocaust will be accompanying me as well. You Rasputin will be in charge of the Sea Wall. The Sea Wall will be completely under your control. The sensors on the door have already been updated to recognize your bio-signature. You will be able to freely use the control room. As I am. You will remain in charge of this until I am able to rebuild the Tower completely. Once it is complete, you will come there. The control of the Sea Wall will be carried out from there."
Rasputin smiled in a sickly manner.
"The day of Armageddon is close at hand. A war shall be fought as none has been thus far. The strong shall be the only remaining ones on the planet. The weak shall be culled from the strong. Thus and only thus will the Age of Apocalypse truly begin. My Age, with my Strength, one even the almighty Celestial's will fear."
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Magneto looked down at the barren land below him. He had taken a small team with him and set out towards America again. Bypassing the Sea Wall had been easier than usual due to more and more advanced techniques. Small craft like this one were barely visible on the Sea Wall's sophisticated radar. On average radar they would never show up. He had brought along Piotr, Kitty, Jean, Sean and Logan. He had no idea what he expected to find, but something had drawn him here. Perhaps it was fate. Rogue had not been pleased, and it had taken Wanda to convince her to stay. Erik wasn't in Rogue's good books at the moment and he would need to do a lot of making up. A small smile creased his face; the making up wouldn't be all that bad at that. He was glad that Wanda and Rogue had become friends. Wanda's dislike of Rogue had been a problem. However, she had managed to overcome her dislike and the two had in a matter of a week become fast friends. Ororo had taken a smaller team to look for Remy. He had disappeared five days ago and had not contacted them after that. Ororo had become frantic and Rogue had become very worried. Remy was impulsive but he wasn't stupid. He knew that they would become worried if he didn't contact them frequently. Erik stroked his chin slowly. Remy had better have a good reason for his disappearance; other wise Erik would bring his full wrath to bear on him. Something had happened between him and Rogue as well. Before the assault on the Tower, there had been a tension between them, but after the Tower Rogue had barely acknowledged him. In fact the Cajun had fallen out of favor with quite a few females, including Ororo and Wanda, who had been his firm friends for a long time now. Erik had not always gotten along with Remy, but he had pitied the man then.
He shook his head. Now was not the time to worry about trivial matters such as that. He sighed. He had many other, more pressing and worrisome problems to occupy his mind with. * Charles, you really stuck me with a big problem this time. *
"I'm picking up a mutant signature Mags. It's a powerful mutant whoever it is. On low energy levels he was still picked up by our radar."
Magneto shook himself out of his reverie. "Where is this mutant?"
"Close by. In what was San Francisco. He's near fisherman's wharf."
"Hurry there. Any mutant we save from Apocalypse is for the better."
x----------------- ------------x
Quja stared at the read out. It was impossible. The sheet showed that it was a Mutant who should be dead. He turned towards Havok.
"Hey Alex, read this. It's strange."
Havok took the sheet from him. He quickly scanned the read out and turned to the monitor. He quickly accessed the file on the mutant they had discovered.
"It's a restricted file. Let's check out what this mutant is. We should be able to get some credit for his capture. It will elevate us in Apocalypse's eyes."
Quja nodded and strode out of the room. Havok stood in the room for a second thinking how this might be a chance for promotion. He intended to go all the way to the top of the pack. He wanted to rule. This would only help him in that. He turned around and began walking out of the room. He needed help. Lorna would be useful there. Perhaps he would have her as his aide.
x----------------- ------------x
Bishop stood up to begin his wandering again. He was determined to go somewhere. He just wasn't sure where exactly that was. Bishop begun to shuffle forward. That was when he heard it. The sound of whining engines. Bishops hand instinctively went to his side, almost unconsciously. His fingers closed around nothing. In his mind he cursed himself for being all kinds of a fool. His guns had become next to useless ten years ago. There was no way to recharge them. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew. He hoped his power would kick in as it did sometimes. He turned to look as Four figures, followed by nearly twenty others dropped from the ship hovering overhead. The ship then went a little way off and hovered there. A small part of Bishops mind told him that this was a sound tactic, though he wasn't sure why. He raised his hands to fight off these formidable looking opponents. The one who appeared to lead them was a tall broad-shouldered young man. He was dressed in Black with fairly heavy Blue armor. A stylized circle was on his chest. His head was covered in the same Black material as his bodysuit, other than his hair and face. As he walked forward Bishop felt the tug of energy from him. His boots made a heavy thudding sound as he came forward. The woman walking just behind and to the left of him wore a yellow top which had blue slashes which became wider till her legs were encased in only blue. Her strangely green hair flew about in the wind. Another woman who followed near the rear wore a very light blue, almost white bodysuit with a high neck. Her arms were bare however and her gauntlets were a bit too large for her delicate looking arms. A white bandanna swooped her platinum blonde hair back. The last of the four was a wiry built man who was wearing a completely gray outfit, with black armor. 'Prelates' was the word that flashed through Bishops head.
"You are to come with us mutant." The leading mans words were smoothly delivered, to the point. Bishops frowned. He wasn't going anywhere. He could faintly recollect having met the blonde leader and the green haired woman. In far more pleasant circumstances. He stepped back and braced himself for a fight. He wasn't going anywhere.
"Leave Prelate's, this man is not going to your pens!"
All on the ground looked up, The Prelate's in angry recognition, Bishop in surprise. Five figures were hurtling down from a large black jet. One of them was clad in Purple, with a black helmet, and a black cape fluttering behind. Massive layered gauntlets covered his forearms up to the elbows. Bishop could recall having seen him somewhere before, but this time the memory was very unclear, as though he had seen this man do very different things. A redheaded woman flew behind him, a dark blue mark over her left eye and cheek. She wore a red bodysuit, which became blue at the legs. She wore red boots and a black jacket like garment over her shoulders, that ended just above her breasts. A pinkish colored beam connected her to another individual who was wearing a dark blue costume, slashed at intervals with red. One of his hands was a metal implant, with no fingers. His face was partly covered with a mask which ended in two pointed ends led to by large 'wings'. Another man falling was dressed in a black and yellow bodysuit, which covered him from neck down. From his arms came out five large strips, made of leather or the same material as the suit. The last and only freely falling member was a man built almost entirely of steel. He wore red and yellow, which only covered his body and part of his legs. Huge boots were on his feet and his face was partially covered with a bandanna. Eyed gleamed through slits in the bandanna.
The large metal man landed on the ground raising a cloud of dust. Bishop could make out very little. He decided that it was time to make a retreat.
x----------------- ------------x
Magneto led the charge against the Prelates and the mutant units they had brought along with them. The mutant units and soldiers immediately began to run forward, weapons and powers blazing. Quja quickly created a psi-sword and held it in front of him. Phoenix quickly set Weapon X to the ground. He quickly unsheathed his claws and snarled. Quja took the moment to rush him. His psi-sword whirled in his hands. Weapon X warily circled him. Quja was the most proficient swords master in the world. Phoenix wasn't surprised to see him choose a sword as his psi-weapon.
"You're mine telepath!"
Phoenix didn't bother with any words. She quickly hurled a telekinetic blast at him. He deflected it with his psi-sword. He rushed forward and Phoenix quickly erected a shield. He slashed at it and Phoenix had to quickly erect another one. She gritted her teeth. This wouldn't be a repeat fight of the one she had in the Tower. She quickly erected a shield and sprang back. Quja slashed this one away as well. Phoenix then erected another shield, but one that spread and then quickly enveloped her, a large shield that spread close to her. It was difficult, but it worked. Quja slashed the air in front of Phoenix and nearly fell forward. Phoenix took the chance and smashed her fist against his jaw. Quja stumbled back, the psi-blade in his hands flickering. Phoenix leapt forward and kicked him in the head. Quja staggered back again.
Havok shot plasma blasts at Weapon X, but he kept on dodging them and coming closer with each miss. Havok shot faster and faster, knowing that the increased speed meant less of an impact, but it would still stagger Weapon X for a while. A shot finally grazed his arm and Havok yelled in triumph. He leapt forward and smashed into Weapon X's back with his shoulder armor, which stuck out. Weapon X snarled and turned. Havok leapt back just in time to avoid Weapon X's claws from ripping him open.
Magneto faced off against Polaris, who looked at him with a cold gleam in her eyes.
"You killed my father you piece of shit. For that I'll kill you."
Magneto watched her with a pitying look. She was not to blame for what Archanfel had done. She and Havok had been from a very young age trained to hate the X-men and trained to kill them. However the fact that she could senselessly butcher thousands as she had done in the past was something he would not tolerate. To stop her she must be killed.
"If that is how you feel child."
"I'm not a child, I'm a Prelate. Understand that Magneto, for it is your death." Polaris spat at him.
Magneto jumped back in order to avoid a blast she threw at him. Magneto immediately began to use her power against her. He drew on her energy and hit her with a magnetic blast. She flew back and skidded a few feet back. Magneto flew forward and prepared to hit her with a final blow. She erected a magnetic shield quickly, and his blast dissipated. Without warning she rose from the ground, dragging several metallic objects out of the surrounding buildings and rubble. Magneto diverted all of the metallic objects, leaving himself open for Polaris to kick him cleanly in the jaw, nearly breaking it. He cursed and staggered backwards. Polaris punched him in the stomach with both fists. Magneto gasped for breath and lashed out with his massive gauntlets. Polaris fell back. Suddenly Magneto felt someone grab him from the back. Someone big. A huge mutant unit lifted him off the ground and flung him back. Magneto used his power to halt his flight and float in the air. He blasted the huge mutant, sending him flying back, unconscious.
Colossus had five mutants down around him and was engaged in a prolonged fight against a very malleable mutant. Punching him was having no discernable effect. Another appeared from behind him and smashed into him. Its horns didn't harm Colossus, but it hurt the large mutant. Colossus grunted sourly and turned, punching the horned mutant into oblivion. Two more came forward. Colossus looked at them and weighed his options. It didn't look good. Suddenly a barrage of laser fire rained down from the X- jet. It knocked the malleable mutant and one of the other two out, leaving only a panicking young mutant. It was apparently symbiotic, a mutant reliant on another to use it's powers.
"Thank you Katya, the assistance was helpful." Colossus shouted to his lover. The entire mutant unit was down, Colossus turned to the humans who had been shooting him ineffectually. In the few minutes since the battle begun they had managed to put together a portable launcher and the missile hurtled towards Colossus. Kitty fired on it from the X-jet but her shots went wide and the missile smashed into Colossus.
Banshee circled Lumina. She had created a shield around her and was not expanding it. She let the shield remain and began to concentrate on creating a rod of energy, a large one. Banshee noticed the growing line of energized molecules and flew back from it. His sonic scream had had no effect on the shield. The energy rod complete Lumina began swinging it. Banshee narrowly avoided the rod and began to think feverishly, trying to work out how to beat the shield. His eyes narrowed and he communicated with Kitty to fire on his word. He flew far back and screamed at a large, half broken billboard. It began to fall forward, pulling many wires out of the walls in the process. He gave the word and Kitty fired one shot, before turning back to Colossus. The billboard blew up just as it struck the shield, giving out more energy at one time than Lumina could handle. Before her shield could blow up, she dissolved it and began to set off her chain reactions, allowing her enough time to escape the explosion. Banshee cried out triumphantly and dove towards her.
Havok was having a lot of problems. Wolverine was everywhere at once and he was having a tough time just keeping the feral at bay. Both of his hands were dangerous, the claws on one hand and the slab of metal on the other. This only seemed to enrage the feral who seemed to grow faster and his attacks more dangerous with each successful block of Havoks. Havok admitted that it wasn't one of his better idea's to fight Weapon X in close quarters. Suddenly he got a sudden reprieve in the form of a missile striking Weapon X. The feral mutant smashed into a building because of the explosion. Havok smiled in relief, when he heard Lumina scream for help.
Banshee was bearing down on her and she had no means of countering before his scream knocked her out. This was not going as planned at all. He aimed at Banshee and shot a plasma blast at him. Banshee however noticed it and managed to narrowly avoid the blast. Suddenly Quja fell on the ground next to him and slowly began getting up. Havok turned to see Phoenix bearing down on him. He shot at her with a plasma blast, but her telekinetic shield dissipated the blast. Havok snarled in anger and prepared to shoot again when he heard someone approach from behind. He turned just in time to prevent himself getting skewered by Weapon X. He looked to his soldiers who were nowhere to be seen. Where they had been stood Colossus, looking slightly battered but none the worse for wear. Polaris and Lumina quickly joined him. Magneto came flying up, and the X-jet began hovering behind the assembled X-men. Havok cursed under his breath and summoned his own craft. The Prelates began backing off as the X-men advanced. His craft came forward and suddenly stopped a few hundred feet away. Magneto gestured towards it and it went spinning back and smashed into two buildings before exploding. Havok cursed loudly and explicitly, it looked very much like they were going to die. The X-men weren't going to waste any time now. He needed to make a plea for his life.
"We surrender."
Weapon X snorted.
"You're finished Prelates."
Magneto lifted his hand to order the final strike. Havok closed his eyes. A sudden humming caused him to open them again. He looked up towards the sound. Another craft was approaching them, at a very high speed.
Magneto looked at it and raised his hand, however this time Polaris was ready. She lifted her hand as well and severed Magneto's attempt to hold the craft. The hatch opened and a large figure jumped out. It landed neatly on two feet, standing gracefully. It's cape hung behind it.
Apocalypse's most powerful lieutenant, the dread lord Sammael opened his eyes. His forehead creased slightly as he surveyed the area, then he turned to the X-men.
"Your last mistake was in coming here Magnus."
Weapon X snarled in rage, "No you goddamn External, yours was."
He leapt forward, claw extended. Sammael simply lifted his hand and Weapon X just managed to avoid a massive energy blast. Magneto hit him with a magnetic blast, but Sammael only staggered back before brushing it off. Sammael rose in the air, levitating a few feet off the ground. He spread his hands and the X-men scattered as multiple energy beams struck where they had just been standing. Sammael's eyes glowed with power before a blast from his hand smashed Banshee into a building. Phoenix hurled a telekinetic blast at him just as Magneto hit him with a magnetic blast again. Sammael reeled, but again managed to shake it off. Quja and Lumina were too hurt to fight and Havok was too drained to shoot any substantial blast. Polaris shot at Colossus, but Kitty was already there, shooting at Polaris, who abandoned the attempt and flew out of the way.
"Get on board my craft, quickly." Sammael said calmly to the Prelates.
Polaris lifted Quja and Lumina quickly and then returned for Havok. Havok used the last of his energy to blast Weapon X, who fell back. Polaris then carried him up to the craft.
Sammael watched as Colossus charged him. He blocked Colossus's punch and struck him himself. Colossus staggered back. Phoenix looked at him in surprise. Sammael smiled. Colossus would have probably hurt Sammael if he hadn't been so weak from battle. He met Magneto's blast with one of his own then glided up calmly still shooting energy blasts. He stepped onto the craft and turned to look at the X-men looking up at him in frustration. Polaris was using the last of her strength to keep Magneto from tossing the craft as he had the last. Sammael sent a final blast raining down on them.
By the time the X-men could do anything the craft had flown off too far and too fast for Magneto to hold it, especially as Polaris still protected it. Magneto shook his head in anger. "Let's go, they'll be back and our wandering mutant is nowhere nearby, as far as I can tell."
x----------------- ------------x
Contrary to Magneto's thoughts, Bishop was not too far off, watching from the top of a building. He saw the X-men leave. He was lucky to have escaped, especially since that External had shown up. Bishop turned and began walking down the staircase. He should also leave the ruined town. The Tower would probably send someone after him, or at least to find out if the X-men had any hidden base in the city. In a couple of hours the city would no longer be safe for him. He had to leave. He walked out of the building and headed towards the town exit that led inland. He would wander till he found answers to questions he did not know. His memory before the last twenty years was unclear. He knew his name, but he wasn't sure of what else. The X-men. the name struck a chord in him. So had Magneto and when he first heard of Apocalypse he had been sure that it would lead to nothing good. However the main worry he had was Magneto. From what his heart told him, Magneto was not someone to be trusted. However he was not sure why. He sometimes felt as though he were not from this world, or even this time. Again he was not sure why. He would wander, searching, until he could find out the answers he needed.
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Well, there it was. The entrance of Bishop. What does he have to do with this storyline, people may wonder. Read on. It'll become apparent in a while (a long while actually.)
Anyway, the two main characters this fic was meant for return next chapter. Plus, some startling developments as the X-team begins to break down.