X-Men: Come the Apocalypse (pt. 1) Author: Nathan Summers Date: 1997/09/01 Forum: alt.comics.fan-fiction The Setting: It was a perfect late Autumn day. The first signs of Fall were beginning to appear. The leaves were changing color already and could be seen falling from the surrounding trees. Several piles of them had been raked up. It would be a perfect day for a picnic. The Place: The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, Westchester County, New York. The Time: 4:27 p.m., Thursday, October 16 1997. {Cable}: Thanks again for helping on such short notice, Doc. {Dr. McCoy}: It's no trouble at all, Nate. Caliban is like family. I'm more than happy to help. After all, this is something we should all be concerned with. May I see him now? {Cable}: Yeah, sure. He's afraid to go asleep...keeps having these nightmares. So I'm sure he'll be awake. The two individuals head towards a closed door at the end of the long hallway. Beast knocks first, just in case his patient is asleep. A voice tells them to enter. {Cable}: Caliban, Dr. McCoy is here to do those tests I told you about. How are you feeling? {Caliban}: Caliban is feeling okay today, friend-Nathan. What tests will friend-Beast do? {Dr. McCoy}: Nothing painful. I'll just ask you a few questions. My first is concerning your seizures. Do you ever know when they'll be coming? Or do they just happen? {Caliban}: Caliban not know. Caliban be fine and then he have seizure. {Dr. McCoy}: Nathan here tells me you were playing the piano like an expert last month. You've also done some other things that aren't normally accociated with you. Do you have any idea why this might happen? {Caliban}: Some times Caliban get really smart. Caliban like being smart. But then he get dumb again. Caliban wishes he could stay smart. {Dr. McCoy): You havn't had any seizures for some time now. Only three have occured. But I've heard that you've felt sick lately. Nausea, dizziness, headache. Has anything else happened? {Caliban}: No. I feel fine now. Cable and Beast exchange glances. They both have clearly noted Caliban's sudden use of speech in first person. {Dr. McCoy}: Caliban, do you feel...smart right now? Like when you played the piano? {Caliban}: Odd... I do feel smarter then usual. Like I said, it comes and goes. {Dr. McCoy): How long does it usually last. {Caliban}: Only a few minutes. {Dr. McCoy}: Let's move on to the subject of your nightmares. Do you ever remember them? {Caliban}: Only a few details. They seem so real! I don't want to go to sleep. {Dr. McCoy}: Tell me about the nightmare you remember most. {Caliban}: There's a man standing over me. He has a large ruby on his forehead. I'd say he was Egyptain from his clothes. His most distinct feature is that he appears to be made of stone. He's speaking to me. {Dr. McCoy}: Do you think what he's saying to you is important? {Caliban}: Yes, but I don't remember what he said. {Dr. McCoy): I see. Do you have these nightmares every time you go to sleep? {Caliban}: Yes. {Dr. McCoy}: You're probably thirsty. Here. Have some water. {Caliban}: Thank you friend-Beast. Oh. Caliban back to normal again. {Dr. McCoy): We can continue this examination later. Let's go Nate. Beast and Cable step outside. They were about to start discussing Caliban's condition when Beast started talking about something else. {Dr. McCoy}: That water I gave him was loaded with a heavy sedative. He'll be out in no time. {Cable}: What was the purpose for that? {Dr. McCoy}: We need to get to the bottom of his nightmares. That may be the key to solving this problem. Once he's in deep sleep, I want you to enter his mind. Try to experience his nightmare with him. I can monitor his progress from inside. {Cable}: Okay, but this could be risky you know. But I still wanna help Cal. I'll do it. They re-enter Caliban's room, sure that by now he would be asleep. Neither of them utters a word. Cable's bionic eye begins to build with bright psionic energy. He then releases it. the energy swirls like a cloud of light until it reaches Caliban's head. Upon contact, Caliban's head is illuminated and Cable falls into a trans-like state. The psionic link with Caliban has been established. Various shades of red shoot past the astral image of Cable as he navigates through Caliban's mind. Then all the colours of the visible spectrum can be seen as Cable comes to the base of Caliban's mind. As Cable's astral self continues to travel, images come into view. The first thing Cable sees is Caliban himself, strapped to some kind of examination chair by metal straps. {Voice}: This will be painful for you Caliban, but its for the better. You shall be perfected once this operation is complete. You shall be whole agian. You will be Death! Fourth Horsman of Apocalypse!!! That is when Cable first notices that this isn't the Caliban he knows now. This is how Caliban was before. Feeble. Extremely weak-minded. That was before Apocalypse altered him. A device which Cable thinks to be a large satelite dish is lowered from the ceiling. It is pointed at Caliban. Nothing happens at first. Then, electricity is conducted through the restraints which bound Caliban. Barely of any signifigance at first. Then the electricity begins to build and it starts to flow into Caliban. Cable watches as his friend is electricuted before his eyes. Caliban wails in pain. The dish of the "satelite" begins rotating clockwise. It stops. Small tubes pop out around the edges simutaneously. The dish rotates again, this time counter clockwise. It stops. The tubes build up a strange green energy within them. Then it is released. Swirling beams of an unknown green energy blasts Caliban violently. By now his body is illuminated with blue and green light. Caliban screams louder. Finally, the long, narrow tube at the front of the "satelite" begins building up an unknown purple energy. It builds fo a long time until finally it is released. A wide purple beam of energy slams into Caliban. He wails the loudest scream Cable has ever heard a human being wail. Blue, green, and purple energy are all flowing from Caliban's frail body. Cable can barely see anything through it all. It was hard for him to watch. After what seemed like hours, the device conducting the purple energy slowly powers down. Caliban's restraints, which were literally electricuting him, were shut off as well. Finally, the tubes that fired green energy were burned out. Smoke was rising from Caliban's body. Radiation burns couls clearly be seen all over. No one could've survived that. {Voice}: The operation is complete. Once the cells that were destroyed during the operation repair themselves, they will be different. They will be stronger. More resiliant. Caliban will be that way as well. I have reconfigured his entire genetic structure. His DNA is forever altered. Now, he is mine. Meanwhile, in the physical realm... {Dr. McCoy}: So far so good. Everything's normal here. Let's hope ehh?.... Caliban's fingers on his left hand are twitching. Odd. Waitaminute. Spasms occuring throughout his entire arm now. Oh, dear... The mind of Caliban... {Cable}: My God. Watching that was hard enough but its what it might mean that's got me worried. Cal was obviously describing Ozymandias when he told us about that dream. Not to mention Warren's recent transformation. Cal's seizures started just after Apocalypse returned. The Hulk was just recently turned into a Horseman but that didn't work... maybe he's come back for Caliban. Now I witness this dream. All of Caliban's recent troubles are connected to Apocalypse. They must be! The physical realm... {Dr. McCoy}: Caliban's entire body is convulsing! He's gonna have one hell of a seizure in no time! I gotta get Cable out of there. Beast quickly thinks of something that might get Cable out of Caliban's mind. He smashes his palms into Cable's temples, hoping to break the link. {Cable}: ARRRGGGHHH!!!!!! {Dr. McCoy}: Sorry if that was a bit painful, but I need your help here. I saved your life too, by the way. Anyway, Caliban's having another seizure, the most violent I've seen yet. Hold him in place telekinetically long enough for me to strap him down. Cable doesn't hesitate. His bionic eye charges with telekinetic energy and he blasts Caliban's body with it, holding him in place. Beast proceeds to strap him down. {Dr. McCoy}: Thanks for your help. Now then... what exactly did you see in his mind? ********************** Elsewhere. Specificially the SoHo apartment building housing Scott Summers, Jean Grey Summers, Warren Worthington III, and Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock. There is a knock at the door of Jean and Scott's apartment. {Jean}: Hi, there Betsy, how are you? {Betsy}: Doing good...where's Scott? {Jean}: He's just playing solitaire on the computer. Did you need something? {Betsy}: Warren and I were just wondering if you two would care to join us at dinner tonight. {Jean}: Oh, that would be lovely. I'll check with Scott. She turns around and doesn't even leave the room. Jean shouts loudly... {Jean}: Scott! {Scott}: Yes dear? {Jean}: Do we want to go to dinner with Warren and Betsy tonight? {Scott}: Sure, that'd be great. {Betsy}: Okay, then I'll be back at around 7:00. Scott Summers slowly limps out of the back room, leaning on a cane, ribs busted, arm broken, ankle twisted, and who knows what else. {Scott}: Then we'd better get ready. {Warren}: Betsy, you back yet? {Betsy}: Yep. Scott and Jean are coming with us. {Warren}: How's Scott doing? {Betsy}: He didn't look too great but he seems to be recovering pretty well. {Warren}: Oh. That's good. {Betsy): Yep. Warren, is it just me, or is your skin getting lighter? To be Continued in part two coming next Wednesday...