X-Men: Come the Apocalypse (pt. 3) Author: Nathan Summers Date: 1997/09/18 Forum: alt.comics.fan-fiction Setting: Somewhere in the many pyramids of Egypt. Holocaust and Post stand before Apocalypse, ready to obey orders. Both are crouched on their knees in front of the dark lord. {Apocalypse}: I have a mission for you. {Holocaust}: We are ready to obey your every command, Father. {Apocalypse}: Let's get right to it, shall we? Holocaust, I want you to eliminate Caliban. In order for you to take his place as the new Death, the former one must be taken out of the picture. He, Warren Worthington, and Abraham Lincoln Kieros are the only former Horsemen that remain. I have personally destroyed Famine. Carrion will take care of Kieros. When will he be ready? {Holocaust}: Within the next forty-eight hours, m'lord. {Apocalypse}: Excellent. I will send him immediately after he recovers. {Holocaust}: I have but one question. {Apocalypse}: Speak now and quickly {Holocaust}: What of the X-Men? They are safe-guarding Caliban. {Apocalypse}: Handle them how you please, but do not kill them! Any of them. I may be able to recruit some of them, especially the new ones. If not, I will personally deal with them. {Holocaust}: Yes, m'lord. I understand. He steps into the shadows and vanishes, ready to complete his task. Apocalypse turns his attention to Post now. {Apocalypse}: I have a mission for you as well, Post. {Post}: What do you wish? {Apocalypse}: In case you havn't already guessed, I want you to eliminate my original Death-- Warren Worthington! His allies, Betsy Braddock, Jean Grey Summers, and Scott Summers will interfere. Take them prisoner! As with Holocaust, do not kill them. I have other plans in mind. If you are to be the leader of the new Dark Riders, you must do this. Understand? {Post}: It's the least I can do for breaking my out of the vault. And I am interested in this 'Dark Riders' thing. I'll do it. {Apocalypse}: Then go now. {Post}: Must find the right frequency...... Post activates his built-in teleportation unit and is transported away. He will be at his destination in mere moments. {Rogue}: Ya'll found anythin' yet, Hank? {Beast}: Not yet, but we'd better be totally ready for this. {Maggot}: What makes ya so sure 'e'll be comin' so soon, mate? {Beast}: Like I said before, Caliban's seizures get worse and worse as Apocalypse gets closer and closer. Quite frankly, that last one was the worst I've ever seen. I didn't realize they could get that bad. If that one wasn't the one, you can bet on this one. {Wolverine}: You'd better hope yer medical opinion is one-hundered percent accurate, cuz I don't like ridin' on anything but pure fact. And this is one hell of an opinion. {Beast}: It's more than opinion, Logan. I know it's coming. I'm doing something you've always done. I'm trusting my instincts. {Logan}: Ya keep sayin that, man! What's coming! Care to elaborate a little on 'The Apocalypse'? {Beast}: I-I-I'm not exactly sure. It may not be Apocalypse himself, but it will be something directly associated with him. A Horseman perhaps. But you must realize Caliban's life is in serious danger! And so are ours if we're not properly prepared. {Cannonball}: Ah hear ya Hank. If you say we've got trouble then we do. Besides, when's the last time Dr. McCoy's been wrong? {Storm}: Samuel is correct. This should give cause for alarm. We should all be concerned. {Beast}: Now let's continue with the preparations. Elsewhere... A tall, muscular, and powerful African-American stared out the viewscreen. He looks terribly upset. A woman(oid) approaches from behind. {Deathbird}: What is it? What's on your mind? {Bishop}: That ship that hit us -the royal starcruiser- it was tiny. {Deathbird}: What are you talking about? That "ship" rivaled some moons. It was not "tiny." {Bishop}: Well of course, compared to us it was huge, but compared to THAT. Bishop points out into the vastness of space.... {Bishop}: Out there, it's less than microscopic... next to nothing. What does that make us? We don't even exist. We don't count. We're nothing. {Deathbird}: Wasn't that intriguing... care to tell me what's really troubling you? A small grin appears on Bishop's face as he acknnowledges Deathbird's comment. He turns at last to face her. {Bishop}: When I became stranded here... in this century I mean, I decided to make a difference. I was going to be a hero. I would save the X-Men, expose the traitor. Things didn't quite go the way I had planned. I agonized for weeks over the fact that Professor Xavier was the one behind it all. And I was too busy chasing around Gambit to realize it. But now I realize that the fact is, I saved the X-Men. I created a different future. Hopefully a better one. now they're gone. And I can't bring them back. It's funny, me, the most expendable member of the whole team since my mission had been fulfilled, was the only survivor. {Deathbird}: Then I suppose there must be another reason why you lived and they didn't. {Bishop}: You speak of faith? {Deathbird}: Yes, I suppose {Bishop}: Doesn't your religion dismiss the notion of a god? {Deathbird}: I was merely putting it into a perspective you would understand. {Bishop}: I see. Any sign of the ship I was referring to before on our radar? {Deathbird}: No... but we are getting closer to the Shi'ar space station. {Bishop}: So we still know nothing of the ship? {Deathbird}: Yes. For now it remains a giant, floating pyramid and that's all we know. Westchester... {Beast}: Have you found anything in Caliban's mind? Hank glances over to where Cable stood, palms on Caliban's forehead, eyes rolled back, navigating through Caliban's mind. He then pulls out. {Cable}: Found nothing. Nothing at all Just empty-- GET DOWN! Cable grabs Caliban and leaps, letting the nuclear blast reduce the spot where Caliban originally stood into a crater. {Beast}: Ehh? Another, larger blast rains down from above. The gathered X-Men scatter to avoid it. {Storm}: Up in the rafters! She points up at the wooden structure which was holding up the ceiling of the recently repaired room. When Storm had identified the threat, she didn't hesitate. She unleashed a barrage storm of lightning at the rafters. {Holocaust}: OOOFFF!! He crashes through the rafters and lands hard on his side. The rest of the ceiling comes down after him, burrying him. Cannonball watches from the starcase nearby. He realizes what's happening and acts quickly, silently as not to give himself away. He runs and leaps over the railing, activating his blast-field on the way down. The kinetic stream slams down on the rubble covering Holocaust, nearly flash-frying him. That had been Sam's intention. {Cannonball}: Ha! Nailed yer ugly ass! {Wolverine}: Don't you dare get cocky kid, this guy's got stamina. Holocaust blasts his way easily out of the wreckage and begins spraying nuclear blasts at the mutants. Just then Cecelia Reyes enters the room. {Cecelia}: Dr. McCoy, I got those supplies you-- whoa! She pauses and watches as her teammates are about to be incinerated. Instinctively, Cecelia leaps in front of the blast, hoping her powers will work on instinct just as well. {Cecelia}: Uhh! Oh, shit, that hurttttt***** She collapses. But she saved her teammates. The others don't have time to check on her, they just get to it. {Wolverine}: Take him! Joseph, just arriving on the scene, quickly takes note of the situation. He fires beams of magnetic force at the antagonist. Just as Holocaust blocks the blast, Wolverine and Beast leap at him. Beast smashes down hard, with both fists, on Holocaust's back, cracking his armor. As Holocaust punches him away, Wolverine lands on his back. The feral X-Man rams his claws into Holocaust's shoulder blades, giving him a good grip. Holocaust would be too pre-occupied fighting him to protect himself from the others. {Rogue}: Ah got 'im! She rams full speed into Holocaust's chest, knocking him back a good six yards. Cannonball hits him in the side, knocking him down again. Iceman approaches and deep-freezes his entire body. Storm makes a quick swoop and shoots a single beam of lightning at Holocaust. {Holocaust}: Enough! I shall tolerate this assault no longer! I have come to eliminate Death! And eliminate him I shall! Just then everyone notices Cable struggling to keep a convulsing Caliban under control. He's having a violent seizure, the worst ever. {Cable}: I can't keep him under... uhh... control much... uhh... longer... As the others are distracted Holocaust prepares his attack. {Holocaust}: Now you are finished! Holocaust shoots a devastating blast at Storm. Wolverine leaps in front of her. {Wolverine}: 'Ro!!! ARRGGHHH!!!! Wolverine is in a blaze before their eyes. Hopefully, his healing factor will take care of it. {Beast}: Logan! {Holocaust}: Ha! He blows Iceman to pieces without difficulty. Cannonball attempts another aerial assault. It fails. Holocaust nails him. Sam's kinetic field saved him from death but not from the fall. He slams into the wall and lands hard on the floor. {Holocaust}: See X-men? The tide's turning. I'm going to beat you. You're going to die here. Cable is still trying to keep Caliban under control. Wolverine is down for the count. So is Cecelia. Joseph is currently under assault. Iceman will eventually piece himself back together. But not before this battle is over. Sam isn't hurt too bad, but bad enough to keep him out of the fight. Rogue, Storm and Beast are trying to save Joseph.... {Joseph}: Ahhhh!!! He goes down. Now it's just the three of them against the ultimate enemy. Or so it seems. Maggot leaps out of the way of a stray blast and rolls to safety. He crouches on one knee, preparing to attack. {Maggot}: Bombs away, mates! It's good 'ol Maggot to the rescue! He extents both arms towards Holocaust. The techno-slugs slither down them and launch at an unsuspecting Holocaust. They eat through his armor, getting a good grip. And the fun begins. The little creatures begin siphoning Holocaust's fiery energy away. Soon, he is but a small threat. {Beast}: Okay, let's wrap this up, people. He and Rogue both sucker-punch Holocaust hard in the chest shattering his chest-plate even more. Storm finishes him off with a powerful lightning charge. Holocaust's armor literally explodes. And then the dust settles... {Storm}: We did quite well, considering the fact that we were up against such a powerful opponent. I am extremely proud of you, X-Men. We battle just as fiercely as the old team did. {Rogue}: But what to do with him? SoHo..... {Jean}: That was an excellent meal. Sorry that I spaced out on you like that. {Warren}: Hey, it happens. I'm just glad we didn't have to roll Scott out the door. {Scott}: Oh, the indegestion! {Jean}: Where did we park? {Warren}: That empty lot over there. Betsy knows the way. Soon the quartet reach their lot and get an unexpected surprise... {Warren}: Lemme just find the keys... {Jean}: You hear something on the roof? {Post}: That, Miss Grey/Summers, would be me! {Scott}: Post! The streetlamp illuminates the man on their car, providing truth to Scott's assumption. {Post}: I have come seeking Death! Today, Warren Worthington, you shall burn in hell! To be Continued Next Wednesday, as always...........