X-Men: Come the Apocalypse (pt. 7) Author: Nathan Summers Date: 1997/10/15 Forum: alt.comics.fan-fiction Egypt... {Cyclops}: So, you ready to make our great escape? {Psylocke}: Ready when you are. {Cyclops}: Okay, then, remember the plan? {Psylocke}: Sure do. {Cyclops}: Then here goes nothing! Apocalypse! Apocalypse! Get over here! {Apocalypse}: I have much to do so you'd better make this quick! {Cyclops}: Where's Caliban? What have you done to him? {Apocalypse}: I havn't the time for this. {Cyclops}: I _demand_ to know! {Apocalypse}: Perhaps you need another leason on who your betters are! {Cyclops}: Then bring it on! I'm not afraid of you. I'll _never_ fear you. Apocalypse punches a code into the electronic lock on their cell door. He walks in, preparing to give Cyclops a leason on respect. This was what Cyclops was counting on. {Psylocke}: I don't think so! Ya! She delivers a drop kick in Apocalypse's back, momentarily distracting him. {Apocalypse}: Stupid winch! Cyclops took this to his advantage and bolted out of the still open cell entrance. He then prepares to free Psylocke as well. Cyclops picks up a large stone and hammers it into Apocalypse's face as hard as he can. It wasn't intended to hurt him, if it was it didn't. But it disoriented him long enough for Psylocke to slip away as well. {Cyclops}: Come on! Come on! We don't have much time. Run! {Psylocke}: There's no psychic dampener in this room. I can use my powers again! {Cyclops}: Good. That makes one of us. Get a lock on Caliban? {Psylocke}: Yes. This way. Then we'll make a right. A few short, but tense, moments later. {Cyclops}: Over there! In the main prisoner cell. {Psylocke}: C'mon. I see it. We'll have to move quickly. {Cyclops}: I don't understand. Something's not right. We should've ran into some re-sis-tance---oh lord! {Pestilence}: Spoke to soon,my friend! I am your resistance. I have every disease, every virus, every plague, every single illness flowing through my body. I wouldn't get too close. Even if he'd met Carrion before, Cyclops would never recognize him now. He was nearly ten times larger than he'd originally been. His arms were long, longer than his legs like that of an oragutan. That is, if they came this big. His legs were quite short, shorter than before in fact. But they were incredibly muscular, as was the rest of his body. Carrion now only had three fingers-- a thumb and two others, and two toes. His mouth was now a hideous snout like that of a werewolf. The lower portion of his chest wasn't huge-- it was bigger than a human being's, but not incredibly out of proportion. Carrion's upper chest, on the other hand, just got bigger and bigger all the way up into his shoulders. His head was bald and he mostly had small fangs for teeth. His entire body was a bright shade of red and every vein, every nerve, every capilary was somewhat visible. He was at least eight feet tall, seven slouched over. Cyclops found that the most eerie thing about this new Carrion was this voice. He had that strange timbre that made it sound like he had a "double voice." {Cyclops}: Well, any suggestions? The X-Men's SR-71 Blackbird jet streaks over the Manhatten sky. They could've gotten here fairly quickly traveling in an auto-mobile, but the X-Men must waste no time. {Cable}: He should be in this building right over here. We have to hurry! {Wolverine}: You gettin any strange readings down there, pal? {Cable}: Nothing hostile at least. Not yet. But it's probably just a matter of time... {Phoenix}: We're touching down now. Once the jet is grounded, the X-Men begin they're mission-- to seek out Nate Grey! {Phoenix}: Maggott, you take the stairs. Rogue, fly Wolverine up to Nate's apartment. Cable, you're with me. Rogue grabs Wolverine and takes to the sky. Maggott doesn't say anything, just goes about his business. Telekinetic energy flows from Jean's mind and swallows up Cable and then herself. Jean then levitates up near Rogue with Cable in tow. It doesn't take them long to reach Nate's window. Suddenly-- the window explodes, spewing glass everywhere. Then a furious Nate Grey emerges. {Nate Grey}: Why can't you people ever leave me alone!?! I think I've made it quite clear that I want nothing to do with any of you! Did you think sending Jean, Cable, and Rogue would change that or something?!? {Phoenix}: Nate please! Listen, I-- {Nate}: For God sake Jean, I saved your parents and nephew _and_ niece! The least you can do is just leave me be! Let a dying man die in peace! {Cable}: You'll die a lot sooner if you don't let us help you! {Nate}: Stay out of this you-- {Cable}: Pay attention, boy! We don't want you to join us, we want you to come with us. Your life is in danger. {Nate}: Yeah, isn't it always-- Nate leaps out of the open window and floats in front of Cable, with psionic energy swirling around him. {Maggott}: Hold it! I got 'im. {Nate}: Not quite... Nate lashes out at Maggott with psychic tendrils, wrapping him up and frying his brain. {Maggott}: Acckkkkk!!!! Maggott is thrown with amazing force into a nearby wall, cracking it. Meanwhile, Rogue sets Wolverine down on the roof and attempts to reason with Nate. {Rogue}: Calm down, sugah. We don't mean y'all any harm. {Nate}: Back off, Rogue. I'm not in the mood for this crap today. {Rogue}: Yer actin like ya did when we first met. Ah figered you'd gotten past that. Please, ya gotta at least listen. {Nate}: You're right, of course. But make this quick! I really don't have much patience. {Rogue}: All right, ah guess ah-- {Post}: You guessed wrong girl! The kid's comin with us! {Wolverine}: Rahhh!! I don't think so, ass-hole! The savage mutant leaps from the building and his claws spring forth. They're the first things to hit Post. In the back. {Post}: ARRGGHHH!!! {Death}: I got him! {Wolverine}: Wrong! You got him! {Cable}: Ha! And that's only the second time you've done that. Cable loads his plasma rifle, a weapon of choice, and cocks it in seconds. He wastes no time spraying Death with energy blasts. {Death}: I almost felt that through my armor. I get to take down both versions of my most powerful foe. Too bad only one of them gets to die! {Cable}: You're just tearing up gravel, Holocaust. {Death}: It's Death now! Death! {Nate}: Whoa, this is a little hard to take in. But it doesn't matter. I may not like the X-Men much, but I _hate_ Holocaust. There's no holding back this time! {Maggott}: Ohhh... I'm gonna let the girls eat that boy for breakfeast!... Or maybe... I'll take a rain-check on that! Looks like we got some more trouble over here. {Death}: You contributed to my deafeat last time. Now you're mine! {Maggott}: Oh, crud... Neither of the blasts hit Maggott directly, but they set off several explosions near him which were enough to take him down. Just then, Jean steps in. {Phoenix}: Now that he's distracted, I can do this! Psycho-kinetic energy exlodes from Jean's left hand at Death. Then another from her fore-head, and another from her right hand. It slams into Death, blowing him through the building behind him. {Death}: OOOFFF!!! Wolverine moves to finish him off. He hacks away at Death's armor, trying to get through. It is a futile effort. {Wolverine}: Arrgghh!!! {Holocaust}: Well _that_ was pathetic. And I still havn't even gotten to my feet yet. {Nate}: You never will! Nate swoops down, yellow psionic energy swirling about him and releases a deadly blast from both hands at Death. It still didn't finish him. But Nate didn't intend it to. Rogue comes by for an attack, but suddenly realizes she'll be doing more good helping Nate. As Nate slams a psionically powered fist into Death's face plate, Rogue socks him in the stomache. Death staggers back, but does not fall. Nate then blasts Death with the psionic "spark" from his left eye. Upon contact with him, the blast explodes around Death, causing serious damage to his armor. Rogue flies in and uppercuts him in mid-air. Death falls over flat on his back after this. But he still refused to give up. Nate then lifts him up into the air telekinetically before he can fully recover and quickly slams him back down. Meanwhile, Cable takes care of a recently recovered Post with a simple mind blast. Most don't even notice him doing so. Both Post and Death are down for the count. {Cable}: Well, that takes care of that. {Rogue}: What should we do with them now? {Cable}: Not to worry. While you were busy with Holocaust/Death, I called G.W. Bridge. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be here shortly to take care of them. {Phoenix}: Are they properly equipped to handle them? {Cable}: Of course! They're S.H.I.E.L.D. aren't they? {Nate}: Yeah, okay. I uhh, guess I am in danger, huh? {Rogue}: C'mon. We'll explain all back in the Blackbird on the way home. Elsewhere in Manhatten... {Apocalypse}: Tell me Selene, are you happy with your life? {Selene}: Wha-- who? Oh, hello Apocalypse. {Apocalypse}: Not alarmed by my presence? Good. I didn't think you would be. Answer the question. {Selene}: And I should because--? {Apocalypse}: I never gave you a reason. Now tell me, are you happy with your life? {Selene}: Honestly? I havn't lived enough to know yet. I just reunited the Inner Circle club and I'd like to see where that leads me. {Apocalypse}: It will bring no good to you. {Selene}: Oh? I wasn't aware that you're a precog. {Apocalypse}: I'm not. I just know everything. {Selene}: Now if that's not the most evil grin-- {Apocalypse}: Forget the Inner Circle. It is nothing. {Selene}: I think I know where this is headed. {Apocalypse}: You and I are both power mongers. I can grant you anything you want. Everything you want. You will have no worries ever again. You were _made_ to join me. {Selene}: More. {Apocalypse}: We will become Famine, Third Horseman of Apocalypse! If it is increased power you wish, you shall have it. If it's-- {Selene}: Okay, I'm interested. I'll check this Horseman thing out. The Inner Circle will have to do without me. Too bad. They then vanish. This now brings us to the Shi'ar star system. {Deathbird}: It's been over an hour. What's he doing in there? Is he okay? Blast you Bishop, if I have to come in there and save your hide... While inside the giant craft, Bishop awakens. {Bishop}: Ohhhh... no telling how long I've been out. Still all dark in here. Can't see a thing. Last thing I remember was being ambushed. I actually fell for it! Back on earth, specifically the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. {Gambit}: So lemme' get dis straight: Holocaust kidnaps Caliban who's havin' seizures cuz of Apocalypse, Betsy 'n Scott are captured by Post, Warren's all beat up, an, an,-- {Beast}: And the others are out searching for the Brotherhood and Nate Grey, both potential targets for Apocalypse while I'm here playing stand-by. Got it? {Gambit}: Nope. {Beast}: Me neither. Too bad. Now what's this big thing you had to tell me? {Gambit}: Not important now. Probably woulda' forgot after that migrane anyhow. {Beast}: Ahh. Well, it's not like the big kahuna himself is gonna show up here so lets just sit back, relax, and-- {Apocalypse}: Wrong you are, McCoy, the "big kahuna" _is_ here! Prepare to feel the wrath of Apocalypse! {Beast}: Oh, dear. {Gambit}: Umm, garters and stuff. To Be Continued Next Wednesday Here On ACFF............ :)