X-Men: Come the Apocalypse (pt. 8) Author: Nathan Summers Date: 1997/10/22 Forum: alt.comics.fan-fiction Somewhere between Chicago, Illinois and Westchester, New York, several thousand feet above sea level within the X-Men's SR 71 Blasckbird... {Apocalypse}: And what new information have you obtained? {Ever}: The Brotherhood are now in the care of the X-Men, as you predicted. Another party is out searching for Nate Grey. I suggest you find Ryking next. I will handle Gene Nation. What further information do you need? {Apocalypse}: Yes, that sounds like a feasible plan. You must slip away quickly so that no one notices you are gone and suspects our alliance. {Ever}: Understood. Ever out. The mini-screen on his wrist badge goes blank and Ever prepares to accomplish his aforementioned task. He closes his eyes and concentrates-- not on where he is now but being somewhere else. When next he opens his eyes, Ever is in the Morlock tunnels. Ever walks nonchalantly down the Alley, looking for any signs of life at every turn. He notices a light off to his left. Ever wagers that the others will be there. He has important news to bring to his former teammates. {Ever}: Vessel! Sack! Hemingway! It is good that I have found you. I bring good news. {Sack}: Ever, you traitor! Gene Nation are supposed to look out for each other. You abondoned us! {Ever}: No, you don't understand. I'm under the employment of a man of great power. He is called Apocalypse. And he wants _you_ three as well. {Hemingway}: Herrrr... I do not understand. {Ever}: Apocalypse has this team he's forming called the Hounds. He wants the roster to consist of former members of Gene Nation. I accepted. {Vessel}: Last I heard, you was runnin around with that Havok guy! {Ever}: Last I heard, _you_ all were locked up in the Vault! {Sack}: We are very... resourceful {Ever}: You killed the guards didn't you? {Sack}: Yesss! {Ever}: Apocalypse likes that. Culling of the weak. He wouldn't have choosen us if we weren't unique. We are powerful! We are fit! Don't you think it would be a waste to just live reclusive, killing only a few occasional humans? {Sack}: Ah, but we have a massacre on that one particular-- {Ever}: Guess what? No one cares! On one day of the entire year, our powers are put to good use. We deserve more. There is only room for the fit to survive in this world. And we are among them. {Vessel}: He-- he is right... I agree to serve this "Apocalypse" being. {Sack}: I must look out for my friends. Unlike you, Ever. I will go too. {Hemingway}: I must go as well. We cannot have a one-member Gene Nation. This is best. {Ever}: Good. Apocalypse will be here to pick you up within the next twenty-four hours. Be ready. {Sack}: Wait! How will he find us? {Ever}: He will. That is all you need to know. Redish-purple psionic energy builds and eluminates every groove, every crack, every crevice, every gap in Ever's body. It finally explodes into tendrils around him, swallowing him up, smothering him. Once Ever's entire body is covered, the energy begins to shrink, or collapse. With a flicker, it disappears completely and the process is repeated in reverse until Ever is re-formed on the Blackbird. {Ever}: Blast! That took longder than I had hoped. With any luck, the others will not have noticed my absence. Now we that I have that wieght off my shoulders, I can relax. The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning... {Gambit}: What was that you been sayin 'bout the "big kahuna" not showin up!?! He spits the words out like he does his cigarette, While leaping to avoid an energy blast. It was barely five minutes ago that Hank McCoy was briefing Remy LeBeau on the previous days' events when Apocalypse himself showed up there. {Beast}: Shut up and duck, cagun! {Gambit}: Yeah, sure. Lemme just pack dis deck down his throat! Gambit pulls four cards from his deck and charges them with kinetic energy. He crouches down, avoiding another blast and hurls them. The cards explode all around Apocalypse, most missing him. , , , {Apocalypse}: Bahh! You truly don't realize the futility of your attacks! Apocalypse morphs his left hand into a trident which he means to skewer them with. He flings his hand forward, ripping up the floor. Gambit rolls out of the way, barely in time and Beast leaps off to the side. There is enough momentum to carry him towards Apocalypse and lay a drop-kick on him. Apocalypse jerks his head back from the force of the blow, but nothing else. Before landing, he smacks Beast away as if he were an insect. {Beast}: OOOOFFFFF!!! {Gambit}: Hank! Oh crap. Now I gotta do dis myself. He rushes at Apocalypse and pulls out his retracted bo-staff from his inner coat pocket half-way there. Gambit extends the staff, twirls it around, and slams it into the ground only inches in front of Apocalypse. He pole-vaults, flying straight into his target. Before contact, Remy charges the staff with kinetic energy and smashes it down on Apocalyspe's head. His timing couldn't have been better. The staff explodes, taking Remy out with it. His last thought before blacking out... {Gambit}: ... Hope I got that sonuvabitch***** {Apocalypse}: Not by a longshot, Mr. Lebeau. Ehh? Apocalyspe turns his attention to Beast, now ten feet higher. He's clinging to the wall as if it were the floor. Beast leaps to the the corresponding wall, then down on Apocalypse's back before he can turn around. Apocalypse doubles over on his knees, surprised by Beast's mass. Quite aware of Apocalypse's abilities, Beast leaps off before he can counter-attack. {Beast}: Okay Poccy, let's see what you can dish out! {Apocalypse}: Gladly! Within a split-second, his hand is a battering-ram which slams into Beast carrying him into the wall. Moments later, it's morphed into a mace, about crush the life out of Beast, who is totally helpless. Just then, Domino leaps in, from out of nowhere, spraying explosive plasma bursts from her energy blaster. Lucky her. Every blast fired explodes against Apocalypse. Stunned, Apocalypse shakes off the blasts, ready to take her down. Domino never gives him the chance. He raises his fist, about to blast her, when a barrage of shurikens has his hand pinned to the wall. He could easily free himself, but Domino is already on him. He adjusts the frequency on her weapon and blows Apocalypse through the wall with one continous blast. {Domino}: Okay, boys up and at 'em, I don't know how long that'll keep him down. {Beast}: Don't bother with Remy, he's out cold. I'm still working at 80% though. {Domino}: Good enough. Let's get to it! Beast bounds over on all fours to where Apocalypse was taken down. Within moments, he is dangling over the ground with Apocalypse's hands around his neck. {Beast}: n-no l-leverage... barely... breathing... {Apocalypse}: It is not my intention to kill you, McCoy. If so, you'd already be dead. {Beast}: t-then w-w-what is... your... i-intention.... Beast is hurled away, not receiving an answer, head-first into a computer monitor on the back wall. He is, unfortunately, still conscious. {Beast}: Ow... Isn't this the part where I collapse? {Apocalypse}: Now for you! The spray of energy blasts is released at Domino. She barely avoids them, but Apocalypse was ready with more. {Domino}: Shit... I'm really skrewed... She would've been if Apocalypse hadn't vanished. Piece-by-piece he disappeared, as if being eaten by some invisible force. Or like some Danger Room hologram. Archangel's face appears on a computer monitor moments later. {Domino}: Okay, what was that crap!?! {Archangel}: Some kind of Danger Room malfunction. I heard the ruckus in my room and then noticed that the Danger Room was active-- with no one inside! I investigated and discovered what had happened. Sorry it took so long to shut it down. {Beast}: So our own Danger Room is projecting lethal holograms into the War Room? I'd better have a look at this. And you should be recovering! You're in no condition to be in the Danger Room. Suppose there's another malfunction. {Archangel}: That's okay, you can save the, "Gee, thanks for saving our asses Warren" for another time. {Beast}: Well if you're going to be modest-- {Archangel}: Outside the Shi'ar galaxy... {Deathbird}: Blast you Bishop, Its been too long! Where are you? Curses... now I have to go after you. Where's that other pressure suit? As Deathbird prepares to seal her suit with the helmet, she starts having many thoughts. {Deathbird}: What if that thing that grabbed Bishop gets me too?!? What if he's hurt?!? What if he's dead?!? What if we never get out of that thing?!? What if-- enough! I'd smack myself if it weren't for this helmet. Alright Bishop, I'm coming to save your stubborn hide. Egypt... {Cyclops}: oh my lord... {Psylocke}: Scott, mind link!... {Cyclops}: {Psylocke}: {Cyclops}: {Cyclops}: Wha-- Friend Cyclops? How-- {Cyclops}: Psylocke and I were taken prisoner. We escaped. I'm here to free you. And then we're getting out of this place. C'mon. We'll have to move quickly. {Caliaban}: Caliban understands. Once outside the cell, Cyclops quickly examines Caliban to make sure he isn't injured. {Cyclops}: Nothing serious, but-- no. {Caliban}: What is wrong? {Cyclops}: An inhibitor collar. You've got an inhibitor collar on. It blocks out mutant powers. {Caliban}: No powers? {Cyclops}: No. I can't risk removing it. It could have some fail-safe and explode and electrocute you or something. {Caliban}: What we do? {Cyclops}: Well I-- wait! Someone's coming. {Psylocke}: Guys! I could use some help from Caliban now and-- {Cyclops}: Oh, whew. It's just you. Caliban has an inhibitor collar on. We're history. {Psylocke}: Ssshhh! I see a light up ahead... it's Ozymandias. I've got an idea. {Cyclops}: Do tell. {Psylocke}: Go down there and hold off Pestilence for just a minute. I'll handle Ozymandias. And kill two birds with one stone. {Cyclops}: What-- {Psylocke}: Just do it! As they race off, Psylocke leaps on top of the cell door and waits for Ozymandias to approach. It doesn't take long. {Ozymandias}: I know someone's in here. I can hear your thoughts. Come out and-- ArWrOgG**** {Psylocke}: If I hadn't acted so quickly, he definitely would've found me. That was pure luck. Psychic knife should keep him out for a while. I'll just make off with his keys and-- Cyclops came hurling by her like a rocket, almost hitting her. He was still perfectly conscious though. {Cyclops}: Caliban! We have to help Caliban! {Psylocke}: Hopefully these keys will unlock his collar. {Cyclops}: Good. Come on! It doesn't take them long to reach Pestilence and Caliban. Pestilence suddenly grabs Psylocke and hurls her aside. Cyclops checks on her and lesions appear all over her body. {Cyclops}: You've infected her with some plague! Caliban kneels down to see what the commotion is and Cyclops jams the right key into his collar. There were only five of them, but it was still a miracle. The collar unlocks and Caliban removes it. His eyes suddenly go from yellow to red. {Caliban}: RAAAHHH!!! You hurt Caliban's friend! Now I will kill you! Like a wild animal, Caliban leaps at Pestilence, knocking him to the ground. He then slams him into the wall and slashes his face, savagely. Finally, despite his incredible weight, Caliban lifts the creature over his head and hurls him into the wall. Pestilence doesn't move again. {Caliban}: We can go now. {Cyclops}: Err... right. I'll carry her. Move out! To Be Continued Next Wednesday right here...