On an unnamed island in the Arctic Circle, dozens of Frost Guards stationed at Wolf Tower Prison stood in solemn formation atop the ancient, unmoving ice cap.
Aside from the personnel who had to remain underground to maintain basic supervision, this was the first time the world's only super-prison had deployed in full force to face an unknown enemy.
"Master, in the realm of the extraordinary, they are called Frost Guards. That iron-armed man should be Barnes, the 'Gatekeeper of Hades.'"
Caliban, the Knight of "Pestilence," stood attentively at Apocalypse's side and spoke softly. Apocalypse sensed pure, blazing life energy flowing through the ordinary human before him, as well as the specialized firearms carried by the guards, gleaming with an icy blue radiance.
The corners of his gray-blue lips pulled deeply downward. His brows and eyes lowered, his face cold to the extreme.
"Hah, 'Hades'? This world needs to be purged—completely purged! All the weapons created by mortals, and all those who steal power in an attempt to 'blaspheme the gods'—all of them must be purged!"
Bucky's ears twitched. He heard every word of their conversation. Suppressing his deep doubts about the mutant leader, he made a decision and suddenly stomped his foot.
Boom!
Receiving the signal, the Frost Guards leveled more than thirty high-spec energy rifles powered by Tesseract energy-extraction modules and forged with Vibranium, unleashing a simultaneous barrage at the three figures ahead.
No questions. No probing. Full firepower!
"Insolence!"
Rasputin, the Knight of "War," shrieked as she raised both arms, creating invisible fields of distorted space around the three of them. The icy-blue torrents of energy blasting toward them like cascading waterfalls were twisted away and redirected into the sky.
Boom!
Dozens of energy shockwaves scattered the thick leaden clouds blanketing the island. The brilliant sunlight of