Apocalypse

"Aaargh!!"

With a piercing psychic scream, Charles's voice abruptly cut off in everyone's minds.

The telepathic link had been severed.

"Apocalypse... does that mean the guy in front of us?" Richter asked quietly.

"That should be it..." Miles bit his lip. "Damn it... that shouldn't be possible. Why is this guy still alive?!"

The next moment, the towering figure known as Apocalypse slowly raised a hand toward them.

Almost at the same time, Madeleine seemed to sense something and was about to turn around when she suddenly let out a muffled groan. She clutched her temples as blood streamed from her nose, her eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness.

Having just gone through the battle against the Demon Bear, she had no time to react to this sudden change, much less resist Apocalypse's psychic invasion.

Then, Madeleine's body was seized by an invisible telekinetic force and slowly lifted into the air, drifting toward Apocalypse.

"A new vessel for the Phoenix Force... You really did create something extraordinary, Stasis..."

Apocalypse muttered soundlessly.

"Madeleine!"

Seeing Madeleine attacked, Miles cried out in alarm. Then he pressed a hand against the side of his head and launched his attack without hesitation!

In the darkness, the sniper drone turned its barrel. Blazing muzzle flash erupted in the night! With a deafening bang, the sniper round tore through the air with a shriek, racing straight for Apocalypse's head!

But Apocalypse did not turn around.

He merely lifted his other hand casually. The bullet, powerful enough to shred an ordinary human body, struck a viscous telekinetic field. Its speed plummeted before it finally stopped in front of him, humming furiously yet unable to advance another inch.

Then his fingers moved slightly.

The sniper round turned around and shot back toward Miles at a speed even faster than before!

In that split second, a petite figure lunged in front of Miles like lightning. Two steel claws sprang out, carving two lethal streaks of cold light through the night.

"Clang!!"

A piercing metallic crash rang out as sparks scattered everywhere. The bullet, precisely split in half, flew past Miles's cheeks, and the scorching air left two distinct burn marks on his face.

It was Laura.

She did not even have time to look at Miles. She simply lowered her body on instinct like a poised cheetah, staring intently at the distant enemy.

"Dani! Madeleine!"

Cannonball Sam saw his companions captured and his comrades in danger. He let out a roar laced with fury. Without hesitation, he kicked off the ground with both legs, turning himself into a golden cannonball once more as he slammed toward Apocalypse without a trace of fear!

This time, however, he hit a wall.

"Boom!"

A heavy impact that made hearts tremble spread through the air. The invisible Telekinetic Barrier before Apocalypse did not even ripple as it absorbed all of Sam's violent momentum and erased it without a trace.

Then Apocalypse stretched out a hand indifferently and pressed down at Sam through the air.

"Boom!"

The golden energy field around Sam instantly collapsed. With a blank expression, he was smashed from midair into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Attack!"

It no longer mattered who had shouted it.

The instant Sam was defeated, everyone remaining reached a silent understanding.

Miles gritted his teeth and activated his psychic power. Yet the moment he tried to sense Apocalypse's mind, a sharp agony struck his head as if it had been smashed by a sledgehammer. His body shuddered, and he fell to the ground.

This Apocalypse possessed psychic powers too, and they were far stronger than Charles's!

"Ah!"

Silverlight surged in Delia's eyes. She thrust both hands forward, turning invisible telekinesis into crushing pressure that tried to grind Apocalypse and the ground beneath his feet into pieces!

Yet no matter how hard she tried, the figure before her remained utterly motionless, as though he had not been affected in the slightest. Then Apocalypse casually waved a hand and sent Delia flying.

"Uargh!" Bobby roared, brilliant blue arcs bursting from his body. A thick whip of lightning tore through the night sky and lashed down at Apocalypse! At the same time, Ice Woman Mona used all her strength, releasing a torrent of frost from her hands toward Apocalypse!

Yet Apocalypse merely raised a hand. A transparent Telekinetic Barrier spread open, blocking both the lightning whip and the freezing air!

"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."

The weeds on the ground writhed madly. Ivy Rebecca manipulated the plants across the ground, sending them surging toward Apocalypse's body to bind him!

But in the next instant, faced with Apocalypse's violent and terrifying telekinesis, those fragile plants exploded all at once!

"Ugh!" Rebecca groaned and collapsed to the ground.

"Ahh!"

Richter pressed both hands to the ground. Clods of earth bulged upward and crushed toward Apocalypse. At the same time, Charlotte sent her spirit out of her body and rushed at Apocalypse, trying to pass through the barrier and attack his mind directly!

Against Apocalypse, everyone gave it everything they had!

But it was useless.

A Telekinetic Storm descended. The earth rumbled, and dust and sand surged wildly!

Richter only felt as though an invisible sledgehammer had slammed into him. His entire body was sent flying.

Gideon and Jonah were forced back before they even had a chance to get close!

At the same time, Charlotte's spirit had barely approached Apocalypse when he suddenly looked directly at her!

"Aaaahhh!!"

The next moment, Charlotte's spirit let out a scream and instinctively fled back into her body. She clutched her head and curled up on the ground in agony.

Their attacks could not even get within a single meter of Apocalypse!

There was no sound, no explosion, not even the slightest ripple of energy. Within the surging Telekinetic Storm, thunder dispersed, frost shattered, and stone spikes crumbled into powder.

"What kind of monster is this guy..."

Bobby, exhausted beyond measure, dropped onto the ground, staring at the terrifying being before him in horror.

Apocalypse had no interest in answering Bobby's question. With a casual gesture, Sam, unconscious in the crater Apocalypse had smashed him into, was seized by an invisible force and pulled out to join Dani and Madeleine, who were already floating in the air.

He waved his hand again. Space beside him cracked apart like shattered glass, revealing deep, twisted darkness behind it. Then he casually tossed all three of them inside.

The spatial gate shut instantly, and the three of them vanished completely.

After doing all that, Apocalypse did not seem eager to leave. He slowly turned back around and examined Miles, Laura, Bobby, and the others with those cold, pure eyes.

There was no killing intent in that gaze, nor was there anger. There was only the appreciation one might have for unusual objects.

Seeing this, Miles clutched his aching head as a realization surfaced in his heart—this Apocalypse did not intend to kill them. He intended to take everyone away!

Meanwhile, beneath the other side of the academy, a Flying Dragon S equipped with a Reaper electromagnetic sniper rifle silently flew out through a ventilation opening and disappeared into the deep night.

"Miles, can you hear me?"

Just then, Charles's weak voice sounded in Miles's mind again.

"I'm heading to the Mind Control Room... I need the Brainwave Amplifier to fight him..."

"This Apocalypse... his use of psychic power is far more skilled than the one I encountered before. He's blocking my perception... How are you doing?"

"Dani, Madeleine, and Sam have been captured! Charles, his goal is to capture people!" Miles replied quickly in a low voice. "His telekinesis is terrifying, but he doesn't seem to have shown the ability of Molecular Manipulation yet... Ngh!!"

Before he finished speaking, Miles suddenly felt weightless as the ground beneath his feet rapidly fell away. An irresistible force seized him out of thin air and slowly dragged him toward Apocalypse.

"Damn it!" Richter, who had just gotten back to his feet, roared and stomped both feet down, trying to trigger a violent tremor. But just as the ground rippled slightly, mountain-like pressure crashed down from above and pinned him to the ground so firmly that he could not move even a finger.

But Apocalypse reacted even faster!

He suddenly reached out and froze the lunging Laura in midair, leaving her unable to move.

"Grrr..." Laura gritted her teeth and growled, but no matter how much strength she used, she could not break free.

Apocalypse glanced at her and muttered, "Tch. A copy of Wolverine? A worthless specimen..."

As he spoke, he slowly began to close the hand holding Laura.

"Crack... crack, crack..."

Laura let out a pained groan. Every bone in her body gave a tortured creak under the crushing pressure of invisible telekinesis! Unlike Logan, only the claws in her hands and feet were infused with Adamantium. The rest of her skeleton was still normal.

"Fuck!"

Miles cursed under his breath. While being choked in midair by Apocalypse, he focused with all his strength on controlling the Flying Dragon S hidden in the distant darkness, gradually locking its sights onto Apocalypse's temple!

Adamantium round loaded...

Charging began...

Yet at that very instant, Apocalypse seemed to sense something and abruptly turned his head!

His gaze did not deviate in the slightest. It pierced through hundreds of meters of darkness and camouflage, locking precisely onto the corner where the Flying Dragon S was hidden!

Then he stretched out his hand, fingers spread, ready to crush the cloaked drone in midair!

[Not good!]

Miles hurriedly stopped the drone's charge and sent it fleeing!

"Kara!"

The next moment, invisible telekinesis formed into a giant hand that grabbed downward, barely missing the retreating drone!

"Hm?"

Apocalypse snorted coldly. Seemingly sensing something, he gave Miles a meaningful extra glance before reaching toward the drone again.

He could sense it... That drone was dangerous. It could not be allowed to remain...

"Roar—!!!"

A savage roar, utterly inhuman, suddenly came from the side! Amid flying dust, Logan burst out like a wild beast, carrying unstoppable savagery as he slammed hard into Apocalypse's extended arm!

With Logan's attack, the telekinesis holding Miles stopped abruptly.

The restraint around Miles loosened. Losing support, he crashed heavily onto the ground. The impact made his chest seize up, and he began coughing violently.

"Cough, cough..." Miles wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes still fixed firmly on Apocalypse's figure.

This guy's senses were terrifyingly sharp!

"Hah!!"

Logan had clearly entered full combat mode. His eyes were bloodshot, his arm muscles bulging as he wrapped Apocalypse in a death grip like a crazed bear. The next moment, the three metal claws on each hand shot out with a sharp shing, tearing madly at Apocalypse's chest and abdomen without hesitation!

The screech of metal scraping against flesh echoed through the night, throwing off a series of brilliant sparks. Adamantium claws carved deep, bone-revealing wounds across that body, exposing the inhuman tissue structure beneath.

Yet Apocalypse merely gritted his teeth and casually waved a hand at Logan again.

The next instant, an irresistible force flung Logan away, smashing him heavily into a distant wall with a dull crash.

Apocalypse straightened up again. The flesh torn apart by Logan's steel claws wriggled and fused together in an eerie fashion. Within two or three seconds, he had fully recovered without even a scar remaining.

"Fuck..." Logan staggered out from the pile of rubble and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. He glared fiercely at the uninjured monster. "What the hell is this thing now?"

Apocalypse completely ignored the insignificant insect in his eyes. He raised his hand again and casually grabbed through the air. Rebecca, Charlotte, and Gideon, standing not far away, were instantly seized by invisible force and lifted off the ground. No matter how they struggled, it was useless.

Another spatial gate tore open beside Apocalypse, revealing chaotic darkness within. Without even looking, he threw the three of them inside.

After doing that, those cold eyes turned once more toward Miles, who had just climbed back to his feet.

[Am I the target this time?]

Miles's gaze darkened.

But just as Apocalypse was about to release telekinesis again, his body suddenly stiffened without warning. For the first time, twisted pain appeared on his cold face!

At the same time, Charles's voice rang out in Miles's mind.

"Miles!!"

It was Charles! He had put on the Brainwave Amplifier!

Now!

Miles gritted his teeth and used his psychic power to control the nearby Flying Dragon S drone, aiming it at Apocalypse's head.

"Aaargh!!"

At the same time, Logan roared and charged forward. His claws plunged into Apocalypse's shoulders, pinning him in place. Veins bulged on Logan's arms as he used all his strength, trying to rip Apocalypse's head right off!

"Ugh..." Apocalypse groaned. His vicious gaze locked onto Logan as he stiffly raised a hand and shoved him away, tearing a large mass of flesh from his own body along with him.

At the same time, inside the Mind Control Room, Charles's entire body trembled. While controlling Apocalypse's mind, he could also feel the pain Apocalypse suffered from the attacks. Yet he gritted his teeth and endured it, shouting, "Miles! Fire!!"

The energy indicator on the Reaper electromagnetic sniper rifle instantly shifted from blue to blinding crimson, reaching its critical point. The high-frequency whine of capacitors charging became a sharp buzz before the weapon suddenly fired!

At the same time, Apocalypse turned to look, but under Charles's control, his reaction was a beat too slow.

"Bang—!!"

The next second, a 10-millimeter Adamantium projectile was propelled by immense Electromagnetic Force and blasted out of the barrel at a horrifying speed approaching Mach Eight!

The tremendous recoil hurled the entire drone more than ten meters backward!

There was no deafening boom, only an utterly muffled explosive crack.

"Pfft!"

A burst of white light mixed with flesh and energy erupted from Apocalypse's head. Huge chunks of skin and flesh were instantly vaporized by the devastating kinetic force, while even the surrounding air warped violently!

The instant the projectile struck, Apocalypse staggered hard, his entire body shaking as he nearly collapsed to the ground.

At the same time, in the underground Brainwave Control Room, Charles let out a pained groan as he felt the agony of having his head blown apart by the projectile. Yet even so, he still forced himself to maintain consciousness!

He knew that now was not the time for him to fall!

"Did it work?"

Miles muttered softly, only to see Apocalypse, half of whose head had been blown apart, raise his hand again!

"He's not dead!!" Charles cried out in Miles's mind!

Apocalypse stood up again. He swayed slightly, then clenched the Flying Dragon S drone in invisible telekinesis and crushed it completely!

"Crack!!"

Then he seized Logan, who was lunging at him again, and violently threw him away!

At the same time, the gruesome wound on his head was healing at an incredible speed!

Miles and Logan both widened their eyes at the sight. This Apocalypse's regeneration had no weakness in the head!

"Stop!!"

Charles's face twisted as he roared in a low voice. He pushed his psychic power to its limit, trying to control Apocalypse's movements, but the badly wounded Apocalypse endured it and slowly stretched a stiff hand toward Miles!

Even under the Mind Control of an amplified Charles, Apocalypse could still keep moving. The strength of his will was terrifying beyond belief!

Faced with Apocalypse's telekinetic restraint, Miles was helplessly seized and thrown into the reopened spatial gate.

[No, it can't end like this...]

[At least I have to find a way to leave something behind...]

"Ugh..." Miles watched helplessly as he flew ever closer to the pitch-black spatial gate. His face twisted as he used every last ounce of strength to pull a small object from his body.

A Spider robot.

The next moment, Miles was thrown into the portal and vanished.

Yet immediately afterward, a spider drone no bigger than a palm was tossed back through the portal by Miles on the other side, landing on the ground.

"Crack!"

The moment the Spider Robot hit the ground, Apocalypse crushed it beneath his foot.

"Boom!!"

The Spider Robot beneath Apocalypse's foot exploded, but the force of the blast was pressed into the ground by his sole, producing only a muffled thud.

After doing all that, Apocalypse, with a chunk missing from his head, staggered into the spatial portal.

With a flicker of light and shadow, the portal vanished.

"...Fuck!"

Logan, who had rushed back in haste, looked over the battlefield's devastation and slammed his fist viciously into the nearby wall.

In that sudden battle, Miles, Madeleine, Dani, Sam, Rebecca, Charlotte, and Gideon had all been taken away... The X-Men's new generation had lost nearly half its strength!

"Charles... what the hell happened?!" Logan demanded of Charles in his mind.

"It was Apocalypse..." Charles muttered. "But how is that possible... I watched Jean's Phoenix Force vaporize him into ash with my own eyes. There can't possibly be a second Apocalypse in this world!"

"Shit, forget whether it's possible or not!" Logan said hoarsely. "Use that helmet of yours and find out where Miles and the others are!"

"Give me some time..." Charles pulled himself together, activated the Brainwave Amplifier once more, and began searching the entire globe for the others.

Yet several minutes passed without result. With the Brainwave Amplifier on, Charles could search the minds and memories of every human on the planet in a short time, but he simply could not find where Miles and the others had been taken!

It was as if they had vanished completely from this world.

Just then, Aurora's steady voice suddenly rang out through the institute's broadcast system.

"Mr. Charles, I found them!"

"When the enemy closed the spatial portal just now, I intercepted an electronic message Miles sent through the Spider Robot!"

The "Spider" robot had originally been designed for infiltration and intelligence gathering. It could record many kinds of information and possessed a special signal frequency known only to Miles and Aurora.

Although it had been crushed by Apocalypse the instant it was thrown out, that was enough for a super AI like Aurora to capture the electronic signal Miles had sent.

"Essex Corporation!"

The instant they heard that name, Charles and Logan both fell silent.

Charles sighed inwardly. He already knew where Miles and the others were.

They were in Essex Corporation's underground sector, within that Psychic Shielding Zone that could not be probed with psychic power!

That was why he could not locate Miles and the others even after searching the entire world.

At the same time, it meant that the Apocalypse from earlier was connected to Essex Corporation!

In other words... Essex Corporation's true secret was actually...

"Artificial Apocalypse!!"

No wonder a government agency like ATHENA had taken them so seriously.

Having understood everything, Charles slowly removed the Brainwave Amplifier and began considering what to do next.

Miles and the others needed rescuing... but the problem was that they simply did not have enough strength.

The existence of the Psychic Shielding Zone meant Charles's abilities could provide no support whatsoever. With Logan and the few remaining children alone, they had no chance against that terrifying Apocalypse and the mysterious Essex Corporation!

And then there was ATHENA, whose stance remained unclear...

Without a doubt, Xavier Institute had been forced into an unprecedentedly passive position.

"..."

Charles closed his eyes. Only after spending several minutes weighing every possibility in his mind did he slowly open them again.

Perhaps it was time.

Charles took a deep breath and asked Aurora through the communicator in an incomparably grave tone:

"Aurora, tell me... where is Erik?"