"Ahem, Erik, calm down. We're not young anymore." Charles coughed softly, and Magneto hurriedly let go of his friend in the wheelchair.
"Sorry, Charles. I just saw a new god rise among Mutants. I got carried away."
"A new god." A bitter smile touched Charles's lips.
The celebrations on Krakoa lasted a day and a night.
Early the next morning, Apocalypse withdrew the Spatial Dimension shrouding Krakoa. Before the mist over the sea had cleared, he left alone.
Apocalypse did not inspect Krakoa's newly built Border Outposts or visit the fellow Mutants who were gradually settling into life there.
He passed through layer after layer of Mutant Ability barriers on Krakoa's Main Island and finally stopped at a small stretch of Rocky Shore on its northern tip, so quiet it felt cut off from the world.
At its center stood a lone black reef, with someone sitting on it.
Russell sat facing the boundless blue Ocean. Morning light scattered across the water in a broken ribbon of gold.
He heard footsteps behind him but did not turn. His attention was focused entirely within the Divine Kingdom.
Simply keeping the ancient god Oblivion sealed away would be a waste. He needed to put him to good use.
Apocalypse stopped three paces behind him. After a long silence, facing Russell's back, he found his throat strangely dry.
"Lord Russell..."
Russell turned his head slightly, drawing his gaze from the sea. A glance told Apocalypse to speak if he had something to say.
Apocalypse took a deep breath. His gaze followed Russell's to the gold-flecked water ahead. When he spoke, his voice was steady, his conviction clearly born of long thought.
"I want to reveal Krakoa to the world."
"For thousands of years, Mutants have hidden in the shadows and the cracks of