"Looks like a puppy," Renzo said lightly.
Faint facial features rippled across his pitch-black form, as if a rough concrete surface had begun to boil—bubbles rising and bursting across it.
The black plasma continued to devour Shaw's body, releasing a harsh, sizzling sound. Shaw wailed in agony. A slender, inky tendril pierced into his chest, burrowing toward his heart and draining his energy to fill the emptiness of the Black Lantern Ring.
"Ahhh!"
Blood poured from Shaw's chest. Just as Renzo prepared to finish him—
A violet portal opened silently behind him.
'Abnormal spatial fluctuations detected.'
Warnings flashed through Renzo's mind. Something—or someone—was arriving.
"What is that?!" Raven stared at the portal, stunned. Spatial abilities were rare enough—yet they kept appearing one after another.
Pietro had already been moved to safety by Sean and Darwin, guarded tightly by layers of soldiers. Hank had contacted Charles and Eric, who were rushing back as fast as possible… though realistically, that meant sometime the next morning.
"My… children…"
A figure stepped out from the portal.
His blue face was marked with dark lines, his body draped in black robes. He raised a hand slightly—and in an instant, the soldiers' weapons twisted into useless scrap metal.
Then he lowered his hand.
The ground itself contorted.
Every soldier was crushed into the earth, their bodies twisted and buried, only fragments—hands, feet—left exposed above the surface. They didn't even have time to scream before they died, their remains reduced to nothing more than nourishment for the soil.
"Magnificent…"
The man's hoarse, grating voice echoed from beneath his robes. His gaze shifted to Shaw, still trapped in Renzo's grasp, then to Pietro behind the defensive line.
"An unexpected bonus…"
He slowly lifted his hood, revealing his full face.
"Apocalypse."
Renzo's mind, which had been as still as dead water, suddenly stirred. The moment he saw Apocalypse, his thoughts snapped back into clarity—his emotions, his reason, all returning at once.
And because of that—
He lost control of the Black Lantern power.
The darkness receded like a withdrawing tide, retreating into the ring. Shaw fell free, barely clinging to life as he collapsed to the ground.
Renzo's body returned to its normal, multicolored state. His eyes locked onto Apocalypse as he stepped forward cautiously.
"Don't worry," Apocalypse said calmly. "I'm only here to borrow a few people…"
Strange black runes spread across his face—remnants of lost dark magic that had somehow reached this world, drawn to the immense power of the long-dormant Apocalypse, ultimately awakening him.
So that was it.
The timeline had diverged because Apocalypse had returned—more than twenty years earlier than expected. It seemed he had already begun quietly gathering strength.
"I need that child," Apocalypse said, pointing toward Sebastian Shaw, who lay gravely wounded.
"Child…" Renzo murmured. For a being who had lived thousands of years, everyone here must seem like children.
"And that one…" Apocalypse's finger shifted toward Pietro. A speedster like him would be a valuable asset—one of the strongest mutants in this era.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that."
Renzo moved without hesitation, launching himself at Apocalypse.
His abilities were diverse and powerful—but Apocalypse was on the level of a master sorcerer. Against such an opponent, even a physically durable fighter could be overwhelmed in close combat.
Apocalypse casually conjured two fireballs and hurled them forward. They struck Renzo but left no mark. In the next moment, Renzo seized Apocalypse by the shoulders and sent him flying.
"Impressive," Apocalypse rasped.
With a flick of his fingers, thick vines erupted from the concrete floor, coiling around Renzo's legs, trying to drag him underground.
Renzo instantly activated intangibility. The vine-like tendrils passed harmlessly through him—but in doing so, he lost the chance to maintain his grip.
"I will take the child."
A portal opened behind Apocalypse once more. With a faint, sinister smile, he stepped backward into it.
"Pietro?!"
Renzo didn't understand. What did he mean by "take the child"? They were all still—
"ROAR!"
A deafening roar erupted from behind him—from the compound where the mutant youths were gathered.
A massive figure in red armor and a steel helmet burst through the wall, charging forward with unstoppable force. Each step shook the ground as he barreled toward Renzo.
Boom!
The impact sent Renzo flying.
He landed hard—but suffered no real damage. Even the strongest man alive couldn't harm vibranium.
Still, the attack had delayed him.
By the time Renzo stood again, the red-armored giant was gone—leaving only rubble, shattered stone, and bloodstains behind.
"Pietro…" Renzo rushed back, panic rising as he checked on the others.
Most of the children lay on the ground, clutching their injuries and crying out in pain.
"What happened?" he demanded.
Raven was the only one still conscious. She looked shaken to the core. Hank lay in her arms, his face bloodied, one arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
Alex, Sean, Darwin, Salvador… all of them were down.
Only Pietro was missing.
And Shaw—his fate unknown.
"Apocalypse… the Juggernaut…" Renzo muttered, taking in the devastation.
He didn't pursue the enemy. Instead, he called for medical help. The priority now was saving the injured.
Apocalypse sought followers. He hadn't yet gathered his Four Horsemen. Pietro would likely be kept alive… for now.
Renzo could only hope the reckless kid would be smart enough not to provoke him.
The next morning—
Charles and Eric rushed back.
They were met with ruins.
Investigators moved through the wreckage. Blood stained the ground. Bodies and severed limbs lay scattered across the site.
Eric rubbed his eyes, disbelief written across his face. "Charles… this isn't funny."
He thought it was an illusion.
"I swear, I had nothing to do with this," Charles said.
As he watched the bodies being carried away, he dropped to his knees, gripping broken concrete until his hands bled—yet he felt nothing but anger.
Endless anger.
"Rest in peace," he said quietly. "I will avenge you."
Through his telepathy, he felt the victims' final fear… saw fragments of their last moments… and understood exactly what had happened.
"Who's that kid?" Eric asked suddenly, noticing Renzo sitting beside Raven, quietly comforting her.
"I remember him," Eric continued, his voice sharpening. "He was with Shaw."
Magnetic force surged from his hands. Renzo felt an invisible pull dragging him forward.
"Eric…" Renzo said helplessly, facing the volatile man. If possible, he wanted to avoid this confrontation entirely.
His body was made of vibranium—metal Eric could control at will. Against him, Renzo was at a severe disadvantage.
"Wait, Eric. He's not an enemy."
Charles intervened just in time. Forcing a strained smile, he added, "No matter what… thank you for protecting them."
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