"Give me some water!"
"Are you deaf?"
"Hey, you over there—the big guy. You might want to swap that helmet for a green one."
Pietro kept rambling nonstop. His hands were tied behind his back as he lounged casually in the corner. The only one nearby was the red-armored giant, Cain.
"Were you born that big, or is that your mutant power? I know another big guy—his brain doesn't work too well either. Is that a pattern with you big types? Oh, and I know a god too—he's even worse. Just goes 'uhh, uhh' all day…"
"Shut up!"
Cain finally snapped. He tore a strip from Pietro's clothes and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mmmph—mmph—!"
Pietro struggled, muffled protests spilling out incoherently.
At that moment, a purple portal opened.
Apocalypse stepped out, his expression calm yet imposing. His indifferent, ancient gaze swept over Pietro and Cain. An invisible pressure filled the space, forcing Pietro into silence.
Behind Apocalypse stood a man in a black suit, his face twisted with malice.
"Tied up like that? How pathetic."
It was none other than Sebastian Shaw. He looked down at Pietro with a cold, mocking smile, resentment burning in his eyes. His subordinate, Azazel, had been beaten senseless by this boy—and now he was nowhere to be found.
Riptide was dead. Azazel had vanished. Emma was in CIA custody.
Shaw was alone.
For now, he had no choice but to align himself with the man before him—the one who called himself the ancestor of all mutants.
He glanced at Apocalypse's back, unease flickering in his eyes. This man had healed his wounds effortlessly, even restoring his vitality. Along the way, he had demonstrated ability after ability.
Shaw had always believed mutants possessed only one power.
But this man…
He was something else entirely.
For now, Shaw chose not to resist. Following a powerful ally had its advantages. There would be time later to betray him—after he had gained what he wanted.
"Children," Apocalypse declared, raising his arms, his voice filled with zeal, "the age of mutants has finally arrived!"
…
Silence.
There were only three people present, and none of them showed any enthusiasm—no applause, no reverence.
Pietro stared at Apocalypse like he was insane, thinking, 'Where did this lunatic come from? Even more arrogant than Tony Stark.'
Apocalypse showed no annoyance. His gaze swept over them, then settled on Cain.
With a casual wave of his hand, a surge of energy flowed into Cain's body.
"AAAH!"
The moment the energy entered him, Cain screamed. The pain was indescribable—far beyond anything he had ever felt.
His muscles swelled violently, expanding at an unnatural rate. The density of his body increased to the point it seemed his bones might shatter under the pressure. Veins bulged, his skin turning purple as circulation struggled to keep up.
His entire body ballooned grotesquely, as though he might explode at any moment.
"RAAAAH!"
With a final roar, his clothes tore apart, shredded into pieces. When he stood, Pietro could finally see him clearly.
Cain now stood nearly two and a half meters tall. His muscles were monstrous, rivaling those of the Hulk. The sheer mass of his body hinted at unimaginable strength and durability.
"Hulk?!" Pietro's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
One gesture—and a man had been transformed into this?
What kind of power was this? Divine intervention?
Apocalypse seemed pleased with Pietro's reaction.
"Your turn, child."
A gentle wave of energy flowed toward Pietro. Bound and helpless, he could only endure it.
Pain surged through him—but alongside it came something else.
Power.
Pietro's eyes widened as the world around him slowed to a crawl. Insects hung motionless in the air, like frozen images in a paused film.
Everything had slowed.
Except him.
"I can escape!"
In the stretched flow of time, Pietro slipped free of his bindings and dashed toward the exit at blinding speed.
One second later—
He was back where he started.
His face darkened as he glared at Apocalypse.
The entire area had been sealed. Not a single gap remained—not even an ant could crawl out.
Apocalypse observed him calmly, a faint smile forming. It seemed the boy had realized escape was impossible.
Still… not enough.
Apocalypse began chanting in an ancient, guttural language.
The sound was unbearable.
Shaw and Pietro both dropped to their knees, clutching their heads. It felt as if something was crawling inside their skulls—biting, tearing. A high-pitched screech echoed in their minds, like metal scraping against glass.
It was agony beyond description.
Cain stood unaffected, but dark markings began to spread across his face—twisting, writhing like living serpents.
The same markings appeared on Pietro and Shaw, crawling across their skin, covering their faces like a cursed brand.
Apocalypse examined his work with satisfaction.
To ensure loyalty, he had fused his mutant abilities with fragments of dark magic, creating a binding curse. Anyone who betrayed him would suffer unbearable pain—until death claimed them.
"A gift from the heavens," he murmured, his eyes gleaming.
Since his resurrection, he had studied the strange black magic that had descended upon the world. Though he had only grasped fragments of it, even that was enough to elevate his power to new heights.
"Come," Apocalypse said, turning toward the portal. "We will find the final Horseman."
He stepped through first. Cain followed immediately.
Pietro and Shaw exchanged a glance, fear evident in both their eyes. After a brief hesitation, they followed.
…
Logan had been in a foul mood lately.
Not long ago, two young men had come to him, asking him to join their team.
He had laughed in their faces.
A bunch of kids thought they could fix the conflict between mutants and humans? He had spent decades fighting and hadn't managed it—what made them think they could?
Thinking back to Charles's earnest expression only made him more irritated. He drained a large glass of beer in one go.
"Kid, we need you."
A purple portal opened.
Apocalypse stepped through, his blue face expressionless. Behind him stood three figures.
"You wanna die?" Logan sneered, rising to his feet without hesitation.
Apocalypse smiled.
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