Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 292: Ch.291 Targeted

Chapter 292: Ch.291 Targeted

Su Ming had already guessed where Kang the Conqueror might be hiding. It was most likely Berlin. With Kang's arrogance and hubris, he would never settle for being second to anyone. He had probably used some means to disguise himself as "the Little Mustache."

In the guise of an ordinary human, he commanded Germany's war machines, waging campaigns across the East and West.

Once the world was unified, he would dramatically reveal his true identity, announcing himself as Kang the Conqueror, a god descended to Earth. Who would dare oppose him then?

Anyone who could resist would have already perished in war, or been strategically eliminated by him, leaving only those who would obey without question.

After sharing this information and his deductions with the team, the mutants didn't show any particular reactions. They merely exchanged glances, waiting for Su Ming's command.

Perhaps they had already guessed it: facing Kang the Conqueror, the only viable strategy was a decapitation strike—to eliminate him directly.

Kang's powers were hard to categorize, but overall, he resembled a version of Iron Man with mastery over time.

He wasn't exceptionally intelligent nor a superpowered being in the traditional sense, but as a man from the future, he wielded knowledge that often allowed him to outsmart many heroes.

He possessed a set of highly advanced armor, even by the standards of a thousand years into the future, as well as an arsenal of futuristic weapons, including a time-rifle that could drain others' time, a teleportation device for seamless time travel, and a variety of peculiar gadgets, many of which were unheard of.

"Are you planning to attack Berlin directly?" Cable frowned. He was confident in himself but knew that going up against hundreds of thousands of future-enhanced elite German troops would be a challenge he wasn't fully prepared for.

Deadpool, still being used as a makeshift cushion, looked shocked, his flattened face displaying wide, cartoonish eyes through his mask as he stared at Su Ming, as if to say, "Wow, cousin, you're insane! But... I like it."

But this wasn't Su Ming's plan. A frontal assault would carry too much risk, especially since his team was full of time travelers. Losing any one of them could trigger a time paradox.

Kang's identity was clear, but his true capabilities and the nature of his technology were all unknown factors.

Would Su Ming charge in recklessly to face him? Absolutely not.

Deadpool, being a human landmine detector, wouldn't be of use here. Su Ming needed a new scapegoat to take the lead.

"No, we're not going to Berlin. We're going to Egypt," Su Ming said, removing his helmet and calmly smoking a cigarette, watching the tendrils of blue smoke weave through the lamplight.

"Hissss..."

Cable understood instantly. Su Ming was even more dangerous than he had imagined. He knew too much and could manipulate any situation to his advantage.

It seemed that Su Ming's mind worked faster than anyone else's. His teammates still hadn't figured it out.

Now, the people Su Ming kept close, aside from himself and Dr. Halloway, were all mutants.

And deep beneath Egypt, there lay a being of immense power—one who called himself the god of mutants, dedicated to the resurgence of mutantkind.

Apocalypse.

Apocalypse was born around 3000 BCE during Egypt's First Dynasty. He had gray skin and blue lips from birth.

Abandoned in the desert by his biological parents due to his strange appearance, he was found and raised by the leader of a nomadic tribe, who named him En Sabah Nur, meaning "The First One."

Ancient Egyptian prophecy foretold that a child with gray skin would overthrow the First Pharaoh's rule, so when the Pharaoh learned of this, he sent soldiers to destroy the tribe. Apocalypse's adoptive parents were killed trying to protect him.

Apocalypse swore to avenge them.

In reality, the First Pharaoh of that time, named Rama-Tut, was actually Kang the Conqueror in disguise, using holographic technology to assume the role. Kang had traveled to that era with the aim of dominating that point in time.

Knowing Apocalypse's future potential, Kang planned to make him an ally by turning him into an orphan, thinking it would make him easier to manipulate and control.

But extraordinary people develop maturity early, and this was doubly true for an Omega-level mutant like Apocalypse. He wasn't foolish.

"You killed my adoptive parents, and you expect me to serve you? That's not going to happen."

Riches? Power? Women?

En Sabah Nur could attain all these on his own; he didn't need Kang to grant them.

So, when En Sabah Nur fell for an Egyptian general's sister, but she rejected him because of his terrifying appearance, it triggered a transformation in him.

He awakened his X-Gene, becoming an Omega-level mutant with nearly every power imaginable.

He formally adopted the name Apocalypse.

Moreover, he possessed the ability to grant these powers to others—by merely touching their heads and changing their appearance, he could give them any ability they desired.

For those uninterested in new powers, he could enhance their existing ones, upgrading them on the spot.

Naturally, a newly empowered Apocalypse quickly rose against Kang. With his overwhelming power and occasional help from the time-traveling Fantastic Four, they utterly crushed the Conqueror.

Kang was forced to retreat from that time period, abandoning his conquest. The Fantastic Four, unable to match Apocalypse's strength, returned to the future.

Apocalypse became Egypt's ruler, worshiped as a god until, centuries later, he grew bored with ruling and went into slumber within a pyramid.

He remained there until he was tricked by Mister Sinister, and later suffered a severe beating from Phoenix, sealing him away—until now.

If Su Ming brought a group of mutants to Egypt and dug up Apocalypse, telling him tearfully that Rama-Tut—Kang the Conqueror—had returned...

Apocalypse's reaction would be predictable. Even with his toes, one could guess it.

He would seek vengeance for his adoptive parents once more. After all, if he had defeated Kang once, doing so again wouldn't be a problem.

The challenge now was how to ensure that Apocalypse wouldn't become a greater threat afterward. After all, he was even more difficult to handle than Kang—a being worthy of the title "god."

What if he, too, desired to rule the world?

But Su Ming had a plan. His team included Cable.

Cable grimaced, scratching his head uncomfortably. "Alright, it's Apocalypse. In my time, the 39th century, Earth is ruled by him. He's a tyrant, and living under his dystopian rule is truly harsh."

Su Ming shrugged, tossing a cigarette to each of those who smoked. They all began to exhale clouds of smoke together. "At least his god-complex shtick is old-fashioned. He's easier to deal with than the Conqueror."

"Phew... then that's settled," Cable conceded. He knew Apocalypse's capabilities well and was certain Kang wouldn't stand a chance against him.

"Good. But before we meet Apocalypse, I need to ask a slightly intrusive question: Is anyone here a mutant supremacist?"

Mutant supremacy was the ideology Apocalypse championed, similar to Magneto's violent agenda—believing that mutants and humans could never coexist peacefully and that mutants were naturally superior.

The young X-Men shook their heads immediately. They were, after all, Professor X's students—believing in Magneto's doctrine was out of the question.

The Outlaws might lean that way, but Su Ming had his cousin around to keep them in line.

Cable's team members also shook their heads. They were mercenaries, and theories or beliefs didn't matter much to them.

"Excellent. Halloway, you, Modi, and Weasel will form the support team and prepare to meet us in Cairo, Egypt," Su Ming said, spreading a map of Egypt on the table and marking every potential location for Apocalypse's pyramid. "I'll take the rest to pay a visit to the god of mutants, Apocalypse."