Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 295: Ch.294 Apocalypse Out The Cage

Chapter 295: Ch.294 Apocalypse Out The Cage

Inside the tomb chamber, Apocalypse lay before the group. His skin was gray, his stature not particularly tall, but he appeared incredibly robust.

He wore his gold-plated armor, adorned with Egyptian-style carvings, and a helmet that resembled those of alien design. He lay silently on a stone platform, bound by crimson energy chains that restrained him tightly.

The stone platform was carved with strange patterns, where golden substances tried to climb upwards, only to be continuously beaten back by the red energy.

"Is he asleep?" Wade leaned forward, peering at Apocalypse's face. "It's pretty hard to sleep with such bright lights, isn't it?"

Su Ming rolled his eyes and slapped Deadpool on the head. "Do you think he wants to sleep? Don't you understand what a seal is? This is enforced slumber by the Phoenix Force."

"So what do we do now? Use an alarm clock?"

"Of course, we'll break the seal by force."

Su Ming tossed Wade, who was only half-boned, to Cable, then drew his Nightfall sword, raising it above his head and using his mind to activate the X-metal, flowing it into the blade.

In an instant, silver light filled the tomb, enveloping everything as if bathed in moonlight.

Su Ming swung the blade at the Phoenix Force. The crimson energy moved as if it had a mind of its own, trying to evade him, flowing rapidly within a limited space.

But living foes have always had their escape routes sealed by the Reaper; let alone energy restricted to a single stone platform. If Su Ming didn't need Apocalypse to fight Conqueror Kang, he could have severed Apocalypse with a single strike.

The sharp edge of the sword sliced through the red lines at an angle, causing them to dissolve like melting snow.

The energy unraveled segment by segment, vanishing as if erased from existence.

Su Ming sheathed his sword and stepped back, watching as golden liquid flowed upwards from beneath the stone platform, coursing through channels to fill Apocalypse's body, and then a brilliant golden light burst forth.

"Wow, it was red, then white, and now gold. I've had enough—someone check my insurance to see if it covers vision loss?"

Deadpool threw himself into Cable's arms, his body limp like a snake, clinging tightly to Cable's sturdy chest.

Cable gagged and promptly tossed Deadpool to Domino.

Su Ming ignored Wade's antics, focusing instead on the state of Apocalypse.

The dark figure on the stone platform began to sit up within the golden light, his entire body crackling with psychic sparks, as if his form had turned entirely purple.

"We freed the wrong guy—we've unleashed Thanos." Deadpool continued with his chatter. "Wait, wasn't I supposed to be looking for Thanos?"

Domino shoved her fingers up Wade's nose, uninterested in whether it was Thanos or Apocalypse; she was more intent on messing with Deadpool while she had the chance.

The golden and purple lights intertwined and gradually absorbed into Apocalypse's body as he floated off the stone platform.

The oldest mutant on Earth had awakened.

His clouded eyes scanned the people gathered around him, assessing each one before speaking. "It was you who woke me?"

He spoke in Arabic, which wasn't an issue for Su Ming.

Su Ming nodded slightly, taking a step forward. "Great En Sabah Nur, it is indeed us, your loyal followers, who have called you back."

"What time is it now?" Apocalypse touched down, stretching his limbs and checking his armor.

He wasn't overly concerned with the armor's defensive capabilities; what mattered was maintaining his dignified and solemn appearance before his followers. A god couldn't very well appear in tatters.

"If we follow the 'Wandering Calendar,' it is now the summer of the year 4942." In this world, ancient Egyptian calendars were invented by Apocalypse, and adding 3000 to the Gregorian calendar gave the current date.

"It's been over a hundred years since my last... cough." Apocalypse intended to mention his last defeat, but since those before him appeared young, likely unaware of his loss to the Phoenix, he had no reason to bring up his defeat.

"Ah, Great En Sabah Nur, have you not been asleep for millennia?" Su Ming feigned surprise, his face showing a carefully calculated expression of confusion.

"Yes, exactly that, thousands of years." Apocalypse's bluish face remained expressionless. "Have you heard of a man named Nathaniel Essex?"

Apocalypse closed his eyes, attempting to search for the traitorous Mr. Sinister with his abilities. During the last battle against the Phoenix, that coward had been the first to flee, leaving Apocalypse wishing he had bestowed his gifts upon a dog instead.

At least a dog would have shown loyalty.

But his search yielded no results; the magical protections of the London Sanctum were thorough, so he decided to question his "faithful" followers.

Truthfully, while Apocalypse was a brutal ruler, he had a certain tolerance. As long as his subordinates were capable and loyal, he didn't care about their attitudes toward him.

They could address him by name, and they weren't required to bow before him. As long as they were mutants or human admirers of mutants, he was quite accommodating.

"Who is that, Great God? We have never heard that name before." Su Ming pretended to be clueless, hoping to steer Apocalypse toward confronting the Conqueror rather than making trouble in the London Sanctum or facing off against the Ancient One.

"Well, no matter. He can't hide forever."

A puff of breath escaped Apocalypse's nostrils as he suppressed his anger, once again surveying his 'faithful' followers. After thousands of years, they still remembered him as En Sabah Nur—these were the right kind of subordinates.

He led the group outside. He wanted to stretch his legs beyond the pyramid. Time meant little to him, but he still wished to see what had become of the kingdom he once ruled.

What was left to see? The last time he emerged, Egypt was at least somewhat intact. Now it had been turned into a war-torn wasteland by the Allies and Axis powers.

Su Ming watched as Apocalypse hovered out of the pyramid and rose into the sky, surveying his domain from above. The wind stirred the sands, and Apocalypse became a tiny figure in the distance.

After a long while, Apocalypse descended and signaled for the group to follow him. He used his powers to lift everyone off the ground, canceling gravity around them, allowing each person to float and keep pace with him through the air.

"This place has deteriorated quite a bit since I last saw it," Apocalypse remarked casually to Su Ming.

"Yes, our God, time and the sands have changed many things," Su Ming replied, playing along.

"That is not a problem. Now that I have returned, the empire will surely regain its glory." Unable to find Mr. Sinister and with nothing else to occupy him, Apocalypse decided he might as well start building up his power again.

With a wave of his hand, everyone flew through the air at incredible speed, the wind roaring past until they arrived in a small alley in Cairo.

Apocalypse paid no mind to the dilapidated buildings around him. Using telekinesis, he flattened everything in the vicinity, then rolled his eyes back and lifted the ancient palace buried beneath the city from the ground.

"Boom!!!"

A massive explosion shook the area, dust and debris swirling everywhere, revealing a sprawling complex of ancient temples before their eyes.

Without offering any explanation, Apocalypse wrapped them in his power, pulling them directly into the ancient structure. Using his fire abilities, he lit the eternal flames, washed the halls with water manipulation, cleared away debris with weather control, and made the entire city's inhabitants ignore the scene using telepathy.

For him, these feats required nothing more than a thought, taking less than a second.

Now, seated on his long-lost throne, Apocalypse waited calmly for Su Ming's explanation.

Whenever followers sought out a god, it was always with a request. He was in a good mood today and figured it was time to reward his loyal followers.

These people were all mutants; Apocalypse could see their mutant genes. Yet their leader was somewhat elusive.

He seemed like a mutant, but not quite; however, he definitely possessed extraordinary traits.

But mutants come in all forms—perhaps he was a mutant with shape-shifting abilities?

Apocalypse wasn't concerned about that. For now, he just wanted to hear their request and fulfill their wishes. After all, he was a benevolent deity.

Among these mutants, none reached the Omega level, with only one young girl as an Alpha. The others had relatively weak mutant abilities.

Apocalypse had already made up his mind. If they sought power, he would immediately grant them an upgrade, turning them all into Omega mutants, and they would join him in conquering the world.