Chapter 366: [470] - The Mastermind Behind Apocalypse

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"..."

Hawk smiled slightly at Wanda. "Why are you looking at me? You're the boss."

"Then you're not going," Wanda said, frowning.

Hawk shrugged. "Fine. Just remember, if we do nothing, our daughter might spend the rest of her life blaming herself for leaving Professor X behind."

Wanda fell silent for a moment. "Cairo is probably a trap meant specifically for you."

"I know." Hawk stayed calm, a small smile tugging at his lips. "That's why I already have a plan."

Wanda narrowed her eyes. "What plan?"

"I'll go ahead and check it out first."

"Wha..."

Before Wanda could even process his answer, Hawk shot into the sky.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The sonic boom rattled the building as he vanished from sight, a streak of red tearing through the stratosphere and barreling toward Cairo at several times the speed of sound.

Hawk knew when to retreat, but running from a challenge was something else entirely.

If the danger proved too much, he'd pull back and rethink his approach. But once he was inside a trap, his first instinct was to break it—and whoever set it.

He had sensed something wrong with this universe from the moment he arrived, yet he had entered anyway. He had accepted the possibility that someone might be waiting for him.

Back then, Hawk hadn't known if this dimension was just weak or a carefully laid snare. Now that the enemy had finally shown itself, he actually felt more at ease.

A hidden enemy was dangerous. But one out in the open was much easier to handle.

And the enemy was Apocalypse?

The Legendary First Mutant?

Impressive title, sure, but Hawk had fought beings who treated entire worlds like toys. Apocalypse's reputation wasn't enough to scare him off.

Not even close.

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Outside Cairo.

Yellow sand stretched under the sun like a golden sea. A massive pyramid rose from the dunes, its metal peak stabbing at the clouds. Magneto had built it just moments ago—Apocalypse's new throne.

Apocalypse stood over a dune before it, surrounded by his newly recruited Four Horsemen.

His deep blue skin caught a metallic sheen in the sunlight. Dark lines marked his face and head, thick ridges framing his jaw. Dressed in ancient black armor etched with Egyptian symbols, he looked like a tyrant ripped straight from myth.

His eyes remained half closed as the visions that had entered his mind upon awakening continued to flash before him.

Then the sky thundered.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Storm, a young thief from the streets of Cairo, snapped her head upward. Psylocke followed, her purple combat suit clinging to her athletic frame. Beside them stood Angel, his back crowned by a pair of enormous metal wings molded into blades.

Magneto was the last of the group. After losing his wife and daughter, Erik left his old life behind and joined Apocalypse. He now wore dark armor and his usual red helmet.

All four looked toward the horizon.

A red streak ripped across the sky, cutting through the clouds before plunging toward the desert. Hawk struck the ground less than a hundred meters from Apocalypse.

The impact flattened the nearby dunes and triggered tremors through the desert. Sand burst up around the crater, spreading out like smoke from a blast.

Apocalypse did not move.

His Horsemen weren't so lucky—Storm, Psylocke, and Angel were thrown off their feet by the shockwave, while Magneto caught himself before the blast could toss him aside.

As the dune crumbled beneath him, Apocalypse steadied himself with a flicker of power. His dull red eyes opened, searching through the swirling sand until they found the tall man in the red tactical suit standing in the crater.

"..." Their eyes met.

"I'm curious," Hawk said.

His voice remained cold and steady, as though they were having a conversation rather than standing in the aftermath of a crater-forming impact.

"I understand how you sensed my presence. What I don't understand is how you knew I came from outside this universe." Hawk stared directly into Apocalypse's red eyes.

"So tell me. Who's standing behind you? The Celestials?"

He doubted Apocalypse had the knowledge—or the guts—to face him alone.

Apocalypse might have sensed Hawk's arrival on Earth, but knowing he came from another dimension was different. Someone else must have found Apocalypse and sent him ahead as their pawn.

The Celestials were the obvious suspects. Hawk already had a bad history with them, and they knew enough to spot an outsider.

But something still didn't add up...

If the Celestials were behind Apocalypse, they would have told him to capture Jean along with Professor X. She was the easiest way to force Hawk to act.

Instead, Apocalypse stood there with no hostage and nothing to use against him.

Jean was safe with Wanda. If whoever was behind this wanted to lure Hawk away and attack his family, they'd made a serious mistake. Anyone going after Jean while the Scarlet Witch was on guard would be facing a mother who could tear reality apart.

Apocalypse said nothing. His red eyes remained fixed on Hawk without blinking.

Storm, Psylocke, and Angel took his silence as a command. Driven by their new loyalty to Apocalypse, all three prepared to attack.

Hawk noticed them but kept his attention on Apocalypse.

"I see." His hands curled into fists. "You don't want to talk? Fine. I'll beat the answer out of you."

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Red afterimages flashed across the desert.

Hawk was a hundred meters away when he started talking. By the time he finished, his fist was already flying toward Apocalypse's face.

Apocalypse crossed his arms and activated his molecular manipulation. A dense alloy spread across his forearms, forming a reinforced shell around them.

BOOOOM!

Hawk's fist slammed into the metal guard with a thunderous clang.

The blast hurled the three Horsemen back again. Magneto dodged the shockwave by flying up, then started on what he'd agreed with Apocalypse—reaching out to the Earth's magnetic field and beginning to shift it.

The ground beneath Apocalypse split into deep cracks, spreading across the desert until they reached the pyramid's base.

For a moment, the entire landscape shook beneath Hawk's punch.

Apocalypse's defense held, but his body did not.

The punch sent him flying across the desert. He bounced over three dunes, skidded across cracked ground, and slammed into the pyramid with a crash.

He had barely raised his head when Hawk appeared in front of him.

The second punch came immediately.

BOOOOOOM!

Apocalypse changed his body at the last second, turning almost translucent. Hawk's fist went right through him and smashed into the pyramid.

A massive crater opened in the thick metal wall.

Apocalypse reformed behind Hawk. His right hand stretched and shaped into a pitch-black blade, which he drove toward Hawk's chest as Hawk turned.

CLANG!

The blade hit the red tactical suit and sent out a shower of sparks.

CLANG!

Apocalypse attacked again, forcing Hawk backward.

CLANG!

With one hand pressing against Hawk's body, Apocalypse drove him through the breach and into the pyramid. He continued stabbing at Hawk's chest as they fell through the metallic interior.

The blade hit the suit over and over, but it couldn't break through.

At last, confusion showed on Apocalypse's rigid face.

"..." Hawk smiled.

Right before they hit the floor, Hawk twisted in the air, grabbed Apocalypse's wrist, and used their speed to throw him down.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Apocalypse struck the metal floor with enough force to make the entire pyramid ring.

The sound rolled through the structure like the toll of a giant bell.

From outside, it might have sounded grand.

Inside, the noise was harsh.

Hawk frowned and looked around the chamber. From outside, the pyramid looked plain, but inside it was a different story.

Countless runes covered the walls, floor, and ceiling.

As the ringing continued, the air around Hawk began to thicken. Each movement met increasing resistance, as though he had been dropped into a swamp.

'Something's wrong.' Hawk narrowed his eyes and glanced at the hole he'd made in the wall. He bent his knees, getting ready to jump out.

The breach began to close.

Metal slid over the opening, sealing it up until the wall was whole again.

BOOM!

Hawk punched the sealed surface.

HUMMMM!

The runes on the walls lit up with golden light. A hum filled the pyramid, and the air felt even heavier.

Hawk heard movement below him.

He turned and looked down.

Apocalypse had already risen from the floor. The dense pressure filling the chamber receded around his body as he began to grow.

Two meters.

Three meters.

His body continued expanding until he stood five meters tall.

Golden runes surfaced across his blue skin, matching the symbols carved into the pyramid. They pulsed in rhythm with the surrounding walls, making Apocalypse and the structure appear to breathe as one.

Hawk studied the transformation.

His earlier intention to leave vanished. He lowered himself toward the floor until he stood before the five-meter giant.

"So," Hawk said, meeting Apocalypse's gaze.

"This pyramid is your energy amplifier?"

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