CH 92: Apocalypse
Lex, Natasha, and Gwen appeared on top of what looked like a pile of rubble. The scene around them was absolute chaos, with fires burning across the ruined streets and the sounds of fighting, collapsing buildings, and distant screams filling the air. For a moment, Lex simply stared at the destruction, trying to take in the scale of what had happened while the others immediately began assessing their surroundings.
The area surrounding his mansion had always been relatively exclusive, with spacious properties and plenty of greenery rather than the towering buildings found elsewhere in New York. That didn't mean nobody lived here, though, and as Lex looked beyond the remains of his home, he saw the devastation spreading across the entire city block, possibly even further. Several neighbouring properties had been reduced to wreckage, and among the broken structures were the bodies of people he had never met, ordinary civilians who had happened to live near him and had paid for it with their lives. He didn't know their names, their families, or anything about them, but that hardly made their deaths any less real. Something twisted painfully in his gut as anger began to build, the kind that left little room for humour or the usual careless attitude he carried through life.
His gaze moved toward the attackers, and the sight only made his anger worse. It was Charles Xavier and his little group again, as though the man hadn't already caused enough trouble. There was another bald figure, Magneto, the winged man who looked like some sort of metallic bird, and Juggernaut, whose massive frame made him easy to spot even among the destruction. The five of them had come to his home, demolished it, and left a trail of dead civilians behind them. Lex had no intention of letting them simply walk away.
The battle had already spread across the ruined grounds. Hulk was trading blows with Juggernaut, each impact sending shockwaves through the debris, while Donna and Tony were keeping Magneto occupied. Sharon had apparently already dealt with the winged attacker, leaving Jean to face Charles Xavier. A short distance away, a strange white-and-green alien was fighting the bald man who had introduced himself as Apocalypse. Lex recognized the transformation as Ben, and it was immediately apparent that the boy was trying to draw Apocalypse away from the populated areas. Unfortunately, Apocalypse had noticed how much Ben cared about civilian lives and was exploiting that concern, deliberately targeting people and nearby structures whenever Ben attempted to protect them. The moment Ben moved to save someone, Apocalypse took advantage of the distraction to attack him, forcing the boy to divide his attention between stopping his opponent and preventing further casualties.
Lex's first priority wasn't revenge, however much he wanted to start tearing people apart. Jubilee was somewhere beneath the wreckage, and he wasn't going to leave her there while he indulged his anger. He reached out with his blood, directing it toward her through the debris, and immediately used it to restore her to perfect health. The injuries that had left her battered and helpless vanished as his power took effect, ensuring that she would no longer be at risk from whatever damage she had suffered during the attack.
With Jubilee taken care of, Lex extended his awareness through the Force, sensing the life forces scattered throughout the surrounding area. He found people trapped beneath collapsed walls and buried under piles of concrete, some frightened and struggling, others too injured or exhausted to move. Rather than attempting to dig everyone out individually, he let the Force flow through them, lending them a measure of strength while simultaneously using his telekinesis to lift the rubble pinning them down. Broken slabs of concrete rose into the air, twisted beams shifted aside, and pockets of trapped civilians were freed from the wreckage. It wasn't a complete rescue, not with so much destruction spread across the area, but it gave those still alive a chance to escape while the fighting continued overhead.
“Lex Everhart, so you've finally come out,” Apocalypse called as soon as he noticed him.
The bald mutant abandoned Ben without hesitation and lunged directly toward Lex, apparently convinced that the person he had come to acquire was finally within reach. It was an exceptionally foolish decision. Lex's anger had already begun to affect his body, draconic features emerging across his form as the Bloodline of Io stirred in response to his emotions. The transformation wasn't merely cosmetic; the power coursing through him grew more potent as his body took on the qualities of a dragon, and the energy gathering within him responded with far greater force than it would have in his ordinary state.
Apocalypse barely had time to close the distance before Lex opened his mouth and unleashed a Dragon Breath. A vast torrent of concentrated energy erupted from his jaws, swallowing the charging mutant in a single blast and tearing through his body with such overwhelming force that most of him disintegrated almost instantly. The ground behind Apocalypse was scorched by the attack, and the air shimmered from the residual energy as Lex brought his head back down, his draconic features still visible. He had expected the man to be dangerous, but he hadn't expected him to be stupid enough to charge straight at someone whose anger was already reaching a boiling point.
Lex didn't bother admiring the damage. Charles Xavier had been a thorn in his side for far too long, and bringing a self-proclaimed god of mutants to his home had finally pushed the man beyond the limits of Lex's patience. He turned toward the psychic, activated Unique Skill: False World, and trapped Charles inside a nightmare of his own making. The illusion closed around the man before he could properly react, separating him from the battlefield and leaving him to face whatever horror Raphael chose to present. Lex had no intention of giving Charles another opportunity to interfere with his mind or anyone else's, and after everything the man had done, he certainly wasn't feeling generous enough to offer him a peaceful escape.
That left Juggernaut and Hulk, whose ongoing fight threatened to cause even more destruction if it continued in the middle of the city. They were easily the second most destructive pair on the battlefield, and their blows were already sending chunks of pavement and masonry flying in every direction. With H'El's template enhancing his physical abilities and the Bloodline of Io further strengthening him, Lex was confident enough to engage Juggernaut directly. He moved in and drove a punch into the massive man's body, putting his enhanced strength behind the strike. The impact was substantial, but the result wasn't what Lex had hoped for. Juggernaut barely yielded, and Lex could feel from the resistance that they were at least comparable in raw physical power, with no clear advantage for him to exploit through strength alone.
“Hulk flight, you go!” Hulk called out, apparently deciding that Hulk would keep fighting and while Lex dealt with the immediate problem of keeping their fight away from the city.
Lex didn't bother arguing. Instead, he seized both combatants with telekinesis and hurled them away from the ruined neighbourhood, sending them flying beyond the city before their next exchange could demolish another street. The two powerful figures disappeared into the distance, leaving Lex free to deal with the remaining attackers without worrying that their brawl would bring down whatever buildings were still standing. He had no intention of letting a fight between two exceptionally strong beings turn the surrounding area into an even larger graveyard.
He turned back toward Magneto, intending to remove another threat from the battlefield, only to find that the mutant was already gone. Lex caught a glimpse of the space where Magneto had been moments earlier, but the man had apparently been teleported away by someone else. Lex could have tried to follow, and the disappearance certainly deserved investigation, but there were more immediate concerns demanding his attention. He could deal with the mystery of Magneto's escape later. Right now, he needed to find out why the bald idiot he had just disintegrated was still moving.
Apocalypse stood amid the wreckage, his body rebuilding itself around the enormous hole Lex's Dragon Breath had torn through his chest. Calling it a hole almost seemed generous, since a considerable portion of his torso was simply missing, leaving exposed tissue and fragments of his internal structure where his chest should have been. Nevertheless, the damaged flesh was spreading and reconnecting, new material forming where the attack had erased it. Lex watched the process with a mixture of surprise and irritation, wondering how much of the man he would have to destroy before he finally stayed down.
<The individual known as Apocalypse is manipulating atoms to reconstruct his body.>Raphael's explanation made the process considerably more interesting. Lex studied the way Apocalypse's body was rebuilding itself, paying close attention to the underlying manipulation of matter rather than merely the visible regeneration. Then he activated Mocking Truth, copying the ability for himself. The power settled into his arsenal at fifty percent of its original strength, a permanent addition that was still more than useful enough to justify acquiring it. Even if he couldn't reproduce Apocalypse's ability at full potency, manipulating atoms to reconstruct matter was an impressive capability to have, and Lex could already imagine several ways it might prove useful.
Under different circumstances, he might have been tempted to keep Apocalypse alive long enough to investigate the ability further, perhaps even find a way to acquire a complete version of it. The thought barely lasted. The mutant had attacked his home, endangered the people he cared about, and left dead civilians scattered across the neighbourhood. Lex wasn't going to risk more lives just because he was curious about an enemy's powers.
He unleashed another Dragon Breath, making certain this time that Apocalypse had no opportunity to rebuild himself again. The torrent consumed the mutant's regenerating body, erasing what remained until there was nothing left to reconstruct. When the energy finally dissipated, Apocalypse was gone, and Lex had no intention of leaving any doubt about the result. The self-proclaimed God of Mutantkind had come looking for Lex Everhart as his intended vessel, and he had paid for that decision with his life.
With the immediate threats dealt with, Lex finally turned back toward the others. Gwen was floating toward him, and two unconscious figures followed behind her under the influence of her magic. One was Bruce Banner, who had apparently reverted from his Hulk form after being removed from the city, while the other was Juggernaut himself. Gwen had evidently followed them, used magic to put them to sleep, and brought them back without allowing their fight to continue. Lex couldn't help appreciating the efficiency, especially considering how much more destruction the two of them might have caused if they'd been left to their own devices.
The strangest situation, however, was unfolding a little closer to the mansion. Two Natasha Romanoffs stood facing one another, studying each other with the kind of wary curiosity that only someone confronted with another version of herself could manage. Lex looked between them, trying to imagine how the conversation had gone before he arrived, and quickly decided that he would much rather help them settle on a name than spend the rest of his life mentally distinguishing one Natasha from the other.
“So, Sharon wasn't enough? You had to bring someone else from another world? Universe? What do you even call it?” the original Natasha asked, eyeing her counterpart with an expression that suggested she hadn't decided whether to be amused or annoyed.
“Does it matter?” the summoned Natasha asked in return.
Lex looked between them again, already finding the situation confusing. “You know, since there are two of you now, why don't one of you change your name or something? This is going to get ridiculous otherwise.”
The summoned Natasha considered the suggestion for a moment before nodding. “Sure. Since I'm the one who came from another universe, I should be the one to do it.”
“Fine by me. How about Natalie?” the original Natasha suggested.
“Well, we do think alike,” Natalie replied, a faint smile appearing on her face as she accepted the name.
“There we go. Problem solved,” Lex said, satisfied that he could finally distinguish the two of them without having to keep track of which universe each Natasha came from. “So, do you two want to catch up or something? Why don't you take a day off and talk to each other? I'm sure you've got a lot to discuss.”
He was about to suggest that they find somewhere comfortable to sit when Sharon called his name, her voice carrying over the sounds of the rescue efforts and the fading chaos around them.
“Lex!”
“What's up?” he asked, jogging over to her.
Sharon gestured toward the remains of the mansion, where broken walls, shattered windows, and heaps of debris marked what had once been their home. “We're trying to decide what to do about the living situation now.”
Lex followed her gaze and took in the wreckage with a weary sigh. He had liked living there, and the place had been comfortable enough for everyone, but he wasn't about to pretend that rebuilding it immediately was the only option. “We'll just buy something else. I've got a few other properties we could use in the meantime, though I did like living here, to be honest.”
“Yeah, I suppose we'll be fine,” Sharon said, though her expression suggested she was thinking beyond the immediate inconvenience of finding somewhere to sleep. “But look at the surroundings. This whole area is a mess, and it's not just about replacing the mansion. I'm wondering whether we should move to Krakoa instead. At least something like this would be much less likely to happen there.”
“No way,” Donna replied, joining the conversation with a firm shake of her head. “I like living in the city. If I wanted to live on an island, I'd prefer Themyscira.”
“And put civilians in danger every time someone decides to attack us at home?” Sharon asked, raising an eyebrow. Her tone wasn't accusatory, but the question carried the weight of everything they'd just witnessed. The mansion's destruction hadn't only endangered them; it had killed people who had nothing to do with their lives, and that was precisely what she wanted to avoid repeating.
“I'm with Sharon on this one,” Gwen added, floating closer to the group. “Having public identities means we'll get attacked more often, and sooner or later, someone will target our home again. The chances of something like this happening every time aren't particularly high, but the possibility is still there. Krakoa is a living island with its own defences, and Regina already has a whole base there. It would be a much safer place to live.”
“Of course you're all for it, Miss I-Can-Teleport-Everywhere,” Donna retorted. “It's easy for you to suggest living in the middle of the ocean when you can just teleport wherever you want.”
Gwen gave her an unbothered look, clearly unconvinced that this was a particularly strong argument against the idea. Donna, meanwhile, seemed perfectly content to keep arguing for city life, and Lex could already see that this wasn't going to be settled with a simple vote. They had different priorities, and neither option was perfect. Krakoa offered security and distance from ordinary civilians, but it was also in the middle of the ocean, far from the conveniences and everyday life they were used to enjoying in New York.
“Okay, so I'm still pretty new to all this,” Jubilee began, looking between the others before finally working up the courage to add her opinion. “And I don't really understand the whole harem dynamic yet. I actually tried reading that Chinese book about an old emperor and his harem, which was really interesting, but it didn't exactly explain much about how this works in practice. But, like... can I say that I want to stay in the city?”
Lex glanced at her, a little surprised that she'd brought up the subject so openly, though he appreciated that she was trying to find her place among the group rather than quietly accepting whatever decision the others made. Before he could respond, Ben, who had been listening to the discussion nearby, looked between the group with a faintly uncertain expression.
“Is this a harem thing? Should I go away?” he asked.
“We'll settle the argument later,” Lex said, waving the question aside before it could turn into another discussion. “For now, let's just move into one of my penthouses. I've got three or four others, so there should be enough room for everyone while we figure things out. As for security, well, we all know that if Kara had been here, this probably wouldn't have happened, right?”
“Probably not,” Sharon admitted.
“Yeah, I'd like to disagree, but it is the truth,” Donna conceded with a reluctant nod. “She's a walking nuke.”
“True, although I'd say the circumstances matter just as much as raw power,” Gwen added. “If Kara had been here, or you, or even Grayfia and me, things might have gone very differently. Together, we could have handled the attack much more effectively. But, Lex, you can't realistically expect to keep a powerful defensive force at home all the time, can you?”
“Who says I can't?” Lex asked with a shrug, as though the answer were obvious. “I've got plenty of people I can summon. We can make a schedule so that at least one powerful person is always around to defend the place. That way, we don't have to depend on everyone being home at the same time, and we can still live wherever we want.”
Sharon looked at him for a moment, apparently weighing the suggestion against the practical problems they'd just experienced. A rotating defence would certainly be better than hoping the right person happened to be home whenever trouble arrived, though she suspected that organizing a group of summoned individuals into a proper schedule would bring its own complications. Still, Lex sounded serious about it, and with the resources at his disposal, it wasn't an unreasonable proposal.
“Can't argue with that,” she finally said with a sigh.
Lex glanced back at the ruined mansion, his expression settling as the anger of the battle gave way to the practical matter of what came next. They could argue about where to live, arrange a defence schedule, and replace everything that had been destroyed, but none of those things would bring back the civilians who had died because Apocalypse and his followers had decided to make his home their battlefield. He would deal with the consequences, make sure the people around him were safe, and see to it that the next group who came looking for him understood that attacking his home was a very bad idea.