Chapter 17: The Warnings of Time

In the heart of his palace, Apocalypse, sat upon his throne. His mind was occupied with the task of monitoring the kingdom. The walls of the throne room shimmered with energy, and the very air vibrated with the hum of the Ka Stone's limitless potential.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through his mind—a warning from the Time-Ship, an artifact of immense power connected to the timestream itself.

"Temporal anomaly detected," the ship alerted. "Intruders from the future have breached the timeline. Four individuals—origin: Fantastic Four. Location: Southern Egypt, near the ruins of an ancient settlement.

A frown creased Apocalypse's face. His eyes glowed with a cold, calculating light as he stood from his throne. "The sanctity of the timestream," he muttered, "is not something to be violated lightly."

His irritation was palpable, and with a flick of his hand, the Ka Stone's energy surged through the room. Instantly, Apocalypse vanished, teleporting across time and space to confront the trespassers.

The Fantastic Four stood together in the sweltering heat of the Egyptian desert. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm had come on a dangerous quest through time to retrieve a rare plant that was rumored to have the ability to restore damaged optic nerves. It was their last hope for restoring Alicia Masters' sight. But now, standing in the sands of ancient Egypt, they realized that they were not alone.

"We've got to find this plant before things get complicated," Reed said, his brow furrowed as he scanned the area with his instruments.

Ben, the Thing, flexed his massive rocky arms. "Let's just hope we don't have to run into any ancient trouble while we're at it."

"Too late for that," Sue said quietly, her eyes widening as she sensed a powerful presence approaching.

Before any of them could react, a pulse of red energy materialized in front of them. Standing at the center of the glowing vortex was Apocalypse, his dark armor gleaming in the sunlight, his eyes burning with cosmic awareness and knowledge.

"You dare trespass in my time?" Apocalypse's voice was a thunderous boom across the desert, his very presence commanding fear and awe.

The Fantastic Four shifted into defensive positions immediately.

"We didn't mean to—" Reed began, trying to defuse the situation.

But Apocalypse wasn't listening. His gaze moved over the team with contempt. "You break the sanctity of the timestream for a personal matter? The punishment for this is not something you will enjoy."

Johnny flared into his Human Torch form, flames erupting around him. "Look, we're just here for a plant to help Ben's girlfriend. We don't want any trouble."

"Trouble has already found you," Apocalypse growled. "The timestream is not yours to meddle with. There are consequences for your recklessness."

Reed stepped forward, arms raised in a gesture of peace. "It was an accident. We didn't come here to interfere. We just need a specific plant to help Alicia."

Apocalypse narrowed his eyes. "A plant?" His tone was filled with suspicion, but also a flicker of recognition. "You traveled through time for something as insignificant as a plant?"

Ben Grimm, fists clenched, stepped up. "It ain't insignificant to us. Alicia's blind, and this plant's the only thing that can help her."

Apocalypse's gaze darkened. "That does not excuse your transgression. Do not mess with time, or time will mess with you."

With a burst of energy, Apocalypse lashed out.

Johnny rocketed forward, flames blazing, but Apocalypse raised his hand and absorbed the flames as if they were nothing. "You think fire can touch me, boy?" he sneered, his fingers curling. He retaliated with a concussive energy blast that sent Johnny crashing into the sand, flames sputtering.

Ben Grimm roared, charging forward, but Apocalypse met him head-on. Their fists collided with an earth-shaking impact, but Apocalypse was far stronger. With a brutal strike, he sent The Thing tumbling through the air, his rocky body smashing into a nearby stone structure.

"Your strength is admirable," Apocalypse said coldly, "but it pales in comparison to mine."

Sue Storm reacted, raising a shimmering force field around her team. "Stay back!" she warned.

Apocalypse's eyes gleamed as he summoned more of the Ka Stone's energy. He stepped forward, his mere presence putting cracks in Sue's force field. With a sharp motion, he unleashed a wave of telekinetic force that shattered the shield into fragments of light.

Reed attempted to wrap his elastic body around Apocalypse's limbs, trying to bind him in place. "We're not giving up!"

But Apocalypse smirked, his hand crackling with energy. He unleashed a shockwave that coursed through Reed's body, causing him to recoil in pain, his elongated form snapping back.

"You think you can bind me? I am beyond your comprehension, Richards."

Apocalypse raised his hand, calling upon the Ka Stone, warping the very fabric of reality. The sands around them shifted, and suddenly the Fantastic Four found themselves standing amidst illusions—phantom armies, pyramids crumbling into dust, the stars above swirling into galaxies. The disorienting sight made it difficult for them to regain their footing.

Johnny flared up again, furious, shooting a stream of fire toward Apocalypse. But Apocalypse dismissed the flames with a wave of his hand, sending Johnny plummeting back to the earth with a brutal strike of energy.

Ben, still shaking off the last attack, charged again. "I don't care what you are, I'm clobberin' you now!"

Apocalypse's patience waned. He raised his hand, lifting The Thing telekinetically off the ground, suspending him mid-air. With a simple motion, he sent Ben flying backward, crashing into the sand again.

"Enough!" Apocalypse's voice cut through the air, as he stood over the defeated Fantastic Four.

Reed, breathing heavily, staggered to his feet. "We only came for the plant. We don't want to fight."

Apocalypse regarded them coldly for a moment, then his expression softened, if only slightly. "A plant? Yes. The plant of the Nile, capable of healing optic nerves."

Reed blinked in surprise. "You know of it?"

Apocalypse didn't answer immediately. Instead, he disappeared in a flash of energy, leaving the Fantastic Four in stunned silence.

"He's gone?" Johnny muttered, wincing as he got to his feet.

But before anyone could respond, Apocalypse reappeared, holding a small, glowing plant in his hand. The Plant of the Nile, ancient and rare.

"This is what you seek," Apocalypse said, his voice still cold. "It hasn't existed in your time for centuries."

Reed's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's it."

Apocalypse held out the plant, letting Reed take it, but his gaze never softened. "You will return to your own time, with what you came for. But make no mistake—you have meddled with forces far beyond your control."

Sue stepped forward cautiously. "We're sorry, but... we need to get back. How?"

Apocalypse gestured to the sky, and a massive time-ship materialized before them, gleaming with ancient and advanced technology. "This ship will return you to your time."

The Fantastic Four looked at one another, hesitant. Reed turned back to Apocalypse. "And what about you? A ship like this in your hands... you could disrupt the timestream yourself."

Apocalypse's eyes flared with fury, though he kept his voice calm. "I would never do something as foolish as tampering with time, Richards. Unlike you, I understand its delicate balance."

With no other choice, the Fantastic Four boarded the ship, the plant secured in Reed's hands. The vessel activated, humming with energy as it prepared to transport them back.

As they disappeared into the timestream, the last sight they saw was Apocalypse, standing alone in the desert, his gaze fixed on the horizon, an unmovable figure in the sands of time.

Back in his palace, Apocalypse sat once more upon his throne, watching as the ripples in the timestream settled. "Do not meddle with time," he whispered to himself, "or time will meddle with you."

The disturbance had passed, but the lesson remained clear: no one could break the laws of the universe without consequence. Not even the Fantastic Four.