Chapter 77 - Ascension

UNIVERSE 11052

In the McFadden castle ruins in Scotland, a group of punk kids are hanging out, having a party. A guy named Lucas wanders through, and is acknowledged by several of the party-goers throughout.

As he heads down into the remains of the castle, he uses telekinesis to open doors and grates. He reaches the dungeon and talks to someone we can't see. He tells them that if they want it to be over then they have to call "him".

Xavier answers the phone and a boy on the other end tells him he needs his help and calls him father.

On the jet to Scotland, Xavier tries to argue with his ex-wife as discreetly as possible about the son that she never told him existed.

At the Institute, Beast rushes the New Mutants off to school and then checks in on Kurt, who has the flu. Kurt's sleeping, but every time he sneezes he teleports about the room.

Back on the jet, Xavier finally breaks down and tells Jean, Scott, and Storm, "I have an ex-wife, Gabrielle Haller, and we were only briefly married. We had a son together, but she never told me about David, and now he's been kidnapped."

They reach the Haller house and Xavier jumps to ask Gabrielle questions of David's whereabouts. Meanwhile outside, Lucas is spying on them through a window.

Jean and Scott search David's room. Jean notices a little boy in the hall and they go after him. Gabrielle tells them, "He is Ian, David has found him on the street and brought him home, but Ian doesn't talk."

Jean follows him outside to see if she can reach him with her telepathy. As she follows him across the lawn she runs into Lucas and he takes her out easily with his telekinesis.

Jean is brought back to the castle and Lucas introduces himself. Jean tries to push him with her telekinesis, but he knocks her flat again with his own, proving he's much more powerful.

After scouting ahead, Storm has returned to meet up with Xavier, Gabrielle and Scott, noting that while she did not spot Jean or Ian, she had seen the glow of fires along the cliff sides, to which Gabrielle remarks that it's McFadden Castle, where teenagers have used the ruins for parties.

Storm, Xavier and Gabrielle take the task of searching for Ian. Scott eventually finds Jean at the castle, "Scott, stay out of sight, otherwise, you'll be seen by Lucas." Jean warned him.

Scott confronts Lucas head-on, taunting him before Lucas performs a small display of his strong powers, easily knocking Scott and Jean to the ground after she had tried to defend Scott.

Jean escapes her cell through the use of her telekinesis and finds David. They breakout and search for an exit.

David explains to Jean that Lucas is really after Xavier. He says that Lucas wants to go against Xavier "brain to brain".

The others arrive at the castle and free Scott just as Jean and David get out. Gabrielle introduces David to his father, but as they shake hands David morphs into Ian.

Everyone is shocked and confused. Ian then morphs into Lucas and knocks everyone away but Xavier.

Lucas goes off on Xavier, "You are never here for me, and what I am is today because of you." He starts ripping the castle apart. Suddenly he loses control and morphs back into David.

David warns, "Dad, Lucas is after you,". "I can help you to control Ian and Lucas." He goes into David's mind and easily defeats the other two. He encases them in bubbles, but the bubbles merge and begin to absorb David.

Xavier grabs his hand and tries to pull him free, but he loses him, accidentally grabbing the hand of Lucas, making him the dominant personality. In the real world, David morphs into Lucas. Lucas laughed, "Yes, you have done exactly what I have brought you here for." He flew away as the others stood by speechless.

They return to the institute and Xavier is quite upset and leaves the group. Storm tries to comfort him, "Whenever Lucas will find his way back, you will be there for him, just as you always have been for us."

"What about Sharky's condition?" Xavier asked about Sharky.

"He has recovered completely," Storm explained, since Sharky's condition is better than the previous situation.

A new days at Xavier Mansion, Xavier was seeing the news report about the, Apocalypse having erected another dome, this time in the Shanxi Province of China.

The same news, a little child was seeing it. His mother walks in and flips off the television, telling her son Dorian Leech that she doesn't want him watching the mutant reports; they upset him too badly.

The little boy is small and greenish looking with warts on his face. Leech tries to talk to his mom about the possibility that he's a mutant, but she doesn't want to hear it.

A reporter is interviewing Duncan Matthews, who it seems has graduated along with Jean and Scott and is now working in a mining camp. He says , "Mutants will do whatever they want, they all need to be shut down before they cause real trouble.*

At a café, a boy dumps the trash into the dumpster. Lucid sneaks out of the sewers and breaks into the dumpster to get to the food. Some teenage jerks see him and chase him into an alley. Spyke shows up, "Leave us alone." Spyke's mutation has continued to evolve and now his entire upper body is covered in bony armor. He can also fire up his spikes.

Spyke kicks the punks' butts and they all run off. Lucid follows him back into the sewers where they give the food to all of the Morlocks.

Beast and Charles continue to research Apocalypse's domes. "The pyramids are completely surrounded by the energy spheres. Any attack against them is multiplied and repulsed back violently. The military in China is getting ready to attack, and the results could be catastrophic. I also fear that the result will cause an anti-mutant backlash," Beast explained to Charles.

Sam and Amara are walking home from the library. Sam accidentally cannonball's into a building causing a bit of damage.

Duncan and his friends start hassling them about being mutants and having to 'pay' for the damage.

Spyke comes to the rescue again and sends Sam and Amara home. "Duncan, spread the word that Bayville Mutants are off limits to hate crime," He said while going back into the sewer, he fired off a couple more flaming spikes that totaled Duncan's car.

The Chinese government attacks the second dome and the results are horrific. The dome remains untouched, but everything for miles around is vaporized.

Fury releases Trask under orders while saying, "Reinstate the Sentinel program. The government wants to be ready for the escalating mutant threat."

Wolverine talks to Spyke to return back, but it doesn't do much good. "The Morlocks don't get to live in a mansion, they are defenseless. They need a guardian and I am the one," Spyke replied back.

On the news, the anti-mutant backlash that Beast and Xavier feared has come to pass. Duncan tells the reporters about Spyke trashing his car and how the Morlocks live in the sewers.

Duncan and his buddies get some of the high-tech mining lasers they use at work and go after the Morlocks. As Spyke tries to fight off Duncan and crew, a news chopper arrives and Dorian sees them on TV.

The Morlocks and X-Men come to help Spyke. Jean and Duncan face off, and when he mouths off to her, she slams him into a car.

Everyone is distracted when a police chopper arrives, and Duncan has a clear shot at Spyke. As he's about to fire, Dorian walks in between them. Duncan fires anyway. Spyke jumps in front of Dorian and is hit by it.

Dorian Leech freaks out and screams, a wave seems to swell outwards and all energy in its path is nullified — including mutant powers.

Spyke loses his armor, Jean drops from the sky, Cyclops can take off his visor and the choppers drop onto nearby roofs. Duncan and his buddies see that they are now weaponless and try to sneak off, only to have the cops get to them first.

Mrs. Leech arrives, she is mad at Spyke for exposing her son as a mutant, she takes back her son. While the power comes back on, Spyke's armor reappears.

Duncan and his crew are arrested. Storm begs Evan to come back to the X-Men, "Morlocks need me," Spike replied before going back into the sewers.

Xavier catches up to Mrs. Leech, and tells her that Dorian is welcome at the Institute whenever he's ready.

Rogue has visions of Mystique attacking her and Sharky. She wakes up, but gets relief when seeing Sharky is sleeping beside her. She mentioned her dream to Xavier.

"It's okay, just don't think about this dream," Xavier assured her.

On the way to school Rogue ends up running into Gambit. He drugs her with some sleeping gas before she can fight back. She wakes up later on a train all tied up. "You need to do something for me, then I will release you," Gambit tells her.

After school, Kurt realizes that Rogue is missing, and raises the alarm. Logan goes around sniffing and catches Gambit's scent. While Sharky also wakes up, and knowing the Rogue is missing, he goes to the place where Kurt has seen Rogue last time.

Sharky started using time powers, to see what happened to Rogue, and find Gambit has catched her. He was really angry at him.

At the Acolytes base, Pyro is sitting alone watching a tape of Magneto imploding over and over as he laughs like a maniac. Logan shows up and they fight. "Where is Gambit?" Logan asked him.

After getting beaten, Pyro finally tells, "The Acolytes have pretty much broken up. Colossus has gone back to Russia and he doesn't know where Sabretooth or Gambit are."

Back to Gambit and Rogue. "Okay, I will help you," Rogue agrees, but when he does she jumps him and they fight.

He tells her, "You can absorb my memories and you'll find out that I don't mean any harm." But she pulls away saying she doesn't want him in her head.

Xavier tracks the two heading south and Sharky takes off to follow them. Rogue and Gambit make it to New Orleans' and it happens to be during Mardi Gras. They eat in a little jazz club where they run into some of Gambit's old acquaintances.

They get into a fight and Rogue ends up absorbing Julien. She finds out that Gambit is a member of the Thieves Guild and that Julien is a member of a rival gang called The Rippers. The Rippers have kidnapped Gambit's father and are holding him in their base in Bloodmoon Bayou.

Rogue offers to help Gambit, saying she can show him where they're holding his father. They go by boat, and on the way, they talk about what lousy parents they had, and how much they have in common.

As they're sneaking up to the house, Gambit accidentally touches Rogue and realizes that he's been using her all along. "You are using me all the time, your father is a bad person, but you said he is a good guy," She got mad and just got ready to go away.

"Please help me, although he is not a nice guy, but still he is my father," Gambit pleads to her, causing Rogue to return to help him after all. With the memories she absorbed from some more Rippers, she leads them out of the house, where they meet up with Sharky.

Sharky was looking angrily at Gambit, before Gambit said anything, he paused him completely by Time Pause.

"Sharky, I will explain to you," Rogue wanted to explain, but he didn't hear her, before starting thrashing Gambit.

"You know, I am today going to kill you," Sharky shouted and he just wanted to rip apart the Gambit.

Rogue comes and hugged him from behind, "Calm down Sharky, calm down. We are X-Men, we didn't kill anyone." She tries to calm him.

"How dare he kidnap you?" Although Sharky calmed down, but still looking angrily at Gambit.

"He needs my help to release his father from his enemy," Rogue explained the whole situation.

After saving the Gambit father, Logan meets them, he is also going to dice up Gambit. But Rogue stops him while going back with Sharky and Logan. Gambit gives her his lucky Queen of Hearts card and leaves with his father.

Sharky asks Rogue if she's okay, and she says yes as he leads her back to Xavier's Mansion.

In their room, "So Sharky, now you still need some rest, or you are recovered." Rogue asked him, because he didn't show any sign of collapsing on the way.

"No, I feel good, I have recovered all," He explained to Rogue.

"It's okay, I am here for you, even if you don't have any powers, I will always be here for you," Rogue caressed his face, while promising to always be with him.

While Rogue explained all the events to him, when he was asleep, she felt now Sharky had completely recovered.

"So Sharky, why not do some baby making, since you have completely recovered," Rogue asked while giving him a mischievous smile.

Sharky nodded as he flipped her on bed, and in some minutes, she was lying nude under Sharky. As she started enjoying the sex session.

After enjoying her fill, he found Jean, Kitty and Storm had also come, looking at both of them.

"Sharky, since you completely recovered, why not we decide it by checking ourselves," Jean, Kitty and Storm asked together.

"Why not." Sharky agreed, and just in a few hours all of the girls lying nude beside Sharky, while their holes represent they have taken Sharky's Dragon Tonic to their fill. Sharky didn't even forget to visit Wanda.

While the X-Men were busy in training, Apocalypse created a new sphere in Egypt.

Logan appeared to Mesmero and started to chase him. Jean catched him with Telekinesis, "Hello Mesmero," she said.

"You are too late, evolution is upon us, and there's nothing you can do to stop it!" Mesmero said to them, while Logan and Jean brought him back to the mansion.

At the mansion, "Look like Apocalypse abandoned him," Jean said while noticing the sad expression of Mesmero.

Mesomoro tried to deny, "No, he will return back for me."

"You have discarded Mesmero," Charles said, "So, please tell me what Apocalypse is planning." While noticing Mesmero didn't cooperate, he continued, "Or I can take knowledge by force, if you prefer."

"Apocalypse will trigger the dormant X-Gene in the Normal population. So most will transform into mutants." Mesomoro finally replied.

"What do you mean most?" Storm asked him.

"Many will not survive," Mesmero tells, while everyone has a shocked expression.

"How will it be accomplished? What does it have to do with pyramids?" Beast asked.

"I have said most of them," Mesmero does not want to say.

"He will not be your primary concern," Xavier touched Mesmero and started reading his mind, "Not at this moment."

"He has three pyramids and they are powered by the Sphinx and Apocalypse" Xavier found from Mesmero. "And, he is now ready." While saying that he goes towards the X-Jet, which Storm was preparing.

"Professor," Jean stood in front of Xavier. "You are going to confront the Apocalypse," She asked.

"Yes, I am," Professor agreed. "What happened to Magneto, the same could happen to you." Jean tries to change his decision.

"Magneto attacks him, I simply hope to communicate with him." Professor explained her, which Jean discarded by saying. "I seriously doubt the apocalypse is interested in our point of view."

"But opening his dialogues is the first step of peaceful resolution," Xavier tells her. Jean tries to go with him so the two Telepathic might have a better chance to get through to Apocalypse. But Professor denied her "Jean, If something should go wrong, I need you here along with the X-Men."

Professor X wants to try to communicate with Apocalypse, taking Storm with him, towards Apocalypse. While he was busy adjusting the pyramid and some machines.

"We are entering Egypt," Storm informed, she continues, "Charles it is not too late to find another way."

"I am afraid it is, the longer we wait, the hardest will be destructive" Charles said while commanding Storm to be returned back if something happens to him.

"I am not leaving without you too. So do not ask me to" Storm denied him. While Charles activated Cerebro with help of Beast from the mansion. With informing to keep the chamber close so the rest of X-Men didn't see him.

"I'm afraid we are a little late for that," Beast replied, because in the back side, Kurt, Rogue, Kitty, Jean, Sharky and Cyclops were seeing him through the Cerebro technology.

"We are not gonna lay you through this professor alone," Jean said, while everyone agreed. "Thank you all. Now let's see if I'm gonna get Apocalypse attention" Xavier connected to Apocalypse, the rest of the group watches. As the Apocalypse gets out of the pyramids and stands in front of Charles.

"I am Charles Xavier, " Charles introduced himself.

"I know who you are." Apocalypse nodded.

"Then you know, I've merely come to talk. To discuss what you are planning and…" Charles was cut by Apocalypse.

"I have nothing planned. I am but an instrument of destiny." Apocalypse replied.

"But it is the destiny of destruction," Xavier argued with him.

"The future came to me in that craft. I have embraced it and merged it with its technology, so that I may lead the evolution of the human race." Apocalypse explained his motive.

"But the human race didn't need your help!" Xavier again argued with him.

"Since when has mankind ever known what it needs?" Apocalypse disdained humans.

"You have to know that somehow you will be stopped!" Charles said in an angry mood.

"What I know is" Apocalypse removes Xavier Cerebro helmet, "It will not be by you," With the Telekinesis he floats Charles in the mid-air.

Storm released the thunder on Apocalypse, "Leave him alone" she shouted.

Storm comes to his defense but instead, Apocalypse smirk sends them both away in the same way Magneto was.

The X-Men are mortified by seeing the scene from Cerebro room. "I knew this happened, I should have stopped him," Jean started crying.

"Professor is gonna do what he thinks is right, regardless of risk." Sharky consoles her while hugging her, he wipes her tears. "But since I am here, if even not something good will happen, I will reverse the time before Professor gone," He silenced her by kissing.

"No, you don't do this, you will die." Rogue came to them, and she denied Sharky for reversing time. Before Professor left the Academy, one hour passed, so it was very risky for Sharky to reverse the time for one hour.

Nick Fury comes to the Academy, because he doesn't want the X-Men to do anything now.

"I have seen what you have meddled with. So, I need to keep you from immediately trying to retaliate," Fury explained to him.

"Bad chance, I am going with my team," Logan didn't agree with him, while they were going towards the Cerebro room.

"Logan, we already take the measures, other mutants will only complicate the operation," Fury tells him.

"What kind of measures?" Logan asked while they came inside the Cerebro room.

"Bring of the vision of Sphinx," Fury said to Beast

Beast shows the scene of Sphinx, three Sentinels flying towards the pyramid.

Logan catches the collar of Fury, "You resurrect the Sentinel program. You dismayed the better mess of his."

"This is not my choice to make," Fury replied, and pointed to three flying Sentinels towards the Apocalypse pyramid. "But these Sentinels will target the Apocalypse. So they just happened to be our best defense."

Apocalypse is confronted by three sentinels at the Sphynx, they attack on the pyramids. Apocalypse comes out. Sentinel recognised mutant lifes and attacked Apocalypse. But the Apocalypse easily destroyed them.

"That's your best defense," Beast asked, looking at the destroyed Sentinel.

"Actually they are a diversion," Fury said, everyone was confused, why they act as decoys. "Show the Egypt, Mexico and China" Beast showed the three locations, more Sentinel were gone towards the three locations and attacking on the dome.

"The new Sentinel have been modified, by their superior technology to disable the three spheres. They are now able to breach the dome and destroy the pyramids." He explained, as the dome was really disintegrated.

"Brilliant," Beast was amazed. "Something tells me it could be very easy," Logan was still thinking, there is more to it.

Apocalypse after defeats the sentinels, when he noticed the three on his Dome were attacked. Sentinel brings his four horsemen out of the pyramid.

"My horseman, you are needed." Apocalypse shouted, Four people emerged from the pyramids. They were Charles, Magneto, Raven and Ororo (Storm).

Everyone was shocked to see them, some green light cable connected to all of them, they were under Apocalypse control.

"They were alive?" Logan was really shocked.

"What did he do to them?" Jean asked.

"Unbelievable!" Scott was amazed.

"Go defend my Pyramids" Apocalypse commands them. Four statues of horses release psychic rays which transform into psychic energy and become four energy horses.

Xavier sat on one horse and went towards Egypt. Magneto sat on another horse and went towards Mexico, followed by Storm in China, and Mystique at the Sphynx.

While the X-Men were still seeing the four locations of Egypt, China, Mexico, and Sphinx.

Xavier in Egypt, starts destroying the Sentinels by creating a psychic energy blade. He can easily destroy them.

Magneto in Mexico, uses his Magnetic powers, and he controlled the iron on the body of Sentinel and by crashing them into each other, he also destroyed them.

Storm easily destroyed all of Sentinel in by making a tornado of lightning and thunder in China.

"If they failed Logan, I am out of options, except for you all," Fury said, seeing that all of Sentinel was easily destroyed.

"I am looking forward to it." Logan agreed. He turned towards his team. "We need four teams, one for domes, one for sphinx."

"Scott, you contact to Colossus, Kurt you contact to Spyke, Kitty you contact to Brotherhood, Jean you gather anyone you can." Logan commanded, then he went towards Rogue and Sharky. "Rogue you need to go on a special mission, Sharky you need to move to all four places by helping the team to defeat them."

The X-Men split into four groups to fight Four Horsemen of Apocalypse around the world, while Rogue is sent on a 'special mission'. And Sharky needs to show his speed now in defeating all four horsemen.