Chapter 42

"He has successfully returned to his time," I said, anticipating the wave of questions I knew my friends were about to ask.

Sue and Johnny sighed in relief, their tension visibly easing.

"I see you have a lot of questions," I teased, glancing at them.

Their faces were open books; they were clearly full of curiosity about my recent actions, but now wasn't the best time for an in-depth discussion.

"Yes," Sue nodded slowly. "We have a lot of questions."

"I assume they pertain to my actions?" I asked, seeking to clarify their doubts. "Perhaps concerning my telepathic abilities?"

Sue confirmed with a nod, expressing the group's collective concern, including Johnny and Ben.

"Hmm… where to begin?" I pondered, feeling the weight of their gazes.

"Maybe start with why you've been striving to increase your powers," Sue suggested.

This question was expected, considering my recent experiments and research.

Their interest in my motives and actions was understandable; every decision I made had potential consequences not just for our team but for the entire world.

"I am afraid of what lies ahead," I admitted, seeing no point in hiding my true feelings.

My words left my teammates puzzled.

"Afraid? What exactly scares you about the future?" Ben asked, his voice a mix of surprise and concern.

My response seemed to shock not only my stone-skinned friend but also the rest of the team.

"What do you mean?" Johnny's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Let's go back to the beginning, to when we first gained our abilities. Since then, the world has plunged into chaos," I began, trying to bring clarity. "Remember the Mole Man, the Skrulls, the Hulk, Diablo, Magneto, Namor, Belasco… and now Kang the Conqueror. Doesn't it seem that each new challenge is followed by an even darker continuation?"

"Looking at it that way…" Johnny's eyes darkened with thought.

"But we chose this path…" Sue started, then fell silent, realizing the depth of my words.

"Technological devices are great, but they aren't all-powerful," I admitted, feeling the weight of each word. "Personal strength also plays a crucial role. That's why I've been striving to enhance my abilities, so we can all safely face the challenges ahead and so none of you have to suffer because of my mistakes."

Silence followed my words, broken only by the faint echo of our breaths. I hadn't yet revealed to them another important detail — my unbearable sense of weakness, and my personal drive for perfection, to compensate for my own insecurities.

"Reed," Sue said softly, piercing me with a gaze full of understanding.

"You can trust us. We're your team," she continued, her voice resonating with unwavering support and confidence.

"You're right," I agreed. "And you often are about such matters…"

Deep down, I knew I would still keep secrets from them, as some truths were too heavy or dangerous to share even with those closest to me.

A smile slowly spread across Sue's lips, a good sign.

"Indeed," Johnny added, his eyes twinkling with affection. "My sister can't be wrong."

After a moment, he added seriously:

"Jokes aside, she's right, Reed. You can trust us. We're a team."

"As much as it pains me to agree with this matchstick, he's right, Stretch," Ben supported, his voice warm and friendly. "You're my best friend, and I'd like you to show more trust in me."

I was relieved.

"You have no idea how much I needed to hear that," I admitted, feeling the accumulated tension begin to dissipate.

"Oh, I wouldn't celebrate just yet," Sue said with a sweetly threatening smile. "We haven't discussed why you were so harsh with Nathaniel."

I could guess these words were partly because Nathaniel was my descendant.

"It was the simplest and most effective way to solve the problem. There was too much at stake to be lenient with him," I stated firmly.

—= Some Time Later =—

Convincing them of the correctness of my choice was no easy task, but with time, my persistence and arguments paid off, and they agreed with my position.

"So… who exactly is En Sabah Nur?" Johnny asked, his question hanging in the air, filled with anticipation.

"A mutant," I replied firmly. "At least, that's what the scanners indicate. From Nathaniel's memories, he appears to be one of the oldest and most powerful mutants the world has ever known."

"Are you interested in who he is?" Sue asked. "Or are you interested in his powers?"

"Why can't one lead to the other?" I replied with a mysterious smile, or at least what I hoped was a mysterious smile.

Sue just shook her head.

—= Some Time Later =—

Meeting with En Sabah Nur, also known as Apocalypse, required more than just a desire to meet. One had to prove their strength in combat.

This true Darwinist, believing in the principle of "survival of the fittest," accepted no arguments from those who couldn't back up their words with actions. My memories of him and his unwavering beliefs were clear and unambiguous.

"Reed, are you sure this is a good idea?" Sue asked, her tone filled with worry.

"Don't worry," I replied confidently, trying to mask my own anxiety. "Everything will be fine."

We stood at the entrance to a grand arena where the battle between me and Apocalypse was about to take place.

Nathaniel, who had proven his strength to Apocalypse, had managed to convince him to accept my challenge.

He then went to speak with him. I knew Nathaniel had proposed to Apocalypse an alliance against Rama-Tut.

Soon, Nathaniel would be pretending to be a mummy.

"I'm confident in myself and my abilities," I declared firmly, looking Sue straight in the eye, my gaze filled with determination.

The brief moment of comfortable silence between us was suddenly interrupted by Johnny:

"I always thought I was the most reckless member of our team."

"You still are," I replied with a slight smirk, acknowledging his words as a playful glint flashed in my eyes.

This moment of lightheartedness slightly eased the tension in the air and added a touch of levity to our discussion.

"Good luck," Ben said succinctly.

Then came the moment to enter the arena. The arena was a fascinating structure. I would even call it majestic, if not for the grey giant who emerged from the opposite side.

"Do you think you can face me, Reed Richards?" Apocalypse's voice boomed, filled with a mix of curiosity and contempt.

"I intend to do more than that," I replied calmly, stepping forward.

The crowd around the arena fell silent, anticipating the battle. As we prepared to clash, I felt a surge of adrenaline, knowing that this confrontation would test the limits of my abilities.

—//—

"Hello, one who has imprisoned the Goddess of Time," Apocalypse solemnly declared.

Apocalypse of that era did not fully grasp the concepts underlying time travel.

In his view, both Rama-Tut and I had supposedly captured the Goddess of Time to execute our schemes.

"Let's get to the point," I said in English.

A device translating ancient Egyptian speech into modern English and vice versa allowed us to communicate freely.

En Sabah Nur smiled predatorily and responded, "With pleasure."

BAM

His grey fist suddenly struck the energy field I had kept active all this time.

"And why am I not surprised?" I asked, keeping my gaze steady.

A storm of blows, each more powerful than the last, battered my shield like a hailstorm. In this critical moment, I wasn't just standing and withstanding the assault of the Grey Giant, who was apparently searching for weak points in my defense. Meanwhile, I was crafting my counterattack.

The next move unfolded like a well-rehearsed act in a theater. Each of us was ready to demonstrate our skills in response to the new circumstances.

I activated laser beams while En Sabah Nur transformed his physical form. His arms expanded to enormous sizes, growing so large that their strength became nearly insurmountable.

BAAAM

The ground beneath my feet shook and gave way under the pressure, collapsing several meters down and creating a new battlefield landscape.

Smoke rose from En Sabah Nur's hands, evidence of my attack.

"You are a worthy opponent, Reed Richards," En Sabah Nur said with a satisfied grin.

The mutant's regeneration seemed far superior to Logan's. The wound from my attack healed almost instantly.

"And you're not half bad yourself," I replied.

En Sabah Nur was immensely powerful even without Celestial technology. His ability to control his body at the molecular level was truly extraordinary.

"Let's see who is the more deserving!" En Sabah Nur exclaimed.

His body began to grow at an even faster rate. In a few moments, a grey giant stood before me.

"Well said," I responded.

My counteraction was ready. Streams of electricity surged at Apocalypse's body.

I knew this wouldn't significantly slow the giant. Thus, the next stage involved laser beams, which, though not as easily as before, still penetrated En Sabah Nur's body.

BAM

A giant fist met my shield… and broke through it. I managed to alter my body before his fist could connect with mine.

"Checkmate," I whispered as my plan succeeded.

In the next instant, En Sabah Nur's body dropped to one knee. His hands reached for his head.

His eyes found mine.

"You learn quickly," I said as he instinctively began trying to push me out of his mind.

"BEGONE!" En Sabah Nur yelled.

He believed he had freed himself from the traps I had set, but unfortunately for him, this was not the case.

When En Sabah Nur opened his eyes to the real world, he was greeted by hundreds of psychic constructs, each with an electrical charge.

"Round two?" I asked with a smirk.

En Sabah Nur wore the same grin. I knew he enjoyed this battle as much as I did.

"HAHAHAHA!" laughed one of the staunchest advocates of social Darwinism.

He continued to enjoy the fight, even as his body became a target for hundreds of energy constructs.

Even when his form resembled a porcupine's, the smile never left his face. On the contrary, his gaze sought more challenges, and I was ready to provide them.

SNAP

Lightning pierced the energy constructs, flashing brightly through them.

En Sabah Nur's body turned into a cage, where snakes of pure electricity writhed and glowed, enveloping him from all sides.

However, such damage didn't kill him. His powers restored him completely.

"This will be interesting…" I thought as he almost fully recovered.

—= Some Time Later =—

Our battle lasted three days. During this time, I became accustomed to En Sabah Nur's fighting style, just as he became familiar with mine. His abilities aided him greatly.

Molecular control over his own body was incredible. The basic powers of Apocalypse, which granted him immortality and numerous abilities, were astonishing.

I benefited from the fact that Apocalypse had not yet become the monster he was destined to be in the future.

And thanks to the fact that his body hadn't gained the power of Celestial technology and that I had mastered my abilities slightly better than he had his… I managed to draw the fight to a stalemate.

"He's strong," Ben commented.

At that moment, we were in En Sabah Nur's palace.

"No wonder Rama-Tut sought an alliance with him," I said. "En Sabah Nur had every ability to fight on equal terms with Rama-Tut."

"Now I understand why Apocalypse would spell disaster," Sue said.

My friends had seen the data from Nathaniel's database. They all understood that we couldn't eliminate him. In some way, his ideology allowed humanity to reach the heights we saw in our time.

"Did you achieve what you wanted?" Johnny asked me.

I nodded and revealed samples taken from Apocalypse.

"We need to study these samples and En Sabah Nur's fighting style to prepare a response if he decides to put on a show in the future," I said.

At the same time, I thought about what I had left within En Sabah Nur himself. Thanks to telepathy, I managed to place necessary backdoors, just in case.

"Is that all?" Sue asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Already tired of being here?" Johnny asked with a slight smirk.

His older sister glared at him.

"Johnny," she said.

Johnny Storm quickly understood it was best to remain silent.

"Got it, got it."

"Our work here is done," I said. "We can go home."

"Good, I've missed New York hot dogs," Ben grumbled lightly.

—= Nicholas Joseph Fury =—

The gaze of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury was filled with various emotions, but the most prominent was hope.

"I've fulfilled my part of the deal, Fury," Namor McKenzie said.

The King of Atlantis wasn't pleased to be under Nick Fury's supervision, but he couldn't help feeling relieved.

"Yes, McKenzie, you've upheld your end of the bargain," Fury said. "And that's the only reason I'm not ordering your neutralization right now."

The King of Atlantis smirked and replied, "If he wakes up, you know how to reach me."

Then he dove into the ocean and disappeared in an instant.

"If he wakes up, I doubt he'll want to contact you," Fury thought.

Director Fury's gaze settled on the source of the situation. A block of ice encased his old comrade, his old friend. The icon of America, Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America.

"Too much has changed, Rogers," Fury thought.

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