Categories > Comics > X-Men > Darkness and Light
Darkness and Light
Chapter 3: Intruder!
**************************
"SCOTT LOOK OUT!!!" yelled Jean as she rushed in to the room.
The scream had startled Scott and had awakened him from his sleep. Upon opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was a long glowing sword coming straight at him. Acting on his instincts now, he narrowly got out of the way...But it was too close. He had actually felt the swish of the sword as it cleanly and effortlessly sliced through the couch. Scott rolled on to the floor as Slayer grunted in frustration and turned back towards him with his sword still drawn.
"Get back!" yelled Jean as she prepared to unleash a burst of telekinesis on this man who had just tried to kill Scott.
"You first..." said the lone warrior.
Then, Slayer's fists began to glow in a strange light and before Jean could unleash her powers on him...He blasted her with two powerful mystic bolts that sent her flying across the room and nearly knocked her out cold. This racket didn't go unnoticed. Slayer could sense that the other X-men had heard this and they were now coming his way. Knowing he had to act fast, he turned back towards his target and prepared himself for battle.
"Who are you?!" demanded Scott as he put his hands on his glasses, ready to unleash an optic blast upon this strange intruder.
"Your executioner!"
Then, with superhuman speed Slayer charged Scott ready to finish what he came here to do. Scott let out an optic blast, but Slayer quickly responded by forming a strange, glowing shield with the symbols on his hands. Scott tried to increase the intensity of his blasts, but the powerful warrior just kept coming...Until finally, there was nowhere left to go.
"Your time has come monster! You're sick plans end here!" yelled Slayer.
Scott was about to respond, when a sudden burst of energy from the lone warrior blasted Scott and send him flying out the window in a dazed state. He landed about 50 feet away from the institute and was struggling to get up. At this time, the rest of the X-men arrived at the room with all the commotion...But before they could do anything, Slayer had leaped out of the window in pursuit of his target.
"Hey! Get back here!" yelled Wolverine as he drew his claws, but was too little too late.
"Who is that guy?" said a startled Bobby Drake.
As the rest of the X-men stood dazed at what had just happened, Jean Grey, who had been knocked nearly unconscious by Slayer's blasts, started to stir...But as she awoke, mysterious flames began to surround her body and her eyes began to glow a fiery orange color.
Back outside, Scott had slowly risen to his feet, but before he could even think of regaining his composure, Slayer landed nearby and drop kicked him back to the ground.
"Stay down! You're time is up!" yelled Slayer as he drew his sword.
"I don't know who you are...But you've just made a big mistake!" replied Scott as he forced his aching body to get up.
Scott prepared to try another optic blast, but this time Slayer was ready for him.
"Not so fast!" said Slayer as his hands began to glow once more.
Then, a sudden burst of energy hit Scott and a mysterious purple crystal formed over most of his body. Like ice, it froze him in place and soon he was completely incased in the mysterious vessel from the neck down. He struggled to break this mysterious crystal, but it seemed indestructible. Now, nothing was stopping Slayer from severing Scott's head from his body as the powerful warrior stood before him with his sword drawn, prepared to make his final attack.
"Don't bother trying to break free...That crystal is forged of good chi. It is unbreakable to the forces of darkness...Such as yourself," said Slayer as he firmly gripped his sword.
"You're crazy! Just who the hell are you!?" yelled Scott as he continued to struggle with his crystal entrapment.
"Who I am is of no concern to you...For you won't live long enough to find out!"
Just then, a loud booming voice was heard by the powerful warrior and his target.
"NO!!! YOU LEAVE MY HUSBAND ALONE!" yelled Jean, who was now engulfed in the flames of the Phoenix force.
The powerful fires of the ancient force filled the area as they grew from Jean's anger towards this strange intruder for wanting to kill Scott. She was prepared to use the power of the Phoenix to rip this man apart atom by atom...But Slayer merely scoffed, for he was unthreatened by even this most powerful being.
"Oh no you don't!" yelled the young warrior.
Suddenly, Slayer's hands began to glow and he unleashed a mysterious haze that surrounded Jean's body despite the presence of the Phoenix. Then, the powerful holy flames were mysteriously extinguished and soon, she fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. When the last flame of the Phoenix was gone, a mysterious symbol appeared on Jean's forehead...And the ancient being then fell silent. Jean tried to get up, but she soon realized something...She found out that she couldn't feel the Phoenix within her anymore. It wasn't like it was gone...It was more like it had been knocked out cold, or put to sleep.
Whatever Slayer had done, it had left Jean utterly exhausted and unable to stop him any more. Now, nothing seemed to stand in his way as he turned his attention back towards his target.
"Even the Phoenix can't save you this time!" said Slayer as he drew his sword back, ready to unleash the final deathblow to Scott Summers, "Now...You die."
Scott braced himself for the final blow...But then, a powerful blast of energy from Jubilee, Gambit, and Xorn knocked the powerful warrior away from the immobilized Scott Summers.
"NO!" yelled Slayer as he promptly rose to his feet, "You're making a BIG mistake! That monster has to die!"
"Back off bub!" grunted Wolverine as he and the rest of the angry X-men now stood in Slayer's way. "If you wanna get to Cyke...You'll have to go through us first!"
The look in Slayer's eyes did not change. He still had the same stern look of determination that he had when he first entered the institute. Even before this group of immensely powerful mutants...He was not afraid.
"Trust me X-men...You have no IDEA who you're dealing with!" said Slayer as he put his sword back in its case in preparation to fight his way through the X-men.
"Enlighten us," quipped Storm who stood ready to unleash her powers upon this mysterious intruder.
"Very well..."
Suddenly, the mysterious warrior's body became engulfed in a strange blue aura of light and he then stomped his foot upon the ground. In doing this, a massive shockwave of energy sent the whole team of mutants flying back as they felt the shock of such a powerful blow.
"Call me...Slayer! The ultimate warrior! I came here to stop that evil maniac from unleashing his wrath upon the world!" said Slayer, who was referring to Scott, "And to stop the dark and heinous future he will work to create...You must let me kill him!"
The rest of the dazed team looked back at the mysterious man who called himself Slayer. They didn't know why he thought Scott was some sort of evil tyrant or demon...But they would not let this strange man kill their leader.
"Yer crazy!" said Rogue as she immediately took to the air and swooped down to attack the lone warrior with her superhuman strength. "I don't care who ya are...You ain't gonna kill nobody while we're around!"
Then, the southern mutant threw all of her immense strength in to a single flying blow...But to the shock of both her and the rest of the bewildered team...She was stopped cold in her tracks by the enormous strength that resided within the strange intruder.
"What the..." said Rogue as she soon found herself actually being pushed back by this strange warrior.
Rogue could lift over several tons at a time and make it look easy, but even that strength wasn't enough to stop Slayer, who seemed to be matching her every ounce of muscle. Soon, Rogue felt herself actually struggling to hold this man back and began grunt in frustration.
"Dang! Yer...pretty...strong!" said Rogue as Slayer began to push her back even further.
"Looks can be very deceiving...Ms Anna Raven," said Slayer through the struggle.
Rogue looked back wide-eyed at the mysterious warrior, shocked that he had known her name.
"What?! How did you know my name?!"
"I know a lot of things...Things like, what your powers are. I know you absorb the people you touch," said Slayer as broke the grip Rogue had tried to use to hold him back, "Well if that's the case...Why don't we try a little reverse action?"
Just then, Slayer's hand began to glow and he lunged forth and touched Rogue's bare face.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Instead of absorbing him, HE was absorbing HER! Rogue felt her strength leaving her body at an ever-increasing rate, until Slayer was knocked back by three kinetically charged cards...But not by too much.
"You better not lay another hand on her!" yelled Gambit as his rage towards this intruder now grew upon seeing what he did to Rogue.
Rogue was still standing, but she was definitely woozy from being drained. Slayer just stood there, who didn't seem to be all too affected by the impact of Gambit's cards.
"Okay...How bout a foot?" quipped Slayer.
Then, with a swiftly and smoothly executed three-kick combo, Slayer knocked Rogue off her feet and sent her flying. She was out cold after that and Remy was now even madder than before.
"You son of a bitch!" yelled the angry Remy Lebaeu as he charged several more cards and prepared to blow this strange man in to dust.
"I don't have time for such games..." said Slayer in an exasperated tone, not feeling at all threatened by the angry Cajun before him.
"ERR! Take this!" bellowed Remy as he threw five charged cards at the lone warrior.
But before they could make contact, Slayer used his powers to make himself invisible like he had earlier. The cards Gambit had sent hit nothing, but he prepared several more cards as he anxiously scanned the area around him, wondering where this strange man was now.
"Where are you!? Come on out an' fight like a man!" yelled Remy in to the empty area around him.
Then, as he was still looking, he felt a mysterious force start to punch him from behind. The force of the punches was greater than any normal human could muster, but Remy still tried to fight back. However, his efforts were in vain, for he could not fight back against something he could not see.
"Stay out of my way..." said Slayer, whose voice seemed to come from all directions in his invisible state.
Then, Remy felt a fury of skilled punches and kicks hit him from the front and soon he was knocked out cold by the raw force of the powerful blows.
After Remy was taken down, another flying mutant tried to stop Slayer. This time it was Warren Worthington III, AKA Archangel.
"Stop right there!" said the winged mutant as Slayer made himself visible again, but he was still not threatened Angel's presence.
"Another flyer," muttered Slayer as he looked up at the menacing Warren, "I don't need this."
Then, Slayer's hands began to glow and a mysterious haze was sent towards the flying mutant. Before Warren could even try to avoid it, he was engulfed in the haze. Then suddenly, he felt his wings become in encased in heavy concrete...And he fell like a rock to the ground and soon became trapped under the weight of his own wings.
Then, as Slayer attempted to turn his attention back towards his target, he was hit with a powerful ice blast that froze him in an icy shell. He turned his head to see that he was now facing Bobby Drake, also known as Iceman. And not far behind him, stood Jubilee who seemed ready to unleash her powers upon the lone intruder. Bobby had formed an ice slide around him and now stood over the immobilized Slayer on a frozen platform.
"Not so tough now are you?" said Iceman feeling triumphant, but the look on Slayer=s face was far from defeated.
"You think this can hold me? Think again!" said Slayer as his icy entrapment was shattered like glass by a raw surge of strength that looked almost effortless on his part.
"Wow!" said Bobby as he saw this and nearly fell back from the ice shards that hit him.
"Now it's my turn...Iceman," said Slayer in an eerily calm voice.
The symbols on his hands began to glow once again and the powerful warrior took a deep breath. Then, much to the shock of Bobby and the rest of the X-men for that matter, Slayer exhaled a huge burst of fire like a dragon and melted Bobby's icy body shell and sent him falling to the ground in a heap of unconsciousness.
He then turned his attention to Jubilee, who was also prepared to fight him, but was somewhat wearier upon seeing him do what he just did.
"What the HELL are you!?" exclaimed Jubilee as her powers began to crackle in preparation.
Slayer stood silently, not wanting to tell the X-men too much for some reason. He remained stern, stoic and still ready to fight. Jubilee, frustrated by no answer, then unleashes a surge of energy at the lone warrior...But it didn't even touch him. Just like he had with Scott earlier, Slayer had formed a powerful energy shield around him, blocking the sheer force of the blast with minimal effort.
"Sorry to have to do this...But you leave me no choice..." said Slayer through the noise of the blasts colliding with his shield.
Then, Slayer simply raised his right hand and in a powerful burst of energy, a strong bolt of energy was sent towards Jubilee. Before she could react, the blast hit her and knocked her out cold.
Upon Jubilee going down, Beast let out a roar and attempted to pounce upon the nimble intruder. However, the powerful warrior was ready for him. He easily avoided the attack and countered with an attack of his own. And with fighting skills that would have made Jet Li jealous, the powerful warrior knocked Beast out of the fight with a triple punch combo finished off with a single powerful roundhouse kick.
"You don't know what you're doing X-men! This has to stop!" yelled Slayer as he tried to turn his attention back towards the still immobilized Scott Summers.
However, these words fell on deaf ears as Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde phased up out of the ground behind him in an attempt to attack. In addition, Kurt "Nightcrawler" Wagner had also teleported behind the intruder alongside Kitty in an attempt to double-team the lone warrior. However, Slayer somehow knew about all of this. As they both lunged forward at the young warrior, he swiftly turned around and delivered a powerful double jump kick combo that knocked Nightcrawler out and did a double karate chop attack capped off with an uppercut to knock Kitty out of the fight before she could respond.
Upon finishing the last two X-men, Slayer soon felt a powerful wind swoop down upon his position. The wind was weak at first, but it quickly grew stronger to the strength of a small tornado. Upon feeling this he knew he was now under attack by the X-men's resident weather manipulator Ororo Munroe, otherwise known as Storm.
"Whoever you are...You won't win!" said Storm as she hovered at least 20 feet in the air over Slayer, "You can't fight all of us!"
Slayer was still undaunted. The wind had little effect on him even though Ororo was giving it all she had.
"I will do whatever is necessary to stop that madman! You must not interfere or things could get MUCH worse than they already are!"
However, Storm simply responded by increasing the wind speed. With an exasperated sigh, Slayer's hands began to glow once again.
"Sorry to have to do this, Ororo Munroe."
Before Ororo was able to digest the shock of how he knew her name, a mysterious crystal began to form around her in pieces. She attempted to deflect them with lightning, but they kept closing in on her. Soon, they were too close and began to form a small encasement around her. Slowly, the walls of the crystal confinement began to close on her and Storm immediately felt her claustrophobia setting in.
"NO! Let me out! Get me out of here!" yelled Storm as she began to panic.
Soon, it all became too much for her and she fainted from a panic attack caused by her confinement. After she was out cold, she fell to the ground, but for some reason Slayer used his powers to slow her decent. Charles Xavier, who was watching this fight from afar, seemed immediately intrigued by this. But before he could ponder it any further, Slayer was faced with another opponent. This time he felt his body lift off the ground as his movement was restricted by the gravity defying powers of Xorn. However, as this mysterious force engulfed Slayer, the mysterious mark on his left eye began to glow an ominous red color as he looked at mysterious mutant.
"I can see through that mask 'Xorn,'" said Slayer as he Xorn tightened his gravitational grip on him.
"What are you talking about?" hissed the Chinese mutant as the mark on Slayer's eye continued to glow.
"I know the truth...And you will not assist that genocidal madman in his plan!"
Suddenly, Slayer's hands began to glow a mysterious black and purple light. And between his hands, formed a ball of inky blackness that seemed to absorb all light.
"How about a little dark matter 'Xorn!'"
Suddenly, the ball of inky black dark matter was hurled at the hovering mutant. At first Xorn did not seem threatened, but as soon as the dark matter hit him it engulfed his whole body in a cloud of total darkness. Now he couldn't see, hear, or even tell which way was up or down. As Xorn became more disoriented, the hold on Slayer broke; yet he still stayed there hovering in the air. The only difference was, now he was doing it under his own power. Then, as Xorn began to struggle even more with the strange cloud of dark matter, Slayer flew towards him at great speed. While Xorn still couldn't see anything...The last thing he did see was a strange glowing fist coming straight at his face. As the dark matter faded, Xorn then fell to the ground unconscious.
Slayer once again stoop poised to resume his attack on Scott, but the X-men refused to give up the fight. As he turned back towards his target's direction, Slayer saw the psychic mutant known as Emma Frost standing in his way.
"I gotta hand it too you, Slayer...You can really fight," said Emma with a smirk, "But that won't do you any good here."
Emma then attempted to unleash a psychic attack on the lone intruder. However...It wasn't working for some reason. Slayer just stood there, calm and undaunted...The look of determination still on his face even as Emma turned up the intensity. And like it had with Xorn, the mysterious mark on his eye began to glow once again.
"What the..."
"Sorry Emma...Psychic attacks don't effect me," said Slayer as Emma soon gave up, "You can protect that beast all you want...But I will not be stopped. I know the truth. I can see through his deception...And I can see through yours."
Emma didn't have time to ponder his words as she prepared to attack by more direct means. She used her powers to cast summon her diamond hard shell over her body and stood ready to fight off this intruder...But Slayer was still unimpressed.
"Ain't nothing harder than diamonds," said Emma as she prepared to attack.
"That won't help you..."
The lone warrior calmly took his battle stance and prepared to fight off the White Queen. Emma lunged forth and unleashed a barrage punches and kicks at the young man. However, Slayer proved to be more skilled than any of them could have anticipated. He dodged Emma's attacks and blocked her blows with surprising ease. Her super-hard exterior did little against the mysterious warrior as he used Emma's fury to his advantage and soon let her wear herself out.
"I don't want to hurt any of you...But you leave me no choice..."
"What are you babbling about?!" demanded Emma, who didn't understand this strange man's words.
Slayer didn't respond with words, but with action. As Emma threw another punch, the mysterious warrior made his move. With lightning fast reflexes, he delivered a devastating series of punches that actually cracked the Emma's protective shell. The White Queen struggled to respond, but then Slayer's fists began to glow again in the same way that they did when he fought Xorn.
"I will stop this horrid beast...And I won't let anything stand in my way."
Then, in a flash of super quick moves, Slayer knocked Emma out with the mysterious power that was vested within his hands. Now, the path towards the still immobilized Scott lay open. With unequal determination in his eyes, Slayer drew his long glowing sword and prepared for the long overdue final attack.
"It's over...Prepare to die beast!"
Then, the powerful warrior began his final rush towards Scott as he kept trying to break free from the crystal confinement that was cast upon him earlier. As Slayer bought his sword back in preparation for the final strike, Scott braced himself for impact. Then, before the sword made contact...The lone intruder was tackled to the ground.
Slayer immediately kicked his aggressor off of him, and found out that it was none other than Wolverine. As he now stood between him and his target, Slayer let out another frustrated grunt.
"I gotta hand it to ya, yer pretty good for an assassin! Who sent you?" demanded Logan.
"I am not an assassin...I came here on my own accord," responded Slayer.
"Then why are you tryin' to kill Cyke?! Why do you keep callin' him a monster?! I want some answers bub!"
Slayer just looked back at the enraged mutant with an undaunted expression.
"Even if I told you...You would not accept it. I will give you the truth...But only after my target is DEAD!"
"Well that's just not gonna happen!" said Logan as he unsheathed his claws.
"I must warn you...If you fight me, you'll only be making things much worse for you and your friends," warned the mysterious warrior.
"Enough bullshit! Yer little 'mission' stops here!"
"Don't count on it..." said Slayer in an unflinching voice.
The powerful warrior then took his battle stance as Logan prepared to tear in to this strange intruder. He hadn't been moved by his enigmatic words, only further enraged. With an angry animal-like roar, Logan lunged forth and attempted to slash this strange man to pieces...But that was much harder than he could have imagined. Slayer's skills with his sword far exceeded Logan=s abilities with his adamantium claws. With unbridled sword fighting skill, he foiled the Wolverine's every attempt at attack. While Logan grew increasingly enraged, Slayer remained somewhat calm throughout the fight.
"You...Won't...Get...Past...Me!" said Logan through the melee.
"I will do whatever I have to...James Howlett."
Logan's eyes widened at the mention of his real name from this complete stranger. But this momentary shock was all Slayer needed. Seeing his opening, the powerful warrior delivered a fearsome kick to the chest and knocked Logan back. The force of the kick was far greater than any normal human could muster and Logan definitely felt it. Then, the lone warrior lunged forth at the bewildered mutant and unleashed a flying, double-kick combo that sent Logan flying. Now, every X-men that had tried to stop Slayer failed. Now, nobody was left...And the path to his target was clear. Scott was still trying to break out of the crystal, but it proved to be unbreakable as he watched the lone warrior slowly make his way towards him with his sword in hand.
"It all ends here tyrant!" said Slayer as he prepared his sword for the final blow.
"I don't know who you have me confused with...But I am NOT this tyrant you keep babbling about!" said Scott as he struggled even more within his crystal entrapment.
"Say whatever you want...It may deceive everybody else, but it won't deceive me! I can see through all your lies!"
Scott just grunted in frustration, as he remained trapped within the crystal.
"Now...You die."
Slayer's sword was now poised to end Scott's life. But as the blade came within inches of Scott's neck...A mysterious force stopped Slayer's sword before it could make contact.
"NO!" yelled an enraged voice.
Then, the mysterious force that had stopped his sword now flung Slayer back away from his target and now he stood suspended in the air before the source. It was a very angry Jean Grey...And she was using the full force of her telekinesis to hold Slayer in place.
"I may not have the Phoenix...But I still have my old powers!" said Jean as she raised the lone intruder even higher in the air.
"No! You have to let me destroy that monster! You don't know what you're doing!"
"I don't care who you are! I will NOT let you hurt Scott!" yelled Jean as she tightened her telekinetic hold on him.
Slayer struggled against Jean's powerful telekinetic hold, but her anger only enhanced her power. Other X-men had arisen from their knocked out state and had gathered around Jean, who now had the intruder trapped. Slayer continued to struggle and Jean felt the strain on her mind. But even without the Phoenix, her powers proved strong as her anger towards this man for trying to kill Scott fueled her telekinesis.
"You picked the wrong team of mutants to mess with pal!" said Jean as the rest of the team stood before the mysterious intruder. "Now talk! Why are you trying to kill my husband!?"
Slayer just looked back at the strong team of mutants that had thwarted his effort to kill his target. They had no idea what they were doing and now they had him trapped. The mark on his eye began to glow...And he knew that time was running out. They had to know the truth...They deserved to know as much. Then, the powerful warrior took a deep breath and began to speak to the X-men...Hoping they would hear him out.
"He's not your husband..." said Slayer flatly as he hovered above them.
"What?!" said Jean, not knowing what he meant by that.
"What are you talking about?" demanded Storm.
Slayer felt Jean's mind start to falter, but he continued.
"Riddle me this X-men...Has Scott Summers been acting...Strange at all lately?"
Jean's eyes widened upon hearing these words and now this strange man had her full attention.
"Wha...What do you mean?" said Jean, confused by what he meant.
"I mean...Has the man you believe to be your husband been acting a bit odd for...Oh say, a little over a year now?"
Jean became increasingly intrigued, and so did some of the others. They looked back up at mysterious warrior with a new sense of awe, as he continued to speak.
"Has he been somewhat...Dark lately? Has he been angry for no apparent reason? Has he not so much as smiled in the past year? Has he been focusing entirely too much on the bad and not the good? Has sounded as if he has stopped believing in what you all are fighting for? Has he been anything like the Scott Summers you all truly know at heart?!" said Slayer as he continually tried to sway the young team of mutants with his words.
"Jean! Don't listen to him!" yelled Scott from afar, as he remained trapped.
Jean then tightened her hold on the mysterious intruder.
"NO! You must heed my words or else the future will be forever darkened by your actions! He has used you...Making you all do things you know in your heart that you would never do! Just answer me this...Have any of you done something in the past year that you deeply regret...But did anyway for reasons unknown?"
This immediately struck a chord with every one of the X-men. Jean and Logan immediately thought about the kiss that had done so much to confuse them. Rogue and Remy thought about the events in Antarctica that plagued their relationship to this day. Warren immediately thought of Besty Braddock, who had haunted him ever since that fateful day when she was killed. Kitty Pryde's mind drifted to her dead lover, Piotr Rasputin. And others thought about the bitterness that had been amongst them in wake of the teams split.
"You are all under that horrid monster's spell...And I am trying to break you free from it! Open your eyes X-men...THAT IS NOT YOU'RE LEADER! THAT IS NOT SCOTT SUMMERS!"
Everybody then looked back over at Scott, who was still tapped in his crystal prison. They didn't want to believe what this man was saying...But something was urging them to listen more.
"If...If that's not Scott...Then who is it?" said Jean who kept Slayer in her telekinetic hold.
Slayer took a deep breath, for he knew what he was about to say would be very hard for them to believe.
"Underneath that phony exterior...Through that deceptive illusion...Is your worst nightmare. That beast is not Scott Summers...It is Apocalypse."
A large collective gasp erupted from the team of mutants, for they couldn't believe what they had just heard. Soon, a renewed sense of anger came over the team, for they did not believe any of what this man had just said.
"Apocalypse? Yer crazy! Apocalypse is DEAD!" bellowed Logan as the X-men just looked back up at the immobilized warrior.
"No...He is alive and well. And he has been walking amongst you as someone you all know and trust. He's been using you all this time...Weakening you...Hurting you...Dividing you so he wouldn't have anybody to stop him when he unleashes his ultimate plan! You must believe me!" yelled Slayer as he looked back at the unflinching team of mutants.
However, his words seemed to have been in vain. The rest of the team now prepared to take him down, except...Jean Grey seemed to be hesitating.
"Wait!" said Jean, as the X-men prepared to attack the now trapped intruder. "How is all this possible? How can any of what you say be true?"
Slayer was about to respond...But he was cut off.
"Jean! Don't believe anything he says! He's trying to trick you!" yelled Scott desperately from his immobile state.
Jean looked back over at Scott...Who was still trapped. Every sense she had was telling her that this was her husband...But from what this mysterious intruder had just said...She didn't know what to believe. There was so much truth in his words...There were so many reasons to believe him. But there were still reasons not to believe him as well.
"Jean...I don't know who this guy is or why he's doing this...But you have to believe me! Everything that psycho says is NOT true! He's lying!" yelled Scott.
Looking back over at his target, Slayer clenched his fists as his words seemed to not be getting through to the X-men anymore. Knowing what he had to do, the powerful warrior prepared...To show them all the truth.
"You're the one who's lying Apocalypse!" bellowed Slayer as his hands began to glow.
Then suddenly, a mysterious force emulating from the young warrior shattered the telekinetic hold that had kept him bound. Jean was knocked back in the process, but she was still conscious. The rest of the team lunged forth to attack, but Slayer used more of this strange power to hold them back as he now turned towards the being he had come here to destroy.
"You have bought harm to the innocent long enough with your hate! I will unmask your deception right here, RIGHT NOW for all to see!"
"You're crazy!" yelled Scott in response, as he remained trapped in his crystal prison.
"Am I? Then come demon! LOOK ME IN THE EYE! LOOK IN TO THE EYE THAT SEES NO LIES!"
The strange mark on Slayer's left eye began to glow once more as he looked in to the eyes of his target. Suddenly...Scott began to struggle even more as he tried not to look in to the mysterious symbol. However, there was no escaping it. He had already looked once...And now something was happening.
"What the..." said Bobby as he and the others began to watch the scene unfold before him.
Scott started to make strange, inhuman noises as the light from the mark on Slayer's eye grew even brighter.
"It's over Apocalypse...Your plans for the future end HERE!"
Scott began to wildly thrash within his crystal confinement as the strange monstrous noises grew louder by the second. Then, his glasses shattered in front of his face...Revealing a pair of sinister, dark-red eyes that were all too familiar to the young team of mutants. Everyone fell back in shock as the crystal that had kept him bound began to fracture and a mysterious energy began to penetrate through the shell. Then, a blinding flash of light erupted around Scott=s body and a loud booming voice could be heard...A voice that was all too familiar to the X-men.
"It can't be..." said Logan as he watched in amazement.
"It's not possible..." said Storm.
"No...It can't be...It..." but Jean was soon unable to find the words she needed, for when the light faded...The image of Scott Summers was gone, and a new presence now stood before them.
"But it is..." said the voice as the bright light began to fade and the outline of a sinister figure took shape, "It is I...Apocalypse."
**************************
AN: Well, that's it for now! What do you all think? Did you like it? Sorry this chapter ran kind of long, but I wanted a big elaborate fight scene. Do you want to see more? Are you curious as to how this can be? Well stay tuned to find out! The next chapter will help answer some of those questions, as well as revealing more about my character, Slayer. Don't forget to review! Send all your feedback to me at slickboy444@aol.com or post it on fanfiction.net. Thanks for reading thus far and I wish you all the best!
WAIT! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING!
Chapter 3: Intruder!
**************************
"SCOTT LOOK OUT!!!" yelled Jean as she rushed in to the room.
The scream had startled Scott and had awakened him from his sleep. Upon opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was a long glowing sword coming straight at him. Acting on his instincts now, he narrowly got out of the way...But it was too close. He had actually felt the swish of the sword as it cleanly and effortlessly sliced through the couch. Scott rolled on to the floor as Slayer grunted in frustration and turned back towards him with his sword still drawn.
"Get back!" yelled Jean as she prepared to unleash a burst of telekinesis on this man who had just tried to kill Scott.
"You first..." said the lone warrior.
Then, Slayer's fists began to glow in a strange light and before Jean could unleash her powers on him...He blasted her with two powerful mystic bolts that sent her flying across the room and nearly knocked her out cold. This racket didn't go unnoticed. Slayer could sense that the other X-men had heard this and they were now coming his way. Knowing he had to act fast, he turned back towards his target and prepared himself for battle.
"Who are you?!" demanded Scott as he put his hands on his glasses, ready to unleash an optic blast upon this strange intruder.
"Your executioner!"
Then, with superhuman speed Slayer charged Scott ready to finish what he came here to do. Scott let out an optic blast, but Slayer quickly responded by forming a strange, glowing shield with the symbols on his hands. Scott tried to increase the intensity of his blasts, but the powerful warrior just kept coming...Until finally, there was nowhere left to go.
"Your time has come monster! You're sick plans end here!" yelled Slayer.
Scott was about to respond, when a sudden burst of energy from the lone warrior blasted Scott and send him flying out the window in a dazed state. He landed about 50 feet away from the institute and was struggling to get up. At this time, the rest of the X-men arrived at the room with all the commotion...But before they could do anything, Slayer had leaped out of the window in pursuit of his target.
"Hey! Get back here!" yelled Wolverine as he drew his claws, but was too little too late.
"Who is that guy?" said a startled Bobby Drake.
As the rest of the X-men stood dazed at what had just happened, Jean Grey, who had been knocked nearly unconscious by Slayer's blasts, started to stir...But as she awoke, mysterious flames began to surround her body and her eyes began to glow a fiery orange color.
Back outside, Scott had slowly risen to his feet, but before he could even think of regaining his composure, Slayer landed nearby and drop kicked him back to the ground.
"Stay down! You're time is up!" yelled Slayer as he drew his sword.
"I don't know who you are...But you've just made a big mistake!" replied Scott as he forced his aching body to get up.
Scott prepared to try another optic blast, but this time Slayer was ready for him.
"Not so fast!" said Slayer as his hands began to glow once more.
Then, a sudden burst of energy hit Scott and a mysterious purple crystal formed over most of his body. Like ice, it froze him in place and soon he was completely incased in the mysterious vessel from the neck down. He struggled to break this mysterious crystal, but it seemed indestructible. Now, nothing was stopping Slayer from severing Scott's head from his body as the powerful warrior stood before him with his sword drawn, prepared to make his final attack.
"Don't bother trying to break free...That crystal is forged of good chi. It is unbreakable to the forces of darkness...Such as yourself," said Slayer as he firmly gripped his sword.
"You're crazy! Just who the hell are you!?" yelled Scott as he continued to struggle with his crystal entrapment.
"Who I am is of no concern to you...For you won't live long enough to find out!"
Just then, a loud booming voice was heard by the powerful warrior and his target.
"NO!!! YOU LEAVE MY HUSBAND ALONE!" yelled Jean, who was now engulfed in the flames of the Phoenix force.
The powerful fires of the ancient force filled the area as they grew from Jean's anger towards this strange intruder for wanting to kill Scott. She was prepared to use the power of the Phoenix to rip this man apart atom by atom...But Slayer merely scoffed, for he was unthreatened by even this most powerful being.
"Oh no you don't!" yelled the young warrior.
Suddenly, Slayer's hands began to glow and he unleashed a mysterious haze that surrounded Jean's body despite the presence of the Phoenix. Then, the powerful holy flames were mysteriously extinguished and soon, she fell to the ground in an unconscious heap. When the last flame of the Phoenix was gone, a mysterious symbol appeared on Jean's forehead...And the ancient being then fell silent. Jean tried to get up, but she soon realized something...She found out that she couldn't feel the Phoenix within her anymore. It wasn't like it was gone...It was more like it had been knocked out cold, or put to sleep.
Whatever Slayer had done, it had left Jean utterly exhausted and unable to stop him any more. Now, nothing seemed to stand in his way as he turned his attention back towards his target.
"Even the Phoenix can't save you this time!" said Slayer as he drew his sword back, ready to unleash the final deathblow to Scott Summers, "Now...You die."
Scott braced himself for the final blow...But then, a powerful blast of energy from Jubilee, Gambit, and Xorn knocked the powerful warrior away from the immobilized Scott Summers.
"NO!" yelled Slayer as he promptly rose to his feet, "You're making a BIG mistake! That monster has to die!"
"Back off bub!" grunted Wolverine as he and the rest of the angry X-men now stood in Slayer's way. "If you wanna get to Cyke...You'll have to go through us first!"
The look in Slayer's eyes did not change. He still had the same stern look of determination that he had when he first entered the institute. Even before this group of immensely powerful mutants...He was not afraid.
"Trust me X-men...You have no IDEA who you're dealing with!" said Slayer as he put his sword back in its case in preparation to fight his way through the X-men.
"Enlighten us," quipped Storm who stood ready to unleash her powers upon this mysterious intruder.
"Very well..."
Suddenly, the mysterious warrior's body became engulfed in a strange blue aura of light and he then stomped his foot upon the ground. In doing this, a massive shockwave of energy sent the whole team of mutants flying back as they felt the shock of such a powerful blow.
"Call me...Slayer! The ultimate warrior! I came here to stop that evil maniac from unleashing his wrath upon the world!" said Slayer, who was referring to Scott, "And to stop the dark and heinous future he will work to create...You must let me kill him!"
The rest of the dazed team looked back at the mysterious man who called himself Slayer. They didn't know why he thought Scott was some sort of evil tyrant or demon...But they would not let this strange man kill their leader.
"Yer crazy!" said Rogue as she immediately took to the air and swooped down to attack the lone warrior with her superhuman strength. "I don't care who ya are...You ain't gonna kill nobody while we're around!"
Then, the southern mutant threw all of her immense strength in to a single flying blow...But to the shock of both her and the rest of the bewildered team...She was stopped cold in her tracks by the enormous strength that resided within the strange intruder.
"What the..." said Rogue as she soon found herself actually being pushed back by this strange warrior.
Rogue could lift over several tons at a time and make it look easy, but even that strength wasn't enough to stop Slayer, who seemed to be matching her every ounce of muscle. Soon, Rogue felt herself actually struggling to hold this man back and began grunt in frustration.
"Dang! Yer...pretty...strong!" said Rogue as Slayer began to push her back even further.
"Looks can be very deceiving...Ms Anna Raven," said Slayer through the struggle.
Rogue looked back wide-eyed at the mysterious warrior, shocked that he had known her name.
"What?! How did you know my name?!"
"I know a lot of things...Things like, what your powers are. I know you absorb the people you touch," said Slayer as broke the grip Rogue had tried to use to hold him back, "Well if that's the case...Why don't we try a little reverse action?"
Just then, Slayer's hand began to glow and he lunged forth and touched Rogue's bare face.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Instead of absorbing him, HE was absorbing HER! Rogue felt her strength leaving her body at an ever-increasing rate, until Slayer was knocked back by three kinetically charged cards...But not by too much.
"You better not lay another hand on her!" yelled Gambit as his rage towards this intruder now grew upon seeing what he did to Rogue.
Rogue was still standing, but she was definitely woozy from being drained. Slayer just stood there, who didn't seem to be all too affected by the impact of Gambit's cards.
"Okay...How bout a foot?" quipped Slayer.
Then, with a swiftly and smoothly executed three-kick combo, Slayer knocked Rogue off her feet and sent her flying. She was out cold after that and Remy was now even madder than before.
"You son of a bitch!" yelled the angry Remy Lebaeu as he charged several more cards and prepared to blow this strange man in to dust.
"I don't have time for such games..." said Slayer in an exasperated tone, not feeling at all threatened by the angry Cajun before him.
"ERR! Take this!" bellowed Remy as he threw five charged cards at the lone warrior.
But before they could make contact, Slayer used his powers to make himself invisible like he had earlier. The cards Gambit had sent hit nothing, but he prepared several more cards as he anxiously scanned the area around him, wondering where this strange man was now.
"Where are you!? Come on out an' fight like a man!" yelled Remy in to the empty area around him.
Then, as he was still looking, he felt a mysterious force start to punch him from behind. The force of the punches was greater than any normal human could muster, but Remy still tried to fight back. However, his efforts were in vain, for he could not fight back against something he could not see.
"Stay out of my way..." said Slayer, whose voice seemed to come from all directions in his invisible state.
Then, Remy felt a fury of skilled punches and kicks hit him from the front and soon he was knocked out cold by the raw force of the powerful blows.
After Remy was taken down, another flying mutant tried to stop Slayer. This time it was Warren Worthington III, AKA Archangel.
"Stop right there!" said the winged mutant as Slayer made himself visible again, but he was still not threatened Angel's presence.
"Another flyer," muttered Slayer as he looked up at the menacing Warren, "I don't need this."
Then, Slayer's hands began to glow and a mysterious haze was sent towards the flying mutant. Before Warren could even try to avoid it, he was engulfed in the haze. Then suddenly, he felt his wings become in encased in heavy concrete...And he fell like a rock to the ground and soon became trapped under the weight of his own wings.
Then, as Slayer attempted to turn his attention back towards his target, he was hit with a powerful ice blast that froze him in an icy shell. He turned his head to see that he was now facing Bobby Drake, also known as Iceman. And not far behind him, stood Jubilee who seemed ready to unleash her powers upon the lone intruder. Bobby had formed an ice slide around him and now stood over the immobilized Slayer on a frozen platform.
"Not so tough now are you?" said Iceman feeling triumphant, but the look on Slayer=s face was far from defeated.
"You think this can hold me? Think again!" said Slayer as his icy entrapment was shattered like glass by a raw surge of strength that looked almost effortless on his part.
"Wow!" said Bobby as he saw this and nearly fell back from the ice shards that hit him.
"Now it's my turn...Iceman," said Slayer in an eerily calm voice.
The symbols on his hands began to glow once again and the powerful warrior took a deep breath. Then, much to the shock of Bobby and the rest of the X-men for that matter, Slayer exhaled a huge burst of fire like a dragon and melted Bobby's icy body shell and sent him falling to the ground in a heap of unconsciousness.
He then turned his attention to Jubilee, who was also prepared to fight him, but was somewhat wearier upon seeing him do what he just did.
"What the HELL are you!?" exclaimed Jubilee as her powers began to crackle in preparation.
Slayer stood silently, not wanting to tell the X-men too much for some reason. He remained stern, stoic and still ready to fight. Jubilee, frustrated by no answer, then unleashes a surge of energy at the lone warrior...But it didn't even touch him. Just like he had with Scott earlier, Slayer had formed a powerful energy shield around him, blocking the sheer force of the blast with minimal effort.
"Sorry to have to do this...But you leave me no choice..." said Slayer through the noise of the blasts colliding with his shield.
Then, Slayer simply raised his right hand and in a powerful burst of energy, a strong bolt of energy was sent towards Jubilee. Before she could react, the blast hit her and knocked her out cold.
Upon Jubilee going down, Beast let out a roar and attempted to pounce upon the nimble intruder. However, the powerful warrior was ready for him. He easily avoided the attack and countered with an attack of his own. And with fighting skills that would have made Jet Li jealous, the powerful warrior knocked Beast out of the fight with a triple punch combo finished off with a single powerful roundhouse kick.
"You don't know what you're doing X-men! This has to stop!" yelled Slayer as he tried to turn his attention back towards the still immobilized Scott Summers.
However, these words fell on deaf ears as Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde phased up out of the ground behind him in an attempt to attack. In addition, Kurt "Nightcrawler" Wagner had also teleported behind the intruder alongside Kitty in an attempt to double-team the lone warrior. However, Slayer somehow knew about all of this. As they both lunged forward at the young warrior, he swiftly turned around and delivered a powerful double jump kick combo that knocked Nightcrawler out and did a double karate chop attack capped off with an uppercut to knock Kitty out of the fight before she could respond.
Upon finishing the last two X-men, Slayer soon felt a powerful wind swoop down upon his position. The wind was weak at first, but it quickly grew stronger to the strength of a small tornado. Upon feeling this he knew he was now under attack by the X-men's resident weather manipulator Ororo Munroe, otherwise known as Storm.
"Whoever you are...You won't win!" said Storm as she hovered at least 20 feet in the air over Slayer, "You can't fight all of us!"
Slayer was still undaunted. The wind had little effect on him even though Ororo was giving it all she had.
"I will do whatever is necessary to stop that madman! You must not interfere or things could get MUCH worse than they already are!"
However, Storm simply responded by increasing the wind speed. With an exasperated sigh, Slayer's hands began to glow once again.
"Sorry to have to do this, Ororo Munroe."
Before Ororo was able to digest the shock of how he knew her name, a mysterious crystal began to form around her in pieces. She attempted to deflect them with lightning, but they kept closing in on her. Soon, they were too close and began to form a small encasement around her. Slowly, the walls of the crystal confinement began to close on her and Storm immediately felt her claustrophobia setting in.
"NO! Let me out! Get me out of here!" yelled Storm as she began to panic.
Soon, it all became too much for her and she fainted from a panic attack caused by her confinement. After she was out cold, she fell to the ground, but for some reason Slayer used his powers to slow her decent. Charles Xavier, who was watching this fight from afar, seemed immediately intrigued by this. But before he could ponder it any further, Slayer was faced with another opponent. This time he felt his body lift off the ground as his movement was restricted by the gravity defying powers of Xorn. However, as this mysterious force engulfed Slayer, the mysterious mark on his left eye began to glow an ominous red color as he looked at mysterious mutant.
"I can see through that mask 'Xorn,'" said Slayer as he Xorn tightened his gravitational grip on him.
"What are you talking about?" hissed the Chinese mutant as the mark on Slayer's eye continued to glow.
"I know the truth...And you will not assist that genocidal madman in his plan!"
Suddenly, Slayer's hands began to glow a mysterious black and purple light. And between his hands, formed a ball of inky blackness that seemed to absorb all light.
"How about a little dark matter 'Xorn!'"
Suddenly, the ball of inky black dark matter was hurled at the hovering mutant. At first Xorn did not seem threatened, but as soon as the dark matter hit him it engulfed his whole body in a cloud of total darkness. Now he couldn't see, hear, or even tell which way was up or down. As Xorn became more disoriented, the hold on Slayer broke; yet he still stayed there hovering in the air. The only difference was, now he was doing it under his own power. Then, as Xorn began to struggle even more with the strange cloud of dark matter, Slayer flew towards him at great speed. While Xorn still couldn't see anything...The last thing he did see was a strange glowing fist coming straight at his face. As the dark matter faded, Xorn then fell to the ground unconscious.
Slayer once again stoop poised to resume his attack on Scott, but the X-men refused to give up the fight. As he turned back towards his target's direction, Slayer saw the psychic mutant known as Emma Frost standing in his way.
"I gotta hand it too you, Slayer...You can really fight," said Emma with a smirk, "But that won't do you any good here."
Emma then attempted to unleash a psychic attack on the lone intruder. However...It wasn't working for some reason. Slayer just stood there, calm and undaunted...The look of determination still on his face even as Emma turned up the intensity. And like it had with Xorn, the mysterious mark on his eye began to glow once again.
"What the..."
"Sorry Emma...Psychic attacks don't effect me," said Slayer as Emma soon gave up, "You can protect that beast all you want...But I will not be stopped. I know the truth. I can see through his deception...And I can see through yours."
Emma didn't have time to ponder his words as she prepared to attack by more direct means. She used her powers to cast summon her diamond hard shell over her body and stood ready to fight off this intruder...But Slayer was still unimpressed.
"Ain't nothing harder than diamonds," said Emma as she prepared to attack.
"That won't help you..."
The lone warrior calmly took his battle stance and prepared to fight off the White Queen. Emma lunged forth and unleashed a barrage punches and kicks at the young man. However, Slayer proved to be more skilled than any of them could have anticipated. He dodged Emma's attacks and blocked her blows with surprising ease. Her super-hard exterior did little against the mysterious warrior as he used Emma's fury to his advantage and soon let her wear herself out.
"I don't want to hurt any of you...But you leave me no choice..."
"What are you babbling about?!" demanded Emma, who didn't understand this strange man's words.
Slayer didn't respond with words, but with action. As Emma threw another punch, the mysterious warrior made his move. With lightning fast reflexes, he delivered a devastating series of punches that actually cracked the Emma's protective shell. The White Queen struggled to respond, but then Slayer's fists began to glow again in the same way that they did when he fought Xorn.
"I will stop this horrid beast...And I won't let anything stand in my way."
Then, in a flash of super quick moves, Slayer knocked Emma out with the mysterious power that was vested within his hands. Now, the path towards the still immobilized Scott lay open. With unequal determination in his eyes, Slayer drew his long glowing sword and prepared for the long overdue final attack.
"It's over...Prepare to die beast!"
Then, the powerful warrior began his final rush towards Scott as he kept trying to break free from the crystal confinement that was cast upon him earlier. As Slayer bought his sword back in preparation for the final strike, Scott braced himself for impact. Then, before the sword made contact...The lone intruder was tackled to the ground.
Slayer immediately kicked his aggressor off of him, and found out that it was none other than Wolverine. As he now stood between him and his target, Slayer let out another frustrated grunt.
"I gotta hand it to ya, yer pretty good for an assassin! Who sent you?" demanded Logan.
"I am not an assassin...I came here on my own accord," responded Slayer.
"Then why are you tryin' to kill Cyke?! Why do you keep callin' him a monster?! I want some answers bub!"
Slayer just looked back at the enraged mutant with an undaunted expression.
"Even if I told you...You would not accept it. I will give you the truth...But only after my target is DEAD!"
"Well that's just not gonna happen!" said Logan as he unsheathed his claws.
"I must warn you...If you fight me, you'll only be making things much worse for you and your friends," warned the mysterious warrior.
"Enough bullshit! Yer little 'mission' stops here!"
"Don't count on it..." said Slayer in an unflinching voice.
The powerful warrior then took his battle stance as Logan prepared to tear in to this strange intruder. He hadn't been moved by his enigmatic words, only further enraged. With an angry animal-like roar, Logan lunged forth and attempted to slash this strange man to pieces...But that was much harder than he could have imagined. Slayer's skills with his sword far exceeded Logan=s abilities with his adamantium claws. With unbridled sword fighting skill, he foiled the Wolverine's every attempt at attack. While Logan grew increasingly enraged, Slayer remained somewhat calm throughout the fight.
"You...Won't...Get...Past...Me!" said Logan through the melee.
"I will do whatever I have to...James Howlett."
Logan's eyes widened at the mention of his real name from this complete stranger. But this momentary shock was all Slayer needed. Seeing his opening, the powerful warrior delivered a fearsome kick to the chest and knocked Logan back. The force of the kick was far greater than any normal human could muster and Logan definitely felt it. Then, the lone warrior lunged forth at the bewildered mutant and unleashed a flying, double-kick combo that sent Logan flying. Now, every X-men that had tried to stop Slayer failed. Now, nobody was left...And the path to his target was clear. Scott was still trying to break out of the crystal, but it proved to be unbreakable as he watched the lone warrior slowly make his way towards him with his sword in hand.
"It all ends here tyrant!" said Slayer as he prepared his sword for the final blow.
"I don't know who you have me confused with...But I am NOT this tyrant you keep babbling about!" said Scott as he struggled even more within his crystal entrapment.
"Say whatever you want...It may deceive everybody else, but it won't deceive me! I can see through all your lies!"
Scott just grunted in frustration, as he remained trapped within the crystal.
"Now...You die."
Slayer's sword was now poised to end Scott's life. But as the blade came within inches of Scott's neck...A mysterious force stopped Slayer's sword before it could make contact.
"NO!" yelled an enraged voice.
Then, the mysterious force that had stopped his sword now flung Slayer back away from his target and now he stood suspended in the air before the source. It was a very angry Jean Grey...And she was using the full force of her telekinesis to hold Slayer in place.
"I may not have the Phoenix...But I still have my old powers!" said Jean as she raised the lone intruder even higher in the air.
"No! You have to let me destroy that monster! You don't know what you're doing!"
"I don't care who you are! I will NOT let you hurt Scott!" yelled Jean as she tightened her telekinetic hold on him.
Slayer struggled against Jean's powerful telekinetic hold, but her anger only enhanced her power. Other X-men had arisen from their knocked out state and had gathered around Jean, who now had the intruder trapped. Slayer continued to struggle and Jean felt the strain on her mind. But even without the Phoenix, her powers proved strong as her anger towards this man for trying to kill Scott fueled her telekinesis.
"You picked the wrong team of mutants to mess with pal!" said Jean as the rest of the team stood before the mysterious intruder. "Now talk! Why are you trying to kill my husband!?"
Slayer just looked back at the strong team of mutants that had thwarted his effort to kill his target. They had no idea what they were doing and now they had him trapped. The mark on his eye began to glow...And he knew that time was running out. They had to know the truth...They deserved to know as much. Then, the powerful warrior took a deep breath and began to speak to the X-men...Hoping they would hear him out.
"He's not your husband..." said Slayer flatly as he hovered above them.
"What?!" said Jean, not knowing what he meant by that.
"What are you talking about?" demanded Storm.
Slayer felt Jean's mind start to falter, but he continued.
"Riddle me this X-men...Has Scott Summers been acting...Strange at all lately?"
Jean's eyes widened upon hearing these words and now this strange man had her full attention.
"Wha...What do you mean?" said Jean, confused by what he meant.
"I mean...Has the man you believe to be your husband been acting a bit odd for...Oh say, a little over a year now?"
Jean became increasingly intrigued, and so did some of the others. They looked back up at mysterious warrior with a new sense of awe, as he continued to speak.
"Has he been somewhat...Dark lately? Has he been angry for no apparent reason? Has he not so much as smiled in the past year? Has he been focusing entirely too much on the bad and not the good? Has sounded as if he has stopped believing in what you all are fighting for? Has he been anything like the Scott Summers you all truly know at heart?!" said Slayer as he continually tried to sway the young team of mutants with his words.
"Jean! Don't listen to him!" yelled Scott from afar, as he remained trapped.
Jean then tightened her hold on the mysterious intruder.
"NO! You must heed my words or else the future will be forever darkened by your actions! He has used you...Making you all do things you know in your heart that you would never do! Just answer me this...Have any of you done something in the past year that you deeply regret...But did anyway for reasons unknown?"
This immediately struck a chord with every one of the X-men. Jean and Logan immediately thought about the kiss that had done so much to confuse them. Rogue and Remy thought about the events in Antarctica that plagued their relationship to this day. Warren immediately thought of Besty Braddock, who had haunted him ever since that fateful day when she was killed. Kitty Pryde's mind drifted to her dead lover, Piotr Rasputin. And others thought about the bitterness that had been amongst them in wake of the teams split.
"You are all under that horrid monster's spell...And I am trying to break you free from it! Open your eyes X-men...THAT IS NOT YOU'RE LEADER! THAT IS NOT SCOTT SUMMERS!"
Everybody then looked back over at Scott, who was still tapped in his crystal prison. They didn't want to believe what this man was saying...But something was urging them to listen more.
"If...If that's not Scott...Then who is it?" said Jean who kept Slayer in her telekinetic hold.
Slayer took a deep breath, for he knew what he was about to say would be very hard for them to believe.
"Underneath that phony exterior...Through that deceptive illusion...Is your worst nightmare. That beast is not Scott Summers...It is Apocalypse."
A large collective gasp erupted from the team of mutants, for they couldn't believe what they had just heard. Soon, a renewed sense of anger came over the team, for they did not believe any of what this man had just said.
"Apocalypse? Yer crazy! Apocalypse is DEAD!" bellowed Logan as the X-men just looked back up at the immobilized warrior.
"No...He is alive and well. And he has been walking amongst you as someone you all know and trust. He's been using you all this time...Weakening you...Hurting you...Dividing you so he wouldn't have anybody to stop him when he unleashes his ultimate plan! You must believe me!" yelled Slayer as he looked back at the unflinching team of mutants.
However, his words seemed to have been in vain. The rest of the team now prepared to take him down, except...Jean Grey seemed to be hesitating.
"Wait!" said Jean, as the X-men prepared to attack the now trapped intruder. "How is all this possible? How can any of what you say be true?"
Slayer was about to respond...But he was cut off.
"Jean! Don't believe anything he says! He's trying to trick you!" yelled Scott desperately from his immobile state.
Jean looked back over at Scott...Who was still trapped. Every sense she had was telling her that this was her husband...But from what this mysterious intruder had just said...She didn't know what to believe. There was so much truth in his words...There were so many reasons to believe him. But there were still reasons not to believe him as well.
"Jean...I don't know who this guy is or why he's doing this...But you have to believe me! Everything that psycho says is NOT true! He's lying!" yelled Scott.
Looking back over at his target, Slayer clenched his fists as his words seemed to not be getting through to the X-men anymore. Knowing what he had to do, the powerful warrior prepared...To show them all the truth.
"You're the one who's lying Apocalypse!" bellowed Slayer as his hands began to glow.
Then suddenly, a mysterious force emulating from the young warrior shattered the telekinetic hold that had kept him bound. Jean was knocked back in the process, but she was still conscious. The rest of the team lunged forth to attack, but Slayer used more of this strange power to hold them back as he now turned towards the being he had come here to destroy.
"You have bought harm to the innocent long enough with your hate! I will unmask your deception right here, RIGHT NOW for all to see!"
"You're crazy!" yelled Scott in response, as he remained trapped in his crystal prison.
"Am I? Then come demon! LOOK ME IN THE EYE! LOOK IN TO THE EYE THAT SEES NO LIES!"
The strange mark on Slayer's left eye began to glow once more as he looked in to the eyes of his target. Suddenly...Scott began to struggle even more as he tried not to look in to the mysterious symbol. However, there was no escaping it. He had already looked once...And now something was happening.
"What the..." said Bobby as he and the others began to watch the scene unfold before him.
Scott started to make strange, inhuman noises as the light from the mark on Slayer's eye grew even brighter.
"It's over Apocalypse...Your plans for the future end HERE!"
Scott began to wildly thrash within his crystal confinement as the strange monstrous noises grew louder by the second. Then, his glasses shattered in front of his face...Revealing a pair of sinister, dark-red eyes that were all too familiar to the young team of mutants. Everyone fell back in shock as the crystal that had kept him bound began to fracture and a mysterious energy began to penetrate through the shell. Then, a blinding flash of light erupted around Scott=s body and a loud booming voice could be heard...A voice that was all too familiar to the X-men.
"It can't be..." said Logan as he watched in amazement.
"It's not possible..." said Storm.
"No...It can't be...It..." but Jean was soon unable to find the words she needed, for when the light faded...The image of Scott Summers was gone, and a new presence now stood before them.
"But it is..." said the voice as the bright light began to fade and the outline of a sinister figure took shape, "It is I...Apocalypse."
**************************
AN: Well, that's it for now! What do you all think? Did you like it? Sorry this chapter ran kind of long, but I wanted a big elaborate fight scene. Do you want to see more? Are you curious as to how this can be? Well stay tuned to find out! The next chapter will help answer some of those questions, as well as revealing more about my character, Slayer. Don't forget to review! Send all your feedback to me at slickboy444@aol.com or post it on fanfiction.net. Thanks for reading thus far and I wish you all the best!
WAIT! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING!
Sign up to rate and review this story