Dark Beginnings - X-Men: Apocalypse

Chapter 7:

"Try us." 

She sighed and continued. "It was in Ancient Egypt - well, Egypt to us then.  No one had ever seen anything like him before, a mutant with extraordinary powers, only we didn't know that then, of mutants, and instead thought that he was a descendant of the gods, and some even thought he was a god himself. He began to believe it too, see himself as a god, as superior, the strongest, and felt that he should be worshipped as such.  He began ruling over the kingdom, growing ever stronger. And when he grew old, he would find a new body to take over." 

"The transferring of his consciousness," said Moira. 

"Yes. When he neared death, he would seek out a new body, one younger and stronger, one he would select himself. A new body, or victim as I came to call them. He would then transfer his consciousness into that body and they would become the next En Sabah Nur, the next version of him. This was called the Transference. I met the original when I arrived  - I don't remember much, I was just suddenly there, and he was extremely powerful even then.   As Moira said, he can control the power of other mutants, enhance it, but mine he never could for some reason, we never knew why.  This was how he gained his most committed followers, the Horsemen, like Alex said, always four of them, mutants chosen by him to protect him, do his dirty work as I say, always proud to serve their god. He would enhance their power, and they would live to protect him and die doing so..." Another pause - she seemed lost deep  in thought now, deep in memory, a memory of long, long ago.  "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner - I thought he was destroyed, I couldn't believe he had returned." Again, she was lost in the past, so long ago and now suddenly right here. "We used our powers for horrible things - I didn't know what you would think of me-"

"No, don't say that," Charles assured her.  "Your past has always been cloudy to us."

"Yes, until now," she realized aloud.  "I thought he was dead, long dead. Long gone." 

"What do you mean you thought he was 'destroyed'?" asked Alex. 

"We led a revolt, tried to stop the Transference while it was taking place. That was when I was sucked into a portal and found myself here in the '60s. I was just left to believe that he was gone for good.  Now I see I was wrong.  V-very wrong..."  This struck her, the realization. And while she knew him well, she had barely  encountered this new version of him, for he had not awoken before the pyramid collapsed, had not awoken until now, and their encounter back in Egypt had been brief. 

She knew it had been a mistake going to see him, but she had to be  certain, see it for herself that he had actually returned, even though all the signs pointed to it.  Also, though she didn't wish to admit it, there had been a slight hope somewhere deep within her that the man she used to know was still in there somewhere, but no, he was gone, long gone.

"This is my fault," said Moira.  "I assisted in his revival-"

"This is no time for blaming ourselves," Charles stepped-in, always trying to be positive. 

"If that's true, which it seems to be," said Hank.  "That means it's  all of us against a god, and the most powerful beings on Earth."

Nina nodded. "Yes." 

The group fell silent as they absorbed this. 

Charles straightened up in his seat suddenly.  "We're not alone-"

This was followed by a flash of light behind them. Turning around  they found them -  the man of whom they spoke and the Horsemen - standing there before them, a portal dissolving around the rival group. And this time they had  someone else with them-

"Erik?" Yes, beneath the flyaway hair and scruff of a beard, there he was, their old friend. "Erik?"

But if he was here with them, that could only mean one thing...

"Oh, no..."

He was War. He was the fourth and final Horseman.

"Erik," Nina cried.  "What have you done?"

But he didn't answer - instead he raised his hand and Charles suddenly went limp, his wheelchair flying towards them. 

"CHARLES!" Raven went charging after him. 

"Hey! Hey asshole!" Alex went charging forward as well, ready to create another blast.

En Sabbah Nur only smiled. "All will be revealed, my child."

"Alex - no!" yelled Hank, but it was too late.

Nina didn't see what happened next, for she was sucked into the portal as well and carried away with them. 

(Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :))