Marvel: Alchemist

Chapter 15: The Breaking Point

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Spring 1983 – Cairo, Egypt

The X-Men were losing ground.

The battle against Apocalypse and his Horsemen raged on, but the tide was shifting against them. The sheer destructive power wielded by Magneto, Storm, Psylocke, and Archangel was overwhelming. Though Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, and the others fought valiantly, their every move was countered with ruthless efficiency.

Jean screamed as a blast of concussive force from Magneto sent her flying. Beast barely managed to catch her before she hit the rubble-strewn ground. Across the battlefield, Psylocke weaved between attacks, her psionic blade slicing through stone and metal alike. Nightcrawler teleported rapidly, barely avoiding her deadly strikes.

High above the battlefield, Storm called upon the raging tempests, sending bolts of lightning crashing down upon the X-Men's position. Cyclops barely managed to counter with a well-timed optic blast, but the raw force of the storm was unrelenting.

Inside the massive, reshaped stronghold at the heart of Cairo, Apocalypse watched with satisfaction. At his center, William Lin remained suspended in an intricate energy field. His body trembled as Apocalypse's power seeped into him, the transformation nearing completion.

The X-Men's Final Gambit

"We're running out of time!" Cyclops shouted, dodging another volley of metallic shrapnel sent his way by Magneto.

Mystique, bruised and battered, narrowed her eyes. "We need to reach Charles and break Apocalypse's control over Magneto. If we do that, we might stand a chance!"

Jean, despite her injuries, pushed her powers to the limit. "I… I can feel Professor Xavier. He's fighting back."

Inside the stronghold, Xavier's telepathic struggle with Apocalypse reached a fever pitch. Though weakened, he refused to submit. Apocalypse, however, was too powerful.

"You are but a fragment of what I am," Apocalypse intoned, his voice reverberating through the chamber. "This world belongs to those strong enough to claim it."

Xavier grimaced, pouring every ounce of his strength into resisting. "No… It belongs to those willing to protect it."

Apocalypse smirked, then turned his attention to William. The energy encasing the young mutant intensified. "Your mind is strong, Charles, but the future does not belong to you. It belongs to him."

William clenched his fists, his body wracked with pain, but his spirit remained unbroken. "You think I'll just let you use me?" His voice was hoarse but defiant.

Apocalypse's eyes gleamed. "You have no choice."

Edward Lin Moves

Far from the battlefield, in his hidden war room, Edward Lin had seen enough. He turned sharply to Jackie Wu and David Chen.

"It's time."

Jackie exhaled, his hand tightening around his radio transmitter. "All forces, move in."

The twelve homunculi, standing in perfect formation, stepped forward, their bodies radiating power. Ares, their leader, smirked. "Finally."

Edward's eyes burned with determination. "William is not theirs to take."

From the horizon, the first wave of Golden Enterprise's elite strike force surged forward. The world had seen war before, but never like this.

The storm had reached its peak.

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