Superior Reed Richards

—= Somewhere in the United States of America. Sinister's Laboratory =—

Deep underground, Sinister's laboratory was abuzz with activity. One of the many clones of Nathaniel Essex, who considered himself the true original, was intently watching multiple screens.

The screens displayed an idyllic scene. The School for Mutants was experiencing no difficulties or problems.

"That bastard could interfere," muttered the man with the red diamond on his forehead.

Sinister's gaze was fixed on Jean Grey, who was currently studying the material given to her by Reed Richards.

The genius yet mad mind of Sinister had already envisioned a scenario where the entire project could derail.

He turned his attention to what could salvage the situation.

"We just need to initiate the plan..." Sinister whispered, a satisfied smirk curling his lips.

—= At the Same Time =—

—= New York. Avengers Tower =—

Steve Rogers was an icon, a symbol of America in every sense. He was undoubtedly a good friend, but in critical situations where one had to choose between the lesser of two evils, Steve was incapable of making the hard choices that needed to be made.

Thor, in this regard, was more flexible, being the heir to the throne of Asgard. Moreover, he had vast life experience, during which he had performed an incredible number of both noble and rather unsavory deeds.

The Wasp, or Janet van Dyne, was an idealist. This was due to her having grown up in quite sheltered conditions. She didn't yet possess the necessary skills and experience to make tough decisions.

Natasha and Clint, because of their profession, viewed the world through a distorted lens. To them, the world was a chessboard where each side was ready to tear the other's throat out. In essence, they were both right and not entirely so. They were prepared to commit both questionable and monstrous acts.

Hank Pym and Tony Stark, in such moments, were the closest to my way of thinking. They could consider problems from various perspectives, and for this reason, they were capable of choosing between a bad and a worse option.

"Reed, if it's not a secret, what is your team currently working on?" Pym's question pulled me out of my whirlpool of thoughts. We were on the penultimate floor of the tower, where Stark had organized a party as only he could.

"No, I wouldn't say it's something sacred or secret," I replied, looking at the couple before me.

Pym and van Dyne appeared to me as a very harmonious pair. Hank complemented Janet's weaknesses, and she, in turn, covered his vulnerabilities.

"In that case, could you tell us what you've planned?" Janet asked with a slight smile.

I glanced around. Each of the Avengers was interested in what I would say next.

"You're probably already aware that our company has started working closely with directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and so on?"

I knew that by leaking certain types of information, we could save on advertising and set a positive tone for future projects. For this reason, I had orchestrated controlled leaks that were stirring up the internet.

The internet of this era wasn't accustomed to the methods I'd witnessed in my past life. Therefore, creating and controlling hype was quite simple.

"If you're talking about the controlled leak you orchestrated, then yes, we're all aware—probably except for the well-preserved old man," Tony said with a slight smirk.

I had no doubt that my friend would figure out my machinations. After all, Stark had access to JARVIS, who could record such data and present it to him. It wasn't too difficult for Tony to put two and two together.

"For your information, I now understand many references!" Steve declared.

"Oh, really?" Tony said in a mocking tone.

Steve's brow twitched slightly, but he managed to suppress his irritation and said:

"Yes."

"See?" Tony said to me. "Even the old-timers are up to speed about you."

Everyone present had realized that this was Stark's way of joking, so there was no animosity.

"After wrapping up my current projects, I was planning to build the first spacecraft capable of taking us beyond the Solar System."

Stark and Pym pondered this. Thor, however, smiled, as he'd already visited various galaxies, and such statements stirred old memories in him.

"So you've completed the creation of stable portals within our universe?" Stark asked.

When he mentioned portals, the pieces clicked into place in Pym's mind, and he couldn't contain his surprise.

"You sly dog!" exclaimed Stark when I nodded. "When you plan the flight, I have to be there!"

Stark rationally decided that he probably wouldn't have time to finish a similar project in the same timeframe.

"Haha, sure."

At that very moment, I received an alert. Moments later, the entire hall was flooded with alarms.

The reason for the Avengers' alarm was an attack by Sentinels on a mutant settlement in New York. My own alert concerned an attack on Xavier's School.

"I'm heading to Xavier's School," I said, preempting the Avengers' dilemma over where to act.

—= Some Time Later =—

—= The School for Gifted Youngsters =—

This day was passing peacefully for the mutants. Everyone was occupied with their own affairs and enjoying life.

Even the perpetually grumpy Logan could admit he was savoring the tranquil atmosphere. However, the mutant with incredible regeneration noticed everything going awry the moment numerous telepaths clutched their heads and screamed in pain.

At that instant, Logan's keen sense of smell caught a very familiar scent. His pupils dilated as he realized exactly whose scent it was.

"Get the children out of here!" Logan shouted, looking at the teenagers who were watching the unfolding events with shocked eyes.

Hearing the teacher's shout, the mutants began to act more cohesively.

Logan's gaze fell on Scott and Jubilee, who were trying to bring Jean and Charles back to consciousness.

"Get them out!" exclaimed Ororo, who also realized a fight was imminent. "They won't be able to help us now!"

Jubilee nodded, and Scott turned his gaze to Kurt, who appeared in a flash of light. He was busy transporting all the other telepaths into the school.

"Take them," said Scott as his eyes found those responsible for the attack.

Numerous Sentinels stood alongside individuals known to Logan.

"Government lapdogs," Logan said, stepping up beside Scott.

In moments when Charles wasn't with them, leadership fell to Cyclops.

"In that case," Cyclops's visor gleamed red, "let's show these bastards that messing with us is a bad idea. X-Men, to me!"

—= Egypt =—

— The Pyramid of En Sabah Nur =—

Deep beneath the earth's surface lay a pyramid of immense significance to the world. The tomb of one of Egypt's greatest pharaohs was buried under the sands of dunes and the sands of time.

It was in this depth that the eyes of the ancient mutant, En Sabah Nur—also known as Apocalypse—opened.

—\\—

"Well, well, Jimmy!" exclaimed Victor with a satisfied smirk on his face.

His brother's claws had left bloody streaks on his torso, which were already beginning to heal.

Pain mixed with rage fueled Logan's core. His adamantium claws had also left gashes on Victor's body, which unfortunately were also starting to close.

"Victor!" roared Logan, who had regained his memories of the days spent with Victor and of the atrocities his deranged brother had committed.

Despite having adamantium claws that were sharper and stronger than Victor's, the fight between them wasn't entirely in Logan's favor. Victor compensated for the difference in claw sharpness with his feral rage and bloodlust.

"I'd love to tear your little friends apart, but I think your carcass will suffice!" Victor exclaimed gleefully as his claws sank into Logan's torso.

Logan, accustomed to pain, didn't hesitate and tried to sever Victor's head, but his brother was extremely agile and dodged at the last second.

A long wound appeared on Logan's body, stretching from chest to groin, which began to heal.

Logan managed to block before Victor's claws reached his eyes.

"You're an even bigger fool if you think you can get out of here alive!" shouted Logan as Victor's claws sliced his arms to the bone.

Pushing back his brother's onslaught with a kick, Logan lunged into Victor's torso. He needed to finish off Victor to help his friends, his family.

—= Kitty Pryde =—

"Damn!" exclaimed the girl, becoming intangible as one of the Sentinels accompanying those bastards aimed its weapon at her.

The energy blast passed through her as her body phased into the ground, but she didn't begin an endless fall into the depths of the earth. Instead, she quickly reached the giant foot of the Sentinel. Emerging to the surface, she grabbed the Sentinel's leg. In an instant, half of the robot's torso was buried under layers of earth. When Kitty Pryde canceled her intangibility, the Sentinel was irreparably damaged. She had trained for a long time to master this trick but had finally succeeded.

She was about to look around when she suddenly disappeared in a familiar purple haze.

"You should have been more careful, Kitty," said Kurt with the accent she had only ever heard from him.

Following Kurt's hand, she saw that in the spot where she had been moments ago, there was now a huge crater. The second Sentinel had managed to position itself in Kitty Pryde's blind spot.

"Damn..." whispered Kitty, realizing she had narrowly escaped death. "You saved my life."

Kurt smiled and said:

"We're a team, after all."

At that moment, the Sentinel, which had spotted Kurt and Kitty, was hit by a burst of red energy that vaguely resembled a laser beam.

—= Scott Summers =—

From his vantage point, Scott could easily see the entire battlefield. After Kitty had destroyed one of the Sentinels and became the target of the second, Scott had already removed all limitations.

As soon as Kurt got the girl out of the Sentinel's path, Scott fired at the Sentinel. The Sentinel's head was torn from its torso with incredible ease.

BAM

An explosion sounded next to Cyclops. Without turning, he knew it was Ororo, as only she commanded the sky, which was now overcast.

"Scott!" he heard Kitty's shout, and the next second he heard the characteristic bamf that only occurred when Kurt used his power.

"Well, well, I can't let you stab my friend in the back," said Kurt.

Turning, Scott saw that one of the people who had arrived with Sabretooth had appeared behind him.

The dark-skinned man said nothing and simply disappeared, reappearing behind Kurt, but the blue-skinned mutant had incredible reflexes that allowed him to react to the attack.

Scott trusted Kurt, and therefore, without any second thoughts, turned his attention back to the unfolding battle.

Ororo had taken on the bulk of the Sentinels, but some had slipped past her. The numbers were clearly not in their favor.

And that's not to mention those government dogs. Jubilee, Rogue, and Kurt were already engaged in combat.

Scott didn't have the chance to help the others, as he was attacked by one of the government's mutants.

—= Reed Richards =—

The moment I appeared at Xavier's School using the Hiraishin, the battle was in full swing.

I sensed a distortion in space, and a moment later, a bamf sounded next to me. I'd recognize that teleportation signature anywhere.

"Kurt?" the thought flashed through my mind for a moment before my eyes took in what was before me.

My eyes could see the spiritual essence of the beings in front of me. I had seen such entities many times, especially when working at Chronos.

At first glance, they were the X-Men, but in reality, what stood before me were clones. I'd even say clones with a time bomb.

"RAARGH!!!" roared the Logan clone, leaping at me.

His claws flashed but didn't reach me, as my Truth-Seeking Balls disintegrated him in an instant. The clone's skeleton wasn't adamantium, so it was easily destroyed.

"Do you think you can delay me?" I asked the clones, fully aware I wouldn't get an answer.

The Scott Summers clone prepared to use his eyes to destroy me with his power. However, I acted faster. Using telekinesis, I destroyed the clone's eyeballs.

The blue-skinned clone tried to teleport behind me, but I was quicker and turned him into mincemeat with my Susanoo's fist.

At that moment, I was struck by a lightning bolt created by the Ororo clone.

"If I were you, I'd try to do that more effectively," I said calmly.

The lightning had pierced Susanoo's defense, but I felt no discomfort, as my body was enhanced several times over, not to mention that my control over electromagnetic waves allowed me to easily absorb the lightning's energy.

The clone was about to create something else, but she burned up in the flames of Amaterasu.

"What the hell is this?" the thought flashed through my mind when I noticed a device that was getting on my nerves.

After scanning it, I understood what it was. Essentially, the device was creating incredibly strong interference in the psychic plane, hindering telepaths. Considering that the main power of the device was concentrated in the first impulse, I could understand why Charles and Jean were inside the school and not outside at this moment.

CRACK

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