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The Playground
Late afternoon
"So not only is this Alexei guy alive, but so is Malcolm," Thea said, pacing back and forth as everyone stood in the briefing room. "How is that possible? I thought you said Malcolm was one of the people working with Thawne and Thanos in the end."
"He was. I fought him and I saw him turn to dust," Oliver said, pinching the bridge of his noise. "I don't understand how he and Alexei could still be alive after Nebula used the stones."
"Unless that wasn't the real Malcolm and Alexei," Harry said and everyone looked at him confused.
'So you figured it out to?" Barry asked and Harry nodded.
"Would you care to fill the rest of us in?" Logan asked sarcastically.
"Time remnants," Stein said, having figured it out as well. "The Malcolm Merlyn and Alexei Shostakov that we fought several months ago were copies from the past, just like the rest of Thanos' forces."
"Which is why they're still alive. All Thawne would have had to do was access the Negative Speed Force to bring time remnants of Malcolm and Alexei to the present. When Nebula snapped her fingers, the time remnants were wiped out, but the Malcolm and Alexei still on Earth-1 were unaffected," Barry explained and it was silent for a moment.
"That still doesn't explain how they got here or why they're working with Hydra," Clint pointed out.
Steve, who had been drawing something on a piece of paper, stopped. Lifting it up, he handed it to Oliver.
"Is that the symbol you saw on Malcolm's forehead?" Steve asked as Oliver stared down at the symbol Steve had drawn.
"Yeah, that's it," Oliver said as Roy nodded, looking over Roy's shoulder.
"What does it mean though?" Roy wondered.
Thor suddenly yanked the paper out of Oliver's hand, startling everyone.
Everyone whipped their heads towards him, staring as they saw Thor look at the paper with a look they had never seen on is face before. Thor looked…afraid. And Sif, looking over his shoulder, had a matching expression.
"Thor…" Sif trailed off.
"I know," Thor said grimly. "Somehow, he has escaped."
"Who's escaped? You've seen this symbol before?" Steve demanded and Thor nodded.
"Thousands of years ago, when we Asgardians first arrived on earth," Thor said as he looked at the other heroes with a look of dread. "This is the symbol of a being known as Apocalypse."
"Apocalypse? You're sure about that?" Barry demanded as he got to his feet, alarm on his, Caitlin, Cisco, Steve, Natasha, Clint and Bucky's faces.
"This is not a symbol I shall ever forget. You have heard of him?" Thor asked as everyone noticed the look on their faces.
"A few months ago, we had a…encounter with a being known as The Monitor. He warned us that in less than a year, an Apocalypse that, and I quote, 'the likes of which the multiverse has never seen' would arrive," Caitlin explained and Thor was growing alarmed.
"Then it's true, he has escaped," Sif muttered.
"Who is this Apocalypse?" Oliver asked completely lost.
"He was this earth's first powered human," Thor said after a moment. "The natives of Norway believed him to be a god. Perhaps he is. I have been alive for over fifteen thousand years and I have never encountered a being like him. He has the ability to prey on the darkness that exists inside all beings, to corrupt their minds and souls. This symbol is the sign of his followers, the Disciples of Apocalypse."
"So Malcolm is, what, a disciple? I find it hard to believe Malcolm would ever follow anyone," Thea said skeptically.
"Apocalypse may not have given him a choice," Sif said and Thea looked over at her. "As Thor said, Apocalypse preys on the darkness in all beings. It only takes a moment for someone to give into that darkness for Apocalypse to mark them. Once you have been marked, you become a slave to the will of Apocalypse."
"Thor, how did you beat him before?" Tony asked after a tense silence.
"I did not," Thor admitted, to the shock of everyone. "I was a very different man then. Apocalypse was nearly able to mark me. My brother and father were likewise affected. Only my mother was immune to Apocalypse's power. She was approached by a group from the future known as the Time Masters and, together with my mother's magic and their technology, they were able to trap Apocalypse in a place known only as the Vanishing Point. Only then were we able to deal with his followers."
"The Time Masters? You're sure that's what they were called?" Sara demanded, she, Stein and Jax looking alarmed.
"Yes. Does that name mean anything to you?" Thor asked curiously as the trio exchanged an alarmed look.
"Sara, what's going on? What aren't you telling us?" Oliver asked and it was silent until Stein spoke.
Three years ago, we were in pursuit of a man called Vandal Savage, who was in League with the Time Masters. In order to stop him, we had to destroy the Time Masters. A member of our team triggered an explosion which destroyed the Vanishing Point, killing himself as well as all of them," Stein said as Thor and Sif looked horrified.
"In doing so…you may have released Apocalypse from his prison," Thor said after a moment.
"So the end of the world is our fault, is that what you're saying?" Jax demanded guilt on his, Sara and Sein's faces.
"Not just the world, all worlds," Sara muttered.
"No one is blaming you," Steve quickly assured them.
"There's no way you could have known," Oliver agreed, his eyes more on Sara than on Jax and Stein. "You made the best decision you could have at the time. And, as the world's leading expert in blaming yourself, I can tell you that it doesn't help."
"So what do we do now?" Scott asked what they were all thinking.
"If this Merlyn is a Disciple of Apocalypse, he may be the one pulling Hydra's strings. It's also possible that Alexei and the woman with red hair are also Disciples," Sif theorized. "And that they took your friends to turn them."
"Sam and Bruce would never betray us," Steve said with certainty.
"Do not be so quick to dismiss her Cap. As we said, it only takes one moment for Apocalypse to mark someone. One moment of weakness where the darkness inside takes hold," Thor warned. "It's also possible that Apocalypse may wish to make Banner one of his Horseman."
"Let me guess, they go by Death, Pestilence, War, and Famine?" Roy asked sarcastically and Thor nodded grimly.
"Apocalypse's most devoted followers. Unlike his Disciples, they still had their own free will. They also had great power, War nearly killed Loki and myself," Thor said and the room was silent, everyone stunned. "Banner is a good man, but the Hulk could become corrupted by Apocalypse."
"If it is their plan to turn the Hulk against us, then we need to find them, fast," Barry said grimly. "The Hulk on the wrong side of this is not a good thing."
Unknown location
Same time
Sin was sitting at her desk, watching some old footage of Captain America fighting Hydra she seethed, unaware of the symbol of Apocalypse flashing on her forehead before the door to her office opened. She shut off the footage, the symbol vanishing as Malcolm walked in.
"Did you do it?" she asked bluntly and he smirked.
"I let them know I'm alive. That will put them on edge. One way or another, Lord Apocalypse's will shall be done," Malcolm said, the symbol flashing on his forehead.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
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