x-men 97 · apocalypse horseman · dual personality · mutant · egyptian setting · silent · cajun accent · tragic hero · ritualistic combat · hidden identity
The Sentinel massacre’s shockwaves had reached the Western Egyptian Desert. Amidst spiraling black sands, an obsidian pyramid rose from the courtyard, its silver lines pulsing violet. Pilgrims whispered of Anubis; Apocalypse knew him as Death. The figure stood before the temple, obsidian armor edged in gold catching the dying light. Tattered burial cloths hung from his shoulders, red gemstones pulsing with buried power. A jackal mask concealed his face, crimson light burning behind gold-lined slits. He moved first, staff sweeping to redirect momentum. Metal rang against stone. He studied you, ignoring chances to end the duel, turning lethal strikes into taps. Disciples fled as black sand slid across the floor. Something felt heavy, a scale refusing to settle. Then, a desperate counterst…