I have finished translating this fanfic, IMUC (I Am In Marvel With Unlimited Cards) and have posted all the advanced chapters on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/c/marvel6395). You can read all the advanced chapters there.
Washington, White House.
The area, now overtaken by Sentinels and turned into a battlefield, was eerily silent. No more human military forces were advancing toward this zone.
On one side stood the X-Men, led by future Logan, and on the other, Magneto commanding his Sentinel army. Both sides faced each other with grim expressions, the tension in the air thick with the threat of conflict.
The scene resembled the events of several years ago when Magneto and Professor X found themselves at odds over how to treat ordinary humans and the future of mutants. Their differing ideologies eventually led them to become enemies.
Professor X believed that mutants should no longer hide their differences but live openly and harmoniously alongside ordinary humans.
Magneto, on the other hand, envisioned a world where mutants ruled over humans or transformed the world into one dominated by mutants.
Their ideologies were like a struggle between reason and emotion, locked in an eternal conflict, neither able to fully defeat the other.
Raven from the X-Men was the first to break the silence. She spoke up, "Erik, give it up. Apocalypse's plan is to destroy civilization and reshape the order of the world, forcing everyone to bow down to him. That's not the future we want or dream of."
"Raven, you're alright." Magneto squinted while looking at her closely.
Raven stared back coldly, her voice sharp. "Yes, I'm fine, alive and well. All thanks to you. That bullet didn't end my life— what a pity."
Magneto remained silent, not offering any rebuttal. He simply sighed and calmly said, "I had no choice. It was for the greater good."
"Huh, the greater good?" Raven sneered. "That's not what you said when you asked me to join you before. Back then, you told me that each of us was an inseparable part of the whole."
Her laugh was bitter as she continued, "And now, your actions are nothing more than serving as Apocalypse's henchman. Is this also for the future of mutants?"
"Raven. One day, you'll understand my intentions," Magneto replied, avoiding lies and excuses. He glanced at the other X-Men members and spread his arms wide, mysteriously whispering, "My goal has already been achieved."
"Goal? What goal..."
The X-Men members were stunned. Hadn't Magneto come to the White House to confront the President and other officials? The people inside the White House had already been teleported to safety by the X-Men.
If Magneto's goal wasn't the White House, then what was it?
Suddenly, the X-Men members realized they had overlooked something crucial.
But there was no time to dwell on it. Magneto raised his hand and commanded the hovering Sentinels. Their eyes glowed, transforming them into combat machines, and they accelerated toward the X-Men members.
Seeing the Sentinels rushing toward them, the X-Men felt a shock in their hearts but had no choice but to push aside their doubts and fully engage the Sentinels, which were specifically designed to eliminate mutants.
The fierce battle began within the White House grounds.
Meanwhile, in another place: New York City, downtown.
After the recent devastation caused by the Sentinel attacks, some areas were still ablaze, with thick smoke rising into the blue sky. The local residents had already been evacuated, and the police had set up barricades to prevent pedestrians from entering.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble violently and a strange, unsettling energy emanated from the deserted center of the area.
"What's happening?"
Several parked police cars continued to sound their alarms. Nearby, officers who were organizing the evacuation of civilians nearly lost their footing as the ground shook beneath them.
One officer barely managed to steady himself by grabbing onto a streetlight. He looked up and stared at the now-empty central area from which the crowd had been dispersed.
The next moment, his face contorted with horror, as if he had just witnessed something unimaginable.
In the reflection of the officer's black sunglasses, a shimmering golden pyramid could be seen rising from the center of New York City. Countless buildings and streets were crushed beneath it as the pyramid soared upward, its peak disappearing into the clouds.
The nearby hundred-story skyscraper was dwarfed by the massive pyramid, not even reaching halfway up its height. It looked like a small hill compared to a towering mountain— they were completely incomparable.
"A miracle! This is a miracle!"
Not only the officer behind the barricade, but also the New York citizens witnessing this scene were so terrified that they collapsed to the ground. Overcome with fear, they began to kneel and worship the golden pyramid.
Near the top of the pyramid, glowing with a divine light, was a wide, ancient altar.
At this moment, Charles was bound to a stone slab on the altar, struggling desperately. His mouth was gagged, and his head was completely bald. Apocalypse, displeased with his hair, had removed it to ensure the ritual to strip Charles of his abilities could proceed smoothly.
This was truly the end. Being paralyzed from the waist down was bad enough, but now he had lost his hair too— how could he ever reclaim his title as the Nightlife Professor?
Charles's eyes were filled with despair. What was the point of gaining strength if it meant losing his flowing, handsome hair?
"Lord Apocalypse," Storm, Psylocke, and Archangel, the three Horsemen, knelt before Apocalypse on the altar's platform, paying their respects.
Archangel, the leader, reported, "According to Magneto's plan, he is drawing the attention of the other mutants. The three of us have regrouped to ensure your ritual proceeds without interference."
"Very good," Apocalypse nodded lightly.
He was about to speak further when he suddenly looked up toward the outside of the pyramid. In the distance, a reconnaissance helicopter was approaching.
"They really dare interrupt Lord Apocalypse's work," Archangel's eyes flashed with cold light as he unfolded his metal wings, preparing to fly toward the helicopter. But Storm raised a hand to stop him.
"I'll handle this. After all, this is my domain."
Storm took a deep breath and raised her hands to the sky. As her eyes sparked with lightning, the clear, sunny sky was instantly replaced by thick, dark clouds.
"Go!" Storm lowered her hands, and thunder rumbled across the sky. Lightning struck the helicopter's rotor, destroying it and sending the aircraft plummeting toward the ground. One of the panicked pilots jumped out of the cabin.
Archangel scoffed, "You're still too merciful. Why not just destroy both the machine and the man?"
Storm said nothing and continued to control the thunderclouds and typhoons. She summoned a violent storm around the pyramid, with lightning interweaving like a net, forming a natural barrier that made it impossible for helicopters to approach.
"Good. Now, no one can break through to the altar," Archangel said with satisfaction.
Just as he finished speaking, a figure suddenly burst through the storm and lightning net, landing gracefully on the altar.
(End of Chapter)