"Rama-Tut's main army consists of ordinary Egyptians," Nathaniel said.
In that moment, legions appeared before our eyes, creating an absurdly surreal scene.
The soldiers wore ancient Egyptian attire but wielded highly advanced weaponry.
"They don't realize that these tools are crafted by human hands, not by gods," Nathaniel smirked.
"None of his men can reproduce or repair the weapons if they malfunction?" I asked.
Nathaniel nodded.
"Yes, Rama-Tut tried to train them, but he failed," Nathaniel explained. "So, the maintenance falls on Rama-Tut himself, or more precisely, on his AI."
This was expected. Rama-Tut hadn't had enough time for a new generation of Egyptians to grow up as the necessary specialists. The current generation could hardly be properly trained.
Hardly… My thoughts clung to that idea.
"Do they have any protection against telepathy?" I asked Nathaniel.
My distant descendant pondered for a moment.
"Yes," Nathaniel nodded. "It's crude but effective."
In that instant, a scene of battle appeared before us, showing a man confronting one of Rama-Tut's soldiers. The man frowned and raised his hand… The next moment, the soldier's head exploded.
"I take it this is their protection?" I asked Nathaniel.
"Yes," Nathaniel confirmed. "Rama-Tut doesn't lack for men, so he permits such measures."
This was unsettling news...
"How exactly is the protection integrated?"
Nathaniel focused, and before us appeared the device used by Rama-Tut's people.
"The weapon operates on nanites," Nathaniel began. "These nanites establish a link between the user and the weapon. Additionally, some concentrate in the brain area to create a telepathy bomb using the body's resources."
"Do you have a schematic of the link between the body and the nanites?"
Nathaniel nodded, and a 3D model of the symbiosis between the brain and nanites appeared before me.
"Damn," I muttered upon seeing it.
I could use magnetism to extract the metal, but it would be pointless since the people would die anyway, making telepathic entry just as lethal.
"Which passages do you think we can use?" I asked Nathaniel, trying to formulate a strategy.
As soon as I finished my question, the surrounding landscape changed instantly.
Before us stood the palace of Rama-Tut, the epitome of pure luxury. Every architectural detail screamed wealth and power—from the golden pillars to the intricate mosaic patterns covering every surface. The majestic halls were adorned with gemstones and shimmering fabrics that glimmered with every movement of the air.
Johnny, awestruck by the sight, couldn't suppress a whistle of amazement.
"The palace of Rama-Tut is indeed well-protected," Nathaniel began. "And it's not just about the guards. Rama-Tut has employed the most advanced technologies to ensure his security."
Nathaniel's words came to life in our imagination as we saw every corner of the palace equipped with sensors, laser traps, and other high-tech security measures, integrated so seamlessly into the decor that it was hard to distinguish the security elements from the decorative ones.
"But no security system is flawless," Nathaniel continued. "And there is one detail in Rama-Tut's defenses that will be his downfall."
Nathaniel then showed how he intended to smuggle us in.
"I hadn't thought of that…" I murmured at the sight.
—= Some Time Later =—
"Rama-Tut, access granted," the emotionless voice of the AI announced.
Nathaniel's plan had succeeded.
"Just like that?" Johnny asked.
I could hear a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Yes, just like that," I said, stepping forward.
Nathaniel believed that the palace's security was linked to Rama-Tut's biometrics. Considering that these two were the same person, we could pass through hidden paths known only to Nathaniel.
"Did you expect us to storm the place?" Sue asked, also entering.
Ben simply shrugged and followed.
"No," Johnny replied. "But I was hoping for a bit more excitement."
Despite his words, Johnny joined us, and soon we found ourselves in a network of corridors led by Nathaniel Richards.
"We're almost there," Nathaniel said after ten minutes. "Be prepared."
He was right. I could sense the numerous weapons and Rama-Tut himself very close by.
According to my calculations, it would take us no more than one or two minutes to reach him.
There was no need for words. My team already knew what to do. Thanks to telepathy, we had rehearsed nearly every possible scenario.
As soon as we reached a hidden door that would lead us to the throne room, the plan went into action.
BAM
Johnny, Ben, and Nathaniel formed the first line of defense. Their job was to distract most of Rama-Tut's men while I dealt with Rama-Tut himself.
Convincing Nathaniel of this was challenging. He wanted to personally confront Rama-Tut, but my arguments won out, and he reluctantly agreed to follow my plan… though now I suspect it was a ruse.
As soon as we entered the throne room, Nathaniel flew straight at Rama-Tut without hesitation.
"Arrogant boy," Rama-Tut said, casually waving his staff without rising from his throne.
A beam of energy struck Nathaniel Richards, causing him to fall like Icarus who flew too close to the sun.
Thanks to my intervention, Nathaniel didn't crash, but judging by his lack of thoughts, he had likely lost consciousness.
"What a troublesome kid," I muttered.
Meanwhile, Ben and Johnny were having a blast with Rama-Tut's guards, showcasing the wonders of 31st-century technology.
"Isn't that right, Nathaniel?" I whispered in Rama-Tut's ear, despite being 200 meters away.
Manipulating the electromagnetic field made this quite simple.
My comment made his eyes blaze with fury, and he pointed his staff at me without a word.
"I see," I said, realizing a fight was inevitable.
His personal weapons were shielded against direct electromagnetic interference, but from my time with Nathaniel, I had thoroughly studied the neurokinetic armor…
"Code: Reed Richards," I said, activating the failsafe I had embedded in Nathaniel Richards' armor from this timeline. "Protocol: Icarus."
An electric charge surged through Rama-Tut, knocking him out.
"As expected," I said, while everyone else struggled to comprehend what had just happened. "This damn cycle."
—= Twenty Minutes Later =—
Once Rama-Tut was neutralized, dealing with his men was simple. The nanites in their bodies were the key to their quick defeat, as I accessed Rama-Tut's central supercomputer.
"So this Rama-Tut is our Nathaniel?" Johnny asked.
Throughout this time, young Nathaniel remained unconscious, as did Rama-Tut.
"Yes," I nodded. "Nathaniel was incredibly fortunate. I took precautions and embedded the necessary protocols into his neurokinetic armor. As we can see, my gamble paid off."
"Damn time travel," Ben said succinctly.
"What are we going to do now, Reed?" Sue asked.
"Next, we'll find out from this Rama-Tut what exactly he's been up to," I said.
With a snap of my fingers, Rama-Tut's armor activated.
"What did you do?" he whispered, looking at me with hatred in his eyes.
"You know the answer, Nathaniel," I replied, meeting his gaze with a calm stare.
—//—
"How did you figure it out?" Nathaniel asked, his eyes clearing and filling with unmasked rage.
"How did I know you were the future version of this Nathaniel? You told me yourself," I said, looking into his eyes.
I then theatrically tapped my temples. Nathaniel's eyes widened as he realized what I had done.
"Bastard," Rama-Tut hissed.
"I was born to a married couple," I continued. "Did you really think your mental defenses were flawless?"
Nathaniel indeed had powerful mental defenses based on the technology of his neurokinetic armor. Deciphering its principles wasn't that difficult, especially since he had demonstrated its use right in front of me.
"The moment I embedded the necessary protocols into Nathaniel's armor," I explained to Nathaniel.
My voice resonated in his mind, further demonstrating that the situation was entirely under my control.
I had nothing to lose by revealing this; Rama-Tut couldn't undo what I had done to Kang's armor. I was confident in this, as my future plans were already clearly laid out.
"Get out of my head!" Rama-Tut screamed.
Unfortunately for him, he no longer had full control over his body. The scream echoed only in his mind.
"If you think you are in a position to give orders, you are sorely mistaken, my dear descendant," I said in his mind.
Defiance. That's what I saw in Rama-Tut's eyes.
"I am Rama-Tut!"
He wanted to say more, but I presented a more compelling argument about his true situation.
How can you make a brain feel pain?
With telepathy, it was quite simple.
Mastering this new power had been surprisingly easy. The location of the Fantastic Four's headquarters in the heart of a metropolis, filled with people whose minds were unprotected from telepathy, had influenced this development. I didn't consciously invade other minds, but my telepathic sonar functioned at such a deep, instinctive level that it felt as natural as breathing — continuous and uncontrolled.
Accelerating my own consciousness allowed me to spend an incredible amount of time conducting deep experiments on the mind. These experiments targeted individuals of dubious reputation, those who deserved punishment. Many, subjected to numerous experiments, either perished or turned themselves in to the police, unable to bear the weight of their actions.
As a result, these experiments significantly enhanced my abilities to control other minds.
Now, Rama-Tut was experiencing the fruits of these experiments firsthand.
"ARGH!!!" Rama-Tut tried to scream, but instead, there was a tortured silence. In that moment, suspended between eternity and an instant, he felt a degree of pain he had never known, pain piercing the deepest recesses of his mind.
I ceased only when Rama-Tut's subconscious acknowledged his position. He couldn't respond rationally, as it was his consciousness that I was attacking.
"Do you finally understand?" I repeated, reinforcing my words in his mind.
Nathaniel didn't answer with words, but his mental image of agreement was as clear as day.
With that, I brought us both back to reality, where no more than two seconds had passed since my last question. Controlling the perception of time within someone's mind was a useful skill, although it didn't work with ordinary people, as most minds couldn't handle such a load. Nathaniel Richards was fortunate in this regard, as his mind belonged to my lineage and was enhanced by 31st-century biotechnology.
"Start talking, Nathaniel," I said, looking directly into his eyes. "You are in no position to remain silent or try to manipulate the situation."
I ensured that my warning reached his consciousness not merely as a request but as an inevitable demand.
Rama-Tut sighed heavily and began his tale:
"After I helped you overthrow Rama-Tut…"
Driven by the urgent need to confront his future self, Nathaniel sought out En Sabah Nur, the enigmatic and powerful mutant known as Apocalypse. He sought an ally to fight against his future self, who was destined to bring destruction.
En Sabah Nur, wielding immense power but lacking time travel technology, decided the best way to help Nathaniel was to isolate him from time itself. To this end, he sealed him in an ancient sarcophagus designed not only to preserve but also to hide him for millennia.
Trapped in his stone prison, Nathaniel witnessed the passage of epochs, remaining an unchanging witness to the flow of time, until the day Kang the Eternal, also known as the Conqueror, attacked New York. At this critical moment, the sarcophagus opened, and Nathaniel, full of resolve, emerged. With surprising calm and precision, he confronted Kang, defeated him in a deadly battle, and took his time machine.
Having gained control over time, which seemed to be his enemy, Nathaniel tried to alter his fate, avoiding the mistakes of the past. But ultimately, we find ourselves where we are now.
"Do you really not understand what has happened?" I asked Nathaniel in surprise, watching his puzzled expression.
He looked at me with a gaze full of bewilderment, as if there was an elusive meaning hidden between the lines of my question.
At that moment, even my friends understood what I was trying to convey to Nathaniel.
"Are you out of your mind, Nathaniel?" I exclaimed, realizing he hadn't grasped the depth of his actions. "All your efforts to fix this timeline have only caused the fabric of space and time to start cracking under the strain."
In the process of creating the time machine and analyzing data from Nathaniel's neurokinetic armor, I made a scientific breakthrough. I developed a device capable of detecting even the slightest changes in the fabric of space-time.
When I first saw the data collected by my device, I was horrified. It suddenly became clear why my future self had contacted me at this precise moment.
If the fabric of space-time were to collapse, the consequences could be varied, from the appearance of rifts to numerous chronostorms.
I had indeed arrived at a critical moment. If Rama-Tut had continued to exist in this time… I don't even want to imagine what might have happened.
Fortunately, I still had a chance to fix this problem.
"It seems we have no other choice," I said, looking at Nathaniel, whose face was shadowed by doubt. "You will have to face the consequences of your decisions."
At that moment, I dove back into his consciousness. I needed to alter Rama-Tut, as my plans required the larval form of Immortus, which in turn demanded forging a new path.
Nathaniel Richards didn't even realize how he began to change under my influence. His thoughts, previously tinged with sadism and nihilism, gradually cleared. I removed these dark inclinations, replacing them with seeds of creation. It was crucial for me to maintain Nathaniel's desire for conquest, as Kang the Conqueror had to emerge in the 41st century, and this trait, over time, would help foster the seeds of creation.
Once I completed my manipulations, Rama-Tut lost consciousness.
"What are you planning?" Sue asked, concerned, looking at me with intense curiosity.
"I'll send him home," I replied calmly. "And our young Nathaniel will have to undergo the same process Rama-Tut did."
After that, we placed Rama-Tut in his time machine. Once all preparations were complete and Rama-Tut's traces were erased, I activated the time machine.
My sensors detected that the chronostorm indeed corrected everything. Rama-Tut was sent to the 41st century.
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