The streets of Detroit were desolate and empty, an eerie display of the devastation that had swept through the city. Scattered wreckage of helicopters and military vehicles littered the ground, their twisted metal and broken glass a grim reminder of the chaos that had been unleashed. A nearby building had collapsed, its rubble piled atop a destroyed tank, its metal hull cracked and broken.
Despite the carnage, there were no bodies to be seen. The streets were eerily quiet, devoid of any signs of life. Instead, the air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and ash, and the only sounds were the distant creaks and groans of twisted metal. The buildings that still stood were scarred and charred, their windows shattered, and their walls cracked. The destruction was not the result of a fierce battle, but rather a one-sided massacre, a brutal and merciless slaughter that had left nothing but devastation in its wake.
"Haa... I need to go travel for a while..." a voice echoed through the empty street, the words carried away by the gentle breeze.
A lone figure lay on the ground, gazing up at the blue sky with its scattered clouds. His trench coat rustled softly in the wind, and his red glasses rested on his chest. His crimson eyes, however, remained fixed on the sky, a small, enigmatic smile playing on his lips.
He picked up his glasses and sprang to his feet, stretching his limbs with a languid motion. "Well, I think it's time to go for a walk," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
He put on his glasses and gazed out at the desolate street, taking in the scene before him. The street was eerily empty, littered with the wreckage of destroyed vehicles and the only sound being the gentle rustling of the wind through the deserted landscape.
"So empty, damn..." he muttered, a wry smile spreading across his face.
As he spoke, large wings emerged from his back, their slow, rhythmic beats creating a gentle whooshing sound. Lucius squeezed his legs together, and with a burst of speed, he launched himself into the sky. A sonic boom shook the air, and a blur of motion streaked across the horizon, leaving behind a trail of disturbed air and the faint echo of Lucius's laughter.
--
(a few days later)
In the vast expanse of the desert, the clouds drifted lazily across the sky, their gentle movements a stark contrast to the turmoil that had unfolded beneath. Birds flitted about, their carefree songs filling the air, as if oblivious to the chaos that had ravaged the landscape. In one area of the desert, a section of a finely crafted building protruded from the sand, a large tower with a faded blue numeral "4" emblazoned on its highest point. Suddenly, a wall of the half-submerged structure cracked and crumbled, and a figure emerged from the rubble.
The person, clad in a worn and tattered brown tunic, stumbled out into the bright sunlight. "Shit... it went wrong," he muttered, his voice laced with exhaustion. The figure staggered, losing balance, and fell to the ground. Gasping for breath, he began to pant rapidly, his chest heaving with exertion. With a Herculean effort, he pushed himself to his feet, his movements slow and labored. "I need to go back..." he whispered, his voice barely audible over the desert wind.
"Reed...Susan...Ben..." he muttered, his voice laced with concern as he knelt on the ground. He gritted his teeth and continued, "I...need to go back, before that damn metal guy comes back..." The memory of his friends and the urgency of the situation drove him to his feet.
He stood up, his steps initially unsteady, but his determination and willpower soon took over, and he walked with a newfound sense of purpose through the vast and endless hot desert. The scorching sun beat down on him, but he pressed on, his resolve unwavering.
"Damn...I need to go back fast..." he said, his voice tired but resolute. He stopped, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, collecting his thoughts. He pulled down his robe, revealing his dirty blonde hair, and his blue eyes gazed out at the desert landscape. He let out a sigh, then removed the robe, revealing a finely designed blue suit with a prominent "4" emblem on the chest.
"Well...I'm the Human Torch, I won't lose just like that..." he said, a hint of a smile on his face. Suddenly, flames erupted around him, engulfing his body in a matter of seconds. A massive inferno shot into the air, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight. Only to reappear in the desert sky, his flames burning bright.
"Let's go!" Johnny exclaimed, his smile now a confident grin. With a burst of speed, he disappeared into the vast blue expanse, leaving behind a trail of flames and a promise of his return.
An hour later, a speck appeared on the horizon, rapidly growing larger as it approached the desert landscape. The speck hurtled towards the building at incredible speeds, its trajectory unwavering. As it drew closer, the speck resolved into a yellow and red robotic armor, its gaze fixed intently on the structure.
The armor slowly descended, its systems humming as it came to a stop. A voice emerged from the armor, its tone laced with a mixture of curiosity and contempt. "Interesting... so you failed, Richard. You failed in your grand experiment... but I really need you. I need that brilliant mind for me..."
The armor shifted, its systems whirring as it prepared to depart. However, before it flew away, it pointed its arm at the tower, and a blue light began to emanate from its hand. A powerful, compressed energy blast shot towards the building, striking it with incredible force. The resulting explosion shook the desert floor, sending shockwaves through the sand. A brilliant blue light illuminated the sky, and a massive crater appeared where the tower once stood.
"Not bad... not bad at all..." the person inside the armor muttered, a twisted smile spreading across his face. His mouth was marred by a torn lip and missing teeth, but his eyes gleamed with a manic intensity.
He turned the armor around, its systems roaring to life as it shot off in pursuit of Johnny. "Well... I think you'll go first..." Tony Stark's voice dripped with malice, his smile growing wider as he vanished into the distance, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
"Jarvis, show me the location of Johnny Storm, also show me the location of 'Vampire'," Tony said casually as he soared through the air, heading in the same direction as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch.
"Alright, sir, I'll utilize the satellites currently in orbit..." Jarvis' voice resonated through Tony's helmet. A few minutes later, Jarvis' voice chimed in again, "Johnny Storm's location is approximately 20 kilometers ahead of you, he's moving at incredibly high speeds, exceeding hypersonic velocities. As for 'Vampire', he's currently in Russia, but my radar systems can't pinpoint his exact location.
"Russia...? Alright, keep me posted if he leaves the country or if anything unusual happens in Russia or its cities. It's astonishing that a missile with a yield comparable to a nuclear bomb hasn't taken him out, he's a serious threat..." Tony said while flying, his voice laced with concern. "Well, let's go track down Johnny..."
The armor accelerated to high speeds, slicing through the air.
"Jarvis, send them a message, it's time for them to embark on a mission that could go either way, I need to confirm something."
--
(1 day later)
"Well, that was quite a... flamboyant welcome, don't you think?" Lucius said with a smile, standing in a vast, open area that was once a beautiful forest, now reduced to a desolate landscape of torn trees and smoldering tank wreckage.
"Oh, come on... I just dropped by Russia because it seemed like an interesting place, and this forest looks lovely, although now all I can smell is gunpowder and blood..." Lucius said, his smile unwavering. A helicopter hovering above fired a missile, which hurtled towards Lucius at high speed.
Lucius watched the missile approach, his expression unchanging. Just as it was about to strike his face, the missile halted in mid-air, suspended by Lucius's outstretched hand. "Haha, okay buddy, I'll give it back to you!"
With a flick of his fingers, the missile reversed direction and flew back towards the helicopter, colliding with it and erupting in a massive explosion. The blast wave enveloped Lucius, his hair whipping wildly in the turbulent air. Branches and shattered trees were swept away, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
"Haa... I'd give that a B, not bad," Lucius said, his smile still plastered on his face. He turned around, and in a flash, something shot towards him. Lucius snatched the object with incredible speed and examined it. "Ohh... this is interesting, nice sword."
A figure with dark purple skin materialized, as if teleporting into existence. He wore a black jacket, and his single orange-yellow eye fixed intently on Lucius. In his hand, he grasped another razor-sharp sword. The skin on his cheek was rotting, exposing the inside of his mouth, teeth, and tongue. A tail swished lazily behind him.
"HA! I know who you are, you're Nightcraw—" Lucius began, but before he could finish, the figure teleported behind him and plunged his sword into Lucius's chest. Lucius merely smiled, looking down at the sword protruding from his chest. "Hey buddy, that won't do, just tell me one thing, did they come...? I really want their autographs, they're great..."
The sword was yanked out of his chest and thrust into Lucius's head, yet he remained eerily calm. "What the hell...? So he was right, killing you this way doesn't work, what a pain..." Nightcrawler's voice was laced with annoyance. "Isn't it obvious...? So... wow, three fingers on each hand, huh..."
Nightcrawler felt a shiver run down his spine and teleported away, reappearing at a distance from Lucius. He gazed at his hand and muttered, "Shit..." A finger was missing, torn off without him realizing it.
Lucius, meanwhile, examined the finger in his palm, a smile still on his face. "Cool... I have Nightcrawler's finger, I'm sure a crazy X-Men fan would give me a fortune for this finger, but oh well, since you hurt me... I won't be merciful."
Lucius's smile vanished, and his eyes turned crimson behind his red glasses. He squeezed his legs together, creating a small crater in the ground, and disappeared in an instant. He reappeared behind Nightcrawler and delivered a devastating punch, but just as his fist was about to connect, something struck him with incredible force, sending Lucius flying across the ground.
He sprang to his feet, his smile returning, and gazed into the distance. There, he saw a towering figure with skin resembling metal. "Ohh, Colossus! Cool, I'm a fan, you know?" Lucius said, his smile unwavering.
Lucius vanished and reappeared behind Colossus, his hand on the metal-skinned giant's shoulder. His smile faltered, and his eyes turned crimson once more. "Dude... I like to play with you guys, hey... did you really think I didn't notice that slow and stupid attack...? I like to give false hope, you know?"
Colossus collapsed to the ground with a deafening crash, the earth sinking into a massive crater as cracks spread across the ground. He gritted his teeth, his shoulder dented from an unfathomable force.
"Since you two are here... I assume that at least you didn't come alone... or maybe you did," Lucius said, adjusting his glasses, his hand still on Colossus's shoulder.
Lucius released his grip on Colossus's shoulder and nonchalantly waved his hand in the air. Colossus suddenly found himself floating, crashing into the ground repeatedly as the earth cracked and shattered beneath him. Lucius raised his finger, and Colossus shot up into the sky, his body a blur as he soared higher and higher.
"Haha, telekinesis is great! A really fascinating power, don't you think, my... blue friend?" Lucius exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
Nightcrawler's eyes narrowed, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance before disappearing into thin air using his teleportation ability. Lucius scratched his head, looking disappointed. "Wait... is it over already!? Oh come on!! I wanted a fight with at least one powerful X-Men..."
Colossus, still plummeting towards the ground, clenched his fist and prepared to strike Lucius. However, just as he was about to make contact, he found himself halted in mid-air, as if an invisible force had stopped him.
"Dude... you really are tough, aren't you...? But I don't think anyone will care if you die, I even think your big blue friend left and left you alone, but well... I assume you're a zombie now..." Lucius said, his smile growing wider.
He moved his hand, and Colossus floated in front of him, his eyes blazing with anger. "You..." Colossus growled, but Lucius just chuckled and the shadows behind him began to stir. Dozens of crimson eyes glowed in the darkness, and a massive demonic dog head emerged, its teeth bared in a snarl.
"You know something...? I like dogs, but I always give dogs a saying... never waste anything..." Lucius said, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy as the shadows enveloped his smile, making it seem even more sinister.
The shadowy dog opened its jaws and bit down on Colossus's head, its teeth sinking deep into his metal skin. Colossus struggled to escape, but he was trapped. "Ohh, you're tough, huh..." Lucius whispered, his smile growing even wider.
"Alright... time for food!" Lucius's voice echoed through the forest, accompanied by the sound of metal creaking and shattering. A scream pierced the air, and a metal arm fell to the ground, its surface dented and twisted. The arm began to transform back into its normal state, pale and bloody. A shadowy dog's head with crimson eyes bit down on the arm, devouring it with ravenous hunger.
Lucius burped, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Well... it tasted a little metallic, but hey, you shouldn't leave any food..."
Lucius adjusted his glasses and said, "Okay, this is just the beginning. X-Men, Avengers, space... but before I go there, I need to become stronger and kill all the most powerful beings on the planet. And also... acquire some interesting things. Plus, fighting against a cosmic being with my current self would be very... unwise."
"Haha... it seems that now I'll be facing the X-Men," Lucius said with a wide, toothy grin, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited!" He chuckled to himself, clearly relishing the prospect of the battle ahead. As he walked, he emerged from the forest, and the shadows that had been dancing around him returned to their usual place, merging with his own shadow. He murmured to himself, a hint of a smile still playing on his lips, "Ok, time to see what tricks they have up their sleeve..."
----
Well, here the author, another chapter, I consider this chapter decent at least, also in more chapters later I will explain some things, as you know it takes me a few days to make a decent or fairly good chapter, but well, I hope you enjoyed it!