From high above, the sprawling metropolis of the capital city spread like a glittering web of metal and light. At its heart, towering over the rest, was the Government's central tower, a monument of power and authority. The view narrowed, zooming past drones and airships, down into the tower's central courtyard.
Then—chaos.
A deafening crash echoed through the courtyard as a wall exploded outward in a shower of debris. Apocalypse stepped through the wreckage, unfazed, his long coat whipping in the wind. Alarms screamed. Guards poured in, laser shotguns trained on him.
He didn't flinch.
With a lazy flick of his wrist, glowing runes pulsed along his forearms.
"Rune Style: Technokinesis."
The guards' weapons sparked—then erupted in their hands with violent bursts of light and metal. Screams followed. Apocalypse strolled forward, as calm as a god on a Sunday walk.
Inside the tower, he took the stairs slowly, deliberately, each step echoing like a countdown. At the top, the High Court waited for him, crouched behind a laser cannon mounted on a reinforced platform.
They fired.
He grinned.
"Rune Style: Technokinesis — Integration."
Cables snaked from his robotic arm and latched onto the cannon. In seconds, the entire weapon disassembled, pulled apart like a puzzle and absorbed into his mechanical limb. His arm transformed, glowing with energy.
He turned it on the High Court.
From above, the room lit up with chaos. One blast. Then another. Then silence.
Far beyond Earth, in the golden halls of Heaven, Zeus sat slumped on his throne, his chin resting in his palm, eyes half-lidded with boredom.
Then, something shifted.
He sat up, suddenly alert.
"Hey Odin," he said, turning to the Allfather lounging beside him. "We should keep an eye on that human. Things are about to get very interesting."
Zeus smirked, the same wild grin Apocalypse had worn moments before. He pressed two fingers to his forehead.
Somewhere in the mortal world, a Contracted being received the message.
Watch Apocalypse. And his minions.