Chapter 182: Chapter Sixty-One, Part Two
Endless darkness stretched out, a perfect void that continued beyond perception. Dan and Venom divided their efforts. The symbiote held the phantom drive in an active state, while Dan constructed a vast wall of geometric runes.
Each move took an eternity, a chain of instances that carried a boundless amount of time. The phantom zone extended events to an absurd degree, something he'd long grown accustomed to during his many visits.
"How are you holding up?" Dan's voice echoed through the nothingness, a disruptive whisper in a silent room. Venom's body vibrated, braced against his immovable cells for support.
"We are fine," the symbiote hissed, tone strained as he prevented the phantom drive's protective bubble from collapsing. "But we must hurry, the drive we have absorbed was not designed for long term operation."
Dan nodded, jaw set tight as he continued his work. Most of his spell was complete. All that remained was the most difficult section, one of the only fused spellworks that he and Cal had created with Merlyn's magic.
"I'm almost finished, just give me a few more seconds…" Dan frowned as a wave of destabilised space rushed in from the distance, repelled by his biofield to another corner of the infinity around them. "These anomalies are getting more frequent the longer we stay here."
The wave came in a rhythmic pulse, targeted at their location as if drawn in by their existence. Dan's spatial abilities were enough so far, but each anomaly was double the strength of the one before it.
This last had closed in on universal levels of power, the next would take all he had under his command to reflect. Dan pushed his body, hands and mind accelerated beyond the limit as he wove his spell.
"Hurry…" the darkness swelled around them, a mountain that tilted its face toward them. Venom shuddered, pushed to the edge of his abilities as he held the phantom drive with all his strength. "We are losing our grip…"
Blood thundered in his veins, body pressed against the bizarre flow of time within the phantom zone. Purple light expanded from him, infused into his biofield and levied against the oncoming wave like a shield.
Violet energy crackled over his skin, diffused into the void as he pushed aside the crush of tangled space. The next wave would be beyond him, a power that dwarfed the stone under his command, even when combined with the might of his flesh.
"Almost there…" Dan divided into countless afterimages, the last of his framework nearly in place. His work had to be perfect, or the spell would fail and they may be trapped within the phantom zone's eternal embrace. "Just a few more seconds…"
Space groaned around them, the cry of an invisible leviathan that heralded the rise of an insurmountable force. Darkness boiled around them, pulled back as the next wave reached the tipping point.
"We cannot hold!" Venom snarled, voice rendered thin as the phantom bubble flickered around them. Dan roared, biofield divided as he held the space in position without the phantom drive's aid.
A multiversal hammer descended from above, driven home as Dan slammed the last of his runes into place. Brilliant white exploded outward, a warm glow that held up the fallen skies. The silence of the void fell away, replaced by the flame of a silver sun.
– – – –
"Atlantis has severed its communications with the Fortress," Cal frowned as Prime One sent a report into his ears. "It seems that Namor has chosen to stand against us."
"That idiot…" Kara scowled, fists tightened into balls as she turned her gaze toward the distant city. Empty ocean stood in its place, no doubt hidden away by En Sabah Nur's power. "What is he thinking? Apocalypse might have an advantage in stealth, but he should know better than to believe Dan-EL has abandoned the Earth…"
"He's been gone for almost a month," Cal shrugged as he messaged all the registered members of the Order. "His attempt to tame the phantom zone may take far longer than that and Namor has to consider the welfare of his kingdom."
Kara snorted and shook her head. The fish king would know that his chances of survival now rested on Apocalypse's shoulders. If the ancient mutant failed, she would bury Namor herself.
"What should we do now?" A deep breath pushed her anger to the back of her mind and returned Kara's focus to the present. "We still can't detect En Sabah Nur's location and we've lost several of the more promising students without putting up any real resistance."
Apocalypse was capable of teleporting himself and others, while one of his horsemen granted him the ability to phase in and out of physical reality. Combined with his ability to hide, they were at a disadvantage when it came to the mutant's mobility.
"The Primes have recommended we gather all the staff and students inside the Fortress," Cal sighed as he finished sending his orders to the Academy Heads. "They still haven't managed to get inside the Celestial pyramid, but Prime One believes he can prevent Apocalypse from teleporting inside the base. He and the Starks have analysed the sensor data of the first attack."
"I think we should move the more vulnerable off world," Kara shook her head as they set course for the Antarctic Fortress. "Most of the students don't have the willpower needed to counter Farouk's mental attacks, they'll only get in the way when the actual battle starts."
"Perhaps… but who will guard them?" Cal shrugged as he waved to the Earth below. "We have to stay and do our best to protect the people, and any powerhouse we send will only weaken our position."
"I've got an idea for that as well," Kara flashed an evil grin as she connected to Prime One's com-frequency. "Hey Prime, I want you to construct a guardian, alongside an ark-ship large enough to house every member of Krypton Academy…"
– – – –
"Eight apostles have been gathered," En Sabah Nur gazed at the holographic projection of the Earth, focused on the Fortress near the south pole. "Soon my power will be at its peak and even Superman will not be my match."
"Yes, Father," Famine bowed his head, expression hidden behind his egyptian mask. "We have found two more candidates, as well as a potential third that the Winter Soldier has put forward."
"Oh?" Apocalypse raised an eyebrow and turned to the bulky figure that loomed behind his horsemen. First of his apostles, the Winter Soldier had proven most useful in avoiding Superman's underlings and locating powerful mutants. "What candidate do you suggest we hunt down next?"
"Another mutant that has received the 'Superman serum' still remains," a harsh voice grated from the oversized figure, ground out past sharpened teeth. Light from Apocalypse's throne glinted from armoured flesh and exposed bone-spurs as the Winter Soldier bent the knee. "The one called 'Wolverine' would make a perfect addition to our forces…"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
VendakSoth
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