Chapter 987: Marvel: Awakening the Little Cosmos at the Start, Chapter 540

But...

And then?

Do you think that alone will make Hawkeye retreat?

Not happening.

So—

Cairo, Egypt.

Yellow sand rolls under the scorching sun like a golden ocean; in the desert on the outskirts, a Gao Song metal pyramid, pure metal built by Magneto not long ago and symbolizing Apocalypse's latest Wang Zuo for the mutants, rises from the ground.

Standing on the dune before the pyramid, Apocalypse is flanked by the Four Horsemen he recruited.

Apocalypse's sapphire-blue skin gleams with a metallic luster under the sun.

Apocalypse is tall and burly, with dark patterns on his face and head and wrinkles on his chin.

Clad in ancient dark armor bearing religious and Egyptian motifs, Apocalypse standing on the dune looks like an ancient tyrant stepping out of Egyptian mythology.

At this moment, Apocalypse's eyes are half-closed, the images that surged into his mind at the moment of his resurrection flashing repeatedly in his thoughts.

Just then.

Boom!

A deafening roar suddenly tears through the sky.

In this world, the Cairo thief, the mutant Storm with many dreadlocks, the mutant Psylocke in a purple tight combat suit outlining perfect muscle lines, the mutant Angel with a pair of huge, sharp metal wings on his back, and the mutant Magneto, who donned his red helmet and dark armor again after his wife and daughter died miserably, all look up in unison toward the sky ten thousand li high.

Into view!

A scarlet light streaks in from the distance, instantly splitting the clouds, then plunges at supersonic speed to land over a hundred meters away from Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen.

The moment Hawkeye's feet hit the ground, the shockwave flattens the surrounding dunes instantly, and the tremor spreads for several li.

Fierce yellow sand, billowing like thick smoke, howls toward Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen.

Apocalypse stands motionless.

But his Four Horsemen are knocked to the ground by the sudden gust.

Though the dune beneath his feet has collapsed, Apocalypse, relying on his molecular manipulation ability, stands steadily in the raging sand; his slightly red eyes open, then his gaze cuts through the swirling sand and lands on Hawkeye, tall and stern-faced in a scarlet tight combat suit.

Four eyes meet.

"I'm curious..."

Hawkeye speaks, his voice as usual, cool and calm, as if chatting: "I can understand that you can sense me, but that you know I come from outside is something I cannot understand. So, who stands behind you? The Celestials?"

Yes.

He does not believe that Apocalypse alone could challenge him.

Just as Hawkeye just said, Apocalypse might sense his presence, but absolutely has no way of knowing he comes from outside.

Without doubt.

There must be someone else from outside, like him, who found Apocalypse and made Apocalypse serve as the vanguard this time.

Hawkeye's first suspect is the Celestials, with whom he has a grudge.

But he cannot be certain.

After all, if the Celestials were behind it, then when Apocalypse captured Professor X at that time, he should have taken his daughter Jean as well.

Only then would Hawkeye hesitate to strike for fear of harming a hostage.

Not like now.

Apocalypse holds no leverage to threaten him.

Because daughter Jean is now with her mother; Wanda, strengthened by motherhood, would be disappointed if the mastermind tried any diversion tactic, for they would face the Scarlet Witch's overwhelming wrath as a mother.

But...

Hearing Hawkeye's words, Apocalypse remains motionless, his red pupils fixed on Hawkeye.

As for the other three Horsemen beside him, excluding Magneto, they feel as though if the master is insulted, the servants must die, and they attempt to attack Hawkeye.

Hawkeye's gaze takes in everything as he watches Apocalypse, unmoved.

"Fine!"

"Won't say it? Then I'll ask the question again while we fight!"

"Bang!"

Hawkeye's figure draws a scarlet afterimage across the desert; a second ago he was over a hundred meters away, and the instant he finishes speaking, Hawkeye's fist is already at Apocalypse's face.

Apocalypse crosses his arms before his chest; under the Mutant Ability—Molecular Reorganization, his arms are covered with an indestructible alloy shell.

Boom!

The moment Hawkeye's fist collides with Apocalypse's arm, a deafening metallic roar erupts.

The three eager Horsemen are knocked flying once more.

Magneto quickly dodges the area affected by the attack, then, following his agreement with Apocalypse, rises into the air and begins to exert force, twisting and shifting Earth's magnetic field.

The ground beneath Apocalypse's feet cracks in a radial pattern; the fissures spread from under Apocalypse's feet all the way toward the base of the huge metal pyramid towering over the desert in the distance.

The entire desert seems to tremble under Hawkeye's strike.

The next second.

In the blink of an eye, Apocalypse finally cannot withstand Hawkeye's fist, which strikes like a star colliding; he is instantly blasted away, his body like a cannonball piercing three dunes, momentum unabated, catching up with the fissure spreading toward the pyramid's base, and finally, with a boom, his back slams into the pyramid's outer wall.

The moment he looks up, Hawkeye has already reappeared before him.

Second punch.

Boom!

Mutant Ability—Molecular Reorganization!

The instant Hawkeye's second punch descends, Apocalypse instantly disassembles his molecular structure; Hawkeye's second punch passes straight through Apocalypse's body, instantly punching a hole through the pyramid's outer wall just behind Apocalypse, and the metal wall is smashed into a large crater in response.

Just then.

Taking the opportunity, Apocalypse's body reassembled, then coalesced into form behind Hawk. His right hand transformed into a pitch-black blade, and with a "puff," he thrust downward into Hawk's chest, who had turned around in that instant.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Hawk was below.

Apocalypse was above.

With one hand, Apocalypse suppressed Hawk's body, pushing Hawk toward the interior of the metal Jin Zita while stabbing Hawk's chest with force.

But...

The blade tip collided with the scarlet tight-fitting battle suit on Hawk's body, sending up a string of sparks, yet it simply could not pierce Hawk's suit.

For the first time, a look of shock appeared on Apocalypse's metallic face.

Hawk, meanwhile, curled his lips upward. Just as he was about to crash onto the metal floor below, he spun in mid-air, grabbed Apocalypse's wrist, and executed an aerial shoulder throw, slamming Apocalypse back down onto the metal ground inside the Jin Zita.

Crash!

Apocalypse's back made intimate contact with the metal ground, producing a dull thud.

It was like the sound of a bell tolling.

To those outside this great bell, the sound might have seemed pleasant.

But if one were inside this great bell, it would be unbearable.

Hawk frowned instinctively, his gaze instantly sweeping over the interior of the Jin Zita, which appeared unremarkable from the outside but was densely covered inside with countless runes.

The next second.

As the dull thud gradually grew long and drawn out, Hawk also felt the air around him suddenly become viscous.

This gave Hawk the sensation of suddenly sinking into a swamp.

Something is wrong here!

Hawk's sword-like eyebrows shot up. He raised his gaze to the large hole above, through which he had just arrived, halted instantly, and prepared to leave this place.

But just then.

The large hole he had blasted open began to heal at an extremely rapid pace, and in the blink of an eye, it was completely sealed shut.

"Boom!"

"Hum!"

Hawk's fist struck the wall. Instantly, the runes carved on the walls around him seemed to come alive. While flashing with Jin Guang, they emitted a melodious sound, and that viscous feeling intensified even further.

Just then.

Hawk, standing in mid-air, heard the noise, turned around again, then lowered his gaze to look downward.

Into view.

Apocalypse had already climbed up from the metal floor. As the viscous feeling around them gradually weakened, Apocalypse's body began to swell before Hawk's eyes at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Two meters.

Three meters.

Until five meters.

And as Apocalypse's body grew taller, similarly, complex golden runes, similar to those on the interior walls of the Jin Zita, appeared on his blue skin.

The golden runes exposed on Apocalypse's body seemed to breathe with and echo the golden runes on the interior walls of the Jin Zita.

Hawk was no longer in a hurry to get out. He descended in height and then locked eyes with Apocalypse, who had become a five-meter giant.

"So—"

"The Jin Zita is your energy amplifier?"

"..."