[Age Of Apocalypse] – Horsemen Of Famine

In a corner of the crowded market alleyway, Storm picked the pocket of another person while controlling the wind. Nobody noticed how the man's wallet landed on the ground out of his pocket and slowly flew toward her. She caught the wallet and smiled as a distant memory resurfaced in her mind.

. . .

10 years ago,

A man picked the pocket of a person in the marketplace and walked away happily. He opened the wallet after he arrived at a corner and counted the money in it. He pocketed it while thinking, 'This man was rich! I got double than what I made as a laborer! This is why I love this job!'

However, as he turned around, his eyes fell upon a white haired, dark-skinned girl begging on the street. He looked at her ragged clothes and his brows furrowed. He walked toward her and bent down while thinking, 'This... small child is begging?! Where are her parents? Why is she doing this? Why is nobody helping her?'

The girl, seeing somebody in front of her, brought her palm forward in hopes of some money. This gesture broke his heart and he asked in a calm tone, "Where are your parents, young girl?"

He saw her shake her head and asked, "You... don't have any parents?"

The girl raised her head and said in a hoarse voice as if she hadn't drank water for days, "N-No... they died in the plane crash."

Seeing her blue eyes and her voice, the man saw a reflection of his daughter - Aisha in the little girl. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered how she, also, died in the plane crash. He quickly wiped the tears away and rubbed her head in a fatherly manner. He could see his own daughter in her and he asked calmly, "Have you eaten today?"

The girl shook her head and replied, "N-No..."

The man sighed and asked her with a smile on his face, "Are you hungry? Do you want food? Water?"

The man saw the girl's eyes shine at the mention of food and water and he smiled even more. He stood up and said, "Come with me. I'll give you food and water."

The girl brought her hands forward and the man picked her up. He took out a piece of cloth from his pocket and wiped the dirt off her face. "There!", he said, "Now, you look more beautiful."

The girl smiled for the first time and the man felt his heart melt at the sight. He walked away while carrying her and said, "I'm Achmed El Gibár. What's your name?"

"... Ororo Monroe."

. . .

5 years ago,

Storm and Achmed were standing at a corner which overlooked the entire marketplace in the heart of Cairo. Achmed whispered to her, "Today is your big day, Ororo! I'm super excited!"

"B-But... I-I am n-nervous.", Storm, on the other hand, had sweat on her forehead and she was hesitant.

Achmed put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down and said, "It's going to be okay. Remember what I always say - A master thief is similar to a breeze of the wind."

Storm nodded and twirled her fingers as she used the wind to target a man. She concentrated and took out his wallet from his pocket and brought it toward her. She caught the wallet and turned to Achmed. "Look! Look! My first wallet! I got it on my first try!", she whispered with an excited expression on her face.

Achmed smiled back at her and said, "Good work, Ororo! I'm so proud of you!"

. . .

Back at the present,

Storm shook her head and came back to the present. She stole another person's wallet and while counting the money, she thought, 'It's been 2 years since you passed away. After Dad, you... were my father. If it weren't for you, I would long be dead by now. I hope you are smiling at me while looking down from the heavens.'

She wiped the tears off her face and thought, 'This is enough for today. I need to get back home.'

She turned around and walked away. Not knowing that sometime later, a group of four people with sinister expressions on their faces chased after her.

Apocalypse saw all of it happen and thought, 'This girl... I can feel her power. She could be very strong. Her potential is huge. If my horsemen are dead, then I need to make new ones who would serve me and help me usher in this new age. And... let's begin with her.' He hid his face with the cloak and followed the group of men chasing her.

Storm was calmly walking toward her home while the four men trailed behind her. She entered a deserted alley and stopped. She sighed and shouted, "I know you're following me." She turned around and saw four people come out of the corners whom she easily recognized as the other thieves of Cairo.

One of them laughed sinisterly and said, "You've been earning quite well for a couple of days. And, the absolute ruler doesn't ignore that. You have to give 50 percent of the total amount you stole today. And, that is an order from Amahl Farouk - the Absolute Ruler of Thieves."

Storm watched as the rest of the men laughed at her demeaningly. She narrowed her eyes and said, "I don't believe you. I won't agree to this demand."

The men stopped laughing and glared at her. One of them said, "You are going against Amahl Farouk's orders?! You have become quite unruly."

They took out their knives and brandished them, "You need to be taught a lesson!"

Storm sighed in annoyance when two of the men charged at her. One of them slashed the knife at her face.

* WHOOSH *

However, she ducked under his outstretched arm and caught it. She twisted it around his back causing his to let go of the knife and cry out in pain, "Ahh!"

* CRACK *

She heard a cracking sound from his arm which she didn't care about. She glanced behind her and saw another one charging at her with a knife. She didn't panic and nimbly jumped as she spun in mid air.

* WHAM *

She kicked the man's arm, knocking the knife out of his hands and landed back on the ground. She turned the first man around back in front of her and used her the surrounding wind, and struck the man's chest with her palm.

* BANG *

The man flew back from the strike and collided with the second one. Both of them flew back and crashed into a wall. They slid down and slumped on the ground with their eyes rolled back into their sockets.

Storm, then, focused on the other one who were hesitant to attack her when they saw how easily she knocked their friends out. However, Storm wasn't going to let them go. Her eyes fell upon a nearby tap which she opened after using the wind. The water began to flow out of the tap and she began to control. She changed the water and transformed them into whips. She aimed the whips at the two men and struck them.

However, instead of attacking them, the whips coiled around their bodies rendering them unable to move. She used the water whips to pick both of them up and banged them together.

* BANG *

She watched as their hands collided and knocked each out. She let go of the water and it fell on the ground. 'What a mess!', she thought while shaking her head. She closed the tap and turned around only to see a man wearing a cloak in front of her.

She frowned seeing the man appear and was about to warn him but she stopped herself when she heard him say weakly, "W-Water.."

She looked at his outstretched bony finger and thought, 'This... man is starving. If his finger looks like this, then his body...'

She opened the tap and smiled as she watched the man hurriedly drink. Achmed had always told her to help others when they are in need because he told her that doing good deeds to others would result in having a good deed done to her. So, after the man finished drinking, she asked, "Do you want food?"

The man weakly replied, "P-P-Please..."

"Follow me.", Storm said and walked away after turning around.

A few minutes and twists, and turns later, Storm entered her home with Apocalypse. She switched on the television in the living room and said to him, "Wait here. I'll bring you food."

Apocalypse nodded and watched as she disappeared in the kitchen. Then, he turned to look at the strange, metal box which had people on it. He put his hand on it and devoured every single news report across the world. He assimilated the information in his brain and pulled his hand back from the television.

"Wha–?", Apocalypse was stunned. He was shocked to see the world evolve into such... brainlessness. Foolishness. He grew angry and thought, 'So, I'm forgotten? Just like that? Another part of history buried deep under the pile of shit? What is all this? People have begun worshiping false gods? Messiahs? How dare they worship those lifeless statues when their true god has returned!! No... I can't let this heresy continue. I'm the one and only true Pharaoh. I'm the true God. People should be worshiping me! Bowing at me! Things have to be changed. I have to rebuild my kingdom.'

At that moment, Storm walked back into the living room and was about to ask him about what he liked when suddenly, Apocalypse held out his hand. She felt a tight grip around her throat and levitated toward Apocalypse who held her in the air by her throat.

She grabbed his arm and tried to escape when she saw his blue face. Her eyes widened at that sight and she managed to say, "Y-Y-You! Y-You aren't an old man! W-What are you?"

Apocalypse smiled and said, "I'm En Sabah Nur! I'm Mak K'ina Tah Balam-Ahau!"

His hand around her throat glowed with a sinister dark purple glow and Storm began screaming in pain. The sinister glow began entering her body and she thrashed and screamed as she desperately tried to get away from it. Her nerves around the neck began glowing purple and slowly, it began travelling around her body.

Apocalypse continued, "I'm the Eternal One! I'm the Eternal Pharaoh!"

Storm had been transformed and her short white hair grew much longer and had dark purple strands in it. Her eyes glowed white and her body had several purple lines all over it which was covered by a dark purple armor which had attached to her. Apocalypse let go of her and looked at her evilly, said, "I'm..."

Storm landed on the ground and immediately kneeled in front of him and said in a hoarse voice, "Horsemen of Famine greets her Master..."

"Apocalypse!!"