Egypt

With their leader dead, chaos erupted with the vast majority of vampires trying to flee the immediate area to seek far easier prey, not wishing to perish along with him, but still far too bloodthirsty to leave waiting and available prey still within the city after being starved beforehand in order to increase their ferocity once unleashed.

However, things weren't so simple as some of the vampires began to attack their own much to the shock of their old brethren who couldn't comprehend why they would betray them like this. Unaware that they were now controlled by another, with their links having transferred over to the monster who consumed their leader.

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Nicodemus's death had far more reaching effects than that though as each of the other Externals felt the loss of one of their members.

Across the sea in Egypt where most of them were finishing their latest conquest, thanks to the absence of the Egyptian Gods who were busy dealing with internal strife, leaving an opening to plunder their lands.

Four of them could be found inside a temple, Garbha-Hsien, Cruel, Gideon, and En Sabah Nur who fell into momentary shock when it happened, each with a different reaction.

Garbha-Hsien, a wise old Asian gentleman in green robes with a long thin white beard and long white hair tied into a ponytail who always quoted patience, couldn't believe it. The one External who he viewed as smart as himself was suddenly done it by a momentary lapse, already having figured out the problem.

Gideon, a tall 6'8" well-defined man with blue eyes and a green ponytail coming out the back on his otherwise bald head, wearing a dark red shirt and pants with metallic sleeves around his arms. Was more irritated than anything at the revelation,- "Hmph, wish I was there," he said, always having been at odds with Nicodemus who fancied himself as their leader. Believing that though many others disagreed, they only ever reluctantly followed having nothing better to do.

Cruel, a big-muscled purple skin man also standing at 6'8" tall with white-colored eyes, and a long orange braided mohawk ponytail with a spike ball tied to the end. Wearing only an ornamental necklace, red gauntlets that complemented his razor-sharp claws, and a belt of human skulls around his waist that held up his red shorts. Smirked thinking it funny, commenting- "Oh how the mighty have fallen," only to stare moments later in confusion when an arm pierced him and Gideon from behind.

"Indeed, and now so too will you," answered a stoic En Sabah Nur with eyes flashing red. A grey skin, blue eye big-muscled man standing at 7'.

An unconcerned Cruel angrily gripped the arm with his claws ready to tear it apart "What do you think you're doing, get your filthy arm out before I... Agh, AHHH" He trailed off yelling out in pain as he felt En Sabah Nur's size increasing along with the arm inside him, ripping his body in half.

"How dare..." Gideon began to yell but quickly reacted to the situation, copying his powers and growing along with him as he tore himself free.

En Sabah Nur quickly scooped up the two pieces and swallowed them whole, and that was the end of Cruel, a sad pathetic ending for one who was so merciless to his enemies, even going so far as hanging their skulls on his person.

Even though Cruel wasn't necessarily the strongest, En Sabah Nur was glad he was taken care of first, considering him the biggest threat due to his severe brutality when fighting. Something he personally didn't wish to experience, though Gideon's power was what he was truly after.

Garbha-Hsien looked on in mild horror, shouting- "Are you mad! Even if what you wish works, do you really think you can take her without us?! Let alone the Egyptian Gods we have yet to take care of, there's no telling when they'll come back."

Though he would be lying if he said his interest wasn't peaked. They all knew Selene could absorb them back into herself, but this was the first time one of them has attempted to do the same.

"Forget that Garbha, we need to kill this traitor now! He Must Pay!" Gideon angrily shouted charging En Sabah Nur with the hole in his gut still closing. Cruel was the one External he liked and sparred many times with, and he was damned if he wasn't going to get revenge. No way he was going to let some backstabbing coward keep his essence if anything it should be his.

En Sabah Nur scoffed while catching his fist,- "It's always been us or her, survival of the fittest, and I don't intend to lag behind," he said punching Gideon away with his free hand as he felt his power swell from his recent meal.

Feeling the change in him, Garbha-Hsien sighed, shaking his head. Eyes glowing red as he began to weave a spell- "En Sabah Nur, you're being too rash, but as thanks for showing me something new I'll try and make this quick," he said unleashing a blue plasma bolt.

Realizing he couldn't dodge it, En Sabah Nur increased his size further not underestimating him as he tried to minimize the damage. Bringing an arm up to block, a chunk of his flesh was instantly vaporized upon impact.

Smelling fresh blood brought a grin to Gideon's face as he charged right back into the fight,- "He might want to make it fast, but don't expect such courtesies from me, I'll make sure you suffer right before I devour you!" He shouted, throwing another strike. Aiming right for his foe's injury hoping to stave off the rapid healing and whittle away at his life force reserves.

The Temple started to shake as the two giants clashed with Garbha-Hsien flying around firing off more plasma bolts, seemingly unconcerned at times when stray bolts almost hit Gideon who would give him an earful only to go back to grumbling to himself so as not to drive away his only ally against this traitorous fiend.

Struggling in the clash against En Sabah Nur who began to show his superiority, Gideon frustratingly yelled out,- "Garbha, damn you, get down here and help me hold him down, so I can tear him limb from limb."

Unable to do a whole lot with the two of them clashing so close together, Garbha-Hsien agreed as his body began to shift and grow, green scales appearing as he transformed into a great wingless Asian dragon.

Slamming into En Sabah Nur from behind, who ridiculed them,- "You both should have prepared for this moment ages ago."

"Perhaps, but those who seek power often find it's much harder to keep it than to obtain it," said Garbha-Hsien while slashing his back and unleashing a firey breath onto the wound, cauterizing it, making healing that much slower.

En Sabah Nur growled back,- "You little worm, I"ll rip you in half!" he yelled throwing Gideon off as he spun around capturing the flailing four-legged green serpent.

"What would you know about anything, always playing the wise old man, but we both know deep down your anything but, patience may be a virtue but too much of it and you become nothing more than a lazy pig fit to be slaughtered." En Sabah Nur said as he slowly tore him in half with a sickening flesh-tearing sound.

"Enough!" Gideon yelled, tackling him from behind and hitting him away before getting up and looking back at Garbha's two dragon halves twitching. His upper part struggling to reconnect itself, coughing up blood.

Eyes glowing red Gideon began to approach him with malice in his heart.

Sensing this, Garbha-Hsien turned to glare at him,- "What do you think you're doing fool, don't take your eyes off the enemy." he said right as En Sabah Nur came back clashing with Gideon once again as he quickly morphed back putting his two halves back together.

It didn't take long for his body to stitch itself back together once back in place. Looking at the two giants clashing with a sneer, he no longer had any reason to help either side as his hands began to weave a massive spell, intending to wipe them both out in one shot.

A great dark green magical formation began to appear in front of Garbha-Hsien, his hands glowing an equally ominous color.

By the time he was done, it was too late for them to do anything, they were far too busy dealing with themselves any ways to worry about whatever magic he may have been cooking up. Neither taking him seriously having experienced his long drawn out way of doing things numerous times now throughout the ages. Never expecting him to make any big plays without months of planning or maybe even years.

But things change with the threat of death looming right overhead and those he thought he could trust to a certain degree turning on him with thoughts of taking his power for their own. Now was the time to act while they were still preoccupied, knowing he wasn't likely to get a better opportunity than the one right here.

Leaning forwards, Garbha-Hsien pushed his hands out, activating the spell as the dark green light filled the room briefly one last time before a dark green smog poured out, eating away everything it touched.

En Sabah Nur was the first to see it, eyes widened slightly before increasing his size even more filling up what little space was left inside the temple. Believing he could weather anything with more mass as Gideon followed suit not daring to let his foe get one over on him, still unaware of what exactly was going on,

When Gideon finally felt the sting on his backside, he quickly turned around coming face to face with the smog,- "What is this!? Garbha-Hsien you rotten bastard, are you betraying me too? I'll rend the very flesh from your bones as I devour you!"

Ignoring his childishness, En Sabah Nur took the chance to grab the fool and use him as a shield. A grin appearing at his useless struggle as he listened to his angry wails of protest as the smog ate away at his flesh.

Realizing it wasn't going to end at just this, his hand pierced through Gideon's back, ripping out his heart, then pushing the weakening clown into the green cloud to suffer and block what he could as he glanced over at Garbha-Hsien, complimenting him,- "Well played," before turning around and working on breaking himself out, smashing through the walls.

Garbha-Hsien flew out the front as the temple began to crumble, hovering just overhead where he found En Sabah Nur who was back down to his normal height, watching him staring down at the beating heart in his hands.

"En Sabah Nur! So, you're really going to do it, do you honestly think you can take her on alone?" Garbha-Hsien asked.

Peering up, En Sabah Nur paid him little heed as he went back to looking at the heart, waiting for any signs that the main body was gone, so he could eat it and come one step closer to perfection.

"Don't call me that," said En Sabah Nur as his eyes began to shine seeing the telltale signs of the heart trying to regenerate the body meaning the main one was gone.

"huh? you don't want me to call you En Sabah Nur?" A confused Garbha-Hsien questioned.

Ignoring him, he swallowed the heart, eyes closed, as he savored the moment. Feeling his power increase, his strength, his new abilities, this was what he was waiting for. This would be the beginning of his reign, now that he had the one power that could grant him all others.

Eyes glowing red, he roared out into the night, "From now on my name will be Apocalypse! For that is what I shall bring! A Reckoning! Where the weak will die and the strong shall thrive!"

Nothing left to see, his interest sated, Garbha-Hsien quickly flew away before he gained full control of his new powers and became his next victim.

Sometime later the Egyptian Gods having finished dealing with their own matters showed up and engaged Apocalypse wishing to punish those who sought to plunder their lands while they were otherwise preoccupied.

Apocalypse was upset to find that his new ability for some reason wasn't able to copy their god power. Something he planned on investigating in the future should he ever have the pleasure of capturing one for study. He was well aware they weren't like the humans or for that matter any other humanoids that existed on this rock, sooner or later he would find out what made them tick.

He fought back as best he could and though he would hate to admit it, Garbha-Hsien was right, he was not prepared to face them alone, he still needed more time.

The Egyptian Gods on the other hand were growing frustrated trying to finish him off and finally settled on cursing him into an eternal slumber when they sensed something more important happening and left.

Apocalypse used what time he had left to make preparations for his revival before entombing himself to sleep in peace.