Earth #27536
Coney Island
The Exiles are mid-mission battling the Sinister Six. High up on the Cyclone roller coaster Sabretooth, having just been stabbed by Kraven, reminds everyone to focus on the mission and not get distracted. Blink teleports nearby and finds J. Jonah Jameson tied to the tracks. She reaches to untie him, but her hand goes right through. Electro pops up behind her and sends a powerful jolt through her body. He thanks Mysterio for the great ploy.
Sabretooth tosses Kraven off the track. The infamous hunter collides with Mysterio, smashing his glass dome. Sabretooth yells to Blink out of concern. Power Princess and Spider-Man find the real Jameson just in time as Power Princess stops a set of racing coaster cars a mere 10 feet from Jameson’s tied and gagged body. Spider-Man slashes through the ropes freeing their objective. Power Princess tells Sabretooth Blink is down and that they need to get out of there.
Crystal Palace
The Exiles are back in their headquarters, Sabretooth carrying the unconscious Blink in his arms. He begins to tell Heather that Electro got her, but she cuts him off and orders her to the infirmary.
The Exiles crowd around Blink as Heather gives her a once over. Sabretooth gripes that these missions aren’t worth it. Heather reminds him the Jonah Jameson from that reality will save every mutant on that world 20 years later from a C.I.A. bio-weapon. Sabretooth still grumbles about it.
Longshot asks if Blink will recover. He brings up the fact that they occasionally lose members in the field and offers his hopes that she won’t end up in the wall behind him next to Thunderbird. Spider-Man comments he’d rather be dead than brain dead. Someone points out that T-Bird’s not braindead as Heather detected alphawaves in his frontal cortex. Spidey is shocked to think T-Bird’s been dreaming in there all this time.
Thunderbird’s dreams
Thunderbird and Apocalypse face off in battle. T-Bird is filled with hate and anger, which makes Apocalypse all the merrier. As he blames Apocalypse for what he was turned into his fury takes over. His face begins reverting to his Horseman days, which Apocalypse cheers on. T-Bird succumbs to the beast inside and completes the transformation. Apocalypse reaches out and grabs Thunderbird by the throat. He reminds his former servant that he and his unborn child belong to him.
Apocalypse waves his arm in another direction where Nocturne, belly full with child, is strapped against a jutting, concrete structure. Thunderbird’s eyes go empty and a look of despair crosses his face. He calls out to Nocturne. She apologizes to him and explains she tried to fight. Apocalypse turns back to T-Bird and asks him if he really thought he could have a child without him finding out.
Real-time
Heather proclaims Blink stabilized, but adds that it was close. She asks how Electro was able to get to Blink. Power Princess blames it on exhaustion, with the back-to-back missions they’ve been running for weeks. Spider-Man starts to remind her of the most recent domino effect, but Power Princess cuts him off. Sabretooth points out they need to get back to work, even without Blink.
They all head off, but Spider-Man stays behind at Heather’s request. Morph wants to know what they’re doing, but Heather playfully tells him their conversation is strictly for the whiz kids. He leaves steamed and reminds them he has a degree in computer science.
Now alone, Heather voices some concerns about Morph. Spider-Man points out that he’s been great on the missions, without any signs of him knowing who he really is. She agrees, but asks him to remember Proteus’ weakness. Metal, he responds, which is why he created the behavior modifier out of flexeramics and plastics. And how did they trick Morph into putting it on, Heather continues. “Blink teleported it into that Atlantean crown he stole,” Spidey finishes. “Bingo,” Heather announces, his metal crown.
Spidey looks away thinking it over. He turns back to Heather and states his astonishment at not realizing that earlier. They leave the hospital area. Heather comforts him by saying she only thought of it yesterday. She surmises Morph’s malleable body keeps Proteus from wasting away. Spider-Man continues her train of thought by adding it also must protect him from metal. They both agree further testing is in order, but not until the recent string of realities is fixed.
Thunderbird’s dreams
Apocalypse mocks T-Bird’s looks, wondering aloud how Nocturne would ever be with a monster like him. He twists T-Bird’s neck as he pats Nocturne’s belly. Apocalypse is full of glee as he contemplates what his baby will look like. His finger tips turn to blades and asks why they should wait any longer. Thunderbird pleads with him. He senses things are wrong and asks where his friends are. Apocalypse tells him that his friends made him weak, which is why he killed them all. T-Bird’s face narrows as he voices his doubts.
Sure enough Apocalypse is knocked back by a piercing optic blast courtesy of Mimic. T-Bird’s teammates have shown up and are ready to party (Morph making an Albuquerque joke in Bugs Bunny form). Apocalypse is ready to strike down the captive Nocturne, but Blink teleports her away before his punch lands. She defiantly declares he won’t hurt T-Bird or anyone else anymore.
Earth #27537
Serpent Society HQ
The Exiles sans Blink are seemingly overwhelmed as they take on the combined might of the Serpent Society. Cottonmouth chomps down on Spider-Man’s bicep much to his surprise. Sabretooth spots this after taking out Death Adder and orders someone to help out. Longshot makes his way over and with a swift kick takes Cottonmouth out of the equation. He calls out to Spidey to see if he’s ok, but is soon overrun by Bushmaster and the Rattler.
Morph decides to take matters into his own hands, or fingers as it were. He transforms each of his digits into very long and powerful snakes. He wraps up all of the remaining Society members, ending the battle.
Thunderbird’s dreams
Apocalypse falls the ground, crushing the earth beneath him. He refuses to believe that something he created could beat him. Thunderbird towers over him. He tells his former master that he may have messed him up, but did not create him. He points at the defeated Apocalypse and explains that his problem was that he made him too important in his life. He tells Apocalypse that he’s free of him. Sure enough Apocalypse disappears.
Nocturne asks T-Bird how he did that. He replies he doesn’t know and he doesn’t care (Morph inspects the area Sherlock Holmes style). He turns and smiles at Nocturne. He tells her they’re bringing a new life into the world and he needed to stop worrying about Apocalypse. She begins to respond when a pain erupts inside her. Blink looks down at the ground and with a half-smile tells Nocturne her water broke. Thunderbird’s expression turns to worry as he wonders how they’ll find a doctor in time.
Reality #27538
The Hellfire Club, New York
The Exiles take on the Hellfire Club, sans Blink and Spider-Man (Morph appropriately guised as a white rook chess piece). It’s four on four as the Exiles seem to have the advantage. Longshot takes on Pierce and dodges his attacks. Sabretooth takes on Leland who tries making him fall with his powers. Sabretooth grabs on to Leland’s stomach and tells him that if he goes down so will his guts.
Power Princess holds down Shaw who tries to get her to punch him. She tells him she knows it will only make him stronger if she hits him. Emma Frost takes off when she realizes they all know their powers. Morph forms an elastic wall and informs the White Queen that they need to keep them there for another five minutes to complete their mission. She asks who they are and when she doesn’t get a sufficient response enters the jokester’s head.
She starts to sense something powerful locked away in his mind. Longshot notices what’s going on and throws a dagger in her direction. It nails her right in the skull causing her to break contact with her comical opponent. Longshot rushes over to check on Morph, who seems dazed and replies in a Scottish accent.
Crystal Palace
Six minutes later the Exiles are back in the all too often visited infirmary. Both Blink and Spider-Man are conscious and ask if the “domino effect” is over. Heather proudly exclaims that after three weeks and twenty missions they did it. Spider-Man asks about Morph who is lying nearby. She explains that Longshot severed the connection in time and that she’s giving him a B-Mod booster just to be safe.
Sabretooth can’t believe the blade Longshot threw didn’t kill the White Queen. Longshot chalks it up to a lucky throw. Power Princess worries about Morph speaking in a Scottish accent following the psi-probe. She asks Heather if she’s certain Morph’s going to be ok. Heather says she’s really not sure about any of it. She suggests they may have to condition him regularly or put him in the stasis wall, though that seems too cruel. She adds that whenever she sees Thunderbird stuck in there she always feels guilty. She tells Spidey they need to come up with a way to get him out of there and free him from his nightmares.
Thunderbird’s dreams
Sunfire, Morph, Blink and Mimic look on with smiles as Nocturne and Thunderbird cradle and stare lovingly at their newborn child.
