Down on his knees, Skin looks up into the brown eyes of the young woman who is holding a knife to his throat from behind. While reflecting on how he got into this mess, Angelo thinks that death is beautiful and smells of Chanel Allure.
(yesterday)
Synch, Husk, M, Skin and Chamber are at Venice Beach. Among the many tourists and weird people dressed in hip clothes, they don't have to worry about standing out. Paige, who grew up on a farm, is amazed by all the people. Jono telepathically reminds her to not let her guard down, as there are always pickpockets in such crowds. Paige replies that she doesn't keep anything in her pockets, but Chamber says that is all the more reason to watch out for strangers putting their hands in them. After the teenagers get some fast food, Jono tries to talk with Paige in private, but she is too busy checking out some sunglasses with Monet. An inline-skater bumps into Chamber, and the scarf across his mouth slips open. The boy sees the energy leaking out, but he thinks that Chamber must have been eating "those new neon Gummi-Bears", and skates on. Meanwhile, the two girls agree that their male classmates seem to have forgotten how to have fun and call them Neanderthals. Realizing that Skin overheard their last comment, M quickly corrects herself. She meant to say they are wonderful.
Anyway, they need to get going and Angelo takes them to the place where his cousin, Gil, lives. Actually, it is the house of the cousin's mom, but she moved up to Santa Fe, so Gil figures it is his place now. Angelo explains that Gil is the only member of his family that knows that he is still alive and he watches out for Angelo's mother. Right before the house, Skin bumps into a jogger, who apologizes and then moves on. Skin feels like he has been hit by a brick wall.
Meanwhile, it is raining heavily in New York. Two men are sitting in a car observing a house, but fail to notice that they in turn are being watched from across the street. Emma Frost, disguised with a black wig, and Banshee, with glasses and a fake beard, notice that this, like most other residences of Emma are being observed by a surveillance team. Penance is with them, sitting in a wheelchair and covered with a cloak and a hood. Sean wonders what to do - the X-Men have been blasted out of the sky by Operation: Zero Tolerance, the kids are missing and they desperately need a safe haven that isn't under surveillance. Emma knows at least a solution for the later, she has one more secure place, though it is in Florida. They head to the airport.
Gil opens the door and is not very happy to see his cousin. He tells them he is busy and asks Angelo and his friends to come back later, but Skin stretches a finger to shut him up. The two fight a little, but it's just fun. When Skin asks if Gil has something to eat for them, Gil replies that Sugar Bombs and Coke are all he can offer. M and Paige are very happy to hear that, and several boxes and bottles later, the teenagers are enjoying themselves, while Chamber is playing a guitar. Paige notices that Angelo has gone out, and follows him. Angelo says that he has a lot on his mind and has decided that the next day he will contact the sole person who can help them. The problem is, she hates him and wants him dead. Looking through the window, Jono sees Paige comforting Skin.
(present)
Tores is still holding the knife to Angelo's neck, while her men are keeping the other Generation X members in check with their guns. Angelo asks if they can talk.
Banshee, Emma and Penance have arrived in Florida, where it is raining too. They secretly enter Emma's house through one of the windows just in case it is observed.
Back in L.A. Tores says that she has waited for this reunion for a long time. Angelo is surprised, as she was actually sad after she believed him dead. However, as Tores explains, some time ago Zero Tolerance troops approached her to reveal that he was alive and well. Skin says that Zero Tolerance is after every single mutant and very dangerous, as they could find them any minute. Tores is sure they will. When they informed her of Angelo being alive, she had said to them that if he ever came back to L.A., he would come to Gil's house. Skin is shocked, but also wonders if the troops know where they are, why they haven't attacked yet. Tores does not care, she only wants to kill him now personally.
At the same time, a small crowd is gathering in front of the house, among them the jogger from the other day. Suddenly, they transform into Prime Sentinels. Turns out that their sensors told them that Tores is a mutant too and they had been waiting for her and Generation X to be in the same spot to get rid of them with a single strike. The six robots activate their weapons, aim and set Gil's house on fire. They enter the building to scan for survivors. Synch and Husk lie unconscious, but Tores is still standing and angrily tells the troops that "this wasn't part of the deal". Yet the Sentinels do not care and try to blast her, but Skin pulls her out of the line of fire in time.
Chamber takes command and tells the group to run, while he and M carry Paige and Everett. Gil, Tores and the last of her men accompany them. With the Sentinels in hot pursuit, the teenagers run through Venice, but the humans that they pass are not afraid - actually they seem a little bit bored. To buy them some time, Chamber blows up a car. Skin wonders how they can get out of this mess, and Tores suggests they go down into the sewers. Generation X actually do not trust her, but what choice do they have?
In Florida, Emma is complaining that she and Banshee have to eat cold food from cans while sitting in the dark. She would even cook a hot meal herself, but Banshee tells her not to. Since they don't know if this house is under surveillance, they can't dare turn on a light or make a flame. The two tutors of Generation X get into an argument, but soon make up with each other, realizing they are both on the edge because they are worried about the kids. Meanwhile, Penance senses somebody else being in the room and tries to hide behind the furniture. D.O.A. makes his presence known and throws Penance an apple, before talking to Sean and Emma. He is here to deliver a message from Emplate, and an astral image of him appears. Emplate explains that he is constantly aware of his sister's whereabouts and he will help to find the missing kids through Monet. Banshee knows that there has to be a price and D.O.A. confirms it. In exchange, Emplate wants Penance back.
In Zero Tolerance's headquarters, the former Hulkbuster base in New Mexico, Daria's nanotechnology is spreading out of control. Both Jubilee and Daria herself are surprised by this display of powers. Jubilee reasons that Daria must have used her powers on reflex when she attacked her with her pyrokinetics. Daria is crying, as she realizes that she is partially machine and fears that she is falling apart. Jubilee tries to help and tells her that she knows lots of people with powers and she has often seen what needs to be done when somebody's powers are out of control. She reassures Daria and tells her to relay and draw her power back into her. The frightened girl listens to Jubilee's calm words and manages to pull herself back together and restore her appearance. The girls hug and Jubilee says that it is all right, although Daria knows it isn't. If Jubilee is what Zero Tolerance calls a freak, then what is she?
In California, the Sentinels have entered the sewers too. In the distance, they pick up the signatures of Generation X. As they exclaim, "We have them. There is no exit!" they proceed.
