On the hangar deck of the SHIELD Helicarrier, Rigby Fallon informs Kitty Pryde that it is futile to resist. There’s some magic electricity between them that is as unstoppable as the tides. Kitty orders him to get a grip. They only just met and they’ve been though a harrowing experience with Ogun seizing control of the Helicarrier… and besides there’s Pete Wisdom on Muir… Still, Rigby doesn’t let her turn away, pointing out that Pete sounds like a jerk who takes her for granted. Closing in, he promises that he has no problem to express his undying love…
Suddenly, there are jeers and catcalls of “way to go, Rigby.” A nice secluded spot on the hangar deck might be perfect for a private romantic interlude, as long as it wasn’t smack dab on top of a rising aircraft elevator. The other agents laugh and tell them not to mind them. Just pretend they aren’t there.
With everybody staring, Kitty is embarrassed and asks Rigby to let go. Why should he let her go when he finally has hold of the acolyte he came back from the grave for? he asks. His face turns to Ogun’s. Surprised? he leers. Didn’t Logan tell her? Computers aren’t the only thing he can possess. Kitty phases through him.
The SHIELD agents order Kitty to drop to the floor. They’ll take him down. Kitty tells them not to shoot. He may be possessed by Ogun, but that’s still Rigby’s body. Another agent threatens, if that’s the gremlin who had control of the Helicarrier computers, they are taking him out no matter who he’s possessing. Ogun smirks and corrects the agent that he is in error to use the past tense in reference to his control of the flight computers, as he will now demonstrate. With that, the Helicarrier suddenly jerks, ready to tip over.
It’s Wolverine to the rescue, as he orders Ogun to give up. He settled his hash once before. He can do it again. Ah, Logan, Ogun sighs, has he no respect for his sensei? He takes on Rigby’s form again as Wolverine slashes at him. Logan shouts that he respected Ogun as a teacher, but he blew it when he went after Kitty.
Ogun tells him to slash him again. This borrowed body is nothing to him. Kitty, however, orders Wolverine to back off. He can’t hurt Ogun by clawing apart Rigby.
She turns to Ogun. This is all about him getting control over her, right? Well, she’s challenging him to a duel on the astral plane. If she wins, he lets Rigby go. If he wins, he’ll get her instead. And she’d trust him to transport both of them to the astral plane? Ogun leers. Splendid! He accepts. Of course he shall keep “one foot” in the computer… just in case.
Wolverine orders Kitty to stop that. Ogun is a master. Remember what happened last time? She’s been practicing, Kitty tries to calm Wolverine. Ogun was old when he first met him, Logan warns her. She’d have to do more than a few extra sessions to catch up with him, he retorts.
The Helicarrier takes its normal position as Kitty decides there is no more time for arguing. Somebody has to regain control of the computer. She hands Lockheed over to Wolverine, who tells her to be careful. Kitty bows formally to Ogun and states: let the match begin. Ogun’s ghost lets go of Rigby’s body as he applauds her good form and respect, so how can he not do like wise? He bows and states Hajime! (Begin)
The astral plane:
They find themselves on the astral plane, full of colored lights. Both are sporting blades. Ogun warns Kitty that this isn’t a video game. No extra lives here. No second chance. No quarter asked for and none given, Kitty agrees as they begin to cross blades. Ogun points out that her phasing talent is of no use on this plane. Here they are reduced to their primal energies, and this contest hinges on skill. Kitty retorts that he may be better in the martial arts, but she holds the advantage in other ways….
Rigby wakes up to see Wolverine holding onto an unconscious Kitty. He asks what happened. Wolverine gives a short explanation and asks Rigby what did Ogun mean when he said he was keeping one foot in the computer The answer comes the next moment, as the out of control Carrier hits a skyscraper. Rigby explain that Ogun is keeping an access open to the flight computer to keep the help on the bridge locked out but at the same time he is not actively controlling it because he’s using everything he has to fight Kitty.
On the astral plane, Kitty points out Ogun’s mistake. He cannot concentrate on this fight and control the Helicarrier at the same time. Ogun realizes this is true, but no matter. He shall simply render her hors de combat – with that he strikes her down – until he sets a holding course. They’ll finish this match when he returns. He leaves through a portal. Kitty fight to stay awake and follow him. She has to beat him one and for all, she tells herself.
On the bridge, the Helicarrier is no longer out of control, but Dugan realizes Ogun has taken over the helm again. Val orders Rigby to get manual control, but Rigby reminds her that the computer vault is locked, that’s why they brought Kitty aboard in the first place.
Wolverine points out that they couldn’t get into the computer vault before because they were trying to do it without damaging anything. Well, now it’s down to a choice between losing the computer or losing the whole Helicarrier and half of Manhattan to boot. He hands Kitty to Rigby, as he picks up a bomb and order Rigby to show him the way to the vault.
The Astral Plane:
Ogun is within the binary calculating engine. Soon, when Kitty has been suborned and taken her place as his willing acolyte, he shall have the means to walk the Earth in flesh and blood again. Speak of the devil, he announces unsurprised, as Kitty joins him and they begin to fight again
Reality:
Rigby asks if Wolverine thinks that piece of ordnance will penetrate a reinforced polysteel vault door. It’s a Mark 82 g.p. bomb, Logan replies. Five hundred pounds of high explosive. A lot of bang for the buck. The whole control room is gonna get vaporized, but that’s better than the alternative.
On the bridge, Dugan worries that Ogun is going to crash them into the World Trade Center. No, he’s steering the Carrier between the towers, Valentina realizes.
On the astral plane, Ogun praises Kitty for a block, remarking that he taught her that technique. There is nothing in her repertoire of martial arts maneuvers that is a surprise to him, he claims. There must be something, she muses and finally has an idea.
Outside, Valentina shouts that they are heading straight for the Statue of Liberty now. And they are going full throttle, Dugan adds. Rigby and Wolverine had better do something real quick.
Wolverine, in the meantime, has rewired the fuse assembly for remote detonation and jerry-rigged a table lamp switch as a firing box. All of that went right over his head, Rigby admits as he carries Kitty away. Joining him and Lockheed, Wolverine simplifies it. It means he can make the whole thing go boom from behind a nice sturdy bulkhead. That he got, Rigby states.
They see Ogun and Kitty on the computer monitor screen and Ogun has got the advantage. Time to pull the futon out from under him, Logan shouts. Fire in the hole, he cries, as he presses the remote button and the bomb detonates. They are able to access the computer vault. Where’s the manual cut-off switch? Logan asks. At the other end, comes the reply. Figures, he swears.
Elsewhere, Kitty throws away her sword. She can beat him, she announces. And she doesn’t need her sword to do it. As he raises his blade, Ogun boasts that she could barely hold her ground against him with a sword. How can she hope to prevail unarmed? Kitty begins to glow as she states that the dead don’t learn anymore. They are just remainders. Every little thing that she has learned since she was under his domination is something he doesn’t have a clue about. But most important of all is that the intrinsic power of life can always defeat death, since death is nothing but the absence of life. Ogun is hit by the light and falls, losing his sword.
On the Helicarrier, Wolverine has reached the cut-off button and punches it, but nothing happens. Major bad news, Rigby predicts. That means Ogun has bypassed the cut-off switch. There’s no way to turn off the computer now. He can turn ‘em off, Logan replies.
The Astral Plane:
Ogun admits that the pupil has surpassed the master. But he still has control of the Helicarrier and he will crash it into the Statue of Liberty unless Kitty finishes what she started and sends him howling into oblivion.
The Helicarrier:
Logan switches off the computers his own style by tearing through them with his claws. Rigby admits that’s doing the trick. Almost as good as spilling coffee in the mainframe.
At the helm, Val realizes they have controls back but Dugan isn’t sure he can stop the carrier in time.
On the Astral Plane, Ogun orders Kitty to finish it. She has won the right to take away what semblance of life he still possesses. Kitty refuses. She will not mete out death even as a surcease to the undead. She won’t reduce herself to his level.
Surely, she is now an avatar of Kwannon, goddess of mercy, he replies. No, she is just a girl who cares, Kitty retorts. Regretful, Ogun asks what has he done. What has he become? What has he forsaken?! Turning away, Kitty reminds him that he was a master before he strayed from the path of righteousness. He can be one again if he tries.
She steps outside and awakes in Rigby’s arms. Logan jokingly states she believes in cutting it close. What does he mean by that? she wonders. He points out they are hovering mere feet away from the Statue of Liberty’s head. Any closer and they could have taken the stairs down to the ferry…
