(A week from now)
A cat clings to a branch high up in a tree, in a snow-covered New York City. 'I'm scared – I don't want him to spend the night in a tree!' a child calls outs as they look up into the tree. 'He can't spend the night up there!' another child exclaims. 'What's his name?' a voice from above suddenly calls out. 'Joe' one of the children replies. 'That's a good name' a man remarks as he flies down and pulls the cat from the tree and gives it to the children, the sun gleaming behind him through the gaps in the buildings around them. 'Thank you!' one of the children utters. 'Happy to help' the man tells them. He wears a green, black and white costume, with his boots and chestplate appearing to be made of some form of armor. A helmet covers his head, with strange flowers growing out of the side of the helmet. 'Thank you – hey, who are you?' the other child asks. 'I'm – I'm sorry... will you excuse me? There's more trouble' the mysterious hero responds.
The mystery hero rescues someone from an explosion, then prevents bank robbers escaping with stolen money. He puts a star atop a Christmas tree, too. One day, flying through the city, he comes across Spider-Man. 'Whoa, whoa. 'sup, new guy? I'm kind of the greeter in these parts' Spider-Man remarks. 'Hell, Spider-Man. Big fan' the mystery hero responds. Spider-Man asks him his name, and the hero begins 'I'm -'.
(Six days from now)
'You can't make me take Captain Krakoa onto the X-Men... that's my call' Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops declares as he stands in the center of the Quiet Council. Gathered around him are the entire current Council – Magneto and Charles Xavier, Sinister, Exodus and Mystique, Kate Pryde, Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw, and Storm and Nightcrawler. Cypher watches from a large tree, representing Krakoa, nearby. Xavier tells Cyclops that when he broke away from the Council after the tournament in Otherworld, he was proud of him, and that he is pleased with everything he and the X-Men have accomplished in such a short time, but that third law of Krakoa states that they must respect this sacred land, and that the Quiet Council will fulfill their obligation. 'Is... is this unanimous?' Cyclops asks. 'Darling, Krakoa gives away whiskey and medicine, yet only half the nations of man recognize us. They're simply not ready for what you're proposing' Emma tells him.
Xavier starts to tell Scott that the Council needs some time to properly debate the matter. 'We'll let you know -' he starts to say, but Cyclops interrupts him: 'No...I get to be here for this vote' he declares, folding his arms across his chest. 'Very well' Xavier tells Cyclops, before asking the Council 'All in favor of Captain Krakoa serving on the X-Men?' Nine of the ten members of the Council raise their hands. 'Let the record show that the motion carries with overwhelming unanimous support...and one abstention' Xavier announces. 'I adore equilibrium' Sinister, who did not vote, grins. 'The motion carries' Xavier states, which causes Cyclops to turn and stomp away from the Council, with Nightcrawler and Kate watching him leave.
Meanwhile, on Planet Arakko. Shiro Yashida a.k.a. Sunfire looks up into space. He happily volunteered to return Feilong to Earth. Shiro had already been spending his free time on Arakko anyway. On this new mutant world, his power nourishes the young climate. He receives a message from SWORD Station Two, informing him that “the crazy billionaire from Earth” is about to land on Arakko. Sunfire tells the station that he is tracking Feilong, and that as soon as he touches down, he will escort him back through a gate to Earth. 'Copy that. What about all the fear in his fleet?' the station operative asks. 'I'm not this arrogant fop's valet. If the Arakkii don't want it...I'll turn it to slag' Sunfire responds as he puts his mask on over his face, then blasts into space in spectacular display.
'Computer, I'm assuming manual control' Feilong tells his ship's computer as he speeds towards Arakko, an assortment of other vessels are flying swith him. Inside his ship, Feilong announces that after he has touched down, soft landings are to be arranged for the fleet, and that if he does not survive, pre-recorded message number one should be broadcast, with messages two and three being deleted. 'Understood, Feilong' the computer responds. Feilong notes that the moon is coming up fast in front of him, and as Sunfire flies towards Feilong's vessel, he realizes that something is wrong – Feilong is going to crash into the moon, Phobos. But Feilong discovers that breaking is not as hard as he would have thought – it seems the mutants had a denser atmosphere for the slingshot around Mars.
'Feilong to Earth... the dragon has landed!' Feilong declares as he touches down on Phobos. He steps out onto the barren moonscape, and remarks that this is not how he envisioned it, but that it will do, for now. Suddenly, in a fiery display, Sunfire appears in front of Feilong. He tells him that he is sorry he came all this way, but he is now here to escort him back to Earth. 'I can make my own way back to Earth' Feilong retorts. 'In my own time. You may go now' he smiles at Sunfire. 'Y-you're landing here? Are you serious?' Sunfire exclaims, asking Feilong what he hopes to accomplish, as the other fleet vessels begin to touch down. 'Making history, of course' Feilong answers. 'There are millions of mutants down on Arakko that will see this landing as a provocation, and -' Sunfire starts to say, before Feilong interrupts him: 'Mars. The planet below is Mars, and I couldn't care less whom I upset' he declares.
'Are you mad? You can't stay here' Sunfire exclaims. Feilong doesn't look at Sunfire, instead he busies himself with some holographic computer monitor that appears above his wrist. 'On the contrary, I can, and I will' Feilong responds, adding that he has brought everything he needs. 'It is you who will be leaving' Feilong informs Sunfire. 'All right. Let's go, lunatic' Sunfire replies as he grabs Feilong and starts to pull him backwards. 'You are Japanese. I am Chinese. Our grandfathers might have faced each other in battle, and here we are, millions of miles from Earth. Still locked in conflict...and now the stakes couldn't be higher' Feilong declares. Sunfire looks Feilong in the face and tells him that mutantdom is not at war with humanity. 'That mindset is why you will lose' Feilong replies, before asking his computer to send the transmission.
On Arakko,:'What a brave little human, making camp on our planet's doorstep' Isca the Unbeaten remarks as she looks up into space. 'Vornak will greet it!' a winged mutant with scales, horns and carrying a very large double-bladed axe-like weapon boasts. Isca asks Vornak if that is necessary, and reminds him that there are already songs about him. 'It will be fun' Vornak tells Isca as he takes flight, weapon in front of him, ready for battle.
Back on Phobos, Sunfire pushes Feilong to the ground as he tells him 'I'm your only friend out here, Feilong!' Feilong laughs and asks Sunfire if he has friends. 'How cute' he adds, before Vornak lands with full-force before them, breaking up some of the lunar surface they stand on. Vornak introduces himself, and reveals that it was his axe that cleaved the head of the Amenthii goddess of pain. Sunfire introduces himself and explains that he is of Krakoa – and that he is handling this situation. Vornak looks over to Feilong, who responds by saying 'I am Feilong. Today, I am of Phobos. Tomorrrow...who knows?' Vornak asks Feilong if he wishes to claim this floating bit of Arakko, to which Sunfire shouts 'No!' while Feilong confirms that he does. 'Wonderful – then a contest!' Vornak shouts as he lifts his axe behind his head, and brings it down with a powerful force, it smashes into the lunar landscape, as Sunfire cries out 'Stop!' as he flies above the destruction, and Feilong leaps aside.
'This man poses no threat to you – but I do!' Sunfire exclaims as he fires a blast of fiery energy at Vornak's weapon, shattering it. Sunfire then tells Vornak to stand down. 'I don't want to kill you' he adds. Vornak falls backwards, and tells Sunfire that he doesn't care what he wants – this is the best fight he has had since Amenth. 'You destroyed an axe nearly as old as Amenth' Vornak adds. He then picks up one of the vessels that landed on Phobos a short time ago and raises it above his head, while Sunfire releases another flaming blast at the ancient mutant. 'Today is a great day! And it will be even better when you're both dead!' Vornak boasts as he drops the vessel down on Sunfire.
Vornak then turns to Feilong, and tells him that he admires him. 'You traveled far and died well' he remarks, leaping towards him – then suddenly, Feilong opens his mouth, and a powerful surge of green energy bursts forth and tears through Vornak, leaving the ancient mutant's unmoving body lying in a crater on the ground beneath him. 'My god. What have you done?' Sunfire asks as he looks over in horror, while Feilong walks towards one of his spaceships. Feilong replaces his now broken spacesuit helmet with a new helmet as Sunfire flies over to him and warns him that this won't end today. 'That's the spirit, Sunfire' Feilong responds, adding that he just wants a worthy nemesis, as he enters his spaceship. Sunfire goes over to Vornak and discovers what's left of his body – legs and wings on the outside of the crater. Nothing more. Sunfire then contacts Storm and informs her that his escort mission took an unexpected turn. He then burns the remains of Vornak.
Within days, Phobos is transformed by Feilong into humanity's foothold to the stars. Dron ships arrive every hour, carrying everything Orchis would need for a permanent base above Arakko. Gravity is increased, and Feilong uses his immense wealth to encase Phobos in technology that makes it both a Dyson ring and a greenhouse. During a survey of the surface, the corpse of Nightcrawler is discovered, and incorporated into the fabrication of Feilong's science station. It can be seen on display as Orchis workers go about their business. Feilong instructs one of the staff to open a channel to Orchis. 'For the attention of all petals. Operation Phobos has been a success' Feilong grins.
Back on Earth, Captain Krakoa descends towards gathering of mourners outside the Treehouse. An image of Cyclops is on display, photographs strewn amongst flowers. A woman looks up at Captain Krakoa and tells him that she is sorry for his loss. 'Cyclops was his favorite' she remarks, a small boy standing in front of her, holding a framed photograph of him and Cyclops. Captain Krakoa frowns, and tells the woman that he is here now, to make sure that nothing like that happens again. He then walks into the entrance to the Treehouse.
Once safely inside, Captain Krakoa touches the side of his helmet, and his costume begins to disappear – revealing that he is in fact Cyclops. 'So, judging by your new duds...I take it the Council said “No”' Everett Thomas a.k.a. Synch remarks as he stands on a table in the room, and attaches some Christmas lights to the Treehouse. 'So they did, Everett' Scott replies. 'The way... I fell was so... public.. we don't have any wiggle room' Scott adds. He then informs Everett that he is going out the secret subway entrance, as he needs to clear his head. 'Be good. I'm here if you need me' Everett calls back.
Wearing civilian clothing, and a baseball cap, Scott sits on a bench in the subway tunnels beneath New York City. Scott then goes over to a nearby payphone. 'Mr Urich? I'm a friend of Scott Summers... Cyclops. He told me about the story that you're working on. About the mutants? The one that could win you a Pulitzer?' Scott says, adding that he has some things to say, and was wondering if they could meet to discuss. 'I'd like that a lot... if I knew what you were talking about. And believe me, I'd remember writing a big, Pulitizer-worthy story 'Tomorrow's story isn't exactly investigative journalism' Ben adds, while looking at the cover of tomorrow's Daily Bugle, with the headline “Chinese Billionaire Claims Martian Moon”. Ben then tells the caller that he has never met his friend Cyclops, but that he seemed like a good guy, and offers his condolences for his loss. Scott hangs up the phone without saying anything, then slumps to the ground in the darkened subway tunnel.
