Wolverine a.k.a. Logan is currently battling dinosaurs alongside… Power Pack! Alex Power a.k.a. Zero-G uses his control over gravity to keep two small dinosaurs with sharp teeth back, while Julie a.k.a. Lightspeed darts past a dinosaur, her brilliant rainbow effect trailing behind her. Jack a.k.a. Mass Master increases his density and kicks a dinosaur back, while Katie a.k.a. Energizer ducks and looks up at the dinosaur, no bigger than she, ‘Oh… so this is why they call it the Savage Land…’ she remarks. Jack swings from a vine and kicks another dinosaur, announcing that he is not impressed. ‘These aren’t real dinosaurs, remember? This is all just a training simulation’ he explains while Katie readies her energy blasts.
Logan uses his adamantium claws to slash away at a dinosaur, and tells the child heroes ‘True. But the Danger Room has earned its name, kid. Its tech can perfectly replicate every detail of the Savage Land, no matter how small…or big’ , and as if on cue, a large Tyrannosaurus Rex appears, looming over Jack, who stands on a large rock. Everyone looks at the large dinosaur, and Jack mockingly calls out ‘Oh, I’m soooo scared. The big fake dinosaur is gonna -’ he begins, before the dinosaur moves its head downwards - and swallows Jack whole. ‘JACK!?!’ Alex gasps. ‘Oh, no he didn’t!’ Julie exclaims. ‘Pretty sure he did’ Logan smirks. ‘Ew’ Katie mutters.
However, Jack shifts to his cloud form and escapes through the dinosaur’s nostrils. ‘Bad move, big guy! No one makes a meal out of the Mass Master!’ Jack boasts, adding ‘Now your snack is about to fight back!’ while Alex shouts ‘Power Pack, attack!’ Julie speeds up and around the dinosaur, and Katie mumbles ‘Heh. You guys rhymed’.
Logan tells the kids to take it easy, as the Danger Room automatically adjusts to increased power levels. ‘The harder you fight…the harder it fights back’. More dinosaurs approach Wolverine, as Lightspeed flies towards one and smacks it in the head, ‘I’ve got your back, Wolvie!’ she calls out. Logan thanks her, as Jack shifts to a smaller, denser form and slams another dinosaur to the ground. ‘And I’ve got yours!’ he tells his older sister, while suggesting that maybe she should pay more attention, next time. ‘Whatever’ Julie smirks.
At the same time, the Tyrannosaurus Rex has turned its attention to young Katie, who runs in a panic away from it. ‘Hey! Anyone got MY back? Other than the gigantic, scary lizard, I mean…’ she calls out. ‘I do, Katie’ Alex tells his baby sister as he uses his gravity control to bend two trees over, making them low to the ground. ‘Always will’ he smiles at Katie, who smiles back. The large dinosaur then trips over the low trees, and falls to the ground with a thud, taking out the danger. ‘Way to go, Alex! I totally thought I was dino-chow!’ Katie calls out as she stands several feet from the immobilized dinosaur’s face. Alex tells Katie that she might have actually been good for the dinosaur’s diet, after all, she is chock-full of energy. ‘You know it, big brother!’ Katie calls out as she releases a powerful surge of energy - which breaks off the robotic dinosaur’s mouth.
‘Ummm…I think I broke him, Wolvie…’ Katie points out. ‘Wouldn’t have it any other way, sweetheart’ Logan tells her, before suggesting to Power Pack that they have done enough damage for one day. Computer, end training session’ he calls out, and the room returns to its plain, default form. Shortly, Power Pack, now wearing regular clothing, their costumes gone, exit the Danger Room with Logan, and are greeted by Cyclops and the Beast. ‘Nice work in there, Power Pack’ Cyclops tells the children. ‘Sorry about your robot, Mr Beast’ Katie calls out. The Beast assures Katie that these allowed halls have seen far worse in their day. Alex smiles and Cyclops and tells him that they appreciate him inviting them to see his school. Cyclops points out that it was all Wolverine’s idea, and a very good one.
Wolverine and Cyclops lead Power Pack through the Xavier Institute, where students are going about their business. Cyclops explains to Power Pack that here at the Institute they are training the next generation of mutant heroes. ‘You kids might as well get to know who you’ll be fighting alongside someday’ he points out, while Wolverine adds that after all Power Pack’s recent team-ups, he figured it might be nice for them to get to hang with some heroes of their own age. As Kitty Pryde walks past Jack he leans towards her, ‘You know, they say I’m pretty mature for my age…’ he grins at her. ‘Uh-huh’ the Kitty replies, ignoring him. Cyclops asks the children if they would like to sit in on some classes. ‘You might find our curriculum refreshing’ he suggests. ‘Can we really?’ Julie asks excitedly. ‘Whoa, hang on! Weekends are for fun - not learning!’ Jack protests. Logan smiles at him, ‘Your loss, bub’ and informs him that he heard his “gal pa” Kitty Pryde is giving a great lecture on mutant history. ‘Kitty?’ Jack beams from ear to ear, eyes wide. ‘I guess a little extra knowledge never hurt anyone’ he remarks.
Soon, Alex pays attention as he sits behind Hellion and next to Surge in Cyclops’s class, as Cyclops tells his students that being a leader isn’t just about calling the shots, that it is about motivating your team to be as effective as possible, even in the worst of situations. ‘And it’s a quality that every one of you was born with’ he adds.
In the Beast’s class, Julie smiles as she takes detailed notes, while the Beast reports that this one miniscule alteration in the genetic code results in the astounding attributes all mutants display. He points at something on the blackboard, and adds that unfortunately, many humans are scared by the idea of evolution, that they see mutants as a threat. ‘But together we can work to prove to the world why the mutant genome is a true gift’.
Wide-eyed and smiling, Katie sits at the front of Iceman’s class, which also consists of Pixie, Artie Maddicks and Leech. Iceman smiles and tells the youngsters that real power doesn’t come from laser beams or mutant genes, that it comes from inside. ‘We’ve all got what it takes to make a difference’ he explains. ‘And it doesn’t matter if you’re the youngest or smallest member of the team. Trust me, I’ve been there’.
In Kitty Pryde’s class, Jack sits at the front, leaning forward, blushing as he looks up at Kitty with a dreamy-look in his eyes. Anole, Rockslide and Mercury are also in the class, as Kitty tells her class that even when the world hated and feared them, mutants have stepped up to protect all of mankind from harm, time and time again. ‘Can anyone give me an example? How about our special guest?’ she asks, turning to Jack. ‘I love you’ Jack responds. ‘Excuse me?’ Kitty replies. ‘I… I said… I would love to…?’ Jack mumbles.
Later… ‘That class was amazing!’ Alex calls out to his siblings as they regroup.
‘And don’t even get me started on the teachers. Yowza!’ Jack exclaims, while Katie tells Wolverine that he has got to let them come to school here. ‘Xavier’s is for mutants only, kiddo. Thought you knew that’ Logan replies. Julie asks if that doesn’t go against everything they are trying to teach. ‘What happened to “a world where humans and mutants can live together in harmony”?’ she quotes. With his back to a window, Logan tells the children that it isn’t here, and that until it is, the X-Men have to do what is best for their students - and for Power Pack, which, right now, means keeping this place to themselves.
‘But we have powers just like you do! It shouldn’t matter where we got them’ Alex points out. ‘Maybe not… but you ain’t mutants, so you shouldn’t have to deal with all the baggage that comes with being one’ he explains. Logan tells the young heroes that they wouldn’t believe how often some nutcase tries to attack the scholl just because of who they are. ‘It can’t really be that bad…can it?’ Katie asks, when suddenly, there is a mighty THOOM! ‘I think you’re about to find out…’ Logan tells Power Pack. They go down to the entrance of the mansion, and see Cyclops, the Beast, Kitty and Colossus with several students, including Dust, Hellion, Wolf Cub and Blindfold. ‘This is just another Danger Room thing, right?’ Jack asks. ‘Attack formation!’ Cyclops orders.
Everyone rushes outside, ‘Nope’ Logan tells Power Pack as they see several large robots on the Xavier Institute grounds. ‘What are those things, Wolvie?’ Alex asks. ‘Sentinels. Robots designed specifically to hunt mutants’ Wolverine explains. Iceman creates an ice-sled around one of the Sentinels as he moves upwards and covers its face with ice. Wolverine tells Power Pack that these look like real old models, but points out that that doesn’t mean they are any less dangerous. He supposes that someone must have rehabbed and reprogrammed them. ‘Who would be that?’ Julie asks, before Power Pack switch to their costumes with a simple thought, and follow Logan into battle. Logan tells them that it could be anyone - a mutant hate group, some psycho supremacist. ‘Heck, even the government has used ‘em before’ he adds. ‘Figures’ Mass Master remarks as he follows Logan in cloud form.
Logan slashes at one of the Sentinel’s lower leg, and declares that it doesn’t really matter who sent them. ‘We just gotta stop ‘em from doing what they do’ he remarks. ‘What’s that?’ Katie asks as she fires a blast of energy. ‘Destroy all mutants!’ one of the Sentinels announces as he looms over Wolverine and Power Pack. ‘Oh’ Katie utters, before the Sentinel fires blasts of energy from his hands, destroying the ground around Power Pack and knocking them back. Zero-G negates the gravity around himself and floats upwards, opening panels at the Sentinel’s mid-section, and declares that they have got to get beneath its armor plating, as that is where it will be most vulnerable. Alex points out that these Sentinels cant’ be that different from the other giant robots they have fought. ‘Heh. How many kids get to say that?’ Mass Master remarks in his cloud form as he floats towards Zero-G.
‘Stupid robot! Stop moving and let me hit you!’ Energizer exclaims as she starts throwing bolts of energy towards the behemoth. Lightspeed picks up Wolverine and carries him towards the Sentinel as he explains that these metal-heads won’t stop until their job is done. ‘Which ain’t good for any of us…’ he adds. ‘Then we’ll just have to take the fight to them’ Lightspeed replies as she drops Wolverine down by the damaged panel on the Sentinel. ‘It’s like you read my mind, darling. Now if you’ll excuse me…I’m gonna show this hunk of junk why I’m the best there is at what I do!’ Logan then starts slashing away at the Sentinel with his powerful and deadly claws. An instant later, the Sentinel falls to the ground with a massive SLAMM!
‘Yeah, baby!’ Jack exclaims. Wolverine tells him not to celebrate yuet, as there is still four more to go. ‘And they won’t be a part of that battle’ Cyclops announces as he walks over to Wolverine and Power Pack. Katie ducks behind Wolverine and peeks out at Cyclops, while Wolverine asks his teammate what he is talking about, as they need every hand they can get. ‘And these kids -’ he begins, ‘Aren’t mutants. So this isn’t their fight’ Cyclops interrupts, adding that the Sentinels came to attack the X-Men, and that it is their duty to make sure their guests are protected. ‘But -’ Wolverine begins, until Cyclops interrupts him again, ‘It’s an order, Logan. Get them to safety - NOW!’ Cyclops shouts as he fires an optic blast at one of the Sentinels. ‘Fine’ Logan mutters as he leads Power Pack back to the mansion.
Suddenly though, Kitty is thrown to the ground. Jack sees this and calls out to her. Logan instructs Jack to get inside, assuring him that Kitty will be okay. ‘No! Those robo-jerks are gonna pay for hurting my girl!’ Jack declares. ‘I was about to say the same thing, comrade’ Colossus remarks as he goes over to Kitty and hurls a large rock up at the Sentinel responsible for sending Kitty crashing to the ground. ‘Now our foe must face the unfettered fury of Colossus!’ he boasts. ‘Let me guess. That’s her boyfriend…’ Jack mutters. ‘Yep’ Wolverine confirms. ‘Eh. I think I’ve still got a chance’ Jack replies - until the rock that Colossus hurled upwards takes off the Sentinel’s head, and it starts to fall backwards. Kitty gets up and goes over to Colossus. ‘Or not’ Jack frowns, shrugging his shoulders.
Arriving at the mansion, Wolverine tells Power Pack that he has to get back out there to help finish the fight, and instructs the children to get down to the lower levels. ‘Well be safe in here, right?’ Katie asks, when suddenly, the student Rockslide is thrown through a window. ‘Probably not’ Wolverine replies, before pointing out that at least they will be out of direct line of fire. However, a Sentinel suddenly rips open the roof, ‘Targets detected’ it states, before analyzing Wolverine and Power Pack, it announces that Power Pack are all human, so that it must protect them, before assigning a mutant designation to Wolverine. ‘And proud of it, bub!’ Logan calls out, before the Sentinel holds its hand towards Logan and prepares to fire. ‘Directive: Terminate’ the Sentinel announces. ‘My pleasure’ Logan declares as he leaps upwards.
Meantime, Power Pack has made their way back outside. ‘It…it didn’t attack us’ Jack points out. ‘Because we’re not mutants. It didn’t see us as a threat’ Julie explains. ‘It was wrong’ Alex declares as he takes flight and flies up towards one of the Sentinels’ faces. Julie picks up Katie and follows, while Jack does so in his cloud form. ‘Targets analysed. Designation: human. Directive: protect’ the Sentinel remarks. ‘Protect yourself!’ Energizer shouts as she fires beams of energy at its arm. It happens to be the same Sentinel that was attacking Wolverine, who drops down from it. Cyclops sees Power Pack back in the battle and asks Logan what they are doing out here. ‘Looks like they’re saving our mutant butts, Cyke. Should I tell ‘em to stop?’ Logan smirks.
Zero-G picks up the dismembered arm with his gravity control and declares ‘Now let’s show these tin cans that it doesn’t matter whether you’re human or mutant…all that matters is how hard you hit!’ Zero-G declares as he uses the Sentinel’s own dismembered arm to slice off its head - with such force that the head slams through the stomach of two nearby Sentinels. To help the first one fall over, Lightspeed flies into it and smacks it backwards, it then topples onto the other one, and Katie releases a burst of energy, which causes the Sentinels to explode. ‘Oh yeah! Whose fight is it now?’ Jack exclaims, jumping into the air.
Soon, the X-Men check the fallen Sentinels, while Power Pack stand before Wolverine and Cyclops. Cyclops tells Power Pack that their powers were key to defeating the Sentinels, and apologizing for not seeing it sooner. Logan tells Cyclops that he might have made the wrong choice, but points out that it was for the right reasons. Julie smiles and tells Cyclops that they were glad to help. As often as mutants have saved us humans, it’s about time we gave back a little’ Alex adds, while Logan turns to Jack and Katie and asks them since they have been through a day at Xavier’s, whether they still want to go here. ‘No thank you! If you guys wanna keep it “mutants only” it’s fine with me!’ Katie declares.
‘Seriously! I’m perfectly happy being “just human”!’ Jack declares, adding ‘Between the fear, the hatred and robot attacks, I don’t know why anyone would want to be a mutant!’ Several mutants including Kitty, Colossus, Pixie, Hellion, X-23, Surge, Anole, Dust and Rockslide gather in front of Power Pack and frown at Jack’s comment. ‘We’re… um… gonna get going now…’ Alex announces as he and Julie grab Jack and pull him towards the nearby gate. ‘This is why we can’t take you anywhere, Jack!’ Julie snaps. ‘What? Did I say something wrong again without realizing it?’ Jack asks. ‘Maybe that’s YOUR mutant power…’ Katie suggests, as Wolverine just smiles at them.
