1st story:
Three hours earlier, at the analysis center of the Office of National Emergence…
Scientists have been analyzing the video footage, which was seized from the Westchester airport disaster, and they have found someone who was watching the whole thing happen, high above the ground.
Their boss wants to know who the guy is, and the scientists believe that this is the guy who the X-Men believe hijacked their plane. And the guy is just floating there, over a hundred dead bodies like it’s nothing. Truman believes that their enemy is an idiot, and notices the awesome amount of energy their foe is leaking. O*N*E* units can easily trace that. He contacts Briggs, as he’s closest to the airport, and orders him to fly his Sentinel unit to the airport and bring in a report as soon as possible. Briggs promises to go check it out, and does so.
Now…
Briggs makes it to the disaster zone and gets a clear shot on Vulcan’s energy signal. However, Briggs is still two miles away from the mysterious mutant, and it looks like the two missing X-Men are with him as well.
Meanwhile, Vulcan claims that he is telling Scott the truth. A startled Scott finds that hard to believe. He thinks that he wasn’t freed from Krakoa: the island let him go so he would bring more mutants to it. Vulcan can’t believe that his big brother is serious. Scott warns Vulcan to stop calling him that. Vulcan sarcastically smiles and asks Scott if he’s certain about what he said. He reminds Scott that he himself just said that Professor X brought him there, but that he doesn’t remember when, or what happened on that day, and asks Scott if that’s normal to him. Scott doesn’t answer. Vulcan thought so. He replies that it isn’t normal, and is confident that the Professor wanted to see the two of them together.
Scott is confident the Professor would never do such a horrible thing. Vulcan finds it amazing that Scott is still fighting against it. He tells him to stop doing that, and that he doesn’t seem to want to remember it all. Scott believes that this is another of Vulcan’s trick, like the one with Jean he tried out earlier. Vulcan doesn’t like to disappoint Scott, but… he hesitates. He smiles that it’s still early, and heads towards the skies. He has noticed that a Sentinel arrived.
Briggs orders them all to stand down, but Vulcan of course ignores that warning. The Sentinels fires a pulsar blast, but Vulcan easily uses his powers to stop the blast and attacks the Sentinel with his energy powers. Briggs is amazed by the potential and sends the visual records back to the base.
Cyclops asks Rachel if her powers have returned yet. They have, but not completely. Scott tells her to head back to the Institute, as it’s only two hundred miles northeast away from her. Rachel has to move now, now that Vulcan is distracted fighting that Sentinel. Rachel is surprised that Scott seems to remember those things now. Scott admits that he is starting to remember things, at least some of it. Briggs’ Sentinel loses its power and shields, and goes down! Rachel refuses to leave Scott behind, but he orders her to fly away right now, because he has to stay behind and find out the truth. Rachel doesn’t like the plan, but does as told and takes off.
Scott angrily rushes towards Vulcan, shouting that he didn’t have to do that. Vulcan can’t believe his ears, as Scott appears to be friends with the Sentinels now. Scott defends that there is still a man inside the machine, but Vulcan doesn’t care. Briggs quickly opens the hatch from the Sentinel, and takes out his gun, ready to fire at Vulcan. However, Vulcan quickly releases a blast on the soldier, and kills Briggs! Scott becomes even more upset and tackles his brother, shouting that he didn’t have to do that. Vulcan defends that he actually had to do that. He tells Scott not to claim that he knows who he is, since that’s insulting because Scott doesn’t even seem to remember him.
Vulcan grabs Scott by his throat, and tells him not to think that he’ll allow his powers to return. Vulcan claims that Rachel having hers back was part of his plan, as she’ll bring more audience to the show. Scott wants to know what plan Vulcan is talking about. Vulcan wants to go and find Professor X. His link with Xavier is severed, and none of the X-Men seem to know where he is. So, as Vulcan takes off with Scott, he believes that it’s time the good Professor finds them.
Meanwhile, in Wales, Great Britain…
A mysterious man in a long trench coat watches the news in a pub. The reporter mentions the disaster at the Westchester Airport, and how a “mutant terrorist” is responsible for the attack and murder of the plane’s pilot and passengers, plus the destruction of a United States’ Sentinel. They also show a picture of Vulcan. The man asks for another beer, and tells the bartender to keep the change, as it looks like he won’t be needing it. Later, the same man walks away.
Xavier’s…
The X-Men are watching the news as well. Bobby has noticed Scott in trouble and wants to go help him, but Logan reminds Bobby that he wouldn’t do anything rather than do that. However, he has noticed that the villain also killed a man controlling a Sentinel, and they can’t have any more bad influence with the government than they already have. So, the X-Men can’t just go in there without doing some thinking first.
Beast notices how distracted Emma looks and asks what’s wrong with her. Emma believes that she recognizes the attacker and knows him from somewhere, but can’t seem to remember from when and where. Kurt doesn’t think going to the disaster zone won’t do much good anyway, since it’s unlikely their missing friends or new enemy are still going to be there.
Bobby still wants to go, as there might be a message from Scott or something. Kitty phases into the room and has found some useful information. She has researched the property that the Sentinel attacked, and the facility is currently owned by Professor X, who inherited it from Moira. However, a long time ago, it was run by both Charles and Moira, and, very briefly, also by Karl Lykos. Beast believes that this is where Charles and Lykos began their mutant genome project. Kitty agrees, adding that when Lykos went his own way, Moira continued to work there, at least when she wasn’t on Muir Island.
Logan believes that the facility is where Charles went to that night to get help, and that their new enemy is one of the kids Moira was helping on the tape they just listened to. But, now it turns out that the kid didn’t die like the tape wanted them to believe. Kurt believes that their foe isn’t dead… or at least, not anymore. He believes that now they have to figure out where their adversary is heading to, now that their presence has been made public. A battle damaged Rachel finally arrives home, and mentions to the others that she knows where Vulcan is taking Scott, and what his plan is.
Muir Island…
Vulcan and Scott land on the island. When Scott wants to know what they are doing to her Vulcan explains that they’ll wait for Professor X to arrive. Scott defends that he and the X-Men have been trying to find the Professor for weeks, and have looked here, but didn’t found anything. Vulcan knows that, since Sean had been sent to the island and found something. He mentions that Banshee is dead now, and Scott can’t believe his ears. Vulcan defends that Banshee truly died, but that he went out the way of a true X-Man. Scott is filled with rage, now that he knows Sean is gone. Vulcan warns Scott not to act like an idiot, since they both know he won’t be able to even touch him.
Scott demands to know who Vulcan truly is. Vulcan defends that he needed to create a spectacle to gain the Professor’s attention. Scott is disgusted that Vulcan killed people just to gain someone’s attention. He is disgusted because Vulcan claims he was once an X-Man. He could never be his brother.
Meanwhile, nearby, a boat arrives, and the same man from the pub arrives ashore.
Vulcan’s mood changes when he hears Scott claim they can’t be related. Vulcan reveals that he didn’t know it at first either, but the Professor showed it to him by unlocking it from deep within his mind, and helped him discover who he really was. Vulcan also reveals to Scott that the people who raised him named him Gabriel, but also that those people weren’t from Earth. Vulcan believes that he was a slave to those people, just like many others were. Scott still doesn’t buy it, believing that the Professor would have told him this. Vulcan believes that the Professor probably did tell Scott about this. After all, he told Vulcan about it right before they left to Krakoa. The Professor wanted Vulcan to know what the risk was, and what he might lose.
Unbeknownst to either Cyclops or Vulcan, the mysterious man from the boat gets closer and closer to them.
Scott refuses to believe that the Professor would first tell him about his brother, and later on make him forget about it. Vulcan wants to know why Scott fights against this, since he remembered Moira’s lab. As Scott angrily refuses to believe it, Vulcan tells Scott to look behind him then, as he can ask it to the Professor by himself! A familiar looking voice is glad to find out that Scott is all right. Scott can’t believe it… it’s Professor Xavier, and… he’s walking again?!
Xavier confirms this and reveals that, when the world was remade, it appears the same thing happened to his body. Vulcan doesn’t want to go through this reunion right now, shouting at the Professor that he didn’t came here to see Scott. The Professor claims that he actually did, but that he also came there for Gabriel, because he’s making a terrible mistake. Charles admits that he knows that, because he knows all too much about making mistakes.
Even as Scott finds it hard to believe that the Professor and Gabriel know each other, the other X-Men arrive in their plane. Vulcan wants to kill them all, but Charles begs him not to do that, since this isn’t the X-Men’s fault. Gabriel shouts that he would kill the X-Men not for himself, but only to harm Charles.
Suddenly, Nightcrawler teleports himself and Wolverine on the ground. Xavier tries to stop Logan from attacking, but the X-Man doesn’t hear him and fights anyway. However, Vulcan fires a blast on the two X-Men, taking them down. Scott begs Vulcan to leave them alone, and the Professor asks Vulcan not to take out his revenge on anyone else but him, since he is the man he’s angry at. Vulcan uses his powers to grab Xavier by his throat, and promises that he will most certainly do that. The other X-Men then arrive, and Havok orders Vulcan to put the Professor right now. Or else, Beast continues, they’ll make him do it. Vulcan won’t do that… but he is ready to make a deal. He promises not to snap Xavier’s neck until he does what Gabriel wants him to do. He wants to hear the truth.
The Professor agrees to spill it. Charles shamefully apologizes to both Scott and Alex. Gabriel isn’t the liar there – He is. Vulcan really is their brother, but it’s a whole complicated story. Gabriel angrily tells Xavier to show it to the X-Men, like the way he showed his team everything he wanted them to see. Charles wishes that he could, but, Wanda Maximoff, he assumes, gave him back the use of his legs somehow. He also guesses that she wanted to show him what being a cripple is really all about: he isn’t a mutant anymore!
2nd story:
A long time ago, at the Hellfire Club…
Emma walks into the Club. An employee, Denny, warns her that she’s late and that her makeup needs work. Emma doesn’t care about what Denny thinks. Denny defends that Emma should care, because Shaw told him to keep an eye on her. Emma is certain that Shaw didn’t tell Denny to use his hands while doing that, and threatens the guy that, if he ever touches her again, she’ll make him regret it. Denny isn’t impressed by the threat, and orders Emma to get to work as she’s got gentlemen to entertain.
While performing dances on stage, Emma thinks to herself that Denny the Bouncer is a creep, but that at least her interactions with him provide some small amusement. Nothing else seems to do that for her. It’s been not more than a month since she took this job. The men that come to see her are easily enough to please, which makes her job easy as well.
However, tonight, though Emma doesn’t know it yet, things are about to change.
Charles and Moira enter the club, and approach Emma. She is surprised to see a couple in the club, as they don’t see too many of those. She is also surprised when she hears the Professor using her name, and wants to know if they know each other. Charles explains that they don’t know each other, at least not yet. He asks if he can have a private dance.
Emma leads both Charles and Moira in a separate room, and telepathically orders him to give her all of his money. Charles mentions that the room is private enough, but doesn’t give in into Emma’s command. She becomes frustrated by this, until the professor telepathically asks Emma if this is how she wants to use her gifts. He can assure her that he’s better at using his powers than she is.
A surprised Emma wants to know how Charles did this, and who he is. Charles introduces both himself and his friend, Moira, to Emma. Moira explains to Emma that they are there because they want to help her. Emma wants to know what kind of help they are talking about. Charles mentions that, for starters, they want to help Emma with what she is. When she informs him that she would like to know what that is, Charles reveals to Emma that she is a mutant, but is aware that she already knew that, and that she also doesn’t want anyone else to know.
Emma can feel Charles trying to get into her head, and shouts at him to stay out of it. Charles defends that it’s okay, and that people like them don’t have to be afraid. Moira adds that Charles’ way may be a bit too direct, but she agrees with him. Being a mutant is nothing to be afraid of. Emma orders them to stop saying the ‘mutant’ word. Charles explains that he simply wants to help Emma, since her current situation is no way to live.
Emma shouts that she doesn’t want to be manipulated in whatever mutant cause Charles is applying for. Charles regrets having to do that, but mentions that time is of the essence and that the Hellfire Club is not what it seems to be. Emma orders both Charles and Moira to get out immediately or she’ll call security. Charles adds that the men running the Club are also aware that Emma is a mutant, but she doesn’t listen to them and orders them out.
They leave, and Moira jokes that didn’t go so well as they hoped it would go. Charles admits that he isn’t thrilled about this, but mentions to Moira that she didn’t see in Emma’s mind what he saw. She needed to be pushed, and not led. Moira believes that this was all a mistake. Charles simply asks Moira to trust him. She believes that she trusts Charles all too much.
Suddenly, Emma runs outside, and shouts at Charles and Moira to wait a minute. She wants to know what Charles meant by saying that the Club know she is a mutant. Charles asks Emma if she hasn’t wondered why she can’t go into the minds of the people running the Hellfire Club. Emma admits she has, and doesn’t know the real reason why she can’t. Moira tries to tell Emma to join them, but she gets a headache and believes that all this is wrong.
Denny catches up with Emma, and orders her to go back inside and finish the act. Angered, he then grabs Emma’s arm, hurting her. Gabriel can’t watch any more of this and quickly steps out of his car, and fires a blast on Denny! Moira tells Gabriel he didn’t have to do that, but Emma wants to know who these weird people are. Denny shouts that Shaw will hear about this, and that Emma is in real trouble now.
The Professor has seen enough, and uses his powers to make Emma and Denny forget about this. Moira can’t believe Charles did that, and Charles believes that Moira was right, and that this was a mistake. Gabriel wants to know what the Professor just did. Charles explains that this is all more complicated than he anticipated, and that there are more factors in play as well. He now realizes that Emma wasn’t going to come with them now… and she may never will. So, both Denny, Emma and everyone else around here had to forget they ever saw them tonight.
Gabriel is surprised that the Professor can do that. Charles admits that he has to maximize his powers to do it, but he can. Gabriel wants to know if Charles can do that, why he didn’t just used his mind to make her join them. That would be wrong, he defends.
Gabriel doesn’t understand that, and doesn’t see the difference with messing with someone’s memories might not be wrong. The Professor reveals there is a difference between the two, but it’s a complicated one. And, ultimately, he’s protecting Emma this way. Moira and Gabriel will have to trust him on that.
