Croatia, the moon glows over a large fortress built into the side of a cliff, overlooking the water. The corridors of the fortress are line with torches, creating a dim light, as Laura Kinney a.k.a. X-23 a.k.a. Wolverine's clone, who is a little lost, is led down one corridor, hands and feet shackled in some high-tech mechanical devices, she asks the guard who walk a few feet behind her why he wants to die so badly, and if things are that dark for him. 'You got it backwards. I don't wanna die. That's the whole reason you're here' the guard responds. 'You don't?' Laura asks, adding that taking her prisoner was probably a step in the wrong direction then, as this sort of thing never seems to end well for people like him. 'What are your plans for me?' she enquires as she is led through into another chamber. 'Specifically?' the guard asks, revealing that he doesn't know, as he just does what he is told. 'But y'know, honey, whatever happens – at least you'll be with friends' the guard points out as Laura looks up and sees a large cage, seemingly made of some sort of impenetrable energy, and inside it, Victor Creed a.k.a. Sabretooth a.k.a vicious, psychotic and a grade-A son of a bitch is fighting with Daken a.k.a. the son of Wolverine a.k.a. Not much better than the last guy. Someone in a hooded cloak sits on the floor inside the cage and watches as Sabretooth is knocked back by the younger Daken.
The guard pushes X-23 forward and she falls into the energy field, which dissolves her shackles, leaving her unrestrained inside the cage. She quickly pops her claws, and leaps back around, the guard smirks, as Laura hits the energy field and falls backwards onto the ground. 'Ha! Nice try, but you ain't getting out that way -' Sabretooth begins, but he is interrupted as Daken slices his two claws across Sabretooth's throat, causing the older mutant to drop to his knees, clutching his neck as blood gushes out. 'Told you' Daken remarks. Daken then helps Laura up off the ground and informs her that the barrier is one way – you can come in but you can't get back out. He adds that this is a cell and asks Laura if she is all right. Laura assures Daken that she is fine, getting better all the time, and asks 'What did you tell him?' 'Who?' Daken responds. 'Sabretooth' Laura points out. 'Oh, right...I told him I could kick his ass' Daken reveals as they turn to Sabretooth who is now lying face-down on the ground, unmoving in a pool of his own blood. Daken informs Laura that Sabretooth was already in the cell when he got here, and that Creed started the fight, so he ended it. 'He'll heal soon enough' Laura points out. 'You say that like it's a good thing' Daken replies, adding that he likes Laura's hair, referring to the colored streaks at the front. 'Whatever. You're the last person to talk to anyone about hair' Laura replies.
'No, I mean it. I like it – it looks good – even those colors. It gives you a spark' Daken smiles. 'A spark? Anyway, what are we doing here?' Laura responds, changing the subject. Daken tells Laura that he has been thinking about that, and states 'You, me, Sabretooth... probably even that quiet guy in the corner hoping we don't notice him – who do we all have in common? This has to be about Logan'.
Daken and Laura then look to the entrance of the room as the guard brings another “guest” towards them. 'Is that...' Laura begins. 'Yeah. Deathstrike. This is shaping up to be one hell of a party' Daken remarks. Also shackled, Deathstrike looks up and exclaims 'A cell? With them? No, I do not think so'. She then leaps at the guard and wraps her shackled arms around his neck, informing him that she only allowed him to bring her here because she was curious, but now that she has seen, she does not believe that she will stay. The guard grits his teeth and tries to break free, before uttering 'Caterpillar' which causes Deathstrike to convulse and fall into his arms. 'Try to choke me out? Lady, you are a piece of work' the guard remarks as he then tosses Yuriko Oyama a.k.a. Lady Deathstrike a.k.a. A cyber-enhanced dealer of doom a.k.a. knocked the hell out into the cage. She lies sprawled on the ground, as Sabretooth starts to sit up. 'That's... Deathstrike?' Laura remarks, while Daken asks Laura if she noticed how the guard just took her out with a word. 'Huh. When did she get here?' Sabretooth smiles as he looks at the unconscious Deathstrike.
Sabretooth stands up and immediately Daken and X-23 pop their claws. 'You want me to slit your throat again, Creed, or you think maybe we've got bigger things to worry about at the moment?' Daken asks. 'It doesn't matter what he says. He's Sabretooth. We should put him down' Laura suggests. 'Heh' Sabretooth remarks, and tells Laura that he will go down any time she likes, before admitting that maybe they are right. 'Bigger fish, for one thing – who the hell is that guy?' Sabretooth asks, pointing at the person hidden under the hood of their cloak. 'You don't know?' Laura asks. 'Nope. He was already waiting when I got here, and then they brought baby Logan in, and he and I got to talking and that pretty much catches you up' Sabretooth explains.
Suddenly, the person obscured by the cloak starts to pull the hood back, 'Imagine you're thrown into a cell in the basement of a ruined castle outside Zagreb. The very next person to join you is Victor Creed, notorious monster. Then, they add the Dark Wolverine. You might do what you could to avoid attracting attention, as well. But I suppose the time for that is done' the person declares, and pulls back the hood, and Daken, Laura and Sabretooth stand in awe. 'How...' Laura begins. 'Huh' Creed remarks, as standing before them is Charles Xavier a.k.a. Professor X a.k.a. the world's most gifted telepath.
Charles apologizes for his deception and admits that he should have spoken up sooner, adding that he thinks he can get out of this situation alive, that it is not too late. 'Late? I mean, that's just it Xavier. Ain't you dead?' Creed asks, putting the tip of one of his claws to Xavier's nose. Charles replies that he heard the same thing, and points out that rumors do get around. 'In fact, I believe that's why we're all here. A rumor. But not about my death' Xavier remarks, before asking Daken if he would be so kind as to attempt to wake Lady Deathstrike, as she should be part of this conversation as well. 'Why can't you do it?' Daken asks. Charles points out that there is every chance Deathstrike will slash out wildly the moment she awakens, and if she does, Daken will heal. 'I, on the other hand, would not' Charles adds. 'So, if you please. Time grows short. Every one of us will be required'. 'Sure. Great' Daken mutters as he stands over Lady Deathstrike. She wakes, and Charles stands in the center of the cage and tells the others that the key to getting out of it is understanding why they are all in it. 'I heard you say it before, Daken – there's something we all have in common. Someone' Charles remarks. 'Logan. Wolverine' Laura exclaims. 'You ain't heard, Professor? He's supposed to be dead, too. Good riddance' Creed snarls. 'My point exactly, Mr Creed. I was supposedly dead, yet here I am. Is Wolverine actually gone? If so, it will affect all of us' Charles explains. Motioning to Laura, Charles points out that for some of them, it already has. 'Lovely choice of colors, Ms Kinney. Why the change, exactly?' Charles asks.
Laura hangs her head and reveals that she met someone, not long ago, and that they wore colors, too. She recalls fighting alongside this person, and adds that when they explained why they wore colors, it just made sense to her, probably for the very first time.
Deathstrike looks at Sabreooth and remarks that she saw Logan not long ago, saved him from this monster while in Madripoor, and he was badly injured, but alive when she saw him. 'She ain't lying. I did the injuring. Took his eye' Creed boasts, while Deathstrike reveals that Wolverine's healing factor did not appear to be working, so it is possible he died from that wound. Charles touches his head and replies 'Fascinating' before asking Yuriko why she is thinking about a sword. Deathstrike glances sideways and Charles asks 'A honor blade?' to which Deathstrike grits her teeth and raises her sharp fingers, 'My honor is none of your concern' she warns Charles.
'Daken? What have you heard about Wolverine?' Charles enquires. 'Same as the rest of you. People think he's dead. It's a big deal in the underground. I've seen shrines to him' Daken reveals, adding that there was an auction in Madripoor, and they were selling pieces of him, like relics. 'Were they real? Did you take action?' a shocked Charles asks. Daken's mind wanders back to fighting the soldiers and assures Xavier that he did.
Sabretooth smirks and puts his face close to Xavier's as he remarks 'Let me save you some time, Professor. Yeah, Logan's dead. No more Wolverine. Pretty much' Creed remembers someone, with knives strapped to their knuckles like claws, and wearing a costume like Wolverine's. Creed snaps that Wolverine is dead and that it has been a long time coming. 'He was no better than me, and he knew it. None of you guys ever figured that out. But you put him up on a pedestal... called him a hero... said how pretty he looked in that yellow and blue he wore'. Creed strokes Laura's yellow hair, causing her to pop her claws and slash out at Creed, but he moves away and tells her that she is too slow. Creed grabs Charles by his cloak and remarks 'So he's gone... so what? How the hell does that get us any closer to getting out of this damn cell?' and asks 'You think you know what they want? You got some kinda plan' and suggests to Charles that he talk about that plan instead of some dead man. 'You ain't getting us out, you might as well just join him' Creed suggests.
Charles smiles, 'You know I could strike you dead with a thought, Victor. But actually, yes, I do have a plan'. 'It's a matter of destiny' he explains, while an image of Mystique and Destiny flash through his mind.
Suddenly: 'Here, I'll tell you all about -' Charles begins, but Sabretooth hurls Charles at the energy wall around the cell, and as Charles Xavier falls to the ground, his form disappears – he was never there – it was Raven Dakholme a.k.a. Mystique a.k.a. just about anyone she wants to be, in disguise. 'But... how? She knew about the sword. I told no one' Deathstrike remarks. The guard stands in the chamber, holding Josh Foley a.k.a. Elixir a.k.a. mutant healer / killer, while another figure enters the room, obscured by the shadows, and calls out 'That's not Xavier. But I bet you all can probably see that'. Elixir is then thrown into the cage, as Daken calls out 'Who are you? What do you want?' The man obscured by the shadows steps forward, 'My name's... well, actually, that's a little bit complicated. My friend here is Skel' he remarks, referring to the guard. He suggests it might be better if they talk about all of them, that way he can answer their second question. 'Tell you what we want' he adds, before asking if they have ever heard of a scientist named Dr Abraham Cornelius. 'Weapon X' Creed snarls. 'Ding ding. He made Wolverine, in a way, gave him his adamantium skeleton. Did some work on you, too, I think, Sabretooth' the mysterious man adds. 'Work. You could call it that' Creed mutters.
'All that was a long time ago. But more recently, Cornelius started up some new business. Thought up some new experiments. Took a bunch of people... changed them. People like us' the mysterious man reveals, motioning at Skel. 'And people like you' he declares, pointing at Creed, Deathstrike, Daken and Laura. 'Ridiculous. No one experimented on me. I would know. We all would' Deathstrike replies. The mysterious man steps out of the shadows slightly and a red mask can be seen. 'All of you have healing factors of one kind or another. That's why he wanted you, and that's why we want you, too. That's why he wanted Logan, and that's why he died' the man explains. 'You know the truth about how Wolverine died?' Laura asks. The mysterious man claims that he does, and assures Laura that they will talk about that. 'I know a lot of things' he boasts, remarking that he first wants to talk about four words. He holds up four fingers and announcces that when Cornelius was done altering them, he implanted four trigger words. 'The first puts you to sleep. You saw Skel use that on Lady Deathstrike' the man explains, revealing that the second pujts you in a suggestive trance, meaning you do whatever the person who uses the word tells you, for a while. 'He's lying. I met these guys before and if they could have used those words on me, believe me, they would've. It'd have saved them a lot of grief' Sabretooth claims.
'You know these guys? You knew who had us all along? Why didn't you tell us?' Daken enquires. 'Because screw you, pretty boy. That's why' Creed replies. The mysterious man claims that he didn't have those words back then, but assures Creed that he has got them now. 'You want me to use your command word? Doesn't look like you got many friends in there. You want 'em all knowing how to order you around like a little puppy?' the man asks. Sabretooth says nothing. 'Didn't think so' the man declares. Deathstrike turns to him and calls out 'Let us say, for the moment, that we believe you. What doo the other words do?' The man in the red maks announces that the third word kills you, stone dead, healing factor or no healing factor. 'Think about that...there's a word – and if someone happens to say it near you...y ou switch off. Forever. Tough pill to swallow, I know' the man remarks, adding that he doesn't want them to hear it, though, he would rather they all be friends, that they help each other. Daken pops his claws, 'And the fourth word, you smug son of a bitch? What does that do?' he demands. The man steps into the light even more, a black costume revealed, with a sword strapped to his back, he tells them that they will talk about that, but firstly, he wants to hear in detail all those stories they were hinting at with Mystique a few minutes ago – auctions and honor blades and colors – all of it.
'Cornelius had you, all of you, but he let you go. He must have had a reason. You might have been doing things for him without even realizing it. So talk. Don't leave anything out' the man declares, adding that when they are done with that, he will offer them all a deal: 'You'll answer me with one word: yes, or no. And then I'll answer with a single word. Which one I choose...will be up to you'. Daken, Deathstrike, Laura and Creed all frown, stand with claws ready, and as the man steps fully into the light, red mask on display for all to see, swords strapped to his black costume, he announces that this is going to be fun!
