(Flashback)
London, inside a dark apartment, with night covering the city, Kwannon sits opposite a man who asks her if she can get him passage out of the West. He tells her that he has met her before – the blade of Nyorin, Matsu'o's prize – the one who can hear your thoughts. Kwannon leans forward and remarks that she has met a lot of desperate men before, so he will need to forgive her if she doesn't remember him. Kwannon reminds the man that he betrayed the clan, and that Europe and Asia aren't safe. She informs him that she can get him to Cairo, but from there he needs to leave the city. The man, who has a scar running down the side of his face, replies that he would prefer somewhere colder. Kwannon ignores that comment and asks the man if there is anyone he cannot leave behind. She tells him that if he has a bridge back to Japan, he needs to burn it. 'What links you will kill you' she points out. The man assures her that he has no one, that he is alone.
Kwannon believes the man and remarks that he wants to be free. She takes a glass from his hand and calling him Yama, tells him that he has had enough whiskey. 'Steady' Kwannon utters, putting a hand on Yama's head. She tells him to close his eyes, then smashes the whiskey glass over his face. '... my... eye...' Yama utters, falling to the ground, covering his blood-drenched face. Kwannon stands behind Yama, and when he gets to his feet, she shoves her sword through his back. 'People like us never get free' Kwannon utters, smirking as she pulls the blade from Yama. 'Not until we die' Kwannon thinks to herself. Two guards suddenly enter the apartment, and Kwannon slices the arms off one of them. 'We serve the clan. It is our will. By sacrifice, we rise. We want nothing. For we are nothing' Kwannon thinks to herself . The other guard fires their gun, but Kwannon hurls her sword at the guard, stabbing him right through his hand. Kwannon lunges forward, pulling her sword out of the guard's hand, she tells herself that when they forget that, when they allow themselves to desire, they fall. Kwannon then pushes the guard out of a window, and drops down with him as he crashes to the ground, cushioning Kwannon's fall.
(Present)
On Krakoa, Kwannon, now known as Psylocke, walks alongside Laura Kinney a.k.a. X-23 through a dark jungle, and Laura gives her word to Psylocke that they will find Apoth. 'Do I have your trust?' Psylocke asks. 'As much as I can give' Laura replies. 'I have no right to ask you for any -' Laura begins, to which Psylocke tells her that she can ask anything, and not to hesitate again. 'There is a part of me that not many people can understand. I pretend it's not there. I smile. I'm “nice”'. Laura begins. 'But?' Psylocke asks. 'There is an anger in me. A rage. I gave up any hope that someone could possibly understand it' Laura explains. 'Then you shared your thoughts with me. And I felt the same thing within you. Teach me what you know, how to harness it. Control it' Laura asks. Psylocke tells her that she make her its master – but that every master is a slave. 'I don't know what that means!' Laura calls out. 'No. Seriously. I don't know what that means!' Laura exclaims. 'You do. It's just not what you wanted to hear' Psylocke replies, before announcing that she has to meet Cable, as he wants to pitch something to her.
At the Carousel, another mutant party is underway, a large bonfire lighting up the dark night, mutants are dancing, while the teenage Nathan Summers a.k.a. Cable leans against a tree. 'Clearly you hate this, but you keep putting yourself next to it' Psylocke remarks as she approaches him. Cable explains that he is waiting to feel what they feel, that he thought it might click, and if it did, he would be able to let things go – let the wars not matter. 'But they still do' he admits, before informing Psylocke that he looked up Overclock, that he found something. 'Found what?' Psylocke asks. Cable informs Psylocke that Sao Mateus is on fire. He tells her not to ask how he knows about this place, just to trust him that he knows. He reveals that there is slave labor, that the whole village is forced to work, especially the children – because they have the smallest fingers. Cable reveals that it is an Overclock cartel. He asks Psylocke to help him destroy it, and to take Laura with them. Cable admits that he doesn't know Psylocke, but points out that they hate the same thing. He adds that he had a contact in that village, and the contact is dead. 'You know what that makes me want to do' Cable adds.
Indeed, in the village of Sao Mateus, Overclock technology watches over the villages, killing some of them, while soldiers lead civilians, including children, into slave labor camps, while bodies lay strewn across the streets.
Psylocke tells Cable that is not enough, but Cable declares that it is the truth. 'I'm sure it is. But every time we leave Krakoa we risk turning it against us' Psylocke replies. She tells Cable that she is sorry about her friend, but that when they leave this place, they have to find Apoth – not his works. 'They are suffering. We can help them' Cable snaps. 'We could. But we won't' Psylocke replies, glancing away from Cable. 'Then I'll go alone. You can stay here and dance' Cable tells Psylocke as he turns and walks away from her. 'Psylocke! Nothing I like seeing less than someone not having a good time' a voice calls out as Psylocke gazes across the bonfire. Psylocke turns to see Alison Blaire a.k.a. Dazzler waving at her. 'Psylocke. Still your name, yeah?' Dazzler asks, before pointing out that Psylocke looks like she got lost on the way to a good time. 'Need a friend? I listen as well as I sing' Dazzler offers, adding that you can't blame an entertainer for wanting everyone to be happy, that there is joy here, and it should be embraced. Psylocke remarks that joy doesn't make everyone happy, and admits that she could use a friend, before walking away from Dazzler, thinking to herself that when they desire, they fall.
(Flashback)
Japan, where an array of shots are fired at a car that then crashes into a lamppost. Assassins on motorcycles begin to circle around the car, where a woman inside the car, at the driver's seat, touches a wound on her head, 'No...mno...' she utters. The assassins aim their guns at the car again, before a blade slices one of their arms off, and another has the blade shoved through their chest, while a third is decapitated, blood spraying everywhere. Kwannon extends a hand to the woman in the car, 'You're safe now, doctor' she tells her. 'But you need to come with me'.
A short time later, Kwannon stands on the edge of a pier, while the doctor is on her knees next to a boat, covering her face with her hands. Kwannon informs the woman that she killed her husband, and that she has been instructed to kill her. 'But I won't' Kwannon announces. Kwannon tells the woman that her husband lied to protect her, and the child she is carrying, that he died well, so she and her child should not have to. 'Hate me. But leave Japan. The boat will take you to China. From there, I would go as far as possible' Kwannon tells the woman, before handing her a USB stick and informing her that there is money in these bank accounts, that she should turn it into cash as soon as she can. 'Why are you helping me?' the woman asks. 'Because I touched his mind and I felt how much he loved you' Kwannon explains. Kwannon watches as the woman gets onto a nearby boat.
(Present)
Psylocke remembers how the woman was found, that they tortured and killed her – and the child inside her – but the woman never told them about Kwannon – and how she failed to keep her alive. Psylocke remembers being a child begging for porridge, remembers having no mother, but a woman wrapped her in cloth, and decides that she is a worm, wrapped in silk, waiting for the morning she can fly – when she will be free of herself.
Later, at Bar Sinister, where the diabolical Mr Sinister sits on a throne-like chair, he tells Psylocke that the price of his assistance is his satisfaction, and that she needs to indulge his curiosity. 'Tell me about your butterflies, Psylocke' he asks. 'For Elizabeth, it meant beauty. She never knew what it meant to me. I said I hated them. The symbol of them. I lied' Psylocke announces. Sinister asks her what the truth is, and Psylocke creates a manifestation of a butterfly, stating that she hated she and Elizabeth had anything in common, she hates that it might have been destiny that put Elizabeth inside of her – two butterflies in one body. Psylocke explains that it is a symbol of her suffering, of what was done to her, and how she was changed. 'I keep the butterfly so I can make it mean something else'. Sinister smiles and tells Psylocke that he might later explain why her wanting redemption is foolish, before suggesting she consider him an ally, and that if she indulges his interest, he will offer her what he can. 'Go. May you find what you desire'.
Shortly, iside one of Cable's safehouses, at an undisclosed location. Laura watches as Cable places some items in a suitcase. 'Your information. Do you trust it?' Psylocke asks Cable, who looks up at her and replies 'As much as you trust yours'. 'Then take me to your hell. Elizabeth Braddock was the hero. I was the shell' Psylocke adds, before informing Cable that she can teach him about war, and tells Laura that she can teach her about rage. 'But goodness I'll have to learn from both of you' she admits, before telling her companions that they will leave tonight, that they should take only what they need, and they will save who they can.
Later, Cable, Psylocke and X-23 walk through the slave labor camp in Sao Mateus, Brazil, under a cloud-covered sky. Psylocke tells the others to be careful, not to trust this silence. Laura sniffs the air and announces that she smells blood and metal – hot metal – meaning there were machines here, recently. Psylocke instructs Cable to scan, and a moment later, Cable reports that something close is receiving a transmission, that he can feel it, but can't decipher it. 'Psylocke -' Laura calls out urgently, before lunging at her, and pushing her to safey as a powerful blast strikes the ground where they were standing. 'Why didin't I see it?' Cable asks as he raises his gun, before he is knocked aside by the surge of energy fired at him. Psylocke releases her psi-knife and tells the others to get behind her. 'I was about to tell you the same thing' Laura remarks, popping her claws. Cable fires his gun at a large octopus-looking machine that towers over them and the camp, as the three mutants ready themselves, and the Overclock weapon bares down on them, as Psylocke tells Cable that they need to trust all of their anger now.
