Someone is reading the private journal of Charles Xavier. They read that Charles had a time of escape from the chaos at home to the endless study abroad. A time when, for a good while, he could not tell for certain that the sun continued to shine, so poor a witness he was to his surroundings – it simply never occurred to him to look up – until he had a reason he found that could not be ignored. Before Moira. Before Lilandra. There was simply her....
Flashback:
'Hello, sailor' a woman calls out as she appears before Charles Xavier, who is sitting on a park bench, wearing a coat, scarf and hat. Charles looks up, surprised. 'I've gone and lost my whatsit. Mind giving a helpless yank a boost?' the woman asks. Xavier is not someone who has been called remotely social. He was painfully aware of that – but he knew he was lonelier than he needed to be – much lonelier by far. 'Oh! I'm not – I'm not a Brit, exactly. I was born in New York. I don't – I don't know what you're asking me' Charles tells the woman who wears a puffy yellow jacket over a grey jumpsuit, with a matching yellow headband that keeps her glamorous hair pushed back away from her face. Snow or not, clouds or not, this day, the sun shines yet.
'Never mind, sweet boy. Make a stirrup' the woman responds as she leans down into Charles, who blushes and replies 'Oh, yes. Of course'. He looks slightly awkward as the woman's body leans against his face as she reaches up into the tree. 'There's a good lad' the woman remarks, while Xavier thinks about how lonely he had been. As she grabs her whatsit – a frisbee – from the tree, the woman introduces herself as Sarah. 'Oh, yes! Hello. I'm Charles' Charles replies. Holding the frisbee in her mouth, Sarah makes some response, which Charles doesn't understand. 'I beg your pardon?' he asks, while unable to smell through Sarah's winter ensemble, he fancied she smelled of wildflowers and hillside heather.
'I said “I know.” Everyone knows you. They say you're a pagan. A witch boy, they say' Sarah responds as she looks at Charles, who quickly tells her that he is not a pagan. 'I know. But I am. You're quite well put together for a bookworm, Charles. What's your sport?' Sarah asks as she brushes some snow off of Charles' shoulder. Charles smiles as he informs Sarah that he is a long-distance runner, and that his coach says he has the focus of a jaguar on the hunt. 'I see. And what are you reading, Charles the Jaguar?' Sarah asks. 'Oh, nothing. Some romantic twaddle' Charles lies, holding a copy of a book called Genetics Unlocked behind his back. 'I'm sure. Well, there's nothing for it, I'm afraid. It's local custom to buy a girl a hot cuppa once she's climbed up one side of you and down the other' Sarah smiles, before asking Charles if he is coming.
Present:
Anne-Marie LeBeau a.k.a. Rogue, Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit and Logan a.k.a. Wolverine are in Haven, Louisiana. It's their first night here. They thought no one would come looking for them. Rogue called half a dozen mutants she thought were friends, but none of them picked up. But now, under the dark of night, four kids and a horse have shown up, looking for help – looking for the X-Men. 'Please. We need helpppp! Pppplease!' a young woman with brown hair in a white costume with blue, yellow and orange accents exclaims. The blond woman wearing white trousers, black boots and a red top leans into the large brown horse. A young man wearing a gray jacket over dark clothes frowns, while a skinny boy dark hair hanging over his face wears a long dark trench coat.
The problem, Rogue thinks, is that there doesn't seem to be any X-Men proper anymore. 'Whoever they are, they're on the line, Rogue' Wolverine calls out. 'Y'think?' Rogue asks. 'And I don't think we can count on your man, Gambit' Wolverine adds, as Gambit holds up the glowing Eye of Agamotto, and appears distracted. 'I got eyes, Logan' Rogue retorts. She knows she sounds cold, and remembers how Remy just stole the left eye of Agamotto, and now, it is affecting him somehow. Wolverine tells Rogue that he has got this, and tells her to look out for the Cajun as he lumbers towards the group of mutants. 'No. This isn't... this isn't how this should go' Rogue thinks to herself. She remembers yesterday, being there as the mutant kid just died. His name was Harvey X, and for now reason except the meanness in the world, he died. Rogue wants to be there to help these kids, but she isn't sure how.
Rogue watches as Wolverine is stopped by the tall kid with the gray jacket. 'He's squarin' off. Against Wolverine. Who the hell does that kinda nonsense?' Rogue wonders, while Wolverine tells the tall kid that they aren't accepting social calls at the moment. 'My dude. Don't touch me, seriously' the tall kid responds, when suddenly, he is knocked backwards by a surge of energy that is released from the Eye of Agamotto. 'Ah, hell' Rogue thinks to herself, before looking over to her husband and asking him if he is okay. Everyone else turns to Gambit, too, as he jokes that he thinks the safety was off on this thing. The woman in the white jumpsuit with blue, orange and yellow accents goes over to the tall kid to check if he is okay. He calls her Sofia, and as Wolverine looms over them, the tall kid suggests to Sofia that she go take the “Go Fish” guy, while he handles this one. 'Look kid, just stay down, all right?' Wolverine responds, before the tall kid leaps up and smacks Wolverine back with a hard punch. 'You wanna fight, Canuck? Fight like a man' the tall kid declares.
Rogue is shocked that the tall kid was able to deck Wolverine, and she hovers over everyone, suggesting that everybody settle down. The blonde girl leans into the horse, which she calls Ember. 'You see it, Ember? They're mean, like mother said. Goblins' the girl utters, before she leaps onto the horse's back and shouts 'PEGASUS KNIGHT!' and she begins to glow with energy, which surround herself in some sort of armor, and provides large pegasus wings for the horse, in spectacular display. 'To be honest? I just wanted a beer and a hot bath' Rogue thinks to herself. Gambit turns as Sofia approaches him. He tells her that he doesn't want to throw these cards. 'On the contrary. Pppppplease do. Hand-to-hand combat' Sofia responds as she adjusrts a timer on her wrist, then waves her hands through the air, creating some sort of time-blur, while she utters 'Fffffocus'. She then glides through the air, and calls out 'Jjjust a suggestion. Maybe you should go home and gggget the rest of the deck?' as she kicks Gambit hard in the face.
The girl on the horse moves closer to Rogue and calls out 'Mother said. She said all mutants are dirty goblins'. Rogue hovers nearby and thinks to herself that they are all kids, really, and don't look old enough to drive. 'So how in the world... are we losing?' Rogue wonders as the girl on the horse attacks her with an energy sword that tears Rogue's clothing. Back on the ground, the skinny boy stands over Wolverine: 'Hello, Mr. Logan. I am having a cyanide dream. Oh, Mr. Logan. You have killed such a great lot of people. They missed you so' the strange boy utters, as shadowy figures with glowing eyes appear behind him.
Meanwhile, at Graymalkin Prison – formerly the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, Dr. Corina Ellis, the Warden, strides down a corridor, followed by Captain Ezra and Phillip Scurvy. 'She's brought us another mutant, warden, Err... he's hearing-impaired. Deaf, really' Captain Ezra remarks. The Warden glances sideways, and responds 'Captain Ezra. We paid for the most powerful security system on Earth, did we not?' to which Captain Ezra replies 'Yes, Ma'am. Perimeter' to which the Warden asks him what its first line of defense is. 'Sonics. Capable of pinprick surgery or...' Captain Ezra's voice trails off, as Dr. Ellis exclaims '... or absolute liquification of a target the size of a football stadium'. 'Yes, Ma'am. Apologies' Captain Ezra utters, before the Warden asks him where he is taking her.
Dr. Ellis enters a room equipped with numerous weapons and obstacles, and Captain Ezra reports that it is called the Danger Room. 'Holographic combat trials backed with potentially lethal force-fields. Do we dismantle it?' he asks. Hands on hips, Dr. Ellis tells the Captain that they can use this – and that she wants the new mutant running through this by morning.
Flashback:
A proper gentleman doesn't flout custom, according to Charles Xavier. 'Would you like some tea?' he asks as he sits opposite Sarah. 'You read my mind' Sarah responds. 'I didn't! I mean... it's bitter cold, even with the fire' Charles states, before asking Sarah why she is looking at him like that. Indeed, Sarah stares intently at Charles, and asks him if he would do a favor for his disreputable new friend. 'Would you remove your cap for just a moment?' Charles looks back at Sarah and thinks to himself that it was a nice fantasy while it lasted. He removes his hat, expecting this will put paid to this lovely day. 'I'm afraid there's not much to see' he tells Sarah, knowing that he can't blame her if she isn't interested in him. 'I see' Sarah remarks, before asking Charles what color his hair was. 'Blond. Appallingly blond' Charles reveals. 'I can't stand blonds. This'll do me nicely. Sweet boy' Sarah announces as she leans over the table and kisses Charles' head. Then Charles drank nicely and refilled his cup.
Present:
'Hello, Theresa. Or do you prefer “Siryn”? Don't get up' Dr. Ellis declares as she enters a room within Graymalkin Prison where Theresa Rourke Cassidy a.k.a. Siryn is held in a red jumpsuit, a restraint holding her arms behind her back and a high-tech mask across her mouth, preventing her from using her sonic scream. Dr. Ellis leans down tells Siryn that this is a bit ironic considering her gifts. 'But do you hear that buzzing in your head? Imagine it being a thousand times worse in a nanosecond. Imagine it exploding the thin tissue of your eardrum like a bayonet in a balloon. Imagine never hearing again. Feeling life-destroying agony every time you sneeze or blow your nose' Dr. Ellis utters as Siryn watches her, wide-eyed. 'Will you behave?' Dr. Ellis asks.
Dr. Ellis then instructs Captain Ezra to remove Theresa's mask, and asks' Now, Theresa. You know Charles Xavier is dead, correct?' Freed from her mask, Theresa responds 'I... I don't believe you. Go to hell'. Dr. Ellis smirks as Siryn adds 'Also? I've heard yer podcast. It sucks, it does'. Dr. Ellis ignores Siryn's criticism of her podcast and asks her if she has heard Xavier's presence in her mind since Krakoa. 'I don't think you have. That dream, it's gone. It's ice in a desert, dear'. Siryn looks confused, before Dr. Ellis claims that she is going to fix everything – and asks Theresa how she would like to be one of her trustees.
Back in Louisiana, Rogue tells herself that she can't hit a horse – she will never hit a horse. 'But bratty teen girls...I been kicking their asses since junior high! Indeed, Rogue flies forward, past the horse and slams her fist into the blonde girl, who is knocked backwards off the horse. She drops towards the ground, and the tall kid calls her Calico, while holding out his arms, he tells her that he has got her. 'Hey. Hey, kid. You're it!' Wolverine exclaims as he appears and slams a fist into the tall kid's face, while Calico lands amongst some bushes nearby. The tall kid falls backwards, while Wolverine stands over him, arm wrapped around the skinny kid. 'Now me, pardner? I'd stay down' Wolverine warns the tall kid.
At that moment, Sofia looks at the timer on her wrist, and utters 'Uh, ggggez' as the timer beeps. 'You sudden got somewhere you gotta be, chere?' Gambit asks her, suggesting that she might wanna call and let them know she is go, as he throws her backwards. The four kids and the horse regroup, and the tall kid, who has a white crescent on his top, exclaims 'Leave her alone. If you're not going to help us, leave us alone!' Suddenly, 'Or how about this...?' a voice calls out, and a brilliant burst of colorful lights suddenly light up the dark forest – courtesy of Jubilee. 'Everyone leaves everyone alone!' she suggests, before wondering how she ended up the adult in this situation.
'Jubilation!' Rogue grins as she rushes over and embraces her friend. 'Hey, Anna Marie. I missed you too. Got some news' Jubilee smiles. Gambit looks at Sofia and the tall kid and apologizes for earlier. 'I sort'a picked up a hitcher. Him's a bit twitchy' Gambit explains. Rogue asks Jubilee for a moment and turns to the four kids: 'You four. We didn't 'xactly meet cute. Go sit by the fire. Let the adults talk for a moment' 'Can I have one of those beers?' the tall kid asks. 'No' Rogue retorts. The four kids and Ember the horse go over to the fire, while Logan, Remy, Rogue and Jubilee stand on the dock over the lake. Logan tells the others that the kids don't smell right – like decay. Rogue informs Logan and Remy that Jubilee is back from recon on Graymalkin, before asking them to talk the kids down and find out what's got them so spooked.
'No more “mentoring” Rogue. I'm out of that business' Logan tells Rogue as he puts a hand on her arm. 'What?' Rogue asks. 'No more “Daddy Logan.” No more “Uncle Wolvie.” It ain't exactly worked out', Logan hangs his head. 'No? Those kids are still alive, Logan' Rogue points out. 'Not all of 'em' Logan notes. Rogue thinks that Wolverine has changed, that he's come back changed – and maybe all of them have. Wolverine walks away, so Gambit puts his arms around Rogue and asks 'If I talk to them kids, do I get a kiss, Chere?' to which Rogue tells her husband that if he calms those young ones down, she will put her mouth on him so hard he will feel it for days. They kiss, and Rogue warns Gambit to keep that thing in his pants – as they're scared enough. Gambit appears confused, to which Rogue clarifies that she means the amulet.
The kids are watching from the fire: 'Damn! Ssstuf going down in the teachers' lounge!' Sofia grins. 'Can you blame 'em?' the tall kid asks. 'Love is morphine. Comfort before death' the skinny kid remarks as he cocks his head to one side. 'Tell me when it's over' Calico mutters as she covers her eyes. Jubilee asks Rogue what she is doing, as Rogue pulls out her phone and announces that she is calling the last guy she wanted to talk to – and the only guy she thinks might actually take the call. 'High five, my dude! Your girl is slammin!' the tall kid exclaims as he moves towards Gambit and raises his hand. 'Put dat away' Gambit responds, before asking the kids who they are and where they are from.
Sofia introduces herself as Sofia Yong, from Singapore. The tall kid reveals his name is Valentin Correa, from Buenos Aires. The skinny kid introduces himself simply as Hotoru, and explains that when he was from somewhere, it was Kyoto, while the blonde girl, Calico, identifies herself as Becca Constance Simon-Pinette, from Clintwood, Virginia. Logan frowns at the kids and tells them that Gambit doesn't mean those names – he means the names they chose – their mutant names. Sofia grins as she announces that she is Jitter. 'Ransom' the tall kid reveals. 'I am but a Deathdream' Hotoru utters, while Calico identifies herself and clarifies that she is not a mutant. She strokes her horse's face, and Gambit asks her why she has come here if she is not one of them. 'I... I didn't have anywhere else' Becca explains. 'No parents?' Logan asks. 'None. Not anymore. A voice called us here. Said you could save us' Jitter reveals.
Logan turns to Deathdream, and, speaking Japanese, asks him why he stinks of death. 'I could ask you the same question, Logan of the Trees' Deathdream responds, glancing at Logan. Ransom holds up a coin and claims that he flipped it – heads, the X-Men, tails the Brotherhood. 'It came up heads. But I'm beginning to wonder' he adds. Sofia tells Logan that they all know they are hurting, but that they need help, and they are just kids. 'Please' she asks him. Wolverine just frowns.
Meanwhile, two miles from Merle, Alaska. 'That's a negative, Rogue. The strategy is to stay away from Graymalkin Prison for now. Jubilee's intel just confirms we need more data' Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops explains as he drives through the snow-covered terrain. 'Cyclops. Scott. Charles is in there. Who knows who else' Rogue responds, but Cyclops tells her to stand down, and to trust him. 'I hear you, Scott' Rogue replies. 'Anna Marie -' Scott begins, to which Rogue tells him again that se hears him. 'Who are you callin' now?' Jubilee asks. 'Kurt. We need him' Rogue announces. 'Need him why?' Jubilee enquires. 'Because damned if it doesn't turn out that we're the X-Men now!' Rogue declares, while Wolverine tells the kids that he has one last question for now: 'Who's hunting you all?' Wide-eyed, Jitter asks Wolverine how can he not know. 'It's the Hag. I don't...I don't even think ssshe's human!' Jitter utters, revealing that she is hunting them – hunting them all – for bounty.
Back at Graymalkin Prison, Dr. Ellis is watching several monitors, when Captain Ezra informs her 'She's here. And she's brought another one'. Dr. Ellis pauses, before replying 'Very well'. Indeed, a bony, skeletal-like woman, tall but hunched over at the same time, with long fingers, and wispy hair, with large white eyes, lumbers forward. Two cloaked figures, her soldiers, stand behind her, while the young mutant called Fawn lies motionless at the Hag's feet. 'I've gone and brought you a prezie for your collection, Warden. Tasty and fresh' the Hag announces. 'Um. Thank you for this gift' Dr. Ellis responds – before calling the strange woman... Sarah!
