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Red Ledger, part 5: The Cure for Pain
At a Red Room command facility in Westchester, New York.
'Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier are dead' announces the Black Widow clone, Natalia Romanova as she places Hawkeye's broken bow and the Winter Soldier's bionic arm on a table in front of General Usenko and other Red Room officials. Usenko picks up the Winter Soldier's arm and tells the Widow that this is most impressive, and informs her that they were just discussing the astounding work she has been doing them recently, and that with the passing of Comrade Cady, it seems only right to promote her to take his place. 'Let these trophies be the first of many things you bring to the Red Room as a new commander' Usenko declares.
But, Natasha takes back the arm and announces that these are for her personal collection. She informs him that she is honored and would like to continue Comrade Cady's work with the young girls in the assassins program. But Usenko motions to his left, where the chubby bald Comrade Gunin sits, and informs Natasha that that role has already been filled, but he is sure Comrade Gunin could use the insight of someone as skilled as herself. Comrade Gunin tells the Black Widow that it would be an honor to work with her – the killer of the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye!
Elsewhere, inside the panic room of a destroyed Red Room safehouse in Westchester, New York.
'I can't believe she almost blew us up!' Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye exclaims as he tries to break out of the panic room. 'She did' the one-armed Bucky Barnes a.k.a. Winter Soldier mutters.
At the Red Room, Natasha has changed into a dress suit as she meets with Gunin and the young assassin girls, dressed as ballerinas. Gunin tells the children to say hello to their new co-instructor, Comrade Romanoff. 'What she says, you do. Understand?' he asks the children. The children are paired up and begin training against each other. Natasha stands near two of the girls and tells them that against larger assailants, the eyes, throat and genitals are their first targets.
Back in the panic room, Hawkeye and Bucky are still struggling to break free. Clint mutters that it is pretty crappy they spent all this time looking for her only to have her try to kill them. Bucky struggles as he tries to open a door, and points out that if Natasha really wanted them dead, they would be dead by now. 'We're pretty close' Hawkeye remarks, but Bucky tells him that they are just trapped, and that this is part od her plan – somehow, while Clint looks up at the ceiling, which has many cracks appearing.
In the Red Room:
'Since you do not listen, you do not train today!' Gunin exclaims as he smacks one of the young assassins. The little girl goes across the room and sits down. Natasha goes over to her, and tells the girl that she is all right – and all the anger she is feeling right now, she should hold onto it.
Clint continues to examine the panic room, and holding up a flare arrow to shine some light into the room, he locates an air duct. Clint attaches an arrow to the air duct, and some sort of cable hangs from the arrow. Clint tells Bucky that if this works, he won't be stuck listening to him brood anymore. 'And if it doesn't?' Bucky replies, as he continues to pull on the panic room door in an attempt to open it. 'Well, same, I guess' Clint mutters.
In the Red Room again, Gunin tells Natasha that they have a system, that she knows this, and that the assassins are loyal to the Red Room because they fear them. 'That fear is what keeps them in line' he explains. Natasha looks Gunin in the eye and asks him what happens when little girls no longer have anything to fear?
As Clint climbs under a table in the panic room, he tells Bucky that he might want to get under here as well. An instant later, there is an explosion caused by the arrow Clint stuck into the air duct.
'#$%& this and #$%& you, Black Widow' Gunin mutters as he leaves the training room. Natasha turns back to the little girls, who all look at her as she asks them 'Now...where were we?'
'I hate this plan' Bucky complains as Clint helps him climb into the semi-destroyed air duct. 'You're a skinny little dude without your scary-ass robot arm. You probably won't get stuck' Clint points out, before adding that Bucky is naturally greasy. Clint then sits down and leans against a wall while playing a game on his phone.
The Black Widow spends some of her time fighting Hydra agents – strangling one of them with a thin rope, while escaping a a group of agents as flames blaze around them.
'Up and at 'em. Barton. Time to get to work' Bucky calls out as several firefighters break into the panic room, rescuing Clint. One of the firefighters announces that they didn't even know this room was down here. Clint informs Bucky that he has a tracking device in his bow, that they can use it to find Natasha, assuming she didn't just dispose of it. 'And assuming you didn't kill your phone battery playing Tetris' Bucky points out. 'That, too' Clint agrees.
In a secret room at the Red Room command, the Black Widow whispers something to the imprisoned Epsilon Red. Later, Comrade Usenko enters the Black Widow's quarters. 'We turn our best agent into a commander and now all she does is study?' he remarks. A computer screen glows in front of her as Natasha tells Usenko that she has a lot to catch up on. Usenko tells Natasha to take a break and come with him.
Shortly, night has fallen. 'This is it' Hawkeye tells the Winter Soldier as they arrive at a facility hidden in a forest.
Usenko, Gunin and other Red Room officials meet with the Black Widow in a conference room. Usenko announces that ambition like this creates unnecessary risks that they can't afford. 'Natasha is new to the leadership -' Usenko begins.
At that moment, Hawkeye fires an arrow at a door, breaking the lock and enabling him and Bucky to break into the room. 'Boom-Boom! You're not dead!' Hawkeye exclaims as he and Bucky find Sally “Skids” Blevins chained to a table, eating “Froot e Dooz” cereal and watching a very small television. 'Are you #$%&%!# kidding me, Robin Hood?' Sally exclaims.
'ENOUGH!' the Black Widow shouts as she slams a fist down on the conference room table. She declares that they need to be more aggressive, as Hydra, SHIELD and the AIM are all at the weakest they have ever been in their lifetimes.
Back in the room where Skids is being held prisoner, Hawkeye uses an arrow head to unlock the chains around Skids wrists. Hawkeye calls her Skids this time as he asks her where Natasha is. Skids tells him that she doesn't know, but that she can't be staying too far, as she comes visits a lot. 'But this is just some stash house where she keeps random stuff. Your bow. His arm...me' Sally explains. 'Umm...is that why there's a bear in here?' the Winter Soldier asks as he turns and aims a gun at Ursa Major, who sits on the other side of the eoom. '$%#&' Ursa Major swears in his native Russian.
The Black Widow tells the other officials that they have their enemies right where they want them. 'This operation exists – has existed – exactly because of this discretion that you -' Usenko begins, when a voice over an intercom pardons the interruption, but announces that they have a situation at the front gates. Gunin tells them to put it on trhe monitor. 'Ehat the hell?' Usenko gasps as the monitor displays Hakweye, bow in hand and the Winter Soldier, riding on Ursa Major's shoulders. 'I'm sorry, Natasha. They were going to kill me' Ursa Major's voice can be heard. 'You said they were dead' Usenko declares. Natasha suddenly grabs a gun from a soldier standing nearby and shoots him in the face. 'Idiots' she mutters, while Usenko, Gunin and the other officials watch in shock.
Natasha then jumps onto the large conference table, and uses her weight to flip it onto its side, causing it to break the screens hanging above it. Several of the men begin ro run, while she shoots others – some straight through the head. 'Hey! What's going on?' a soldier asks as he rushes into the room – only for Natasha to shoot him in the head, too. She takes his large machine gun, and makes her way through the facility, gunning down more and more soldiers as an announcement sounds throughout the facility, warning Red Room operatives that the Black Widow has betrayed them, and they are under attack by her.
Elsewhere, the Winter Soldier guns down several Red Room operatives, while Hawkeye fires an arrow at one of them. 'Where could she be, Ursa Major?' Bucky asks as Ursa Major lumbers behind them. 'How should I know? She is a human woman. She could be anywhere' Ursa Major responds. The trio enter another room, and find it littered with bodies, as the announcement once again reports that they are under attack by the Black Widow. Hawkeye points out that it looks like they are in the right place, and as they step over the bodies, he realizes that Natasha has just killed a lot of people. 'Yup' Bucky agrees. They enter another hallway, lined with several doors. 'You want to pick a door or should I?' Clint asks Bucky.
Bucky slides open a door, 'I pick this one' he announces, as they discover the room full of the young ballerina assassins. 'What the... are we in the wrong... whose nightmare is this?' Clint asks, before stepping into the room.
'Heeeey little girl. We're looking for a friend' he tells one of the girls. Bucky suggests to him that he waits. 'They're ballerina's Bucky. Are you afraid of the “Nutcracker” or -' Clint begins, before one of the girls kicks him in his groin. 'That one was my fault. I asked for that. Little Baryshinkov for me good' Clint frowns as he leans forward, clutching his groin. 'Baryshinkov is a man' Bucky clarifies. The assassins surround Bucky and Hawkeye, ready to fight them. 'Are we doing this?' Bucky asks. 'In what David Lynch universe do you think I'm fighting these evil little -' Hawkeye begins. 'So we...?' Bucky asks him. 'Run!' Hawkeye shouts as he rushes from the room.
Bucky turns and follows, 'C'mon! This way! And where's our bear?' Hawkeye calls out to Bucky, slamming the door behind Bucky and preventing the little girls from following them. 'If they start breaking through this door...' Hawkeye begins. 'Clint!' Bucky calls out, but gets no answer, but Clint doesn't look at him. 'I...I don't even know. I'll probably start crying' Hawkeye mutters. 'Clint!' Bucky shouts, this time, Clint turns around, and sees that they are in a room lined with stasis tubes, and, more importantly, Natasha is here – along with numerous clones of both herself and Yelena Belova. 'Ooooh. I get it' Clint mutters. '...I died back in that safe room, didn't I?' he asks as one of the Black Widow clones grabs Natasha bu her throat, and another pulls Natasha's arm above her head, holding her gun back, while others move towards her with shards of glass.
'How do we know which one is the real Natasha?' Bucky asks 'Are you #$%&*$% kidding me right now, James?' Natasha screams. 'That one's her' the Winter Soldier remarks as he punches one of the Belova clones, knocking her backwards, while Hawkeye fires several grappling arrows towards some of the clones and asks Natasha if she wants to explain what is going on here. 'They're duplicates' Natasha explains. The grapple moves upwards and sticks into the ceiling, before the cable yanks the clones upwards, suspending them over the others. 'Clint was right. It wasn't you that killed all those people and tried to blow us up' the Winter Soldier exclaims. Natasha shoots two of the Belova clones and replies 'No, that was me' as she slams her elbow into the face of one of her clones.
Natasha continues firing at the clones and reveals that the Red Room has been keeping cloned bodies oh high-value agents for some time now, that they had a program to replace their bodies with Super-Adaptoids in the past, too, but that this is the preferred method for replacing a dead agent. She grabs one of her clones and breaks her neck, as the Winter Soldier punches one, Hawkeye asks Natasha if these things were the Red Room's backup plan in case she died. 'I did die, Clint. You saw it. I am these things. I am the backup plan' Natasha announces. Natasha and Bucky then open fire as more Black Widow clones move towards them. Natasha tells Bucky not to hold back and that she wants to make sure this never happens again, that she needs all of them killed. 'Nat, hang on. I can't just kill -' Hawkeye calls out, as the Winter Soldier fires a bullet straight into the brain of one of the clones at close range.
'What the hell are you doing?' Clint shouts at Bucky. 'Making sure we survive' Bucky replies. Suddenly, Gunin enters the room with several soldiers. 'There she is! Get the traitor!' Gunin shouts. This causes Natasha, Clint and Bucky to begin to run, as between the clones and soldiers, there are too many opponents. The trio take shelter behind some equipment, 'They've got us pinned down' Hawkeye points out as he readies a bow and arrow. Natasha motions to a door and tells Clint to blast it open, but Clint tells her that is the way they came in, and there is nothing good behind there. 'Fine. Then cover me' Natasha responds as she moves past Bucky and Clint. 'No, Nat! Wait!' Hawkeye calls out, but she doesn't stop. 'Dammit' Clint mutters, firing three arrows which create an explosion ahead of several soldiers, keeping them back from Natasha, who opens the door. 'Greetings, comrade' Ursa Major greets Natasha, several of the ballerina assassins are with him. 'Get them' Natasha screams, pointing at the soldiers.
Ursa Major rushes forward, straight into the soldiers, knocking several of them backwards, while the deadly ballerina assassins move in after him, one of them leaping onto a soldier and wrapping her arms around his neck. 'So it's a coup, then? I always knew you lacked the loyalty to be one of us' Gunin remarks as Natasha puts a gun to his head. 'And you lacked the vision to become something better' Natasha replies. 'Nat! Stop!' Hawkeye calls out to her, but before he can move towards her, Bucky grabs him and holds him back, telling him to let Natasha finish this. Ursa Major stands in front of Natasha, protecting her from any remaining soldiers as she shoots Gunin in the head – his body drops to the ground immediately. 'It's over' Natasha announces, as the ballerina assassins look over to her. 'Get the #$%& off me, Barnes' Hawkeye snaps at Bucky, pulling himself away from him.
Natasha informs Ursa Major that Usenko has escaped and instructs him to get the children out of here, adding that the Red Room officials will have a way to remote detonate this site once Usenko reports that it is lost. 'Da' Ursa Major replies. Natasha goes over to a Yelena Belova clone and the body of Anya the Orphan Maker, laying nearby. She tells Bucky to help her move them. 'What are you doing?' Bucky asks her. 'I owe them back what I took from them' Natasha explains as the move the bodies into the room where Yurgei Ivanov is still sitting, connected to various machines. Natasha asks him if he can restore them, like he promised her. 'Do this one last thing for me and I will set you free' she tells him. 'Natasha, this guy's a vegetable' Bucky remarks. 'Yes' Yurgei responds as he stands up and walks towards where Yelena and Anya lay on the floor. 'God, I hate psychics' Clint mutters. 'Clint...' Bucky begins, 'What? He knows I was thinking it' Clint points out, before asking Natasha what this is all about.
'This is the Red Room. Even in death they control you' Natasha responds as Yurgei lays down with his head between Yelena and Anya. 'So if you're so anti-Red Room, how come you tried to blow us up for them?' Clint enquires. 'It wasn't for them. It was for me. I was working on a plan...and I knew you'd just get in the way' Natasha explains. 'Hey!' Clint exclaims, but Bucky tells him that Natasha isn't wrong. 'Not the point' Clint declares, asking if Natasha thinks that because they didn't die and Skids didn't die and that she can revive the people she did kill, that all is forgotten? Angrily, Natasha tells Hawkeye and the Winter Soldier that she isn't asking for forgiveness, that she has not asked for anything from either of them. 'That's what you boys never seem to understand. This was never about you. This is about the things I lost' Natasha explains.
'It is done' Yurgei reports as he sits up. Natasha thanks Yurgei and informs him that he is free. Yurgei thanks Natasha, before she shoots him in the face. 'Dammit, Nat! Dammit. What is this? What happened to you?' Hawkeye asks, throwing his arms into the air. 'I told you, Clint. I died' Natasha reminds him. 'That's it?' Clint asks. 'Death can give you a change in perspective, yes' Natasha remarks. 'The assassinations. The kidnappings. The children killers. All of this. That's a hell of a “change in perspective”' Clint points out. Natasha assures Clint that she wants it to end, to which Clint asks her what she is talking about. 'No more spies' Natasha utters. 'Not to ruin whatever this is...but didn't you mention something about this building blowing up, Natasha?' Bucky asks.
Shortly, Bucky and Clint carry the unconscious Yelena and Anya as they and Natasha leave the Red Room building. 'Little late, but it looks like Skids came through with the cavalry' Hawkeye points out as they find dozens of FBI operatives waiting for them. Ursa Major is there, with the rescued little girls, too. 'I have to go back in' Natasha informs Clint and Bucky. 'Natasha...' Bucky begins, but Natasha explains that there is information inside that she does not want in an ex-SHIELD agent's hands any more than she wants it in the Red Room's. She asks Bucky and Hawkeye to stall Skids for a few minutes, as Skids gets out of an FBI vehicle and approaches them. 'Hey, Sally. We were just -' Bucky begins, before the entire Red Room facility behind them suddenly explodes.
Forty minutes later, Clint and Bucky sit on some rocks in front of the remains of the flaming building, as Skids stands in front of them. 'Let's go over it again' she begins, stating that there are a dozen blood-soaked ballerinas who won't speak a word'. Skids adds that there are maybe two dozen dead Russian spies roasting behind them, two confused ladies sitting in the back of a squad car – despite the fact that she has read their autopsies. 'State troopers are giving me reports of a bear runninh down Route 84 cursing at motorists, which I feel has to be related to you morons' Sally adds, pointing out that everyone and their mother wants to know how all of this happened in sleepy Westchester, New York. Neither Clint nor Bucky respond, so Skids asks them if they know they royally %$&%&* this up. 'Yup' they both admit.
Sally continues, informing them that the powers that be don't like it when she threatens Avengers, so suggests that perhaps they shouldn't leave town in case they need to ID Natasha's body when they find it. 'But don't even $%&*#$% think about leaving down' Sally adds, before turning and walking away. 'You know she's not dead, right?' Bucky asks Clint, who tells him that he knows. A fire fighter approaches them, asking if they are “Clint” and “James” and hands them two envelopes, informing them that Westchester Fire Department found them stuck to a nearby tree. Bucky and Clint stare at the envelopes in silence. 'You've got mine' Bucky mutters 'Gimme mine' Clint snaps, as they trade envelopes.
Clint opens his and reads it. Natasha thanks him for not giving up on her and for coming after her – for trying to teach her how to be better. She tells him that she is sorry it didn't take, and that she cares about him deeply, but that where she is going, he can't follow. She hopes that he will understand, and that if he can't, she hopes he can learn to stop caring about the people who always hurt him.
Clint folds the letter up and puts it in his back pocket, as Bucky looks at his own letter, and asks Clint what his letter said. 'Nothing much' Clint responds. 'What did yours say?' Clint asks. 'Same' Bucky tells him as they get to their feet, and start to walk away. Clint tells Bucky that, all things considered, that could have gone worse. 'You make a pretty good sidekick' he adds. Bucky ignores that comment as he drops his letter towards some flames on the ground. 'Want to get some breakfast?' Clint asks. 'No' Bucky replies, as he starts to walk in the opposite direction, as his letter catches fire. The letter from Natasha informs James that she has an idea, maybe it will work, or maybe she will die trying – but she knows she will stand a better chance with him at her side The letter tells Bucky that if he wants to know more, then he can find her in exactly one week – he will know where, and if not, then he needs to forget about this. The letter ends with Natasha telling Bucky that Clint can't know about this....


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By The Light
Two members of Apocalypse's elite army, Diablo and the Absorbing Man, are attacking Magneto as he holds Robert Kelly in his arms. Magneto has just defeated an army of Infinites in Central America who were holding Kelly prisoner in a Mayan Temple that they had turned into a prisoner of war camp. Diablo taunts Magneto as he causes vines to rise from the ground and rip Kelly from Magneto's arms. Meanwhile, the Absorbing Man turns himself into the solid stone of the Ancient Temple itself. Magneto notices this a little too late as he is knocked to the ground by Absorbing Man's ball and chain. Magneto knows that the Absorbing Man is now composed of a material he cannot control magnetically and he lies on the ground battered and bruised. Magneto decides on another approach and he concentrates to transform his fallen helmet into a metallic war club. He uses the weapon against the Absorbing Man, knocking off the right side of his head, but it just makes Crusher Creel angrier.
A few feet away, Diablo conjures up a special knife to kill Kelly, who begs him to stop, as mutants and humans should be working together to stop Apocalypse. Diablo says that the way he talks reveals him as a politician and that his naive philosophy is what has caused him all his troubles. As Diablo pushes the knife towards Kelly's heart, Nightcrawler teleports in front of Kelly and intercepts the killing strike. Surprised by the X-Man's sudden appearance, Diablo falls easy prey to one of Nightcrawler's kicks after being taunted about his ridiculous looking costume. Drawing his sword from his back holster, Nightcrawler cuts the vines that were holding Kelly and while the politician tries to thank his savior, Kurt cracks jokes about himself not being registered to vote.
Back at Magneto's battle, Creel is about to crush Magneto when Rogue comes in and touches him from behind. She absorbs his power and Creel reverts back to human flesh. Rogue knocks him out and then helps Magneto to his feet as she turns back to flesh. She chides Magneto for not, per their plan, contacting the others once he had found Kelly. Magneto explains that he did not want to put all of them in harm's way. Although he is grateful for the rescue, Kelly expresses his concerns that for as long as Apocalypse is in power, nothing will change. Nightcrawler interrupts and tells Magneto that his mother, Mystique, has contacted him and told him that the underground has located Apocalypse's base. Finally, he says, they might be able to stop him once and for all.
Elsewhere, Cyclops watches as Sunfire is being experimented on to learn the extent of his mutant powers. He thinks that the machinery used to probe the mutant is nothing more than a torture device. Death (Maximus) comes up behind Cyclops and wonders aloud if Cyclops has any disloyalty towards Apocalypse. Cyclops tells Death that he is only there to oversee a shipment from Apocalypse to his head scientist, the Black Beast. Death claims that he knows why Cyclops is there, but he will have to wait, as Apocalypse will not be seeing anyone and his shipment will be ready in a short while. As Death leaves the room, Cyclops ponders why Apocalypse is not seeing anyone.
Thousands of miles away in Kentucky are the remains of the Guthries' farmhouse. In order to kidnap the Guthrie children and use them for their purposes, Sinister and Apocalypse had laid waste to the area a couple of years before. Currently, the X-Men use the area as their base, operating from tunnels that Magneto has carved under the ground. Morph runs through the tunnels in the appearance of a large bunny, shouting, "I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date!" Morph comes to a stop in front of a door where he listens in on Sabretooth talking to Blink. Sabretooth talks to Blink about how he she was just a frightened, lost child when he rescued her from Abyss years ago. Yet something in her showed that she was a survivor, no matter what they threw at her. However, recently he noticed her retreating into herself and falling back into her old role. Sabretooth goes on that he probably was not the best role model, as he once worked together with Apocalypse's son Holocaust, though later he saw the light and has come over to the side of the angels. It is a rotten world, and they can only face it head-on. Hearing the sadness in his voice, Blink reaches out with her hand, but then pulls it back.
Outside, Morph watches, still in the shape of the bunny, and he thinks to himself how if Sabretooth would just reach out to her and tell her everything will be okay, she would open up to him. Thinking that Sabretooth needs some help, Morph bursts into the room and tries to drag Sabretooth away to Magneto's emergency briefing on their attack on Apocalypse. Creed gets angry and grabs Morph by the throat, not in the mood for his jokes. Clarice was on her way to the pit when he and Logan rescued her. Her brother and her parents died in the cullings; that's not something to make fun of. Sabretooth threatens Morph that if he does not turn back to his normal form, he will hurt him. Morph apologizes, saying that he was only trying to lighten things up. As he reverts back into his true form, Sabretooth leaves the room to go talk to Magneto.
In Magneto's War Room, Colossus, Sabretooth, Rogue, Magneto, and Nightcrawler listen as Gambit talks about how Apocalypse was almost destroyed last time they battled him and he has to spend a lot of time away recuperating. Nightcrawler goes on to say that he paid his mother for a diagram of a ship that Destiny drew of where Apocalypse is now hiding. Nightcrawler has bad news though; the ship is not hidden on Earth. Apocalypse knew a ship that big could not be hidden for long, so he hid the ship on the blue area of the Moon. With that said, Sabretooth thinks aloud that now they cannot defeat Apocalypse because they have no way to get to the moon.
Above the moon on a vessel simply called "Ship" Apocalypse recovers from his wounds behind the scenes. While Cyclops peers out of the window, looking at the devastation of an alien race's once great city, a large alien/mutant, looking like a walking brain with armor, approaches Cyclops and tells him that Death is ready to see him now. Moments later, Cyclops walks into a room where Death sits on a throne. He tells Cyclops that he does not know if he will give Sinister the Terrigen Mist like he originally planned. It has been in his family a long time, Death tells Cyclops. Seconds later, canisters fall from the ceiling and Death explains that because of the mist, which is mutagenic, he is able to turn his ordinary countrymen into extraordinary fighting machines. Death also tells Cyclops that until Apocalypse awakens from his rest, Death is in charge. Cyclops proclaims that he understands and he will do as Death wishes. Secretly, Death thinks to himself that he has now even "cowed" Cyclops.
Back on the Guthrie Farm, Blink draws pictures as Sabretooth walks into the room she is in. Sabretooth looks down at a smiling Blink and he sits next to her. Sabretooth tells her that it is hard for him to say it, but everything will be okay. He tells her that he and that "wonderful guy Morph" are all going to help stop Apocalypse, but they need her help to "blink" them to the moon. Sabretooth holds Blink in his arms as she thanks Morph for being such a kind guy and says she will help them. Surprised that he was found out, Morph transforms back to his original appearance from Sabretooth and asks how she saw through his ruse? She explains that he told on himself when he said "that wonderful guy Morph" and she tells him she will help. With that said, she blinks them from below the Guthrie Farm.
On the land of the Guthrie Farm, Magneto sits and ponders about upcoming events while Rogue comes to cheer him up. She tells him that he is a born leader and she is thankful to him for allowing her the ability for the two of them to touch each other. Rogue tells Magneto that her one hope is that, someday, she and he will get married and have a child. As Magneto and Rogue lean over to kiss one another, Morph appears between them and jokes about loving all the mushy stuff. As they question his sudden appearance, Morph points to Blink who is stepping from one of her portals. She tells them that she is so glad to see the sunlight again.
Back on Ship hovering over the Moon, Cyclops ponders if Death should be stopped. He also wonders if it was not for Apocalypse's control, if mankind would have ever traveled to space? As he comes to his conclusion that Death should be stopped, he wonders if one man will be able to stop Death?
While below Ship, the X-Men blink on the blue area's surface and are surprised to find that they are able to breathe without any masks. Magneto ponders the great mysteries all these ruins must contain while Sabretooth says he just wants to kick some butt and go home for a beer. Morph catches Blink as she falls and jokes with her, telling her she did a good job. Seeing Blink pampered angers Sabretooth and he throws Morph away from Blink. Seeing this, Blink sadly asks if Sabretooth hates her. To her surprise Sabretooth tells her nothing is farther from the truth just as he jumps in front of her in time to hide her from Death and his Inhuman soldiers.
Magneto commands his X-Men to attack only on his command and Sabretooth tells Blink to hide behind him. Surrounding Death stands horrific versions of the Inhuman's royal family that used to rule the blue area of the Moon. Death tells Magneto that he is the fourth horseman of Apocalypse and that by killing the X-Men, he will assure his succession to the throne of Apocalypse. He also explains that the Inhumans that surround him are genetic templates of his first family that he killed many years ago.
Morph jokingly appears next to death in the shape of a blue Frog and he jokes with Death about leaving Apocalypse. Death is angered by Morph's familiar tone and he knocks Morph back near where Nightcrawler stands. Death, having had enough, orders his Inhuman army to attack the X-Men. The first battle is an alien resembling Black Bolt, who attacks Sabretooth, knocking him back with his sonic scream. Nightcrawler saves him by attacking the Inhuman from behind. Unknown to him though, a green skinned Inhuman resembling Medusa attacks Nightcrawler with her hair, but Sabretooth comes to his rescue by taking her out. Though saved from death, Nightcrawler is taken out of the action.
Elsewhere, Rogue fights a large stone Inhuman and easily defeats him. Rogue, in turn, is taken out herself by an Inhuman with the power to shoot bolts resembling Crystal. Magneto comes in after Rogue and he easily defeats the bolt shooting Inhuman and a few more Inhumans that are still around. Though another Inhuman resembling Triton, with the power over water, encases Magneto in a water bubble taking even the X-Men's leader from the fight. Nearby, an Inhuman resembling Lockjaw takes out Morph and Sabretooth is sneak attacked by the Inhuman that looks most like Karnak. Taking the entire X-Men, minus Blink out, Death commands the Inhumans to take them to Ship so that he can start experimenting on them just as he did his family of Inhumans years before.
A little while later, Blink materializes on Apocalypse's Ship, hiding behind a metal pillar as she ponders how she is going to rescue her fellow X-Men. Suddenly, hands come from behind and clasp her mouth shut. A firm voice tells her to hush, as three Inhuman soldiers unknowingly walk past them. The stranger is Cyclops and after he introduces himself, Blink asks him to help her free her friends. Cyclops informs Blink that as soon as the intruder alarm was sounded earlier, Apocalypse was beamed back to Earth out of harms way. Blink exclaims that she does not care about Apocalypse right now, because all she wants to do is save her friends. Cyclops agrees to help her and the two mutants run off to help the X-Men break free.
Death stands above the captive X-Men in a chamber of Ship as Sunfire is being tortured above them. He tells the X-Men that he will bathe them in the Terrigen Mists. They will come out more hideous looking, but they will be the leaders of his new army that will march on Apocalypse and destroy him along with the rest who oppose him. With that said, Blink teleports herself and Cyclops right above Death's head. In shock, Death looks up just in enough time to see Cyclops shooting a plasma blast towards the restraints holding Sunfire, setting him free. Death, asking Cyclops if he understands what he has done in setting Sunfire free, is burned and killed by Sunfire in a matter of seconds, giving Blink enough time to transport Cyclops away from the battle. The rest of the X-Men have by now broken free of their restraints and Morph, dressed in tourist garb and carrying a suit case, asks if she would please hurry up and blink them away as well. After she completes Cyclops' transport, Blink turns to her friends and teleports them away also. For safety, Magneto wraps Sunfire in a magnetic bubble as they are transported away.
When they arrive on the Guthrie Farm, Sabretooth tells Blink she did a good job. While as the X-Men gaze towards the moon, Magneto and Rogue discuss Cyclops and whether or not he should still be called an enemy or an ally.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Sinister Bloodlines
(five years ago)On Liberty Island in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty lies in pieces. Atop the giant stone pedestal upon which Lady Liberty once stood is a different statue; one of the mutant overlord known as Apocalypse. The statue of Apocalypse, like Lady Liberty, asks for the world to send him its poor, huddled masses. Unlike Liberty's altruistic motive, however, Apocalypse wishes to them to come so he can destroy them for their weakness. Behind the statue, on the island of Manhattan, lies what remains of New York City, capital of Apocalypse's new America.
High overhead of Apocalypse's Manhattan fortress, a small spacecraft of Shi'ar design streaks through the night sky. In close pursuit of this craft are three Scarab class attack crafts. Hitting the Shi'ar craft with a missile, they watch the intruder crash in the New Nile. Sometime later, a salvage crew lifts the craft from the water and places it on the dock. Clad in radiation suits, the crew cautiously opens the craft and is shocked. Calling out to his captain, one crewman exclaims that he is probably going to want to see this.
In the heart of Apocalypse's Manhattan fortress, Scott and Alex Summers spar hand-to-hand with two humans. Scott, a rising star in the ranks of Apocalypse and on the fast track to becoming a prelate, advises his younger brother on tactics. Alex, forever in his brother's shadow, grows even more irritated at his performance and is pushed to the floor by his opponent. Acting on instinct, Alex defends himself by using his plasma powers to incinerate his adversary. Emerging into the sparring area, Sinister voices his disappointment and reminds Alex than the object of the exercise was to teach him not to rely solely on his mutant gift. Rubbing in his failure, Alex is told that, as always, he takes the easy path to victory, and as such will always be second to his brother. Trying to ease the blow from their surrogate father, Scott predicts that next time, he will do better.
Entering the room, Dr. Hank McCoy, the prodigy of Sinister who is referred to in hushed voices as the Beast for his infamous cruelty, apologizes for the interruption and asks to speak to Sinister. Speaking cryptically, McCoy informs his mentor that salvage has retrieved an... anomaly. When prodded for more information by Sinister, McCoy, in a hushed voice, suggests that they had best discuss it elsewhere, perhaps in the lab. As the two leave, Alex comments to his brother that the rumor is McCoy has begun to experiment on himself. Adding his own opinion, Scott states that some people are just never happy being who they are.
(five years later, present)Lying strapped on an examination table, Christopher Summers howls in pain. For the past five years, he has been poked, prodded, cut into and operated on every minute of every hour of every day. Having lost his family while trying to smuggle them to safety before Apocalypse's rise to power, Christopher had returned to find his two sons. For the past half decade, this driving mission has kept him going and enduring pain that would have broken a lesser man. Still, after all of this time, Christopher does not give up. In an act of will as much as strength, Christopher breaks one of his straps, freeing himself.
Eyes downcast at his notepad, the Beast, now in form as well as spirit, greets Christopher as #9763 and jokingly asks if he called for a doctor. Impaling the mutant with a syringe, Christopher replies that it'd be better if he called him dead. Knocking over a table of volatile liquid, starting a fire, Christopher tells the collapsing Beast to burn in hell. As Christopher makes his escapes through the flames, several guards arrive on the scene, asking the Beast if he is all right. Still trying to return to his feet, the Beast orders the two to catch the subject and kill it if they have to.
Making his way to the outside though an air vent, Christopher emerges onto the streets of Manhattan. Recognizing the ruined city, he yells in horror. Grabbing a passing vagrant by his cloak, Christopher forcefully asks what happened? Pulling and knife and swinging, the vagrant tells the confused stranger to stay away and to find his own clothes. Christopher begins to explain, but is silenced by the sound of an alarm blaring through the night sky. Another vagrant, a kindly dark skinned man with short gray hair, beckons Christopher to follow, explaining that the wagons are on the way.
Moments later, Christopher finds himself in a hidden bunker, filled with the arid scent of yellowed newsprint. Taking the long coat being offered by his new friend, Christopher tells him that he's been away for a long time. How did all this happen, he asks. When did it all go into the toilet? The old man answers that there was a war against humanity by the mutant population. Humanity lost. Pointing to some hanging single page newspapers titled "Bugle", the man states that he tries to keep other humans informed of the news Apocalypse won't tell them. Finally remembering his manners, the man introduces himself as Robbie. Returning the gesture, Christopher introduces himself as Chris Summers. Trying to inform his own shattered mind as well as his new friend, Christopher tells Robbie that he remembers fleeing the coming war with his wife and children. They crashed. There was a strange ship... and then there was a gray monster conducting tests. Recognizing the name, Robbie asks if his sons are Scott and Alex. Shocked that this man could know his family, Christopher tells him that they are and asks if he knows his boys. Robbie replies that he does and, placing his hand on Christopher's shoulder, tells him it's time he had a history lesson.
Back in Apocalypse's fortress, Sinister speaks to a gathered group of mutants. As Scott and Alex wonder why a reported flatscan requires such attention, Sinister continues. The subject is one of the most dangerous men ever held in the pens. For the search, Northstar and Aurora will take point, the Bedlam Brothers will coordinate from the citadel while Emplate and the Monets will be the trackers. Closing the meeting, Sinister informs them that he wants the subject and is only to be killed if necessary. Already taken aback by the unprecedented command of capturing a flatscan alive, Cyclops asks Sinister if he shouldn't be handling the situation. Brushing off his adoptive son, Sinister replies that he should learn to delegate. He has been groomed for more than combat, he is to be a leader. As the group disperses, Alex is approached by the Bedlam Brothers who, despite their orders, wish to take a break to the exclusive club called Heaven.
Greeting the three Alpha mutants at his club's entrance, Warren Worthington III welcomes them and tells his bartender that everything's on the house for the three. When Alex orders a dry drink, the Bedlam Brothers tell him to lighten up and offer a toast to Apocalypse. Drinking to the toast, Alex tells the Brothers that life would be a lot sweeter if he were an only child.
Meanwhile in Joe "Robbie" Robertson's shelter, Emplate, the Monets, Northstar and Aurora find Robbie dead, gutted like a fish. Sensing that something is wrong, Emplate sniffs the corpse and declares that the "meat" is tainted. It is dead, yet still alive. A sudden movement from Robbie's corpse startles the group, but Aurora quickly incinerates the body. The group dismisses their unsolved mystery, deciding instead to continue on their hunt. Minutes later, the group's trail leads to the sealed Lincoln Tunnel. Having been closed for years, it is now the world's longest road to nowhere. Trapped at the tunnel's entrance, Christopher attempts to fight back with a large knife, but is quickly dropped to the ground by a blow from Emplate. Pulling an energy pistol from his coat, much to the surprise of the group, Christopher blasts Emplate in the chest, killing him instantly. As the Monets stand in frozen shock, Christopher flees. The fleeing human does not get very far before he is stopped by Northstar and Aurora. Both laugh at Christopher as he presents his weapon, asking if he truly thinks that bullets can stop them. Their laughter turns to pain when Christopher, instead of firing at them, fires at a car behind, which explodes violently. Not wishing to take another life, Christopher leaves the injured twins and continues on his way.
In the club Heaven, Alex, the Bedlam Brothers and their female guests tell stories, laughing in their posh surroundings. Their laughing stops with the arrival of Prelate Cyclops who brings news that the search team's emergency beacon has activated. Since that means something's wrong, they are going after them. Alex attempts to blow off the mission, but is quickly rebuffed by his brother. Silently, Cyclops thinks that this is his chance to figure out why this whole mission has felt wrong from the beginning.
(thirty minutes later)Scott and Alex, riding their motorcycles, arrive at the scene of the battle. They find the injured Northstar and Aurora, the transfixed and catatonic Monet twins, and the deceased Emplate. Reveling in what a supposed flatscan has done, they pick up on his trail heading west into the Ghost Lands. Arriving there, in reality a cemetery, Scott voices his worries. He states that their target could easily have disguised his signal. He wants them to find him. Following their signal, the two prelates enter a mausoleum, and are quickly fired upon.
Firing a warning shot, Christopher warns the two to stay back. Firing a non-lethal plasma bolt, Havok knocks his target back, making him drop his weapon. Disarmed, but not out, Christopher flees in the resulting confusion. Running at his top speed, he wonders if it was really they and would they kill him, their father, if he were just a human? Christopher's sprint is halted when the ceiling, blasted by Cyclops optic blast, begins to fall around him. Drawing out his sword, Christopher turns to his sons and offers them two choices: they can kill him because he is a flatscan, or can spare the life of their poor old dad. To this, Christopher adds that he has missed them.
(partially flashbacks)Angered at the apparent insult, Havok begins to fire again, but is stopped by his brother. Christopher tries to reach out to his sons, marking that he knew that Scott would be the calm one and suspected that Alex would inherit his mother's fire. Unconvinced, Alex exclaims that it is a trick, a messed-up scheme by the resistance. When asked by Cyclops why they should believe him, Christopher sits down and tries to recount when their saga began. The war was just beginning, Christopher tells his sons. Fleeing the coming conflict, the Summers' family packed their entire life into the Cessna. It was their mother's birthday and they were going to give her the gift of free Canadian soil. When the gigantic alien craft appeared, for reasons he cannot even remember, he placed his two sons in a parachute and pushed them out of the plane to safety.
Taken aback, Alex exclaims that the story is accurate, a story which nobody knows. Cold as ever, Cyclops asks his father why he didn't come back until now? Their real father would never have abandoned them like that. Recalling the alien ship once more, Christopher says that he first believed it to be one of Apocalypse's crafts, but when the beam pulled the plane inside, he knew that the ship wasn't of this world. The aliens, calling themselves the Shi'ar, were terrible and couldn't be reasoned with. The aliens subjected them to all type of tests, wanting to know everything about them. Dying early in the process, his wife, their mother, did not suffer. After the period of testing, he had been thrown in the brig with other aliens. United by their common hate of the Shi'ar, they plotted for months before staging a mutiny against their captors. Taking control of the ship, they spent years taking their revenge against the Shi'ar Empire, which was losing a war of their own. After time, revenge lost its taste and he had to leave. They were on the way to Earth when they encountered... Christopher trails off before somberly adding that he should never have come back.
(present)Cyclops congratulates Christopher on his story, claiming that whomever he's working for did a good job supplying his information. But aliens? He doesn't think so. Voicing his own opinion, Havok says that while he could be clutching at straws, he believes him.
As the three continue their dialogue, shadowy figured emerge from the woods, hungry for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Striking swiftly, the two inhuman men strike, knocking down Havok. Recognizing the two as scavengers, Cyclops orders his brother to go for the jugular; it is their only chance. Moving at lightening speed, the same scavenger, with serpent-like features, strikes Cyclops from behind, immobilizing him. Ducking a blow from the second scavenger, Christopher orders his recovering son, Alex, to help his brother. Havok fires, knocking both Cyclops and the serpent scavenger down. Comparing himself to a cobra, the scavenger suggests that they shouldn't challenge one when it's hungry. Cyclops, having recovered, answers the comment with a deadly optic blast.
Recovering from their swift battle, the two brothers hear the cry of their father attempting to evade the blows of the second, giant scavenger. Drawing his sword once more, Christopher impales the brute, killing him. The kill fresh in his mind, Christopher attempts to quell a rising thirst for death. Trying to relax, he promises that he can't let his sons see him like that. Impressed by his father's actions, Cyclops offers a compliment. Wiping his brow, Christopher states that one picks up skills fighting aliens. Wiping the blood from his sword, Christopher tells his sons that while he never had the chance to really raise them, and he knows that they grew up in a harsh world, he never imagined they'd be capable of doing the things he's seen them do. Changing the conversation, Cyclops notes that their bikes were destroyed in the fight and the weather's about to go to seed. They need shelter for the night. After Alex points to an old church, Scott agrees, saying that they can use the time to get to know each other better.
In the laboratory of Sinister, the Beast and Sinister look at the image of a red-haired woman on the screen. Hanging from the ceiling, the Beast asks his master what he thinks. Do they have a winner? Examining the data, Sinister notes that the woman's genetic code may be the perfect compliment to Scott's X-factor. Recalling the death of Emplate and the catatonic state of the Monets, the Beast asks Sinister why he thinks that the two Summers boys will fare differently. Still staring at the screen, Sinister remarks that they know how to take care of themselves. Obviously trying to provoke a reaction, the Beast asks if he has told the two the truth about their father. He also wonders aloud their possible reaction to the news that their substitute guardian had been using their real father as a guinea pig. Snapping back with rage, Sinister grabs the Beast by the neck and tells him to not test his limits. He may be brilliant, but he is not expendable. As the Beast skulks away, Sinister silently wonders if he did have a point. The tenuous situation could easily spin out of control.
Back in the Summers' church refuge, the three men try to warm themselves around barrel fires. Citing the storm, Cyclops states that they will not be able to call for backup. Holocaust's nuclear "campaign" in the Midwest creates atmospheric interference. Turning the conversation back to their father's past actions, they ask what happened when he returned to Earth. Trying to brush off the question, Christopher replies that he doesn't recall, angering Scott greatly. Despite his father's pleas for him to drop his shell for a second, Scott turns his back and walks away. Standing on his own, Cyclops reminisces. He remembers the look on his father's face when he handed them the only parachute. Trying to reconcile that face against the hate he's felt for years, Cyclops nearly does not notice the slaughter he has walked amongst. Finding a group of scavengers, all dead, Cyclops wonders what happened? Did they kill each other? Noticing the animalistic wounds and the warmth of the bodies, he quickly surmises that the killers might still be there.
Checking inside an old garbage dumpster, Cyclops discovers a dark skinned woman, chained. Picking her up, the prelate attempts to ease her fears, promising that his intentions are to help, not to hurt. Using his optic blast, Cyclops breaks her chains, freeing her. Introducing herself as Misty Knight, the woman tells Cyclops that he she doesn't take help from mutants, and asks him to kill her. Dismissing her fears as underground rhetoric, Cyclops tells her that they are not butchers like the scavengers. Retorting angrily, Misty asks Cyclops to tell that to what's left of the families murdered by Apocalypse's dogs.
Looking around for signs of the killers, Cyclops suggests that they not stay long. Whoever did this, he points out, could still be in the vicinity. As they move back to the Summers' camp, Misty tells Cyclops that she and her friends were headed toward Canada when the scavengers found them. They threw her in a dumpster, most likely to save her for later. The two stop dead in their tracks, seeing a red-haired woman hanging from the rafters, dead. Asked by Cyclops if she was a friend, Misty replies to the woman, Colleen, stating that she never thought that she would outlive her. The two continue on their way, not noticing the deceased Colleen open her eyes.
Back at the camp, Christopher is working on the motorcycle as Havok explains its specs. Speaking with his usual authoritarian voice, Cyclops enters and explains that some predator is on the loose and has killed most of the locals. As his father quietly mutters "not now", Havok asks his brother who the flatscan is. Cyclops barely has time to introduce Misty before the group is encircled by a group of undead people. Exclaiming that all of them were dead five minutes ago, Cyclops hands a pistol to Misty. Apologizing for her friends, he tells her they have no choice. Firing his optic blast at one undead, Cyclops is astonished that it survives, albeit injured. Likewise, Havok finds his powers nearly useless. Preparing to fight with his sword, Christopher is seized by the wrist by one creature, which pauses briefly, and calls Christopher "mother". Seizing the moment, Christopher impales the creature with the sword. Elsewhere in the fight, Misty is accosted by the undead Colleen, who greets her former friend just before being blasted by her pistol. Yelling that they are losing ground, Cyclops orders the group to fall back.
Running free of the church, the group finds that they are trapped between the undead creatures, and a deep ravine. Facing certain doom, the group is rescued by a crescent shaped craft, which's cannons obliterate the undead. After a swift landing, Sinister emerges from the craft. Not even taking a moment to thank the genetic master, Cyclops bluntly states that he has a lot of questions about his father. Pointing his energy rifle at Cyclops father, Sinister coldly states that he is afraid that they'll have to wait.
Acting swiftly, Cyclops pushes the rifle skyward and, at the top of his voice, asks Sinister when he was planning on telling them about their father? In another five years? The argument abruptly ends by Havok's exclamation over his father's condition. Doubling over in pain, Christopher tells his sons that he tried to fight it, but he killed Robertson and the others. Standing upright once more, Christopher knocks Havok away with a powerful backhand before revealing his transformed self. Snarling with monstrous teeth and flashing inhuman eyes, Christopher Summers, human/alien hybrid, growls at his children and tells them that it is time for them to join the Brood! Standing next to his adopted sons, Sinister tells the Summers brothers that when he found their father he was already infected with an unknown strand of DNA. He hid their father as he didn't want them to see him like this. Almost fully transformed, the alien Christopher launches an attack at Sinister. Yelling that he will be the first to fall in revenge for the years of prodding and cutting, Christopher slashes with razor sharp claws.
Defending the man who raised him, Cyclops forces back his father with an optic blast. Uninjured, the Broodling grabs Havok and effortlessly lifts him above his head. Hearing the pleas of his younger son calling for him to resist his transformation, Christopher responds that he is not their father anymore. There is no turning back. He can't fight it anymore. Hearing a plaintive "please" from his father, Cyclops honors his father's last request and releases the full power of his optic blast, pulverizing the creature that was once his father. Breathing his last few moments of life, the now-human Christopher thanks his son. Speaking haltingly, Christopher confesses that he never should have come back. The Brood, he informs them, infect every species they encounter. They got the Shi'ar and the Shi'ar got him. Closing his eyes forever, Christopher Summers gives Scott one last command, look after his brother, Alex.
Enraged at his lost, Alex grabs his brother, telling him that there had to have been another way. He didn't have to be killed. Bringing his hand to his head in his own grief, Scott responds that he had no choice. Their father would have killed every one of them. As Alex begins to retort, he is silenced by Sinister, who declares what Scott did was necessary. Once again, he points out, the strongest survive. His eyes averted in grief, Scott asks Sinister again why he didn't tell them before. Responding bluntly, Sinister states that he had hoped to spare them the pain of seeing their father like this. Unfortunately, he continues, Christopher escaped before he could find a way to remove the alien DNA. Stepping toward the corpse of Christopher Summers, Sinister announces that he shall take care of the body. Stopped by Scott, he is told that it is his duty... as a responsible son.
As the funeral pyre for their father burns, Sinister watches the Summers brothers from afar. Both stand in solemn silence, watching the flames consume the body. After some time of this, Scott turns to his brother to reach out. Instead of accepting this outreached hand, Alex interrupts him, telling him to go to hell. As his brother leaves the pyre area, Scott returns his gaze to the flames. Speaking to his departed father, Scott tells him that he was right. This isn't what he wanted them to become. While Alex may never understand the gift of this knowledge, Scott says, maybe it's time one of them started to make some changes.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Paradox Lost
(present)
Bishop and Deathbird are aboard a large space-fairing shuttle, searching aimlessly for a way home. During a game of chess, Deathbird tells Bishop about a dream she had; a recurring dream about her homeworld.
(the dream)
Deathbird and Lilandra are dining together in the royal hall. They seem to be civil. No longer is she Deathbird, considered the renegade usurper of the throne. In fact, they appear to be equals. A servant presents her with a dish and lifts the cover. Underneath is a note with the word ‘Gith’ written on it. Deathbird is taken aback. The word recalls childhood feelings of disgust. As a youngling, her parents would punish her by remanding her to what was called ‘The Mercy Box.’ She would listen to these Gith, these vermin devour their own in the shadows. She was frightened, but would remain there until she confessed to her trespassing, whether she was repentant or not.
She follows the servant down a corridor that leads to the castle’s cellar door. Inside the cellar, there are more Gith than Deathbird could have conceived. She swallows her fears and attacks the vermin, slashing with her claws in a frenzy of bloodlust. The Gith attempt to leave the confines of the cellar, but Deathbird doesn’t let them pass. She enjoys the intoxicating power of the kill.
She returns to the royal hall but it is now empty. Lilandra has abandoned her without so much as a departing message. All that remains on the table is a covered dish; her cold dinner. She removes the cover and finds a dead bird… and she is so hungry.
(present)
Bishop asks if she ate the bird. Deathbird replies that she doesn’t know. That’s where the dream ends. Bishop puts the dream down to space dementia, as they’ve been isolated in the shuttle for some time now. Deathbird believes Sharra is sending her visions. Bishop asks what he is trying to tell her, and she replies that Sharra is a she. She is a goddess, as are all Shi’ar deities. As for her visions, they remain a mystery.
Bishop considers Deathbird carefully. She tries to attack a pawn with her bishop, but doesn’t move it diagonally as is the correct way. He is trying to perceive the madness she presents. At one time, Deathbird was the sworn enemy of the X-Men, but presently she is an ally - and his abrasive companion. Bishop tells her she must move it diagonally, and she asks what kind of soldier is unable to attack in full sight of the adversary. He should be able to claim Bishop’s piece. “And you call this a war simulator?” she remarks. Bishop replies that it is a game. War has more dire consequences. Deathbird isn’t surprised that his species remains so primitive.
Bishop makes his move and puts her in checkmate, and tells Deathbird he won because he considers every piece to be an asset. She, on the other hand, charges in, leaving her king defenseless. She feels the king should be able to protect himself, but Bishop says she’s missing the point. He thinks she views herself as Lilandra’s equal, but is nothing more than an exterminator with a job to do. She performs her duties without regard to her people; acting out of personal sentiment instead of protecting those she rules.
Maybe the bird in her dream symbolizes her race, thinks Bishop. Perhaps her thrill to answer a challenge comes at their expense? She leaves them defenseless. So, maybe her dream is one of guilt. Deathbird feels he is wrong, but finds him intriguing.
He asks if she desires another game, but she prefers to ‘pass time’ as they did two galaxies back. Bishop says that was a mistake. Of all her lethal attributes, he fears her beauty most. She wishes him to be her mate; to rule the galaxy at her side, but Bishop is a soldier with no such aspirations.
Suddenly, their ship is hailed. Someone is responding to their distress beacon. From the hailing frequency, it seems quite familiar to Bishop. “Shi’ar,” interjects Deathbird. Bishop registers zero life signs. It’s some kind of probe, sending out a polyglot recording in both Shi’ar and human. It reads, “Assistance… return… Earth.” Bishop can’t make out the rest. Deathbird figures it must have lain dormant until it received their transmission. She wonders what it’s doing.
Suddenly, a beam flashes across to another probe, which in turn sends a beam to yet another. Altogether, six probes connect their beams in the shape of a Star of David. Swirling lights fill the hexagonal void between the beams and Bishop thinks it’s a jump-gate. This might be their ticket home. Deathbird wonders why there would be a Shi’ar probe in this sector. Bishop feels they must know they’re alive and must have dispatched it in search of them.
Out of nowhere, a ship of Freebooters attacks their shuttle. It seems the probe wasn’t the only thing to receive their distress beacon. Bishop thinks they came to reclaim the parts Deathbird borrowed to repair the shuttle before leaving the trader world. At their current velocity they’ll never outrun their assailants. Deathbird wants to stay and fight, but the wiser Bishop sets a course for the jump gate, which is their only salvation. As they approach it, the portal begins to close, allowing their craft through but not their pursuers.
(the other side)
The shuttle finds itself far removed from where it was a few seconds ago. According to the computer, they’re on the far side of Earth’s moon. Deathbird brings his attention to the fact that there is a Behemoth-class war galleon nearby - several in fact. She senses something is wrong here. Lilandra would never send a fleet of this size away from the homeworld. What’s Lilandra up to, she wonders. The ships don’t respond to Bishop’s hailing frequencies and instead, lock the ship in a tow beam. The shuttle gets sucked into the underneath of one of the humongous ships.
(Earth)
It is several years since Bishop was there last, and many more before he’s even born. This is the price of being an anachronism. New York City is the home of the new Shi’ar Empire. However, this is not the New York one would expect; as witnessed by the Statue of Liberty, which leans semi-submerged in the waters that surround Manhattan. Today is a day of celebration. Thousands gather in attendance to commemorate the union between Earth’s nations and the mighty Shi’ar Empire. Few thought this day would happen, but it was made possible by the sole efforts of the new Shi’ar Majestrix. Her name is Alanna Neramani, the daughter of Lilandra, and ruler of the known universe.
Alanna sits on her throne surveying her peoples, while her husband Angel stands by her side. Next to him is Sauron with some of Alanna’s personal guards. Her pet songbird dazzles the spectators with songs praising her royal greatness, while her vassals present gifts from those under her rule.
The Vulture bows before her, and offers her a gift from the lower regions. He informs her that the humans are pleased with her protection while leading them through the second millennium. The Grand Admiral then calls Alanna and his image appears in a hand-held holographic display. He informs her that they’ve captured a vessel, which came through a jump-gate. It appears to be an old Shi’ar-class shuttle. Alanna replies that according to his last report, all jump-gates were destroyed. The Admiral says it appears they missed one. Alanna tells him she will greet them personally.
She tells Angel that she has matters to attend to immediately. He asks if she’d like him to join her, but she tells him this is far beyond his obligations. She sets off with Sauron by her side, whilst thousands of miles above her, Bishop and Deathbird await their reception.
Before long, Shi’ar troops approach them and they inform Deathbird that they’re to be detained until the queen’s arrival. Deathbird scalds them, replying that she will not wait for Lilandra like a trained animal. “Deathbird is no one’s prisoner!” Seeing her hostility, Bishop rushes forward to calm her down, but she attacks the troops before he can reach her. He moves in slow motion compared to Deathbird’s swift attack. She wastes no time with incapacitating moves. She is as her name implies, and takes down three troops in an instant. However, one of them drops her with a volley of gunfire, and she falls into Bishop’s arms, unconscious.
Bishop thanks heavens she is alive. Luckily, their weapons were set to stun. Even though his mutant abilities could have absorbed their gunfire, he wishes to comply with them and keep a level head until Lilandra can exonerate them.
(later)
Deathbird is cared for by doctors, who probe her and submit her to meticulous tests. One doctor presents his findings to Alanna. His results show a 99.9% match. She is the legend. Alanna asks for her to be wakened and, when Deathbird rouses from her slumber, Alanna greets her, introducing herself and calling for the guard to release her. He does as he is told, and Deathbird groggily sits up. She demands to see Lilandra immediately, but Alanna replies that it would be difficult. Her mother is dead.
She explains that Lilandra was killed in a war with the Terrans, along with many of their kinsman. The humans feared the Shi’ar were conspiring to overtake the Earth, and so they were forced to. Alanna assumed the throne shortly thereafter to shepherd their people to prominence once more. She thinks her mother was a fool to trust the Terrans; especially her father. Telepathically, Alanna orders her guards to return to their vigilance.
Alanna and Deathbird move to a vantage point overlooking New York City. She continues to inform her ‘aunt’ that the surviving humans learnt the error of their ways and now understand that they are beneath the House of Neramani. Only a select few continue to defy her, but they are of little consequence.
Deathbird feels this is nonsense. Lilandra has no seed. Alanna tells her that much has happened in her absence. She was believed to have perished after saving their people from the Phalanx. Deathbird asks if she is to believe that she has been transported to the future? Alanna informs her that for Deathbird, this is the year 2018. It appears the portal she entered transcended the gap between their times.
She understands that this is a lot for Deathbird to take in and she suggests that, tomorrow, she will provide a tour of the new empire. In the interim, her handmaidens are instructed to pamper to her like they would a queen. Deathbird asks where Bishop is. Alanna says her… escort has been detained for the moment. She will arrange for him to be returned. Once Deathbird is out of earshot, Alanna asks the doctor for another test to be conducted. If he discovers any anomalies, he should report to her immediately.
(elsewhere)
Bishop wakes up after having been sedated, put in chains and locked in a fetid dungeon alongside a bearded man in an adjacent cell. The man greets him, and tells Bishop that he can go back to Alanna and inform her that her tricks won’t work. He won’t give up their location. Next time, he suggests they do their homework as the real Bishop died years ago. Bishop has no idea who he is and, more to the point, who Alanna is.
The stranger doesn’t believe Bishop isn’t a plant, and says that Cain Marko may have been broken physically, but ‘Queen Feather Head’ won’t break his will. “Cain Marko? The Juggernaut?” enquires Bishop. Cain hasn’t heard that name in a while. The unstoppable force has finally been stopped. Ironic, he thinks.
Bishop explains the circumstances that brought him there, oblivious to the situation outside his cell. Cain listens intently, and can’t believe the jump-gate actually worked. His joy turns to rambling as he asks Bishop if the others came with him. They have to get out of there. As Bishop asks where Charles Xavier is, and his X-Men, Cain reverts to his paranoia, telling Bishop he’ll never tell him where the Morlocks are… never! Two guards approach to retrieve Bishop, and they take him to where Deathbird is bathing, tended to by two female servants.
Deathbird dismisses them upon seeing Bishop, and asks him to share her bath. It has healed her wounds and replenished her spirit. Bishop doesn’t think it appropriate, but Deathbird informs him she has synthskin bandages covering most of her body. “Or does my authority undermine your machismo?” she asks, mischievously. Bishop tells her to put her clothes on; they’re leaving. He is concerned that they’ve been displaced in time, and he’s been in this situation more times than he’d care to recount.
Deathbird informs him that she’s met with the Majestrix, and it’s not Lilandra. Her daughter, Alanna, now commands the Shi’ar. Bishop opts to remain with her and bathe after all. He has questions for Alanna, but they can wait. However, he feels uncomfortable and unsettled. Deathbird is enjoying their situation. As royalty, she is used to such treatment as they are receiving, but she is aware of Bishop’s own people having a problem with the class system. Bishop reminds her than in his world, they are hated and repressed. Mutants rarely enjoy this type of luxury.
Bishop mentions that he met the Juggernaut, one of the X-Men’s enemies. He warned him about Alanna, and that they need to escape. Bishop wants to find Xavier. Deathbird runs a sponge over his chest and tells him he’s jumping to conclusions. Tomorrow he will get his answers.
(the royal bed chamber)
Angel is in bed as Alanna joins him. He asks what took her from the celebration, but she doesn’t feel it concerns him. She departs, asking him telepathically to sleep, and to think of her while she is gone.
She wanders to the Truth-Seer’s quarters where the old man runs beads through his fingers. T’Loh asks why she has come to see him at this hour. Alanna needs his foresight. She says someone has arrived, but of course T’Loh already knows this. She asks if she can be trusted. How will her presence affect her people? What lies in the future? T’Loh concentrates and replies that he sees death. The Deathbird will be the deciding factor in her war with the rebels. He tells her that some Shi’ar follow her without question, but others know what Alanna’s done to acquire the throne. There are those who sympathize with the human rebels and relish Lilandra’s era.
He then adds that if Deathbird is swayed to her side, so will the rebel sympathizers. Her status will then be secured. If not, she will destroy all which she has achieved. Alanna understands. She will make her an offer she cannot refuse during a tour of the city. If she declines, then she will be but another mind waiting to be conquered.
(later)
Alanna and Deathbird are aboard a small craft, surrounded by guards who keep the multitudes at bay. She hopes Deathbird understands the measures she took to ensure she is who she appears to be. After all, she is the legend. She tells Deathbird that anything she desires will be hers; after all, it was her teachings that brought the Shi’ar to dominance. She is no longer an outlaw.
From amongst the crowds, a man calls out that his child is starving. Alanna ignores him and says she hopes Deathbird doesn’t mind her human riding in a separate vessel to theirs. She wants to discuss things with her privately. Deathbird says his name is Bishop. Alanna plans on returning to the aerie after the rebels have been neutralized, and tells her that it would be an honor to bestow this planet to her. Deathbird asks how old she is. She cannot be more than eighteen, yet no mention has been made of her birth. “Hmm, it will,” replies Alanna.
Bishop looks around at the crowds, and notices that many of the people appear to be malnourished, deprived - almost on the verge of rioting. Lilandra would never have let this happen. A guard points out to Alanna that the crowd is crossing the barricades. Almost without being seen, a cloaked man with a glowing eye watches as his comrade touches Bishop on the arm and asks if he can spare some food. The man’s touch makes Bishop aware that these people are in danger, but his eyes seem to show confidence. They seem to probe his soul. Though he cannot see his shadowed face, the man is Longshot.
Before he can respond, Sauron puts Longshot down, physically. Bishop says that was uncalled for, but Sauron finds it amusing. Longshot rejoins his comrades and Longshot asks if the rumors are more than just hopeful talk. Was it him? Longshot believes the impressions in his armor were like reading an open book, especially with his psychometric abilities. Today must be their lucky day.
Cable congratulates him and then opens a com-link to his ally; Dr. Doom. Doom is pleased with Longshot’s clarification that the man they found is Bishop. He presumes Alanna is using him to flush them out. He asks Cable to retrieve him and return to the Morlock base.
Alanna’s craft makes its way through the city, and it soon comes to a halt as a group of protestors block the street. One complains that they are starving and that his granddaughter is ill. Alanna coldly replies that provisions will continue to decrease until the Morlock Resistance Network is revealed. It’s a simple choice. Give her the location, or starve. The man screams, “Die!” but Alanna blasts him with a telepathic scream and drops him. Deathbird quickly picks up on the fact Alanna seems to have psionic abilities. This cannot be a trait she inherited from Lilandra. Can she be… a mutant? she wonders.
Alanna asks if she finds her methods disturbing. Has she shown too much lenience? Deathbird answers wisely, saying she finds her methods unconstrained. As Sauron gloats at Alanna’s display, Bishop realizes that he must forget caution and do something. Before he can act, Cable’s team throws off their cloaks and attacks. Cable uses a really big gun, and orders Falcon, Longshot and Vertigo to protect the innocent. He will get Bishop.
Vertigo has her own ideas, however. She faces Sauron and says they have unfinished business. Sauron stands between Vertigo and Alanna as Cable charges the royal flotilla, taking out a guard by thwacking him in the face with the butt of his rifle. He shoots another in the knee, as his orders are ‘no one dies.’ With reinforcements moving in, Cable feels a well-placed diversion should buy them a chance to secure Bishop. He shouts at Bishop, telling him to join him. He’ll explain later. Bishop now recognizes Cable without the cloak.
Cable again asks Vertigo to stick to the mission plan, but she is more interested in blasting away at Sauron with her fireworks. The royal guard takes to the air and uses the sun to cover himself as he attacks. Once he gets close enough, he places his talons on Vertigo’s shoulder and begins draining her mutant energy.
Meanwhile, Cable sets off a thermite bomb he’d planted the night before. This tactical maneuver cuts the soldiers off from their reinforcements, and also separates Bishop from Deathbird. Falcon wishes to depart now that Bishop has been secured, but Longshot must save Vertigo. He asks Falcon to cross his fingers for him, before charging towards his comrade. Vertigo knows the danger Sauron poses, and she sticks a spike in Sauron’s ankle, which forces him to release his grip on her. She tries pushing him away, but Sauron is much too strong for her. He wants to make her scream before the end.
Falcon uses his superior speed to beat Longshot to the punch, and he puts himself between Sauron and Vertigo, knowing he’s setting himself up for a fall. Watching the action, Alanna telepathically informs Deathbird that the rebels disrupt their every effort for peace and coexistence; rebuking their ways. They denigrate the very laws Deathbird’s war journals inspired. Deathbird doesn’t realize she is being candid with the truth.
Deathbird instead finds herself touched by Alanna’s thoughts, which magnify her feelings of pride. She tells Alanna that as the living forbearer of their noble race, she cannot stand by and watch the rebels treat them like devils.
Sauron kills the Falcon, and turns to Vertigo, telling her she’s next. Longshot picks her up. There’s nothing they can do for Sam now, except insure his sacrifice wasn’t in vain. He hurls several daggers towards Sauron, who uses his wings to block them. Before he knows it, Longshot finds someone else’s arm on his back. It’s Deathbird, and she assaults Longshot with astonishing ferocity. Her talons stick deep into his flesh, and he drops. Deathbird’s neurotoxins cause his muscles to stiffen and to squelch his insurgent spirit. Longshot manages to call for Vertigo to run, and take word of their defeat with her, before falling unconscious.
Vertigo forms a light-refracting shield around herself and leaves the scene unchallenged. Alanna congratulates Deathbird on capturing one of the Morlocks. Deathbird vows to see them bow to the Shi’ar.
(Morlock Alley)
Cable leads Bishop and Vertigo underground, as Bishop notices how similar this world is to his own. He has questions for Cable, but at least he trusts the man. They arrive at their destination, and are greeted by Wolverine. Standing before them, Bishop notices he has an eye patch and is smoking a cigar. Wolverine is the apparent leader of this mutant insurrection. “Back from the grave, eh, Bishop? Wherever you were, you should’ve stayed there, bub,” he remarks. He speaks with Vertigo, saying her party looks a little light. Vertigo replies that Falcon is dead and the Shi’ar captured Longshot. She tries to explain she tried to help, but Wolverine knows she went after Sauron.
Wolverine is furious that she could have jeopardized the mission, and now two of them are lost. She says she saw an opportunity to bring a little honor to the Morlocks. Wolverine tells her he doesn’t need her fighting his battles. Jubilation asks if it wasn’t him who said, “Think less, do more?” Wolverine says those words were spoken by a man who was never big on caution. She knows what it got him; an eye gouged from its socket. He orders her to help the others prepare.
Wolverine and Bishop take a moment to chat, as injured rebels are treated for their injuries below them in a makeshift hospital ward. Wolverine explains that they need his help. They found him by using their network. Their methods are crude, but the Shi’ar technology is too advanced for conventional methods. So, they literally used birds to spy on her. They’ve been able to extract important information about the Shi’ar’s assimilation on Earth with their help. But, they can’t count on that anymore.
He adds that the feather in Alanna’s cap would be to turn Deathbird to her cause. Bishop doesn’t believe Deathbird would join her. Any further involvement here would cause a temporal paradox and Deathbird knows this. A voice from behind says, “Regardless, she will not turn against her people, Bishop.” He turns to find Dr. Doom standing there. Doom explains that evil and Deathbird are old and familiar companions. She has longed to lead the Shi’ar, and Alanna plans to make empty promises to gain her support. He thinks Bishop may be their only option to sway Deathbird from her side.
Bishop is surprised that Wolverine allied himself with Doom, but Logan replies that, although it’s an uneasy alliance, tough times make strange bedfellows. Bishop asks where Xavier is. Cable informs him that Xavier’s dead, along with the rest of the Earth’s mightiest heroes. It happened faster than anyone would have suspected. He explains that there was a planetary war on the Shi’ar homeworld, and Lilandra’s forces were on the losing end. Lilandra fled for Earth in search of sympathizers to help her retain the Shi’ar throne. Negotiations were held in Xavier’s mansion between the humans and the Shi’ar. With several of Earth’s mightiest heroes under one roof, including Captain America, Thor and Storm, traitors among the Shi’ar saw an opportunity to get rid of those that stood between them and interstellar domination.
Cloaked Shi’ar ships orbiting the planet locked onto Xavier’s institute and reduced it to rubble. The heroes were slaughtered, and the Shi’ar invasion went virtually untested. Word leaked out that Alanna, Lilandra’s daughter, was behind the betrayal. She’d been secretly studying Deathbird’s journals. She despised her mother, and used tactics straight from the book to usurp command. Pure patricide, as it turned out. The remaining survivors on Earth joined together to preserve Xavier’s dream, calling themselves Team X.
Bishop presumes by the word patricide that Doom is inferring Alanna is Lilandra’s daughter. “Can that mean her father is…” Logan says he’s guessed it. She’s the cub of Xavier and Lilandra. Doom adds that she has a superior mind, achieving what he’s sought to do for years. He applauds Alanna, but Victor Von Doom is not to be ruled; by any species.
He continues to explain that in a desperate attempt to find a means by which to stop the invading Shi’ar, the remaining heroes including Hank McCoy and Hank Pym, created transdimensional jump-gates outside of their patrol zone. Doom and the others hoped it would attract allies from the far corners of the galaxy.
He and the two Hanks sought solitude in Latveria, where they designed probes to send a distress signal across time and space. However, they were unable to properly set the coordinates before Sauron led Alanna’s troops in a raid that killed the two Hanks, maimed Wolverine and captured the Juggernaut. Doom escaped soon after he launched the probes, but he believed they were destroyed before their jumps were initiated. Fortunately, one got through.
Now that Bishop knows the opposition they face, he asks if he will help them. For Bishop, it’s a no-brainer, and Doom is pleased. He informs the X-man that there is a celebration commemorating Deathbird’s renewed title. An assault team will infiltrate the palace to sabotage their defense network. Bishop asks how they obtain entry. Doom says there is one man on the inside who, if properly convinced, will assist them.
(later)
The Vulture is in the process of chatting up two young women when Cable and Bishop appear before him. The ladies are dismissed, and Cable uses his ‘persuasive’ abilities to get the Vulture to allow them to crash the party.
Meanwhile, Alanna leaves Deathbird to prepare for the celebration. Once out of earshot, Sauron asks Alanna if she is to be trusted. Alanna believes that without Bishop around to cloud her judgement, her dear aunt will side with them… or be remembered as a martyr.
Outside, the Vulture approaches a guard named M’Shil, and asks how go the preparations. M’Shil informs him he’s late. The queen needs the supplies he brings for her gathering. The Vulture explains that he was detained; extorting only the finest goods for their beloved sovereign. M’Shil wishes to inspect the cargo, but the Vulture bribes him by giving him a Wu-Tang CD he’d enquired about. M’Shil allows him to pass. His cargo is being driven by Cable, whilst Bishop hides in the back under a crate of oranges.
(shortly)
Alanna is sitting on her throne. Her songbird is stood inside a cage raised off the ground, and Longshot is strapped to the ceiling, still unconscious. The Vulture stands before her with a bunch of flowers as an apology for his tardiness. She wonders what might have delayed him, and can see that he has betrayed her. She asks Deathbird what his punishment should be, and she answers, “Death.” The Vulture pleads with Alanna, but she raises herself from her throne and asks if he thought he could really hide his intent from her. She orders Sauron to take him away and increase security. They have vermin scurrying about that need exterminating.
(Meanwhile, in the security wing)
Having taken out a few guards, Bishop tries to use one of the guards’ security pass to open a door, whilst Cable asks Vertigo to find a place to hide the bodies. Vertigo replies that they’re still alive. Bishop finds that the door won’t open, and Cable is furious, believing the Vulture has sold them out. Vertigo powers up and asks them to step aside. The door is opening one way or another.
(inside the ballroom)
Alanna stands before a large crowd, and announces the return of their most noble ancestor. As a token of her gratitude, she says she has restored Deathbird’s true name; long-stricken from the royal list. She is once again an honored member of the House of Neramani. She hands over a scroll to Deathbird. “My birth name?” she remarks. “How did you…?” Alanna replies that she is the queen, and her birthright gives her many privileges. As Deathbird reads the scroll, Alanna asks her to pronounce her new name and station to her followers.
Deathbird pauses, before telling Alanna that, despite having said she has studied her view and beliefs, she still gave her the scroll. Alanna should know she would never accept it. The name means nothing to her now. Alanna is shocked by this rejection in front of her admiring crowd, whereas Angel simply grins. You are a fool, says Alanna. Your legacy ends here, then. She tells Deathbird that she is forever an outcast of the Shi’ar Empire, and unlike her mother, she will not allow her to disgrace the house and live. Deathbird asks her to prove she is worthy to shepherd their flock.
(meanwhile)
Vertigo lays down some focused photon blasts at the door, which crumbles under her assault. The alarm is triggered, and Cable knows they only have a few minutes to disable the shield’s power core. He hopes the Morlocks are in position or all this will be for nothing. All Bishop need do is to place the charge and their job is done. However, before he can do that, Sauron and a few guards appear above them. They fire at the team, but Cable returns their fire, which allows Bishop to get on with his job.
(the royal hall)
The challenge begins. Deathbird and Alanna fight it out for the Shi’ar throne. Deathbird is quick and deadly, but Alanna utilizes her telepathic abilities to avoid her fearsome strikes. She’s also studied Deathbird’s technique, which makes it doubly hard for Deathbird. Despite this, she manages to dig her talons into Alanna’s shoulder, drawing blood. Alanna is annoyed that her opponent is giving up her heritage like this, but Deathbird replies that she’s giving up nothing. She will always be Shi’ar, only on her own terms.
Alanna’s eyes glow with fury, as she taunts Deathbird by telling her she is no better than her mother and cursed father. She slashes Deathbird’s face with her own talons; telling her she will face the same sentence for treason as the pathetic Vulture.
(back outside)
Sauron descends at full speed, but Cable manages to duck and avoid his attack. He crashes into a timber obstacle that Bishop had built to hide himself, and he calls for Vertigo to hold him off while he finishes planting the explosives. In the confusion, a stormtrooper manages to get a clean shot at Vertigo, and she falls. Sauron taunts Bishop who asks how he can turn against his own people. Sauron asks when humans have ever shown compassion for him. He serves only the Majestrix. He then smashes the detonator Bishop is holding with his metal-capped beak and attacks Bishop physically.
Bishop notices his gun is out of reach, so he improvises by thrusting a sharpened piece of timber into the mutant’s eye. Sauron screams, and the opportunity is there for Bishop to grab his weapon. With the detonator destroyed, he instead opens fire at the power core’s superconductor. It buckles and strains before finally releasing its built-up energy. Bishop stands before it and absorbs wave after wave of energy. He doesn’t know what his upper limit is, and he knows this could all be futile.
Sauron sees what he’s doing. Cable tells Bishop he can’t contain all the generator’s energy. Sauron has other ideas. He grabs Bishop and begins to siphon off the energy into his own body from Bishop. Bishop had planned this, and hopes he keeps on feeding. The soldiers flee the area as the power core becomes increasingly unstable, and Bishop calls for Cable to seal the doors. Cable wishes him Godspeed, and says he will always be remembered as a hero. Using his psionic abilities, Cable projects a telekinetic field around the power core. While the makeshift seal may serve to contain the excess energy, Cable feels that it undoubtedly condemns Bishop to an untimely grave.
Within the field, Sauron continues to absorb the filtered energy. Between the two of them, they exchange enough power to illuminate all of Manhattan, and still, Bishop allows him to drink deeply. Sauron leeches more and more energy until suddenly, he realizes the power might be becoming too much for him. An instant later, an explosion tears the outside wall apart, and soon, everything goes silent. Only Bishop walks out through the swirling dust and smoke. He tells Cable he needs to go find someone, and Cable remarks to Vertigo, “Just when you think you’ve seen it all…”
(the royal hall)
As the conflagration rages on, Angel swoops up to the ceiling and frees Longshot. He calls for the area to be evacuated, before assuring Longshot that he’s been Alanna’s lapdog for far too long. Longshot knew he wouldn’t betray them.
Deathbird and Alanna continue their ferocious battle. She struggles to fight someone who could have been her own daughter, but being stranded in space with Bishop has taught her many things; chiefly, that every action has a consequence no matter how indirect. To end the battle swiftly, Deathbird uses a move Bishop taught her during one of their intimate combat sessions. She kicks Alanna precisely at a pressure point on her head, which causes Alanna to collapse. She can only await Deathbird’s killing blow. Deathbird pauses.
Just as she is thinking about whether to strike, Bishop arrives and tells her it doesn’t have to be this way. Deathbird is surprised to see him again. She’d given him up for dead. She admits that she was prepared to slay her future niece, but then something overcame her. Her death, she realized, would solve nothing. It would only justify the vile reputation her people have garnered. She wants Alanna to live with the knowledge that she is far from her equal, and that Deathbird showed her mercy.
Bishop says that compassion is not a sign of weakness. Quite the opposite in fact. It shows honor. He embraces Deathbird and says he is proud of her before they kiss. “There may be hope for you yet,” he adds.
With a tenuous peace treaty between the Shi’ar and the Terrans in place, Deathbird and Bishop prepare to continue their journey home. The only operational jump-gate awaits their brave voyage. The remains of Team X gather to see their comrades off. Deathbird tells them she is leaving the Shi’ar to settle their differences with the Terrans. This isn’t her world; she knows that. She informs them that the Shi’ar have elected the Angel to stand as their liaison until a proper system of government is found to suit both species. She wishes them farewell.
Bishop says that’s his cue. Cable wishes him luck, and is sorry they couldn’t set the probe to return them to their Earth. However, it will return them to their original warp point. Bishop feels that’s more than enough. He says goodbye and tells Cable he knows what to do once they’re gone. Stormtroopers salute Deathbird as she boards the shuttle, calling her Majestrix. She salutes them back.
Doom watches the shuttle disappear through the jump-gate. Vertigo asks Wolverine if their presence here will change their past; maybe prevent this from happening. Logan doesn’t know, but says they need to focus on changing the present. A guard on monitoring duty informs Cable that the probe made it through successfully. And Cable gives him the go ahead to fire. He presses a button, and the jump-gate explodes.
Doom decides to depart. Cable mentions that the worst of the war is over and his aid has been a tremendous advantage. Can they count on his continued allegiance? Doom replies that his role in this game is complete. He has a new destiny to forge, but perhaps the future will put them on the same side again. He knows Cable, of all people, understands the fluid possibilities of time. Very well, says Cable. May the next battle we fight be a good one. Doom expects no less. He takes his leave and, with his parting shot, tells Cable that there is a planet below in need of a monarch.