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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

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Children of the Night
An old church outside the sleepy town of Snow Valley, Massachusetts. Once, this was a place of sanctuary. A place where grace was granted, confession heard, and faith offered to the glory of God. No longer. Once, this was considered holy ground, only the religion left this place a long time ago. But the congregation remains. Several townspeople gather in the church and worship at the altar. However, they are once-townspeople, taken in the night, they have become something more than just men or women – become servants – thralls – to a new religion... and a new master.
A pale-skinned woman enters another room within the church. Once, she used to pray. A prayer her mother taught her when she was a little girl: “Now I lay me down to sleep... I pray the Lord, my soul to keep... and if I die before I wake... I pray the Lord my soul to take”. '
My Lord?' the woman calls out nervously, reporting that it is sundown and nearly dark. A man in a long cape with high collar stands at the end of the room and in a strange voice replies that there is much to be done tonight, and no need to whisper. 'Your Lord, Dracula, is quite awake' he announces, turning to his subject.
The moon shines down over the Massachusetts Academy of Xavier's Gifted Youngsters. For one “gifted youngster” in particular, a restless night ahead, bringing bad dreams, for too long now. It feels like forever. He just wants to sleep. His name is Jonathan Starsmore a.k.a. Chamber, and he hears his voice echo through the night. 'Jonathan? Jonathan? Are you listening... Jonathan? Hear me...'
Jono gets out of bed and makes his way over to a chair in his room. He has learned to live without a lot of things – sleep being the least of them. When this young mutant started having the dreams, he dealt with them. Like he dealt with the hole in his chest and the psionic furnace that boils within. Like the loss of his smile and his face. Sometimes he listens to what the dreams have to say. He drifts off in the chair, and the voice wavers around him again: 'Look at you... so powerful... so beautiful... anything you want... should be yours'.
Jono opens his eyes, and someone calls out to him. 'Eh?' he utters psionically, as he finds Paige “Husk” Guthrie standing over him, her eyes strangely glowing. 'I'm right here, Jono...' she tells him, leaning over him. 'Anything at all...' the voice wafting around adds. 'Paige?' Jono asks psionically as he sits up.
Paige stands before Jono and asks 'What's the matter? Isn't this what you want, Jono? Don't you wwant me?' Jono responds by asking her what she is doing, and Paige tells him that she wants him to kiss her. 'Paige – don't' Jono replies. Paige sits on Jono's knees, 'Kiss me... kiss...' she utters, 'No – Paige! Oh, God...' Jono exclaims. Which is worse? Not being able to touch what you want, the way you want to touch it... or destroying what you love, just because you tried? '- me...' Paige pleads. 'NO!' Jono shouts, and suddenly, he wakes up in his bed. The dreams turn to sleepless nights. He pinches himself, wonders if he is really awake, and what is real. 'Paige?' he cries
Down the hallway, Jubilation Lee, or simply “Jubilee” carries some snacks and remarks that there is nothing like a little “Scooby-Snack” to get a growing mutant through the night. She has been told about eating food like this at this time of the night, and she has heard what it causes. 'Nightmares... yeah right' she mutters.
'PAIGE?' Jono's telepathic voice cries out. A blood-curdling psionic scream makes Jubilee think twice. 'Wha -?' she gasps. Good thing she is awake, and she drops her snacks and clutches her stomach. 'Holy mother of – that scared the bejeezus outta me. What kinda... Paige?' Jubilee asks, before knocking on Jonothan's door. 'Are you... alright?' she asks him as she enters his room. Jono looks over to her, he thinks she is a friend, someone concerned for his well-being. 'I was just – I mean... I heard -' Jubilee begins. But the voice in Chamber's dream belongs only to him. Not to her or anybody else. 'I...' Jubilee begins, biting her lip, she goes wide-eyed, she sees Chamber's eyes glow red. 'He is so powerful' it says. 'I gotta go' Jubilee utters as she closes the door. 'And he can have anything he wants' the voice adds, as Chamber's eyes are filled with darkness.
The kitchen, the next morning, where some of Generation X – the future of mutantkind, heirs to the struggle, are having breakfast. 'Hey!' Jubilee calls out as Angelo Espinoza a.k.a. Skin extends his fingers and grabs the box of cereal from her. 'What?' Skin mutters. Emma Frost a.k.a. The White Queen and headmistress of the Academy tapes a jack-o-lantern to a cupboard, 'Children... please' she calls out, while Synch a.k.a. Everett Thomas looks at Jubilee who exclaims to Skin 'Try “excuse me”. Didn't anybody ever tell you that's gross at the table?' she asks. 'And don't make that face at me' she warns Skin. Synch asks her what the matter is, 'Halloween got you on edge?' he enquires. 'What face?' Skin asks. Jubilee asks the guys if she can talk to them about something, which is kind of a secret. 'Sure' Synch tells her. 'What is it, chica?' Skin asks. Jubilee asks them if they have noticed anything weird going on with Jono lately, to which Skin asks her what she means. 'Well... last night I -' Jubilee begins, before Chamber's psionic voice tells Jubilee to mind her own business. 'Uh...' Jubilee utters, going wide-eyed. 'What are you looking at?' Chamber asks his teammates.
Synch asks Jono if he is okay, as he looks a little out of it. 'Maybe it's just the day, huh? Halloween's got him all... irregular' Skin suggests. Synch announces that they are going to the movies later - “Nosferatu”, the old vampire film is playing. 'You should come. I mean...if you feel ok' he tells Jono, who replies 'Maybe I will, Everett'. Synch asks Jubilee if she iis in, but Jubilee replies that she is going to stay here. 'How about Paige? What do you think, Jono? Think she'd like to go?' Jubilee asks. Emma Frost reports that Paige is out, she went to visit her brother, and that she is picking her up later. Emma turns to Jono and asks him if something is wrong, to which Chamber tells her that it is nothing he can't take care of. He then excuses himself, eyes glowing red and black.
Meanwhile, a stretch of rail along the Massachusetts countryside, a crisp day for All Hallow's Eve. But for another “gifted youngster”, something much less than a holiday. She had gone to visit her mother, an unexpected visit to her Kentucky home, but today, Paige “Husk” Guthrie is returning to school. 'I'm tired' she thinks to herself as she looks through a book while sitting in her seat on the train. She knows she should sleep, but then she can't study – she can't work that way. 'I don't need to sleep' she boasts. 'I...' she thinks as her eyes go heavy and her head drops forward. Suddenly, 'Paige?' a telepathic voice calls out. Paige looks up and sees Chamber sitting opposite her. 'Jono? What are you doing? Jono... what...' Paige begins, watching him silently, the young man she finds so attractive, despite his imperfections. Chamber stares back. “He is so beautiful” Paige thinks, before Jono removes the wrap that covers his lower face – revealing his mouth and face to her. 'But...how?' Paige goes wide-eyed. As she has so often done in her most private moments, Paige asks herself if this is real, when suddenly, Chamber opens his mouth revealing a set of dangerously sharp teeth... 'Tickets please!' a voice calls out, and Paige gasps – opening her eyes again. 'All tickets, Miss...' the ticket officer asks as he stands over her. 'or, am I only dreaming?' Paige wonders. 'Tickets. Right. Gotcha' she tells the ticket officer as the train rattles into a tunnel.
Dracula walks through the church backrooms. He has come seeking strength – drawn by power, so young and raw. For Dracula, Lord of all Vampires, it is like blood...and there is never enough. He'd come like the fog on this unsuspecting town – walked among the people, established himself with care and caution. With a bump from behind – or a quick, darting glance across a crowded room...contact was made – a link forged between him and the townsfolk taken to serve his whims. And the youngsters he stalks to sate his hunger. “How sweet, young love...” thinks the Lord of Vampires. Sweet moonlight touches him like a lover. It is All Hallow's Eve – and Dracula is going out. He raises his arms, and transforms into a bat.
Later that night, 'Jono...? Jono, what're you doing?' Skin asks inside the theatre, as Jono gets up from his seat during the screening of “Nosferatu”. 'Using the loo, Angelo' Jono replies. 'The -?' Angelo asks. 'The bathroom. The can' Jono explains. 'He is acting weird. Does he even use the bathroom?' Angelo asks as he leans into Sean “Banshee” Cassidy and Synch, who are seated next to him. Banshee shushes Angelo, who points out that there is no sound. 'Hey, Ev, where's the sound?' he asks. Everett hesitates, before pointing out that it is a silent film. 'Excuse me?' Angelo asks, confused. Banshee sighs and puts his hands over his face, while Angelo asks Everett 'Does she die?' Banshee sighs again and some popcorn falls to the floor.
Meanwhile, outside, a group of trick-or-treaters approaches the cinema ticket booth. 'Um, where are we go-' the youngster dressed up as a skeleton asks. 'I know what to do...just follow me' the child dressed as a ghost declares. The skeleton just sighs. It is a raw night. The kind that brings monsters out. Both would be masqueraders...and the most evil of their kind. 'Uh... trick... trick... trick...' the child dressed as the ghost stutters. 'Maybe we should just go' one of the others suggests. 'Trick... trick or...' the ghost continues. 'Uh... turn around, man' the child dressed as a green monster calls out as a shadow looms over them. 'Uh... maybe we should -' the ghost begins. 'You think?' the skeleton exclaims. But the tall shadow passes with its owner, cold and raw as the night itself. This is a night for monsters. The trick or treaters turn back to look into the booth, to find the ticket attendant slumped over on his chair – with no head and blood stains across his body. 'Was he... was he...?' one of the trick-or-treaters gasps. Heaven help the rest.
Moments later, something three days gone, but not quite dead, shuffles across the lobby, clutching a long scarf which trails behind them, towards destiny. In the bathroom, Chamber looks in the mirror, 'Well, here we are again, old chap. Just you and me on a monster's holiday' he remarks to himself.
Out on the edge of town, a mist hangs low, while spirits hang lower. The four young trick-or-treaters stand amongst some trees, and the one dressed as a cowboy mutters 'This blows, minus. It's like a ghost-town out here. The night's in full swing and I'm only at half-capacity!' the skeleton calls the cowboy Broeder and points out that Snow Valley's not exactly a teeming Metropolis, so if they want treats, instead of tricks, they will have to improvise. 'I got a rock' the ghost remarks. Broeder suggests they hit those ritzy houses on the outskirts of town, calling the skeleton Minus, he declares that they are sure to have some treats. 'Uh...two...three...four...' the ghost counts. 'Great  idea, Broeder. This could well be the greatest Halloween in the history of -' Minus begins, while the green monster mutters 'Oh, good grief' and Broeder asks the ghost what he is doing. 'Five...six...uh...six, all I got was rocks. Six r-' he replies. 'You are a blockhead' one of the others declares.
Back in the cinema bathroom, Chamber is washing his hands, when he hears a creaking noise. 'Eh? S'odd...there's nobody' he tells himself, when suddenly, the follower of Dracula lunges at him. 'What -? What are you doing? Don't pull my -' Chamber calls out. 'Your “what”, mutant? Your “security blanket”?' the follower asks as he tears Chamber's mask off, causing energy to errupt into the bathroom. 'Not quite...' the follower utters as he then stalks away, leaving the scarf behind, a large red “D” printed onto the end of the scarf.
The Massachusetts Academy: the moon hangs low overhead as the mist rolls across in the witching hour. Paige is in her room, brushing her hair. 'Why can't Ah stop shaking?' she asks herself. 'It was just a dream. All right...a horrible, terrible dream, but still. Only a dream'. She hates to think it, and so much as she wants to deny it – a part of her, just a little bit, liked it. 'And ah can't stop shaking...' Paige tells herself as she continues to brush her hair, when suddenly, the doorbell rings. 'Door' Jubilee mutters as she sits in front of a television, large bow of popcorn on her lap. 'Door!' she calls out again, but no one responds. 'Oh, I'll get it' Jubilee mutters.
'Ring it again, Blockhead!' one of the trick-or-treaters tells the ghost. 'But -' Blockhead replies, one wide-eye seen through his costume. 'Do it!' another exclaims.
'I'm coming...' Jubilee mutters as she approaches the front door, which rings again. 'I said “I'm coming” Sheesh...' Jubilee exclaims, as she grabs a handful of candy from a nearby bowl. 'Come in. Moochers...' Jubilee calls out. 'What are you, deaf? I said come...in' Jubilee calls out as she opens the door. Have you ever said the right thing to the wrong person? No one is there, but a mist rolls through the open door.
'TRICK or TREAT!' the young trick-or-treaters exclaim.
'Mm. Precious' Jubilee remarks.
The trick-or-treaters hold out their jack-o-lantern candy carriers, and various sweets are thrown into them. 'I got a lollipop!' one of them exclaims. 'I got a stick of gum!' another declares. 'What about you -?' another asks the ghost, whose words appear jumbled.
Or is that, the wrong thing to the wrong person? It is more a question of perspective than anything. But for Jubilee, there is a lesson to be learned. No matter what time of day it is, what age they seem, or whatever holiday it might be...never, never say “come in” before you see who's at the door. She closes the door, and a voice calls out 'I opt for a trick'. 'Who -?' Jubilee gasps, turning around, the intruder raises his arms overhead. 'I am known by many names, child. The Wallach. The Dragon – the Devil himself. At times, I have been worshipped. All times, I have been feared. I am Nosferatu, Wampir – Lord of all Vampires!' he proclaims. 'What do you think, you're Dracula or something?' Jubilee asks unimpressed. It is a raw night. Dracula rises over Jubilee and tells her that she amuses him, but that now is not the time for laughing. He tells her to hush, as Jubilee asks 'What...what are you -?' He came in on the mist, a true creature of the night. He has an agenda. He will not be denied. His eyes glow, '...look into my eyes' Dracula instructs Jubilee. 'Get away from me!' Jubilee calls out as she resists Dracula's hypnotic stare, and in a desperate move, she unleashes a blast of her plasma “fireworks” powers – however they do little to assist her. 'BRAT!' Dracula exclaims. He looms over Jubilee and announces that he shall drink from her neck soon enough. He adds that mutant blood is ever so sweet. 'But first things first' he declares.
There is a knock at Paige's door and she turns from her mirror. 'Hmm? Jubilee? Helllooo? Jubilee, come... in' Husk calls out, and the door swings open, as Dracula stands before Husk. 'Thank you, my lady... such manners...' he remarks. 'Who -?' Paige asks, approaching the vampire, who tells her to be still, and adds that this won't take long. 'You mean a great deal to one who means a great deal to me. Paige, is it?' Dracula asks. 'Y-yes' Paige replies, nervously. Dracula tells her to relax, and come close to him. 'Uh -' Paige begins, before shredding her skin like paper, she resists. 'How disgusting' Dracula remarks, shocked as Paige rushes out of her room, she calls out to Jubilee, but no answer comes from downstairs. In this house of youth, power and education, it is as quiet as a tomb. Paige rushes to the stairs, she doesn't know what is going on, but decides that outside seems to be a better place to figure ir out right now. 'Do you think that running is truly an option, girl?' Dracula asks. Though hardly as still, this place is certainly not a “resting place” of the least sort. Stairs can be tricky in these sorts of movies. You should try and stay away from them. Paige screams as she trips on the stairs and falls. 'Young Starsmore would think you worth rescuing, would he not?' Dracula asks. 'What?' Paige asks. She tries to scream, but then forgets how, as Dracula looms over her.
A dark road, somewhere between downtown Snow Valley and the Massachusetts Academy. It is still the witching hour. 'Jono? Jono, lad... what happened?' Banshee asks as he drives the jeep. Chamber replies that he doesn't want to talk about it, to which Banshee tells him that sometimes it is too easy to forget that they are still flesh and blood, that they can be targets, victims then. 'Ugh – what – Paige?' Chamber calls out. His power is psionic in nature, and one day, possibly, he may take his place among the most powerful of that sort. Until then, however, he is but a servant to his power's whims...and a victim to its growth. 'Paige?' Banshee asks. 'Jono, what are you -?' he enquires, not taking his eyes off the road. Chamber declares that they have to get home. 'We're going, lad' Banshee points out. 'Now! We have to go now!' Chamber urges.
Back at the school, paranoia, violation and fear fill the air. Jubilee hides under the kitchen table, sobbing. 'I let Dracula in the house...' she utters. On the rawest of all nights, Banshee's jeep screeches to a halt outside. 'Now just hold on a -' Sean begins. 'Jono?' he calls out as Chamber gets out of the car, a strong wind rushing around them. 'Jono, wait, lad!' Banshee calls out as he and Skin exit the vehicle. 'Paige? 'Chamber calls out as the door creaks open. When he started having the dreams, he dealt with them. Like he dealt with everything else – privately. 'Where are you, gel? Paige?' Chamber calls out once again. But now his dreams are back to haunt him. 'Jono? Jono, calm down' Banshee declares as he and Skin follow Chamber inside. 'Talk to me, son' Banshee asks, but Chamber announces that there is nobody here – Paige is gone. He has no idea how to deal with that. 'Who...' Jubilee utters as she peers out of the kitchen. 'Where you at chica? What you doing in the dark like -' Skin begins as he, Banshee and Synch go over to her. Jubilee grabs Skin and gasps 'What.. .took... you... so... long?'
Chamber think that it is because of him that this evil has been brought into the house. Because of him, Husk is gone – taken God knows where and for what terrible purpose. All because of him. He reads what was left for him, and he understands what it is he must do, as he stares at the large, bloody “D” marked on the wall.
Soon, Banshee and the four teens are back in the jeep, and Chamber explains that he started having these dreams, and Dracula was calling him. Banshee replies that if it is Dracula, then the X-Men have faced him before, and from what he knows, they were lucky to survive. 'I just hope we're as lucky...for Paige's sake' Banshee adds, before asking Chamber why he didn't tell them this. 'We could've -' he begins, but Chamber explains that the dreams were embarassing. 'Uh, fellas...I think we found the place' Jubilee points out as they pass the old church, the large moon hanging terribly low over it.
Inside, Husk kneels before Dracula, who tells her that she is a lovely girl, and that it is no wonder Chamber would long for her so. 'The powerful, you see, have a right to whatever they want' he adds. 'You...you won't have Jono...he'll fight you...' Paige utters. She starts to shred her skin again, and again, until she appears in a silver form. 'Silver? Hah! I am not a werewolf. “Husk” all you want, girl. Inside, you still bleed' Dracula tells her as he grabs her by her neck, and tells her to be still, as she has struggled long enough. Suddenly, there is a loud SMASH, and Dracula turns like a predator, considering his options and survival all at once. Downstairs, the “cavalry” has arrived. 'That was your plan? Just kick in the front door?' Jubilee asks, unimpressed, as she, Banshee, Skin, Synch and Chamber rush in, where they are confronted by Dracula's followers. Jubilee starts to throw some plasma-blasts around, and Synch tells her that he will “synch” up to her and blow these suckers to pieces. But Banshee stops him, 'Look at them, lad! They're just people the vampire took from thye town. We can't hurt them, just – keep them at bay!' Banshee exclaims as he releases a sonic scream, taking Dracula's followers out. Again, something shuffles across the floor and on toward destiny. Chamber moves up the stairs, and Dracula calls out to him, telling him to enter of his own free will.
Chamber steps into the room, where a blank-faced Husk lies at Dracula's side. 'I don't know what you want with me, but this ends now!' Chamber exclaims, emitting some psionic energy. 'Look at you, child, so angry, so beautiful...so powerful' Dracula replies. 'You have desires, boy. I have read them. I want to give them to you'. Chamber notices Husk, 'I swear... if you've done something to her...' he begins, while outside the door to the room, Jubilee watches unseen. Then she remembers, and rushes into the room, 'Eat fire, blood-sucker!' she exclaims as she blasts several fireworks towards Dracula, who hisses at her and tells her to get away as he falls back, and drops the candles that he is holding, which land on the floor and start a fire. Jubilee remembers how helpless Dracula made her feel, and how she vowed never to feel that way again. It is a short-lived confrontation, as Jubilee falls to the ground, too. 'Ohhhh...' she moans as she hits the floor with a thud, landing near Paige.
'Let them go... all of them... please' Chamber calls out to Dracula. Dracula tells Chamber to come to him, as he can give him what he wants – what he needs. 'We both know what that is' Dracula adds. For a second, Chamber wonders if he is foolish, or noble. Both? 'Both of us...' Dracula declares as he reaches through the psionic energy blazing around Chamber and puts his hand on Chamber's face. 'Neither?' Chamber wonders, before going wide-eyed, '...my...face.' The fire starts to blaze behind Jubilee, who tries to pull Paige to her feet. 'Paige? Psst! Hayseed!' she calls out, before snapping her fingers and creating a small fireworks blast in front of Paige's eyes. 'Huh?' Paige asks as she comes to. Another second, and Chambers wonders if he is selfish, while Dracula removes the material around Chamber's face, to reveal a rebuilt lower face and mouth. 'Don't I deserve to be?' Chamber wonders. 'Come close to me, child. So beautiful...' Dracula utters as he opens his mouth and bares his fangs towards Chamber. 'Just this once?' Chamber wonders.
Back downstairs, Synch has powered-up alongside Banshee, and they both release sonic screams against Dracula's followers. 'That's it, lad! The right frequency can act like a wall' Banshee explains, while Synch asks him how he talks while doing this. Nearby, Skin has wrapped one of Dracula's followers up in his extended fingers, and calls out to Synch, asking him what he calls these guys. 'Thralls' Synch explains. 'Right. The Thralls...they're changing back into people!' Skin announces as the one he has wrapped up shifts back into a human form. Banshee, Skin and Synch regroup, and Skin announces that he didn't want ot say anything before, as he was kinda busy anyway, before asking Banshee and Synch if they smell smoke? 'This could only involve Generation X, couldn't it?' Synch mutters.
Upstairs, blood drips from Dracula's mouth, as Chamber lies back in front of Dracula, who declares
'Your will and strength and anger and life courses through your veins. In your blood I taste them and I know that mine was time well spent!' Dracula adds that they have both gotten what they wanted. 'Wouldn't you say?' Dracula asks, while Husk tells Jubilee that she husked into everything – stone, metal, none of it fazes him. 'But now I remember... there's only one way to deal with a vampire!' Husk exclaims, as she husks into a wooden form. Dracula sees her, 'Eh?' he calls out, while Husk rears back and shoves her spiked wooden fingers into his chest. 'I hope this hurts you sonofa-' Husk begins, while fire blazes around them, and Dracula tells her that the next time she tries to slay a vampire, make sure she hits the heart. The words rasp like bone on dead skin, discarded fingernails mixed with loosened teeth, and Dracula cracks Husk's arm as he pulls her from his chest and drops her to the ground. Chamber listens for what feels like forever. 'None of it's real... help...' Paige utters as she shifts back to her human form.
But that's not true. Plenty of this is real. 'What are you -?' Dracula begins, as Chamber rips a curtain from the railing – 'NO!' Dracula shouts. 'No... so... beautiful...' he utters as he raises his arms overhead and sunlight touches his body. All Hallow's Eve gives way to All Saints. Morning sunlight pierces, burns like cleansing fire. '...you could have...anything...' Dracula utters as his body splinters apart. Once, this was a place of sanctuary. No longer. Flames rise through the church, and the floor collapses like the lies the day has built itself upon. Energy explodes around Chamber's face once more. To all things, an ending. 'Jono? We have to go now, lad!' Banshee calls out.
Moments later, everyone gathers outside the remains of the church. 'Jono? It wasn't real, Jono. None of it ewas real' Paige calls out. They take a moment to sift through the rubble. They could spend hours, days, they would still find nothing. A scarf with a blood-red “D” on it hangs from a piece of wood, blowing in the breeze. 'I know, gel. I know it wasn't' Chamber replies. Jonothan has learned to leave without a lot of things. Sleep being the least of him. Two bite marks have pierced his arm. He notices them...quite possibly, not the end?


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Got Game
The kids are about to have a mutant power training… in the gym?! While the others wait for the challenge to appear, Jubilee mocks and doesn’t like the idea. Suddenly, a Sentinel bursts in from the roof, and takes out Chamber and M! Synch warns that they better act fast. Skin stretches his arms and grabs the Sentinel, and makes it fall down while Jubilee fires her powers on it. She knocks out the Sentinel’s vision sensors, and Penance jumps high in the air and slashes one of the Sentinel’s arms off!
Synch goes to stand next to Skin, and synches Skin’s powers. Now, he can also stretch his arms. They team-up and manage to outbalance the Sentinel. M has recovered, and flies towards the Sentinel, knocking it down. Chamber finishes the job and destroys the robot with his powers. The team congratulates each other on the fine teamwork, and the headmasters climb down from the control room. And they are followed by none other than… Forge!
Forge congratulates the kids as well, as they did a pretty good job on their first test in their new Danger Room. Forge explains that he has installed it as a primarily holographic simulation unit, which is imbedded into the walls and the floor of the school’s actual gym. Banshee thinks that they should all thank Forge for finding an opening in his busy schedule so he could come help them out there. The kids agree and all thank Forge for his help. Forge warns the kids that he had the difficulty of the earlier training on “easy,” so they shouldn’t be too smug just yet.
Banshee is impressed. He recalls that this is as good as the original Danger Room, and nowhere as finicky as the bio-sphere was. Emma doesn’t agree and doesn’t like the Room, as it’s not… organic. Skin agrees with her. He explains that the solution the kids came up with was too direct. Forge knows that a real Sentinel with a functioning threat assessment computer would have anticipated every move the kids made. He adds that the trick to outfighting third generation artificial intelligences is to think around the Sentinel in illogical ways. They need to find the human solution; something a machine can’t anticipate. But Forge stops talking, as he isn’t there to guide the kids through a training program. He’s just there because he owns a complete set of alien wrenches and a cordless Makita drill.
Forge transforms the room back to normal, and the control room transforms back into regular basketball rings. Banshee and Forge walk away, with Sean asking Forge if he knows what happened to the bio-sphere. Forge asks Sean if he remembers Krakoa, the living island. Emma and the kids walk away as well, leaving Gaia behind.
Sean asks Forge what he means about Krakoa, as Sean thought that the bio-sphere was a part of him. Forge confirms that. He explains that Krakoa wants –needs- to be whole again for some unknown reason and possible dire purpose. Jubilee apologizes, and cuts in. She asks Emma about Gaia. Emma told them that Gaia was going to enroll in the school, but Jubilee wants to know why she isn’t training with them, as Gaia isn’t even wearing her uniform. Emma takes a look at Gaia, who smiles at her and explains to Jubilee that Gaia is a special case.
Banshee and Forge enter the kitchen together. Banshee is impressed by the transforming control room, and asks Forge if that’s something new he came up with. Forge admits that, actually, it’s a bit of salvage. He explains that it’s a piece of technology that fell into his hands during a recent… adventure. Forge doesn’t know it for certain, but the technology could be alien, interdimensional or maybe even trans-temporal. But he has discovered that the technology is metamorphic matter controlled by a liquid computer interface. And the linkage might be either psionic or some sort of time-shifting messaging.
Sean worries if the technology is safe, since Forge doesn’t even know where it came from, but Forge confirms that it’s safe. While making a sandwich, Forge explains that he has wiped the memory and installed the parameters for the control room and the backboard. Forge knows it can’t really think for itself. He’s confident that, as long as somebody doesn’t tamper with its internal codes, and Forge doesn’t think that anyone here is around that, nothing should happen. Sean wonders. He asks Forge if he can do them another favor, as long as he’s there.
Emma explains that she has put Gaia on the roster on a trial basis. She explains that Gaia’s… life experience, for better or worse, sets her apart from the rest of the students. And until they are sure the school is the right place for Gaia, there’s little point in creating a “history” for Gaia to present to the school board. Emma excuses herself, as she has to go make some decisions about other wards of the school.
Meanwhile, Artie and Leech are enjoying their new home. Leech thinks it’s much better than their old treehouse. They start cleaning. Leech asks Artie what he thinks about it. Artie takes a look at the mess in the house, and thinks about spiders. Leech mentions that they just need to clean that up and, when that’s done, the house will be theirs!
Emma knocks on the attic door, and asks if she can come up. Artie and Leech welcome her inside. Emma asks the kids if the attic is a suitable replacement for the treehouse in the bio-sphere. They say it is. Emma goes to sit down, and explains to the kids that she needs to talk to them about their future. She remembers that, after these last few months, living in a treehouse of all places, she thinks it’s time that she put a little structure in Artie and Leech’s lives. She explains that they are going to start by putting the two of them in a special-ed program, one that will included sessions where they’ll train in the use of their powers. She thinks it’s time that Artie and Leech become a part of things around there. The kids hug her, and agree.
Later, the kids sit in class. Banshee has asked Forge if he would give a guest lecture, as, Sean adds, Forge is also a shaman. Forge doesn’t think him being a shaman is important right now. He thinks the manner in which he relates to the universe is personal, but the manner in which they, as mutants, relate to the world at large is a matter for deep thought and serious conjecture and that they must always question themselves and their motivations. Forge writes on the blackboard behind him the topic of the class’ conversation: power responsibility ethics.
Forge asks the kids how these three titles relate to the kids as members of Generation X and as mutants in training. M raises her hand, finding the answer to be so obvious: with great power comes great responsibility, and with responsibility comes the societal obligation to make ethical decisions.
Gaia is still in the gym. She decides to practice basketball, thinking it’s easy since all the other kids manage to do it as well. After a few failed hoops, Gaia thinks she needs to concentrate. However, she still misses, joking she concentrated too much. Gaia has had enough, and uses her powers to morph the hoop, and makes a score. Gaia smiles, remembering that nobody told her that morphing the hoop was against the rules. She doesn’t think why everybody makes such a fuss over this game, and walks away. When she’s away, Gaia doesn’t hear the hoop suddenly… talking! It says, with an evil tone in its voice, that the game is about to begin.
Skin wants to know how they could possibly know what the right decision is, thinking that’s subjective. Jubilee knows that what could be good for someone could be bad for someone else. She also doesn’t see how they could possibly know if, when they make a choice, it’s the right one. Chamber thought that one of the primary percepts of ethics was that the choice they least want to make in any ethical choice situation is probably the bad one. Forge agrees with Jono’s statement, explaining that ethics is about putting others before themselves.
Suddenly, a pitch-black arm strikes through the blackboard! As it attacks the children, Forge recognizes the villain as Paradox! Forge quickly explains that Paradox is a cyber-morph, which is a form of artificial intelligence that he deactivated and reprogrammed in the Danger Room control panel. Paradox grabs Forge by his throat, realizing that “deactivating” is just a nicer word for “killing,” and thinks that his enemies what to do that with him. The kids at first think that this is just another surprise test, but Banshee confirms they are fighting the real deal this time.
Jubilee opens the attack with her fireworks. Forge warns that you can’t blind Paradox that way, as his entire body surface is an environmental sensor! Penance tries to slash Paradox, and Skin tries to stretch his arm to grab him, but none of their powers work either. Chamber tries to blast a hole through Paradox, but he just transforms his body and lets the blast pass him.
Banshee realizes that Paradox probably can’t morph fast enough to avoid his sonic scream, so he uses it against Paradox, and makes him lose balance. Synch warns Forge that he must let him synch the binary code so that they can deprogram Paradox. Forge thinks it’s a ridiculous idea, as the code is all zeroes and ones and 78 pages long in printout! Synch agrees, but knows that Forge must have memorized it, and goes for it. Forge holds him, as he can show the code on display faster, and does so.
Paradox shouts at Forge that he defeated him before by cracking his code, but swears that it won’t work this time. M flies around Paradox, shouting at Synch that she’ll keep him occupied why he can do his thing. Synch thinks that they can manipulate the code to shut down Paradox. Forge thought of that, but it’s moot since he didn’t bring the hardware to access Paradox’ liquid memory! This isn’t good.
Chamber notices Paradox getting closer to Forge and Synch, and decides it’s time that he, Skin and Penance finish it like they practiced. Penny and Skin attack Paradox on his right, forcing him to move left and giving Jono the chance to hit him again with his powers. Paradox congratulates them on the maneuver, but knows it’s not enough. Emma enters the room and is startled to find out what’s going on. Paradox notices her, and points his attention to Emma.
Synch also notices Emma, and moves over to her. He synches her psi-powers and download the code changes in Paradox’ memory. The psi-blast hits Paradox and he transforms back into the basketball hoop!
Banshee thought that Forge said it was safe. Forge knows, as it was safe, and is safe again now. He thinks that there must have been a fault in the code, something he must have missed in the initial inputting. At any rate, he concludes, with the programming straightened out, he thinks it’s safe they have seen the last of Paradox.
Suddenly, a basketball goes through the hoop! Surprised, everyone turns their heads around, and notice Gaia. She smiles that she’s ready to begin.


[User]
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[Assistant]
Foxes & Scorpions
Generation X find themselves in a space ship, which is partly destroyed! And Jubilee is about to be sucked out in the vacuum! Skin jokes about it, but decides to help out anyway. He stretches his arms like he has never done before, and over a great length manages to safely catch Jubilee. He keeps pulling until Jubilee is really safe, until Banshee… finishes the exercise!
Sean congratulates the kids, but Jubilee can sense that they are about to get a lecture. Sean explains that this isn’t funny. The new Danger Room uses alien technology to create realistic combat situations, and isn’t to be used for amusement. Sean thinks that the kids need to start treating these sessions like their lives depend on them. Otherwise, Sean concludes, they’ll all end up dead.
Meanwhile, Emma is having a rather unpleasant phone call. She yells at her financial planner, Mr. Barnfather, that she pays him to make her rich and not poor. Emma defends that she is the headmistress of this school, and doesn’t know how she can keep the building afloat now. She angrily disconnects and Sean enters, having heard the yelling from across the hall. Emma explains that the school isn’t doing well on the financial side. Barnfather will send her the exact numbers, but Emma knows they won’t be good. And since Xavier is still struggling to keep his own affairs back in order, Emma thinks it’s unwise to call in his help. But luckily, like always, Emma has a backup plan: she’ll telepathically “motivate” some more investors.
Later, Jubilee and M are talking. Jubilee is angry at M and doesn’t want to have her talking about motivation. Jubilee defends that she has always wanted to further her education, while M was too busy with her trances and such. M corrects that those were her sisters’ actions and not hers, and reminds Jubilee that she was trapped in the body of Penance at the time. M explains that she’s still getting used being back in her own body, and thinks she deserves more time in the Danger Room than Jubilee does, and jokes that Jubilee might be best spend her time studying intellectual topics. That’s it! Jubilee has heard enough, and challenges Monet to a one-on-one battle in the Danger Room!
Meanwhile, outside in a winter landscape, Jono and Skin are talking about Paige. Skin thought that Jono would want some time alone with her, after being apart for so long. Jono explains to his friend that, before Paige left, he told some serious things to her. Things you say to a person when you think this is the last time you’re going to see them. Skin jokes that, now, Paige will definitely want some behavior from Jono. He jokes that Jono is too emotional, especially for a Brit. They see Sean’s truck arriving, who went to pick up Paige at the airport. Jono begs Skin not to leave his side. Angelo does so.
Paige gets overenthusiastic when the truck stops, and immediately runs into Chamber’s arms! Paige asks Jono if he missed her. He hesitates, but Paige tells him not to answer that, as she knows he has. Paige jokes that her mama is right: she does ramble sometimes. Sean sarcastically asks Skin to help him get Paige’s luggage into the mansion, and leave the kids alone. Skin gets the point, and goes help Sean! Jono panics a bit, while Paige won’t stop hugging him.
A few minutes later, Sean is back at Emma’s office. They take a look at the window outside, and notice that Paige and Jono are still hugging each other. Sean wants to talk to Emma about her money problem “solution.” Sean is aware that Emma was abandoned by her parents when she was just a little girl and that she had to use her powers to survive on the streets in order to make a life for herself. Sean fully understands that. But this is a school, he defends, and that Emma’s plan is not an example they want to set for the kids.
Emma asks Sean if he ever heard of the expression “do as I say, and not as I do.” Sean has, and asks Emma if she has ever seen that work. Sean tells Emma that he isn’t trying to argue about this with her. He just thinks that maybe, now, it might feel good to do something on the up-and-up for once, and suggests that she thinks of it as a challenge. Emma sighs. She thinks she has going to have to shake up her routine. She’s aware that Sean is getting to know her too well to push her buttons. She thinks there is one person she could turn to for some legitimate backing. And she won’t even have to use her powers. Sean thinks that’s great, and wants to know who the person is. Emma gets a serious look on her face, and mentions that she’s talking about… her sister!
At the Danger Room, Jubilee and M have been fighting holographic Trolls for a while. M doesn’t feel tired at all, and thinks that the Trolls are hardly worth her effort. While fighting, M ask Jubilee if the situation is as realistic as back when she was with the X-Men…! M stops Jubilee, making her realize that everyone stops listening to Jubilee when she starts a sentence using those words. Jubilee asks M to cut it out, thinking she might learn something from her experience. Suddenly, a Troll sneaks up on her, and grabs Jubilee in his arms.
M defeats two Trolls at once, and Jubilee uses her powers to free herself. Jubilee sarcastically thanks M for the rescue. M remembers that this was a training exercise and thought that Jubilee could handle herself, as, after all, she used to be an X-Man. Jubilee stops the simulation. She congratulates M on the attitude, considering all the things she has done for her. M freaks out. What?!
Outside, Paige and Jono are still talking to each other. Paige tells him about the time it was her brother’s, Jebediah’s, turn to cook dinner, but that didn’t end too well. Paige stops talking, realizing that Jono doesn’t want to talk about her time with her family. She kisses him on the cheek, mentioning that she thought of Jono every night. He panics and walks away, lying to Paige that he was supposed to meet up with Skin. She understands and suggests they meet up tonight. Jono agrees, and if not, maybe some other time. Whatever. Paige watches Jono leaving, and thinks.
Sean is confused about Emma going to ask her sister Cordelia for a loan. Emma won’t ask Cordelia. She’ll ask her older sister, Adrienne! Sean gets even more confused learning that there are three Frost sisters. Emma explains to Sean that they used to be pretty close when growing up. They all developed mutant powers, but Emma’s were the only “blatant” ones. Her father decided to have Emma institutionalized for her own protection. Emma tells Sean that he knows all about how she escaped from the institution and ended up on the streets. But, Adrienne was on the fast track to success, and became an even more successful entrepreneur than Emma herself. Emma knows that it’s going to kill her for going to ask her sister for a loan.
In the Danger Room, Jubilee jumps at M, wanting to kill her. Jubilee shouts at M that she was always nice to her when she was trapped inside her Penance form, and wants to know why Monet is now treating her like dirt. M remembers bringing Jubilee apples, like she was her favorite horse. M thinks that Jubilee didn’t treat her like a friend, but like a pet! She fights Jubilee. Jubilee safely lands, and fights back. She defends that M was trapped in a razor-skinned body with no way of communicating. All things considered, Jubilee thinks she was pretty nice. Jubilee’s powers hit M, explaining that she felt humiliated and patronized.
At the same time, Paige is talking to Gaia in her bedroom. She felt that her meeting with Jono was embarrassing and agonizing, and that Jono was acting too casual. She doesn’t understand why. Paige knows that Gaia wasn’t here for all this, but explains that she and Jono have been dancing around their feelings for each for as long as they know each other. Then, Paige adds, she and Jono finally share an intimate moment before she left back home to Kentucky, and now she comes back only to get this attitude. She asks Gaia for a few tips. Gaia jokes that she has been chained to a rock for as long as she can remember, and doesn’t know much about men from these days. Paige sighs.
M uses her powers to make a giant arm hoping to hit Jubilee, but she dodges it. Jubilee defends that all this time they have been talking that M, the real Monet, couldn’t possibly be as infuriating as the twins made her out to be. But now, Jubilee thinks that M is even worse! M smiles that she’s often imitated, but never duplicated. Jubilee admits that she might have treated M better, somehow, but she thinks her intention counts for something. M walks over to Jubilee, asking if she wants to know why she treats her the way she does. Jubilee explains that she wants to know.
M grabs Jubilee by her throat, and pushes her against a wall! M suggests that she’ll tell Jubilee a fable her father once told her. She tells that once upon a time, a scorpion and a fox were on a riverbank. The scorpion asked if the fox would carry him across the water. The fox said no. He was afraid the fox would sting him halfway across. The scorpion laughed and pointed out that, if he stung the fox, the scorpion himself would drown along with him. So the fox started across the river, with the scorpion on his back. And halfway across the river, the scorpion stung him. As they began to sink, the fox asked the scorpion why he stung him. To which the scorpion replied: “it’s my nature.” M smiles.
Sean enters the room, wanting to know what the ladies are doing. M releases Jubilee, saying that they were just working out. Sean asks Jubilee if that’s true. Jubilee catches her breath, and confirms that. Sean agrees, but explains that the Danger Room is still new, and he doesn’t want anyone working out without proper supervision, until anyone gets more familiar with the system. Sean leaves.
M asks Jubilee if they are clear now. “Crystal,” Jubilee mocks. In fact, she adds, now that M has explained some things about her, she wants to return the favor. Jubilee shouts that people only get one change to mess with her. And this was M’s. Jubilee threats that, next time, Monet best plays for keeps, because she sure will. M remains unimpressed and walks away, mocking Jubilee that was really convincing and that her old friend Wolverine would be impressed.
Meanwhile, outside the school, a cab stops. The customer pays his price, and steps out. It’s Maggott! He thinks it’s totally cool to be at a school where mutants come to learn about their special abilities.


[User]
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[Assistant]
Trophies
A costumed man sneaks around the academy’s woods. He finds some fresh tracks, and thinks he has finally found his prey. He follows the tracks, which lead directly towards the school!
Meanwhile, inside the school, Maggott, Chamber, Skin and Synch are playing basketball. Maggott doesn’t like Jono’s performance, to which Jono mocks, giving Synch a chance to score. It’s Skin’s turn to go catch the ball, but it drops nearby Maggott’s slugs, Eany and Meany. Skin is scared of them, and asks Maggott if it’s true what he heard, namely if the slugs can eat through anything. Maggott confirms that, but calms Skin down as his little friends only eat things he tells them to. And he jokes that Skin isn’t on the menu… yet.
Skin stretches his arms to safely grab the ball. He jokes and wants to know why Maggott uses this codename. Maggott picks up his slugs, defending that it doesn’t matter what you call the package if it’s fixed up. Skin throws the ball to Maggott, but it bumps against his head, as Maggott is astonished by the beauty of… Paige! Paige introduces herself, mentioning that Maggott knows her brother, Sam. Maggott can’t believe that Cannonball never told her about his sister. He is starting to like this school, Maggott jokes.
Chamber compliments Paige on her nice new haircut, but she isn’t interested. She asks the guys who won the game. Synch explains that he and Angelo did. He asks Gaia who cut Paige’s hair. Gaia mentions that she did it, using her powers to reshape Paige’s hair. M jokes that their little farm girl finally got a real hair cut, which leaves them only to do something about her clothes. Paige jokes that she didn’t knew M cared. Jubilee has had enough talk, since there is still plenty of shopping to do and not much time left to do it in. The girls agree and leave. Maggott compliments the beautiful girls, and wants to know when he gets to meet the headmistress, as Iceman told him she walks around in lingerie. Synch explains that Ms. Frost had to go to New York.
At the same time in New York, Emma enters an office building called Meridian Enterprises. She passes an employee, telling him she’s there to see Adrienne. The man tries to hold Emma back by telling her Adrienne is busy, but Emma ignores his warnings and just goes on. In her office, Adrienne is talking to a panicking guy called Phillip. She calms him down, and just wants to know where she can get her hands on superhuman mercenaries. She stops Phillip again, explaining that she needs them because she doesn’t have any muscle to protect her. Adrienne tells Phillip to stop crying, and make her understand why she hired him and make this trans-sabal like she asked him to. Emma enters the office, asking Adrienne for a word. Adrienne wants to know why her favorite sister is coming to visit her.
Back at the school, Chamber, Skin and Synch show Maggott around the woods. Skin is thrilled to show Maggott a hill they found last winter, back when Synch was still the newbie from East L.A. Maggott jokes he would be a lot more interested if the beautiful girls from before were joining them, especially Sam’s sister. Everett notices Jono’s mood changing, and changes the subject by asking Maggott if the X-Men are really as cool as Jubilee always makes them out to be.
Maggott replies that the X-Men are to die for, and remembers each one of that team. He admits that he wasn’t with them very long but, when he was, Maggott thinks that he was having the time of his life. The X-Men helped him make the man he is today. Maggott wants the others to think of the X-Men what they want, but they are his idols. Everett doesn’t know what he would say if he would meet his idol, the Black Panther. Suddenly, Eany and Meany get hit! Maggott feels their pain, and wants to go check on the slugs, which aren’t moving! Synch warns the group to be ready, as they could be surrounded. Suddenly, he notices someone in front of them.
The culprit introduces himself as Constantine Francis Slaughter IV, but the kids can call him… the Slaughter! And only his mother can get to call him Constantine. The Slaughter warns the kids not to move, so that he can gather his trophy and so nobody will get hurt. Maggott is in pain, refusing to believe that the bad guy is for real. Synch orders Chamber and Skin to form a defense line around Maggott to protect him. He doesn’t know how the Slaughter could possibly get past the school’s security systems, but warns the villain that his visit will be a short one. Synch asks Jono if he doesn’t mind him synching his powers. Before Jono can answer, Synch has already done it and uses Chamber’s powers to fly! Jono wants to know how Synch can possibly do that.
Meanwhile, Adrienne laughs at Emma’s proposal to help her out in the financial way. They haven’t seen each other for 8 years, so why should Adrienne now possibly help her sister, she wonders. Emma explains to Adrienne that she was already building her financial empire while Emma herself was still fending for herself on the streets of New York. Emma always knew that she could go to Adrienne for help if she wanted to, but didn’t. She wanted to start her career and life on her very own.
Plus, Emma knew that Adrienne would never respect her if she came asking for help. Emma admits that she had to make a few business deals with nasty individuals but, besides those facts, her plan eventually worked. But things are different now. Emma isn’t talking about her financial standing. They are talking about the future of a group of very special children. Emma came to ask Adrienne not only because she needs her help, but because they are family.
At the same time, Synch tries to hit Slaughter with Chamber’s powers, but fails. The Slaughter throws a special net he made at Everett, and catches him inside it making Everett fall in an ice-cold lake. The Slaughter mentions that he made the net to catch pterodactyl in the Savage Land. Chamber manages to hit the Slaughter, but he is still unharmed. He pulls his jacket open, and reveals metal clothing! He reveals that he got his hands on it after falling off a 300-foot cliff back in Genosha and, ever since, the Slaughter has been wearing this vibranium suit, as it absorbs most attacks.
The Slaughter has another trick up his sleeve: he throws a grenade on Jono, and on impact gets covered in thick, black glue! The Slaughter explains that he used it once to capture a horse on Asgard, but the glue will weary off soon enough. Skin wants to attack, but Maggott asks him to first get the darts out of his slugs’ bodies. Skin goes to do that, but the Slaughter interferes, not wanting Skin to mess with his trophies.
Adrienne isn’t impressed by Emma’s “family” speech. She thinks that family is for people who can’t make friends of their own. Adrienne’s phone rings again, and it’s crying Phillip again. She asks Emma to excuse herself for a moment. She does, but forgets her purse. Adrienne picks up the phone but, when looking at Emma’s purse, she tells him she’ll call back.
Adrienne’s psychometric powers have kicked in, giving her some overwhelming information about the past. She gets flashes from the Generation X kids, realizing that Emma teaches a school for mutants, which she thinks is just perfect. She calls Emma back inside, and apologizes for her earlier statement. She now thinks that family does need to help each other out, and decides to help Emma on one condition.
Meanwhile, the kids have been all tied up, and can’t get free out of their polymer bindings. Maggott is still holding up, thinking that the slugs have probably eaten their way out of the Slaughter’s bag, but fears that it might be too late anyway and that they could die, meaning he could die as well. Synch remembers that the slugs can eat through anything, which also means their bindings. He wonders what would happen if he synches Maggott’s powers, and makes slugs of his own. Maggott refuses to let anyone else feel the pain he feels. Everett refuses to let Maggott die, and goes for his plan. His skin turns blue, and slugs come out of his body! And they free them by eating the cord.
Later, the kids have tracked the Slaughter down, thanks to Maggott’s connection with his slugs: he can somehow feel them, wherever they are. Synch suggests that he synches Maggott’s power again and Jono wants to attack, but Maggott asks them to wait, as this is his battle. Besides, he thinks Eany and Meany are coming by now, and they are! The slugs eat their way out of the bag.
Maggott runs towards them, and tries to knock out the Slaughter. He tries to shoot at Maggott, but the slugs eat his gun up. The Slaughter is out of weapons, and Maggott wants to finish it. Slaughter refuses to end the battle today and throws another grenade, which makes a very bright light, giving him the chance to escape. The Slaughter warns that it doesn’t matter he lost today, as there’s still other trophies for him to catch, like the horse of the Black Knight and the little purple dragon in upstate New York, and also… mutants!
Two hours later, Banshee has finally repaired the security system, and has discovered that the Slaughter got around it using Asgardian technology. Maggott wants to go after the Slaughter, as he couldn’t live with himself knowing that someone got hurt because he let the villain go. Banshee compliments Maggott, as this is precisely what a real X-Man would say, and notices that Maggott is everything Beast told him. Chamber, Skin and Synch take goodbye of Maggott, thinking him of him as one of their own and promising that he can always call them should he need help. Maggott walks away, promising he’ll never forget any of them and wants them also not to forget about him as, one day, he’ll be back!
As soon as Maggott is gone, Emma enters, asking who he was and why he wanted her lingerie. Banshee explains that Maggott is one of the X-Men, and was going to attend their school but now he won’t. Emma doesn’t care, and wants to introduce someone to the group who’s going to be around here a lot from now one. Adrienne proudly enters and introduces herself, explaining that from now on, she will be… the new headmistress!


[User]
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[Assistant]
War of the Mutants: part 1: Divided We Fall
The kids are all looking through the window. Skin doesn’t like what he’s seeing, but M thinks it has possibilities. Synch isn’t sure what to think. Gaia doesn’t understand what the big deal is. Jubilee understands, though, and explains to Gaia that what they are seeing outside are tons of rich, human kids, who are new students at the school! And that means that they’ll have to keep their powers hidden.
Jubilee doesn’t like the idea of Sean, Emma and Adrienne starting with new students so soon, and even in the January semester. M doesn’t think it’s much of a surprise, seeing the school’s bad financial situation and Adrienne’s desire to change the school back into its former glorious status. Skin has had enough of the bickering and thinks he has the perfect idea of, at least temporarily, forgetting about all these new students.
Little do the kids realize that they are being eavesdropped by… Gene Nation! Membrain has them locked in and now can learn every move the kids make from now on. He is confident that their plan will succeed. His leader, the Dark Beast, congratulates Membrain on the job well done. He explains that ever since he arrived in this dimension he had to live in the sewers, in fear because someone might recognize him as this dimension’s Beast. But that didn’t stop the Dark Beast, as he could still experiment on mutant DNA and find ways to manipulate them into his designs. And he thinks that, in the students of Emma Frost, he has found the perfect experiments. He orders Membrain, Fever Pitch and Hemingway that they know what to do next.
Back at the school, Adrienne has finally found Emma in her office after a long search. Emma admits that she has been hiding, as she didn’t knew the effect of all these new students would have on her. She admits that enrolling the kids is a perfect plan to help them out of the financial problems Emma got the school in, but remembers that, before she turned Massachusetts into Xavier’s name, this school also had a number of non-students as well as a selected few mutants.
But after Trevor Fitzroy killed them all, Emma closed the school. Emma thought that she was through with academia until Xavier and Sean talked her back into it by convincing her to train the next generation of mutants. Emma feels sad and tells Adrienne that, with them being sisters, they should have kept in touch. Adrienne asks Emma to spare her from the speech, but thinks it’s great that Emma finally agreed to rename the school back into Massachusetts, as, after the Onslaught disaster, the name of Xavier doesn’t inspire people much like it used to do.
Emma asks Adrienne to turn up the volume of the television, as she sees something interesting. They hear the reporter mention that Nate Grey, the powerful mutant known as the X-Man, has been spotted high over Dublin in Ireland. Emma is intrigued. Adrienne knows that look and doesn’t want to hear the plan. Emma tells Adrienne to relax, thinking that, if the mutant is as powerful as the news says, it might be a good idea enrolling him, especially if his surname is “Grey.” Emma wants to try to install a psi-link between her and Nate.
Meanwhile, Nate sits high up in… the clouds! He can’t stop thinking about Madelyne, and reshapes the clouds in her image. Nate admits that Maddie scares the life out of him but, at the same time, he can’t live without her. He thinks that Maddie is the only one in this world who understands him, as his psi-powers keep blinking out of him. Suddenly, Nate stops talking and freaks out! He sees images in his head of Dark Beast with a woman, whom Nate hears her name is Emma Frost. The vision fades away as soon as it came. Nate wants to find out why he saw those images, and what connection Emma has with the Dark Beast, and leaves immediately.
Later, the kids have arrived in Boston. Jubilee congratulates Skin on the fine idea and wants to hang out with Everett. However, M is faster than Everett and pulls him away, wanting to talk to her. Everett follows her, and M smiles. Husk takes the girls with her, taking her goodbye of Angelo and telling him to have a good time with his friend, Chamber! Jono gets the idea and isn’t impressed.
As they are gone, Jubilee asks Paige if she didn’t go too far there, giving Jono the cold shoulder like that. Paige defends that Jono started it. Paige explains that, before she left back home to take care of her sick mother, Jono made a big deal and told her how much he cared about her. And when home, Paige couldn’t stop thinking about Jono and how much she missed him, because she thought he had feelings for her. Apparently, though, the joke was on her because, when she returned, Jono gave her the cold shoulder. She thinks it’s fine – if he wants to play mind games, she’ll give him some in return, but Paige won’t go easy on him.
Gaia changes the subject, and wants to know since when M and Everett are so close, seeing she dragged him away like that. Jubilee doesn’t even want to start talking about M, and asks Gaia if it bothers her that M dragged Everett away like that. Gaia doesn’t think so, thinking if it wasn’t meant to be between her and Everett, she’s fine by that. Jubilee thinks Gaia is wrong with that statement. Logan taught her that, if you want something in this world, you have got to fight for it.
Meanwhile, Banshee sits in the monitor room, looking at his viewing screen and overlooking all the new human students. He admits that it’s a lot tougher with all these new kids than it was before. He’s on the phone, talking to someone that they most likely will need new faculty, and has someone on the line who might be of interest. Suddenly, Sean spots a helicopter on the screen, following a young boy. Finding it suspicious, he stops talking and follows the lad.
Banshee rushes outside and wants to fly to scout the area, but notices a human family staring at him. He realizes his mistake, and runs away instead, telling them to continue enjoy the tour around the school. The parents are obviously not pleased that Sean is the headmaster, but their son thinks it’s cool. Sean arrives in the woods and finds some tracks, thinking the boy has put up a fight. He makes sure that no one is around and flies up, finding the helicopter that took the boy and follows it.
At the same time, Chamber and Skin have arrived at the docks. Jono is worried that all the human kids might hate mutants. Skin thinks that Jono worries too much, and is confident that Adrienne has it fully covered. He explains that she can write him off as someone with a rare pigmentation disorder, seeing his grey skin. Skin jokes that he would have voted for elephantiasis, and transforms his body into Quasimodo, joking that, if he had that, he could sit in his crib in the bell tower all day, having a blast. Jono recognizes that Skin has been practicing his powers apparently.
Jono explains that Adrienne told him that they could write him off as a burn victim and that he’ll have to pretend being a mute. Jono thinks that’s better than telling people he destroyed his own face when he freaked out when his mutant powers manifested themselves.
Meanwhile, Monet has brought Everett to a tattoo parlor. He wants to know what they are doing there. Monet explains that she spent more time than she can remember in Penance’s razor-sharp body, unable to touch or be touched. She thinks that getting a tattoo would be a celebration of being able to be touched again. Monet knows that people take the ability to touch for granted. And she thinks that, mutants or otherwise, they need to be touched. Monet moves closer to Everett, and they almost kiss!
But the happy moment is disturbed by an attacking Membrain! He climbs up from the sewers, and explains to the kids that he’s composed of a psi-sensitive mucous membrane, which explains his codename. Membrain throws slime at Monet and Everett’s faces, which grab onto them. Monet can feel them into her brain. Everett orders M to remember their psi-training, and that they can block their enemy out of their heads.
The plan works, and Monet also remembers her one-on-one battle classes and punches Membrain to the other side of the street! He gets up again, refusing to be beaten by a girl, and throws more green slime at Monet, making her fall through the tattoo parlor’s window! Everett can’t tell if Monet is okay, but she is close enough for him to synch her powers, so he does that. Everett doesn’t think it’s safe to synch Membrain’s powers, since he doesn’t know how they work.
Synch flies towards Membrain, telling him that the fight is over. Membrain isn’t impressed, as he has heard that treat before. And he explains that he also knows of Synch’s powers to copy other mutant powers, and that M is a telepath. But Membrain is also aware that Everett isn’t used to having these psychic powers, which makes it easier for Membrain to defeat him. Everett doesn’t agree and grabs Membrain by his throat. However, he puts more slime on Everett’s face, until the boy falls unconscious.
Monet has survived the fall, thanks to the fact she wore her uniform under her civilian clothes, which got shredded the second she fell through the window. She notices Synch and tries to attack Membrain, but she faints before being able to do more! Membrain finds that pathetic, and thought that the kids were better trained than this. He picks up M and Synch, and returns to the sewers with them.
Meanwhile, Jono and Skin are enjoying a boat ride. Jono admits to his friend that a part of him wishes that he never told Paige how he felt. Jono doesn’t think that he has a future with anyone, let alone Paige, as he isn’t able to kiss. Jono thinks he’s a freak. Skin has heard that statement a lot of times before, and isn’t impressed. He jokes he’ll go to sleep until Jono has something more important to say. Suddenly, they hear a lot of noise on the other side of the boat and, suddenly, a fleeing crowd of people come to them! They tell Jono and Skin to look up in the sky.
They do, and find a flaming skeleton, and the villain introduces himself as… Fever Pitch! He warns the young mutants to prepare for his wrath! Fever Pitch throws fire against the boat, and breaks it in the middle. It’s going to sink! Chamber tells Skin to go help get the people on the lifeboats while he’ll deal with Fever Pitch. While Skin leaves, Fever Pitch reveals to Jono that he was once like him, namely young and handsome. He had the whole world in front of him. Then, his mutant powers manifested, and Fever Pitch blew his face off! And over the years, he grew more and more powerful and ran out of skin to burn. And this is the result. Fever Pitch warns Jono to prepare for his similar future.
Chamber doesn’t think so and, using his powers, he hits Fever Pitch and the impact makes him fall into the water. At the same time, Skin has helped most people on the lifeboat, and warns that the captain has radioed for help. A man falls overboard, and Skin jumps off the boat to help him out. But the man notices Angelo’s grey skin and starts to panic, realizing he must be mutant. Skin swims closer to the man, telling him to relax and lies that he was bitten by a radioactive elephant, which turned his skin grey and gave him the power to stretch. The man believes Skin, but sinks.
Skin dives after the man, and stretches his arm to grab him. Jono notices it and warns Jono to climb back to the boat, and he’ll help him up. But unfortunately, Fever Pitch merges from the water, as it didn’t stop him. He angrily flies towards Jono, who notices that Fever Pitch keeps talking to him like they are the same, but he knows he at least doesn’t talk that much, and attacks Fever Pitch again. However, he dodges the flames this time and knocks Jono out. He grabs Jono, and moves over to Skin, telling him he won’t do anything heroic now. Angelo thinks about it, but can’t risk the man he just saved. Fever Pitch agrees to help the man in a lifeboat, if Skin comes with him. He agrees and Fever Pitch flies off, with both Chamber and Skin as prisoners.
Meanwhile, Jubilee, Husk and Gaia are on a monorail. Jubilee thinks that with these new students in their home, they need to make them understand who’s boss. Gaia doesn’t agree, and is thrilled to meet so many new people. Paige agrees and thinks about meeting the boys. Suddenly, the train is brutally stopped by Hemingway! All the passengers fall down, but are all right. The girls get into costume but Vessel rips the monorail walls open, having noticed that there are mutants aboard.
Jubilee attacks Vessel, but her powers don’t hurt him. Paige decides to husk off some skin, but Vessel grabs her head and throws her out of the train into the water below! Hemingway enters, and warns Vessel to safe something for him. They surround both Jubilee and Gaia. Jubilee attacks Vessel again, and this time her powers hit his face. Gaia admits that she isn’t trained like the others for battles like this. It takes a lot of concentration, but she manages to use her reality-warping powers to transform a part of the train into a giant, green arm, which grabs Hemingway.
But he easily breaks through it, and knocks Gaia out. Paige emerges from the water and continues husking her body into steel. Vessel manages to knock off Jubilee, but gets grabbed by his hair by Paige. She quickly knocks out Vessel, and Hemingway agrees to fight her, thinking it might be fun. It’s a rough battle and Paige manages to knock him off, but Vessel stands up again and kicks her unconscious. They grab both Paige and Jubilee up, but Vessel thinks they best leave Gaia behind, thinking she is… dead!
At the same time, the helicopter lands in Vermont and Banshee lands as well, planning to investigate what’s going on. However, as he goes, a huge bodyguard sneaks up behind him and knocks Sean out! The bodyguard guesses that Sean didn’t read the “no trespassing” sign.
Later, Emma drives in her car alone on the road in the outskirts of Snow Valley. She’s still not completely convinced that bringing in so many new human students is a good idea, as with so many active minds around it’s harder for her to turn her telepathy off. Even that psi-link she installed with Nate Grey gave Emma a headache, so she thought it was a good idea to go outside for a drive, hoping to relax. Suddenly, a car, driving in the wrong direction, heads towards Emma and hits her car! She angrily gets out, and out of the other car steps… Gaia!
Gaia is startled. Emma tells her to calm down and just explain what happened. Gaia mentions they were attacked, and that she was left for dead. She discovered that Jubilee and Husk were kidnapped and, while she tried to find the others, Gaia found nothing but traces that they were taken as well. She made her way back to Sean’s jeep, and was on her way back to the school to warn Emma.
Emma thinks the incident to be similar to the time when Fitzroy killed her old students, and hopes that history isn’t repeating itself. Emma promises Gaia that they won’t die this time, and decides to get back at the school to get some reinforcements.
However, a voice from above tells Emma that she isn’t going anywhere. Not until she has told him everything she knows about the Dark Beast. Surprised, Emma and Gaia look up, and find… the X-Man!


[User]
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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Rescuers
Vermont…Banshee is held hostage in the cellar of Hunter Brawn and his bodyguards. Brawn threatens Sean, not knowing him, and wants to know who he is and why he came there, trespassing on his house. Banshee, wearing a Genoshan power inhibitor collar and bound, jokes at Brawn. He does know where Brawn got his hands on the collar, but isn’t impressed by his threats, as Sean has heard them all from the best.
Brawn is informed about something and tells his hostage that he has to leave, but in the meantime his bodyguards will entertain Sean. Brawn walks upstairs, and says hi to his grandson, Tristan, who wanted to know why he sent out his men to pick him up from school so soon. Hunter explains that he just doesn’t like the idea of his grandson going to Xavier’s school, as, for one thing, it’s so far away and he thinks that the people at Xavier’s might be too progressive for people like him and Tristan.
Tristan doesn’t like that, and defends that his grandfather doesn’t even know anything about the school. He just send out his “nanny,” like always. Tristan hands Hunter a folder, asking him to at least read it. Hunter takes it, and on the folder recognizes Sean’s picture!
Massachusetts’s…Emma has gathered the team of Generation X around her, and is angry that they can’t find Sean anywhere. Adrienne enters with Artie and Leech, and asks what’s going on. Emma informs her about the fact that Sean is missing, and that they just fought a heavy battle against the Dark Beast, who wanted to perform brutal experiments on the kids. However, luckily, with the help of Nate Grey, she and Gaia managed to rescue everyone.
Jubilee notices that Emma is leaving out something important, like the fact that they were told that Emma and the Dark Beast are old buddies. Emma shouts at Jubilee that she has heard quite enough! Leech mentions that Artie knows where Banshee is, and shows them a picture of Sean in his cell. Emma thinks that Artie must have build a mind-link with Sean and using his holographic powers to show them where he is.
Skin didn’t know that Artie could do that, and asks the little guy if he can also show them how Sean got there. Artie can, and shows the team that Sean followed one of the new students named Tristan Brown, who was followed by a helicopter. Sean thought that it was suspicious and went to check it out. He followed the helicopter until it landed on a house, where he was knocked out by a gigantic pro-wrestler type of guy.
Paige shouts that they have to go rescue Sean, but Emma doesn’t want to risk the lives of the kids. Jubilee shouts that’s bull, to which M surprisingly agrees. Adrienne defends that, from what Emma told her since she arrived there, these children have went through a lot. She thinks they can handle it, and that this case needs special attire.
A short time later, the members of Generation X have put on their new uniforms! Adrienne explains that she has taken the liberty of having these new uniforms made, because, with all these new human students around, she thought it was best to keep their identities hidden, so that’s why she upgraded the suits with facial masks. Everett notices something, and asks if someone saw Gaia, who isn’t standing with them.
Gaia enters… with some luggage! She apologizes for the bad timing, but she has chosen… to leave the school! Everett is surprised, and wants to know the reason. Gaia explains that while she was coming to rescue the others from the Dark Beast, she spent some time talking to Nate and came to the conclusion that the school isn’t what she needs right now. She reminds everyone that she’s new to this world, and Nate helped her realize that it’s best to experience the world by herself, and not read about it in a textbook. Gaia just wants to live a little, and learn through doing.
Emma brutally responds that it’s fine if Gaia wants to leave, and suggests that she’d better be gone by the time they get back. She then orders the others to follow her, as they’ll hit the air in half an hour. Gaia is left alone, and stunned.
Half an hour later, the kids have left in the plane alone, and have ditched Emma! Monet is aboard the plane, but the others don’t like her ruthless flying much. She tells them to relax, as her family’s personal pilot started giving her private lessons back when she turned twelve years old. Jubilee recalls that this is the best way to rescue Sean, as they can’t trust Emma anymore after they learned of her past with the Dark Beast. Paige, while using a laptop, has hacked into the school records and discovered that Tristam lives in a ranch together with his grandfather.
Soon afterwards, they land outside the ranch in Vermont. Jubilee remembers that, back when she was an X-Man, they would hit the bad guys fast and hard! Synch jokes that worked out so well for Sean, apparently. Everett wonders what would happen if they want to get captured? He suggests that some of them sneak by the house get caught, and they’ll keep in touch using Monet’s telepathy. Chamber wants to know how they are going to decide who of them gets caught. Skin jokingly suggests that they could play “rock, paper, scissors.” Everyone stares at Angelo, disliking the idea.
A few minutes later, both Husk and Jubilee end up caught by Brawn’s bodyguards. Sean recognizes them, and Jubilee blinks an eye at Sean, jokingly wondering how they’ll ever escape now. She jumps free out of the bodyguard’s grip, and attacks them using her powers. Husk frees Sean, who wants to know what the girls are doing here and how they end up in X-Men costumes! Jubilee wants to explain that they will later, and just to run away now. But they end up ambushed by Brawn and his army of bodyguards, including a costumed villain!
Husk isn’t impressed, and husks her body into stone! Brawn is impressed, recognizing Paige as a meta-morph. But, he has a few tricks himself. Brawn concentrates, and is protected by a huge, thick armor. He suggests to Sean and the kids that they stand down now. Sean agrees, and telepathically screams Paige for help. The call painfully reaches Monet and she asks Jubilee not to scream. She then informs her that they can be near the house in fifteen seconds, but she needs Jubilee to guide them to their exact location. Suddenly, the team notices Paige flying through the house’s roof!
She lands before Jono, who makes sure if she’s all right. Paige jokes that she’s just getting warmed up. Brawn enters, and Jono attacks him, but his powers have no effect on Brawn’s armor. Brawn explains that his energy armor can align itself with the frequency of Jono’s bio-blast. In other words: nothing can hurt Brawn! Meanwhile, Sean fights Brawn’s costumed guard. He recognizes the guard from somewhere, but can’t pinpoint him.
Synch synches Monet’s powers, and they notice Sean fighting. They fly towards him, and apologize for not having noticed the costumed guy earlier. Sean jokes that he’ll let it slip this time, and watches the kids taking his adversary away. Sean notices how good the team is getting at things like this. Jubilee finishes off Brawn’s other guards, but things turn to the worst: Brawn has taken Skin hostage! He has noticed that Skin is elastic, and wonders what would happen if he’d stretch his body completely! If the team doesn’t wish to see that happen, Brawn suggests that they best surrender.
Synch refuses to surrender, and holds Brawn’s costumed guard by his neck, threatening to break his neck if Brawn doesn’t release Skin! Everett mentions that he sure is strong enough now to do that. Brawn thinks he can end this without brutal murder, and asks Sean if he’s there for Brawn’s grandson, Tristan. Sean confirms. Hunter powers down, and explains that he is Tristan’s legal guardian, and that the boy is in no danger there, except of course from the danger Sean and the kids are attacking his home for.
Brawn wants to know why they are trespassing. Sean agrees to leave it Brawn can prove he can provide for his grandson and that he’s here on his free will. Brawn agrees with that, and has one of his guards fetch Tristan, who’s playing pool in the game room. Brawn explains that he had the room soundproofed in order to occupy certain business associates.
Tristan goes outside, and recognizes Sean from school, and asks the man what he’s doing there. Hunter claims that Sean has gotten worried over his overprotectiveness, and that he saw the helicopter taking Tristan home again, realizing that it’s all one big misunderstanding. Brawn tells his grandson that he and Sean have been talking, and that he can go to their school if he wants. Tristan is thrilled! Sean is also glad, and tells Tristan that he can go grab his things if he wants, and that his grandfather has promised to fly them back to the school when he’s ready. Tristan leaves and promises to be right back. As the boy is gone, Sean turns to Hunter, and tells him he doesn’t know what he stumbled into, but promises to find out. Hunter smiles, and tells Sean he can try.
Meanwhile, the team flies back home in their plane. Jubilee can’t believe that this whole mess was over an old man who didn’t want that his grandson went to a school too far away. Skin thinks that they weren’t dealing with just an “old man” and thinks that, with his super-powers, the old man might have been a super-hero during World War II or something, or maybe even someone from the Invaders. M thinks it’s a lot more sinister than that, thinking that Brawn might be a villain.
Paige, however, just hopes that her momma won’t take the news too bad. Jubilee and the other kids wonder what bad news Paige is talking about. Paige mentions the fact that they are… expelled! She thinks that Emma is going to expel them for sure after they ditched her like that.
Later, LeGault meats up with Hunter, not understanding why he let his grandson tag along with Cassidy and the others. Brawn smiles and tells his friend that he failed to assess the situation properly. He knows that those kids were Sean’s fighters, and are warriors. Brawn mentions that he runs a multi-million dollar company solely for criminal endeavors! Hunter is aware that, one day, he will die. And he wants that Tristan takes over from him some day, but he needs to learn how to be strong first.
LeGault understands. And what better place for Tristan to learn those things than in a school that trains super-kids? Hunter starts to smoke his pipe, and fully agrees.


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Provide a full summary of the comic book.

[Assistant]
Secret Identities
Tristan Brawn has arrived at the school, and has learned that Jono, Paige, Jubilation, Monet, Angelo and Everett are all… mutants! Tristan confronts them about his discovery. Everett tries to deny it, but Tristan knows the truth: he has seen them in their red and yellow costumes and, even more, he has seen them using their powers! The kids are startled.
Meanwhile, Emma enters the attic, which Artie and Leech have transformed into a huge playroom. Emma mentions that she just came to check on them, knowing how frustrating this new situation might be, as with all these new human students, she thinks that Artie and Leech probably don’t like the fact that they have to live on the attic. Leech corrects Emma, as they wouldn’t know why they would ever leave the attic, where they can play all the time.
Emma smiles and understands, but knows that Leech and Artie are probably going to get cabin fever soon and, when that day comes, she thinks they better be prepared so that the human students don’t get scared of them. Therefore, Emma has thought of a solution. She takes two image inducers out of her bag, and promises Artie and Leech to show how they work, but makes it clear to them that the inducers aren’t toys. Leech and Artie smile.
At the same time, Tristan explains himself. He reveals that he didn’t have many friends when growing up, and spend most of his time alone. So he wandered off in the woods around the school, and that’s where he found both Chamber and Synch, talking. Synch remembers. He had synched Jono’s powers, and showed them how easy it was to fly with them. Everett was confident that, with a little practice, Jono would be able to fly as well. Jono doesn’t think so, recalling that Everett didn’t have the little incident when he blew off half his face when his mutant powers manifested themselves.
Everett suggests Jono that he just needs to concentrate on providing a downward thrust through his hands, which will lead him into the air. Jono thinks he’s got it. However, when doing that, he just blows a hole into the snow! Jono finds it humiliating that Everett is using his powers better than he is. And, Jono mocks, they are supposed to learn to use their powers better, which he clearly isn’t doing. Everett tries to cheer Jono up, and promises that they are in this together and will keep practicing. Synch asks Jono if he can teach him how to play the guitar. Jono thinks that just sounds patronizing.
Tristan stops his story, but tells Jono and Synch that they should have been more careful, and that he saw the whole thing. Tristan admits that he has been watching the mutants, and has seen them training their powers when they thought they were alone. Jubilee gets angry and smacks Everett on his head, shouting and wanting to know why they didn’t just use the Danger Room. Everett remembers her that Sean won’t let them use the Danger Room unsupervised. Paige tells them to knock it off, as they’ve got more immediate problems at hands. Everett agrees, and apologizes.
Monet tells Tristan that, if he has saw them use their powers, he knows that she could just as easily prevent him from spoiling their secret by dropping a train on his head. Tristan is confident that M can’t do that, but she claims she can. Angelo wants to know why Tristan told them he knows their secret, but Jono thinks he just wants to blackmail them. Tristan smiles that he won’t; he promises to keep their secret under one condition: that Paige goes out with him on a date!
Paige explains that she won’t be treated like someone’s trophy, and prefers her company honest. Tristan tells her that they don’t have a choice but to trust him, and he doesn’t see the harm of getting a date with a pretty girl out of this situation. Chamber gets angry and starts defending Paige and almost attacks Tristan, but Paige has heard enough and holds Jono back, having had enough of him, claiming that her welfare isn’t Jono’s business anymore. Everett changes the subject and draws Paige away, telling Tristan that they’ve got classes coming up, but promise they’ll have Paige consider his request.
Some time later, the kids are in class, where Colossus gives a guest lecture in art. One of the students, Randall, doesn’t understand it. Peter smiles and mentions that art isn’t about thoughts, but about emotions. And, in order for someone to tap their emotions, they must become invested in the piece they are creating. While Peter continues lecturing his class, Jubilee, Jono and Monet are talking telepathically to each other, with the help of Monet’s powers. He has noticed how much Paige has changed recently, and thinks she is only interested in Tristan because he’s rich. Jubilee agrees, and thinks that Paige is more interested in boys nowadays than in doing her homework, like she used to be. Jono suspects that Paige is only doing this out of spite because of him.
Monet tells her friends to knock it off, as she didn’t connect them telepathically just to hear them whining about Paige. Jubilee corrects M, and telepathically shouts at her that this isn’t about Tristan and Paige, but about their secret that hangs on the balance. Peter overhears the kids, and stops his lesson. He walks over to them, and mentions that he didn’t come from Westchester to give this lecture just so that this school’s “star pupils” can ignore him. Jubilee tries to defend herself, but Peter gently silences her. He reveals that during his time with the X-Men, he has spent a lot of time around telepaths, and knows when someone is “mind-speaking.” He suggests that, in the future, the kids show a little more respect for their teachers.
Meanwhile, Sean has gathered Paige, Everett and Skin in the Danger Room, and would like to introduce them to their new physical development instructor, namely Tom Corsi. Like Sean, Tom is an ex-police officer and even helped out the New Mutants back when they were little kids at Xavier’s school. Sean mentions that he and Tom met each other after a battle on Muir Island some time ago and, during that time, shared some war stories with each other. They had kept in touch ever since.
And since Sean and the two other headmasters have to spend more of their time with the other, human students now, they thought it might be a good idea to bring someone in who is specialized in the development of mutant powers. Tom will also make sure that the Danger Room capabilities will remain secret. Sean adds he split the kids up, because Tom wanted to get to know them in smaller groups, so he could spend some quality time with them and meet the other members of Generation X after their classes. Sean mentions he’s got a meeting to attend and leaves. Tom cuts to the chase, and tells the kids that they can think of him as a cross between Magneto and a drill sergeant, and asks them if they’re ready to start working.
Later, Jubilee, Jono and Monet have finished their class. They notice a group of kids hanging around the same spot and staring enthusiastic to a wall. Jono is surprised to what’s going on, so Jubilee goes to check it out. She rushes through the other kids, and reads on a poster there’s going to be a dance at the Proudstar Hall. Jubilee dislikes the idea, but wonders what Everett will look like in a tuxedo.
Suddenly, all the girls notice Jono and think he looks cute, but notice his scarf around his mouth and think he had a motorcycle incident or something. Jono, unable to talk himself out of it, begs Monet for help. She giggles, but helps him out anyway. One of the girls think that Jono uses sign language, like a mute, and tries it out. Jono, unable to do so, does some sign languages, but ends up putting his fingers like Spider-Man does when he fires his webs. The girls believe that it’s real sign language and find it romantic. Monet cuts in, explaining to the girls that Jono just signed that he must go now, and has to go scrub down the pus-filled sores under his bandages. The girls think that’s gross, and aren’t that much in love anymore. Jono shouts at Monet that she wasn’t of much help! She laughs.
Meanwhile, Tom tests out Paige’s powers, and wants her to shed her skin on his mark. He tells her to begin. Paige does it, but Tom wants her continue shedding her skin over and over again, without a break. The sheds end in different colors, and Paige tells Tom that she can’t go on like this without a break, as it hurts. But Tom asks her not to give up, and to just concentrate. Paige listens, and continues shedding her skin. Tom is pleased and thinks they’re almost there.
Paige is startled: she has shed her skin into glass! Tom explains that he read about Paige’s powers, and realized she probably never tried this out before. Everett congratulates Paige. He doesn’t know what use the glass body will be in a battle, but likes the thought of having the option. Paige corrects Everett that isn’t the point, as she knows that Tom is only trying to develop their powers. She knows that there is more to their powers than to just use them in battles, though it rarely seems like that.
Tom fully agrees with that statement. He reveals that, when Sean filled him in on how each of the kids has developed in their time at the Academy, he has to admit to be kind of shocked. Tom came to the conclusion that, with the short time that the kids have been there, they have experienced more growth. Skin thinks that’s more than normal, and doesn’t see how a non-mutant like Tom makes him an expert on mutant powers. Tom admits that Angelo has got him there. Tom mentions that during his time on Muir Island, he studied a lot on Moira MacTaggert’s research. So, he guesses one could say that Tom is self-taught, and Tom jokes that he could give most field experts a good run for their money.
Afterwards, Tom is called to a meeting with Sean, Emma and Adrienne. His first impression with the kids was great, but he thinks that Angelo is kind of a troublemaker. Sean corrects that that was just a first impression, and defends that Angelo is a good kid, but just a little bit harder than the others, as he has had a rough life. He explains that being a mutant is hard enough for a kid, but it’s even worse when their family disowns them for it.
Suddenly, Adrienne notices a cartoon character version of Spider-Man outside, and it stands behind Sean! Surprised, Sean turns around, but doesn’t see anything and doesn’t know what Adrienne is talking about. Adrienne calms down, thinking it was nothing and writes it off as being a headmistress is tougher than she thought it would be. Adrienne asks Tom if he really thinks that Angelo is going to be a problem. If so, they maybe need to talk about installing disciplinary measures. Sean remembers that he and Emma always disliked that idea, but realizes they might have been too soft about that.
There it is again! Adrienne shouts that she just saw another cartoon character, this time looking like Dr. Doom, and it ran across the lawn! Emma hears her sister mentioning the cartoon characters, and has an idea about what might be going on. Meanwhile, “Spider-Ham” and “Ducktor Doom” are running upwards the attic. Unfortunately, they are not alone, and panic a bit. Emma has been waiting for them. She tells the boys that she thought they had an understanding. The two push on their image inducers, and transform back into Artie and Leech!
Adrienne tells Sean that she just thinks that their aversion to actual discipline could very well be the cause of why students like Angelo have attitude problems. Suddenly, the phone rings. Adrienne picks it up, and it’s Sam Guthrie, who asks for Sean. Adrienne recalls the “Guthrie” name, and wonders if he’s related to Paige. Tom remembers Sam and that he’s Paige’s older brother, and part of X-Force. Tom is also aware that Sean’s daughter, Siryn, is part of said group. Sean hangs up the phone, and looks upset. He explains that Theresa has been hurt, and that he has to go to San Francisco to be with her.
Some time later, the kids meet up outside with Tristan. He wants to know what’s going on. Jubilee explains that they won’t let Tristan blackmail them. Sure, today he wants a date with Paige, but how can they know that Tristan wants more tomorrow? Tristan explains to Jubilee that he has been attending private schools like this one for all his life, except they didn’t tutor mutants. And they had all one thing in common: an honor code. And that is not just something Tristan believes in, he embraces it. His word is his bond and he gives the kids his word that they have got nothing to fear from him.
Paige is impressed, and… she will go out on a date with Tristan! What?! Jubilee thinks that Paige has gone nuts, since they don’t even know who Tristan really is. Paige jokes that they have fought the Sentinels, Emplate and Gene Nation together. She doesn’t see the harm in one date. While the girls talk, Everett, Angelo and Jono drag Tristan away, wanting to have a word with him. While the boys go, Jubilee mocks Paige that she’s finally interested in someone besides Jono, and it turns out to be in someone who’s blackmailing them!
Chamber tells Tristan that, though he would like to, he can’t stop Paige from going out with him. But, he promises Tristan this: if he hurts her or even gives Paige the slightest discomfort, Jono will demonstrate his powers on him!
Later that night, Jubilee jogs. She is really thrilled about the dance, as, with Gaia now gone, there’s a good chance that Everett might ask her out. She smiles at how jealous that would make Monet, as Jubilee is certain that Monet likes Everett, seeing how they took off together the other day in Boston. Jubilee continues her jogging, until a voice calls out for help, and… wants to see Adrienne!
The badly injured, and costumed man collapses, and is revealed to be… Paladin! Adrienne sure has got some explaining to do…